Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Meeting Old Friends
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Lost in reading the reviews, thirty minutes flew by before Woo Ji-hyun realized it.
With less than five minutes left until his appointment, he hurriedly grabbed the first and second volumes of *Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero* that Barun Publishing had sent him and rushed out the door.
"See? You ended up being late after all."
"It’s close, that’s why I picked it. It’s close."
He arrived right on time in front of Jimjib bar, but surprisingly, Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min were already there, smoking cigarettes.
At the sight, Woo Ji-hyun caught on immediately.
"What’s wrong with that? It’s convenient for us too."
Unlike Kim In-hu, who greeted him with a jab the moment he arrived, Im Sang-min just gave a nonchalant wave with his hand.
Thanks to his dark skin, he’d been called "Kkam-sang" since middle school, but his personality wasn’t as mild as he looked.
Still, for someone who’d done track and field, he had a pretty good temperament. He was especially loyal, the kind of friend who’d stick around until the end for a drink.
'Whether back then or in his forties, the guy barely changed. Though age eventually got the better of him.'
Just like Yoon Sung-hwan, who’d grown distant faster than in his previous life, Im Sang-min could drink like a fish, but even he couldn’t defy time and age forever.
He’d lost his old drinking capacity once he hit thirty.
Recalling that, Woo Ji-hyun nudged Im Sang-min.
"You two were at a PC bang, huh? Aion?"
"Of course. There’s no game as fun as this these days."
"Lately, we’ve been checking out guilds and clans. It’s even better playing with others."
Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min exchanged glances and grinned.
But from their looks, it didn’t seem like they were just joining a guild or clan to play together.
"Well, yeah. It’d be weird for two guys to huddle up alone playing games."
"Kekeke!"
"Wanna join us?"
"I’m trash at controls."
Woo Ji-hyun shook his head.
He loved games, but he knew all too well he had no talent for them.
Plus, 3D games felt alien, and he just couldn’t adapt.
'Even back then, 3D graphics weren’t my thing.'
It wasn’t because his mental age was forty.
He’d always sucked at them.
Instead, he absolutely loved Football Manager.
"Well, yeah. We knew you were bad at StarCraft."
"Trash hands don’t cut it. It’s a nuisance, a total nuisance."
"Let’s head in first."
Maybe because it was a weekday, Jimjib’s interior was quiet even at dinnertime.
As a result, there was only one part-timer working.
The issue was that the lone part-timer was their classmate, Nam Bo-ra.
"Welcome."
"Yeah."
Though they were classmates, only Im Sang-min was actually close to her.
He was the only one who’d been in the same class with her, so he treated her casually, while Woo Ji-hyun and Kim In-hu gave her a distant greeting and took a table.
"But what’s that?"
"A special gift I prepared just for you losers."
"A gift?"
"My birthday was ages ago."
Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min tilted their heads at the two paper bags Woo Ji-hyun plunked down on the table with a smug air.
The Woo Ji-hyun they knew wasn’t the type to hand out gifts.
"Check it out. It’s a noble present you can’t get just anywhere."
"…What is it?"
"*Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero*? Huh?"
As the two peered into the paper bags Woo Ji-hyun handed them, their eyes widened in unison.
They both whipped around to stare at him with round eyes.
"It came out recently. Shouldn’t be boring."
"When’d you sign the contract? Oh? Barun Publishing? They’re a solid publisher with some real pull."
"Not anymore."
Woo Ji-hyun replied in a cryptic tone.
They had recognition now and plenty of authors lining up to sign, but things would change completely later.
"Congrats."
"Thanks."
They were equally surprised, but their reactions diverged after that.
While Kim In-hu looked like he couldn’t believe it, Im Sang-min calmly offered his congratulations.
"Wow, Golden Best #1? My buddy topping Munpia’s Gold Best chart."
On the other hand, Kim In-hu kept letting out exclamations of awe.
His eyes sparkled at the band wrapped around volumes one and two.
Since he’d hit Golden Best #1 right before delisting from serialization—practically at the last minute—they’d rushed a special band, but Woo Ji-hyun thought it was a good call.
Munpia’s Golden Best #1 didn’t guarantee sales, but it’d definitely draw eyes early on.
'Plus, I’m a mid-series newbie.'
This was his third work, but most people would think he was debuting now.
His real fans would know it was his third, but there probably weren’t many.
Even in his past life, he’d only seen a handful of self-proclaimed fans in the comments.
'But this time will be different.'
His choices were already altering the future from his past life.
In a positive way, too.
Woo Ji-hyun figured it started with *Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero* claiming Munpia’s Golden Best #1.
And he had no intention of wasting another six years in his twenties.
"So that’s why you talked big to Sung-hwan last time?"
"Yeah. I had confidence. Sure, the market’s tough now and will get tougher, but I believe there’s a path. It’s what I’m good at, and what I want to do."
"Ooh, doesn’t suit you."
"What about you?"
Woo Ji-hyun fixed Kim In-hu with a serious gaze.
He couldn’t imagine it, but Kim In-hu had made just as many wrong turns as he had.
His life hadn’t sorted itself out until he was thirty-two.
The six years Woo Ji-hyun had wasted overlapped a lot with Kim In-hu’s lost time.
"I was gonna go to the same college as you originally. Kimpo College was my top choice. Sung-hwan was going there, and if your grades worked out, we could’ve gone together."
