Childhood friend complex

Episode 1. The Dreadful Kim Do-hoon

It's finally over.

It has already been a week since the high school graduation ceremony ended.

Dragging a large suitcase, I boarded the KTX bound for Seoul and just stared blankly out the window.

 

Mom kept nagging right up until she left.

Don't skip meals, and don't stay out late.

"yes."

And please contact Dohun too.

"...why?"

We go to the same school. How great would it be if we relied on each other?

Instead of answering, I closed the door and left.

Mom will never understand.

What I was looking forward to the most when I came to Seoul.

Life without Kim Do-hoon.

That was the only one.

 

 

-

 

 

20 years.

We lived together for a whole twenty years.

Next door.

kindergarten.

elementary school.

Middle school.

high school.

Even the academy.

Our friends said whenever they saw us.

Two again?

I thought it was over now.

Because even though it was the same university, the majors were different.

The campus is spacious, too.

There are a lot of people, too.

Surely we won't get involved with each other again.

I believed that.

 

 

-

 

 

Entrance ceremony.

The campus, packed with freshmen, was completely chaotic.

A person taking photos.

A person wearing a matching department hoodie.

A person who walks around holding their parents' hands.

Everything was unfamiliar and noisy.

'good night.'

No one stood me next to Kim Do-hoon.

No one.

Are the two of you close?

He didn't ask.

This was the college life I wanted.

"Hey, Yeoju."

A colleague tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

"Do you want to go to the club fair?"

"club?"

I heard the photography club is popular.

Actually, I didn't really think much of it.

I just wanted to go take a look around with my friend.

That was a mistake.

 

 

-

 

 

1st floor of the Student Union Building.

Club booths were lined up endlessly on both sides of the hallway.

band.

basketball.

service.

movie.

picture.

My friend started looking around excitedly, and I just casually followed behind.

This place is pretty good.

It was a photography club.

People were gathered in small groups under a large banner.

Are you going to join the photography club too?

A familiar voice.

It was so familiar that my body froze for a moment.

no way.

He raised his head.

"..."

"..."

A man wearing a black hoodie looked at me and smirked.

"...what."

The words came out of my mouth first.

"Why are you here?"

Kim Do-hoon answered very calmly.

"club."

"...Did you ask because you didn't know that?"

"then?"

"..."

Are you planning to sign up too?

Suddenly, irritation surged up inside me.

"no."

But why are you standing there?

"...I just followed my friend."

Then I guess I just need my friends to sign up.

I really wanted to punch him.

My friend looked back and forth between the two, then opened his eyes wide.

"...Do you two know each other?"

"I don't know."

I know.

The answer that came out at the same time.

There was a brief silence, then laughter erupted from the surroundings.

What's up with the two of you lol

Are you two dating?

You're like childhood friends.

I sighed first.

"...that's right."

20 years.

Dohun added as if it were nothing.

Next door.

"and."

Exclamations of admiration poured in from the surroundings.

"20 years?"

That's amazing.

"Then there must be nothing you don't know about each other?"

I couldn't even laugh.

Would there be?

I know everything about that guy, from his dark past to his habits.

The problem is.

The opposite is exactly the same.

"...I'll go."

I turned away, not wanting to stay any longer for no reason.

It was then.

"hey."

Dohun called from behind.

Student ID.

"...?"

I looked down at Dohun's hand.

The student ID was lying on the floor.

"..."

I could have picked it up and given it to you.

He insists on calling me over.

I picked up my student ID and said casually.

"thank you."

"huh."

"..."

"..."

It felt awkward for no reason.

I was just annoyed.

I walked out without looking back.

 

 

-

 

 

"however."

My colleague asked cautiously.

"Aren't you close with Dohun?"

"...We're not close."

You said you were childhood friends.

"What does that have to do with being close?"

"No, it's just the atmosphere between the two of them..."

Dong-gi chose his words for a moment, then laughed.

You look really used to fighting, too.

It's familiar.

The problem is that it's too familiar.

Kim Do-hoon was always like that.

A genius at making people angry.

The only one with a nonchalant expression.

So I was even more annoyed.

always.

always.

Unchanging.

It was Kim Do-hoon.

 

 

-

 

 

On the way home.

Crosswalk in front of the main gate of the campus.

The moment I was about to step forward without seeing the signal change.

Someone tugged at my hood from behind.

"hey."

I turned around in surprise and saw it was Dohun.

"signal."

Only then did the red light catch my eye.

"..."

You're getting lost already just because it's your first time in Seoul?

Someone got lost.

I almost became friends with the car just now.

Meddling.

"huh."

With those last words, Dohun stood in front of the crosswalk first.

As if it were really nothing.

I just bit my lip for no reason.

...I hate things like that the most.

Taking care of people as if it were no big deal.

It makes it impossible to even get angry.

That's why I hated it even more.

really.

Kim Do-hoon is.

He was the worst childhood friend of my life.

and.

It was my first complex.