Chapter 32
Chapter 32 – What is Important
[ The Winner]
A Dumb Woman – Se Gunwoo
Tejin looked at the name Se Gunwoo .
It was definitely not an unfamiliar name, a name that just by looking at it, he shivered . He didn’t know that he would see that name on a Literary Contest that his son entered .
‘It’s not an uncommon name . ’
Tejin got discomforted and turned away from the monitor . But then, he opened his eyes and touched the mouse .
‘Maybe his son used his father’s pen name . ’
Se Gunwoo had a son . He was an old writer but after he made a huge mistake, he gave up writing and went up . His thoughts went over to this .
The news had all the contestant’s pictures .
Tejin looked at the Digital Literary Contest photo news and looked for Se Gunwoo’s name . He could find a person in their 20s, with his family and friends .
‘No, yeah, there’s no way . ’
Now more comforted, Tejin had the thought to contact his son . When he called, Myunghoon answered quickly .
“Yes, father . ”
“Good job . ”
“…Yes?”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier . If you told me, then the entire family could have gone and congratulated you . ”
“But it’s not the grand prize…”
“Come home early, eat dinner . ”
“Yes . ”
As he cut off, with a knock, Myungsuk came in . In his hands were samples from a SF writer that the company had planned .
“This is the samples that I told you in the morning . ”
“Put in there . But did you know?”
“Yes? What did I know?”
“That Myunghoon entered the Digital Literary Contest or whatever . ”
“No… I didn’t know . ”
Myungsuk scratched his head and answered unconfidently . Tejin’s two eyes didn’t miss that .
“He won the runner up . ”
“Runner up?”
“The name is Lonely Man of Seoul . ”
“Ahah … yes . ”
“You knew . ”
Tejin’s two eyes glared .
Myungsuk, surprised, almost dropped the samples he was holding .
“I didn’t know that he was entering the Digital Literary Contest . But I knew that he was writing a story called Lonely Man of Seoul . He asked me to look over it, but I read it once . ”
“Did you end it with just reading it?”
“Yes?”
“Is this something that Myunghoon written on his own . ”
“Ye, yes . Father . ”
“You’re sure?”
Tejin didn’t back away and asked again . Myungsuk fixed his gla.s.ses, coughed, and nodded his head .
“It was Myunghoon’s solo piece . He won runner up, we should congratulate him . ”
“I get it, leave . ”
Myungsuk left the office . Tejin was standing, looking out the window with a complicated expression .
…
“It’s cold . ”
“That’s because you wore a t-shirt, you idiot . ”
“I didn’t know it would be this cold . Here, I’ll take it,”
“It’s not heavy . ”
“Just give it . ”
Jaegun took the basket from Jaeyn’s hands . It held today’s dinner ingredients . Today’s main course was bossam .
“But maybe we bought too much meat . ”
“We can eat it . ”
It was one week since the ceremony .
Jaegun and Jaeyn were walking through the road, colored with autumn .
“Have you decided the cover?”
“Yeah, I told them a general outline . Since they are pros, they’ll get it done . ”
“When’s the paper book coming out?”
“Maybe about a month?”
It was about the ‘A Dumb Woman . ’
Only the grand winner from the contest could get their book into a paper book . All the others were only made for electronic books in the online market .
“You got your wish, brother . You wanted to make a book into a paper book that much . ”
Jaegun grinned instead of answering .
There were reasons why he looked for paper books, even though they were costly most of the time . But was the writer’s dream . A touchable, openable paper book is more intimate than a figureless electronic book .
But there was a bigger reason .
He wanted to show to his dad, who was an old person .
His dad who was far from computers and phones .
Even now, his dad went to bookstores and bought paper books .
From that, he was dreaming of the day that he would find his son’s book in the new section and be moved .
“Wow, why did you buy so much meat? We’re only 4 people with your dad, who’s gonna eat this all?”
Myungja said the same thing when they went home . Jaegun answered as he put the basket down .
“You eat it today, you make other foods with it, you fry it, you make it into a stew and this will all disappear quickly . ”
“But still, how much is this? You need to spend this where you need to…”
“Mom . ”
Jaegun pushed his arm sleeves back and turned towards his mom .
“Don’t worry about money, your son got his place . This is only going shopping for food so why worry . ”
“Ok, ok, wow, Acting strong because you won a grand prize . You’re gonna with the n.o.bel prize next year?”
Myungja wrinkled her nose and Jaeyn laughed .
When they cleaned up the basket, Jaegun looked around the house and continued .
“Don’t renew the contract . ”
“What?”
“Go buy a house and move . ”
He was thinking for a long time .
If he got money left, he was going to buy a house for his family and move .
It wasn’t a house that needed fixing a few laces . Suffering from noises from other places, this family lived in this old house for a very long time .
