CH48

If it's Bong Joon-oh, he's one of my favorite directors.

Back in high school, after watching Memories of Murder, I even dreamed of becoming a film director. I saved up whatever little money I had to buy the DVD.

Even though I didn't have a player to watch it, I just wanted to own it.

My favorite film by Director Bong is Memories of Murder.

Though the monumental work Parasite made history in Korean cinema, personally, I would still rank Memories of Murder as the best.

Especially the final scene, oh man!

Anyway.

Seeing the name of a director I deeply admire right there on the envelope was something else.

It could be a coincidence—there might be someone with the same name.

But then, Bong Joon-oh graduated from the Sociology Department at Yonsei University, didn't he?

If so!

Did I just stumble upon an unexpected big fish… by pure chance?

Gulp.

I hurriedly opened the manuscript, which, to my surprise, wasn't a novel but a comic.

No wonder it was so thick.

And after reading through it:

"This is good."

The story had Bong Joon-oh's unique directorial touch, and the artwork was quite impressive as well.

Not to mention, it had a considerable amount of content, indicating his dedication.

There were at least five short comics included.

One of them had a storyline that felt quite familiar.

Two detectives chasing a criminal.

And a criminal who ultimately remains uncaught.

"Isn't this 'Memories of Murder'?"

Of course, it wasn't as detailed as the film.

It was a short story, and the artist's skills weren't fully matured yet.

"Ah, judging by the school year, he's a freshman."

It would be surprising if he made a masterpiece right after starting university.

But still.

This short comic had the basic concept of a story that would later be turned into a film.

With some fine-tuning of the characters and a bit of fleshing out, it could easily be expanded into a full-length work.

This could be… really interesting.

The back of the manuscript included a home address and a phone number, written in large letters.

And there was even a handwritten note.

"I'm aware that there's no category for comics in this competition, but if the work is good, please do get in touch."

I jotted down Director Bong's contact information with a faint smile.

***

That afternoon.

I headed to the publishing house building in Hannam-dong.

The interior construction was complete, and it was just about ready for move-in.

"But I should check it out at least once, right?"

I had heard that, towards the end of the interior work, some of the top students from Seoul National University's College of Fine Arts were brought in.

They were supposedly gifting us a mural.

And there it was.

At the entrance of the building, the first thing that caught my eye was a familiar artistic style.

"Isn't this Professor Cho Soo-deok's work?"

I could tell just by the lines.

His signature powerful strokes.

"I told him to focus on preparing for his solo exhibition, and here he is, painting a mural!"

"It's your building, Boss. How could I possibly not be involved? No way, no how, never ever!"

The work seemed to echo Professor Cho's voice.

"He must be really busy…"

"Sigh."

The walls leading up the stairs were also painted with abstract art.

I guessed it was the work of the advanced graduate students.

The way the sunlight through the windows or the corridor lights interacted with the artwork—it felt meticulously calculated.

Following the flow of the artwork felt like being guided into a special world.

"This isn't a publishing house; it's practically a gallery!"

Even if an ordinary person paid for such a job, they could hardly expect this level of quality.

The seasoned veterans from our time in America!

Their effort to put their heart into the work!

"I feel proud."

When I reached the second floor:

Swish, swish.

There was still a man brushing the finishing touches on a painting.

A familiar silhouette.

"Team Leader?"

The man, who flinched and turned around in surprise, was none other than Jung Jin-wook.

"Oh, you're here, Boss?"

"Are you painting this yourself?"

"Yes, well… I just really wanted to decorate the place where you'll be, with my own hands."

His face was serious.

It was almost done, so there was no point in stopping him.

Not only that but if he had painted the same image on canvas, I would have wanted to buy it.

Maybe he sensed my expression.

Jung Jin-wook smiled bashfully as he spoke.

"This is my unofficial retirement piece, so I put a lot of effort into it. I hope you'll be satisfied…"

"Retirement? After painting something this wonderful, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I need to focus more on work now…"

"I'll make sure you get plenty of vacation time."

"Pardon?"

"Once Professor Jo Soo-deok returns, your workload will decrease significantly. I'll give you ample time to rest then, so you can focus on creating your art. Does that solve the issue?"

I know many people who have given up on their dreams due to financial constraints.

I've seen plenty of people who had to set aside their creative pursuits to make a living.

I've found myself in similar situations more times than I can count.

So, I want to offer the people who work with me enough care.

Especially if it's for their creativity.

Of course, Jung Jin-wook had no way of knowing this.

"...."

He just stood there with a bewildered expression.

"Discuss the details with Professor Jo later, okay?"

"Th-thank you."

As I headed toward my office, Jung Jin-wook quickly followed.

"Aren't you still in the middle of your painting?"

"Well, since it's not really my last piece, there's no rush."

His wit had certainly improved. Heh heh.

"I'll show you around. This will be your space, Boss."

"Am I really going to have the entire second floor to myself?"

"Of course. You absolutely should."

This spacious area… all to myself?

"Is it uncomfortable for you?"

Why would it be uncomfortable?

