The Great Storyteller

Chapter 315: The Attention Yun Woo Brought (6)

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

‘Finally! Yun Woo Makes an Appearance in ‘The Great Book Club!”

‘The Truth is Out! Sung Pil Appears in ‘The Great Book Club.”

‘A Special Guest? An Unexpected Appearance in the Yun Woo Special.’

‘Q&A Session in ‘The Great Book Club.’ Yun Woo Answers Burning Questions from his Fans.’

‘Who is Yun Woo? A Closer Look.’

‘The Youthfulness of a Twenty-Year-Old Author. ‘The Great Book Club’ Reveals the Mystery That Is Yun Woo’s Personal Life.’

‘First Entertainment Show Appearance! Yun Woo’s Eloquence Leaves Fans Charmed.’

‘The Secrets Behind Yun Woo’s Writing? A Closer Look at His Talent.’

‘A Closer Look at Yun Woo’s Spontaneous Ending for His Story at the Exhibition Event’s Presentation.’

‘Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Presentation? Yun Woo Shares His Experience.’

‘The Moment We’ve All Been Waiting For! Yun Woo Finally Appears on TV!’

‘”Alexandria” According to Yun Woo, and How He Approaches His Characters.’

‘The Fans React to ‘The Great Book Club: Yun Woo Special.’ The Show’s Viewership Hits an All-Time High!’

‘The Truth Behind Sung Pil’s Friendship with Yun Woo. Sung Pil Wasn’t Trying to Take Advantage of Their Friendship.’

‘Sung Pil Shares Information about His High School Friend, Yun Woo. Fans Fired Up with Excitement.’

‘Sung Pil’s Interview Prior to His Friendship with Yun Woo Going Public Revealed. ‘I Don’t Know Him in Person.”

”The Full Moon,’ by Hyun Do Lim, the Book That Left a Deep Impression on Yun Woo. What Is It About?’

‘Geun Woo Yoo, the Author Praised by Yun Woo. Who Is He? The Web Goes Wild.’

‘Geun Woo Yoo’s New Release on the Rise. What Happened?’

‘Geun Woo Yoo, a Pupil of Yun Seo Baek, Rises to Fame Overnight after Yun Woo’s Mention of Him.’

‘Who is Geun Woo Yoo? “We Wrote Together at One Point.” One of the Participating Authors of the Literary Magazine “The Beginning and the End.”‘

“Oh! Yun Woo! On TV! Finally!”

“He’s finally on ‘The Great Book Club!’ Pyung Jin Lee must be having the time of his life.”

“I wanted to see Yun Woo on that show so badly. It’s just priceless to see your favorite author on your favorite show.”

“The stuff they were talking about was really interesting too. Sung Pil was on the show too! It turns out, it was the reporter who stirred the pot.”

“Sung Pil probably went through hell after that. Poor guy.”

“I was watching his original interview, and the interviewer was trying so desperately to tie him to Yun Woo. What’s even more impressive is that Sung Pil doesn’t ever mention Yun Woo, not once.”

“I didn’t even know who that was. I just thought he was known for being Yun Woo’s friend.”

“That was the vibe that most articles up to this point gave off.”

“You know what’s funny? People were in love with him after his presentation at the exhibition event, but they start trash-talking the guy as soon as they found out that the two were friends.”

“Personally, I loved Sung Pil’s presentation. I believe the story is getting made into a book. It won’t be long before everyone realizes that he has more than what it takes to make it as an author, with or without Yun Woo.”

“Sung Pil was the first one to get people to cheer like that.”

“Am I the only one who’s in love with his eyebrows?”

“His eyebrows are hilarious. Apparently, Yun Woo has been staring at them the entire time they’ve known each other.”

“Can we talk about his age for a second? This guy is YOUNG. He’s super talented for his age. He just happened to debut at a bad time. As in, when Yun Woo’s around.”

“I agree. People tend to underestimate him, especially when he’s standing side-by-side with Yun Woo. He’s already publishing a second story at the age of twenty for goodness sake!”

“I just read Geun Woo Yoo’s book, actually. Super depressing, but super good. Now, I see why Yun Woo loves him so much.”

“I loved his book on cannibalism. I think it’s the epitome of who Geun Woo Yoo is as an author.”

“His books ARE depressing, but he takes something as jarring and frightening as cannibalism and creates something so beautifully harmonious.”

“His books are moving up lists across all online bookstores.”

“This goes to show how influential Yun Woo’s words can be. Let’s be honest, how many people even knew about him before Yun Woo brought up his name?”

“I’m sure there were quite a few people who’d read his short story in ‘The Beginning and the End,’ but it probably wasn’t all that popular.”

“Every single author in that magazine knows what they’re doing, so they each have their own fanbase. Personally, I’m on team Dae Soo Na.”

