381 The Crow Never Dies 2 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
”What did you say?” Juho asked, looking at the man's face, which was flus.h.i.+ng bright red. Whenever the man opened his mouth, a pungent stench of alcohol came wafting out.
”... What did I say?” the man said to himself in a slur. Seeing no point in carrying on the conversation, Juho turned away. However, the young author was stopped yet again by the drunkard.
”Didn't you say you were writing that one book? Oh, yeah! I remember now.”
While the waiter was still rus.h.i.+ng to get to them, the man said, ”Tell me the truth. You're paying someone to write for you, aren't you? That's what you've been doing this entire time, huh? You're living a life that belongs to another person, aren't you?”
”Seems like you're not a big fan of Yun Woo.”
”Obviously!” the man said, pus.h.i.+ng Juho against the wall. Then, when the man raised his hand as if getting ready to hit Juho, the young author grabbed him by his tie, which had been bothering Juho quite a bit. With the tie in Juho's hand, the man stopped staggering.
”You clearly don't like me. Why?” Juho asked.
Laughing exaggeratedly and spitting all over the place, the man replied, ”I CANNOT stand spoiled brats like you who have it easy growing up. You think you're better than everyone?”
”You make it sound like you know me.”
”I know what you think of homeless people. I've read your books. You made them seem like they don't deserve to live, and I'm sure that's exactly how you see me. You think you're above failures? You think life will be peachy?”
”Just because I give my readers the freedom to interpret my books doesn't mean that I'll let you insult me.”
”Oh-ho-ho! Is that right? p.r.i.c.k! I can't stand those fanboys and fangirls who are obsessed with you. What's so special about being a good writer?”
Instead of responding to his insults, Juho chuckled. At that moment, the waiter arrived and interjected, ”Sir, we're gonna have to ask you to leave.”
At that, Juho let go of the man's tie. Sensing commotion, the customers started looking in the young author's direction. At which point, Juho looked away from them.
”You just wait. Life can't always be good, and YOU of all people need to know what it's like to hit rock bottom. Your time is coming.”
”No. You're wrong. I'm doing this and I'm gonna do it well,” Juho replied, looking away from the drunkard to see Jang Mi and Dong Baek.
Glaring fiercely at the man, the editor said, ”Mr. Woo's new book will move the hearts of many. Except yours.”
Provoked by Jang Mi's remark, the man opened his mouth to fire back. At that moment, Dong Baek stepped in to interject, ”I am terribly sorry, sir. Please, forgive her. She can be quick to speak at times.”
”Sir…” Jang Mi let out.
”I'm sure you'll love it too,” the president said, and Jang Mi's face lit up almost instantly.
Chuckling, Juho said, ”I thought I was the writer. Did you call me out here to pressure me, Mr. Lee?”
”Of course not! If anything, our job is to alleviate that pressure. Well, give us a call, Mr. Woo.”
”You're very thorough. I'm impressed.”
”Hey! I'm not done with you, p.r.i.c.k!” the drunkard shouted.
Quietly brus.h.i.+ng his shoulders, Juho replied, ”I won't sue. Don't worry.”
Leaving the infuriated drunkard behind, Juho left the restaurant with Dong Baek and Jang Mi, who offered to drive the young author back home. While Juho was getting out of the car, the president said, ”Give us a call, Mr. Woo!”
”Will do,” Juho said, waving at the car until it faded into the distance completely. As soon as he stepped in through the front door, Juho realized how exhausted he was.
”Well, this isn't good,” he said while looking at the screen of his computer, which was filled with news articles about what had happened at the restaurant the day before. Some even claimed that the young author had gotten into a fistfight. Seeing them, Juho sighed deeply.
---
”Uh-huh. OK,” Juho said to his agent on the phone. ”I understand. I'll do the interview. It's gonna be short, right?”
Then, after answering a few more question, Juho hung up, sighed, and tossed the phone on the bed. Since the incident at the restaurant, delaying interview requests became no longer possible. Although Juho much preferred to wait until after he had finished writing the book, reality left him no choice.
”Sigh.”
Calming himself down, Juho started typing away on his laptop.
'In order to see his true self, Destroyer wanted to see his own spirit, which could only be seen within death. Well aware of that, he decided to put an end to himself. Unfortunately, the realization that he had started on the wrong foot came to him a tad too late.'
”Maybe the ocean,” Juho murmured.
'Swallowed whole by the waves, even the simplest task, such as breathing, became the most laborious endeavor. The waves kept sweeping the sand under his feet, making it impossible for him to distinguish where he was.'
Juho's hand came to an abrupt halt, but after relaxing his aching shoulders, he kept on.
”You can do this, Juho.”
Despite the crow cawing outside, Juho kept typing away, unhindered, exposing the characters' faults and shortcomings. Although he had gone into the icy water, the protagonist came out alive, and Juho continued to write in order to keep him that way. Then, as Juho introduced another character, who would go into the water instead of the protagonist, darkness swallowed the young author.
”... The Crow.”
Its sharp claws dug into the back of Juho's hand, scratching it. Although it was painful, there were no marks. Locking eyes with the crow, Juho wondered, 'What if this is my spirit?'
”Not now,” Juho said, waving annoyedly.
---
”Are you OK, Mr. Woo?” Nabi asked while driving.
Looking out the window at the scenery rus.h.i.+ng past, Juho replied, ”Yes, I'm fine.”
”You seem pale.”
”I'm really OK. I probably just didn't sleep well,” Juho said, almost as if making an excuse for his condition.
Unconvinced, Nabi asked the young author, ”Do you have indigestion?”
”I haven't eaten anything, so there is nothing to digest,” Juho said, waving his hand in denial.
”But, it's way past lunchtime.”
”I've been busy.”
After a brief pause, she furrowed her brow and asked, ”Are you gonna be OK during the interview?”
”Of course. I keep my promises,” Juho said, turning toward her and pouting. However, Nabi still didn't seem convinced.
”Well, why don't we get you a sandwich or something? There's a bakery over there.”
”I'm not hungry, though.”
”You don't know how embarra.s.sing it is when your stomach growls in the middle of an interview. The more you talk, the hungrier you get, Mr. Woo.”
In the end, she went into the bakery and brought back two bagfuls of bread. Picking one at random, Juho forced himself to eat.