Chapter 113 – An Unexpected Obstacle
Even after that day, the work of Team Brave (it was Kim Rok-hee’s suggestion) continued.
“Here, check this page.”
“Hmm, this should work.”
“Okay.”
Class, meals, work, meals, and occasional bathroom breaks.
Based on the skeleton, they held meetings together to complete the scenario, then moved smoothly through storyboard and manuscript in that order.
But the more they repeated this process.
“By the way, Dong-gyo, your skills seem to have improved?”
“What skills?”
“The pen lines and the overall finishing. I think the quality of what you finished is better than what I did.”
“Hehe, don’t flatter me too much, Min-hyuk-kun.”
It was clear that both Oh Dong-gyo and Kim Rok-hee’s skills were rapidly improving.
Every time, a satisfied smile rose on Min-hyuk’s face.
‘Both of them basically have talent.’
They already had enough fundamentals and talent to debut as pros.
That was why feeding them even a little experience caused explosive growth.
It felt like watching baby birds growing up quickly, which made him feel proud.
And perhaps because the three of them were working in perfect sync.
“I won’t lose…… I absolutely won’t lose to those guys.”
For some reason, every time she went to the drawing room, Han Yu-ra’s face seemed to carry even thicker poison.
If there was anything else special.
[Oh Seung-heon: Ahahaha! My work has launched!]
[Kang Min-hyuk: Oh congrats congrats]
[Oh Dong-gyo: You bastard, launching before me…….]
[Kim Rok-hee: I’m getting a little jealous?]
Oh Seung-heon’s self-proclaimed blockbuster gag comic ‘Earth-Destroying Level Gag Impact’ had launched.
And it was creating quite a stir……
[GalbiManhwaIn: Ahahahaha! Writer-nim is so funny! Your sense is insane!]
[AejuWang: Wow, I’ve never seen this kind of gag before lol crazy.]
[KolliBorder: Isn’t this the guy who entered the Jump Comics contest?]
The reactions were strong.
It had only been one chapter, yet the number of comments had already exceeded 100, and the overall tone of the comments was full of praise.
Moreover, even on comic-related communities……
[FourDaysOnly: Isn’t this kind of like the Sexy Kenpō: Awesome Mahiru style?]
[jangbob: It is, but the writer mixed in his own color. I thought it was fun though?]
[KOL99: After only seeing the usual Korean organized crime movie-style gags, this feels fresh lol]
It seemed that because ‘Earth-Destroying Level Gag Impact’ was a surreal gag (sick humor) work that hadn’t been properly handled in Korea before, it felt quite fresh to readers.
[Kang Min-hyuk: Yo, buy me a meal next time]
[Oh Seung-heon: Okay! Come visit.]
[Han Yu-ra: You come]
[Oh Seung-heon: Huh? Me?]
[Han Yu-ra: There are four of us, and one of you. Who should come?]
[Oh Seung-heon: ……Understood.]
All five who had participated in Comic Land were working hard in their own positions.
And as the team’s chemistry gradually improved……
Other areas also slowly began to fall into place.
“Everyone, submit your assignments.”
“Yes!”
“Oh, Rok-hee, you did your assignment too?”
“Of course, Teacher!”
At the beginning when the two started working as assistants, they sometimes got exemptions from assignments (in reality, they just skipped them).
Because they had to adjust parts where their rhythm didn’t match Min-hyuk and poured almost all their drawing time into the work, they didn’t have the capacity to handle assignments as well.
But now, they were handling them quite smoothly without much difficulty.
This itself was proof that the two’s skills had improved significantly.
And as they gained more breathing room……
They could also allocate time to other work.
“Min-hyuk-kun, take a look at my proposal.”
“Sure, I can talk about it today, right?”
“Yeah.”
The two began writing proposals for their next works and showing them to Min-hyuk.
Although he planned to help them properly after finishing Brave King in December……
He knew that preparing the outline little by little in advance would be a big help, so he had them work on it whenever they had time.
“How about centering the story around the ‘space’ where the protagonist and these characters are together?”
“Space?”
