Chapter 268: Ha Jae-Gun Isnt A Big Deal After All (5)

[The tragedy of an adoptees solitude, a monsters meaningless distinguishment between good and evil turns modern society into a frenzy

Han Hae-Sun (Myungkyung University of the Arts Creative Writing Department Professor, Novelist)]

The September issue of the monthly

Smas.h.i.+ng Literacy

magazine included Han Hae-Suns article. This article included a book review of a novel written by an unknown author from the U.S..

Covering four pages, the review was full of praise for the novel from start to end.

The magazine,

Smas.h.i.+ng Literacy

, was a prestigious monthly publication among readers who cared and loved literary arts. On top of that, Han Hae-Sun was one of those capable of influencing the literary world greatly with just a single line from her.

Thus, her articles in the monthly magazine were much more popular than all the other corners available in it. It went without saying that the magazine was also popular among the students of the Creative Writing major from Myungkyung University of the Arts, who served Han Hae-Sun as their teacher.

It was lunchtime, and two students with a Creative Writing Major were sitting together in the library of Myungkyung University of the Arts. They were reading Han Hae-Suns review on

Smas.h.i.+ng Literacy

.

One of them flipped the page and mumbled, Eden Smith? Ye-In, have you heard of this author before?

No, I havent heard of that name before, but I want to read it. Since Professor Han Hae-Sun gave such high praise for the novel. I mean, I dont think she had given such high praise when she reviewed Writer Ha Jae-Guns novel before.

Youre right. Maybe we can see if the library has added the novel to the collection. Huh? Whats this?

Whats wrong?

They added twenty copies of it, but they've been loaned out. It must be quite popular.

Lets go get a copy from the bookstore after cla.s.s.

In fact, the popularity of

The Malice

was growing exponentially at Myungkyung University of the Arts. It was the result of Han Hae-Suns book review, which was well respected among the students with the Creative Writing major.

On that same afternoon, a copy of

Smas.h.i.+ng Literacy

was sent to the editor-in-chiefs office at OongSung Publication Group.

Oh Myung-Suk looked down at it with one hand while on the call with the other hand.

Yes, Professor Han Hae-Sun. h.e.l.lo, this is OongSungs editor-in-chief, Oh Myung-Suk. I have heard about it through Mr. Ha Jae-Gun. Ive really enjoyed your book review; its great. Also, thank you for allowing us to use your book review for marketing purposes.

Now there was another quote that Oh Myung-Suk could add to the back of the book. He had decided on what to write on the quote for the book.

A masterpiece praised by famous professor and novelist Han Hae-Sun.

They had also agreed to publish the full review at the end of the book in the second reprint.

Please check the servers. Make sure that everything is well prepared so as to not disrupt the printing and distribution schedule of the second print.

Yes, Editor-in-chief! his subordinates replied in unison.

Oh Myung-Suk then continued with the aggressive marketing, starting with Han Hae-Suns book review.

There were no channels out of his reachfrom radio, literary-related magazines, economic newspapers, to major internet portal sites. As time went on, the existence of

The Malice

became known to readers through various media outlets.

Soon, they could no longer forget the book.

In the second week of September, Oh Myung-Suks efforts began seeing the light of day. The number of mentions of

The Malice

on social media had increased significantly as word of mouth showed its full potential, making the book go viral.

The readers reviews of the book, which inundated the book like a deluge, were also looking positive.

The responses are great, editor-in-chief. Weve hit 60,000 copies now.

At this rate, well be able to clear the second print without any difficulties.

However, Oh Myung-Suk didnt seem happy to hear his subordinates reports. He was still hungry for better performance.

After all, Eden Smith's real ident.i.ty was Ha Jae-Gun. He was prepared and determined to make it reach and be read by readers ten or a hundred times more than the current number of readers.

Please continue with the current marketing efforts. Deputy Park, please pay extra attention to the physical stores as well.

Yes, sir.

Oh Myung-Suk wasnt that satisfied, but the sales performance for

The Malic

e was better than average. In fact, the novel could be considered a huge success, considering that it was written by a "rookie."

If the current momentum was maintained, the predicted sales would hit around 100,00 copies by next month. Moreover, they were OongSung, the largest publisher in Korea. They had a full grasp of marketing know-how and overflowing capital.

