## Chapter 55
The paper-covered sliding door opened, and the food was served. An employee placed each dish on the table with practiced skill, filling the spacious table with a wide variety of dishes.
“Wow… Thank you for the meal. Please enjoy, Teacher.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Enjoy. This is one of my regular places—it’s clean and delicious. Eunje, make sure you eat plenty.”
As the meal began, the conversation naturally shifted to Writer Kwon Jiyeon’s new novel. Mo Eunje talked endlessly about scenes and phrases that had amazed or impressed him, and Tae Igyeol occasionally shared his opinions on points he agreed with.
After conversing and dining for quite a while, the atmosphere became much more comfortable and relaxed. Though Mo Eunje had felt at ease from the start, seeing that Tae Igyeol—who extremely disliked dining with strangers—wasn’t uncomfortable or burdened by Writer Kwon’s attention made the gathering a success. So Mo Eunje suppressed the urge to interject and contentedly listened to their conversation while busily transporting food to his mouth.
“I heard from Eunje that you’re old friends, but I didn’t know you’re living together now. It’s not easy to live with someone no matter how close you are. Don’t you two fight?”
“Even before, Eunje was practically living at my place, coming and going, so there hasn’t really been anything to fight about yet.”
“That’s a blessing. It means you two are compatible and considerate of each other. When I was around your age, I lived with my closest friend, and you wouldn’t believe how much we fought. Over such trivial and insignificant things that others would laugh if they heard.”
“Are you still close with that friend?”
“She’s still my closest friend. When we lived together, we were like enemies, so much that I thought I’d cut ties with her once our lease ended. But cutting ties with a friend who’s like a part of me wasn’t easy. And now we’ve been friends for 30 years. It’s really something.”
This was the first time Mo Eunje had heard Writer Kwon talk about her personal life. Despite knowing her for five years, such topics had never come up. The conversation topics had always been limited to novels, but thinking back, it was because he had always brought up only such questions and topics. Even though they met as teacher and student, he had unknowingly been receiving Writer Kwon’s consideration all along.
“By the way, Eunje, do you have a girlfriend? Several of my female students have asked me to introduce you.”
“Come on. You’re praising me again.”
“I’m serious.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend, but I’m not interested in blind dates either.”
“Why?”
“Just… it’s bothersome, and I don’t really feel like dating. I’ll let you know when I’m interested later. Please set me up then.”
It was already overwhelming just to overcome the trials he was facing now, so dating would be a luxury. He didn’t have any desire to date right now, and even if he did start dating, he wouldn’t have the energy to pay attention to a girlfriend. However, since he wasn’t planning to never date in his life, he laid some groundwork for the future.
“Is that so? What about you, Igyeol-ssi?”
“I’m… in a one-sided love.”
“What? You have someone you like one-sidedly?”
“Yeah.”
Tae Igyeol must be going crazy these days. He keeps shocking people. Every time he encountered such unfamiliar behavior, Mo Eunje felt an inexplicable distance from Tae Igyeol and was also hurt that he had kept so many secrets from him.
“How is it that I don’t know anything…”
“I think I asked an inappropriate question. If I made a mistake, I apologize, Igyeol-ssi.”
“It’s fine. I’m the one who answered.”
Questions about Tae Igyeol had unconsciously piled up like a mountain, but Writer Kwon Jiyeon’s apology abruptly ended the topic. It didn’t matter since he could ask when they were alone at home, but still, it was quite a shock to learn that Tae Igyeol, who lived for his own pride, had someone he was in love with one-sidedly.
“Oh, by the way, Eunje. Giha asked me to arrange a meal with you.”
“What? Who?”
“Writer Seong Giha. The one who did the live broadcast with you last month.”
“Ah…”
Still dazed from the shock of Tae Igyeol’s one-sided love declaration, Mo Eunje faced an unexpected attack. He was so focused on managing his expression that he couldn’t give a proper response.
“He was upset that he lost the chance to get close to you because of a big mistake… But I thought I should ask you first, so I didn’t give him a definite answer.”
“Ah, haha… Teacher, you really seem to have a wide network.”
It was a tactic to stall for time to avoid answering, but his awkward smile had probably already revealed his true feelings.
“Giha is my student too. I taught him for about six years, I think?”
“Oh… so his connection with you is longer than mine…”
“That’s right. It’s been about eight years since we met. Giha was a student at the Paju Center.”
