Chapter 100 (1/1)

Chapter 100

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl ”What should I eat?” Juho contemplated, clasping his rumbling stomach . Cars pa.s.sed by in front of his eyes . He was on his way back from a walk . As he exited the park, the noise in the environment flooded his ears . Everyone had to be out for the weekend . The streets were booming with people . Though it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, Juho was still hungry . 'Maybe some bread?' Without hesitation, he made his way to the bakery across the street . With his eyes fixed on the traffic light, Juho waited desperately for it to change . People were standing on the sidewalk while the cars zoomed past them on the road . Frankly, Juho had wanted to stay home all day writing, wrestling with his pen . Eating had become a ha.s.sle, and he didn't want to spend any more time on it than it was necessary . However, he was not in the state to be able to handle writing such a book . In order to create a world that was elaborately detailed, he couldn't afford to keep his stomach empty . Juho stared at the road where the cars were rus.h.i.+ng past the white lines on the ground . Those lines had been drawn for the people . It told them 'Walk here . Cars, wait until everyone has crossed safely to the other side . ' It was a promise of safety . Unfortunately, people simply had too many reasons to break that promise . When one broke the promise of safety, it often resulted in death . 'Is that how it works in war?' Juho thought, fiddling with a USB-drive in his pocket . His stomach rumbled . Juho regretted leaving home without having eaten . As he stared intently at the bakery, the light finally turned green . While everyone crossed the street at the same time, Juho stepped on the road without delay . It wasn't long until he reached the other side of the street and the green light began to flicker . By the time Juho had nearly crossed the road, people who had arrived late began to rush across . The cars were inching past the white line, announcing their intention of taking off as soon as the light turned . Everything seemed perilous . A middle-aged woman running from afar, an elderly pus.h.i.+ng a stroller, a curious dog with its young owner . They were all still walking on the white line . Juho watched anxiously until the light turned red . Thankfully, nothing happened . The light turned red after everyone had safely crossed onto the other side . Juho made his way toward the bakery . Although he was yet to arrive, the scrumptious fragrance of freshly baked bread tickled his nose . Then, he remembered how hungry was . He felt like he would end up buying a lot more bread than necessary . 'It's not everyday I'm at a bakery,' Juho justified himself as he opened the door confidently and stepped into the bakery . As he contemplated on which one to choose, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket . A call from Yun Seo, and Juho answered it quickly . ”Yes, Mrs . Baek . ” ”Yes, h.e.l.lo, Juho . Are you busy?” ”No, I was on my way back home from a walk,” Juho answered honestly . ”Is that so? Does that mean you're available today?” ”Yes, I'm flexible . ” ”Great! Come eat . ” Juho was more than happy that Yun Seo had asked him over . He much rather her warm bowl of rice over a generic sandwich sold at a bakery . Because he was already hungry, he answered without hesitation, ”I'll be there . ” ”Be safe, and watch out for cars . ” After the call, Juho decided to take some bread with him, becoming more intentional about his choices . Remembering what she had always said habitually about not having enough food, he made sure to buy a generous amount . --- ”I'm here!” ”What's up!” 'Bark! Bark!' with the sound of the dog barking in the distance, Geun Woo came out to greet Juho . ”Are you opening up a bakery?” he asked, looking at the bags full of bread . ”Nothing's sadder than not having enough to eat,” ”Hm… I could've sworn I heard that somewhere . ” As he walked in with Geun Woo, they ran into Yun Seo coming out of the kitchen . ”You're here! What's all that?” ”I brought some bread . ” ”Oh, you didn't have to . There's plenty of food . ” ”More the merrier . ” ”Of course . Go hang out with Geun Woo for a little while . Lunch is almost ready . ” ”Yes, ma'am . ” Putting on her ap.r.o.n, Yun Seo went back to the kitchen, smiling cheerfully . As she had told him to, Juho sat down with Geun Woo . ”Where's Joon Soo?” ”He had a lecture . ” When he thought back on it, their first encounter had been at a university, and Juho had left without listening to his lecture . In