NOVEL WEB Chapter 6
The first tutoring session with Jae-Ah ended in complete chaos.
Of course, I couldn’t master every web novel just by reading a few over the course of several days. I had naturally considered that there might be things Jae-Ah wanted to write that I wouldn’t know about, but the genre of internet broadcast fiction was beyond the scope of the novels I was familiar with. Writing a novel about internet broadcasting…? Couldn’t one just watch the internet broadcasts?
Just because I didn’t understand it didn’t mean the genre would disappear. Ultimately, the tutoring session was challenging. Jae-Ah immediately introduced a few works and explained them for someone like me who was unfamiliar with the genre, but it was a realm that exceeded my understanding.
There was no way the tutelage could proceed properly. After all, it was unreasonable for me to teach a genre I didn’t know anything about. In the end, we had to focus primarily on feedback concerning the novel Jae-Ah had written.
Of course, just because it was a different genre didn’t mean it would be easy to teach. Originally, I wanted to develop Jae-Ah’s writing with a sense of mutual learning, rather than as if I were simply teaching something. While I wasn’t completely ignorant of genre conventions, the basic rhythm and tempo were vastly different.
Yet, internet broadcast fiction was a beast beyond expectation. What…? Writing a novel based on internet broadcast chats? The protagonist always succeeds, is loved by everyone, has challenger-level gaming skills, sings well, studies hard, is wealthy, and is beautiful or handsome… Can this really be called a novel?
It felt similar to the romance fantasy I had read previously. A fantasy where a mindless, empty-headed woman is loved by everyone and everything goes her way without lifting a finger. I closed it in disgust almost immediately. There was no way that could be a real novel.
Entertainment has its limits.
I couldn’t bring myself to say, “That’s garbage,” right in front of Jae-Ah. That would only provoke resentment, and then the tutoring would be over. Besides, I had already committed to helping her with whatever she was writing. It wouldn’t be honorable for a man to speak out of both sides of his mouth… Not that I intended to make a big deal out of it, but there was a matter of face.
After the tutoring, on the way home, I read a few of the recommended novels, but they were filled with incomprehensible absurdities. They seemed like writings for people with affection deficits, craving acknowledgment. The thought of writing something like that made me feel nauseous.
The representative works of other web novels I had read for reference were somewhat enjoyable, but these novels were too sickly sweet, making me feel like I would get cavities just by reading them.
I stopped reading them, fearing they might influence the novel I was writing. Such stories could never provide a positive influence.
However, it lingered in my mind so I couldn’t write properly that day.
The impact lasted until the day of our next tutoring session. Jae-Ah, it seemed, was hesitant to show me the novel she wrote directly, so she sent me a revised version of a story she had written before instead of that bizarre internet broadcast fiction.
Once I arrived at the study room, I was unsure how to begin talking to Jae-Ah, who seemed to be nervous. In the end, I had no choice but to change the subject slightly.
“Do you have an older sister?”
“Yes? Yes. I have two older sisters. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. When I mentioned to Muk Ha-neul that I was taking on a tutoring role for the professor’s children, she asked whether they were boys or girls.”
“Older sister Ha-neul knows my sisters. My eldest is currently working as a nurse, and my second oldest is in her third year of high school, preparing for the literary arts entrance exam.”
“A nurse, huh? That’s interesting. I thought all of Professor Seo’s children would be writers.”
“In our family, I’m the odd one out.”
After chatting a little, thankfully, the conversation began to flow. After all, I was in the position of a tutor, and I had to help her make meaningful progress. We proceeded with feedback on the novel Jae-Ah had written, just like before.
However, the unavoidable moment arrived.
“So, did you manage to read the novels I recommended?”
“…Ah, yeah. I read a bit.”
“What did you think? Was it fun?”
“…Yeah, it was fun.”
Jae-Ah must have sensed my lukewarm reaction, as her face darkened immediately.
“I guess it wasn’t fun.”
I couldn’t lie in the face of such an expression.
“Honestly, I didn’t think it was very good. I didn’t really understand it.”
“…That can happen.”
Jae-Ah’s expression was anything but “that can happen.”
“To be honest, I can’t think of this as a novel. I can understand wanting to write a genre, but I don’t think I can help with this kind of genre.”
“Really.”
Her forced words drew a self-mocking smile on Jae-Ah’s stiff face.
“You’re just like my dad in the end. You think everything I write is garbage and not even a novel.”
“I wouldn’t say it like that…”
“But you thought it, didn’t you?”
In an instant, I was at a loss for words. She struck a nerve.
