Big Life

Chapter 297: True Story (3)

Bzzt!

A writer was hard at work on a short story in his private villa in Chuncheon. He was working hard for the sake of his ambitions when his phone rang all of a sudden.

However, he didn’t pick up the phone, as he couldn't hear it in the first place. The phone was buried beneath the blanket, and he was also busy reviewing the manuscript on the two monitors before him.

‘Young-Tae to Cheol-Ho, Yoo-Seon to Myung-Ah… The background setting would be in the '70s and '80s when activists were most rampant…’

Tadadadak! Tadak! Tadadak!

Oh Tae-Jin’s wrinkled hands moved vigorously as if his muscles had already memorized the necessary steps they had to take to type certain words. The novel’s original manuscript was on his left, and on the right was the edited version, which he was reviewing at the moment.

Oh Tae-Jin was currently killing memories and remorse.

He dug into his friend’s brilliant youthful days and era, covering the grave by putting it in his own future. Oh Tae-Jin smiled as he covered his shame along the way. The novel, which he had written "on his own" was slowly coming to completion.

‘Phew…’ When he typed in the last period on his edited manuscript and looked up, the sun was already hanging high up in the sky. Oh Tae-Jin massaged his shoulders, alternating between them as he stood up from his desk to have a late breakfast.

Even though there was a lady in charge of the house, Oh Tae-Jin would still head to a nearby restaurant occasionally, using the chance to take a walk and care for his health.

There was only one thing Oh Tae-Jin could be proud of throughout his life—his health.

‘Ah, my phone.’ He only remembered about his phone after stepping out of the house with his cardigan in hand. Oh Tae-Jin searched everywhere on his bed when he finally found his phone under the blanket. Even before he could put away the phone in his pocket, it started vibrating once again.

“Hello, this is Oh Tae-Jin.”

— Hello, Chairman. I’m Team Leader Lee Joon-Won from the Association.

“Huh? Ah… I’m sorry!” Oh Tae-Jin belatedly realized what was going on and slapped his knee. He had totally forgotten about the Literature Achievement Prize award ceremony.

“Oh my, I think it’s because of my old age; my forgetfulness is getting to me. Thank you for calling, Team Leader Lee. I will make sure to be there on time.” Oh Tae-Jin could barely remember how many times he had received this award so far.

He would welcome anything with a certain level of prestige given to him. A work experience with uncountable achievements put together would become an honor.

Oh Tae-Jin had been realizing the value of such an honor every day, and it was becoming even more valuable as he aged.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll see you at the award ceremony.”

Oh Tae-Jin hung up the call and checked the second call he had missed.

“Hmm?” The smile on Oh Tae-Jin’s face disappeared as soon as he saw the name "Ha Jae-Gun" on the screen.

‘Why did he call…?’ They usually communicated through Oh Myung-Sul, so it had been a while since they talked on the phone. He had never once received a personal call from Ha Jae-Gun.

Regardless, the name made Oh Tae-Jin’s stomach lurch. He hadn’t exactly done any wrong to Ha Jae-Gun, but he couldn't help it. Recalling the time when Ha Jae-Gun had pointed out the incongruity in The Last Trip made his heart race.

“Ugh!” Oh Tae-Jin let go of the phone, which was vibrating again. It fell on the floor, and the name Ha Jae-Gun appeared on the screen. Oh Tae-Jin left the phone there and ran out of the villa.

***

“Your father says he’s coming back for a while to look for a suit to wear at the award ceremony…”

“Yes, Mother,” Oh Myung-Suk replied as he sat on the sofa, staring at the wall in front of him. He had stayed up all night, so his eyes looked tired and bloodshot.

“You don’t look very good. Are you feeling sick?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re lying. And Yoo-Jin doesn’t stay with you on days like this.”

“I sent her away on purpose.”

“On purpose…?” Suspicion flashed in his stepmother’s eyes. Oh Myung-Suk’s attitude had been questionable for the past two days, but she could not bring herself to ask the question.

