Chapter 21: For Now, Money is the Priority, But… (7)

In the end, I quit the studio and packed my belongings. As I was leaving, Go Ju-bong followed me out.

“I’ll be fine, so go back inside. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up on his bad side, too.”

Ju-bong snapped back at me. “Is that what matters right now?! Anyway, do you have a place to go?!”

“My sister has a place. I can stay there. So don’t worry about me.”

Was it luck? This happened almost immediately after I found a house for my sister.

“Where is it? Write down the address.” “What for?” “Just do it!”

Reluctantly, I scribbled the address on a piece of paper.

“I’ll definitely come visit. Got it?” “Sure. If you come, I’ll at least boil some ramen for you.”

Just then, Lee Jung-ho shouted from the studio. “Hey, Go Ju-bong! Are you coming back in or what?!”

“Go on. That guy’s gonna lose his mind again.” “Lose his what?” “Never mind, just get in there.” “……Yi-chang.” Ju-bong’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Oh, seriously. It’s not like I’m going off to die. Stop making a scene.” “Don’t forget me! Okay?” “What is wrong with this guy? Just go back.” “Fine. I’m definitely coming to find you. Don’t suffer too much on your own.”

He turned back with slumped shoulders. Looking at him, you’d think he was the one getting kicked out, not me. Still, I was just starting to get attached to the studio. It felt like hell at first, but I guess humans really are creatures of habit.

With that, I left the studio behind and started walking.

I entered the gate of the single-story tiled house, bag in hand. I knocked on the door of the room my sister was renting.

“Noona.”

I knocked a few times, but there was no sound from inside. Hmm, did she go out? I had no choice but to open the door with my key. Being a live-in maid for five years had made her meticulous; the room was neatly organized.

Thinking she might have gone to the market, I stepped inside. But the room was freezing. It was like an icebox. I checked the kitchen hearth, and as expected, the briquette fire was out. Even though I’d bought plenty of coal when she moved in, she must have been too thrifty to light it. Getting sick with a cold or pneumonia would cost more in hospital bills.

The first thing I had checked when moving into this house was the gudeul (floor stone). I made sure the cement was fresh so gas wouldn’t leak and that the exhaust vent was properly installed. In this era, many people died every year from coal gas poisoning. Since there were no proper gas alarms back then, clumsy management could be fatal. Still, briquettes were the only thing to rely on in winter.

I went to the corner store, but—damn! No fire starters. The shopkeeper didn’t even know what a “lightning briquette” (instant-light coal) was. Perhaps they weren’t on the market yet or just weren’t in this neighborhood. Starting a fire without them is a massive chore.

Reluctantly, I took a fresh briquette and went to the neighbor’s house.

“Excuse me, if you have a lit briquette, could I trade a new one for it?”

Luckily, the lady next door kindly gave me a coal that was still burning.

“Things were better with the 19-hole briquettes. These 22-hole ones need changing three times a day. There’s so much to do already. I don’t know what the government is thinking. It’s exhausting!”

Listening to her grumbling, I took the lit coal. Before her chatter could get any longer, I hurried to my kitchen, placed it in the hearth, and stacked a new one on top.

“Ugh, my nose stings.”

It had been a while since I had to align the briquette holes. I used to be quite good at it as a kid. Come to think of it, Ju-bong handled the hearth at the studio, so I had it easy. I guess I lived comfortably there thanks to him. I’d like to work with him again if I get the chance. Will that opportunity come?

Anyway, after aligning the holes, I went back into the room. Since I’d just put the coal in, the floor wasn’t warm yet. It would heat up eventually. Only then did I unpack my things. My “belongings” consisted of a few ragged clothes and some drawing tools.

I set them aside, pulled out a folding table, and organized my tools, some manuscript paper, and notebooks. There was plenty of paper at the studio so I hadn’t worried about it, but I’d need to go buy more soon. Finally, I pulled out the manuscript for Iron X.

The sketches for Volume 1 were mostly finished, so now I just had to do the inking. I had brought all the storyboards and setting guides for Star Five, but I wasn’t sure if I’d ever use them. Teacher Park would likely handle the sequel himself. He knew the basic setting, so he shouldn’t have trouble making it. He could just change the details to fit his style. Besides, I’d received a large sum of money, so it was better for my mental health to stop caring about that side.

Feeling hungry, I checked the kitchen cupboard. Only sour kimchi and soy sauce. I’d given her money in advance; why was she being so stingy with food? Being young doesn’t make you invincible.

I sighed and went back out. I bought eggs, meat, and vegetables at the nearby market, and picked up some snacks and ramen at the corner store. I hadn’t eaten ramen since coming to this era, and the craving resulted in an impulse buy. I organized the kitchen and went back into the room.

The spot where I’d spread the blanket was now toasty warm. Feeling like I could finally focus on the manuscript, I sat down and got to work.