“I think it’s because Geun Woo Yoo debuted last of that group. He’s published the least number of books, too.”

“I fully intend on buying that book Yun Woo mentioned. I’d love to see more of Geun Woo Yoo’s books.”

—

“Thanks.”

At Geun Woo’s exceedingly serious and heavy tone of voice, Juho couldn’t help but chuckle.

“About what?”

“Giving me a shoutout.”

Geun Woo had been stoked as of late. Since the show had aired, Geun Woo had become one of the most popular names on the internet. His name was constantly being mentioned, even as he and Yun Woo were speaking, as people discussed his older stories and the new story that was about to be published.

“I’m not used to all this attention, but it sure feels good to get recognized,” Geun Woo said. However, his fame also meant that Juho wouldn’t be able to see his usually exhausted and depressed expression as much.

“I’ve never been gladder to know you,” Geun Woo said.

“I hardly did anything. I only brought up your name because you’re a good writer. Others who’ve read your books would agree with me.”

If Geun Woo hadn’t been all that great of a writer, it wouldn’t have occurred to Juho to even mention his name. Even if he had mentioned him then, the fans wouldn’t have responded even remotely as intensely as they were currently. Geun Woo’s recognition was the fruit of his labor.

“I guess that’s true,” Geun Woo said, chuckling awkwardly. Then, the air sank into silence shortly after. “My book is already going into its second printing, even when it’s still in the pre-order stage. This must be what it’s like to live in your world.”

As Geun Woo grew somber, Juho also remained quiet. Soon, along with some noise in the background, Geun Woo’s voice came from the receiver of Juho’s phone once again.

“But...” he said, sounding as depressed as his usual self. “If this book doesn’t do well, then none of this will last, will it?”

Blinking awkwardly for a brief moment, Juho replied, “That goes without saying.”

“Aghhh...!” Geun Woo let out.

“I thought you were confident in your book?”

“I was until suddenly I became the center of attention. I wasn’t expecting to be the talk of the town like this. You don’t think the book will flop, do you?”

“I doubt it. You put a lot of time and effort into it.”

“That, I did. I remember being satisfied with the result. My publisher liked the manuscript too. But why am I so anxious?”

“Beats me.”

“... You know what? It’s gonna be fine. I’m proud of how it turned out this time.”

As Juho listened to him haphazardly, he remembered Geun Woo’s past out of nowhere. Geun Woo had almost thrown the manuscript of his successful debut title away at one point. There was no end to his discouragement. In order to prevent him from getting any worse, Juho comforted him...

“It’ll be OK. Joon Soo thinks you did a remarkable job.”

“Does he now? When did he say this?... Wait, no, no. He knows me too well. There’s no way he looked at my writing from an objective perspective.”

... Although, his words turned out to be less than effective.

“What happens now?”

“What do you mean?”

“The pressure is getting unbearable! I feel like I’m getting crushed!”

‘I thought he was thanking me just me now,’ Juho thought to himself, confused.

“What if my book is a massive disappointment? What if I let everyone down?”

“Then, that’s that.”

“How are you so nonchalant!? Is it because it’s none of your business?”

“OK, Geun Woo, let’s think about your situation for a little bit. You were on cloud nine just now, but you got sad and depressed all of a sudden, right? That also means the opposite can happen. And, before you know it, you’ll start feeling better. You don’t have to make this harder for yourself.”

At that, Geun Woo’s frivolous response came from Juho’s receiver.

“I can’t take this! I’m still anxious and I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m gonna try giving my editor a ring. I’m hanging up, now. Thanks!”

Thanking Juho at the last minute, Geun Woo hung up the phone. ‘Guess that’s just who he is,’ Juho thought to himself, carelessly putting his phone on his desk, imagining Geun Woo regretting his attitude on the phone with Juho as his book turned into a massive success.

“All right then, time to get to work,” Juho said, stretching his hands and reaching for a pen. He had been in the middle of writing about freedom, writing down any sentence that came to mind. The bigger his stacks of failed manuscripts became, the closer he got to the release date of Geun Woo’s book.

—

“My books have been selling several times more than before,” Sung Pil said. Since the show had aired, his debut title had been selling at an increasing rate. After his appearance on ‘The Great Book Club,’ the rookie author had made several TV appearances, as well as a good number of interviews.

“I wasn’t expecting my book to become a bestseller after being on TV. I realized then just how powerful Yun Woo and the media could be. And how important it is to promote yourself.”

“The name Yun Woo is definitely a great promotional tool.”

“It is so weird. My story is getting printed in massive quantities, put on display in the most visible spots in bookstores. What’s even weirder is that people are buying it.”

Looking at Sung Pil, Juho asked, “You go to the bookstore a lot these days, huh?” Juho asked.

“... For this and that. While I’m there, I get some books.”

“I know where you’re coming from. I also used to go a lot when my book first came out.”

