Childhood Friend Complex

Childhood Friend Complex (소꿉친구 컴플렉스) is a 2024 manhwa by Eunhi. You can read it in its original Korean on Naver Webtoon or Naver Series. Otherwise, you can read it translated into Thai (เพื่อนกันมันส์เกิน) or Traditional Chinese (青梅竹馬情結).

Haneul and Mincheol are childhood friends who have been friends together for 20 years. I discovered my childhood friend's secret circumstances that I didn't want to know?! These two people have never considered themselves opposite sexes, but in situations where misunderstanding leads to misunderstanding and wishful thinking leads to wishful thinking, they gradually begin to become aware of each other.

A romantic comedy like a game of tag between a man and a woman who have difficulties because they know each other so well!

Tropes used in Childhood Friend Complex include:

• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Haneul and Mincheol. The sexual tension is there, but they fought too much growing up to actually get together... Until the fighting and bickering forces them to be painfully aware of how they've grown up physically in several Contrived Coincidences. After becoming more aware of each other, it zigzags a bit between Belligerent and more plain Unresolved Sexual Tension.
• Buxom Is Better: Lampshaded by a lot of people in university, including Mincheol who doesn't remember when she grew that much.
• Cannot Stand Them Cannot Live Without Them: Lampshaded by Haneul and Mincheol.
• Childhood Friend Romance: Played straight. Haneul and Mincheol are childhood friends who develop romantic feelings for each other.
• Everyone Can See It
• First Love: Haneul may be Mincheol's first love, considering the flashback.
• Friends with Benefits: After hooking up while drunk, they end up agreeing to a one-night stand.^[?] And later when Haneul gets drunk again, Mincheol goes along with her whims and the two make out while their friend is still waiting for them at the noraebang stall.[19] Immediately after Haneul realises she's fallen for Mincheol, her first thought is how to seduce him.[22]
• Friendship Moment: Mincheol beats up the guy who talked shit behind Haneul's back. When Haneul berates him for getting in a fight on campus, he says that what matters is her.
• Girl Next Door: Haneul. Haneul dresses like a tomboy and doesn't care much for clothes, but is well-endowed.
• Held Gaze: Haneul and Mincheol when neither can decide to let go of each other's hair and ears while bickering. Haneul eventually lets go first, because of the sexual tension.
• I Don't Want to Ruin Our Friendship: Even though Mincheol knows he's fallen for Haneul, he doesn't step over the line, because he's terrified of ruining 20 years of friendship.[19] The two have been best friends since they were little kids and care deeply for each other.
• It Doesn't Mean Anything: Haneul and Mincheol try agreeing to pretend nothing happened and that it doesn't change their relationship, even after getting handsy with each other. Haneul even pretends she blacked out so she can backpedal and claim That Didn't Happen.
• Just Friends: Lampshaded by both Haneul and Mincheol in the form of She Is Not My Girlfriend, since people keep asking if they're dating each other.
• Kissing Under the Influence: Haneul and Mincheol down an entire bottle of whiskey and end up making out. This happens again when Haneul gets drunk at a noraebang.
• Literally Falling in Love: Haneul gets stuck in the locker, trying to hide from the other clubmates, since she just took off her soiled shirt. Mincheol helps pull her out, and she ends up on top of him. When the clubmates comes back, she panickes and pushes her chest into Mincheol who struggles to keep his cool.
• NSFW: The series is smutty and does show brief sex scenes.
• Pet the Dog: Although Haneul complains about Mincheol a lot, he does watch out and care for her properly. Almost like an older brother.
• Relationship Upgrade: Haneul and Mincheol end up having sex.^[?] However, they agree it's a one-night stand they should pretend didn't happen... Until both fall in love with each other.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Haneul when she leaves clothes to her girl friend.
• Slap Slap Kiss: Despite how much they bicker, Haneul and Mincheol end up getting pretty touchy feely with each other.
• Status Quo Is God
• Stupid Sexy Friend: This is the case for both Haneul and Mincheol, but especially the former. Haneul tends to go with the flow and do whatever she feels like, while Mincheol tends to be a bit more brooding when he's not going along with her whims.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Haneul and her girl friend.
• Volleying Insults: Haneul and Mincheol often tease each other.
• Situationship
• University setting
• He falls in love first
• "That hurts so don't you dare move" intercourse