The Great Storyteller

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

From the cameras in his apartment to all the filming crew, the photographer, the publishing agent and the editor, everything looked as awkward as the clothes he was wearing, which he usually wore when going out. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long to get used to them.

“So, you revealed your identity recently,” the interviewer said, starting the interview off. Coming from a renowned magazine in the US, the interviewer brought up how the interview had become possible. Because Yun Woo had revealed himself, the young author and the interviewer were finally able to meet.

“And I’m sure most people know this by now,” he added. And just like he had said, most people knew what Yun Woo looked like now.

“I, personally, am curious about your life before you made your identity known, as in your life as the ordinary high school student by the name of Juho Woo. How did you bring it up to the people around you? I’m sure there was a handful of people around you who already knew who you were.”

“A few, yes.”

The interviewer started off with a subject that was both light-hearted and specific, and Juho decided to answer the question with one example in particular.”

“I have a friend who’s a serious bookworm. A fiend, really. I had already made my debut as an author when we first met, and he was just as much a bookworm than as he is now. Needless to say, we grew closer and spent more time talking about books.”

“Did you guys talk about Yun Woo at all?”

“We did talk about Yun Woo.”

“Were you at all worried that your friend might find out?”

“Not really, no.”

“What gave you the assurance?”

“The fact that I’m able to write in another style, different from Yun Woo’s. Even after reading my writing, he didn’t think I was Yun Woo.”

Being also aware of Yun Woo’s alternate writing style, the interviewer gestured to the young author to keep going.

“I decided to send a message when I was ready to share my story. There were some similarities between Yun Woo and Juho Woo, like age and writing skill.”

“So, your friend did catch on to something?”

“I think so. I think I might have given out some clues without knowing. I was planning on revealing myself eventually, after all.”

“So, how did you send a message to your friends?”

Juho chuckled quietly as he remembered how he had sent the message to his clubmates that he had been Yun Woo all along. Meanwhile, the interviewer seemed like he hadn’t expected the interview to be off to such an interesting start right off the bat. After all, surprises made life just a bit more interesting.

“Through my book. I included a message in the epilogue that only my friends and I would be able to recognize, and my bookworm friend didn’t let me down.”

Then, thinking that the young author might be referring to a book that he already knew, the interviewer asked, “And which book was that?”

“You probably heard of it. It was from a series called ‘Language of God.’”

“Huh!” he let out, genuinely caught off guard by the young author’s answer. ‘Language of God’ was Yun Woo’s most commercially successful series, and it was in the epilogue of that series that the hint regarding Yun Woo’s identity was hidden. It would be a sensation among fans if they were to find out.

“When was this?”

“When people still knew me as Won Yi Young.”

“Which means your friends already knew that you were Won Yi Young.”

“That’s right. And they also eventually learned that Won Yi Young and Yun Woo were the same person.”

“Haha! My goodness,” the interviewer let out, murmuring that he would love to interview the young author’s clubmates one day. While the interviewer and the crew were left astonished, Nam Kyung and Nabi, looking slightly smug, were enjoying the scene of the secret unfolding. Then, deriving a question from Juho’s answer, the interviewer asked, “What was the significance behind publishing under the name Won Yi Young?”

“I was already starting to make a name for myself as Yun Woo by that point, which came with a fair share of chaos. People were doubting my skill as an author on one hand, while enjoying my work on the other. I think it stirred up my competitive spirit when I heard people say that any book that bore my name would sell.”

“Was there a desire to keep yourself hidden? You stayed anonymous for quite some time, so you tend to have that image.”

“I think that, if anything, I wanted to reveal myself, which was why I presented myself in different ways. If I were to have revealed myself right off the bat, it would have solidified people’s first impressions of me as truth, which would consequently have made all the other ways I present myself false.”

“I see. That makes sense. Then, let me ask you this. Do you feel like you have a lot to show, Mr. Woo?”

“Yes. I mean, I can’t say that it’s anything special, but I don’t believe that there’s one single thing that can sum me up as a person. We all have thoughts in our minds that are constantly contradicting each other, which is proof that we’re multifaceted beings.”

At that, the interviewer dug deeper into Juho’s answer, and the young author focused on understanding and answering his questions thoroughly. After answering another question, Juho took a sip of water. There was still a ways to go with the interview.

“You know, the more we talk, the more it dawns on me just how good of a speaker you are, Mr. Woo. As far as I’m aware, you’re just as fluent in other languages as you are in English, right? And I believe you’ve done some translation?”

“I’ve translated one of Coin’s books into Korean and one of my own into English.”

“Being proficient at multiple languages is not easy by any means. Were you trained in any way?”

At the word ‘trained,’ Juho nodded at once, “Of course. One has to come across a language before they decide that they want to learn it. They have to learn to understand, read, and speak it. The only thing that sets me apart from everyone else is that that process happens just a tad quicker.”

“Are you just naturally talented?”

“Not at all,” Juho said clearly, and a skeptical look appeared on the interviewer’s face.

“But you seem to far surpass most people’s ability in that area.”

“That isn’t to say that I’m a natural. If that were the case, I would’ve picked up English at the age of two and learned about eleven more by four, making a name for myself as a child prodigy by the time I’m six. Which isn’t true, by the way.”

“Did you have no talent whatsoever in languages growing up?”

“My mother would always compliment me for reading backward.”

Since the interview wasn’t about how to learn a language, the interviewer moved on to another subject.

“Are you aware that Taylor Sanders has been speaking highly of your translation?”

“Yes. I found out that he brought me up in an interview.”

“You two collaborated on translating one of your novels, right?”

“Yes. It just happened that way.”

“I heard it was inevitable due to the nature of the book’s plot, which involved a drastic change in writing style toward the end. ‘Sublimation’ did cause quite the controversy.”

