Novelist Running Through Time-Chapter 186

Chapter 186
Novelist Running Through Time
TL: KSD
Unlike ordinary students, the entrance exam life of literature students takes place outside of school.
This week, they attend a writing contest in Chungcheong Province, and the next week, they participate in another contest in Gangwon Province.
They travel all over the country throughout the year, accumulating award achievements line by line to write on their student record.
Because of that, they regularly get to meet kids from other schools.
But in this era where literature is dying, the drifters who go around attending writing contests are all the same.
It means you only ever see the same people over and over.
Ahn Joo-hee was one of them.
-What? Why are you first place again?
However, the reason Ahn Joo-hee stood out especially in my memory is a bit different.
The reason I remember this girl is simply because…
-You’re not even from an arts high school…!
She was a ‘bitch’.
EP 11 – Evening Bell
I have quite a few memories of Ahn Joo-hee spouting rude remarks at me, but that doesn’t mean Ahn Joo-hee was a scumbag with bad eyesight, a mean gaze, and a shitty personality.
Ahn Joo-hee had bad eyesight, a fierce gaze, and a vicious personality, but even so, she was good at writing.
That made her a pretty average literature student.
A shitty personality? Why is that a flaw? For that to be a flaw, the average personality of literature students would have to be decent, but having a messed-up personality is a tradition among literature students.
Before Ahn Joo-hee’s personality could even be considered a flaw, all literature students had already taken the initiative to ruin theirs, so you could say Ahn Joo-hee had no flaws as a literature student.
Of course, Gu Hak-jun is an exception.
It’s still a mystery even to me, a time traveler, how Gu Hak-jun, who must have been through all sorts of trials in this field, hasn’t gone crazy like Park Chang-woon and manages to keep his sanity…
Anyway.
Therefore, with no flaws and strong writing skills, Ahn Joo-hee should have long been treated as an SSS-grade promising writer, sweeping up every literary award in the country and being hailed as the second Gu Yubin.
But the heavens gave birth to Ahn Joo-hee, and also gave birth to Gu Yu-na and me.
It’s a bit embarrassing to admit it myself…
Poverty, divorce, abortion, miscarriage, kidnapping, gangsters, sex crimes, etc. I had an early preview of all the dark sides of society through the grapevine at the orphanage, and during my student days, I received real-time ‘literary inspiration’ through dormitory group assaults.
And Gu Yu-na, who was simply born as ‘Gu Yu-na’, combined with me to form an unbeatable double-combination.
Once our literary talents reached a certain level, we swept almost all the first and second prizes at writing contests.
The only thing that ever changed was who got first place; from high school onward, it was pretty much just Gu Yu-na and me monopolizing the awards.
So Ahn Joo-hee usually…
Came in third.
And most literary awards don’t select gold, silver, and bronze medals; they select Grand Prize, Gold Prize, and Silver Prize.
Usually, there’s only one Grand Prize and one Gold Prize winner, but starting from the Silver Prize, there are two or three recipients.
Because of that, despite having decent literary skills, Ahn Joo-hee ended up with a rather ambiguous award history.
So Ahn Joo-hee ended up not as Ahn Joo-hee, pride of the Korean literary scene, but just Ahn Joo-hee, pride of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.
But what can you do? It’s her fault for writing worse than us.
All Ahn Joo-hee could do was get eliminated during the winner selections and stomp over angrily, throwing a tantrum.
-Why are you two the Grand Prize and Gold Prize again?! I can’t accept this!
The problem always started here.
Cunning as I am, I would endure it. There’s no point fighting with someone who goes to an arts high school and has both parents alive. I’d only end up being labeled a ‘brawling orphan’.
-Hey. Glasses.
-Wh-what…?!
But Gu Yu-na never holds back.
Every time Ahn Joo-hee started acting up, she would quietly get up and walk over.
And then…
***
“Ugh…!”
A dizzying memory surfaced, making me stagger for a moment, and surprised gasps erupted around me.
Moon Ji-seop quickly rushed over and grabbed me, speaking with concern.
“In-seop! What’s wrong!”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Just a brief headache…”
Even Ahn Joo-hee, who wouldn’t have met me yet in this timeline, was startled and looked worried.
“W-what’s wrong, all of a sudden? Do you have some illness?!”
I made an excuse about being sleep-deprived and sat on the edge of Moon Ji-seop’s desk.
But seeing Ahn Joo-hee still looking at me with concern made my heart feel complicated.
I looked at Ahn Joo-hee with pity in my eyes.
“What… Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden…?”
“No, it’s nothing…”
“What’s with you. You keep saying ‘it’s nothing’ since earlier…”
Even now, just seeing the way she annoyingly nitpicks words makes it obvious, but Ahn Joo-hee was someone who had received so much ‘manners education’ from Gu Yu-na that she could be called her exclusive punching bag.
So at some point, she started trembling just at the sight of Gu Yu-na, but the problem was that she couldn’t even control her own temper, so whenever she came in third place, she’d pick a fight again.
Then Gu Yu-na wouldn’t let it slide, and once again…
“Ugh…!”
