The World After the Fall

The doctor kept appearing on television.

Whenever news came up regarding various demonstrations and places, the doctor was there. The doctor was always shown in between the people protesting out on the streets.

The doctor was more famous than what Jaehwan had known. He was widely known for his teachings on Germany and France and his smart ideas. He was also a psychiatrist for many famous politicians in the country.

Fall of the Genius.

The media quickly spread news of the doctor's change and created rumors regarding his words. Politicians who were known to have connections with the doctor quickly denied that they had anything to do with him. But even with all that, the doctor kept pressing on.

-Everyone! We must realize we are trapped! We are inside the tower!

Jaehwan wasn't sure what the doctor was trying to do. Why was he promoting all that madness after all this time? Wasn't he the one who said that money was everything in the world? And that Jaehwan must accept this world for his family?

Wasn't he the one who spent 10 years persuading Jaehwan in any way he could?

Why?

What changed him during this short period of time? Or was there another intention to all that?

-Recently, I think my treatments were all wrong after all. Maybe it's your influence.

-…Are you kidding?

-No, I'm serious. Maybe it's me who was persuaded during these 10 years.

Jaehwan then looked up to see if the doctor had written a novel recently, but there was no sign of the novel that he ripped apart that day. He tried to meet with the doctor a few times, and he even saw the doctor within the group of protesters while he was passing by, but Jaehwan never went up to talk to him.

Maybe he was afraid.

Maybe he was afraid to bring out the emotions he had been holding back. Maybe he was afraid that it would bring him greater despair…

-Please! Open your eyes!

Fortunately, the doctor's news quickly died on media as other bigger issues had come up. Besides, the doctor did not change his stance and that soon bored people. He was always at protesting sites but he never backed any politicians or any organizations.

"Hmph. It's him again."

Hwang Inchan, who was watching the news together with him, spoke.

"You know, there are folks like him that don't know how the world revolves. He doesn't know that life depends on 15 minutes. That man's 15 minutes are long gone."

Hwang Inchan scratched his beard and turned to Jaehwan.

"15 minutes… Oh, Jaehwan. Did I ever tell you this?"

"Do you mean 15 Minutes of Fame by Andy Warhol?"

"Right! You know then!"

Inchan loved to quote "15 Minutes of Fame" all the time. It seemed like that was the only famous quote he knew as he repeated it so many times that it annoyed Jaehwan every 15 minutes of the hour.

"Authors are the same too. The ones that we work with. You see, modern fantasy is a very popular genre right now, but how long do you think it will last? You never know what's coming up next. You might be a popular author right now, but you never know where you will end up."

Jaehwan knew exactly how to respond each time now.

"So, you mean everyone has their 15 minutes of fame?"

"Exactly! There's the best 15 minutes for everyone and you never know when it will end! I think your 15 minutes is right now, Jaehwan. I see that you've done some good work this quarter."

"…Thank you."

"Yeah! That's how you should be. Seoyul, you must learn from Jaehwan too."

There had been a small change to the company, and one of them was that Han Seoyul had been hired into Jaehwan's company.

"Oh… yeah."

Jaehwan would have stopped it if he had known, but it all happened before he could do anything about it.

"Don't just give me an answer. Show results. Look at Jaehwan! He's not good looking or very humorous, but he pulls it off!"

Jaehwan became uncomfortable as he saw Seoyul's face becoming depressed. There was a precedent where a former employee had quit because of Inchan's criticism.

"Seoyul, you've got weapons of your own. You see, you are on your '15 minutes' you know? You know that women are done after you're over 25 years old, right? You see, a woman should-"

And Jaehwan couldn't hold back any longer and opened his mouth.

"Inchan."

"Huh?"

He did cut off Inchan, but he wasn't sure about what to say.

"Oh-oh. Lemme see. Are you-? R-r-right. Seoyul is quite cute, isn't she? Hey, Seoyul. I see that you've got a knight in shining armor for yourself."

Inchan grinned teasingly but Jaehwan shook his head.

"No, it's not like that."

"Huh? What?"

Jaehwan did not answer and Inchan's face slowly turned cold.

"Wait. Are you that? Are you a feminist or something that's popular these days?"

"Huh?"

"You know. The one on SNS these days."

"No, it's not like…"

"You know how dangerous that kind of thought process can be, right? You have to get yourself up! Don't you know who our readers are? Huh?"

Jaehwan let out a small sigh.

'Ugh, he'll be on me for a while now.'

It was too late to regret it now. But there was a moment where Jaehwan needed to say something. Even after he lost his world, his justice and most of his memories were fading away, but there were certain emotions that still lingered.

Jaehwan knew that he wasn't all that smart.

He forgot most of the knowledge that the Transcended ones had passed onto him. He had no knowledge of human rights or feminism. He wasn't very knowledgeable regarding gender equality either. But Jaehwan knew what was right and wrong in this world at least.

"Think about it, Jaehwan. Think about all of our readers who are suffering at work."

"…."

"What do you think they will want to read? About human rights? About justice? Ethical problems? Feminism? It's all great. It is. But think about reality. They don't sell! Not to mention, they don't even get published!"

Jaehwan knew this well.

"Do you think people don't read it because they don't know it's good? No! They do know! They know it already and that's why don't want to see it!"

It felt like déjà vu. Jaehwan had heard similar words from somewhere. Where was it? Was it in Tree of Imagery? Was it Yoo Surha? Myad? Or Chunghuh? He wasn't sure. Maybe Jaehwan didn't want to remember.

"You don't know because you're still young. You haven't lived a life yet."

Life… Could he still say that if he knew about Jaehwan's 10 billion years? Jaehwan became curious.

"Do you think people don't want justice in their lives? There's no other way! That's why they live like that! They all have their families! Jaehwan. You have a mother too, don't you?"

Mother. Jaehwan stopped at the sudden word.

"…Yeah."

"See? Think about it. Everyone lives for the loved ones that are around them! We live and die each day to support them! How can justice criticize those lives? What they need is not justice! It's reassurance! And we are finding novels that can reassure them!"

"I… is it?"

Jaehwan then glanced at his computer monitor. There was a novel that he had been editing, a novel full of simple battle scenes, women side characters and main characters with greater desires. And Jaehwan thought about the readers who would read such characters.

"Of course! Jaehwan, you should take some time to relax sometimes. Listen carefully to my words. It's from experience."

'I see.' If that was what life was like, then maybe Inchan was more experienced. Jaehwan couldn't hold back from thinking.

After Inchan's lecture was over, Jaehwan sat down at his desk. He nodded at Seoyul apologizing to him with her eyes. At the corner of his monitor was a Youtube video that was still playing. It was the doctor. From the video that was muted, the doctor's words showed up as subtitles.

-We must change! We must change this tower that holds our loved ones as hostages! We must change this world where we hold each other hostage…!

Jaehwan turned off the video. The document window was all that was left now.

BOOM! BBBAAAAAM!

-"Argh. Ugh. That is amazing strength!"

-"HAHAHAHA! How do u like that?!"

As Jaehwan looked at those document window, he felt strange. Would reading these really reassure people and help them live a new day? Was the world really created that way?

Jaehwan looked at the window for a long time and began typing away. He changed 'BBBAAAAAM' to 'BAAAM' and changed 'u' to 'You' emotionlessly. This was the life in this world after all.

It was the world he decided to accept in order to protect what was precious to him.

Jaehwan maintained his decision for exactly a month.

After one month, Jaehwan got a call from the hospital while he was at work.

His mother died.