"Dude, give me a ride!"
-“Dude, are you nuts? I can't just drop everything and go.”
“You have a car, don’t you?”
-“No, it’s not about the car.”
“After all that bragging about your car, you're saying you won't give me a ride?”
Cheol-du's firm voice is met with a sigh on the other end of the line.
-“No! You crazy... Ugh, hold on. Let me call you back.”
He hung up.
He’ll be here soon.
Beep
–Picking you up at 9.
Cheol-du smiled as he read the text.
“Heh.”
He reflected on how many good friends he had made on Earth.
They say friends bully each other in these harsh times, but Cheol-du had never experienced that once from elementary school to his senior year of high school.
For some reason, he only met kind friends around him.
“Should I take a shower?”
Cheol-du’s solid muscles rippled as he took off his top.
*
"Huh? Where ya headed this late?"
“I’m going to Cheongju and coming back.”
"What in tarnation? Haven't ya heard? Cheongju's a mess right now."
"That's why I'm goin'. 'Cause of the mess."
"Good lord, when's that boy gonna learn?"
"Heh, go on to bed, Gramps."
Kang Yong-cheol shook his head.
It’s not like the guy would listen even if he tried to stop him.
"Don't go wanderin' into trouble. Hear tell folks are gettin' hurt."
"Heh, don’t worry, Gramps. Jin-tae is going with me.”
"Oh, alright then. You be careful now, ya hear?"
Hearing Jin-tae's name seemed to put him at ease, like he trusted the friend more than his own grandson.
Cheol-du went outside.
The December cold in Korea was as brutal as his days with the barbarian tribe, making him instinctively hunch over.
“Ugh.”
He went to zip up his long padding, then stopped short.
“……”
No one saw that, right?
That was pretty unmanly.
“Ahem.”
Cheol-du did some jumping jacks to warm up.
Screech.
Soon, a familiar SUV stopped at the promised bus stop.
“Get in.”
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Jin-tae rolled down the passenger window and spoke with a cocky air, making Cheol-du chuckle.
What a dork.
Kim Jin-tae’s family was wealthy.
Rich enough to buy a brand-new SUV for a 19-year-old who just got his license.
Sure, it was a Korean make since it was his first car, but still, who does that?
Cheol-du hopped in the passenger seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Ugh, what a pain to go out this late.”
“Heh heh heh.”
“Seriously, don't laugh like that in public. I'm used to it, but other people will think you're a total weirdo.”
“Heh, a real man doesn't give a damn what others think.”
“Haa, whatever.”
Cheol-du put aside the jokes and got to the point.
"So, did you find anything?"
“Yeah, this whole thing is shady as hell. The incident broke in the morning, news was everywhere, and then... poof, gone by the afternoon.”
“Right.”
"Total information blackout. They're scrubbing everything related from the internet. Check this out."
Jin-tae touched his phone and handed it over.
“Watch the road while you drive.”
"Anyway, flip through. The screenshots. Yeah, that one."
“Monster?”
“Yeah, pretty wild, right?”
Indeed, the monster in the picture looked too bizarre to be from Earth.
“Wow, a deer with wings. That’s fucking amazing.”
"Those aren't wings, they're growths."
“Huh? Those are growths?”
Jin-tae, who had been replying casually, was startled.
“How do you know that?”
“I've seen something like that before.”
“Huh?”
Cheol-du made up his mind.
"Truth is, I'm not from around here. Not originally."
"Huh, really? I kinda figured."
Jin-tae glanced at Cheol-du and was convinced that his guess was right.
‘He doesn't exactly look 100% Korean.’
Cheol-du is obviously mixed-race.
With that handsome face and superior physique.
If he weren't such a goofball, he'd probably have girls lining up.
He always felt sorry for him, but also relieved at the same time.
‘Misery loves company.’
Cheol-du was quite surprised by Jin-tae’s nonchalant reaction.
“You believe me?”
"Dude, if you say so, I believe you. Why not?"
