293 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Gift – 4 "So So? How are you here?" Im Ha Yeon thought she was seeing things when Ha So So suddenly appeared. "I came to visit you! And to explore the infinite, of course!" "So, the guest you mentioned..." Indeed, she'd be happy to meet such a guest. Im Ha Yeon sighed softly, recalling Kang Yun Ho's playful smile. "Unniiiii!" Ha So So approached Im Ha Yeon with her characteristic playful voice, linking arms with her and looking up with a cheeky grin. "Why, why do you cling to me like this?" "So, how far did things progress with the store manager?" "P-Progress? Why would you ask that?" "Come on. Two lonely souls in a foreign place, overcoming hardships together by moving to the city of Infinite! Just their eyes meeting could spark passion! It’s just like a novel, isn’t it?" "N-Nothing happened." Various memories flitted through Im Ha Yeon's mind, but she awkwardly denied them. "Oh, come on. Just tell me. It’s just us here. What's the big deal? This seems to be Kang's room, though. Are you perhaps staying in the same room?" Ha So So wasn't one to miss Im Ha Yeon's awkward denial. She gestured to the bed behind a partition in the corner of the office and asked with a mischievous grin unbecoming of her age. "My room is next door." "Sigh. I was foolish to expect anything like that from you, unni." A disappointed sigh escaped Ha So So's lips. "What did you say?" "Nothing. I just thought that since you weren't married, you wouldn't share a room with him. But when you two are together... have you ever looked at the moon together and whispered sweet nothings?" Ha So So covered one of Im Ha Yeon's ears with her hand, whispering as if she were impersonating Kang Yun Ho. "M-Maybe?" They had seen the moon while working late and had shared intimate conversations. Could those be considered sweet whispers between lovers? Im Ha Yeon agreed awkwardly, overwhelmed by sudden embarrassment. "Ah! So, when the mood was just right, you looked at the moon and then each other and shared a kiss?" "N-No, we didn’t do that." "Sigh..." A sigh even more chilling than before escaped from Ha So So. "Why are you sighing like that?" "No, it's just...it's so like you, unni. So, have you at least held hands?" Sharing a room is for married couples. A kiss is for those who are promised to wed. Still, even those who lack common sense would sneak a handhold if their hearts were aligned. Ha So So asked Im Ha Yeon expectantly. "..." Im Ha Yeon glanced away shyly. "Unni, surely not?" Ha So So covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide in disbelief. "W-We held sleeves." "What, are you a child?!" Ha So So's frustrated cry echoed throughout the room. "So So, it’s not like that..." "What do you mean it’s not! Two lonely souls in a foreign land, they ought to have touched hands! Gotten closer, lips touching, and all that leading to lying in bed together!" "So So, why are you getting so intense?" "I'm not the intense one, you're the one driving me to it! Argh, seriously!" Ha So So pressed her heated forehead with a hand, overcome with frustration. "..." Im Ha Yeon felt a pang of guilt at her reaction and remained silent. "If I knew it was going to be like this, I should have gone with you." Ha So So screamed silently as she watched the frustratingly slow-moving couple. How had things not progressed without her, the relationship guru, around? She need to give them a crash course in romance. Ha So So looked at Im Ha Yeon with determined eyes. Though she usually enjoyed meddling in other people’s affairs, especially when the couple seemed destined for each other, she felt there was a legitimate reason this time. "Uh... unni, do you have some kind of worry?" Just as Ha So So resolved to give a big lecture, she noticed the worry etched all over Im Ha Yeon's face. "I... No, it's nothing." Im Ha Yeon hesitated as if she had something to say, then quickly shut her mouth. "Tell me. Who else can you talk to if not me?" Should she say it? This was her only confidant when it came to worries about men. Im Ha Yeon pondered for a moment before finally opening up about her greatest concern. "...Actually." ---------------------------------------- "Je Gal Se set up a matchmaking meeting with his youngest daughter and Store Manager Kang? Unni, are you joking?" Ha So So was so shocked that she couldn’t close her eyes or mouth at the unexpected news. "...It's true." "And you just let it happen? You should've cried, gotten angry, or, I don't know, just taken him to bed!" "Why do you keep insisting on taking him to bed?!" "Unni, think about it! Does Manager Kang strike you as the type to irresponsibly abandon his woman?" "No, once he decides someone is his person, he carries the burden with a smile, no matter how hard it is." "Oh my goodness! Knowing that, you should've sealed the deal in bed then! Since you're going to marry him anyway, he would've refused a matchmaking meeting, regardless of whether it was Je Gal Se or Sama Se!" "I can't. Not like that." Im Ha Yeon lowered her shoulders, a bitter smile gracing her lips. "Now’s the time for cunning strategies… unni?" "There’s an absolute reason why I can’t." She was a runaway courtesan. Im Ha Yeon knew better than anyone her worth. For a courtesan, consummating brings a fate that can only occur once in a lifetime. If someone did that without paying a price? The runaway courtesan would still face a dreadful fate but would probably keep her life. However, the man would never be spared. Im Ha Yeon had seen and heard enough of what happened to a man who took a runaway courtesan. "Right. So using my body is a no-go! Conquer him with love, not with the body!" Though Ha So So didn’t fully grasp the situation, she quickly adjusted her stance, comforting Im Ha Yeon. "..." Im Ha Yeon felt grateful for young Ha So So's thoughtfulness, her eyes curling into a smile. "Since I'm already in Infinite, I'll do my best to help you, unni!" Ha So So clenched her fists and said determinedly, having mulled over her thoughts. "What do you