“I see…”
“I don’t know what mistake Giha made, but unless it deserves a death sentence or life imprisonment, how about having a meal with him at least once?”
This was a predicament. Mo Eunje had planned to expose Writer Seong Giha’s misdeeds if necessary to avoid him, but now that plan had failed. While it might not deserve a death sentence or life imprisonment, it was enough to make him not want to meet in public ever again. But he couldn’t express his true feelings.
Like anyone would, Writer Kwon had a strong tendency to care for novelists who were her former students. While she didn’t exert influence during manuscript reviews where authors’ names were blinded, she often gave her students preferential treatment at literary events. Mo Eunje had received quite a bit of such treatment in the year of his debut, which helped him build various connections in the literary world.
The reason he told Tae Igyeol in Busan that he could enter the residency program was because he knew Writer Kwon Jiyeon was one of the directors on the steering committee. That’s why he thought additional applications might be accepted even after the application period had closed.
But while he was a student, Writer Seong Giha was also a student in the same way. Moreover, while Mo Eunje had been her student for 5 years, Writer Seong had been for 8 years. And since the other party was Writer Kwon Jiyeon, there was no escape route in sight. As Mo Eunje was stalling, unable to give a proper answer, Tae Igyeol, who had been silently listening beside him, spoke up.
“Writer, may I speak, if you don’t mind? I know it’s not my place, but I think it might be difficult for Eunje to say.”
“Really? Something must have happened. Please feel free to tell me.”
“First of all, Writer Seong Giha was 30 minutes late to the live broadcast last month because he had been drinking too late the night before. It was an hour if you count from the standby call time. Being late can happen, but he tried to cover it up by lying that he was in the hospital emergency room. Since the live broadcast start time couldn’t be delayed, and it couldn’t be revealed that Writer Seong had been to the emergency room, Eunje had to fill in that time alone.”
Everything he said was absolutely correct. When Tae Igyeol clearly expressed what he wanted to say on his behalf, Mo Eunje had to struggle to keep his mouth from curling up in satisfaction.
“That kid, really…”
“If that were all, Eunje wouldn’t be this uncomfortable with your suggestion.”
“Then what else is there?”
“He got Eunje’s contact information from the producer in charge and called him while very drunk. This is a bit sensitive regarding privacy, so I’m hesitant to elaborate…”
Mo Eunje could sense that Tae Igyeol was deliberately letting his words trail off. Writer Kwon Jiyeon nodded as if she understood. As much as he wanted Tae Igyeol to thoroughly expose how Writer Seong Giha had hit on him, it was strategically mature to stop there without bringing up sensitive topics.
“I can guess what you’re talking about. Giha is good in many ways, but alcohol is always his problem.”
“I’m sorry, Teacher.”
“Eunje, what are you sorry for? I should be more sorry for bringing it up without knowing anything. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to Giha myself.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for? You’re my kid too.”
This meant that regardless of what he had done, Writer Seong Giha was also Writer Kwon’s “kid.” People may not be able to be fixed, but Writer Kwon Jiyeon was someone who could embrace others affectionately without changing them.
“Thank you for telling me, Igyeol-ssi. If you hadn’t, I might have made a mistake with Eunje.”
“It’s nothing. Thank you for listening without prejudice.”
“Now I understand why Eunje praised you so much before. And I see why ‘Castella and Gumbo’ had to come into the world somehow. It’s hard to find a friend who matches so well—you two should stay together for life.”
By the time they were exchanging these well-wishes, the meal was ending, and dessert was being served. Since the meal would be over after dessert, Mo Eunje, drinking sujeonggwa (Korean cinnamon punch), mentally selected words on how to broach the subject of his concerns.
“Eunje, do you have any worries these days?”
Perhaps his contemplation showed on his face, because Writer Kwon Jiyeon brought up the topic first. She was always one to notice and scratch her students’ itches before they even mentioned them.
“Teacher, how do you overcome fear when you’re scared?”
“Is there something scaring you these days?”
“I… I think I’m a bit afraid of writing a new work. Actually, until last year, I was so busy that I just rushed to meet deadlines, but now that I have more time and am trying to write properly, I find it frightening.”
Just speaking aloud what he had buried in his chest and struggled with alone for months gave him some relief. He usually tried not to talk about depressing things and didn’t want to show weakness, so he hadn’t brought it up even in front of Tae Igyeol. But facing Writer Kwon Jiyeon’s gentle eyes, his mouth moved on its own.
