Although literature has recently been in the spotlight due to the influence of the time traveler Moon ssi, it is nothing more than a temporary trend.
Since the unprecedented apocalyptic event, , literature has continuously been a non-mainstream culture.
But the world is vast, and there are many people.
If there are people who live their lives immersed in YouTube, then somewhere, there are people immersed in literature!
Literature, one of the oldest arts in human history, does not disappear easily.
There will always be people who want to indulge in old and traditional things.
Even in a distant future, where perfect virtual reality emerges and cyber electronic drugs with no side effects appear, literature will probably continue its legacy.
When theater first appeared in ancient Greece, didn’t sophisticated intellectuals lament that the young people of the time were distancing themselves from reading and getting close to shallow new cultures?
I can tolerate insults to my parents, but I won’t stand for insults to myself.
The number of times they fought in their previous life was truly countless. It felt strange that they had been getting along without fighting lately.
Moon In-seop even felt a sinister pleasure, as if he had returned to the old days.
On the other hand, this was the first fight for Gu Yu-na with Moon In-seop, but unlike her sister, she wasn’t particularly surprised.
When a friend who usually seemed gentle and older suddenly picks a fight, it could be confusing, but Gu Yu-na also had the warrior’s instinct that didn’t fear a bloody battle.
The ruthless reputation she had earned among her peers (second-year creative writing students) for her viciousness was not for nothing.
Thus, the fierce, bloody battle between Moon In-seop and Gu Yu-na took place.
The reason was, of course, a debate over the ending of ‘Isomer.’
“A happy ending is not acceptable!”
People misunderstood the joint authorship of ‘Isomer’, thinking that Moon In-seop was teaching Gu Yu-na. But that was wrong.
Moon In-seop merely nudged the dark, dormant inner force within Gu Yu-na off the cliff.
It was the twisted side of Gu Yu-na that was not understood by society and people—the world.
The twisted emotions that had been subdued by education and rounded off by love were once again sharpened by Moon In-seop.
Pointing to the blank canvas, he whispered.
‘Here, this is literature. From now on, you can do whatever you want here.’
Gu Yu-na’s sharp nature was unleashed from its chains.
That cold blade disassembled humanity without leaving anything behind.
「Human life can be translated into money. Han Ye-won’s life Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories. Of course, this wasn’t the only reason her parents abandoned her.」
「Ultimately, caring for the sick cannot continue without a certain level of internal fulfillment. When they could no longer achieve moral satisfaction from the illusion of diligently caring for their daughter, the caregiving ceased. This is where the effect of Han Ye-won’s siblings dissuading their parents reached.」
「According to my theory, they stopped caring for Han Ye-won the moment they found a substitute, me. It seemed they no longer felt the same love for a daughter who was no longer a proud public servant. Love is the strongest emotion, but ultimately, it is just an emotion. It changes in the end.」
「Here, I conceived another way to experiment with the equivalence of Health Teacher Han Ye-won and the incompetent Han Ye-won. When Han Ye-won was about to be expelled due to a lack of medical expenses, how much would her family be willing to pay? So I stopped paying her medical bills.」
Gu Yu-na meticulously disassembled the human beings she observed.
Not just bones and muscles, but something deeper within.
Family, affection, status, intelligence, physical body, productivity, health, self, sexual desire, morality, reputation, habits, appearance, soul….
On the literary experiment table of ‘Comparing Health Teacher Han Ye-won and the Incompetent Han Ye-won’, Gu Yu-na sharpened her doubts and contradictions without reserve.
Thus, contrary to popular misunderstanding, Gu Yu-na was the main author of ‘Isomer’. Moon In-seop was merely an assistant writer.
But then the assistant writer suddenly declared he would change the precious ending of the novel by 180 degrees.
Gu Yu-na couldn’t help but be enraged.
“The protagonist must die.”
“Only then will this experiment end.”
Gu Yu-na had already prepared the ending for the protagonist, who seemed somewhat similar to herself.
That ending was death.
