Side Story 2
▶ “Damn it! Why the hell are you… trying to walk away from me?”
▶ “Urgh… When I see you, I can’t… I just can’t control my feelings.”
Su-yeong stared blankly at the choices on the screen. No matter which one she picked, this psychopathic Gwanggong would end up passionately kissing the sweet and ordinary Su, Seo Eun-jae, in the next scene. As the game’s developer, Kim Su-yeong knew this better than anyone.
Kim Su-yeong, who worked at a small game studio, had been feeling utterly deflated over the past few days. The game she’d poured her heart into—Project: Become the Gwanggong—was on the verge of being scrapped just before its release.
“Wait, why are you suddenly telling us to stop now?”
“The original author suddenly changed their mind. Said it was absolutely impossible to proceed and even paid back the entire penalty fee. What can we do now that the contract’s been voided?”
The message from her boss left her feeling hollow. The original author had abruptly canceled the licensing agreement. Su-yeong writhed in frustration. How much effort had she poured into this game? She’d even read Swamp of Obsession by the author of the original novel Black Violets from start to finish. To be honest, there wasn’t a single thing about the novel that matched her tastes, but she’d pushed through for the sake of making a perfect game. And now—cancellation?
Sure, games getting pulled just before launch wasn’t unheard of. But this one had been different—maybe because she’d worked especially hard on it, or maybe because she’d grown attached to it somewhere along the way. Letting go wasn’t easy.
“The penalty fee couldn’t have been small. And they paid all of it? ‘Black Violets’ must be loaded or something…”
Su-yeong wore a miserable expression, her resentment toward the faceless author burning in her chest. Her eyes drifted to Gwak Seon-woo, the suave Gwanggong delivering his overly dramatic lines on screen.
Honestly, his name was part of why she’d grown attached to the game. Every time she saw the name, she was reminded of a certain college senior—someone who shared the name with the character but was nothing like the novel’s twisted lead. She fell into her memories.
“You’re a freshman?”
“Yes! Nice to meet you!”
“You didn’t get dragged here, did you? No pressure to join the club, so relax and just hang out for a bit.”
She had first met Gwak Seon-woo during her freshman year, drawn in by a club recruitment booth. She hadn’t planned to sign up so quickly, but his kindness and maturity had moved her, and before she knew it, she’d joined. In the end, they’d kept in touch even up until recently, so it had turned out to be a meaningful connection after all.
Gwak Seon-woo was the kind of person it was easy to like and even easier to respect. He had a smooth, even-tempered personality and got along with everyone. He was competent, adaptable, and the kind of guy who fit in wherever he went. He rarely got angry, which only added to his calm, gentlemanly aura.
But now that she thought about it…
There were times when he seemed like someone who never clung to anything—like a person who could drift away at any moment.
Maybe she was getting too sentimental over something unpleasant. Su-yeong shook off the thoughts and stretched to gather herself.
“Assistant Manager Kim!”
Just then, her boss called out to her. Startled, Su-yeong quickly closed the Project: Become the Gwanggong screen she’d just been looking at.
“Y-Yes? What’s going on?”
“Geez, can you believe this situation?”
“What do you mean?”
“Hey, that game’s original author—they’re downstairs right now.”
“What? You mean Black Violets?!”
Su-yeong raised her voice without realizing it. Her boss gave her a confused look, clearly unfamiliar with what Black Violets even was.
“Why would the author show up? They already canceled the contract.”
“Well, we tried persuading them. I mean, the game’s nearly complete, so we asked if they’d consider just letting us release it. Next thing we know, they said they wanted to come speak in person.”
This was a first—and thoroughly baffling. But curiosity got the better of her. What on earth was Black Violets thinking?
“I’ll go meet them.”
She headed down to the first floor—and was immediately hit with two shocking revelations.
First, Black Violets was crying in the lobby. Second, Black Violets was someone Kim Su-yeong knew.
