Manual Of The Forbidden - Ryeji

Chapter 30

The answering machine light was blinking when I got home. I had spent almost the entire morning wandering around my city in search of good photographs to take. I had only taken three in almost six hours. I approached and pressed the button to listen to the message as I grabbed a glass of water.

"Good morning Miss Hwang, or good afternoon according to when you hear my message. Your photograph has fascinated us, and we would like you to show us the entire collection. There is something special about that image, and we would be honored to see your work if you are interested in the exhibition. Please get in touch as soon as you hear this message. You know the company's phone number, ask for Mr. Jang. Have a nice day, goodbye."

The beep signaling the end of the message brought me back to reality. Which photograph? What exhibition is he talking about? Who is Mr. Jang? I hurried to the phone and scribbled down the number from that call on a piece of paper, then dialed it.

A female voice answered on the second ring.

—Babel Studio, how can I help you?

—Um... Is there a Mr. Jang I can speak to there?— I asked, terribly confused.

—Of course, right away.

—Thank you— I drummed my fingers on the table as I listened to the annoying melody through the phone speaker.

—Mr. Jang's office, how can I assist you?— another voice, higher pitched than the first, answered.

I frowned. Did everyone there answer the same way?

—Hello, could you connect me to Mr. Jang, please?

—Who is calling?

—Hwang Yeji.

—Oh, of course. Right away— he said and transferred the call for a shorter period than before.

—Miss Hwang, it's you— said the man's voice, hoarse and friendly.

—Um... yes, but I still don't understand who you are—, I muttered honestly.

—Well, I am the president of the photography exhibitions in this company, Jang Han-Seo.

My eyes widened. Jang Han-Seo, I had read about him a long time ago, he was the "producer" of the photography exhibitions that had gained the most fame in the country and not only there.

—Miss Hwang?— he asked, as I had become silent.

—I'm here— I mumbled. —But I still don't understand why you called me.

—Well, we saw your photograph. We loved it and...

—What photograph?— I interrupted.

—A young man came yesterday showing us a photograph that you took on your trip to England, London, according to what the boy told us.

My heart started pounding beneath my chest. Everything was suddenly making sense.

—To tell you the truth, the photograph is very good, and we think an exhibition with that type of photographs would be magnificent, but first, we want to see them all.

—Ah...

—If you're wondering how we got your phone number and name, well, let me tell you that you have a very... insistent friend— he chuckled throatily.

I fell silent for a moment, feeling all the pieces of the Eunwoo matter falling into place. He had taken one of my photos yesterday, and that same day he had taken it to Jang Han-Seo —someone who had never seen me before but had something to do with me— to give me the opportunity for an art exhibition, for photographs. That's why he didn't want to tell me, that's why that mysterious look when he saw the envelope...