You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 108



Only Noblemtl

Episode 108 One Above All

The day after receiving the Brave Citizen Award.

I opened my eyes on the sofa in my parents’ house.

Next to the sofa, there was a pile of honey, fruit, and rice that the elders had given me.

‘… … What is that? Idain will probably eat it all up.’

I would be completely satisfied with just a reward of 5 million won.

While I was staggering and preparing to go to work.

Tiring!

For the first time in my life, an alarm went off on Inbyeolgram.

[euseption: It’s been a while, Sanha! I’m Lee Seojin. Do you remember me? I was the one sitting next to you in high school, Deokgu ㅋㅋ]

[euseption: no insurance, no water purifier, no jade plate, no guarantee, no loan, no religious solicitation, whatever, I didn’t contact you for anything weird ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[euseption: I suddenly remembered the promise I had with you last night, but I had no way to contact you, so I’m contacting you this morning via Instagram DM.]

[euseption: Oh damn, why doesn’t Instargram have a message deletion feature? ㅋㅋㅋ It’s so frustrating]

High school classmate ‘Lee Seo-jin’.

It was a name I had completely forgotten, so I was happy and surprised at the same time.

‘If it’s a promise I remembered last night, is this guy the monthly quest reward…?’

Although it was a bit of an awkward meeting, I also felt excited.

Because a friend who had previously shared the second prize in the Tutto lottery suddenly showed up like this.

I replied as I left the house.

[Lee San-ha: Long time no see. How have you been?]

[euseption: What am I going to dig up lol I’m writing a web novel and it’s not easy lol]

[Lee San-ha: You liked writing, so you chose that career path. I used to read the novels you wrote and found them quite interesting.]

[euseption: Don’t dig up my dark historyㅋㅋㅋ Anyway, there’s a reason I contacted you… … Can I talk to you?]

Since I was commuting to work from my parents’ house, I had plenty of time.

I gave Lee Seo-jin my phone number.

Soon, an unknown number appeared on my phone.

As soon as I pressed the receive button, I heard Lee Seo-jin’s voice.

[I’m writing a new piece these days?]

The way of speaking, without formality, and getting straight to the point, was still the same.

“Really? I hope there will be a blockbuster novel like ‘Third Person Reader’s Viewpoint’ or ‘Volcano Returns’.”

[Hahahaha! That would be great too, but that’s not the genre I’m trying to write about in the first place. It’s a modern fantasy with a slightly light feel. I think it would be nice if readers could enjoy it lightly with healing and a little laughter.]

I don’t know much about the web novel market.

But I can’t treat a classmate I haven’t seen in a long time coldly.

I decided to give it a proper pat on the back.

“Healing is good. What are the settings?”

[The setting is forced and brain dead, but it’s pretty funny. The main character receives promises from people and forces them to fulfill them. There’s a status window in front of him that only he can see, and he uses that to carry out his promises.]

Lee Seo-jin said something shocking.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“… … .”

As if I had been sucked into water.

It was as if I had fallen into the deep sea and my lungs were completely compressed.

[The intention behind the plan was nothing special. Everyone gets upset when a promise they cherish is ignored, right? And it’s annoying when people try to make up for it with empty words… … I thought a lot of people would be able to relate to it. I also thought it would scratch people’s itch.]

“… … Really? I see.”

I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t speak.

Lee Seo-jin spoke in a voice that exuded peace.

[Pretty good, huh? At first, he worked at a convenience store, but the boss almost stole his holiday pay, and he was stressed out because of the boss’s girlfriend, right? But once he got his powers, he started acting like a real person. He even got his money back from his friend, and what the? Oh, right! He even got his share of the lottery winnings that he had just said he would split. It all started like that―.]

“Ugh. Okay, wait a minute. I feel a little dizzy.”

[Are you okay? Your voice suddenly got really bad.]

“… … It’s nothing.”

