Chapter 5 – First Pages, First Steps
— Hey... wake up.
A soft voice pulled him out of sleep.
Jin Ha-Joon opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the bright hospital lights. Jin-Ah sat in the chair beside his bed, holding a cup of juice and wearing her usual calm smile.
— You promised you'd have a full chapter ready today, remember? — she said, raising an amused eyebrow.
He brought a hand to his forehead and chuckled quietly.
— Already getting pressured by an editor? That was fast…
— Consider it your talent test. If I like it, you live. If it's bad… well, you'll need more energy to recover.
Ha-Joon slowly sat up, his body still aching. He reached for the folder where he had carefully kept the manga pages he'd drawn over the last few days. Taking a deep breath, he handed them to her.
— Here they are. The first three chapters.
Jin-Ah took the pages delicately, adjusting her posture in the chair. The room fell silent. Only the soft sound of paper turning could be heard.
Ha-Joon watched her every reaction. Her eyes widened at times, she held her breath, and the corners of her mouth would curl slightly. She was completely absorbed.
But then, something strange happened.
Ha-Joon felt the air shift slightly, as if the room had warmed. And for a brief moment, he saw... a light.
Faint. Almost imperceptible. But it glowed softly around Jin-Ah as she read, as if the pages in her hands were alive. As if they were reacting to her emotions.
He blinked, and the light vanished.
When Jin-Ah finished reading, she stared at the last page in silence for a few seconds.
— This is... incredible. — she said softly, almost in shock.
— You liked it?
She nodded firmly, still absorbed.
— I didn't just like it. I felt like I was inside the story. Like I've known these characters for years.
He smiled. But inside, the chill remained. What he saw — that light — couldn't have been just his imagination.
— Then... I think it's time. — he said, struggling a bit to stand.
— Time for what?
— To try publishing. If more people read it... maybe I'll find out just how far this can go.
Jin-Ah helped him into a light jacket and carefully organized the pages back into the folder.
— If this works... you're going to get really famous. — she said, smiling.
— Or at least pay a few bills — he replied, laughing with her.
They walked toward the hospital elevator. Jin-Ah pressed the button and crossed her arms impatiently.
— We're going to be late if you keep dragging your feet.
— You're in a hurry today, huh? — he said with a tired smile as he stepped into the elevator.
They descended together to the ground floor. When the doors opened, Ha-Joon was met with an unexpected sight.
Sung Jin-Woo stood there in the lobby. Sweaty, breathless, like he'd just finished a heavy workout.
— Brother? Where were you? You're soaked! — Jin-Ah asked, concerned as she approached him.
— Sorry… I was training. — Jin-Woo replied, trying to keep his composure.
Then his eyes met Ha-Joon's.
— Are you okay? — Jin-Woo asked sincerely. — You were seriously hurt during that last attack.
Ha-Joon felt a weight in his chest as the memory of how it all began came rushing back.
— I'm fine. But... what about you? I heard from the nurses your team got caught in a double dungeon. Are you really okay?
For a moment, Jin-Woo's eyes lost focus. He remembered the darkness. The sounds. The panic. His face paled slightly.
But he forced a smile.
— I'm alright.
Jin-Ah frowned, noticing her brother's expression.
— Are you sure, brother?
Ha-Joon looked at the two of them, sensing the tension, and quickly tried to change the subject.
— I'm going to quit being a hunter. I'm too weak. An E-rank like me risks his life even in low-level raids. So… I'm going to draw now. Making this my life.
Jin-Ah nodded firmly.
— He's coming with me to the publisher. Want to come?
Jin-Woo thought for a moment, then shook his head.
— No. You two go. I still want to rest before the next one.
He stepped into the elevator. The doors closed.
Ha-Joon looked after them for a moment, thoughtful.
— So, shall we? — he asked.
— Yes! — Jin-Ah replied with a smile, pulling him by the arm.
Outside, they hailed a taxi. The morning traffic was heavy, but Ha-Joon barely noticed. The glow from those pages still danced in his mind.
Jin-Ah seemed excited.
— That's the publisher. — he said as they stepped out of the car, looking up at the tall building ahead.
— Then let's go in. — she replied with determination.
And so, those first steps out of the hospital weren't just toward a publisher.
They were toward something much greater.
Ha-Joon still didn't understand what that light was. He didn't know what caused the warmth in the air, or the chill that ran through him every time someone read his story with emotion.
But one thing was certain.
The story he was creating... was starting to come to life.
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"Thank you for following this fanfic. I invite you to discover my original work, Spirit of Gods and Demons: The Legend Continues, where a new and powerful journey awaits you."
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