Novelist Running Through Time

TL: KSD

The purpose of Baekhak Publishing's book-selling expedition was simple and clear.

Since the Japanese animated film 'Guitar' was sweeping through theaters, they intended to hitch a ride and make some sweet money from it.

In short, it was about making money.

Making money would lead to promotion, making money would bring bonuses, and making money could make Baek Seol the CEO of Baekhak Publishing.

However, suddenly hearing about Moon In's secret heritage left everyone in shock. The book-selling expedition was here to make money, not to fight.

So, if this were to be likened to a war, this was an ambush that no one could have predicted.

Therefore, much like in a war, once the commander acted calm, the chaos quickly subsided.

"Everyone, quiet!"

And Lim Yang-wook wasn't exactly a bad commander.

"Don't act rashly over unverified rumors. First, I'll discuss it with Author Moon and contact the headquarters to respond. Hopefully, none of you will carelessly stir things up on the internet or social media. That's all."

With that, Lim Yang-wook charismatically calmed the staff and headed towards Moon In.

And the moment he was alone with Moon In, he wailed like Nobita looking for Doraemon.

"I-I-In-seop! What on earth is going on here!"

"……"

"Are you, are you really Japanese? Huh? You're not, right…?"

Unless you're a politician – no, actually even politicians aren't immune to sudden shock reports from the media.

No one is free from the media and public opinion unless they are a hermit who distances themselves from worldly values.

But here was one of those rare breeds.

"Why are you so agitated?"

"Huh?"

"If I'm Korean, I'm Korean. If I'm Japanese, I'm Japanese… What difference does bloodline and ethnicity make? And even if there is, what importance is there in the karma inherited from one's parents?"

Seeing Moon In's calm expression, Lim Yang-wook momentarily thought of a Tibetan fox picture that often circulates online, usually captioned with, 'Oh wandering soul, where are you going?'

Staring blankly at Moon In for a moment, Lim Yang-wook suddenly recalled the implication of those words and trembled. Nationality and bloodline don't matter? That means…

"You, could you possibly know something…?"

"……"

"Could it be that your mother is really Japanese…?"

Lim Yang-wook was one of the few people who knew about Moon In's parents. But even he didn't know which country Moon In's parents were from.

Common sense dictates that no one would approach someone who needs to keep their existence hidden and ask if they are Korean-Japanese.

So, Lim Yang-wook didn't expect a precise answer from Moon In either. This too was a common-sense judgment. How could a child raised at New Light Spring Orphanage know the details about their biological parents?

"But that's not the case."

"Really?!"

But Moon In-seop was a regressor.

He knew the nationality of his biological parents.

Because in his past life, driven by desperation, he had desperately dug through the district office to stalk his biological parents…

"In-seop, I'm really, really, really sorry but are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm really, really, really sure. Both are from Seoul."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Since Moon In was so certain, Lim Yang-wook was relieved. He was the first to quickly recognize and acknowledge Moon In's adult-level intelligence.

Adding to that the trust built over time, Lim Yang-wook regarded Moon In's testimony as about 98% likely to be true. A sigh of relief escaped naturally.

"Whew…"

How Moon In knew this is not important. This guy is a troublemaker with the guts, intelligence, and resources to secretly withdraw cash from the bank and hire an errand service. He must have figured it out on his own.

So, what's important is what he will do next…

"That's what it is…"

Lim Yang-wook smiled suspiciously and licked his lips.

EP 8 – Dark Adaptation

「Famous Korean Novelist M Suspected to be Half-Japanese…」

「[Exclusive] Korea's Genius Boy, Actually Japanese?」

「Why Did Korea Hide Moon In's Nationality?」

These strange rumors didn't arise purely by coincidence.

It's not that some evil organization plotted to trap Moon In; rather, the emergence of such rumors was partly inevitable.

First, the moment a Korean novelist becomes popular in Japan, there is naturally a suspicious gaze. It's because of historical context.

That historical context still lingers and remains a political issue. Words written in blood don't disappear just by changing some textbook phrases.

Therefore, when a Korean author's novel ranks first in Japanese bookstores, and the film adaptation of that book also tops the Japanese box office-

– Isn't this too much?

– Why read the work of a Joseon guy?

Such complaints arise.

It's extreme right-wing nationalism.

And the hardliners within the Liberal Democratic Party have been fanning such perspectives for decades, so the number of people who sympathize with these complaints is not small.

Here, the logic of capitalism applies.

Centered around the net right-wing, <People who are annoyed that Korean culture is doing well> are in a state of extreme frustration. They become the exact target audience for the 'refreshment' they desperately want.

At this point, who sells them the 'refreshment' they desperately want first?

「The Reason Why Korea's Genius Boy Moon In is Japanese!」

Makes the money.

The first to jump into making money was a YouTuber. He knew Moon In was Korean. He also knew there was little chance he was Japanese.

But making money is more important than fact-checking. He used the fact that Moon In was an orphan to craft a clever conspiracy theory and posted it as a video.

And he got a huge number of views.

However, as is often the case in the <Online Patriotism Indulgence Service> industry, there was a slight lack of respect towards fellow industry workers.

It didn't take long for all kinds of similar videos to flood the market.

You could call it (Japanese) National Pride TV.

The countless fake news pieces gradually added more flesh to the story, sometimes creating very interesting conspiracy theories.

And as is often the case these days, an internet newspaper picked it up first, and a somewhat gullible newspaper with a not-so-bright journalist got hooked.

This is how the <Moon In's Japanese Origin Theory> became a mainstream opinion.

