NOVEL NEXT Episode 40
Ji-won headed to his family home for the weekend.
“Dad, I’m here.”
As he opened the front door, his father’s voice came from beyond the living room sofa.
“Eh, you’re here?”
His father won’t even come out to greet his son who’s visiting after so long-!
Snicker-
Usually at this time on weekend mornings, his father would invariably be climbing halfway up a mountain.
‘Dad probably canceled his planned hike because I said I was coming.’ Knowing this, Ji-won just smiled silently.
“Yes, what were you doing?”
His father asked gruffly. “What brings you all the way here on a precious weekend?”
“I just finished one drama. Thought I’d come see your face while I have time.”
“Why are you doing things you never used to do?”
His father tilted his head. “And what’s that in your hand?”
Then he looked at the large, heavy box in Ji-won’s hand.
Thud-
Ji-won set it down in the living room and unwrapped it. A baduk board with mother-of-pearl inlay in a walnut frame appeared. His father’s eyes went round.
“I bought a baduk board.”
“Why suddenly a baduk board?”
“Why else? To play with you, Dad.”
“Doing unnecessary things again!”
Despite his words, he quickly came down from the sofa to examine the board.
“Hmm, you got a pretty one, eh? Where’d you find something like this?”
“Dad, you love walnut wood, don’t you?”
“Sure do, nothing beats walnut’s color.”
Ji-won sat cross-legged in front of the baduk board.
“Play a game with me after all this time.”
In his previous life, after his dad passed away-
When Ji-won went to the nursing home to sort out his belongings.
A single bed.
A small metal storage cabinet beside it.
That was all.
His dad’s island for eight years.
A folding baduk board lay on the bed.
“……”
It was something he had forgotten about for a long time. That object brought back a forgotten memory.
When he was still a little kid, his dad bought a used baduk board from the flea market.
“Son, have you ever played baduk?”
“Baduk? What’s that?”
“Come here. Dad will teach you.”
When Ji-won was young, he often sat across from his dad playing baduk. And their baduk games ended when he left for university in Seoul.
Through blurred vision, he opened the drawer. Game records came tumbling out.
Game records are useful when playing baduk alone. You just need to place black and white stones alternately following the recorded moves.
“They say baduk helps with dementia.”
Ji-won remembered his dad’s casual remark before they noticed his symptoms. He couldn’t even remember how he responded then. That’s the kind of son he was.
Perhaps his dad was desperate. Trying somehow not to be swept away by the unstoppable wave of illness. Ji-won could picture him struggling until his final moment, trying to soothe himself.
He sought out his care worker to learn more.
“He always played alone. Since his dementia was already quite advanced… he couldn’t play normal games with others.”
“He’d play a bit after waking up in the morning, play a bit after lunch, then when he got tired he’d lie down on the bed for a while, and when he woke up he’d play again until he fell asleep.”
The care worker continued, recalling the old man who was now gone.
“I don’t know what was so fun about playing baduk alone. Once I was curious and asked him about it.”
“He told me he wasn’t playing alone. He said he was playing with his son right now…”
Ji-won returned home and hugged the baduk board, sobbing loudly.
Only then did he realize.
What an unfilial son he had been.
How selfish his life had been.
He realized it with piercing clarity.
Ji-won sat across from his father and picked up the stones.
He took black, his father white.
Ji-won placed the first stone while speaking.
Click.
“Why did you put away the baduk board that was at home? Dad, you love baduk, don’t you?”
His father placed his stone without hesitation.
Click.
“I didn’t particularly love baduk.”
For some reason, his father answered honestly.
“No? Then why did you buy the baduk board?”
“Why else? I bought it to play with you.”
“……”
Ji-won forcefully swallowed down the lump that suddenly formed in his throat.
“But… as I played more, it grew on me and became fun. I’d forgotten about it for a while… but seeing it again after so long makes me happy, hehe…”
Click.
“Dad. I’m starting a new drama.”
Click.
“That’s what you always do, why mention it specially…”
Click.
“This time I’m going in as director. I’m making my debut.”
His father broke into a broad smile.
“Really? Isn’t that amazing? Wow, that’s my son for you!”
Click.
“I’m not skilled enough yet, so I’ll have to spend a lot of time working. I won’t be able to visit often.”
Ji-won kept his eyes fixed on the board as he continued.
“But still.”
Tap-
“Once a month, on the last weekend, let’s play baduk together. No matter how busy I am, I promise you that.”
It wasn’t a particularly difficult move, but his father stared at the stone he placed for quite a while.
Then he spoke again.
“Son.”
An unfamiliar voice.
“Are you sick? Or did you get a terminal diagnosis? Are you dying from some incurable disease?”
A low, serious tone unlike his usual playful one.
“Or am I dying?”
Suddenly-
His father said.
“Why are you acting so urgently like an old man with few days left? You’re still so young.”
Then his father placed his stone.
Tap-
When Ji-won looked up, his father was watching him with a splendid smile.
“You don’t need to do that. Relax those shoulders. This dad isn’t going anywhere.”
Ji-won clenched his brow tightly, fighting back. His eyes kept turning red throughout. He didn’t want to cry at this age, yet somehow the three syllables of “dad” increasingly became his cry button as he got older.
‘Dad.’
Not someone else’s dad.
‘My dad.’
This was the kind of person his father was.
Afraid he might show tears at this rate, Ji-won quickly moved his hand.
“…Dad.”
“Young man acting like you’re at death’s door.”
“No, that’s not it.”
