Big Life Chapter 28

“Ah, this is why everyone loves electronic keyboards.”

“Meow, meow.”

On top of Jaegun’s knees, Rika answered.

Jaegun’s fingers had a clearer sound than before when he was typing.

It was a mechanical keyboard from Hetae Media. It was just fun pressing the keys on the keyboards because of the pressure. He was curious before, but he never used one because it was expensive. Now he knew why everyone was singing mechanical keyboard is so good.

“Rika, you hear the sound. It’s different, right? I searched it up and it’s about 400 dollars. The last one was was a 9 dollar one bought at an E-mart. Why do you think they bought me this? Maybe they want me to write one more book for Pegelon’s Magician?”

Jaegun asked Rika and kept hitting the keyboard.

About noon, the outside was boiling hot, but the one room was cool because of the air conditioner.

Beep!

A call came from Suhee.

Jaegun stopped his typing and grabbed the phone.

“Ahn, Suhee.”

“I got your additional quest. That was fun too.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Did you eat lunch?”

“I haven’t yet. You?”

“I came out to eat right now. Eat on time. Ah, how’s today’s dinner? I’m meeting Hyojin so do you want to call Jongjin and eat lunch together? The 4 of us?”

“Sorry, I have to write something so it might be hard.”

Saying that, Jaegun pulled up a word document with his one hand. The “Child of the 90s” that he was going to enter the Digital Literary Contest came up on screen.

“You’re busy as always. Rest sometimes. Your body might crash.”

“I’m only going till the 15th.”

“Why is it the 15th? Ahah, you’re writing something special?”

Suhee had great recognition as always.

Jaegun laughed even though no one was looking and answered.

“I’ll tell you when I do well.”

“Tell me when you don’t do well, too. I want to read it.”

“Ok.”

A small sigh came across the phone.

Jaegun, even though he felt sorry, didn’t have anything to say so he stood quiet. Then, Suhee’s cheerful voice came back.

“Well ok, if you’re busy. Let’s meet later. Good work and contact later.”

Jaegun got his posture and put his hands on the keyboard. After breathing a few times, he started revising the ‘Child of the 90s.’ It was the 3rd time today that he was checking it over.

‘Sir, this scene where he’s meeting a old friend in jail is fine, right?”

Jaegun remembered Se Gunwoo’s figure and threw a question at him.

It felt as though Se Gunwoo’s voice was coming through his ear.

‘It’s natural. It’s not bad. If it was me, I would hesitate a few moments after the first greeting.’

‘Hm, that feels good. I’ll have to change. How about this scene where the main character meets his first love?’

‘There’s way too much useless conversation. The main character is just laying out his own story which doesn’t relate at all to the main character. Delete everything.’

‘Delete everything? But shouldn’t he have to say this much so the girl knows and understands that he’s been through a lot?’

‘That’s all your thoughts. The writer’s thoughts are going into the story’s characters. Useless. It doesn’t fit at all either.’

From one word to sentence to paragraph

Se Gunwoo and Ha Jaegun were colliding through every revision.

Most of the time it was Ha Jaegun backing off and conceding.

Se Gunwoo’s critiques were completely on point in correcting the story’s completion. Jaegun understood more at the same time of revising the incorrect parts.

About 1-2 times out of 10, Ha Jaegun kept it.

No answer problems, especially with the character’s personalities and characteristics and their actions. If there was no harm to the story, Ha Jaegun was stubborn then.

‘Sir, even if you say it’s bad, I think this is good. It’s not a hardboiled story so to delete everything is too much.’

‘It’s not my story so do what you want.’

The typing continued without stop in the one room.

Rika, understanding that Jaegun’s concentration, went to the bed.

“Meow.”

Rika looked at nothing and meowed.

Her general stare was towards at Jaegun’s back.

Rika was looking at nothing for a while until she closed her eyes, as if tired.

‘I’ll stop here. I feel like I did enough. Now I won’t look at it until the due date.’

He saved the ‘Child of the 90s’ and brought up a new page. A new page with no words came on the computer.

‘Are you writing something else?’

Se Gunwoo’s question seemed to ring in his ear.

Jaegun answered in his mind.

‘The Child of the 90s is a story that I made since college. Since I have a lot of time because of this contest, I want to write a totally new story.’

