Chapter 5

First Message (1)

"Why did you drink so much?"

"I didn't drink that much."

"You drank 3,000 won by yourself."

"So what?"

Eun-seul chuckled. Although her eyes were a bit unfocused and her steps were slightly different from usual, she wasn't so drunk that she couldn't stand.

Still, Ji-hoon thought he should apologize properly.

"I'm really sorry about today. I caused you to stick barcodes and work overtime for no reason."

"Apologize once and be done with it."

"Still, I should—"

"It's okay! Everyone makes mistakes during their internship. Don't take it to heart. Just do better next time."

"Have you ever made a mistake, senior?"

"No?"

Her expression seemed to ask, "Are you the same as me?" After all, the senior was always perfect, to the point where it sometimes felt like cheating.

She was definitely trying to get under his skin. The way she smiled so beautifully while looking at him.

"By the way, senior, did you contact Author Seo Mi-ju?"

"Yep."

Seo Mi-ju is the author of "The Devil's Temptation." She is also the author of the book that Ji-hoon failed to check the barcode for before printing.

As an intern, he rarely had the opportunity to speak directly with authors. Seo Mi-ju was one of the mid-career authors at Seorim Publishing, managed directly by Eun-seul.

"I only told her the situation. I'll contact her again tomorrow to set up a meeting and visit her."

"How was the call?"

"Would she be happy about sticking stickers? But she understood. She said another publishing company had a similar issue before."

"I see."

Eun-seul placed her hand on Ji-hoon's shoulder. They were a bit different in height, so she couldn't put her arm around his shoulders, but she acted like a senior.

"Kang Ji-hoon! It's okay once, but not twice. When you come to work next week, apologize to the editor-in-chief again. Got it?"

"I was planning to do that anyway."

"But how long are you going to use formal language with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ugh."

Eun-seul sighed and patted Ji-hoon's back. This time, it was more like a sisterly gesture.

"Taewan talks to me informally, but you always call me 'senior' and use formal language. I told you before, be more relaxed."

"I'm afraid I might make a mistake at work. And after using formal language for six years, it feels awkward to use informal language."

"Everything feels awkward. Really. You're stubborn when you think about it."

"Ha-ha. I'll take that as a compliment."

Ji-hoon and Eun-seul met in college and became close friends. Taewan was introduced to Eun-seul around the same time, and the three of them often hung out. Especially after Taewan opened a chicken restaurant, they would visit almost every week for chicken and beer.

Eun-seul often told Ji-hoon to be more relaxed with her, to avoid feeling distant.

But Ji-hoon insisted on using formal language, saying it made him feel more comfortable. While this made her proud, it was also a bit disappointing.

Eun-seul cared about him more than he realized.

"Are your parents doing well?"

"Of course. They're probably happiest when I'm not at home."

"True. You're a bit high-maintenance. Still, contact them often. They say parents don't wait for their children to be filial."

"Got it."

If he had a real sister, it might feel like this. Ji-hoon liked Eun-seul because she felt like a real sister.

Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of Eun-seul's house. She lived in a house she had rented since college, as her hometown was in the countryside.

Eun-seul looked up at Ji-hoon with a slightly flushed face.

"Ji-hoon, do you want to eat some ramen?"

"I'm full."

"Come on! Go home. It's late."

"Get some rest, senior."

"Text me when you get home."

Ji-hoon waved. After confirming that she had gone inside, he started walking.

'Ah, what a long day. Is this how the week is ending?'

On his way home, Ji-hoon, as usual, was lost in thought.

Usually, he would think about the next part of his work, but today, he recalled the conversation they had during their drinking session.

'But what if there are other things Grandpa left behind?'

Eun-seul's words kept lingering in his mind. It was an exciting and thrilling thought. Maybe Grandpa really did leave something.

'Should I look for it when I clean up tomorrow?'

At that moment, he felt drawn to something.

Ji-hoon stopped walking.

Unconsciously, he turned his head and saw a familiar sign. The Mysterious Archive, the used bookstore left by his grandfather.

Ji-hoon stared at the sign for a moment, then decided to open the lock.

Creak.

The door opened.

"Huh?"

Ji-hoon was surprised when he looked inside. In the dimly lit bookstore, something was faintly glowing on the floor.

"What is it?"

The light didn't disappear and continued to glow on the floor.

Ji-hoon rubbed his eyes. Was it because of the alcohol? He thought he might be seeing things. There was no light on the floor, so it shouldn't be glowing.

For a moment, he felt a chill.

Could it be a ghost?

A shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly turned on the lights. The fluorescent lights illuminated the room.

'It's a book.'

The object on the floor was a book. Ji-hoon, as if in a trance, approached and picked it up.

'A blank book? What is this?'

There was nothing written on the cover.

