Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Year-End Party (2)
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I was dragged around here and there for quite a while.
The excited seniors kept calling me from all over the place. They were thrilled that it had been six years since a rookie got Ye-hyeon to drink vodka.
But I hadn't intended to make Ye-hyeon drink vodka.
I suddenly felt sorry, wondering if Ye-hyeon could hold his liquor. But it felt awkward to go back to him now and ask, and there were just too many people calling me. I diligently accepted the drinks.
There were so many seniors I'd never met before that I couldn't remember their names.
“Wow, you can really hold your liquor!”
“And you haven't even cracked a single cup after that strong stuff.”
“Do you even feel the buzz?”
The seniors gave me all kinds of alcohol.
“One shot! One shot!”
“Vodka! Woo! Vodka! Woo!”
“Hard liquor! Woo! Hard liquor! Woo!”
“Yoon trained you well.”
It was a death march.
I went around to various tables drinking like that. They poured me different drinks each time. It was nice trying a variety of alcohols, but chugging nothing but liquids left me bloated.
Let me have some snacks too.
I was feeling glum when someone grabbed me.
I turned toward the person yanking my arm and saw familiar dark circles.
“Seniors, I'm taking the rookie.”
Lee Ho dragged me behind him.
“And stop feeding him already, geez.”
“Hey! You went on a mission with him too!”
“That's why I want to catch up with him.”
Lee Ho pulled me behind him, and Aki, who was standing there, dragged me off somewhere.
A huge outcry of protests erupted, but they pretended not to hear as they hauled me away. I was sat down at another round table. I was so disoriented I couldn't even tell where in the hall I was.
Aki and Lee Ho sat on either side of me.
“Eat.”
Lee Ho snatched the glass from my hand and shoved a plate at me.
In my slightly tipsy state, I looked at the plate.
“Beef tataki.”
“Oh, something this precious.”
I snatched it up and ate it.
The meat melted in my mouth. Lee Ho saw my expression as I ate the tataki and let out an “Aigo.”
“I'd think someone starved you.”
“No, I just wanted something solid after all that liquid.”
“Huh?”
Lee Ho's eyes widened and his voice rose.
He stopped opening the soju bottle and blinked.
“You haven't had any side dishes this whole time?”
“Yes. There was no time to eat.”
“This table has the most expensive side dishes, so eat up before you go.”
Aki leaned back leisurely in her chair, sipping wine and observing me.
She was still cool, her face showing little expression.
“People will get drunk soon and call you nonstop.”
Her words proved true.
I politely poured a glass for each of the seniors who had sat me at the table with the priciest side dishes. After a light toast, as I was heartily eating the beef, someone approached.
More precisely, while Lee Ho was grilling me about how I was so fine without side dishes, someone stopped next to me.
I turned to look at the familiar face.
“Hilde.”
Choi Ami smiled brightly.
“Drink with me too.”
“You're drunk.”
Lee Ho commented while gulping soju.
“She'll be running wild here soon.”
Choi Ami blinked.
Her face didn't seem red, but her reactions were slower than usual.
Choi Ami replied a beat late.
“I'm not drunk~.”
She's drunk.
“Drink with me too, Hilde.”
“Ah, yes. Let me pour you one.”
“Hey, what are you doing? Let's go quick!”
Giacomo Ro popped up behind Choi Ami.
He grabbed Choi Ami and my arms and pulled. I hurriedly greeted Aki and Lee Ho before being dragged up from my seat.
Crossing the hall again to a new table.
A table with empty beer and soju bottles neatly lined up on the floor.
John Mullen was at the table.
“Uh, um, wait a sec.”
“Oh, sit down quick!”
Ro shoved me into a seat at the table.
He grabbed an empty glass and poured beer vigorously.
“Here!”
“Wanna eat sausage?”
Choi Ami thrust a sausage at me.
I lifted the overflowing beer glass and chuckled dryly.
“Thank you.”
The sausage was completely cold but delicious.
And fortunately, John across from me didn't notice me. He was silently drinking his beer. He hadn't touched the sausages or french fries in front of him.
Sausages and french fries cooling on aluminum foil.
At this rate, I could drink and sneak away without him noticing. I thought while taking the onion ring Choi Ami offered.
“Don't think about going home tonight!”
Ro shouted while pouring beer into John's glass.
“Drink till we drop!”
A sudden question popped into my head.
It was something I'd wondered about before. I hadn't dared to ask then. Even now, I was a bit scared to ask, but maybe because the alcohol was kicking in, my mouth blurted it out.
“How did you two end up living together?”
Ro turned his head at my question.
Choi Ami burst out laughing.
“It's because Ro did something stupid!”
She completely ignored her colleague making a delinquent “Aang?” sound.
Her small hands happily drummed the table.
“Ro made Mr. Mullen do sit-ups!”
She's really drunk.
Seeing her say something so absurd, and it didn't even seem related to the question.
“Hey! That's because you guys have no loyalty!”
While I was thinking, Ro suddenly exploded.
