Chapter 22: So I Can’t Help But Like You
‘…My story is on the genre novel gallery?!’
The genre novel gallery is one of the most popular community sites in Korea, where all sorts of readers of web novels gather to freely discuss.
Of course, as with any anonymous community, it has both positive and negative aspects. In general, if a work is mentioned in the gallery, it’s usually on the negative side.
‘What, someone actually bashed my work?’
In online communities, when someone mentions a particular piece with the intention of creating a negative image, it’s commonly referred to as “bashing.” It’s something that writers fear the most.
It can be easy for the curiosity of the people who flock to the work to destroy its early indicators, and it’s also possible for malicious readers to enter and cause a ruckus in the comment section.
“Even though you said it wasn’t a bad thing…”
It was impossible not to feel nervous. With that in mind, I cautiously checked the review, and the first emotion I felt was “relief.”
[Title: Pick a must-read gem from the contest depths]
: “Life Becomes Amazing After Marriage.” A pure love show that even the old folks have been captivated by. It’s a male-oriented reimagining of the “arranged marriage” that is often used in female-oriented works. The main readership is currently 40-50 years old, but the content is actually more in line with the tastes of 10-30 year olds.
└ I’m gonna miss both of them ㅋㅋㅋ
└ Hmm. I took a quick look and it really is like a pure love light novel? Why is this so good?
└ To be honest, I read it with the intention of hating it, but it was actually pretty funny. It has a bit of a formulaic smell to it, though.
The reaction was quite good, unlike what I had feared. Now that I think about it, the sudden surge in traffic was probably due in large part to the influence of this promotional post.
Of course, there were also some blunt comments. Due to the nature of Munpia, there are almost no 10-30 year olds who come down to the depths. It is inevitably the core of 40-50 year olds.
In the meantime, the comment that the taste is closer to 10-30 years old is not good. As with the comments, this can lead to both sides being missed.
“The opposite is almost revolutionary.”
If a work can absorb all readers from 10 to 50 years old, its impact is needless to say. Maybe this work will really blow up.
‘That’s unexpected.’
As a relatively unknown author, I had once considered promoting my work on the genre novel gallery myself.
However, I gave up because the genre that is generally preferred there is “regret, despair, and obsession.” My work is the complete opposite.
“Well, it’s not entirely the opposite.”
Thinking about it, the princess character in “Life After Marriage Becomes Amazing” is quite obsessed with the protagonist.
In addition, the protagonist is in a state of extreme despair due to infinite regression. It is only natural that regret would pile up in the process.
“Maybe I’ve created a terrible hybrid.”
Will it captivate all readers and open up a new genre on Munpia? Or will it fade away like so many other authors?
We’ll have to wait and see which one it is. But in any case, I felt truly grateful to the people who read and enjoyed my work.
“Still, that one hurts.”
“What?”
“They said my writing has a formulaic smell. I’m still in my prime 20s.”
“Of course people see the same thing. I was already suspicious because you seem like a peer when we talk.”
“······.”
“Well, what are you going to do if you stare at me?”
Sigh…
I sighed and let Choi Jincheol’s reaction go. This guy is the type who gets tired quickly if you take him seriously.
“Are you going?”
“I have to. He’s pushing me so much.”
“Yeah, strike while the iron is hot. Go write some more. And if possible, try some continuous updates.”
“I’ll try.”
I’m the type who takes a long time to revise, so continuous updates will be difficult. But if I really see the potential for it to blow up, I’ll do it even if it means sacrificing my soul.
“I’m feeling good.”
The fact that people were talking about my work and even mentioning that it was “fun” was enough to fill my hands with strength as I held the keyboard.
That’s it.
The reason I quit my decent job and became a writer. The childlike desire to move people’s hearts with my words.
I couldn’t help but smile as I felt it for the first time in a long time.
* * *
“…Is that all?”
Kang Bada looked at her smartphone with a frown. She had sent Kim Ha-neul a variety of selfies to appeal to her various charms, as well as to find out her taste.
: I like number 1 and number 5.
That was all that came back.
And the ones Kim Ha-neul had chosen were the epitome of mediocrity. They were the kind of things she would sometimes post on SNS, without much deviation.
“…Should I raise the exposure a bit?”
For example, a swimsuit photo taken at a full-villa pension owned by a friend. Maybe if I showed some skin, I’d get a reaction.
*ding*
As she was thinking, her phone rang again.
: Personally, I like them all, but I think those two would be good for a profile picture. Your family and other people around you will be seeing it, so…
Hmph-
This cute child. The response came at an ambiguous time interval, making her wonder if she was deliberately trying to play hard to get.
But it was a long message, filling up a page. It must have taken a considerable amount of time to type, and she even attached reasons for each photo.
“…That means he looked at them all carefully, right!?”
That thought made her feel embarrassed. She had thoroughly filtered the photos, and then had a professional do some natural Photoshop work on them. But for some reason, she felt uneasy.
