By Zephyria 
“I’m really curious. What kind of person are they in real life?”
“Probably similar.”
“Oh, right. Kim Yi-dam is coming too. Did I tell you?”
“Yeah. I heard that before.”
Kim Yi-dam. Because I only paid attention to the main characters as much as necessary and treated everyone else with indifference, I wasn’t particularly close to him, but he was someone who had been with me even at the last hospital. I was curious if his boisterous, manly personality was still the same.
“But then, did Ban Pyo-ran meet Kim Yi-dam?”
“Maybe they already knew each other in real life, like you and Hae-min.”
“Ah! Right, they were friends.”
Only Min Si-hu and I came to today’s meeting. While Lee Beom was excluded because he had no memories, Seong Hae-min couldn’t come because he had the flu, and Jeon Jae-hyung hadn’t finished his final exams yet, so Min Si-hu and I, who had time, came.
Min Si-hu could have met them alone, but…
“Huh? Why?”
Min Si-hu tilted his head. I shook my head, saying it was nothing.
Seeing him act like that, I couldn’t help but come along, as I didn’t fully trust the guy who was so identical to his portrayal in the novel.
“Over there!”
Just as I was about to check the time again, a familiar voice called out to me. I looked up and saw the person who had called me.
“Whoa, Seong Hae-jun, you’re so flashy, I recognized you from far away. It’s so good to see you here!”
“…Ban Pyo-ran?”
“Gasp! You don’t know me?”
“No, I do…”
“Hello.”
The person standing behind him spoke softly. Flustered, I looked back and forth between their faces.
The one smiling brightly was Ban Pyo-ran, and the one standing behind him was Kim Yi-dam.
They looked exactly like the faces in my memory, yet their auras were completely different, making them hard to recognize. Ban Pyo-ran had a more hearty, manly impression than a pure one, while Kim Yi-dam, who had seemed like a rowdy tomboy, now had a pure, sunny image.
Their features were the same as before, but was the difference due to their speech, expressions, or aura…?
Ban Pyo-ran, seeing my eyes darting around, gave a knowing look.
“You thought I was Yi-dam, didn’t you?”
“No, it’s just, the aura…”
“I recognized you guys right away, this is a bit disappointing—!”
As I fumbled, flustered by Ban Pyo-ran’s teasing, Min Si-hu, who was beside me, suddenly chimed in.
“Why aren’t you saying hello to me? I’m disappointed too?”
“Si-hu, of course, it’s great to see you too!”
Min Si-hu and Ban Pyo-ran were in perfect sync, just like in the novel. Behind them, Kim Yi-dam watched them with keen interest, covering his mouth and smiling. I just scratched the back of my head.
‘…Is this possible?’
Then again, thinking about it, everyone had some differences from the novel. Ban Pyo-ran was just too unexpected, which caught me off guard. I was surprised because she wasn’t the calm, pure romance heroine I knew, but someone who looked like she could skillfully secure dozens of massive projects for a corporation. However, her playful nature was still there.
We moved to a warm indoor location and continued our conversation.
Ban Pyo-ran said there wasn’t a specific trigger; she naturally recalled the events from the novel.
At first, like me, she thought it might just be her delusion…
“Then I found Yi-dam!”
Ban Pyo-ran confidently put an arm around Kim Yi-dam’s shoulder. Kim Yi-dam smiled shyly.
“So, you two weren’t originally acquainted?”
“No! But I asked to be friends first, so we became friends.”
“And not long after that, I remembered too.”
Kim Yi-dam shyly scratched his cheek. Ban Pyo-ran, looking like she could die of cuteness, pulled the arm around his shoulder closer and hugged him. Although they were similar in build, Kim Yi-dam seemed to be completely enveloped in the hug.
“I was so happy to meet Yi-dam! Of course, I was happy that those events weren’t just my dream, but I was even happier to meet a friend like Yi-dam in real life!”
“Ah…”
Hearing that, I understood. Ban Pyo-ran, whom I thought had completely opposite personality traits, was still the same, whether in the novel or in reality.
Ban Pyo-ran was that kind of person. Someone who could find a pearl in any ocean. I had forgotten that.
After becoming friends with Kim Yi-dam again, Ban Pyo-ran had considered looking for us but gave up because it seemed too far-fetched. She thought of it as a regrettable but good experience, but then she found Min Si-hu on the internet and, excited, contacted him immediately.
Ban Pyo-ran’s joy and nervousness upon finding Min Si-hu were conveyed vividly. Ban Pyo-ran wanted to meet all the characters from the novel again.
“It’s too bad only we got to see each other. Let’s all get together for a meal soon!”
“Great!”
