Chapter Text
When the Writer Writes 01
“Han Sooyoung, you should begin.”
Begin what?
Han Sooyoung was irritated and frowned.
Her eyes were closed tightly, and she was about to lose her temper in her own dream.
During the daytime, she had been driven by her creativity and impulse to compose, and thus she had already uncontrollably written down numerous words. Every minute and every second of her life was filled by writing, but now she couldn’t even enjoy some rest in her own dream. There just had to be someone talking to her, and this was apparently too much for a thirteen-year-old girl.
She was in elementary school! She was still growing! So she needed her sleep!
Han Sooyoung had enough of this exhausting life.
She was already on the edge of her own emotional breakdown. To be exact, if her rage had been an active volcano, the molten lava would have already been flowing and generated tons of volcanic ash.
However, the unfamiliar voice was still saying, “Han Sooyoung, you should begin writing.”
Shut up! I won’t! I want to sleep!
Han Sooyoung clenched her small fists and yelled at the annoying voice.
“Han Sooyoung….”
Don’t you understand Korean?
She furiously opened her eyes.
The man in front of her was wearing a black trench coat, carrying a sword, and looked tall and handsome. It was hard to describe the calm, melancholy eyes on his beautiful face in words.
At this moment, he was staring at her with those jewels-like eyes, his pursed lips pointing down reluctantly.
Han Sooyoung had never seen such a good-looking person, so she forgot her fury. Well, only for a moment.
Shaking her head, Han Sooyoung slapped her cheek in order to wake herself a bit.
She was not the shallow type of girl that only cared about people’s appearances.
Actually, was this a lucid dream?
Moreover, could she control this dream?
“Make yourself disappear!”
Han Sooyoung demanded quite viciously.
Looking good, so what? You can’t be forgiven if you interrupt someone’s sleep!
However, the man was still standing there with wind from nowhere blowing past his coat and hair.
Just standing there, he seems to be delivering a story…. Even though he was indeed one of a kind as a handsome man, this was still way too unbelievable.
His upright posture showed no tiredness. It was just lonely, seeming like he had been walking on the planet alone for tens of thousands of years.
Han Sooyoung suddenly realized that he had been traveling, and perhaps his journey to her had been fraught with unimaginable perils.
He broke into her dream. He might have come to bring her seeds of story for her to sow, just like many other characters.
Maybe I should listen to him. Han Sooyoung thought.
When I awake, I’ll sow the seed in the paper. And then, I’ll probably be rewarded with a whole new world.
“Who are you?”
“I am ■■■.”
He said three words, but Han Sooyoung didn’t catch any.
■■■?
Well, forget it. No need to act polite to someone who can’t even tell his name properly.
“Sir, you said that I should begin to write? Explain yourself. What do you mean by ‘I should’? Do I owe anyone?”
Han Sooyoung fired her questions against him, releasing her anger.
She had been gifted with eloquence, so she never lost an oral fight with her peers.
However, that man was just staring at her, at this little girl.
There were unrecognizable emotions surging in his eyes, heavily and deeply, like a black ocean.
Han Sooyoung looked at the black ocean.
His silence seemed to be his reluctant concession. It was just mercy, or perhaps sympathy.
Kidding now? He’s sympathetic towards her?
Catching his flowing sight that was poured only on her, Han Sooyoung couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Hey, DUMB-ass! Why aren’t you responding? I thought you were barking some nonsense earlier?”
Han Sooyoung stood on tiptoe and grabbed his collar, grinning. She was certain that she looked exactly like a punk.
“Also, what do you want me to write? For whom?”
It might be because she was in her dream, or because she was confronting a stranger, she went too far, so her voice uncovered her secret that she did feel somehow wronged towards it.
At the age of thirteen, Han Sooyoung encountered some kind of an apocalypse. She was granted talent for writing from nowhere.
Brilliant ideas were just flowing in her brain, and short stories beyond imagination were written down by the hand of a child. Later, she won the first literature award in her life. It was the top prize of a writing contest for elementary students.
At first, she was genuinely proud about it.
I, Han Sooyoung, am a genius indeed!
Han Sooyoung had her paper and pen in her hands when she was praised by her parents who met with her respectively on the weekends.
They read her novel that won her first prize.
Her strict father even smiled at her, which rarely happened before, because of this. Similarly, her hostile mother, who never tried to hide her resentment to her, leaned to give her a hug.
