By Zephyria There was a small noise from the surroundings, but it was generally quiet. The table spacing was wide, and the soft music was playing, so it seemed that there was no need to worry about the contents of the conversation being leaked. The waiter was friendly and the atmosphere was good, but Yu-jin was stiff. He was intimidated by the restaurant, which looked quite expensive at a glance, and by the appearance of the guests who matched him, but the presence of the man sitting across from him made him more nervous than anything else.
What will they talk about?
He had no idea. He came here without daring to even imagine it, but expectations kept rising. Isn’t the fact that he asked to meet in a place like this to make a positive proposal? The email only said that he wanted to talk about the writing that Yu-jin had written. He wanted to hear the words quickly, but he couldn’t bring himself to urge him, so Yu-jin just sipped his wine for no reason. Whether he knew Yu-jin’s inner thoughts or not, the editor-in-chief spoke without losing his smile.”Was it difficult getting here? Some people say it’s hard to find.”
“Ah, yes… it was fine.”
Fortunately, the driver of the mansion knew the place. Maybe Winston had been here too.
Had he come with Evelyn?
He abruptly shook his head, banishing the thought. What are you thinking? Even if he did, it’s none of my business.
He took another sip of wine and set it down as a waiter arrived with the first course. After explaining the ingredients and the dish, he left, and the editor-in-chief smiled gently, encouraging him to eat.
“The food here is very well-regarded. I hope you enjoy it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yu-jin nodded absentmindedly and cut a piece of the beautifully decorated scallop dish, putting it in his mouth. It seemed they planned to discuss business after the meal. This was Yu-jin’s first time in such a setting, and he couldn’t even begin to guess what would happen next.
“I enjoyed reading the manuscript you sent. How did you come up with the story?”
About halfway through the meal, the editor-in-chief finally brought up the topic of work. Yu-jin cleared his throat and replied.
“I tell my child stories every night, and then I thought about putting it into writing.”
He couldn’t afford to buy her fairy tale books, so he initially relied on his memory to tell her stories. Gradually, he ran out of material and started making things up, which led him to the ambition of submitting it. He glossed over the details, and the editor-in-chief stopped cutting his steak and looked at Yu-jin.
“This is the first thing you’ve ever written?”
“Yes… yes.”
Yu-jin stammered in response to the surprised, wide-eyed look, and the editor-in-chief fell silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. Yu-jin grew anxious and watched him carefully. Did I say something wrong? Does he think it’s terrible because it’s the first thing I’ve written? What should I do? I should have thought more before speaking!
“Did you send this manuscript to our publishing house only?”
After the course was finished and they each had dessert and coffee in front of them, the editor-in-chief spoke. Yu-jin hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer, but if he had mastered such social skills, his life would be completely different now. He soon resigned himself and answered honestly again.
“I sent it to about four places… Brant Publishing was the only one that responded.”
“Did you send the emails at the same time?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin readily admitted.
“I kept checking my email… but I gave up because I didn’t get a reply.”
The last time he had checked was the day he heard about Harold’s death and rushed onto the train with his child for the reading of the will. He remembered stopping by a nearby internet cafe with a still-dozing Angela in his arms to check his email, and he felt strange all over again.
“That’s fortunate. Ah, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant…”
The editor-in-chief tried to backtrack hastily, but it only made Yu-jin wonder. What did he mean by that? He wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to put him in a difficult position, so he remained silent. The editor-in-chief cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly.
“I meant that we were lucky not to miss the opportunity. And that we were the only ones who recognized this work.”
It felt like he was about to get to the point. Instinctively tense, he perked up his ears, and the editor-in-chief finally said the words he had been waiting for.
“Yu-jin Sol, we would like to formally publish ‘Juliana’s Garden’ through our publishing house. Would you sign a contract with us?”
Yu-jin was so surprised that he dropped his dessert fork.
* * *
“Daddy!”
Angela, who had been looking down at the approaching car, immediately ran down the stairs and into Yu-jin’s arms.
“Daddy, where did you go? Leaving me all alone! I was so lonely.”
“I’m sorry, Angie. Did you wait long? Were you scared?”
He kissed her cheek as he asked, and she shook her head, hugging Yu-jin’s neck tightly.
