Chapter 319 (1/1)

Published

at 29th of March 2019 03:30:06 AM

Chapter 319

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl ”Man, flying for twelve hours straight is no joke,” Juho said, stretching his body . He wasn't used to flying long distances . Nabi, who seemed to be well acquainted with being on a plane for an extended period of time, chuckled quietly as Juho let out a small moan . She didn't let her time go to waste, even on the plane . ”You'll have a lot of fun at the Messe . It's a business day, so you might not be able to buy anything, but it should be much easier to get around . On public days is when things get really crazy . There are cosplayers and people carrying backpacks or traveling carriers, hunting for books . The Forum and the 3 . 0 Hall are the most popular attractions in the entire fair, and lately, K-Pop's been getting really big . ” On their way to the hotel, Nabi told the young author about the area of the fair in detail . Held over five days, three of those days were reserved as the business days, which focused the entire fair on the business aspect of things . Civilians were not allowed to enter the fair during those days . With buying and selling of different copyrights from booths, there was quite an array of things to experience, including lectures from the partic.i.p.ating authors . Nabi was well acquainted with the environment that was the book fair . She would fly to Germany every October on business . Of course, that alone didn't make her special in any way, as countless copyrights were bought and sold at the fair . ”Would you like to take the rest of the day off, or would you like to look around a little bit?” ”I do wanna see the Main River . ” ”Ah! The ducks there are adorable!” Juho looked at the foreign surroundings attentively . Pointy roofs, streets that seemed like they had been around since the medieval age, skysc.r.a.pers that blended with the history around them, downtown, and the graffitis that decorated the walls . It seemed like a view straight out of the movies . After unloading at the hotel, the two went out to look around . ”Make sure to keep your hat on . People WILL recognize you . ” ”But we're in Germany . ” ”And you're Yun Woo . ” Since the Sun was quite hot, Juho put his hat on without complaint . Although there were quite a few people on the streets, there was something calm and peaceful about Frankfurt . The weather was quite hot for October . ”I see some sausage links hanging over there . ” ”That's the first thing you'll see as soon as you walk into any market: sausages . They are really good . Speaking of which, how's that for dinner?” ”Works for me . Oh! Isn't that gelato over there?” ”I recommend mango . You know what? Why don't we each get one right now? The weather's just right . ” In order to see how much money he had, Juho checked the wallet in his pocket and said, ”I'll get it . I exchanged some money before I left Korea . ” With that, he walked toward the shop, which was quite small . Standing behind the gla.s.s counter, Juho looked through the variety of gelato in the shop, from banana to lemon, kiwi, mint, and coconut . After some contemplation, he decided to go with Nabi's recommendation . ”Two mangos, please . ” ”Both of them?” ”Yes . ” Taking the money from Juho nonchalantly, the owner scooped the gelato out and put the scoops on two ice cream cones . As he took the cones from her, he felt the owner looking at him intently . Pretending not to notice, Juho asked, ”Something wrong?” At that, the shop owner shook her head with a brusque expression on her face, looking away from Juho nonchalantly . Although it was different from the att.i.tude Juho was used to, he was thankful that the owner didn't make a big deal out of his presence, which allowed him to walk out of the shop safely and soundly . When he had first noticed the shop owner's gaze, Juho had tensed up, thinking that she had recognized him . Thankfully, she hadn't seemed confident . Perhaps, she simply wasn't a fan of the young author . ”This is good . ” ”Right?” With the cones of gelato in their hands, the two made their way toward the Main River . One of the first things that came into view were the joggers . On a bridge that had been built centuries ago, there were countless padlocks all across the fences to either side . There were ducks in the dark water, swimming about peacefully . ”You seem to speak German pretty fluently . You've never been to Germany before, have you, Mr . Woo?” Nabi asked while they were watching the ducks and swans that were swimming in the river . The gelato in Juho's hand was long gone, leaving only the cone . The young author looked around at the people speaking in the foreign language . Although it wasn't his native language, it was definitely a language that he was familiar with, and one which he was able to understand . ”Nope, this is my first time here . I hadn't seen the cathedral in person until today . ” ”The buildings here are really pretty, aren't they?” ”They are . It's interesting how the medieval scenery blends with the modern, commercial buildings . ” ”The city's been restored from the ground up, essentially . ” Frankfurt had lain in ruins during World War II . The historical aspect of the city was mostly the results of skillful restorations . As the two walked about along the riverbank, they saw a