238 The Reason Hed Never Won 1 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”So, we're all gonna be in the same compet.i.tion?”
”Yep. That happened.”
Seo Kw.a.n.g looked at Juho with excitement. And Bom, upon checking that the contest wouldn't interfere with the one she would be competing in, also decided to compete with her clubmates. It was going to be a lot of fun. For the first time ever, almost everyone in the club was going to be competing in the same essay contest, together.
”Did Mr. Moon say anything?”
”What do you think?”
”Probably not.”
Staying out of his pupils' decision-making process was Mr. Moon's specialty. Juho examined the pamphlet of the contest they were going to take part in. Being hosted by a university in Seoul, it offered a cash prize of one thousand dollars and it seemed to offer lectures and a campus tour afterward. It was a legitimate contest. Because they were all partaking in the same contest, the club members would be competing against each other. However, that would help the less-experienced members, like Bo Suk and the twins.
”Bom?” the twins called to her. They were preparing themselves thoroughly for their first essay contest, and their obsessive personalities seemed to have kicked in, wanting to see it to the end. Nevertheless, Juho was proud of their enthusiasm.
”I'm not sure how to move forward from here.”
”Can I see?” Bom said, scanning Gong Il's ma.n.u.script cautiously. Meanwhile, Gong Pal was striking up a conversation with Bo Suk from behind. Looking at the younger clubmates, Juho, too, moved his hands across the keyboard. Juniors weren't prohibited from bringing their laptops to school because there were a lot of procedures that required a computer, such as applications and self-introduction. It saved him a number of trips to the computer room, and he found it rather convenient.
”So, Bom. What are some things that I should be mindful of at the contest?” Gong Pal asked in a whisper, as if trying not to bother his clubmates. Unfortunately, despite his considerate gesture, Juho couldn't keep his ears from listening, which inevitably made his hands slower. Meanwhile, after brief contemplation, Bom said with an awkward smile, ”It's hard to say because every contest is different.”
In actuality, there were noticeable differences in rules in every contest. From the scale of the contest to the topics, time and places, every contest was distinct, which made it difficult for Bom to offer any advice.
”Well, you always have to write within the given amount of time. That's the most standard.”
Unfortunately, it was something Gong Pal was already aware of. Then, Seo Kw.a.n.g, who had been looking up English words on his laptop, stopped his hands much like Juho and said, ”There are literature clubs in other schools that teach their members how to win contests. Call it knowhow.”
”Seriously!? What about us!?” Gong Il said with interest, and Sun Hwa chimed in, laughing.
”Of course not! You've seen us write, haven't you? We just write what we wanna write about, and Mr. Moon only teaches us the basics.”
”Wouldn't that put us at a disadvantage?”
”Not at all,” Sun Hwa said emphatically, and the twins locked eyes with each other. No matter how confident she was in her statement, it was always safer to have tangible knowhow, and reading that on their faces, Bom spoke up, ”If you take part in an essay contest, there's a chance that you'll run into students who go to schools known for their literature clubs. Some even go to private inst.i.tutes after school or learn from professional organizations. You'll flip once you find out how much money they're paying those places.”
Then, looking straight into the twins' eyes, which were moving busily, the junior added, ”Yet, I won first place.”
Bo Suk exclaimed from the side.
”In the end, there is no such thing as a secret that will guarantee you an award. The best thing to do is to write in peace. I once heard a super famous author say that writers should be thinking about their writing, not their awards. At least, when you're jotting something down,” Bom said, looking in Juho's direction. Avoiding eye contact with her, the young author studied the look on the twins' faces. They seemed anxious on one hand but excited on the other. It was a future impossible to predict, and it came with emotions that every club member had experienced at least once. So, the juniors offered the freshmen comforting words.
”Don't get caught up with how much time you have. Once you start writing, you'll find that you actually have plenty.”
”There are times when professors stare at you. If it bothers you, then just stop writing. They'll walk right past you and leave you alone.”
”It's always wise to know where the restrooms are.”
”Don't forget your writing tools. Pick the ones that feel the best in your hands.”
”You're not going alone, either, so don't worry too much.”
The club members shared as much of their experiences with the twins as possible. Bo Suk, in particular, was the most enthusiastic. Then, after writing down every single advice they had heard from the older clubmates, the twins briefly glanced over in Juho's direction and asked cautiously, ”How come Juho isn't competing?”
”I have a piece that I want to focus on,” the young author said as he started writing again. However, the twins looked puzzled.
”You mean, you've competed before?”
”Yep. Every year.”
”... Did you win any of them?”
”Nope.”
Although he was fully aware of what the twins really wanted to know, Juho didn't bother to explain himself.
”Maybe Juho's the type who has trouble functioning under pressure.”
”But this is Juho, we're talking about.”
Hearing the twins whispering to each other, Juho chuckled.
---
”They should all be there by now,” Juho said, looking up at the clock to look at the time. It was 9:00 a.m, and it was the day when all of his clubmates would be competing in the same essay contest. Because it was the weekend, Juho ate breakfast unhurriedly and prepared to write. The weather was beautiful that day. He imagined his clubmates writing, all sitting together. It would look different from how they did in the Literature Club.
”Well, I better get to working.”
With that, Juho placed his hands on the keyboard, looking at the plot that Nam Kyung had been so fond of. 'Let's not thinking too much. It's just the first draft,' the young author reminded himself as he breathed in quietly. First, the frame. It was necessary in order to acquire the s.p.a.ce for the picture within it. In the frame, there would be I, who was going away from his hometown, and the lady, who was headed for her hometown. The train kept moving forward, never arriving at their destination until the inner story came to an end. The encounter between I and the lady would come to an end as the train came to a stop. Therefore, the train never stopped.
The young author tried looking at the story through the I's perspective. I am me. Juho saw the world from I's perspective: 'After packing my belongings, I put them around my shoulders. I felt the weight of that on my entire body. Then, I headed for the train station in order to buy a ticket for the train that would take me away from my hometown. As I got on the train that was yet to have left, I started having conflicting thoughts. Should I not go? Should I just go back home?'
I knew nothing about the place he was headed to. It was an area being redeveloped, and he was fully aware that he could never make it a home, no matter how long he lived there. He would always be an outsider. He was afraid. Pessimistic thoughts started to take over his mind. At that moment, as he was still struggling with the conflicting thoughts in his head, the train started moving. Now, there was no turning back. He was already on the railway.
His hometown was less than impressive. It was mostly made of fields and rice paddies. As he grew farther from home, fear started to creep into his mind. Then, he realized that he had forgotten something. He knew he had left it behind, but he had no idea what. He had forgotten.
”Hi,” a lady struck up a conversation amid the panic in his mind. It was natural considering that she had been sitting just across from him. After a brief conversation, the two come to realize that they were headed toward the same destination. Talking about the weather, their food preferences, and their hobbies, they slowly got to know each other.