In fact, Oh Myung-Suk had received a call from someone last night and rushed out of the house in a hurry, only to return in the wee hours of the morning. After that, Oh Myung-Suk didn’t bother going to work and only waited at home for his father’s return.

“Mother.”

“H-hmm…? What is it?”

“What if I…” Oh Myung-Suk slowly stood up and turned to look at his stepmother, his face pale and expressionless as he muttered. “…If I can no longer take care of my father, please take care of him.”

“M-Myung-Suk… What are you saying?” Just as his stepmother clasped her hands together before her chest in shock, the maid rushed to the intercom. Soon, the sound of the main gate opening from across the yard was heard.

“Y-your father must be back.”

“…” Oh Myung-Suk stood there blankly with his mouth agape.

Moments later, the door to the house opened, and Oh Tae-Jin stepped in. He was surprised to see his eldest son when he came into the living room.

“Why are you home and not at the office?”

“I was waiting for you as there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Something to tell me?” Oh Tae-Jin asked in response, his tone sounding unsure. Oh Tae-Jin’s relationship with his eldest son had soured even more after the publication of Five Dreams. It had been a while since they last met face to face.

“I’m a little pressed for time as I have an appointment with the association later. Is it important?”

“Yes, it is. I must tell you this now.” Oh Myung-Suk expressed his stance firmly.

Oh Tae-Jin nodded and headed toward the study, and Oh Myung-Suk followed closely behind him.

“Now, go ahead. What do you want to tell me?” Oh Tae-Jin asked, sitting down on his rocking chair and placing his arms on the armrests.

Oh Myung-Suk’s heart sank as he stood before his father, who was showing off as if nothing was bothering him.

“Are you going to talk about plagiarism again? Yes, I could tell when I saw your gaunt face. You seem to have more to say about the novel that I’ve plagiarized for Five Dreams.”

“Father…” Oh Myung-Suk could burst into tears anytime.

Unlike him, Oh Tae-Jin snorted and pressed on. “Did I guess it, right? Oh ho, or did you want to read the short story I’ve written for the Korea-China cultural exchange? If that’s the case, you’ve got to wait for it. I’m not thinking that way, but just in case my smart eldest son decides to accuse me of plagiarism one day again. Maybe I should give you some time to compare it with all the other novels in this world.”

“Please stop, Father…!” Oh Myung-Suk put down his documents bag with a loud thud.

Oh Tae-Jin didn't continue any further. Oh Myung-Suk’s eyes turned red beyond his silver-rimmed glasses, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with resentment and disillusionment.

“I’ll show you everything.”

Oh Tae-Jin finally picked up the unusual atmosphere and straightened himself. Oh Myung-Suk opened the bag he had with him, and a stack of A4 papers fell out of it.

“W-what’s… all of this?”

“It’s a part of the copy of the novel left by a literary figure.”

“W-what…?” Oh Myung-Suk crouched down and gathered the pieces of paper. Oh Tae-Jin remained in his chair, looking down.

“I wanted to show this to you, Father.” Oh Myung-Suk then held out the stack of organized paper to Oh Tae-Jin with his head bowed down.

Oh Tae-Jin stared alternatingly between his eldest son’s face and his hands before finally accepting the stack of papers with trembling hands. The moment he read the first line…

“…?!”

Oh Tae-Jin covered up his mouth in shock, and the stack of papers scattered onto the floor once more.

“M-Myung-Suk…”

“There’s no way you’ve read everything already.” Oh Myung-Suk bent down to pick them up again, and then he forced them back into Oh Tae-Jin’s hands again.

However, Oh Tae-Jin was shivering, and he couldn't read more than just a single line.

“T-this… where did you get this…”

“Please read it, Father.”

“Oh Myung-Suk, this… how did you…”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? It’s the work of a literary figure left behind before he passed. I found it in his possessions and made a copy of it. Do I need to explain more?”

Oh Tae-Jin buried his face in the stack of papers. The issue of how his eldest son had gotten his hands on this was a problem for later. His head was burning right now. Nothing else would come to mind, and the current situation was too much for him to take in all at once.

