Chapter 40 – With the Night’s Protection
“What are you writing?”
“Ah, diary.”
Jongjin didn’t ask more and only yawned.
“Aren’t you tired. Ahhhhhh, where do I sleep?”
“Sleep on the bed.”
“Then you?”
“I’ll finish writing and get a blanket to sleep on.”
“I get it. I’ll sleep first. You sleep early too.”
Jongjin dived into the bed’s blanket and laid down.
And then in one minute, he was sleeping, breathing softly.
‘This guy, he must have been really tired.’
As he saw Jongjin, he felt the pain of the employees working at companies. He remembered his father who didn’t rest for one day to feed his family.
Jaegun fixed Jongjin’s blanket and went back to his place.
Then his glance went to the diary.
Just then.
‘U, uhhh….?’
An idea came to him magically.
Jongjin, who was struggling from work, and the karaoke helper she met earlier was whirling in his brain.
Jaegun’s two hands went to the keyboard.
He didn’t think it was with his will. It was more of an instinct.
His ten fingers started to hit the keyboard very fast.
Tap! Tap!
Tap!
Tap! Tapp!
He couldn’t feel the time
The mechanical keyboard’s sound rang around the small room
Jongjin didn’t wake up at all.
He was sleeping soundly like the keyboard sound was a lullaby.
***
“Uhhhh, wat.. Water.”
Jongjin muttered as he woke up from thirst.
Jaegun passed him a cup of cold water./
“EHre.”
Jongjin didn’t even open his eyes and drank it eagerly. He drank it all and looked out the window, sighing.
The world was brighter outside.
“What time is it, right now.”
“7. Go clean up. Let’s go eat while we’re leaving.”
“I don’t want to . I’ll probably throw it up. And I have to get ready.”
Jongjin lifted himself up.
His head was about to crash. It felt like someone was spinning the room around him
But if he didn’t wake up, he was going to be late for work.
Jaegun said as he sat back down.
“Amazing will. Park Jongjin. Office workers are amazing.”
“It feel like you’re mocking me.”
“I’m serious.”
“And what are you doing.”
Jongjin was about to go in the bathroom as he caught sight of the monitor. The screen was filled with letters and words.
“Did you write for the entire night?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”
Jongjin opened his mouth, surprised at the indifference he showed.
“Hey, you drank a lot too. Aren’t you tired?”
“I work at home. So I’ll feel less tired than you.”
“Don’t say random stuff. Don’t I write in the office? Writing is labor. You’re gonna fall down first.”
“Go and wash up.”
Jongjin went in the bathroom. Jaegun resumed typing.
It was a synopsis and a plot that he made during the night. His eyes were almost blind but he couldn’t stop until he finished.
“Hey, Ha Jaegun.”
“AH? What, how, when did you wear all that?”
Surprised, Jaegun looked back at Jongjin who was changing. Jongjin looked at him absurdly.
“It’s already been 10 minutes. You really can’t do anything when you start writing. I’ll go.”
“I’ll take you to the office.”
“Just keep writing. I can’t block your writing in the middle.”
Jongjin refused Jaegun’s offer to drive him there.
“I’m going early to walk a bit. To wake up from that drink.”
With nothing to do, Jaegun wore slippers and went to see him off.
The autumn air went inside as he opened the door.
As he ducked to try to avoid the leaves, Jaegun asked.
“Hey, I can write a novel with you as the main character right?”
“I’m the main? My life is interesting enough to write a story about me?”
“No?”
“Do you even need my permission. Just write.”
“I get it.”
As they were talking about these things, they were already at the subway station.
Jongjin dove into the huge crowd of people.
Jaegun went back home as he couldn’t see Jongjin at all in the crowd.;
“Rika, go eat. I’ll write a bit more.”
Jaegun took off his shoes as he came back and continued his writing because his brain was working much more efficiently now.
‘A office worker struggling with life and a poor karaoke helper’s meeting….! Their two common traits are … loneliness, Yes, loneliness. The two people who have no one to lean on are leaning on each other.’
The male main was his friend Jongjin.
The female main was the karaoke helper he met yesterday
A feeling of success came.
He was sure that as an economic as well as a writing project, it was going to be a success. He couldn’t control his excited body.
***
As the morning went by and lunch time came, the sun went down and evening came.
Jaegun forgot to eat and was only writing.
Rika didn’t bother Jaegun who was writing intently for his new book.
“No….! Frick. The character is awkward.”
Jaegun rubbed his head in frustration.
There was no problem making the male main with Jongjin as the model.
The problem was the female main.
He had way too many things he didn’t know about a karaoke helper.
Then the solution was?
‘To go there again…!’
He doesn’t hesitate when he made a decision.
Jaegun stood up, cleaned, and changed his clothes. Then he picked up a memo and pen and left home.
