172 Coming Together 3 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
That was what made humans human. Greedy, prone to fits of rage when things didn't go their way, wavering at the smallest inconveniences, failing, and despairing.
”I really love Madame Song's cooking,” Juho said as he cut himself a small piece of chicken, putting it into his mouth. At the same time, finding joy in the smaller things was also one of the defining characteristics of a human. ”You know, I'm not finding myself getting all that upset. It must be the food.”
”What?” Sang asked, and San Jung, who had been observing them quietly, interjected.
”Now that I saw with my own eyes, I realize that it's not just your writing that's mature.”
”You're not saying that I look old, are you?”
”No. Not at all.”
”Huh,” Sang let out, perplexed, and Dong Gil told him, ”Choi, forget it. That's how he's able to write like that.”
”... I just can't tell if he's carefree or mature.”
At the sight of Juho, who was enjoying his meal in peace, Sang Choi couldn't help but chuckle. Then, Dae Soo said to San Jung in an exaggerated tone, ”You know what? While we're at it, why don't we just come together to bring Yun Woo down? Put an end to his reign.”
”Yeah! Behead the enemy!... So to speak.”
”But my book has already left my hands.”
Despite the provocative words coming out Dae Soo's and Mideum's mouths, San Jung remained unaffected. She simply stared quietly at Juho, who was sitting opposite of her.
”Hello? I'm right here. I can hear you guys.”
Dae Soo and Mideum paid no attention to Juho's playful fuss, and in the end, Joon Soo intervened yet again to calm them down.
”Thanks for all your hard work, Joon Soo,” Juho told him, the mediator of the group. Then, he waved his hand in denial three times, wearing his distinctively innocent smile.
”Well, I think I'll get me another beer. Dae Soo, how about you?”
”I'll have a beer too.”
”A glass of wine for me.”
Dae Soo and San Jung each answered Mideum, and the room returned to its boisterous state. Thinking that it was a rather interesting occasion, Juho sipped quietly on his coke.
---
”So, I heard that Kelley Coin bailed on a special event recently?”
”Well, that's Kelley Coin for ya.”
”His temper must have come back with his books.”
The authors took turns to talk about Coin's infamous temper.
”You've met him in person, right? How was it?” Geun Woo asked, and after a brief time thinking, Juho answered, ”He was just an author who really liked coffee.”
”Well, tell us more. We're curious.”
”I don't really know, either. We didn't spend all that much time together.”
”Oh, c'mon. You were his translator. Surely, you can do better than that?” Seo Joong said, shaking his fluorescent arm.
”We had no clue, even when you were over at my house. How were you able to translate like that? You went beyond the notion that you were fluent in the language. Now, tell us. Something happened between you too, didn't it? Did he give you any eye-opening hints?”
”I wish, but as you know, one can expect only so much from Kelley Coin. I sent him a number of emails while I was translating, but he didn't tell me anything helpful. Even recently, he was clicking his tongue at me, saying that he was hoping to see Yun Woo's career falling apart. That's no way to treat a translator who worked their butt off,” Juho complained.
”Guess that's what being a world-renowned author is like,” Seo Joong murmured, adding to Juho, ”Man, somebody has to come up with a device that can pick people's brains, so I can see what's in this guy's head.”
It was a rather frightening remark for Yun Woo, whose identity was still a mystery to most people. Sipping his Coke, Juho avoided eye contact with Seo Joong.
”How's school?” Dae Soo asked. She had been curious about his life as a student and as an author, and the subject shifted to Juho's school life.
”The usual. I'm still a student, so there's not much to look forward to in a day. On the other hand, there's not much to dread about, either.”
”I guess that makes sense. Being part of something is always exhausting.”
”It's still fun though, thanks to the Literature Club.”
”The Literature Club? Are you part of that?”
Aside from those who already knew, the rest were taken aback by the fact that Juho was part of the Literature Club at his school.
”What do you do there? Do they know that you're Yun Woo?” Seo Joong asked, and Juho gave him an affirmative answer. Everyone in the club knew and accepted his identity as Yun Woo.
”Although, aside from those in the club, no one else at school knows.”
”So, does that mean you get mentioned during linguistics?” Sang asked.
Obviously, Yun Woo was a go-to name to mention when it came to waking up students who were dozing off during class.
”There were times when we did analysis studies on Yun Woo's identity or studied his works.”
Then, the image of Mr. Moon talking enthusiastically about Yun Woo on the podium rushed past Juho's mind. When the teacher would look intentionally in his direction in between remarks, Juho had to fight off the urge to laugh out loud with every bit of strength in his body.
”Well, that sounds fun! I don't think there's going to be another person who will have a school life as interesting as yours.”
”Everyone experiences school differently.”
”And you, sir, are the conspicuous one in the school. Are you a spy?”
”I didn't sneak out any information.”
”Well, considering the aspect of his anonymity, wouldn't he be closer to a superhero?”
”I don't recall saving the world, either.”
Then, San Jung asked calmly, ”Did anyone in the club catch on that you were Yun Woo by the way you write? Your style is very unique, so I have a feeling that there would be at least one person who'd have figured it out.”
For once, that was a question Juho was able to give a definite answer to.
”Not one,” he said confidently, and she tilted her head in confusion.
”How are you so certain?”
”Because I write differently from Yun Woo.”
”What does that mean?”
”Just as it sounds. I'm not Yun Woo at school.”
”Was that name supposed to be separable?”
”Let's say that it's closer to distancing myself from him.”
At that, only Joon Soo and Geun Woo understood what Juho meant. Another style. As long as Juho had that, there was no way he would get caught at school. While San Jung was still puzzled, Juho didn't go into detail since the occasion fittingly called for more light-hearted subjects.
”In the club, we do these fun activities or training of sorts, like listing as many random words in our surroundings, writing a story about something absurd, or using our clubmates as characters in a story. We make compilations, too.”
”Compilations! I like that idea!” Dae Soo said, and Juho briefly explained the process to her. With eyes filled with interest, she asked, ”So, what kind of story did you end up including in the compilation?”
”A short story called 'Grains of Sand.'”
Fitting of their occupation, as the subject shifted to writing, the room came alive all the more.
”It's kind of like a sister version of 'Language of God.' I thought of the plot at the same place, looking at the same scenery. Although, they're very different in nature.”
”Ah, I know what you mean.”
”There are times when two different ideas hit you all at once. Most writers either choose one over the other, or mix the two accordingly.”
Having similar experiences, the other authors chimed in and agreed with Juho.