Big Life

Chapter 105. Learn What You Don’t Know (10)

“Mom, they sell stone-plate grilled dried squid here.”

“It looks delicious. Let’s buy some potatoes, too.”

The rest stop at Yeongdong Expressway was bustling with people.

The mother and daughter pair, Ha Jae-In and Myung-Ja, were amongst the crowd.

“Jae-In, should we get a toast for Jae-Gun?”

“We should have proper food once we get there. Let’s get a waffle for him instead, Mom.”

The mother and daughter pair bought heaps of snacks and returned to the car.

Ha Suk-Jae, who was snoozing with Rika lying on his lap, woke up.

“Honey, have a potato.”

“Why did you buy so much when we’re going to eat once we get there…” muttered Ha Suk-Jae, but he still ended up with a potato in his mouth.

It had been a long while since the entire family had gone on a trip.

Myung-Ja and Ha Jae-In were especially excited about it.

“Where did Jae-Gun go?”

“Seems like he went to the washroom?”

Ha Jae-Gun walked out of the washroom with perfect timing. Ha Jae-Gun didn’t look happy as he slowly walked back to the car. His incompleted scenario was disturbing him.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have rushed the trip.’

Jung So-Mi’s words were the reason why the family trip even happened in the first place, and the plan was to let Ha Jae-Gun rest for a few days.

However, he was already anxious the moment they hit the road. The urge to take out his laptop and work on the scenario right away came up over twelve times while he was driving.

‘Let’s. Forget. About. It. I’ve already decided to go on this trip.’

Ha Jae-Gun shook away the intrusive thoughts. The trip wouldn’t be worthwhile if he kept on worrying about his work. He decided to forget his work for the duration of this trip and returned to the car.

“You’re back?” Ha Jae-Gun asked as he hopped back into the driver’s seat.

Ha Jae-In was in the front passenger seat. She tore a piece of dried squid and put it into her mouth.

“Do you want potatoes? We have waffles, too.”

“I’m fine. Why buy so many snacks when we’re going to eat later?”

“Why did you ask the exact same question as Dad? I’ve got a separate stomach for the meal later, so don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sure you do. All right, let’s go, then.”

The car engine started, and the car went down the expressway.

Their destination was Donghae City. The navigator showed that they would soon arrive at the bed and breakfast that they had booked, which was being run by Jung So-Mi’s parents.

“Wow, it’s the ocean!” Ha Jae-In exclaimed as she looked out the window. Beyond the shoulder was the blue sea, and the sea looked so calm that it seemed more like a vast carpet.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and picked up the space.

“Oh, look at the sight. It says Mukho is that way.”

“I entered the bed and breakfast’s address in the navigator, so we can just follow it.”

They passed the toll gate and entered Donghae City.

They traveled on the road for a while more before finally stopping at the car park in front of a building. The three-story building had a massive sign that said—Always Blue Bed & Breakfast, and it was directly across the ocean.

“Are… you the writer?” asked the middle-aged woman watering the flowerpots at the entrance of the building.

The middle-aged woman looked exactly like Jung So-Mi.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and replied, “Yes, hello. I’m Jae-Gun. You’re Ms. So-Mi’s mother, right?”

“Wow, you recognized me right away! Hohoho, I guess she does look like me. Come on in.” Jung So-Mi’s mother immediately stopped watering the plants and led Ha Jae-Gun and his family into the building.

As she brought them up to the third floor, she continued animatedly. “I’ve heard a lot about you from So-Mi. She suffered a lot while living alone in Seoul, and she told me that you helped her a lot. She mentions you a lot whenever we talk on the phone. She said your works are great and that you’re a good person as well.”

“I don’t know what to say, haha. Ms. So-Mi thinks too highly of me.”

The third floor could house an entire family of three generations. There was a spacious living room with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The sea was visible from the terrace.

“Please make yourself at home. Please let me know if you feel any inconvenience.”

“Okay, thank you very much.”

After unpacking their luggage, Ha Jae-Gun and his family went to the sashimi restaurant that Jung So-Mi’s mother had recommended. They ordered a sashimi platter, cold raw fish soup, and fish stew.

It was a hearty lunch that they very much enjoyed.

Afterward, they headed to the city center of Donghae City and visited the Cheongok Cave.

“Wow, it’s super cold in here. So that’s why everyone is gathered at the entrance of the cave. They’re enjoying the cold wind there.”