ferry on the water, which carried a crowd that appeared to be made mostly of tourists, who were busy posing before cameras set up on tripods . There were also some enjoying some beer amid the comfortable atmosphere . As if she had decided they had done enough sightseeing, the agent asked Juho, ”Should we mosey on over to the square? There's food there . Oh! There's the Goethe House, too . Although, I doubt we'll be able to see it today . ” ”Actually, I wanted to look at the water for a little while longer,” Juho replied after brief contemplation . Nabi respected his decision without complaint . ”You seem to like rivers . ” ”Not particularly . ” Stopping in his tracks on the bridge, Juho held on to the safety rail and peeked down into the water . The dark water made it hard to see what was beneath it . The wave broke restlessly . It wasn't such a bad sight . ”Careful, Mr . Woo . ” At the agent's warning, Juho pulled away from the rail . ”I won't be able to save you if you fall into the water . ” ”Haha . ” After a short walk across the river, Juho and Nabi made their way back . ”'Scuse me, Mr . Woo . I need to make a phone call . ” ”Sure . ” With that, Nabi left the scene with her phone in her hand . Meanwhile, Juho strolled around the place . Even when he approached the ducks, they didn't seem to find Juho's presence frightening . They also seemed to be quite familiar with getting fed by people . Even when Juho was squatting right next to them, the ducks didn't make a sound . At that moment . . . ”Wow! Duck!” The peaceful silence was broken by a child who started charging toward the unsuspecting birds without hesitation . No matter how comfortable or at ease they might have been, it only made sense that they would be startled by a presence charging at them, and they expressed that by flapping their wings . The child started chasing after a duck that had landed nearest to him, going into the water unhurriedly . ”Check this out!” The child said in English . He had to be on a trip with his parents, who were walking toward him in the distance unhurriedly, their eyes fixed on their child . Meanwhile, Juho stared at the ducks without saying a word . ”You can't do that . ” A man wearing a beret said to the child in German . ”You're scaring them . ” Needless to say, the child couldn't understand a word the man was saying to him . However, what was clear was the emotion behind his words, at which, the child's eyes widened . At the seemingly unwelcoming tone and voice, the child ran to his parents, leaving only Juho and the man wearing the beret by the riverbank . Meanwhile, the ducks floated about in the water . ”Kids,” he murmured, probably thinking that the young author wouldn't understand him . ”I swear, they're the bane of my existence . And don't even get me started on old people . They can't do anything aside from what they already know . They don't even have their own pair of wings, yet they make fun of the ducks floating in the water . ” After staring intently at him for a little while, Juho replied, ”They'll learn . Both young and old . ” As the man wearing the beret was walking away, he stopped and turned slightly toward the young author . Although it wasn't visible on his face, he seemed to be taken aback by Juho replying in German . Scratching his mustache with his blunt fingers, he asked, ”Where are you from?” ”South Korea . ” ”Did you live here growing up?” ”No . I'm on a trip . So, this is what the air is like in Germany, huh?” Although the man narrowed his eyes, he didn't question the young author . ”South Korea… Isn't that where Cha's from?” ” . . . Oh, you mean the soccer player,” Juho said, understanding what the man had meant in a delay . ”That's what I thought!” Contrary to his view on the children or the elderly, the man wearing the beret seemed to be an avid soccer fan . As he started raving on about the subject, which was mostly compliments toward the South Korean soccer player, Juho listened to him haphazardly, taking note of how talkative he was . At that moment . . . ”Hm . ” The man started staring intently at Juho out of nowhere . ”What's the matter? Did something get on my face?” Juho asked . ”You look familiar . ” Juho was caught off guard by the man's observation . Meanwhile, the ducks sat on the lawn after having made their way out of the water . ”I don't think we've ever met before . ” ”Aren't you that novelist?” ” . . . ” Left with no choice, Juho nodded subtly . ”I do write for a living . ” At that, the man took off his beret and said, ”You're Yun Woo, aren't you?” 'Dang it,' Juho thought to himself, looking around . Thankfully, there were no other people listening aside from the ducks . At that moment, he saw Nabi walking toward him in the distance, studying the situation . ”Are you really Yun Woo?” the man in a beret asked again . ”Yes, I am . ” ”Ah! Could I get a handshake?” the man said, reaching his hand out . As Juho approached him, a subtle whiff of duck feed came up to the young author's nose . ”Are you in Frankfurt for the book fair? The newspapers write about authors for a week straight whenever that fair is being held . ” ”I'm on a vacation . Thought I could learn a thing or two during the trip . ” ” . . . Huh . Does that mean you're not gonna be in the newspaper?” ”Nope . ” ”Well, in any case, I didn't think I'd run into Yun Woo here . Today must be