“Yeah. If it’s a dormitory, it becomes ‘Love Baku.’ If it’s a playground, it becomes ‘Runner’s High.’ If it’s baseball…….”
“It becomes a romance like Mitsuru-sensei’s manga.”
“Exactly, you understood well. And once that space is given…… think about the form where that space and the protagonist’s goal mesh together the best. Conversely, it’s also fine to set the space according to the protagonist.”
“As expected, that would definitely make the planning clearer.”
For Dong-gyo, who was working on a male-oriented romance……
Min-hyuk asked him to think about the ‘space’ that was most important in romance as the base, and how the heroines’ goals, desires, and deficiencies would combine with the protagonist.
“So, what is the ultimate goal the protagonist wants to achieve?”
“Hmmmmm, becoming the world’s best fashion designer?”
“Why does he want to become that?”
“Because of his grandmother’s last words when he was young. He feels that only by doing that can he keep from forgetting his childhood with his grandmother!”
“Then, shouldn’t you place the episode that best shows the concept of the talented protagonist at the very beginning? And after returning to daily life, he gains realization there, then moves on to the next episode about making clothes…….”
For Rok-hee, who was planning a job story centered on a ‘seamstress’ without romance……
Although she had created the characters well, the goal setting and episode structure for how to develop the story were weak, so he advised her to plan around that.
The reason Min-hyuk had them do this now was simple.
‘Because doing it while working on Brave King makes it sink in better.’
He chose this method because he believed that while Brave King’s planning was progressing right next to them and they were participating in it……
They could properly see their own work from a third-person perspective.
And as the planning and feedback continued like this……
“Oh, that idea is pretty good? Setting the protagonist as a zoo trainer and having anthropomorphic animals appear.”
“Ahem, I thought about it a lot.”
He could feel that the weaknesses of the two were gradually being overcome, and their strengths were becoming sharper.
At least so far, recruiting the two for Brave King seemed to be turning into a win-win situation for everyone.
But while they were working frantically like this.
“Wow! Writer Shin Yo-seop’s work. The quality keeps going up.”
“Yeah, I thought Crow King wasn’t really my taste, but honestly it’s getting pretty fun lately…….”
Near Kang Min-hyuk and Oh Dong-gyo’s seats.
Han Yu-ra and Kim Rok-hee stood in front of the desk, reading the Jump Comics issue that Dong-gyo had bought together.
“Forget about Writer Shin Yo-seop’s stuff and look at my manuscript.”
“Ehheng, I already did.”
“How is it?”
“Our Rok-hee’s work is always perfect! Just like our Rok-hee!”
“……Whatever. Kang Min-hyuk, you.”
“It’s good.”
When Yu-ra slightly lifted the corner of her mouth, Rok-hee quickly pointed and shouted.
“Ah, you smiled just now!”
“Me? What?”
“You did smile, why deny it!”
While the four of them were happily chatting together like that.
“You guys seem unusually close lately?”
A kid spoke to them.
When they turned their heads, the kids who usually hung out with Kim Rok-hee were standing there.
“Rok-hee, hang out with us too. Why are you only talking with these guys lately?”
“Ah, s-sorry! It’s because we have work to do, so we ended up talking a lot. Hehet!”
When the kids spoke in a slightly pouty voice, Rok-hee scratched her head with an embarrassed face.
Then, one of the kids crossed her arms, tilted her head, and said.
“What work? Do you guys have some separate work you’re doing together?”
Ah……
For a moment, the bodies of the three stiffened.
‘Shit.’
‘Kim Rok-hee…… such a beginner mistake.’
“Uh, uh…… that is…….”
Rok-hee waved her hands in panic, her eyes darting around.
It was obviously suspicious to anyone watching.
“What’s up with you? Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?”
“Are you hiding something from us?”
Sweat beads formed on Rok-hee’s forehead when.
Thud!
“Those three were given a task by the homeroom teacher.”
“Huh?”
When someone placed a hand on her shoulder, they turned their head to see Class President Song Hyun-hee standing there.
“What task, Class President?”
“Helping Yu-ra with her manuscript. Yu-ra is serializing in Jump Comics right now. These three are helping as assistants while studying.”
