An Impure Casino 27

“Thank you.”

A stiffly cracked voice flowed out. What’s wrong with me? Flustered, Kang Siwon cleared his throat. For some reason, his throat seemed choked up.

“Then from now on, you’ll enjoy a drink or two, right?”

As if trying to change the increasingly serious atmosphere, Ray Jun asked brightly. Kang Siwon lightly scolded him.

“The alcohol talk again? Just how much do you like wine?”

“Because it’s no fun drinking alone. We could watch a movie in the dorm and have a glass, or go to a bar together on days our schedules match.”

He was about to say ‘what are guys doing watching movies or going to bars together’ but hesitated. Because if Ray Jun was gay, that wouldn’t be unreasonable either. But even if he was gay, wouldn’t he enjoy such things with a man he liked?

The suspicion he’d buried raised its head again. The very embarrassing but not entirely unreasonable suspicion that Ray Jun might like him.

Past days flashed quickly through his mind. Without being asked, hadn’t he stepped forward first to help with Cantonese pronunciation practice, and readily extended a helping hand in Hong Kong too? Moreover, no matter how much money he had, would someone normally rent out an entire restaurant to treat someone to a meal? Even though he’d been curt with Ray Jun the whole time.

“……”

Kang Siwon became rapidly confused. Whether Ray Jun liked him or not, their relationship wouldn’t change immediately. But if he confessed, he didn’t know how to react. Accepting was obviously out of the question, and if he rejected him, things might become awkward with Ray Jun. Forget anyone else, but roommates sharing one room becoming awkward felt like sitting on a bed of nails just imagining it.

“Xie Wei, what’s wrong? Did you bite into a bone or something?”

Ray Jun, who’d noticed the meal had stopped, asked. Kang Siwon shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Right, it must be excessive self-consciousness after all. Why would a popular man like Ray Jun like him? He probably just took good care of him because he had such a friendly personality, so he shouldn’t mistake that human kindness for ulterior motives.

After causing such a commotion internally, his throat was parched. Kang Siwon thoughtlessly grabbed a glass. But the moment he brought the glass to his lips, a sweet grape scent wafted over.

“Going to drink wine? Yeah, good thinking.”

A beat late, he realized what he was holding wasn’t a water glass but a wine glass. Kang Siwon was about to put the glass down, then impulsively changed his mind.

He slowly tilted the glass. Slightly cold liquid touched his lips. The wine that gradually flowed past his throat wasn’t as bitter as Ray Jun had promised, and the aftertaste was refreshing.

“How is it?”

Ray Jun asked with sparkling eyes. Kang Siwon couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

“Delicious.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste. Then let’s toast. To commemorate the first day drinking together.”

“Cheers.”

Kang Siwon obediently clinked his glass against Ray Jun’s. Then, instead of putting the glass down, he took another sip of wine.

A larger amount of wine than before smoothly went down his esophagus. Perhaps because it was alcohol he was drinking after a long time, he felt the alcohol spreading quickly. It wasn’t enough to get drunk, but his mood lifted at the thrill of having done what he’d been restraining himself from all along.

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

Kang Siwon nodded slightly.

Having tasted alcohol for once, he thought this was enough. But at the same time, he felt resentful too.

Why must he always endure?

He was sick and tired of controlling himself every time he wanted to enjoy a luxury item, every time he wanted to loosen up. He wanted to stop thinking even for a moment and just be comfortable.

Somehow, it seemed like it would be okay just for today.

* * *

Ray Jun looked at the man before his eyes.

He was propping his elbow on the table, dozing off with his eyes half-closed. Looking obviously sleepy from being drunk was none other than his roommate, Xie Wei.

“Xie Wei, are you okay?”

“Mmm……”

“The wine’s delicious, right?”

Instead of answering, Xie Wei nodded. At this, Ray Jun lifted the wine bottle and refilled Xie Wei’s empty glass.

“Then you can drink more, right?”