I became so absorbed in the work that darkness had fallen outside before I knew it. I checked the time; it was past 8:00 PM. My sister hadn’t returned yet. I started to worry, unable to keep drawing calmly.

I waited for her outside the gate. After about twenty minutes, I saw her trudging toward me from a distance. She looked exhausted. As she got closer, I crossed my arms and started nagging.

“Where have you been until this hour?”

Recognizing me, she jumped in surprise, but then a small smile spread across her face.

“Oh? Yi-chang. When did you get here?” “Earlier today. It’s cold, let’s get inside.” “Okay.”

As she entered the room, she gasped. “Did you light the briquettes?” “Yeah. I put a fresh one in. I closed the vent, so just change the coal once at dawn.” “I could have done it.” “What, and let you shiver until you got home?”

She giggled. “Ah, I guess so.” “Anyway, where were you?” “Oh, at a factory.” “A factory? I told you not to do anything for a while.” “How could I? I can’t live off only the money you earned. I have to earn my keep now.”

She smiled, changed her clothes, and went to the kitchen.

“You haven’t eaten, have you? If I’d known, I would have prepared some side dishes.” “I bought ramen and meat, so let’s eat that.” “What? You went grocery shopping, too?” “Yeah.” “Is it okay for you to spend money like that?” “I’ve made plenty of money, so stop nagging me.” “When did our Yi-chang become such an adult? I’m a little sad.” “Stop talking nonsense.” “Okay, okay. I’ll get dinner ready.” “Before that, sit down here for a second.”

I patted the floor, and she looked at me with wide eyes. She sat down immediately and asked with a worried face, “Did… did something happen?”

“Something happened, but it’s not a big deal.” “What is it?” “I got fired from the studio.”

She looked horrified. “What?! That is a big deal!” “No, I was thinking about quitting anyway. It’s fine.” “If you quit, what happens now? Are you going to a different studio?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m never going into another studio.” A shadow fell over her face. “Does that mean… you’re quitting manga for good?” “Do you remember the publisher you went to a few days ago?” “Mm-hmm. I remember. The president there was so excited, he even thanked me and told me to look forward to working together.” “Do you remember the manuscript you handed him?”

She tilted her head. “Yes. I didn’t see it in detail, but why?” “I drew that.” “What?! You drew that? I thought it was your teacher’s work.” “That’s why I got a deposit from that publisher. He really wants to work with me.”

I explained everything—what happened at the studio and the money I received. When I mentioned the amount, she was stunned.

“You got that much money? Then…” “Yeah. We’re going to buy a house soon. Then we’ll bring Mom and our younger sibling up from the countryside.” “……” “So don’t go to the factory. Just help me with my work. If you handle the meals, I can save that much time, and I’ll end up earning way more than you would at a factory.” “I can help you earn more just by cooking and cleaning?” “Not just me—us.”

She nodded. “If that’s how I can help you, I’ll do it.” “Oh, and did you get your things from that other house? That girl said she’d put them out this morning.” “Yes, I did. I got everything back. I was so grateful.” “That’s good. Honestly, just thinking about that woman makes me angry.”

As I scowled, my sister patted my arm to calm me down.

“Just forget it. Getting angry only hurts you. Besides, that family is going to be even richer soon. We’ll live in completely different worlds, so we won’t ever have to see them again.” “Even richer? Why? Did they buy a bunch of land or something?” “Oh? How did you know? Yes, exactly.”

The thought of that “Witch” getting richer made me feel even worse. “So, where did she buy land?” “A few years ago, I heard them talking about how Seoul would develop westward, starting from Jongno.” “Westward…?” “Yeah.”

Something felt off. “And…?” “And nothing. Since it hasn’t been developed yet… what was it called? Oh, right. They bought a massive amount of land in a place called Nanjido. They even took out bank loans to do it.”

“……Nan… Nanjido?” “The mistress—I mean, that woman—would brag about it constantly. Saying Nanjido would be developed soon and that she’d need three or four maids in the house.” “……”

I stared blankly for a moment. Then, I burst out laughing. My sister looked at me, startled.

“Why are you laughing?” “Hahahaha!” “……?”

Nanjido… that’s the landfill. (Note: Nanjido became Seoul’s official trash dump from 1978 to 1993).

Gosh, she shoved all her money right into a trash can. And she used bank loans to do it. I suddenly felt a massive wave of relief, like a clogged pipe had finally been cleared.

“We’ll see if she ends up hiring maids or if she ends up being a maid herself.” She looked confused. “What? What does that mean?” “Nothing. I’m just impressed by her… ‘excellent’ choice.” “……?”

Suddenly, she clapped her hands. “Wait, there’s something I have to do first.” “What is it?” “I have to go get my pay for the few days I worked at the factory. I can’t work for free, can I?”

As expected, she was very direct about that sort of thing.