the middle of catching up with Geun Woo, Juho asked, ”Have you been working on anything lately?” ”Yeah . I got a request for a short story for a magazine, so I've been working on that . ” ”I see, the splendor of a celebrity author . ” ”You brat!” Suddenly, Geun Woo asked a question while mimicking Juho, ”Don't you get requests like that too? You're the one and only Yun Woo after all . ” ”I've been turning down every single one of them,” answered Juho, smiling . ”Aha!” ”I'm anonymous, and I don't like the idea of writing on a deadline . I want to be able to write when I want in peace . ” ”I get what you're saying . Trying to meet a deadline can be a living h.e.l.l . ” Then, Geun Woo asked, rustling the bag of bread Juho had brought, ”You're not going to end up like San Jung, are you? Living like a hermit in the mountains?” ”Are you talking about San Jung Youn?” ”Duh! Who else writes living in the mountains?” San Jung Youn had been famous for many areas . A skilled writer, one of the things she was known for was having built a house in the mountains . She stuck strictly to novels . In order to realize that conviction, she moved to the mountains voluntarily . She was quite eccentric . However, Juho had had no clue that she and Geun Woo knew each other . ”How do you guys know each other?” ”She was also one of Mrs . Baek's pupils,” Geun Woo said light-heartedly, taking a bag of bread from the sack . ”I had no idea . ” ”Most people don't . She wasn't here for that long . By the time she came here, she was already an author, so she wasn't exactly a student either . She refused to do interviews too . ” ”How did you guys get close?” ”She likes to drink . I'm about the only person here who drinks regularly . We drank together, and we got closer in no time . Speaking of which, I haven't really seen her since she moved to the mountains . Wonder how she's doing,” Geun Woo said, tearing the wrapping around the bread . It was almost time for lunch, but he was rather impatient . ”Don't blame me if you can't finish your food . ” ”Don't worry . I'll eat every bit of it,” Geun Woo said confidently, taking a big bite out of the bread . At that moment, Yun Seo saw him as she came out of the kitchen, and he got an earful . Lunch was delicious . Her cooking was warm and welcoming . After the meal, Juho went outside to walk around a little bit while looking at Yun Seo's garden . There were all sorts of different vegetables . Squatting in front of it, he watched an ant as it crawled by . He took a small pebble and placed it before the ant . As if fl.u.s.tered, it moved about side to side, but soon found a way around it . Even when he placed bigger rocks before it, the ant somehow went around it, as if it knew that something bigger existed . Juho was proud of that spirit . As a gesture of apology, he decided to give it a small piece of bread . When the piece of bread landed on the ground, the ant moved about nimbly . As he watched the ant carrying its food back to its nest, Yun Seo called for him from behind him . ”Come have some fruit!” ”Yes, ma'am . ” Seeing the piles of fruit she had brought out, Juho sat next to Yun Seo . ”So, what have you been working on lately?” Yun Seo asked . Though he had never brought it up with her, she somehow knew that he had been writing . ”I've been working on a short story and novel . ” ”Two?” ”The two ideas. .h.i.t me at the same time . I couldn't help it . ” Juho talked about the day when he made the spontaneous trip to the beach . Yun Seo listened cheerfully . ”You really have a lot in common with Wol . That must have been a lot of fun . ” ”Yes, it was! Sometimes, going on a spontaneous trip isn't half bad . ” ”Isn't it tiring?” It depended on the author, but writing two separate books at the same time hadn't been such a bad experience for Juho . Of course, it had been much more demanding in every aspect than working on a single book, but it had been twice as rewarding . ”I'm glad to hear . Sounds like you're really meant to be a writer . ” ”I've already finished the first draft of the short story . I think writing in different locations has really helped . ” School and home . By writing in two different environments, Juho was able to keep his thoughts and ideas organized, and the two books seemed to have a positive influence on one another . ”Although I still got a ways to go with the novel . ” ”There's no rush . ” ”Yes, I agree . I've been taking my time with it . I've learned the benefits of keeping my shoulders relaxed when I write . ” ”Hyun Do?” Yun Seo asked, smiling . ”Yes, ma'am . ” ”How was he?” she asked, curious about