“Because of this sentence, The House might get disqualified from the Noodle competition.”
Peter Han's words were shocking.
I reread the part he pointed out.
— Why did you adopt me? The man surprisingly answered right away. It must have been scary for the parents. Just raising one child would be enough. I don't know if that's the answer...
A son with a different disposition than others.
A daughter adopted impulsively out of fear of that son.
And the situation where that daughter has grown up and arrested the son.
It simultaneously shows the subversion of family hierarchy and the irony of life.
“Why do you want to change this part?”
“The content itself is excellent. However, I don’t think you’re familiar with Noodle.”
Each publisher has its preferred atmosphere for works.
The same goes for Korean publishers, so aspiring authors submit their works to publishers that might align with their style.
Thinking about it… Noodle might have something like that too.
“I personally don’t like Noodle. Others say Noodle has a unique taste, but to me, they seem like hipsters pushing characters without any depth. There’s nothing serious about it.”
“You seem to dislike boring things.”
“Yeah. For instance, if you present a theme that shows the irony of life… they might reject it saying it’s ‘boring.’ They prefer rough works that showcase only quirky characters. I’ve seen many cases like that.”
Hmm.
There are two types of works that get selected.
First, stable works with a clear theme.
Second, new and unfamiliar works.
In fact, a work that has both elements is the best.
According to Peter Han, Noodle seems to be like this.
They would choose a work that clearly demonstrates the second element rather than one that has both.
“So, I recommend revising this sentence. It’s up to the author whether to accept it, though.”
“Like what?”
“I think it’s better to show the character of this psychopathic killer more clearly rather than the irony of life. Instead of saying, ‘I don’t know if that’s the answer,’ go with ‘It was the wrong answer.’”
‘It was the wrong answer.’
In other words, I shouldn’t have adopted Suji.
That way, Yang Oppa’s selfishness would stand out more clearly.
All the narrative revolves around the character of Yang Oppa.
“You mean to push the character all the way through.”
“I can’t say which is better. I’m just saying it would be better for submitting to the Noodle competition.”
“...”
“This novel is a good novel. I really hope it shines.”
His hazel eyes conveyed that he was giving sincere advice.
I thought for a moment.
This one line in the translation changes the theme of The House.
Is it the path I’ve paved or the one that aligns with the competition's tastes?
After a while, I said to Peter Han, “I’ll go with it as is.”
“You’re not going to revise?”
“No.”
“Sam…”
Geumhong called me as if worried.
I smiled at Geumhong.
“If I follow your advice, the chances of winning will increase. But I don’t want to change the core of the writing.”
“...”
“Participating in the competition is about effectively introducing my writing to the American audience, not just about winning.”
“You could still be disqualified, you know?”
“I’ll have another piece to work on. Whether it’s a thriller or not.”
There’s no rush.
The reason I intended to submit to the Noodle competition was to face the American market head-on without the halo of my name, wasn’t it?
Changing the core sentence of The House just to win an award?
That would be turning things upside down.
What’s important is not the award but ‘my writing.’
Silence fell.
Peter Han seemed deep in thought.
Then he clapped his hands on his knees.
“Alright. If that’s what you say, then it’s your writing.”
His demeanor was devoid of any bitterness.
He gathered the manuscripts and went back to his desk.
“I’ll email you as soon as I finish translating the last sentence. Then my role will be done.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
I went over to him and extended my hand.
He gazed at my hand for a moment.
“I’m not good at this kind of thing…”
He firmly grasped my hand.
Then he muttered quietly, “Good luck.”
Today was the day to send The House to Noodle.
The Team Lee Sang members gathered at our house for the first time in a while.
Peter Han sent me the translated version of The House a few days ago.
Geumhong had completed the final checks.
“Now I’ll really send it.”
Geumhong wrote an email according to the format and then asked me, “What about the contact information? Whose should we use?”
“They said they would notify the results by email, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then just use mine. Since Jihoon will also see the email anyway.”
“And… it’s an anonymous review, but would you like to use a different pen name?”
“No. Please use Lee Sang.”
If I win, there’s no reason to hide that I’m Lee Sang, and if I don’t win, it’s a manuscript that nobody will know who wrote it anyway.
There’s no need to come up with another pen name.
“Oh, all those hard moments are passing by like a movie.”
Everyone worked hard, but Ji-hoon really put in a lot of effort.
He had been stressing over finding a translator.
“You’ve all done well. Let’s eat something nice together once I send the manuscript.”
“Sounds good, hyung.”
“Shall I send it now?”
Geum-hong said with a nervous voice.
“…Go ahead.”
Click—
The email was sent in an instant.
A moment of silence followed.
“It’s finally over….”
Ji-hoon muttered.
Geum-hong sighed and stood up.
“It’s been a while since we’ve exerted ourselves, ‘Team Lee Sang.’”
I said that while raising both hands.
Clap!
The two of them clapped their palms together as if on cue.
If it weren’t for these two… it would have been tough.
They were the ones who found out about the ‘Noodle’ competition and helped look for a translator.
Writing is a solitary task, no matter what anyone says.
Sometimes, it can unintentionally become stubborn.
However, the ‘activities of a writer’ outside of writing are different.
So much help is needed.
If there’s one significant difference between my past life and this one….
It’s that I have two people who will do their best to help me.
Germany, D― TV Broadcasting Station Conference Room.
A group of unfamiliar people sat in the conference room.
The PD of D― TV’s signature program ‘Philosophy Study’,
The PD of the documentary program ‘Humans and the World’,
And the philosopher Til Berkel.
The connection between these three was as follows.
The ‘Philosophy Study’ that aired not long ago.
The dialogue between Til Berkel and Lee Sang garnered great popularity in Germany.
Beyond the content of the discussion….
