Again, one person read it quickly. I glanced over and saw Seo Heejin looking at his phone, and the reply came just as quickly.
> Anyone want to drink today? 6:40 PM
> Seo Heejin
> I can’t today 6:40 PM
Ha. Really. This was the first time since joining the company that Seo Heejin had refused a drinking session I proposed.
> Song Kihun
> I’m available 6:41 PM
> Kim Hyungtae
> Me too 6:42 PM
Even after seeing Song Ki’s reply, I was so dumbfounded I could only look back and forth between my phone and Seo Heejin’s back as he breezily left work. I wasn’t even in the mood to drink.
But when even Hyungtae sent a reply, I felt I had no choice but to go. I couldn’t say I couldn’t make it now.
***
Forgetting the fact that we had to come to work the next day, the three of us settled into a dakgalbi restaurant where once you set foot inside, you’d leave 100 percent drunk. The dakgalbi roasting golden brown over charcoal definitely looked appetizing, but my mood was strangely off for some reason.
“You and Heejin are getting along well again these days, right?”
Oblivious Hyungtae brought up Seo Heejin’s name at the drinking table. Fuck, that bastard is why I’m in such a bad mood right now. When I openly scowled, Hyungtae’s hand holding his glass hesitantly set it down.
“Still not good?”
“When did I ever get along with him?”
Even to my ears, my voice dripped with irritation.
“Why, you guys were having lunch together just the two of you.”
Song Ki backed up Hyungtae’s words. When did he even see that? Since it was a fact they already knew anyway, lying about it seemed ridiculous. The best I could do was curse “I don’t know, fuck” while drinking.
They say alcohol calls for alcohol. I’d clearly thought I’d drink moderately and go home when we started, but before I knew it, I was overdrinking. It wasn’t enough for my memory to completely black out, but my energy was already high.
“No— how could I ask to drink and— that bastard Seo Heejin just cuts out and goes home!”
At my nonsensical words, Song Ki and Hyungtae nodded in agreement.
“So rude! So rude—”
“Tell him to run over here right now!”
Old-fogey-like comments piled up one by one. Mm. That’s a good idea though?
“Should I tell him to come?”
At my words, both their eyes sparkled.
“Call him, hurry.”
My hand that found Seo Heejin’s number pressed the call button. It was something I would never have done if I weren’t drunk.
—Yes, hyung.
“Hey— where are you?”
—…….
Seo Heejin dared to ignore my words. Always like this. Always pretending not to hear me.
“Are you— are you ignoring me again?”
—Hyung, where are you?
“What do you mean where am I! What! You coming?”
I called to summon Seo Heejin, but my drunk tongue spouted nonsense.
—No. Hurry up and go inside.
“Don’t— don’t hang up!”
Surprised that Seo Heejin seemed about to hang up right away, I passed my phone to Hyungtae.
Hyungtae made a face at my suddenly extended hand as if to say “what am I supposed to do with this?” If I talked with this heart full of hurt feelings, I felt like I’d pour out complaints that Song Ki and Hyungtae shouldn’t hear without realizing it.
Even drunk, I had that much reason left.
“So, where does our Heejin say he is? …… Yeah. …… Hey, you bastard. We called to tell you to come, man! …… Oh, really? …… Got it! Hanging up!”
From just what Hyungtae was saying, it was hard to properly grasp what conversation they’d had.
“He’s coming?”
At my question, Hyungtae’s head shook back and forth.
“Says it’s annoying?”
Ssshh, hot steam leaked out between my nostrils. As soon as I snatched the phone from Hyungtae’s hand, it vibrated with a bzzt—.
It was Seo Heejin.
> Seo Heejin
> What’s the name of the restaurant you’re at? 9:21 PM
> Chuncheomdal Galgbi 9:21 PM
What does he need the restaurant name for? Even while grumbling like that, my honest fingers sent a reply without lying.
