Right, if he’s twenty, so what? It’s reasonable to try soju for the first time. Besides, Jung Sanho was a young master from a wealthy family. Wine or liquor maybe, but he probably hadn’t had many chances to encounter soju. That’s why he ordered one soju per person as if it were natural.
‘How cute……’
Only now did he actually feel Jung Sanho’s age, which had been hidden behind his build and personality. Thinking that just half a year ago he was a high schooler in uniform with a runny nose, even that vicious look seemed somewhat cute.
‘Wait, hold on. Does that mean Baek Seungyeon was hitting on a high schooler this whole time?’
Saying he approached him deliberately meant he knew Jung Sanho’s age too. He knew he was trash, but this was truly an indefensible level. Of all things to do, why would he wag his tail at a high schooler like that?
“Makchang or gopchang?”
The owner wearing a red apron placed dewy soju bottles on the table. While watching the side plates and water glasses being set up, Seungyeon checked the menu one more time.
“Give us the vegetable gopchang. We can add fried rice later, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll just order 2 servings of gopchang for now.”
Is that okay? At his questioning tone, Jung Sanho nodded. The already small soju glass looked like a miniature toy when placed in front of Jung Sanho.
“I’ll pour for you.”
Day drinking wasn’t his preference, but since Jung Sanho was looking at the soju bottle as if it were fascinating, he couldn’t let him down. When Seungyeon tapped the bottom of the bottle, Jung Sanho’s eyes became a bit more sparkly. Seungyeon slightly turned his head to hold back his laughter and naturally filled the glass.
“Let’s toast.”
I should just wet his lips and order him a cola. Seungyeon gently pushed the anchovies that came out as a side dish toward Jung Sanho. Jung Sanho downed the soju in one gulp. When he filled the empty glass, he drank it in one go again. Just from his expression, it didn’t seem like he was forcing himself, so it was ambiguous whether to stop him or not.
“Drink slowly. Drinking on an empty stomach isn’t good for you.”
Thinking he’d ruin his stomach like that, he quickly shoved anchovies into his mouth. Since he obediently ate whatever was given to him, a slight smile rose. Is this like some wild animal feeding experience?
With a smile on his face, Seungyeon poured water into a cup instead of a soju glass. Jung Sanho, who was quietly holding the cup, raised his eyes.
“But, hyung.”
Seungyeon responded with “Hm?” Jung Sanho emptied the water cup in one go like drinking alcohol and set the empty cup down on the table with a “thunk!”
“Why do you keep smiling like that?”
“Huh?”
It was ambiguous whether he was picking a fight or just talking. Just from the tone, it was closer to ‘what are you looking at?’…… While he hesitated, not knowing how to answer, Jung Sanho suddenly reached out his hand. He grabbed Seungyeon’s collar and brought his face close.
“Why are you smiling at me like that? Do you like me by any chance?”
“Huh?”
[A specific individual’s favorability increase has been confirmed! As a reward, a Penalty Nullification (1-time use) has been issued!]
After a very long time, a status window appeared before Seungyeon’s eyes. Jung Sanho, standing right behind the translucent status window, brought his face closer and closer.
“Fuck, seriously, why does your face have to look like that……”
At the irritated muttering, Seungyeon blinked. He belatedly recalled something.
“Are you drunk by any chance?”
The soju bottle on the table was already about half empty. Since Seungyeon had barely drunk any, it meant Jung Sanho had drunk it all.
He didn’t know Jung Sanho’s alcohol tolerance, but since he’d drunk quickly on an empty stomach, it was reasonable for him to get drunk fast. Though he hadn’t intended this situation, he was the one who’d poured the alcohol into the glass, so he wasn’t without responsibility. Seungyeon quickly added words to manage the situation.
“Want to drink some more water?”
“I’m not drunk.”
As he said, Jung Sanho didn’t particularly look like a drunk person. That made it even more ambiguous. He couldn’t tell whether he was acting like this because he was drunk, or if he was taking this opportunity to brazenly say everything he wanted to say.
In the awkward silence, the gopchang was served. Seungyeon avoided his gaze and poked at the appetizingly cooking food on the grill. Jung Sanho also naturally pulled back his body. Seungyeon glanced around cautiously and asked.
“Should I put some on a plate for you? Is there anything you don’t eat?”
“I like cabbage. I hate carrots, the texture is weird.”
……What’s with that specific yet quite cute answer?
“Well okay…… The gopchang is fine though, right?”
Jung Sanho answered without changing his expression at all.
“I don’t know since I’ve never eaten it. Whether it’s fine or not.”
“Huh? Oh…… I see.”
Seriously, what’s with that docile answer? With a subtle expression, Seungyeon picked up well-cooked gopchang and cabbage from the grill and put them on Jung Sanho’s plate. When he gestured for him to try it, Jung Sanho calmly picked up his chopsticks. He stopped staring at his chewing lips and casually opened his mouth.
“Is it good?”
