Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 303

Dark of the Darkness was a rather old comic book. First published about eleven years ago, it was discontinued after only five volumes due to poor sales. Nowadays, only a small number of dedicated fans still remembered it.

After reading Dark of the Darkness, Hakase had once searched online to see if its author, “King of Darkness,” had published any subsequent works. When he found out there were none, he’d been deeply disappointed. To make matters worse, the publishing company had also gone out of business.

But one day, while Do-Jun was drinking at the food stall, he saw Hakase humming cheerfully while washing dishes.

“You look like you’re in a good mood,” he remarked, glancing over at Hakase.

“I heard some good news.”

“What news?”

“The publishing company that released Dark of the Darkness is back in business. I checked again today, as I usually do, just in case I get lucky, and their website actually came up. They’ve shifted their focus to webtoons, but it’s definitely the same company.”

“Is that so?” Do-Jun chuckled lightly in response. “What about the author? Any updates?”

“The company sent a letter to the author just yesterday. Apparently, they hadn’t been able to get in touch until now. They said they’ll pass along a response if the author gets back to them.”

Still humming, Hakase wiped down the tables where customers had been sitting.

For a moment, Do-Jun found himself wondering just what kind of person the author of Dark of the Darkness could be.

***

The next afternoon, the sun shone brightly as Byeol made her way home from the daycare.

“See you tomorrow, So-Mi!” she said happily.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow!”

Her best friend, Yoo So-Mi, lived nearby, so they often walked home together. Byeol waved until So-Mi disappeared into her apartment complex, then continued on her way until she reached the apartment door.

A man wearing a vest with a swallow emblem was ringing the doorbell.

“Ah! It’s the maiwman Mistah!” Byeol exclaimed, toddling over to the mailman, who smiled upon seeing her.

“Well, hello there, Byeol! Just got back from daycare?”

“Yup! Do we have any maiw?”

“Haha. Sure do.”

“Whose is it?”

“It’s for your dad. But since he’s not home right now, can you take it and give it to him?”

The mailman handed Byeol the envelope. She peeked at the sender’s name. It read: Yeongwang Publishing.

***

After finishing the lunchtime rush of orders, Hakase stepped out of the food stall and made a phone call. After a few rings, a voice answered from the other end.

—Hello, this is Yeongwang Publishing.

“Hello! This is Hakase. I called yesterday. I wanted to ask if you’ve heard from the author of Dark of the Darkness yet?”

—Ah, hello again! We haven’t spoken directly, but hold on a moment... Hmm, it seems like they should have received our letter by now.

“Really?” Hakase clenched his fist in excitement. “C-could I ask a favor? If you do get in touch with the author, could you ask if they’d be willing to sign my first-edition copy? I’ve got it in my collection, and I’d love to get it signed...”

—Of course, that’s no problem at all. I’ll be sure to ask when they come by.

***

As soon as Do-Jun stepped inside the apartment after work, Byeol handed him the envelope.

“Daddy, you got a wetter,” she said.

“A letter?”

“Yeah! The maiwman Mistah gave it to me!”

Seeing the sender’s name—Yeongwang Publishing—caused Do-Jun to tilt his head in confusion.

Why would a publishing company send me a letter?

He opened the envelope and started reading the letter.

To the Author of Dark of the Darkness,

First of all, we sincerely apologize for not being able to contact you for so long...

Due to the economic downturn and changes in the publishing market, we had to halt operations for a while. Since then, we’ve shifted our focus toward webtoons...

Please feel free to reach out to us whenever it’s convenient for you.

Finishing the letter, Do-Jun ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on the sofa. He glanced at the envelope again, convinced it must have been delivered by mistake. The envelope had his name printed on it.

“To: Mr. Lee Do-Jun”

No matter how many times he checked, his name still appeared clearly as the recipient. Suppressing the complicated emotions stirring within him, Do-Jun saved the phone number listed at the end of the letter into his smartphone.

“Master, you seem a little pale... Is something wrong?” Karsiel approached him cautiously.

“No, it’s nothing,” Do-Jun replied, shaking his head.

***

The next day, after taking the morning off, Do-Jun headed to Guro Digital Complex. He arrived at one of the many office buildings and rode the elevator to the thirteenth floor. A sign saying “Yeongwang Publishing” welcomed him near the entrance. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the office.

“Ah! You must be the author of Dark of the Darkness! We’ve been expecting you,” a man greeted him.

The mention of Dark of the Darkness caused several employees to glance up from their desks, their eyes settling on Do-Jun. Feeling an unexpected wave of embarrassment, Do-Jun maintained a composed expression and gave a small nod.

The man who introduced himself as the editor-in-chief sized him up with a smile. “You’ve grown quite a lot, Mr. Lee!”

“Sorry, but have we met before?” Do-Jun asked.

“Yes, of course. Though it’s been a while. If I recall correctly, you were still in middle school when you were active. I was your editor back then. Don’t you remember?”

