The Cutie Board

1. The New Millennium

Year: 2000, Seoul University.

The first day of a brand-new semester. The campus buzzed with excitement. Freshmen wandered around with maps. Seniors acted like they owned the place. Professors already regretted coming to work.

It was just another chaotic university morning.

---

Meanwhile... Computer Science Building.

Third-year student Choi Yeonjun walked into class with one hand in his pocket and the other lazily holding a canned coffee.

Girls whispered. "That's him... Choi Yeonjun, he is so handsome... I heard he dated ten girls."

Another girl sighed dramatically and said, "I'd still say yes."

Yeonjun heard every single word. He simply scratched the back of his neck. "...People really have too much free time."

His best friend Park Sunghoon laughed. "You should've stopped smiling at girls."

Yeonjun looked offended and said, "I smile at everyone."

Sunghoon replied, "Exactly."

Both laughed. Soon another student entered.

"Morning." It was Choi Soobin. The class topper. Every professor's favorite student. Every group assignment's dream partner.

Yeonjun raised his coffee. "Morning, genius."

Soobin sat beside them. "My cousin is coming today."

Sunghoon blinked. "The one from Daegu?"

Soobin nodded. "Yeah."

Yeonjun casually asked, "The cute little kid?"

Soobin looked surprised. "You still remember him?"

Yeonjun smiled. "Of course."

---

Fifteen years earlier... 1985

Seven-year-old Yeonjun sat outside a hospital with scraped knees. His parents had just been taken inside after a terrible car accident. Everything felt frightening.

Then... A tiny five-year-old boy slowly walked toward him. Round cheeks, messy hair with holding a strawberry candy.

Without saying anything... The little boy offered Yeonjun the candy.

Yeonjun blinked, "...For me?"

The little boy nodded. "My mom says candies make people smile."

Yeonjun laughed for the first time that day. He gently ruffled the little boy's fluffy hair. "So cute."

The little boy pouted. "I'm not cute."

Yeonjun grinned. "You are."

The adults watched them with warm smiles.

Before leaving... Seven-year-old Yeonjun proudly pointed at himself.
"My name is Choi Yeonjun."

The little boy answered, "I'm Choi Beomgyu."

Yeonjun widened his eyes. "We're both Choi?"

Beomgyu nodded happily.

Yeonjun smiled. "Then we're family."

He softly patted Beomgyu's head and said, "If you ever need help... I'll protect you."

Little Beomgyu smiled so brightly that even the nurses laughed.

That was their first meeting. Life slowly pulled both families apart.
Phone calls became yearly greetings.

Then... Nothing. Only the memory remained.