The Literature Club Room at Sinpo High School always felt like a hidden place you weren't meant to find. Tucked away in the corner of the school's old annex, it gave off a distinctly unwelcoming vibe—like it held dark secrets that kept most people away.
Creeeak
The old wooden door groaned loudly as Ryu Ji-ho pushed it open. His face was irritated, and his steps felt heavy as he made his way inside. Thick cigarette smoke filled the air. Go Woo-chan and Hwang Jae-Jeong, two classmates were lounging lazily in worn-out chairs, cigarettes still lit in their hands. The pungent smell invaded Ji-ho's senses, immediately making him uncomfortable.
"Want one?" Woo-chan offered with a crooked smile, his voice tinged with laziness.
"No, I don't smoke," Ji-ho responded coldly, brushing off the offer.
His eyes scanned the room. There was no sign of Jun-woo, one of the other club members.
"Jun-woo said he was heading to the darkroom in the photography club," Hwang Jae-jeong said, anticipating Ji-ho's unasked question.
"He has some photos to check."
"In the middle of exams? He's developing pictures?" Ji-ho frowned, incredulous.
"He said they were for his cousin's grandma's 60th birthday or something. I didn't ask for the details," Jae-jeong shrugged nonchalantly.
Ji-ho raised an eyebrow. "Isn't the darkroom only for black-and-white photos?"
"Yeah, he said it was some sort of art piece."
Ji-ho snorted. "An art piece for a 60th birthday? That's just weird."
"Jun-woo's always been a bit odd," Woo-chan remarked, his tone indifferent.
Hwang Jae-jeong chuckled, chiming in, "You're talking like you've never done anything weird, Ji-ho."
The conversation carried on with light-hearted banter, their laughter echoing softly in the room. Ji-ho's gaze lingered on Jae-jeong, who was still puffing on his cigarette.
A thought struck him, and he asked, "Jae-jeong, didn't you used to be the model student back in middle school? When did you start smoking?"
Before Jae-jeong could answer, Woo-chan butted in, "You idiot! I taught Jae-jeong how to smoke last month. Don't you remember?"
Ji-ho huffed, thinking back. It was true—they had tried smoking together, just once, but the memory still lingered, as if something had shifted after that moment.
"And who taught you?" Ji-ho redirected his question to Woo-chan, trying to steer the conversation away.
Woo-chan grinned broadly. "I swiped my dad's cigarettes when I was in eighth grade. Saw the older guys around the neighborhood smoking and thought it looked cool."
Ji-ho shook his head in disbelief. "You always pick up bad habits so quickly."
"Lucky for me, my dad never found out," Woo-chan replied, looking smug.
"Maybe he's just pretending not to know," Ji-ho said, narrowing his eyes knowingly.
"I agree," Jae-jeong added, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Adults usually know more than we think."
They fell into a brief silence before Woo-chan broke it suddenly. "Hey, there's this girl in the broadcasting club—her grandma's supposedly a shaman. Wanna go check it out sometime?"
Ji-ho snapped. "Shut up!"
Just then, Kim Jun-woo finally walked in, exuding his usual laid-back aura. Without saying a word, he sank into the nearest chair and gestured for a cigarette from Woo-chan. With a well-practiced motion, Jun-woo took a drag, as if he had been smoking for years, while the others stared at him in quiet amazement.
It wasn't that Jun-woo did anything remarkable—it was the way he effortlessly blended into the room, no matter how strange the atmosphere, as if he belonged in every odd situation.
Ryu Ji-ho often found himself considering whether or not to tell the adults about his friends' smoking habits. But deep down, he knew it was pointless. They were the type who wouldn't listen to advice, especially from someone like him.
"What are we going to do after the exams are over?" Kim Joon asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the group.
Go Woo-chan, ever energetic and full of enthusiasm, immediately piped up, "Didn't we already agree to go to Ahnemone?"
"Don't you guys think that place is a little strange? Like there's something off about the woman who works there," Kim Joon added, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"She used to be a madam, you know," Go Woo-chan replied confidently, as if he knew more than anyone else.
"How do you know that?" Kim Joon's eyes sparkled with curiosity, leaning in slightly.
"There are a lot of girls from *Yellow House* living around here. I've heard the stories from them," Woo-chan said, almost puffing out his chest with pride.
*Yellow House*—everyone in the group knew about it. It was a notorious red-light district near the terminal, shrouded in mystery. Go Woo-chan often bragged about his adventures there, as if he were some kind of hero returning from a daring quest.
"No wonder that woman has such a strong, sensual aura," one of the others whispered, as if afraid someone might overhear.
Ryu Ji-ho, who had been silent up until now, couldn't hold back any longer. "You guys are talking nonsense. Let's just go. How about we watch a movie instead?"
But his suggestion didn't seem to calm them down. In fact, their chatter only grew louder, filled with chaotic and nonsensical ideas.
"What movie would we even watch?"
"Obviously an action film! If it's action, then it's gotta be Arnold Schwarzenegger!" one of them shouted with absolute certainty.
"Or how about we go somewhere else?" another chimed in.
Always one to stir the pot, Go Woo-chan suddenly dropped a piece of information.
"There's a comic rental place near Hwa Dojin. I heard they show adult films there, too."
At the mention of this, the group's energy spiked. Woo-chan's provocative suggestion was met with immediate excitement.
"Seriously? Adult films?"
"Where exactly is this place?"
Back then, in the narrow alleys of Sinpo-dong, there were plenty of small shops selling kalguksu(Korean traditional noodles), while playing movies all day long. For teenagers like them, these places held an irresistible allure—mysterious, forbidden, and full of temptation.
Yet, what drew even more curiosity were the nearby comic book stores. In these shops, some owners discreetly set up private rooms where, for a small extra fee, they screened uncut films. Others flaunted their defiance of rules by playing such films openly, without a hint of concern for regulations.