The Upper Crust (2)
The parade of whiskeys continued without pause, their rich aromas swirling around us, when a sudden wave of unease washed over me. After experiencing several blackouts from drinking like this, I’d developed an instinct for it. If I took even one more sip here, everything I’d forced down my throat would come right back up—or I’d simply pass out.
“Sir, I think… it’s about time I head home.”
My words barely left my mouth before he grabbed my wrist, his face flushed bright red with clear reluctance.
“Already? Come on, just one more glass before you go!”
Part of me genuinely wanted to indulge that earnest plea and drink it for him. But I knew that making a mistake here would lead to consequences I couldn’t possibly handle.
“No, no, I really can’t. If I drink any more, it’s going to be a disaster. I should really—”
“Sir, he seems quite intoxicated. Perhaps it’s best to let him leave now.”
The man who had driven me here stepped in to help. From the moment I’d gotten in the car, I had been certain he was a genuinely kind and wonderful person. I still believed it.
“Suhyeong, it’s been so long since we drank together… This is really too much,” my host grumbled, but he finally released my wrist.
Suhyeong. He had to be some high-ranking executive secretary. I made a silent vow never to forget this kindness as I gathered my things.
“Sir, once the counseling has progressed a bit more, I’ll come visit agai—”
“No. Stay and have a few more glasses.”
The cold voice coming from the doorway sent a chill down my spine. Something had gone terribly wrong. The man I’d been drinking with stiffened instantly. Suhyeong stepped back and bowed at a perfect ninety degrees. I could feel every person in the room snap to attention, their focus shifting entirely toward that voice.
Click. Click.
The sharp sound of heels approached slowly from behind him. Even in my drunken state, my brain kicked into overdrive, desperately trying to process the situation. My heart pounded furiously, pumping blood throughout my body—especially to my brain. The oxygen and energy surging through my bloodstream explosively heightened my cognitive function.
I had assumed he held a very high position, given how freely he could drink on a weekday afternoon. But I was wrong. She was the one who truly mattered.
The warm welcome he’d given me now made perfect sense—it had the familiar feel of a neighborhood housewife. This was bad. The icy atmosphere told me that drinking with him like this had clearly gone against her wishes. And I could feel, bone-deep, that her authority in this household was far greater than his.
“Thank you for keeping Yujin’s father company. You’re Jihyun, correct?”
“Yes…”
I had no idea when she’d given the order, but several people quickly reset her glass and brought out three new bottles of whiskey.
“Honey… I was just excited to see him after so long—”
“Be quiet.”
With just those four words, he shrank back and sat up straight like a scolded child.
Stay calm. She already seemed to know my name and background. She must have seen me trying to stop drinking and leave. So far, I was still okay. The first impression of being her prickly daughter’s new counselor probably hadn’t been too badly tarnished yet.
“This is interesting. It’s the first time I’ve seen both Yujin and her father act so impulsively.”
As I mulled over the word “impulsively” and its implications, I accepted the glass of whiskey she offered. The beautiful amber liquid—coppery, almost golden—filled the glass.
Um… that seems like quite a lot…?
I could feel the surface tension fighting against the rim of the whiskey glass. My hand began to tremble under the unexpected weight, threatening to spill the overflowing liquid.
“Since you both seem to enjoy drinking so much, please enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
She filled his glass to the brim as well. Finally, she poured her own glass full and emptied it in one swift motion.
I tried to catch his eye, but he only looked away awkwardly, as if he had already given up.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to drink?”
“Ah, yes… thank you.”
“Thank you…”
It’s fine. If I control my mind properly, I can handle this. It broke my heart to have to swallow this beautiful liquor with its deep aroma and rich flavor, but she was watching me with her legs crossed and hands resting on her knees. I had to drink. Please, just don’t let me black out. I had to endure. Leaving a worse impression than this would only make things harder.
The carefully aged liquid slid down my throat with painful clarity. I kept drinking without pause. To earn even a fraction less of her disdain, I forced myself to meet the pressure of her gaze that demanded I finish it all in one go.
“Haa… ugh.”
I set the empty glass down as gracefully as I could manage, though my grip was shaky.
“You drink well. Does it suit your taste?”
“Yes… It’s far too good for someone like me, but it really is excellent.”
“I see.”
She gave a short reply and took my glass again, carefully refilling it. With every drop that filled the glass, despair and terror filled my heart in equal measure.
“Call me Mother.”
She placed the glass in front of me with a faint smile.
“And drink.”
