Episode 47: Connections
Kang Lim decided to reply to the person he was most glad to hear from first.
[Sung Woojin: Hyung. How have you been? What are you up to?]
[Kang Lim: Yeah, it’s been a while. I’ve just been working as usual.]
[Sung Woojin: Wow, as expected… You’re amazing. I contacted you to ask something and to say thank you.]
[Kang Lim: What’s with the thanks? LOL]
[Sung Woojin: I’m really grateful. Thanks to you, people invited me to join a band that day, and when the news article went online, a major agency contacted me.]
[Kang Lim: A major agency? Which one?]
[Sung Woojin: YEONGI Entertainment! Isn’t it awesome? Actually, I want to do band music, but thinking about busking and working in the indie scene feels tough… So I wanted to ask what you think. I don’t have anyone else to ask for advice.]
[Kang Lim: Ah… No, not YEONGI. Never.]
[Sung Woojin: Why not? I’ll debut as an idol at first, but later they said I could release many solo albums. They said I could work as a singer-songwriter after that.]
[Kang Lim: Idol or not, that company is a no-go. If you go there, you’ll only end up in bad scandals.]
[Sung Woojin: Aren’t those just rumors?]
[Kang Lim: They might not be… Let’s just do a band. You’ll be really successful in a band. Your voice suits it.]
[Sung Woojin: Really?]
[Kang Lim: Of course. Absolutely. Your voice needs to be heard solo for three full minutes. Work hard and let’s aim for the Billboard charts.]
[Sung Woojin: LOL. Seriously, you’re the only one who speaks so positively to me.]
[Kang Lim: For real.]
[Sung Woojin: Got it. Then I’ll do the music I want to do.]
[Kang Lim: Yeah. Hang in there.]
[Sung Woojin: I’ll contact you once my songs are done.]
[Kang Lim: Sure.]
If he hadn’t seen that message, one person’s life could have changed drastically.
Kang Lim took a deep breath and sighed in relief.
He had saved an innocent lamb.
Next person.
[Hong Yoonki: Hey. How are you?]
‘Why is this hyung contacting me out of the blue? He disappeared after finishing his business…’
Kang Lim replied to Hong Yoonki, who contacted him after a long time.
[Kang Lim: Hyung, why didn’t you come to the after-party after finishing the business? I had dinner with Hye-rim noona and Professor Han Jung-pil.]
[Hong Yoonki: Oh man. I got fired, dude. Didn’t you hear?]
Oh dear, he did get fired in the end.
I thought he would do well since he worked hard this time…
Kang Lim felt a bit sorry for unintentionally hitting a sore spot.
[Kang Lim: You can work somewhere else.]
[Hong Yoonki: It’s fine. Don’t console me. I’m already working.]
People like him surprisingly have good connections.
He’s not very capable, but he knows many people.
To find a job immediately after being fired, quite impressive.
[Kang Lim: Congratulations.]
[Hong Yoonki: But… Can you do this job for me?]
What is he talking about now?
Kang Lim flatly refused.
[Kang Lim: …? No. I don’t want to.]
[Hong Yoonki: You don’t even want to listen…]
[Kang Lim: I’m not in need of money.]
[Hong Yoonki: Just think of it as helping me out… It’s just tutoring. A high-paying job for a rich kid. You only need to help with art school entrance exams once a week. Honestly, basic sketching and watercolor aren’t that hard. They even pay 2 million won a month.]
Wow. I didn’t know Hong Yoonki had the skills to teach art school entrance students.
Kang Lim was intrigued by this new fact.
Sketching and watercolor can be quite difficult.
But why is he passing on such a good job?
He still had his doubts, especially because it was Hong Yoonki speaking.
[Kang Lim: Why aren’t you taking that good job then, hyung?]
[Hong Yoonki: Geez, you’re so suspicious.]
[Kang Lim: Why are you quitting?]
[Hong Yoonki: I got accepted into the master’s program. I thought I’d fail, but I got in easily since it’s my alma mater. So I have to go back to the UK. But the art entrance exam for this kid is coming up soon…]
[Kang Lim: Are you kidding me? Is it a third-year middle schooler?]
[Hong Yoonki: Yeah. So please help out. There are only about two months left, just look after the kid for a bit. The kid draws really well.]
[Kang Lim: What if they blame me if the kid fails?]
[Hong Yoonki: Don’t worry. The family is super rich, if the kid fails the Korean art school, they’ll probably send them abroad. The mom is cool-headed too.]
[Kang Lim: Hmm…]
[Hong Yoonki: Seriously. You don’t have to feel any pressure. Just bring your recent work portfolio. Let’s meet in Pyeongchang-dong tomorrow.]
Once a week, 2 million won a month.
For two months…
Since he had already finished the paintings for his solo exhibition, should he give it a try?
Kang Lim pondered.
[Kang Lim: I’ll think about it for now.]
World Book Publishing on Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu.
Veteran graphic designers with 20 years of experience and illustrators who have won multiple international children’s book competitions gathered.
A total of 160 works were submitted for the competition.
After randomly sharing the books, they were reviewing the works to advance to the final round.
The principle was to select five works to move to the final round and share opinions, but in reality, the grand prize was often decided in this preliminary round.
Because everyone has the same discerning eye.
