A Pig Cannot Understand a Lion
"I'm dating Cheolmin!"
At his childhood friend Jung Yeeun's words, Dohyun was left utterly speechless. And for good reason.
"Oh... I see... Uh... well... you two... look good together..."
Because Cheolmin was his so-called Assigned Bully, the one who had tormented him throughout his school years.
And this was something Yeeun didn't understand.
"It's because you keep acting like this that he thinks he can walk all over you!"
Of course she didn't. When it came down to it, Yeeun's social standing was much closer to Cheolmin's. A lion could never understand the mind of a pig.
"I just need to endure it a little longer."
So, Dohyun never bothered to explain it to her. Even if he did, she wouldn't understand. Yet, even a loser like Dohyun harbored a secret he could never share: he was in love with Yeeun. But for a pig to love a lion? It was an absurdity. Dohyun could only swallow his feelings day after day, letting them fester in silence.
Still, Dohyun had an ambition of his own.
Once I get into college... I'll confess to her.
The college entrance exam—the ultimate class-mobility event of early adulthood. He believed that even if he was a pathetic loser now, if he studied his heart out and got into a prestigious university, he could become a man worthy of Yeeun. Fortunately, Dohyun possessed a decent brain. If he worked himself to the bone, his grades would rise. Clinging to the hope of the day he would finally confess to Yeeun, Dohyun studied every single day, shedding tears of blood.
But there was one thing Dohyun had overlooked. No matter how much one studied, no matter how much money one made, a loser was destined to remain a loser. Even if you put on a grand show of bravado with a prestigious diploma and a high-paying salary slip, once the DNA of a 'loser' was etched into your genes, you were merely a 'smart loser' or a 'wealthy loser.'
To an onlooker, such a spectacle would look like a freak show—a deformed dwarf waving a stack of cash, desperately trying to act superior. It would be laughable, pathetic, or disgusting. Or perhaps all three. A person born inferior could never truly become superior.
Regardless, the Dohyun of that time continued to study day in and day out, chasing the absurd dream of a loser's social ascension. And for a brief moment, he achieved his dream. He gained admission to a relatively prestigious university in Seoul. Though the result was slightly disappointing considering how hard he had studied, it was still a school whose name everyone recognized.
As for Cheolmin:
"Of course a loser like you does everything half-assed."
Despite barely lifting a finger to study, Cheolmin had gotten into a far better university than Dohyun.
"This is why losers never succeed. What's the point of working yourself to death when you can't even deliver results?"
"..."
It was infuriating, but it was the truth. If Cheolmin had studied even half as hard as Dohyun, he would have easily gotten into medical school. That was just how they were born. Both Dohyun and Cheolmin.
And as for Yeeun:
"Hey, Lim Cheolmin. Why do you always have to talk like that?"
"What, fuck. I'm just giving this retarded loser a lesson in social education."
"Sigh... When you get to college, try to live like a decent human being for once."
"Why are you picking a fight when we're about to graduate? We're going to see each other all the time anyway."
"Who said I'm going to see you all the time?"
Yeeun had gotten into the exact same university as Cheolmin.
"..."
In any case, Dohyun endured Cheolmin's final bouts of torment, buoyed by a strange sense of liberation. It was over now. Truly over. All that was left was to confess his feelings to Yeeun. Or so he had thought back then.
Both Yeeun and Dohyun became adults and entered college.
What's going on?
Well... I have something to tell you.
Dohyun had summoned all his courage to ask Yeeun out to meet him. The venue was the Local Park near their homes, the playground where they had spent so much of their childhood together.
About ten years ago, having transferred to the same class around the same time, the two of them had been outcasts, unable to penetrate the established inner circles of the classroom. Finding themselves in the same boat, they became close friends, and this park became their sanctuary. Though their social standings eventually diverged as time passed, they fortunately ended up attending the same schools, allowing their bond to persist.
And today, in their special place, Dohyun was going to confess his love to Yeeun. ...Or at least, that was how it was supposed to go.
At the meeting spot—
"Huh...?"
"Hey..."
Yeeun was there. And alongside her—
"Fucking loser, why the hell are you making people drag themselves out here?"
Cheolmin had come too.
"Why are you two... together...?"
"Can't you see, you retard?"
"Actually, I..."
And so, the story looped back to the beginning.
"So, why did you call me out, Dohyun?"
Yeeun's complexion looked somewhat uneasy, but the source of her anxiety wasn't Cheolmin. Her eyes were fixed on Dohyun. Moreover, Cheolmin hadn't forced his way here. Yeeun had invited him.
You are indeed my friend.
But don't you dare cross the line.
I brought this man as my protector to shield myself from your confession.
A reliable, dependable, real man.
The very man who used to torment you.
Yeeun didn't say the words aloud, but her gaze carried that unspoken message loud and clear.
"I... well..."
"Stop mumbling and speak up."
Cheolmin stepped forward on Yeeun's behalf, acting as if he were her shield.
"Hey! Why are you being so mean?"
Beside him, Yeeun playfully tapped Cheolmin's arm. It was a light, affectionate gesture—striking him gently with the side of her fist. It wasn't violence; it was pure flirtation. The submissive gesture of a female to her male.
"Uh... I just wanted to ask if you've been doing well. Yeah."
