LA0S | Chapter 1

I had never once thought about it. No, I had tried not to think about it. I had hoped we would never meet again, and in fact, since that day, I hadn’t even seen a single strand of his hair. He was someone no longer in my life. At least, I hadn’t expected to run into him in such a sudden moment, when I had no defense.

“How have you been? Lee Jinha.”

The man, still as dazzling as ever, but now much more mature than the version in my memories, smiled with the corners of his mouth raised.

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Lee Jinha couldn’t say a word and just stared at the hand stretched out in front of him. His heart thudded, feeling as if it had fallen. Actually, it might have really fallen.

“It’s been a while, and now you’re acting like you don’t recognize me?”

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His tone was light and friendly, as if meeting an old friend. His expression was full of smiles. He waved his arm lightly, as if asking why I wasn’t grabbing his hand. A silly laugh escaped through my teeth.

Why would I shake your hand? Lee Jinha took a deep breath. If he didn’t do this, he felt like he might slap the man standing in front of him. He gritted his teeth, not giving him any mercy.

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“Don’t you missing me?”

“You crazy bastard.”

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He’d always been shameless, but I never expected him to be this insane.

I didn’t even have the mental energy to fix my face, which was twisting in disbelief. In the end, Lee Jinha crumpled his expression like a piece of paper and glared at Kim Chayoung.

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To be exact, I was facing my ex-boyfriend after four years.

ꕥ

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“Lee Jinha. Hi?”

At the sound of my name ringing from above, I looked up from my notebook. A guy wearing a gray hoodie with the school logo boldly displayed on his jacket was smiling at me.

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“You know who I am, right?”

His tone was so confident, as if he thought there was no way I wouldn’t know. Lee Jinha opened his mouth with a neutral expression.

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“That sunbae who takes this liberal arts class… Shin Youngmin.”

“Ah, I was worried you might not know me. I guess I am somewhat famous after all.”

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Shin Youngmin, who was full of self-praise, casually leaned on the desk. It was annoying, but it was true that Shin Youngmin was famous. I didn’t know why he was suddenly talking to me though.

“Have you eaten yet? The school meal was disgusting today.”

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“….”

“They say they’re raising the price of the school meal by 500 won soon. Even if it’s cheap, isn’t raising it 500 won all at once a bit of a rip-off?”

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Shin Youngmin kept talking as if he were having a solo debate.

“Do you need something from me? It doesn’t seem like we’re close enough for this kind of conversation.”

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“We’ve met a few times already, haven’t we? Isn’t this enough to ask something like that?”

Shin Youngmin answered nonchalantly, as if there was no problem. Lee Jinha wasn’t very comfortable with a senior acting so casually. To be honest, I was completely opposite to this type.

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But Shin Youngmin, who seemed completely uninterested in Lee Jinha’s thoughts, casually took out his phone. After chatting to himself, now he was engrossed in his phone. What was he trying to do?

I couldn’t understand why he was sitting at someone else’s desk playing around with his phone.

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“Excuse me, Shin Youngmin sunbae.”

“Lee Jinha. How about we leave together?”

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As soon as I opened my mouth, Shin Youngmin suddenly shoved his phone in front of me. My gaze naturally shifted to the screen. On the palm-sized display was the giant text, 『The 5th Newcomer Webtoon Contest』. A webtoon contest? What was that? I blinked several times, trying to understand it.

“Let’s join together.”

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“Sorry, but I’m a bit busy this semester…”

I had no intention of going, so I naturally rejected him. I honestly didn’t have time because of my part-time job.

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“They say the grand prize is 100 million won. 100 million.”

100 million. That was a figure that really caught my attention. Shin Youngmin brought the phone right in front of my face.

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“It’s blinding.”

“Ah, sorry. Anyway, take a look at this.”

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He handed me his phone, and I checked out the main details.

[‘Webtoons Will Change Our Lives’ The 5th Webtoon Contest]

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* Grand Prize (1 work): 100,000,000 won
• Excellence Award (2 works): each 20,000,000 won
• Merit Award (3 works): each 10,000,000 won
• Encouragement Award (6 works): each 5,000,000 won
• Submission Period: June 29th to July 29th
• Submission Requirement: Minimum 5 episodes
• Series Period: To be announced

Wait, how many zeros are there?

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This was a huge contest with a total prize fund of 200 million won, and the grand prize alone was 100 million. Even if split in half, that would be at least 50 million. 50 million… Lee Jinha’s brain started to work at full speed.

The part-time jobs I was doing included tutoring twice a week, working night shifts at a convenience store, and working weekends at a pub. I had to handle this schedule to cover my monthly living expenses and have a tiny emergency fund.

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If I wanted to prepare for this contest, I’d have to quit at least one part-time job. What if I still didn’t win after all that effort? It would be a waste of time and energy.

