Chapter 109 – God’s Move
Jung-an awkwardly lifted the corner of her mouth and asked.
“What do you mean you can’t keep the promise?”
“That…… the thing where the teachers said they would exempt me from assignments and semester projects, is that still valid?”
Min-hyuk let out a deep sigh.
His face was full of regret and disappointment.
That alone was enough.
“Doing the manuscripts right now…… is getting too much for you?”
“Yes, well, I made a big declaration because of my own greed. Trying to keep all of it is making things really tight. Haha!”
Min-hyuk gave an awkward smile and scratched his head.
It was only natural.
Min-hyuk, who was sprinting toward finishing Brave King by December to aim for the Bucheon Comic Awards……
Had nearly doubled his existing workload.
“I suppose so…….”
Jung-an nodded as if it was obvious.
To be honest, even Choi Jung-an herself wasn’t confident she could handle that volume.
Even if assignments were exempted, he still had to attend school classes……
And currently Min-hyuk was working without any assistants.
Jung-an asked with a serious face.
“Of course that’s still possible right now. But Min-hyuk…… will that really be enough?”
“……Yes?”
“The amount you said you’d finish by December. No matter how I think about it…… it doesn’t seem easy.”
“Still, I have to try. If a comic artist says he can’t do it and gives up, is he even a comic artist?”
Min-hyuk smiled faintly.
Unlike a moment ago, a serious light now lingered in his eyes.
Looking straight at him, worry appeared on Jung-an’s face.
Because she had watched this kid for a long time, she could feel the subtle tremor hidden in those words.
‘He means it.’
No matter what it took, the kid was determined to keep his word and finish by December.
At that moment.
Squeeze! Squeeze!
Jung-an noticed Kang Min-hyuk massaging his own wrist.
Jung-an frowned, let out a big breath, and said.
“Min-hyuk, I think going on like this is too much.”
“……Yes?”
Perhaps he hadn’t expected this answer.
When Min-hyuk’s eyes widened round, Jung-an continued calmly.
“I’m not saying you’re lacking or that you can’t do it. You’ll probably manage it if it’s you. But still.”
Jung-an closed her eyes tightly then opened them and spoke.
“I think if you push yourself that far, you might end up losing more than you gain.”
“Losing…… more?”
“Well…… it could be your health, or the experience you could gain while attending school classes. Or even the quality of the work itself might drop. As you know best, maintaining the artist’s own condition at its peak is also important for creating the best work.”
At those words, Min-hyuk gave an awkward smile and said.
“But Teacher, this is something I decided for myself, and I really have to do it…….”
“Yes, trying is good. Trying is good, but how about changing the method a little?”
“What do you mean…….”
Choi Jung-an tapped the desk with her finger and said.
“How about working together with Dong-gyo and Rok-hee?”
“Huh?”
Min-hyuk’s eyes widened round as he asked back.
“But both of them are working on their own new works. There’s no way they’d have the spare time to help me, right?”
“Those two are still too early for long-form serialization. Quite a bit too early. That’s my honest thought and judgment. However…….”
Jung-an pointed her finger straight at Min-hyuk and continued.
“If they work together under the comic artist ‘David’ and absorb experience through that process…… the story might change.”
“…….”
Min-hyuk blinked, then carefully opened his lips.
“But…….”
“Of course, I can’t be 100% sure. I’d have to ask their opinion first, and if you don’t want it, I won’t say anything. That’s why I’m asking your thoughts first. What do you think of this suggestion?”
Kang Min-hyuk closed his eyes tightly, then opened them and straightened his back as if he had made up his mind.
“……Can I talk to them about it myself, Teacher?”
***
The next day, lunch time, inside the lounge.
Oh Dong-gyo and Kim Rok-hee sat side by side in front of Kang Min-hyuk.
And.
“You want us to be Min-hyuk-kun’s assistants……?”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
The two widened their eyes like lanterns and muttered.
Min-hyuk clasped his hands together and spoke seriously again.
“That’s right. It might sound strange, but right now I can’t handle Brave King’s manuscripts on my own. I’m asking because I believe the two of you could jump in immediately and help with the work.”
“Ah…… really?”
“Yeah. I’ll pay fair compensation for the three months of manuscript work, and of course your names will be credited. And…….”
“And?”
“I’ll personally ask Editor Pan Hee-hyun for understanding. I’ll make sure your serialization prep is delayed by three months so you can prepare your works after that. There won’t be any loss for you two. And also…….”
Taking a deep breath, Min-hyuk spoke as if pressing the words out firmly.
“Once Brave King is finished, I’ll do my best to support the next work you two are preparing. Of course, I’ll also make sure you gain something from the process of this work.”
His eyes carried a piercing seriousness and intensity.
Seeing that, both of their eyes widened round.
Somehow, the high school student sitting in front of them right now.
‘He looks like a different person…….’
‘Min-hyuk-kun.’
It finally hit them that this wasn’t the Kang Min-hyuk they had known until now……
But the genius comic artist David who had created the hit work Brave King at a young age.
Just his presence alone felt overwhelming.
And simply by watching him, they instinctively understood.
‘This is an opportunity.’
‘It’ll be good study…….’
That Min-hyuk’s words were full of sincerity, and grabbing his hand would bring them great benefit.
At that moment, Kim Rok-hee reached her hand forward first and said.
“……Then, I’ll take the job. Kang Min-hyuk. Or should I call you Writer David?”
“No, Kang Min-hyuk is fine.”
