Novelist Running Through Time - Chapter 197



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The Novelist Who Leapt Through Time Episode 197

Since ancient times, it has been customary to hold prestigious literary awards ceremonies in hotels.

Celebrities and reporters from all walks of life are invited, and plaques are awarded to literary prize winners under a shower of flashlights and colorful lighting.

This is a tradition that originated in Japan, and even now, Japan’s leading literary award ceremonies are usually held at hotel convention centers.

Please note that the Japan referred to here is not ‘the State of Japan’ but the ‘Empire of Japan’.

So maybe…

“Isn’t this also a scar that the Japanese colonial rule left behind on this land?”

“You’re being so fucking rude.”

Park Chang-woon, who was wearing the ‘elegant old gentleman’ skin rather than the ‘short-lived killer’ skin, was drinking water with dignity and telling me not to be a jerk.

However, Park Chang-woon’s evaluation aside, I think there is a problem with holding the literary award ceremony in a hotel.

The reason why Japan holds its literary awards in hotels is because old Japan (empire) imitated Western culture.

Therefore, if you look closely, the formula is a Western culture.

There is absolutely no Korean beauty to be found.

Since ancient times, in Joseon, literary style and rites and music were encouraged, and if a person with a profound scholarly flavor could be felt in his or her poetry, he or she would be appointed to a government position.

So, following the tradition of our ancestors, if you write well, wouldn’t it be right to give you a government position rather than a literary award?

“I think I will be satisfied if I get a level 5 civil servant job. Oh, public companies are good too… ”

“Then I am the Minister of Culture.”

“… ?”

As I was wasting time talking nonsense with former Minister of Culture Park Chang-woon, I suddenly heard a sweet voice coming from behind.

“Oh my, what are you two talking about so intimately?”

When I looked back, I saw Gu Yubin wearing a navy blue evening dress, smiling brightly.

EP 12–Marionette

“ah! Yubin?”

“Hello professor.”

“Wow, it was so obvious I almost didn’t recognize it. At this level, I can get married! Ah, I guess I wasn’t very generous with the compliment just now… ?”

“Ahaha, you meant it well, but what?”

Dresses are a fashion that is difficult to encounter in everyday life. The dresses that can be seen most often are wedding dresses.

Other dresses are, at best, costumes worn by actresses who appear at award ceremonies on TV, but even these are burdensome for the average person to wear.

But Gu Yubin was not an ordinary person either.

In my memory, both in the past and now, Gu Yu-bin, who is active as a half-writer and half-celebrity, wore the dress perfectly like an actress participating in an awards ceremony.

I am confident that my insight is accurate as I have seen the Cannes Film Festival with my own eyes. The aura felt by Gu Yu-bin was that of an active celebrity.

At that time, Park Chang-woon grinned and poked my side with his elbow.

“Isn’t this man of literature saying nothing? “Are you in love?”

“What is infatuation…?” ”

It was truly unthinkable for me to feel a romantic attraction towards Gu Yubin.

Even though Gu Yu-bin looks fine on the outside, I know how cruel she would be if her only younger brother suddenly brought in a skeletal orphan from no where he came from as her boyfriend.

The reason why I had been strangely weak in front of Gu Yu-bin was because Gu Yu-bin’s appearance during high school days was too similar to the Gu Yu-na I knew.

But what about Gu Yubin now?

Now, it was difficult to say that it was ‘guyuna-like’ anymore.

The face is also a face, but first of all, the height has grown too much.

Therefore, there is no need for me to criticize Gu Yubin anymore.

I was trying to harshly shoot back with all the strange feelings and ill-feelings I had been holding in my heart –

‘what?’

-It stopped.

I accepted the fact that the Gu Yuna of my memories and the Gu Yuna of today may have different aspects.

So, are my current ill feelings towards Gu Yu-bin really justified?

Perhaps, there is proof that Gu Yubin Has A Heart exists somewhere in this world?

This thought suddenly crossed my mind, and I ended up hesitating.

However, Gu Yubin, who saw such hesitation, did not remain still.

“Ugh-”

Gu Yubin, who was sitting next to me, quickly poked my side with her finger.

“Why is our ghostwriter Inseop so silent?”

“Isn’t there any?”

“Could it be that you fell in love with this older sister?”

“Are you in love?”

Gu Yubin was talking nonsense and poking her side with her finger.

For your information, the person who imitates Gu Yu-bin’s nonsense like a round song is Park Chang-woon.

Park Chang-woon imitated Gu Yu-bin and nudged the side opposite to me.