“From the 30,000 dollars from last time, with the runner up and the grand prize winnings that will be after taxes, 23,000 dollars . Not sure if there will be more money . But just this much, you can get a pretty decent house in this neighborhood .
“JAegun…”
“No, not a villa actually . Just wait a year . In one year, let’s go to a house with a garden . Mom likes the garden, and since we’re living alone, there won’t be any noise . ”
Jaegun was putting down words alone .
Myungja and Jaeyn was worried . It felt that Jaegun was self inflicting damage to himself . Jaegun was repeating many words as if he wanted to shove them in his brain .
“It’s the genre side that gets money . So I’ll release another series, so you get it? Don’t renew the contract . We’re going out . ”
The door opened with a beep sounds . It was dad Ha Sukjae . Looking at his wife and his two sons and daughters, he blinked .
“Honey, Jaegun bought us meat for dinner today . Go clean up and come out quickly . ”
“I already ate . ”
Sukjae went to his room after he took off his coat .
Jaegun was looking at the kitchen’s microwave, smiling bitterly .
“Don’t worry, I’ll take him out . ”
Myungja with her elbow hit Jaegun’s waist and whispered .
Jaeyn pulled out a table in the living room . There were so many dishes with a meat dish, vegetables, and other side dishes and beer . Sukjae was just coming out after cleaning up .
“Honey, come over here and eat something .
“You and the kids can eat . ”
“Don’t be like that and sit down . The meat is really good?”
Sukjae ignored her . WIth a emotionless face, he opened the refrigerator and poured himself some tea . After he drank, he immediately turned to go to his room
Just them,
“What’s so displeasing?”
Jaegun said subduedly with his eyes pointed down .
Sukjae was slowly turning around .
“What is so displeasing . Do you hate your son that much that you would even avoid the dinner table?”
“I told you I ate . ”
“No, your shift ended 30 minutes ago so where would you have eaten in that time while walking home? Just answer truthfully . Just say that you can’t stand your son’s face to the point that it would make you suffering from indigestion .
“This guy is…?”
“Ja, Jaegun, what are you doing?”
Jaeyn’s cries did nothing .
Jaegun stood up and looked at Sukjae .
“I won a Literary award for the first time . It’s not the biggest but I won the grand prize and the runner up . Couldn’t you congratulate me as your son? Can you not forgive me because I’m being a writer that you hate so much?”
“Sigh… ok, I get it . Congratulations . ”
Sukjae waved his hand as if he was tired and turned around . Jaegun walked over and blocked his path and continued .
“Do you know how much I’ve earned so far . We can move away from this old house now . Do you still hate me because I’m a writer . I began to earn well . Father, son is going to do well .
With this, Sukjae’s face turned red . But he still managed to close his lips that were going to open many times . With no words, he went into his room and closed the door .
“Jaegun, come here . ”
Jaeyn went over and took his arm . Myungja was sighing looking at a pot on the veranda . He knew that they would collide once like this .
“I’ve ate . ”
Jaegun finished his dinner with no words . Myungja and Jaeyn both offered him drinks but he didn’t drink any . He couldn’t write if he did .
“I’ll go . ”
“It’s only 9, sleep here . ”
“No, I have things to write . I’ll come back . Sleep early mom, you too sister .
“I’ll escort you for a little . ”
Jaeyn put on a cardigan and followed .
In the dark, there were many streetlights in the street . Jaeyn spoke as she took Jaegun’s arm and walked with him .
“Dad is worried . ”
“For what . ”
“I’ve heard him talk to your mom . Maybe it’s a good idea learning publishing work for later . ”
“Why work at a publishing company?”
“Need a place if something goes wrong . It’s best to have a constant salary . Your dad worked like that as a worker . You have to understand . ”
“I know . ”
Jaegun answered in a small voice . His dad still didn’t believe him as a writer . But the answer could only be…!
A taxi that was pa.s.sing blew its horn .
Jaegun, coming out of his thoughts, caught the taxi and said to Jaeyn .
“I’ll take a taxi and take the subway . ”
“Ok, be careful and call . ”
“Ok . ”
Jaegun called Jung Somii’s number after he got on the taxi . After a ring, Somii’s energetic voice came on .
“Ah, h.e.l.lo, Writer HA . ”
“Yes, Somii, did you leave work?”
“No, I have work left so I think I’ll have to work till 11 . ”
“You’re busy, then I’ll call you later . ”
“No! No! You can tell me right now!”
“I want to release a sequel because I rested for awhile . ”
Jaegun spoke while looking out the window . Immediately, Somii’s voice answered .
“It’s so good, writer! I thought you would be tired after the Digital Literary Contest so I was just waiting nervously without calling myself! Should we meet? I’ll call you after I call the editor .
“Ok . Good work . ”
“You too, sir!”
As he cut off, Jaegun threw away the dream for paper books . He thought he did enough for his dad now . Comfortably resting, Jaegun looked for the pros and cons of the biggest selling methods in recent genres .