[Toriweb – Aspiring Cartoonist Bulletin Board]
Toriweb.
One of South Korea's largest internet communities, where people from every corner of the online world gathered.
Among its countless forums, however, one stood apart from the rest.
The Aspiring Cartoonist Bulletin Board.
As its name suggested, it was a place where people who dreamed of becoming comic artists gathered to share their thoughts, frustrations, and ambitions.
[mop0099]: Korean comics are dead. Seriously, we're finished. lol
[Gol-A-Pa-Ddeok-Jin-Deok]: There's no future here. If you want to become a comic artist, you'd better learn English or Japanese.
For the people who frequented this board, the Korean comic industry wasn't merely struggling—
It was already on life support.
The same kinds of posts appeared every single day.
Some criticized the comic rental store system.
Others cursed the era when comic books had been publicly burned.
And when there was nothing left to complain about, the board sank into endless self-deprecation.
"We'll never make it."
"Maybe we should just immigrate."
"There isn't any future here."
The atmosphere was perpetually bleak.
The same usernames appeared day after day, to the point where newcomers joked they couldn't tell whether the posters were people—or ghosts haunting the forum.
Yet somehow...
Today felt different.
Everything had begun with a single post on Tuesday afternoon.
└ [Hey... are you guys crazy? Did you see Andrew Shin's new short story in Nuri Comics? It's seriously incredible.]
Author:Seongnam Killer Whale
I was still pissed off because Genesis went on hiatus, but Andrew Shin completely made up for it.
His new short story is unbelievable.
This isn't the Andrew I used to know.
***
└ Korean Manhwa is Ruined: Stop exaggerating. Since when was Andrew that amazing? His comics have always been boring.
└ Rental Store Killer: LOL...
└ Reverse0099: Hold on. I'm heading to the bookstore right now.
At first, everyone assumed it was just another exaggerated recommendation.
Nothing unusual.
Just another fan making noise.
But only a few hours later...
The mood of the forum completely changed.
[Wait... this is really Andrew's work? It feels like it was drawn by an entirely different person.]
[The quality is absolutely insane... ㄷㄷㄷ]
[Andrew! Andrew! Andrew! Give it up for Andrew Shin!]
Posts flooded the bulletin board at an unprecedented speed.
Nearly every new thread mentioned Andrew by name.
By the following day...
[A Korean comic artist actually created something at this level.jpg]
Recommendations: 1,241 | Dislikes: 3
___
[An incredible Korean comic short story.]
Recommendations: 2,131 | Dislikes: 13
___
["Pages Of Us"]
Recommendations: 980 | Dislikes: 3
Scans of Andrew's short story, Pages Of Us, rapidly spread across internet communities.
The response was astonishing—
Far beyond what anyone expected from an industry many believed had already been buried.
Meanwhile...
Inside Ethan's room.
"Whoa... Andrew really hit the jackpot, didn't he?" Ethan exclaimed as he refreshed the bulletin board. "There are new posts every minute."
"Looks that way."
Johan sat beside him, calmly scrolling through the endless discussions.
Everywhere they looked, people were talking about Pages Of Us.
"Do you think he's making a fortune from this?" Ethan asked with envy.
"It's only a short story," Johan replied. "There's not much money in that."
"...Really? I thought he'd be rich already."
"I told you, that's not how it works."
Johan waved dismissively, unable to hide the smile forming at the corners of his lips.
Even I didn't expect it to explode like this...
The three of them had poured everything they had into creating the story.
Still...
None of them had imagined such an overwhelming response.
Thinking about it now, the reason seemed obvious.
Back in 2005, internet communities were far less cynical than the ones Johan remembered from 2025.
More importantly...
People had been desperately waiting for Korean comics to shine again.
His smile deepened.
Japanese manga was already everywhere, filling rental bookstores across the country.
But no matter how good those stories were...
They were still stories born from Japanese culture, Japanese emotions, and Japanese experiences.
There would always be subtle differences.
Differences only Korean readers could truly understand.
The overwhelming response online proved one thing.
People had been longing for stories that belonged to them.
Maybe the rise of webcomics wasn't a coincidence after all...
The webcomic era would quietly begin near the end of the following year.
By 2007, people would finally become familiar with the word webtoon, and the industry would begin to transform.
Looking at the overwhelming excitement surrounding Pages Of Us, Johan couldn't help but wonder...
Perhaps that revolution hadn't created demand.
Perhaps it had simply answered it.
Watching history unfold...
It's strangely fascinating.
A faint smile appeared on Johan's lips as he rested his chin on one hand.
Seeing the future slowly take shape before his eyes—
Not as something he remembered, but as something happening right in front of him—
Was an experience unlike any other.
