249 Who Is Yun Woo? 2 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”Congratulations, Mr. Woo! The Double Crown! You've done it!”
”I was so overwhelmed when the presenter said your name!”
Dong Baek and Jang Mi said, sitting in front of a wall with red wallpaper on it. Juho was seeing them for the first time since winning the Hugo Award. While the young author had watched the ceremony live from Coin's residence, both Dong Baek and Jang Mi had been at the scene. Juho bowed to them as an expression of grat.i.tude. If it weren't for them, 'Language of G.o.d' would have never come out to the world. A book had to go through a slew of processes until it was released. When an author won an award, the honor wasn't meant to be hogged by the author alone.
”How was your trip?” Jang Mi asked, curious about his visit to Coin's residence. Then, the young author gave her a brief description of the house, starting with Coin's apartment in Manhattan and then talking about the corn plantation on the way to the house. The president and the editor listened intently to the young author's story. After all, it was about none other than Kelley Coin.
”He made us breakfast, too.”
”Oh, my! How'd it taste?”
”It just tasted like bacon.”
The bacon had been quite the delicacy in and of itself, and cooking it on a frying pan had only enhanced the flavor. Meanwhile, Jang Mi looked at the young author with envy and added that she was a fan of Coin's books.
”How about you, Ms. Hong? How was Worldcon?”
”The best,” she said, sticking her thumb out. With that, Jang Mi and Dong Baek told the young author about their experience at the convention. Because the location varied every year, the convention also tended to change slightly every year, and according to the two, the Worldcon in Denver had been quite liberating.
”We were getting a lot of questions about you, too.”
In some sense, it was natural for people to ask about an author who wasn't attending the ceremony. While they talked, Jang Mi spun the Lazy Susan on the table, and the dishes on it switched places with one another.
”A lot of people were asking if we had pictures of you, too.”
”And just as many people were curious about your writing process.”
”We were getting a lot of questions about what kind of books you read.”
”As well as your favorite Hollywood celebrity.”
According to Jang Mi's own words, Worldcon had been a one-of-kind experience. Then, the young author was struck with the thought that the piercing in between her nostrils would've shone all the more at the convention.
”We've been getting those questions in Korea every day, but it felt different hearing them in another country.”
Then, she brought up the names of the people who had asked her questions. From a bestselling American author to an editor from a publis.h.i.+ng company in the UK, a leading official of an a.s.sociation, and a competing candidate for the same award, there was quite an array. Considering the occasion, it wasn't surprising that t.i.tles like those were being brought up.
”Was it fun?” Juho asked, and Dong Baek smiled at the young author's innocent question.
”Honestly, we were there to work, so we had to be on our toes a lot of the time. There was some trouble while we're there, too. At the end of the day though, it doesn't change the fact that it was an unforgettable experience.”
”I mean, we were the first Koreans to be invited to the ceremony! Yes, it came with a heavy responsibility, but the result couldn't have been more rewarding.”
Then, dipping his chopsticks into his noodle soup, Juho said, ”Do you think it would've been better for me to be there?” Though his tone was indifferent, the meaning was much more profound. At that, the president and the editor locked eyes with each other, communicating that they were on the same page. The young author seemed to be pondering something important, so Jang Mi took the initiative.
”Well, it would've been nice for us. I definitely think you would've had a lot of fun if you were there. There were a lot of things to see. Although, it was kind of hectic.”
Then, Dong Baek backed her up, ”But, let's put it this way, you were able to stay in Coin's residence BECAUSE you decided not to attend the ceremony, am I right? Every decision has its pros and cons.”
That time, picking up a piece of bok choy out of his soup with his chopsticks, Juho said, ”Should I reveal my ident.i.ty?”
A rattling sound reverberated throughout the room at the jarring statement from the young author. Meanwhile, the young author simply smiled. The comfortable atmosphere froze over in a matter of seconds.
”Uh…” Jang Mi let out, moving her lips in an attempt to speak. However, putting the thoughts running amok in her mind into words was proving to be a challenge. Yun Woo revealing his ident.i.ty was a substantial matter, and it was especially true in the time they were living in, immediately after a nineteen-year-old author had achieved the Double Crown.
”May I ask how you came to that?” Dong Baek asked quietly.
To which, the young author answered in a calm tone of voice, ”I thought it was about time for me to start thinking about it.”
”I see.”
The room sank into silence. Sensing the tension in the room, the young author said, ”Frankly, I've been hearing mostly good things since my first book.”
”Right. The beginning of Yun Woo,” the president said. It was a rather heavy answer to a light-hearted remark.
”I had just come up to high school back then, and something was telling me that things were about to get complicated, so I figured it would be wise to take a step back. You know?”
”Right. I agree that it was a wise decision,” Dong Baek said.
”I've written a number of pieces from then on, and thankfully, I've yet to disappoint my readers.”
”On the contrary, you've brought them joy.”
”But here's the thing. That's not why I write. I'm not writing in order to please others.”
Dong Baek and Jang Mi nodded at his statement simultaneously. According to their experiences, each author had their own motive for writing. Not only was it their means of making a living, but it was also a need that arose from self-realization. While some dedicated their entire lives to their writing, there also existed those who simply wrote as a means of pa.s.sing time.
At that point, Juho added, ”Not to say that I'm looking for negative criticism, of course. I'm human too, so I do think about it. If I were to be honest, I want every single one of my readers to be happy.”
”We understand.”
”You do?” Juho asked
”What was that? Oh, right. Yes. I believe contradiction is the word we're looking for here.”
Then, leaning back on his chair's backrest, Juho asked, ”So, should I come clean about my ident.i.ty?”
The room sank back into silence. Then, Dong Baek asked as he took a sip of water, ”Is that what you want, Mr. Woo?”
”I'm not sure.”