"I'm actually touched, man."
Cheol-du and Jin-tae had been friends for a long time, but this was the first time he had opened up his heart.
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Jin-tae, who was making a fuss about the monster, doesn't seem to be particularly shaken by his alien confession either.
Is this what real bros are?
"Anyway, did you find out anything else?"
"Yeah, I was digging around on sites like DC Inside. Mostly garbage posts, but there's one with proof – scroll further. More. Yeah, that one."
“The text is too small.”
“Zoom in to see it.”
Cheol-du zoomed in on the screenshot with his thick fingers and looked at a post on some community.
[General] All you losers, get your asses to Cheongju NOW (Proof)
ProJjingjingi 20XX.12.22 08:11:32
It's not like you got anything better to do
Trust me, what have you got to lose?
It's risky, but if it works, you'll be set for life.
Shit went down at 7 today, so the second round's happening at 7 tomorrow morning.
Trust me and go for it. GG
No pain No gain
321 Likes 982 Dislikes
The 'proof' pic was just a stack of cash – 50,000 won bills – with a Post-it saying 'ProJjingjingi'.
"Isn't this just some troll looking for attention?"
"Beats me. It got nuked a few hours later anyway."
"You're buying this?"
Jin-tae was dumbfounded at Cheol-du’s face, which looked as if he was pathetic.
"Dude, you're the one who wanted to go!"
"I'm not buying it. I'm going because I want to."
"Ugh, forget it."
Jin-tae and Cheol-du drove down the highway listening to music.
Jin-tae, still a newbie driver, gripped the wheel, licking his dry lips as the highway got more packed.
Cheol-du, sitting still, was slowly getting sleepy.
"I'm gonna catch some Z's."
"Dude, seriously? Some co-pilot you are."
“Wake me up when we get there.”
“Haa… Go to sleep.”
He's a bit of a weirdo, but he's a good guy at heart.
Cheol-du smiled contentedly and closed his eyes.
“Snore.”
“Wow, he's out cold.”
Kim Jin-tae sighed, then chuckled.
This guy's unbelievable.
How the hell did we become friends? Now he's my best bud, can't get rid of him.
"If he weren't my friend..."
I probably wouldn't even talk to him if we weren't friends.
“Snore.”
“Heh, sleep tight.”
“Snore.”
"Yeah, let’s go. Go!"
It's just a joyride, whatever.
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*
Cheol-du slightly opened his eyes.
He checked his watch – two hours had passed, and they were still on the highway. Jin-tae was humming along to some K-pop.
“Ppampa, ppara-ppampa ppampa, ah.”
“Where are we?”
"Jesus, dude! You scared the crap outta me!"
Jin-tae was startled by the sudden voice interrupting him.
Guy gets spooked easily.
“Why aren't we there yet?”
"I dunno, man. It's been bumper-to-bumper for a while now. Maybe that post was legit?"
"That many people bought into it?"
"Yeah... I mean, not everyone's here because of that, but there's a bunch of 'proof' popping up on other forums too."
People can't be that gullible.
Probably just a bunch of clout-chasers trying to livestream the whole thing.
Like those ambulance-chasing YouTubers.
"The highway itself is clear, but the exit ramp is a freaking parking lot."
All the cars are backed up at the tollbooth, crawling along. And it's the Cheongju exit that's jammed – gotta be related to this whole thing.
"We're inching along, but at this rate, it'll be another hour just to get through the tollbooth."
“Hmm.”
"Maybe it's just an accident?"
"Nah, doesn't seem like it."
Nothing about an accident on the GPS.
"The car in front is moving."
“Uh-huh.”
In the meantime, the car in front started moving and the distance widened.
Just then, some jerk in an Equus riding the shoulder flicks on his blinker and tries to cut Jin-tae off.
"What the—? What the hell does this a-hole think he's doing?"
Road rage is practically a rite of passage, and Kim Jin-tae, fresh off getting his license, was no exception.
