I’m Poor and Unpopular [Part 1]

Vzzz! Vzzz!

The phone, buried beneath the pillow, vibrated vigorously.

The lightly sleeping Jaegun jolted and his eyes flew open—he was immediately tense with the thought that it could be a call from his editor.

However, it wasn’t his editor. It was Jungjin Park, his best friend from college.

Jaegun took the call as a yawn burst out of his mouth.

“Helluuuh...”

“Did you get your wisdom teeth removed or something? Why do you sound like that?”

“I just woke up. I was hitting the deadline last night.”

“Oh, the new wuxia series you signed the contract for?”

“Yeah, I completed the first book this morning. Thank god.”

“That’s good. All right. Come over at 7:30 P.M. You remember Hama at Sinchon, right?”

Jaegun sat up quickly.

“What are you talking about? Hama at 7:30 P.M.?”

“Oh my god, you forgot again? It’s our reunion today.”

“Ohh...”

Jaegun had indeed completely forgotten.

Today was the day of the class reunion for the students who had graduated from Taesuh University’s creative writing program.

“What time is it right now?”

“Don’t you have a clock in the room? Hurry, it’s already 5:00 P.M. Eek! Hey, I need to go into a meeting. See you later.”

Tk!

The call ended, and Jaegun finally got up and went to the bathroom. Like his friend had said, he’d be late if he didn’t hurry.

Argh, it’s cold!

The cold water pouring out of the shower head hit Jaegun’s entire body. As it was still June, it didn’t feel great to take a cold shower. But he had no choice since he had to save on the gas bill.

Jaegun washed his hair and finished the shower, flapping like a fish, then picked the cleanest clothes among the ones he owned and left the house. He checked the time on his phone as he headed to the bus station. It would take fifteen minutes by bus and an additional forty minutes by subway. He’d just make it in time.

This place hasn’t changed a bit.

When Jaegun arrived at Hama, he looked up at the signage, feeling nostalgic.

It was the drinking house that he and his friends had been regulars at since college. It was affordable, served tasty snacks, and—most importantly—the owner was generous.

Someone suddenly tapped his shoulder.

When Jaegun turned around, Jungjin was standing there with a smile.

“Jeez. Hey, I have a weak heart these days.”

“What are you doing here spacing out? Aren’t you gonna go in?”

“Nothing, I just got nostalgic. I don’t know how long it’s been since I last came here.”

“Me too. I think the last time we met up here was before you enlisted in the military. Let’s go in.”

Together, the two of them stepped through Hama’s front doors.

Inside, there was a big table where more than twenty people could sit.

The total number of people who had RSVP’d today was eighteen, including Jaegun and Jungjin. Most of them had already arrived and were engaged in conversation.

“Hey, long time no see!”

“Jungjin Park, Jaegun Ha. You guys showed up together, just like back in college. Are you dating?”

Their old classmates all greeted them in their own ways. Taking their seats, Jaegun and Jungjin responded in kind.

“How have you all been? Hyojin, you haven’t changed at all.”

“Oh, stop. I’ve got so many wrinkles these days, I’ve actually been thinking about getting a facelift.”

“Shut up. You’re not even thirty yet. Don’t go and do anything to that pretty face.”

“Seriously, Jaegun, you still have a way with words. Come sit with me. I’ll be nice to you.”

Hyojin tapped the sofa next to her, signaling for him to come. Jungjin rolled his eyes and barged in, pushing Jaegun to the side.

“Hey, hey, hey. Why don’t you take care of this poor soul instead? The dungeon project I’ve been developing for a week, through blood and tears, got totally rejected.”

“Aw, really? You come here then, Jungjin. Have a drink with me.”

“Hehehe, thank you. I’ll make sure to serve you all night, m’lady.” Jungjin giggled, moving to the next seat next to Hyojin and picking up a glass.

Minah, who was sitting across from them, got wide-eyed and spoke up teasingly.

“Hey now, let’s keep things PG. What if you guys really start liking each other? Jaegun, don’t you agree? I’m sensing some sparks.”

“Now that you mention it, I think you’re right,” Jaegun responded to Minah, pretending to be serious.

Jungjin and Hyojin, sitting next to each other, immediately frowned and glared at each other. Jaegun burst out laughing.

They were interrupted by the sound of dress shoes tapping across the floor, and everyone lifted their heads and looked toward the entrance. A man with a neat gray suit was waving his hand with a confident smile.

It was Myunghoon Oh.

“Yo, Myunghoon Oh! Nice to see you! It’s been a while!”

Everyone fought their way to welcome Myunghoon.

They were reacting much more enthusiastically than when Jaegun and Jungjin had come. The girls, in particular, cheered loudly.

“I heard that you’ve made it big. I guess it was true. You’re dressed like a prince.”

“Ha ha ha, don’t. I’m only starting,” Myunghoon responded calmly as he sat down across from Jaegun. He reached out his hand. “Long time no see, Jaegun.”

“Oh, oh. Yeah.” Jaegun smiled awkwardly and shook his hand. He wanted to act unbothered, but he couldn’t help it.

Just because someone graduated with a creative writing degree didn’t mean they got to live as a writer. In fact, it was usually the opposite. Most writers struggled to make a living, so it was common for them to choose a job that was completely unrelated to their major.

Getting a position writing scenarios and quests for a game company—like Jungjin had—was usually the best outcome one could hope for. At least that was related to his degree.

There were only two in this class who still tried to make a living writing: Jaegun and the one who was shaking hands with him, Myunghoon. That made Jaegun uncomfortable today because Myunghoon had recently hit the jackpot with three romance novels.

One of them had even received the grand prize from the contest organized by the Creative Content Agency. It was gaining significant attention, with discussions about turning it into a drama.

So Myunghoon was particularly famous among the writers. Jaegun had heard that he’d already made more than six figures, and this was information from a while ago.

“How’s your work going? What have you been doing?” Myunghoon asked as their handshake ended.

Jaegun felt a lump in his throat. It sounded like Myunghoon was genuinely asking, but he was well aware that Jaegun was still trying to make it as a writer.

His best friend, Jungjin, read his mind and spoke on his behalf. “Dude, what are you talking about? A writer writes.”

“Oh yeah? You still write?” Myunghoon asked back, and no one missed the emphasis.

Jaegun raised the alcohol bottle with an artificial smile. “Yep, I still write. I’ll pour you a drink. Soju, right?”

“Oh, thanks.”

“I heard the news. Sounds like you’re doing very well these days. Congrats.”

“It’s no big deal. It’s just getting made into a live-action drama.”

Jaegun’s hand, holding the bottle, shook slightly. He quickly poured the drink and opened the next bottle so that other people wouldn’t notice.

“Jaegun, what have you been writing?”

“Me? Well, I was contracted to write another wuxia series.”

Myunghoon poured Jaegun a drink this time. They clinked their glasses and brought them to their respective mouths.

“Aah, a wuxia series. But does that pay? Does one book even get you 1 million won?”