Chapter 73- A Plateful (3)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
Malddong was among the lowest class of servants who took care of the horses in the stable. Unfortunately, his dim-witted character led him to his demise after getting kicked by a horse. For a character that had been modeled after a real person, it was rather merciless.
"My husband told me once that he'd rather get kicked to death by a horse than suffer through tuberculosis, so I tried to make his dream come true," she said light-heartedly as she smiled. There was affection behind it. She was still in love with her eccentric husband.
'Bark!' a dog barked in the distance, and she laughed at the sound of it.
"If Wol was still around, he'd have run out the door to pet that dog."
Her pupils didn't stop her from reminiscing about her loved one. She slowly turned her head and looked at Juho, and he quietly stared back at her.
"You remind me of him for some reason."
"I do?"
"Of course! My husband was the best looking man I've ever met."
"Haha."
"For some reason, I can sense the trace of time from you. It's rather baffling considering your appearance."
"That's interesting, ma'am."
"Indeed... my husband often acted much younger than his age. He was the polar opposite of you, but maybe that's why I'm getting the feeling that you two are similar."
"It's an honor," answered Juho with a smile. Yun Seo looked intently and quietly at his face.
'Bark!' the dog barked again. 'Why was it barking?' It was rather loud, yet, having heard it repeatedly, it started to sound weak. Juho remembered his first encounter with the dog. It was when he had walked into the alleyway. That was when he first became aware of the dog's existence. 'Maybe it's calling for its owner. A dog on a leash barks loudly as it waits for its owner. If the owner was the narrator, what kind of story would that be?' he thought.
Ads by Pubfuture
"What were you thinking when you heard that?" Yun Seo asked.
Juho blinked quietly for a brief moment. He hadn't quite understood her intention behind the question.
"You mean the dog?"
"Yes, the barking sound."
The dog was still barking. 'What had I thought of when I heard the dog? What was it?' Juho tried to remember.
"Mrs. Baek, Juho probably doesn't understand what you're asking. It took us a while before we were able to give you a proper answer."
"Quiet," said Joon Soo. He had somehow managed to shut Geun Woo up while maintaining his friendly look. Yun Seo waited quietly for Juho's response. He couldn't give an answer because there was no answer. The house was filled with silence, and Juho moved around for no apparent reason. The air was heavy. He had no choice. He had to answer honestly.
"I thought that dog was barking," said Juho as he scratched his head. It had been no more than that. His thought hadn't gone far beyond. 'A dog is barking in the distance. It's barking with gusto. It must have smelled someone that isn't its owner.'
"Hahaha!" Yun Seo laughed.
"See?"
"Shh," Geun Woo and Joon Soo were still whispering. All Juho did was answering honestly. Yun Seo nodded and asked again.
"Then?"
"Then?"
Suddenly, Juho remembered Mr. Moon's go-to phrase. "Not exactly wrong, but not exactly what I'm looking for either." 'What kind of answer was she looking for?'
"I'm sure a lot of things came to you the moment you heard the dog's bark. Then, they died out in the blink of an eye. It all happens at once, so it's difficult to distinguish the process, but it's not impossible either. Try to pick out the thoughts in your mind while they're bunched up together like a lump of mud. It'll help you to keep them organized. Once you have them organized, your thoughts will be at your disposal when you need them."
Whether it was a conscious effort or not, the brain interpreted signals coming in from the outside. Juho, then, took his time exploring his thoughts.
'The sound of barking. What was hiding behind it?"
After a brief momentary thought, he opened his mouth and asked, "That I should go meet the dog?"
Ads by Pubfuture
"Deeper. Predicting yourself is also a way to go about this. Think about all the things you were thinking about at the same time. What would you have thought?"
'Dig deeper. What were the thoughts that I was having. Predict yourself,' he concentrated.
He had heard a barking dog. Then, he had thought, 'A dog is barking.' Mrs. Baek asked a question. 'Then, what else was there? What kind of thoughts was I having?'
