Episode 24. Is It Really a Flower?

Tae Ihyun tilted his head in confusion.

“A wish ticket?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure that’s all you want?”

“Deal?”

“Alright. Deal.”

As soon as they agreed, Tae Ihyun stood up.

Tae Yiseo, who had been munching on snacks, looked up at him.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

“To my room to write. I want to jot things down while they’re still fresh.”

“Oh, you’re really dedicated. Good luck, little brother.”

“…What’s your angle?”

“Angle? What are you talking about? Can’t you appreciate your sister’s pure encouragement?”

That unexpected support, along with that smile… Something’s definitely up. Tae Ihyun felt an inexplicable unease.

Regardless, Tae Ihyun headed straight to his room.

He sat down and flexed his fingers lightly.

“Alright, let’s get to it.”

His eyes sparkled as they focused on the monitor.

Tap tap tap tap. Tap. Tap tap.

The sound of typing filled his room.

Bustling bustling.

The area near Sangsu Station in Seoul was always crowded with people.

Thanks to that, it was usually quite noisy.

But today, it was exceptionally so.

The reason was,

“Mr. Ma Seokgi. I’m a fan!”

“Ahaha… Th-thank you.”

After the Hongdae Sudden Gate incident, a video featuring Ma Seokgi, titled ‘Turns Out Our Commander Was a Hidden Power?’, went viral, making him an overnight sensation.

As the captain of the 4th unit of the Gate Emergency Response Team, known as the Guardian, and nicknamed Bulldozer, he had become a star without even realizing it.

After the incident, Ma Seokgi, who had been severely injured, was recently discharged from the hospital.

Even though the headquarters said he was fine, they insisted he take some more time off.

Thanks to that, Ma Seokgi was out for a rare family dinner.

At their usual favorite restaurant, just like always.

But then, what a surprise!

As soon as he parked the car and entered the restaurant,

“Wow! It’s Ma Seokgi! Bulldozer! Our commander! Ma Seokgi!”

someone exclaimed loudly, interrupting their meal.

No, it was more like a shout.

In an instant, people swarmed around Ma Seokgi.

Even passersby outside the restaurant gathered.

‘Whoa. That startled me.’

Ma Seokgi, who had tackled countless Gates and defeated numerous beasts, was momentarily overwhelmed by the sudden rush of people.

Many people eagerly requested autographs and photos.

He was about to decline, thinking he wasn’t a celebrity or a public figure…

“What are you doing, honey? Hurry up and sign for them.”

“Yeah, Dad. Hurry up. Everyone’s waiting in line!”

“Oh, oh? …Okay.”

His wife and daughter urged him on, pushing him toward the crowd.

Before he knew it, Ma Seokgi found himself holding an impromptu signing event at the restaurant.

“Huh, he just wrote his name in block letters. How cute. Haha.”

“I’ve never seen anyone write so neatly in block letters.”

“This is unique in its own way. Our Bulldozer uncle is so charming.”

“……”

Hey, kids, I can hear you. And why are you calling me Bulldozer uncle…?

Ma Seokgi wondered if he should come up with a signature.

The line for autographs and photos seemed endless.

‘Oh, I feel so bad for the restaurant owner and his wife.’

However, contrary to his concerns, the middle-aged couple seemed thrilled.

“Hey, you can’t just walk in. Those dining here today, please line up in the front. What? Unfair? Are you kidding me? Do you think I run this place for free? If you eat here, it’s a win-win! Oh, those with your hands up, come forward. Yes, come on.”

“The favorite restaurant of Korea’s top hunter, Ma Seokgi, is right here? Hoho! Yes, it’s our restaurant. We’re hosting Ma Seokgi’s signing event! Hohohoho!”

“……”

Ma Seokgi felt awkward and embarrassed about the situation.

He just wanted to escape as soon as possible.

But,

A little distance away, his family seemed very pleased with the situation.

His daughter was even taking pictures of him with her phone, looking thrilled.

Hmm.

It wasn’t a bad feeling.

Who wouldn’t like their family being proud of them?

‘Well, it’s nice, but…’

The problem was that he wasn’t the one who dealt with the Hydra at the Sudden Gate.

‘This is crazy.’

He had been unconscious for several days due to his injuries.

Even after regaining consciousness, he spent a long time in the hospital before being discharged, only to find out that everyone believed he had done it. There was no denying it.

When he confided in the Guardian’s deputy commander, he confidently claimed that Ma Seokgi must have unconsciously unleashed hidden power.

He insisted that he had watched the video dozens of times and there was really nothing else around.

Yeah, I almost believed it. I wanted to believe it.

But, just in case, he tried several times to tap into that power, or even something similar, but failed every time.

Of course, that was the case.

And above all, Ma Seokgi’s instincts told him.

He wasn’t the one who did it.

‘Then who… who was it?’

Ma Seokgi recalled the incredible manifestation of light he had witnessed.

It was like the power of a god.

“Excuse me, can you sign this?”

“Oh, yes. Of course, I will. Haha.”

Lost in thought, Ma Seokgi was startled back to reality.

There were still many people lined up in front of him.

‘Oh boy. This is…’

If someone really did save him, he wanted to meet them and say,

Thanks to you, I’m in quite a predicament.

And… thank you for saving me.

Haha.

He was really curious about who that person was and where they lived.

“Ahhh! Ugh!”

Tae Ihyun stretched with all his might and then clicked the mouse with satisfaction.

He had just finished the deadline and sent the email.

He wondered how the editor would react. Lately, the response to each chapter he wrote had been quite positive, making him feel both shy and pleased.

Before he knew it, he had written 16 chapters of this work.

