Chapter 49

I raised my hand in response to Ji Kang-hyeon’s teasing and then lowered it again. To be honest, I really wanted to hit him, but he wasn’t Gang Hwa-won or Seo Jae-Ah. Unfortunately, we weren’t close enough for me to actually lay a hand on him.

The conversation that followed wasn’t anything special. Ji Kang-hyeon certainly had some literary insight, likely due to his father’s influence, but perhaps because he didn’t particularly enjoy reading, his level of knowledge wasn’t very high or deep.

However, I could tell he was still young, as he mentioned having read quite a few web novels, but unfortunately for me, I didn’t know much about them this time. I had gained some knowledge through my encounters with Jae-Ah, but my understanding was still limited.

Now that I thought about it, this kid had appeared on that broadcast with me before. I was worried he might bring up some of those stories, but it seemed he wasn’t the type to cross that line, as he didn’t mention any of it.

Given the age difference, we didn’t exactly communicate well. In the end, our conversation quickly dwindled, and we both buried ourselves in our smartphones.

While I was looking at my phone, I kept thinking, and unsurprisingly, most of my thoughts revolved around my own writing and the idea of the aftermath. Specifically, I was thinking about what I wanted to say to Lee Cheon, the writer I was going to meet after the gathering.

The idea was that perhaps Lee Cheon might give me advice on the issues in my novel or the struggles I was facing.

In truth, I didn’t want to share these concerns with others, but I thought it would be okay with Lee Cheon being a writer. I could never easily discuss such troubles with acquaintances. The exception was when I spoke to Ham Yejin. Unfortunately, that was a different scenario. So, Lee Cheon was a stranger to me.

I respected him but had no personal connection, which made it all the better. Plus, he was at an age where calling him an old man wouldn’t be strange. As a result, there was a strong residue of the old era in his writings. I wondered if that was exactly what I needed at the moment, making him an even more suitable person to meet.

His writing style seemed far removed from politics or social conflicts. This is likely why he had managed to stay relevant for so long, which made him even more valuable.

As I flipped through papers about Lee Cheon, time flew by quickly.

Before the gathering time came, Ji Kang-hyeon suddenly stood up.

“I’m off.”

“Aren’t you going to the gathering?”

“Hey, I’m a minor. Though to be honest, you kinda look like a minor too.”

Well, it wasn’t like they would bring a minor to a drinking party.

“Then what were you doing here?”

“I was waiting for my mom. She’s participating in the meeting as the publisher’s representative. I just had to greet her and leave, but she can’t.”

I see. So this kid had a mom.

“Well, I don’t know if I’ll see you again later, but take care.”

“You too? If there’s a problem later, come to our publishing house. I’ll talk to Dad for you.”

“Watch your mouth.”

After Ji Kang-hyeon left, I organized my thoughts alone. Going to the gathering would inevitably expose me to other authors. I hadn’t formed many close connections, but there were plenty of people whose faces I knew well enough.

I had no idea how people, whether those who knew me or those meeting me for the first time, would perceive me. It was a little worrying, but even though I usually had little concern for human relationships, I couldn’t brush that off.

I spent a while fiddling with my hair to pass the time. This white hair never truly became familiar to me.

Then Senior Su-Young texted me to come to the parking lot. I headed outside towards the parking lot. For some reason, there were no other people around, only Senior Su-Young and Professor Seo.

“Where are the other authors?”

“They left first. We’re the last ones.”

Was it a considerate gesture that we were the last to leave? I questioned it, as neither Professor Seo nor Senior Su-Young were particularly thoughtful types. Besides, once the gathering started, my presence would inevitably be revealed.

Considering it was such a trivial inquiry, I simply got into the car.

After about ten minutes of driving, we arrived at a small building that was an upscale Japanese restaurant. The building clearly exuded traditional Japanese style. After the car stopped, I followed Senior Su-Young, who got out first. However, Professor Seo suddenly stopped me.

“Hey, you’re going this way.”

“Excuse me?”