I wouldn't be coming in often anyway, since I have to attend school. It just feels like a bit of a waste.

It's large enough to play soccer here.

Comparing it to the moldy basement room I used to live in during my previous life would be… beyond ridiculous.

Anyway.

The space was incredibly neat and pleasant.

With large windows giving it an open feel.

'Writing a novel here would be a breeze—I could churn out one a week.'

It was enough to make me smile.

"Now, all that's left is to bring in the furniture, and you'll be good to go, Boss."

"Hmm."

"Do you have any particular concept in mind?"

"Not really…"

"Should I furnish it with pieces by famous designers?"

Famous designers?

Wouldn't that mean a desk could cost 50 million won or more?

"Some of the more expensive ones can go up to a billion."

At Jung Jin-wook's words, I quickly waved my hands.

"If I bought something like that, I'd get scolded by my grandfather."

"...?"

"If you start spending money recklessly, he gets angry, saying you'll end up being devoured."

"D-devoured?"

"There's something like that, apparently."

While he might tolerate the expense of real estate since it's an investment,

If I spent billions on furniture, oh boy!

I quickly shook my head and added:

"I just need something simple. But make sure the chair is a good one. You know, one that supports the back well."

"I'll proceed as you wish."

I also instructed him to get the best chairs available for the staff.

Then, we took a tour of the third and fourth floors.

Now that I think about it, including me, there are only two employees, yet we're occupying a four-story building…

Does that even make sense? But, well.

We'll just have to grow quickly.

"By the way, Team Leader, what about the employee accommodation?"

"I'm sorry. I'm still in the process of finding one…"

Just by looking at his face, I could tell.

He probably felt awkward about choosing a place himself.

For now, he's living alone, so it might be uncomfortable to pick a good place.

But if he picks something too cheap, he might feel guilty when more staff arrives.

That's probably why he's been putting it off.

There's no other way.

I'll just have to pick it for him.

"There are a lot of houses behind here. Why don't we take a look at just three of the closest ones?"

"No, it's fine. I'll take care of it right away…"

"No, we're already here. I'm the one who's going to sign the contract anyway, so it won't hurt to see it myself."

"Well, if you say so…"

An hour later.

I had already completed the contract.

Since it's just a lease, there wasn't much burden.

We can see how it goes, and if it's satisfactory, we can consider purchasing in two years.

I glanced over at Jung Jin-wook.

It's not like I bought him a house,

But he looked incredibly burdened!

You could see the weight of how grateful he was, trying to figure out the right way to express it.

"Well, I suppose."

Since the Seoul National University appraisal team's accommodation was also quite spacious,

Maybe our employee welfare isn't too bad.

That aside!

I hate awkward moments, so I quickly changed the subject.

"The bundle of manuscripts you brought to me? There was something that caught my eye."

"Are you talking about the thick envelope?"

Hmm?

How did he know?

My expression must have given him enough of an answer.

"Actually, there was something unusual about that."

Seeming like he had much to say, Jung Jin-wook straightened up as he spoke.

"When I went to the Dean of Student Affairs to collect the submissions, they mentioned that there's a peculiar student who brings in a manuscript every day. I wasn't really interested, but as I was gathering the manuscripts, I happened to run into the student. And as if he was waiting for this moment, he saw the envelope in my hand and rushed over to say something."

"...?"

"He said, 'Please look for potential rather than just completion.'"

Hmm.

"So I told him I'm just the delivery guy and don't have any say in the judging, but he kept trying to make his case, saying that due to the tight deadline, he could only focus on the plot… And as if that wasn't enough, he even wrote something on an A4 sheet and slipped it into the manuscript."

I remember that.

-I'm aware that there's no category for comics in this competition, but if the work is good, please do get in touch.

Was it because I showed interest?

Jung Jin-wook continued speaking.

"I thought he might just be a weirdo, but after meeting him and hearing his story, I felt something different."

"What did you think?"

"I could feel his desperation—his absolute need to seize this opportunity. And I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Even the Dean of Student Affairs came over to give him some advice."

"The Dean?"

"Of course, the advice wasn't anything groundbreaking. It was more like, 'If you're going to send in multiple works, why not put them all in one big envelope? That way, it looks thicker, and you can better showcase your effort.' Something along those lines."

Not exactly helpful advice.

No judge is going to give extra points just because someone submits a lot of work.

"But it was like he was grabbing at straws. The student asked us to wait for a moment, then quickly went to get a large envelope. That's when I knew—he's really desperate."

Desperation, huh?

If the sole purpose was to get published, he wouldn't need to stick to our competition.

'There are plenty of other publishing companies out there.'

Not to mention, this isn't even a comic competition.

Why else would he keep submitting new work every day?

"What else? It's got to be for the prize money!"

The reason a twenty-something Bong Joon-oh might be desperate for money…

I could make an educated guess, but.

'I should confirm it.'

Having made up my mind, I turned to Jung Jin-wook.

"Team Leader."

Was it the change in my tone?

Jung Jin-wook instinctively took out his notebook.

"Can you find out if the student you met is part of a film club? If he is, check if he's working on an independent film."