Novelist Running Through Time
Chapter 33

TL: KSD

A Festival of Words.

It’s the perfect term to describe a variety show shoot.

Especially a talk show.

The talk shows that viewers see are a series of entertaining moments. The celebrities’ eloquence in storytelling is dazzling enough to amaze.

However, that’s only after the ‘magic of editing’ has been applied to the finished product. In reality, a variety show shoot is made up of 9 parts ‘boring’ and 1 part ‘exciting’.

It’s like searching for a pearl in the mud.

But sometimes, the set becomes so lively that it turns into a sea of laughter.

When a top-level MC maximizes the guests’ talents, when celebrities who have worked together for decades sync perfectly, when a no-name celebrity is touched by the variety show god, and so on……

Watching such a scene, the PD instinctively knows.

‘This is going to hit…!’

Baekhak Cultural Broadcasting’s own variety department set.

The PD leading the shoot had a hunch.

The PD ordered the staff.

“Capture that kid.”

Not to arrest, but to keep the camera tightly focused on them. Following the PD’s command, the cameraman captured a boy covered with the blanket in the frame.

The boy was passionately critiquing Gu Yubin’s work. And with each continuation of the boy’s critique, Gu Yubin’s face would blush, and she’d shudder!

“Especially when you ventured into SF (TL: Science fiction), you diligently wove together cosmology and worldview. The protagonist’s journey is directly linked to a child’s growth, surrounded by a warm yet overwhelming world, a comforting yet insurmountable barrier. This, too, could be interpreted as Professor Gu Hak-jun’s work…”

“Stop, stop…!”

The PD had already picked out a title for the YouTube clip to upload. ‘An Innocent Critique’.

A young genius dissecting someone else’s novel to reveal hidden feelings was content that had never been tackled in any variety show.

Especially since it seemed devoid of malice, it could earn extra points for entertainment.

Could a primary school student really be doing this deliberately? Even the jaded PD couldn’t entertain that thought.

The visual was also good. Beautiful people look good no matter what they do. And if they’re pretty, people watch, views turn into ratings, and high ratings translate into money.

From then on, it was Moon In-seop’s one-man show. The prodigious boy had a presence beyond his years. In other words, that’s called aura or buzz.

The highlight scene didn’t end there.

The MC asked a question.

“Here’s a question! It’s very unique! Author Moon, you consistently call Kim Byul ‘Kim sunbae’. Are you school hubae and sunbae?” (TL: Junior and Senior)

Kim Byul flinched for a moment before answering naturally.

“Ah, ahaha! It’s In-seop’s first time on broadcast. So, as I was looking after him, doing this and that-”

The boy sternly interrupted.

“What do you mean, ‘Kim sunbae’?”

“……!!!”

“Why I consistently use honorifics for ‘Kim sunbae’ is because…”

“Kyaaaah! Stop! Don’t do it!”

“When we first met, ‘Kim sunbae’ looked at me and…”

“Kyaaaah! Kyah! Kyaaaah-!”

“Thinking I was a child actor, crossed her legs and glared at me…”

“I’m sorry! I was wrong! I’m so sorry!”

“What she said was…”

“Kyaaaah-!”

“Phew… I’ll let it slide this time.”

EP 3-Magic Sword~nim, please control me!

After the shoot.

Having captured great scenes, the PD dismissed the staff with a delighted laugh. The MCs also smiled, exchanged greetings, and parted ways.

However, three out of the four guests were left staring into space with vacant expressions.

Rapid Boys’ main rapper Min Hyo-chan ended up losing his chance to appear on the variety show with zero presence, and Kim Byul was completely drained from trying to manage the crisis.

Not to mention Gu Yubin, who was beaten up throughout the shoot.

But the cause of the problem, Moon In-seop, breathed a sigh of relief and got up nonchalantly.

‘I lost control.’

He didn’t remember much after something dark surged inside him at the sight of Gu Yubin.

Throughout the shoot, it was hard to remember what I had said. It was truly a festival of words.

