Became an American Retro Novelist - Chapter 140

140.

“I am SEEN.”

I blurted out the words.

Then the world froze.

Yes, that would be an accurate expression.

The chants of ‘SEEN! SEEN! SEEN! SEEN!’ from the nerd guys who came to the comic book store pierced the silence.

The countless masses facing this situation now were trapped in cold ice, and their voices seemed to be pounding hoarsely from outside.

And then I realized.

The moment I revealed that I was ‘SEEN’, the meaning this situation brought to me.

I was silent for a few seconds.

Anyway, the world is trapped in cold ice.

Let’s think about it.

‘About 25 years from now?’

There is a movie called ‘The Wrestler’ starring Mickey Rourke.

It was a work that featured a professional wrestler who was once successful, but who became old and sick and fell apart miserably under all circumstances.

I felt that novels and genres, in some ways, are similar to that.

The writing is old and worn.

Even if it isn’t now, it will be in the future.

People are reading books less and less, and genres are treated as trivial and minor content.

The original text of the movie was praised as a masterpiece, but if it didn’t become one, it was dismissed as just a collection of words that you would glance at on the street stall and pass over without a second thought.

‘In fact, everything in the world is like that.’

If you don’t succeed, you’ll just be treated like an idiot.

And even if it was successful, it would only wear out and fade over time.

Just like the protagonist of ‘The Wrestler’ mentioned earlier.

But he had no choice but to wrestle.

The reason is revealed in what he said before stepping into the ring for the last time.

[The world don’t give a shit about me.]

‘The world doesn’t give a shit about people like me.’

His wrestling in the midst of the vast and fast-moving flow of the world.

And the novel I wrote.

Someday it will wear out, be torn by the wind, and disappear somewhere.

So at this moment, I realized what I meant.

Now I am graduating from high school and becoming an adult.

I was imprinting on myself what I should do in the future and what kind of person I should become.

I have been writing novels during this time. I have received an overwhelming amount of love. Those who are frozen in front of me now have healed the boy’s wounds.

I felt grateful for that, but to be honest, that alone wasn’t enough for me.

I wanted to be loved more.

I wanted to get better. I wanted to go further.

I wanted to create an ‘American myth’ like Star Wars.

He opened his mouth into the microphone again.

“I will continue to live as a novelist.”

It felt more like a speech than a graduating class’s answer, but whatever.

It’s the last one, so let’s just throw it away.

“Everyone here will walk their own path, and go forward on the rails of life. Each of them will come up with their own answers. Just like Tony and Alice in ‘About T’. The two of them may eventually get tired of their long-distance relationship and break up······.”

A voice from behind said, ‘Nooooo-!!’ It was Kate Moore’s excited scream.

Small laughter erupted here and there.

Thanks to that, the frozen atmosphere thawed a little.

Damn, this guy who used to be such a pain in the ass is now just a joke to me.

‘Life is so ironic.’

I chuckled and shouted.

“Or maybe I can overcome it and fall in love! The important thing here is that no one knows what will happen in the future! Just like no one knew that I, who thought I was just studying normally, was ‘SEEN’! So I will continue to write novels and show them to you!”

Who I am.

What kind of person are you? What kind of thoughts do you have while living?

To suit your taste. But sometimes, I do it my way.

“And in about 10 years, I’ll be able to live off the royalties I’ve earned from my work! Thank you!”

[Uooooooooooohhh······!]

[SEEN! SEEN! SEEN! SEEN! SEEN! SEEN! SEEN! SEEN!]

The shouts of the comic book store guys can be heard from afar.

After hearing that chant, I was about to step back, but then I went back to the microphone.

“Oh, that’s right, everyone. Let me tell you one more thing······.”

I glanced at Mrs. Benaway and saw that she was smiling as if to say, “Let it be.”

I continued talking.

“’About T’ isn’t over yet. There will be more series in the future······and it will also be made into a drama, so please continue to show lots of love. Please also make sure to buy the book that will be released soon. Thank you!”

Now I’ve said everything I wanted to say.

As I turned around and returned to my seat, Mrs. Benaway’s words continued weakly.

