Chapter 214: Laugh, Why Don’t You (2)
“Seriously, Director Lee. You’re earning much more now, but aren’t you too stingy just ordering sweet and sour pork and black bean noodles?”
“What kind of luxurious food are you asking for then? Should I call a restaurant and ask for a steak to be delivered over?” Lee Eun-Ha asked as she tore off the cling wrap off the bowl of black bean noodles that had just been delivered.
Lee Eun-Ha had taken some time off after a long period of drama filming and had just returned to the Bucheon office. Amongst the writers who gathered around the dinner table with her was Ha Jae-Gun.
“Congratulations, Director Lee,” Ha Jae-Gun said as he mixed his bowl of noodles.
Lee Eun-Ha grinned as she shook her head. “It’s nothing worth congratulating. It’s all because of your original novel.”
“No way. It’s definitely because of your outstanding directing.”
“Well, it’s still something worth complimenting you for. At least you’re not ruining the great original novel like a certain director.” Yang Hyun-Kyung added while chewing on his noodles.
“How much higher will the ratings go? The ratings for the first episode are already off the charts.”
Beside Yang Hyun-Kyung, Kang Min-Ho nodded in agreement and added, “I think the ratings might go over thirty percent. Although I feel slightly apologetic toward both Director Lee and Writer Ha, I never expected that the response would be this great. There"s another popular drama on the same time slot, and people don"t just watch programs on public channels nowadays, too.”
Even Jang Eun-Young, who had been focusing on her meal, added, “I don"t think it"ll be difficult to hit thirty percent in ratings. I think it"s showing signs of a huge hit.”
Ha Jae-Gun smiled as he inhaled a huge mouthful of noodles. In fact, the results of the drama"s success were already showing. The earliest sign was that the sales of his novel were increasing once more. The viewers of the drama naturally gained interest in the novel and sought to purchase it, turning them into his readers.
“Is everything fine with Director Yoon Tae-Sung?” Ha Jae-Gun changed the topic of the conversation and asked about Yoon Tae-Sung.
Lee Eun-Ha immediately turned pouty as she slurped on her noodles. “You know what he"s like when he"s working. He would only be focused on work and work alone. I went to see him at the filming site for Storm and Gale once, and he even ignored me. He looked like he was half out of his mind.”
“Director Yoon can be quite hyperfocused. I was also surprised when I went to find him at the filming site for There Was A Sea.”
“Well, I doubt you should be all that surprised when you’re the scarier one who must finish writing once you’ve started. While we’re on the topic, you should also take care of your own health, Writer Ha. Thankfully, you’ve got a partner who can always take care of you now.”
Their meal ended on a good note. Ha Jae-Gun was enjoying his coffee as he stood on the terrace when he suddenly felt the atmosphere in the office turn bleak. He looked around instinctively and realized what the reason was.
‘It’d be noisy if Yeon-Woo was around.’ It looked like the office was bustling with the four new writers around, but all of them added together lacked vitality compared to one single person.
The frequency of Ha Jae-Gun seeing Lee Yeon-Woo around in the office had been decreasing over time as the latter had been spending more time at his parent’s place in Suwon. Lee Yeon-Woo would only come to the office three days a week.
‘Is he really fine?’ However, there was no issue in particular that Ha Jae-Gun could point out. Even when he asked Lee Yeon-Woo personally, Lee Yeon-Woo would only reply that everything was fine. In fact, he was doing great.
He was even working on his novel diligently, submitting chapters on time. What bothered Ha Jae-Gun was actually Lee Yeon-Woo’s smile. His smiles looked somewhat awkward and contrived, as if he was trying to hide an unspeakable pain.
“Ms. So-Mi seems to be quite busy these days as well. I miss seeing her cute face around.” Jang Eun-Young mumbled from behind.
Ha Jae-Gun took a sip of his coffee and nodded. Indeed, Lee Yeon-Woo wasn’t the only person to be distancing himself from this office.
Bzzt!
Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang in his pocket. He stopped thinking about both Lee Yeon-Woo and Jung So-Mi as he answered the call.
“Yes, Director.”
— h.e.l.lo, Mr. Ha. Have you had lunch?
“Yes, I did. I was about to head over to the library.” Ha Jae-Gun hung up the call shortly after and headed to the washroom to brush his teeth. He was scheduled to hold a lecture today at the library. Instead of wearing his usual casual outfit, he was donning a suit today just for the lecture.
“Jae-Gun hyung, you’ve got toothpaste here.”
“Ah, it must have splattered. Thank you.” Ha Jae-Gun took the tissue that Yang Hyun-Kyung had offered and wiped a spot on his shoulder. As he checked himself out for one last time in the mirror, Yang Hyun-Kyung said, “I think you look great every time I see you.”
“What are you going to say now?”
“With the success of your dramas, commercial deals come rushing in like floods, but you just rejected them all. And seeing how you still hold such lectures that do not give you any monetary benefits is just, I’m not sure what to say exactly….”
“If you don’t know, then you don’t have to say anything.”
“Anyway, I always learn something from you—money isn’t everything for example.”
