On February 25, 1993, a new civilian government was inaugurated with the presidency of Kim Man-sam, a civilian, not a former military officer.
To differentiate from the previous administration, the Kim Man-sam government immediately disclosed the assets of the president and his family, and encouraged high-ranking officials to do the same.
The Cheongpung Society would likely take a step back and observe the new president's actions for now.
Meanwhile, spring was approaching for me as well.
"It is a great honor to have this opportunity to speak to all of you who are entering Korea University."
There he is, that guy.
Lee Han-su, the advisor of the Gorye Ilbo.
The mouthpiece and megaphone of the Cheongpung Society.
One of the members of the Cheongpung Society I knew.
"Finally, the military regime has ended, and a new civilian government has been established. This is the power and resilience of the people. As the elites of the Republic of Korea, I hope you will do your best for the country. We must ensure that a military regime never returns to this land."
I didn't know before.
A journalist known as a democratic martyr under the military regime.
Lee Han-su, a member of the Cheongpung Society.
The rather long congratulatory speech finally came to an end.
Myung-soo, who was standing next to me, yawned and said,
"Phew~ That guy talks a lot. What are you planning to do today?"
"Nothing. Why?"
"Want to go to Apgujeong-dong together?"
"......Didn't I say I won't drink with you?"
"I made a mistake. I won't do it again. Let's go!"
"Is all you think about playing? Aren't you going to prepare for the bar exam? What about our promise?"
"Ah, I will! I'll pass the first stage of the bar exam within two years! Let's have some fun today!"
* * *
A month ago, at Myung-soo's house in Seoul.
"Help me a bit. There's something I want to achieve, and I need your help."
As the atmosphere became serious, Myung-soo and Hyun-seong, who had been relaxed, focused on the conversation.
"What? Why so serious?"
"Hmm."
I briefly explained the background of my plan.
"I intend to investigate my parents' deaths. They were said to be killed by robbers, but we still don't know who the culprit is. It's also strange that my maternal grandfather didn't know about my mother's death."
"......"
Myung-soo and Hyun-seong looked at each other.
They knew I had lost my parents when I was young, but I had never talked about this before.
"Anyway, I plan to find the culprits who killed my mother and father. And I will fight to the end, no matter who is behind it."
Myung-soo, who had been silently looking at me, spoke.
"So, you're saying there's a conspiracy behind your parents' deaths? And you want us to help you uncover it and catch the culprits?"
"Yeah, I think it would be easier with your help. Will you help me?"
Myung-soo's response was far from what I wanted to hear.
"Help you? Hell no."
Hyun-seong nodded in agreement.
"This guy just pretends to be cool. But! Mu-hyuk! Damn it, your parents are my parents, and my parents are your parents. We're not just helping; we're doing this together. Right, Hyun-seong?"
"Of course."
"Ah! Damn. I was surprised."
Myung-soo chuckled, patting his chest.
"Alright, what do we need to do?"
"First, Myung-soo, you need to pass the bar exam as soon as possible. Once you pass, become a prosecutor, regardless of your performance in the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Help me from there."
"Damn it. The bar exam isn't a pet's name. Just because I say I'll do it doesn't mean I'll pass and become a prosecutor."
"You can do it. I believe in you."
You can do it.
In my previous life, after disappearing from Busan after being crippled, I saw Myung-soo again on TV.
He entered Korea University and passed the bar exam in three years, becoming a prosecutor.
From then on, he became famous as a prosecutor who cracked down on gangsters.
A few years later, he brought down the Hong Jin-pyo father and son, who had crippled him, and then quit his job as a prosecutor and disappeared.
Crazy prosecutor. Gangster prosecutor. Prosecutor without a successor.
Those were Myung-soo's nicknames at the time.
"Should I thank you for believing in me? Well... my golden college life is over, it's over."
Hyun-seong, who had been listening, looked at me.
"And Hyun-seong...?"
I also explained what Hyun-seong needed to do.
I couldn't tell them everything, but it was reassuring to have friends who would go with me.
* * *
"Hey? Ah, Mu-hyuk! Let's go to Apgujeong-dong!"
"Ha... So we're just going to have a quick drink?"
"Of course."
Seeing Myung-soo's excited face at the mention of Apgujeong-dong, I couldn't help but smile.
"Hey! Kim Mu-hyuk!"
A sharp female voice came from behind.
Turning around, I saw someone running towards us. Myung-soo, who was standing next to me, nodded at the woman.
But the woman who approached was glaring at me, ignoring Myung-soo.
"Why didn't you come to the pre-meeting?"
"Pre-meeting?"
"They sent out a notice to gather new students before the entrance ceremony to get to know each other and greet the seniors. The kid next to you came, so why didn't you?"
"I thought it was optional."
I didn't know she was a senior from the student council.
"Ha, this kid is funny. If you're the top scorer in the nation and got a perfect score, you don't need your peers?"
"I know that more than half of the law students didn't attend. And I had something to do, so I couldn't come. There's a welcome party, OT, and MT, so I'll try to attend as many as possible. Is that okay?"
"Hmm... I'll see you at the welcome party."
She glared at me once more before turning around.
I asked Myung-soo quietly.
"Who is she?"
"A senior in her second year."
"Did everyone else attend except me?"
"Uh, less than half came."
"But why is she mad at me?"
"I don't know. Maybe she wants attention. Forget it and let's go to Apgujeong-dong."
"What did they do at the meeting?"
"Nothing much. We greeted our peers and the second-year seniors. We got to know each other a bit, went to a nearby restaurant, and had some drinks. That's it!"
"Nothing much."
"Forget it. Let's go, we're running late."
Apgujeong-dong in the early 1990s was like a mecca for young people.
A hub of entertainment with rock cafes, nightclubs, and more. A place where the "orange tribe" and "gangster tribe" gathered.
We arrived before sunset, but the roads were already filled with cars. After searching for a parking spot, we finally found one and got out.
"Wow, the smell of youth! It's amazing!"
"What do you want to eat?"
"Let's eat something casual and then go to a rock cafe. It's supposed to be great. What was the name again? Anyway, it's there."
"Hmm... Alright. Have fun today and study later. Got it?"
"Got it. But, you know, you need to relieve stress sometimes. Studying too much will make your head explode."
"Two years. Two years."
"Ah! Kid, stop nagging! I got it!"
We had a quick meal at a nearby restaurant and then headed to the rock cafe.
People were already lining up to enter.
"Let's go in quickly."
Excited, Myung-soo ran to the line, and I followed.
At the entrance, a man managing the entry looked at us and said,
"Go to the third floor."
"Yes! Thank you."
Myung-soo and I went up to the third floor.
The inside was filled with loud music, and people were dancing, holding drinks in their hands.
We were guided to a seat.
Myung-soo's face was beaming as he looked around.
"There's nothing like this in Busan. It's different from a nightclub. Here, people just get up from their tables and dance, and everyone enjoys themselves. It's more advanced than a nightclub."
"Really?"
"Look, everyone is dancing. There are no waiters or anything; it's a pure atmosphere of enjoyment."
Myung-soo said it was more advanced than a nightclub.
But that wasn't entirely true.
Rock cafes were places that cleverly avoided the law.
If a raid happened, the bright lights and loud music would instantly change, turning the place into a restaurant.
It was definitely a free atmosphere, probably because most of the patrons were college students.
In my previous life, I had never been to such a place during my college years, so it felt a bit awkward.
Myung-soo was already up and dancing.
Sitting at the table, I drank and watched Myung-soo