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Chapter 90: Class Reunion (2)

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?”

“Never mind then.”

Thinking Han Jung-Woo was joking, Min-Soo suddenly stood up. “Hey! Over here!”

The men and women who trickled in were familiar faces that even Han Jung-Woo remembered. They were the friends who had shared their school days with him, after all.

“Hey, this wasn’t the original meeting place, was it?”

“It seems pretty expensive...”

“Don’t worry about it. This guy said he’s treating us because he missed the last reunion.”

“...He’s gonna treat us here?”

With surprised expressions, they finally noticed Han Jung-Woo and greeted him.

“Yo, Jung-Woo, it’s been a while, huh?”

“This guy ignored all my KakaoTalk and Facebook messages.”

“What? Yours too? He did that to mine as well!”

“Hey, hey, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s because he deleted all the apps. For the record, he ignored mine too,” Min-Soo calmed the complaining friends and had them sit down.

Meanwhile, the girls, now slimmer and prettier, whispered among themselves.

“Doesn’t Jung-Woo seem different somehow?”

“Yeah. He used to just seem like a nice guy before...”

“He still seems nice. But, how should I put it, he looks much calmer now.”

“He looks more mature!”

“And he seems to have become a bit handsome.”

“Is it just because he’s treating us to dinner at a fancy place?”

“No, it’s not that!”

Of course, the boys’ evaluation was less enthusiastic than the girls’.

“Did Jung-Woo get a job?”

“I don’t think so? I heard he took a leave of absence...”

“Besides, how could he afford this kind of place on a single salary?”

“Oh! There was a rumor in school that Jung-Woo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. So, is that true?”

“Jung-Woo? No way. He never showed any signs of that. Probably not.”

That was the reaction of ordinary kids, the way people acted when reuniting with old friends after a long time.

However, as with any gathering, there were those who ruined the mood.

“Well, well, Han Jung-Woo. It’s really been a while, hasn’t it?”

A young man greeted him with a sly smile, swaggering as he spoke. It was Choi Seok-Woo, the very person who had caused Han Jung-Woo great emotional wounds in high school.

Moreover, behind him, three guys still followed him around like a backdrop.

“Wow, seems like our Jung-Woo has made a lot of money, huh? Spending big bucks in a place like this.”

“Hey, don’t ruin the mood. Just take a seat,” Min-Soo said in a slightly angry voice, frowning on Jung-Woo’s behalf.

“Yes, yes, of course. We wouldn’t dare disobey the elite who’s now in the Rush guild.”

Seok-Woo’s gang exaggeratedly acted scared and laughed among themselves.

The other kids looked slightly displeased, but Seok-Woo, unconcerned, sat down with a nonchalant expression. “Well then, let’s see what expensive food our Jung-Woo is treating us to. What’s the most expensive thing on the menu...”

Soon, Seok-Woo’s gang really started ordering the priciest dishes.

The other friends, looking taken aback, tried to stop him.

“Hey, that’s a bit much.”

“If you order all that, it’ll cost 530,000 won just for the four of you.”

In response to their attempts to stop him, Choi Seok-Woo shrugged and gave an innocent look. “What, he invited us saying he’ll treat, and now we can\'t order what we want? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“That’s true.” After a long silence, Han Jung-Woo finally spoke up. Though he didn’t raise his voice, everyone’s attention naturally shifted to him. “Seok-Woo is right. If you want to eat something, order it. You all too, don’t hesitate and order whatever you want.”

Finishing his words with a gentle smile, Han Jung-Woo took a soft sip of water. With that, what could have been a tense situation was diffused by his words.

“Sh-shall we? If Jung-Woo insists...”

“Jung-Woo, are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s fine. Order whatever you want, including drinks.”

As Han Jung-Woo naturally took the lead in the reunion, Choi Seok-Woo gritted his teeth.

In high school, this bastard used to flinch at just a word from me...

Using the gullible boy who considered him a best friend had been the most entertaining prank. Of course, when the boy found out and their relationship became over, he felt a bit regretful, but not because he lost a friend.

If I pretended to be a little sick and asked him to buy snacks, that bastard would do it every time, even worrying about me.

The regret was about no longer being able to use him. That was the biggest part.

Well, those are just memories now.

Seok-Woo smirked.

He had asked for the reason when Min-Soo, someone who hadn\'t been close to him and his friend, had invited them to the reunion.

I don’t know. Jung-Woo said he wanted to see you guys.

Hearing that response had been both amusing and surprising. Of course, he could guess why Jung-Woo had called them.

Looking at how he’s spending today, he must have made some money.

So he must have called those who bullied him during school to embarrass them.

And because of that, they had already coordinated how to act in advance. They decided that no matter what provocation or insult he threw, they wouldn’t react.

If we don’t give him the reaction he wants, he’ll probably get mad and lose it.

Seok-Woo hid his smirk, waiting for Han Jung-Woo to start something. However, as time passed, his expression grew increasingly stiff.

This bastard... why the hell isn’t he starting anything after inviting us?

He expected Jung-Woo to show off his wealth or use the expensive meal to pressure them.

But all Jung-Woo showed him was indifference. It was as if he was demonstrating that Seok-Woo had no impact on his life whatsoever.

This left Choi Seok-Woo and his gang feeling bewildered.

If he’s going to ignore us like this, why did he even call us?

The taste of the expensive and delicious food was becoming increasingly bland in their mouths.

Then it was at that moment.

“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.