“It’s very interesting. How is there a cave in the middle of a city?”

Ha Jae-Gun’s expression was stiff, unlike his family members. He was trying his best to forget the scenario he was working on, but it kept disturbing him.

“Jae-Gun, what’s wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?”

“No, noona. I was just thinking about something.”

His family even visited the famous filming site, Candlestick Rock. Then, they had dinner before finally returning to the bed and breakfast.

They were so exhausted that they fell asleep even before the clock struck 10 p.m.

Ha Jae-Gun quietly slipped out of the house to organize his messy thoughts.

A middle-aged man in a running shirt and shorts was puffing on a cigarette stick in front of the building. He quickly put out the cigarette and greeted Ha Jae-Gun upon seeing the latter.

“You’re the writer, right? I am So-Mi’s father.”

“Ah, yes. Hello. I’m Ha Jae-Gun.”

“Have you encountered any difficulties? If you need anything, feel free to let us know.”

“It’s been perfect, we don’t need anything else.”

“Where are you going?”

“I want to see the sea at night. Are we far from Eodal Beach?”

“You can just follow this road for fifteen minutes, and you’ll be there by then. It’s a great place to enjoy the night view.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Indeed, it took Ha Jae-Gun slightly over fifteen minutes to arrive at Eodal Beach.

Ha Jae-Gun got himself a cup of coffee from the nearby convenience store and sat down on the sandy beach. There were a few groups of tourists sitting on the mats on the ground.

‘...’

Ha Jae-Gun watched the rolling waves, lost in thought. It had actually been a while since he had seen the waves in person, and they were throwing many different things at him to ponder over.

Ten, twenty, thirty minutes, and an hour later…

Ha Jae-Gun was still looking at the sea, oblivious to boredom. His worries about the uncompleted scenario faded little by little, and his tense figure started to loosen up.

A while later… his ears focused on his surroundings once more, and he started listening to the conversation around him.

“It’s really great to be here with you. How long has it been since our last trip?”

“Calm down! This oppa will send you home. Just drink!”

“Soo-Jung, you! Don’t go too near the waters; it’s too dangerous to swim at night!”

“Honey, shall we live in Donghae City once we get married? It’d be great if we could look at the sea every day. Let’s find a job here and settle down here.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled slightly. He closed his eyes to engrave the sea view on his mind and focus on the tumbling waves. Soon, the many voices, along with the splashing waves, echoed strongly in his ears.

‘I’ve forgotten all about these.’

Indeed, typing away endlessly on the keyboard wasn’t everything. He had to see, hear, and feel more to nourish and supplement his writing. He had to keep his body and mind healthy as well to ensure that he could continue writing things that he liked.

Ha Jae-Gun had forgotten that all those were as important as writing. Ha Jae-Gun started reflecting on everything, and he realized that he hadn’t really been looking after his own health and had been pushing himself to the extreme.

‘That kid sure is interesting.’

Ha Jae-Gun pulled out his notepad and his pen.

He couldn’t suppress his occupational habit.

He was unintentionally eavesdropping on the conversations around him, and he started writing down their interesting manner of speech and stories.

Ha Jae-Gun was genuinely enjoying his sightseeing as a writer.

‘Thank you for being nosy, Ms. So-Mi.’ Ha Jae-Gun said inwardly as Jung So-Mi’s face came to his mind. If it weren’t for her, Ha Jae-Gun wouldn’t have been able to travel this summer.

He wanted to give her credit for this enlightenment.

‘Should I have a can of beer?’

The atmosphere was great, so he suddenly felt like drinking beer. He turned around to buy a can of beer, but he abruptly froze.

“Ms. So-Mi…?”

Jung So-Mi was smiling at him. She stuck her tongue out playfully.

She was wearing a sleeveless top, knee-length denims, and slippers.

“Hehe, did I surprise you?”

“Why are you here?”

“It’s the weekend tomorrow, and it's a rest day as well. I was worried whether you and your family are enjoying your stay here or not, so I came here to take a look.”

“You should have told me that you’d come here. I could have gone to drive you over here.”

“Actually, I wasn’t planning on going here. Mom said she wanted to see me, so I took the chance.”

Jung So-Mi glanced behind Ha Jae-Gun and asked, “How are you feeling after enjoying the sea?”

“Yes, it’s great. I’ve reflected a lot after coming here.”

Jung So-Mi stood proudly in triumph. “See. There’s nothing to lose if you listen to me. You really needed some healing time.”

