Big Life

After returning from the movie press conference, Ha Jae-Gun took off his uncomfortable suit and went for a shower.

As he was hit by the hot water shower, Ha Jae-Gun recalled the day when the reunion was held last year. He had answered Park Jung-Jin’s call after waking up and took a cold shower before leaving the house in a hurry.

Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t help but laugh at that memory.

‘A lot has changed since last year.’

His one-room apartment was still the same, but many things had changed. Ha Jae-Gun could now enjoy hot water showers whenever he wanted, and he didn’t have to worry about going out in loose clothes.

Ha Jae-Gun changed into a comfortable shirt, a pair of slacks, and loafers and headed out the door. He also didn’t forget to wear the wristwatch he had received as a gift.

There was an unprecedented spring in his steps as he headed toward the subway station.

The alumni gathering was held at the same bar as last year—Pub Hippo in Sinchon.

Ha Jae-Gun looked up at the signboard upon arriving at the shop front and got lost in thoughts. He recalled leaving the gathering early with Park Jung-Jin last year in a gloomy mood, and he could still remember that they went for a second round on their own.

However, that wouldn’t happen to him today. He resolved to stay until the end with his like-minded classmates, including Park Jung-Jin.

“What are you doing standing out here?” Park Jung-Jin tapped his back and appeared from behind him out of the blue.

Ha Jae-Gun flinched and turned around. “You scared me. Hey, I told you my heart isn’t that strong against jumpscares.”

“Hey, what is this feeling of deja vu? I think I’ve seen this scene before.”

“Of course, you did the same to me last year.”

Park Jung-Jin sniggered as he took out a stick of cigarette. “Let’s go in together after I puff this stick. What’s the time now?”

“It’s just past seven,” Ha Jae-Gun replied after looking at his wristwatch.

With the cigarette stick in his mouth, Park Jung-Jin’s eyes were fixed on Ha Jae-Gun’s wristwatch and asked, “You bought a watch?”

“Huh?”

“Wow, it’s Tissot. I didn’t expect you to choose such a humble brand when you’re earning big bucks.”

“Is Tissot the brand of this watch?”

“You bought this without knowing what it is?”

“The writers at my office gave this to me as a gift.”

“Ah, really?”

Park Jung-Jin took a long deep puff of his cigarette and let out a huge cloud of white smoke before continuing. “Tissot is the name of this watch’s brand. It’s a low-end luxury brand, but the quality is decent. The designs aren’t bad as well, so it’s quite popular.”

“Oh, it’s a brand. How much does it cost?”

“I know of this model. I think it costs slightly over 900,000 won online.”

“What? How much again?” Ha Jae-Gun was shocked.

Ha Jae-Gun thought that the watch would cost around 200,000 won at most, so he was stupefied to learn that the watch was that expensive.

This meant that Kang Min-Ho, Jang Eun-Young, and Yang Hyun-Kyung forked out 300,000 won each to get him this watch.

“I had no idea it’s that expensive...”

“Why are you exaggerating when you’re earning hundreds of millions every month?”

“The writers who gave this to me aren’t doing so well financially, so I feel guilty now that I’ve heard the price.”

“They must have gifted this to you after knowing and realizing the value you have brought to them. Don’t be guilty, and wear it proudly. That’s how you should repay them for the gift.”

Park Jung-Jin took out a portable trash can and threw the cigarette butt into it. As the pair turned around and was about to head into the restaurant, Lee Soo-Hee appeared behind them and greeted them with a bright smile.

“Oh? When did you get here?”

“For about thirty seconds? What were you guys talking about that you didn’t even realize that I was behind you?” Lee Soo-Hee shrugged.

Lee Soo-Hee’s laced shirt and flare skirt made her look brighter than ever. Suddenly Ha Jae-Gun felt sorry to see that spring was about to leave.

“Have the others arrived yet?” Lee Soo-Hee asked.

“Not sure; we just arrived as well and haven’t gone in yet.”

“Let’s go in, then.” Lee Soo-Hee put herself between them and grabbed each of their arms. She took the lead and headed for the stairs that led to the restaurant.

The innermost part of the restaurant had a huge table, and around ten of their classmates were gathered there. As the three of them made eye contact with the group, everyone stopped their conversations and waved at them.

“Park Jung-Jin and Ha Jae-Gun are definitely dating. Look, they’re together again.”

“As expected of Madam Cheon Hyo-Jin. You’re always quick when it comes to food.”

“It’s been a while, Lee Soo-Hee. You weren’t here last year.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. Something happened at work last year.” As the uproarious greetings came to an end, the group shifted around to make seats for the group of three.

Lee Soo-Hee took her seat with the other ladies while Ha Jae-Gun and Park Jung-Jin sat together across from her.