Ban Pyo-ran, who wanted to arrange a gathering for everyone, immediately took charge with bulldozer-like momentum, creating a group chat.
Unlike Min Si-hu, who just talked, she had the drive to act, which pulled me in further. And with Kim Yi-dam, who nodded along happily without any intention of stopping them, joining in, it became even harder to resist.
When Ban Pyo-ran exclaimed with a clenched fist, Min Si-hu agreed, and Kim Yi-dam clapped his hands with a bright smile.
‘One Min Si-hu is already overwhelming!’
It was a sitcom, if ever there was one.
“That was really shocking, you know.”
“Me too. But looking back now, it might be better than I thought?”
“Right, right.”
The three of them chatted so harmoniously that my ears felt like they were bleeding just from sitting there. I felt drained and just sipped my drink.
Still, I couldn’t say watching them wasn’t fun. In fact, it was quite enjoyable.
Even though they could have lived their lives as strangers in reality, did their past friendship act as a bond?
As Ban Pyo-ran said, they had met friends they might not have otherwise met. I didn’t know what that world was, but everyone seemed to have taken good memories from that time.
The feeling of connections continuing was strange.
❖ ❖ ❖
A few days later, we heard the news of Lee Beom’s university acceptance. We congratulated Lee Beom on the happy news.
Interestingly, the person most delighted wasn’t me or Seong Hae-min, who had helped Lee Beom with his college entrance exams, but Ban Pyo-ran. Even though she hadn’t met Lee Beom yet, upon hearing the news, she jumped up and exclaimed that they should all get together for dinner to celebrate.
Despite our concerns that it might be uncomfortable for Lee Beom, who had no memories, to meet them as they were strangers, Ban Pyo-ran was confident.
Her first reason was that Lee Beom would have to make new friends at university anyway, so why not meet new people? Her second reason was that it would be unfair later if we all had fun together, leaving him out just because he didn’t have memories. He wasn’t an outcast!
While we couldn’t entirely refute her points, her strong stance made us concede.
However, the most important factor was ultimately Lee Beom’s decision. Given Ban Pyo-ran’s insistent argument, we decided to ask Lee Beom about it.
But before we could contact Lee Beom, he contacted us first.
“Lee Beom: Hyung”
“Lee Beom: I have something to ask.”
His tone was quite serious. I thought he must have a concern about something, so I planned to offer him advice and then suggest Ban Pyo-ran’s idea.
Suddenly, Lee Beom asked.
“Lee Beom: Have we met somewhere before?”
The question was completely unexpected and from a different category, so I was momentarily taken aback.
Isn’t this a classic pickup line…?
Not knowing how to answer, I stammered and sent a reply that clearly showed my confusion.
“Me: Suddenly?”
There was a long pause from Lee Beom. I stared anxiously at the chat window, then flipped my mobile phone down, and just as I was about to put it away, a reply came.
“Lee Beom: No, I’m sorry. I think I had a dream that was too realistic.”
“Lee Beom: I think I mistook it.”
A dream?
Something felt off.
“Me: What is it? Tell me.”
After persistent questioning, I learned that Lee Beom had also recalled memories from the novel.
His dream featured me, Seong Hae-min, Min Si-hu… and another person whose name was vague. Lee Beom’s words that we were called the Four Heavenly Kings and were all friends left no room for doubt.
His question about whether we had met before wasn’t a pickup line, but an attempt to verify if the memory he had suddenly gained was real or just a delusion.
And now, Lee Beom was mistaking it for a strange dream rather than his memory.
“Lee Beom: No.”
“Lee Beom: It sounds even more absurd now that I’ve said it;;;”
I didn’t know how to explain it, but…
This could actually be an opportunity. I quickly sent a message.
“Me: No.”
“Me: It might be confusing,”
“Me: But”
“Me: That’s not a dream.”
“Me: Perhaps”
“Me: Would you like to meet the others?”
❖ ❖ ❖
“Hi!”
“Hi—.”
“Hello.”
January, the start of a new year.
The gathering Ban Pyo-ran had been so eager for finally took place. It included the guys called the Four Heavenly Kings in the novel, plus me, Ban Pyo-ran, and Kim Yi-dam. They were people who often hung out together even in the novel.
By then, we had all become acquainted through group chats and messenger apps, so even though it was our first time meeting all together, there wasn’t the awkwardness that twists your gut. There was a slight sense of sizing each other up, though.
“Please speak casually.”
“Ah, I’m so used to using formal speech.”
Lee Beom chuckled sheepishly.
Trying to find a day when everyone could gather meant December quickly passed, and the new year arrived. It turned into a New Year’s party.