their encounter . After a brief time thinking, Juho answered, ”It was an honor . There is so much I can learn from him . I had a great time . ” ”Hyun Do told me the same . He said he had a great time as well . ” Juho felt relieved that his meeting with the literary giant had gone smoothly . ”Hyun Do may be comforting, but he's hardly the one to reach out to people first . ” ”Really?” ”Of course! He likes to write in the quiet, so he becomes a hermit when he's writing . It makes people around him anxious, but I keep telling them that there's nothing to worry about . ” ”Why is that?” ”Hyun Do is the master when it comes to eating alone,” Yun Seo said, laughing cheerfully . Juho looked at her intently . Though she had used the word 'alone,' that was hardly the truth . With a friend like her who trusted and supported him, Hyun Do was never alone . ”He was moved by your writing,” Yun Seo said . ”Are you sure…?” ”That's right . You got his heavy a.s.s to finally come outside . You can be proud of yourself . I think you can afford to be a little arrogant,” she added, calmly looking at Juho . She knew about Juho's bondage to past failures keeping him from celebrating the present successes . Celebration was but a moment . Afterward, everything went back to the way it had been . An author tended to be more focused on the harsh criticisms than on the praises . When Juho published his new book, he had been happier about the fact that he wasn't reliving the past failure than about his book being published . He had always worked hard to keep himself under control . ”I've watched over countless authors over the years . ” ”Yes, ma'am . ” ”You stood out among the other authors I've met . You don't show it . You're almost too good at keeping your emotional boundaries . ” She had known his struggle all along and was reaching out to help . Juho answered playfully, ”What if I actually become really arrogant?””Then, I'd have to put you in your place . ” ”That sounds scary . ” ”It's not good to be scared from the start . Don't be preemptively afraid of success or of failure . ” ”Are you saying that I should set them aside?” ”I'm simply telling you to face them . ” Face it . Juho thought of the crow . ”And then?” ”You accept it . ” ”And then what happens next?” ”I believe it's up to you . At the end of the day, this is your life,” Yun Seo said while looking up at the sky . She seemed to be reminiscing about someone . Seeing the longing in her eyes, Juho guessed that she was thinking of her husband . ”There's this favorite author of mine . He's an amazing writer, and I really respect him . ” ”Uh, huh . ” ”One day, that author told me that he saw a bird . ” A bird . Juho was surprised by the familiar sounding word . ”Apparently, it was injured, so it couldn't fly . He wanted to look after that bird . I couldn't understand him, but I let him anyway . He always sees things that I can't see . ” Juho imagined an injured bird that couldn't fly . ”Now that I'm older, I think I'm starting to get it . After writing twice the amount he wrote throughout his life, I barely came to understand it . He wanted to fly . Freely,” she said, smiling . ”That's why he wanted that bird to be able to fly . In the end, that bird was a representation of himself . It's the same reason he had to start writing . ” Juho felt like he had discovered a light in the dark . He felt like he had finally grasped the stream of light that he couldn't before . The crow never flew, and it only stood on its fragile legs . The reason why he hadn't named the crow was because Juho wanted it to fly away . ”You've seen it too, haven't you?” ”Yes, I have . ” ”Lucky you . I don't have that kind of imagination . ” After a moment, Juho asked, ”Do you think the bird flew away?” Did Wol Kang get his hands on freedom after all? ”Yep,” she answered confidently . ”I'm sure it flew away, as good as new . ” ”How do you know?” ”I've read what he wrote . I got to read his last novel . It's still unfinished . ” Yun Seo rested her hand on Juho's shoulder . It was as light as a feather . ”If you want to fly, don't you think your shoulders need to be lighter? So, be more confident kiddo . ”You've written amazing books . People are praising you . Your writing has moved the hearts of many, so it's OK to be excited . Celebrate it . Don't be held back by the jealousy of others . I really wish for you to learn to do these things . ” An overwhelming compliment . Juho laughed, feeling like he hadn't done so for a long time . ”Yes, ma'am . ” He decided to take her advice . Anybody could change . On the other hand, anybody could stay the same .

