362 Yun Woos Translator 4 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”It's not every day you get an opportunity like this, you know,” Seo Kw.a.n.g said weakly, clearly exhausted and discouraged. However, Juho paid no attention to him, focused on reading instead.
”You're a translator, and I'm a writer. I think it could happen again.”
Hearing Juho turn the page on his book indifferently, Seo Kw.a.n.g said, ”... Life isn't that simple.”
”You make it sound like you know from experience.”
”Shut up,” Seo Kw.a.n.g said, looking away. Nevertheless, Juho was still looking in his direction. ”I really wanna do this. I really want to be your translator. I can't just sit here and wait for an opportunity that might or might not come,” Seo Kw.a.n.g said.
”Well, then. I guess you gotta get on that translation.”
The next step was simple, and the laptop in front of Seo Kw.a.n.g was reminding its owner of that fact, which remained true even as he was lost and confused.
”I told you. It's not that simple,” Seo Kw.a.n.g said, repeating himself and laughing. By the time his laughter started to die down, he asked Juho, ”Are you one of the judges?”
”Nope.”
”I guess that makes sense. You wouldn't be here otherwise.”
”But I did translate it, though.”
”What!?” Seo Kw.a.n.g exclaimed, looking up and rocking the table. Juho stared at the cup of coffee on the same table, which wavered as if it was about to spill over at any given minute. Thankfully, every drop of the coffee remained in the cup. Then, paying no attention to the state of Juho's coffee, Seo Kw.a.n.g asked, ”You mean the sample?”
”Yep. I tried translating it while I was writing it.”
Seo Kw.a.n.g seemed to have a lot of things he wanted to say. After several attempts to verbalize his thoughts, Seo Kw.a.n.g said, ”... Huh! What do you know,” and let out a heavy sigh. Lately, Seo Kw.a.n.g had been realizing just how much of a gap there was between him and Yun Woo. The author was far ahead of the aspiring translator. Yun Woo and Juho were two completely different people. Yun Woo was impeccable, rational, competent, and widely recognized by everyone. If Seo Kw.a.n.g were to stand by the author's side, there would still be a ways to go.
”You even have the power to make directors like Jenkins mere extras.”
”What?” Juho asked, and fumbling with his laptop, Seo Kw.a.n.g replied, ”That mad genius of a movie director. After reading your book, I asked myself if Yun Woo would be in the position he was in now if Jenkins hadn't turned up. In my opinion, yes. Yes, he would. You would be in the same exact position, and 'The Glory of Traitor' would be just as successful as it is now, with or without Jenkins, whether he made a ma.s.sively successful film adaptation of your book or not.
”Even if that genius of a director hadn't called you the Great Storyteller, you would've achieved that on your own. Whether Jenkins is part of your life or not is completely irrelevant. All he's doing is making things more confusing for everyone. Turtles might have survived the ice age when it wiped out the dinosaurs on land, but in front of you, that holds no significance.”
(TL's Note: Remember, Jenkins' first name, Zara, in Korean, sounds the same as the Korean word for snapping turtle/Chinese softsh.e.l.l turtle: Jara.)
”What are you talking about?”
”Apparently, you can eat every part of a turtle, except its sh.e.l.l and claws. Have you had turtle soup before?”
As if a turtle retracting its head and claws into its sh.e.l.l, Seo Kw.a.n.g swallowed his words. If Yun Woo's presence was capable of diminis.h.i.+ng a world-renowned, Hollywood director's presence, then what would Seo Kw.a.n.g look like next to him?
Putting the book down, Juho leaned back and asked, ”Do you really think I would be in the same position if Jenkins hadn't turned up?”
As far as Seo Kw.a.n.g could tell, Juho wasn't pretending to be modest.
”Actually, I think things would have turned out entirely different,” Juho said, as if he knew something Seo Kw.a.n.g didn't. Well acquainted with the shameless look on Juho's face, Seo Kw.a.n.g looked at his friend with a furrowed brow.
”If I hadn't hidden my ident.i.ty at school, what do you think would've happened?” Juho asked, changing the subject all of a sudden.
”Your ident.i.ty?”
”If I had gone through my entire high school career as Yun Woo, how do you think that would've turned out?”
It had been quite a while ago. After some thought, Seo Kw.a.n.g replied, ”I'm sure you would have had an easygoing school life. You know, being a celebrity and all.”
”Do you think we would have met?”
”I don't know. I think so. They say that some people are destined to meet.”
”I doubt it. You're kind of plain,” Juho replied, chuckling.
”Oh, I see. You are picking a fight.”
”Just sayin'.”
”Just saying what?”
”I'm saying that's as useful as those thoughts can be: starting fights, which I a.s.sume is what you want to do with Jenkins.”
Seo Kw.a.n.g tried to think of an answer. However, he gave up and murmured, ”Seriously, I wonder how you see this world,” thinking, 'How does he know how to get on my nerves so well? He just knows me too well. Man, the things I would do to give him a taste of his own medicine.'
”Aren't you leaving? I have stuff to do, you know,” Seo Kw.a.n.g asked.
”Right. Good luck with that,” Juho said nonchalantly, rising from his seat. Badmouthing the young author under his breath, Seo Kw.a.n.g started typing away. Just like that, a week went by, and Juho received a call from Seo Kw.a.n.g saying, ”I finished it.” He sounded confident for some reason.
”Well? Are you satisfied with how it turned out?”
”I sure am,” Seo Kw.a.n.g replied. He didn't sound drunk either.
Nodding, Juho said nonchalantly, ”OK,” ever so slightly envious of Seo Kw.a.n.g's confidence.
---
”I hate Yun Woo,” 'A' grumbled with Yun Woo's sample in their hand. Although short and in English, there was profound beauty in the text, which reminded 'A' of what made Yun Woo such a great author. Of those who understood the meaning of the sentence, who wouldn't be impressed? Yun Woo, as an author, was incredibly charming, and 'A' was very fond of the author and his writing, rejoicing with him when he got the Nebula trophy.
”But as a translator, that's a completely different story.”
'A' had read the book Yun Woo had translated, at which point, they couldn't stop wondering how the author had been able to translate at the capacity he had. Whenever reading the author's work, 'A' was reminded that the author's talent, skill, and ability in translating was not something that could be taught.
”If I weren't a translator, then I wouldn't have to worry about dealing with these negative feelings toward him.”
'A' felt depressed in knowing that they couldn't like the author wholeheartedly, all while the desire to translate the author's work existed within their heart. There was little they could do. Upon hearing the news about the translation contest, there had been only one thought in 'A's' mind: 'I have to do this.'
”Even dating isn't this agonizing.”
'A' sighed deeply as they attached the final draft of the translation to the email. Envy and jealousy manifested only when one who harbored those emotions knew the subject of those emotions. After sending the email, 'A' put their translation of Yun Woo's sample down to one side. They had lost count of how many times they had read it up to that point.
”I might not be at Yun Woo's level, but I know what I'm doing.”
After checking that the email had been sent to the right recipient, 'A' lay on the floor, where all the previous versions of their translation were scattered.
”I wonder how Yun Woo would've translated it,” they murmured.
---
”This one's not bad at all,” Mr. Maeng murmured after skimming through one of the submissions.
”b.u.mmer that it didn't make it.”