367 An Authors Greed, And An Unexpected Offer 2 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”There's the ocean,” Juho said, looking out into the ocean in the distance. Then, after dropping the author off at a certain stop, the bus went on its way. Because the bus had been very small, the ride there had been quite the b.u.mpy one. Remembering the look on the driver's face as he got off the bus, Juho plunked down on his luggage.
”It's like I'm going to boot camp or something.”
If it had been boot camp, it would have been a very remarkable one given that it was at Hyun Do Lim's residence. Juho thought back to the conversation he had had with Hyun Do. The young author had been quite flabbergasted by Hyun Do's unexpected offer.
”You can always come with me to my place, or come at your own pace, and I can meet you elsewhere. If you choose to come alone, that is. What's it gonna be?” Hyun Do had asked, and Juho had answered without hesitation, ”If you could give me your address…”
”Not a problem.”
Following the GPS on his phone, Juho made his way toward the destination through the dirt road. The grains of sand were getting in the author's shoes somehow. Then, walking past a construction zone, a neighborhood grocery market came into view as he turned to the right. It had a sign that read: ”Lodging.” There was a pile of steamed corn in front of the store, of which Juho bought a bag. All the surrounding buildings seemed to have glossy walls, which meant they were either newly built or renovated. There was also a resort nearby. Walking past everything, Juho went into an alleyway that brought him closer to the mountains that were facing the ocean.
(TL's Note: In Korea, it's common for ordinary stores to provide lodging on the side for the travelers/visitors in rural areas further away from the cities.)
”Is it here?”
Standing in place, Juho stared at the GPS in confusion as it gave him an ambiguous direction. Still feeling unsure, Juho walked toward another alleyway surrounded by stone walls. Then, when a thick bamboo forest appeared on the other side of the walls, Juho felt the air cool down. Sniffing the damp and gra.s.sy scent in the air, Juho walked through shadows of the bamboo trees. At the end of the trail was a house, which made Juho certain that he had come to the right place. As he walked across a small front yard, the door opened.
”h.e.l.lo.”
It was Hyun Do, whose hair was almost entirely white by that point.
”h.e.l.lo, Mr. Lim,” Juho replied, looking up at the author's white hair.
”Did you get the corn from the grocery store?” Hyun Do asked, raising an eyebrow.
”They looked good, so I thought I should pick some up on the way,” Juho said, almost as if making an excuse for his behavior.
”You could've had some on the way.”
”I bought enough for us to share.”
”Well, come on in,” Hyun Do said in a serene voice.
”Don't mind if I do.”
Dragging his luggage, Juho went into the house, which was quite tidy. On the other hand...
”Very neutral looking, Mr. Lim.”
… The entire house was gray, from the wallpapers to the door, the shelves, and furniture. Including the refrigerator, which made Juho's red hat stand out even more. Taking off his hat slowly, Juho followed Hyun Do.
”You'll be on the second floor.”
The second floor didn't look any different. Then, as Juho was looking around the rooms, he was enticed by a certain picture in a heavily-decorated golden frame.
”I see that you have a painting of the moon.”
”Yun Seo gave it to me. She thought the place looked too bleak,” Hyun Do said, leaning against the door frame. Then, as Juho placed his luggage to one side, Hyun Do said ”It must have been a long trip, so get some rest if you want. Should you feel so inclined to find a book you wanna read downstairs, feel free.”
Although Juho was started to feel tired, it wasn't enough to keep him from moving around, so he followed Hyun Do downstairs. When Hyun Do pointed to a door, the young author opened it, and a study filled with books appeared in front of him.
'Seo Kw.a.n.g would have wept with joy.'
”How many books are there?”
”I never counted them myself, but I'd guess around two thousand?”
”I don't know. It looks like a lot more than that.”
”There's another room where I keep older books. So, if you're interested, feel free to look around. Of course, I wouldn't imagine you having trouble reading any of them.”
”Will do, Mr. Lim.”
Chuckling quietly, Hyun Do turned around and walked away. Juho looked at the books that were filling every corner of the room until Hyun Do called for him for tea. Then, deciding to share the moment with his friend, Juho took a picture of the room and sent it to Seo Kw.a.n.g, who, as expected, nearly lost his mind upon seeing it. After writing a short reply to him, Juho put the phone back into his pocket. Then, seeing one of his own books on the shelf, Juho smiled.
”Is this where you write?” Juho asked, sitting at the living room with Hyun Do.
”Only when I need to focus,” Hyun Do said, shaking his head. There was an astringent taste to the tea he had brought out, which meant the tea leaves had been brewed with incredibly hot water for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, Juho remained unaffected by it, respecting Hyun Do's personal taste. When Hyun Do asked him about Juho's preference in tea, Juho replied, ”This is fine as is.”
”So… What do you want me to do?” Juho asked cautiously. Looking away from the window, Hyun Do replied, ”Just stick around.”
”Really? That's it?”
”That's it.”
As Juho swirled his teacup, the liquid within it also moved.
”Am I the real-life counterpart of the pupil in your new work-in-progress?”
”I don't find you reliable enough for such a big role.”
At that, Juho scratched the back of his neck, feeling slightly awkward.
”Then, are you the teacher in the novel?” Juho asked, redirecting his question.
”I don't think I'm fit for that role either.”
”I think you are.”
”He's worse than an animal. I don't consider myself that terrible of a person.”
The story was about a teacher whose status fell below that of an animal and their student who was dignified and respectable. Juho tilted his head. It all sounded too familiar.
”Is this going to be similar to 'The Full Moon?'”
After some thought, Hyun Do replied, ”No, it's going to be different. I don't think it'll be that cold and cruel.”
There was certainty in his voice, which told Juho that he had a certain image in mind. Suppressing the excitement welling up from within, Juho asked, ”So, how do you go about writing?”
”Nothing special. I just write.”
”There are some authors who act out their stories as they write.”
”That's not for me,” Hyun Do said, looking toward Juho and adding, ”Though, there are authors similar to you. Rare, but they're definitely out there.”