Chapter 1 : The 100th Wedding

My name is Jun-ho. I'm not your average guy. Actually, I'm more ordinary than most – introverted and mildly irritable. I'm not the best student, but I'm not terrible either. I've got two friends: one is as big as an elephant and the other as thin as a snake. The elephant-sized guy is Min-jun, a sweet, chubby fellow, and the snake-like guy is Li-wei, a short-tempered, lean guy. They're my best buddies, and whether it's life's struggles or the battlefield of love, they're always by my side.

Min-jun might be big, but he's got no shortage of girlfriends—he's always juggling four or five relationships at a time. On the other hand, Li-wei is loyal to a fault but never seems to get a decent girl. His ex-girlfriends have all either cheated on him or dumped him because they couldn't handle his temper. Watching their love lives has made me question if I'll ever be brave enough to try. I mean, if I get betrayed, how will I handle it? Sometimes I wonder, would I go crazy or just lose my mind? These thoughts have made me avoid relationships entirely. I've cut off my romantic path before it even started.

You might think I'm some sort of loser, but there are many kinds of losers, and I happen to be one. I wake up, go to college, come home, do a bit of work, hang out with my friends, and go back to sleep. This boring cycle continues, all while missing the one thing that's supposedly essential: a girlfriend.

But where will I find a loyal one? Does God even have someone in mind for me? I don't know. Anyway, no use pondering it. Time to hang out with my friends.

One day, as we were sitting by a canal, Min-jun suddenly announced, "I found a new girl on my dating app. I'm going to go on a date with her tomorrow. You guys have to come along to watch my back."

I was confused. "What? You're going on a date, and we're supposed to be your bodyguards?"

Min-jun chuckled, "Remember the trouble we had with Jin's crew at college? If I go to Jin's village alone, they're going to beat me up."

Li-wei jumped in, "What can they do? They're scared of us now. They're still probably scared from last time when I beat them."

Min-jun shook his head, "That's why I need you to stay away. This is the last time I'm asking for help."

I rolled my eyes, "No way. You two go ahead."

Li-wei growled, "Fine, I'm going. Haven't had a good fight in ages."

I sighed, "You're insane! Last time, we barely made it out. What if we cause a mess in their territory?"

Li-wei smirked, "If you're scared, stay out. I can handle them."

Min-jun laughed, "Well, if you're in, then I'll go too. Let's see what happens."

Reluctantly, I agreed. I couldn't leave my friends hanging.

The next day, we caught the bus to a nearby village. After getting off, I spotted a stunning girl. She looked like she came straight out of a dream. I thought, "Maybe I've found my soulmate." But then, to my horror, she called out to Min-jun.

My heart sank. "Great. My soulmate's already taken." I sulked as I watched Min-jun and the girl head off to a restaurant, then to a park, and finally by a little river. The romantic scenes just made my heart ache.

Suddenly, our worst fear happened. Jin's college crew ambushed us. Li-wei was ready for a fight, but I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well. We ran and hid behind a house. I tried to tell the girl to leave, but she insisted on staying with Min-jun.

I thought to myself, "How does someone like Min-jun end up with a loyal girl like her? How is he so lucky?"

Our location was soon discovered, and before we knew it, Jin's guys were right behind us. After a brief scuffle, Li-wei signaled to Min-jun and me to split up. I darted in one direction, while they took off in another. I eventually hopped on a bus to rest, but when I arrived at a nearby town, things got weirder.

It was night by then, and I was waiting for a bus back to my village when I saw a girl in white walking toward a deep canal. I thought, "Is she going to jump?" Without thinking, I followed her.

When I caught up, I saw her standing at the edge. I walked up and, trying to be a bit of a hero, said, "Hey, if you jump from here, you won't die, but your legs will be broken for sure. If you want to die, I know much better places where you can jump with 100% guaranteed results."

She looked at me and smiled, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not here to jump."

Just as I was about to turn away, a group of strangers suddenly grabbed us and dragged us away. I was thinking, "Great. I'm going to lose a kidney today." I'd always dreamed of selling my kidney for an iPhone, but now it seemed that dream would remain a dream.

They took me into a room, and I overheard someone talking about reaching 100. "99 down, just one more and we'll be set for life," they said.

I thought, "If I had known about this business, I would've joined in. At least I'd be making money instead of losing my kidney."

A man came in and I asked him, "Why are we here? What do you want from us?"

Before I could ask anything else, he snapped, "We're doing good work here. Keep quiet, or I'll make you disappear."

I couldn't say a word. My body was shaking in fear. I suddenly wished I could take Min-jun and knock some sense into him. I had a new urge to beat him up.

A man came in, dressed in a black suit, and led me to a stage. I was shocked when I saw that the stage looked like a wedding venue.

I thought, "Are they really going to steal my kidney here? What kind of place is this?"

A girl, dressed like a bride, was led onto the stage. I froze when I saw her face. It was the same girl I had seen by the canal.

I asked the man beside me, "Is this my wedding?"

The man, ever so polite, smiled and said, "Yes, sir. You're getting married today. This is our 100th wedding."

End of Chapter 1.