“Ah, really?”
“We didn’t know. Well, it must be hard for Yu-ra to do it alone…….”
While the kids nodded.
Han Yu-ra frowned and said.
“What are you talking about? Who’s helping with my work— mmmph! Mmmph!”
At that moment, Rok-hee quickly covered Han Yu-ra’s mouth and answered.
“Yeah, yeah! Teacher said it would be good study for us if we helped Yu-ra, so he told us to assist her. As you guys know, I’m close with Yu-ra! Ahaha! Ahahahaha!”
A truly superhuman reaction.
‘Nice save.’
‘We’re saved.’
Dong-gyo and Min-hyuk mentally raised their thumbs in approval.
“Hmm, I see. Then should we help too?”
“I kind of want to try working on a manuscript too.”
“No, no, if too many people get involved it actually gets harder to coordinate. I’m only doing this until the end of this semester anyway, so next time, next time.”
“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do.”
Thanks to Kim Rok-hee’s desperate defense that blocked the sudden situation, the kids eventually accepted it.
Then.
“Come on, stop bothering them and let’s go. I’ll treat you at the school store.”
“Huh? You’re suddenly treating us?”
“I suddenly want a Bismarck.”
“Ooooh! Good, good.”
Song Hyun-hee led the kids and left the classroom.
Then……
As she was leaving, Song Hyun-hee glanced back at them, and Rok-hee replied by raising her thumb.
After that one storm passed.
“Huuuuu…….”
“We made it.”
Min-hyuk’s group let out sighs and slumped their shoulders.
“Why are you guys my assistants?!”
“Sorry, sorry, haha! It was urgent!”
When Han Yu-ra crossed her arms and asked, Rok-hee scratched her head and answered.
At that moment, Dong-gyo adjusted his glasses and asked.
“……But how does the class president know about it?”
“Uh, well? Yeah, how does she know? We never told her…… right?”
What the hell?
For some reason, a different kind of chill ran down everyone’s spines.
***
After barely escaping the crisis of their identities being exposed……
Team Brave became even more cautious about security.
“Storyboard meeting during lunch while pretending to take a walk on the playground.”
“Okay.”
They acted as if they were just strolling on the playground.
“Manuscript check during the first break in the lounge.”
“I’ll finish everything by then.”
Secret meetings between team members took place in the lounge, a place other students rarely visited.
Of course, the more they did this, the more it unintentionally stimulated the other kids’ imaginations in strange ways.
“Why do those guys keep doing that?”
“No matter how close they are, do people usually go on walks together during lunch?”
“Or maybe it’s a love triangle?”
“……Does the love triangle include Oh Dong-gyo?”
“Rok-hee? I don’t think so…….”
While Team Brave’s behavior caused unfortunate incidents where other kids’ imaginations ran wild in weird directions.
‘Good, we’re almost at the final episode now.’
Well, despite all that, the work proceeded smoothly as if sailing with a favorable wind.
The manuscripts came out even faster than originally planned, and Min-hyuk kept stacking storyboards to raise the quality of the work.
But since it was still work done by people, the ship couldn’t always sail smoothly.
Team Brave was bound to hit a reef eventually.
Inside the lounge, Kim Rok-hee asked with wide eyes.
“You still haven’t finished this chapter’s storyboard?”
“Uhh…….”
“Unlike you, Min-hyuk-kun. Why is that?”
“Well, you see.”
Min-hyuk, who usually churned out storyboards quickly, for some reason couldn’t meet the deadline this time.
And the reason was……
“This part is the daily life episode…… so it’s a bit difficult. In a different sense.”
“Huh?”
It popped up unexpectedly from a place no one had anticipated.
**************
Check out new Translated Novel:
[1] The Regressor Who Turns Trash Martial Arts into Divine Techniques
[2] I Descended as the Iron-Blooded All-Master
[3] The Female Employees I Couldn't Eat
**************
TL Note:
Want to read ahead?
Join the Premium Tier on Patreon and access 60 advance chapters and all 6 translated novels.
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls
For this novel specifically, check the collection under “Comic Artist”
**************