The Annoying Childhood Friend
I had made one firm vow in this second life of mine.
It was that I, Kim Manbung, would never get involved with a woman romantically or marry one. Sure, my parents would probably weep blood if they heard that, but after the massive betrayal I'd suffered in my first life, there was no compromising on this point.
So I swore—absolutely no rational interactions with women until I was in my grave.
With that resolution etched deep in my soul, becoming the boyfriend of some snot-nosed brat whose hobby was throwing money around was something I had to politely decline.
"What’s with that lame reaction! It’s me, Mary Christine, offering to take you as my boyfriend!"
But Mary Christine, the chaebol heiress, acted like she couldn’t care less about my feelings, coming at me with that prickly attitude of hers. Her over-the-top reaction suggested she was pretty pissed that I wasn’t dancing to her tune, but I wasn’t some money-obsessed pushover who’d play along.
"Do you even know what it means to have a boyfriend in the first place?"
"Of course I do! A boyfriend is like a servant who makes sure a girl gets whatever she wants, right? That’s how it always was in the dramas I watched."
Oh boy, learning about the world from chick flicks already. Her parents must not have given her a proper education.
I figured there was nothing more to see here and quietly turned to leave.
"Sorry, but I’m not interested in being your boyfriend. If you need a slave, find someone else. Plenty of boys around you seem eager to fawn over you."
"What! Even after I’ve gone this far, you’re ignoring me!?"
"I’m not a genie from a magic lamp. Why should I do everything you say just because you say it?"
"Because I’m the proud heir to Mary & Chris…"
"No, that’s your parents who are impressive, not you. The gifts you handed out to the kids all came from your parents’ wallet anyway."
"Th-that’s…"
"It’s good to have pride, but rein in the extravagance. If your sense of money gets warped this early, you’ll suffer for it later."
It didn’t sit entirely right with me, but as someone with an adult mind, I gave her the advice sincerely.
She didn’t seem interested in heeding it, though. The chaebol brat’s face crumpled in an instant.
"D-don’t lecture me! How dare a commoner like you try to teach me!?"
"Oh? If I’m a commoner, does that make you nobility? It’s been over a century since class systems were abolished in this democratic country. In about fifteen years, we’ll all have the same single vote."
"Don’t use big words!!"
Of course—politics is too complex for a five-year-old. She didn’t look like she’d change much even as an adult.
"What’s your deal anyway! All the other kids happily take my gifts and obey me! Why do you always have to argue back!?"
"Nothing weird about it. Your attitude rubs me the wrong way, so I’m keeping my distance."
"It’s weird that you don’t like it! I’m Mary! Mary Christine, heir to Mary & Chris!!"
Was it the doting parents, or the adults around her who always catered to her? To her, it seemed natural that people gathered in her orbit and bent to her will.
If she grew up like this, she’d turn into a nasty woman who made plenty of people cry. Just like that woman who took everything from me and tossed me aside like a used rag…
No—begging with toys like this, she actually reminded me more of my old self back then.
"F-fine! You want something, right? Name it. I’ll buy you anything you want to eat or have… Here, a toy. Don’t you like these? It’s a cutting-edge, futuristic high-tech robot with triple transformation!"
"Wow, rattling off ‘cutting-edge futuristic high-tech’ without tripping over your tongue. Impressive vocabulary."
"Don’t praise me—just take it! Take it and do what I say!"
Her frustration peaked, and she hurled the toy at me. I dodged by turning my head, and the high-tech transformer smashed into the ground, breaking into three limp parts.
"Aw, what a waste."
"Don’t dodge!"
"If I don’t, it hits me."
"Yeah! Let it hit you!"
She didn’t stop there, grabbing backyard pebbles and chucking them wildly. But I wasn’t soft enough to let a kid’s stones pelt me.
"Why won’t you get hit! Get hit already!"
"But I dodged it easily like this."
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Maybe my constant evasion pushed her over the edge. She finally screamed, collapsed to the ground, and started pounding the dirt with furious little fists, sobbing out her frustration.
"D-damn it. A commoner like you, with a stupid name like Manbung…!"
"What’s wrong with Manbung?"
Even at an age with barely any bad words in their vocabulary, you shouldn’t mock someone’s name.
"Hic…"
Whatever. To this girl, I was probably her first real trial. Having failed to bend me to her will, she plopped down and sobbed pitifully.
"Why… why won’t you listen to me? I’m the heir, and everyone else obeys after I give them gifts… why won’t you…"
…Sigh. Fine, I was still adjusting to this second life myself. No need to burn bridges with potential friends.
"You don’t need toys to win me over."
More than that, as an adult at heart, I didn’t want her starting down the wrong path. Approaching the crumpled girl, I decided to teach her something she’d never learned.
