Big Life

“I’ll be leaving first.” Jung So-Mi greeted her colleagues as she returned to her desk to pick up her coat and bag.

The editor-in-chief Park Kyung-Wook, who was looking at stocks on his monitor, looked up and asked, “Ms. Jung So-Mi, what are you doing?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s only 5 p.m. Why are you clocking out already?”

“Ah, I mentioned it yesterday. I’ll be meeting Writer Ha Jae-Gun to sign the final contract for his novel’s webtoon adaptation. I’ll end work immediately at Comic KT after the contract is signed…”

“Hmm, did you say that?” Park Kyung-Wook murmured in a somewhat disapproving tone. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs before saying in a condescending tone, “Don’t use the company card on him, understand?”

“Yes…” Jung So-Mi nodded meekly.

Deputy Lee’s face, which was hidden behind the partition, scrunched up.

She mouthed the words stingy bastard while staring at Jung So-Mi.

“This applies to everyone else, not only you, Ms. So-Mi. We’ve been spending money like water on food and alcohol while meeting writers without bringing equivalent results. We’re employees of a publishing company, not a food truck. I’m not sure how the previous editor-in-chief Kwon Tae-Won had been running things around here, but I wouldn’t allow it now that I’m in charge. Understood?”

“...” No one responded.

Furious Park Kyung-Wook stood up from his desk and yelled, “DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND?!”

“Yes, yes.”

“I understand.”

Reluctant replies rang throughout the office.

Park Kyung-Wook let out an angered sigh with his cheeks puffed up as he sat back down in his chair. He felt anxious, so he continued to vent his anger on Jung So-Mi and pointed at her. “Ms. So-Mi, return to the office after you’re done signing the contract with Comic KT.”

“Pardon? Today?”

“You can leave after submitting the contract.”

Deputy Lee looked up immediately upon hearing those words. She couldn’t believe Park Kyung-Wook’s stubbornness.

“...Yes, I understand,” Jung So-Mi replied with a gloomy look.

Comic KT was located in Gangnam. Even if she rushed, it would still take her an hour and a half to return. She had arranged a dinner appointment with Ha Jae-Gun later, but it seemed like she had to cancel that.

“What’s with that expression? Am I asking too much? Let’s finish the day’s work today. We shouldn’t put it off until tomorrow.”

“I understand. I will return as soon as the contract is signed.” Jung So-Mi bowed and turned around to leave.

When the office simmered down, Deputy Lee followed after Jung So-Mi.

“Ms. So-Mi, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Why is he acting up like that, seriously? Even if it ends early, you’ll only arrive here at 8 p.m. onwards. What made him become so strict and start venting out his anger on you? Gosh, he’s really irritating.”

Jung So-Mi could only smile bitterly in response. She was thankful for Deputy Lee, who expressed more anger than usual just to comfort her.

“Cheer up, Ms. So-Mi. You look pretty today.” Deputy Lee fixed Jung So-Mi’s bangs and smiled confidently at her.

The elevator doors opened, and Jung So-Mi backstepped into the elevator.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Deputy Lee.”

“Good luck, Ms. So-Mi.”

Jung So-Mi hurried to the subway station through the linked corridor in the building. She managed to immediately board the train when she arrived. The train was still relatively empty as it was yet time for office workers to clock off. Jung So-Mi stood near the train door and held a nearby handrail with a gloomy face.

‘I should suggest postponing the dinner to another date then.’

Jung So-Mi looked at her faint reflection in the glass window. It was her first day wearing this winter coat which she had bought after a long consideration, and she was wearing a skirt as well rather than her usual comfortable jeans.

Deputy Lee was right. Jung So-Mi had put effort into her appearance this morning.

But now, it was all for naught because her dinner appointment had been thrown out of the window by now.

While deep in her own thoughts, Jung So-Mi soon arrived at her destination. Jung So-Mi took a while to react after the door had opened, and she slung her bag over her shoulder before pushing through the crowd.

“I’m sorry. Please excuse me. Sorry.” Jung So-Mi pushed through the crowd and barely made it off the train.

“Phew, that was close.” She let out a sigh and looked at her wristwatch. There were still twenty minutes left until her appointment.

‘When would I get used to taking the train?’