“Isn’t that line something that doesn’t fit your character as a former self-made investor?”
“Ah, hyung. Please stop mentioning the stock...”
A while later, Ha Jae-Gun left the office happily as the writers sent him off. Ha Jae-Gun kept whistling a tune as he drove toward the library, feeling happy and excited at the thought of meeting his beloved readers. He even wondered if the readers who attended his previous lecture would appear today as well.
Ha Jae-Gun arrived at the library thirty minutes earlier than scheduled. Readers camping from the library’s entrance to the parking lot threw their attention toward him. There was still quite some time until the lecture started, but there were already dozens of people outside the library.
“Ah, Writer Ha Jae-Gun is here! h.e.l.lo!”
“Mr. Ha, I’m really glad to see that you’re here holding another lecture. I attended the previous lecture, too. Do you still remember me?”
“What about me? I asked you to give my child some tips about writing a thesis. Hohoho, I heard you’re getting married too. Your partner looks beautiful.”
“I’m enjoying Summer in My 20s a lot. Do you watch it too? What does it feel like watching the product of your own work?”
It was impossible for him to answer each and every question. Ha Jae-Gun excused himself from the crowd with an apologetic smile and pushed through the crowd and made his way through the library’s entrance, meeting Director Bae in the hall.
“Aigoo, welcome. Thank you for coming over.”
“h.e.l.lo, Director.”
“It’s crowded here, so why don’t we head somewhere else for a cup of coffee or tea?” Director Bae led Ha Jae-Gun to his office.
As they had a cup of coffee, Director Bae said, “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to do this. And as I’ve mentioned before, the Head of the District Office is attending the lecture today as well.”
“Yes, I remember,” Ha Jae-Gun answered briefly, and then he took a sip of his coffee. There was nothing else for him to say since he had never met the head of the district office before.
Director Bae continued, “So… The head of the district office would like to make a speech before your lecture starts….”
“…?” The look in Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes changed instantly. What would the head of the district office like to address when it was a lecture meant for his readers?
As if reading his mind, Director Bae waved his hand in a hurry and added, “It’s something like a welcome speech. To thank you for coming down to hold the lecture for the betterment of the local culture… he"s going up the podium first and—”
“I understand what you’re saying.” Ha Jae-Gun interrupted the director.
The older man’s face turned into a look of trouble, afraid that he might have touched Ha Jae-Gun’s nerves.
“Please go ahead with it,” Ha Jae-Gun said after a moment of thought. Ha Jae-Gun didn’t like the way things were done, but he also pitied the older man who was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Since the head of the district office was already coming, the director would be put in a tight spot if things were to change.
Ten minutes later, there was knocking on the door, and a pair of middle-aged men and a young woman appeared at the door.
Of the two men, one was the head of the district office himself, the other the section chief of the general affairs department, and the lady was the head of the district office’s secretary.
“h.e.l.lo, Mr. Ha. I am Yang Beom-Shik, Head of the local District Office. I’m happy to meet you here.”
“h.e.l.lo. My name is Ha Jae-Gun.” As Ha Jae-Gun shook hands with Yang Beom-Shik, he suddenly felt the need to check himself out in a mirror. He wanted to know how the smile on his lips would look in other"s eyes.
The ominous feeling stirring in his head felt like it wouldn"t go away soon.
***
“...Here is my name card. You see my contact number on it, right? If you dial that number, you will be able to reach me directly instead of going through my secretary. A system that goes direct without having to wait. I can say that I, Yang Beom-Shik, is the policy that I am most confident of in this entire district.”
Meanwhile, Ha Jae-Gun’s face looked infinitely stiff as he sat in the seat right in front of the podium. He had expected this to a certain extent but never imagined that the man would be this blatant.
Yang Beom-Shik’s congratulations and literary-related speech ended in a few minutes. Afterward, he started talking about his policies.
‘Thank goodness I decided to step down from the podium.’
The head of the district office and Director Bae wanted to have Ha Jae-Gun sit on stage beside the podium during the speech. However, Ha Jae-Gun rejected it flatly, as he wouldn’t know what the politically greedy man would say on stage. He also didn"t want his readers to misunderstand that he was supporting the head of the district office if he were to sit on the stage.
“...Let"s begin Mr. Ha Jae-Gun"s lecture. Everyone, please give him a round of applause.” A thunderous applause resounded the hall.
The bitterness in Ha Jae-Gun"s mouth did not leave as he stepped onto the podium; he did not once look in the direction of Yang Beom-Shik, who was all smiles.
“h.e.l.lo, everyone. I am Ha Jae-Gun. This is my second time holding a lecture in the library of my neighborhood. It"s nice to see all of you here.” Ha Jae-Gun took his lecture materials and began his lecture. Thanks to the experiences he had before, this lecture didn"t pose much of an issue for him. He was able to end the lecture successfully while drawing out laughter and relatability from the audience.
“Thanks for your hard work, Mr. Ha.”
“It"s nothing, director. Thank you for setting this up.”
Ha Jae-Gun turned around after his short conversation with the director when someone blocked his way. He was the section chief of the general affairs department.
