Marine Park Ji-hoon.
Marine Park Ji-hoon.
The day after finishing university enrollment.
Da-yeon and I went back to campus for the department orientation.
Whitey, the car Kim Seon-hwa gave me, had beautiful spaceship-like curves,
and from the morning on, it drew every eye in Daehangno.
Wum~ wum~ wum~ wooooom.
With that sound, Whitey might come off like a sci-fi spaceship, somebody's dream car,
but I was getting ready to take delivery of a new electric hypercar.
Still, I couldn't just throw away the Blackie Dad bought me, so I decided to donate it to HSW Team 7.
If you ask why I'd donate it when I could just keep it...
The moment I lay hands on the Illytion Special Freedom,
even the new Tasla I drive now will look like a shitbox.
It's an electric car that puts out 2,200 horsepower and does zero to a hundred in 1.4 seconds—how the hell could my eyes not roll back in my head?
With launch control, it could probably cut that to 1.1 seconds.
At that point it'd practically feel like flying...
They say it can go up to 1,200 kilometers on a single charge.
South Korea's GDP went up and they changed the speed bumps all over Seoul, so luckily I don't have to worry about scraping the underbody.
I can just take this Tasla when I go to Grandfather's house.
They're only releasing twenty of this special edition worldwide... and I was able to buy it because Dad is Kim Ji-ho and I'm Kim Si-yoon.
Seriously... and on top of that, without my connections to Hanseong, which was starting to take over the global electronics market, that car never would've ended up in my hands.
I'm the cosmic megastar Kim Si-yoon—I've got class. I can't be driving around in some new Tasla anybody can own.
I ought to be driving something like this...
To be clear, I bought this hypercar with my own money.
It's coming in two months and man... I can't wait.
"Thinking about cars again?"
"Yeah, I really wanted one so bad..."
"Still, though... burning 3.8 billion won on a car..."
"Yeah~ that's like, two of my paintings."
"Ah...?"
I'm not lying—maybe because I haven't released new work in about three years, my paintings have started getting more and more expensive.
The way I sell paintings is.
I take photos of the one or two paintings I do a month and send them to Farzier.
Then Farzier's employees show the photos to VVIPs.
If any of them wants to buy one of the paintings, they contact me again.
Then I try to remember where I stashed it, retrieve the painting, and ship it to Farzier.
I asked why they bother selling them that way, and they said the paintings are so high-value that they don't sell quickly anyway, but when you limit the quantity like this, they sell well even at higher prices.
The most recent piece publicly unveiled: SIYUN - In Her Brain 986.
That painting is a still life I did a long time ago at Grandfather's house.
The day I lost Amy Allen.
That was the day every last detail was etched into my mind.
It's a painting of the clock and the vodka on the desk.
The price of the painting is known only to Farzier, Dad, me, and the person who secretly bought it.
The buyer made an offer so huge that even Dad couldn't bring himself to make any more wild claims about buying up all my paintings...
The reason the buyer is secret... is that the person who bought it is Chinese.
Da-yeon and I were giving a proper demonstration of what freshman fashion looks like.
We were already drawing plenty of stares from the car alone, but the moment we got out, even more eyes locked onto us.
I heard someone mumble something, but I ignored it.
"Whoa... I'd love to f—"
Apart from the car, I'm not really into luxury brands, so except for expensive but subtle accessories and the shoes Dad gives me, I just wore the pretty clothes I bought shopping with Da-yeon.
Walking along with Da-yeon, before I knew it we reached the entrance of Hagik Hall, the OT venue.
Same as it's been since elementary school—sure enough, the crowd parted exactly like Moses parting the Red Sea.
Da-yeon moved along with me. I checked a small guide map laid out like a simplified directory.
I confirmed the Business Administration department location, we moved, checked again, and before long we reached our destination.
Maybe we came earlier than expected—only a few people had arrived. Da-yeon and I naturally sat down at the edge.
