Became an American Retro Novelist - Chapter 172



Only Noblemtl

172.

It was a strange feeling.

It feels like my whole body, not just the clothes I’m wearing right now, is filled with Alexa.

A feeling of bright citrus and sweet florals wrapping your whole body pleasantly.

But strangely enough, we didn’t have much of a deep conversation until we got home.

“······.”

“······.”

I smiled and watched Alexa walk through the park, her face flushed red and her feet stammering. Despite the slightly awkward situation, we held each other’s hands tightly.

And I was in the process of accepting my current emotions and repainting the worn-out innocence inside me.

It’s not that I’ve met that many people, but as I’ve gotten older and various memories and experiences have covered up my childhood, which is the lowest part of my life, the innocence that was bound to be buried.

It was as if Alexa had come into my mind with a bucket and a shovel and was digging away at the mud that had covered my innocence.

“Hey, let’s go over there! What is that?!”

“That’s a streetlight.”

“That?!”

“ash bn.”

Just because you are more skilled and familiar doesn’t mean you should necessarily take the lead in the relationship.

I wanted to be there to help Alexa move forward slowly, in her natural form.

We’re still 19, and I like it that way.

Because I like her because she walks the same path as me.

······So it’s definitely not because of the double-barreled shotgun.

After wandering around the park for a while, chatting away, we realized that it was past midnight and hurriedly headed back to the car.

Since it was a time before cell phones, we had to get out of the park in a hurry, knowing full well that our parents would worry if we were too late.

While Alexa was hurriedly speeding up the car, I sat beside her, thinking leisurely.

‘Mother too, um, Mr. Flair too······.’

You must be incredibly worried.

Of course, it would be better not to make such a mistake, and I probably wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t want to, but I didn’t force myself to do it. When I was with Alexa, I wanted to accept myself, not reject myself, for giving in to my emotions rather than my reason.

But Alexa still seemed unfamiliar with it. In fact, that was to be expected.

“Oh, what should we do? Aren’t we too late?”

“Just go and get scolded. Calm down.”

“Who are you going to say you were with?”

“······you?”

“No! Let’s say we were both with different friends!”

“who?”

“Uh, um. I’m Nancy, and you’re Randy!”

“Is that the setting?”

“Yeah, yeah! Nancy’s a cheerleader and Randy’s a baseball player!”

“······It’s so unique.”

“So Randy is a cheerleader and Nancy is a baseball player?”

While we were joking around like that, we headed home.

Amidst the crickets’ continued chirping, I checked that the lights in the house were off and greeted Alexa. Fortunately, it looks like my mother won’t be scolding me until tomorrow.

“Thanks for bringing me. Have a nice day.”

“Yeah, yeah, I had fun today.”

“me too.”

After chuckling, I opened the car door and got out.

And finally, as I turned around to exchange greetings, I saw Alexa’s eyes sparkling with regret, like a golden retriever watching its owner leave for work.

“······.”

“······.”

Again mutual silence.

Then Alexa reached out, grabbed the end of my jacket, and tugged.

I didn’t really resist and just followed her lead.

······It’s the complete opposite of before.

“Hehehe, see you tomorrow!”

After seeing off Alexa, who was smiling confidently with a blush on her face, I smiled at the citrus scent lingering in my nostrils even more strongly.

‘I want this.’

My heart was pounding so hard I didn’t think I could sleep right away.

I turned back towards the house with a big smile on my face, and my body froze like a stone.

“······.”

“······.”

I made eye contact with someone who was just coming out of the door.

The man holding the black plastic bag in his hand was Jiwoo Jang.

Jiwoo Jang, you! Again!

······No, the situation was too much to pass off as a bit of a black joke.

I asked cautiously, touching my forehead.

“······Did you see it?”

“Oh, hello? I didn’t see you kissing.”

I see. You didn’t see it.

With a slightly blush on my face, I pointed to the envelope in Jiwoo’s hand.

“That’s, uh.”

“Oh, my mom told me to throw it away earlier, but I forgot it while I was practicing guitar in my room······.”

“I see.”

What a coincidence, isn’t it?

If I want to see what’s inside that envelope, my relationship with Jiwoo Jang will be irreversible, right?

And if Jiwoo Jang were to ask more questions about what we did when we opened the car door······.

‘It’s irreversible, right? Right?’

That’s why we passed each other as if we didn’t know each other.

“Oh, go to sleep~.”

“Oh, yeah. You too, Jiwoo.”

······Oh, this is so awkward.

***

The publication of ‘Country of Losers’ is just around the corner.

