Carelessness leads to disasters.
After work, while I was clicking the finish button on the novel I’d been uploading while sacrificing my sleep, I accidentally hit ‘not save.’ Or I might mistakenly post a provocative picture in the group chat with all my colleagues.
Or maybe, while thinking I should go to the convenience store first, I turn on the computer and step out, only to have my parents crash into my apartment and find out about my preferences.
Of course, those earlier disasters didn’t darken my mind as much as getting caught reading erotic fiction in front of my roommate.
Lady Tang was looking at me with a serious face.
“What the heck is this?”
What can I even say in my defense?
When I was a kid and caught looking at something inappropriate, I made up some excuse about my computer being hacked.
I could barely explain to my parents why a hacker would save erotic videos in my C drive and watch them remotely, but would that work on Lady Tang?
I’ve been hacked! I wanted to write a wholesome Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes, but my left hand was writing down black goat tales while my right hand was scribbling about love!
“This is a novel I’m working on.”
After a quick inner debate, I decided to be honest with her. After all, she would need to read it at least once if we were going to print and display it on the first floor.
It was time to be straightforward like Kang Yoon-ho.
“Are you crazy? This is a story about the Sichuan Tang Family!”
Lady Tang shook the manuscript in disbelief at my response.
“That’s true, but…”
“Is this some kind of new method of suicide from Joseon?”
“Suicide? The main character is a chivalrous Sichuan Tang Family person! He can be called a true righteous faction member, so there shouldn’t be any major issues!”
“But this…”
“I’m not portraying the Sichuan Tang Family negatively! In fact, people from the Sichuan Tang Family who read it would be impressed and come to award me with prizes!”
“Bullcrap! This is erotic fiction!”
Lady Tang protested with a flushed face.
“Ah! Erotic fiction? It’s just a slightly racy story about a man engaging in martial arts in the Martial Arts World!”
In short, it’s an erotic martial tale!
“It’s the same thing!”
“I’m just writing a slightly spicy tale about a chivalrous protagonist! There’s a difference between this and erotic fiction! And you know stories like this sell well!”
There’s a difference!
Whether pandas are wielding martial arts or robots are fighting wars, as long as there’s combat, it’s all Martial Arts!
The protagonist of The Rise of the Tang Family performs both martial and chivalrous deeds, but he also engages in quite a lot of spicy content, hence the label of ‘erotic martial tale!’
“But…”
Lady Tang was concerned about setting the story against the backdrop of the Sichuan Tang Family, her expression shifting to one of worry.
It seemed her anger had subsided, so maybe it was time to seek her cooperation.
“This is all for you.”
Let’s start with a little emotional massage for Lady Tang.
I hardened my expression and looked at Lady Tang with a worried gaze.
“For me?”
“We might be able to pay off your debt if we run this bookstore. But it’s 20 years. A full 20 years. If we spend years just paying off debt, we’ll be 41! Are we going to waste our youth just paying back money?”
In reality, it wouldn’t be that severe, but mentioning the longest possible duration let her assume that at least 20 years of hardship lay ahead.
“What about that…”
She buried her head at the mention of 20 years, avoiding my gaze.
Come on, Lady Tang. Don’t you feel guilty? I said I’d help, but that debt is your responsibility, not mine!
“If we publish a book featuring the protagonist of the Sichuan Tang Family, we could attract attention all at once. People would be curious enough to buy tons of copies, and if word of mouth spreads, we’d sell even more. Then we can pay off the debt. Instead of eating cheap soup all the time to save money, shouldn’t we occasionally enjoy good food and nice clothes and go out to fun places together?”
I’m writing this to quickly help you resolve that debt.
“C-c-together?”
“Who else would go with me?”
“Uh, yeah, that makes sense.”
Lady Tang’s mouth curled up, and her face slightly flushed as she nodded along with what I said.
It worked.
Publishing this book is for you! It’s not because I secretly wish to gain fame!
It’s good that my logic has worked, but it’s still not enough. I shouldn’t take on risk just for the sake of settling a debt.
“In fact, there’s another reason I want to publish this book.”
Let’s add another reason to enhance my argument.
“What reason?”
“I promised a friend that I’d make my name resonate in this world.”
The truth is, it was a promise made with my fake childhood friend, not Air Friend. But let’s pretend it was a promise made with Air Friend too.
I looked at her with a determined expression.
“Ah…”
“My friend said that if he died first, he’d wait in the afterlife for someone to bring him news of my life, so be sure to get famous. If I become famous through this book, won’t my family and friends in the afterlife be at ease knowing I’m doing well? So I want to become famous.”
I shared with her the weight of my painful past and future through my sad eyes.
“A promise with a friend… So that’s how it is.”
A strange disappointment leaked through Lady Tang’s voice.
Did I go too far with the stories of dead family and friends? No, I need to keep this promise for her, or else I won’t have much to say later about not going on adventures.
Right now, I have to firmly establish both a light and heavy motivation to absolutely publish this book.
“Lady Tang, my dream is to become famous enough that my family and friends in the afterlife hear of my reputation. There may be tales like the Hamurin Prince, but I want to start out with a successful spicy story and later challenge myself with other novels.”
