Chapter 79 – You Won't Regret it ###
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
While reading it casually, the uneasiness of the book wasn't all that apparent. Like an actor who was lost in his character, its emotions were raw and uncontrolled. As he was about to open the book to its first page, he heard a voice, "It's here! 'The Sound of Wailing!'"
When he glanced over, there were a boy and a girl who looked to be elementary students. The girl seemed to be delighted that she had found the 'The Sound of Wailing.' Juho set aside his thoughts and focused his ears.
"This book is lit! You should read it!"
"What's so great about it?" The boy asked apathetically.
"You know Yun Woo, don't you? It's his new book."
"Oh, yeah, I've heard that name. I heard he's in high school."
"He's my favorite writer. I read it as soon as it came out. You should too. I recommend it."
"Why me? I hate books."
"You'll cry like a baby after you read it."
The boy sneered.
"Pff! I've never cried from reading."
"I hadn't either, until I read this one."
In the end, the girl had won the argument, and the boy quietly listened to her, still looking indifferent.
"Yun Woo is a real genius. I want to be just like him. I thought no book would be as perfect as 'The Trace of a Bird,' but this new book changed my mind."
Hearing such praise from an elementary student, Juho couldn't help but feel worried. 'That book probably isn't appropriate for kids her age...'
"What do you like about it so much?"
"I don't want to live like this person."
"What?" The boy asked as he looked at her dumbfoundedly.
"When I grow up, I want to raise my child with everything I've got. I'll never smoke. I'll ask for help when I need it and I'll give it when a person asks for it."
"What does any of that have to do with what I just asked?"
"That's what I like about it. I like that it helps me understand what I want to do in the future," she said as her eyes sparkled. "I felt the same way after reading 'The Trace of a Bird.' I decided I wanted to be a writer, so I went to the store and bought a notebook that same day. It hadn't even crossed my mind before. Writing was just boring to me, but I changed my mind after reading that book. Yun Woo is amazing. I want to be just like him."
"I didn't understand a word of what you've just said," the boy said as he gave her the same dumbfounded look. "Well, my mom gave me some money for books. I'm hungry, can we get some food?"
"OK, I'll tell you more as we eat."
With that, the two walked out of the bookstore. Juho thought as he tried to tame his excitement, 'I guess visiting the bookstore from time to time isn't all that bad.' He looked at the two kids who were on their way out. They were both short, and the boy was even shorter than the girl. Perhaps it was around their age when readers were capable of maintaining the purest perspective toward what they read. Being a young reader had its advantages, especially when it came to looking forward to the future rather than the experience described in the book.
From then on, many people visited the bookstore and bought Juho's book. At one point, there was a lady with colorful nails and jewelry that sparkled all the more on the gray background. At another, there was another hand that was wrapped in bandages and a person who was covered in dust. Some were in suits with their employment IDs around their neck. Some snatched the book without even examining it, whereas a boisterous group of high school girls took copies of the book in a bundle. Then, a woman who seemed to be a university student read through the first few pages with her earphones on, placing it on top of a pile that she had in her hands.
People of all ages, genders, nails, attires, appearances, and behaviors walked out of the bookstore with a copy of 'The Sound of Wailing.'
Juho looked at those people absent-mindedly.
"Sorry, sir. Pardon me."
"Of course."
Juho moved aside for an employee with a cart filled with 'The Sound of Wailing.' When Juho turned his eyes back to the display rack, most of the books piled up on it were already gone.
As lunch hour approached, the bookstore became all the more crowded. There were long lines in front of the cashiers. As Juho looked at the crowd, he took a step back.
"Excuse me," said a familiar voice. However, it wasn't directed toward Juho. It sounded like it had come from near the display rack. Juho slowly turned his head to find out who the voice belonged to.
"Pardon me." There was a distinct politeness in the man's tone. By the the time his hand reached for the gray book, Juho was standing right behind him. As he was about to walk toward the cashier, his eyes met Juho's.
