Chapter 41 – With the Night’s Protection
“Yes?”
The girl shivered and lifted her head. Her expression was one that was fearful of him. She was fearful of the favor that he would want.
“I want to ask a favor so I came here.”
“What favor?”
“Instead of singing, could you talk with me? Of course, I’ll pay you with the same fee.”
The girl thought his words were weird.
There were a lot of people who looked for karaoke helpers because of their loneliness.
But the young man in front of her put talking as the main purpose.
“Talking comes with playing and singing.”
“I want to have a serious conversation. Things about your work. Of course, if it doesn’t bother you.”
“My work? Why?”
The girl asked surprisingly.
Jaegun thought he couldn’t hide it anymore and said the truth.
“I’m a writer.”
“Writ…er? Writer?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you go around and sell electric pads.”
“It was a joke. I’m a writer.”
Jaegun never introduced himself as a writer first. The weight of being a writer was very heavy. And he was not mature enough to consider himself that.
“When I met you yesterday and came home, I thought of a story. I wanted to make a female main with karaoke helper as their job so I made a quick plot.”
The girl was listening to hims with wide open eyes.
“But I got stuck. I have no idea about the job of an karoake helper. I can’t writer anything like this. So I came here to ask you for information.”
Jaegun’s words went into the girl’s ears clearly.
But the girl was still staring blankly.
“Is it hard?”
“No, no.”
The girl lifted her head.
She was rubbing her sweat filled hands on her ankles.
“It’s not hard, but it’s a bit surprising.”
“I understand. There’s no customer like me.”
“So it’s only a conversation?”
“Yes, as I said.”
“If I just answer things, I get the same amount of money.
“Of course.”
The girl smiled widely after asking again. Her lips deep with lipstick was sparking.
“It would be stupid to refuse. It’s good for me.”
The girl reached out and opened the two bottles of beer.
“Cheers.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t…”
Jaegun refused politely. If he drank, his mind would be befuddled and he wouldn’t be able to write. He didn’t want to drink.
But the girl didn’t back off.
With a frown, she turned around and muttered.
“No cheers means no contract.”
“Then… just one drink.”
Jaegun gave in and picked up the bottle.
The girl immediately brightened and cheered.
“One shot.”
“Yes? This thing?”
The girl was already driving the beer into her mouth.
Jaegun swallowed once and with a fierce face, he started to drink.
He cliched his eyes closed because of the drink.
The girl, who finished drinking, was looking at Jaegun with a smile.
“Khhhhhhhhh….!”
Jaegun barely drank the entire thing and moaned as he put it down.
He crumpled the empty can unintentionally.
“What kind of man is this?”
The girl smiled as she looked at the coughing Jaegun. And she lighted a cigarette. Between her lips, a bunch of smoke came out.
“The time is ticking. Start. Ask me anything.”
“Kh… Yes.”
Jaegun took out the memo and the pen.
He regretted not having his laptop and asked his first question.
“I want to know the beginning of this job.”
The girl looked at the ceiling.
“I dropped out of high school. The relationship between my new mom and me was bad. So I left. After I worked in many places, I found this job. It’s only been a month.”
“Yes….”
Jaegun was surprised..
Instead of just saying that worked here for money, she voluntarily talked about her personal information.
It was nice news for Jaegun. It was going to be a easier making the female main character.
“How did you find out…?”
“The internet. After I saw it, I got an interview from the person here at a cafe, then I came to work the next day. I come at 8 and until 2. If there’s a lot of people, I end at 4 too.”
“Ah 8 to 2. Aren’t there tips?”
“The frequent people give tips. If they aren’t frequent, some people give it depending on their moods. There’s always the people who give 10 dollars and make a fuss about it. It’s tiring.”
“Yes, it must be tiring.”
Jaegun didn’t rest at all even while responding back. The white paper was slowly filling up with words.
***
‘Why is it so quiet?’
The owner at the counter felt it was weird.
It was too quiet.
Even though a lot of time passed, there wasn’t a song coming out at all.
‘Did something happen?’
It was a world with weird people.
There’s no way to see inside a person.
Sort of nervous, the owner went to Jaegun’s room
‘Hm? They’re just talking.’
As she looked inside, the girl and Jaegun was facing each other and talking.
The owner became curious.
What are these two people talking about so intently even if they only met yesterday.
“Hey, give us 4 more bottles!”
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
The owner went straight back to the refrigerator.
There was too much work to be done to care about one person. So that ended her interest in Jaegun.
The night creeped in.
With the increasing number of customers singing, the night was getting hotter. But one room stayed quiet till the end.
“Phew… Thank you.’