"Colleeege~!"
"Feels fresh."
"Yeah."
We looked around.
So this is Korea's top university...
Korea Comprehensive Arts University isn't far from here, so I can go visit Professor Ahn Jun-tae, who's practically become a fixture at Hanguk University by now.
As time passed, the room gradually started filling up.
The pride of having gotten into Hanguk University's Business Administration department is beyond words, and honestly I think they've got every right to be proud.
Looking at Da-yeon beside me, hadn't I seen with my own eyes what it means to pour yourself entirely into studying from birth until now?
Da-yeon studied things she already knew, day after day, and studied them again.
To the point where she almost looked ridiculous...
I think I've got a steel ass that doesn't get up easily once I sit down,
but Da-yeon's butt was definitely tougher than mine.
Our goal was getting into Hanguk University—not graduating.
What I mean is, Da-yeon studied because she had nothing else to do,
and she says now she'll only study stuff that seems useful when she's in class.
In short, she's an adult now anyway. She's saying she's going to just go out, have fun, and enjoy life.
And I'm not planning to ace every exam either.
If I'm messing around with Da-yeon and I'm the only one getting perfect scores, wouldn't that look weird?
"Ji-hoon enlists tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. Wanna come with?"
"Of course~"
Park Ji-hoon was always running his mouth off, grandly declaring he was going to the Marines because once a Marine, always a Marine,
but at some point he suddenly started whining at me all day about not wanting to go.
From why I don't have to go, to going on about how he's the only one going twice...
The moment booze hit his lips he called me at all hours, constantly.
And he was seriously regretting having said he'd join the Marines on his own.
"He was calling again yesterday, drunk, right?"
"Maybe Ji-hoon likes Si-yoon...?"
"Him? I'd sooner die— no way. We're just really close."
"Mm~ you think?"
"What's Tae-oh doing?"
"Tae-oh said he'd do one semester of college and then join the Army."
"Yeah?"
While I was talking with Da-yeon, the empty lecture hall filled up.
People kept stealing glances at me.
There genuinely wasn't a single person who wasn't paying attention to us.
I was playing around with Da-yeon's fingers for a moment when several people came in, led by a big, burly guy,
and every one of them was wearing a Hanguk University department jacket.
The H logo embossed on the chest.
So that's it, huh...
The emblem—something any Korean would've seen at least once, even in a movie—looked genuinely appealing, and the design with 'Class of '35' written on it was perfect.
The color and design were more to my taste than I expected, so I made up my mind to wear the department jacket around.
One of the people who looked like an officer handed some kind of form to the person sitting in the very front row.
"Hello~ I'm your class president, Yoon Hyeong-seop."
""Hello~""
"Is there anyone here who isn't in Hanguk University's Business Administration department?"
When no one reacted, Yoon Hyeong-seop continued.
"Is there anyone here aged 27 or older?"
When nobody raised a hand, Yoon Hyeong-seop smiled and spoke.
"Then it's okay if I speak casually, right?"
Asking it that way honestly made me suspect the real tone was, "What the hell are you gonna do if you say no?"
But they're 27—seven years older than me, fossils really... just how tiny must we look to them?
"Alright then, nice to meet you all~ Let me introduce myself again—I'm your class president Yoon Hyeong-seop."
Yoon Hyeong-seop started explaining things one by one, quickly writing his phone number and email on the board behind him.
"Honestly, you all studied your asses off—you wanna have fun, right? No, even if you don't wanna, you've gotta have fun now. So everybody can have a good time cleanly without causing each other grief, I'll explain just once, so listen up. Might be a good idea to record this!"
He diligently laid out all the tricks for school life and tips for making your schedule, and he seemed like a more decent guy than I'd expected.
The paper the officers had passed to the front row had made its way to me. I checked it.
There were blank spaces next to people's names, asking for department jacket sizes.
Da-yeon and I wrote down 85 and 90 after hearing they ran a little large.