"Ah! Didn't expect to see you here."
Juho greeted him. The man's thick eyebrows furrowed.
"Are you here to buy the book too?" he asked. Juho shook his head as he showed him his empty hands.
"I'm just stopping by. Seems like you've already found what you were looking for?"
"Yep. 'The Sound of Wailing.' It's Yun Woo's next book. I have to get one."
"I don't think you necessarily "have to.""
"It'll help me catch up to him sooner."
Juho had forgotten about that. Sung Pil had a strong sense of rivalry toward Yun Woo.
"You've already bought a copy, right?" he asked with a serious expression.
Juho answered after a brief time thinking, "No, not quiet."
'I didn't buy it, but I did get a copy from the publishing company,' he said to himself internally.
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Sung Pil's thick eyebrows twitched once again.
"So, are you here to buy one?"
"Didn't I say that I was just stopping by?"
"Well, you should read it. You write too."
"Eh, it's fine. There are plenty of authors who are better than Yun Woo."
"Then, I'll lend you mine after I read it. How does that sound?"
Something didn't quite add up, which was a frequent occurrence in their conversations.
"You won't regret it," Sung Pil finished.
He must have missed the phrase written on the binding in thick letters, 'Are you prepared for regrets?'
With a chuckle, Juho asked Sung Pil, "You don't have to. Why don't we go grab a bite to eat?"
He nodded while maintaining his serious expressions.
"Sounds good. I was starting to get hungry."
"I'll be outside. You take your time," said Juho as he made his way out through the crowd while Sung Pil got in line.
After walking into a snack shop nearby, the two sat themselves at a table. With two cups of water in his hands, Sung Pil asked, "Would you mind if I start reading the book now?"
He was referring to 'The Sound of Wailing.' After a brief thought, Juho shook his head.
"What am I supposed to do?"
With a disappointed look, Sung Pil set his book aside. Looking at the disappointment on his face, Juho felt the urge to give in, but wasn't used to someone reading his book before his eyes. He poured the ice cold water into his mouth while trying to avoid making eye contact with Sung Pil as much as possible. As he put down his cup, the book somehow made its way into Sung Pil's hands.
"Why did you ask if you're going to read anyway?"
"Oh! I thought I should take a look while you were drinking your water."
Juho chuckled at the sight of him closing the book and waved his hands in the air, saying, "You know what? Just read it."
"Don't mind if I do," he answered as he opened the book in a hurry and brought it close to his face. Sung Pil was reading Juho's book. After staring in his direction for some time, Juho turned his attention to the television. Unfortunately, it was only showing advertisements. The page turned.
'He's a fast reader,' Juho thought as he waited for the food.
When he looked out of the window, he saw that there was a crowd of people going busily about their way. The new book had been released onto the world. Some bought the book while others read it. 'How long has it been since I felt this way?' he thought as he felt touched and hungry at the same time.
'Caw!' a black bird cried.
He turned his eyes toward the sound. The bird sat precariously on a tree branch. At that, Juho thought of the bird in his book. There was a scene where the mother confesses to her son her experience of killing a bird. She tells her son that the bird had eventually come back to life. She tells that him the bird was now flying across the world with its wings spread out.
In an ambiguous state, the son keeps the story to his heart, neither believing or disbelieving. Only he could know how a son who had witnessed the downfall of his own mother would turn out to be. Juho looked up at the branch. There was no bird. There was nothing but the sound of Sung Pil turning the pages of his book.
Soon, the owner of the place brought the tteokbokki and soondae they had ordered. While taking out a pair of chopsticks, he called out for Sung Pil. He didn't respond. His eyebrows were furrowed even more. Juho picked up a piece of tteokbokki and brought it to his mouth. The spice was just right.
"This is good."
His words lingered in the air, but Sung Pil paid no attention. Juho moved his hand toward the plate of soondae.
"The soondae's good too."
