Novelist Running Through Time

Baekhak Group.

A major conglomerate in South Korea.

Often referred to as “Baekhak Media Group,” this group was literally a chaebol that dominated Korea’s media.

Newspapers, broadcasting, entertainment, advertising, movies, etc… A true ‘cultural empire,’ a title befitting this gigantic corporation.

Naturally, this culture included books.

No, rather, books were the foundation of Baekhak.

It all started a long time ago, with a small bookstore run by the founder.

Thanks to such a history, even in an era where the glory of works that thrilled the entire nation was forgotten, the honor of great writers was buried in scandals, and no one cared about such things, and literature became a cheap joke, Baekhak was still pouring money into the publishing business, accepting the deficits…

After all, Baekhak Group was sincere about publishing.

That sincerity is Baekhak Publishing, the largest publisher in Korea.

Lim Yang-wook’s previous life employer was also Baekhak Publishing.

“But Baekhak Entertainment? What does this mean?”

“Wait……! I can explain everything!”

EP 1-Cause of Death

The subway entered the Han River Bridge.

The Han River, which cuts across Seoul, revealed itself beyond the window.

The morning sun reflecting on the water surface was dazzling. I squinted my eyes and turned my gaze inside the cabin.

The lively scene of Line 1 came into view.

Korea’s subway is truly a hotbed of pluralism. There are peddlers who drag carts around, offering happiness for 5,000 won, and there are heresy inquisitors who feel called to save souls and hunt heretics.

Noisy.

But there are aspects of it that I like. Because you encounter countless people, literally.

People in suits, school uniforms, sportswear, hiking clothes, etc., each wearing different clothes, with their own expressions, going their own ways.

It’s a landscape where infinite colors, variables, and emotions are mixed, with numerous lives sailing towards their own destinations.

Why is that old man expressionless? Is it because his heart is worn out, or has he reached a state of peace over the years?

Why are those two, rubbing against each other and kissing in public? Are they blinded by love, lacking in manners, finding their own kind, or is one of them just trying to appease the other?

Isn’t it stimulating to the imagination? Isn’t it thrilling?

– Sounds like a creepy pervert.

Of course, I didn’t hear anything nice when I said this to my ex-lover.

Anyway, one of the advantages of becoming an primary school student was that the subway fare was less than half that of an adult.

So, with the meager allowance from the orphanage, I was able to come to the heart of Seoul. By the way, I skipped school without permission. But who could judge me? That was the limit of this country’s justice system.

“Have I arrived……?”

When I visited the address Lim Yang-wook told me to come to, I saw a crowd surrounding the entrance of the building.

Journalists with cameras, schoolgirls in uniforms, men in strange clothes, etc. At first glance, it was a crowd of irregularly combined people.

Occasionally, good-looking people would come and go from the building, and each time, this suspicious crowd would let out a strange cheer of ‘Wow!’.

I should have realized something was odd then……

“Hey. You can’t go in here.”

When I tried to enter the building after barely making my way through the crowd with my small body, a robust security guard stopped me.

“I’m here to see Team Leader Lim Yang-wook of the Publishing Management TF Team?”

“What? Publishing? Do we have such a team in our company?”

The security guard looked puzzled, and another guard joined in.

“That, you know. There. The parking lot…”

“You mean there?! Are there still people there?”

“Just let them go. Seems like they’re family of someone from that side. It’s pitiful.”

“Aren’t they entertainment reporters trying to break into the entrance?”

“Then you take them.”

“That’s a bit bothersome……”

The security guards, after a brief murmuring among themselves, eventually let me pass. One looked somewhat uneasy, while the other looked at me with pity.

But the strangeness didn’t end there.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t it here?”

The large directory on the first floor of the lobby.

The name of the Publishing Management TF Team wasn’t listed there.

Actor Management Division 1, Singer Management Division 2, A&R, Training Room, Marketing Team, Content Production Office, Record Business Division, Film Business Division, etc.