“I was the fool for even having expectations. I have no idea what the literary arts department is supposed to be, but it seems like everyone there is the same. You’re just like them.”
“…”
“The tutoring can be done half-heartedly like this. I’ll tell my dad that you’re doing well, so don’t worry about it.”
“…”
“My older sister Ha-neul understood.”
If Jae-Ah’s words were meant to provoke me, they had succeeded. What got under my skin was her comparison to Muk Ha-neul. That certainly made me feel bad.
Of course, no matter how inferior and disgusting women might seem, I had no intention of criticizing simple comparisons.
However, one thing was for sure: I could never accept the idea of being inferior in writing to Muk Ha-neul, or a woman.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“…You’re writing that internet broadcast story or whatever, right?”
“What about it?”
“Send it to me. I’ll study it somehow before the next time we meet. From now on, don’t ever mention that we’re the same again.”
“You’re going to study it…?”
“I’ll even read all the internet broadcast novels out there if I have to. I need to hear you apologize for comparing me to a woman, no, to Muk Ha-neul again.”
“…Was that what angered you? What’s your deal with Ha-neul?”
“You wouldn’t understand. Just send it. Got it?”
“…I’ll think about it.”
I thought I had made myself clear. The tutoring session ended with a slightly off mood. Afterward, I felt a bit of regret. It was natural to feel inconvenienced over something that could have been smooth due to a moment of anger.
On the way back, I unexpectedly ran into Muk Ha-neul.
“Senior, why do you look like that after tutoring Professor Seo’s child?”
Ah, I guess I couldn’t manage my expression in the end. My face must have contorted at the thought of the earlier conversation.
“Nothing much. I’m busy, so I’ll leave first.”
“Um, um. Do you have time this weekend?”
“Time?”
“Well… I ended up with two tickets for a play… Would you like to go together?”
I couldn’t tell whether the expression forming on my face was irritation or simple surprise. Muk Ha-neul was asking me out on a date. Naturally, I had no intention of accepting. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the time, but I didn’t feel like complicating things unnecessarily.
But for some reason, I had a sudden change of heart.
“…I have time.”
“Really?”
“…Send me a text.”
No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense. Why would I go see a play with a woman I disliked? Maybe it was some kind of magic.
It was clear that Muk Ha-neul had cast some wicked spell on me.
Just to be clear, Jae-Ah did not send me the story she wrote until the next tutoring day.
And I also did not go on a date with Muk Ha-neul that weekend.
~
On Wednesday, a day before the interview, I set aside the novel I was writing and read internet broadcast fiction. Despite the dizzying state of my head, my eyes diligently parsed the texts.
There were various types of internet broadcast fiction. The most perplexing was a subgenre known as TS fiction, which generally involved a man becoming a woman and engaging in internet broadcasts. It was a type of story I couldn’t comprehend or accept at all.
Not only was it incomprehensible for a man to suddenly become a woman for no reason, but the idea of broadcasting about it was also completely unacceptable. It would have made more sense if they had shown the struggles of becoming a woman. That would be a natural reaction to such a fall. Speaking of which, there was a similar story among the works Muk Ha-neul had written before. Of course, it felt completely different from these.
No matter how much one might bring up Muk Ha-neul, comparing her to this kind of thing would certainly be disrespectful. That was probably the case.
While holding onto my dizzy head and continuing to read, my phone rang. It was Gang Hwa-won.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me. I’m having a drink right now, and your name came up, so I thought I’d call!”
“…My name?”
“Yeah, I’m drinking with Senior Su-Young right now. She said she is doing a TTBS interview. Did you know?”
Senior Su-Young was probably his ex-girlfriend. Like me, she had already debuted and had published three or four books.
“Weren’t you broken up with Senior Su-Young a while ago?”
“It’s just a brief thing.”
It was evident where this was headed; they would likely go to a motel afterward.
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. The journalist coming to do the interview is a junior from our department.”
“What?”
“I don’t know the details! I hear the senior isn’t very close to her. Just letting you know in case. You’ve had a lot of juniors in the department.”
“…Thanks.”
It was undoubtedly valuable information. Since the person was a woman and a junior from our department, there was no way she would have good feelings toward me. I was fortunate to know in advance.
“Let’s grab a drink on Saturday!”
“I have plans on Saturday.”
“You?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it with a woman?”
“…I’m hanging up.”
I didn’t want to get into the awkward topic of my play with Muk Ha-neul, so I hung up without answering. Gang Hwa-won texted me afterward, but I ignored it. My smartphone fell silent soon after.
“Jin Seo-hye… was it?”
I felt like it vaguely rang a bell.
My head was spinning.