Big Life

“Welcome, Ms. Ye-Seul.”

“Hello. It’s been a while, oppa.” Hong Ye-Seul smiled, sporting recently bleached hair. Her fluffy navy jacket and tight-fitting jeans were a familiar sight to Ha Jae-Gun. She didn’t seem much different from before she made her debut as an actor.

“Your hair is pretty today.”

“So what? My hair ends are a mess. They said it’s better to stand out during the movie promotions,” said Hong Ye-Seul with a roll of her eyes. She was just wondering whom she would sit next to when Park Do-Joon stood up.

“I’ll just go take a quick puff,” said Park Do-Joon.

“I thought you quit smoking?”

“I began smoking again during the filming. You look like you’re about to nag at me, so just stop,” Park Do-Joon said and quickly escaped from the office.

Hong Ye-Seul took off her jacket and sat across from Ha Jae-Gun. She laid her jacket on her lap.

Ha Jae-Gun started, “I’m looking forward to the final product.”

“I did my best, but I’m not sure how you’ll view it….”

“Director Yoon mentioned to me in passing during our phone call, saying that it was above expectations.”

Her cute actions made Ha Jae-Gun smile, and he also felt somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. She didn't look too good during their last meeting, after all.

“Oppa, you’re feeling relieved now, aren’t you?” Hong Ye-Seul looked up and tossed him the question. She giggled mischievously as she watched Ha Jae-Gun flinch in surprise. “Don’t feel relieved. I didn’t say I'll give up on you yet. It’s not over until the end.”

What kind of expression should he show to her? Hong Ye-Seul was flustered upon seeing Ha Jae-Gun’s face slowly turning serious. “I was just joking! I’m kidding. I really can’t joke when you’re around.”

Ha Jae-Gun then broke into a laugh, shaking his head. The atmosphere was about to turn silent when Hong Ye-Seul suddenly slapped her knee and changed the topic.

“Right, oppa. Yang Ying is really pretty. She really deserves the top actress title."

“Did you get closer to her during the filming?”

“Yes. The language barrier is there, but we can still communicate with hand signs. We also shopped and ate together. We even went swimming once. Standing with her was tough, though, as I’m always getting compared to her.”

“You have your own charms, so don’t think of it that way.”

“You’re going to eat with us today before leaving, right?”

“Of course. It’s been a while since we met, so we should all eat together.”

Before Ha Jae-Gun could continue, the office door opened, and Park Do-Joon returned. He was rubbing his hands together like crazy.

“It’s freaking cold outside. Let’s just order food delivery today.”

“So that’s why you came back so soon.”

“I haven’t heard anything from them yet.”

“Well, they will produce it someday.”

Park Seok-Ji came back a few moments later. Thanks to Park Do-Joon’s whining about the freezing cold weather outside, the group decided to order Chinese food.

“When is Director Yoon Tae-Sung coming in?”

“He should only be here sometime in the evening since he has something to discuss with the production company. Let’s enjoy our meal.”

“Having the black bean noodles here is the most delicious.”

“Hey, Jae-Gun. How many audiences do you think we will hit in Korea?”

“What? Only 2 million? That’s ridiculous. I think we’ll hit 5 million.”

Hong Ye-Seul’s jaws dropped before she could even take a sip of her coffee. Park Seok-Ji chuckled and shook her head.

“Why? What’s wrong with five million? Why are you laughing, Seok-Ji noona? If your post-edits are done well, I really think that we can hit five million audiences.”

“Alright, Do-Joon. I’ll do my best.”

“Jae-Gun, you’re laughing at me, too. What will you do if the movie hits five million? Do you want to bet a million?”

Ha Jae-Gun looked down and laughed.

He was thinking of Hong Ye-Seul. She was looking forward to the movie’s success more than anyone else here. She had to be hoping for more people to watch the movie in the theaters, and she might be desperately hoping that one of them would be her mother.

***

“I had fun. Cheer up, and please be careful of the flu,” Ha Jae-Gun said as he made his way out.

Park Do-Joon followed him out, sending Ha Jae-Gun off. As they walked the short distance to the car park, they continued their conversation.