[Yes······ It was a graduating student’s answer song.]

‘Was it a bit too much?’

As I sat down feeling sorry, I saw Alexa next to me shaking her shoulders and holding back laughter.

“······Was it weird?”

“No, it was totally cool.”

“But why are you laughing?”

“It’s so funny how people are frozen.”

After hearing that, I quickly checked the atmosphere.

From a distance, people at Kitten’s Comic Book Store were shouting my name/pen name loudly, and a few were clapping their hands in my direction, but most of them seemed to be taken aback by my shocking(?) statement.

As the national anthem was finally being played, Kate Moore came up to me and asked shyly.

“Is this really going to be made into a drama······?”

······Maybe this guy is my biggest fan.

***

As expected, after the graduation ceremony, people didn’t show much interest in me.

I could feel people gossiping and staring at me from the surrounding area, but that was it.

It was natural. I only claimed that I ‘SEEN’, and there was no concrete evidence presented. Occasionally, a few people would approach me to take a picture after looking around, but that was about it.

I thought to myself as I took a picture with a black student I didn’t know very well.

‘It seems like this was the right way to do it.’

What if I had clearly presented evidence and made it clear that I was ‘SEEN’?

I think it’s unlikely, but there is a possibility that the entire graduation ceremony could have been a scene of chaos.

Because I was a writer who had several hits and even created media franchises within California, so I could be considered a big name in my own right.

In addition, the identity of ‘SEEN’ has not been clearly revealed yet, so all kinds of fans and curious people would have gathered, making the finale of the graduation ceremony a complete mess.

‘I think things have already gotten messy enough.’

Still, in keeping with the given role, aside from revealing my identity, I tried to fully express my reflections on life as I graduated from high school and became an adult, moving forward.

I was so scared of Mrs. Benaway’s gaze that I ran down from the stage as soon as the graduation ceremony was over.

Anyway, that’s how the graduation ceremony came to an end.

People went straight home or stayed to take pictures. As I waited a little for the car to pull away amidst the commotion, my mother suggested that we go back, and then someone sneaked up next to me.

“You made a movie.”

It was none other than Julia Chandler.

“I never thought you would give such a wonderful speech.”

“If you look at it as a field trip, it doesn’t seem like it fits, does it?”

“So what? I think this day will be a really good memory for people. The director who came out after finishing and was about to go in and talked about dramatizing and extending the series was also really great and nice.”

“······.”

“Wasn’t it directed?”

“Yes.”

I was just having fun saying what I wanted to say, and something I had briefly forgotten came to mind.

At my reaction, Julia burst out laughing and opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“Really? That was totally cool!”

“Please stop.”

“Ah~. Author, your face is getting red again.”

“······Anyway, there shouldn’t be any problems with what I said, right?”

“Of course. I listened carefully, and there doesn’t seem to be any major issues, since the dramatization and serialization extension will be reported in the newspaper tomorrow. Just in case, I also spoke to California Pictures separately about what happened today.”

Certainly, since the Internet was not developed at the time, it seemed that making a sudden bombshell statement in a place like this would not have caused a big problem.

And after saying that, Julia glanced around.

“There are a lot of people, aren’t there?”

“That’s right. What’s even more surprising is that this is only a very small number.”

I had a rough idea of ​​what Julia was trying to say and spoke.

“That’s right. The population of California is currently about 29 million. Compared to that number, this is really nothing. And your work is giving joy and inspiration to so many people that the people you see right now seem like nothing. Isn’t that interesting?”

“I feel like so many people are expecting me to do this.”

“And if the dramatization goes well, that number will increase even more.”

“I ask for your continued support in that regard.”

“Please trust me and leave it to me. I am fully aware of the parts that you are concerned about, so I will proceed well so that no problems arise. ······So, writer. Can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

Julia said with a pleased expression, as if looking at her grown younger sister.

“Please continue to write good articles. As I said above.”

I smiled and nodded.

“That’s right. I’m already thinking about something.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“For the time being, I’m planning to serialize the ‘About T’ series and prepare a piece in the middle. Not right now, but there’s a piece I want to write after doing some research while I’m in college.”

