Chapter 7

x 7

First Message (3)

He returned home and took a nap.

When Jihoon woke up leisurely, he tidied up his messy hair. He thought about going to bed again, but since no one would see him, he left it as it was.

Sitting at his desk, he took out the book his grandfather had cherished.

He had been reading it since yesterday, and it was truly amazing.

'It feels like Grandfather wrote it yesterday and showed it to me. The characters are so vivid.'

The handwriting seemed alive, and the ink looked as if it had just dried. The cover was old, but the content was fresh.

With a curious look, Jihoon opened the first page again.

The sentence that was magically engraved appeared. It was a magical sentence that had turned his mistake into an opportunity. A smile crept onto Jihoon's lips.

'I don't know what I saw back then... but it feels good to have a secret between Grandfather and me. I should cherish it.'

With that thought, he turned to the next page.

The page was still blank. But the blank page somehow sparked his anticipation. Suddenly, Jihoon had a thought.

'Just like when I first opened the first page, maybe someday the next page will be filled with something else.'

Jihoon recalled the situation at that time.

Grandfather's old book, glowing mysteriously in the darkness.

When he opened it, the first page was clearly blank. But it magically formed a sentence, as if black sand was gathering.

It was a mysterious event that people wouldn't believe if they heard about it.

He still wasn't sure if it was a dream or reality. He had been a bit tipsy, but Jihoon thought seriously.

'I didn't drink that much back then. Maybe I didn't see it wrong.'

Jihoon closed the book and dusted off the cover.

He decided not to tell anyone about this book. He didn't know what would happen in the future.

With a light sigh, Jihoon turned on his computer.

He planned to set up a scheduled upload for his serialized novel before going to the used bookstore and having a drink. He couldn't focus on it if he went out for drinks after organizing the bookstore.

'Only five more chapters to the end. It was a long journey, but also a short one.'

As he reviewed the manuscript, Jihoon felt a renewed sense of fulfillment. It was a work of about six volumes, 150 episodes, written over 300 days, one episode every two days. He had grown attached to it.

He felt a bit sad to wrap up such a long story.

If the ratings were good and things went well, it could have been a series of over ten volumes.

'But they say the end is a new beginning, right?'

Since things had turned out this way, there was no need to dwell on it.

Thinking positively, Jihoon scheduled the next upload. He had a few chapters in reserve and planned to write the remaining two during the week.

Jihoon turned off his computer and went outside.

The sunset brought a cool spring breeze. The sky was clear. It was a beautiful day that made him smile.

'It's going to get hot soon. I wish it could always be this warm.'

With that thought, he headed to the used bookstore.

**

"Senior?"

When Jihoon arrived at the used bookstore, he was surprised. Yoon Eunseul was sitting in front of the bookstore, an ice cream in her mouth.

There was a small bench in front of the used bookstore. Originally, it was for displaying books, but now it had become a place for neighborhood residents to rest.

Yoon Eunseul was sitting there, eating ice cream.

"What are you doing here?"

"You said you were going to organize the bookstore today. I thought it would be polite to show my face."

"Did you come because of Seo Mijoo's incident?"

"Your intuition is as sharp as ever, huh?"

Jihoon chuckled. Yoon Eunseul's cheekiness was always amusing. Jihoon took the key from his pocket, unlocked the lock, and lifted the shutter.

But Yoon Eunseul had no intention of getting up from the bench.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"The weather is nice, let's stay out a bit longer."

"Sure."

Jihoon opened the door to ventilate and then returned to sit next to Yoon Eunseul. The two of them looked quite well-matched sitting side by side.

They silently gazed at the sky.

How much time had passed? After finishing her ice cream, Yoon Eunseul handed the stick to Jihoon naturally and said,

"The weather is nice, isn't it?"

"On a day like this, you should go for a walk, not come to a labor site."

"Shouldn't I lend a hand after getting a free meal yesterday?"

"You have a conscience."

Jihoon had paid for the chicken and beer. Since the drinks were provided by Taewan, the bill wasn't too high. He felt a bit guilty about getting help.

On the bright side, he was glad he could pay for the barcode mistake with the chicken.

"This isn't just your hideout."

"What do you mean?"

"I was close to your grandfather too. I used to visit here often. So this place is important to me too. Taewan feels the same. Organizing the bookstore isn't just your job."

"You're right."

Jihoon nodded.

As summer approached, Yoon Eunseul often ate ice cream on this bench. Grandfather would come out and chat with her.

Perhaps, in a way, Yoon Eunseul had played the role of a granddaughter to Grandfather, who had no granddaughter.

That's why Yoon Eunseul was more than just a senior and a boss to Jihoon. She was the first person he thought of when he needed help or advice.

