Another long day at university was finally over. Nam-gyu sat on the rooftop of the garage, perched on his backpack, lazily smoking a joint while waiting for Thanos. The dim glow of his phone illuminated his face as he took another drag and refreshed the chat with Thanos:

Thanos: “Rooftop after eight. Let the group know.”

Nam-gyu: “We could’ve just met up alone.”

Thanos: “They’re our project group, remember? You wanna stay in first year forever? Let’s just get this stupid report done.”

Nam-gyu rolled his eyes, brushed the hair from his face, and forwarded the message to the group chat—Min-su, Gyeon-su, Se-mi, Thanos, and himself. He didn’t mind Gyeon-su, actually found it amusing how attached he was to Thanos. Aside from Thanos, Gyeon-su was probably the only person Nam-gyu never argued with.

Eventually, the rest arrived. Min-su, as always, sat silently, practically shaking—something that never failed to irritate Nam-gyu. As Se-mi passed by, he smacked her playfully on the butt.

Se-mi: “Jerk.”

Nam-gyu: “Bitch.”

Thanos: “Alright, knock it off! What’s our report topic again?” he asked, exhaling vapor from his vape.

Gyeon-su: “The origins and development of Korean culture as a style,” he replied promptly, clutching an energy drink.

Thanos: “That’s the spirit. Let’s divide and conquer. There’s five of us, so five parts. Gyeon-su?”

Gyeon-su: “Sure. Here’s the breakdown: Se-mi, ‘Historical Roots’; Nam-gyu, ‘Art, Architecture, Traditional Attire’; Min-su, ‘Language, Writing, and Literature as Cultural Vessels’; I’ll take ‘Modernization and Globalization of Korean Culture’; and Thanos, you’ll cover ‘Korean Culture as Modern Style—K-pop, K-dramas, Fashion.’ We’ll compile everything into one report.”

Nam-gyu: “Min-su, we’re switching topics.”

Min-su nodded nervously, but Se-mi stood in to defend him.

Se-mi: “Hold on, don't be an idiot. He’s keeping his topic. You’ve got yours.”

Nam-gyu: “Just shut up, will you?”