Friends from Daejeon Baekje High
Baekje High School in Daejeon. Just to note, it shared the name but had no connection whatsoever to Baekje University. They were completely unrelated schools. Anyway, these were the alumni from the 19th graduating class of that very Baekje High.
"Shin Jaewoo's coming today, right?"
"Yeah, he said he's down in Daejeon."
This wasn't some regular class reunion. Still, these three guys felt a sense of camaraderie in gathering for a longtime friend who'd returned to his hometown after ages. Kim Do-hoon. Park Ji-hwan. Lee Seung-hyun. Throw in Shin Jaewoo and Kim Taeksu, who had moved up to Seoul, and you had the core five who used to hang out all the time.
"Fuck. Do I gotta tell that bastard or what?"
And among the three, the tallest-looking one, Lee Seung-hyun, muttered roughly with his lean frame. The other two tilted their heads at his words.
"Tell him what? Oh, you mean about marrying Jihye?"
"...Yeah."
Lee Seung-hyun nodded. Kim Do-hoon and Park Ji-hwan looked genuinely troubled upon hearing that.
"Now that you mention it, yeah. We all knew you two were dating, and it's about time anyway, but still... you gotta say something."
"The timing's just... yeah."
Being close friends, they knew all about Shin Jaewoo and Kim Hyeju—from their engagement to her cheating and calling it off. It felt too soon for his breakup wounds to have fully healed.
What do we do about this?
The guys wore pensive expressions for that reason. No clear answer yet.
"...Fuck if I know what to do here."
Lee Seung-hyun scratched his head furiously.
"Why'd he have to go and meet some weird chick that fucked everything up?"
"Haha. Just tell him straight up. Why worry about that between us?"
"True. Like, 'Hey, broke up with Alppano, I'm out.' Done."
"And if you and Jihye split before the wedding entrance, it'd be legendary."
"You crazy fucks!"
Only true bros could come up with drips like that.
"...Sucks Taeksu couldn't make it today. Would've been nice to have everyone together after so long."
"Plenty of chances. Oh yeah, Kim Taeksu—isn't he getting married soon too?"
"Yeah... what day was it again?"
Kim Taeksu, who'd gone up to Seoul with Shin Jaewoo, was also a soon-to-be groom. Wedding just around the corner. He'd be handing out invites soon.
"Him and you, Seung-hyun—two of us tying the knot already."
"Damn fast."
"Hey, these assholes are getting married—when do we?"
Kim Do-hoon turned to Park Ji-hwan beside him. Park Ji-hwan gave a wry smile.
"...Is that the issue right now? I gotta find a job first."
"Oh right, you and Jaewoo were both unemployed. Sorry. Should've stuck a stake in the ground back in the army like I said."
Park Ji-hwan was the biggest-built of the three. Not just them—he and Kim Taeksu had the best stamina among the five, thanks to their sports backgrounds. He'd even aimed for a military career once. Fun fact: he and Kim Do-hoon had enlisted together. And now Do-hoon was bringing up the stake thing.
"Shut your trap. I did my time as a specialist sergeant—that was enough. I served plenty."
He shook his head, saying it just wasn't for him.
"What're you on about? You got dumped by Sergeant Park and bailed."
"Fuck..."
"Heh heh."
Having bunked together in the same unit, Kim Do-hoon knew the dirt. And this Sergeant Park wasn't Park Ji-hwan himself, the specialist sergeant. It was another sergeant in the unit named Park.
"...Was Sergeant Park that pretty?"
Lee Seung-hyun perked up at the unrequited love story.
"Gorgeous. Sergeant Park Joo-young... petite but a total babe, man."
"...Keep talking and you're dead, you fuck."
"Our boy Park the corporal was so smitten he applied for specialist sergeant?"
"Fuck..."
Everyone but one cracked up at the exchange.
"So seriously, Ji-hwan, how you gonna get a job? You need one."
"Sigh. I know, you assholes."
He knew he had to get employed, friends or no. But companies weren't lining up for him.
Fuck. If I'd known, I'd have studied when Taeksu was cramming...
Kim Taeksu was a unique case. Back in middle school, he'd been a sports specialist like Park Ji-hwan. But in high school, he quit sports and studied like a regular kid. Ended up getting into a Seoul uni on the general track.
