Chapter 15: The Struggles of a Writer. (1)
Writers always face struggles. Should they focus on artistic integrity or mass appeal? How should they balance the prominence of leads and supporting roles? When should iconic lines or scenes be introduced? These are just a few of the dilemmas. But for a rookie writer like Kim Si-woo, less than a year into his career, the biggest struggle was dealing with an actor picking a fight while drunk.
“Sigh… I should’ve known,” Kim Si-woo muttered.
Right now, he was facing off against menacing bouncers in a club.
***
Two hours earlier
After hanging up on Kim Min-ho, Kim Si-woo popped a piece of beef into his mouth.
“Mmm… this rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor,” he sighed, the expensive Hanwoo cleansing his sour mood.
“Who was that?” Shim Ji-young asked from beside him, assuming it might’ve been Kim Ji-hyun but surprised by the unexpected name.
“What did he say to make you hang up like that?”
“He just said he’s Actor Kim Min-ho, so I hung up. I don’t need to deal with him anymore.”
“You’re something else,” Shim Ji-young said, half-impressed.
“Forget that—eat, noona. It melts in your mouth.”
Watching Kim Si-woo devour the beef like a vacuum cleaner, Shim Ji-young let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re eating it all! What am I supposed to eat?”
An hour later, Kim Si-woo’s stomach was full, and his eating slowed considerably.
“How about a drink?” Shim Ji-young offered.
“Only if you let me skip tomorrow’s audition judging.”
“Nope, we’ll drink without you then.”
Rejecting her offer, Kim Si-woo checked the time on his phone. Seeing over 30 missed calls from Kim Min-ho, he frowned.
“What’s with this guy calling so much?”
‘Thirty calls? It’s probably not something trivial.’
Click.
“Hello?”
- Hey! Quiet down!
As soon as he answered, Kim Min-ho shouted to hush the crowd, leaving only faint thumping music audible through the phone.
- Sorry, Writer Kim Si-woo. I’m at a club, had a few drinks.
“So why’d you call me so many times, Actor Kim Min-ho?”
- Well, after what happened last time, I wanted to apologize in person and buy you a drink. I’ll treat you, so how about coming to the club, hyungnim?
The sudden polite tone and “hyungnim” threw Kim Si-woo off. Just days ago, this guy was threatening him, making the friendliness suspicious.
“I’m kinda busy today.”
- Oh, that’s a shame. Well, I hope you know my intentions. Can we grab a drink another time when you’re free?
“Sure… fine.”
After hanging up, Shim Ji-young leaned in again.
“Kim Min-ho again?”
“Yeah.”
“What’d he say?”
“He wants to make up and have a drink at the club. Says he’ll treat.”
“What? ‘That’ Kim Min-ho?” Shim Ji-young closed her eyes, deep in thought. “It’s one of two things: he genuinely wants to make amends, or he’s up to something.”
“Definitely the latter,” Kim Si-woo said confidently.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I got a bad vibe during the call. I’ve got good instincts, you know.”
Shim Ji-young looked at him skeptically, unconvinced by his claim of sharp instincts. Annoyed by her doubting gaze, Kim Si-woo’s competitive streak kicked in.
“Wanna bet? Is Kim Min-ho sincere, or is he trying to screw me over?”
“I don’t think he’s apologizing, but since you’re so confident in your ‘instincts,’ maybe he is…”
“Exactly! Let’s bet. If he’s sincere, I’ll give you my next script. If he’s scheming, you buy me designer clothes.”
“Deal!”
Shim Ji-young was already planning to buy him clothes anyway, so winning another script would be a bonus. The moment the bet was sealed, Kim Si-woo called Kim Min-ho back.
Ring, ring, ring.
After three rings, a cheerful voice answered.
- Writer Kim Si-woo!
“Where are you? I’m coming now.”
- What? Right now? Hold on, it’s…
Kim Min-ho gave the club’s address, saying he’d inform the staff to let him in.
“Got it. See you soon.”
- Yep! Come safely.
Click.
Hanging up, Kim Si-woo grabbed his things.
“What? Where are you going?” Shim Ji-young asked.
“To meet Kim Min-ho.”
“Just like that?”
Normally, she’d have stopped him, but for some reason, she got swept up in his momentum and started packing too.
Kim Si-woo was about to say goodbye to Han Seung-jin and Kang Jin-soo, but they were already drunk, clinking glasses and lost in their own world.
“Guess we can just go,” Kim Si-woo chuckled. “See you later.”
Slipping out of the restaurant, he and Shim Ji-young took her manager’s van to the club Kim Min-ho had mentioned. Amid the crowded chaos, a VIP entrance stood in one corner.
“Noona, I’ll go in alone.”
“What? By yourself?”
“Yeah. If you’re there, Kim Min-ho won’t try anything.”
Her concern was valid, but Kim Si-woo had a point. Still, she worried about letting him go alone.
“If you’re that worried, call the cops if I don’t contact you in 30 minutes.”
“Fine… okay.”