At a timing when a normal person would tell him to stop drinking, Ray Jun was encouraging the wine. However, Xie Wei only stared at the glass filled with red liquid without drinking.

“Go ahead. I poured it for you.”

When he urged gently but firmly, Xie Wei picked up the glass. His Adam’s apple moved slowly, swallowing twice.

“Good boy.”

Ray Jun smiled with satisfaction.

Actually, he didn’t have a hobby of forcing alcohol on others. But it was quite enjoyable that Xie Wei obediently accepted and drank the wine he gave. Perhaps Xie Wei also cooked for him because of this kind of fun.

“But Xie Wei, you’re weaker with alcohol than you look? To end up like this after just seven glasses of wine.”

Up to two glasses, he seemed pleasantly tipsy, but from the third glass his speech slowed. Then at five glasses, half his cognitive ability flew away. Actually, this was also because Ray Jun had only ordered high-proof wine, but he shamelessly babbled.

“At this rate, you should worry about your drinking capacity before worrying about addiction. Just tell other people you can’t drink because you’re weak with alcohol. Got it?”

Suddenly Ray Jun imagined Xie Wei at a drinking gathering with other people and frowned. Even in imagination, it was a completely unsuitable sight. What drinking gathering for a voluntary outsider?

“No. Just keep doing it like now.”

When Xie Wei had confided his inner feelings earlier, Ray Jun had patted him saying ‘That’s impressive.’

Actually, it was behavior he hadn’t put much meaning into. It was somewhat sincere, and also somewhat just acting affectionate to maintain friendliness with Xie Wei.

But what was so moving about those obvious words that a faint blush spread across Xie Wei’s cheeks? He pressed his lips tightly shut as if trying to hold back laughter, but so much force went into his lips that it rather looked like he was holding back tears.

Ray Jun held his breath and watched the scene.

The moment when the door to a person’s heart opened wide was something even Ray Jun, who often won people’s favor, was witnessing for the first time.

He even felt like he was seeing a rare natural phenomenon like a double rainbow or cherry blossom petals scattering in winter. Xie Wei’s reaction was that fresh and interesting.

He couldn’t share such a thing with other guys.

“Let’s make it so you only drink with me. Instead, I’ll bring lots of good alcohol.”

“…Why.”

“Hm? What?”

“Hey, why are you… being so good to me?”

Xie Wei, who’d managed to complete a sentence even while dozing off, dropped his head completely. Lest he bang his head on the table, Ray Jun cleared away the plate and glass in front of him.

“Well, I can only answer ‘it just happened that way.'”

“Suspicious. You’re… very suspicious.”

Xie Wei mumbled with his eyes closed. How suspicious must he have found him normally to be like this even while dead drunk? Ray Jun replied in disbelief.

“Look who’s talking.”

While he was at it, Ray Jun decided to probe Xie Wei a little. In his current state, it wouldn’t be strange if he spilled the secrets he harbored.

“Xie Wei, you’re the one hiding something.”

“……”

“You’re keeping secrets from me, aren’t you?”

Even though he’d already confirmed that he belonged to the Baeksa Faction, Ray Jun pressed mischievously. Then Xie Wei’s closed eyelids trembled.

“See, you are hiding something. What on earth is it? Is it a story you can’t tell even your roommate?”

Look at this. Ray Jun gradually became dumbfounded. Acting as a spy while being this sloppy? He knew the Baeksa Faction’s scale wasn’t small, but their personnel selection was absolutely terrible in comparison.

“That, that’s…”

“Yeah yeah, it’s okay. You can tell me. Go ahead.”

“Maybe…”

Maybe, and what comes next?

Ray Jun smiled brightly and waited for Xie Wei’s next words. He hadn’t expected Xie Wei would confess with his own mouth that he belonged to the Baeksa Faction, but this wasn’t bad in its own way either. Originally he’d planned to pretend not to know and gently leak information to him, but he could just change plans.

However, Xie Wei’s following words were truly beyond Ray Jun’s expectations.

“…Do you like me?”