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl What should I eat? Juho contemplated, clasping his rumbling stomach . Cars pa.s.sed by in front of his eyes . He was on his way back from a walk . As he exited the park, the noise in the environment flooded his ears . Everyone had to be out for the weekend . The streets were booming with people . Though it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, Juho was still hungry . Maybe some bread? Without hesitation, he made his way to the bakery across the street . With his eyes fixed on the traffic light, Juho waited desperately for it to change . People were standing on the sidewalk while the cars zoomed past them on the road . Frankly, Juho had wanted to stay home all day writing, wrestling with his pen . Eating had become a ha.s.sle, and he didnt want to spend any more time on it than it was necessary . However, he was not in the state to be able to handle writing such a book . In order to create a world that was elaborately detailed, he couldnt afford to keep his stomach empty . Juho stared at the road where the cars were rus.h.i.+ng past the white lines on the ground . Those lines had been drawn for the people . It told them Walk here . Cars, wait until everyone has crossed safely to the other side . It was a promise of safety . Unfortunately, people simply had too many reasons to break that promise . When one broke the promise of safety, it often resulted in death . Is that how it works in war? Juho thought, fiddling with a USB-drive in his pocket . His stomach rumbled . Juho regretted leaving home without having eaten . As he stared intently at the bakery, the light finally turned green . While everyone crossed the street at the same time, Juho stepped on the road without delay . It wasnt long until he reached the other side of the street and the green light began to flicker . By the time Juho had nearly crossed the road, people who had arrived late began to rush across . The cars were inching past the white line, announcing their intention of taking off as soon as the light turned . Everything seemed perilous . A middle-aged woman running from afar, an elderly pus.h.i.+ng a stroller, a curious dog with its young owner . They were all still walking on the white line . Juho watched anxiously until the light turned red . Thankfully, nothing happened . The light turned red after everyone had safely crossed onto the other side . Juho made his way toward the bakery . Although he was yet to arrive, the scrumptious fragrance of freshly baked bread tickled his nose . Then, he remembered how hungry was . He felt like he would end up buying a lot more bread than necessary . Its not everyday Im at a bakery, Juho justified himself as he opened the door confidently and stepped into the bakery . As he contemplated on which one to choose, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket . A call from Yun Seo, and Juho answered it quickly . Yes, Mrs . Baek . Yes, h.e.l.lo, Juho . Are you busy? No, I was on my way back home from a walk, Juho answered honestly . Is that so? Does that mean youre available today? Yes, Im flexible . Great! Come eat . Juho was more than happy that Yun Seo had asked him over . He much rather her warm bowl of rice over a generic sandwich sold at a bakery . Because he was already hungry, he answered without hesitation, Ill be there . Be safe, and watch out for cars . After the call, Juho decided to take some bread with him, becoming more intentional about his choices . Remembering what she had always said habitually about not having enough food, he made sure to buy a generous amount . --- Im here! Whats up! Bark! Bark! with the sound of the dog barking in the distance, Geun Woo came out to greet Juho . Are you opening up a bakery? he asked, looking at the bags full of bread . Nothings sadder than not having enough to eat, Hm… I couldve sworn I heard that somewhere . As he walked in with Geun Woo, they ran into Yun Seo coming out of the kitchen . Youre here! Whats all that? I brought some bread . Oh, you didnt have to . Theres plenty of food . More the merrier . Of course . Go hang out with Geun Woo for a little while . Lunch is almost ready . Yes, maam . Putting on her ap.r.o.n, Yun Seo went back to the kitchen, smiling cheerfully . As she had told him to, Juho sat down with Geun Woo . Wheres Joon Soo? He had a lecture . When he thought back on it, their first encounter had been at a university, and Juho had left without listening to