It was just after 8 and it was already becoming loud and crazy.
Jaegun got from his memory and went to the karaoke. It wasn’t hard because it was only yesterday.
“Come in.”
The owner of yesterday lifted her head and welcomed him. Jaegun asked the woman who seemed to remember him.
“Hello. Do you remember me? I came yesterday with a friend.”
“Yes, I remember that you came here.”
“It’s just, uh… can you bring the girl who was there yesterday?”
The owner wrinkled her face.
For a customer asking for a karaoke helper, he seemed weird.
“What for?”
“Ahy, well… I want to sing and have fun. I liked her.”
He decided to hide the fact that he was a writer. Then it felt like the story would get messed up even more. The owner looked at him with suspicion.
“Didn’t you just meet her for the first time yesterday?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If it’s the first time, it’s hard to find even with their name. There’s too many rude people out there.”
The conversation wasn’t going right.
After a thought, Jaegun pulled out 30 dollars from his wallet and held it towards the owner.
“I’m begging you. I’m not a bad person. I just really liked that woman.”
“Hm…. What to do.”
Unlike her words, the owner’s hands, deep with manicure, were taking in Jaegun’s money.
“Who are you finding”
“Uh, she was a bit shorter. Her face looked like a cat. She said her name was Dasul. And the other was saying Sulgi.”
“That’s all fake names. I know Jaeyoung, but I don’t know the woman that you’re looking for.”
“Can’t you contact Jaeyoung?”
The owner laughed as if it was absurd.
“The two peoole don’t know each other. They came from different offices.”
“Ah, that’s it?”
That’s why the two girls seemed awkward to each other.
In front of the nodding Jaegun, the owner picked up her phone and called someone.
“Hello? Yeah, this is the Hub. It’s just, yesterday… uh, hey, when did you come yesterday?”
“About just after 8.”
Hearing Jaegun’s words, the owner continued her words.
“Jaeyoung came here just after 8. Yeah, you remember? Do you know the girl who came with her? No, she has a nomination. Hm…. ah yes? Chief Kim? Using the name Dasul? Ok, thanks.”
As soon as she cut off, she called somewhere else.
“Hello? Yes hello. This is Hub. Do you have a girl called Dasul? Did she come yet? Ah… yes? Ok, can you give her the phone? She has a nomination.”
The owner glanced over to Jaegun and continued.
“He’s not a weird guy. I can tell by looking. A young guy. Hm yeah, ok. I get it. Thank you.”
As she hung up, the owner drank a drink of water to cool her burning throat. And then she explained to Jaegun.
“She’s not there yet. She’s about to come to work. I told them to call her here as soon as she comes. Just wait.”
“Thanks alot.”
Jaegun sat down on a chair next to the entrance.
The owner gave a beverage to Jaegun from the refrigerator because of the tip she got.
“But what’s your job?”
“I go around the country and sell electric pad.”
The owner looked annoyed and snorted.
“You’re lying. I can tell you’re a man who has ink on his hands. Well I get it.”
The owner didn’t ask more and turned around.
Jaegun was admiring her observation skills and shook his head.
After about 30 minutes to an hour, the girl didn’t show up. Jaegun killed time by watching the TV.
‘Maybe she’s not coming.’
Or she didn’t come to work.
Or like the owner said, she was fearful of meeting a rude person.
If he knew this was going to happen, he would have exchanged more conversation with her and gotten her contact information.
‘I can’t do it with another girl,’
The reason that he was writing this was because of the words that Dasul said. If it wasn’t for those words, he wouldn’t have even thought of this story.
Just to finish the story, he couldn’t give up on the person who he had gotten the feeling from.
It wasn’t a story that was for trivial fun. it needed human feeling. It was a need as a writer.
Just then.
The bell range with a clear ‘Danggg.’
Jaegun turned around and opened his eyes wide. The girl was coming in. She was the same silhouette as yesterday with the same hotpants.
“Hello, I have a customer?”
“Ah, you came. That person.”
The girl was surprised when she saw Jaegun.
“Hello.”
“Yes….”
The girl replied awkwardly.
The owner gestured to Jaegun behind her back
“You can go into room 2, same as yesterday.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll pay first.”
The girl went in first and Jaegun pulled out his walled.
“2 hours, no, 3 hours please.”
“You’re going to be there for that long?”
“Yes, how much is it?”
“135 dollars. What about the beer?”
“Give us 2 bottles first.”
Jaegun paid and went into the room.
The girl sat awkwardly with her hands folded on her lap.
“Were you surprised?”
“A bit…”
The girl’s reply was short.
Jaegun took off his outer garments.
Just then, the owner came in and gave out the beer. Jaegun then opened his mouth.
“Hey.”
