Still, a Dirty World (3)
Love is an emotion that often strips people of their reason, driving them to ignore countless improbabilities.
The story of an ability user trying to buy her way out of a miserable home life with money, and of someone who went so far as to use forbidden methods just to win her heart.
Just trying to piece it all together was enough to make my head spin. I pressed a hand to my forehead, let out a long sigh, and asked my senior.
"Senior. You didn't come looking for us just to tell us this story, did you?"
"...No."
"Then please get to the point."
At my firm tone, Senior Minji's eyes trembled. In a weak voice, she finally managed to voice her request.
"Please... beat our team this time. It's already too late for me to stop this on my own...."
I knew it would come to this.
To push down the frustration rising in my chest, I poured myself a glass of soju-beer and downed it in one go. Before I knew it, three thousand won's worth already felt light. After emptying the glass, I spoke firmly to Senior Minji.
"You've got the wrong people."
"What do you mean...."
"Neither I nor these kids are a volunteer group that helps out people in need."
It was true that I'd felt sympathy. I'd even felt pity, wondering how things had gotten so tangled up. But that didn't mean I had any intention of helping Senior Minji—especially not Yugyeong.
"If we meet in the selection matches, we'll do our best in our own way—but we won't go all out with some desperate resolve that we absolutely have to beat that team. If it looks like we're going to lose, we'll just lose."
"……."
"You made this mess yourself, so clean it up yourself. Sink or swim."
I felt a twinge of regret afterward, wondering if I'd been too harsh on someone who'd come begging while exposing her own shame like this. But leaving things ambiguous might only give her false hope, so cutting her off cleanly seemed better all around.
"If that's all you needed, we'll be going. I'll only tell the others what they need to know, so don't worry."
Whether she was a little disappointed or had already resigned herself to the expected outcome, Senior Minji just kept her head down in silence. Figuring there was no point dragging out an awkward conversation and that we should clear out quickly, I looked over at Junhyuk, who'd been listening quietly beside me the whole time.
"...What the."
Correction.
I'd thought Junhyuk had been "listening attentively" this whole time.
"Mmm...."
Junhyuk was already out cold, face flushed red, reeking of alcohol, slumped against the wall beside the table.
That was when I remembered the careless thing I'd said earlier.
—Then are you going to drink it? What are we supposed to do with all this?
—I'll drink it.
—Well.... Fine, go ahead.
Sure, I'd said that—but he didn't have to take it so literally and drain every last drop.
"...As you can see, I'm a bit busy right now. We'll be taking our leave first."
"Yes.... Take care."
I gave Senior Minji a small wave in return and started shaking Junhyuk's shoulder.
"Hey. Hey. Let's go home."
"Mmm...."
"I said let's go home. Get up already!"
First a twisted counseling session, and now I had to clean up after a drunk. Even so, looking at my pathetic self spinning positive thoughts like At least he hasn't thrown up yet, I couldn't help but sigh.
This keeps happening because I'm a soft touch. It's my own fault. Ugh.
Cursing him out in my head to just wake up already, I moved my grip from his shoulder to a fistful of his hair and shook him hard.
"Hey! Yeom Junhyuk!!"
I'm grateful he finished off the drinks so the money wasn't wasted, but collapsing like this? Come on!
Even with his hair grabbed, Junhyuk offered no resistance—not even the slightest reaction. He just kept breathing roughly, like he'd completely passed out. The thick smell of alcohol mixed into his breath hit my nose, and my face twisted into a scowl on its own.
"I wasn't going to resort to this...."
Either way, I had to get him up if we were going to go home—or dump him on the street.
I decided to use the secret weapon at my disposal. Namely....
"Horned Heroine's Side Jab!"
I lowered my head, aimed my horn at his side, and gave a light poke!
"Gah!"
The effect was tremendous! Horns are meant for stabbing, you idiot.
He jerked upright almost unconsciously, still half-asleep, and I kept talking while lightly patting his cheeks.
"Hey. You with me? Want another taste of the horn?"
"Mmph.... No. No.... I'm up."
"Then let's go. Get out here, quick."
"Did we finish the drinks...."
"We finished them all. Great job. Really. I'm so proud of you!"
Patting him on the back like I was encouraging a seven-year-old, I hauled Junhyuk outside. On the way out, I dutifully settled the bill at the counter. Seeing the full tab for five people's drinks charged to us, I thought of Sowon and Serena. Sowon had been pretty wasted herself, so she probably hadn't been in any state to pay either....
Either way, I was definitely going to squeeze a mint chocolate latte and cake set out of one of them.