Do-Jun shook his head.

“Well, a decade is a long time; it’s understandable. Haha. Anyway, please come this way. I’ll show you to the meeting room.”

Once inside the meeting room, the editor placed volumes one through five of Dark of Darkness on the table. Flipping through the comic book, Do-Jun let out a faint hum. To be honest, nothing about it felt familiar. He couldn't help but wonder if he had truly written Dark of Darkness in the past. Yet, the contract the editor showed him clearly bore his name and his resident ID number.

The editor-in-chief said warmly, “This brings back memories. You came to our publishing house when you were in eighth grade, right? Wearing a black cape over your school uniform, carrying the manuscript for Dark of Darkness... M-Mr. Lee?”

Do-Jun pressed his fingers against his temples.

Eighth grade. A black cape. Dark of Darkness.

It was a so-called “dark past.” Though he couldn’t remember it, the evidence was undeniable.

“Please continue...” he requested.

“Yes, of course. As I mentioned in the letter, we’re focusing on the webtoon business these days. Since e-books are more popular now, the demand for print editions has decreased. That’s why Yeongwang Publishing would like to adapt Dark of Darkness into a webtoon series. If you give us the green light, we’ll start production immediately.”

Do-Jun hesitated for a moment. Dark of Darkness was something his younger self had poured his heart and soul into. If he declined the offer, the story would never see the light of day as a webtoon. With time, it would likely fade into obscurity.

What was I feeling when I wrote this? Do-Jun was genuinely curious. Still, this is also part of my past.

Whatever the case, one thing was clear: at fifteen, eighth-grade Lee Do-Jun had been so determined to share his work with the world that he had personally approached a publishing house. Do-Jun didn’t dwell on it for long. After all, he was going to remain anonymous.

He agreed, “Alright.”

“Excellent choice, Mr. Lee! I have no doubt the webtoon adaptation will be a hit. I guarantee it. The story fits perfectly with modern tastes. Even the slightly cringeworthy parts will work in its favor.”

The editor-in-chief quickly retrieved the webtoon contract. After carefully reviewing the document, Do-Jun confirmed there were no unusual terms and signed it. The contract outlined the revenue-sharing ratio for profits generated from the webtoon.

“By the way, do you have any plans for your next work?” the editor-in-chief asked.

“It would be difficult. I don’t write or draw anymore.”

“Understandable. It’d be tough to balance both while working as a civil servant. Still, if you ever decide to start another project, please let us know. We’d love to support you.”

A thought crossed Do-Jun’s mind. Had his younger self dreamed of becoming a comic artist? He had drawn five entire volumes. It couldn’t have just been a phase. Still, he couldn’t remember those childhood days. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall, but quickly gave up.

“Well, then. I’ll leave it in your hands,” he said.

“Thank you, the pleasure is ours.”

With that, the meeting concluded. Checking the time, Do-Jun realized it was still early. Though he had time to spare, he decided to head back to the office since all his errands were done.

“Ah, wait! Mr. Lee!” the editor-in-chief called out.

“Yes?”

“You have a dedicated fan who made a request. It’s nothing difficult, but if you’re willing...”

“A fan?”

“Yes. His name’s Hakase. He’s a foreigner, actually. Isn’t that wild?”

“Ah...” Do-Jun nodded, understanding the situation.

***

“T-the author of Dark of Darkness came by this morning?” Hakase’s voice trembled as he repeated the news he had just heard from Yeongwang Publishing’s editor over the phone.

—Yes, and the author also agreed to sign a copy of the book. If you send your books to our publishing house, I’ll make sure they get to the author.

“I-I’ll send them right away!”

Without hesitation, Hakase grabbed his prized first-edition copy of Dark of Darkness and sprinted to the publishing house, handing the books over to the editor.

***

Hakase carefully swept the area in front of his food stall with a broom. Not that the street was dirty, and his stall was always kept spotless. Still, he kept sweeping, unable to remain still while waiting.

Then, a vehicle approached.

It’s here! He thought.

Hakase’s eyes locked onto the postal service vehicle. As the mailman stepped out with a small package in hand, Hakase rushed forward to receive it. Ripping off the tape that sealed the box, he carefully removed the five comic books inside.

Later that day, Hakase proudly showed the books to Do-Jun after he returned from work. More specifically, he opened them to reveal the author’s handwritten signature on the first page. Beneath the title Dark of Darkness, in the blank space of the page, there was a written message.

“To someone who understands the greatness of darkness.”

Beaming with pride, Hakase said, “Isn’t this incredible, my King?”

“Is it...?”

“Yes! Just look at this elegant handwriting. And the message—it’s perfect!”

Hakase’s smile showed no signs of fading.

Do-Jun cleared his throat. Originally, he had intended to write a simple “Thank you for reading,” but now he was glad he had put in a little more effort.