The Great Storyteller

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

‘”Language of God,” the Movie! Is It Finally Happening? Contract for the Movie Rights Reported Being in Discussion. Fans Getting Fired Up with Excitement!’

‘Zara Jenkins Reported to Direct the Long Sought After “Language of God” movie.’

‘Negotiations in Progress? What Does Yun Woo Have to Say About This? How Much Will the Movie Rights Go For?’

‘Yun Woo, Reported being in Germany, Remains Silent about the Film Adaptation of “Language of God.” Did He Know It Was Going to Happen?’

‘Who is Zara Jenkins? A Handsome Former Actor Turned Director. The Genius Behind Some of the Most Recognized Movies.’

‘The Dramatic Encounter of Zara Jenkins and Yun Woo at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The Riddle Has Been Solved! How Will Their Story End?’

‘The Meeting of the Two Geniuses. What Will the New Film Adaptation of Yun Woo’s Most Beloved Series, “Language of God,” Look Like? Will It Follow in the Footsteps of “Trace of a Bird?”‘

‘Christmas Came Early This Year! The Long Awaited “Language of God” Movie Is Finally Happening! Will the Publisher Give an Update on the Sequel?’

‘Next Stop, Hollywood! How Far Will It Go? The Influence of Yun Woo’s Books.’

‘Hollywood Meets ‘Language of God!’ What Should We Expect from the Movie?’

‘The Recent Announcement of the ‘Language of God’ Movie Leaves Fans on the Edge of Their Seats. Fans React.’

‘An Interview with Sang Young Ju. What Does It Mean to Turn a Novel into a Movie?’

“Film Adaptation? Did they just say film adaptation?”

“Zara Jenkins is the director? This is insane. Now, I HAVE to go see it.”

“Finally! I thought it’d be awesome to see the book get made into a movie when it first came out. I’ve been waiting for so long!”

“Good. I was starting to get ticked off with all the waiting. I was wondering why the studios weren’t getting on this sooner! Then, all of a sudden, Zara Jenkins. All this waiting is finally paying off!”

“Zara and Yun Woo, huh? I wonder how he’ll go about turning ‘Language of God’ into a blockbuster movie. I sure hope he doesn’t go overboard with CGI.”

“I’m sure he’ll do fine. Zara Jenkins is one of the best directors out there. Considering the nature of the series though, I think it’s really important that they capture how the characters grow and mature. In which case, I don’t think anyone’s better suited for the job than Jenkins.”

“Wonder what the movie will be like! I hope it doesn’t reflect badly on the original in any way, though.”

“I mean, given that Zara Jenkins is directing it, we probably won’t have to worry about him screwing it up. I do think that they’ll make changes here and there, as with most film adaptations.”

“I think that’s inevitable. People are bound to compare the film adaptation to its original counterpart. I wonder if the movie will surpass the original, though?”

“Probably not? That’s a tall order.”

“Zara Jenkins might be able to pull it off.”

“I feel like movies based on novels are really hit-or-miss.”

“I agree, but I am looking forward to seeing real-life actors speaking those languages!”

“Those languages were so realistic! He even described how the words were pronounced. I think that’s what really makes ‘Language of God’ so charming and special. I’m sure Jenkins will do well.”

“Wonder where they’re shooting. I’m so excited that I get to see those locations with my own eyes.”

“Wouldn’t they have to work with the author on that?”

“But wasn’t Yun Woo really hands-off with the ‘Trace of a Bird’ movie?”

“He was! I wonder if he’ll be the same this time.”

“Personally, I just want the sequel.”

“Ditto.”

“I’m so curious. Whatever the story’s like, I’m getting it.”

“As long as it takes place in that same world, I’m on board.”

“He did say that he wanted to write about the past.”

“When is it coming out? Anybody know?”

“I was expecting the sequel to come out first since it’s so popular all across the globe, but surprise, surprise.

“I don’t care if it’s the movie or the sequel. I want them all!”

…

—

“Ah! I didn’t even get to say hi to you back then!”

“Why are you here?” Coin asked, looking at Jenkins, who was opening the door for him. His understanding was that the room belonged to another person.

“Hey, there,” Juho said, coming out of the bedroom unhurriedly. Observing him, Coin replied, “I guess I’m in the right place.”

“Of course. I’ve been staying in this hotel this entire time.”

