Chapter 90: Class Reunion (2)

Chapter 90: Class Reunion (2)

The next evening, Han Jung-Woo changed his clothes with a calm expression.

That guy, I can’t believe he told me about the reunion one day before.

Of course, Min-Soo passionately argued against this.

Are you kidding me? I tried telling you multiple times, but you ignored all my KakaoTalk and Facebook messages.

Since he hadn't answered his phone because he was playing games all day, he had nothing to say. Of course, he could have linked his capsule to his smartphone to check messages and calls in real time while gaming, but Han Jung-Woo never activated that function.

It’s disruptive to my gaming. I also heard rankers disable this feature too.

However, in Han Jung-Woo’s case, it was simply because he had no friends to contact him!

“Good thing I bought this last time.”

Han Jung-Woo put on the stylish suit he wore for his mother’s birthday and put on his shoes.

Seeing him dressed up, his mother tilted her head. “Where are you going all dressed up?”

“To a high school reunion.”

“...Reunion?” Her gaze changed instantly! Then she approached him like a lioness protecting her cub and interrogated him. “Did they tell you to come?”

“It’s not like that. I just feel like it’s okay to meet them now.”

At one point in time, it had been excruciatingly painful. The fact that the people he had trusted as friends had used him and hadn't even considered him to be their friend had left a deep wound, leading him to alienate himself from society.

He formed a slight distrust in people. Perhaps his reason for solo gaming wasn't just to take all the rewards for himself, but because his distrust of people still lingered deep in his heart.

“...Are you sure you’ll be okay?” His mother asked, voice filled with concern

“Whose son am I?”

“Me and my husband’s, of course.”

“My parents always taught me this: don’t start a fight you can’t win. But if you start a fight, win it no matter what.”

“...That’s right, we did.” With that, Kim Hyun-Jung asked no more questions on the matter. Instead, she opened her wallet, took out a card, and waved it. “Do you need my card?”

“No, why would I?”

If he had planned to use his parents’ power to punish those guys, he would have done it years ago. But Han Jung-Woo didn’t want that.

Back then, it was embarrassing to rely on my parents, but now...

Now, the reason was quite different.

My own strength is enough.

He had gained confidence—the belief that he could handle things on his own without borrowing someone else’s strength.

“Then I’ll get going now.”

***

The young adults of Korea often gathered in Hongdae on Sunday evenings. But instead of joining the crowds on the streets where the intense beat of hip-hop echoed, Han Jung-Woo and Min-Soo were in a luxurious restaurant where a mellow violin played softly in the background

Min-Soo kept fidgeting like a dog who needed to go out as he sat at a group table in the restaurant. “Hey, are you sure about this?”

“About what?”

Min-Soo leaned close to Han Jung-Woo and whispered, “Haven’t you looked at the menu here?”

“I’m looking at it right now.”

“Don’t you see the prices? This place is expensive!”

“I told you, I’m paying.”

“That’s what worries me more. Do you know how many people are even coming today?”

“Twenty-three, right?”

“Hey! You told me to invite Seok-Woo’s gang! Now it’s twenty-seven!”

“Same difference.”

Han Jung-Woo nonchalantly read the menu with an indifferent expression.

Min-Soo stared at him before letting out a deep sigh. “Did you win the lottery or something... or did you borrow your parents’ card?”

“Do my parents seem like the kind to just hand over their card? Well, my mom did offer to lend it this time.”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t take it.”

“Yup. I’m planning to pay with my own money.”

“Who is this person in front of me? Is this really the Han Jung-Woo I knew?”

Min-Soo looked at Han Jung-Woo with a curious gaze, slowly scanning him from head to toe.

“Get your eyes off me. It’s creepy.”

“I’m just amazed. Honestly, I’ve visited your house often enough to know you live well, but you were the closest to being a commoner among us.”

“I was.”

Both his mother and father ran small businesses, but Han Jung-Woo only received a small allowance. In middle school, it was 30,000 won per month, and in high school, it was 50,000 won per month!

This was the educational philosophy of his self-made, successful parents.

Money easily earned is easily spent. If you ask how to catch fish, we’ll teach you, but we won’t give you the fish.

His parents were stricter than anyone!

However, Han Jung-Woo didn’t have much resentment about it. Even his sister, Han Ji-Hye, was working as a junior employee at a company that didn't belong to their parents.

As he quietly read the menu, he asked casually, “Do you play MID Online?”

“Is there anyone who doesn’t play that nowadays? Of course, I do! And... don’t be surprised when I tell you this, but I joined the Rush guild!”

“Rush guild...?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know it.” Min-Soo chewed on the ice from his water with a relaxed smile. “Well, I guess it’s possible to not know. It’s ranked fourth in South Korea. Apparently, I have some talent for the game.”

“But you used to lose to me every time we played games.”

“Hey! MID Online is nothing like StarCraft or League of Legends.” Min-Soo, who had been passionately explaining, suddenly remembered something and asked, “Oh, now that I think about it, you’ve been on break for two years. Do you not play Mid Online?”

“Of course I do. I’ve been playing since the first day of the open beta.”

“Oh, then you must be at a high level. What level are you?”

“Level 88, I think.”

“Ugh...” Min-Soo furrowed his brows. “That’s pretty serious. What have you been doing... wait, with your personality, don’t tell me...?”