: Can I set it as my background image?
*gulp*
Kang Bada’s body stiffened as she checked the new notification. What did the background image mean?
‘Could he be talking about his own profile?’
No way.
Kim Ha-neul’s profile was “blank.” It was literally just that, with no profile, status message, or background image.
It was only natural that she didn’t use SNS much and didn’t care much about her appearance, but suddenly a background image?
‘…Isn’t that something only lovers do?’
Putting up a picture of your lover on your profile is a way of announcing to your entire network, “I have a girlfriend.”
Of course, there are cases where people use multiple profiles to show certain people only, but it didn’t seem like Kim Ha-neul would do that.
‘He liked my pictures that much!?’
It’s all thanks to Yumo.
This era’s greatest woman, who has both the broad vision of a falcon and the wisdom of a fox. Her strategy had worked!
‘…Of course, this is all part of the act.’
They would have to start preparing for the wedding soon. If they sent out invitations out of the blue without any groundwork, everyone would be suspicious.
They had already discussed this to some extent while talking that day. They would slowly leak information about the two of them to their surroundings.
‘But he’ll choose the one he likes the most, right?’
Which picture would it be? After a brief moment of happy imagination, Kang Bada opened the message window after confirming that five minutes had passed.
: Well, what do you think?
After sending the message, Kang Bada kept checking Kim Ha-neul’s profile in real time to see if it had changed. She was about to get impatient when the image finally changed.
“Huh?”
Kang Bada’s eyebrows furrowed as she saw Kim Ha-neul’s new background photo.
Is this guy kidding me?
First of all, Kim Ha-neul’s profile and status message were still the same. The only thing that had changed was the background photo. But the problem was that the photo was…
When the hell was this taken?
It was a photo taken from behind while she was holding Yena. Her face was almost invisible, and only Yena’s tightly tied hairband stood out.
‘I can’t live with this.’
It was a complete mess. This would make her look like a mother, not a girlfriend. Kang Bada pouted.
But still.
She didn’t feel bad at all.
It was just too Kim Ha-neul for her to feel anything. Considering his usual personality of never dressing up, this was also a great leap forward.
“Is that you, unnie?”
Suddenly, a voice came from behind. Someone was peeking over her shoulder at Kang Bada’s smartphone.
Gosomi.
She was a new researcher who had just joined the team recently. She was generally friendly and had a good appearance, so she was popular with men. But not with women.
“Yeah.”
Kang Bada hid her uneasy feelings and composed herself. She tried to put her smartphone away, but Gosomi suddenly grabbed her hand.
“Sis, you had a kid!”
“No, it was a photo I took when I volunteered at an orphanage.”
“Oh, I see. I thought you had a hidden child. I was so surprised!”
“······.”
On the other hand, she was not popular with women. It was because she was always pretending to be naive and backhanded, like she was doing now. Did she think she was being subtle?
“Oh, wait, but this is a background photo, right? This isn’t yours, so you must have a boyfriend, right?”
“Bada has a boyfriend?!”
“Is that true?”
She raised her voice subtly to draw the attention of the other researchers in the lab. Gosomi was definitely the type of person who was exhausting to be around.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“Wow. What does he do? How old is he? A woman like you must be dating a celebrity, right?!”
“No, he’s just a normal guy.”
“Oh, come on, don’t lie. Unnie, are you for real?”
Look at this bitch?!
Kang Bada’s eyebrows twitched.
Gosomi, with her mouth covered as if in disbelief, widened her eyes. She had a practiced and natural expression, but Kang Bada could clearly see the acting in her eyes.
‘Should I get rid of her?’
That thought briefly crossed her mind. After a short contemplation, she concluded that it wouldn’t be necessary.
Getting rid of Gosomi right in front of her wouldn’t be difficult, but if she did that, the people in the lab would find out that he’s part of the group. She didn’t want to jeopardize the ordinary human relationships she had built over the years. That’s why Kang Bada smiled.
“Yeah, he’s a great person.”
“Hmm… Since you say that, I’m curious. Do you happen to have a picture with your boyfriend?”
“I don’t.”
Kim Ha-nuel had nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, she could be confident that most people here would understand if she showed them a picture. However…
‘I don’t want to get caught up in unnecessary gossip.’
Especially with Gosomi.
He didn’t want his name to be mentioned by her. If that happened, he might really lose his composure and expose himself without reservation.
“Does that make sense?”
“I’m not really into taking pictures.”
“Still… Can’t you show me just one picture of you two together?”
“I said I don’t have any.”
Annoyed by Gosomi’s persistent digging, Kang Bada unintentionally raised his voice.
The moment he realized his mistake, Gosomi had already slipped into her expression acting. She put on an expression as if she had been hurt and took a step back.