Chapter 40 – With the Night’s Protection
“What are you writing?”
“Ah, diary.”
Jongjin didn’t ask more and only yawned.
“Aren’t you tired. Ahhhhhh, where do I sleep?”
“Sleep on the bed.”
“Then you?”
“I’ll finish writing and get a blanket to sleep on.”
“I get it. I’ll sleep first. You sleep early too.”
Jongjin dived into the bed’s blanket and laid down.
And then in one minute, he was sleeping, breathing softly.
‘This guy, he must have been really tired.’
As he saw Jongjin, he felt the pain of the employees working at companies. He remembered his father who didn’t rest for one day to feed his family.
Jaegun fixed Jongjin’s blanket and went back to his place.
Then his glance went to the diary.
Just then.
‘U, uhhh….?’
An idea came to him magically.
Jongjin, who was struggling from work, and the karaoke helper she met earlier was whirling in his brain.
Jaegun’s two hands went to the keyboard.
He didn’t think it was with his will. It was more of an instinct.
His ten fingers started to hit the keyboard very fast.
Tap! Tap!
Tap!
Tap! Tapp!
He couldn’t feel the time
The mechanical keyboard’s sound rang around the small room
Jongjin didn’t wake up at all.
He was sleeping soundly like the keyboard sound was a lullaby.
***
“Uhhhh, wat.. Water.”
Jongjin muttered as he woke up from thirst.
Jaegun passed him a cup of cold water./
“EHre.”
Jongjin didn’t even open his eyes and drank it eagerly. He drank it all and looked out the window, sighing.
The world was brighter outside.
“What time is it, right now.”
“7. Go clean up. Let’s go eat while we’re leaving.”
“I don’t want to . I’ll probably throw it up. And I have to get ready.”
Jongjin lifted himself up.
His head was about to crash. It felt like someone was spinning the room around him
But if he didn’t wake up, he was going to be late for work.
Jaegun said as he sat back down.
“Amazing will. Park Jongjin. Office workers are amazing.”
“It feel like you’re mocking me.”
“I’m serious.”
“And what are you doing.”
Jongjin was about to go in the bathroom as he caught sight of the monitor. The screen was filled with letters and words.
“Did you write for the entire night?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”
Jongjin opened his mouth, surprised at the indifference he showed.
“Hey, you drank a lot too. Aren’t you tired?”
“I work at home. So I’ll feel less tired than you.”
“Don’t say random stuff. Don’t I write in the office? Writing is labor. You’re gonna fall down first.”
“Go and wash up.”
Jongjin went in the bathroom. Jaegun resumed typing.
It was a synopsis and a plot that he made during the night. His eyes were almost blind but he couldn’t stop until he finished.
“Hey, Ha Jaegun.”
“AH? What, how, when did you wear all that?”
Surprised, Jaegun looked back at Jongjin who was changing. Jongjin looked at him absurdly.
“It’s already been 10 minutes. You really can’t do anything when you start writing. I’ll go.”
“I’ll take you to the office.”
“Just keep writing. I can’t block your writing in the middle.”
Jongjin refused Jaegun’s offer to drive him there.
“I’m going early to walk a bit. To wake up from that drink.”
With nothing to do, Jaegun wore slippers and went to see him off.
The autumn air went inside as he opened the door.
As he ducked to try to avoid the leaves, Jaegun asked.
“Hey, I can write a novel with you as the main character right?”
“I’m the main? My life is interesting enough to write a story about me?”
“No?”
“Do you even need my permission. Just write.”
“I get it.”
As they were talking about these things, they were already at the subway station.
Jongjin dove into the huge crowd of people.
Jaegun went back home as he couldn’t see Jongjin at all in the crowd.;
“Rika, go eat. I’ll write a bit more.”
Jaegun took off his shoes as he came back and continued his writing because his brain was working much more efficiently now.
‘A office worker struggling with life and a poor karaoke helper’s meeting….! Their two common traits are … loneliness, Yes, loneliness. The two people who have no one to lean on are leaning on each other.’
The male main was his friend Jongjin.
The female main was the karaoke helper he met yesterday
A feeling of success came.
He was sure that as an economic as well as a writing project, it was going to be a success. He couldn’t control his excited body.
***
As the morning went by and lunch time came, the sun went down and evening came.
Jaegun forgot to eat and was only writing.
Rika didn’t bother Jaegun who was writing intently for his new book.
“No….! Frick. The character is awkward.”
Jaegun rubbed his head in frustration.
There was no problem making the male main with Jongjin as the model.
The problem was the female main.
He had way too many things he didn’t know about a karaoke helper.
Then the solution was?
‘To go there again…!’
He doesn’t hesitate when he made a decision.
Jaegun stood up, cleaned, and changed his clothes. Then he picked up a memo and pen and left home.