Su-yeong had gone down wearing her best poker face to stay in control of the situation, but the moment she spotted the person sitting on the waiting bench in tears, she froze. She had been about to say, “Excuse me, are you the author of Black Violets?”—but the moment she recognized the face, the words died in her mouth.
“Park Eun-ji?”
“…Kim Su-yeong?”
Black Violets—Park Eun-ji—was her college classmate.
After barely managing to get her boss’s permission, Su-yeong led Eun-ji to a nearby café in the building next door. It took a cup of warm coffee and some comforting before she finally got a handle on what was going on.
“Wait, hold on. Are you seriously telling me that this Gwak Seon-woo is based on that Seon-woo sunbae?”
Su-yeong asked, stunned. Black Violets—Park Eun-ji—nodded meekly in response. They had been in the same college club, after all. Which meant Park Eun-ji was also a junior to Gwak Seon-woo.
She’d named her novel’s main character after someone they both knew?! And not just borrowed the name—apparently the character itself was based on him. It was hard to believe, but according to Eun-ji, the model for the twisted Gwanggong Gwak Seon-woo was indeed that kind, gentle senior.
Eun-ji hesitated before beginning her explanation.
“You remember that Seon-woo sunbae and I… we’ve known each other since high school, right…?”
How could she possibly know that? She had never heard this before. Eun-ji spoke as if it were a given, completely unaware of how blindsiding her words were.
“Back then, that sunbae was… colder. Had kind of a cynical vibe. That’s why so many people followed him around… I was into him too—he was cool. So I took that cold side of him and…”
“So… that’s how I started writing it.”
“Wait, hold up. Isn’t Swamp of Obsession a recent novel? Didn’t you say it got a great response when you serialized it not long ago?”
Su-yeong cut in, confused. Black Violets looked up and stared at her for a moment before nodding.
“It’s a remake… It was the first novel I ever wrote back in high school… and, well… it was a complete mess back then.”
“Ah…”
“Lately… I’ve been out of ideas, and my writing’s been stuck… so I dug it up, cleaned it up a bit, and started serializing it again… and it just took off.”
In short, she had revamped an old embarrassment and put it back out into the world. The very fact that she could revisit her early work was, in itself, admirable. Su-yeong couldn’t even bring herself to glance at the game ideas she’d brainstormed during college.
“I felt kinda guilty about using Sunbae’s name… But there were already people who remembered the original Swamp of Obsession, so I couldn’t just change the name now…”
Her tone was flat and hesitant, dragging through her explanation. Su-yeong, who had been quietly listening, finally interjected.
“Yeah, but… he’s basically a different person. Even if he was more cynical back in high school, the Sunbae I knew is nothing like this Gwanggong. He’s not some chaebol, and he’s definitely not this much of a toxic jerk. Honestly, aside from the name, they might as well be two different people.”
Black Violets nodded obediently.
“That’s why… I figured it was okay. I went ahead with the serialization and even signed over the game rights.”
But just when she seemed to have finally stopped crying and calmed down, her face crumpled again. Su-yeong flinched, watching her nervously.
“But… but then…”
Aheuuk! That was the actual sound that came out of Black Violets’ mouth. Kim Su-yeong panicked and hurried to soothe her.
“Hey, hey! Stop crying. People are gonna think I said something awful.”
“But…! After what happened to Sunbae, I just… I feel so guilty! Like it’s all my fault!”
As she watched Black Violets spiral into a sobbing mess, Su-yeong’s face hardened. She didn’t say anything. For a while, the only sound at the table was Black Violets crying quietly into her coffee.
“I’m sorry… That’s why I told them I couldn’t go through with the game.”
Su-yeong had no idea what to say.
“I-I didn’t know. Back then, I just thought Seon-woo sunbae was cool, so I started writing a story around that. And then I added more and more details… But I had no idea his parents passed away early. I didn’t know the reason he was so withdrawn in high school was because the uncle who raised him had died…”
“Uh, yeah, I… just found that out, like, right now,” Su-yeong replied awkwardly. It was a bit too heavy to hear from someone else. Black Violets apologized and wiped her tears.