Simon smiled as he returned to his office after meeting with the new writer.

‘Okay.’

He took out of his bag a copy of ‘Country of Losers’ that he had printed a week ago.

The black cover had the words “Country of Losers” written in white letters, slightly blurred. This typography design was also the work of Denzel Flair. And beneath the title was a drawing that looked like a person or something metaphysical, depicted in achromatic shades.

Denzel said that it represented ‘people who live a fictional happiness that has been cut out of pain.’

The new writer trusted Denzel and was very enthusiastic about letting him do the cover, and whenever Simon sent a fax to Stanford afterwards, he said, “Very good. Please continue like this.”

He turned the page, delighted at the wonderful result, and Simon smiled involuntarily as he looked at the neatly edited novel by the new writer. Following that, there was a recommendation by the famous writer Glenda Hoffman, a book review by Stanford University literature professor Edward MacMillan, and a review of the work that the new writer had written and given him.

And the copyright information printed on the very last page is packed with the ISBN and publication information for this book from the North American Book Publishers Association.

Simon’s heart raced as he savored his name written at the top of the list.

The new author said exactly this when he saw this draft:

‘I really like it.’

With those words, I felt like all my hardships melted away like snow.

Publishing was not an easy task.

I think it would have taken me several times longer to do this on my own without the cooperation and guidance of the publishers I knew and knew.

Proofreading and editing the manuscript was something I usually did, so it was easy.

The problem was the other processes. Starting with how to format the book, adjusting the pay for those who help with design and publishing the book, printing and supervision, distribution through a distributor, and marketing.

‘It was difficult.’

Every moment was a series of worries, but it was still good.

Simon Carver was able to fight the hardships of his own choosing, rather than the happiness that society gave him.

And I was so happy that I was able to endure the pain and get such a wonderful result.

‘Country of Losers’ was planned to be a hardcover book, with a first print run of 30,000 copies.

Considering the name value of the new author, who had sold over 200,000 copies of paperbacks with works like ‘Double Spy’ or ‘About T’, it was a very shabby start, but considering the commerciality of the work, the needs of the buyer base, and the scale of the hard-boiled publisher, it was decided to print this much for the first edition.

And now, with Julia’s help, we’ve secured a reliable printer and distributor, and have completed all the necessary procedures prior to publication without a hitch.

Plus, the marketing was well underway. Using Julia’s connections, she secured pages in Guns ‘n’ Sword magazine and the Los Angeles Times, and the same ad was scheduled to run in her old job, Torrance New Media.

Simon let out a sigh of relief, thinking that it was fortunate that he had not given up until the end, just as the new writer had said.

‘I had to ask for everything even though I’m not an employee anymore.’

It’s a mark that’s been engraved like a habit, so it’ll take a while for this old stain to come off.

Still, when Hugo Irving told me that the new author’s new book advertisement would also be published in the Los Angeles Times, he reluctantly gave permission for the advertisement to be published.

Simon clearly realized that the situation in which the two major newspapers were competing with each other to publish the new writer’s work had significant advantages.

A moonlit office in Los Angeles.

Because of this work, I have been unable to enter my home in Torrance lately.

Simon scratched his head and opened his mouth, looking at the proof copy of ‘Country of Losers’ he was holding in his hand as if it were a woman he loved.

“I hope that our author’s work will spread far and wide.”

The release date is scheduled for April 1st, a week from now.

The printing house is in full swing, and we are preparing a distribution network through partnerships with distributors, and we also plan to carry out marketing.

All the processes that I had been running through have passed, and now all I have to do is wait for the day the book is distributed.

‘I’ll have to run around here and there that day too.’

That moment must have been very enjoyable too.

Simon smiled blissfully.

***

A vacation that lasted about two weeks.

After I finished taking care of the things I had to do like last vacation, I spent my time reminiscing with people I hadn’t seen in a while.

I had a meal at home with my mother, who is my family, and Jiwoo, who has become like family to me, and I went to the Griffith Observatory with Alexa on a night opening day and looked at the stars to my heart’s content, just like in ‘About T’.

And today was the day I met my scalp.

‘Originally, Jiwoo and Alexa were going to be included here too.’

When we suggested that we stop by the comic book store first, the two of them suddenly hit it off and went off to buy clothes separately.

I smiled bitterly as I waited for the scalp at the bus stop.

‘I miss the old days.’

Neither of us were really interested in fashion, so that day we would go to the comic book store without any hesitation.

Before we knew it, both Claire and Jaina had become adults.

“Huhhu······.”

But isn’t that also life?