“What are you doing this Sunday? I have some time, shall we do activities calling the couples? Let’s ask Jung-Jin and his girlfriend along.”

“I want to do that, but I can’t promise you until that day. There’s a district brisk walking competition I have to participate in.”

Ha Jae-Gun sighed before replying. “The head of the local district office announced on their promotional materials that I’ll be making an appearance. He didn’t ask for my permission beforehand, so I was quite taken aback.”

“How could he do that? You can choose not to appear then.”

“But they said there are people coming all the way here to participate, so I just thought of participating this time. I also wanted to take the chance to tell the person in charge to make sure nothing of this sort happens again in the future. You should go back now; we’re already at the car park.”

“I’ll go back after seeing you drive away. Hey, should I go with you? With Chae-Rin?”

“Would Tae-Bong hyung even let you? It’ll be worrisome if you catch the flu there.”

Just as they arrived at the car park, the pair met a group of female high school students. The girls screamed and ran toward them.

“Who did you see that made you girls run over so fast? If you ran over to us because of Jae-Gun, then go over there.” Park Do-Joon’s joke made the girls burst into laughter.

The students took a number of photos before finally letting the men go on their way. As the girls left, they kept turning around to wave goodbye to both Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun.

“Ms. Ye-Seul is really popular.”

“She’s the kind that even girls love. I just hope that bad rumors don’t spread,” Park Do-Joon mumbled as he waved back to the girls.

Ha Jae-Gun narrowed his eyes as he looked at Park Do-Joon. “What rumors?”

“There’s actually been a rumor going around on the Internet.” Park Do-Joon looked bitter. He paused for a moment to observe Ha Jae-Gun’s expression and then said, “There are rumors of Hong Ye-Seul being a karaoke helper in the past.”

“....”

“It could be because she was close to Kim Na-Yeon. I’m not sure where this rumor originated from, but that’s how it is now. It might go away, too.”

“I hope it does.” Ha Jae-Gun kept quiet. It was hard for him to add to the conversation since he knew about Hong Ye-Seul’s past.

“Come to think of it, your attitude toward Ye-Seul is quite strange, too,” Park Do-Joon remarked.

“Me…?”

“When we met with the people from Teencent Pictures, you recommended her to be the female lead. So I thought… she held a special meaning in your heart.”

“I told you that it wasn’t me back then.”

“Having a special meaning doesn’t mean a non-platonic relationship. But now that I see you with her, you seem to be distancing yourself from Hong Ye-Seul.”

“Did it look like that?”

Park Do-Joon nodded as he opened the car door for Ha Jae-Gun. “Strangely, you're giving Hong Ye-Seul the cold shoulder whenever you’re with her. You're smiling on the surface, but I can feel the coldness of your smile. Did something happen between the both of you?”

Ha Jae-Gun had nothing to reply to Park Do-Joon’s question. Ha Jae-Gun could be said to be full of admiration for Park Do-Joon’s sharp eyes.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, I was just wondering if I really acted that way.”

“Never mind, don’t worry about it. It’s cold out, so get going.” Park Do-Joon pushed Ha Jae-Gun into his car.

Ha Jae-Gun started the engine and slowly drove out of the car park, with complex feelings growing in him. Park Do-Joon’s words were making rounds in his mind.

He desperately hoped that the bad things would turn into good things and the good things would turn into even better things. He hoped that Hong Ye-Seul would be filled with blessings while standing at the crossroads of her life.

***

It was six in the morning, and the world outside was still dark.

Ha Jae-Gun sent the manuscript to Oh Myung-Suk before leaving his desk. His entire body felt heavy like a huge stone was placed on his head the moment he stood up. Rika, curled up next to him by the table, followed after Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun carefully tiptoed his way, much lighter than Rika. He took out Seo Gun-Woo’s cup from the drawer and made himself a cup of coffee.

“Yes, editor-in-chief. You’re awake already?”

— I don’t usually sleep in. I called you right away after seeing the email you sent. I’m surprised that you’ve finished the manuscript so soon.

“You said you were looking forward to it, so I kind of rushed it. I hope you’ll like what you read.”

“Director Lee Eun-Ha did a great job in the directing. She’s amazing.”

“Sorry, but I have a prior appointment today. I’ll visit you sometime next week.”

