Notes from the Last Row (맨 끝줄 소년)

NOTES FROM THE LAST ROW

-Lee Min-yeong. - Here.

Jang Han-seul.

Jang Han-seul?

Jang Han-seul?

-Heo Do-jun. - Here.

I finished marking the assignments you submitted last week.

They're right over there. You can come and get them after class.

Yes, Professor.

Did you take notes?

-Is it okay if I look at them? - Sure. I'll send them to you.

Hey, did you understand what he was talking about today? I've…

Professor.

Professor!

Um, what's…

I mean, "trash"?

Are you calling my paper trash?

Don't you know?

I'm an influencer.

Do you have any idea what that is?

It means I have over 30,000 subscribers on my blog alone.

Do you know how many likes I get every day?

Really?

That's fascinating.

What's it called? "The Trash Can"?

Although, if it's full of writing like this,

I think you should call it "The Dump," instead.

Ah… 12 paragraphs.

167 sentences.

Maybe you think this is a piece of writing because you filled some pages with words.

Unfortunately, none of the sentences in here mean anything at all.

That's because nothing in here is personal and heartfelt.

The whole thing's a series of cheap clichés and sentimentality,

not to mention what you copied from other people's work.

What term should I use for this stream of words

you've vomited out without even understanding it yourself?

So if you think there's a better word for this than "trash," tell me.

I'd be happy to use that word instead.

- -Can I go now?

That crazy bastard. Ignore him.

Want me to kill him for you?

Ugh! He's the worst.

If this weren't a required course…

…I'd drop it.

I heard Heo Mun-oh does that because he can't write.

Huh?

Some seniors told me all about it.

He's only ever written one novel, and that was, like, 20 years ago.

And ever since, he hasn't been able to write anything else.

He wants to, but he can't, no matter how hard he fucking tries.

So he takes all his frustration and self-loathing out on his students.

What a loser.

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS DO NOT DISTURB

Oh, Mun-oh, there you are.

Your door was open, so…

Hello again, Mr. Park. Back so soon?

Oh, yeah, I guess so.

Well, I missed you, Mun-oh.

Hey, not again. I told you I'd rather we keep it professional.

Yes, Mr. Heo.

Ah, that just sounds so formal.

So you got home all right yesterday?

- Coffee? -Oh, no, thanks. I just had one.

Hey, what's this? Oh, my goodness!

You're so stubborn, Mun-oh.

You're still taking attendance on paper, huh?

- -Look, I'll install the program for you.

-It's way more convenient. -Oh, no, thank you.

I like my way just fine.

So what brings you here?

You wouldn't come from the College of Engineering

without a reason.

Oh, uh…

I actually wanted to bring this up yesterday but forgot.

- Mm-hmm. -Listen, Mun-oh.

I understand you know Kim Su-hun, the author.

Who? Uh, Kim Su-hun?

Yeah, yeah.

You went to university together.

Man, I had no idea you were so well-connected, Mun-oh.

I wish I'd known it earlier.

I would have asked for your help getting him here years ago.

What do you mean?

Uh… I think I told you about this.

Um…

I organize monthly cultural events for the College of Engineering. Hmm?

Our students don't get out much, so I volunteered to--

Just get to the point.

Ah, yes! To the point.

The point is, we hope that Kim Su-hun will be our guest next month.

Uh, to give a lecture on his new novel, followed by a conversation.

And I hope you will host that conversation.

Hmm?

-Host the conversation? -Yes.

It was Mr. Kim who first suggested it.

Kim Su-hun suggested it?

-Yeah. -And what did he say?

Well, he said he thought it would be more comfortable and fun

if a friend hosted it.

He said he'd come if you did it.

Kim Su-hun said that?

Yeah.

- -

Careful, Mr. Gu. It's slippery.

- Gonna write a good article? -Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Just make sure you're ready to print more copies of the book.

- Su-hun. -

Oh.

- It's just up here. -Oh, Mun-oh. Just a second.

-Uh, Mr. Gu? - Hmm?

Please, go on ahead. I'll be right there.

Okay, sure.

Don't take too long. The real interview starts now, you know.

- Right. - We'll be at the pork restaurant.

-See you there. -See you there.

I should have given you a call earlier.

I'm sorry about that.

Yeah.

Weren't we supposed to have dinner together tonight?

Um, that's what I thought, anyway.

Yeah, for sure. That was the plan.

We need to talk, actually.

Then, this afternoon, Mr. Gu came to see us unexpectedly.

You know who he is, right?

Yeah, sure. Of course, I do. Who doesn't know Gu Yeong-ho?

I've never seen him in person before, though.

Listen,

you wanted to talk?

What about?

If it's the favor I asked you,

did you decide?

Yeah.

Sorry. I can't write you a testimonial.

I feel like I've been writing too many testimonials lately.

Oh, too… too many?

But you…

you did read it?

Of course, I did.

Let's talk later.

-Soon though, all right? -Wait, Su-hun.

Tell me. What is it? What did you think?

Tell me now, please.

I had trouble understanding what the writer was attempting to say.

Honestly, I thought,

why would you bother writing without saying anything?

There's nothing wrong with that, you know?

But most of all, you should

revisit how to write good sentences.

That's why the first sentence is so important.

It's because once the author writes the first sentence,

they've taken their first step into the story.

For example, listen to this.

"How glad I am that I am gone."

"Dear friend, what a thing is the human heart."

"To leave you,

whom I love so dearly, and yet feel glad."

Can anyone tell me which novel that's from?

You don't know?

A classic among classics.

-Goethe's-- -

Who was that?

Whose phone was that?

I'm sorry.

The first sentence of The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe.

As I'm sure you all know,

it's written in the form of letters that Werther sends to his friend Albert.

Do you think my class is a joke?

Do you think I'm a joke? Huh?

Stand up.

Right now.

You're not going to?

Then get out!

Go on, get outta here!

It's not Albert. It's Wilhelm.

What did you say?

Werther's friend is named Wilhelm.

Albert is the… fiancé of Lotte, the woman Werther loves.

Albert is Werther's rival.