I slowly lifted the glass to my lips. But the stronger the alcohol’s scent grew, the more my body rebelled. I tried to hold it in my mouth, but both my reason—desperately trying to stay sane—and my instinct—trying to stop this self-destructive behavior—were screaming at me to stop.
“Drink it all. It’s quite a fine whiskey.”
“No. Don’t drink it.”
Another sharp voice cut through the air, and the atmosphere shifted once again. It was Yujin. She strode over and snatched the cup from my hand, setting it down. A significant amount of the whiskey spilled over the rim.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“That’s my line. If you want to drink, drink with Dad.”
“Y-Yujin…”
The conversation between family members was far too sharp to be called casual. The whiskey I had just forced down my throat suddenly threatened to come right back up.
“Um… where’s the bathroom…”
“Thanks to Jihyun, we’re having a nice family drinking session. You should come by often.”
“Bathroom—”
“And if either of you call him over again without telling me, be prepared.”
“Hrk…”
“Both of you, just stop it… okay?”
I couldn’t hold back the nausea any longer. Right in front of me, like a savior, a bucket appeared.
“Ugh… bleeegh!”
“Come with me. I’ll show you the way.”
Ah, Suhyeong… I felt such overwhelming gratitude toward him that my tear ducts burned.
“Um… what should I call you? Anyway, thank you so much…”
I rinsed my mouth and expressed my sincere gratitude and respect to the person who had rescued me.
“Please feel free to call me Suhyeong. And there’s no need to thank me. You’ve been through a lot.”
Someone else cracked open the bathroom door and handed Suhyeong a bottle of mouthwash, which he then passed to me.
“Use it as you like. Come out whenever you feel better.”
“Yes, thank you so much…”
I used the mouthwash to scrub away the awful taste in every corner of my mouth, then stood in front of the mirror for a moment to collect myself. Only then did I truly notice my surroundings. This wasn’t a normal house bathroom—it looked more like the restroom in the lobby of the hotel I’d visited before. I couldn’t even imagine how much money someone had to make to live in a palace-like mansion with a bathroom like this. Wait, did a place like this even exist in Seoul? Maybe in the outskirts or Gyeonggi Province, but in Gangnam…?
Still full of questions, I opened the door and stepped out.
“Hey.”
Outside, Suhyeong was standing back with a forty-five-degree bow, and Yujin was waiting for me.
“Ah, Yujin… thank you.”
“You idiot. You really drank everything they gave you?”
“I had to score some points with my client’s parents.”
“You really are hopeless.”
Yujin sighed and held out her phone.
“Put in your number.”
“Ah… I really shouldn’t be giving out my personal contact information…”
“You think my mom and dad calling you out on the very first day is going to be a one-time thing? Just put it in.”
“…Yes.”
“I won’t call you for anything annoying, so don’t worry. But if Dad or Mom pull something like this again, call me.”
“Thank you.”
I dialed my number on her phone and handed it back. Soon after, my own smartphone rang, confirming that our numbers were now saved in each other’s phones.
“Go back in, grab your stuff, and leave quickly.”
“Yes.”
“Never mind. I’ll go with you.”
Yujin grabbed my sleeve and led the way. When we returned to the room—no, it felt more like a banquet hall—her mother and father were still sitting exactly where we’d left them. I went to the sofa across from them, gathered my belongings, and bowed as politely as possible.
“I’m sorry for showing you such an unsightly sight. I’ll take my leave now.”
“No, it’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong. I may have been too harsh.”
“Yeah, Jihyun, I’m sorry. Next time you visit, I’ll treat you properly.”
The moment they finished speaking, Yujin grabbed my arm and pulled me away.
“Ah… thank you for today!”
“Hurry up and get out.”
“Wait!”
At her mother’s voice, Yujin stopped. Her mother turned around and gave me one final greeting.
“Jihyun, please take good care of our Yujin.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Yujin shot her mother a glare and dragged me away again.
(…And you’d better be ready.)
I pretended not to hear that venomous remark directed at her father and let Yujin pull me outside. So this was what a house with a garden actually looked like. My head spun at the mansion layout I’d only ever seen in manhwa.
“Driver, assign someone to take him home.”
“Yes, miss.”
Suhyeong whispered something into the microphone around his neck. We kept walking until we reached the main gate, where a car pulled up and stopped.
“Get home safe.”
At Yujin’s farewell, Suhyeong opened the car door for me.
“Yes, see you next time.”
Suhyeong gave me a slight bow and closed the door. The car began to move.
…Now I can finally go home and rest.