— Alright. I’ll read the manuscript today and give you a call afterward.

“Have a great day, editor-in-chief. Ah, wait a minute.” Ha Jae-Gun called out urgently when something came to mind. He was worried about Oh Myung-Suk and Chae Yoo-Jin. He didn’t have anything in particular to ask about, so he ended up asking about their well-being.

“Everything… is going well, right?”

— Yes, thanks to your blessings.

A cheerful voice then came over the line in the next moment. Oh Myung-Suk understood the meaning behind Ha Jae-Gun’s question and added,

— It’s all thanks to you, Mr. Ha. Yoo-Jin and I… we’re both truly happy these days.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled awkwardly as he stayed on the phone.

Ha Jae-Gun then realized that Lee Soo-Hee had already woken up. Before he could turn around, she came up behind him and gave him a hug.

***

[...News of Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s participation in a local district’s brisk walking competition has been a hot topic recently. The event attracted over five times more people than usual. Most of them were Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s readers and fans?]

[Yes, that’s right. If I were to throw a fastball here to complement this show, this event isn’t one that Writer Ha Jae-Gun participated in willingly.]

[It’s not? Reporter Ju, what do you mean by that?]

[The employees at the district office announced it first since Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s name is well-known both locally and internationally. So with the elections ahead, the head of the district office….]

[So it was not based on pure intentions?]

[Well, Ha Jae-Gun is extremely popular right now. He has a good public image, and his works are pretty popular, too. He has been making great achievements overseas as well. He's pretty valuable now….]

[Are you talking about the political benefit?]

[Yeah. But since this is a live broadcast and there are still cases ongoing, I’ll have to be careful of what I say. Hahaha.]

“Is this Writer Ha Jae-Gun that famous?” Nam Gyu-Baek mumbled as he sat in the backseat of the car.

“Have you read his s?”

“Yes, I have read a couple of them. He's a good writer, and I like his stories.”

Nam Gyu-Baek nodded silently as he looked out the window. They were on their way back after visiting Hwaseong Haenggung. Time would always pass quickly in Nam Gyu-Baek's eyes, especially when he was out with his chauffeur, Department Head Bae.

“Do you have any of his s to recommend to me?”

“Why is it titled that way?”

“Shall I call it an ironic title? The female lead was so kind that she was labeled a foolish woman. In fact, he used his own sister as the motif.”

“Grab me a copy of it in the evening.”

“Yes, sir.”

The word Suwon could be seen in the distance as he looked out the car window. Nam Gyu-Baek then recalled a certain woman and perked his ears.

“Department Head Bae, let’s drop by somewhere.”

“Pardon? Where are you referring to?”

“We’re at Suwon, right? You still have that lady’s name card, right? I think it’ll be good to visit her for a while.”

The address on the navigator was changed to Jae-In Academy. As they changed their destination, Department Head Bae asked, “Shall I prepare a gift?”

“Buy something suitable in the vicinity later. She seemed quite burdened the last time.” Nam Gyu-Baek rubbed his chin and added, “Don’t you think she’ll be a good match with Yoo Dong-Yoon?”

Team leader Yoo was a staffer whom Nam Gyu-Baek cherished the most. The man was polite and gentle, with a flawless personality. Although he has a good character and is quite talented, the man, now in his forties, still hadn’t found a good match.

“I might end up being a matchmaker in this life.”

The car stopped in front of the sign that read Jae-In Academy. Passers-by were staring as the chauffeur alighted from the luxury car and opened the door to the backseat.

“Hmm…?” Nam Gyu-Baek frowned heavily.

A few meters ahead was a couple alighting from a minivan plastered with the words Jae-In Academy on it.

“I never knew you were so good at driving, director.”

“I’m good at everything I do. Shall I get a job as a driver at Jae-In Academy as well?”

“Please don’t make jokes like that.”

“I’m willing to work for you without receiving any salary as long as Ms. Jae-In is in the passenger seat beside me.”

The couple was looking at each other amicably and laughing as they got out of the mini-van. Anyone could tell that they were a couple. The sight made Nam Gyu-Baek flip, and his bluish and reddish face looked like a dormant volcano that had just become active.