Chapter 13 – Reunion
[Toriweb ‘Aspiring Comic Artist Forum’]
Toriweb.
One of Korea’s internet communities where all the hipsters of the online world gathered.
Among them, the “Aspiring Comic Artist Forum” was a particularly peculiar case.
Because, as the name suggested, it was a board where people who wanted to become comic artists congregated.
[mop0099: Korea’s comics are dead lol ffs ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹]
[golapadied: This country has no hope. If you want to draw comics, you have to learn English or Japanese.]
For them to become the comic artists they dreamed of, the Korean comic market was… not just ruined—it had been sentenced to death.
The pattern of posts was predictable.
Cursing the rental shop system.
Or going further back, cursing the era when comics were burned.
When even that got tiring, self-deprecating comments like “We’re doomed” or “I should just emigrate” flooded in.
Naturally, the board’s atmosphere was gloomy, and the users were indistinguishable from ghosts—humans who showed up daily with the same repetitive posts.
But somehow… today, the vibe here was completely different from usual.
It all started with a single post uploaded on Tuesday afternoon.
[Guys, holy shit… did you see Shin Pil-ho’s one-shot in this week’s New Chance? It’s fucking insane.]
○ Writer: Seongnam Tiger Whale
I was pissed because Aureka was on hiatus, but Shin Pil-ho filled in. And this one-shot is straight fire. This isn’t the Shin Pil-ho I knew.
└koreacomicsdead: Stop bullshitting. Shin Pil-ho’s stuff is boring as hell.
└rentalshopkiller: ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ Korean comics talking about cutting Japan’s throat lmao.
└reverse0099: Hold on. Going to the bookstore now to check.
Everyone thought it was just another troll post.
But… a few hours later, public opinion completely flipped.
[Wait, this is Shin Pil-ho’s? It feels like a totally different person’s work.]
[Quality is insane… ã„·ã„·ã„·]
[Shin Pil-ho! Shin Pil-ho! Shin Pil-ho! Chant it!]
Posts poured in at a speed incomparable to usual.
Most of them chanted Shin Pil-ho’s name, and by the next day…
[Korean comic artist’s one-shot level.jpg] [Upvotes: 1241 / Downvotes: 3]
[Insane Korean comic one-shot] [Upvotes: 2131 / Downvotes: 13]
[“Comics Are First Love” / Upvotes: 980 / Downvotes: 3]
Scans of Shin Pil-ho’s one-shot “Comics Are First Love” started circulating across every community.
A fervent reaction unbefitting the Korean comic scene, which had already been nailed into its coffin.
And at that very moment… inside Oh Seung-heon’s room.
“Whoa, dude… isn’t Mr. Pil-ho totally blowing up? Look at all these posts!”
“Yeah, seriously.”
Seung-heon and Min-hyuk sat side by side in front of the monitor, checking mentions of “Comics Are First Love” across various communities.
“If it’s this big, Mr. Pil-ho’s gonna make bank, right? I’m jealous.”
“Dude, it’s a one-shot. How much money is he gonna make from that?”
“Hmm… feels like a lot.”
“No way.”
Min-hyuk waved off Seung-heon’s exaggeration, a faint smile on his lips.
‘Though… I didn’t expect the reaction to be this huge either.’
It was a work the three of them had poured their all into, but he hadn’t anticipated it exploding like this.
Well… seeing the result, he could kind of understand why.
For one, internet communities in 2005 were more generous toward others than the 2025 ones Min-hyuk remembered.
And above all…
‘People back then were waiting for a decent Korean comic to come back too.’
Min-hyuk’s mouth curved upward almost imperceptibly.
Of course, he knew Japanese comics were lining the rental shops at this time.
But Japanese comics fundamentally dealt with Japanese emotions and stories.
In the details, in the sentiment—there had to be a difference from something drawn by a Korean for Koreans.
The fact that the internet was buzzing this much meant… people definitely had that desire.
‘The rise of webtoons around this time probably wasn’t a coincidence.’
Bluehouse’s webtoon service would start late next year.
It wouldn’t be until around 2007 that proper works appeared and people truly internalized the concept of “webtoons.”
But watching the frenzy over “Comics Are First Love” across boards now… it felt like the future flow wasn’t just created out of nowhere, but born from people’s needs and desires.
‘It’s fun… watching this process.’
Really… fun.
Min-hyuk stroked his chin and nodded slightly.
Just then, Seung-heon grinned and said,
“With this kind of reaction… Mr. Pil-ho will get to continue his series, right?”
“Probably?”
“Dude, what kind of answer is that? Yes or no!”
Min-hyuk just shrugged.
Seung-heon frowned and stared at him.
Just then—
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
“Huh?”
A voice from the living room.
The two boys stood up together and headed toward the door.
“Who is it!”
“…”
Thump-thump-thump!
No answer—just violent knocking.
“Who is it?!”
“Open the door! Hurry!”
What the… it’s not Dad…
Seung-heon tilted his head, then opened the door.
In that instant—
“Kyaaa!”
A fierce face lunged forward, and Seung-heon screamed, falling backward onto his butt.
Then…
“What the hell, why’d you freak out like that? Like you saw a ghost.”
“Uh… uh, sir?”
Standing there, filling the doorway—an intimidating man.
It was Editor Go Gwang-jin.
“Wh-why are you here?”
“Why do you think…”
Gwang-jin frowned.
“Move aside a bit.”
Swish.
Gwang-jin was pushed sideways, and someone else stepped forward.
A familiar, comforting face—the kind that carried the scent of a studio just by looking at it.