I waited for the scalp to arrive, wasting time in vain thoughts.

And after a few buses passed by, a commotion could be heard in the distance.

“Oh, that car is nice.”

“What was that name? There was a lot of talk about it before.”

“······?”

An un-American reaction, completely uninterested in other people’s business and stained with individualism (which is prejudice).

I turned my head wondering what was going on and was met with a shocking sight.

‘That car!’

It’s crazy.

I never thought I would return to the past and face the real thing.

Delorean DMC-12.

The car, with its stainless steel-colored grand tourer style, felt very futuristic due to its exquisite harmony of straight lines and curves.

This vehicle, produced only from 1981 to 1983, won the hearts of Americans at the time with its upward-opening gull-wing doors. It was a vehicle with a very groundbreaking design in many ways.

However, due to various problems, it was not able to settle in the market, and is now discontinued due to financial failure.

The reason why I remember it in such detail is… It was a very simple reason.

The masterpiece of the century, ‘Back to the Future’, which will be released three months from now.

It was a huge hit at the time of its release, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it left its mark on film history.

‘It’s a very meaningful work even in the SF genre.’

And the vehicle that appears as a time machine in that work was none other than the DeLorean.

‘Wow, is this really crazy?’

Oh, I should have bought that.

I felt the ‘Nerd’s heart’ inside me being lit.

Who on earth is that person driving that car?

As I was looking on with envy, a car slowly approached and stopped in front of me.

The partially openable window of the Delorean rolled down, revealing Dr. Brown, or rather, Dr. Kingston, wearing sunglasses.

‘Why are you here······?’

“Two, scalp?”

“Ready to ride?”

Are you ready to ride?

That’s obvious!

“Hey, where did you get this?”

“Shh, I’ll explain later. Get in quickly.”

Damn, am I going to leave for the future like this?

Yes, Doofy is a regressor like me! Otherwise, there would be no reason to buy a Delorean DMC-12 at this exquisite time! So you’ve mastered all things nerdy!

I pressed the gull-wing door and it opened. Unable to contain my excitement, I ran as fast as I could like Marty McFly from Back to the Future, got in the car, and closed the door.

“Are you crazy?!”

“Haha, do you like it?”

“Where did you get this?! How did you end up buying it?!”

“I also need a car to commute to work, so I went to a used car showroom with my father and stopped there.”

The scalp pushed up the glasses, no, sunglasses.

“This guy called me for some reason. Half of my salary is being spent on this.”

“······Scalp.”

I opened my mouth carefully.

“You will never regret it. It was a great decision.”

In three months, Doofy would go from being a true cowboy to a cowboy-god.

“Huh, God. Are you ready?”

“Wh, what preparations?”

“Ready to run······towards the sunset.”

“Oh, of course!”

I screamed in excitement.

Boooooooooooo-!!

After running 30 meters with a loud noise, Dorian immediately turned right and stopped in front of the comic book store. Doofy asked me to guide him to park, so I got out of the car and shouted, “Orai, ori.” so that he could safely park Dorian in the parking lot attached to the comic book store.

“······.”

As expected, movies and reality are different.

Well, the original destination was a comic book store.

“Whew, that was a great drive.”

Dupi got out of the car with satisfaction. He had already changed into his usual glasses.

“Shall we go? God.”

We entered the comic book store with confident steps.

And inside, as always, was Bill, the comic book store elf, and I waved and said hello.

“Hello, Bee-.”

He was the first to jump up from his newspaper before he could even add two Ls to the end of his name.

“god?!”

“uh······.”

The air inside was stirring.

I had a bad feeling about this since Alexa and Jiwoo didn’t come together.

“What?! God has come?!”

“god!!”

“Everyone come out! God has come!!”

Boom, boom.

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard from inside the comic book store and a bunch of nerd guys came running out.

I could roughly understand the situation from the sight of Bill and everyone else holding various newspapers in their hands, and I smiled bitterly and turned to Dupi, who was next to me.

“······Scalp.”

“What the heck. God.”

“I’m just looking around first.”

Because I think it will take some time.

I should have expected this to happen.

Doopy nodded and asked.

“Lastly, if you need anything.”

“Spider-Man New Issue and the new Detective Rem series that just came out.”

“Ah, I’ll leave it to you.”

Immediately after those words, the scalp retreated.

“What the hell is this?!”

“There’s a new novel coming out?! Why didn’t you tell us!!”

“’Country of losers’?! What’s it about?! Spoilers please!”

I felt like I was going to die from the barrage of questions that poured in without fail.

End

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