NOVEL WEB Chapter 26
I unconsciously bit my nails a bit. I couldn’t understand why the situation had turned out like this. I deeply regretted going out with Muk Ha-neul. I wasn’t an idiot; I clearly knew what would happen if I did something I was told not to do. Damn it.
First of all, since the guest was a guest, I poured water into a cup to serve. The editor calmly took the water and opened her mouth.
“First of all… I just want to confirm, you are Seol-guk, right?”
“…You already know that.”
“That’s true, but seeing with my own eyes is a little different. Wow, it’s really amazing. How can a person change like this?”
“Have you seen me before?”
“Actually, I was there during that interview incident.”
Was that why she spoke as if she knew her original self?
“Anyway, let me reintroduce myself. I am Gu Ji-ye, a reporter affiliated with TTBS. I came to interview the first official TS disease patient in the country, Seol-guk. Nice to meet you!”
“I don’t feel nice at all.”
“Yes, I completely understand. I feel bad for using such a coercive method. Honestly, I never thought you would really open the door like this. I just wanted to test the waters a bit, and I’m glad I did.”
You tested the waters? By threatening someone’s personal information? Every word she spoke aroused a hatred toward this woman.
“What I mentioned earlier was all a lie. I’m not an idiot; I would get sued for doing something like that in today’s world. And although I shouldn’t be the one saying this, if you encounter someone who does this in the future, just report it to the police.”
“That’s a very generous piece of advice.”
“I heard that the National Intelligence Service is willing to help, but you’re not planning to send someone to catch me, right?”
Thinking back, I remembered that I had received Ham Yejin’s phone number. Am I an idiot? If I had just called instead of opening the door, this wouldn’t have happened! Has becoming a woman made me lose my intelligence?
“It seems like you’re quite angry. I apologize.”
“Do you think this can be resolved with an apology?”
“Of course, it’s not that simple. But if you just listen to what I have to say, it might actually be okay!”
Gu Ji-ye was confident. However, there was something I needed to know before hearing her out.
“Alright, let me ask one thing first. How did you find out my address?”
I needed to know how she found my address so that I could avoid being caught next time. Although it seemed too late for that now.
“That’s simple. I extracted the area from the leaked photos and asked around to find a house that seemed to have moved in recently. You can’t live without throwing away trash, after all. Of course, there are some people like that, but I’m sure you’re not one of them, right? Anyway, by monitoring the trash, you can find them. I wasn’t sure at first when I saw you come out late at night, but when I rummaged through the garbage, I found white hair. It was game over.”
I was tired of this. My face likely reflected my exhaustion. Gu Ji-ye had found my address in a way that was almost chillingly… meticulous. She was a strange woman. Why would she go this far to find my address?
“You’ve been watching the trash for days, haven’t you?”
“No, of course, I installed a camera. I checked it after waking up today.”
Gu Ji-ye made a face that felt absurd. I felt a bit embarrassed for no reason.
“What on earth would you go this far for? I’m just a mere novelist. I’m not a renowned novelist nationwide; I’m just a rookie who has barely published three books! What great wrong have I done?”
I felt wronged. Why was I being tortured like this for something I didn’t do?
“It’s understandable that you don’t see why you’ve drawn attention from the media. Your actions are just ordinary scandals at best. You outed someone? Well, that could happen. It’s not like you did it first; you just returned what was done to you. But the other party committed suicide. Did you tell them to kill themselves? No, you didn’t. Ultimately, it was their choice. Morally, it might be questionable, but legally, you cannot be held responsible.”
“But why!”
Gu Ji-ye’s words mirrored what I wanted to say. In the end, she bore no responsibility for that incident. I truly believed that.
“But the problem is that you just happen to have contracted TS disease.”
Again, again, again. That damn TS disease! It was all the problem. This ridiculous disease that had made me like this!
“A matter that could have simply been buried with an article has now spread nationwide because of the TS disease. Therefore, this fire is bound to spread immensely. To be honest, you were very unlucky. There hasn’t been a scandal to ignite this country recently. Not long ago, a writer had a huge blow-up over exploitation allegations, and just as that was calming down, your incident broke. Although it’s old news, someone died, so the repercussions are bound to be larger.”