Dohyun struggled to maintain his composure, desperately grasping at any excuse as his mind reeled.
"Oh, really? Yeah, I'm doing great. What about you?"
"I'm fine... Yeah. That's good. Since you're doing well. Yeah."
As he muttered, "Since you're doing well," Dohyun's intimidated gaze flicked toward Cheolmin.
"Did you seriously call Yeeun out just to say that shit?"
Cheolmin growled, like a male dog guarding his bitch.
"Seriously, why do you keep doing that?"
Yeeun playfully punched him again, whining cutely. Unlike her high school days, her face was beautifully made up, radiating a mature, feminine charm as she smiled shyly. The sight of it suffocated Dohyun even more.
"Yeah... right. Well, that's great. I hope you have a good time in college... Um, I just called you to say hi. To wish you well in college. Yeah..."
He babbled incoherent excuses.
"I guess I'm just getting in your way. Take care!"
He hurriedly turned and fled. Stabbing into Dohyun's retreating back was Yeeun's silent gaze—tinged with a sliver of guilt but mostly filled with relief that she had avoided a confession—and Cheolmin's sneering mockery:
"Dumbass."
He thought his connection with them had ended there. But one day, while killing time at a Local Cafe near his house, Dohyun spotted a familiar back.
"Lim Cheolmin..."
It was Cheolmin. Sitting around the table with him were his friends—the popular crowd from their school days who were still riding high. Every single one of them looked clean-cut and handsome. The idea that bullies were ugly, miserable losers was nothing but a pathetic coping mechanism invented by the weak. In reality, those 'popular kids' were usually highly social, academically successful, and good-looking. Yet, despite their polished appearances, their conversation was pure filth. Cheolmin, completely unaware of Dohyun sitting a few tables behind him, carried on boasting to his friends. And the subject of their conversation was...
"Yeeun...?"
It was Yeeun. Dohyun held his breath and eavesdropped on their conversation. What he heard was utterly shocking.
"She was always covering for that loser, so I played along and sweet-talked her just to get into her pants."
"She acted so high and mighty, which pissed me off, but she spread her legs way faster than I expected."
"Fucking bitch wouldn't actually let me put it in until we turned of age, though."
"It's fucking hilarious. When we have sex, I choke her and beat her up, and she rolls her eyes back and loses her mind. She loves it."
"Now she even slips up and calls me 'Master' in public."
"So that night at the motel, I beat her even harder to teach her to watch her mouth."
"And of course, she fucking loved it."
"No matter how classy she pretends to be, a cunt is a cunt."
"Keep dating her? Are you fucking crazy? I'm going to Pump and Dump her when the time is right."
"I've filmed plenty of videos, too. I'll make some decent side cash off them."
"When the time is right, I'll let you guys run a train on her."
He didn't want to believe it, but the vile slander was undeniably about Yeeun. Cheolmin had never viewed Yeeun as his girlfriend. Yeeun was nothing more than Cheolmin's Jotjip. His childhood friend had become the cock-sleeve of the bully who had tormented him.
"..."
With trembling hands, Dohyun messaged Yeeun. The very next day, Dohyun called her out. He told her everything. He told her that Cheolmin only saw her as a toy, and that she needed to break up with him immediately. And as Dohyun waited for her response—
Slap!
A sharp slap stung his cheek. The expression on Yeeun's face reflected in Dohyun's eyes was—
"Hey. Park Dohyun."
Her face was contorted with pure rage.
"I never knew you were this kind of person. You are truly a disgusting, malicious piece of trash."
"Malicious...? What do you mean?"
"No matter how jealous you are, how could you make up such disgusting lies to slander my boyfriend?"
"It's not a lie! It's the truth! I swear! I heard him say it at the cafe!"
"Oh yeah? Do you have proof?"
"Proof... I..."
"Sigh..."
Yeeun furrowed her brow, letting out a heavy sigh.
"I'm seriously disappointed in you."
She continued, driving a nail straight through Dohyun's heart.
"I thought that even if you were a loser, at least you had a good personality. But you're rotten to the core, aren't you?"
"Don't you dare make up lies to slander people like that ever again. I don't care how socially inept you are."
To the frozen Dohyun, she hammered another nail.
"Cheolmin might look rough, but he's actually a really sweet guy. Why do you keep trying to paint him as a villain? Just because he picked on you in the past?"
"Cheolmin has grown up now, Dohyun. Why do you keep letting your jealousy drive you to insult an innocent person?"
And another.
"Do you have any idea how much worse it is to make up lies about an innocent person just because of some past grudge?"
"I never imagined you were this pathetic. I tolerated you because we were childhood friends, but I never want to see your face again. You disgust me."
Leaving Dohyun frozen in shock, Yeeun turned and walked away.
Left utterly alone, Dohyun began to laugh.
"Ha... Haha..."
"Heh... Hehehe... Haha... Hahaha... Ha..."
He choked out a dry, hacking laugh, as if trying to violently wrench out the heavy weight that had lodged itself deep within his chest.
"Fuck... Haha... Hahaha!!"
His hollow laughter echoed into the empty air. He laughed so hard his stomach ached, and tears welled in his eyes. What had gone wrong? Where, and why? Dohyun couldn't find the answer.