“Well, I’ve just been helping people here and there.”

“I thought so. That’s so you. If anyone’s bothering you, let me know. I can handle most of them.”

“Even the top 10 guilds in the world?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Seok-Woo.”

“What?”

Here it comes!

Choi Seok-Woo brightened up and replied, thinking that now Han Jung-Woo was going to embarrass him.

However, what came out of Han Jung-Woo’s mouth was completely unexpected.

“Is there anything else you want? Order more.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

Seok-Woo and his gang immediately wore dumbfounded expressions.

However, the other friends started whispering as they saw Han Jung-Woo say that.

“Wow, Jung-Woo has really grown up.”

“Yeah. Those guys used to bully him a lot in school.”

“But it seems like Jung-Woo has already forgiven them.”

“He’s got a different level of composure. It’s like the calmness of someone who’s well-off.”

“Ugh, but what is Seok-Woo’s gang doing? They’re shamelessly eating the food Jung-Woo is treating us to.”

“Do you think they even apologized for what they did in the past?”

“If they had any conscience, they wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

Wh-what the hell?

Seok-Woo furrowed his brows at the rapidly changing atmosphere. Back in school, he was the predator who ruled. He was tall, good-looking, popular, and strong. But what was this shitty atmosphere now?

Unable to bear it, Seok-Woo’s friends glared at the other kids.

“Stop chattering behind our backs and shut up.”

“You losers couldn’t even make eye contact with us in school...”

Abusive words spilled out of their mouths, but they weren’t high school students anymore. They were twenty-two year-old college students. Some had even already finished their mandated military service.

Far from being scared by Seok-Woo’s gang’s harsh words, they immediately grimaced.

“Chattering? Shut up?”

“Who do you think you are, ordering us around?”

“No one here wanted you guys at this reunion in the first place. Why did you even come?”

“You avoid poop because it's dirty, not because you're scared. That was us during school."

“Wh-what?”

Seok-Woo’s gang looked furious—their faces were red as if they were ready to throw punches.

Han Jung-Woo, who had been silently watching the argument, secretly smiled, then shook his head with a guilty expression. “I’m sorry guys. It looks like inviting Seok-Woo was my mistake.”

“How is that your fault?”

“Yeah, it’s their fault for ruining the mood. By the way, you were the one who invited them?”

“Yeah. Back in school, we were all young and made mistakes. I thought they would have reflected and changed by now. But...” Looking at Seok-Woo with contempt, as if he were seeing a swarm of mosquitoes or flies, Han Jung-Woo continued, “You guys haven’t changed at all.”

“What? You bastard...!”

“But now.”

Han Jung-Woo placed a hand on Seok-Woo's shoulder, his eyes shining intensely.

For a moment, Seok-Woo felt a chill run down his spine, making him shudder.

Wh-what is this? Did I just flinch? Just from making eye contact?

He didn't know the reason, whether it was because of the wealth Han Jung-Woo had displayed or because of the sheer rejection he felt in this place, he wasn't sure. But the important thing was that he had felt a moment of fear toward Han Jung-Woo. It was a fact he couldn't and didn't want to accept.

Then Han Jung-Woo continued, “We're adults, right? So we should be able to understand each other’s feelings. We’re not kids anymore. Isn’t that right?”

“You arrogant bastard, who do you think you are to lecture me...”

Seok-Woo tried to retort angrily, but the others were already nodding their heads.

“Jung-Woo isn’t even angry in this situation.”

“Did Jung-Woo already serve in the military? Why is he so dignified?”

“Hey, Jung-Woo was always like that”

“Seok-Woo should go to the military and grow up for once.”

“Let’s exclude troublemakers from future reunions. Why ruin a good day?”

There was no physical violence, but Seok-Woo and his gang were totally excluded from the group and couldn’t process this unfamiliar situation.

H-how did we end up like this?

Unlike them, Han Jung-Woo, who had orchestrated this situation from the start, smiled.

Pat, pat.

He brushed Seok-Woo’s shoulder and said, “Seok-Woo, eat more before you go. I’ll cover the bill before I leave.”

“You...”

Seok-Woo’s face turned red as he trembled. He wanted to shout something and even use violence, but he also had a brain and was capable of doing something called thinking.

He was no longer a teenager, and he currently had nothing better than the guy he once considered beneath him.

I shouldn’t have come here in the first place.

This place was Han Jung-Woo’s trap meant to ensnare them. Once the trap was set, it clung to their ankles tenaciously and never let go.

The moment he realized this, Seok-Woo’s clenched, trembling fist loosened its grip.

No matter what I do, against this guy...

He couldn’t win.

Seeing Choi Seok-Woo engulfed by defeat, Han Jung-Woo smiled brightly and cheered him up. “Well, take care. I’m off.”

Telling him to take care sounded like a curse, telling him to be troubled for the rest of his life.

Experiencing the feeling of powerlessness for the first time in his life, Choi Seok-Woo slumped into his seat.

“Hey, wait up!”

“Shall we go for round two?”

“We’re pretty much done eating... let’s head out together.”

Unlike when he first entered, Seok-Woo's eyes were lifeless as he watched Han Jung-Woo cheerfully waving goodbye to him and his friends before leaving.

At the same time, it was like a heavy stone had lifted from Han Jung-Woo’s chest.