The protagonist realizes that the incompetent Han Ye-won is not the isomer of Health Teacher Han Ye-won.
Humans are not creatures made of material. Nor are they beings made of others’ perceptions and social status. They are beings made solely of their actions and will.
Therefore, the incompetent Han Ye-won, who cannot love herself, cannot become the health teacher Han Ye-won, whom the protagonist longed for.
The isomer was himself.
Lovers who loved each other are the same but different beings.
Therefore, when Health Teacher Han Ye-won broke down, the protagonist broke down with her.
Thus, the protagonist disappears into the void where his other half exists. By killing himself.
The incompetent Han Ye-won, left alone in the hospital room, only grins vacantly, eternally waiting for a guardian who will never return.
That’s how ‘Isomer’ ends. With suspense quietly sinking into the black sea….
This was Gu Yu-na’s art.
Moon In-seop ruthlessly shattered the perfect aesthetics of death.
Gu Yu-na was furious. She did not hold back.
“How can you turn this into a happy ending?”
Moon In-seop had made the protagonist continue the experiment.
He made the endless experiment go on forever, ending the story with a half-hearted compromise.
No one could guess what they were thinking, as the two continued their eternal experiment in the peaceful, warm hospital room.
Whenever Han Ye-won acted similarly to how she did in the past, the protagonist would simply smile quietly.
In their world, forever.
Gu Yu-na could not accept this.
Living happily ever after—seriously?
Are you writing a fairy tale now?
Why would you destroy the suspense carefully built from the beginning of the novel with your own hands?
Gu Yu-na, who initially couldn’t understand Moon In-seop, now felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal.
But then, at a certain moment, she saw Moon In-seop’s expression and couldn’t continue speaking.
Moon In-seop smiled with a sorrow that Gu Yu-na could hardly fathom.
“Death is not an easy way out.”
Gu Yu-na had already prepared the ending for the protagonist, who seemed somewhat similar to herself.
And Moon In-seop had already prepared the ending for Han Ye-won, who seemed somewhat similar to Gu Yu-na.
No, from the beginning, Han Ye-won was exactly Gu Yu-na.
Going backwards through time, the existence of Gu Yu-na, who had changed so much, was the isomer that Moon In-seop was looking at.
This brings up a question.
Are the past or future Gu Yu-na and the present Gu Yu-na—
Moon In-seop already knew the answer.
Moon In-seop stopped the playful fight and smiled gently. Gu Yu-na couldn’t rebel against that smile. It was like seeing an adult who was gently admonishing her.
“Health Teacher Han Ye-won and the incompetent Han Ye-won are the same being.”
“The protagonist can’t give up on Han Ye-won. That’s what love is. No matter how the other person changes… you can’t help but cling to the hope until the very end.”
“So, no matter what standards the world applies, Han Ye-won will always be the same to the protagonist.”
Gu Yu-na looked at Moon In-seop, who was waiting for her answer. Fortunately, she had many words ready to pour out at any moment.
But with that expression, with Moon In-seop’s sorrowful eyes, she couldn’t say anything. Why? Something indescribable seemed to grip Gu Yu-na.
Whether the emotion Gu Yu-na felt at that moment was a miraculous inspiration flowing through the cracks of time or just her own delusion, she would never know.
But what was clear was that Gu Yu-na managed to understand Moon In-seop’s feelings to some extent.
Having read Moon In-seop’s earnestness, Gu Yu-na gave up on changing the ending he proposed. How could she be stubborn when her friend pleaded so desperately?
Gu Yu-na unclasped her arms and let out a deep sigh.
Then she plopped down on the bed.
Seeing this, Moon In-seop smiled.
Moon In-seop shrugged his shoulders with a blooming smile.
“And well… not all psychopaths I know were villains.”
Moon In-seop, who had achieved the ending he wanted, looked genuinely happy.
Gu Yu-na gnashed her teeth as she watched him.
“The ending. It’s the worst.”
As always, Moon In-seop read her mind like a ghost.
“Which means you liked everything else?”