“In-seop!”
“Ah, seriously! What’s wrong with you, again!”
Anyway, Ahn Joo-hee seemed to have such a twisted fate, it made you wonder what sin she committed in her past life.
How did she end up tangled up with Gu Yu-na…
Of course, she always picked fights with Gu Yu-na out of sheer inferiority complex, but still…
When you saw her get beat like that, didn’t she look a little pitiful…
“Sigh…”
“Do you really know me?! Why do you keep sighing while looking at my face like you’ve seen something disgusting!”
It felt really strange to have Ahn Joo-hee, who used to foam at the mouth and throw tantrums whenever she saw me, treat me like a stranger.
She was a chihuahua I used to avoid because of her nasty temper, but maybe I’d developed a weird sort of attachment to her.
In any case, since her personality was predictable, I decided to throw her a little lip service to cheer her up.
“Of course I know you. You win prizes at writing contests all the time.”
“…!!!”
I scratched the itchiest spot on the oversized ego of Ahn Joo-hee, who was full of inferiority complex.
The effect was explosive.
Ahn Joo-hee’s expression changed in three stages like a rocket launch, and based on my mind-reading, it went like this:
Stage 1, surprise.
-What? Moon In knows me?!
Stage 2, delight.
-What?! Moon In knows me-!!!
Stage 3, smugness.
-Ha… Me… Really. Ah~ what? (sweeping back her hair) Moon In knows me? Hah…
The emotional shift was so obvious on her face, it was almost irritating.
Seeing Ahn Joo-hee drunk on her own charm, twitching her lips and running her hands through perfectly fine hair, I got fed up and changed the subject.
“So. What is it?”
“Sh, huh? What do you mean, what is it?”
This idiot must’ve had her brain reset just because of one compliment…
“You walked straight up to me. Didn’t you have something to say?”
“Oh! Right!”
“……”
“…Ahem!”
As I stared silently, Ahn Joo-hee cleared her throat and looked away.
Seems even she was a bit embarrassed about her earlier behavior.
But shame is something felt by people with a proper conscience, and Ahn Joo-hee has none.
She quickly shook off her embarrassment and got straight to the point.
“You.”
Poke- Ahn Joo-hee suddenly jabbed her index finger between my brows.
“What are the requirements to join that fancy club of yours?”
“?”
“You know, that group you lead around. The Popular Culture something Club.”
Amid all the anxious stares from every direction, Ahn Joo-hee charged at me like a wild buffalo and threw down her challenge.
“It’s kind of too much that a club doesn’t even accept student applications, so how about an interview? Let’s see just how amazing that high-and-mighty Author Moon’s club is.”
“……”
“Rumor has it it’s some inner circle that only real celebrities can get into, right? But when I heard even Moon Ji-seop got in, I got a little curious. He’s also from an orphanage like you guys, right? Don’t tell me only people loyal to you can join the club?”
She ended her words with a tone of slight disappointment, if that’s the case, then that’s kind of lame, and grinned crookedly.
Amid whispers like ‘What, are they fighting?’, ‘What’s wrong with Ahn Joo-hee?’, ‘I dunno, she must be crazy…’
I answered Ahn Joo-hee.
“Follow me.”
When she heard my response, Ahn Joo-hee smiled and muttered ‘Nice!’, then quickly fixed her expression, trying not to lose the battle of nerves.
Turning my back to her, I headed toward the destination.
I exited the chattering classroom and slowly walked down the hallway.
Now alone with me, Ahn Joo-hee followed behind and asked in a voice that seemed to hide her tension.
“Are you going… to take a test?”
“……”
“What kind of test? You can at least tell me that.”
“……”
“…I see. It’s a secret. Being all dramatic again.”
“……”
Ahn Joo-hee tried to hide her nerves with sharp words as she swallowed dryly.
Soon after, I headed toward the Creative Writing Department’s faculty office.
There, I received a sheet of paper from Teacher Park Chang-woon, who greeted me cheerfully.
I handed it straight to Ahn Joo-hee.
“Here, write.”
“…?”
“Your name.”
Ahn Joo-hee, slightly confused, wrote down her name and student number on the document.
I took the paper and pen back from her and said,
“You’re in.”
“Huh.”
Ahn Joo-hee looked at me with a face full of disbelief.
A look that basically said, ‘This is it…?’
Well, of course this is it. What else would there be?
Seriously, whether past or present, what a weird personality this girl has…
***
Back in the classroom, Ahn Joo-hee looked totally out of it.
As she returned to her seat and sat down, her seatmate Moon Ji-seop quietly asked.
“Did you get in?”
“Don’t talk to me…”
That sharp glare might scare most people, but in the world of kids, a few weeks is enough time to build up the kind of friendship that lets you mess around with a hot-tempered friend.
“Come on, did you get in or not.”
“I did, so stop talking to me…”
“Oh! Let’s work hard together then!”
Moon Ji-seop kept talking anyway, and Ahn Joo-hee slumped down on her desk with a groan.
With Ahn Joo-hee seemingly near death, Moon Ji-seop turned to the two girls sitting in front and struck up a conversation.