“It's obvious to take care of a deficient teammate! The test is right around the corner!”
Test?
What test all of a sudden?
“What if that halfwit gets his body disposed of? You just watch?”
“Why would he lose his Enhanced Body?”
“Black Badgers have periodic fitness tests.”
Choi Ami giggled.
“If your fitness drops too low, you're up for Enhanced Body disposal.”
I see.
But what does that have to do with John Mullen?
This guy received his Enhanced Body due to his exceptional intelligence, like Samuel Han. Because he's the creator of the Core that brought peace to humanity. Along with Samuel Han, even with an Enhanced Body, he wasn't obligated to serve on the front lines. So I heard he only did the minimal fitness checks before and after the transplant.
On completely different standards from most Black Badgers....
Wait a minute.
“No matter how Mr. Mullen's case is different from ours, they wouldn't listen!”
Choi Ami laughed wildly and stabbed a fork into the sausage.
“I told them Mr. Mullen doesn't have to do sit-ups!”
“But how the hell did this guy become a Black Badger?”
Giacomo Ro was genuinely puzzled.
He wasn't listening to Choi Ami at all. I couldn't fully understand the fancy gestures he made while talking, but it was clear he still saw John Mullen as a “teammate who needs extra care because he's deficient.”
“He can't even do three proper push-ups! And not one of them looks after this guy. Those... damn jerks. They don't know loyalty.”
“So Ro, Mr. Mullen can do two push-ups and it's fine!”
“Damn, three times!”
“Idiot, two is less than three!”
What a mess.
It was a conversation that made even my intelligence feel like it was dropping.
Ro was his usual self, but Choi Ami was completely wasted.
I need to give her a break.
I gave a faint smile and poured sparkling water into Choi Ami's glass.
“Have some of this.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“It's hard to even pretend not to notice those horrific motor skills....”
Giacomo Ro seemed to be thinking of the other (sane) Black Badgers who hadn't helped with John Mullen's training back then.
He shook his head.
“Trash like them.”
“The trash is your intelligence, Giacomo.”
“Have some sausage.”
I hurriedly offered sausage to Choi Ami, who was tackling him as I set down the sparkling water.
“Delicious sausage.”
“Thanks.”
“How long can that dimwit stay as a Black Badger....”
Ro looked at John Mullen with the utmost pity, hand on his forehead.
Heavy emotions dwelled in the eyes under his thick brows. He was more sincere than anyone. More than anyone....
John Mullen set down his glass.
“Huh? Glass empty?”
Ro said.
He furrowed his brows sharply, looked for beer, then cursed and grabbed the soju bottle.
“Argh... none left.”
Still, Ro kindly poured soju into a soju glass instead of beer and pushed it to John.
“Just down this.”
John mechanically picked up the soju glass.
The gray-haired man blinked and downed the soju. Does he even know he's drinking alcohol? He's been drinking beer like it was water.
Is this what being drunk looks like?
“Eek!”
I flinched at Choi Ami's scream.
“Mr. Mullen gets drunk if he drinks anything but beer!”
What?
I blinked at yet another astonishing statement. I had to pause to figure out if Choi Ami was spouting nonsense from being drunk or if it was truth that sounded like nonsense.
No way she's revealing truth while drunk?
John Mullen emptied the soju glass.
Then he stood up.
“Huh. Mr. Mullen must be drunk.”
Someone whispered.
“He's heading to the corner.”
...John Mullen went to the corner.
And stood there in the corner gloomily, not moving. My jaw dropped. The tall, handsome genius scientist.
The star of the scientific world and mad scientist stood in the corner observing people without moving.
Is that his drinking habit?
“Mullen Tree~.”
When I came to, Choi Ami had dragged a chair over and was placing some star decoration—from who knows where—on John Mullen's head.
“Christmas~.”
“Fuck, that's hilarious!”
Ro was delightedly taking photos in front of him.
My mind was getting a bit hazy.
I closed my eyes seeing seniors trying to fetch little lightbulbs.
If I watch more, my intelligence will really drop.
A moment of solitude amid the bustling hall. As I meditated blocking out the noise, someone approached.
Now I could distinguish this person by footsteps alone.
“Are you here to pick her up?”
“Not yet.”
Choi Yoon maintained his impeccably neat appearance like during morning training.
The Master put his hands in his suit pockets and looked at his little sister.
“Got to pick her up when she starts running.”
“She seems pretty drunk already.”
“She's fine at this level.”
He seemed too used to this.
He didn't change expression even watching his sister laughing gleefully holding a little bulb.
Rather, after observing her state for a moment, the man looked down at me after shifting gaze from his blood sister.
Cold black eyes as usual.
“I'll drop Ye-hyeon off at the Command Staff bedroom.”
“Ah.”
I recalled my misdeed.
“Is he very drunk?”
“Thanks to you.”
Argh....
I lamented my own stupidity and craned my neck. I rolled my eyes searching for the pale face. The slender boss in a neat black suit.
Where is he?
Choi Yoon pointed straight.
“There he is.”