Even after scanning every directory from the first to the eighth floor, I couldn’t find ‘Publishing Management’. Eventually, I stopped a woman passing by.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh my! What a surprise! How did you get in? You look like an primary school student…”

“I spoke to the security and got in, and yes, I am an primary school student. I’m here to see Team Leader Lim Yang-wook of the Publishing Management TF Team.”

“What? Publishing? Our company doesn’t do publishing, does it?”

She looked doubtful and called over a man in a suit passing by.

“Ah! Director!”

“What’s the matter?”

“This kid here is looking for the Publishing Management Team. Do we have such a team in our company?”

I saw it.

The moment the man, referred to as the Director, heard the word ‘publishing’, he flinched.

“Kid… what exactly are you here for, no, never mind. Anyway, go to the underground level 3 parking lot. There’s only one office there, you’ll find it easily.”

An office in the parking lot? It was a bit odd, but since I hadn’t exactly experienced company life, I just thought maybe that’s how it was here.

As befitting a building with a large lobby, the parking lot was spacious too. The lighting was dim, and it was deserted, giving off a vibe as if zombies might appear at any moment.

Moon In-seop, a sixth grader, was weak against such a creepy atmosphere. Ironically, I was the most occult being in the world.

Then, I heard a murmuring sound from somewhere.

I headed towards the source of the sound.

From the outside, it was indistinguishable from a storage room.

“Clean it up…!”

“Why so suddenly…!”

There seemed to be people inside.

When I opened the door, what appeared to be an office, albeit barely, was revealed.

“Is this where Team Leader Lim Yang-wook is-”

Lim Yang-wook was distinctly stepping on a trash can.

* * *

TF Team Office.

The office, barely made to look like one from an old warehouse, had a small table for receiving guests.

Moon In-seop sat there, glaring at Lim Yang-wook with a sullen face. Lim Yang-wook, awkwardly smiling, avoided the boy’s gaze and wiped off his sweat with a handkerchief.

“You said it was a publishing house.”

“I said it was the Publishing Management TF Team.”

“Did you deceive me?”

“Author Moon. Don’t be too angry, um, well?”

“What’s ‘well’?”

“Baekhak Publishing or Baekhak Entertainment, it’s all the same Baekhak, so isn’t it okay?”

Moon In-seop stood up and bowed politely.

“Goodbye then.”

“Don’t go! If you leave, we’re doomed!”

Lim Yang-wook barely managed to calm the boy down and got him to sit again.

Baek Seol brought the boy a hot chocolate. She was a person with thick glasses, unkempt spiky hair, and noticeable dark circles under her eyes.

A steaming paper cup was placed on the table.

“Author Moon? Please have some of this.”

“Thank you. And you can speak casually, Editor Noona. Could I borrow a glasses cleaner, by any chance?”

“Sure!”

Baek Seol seemed pleased to be called ‘Editor Noona’. Her eyes suddenly sparkled. I couldn’t tell if she preferred being called ‘Editor’ or ‘Noona’.

Lim Yang-wook clicked his tongue, seeing her reaction.

“Hey, Author Moon. She’s not an editor. Just an assistant.”

“Isn’t that the same for you, Team Leader Lim? You’ve been demoted, haven’t you?”

“Yes, what do you know…!”

The boy casually cleaned his glasses with the cloth Baek Seol provided, replying leisurely.

“It’s obvious. An office in the underground parking lot? It’s like a corridor in front of a bathroom, isn’t it? A subtle way to say, ‘Write your resignation and get out’, or something like that…”

Thump!

A metaphorical arrow struck Lim Yang-wook in the heart.

“I thought you said ‘Publishing Management’, so I assumed it was about publishing planning.”

“Ughh…”

“Why is he like that?”

“He was actually in the real publishing planning department before he got demoted.”

“Ah, I see.”