“Mr. Ha Jae-Gun, the head of the district office, would like to thank you personally for holding the lecture today. Let"s have dinner together.”
“I"m sorry, but I actually have a prior appointment, so I won"t be able to join.”
“Mr. Yang had made dinner plans for this from his busy schedule, he"ll be disappointed to hear that you"re not joining. There are also a few reporters outside, so why don"t we take a group photo first?”
The section chief did not back down easily. Ha Jae-Gun then realized one thing: the world of this man was solely made up of the head of the district office and did not care about anyone else"s circ.u.mstances.
“Things might have been different if you had informed me in advance, but I really can"t make it today.” Ha Jae-Gun was about to repeat his circ.u.mstance and decline once more when a hand tapped Ha Jae-Gun"s shoulder from behind.
Turning around, Ha Jae-Gun spotted a familiar face, it was the housewife carrying her child in her arms.
“h.e.l.lo, Mr. Ha. Do you still remember me?”
“Ahh, yes, of course I do.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled warmly and looked at the child in her arms.
Back then, Lee Yeon-Woo had consoled the child in Ha Jae-Gun"s stead, as he was feeling under the weather at the time.
“Wow, your child has grown so much already? How lovable. Wow, that finger.”
“Kids grow fast. Your lecture today was amazing, as usual, Mr. Ha. I"m extremely happy since it"s a rest day for my company, too. Thank you so much for the great lecture.”
Ha Jae-Gun grinned at the reader. Even her child giggled happily and was touching Ha Jae-Gun"s cheek with their tiny hands.
The section chief looked uncomfortable as he watched from the sides. His patience had obviously run out as he waved his hand dismissively at the lady, “Ma’am, you can talk to Mr. Ha another time; he’s busy, okay?”
Ha Jae-Gun was astonished, turning pale. The lady was both perplexed and fl.u.s.tered as her face turned red with embarra.s.sment. She retreated and said, “Ah… I’m sorry. I didn’t know—Ah!”
She had unknowingly retreated onto the steps behind her and lost her balance.
Ha Jae-Gun caught her before she fell. “T-thank you.”
“Are you available? Do you have to return now?”
“Pardon? N-no…?”
“Let me treat you to a cup of tea here at the lounge, then. Let’s go.” Ha Jae-Gun and the housewife turned around, heading toward the exit.
The section chief was bewildered at the turn of events and stared after them in a daze for a few moments before following behind. “Um, Mr. Ha? As I’ve mentioned earlier, the head of the district office has arranged for a meeting….”
“I’m not going,” Ha Jae-Gun replied with a cold glare. “It’s not that I can’t go, but I won’t go. I’m not here to meet the head of the district office today; I’m here to meet my readers.”
“Mr. Ha… I….”
“The person who should be considerate of my busy schedule shouldn’t be my reader, but you, section chief. Please don’t intervene, do you understand?”
The section chief was speechless and stood there gulping his saliva with fear.
Ha Jae-Gun led the housewife along. As he walked, he recalled the conversation he had with Kwon Tae-Won over the phone about the lecture; Kwon Tae-Won said that there would be more bothersome things coming up in the future.
‘At least there’s an interesting story to tell.’ Ha Jae-Gun pulled out his notepad and wrote down the new subject, who would become the main character for his new short story in the Market Place.
It wasn’t a fruitless day. Ha Jae-Gun thought that he wouldn’t be meeting the head of the district office again in the future.
***
Clatter!
The gla.s.s cup that was filled with milk hit the wall and shattered into pieces. Chae Bo-Ra was seething in anger, drawing in deep breaths to calm herself down.
Right after Healthy White Paper, another variety program named Come Over To Play also rejected her appearance on the show. It was almost impossible to know how long it had been since she left her house for any broadcast schedules.
‘How can anyone force someone into their wits’ end…?! Shouldn’t they at least give some breathing s.p.a.ce!?’
Playing on the TV in the living room was the music video of the new girl group HyperSoda. Chae Bo-Ra then recalled that the group was having their debut showcase today. Their single was released for the first time at noon.
‘That b.i.t.c.h… how dare she ignore me after gaining some popularity?!’ Chae Bo-Ra glared at the TV, staring intently at one person on the screen. She was staring only at Han Yu-Na.
Han Yu-Na had been gaining a lot of attention since she appeared on I Live Alone with Ha Jae-Gun as a guest. Viewers loved how she expressed her appreciation through dance, and thanks to that, she earned herself more screen time. She even gained the nickname—second literary girl—second only to Lee Chae-Rin.
However, Han Yu-Na was revolting in Chae Bo-Ra"s eyes. She had never imagined that Han Yu-Na would gain so much attention from others. Even their agency’s CEO was seeing Han Yu-Na in a different light; he had high expectations for the group, saying that they would soon be the face of the agency.
‘So that’s how things are going, huh…? You’re extremely suspicious, you wicked witch.’ Bo-Ra bit her lips, and then she went to change her clothes.
It would take her thirty minutes to reach the showcase venue by taxi. If she left now, she could make it before the showcase ended.