Big Life - Chapter 228

‘Wow… This is really…!’ Ha Jae-Gun wanted to hold his heart tightly in his hands. Park Do-Joon and Hong Ye-Seul were seen facing each other. The distance between them narrowed, and as they approached each other slowly, their love for each other blossomed slowly until it exploded.

‘How should I describe this emotion….’

In the world of Storm and Gale, only the two main characters were left.

Park Do-Joon and Hong Ye-Seul dominated the night with street lights shining down on them. They ignored everyone else and started kissing each other as if it were the end of the world. The two of them sobbed heavily as they clung to their harsh lives.

Thick drops of tears rolled down Ha Jae-Gun’s face; he had failed to control his emotions. This was by far the best movie he had ever seen.

‘Oh no… I need some tissues.’

Ha Jae-Gun wiped his tear-stained face and rummaged through his pockets. As he lifted his butt, Ha Jae-Gun noticed Park Paeng-Shik sliding tissue under his glasses and wiping his eyes. A smile formed on his face with much irony. There was no way he couldn't smile at the sign of the movie becoming a huge hit.

***

“You’ve created an awesome movie. It was a great move on my part not to watch the editing process.”

Ha Jae-Gun praised everyone, including Director Yoon Tae-Sung.

There were still tears lingering in the corner of his red and teary eyes.

“Do-Joon and Ms. Ye-Seul’s acting skills were amazing as well. I couldn’t even hide the fact that I cried during the movie today. The taps were really running for me.”

“I’m both ecstatic to hear your compliments but also flustered while wondering if Writer Ha has ever been this excited.”

“The movie is that well-done. It’s a job well done, Director. Of course, Head Editor Park Seok-Ji, too. It was a world much better than the one I had written in the novel.”

“Hey, Jae-Gun. Slow down, take a breather,” Park Do-Joon said, but he also couldn’t conceal his joy. He hugged Ha Jae-Gun from behind with his towering height, almost strangling Ha Jae-Gun.

“The movie is premiering at the same time as in China, but since China is a much larger market, I'm really nervous about how it will turn out there.”

His manager, Woo Tae-Bong, continued. “The number of moviegoers in Korea exceeds a hundred million annually, but it's beyond that in China. If Storm and Gale become a hit in China, Writer Ha will be sitting on a money cushion.”

“Tae-Bong hyung, why are you talking about money when we’re all discussing the movie itself?”

“Punk, regardless, money is the best in this world. I’m a materialistic person, don’t you know? What else can you do when you have a manager like me?” Their pleasant laughter rang through the hall.

Just then, everyone spotted Park Paeng-Shik coming out of the washroom on the other side of the hall. His reddened face got Ha Jae-Gun wondering how much strength the man had put into washing his face.

“Hello.” Just as Park Paeng-Shik was approaching the group, Yoon Tae-Sung walked up to him first. Park Paeng-Shik nodded lightly in response and left the hall silently.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this. Did he not like how the movie was edited?” Park Seok-Ji muttered while Yoon Tae-Sung disappeared into the washroom for a while, as this topic was something difficult to bring up with the director around.

Next to Park Seok-Ji, Park Do-Joon nodded with a serious face.

“Come to think of it, what was his score for There Was A Sea?”

“Seven points. He’s really stingy with the scoring. I think there are only a few movies that managed to receive seven points from him.”

“But seven points from him is still pretty great. It’s often said that Park Paeng-Shik’s seven points is equal to ten points from other movie critics.” Park Seok-Ji then turned her attention to Ha Jae-Gun and asked, “Writer Ha, how many points do you think Park Paeng-Shik will be giving in his movie review?”

“I’m not sure.” Ha Jae-Gun chuckled silently on the inside, recalling how his older sister had told him not to share his good dreams with others and that he should wait patiently if he didn’t want them to stay as a dream.

Ha Jae-Gun decided to keep Park Paeng-Shik’s tears to himself in his heart.

“So, everyone is free tonight, right?” Ha Jae-Gun clapped his hand, changing the topic and atmosphere around the group. “As promised, I will be giving everyone a huge treat. So please tell me whatever you want to eat.”

“Director, Noona, Ms. He-Seul, and Woo Tae-Bong hyung, all of us should work together and squeeze Ha Jae-Gun’s wallet dry tonight. His pockets are quite full, earning much more than I do while working in the office.” Park Do-Joon drew cheers from the others.

The reporters standing outside the hall began pressing their camera shutters at Ha Jae-Gun and his group. One of the best photos taken from them was titled Team Ha Jae-Gun’s Spring Day, which became the center of attention on the Internet.