Jung So-Mi headed to Comic KT’s office while recalling the scenery back in her hometown. Life in Seoul was bustling, but it was extremely lonesome as well.

She started missing the sea and her family.

Comic KT’s headquarters weren’t that far from the subway station.

Jung So-Mi soon arrived and took a seat in the lobby; she had agreed to meet Ha Jae-Gun there.

‘I should do some drawing while waiting…’

Jung So-Mi pulled out a pen and notebook that she often used to draw her doodles while waiting for Ha Jae-Gun. Just as she was wondering what to draw, the two main characters from The Breath, which she had been enjoying recently, came to mind.

She started drawing the outlines of both the knight and dragon.

‘Huhuhu, did I draw the dragon too childishly?’ Jung So-Mi chuckled to herself as she stared at her drawing.

Jung So-Mi came to like drawing when she was in middle school. She got so engrossed in her drawing that she didn’t even realize that Ha Jae-Gun had been standing next to her for quite a while now.

“Wow, you draw really well.”

“Huh? W-writer Ha!” Jung So-Mi looked up in surprise.

Ha Jae-Gun was bending as he looked over her shoulders at her drawing with an admiring look. “You’re really talented. How long does it take you to draw that?”

“Ah, no. I’m just doodling, that’s all.” Jung So-Mi quickly closed her notebook, looking all flustered.

However, Ha Jae-Gun quickly snatched the notebook from her hands.

“Oh? Aren’t they the main characters from my novel?”

“Ugh…!”

“Am I right? From The Breath, right?” Ha Jae-Gun asked with a smile.

Jung So-Mi was embarrassed, and her flushed face got redder by the second. Ha Jae-Gun then asked, “Please give me this drawing.”

“What? Where do you want to use this drawing?”

“I’m serializing The Breath, so I want to add it in as an illustration.”

“Ah… No. The drawing is ugly.”

“It isn’t ugly. You will give this to me, right?” Ha Jae-Gun pleaded with sparkling eyes.

Jung So-Mi finally gave in with much difficulty, “Then, after I complete the drawing…”

“It’s fine as it is now.”

“I really can’t allow that. I’ll complete it and give it to you afterward, so please wait a while.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and nodded. It was funny how their roles as a writer and an editor were reversed for a moment.

Jung So-Mi quickly put away her notebook and pen before standing up. “Shall we head up, then?”

“Yes, let’s go.” Jung So-Mi took the lead, but she was still mortified, so she had no idea how fast she was moving.

Ha Jae-Gun took wider strides as he followed her and asked, “Have you always known how to draw?”

“Ah, Writer Ha. Please don’t ask me about that—I don’t know what to say.”

“Hm? But you’re a great artist.” Ha Jae-Gun was sincere. He couldn’t draw professionally, but he knew a good drawing whenever he saw one. He felt a little excited at the unexpected side he had seen from Jung So-Mi today.

“I draw as a hobby.”

“It didn’t seem like just a hobby, though?”

The two of them eventually entered the elevator. Jung So-Mi pressed the button to the 8th floor and looked away as she replied, “Thank you for your kind words, but I’m not talented at all. I found it difficult because my illustrations lacked individuality, and I couldn’t direct well, so it was hard for me to create manhwas as well. I was drawing up until university when I finally decided to give it up.”

“Mm, I see…”

Ha Jae-Gun thought that perhaps that was the reason why she chose to work as an editor instead rather than as an artist. It sounded like the conversation would turn sensitive, so he stopped probing.

***

The contract signing ended quickly. They had negotiated all the contractual terms and clauses beforehand, so all that was left for them to do was stamp and sign the contract papers.

It took Ha Jae-Gun and Jung So-Mi less than ten minutes to complete the process.

“I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Of course, Writer Ha. Your original novel was so amazing that the storyboard artist found no difficulties in adapting your work. We will send you a draft of it once we get some of it out.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Jung So-Mi were sent off by the employees of Comic KT.

Ha Jae-Gun took out his phone as they arrived at the elevator.

“It’s not yet 6.30 p.m., there’s still some time left.”

“Ah…” Jung So-Mi gasped and started acting awkward. She had forgotten to mention it because she got too engrossed in her drawing.

“What would you like to have for dinner? I’m fine as long as it’s in Seoul.”

“Um, Writer Ha. I’m sorry, but…” Jung So-Mi grabbed onto the sling of her bag and looked directly at Ha Jae-Gun with her eyes wide open.

