precocious, friendly and charming from the start, it seemed like minjae never struggled with anything. he made friends just by existing near someone, passed tests and completed homework with flying colors, joined the soccer team, and always came home before it got dark outside. but with a mother who smothered him with emotional affection and a father who showered him with material love, minjae was going to turn out one of two ways: incredibly right, or incredibly wrong.

he never acted out, never denied his parents the close, honest relationship both of them expected of him, and didn't even break curfew—until his last year of high school, but, well, anyway. minjae could have felt suffocated and lashed out, and instead he flourished under all the attention, be it from his parents, a proud coach or teacher, or even just a casual admirer. it didn't become a problem until high school, really. it was then that minjae noticed people in more than a friendly way, between heavy gazes in class with another boy, and hushed giggles when a girl's friend passed along a note to him.

his first girlfriend was a pretty girl that was a whole head shorter than him, even at fourteen, who originally hailed from busan. two weeks later, when she seemed so much different, less pretty and less interesting and less perfect, his mother reassured him that his teenage relationships would come and go as quick as a flash. it only took minjae two more tries to realize that it wasn't the other person, and it wasn't because he was young. it was because he got bored, because no single person with family and friends and responsibilities could possibly keep minjae entertained the way he'd grown to expect. like a scene right out of a k-drama, his last girlfriend slapped him across the face after they graduated, face ugly and red from crying when she told him he was more selfish than anyone else in the world.

it was probably true.

after that, minjae decided not to bother devoting himself to just one person. it seemed easier, and it's worked for him ever since. right around when he began college he stuck to dates, then growing lazy, minjae opted for hook-ups most nights out of the week. a year abroad in the united states reinforced this laziness, his inability to communicate quite as well as he used to making small talk even more tedious to him.

of course, just because it works for him doesn't mean it works for everyone. minjae is and always has been a bit mean, and more than a bit thoughtless of others. he's left a trail of hurt feelings behind him in his search for constant attention, and instead of finding consequences he just learns new ways to earn affection—until he gets bored again.

and while everything works and everything still comes awfully easy to minjae—except for caring about other people—he's coming up on graduation and for the first time it's a bit daunting. the balancing act between work and play lets play win nine times out of ten, even if minjae still knows how to get his homework done on time and write a killer essay. he's learned how to arrange schoolwork and familial responsibilities between all the drunken flings and lazy morning sex, but there's the looming expectation that he take over the successful hospitality firm his father has carefully cultivated over the years.