That guy's a freak.
Even funnier was what came after. Now he ran a dojo as an instructor. His life took wild turns. Oh, and the dojo owner's daughter was his girlfriend.
"Your rival Taeksu has a job and a girl... while you're jobless and single."
"You little shit. Say that one more time and I'll fold you in half."
Kim Do-hoon, who'd been poking relentlessly, finally shut up after gauging the mood. Fun fact: he was the shortest of the three. Probably the weakest too. Yet he had this sleazy, cunning side—that was Kim Do-hoon.
They were bantering like that when a guy walked into the pork belly joint, catching their eyes.
"Oh! Jaewoo. Come on in."
"Whoa, Jaewoo. Looking sharper than ever."
Excluding the pissed-off Park Ji-hwan, Kim Do-hoon and Lee Seung-hyun raised hands in greeting. Shin Jaewoo spotted the trio too.
"Have a seat. Grab a glass first."
Whenever all five gathered, Kim Do-hoon always took the lead on the vibe. Same here. The cheeky guy plunked a soju glass in front of Shin Jaewoo as soon as he sat and filled it to the brim.
"You know three shots for latecomers is the rule, right?"
"What kinda drinking party's this? I just came for some meat, and you're already pouring booze?"
Shin Jaewoo shot back at Kim Do-hoon and glanced around to greet the others—but paused.
"Hey, Do-hoon."
"Yeah?"
"Why do these two look like that?"
Something was off. It'd been ages since they'd all hung out, yet Park Ji-hwan was self-medicating with shots looking gutted, and Lee Seung-hyun was glancing sideways awkwardly.
"Oh, them? Don't sweat it."
Kim Do-hoon's casual dismissal clued Shin Jaewoo into the room's earlier convo.
Ji-hwan got riled up by Do-hoon again, probably...
Park Ji-hwan and Kim Do-hoon were like Tom and Jerry. Always bickering, and even though Do-hoon was weaker, he knew just how to push Ji-hwan's buttons.
Somehow they never fully fell out.
Even more amazing? Kim Do-hoon had dated Park Ji-hwan's little sister once. They broke up, of course. So Ji-hwan hung with his sister's ex.
Thought they'd kill each other back then.
No one here was drama-free. Shin Jaewoo's gaze shifted. Lee Seung-hyun was hesitating, looking at him—not the angry Ji-hwan. Shin Jaewoo let out a sudden realization.
"Oh. Seung-hyun, you getting married?"
"H-how'd you know? Who told you?"
"Whoa, no way..."
Lee Seung-hyun, the man himself, gaped. So did Kim Do-hoon beside him.
He shook his head at Shin Jaewoo. "You some kinda psychic? How do you nail shit like this? Insane intuition. The legend part? Guy like you missing his own girl cheating. Wow."
Clap clap.
Kim Do-hoon's mouth ran at anyone. Even unloading on Shin Jaewoo like this.
Shin Jaewoo chuckled. Honestly, he had no comeback.
Guess I wanted to believe her.
He didn't think Kim Hyeju was that sneaky. Looking back, she'd left sloppy trails plenty of times. Yet he'd missed her affairs. Because it was him? Still, Shin Jaewoo was generally sharp like this—save that one time.
"Detective over here ain't going nowhere. Bet you know why Ji-hwan's sulking too?"
"You pissed him off."
"Hey, call it right, Shin Jaewoo. I don't piss people off—I state facts. Facts only. Ji-hwan's unemployed—fact. Ji-hwan in the army... fine, I'll drop the army shit."
Kim Do-hoon kept yapping until he caught the death glare from the side and threw up his hands in surrender. Shin Jaewoo snorted.
They hadn't changed a bit.
Yeah, these are my friends.
They say reuniting with old pals regresses you to kid days. Felt true here. Kim Do-hoon, all hyped on roasting friends. He was a boss now, technically—hustling to inherit his parents' shop. So events like this made sense.
"So Jaewoo, when you escaping unemployment... Wait, hold up. Fuck. We're just having a rare drink with friends, why's Jin-ho calling and ruining it? Yeah, it's me. Got a buddy from Seoul, first time in ages... What? What'd you say?"
He shot to his feet. Something had gone down.