‘I thought I had forgotten everything…’

It seems my mental discipline is lacking. Approaching Gu Yubin and Kim Byul, who I had inadvertently troubled, both of them flinched and avoided my gaze.

Confused by their reaction, I was suddenly approached by the PD who put a hand on my shoulder. It was someone I had seen before. The person who had come to the orphanage leading a crew.

The PD, holding onto my shoulder, dragged me to a secluded corner of the set, chattering away.

“Wow…! It was really fun today, Author Moon!”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“Haha…! Maybe it’s because of the age, but the chemistry with the young ones is just explosive! Such a unique character! There was nothing to edit out today!”

“If you say so, I’m just grateful.”

“Haha! Even what you’re saying now, look. But what’s with Gu Yubin’s novel that the reaction was so intense?”

“That… might be difficult to air on broadcast.”

The PD muttered quietly.

“A written apology, maybe…”

“What?”

“Huh? No! Nothing! Anyway, have you thought about appearing on other variety shows? It’s good for promoting your book. I’m planning something with a sunbae…”

I was held up by the PD for a while before finally being released.

I was greeted by Baek Seol and Lim Yang-wook, who had somehow just arrived at the set.

I waved listlessly and greeted him.

“Director Lim… When did you arrive?”

However, instead of approaching me in his usual sluggish manner, slapping my shoulder, and joking about going to eat, Lim Yang-wook merely gave a brief eye greeting and stopped there.

What’s going on?

Looking closely, there was someone in front of Lim Yang-wook and Baek Seol. A man in an expensive-looking suit. His eyes were so small that even when open, they seemed closed.

The mysterious middle-aged man glanced at me and then approached with a bright smile.

“Ah! There you are, Author Moon!”

“Excuse me, but who are you?”

“Well, I’m the one who prints your book.”

Before my question of who that could be continued, an introduction followed.

He handed me a business card with a friendly smile.

“I’m Kim Sang-guk, the head of the Publishing Business Division at Baekhak Publishing. The uncle who’s making the books that are being distributed nationwide right now.”

“Ah, yes… Hello.”

“I’m really glad to meet an author who’s like a pillar of our company.”

It was obvious to anyone that Kim Sang-guk was trying to win me over. Lim Yang-wook reacted sensitively as if he had been pricked by a thorn.

“Isn’t that too ingratiating?”

“Haha, now that you’ve become a person from another company, aren’t you speaking too freely? Ingratiating, you say.”

Kim Sang-guk countered like this.

“The situation now is what’s abnormal. It’s as hard as picking stars from the sky for the head of the Publishing Business Division at Baekhak Publishing to meet an author from Baekhak. How hidden must you have kept him for me to come all the way to the broadcasting station.”

“Why is Author Moon a Baekhak person?”

“Strictly speaking, the entertainer Moon In-seop belongs to Baekhak Entertainment’s Publishing Management Department, and the author Moon In-seop is under the care of Baekhak Publishing. I came here as the person in charge of Author Moon’s book because there are things I want to point out. Don’t complain about me coming so suddenly. You were the one who wouldn’t meet even when asked.”

“That’s because…!”

Leaving an indignant Lim Yang-wook behind, Kim Sang-guk turned to me and said,

“Author Moon. Do you know that your book is being sold at an absurdly low price?”

“Huh?”

Lim Yang-wook, who was about to intervene and separate me and Kim Sang-guk, paused.

Kim Sang-guk, looking at Lim Yang-wook, continued with a cold sneer.

“Director Lim, no, Deputy Director Lim, you’ve signed contracts with bookstores nationwide to pass on your book not on consignment but at wholesale prices. And you set those prices absurdly low. So, the money that our Author Moon should be receiving is now being distributed among bookstores nationwide.”

“Uh…”

It was content I vaguely knew about.

The issue with the book’s pricing and distribution was due to a personal vendetta between Lim Yang-wook and the man named Yang Sung-jun from Baekhak Publishing. I heard that because Yang Sung-jun blocked the book’s release, the price was lowered and distributed nationwide.

Then, wasn’t this issue caused by Baekhak Publishing?