“Ugh… Well, stop… ”

I had no choice but to cover myself with a blanket and crouch down as violence came from all directions, just like when I was in middle school, not Baekhak Presbyterian Middle School.

It’s even sadder because I got hit with my finger. In her head, the jammins were shouting, ‘Jigun! A voice shouting ‘Jigeon!’ was heard…

Then, suddenly, I came to my senses.

“… … “You never know?”

“huh? what?”

On the surface, the reason I stayed away for half a year was because Gu Yuna confessed and attacked me.

Of course, shady people like Lim Yang-wook seemed to realize that there was a deeper reason, but that was how it seemed on the outside anyway.

So, of course, Gu Yu-bin said in front of me, ‘Ah- what if I become In-seop’s first love? I can’t make drips like ‘It’s difficult~’.

This is especially true since it involves his younger brother.

“… … ah.”

I noticed that Gu Yuna did not reveal the details of the situation to her family.

“is it… You don’t know… ”

“huh? “What do I not know?”

It’s a bit embarrassing to say that my boyfriend went on a hiatus for half a year when I confessed to him.

I decided to protect Gu Yuna’s privacy.

“You don’t need to know. “At least for now.”

“W-what is it… ? “What’s going on?”

“hmm. You can’t keep it a secret forever, but now is not the right time. It would be best to keep this secret a secret for the time being. Until the time comes… ”

“ah! What is it? I’m worried! tell me!”

“I don’t think I can give you the answer you want. Let’s leave this story here… ”

After saying that, I turned my head.

Gu Yu-bin urged me to the back of my head a few times, then looked back at Park Chang-woon and complained.

“professor! “Hey, what are you talking about?”

“is it… You don’t know… ”

“… ?!”

* * *

The tradition of holding literary award ceremonies in hotels is actually gradually disappearing.

Of course, there is no reason to say something.

First of all, the number of reporters flocking to the literary award ceremony has decreased to the point where it cannot fill the hotel convention center, and it has also become difficult for the organizers to mobilize sufficient financial resources.

If you don’t have money and are selling literary awards for money, wouldn’t it be a shame to hold the literary award ceremony at a hotel?

Of course, literary prizes that do not have to worry about financial resources are also gradually becoming reluctant to use places called ‘hotels’.

This is because MZ is not possible.

Hotels are basically authoritative places. And that authority comes from spending money.

A space that boasts prices that are much higher than the general market price, and therefore out of reach of the common people.

That financial gap is the essence of the aura of a hotel space.

Therefore, literary awards with sufficient literary authority moved their award ceremony locations to architecturally beautifully designed bookstores or Korean restaurants.

Literary awards held by newspapers are increasingly held at the newspaper’s headquarters.

However, if you need to spend money to create authority, a hotel is the perfect place.

And the Baekhak Group was not without authority but without money.

This is why the is held at the hotel.

“-I am delighted to present the award. Now, let me tell you. The 14th Baekhak Literary Award, the grand prize is… !”

Actually, I have never participated in the Baekhak Literary Award. He has never even been mentioned as a candidate. This is because it is too close to the Baekhak Group.

But that is a story about ‘now’.

In the old days, I once won the Baekhak Literary Award.

The Baekhak Literary Award was the first major literary award I won. This is the literary award that brought me to the literary world. I also met Yangwook Lim at that time.

It felt like my life, which had been trapped in darkness, was escaping into a space full of light, and Gu Yuna also shared the joy with me.

With the sound of camera shutters like the sound of rain, the feeling of walking up to the podium’s colorful spotlight and holding a heavy award made of crystal in your arms…

It gave me an emotion that can only be felt at that moment.

I will never forget that moment in my life.

Not long after that, my life fell into the abyss again.

Anyway, it was nice to meet Baekhak Literary Award again, like seeing the face of an old friend.

“Congratulations! Gu Yu-bin from !”

Even if the plaque is held in the arms of someone other than me.

okay. I knew it from the beginning.

Today’s main character is Gu Yu-bin, and I am just a bridesmaid who makes her shine.

But as I see what was once my greatest happiness shining brightly in someone else’s arms, faint memories of old times prick my heart.

Baekhak Literary Award…

The joy of rolling around the single room, hugging that smooth crystal plaque.

I wanted to show off my friends in the neighborhood, so I joined SNS for the first time in my life. I secretly placed it next to the cup ramen and posted it as a picture of today’s dinner, but I remember getting scolded by Yuna Yu and closing my account.

Now I have to send it to you.

“I loved you… ”

“… ?”