“Isn’t Lee Soo-Hee’s skirt getting shorter?” Park Jung-Jin whispered into Ha Jae-Gun’s ears.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and casually turned to Lee Soo-Hee. He agreed with Park Jung-Jin. He could see that over half of her stocking-covered thighs were revealed despite her putting her legs together.

“She has become bolder. It feels like she’s got a change of mind.”

“What, change of mind?”

“She’s probably in the mindset of wanting to date right now.”

“Shut up and hand me the beer.”

Jung-Mi held a pitcher in hand and walked over to Ha Jae-Gun, who was holding onto his glass.

“Jae-Gun, let me pour you a drink.”

“Ah, thank you. Let me pour you one as well.”

Jung-Mi blushed as she watched Ha Jae-Gun fill her glass.

“Thank you for taking a look at my novel. If you hadn’t, I would have given up mid-way,” she said.

“I enjoyed your novel, and I even learned a lot from it. It was a win-win.”

“I’m so glad that I went for the orientation. Your lecture was very touching, and I learned a lot from it.” Jung-Mi’s eyes shone as she looked at Ha Jae-Gun seated next to her.

Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes shone sharply for a moment, but no one noticed it.

“But hey, Jae-Gun. Just how popular have you become?” asked one of the classmates.

With that, everyone turned to look at Ha Jae-Gun.

They all knew about Ha Jae-Gun’s success story.

“He’s got a movie adaptation and even sold a million copies of his novel.”

“I heard he’s even swept the fantasy genre market by storm. Your earnings from that market alone are humongous, right? Just how much are you earning per month?”

“Let us in on a little, hmm? Hmm?”

“Have you met Do-Joon? And does Chae-Rin look much better in person? Or is she just more photogenic?”

The questions were endless.

Ha Jae-Gun broke out into a cold sweat, but he still answered their questions to the best of his abilities. However, he felt embarrassed and burdened as well. It was a gathering for everyone, so he didn’t wish to be under the spotlight.

“Guys, let’s stop all the questions and have a toast,” said Park Jung-Jin. He picked up his glass in an effort to change the topic upon seeing Ha Jae-Gun’s troubled face.

Ha Jae-Gun thanked his friend inwardly and followed suit.

Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang.

“Huh?” He froze at the name shown on the screen.

Park Jung-Jin peeked at Ha Jae-Gun’s screen and exclaimed unknowingly, “Hey, is that AppleT’s Chae-Rin?!”

“What? Really? Did AppleT’s Chae-Rin call you?”

“Hey, Jae-Gun! It’s my lifelong dream, so just let me—let me speak to her on the phone for ten seconds! Please?”

A huge commotion ensued, especially from the men at the table.

A couple of them were even shouting over each other like animals.

Ha Jae-Gun escaped and headed to the washroom to answer the call.

“Hello?”

— Hello, Writer Ha. Are you busy?

“Not really, I’m actually at an alumni gathering.”

— Oh, so it’s true…

“Huh? What did you just say?”

— Ah, it’s nothing. You had the movie press conference earlier today, right? I wanted to call and ask about you since we haven’t called each other since exchanging numbers.

“Hahaha, I see…”

— But it’s quite noisy where you are. Did a fight happen or something?

“It’s because of you…”

— Because of me?

Ha Jae-Gun held his phone in his other hand and smiled. “Everyone got excited after knowing that you’re the one who called me. One of them even said that it’s his dream to talk to you, even if it’s just for ten seconds.”

— Oh my, how nice of them. I’d love to, but my manager oppa is glaring at me with laser shooting out of his eyes right now.

“You must be busy; please go ahead and focus on your work.”

— I’m sorry. Please enjoy your alumni gathering.

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone and returned to the table, but he was shocked at the commotion. Some of the guys were already dancing along to AppleT’s choreography.

“Hey, Jae-Gun. What did Chae-Rin say? Why did she call you?”

“Um… She just asked about the movie press conference.”

“She even calls to ask about things like that? It does not even concern her. Wait, are you dating her, perhaps?”

“No, that’s ridiculous. Stop spouting nonsense.”

“You guys met during the TV show, right? Did you hold hands or kiss?”

“Just shut up already.”

It took a while for the conversation to finally steer away from Chae-Rin.

Ha Jae-Gun clinked glasses with everyone and enjoyed his time.

‘Come to think of it, Myung-Hoon didn’t appear today.’

Oh Myung-Hoon suddenly came to his mind.

Ha Jae-Gun had really forgotten about Oh Myung-Hoon up until now. It took him a while to realize why the atmosphere at the gathering was so pleasant and enjoyable, and it was actually because Oh Myung-Hoon was missing.

Ha Jae-Gun drank more alcohol, and the same was true for Lee Soo-Hee.

“Soo-Hee, aren’t you drinking a bit too fast today?” Hyo-Jin asked with a face full of worry. Her worry was valid since Lee Soo-Hee had never once let go of her glass since she arrived here.

“No. I’m just enjoying myself, It’s been a while since I drank.” Lee Soo-Hee smiled with her eyes raised.

