Novelist Running Through Time

TL: KSD

In an era where machines, inscribing on manuscript paper can seem like a quaint hipster trait.

However, for those aspiring be a writer, there’s no avoiding manuscript paper.

This is because many literary awards accept submissions only on manuscript paper.

After all, if submissions were made via computer-written documents, there would be no way to verify if someone else wrote them. Handwriting verification is a surprisingly effective method for detecting ghostwriting.

Of course, there are also plenty of literary awards that coolly suggest you send your manuscripts via email, essentially saying, ‘Go ahead and ghostwrite if you want. But if you get caught, we’ll kill you.’

Moreover, there are writing contests.

At these writing competition events, where people are gathered to freestyle-write in a battle royale format based on a given theme for a few hours, manuscript paper is mainly used.

In that bloody battlefield, the weak-hearted drenched in modern comforts like laptops or keyboards only end up whimpering about sore fingers and dropping out.

And among the myriad of submissions, having handwriting as neat as Han Seok-bong’s, a standard passed down since the civil service exams of the Joseon Dynasty, is advantageous for standing out as the cream of the crop. (TL: Han Seok-bong was a famous calligrapher in mid-Joseon period)

Naturally, having fought my way through the survival of the fittest in the merciless writing competition scene, I am quite accustomed to writing on manuscript paper.

There’s a feeling akin to the pen becoming my sixth finger when the sensation of the nib scratching the paper travels up my fingers.

It can be said that I have achieved unity with the pen and paper, akin to the principle of becoming one with the sword.

“Oooh……”

However, it seems my cultivation has not yet reached the realm of clear and serene waters.

My concentration has been off due to the gazes around me.

I glared at the onlookers and cameramen surrounding me with a disgruntled look.

“There……”

Before I knew it, not only movie actor Bae Seong-won but also all the cast members of the variety show <Peaceful Uninhabited Island> were watching me.

Of course, being human, they pretended not to know as soon as I opened my mouth, at least outwardly.

However, PD Park Young-tae, who was naturally among the members, shamelessly waved his hand.

It can be said he lacks a human heart.

“Ah, don’t mind us. Just do your thing, Writer-nim.”

“But it’s distracting.”

“Haha.”

PD Park Young-tae, on the fringe of humanity, dismissed it with a laugh without turning the camera away.

I sighed, half giving up.

Ever since I received manuscript paper from the staff and started writing, I’ve been treated like a curious animal.

Just as a child who eats live octopus is fascinating, so seems a child who writes.

“Ah, just look at this…”

Giving up on protecting my manuscript paper and throwing it to the piranhas, they swarmed over it, chewing and tearing with enjoyment.

Those observing my manuscript paper added their comments.

“Oooh… It has a totally classic vibe, doesn’t it? Isn’t there something romantic about writing on manuscript paper?”

“Right. It’s like Yun Dong-ju. Night of Counting the Stars…” (TL: Yun Dong-ju was a Korean Poet )

“Wow… Author Moon knows a lot of difficult words. Golgye? Do you know what this means?”

“You dummy. It’s a shorthand for Silkie.”

“Ah- I completely got it.”

Among the cast members exaggeratingly praising me in front of the camera, Kim Byul murmured quietly.

“The handwriting looks like a girl’s…”

I shuddered.

Long ago, during the time of preparing the strategy of <Captivating the Judges with Handwriting>, I had learned to write neatly from Gu Yu-na.

I quickly snatched the manuscript paper back, feigning anger to keep them from reaching the truth.

“Give it back now!”

The day on the island passed quietly.

EP 6 – The Show Must Go On

The variety show I was half-forced into by Kim Byul’s blackmail and Lim Yang-wook’s pleading turned out to be more enjoyable than expected.

It wasn’t about wearing a mask and saying things I didn’t mean, but about genuinely living out an unfamiliar daily life on the island.

In the morning, I went fishing with Bae Seong-won and Kim Byul, gathered for meals together at lunch, and in the afternoon, I either went for walks or wrote.

Although a merciless dinner lottery awaited in the evening, there were no complaints about life since PD Park Young-tae showed mercy once the cameras were off.

But to have good editing and high viewership ratings? It seems there is a reason why many celebrities seek out PD Park Young-tae.

“Hey, Author Moon. Is the writing going well?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good to hear!”

Bae Seong-won, who came to check on me, was laden with fishing gear. Despite having enough fish to eat, his passion for fishing was evident.

“Aren’t you tired of fishing?”

“When it becomes tiresome, it’s time to leave.”

Gu Hak-jun mk2, no, actor Bae Seong-won, left me with words of encouragement and a friendly smile before heading off to fish.

He’s a genuinely good person.

In fact, all the celebrities on the island were like that.

Though I may never fully understand their true intentions, the character of the people I’ve spent these days with on the island had nothing to criticize.

Thanks to that, whether the cameras were on or off, the set was always harmonious. Gathering such people must be difficult. Does PD Park Young-tae have a status window or something?

Distracted for a moment, I stopped my wandering thoughts and looked at the manuscript paper.

Now, I must fill the empty spaces with my own story.

As always, the task feels daunting, but it’s not unbearable.

Because I’ve realized that this too is within the sparkling moments of time.

Thanks to Kim Byul.

“Hmm…”

It’s a common saying that the process is more important than the result.

The advice Kim Byul gave me wasn’t much different from that.

But proverbs are precious because everyone knows them, and the right path is difficult because it is correct.

Kim Byul, through her own life, unreservedly showed me the path of hard-earned enlightenment.

I’ve had a glimpse into the life of Kim Byul and from it, gained some knowledge.

Now I understand.