I didn’t have the energy to fix the typo. After that, I roughly shoved my phone into my pocket and kept drinking. We ran wild as if there was no tomorrow, but we all said a word each, anxious about coming to work. It’s okay, drink more, tomorrow’s me will handle tomorrow.
After drinking recklessly like that, when my limit came at some point, I set down my glass with a thunk.
My body worn down by society knew precisely that if I drank any more, I’d be late tomorrow. Tomorrow’s me was still me after all. It was funny how we acted like we’d run wild, then glanced at each other and only half-emptied our glasses.
“Ah— I want to drink on weekdays with— no thoughts at all like before getting a job!”
Hyungtae said as he sipped down his last glass. I agreed. In my last semester, I only took a few classes, and if I failed the document screening, drink, if I failed the aptitude test, drink, if I failed the interview, drink. And if I passed, I’d drink celebratory drinks to celebrate—it was a wonderful life.
“……Still, I don’t want to go back to job hunting.”
Song Ki, who’d failed twice as many times as me during job hunting, muttered. Thinking about interviewing made me naturally think I should go to work properly tomorrow and protect my precious job.
“Let’s go. We have to go if we’re going to work tomorrow—”
The three of our sighs hotly warmed the cleanly emptied cold grill.
After splitting the bill with our heads together amicably, we each tore off and went our separate ways. Song Ki getting a taxi, me taking the subway, and Hyungtae going back in front of the office to catch a bus.
As if we’d never laughed and chatted at the drinking table, we all had solemn faces thinking about going to work tomorrow.
After giving rough greetings and trudging along, the message I’d sent to Seo Heejin suddenly came to mind. If he wasn’t going to come, why did he ask where I was drinking?
I called Seo Heejin, who hadn’t even replied to my message.
“Yes, hyung.”
Huh? The voice answering the phone wasn’t from beyond the phone machine but from right behind me. My body turning around creaked like a rusty robot, and when I discovered Seo Heejin standing with a blank face answering the phone, I was so surprised my heart jumped.
“What? Why are you here?”
Once my heart jumped up, it seemed unable to find its proper place and bounced around, shaking my entire chest wildly.
Even though I hadn’t eaten dakgalbi in a hurry, I felt stuffy as if I had indigestion, and I had no choice but to tap my chest with my fist. Thanks to Seo Heejin’s unexpected action, I sobered up completely.
“Why do you think?”
Seo Heejin, who’d had a blank expression until I turned around, smiled with gentle eye-smiles as if my overly surprised reaction was funny.
Mm, can I think and interpret this however I want? I can think he’s treating me like a woman again, saying he’ll take me home and whatnot, right?
If it were before, I definitely would’ve been annoyed thinking it was shitty, but the emotion I felt now was far from irritation. It was relief at Seo Heejin acting differently from usual all day, and now returning to his usual self.
Was it because I drank? The hurt feelings I’d had all day melted away limply.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”
“No, why are you here? Weren’t you at home earlier?”
I asked while following with quick steps, but Seo Heejin just kept walking with quiet chuckles. At a distance of one and a half steps apart, as if he was still trying to keep the promise he made with me.
“You told Hyungtae it was annoying.”
“Yes, it’s annoying to death.”
“Then why did you come if it’s annoying?”
What answer was I expecting by continuously pressing Seo Heejin? Was I asking again hoping my current thoughts were right, or was I hoping they were wrong—with my drunk head, it was hard to judge properly.
Seo Heejin’s steps that had been striding toward the public parking lot stopped abruptly. I, who had taken the next step due to inertia, ended up taking one step back and looking at Seo Heejin.
“Yunwoo hyung, think carefully about why I came. If you guess correctly before we get home…”
Seo Heejin cut off his words. It was a face contemplating what he’d do for me if I guessed correctly.
Well, he’ll probably say he’ll let me suck his cock again. Of course that’s nice too, but since he already promised to let me suck it all weekend, it wasn’t very appealing.
“If I guess correctly?”
