Chapter 34: Ink and Ambition

The day of the contract, 2 p.m.

There was a ‘ding-dong’ as the doorbell rang, and I opened the front door.

The man standing on the doorstep looked much younger than I’d expected. The briefcase he gripped tightly with both hands over his neatly arranged shirt, coupled with a hint of nervousness, left a strong impression.

“Hello. I’m Kim Ho-gwon, CEO of Pantheon Publishing.”

The CEO greeted us, bowing deeply when he saw Mom and me.

Unlike the confident tone he had in his emails, his voice trembled a little.

“Welcome. Please, come inside.”

My mom, standing next to me, greeted him warmly.

The CEO stepped into the living room, glanced around, and bowed his head once more.

“Thank you for inviting me. This place is even quieter and warmer than I imagined.”

I could feel the internal struggle of not knowing where to begin.

After all, it was his first time visiting a stranger’s home, so his reaction was understandable.

I would have acted the same way—or kept my mouth shut until the contract was brought out.

“Please make yourself comfortable. I’ll prepare some fruit.”

Mom smiled and headed to the kitchen, leaving me and CEO Kim sitting across from each other.

“May I see the contract documents first?”

As Mom was setting fruit on the table, I decided to ask the CEO for the contract so I could review it.

“Let’s wait until your mother comes.”

He glanced toward the kitchen, where Mom was.

Judging by his behavior, he must think the author, Unreal Oppa, is my mother, not me.

“It’s fine. I’m Unreal Oppa. I’ll look over the contract and explain it to my mom.”

To avoid an awkward misunderstanding, I introduced myself early.

“Ah, uh? What?!”

The CEO of Pantheon Publishing’s face was visibly shocked, his eyes wide.

He was very expressive and reactive.

I couldn’t help but smile a little.

“It happens a lot. I’m Unreal Oppa.”

“Huh, haha. How…”

His face said he couldn’t quite believe it.

I could understand. This is probably how all the publishing people I’ll meet from now on will look at me.

“Ah, excuse me. Here’s the contract.”

It took him about a minute to realize his mistake before he closed his gaping mouth, pulled the contract out of his bag, and handed it to me.

The contract had obvious creases all over it. I quietly opened it and began to read. My eyebrows rose slightly at a few clauses.

[Digital book revenue split 8:2 (Author:Publisher), paperback sales revenue 8%, with settlements paid to the author’s account on the 5th of each month.]

[For three years after completion, publishing rights belong to Pantheon Publishing.]

“The contract looks fine. Did you bring the debt verification documents?”

Every clause I’d requested by email had been included, without a single error.

Satisfied, I brought up my next request.

“Yes, these are our debt details.”

He set a blue folder on the table.

I brought the folder over and thoroughly reviewed the contents.

[Capital: 50 million won / Loan: 50 million won / No external contracts.]

“...Capital 50 million won, loan 50 million won. No outside contracts, all funds from the founder’s personal finances and credit loan. Repayment plan is over the next two years, monthly installments. The revenue structure is still unstable, but with the know-how and sales ability I’ve built up…”

I could feel how desperate he was to sign with me.

He volunteered information I hadn’t even asked for—he must be in quite a hurry.

“Hm, I don’t want to hear about unrealistic things. I want to know, realistically, how you plan to acquire works and promote them.”

There are many ways in the web novel market, but this is before that market really took off.

Since this is a new company, business capability is more important than ever, so I needed to check how he planned to run things.

“Yes. Our first strategy is to focus on marketing paperbacks. We’ll start by releasing a small but official first edition to ensure quality, and prioritize shelf placement in bookstores that match our target readership. After that, based on reviews, we’ll negotiate with major offline bookstores, stationery shops, and rental shops for further distribution. Since we only have your work, we can concentrate all our efforts on it.”

The CEO looked flustered for a moment, but then calmly listed his thoughts.

“Hmm, I don’t think that will be enough. Prime spots are usually taken by major publishers. It’ll be hard to wedge your way in.”

After listening to his plan, I pointed out the flaw.

“Um…”

The CEO, who had been speaking nonstop, fell silent.

“What about this? If you look at novels these days, they all have stiff atmospheres and just some font design on the cover. But if you draw the main character on the cover, like a comic book, wouldn’t that catch the reader’s eye? Of course, the publisher should cover the cost of making the cover.”

I brought up a realistic issue and suggested a way to improve visibility.

In my previous life, I realized how important covers and art styles were.

The better the cover, the more obvious the difference in reader inflow.

If, instead of the usual stiff novel cover, we had a beautifully drawn one on display, it would set my book apart and give it a better chance of catching a reader’s eye.