The prize money was tempting, but the risk of jumping in without thinking was huge. This offer came out of nowhere, and it felt too sudden. It seemed like rejecting it was the right thing to do.

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“I’m busy, so I hope you find someone else.”

“How about 60-40?”

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Suddenly? I narrowed my eyes and looked at Shin Youngmin.

“Don’t like it? …Hmm. You’re greedier than I thought. How about 70-30? I can’t give you more than that.”

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What was he doing, reducing my share even though he asked me if I liked it? What a strange person.

“Shin Youngmin sunbae, did you not hear me…?”

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“Of course, you get 70 and I get 30.”

Lee Jinha, who had been speaking with a tired tone, immediately shut his mouth. Naturally, I had assumed I’d get the 30%, so I was honestly surprised.

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“Wait, what?”

Did I hear that wrong? Maybe I misunderstood what Shin Youngmin was saying. When it came to money, I needed to be clear.

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“You’re saying I get 7 and you get 3? If I understood that wrong, let me know.”

“That’s exactly what I meant.”

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“Why?”

I still didn’t understand. Without realizing it, I furrowed my brows and looked suspiciously at Shin Youngmin, who burst out laughing. He crossed one leg over the other and looked at me.

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“Webtoons are all about the story, you know? You can attract readers with artwork, but in the end, it’s the story that decides the quality. At least, that’s what I think.”

Shin Youngmin. I didn’t know his exact age, but he was a senior two years above me, and he was known for being good at drawing. If he was well-known enough to reach my ears, his skill must have been solid. There must have been plenty of people who wanted to collaborate with him, so why…?

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“Why collaborate with me of all people? We don’t even know each other that well. If you’re looking for a partner, others would be lining up.”

“Eh, not really. Didn’t you always get top grades in the department?”

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“You know grades have nothing to do with contests, right?”

“Then just say it’s my preference. Your writing last time? It was really good.”

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Shin Youngmin gave a thumbs up and began talking about the last assignment. It was a short writing piece about everyday life, and the result turned out better than I expected. Even the professor, known for being tough, gave it a positive review, and I was honestly satisfied with it.

“I really want to work with you. Does that answer your question?”

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Hmm. After a moment of thought, Lee Jinha nodded. Since it was his preference, what else was there to say?

“But the ratio should definitely stay as is.”

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“Sure. Want to write a contract for this?”

A contract? Was that really necessary? I hesitated for a moment, but then realized it wasn’t a bad idea. The conditions were very favorable for me, so it seemed a bit strange.

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Shin Youngmin returned to his desk, saying he remembered something, and brought his laptop. Now? Here? What was so urgent?

“Sunbae, I have a pressing assignment to do…”

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“Ah.”

Okay, okay. Shin Youngmin responded with an uninterested tone as he opened a word processor.

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“I’ll just jot it down quickly. Don’t worry about it, you focus on your stuff.”

Tap-tap-tap. The sound of the keyboard filled the air. I briefly watched his fingers move fast before adjusting my pen.

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The contract for a contest I wasn’t sure I’d even enter wasn’t the problem. It was the report.

When would I even write this all by hand? In this day and age, who even writes by hand? But since I had to do as instructed, there was no choice. I moved my hand, with the sound of typing as my background.

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“Alright. Read it.”

The next liberal arts class after the collaboration proposal, Shin Youngmin handed me a clear file. Inside, a paper with the title ‘Webtoon Contest Collaboration Agreement’ was printed in big letters. I was a bit taken aback.

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I thought it was just for show, but he had actually written it out.

[Webtoon Contest Collaboration Agreement]

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1. ‘Lee Jinha’ and ‘Shin Youngmin’ will prepare for the webtoon contest together.

2. If the contest prize is won, the amount after taxes will be divided as 70% for Lee Jinha and 30% for Shin Youngmin.

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3-1. Lee Jinha and Shin Youngmin will meet at least twice a week to prepare for the contest.

3-2. In the case of canceling the contract due to simple mood changes or other reasons, the responsible party will bear the consequences.

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4. Despite item 3-1, in cases of unavoidable circumstances, the contract may be terminated by mutual agreement.

5. The “responsibility” mentioned in item 3-2 will be determined by mutual agreement. If no agreement is reached, the party at fault must fulfill the demands of the other party. (※ Unreasonable or impossible demands are excluded.)

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The detailed writing, even with the numbers, was more serious than expected.

“This much is necessary to avoid being cheated.”

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Even after reading it again, the conditions didn’t seem bad to me. In fact, it was strange that Shin Youngmin was going this far.

“Now, sign it. I already did.”

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Lee Jinha, gripping the pencil firmly, wrote his name clearly on the signature line. The two of them exchanged copies of the contract and exchanged contact information.