384 The Crow Never Dies 5 (2/2)
”Apparently, Hyun Do Lim cried after reading it.”
Ignoring the voices coming from behind him, Seo Kwang blew his nose. The sound reverberated through the entire cafe, drawing everyone's attention. However, with his eyes fixed on the book in front of him, Seo Kwang paid no attention to them. Every sentence of the book was heart-wrenching, and the cold, cruel reality made him teary-eyed. Seo Kwang simply couldn't stop crying while reading the book, which was about an evil protagonist and the surrounding characters. However, the owner of the cafe burst into laughter at the sight, holding her sides.
”Oh, my. I guess my son still has a lot more growing to do.”
”Leave me alone, mom!” Seo Kwang said, pulling away from the book in order to prevent his tears from falling on the pages, unsure of how to stop the tears flowing down his cheeks. ”What beautiful souls,” he murmured as the snot flowed into his mouth.
At which point, his mother warned him, ”You better keep it down. You're not the only person in here, you know.”
”Man, what do you know, mom!?”
”I read the book too, you know.”
”Wol Kang is a GENIUS!” Seo Kwang said.
At that moment, another voice interjected and said, ”What are you doing?”
It was Baron, who was staring at him in disbelief. Rubbing his red nose, Seo Kwang waved at the unexpected guest. However, Baron backed away and asked, ”Are you crying?”
”You read it too, right?”
As if at a loss for words, Baron chuckled and nodded.
”Did you cry?”
”Nope.”
They were referring to Wol Kang's last, unfinished book, which had been released recently. Needless to say, the book had been met with tremendous acclaim. In actuality, Baron had cried for the first time in a long time while reading Yun Woo's book. Picking up Seo Kwang's book, Baron said, ”I don't know if it's because the author wrote it while he was on his deathbed, but it felt very different from his other books.”
”I agree. Wol Kang's books aren't usually this depressing,” Seo Kwang said, pulling tissues out of the box.
”If he had actually finished it before he passed away, the book wouldn't have been the same.”
”I was caught off guard by how easily Juho killed off the client.”
”I know, right!?” Seo Kwang exclaimed, agreeing emphatically. The client's death scene was arguably one of the most discussed parts of the book. ”I don't know if he's bold or if he's lost his mind, but if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't have dared change anything. If anything, I'd keep it as it was for the rest of my life!”
”Then, what's the point in picking up where the author left off? Why bother instead of releasing it unfinished?”
”Think about it, Baron. Why do you think nobody knew about this book? Because there are a lot of people out there who think the same way I do,” Seo Kwang said. Then, adding in a whisper, ”Frankly, Juho appeared in agony too.”
”Did he?”
”Now that I've read the book, I can see why. I mean, that prologue is just way too intense. Wol Kang established such a strong framework that it's almost impossible to ignore. It almost made me wish that Juho would have left it intact,” Seo Kwang said.
”I'm sure Juho thought the same.”
”Yet, this is the product he puts out. You know, I don't think I mind seeing that agonized look on Juho's face for a while longer,” Seo Kwang said half-jokingly, clenching his hands into fists.
”Poor guy.”
”I gotta admit it, though. It gave me the most satisfying reading experience in a long time,” Seo Kwang said.
”I agree.”
”I still can't get over the transition between Wol Kang's and Yun Woo's writing. I got goosebumps the moment I realized that it really was a collaboration between the two authors.”
Listening to Seo Kwang raving, Baron looked around the store. Then, spotting a noticeably empty spot in the shelf, he said, ”I think I can guess which book was on that shelf.”
”Well, there isn't much of a point in saying it, is there?”
”I've been in the mood for more Wol Kang lately. Do you carry his books?”
”Of course!” Seo Kwang said, getting a book from another shelf, which was also quite empty, and Baron was made certain that there would be a Wol-Kang wave all over again in the near future. The fact that Yun Woo had brought Wol Kang back only reinforced that prediction.
”How intriguing,” Baron murmured. Although the author was no longer around, his stories still remained relevant and in print, and that was most likely going to stay that way even after Baron and Yun Woo died.
”I felt like getting myself a pair of leather gloves after reading that book.”
”Genuine leather is expensive. Maintenance is a pain in the neck too.”
”So, you've already done the research, huh?” Baron asked.
”Seriously, Yun Woo really knows how to write about death,” Seo Kwang said.
”But, there was something slightly different about this book, don't you think?” Baron asked.
”So, you felt that too, huh?”
Those who had been reading Yun Woo's books were bound to have noticed an uncanny difference in his recent book. The young author had showcased a different side of himself through the new book. Although Seo Kwang and Baron had assumed that it had something to do with the author finishing a book that the original author had left unfinished, that assumption was becoming less and less convincing.
”Yun Woo's portrayal of death always felt like it was being told from a first-person perspective,” Seo Kwang said.
”But this time, it almost felt like you were watching somebody else die,” Baron replied.
”Though, I'm sure the protagonist being a murderer plays a part in that.”
”You mean the depiction of the character, right?”
Yun Woo had always pursued change and brought back something new and original. In Baron's mind, the snot hanging from Seo Kwang's nose was proof that the young author had succeeded. A massive one, at that.
”Maybe he's grown up too.”
”Well, people don't call him the Great Storyteller for no reason. I guess he's living up to his reputation,” Baron said.
Rubbing his nose, Seo Kwang added, ”So… After reading that book, I imagined Juho dying…”
”And?” Baron asked, furrowing his brow slightly.
”He fell from above.”
”From above?”
”Yeah, plummeting down.”
Baron blinked awkwardly at Seo Kwang's bizarre remark, thinking, 'That's a weird way of putting it.'
”You mean… Murdered?”
”Probably suicide.”
”What about the body?”
”It was nowhere to be found,” Seo Kwang said. As Baron crossed his arms, Seo Kwang explained, ”It had already drifted away in the water.”
”You're getting into a lot of really uncomfortable details, you know that?”
”It helps with translating.”
”Wouldn't it be more helpful to expand your vocabulary?” Baron asked.
”If I were to prioritize my mental health, yes,” Seo Kwang replied. However, Baron scoffed and didn't take Seo Kwang's answer seriously. It was absurd to think that the young author would commit suicide. Nevertheless, it was still fun to talk about it.
”How old do you think Juho will be when he dies?” Seo Kwang asked, bringing up the question that would come to mind from time to time when looking at the young author. Wincing at the question initially, Baron concluded that no one was capable of answering it.
”How am I supposed to know? Who do you think I am, God?”
”Well, I hope he sticks around,” Seo Kwang said.
To which, Baron curled his lips and said, ”I hope he keeps writing. For as long as he can.”
”I agree,” Seo Kwang said, still sniffling, and added, ”I wish we could all live long lives, preferably together.”
”What in the world are you guys talking about?” Seo Kwang's mother asked, tossing her son a towel, and added, ”Go wash your face!”