As Coin stepped inside, his face twisted into a scowl at the sight of the state of the room. There were empty glass bottles on the table and rolling around the floor. Clicking his tongue, he asked, “How much did you have to drink?”

“I didn’t.”

“I’m the person you’re looking for, I believe,” Jenkins said, throwing his hand up in the air, looking somewhat proud.

Looking up and down at him, Coin replied, “You seem fine considering how much you’ve had to drink.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I was so hungover yesterday that I could hardly get out of bed all day. Except for when I had to go throw up, that is. Isn’t that how one should drink, though? It’s like the thorn of a rose if you will. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“I don’t get why he doesn’t drink in his own hotel room,” Juho murmured. Jenkins had been visiting the young author’s room constantly, and the reason was obvious. However, Juho, who had things to do, couldn’t afford to spend the entire day solely on accommodating the director. In the end, he had let the director stay in the living room while he, himself, went into a room and concentrated on his research. That same night, after making an excuse that he was much too drunk to go back to his hotel room, Jenkins spent the night at the young author’s hotel room. On top of that, he had ended up spending yet another day in the hotel room’s living room, hung over. Since the director actually hadn’t looked that good, Juho had had no choice but allow him to stay.

“Mr. Jenkins is a very interesting person. Especially when he’s drunk,” the young author said.

When drunk, Jenkins tended to get even more talkative. While Juho had been researching in the room, he had heard the director rambling on about something for hours on end, which made the young author forget that Jenkins was actually drinking by himself. However, once reaching a certain point, the situation took an unexpected turn. Having realized that it was completely silent in the living room, Juho walked out of the bedroom to see if the director had fallen asleep. However, to his surprise, he had found Jenkins trying to crawl into tight spaces under the desk or inside the closet, as if his memories of being in his mother’s womb were still intact.

“Although, not the most dignifying sight.”

Juho had watched the director ram his head against the couch repeatedly for some time. While he told the story, Jenkins cackled.

“Well, at least I’m not going around picking fights with people, or anything like that. My drinking habit isn’t so bad, don’t you think? Clothes can always be washed.”

Coin shoved his hands in his pockets. Offering him a seat, Juho asked, “Coffee?”

“I brought mine,” Coin said, pushing the empty bottles off the table in order to make room for his thermos. The sharp clinking sound echoed through the room.

“Huh! You carry coffee with you, huh?” Jenkins asked, staring intently at the thermos. Without giving an answer, Coin opened the lid of his thermos irritably and poured the hot liquid into his mouth.

“You make it seem like you’re having a drink. May I have a cup, please?”

At that, Coin glared fiercely at Jenkins, and the director immediately backed down, saying, “On second thought…”

“I thought you two knew each other.” Juho said after watching their interaction.

“I’ve seen him around at events. I saw him up close for the first time at the book fair,” Coin replied.

“You know, I was going to write you an email,” Jenkins said.

“An email?”

“To ask you to introduce me to Yun Woo. Oh! I wanted to talk to you too, of course.”

While Jenkins rambled on, Coin listened to him with a blank expression on his face, slamming his hand on the table from time to time. Seeing that, Juho sat slightly further away from him.

“You’re quite the loquacious type, Mr. Jenkins,” Coin said.

“I get that a lot, actually! Makes my day every time!’

Then, Coin asked the young author, “Are you really gonna leave this guy in charge of your movie?”

“Sure,” Juho replied, and Coin gave him a disgruntled look. Then, Jenkins objected to his question, saying, “Everyone was excited to hear about the movie! For those who know me… Wait a minute, have you not seen my movies?”

“No, I haven’t,” Coin said.

“Not a movie person, I see.”

“Just not yours.”

“Yet, how can you dislike my movies when you haven’t even seen them?”

“I can’t stand unicorns either. I don’t have to have seen something to not like it, do I?”

Jenkins blinked awkwardly with his mouth agape, but said shortly after, “You hate what?! How can anyone possibly hate unicorns!?”

Juho looked at the door to the bedroom, which was parted open slightly. Although the bedroom itself was far from being tidy, it seemed like the most peaceful spot in the that hotel room.

“So, any progress?” Coin asked, and Juho turned toward his voice. Coin was looking away from Jenkins on purpose.

“Some. Things are definitely becoming clearer as I gather more information. I still have a long way to go, though.”

“For how much longer are you planning on staying in Germany?”