"With a reaction like this..." Ethan said, unable to take his eyes off the monitor, "do you think Andrew will finally get to continue the series?"
"Maybe."
"...Maybe?"
Ethan turned to him with an incredulous look.
"Come on, what kind of answer is that? Just say yes or no."
Johan merely shrugged.
At that moment, Ethan narrowed his eyes suspiciously, staring at him.
Ding-dong!
"Huh?"
The sound of the doorbell echoed from the living room.
The two of them exchanged glances before getting up from their chairs.
"Who's there?" Ethan called.
"..."
There was no answer.
Instead—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The knocking grew louder and more impatient.
"Who is it?"
"Open the door! Hurry!"
"...?"
That doesn't sound like my dad...
Tilting his head in confusion, Ethan reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door.
The moment it swung open—
"AAAH!"
Ethan let out a startled scream and stumbled backward, landing hard on the floor.
Standing before him was a man with a stern face and an intimidating glare.
"What are you doing?" the man asked flatly. "Why are you acting like you've seen a ghost?"
"Uh... S-Sir...?"
The man standing at the entrance was none other than Samuel.
"H-Huh?"
"Mr. Ko...?"
Both Ethan and Johan froze in surprise.
Samuel frowned.
"What's with those faces?"
Before either of them could answer—
"Move aside."
Someone gently nudged Samuel to one side.
A familiar figure stepped forward.
The moment Johan saw him, the scent of ink, paper, and late nights in the studio seemed to return all at once.
It was Andrew.
"You scared the poor kid half to death," Andrew said with a helpless laugh. "Showing up with that expression of yours..."
"What's wrong with my face?"
Samuel frowned.
Andrew chuckled and lightly elbowed him in the side.
"You always look like you're about to interrogate somebody."
"Hmph."
Samuel clicked his tongue, looking mildly offended.
Watching the two bicker so naturally—
Johan and Ethan couldn't help but smile.
"Andrew!"
"Ethan."
Andrew smiled warmly.
"It's been a while."
For a brief moment—
No one said another word.
There was no need to.
Everything they wanted to say was already written on their faces.
The awkwardness...
The relief...
The excitement...
And above all—
The happiness of seeing one another again.
The reunion felt less like that of a famous comic artist and two middle school students—
And more like old friends meeting after a long journey.
Andrew finally broke the silence with a grin.
"Come on."
He looked at the two boys before speaking.
"Let's go."
"As promised..."
"I'm treating you both to beef today."
A bright smile spread across his face.
A short while later...
Near Bucheon Station, inside a spacious private room on the second floor of a well-known barbecue restaurant, the table was already overflowing with food.
The charcoal grill at the center hissed as thin slices of premium beef sizzled over the flames.
Plates of fresh vegetables, kimchi, pickled side dishes, steamed rice, and bowls of soybean paste stew crowded every corner of the table.
Sizzle...
Samuel turned the meat over with a pair of tongs before giving a satisfied nod.
"All right."
He pushed the platter toward the two boys.
"Go ahead and eat."
"Thank you for the meal!"
As though they had been waiting for permission, Ethan and Johan immediately picked up their chopsticks.
One slice after another disappeared into their mouths.
They barely paused between bites, alternating between grilled beef, rice, and steaming soybean paste stew.
To anyone watching, it looked as though they hadn't eaten properly in days.
"They've got healthy appetites," Andrew said with a chuckle.
"I forgot how much middle school boys can eat," Samuel replied, shaking his head.
Unlike the two students, the adults ate at a much more relaxed pace, occasionally smiling as they watched the boys empty plate after plate.
Before long, nearly every piece of beef on the table had vanished.
Samuel raised a hand.
"Excuse me."
A server approached.
"Two more orders of sirloin and tenderloin, please."
He glanced around the table.
"And another cola... plus a bottle of soju."
"Certainly."
The server bowed politely before hurrying away.
As the conversation settled into a comfortable rhythm, Johan looked toward Andrew.
"Senior..."
Andrew smiled.
"You don't have to call me Senior if you don't want to."
Johan shook his head.
"I do."
He smiled awkwardly.
"I'm planning to become a comic artist too, so it feels more appropriate."
Andrew laughed softly.
"Fair enough."
Johan hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been on his mind.
"So..."
"How did the serialization turn out?"
Andrew scratched the back of his head before answering.
"I decided to wrap it up in a single volume."
"...What?"
Johan blinked.
"A single volume?"
Beside him, Ethan looked just as surprised.
"But..."
"I thought there was a promise to continue it."
His eyes instinctively shifted toward Samuel.
Samuel immediately raised both hands.
"Don't look at me."
"I didn't force him."
Andrew smiled and explained.