“Do you see the title, Childhood Fragments?” Oh Myung-Suk asked as he took off his glasses. Wiping away the tears on the corners of his eyes, Oh Myung-Suk then raised his voice at his father, saying, “I was reminded of The Last Trip after reading the entire novel. There were too many similarities between them. What do you think, Father? Don’t just stand there quietly. Go ahead and read it. No, give it to me.”

Oh Myung-Suk snatched the stack of papers back from his father and flipped through the pages roughly, making a few pages fall off.

Oh Tae-Jin shut his eyes tight, and his face contorted more.

“Look, Father. This is where the short story called the Self-Assembled Milky Way starts from. Should I share a brief summary of it with you? The five boys go on a journey to find the beloved man of their favorite female teacher. Father, what’s the plot of Five Dreams again?”

“Stop, enough…!” Oh Tae-Jin covered his ears, yelling his pleas toward the floor.

Oh Myung-Suk straightened himself, waving the stack of papers in hand. “There are also countless messages left by this man called Seo Gun-Woo for you, Father. I’ll leave you alone so that you can read all of them in peace.”

Oh Myung-Suk threw the papers on the desk and turned around.

“M-Myung-Suk… Where are you going?”

Oh Tae-Jin barely stood up with his wobbly legs supporting him. “Wait, Myung-Suk…! You… you're my eldest son! You can’t do this to me…!”

Oh Tae-Jin leaped forward, blocking Oh Myung-Suk’s path. Wasn’t this the same eldest son he had who had always been supporting him? If he let Oh Myung-Suk off this time, there’s no way he would still be able to face his son.

“Please step aside, Father.”

”Myung-Suk, you… you can’t do this to me…! You… you should at least listen to me too…!” Oh Tae-Jin gasped like a man stranded in the desert. The clear look of contempt on his eldest son’s face terrified him.

“I… I didn’t mean to do it at first… I… really didn’t mean to steal that friend’s manuscript.”

“I can’t believe anything you say now.”

“It’s true, Myung-Suk… He had personally passed down those manuscripts to me… I really didn’t… mean to do this from the start…!” Oh Tae-Jin pulled on his hair as he fell to the ground.

Oh Myung-Suk bit down hard on his lips, suppressing the emotions within that were threatening to burst out of him. Then, he circled around his father and reached for the doorknob.

“I once admired your confidence and dignity.”

Oh Myung-Suk’s words spoken in past tense made Oh Tae-Jin’s heart ache.

Clack.

The sound of the doorknob turning traveled into his ears. “What should I do, Myung-Suk. I… your father, I…”

“Congratulations on the Literature Achievement Prize. I won’t be able to attend due to work engagements.” Oh Myung-Suk then stepped out of the study and closed the door tightly behind him.

Left all alone, Oh Tae-Jin suddenly felt that he was cut off from the world. Traces of his old friend were scattered all across the room as the spring breeze blew in through the window.

***

‘Wait, why is the Chairman not here yet?’ Lee Young-Shik, CEO of Literature Travel, was getting anxious. There were only thirty minutes left until the start of the award ceremony, but the winner of the Literature Achievement Prize had yet to show up.

‘I’ll have to give him another call.’ Young-Shik stepped out of the hotel and pulled out his phone. The moment he pressed the first number on the keypad, the screen changed and showed an incoming call from Oh Tae-Jin.

Lee Young-Shik’s face brightened, and he answered it immediately.

“Hello, Chairman. This is Lee Young-Shik! I was about to call you, wondering when you’ll be arriving as well.”

— Is that so…

“Chairman…? You don’t sound good, did something…”

— I’m sorry. Something came up, so I don’t think I can go to the award ceremony.

“What? Chairman? What do you mean?”

— Please understand. And there’s also a favor I’d like to ask from you.

“P-please speak, Chairman. If it’s something I can do, I’ll definitely do it.”

Oh Tae-Jin then conveyed his favor to Young-Shik. A few moments later, passers-by could see how much shock Lee Young-Shik was in. His face had turned pale, and even his jaws dropped to the extent that his uvula was visible.