* * *

"Say something that makes sense, damn it!"

Bang! Yohei Iwamoto, the senior editor and translator at Kyosensha, slammed the desk as he stood up. His subordinates, trembling, bowed their heads.

This was a stark contrast to the image he showed in front of Eisaku Siedehara, but the fact is, the cold Tokyo man is icy to others but warm to his own author.

While he showed an angelic face in front of Siedehara, Iwamoto was nothing short of a devil, a brute, and a demon to his subordinates. You could say he was a sort of Lucifer kind of figure.

"What the hell happened! What did you do to cause this mess!"

"Well, um…"

"Damn it, I know!"

The subordinate, looking dejected and cowering, muttered to himself, 'Fucking bastard…'

Meanwhile, Yohei Iwamoto quickly grasped the whole situation with his agile mind.

However, the situation itself was incredibly frustrating.

I mean, what kind of major media grabs onto YouTube fake news and makes a fuss about it?

Of course, Japan is indeed a country of longstanding conspiracies and scandals. This is especially true in the entertainment industry. Adultery and dogeza (prostration) apologies are beautiful traditions of the Japanese entertainment world.

But that's only fun when it's happening to the neighbors. When it's your house on fire, it's a different story altogether.

Especially since Yohei Iwamoto had put a tremendous amount of effort into selling the novel 'Guitar'.

Although it began with the unexpected success of the animated film 'Guitar', and his rivalry with Baekhak Publishing's Baek Seol fueled his motivation, Iwamoto was genuinely dedicated to selling 'Guitar'.

As a senior editor and translator at Kyosensha, he had done everything possible: promotions, translations, commercials, marketing, binding, and so on…

Though he might not know much about parenting, he certainly wouldn't have done this much for a child of his own.

And everyone at the company knew it.

But if the sales of 'Guitar' plummeted?

Iwamoto's career would be in jeopardy too.

Excuses about bad luck wouldn't fly. Iwamoto had already suffered a political blow from the failure to win the Booker International Prize. Another failure here might really get him exiled from Tokyo to the Tsushima branch.

"Damn it…!"

So, there's no room for rumors in his publishing business.

Yohei Iwamoto roared in frustration.

"What is Baekhak! What is Baekhak Publishing doing right now?!"

"Uh, there's still no official comment from them-"

"Why isn't there any news when they should be clarifying as quickly as possible! Go check directly at the hotel if you have to!"

"Yes, sir!"

While the subordinate, who inherited the spirit of a ninja, dashed to the hotel, Iwamoto chewed his nails nervously, thinking of a way to handle this crisis.

Responding by the book? That's not the answer. Those spreading conspiracy theories aren't doing it out of ignorance. They're doing it because it's entertaining.

Try bringing a certificate proving Moon In is a pure Korean. It would only become a new laughingstock. So desperate to prove he's not Japanese, they would say.

Iwamoto sensed the familiar scent of 'ijime' (bullying) wafting through this incident.

In the Japanese entertainment industry, bullying is also a form of entertainment. How many shows are there where idols laugh and joke around as they handle earthworms?

It's the same here. This is bullying directed at Moon In. A punishment for daring to gain fame in Japan as a Korean. A public backlash for competing with Siedehara for the Booker International Prize as a mere Korean kid… An indiscriminate attack on an unpopular celebrity…

How can he navigate through this?

What about the film? How's the film doing? If the author's scandal shakes the film's success, it's no longer just a problem for Hitokawa Group but a major issue involving the film distributor as well…

"Manager!"

Iwamoto snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a subordinate's voice.

The subordinate was holding out a smartphone with a trembling hand.

"Th-the official statement from Baekhak Publishing…"

"Let me see!"

Iwamoto practically snatched the phone.

And as soon as he saw the screen, he frowned.

He couldn't understand it from the first sentence.

– We cannot disclose details about Author Moon In's family history due to privacy concerns.

And there was no further explanation.

"…?"

Iwamoto's mind went blank.

What are they trying to do here?

If it's true, say it's true. If it's not, say it's not. They should clearly state…

"…Masaka (No way)!"

Iwamoto's brain, his career on the line, spun furiously.

And soon, he deduced the answer.

These Koreans… are they pretending the rumor is true?

"…Crazy bastards."

The moment they started 'pretending it's true', Iwamoto realized the rumor was completely false. This was a lie and a scam targeting all of Japan.

A cheap plot that even a low-quality light novel would avoid, trying to get people to buy into the idea that <The Korean Genius Boy Is Actually Japanese?!>

Yohei Iwamoto, as a Japanese, found this utterly unacceptable.

Of course, he had to break through this vile lie and reveal the truth…

But…

"……"

Yohei Iwamoto slowly closed his eyes.

When he did, he saw the proud Hinomaru flag fluttering in the blue sky.

The white flag with the red dot waved high like the sun.

Yohei Iwamoto slowly lowered that flag, carefully folded it, and hid it somewhere in his heart.

And he raised the flag composed of the Taegeuk symbol and the four trigrams in its place…

For a moment, the proud Taegeukgi fluttered in Yohei Iwamoto's heart.

"Damn it…!"

Clenching his fists in self-reproach, Iwamoto couldn't help but envision Lim Yang-wook's kindly smiling face before his eyes.

"Just this once, I'll cooperate-!"

With firm determination, Iwamoto donned his suit and burst out of the office, running somewhere.

It wasn't long after that Japan's great literary figure, Eisaku Siedehara, officially inquired about adopting Moon In from New Light Spring Orphanage.

*****

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