# Chapter 123
The message from Manager Yoon Hyesu asking to check an email came on Tuesday morning. While staying with Ban Hajun at his officetel, Mo Eunje had unintentionally been living a proper lifestyle of waking up in the morning and going to bed at night.
Ban Hajun, who had a commercial shooting scheduled for the end of June, had cut out late-night snacks and went to bed before midnight. Mo Eunje, with nothing to do alone in someone else’s home, was forced to go to bed around the same time. He couldn’t watch movies because the loft area was open to the living space and would disturb Ban Hajun’s sleep, and he couldn’t type on his laptop because the table was attached to the living room sofa, causing the same problem.
Having woken up before 10 AM, Mo Eunje turned on his laptop to check his email while Ban Hajun was showering. There was a proposal for the reading variety show that Manager Yoon had mentioned previously.
The cast consisted of seven people: an MC with 25 years of experience as the centerpiece, two literary figures, two fixed celebrity guests, plus two new celebrity guests invited each episode. Seeing Shin Dael among the candidates for the fixed celebrity guests brought a moment of pleasure, but with ten celebrities on the candidate list, it seemed they were still in the coordination phase.
As he’d heard, the purpose and direction of the program were good, but it wasn’t a position he was eager to take. Among the literary candidates, someone like Jang Jiha would be most suitable for this role—not only was he articulate, but as a member of a chaebol family, even his single comment would be newsworthy enough to create impact. Taking on the fixed MC role for ‘Book of the Month’ was already a heavy enough responsibility.
Thinking he should decline after all, he logged out of the email screen, but a news article on the portal site’s main page caught his eye. Just when he thought Seong Giha’s sexual harassment scandal would blow over, a second wave of accusations had broken, just as Jang Jiha had said.
Multiple victims had come forward—one claiming they were forcibly kissed under the pretext of a game at a drinking party, another saying they heard sexually demeaning comments. Opinions were divided, with some asking why the victims, being men, couldn’t just refuse, while others argued that since the victims were aspiring novelists, this was a case of power harassment. Seong Giha’s side had not yet released a statement.
Mo Eunje skimmed through the article but closed the internet browser, not wanting to know the details. However, he unconsciously thought about how fortunate it was that Seong Giha hadn’t been late to the livestream that day, creating a good impression, and wondered what might have happened if they had gone drinking together a few times, which only made him feel worse. Seong Giha had called him drunk and acted inappropriately after just one business meeting, and the fact that he continued such behavior even after being reprimanded by his senior and hyung Jang Jiha meant he was probably that kind of person to begin with. The saying “you can’t fix people” doesn’t exist for nothing. Still, it was sad to think how bitter Kwon Jiyeon, who cherished her students, would feel.
Novelist Kwon Jiyeon [Eunje, how are you feeling these days?]
Novelist Kwon Jiyeon [Have you set aside some of the pressure?] 10:18 AM
Surprised by the messages that came just as he was thinking about Kwon Jiyeon, Mo Eunje was about to reply but decided to call instead to hear his mentor’s voice after a long time. Before the ringtone had even sounded a few times, Kwon’s voice came through.
“Yes, Eunje.”
“Hello, seonsaengnim. Is it okay to talk now?”
“A call from Eunje is always welcome. Are you doing well?”
“Yes. I’ve set aside much of the pressure and am doing relatively well. My mind feels much more at ease now that I’ve given up the idea of having to overcome everything.”
With Tae Igyeol’s confession alone occupying his mind completely, he couldn’t think about anything else, which had relieved him from the stress of having to produce a new work. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, he didn’t know.
“Actually, I was worried about you after seeing Giha’s news article.”
“Me?”
“I’ve been concerned because Giha said he made a big mistake with you. Since he’s not the type to use the phrase ‘big mistake’ just for being late to a livestream, I was worried you might have experienced what I feared.”
“Ah…”
“If that’s the case, I want to help you in every way possible, so I hope you’ll feel comfortable talking to me. There’s even a student currently in my class among the victims. I’m so angry… This time, I’m going to take a stand publicly, so the literary community won’t be able to turn a blind eye.”
Betrayal and anger were conveyed through Kwon Jiyeon’s voice. It was understandable, as Seong Giha was a disciple she had trusted and cherished. Still, her willingness to take a public stand was unexpected.
“I’ve never met him privately, seonsaengnim. I only saw him that day at the livestream.”
“Then that’s a relief. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had arranged a separate meeting for you and Giha.”
