231 Sang Chois Playground 2 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”Huh! Is that right? That should make your fans happy!” Juho said candidly, and Sang Choi simply nodded.
”But then, I became curious.”
”About?” Juho asked, sensing trouble. Unfortunately, it was a tad too late for him to get out of it. As a scream came from afar, Juho thought about suggesting to the romance writer that they get on of the rides.
”The love story of a genius,” Sang said, looking at the young author. Upon realizing that he was being stared at, Juho looked away from the romance writer's uncomfortable gaze.
”I have a keen interest in you, as well as your young, fresh love.”
”Young and fresh, huh.”
Juho couldn't remember the last time he had experienced that. As the young author dragged on, Sang asked, ”Have you ever loved someone?”
It was a question Juho wasn't quite used to hearing. However, his instincts had told him that the romance writer would ask that very question someday.
”Sure, I have.”
”You have?”
”Of course. I'm human, and I have primitive emotions like that too. Since I was born, I came to realize the love my parents have for me, along with friends.h.i.+p and patriotism.”
”I find your answer highly unsatisfying,” Sang said, resting his chin on his hand. Yet, his eyes were still fierce.
”What I'm talking about is an interaction with another person, outside of family. Instinctive and provocative. You know, the kind that gets a bad rep for being immature. Eros. s.e.xual love,” he said, clarifying himself in order to prevent Juho from backing out. Then, he raised his hand as a gesture of his willingness to explain things in even greater detail if necessary. Love. It was a topic inseparable from literature. Then, seeing the mascot walking by, Juho answered, ”Yes, I have experience with that as well.”
Just as he had said, Juho did experience such a love in the past, and he had even lived together with a woman at one point, with whom he was in a deeply physical and emotional relations.h.i.+p. As the young author felt the romance writer's piercing gaze on his cheek, Juho looked away briefly, regretting the answer he gave Sang. There wasn't much else to be said, even if Sang were to ask more questions.
”First love?”
”Hm,” Juho dragged on, but it wasn't because he was bashful or had something to hide about the woman. Besides, there weren't any interesting stories to tell either. His memory of her was simply hazy, and Juho had lost nearly all of the memories related to the woman he had had a relations.h.i.+p with. From her appearance to her voice, touch, things she liked and disliked, nothing was certain, and it had nothing to do with him coming back from the dead. It had just been natural to forget about her. They had parted ways, after all.
”So, does that mean you're not in a relations.h.i.+p at the moment?” Sang asked, but there wasn't much Juho could say, unfortunately, and the fact that he was at the theme park with a forty-odd-year-old romance writer was further proof of that.
”We broke up a very long time ago,” the young author said, and Sang scoffed at the last three words in his sentence. However, Juho brushed it off with a shrug.
”Sounds like you don't love her all that much anymore, seeing how dry your tone is…”
”We parted ways. What else can I say?”
”Man, this is why people shouldn't be so quick to underestimate kids. He knows what love is.”
Juho's past love existed only as an abstract memory. His instincts were telling him that it was an experience that he most likely couldn't go through again. At the same time, there was an arrogance in his heart that was telling him that what he had experienced really was, in fact, love. Also, there also existed gratefulness toward the woman who had taught him love.
”Was she a high school student?”
Juho didn't remember seeing her in uniform. They both had to have met as adults. Juho tried to retrace his memory to remember where they had first met. 'Was it by the Han River? Maybe it was the beach. Or was it at the park? A subway station? Bah, I don't know anymore.' It was useless. The young writer couldn't remember anything about her, including how she had been dressed, or what kind of shoes she had been wearing. After staring at the air, Juho said, ”I can't really remember.”
”C'mon, now. You don't think I'll let you off the hook with an answer like that, do you?”
”I'm serious.”
”Well then, that presents whole-nother issue in and of itself. Aren't you a little young to be saying things like that? You're not even allowed to drink, yet.”
”Tell me about it,” Juho said in order to brush off the romance writer's relentless questions. ”Well, I don't think it's fair to say anything about the matter without the consent of the other party, so I'm afraid I can't speak any further.”
At the young author's emphatic answer, Sang sighed and said, ”All right. Fine. I won't ask about your past love. Then, how about this? Do you like anybody at the moment? You know, a potential new love.”
”You sound like a dad talking to his teenage son that hit p.u.b.erty.”
”Tell me,” Sang said, although looking nothing like a father looking at his son.
”Recently? Sure.”
”Who?”
”The people obsessed with fire. Before that, One, Two, Three, and Four. And before that, I was in love with a neighborhood dog,” Juho said, remembering the dog barking in the distance whenever he visited Yun Seo at her house. It was rather adorable. However, Sang was looking quite displeased.
”Right. I get it. You're an author too. What, you trying to show off what you learned from Mrs. Baek? Are you in love with the world, all of a sudden?”
Juho chuckled quietly at Sang's sarcastic remark and changed the subject subtly.
”Well, how about yourself, Mr. Choi? I'd love to get a professional opinion on the matter of love.”
”Go look for it in bookstores.”
”Oh... C'mon, now. It's not the same.”
”You're just too young for this. When you're old enough to have a drink with me, ask me again.”
”So, when did you start treating yourself with so much respect?”
”From the moment I was born.”
When Sang answered in a heartbeat, a subtle smile appeared on Juho's face. He, too, had to have his share of embellishment. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to Juho that Sang would be capable of writing such elaborate love stories.
After that, the young author thought of his other fellow authors and their portrayals of love. Seo Joong had written a version of it that suited his personality just right, and Dong Gil had done the same. When Juho brought up the two authors, the self-loving romance writer snickered, saying, ”They both have a ways to go until they catch up to me.”
However, Seo Joong and Dong Gil's portrayal of love focused on life itself, which made it inherently different from Sang's.
”Seo Joong's portrayal of love is… how should I put it? It's mostly familial love. It's immensely safe, and in terms of color, I'd say it's closer to yellow than pink.”