“I’ll try to come up with a routine after returning to Seoul.”

“That’s good. Are you heading back now?”

“I’m actually going to stay here for a bit longer. The weather and atmosphere are good, so why not take advantage of that? Anyway, I wanted to grab myself a can of beer, care to join me?”

“Sure.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Jung So-Mi walked over to the convenience store across the street. Jung So-Mi accidentally bumped shoulders with a large-framed man upon entering the store.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t see you. I’m sorry.” Unlike his intimidating appearance with crew-cut hair resembling gangsters commonly seen in movies, the man apologized politely to Jung So-Mi.

‘Hmm…?!’

An idea struck Ha Jae-Gun’s mind like a ray of light upon seeing Jung So-Mi standing in front of the large-framed man.

The two main characters of a new story quickly appeared in his mind.

‘The gangster fled to the beach to avoid the public’s eyes after committing a crime… and a seaside girl who yearns for the fancy city life! This is it!’

Ha Jae-Gun unknowingly clenched his fists.

Once again, his muse had come at a completely unexpected moment.

His scenario work was merely practice to him, so he had been writing them with stories that he wasn’t quite satisfied with. However, he had just gotten a new idea, and he reckoned that he would be able to write a proper scenario for it.

And it was all thanks to the large-framed man and Jung So-Mi bumping into each other…

“Writer Ha? What’s wrong?”

“Ms. So-Mi. I’m just going to grab my laptop for a while—” Ha Jae-Gun trailed off mid-sentence. Where did his resolve go? How could he be thinking of work so soon? The sense of vigilance he had toward himself rose significantly.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Ha Jae-Gun scratched his head and headed to the snack corner.

The sea came into his view once more, and he said silently to himself, ‘Look at me. Let’s rest… I’ve already decided to rest. I’m here on a trip.’

If he had his laptop in hand, he wouldn’t have been able to let go of it until he returned home. Ha Jae-Gun steeled his resolve not to pull out his laptop until the trip was over.

‘Writing it down should be fine...’

Ha Jae-Gun took out his notepad and started writing about the two main characters who were still fresh in his mind. Ha Jae-Gun did not forget to silently thank the gangster-looking man who had become the primary constituent of his muse, as well as Jung So-Mi, who was busy choosing beer and snacks.

***

Ha Jae-Gun had obtained a lot from the trip. He was able to reflect on what he had missed while running forward at the same time. He had even obtained a great story for his scenario. His sunburnt face was overflowing with energy.

“Father, Mother. Please go in. Noona, you should rest, too.”

“Be careful on the road.” Ha Jae-Gun dropped off his family back at Suwon, and then he headed back to his one-room studio with Rika.

It was already past 8 p.m.

‘I’ll start working tomorrow.’

Writing was hard work. It was something he had resolved to do from the trip. He had decided not to spend over eight hours a day typing away on his keyboard.

‘I should go to the writer’s office like a normal office worker from tomorrow onward. My schedule will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and I’ll have an hour for lunch. Great, that’s it!’

Ha Jae-Gun was exhausted from the long hours of driving. He decided to call it a night. He showered and changed into his pajamas. Upon turning on his air conditioner and hopping onto his bed, Ha Jae-Gun received a call.

It was from Oh Myung-Suk.

“Hello, editor-in-chief.”

— Hello, Mr. Ha. I was just wondering. How have you been? Are you okay?

“Yes. I actually wanted to contact you as well. I have an idea for a new story, and I wanted to sign a contract with you as well.”

— Ah, really?

“Yes. I was on a trip, and the idea came to me while I was thinking of my scenario’s development. There’s no guarantee that it will get adapted into a movie. Anyway, I want to write and publish it as a novel before anything else, but I will only work on the novel once I’m done with its scenario version.”

— That sounds great; it’s going to be fine as long as it’s your work. I actually want to give you advanced royalties of a hundred million won just to secure the contract with you, hahaha.

Oh Myung-Suk boisterously laughed. Summer in My 20s had become a bestseller, and it was still popular. There was no way his response would be negative if Ha Jae-Gun’s next work were of the same quality or even better.

“I’ll send you the manuscript as soon as I’m done with it.”

— Sure, Mr. Ha. You must be tired, so please rest early.

Ha Jae-Gun ended the call and plopped back down in his bed.

Rika hopped onto his bed and curled up by his arm.

The two soon fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.