"But how did you decide to visit Seo Mijoo?"

"Even though you told me not to, I wanted to take responsibility for my mistake. I suddenly remembered something Grandfather said."

"What was it?"

"Bowing isn't a shameful thing."

Yoon Eunseul nodded with a gentle smile.

If it was the Grandfather in his memory, he could have said something like that. He valued relationships with neighbors, integrity, and mindset.

"Amazing. Both the grandfather who said it and the grandson who put it into practice."

"I'm still inexperienced, but I'll try harder to become a good person."

"You're already a good person."

"Really?"

Jihoon looked at Yoon Eunseul with renewed interest. She shook her head and stood up.

"Let's start organizing."

"Sure."

The two of them went inside the used bookstore.

The organization wasn't difficult. They completely cleared one corner and set up a desk, computer, and internet connection.

Taewan arrived on time, and the work went smoothly. Taewan, who was strong, moved the books and unused items to the storage room. Yoon Eunseul organized the books, and Jihoon set up the computer and connected the internet.

The work was finished by the time the sun had completely set.

"What time is it?"

Taewan asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Eight o'clock."

"Since the work is almost done, let's have dinner."

"Any preferences?"

"Since it feels like a move, how about some noodles?"

"Sounds good. What about you, Senior?"

"Sure."

So they decided to have noodles for dinner. Jihoon, feeling generous, also ordered a large plate of sweet and sour pork.

The delivery arrived faster than expected, and the three of them sat on the floor to start their dinner.

Yoon Eunseul said,

"Now that we have a study, it feels good. It has a study room vibe. You'll get a lot of inspiration, right?"

"It's better than I thought. I need to work hard now."

"If your next work does well, our chicken shop's sales will go up. If you hit it big, you'll bring all your friends and employees, right?"

"Haha. Sure. I'll hit it so big that I'll buy Taewan's chicken shop."

"Hehe. You're ambitious! Good luck."

Taewan patted Jihoon's shoulder. Jihoon smiled in response to his friend's sincere words.

After dinner, Taewan returned to the chicken shop. He had to finish up since he had left the shop for a while.

Of course, the two didn't realize that this was a considerate gesture from their friend.

"Senior, what are you doing?"

"I thought this side could be useful if we clean it up."

Watching her, Yoon Eunseul was organizing the area near the sink, moving cups and teaware to one side.

Jihoon was impressed.

"Oh, you're planning to use it as a break room?"

"Wouldn't that be nice? You drink a lot of coffee and tea. Isn't it a must-have for writers?"

"Are you planning to use it too?"

"Caught me."

The two chuckled. They knew each other so well.

"Sit and wait a moment. Let's have some tea. I'll make it."

"Sure."

The sound of boiling water filled the air, and the scent of tea began to permeate the used bookstore.

Jihoon sat in the study and watched the process.

Her fair and soft skin, calm eyes, and graceful movements made him think that Yoon Eunseul would be good at tea ceremony.

Meanwhile, Yoon Eunseul brought out the tea.

"I'll enjoy it."

She served green tea. The tea bag seemed to have a better aroma than the one he had made. Maybe it was just his imagination.

"I can't believe how quickly weekends pass. If today were Friday, I'd be happy."

"At least you have one more day off tomorrow."

"By the time I realize it, Sunday will be over too."

Yoon Eunseul laughed lightly and looked out the window. The moon was shining brightly.

She seemed deep in thought, so Jihoon silently sipped his tea.

"I think I was in a rut."

"Out of the blue?"

Yoon Eunseul sipped her tea.

"Maybe things went well because you didn't ignore Gang Seonghyun yesterday and even offered him coffee and chatted with him."

"Everyone does that, right?"

"Not everyone can do that."

It was a heavy statement. Jihoon turned to look at her.

"Me too, and Kim Daeri, the editor. We knew Gang Seonghyun needed help but couldn't approach him easily. I felt like I was trapped in my own work. I've been thinking a lot."

In other words, she was inspired by Jihoon's natural actions.

"Well, I'm just a junior. I'm just the one who brings coffee. It's a different level compared to the important work the managers do."

Yoon Eunseul shook her head.

"Actually, you were the one who acted most like an editor at that moment. We, who should be working with authors to create books, were only thinking about short-term gains. When did we become like this?"

"Senior, they say thinking too much makes you old."

"Anyway, I hope the editor-in-chief will look at you differently after this incident."

"An opportunity will come eventually."

Yes, that's true. For now, there's nothing to do but wait. Opportunities come to those who are prepared.

Yoon Eunseul smiled and nodded.

The two of them quietly sipped their tea, looking up at the moon inside the used bookstore.