“That’s my daughter.”
They spoke the same words.
Her father, a Senator, and her mother, an actress, actually believed that despite the lack of everything else but their genes, their daughter Han Sooyoung was, without a doubt, born extraordinary because of their respective physical contribution.
Of course, Han Sooyoung wanted compliments.
Nevertheless, she could not bear them seeking themselves on her. She resented the narcissism that they didn’t even try to hide.
They did not love her. Never. They only love themselves.
It was not about whether she could write or not. Even though she possessed talent for writing, this wouldn’t change anything.
Han Sooyoung was smart, so she always knew that—she should never have faith, nor feel disappointed.
After waking up later that day, Han Sooyoung wrote a flash fiction story.
A majestic tiger and a beautiful jackal secretly got together and gave birth to a little cat.
The cat was weak, so nobody really liked her. The tiger and the jackal didn’t like her, either. They just gave her what she needed to stay alive. As parents, they would fulfill this basic responsibility.
The little cat had grown up all by herself.
One day, she learned a kind of magic out of the blue. The magic enabled her to cast a spell to the whole forest, making everyone indulged in it.
Even the noble god fell in love with the little cat’s magic. Due to the favor from the god, the little cat was crowned to be the new god of the forest, and she, soon, leaped high into the sky.
However, down on the ground, raising their heads to catch the faint image of the little cat in the sky, the tiger and jackal were still arguing.
“Her ears are like mine!”
“Her tail is more like mine!”
Han Sooyoung sent out the story to an upcoming writing competition which was held by a literature magazine that always granted novices oppourtunities.
She believed that this obvious sarcasm would sting a lot of people, including the two she aimed primarily at.
However, there were no responses to her story, as if it had been tossed into the sea, with absolutely no echo.
She asked where her story had gone numerous times, but the butler just shook his head pitifully, which implied that there were no replies.
It was not until last night did Han Sooyoung get to know the truth by eavesdropping on the conversation between the butler and maid: her story was blocked by her father.
Her father was the first and also the last reader of the story.
Her story didn’t go where it should have been. Instead, it was forever locked up in the Senator’s suit pocket which he determined not to reveal ever again.
Han Sooyoung’s story irritated him, obviously. He was also frightened. He was afraid of her talent, afraid that if she had continued to write, she would have exposed herself. She was the ultimate scandal that would end his political career and then his daughter.
Han Sooyoung was too smart. Though she was young, she clearly knew that her future of literature had already gone to a dead end due to her father.
As long as her father kept blocking her stories, refusing to allow her submit of her belle lettristic writings, or demanding the organizers to reject her novels, Han Sooyoung’s stories would never be able to go to their readers or the public.
It was simple to block out an elementary school girl’s words, just like muting her voice. Her father didn’t even need to cover her mouth. He just needed to raise his finger, place it by his lips, and give a harsh “shh”.
And then Han Sooyoung knew what she should do.
She was too young and too weak to protect both herself and her stories.
Therefore, what she could do was just write and write and write. Avoiding everyone, she strived to write. She wrote down everything she thought of. She wrote like there would be no tomorrow for her. At last, she fell asleep when she exhausted herself, and she awaited her growth while she was strolling in her dreams….
When the day came, when she was strong enough to protect herself, and when she was strong enough to protect her stories, Han Sooyoung would be a genius writer awed by everyone.
She wanted to write. She longed to write. She was going to write.
She knew that there were stories waiting for her and that there was also a protagonist waiting for her. As for her reader, he had to be waiting for her somewhere else, too.
Nevertheless, that didn’t mean she wanted to be rushed by some stranger who appeared out of the blue. She couldn’t even sleep tight. Well, geniuses, too, need to rest, okay?
Han Sooyoung put her hands on her hips and raised her head to look at the black jerk. He said nothing, but he also refused to leave.
Hmm, can’t see he’s such a coy guy from his look.
“Hey, say something! As long as you tell me what to write and whom to write for, I will start writing right now.”
Perhaps Han Sooyoung had raised her head for too long, so she couldn’t help but yawn. Rubbing her eyes, she said, “If you can’t even answer this, then go away!”
The man leaned forward and squatted down right when Han Sooyoung thought he was going to attack her.
