My name is Jun-ho. I'm not some action hero or tortured genius. I'm just… me. The kind of guy you walk past a hundred times without noticing. A bit introverted, a little grumpy, and perpetually stuck somewhere between invisible and average.
I go to college, hang out with my two best friends, and repeat the cycle like a broken cassette. My friends? Well, they're far from ordinary. Min-jun is a soft-hearted giant who looks like he's never skipped a meal. And Li-wei? Think stick-figure with a short fuse. He's the type to fight first and maybe ask questions after if he remembers.
Min-jun, despite looking like he could eat a buffet and still be hungry, has more girlfriends than I have clean socks. Meanwhile, Li-wei has the worst luck in love. Every girl he's dated either cheated on him or couldn't deal with his temper. And me? I've never even tried.
Why? Simple. I'm scared. Not of love of betrayal. I've seen enough heartbreak to convince myself that romance is like walking into a minefield wearing clown shoes. So yeah, I've decided love isn't for me. It's not worth the emotional tax.
One lazy afternoon, the three of us were chilling near a canal, eating chips and arguing about whose life sucked the most, when Min-jun blurted, "Guys, I've got a date tomorrow."
I nearly choked on my drink. "Another one?"
"She's from Jin's village," he said, trying to sound casual.
"Are you out of your oversized mind?" I snapped. "Jin and his crew are still after us! You walk in there alone, and they'll turn you into sushi!"
"That's why I want you guys to come with me," Min-jun grinned sheepishly.
Li-wei cracked his knuckles. "I've been bored lately. A little fight might be fun."
"You're insane," I muttered. "I'm not going."
But of course, the universe had other plans. The next day, I was on that stupid bus, heading straight into potential disaster.
We reached the village and spotted her. The girl. She looked like a sketch from a dream I didn't know I had elegant, calm, a bit mysterious. My heart skipped. And then it dropped.
She ran up to Min-jun.
Of course. Of course, she was his date.
I tagged along anyway, trailing behind like an awkward third wheel. They laughed, walked by the river, sat under a tree... all while I tried not to scream into the sky.
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse bam. Jin's gang ambushed us.
Li-wei sprang into action, and Min-jun panicked. I grabbed the girl's arm and said, "Run!" but she refused to leave Min-jun's side. Loyal. Beautiful. Brave. Just my luck.
We scrambled through alleyways, hiding behind walls, breathing hard. But they found us again.
Li-wei yelled, "Split up!"
I ran like my GPA depended on it. Hopped on a bus without even checking where it was going. Just wanted to get away.
The bus dropped me in a sleepy town under a dark sky. I waited for the return bus, trying to make sense of my life, when I saw her. A girl in white, walking slowly toward the canal. Her steps were too soft, too final.
"Is she… planning to jump?"
I rushed after her. When I caught up, she was standing at the edge. I said something stupid, like, "If you jump from here, your legs will break but you probably won't die. I know better spots if that's your goal."
She turned, smiled, and replied, "I'm not here to die."
Relieved and slightly embarrassed I was about to leave when suddenly, a van screeched beside us. Before we could react, strangers jumped out, grabbed both of us, and threw us inside.
"What the hell!" I yelled. "Are we getting kidnapped?!"
One guy smirked. "No questions."
My heart raced. Were they organ traffickers? Am I about to become a kidney-less corpse?
Inside the building, I overheard one man say, "Just one more, and our set of 100 is complete."
My brain went wild. "Are they collecting people like Pokémon? What's this 100 thing?"
Then, someone dragged me into a changing room. Gave me a suit. "Wear this. You're the groom."
"Groom?" I blinked. "What kind of illegal wedding is this?"
He pushed me onto a stage lit with candles and flowers. A traditional wedding setup except I was terrified out of my mind.
Then she walked in. Dressed in a wedding gown. The same girl from the canal.
My jaw dropped. "Her? Again?! What is going on?"
A man beside me whispered, "Congratulations, sir. This is your wedding."
I muttered, "Why me? Why now? Why THIS?"
The audience clapped.
The man smiled. "This is our 100th wedding."
End of Chapter 1.