“A lot of people have been asking me about you...”

Because of his friendship with Yun Woo, Sung Pil quickly found himself being the main target of the curious fans who wanted to know more about his mysterious author friend. Not only were they curious about their stories, which they had mentioned on TV, but they also tried to get more information on Yun Woo through the rookie author.

“... But that’s nothing new.”

“You mean it’s happened before? When was this?” Juho asked, unsure as to when it could’ve happened. At which, Sung Pil replied in his usual brusque tone of voice, “Remember the time when I got your award instead of you in that contest? One of the professors who handed me the trophy had a lot of questions, asking me about your whereabouts, if you were really not at the ceremony, if I knew anything about you, or what you looked like.”

“This is the first time I’m hearing about this.”

“That’s because I’m telling it to you for the first time. I told him that I didn’t know, and that was when he congratulated me. I gotta say, those were probably the most insincere congratulations I’ve ever gotten. That’s when I thought to myself that I wanted to include that in one of my novels in the future.”

While Juho was conflicted as to whether he should be laughing or crying, the expression on Sung Pil’s face didn’t change one bit. In the end, letting out a small sigh, Juho said, “I guess that means we just do things the way we’ve always done.”

“Yep.”

Although the two found themselves in a situation different from the past, it hardly had an effect on their course of action. Sung Pil was still Juho’s friend, and he still went over to his friend’s house on a fairly regular basis. At that moment, as Sung Pil nodded, the doorbell rang, and it wasn’t hard to guess who was on the other side of the door.

“I’m here!” Bom said, greeting the two with a black plastic bag in one of her hands, which appeared to be filled with bottles judging from the clinking sound that came from it.

“How many did you get?” Juho asked. Then, spreading four of her fingers, she replied, “Just enough, right?”

“Yep,” Sung Pil said. Bom had come over to Juho’s house in order to celebrate Sung Pil’s debut title becoming the bestseller. With alcohol, of course. Watching Sung Pil and Bom start taking and pulling the bottles out of the bag without delay, Juho also picked up a glass for himself. At which, Sung Pil asked, “Are you gonna drink?”

“You see, I read a book recently that made me crave a drink,” Juho said, fiddling about with his glass.

“Really? Which book?”

“The one I’d been looking forward to,” Juho said, and Sung Pil caught on to it immediately.

“But it hasn’t been released yet, has it?!”

“Oh, he sent me a few copies. I’ll give you one later if you want.”

“Sure.”

“What are you guys talking about? Which book?” Bom asked, looking confused.

“The book that will make Geun Woo Yoo one of the finest authors around,” Juho replied. Then, he raised his glass, filled it with soju, stared briefly at the surface of the liquid bulging from the top, and emptied the glass. Meanwhile, his two friends stared intently at the young author and his unusual behavior. The sensation of the alcohol going down the throat was reminiscent of the feeling that Geun Woo’s new book carried. With that, the young author flipped his glass upside down and said, “OK, I’m done. I’m gonna drink some water.”

“That’s it?! I thought you were gonna drink with us?”

“Nah. I care about my health,” Juho said, washing the alcohol down in his throat with water. Meanwhile, his two friends filled each other’s glass and changed the subject.

“Man, the class went on forever today!” Bom said, grumbling, adding that there had been mention of Sung Pil’s name during class.

“The professor really seems to like you.”

“He treated me to some food along with a few seniors, too.”

“... That sounds uncomfortable.”

“The food was good, though.”

As if she couldn’t imagine herself in that picture, Bom shook her head.

“Well, tell me about your presentations.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“C’mooon,” she said, narrowing her eyes. Instead of attending the event, she had been working on a piece of writing of her own.

“Were you nervous at all?”

“A little bit.”

“I just wanted to beat him,” Sung Pil said.

“Were you able to see the faces in the audience?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Yes, I was.”

“Did anyone try to barge onto the stage?”

“If anyone had, you’d have already read about it on the news.”

“There was someone who shouted while Juho was presenting.”

Bom asked an array of questions. The more questions they answered, the less drink remained in the bottles. As the number of empty bottles grew, Juho sipped on his water.

“It felt good, didn’t it?” Bom asked Sung Pil, who seemed clueless as to what she was referring to.

“When people cheered for you. Your books are flying off the shelves. You’re practically following in Yun Woo’s footsteps.”

An ambiguous look appeared on Sung Pil’s face. However, he didn’t deny it.

“I was so anxious when this whole scandal between you and Juho broke out. But hey, everything worked out! I don’t know who’s behind writing the article that started all of that, but I’m sure he’s not gonna be happy about it,” Bom said with a cheerful smile, similar to Sung Pil, who was smiling more subtly.

“I’m sure tomorrow morning you won’t be happy about how much you had to drink, either,” Juho said, warning her as she guzzled down her drink. Of course, Bom paid no attention to her friend.

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