He might not have the skills, but he's got the attitude.
"No way you're cutting in."
He stayed glued to the bumper, not giving an inch. After a tense standoff of stop-and-go, the Equus's driver-side window rolled down.
"Yo! Sportage! You got a death wish?! Open the damn door!"
"Oh, crap."
The guy who got out of the driver's seat was built like a brick shithouse.
He had a face that could curdle milk – pure gangster.
And yeah, a neck tattoo. Classic.
Thump thump!
Jin-tae cracked the door open a sliver.
"Wh-what's the problem?"
"Hey! Didn't you see my damn blinker?!"
"N-no, I didn't see it."
"You little punk. When I put on my blinker, you get the hell out of the way! I almost wrecked because of you! You trying to get us killed?!"
"I-I think you were the one cutting in…"
The guy's eyes practically bugged out of his head at Jin-tae's squeak of a voice.
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"What?! You saying this is my fault?! Get your ass out of the car, Sportage! Now!"
The guy started hammering on the window like he was trying to break it, and Jin-tae, scared shitless, rolled it up fast.
"Oh, shit. I'm screwed."
He glanced over and saw Cheol-du grinning like an idiot.
"Chicken?"
"No, uh... Dammit, Cheol-du, help me out here!"
"Lunch on you?"
"I'll buy! Whatever you want!"
"Deal."
The guy did a double-take when Cheol-du, all muscle, got out of the passenger seat. But he was in too deep to back down now.
"Huh, shit. And who the hell are you?"
"My friend's a new driver."
"So freakin' what?"
Guy's got no respect for newbies.
"You've got issues."
Cheol-du strode towards the man.
"Wh-what the—?!"
The guy flinched as Cheol-du walked up, throwing up a pathetic guard. Cheol-du, practically a pro fighter, saw right through it.
"Get over here."
Cheol-du reached out a meaty hand, and the guy, dodging it, tried to throw a punch.
Crack, whack!
But Cheol-du's hand, which the guy thought he'd dodged, snagged his collar, and his wild punch got swallowed up by Cheol-du's other hand.
Crack.
"Aaaargh!"
Cheol-du gave the guy's fist a bone-crushing squeeze, then yanked him up by the collar.
Cheol-du was a giant, 6'6".
Nobody could resist being hauled up by a guy that size.
"Hey!"
"You son of a bitch, put him down!"
"There!"
Cheol-du turned around – turns out the Equus had backup. Another thug, a real kkakdugi, got out of the passenger seat.
Even a long padded jacket couldn't hide this guy's bulk. He was built like Cheol-du, maybe even bigger.
Worse, a black van, also riding the shoulder, pulled up behind the Equus, and a whole crew of goons started piling out.
‘Eighteen of them?’
Something like that.
Cheol-du grinned.
His blood was pumping.
It's open season on gangsters, right?
Cheol-du tossed the guy.
Thud!
"Cough!"
The guy went flying, hit the Equus, and sprawled out on the road. The goons charged.
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"That, you fucker!"
"Hey, fuck him up!"
A grin spread across Cheol-du's face as the gangsters rushed him. This was gonna be good.
WEE-ooo-WEE-ooo!
Just as they were about to clash, the sound of sirens made the gangsters freeze and back off.
The back window of the Equus rolled down, and a guy with a face like a hatchet stuck out his hand.
"That's enough. We got places to be, let's roll."
"You got it, Boss!"
At his word, the goons all piled back into their rides, and the guy Cheol-du had tossed scrambled back into the driver's seat.
[Attention, vehicles on the shoulder! Clear the shoulder immediately!]
The police loudspeaker blared, and the gangsters' cars started to pull away.
Cheol-du, left standing there like an idiot, watched them go. As the Equus passed, the hatchet-faced guy said,
"Hey. Show some class. Be a gentleman."
“……?”
What is this?
What's with the 'gentleman' act while they're running away?
Talk about anticlimactic.