intend to do?" "Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will win one hundred battles. I'm going to meet her." "Meet who?" "That lady, Je Gal Hyang." "Whaaat?" "I'm going to stealthily check out the Da Seo Gak branch right now!" ************ "Gang Gong Ja, welcome." At the entrance of the bustling streets. Reaching the meeting place, Kang Yun Ho saw people from Man Geum Jeon Jang waiting. "Hello. It seems I've kept the Man Geum Jeon Jang members waiting. You look familiar, though we haven't met before." He greeted the young man who first recognized him. He seemed to be the group’s representative, yet looked oddly familiar. "Haha. You must have met my father, the head of Man Geum Jeon Jang. I am his son, Jeon Un Yeob." Maybe it’s because he’s the head’s son, but he reminds Kang Yun Ho of a friend who would enthusiastically code after leaving work at 4 a.m. and returning the same morning—someone who’d joke about switching jobs after a project concluded. Is he doing well, one wonders? "Nice to meet you. But where is Miss Je Gal Hyang?" Kang Yun Ho looked around, trying to spot the most important person he was supposed to meet today. Surely she’s not hiding in a box somewhere... "About that..." "Ahem!" The Man Geum Jeon Jang members nearby offered awkward coughs and expressions at his query. "Hmm?" Has something happened? Kang Yun Ho looked at Jeon Un Yeob with a puzzled expression, prompting him to explain with a troubled face. "She was waiting with us, but as the crowd’s attention suddenly focused on the lady, she said she was feeling dizzy..." "Ah..." Kang Yun Ho instantly imagined what might have happened. If someone as beautiful as Miss Je Gal Hyang stood in the middle of a crowded market, surely there'd be a whirlwind of attention. With no social skills or experience meeting people, she may have succumbed to the pressure like a salt-sprinkled snail. "We suggested she wait inside, but she insisted on entering with you, Gang Gong Ja, and her symptoms worsened..." "Haha." "She left to see a physician in a hurry, so it may take some time." "Then should I wait somewhere else for Miss Je Gal Hyang?" "No, she said she’d return to the Da Seo Gak branch, so please head inside." Kang Yun Ho nodded and followed the guidance of the Man Geum Jeon Jang members toward the much anticipated Da Seo Gak branch. ————— "This is the Da Seo Gak Infinite branch." "Wow..." Entering the building, larger than the Da Seo Gak at Eui Chang, Kang was greeted by an elegantly decorated bookstore. The exterior didn’t seem drastically different from Da Seo Gak, but the interior was on another level. At Eui Chang, Da Seo Gak had been renovated on a tight budget to function both as a bookstore and a café. Conversely, the Infinite branch seemed to spare no expense, with even the bookshelves radiating luxury. "The shelves, tables, and display stands use sturdy, high-quality wood to withstand heavy usage. As for the collections, we plan to stock popular books." Jeon Un Yeob explained the first floor to the amazed Kang Yun Ho. "The spacing between the tables holding the books is vast. It’d be more engaging if a customer could see a book title by merely turning their body." Kang Yun Ho finally closed his agape mouth and pointed out an area for improvement. "It’s not completed yet. Once Miss Je Gal Hyang arrives, please review it together, and we are open to modifications." It felt reminiscent of a snag list for new owners. Perhaps, if he had known, he would have brought an actual checklist. Kang Yun Ho observed the first floor absentmindedly. How much would it cost to purchase and furnish such a grand bookstore in the heart of Infinite Street? "The profits here could quickly..." "Gang Gong Ja." As Kang Yun Ho marveled, Jeon Un Yeob quietly approached him. "Yes?" "If I may, I have a small suggestion for you." With sincere humility, Jeon Un Yeob bent slightly as he spoke. "I’d appreciate any advice you could offer." With Kang Yun Ho's consent, Jeon Un Yeob seriously began as though prepared to lose his head for speaking out of turn. "Let’s not forget that the Infinite branch is a gift from Man Geum Jeon Ju to Miss Je Gal Hyang." A reminder to not overstep bounds since it's not really his. "If it's about profit distribution, Man Geum Jeon Ju instructed that it should be discussed and decided with the lady." I don’t care—I’m taking the money. "I don’t intend to argue over that point. But maybe you should reflect on what exactly you are undertaking, Gang Gong Ja." Jeon Un Yeob insinuated that Kang Yun Ho could end up in Man Geum Jeon Ju's bad books. But why would he say that? "Did Man Geum Jeon Ju personally mention anything?" "No." "Then why bring it up now?" "It's only natural for a sailor to be concerned about the ship." Jeon Un Yeob looked at him expectantly. "Pardon?" Sailor refers to a crew member... What is he getting at? "Haha. Since Man Geum Jeon Ju holds you in high regard, I’m offering this in goodwill, as someone within his household." Maybe it's an advisory from crew to a new passenger, preventing distress from the captain—Man Geum Jeon Ju. His expression seemed devoid of malice, rather full of concern. "It seems I'd better curtail my greed over unearned wealth." Even with the little interaction I’ve had with Man Geum Jeon Ju, I’ve endured his whims, so I can only imagine what it must be like for someone who has served him their entire life. I should take this advice to heart. "Yes. As long as you handle things reasonably, there shouldn't be any major issues. Don’t let a small sum sway you and miss a bigger opportunity." So, as long as I don’t do anything foolish, like coercing Je Gal Hyang into surrendering all profits, I should pass the test unscathed. Alright. That sounds promising. Reasonably. Without straying from Man Geum Jeon Ju's good graces. It sounds like I can take a cut from the Da Seo Gak branch’s profits without crossing any lines. "You don't need to worry much. I was planning to handle it reasonably from the start." "Really?" Because I've already got everything prepared.