Now it made more sense.
In the novel, Gwak Seon-woo’s mother had died when he was young. His relationship with his father—if he could even be called that—was worse than with a stranger. The only person he’d ever trusted or cared for was his uncle, and even he had passed away. It seemed like those character traits had been assigned without knowing the real story, but now that the author had learned that the real Gwak Seon-woo had lost both his parents and his uncle, the guilt must’ve hit like a truck.
On top of that—
“So… Aheuhuhng… what do I do… sob sob… What about Sunbae…”
Her heart felt heavy. In the end, all Su-yeong could do was calm Black Violets down and send her home.
***
The Project: Become the Gwanggong game was scrapped, just like that. Though she and Black Violets exchanged numbers, she never reached out. Instead, she found herself thinking about Gwak Seon-woo more and more.
Gwak Seon-woo had been in an accident not long ago.
A traffic accident, they said. He’d been on his way home in a taxi when a truck crossed the center line and crashed into them. While the taxi driver barely survived after being in critical condition, Gwak Seon-woo never regained consciousness. The news hit like a bolt from the blue. Among their old university clubmates, those who could make time all visited the hospital. The doctors had declared brain death. The chances of him waking up were practically zero.
But it wasn’t just the club members who came to see him—he had always been someone people admired. Coworkers from his company, friends from middle and high school, even clients he’d worked with—all came to visit his hospital room.
And yet, what struck Su-yeong the most wasn’t the emotional weight of his popularity or the sorrow in the air. It was the fact that, out of all the people who came, not a single one was family. No relatives, no blood ties. And among everyone—including herself—no one really knew anything personal about Seon-woo.
Why was it that, at that moment, she remembered his detached attitude? Why did those words he once said suddenly echo in her mind—“A dream? Nah, I don’t really have one. I’m over thirty now. I just want to live a peaceful, healthy life, that’s all…”
According to the taxi driver, Seon-woo had been dead drunk and fast asleep at the time. The doctors said he likely had no idea what was happening, even at the moment of impact. Even if he had somehow woken up, he wouldn’t have remembered the accident. That truth was both horrifying and strangely comforting. At least he hadn’t felt fear or pain.
If she’d known things would end up like this, she would’ve met up with him more often. Shared a few meals. Asked him more about himself. They weren’t exactly best friends, but they had been close enough. And yet, until she heard it from Black Violets, she hadn’t known a single thing about his family situation. That alone had been a serious shock.
“Ugh… What should my next game even be about…”
Su-yeong stretched with a sigh, then reached for her phone. The moment she picked it up, it buzzed in her hand. The timing was uncanny, like something out of a script.
<Park Eun-ji (Black Violets Author)>
The name lit up her screen. She stared at it, puzzled, before finally answering after a few rings.
“Hello?”
– Su-yeong…!!
***
“Sunbae woke up!”
The moment she heard those words, she rushed straight to the hospital. She never imagined she’d be visiting Gwak Seon-woo’s room alongside Black Violets, let alone that someone who’d been declared brain-dead would actually wake up. Maybe it really was a miracle—because he’d always lived such a kind, decent life.
Though both of them sat in silence in the taxi, feet fidgeting with nervous energy, the atmosphere wasn’t all that awkward—probably thanks to the unbelievable news they’d just received.
But as soon as Su-yeong and Black Violets arrived at Gwak Seon-woo’s hospital room, they were hit with yet another shocking scene. The news clearly hadn’t spread yet—there was no word about it in their university club’s group chat, at least. It was surprising that Black Violets had even gotten wind of it so quickly. There weren’t many people in the room, which only made the next discovery even more jarring.
“Damn it! What the hell is going on here?!”