I wanted to succeed.

I wanted recognition.

It wasn’t a desire to live well but a feeling of revenge towards a society that scorned and ignored me.

There are classes in this world, and I was born at the very bottom. Yet, I wanted to rise to the very top and become a shining star. That was the form of revenge I desired.

But now I understand.

What was truly precious to me wasn’t just any literary award, but the time of cultivation I spent with Gu Yu-na.

The time spent refining our literature, becoming a slightly better person with each passing day, and cherishing each other while being faithful to life was my greatest treasure.

I now realize how precious and valuable those times were for someone twisted, poor, and selfish like me, born in an orphanage.

So, my sorrow must be because I lost those times.

There’s no room for success in that sorrow.

Even if my success was merely the antics of a child, or if a sudden ordeal swept away everything I had achieved, if the days I treasured remain in my heart, wouldn’t that have its own meaning?

Walking on the quiet beach in the morning, I thought about this.

So, now I must move forward, little by little. Time past does not return.

God has gifted me with a realization. There was one fact in this world that only I knew.

Even if I could go back through time, I cannot fix the past.

Time is not made of lines, nor planes, but solely of memories engraved in people’s souls.

Therefore, once time has passed, it does not return. No matter how desperately one clings to the past, time cannot be held, just like water slipping through one’s fingers.

Then, it’s time to let go.

Even if the most precious things are left behind in time, one cannot stop and yearn for what cannot be regained.

Remembering, even in pain, it’s now time to move on.

Human life is like a play.

And the show must not stop. It must go on.

“Haah…”

The time it took to realize this was too long and painful.

So making the protagonist experience some of the pain I suffered is an inevitable petty move.

For him, I’ve borrowed a sentence from ‘Cause of Death.’

The pen smoothly raced across the manuscript paper.

– The lymphatic cancer that struck at 32 was more of a ‘sentence’ than a ‘diagnosis.’

On the manuscript paper, an artist suddenly facing a terminal sentence began a story of identity and rebirth.

She was not a writer but an actress, not a man but a woman, and a character in a creation who was 10 years older than me, but…….

I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

* * *

PD Park Young-tae is a Liu Bei-like figure.

Not because he has big ears or has ever thrown a child, but because he resolves matters through the advice of those around him, based on benevolence. (TL: The first part is a comparison to Liu Bei from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.)

However, once seated in a high position, there are inevitably moments when he has to make important decisions himself.

PD Park Young-tae faced a dilemma.

“PD-nim…”

The assistant director pointed at the screen with a nervous expression.

“Should we use this…?”

To use or not to use, that is the question.

The screen showed Author Moon and Kim Byul sharing a conversation on the beach for hours.

There were even ‘overly’ friendly scenes of them playing footsie or Kim Byul kicking Author Moon.

“Whoa, this is so sweet… it’s too sweet, right?”

A PD craving romance buzz made a fuss, but PD Park Young-tae was serious throughout.

Yes, that’s the problem because it’s sweet.

The assistant director voiced his concern.

“If we air this… dating rumors will definitely emerge.”

“Sigh.”

The staff around him added their thoughts.

“Dating rumors can be serious for female celebrities. It’s better not to use it unless necessary…”

“But they’re just being friendly, isn’t it too serious? And isn’t it the trend in variety shows nowadays to force a love line anyway?”

“Why is that a trend? It’s outdated.”

“You, follow me to the rooftop.”

“If you’re going to fight, do it outside.. I think it’s better to at least listen to what they talked about. There’s no sound anyway since they didn’t have mics on.”

“What’s the use of hearing that? The author who was in a slump asked for manuscript paper that morning, so actress Kim probably encouraged the Author Moon. And does it matter what they talked about that day? Whatever the truth, it’ll be edited as we decide.”

“Still, we should know the facts…”

“I’d rather edit it to a lower degree and make a warm scene than to be nosy and then get a request from Kim Byul’s manager not to use it.”

“Hmm… What if we gamble with both agencies and use dating rumors for noise marketing? Since it’s a variety show, there might be fewer people jumping on the bandwagon anyway.”

PD Park Young-tae maintained silence, listening to the staff’s opinions attentively. As these were people who had been in sync with him for years, if not decades, all their opinions held merit.

However, the most tempting suggestion came from someone not present.

A junior PD who had recommended Author Moon to Park Young-tae, a junior who was well-versed in the black magic of giving apology letters for ratings, whispered in an evil voice.

– Just do it, sunbae…

– Ah, no… This can’t be happening…

Despite PD Park Young-tae’s pitiful protest, the junior whispered malevolently.

– Just do it and write the apology later…

– Damn it…

– You can be forgiven if the ratings are good, sunbae…

In that moment, the image of someone flashed through PD Park Young-tae’s mind.

It was the recent encounter with Baek Seol, the head of Baekhak Publishing.

Eventually, thanks to the divine power of the Baekhak bloodline that expels evil, PD Park Young-tae regained his senses. It’s absolutely not because he was scared of the Baekhak Group.

PD Park Young-tae made a decision.

“Everyone, let’s come back to our senses.”

PD Park Young-tae calmly admonished the overly excited staff, explaining the dangers of the Baekhak Group.

If there was one issue, it was that the assistant director, who had felt intimidated by Baek Seol in the office at the time, had researched her.

“But she’s from Baekhak ‘Publishing,’ right?”

“Eh?”

“She’s not from entertainment but the bookstore side. It’s not just the business card; she’s a complete novice in this industry…”

Hearing the assistant director’s explanation, PD Park Young-tae hesitated for a moment.

Then, after a brief silence, he spoke.

“…Really?”

*****

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