2020

Seoul, South Korea

            Flash of cameras lighted around the conference room of Golden Ink Publisher building as its ace novelist entered the room. Dressed in a long dark navy blue-colored trench coat, the belt of which he leaves untied. Under it is a black vest over a striped dress shirt that is light blue in hue. He also donned ivory pants and dark blue shoes. His short black hair got combed backward neatly, left some of his bang on the right side of his face. A round grey framed glasses completed his appearance. Writer Jang Keun Seok sat beside President Ahn, in front of many reporters.

            ”First of all, I want to thank to all of you who have been here, to attend our Writer Jang Keun Seok’s fifth novel launching, Last Heaven.” President Ahn opened up his speech which got all of the attention of the reporters. After gave his best smile to the reporters, President Ahn faced the writer who still in his cold expression. ”Writer Jang, say something to them.”

            Writer Jang looked at President Ahn for a while then looked forward, looked at the curious reporters in front of him. He put the microphone closer to him, straighten his posture and positioned the mic just a milimeter away from his lips.

            ”I want to say sorry for all of my readers...” He paused, seemed lost of words as the flashes kept showering on him. ”For waiting so long. I’ve took a long rest, but finally I can finish and publish it. I hope you all read it, and don’t hesitate to let me know how your opinion about it.”

            Writer Jang finished his speech with a polite bow in front of the reporters.

===

            ”Wah... you’re really...” Jongsuk got speechless as he finished watching the press conference video through his phone. He put his phone on the table in front of him then took his glass which filled with his favorite iced americano. Both of them stayed in the bungalow at Jang Keun Seok’s garden. ”Your ‘Last Heaven’ has been a trending topic recently. Good job, Keun Seok-ah.”

            Writer Jang who busy with replying e-mails didn’t respond to Jongsuk’s words as his eyes focused on his laptop’s screen and his fingers typed on the keyboard continuously.

            ”You... hear me?” Jongsuk asked after he got a sip of his iced americano.

            ”Hmm...” that’s only Writer Jang’s answer.

            Jongsuk sighed as he put back his glass on the table, leaned his back on the chair and crossed his hands against his chest. He eyed the writer in front of him without a blink. Three years has passed since Shin Hye’s death, but it seemed his friend still couldn’t move on. It still looked like yesterday when he received the news about Shin Hye’s death, and almost a year... Jang Keun Seok, the ice king novelist got a hiatus because of that. That writer locked himself up inside his huge mansion, alone. He looked so broken, and after that he appeared like a robot who only knew how to work, how to write and finish the novel.

            ”Do you know PD Nam Taejin?” Jang Keun Seok’s voice suddenly brought Jongsuk back.

            ”Eoh?”

            Jang Keun Seok lifted his eyesight up to his friend for a while as the latter didn’t answer his question correctly. ”I asked you, do you know PD Nam Taejin, Jongsuk-ah?”

            Jongsuk nodded as his answer. ”Why?”

            ”He sent me a proposal just now.” Jang Keun Seok answered as his attention glued again on his laptop.

            ”A proposal?”

            ”He want to make “Last Heaven” into a drama.”

            Again, Jongsuk got speechless. Actually, he felt happy about that news, but he didn’t know what kind of feeling Jang Keun Seok had right now. ”Then... what’s your answer about that?”

            ”Molla... even until now, I still don’t know why I publish that novel.” Writer Jang shut his computer off then looked at his friend. ”Better you finish your coffee faster. Your flight is in three hours from now, isn’t it?” The writer reminded Jongsuk as he got up from his own chair, ready to leave that place.

            Jongsuk frowned as he heard Writer Jang’s command. ”Ara.”

            ”Wish you have a safe flight, Jongsuk-ah.”

            Writer Jang left the bungalow, with a laptop in his hand he walked to his study room. He put down his laptop on his work desk. His movement got stopped for a while as his eyes caught his latest novel titled ‘Last Heaven’ on his desk, beside the pile of his paperwork. He looked at its cover. A lonesome man sat on the edge of the cliff under a moon light. It’s when he’s about to open the novel, a knock on his study room’s door stopped him.

            ”Writer Jang, it’s me.” Writer Jang heard his secretary’s voice after the knock on the door.

            ”Come in.”

            Secretary Song got into the room with an envelope in her hands. She stopped right in front of the writer then bowed. ”It’s for you, Writer Jang.” Secretary Song said as she gave the envelope to the writer.

            Writer Jang accepted the envelope then looked for the sender of it, but found nothing. Only simple words “To: Writer Jang Keun Seok” he found on it. ”How many times I have told you to...”

            ”It’s from Miss Park Shin Hye, Writer Jang.” Secretary Song cut her employer’s words as she knew what kind of words she will hear from the writer.

            ”Mwo?” Writer Jang questioned as he opened the envelope then got a letter out from it.

            ”Actually, a day before she passed away... she gave me that letter. She said that I have to give it when the time is right. That time, I didn’t know her mean. But, after that tragedy... I understand what she’s mean by that word. So, I think... this is the right time I should give that letter to you, Writer Jang.”

            After saying that long explanation, Secretary Song left that room. While Writer Jang started opening the letter. Her handwriting greeted him soon after he opened the first page.

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