The World Book Publishing editor-in-chief, who was evaluating with them, spoke up.
“We originally started as a children’s book specialty publisher. Even now, we dominate the bestsellers from picture books to young adult novels. If you select excellent award-winning works, we will promote them vigorously.”
“Yes, we must. It would be great to meet a fantastic author.”
“They should have good works…”
The judges diligently flipped through the books.
However, even after quite some time, there were no standout works.
The editor-in-chief of World Book Publishing was starting to feel a bit uneasy.
Last year, they only published works without a grand prize, and he was worried it might happen again this year.
‘Sigh, that’s always the issue with competitions. If the work is complete, it’s not original, and if it’s original, it lacks completion…’
The nature of the competition was to discover new talents, so the publisher always hoped for a perfect new writer.
A new writer who could captivate children with fun, draw empathy, and have amazing illustrations.
As expected, the illustrator spoke in a tone that suggested their expectations weren’t being met.
“There are too many obvious works. This
In reality, many stories in children’s book competitions give off a forced sense of sentimentality.
If the sense of superiority in giving children a lesson is too strong, such works are produced.
However, children dislike stories that overtly try to teach them.
Because it feels like they’re being lectured.
The theme of a children’s book should be naturally embedded in a delightful story.
The graphic designer, judging alongside, agreed with the illustrator.
“Exactly.
Still, the two judges moved
The detailed depiction of wrinkled skin using twisted hanji was excellent for grandma.
And for Dongpali, the character made with thickly molded clay was unique.
However, the editor-in-chief didn’t want to choose a work that the judges didn’t like as the grand prize.
So he pushed the two books aside a bit.
“Oh, this one is not bad. The best I’ve seen so far.”
The illustrator picked up another book.
“This
The graphic designer immediately took the book handed by the illustrator and reviewed it.
“Oh… You’re right. It depicts various scenes from an alley through a cat’s perspective. The languid and dreamy colors match well with the cat. The bold composition that changes with the situation is also good. I especially like how it’s drawn with a sense of speed when it comes out to the road, making it feel dangerous.”
However, this still didn’t satisfy the editor-in-chief.
“The illustrations are good, but I wish there was a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. To captivate children with the story.”
The two judges nodded.
“True. We might like such books, but kids might find them boring.”
“So, you’re looking for a book with both a fun story and excellent illustrations… That’s really challenging.”
There’s a reason why many books have separate writers and illustrators.
It’s not easy to have talent in both areas.
Is there such a person…
The illustrator sighed and took out the last book of his assigned pile.
‘A Special Adventure?’
Interestingly, it was a very horizontally long book from the format itself.
‘Somehow… I have a good feeling. Not many illustrators consider the format, which means they pre-structured the composition.’
The illustrator quickly turned the first page.
The book made of smooth snow paper flipped over with a soft swish sound.
And the story of the turtle created by Kang Lim began.
From the day he lost the running race to the rabbit.
In an instant, the illustrator read through the story.
He instinctively knew.
This is definitely the grand prize.
Undeniably so for everyone.
“Editor! Designer! I found it. The star of the year.”
Without another word, the illustrator, who had been quietly flipping through the book, shouted, startling the other two.
Seeing his urgent expression, they quickly got up and went over.
The illustrator first explained how professional the illustrations were.
“The earlier book
The illustrator quickly flipped through the book as he spoke.
“And this turtle character has a three-dimensional personality. At first, he thinks he is useless, but through the journey, he realizes his worth at the end of the story. If you look here, the turtle at the beginning has heavy eyelids covering his large eyes as if he’s tired, but in the final scene, his eyes are sparkling with determination. The character portrayal according to the story structure is excellent.”
He flipped through to the middle sections and quickly opened the book.
“And the characters the turtle meets, like the old fox, the pink dolphin, and the baby mouse, are all perfectly characterized. Moreover, each character’s dwelling place is stunning, and the scenery itself reflects the character’s role and personality. The illustrations and text are precisely and cohesively matched.”
The illustrator showed the dark forest where the wise old fox lived.
The flower pond where the pink dolphin, feeling stifled, resided.
The underwater world where the baby mouse with dreams of adventure went.
“Wow…”
Maybe because of the unusual horizontal format.
The vast landscape journey of the turtle felt very immersive.
The graphic designer couldn’t believe his eyes.
The lack of original artwork meant it was 100% digital work…
But it felt like traditional hand-drawn illustrations.
Especially the dark forest where the old fox lived looked like an exquisite piece of oriental painting.
The densely drawn trees were rendered with bold strokes, and amidst them, a serenely glowing hermit’s house seemed to float.
And there was another crucial fact.
“My goodness… Look at the typography! Each character’s lines have different fonts, making it rhythmic and fun. It seems like those aren’t existing fonts but custom-made illustrations… It’s amazing.”
The editor-in-chief spoke in awe.
“I’ll take my time to read the story.”
The illustrations were undoubtedly superb, so the editor-in-chief quickly grabbed the book to check the story.
He hoped for a narrative filled with joy and hidden sharp lessons.
His heart raced at the thought of meeting the perfect new writer.
As he turned each page,
A smile gradually spread across the editor-in-chief’s face.
This was it.
The children’s book he had been searching for.
Kang Lim continued to form connections with his works, aiming to even present them at international book fairs.