‘I see, do you have a topic?’

‘It’s my sister’s story. She couldn’t date properly because of looking after the family. She lived her life in work. Please look at it when I finish the draft.’

Tap! Tap! Tapppp!

Jaegun thought of his memories with his loving sister and poured his mind out on the typeboard.

It was a quiet summer’s day.

There won’t be another summer like summer this year as well.

Jaegun was prepared, but he wasn’t unhappy at all. There was nothing better a writer like he could hope for than writing with the best master ever.

“Good work, editor.”

“You too Somii, ah, you’re on break from tomorrow?”

“Yes, 4 days.”

Tewon and Somii put their exit card and left the office.

It was the end of summer. Somii, as an editor, was taking steps forward one by one. There was no Assistant Manager Go’s errands, so her efficiency was going up.

“You’re going to the East Sea?”

“Yes, it’s quiet there now. I want to take a rest and come back.”

Tewon looked at the ceiling and sighed.

“It’s been a while since I visited the ocean, too. All I did was work so there was nothing like summer.”

“Go with your family once. It’s hard to start, if you do it, it’s only 3 hours.”

“I know, it’s hard to start it.”

“ Our family in Mukho can rent so tell me if you have any ideas. I’ll do good.”

“Are you selling me stuff?”

“Ack, I might be?”

It was when they were waiting for the elevator.

Somii pulled out her phone. It was from Jaegun.

“Sir, it’s Writer Ha Jaegun.”

“Writer Ha? What is he saying?”

Somii showed the message instead of words.

Tewon smiled at the 3 lines.

-I’ve almost finished with the Digital Literary Contest story. I’ll write a sequel fantasy about 5 books and send them to you. Tell that to the editor as well. Have a great vacation. ^^

“That guy is amazing. Writer Ha isn’t having any summer relaxation.”

Tewon got on the elevator

Writing a fantasy as soon as he finished the Digital Literary Contest story. Extreme stamina and effort. He didn’t think he could do that.

Somii asked while pressing the 1 button.

“You’ve written a fantasy story in student days, too right?”

“Yes. I realized in 2 years that this wasn’t by path. I’m grateful. It’s different creating and writing. Ah, didn’t you say you were drawing as well?”

“I’m grateful I realized in 1 year that this wasn’t my path.”

“Hahaha”

The two people laughed at the same time in the elevator.

Somii grabbed her phone and pressed an answer to Jaegun. Write the best story so you can rest next summer.

‘Phew, I’m going crazy…!’

Myunghoon was sitting down and standing up on the computer for a couple times.

Today was the announcement day of the Digital Literary Contest result.

Usually they give out contacts to the winners before the announcement date. It’s for the purpose of information giving and writing their winning speech.

But Myunghoon didn’t get that. Since he used a pen name called Ah Sungwoo and he didn’t put an email or contact information, it was sure.

‘I should get it, brother’s revising is amazing. There’s no way I couldn’t win.’

He wanted to win.

He wanted to destroy the face that Jaegun made.

He wanted to be recognized by Suhee as a wonderful writer who stepped ahead again.

‘Phew… phew…!’

Myunghoon calmed himself down by breathing. Then he closed his eyes and clicked on the news announcement title. The screen filled with award results.

Myunghoon was covering his eyes and looking. From the bottom as well. 1 Grand Prize, 3 Runner Ups, and 15 participation prizes, a total of 19 people were getting awarded.

‘Ok, it’s not in the participation prize, of course. My novel can’t possibly be in a participation prize.’

Then Myunghoon’s stare went to the runner ups. At that same time, his two eyes burst open. A feeling of rage and delight came together to make a strange feeling that went through his body.

‘Runner up? I got the runner up prize?’

A sigh of relief came out but a huge disappointment came as well.

A pen name of Ahn Sungwoo with the story he made ‘The Lonely Man of Seoul’ was definitely in the runner up column.

‘Dang it…! What kind of amazing people entered that they gave me runner up? Does this contest have any idea at all? What part of the story are they judging about?!’

Myunghoon grinded his teeth and moved his glance left.

At that moment,

Myung Hoon went pale and froze.

A name that he would never pass by was right there in front of him.

Chapter end