"For now, tell me what you know," Yun Seo gave him a hint. He spent a brief time organizing his thoughts and said, "Dog, puppies. Commonly seen animal. Symbol of loyalty. A figure of speech for describing a loyal person. Mammalia Carnivora Canis. Domesticated wild animal. Common companion animal. History of its domestication goes back as far as 9,500BC. Walks on four legs. It has five toes in its front paws and four in its hind paws. Sharp teeth. Developed sense of smell. Sensitive hearing. Duration of pregnancy can range anywhere from sixty-two to sixty-eight days. Capable of reproducing approximately one year after birth. Gives birth to four to six puppies at once. Its offspring feed on their mother's milk for six to seven weeks. They start eating softer food around the fourth week. It has emotions and it expresses them through barking. There are cases of abandonment, in which they often die or adapt to nature and become wild dogs. It's widely understood to be on bad terms with cats. It's trainable. In as long of a history as it has had with humans, there are countless books that beautifully portray their relationship," he took a deep breath after pouring everything he knew about dogs out.
While he'd been thinking about whether he should be say more, Geun Woo asked, "Do they teach things like that at school nowadays?"
"No, I just happen to enjoy watching 'The Animal Kingdom.'"
"I should check it out."
"I recommend the bonobo episode to you."
Yun Seo asked again when Juho finished making the recommendation, "What else?"
There had to be more, but he was getting closer. He was able to tell that from Yun Seo's expressions. So, he calmly retraced his thoughts, calling back the ones he had let pass. There, he found emotions.
"I thought of its heartbeat," Juho had thought of the dog's heartbeat as he heard its low resounding cry.
"How so?"
"I wanted to portray it into a sentence."
He had wondered if there had been a way to describe it in writing, a sound that can only be made by a live animal. On the flipside of its rigid surface of knowledge, there were emotions breathing with life. Juho felt it subconsciously and wanted to express it into writing. Yun Seo's smile grew bigger. She had found his answer satisfying, which told him he might be going the right direction.
"What was behind it?"
He looked up to the ceiling. 'What was I thinking?' He wanted to include the dog in his writing. He had also thought about potential stories he could write with a dog. He had imagined the dog barking before the narrator. 'Why did I want to include the dog?'
"Adorable," he murmured. "I thought the dog was adorable."
He had found the dog adorable as it barked at him. It had smelled a stranger, and tried to protect its owner. He had thought that he wanted to go meet the dog, pat it and scratch underneath its chin. Yun Seo smiled quietly, and Juho was made certain by that smile that he had the answer she'd been looking for.
His 45 Year Penny Saving Habit Finally Paid Off!
Ever Wondered What Happened To Pushing Daisies? Find Out
"An author is a person who writes."
"Yes, ma'am."
"What kind of sentence did you want to write?"
All. He didn't make any distinctions. He believed that he could write whatever he put his heart into it. He believed that an author was a person who was capable of that. However, it wasn't entirely true. There was something he wanted more than others. His heart went out to it first. There were things that one could and could not find in novels.
"When my heart is tugging."
He had been fond of the dog barking. Its sound resounded in his heart. It had moved him from within. After receiving a signal, his emotions had transferred it onto his hands and made him feel urgency. It made him feel like he had to reach for his pen. The mere sound of a barking dog had had such a profound impact on him.
"I've been way too easy," said Juho as he chuckled.
"Try presenting it in another way."
She smiled brightly. He understood what she had been trying to teach him. After some thought, he came to realize the processes he went through when writing. There was a big difference between acting on cognitive awareness and depending on the subconsciousness. He felt at ease and like he'd gotten his hands on something that only existed in the form of a sense.
