257 Read The Book 3 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”Want me to see you out?” Seo Kw.a.n.g asked, and Juho shook his head as he gathered his senses.
”It's fine. The next period is about to start.”
With that, his clubmates waved goodbye since they couldn't leave the building. And with a reference book in his hand, which he planned on throwing out, Juho went down the stairs. When he reached the hallway, he came face to face with even more people. The long, straight hallway made it impossible for anyone to hide, as it exposed anybody walking through it. Being well aware of that, Juho walked while looking straight ahead. The students murmuring to each other became clearly audible, and Juho could tell that they didn't look at him in such a positive light. It was quite strange. Not everyone seemed to think of him as a fake. There had to be those who believed that Juho was actually Yun Woo. However, it was likely that they wouldn't dare speak up. The responses were obviously one-sided, and it was clear what the dominant beliefs were. 'Yun Woo is a fake, at least in this school.' It wasn't exactly a conclusion Juho was fond of.
”Yo, Yun Woo,” a voice called to the young author mockingly.
Then, shortly after, Juho felt something hit the back of his head and fall to the ground. When he looked down, he saw a crumpled up piece of paper. Bending at the waist, he picked it up and opened it. It looked like a set of incomplete notes. Although Juho looked around in order to return it to whoever it belonged to, his efforts were in vain. Whoever it was, they were hiding in the crowd, never to reveal their face. In a situation where anonymity was maintained, even the cra.s.sest of deeds were tolerated. Feeling the heftiness in his hand, Juho couldn't help but sigh. Then, he looked up at the sky, which was blocked by the concrete ceiling. With that, the young author went on his way unhurriedly.
When he was just about to go down the stairs, another voice called to him, ”Hey!”
When Juho turned around, wondering what kind of projectile was coming toward him that time, he saw the monkey charging toward him at a frightening speed. Then, grabbing onto his shoulders, he asked, ”You were Yun Woo!?”
Looking at the monkey gasping for breath, Juho said, ”Yeah.”
”I knew it!” the monkey said, clutching his hair as soon as he heard Juho's response. He didn't seem like the type who cared about how others looked at him. ”I got an interview out of Yun Woo!”
The monkey was having a deeply emotional experience, and after writhing with joy for a little while, he looked up all of a sudden.
”This will look good on applications, don't you think?”
”I wouldn't know.”
”C'mon. It's interview time! The Yun Woo Special! Oh, yeah! Remind me where you were going again?”
He seemed to be thinking out loud at that point.
”Home,” the young author said briefly.
”Come again?”
”I'm not coming to school anymore.”
After blinking quietly, the monkey started asking desperately for the reason behind Juho's decision. Because he wasn't in the mood to explain himself all over again, Juho gave him a brief summary instead, ”Because I'm Yun Woo.”
Thankfully, that sentence was enough to convince the monkey.
”Right. Right. Then, what about the interview?”
”I'm afraid you're too late.”
At that moment, the joy that had been on the monkey's face disappeared at once as regret washed over him. Since becoming a junior, he had been distancing himself from the Newspaper Club for various reasons and, because of that, he hadn't been able to interview the young author even after 'Fingernails' was exhibited in library. He had chosen to focus on preparing for the SATs instead.
Meanwhile, Juho comforted the monkey, ”You gotta study.”
Unfortunately, Juho's attempt at trying to encourage the monkey turned out to be in vain.
”How's that an issue when Yun Woo's right in front of me!? Are you trying to play hard to get now that you revealed yourself, or what!?”
”I turned down your interview last year too, didn't I?”
”No! You can't do this to me! I'm barely starting to understand your writing, which means I can ask even better questions now. I'm not letting you go that easily. Oh, no,” the monkey said desperately. Unfortunately, his desperation made little difference to Juho. While he was pus.h.i.+ng the monkey away as he clung on to the young author's arm, which was already heavy from the sheer weight of the things he had been carrying, a voice said to the monkey, ”He's not actually Yun Woo.”
It seemed to believe in what it was saying. Then, the monkey rolled his eyes around in order to find out from where the voice was coming, but he gave up shortly after.
”And how do you know that?”
That time, there was no answer. Instead, what returned to the monkey in place of an answer was anger. Rather than supporting its conjecture with evidence, the voice was backing up its statement with its emotions. Caught off guard by the sudden outburst, the monkey appeared to be slightly intimidated by it. Meanwhile, Juho quietly listened to the angry voice. He found himself remaining silent yet again, as if he didn't have a mouth. Then, the young author brushed his hand down his face.
”I guess I can come clean now.”
”Wh?”
Juho looked at the monkey. The young author was able to communicate with him just by looking, as if he were talking to him. After all, he was Yun Woo. Then, he handed half of the things he had been carrying to the monkey. Although taken aback, the monkey took Juho's things from his hands. With that, feeling much lighter than before, Juho ran down the stairs, nearly leaping. His hair was blowing in the wind. Although he was clearly running downward, the young author felt as though he was flying. The faster he ran, the farther away he got from the voices around him. He bolted across the hallway.
”Hey! Where you goin'!?” the monkey asked with a puzzled look on his face, following him. To which, Juho answered while putting pressure onto his stomach, ”The broadcasting room.”
”What for?”
”You know how to work the machine, right?” Juho asked, thinking of the broadcasts that played through the speakers during lunch every single day. The Newspaper Club had also taken part in them before. Meanwhile, the monkey answered, sounding unsure, ”Sort of…?”
”OK, that's good enough.”
”Why the broadcasting room, though?”
”Why else?”
By the time the two arrived at the broadcasting room, the monkey was huffing and puffing. As Juho opened the door, he was greeted by an empty room that smelled of dust. Then, after turning the light on, they put down the things they had been carrying.
”Turn it on.”
”What?”
Walking past the monkey, who was questioning the young author with a dumb expression on his face, Juho closed the door.
”Turn the thing on and make my voice go out every speaker in the school.”
”... I didn't actually think you'd go this far, but isn't this a bit excessive?”
”I'm just trying to explain myself, that's all. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?”
”But you didn't get permission.”