Min-hyuk shook his head slowly, then smiled faintly and shook her hand.
Then this time……
“Me too! Me too! David-sensei!”
Dong-gyo reached out and clasped his hand as well.
The moment the decision was made.
“Good.”
Min-hyuk immediately took a deep breath, leaned down, and pulled two file folders out of the bag under the table.
“Both of you, read these.”
“What is this……?”
“File folders?”
“The first page is the assistant contract. On the following pages, it details how we’ll proceed with the work, the milestones until December. And on the next pages, there’s an overall outline of how the story of Brave King will progress from here. Read it here and ask if you have any questions. Of course, you can ask later if something comes to mind too.”
His voice was firm, solid, and stripped of emotion.
As the two’s eyes rolled around, Min-hyuk continued.
“Then I’ll explain right now. How we’ll proceed with the work from now on. How the assistant contract will work…… everything about the overall plan.”
It was the moment the dream team was formed to launch the giant firework called Brave King.
***
Inside a high-rise officetel in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul.
Scratch scratch!
A man with pale skin and a painfully thin body……
With doll-like features, had his head buried in the manuscript paper and was moving his pen like a madman.
His name was Shin Yo-seop.
The writer of Crow King, Jump Comics’ flagship title, and the man aiming for the Grand Prize at this year’s Bucheon Comic Awards.
And behind him, the three assistants sitting at other desks.
“Here’s page 8.”
“Yep!”
They carried out screentones, backgrounds, speech bubbles, and other processes with minimal conversation.
It almost felt like stepping inside a factory producing something.
The studio’s time flowed while maintaining only the minimum noise necessary for work.
About an hour passed like that.
Riiiing!
The alarm on the watch around Writer Shin Yo-seop’s wrist rang.
“Huuu, let’s take a 20-minute break and continue.”
“Yes!”
“Thanks for the hard work.”
“I’m going to buy coffee. Anyone want anything?”
At that moment, one of the young male assistants stood up and spoke.
“I’ll have an americano with extra shots.”
“I’ll have a warm latte.”
The assistants raised their hands one by one as if they had been waiting.
Shin Yo-seop took a card out of his desk drawer and handed it over.
“Take this. I’ll have an iced americano with three extra shots.”
“Three shots? Will you be okay, Writer-nim?”
When the assistant named Min-cheol took the card and asked with surprised eyes, Shin Yo-seop pressed his fingers hard against his forehead and answered.
“Yeah, well, I think I need to raise my tension right now. I haven’t been able to sleep properly, so I keep feeling sleepy.”
Currently, Writer Shin Yo-seop was producing manuscripts at a pace of 20 pages per week.
Considering his original bi-weekly output of 18~19 pages, he had almost doubled his working speed.
Naturally, proper sleep was out of the question, and he was completely immersed in work without even going outside, so his condition was terrible.
Assistant Min-cheol scratched his cheek lightly and said.
“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? Your complexion looks really bad.”
“Well, my complexion was never good to begin with. And the completion notice is going out in today’s magazine…… so I can’t back out now.”
Shin Yo-seop answered with an expressionless face.
He looked like a wooden puppet with a soul attached.
Tension slightly rose on the assistants’ faces.
‘He really…… sharpened his blade this time.’
‘He’s determined to win the Grand Prize no matter what.’
Anyone could clearly feel that this time Writer Shin Yo-seop was dead set on taking the Grand Prize at the Bucheon Comic Awards.
The assistants, who knew very well how frustrated he had been every time he lost to Writer Yang Jae-han and Crow King only received the Best Award, couldn’t help but react this way.
Just as Assistant Min-cheol was about to step out, Yo-seop asked again.
“And while you’re at it, can I ask for one more favor?”
“Ah, should I buy the new issue of Jump Comics?”
Min-cheol smiled faintly and answered.
Today was the release day of Jump Comics.
He would need to check how the notice came out and whether Crow King’s manuscript was properly printed.
But then Shin Yo-seop nodded and said.
“That, and one copy of New Chance as well.”
“New Chance? Why that all of a sudden…….”
“There’s something I need to check on that side too. Please.”
“Ah…… yes.”
***
A short while later.
“Huuu, this is refreshing. Even though autumn is coming, I still crave iced coffee.”
“How can you drink something that bitter?”
“I get too full if I drink latte…… isn’t iced americano clean and nice?”
The assistants were gulping down their coffee and chatting.
There were still five minutes left of break time, so they were enjoying it in their own ways.
Meanwhile, Writer Shin Yo-seop……
‘Manuscript has no problems. Double-page printing looks good.’
He spent a long time checking his own manuscript that had gone into Jump Comics.
When he finally reached the very end of the manuscript……
[Crow King enters final arc! Grand finale in the second week of December!]
[Starting weekly 2-chapter serialization! Running without rest!]
The message declaring his challenge was clearly written.
Now that he had stamped it so firmly, there was no turning back.
‘Bucheon Comic Awards…….’
Thump!
For some reason, his heart seemed to pound.
The wave of emotion created by his expectations and feelings was that deep.
“Huuu.”
Then his hand moved toward New Chance.
Inside this magazine was his competitor for the Bucheon Comic Awards.
He needed to check the situation on that side……
Flip! Flip!
How many pages had he turned?
“……What is this?”
Writer Shin Yo-seop’s mouth fell open.
**************
TL Note:
Want to read ahead?
Join the Premium Tier on Patreon and access 58 advance chapters and all 6 translated novels.
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls
For this novel specifically, check the collection under “Comic Artist”
**************