It was about 2 hours when Jaegun put away the pen.
He had gotten the answers to a lot of the questions.
If he wrote a bit more, he was going to find more information he needed. He didn’t know at this point what sort of information he was going to need.
“Thank you. I’ll use the information you gave me today very well. Could I ask you again if I have more questions?”
The girl pulled out another cigarette and nodded.
Her eyebrows were shivering on top the narrow eyes. The girl was also a bit tired after the 2 hour talk.
“I work at 8 so as early as possible. If it’s later, I’ll drink more and I can’t talk too much then.”
“I get it. It was tiring right?”
The girl shook her hand and laughed.
“Not really. It was fun.”
“Fun?”
“It’s the first time I’ve gotten question like these. It feels like I’m a star. Like that.”
She let out her tongue. Then her face seemed very youthful. It was probably more younger if she didn’t have the makeup.
“Call me there. Not to here.”
The girl gave a phone number and the name Dasul on the memo.
Jaegun smiled and thanked inside.
To the girl who had saved him. For real.
***
The draft started.
Days that began with writing and ended with writing went fast. He wrote at least 16 hours a day but he couldn’t see the end.
‘I don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense!’
If it was the length, he would have finished a long time ago.
He had the special notebook that made him write very fast.
But he just didn’t like the writing that he wrote. The writing that he kept and the writing that he erased were about equal in amount.
Jaegun typed and asked his master.
‘Sir, how do you think of this moment when the helper goes to the motel with him?’
-Don’t ask. There’s no answer. It’s just that the writing is a bit too much. The important thing is that two people met each other but the writing is ruining it. Erase it all.
‘Is it. I don’t want the writing to be too light. I’m not writing a simple romance novel. This is also a growing up novel with the mains growing up.’
-You care too much about the quality that it might be harmful. Don’t worry about that. Worry about the sincerity. Use the words that come to your head first. That’s real writer.
‘Yes sir. I’ll remember it.’
Se Gunwoo was teaching his student with effort.
Jaegun was writing with the same amount of energy.
‘Ah I got stuck again…! Not enough!’
Jaegun was stuck again and he touched his forehead.
There were too many issues with the female main.
‘It can’t always be like this. It can’t end with always singing and drinking a few bottles. I need more information!’
He already thought that this was about to happen.
He didn’t ask about the embarrassing things when he met Dasul.
It was the first conversation and there was the feeling that he could ask again later.
‘Can I ask again right now,’
It was about 9.
There was a huge possibility that she was helping other customers.
But he decided to send a message at least.
-Hello, I’m the writer from before. I’m sorry it’s too late, but could we meet?
Jaegun hurried because he was going so well until this. He wanted to see her today as fast as he could and listen to her.
Her reply didn’t come too fast.
Jaegun was nervous enough because he knew that she was busy.
He waited about one hour.
The phone vibrated.
Jaegun lifted himself up from the floor.
-Sorry, was working. Right now?
-I’ll go. Hub?
-There’s a Hansung Pocha. I’ll be there.
-Ok, 20 minutes.
Jaegun switched clothes to a shirt and jeans and left. He thought about driving but it was a bar so he felt that girl would make him drink some.
“Here!”
Dasul held her hand up as he went in. She was in the corner.
Jaegun passed through the hall and sat down next to her. There was a bean sprout stew and a bottle of beer in front of the circular table.
“We’re not going to sing, so this place is better.”
Dasul smiled after she said.
There was almost no make up this time.
The clothes were not flashy and normal. It was a brown jacket and tight jeans that girls in their 20s wore.
‘Pretty.’
He thought she was pretty in the beginning. But now she was really pretty.
She was a natural beauty. There was light on her face without any help.
“Did you eat dinner? I’m hungry.”
“I didn’t eat. You can eat whatever you want.”
“Can I get anything I want? I love spicy things?”
“I do too.”
“OK. Hey! Give us some chicken!”
Dasul offered a cup to Jaegun after she ordered.
Jaegun thought it was good that he didn’t bring the car and took the drink.
“So what are you wondering?”
“Um, that’s… it’s…”
It was hard to ask as the first word.
He didn’t want to drink but his mouth went to the drink anyway.
“They are things that aren’t good. Or things that are a bit inappropriate.”
“What’s that? You’re saying it very strangely.”
“It’s… The customers won’t always just go and sing only, right?”
“Hm?”
Dasul looked with narrowed eyes.
Jaegun, embarrassed, picked up his chopsticks.
As he picked up a bean sprout. Dasul laughed with her mouth half opened like she understood
“You’re curious about that? Do they go to a motel and have sex? ”
Chapter 41 – With the Night’s Protection
“Yes?”