Hyo-Jin was frightened. She could see the coldness on Lee Soo-Hee’s face.

‘Good for you, Ha Jae-Gun…! You must be ecstatic about getting a call from a popular girl group member. Look at that smug look on your face!’

Despite thinking that Ha Jae-Gun wasn’t the type to easily fall for any woman, jealousy grew in Lee Soo-Hee. The fact that the girl in question was a celebrity rather than an ordinary person triggered her even more.

Truth be told, Lee Soo-Hee had a lot to tell Ha Jae-Gun today, but it seemed that there wouldn’t be any chance for her to do so.

‘I’m getting hot… I should step out for some air.’

Lee Soo-Hee quietly picked up her bag and left the restaurant.

It was already quite dark when she stepped out.

Lee Soo-Hee stretched and took a deep breath beneath the brightly lit street.

“What are you doing out here alone?”

“...?!”

Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes widened.

She looked to the side and was astonished to find Ha Jae-Gun next to her.

“Why did you come out?”

“I thought you were going to escape, so I followed you out.”

Lee Soo-Hee looked down slightly and chuckled. “I came out for some fresh air.”

“All right, let’s enjoy some fresh air and head back together.”

“I’m going to stay out here for a while, though.”

“I’ll accompany you then.”

The pair looked at the streets quietly and enjoyed the cool breeze.

After a few minutes, Lee Soo-Hee broke the ice. “Actually, I’ve got something to tell you today.”

“Hmm?”

“Yeah, it’s something about work… But I think I should let you know next time. Now that you’re the talk of the town, I don’t feel like talking about it.” Lee Soo-Hee smiled and stuck her tongue out playfully.

Ha Jae-Gun pondered over her words for a while before asking, “Shall we leave?”

“How could we?”

“You said there’s something you want to tell me. I’m sure there are others who’ll run soon as well. We can just tell Park Jung-Jin that we’re leaving.”

Ha Jae-Gun was curious about what Lee Soo-Hee wanted to tell him.

Lee Soo-Hee gulped and asked carefully, “Are you sure that’s fine?”

“Yeah? I’m tired of getting asked about Chae-Rin. I really want to leave now.”

Ha Jae-Gun explained to Park Jung-Jin what happened and managed to shake off the others who had clung to him after their first round, leaving the group for the night.

Lee Soo-Hee had excused herself earlier, so she didn’t have any difficulties leaving the group.

“Hey, Jae-Gun, over here.”

Ha Jae-Gun arrived at the pub where they had agreed to meet at.

Lee Soo-Hee was already waiting for him.

Ha Jae-Gun sat across from her and ordered alcohol and some snacks. Their conversation started with Ha Jae-Gun asking Lee Soo-Hee a question.

“So what is it that you wanted to tell me?”

“Mm… I’m not sure where to start.”

Lee Soo-Hee hesitated for a while before asking carefully. “Are you busy recently?”

“Not really? I’m not working on anything else other than a fantasy novel.”

“You won’t mind if I ask you to write another game scenario for my company, right?”

Ha Jae-Gun leaned back in surprise. “Isn’t it over? You didn’t mention it anymore, so I thought it got axed..”

“Mm… This is for another project.”

“And isn’t Oh Myung-Hoon working on it?”

Lee Soo-Hee sighed. “Something seemed to have gotten over him recently, and he has gotten diligent. He’s still bossy, and he doesn’t really take in the opinions of other people, but he’s still writing for us.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad...”

“But the problem is that he keeps arguing with the planning director.”

“Arguing?”

“Our director’s personality is much stronger than Myung-Hoon’s. In fact, he’s smart and good at his job. But he has rejected Myung-Hoon’s scenario over ten times by now, saying that it’s not interesting.”

Lee Soo-Hee took a sip from her glass and continued. “Myung-Hoon thinks that he’s being targeted, but the director is just a very straightforward person. He’ll say things like—It’s so boring and cliched—things like that. How can you expect Myung-Hoon to endure all of that?”

“Hmm, I can already imagine it,” Ha Jae-Gun muttered, nodding.

Lee Soo-Hee observed his reaction and asked cautiously, “I’d like to tell the director about you if you’re ok with it… This project is really huge, plus you’re much more popular now compared to last year, too. We will definitely draft a contract that is more beneficial to you—”

“Okay,” Ha Jae-Gun replied unexpectedly, cutting Lee Soo-Hee off.

“I’ll do it since you asked. Call me again once you’re ready to talk about the specifics.”

“Really?”

“It was a shame when the game I wrote a scenario for was axed. I haven’t been able to make progress in that field as well, and…” Ha Jae-Gun filled Lee Soo-Hee’s glass and smiled before saying. “You’re giving me more money, so why would I refuse?”

Lee Soo-Hee’s face flushed. She smiled and clinked glasses with Ha Jae-Gun.