So, was all of this just a result of bad luck? I had been unlucky, that was for sure. Being abandoned at an orphanage was certainly not good luck. Being involved with that damned lesbian and contracting this disease were all just unfortunate events. It was the worst.
“However, it seems there is a misunderstanding; not everyone is bad-mouthing you.”
“No?”
“Of course, the overall public opinion is bad, but like you said, not everything is your fault. There is sympathy for you contracting the disease, and there’s also a general interest in what this disease really is. In both positive and negative lights, you are currently a star.”
Star. I recalled the editor’s words about becoming a star. I felt uncomfortable.
“Whichever way, that kind of attention is not welcome at all.”
“That may be true. However, the fire has already been lit, and it’s too late to put it out. So, shouldn’t we ride on top of this fire?”
“Riding on top of the fire only leads to self-immolation, doesn’t it?”
“That’s just the way of saying it! Anyway, I came here to help you. How about we try to turn this situation around with an interview?”
“You sound like my editor.”
“Your editor seems quite smart.”
Sure. Anyway, I was inclined to hear more. At least from how she spoke, it didn’t seem like she would tell me to become a feminist.
“Let’s hear what you have to say first. What are you planning to do?”
“It’s simple. We’ll broadcast the interview. Oh, and it will be on public television. It will air on a show scheduled for 7 PM. Live! And writer, you’re from an orphanage, right?”
That was an uncomfortable question.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And you’ve consistently donated to the orphanage you came from, right? A substantial amount, too.”
“…So?”
“That’s the angle we can take. A boy abandoned at the orphanage grows up to be a proud writer and repays the orphanage that raised him. It’s a cliché, but it’s the kind of story people will love. We’ll push that angle. Actually, I read your novel ‘The Boy’s Womb.’ To be honest, it made me a bit emotional.”
“You read it?”
“Yes, the boy was so pitiful that it made me cry. You might not know this, but ‘The Boy’s Womb’ is currently a bestseller. It drew a huge amount of attention. There are many people who criticize it, but the evaluation of the novel itself is quite good. Can I ask you something? That novel is your autobiographical story, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Expressing the wounds you’ve endured through a story is admirable. You can certainly sway public opinion in your favor. Of course, you seem to have quite a few haters from your college days too. In relation to the outing incident, ultimately, one person died. You just have to pretend to be a bit regretful about the mistakes you made in college. You can reflect as if you were immature back then.”
Anyway, this woman was saying the same thing as my editor.
“Are you telling me to go on air and apologize?”
“Well, that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? Actually, I met Jin Seo-hye before coming here.”
“You met her?”
My face instinctively faltered.
“She was a fellow colleague. Well, we didn’t work together for long, though.”
“What did she say?”
“Naturally, Jin Seo-hye is also struggling quite a bit. She’s suffering from hate comments just like you. She regrets resigning quite a lot too. It seems she thought she would be let go anyway, but she mentioned she would like to see you again. If you are willing to apologize, she said she would too. If the two of you appear on the broadcast together and show a reconciliatory scene, public opinion will likely change quite a bit.”
I certainly didn’t want to apologize to that woman. But the thought that public opinion might change piqued my interest a little.
“Is it really going to change public opinion that easily?”
“Of course, it won’t change completely, but since a bigger public opinion will emerge, your incident will likely be buried.”
“A bigger public opinion?”
“Precisely you.”
“Me?”
“You might not realize it now, but your appearance is… incredible. If you walk on the street, you would be approached immediately as a child actor or an idol trainee. In America, you’d be in Hollywood.”
“What?”
“Simply put, you are incredibly cute and beautiful and charming. If your expression softened a bit, it would be even better, but even now, your fierce expression is somewhat cute and has its charms. If you show a bit of vulnerability by crying when you go out, the entire nation will fall for you.”
“Are you telling me to sell my face and seek sympathy?”
“Don’t think of it that way. It’s natural for people to like someone with an attractive appearance. It’s not strange at all. In fact, what’s wrong with selling your face? Writers sell words, singers sell songs, and actors sell performances. What’s different about selling your face? In the end, it’s all about selling the talents you have.”