Even if they had to publish a journal written by an average elementary school student, they would definitely be able to push it into a bestseller. Moreover, the novel they were pus.h.i.+ng right now wasnt written by an elementary school student but by the great writer Ha Jae-Gun, Koreas best writer in the current era.

Now, lets put work aside and head out for lunch.

As noon arrived, the entire editorial department, including Oh Myung-Suk, left the office. As they headed to the escalator that led to the canteen, Oh Myung-Suks phone rang. It was a call from his beloved wife, Chaee Yoo-Jin.

Yeah, Yoo-Jin.

Youre on the way out for lunch? Its noisy where you are.

I came out with the staff; were about to head into a restaurant now. What about you?

Im going to eat with Mother, too. Ah, I was on a call with Eden from Open House earlier. He said

The Malice

hit 200,000 copies in sales yesterday.

Really? The scale is really different when theyre a much larger country. Both me and OongSung will have to work harder.

Youre doing very well now. Ah, and theres something else. Strangely, the response in France is very good.

Really? In France? Oh Myung-Suk asked with a smile, finding the news quite unexpected.

The Malice

was currently published in Korea, the U.S., France, and Germany. It was thanks to Chae Yoo-Jins efforts that things were progressing quickly and swimmingly. Negotiations with a few other European publishers for overseas distributions in other countries were ongoing as well.

Maybe theres something that the French readers could relate to in

The Malice

. One of the members of the French Literary a.s.sociation also praised the work written by the "new" writer. Ive kept the article in a sc.r.a.pbook, so Ill show it to you after work.

All right, I got it. Its been tough on you when youre heavily pregnant, Yoo-Jin.

I know. Thankfully were in the high-tech era. Were able to do so much work with just a computer connected to the Internet. Ill hang up now; enjoy your lunch.

Oh Myung-Suk put away his phone and took his seat. As they ordered their meals, one of the employees on their phone mumbled,

The Malice

is on the news again

Hmm? What do you mean?

Ah, editor-in-chief. The movie director Woo Jae-Hoon seems to have read

The Malice

.

Woo Jae-Hoon?

Yes, but he also brought up Mr. Ha Jae-Gun here.

What did he say? Oh Myung-Suk frowned slightly. As it was for Ha Jae-Gun, Oh Myung-Suk wasnt happy to hear that name either. The scene where Woo Jae-Hoon appeared in a debate on TV and disparaged Ha Jae-Gun with groundless rumors surfaced in Oh Myung-Suk's mind.

Lets see.

Here it is.

Oh Myung-Suk took his subordinates phone and read the article. Soon, his suppressed laughter escaped from his mouth. He just couldnt resist laughing upon reading the content.

***

Im sorry, a.s.sistant secretary. I wont be able to attend the policy debate.

So youve decided.

Yes, I hope you can understand. I hope I didnt put you in a tight spot, a.s.sistant secretary.

The a.s.sistant secretary let out a heavy sigh. Knowing what it meant, Ha Jae-Gun then said,

Um,

a.s.sistant secretary.

Yes, Mr. Ha? Please speak.

Please dont be apologetic about the last meeting.

Mr. Ha

I have no hard feelings against you. Even if you knew beforehand that a.s.semblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk and Department Head Lin Minhong would be there and still couldnt inform me earlier, the outcome would have still been the same. Ill think of it as if you had an inexplicable reason for doing so. I mean it.

I feel more ashamed when you say that

Youve been looking out for me for so long, a.s.sistant secretary. Youve treated me with equal respect and also left good memories of you with me. Youre still the same person Im grateful for and admire.

Park Do-Joon approached from behind and tapped Ha Jae-Gun on his shoulder. Ha Jae-Gun turned around, and Park Do-Joon mouthed. The spicy seafood noodles are getting soggy.

Sorry, a.s.sistant secretary, Ive got another appointment; Ill have to hang up now.

I see; Im sorry for keeping you back. Ill contact you again.

Ha Jae-Gun and Park Do-Joon then went to sit down on the sofa. A bowl of spicy seafood noodles and black bean noodles were on the coffee table.

Have you not gotten sick of black bean noodles?

