Novelist Running Through Time - Chapter 124

TL: KSD

A hot bomb fell on the peaceful Japanese archipelago. Not ‘that bomb’ made by Oppenheimer, but a bomb called Moon In, of unknown origin.

The surprise box office hit of the animated movie ‘Guitar’ and the combination infused with the spirit of Baekhak Publishing and Kyosensha, shouting <Damn it, we’ll cooperate just this once!>

…Actually, even setting all this aside, when viewing modern entertainment from a common-sense perspective, it’s hard for a <self-made genius boy novelist> to not be popular.

Although the Koreans, who quickly heat up and cool down just as fast, had grown tired of chewing, tearing apart, tasting, and enjoying Moon In-seop over time,

To the Japanese, Moon In-seop was a piping hot new dish.

Although there was the minor issue of being Korean-made, once the great chef Yohei Iwamoto gave his ‘quality guarantee’, the Japanese eagerly savored the delicacy with peace of mind.

That quality guarantee, of course, was Eisaku Siedehara’s public announcement of his intention to adopt.

-Here, here, he’s a verified pro-Japanese. Feel free to indulge in fandom.

For some reason, the adoption news was announced through the media before Siedehara’s own statement, and to the Japanese, it was literally received as ‘status assurance’.

It was understood that instead of truly becoming parent and child, Eisaku Siedehara intended to take Moon In-seop as his disciple and incorporate him into the Japanese literary world.

This interpretation was partly due to Eisaku Siedehara’s fame as a social figure who had adopted many children, but also because of the traditional Japanese custom of ‘adoptive registration’.

Japan, along with the United States, is one of the countries where adoption is most frequently practiced.

However, while American adoptions are often based on ‘multiculturalism’, Japanese adoptions frequently occur under the pretext of ‘succession of family business.’

Indeed, it’s a spirit of succession.

Whether making ramen, performing kabuki, or engaging in politics, Japanese people have a tradition of passing down family businesses through generations. This is especially true for specialized skills that are disconnected from the general public.

When there is no heir or the heir refuses to take over the family business, adoption is a highly effective means of business succession.

In this cultural context, Eisaku Siedehara’s adoption attempt was interpreted as follows:

That is, as saying ‘I will make Moon In my successor’.

“What.”

So it was only natural that Eisaku Siedehara was dumbfounded when he heard the news of him adopting Moon In through the media.

Dark Adaptation

Japanese people are different on the outside and inside.

This was a common prejudice held by foreigners.

But it’s a misunderstanding!

In fact, Japanese people are so shy that they cannot honestly reveal their true feelings.

Thus, the bashful Japanese Imperial Army initiated the Manchurian Incident and occupied Manchuria without informing the Emperor or the government. This is evident even from the Manju pastries sold at rest stops.

The soldiers who started the war and occupied Manchuria were not punished ‘because they succeeded anyway’, leaving a very beautiful precedent in Japan.

The idea is to just do it first and make up for it later!

Although Renya Mutaguchi, who arbitrarily started the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and triggered the Sino-Japanese War, is still cursed, it’s because he failed to occupy China.

Would he have been cursed if he had occupied China? Indeed, victory means a legitimate army, and defeat means a rebel.

Thus, the ‘just do it first, apologize later’ spirit wasn’t wrong.

So Yohei Iwamoto, a descendant of the samurai, did not hesitate to follow this very ancient tradition.

He first leaked the news to the media that <Eisaku Siedehara is trying to adopt Moon In>.

And that news became very sensational, was received very positively, and greatly boosted this quarter’s book sales.

If one were to measure the success of the endeavor, it would undoubtedly be considered a ‘success’.

Therefore, according to Japanese customary law, Yohei Iwamoto is clearly ‘innocent’.

However, Yohei Iwamoto, being a very humble person, and the inherently shy nature of the Japanese people, made him bow his head humbly in front of Author Siedehara.

So humble, in fact, that his head touched the ground.

It was a dogeza.

“…I am sorry!”

“…”

“I truly have no face to show! I apologize from the bottom of my heart!”

At Siedehara Eisaku’s house, on a beautifully decorated Japanese-style wooden floor, an authentic dogeza with 100% fidelity was displayed. It was a traditional art performance worthy of being an intangible cultural heritage.