my lucky day,” the man said, looking through his pockets and pulling out his phone . During which, Nabi approached the young author and asked, ”You got caught, huh?” ”Would you take a picture for us?” ”Sure, no problem,” Nabi said, taking the phone from the man as he stood shoulder to shoulder with the young author . ”What other languages do you speak aside from German?” the man asked casually after the picture . As if giving the young author the liberty to answer, he fixed his eyes on the peaceful water . ”A little bit of everything . ” Despite Juho's ambiguous answer, the man smiled with satisfaction and asked no further questions . At that moment, Nabi said, sounding bothered ”I keep getting calls from this one movie studio . ” Judging from the look on her face, she was clearly tired, which made Juho think that they should start heading back to the hotel . ”Well, we better get going,” he said, waving at the man in a beret, who also waved back . Turning around, Juho and Nabi went back the way they came from . On the way, Juho saw a familiar looking child, the one who had been chasing after the ducks by the riverbank . While the child was being held in his father's arms, the shop owner was standing behind the counter with a grumpy look on her face . At that moment, as Juho was walking past the shop, the child looked in his direction, whispering, ”I know him . ” Although subtly, Juho was able to hear the child's words clearly . ”Who?” The child was bragging to their father . Ducks must not have been the only thing the child had been paying attention to . After listening to the child next to her and her husband, the mother also looked in Juho's direction, locking eyes with the young author . Juho saw her blue eyes getting bigger and bigger . The family had to know the author before their eyes . Similarly, the shop owner also looked toward Juho . ”Oh . My . Gosh . ” ”You're that…” ”Uh… What are you talking about?” Juho said, playing coy, glancing toward Nabi, who shrugged carelessly . ”You're Yun Woo, aren't you?” the father said, putting the child down and reaching out for a handshake . Juho also grabbed his hand with a pleasant smile on his face . ”I have every single one of your books in my study! My whole family's in love with your novels . ” ”I'm honored . ” ”Gosh, I can't believe we met you here!” Meanwhile, with a look of pride on his face, the child looked up at his father . ”What brings you to Germany?” ”I'm on vacation . ” ”Ah . Well, I hope I'm not bothering you . ” ”Not at all . It's not a problem . ” ”Great! In that case, may I ask for your autograph? I should have some paper on me…” Enthralled by the young author's presence, the parents were completely neglecting their child . At that moment, without saying anything, the shop owner pulled out four sheets of paper . Three for each of the family members, and one for herself .

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl Man, flying for twelve hours straight is no joke, Juho said, stretching his body . He wasnt used to flying long distances . Nabi, who seemed to be well acquainted with being on a plane for an extended period of time, chuckled quietly as Juho let out a small moan . She didnt let her time go to waste, even on the plane . Youll have a lot of fun at the Messe . Its a business day, so you might not be able to buy anything, but it should be much easier to get around . On public days is when things get really crazy . There are cosplayers and people carrying backpacks or traveling carriers, hunting for books . The Forum and the 3 . 0 Hall are the most popular attractions in the entire fair, and lately, K-Pops been getting really big . On their way to the hotel, Nabi told the young author about the area of the fair in detail . Held over five days, three of those days were reserved as the business days, which focused the entire fair on the business aspect of things . Civilians were not allowed to enter the fair during those days . With buying and selling of different copyrights from booths, there was quite an array of things to experience, including lectures from the partic.i.p.ating authors . Nabi was well acquainted with the environment that was the book fair . She would fly to Germany every October on business . Of course, that alone didnt make her special in any way, as countless copyrights were bought and sold at the fair . Would you like to take the rest of the day off, or would you like to look around a little bit? I do wanna see the Main River . Ah! The ducks there are adorable! Juho looked at the foreign surroundings attentively . Pointy roofs, streets that seemed like they had been around since the medieval age, skysc.r.a.pers that blended with the history around them, downtown, and the graffitis that decorated the walls . It seemed like a view straight out of the movies . After unloading at the hotel, the two went out to look around . Make sure to keep your hat on . People WILL recognize you . But were in Germany . And youre Yun Woo . Since the Sun was quite hot, Juho put his hat on without complaint . Although there were quite a few people on the streets, there was something calm and peaceful about Frankfurt . The weather was quite hot for October . I see some sausage links hanging over there . Thats the first thing youll see as soon as you walk into any market: sausages . They are really good . Speaking of which, hows that for dinner? Works for me . Oh! Isnt that gelato over there? I recommend mango . You know what? Why dont we each get one right now? The weathers just right . In order to see how much money he had, Juho checked the wallet in his pocket and said, Ill get it . I exchanged some money before I left Korea . With that, he walked toward the shop, which was quite small . Standing behind the gla.s.s counter, Juho looked through the variety of gelato in the shop, from banana to lemon, kiwi, mint, and coconut . After some contemplation, he decided to go with Nabis recommendation . Two mangos, please . Both of them? Yes . Taking the money from Juho nonchalantly, the owner scooped the gelato out and put the scoops on two ice cream cones . As he took the cones from her, he felt the owner looking at him intently . Pretending not to notice, Juho asked, Something wrong? At that, the shop owner shook her head with a brusque expression on her face, looking away from Juho nonchalantly . Although it was different from the att.i.tude Juho was used to, he was thankful that the owner didnt make a big deal out of his presence, which allowed him to walk out of the shop safely and soundly . When he had first noticed the shop owners gaze, Juho had tensed up, thinking that she had recognized him . Thankfully, she hadnt seemed confident . Perhaps, she simply wasnt a fan of the young author . This is good . Right? With the cones of gelato in their hands, the two made their way toward the Main River . One of the first things that came into view were the joggers . On a bridge that had been built centuries ago, there were countless padlocks all across the fences to either side . There were ducks in the dark water, swimming about peacefully . You seem to speak German pretty fluently . Youve never been to Germany before, have you, Mr . Woo? Nabi asked while they were watching the ducks and swans that were swimming in the river . The gelato in Juhos hand was long gone, leaving only the cone . The young author looked around at the people speaking in the foreign language . Although it wasnt his native language, it was definitely a language that he was familiar with, and one which he was able to understand . Nope, this is my first time here . I hadnt seen the cathedral in person until today . The buildings here are really pretty, arent they? They are . Its interesting how the medieval scenery blends with the modern, commercial buildings . The citys been restored from the ground up, essentially . Frankfurt had lain in ruins during World War II . The historical aspect of the city was mostly the results of skillful restorations . As the two walked about along the riverbank, they saw a ferry on the water, which carried a crowd that appeared to be made mostly of tourists, who were busy posing before cameras set up on tripods . There were also some enjoying some beer amid the comfortable atmosphere . As if she had decided they had done enough sightseeing, the agent asked Juho, Should we mosey on over to the square? Theres food there . Oh! Theres the Goethe House, too . Although, I doubt well be able to see it today . Actually, I wanted to look at the water for a little while longer, Juho replied after brief contemplation . Nabi respected his decision without complaint . You seem to like rivers . Not particularly . Stopping in his tracks on the bridge, Juho held on to the safety rail and peeked down into the water . The dark water made it hard to see what was beneath it . The wave broke restlessly . It wasnt such a bad sight . Careful, Mr . Woo . At the agents warning, Juho pulled away from the rail . I wont be able to save you if you fall into the water . Haha . After a short walk across the river, Juho and Nabi made their way back . Scuse me, Mr . Woo . I need to make a phone call . Sure . With that, Nabi left the scene with her phone in her hand . Meanwhile, Juho strolled around the place . Even when he approached the ducks, they didnt seem to find Juhos presence frightening . They also seemed to be quite familiar with getting fed by people . Even when Juho was squatting right next to them, the ducks didnt make a sound . At that moment . Wow! Duck! The peaceful silence was broken by a child who started charging toward the unsuspecting birds without hesitation . No matter how comfortable or at ease they might have been, it only made sense that they would be startled by a presence charging at them, and they expressed that by flapping their wings . The child started chasing after a duck that had landed nearest to him, going into the water unhurriedly . Check this out! The child said in English . He had to be on a trip with his parents, who were walking toward him in the distance unhurriedly, their eyes fixed on their child . Meanwhile, Juho stared at the ducks without saying a word . You cant do that . A man wearing a beret said to the child in German . Youre scaring them . Needless to say, the child couldnt understand a word the man was saying to him . However, what was clear was the emotion behind his words, at which, the childs eyes widened . At the seemingly unwelcoming tone and voice, the child ran to his parents, leaving only Juho and the man wearing the beret by the riverbank . Meanwhile, the ducks floated about in the water . Kids, he murmured, probably thinking that the young author wouldnt