Ill always order it whenever I come to a new neighborhood; Im trying to find a better restaurant. Park Do-Joon then looked around the apartment. He admired the black and white interior. So Soo-Hee lived here alone before you guys started dating? She definitely has a good aesthetic sense. Her place is clean, and the interior is well decorated; it balances out everything.

She likes being clean.

Shes the complete opposite of Chae-Rin. The person Lee Chae-Rin as an idol is only pretty, clean, and cute on TV, but she's actually a pig at home.

Youre exaggerating things again.

Im not. Do you know what happened last August? I opened her bathroom door and shuddered at the sight. She left her clothes in a basin for a week. She was supposed to wash them by hand, but she left them there because it was troublesome. And wouldn't the water turn bad in summer? What a mess, really.

Stop it and start eating.

The two of them finished their meal and cleaned up. Then, they enjoyed a cup of coffee. As Park Do-Joon was barely able to meet after squeezing out some time from his busy schedule, they had seemingly endless topics of conversation.

Hows

The Malice

? Is it selling well?

Yeah, the response isnt bad. Editor-in-chief Oh Myung-Suk is usually good at marketing, and theres also the book review by Professor Han Hae-Sun.

What about the U.S.? I heard its doing better there.

Well, theyre a huge country and have more population after all. But strangely, France is seeing better responses instead.

France? Ah, I heard that the novel was also signed with a publis.h.i.+ng company from France right? So

The Malice

clicks with the readers in France, huh? Come to think of it, didnt

The Breath

also sell quite well there?

Im not sure; well have to wait and see. Park Do-Joon sprawled out on the sofa and said with a grim look, My mouth is itching so much that I'm going crazy. You wrote such a great novel, yet I can't even write a recommendation post about it. How is this liberal democracy?!

Endure it. It's because people will definitely think of me once you upload it. Do you want another cup of coffee?

Forget about coffee and just watch TV. Its time for

Immediate News

now.

Whats that?

Youll know in a bit. Hand me the remote control. Park Do-Joon took the remote control and turned on the TV to the channel he wanted to watch. The program he had mentioned had just begun playing.

As soon as the show hosts huge face appeared on the screen, Park Do-Joon burst into giggles as he explained to Ha Jae-Gun what the show was about. This program has been popular recently, known for putting your lives on the line. This means that they would say anything and everything. They usually reveal issues about celebrities; its really candid.

So youre now hooked on this program instead of

Lets Watch A Movie

?

Watch it first. Anyway, they said the broadcast level has increased, and this program is really no joke; they talk a lot of nonsense. They also have this corner called Foolish Comments; youll definitely be shocked at it.

As soon as Park Do-Joon finished his explanation, the LED screen lit up behind the show host. Park Do-Joons words turned into reality within moments, shocking Ha Jae-Gun to no end. The TV screen had Ha Jae-Guns face plastered all over it. They were photos of him taken during the Baeksong Arts Awards.

But Ha Jae-Gun, why are you on it?

Youre wrong. How would I know?

The two men were speechless as the two show hosts began their conversation.

[Writer Ha Jae-Guns popularity is exploding, right? We can easily find people nowadays saying that those who dont know him were spies, and even have memes about it. But of course, he had become such a huge success that it was natural for the people to say that.]

[Thats right, but he has also formed many enemies at the same time. Theres no way we could leave out the once-legendary movie director in Korea, Woo Jae-Hoon, here. We heard that hes been looking for investments for his movie. But during that period, Director Woo has been criticizing Writer Ha through various media channels, isnt that right?]

[Its more of a condemnation than criticism. Director Woo is known for his street fighting instead of movies, and rumors are rampant about his fiery temperament. Now, lets take a look at Director Woo Jae-Hoons social media channels from yesterday, shall we?]

The LED behind the two show hosts screened posts from Jae-Hoons social media.

[Let me read them out first. A masterpiece written by a new overseas writer. This is what I call a true novel. A Korean writer who only reveals their earnings and writes light novels should reflect on themselves. Look, his ranking had already fallen below

The Malice

. Taken from a certain large bookstores bestseller list, look at the bold text from it.]