It was Writer Shin Pil-ho.
“You shoved your scary face right in his—he’s just a kid, man…”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
Pil-ho elbowed Gwang-jin in the side. Gwang-jin pouted, looking wronged.
Smiles spread across Seung-heon and Min-hyuk’s faces almost simultaneously.
“Sir!”
“Teacher.”
Pil-ho grinned widely and said,
“Let’s go, kids. Like I promised… beef’s on me.”
***
Near Bucheon Station… inside a private room of a large three-story barbecue restaurant along the main road.
Sizzle!
Beef sizzled on the central grill, surrounded by side dishes piled high enough to make the table legs creak.
Just then—
Flip.
Go Gwang-jin turned the meat a few times with tongs, smiled, and said,
“Okay, it’s ready—dig in.”
“We’ll eat well!”
As if they’d been waiting, the two middle schoolers reached out with chopsticks and shoved beef into their mouths.
Munch-munch, gulp.
Like starving ghosts, they crammed beef, doenjang jjigae, and rice nonstop.
Anyone watching would think they’d been starved for a week.
‘They eat well.’
‘Is this… the power of middle schoolers?’
Across from them, Pil-ho and Gwang-jin watched with amused faces, picking up a piece or two themselves.
When the beef on the table was nearly gone—
“Ma’am! Two portions each of sirloin and tenderloin! And a cola and a soju!”
“Yes, coming!”
At Gwang-jin’s order, the server bowed and hurried off.
In the middle of the meal… Min-hyuk, glancing around cautiously, asked Shin Pil-ho,
“Um, teacher.”
“You don’t have to call me teacher anymore. I’m not running the studio now.”
“…Then I’ll call you senior. I’m going to be a comic artist too.”
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Pil-ho shrugged. Min-hyuk smiled awkwardly and asked,
“So… what about your current serialization?”
Pil-ho scratched his head lightly and answered,
“It’s ending with volume 1.”
“Huh? But why…”
Min-hyuk’s eyes widened.
“What about the promise?”
Seung-heon frowned and stared at Go Gwang-jin.
Gwang-jin shook his head as if wronged, and Shin Pil-ho stepped in to answer instead.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. This… was my decision.”
“You decided it yourself… senior?”
“Yeah. After hearing everything and thinking it over, I figured if I tighten it up, I can wrap it in one volume.”
“That’s good, I guess… but…”
Tch… even with the one-shot blowing up, this is the limit?
Min-hyuk scratched his cheek with a disappointed look.
Just then, Gwang-jin emptied his soju glass, slammed it down roughly, and said,
“But! The next series is confirmed.”
“Next series?”
“Yeah. After seeing the reaction to ‘Comics Are First Love,’ the editorial department decided to turn it into a full serialization.”
“…”
Min-hyuk’s mouth and eyes gradually widened.
“Congratulations, senior! This is huge.”
Min-hyuk stared at Pil-ho and shouted.
Thump! Thump!
His heart suddenly pounded like crazy, excitement wrapping his whole body.
As if he’d been waiting for this exact moment.
Pil-ho scratched his head awkwardly and replied,
“Well… it’s thanks to you, Min-hyuk. If you hadn’t pushed me to do it… if you hadn’t helped with the storyboard, none of this would’ve happened.”
Min-hyuk smiled softly and said,
“No, it’s all because of you, senior. I just… learned a lot.”
“You’re making me embarrassed saying that.”
Their eyes met.
For some reason, their gazes trembled slightly.
The room fell quiet for a moment, the mood turning serious.
Unable to bear it—
“Ahem!”
Gwang-jin cleared his throat loudly, picked up a piece of beef with tongs, placed it on Min-hyuk’s rice, and said,
“Your name’s Kang Min-hyuk, right?”
“Yes.”
“I heard from Writer Shin. You’re insanely good at comics—for a middle schooler. He was raving about you.”
“No, that’s…”
I’m not really a middle schooler, after all.
So it’s not that I’m good… it’s more that I love it.
Min-hyuk made an awkward face for a moment, then softened it into a smile and continued,
“I think senior was exaggerating.”
“Hey, don’t be modest. Finishing a manuscript in two days with two kids attached—that alone is insane. And… when an adult compliments you, the polite thing is to say ‘thank you.’”
“Then… I’ll take it that way.”
Min-hyuk played along. Gwang-jin stroked his chin.
‘Look at this kid…’
As an editor at Jangsan Publishing—and with Gwang-jin’s looks—most adult artists averted their eyes or shrank in his presence.
Yet here this kid was joking around freely. It gave Gwang-jin a strange feeling.
‘Writer Shin was right.’
This kid… isn’t ordinary.
“Ahem! When you get the chance… mind showing me some of your comics?”
“Oh, then you’ll serialize me in New Chance?”
“Depending on the situation… if it’s good, getting it in front of the higher-ups isn’t hard.”
“Then I’ll show you right now.”
“Now?”
Swish.
Min-hyuk turned, grabbed his backpack from the corner, pulled out a sketchbook, and handed it over.
“Here.”
“You… carry a sketchbook around?”
“For spare moments. Take a look—doodles and simple comics are in there.”
Man, what a weird kid.
Gwang-jin scratched his chin, set the tongs aside, and said,
“Writer Shin, hold this for a sec.”
“Sure.”
Flip-flip!
Gwang-jin frowned as he quickly turned the pages.
When he reached the last one…
“Haaa…”
He let out a deep sigh, closed his eyes, opened them, and said,
“Writer Kang Min-hyuk… let’s sign a contract!”
Loud and forceful.