"You know the gist of the kitchen situation, right?"
"Yeah, you were at a buffet kitchen. I’ve got a rough idea. That’s why I planned to get into hotel culinary, snag a diploma, and land a job at a hotel in the Seoul area."
"The problem is there are way too many graduates. Everyone aims for hotel chef."
Just like Woo Ji-hyun, Kim In-hu’s face turned serious.
He’d made plans but hadn’t prepared for things going south.
"Will it be tough?"
"Sung-hwan’s in his senior year, and look at him—that says it all."
"Hmm."
Everyone dreams of a certain job.
But they don’t seriously think about why it’s their dream.
They just cling to the vague notion that it’s possible.
Even though failure is far more likely, they fixate on that slim chance.
"You need to think it through. It’s two years to get the diploma—not a short time. Of course, it’s your choice. Your and Sung-hwan’s situations aren’t identical. But I hope you choose carefully."
Around thirty, Woo Ji-hyun used to drink one-on-one with Kim In-hu almost every week.
And he’d always say, "If I could go back."
That memory still burned fresh, so he advised carefully, with sincerity but without hurting his friend’s feelings.
"Not interested in me, huh?"
"Haven’t ordered any side dishes yet?"
"Is it the mood for that?"
As Kim In-hu sank into thought, Im Sang-min, who’d been quiet, grumbled.
Woo Ji-hyun gave an awkward laugh and ordered soju, rolled egg omelet, and fish cake soup.
All cheap sides.
"Come on, this is my publication celebration—I’m buying, so eat up without worry."
"Royalties haven’t come in yet, have they?"
"Next week. Eat freely, don’t stress."
"Then let’s get seafood pancake too. The cloudy weather’s making me crave it."
"Order it after finishing these."
Woo Ji-hyun turned stern.
The first two hadn’t even arrived—ordering more was wasteful.
Besides, neither Im Sang-min nor Kim In-hu were side-dish guys.
Woo Ji-hyun wasn’t either.
"Keuk! Guess we gotta build up some side-dish tolerance today?"
"Yeah, skipped lunch and dinner for gaming—starving here."
"You guys…"
Woo Ji-hyun’s sternness fell flat.
They’d spent too much time together; they knew him too well.
"Got nothing to say to me?"
"You?"
"Yeah, you gave In-hu all that advice."
"You’re just gonna game like crazy for a while anyway, right? Non-stop."
Im Sang-min’s face twisted.
It wasn’t wrong, but hearing it so bluntly stung.
"Nah. I’m going to polytechnic college."
"Electrical engineering?"
"Huh? How’d you know?"
It wasn’t the exact name, but it was electrical-related.
Im Sang-min blinked rapidly, genuinely shocked.
"Here’s your order."
In the meantime, a bottle of soju, fish cake soup, and rolled egg omelet arrived.
With no other customers, the sides came out faster than usual.
As Nam Bo-ra turned away, she glanced at Woo Ji-hyun.
"Heard you mention it vaguely last time. Distance was far, so I didn’t catch details."
"Did I say that?"
Im Sang-min tilted his head.
He held his liquor well and rarely blacked out, remembering every conversation—but he couldn’t recall mentioning polytechnic.
"You dropped it casually, and even then not fully. So I only overheard bits."
"Was that it? Writer’s memory, huh? Good recall. If only you used it right."
"Save that talk for after hooking me up with a girl."
"Keuk!"
Im Sang-min laughed cheekily.
But it didn’t look all that hateful.
"Stick to your plan. That’s you. Don’t slack off. And no side hustles, especially."
"Am I a thug? Always picking fights."
"Don’t start fights, don’t take the bait. Let’s just drink quietly and happily among friends."
"You’ve been weird lately. Not like the Woo Ji-hyun I know."
Im Sang-min eyed him sharply.
The old Woo Ji-hyun wouldn’t say stuff like this.
And he didn’t talk this much.
"It’s all for us to do well. On that note, how about Hongdae next time? We should drink in Seoul sometime, right? Not just the three of us gloomily like this."
"Club?"
Kim In-hu perked up at Hongdae.
Suggesting Hongdae was basically saying club.
Unlike the excited Kim In-hu, Im Sang-min looked hesitant.
"Club?"
"Yeah. Get older, and you won’t even get in. Go while you can. And aren’t you sick of this? Neighborhood drinks are enough for boot camp."
"Seoul’s far."
"You think you’re the only one? Same for us."
Woo Ji-hyun pushed hard at the reluctant Im Sang-min.
He knew if he didn’t insist, Im Sang-min’s personality meant he’d never leave Incheon.
And this was for Im Sang-min’s sake too.
"While we’re at it, let’s do this Friday. Feel the Friday night vibe once."
"I’m in."
"I’ll hold off. Need to think."
"Shut up and come. Hyungs’ll show you a new world. How the big boys play."
Woo Ji-hyun draped an arm over Kim In-hu’s shoulder and boasted.
But Kim In-hu tilted his head.
As far as he knew, Woo Ji-hyun had never been to a club.
"You’ve been to a club?"
"Of course. Just trust and follow me."
Woo Ji-hyun swallowed "in my past life" and grinned.
But even at his confident display, Im Sang-min couldn’t hide his unease.