“Hey, you guys should join Popular Culture and Arts Research Club too. The Popular Culture and Arts Research Club isn’t as scary as it sounds, seriously. Kim Byul sunbae is super pretty, and Benivis’s Min Hyo-min is in it too. Hyo-chan hyung is nice too. It’s easy to get in, look, even Ahn Joo-hee made it.”
Ahn Joo-hee, still slumped over her desk, gave Moon Ji-seop’s arm a thump.
Even so, Moon Ji-seop continued looking brightly at the two girls he’d become relatively friendly with.
But strangely, they seemed hesitant to join Popular Culture and Arts Research Club.
Same this time.
The girl who seemed strong-willed kept her mouth shut, and the one who looked more gentle stroked her friend’s arm and replied instead.
“Sorry, we’re thinking of checking out a different club…”
With an awkward smile and that reply, Moon Ji-seop finally asked the question he’d been deliberately avoiding.
“Why though? You were in the same class with In-seop all three years at Baekhak Arts Middle. Aren’t you guys friends with him too?”
Every time Moon Ji-seop talked to these two girls, he felt an odd sense of distance.
They were classmates with Moon In in the Creative Writing Department at Baekhak Arts Middle School for three years.
Even so, to them, he wasn’t ‘In-seop’, but ‘Moon In’.
Moon Ji-seop’s keen social instincts usually warned him not to dig into that strange distance, but because of that, his curiosity only grew.
Why do they avoid Moon In?
The answer came.
“We’re not friends.”
“Huh?”
“I said we’re not friends.”
That curt reply almost came off as annoyed, and then a relatively mild, but not so gentle answer followed from the other girl.
“Yeah. That’s right. We’re not Moon In’s… friends. Just peers who were in the same department for three years.”
“What?”
Moon Ji-seop’s confused expression clearly asked, ‘Does that even make sense?’
Even so, the calm girl’s response was firm.
“Yeah. I’m sure. I bet he doesn’t even know our names.”
“No, that’s…”
“Anyway, we’re going to look for another club. Sorry.”
And with that, the two girls abruptly ended the conversation.
Moon Ji-seop’s face, as he watched the backs of the retreating girls, still showed curiosity about the unanswered question.
“……”
Lying next to him, Ahn Joo-hee was quietly listening to this strange conversation through her ear.
***
Having lived a rough life in a rough world, I pride myself on being skilled at observing people.
It’s kind of messed up, like how kids who grew up with shitty parents tend to be really good at reading their parents’ moods…
Anyway, since the world generally treats me like crap, I’ve definitely gotten better at picking up on how people feel.
So I quickly noticed that Moon Ji-seop and Ahn Joo-hee were both looking at me with…
A suspicious gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
“…!”
“…!”
With just that one question, both of them flinched.
So I was about to ask, “Why are you staring like that?” but the tone sounded a bit confrontational, so I decided to let it go.
With that, I took the two of them to the Popular Culture and Arts Research Club room.
At both Baekhak Arts Middle School and Baekhak Arts High School, club activities are generally encouraged.
So clubs are quite active and spacious overall, and surprisingly, Kim Byul had secured a big-sized club room by winning out in the fierce competition.
Seems the Queen of Cannes Award is no joke after all.
Come to think of it, it’s kind of strange that the thing she accomplished using the clout of the Queen of Cannes Award was securing a high school club room…
Anyway, though Kim Byul worked hard to get it, compared to the slightly shabby club room back at Baekhak Arts Middle School, this one lacked warmth.
That’s the club room I brought Moon Ji-seop and Ahn Joo-hee to.
When I slid open the door, the faces that greeted me were the same ones I saw every day.
I skipped the greetings and got straight to the point.
“I brought two new members.”
“?”
Our second club president, Kim Byul, was lounging in a comfy chair, tapping away at her smartphone.
She raised a question mark over her head, paused for a moment in silence.
Then she suddenly leapt to her feet, full of righteous fury.
“Hey! You can’t just recruit new members without telling the club president!”
“Since the first president is back, the second one should step down.”
“This guy starts talking nonsense again as soon as he arrives, this impudent…”
Just as Kim Byul was about to start a tirade.
Ahn Joo-hee, who had been hesitating next to me, suddenly flinched! and stepped back in shock.
“Eek…!”
Not only did she recoil, but she let out a strange groaning sound too.
At that moment, I felt a foreboding sense of dread.
Thinking it over carefully…
The probability that ‘that presence’ and Ahn Joo-hee had already met before was not zero.
Because Gu Yu-na had been a seasoned writing contest fighter even before she met me.
If Gu Yu-na and Ahn Joo-hee had ever encountered each other somewhere without me around,
Then Ahn Joo-hee would have definitely gotten crushed by Gu Yu-na and picked a fight afterward,
And after that,
Naturally.
“Hey. Glasses.”
As if to confirm the accuracy of my guess.
‘That thing’, which had been hiding in the shadows of the club room,
Revealed itself.
“What are you doing here?”
And in Gu Yu-na’s eyes as she spoke,
It seemed as if a murderous red glare was shining.
*****
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