He still didn't respond. Juho stared at him intently as he chewed. Sung Pil was fully immersed in Juho's book. He looked rather serious. Juho became curious as to which part he was reading. 'He's probably in the beginning still,' he thought. However, the downfall of the characters begun with the very first sentence of the book. It made sense for Sung Pil to be wearing such a serious expression.
Even as Juho brought another piece of tteokbokki and soondae to his mouth, Sung Pil didn't take his eyes off of the book. 'I'm going to end up eating the whole thing at this rate,' thought Juho as he lightly kicked Sung Pil's foot. Sung Pil looked down sluggishly.
"What's the matter?"
"Somebody kicked me."
"I did."
"Huh?" Sung Pil answered as he finally looked up from his book.
Juho added with another piece of tteokbokki in his mouth, "Food came out."
"... Huh," he said as he looked at the food on the table.
"Your concentration is impressive," Juho said as he ate.
With that, Sung Pil shook his head as his thick eyebrows twitched.
"No matter how good of a book I'm reading, I usually don't forget to eat. Normally, I'd have known right away."
"Not this time. Your concentration must've improved."
"No, it means that this book is that impressive."
Juho blinked quietly.
"It really sucks you in. You can't afford to look away for one second," said Sung Pil as he stroked the book. He seemed rather moved by it. "Yun Woo really is incredible."
Without words, Juho brought two more pieces of soondae to his mouth.
"If you're not going to eat, I'm going to finish this."
Seeing how the amount of food had grown smaller, Sung Pill finally picked up his chopsticks.
"It was somewhat unexpected though," Sung Pil said as he chewed his food.
"What was?"
"Yun Woo," he said with his eyes fixated on the book. "I didn't know he'd write something like this for his next book."
"Why is that?"
"It feels really different."
Juho asked feeling a prick in the heart, "... How are they different?"Chapter 80 – Did You Read the Book? ###
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
"I can't put my finger on it, but that's what it feels like," Sung Pil said with a serious look on his face as he brought a piece of soondae to his mouth. "It feels more real."
"Did 'The Trace of a Bird' feel like it was made up?"
Sung Pil shook his head slowly.
"It's just different," he answered, then went on to share his honest opinion. "It's provocative from the start. A twisted character tends to feel distant, but not in this book. It almost feels like the author based the character on his observation, probably because of the details in the description. To me, it feels like Yun Woo's evolved even further in his distinctive style."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, you'll see what I mean. I mean, how can one write like this? Do you think it's possible that there is an actual person the author used as reference?"
"Perhaps," Juho answered. He was keeping his answers short.
"Because of all the details, it makes it really easy to picture what I'm reading. It's immersive. In other words, it's easy to read. Considering how dark and heavy the subject is, it's very impressive." Sung Pil added with his eyes sparkling, "It hasn't even been a year since his debut title..."
Juho quietly looked away.
"Yun Woo is incredible."
'This is uncomfortable,' Juho thought as he scratched his nose.
"You think so? I'm not too sure."
"That's because you haven't read his books. Tell you what, I'll lend you the book after I finish reading this by the end of today."
'No need,' muttered Juho internally. He knew that Sung Pil wouldn't back down even if he had said those words out loud. If anything, it would have prolonged the situation.
"I want to be a novelist too..." Sung Pil said quietly.
Juho changed the subject nonchalantly, "You're planning on it."
Sung Pil's dream was to be an author. In the near future, that dream would come true. In the past, Juho had witnessed his long-running career as an author.
"That's right," said Sung Pil with a nod. He wasn't the type to be ashamed of his goals. "I like the food here," he said.
"Ditto," Juho agreed as he smiled faintly.
After eating quietly for some time, he picked up his cup. From its weight, he realized that there was no more water in it.
"Summer break is almost over," he said as he looked into the empty cup intently.
With that, Sung Pil stopped eating for a brief moment.
"Sad."
It wasn't like him to say such a thing, so Juho added playfully, "Don't you wish the summer break would last for the rest of your life?"
