Chapter 199.

What? Dragon Rider? (5)   ‘No way...!’ Her limbs trembled.

Despite thinking that it was absurd, her chest was heaving violently.

The phone was still ringing on the table, with Oh Myung-Suk’s name showing on the screen.

“H-hello?” — I was about to hang up, seeing how you hadn’t picked up for a while.

Are you busy? “No...

Why did you call?” — I think you’re getting busy with The Breath for a while from now on.

You said you’d send me a copy of the translated copy when it’s done, but I haven’t heard from you.

Is this because it’s Laugh Book’s , and that's why you’re keeping it confidential from me? Oh Myung-Suk joked, but Chae Yoo-Jin did not respond to it.

Chae Yoo-Jin hadn’t contacted him ever since she returned to the States, as something had been tugging at her heart after they spent the night together in the hotel.

It was also out of consideration for him out of fear that he might feel uncomfortable.

— Hello? Yoo-Jin.

Are you listening?

“Y-yeah.” — You don’t sound good.

What happened? “It’s nothing.

I must be exhausted.” Chae Yoo-Jin beat around the bush since Oh Myung-Suk would be able to accept it regardless if it was the truth or not.

She very much wanted to hang up the call with him first.

Her hand did not leave her belly, and she wanted to uncover the identity of the strange feeling.

— Chae Yoo-Jin.

“Hmm?” Another strange feeling came to her.

Despite saying that she was tired, Oh Myung-Suk did not hang up and continued the conversation.

— There’s something I want to check with you.

“C-check...?” Was it because of this? Chae Yoo-Jin felt something tug at her belly.

— Yeah.

“What is it...? Tell me.” Chae Yoo-Jin gulped, waiting anxiously for his answer.

Looking back, Oh Myung-Suk had always been quick-witted since she met him at university.

His amazing intuition had surprised Chae Yoo-Jin countless times before.

— ...Are we really good staying like this? "...?" The anxiety that Chae Yoo-Jin ran down her spine disappeared completely.

Instead, the emotions that emerged afterward were too overwhelming.

— I just want to confirm that we're really fine staying like this.

The short line had numerous meanings behind it.

No one else would understand him aside from Chae Yoo-Jin, but there wasn't an answer she could give him yet.

The hand that was caressing her belly now wrapped her throbbing forehead.

Her boulder-heavy body fell into the chair.

“What do you mean?” Chae Yoo-Jin asked after barely managing to conceal her heavy breathing.

“Are you asking because of that night? Is that why you’re concerned? We’re both adults now, there’s no need to make a fuss over that.” — Who knows, I’m probably not as cool as you are.

Chae Yoo-Jin chuckled briefly.

“It’s not about that, and like you said, it’s just a one-night stand.

Isn’t it common in dramas where lovers who broke up long ago get swept away by the atmosphere and end up spending the night together? That’s how it was.

I’ve long forgotten about it.” — Really? Oh Myung-Suk’s question made her fume.

She couldn’t tell whether she was angry at herself or at him, but she suppressed it and said, “Yes.

And even if it wasn’t, are you going to get together with me again?” — Yoo-Jin....

“How are you going to persuade your father when I'm barren? Oh, or are you going to marry another woman, but you're going to keep on seeing me whenever you come to the States?” — Calm down, let’s talk calmly.

“You made me this way.

Didn’t I say that I was tired earlier? You would have hung up when I said that before.

Why are you bringing this up again when the answer is already there? — It’s not.

“What...?” — The answer isn’t fixed.

“What...

are you saying...?” — I’m saying that you’re still the most precious to me.

Chae Yoo-Jin’s eyes were filled with hot tears.

She hadn’t cried in a long time while living life ferociously.

She had bit her lips to the point of bleeding from the moment she left Korea and stepped on foreign soil.

She had decided back then that she would erase all the pathetic and sad past.

"Yes, President Kwon." — You picked up immediately.

What are you doing on the phone? "No, I was on a call earlier and still had my phone in my hand.

Please speak." — I'm calling to say that I've received a few documents regarding The Breath from Ms.

Chae Yoo-Jin, and one of the offers from the publishers caught my attention.

"Really? Which publisher is it from?" — They're called Open House...

They are a relatively small publisher, according to her, when compared to larger publishers like Knobble or Scholastic, but....

Kwon Tae-Won trailed off.

The sound of flipping pages could be heard.

— But their proposal is astounding.

They gave comments in detail from the first volume onward, which could amount to a full combined.

"That many comments?" — Yes.

Their sincerity is astonishing; they even marked out all the parts that would not work out well in the States.

Of course, they also provided ways to improve.

On top of that, I think they even flew over to L.A.

"L.A.? The employees from that publisher?" — The Breath originated from there, anyway.

They checked the text version of it and to see the readers' response as well, I think? "Hahaha..." Ha Jae-Gun burst into laughter in bewilderment.

Kwon Tae-Won chuckled on the other side of the line and continued, — Ms.

Chae Yoo-Jin also couldn't quite decide.

They are quite reliable in the genre market, but somehow, they don't have any representative s, so they aren't as popular as the others.

I'll send you the documents, so please take a look.

"I understand.

I'll take a look immediately." Ha Jae-Gun hung up and returned to his seat, accessing the web browser.

He clicked into his inbox while stroking Rika, who had climbed onto his lap, and saw the email from Kwon Tae-Won.

Review documents and proposal from Open House.

Kwon Tae-Won was right.

The attachment was over 120 pages long.

It included detailed suggestions from the first volume of The Breath all the way to the last volume.

'Ah, Soo-Hee, please come back quickly...!' The document from Open House was fully in English.

Ha Jae-Gun wrapped his throbbing forehead as he focused on the text.

It contained lots of technical terms that he felt like he was deciphering it rather than interpreting it.

"Jae-Gun hyung, are you not going for lunch?" "Something came up, so you can go have lunch with Hyun-Kyung," Ha Jae-Gun said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

The two took the hint and left quietly for lunch.

'This is incredible, really....' Ha Jae-Gun exclaimed just as he read around half of the document.

The opinion did not touch the foundation of the , but it was written fully from the ordinary American's perspective.

It had accurately poked the areas from the local market's perspective.

'This is astonishing.' Ha Jae-Gun was extremely touched.

It was still unsure whether they would end up signing a contract for the or not, so who would provide such an in-depth opinion? At the end of the document, Ha Jae-Gun saw an afterword from the president of Open House.

I would love to meet you and discuss the opinions I have written here.

We at Open House are also prepared to meet you in Korea whenever you are available.

Thank you for allowing us to read such wonderful work.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Bzzt! Ha Jae-Gun's phone rang once more, and Chae Yoo-Jin's name showed on the screen.

Ha Jae-Gun took his eyes off the screen and answered the call.

"Yes, Ms.

Yoo-Jin." — Hello, I'm unsure if you have heard from President Kwon yet, but Open House....

"I'm reading it now." Ha Jae-Gun gripped his phone tighter, and he smiled.

He recalled smiling like this when he first met Kwon Tae-Won.

It was a smile that a writer would make upon getting to know an editor-in-chief who had recognized the potential of their work.