Then, the interviewer started asking more specific questions about the novel, which was still just as controversial to that day.

“I find the concept of changing writing styles within a novel difficult to grasp. Would you mind explaining that a little bit?”

Juho thought briefly about how far his answer would reach. After being translated into English, his answers would end up on the magazine, which would then be translated into multiple other languages. Those who were curious about Yun Woo were bound to get their hands on a copy.

“Yes, I’m aware of the controversies surrounding my writing style.”

“I don’t think it could be any other way, though,” the interviewer said, and it was true. As the young author was contemplating where to start, the interviewer asked, “So, how many writing styles do you have? Can you switch between them back and forth at will, like shifting to another gear on a bicycle?”

At that, Juho couldn’t help but laugh upon realizing just how little they knew about him.

“If only,” he said. Then, hoping that the message would get across as a whole, Juho chose the words carefully in his mind first.

“First, I want to establish that changing a writing style is anything but easy. The idea alone is extremely experimental in nature, and it’s not long until it ruins the flow of the novel and turns the entire plot into something completely irrelevant. I actually noticed a lot of inconsistencies while writing ‘Sublimation.’”

“But the change is still possible, right?”

“Otherwise, the novel would’ve looked entirely different from what it looks like now.”

“What’s it like to be able to write in multiple styles?”

It wasn’t a difficult question, “It feels like there’s an old man living inside of me.”

“… That’s an interesting analogy. Did you ever feel like your personality was being affected in any way?”

Juho had also been aware of the split-personality theory surrounding him. Wondering if the interviewer was joking, the young author studied the expression on his face, but he seemed to be genuine.

“Nothing like that, no. Striking a balance between the two writing styles was definitely a challenge, but it wasn’t to the point of developing a split-personality disorder.”

“When was it that you put the alternate writing style to use for the first time?”

“Are you aware that I used to be part of the Literature Club at my school?”

“Yes, I heard that you’d published a couple of short stories there.”

“That’s right. They’re being exhibited, even. As I mentioned earlier, people around me had no clue that I was Yun Woo, and that’s exactly how I wanted it. Do you know how I was able to make that happen?”

At that, the interviewer leaned forward slightly in order to listen to the young author closely.

“You wrote in a different writing style.”

“Exactly. I told myself that I could write, but I couldn’t let others find out who I was. And sure enough, when I tried it, it actually worked. I’ve come to realize that my alternate style carries a noticeably different feel, too.”

Then, a quiet exclamation came from his surroundings. Juho reminisced to what he had felt in the past. The memories of his past had been very much intact, even after he had come back to life after drowning in the river, and they had been vivid enough for him to put it into writing.

“You said something similar in a recent TV interview here in Korea. That was very very brief, but whatever you’re about to say might just scratch where it itches,” the interviewer said.

He had quite a few questions regarding the young author’s alternate writing style. However, being the professional interviewer that he was, he moved on quickly without lingering in the satisfaction of learning new information. Then, clearing his throat, he asked another question, “Among the many characteristics you have as an author, I believe change to be one of them. For example, your readers can probably get a glimpse of that in the transition between your debut title and your sophomore title, as well as the change in writing style in ‘Sublimation.’ What other things are you expecting to change in the future?”

“It could be anything. Nobody knows how situations, perspectives or the future might change.”

“You’d say that you’ve been writing pretty seamlessly up to this point, correct?”

“Relatively speaking, yes.”

“And you also write incredibly fast. Is there a certain pattern that you follow when writing, such as writing a set amount per day?”

“No, but when I’m really into it, there are times when I write for over eight hours a day.”

“So, you’re essentially pouring yourself out at that point,” the interviewer said. To which, the young author responded with silence. Then, the interviewer moved on to the next question, “Do you ever find yourself afraid that things might change?”

When Juho looked at the interviewer, he looked calm and composed.

“Fear, you say?”

“I mean, who knows what the future holds? Do you ever worry about being unable to write in the future?”

Juho glanced over the interviewer’s shoulder. Needless to say, both Nam Kyung and Nabi were looking quite displeased. Picking up the water bottle from underneath his chair, Juho took a sip, and as he was doing that, nobody said a word.

“I do come across as someone who’s made it big in life, huh?” the young author said, and the interviewer’s eyes shook ever so slightly.

“Mr. Woo, you’ve experienced incredible success at an early age. I think that, suffice to say, that’s the objective truth.”

“To an extent, sure. My books are selling well, and I have won awards, too.”

“Do you not consider yourself successful?”

“I think we should move on to another subject. I believe that what you’re really asking is whether I’m afraid of having succeeded in life at such an early age, if I’m afraid everything will vanish into thin air one day, right? Fear of loss, if you will.”

The interviewer hesitated at the young author’s slightly exaggerated statement but nodded soon after.

“To make a long story short, yes. I do have that fear,” the young author said. In fact, he had fear of both success and failure, and he was deathly afraid that everything in his life would slip right through his fingers one day.

“How do you feel when that fear creeps in?”

“It never comes with a warning.”

“Is there anything you do to help you overcome your fear?”

“Write,” Juho said.

“So, has writing proven to be an effective way of overcoming your fear?”

“I don’t know if overcoming is a good way to put it. Fear or terror are natural human emotions, and I don’t go out of my way to tackle them on purpose.”

“Than how does writing benefit you?”

“It brings me skills that make me a better writer,” the young author said and added without hesitation, “Similar to the fears I have of success and failure, I also have an irrational fear that my luck will just run out when I wake up one day. Luck is part of any result, and there’s simply no way around it. However,” Juho paused and looked around. There was one thing that never left his sight, no matter where he looked. Then, with a smile, he said, “Who would bother trying to steal all of these manuscripts?”