"Maybe another month," he gave an answer that was more realistic.
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"What would you do with the time?"
"I'd probably read 'The Sound of Wailing' in peace," Sung Pil said with his eyes on the book.
"For an entire month though?"
"I think I'm going to be writing by the time I finish reading this book," he said after a brief time thinking.
"What are you going to be writing?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling."
Juho, too, had that feeling from Sung Pil's calm tone of voice. Something was telling him that what Sung Pil had said would be coming true. He had a feeling that that very piece would lead Sung Pil to his goal.
"I think you're right."
"Huh?"
"I think you'll be writing too."
There wasn't a rule that said that an author had to write their debut work on the year they debuted. Perhaps Sung Pil was getting off to an early start, taking his time to polish his craft and debut as an author.
"Can you show me what you write later?"
"I might not end up writing, you know."
"IF you do."
Sung Pil nodded willingly. Juho had already started to look forward to his writing.
"What if you really end up becoming an author?" Juho asked jokingly.
"That'd be nice."
"You never know. They say 'be careful with what you wish for,'" he said with a shrug.
"If I actually become an author, do you think the day will come for me to meet Yun Woo?" Sung Pil asked.
"... I'm sure it will."
Though Juho had been calling him Sung Pil, his real name was Pil Sung. The day would come when they would meet not as Juho and Pil Sung, but as Yun Woo and Sung Pil. He would make his debut, and Juho would continue writing.
"I don't think we've had enough," said Pil Sung as he ate the last piece of tteokbokki. The two ended up ordering another plate of tteokbokki and fritters.
—
After changing into his uniform, Juho left for school. Once he climbed the hill and came back down, the school became visible. The closer he got to the school, the more students in uniform there were.
"Hey, Juho!" a familiar voice called out. It was Bom. "How was your summer break?"
"Good, how about yours?"
"Mine too, although I spent more days at school than I did at home."
The two walked alongside one another. Despite the silence, neither of them felt uncomfortable. Seeing the well-acquainted sight of the school building, Juho walked toward it.
"Did you read the book?"
"What book?"
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"'The Sound of Wailing.'"
'Caw!' a crow sounded at just the right time.
"Well... It seems like you definitely have," Juho answered ambiguously.
"Of course! It's Yun Woo."
She, too, was a fan of Yun Woo after all. Juho remembered seeing her in the crowd when the impostor had been giving out her signature. Though she might not be as apparent as Seo Kwang or Baron, she was definitely a fan. Just as any avid fan would, she poured out her praises.
"I knew Yun Woo wouldn't disappoint. It's hard to believe that he's my age. It baffles me how he's able to write like that. He's respectable even."
"That good, huh?"
"Yeah! It was incredible! I got so angry, but kind of sad on the other hand. I kind of felt that from 'The Trace of a Bird,' but I think Yun Woo excels at writing sad stories – a story that makes the reader sad rather than a sad story itself."
"I see."
Unlike her usual self, Bom was filled with excitement, and Juho listened to her quietly.
"Hey, guys!"
"It's Sun Hwa!"
Sun Hwa approached them from afar, waving her hands. Bom happily waved back as Juho also waved his hands lightly.
"Bom, did you read that book?" she asked.
"What book?"
"The comic book I recommended to you! Living Legend just came out with a new comic! Oh my g... I'm so happy!"
It was a common conversation between the two. Usually, they would have gone on for a while, but that day, that conversation came to a sudden end.
"Sorry, I've been busy reading another book."
"Eh?! What the? I was so excited to talk about this!"
"Haha! Yun Woo came out with a new book too. Have you read it?"
"Oh, Yun Woo," said Sun Hwa as she scratched her head. "I bought one seeing how crazy people were getting, but I haven't gotten around to it yet because of the new comic book. Living Legend cannot be beaten, even by Yun Woo," she said with a serious tone.
Juho smiled awkwardly, being set aside by Living Legend.
"Yun Woo would be upset."
