Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl Impressive, the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner said amid the silence, and other authors responded by letting out heavy sighs . Having been intensely focused on the words that had been appearing on the screen, n.o.body had said a word since Yun Woo had started writing . The silence lingered even after the reporters had left . Thinking of the conversation he had had with the young author, the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner said, I knew I was worrying over nothing . Although he had secretly hoped that Yun Woo would be intimidated by the hidden talents of the nameless authors, that sadly didnt come true . Instead, Yun Woo had written a story that was out of that world . On top of that, the young author had presented using an incomplete ma.n.u.script . When reminded that the ending had been written on the spot, the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner couldnt help but chuckle . That just wasnt fair! Silver Rings said, throwing both of her hands in the air, adding, It was flawless! That ending made it so that he didnt even have to try all that hard . Isnt that kind of reckless? OK, I get that he didnt just go up there trusting his own skills, but that ending was something else! Listening to her talk was reminiscent of listening to heavy metal in some ways . It was exciting and stimulating . That was insane… she said quietly, still sounding somewhat in the moment . Im really afraid now that I know just how good he is, she added, and the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner agreed . Seems like we were a lot braver than we thought . Im telling you, this country just isnt big enough for Yun Woo, the student abroad said, looking as though completely enamored by Yun Woos writing, rubbing his face with both of his hands . Im outta here . I dont trust myself with the mindset Im in at the moment . Who knows what kind of things Id end up saying when I see him? Im goin home, he said, rising from his seat, rubbing his face with his hands, and leaving the room with Silver Rings . The fis.h.i.+ng pond owner also held thoughts similar to the two . The failures, the rock bottom . He had to have gone through h.e.l.l leading up his success, he thought, then said, Is that normal? as if striking up a conversation with the only person still left in the room, who remained silent . Do successful people know that much about failure? I was hurting so much for him toward the middle . What did it feel like to write so harshly about himself? Was all that carefully calculated? the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner thought, but gave up shortly after . There was a limit to his imagination, and he had no intention of writing such a destructive, self-deprecating story . Not to mention, he valued his mental health . I was really moved by yours too, Sung Pil . I gotta admit . Youre a much better writer than I am, the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner said, studying his expression . However, Sung Pil still gave no answer . His writing had a sincerity to it, which gave it a friendly, familiar feel . The volume of the applause and cheers he had received at the end of his presentation had been indicative of the quality of his story . However, his story hadnt been able to silence the audience . Then, the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner added, as if talking to himself, I was actually at ease while reading his writing, but frankly, Im shocked by the sheer impact of it . I couldnt even leave the room in the middle . With that, the fis.h.i.+ng pond owner turned back, realizing Yun Woos writing had made his retreat significantly less upsetting . Leaving Sung Pil behind, he went downstairs . Left alone on the second floor, Sung Pil murmured quietly, Yun Woo . --- Yun Woo, Nam Kyung called to Juho, with his head lowered . Juho sighed quietly . Since it wasnt the first time his editor called to him, Juho didnt bother to answer . Then, trembling with excitement, he sprung up from his seat and exclaimed, Why didnt you write something like that in the first place!? He had been quite worked up ever since Juho had come down from the stage . Its not like I didnt want to . That was brilliant! I cant believe you thought of sharing the moment you finished your story with your readers! Nam Kyung said, pacing back and forth in the waiting room . I had a good feeling from the moment I saw the protagonists name on the screen . You do know how charming that name is to readers, right? he asked . Then, instead of waiting for an answer, he added, Why were you so obsessed with ruining yourself, though? What kind of stuff have you been looking at? His face was now burning red, unlike before the presentation when it had been deathly pale . At which, Juho shrugged nonchalantly . You have no idea how anxious I was… You saw the look on the readers faces, right? They were out of it! That ending was perfect! All that trouble went through really paid off! Right . Beautifully done! Thatll show the doubters! Lets have another signing . What do you say? Uhh… I dont know about that . Nam Kyung laughed out loud, paying no attention to Juhos response and looking as though he would keep on laughing even if somebody were to chuck a wet sheet of paper at him . How were the sentences? Juho asked . After some contemplation, the editor replied, It did get a little rough toward the end, but they werent bad at all . If anything, those unrefined sentences were proof that they were written spontaneously . Then, raising his finger, Nam Kyung pointed at the young author and said, YOU were the best writer . At that moment, a knock came from the door . At which, Nam Kyung walked toward it light-footedly and opened it, revealing Sung Pil on the other side . Although the editor winced initially, he moved aside shortly after and let him through . You must be here to congratulate Juho . What about the others? They left . I see, Nam Kyung said . Then, looking around, he added, I have plenty of things Id like to talk to Juho about, but Ill let you guys be for now . I need to go talk to the director, anyway . As the sound of door closing reverberated through the waiting room, Juho gestured for Sung Pil to sit . Grab a seat . Juho had been expecting him . However, Sung Pil stood in place like a statue . When did you come up with that story? Sung Pil asked . He seemed curious about how Yun Woos story came to be . Before you debuted, Juho