In a separate note it said additional purchases cost 35,000 won.
After explaining for a long while, Yoon Hyeong-seop looked at us and said,
"I'm serious—nobody's older than me, right?"
""Yeah~""
"Okay. Y'know, there are a lot of people who are scared of new places, and also people who enjoy it. So I know you've got a ton of questions for me."
Everyone focused on the class president's words.
"But if I tell you all of that right now, you probably won't get home tonight, right? So I'd prefer if you asked questions in the group chat if possible, but I know some people will have a hard time with that."
Watching him speak clearly and without pause, he definitely seemed sharp.
"So if it's tough to ask in the group chat, you can DM me personally at the contact info back there. Just, I've gotta ask—I usually go to sleep at 2 a.m., y'know? Past 1 a.m. it's kind of hard for me to take questions... I'm human too?"
Thanks to the class president, the atmosphere relaxed and everybody started smiling.
"You're all in the group chat, right? Until midnight tonight, nobody post anything. I've got a lot to upload. And—anybody who can't drink!?"
I reflexively went to raise my hand, but Yoon Hyeong-seop's words came faster.
"We don't— oh, sorry. You're Si-yoon, right? Confirmed, can't drink."
For a second I wondered if he was taking a jab at me, but well, what can you do about not being able to drink?
"Anyway, we never force anyone to drink."
Suddenly, Yoon Hyeong-seop turned dead serious toward the officer beside him and held out his hand.
In a perfectly crisp motion, the female officer mimed pouring a glass—and Yoon Hyeong-seop looked at her with a completely blank expression and said,
"And you... you're not drinking?"
The room went ice-cold...
They do say when a mild-looking person turns serious, it puts out an especially heavy atmosphere.
This was exactly that.
In an instant, every person here was utterly locked in, and I was genuinely impressed by the acting.
Yoon Hyeong-seop turned back to us with a smile.
"We absolutely never do this. If you've got a senior trying to pressure you? Just report them to the police, straight up. If there's some asshole threatening you over stuff like that, tell me at this contact info—I'll bury them."
His pace was fast and refreshingly straightforward.
Yoon Hyeong-seop was rattling off only the things he considered genuinely important.
"Let's knock this out quick and go home~ No matter what anyone says, home is best. I won't take questions here—ask in the group chat or DM me. Okay?"
""Yes!""
"If you're good at ROL, hit me up separately. There'll be a skill check. And lastly, the crown jewel of OT—I reserved a gukbap joint. You don't have to eat, but anyone who's hungry, follow us and eat~ We'll drink a bit there, but Si-yoon, you don't have to drink."
Singling me out again right at the end—this bastard was definitely taking jabs.
"Me, I obviously love a drink~ Those who want to drink, follow me! Let's go~!"
Wow... honestly I figured Hanguk University would be filled with boring people who do nothing but study. Big miscalculation.
Coming to Hanguk University, I realized just how many morons there are among people who've ever been crazy about something.
I heard there are a ton of good restaurants around here, but it was my first time on these streets, so I followed the group over to learn the route too.
We went into the gukbap place.
The menu was pretty diverse, and the bang for your buck is insane.
The seating split into drinking and non-drinking sections, and they must've pre-ordered galbitang, because almost every spot except a few had it.
Da-yeon and I naturally went to the non-drinking section.
A fairly good-looking young guy who'd been angling to sit with me plopped himself down across from me.
"Wow... it's my first time seeing a celebrity in person. Ah, hi— my name's Ha Yeong-ju."
"Yeah, hi~"
He boldly sat right in front of me but couldn't even keep a conversation going. He got shy all on his own and clammed up.
The person beside him was the same... the nice atmosphere turned awkward.
"Um, I heard you entered as the top student this year."
"Yeah."
"Is there a reason you chose business administration...?"
"My friend wanted to go?"
"...Sorry?"
I added green onions to the galbitang, took a bite, and confirmed the place was as good as advertised.