"We’re just classmates by chance. We can be friends without bribes like money."
"F-friends?"
"Yeah, friends. Not boyfriend—just friends."
I’d sworn off romance, but I wasn’t against simple friendships. My name, Manbung, literally meant "ten thousand friends"—to honor my parents’ wish in naming me, I should build proper relationships.
"Why, don’t you like that?"
Plus, a chaebol friend might bring some perks to this second life. Balancing that hope with emotional distance, I made the offer.
The girl turned to me, her face flushing late as she yelled.
"O-of course I hate it! You’re just a commoner!"
"…I put some thought into that, and now I’m the one feeling hurt."
"Like I care about that! F-first off, there’s no way I’d be friends with a loser like you. I’m a chaebol, you’re a commoner… Ah, so that’s it—you’re trying to trick me with ‘friends,’ huh? You arrogant commoner! Acting above your station and treating me like an equal!"
Good grief. How narrow and rotten must her worldview be to twist even this into malice?
"If you see it that way, I can’t get close to you either."
"I don’t wanna get close to you anyway!?"
She yelled back, then huffed off, declaring war as she left.
"Kim Manbung! Just you wait—I’ll make sure you end up under me someday!"
Like a third-rate villain, the chaebol kid stormed away. In the silence that followed, I picked up the broken robot she’d left behind and chuckled.
"If only she could fix that attitude, she’d actually be kinda cute."
Eh, it was just a one-time thing anyway. After kindergarten graduation, we’d be strangers.
…Yeah, I never could’ve imagined back then.
That the "light" grudge I thought would end there would drag on to this day.
"Hey, Kim Manbung! Why no answer!? Can’t you hear me!?"
On the way to the entrance exam for my dream high school, a familiar voice snapped me from my reverie. Turning, I faced the usual suspect greeting me.
A half-Korean middle school girl with blonde hair in twintails… no, a soon-to-be high schooler now?
"Mary, how long have you been here?"
"How long? I’ve been calling you forever—you were the one spacing out. The roads are still icy; what if you slip and get hit by a car?"
The chaebol heiress scolded me in her usual sharp tone. Feeling how her edge had sharpened with age, I couldn’t help a bittersweet pang—as someone who’d watched her grow, it hit different.
"Your nagging’s getting worse lately. You used to be so cute."
"C-cute? You saying that to me!?"
"Who knows~ Maybe someone else."
"Ugh, teasing me again…"
She bristled but didn’t swing her trembling fist at me. She’s learned a bit, I thought with relief, chuckling as she joined me toward the exam hall.
"Seriously, you’re something else. Applying to the same school just to one-up me."
"I-it’s not because of you! It’s perfect for an elite like me from high society."
"Right, sure. Amazing how you can attend a top high school on family legacy without scholarships."
"Don’t mock me!"
Tough request. She reacted to every poke—it was too fun.
"Anyway, you haven’t changed since way back. Here, take this."
Grumbling but handing over a paper bag anyway. Peeking inside, golden loaves gleamed back at me.
I knew exactly what they were—rare treats I’d only had a handful of times in this second life.
"Aren’t these the ones from that famous bakery by the station? First-come, first-served?"
"I-it’s not like I got them for you! I bought extras for myself, and figured you’d skip breakfast again, so… whatever."
Sheesh, how’d she know I skip breakfast? She gave valuables before, sure, but today it felt special.
"So you lined up early yourself—instead of sending someone—to get these limited morning breads?"
The same twintailed tyrant who once saw everyone beneath her?
"S-so what? I’m mature now. It’s not weird if I do things myself."
Words I’d never expect from that arrogant girl ten years ago. Impressed inwardly, I watched her blush and look away, mumbling shyly.
"And… well, we’re childhood friends, after all."
Childhood friends. A phrase I’d never heard her use.
Her condescension had lessened over time, but I figured the resentment lingered.
"Were we friends?"
"Wh-what!?"
"Back in kindergarten, you hated being grouped as friends. Remember?"
"Stop bringing up the past! Idiot! Moron! Manbung!"
"That last one’s not an insult."
"It is, you idiot! Get over here—I’ll hit you!"
"But I dodged easily like this."
"Don’t dodge!"
I evaded her wild swings, and she fumed again. Judging further attacks pointless, she marched ahead, pointing accusingly with her usual declaration.
"Just you wait, Kim Manbung. Someday I’ll pay you back for every single time!"
Words so familiar they’d calloused my ears. Watching her hurry to the exam hall ahead, I chuckled and followed.
A kid connection I thought would end ages ago, stretching to high school.
Looks like this annoying bond would last a while longer.