Of course, Siedehara, seeing the beautiful dogeza, did not forgive Iwamoto out of admiration, but at least it alleviated his perplexed feelings.

“…What on earth is this about?”

After this, the usual story unfolded.

Yohei Iwamoto, knowing he wouldn’t be believed, explained that everything happened due to the mistakes and misunderstandings of his subordinates,

And Siedehara Eisaku, knowing it was a lie, pretended to accept Yohei Iwamoto’s explanation graciously. This was necessary for both to save face.

In reality, the explanation and forgiveness between the two were not because Iwamoto performed a good dogeza, but because Iwamoto had already understood Siedehara’s character accurately.

Yohei Iwamoto had not crossed the line in Siedehara’s heart, and the accumulated favors Iwamoto had built up were sufficient to cover this level of mistake.

Both implicitly acknowledged this fact, so the performance was very smooth. They exchanged beautiful acts of apology and forgiveness.

But as Iwamoto continuously bowed his head while leaving Siedehara’s residence, Siedehara wore a bitter smile and revealed a small part of his inner thoughts.

“Is this really worth going this far?”

“…”

Yohei Iwamoto laughed awkwardly, as if it was only natural.

* * *

“Do we really have to go this far?”

“Of course!”

Lim Yang-wook nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

And he exclaimed with a serious expression.

“We need to sell the books first, right!”

“It’s a bit rude to say, but it sounds a bit trashy.”

“Even if the world were to end tomorrow, I would sell one more book before I die…”

Leaving behind the creepily muttering Lim Yang-wook, I quietly responded to the incessantly ringing phone to silence it.

Then Lim Yang-wook peeked over at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Replying to messages. People are going crazy asking if I’m really going to be adopted in Japan and become Japanese.”

“Who? Professor Gu? Or Actor Kim?”

“Why do you assume it’s just one specific person?”

“Right, everyone must be freaking out……”

Starting from the <Is Your Mother Japanese?> incident to the adoption turmoil now, being entangled in all sorts of incidents, Korea was already in chaos.

Naturally, I was receiving all sorts of contacts from acquaintances, and just from that, I could guess the current state of Korea.

But there is one clear fact.

Whatever state Korea is in, it can’t be worse than here.

“……”

Gently lifting the hotel room curtain, I saw the crowd gathered at the hotel entrance.

A mix of fans, journalists, and onlookers.

Surprisingly, all these people had come to see me.

Why? The answer is too obvious to ask.

The collaboration between Baekhak Publishing and Kyosensha that I saw was oriented in a specific direction, which was to make me familiar and acceptable to Japanese society.

The promotion was already sufficient. In fact, the anime movie ‘Guitar’ alone had reached the maximum level of publicity.

So the only thing left was to make people open their wallets, and the collaboration between Baekhak and Kyosensha was focused on this.

And both publishing houses were companies well-versed in extracting money from readers.

When reporters asked Baekhak Publishing, they received the following answers:

– Who are Moon In-seop’s parents?

– We cannot disclose this for privacy protection.

– Is it true that Moon In-seop’s mother is Japanese?

– It is a personal privacy matter.

When reporters asked Kyosensha, they received the following answers:

– Is the rumor that Moon In-seop is Japanese true?

– Our goal is to introduce good books to readers regardless of the author’s nationality, so we kindly ask for your continued support.

– So, Moon In-seop’s nationality is…?

– Does it matter if it’s Japan or Korea, as long as the book is good?

In the midst of all this, the icing on the cake was the rumour of Author Eisaku Siedehara adopting me…

And so, I became <The genius boy who was abandoned in Korea but succeeded on his own in the barren land of literature, returning to his homeland to uncover the secret of his lineage and becoming the successor of a great literary figure>.

Lim Yang-wook said that no Japanese person’s heart could fail to be moved by this storyline.

As evidence, the books were sold out in bookstores as soon as they were put on shelves.

Indeed, popularity seems to translate into money.

But as a result, I had to stay practically confined in a hotel in the heart of Tokyo, because the changing situation also altered my activity strategy.

“You are now the mysterious genius boy beyond conspiracy theories and rumors.”

“At least this time, it’s not about being cool, fun, and sexy.”

