This takes place after Coma (#75). 

#88 – Manuscript

Taemin stared at his computer screen as the dark grey spell-check screen finally cleared away. 

Kibum’s red-inked copy of his manuscript sat next to the computer on the desk, covered in both Kibum’s hand-writing and Taemin’s, in a bright purple color, where he had gone back and made additional changes as he looked back with some time between his writing and second reading so that he could judge it more fairly. 

He had gone and made the corrections in his actual file of the story now. 

He was done.

It boggled his mind a little.  He’d spent so long at this, spent so much of his time wondering after his characters, trying to figure out their motivations and worrying after their bad decisions, that the idea that they were done, that he wouldn’t be poking about in their lives anymore just seemed strange and foreign to him.

Taemin sighed morosely, feeling a slight sense of loss.

This must be what it feels like to send your child off to college, Taemin thought for a moment.  Like there was a true ending to a part of your life, like a door closing and a lock gently clicking into place.  You can always look back through the window, but you can’t ever go back.

Taemin quietly grabbed a blank CD and slid it into the disc drive in his laptop.  He burned a file of his story onto one and wrote his name and the title of his book on it.  He made several more copies before finally shutting down his computer.

It used to be that writers would have to print out dozens of copies of their books and pass them out to a range of agents and publishers in the vein hope that hopefully they will at least look at their book, let alone actually agree to publish it.

These days they could save a few trees and a lot of time by just giving the companies the files of the document instead of stacks of papers.

Taemin closed the lid on the last of the CD jewel cases, forming a neat little stack on his desk.  Taemin slid each case into an envelope with addresses of various agents in town, along with letter of introduction and an explanation that he would like to release his novel under a pen name rather than using his given name.

He knew that provision right there would cause several of the agents to not even look at him.  If a famous name like Lee Taemin was a part of their company, they would be a guaranteed windfall.  People fall over themselves to buy books written by a famous name and that would mean a lot of money for that writer’s agent.  But by demanding the use of a pen name, he knew that the agents would have to judge his work on its own merit rather than his name. 

He didn’t know if they would be willing to take him on.  He didn’t know if his writing was good enough to make it through the selection process.  But he did know that no matter how it goes – he just wants it to be based on his actual ability and not his name.

He knows that no matter what happens after this – he had done his best and put forth his best effort, so whatever happens from here on, he would handle proudly. 

Taemin sealed up all of the envelopes and looked at the stack on his desk.

Here goes nothing.

*****

Mr. Lee,

We have received your manuscript but are not able to take on your project under the present conditions.  Should you be willing to forgo the requested pen name we would take the project under consideration.

Taemin sighed and crumpled up the letter and aimed for the trash can across the kitchen.  Munhee snickered when the all of paper hit the side of the bin and bounced across the floor before the little boy ran of to go play video games in the main room.

“Another one?”  Kibum asked softly, entering the kitchen and picking up the wad and throwing it out. 

“Yup.  That makes 10 of the 12 that I sent out.  They make such a big deal out of a freaking pen name.”

Kibum moved around Taemin and began to rub at the man’s tense shoulders.  “There’s still two more,” he said encouragingly.  “Save the best for last right?”

The phone rang and Jinae practically dove across the apartment for it, thinking for sure that it was for her.

Taemin allowed his eyes to drift shut and Kibum’s long fingers worked out some of the kinks that had settled in the muscles there. 

“Pops!  Phone’s for you!”  Jinae’s voice rang through the apartment.

Taemin sighed and opened his eyes, stepping out of Kibum’s grasp.  “Probably the office again…double checking a source or something…”

Kibum watched as the man walked over to where their soon-to-be teenage daughter was holding the phone out, her other hand placed solidly on her hip.

Kibum felt for the man.  As much as his husband would smile and say that that was how things were supposed to go, the former designer knew that Taemin was really hoping that he would be able to publish this novel.  Taemin had never said anything, but a part of him was always convinced that he got the job with the Associated Press more for his name than his skill – this was his chance for redemption in his mind.  A time to finally be acknowledged beyond his name.

Taemin flashed a rueful smile at Kibum as he put the phone to his ear. 

But soon that smile slipped as Taemin focused on the caller on the other end. 

Kibum set about preparing dinner, moving about the kitchen with the ease of much practice. 

He was just getting ready to start cutting up the vegetables to go into the stir fry he was going to make tonight when he vaguely noted the sound of the phone being placed back into the cradle. 

But he was fully aware of the loud, almost war-like, whooping noise that soon filled that apartment.  Taemin’s arms were around his waist before Kibum could even finish turning and the man found himself being lifted up off of the ground and spun, Taemin’s laugh bouncing around the apartment.  Jinae and Munhee stood in the doorway, as confused as their Appa as Taemin finally put the other man down.

Kibum’s lips were captured in teeth smashing kiss that sent little zings of electricity through Kibum’s body long after the lips had already pulled away. 

“I’ve got an agent,” Taemin whispered breathlessly, his fingers slipping into Kibum’s hair as his smile split his face.

It took Kibum a minute to realize what the other man was saying but then it clicked it and Kibum let out a whoop of his own and threw his arms around his husband and diving in to deliver his kiss while Munhee and Jinae gave their father a little cheer of their own. 

Kibum pulled back after a moment and lay his forehead against his husbands, “I’m proud of you.” He said softly, before giving him a knowing smirk, “I told you so!”

Part of this reflects my thoughts on the ending of this story growing ever closer.  In March of last year I decided, on a real whim, to type out that first chapter of The Showdown as a way to let off some steam of a hectic life of student teaching and it has turned into this wonderful adventure where I have been able to meet all of you and share my thoughts and ideas with others.  As I’ve moved over here to Korea it has given me a sense of continuity as something that is the same for me home and abroad.  I just want to say thank you all for being here and taking part in this journey with me.  It has really been a lot of fun and I hope you stick with me for the rest of the way as we finally part with these lovely characters.