Ha Jae-Gun looked at her curiously.

“I’m really sorry, but I have to head back to the office to submit the contract by today. I was going to tell you earlier, but I forgot.”

Unsure about what Ha Jae-Gun would say in response, Jung So-Mi quickly added, “Or maybe you could wait here for a while, I will hurry back to the office and come back again, but I will have to make you wait again. I’m really sorry about that and—I’m really sorry for breaking my promise, Writer Ha, and…”

Jung So-Mi couldn’t understand what she was saying anymore at this point.

Finally, the elevator doors opened once more, and they arrived at basement 2. Ha Jae-Gun actually pressed the button for basement 2 instead of the button for the first floor.

“Let’s go.”

Jung So-Mi looked at him in surprise.

Ha Jae-Gun said nonchalantly, “You just need to submit the signed contract, right? I’ll just wait for you outside the building, then.”

“Ah… But Writer Ha, I…”

“It’s too hectic to have dinner in Gangnam. You live in Noryangjin, so it’s better if we head to your office area, right?”

Jung So-Mi followed Ha Jae-Gun out of the elevator with a strange look on her face.

“This way.” Ha Jae-Gun reached his hand out, which was holding a car key in a specific direction. The headlights belonging to a black car parked in the corner started blinking.

“Writer Ha, you had a car?”

“I needed one since I have to drive Rika and my family around sometimes, so I decided to get one.”

“Ah, I see. It looks neat and pretty.”

“Thank you. Please get on.” Ha Jae-Gun opened the passenger seat door for her.

“Please wait for a while, the heater should start working soon.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m not cold.” Jung So-Mi pulled down the hem of her skirt gently and fastened her seat belt.

Ha Jae-Gun grabbed the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator.

He drove out of the parking lot and onto the road.

“I’m really sorry, Writer Ha. I promised you, but I didn’t expect that things will turn out like this.”

“Don’t worry, work is more important, anyway, and it wouldn’t take a long time. I’ll just consider this as me taking a long drive.”

“Okay…”

Jung So-Mi focused on the music playing on the radio and looked out the window. She felt completely different from when she sat in the passenger seat of Kwon Tae-Won’s car.

The lights along the city streets sparkled, turning it into a heart-fluttering scenery.

Soon, they arrived at the Star Books office building.

Jung So-Mi quickly grabbed her bag and alighted from Ha Jae-Gun’s car.

“I’ll be back in a bit, Writer Ha.”

“Take your time.”

Jung So-Mi’s heart skipped with joy as she headed up to the office. She would soon finish her work, and she could finally have dinner with Ha Jae-Gun in peace.

“You just returned?”

“Oh, editor-in-chief. You’re still here?” Jung So-Mi’s face stiffened instantly.

She didn’t see Deputy Go in the office, who was supposed to be working overtime, but instead saw Park Kyung-Wook at his desk when he would usually clock out before 6 p.m.

“I’ve brought the signed contract back.”

“All right. Give it here.” Jung So-Mi presented the contract to him with both hands.

Park Kyung-Wook took the contract from her and stood up before saying, “You haven't had dinner, right? Let’s eat together.”

Jung So-Mi was at a loss for words at the sudden suggestion, but she soon pulled herself together and replied, “Ah, editor-in-chief… I’m sorry, but I already have another appointment.”

People would usually look the other way upon hearing the words another appointment, and Jung So-Mi thought that it would be the case with Park Kyung-Wook as well.

However, Park Kyung-Wook didn’t back down. “Really? I’ve been working overtime to wait for you in the office, so we could have dinner when you return. Is it an important appointment?”

“Yes…”

Park Kyung-Wook smacked his lips with regret as he sat back down in his chair.

“I guess it can’t be helped, then. Where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride if it’s on the way.”

“No, it’s fine. I will get going first. Please get home safely, editor-in-chief.”

Park Kyung-Wook watched as Jung So-Mi hurriedly left the office.

The look on his face made him look like a predator staring at its prey.

‘Does she have a boyfriend? Aye, they could be just friends.’

Park Kyung-Wook clicked his tongue and turned off the game that he had been playing. He regretted not asking Jung So-Mi if she was available back then. Full of regrets, he picked up his coat and left the office.