Although Park Chang-woon looked at me like I was a weirdo, the Baekhak Literary Award was a precious treasure in my life.

It would be difficult to find such a sparkling moment in my life.

It actually did.

Because neither I nor the current Baekhak Literary Award were as sparkling as they were back then.

There’s no need to say that I’ve become a swarthy bastard, but the Baekhak Literary Award didn’t seem as shiny as it seemed at the time.

This is because I realized the political dynamics of literature.

In fact, today’s awards ceremony was also planned and planned from the beginning.

Gu Yu-bin did not win the literary award in an illegal way, but once the award was confirmed, it was all directed.

The publishing management division needed a second writer, and the closest one was Goo Yu-bin.

So, he took me, who had just killed Manjong, and made me sit as a bridesmaid, and created for the whole world the picture of Gu Yubin defeating me.

Then, unlike me, the stock price of Goo Yu-bin, who is compliant in business terms, rises, and another useful weapon in the published book is sharpened…

This was the painting that Yangwook Lim planned.

And for that to happen, it would be better for Goo Yu-bin and I to compete fiercely until the end to raise the issue, so after the awards ceremony was over, I was also given a shiny crystal plaque.

There is no separate name such as the Gold Award or the Silver Award, it is simply the Baekhak Literary Award.

It feels like there is only one grand prize, and the rest of the candidates are lumped together as ‘award’.

If you pick second or third place for no reason, it will only hurt your feelings, so it’s a smart use of your brain.

Anyway, this Baekhak Literary Award’s ‘General Award’ is the first ‘domestic major literary award’ received in this timeline…

“If this is the case, have I now succeeded in officially debuting?”

“That’s right. By the way, did you think you, the nosy people, would sit down and claim a literary award as a writer? mind! “I’ve just arrived on the scene, so I’d like to ask the elder for a drink!”

Park Chang-woon, who returned from the role of an old gentleman to a short-lived killer, grinned and threw in some black humor.

As someone who was fired due to abusive language just a week after being appointed as minister, it was a joke that would have been beaten up if caught by a reporter.

But fortunately, there were only people I knew here, so I smiled and poured a glass of soju for Park Chang-woon.

“Hey, isn’t it true that a writer has followed this pattern once or twice? Honestly, turn yourself in. “When did you learn to drink?”

“At Saebitneulbom Orphanage, children start learning how to drink the day before they start elementary school.”

Leaving behind Park Chang-woon, who was bursting out laughing, I picked up a piece of sizzling pork belly and placed it on top of the rice.

Then, pick up some ssamjang with chopsticks and put it on top of the meat, add a piece of garlic that has been properly cooked, put it on top of the rice, and take a bite.

“Uhm-”

The pork belly I ate at the company dinner was amazing.

Since it was a dinner party , Gu Yubin was also at one table, but fortunately she was not wearing the navy blue evening dress that the stylist had carefully prepared for the media.

Goo Yu-bin, who returned to college student fashion, made eye contact with me for a moment, smiled awkwardly, and said something that adults would say to children.

“Well, I ate a lot… ”

And then he awkwardly avoids my gaze until the end, doesn’t he?

“What is it? “What about that awkward look?”

Fortunately, Gu Yu-bin said, ‘I see… You don’t know… ‘ Instead of replying, I gave her an honest answer.

“Hmm, what should I say. After receiving it, a thought occurred to me: can I really receive this? Because I wanted to… ”

Gu Yu-bin seemed a little uncomfortable with the fact that she beat me to win the Baekhak Literary Award.

Unlike Lim Yang-wook, who had an open conscience and asked for understanding and asked for cooperation despite the fact that it was a game of blatant manipulation, Gu Yu-bin’s manager seemed to be a slightly more delicate person.

Right before I said, “I don’t need to worry about that.”

Gu Yubin’s father came forward first.

“yes. Literary awards are meaningless.”

“ah… ”

“The important thing is whether you are proud of your accomplishments.”

Gu Hak-jun, who was sitting next to Gu Yu-bin, smiled kindly and patted Gu Yu-bin on the shoulder.

“I was a little worried that you would become arrogant after receiving the award, but I am glad that you have learned a very good lesson.”

“ah… ”

“Awards are given by others, but the real evaluation is made by oneself. So there is no need to cling to the prize or be swayed.”

While Gu Yu-bin is looking at her father with reverence for the first time in a while.

I asked Gu Hak-jun.

“So what happened to Booker International?”

“Don’t ask…” ”

Gu Hak-jun lowered his head sullenly.