“It’s not good. It’s salty.”
Along with a statement that thoroughly crushed his expectations, Jung Sanho scrunched up his face. His expression was as bad as if he’d eaten something inedible.
“That bad?”
Wondering if it was really that bad, he quickly picked up a piece of gopchang with his chopsticks and ate it. At the gopchang taste that was neither particularly bad nor especially good, Seungyeon blinked.
“It’s not particularly bad though……”
“Then I’ll say it’s not bad either.”
A question mark floated above Seungyeon’s face. No, seriously, what’s wrong with him? Even setting aside how he was changing his words without conviction, the answer came way too quickly. At the reaction different from usual, Seungyeon examined Jung Sanho closely.
From the outside, nothing particularly strange caught his eye. Maybe he’s the type who gets drunk but doesn’t realize it? Even though he said it wasn’t good, he ate whatever was given to him, so the plate quickly emptied. Seungyeon put well-cooked gopchang on the empty plate while sneaking glances.
Something’s strange, definitely strange, but if asked what exactly was strange, he had nothing to say. Seriously…… what is this?
“Can you go to class like this?”
If he happens to be drunk, shouldn’t I stop him until he sobers up? Seungyeon looked him up and down, trying to gauge what to do.
“Are you dizzy or anything?”
“I’m not dizzy. And I’m already late for the lecture anyway. It started and ended a long time ago.”
Jung Sanho answered obediently while chewing gopchang. Seungyeon, who didn’t understand the meaning at once, asked again.
“What does that mean? You’re late for class?”
“There’s no point going now. When I went to the department store with you earlier, it already started, the lecture. It’s a required major course so it’s a problem if I miss it, but not really a problem.”
“What? No, you clearly said earlier that you had plenty of time! Wasn’t your lunch break flexible?”
Jung Sanho, who had been chewing cabbage at some point, made an expression whose meaning was unclear. He picked up the empty soju glass and put it down again. The glass clinked against the table.
“Yeah. Actually they were back-to-back classes, so even when I met you, I only had about 10 minutes.”
“Hey! Why are you only saying this now!”
If you didn’t have time, you should have said so! Whether Seungyeon was flustered or not, Jung Sanho was indifferent. Holding the water cup instead of alcohol, he mumbled with his lips on the cup. He rolled his eyes like a puppy hiding a sin.
“I was afraid if I said I didn’t have time, you’d just leave. Having lunch together is more important than a required major course.”
Jung Sanho casually said something embarrassing. Even while mumbling, he answered questions asked without lying, and the answers were all missing a screw. Only then did Seungyeon become certain.
‘He’s drunk. He got drunk from just drinking that much.’
He didn’t know how to react to the statement that he’d coolly ditched a required major lecture. While absurd and bewildered, he also wondered why is he really acting like this?
“No…… you can’t do that, can you? A college student, a freshman, can you just skip major classes like that?”
He did need Jung Sanho’s help. However, he had no intention of dragging him along unreasonably. If he’d honestly said he didn’t have time, he would have gone to the department store alone.
“Can’t you go even now? No, you……! If you didn’t have time, you should have said so!”
This wasn’t the time to be comfortably eating gopchang. Seungyeon grabbed his arm and forcibly made him stand up. If we catch a taxi right now and head to campus, it’ll take about fifteen minutes, so isn’t it right to go even now?
Unlike the restless Seungyeon, Jung Sanho was completely peaceful. He wrapped his hand around Seungyeon’s wrist and pulled with force. When Seungyeon pulled, he didn’t budge, but when Jung Sanho applied force, he was easily dragged like a paper doll. Seungyeon, who ended up sitting on his lap, flailed his hands in panic.
“No, wait a minute!”
“How could I do that? When you came to me first, hyung. When you said you needed me, how could I refuse that?”
The breath touching his ear was hot. The faint smell of alcohol and body temperature that was clearly hotter than usual were felt vividly.
Right now, Jung Sanho was excessively honest. The sincerity he poured out defenseless was extremely bewildering.
“I like you, hyung. I like you.”
Jung Sanho whispered from behind. As if pleading that those words were sincere, the favorability display on the status window kept appearing around them. Whether because of the touching body temperature or because he was surprised, his heart pounded ridiculously loud.
“No, you really…… First, let go of this.”
Seungyeon squirmed to escape from his embrace. He felt Jung Sanho’s heavy weight pressed against his back like a leech. Because of the breath touching his nape, his toes kept curling. Hoping that the pounding sound of his heart wouldn’t be heard by him, Seungyeon held his breath.
Even as one minute, three minutes, five minutes passed like that, Jung Sanho stayed still. At his lack of any reaction, Seungyeon cautiously opened his mouth.
“Jung Sanho, don’t tell me……”
Jung Sanho’s head, which had been leaning on Seungyeon’s shoulder, dropped completely. Observing the regular sound of gentle breathing, Seungyeon whispered in dismay.
“Are you sleeping right now……?”