Ji-hoon looked around. There was a gap in the tightly packed bookshelves. It was clear the book had fallen from there.

Suddenly, a sense of déjà vu hit him.

'Wait. This spot, wasn't this where I briefly looked at a book this morning?'

Something was off.

The book he had taken out and read earlier had a title and was well-bound. But this book was more like a notebook.

'Am I really drunk?'

What could it be?

But Ji-hoon put his doubts aside. There was no better way to confirm than to check it himself.

He carefully opened the book. The middle pages were blank. He quickly flipped to the first page.

"Unbelievable."

Ji-hoon's eyes widened. On the first page, in a familiar handwriting, it read:

― To my dear Ji-hoon

His mind snapped to attention.

'This is definitely it!'

He rushed to his desk and opened a drawer. There, he found a collection of letters, including those written by his grandfather.

Ji-hoon compared the handwriting in the notebook to the letters from his grandfather. He realized something.

'This is Grandpa's handwriting. Could this be a book he left for me?'

His heart raced.

At the same time, he was puzzled. Why would Grandpa leave him a blank book?

Without thinking, Ji-hoon opened the first page.

Then, something unbelievable happened again.

As if black sand was gathering, the blank page began to move softly, forming letters.

― Bowing is

It wasn't just any text; it was Korean. Ji-hoon swallowed hard, waiting for the next letter.

― Bowing is not a shameful act.

A sentence was complete.

"..."

No matter how long he waited, the next letter didn't appear. Ji-hoon hesitantly turned to the next page, but it was blank. The incredible event didn't repeat.

He returned to the first page.

The sentence was written in Grandpa's handwriting, as if written with a real pen.

"Bowing is not a shameful act...?"

He repeated the simple sentence, standing still for a while.

**

Ji-hoon stayed up all night.

It was because of the blank book left by his grandfather. This wasn't an ordinary book. Something magical had definitely happened, and the words had written themselves.

'How should I interpret this? I definitely didn't see things because of the alcohol.'

It was a phenomenon modern science couldn't explain.

He couldn't call someone in the middle of the night to make a fuss. Maybe his eyes were affected by overwork?

'Should I visit an ophthalmologist? Or a psychiatrist?'

Then, his phone rang loudly. Startled, Ji-hoon put the book aside and checked his phone. The screen displayed "Eun-seul."

Ji-hoon quickly touched the call button.

"Yes, senior. What are you doing up?"

― I called because you didn't text. I told you to text when you got home. I thought you might have been kidnapped.

"Sorry. I was just... looking around the used bookstore for a bit, and I got a bit distracted."

― What happened?

"Nothing. Why?"

― Your voice sounds a bit excited and dazed. It's different from usual.

Indeed, she was a senior. She had a good sense and could detect changes just by hearing his voice.

Ji-hoon calmed himself down.

"I guess I just woke up. I fell asleep as soon as I got home."

― I woke you up for nothing. Sorry.

"No, it's fine."

Ji-hoon's gaze fell on the old book on his desk. Should he ask about it? The thought crossed his mind, but he held back.

This was a book left by his grandfather. It didn't feel right to ask others about it.

"But, senior—"

― Yes?

"What does it mean when someone says, 'Bowing is not a shameful act'?"

― What's with the sudden question? Did you have a strange dream?

"I just thought of it."

A sigh came from the other end of the phone. Eun-seul spoke as if scolding him.

― I told you not to take it to heart. Mistakes are just mistakes. You need to focus on the next task.

"Right."

― I'll handle the Seo Mi-ju situation.

Seo Mi-ju?

Ji-hoon felt the fog in his mind clear.

"Okay, got it. Thanks, senior."

He nodded unconsciously. Now he understood what the sentence meant. A smile crept onto his face.

― Hello? Is our Ji-hoon sleeping?

"No, just spacing out."

― Go to sleep. You'll be tired tomorrow when you clean the used bookstore.

"Got it. Good night, senior."

― Good night.

The call ended. Ji-hoon threw his phone onto the bed and opened the book again. The sentence was still on the first page.

'This reminds me of when I was five.'

As a child, whenever he was in trouble, his grandfather would sit him on his lap and gently scold him. It felt like a similar situation.

'Somehow, I can't just let this go.'

Ji-hoon changed his mind.

Maybe he had been complacent because he was an intern, not familiar with the work, and had someone to take responsibility.

If he made a mistake, shouldn't he apologize himself?

It felt like his grandfather had left him this message, transcending time and space. It might be a coincidence, but it felt significant.

'I don't know what's going on, but okay. I'll give it a try!'

Ji-hoon turned on his computer and immediately logged into the company's shared email. He found Seo Mi-ju's contact information.

In the morning, he sent a text to Seo Mi-ju.

Vroom!

An hour later, he received a reply.