32 Chapter 32 - With All His Heart 4 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
As Juho was about to head over to class, something caught his eyes in the corner of the hallway. It looked like a person who had been rolled up into a giant ball. Recognizing the appearance from behind, he struck up a conversation.
”What are you doing here?”
It was Seo Kwang.
”What are you doing?”
”I just had a flashback about my shameful past,” he shoved his fingers between his hair and ruffled it.
Seo Kwang was writhing violently.
”What brings you here?”
”I followed you.”
”Did you hear?”
”I did.”
Seo Kwang had been following Juho since he headed to the staffroom with the homeroom teacher. He had wanted to know the reason for Juho not winning the contest. He went into the staffroom and pretended to be waiting for a teacher as he eavesdropped on the conversation between the two.
It was hard to make out what the teacher was saying, but Seo Kwang was able to get a grasp of what they were talking about. After all, Juho's compositions tended to be provocative.
He was relieved on one hand, but he couldn't bear the shame of thinking even for a moment that he had surpassed Juho with skill. In the end, he ran out of the staffroom. He couldn't help but writhe in shame as he blamed himself.
”I'm not sure what's going on in your life, but hang in there.”
It was an irresponsible encouragement.
Seo Kwang remained crouched and said, ”I was confused because of you. What did you write to be disqualified? Give it here.”
After a brief moment of thought, Juho asked, ”How do I know you're not going to run off with it?”
”What are you talking about?”
'How provocative!' After talking to the teacher, a small seed of hesitation sprouted in Juho's mind.
The teacher had said it himself with a calm voice, ”You did well. I enjoyed reading it.”
If Juho had been about the same age as the teacher, Seo Kwang wouldn't have been so shocked. Juho was old. As old as he was, he had experience. He was different from Seo Kwang, who was still in his reckless youth. He had probably thought to himself, 'If I work really hard, I'll be able to write like him when I'm older.'
Juho thought about the time when Seo Kwang came over to his house. Seo Kwang hadn't been calm. He had no idea that it took Juho thirty years of blood, sweat, and tears to get to where he is.
”It might be a bit overbearing for underage readers.”
At his words, Seo Kwang quietly stood up. Then, he put out his hand.
”I want to read it. Sincerely. You've got to follow the desires of your heart, right?”
That was what Juho had said when Seo Kwang first opened up about wanting to be a novelist.
Without saying anything further, he took his paper from the top of the pile and handed to Seo Kwang. He watched his paper reach Seo Kwang's hand and went on his way.
eo Kwang stayed in the hallway and leaned against the wall. He paused briefly. His hands were getting sweaty. He took a deep breath and looked at the paper. Along with a circle around the word 'plaster figure,' the page was filled with neatly written characters.
In a single breath, he read Juho's heartfelt composition. The noise in the hallway faded away, and he heard the rustling sound of a bird in a distance.
”Ha”
That was the first thing he said after reading the paper.
'This is it. This is the feeling.'
A sense of satisfaction filled him up from deep within. That was the reason why he read.
”This guy drives me nuts!”
The story was about a plaster figure who went on a journey to find his place in the zoo. It saw all kinds of things. Animals, people, love, peace, violence, murder… At the end, the plaster figure looked back at himself—his powerless self who could do nothing apart from getting moved around by others.
The next day, the plaster figure was found shattered to pieces, and the story came to a bitter end.
”What a rascal. He has guts to write something like this at school.”
The story had a dark tone to it. It was filled with sex between animals, murder and violence. Yet, there were characters who loved and longed for peace in the middle of it all. Everyone was different. They each lived accordingly with their opinions. There was no right answer. Nobody was better than the other. And, at the end of it, was the plaster figure itself.
”So, who's the culprit of breaking the plaster figure?”
Seo Kwang imagined the figure shattered to pieces. Scattered debris. Broken shapes. There were no weapons of any sort within its proximity. The figure shattered its own shell. It broke the shell that was carved to look like somebody else and went on a journey to find its true identity. It was nothing like what it had been seeing. It was neither bonobo nor people. It never loved. It never knew peace. It was indifferent towards murder and violence.
Seo Kwang looked out of the window. The figure was probably still on its journey. It had probably not accomplished anything yet. He imagined it wandering about the streets.
He didn't feel any pain.
”I'll join you.”
He took a step toward the empty stairway.
*
”Sun Hwa won the award in our class.”
After gathering in the science room, the members started discussing the contest results amongst themselves. As Juho announced Seo Kwang had received the award, Bom responded as if she were looking to exchange results. She looked happy. Sun Hwa also proudly raised her hands in response, and Baron joined in.
”Did you get an award too, Baron?”
”I know how to write. I just don't,” he answered brusquely. He might not say much, but he said what he needed to.
”We did an amazing job!” Bom exclaimed with joy. Every member did a remarkable job in their respective classes. After keeping his mouth closed, Seo Kwang said, ”So, I guess that means the three of us are getting fried chicken.”
”I'm sharing it with Bom.”
At Sun Hwa's words, Juho added at once, ”Then who would be so generous as to share their chicken? Baron? Seo Kwang Kim?”
Nobody answered.
”Kind of quiet, don't you think?”
”It's a trend nowadays to have a whole chicken to yourself. Sorry, bud.”