Professor Seo grabbed me and guided me to a side door instead of the main entrance. Senior Su-Young, seemingly aware of the situation, entered through the main door without reacting.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but this author wanted to see you alone. You probably don’t want to drink or mingle with others, so just talk for a bit and come back.”

Lee Cheon wanted to see me alone?

I had indeed heard that Lee Cheon had expressed a desire to meet me, but I hadn’t expected it to be like this. If we were going to meet privately, it meant we’d have to rent a separate room, and naturally, no one else would be able to join us.

Did he really want to have such an extensive conversation with me? I felt an odd uncertainty, but it was too much to back away now over a slight doubt, so I simply followed Professor Seo.

The inside of the Japanese restaurant was undoubtedly luxurious, but strangely, it felt a bit deserted where I was going. I couldn’t see any guests, only a few staff members showing up intermittently.

“Alright, you should go this way. Go inside and head to room 505.”

“And what about you, Professor?”

“I’ll be at the gathering, so after it’s done, just tell the staff, and they’ll guide you there. If you want to join in, do so, but if you’d rather not, just take the car key and wait in the car. The place you reserved is far from here, so it might be tough to go on your own.”

After finishing his words, Professor Seo returned the way we came. Now, I was left alone to meet Lee Cheon.

I gulped and pushed the door to the room aside. However, it didn’t lead directly into the room. Instead, I entered a long corridor with several doors. As I walked deeper inside, I soon saw room 505. The hallway was strangely quiet.

Taking a deep breath again, I opened the door.

And then I stepped inside.

There was a man in his sixties, but he looked too young to be considered elderly. He had a simple yet distinct appearance, dressed neatly in a modernized hanbok that revealed a strong sense of character.

I had seen that face from afar in the past. He had aged slightly since then, but it was undoubtedly him.

He was the one who played a significant role in modern Korean literature and was simultaneously a darling of the literary world.

The first impression of this man, whom I respected, was unexpectedly warm.

When our eyes met, Lee Cheon fell silent for a moment. He stared at me intently before finally speaking.

“Hmm, I’m seeing you for the first time… Please, have a seat.”

I hesitated and took a seat across from Lee Cheon. Facing him, I felt my tension spike.

“It’s nice to meet you, Seol-guk… Should I call you that?”

“Ah, yes! That would be fine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Don’t be too nervous. Just relax.”

Though Lee Cheon said that, it was naturally hard for me to ease my tension. After all, he was one of the people I respected the most. It was impossible not to feel nervous when meeting him one-on-one.

“You might be curious about why I called you. We can take our time talking, but let’s start with a meal.”

“Ah, okay.”

Instead of jumping straight into the discussion, Lee Cheon was considerate enough to start our meeting with food. As he picked up his chopsticks, I began to eat politely as well. The food was definitely delicious, but I couldn’t seem to enjoy it properly due to my nerves.

Glancing subtly, I noticed that, unlike me, Lee Cheon was enjoying his meal very satisfactorily. I felt it would be rude to pick at my food, so I hurried my chopsticks, but he didn’t seem to care much about it.

After some time passed in silence with us eating, Lee Cheon finally spoke up.

“Did you choose that outfit yourself?”

“Pardon? Ah, no. A junior chose it for me.”

This was the third time today that my outfit had been mentioned. Was it really that inappropriate for this occasion? But contrary to my worries, his response was completely different.

“It suits you well.”

“Thank you?”

Fortunately, it seemed that my attire wasn’t considered disrespectful by Lee Cheon, unlike the opinions of Hwa-won and Senior Su-Young. Maybe I was worrying needlessly.

“… It’s astonishing. I’ve seen your past photos, but I just can’t believe it. It’s hard to think a person can change this much.”

“I think so too.”

“It must have been difficult for you.”

“Yes.”

“Would you like a drink?”

“Um, I’m sorry. I can’t drink.”

“I see, that can’t be helped. It might even look like a crime to make someone in that state drink, haha.”

Lee Cheon poured himself a drink and took a sip. It was clearly an expensive Japanese sake.