"Too bad. There's no way around it. I may be part of the Literature Club, but I prefer comic books."
"Then, go join the Comic Book Club," interfered yet another familiar voice.
"Hey, Seo Kwang!" Bom called out.
Before he even had time to greet Juho, Sun Hwa said annoyed, "You're bringing this up now? After I've been part of this club for so long?"
"That's why this is a bigger issue. You've been part of the Literature Club for a while now, yet you still prefer comic books over real books."
"Pff. We have an artist in the club. I don't see anything wrong."
"Guys, the teachers are looking in our direction."
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Teachers monitoring the dress code looked in the direction of the commotion. Despite Bom's desperate effort to break them up, Seo Kwang and Sun Hwa glared at each other like they were about to eat each other alive. Some things simply didn't change, including Bom.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Hey, Baron!"
"Hey."
With his hands in the pocket, the sole artist of the club, Baron, was walking toward the rest of the club members. His large frame made him stick out like a sore thumb.
As the club members all came together, they chatted cheerfully among themselves as they climbed the stairs. Everyone seemed to be well.
When they reached the first years' floor, they ran into Mr. Moon coming out of the staffroom, looking exhausted.
"I was just wondering about the noise. It's you guys."
"Hello, Mr. Moon!" Sun Hwa greeted him cheerfully, and he sighed heavily.
"The break is over. Aren't you sad?"
Typical Mr. Moon. The exhaustion in his face made his words all the more genuine. Juho couldn't help but chuckle, and the others laughed joyfully as well.
"It's OK, Mr. Moon. You still have the Literature Club, the joy of coming to school."
"Right. I'll see you all later."
"Yes, Mr. Moon."
With that, everyone went their separate ways. Baron climbed up to the floor above while Sun Hwa and Bom made for their class together. Juho and Seo Kwang did the same.
Before Juho even had a chance to put down his backpack, Seo Kwang asked him suddenly, "Hey, did you read that book?"
"Haha!"
It was a question he had been hearing often as of late. Seeing his hearty laughter, Seo Kwang happily added.
"I knew it! 'The Sound of Wailing!' I was seriously moved. By the time I came to my senses, I'd already bought two more copies from the internet. Yun Woo's incredible, that one."
With excitement, he poured out praises for Yun Woo, one after another. He went to great lengths on Yun Woo's talent, as well as the book's literary value, plot, and overall tone. While resting his chin on his hand, Juho quietly listened to his friend, nodding from time to time.
"The bird left me a strong impression this time also," said Seo Kwang suddenly with a serious look.
"The bird, huh."
"Yeah, the bird was an object of fear in 'The Trace of a Bird,' but this time around, it was much more profound. A bird that came back from the dead."
"Hmm."
"I thought it had something to do with motherly love in the beginning. I thought the bird was symbolizing that motherly love never dies, but on the other hand, I thought it might be a way to escape reality."
It was quite an interesting interpretation.
"Escape reality? How?"
"The mother doesn't hold back on her habit of smoking and drinking even though she's pregnant. She knows that it's not good for the baby. She probably didn't want to think about regretting it in the future. My guess is that she put the baby in the position of the bird she had killed in the past, thinking that the baby would come back like the bird did," explained Seo Kwang. It was rather plausible.
"That's a good interpretation," said Juho as he nodded.
"The author never talked about the bird till the very end, which means he left it up to the readers to interpret it. I love that Yun Woo thinks as far as bringing joy to his readers. He's an amazing author."
In the end, he concluded with more praise and after that, Juho felt the urge to be playful.
"Do you really think Yun Woo included the bird in his novel as a calculated decision?"
"Eh? What are you saying? Are you saying that it's a coincidence? Like his name?" he asked with a scowl.
(TL's Note: Again, last names come before first names in Korea. So "Yun Woo" would be "Woo Yun," which sounds like the Korean word for coincidence.)
"I was just wondering if people are overestimating him in some way. Some people are saying that it's all pretty dressing too," Juho answered with a shrug.