Book 9 Chapter 25

A roundtable discussion with Ryu-yeon Bi and her crew

[Yikes! I might run out of manuscripts!]

When a writer has a small manuscript, like this one, they feel a sense of urgency and mission to fill in the gaps somehow, and that can lead to a lot of nagging questions.

It's a struggle for survival.

You can run and hide, and you'll most likely get called out for it, but - no matter how hard you try - you don't have a choice: the world doesn't extend a hand of compromise in these places. You're only responsible for what you do.

Empty space, empty manuscript paper. The manuscript page of a novel is not an ink drawing; there is no such thing as the beauty of the margins. The margins of a manuscript page are only a testament to the writer's insincerity and lack of capacity. You can't expect any romance there; you can expect a nightmare.

Then the writer has to get ready to shovel, because there's a fiery, venomous editor-in-chief and a bunch of wide-eyed readers looking on.

The writer wants to cry, but the tears have dried up because she's been pushed so hard on deadlines. It's overwork, but there's nowhere to complain. It's so unfair. But her pleas are rejected by the courts. Then there is nowhere to go to appeal.

Has anyone noticed why the author is rambling on and on? If you have, you're a very smart person. Heh heh heh!

What? I'm not supposed to cover the sky with my palms, but I'm writing this in the hopes that I can cover a few blank sheets of manuscript paper (yes! Throw it! Throw it! Throw it! Black and white!). Being a writer is a tough job, especially if you're a fiction writer, and you have to walk this path alone. Sure, you have people around you to help you along the way, but at the end of the day, you're alone, so you must never let your guard down. You can't compromise with yourself. What happens the moment you compromise with yourself, the moment you relax?

Why would you ask a question like that in full view of the audience? You'll end up like the ninth volume of The Lightning Rod, of course! So don't emulate that writer.

I turn around and look at my editor-in-chief, who is holding a knife behind my back and smiling eerily.

"Mr. Director, do I still need to write more?"

"You're on your own!"

He doesn't tell me exactly how much, he just leaves it up to me to figure it out. As a writer, you scour your surroundings, your biography, and your past in the hopes that you'll come up with something worthy of the page.

Even as he rambles on and on in this lamentable fashion, the writer has a devilish grin on his face, because he knows that if he rambles on and on in various ways, it doesn't matter if it's lamentation or joy or whatever, the ground will somehow be filled. Thesis? Give that to the dogs, the writer thinks to himself. Of course, he doesn't say it out loud, because he doesn't want to get in trouble for saying it out loud, so he just mumbles it in silence.

Isn't that pitiful, and if any of you feel that way, even slightly, please don't swear at me. Even if you know you're in the wrong, being called names hurts a writer's tiny, birdlike heart (which hasn't been anatomically confirmed, of course). Blackblackblack! In closing, I hope my fake tears have done a little to inspire your sympathy.

That's all the chit-chat from me on behalf of the author, and I'll see you in the next volume (bye……!).

Jang Hong & Hyorong : Hey! Hey! Ryuyeon! What about our appearance this time? We didn't even get a chance to appear this time! Isn't that unfair?

Ryuyeon Bi : Oh, I forgot!

Are you going to tell me that my forgetfulness is a death sentence because I betrayed my friend and forgot about it? Don't blame me for your forgetfulness!

I apologize for that, but don't you think your appearance in this episode will be of little consequence? Now that the pages have been filled, the readers have been fooled by my false tears, and we can do without you!

Hyo Ryu-ryong: Isn't that the author's tyranny, domination, and dictatorship? I strongly condemn such dictatorial writers!

Ryuyeon Bi : Feel free to criticize, I'm not going to stop you, but the truth is the truth.

Hyo Ryuryong : So we don't have a chance anymore?

Ryuyeon Bi : There's one more chance left!

Liu Hong Zhang: What's left?

Ryu-yeon Bi: The usual picture introduction! This time, I'm making a special concession! This is a huge concession!

Hyo Liuyong: Then who did you concede to, me or Mr. Jang Hong?

Ryuyeon Bi : I don't know since it's already out of my hands. Let them decide for themselves!

Hyo-Ryong & Jang Hong: If so……. (flash!)

'Koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo! Wow! Rah-rah-rah-rah-rah! Sha-sha-sha!'

Jang Ryu-hong : 長幼有序! Woohoo!

Hyo Liuyong : Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Whoooooooooooo!

Ryuyeon Bi : …Hmm, is it decided?

Zhang Liuhong : Kulkulkulk, this… I'm in charge this time!

Bi Ryuyeon : Oh, so Hyo-ryong is……?

Zhang Liuhong : I buried him quietly. I'm sure there will be no regrets!

'Ryuyeon Bi : Well, let's put the finishing touches on it, shall we? The mark on your forehead is just a small wound. Cool!'

Zhang Liuhong: Thank you, Hyo-ryong is his work! How dare you dare to dive into the subject of a guy who's been in a slump lately… It's still a decade too early for me! Uh-huh!

And now for the announcement: the illustrations in Volume 9, like those in Volume 8, were sent to us by Mr. Doomoon from the following unreliable cafe: cafe.daum.net\/TGSNOSF. As always, we'll be sending him a signed copy of the book.

Hmmm… By the way, it's a shame that I don't have any of my own drawings, because everything else is great, and it would be perfect if I did.

Ryuyeon Bi : Chet, who said that your drawings… It's not my favorite.

Zhang Liuhong: What are you talking about? Don't you even know Romance Gray? This is the age of the elderly and the powerful!

Bi Ryuyeon : Then why would you add anything other than a supportive relationship?

Zhang Liuhong: Nothing… Nothing… How can I be punished? If I do that, my wife will… I'll… I won't have a life!

Ryuyeon Bi : Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Zhang Liuhong: (Aha!!!) … Humph, humph, humph! Let's get past the nasty surroundings! Let's greet these ugly faces and get rid of them!

Ryuyeon Bi : I don't know who's the scary face?

Ryu-yeon Bi & Hong Zhang: Well, then, dear readers, we'll see you in the next 10 volumes, assuming, of course, that the writers are safe to write, as always. Until next time, bye.

Ryu-Ryong Hyo : ……*

Bi Ryuyeon: Volume 10 Preview! Will there be a resurrection of Hyo-ryong? Stay tuned for the next volume.

Oh, and here's a note about your question. Someone asked for something useless.

The author's e-mail address is redacted입니다.