Chapter 93: Uproar
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Uproar
In any case, I couldn't exactly leave grown women to sleep outside after they'd spent the night drinking their heads off.
"Open the dooooor!"
Besides, the neighbors would surely suffer from the screaming coming from outside—though I couldn't tell whose voice it was.
Why am I trying so hard to justify this?
Having finished my internal rationalization, I cautiously opened the door, only to be met by a swarm of women rushing inside.
Usually, they carried their own refreshing scents, but today, the pungent, sticky smell of alcohol was so overwhelming that I couldn't help but grimace.
"Woooooah!"
"Mister! One more bottle of soju over here!"
Unable to withstand the tidal wave of women surging in, I was pushed aside. The aftermath of their entrance struck my home like a physical force, plunging it into instant chaos.
"Hahaha!"
"Ugh, I'm so tired!"
"Shall we see how this dried pollack soup tastes?"
One of them dashed excitedly into the bathroom, another collapsed onto my mattress claiming exhaustion, and the third headed straight for the kitchen to "taste" the soup.
"Ha... my head hurts."
I wondered if I should take some painkillers for my throbbing headache, but first, I headed toward Choi I-seo, who had gone to the kitchen—the most dangerous place at the moment.
I gently lowered I-seo’s hand as she tried to light the gas stove, then scooped a bit of soup into a ladle for her.
"I heard... the dried pollack soup here is delicious?"
Her pronunciation was clear, but her words trailed off, and her face was flushed bright red. She was definitely drunk, in true Choi I-seo fashion.
"Yes, it's delicious. Why don't you try some?"
I poured the soup from the ladle into a small side dish and handed it to her. She began to blow on it fervently. Watching her blow on soup that had already gone cold was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped me.
Slurp.
After taking a sip, I-seo swayed her body slightly from side to side, then tilted her head with a puzzled look.
"It tastes like alcohol..."
"That's because you drank so much... I mean, because the guest has been drinking."
"Did you put alcohol in this?"
I wanted to ask her the same thing. Did you put alcohol in there?
"I think I could cook better than this myself."
Her self-feedback was certainly honest. I guess that’s why she’s the department rep and gets such good grades.
"But..."
Setting the dish aside, Choi I-seo stared at me with a goofy grin.
"I'll eat it anyway, since the boss is so handsome."
"...Well, thank you."
Her legs seemed to give out, so I caught her just as she was about to collapse onto the floor. I figured I should lay her down on the mattress, but when I got there, Yoo Ah-rin was already sprawled out, taking up the entire space.
"My land!"
She looked at I-seo and me, grinning as she flailed her arms and legs like she was swimming.
"It's my mattress."
"It's my land now!"
If every place she lay down became her land, she’d be a real estate tycoon in no time.
"Move over. Let her lie down too."
"No!"
Should I just kill her? I was already exhausted from supporting half of Choi I-seo’s weight, and Yoo Ah-rin’s antics were the final straw.
After setting I-seo down on the floor for a moment, I lunged at Yoo Ah-rin. In a test of strength between a man and a woman, especially since I was standing, I clearly had the advantage.
"Whoa!"
I lost.
In about five seconds, I took a kick from Yoo Ah-rin and went down. I was a bit shocked by how much more it hurt because she wasn't holding back her strength while drunk.
While I was down, Choi I-seo crawled over and lay down next to Yoo Ah-rin. Ah-rin didn't push her away; instead, she welcomed her, and the two of them hugged each other. I remembered they weren't on the best of terms, so seeing them act so friendly while drunk was both ridiculous and strangely heartwarming.
"And finally..."
Was it Seo Ye-rin who had gone into the bathroom? I offered a silent prayer for my toilet, which had been through so much since yesterday, and stepped inside.
"Mmm?"
"What the hell?!"
There was Seo Ye-rin, wearing nothing but her underwear, standing blankly under the spray of the shower.
"Hey! What are you doing!"
"I'm gonna wash up!"
I hurriedly turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around her. What was a girl who couldn't even steady herself thinking, trying to take a shower?
"Wash tomorrow! Tomorrow! Seriously, what is wrong with you!"
I knew that if she showered now, I’d be the one stuck dealing with the mess. As I grumbled and dried her off, she smiled and clung to me.
"Let's wash together!"
"You're heavy!"
She hooked her arms around my neck and wrapped her legs around my waist, clinging to me like a cicada. Fortunately, Ye-rin was light, and thanks to my home training, I was able to stand up.
"Stop moving your hips!"
"Hehe."
I scolded her for wiggling her butt and stimulating my lower body, then carried her out of the bathroom. I set her down right next to the peacefully sleeping Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin. She struggled to stay attached, but I managed to shake her off.
Suddenly finding myself drenched in sweat in the middle of the night, I let out a long sigh, feeling the deep weight of fatigue behind my eyes.
Tomorrow was Friday, and I had no classes.
That was a relief, if nothing else.
* * *
In a strange twist of fate, Kim Woo-jin’s room saw three more people greeting the morning in the exact same way as the day before.
The only difference was their gender. They woke up feeling dizzy, their heads spinning from the heavy drinking. As soon as one woke up, it triggered a chain reaction, and the other two slowly opened their eyes.
One thing they had over the men from the previous day was that their memories of the night before were still intact.
"Oh, please, no."
Unfortunately, that proved to be a curse. Choi I-seo clutched her head and let out a deep, pained groan.
I must be crazy.
She could forgive herself for the nonsense she’d said about the soup she’d made herself, but the chaos she’d caused at Kim Woo-jin’s place was destined to be an unforgettable "dark past."
