Is This Right?

"Hey, let's be real. You've made it all the way to college and you're still a virgin? Don't you think there's something wrong with that?"

"Ahahaha! Come on, don't be so harsh on Siwu."

"But I think Juhyeon has a point, you know?"

"Don't be like that, guys. Our Siwu is trying hard to get a girlfriend. He came running the moment he heard there would be girls here, right, Siwu?"

"Pfft, it's so obvious what Siwu wants."

"......"

Near the university, at a small tavern, one man and three women sat around a table laden with drinks, chatting about this and that. But the man's expression was far from pleasant. From the conversation, it was clear that the man and the three women weren't particularly close. The women noticed the man's sour mood but paid it no mind, continuing to use him as the butt of their gossip.

"Man, I can't even remember how many guys I've dated, but you..."

"That's why you should try to dress up a bit, Siwu. You need to make realistic efforts! It's not about hitting on every girl you see."

"Would dressing up even help? The base is what matters, after all."

"Hey! That's going too far."

"Sorry, sorry! I think I'm a bit drunk!"

The barbs directed at the man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grew increasingly sharp, and only he seemed to feel the rising hostility. Looking thoroughly displeased, the man poured himself some soju and downed it in quick succession. Seeing this, the woman who could be considered the organizer of today's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gathering—Yoo Juhyeon—observed his reaction. While teasing him further might be fun, his response wasn't quite satisfying enough for her. She knocked back the soju one of her friends had poured for her and decided to escalate things a notch to draw out more of a reaction from him.

"Our poor little Siwu, what are we going to do with you... This won't do. Hey, girls! I'll pay—anyone want to take his virginity?"

"Fuck off with that bullshit."

"No way, no way, no way! Absolutely not!"

"Siwu, just so you know, don't even think about liking me, okay? I'm way out of your league. I'm begging you, please!"

He flinched. Finally, the man who had been sitting silently began to react. Whether from the alcohol or the boiling anger, his face flushed red, making it obvious to anyone that he was in a very bad mood.

Only then did Juhyeon begin to feel a mix of satisfaction and amusement.

"Honestly..."

The man, who had been quietly listening with his mouth shut, finally spoke up. The three women all fell silent, eager to hear what kind of entertaining response he would give.

"I am so fucking jealous of you guys."

"Huh? What are you jealous of?"

"You were born with a pussy, so you get to live life on easy mode."

"What?"

Pussy—a crude term for female genitalia. If it had been a gathering of men, it might not have been a big deal, but he had no hesitation in using such vulgar language in front of women. He could have said 'born as a woman,' but the fact that he used such a harsh expression showed he was no longer willing to just take it.

"Oh really?"

"Hey, watch your mouth. That's fucking vulgar."

"Hahahahahaha! Oh my god, that's hilarious! Did he just go full throttle?"

The three women's reactions varied. Juhyeon looked like she'd finally hit the jackpot, one seemed simply displeased, and the other just found his outburst funny.

"From the moment you're born until you die, society protects you. You don't have to go to the military. The country gives you money, helps with employment, gives you bonus points for being a woman. If you fail to get a job, you can just marry rich and that's it. Wow! Seriously! I'm so fucking jealous, for real."

"Fuck, you bitches don't even have to give birth..."

"Say that after you've given birth, you idiot. Why are you trying to equate yourself with women who've had children? And is it because women are having so many kids that the birth rate is in the toilet like this?"

One of the women tried to immediately refute his bitter criticism of women, but he cut her off as if he'd anticipated it, shutting her mouth with what he wanted to say.

"This lifelong virgin loser is talking some real shit..."

"Hey, hey, that's enough. Stop it! Why are you guys fighting?"

Even though Juhyeon had been the one to start the provocation, she jumped in between the two growling at each other as if she had nothing to do with it and began mediating.

"We came here to drink, so why are you acting like this? And Siwu, you shouldn't say such harsh things. We're the ones buying the drinks, so it's not polite to act this way."

While mediating, she subtly took her friend's side and criticized the man.

"I get that you have a virgin complex, but taking it out on the girls like this isn't cool, Siwu."

"You started it first."

"This is me starting it? I was just joking around to have fun. Why are you being so sensitive?"

"Fine, I got it. I understand."

The man spoke as if conceding, and it seemed like the situation was settling down for now. The friend sitting next to Juhyeon picked up the soju bottle and lifted it toward Juhyeon as if to pour her a drink. Juhyeon naturally held out her glass with one hand.