[I can see it very clearly. My eyesight is at 0.2 and 0.3, so I can clearly see that Writer Ha Jae-Guns novel t.i.tle was emphasized. Its a clear bold font style. But why would Director Woo go so far as to attack Writer Ha this badly?]

As it was broadcast live, the two show hosts could not mention it in full, but Ha Jae-Gun could tell right away.

Park Do-Joon was already looking up Woo Jae-Hoons social media as the program went on.

Wow, Im really speechless. How can he compare

Market Place

to

The Malice

when its been ages since the former's release? Hes going crazy trying to put you down.

Whatever, theyre both written by me anyway.

Pat!

Park Do-Joon turned off the TV and fell sprawled out on the sofa, glaring at the ceiling as he mumbled, Thank G.o.d I cut ties with him long ago.

Why did you turn it off? Dont worry about me and watch it.

Im not watching because its not interesting. Hey, Jae-Gun, cant I just reveal it? Cant I reveal that its written by you?

Whats wrong? Im grateful to Director Woo, actually.

What about?

Hes helping me by advertising my book. Even my anti-fans are supporting

The Malice,

and Ill be more thankful if they buy more copies of it.

I cant understand your logic. Park Do-Joon shook his head and buried his head into the cus.h.i.+on.

Ha Jae-Gun shrugged with a smile.

***

Indeed, the Woo Jae-Hoon effect seemed to have shown its powers. Unsure if it was really thanks to that, the sales for

The Malice

had been growing remarkably day by day.

The Malice

had gone up to the 6th on Bandi & Lunias bestseller list in its fourth week of release.

There was a festive mood in the editorial department of OongSungs Publication Group. Three of the novels on the list were overseen by Oh Myung-Suk. Oh Tae-Jins

The Last Trip

on third place, Eden Smiths

The Malice

on sixth place, and lastly Ha Jae-Guns

Market Place

on tenth place.

The reviews from readers on

The Malice

kept on coming on the Internet.

- Ive read it three times. Its been a while since Ive read such an intense novel that even penetrated my heart. Seems like theres no limit to how much evil there is that a persons heart can hold.

- I think Eden Smith is a Korean-American. The part about how he was given sugar coated tomato by his biological mother when he was young made me wonder who the writer actually is.

- I can guarantee that there is a 99999% chance that this was written by an experienced writer with a new pen name, like in Romain Garys case.

- Are you seeing this, Ha Jae-Gun?

Market Place

has already lost to

The Malice

. Your era has pa.s.sed. Stop writing novels that sell and think about what a true writer is.

I respect your opinion, but lets get the facts right. Ha Jae-Guns

Market Place

was published a while back, and it has already sold over a million copies. How is it appropriate for you to compare based on weekly best sales?

Isn't that Director Woo Jae-Hoon? And did Ha Jae-Gun only write novels that sell?

Yeah, Woo Jae-Hoons social media post on

Immediate News

was really out of the blue kekekeke I still cant understand and am speechless why he would bring up Ha Jae-Gun there when he was talking about

The Malice

.

Just as the Korean publis.h.i.+ng market was bustling with

The Malice

, Open Houses editor-in-chief, Eden, had just received a call in the U.S. It was a call from an employee of a publis.h.i.+ng company in France with the publication rights to

The Malice

.

You want to know the ident.i.ty of Eden Smith? Why?

Its for the Prix Goncourt.

Prix Goncourt? Eden stood up unknowingly and in disbelief. Of course, he knew what the Prix Goncourt was. The Prix Goncourt was the most prestigious literary award in France; it had a history as long as the n.o.bel Prize with just a year difference. There was no way Eden wouldnt know about it.

Eden Smiths

The Malice

will be the first on the nominations list for the Prix Goncourt.

Pardon? Is that true? Edens jaws dropped.

He knew that France was responding well to

The Malice

, but it actually ended up getting nominated for the Prix Goncourt? How could things go so well? Eden couldn't quite believe it as if were a lie.

We called immediately as soon as we got a call from the French Literary a.s.sociation. Wed like to discuss more in advance depending on how things progress in the future. h.e.l.lo? Mr. Smith? Are you listening?

Eden was at a loss for words. He looked around the office with a puzzled look and thought to himself, '

Open House might be able to move to a new office soon, and I might get an office twice as large as my current office.'