Chapter 126 – The Old Man in the Back Room (1)
A peaceful weekend afternoon.
Inside ‘Hwangje-seong’, one of the best restaurants near Animation High.
The four of them — Team Brave plus Han Yu-ra — were sitting in a quiet corner with relaxed expressions for the first time in a while.
“Oh, you guys are here.”
The owner greeted them with a friendly face.
Min-hyuk smiled and said,
“We’ll have the usual, and please make the sweet and sour pork the large size.”
“Got it! I’ll make it delicious!”
Chaaa! Chaaaa!
The lively sound of cooking came from the kitchen.
Everyone’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Haa… I can’t wait to eat.”
“How long has it been since we came here?”
They all looked like they had missed the taste of Hwangje-seong.
Min-hyuk smiled and said,
“Eat as much as you want. Today I’m paying for everything.”
“Nice. I’m gonna eat, eat, and eat some more.”
“Hehe, don’t underestimate us, Min-hyuk-kun.”
When Rok-hee and Dong-gyo spoke confidently,
Min-hyuk let out a small laugh.
“Eat as much as you like.”
Then,
“1 million won.”
“Huh?”
Han Yu-ra rested her chin on her hand and said seriously,
“Can I take 1 million won worth of sweet and sour pork to go? Or is there anything more expensive?”
“…That’s a bit…”
“Tch.”
A little later.
“Here comes the food!”
The owner pushed a cart full of dishes toward them.
Jaengban Jjajang, seafood jjampong, fried rice.
And the long-awaited Emperor Sweet and Sour Pork.
Steam rose into the air, and the slightly sour scent mixed with sweetness tickled their noses.
“Let’s eat well.”
“Mmm… Oishii…”
“Kuuu… This is good.”
The moment they took a big bite of the sweet and sour pork, happiness spread across everyone’s faces.
It showed just how delicious Hwangje-seong’s sweet and sour pork was, but also……
‘Because we finally finished one big thing.’
‘We’re finally free from the deadline!’
Anything tastes best when your mind is at ease.
The sense of relief from finally completing Brave King — which had felt like an endless hell for months — made the food taste even more special.
While they were busily chewing,
Kim Rok-hee waved her chopsticks in the air and said,
“By the way, I wonder how the results will turn out this time. People’s interest is no joke for the Bucheon Comic Awards.”
Dong-gyo nodded, took a big bite of sweet and sour pork, and replied,
“Looking at community opinion, it’s still neck-and-neck. The ending of our Brave King was really perfect, but… Crow King also had one hell of a final punch. It’s not easy, not easy at all.”
“Still, I liked Brave King more. Maybe because we drew it. It feels like it could win the grand prize.”
“Min-hyuk-kun, if you win the grand prize… you can’t forget me, okay?”
“Forget? We’re going to see each other for the next two years anyway.”
“Khm! That’s true, but still.”
Dong-gyo adjusted his glasses and continued,
“And there’s a lot of talk about Yu-ra-san’s work and comic artist Shin Pil-ho too. People seem to think they’re dark horses because their recent form has been really good.”
“Ooh, Yu-ra, that’s impressive.”
When Rok-hee made a fuss, Han Yu-ra shook her head and spoke in a dry voice.
“Being called a dark horse… basically means you’re the underdog. And saying that in front of Kang Min-hyuk doesn’t really hit.”
“Hey, still, it’s picking the best comic of the year in Korea. Isn’t that a big deal? Don’t you know positive thinking?”
“Even if I think positively, what good does that do?”
“Uh… Well…”
While the two were bantering back and forth,
Min-hyuk, who had been watching them, closed his eyes.
‘Bucheon Comic Awards.’
Honestly, it would be a lie to say he didn’t want it.
It was one of the awards he had desperately wanted to receive at least once before he died in his previous life as a webtoon artist…… and one of his goals as a comic artist.
But still……
‘If I don’t win the grand prize, it’ll just be a little disappointing.’
He knew it wasn’t everything.
From the beginning, he was proud of himself for having such a bloody battle with the insanely skilled artist Shin Yo-seop, and the process itself had been enjoyable.
And through this process, Min-hyuk felt he had grown several steps.
The experience of pushing himself to the limit almost every single day to draw comics.
This……
‘Definitely pushed my limits by 150%, no, 200%.’
It was an incredibly valuable experience.
There was no doubt that it would become a huge foundation for his future comic activities.
Moreover……
“Aaah, Yu-raaa… Why are you sulking again?”
“Sulking? Me? I’m just stating facts.”
“Khm, from what I see, it looks like you made a slip of the tongue, Kim Rok-hee.”
“No way! What did I do?!”
When Min-hyuk opened his eyes, the kids were happily bickering again.
The corners of his mouth rose.
‘It was good doing it together.’
The fact that he hadn’t gone through this alone but with them held even more meaning for Min-hyuk.
It meant they had all grown together.
The bond that had formed between them during the process……
Was something he could never have gained in any other environment or situation.
By the time the plates were almost empty,
“Haa… I’m so full.”
“I can’t eat anymore.”
While patting their swollen stomachs, Kim Rok-hee smiled and said,
“Still, we’re finally free. Brave King is complete… and this semester is almost over too. Everyone really worked hard.”
“Yoshi yoshi.”
“Yeah, you guys worked hard too.”
When the three members of Team Brave smiled while exchanging glances,
Han Yu-ra cleared her throat.
“I haven’t finished mine yet.”