The girl shivered and lifted her head. Her expression was one that was fearful of him. She was fearful of the favor that he would want.
“I want to ask a favor so I came here.”
“What favor?”
“Instead of singing, could you talk with me? Of course, I’ll pay you with the same fee.”
The girl thought his words were weird.
There were a lot of people who looked for karaoke helpers because of their loneliness.
But the young man in front of her put talking as the main purpose.
“Talking comes with playing and singing.”
“I want to have a serious conversation. Things about your work. Of course, if it doesn’t bother you.”
“My work? Why?”
The girl asked surprisingly.
Jaegun thought he couldn’t hide it anymore and said the truth.
“I’m a writer.”
“Writ…er? Writer?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you go around and sell electric pads.”
“It was a joke. I’m a writer.”
Jaegun never introduced himself as a writer first. The weight of being a writer was very heavy. And he was not mature enough to consider himself that.
“When I met you yesterday and came home, I thought of a story. I wanted to make a female main with karaoke helper as their job so I made a quick plot.”
The girl was listening to hims with wide open eyes.
“But I got stuck. I have no idea about the job of an karoake helper. I can’t writer anything like this. So I came here to ask you for information.”
Jaegun’s words went into the girl’s ears clearly.
But the girl was still staring blankly.
“Is it hard?”
“No, no.”
The girl lifted her head.
She was rubbing her sweat filled hands on her ankles.
“It’s not hard, but it’s a bit surprising.”
“I understand. There’s no customer like me.”
“So it’s only a conversation?”
“Yes, as I said.”
“If I just answer things, I get the same amount of money.
“Of course.”
The girl smiled widely after asking again. Her lips deep with lipstick was sparking.
“It would be stupid to refuse. It’s good for me.”
The girl reached out and opened the two bottles of beer.
“Cheers.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t…”
Jaegun refused politely. If he drank, his mind would be befuddled and he wouldn’t be able to write. He didn’t want to drink.
But the girl didn’t back off.
With a frown, she turned around and muttered.
“No cheers means no contract.”
“Then… just one drink.”
Jaegun gave in and picked up the bottle.
The girl immediately brightened and cheered.
“One shot.”
“Yes? This thing?”
The girl was already driving the beer into her mouth.
Jaegun swallowed once and with a fierce face, he started to drink.
He cliched his eyes closed because of the drink.
The girl, who finished drinking, was looking at Jaegun with a smile.
“Khhhhhhhhh….!”
Jaegun barely drank the entire thing and moaned as he put it down.
He crumpled the empty can unintentionally.
“What kind of man is this?”
The girl smiled as she looked at the coughing Jaegun. And she lighted a cigarette. Between her lips, a bunch of smoke came out.
“The time is ticking. Start. Ask me anything.”
“Kh… Yes.”
Jaegun took out the memo and the pen.
He regretted not having his laptop and asked his first question.
“I want to know the beginning of this job.”
The girl looked at the ceiling.
“I dropped out of high school. The relationship between my new mom and me was bad. So I left. After I worked in many places, I found this job. It’s only been a month.”
“Yes….”
Jaegun was surprised..
Instead of just saying that worked here for money, she voluntarily talked about her personal information.
It was nice news for Jaegun. It was going to be a easier making the female main character.
“How did you find out…?”
“The internet. After I saw it, I got an interview from the person here at a cafe, then I came to work the next day. I come at 8 and until 2. If there’s a lot of people, I end at 4 too.”
“Ah 8 to 2. Aren’t there tips?”
“The frequent people give tips. If they aren’t frequent, some people give it depending on their moods. There’s always the people who give 10 dollars and make a fuss about it. It’s tiring.”
“Yes, it must be tiring.”
Jaegun didn’t rest at all even while responding back. The white paper was slowly filling up with words.
***
‘Why is it so quiet?’
The owner at the counter felt it was weird.
It was too quiet.
Even though a lot of time passed, there wasn’t a song coming out at all.
‘Did something happen?’
It was a world with weird people.
There’s no way to see inside a person.
Sort of nervous, the owner went to Jaegun’s room
‘Hm? They’re just talking.’
As she looked inside, the girl and Jaegun was facing each other and talking.
The owner became curious.
What are these two people talking about so intently even if they only met yesterday.
“Hey, give us 4 more bottles!”
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
The owner went straight back to the refrigerator.
There was too much work to be done to care about one person. So that ended her interest in Jaegun.
The night creeped in.
With the increasing number of customers singing, the night was getting hotter. But one room stayed quiet till the end.
“Phew… Thank you.’