replied . The young authors first encounter with Gray Hat had been before Sung Pils debut . Me too, Sung Pil said, then added, I thought of my story before you debuted too . Juho thought of the ma.n.u.script he had presented . Being ostracized, feeling isolated, and in the end, being rejected . It was the story he had lived through before Yun Woo had debuted as an author . Is this another compet.i.tion? Of who keeps their story in their minds the longest? Juho asked . He had been imagining Yun Woos downfall since long ago . Then, you won, Juho added . No matter how long he had been thinking about his own downfall, he couldnt tell anyone about it, and that included Sung Pil, which left him with no chance to beat Sung Pil in their compet.i.tion . Juho looked at Sung Pils reflection in the mirror . It seemed somewhat upset . Suddenly… I lost, Sung Pil declared his defeat . What makes you think that? Juho asked . More accurately, he was asking the standards by which he had reached that conclusion . What kind of thoughts were you having while writing? Sung Pil asked instead of giving an answer . In order to answer that question, Juho revisited his experience on the stage . Shortly after, he replied, My writing . Right . I thought so . I could tell . I saw nothing but writing in your eyes, Sung Pil said, his reflection on the mirror exposing his emotional state . There was an apparent look of defeat about him . Well, what about you? What kind of thoughts were you having? Juho asked . I wanted to win . Sung Pil had wanted to win . For once, he had wanted to pa.s.s his genius friend who had far surpa.s.sed him long ago . When I first heard about this event, I also heard there was a chance that Yun Woo might also partic.i.p.ate . At which point, I sincerely hoped that you would, Sung Pil said . Back then, he had still been lost in the joy of having debuted as a professional author . I had thought I stood a chance . I wanted to win, and when I heard the applause from the audience after my presentation, I felt certain that I might be able to do just that, he added brusquely, with no trace of embarra.s.sment . Im sure the other authors were coming from a similar place . They all wanted to outdo you somehow . You were essentially outnumbered . And then, you bring out that ma.n.u.script of yours . How do you think that looked to me and the other authors? Yun Woos ma.n.u.script had been cruel . It had received neither applause or cheers while hed been writing it . The hall had been completely silent, leaving only the racing hearts of the authors . You didnt look up to us once . Didnt I? I was determined to beat you onstage . That was the only thing on my mind the entire time I was preparing my ma.n.u.script . But something tells me that you werent as desperate as I was, Sung Pil said . Maybe . You paid no attention to any of the authors in the hall, including me . Juho didnt deny Sung Pils observation . If anything, he had made an effort to pay no attention to anybody in the hall . Does this mean Im not getting an award? Sung Pil asked . I dont think either of us is, Juho said, trying to suppress his chuckle . There were no award ceremonies in the event . As Juho took a deep breath, it dawned on him that the event had finally come to an end . Checking the time, Juho realized how late it was . Everyone had to have left at that point . Takes me back to my high school days, Sung Pil said, holding on to the door . When? When I was reading your book in front of you, not knowing that you were Yun Woo . Ah . Right . It turned out that I ran into Yun Woo at the bookstore by coincidence . Back then, Sung Pil had been completely unsuspecting of Juhos ident.i.ty . But now, they were both authors who partic.i.p.ated in events together . Sung Pil was moving forward . He wasnt idle . Lets go . With that, the two made their way out of the waiting room . --- So, they were friends, huh? the reporter murmured . Having overheard the two authors conversation, he replayed the words he had heard up to that point in his head . High school and defeat . They had sounded like they were quite well acquainted with each other . Yun Woos decision to partic.i.p.ate in the event had been a mystery to him, but had become clear once he had read the young authors ma.n.u.script: Yun Woo had that ma.n.u.script all along . Having read it, the reporter couldnt avoid the truth . Yun Woo had partic.i.p.ated solely for the sake of his writing . However, with the new knowledge of the young authors friends.h.i.+p with Sung Pil, there was a possibility for another scenario . From the sound of it, it seemed like they had made a bet of sorts . In which case, it would be plausible to leverage Yun Woos att.i.tude toward his fellow authors at the event . Taking his phone out, the reporter started writing away, Yun Woo playing with the hearts of his desperate colleagues . However, it wasnt long before his hands came to an abrupt halt . Hindered by the lingering effect of his writing, the image of the young author in the midst of writing flashed in the reporters mind . Yun Woos desperation was a mystery to the reporter . Successful at an early age, the young author had managed to win monikers such as the first, and the youngest, not to mention his wealth and fame . It almost seemed as if he were running from or chasing after something . Looking at the young author onstage when he had just started writing, his former coworker had said, How can anybody doubt him after seeing all this? For a little while, the young author had repeated the process of writing and deleting a series of sentences . Meanwhile, the audience had watched the creative process of the stories and dialogues in the authors mind coming to be in real time . From time to time, the author would sit still, close his eyes and pause for a brief moment . None of his movements seemed forced, which indicated that he wasnt worried about his skill . He didnt bother convincing the skeptics . Instead, he focused on writing, and in the end, the reporter found himself hesitating . d.a.m.n it . The excitement he had felt when watching the presentation of the other authors was no longer there . It didnt make sense that Yun Woo was able to pull off a stunt like that with such ease . On top of that, it didnt make sense that an author like that even had friends . p.r.i.c.k . This is all your fault . With that, the reporter deleted everything he had written up to that point and started writing all over again as he made his way out of the empty hallway .. .