Now, he had his hand placed on one of Han Sooyoung’s shoulders, and they shared the same eye level.
He looked serious, like he was giving her his life.
His voice was still deep, but also a little bit raspy simultaneously. However, he managed to speak with such an unimaginably tender tone.
“Write my story…. To someone who must read it.”
Ha ha! Han Sooyoung was amused and smirked.
True. He looked like a great protagonist. He was going to interest the readers. There would even be people falling in love with him at the first sight.
But how come there’s someone recommending himself like this? How hilarious.
“What do you mean by ‘must read the story’?”
Still, she was more interested in the latter part of his words.
Uncontrollably, she said sarcastically, “Is someone gonna die for not doing it?”
Unbelievably, the ridiculous man nodded.
His serious look made the atmosphere grave and grim.
However, what he said was still ridiculous.
“You’ll save his life. He’s important to you.”
More like important to YOU, I suppose. I don’t even know the guy you’re talking about!
Staring at his fair look, Han Sooyoung couldn’t help but murmured to herself inaudibly. How can such a good-looking man keep on talking nonsense like this?
At this very moment, he moved to hold her hand.
His hand was big, warm, and rather slim. It was easy to observe every knuckle, every bone, and every structure of his hand, and even the intricate scars. A hand like this took her by the hand, and he held her small hand in his palm.
“Just write, Han Sooyoung.”
All of a sudden, the man’s stories flowed their way into her body. At first there were words and sentences, and then the paragraphs. At last, there were chapters.
The unstoppable, floating stories were like fresh blood, transfusing into her body.
Han Sooyoung stared at him, astonished.
■■■….
■■■’s story….
She didn’t even know his name, and yet he had already become her protagonist.
There were originally words of black and white, and later, they had become colorful portraits, vivid images……and someone’s life.
■■■ was a person like this.
■■■ was an infinite regressor.
■■■ repeated his life continuously, over and over and over again, accumulating experiences and lessons to conquer every scenario under the support of the constellations…….
His stories, just like himself, broke into her head and her dream as though they were going to become the other image of her life.
She didn’t quite know him, but she would definitely write down his stories.
Han Sooyoung, you should begin.
■■■’s stories surrounded him, and his eyes glowed due to the light of them. Now he looks like a real protagonist, and he will be loved by tens of millions of people. Nobody is going to refuse to read his story. Starry luminous spots were reflected on Han Sooyoung’s petite face and her cat-like pupils.
“Of course I’ll begin!”
Han Sooyoung squinted her eyes, smiling widely and happily. Her beauty mark was therefore even distinct at the moment.
Actually, how come she hadn't thought of online novels?
Go to hell, you ancient belle lettristic!
And the media that fears shady politicians as well!
Han Sooyoung will write freely in the land of freedom!
In front of her, a faint smile crept onto ■■■’s face.
Right before the smile completely fainted away, ■■■ let go of her hand. He was leaving.
Soon, just like how he came in the first place, he again disappeared in the darkness.
Han Sooyoung strived to watch him leave. At this moment, she was building her protagonist with words and sentences.
Right after the man left her sight, her protagonist would exist in this world.
Acting like something had dawned on her, Han Sooyoung shouted at the man’s back:
“Hey! What’s your name?!”
The wind carried his faint voice from afar.
Han Sooyoung made every effort to catch his words, but she could only hear him a little.
“Yoo ■■.”
Yoo what?
Ah, forget it.
She would get him a fabulous name, the kind that fitted her fabulous title of the novel.
As for the title, of course she had already had it: SSSSS Grade Infinite Regressor!
It would be a great story!
Han Sooyoung rubbed the pointing corner of her lips and laid down on the part of the bed where she had been a while ago.
In her lasting dream, she hoped she wouldn’t be interrupted by any stranger again.
Yoo ■■, Lee ■■, Kim ■■. No matter who it was, just leave her alone.
After all, there couldn’t be anyone better than that guy right?
Han Sooyoung closed her eyes.
She could still see the handsome appearance of the man.
What an indescribable kind of beauty. However, it’s a writer’s job to describe what she sees with words, isn’t it?
Please! When I wake up, I’ll begin writing right away, so before that, just let me sleep for a while.
Han Sooyoung curled up her body and prayed.
Seemed that some unknown being had heard her, because Han Sooyoung had her best sleep in life that night, without any dreams.