Whoa... is this what they mean by mom's home cooking...?
Da-yeon must've found it good too, because she nodded and smiled at me.
Right then, from behind, Yoon Hyeong-seop spoke up.
"Anyone who's done eating and wants to go home, you can go! And if you want to go to a second round separately, you can do that too! Just make sure you contact your parents so they don't worry!"
They say the class rep always becomes the person who drinks the best in the department—Yoon Hyeong-seop's spot was already surrounded by empty bottles.
As Da-yeon and I got up to leave, Ha Yeong-ju spoke in a rush.
"Uh, maybe coffee..."
"It's okay~ we're kind of busy, so we'll get going first~"
I'm definitely not the type to shut someone down cold, but...
I didn't want to go have coffee just to sit there without a word between us.
Late that evening, I was messing around with Dad when I got a call from Park Ji-hoon.
"Hello?"
—"Boss..."
With all the noise in the background and how serious Ji-hoon sounded, I wondered if he'd gotten himself into trouble.
I mouthed 'Ji-hoon' to Dad for a moment and went into my room.
"...What's going on?"
—"I, uh... don't want to go to the army."
Yeah, I'm the idiot for reacting to a serious voice.
You could tell right from his voice that that moron Park Ji-hoon had been drinking his ass off.
—"Don't wanna go... please... save me..."
"You really don't want to go?"
—"Haa... I gotta go, right...?"
"If you don't want to go, say so. There's gotta be a way if we look."
—"...Nah... Team 7's obviously gonna give me endless shit for never having served..."
"What're you doing right now?"
—"Drinking with Ju-won and Min-jun."
I don't know why this bastard called me expecting me to do something about it, but he's one of only two subordinates I've got—I gotta look after him.
"You calling me from the club?"
—"Haa... it's no fun... I can't even get myself to laugh."
"Where's a bald fucker with a head like that supposed to go and have fun, dumbass?"
—"Fuck! You buzzed it!"
"Bullshit? You asked me to, saying you were steeling your resolve."
—"Come hang out with me."
"Out of nowhere? Piss off. If I go out this late, my dad'll kick me out."
Suddenly Park Ji-hoon started pouring out a litany of gripes...
Stuff about how he died because of me, how much effort he'd put in on the regular so I wouldn't go after people when I got pissed.
He started kicking up a genuine shitstorm.
"I can't go far, got it?"
I hung up, changed my clothes, and pulled a cap down low over my head.
"Dad, I'm going out for a bit."
"At this hour?"
"Yeah, Ji-hoon was pouring out complaints about going to the army."
"You've gotta be back before midnight."
"Got it~"
Dad agreed more easily than I expected. I pulled Whitey out of the parking garage and headed to where Ji-hoon was.
Ji-hoon was standing unsteadily in front of the club.
With a frame that big staggering around, Min-jun and Ju-won beside him looked like they were struggling.
"How much did he drink?"
"How many bottles can Ji-hoon handle? He was just pouring them down."
"We seriously freaked out. Whoa..."
Park Ji-hoon draped a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
The booze stench was foul as hell.
"Our Tti-yoon! You've gotten so big!"
"...?"
This son of a bitch... he couldn't control his strength right then and my shoulder started hurting, so I used my left hand to put him to sleep for a moment.
Thankfully, it didn't look like anyone saw me knock Ji-hoon out.
I slung Ji-hoon over my shoulders and shoved him into the car, and the two of them stared in amazement.
"Whoa... you're crazy strong...?"
Come to think of it, Ji-hoon weighs 110 kilos.
The two of them, knowing that, would find the sight of me casually stuffing him into the car pretty surreal.
"You think? Where do you guys live—I'll drop you off."
I loaded Min-jun and Ju-won into the car and drove them home.
"Get home safe~ Take good care of Ji-hoon~"
The two of them waved at me from outside.
I stuck my hand out the window, waved back, and got the car moving.