As soon as that question arose, Kim Sang-guk, the head of the Publishing Business Division, continued.

“Of course, I acknowledge that Director Yang Sung-jun from the head office harbored resentment against Director Lim and played some tricks in the middle. But why are we still maintaining that contract even after Director Yang Sung-jun has left? Why aren’t we passing Author Moon’s book over to Baekhak Publishing’s distribution line?”

Lim Yang-wook clenched his teeth. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“That’s for our Publishing Management Department to handle…!”

“Yes, it’s ‘management,’ not publishing. But from the perspective of a proper publishing company like mine, there are too many oddities. If we transfer the business rights of Author Moon’s book to Baekhak Publishing right now, we could make incomparably more money. Aren’t we the largest bookstore as well as a publisher?”

Kim Sang-guk said this while looking at Lim Yang-wook.

But in essence, he was speaking to me.

“Ah- perhaps… Did you secure the position of director in exchange for passing the money made from Author Moon’s book sales to Baekhak Entertainment, not Baekhak Publishing?”

“……!”

“Author Moon. Think about it. A company that makes entertainers and a company that makes books. Which one do you think would sell books better?”

The conclusion was obvious. Kim Sang-guk didn’t even need to state it.

“Yet you insist on selling books through Baekhak Entertainment, not Baekhak Publishing. The people who claimed to manage the author in his best interest are making choices for themselves, not the author, tsk tsk…”

Kim Sang-guk looked at me coldly, mocking Lim Yang-wook, but finally turned to me with a warm smile.

“How about it, Author Moon? How about entrusting your book to a proper bookstore? Anyone who loves books would know how big Baekhak Publishing is, right? We’re a publishing house, but also a bookstore. Your book could be displayed at the front entrance of every Baekhak Publishing store nationwide!”

“……”

“Well… That would be the norm, but due to Director Lim’s stubbornness, we’re forced to hand over books at a throwaway price to local bookstores. If it continues this way, we can’t even do promotions we want to. Why give benefits to a book from an author who’s not even part of Baekhak Publishing? Our people would protest.”

“……”

“Did Lim Yang-wook deceive me?”

I wanted to verify the credibility of Kim Sang-guk’s words. The way to do that was simple. Just look at Lim Yang-wook’s expression.

I looked at him. And Lim Yang-wook…

Looked as if he had been caught for his crimes, his complexion pale.

* * *

(TL: Lim Yang-wook’s POV)

There were plenty of rational excuses.

How could one believe the words of someone who’s caused harm, now claiming to take care of the victim? With the misdeeds Baekhak Publishing had committed, how could one trust them with a book? And so on.

However, moving to Baekhak Publishing would guarantee much higher sales volumes. As Kim Sang-guk said, Baekhak Publishing is the largest publisher and bookstore in Korea.

Not those swept by the current, but those who create it. They are the dominators of this industry.

If Baekhak Publishing decides to sell the book aggressively, they could provide Moon In-seop with royalties on a completely different scale than now.

But Lim Yang-wook didn’t do that.

He thought it was more rational to receive help from Baekhak Entertainment rather than Baekhak Publishing for Moon In-seop’s star quality to truly ignite, even if it meant missing out on immediate income.

The same is true even after resolving the conflict with Yang Sung-jun. Moon In-seop shines brighter as a star than as an author. Why? Because people are more fascinated by the existence of a young genius than by mundane literature!

However, standing in front of Kim Sang-guk, I couldn’t bring myself to say those words.

Variety shows, CFs, etc.

I was reminded of Moon In-seop, who had rejected everything Lim Yang-wook had arranged.

‘Was I… being greedy?’

Now, even my own feelings were confusing.

What was the reason I held onto Author Moon until the end? Was it really because I believed Baekhak Entertainment was better than Baekhak Publishing? Or was it because of the grudge I held against Baekhak Publishing and Director Kim Sang-guk?

Or was it because… I wanted to keep the genius by my side until the end, parasitically sucking his vital essence?

Lim Yang-wook had fallen into a mental demon.

