Will We Stay Friends Forever? — Chapter 11

I CAN MAKE YOU HAVE FUN EVEN WITHOUT TOYS.

GET OFF, IT'S HOT!

I GUESS THERE REALLY IS SOME PROGRESS WITH LEE DO-YOUNG, HUH?

W... WHO'S LEE DO-YOUNG?

DON'T TRY TO FOOL A GHOST.

IT WAS WORTH IT FOR ME TO PROVOKE YOU SO HARD.

DO YOUR BEST.

I'M ROOTING FOR YOU GUYS.

TRY TAKING THESE THINGS AND VISITING HIM.

I THINK IT'LL BE QUITE A SIGHT TO SEE, DON'T YOU?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!

WHAT IS ALL THIS!!!

SU... SURPRISE~

SURPRISE, MY FOOT!!!

CLEAN IT UP AND GET OUT RIGHT NOW!

NO, WAIT-DON'T LEAVE YET, GIVE ME TEN... TWENTY MINUTES!

SHOULD I LEAVE AGAIN?

I HAVE TO GO ON AN EXTERNAL WORK TRIP, I TOLD YOU I WAS BUSY.

DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME LIKE THIS.

HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP AVOIDING ME?

...WHEN DID I EVER-

DON'T MAKE THINGS COMPLICATED.

IF WE DECIDED TO HAVE FUN, THEN JUST HAVE FUN!

HOW CAN I DO THAT WITH YOU!!

IS EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD EASY FOR YOU?

IT'S NOT LIKE THAT FOR ME! PLAYING AROUND JUST DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!

THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH ME?

IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE LIKE THIS, WHY DID YOU SLEEP WITH ME?

THAT'S BECAUSE YOU..!

DID I THREATEN YOU WITH A KNIFE OR SOMETHING?

YOU HAD PLENTY OF CHANCES!

HA... FINE.

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO KEEP MY HEAD TOGETHER.

I'M SORRY I COULDN'T DO THAT.

DO YOUR BEST. I'M ROOTING FOR YOU GUYS.

YOU HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER ONCE FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY FALL FOR EACH OTHER, RIGHT?

CARD

TWENTY YEARS AGO, DUE TO MY FATHER'S SUDDEN TRANSFER TO THE HEADQUARTERS,

WE MOVED INTO A SMALL APARTMENT WE COULD FIND IN A HURRY.

THE KID LIVING NEXT DOOR AT THAT TIME WAS LEE JU-YOUNG.

MY FATHER WAS SAILING THROUGH HIS CAREER AS AN EXECUTIVE AT AN AUTO PARTS MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

AND THAT WAS ALSO WHEN MY MOTHER WAS GAINING FAME AS A RENOWNED ARCHITECT.

MY OLDER BROTHER, SEVEN YEARS MY SENIOR, WAS A PRODIGY WHO NEVER MISSED THE TOP RANK, SO

I GREW UP AS A RATHER OBNOXIOUS KID, STRUTTING AROUND UNDER SUCH AN EXCELLENT FAMILY.

HEY~! LEE DO- -YOUNG!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET'S PLAY TOGETHER.

Who's that? They say he's the kid who move d in next door.

AT OUR AGE, PLAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND IS A WASTE OF TIME.

IF A GRADE-SCHOOLER DOESN'T PLAY, WHO DOES?

DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT ADVANCED LEARNING IS?

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SOLVE MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH BY NOW.

I don't want to.

Advance learning..?

HEY, LEE JU-YOUNG! JUST LET HIM BE!

BUT NO MATTER WHAT I DID, I WAS ALWAYS ONE STEP BEHIND.

YOU CAN'T EVEN SOLVE SOMETHING THIS SIMPLE?

YOU'RE NOT EVEN 10TH IN THE WHOLE SCHOOL, BUT 10TH IN YOUR CLASS?

WHAT?! GIVE ME BACK MY BAG!

TRY TAKING IT FROM ME ONCE!

ARE YOU NOT COMING HERE?!

LEE JU-YOU- NG WAS,

ANYWAY, A STRANGE KID.

THEY SAY IF YOU CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN DURING A FULL MOON, YOU CAN SEE A WEREWOLF!

Let's go see it!

AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT?!

Is it okay?!

Hey~!

HEY..! I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD GO DURING THE DAY...!

ONLY TWO BOOKS?! I READ TWENTY!

THEY'RE ALL FANTASY NOVELS!

I'VE FINISHED MY MATH BOOKS!

KIDS, COME AND EAT~

DO-YOUNG, LET'S EAT TOO.

MY FAMILY WAS BUSY WITH THEIR OWN WORK, SO

JU-YOUNG'S PARENTS, WHO FELT SORRY FOR THE DAYS I ATE ALONE,

WOULD OFTEN INVITE ME TO DINNER.

LEE JU-YOUNG'S HOUSE WAS...

ARE YOU NOT GOING TO CLEAR ALL THESE BOOKS OFF THE FLOOR?! I'LL STARVE YOU OUT?!

O-okay...!

DO-YOUNG, OUR JU-YOUNG IS A BIT ECCENTRIC, ISN'T SHE?

Yes..?

I THINK THAT'S JU-YOUNG'S STRENGTH, BUT

I'M VERY WORRIED SHE'LL TRIP WHILE RUN- NING AROUND HERE AND THERE.

IT WAS A BIT NOISY AND STRANGE, BUT

IT WAS WARM AND AFFECTIONATE.

YOU HAVE TO HOLD ONTO HER WELL FROM YOUR SIDE.

AND LEE JU-YOUNG WAS...

AREN'T YOU SAD?

HUH? IT'S SAD.

JUST AS MUCH AS THAT UNI- QUENESS,

SHE WAS SPECIAL TO ME.

SHE USED TO CRY EVEN IF SHE GOT A TINY SCRAPE...

IS IT A FANTASY NOVEL AGAIN?

IT'S FUN, YOU KNOW.

AT TIMES I ADMIRED HER, AT TIMES I WAS JEALOUS OF HER,

IT'S NOT EVEN ANY HELP IN LIFE.

IS IT FUN TO ONLY DO THINGS THAT ARE HELP- FUL?

AT TIMES I LOOKED DOWN ON HER AND FELT A SENSE OF SUPERIORITY.

ALL OF THIS IS THE FOUNDATION FOR BEING HAPPIER LATER ON.

ALL OF THIS IS THE FOUNDATION FOR BEING HAPPIER LATER ON.

WE AREN'T HAPPY EVEN NOW, SO HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE WE CAN BE HAPPY LATER?

AT TIMES I WANTED TO DRIFT APART.

THAT'S CALLED A MENTAL VICTORY!

IT'S NO USE REGRETTING IT AFTER YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!

THEN LET'S MAKE A BET.

ABOUT WHO WILL BE HAPPIER LATER!

THE FACT THAT WE ARE SO DIFFERENT THAT WE CAN'T HELP BUT COMPARE OURSELVES,

YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING ON AN OVERSEAS TRIP? BRING ME A GIFT.

WE'LL SEE...

IT WAS ALSO LONELY THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE DOING ALL OF THAT.

AND TWO MONTHS LATER, WHEN I RETURNED TO KOREA,

I HEARD THE SAD NEWS ABOUT JU-YOUNG'S FATHER.