“I’m glad it’s not cool, fun, cute or whatever it was this time.”

“It was cool, chic, and cutely cute, you know?”

Lim Yang-wook was a salesman who knew how to flexibly change sales strategies according to the situation.

And he aimed to turn “Moon In-seop” into a luxury brand to sell.

“I’ve canceled all the broadcasts for now. You can’t speak Japanese, and even if you go out with an interpreter, you wouldn’t be able to maintain the perfect genius boy concept that people expect.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“And we no longer have to beg on broadcasts for people to buy the book!”

Lim Yang-wook was currently managing the cooperation between the Baekhak Publishing headquarters and Kyosensha, directing additional staff dispatched from Korea.

Even in a situation where it was clear he was extremely busy, he would come and go from my hotel room to brief me on the progress.

His tone was somewhat frivolous, but if you listened to the content, it was like a report to a workplace superior.

I was confident in writing books but clueless about selling them, so even when I told him there was no need to explain everything, Lim Yang-wook stuck to his principles.

“But you still need to know! Come on!”

“What’s the point of me knowing? It’s not like I have the ability to meddle even if I knew…”

“That’s how you learn. Do you think farmers never visit the agricultural companies? Producers must clearly understand the distribution process to avoid being swindled.”

Thus, my daily routine became extremely simple.

Eat at the hotel, listen to Lim Yang-wook talk about business.

Then read books, write books, listen to talks about selling books, and then fall asleep.

In truth, it wasn’t much different from when I lived alone in my studio. The bed was just a bit softer, and the food tasted better.

Honestly, I didn’t really feel like a celebrity writer who came to Japan to work, and it didn’t even feel like sightseeing. I never had a reason to go outside due to the reporters, and the hotel staff could speak Korean.

As I was gradually adapting to this peculiar life in Japan,

“Ah, In-seop. We definitely need to attend this event.”

I received an invitation to the mansion of my prospective adoptive parent.

* * *

The residence of Japan’s great writer, Eisaku Siedehara, was located not far from the heart of Tokyo’s urban area.

However, the distinctive feature was its highly traditional architectural style, to the extent that it was hard to distinguish it from the numerous temples and shrines scattered throughout the city.

“Ah, In-seop. Over here.”

“Hello, Author~nim.”

“Welcome. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And you too, Editor.”

Lim Yang-wook greeted Author Eisaku Siedehara in fluent Japanese. Judging by the length of the conversation, it was a very formal greeting.

Eisaku Siedehara, impressed by Lim Yang-wook’s Japanese skills, engaged in a prolonged conversation, giving me the chance to look around the house.

‘It feels like a hanok…’

Having no particular interest in traditional architecture, I couldn’t distinguish between a hanok and a traditional Japanese house.

However, I could sense the ‘Japanese style’ of this house, thanks to the distinct Japanese atmosphere emanating from the garden.

“Oh.”

Drip, tap.

Drip, tap.

A decorative object, like something out of a anime, was placed between the mini waterfalls in the garden.

It was a bamboo decoration that tipped like a seesaw, letting the water flow into a stream and making a clunking sound as it hit the ground.

“That’s a shishi-odoshi. It’s also called a sozu. Interesting, isn’t it?”

“Ah, yes. It’s impressive.”

“Really?”

Eisaku Siedehara guided us through the garden with a gentle smile.

“Whenever I see that shishi-odoshi, I think to myself, ‘What exactly is style?’”

“…”

“Actually, the shishi-odoshi is just a tool to scare away deer and birds, like a scarecrow. But people look at it and find the most Japanese aesthetic in it. It’s probably because Western movies most typically use the shishi-odoshi to represent Japan.”

“Ah…”

“So where does the style of the shishi-odoshi come from? The inherent beauty of the object? Or the very tip of the finger pointing at it, saying it’s stylish?”

“…”

“It’s a mystery.”

Following behind Author Siedehara, we came upon a middle-aged man sitting on the wooden floor.

He had a sharp, sensitive look.

The moment he saw us, he swallowed nervously and stood up.

Author Siedehara smiled and introduced him to us.

“This is Director Kenji Matsumoto.”

He was the director of the animated movie ‘Guitar.’

*****

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