Two metaphorical arrows had now struck Lim Yang-wook’s heart.

Baek Seol shot the final arrow.

“From what I know, you also failed in a project here.”

“Oh no…”

Three metaphorical arrows had now struck Lim Yang-wook’s heart.

Lim Yang-wook, half-dead with anger, stood up.

“Hey! Baek Seol! Why are you telling him every little thing?”

“Why not? I’m just an assistant, not an editor, right?”

“I’ll make you an editor starting today, so just keep quiet!”

“Okay.”

Having finally silenced Baek Seol, Lim Yang-wook breathed heavily. His face, flushed red, somewhat resembled a scalded octopus.

“Anyway, you can publish my book, right?”

“Of course! Absolutely! I’m Lim Yang-wook! The ace of Baekhak Publishing’s Publishing Planning Department!”

“Why don’t you add ‘former’ in front of that?”

“I’ll be back there!!!”

Meanwhile, as Moon In-seop toyed with Lim Yang-wook, Baek Seol watched the boy with a slightly suspicious look.

Is this child really the author of ‘Cause of Death’? He seems mature for his age, but she still can’t feel the presence of a genius with sparkling talent.

To clear her doubts, Baek Seol asked a meaningful question.

“How did you come to write the ‘Cause of Death’?”

Moon In-seop, sipping hot chocolate, calmly replied.

“You’re doubting whether I’m really an author.”

“Ah…! It’s not like that…!”

“Singers sing, actors act. Artists who perform through actions have a performance. But authors practice the art of recording. Then how should an author show their art? Naturally, through books.”

“Uh…”

“But creation often relies on spontaneous inspiration. That’s why many fail to write at the same level again. That’s what one-hit wonders are. Then where is the proof that I am the author of ‘Cause of Death’? Even if I wrote it, the true owner of that was me at that time, not the me of now, right? Humanity isn’t permanent. Depending on family circumstances or blood alcohol levels, a person can be an angel or a devil. Depending on age, one can be a child or an adult. The true owner of an old toy is the child who used and loved it the most, and the true owner of a wedding ring is the one at the wedding ceremony, heart pounding with passionate love. The meaning embedded in objects, and perceptions, change over time. Then what is it that humans can truly own in this strange flow of time?”

Baek Seol was silent. Her eyes lacked focus. She seemed slightly lost.

Moon In-seop prompted her.

“What is it?”

“Uh, um, uh…”

“Are you admitting you have less philosophical insight than a sixth grader?”

“No! It’s not that, but-”

Baek Seol’s eyes began to spin wildly.

Lim Yang-wook, with a wicked smile, gleefully interjected.

“Can’t you even answer that?”

“Quick, answer! Editor Baek Seol!”

“Hey! And you call yourself an editor?”

Finally, Baek Seol had no choice but to humiliatingly acknowledge her ignorance.

Her face, flushed red with embarrassment, seemed to sink.

“I, I don’t know…”

Successfully having made a fool of Baek Seol, Lim Yang-wook wheeled his chair closer to Moon In-seop and whispered slyly.

“But what’s the actual answer to that?”

“How would I know?”

“…?”

Moon In-seop, regardless, had established the fact that he was indeed the author of ‘Cause of Death’.

“Well, if you need proof, I have the original manuscript and plot of the at my place, before any revisions. I can bring it to you if needed.”

Baek Seol muttered to herself.

“Then why am I even…?”

“Anyway, the important thing is that I am the author of ‘Cause of Death’. Right?”

Moon In-seop looked back and forth between Lim Yang-wook and Baek Seol as he asked this question. He then pointed to the office, which was somewhat organized but clearly still resembled a warehouse.

“But are you the right editors to publish my ?”

The atmosphere suddenly became somber. Baek Seol was well aware of the TF team’s situation, and Lim Yang-wook was recalling the team’s past.

“Of course, it’s true that I’ve already agreed to work with Team Leader Lim Yang-wook. But isn’t there something more important than that?”