“But you would have been there too, so what could have happened?”
“I was planning to leave after just eating. I wanted you two of similar age to have drinks and bond. If your friend hadn’t told me, I would have unknowingly put you in a difficult situation. I’m sorry, Eunje.”
“No, it’s fine. I didn’t tell you either, so…”
If Tae Igyeol hadn’t stepped in to explain the situation to Kwon Jiyeon on his behalf, who knows what might have happened. Mo Eunje wasn’t harsh enough to refuse the recommendation of a mentor he loved and respected, and thinking that whatever was good was good, he might have had a drink with Seong after dinner.
Of course, they might have parted without incident, but judging by how inappropriately he behaved on the phone, there was a high possibility of experiencing something unpleasant at the drinking party. Even if it meant going to the police for assault charges, he wouldn’t have simply taken it.
But what was even more frightening and chilling was not knowing what Tae Igyeol might do if such a situation occurred. Anyway, all of this was just hypothetical, and he couldn’t be more grateful that it hadn’t actually happened.
“It must have been difficult for you to bring it up to me, but your friend explained it well. Are you getting along well with that friend too?”
“What? Oh, yes. Of course.”
Having received an unexpected question, he stammered. Mo Eunje tried to cover it up with an awkward laugh, but there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Before Kwon could notice anything strange, he continued.
“Seonsaengnim, I’ve been thinking a lot about human emotions lately. How do you write so well about people’s emotions and lives?”
“Suddenly? Asking such a question, it seems you’re experiencing difficult emotions, Eunje?”
He brought this up to change the subject, but he’d been caught right away. After struggling with whether to speak honestly or gloss over it, he chose the former. He had received a lot of advice from Kwon Jiyeon until now, and even after the livestream a month ago, her advice and comfort during their meal had been of great help. With the belief that Kwon would know the right answer this time too, he moved his lips.
“I… don’t know what love is. I also don’t understand how people can ignore family and everything else just because of love.”
“Eunje. Love isn’t something to understand, it’s something you just do.”
“Pardon?”
“Try it. Then you’ll know.”
“…Actually, I think I already am doing it… No, do you think I can do well at it?”
“Doing well or not isn’t important. What’s important is just the act of loving itself.”
It seemed like he understood what she meant, but it was still vague. He wanted more advice, but if he continued the conversation, Kwon would likely figure out the situation, so he changed the subject back to Seong Giha. Kwon Jiyeon then apologized repeatedly, saying she should change her character that tended to embrace and shelter her disciples regardless of everything.
Having received an apology when nothing had happened, Mo Eunje was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t realize that Ban Hajun, who had come out after showering wearing only his underwear, was watching his polite, flustered demeanor with a strange look. As soon as the call ended, the question flew at him as if he’d been waiting.
“What call was that, making you so fidgety?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. Let’s order something substantial for brunch instead of cooking. I need to go out by 2 o’clock.”
From going to see several houses with Song Yeonhwa, he’d learned that filling his stomach beforehand made it less physically tiring. So he was burning with determination to eat meat before going out.
“Where are you going?”
“To look at houses. I’ve made an appointment with the real estate agency on the first floor.”
Since Ban Hajun had known that he was looking for a place ever since his parents moved to Busan, he spoke confidently without needing to hide it. But it was a bit embarrassing that he was still doing this after three months.
“The real estate agency on the first floor? The man with glasses?”
“You know him?”
“He helped me when I was looking for an officetel too. But didn’t you say Tae Igyeol’s mom was going to find a house for you?”
“Aunt said she’s busy in June, so I’m looking on my own.”
“That man does select and show good houses, but…”
Ban Hajun, who was drying his wet hair with a towel, let his words trail off. As he rolled his eyes in thought, Mo Eunje could almost hear the unnecessary thoughts in his head.
“You said 2 o’clock, right? I’ll go with you.”
Sure enough, Ban Hajun volunteered for the unnecessary hardship.
“No need. Why would you come along? House hunting is tiring. You’ve done it too, so you know.”
“From the properties the man has selected, just skip the first two or three in sequence and look at the rest. That man usually shows not-so-great places first, then saves the best one for last. There’s an optical illusion effect where that house seems even better when compared to the previously shown ones, which leads to signing a contract that same day.”
This was new information. The places Song Yeonhwa had shown him had distinct pros and cons regardless of order, so he’d never felt such a contrast effect. He would see when he went today, but strangely, Ban Hajun’s words seemed credible.