"Don't misunderstand."
"It was my decision."
He paused before continuing.
"After hearing what you told me... I went back and thought everything over."
"If I tighten the pacing and remove everything unnecessary..."
"I can tell the story exactly the way I want in one complete volume."
Johan slowly nodded.
"If that's what you truly want..."
"Then I'm relieved."
Even so...
A trace of disappointment lingered inside him.
So this is as far as a successful short story can take things...
No matter how much Pages Of Us had captivated readers...
The reality of the industry was still harsh.
At that moment—
Samuel casually emptied his glass of soju and set it down on the table with a firm thud.
"However..."
A grin spread across his face.
"The editorial department has already decided on Andrew's next project."
Andrew looked over at him.
Samuel continued.
"After seeing the overwhelming response to Pages Of Us, Horizon Cultural Publishing has officially approved his next work."
Johan looked up.
"...His next work?"
Samuel nodded.
"A full-length serialization."
For a brief moment...
Johan simply stared.
Then his face lit up.
"Congratulations, Senior!"
"That's incredible!"
His voice rang with genuine excitement.
His heart pounded against his chest.
It felt as though he had been waiting for this moment all along.
Andrew smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Honestly..."
"It's all thanks to you, Johan."
"If you hadn't encouraged me..."
"If you hadn't helped with the storyboard..."
"I don't think any of this would've happened."
Johan immediately shook his head.
"No."
"You made it happen."
"I only learned by watching you."
Andrew laughed awkwardly.
"When you say things like that..."
"You make me feel embarrassed."
The two exchanged smiles.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The room fell into a comfortable silence as mentor and student looked at one another, each knowing the other was giving far too much credit away.
The quiet lasted only a few seconds before Samuel cleared his throat.
"Ahem..."
As if deliberately interrupting the sentimental atmosphere, he picked up a slice of grilled beef and placed it on top of Johan's bowl of rice.
"You said your name is Johan Seo, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"I've heard quite a bit about you."
Samuel glanced toward Andrew.
"He wouldn't stop talking about you."
"He said you're unbelievably talented."
"He even told me your sense for comics is far beyond what you'd expect from a middle school student."
Johan smiled awkwardly.
"He's giving me too much credit."
Besides...
I'm not really a middle school student.
Rather than being exceptionally talented...
It was simply that he had lived through another lifetime.
His tastes, instincts, and experience naturally differed from those of someone his physical age.
Andrew immediately frowned.
"Don't sell yourself short."
"You helped finish a manuscript in only two days."
"And your storyboards..."
He shook his head with a laugh.
"They're the work of someone who's completely obsessed with comics."
Johan scratched his cheek.
"I still have a lot to learn."
Samuel studied him quietly.
Interesting...
As an editor at Horizon Cultural Publishing, Samuel had met countless artists over the years.
Most adults became nervous the moment they sat across from him.
Some avoided eye contact altogether.
Others stumbled over every word.
Yet this boy...
He remained calm.
Respectful, but never intimidated.
Andrew was right.
This kid isn't ordinary.
Samuel folded his arms.
"If you get the chance..."
"Would you let me see one of the comics you've drawn?"
Johan blinked.
"My comics?"
"That's right."
Samuel nodded.
"If it's good enough, I can at least show it to the editorial department."
"Whether it gets approved is another matter..."
"But opening that door isn't impossible."
Johan answered without hesitation.
"Then..."
"I'll show you now."
"...Now?"
Samuel looked genuinely surprised.
Johan stood from his seat and walked over to his school bag resting in the corner of the room.
After opening it, he carefully pulled out a well-worn sketchbook.
Returning to the table, he held it out.
"Here."
Samuel accepted it.
"You carry this around everywhere?"
Johan nodded.
"I draw whenever I have free time."
"There are some rough story ideas..."
"Practice pages..."
"And a few short comics."
"They're nothing special."
Samuel let out a quiet chuckle.
"What an unusual kid."
He handed the barbecue tongs to Andrew.
"Hold these for me."
Andrew took them with a grin.
"No problem."
Flip.
Flip.
The pages turned one after another.
Samuel's expression gradually became more serious.
The room fell silent.
Only the faint crackle of the charcoal grill could be heard.
Andrew watched without saying a word.
Ethan swallowed nervously.
Johan simply waited.
Another page.
Then another.
Samuel continued reading until he reached the very last page of the sketchbook.
"..."
He slowly closed it.
"Haa..."
A long breath escaped his lips.
His eyes shut tightly for a brief moment.
When they opened again—
They were filled with certainty.
He looked directly at Johan.
Then, in a clear, powerful voice that echoed throughout the private room, he declared—
"Johan..."
"Let's sign a contract!"