In the past, he had received harsh feedback and scrapped his work before reaching the 5th or 6th chapter more times than he could count.

So these days, Tae Ihyun was really enjoying writing.

He even felt a little smug, thinking, ‘Have I finally hit my stride? Hmph.’

Not that he could brag about it to anyone.

“Alright, just for a bit, ahhh…”

Tae Ihyun flopped onto the bed.

His eyes slowly closed as he buried his face in the pillow.

Sleep was creeping in.

Before he knew it, Tae Ihyun had fallen asleep.

After a few hours had passed,

Bzzz. Bzzz.

The phone on the desk vibrated quietly.

The sound woke Tae Ihyun, who groggily reached for the phone.

He saw a message from his editor, Goo Kyungmo.

[Author, can we have a video call?]

What? So soon?

He expected at least a day to pass before hearing back, so this was unexpected.

And why a video call? Was it really that good?

Feeling slightly excited, Tae Ihyun made the call.

Soon, Goo Kyungmo’s face appeared on the screen.

[Oh, author. Were you sleeping?]

“Yes, I dozed off for a bit. Haha.”

[I thought it would be nice to chat face-to-face sometimes, so I suggested a video call. Don’t worry, it won’t be a regular thing. Haha.]

Despite his words, Goo Kyungmo had noticeable dark circles and a desk piled with documents, his hands busy jotting down notes.

He seemed to have squeezed in the call amidst a hectic schedule.

Goo Kyungmo continued talking.

[Like any job, especially for writers, it’s important to get enough sleep, eat three meals a day, and exercise regularly to avoid burnout. If you neglect any of these, you’ll fall ill quickly. Take care of yourself while you’re healthy.]

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

[Now, about your work… Hmm. Author, I’m not sure how to say this…]

Goo Kyungmo paused his work and scratched his head with a pen.

Uh-oh? This feels… ominous.

This wasn’t the atmosphere Tae Ihyun had hoped for.

It felt strangely familiar…

“…Yes.”

Here comes the harsh feedback.

Tae Ihyun’s voice involuntarily grew smaller.

[Why does reading this manuscript feel like going back in time?]

“W-what do you mean?”

[Well, after we toned down the protagonist for being too overpowered, now suddenly the protagonist’s sibling is ridiculously strong? And taking down an entire major guild single-handedly? This is beyond believable. The power balance is not just off; it’s shattered.]

Goo Kyungmo’s voice grew more intense.

It felt oddly nostalgic. He shouldn’t feel this way, but it was almost comforting.

[And how many hunters are in one family, and why are they all so strong? What kind of family is this, anyway?]

Gulp.

Yes. Sorry. That’s my family.

Tae Ihyun almost blurted it out.

[And the biggest issue is something else.]

There’s more?

It felt like today was the day for a thorough critique.

[This sibling character. You based them on Crimson Flame, didn’t you?]

…Crimson Flame?

Was it just his imagination, or did the name sound oddly respectful?

Tae Ihyun hid his curiosity and answered.

“Uh, yes. But how did you know?”

[How could I not? No matter how you look at it, it’s obviously Crimson Flame.]

“Is it that obvious?”

He thought he was being clever by changing the sister to a brother, but it didn’t work.

Oh, wait… Only I know that the hopeless one is my sister, right?

What was I thinking?

Tae Ihyun realized he had made a foolish mistake.

[You got permission from Crimson Flame, right?]

“What? How did you…”

[Of course not. You don’t even know Crimson Flame personally, do you?]

“……”

[Author, you can’t create a character based on Crimson Flame and then give them such a terrible personality. This isn’t just eccentric; it’s outrageous. If I were family, I’d have cut ties long ago.]

“That’s what I said.”

[Hmm? What did you say?]

“Oh, nothing.”

[Anyway, this is a big problem. If this goes out as it is, Crimson Flame’s fan club won’t stand for it. Do you know how many fans Crimson Flame has?]

“……”

I don’t want to know. Not that.

[Not just in our country, but worldwide. The fan club is everywhere! Just last year, Crimson Flame was ranked in the top 20 of the world’s most popular hunters by Hunters.]

“Why?”

[Excuse me?]

“Oh, nothing.”

[Anyway, my point is that this is very dangerous. If we get on their bad side, our company won’t be able to handle the backlash. And personally, I think it’s wrong to portray someone as pure, beautiful, and graceful as a flower in such a way. Hmm? Author? Why do you look like that?]

“Ugh.”

Tae Ihyun involuntarily clenched his teeth, failing to maintain his expression.

He couldn’t help it.

No one in his family had endured as much as he had, Tae Ihyun was sure.

[Anyway, let’s pretend today’s manuscript never happened. Understood?]

“Sigh… Yes…”

[But your writing has improved a lot lately, so keep it up. Good luck.]

“Thank you. Take care.”

As the video call ended, Tae Ihyun let out a sigh.

Feeling utterly drained, he flopped back onto the bed.

“Ugh, it was going so well. Sigh. I thought it was fun…”

He realized he still had a long way to go.

It was a moment that made him feel embarrassed for his brief moment of pride.

Then suddenly,

“Oh, right! I can’t just lie here.”

Tae Ihyun jumped up and quickly walked somewhere.

He knocked on someone’s door.

“Hey, hey! The wish ticket from earlier is void! Void! Are you listening? It’s void!”

“…What? Hey! You can’t do that! Once you give it, it’s given! Don’t talk nonsense!”

Nonsense… what?

Where does she even learn to talk like that?

Whoever said she was a beautiful, graceful flower…

Well, she might be a flower… a ferocious carnivorous one.

Yeah, that I’ll admit.