The others seemed to feel the same. In the awkward silence, they looked for Kim Woo-jin. All that remained in the room were hangover cures, toothbrush sets, and a single note.
— I'm going to sleep at the jjimjilbang. There's dried pollack soup—the stuff Choi I-seo made and then called tasteless—so eat that. Wash up if you need to before you leave. Just send me a Tok when you go.
"I feel so bad."
Seo Ye-rin muttered, looking sheepish. It seemed they had kicked him out of his own home and forced him to sleep at a sauna. Even though they were close, she felt they had crossed a line, yet she was grateful for his consideration.
They took turns washing up, prepared a meal, and ate together.
"I have a lecture, so I should probably head out now."
Choi I-seo, who had received permission via text to borrow a hat, put on the same hat she had used before and left first. That left Yoo Ah-rin and Seo Ye-rin.
"I have a Friday free period," Yoo Ah-rin noted.
Seo Ye-rin shifted awkwardly and whispered, "I... I have a class in an hour."
"Then you should stop by your place first. Go ahead. I feel bad for him, so I'm going to clean up a bit before I leave."
"I'll help!"
"No, just go."
At Ah-rin’s insistence, Ye-rin left without even making eye contact.
If one were to ask why it was so awkward... it was likely because they remembered the "secret" conversations they’d had the night before. The fact that they had shamelessly blabbered about R-rated topics while drunk made them feel like they were going to die of embarrassment.
Usually, such conversations either make people best friends or make things incredibly awkward. For now, the three of them seemed to be leaning toward the latter.
"I-I'll be going then!"
And with that, Seo Ye-rin departed.
Yoo Ah-rin stretched, clicked her tongue at the state of the room, and began to clean.
* * *
"She's something else."
I would have run away immediately, but seeing Ah-rin’s text saying she’d cleaned the whole place made me shake my head in disbelief.
I told I-seo not to worry since Ah-rin had already handled it, then replied to Ah-rin.
"...?"
The photo Ah-rin sent was of something red and crumpled on my floor. It looked like clothing...
This was insane. Yoo Ah-rin was crazy for telling me to use them when we didn't even know whose they were, and whatever woman left red panties at a guy's house was just as crazy.
Wait a minute.
I had seen Seo Ye-rin’s underwear yesterday while she was in the shower, and they weren't like that. And there was no way Yoo Ah-rin would leave her own behind like that.
Which meant, by process of elimination...
Choi I-seo?!
I reached the conclusion that the red panties belonged to Choi I-seo. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of I-seo—who looked like she’d only ever wear sports bras—wearing such a provocative color. But then...
The moment I saw the next photo Ah-rin sent, my brow furrowed deeply.
"Son of a..."
Now that they were spread out, the photo clearly showed a pair of oversized men's briefs. I vowed to find and kill whatever bastard wore red underwear and left them at my place. Just as I was leaving the jjimjilbang...
Vibrate!
Another text arrived. This time, it wasn't from Ah-rin.
It was Captain Ju.
Ah.
Now that I thought about it, my Thursday morning lecture was the one with the film project assignment, and I had skipped it.
A chill ran down my spine. I immediately sprinted back toward my house, where my laptop was.
* * *
Rewinding time slightly.
10:00 AM.
In front of the studio apartment building.
A woman with hair so vividly red it looked dyed stood staring blankly at the entrance. Her hair color, which seemed determined never to fade no matter how much it was washed, seemed to melt the chill of the approaching winter.
She wore a luxurious coat and sunglasses to hide her face. This woman, standing with her hands shoved deep into her coat pockets, was Oh Yun-ji.
And that building...
Was the place she had frequented like it was her own home until just six months ago. Her ex-boyfriend’s apartment.
Woo-jin.
Two days ago, Kim Woo-jin had called her in the middle of the night. They say drunk words are sober thoughts. Recalling the things he had shouted at her then, Oh Yun-ji felt her eyes grow hot.
She had promised Woo-jin’s eldest brother that she wouldn't see him until she was "qualified," but after receiving that late-night call, her emotions had overflowed. She wanted to see his face, even from a distance. So, she had pushed aside her busy schedule and come here.
Even if she didn't meet him, she just wanted to see him.
Having rushed here, Oh Yun-ji watched the apartment with the fluttering heart of someone waiting for the first sunrise of the year. Finally, the door opened.
"Ah...!"
An exclamation escaped her at the thought of finally seeing him after so long. But the person who ran out was...
A female college student with blue hair, wearing Kim Woo-jin’s hat. Moreover, she was a friend from high school...
"I-seo?"
Sensing something was wrong, Yun-ji’s eyes followed Choi I-seo blankly. Just as she was about to go mad with curiosity about what kind of relationship her friend and her ex-boyfriend now had...
Creeak!
The door opened again. This time, it was the English Department Goddess—the one everyone had been talking about since freshman orientation, the one the entertainment industry was keeping an eye on. She stepped out awkwardly, looking hesitant.
"..."
While her mind was still reeling from the shock, there was one last surprise. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and a blonde woman stepped out to throw away a trash bag, looking for all the world like a wife tending to her home.
"Kim... Woo-jin...!"
At that sight, Oh Yun-ji felt like her brain had reached its limit. She had always been a woman of strong character. Her hands had clenched into fists at some point, and her breathing became ragged and heavy. She wanted to run over there right now, kick the door down, and tear Kim Woo-jin limb from limb.
"B-Boss? We have to go now."
At her employee’s words, Oh Yun-ji gritted her teeth, turned around, and climbed into the car. The employee said nothing, simply driving in silence as the sound of her sharp, angry breathing filled the vehicle.