“Hmm… I do think that would be good… but the production cost…”

He was already calculating the cost.

“I know differentiated promotion requires investment. There’s no such thing as marketing without investment. So instead of running around ten times, try putting an illustration on the cover as I suggested. If sales are poor, I won’t ask for settlements for a while and you can pay me later.”

Why am I so insistent on this new publisher?

The reason is simple.

I can ask for things here that I can’t at other publishers.

The contract conditions are good, and if everything goes as planned, I’ll make much more than I would at another publisher.

‘Above all…’

I want to watch the publisher grow because of me.

Just as a famous novel in my previous life boosted its publisher’s and platform’s stock prices.

I want to have that kind of influence too.

For a man, it’s a worthwhile challenge and investment.

“If you agree to an illustrated cover, will you sign with us?”

Sensing the conversation was heading in a strange direction, the CEO tilted his head and looked at me uncertainly.

“Yes, under these conditions, I think it’s good. To be honest, I couldn’t bring this up with another publisher. They’d reject it immediately.”

Famous authors can get up to 11% of the publishing share, but for me to ask for 11% would be pushing it. Even so, paperback sales won’t be that high.

What I’m after is the web novel market.

In a few years, the market will be worth billions, and even hit a trillion won, enough to attract big corporations.

If I become the pioneer of web novels, this investment in the cover will be worth it.

“Whew, alright. I’ll accept all your terms.”

At last, after much inner conflict, the CEO’s face relaxed.

He looked resolved.

“I’ll guarantee it. You won’t regret this contract.”

With a glad heart, I added the extra clause to the contract and stamped my seal in the signature box.

Just like that, my second work found a new nest.

“You waited a while, right? Please have some fruit. The watermelon and chamoe are sweet.”

Once everything was done, Mom brought out fruit from the kitchen.

We wrapped up the contract talk and chatted for about an hour, then the CEO took his leave.

***

The sound of the car door closing was louder than I’d thought. The car entered the road quietly, and I slowly leaned back into my seat.

‘What in the world is that kid?’

All I’d done was hand over the contract and leave, but I felt like I’d lived through several days at once. Sweat was running down my back, and both hands were still clammy with nerves.

I’d been hopeful while exchanging emails, but everything changed the moment I met them in person. The polite tone, the sharp logic, the clear demands—I’d naturally assumed they were an adult.

But…

‘Unreal Oppa is a middle schooler.’

Right before signing, I’d heard it from their own lips and still couldn’t believe it. They’re tall for their age, but it was obvious they were a young student. Still, their manner and speech were nothing like a child’s.

A middle schooler asked for clear and specific contract terms.

Even while reviewing the contract, there were no mistakes. The way they asked questions was calm and measured.

It was like watching someone who’d handled dozens of contracts, picking out each clause and calculating the advantages—just like a professional.

I closed my eyes and remembered the blue folder that sat on the table.

[Capital: 50 million won / Loan: 50 million won / No external contracts.]

Even after seeing those numbers, they kept their cool, analyzed the situation, and made demands based on the essentials.

【I want to hear realistically how you plan to sell and promote the book.】

They made me feel like I’d missed something important. And then, after hearing my strategy, they followed up:

【I don’t think that will be enough.】

There was no hesitation—just a clear-eyed assessment of possibility and reality. It was hard to believe those words came from a middle schooler.

And yet, strangely, I didn’t feel offended. I felt reassured. Seeing them make judgments based on reality instead of empty hope filled me with trust and confidence.

They even made a new proposal: an illustrated cover featuring the main character.

It’s a rare move in the current publishing market. I hesitated, but the kid crushed my doubts with unwavering resolve.

[Unreal Oppa—outwardly a middle schooler, inwardly a well-polished adult. For the first time, I understood the saying, “Age is just a number.”]

While waiting at a stoplight, I pulled out my diary and wrote down my impressions of Unreal Oppa.

They completed the entire process without getting flustered or impatient. Instead, they calmly pressed forward along the path they believed was right.

“Really, the world is wide and full of amazing people.”

The late summer sunlight stretched long across the road.

Watching people pass by, I felt how many extraordinary people there are in the world.

‘This contract was good luck.’

Knowing my first contract was with this kid, I felt a strange sense of reassurance. I even wondered if this might change the whole direction of the publishing house. Who knows, maybe Unreal Oppa will become the centerpiece of Pantheon Publishing.

If things go well and the company grows, I’ll have to repay Unreal Oppa in a big way.

The car, paused for a moment, started up again.

I can’t help but look forward to what comes next.