ALL BARK NO BITE | SADISTIC BEAUTY SPINOFF

Chapter 28

6 YEARS AGO

~ Hanguk University, Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Minho's days had become easier after a while. The million won reward money helped him to no end. With the scholarship aiding his tuition, he could comfortably pay his housing and send the rest home for his family and other maintenances.

For a while, he was at peace with his world, where his mother insisted that he be the achiever for the family and bring fortunes to support them, where his classmates expected him to be the cool, all-rounder who played sports well and could write to win. He was everything they looked up to him for. He fit the bill.

He too, started seeing himself as someone worthy of attention, of love and touch, someone who is an asset to a relationship instead of a liability with no resources. He had to admit it, everything seemed better after the competition that he so adamantly insisted was the most horrid thing to have ever happened to him.

There was this one thing...

****

A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE COMPETITION RESULT

~ Dean's office, Hanguk University, Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Minho was a frequent visitor to the Dean's office. Usually, it was for the excruciatingly humiliating task of answering for his late fees. This overlapped with the times when there was trouble at home and he would have to part with a chunk of the money earned from his part-time jobs.

If losing hard-earned money He hated turning up with excuses as the administration gave him dirty looks while the Dean patronised him to no end. But today was different. The reward money was already taking care of his tuition fee but he was told that someone wished to speak to him over an urgent matter.

Minho bit his thumb in anxiety. Had he slipped up? Was he going to be disqualified from the competition? Did Wookyung tell them that he hadn't independently written his story... that he edited it for him?... a teacher stepped out of the Dean's office, gesturing for him to go inside.

Minho rubbed his eyes behind his glasses, concealing his jitters, getting up and gingerly entering the office to find the Dean in the company of a much older gentleman. "Good morning, Byun Minho" he said without turning around, calling his over to a chair adjacent to him.

His voice sounded familiar.

"Good morning... Sir" Minho bowed, shuffling forward and sitting down on the chair to come face to face with none other than the head of Sinwan Publishing House, the old and wise, Mr. Wang Kwangseok. Minho almost stood back up out of respect but something about him read more as friendly than authoritative.

"I heard that you are the esteemed winner of Hanguk University's, very prestigious, Annual Writing Competition... it's nice to finally meet you" he had a warm bearing, his hands resting on top of a crossed leg. "Y-yes sir..." Minho stuttered and looked down at the floor "I guess so..."

"Do you have any other company or journal that is publishing your work, Minho?" he asked and Minho shook his head. The Dean looked like he hated not being the centre of attention for once "Actually Minho prefers not to share his wonderful work with us since-" he started with a fake smile but the Editor gestured for him to stop talking, turning his attention entirely to Minho.

"You know..." Mr. Wang started with an air of experience and wisdom "I always feel like us publishers have a very bland, intermediary job, a job that is rather inferior to writing itself. Only yesterday, a fellow friend of mine pointed out how we basically cling onto real talent and scrape the benefits without adding much to the process" he raised his brows