With that insurance in place, Kim Si-woo headed toward the VIP entrance without a second’s hesitation. A burly bouncer at the door spoke in a threatening tone.
“Who are you?”
“Who are you?” the bouncer asked in a menacing tone.
Unfazed, Kim Si-woo replied calmly, “Kim Min-ho said to let me in if I mentioned his name.”
“Oh! Please wait a moment,” the bouncer said, stepping aside to speak into his radio. After a brief exchange, his demeanor shifted to one of utmost respect. “My apologies for the mistake. Right this way, sir.”
‘He’s apologizing for nothing… Kim Min-ho must be a real VIP.’
Following the bouncer into the club, Kim Si-woo was hit by deafening music. He’d only been to a club twice in his early 20s, dragged along by friends. The noise hurt his ears, and he disliked rubbing shoulders in crowded spaces, so he’d sworn off clubs since. But money clearly made a difference—the VIP second floor was serene, a stark contrast to the chaos below.
“Here we are. Enjoy your time,” the bouncer said.
“Thanks.”
Entering the room, Kim Si-woo found Kim Min-ho surrounded by scantily clad women and burly men.
“Well, well, the writer’s here!” Kim Min-ho stood, greeting him warmly.
“Uh… yeah,” Kim Si-woo replied, his mind racing.
‘Is he actually apologizing? Does he want to be friends? Maybe Ji-hyun was right, and he’s just sensitive on set.’
‘Ugh, I don’t want to write anything for a while.’
‘Wait, I never specified when I’d give her the script, so I’m good.’
‘This guy seems way drunker than I thought.’
Kim Min-ho, staggering even over the short distance to greet him, confirmed his suspicions.
“Have a seat here. Hey, you, get lost!” Kim Min-ho barked at a woman sitting nearby.
Seeing Kim Min-ho’s unchanged attitude reassured Kim Si-woo.
‘Guess I won’t be writing anytime soon.’
“Writer—no, hyungnim—have a drink. I was wrong last time,” Kim Min-ho said, pouring him a glass.
“Uh… sure.”
“No, no, speak comfortably, hyungnim.”
Kim Si-woo’s expression darkened as Kim Min-ho handed him the drink.
“Here, chug it.”
“Alright…”
“Hey, what are you doing? Feed hyungnim some snacks!”
By the third glass of whiskey, Kim Min-ho stood up.
“We’ve had our drinks, and there’s no CCTV here. Hmm… how about we go with ‘writer gets handsy with a girl and gets subdued by security’? We’ll keep the part where you get beaten and kneel a secret, yeah?”
Kim Si-woo sighed, understanding immediately. “Sigh… I knew it.”
“What do you think? I could write a pretty good script too, huh? Hahaha!”
“Yeah, figures,” Kim Si-woo said, relieved. “Good thing.”
“What’s that? Hey, beat him just enough so he doesn’t die.”
Kim Min-ho signaled to the burly men around them. But Kim Si-woo stood first, pulling out his phone, stopping the recording, and playing it back for Kim Min-ho.
“Think recordings are just for show, punk?”
“Pfft, thanks for the heads-up, punk. Hey, delete the recording too!” Kim Min-ho shouted.
But the men didn’t move.
“What are you doing? Beat this guy already!”
“Seung-woo, what are you doing here?” Kim Si-woo asked.
“Si-woo…” one of the men, apparently the leader, replied, avoiding his gaze.
***
Kim Si-woo’s childhood wasn’t wealthy. His father was a soldier, his mother worked at a mart—a modest, if not slightly poor, household. Back then, military salaries were laughably low. Still, Kim Si-woo grew up fine.
As the son of a former martial artist turned soldier, he often fought kids a head taller than him, leaving them crying. His father scolded him each time, warning that injuring others meant paying compensation. Perhaps because he was too clever, young Kim Si-woo became obsessed with avoiding fights to dodge settlements.
Through elementary, middle, and high school, he nearly fought a few times but always resolved things through talk. That restraint broke in college.
To get into a better university, Kim Si-woo chose a physical education program, training hard to enter the security department. But the department was steeped in harsh military-style discipline. While other students enjoyed their 20s, he was stuck in the gym, enduring drills and hazing. His frustration grew, and the breaking point came when a senior, who constantly picked on him for trivial reasons, slapped his head.
Boom!
Despite the senior being a former judo athlete, Kim Si-woo’s surprise tackle sent him crashing down. Kim Si-woo unleashed a barrage of punches. Other seniors rushed in, but he didn’t back down, grabbing a wooden stick they’d used to haze him and swinging it at his tormentors.
The first senior suffered a six-week orbital fracture. Fortunately, the one-against-many situation and the department’s abusive practices came to light, earning Kim Si-woo some leniency. He was charged with mutual assault and aggravated assault. The incident exposed the department’s dark side, sparing him expulsion, but he had to pay a hefty settlement.
Afterward, Kim Si-woo transferred to another department. And now, standing before him was Baek Seung-woo, his freshman roommate from the security department days.
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