That’s one thing.
But a match is a match.
Tap-
“I win.”
His father’s eyes went wide seeing his move.
“Eh??”
Then, unable to believe it, he lowered his body to examine the board from various angles.
“How did it suddenly turn out like this? This ain’t right? I was clearly ahead just a moment ago?”
‘Your surprise is understandable. I had never beaten Dad even once until now.’
This is the first time.
‘And it will be hard for you from now on. After Dad passed away, baduk became my only solace.’
In his previous life, Ji-won spent no small amount of time over the baduk board that was his dad’s memento.
‘I.’
‘I want Dad to play baduk very earnestly.’
‘I don’t know when it will be, but someday, on the last weekend of some month in some year, I hope Dad beats me. Perhaps one of my goals in this life is to see the bright smile that blooms on Dad’s face then. And until that day comes, I hope Dad plays baduk with intense focus and deep thought.’
That’s probably how it will be.
Because his father is…
“Let’s play again. That must have been luck.”
The type who can’t stand losing.
“Yes, yes.”
Ji-won casually replied while cleaning up the scattered stones. To his father who was blankly wondering “Why did I lose?” he said.
“How many handicap points should I give you?”
His father’s face crumpled mercilessly.
“I said it was luck!”
.
.
.
After the fifth game.
“Son-. Since morning my head’s been fuzzy and I felt my condition was quite off! Maybe that’s why…? I just can’t perform well today? You know, right? I usually play much better than this.”
“Yes, yes.”
His father chose to deny reality rather than accept it.
After cleaning up, Ji-won walked to his room.
“Huh?”
There was an unfamiliar chair. It was an impressive chair with a calm, quiet, distinctive mahogany color.
“Dad, what’s this chair?”
“Ahem,” his father cleared his throat while leaning casually against the doorframe. Then he crossed his arms – his signature pose when trying to look cool.
“Found it on my way-“
Ji-won laughed at his lifted chin.
“When did you make this?”
It wasn’t hard to guess, knowing his father’s exceptional handcraft skills. The walnut wood was exactly his father’s taste.
“I told you I found it?”
Ji-won moved over and sat in the chair. The pre-installed cotton cushion was extremely soft. His arms naturally rested on the armrests as if it were a tailored suit.
Watching him, his father said.
“How is it, do you like it?”
“The person who threw it away must have had exactly! the same build as me. How lucky!”
“Right? What are the odds!”
His father, Do In-gu, was quite skilled at playing innocent too.
Ji-won spoke to him with sincerity.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well, Dad.”
His father just nodded with a smile.
Ji-won added.
“I’ll take the chair when I go back to Seoul.”
“Eh? Is that necessary?”
“How could I not… when you made it… I want to use it somewhere special.”
“It ain’t that special of a chair, just roughly made it for you to use when working here.”
Ji-won shook his head.
‘It’s Dad’s chair.’
“No. I’ll only use it in a very special place.”
Do In-gu scratched the side of his head. His son had been acting increasingly strange lately. A thought crossed his mind that maybe he really did have some incurable disease.
* * *
TVM Drama Department Conference Room.
“Hmm.”
A middle-aged man of imposing stature was reading a script from the head seat. Then, closing the final page, he threw down the stack of papers. The script’s cover showed on the table.
Scripts circulate within the industry. Anyone in the field who doesn’t know about Writer Kyu-kyu’s next work,
Either they don’t have internet.
Or they’re illiterate.
PD Kim on the right asked.
“How is it?”
The small man, Director Seo Tae-su, asked back.
“What does PD Kim think?”
PD Kim scratched his cheek and answered.
“Honestly… it’s tempting.”
Displeased with the answer, Director Seo Tae-su frowned.
“Oh really? Then should we just suck our thumbs for three months while
Startled, PD Kim quickly added.
“What good is a great script when there’s an issue with the director?”
“What?”
PD Kim smiled ingratiatingly.
“
“Tell me more.”
Seeing Director Seo Tae-su’s interest, PD Kim spilled all the information he had gathered.
“He was in JTVN’s Production Team 3. He’s worked as assistant director on a few dramas before, but nothing notable.”
Director Seo Tae-su lifted his chin.
“So what’s the conclusion?”
“He’s a nobody.”
Director Seo Tae-su raised one eyebrow.
“How did such a person get their debut?”
PD Kim answered cheerfully.
“I don’t know either!”
Then Director Seo’s other eyebrow rose to join the first.
“That’s all?”
“Pardon?”
“Shouldn’t you find out the reason?”
PD Kim flustered and hurriedly spoke again.
“Even their employees don’t really know why. There are rumors that President Jeon Nam-hoe pushed for it…”
Director Seo Tae-su tilted his head then burst into laughter.
“Haha! Has President Jeon Nam-hoe lost his touch already?”
Then he shook his head.
“It’s a common mistake. Throwing a wild card and mistaking it for a brilliant move. Why is he doing this when he’s still so young?”
The PDs in the director’s office laughed at those words. Director Seo Tae-su clicked his tongue.
“How could they put a debut director on a tentpole drama, of which we only have a few each year?”
Then a man in his 40s sitting on the right spoke up.
“Star writer, star PD, star actor,”
Then he added leisurely.
“Even with all of those, half of them still fail in this business, don’t they?”
He smiled confidently at Director Seo Tae-su.
“Director. I’ll handle this one for sure.”
TVM’s star PD.
Lee Jun-hyuk said.
T/N: baduk board or basically Go.