The tavern was packed with people. Office workers straight from work, university students with their textbooks propped on chairs, even white-haired elders — all crowding in for a drink. At the long table set deepest inside, men and women around Seong-ho's age were catching up on each other's lives, their conversation blooming.

"Where'd you go off to?"

Someone who'd been talking with the man beside him for a while gestured at Dae-su Park as he came back in.

"Prosecutor Park. Over here. Sit here."

"No, come here a second. I've got something to say to you."

Another voice called for Dae-su from a different direction.

"Dae-su."

And just then a woman came over toward Dae-su.

"It's been way too long. A prosecutor now, huh? Amazing. Well, you were always good at studying. You were handsome back then too, but you've gotten even more handsome now."

The woman stroked Dae-su's arm as she spoke. Finding it uncomfortable, Dae-su avoided her touch and wore an awkward expression.

"I'll sit here. Byeong-jin. Seong-ho. Sit here."

Dae-su plopped down into an empty seat and pulled out chairs on either side of himself for Seong-ho and Byeong-jin. The two of them smiled wordlessly at Dae-su's manner and sat down on either side of him. Finding no room left beside Dae-su, the woman frowned and walked off.

As Dae-su let out a sigh of relief, the classmate seated across from them, looking amused, glanced back and forth between Dae-su, Seong-ho, and Byeong-jin and said,

"You three were the trio back then, and you're still the trio now."

"We just get along. That's why we've stayed close this long."

"Not an easy thing. Impressive."

The classmate, looking at the three of them with something like wonder for having kept their friendship going, held out cups of drink. "Dae-su's a prosecutor, you said… and Byeong-jin, didn't you go into the Ilhyeon Group?"

Having handed cups to all three, the classmate turned to Byeong-jin and asked. Byeong-jin, lifting the kettle of dongdongju, poured drinks for Seong-ho and Dae-su seated beside him and answered,

"Yeah, I'm at Ilhyeon Group."

"I…