At that moment, he couldn't help but think repeatedly of a certain individual. The woman in the white dress, exposing her stretched out belly that hung loosely. The woman who had run after her baby. Juho wanted her to regret. Her life had been destructive and immoral. Yet, he had been desperate to catch her at the cliff when she threw herself off. He had hoped to catch her by the hand. However, she had already vanished in the dark.
'What was I thinking as I watched the world around me came crashing down?' It had been the regret of not being able to protect her. 'Why did I want to protect her?' It had been because he had been in love with her. He had been loving her from the time her mouth had just opened up on her empty face. That was why he had been in such pain. That was the reason why he had wanted her to regret so badly, and he finally came to realize it.
"Barbecue for dinner!" Geon Woo said with excitement. The meat was in the center of various side dishes and fresh vegetables. Everything on the table looked scrumptious.
"Eat! There's plenty more of where that came from," Yun Seo said as she scooped out the rice to the bowls. The rice in the reddish brown bowl had an appetizing shine to it. It looked like it would even be good with kimchi alone.
"Thank you Mrs. Baek!"
With Yun Seo tasting the stew, everyone else picked up their chopsticks. Juho started with the side dishes that were around him.
While he ate, Joon Soo stood up from his seat with his plate to take some meat over for Juho.
"I bet you were hungry. Eat more."
Impressed, Juho almost exclaimed out loud from his kind-hearted consideration.
"Here, try the pepper too. It's really hot." In contrast to Joon Soo, Geun Woo was anxious to share his experience with the pepper with Juho. He'd been breathing raggedly after taking a bite and had chugged his water in a hurry. Geun Woo was quite the rowdy person.
"I'm OK, thanks," declined Juho firmly as he brought the meat up to his mouth. It had been perfectly cooked.
"This is great, Mrs. Baek."
"She's an amazing cook," said Geun Woo as he tried to cool his tongue down.
Everything on the table had been delicious so far, and there was plenty of food.
"She's also generous," added Joon Soo gently, and Juho remembered the pile of fruits she had brought out earlier.Chapter 74- A Plateful (4)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
"Nothing's sadder than not having enough to eat," said Yun Seo.
"She always says that when she cooks."
"I agree. There's nothing sadder."
Juho was able to relate to her as he reminisced about his old days when he had to rely on soup kitchen rations for survival. He knew the sadness in watching another person eating while he himself had been starving.
"Huh... I was under the impression that you grew up in a wealthy family," Geun Woo said.
"I do get that a lot," Juho answered.
"Here, why don't you have some more peppers?"
In the end, Juho finally took a bite.
After dinner, he went out to the backyard and sat on the wooden bench.
"What are you doing?" Joon Soon asked.
"I'm watching the ants."
Before his feet, there were ants lined up to return to their nest. As if they had understood what Juho and Joon Soo were talking about, they stopped for a brief moment. Juho moved his foot aside to let them through.
"Did you get enough to eat?"
Juho nodded as he thought about the generous portions.
"Of course. It was delicious. I don't think I can eat another bite."
"Uh-oh! That's not good. Mrs. Baek is about to bring out the desserts. The portions are probably going to be just as generous."
"Hm."
He really was in trouble, but he rubbed his belly. 'Would I be able to eat more?'
As he counted his blessings, Joon Soo said, "I'm actually pretty full too. Would you like to look around the house? We might as well get some steps in."
"The house?"
Juho got up instead of giving an answer. Since he didn't have anything better to do, he followed Joon Soo's lead.
Walking past the classroom where he had talked to Joon Soo and Geun Woo, he was met with two rooms to either side of him.
Ads by Pubfuture
"The rooms used to be for lodging, but we use it as studios now."
"So, this is where you write?"
"Yep. It helps me focus. I asked for it as a favor from Mrs. Baek. By the way, Geun Woo is using the other room."
He opened the door. As it opened quietly, the first thing that came into Juho's view was countless poems that covered the entire room.
"You must like poetry."