understand him . I swear, theyre the bane of my existence . And dont even get me started on old people . They cant do anything aside from what they already know . They dont even have their own pair of wings, yet they make fun of the ducks floating in the water . After staring intently at him for a little while, Juho replied, Theyll learn . Both young and old . As the man wearing the beret was walking away, he stopped and turned slightly toward the young author . Although it wasnt visible on his face, he seemed to be taken aback by Juho replying in German . Scratching his mustache with his blunt fingers, he asked, Where are you from? South Korea . Did you live here growing up? No . Im on a trip . So, this is what the air is like in Germany, huh? Although the man narrowed his eyes, he didnt question the young author . South Korea… Isnt that where Chas from? . Oh, you mean the soccer player, Juho said, understanding what the man had meant in a delay . Thats what I thought! Contrary to his view on the children or the elderly, the man wearing the beret seemed to be an avid soccer fan . As he started raving on about the subject, which was mostly compliments toward the South Korean soccer player, Juho listened to him haphazardly, taking note of how talkative he was . At that moment . Hm . The man started staring intently at Juho out of nowhere . Whats the matter? Did something get on my face? Juho asked . You look familiar . Juho was caught off guard by the mans observation . Meanwhile, the ducks sat on the lawn after having made their way out of the water . I dont think weve ever met before . Arent you that novelist? . Left with no choice, Juho nodded subtly . I do write for a living . At that, the man took off his beret and said, Youre Yun Woo, arent you? Dang it, Juho thought to himself, looking around . Thankfully, there were no other people listening aside from the ducks . At that moment, he saw Nabi walking toward him in the distance, studying the situation . Are you really Yun Woo? the man in a beret asked again . Yes, I am . Ah! Could I get a handshake? the man said, reaching his hand out . As Juho approached him, a subtle whiff of duck feed came up to the young authors nose . Are you in Frankfurt for the book fair? The newspapers write about authors for a week straight whenever that fair is being held . Im on a vacation . Thought I could learn a thing or two during the trip . . Huh . Does that mean youre not gonna be in the newspaper? Nope . Well, in any case, I didnt think Id run into Yun Woo here . Today must be my lucky day, the man said, looking through his pockets and pulling out his phone . During which, Nabi approached the young author and asked, You got caught, huh? Would you take a picture for us? Sure, no problem, Nabi said, taking the phone from the man as he stood shoulder to shoulder with the young author . What other languages do you speak aside from German? the man asked casually after the picture . As if giving the young author the liberty to answer, he fixed his eyes on the peaceful water . A little bit of everything . Despite Juhos ambiguous answer, the man smiled with satisfaction and asked no further questions . At that moment, Nabi said, sounding bothered I keep getting calls from this one movie studio . Judging from the look on her face, she was clearly tired, which made Juho think that they should start heading back to the hotel . Well, we better get going, he said, waving at the man in a beret, who also waved back . Turning around, Juho and Nabi went back the way they came from . On the way, Juho saw a familiar looking child, the one who had been chasing after the ducks by the riverbank . While the child was being held in his fathers arms, the shop owner was standing behind the counter with a grumpy look on her face . At that moment, as Juho was walking past the shop, the child looked in his direction, whispering, I know him . Although subtly, Juho was able to hear the childs words clearly . Who? The child was bragging to their father . Ducks must not have been the only thing the child had been paying attention to . After listening to the child next to her and her husband, the mother also looked in Juhos direction, locking eyes with the young author . Juho saw her blue eyes getting bigger and bigger . The family had to know the author before their eyes . Similarly, the shop owner also looked toward Juho . Oh . My . Gosh . Youre that… Uh… What are you talking about? Juho said, playing coy, glancing toward Nabi, who shrugged carelessly . Youre Yun Woo, arent you? the father said, putting the child down and reaching out for a handshake . Juho also grabbed his hand with a pleasant smile on his face . I have every single one of your books in my study! My whole familys in love with your novels . Im honored . Gosh, I cant believe we met you here! Meanwhile, with a look of pride on his face, the child looked up at his father . What brings you to Germany? Im on vacation . Ah . Well, I hope Im not bothering you . Not at all . Its not a problem . Great! In that case, may I ask for your autograph? I should have some paper on me… Enthralled by the young authors presence, the parents were completely neglecting their child . At that moment, without saying anything, the shop owner pulled out four sheets of paper . Three for each of the family members, and one for herself .