380 The Crow Never Dies 1 (1/2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
After a morning exercise and a shower, Juho felt light and refreshed. Lately, he had been able to sleep very well, sleeping through just about anything, from the alarm to the phone ringing. Even if somebody were to break in and kidnap him, Juho would have slept right through it, completely oblivious to the situation. Now, the problem was that he was sleeping too well. Meanwhile, concerned about looking for a job, Seo Kwang was going through a miserable time. When Juho was talking to him on the phone while eating breakfast, Seo Kwang sounded quite discouraged.
”I'm begging you, Juho. You're my only hope. Is there any way you can finish writing that book soon?” Seo Kwang asked, and Juho laughed it off. In the end, irritated by Juho's nonchalant attitude, Seo Kwang hung up the phone.
”Now, let's think about how the client comes to visit the protagonist,” Juho murmured as he cleaned and organized the desk. Research data, manuscripts, coffee cups, a plate of leftover delivery food, a notepad, the book. Wol Kang's sentences. Categorizing them was hardly a daunting task.
”Was death what he wanted? Did he regret anything in his last moments?” Juho said to himself, closing his eyes, waiting for Wol Kang. However, Wol was nowhere to be found. In the end, sitting on the chair, Juho answered the questions himself, ”No, and no.”
Juho was feeling clear-headed that day. As if the fog in his mind had been lifted, Juho was alert and aware. With his arms crossed, Juho spun himself on the chair. When he stopped spinning, he came face to face with the manuscript on the desk. Tapping on the letters with his finger, he said, ”During his twenty-year career, the protagonist had never failed at his job. Not once. He had always lived with murderous intent in his heart, but he had kept himself busy, restoring things to the state they were in before they started wearing out.”
That was about the extent of information the client had about the protagonist. The protagonist had bloodthirst hidden deep within him. At the same time, he had the ability to restore things to their original state. Uncrossing his arms, Juho started typing on his laptop.
”Anybody would kneel if they were standing before God.”
That would be especially true for those who were terminally ill. At that moment, Juho couldn't help but chuckle. To the client, the protagonist was God. Desperate to live, the client wanted to be restored to his healthy self, like the leather goods that had been restored by the protagonist. However, they couldn't have both life and God.
”Even the goods that had been restored by the protagonist were bound to wear out eventually.”
As the shortage of oxygen became more and more apparent after getting buried alive, the client's regret also started to grow, reminding the client of the consequence of their decision. Soon, a spirit appeared.
”Death.”
The room became filled with vicious typing noise. When Juho looked away from the screen to checked the time, he realized that he had been typing for ten minutes nonstop, and the throbbing pain in his fingers' joints was proof of that. Taking a short break, Juho thought, ”I wonder what Mr. Kang would do.”
Looking at the protagonist and the client in the manuscript, Juho leaned his head back, feeling good.
---
”Thanks for making time, Mr. Woo. I understand you're busy.”
”I can't say no to free food,” Juho said to Dong Baek and Jang Mi, whom he hadn't seen in a while.
”Please. Feel free to choose anything you want, Mr. Woo,” Dong Baek said, putting the menu in front of Juho. Meanwhile, the server waited to take their orders. Upon doing so, the server walked away, leaving the three on their own. At which point, Jang Mi asked anxiously, ”I heard things are going very smoothly. Is that right?”
”I'm doing what I can.”
Looking at the expression on Juho's face, Jang Mi narrowed her eyes and said, ”Modesty is only a virtue when practiced in moderation, Mr. Woo.”
”But, I'm serious,” Juho replied.
”Well, you do look like you're in a good mood.”
”Maybe.”
At that, Dong Baek and Jang Mi's faces lit up simultaneously. As the president signaled the editor with his eyes, she responded with a subtle nod and asked, ”How much longer do you think it'll be until it's finished, Mr. Woo?”
”I can't say.”
”You are planning on releasing it, right? Otherwise, you just might make me cry.”
”Well…”
”C' mon! Tell us! How was it staying at Mr. Lim's residence?” Jang Mi said, changing the subject. After Juho gave a brief summary of the experience, she let out a long sigh, saddened by the reminder of Wol's death.
”I wonder why he had to leave us so soon.”
”It's a tragedy,” Dong Baek said, brushing his hand down his face. It was clear that he was genuinely mourning the death of the talented writer as a fan rather than a businessman.
”You seem to be a fan.” Juho posited.
”I'm a huge fan,” Dong Baek replied almost instantly. As Jang Mi reminded him to get a hold of himself, the president coughed and added, ”I used to dream of becoming a writer while reading his books. Mr. Kang taught me how fun reading can be and how powerful writing can be. If he hadn't been an author, I wouldn't be here now,” he said, sniffling. There was a deep sadness in him. ”I got very emotional when I found out that he passed away.”
”Did you cry?”
”How could I not? I wailed.”
Juho looked toward Jang Mi, who nodded quietly. Seeing as she looked slightly disgusted, it seemed like Dong Baek wasn't afraid of expressing his affection for Wol Kang.
”He always talks about Mr. Kang when he's drunk. He cries his eyes out too.”
Juho nodded, remembering the president's excessively emotional reaction at the Nebula Award ceremony. Dong Baek tended to be sentimental by nature. Then, almost as if cracking a joke, Juho asked, ”Something tells me you'd be very upset if I were to ruin his book somehow.”
”Even if it was you, I would never forgive you, Mr. Woo,” Dong Baek said with a serious expression on his face. At which point, Juho sat slightly further back.
”I'm joking,” the president said with a smile.
”That was one scary joke.”
”Haha. Maybe I would've been better off not saying it.”
”Well, I'm sure a lot of people are still looking forward to the book.”
”Of course. You could just tell from the articles.”
Juho was working on Wol's last book, which had been left unfinished by the author. There was no way that readers wouldn't be excited. On top of that, Juho had been putting off all interview requests he had received.
”I was even threatened to write it well once,” Juho said.
”Who did that!? Who would dare do such a thing?”
When Juho brought up the name of his friend, the two waved their hands as if making sense of the situation.
”So, you two really ARE close. I'm sure that's what made the translation what it is.”
”You seem to hang out with him often.”
The two seemed to be quite fond of the translator. Of course, a skilled translator was well loved within the industry.
”I heard he reads a ridiculous amount of books on a regular basis. Is that right?”
”His parents own a bookstore, so I'm sure that plays into his reading habit,” Juho replied.