They seemed beautiful even from a glance. He looked around the room. There was a desk and, on top of it, papers. Laptops, books and traces of research were scattered throughout the room. Surprisingly, there was also a bottle of alcohol. He hadn't seemed like the type to enjoy drinking.
While Juho wondered curiously, Joon Soo said, "It's a hobby of mine. I recite them from time to time too."
Juho took his eyes off the bottle and slowly walked toward the wall. There was another poem there.
"It's in Chinese characters, so you might not be able to read it. Would you like a copy of the translation?"
"Oh, no. It's fine."
Joon Soo stopped abruptly. He hadn't expected that Juho would decline, but Juho said as he looked at him, "A jar of wine amid the flowers, without anyone knowing, I drink in solitude."
Joon Soo's slightly droopy eyes widened gradually.
"I raise my glass to the moon, there are three including my shadow. The moon doesn't know how to drink, and my shadow follows everything I do in vain," Juho read out loud.
"You know how to read Chinese?"
"I'm interested in language."
"I'm impressed."
Juho asked as he looked at the poem, "I'm seeing a lot of Li Taibo's works."
Li Taibo had been a legendary figure in the poetry world, and there were a number of his poems in Joon Soo's room. Juho had also liked the poem that he'd just read.
"I'm a fan. It's been a goal of mine to be a poet."
Juho was caught by surprise, then. He had never known that Joon Soo wanted to be a poet. That was when he understood why Joon Soo had a bottle of alcohol in his room. If his role model was Li Taibo, it made sense that Joon Soo liked to drink. After all, Li Taibo was known for his love of liquor.
Juho asked the novelist before his eyes, "So, what made you become a novelist?"
"It wasn't for me, being a poet."
Juho became curious as to what had made Joon Soo move on from poetry and switch over to novels. Seeing the curiosity in Juho's eyes, he willingly explained, "I never enjoyed the taste of alcohol."
"Then, what's the bottle for? Is it for viewing purposes?"
"You could say that. It's closer to being data than what it actually is," he said as he poured it into a stubby glass. It was clear. He tapped the glass with his fingers two more times.
"I started writing because of poetry. I fell in love with its beauty, so I wanted to be a poet."
He calmly shared his past dreams.
Ads by Pubfuture
"You didn't become a poet just because you didn't like the taste of alcohol, right?" Juho asked with his eyes on the glass in Joon Soo's hand.
'That's right," he said as he raised the glass. The moonlight shone onto the glass and made it sparkle. The sun had already set, and the moon had come up. It was lighting the world that had grown dark. Juho had spent quite some time in that house.
"In other words, I didn't have the skill."
"But you write so beautifully now. Is there a difference between poetry and novels?"
"Of course!" he answered as he kept his eyes fixed on the glass. "I'm sure you understand what it feels like when you finish your story for the first time."
"I do."
Juho was a writer himself, and he knew what that felt like. It almost felt like everything was swept away as if he'd broken a window. Perhaps he would be able to replicate that feeling if he were to shout for about three days. He had put in everything he had. Like flowing down the river, he had let everything go in the current. More so than emptiness, he felt joy.
"It felt like I spent every bit of what I had."
"That sounds right. I felt the same. It kind of feels like this..."
He brought the glass to his mouth. As the wine flowed down his throat, Joon Soo shook the glass three times. The glass emptied, with nothing remaining in it.
"What happens next?" Joon Soo asked.
"You gotta fill it back up," answered Juho.
"That's right," answered Joon Soo as he filled his glass back up. The wine sparkled in the moonlight once again.
"You know, I just never got into this."
He had had his first taste of alcohol. Once the glass was empty, he had filled it back up. However, he didn't want to drink it.
"Then?" Juho asked.
"I wanted something completely different. That burning sensation in my throat was more than enough. Once I felt that, I was content. I didn't want to repeat it. To me, wine was a poem."