his lecture . In the middle of catching up with Geun Woo, Juho asked, Have you been working on anything lately? Yeah . I got a request for a short story for a magazine, so Ive been working on that . I see, the splendor of a celebrity author . You brat! Suddenly, Geun Woo asked a question while mimicking Juho, Dont you get requests like that too? Youre the one and only Yun Woo after all . Ive been turning down every single one of them, answered Juho, smiling . Aha! Im anonymous, and I dont like the idea of writing on a deadline . I want to be able to write when I want in peace . I get what youre saying . Trying to meet a deadline can be a living h.e.l.l . Then, Geun Woo asked, rustling the bag of bread Juho had brought, Youre not going to end up like San Jung, are you? Living like a hermit in the mountains? Are you talking about San Jung Youn? Duh! Who else writes living in the mountains? San Jung Youn had been famous for many areas . A skilled writer, one of the things she was known for was having built a house in the mountains . She stuck strictly to novels . In order to realize that conviction, she moved to the mountains voluntarily . She was quite eccentric . However, Juho had had no clue that she and Geun Woo knew each other . How do you guys know each other? She was also one of Mrs . Baeks pupils, Geun Woo said light-heartedly, taking a bag of bread from the sack . I had no idea . Most people dont . She wasnt here for that long . By the time she came here, she was already an author, so she wasnt exactly a student either . She refused to do interviews too . How did you guys get close? She likes to drink . Im about the only person here who drinks regularly . We drank together, and we got closer in no time . Speaking of which, I havent really seen her since she moved to the mountains . Wonder how shes doing, Geun Woo said, tearing the wrapping around the bread . It was almost time for lunch, but he was rather impatient . Dont blame me if you cant finish your food . Dont worry . Ill eat every bit of it, Geun Woo said confidently, taking a big bite out of the bread . At that moment, Yun Seo saw him as she came out of the kitchen, and he got an earful . Lunch was delicious . Her cooking was warm and welcoming . After the meal, Juho went outside to walk around a little bit while looking at Yun Seos garden . There were all sorts of different vegetables . Squatting in front of it, he watched an ant as it crawled by . He took a small pebble and placed it before the ant . As if fl.u.s.tered, it moved about side to side, but soon found a way around it . Even when he placed bigger rocks before it, the ant somehow went around it, as if it knew that something bigger existed . Juho was proud of that spirit . As a gesture of apology, he decided to give it a small piece of bread . When the piece of bread landed on the ground, the ant moved about nimbly . As he watched the ant carrying its food back to its nest, Yun Seo called for him from behind him . Come have some fruit! Yes, maam . Seeing the piles of fruit she had brought out, Juho sat next to Yun Seo . So, what have you been working on lately? Yun Seo asked . Though he had never brought it up with her, she somehow knew that he had been writing . Ive been working on a short story and novel . Two? The two ideas. .h.i.t me at the same time . I couldnt help it . Juho talked about the day when he made the spontaneous trip to the beach . Yun Seo listened cheerfully . You really have a lot in common with Wol . That must have been a lot of fun . Yes, it was! Sometimes, going on a spontaneous trip isnt half bad . Isnt it tiring? It depended on the author, but writing two separate books at the same time hadnt been such a bad experience for Juho . Of course, it had been much more demanding in every aspect than working on a single book, but it had been twice as rewarding . Im glad to hear . Sounds like youre really meant to be a writer . Ive already finished the first draft of the short story . I think writing in different locations has really helped . School and home . By writing in two different environments, Juho was able to keep his thoughts and ideas organized, and the two books seemed to have a positive influence on one another . Although I still got a ways to go with the novel . Theres no rush . Yes, I agree . Ive been taking my time with it . Ive learned the benefits of keeping my shoulders relaxed when I write . Hyun Do? Yun Seo asked, smiling . Yes, maam . How was he? she asked, curious