“No, I believed that Daddy would never leave me. So I wasn’t scared at all.”
Yu-jin couldn’t help but smile at her trusting voice, and he rubbed his lips all over her cheek.
“Of course not. Daddy can’t live without Angie.”
“That tickles, that tickles!”
Yu-jin continued to tickle his daughter, who was laughing and giggling, and he kept laughing along with her. He felt guilty thinking about his child, who had been playing alone all day, but at the same time, he was still dazed.
I’m going to publish a book.
He had sent the manuscript in the hopes of that happening, of course, but he never really thought it would become a reality. And that wasn’t all. The editor-in-chief had even offered him an advance of $1,000.
“In return, you must publish ‘Juliana’s Garden’ with our publishing house. In a way, this is a ploy to tie you down.”
He gave a wry smile as he continued, seeing Yu-jin’s speechless surprise.
“Actually, we should be offering you more, but our company is so small that this is a very unconventional condition for us. Even if you hear from other companies, please sign with us. We will work very hard to sell it.”
Seeing him so eager and even apologetic, Yu-jin was flustered and shook his head.
“Ah, no. A thousand dollars is a lot of money…”
Besides, this was the only company that had made an offer anyway. Yu-jin wasn’t in a position to haggle over conditions, and this generous treatment was unbelievable. Yet, he only had two conditions. He wanted to revise a few scenes, but Yu-jin was free to refuse if he didn’t want to. This part was Yu-jin’s choice, but the remaining one was mandatory.
“Let’s change the title. It’s too ordinary.”
He said firmly, even offering to come up with a few titles after a meeting. Yu-jin had no reason to refuse. He said that he would also think about other titles, and the meeting ended on a pleasant note.
I can’t believe it.
Yu-jin was still in a daze, as if he were dreaming. He had pinched his cheek or thigh several times already. It hurt, so it was definitely real.
He returned to his room to take a shower and checked the business card he had received. The small rectangular piece of paper clearly had Grant’s name and the publishing house’s name on it.
It’s real.
Yu-jin covered his mouth with both hands and let out a silent scream.
* * *
Winston came home at the same time as usual. Yu-jin, who was preparing to bathe and put the child to bed as usual, came out of the room to greet him.
“Welcome home.”
Winston nodded briefly as usual and went into his room. It was their routine to have dinner together after he finished showering. Yu-jin laid the child down in bed and stroked her hair.
“Good night, Angie.”
“You too, Daddy. Good night.”
Angela greeted him obediently and closed her eyes. Yu-jin looked down at his child for a moment before getting up, turning off the lamp, and leaving the room.
What should I do?
Yu-jin, who had closed the door behind him, hesitated for a moment before turning his gaze to the room where Winston was. Should I tell him what happened today? I guess I should?
Why bother?
Winston wouldn’t be curious anyway. Besides, I don’t have any obligation to tell him everything.
…But.
They had promised to call a truce. The atmosphere had been good lately, and it would be better to tell him in advance rather than create secrets that could cause trouble later.
We need to start by building trust. We don’t have that between us.
Remembering Winston’s words, he took a deep breath. To do that, I can’t hide anything.
…Hiding things.
Yu-jin suddenly remembered something he had forgotten. Shouldn’t I tell him? That I can’t have children. Winston has no idea that Angela is his child. I just have to insist that Angela is Harold’s child. He can’t very well dig up Harold’s body and do a DNA test.
Yu-jin unconsciously swallowed hard.
Maybe now is my chance.
He was briefly conflicted by the sudden situation, but he soon made up his mind and raised his head. There was no reason to stay here any longer.
The publishing house had given him a check for $1,000 as an advance, and he had heard that he could receive a portion of the royalties in advance after signing the contract. That would take care of his immediate living expenses somehow.
What if Winston’s reaction is different from what it’s been…?
In his recent daily life with him, Yu-jin had seen a glimmer of hope. Now that such great fortune had come his way, wouldn’t another stroke of luck come his way as well?
Yu-jin took a deep breath and knocked briefly on the door. After a pause, he opened the door, and Winston, who was sitting on the sofa, turned his gaze towards him. Yu-jin also took another breath and exhaled before entering the room. As he closed the door behind him, a strange tension quickly filled the air. Yu-jin stood there, simply looking at Winston’s face.