He brought the glass to his mouth once again. The wine flowed into it, and the glass emptied once again. Juho recited another passage from the same poem he had read, "If the sky hadn't the appreciation for wine, there would have been one less star at night."
(TL's note: there seems to have been a belief in China that one of the stars was responsible for wine and anything related to it.)
"If the land hadn't the appreciation for wine, there would have been one less well to drink from," continued Joon Soo.
(TL's note: The poem seems to be referring to the well either as a figure of speech for ample amount of wine or the city of Jiuquan, which the letters translate to 'well of wine.')
"So, what else do you want to do instead of filling up your glass?"
With a mischievous face, he flung open the window. The expression didn't fit his usual friendly appearance. A gust of wind rushed into the room and blew against the poems on the walls. 'What did he want more than poetry?'
"Like this," answered Joon Soo as he hurled the glass out the window onto the backyard. It landed not too far from the wooden bench.
Then, he reached out his hand and grabbed a leaf from a nearby branch and put it into his mouth.
"To go out looking for something weird and unconventional."
He was pursuing a new flavor. Rather than remembering the first taste of wine, he preferred chewing on meat and vegetables.
"You'll find yourself chewing on rocks at that rate."
"Don't worry. I have strong teeth."
He'd been born to be a novelist. Without the tenacity of being able to chew on a pebble, an author would not be able to survive the challenges of his craft.
"Although I still have a long way to go as a novelist."
"I've been enjoying your work quite a bit."
"I appreciate that. My new book is coming out this month. I'll send over a copy."
"Is that so? I didn't know! Congratulations!"
"I have a good feeling this time. It's my ninth novel since the debuting title," said Joon Soo playfully. Ninth. In his theory of luck, it made sense.
"Sounds like it'll do well."
"Right?"
"Although, I regret to inform you that my book is coming out soon."
"Ah, bummer," said Joon Soo as his smile turned to a sad face.
As Juho looked at his face, he realized something about Joon Soo. His beautiful, elegant style had come from his past goal of being a poet. Maybe was able to write like a poet because of his memory of tasting wine for the first time rather than being lucky.
When they returned to the wooden bench, they had an awkward laugh at the sight of all the desserts she had brought out.
Juho headed to the park for his late evening exercise. Jogging had to have been a big help. He hadn't been running out of breath as easily as of late, and he felt great after sweating. Its refreshing sensation had a lot in common with the sensation of finishing a story for the first time.
He ran past familiar sceneries for a while. As he reached the vending machine at the resting area, his phone rang in his pocket. He checked it after purchasing a drink. It was a text message from Seo Kwang. It was the time and place for the gathering between the club members. The following day, the club members would be coming together for the first time since the beginning of summer break. The place was Seo Kwang's house – in other words, a book store. After writing back with a brief response, he continued running.
"Whew, it's getting warm."
It had been a hot day. By the time Juho arrived at Seo Kwang's bookstore, all the club members were already there. It was the same place where Juho had counseled Seo Kwang about his first love. Before walking over to join them, Juho stopped to greet Seo Kwang's mother.
"Hello, Mrs. Kim."
"You're back! Would you like anything to drink?" She welcomed him gladly. Seo Kwang must have taken on after his mother.
After a brief look at the menu, Juho said, "I'll have an iced tea, please."
"You got it. Go join your friends!"
"Yes, ma'am."
When he joined the club members, they were already eating and drinking.
"I didn't think I was late."
"I'd never been here, so I left early just in case, but it turns out it's pretty close to where I live," said Sun Hwa. Bom nodded in agreement. They must have come together.
"Baron? How about you?"
"I came right after the contest, so I ended up getting here early."
He had come from the sketching contest, but he didn't seem even a little bit tired. His endurance was admirable.
When Juho took his seat, everyone sat exactly the same way as they did in the science room. Bom was opposite to him, and Seo Kwang was beside him. Sun Hwa sat diagonally from him, and Baron on the opposite side. It had been a while.
"So how have you guys been?"