It was about 2 hours when Jaegun put away the pen.
He had gotten the answers to a lot of the questions.
If he wrote a bit more, he was going to find more information he needed. He didn’t know at this point what sort of information he was going to need.
“Thank you. I’ll use the information you gave me today very well. Could I ask you again if I have more questions?”
The girl pulled out another cigarette and nodded.
Her eyebrows were shivering on top the narrow eyes. The girl was also a bit tired after the 2 hour talk.
“I work at 8 so as early as possible. If it’s later, I’ll drink more and I can’t talk too much then.”
“I get it. It was tiring right?”
The girl shook her hand and laughed.
“Not really. It was fun.”
“Fun?”
“It’s the first time I’ve gotten question like these. It feels like I’m a star. Like that.”
She let out her tongue. Then her face seemed very youthful. It was probably more younger if she didn’t have the makeup.
“Call me there. Not to here.”
The girl gave a phone number and the name Dasul on the memo.
Jaegun smiled and thanked inside.
To the girl who had saved him. For real.
***
The draft started.
Days that began with writing and ended with writing went fast. He wrote at least 16 hours a day but he couldn’t see the end.
‘I don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense!’
If it was the length, he would have finished a long time ago.
He had the special notebook that made him write very fast.
But he just didn’t like the writing that he wrote. The writing that he kept and the writing that he erased were about equal in amount.
Jaegun typed and asked his master.
‘Sir, how do you think of this moment when the helper goes to the motel with him?’
-Don’t ask. There’s no answer. It’s just that the writing is a bit too much. The important thing is that two people met each other but the writing is ruining it. Erase it all.
‘Is it. I don’t want the writing to be too light. I’m not writing a simple romance novel. This is also a growing up novel with the mains growing up.’
-You care too much about the quality that it might be harmful. Don’t worry about that. Worry about the sincerity. Use the words that come to your head first. That’s real writer.
‘Yes sir. I’ll remember it.’
Se Gunwoo was teaching his student with effort.
Jaegun was writing with the same amount of energy.
‘Ah I got stuck again…! Not enough!’
Jaegun was stuck again and he touched his forehead.
There were too many issues with the female main.
‘It can’t always be like this. It can’t end with always singing and drinking a few bottles. I need more information!’
He already thought that this was about to happen.
He didn’t ask about the embarrassing things when he met Dasul.
It was the first conversation and there was the feeling that he could ask again later.
‘Can I ask again right now,’
It was about 9.
There was a huge possibility that she was helping other customers.
But he decided to send a message at least.
-Hello, I’m the writer from before. I’m sorry it’s too late, but could we meet?
Jaegun hurried because he was going so well until this. He wanted to see her today as fast as he could and listen to her.
Her reply didn’t come too fast.
Jaegun was nervous enough because he knew that she was busy.
He waited about one hour.
The phone vibrated.
Jaegun lifted himself up from the floor.
-Sorry, was working. Right now?
-I’ll go. Hub?
-There’s a Hansung Pocha. I’ll be there.
-Ok, 20 minutes.
Jaegun switched clothes to a shirt and jeans and left. He thought about driving but it was a bar so he felt that girl would make him drink some.
“Here!”
Dasul held her hand up as he went in. She was in the corner.
Jaegun passed through the hall and sat down next to her. There was a bean sprout stew and a bottle of beer in front of the circular table.
“We’re not going to sing, so this place is better.”
Dasul smiled after she said.
There was almost no make up this time.
The clothes were not flashy and normal. It was a brown jacket and tight jeans that girls in their 20s wore.
‘Pretty.’
He thought she was pretty in the beginning. But now she was really pretty.
She was a natural beauty. There was light on her face without any help.
“Did you eat dinner? I’m hungry.”
“I didn’t eat. You can eat whatever you want.”
“Can I get anything I want? I love spicy things?”
“I do too.”
“OK. Hey! Give us some chicken!”
Dasul offered a cup to Jaegun after she ordered.
Jaegun thought it was good that he didn’t bring the car and took the drink.
“So what are you wondering?”
“Um, that’s… it’s…”
It was hard to ask as the first word.
He didn’t want to drink but his mouth went to the drink anyway.
“They are things that aren’t good. Or things that are a bit inappropriate.”
“What’s that? You’re saying it very strangely.”
“It’s… The customers won’t always just go and sing only, right?”
“Hm?”
Dasul looked with narrowed eyes.
Jaegun, embarrassed, picked up his chopsticks.
As he picked up a bean sprout. Dasul laughed with her mouth half opened like she understood
“You’re curious about that? Do they go to a motel and have sex? ”