“Until I find everything I’m looking for. I’m not in a hurry.”

Then, Juho asked Coin the same question, asking how long he was planning on staying in the country.

“I’m gonna take some time to go around the country,” Coin replied.

Then, the director interjected, saying, “Try Füssen. You won’t be disappointed. Especially the Alps and the lakes.”

“… That’s where the castle is, right?” Juho asked.

“That’s right.”

“Are you planning on visiting other countries too?” Coin asked the young author without even bothering to look at Jenkins.

At that, Juho smiled awkwardly and answered, “No. I’m not.”

“Why not? If you’re doing research on war, you could visit the States at some point. Didn’t we talk about this?” Coin asked.

“We did,” Juho replied. Although that had been his idea initially, he had changed his mind since then.

“After spending some time here, I came to realize that I didn’t have to travel that far.”

“Ah! Korea,” Jenkins let out, interjecting yet again while nodding. Lately, Juho had been studying anything and everything even remotely related to war. The more he learned about Germany’s history with war, the more he realized how relevant it was to Korea, which was also a country with its fair share of wars.

“I suppose that would be more convenient for you. It’d be easier to find inspiration, too.”

“Right.”

Then, Juho brought up something he had been meaning to do since the moment he had come back from the dead: “I’m going into the military.”

As the air sank into silence, Juho felt the empty gazes of those in the room on him.

“… What?”

“The military. I’ve been meaning to serve early and get it out of the way. I figured now was a perfect time to do that.”

Furrowing his brow, Coin asked, “Is Korea under a conscription system?”

“It is. I have a feeling that I’ll end up touching upon drafting and recruiting.”

The director screamed at the unexpected news, stammering, and Coin gave him a pitiful look.

“But what about the movie!? There’ll be times when I’ll need your opinions! The settings, the depictions, and ESPECIALLY the language! I’m not some linguistics magician like you!” Jenkins said, bringing up both the script and casting in addition to his arguments.

“The book should have all the information you need, including all the pronunciations. Besides, there’s the offshoot volume.”

“But I want to be as detailed as possible when it comes to the languages!”

“You know how uninvolved I was with the last movie, don’t you, Mr. Jenkins?”

“But this is different! I thought you said you weren’t looking for significance in movies anymore!?”

“You’re right. It is a different situation. I’m going into the military.”

Jenkins threw his head back while clasping it and protested, “What the hell’s going on!? The military!? This is absurd!”

Never in his directing career had Jenkins come across an author who went into the military. However, Juho had no choice. He was legally obligated to do so. If anything, it was better to go sooner than later. ‘Can’t believe I’m doing this again,’ Juho thought to himself, bitterness lingering in his mouth.

“Don’t go. I beg you,” Jenkins said desperately.

“It’s a duty every Korean man has to carry out,” Juho said, staring into the air.

“A duty?”

“Yes. It’s a basic obligation. It has to be done.”

Although it made things easier if one was more willing to go into the military, that was hardly the case. Similarly, Juho wasn’t particularly fond of the military. The strict ranking system was simply not attractive to the young author because it was a system in which there would always be people who suffered, which was the case with most communities, unfortunately.

“When are you going? Which month? Day? Time?” Coin asked.

“It’s hard to say before I get a written notice.”

“It’s not gonna be tomorrow, is it?”

“I doubt it.”

Then, Juho saw the director rubbing his hands together anxiously, determined to make the most out of the little time he had with the young author. Despite the nonchalant answer he had given to the director, Juho was also well aware of the nature of his novel series. On top of that, he was also intending to cooperate to some extent. Rubbing his mouth, Coin asked, “How long do you have to serve for? What’s the structure like there? Are there any more details? You said every male has to go.”

Juho answered him to the best of his knowledge. It was understandable that Coin would be so curious. The system was quite different from the one used in the States.

“It’s not like Korea’s at war. I find it odd that they follow a conscription system.”

“The US switched to a volunteering system after the Vietnam War, right?”

“Israel follows a conscription system, too.”

“Because they’re always in conflict with Palestine.”

Naturally, the conversation that had initially started with the subject of war changed to one about peace. Nobody wanted war. In fact, everyone wanted to live in everlasting peace, in a world free of war or any sort of conflict. Then, whistling as if reaching a realization, Jenkins said, “So, does that mean Yun Woo’s going on hiatus?”