[Take care of yourself, Inma. These days, there are a lot of people who pass away at a young age. Among the people I know, there was someone who said, “I have a bad headache~ I have a bad headache~” and then suddenly passed away. He was only 24 years old.]

I got goosebumps when the topic of conversation changed to headaches while talking about ‘promise keeping ability’.

Today I learned for the first time that a mental shock alone can cause one’s physical condition to deteriorate so rapidly.

After a while, Lee Seo-jin continued speaking.

[Actually, I was inspired by you when I was writing this piece. I thought you were a very unique person because you kept your promises so well that it was almost old-fashioned. That’s why I made that promise when I was in high school.]

“What promise?”

[When I write a novel, I will definitely write you as the main character at least once.]

I don’t know whether to call this feeling ominous or unpleasant.

A feeling of frustration choked my throat, as if my fate was being decided in Lee Seo-jin’s hands.

[But well. Since it’s a healing story, it won’t lead to a development where the main character is in danger. Even if they meet annoying villains, they’ll quickly resolve things with a promise. Rather than a serious development, I think it would be better for the readers to see a development where they achieve small happiness.]

“That’s a good idea! You have to write it like that!”

When I suddenly shouted, people in the subway turned to look at me.

I turned my head slightly and avoided eye contact.

Lee Seo-jin’s laughter could be heard from the other end of the phone.

[Why are you suddenly yelling? But it’s surprisingly okay for the main character to die in a somewhat shocking way.]

“No, no! Don’t do that!”

[Oh, look at this guy. Why is he so excited? Does he want to see the manuscript?!]

I don’t want to see it because I’m scared.

There was just one thing I was curious about.

‘Maybe we can know the future through this child’s manuscript?’

I asked Lee Seo-jin.

“What are you writing now…? How far have you gotten?”

[The main character caught a bank robber and was stuck until he went to work the next day. Ah. Was the explanation in the beginning too lacking?]

Enough is enough.

I didn’t think I needed to hear the explanation in the beginning.

“Then, what will happen next? You must have some major events in mind, right?”

[That’s right~ I’m not the type to start off by just planning out the whole story. I think the main character will continue working as a reporter, meet more people, and build more relationships. That’s roughly it.]

Even the work of a reporter is the same.

Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll get the answer you want.

Suddenly, Lee Seo-jin spoke loudly.

[Oh, but one thing is certain!]

“What is it?”

[I plan to make some progress with the heroine soon.]

“… …Heroine?”

[Well, hey, well, I don’t think you’ll understand even if I explain it, so I’m hesitant to explain it in detail. Anyway, there was a character who had been lukewarm for a while, but I’m going to make him completely fall for the main character through an episode that’s coming out soon.]

“Is that episode the next one? Or is it a bit later?”

[I don’t know. I often insert good material into the middle of an episode before writing it.]

“How many episodes of the work you’re currently writing do you plan on writing until then?”

[Until all materials are gone?]

“I’m sorry, but… Could you write something like 100,000 chapters? It would be better if it was longer than that.”

[Hahahahaha! What are you talking about? Your jokes have gotten a lot better, haven’t they?]

“Then at least give it a ‘they lived happily ever after’ ending. Please.”

[Why are you suddenly so serious? Anyway… … I also like happy endings, so I think it might end up like that. But I also heard that a well-written ending is also a condition for a masterpiece―.]

“Don’t do that! If you do, I’ll sue you!”

[Somehow, this has gotten sooooooooooo long… … I’m thinking about submitting the manuscript I’ve written so far? But after thinking about it last night, I thought I’d probably need permission since it has your name on it and the work was inspired by you. Can I submit it like this?]

Now it seemed as if I could clearly see the true nature of the promise.

‘Publishing’ a novel in which I am the main character.

It seems that the promise was carried out at the exact moment of ‘publishing the novel’, separate from what had been in the works for a long time.

“Do whatever you want. But please make sure it ends happily… .”