“I’m sorry. I went off-topic again… I was just curious about your boyfriend…”
“Bada, there’s no need to get angry, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. You could have just asked out of curiosity.”
The fools who were possessed by a queen bee started to make thoughtless comments. The atmosphere in the lab became strange.
It was only natural for Kang Bada’s mood to become uncomfortable, being singled out as a sensitive person. But it didn’t end there.
“Oh, no! It’s all my fault. It’s your privacy, and I acted without any consideration, didn’t I? I’m sorry, seniors!”
Quickly apologizing while bowing deeply, Gosomi managed to maintain the image of a ‘good junior who apologizes to a sensitive senior.’
The gazes from those around them grew increasingly heated. The reasons why they despised humans burst out like a spring.
Beyond annoyance, a sense of emptiness washed over Kang Bada as the trust she had painstakingly built over the years crumbled like a sandcastle.
‘If it’s going to be like this, then everything…’
I have a feeling, I’m trembling~♬
At that moment, Kang Bada’s smartphone rang. Clutching her phone tightly, he unknowingly pressed the answer button.
-Bada-ssi
…Damn it.
She was speechless.
What on earth was this? The anger that had risen to her head suddenly disappeared in an instant. Even when she thought about it, she couldn’t understand it at all.
-Can you hear me, Bada-ssi?
“I can hear you.”
-Well, is something wrong?
…
-If it’s not a good time to talk, we can do it later.
Was it just her imagination that she felt concern in Kim Ha-nuel’s voice? She was surprisingly perceptive in these matters.
“Oh my, are you Senior’s boyfriend!?”
At that moment, Gosomi interjected into the conversation.
The person who had just apologized a moment ago seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a smile on their face. Kang Bada, unable to bear it any longer, tried to stand up.
“Who is it?”
Kim Ha-nuel’s response was faster.
Gosomi, who had been listening intently on her smartphone, blinked her eyes and replied.
“I’m ‘Gosomi,’ working at the same research institute as Bada Unni. I know it’s our first meeting, but if you’re okay with it, would you like to join us for a team outing?”
“Hey, what are you…”
“People here are really curious about what kind of person Senior’s boyfriend is!”
This was getting out of hand.
It was clearly crossing the line.
Kang Bada’s expression turned cold. As her anger grew, her mind quickly searched for ways to bury Gosomi.
Just as she was about to put her plan into action without further delay, a faint voice came through the receiver from the other side.
– Sure.
“Ha-nuel, you’re busy enough. There’s no need to go that far…”
– It’s okay. I was actually curious about the people around Bada-ssi as well. If you let me know the schedule in advance, I’ll try to coordinate.
“Really!? Then let’s all meet up at that time!”
Gosomi barged in without any hesitation. The researchers who had been inferring the conversation through her also nodded in agreement.
“What kind of person could it be?”
“Is he really a celebrity?”
“Kim Ha-nuel, huh? That’s a unique name.”
The researchers started chatting away on their own. Kim Ha-neul’s participation had already become an established fact. Kang Bada felt a headache coming on.
“Now I want to talk to Bada-ssi.”
“Just wait a moment.”
Kang Bada stood up and moved to a place where no one was around. Soon, the surroundings became quiet, but Kang Bada felt uneasy and remained silent.
“Bada-ssi.”
“…”
“I’m sorry for accepting it on my own.”
“No, it’s not your fault. Ha-nuel-ssi should apologize…”
“It seemed like a difficult situation. It’s not something to brag about, but I’ve had similar experiences.”
A similar situation.
What does he want to say? How did this person grasp so much just from a brief phone call? Kang Bada’s mind became complicated.
“You mentioned Gosomi, right?”
“Why? Is Ha-neul-ssi also interested in that woman?”
“Yes, I am.”
Click-
The sound of the call being disconnected echoed in her mind. Kang Bada, frustrated by an inexplicable emotion, was about to raise her voice.
“I can smell the scent of scheming bitch.”
“What?”
“Finally, the opportunity to pay back Bada has come. Leave this matter to me.”
Scheming bitch.
It was the first time Kang Bada heard Kim Ha-nuel cursing. Thanks to that, she was momentarily taken aback and absentmindedly listened to Kim Ha-nuel’s voice.
“You said it quite confidently, but Bada-ssi, you’ll need help. I don’t know much about fashion, so if you let me know the outfit you’ll wear that day…”
“Pfft-“
“Huh?”
“Pfhahaha! Ah, damn it!”
Kang Bada, who had burst into laughter at Kim Ha-neul’s infinitely serious voice, laughed out loud. She laughed so loudly that tears streamed down her face.
“Is my plan not good?”
“No.”
Perfect.
That’s why I can’t help but like you.
Kang Bada wiped away her tears and returned to her usual expression. Completely regaining her composure, she smoothed her voice once again.
“Shall we meet and talk?”
Kim Ha-nuel wanted to see her.
Right now.
