When Will Kim Donghu Turn 18?
Kim Donghu, when are you turning eighteen? Ryu Jaerin's grandmother, Kim Bokja. She's someone who's known Kim Donghu since way back, practically one of his earliest fans, you could say. Back when he was six in kindergarten, constantly looking after her granddaughter. With all her life experience, Kim Bokja instinctively knew it.
Our granddaughter's perfect match is Donghu and no one else!
But what was this? She'd always sensed he was no ordinary kid.
This boy's something else entirely!
She never dreamed he'd go on to dominate TV screens with his exploits. Of course, it wasn't a total shock. His face was on a level where even if her late husband reclaimed his prime ten times over, he still couldn't compete. And his character? It was so outstanding, you couldn't help but wonder who'd raised him so well. But acting too? And not just decent acting—no, it was insanely good.
Then one day.
"Grandma! I'm shooting a school uniform ad with Donghu!"
"R-Really?! For real?! With Donghu?!"
"Yeah! Just for a year! Still the best, right?!"
"Of course! The absolute best!"
When she heard her granddaughter had reconnected with Kim Donghu, she was over the moon. That reunion had led all the way here. How could she be this happy? And right next door, no less?
Perfect.
At first, she planned to cook just a modest, tasty meal as a thank-you, showing off her home cooking after so long. But then.
"I'm really hungry."
That simple line turned all of Kim Bokja's plans to ash in an instant. What did her cooking skills matter? Her granddaughter's future son-in-law was hungry. Really hungry! And luckily, the fridge was stocked full. She'd gone shopping a few days ago, believing a new home needed abundance to thrive, so ingredients overflowed.
So now, what was left to do?
Keep cooking, of course.
Son-in-law, hold on—Grandma's making you a feast! Bokja's kitchen was primed for a blaze of glory today!
"...If it's too much, you don't have to finish it. Really, it's fine."
Listening to the symphony of flames and chopping from the kitchen, Jaerin's words made me wave it off casually.
"Nah, I'm starving. I can eat a ton. It's cool."
Hey, we'd come this far already.
I can't just dodge Grandma's cooking and leave—that'd be rude.
I was confident I could pack it away, and with just two women in the house, I felt safe.
Grandma and Jaerin... they don't strike me as big eaters.
How much could there possibly be? Then, exactly 23 minutes later, I realized just how naive and idiotic I'd been.
Thud!
A rice cooker slammed onto the table. The lid popped open, unleashing a heavenly aroma that hit me straight in the face. But honestly, the quantity was what really grabbed me.
What the hell is this?
Why so much? Did she cook a whole pot of rice?
That shock didn't last.
Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice!
Suddenly, side dishes started appearing like magic. Braised beef to kick things off, then gejang crab, grilled fish, and more. Every single one was main-dish caliber.
"...Jaerin, what the heck is going on?"
"Oh, we went shopping yesterday. Bet it'll be tasty, huh?!"
"Y-Yeah, yeah! All my favorites—awesome!"
I was so glad I'd learned acting. Any hesitation in my voice would've given away my panic if I hadn't sold it perfectly.
Stay cool, stay cool, Kim Donghu. You can eat it all.
This is why you've trained since elementary school. You've never eaten your fill before. You got this.
Endless self-hypnosis and unbreakable winner's mentality. With those two, nothing scared me.
"The bossam needs a bit more time to boil, so dig in first!"
"Got it! Donghu, let's eat."
"Y-Yeah, okay."
Bossam too? I had to eat that on top of everything? But it didn't stop there.
"Good thing I bought octopus yesterday. This is premium abalone octopus—insanely good. You like sashimi, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah!"
"Half sashimi, half pulpo a la gallega for you."
How does Grandma even know pulpo? That's a Spanish dish. I couldn't exactly say that out loud. I shot Jaerin a desperate, subtle plea for rescue with my eyes, but.
"Hm? Oh... kinda embarrassing, but... okay."
Blushing, Jaerin deboned some fish and held it to my lips. That wasn't what I wanted at all—this was uncharted territory.
I avoided the fish on purpose so I wouldn't have to eat it all if touched.
Fine. Let's eat. Time to test my limits today.
Twenty-four hours after devouring that feast at Jaerin's place.
"Haaah...!"
I slowly recalled the ordeal as I opened my eyes.
What happened? How'd it go down?
First memory that surfaced: right after finishing the meal. A massive blood sugar spike hit me hard.
Right, I popped digestive meds immediately... but the drowsiness wouldn't quit.
It felt like if I didn't close my eyes right then, I'd drop dead. I vaguely remembered a mountain of empty plates piled in my field of vision. And then.
"Dessert fruit? Summer means watermelon—how about some watermelon punch?"
The dessert watermelon combo had left me dazed. I'd kept stuffing my gut nonstop, demolishing the food defense entirely.
Luckily, Seokho hyung called right then.
Thanks to that, I skipped the dessert's dessert. Rushed home, lay down in a digestion-friendly pose, and blacked out. Woke up now.
What'd we even talk about?
Too sleepy—couldn't remember clearly.
Oh well.
Sorry, but I'd have to ask again.
Variety show, huh. That's when it hit me—my age was in a super awkward spot.
Turning 17 soon makes everything tricky.
Too tall and established for child actor roles anymore, but not quite adult for others. Roles were scarce. Next year's movies and dramas had zilch for me. Needed to shed the minor label to really get going.
About three years left, then.
Not too long, not too short. For now, variety like Seokho suggested seemed the only play. But actually, excluding variety, one other option stood out.
Boxing.
To hit national team trials, you needed consistent wins like National Games. Maybe enter every eligible tournament now. Piano concours too. No point sitting idle without roles—instead, build diverse experience for when they came.
So, variety and that direction for a bit.
Once adult, opportunities would overflow. For now, a preparatory leap forward.
Come to think of it, Coach Sangha said a ton about this stuff.
Forgot it all, but no biggie. Just ask again.
Next morning, I messaged Coach Sangha and headed straight to the gym. He greeted me with a beaming smile.
Feel kinda bad.
Sundays were his rest day, but he opened up cheerfully for me.
"Good call—steady workouts like this are smart, right?"
"You always say consistency is key."
"Point is, doing it matters. Tournaments on your mind?"
"Yeah, if schedules line up, maybe enter one."
"Perfect timing! Selection's in September. Would be great to try."
Baek Sangha was thrilled at me competing again, wrapping my hands while shimmying excitedly.
"No more holding back for kids this time."
"Huh?"
What'd that mean?
"You pulled punches before 'cause they were all middle schoolers."
But those selection kids are seasoned, committed—no need to hold back.
I got it immediately from his words. He was looking out for me.
But I was middle school back then too...
Coach saw me as full adult—no, pro-level. Anyway, we warmed up lightly and prepped for old-school sparring.
Before the round-one bell.
"Donghu, I've honed my skills too. To be your ultimate sparring partner! Give me everything!"
Everything, he said.
"Got it!"
I revved up, ready to unleash true 100%—my boxing I'd never fully shown before. Time to let it rip.
At the same time.
"Kim Donghu, when's he turning eighteen?"
"Why? What then?"
"Obviously, we'd beg on our knees: 'Please, just read our movie script once!'"
Another place dying for Kim Donghu to hit adulthood.
"Picture it: Donghu as the chaebol heir, dropping that line."
"That line?"
"Yeah, the one in the script."
"Oh, this? The millstone scene?"
On their table sat a screenplay labeled Elite.