But at that moment—

"Well, I guess living as a virgin is better than changing guys every year and spreading your legs for them."

The man paused for a moment before adding this. The instant the words left his mouth, Juhyeon, without a second's hesitation, splashed the soju she'd received from her friend onto the man's face.

"Haven't you learned anything even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after going to the military? What the hell did you learn there? You just wasted the taxes we paid and came back. You should've just died shooting guns over there. Then you could've reunited with your dead mom sooner."

The atmosphere turned ice cold in an instant, like the middle of winter. People at nearby tables who had been enjoying their drinks began murmuring and glancing over at Juhyeon's table.

"J-Juhyeon..."

"Hey, that was a bit much..."

The other two women, who had been wholeheartedly joining Juhyeon in tearing the man down, now seemed to think this had gone too far. They looked shocked and glanced nervously between Juhyeon and the man.

Crash!!!

The next moment, the man flipped over the thin metal table commonly seen in street food stalls.

Mocking his military service was one thing, but he couldn't tolerate the mockery of his deceased mother.

A hush fell over the tavern. It was so quiet that one could hardly believe it was the same noisy place from just moments ago. Everyone in the establishment stopped what they were doing and stared at Juhyeon's group.

"Don't live like that, you fucking bitch."

He roughly threw on the coat that had been hanging on his chair, gathered his belongings, and headed for the door.

"Ah, fuck! My phone! Hey! Namgung Siwu, you son of a bitch!"

Juhyeon, bothered by her phone that had fallen to the floor after being on the table, hurled curses at the man's back.

Without paying any attention, the man didn't even turn around. He simply raised his middle finger over his shoulder with one hand and walked out of the establishment.

...

...

...

"I knew it was weird when she offered to buy drinks, that bitch......"

The man sat on a bench in a quiet park, drinking straight from a soju bottle without any snacks, gulping it down repeatedly.

"Fucking cunt. Goddammit...."

He mulled over what had happened at the tavern, still unable to calm his anger.

The man's name was Namgung Siwu. He possessed a surname that was rare among Koreans. Just like his uncommon family name, his life hadn't taken a normal or pleasant path compared to others. Until elementary school, his circumstances had been no different from any other household. But starting from middle school, his life had faced trials.

When Siwu was in his second year of middle school, his father—who had always been so kind and without a single fault—met with an accident. While heading to work early in the morning, he was hit by a drunk driver. The driver fled the scene, and since it was the early dawn hours, there was no one around to help. In such a senseless way, his father passed away.

In place of his father, who had supported the family, his mother worked alone to raise Siwu. Though he no longer had his beloved father, he and his mother lived somewhat happily together.

The second misfortune came while he was in the military. He received news that his mother had suddenly collapsed and rushed to the emergency room, but Siwu couldn't even see her in her final moments before she passed. The chronic illness she had hidden from him out of concern had worsened.

After his discharge, what awaited Siwu upon returning to society was the house left by his mother and father, the money his mother had saved for his tuition, and nothing but immense despair and sorrow.

Thinking of his mother who had saved for his education, he decided to return to school and study hard. Perhaps because he felt depressed with even his mother now gone, he wanted to try dating. Of course, like any other man, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wanted a girlfriend. He tried dressing up and even flirted with the girls in his classes, but having never had a girlfriend before, was it really that easy to get one?

What he got in return was their cold stares. On top of that, he gained a reputation in the department as the pathetic returning student.

So he had once asked a close friend for advice. Siwu recalled their conversation for a moment.

As his friend said, men in their twenties were in a very disadvantageous position in the dating market. To have a relationship, a man needed outstanding qualities—exceptional looks, a ton of money, great conversational skills and social grace, or something similar.

"Ah.... fuck.... Even thinking about it again, it's just bullshit. For real."

It was so unfair. But what could he do? When God created men and women, he had made it this way, and there was nothing Siwu could do about it.

Gulp, gulp. He drank more soju. He had sobered up when he left the tavern, but as he kept drinking, the intoxication began to return.

"Ah~~~ I want to live like women too, sucking up all that sweet honey!!!!"

Quite drunk now, he began to act more boldly than usual. Fortunately, it was late and he seemed to be alone in the park, so no one heard Siwu's words. If anyone had, it would have been extremely embarrassing.

"Pfft... kkhup....."

"?"

It seemed someone had heard him after all. A stranger who was desperately holding back laughter cleared their throat and began speaking to Siwu.

"Well, it's true that living as a Korean man doesn't seem easy."

"??"

"Hello, I'm the devil."