***

[Reactions to joint unit C.Y consisting of AppleT’s Chae-Rin and HyperSoda’s Yu-Na was a huge hit. It hasn’t been a day since the release of their debut track, City Emotions, right?]

[Yes, that’s right. It’s currently number one on seven major music websites, namely Mellon, Navin, Janie, OllehMusic, Bax, Sorisaem, and a few others. The music video has already hit over 800,000 views after their showcase.]

Lee Chae-Rin was watching the entertainment news live on her phone with a huge smile as the car drove nonstop to fulfill her tight schedule.

[The fact that Writer Ha Jae-Gun had written the song lyrics was a hot topic as well. Isn’t it extremely rare for lyricists to get attention when an artist’s new song gets released?]

[Yes, I think so too. There are a few reasons why their song has gotten so much attention so far. Firstly, it’s the close relationship between AppleT’s Ms. Chae-Rin, Writer Ha Jae-Gun, and Ms. Yu-Na displayed on a certain variety show.]

[That’s right. Even if it weren’t for that, Writer Ha Jae-Gun himself already has quite the influence, isn’t it?]

[Yes, his influence is amazing, as everyone can see. A young man in his twenties had established a unique position as a writer in Korea. Plus, his novels were adapted into movies, games and other media, which had also become hot sellers both domestically and internationally.]

“Are you that happy, unni?” Han Yu-Na asked, linking Lee Chae-Rin’s arm as she nudged closer to her.

Lee Chae-Rin rubbed cheeks with her and giggled. “Aren’t you happy? Our popularity is going off the charts.”

“Of course I do. I was actually worried because HyperSoda’s debut single didn’t get much response, but I’m thankful for this.”

“You have to get your name out more as C.Y’s Yu-Na. And what was that? There was a line that Do-Joon oppa always says when he plays that game. Ah, right. Hard carry. You have to become so popular that you can just hard carry HyperSoda instead.”

Soon, the entertainment news stopped playing on her phone, and Chae-Rin immediately sent Ha Jae-Gun a text message. She didn’t want to forget her gratitude at this moment and wanted to convey it to him immediately.

- City Emotions is a huge hit!!! We got an all-kill on the music sites!!! I think Yu-Na and I will become rich soon!!!

- I saw the news, too. Congratulations on becoming rich, you should buy me a meal sometime.

- But you’re earning much more than us from the song lyrics copyright! Oppa, you should be treating us instead! Hmph!

- Alright, let me know whatever you girls want to eat. But within 10,000 won ^^

The broadcasting station could be seen in the distance. Lee Chae-Rin held Han Yu-Na’s hand tightly, grinning from ear to ear. The fresh, warm spring breeze felt great.

***

“Mr. Ha! Market Place novel has already sold 600,000 copies! What do you have to say on this!”

“I can only express my gratitude.”

“What are your reviews after watching Storm and Gale at the movie preview? Are you satisfied with it this time as well? How does it feel compared to Director Yoon Tae-Sung’s previous work?”

“I’m sorry, I won’t talk about it since the movie hasn't been released yet.”

“China’s top actress and female lead of Storm and Gale Yang Ying has expressed her favor toward you and even joked that you’re her type! What do you think of it?”

“I've never met Ms. Yang Ying in person before. But I’m thankful that she views me in a positive light.”

Ha Jae-Gun had to pass through the horde of reporters alone, as he was without a manager. It wasn’t an official interview session. In fact, he was on the way back from the broadcasting station after finishing the recording for Let’s Watch A Movie.

‘It wasn’t this bad last year.’

There had been many times when reporters, who had already scouted out his route, would appear out of the blue to ask him questions. However, the frequency of such events had been increasing recently. As he was alone, there was no way he could meet the expectations of all these reporters.

“I’m sorry, I have to hurry somewhere else.”

“Mr. Ha Jae-Gun! Please comment about the upcoming movie Storm and Gale…!”

Ha Jae-Gun barely managed to shake off the reporters chasing after him and got in his car. Despite having started the engine, the reporters were still hanging outside his car window, asking questions.

“Phew. Why is it also a war zone while crossing a single corridor?” Ha Jae-Gun muttered with a sigh.

The response to I Live Alone was great, and his achievements as a writer were skyrocketing day by day. All kinds of broadcasting stations had also been pestering Ha Jae-Gun with requests to cast him on their shows.

Park Do-Joon was the reason Ha Jae-Gun was still on Let’s Watch A Movie. He wanted to do the best he could since it was a program that Park Do-Joon had memories of with his late older brother.

Bzzt!

Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a call from Lee Kyung-Wook, Lee Soo-Hee’s father. Ha Jae-Gun immediately put on his earphones and answered the call.

“Hello, Father-in-law.”

— Don’t call me that.

“Ah, yes… Father. Have you had lunch?”

— No, I was waiting for you to buy me lunch.

Ha Jae-Gun’s face was painted with confusion. Lee Kyung-Wook would, at times, surprise people just like this, and since Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t do much, he quickly replied. “Ahh, sure. I’ll head over to Yeonhui-dong now.”

— I was just joking. How could I cling to a busy man and make a fuss just because I’m older?

— No, I don’t have anything to do at the moment. I was planning to head over to the office in Bucheon.

— It’s okay, let’s have lunch another time. I called because of Storm and Gale.

“Storm and Gale?”

— It’s premiering next week, right? Can both our families gather to watch the movie together?

The suggestion came as a pleasant surprise to Ha Jae-Gun, and he started smiling. In fact, his father had also proposed the same idea earlier. Had their thoughts synced after meeting and playing chess together a few times?

“Sure, Father. Actually, my father also gave the same suggestion today.”

— That’s great. Then I’ll leave the tickets for you to handle.

“Of course. Please leave it to me.”

— And I like cheese-flavored popcorn.

“I’ll make sure to prepare all the snacks available in the cinema.”

— Alright. It seems that you’re driving right now, so I won’t talk any further. Feel free to drop by for a game of chess whenever you’re free.

“Okay, I’ll call you again soon. Please rest well.”

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the call and drove for a while more until he arrived at the building where the writer’s office was located. Just as he was about to park the car, Lee Soo-Hee’s mother, Yeon-Ok, called.

“Hello? Mother-in-law?”

— Aigoo, our son-in-law. Are you very busy?

“No. I actually just received a call from Father-in-law—no, I mean, Father, that’s why I’m surprised to get a call from you.”

— I actually called for the same matter. Don’t think too much of his words. What’s there to hurry when you guys will eventually get married?

Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean by that, mother-in-law?”

— Hmm? Didn’t he tell you?

“He only asked to watch the movie together next week.”

— Huh? He was worried about Soo-Hee’s age and wanted to get a grandchild soon. He even said that he should nudge you a bit… So I thought he called you to talk about that.

“Ahh, I see….”

— Nevermind, nevermind. Anyway, don’t be worried about it. I'm worried that I'll make you even more stressed when you’re a busy man yourself… Hohoho. I’ll hang up now. Bye, son-in-law.

Ha Jae-Gun remained solemn even after the call ended. He knew how anxious Lee Kyung-Wook was feeling. And that was why he thought of Nam Gyu-Ho and Ha Jae-In, praying that things would turn out well for them before the end of this year.

***

A hundred and ten minutes of thrill, the movie’s pace and harmony could not fool one’s emotions, worthy of a standing ovation despite the regrettable rustic title from the original novel.

- Movie Journalist Park Paeng-Shik

- KimPaRae: 9 points from Park Paeng-Shik????? Park Paeng-Shik???????? He’s not another person with the same name, is he???????

- McKenRo: The stingy king Park Paeng-Shik gave the movie 9 points??? Isn’t this the highest score he has given to any Korean movie so far???

- GreenCar: Wow, kekekekeke I like Park Paeng-Shik’s reviews, I’m really looking forward to this. Booking for this evening!

“Jae-Gun, look! Park Paeng-Shik gave the movie 9 points!”

“Who is Park Paeng-Shik? Why all the fuss over this guy?” Myung-Ja stopped wearing her coat and asked.

Ha Jae-In showed her phone to her mother and said, “There’s a movie critic who is really stingy with the points he gives the movies he watches. But he gave 9 points to Storm and Gale.”

“Oh my, really? Bring it closer.” Both mother and daughter were happily reading the comments on the phone.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled at them, fully prepared to leave the house. As expected, the premonition he had of seeing Park Paeng-Shik at the movie preview was right.

“Where are we meeting the in-laws?” Ha Suk-Jae asked while standing next to Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his watch. “At the cinema. Soo-Hee will be bringing them over soon.”

“Really…? Ah, let’s go. How is it that the ladies from our house are always this slow?” Ha Suk-Jae began nagging.

Myung-Ja and Ha Jae-In then put on their shoes in a hurry, albeit belatedly.

Bzzt!

“Oh? Who’s calling?” Ha Jae-In wondered out loud. The call came in just as she was about to get into the front passenger seat after seeing her parents get in the car first.

The moment she saw the name on the caller ID, she froze up even though it was no longer dead winter but a full-blown spring.