"Ugh, wait.... Uuugh...."
"Hey, hey! Don't throw up!"
But my seemingly smooth escape hit another snag thanks to Junhyuk's deteriorating condition. Fortunately, his mind seemed fully back online—he dutifully made it all the way to a drain before heaving his guts out, which I found genuinely admirable.
Acting all tough earlier, and look at you now.
Just then, Senior Minji quietly approached from behind, as if she had something to say, and grabbed my sleeve with a soft "Um...."
Seeing her frightened expression almost made me feel bad. I was about to start blaming myself for saying "sink or swim" at the end when—
"If it's all right, I'll take you home. This is just a free favor from me. A thank-you for listening to my story...."
I was about to shake my head, thinking she meant to cover the taxi fare, when I suddenly remembered how Senior Minji had appeared out of nowhere earlier, opened a portal, and vanished with Yugyeong.
"You're going to open a portal for us?"
"It's magic they don't teach in first year...."
Using magic like this in everyday life.... I could practically hear taxi drivers protesting from here.
"Please give me the address. I'll open a portal right in front of the house."
With that, Senior Minji raised her hand and wrote something in the air, then lightly tore open the space in front of her hand in a blue rift. The gap, about the size of a palm, was pitch black inside—like a tunnel that hadn't been fully bored through yet.
"Ah, so...."
I was about to give her my address when a sudden whim struck me, and I called out to Junhyuk.
"Junhyuk. Yeom Junhyuk!"
"...Yeah."
"Tell her your address."
Suddenly, I was curious what kind of place this guy lived in.
If he was too sharp for his own good, my little plan would fall apart, so I hoped he was still drunk enough as I waited for his answer.
Fortunately, Junhyuk rattled off his home address without hesitation—street name, building, unit number, all of it exact.
"It's a bit far. One moment."
Senior Minji wrote this way and that in the air with her finger. Probably inputting the address. And the next moment—
Fwaaah—the crack tore wider and blazed with light. Before long, it had expanded into a large entrance big enough for two or three people to pass through at once.
"Follow me."
Senior Minji stepped into the portal. I dragged Junhyuk along and followed after her. Portals weren't anything new to me—I'd used them more than once or twice—so it wasn't particularly amazing anymore.
What was more surprising was that when we stepped out, we weren't in front of Junhyuk's house—we were in a park near it.
"Did you summon us here on purpose?"
"No, I'm still a bit drunk myself.... Sorry."
Good grief—I'd just ridden a "drunk portal." A flicker of fear hit me that this might be illegal, like drunk driving, but no one had ever given me any related warnings. Until someone tells you not to, anything goes.
"Well then, I'll be going...."
"Yes. Take care."
I wanted to ask her to take me home too, but one of the biggest drawbacks of the portal skill is that you can't create more than one at a time. Once you've made one and gone through it, you have to come back out through that same portal. The magic was originally developed for "quick extraction and return during combat," so it couldn't be helped.
When Senior Minji disappeared back through the portal, it closed automatically.
"Mmm.... Kuuu..... Nyaha...."
Junhyuk was lying on the park's urethane flooring like it was his own bedroom floor, mumbling in his sleep. I opened my phone to check our exact location.
"We came pretty far."
From here to my place was an hour on foot.
Had he been walking this distance every day just to come see me? The thought made my chest feel a little heavy.
I went around behind Junhyuk, hooked my arms under his armpits, and with a grunt of effort, managed to haul him upright. But I'd been drinking too, and with a girl's body, I simply didn't have the strength.
"Whoa!"
I toppled straight backward and landed hard on my butt.
"Oww...."
Fortunately, I'd fallen well enough that my tailbone didn't hurt. Junhyuk, still dead drunk, didn't get up—instead, he used my legs as a pillow and settled in for a full night's sleep.
Looking down at Junhyuk resting his head on my thighs, I was suddenly hit with a wave of embarrassment at how short my school uniform skirt actually was. Deciding we couldn't spend the whole night in the park in this awkward position, I quickly shoved his head off.
"Hey, snap out of it. Want me to poke you with the horn again?"
"Mmm.... No...."
The horn was turning out to be more of an all-purpose cheat key than I'd expected.
"Then get up already. Here, I'll hold you. One, two!"
With a heave, Junhyuk finally staggered to his feet. I practically hugged his arm and dragged him along with all my strength.
"Unit B03, right."
I roughly remembered the building address, so I could find it as we went.
"B03, B03...."
Today would be the first time I set foot in this guy's place.
For some reason, I felt a little nervous and swallowed hard.