[Good! I finally got the protagonist’s consent.]

Because he’s the main character.

Certainly, from my perspective, it would be an autobiography rather than a novel.

There are still a lot of things I want to ask, but it’s almost time to go to work.

I decided to ask one last thing before hanging up the phone.

“What is the name of the novel you are writing?”

[『』]

“… … What a strange sense.”

[Hahahaha! That’s just how it is. Anyway, Sanha, before I hang up, I want to say this.]

“Yeah, what is it?”

[I’ve always thought that there should be more people like you in the world! How beautiful the world would be if it were filled with people who kept even the smallest promises to the point of being foolish. There would be no fights, no one to get upset about. Because no one would make ‘bad promises’, even if it’s just empty words.]

I can’t get used to it when my friend, who was always smiling and chatting, suddenly starts talking seriously.

[In the end, you are my ideal human being. And yet, you are an ordinary person, and yet, you are someone that everyone likes. So, I want other people to like you too. I want them to feel good about you, and I want them to want to be like you.]

What are you talking about all of a sudden?

A tone of voice that makes me doubt whether what he is saying to me is right.

[So, Sanha, don’t worry about anything. You will be happy in the future.]

“Uh… … Are you talking about a novel now?”

[It’s nice to be able to talk like this. Have a good day at work. I hope you have a fun and wonderful day today.]

“for a moment-.”

Bang!

I woke up to a loud noise.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was on the sofa at my parents’ house.

Next to him was a pile of honey, fruit, and rice that he had received from the elders.

My whole body was drenched in cold sweat and I had a hard time coming to my senses.

A loud noise continued in a hazy state, as if one had been drinking alcohol.

Bang!

“Ahhhh-! Late again-! Damn it!”

It was the sound of Ida In opening and closing the bathroom door with such force that it seemed as if it would break down the room.

I picked up my phone and checked my call list.

If it was natural, then it would have been natural.

Lee Seo-jin’s phone number was not on the recent calls list.

The last call was from Kim Tae-kyung.

Just in case, I also tried Inbyeolgram.

But the DM that came to Lee Seo-jin did not exist.

“Haaah… … .”

Maybe it’s because I’ve been experiencing so many strange things lately, but I’ve been having some really strange dreams.

Since I was thinking of Lee Seo-jin, I decided to call Kim Tae-kyung.

[Hey, who is this! Isn’t it the mountain god!]

“Hey. Do you remember Lee Seo-jin? The kid who sat next to me in high school.”

[Hmm? I know. He had a good personality and was a fun guy… … .]

“… … was it? Why are you speaking in the past tense?”

[Oh, what’s up? Haven’t you heard the news? I heard he died earlier this year? Did he have some kind of problem with his head? Even though he’s really young, you shouldn’t let your guard down. You should exercise hard and take care of your health regularly.]

It feels like I got hit in the head with a hammer.

A phone call from a dead friend.

Why did a friend whose name is even vague appear in my dream?

I agreed with Kim Tae-kyung’s words and then hung up the phone.

A confused mind cannot be organized.

Right then.

Tiring!

The notification on my phone rang.

I was so surprised that I ended up dropping my phone.

“… … .”

A strong sense of foreboding.

I can’t reach my phone.

I wonder if I got another Instagram DM from someone I don’t know.

It’s unlikely, but the dream is so real that it’s hard to just reach out.

After taking a deep breath.

I carefully picked up my phone and checked the screen.

[Hee-yeon Ahn: Long time no see. I know you’ve been very busy lately, but by any chance… … .]

“Wheww… … .”

Only after confirming the name can a sigh of relief escape.

A dream is a dream.

There’s no way you’re getting a call from an account that doesn’t exist.

‘I think Lee Seo-jin said something would happen soon… … No. Dreams are just dreams.’

I shook my head to clear my mind of distracting thoughts.

Then I focused on KakaoTalk again.