“What kind of work is it? Can you give me a hint?”

“I just have an idea in my head right now. I’ll tell you once I’ve sorted it out.”

I didn’t want to raise expectations too much, so I held back from saying anything there.

‘It’s a pretty big project, you know.’

I graduated from high school and decided to continue living as a novelist.

I wanted to aim for a prestigious science fiction literary award.

***

A few days passed after the graduation ceremony.

The next day, in the newspaper, there was talk of a dramatization of the ‘About T’ series and a future serialization, just as God had said.

In other words, it was proven that everything God said at the graduation ceremony was true.

As soon as this was revealed, the people attending the graduation ceremony were in an uproar. It even led to Alexa being called out by the cheerleading club girls.

[Was he really a god?!]

[Yeah, that’s right.]

[This is crazy! Gosh!! I need to get your autograph!]

[Next time you meet him, call me too!]

[A writer boyfriend! That would be so amazing!]

[Yeah, thank you.]

Alexa, who had been feeling dizzy the whole time, answered mechanically.

In fact, it had to be that way.

Now that I had finally graduated from high school, there was nowhere else to turn.

“Umm······.”

Alexa pondered.

I would read books and exercise at home alone, and when I felt a little tired, I would go out and play. After repeating this lifestyle, I finally made up my mind halfway.

The trigger was God’s speech.

[I will live as a novelist.]

When I heard that declaration, something in my heart felt stimulated.

‘Then what shall I live by?’

First of all, that thought came to me.

When Alexa’s parents heard her say she was “still thinking about what to do after graduation,” they told her to think about it as much as she wanted and to take her time to think it through. Instead, they asked her to always talk to them if there was anything she couldn’t figure out on her own.

Believing in her parents who would firmly support her, Alexa spent more time alone and thought about it all the time in order to live up to their wishes.

What you want to do, what you want to become.

Then I asked Denzel.

[Denzel. How did you get into drawing?]

[Hmm, that’s a difficult question.]

Denzel thought about it for a moment and then said.

I like that when I draw, I can be myself without worrying about what other people think.

‘Is it the same mind as a believer?’

He often said that he incorporated his world into his writing, so maybe that’s why?

Denzel’s words struck a chord with Alexa, and she began to search for and do the things she liked one by one.

Dressing up and dressing up. Running around. Dancing to the beat as a cheerleader. Meeting people and chatting away.

It was all good. It was all enjoyable.

But if you ask yourself if you want to pursue it as a career, the answer is no.

While Alexa was pondering the reason, one thing soon came to mind.

A business card I received from Hollywood the other day.

Perhaps this will provide a new stimulus or breakthrough?

Alexa carefully took it out from the desk drawer where she had kept it just in case, then confirmed the name, ‘KH Agency’, and immediately called the number written below it.

Thump thump. Thump thump.

Suddenly.

[Yes, this is KH Agency.]

A woman with a clear voice answered the phone.

It feels warm, yet somehow cold.

The moment she heard that voice, Alexa felt her mind go blank for the first time in her life.

“Ah, ahh, hello! It’s Alexa Flare!”

[······? Yes, hello. What brings you here?]

“Well, I’m contacting you because I got a business card from a blond guy on Hollywood Boulevard the other day! He said he was impressed by what I said on TV when I won the national championship for the cheerleading club!”

It was a very long self-introduction.

No, it was actually more of an explanation of the situation than an introduction.

But the woman on the other end of the phone was calm.

[Yes, are you talking about Mr. Karl Hobbes?]

“Oh, maybe?”

[Is it okay if I check and get back to you? Your number?]

Alexa said her number, and the call abruptly hung up.

Alexa slumped down in her seat, her body shaking with a sense of weakness, and stared blankly at her phone, thinking.

‘I think I’m screwed.’

So does that mean that God has been overcoming this pressure and living as a writer all this time?

That was Alexa’s first thought as she took the first step from being a child to becoming an ‘adult’.

‘Ugh, if it’s going to be like this, I don’t want to be an adult.’

Even for Alexa Flair, who was once the national cheerleading queen, growing up was a very difficult task.

End