In reality, the contract between Moon In-seop and Lim Yang-wook had no legal effect yet because it lacked the signature of a legal guardian from the orphanage.

However, through their conversation, Lim Yang-wook had confirmed that Moon In-seop was exceptionally intelligent, and they had agreed to publish a book together.

This was far more important than any contract.

It was about trust.

“Right…”

Lim Yang-wook finally spoke.

“I’ll explain everything. What happened here.”

* * *

The Publishing Management TF Team was an organization launched to create a star author.

The focus here was not on ‘star author’ but on ‘creating’.

“You’re going to create a star author? How?”

“We spent weeks just discussing that.”

Baekhak Publishing’s elite editors and veteran marketers from Baekhak Entertainment came together. Considering their academic backgrounds, skills, and experience, they were the industry’s top talent.

Although the team leader, a senior of Lim Yang-wook who graduated from a local university, had some leadership issues, he skillfully managed and led the discussions.

These elites, after intense meetings, focused on Korea’s fervor for education.

“Novels are dead, but educational books still sell really well…”

They approached the essence.

A book is a product.

People who want to buy that product are those who want to learn something. A book is a tool for imparting knowledge.

People who want to learn are diverse. Men and women of all ages want to learn something.

But if you gather them all, minors would be the majority. Young children have the least amount of total knowledge.

Thus, they needed to create an author for children!

“Wow… That sounds plausible.”

“Right? Doesn’t it? What do you think?”

The planning didn’t end there.

Children don’t have economic power. It’s mostly mothers who buy books for their children. Therefore, the ideal image would be an attractive male who appeals to mothers.

Additionally, based on the common perception people have of authors, the ideal would be someone of a higher age group, so that people can comfortably respect and trust them.

Lastly, to gain the support of the younger generation leading the trends, the author needed to be kind, intelligent, and open-minded.

The final concept that emerged from all these considerations was…

“Book-Reading Grandpa!”

“So, it doesn’t matter what kind of he writes?”

“The writing can be done by someone else.”

“That’s really trashy…”

Whether it’s using a ghostwriter, teaching him how to write, or inserting a team of co-authors, the content of the book can be resolved one way or another.

The important thing was the image.

To entertain children and suck in YouTube views, to gain widespread respect in society by being kind, to attract the ‘mom brigade’ with good looks, and to satisfy the younger generation’s desire to be acknowledged by the older generation,

Just spouting things like [The pain young people experience is all because of our older generation’s mistakes], [We adults are sorry], [Getting into college and finding a job these days is incredibly harder compared to our time], [Young people nowadays are far more remarkable than people from the past], thereby filling their void…

“Wowww… Big corporations, really…”

“I’m embarrassed too, so keep it down.”

“It’s speechless, really. Big corporations are ruthless…”

The Publishing Management TF Team’s plan was progressing smoothly.

Fortunately, they found and trained the right talent,

Planned a glamorous debut by arranging a six-month broadcasting schedule,

And perfectly prepared everything from a YouTube channel to the books the star author would publish.

They were just about to start!

But then…!

“That… the author we scouted.”

“What about the author?”

“…”

“What is it?”

“… He did something.”

“What did he do?”

“… With his student.”

“Ah.”

And that’s how the TF team blew up.

* * *

“… And that’s what happened.”

Having finished his long explanation, Lim Yang-wook laughed weakly, as if his soul had left his body.

Baek Seol, hearing the full story for the first time, couldn’t easily hide her shock.

Amidst the silence of the two adults, the boy cautiously approached Lim Yang-wook and patted his shoulder.

“You’ve been through a tough battle…”

“It wasn’t my fault… It was all because of that bastard…”

“But now you want to use me for that failed plan?”

Lim Yang-wook’s eyes sparkled like a man obsessed with gambling.

“We can succeed this time.”

His finger pointed at Moon In-seop.

“With you…!!!”