“What if the Sichuan Tang Family sees this book and comes looking for you?”
“Well, then…”
I do have a few backup plans in mind. Simple ones and complicated ones. I’m still contemplating, but I think it’s best to avoid the easy route.
Lady Tang looked at me, her face troubled, but then, as if deciding on something, she opened her mouth with resolve.
“If the Tang Family comes looking for you, just say I made you do it.”
“What?”
“I’m the illegitimate child of the Sichuan Tang Family. I dictated this to you, and you ghostwrote it.”
“Lady Tang, that could put you in danger.”
“That bastard Tang Geoh! I was experimented on with poison because of him, so if I go to the Sichuan Tang Family directly, I’m pretty sure I’d get caught by Tang Geoh’s faction. Let’s say I wrote it to intentionally draw attention away from myself.”
“Are you sure that’s really okay?”
“Yeah. It’s for my future. For your dream. I think that risk is worth taking.”
Lady Tang handed me the manuscript she held tightly. I knew there was a way to use her as a shield.
I can’t use a friend as a shield for my problems; that thought initially made me dismiss that option, but in contrast, I realized I had a friend willing to step up for me.
“Thank you, Lady Tang.”
I expressed my gratitude with a mix of remorse and appreciation.
——-
“No matter what, isn’t the content a bit shameless?”
Once the tension faded, Lady Tang picked the manuscript back up and began reading from the start. The idea of my spicy martial tale being read by my roommate—a woman—is sheer humiliation.
“Lady Tang, can’t you just give it back?”
I reached out my hand without being able to meet her gaze.
“Is this really a story related to martial arts and chivalry?”
I felt as if my sense of shame was shrinking with each sigh I heard from Lady Tang.
“Hey, Yoon-ho.”
“Yeah?”
As I turned my head, Lady Tang was looking at me with a shy gaze, her chin hidden by the manuscript.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Um, um, is it really that pleasurable for a woman’s breast to do this? I mean, does it really feel that good…? No! No! Forget I asked!”
Please just put me out of my misery.
———————
“I’m going to sleep.”
I glanced at The Rise of the Tang Family with a flushed face, then caught her eye before returning to the book, unable to bear watching anymore. I decided to sleep.
“Me too. But, Yoon-ho, I have a question.”
“Could you just kill me with poison or in stealth instead?”
“Why would I kill you?”
“Stop asking me about the book content.”
Please, Lady Tang. My life meter is already at 0%. I spoke to her in the voice of a soul departing.
“No, that’s not it. Uh, um, um, maybe…”
What’s wrong with her? Lady Tang was stammering like a broken record, her face flush with embarrassment.
“Why?”
I looked at her indifferently. Then, Lady Tang seemed to realize something, lowering her head and covering her face with the manuscript as she spoke.
“W-what if… the book’s content. Did you… Ah, forget about it.”
Is that what you were curious about?
“Do you think I’m writing the Sichuan Tang Family’s story because I know stealth techniques and poison techniques?”
It’s a good educational tool I’m using!
“Yes! That’s it, right?! Hehe.”
Why does she suddenly sound so triumphant? Lady Tang seemed satisfied by my answer, placing the manuscript on the desk before lying down in her bed.
“Good night.”
“Wait. So you’ve been thinking those kinds of thoughts all this time?”
Lady Tang seemed to have realized something in that moment, propping herself up on her elbows and looking at me with a horrified expression.
“No, that’s not it.”
There’s no need to be surprised; all guys at some point think about such things and fantasies.
“Yoon-ho, move your bed a bit further away when you lie down.”
“Yes, yes! Understood!”
Everything is my fault. It’s my fault I got caught reading erotic fiction by my roommate.
I pushed my bed away from Lady Tang’s to keep distance between us.
“Just don’t move too far away… close enough for me to see your expression.”
Such high demands!
I pretended to push the bed away and merely shifted it slightly before lying down. Time to sleep now.
“Yoon-ho.”
As I turned my body to look at her, Lady Tang was staring at me intently from her bed.
“Yeah?”
“From tomorrow, I’ll help you with your writing.”
“But you’ll tire yourself out working at the bookstore.”
I just don’t want you to read my work.
“I saw earlier that your portrayal of the Sichuan Tang Family’s martial arts was terrible. I’ll help.”
“There’s really no need for you to help.”
“Together… if we want to pay off the debt and become famous, wouldn’t it be better to do it this way?”
Lady Tang looked at me with a worried expression. Is she right? Indeed, in the world of martial arts, if the facts are wrong, many people might challenge it.
There’s no reason to reject her goodwill.
“Okay, I’ll take you up on that.”
“Yay! Good night, Yoon-ho.”
Lady Tang closed her eyes, still gazing at me.
I felt utterly embarrassed. Still, I now have an editor.
I can ensure the accuracy of martial arts. Of course, I still have to worry about the embarrassment, but I’ve got her permission, so now I can print The Rise of the Tang Family. We can also promote it.
Let’s complete The Rise of the Tang Family and get it published!