Til Berkel, known as the ‘Everyone’s Punching Bag.’
It was because of the attitude he showed towards Lee Sang.
Lee Sang’s perspective on art was clear.
Art is the aesthetics of uselessness.
And Til Berkel, instead of trying to debunk his argument… was curious.
He even extended the discussion time just to hear one more word.
And what was more surprising was what Til Berkel said to the PD of ‘Philosophy Study’ after the broadcast.
—I would like to continue the dialogue with Writer Lee Sang… Is there any way to do that?
However, the schedule for ‘Philosophy Study’ was packed.
Moreover, the other party was the impatient Til Berkel.
Rather than wait for a slot to open in the broadcast schedule… they decided to pass this bombshell to another program.
And the chosen target was the documentary ‘Humans and the World.’
The team just happened to have an empty slot for a broadcast next month.
The dialogue between Til Berkel and Lee Sang’s theories on art was already a hot topic.
The popularity of
So the suggestion to create a documentary featuring these two was made.
The PD of ‘Humans and the World’ immediately accepted it.
He, too, found ‘Philosophy Study’ intriguing.
However… there were mountains of things to decide practically.
Before contacting Lee Sang, everything had to be settled.
“Alright, I’ve made the connection, so I’ll take my leave now. I have a meeting with our writers as well….”
The PD of ‘Philosophy Study’ subtly backed out.
Having a meeting with Til Berkel was a bit exhausting.
“Come on, let’s consult a bit more….”
The PD of ‘Humans and the World’ tried to prevent his escape.
“Let’s start quickly. We don’t have time.”
Til Berkel was already excited like a racehorse.
Anyway, that left the two of them.
An awkward moment lingered.
The PD of ‘Humans and the World’ was professional.
He explained the structure of the documentary with a serious attitude.
“Our program is accustomed to dealing with philosophers and writers. However, we’ve never dealt with them together….”
“Let’s connect the two of us through ‘theory of art.’”
A dialogue method that skips the entire intermediate process.
If the other person isn’t bright, it’s not easy to understand.
The PD quickly racked his brain.
“I also agree to go with that topic. The general approach will be to continue the dialogue that couldn’t be completed in ‘Philosophy Study.’ The national interest in that dialogue is high.”
“This time we can’t do it online. It’ll be too frustrating. I’ll go.”
You’re going?
“To Korea?”
“There’s a good event happening in Korea.”
Til Berkel took out his cell phone.
‘No, are you really saying you want to go to Korea? Why is he only saying what he wants?’
The PD was confused.
Yet, he couldn’t help but get caught up in Til Berkel’s manner of speaking.
“Look here.”
Til Berkel showed the PD the screen of his phone.
It was an exhibition by an artist association themed around
“It’s about to start.”
“Are you going there?”
The PD had two thoughts racing through his mind.
First, the structure of the documentary.
The dialogue could become tedious if not handled properly.
Mixing in the content of the exhibition could add more variety.
Second… money.
It would be much cheaper to bring Lee Sang to Germany than to send the production crew all the way to Korea.
While the PD was caught in the conflict between ideal and reality regarding Lee Sang,
“This exhibition is a platform where Korean artists reinterpret Lee Sang’s theories on art.”
“Hmm.”
“We’ll have the dialogue inside the exhibition hall. A deep and profound conversation about art philosophy.”
Til Berkel’s eyes sparkled.
Just looking at his eyes, it seemed he had already flown to Korea.
“There are plenty of exhibition halls in Germany. How about bringing Writer Lee Sang to Berlin?”
The PD casually asked.
“I’ll cover the shortfall in production costs.”
“Oh, no. It’s not about the production costs.”
That was right.
The denial was merely a reflexive reaction to Til’s way of speaking.
In Germany, philosophers are well-respected.
Til Berkel was already a wealthy man without any regrets.
If the production budget was lacking, he was more than willing to cover it.
The PD cautiously asked, “The budget issue can be resolved through negotiation, but… I don’t really understand why you’re going this far.”
Til Berkel chuckled softly.
“I don’t usually trust artists. They’re shallow and juvenile. It irritates me to see them putting on airs in front of others, only to turn around and complain about money.”
‘Of course.’
The PD muttered to himself.
Til Berkel was known for his consistent logic.
He was also known for applying that logic to his life.
On the other hand, artists often had emotional ups and downs, which he likely found displeasing.
“Artists whose work, artistic vision, and spirit are unified are worthy of respect. But such artists are few and far between.”
“In that case, what about Lee Sang?”
“He’s an admirable artist I’ve found after a long time. The artistic vision embedded in his work The Lantern, his ability to articulate that vision, and his unshakeable mentality—perhaps, in the realm of art, he possesses a sense and intellect superior to any philosopher.”
“Isn’t that a bit too brief a conversation to make such a judgment?”
In reality, the discussion during the ‘Philosophy Study’ wasn’t long.
At most, it lasted thirty minutes.
“You can gauge a person’s level with just one word.”
“One word?”
“Art is useless romance. This phrase encapsulates both the irony of life a philosopher might express and the romanticism an artist would convey.”
Til Berkel shrugged, as if to say it was undeniably true.
With this kind of conviction, the PD’s heart began to waver.
At that moment, Til Berkel made his point clear.
“If we can have a discussion in Seoul, I’d like to collaborate with a Munich publishing house to publish a collection of conversations. It would capture the contents of the documentary.”
The thought of the documentary being published as a book would leave a mark on the PD’s career.
Surprised, the PD asked, “...Are you serious?”
Til Berkel spoke with a serious expression.
“I don’t lie.”
Then, as if considering something, he smiled slyly.
“Also, I have a personal project in mind.”
“Really?”
“I have something I want to do with writer Lee Sang. It’s an artistic, philosophical, and simultaneously historical endeavor.”