Oops.
An awkward expression appeared, and Rok-hee answered,
“Hey, you still finished a big episode, so you can slow down the pace a bit. And… we’re also going to start preparing to submit to Bluehouse webtoons, so we’ll be busy too. Right, everyone?”
“Uh-huh! That’s right.”
Oh Dong-gyo nodded enthusiastically.
Min-hyuk lightly stroked his chin.
‘Webtoons… So we’ve finally reached this point.’
He didn’t know how the results of the Bucheon Comic Awards would turn out.
And he had no idea how those results would change the future comic market.
But one thing was certain: the era of webtoons was coming.
In line with the wave of smartphones, the medium of comics would attempt to change……
And it was clear that the future lay in webtoons.
However.
What Min-hyuk wanted was not to sink with the twilight of printed comics, but to open a new era and make it run even faster.
He wanted more great artists to appear, the Korean comic market to grow rapidly, and to grow within that competition.
Thump! Thump!
Just imagining it made his heart race.
He had finally reached the beginning of that future.
Until now, Min-hyuk had done enough preparation to ride the wave of this era.
At that moment, Rok-hee and Dong-gyo looked at him and asked,
“Min-hyuk-kun, you’ll… help us prepare our webtoon, right?”
“You will, right?”
Min-hyuk gave an exaggerated, aristocratic bow and said,
“Of course. I will do my best to assist you, artists.”
Everyone burst into small laughter.
***
Bucheon Comic Center, near Sangdong Station in Wonmi-gu.
Step step
An old man who looked well past sixty, wearing a flat cap, walked down the corridor with his hands behind his back.
Then……
“Oh, hello, comic artist Kim!”
“It’s been a while, Assistant Manager Song.”
“You’re here to judge, right? The Bucheon Comic Awards.”
“Yes, yes. The big conference room, right?”
“Yes, yes. We’re in the middle of preparing.”
“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it. Who will take the grand prize.”
His name was Kim Jin-ho.
A once-famous comic artist who had scored a massive hit with his work <Last Dance>, centered around a problem-solver protagonist.
There was a time when simply mentioning his name was enough for everyone to know him……
And he had even appeared several times on TV shows aimed at children.
But that was already more than 30 years ago — a distant past.
The current Kim Jin-ho was nothing more than a has-been who lived off his past fame through lectures and government subsidies, an old man forgotten in the back room.
However, today was different.
He had come here as a judge for the Bucheon Comic Awards, and there was one work he was determined to make win the grand prize.
About a month ago.
- It’s nothing special, but I bought some good meat. Please have some, Master Kim.
- Hehe! You didn’t have to bring this.
Oh Han-cheol, Director of Jump Comics.
The rookie editor who had just joined Jump Comics when Kim Jin-ho was in the twilight of his career as an artist.
That man had now become the director and came to him with a request.
- Well… the thing is, you’ve been selected as a judge for this year’s Bucheon Comic Awards, right?
- That’s right.
- We have a comic artist named Shin Yo-seop who does <Crow King> in our magazine. I was hoping you could look kindly on him.
In other words, he was asking Kim Jin-ho to make sure <Crow King> won the grand prize.
Because the president had drawn everyone’s attention to the awards, he was putting in his own drive.
Normally, Kim Jin-ho wouldn’t have even listened to such a proposal……
But this time was different.
- If we get good results this time, I have something I’d like to propose to you as well, Master Kim.
- What is it?
- We’re thinking of launching an event magazine called <Treasure>.
- Treasure?
- Yes. We want to gather veteran artists who once ruled the Korean comic industry and publish a magazine. There should definitely be demand from seniors who grew up reading your comics with pounding hearts. We plan to keep it running for at least a year… and we’d like you to take the helm for this project, Master Kim.
If it had been during his prime, he wouldn’t have even glanced at such an offer……
But now it was different.
‘He can serialize again.’
More than the money.
The words “I can show my work to the public again” made Kim Jin-ho’s heart race.
He thought this would be a good opportunity to show readers that he, as a comic artist, was not finished yet — that he was still alive.
So, even if it was a little dirty……
Kim Jin-ho decided to accept Oh Han-cheol’s request.
He had no intention of committing outright misconduct.
‘Pushing things a little… should be fine.’
While walking down the corridor, he naturally turned left.
Seeing the sign that read “Outdoor Rest Area” in the distance, he headed that way.
On the wooden deck.
A small park had been created around the waist-level area of the Bucheon Comic Center, and a group of people had gathered in front of a standing ashtray in one corner.
They were all familiar faces.
“Have you all been well?”
“Oh? Master Kim Jin-ho!”
“You’re here! Hehe, how have you been lately?”
“Hehe, as well as an old man in the back room can be.”
Everyone bowed slightly and offered handshakes.
Mid-level staff from the Bucheon Comic Center and several artists selected as judges were chatting while smoking before the official judging began.
“Are your kids doing well in school?”
“Yes, they’ll be taking the college entrance exam next year.”
“Time really flies.”
They exchanged greetings, reminiscing and reaffirming their old bonds.
When a brief silence fell,
“Excuse me, but does anyone have a cigarette?”
“Ah, yes. Here you go.”
When he held out his hand, one of the younger artists placed a cigarette between his fingers and lit it for him.
Kim Jin-ho took a long drag, exhaled, and naturally added,
“By the way… who do you all think will win the grand prize this time?”
Everyone’s eyes widened at once.