The hospital room was a complete mess, as if a storm had blown through. A doctor, wiping sweat from his brow, tried to explain to Su-yeong and Black Violets.
“It seems the patient is experiencing memory-related aftereffects from the accident.”
“Memory issues? Are you talking about me? Ha! Don’t be ridiculous. You’re saying I’ve lost my memory? Me?”
“Sir, please, if you’ll just calm down for a moment…”
“Cut the crap and tell me what this nonsense is. What the hell is this… ha.”
Su-yeong stood frozen, taking in the chaos of the room. She glanced to her side—Black Violets looked just as stunned. At that moment, Gwak Seon-woo turned his head toward them.
His expression was sharp, cold—so foreign that she could hardly believe this was the same person she once knew. The shock made Su-yeong instinctively reach out and grab Black Violets’ arm.
“You two…”
His voice was thick with suspicion. A chill ran down her spine. As she looked at Black Violets’ panicked face, she pulled her closer, gripping her arm tightly.
“S-Su-yeong…”
Even as she stammered, Black Violets let herself be dragged along. Su-yeong flung the door open. Just outside, she locked eyes with someone about to enter, but in her panic, she didn’t even register who it was. She just kept pulling Black Violets along, practically fleeing the room.
Once they’d made it to the deserted emergency stairwell, Su-yeong collapsed into a squat, trying to catch her breath.
“Haa… haa…”
“S-Su-yeong…”
“What the hell just happened?”
It was chaos. That Gwak Seon-woo had woken up—it was an unbelievable miracle. She’d been planning to contact the other club members once she confirmed he was okay. But… wasn’t something seriously off? No—there was something wrong. The way he’d looked at them, as if they were complete strangers. That expression.
It was just like…
“You felt it too, didn’t you?”
“Y-Yeah…”
“No, seriously—why the hell does Sunbae… look like that?!”
Wasn’t that just like Gwak Seon-woo, the Gwanggong from Swamp of Obsession? It made no sense. That kind-hearted Seon-woo sunbae, looking like that—she’d never seen anything like it before. And yet, Black Violets spoke in a calm voice.
“Su-yeong, hey, just try to calm down for a second…”
“You’re calm?! How can you be calm?”
“I mean, yeah, I was surprised too… but maybe he’s just confused after just waking up, you know…”
Su-yeong ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
“That could be it… Ugh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just because you told me he was the model for that character…”
“Whether it’s memory loss or something else… the fact that he even woke up at all—that’s already a miracle. That’s how I see it…”
Maybe she was right. Maybe she’d just panicked from the shock of that intense eye contact—of seeing that look. But yeah, the fact that he woke up at all really was a blessing. With her head bowed, Black Violets murmured quietly.
“If he hadn’t woken up, even like this… Sunbae would’ve just died like that…”
Su-yeong froze. Her trembling body went still. She understood what she meant. Gwak Seon-woo hadn’t just been in a coma—he’d been declared brain-dead. It had been over two weeks already. By all accounts, he was basically just waiting to die. The mere fact that he’d come back at all was nothing short of miraculous. Black Violets was right: just being alive was something to be grateful for.
“Still… to think that our Sunbae ended up like some total psycho… He didn’t even recognize us…”
Su-yeong muttered in a deflated voice. Gently, Black Violets reached out and offered her hand.
“Let’s go back, Su-yeong. We’ve confirmed he’s okay. We can come again next time.”
Su-yeong reluctantly took her hand and stood up. Her eyes kept drifting toward the direction of the hospital room, but she forced herself not to think about it. As they walked together, Su-yeong spoke again.
“By the way, Eun-ji… did you see that person standing outside the room earlier?”
“Huh…? I think someone was there, maybe…”
It felt like a familiar face… maybe another junior from their club who had come to visit? Su-yeong tilted her head, then shook the thought away.
That’s right. If he hadn’t woken up—no matter how strange his condition—he would’ve just died. The fact that he had another chance now… that was what mattered most.