His mind had become muddled like muddy water, utterly unclear. Since the mind is the driving force of a human, Lim Yang-wook, as a person, was completely incapacitated.

It was at that moment.

“It’s okay.”

Moon In-seop spoke. The boy had an unwavering belief in his eyes.

“I may not know much about business, but I do understand that if we start nitpicking over such complex issues, there will be no end to it.”

The boy lacked ‘wisdom’. Even living a life twice, life was still an enigma. The world was too complex for one person to comprehend.

The boy also lacked ‘virtue’. Novelists aren’t known for their good nature, not to mention those who grew up in harsh environments. The world had never shown him kindness.

The boy lacked ‘physique’ as well. He didn’t exercise.

However, the knights-errant of the orphanage where he grew up had taught him.

Only righteousness and duty mattered.

“Still, I trust our Director Lim Yang-wook.”

“……!!!”

“Business might lead to some ambiguous situations, right? But we have loyalty from working together for so long, so I can’t just leave for Baekhak Publishing like that. I’m sorry.”

Lim Yang-wook’s eyes widened in shock, and Kim Sang-guk also stepped back with a grunt.

Kim Sang-guk asked the boy.

“……You’re close with Director Lim Yang-wook?”

The boy recalled.

The bald editor who had stumbled into his moldy apartment and handed him an award.

His fervent reader who had published his book, squinting through financial losses.

“Well… he was the first editor to seek me out.”

Hmm. Director Kim Sang-guk seemed perplexed, as if something had gone against his expectations.

But soon, he ended the conversation with a friendly smile.

“That’s right… It’s that age. Putting special meaning into time or order rather than numbers…”

“……”

“Looks like I was a step late this time. Alright. Let’s meet in a more comfortable setting next time.”

Director Kim Sang-guk scattered a displeased glance at Lim Yang-wook and Moon In-seop, then left with a seemingly friendly smile.

Lim Yang-wook, Moon In-seop, and Baek Seol watched him disappear into the darkness of the corridor for a long while.

* * *

The movie, ‘Cause of Death,’ was released.

[Though it failed miserably at the box office as a short film, its artistic quality was recognized.]

That was the consensus among critics.

However, hidden within the critics’ single line were numerous life stories, bearing much more.

The failure at the box office was only from an ordinary perspective; the movie significantly surpassed its break-even point due to drastically reduced production costs and the existence of original fans.

Baekhak Entertainment’s film division was in a festive mood thanks to the significant achievements.

Additionally, for a film director who had never been recognized for his artistic achievements throughout his life, ‘Cause of Death’ left a significant mark.

The form of that mark was a statue shaped like a film reel, plated in gold.

“……”

The award, given by a famous domestic film festival, was held in the director’s hands.

It was the first time he had received such an award.

The director, who had placed the award on the bar table, looked at the plaque with complex feelings.

Someone approached the director from behind after he had been sitting at the bar for a while.

“Hey.”

A man as big as a bear patted the director on the back with a hearty laugh.

“After all the hardship comes joy, your sunny days have finally arrived!”

He sat next to the director with a face full of laughter.

However, the director showed no signs of smiling.

“What’s wrong? On such a good day.”

The director’s face looked a bit off. Now that he noticed, he was already drunk. Could something bad have happened?

“Sunbae…”

The director confessed, fueled by alcohol.

“Actually… I contributed nothing to this work.”

“What? Isn’t that too much humility?”

“It’s no joke.”

The director talked about what he had seen.

His own stubbornness.

The synergy between two geniuses.

The last moment, when the set seemed to freeze in time.

When fake snow turned into real snow, and makeup melded into character.

The perfect beauty contained in the acting and the scenes where it was due.

“I… couldn’t touch any of it.”

“……”

“All of it was done by those two young ones… by two young geniuses. They had the talent I lacked…”

“……”

“I don’t know what to do with this award, sunbae…”

The director’s sunbae froze.

He asked,

“Is that really true?”

His name was So Tae-woong.

A film director. 49 years old.

The recipient of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear, comparable to Cannes’ Palme d’Or and Venice’s Golden Lion.

****

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