It was just after 8 and it was already becoming loud and crazy.
Jaegun got from his memory and went to the karaoke. It wasn’t hard because it was only yesterday.
“Come in.”
The owner of yesterday lifted her head and welcomed him. Jaegun asked the woman who seemed to remember him.
“Hello. Do you remember me? I came yesterday with a friend.”
“Yes, I remember that you came here.”
“It’s just, uh… can you bring the girl who was there yesterday?”
The owner wrinkled her face.
For a customer asking for a karaoke helper, he seemed weird.
“What for?”
“Ahy, well… I want to sing and have fun. I liked her.”
He decided to hide the fact that he was a writer. Then it felt like the story would get messed up even more. The owner looked at him with suspicion.
“Didn’t you just meet her for the first time yesterday?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If it’s the first time, it’s hard to find even with their name. There’s too many rude people out there.”
The conversation wasn’t going right.
After a thought, Jaegun pulled out 30 dollars from his wallet and held it towards the owner.
“I’m begging you. I’m not a bad person. I just really liked that woman.”
“Hm…. What to do.”
Unlike her words, the owner’s hands, deep with manicure, were taking in Jaegun’s money.
“Who are you finding”
“Uh, she was a bit shorter. Her face looked like a cat. She said her name was Dasul. And the other was saying Sulgi.”
“That’s all fake names. I know Jaeyoung, but I don’t know the woman that you’re looking for.”
“Can’t you contact Jaeyoung?”
The owner laughed as if it was absurd.
“The two peoole don’t know each other. They came from different offices.”
“Ah, that’s it?”
That’s why the two girls seemed awkward to each other.
In front of the nodding Jaegun, the owner picked up her phone and called someone.
“Hello? Yeah, this is the Hub. It’s just, yesterday… uh, hey, when did you come yesterday?”
“About just after 8.”
Hearing Jaegun’s words, the owner continued her words.
“Jaeyoung came here just after 8. Yeah, you remember? Do you know the girl who came with her? No, she has a nomination. Hm…. ah yes? Chief Kim? Using the name Dasul? Ok, thanks.”
As soon as she cut off, she called somewhere else.
“Hello? Yes hello. This is Hub. Do you have a girl called Dasul? Did she come yet? Ah… yes? Ok, can you give her the phone? She has a nomination.”
The owner glanced over to Jaegun and continued.
“He’s not a weird guy. I can tell by looking. A young guy. Hm yeah, ok. I get it. Thank you.”
As she hung up, the owner drank a drink of water to cool her burning throat. And then she explained to Jaegun.
“She’s not there yet. She’s about to come to work. I told them to call her here as soon as she comes. Just wait.”
“Thanks alot.”
Jaegun sat down on a chair next to the entrance.
The owner gave a beverage to Jaegun from the refrigerator because of the tip she got.
“But what’s your job?”
“I go around the country and sell electric pad.”
The owner looked annoyed and snorted.
“You’re lying. I can tell you’re a man who has ink on his hands. Well I get it.”
The owner didn’t ask more and turned around.
Jaegun was admiring her observation skills and shook his head.
After about 30 minutes to an hour, the girl didn’t show up. Jaegun killed time by watching the TV.
‘Maybe she’s not coming.’
Or she didn’t come to work.
Or like the owner said, she was fearful of meeting a rude person.
If he knew this was going to happen, he would have exchanged more conversation with her and gotten her contact information.
‘I can’t do it with another girl,’
The reason that he was writing this was because of the words that Dasul said. If it wasn’t for those words, he wouldn’t have even thought of this story.
Just to finish the story, he couldn’t give up on the person who he had gotten the feeling from.
It wasn’t a story that was for trivial fun. it needed human feeling. It was a need as a writer.
Just then.
The bell range with a clear ‘Danggg.’
Jaegun turned around and opened his eyes wide. The girl was coming in. She was the same silhouette as yesterday with the same hotpants.
“Hello, I have a customer?”
“Ah, you came. That person.”
The girl was surprised when she saw Jaegun.
“Hello.”
“Yes….”
The girl replied awkwardly.
The owner gestured to Jaegun behind her back
“You can go into room 2, same as yesterday.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll pay first.”
The girl went in first and Jaegun pulled out his walled.
“2 hours, no, 3 hours please.”
“You’re going to be there for that long?”
“Yes, how much is it?”
“135 dollars. What about the beer?”
“Give us 2 bottles first.”
Jaegun paid and went into the room.
The girl sat awkwardly with her hands folded on her lap.
“Were you surprised?”
“A bit…”
The girl’s reply was short.
Jaegun took off his outer garments.
Just then, the owner came in and gave out the beer. Jaegun then opened his mouth.
“Hey.”