about their encounter . After a brief time thinking, Juho answered, It was an honor . There is so much I can learn from him . I had a great time . Hyun Do told me the same . He said he had a great time as well . Juho felt relieved that his meeting with the literary giant had gone smoothly . Hyun Do may be comforting, but hes hardly the one to reach out to people first . Really? Of course! He likes to write in the quiet, so he becomes a hermit when hes writing . It makes people around him anxious, but I keep telling them that theres nothing to worry about . Why is that? Hyun Do is the master when it comes to eating alone, Yun Seo said, laughing cheerfully . Juho looked at her intently . Though she had used the word alone, that was hardly the truth . With a friend like her who trusted and supported him, Hyun Do was never alone . He was moved by your writing, Yun Seo said . Are you sure…? Thats right . You got his heavy a.s.s to finally come outside . You can be proud of yourself . I think you can afford to be a little arrogant, she added, calmly looking at Juho . She knew about Juhos bondage to past failures keeping him from celebrating the present successes . Celebration was but a moment . Afterward, everything went back to the way it had been . An author tended to be more focused on the harsh criticisms than on the praises . When Juho published his new book, he had been happier about the fact that he wasnt reliving the past failure than about his book being published . He had always worked hard to keep himself under control . Ive watched over countless authors over the years . Yes, maam . You stood out among the other authors Ive met . You dont show it . Youre almost too good at keeping your emotional boundaries . She had known his struggle all along and was reaching out to help . Juho answered playfully, What if I actually become really arrogant? Then, Id have to put you in your place . That sounds scary . Its not good to be scared from the start . Dont be preemptively afraid of success or of failure . Are you saying that I should set them aside? Im simply telling you to face them . Face it . Juho thought of the crow . And then? You accept it . And then what happens next? I believe its up to you . At the end of the day, this is your life, Yun Seo said while looking up at the sky . She seemed to be reminiscing about someone . Seeing the longing in her eyes, Juho guessed that she was thinking of her husband . Theres this favorite author of mine . Hes an amazing writer, and I really respect him . Uh, huh . One day, that author told me that he saw a bird . A bird . Juho was surprised by the familiar sounding word . Apparently, it was injured, so it couldnt fly . He wanted to look after that bird . I couldnt understand him, but I let him anyway . He always sees things that I cant see . Juho imagined an injured bird that couldnt fly . Now that Im older, I think Im starting to get it . After writing twice the amount he wrote throughout his life, I barely came to understand it . He wanted to fly . Freely, she said, smiling . Thats why he wanted that bird to be able to fly . In the end, that bird was a representation of himself . Its the same reason he had to start writing . Juho felt like he had discovered a light in the dark . He felt like he had finally grasped the stream of light that he couldnt before . The crow never flew, and it only stood on its fragile legs . The reason why he hadnt named the crow was because Juho wanted it to fly away . Youve seen it too, havent you? Yes, I have . Lucky you . I dont have that kind of imagination . After a moment, Juho asked, Do you think the bird flew away? Did Wol Kang get his hands on freedom after all? Yep, she answered confidently . Im sure it flew away, as good as new . How do you know? Ive read what he wrote . I got to read his last novel . Its still unfinished . Yun Seo rested her hand on Juhos shoulder . It was as light as a feather . If you want to fly, dont you think your shoulders need to be lighter? So, be more confident kiddo . Youve written amazing books . People are praising you . Your writing has moved the hearts of many, so its OK to be excited . Celebrate it . Dont be held back by the jealousy of others . I really wish for you to learn to do these things . An overwhelming compliment . Juho laughed, feeling like he hadnt done so for a long time . Yes, maam . He decided to take her advice . Anybody could change . On the other hand, anybody could stay the same .