Their Happiness
Second drinking session.
Contrary to what he had expected with Banya, it ended up being with Christina, Siris, and Shane.
Thud.
Adel arrived at the restaurant he had visited with Shane before.
He hadn't paid attention last time, but looking closely today, the restaurant's name was [Life Starts Tomorrow].
‘……Does it mean to start drinking from tomorrow?’
It wasn't particularly important.
Ding~
As he opened the door and stepped inside, a lively commotion filled the air.
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!!!”
“Life is!”
“From tomorrow!!!”
From ordinary people to academy cadets, everyone was downing drinks with their toasts.
Some already had flushed faces yet kept drinking.
It was a scene where the phrase “life starts tomorrow” fit perfectly.
“……”
Christina and Siris stared at the scene with curious eyes.
It seemed to be their first time at a tavern.
Shane pointed toward a secluded corner.
“Let's go over there.”
We followed Shane and took seats at a round table tucked away in the corner.
Plop.
Siris and Christina sat on either side of Adel, who had sat down first, while Shane sat across from them.
“What should we order?”
Shane asked, holding up the menu.
“……”
Siris glanced at the menu, her brows slightly furrowed and lips pursed.
“……There's too much.”
She meant there were so many options she couldn't choose.
“Siris can think a bit more. What about you, Tina?”
“Hmm…… I want to try this one.”
Christina had chosen the chicken dish Adel had eaten last time.
“What about Adel?”
“The same thing I had last time is fine.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm.”
Though it was just called chicken, the flavor was so good it could easily pass for dakgalbi.
The taste of modern cuisine he hadn't had in a while made him want to eat it again.
Christina rested her chin on her hand and asked after hearing Adel's words.
“Have you been here before, Adel?”
“Yeah. I came once with Shane last time.”
“Hmmm……”
She made a nasal sound and gave a peculiar smile.
‘……So it's not his first time.’
Christina felt oddly bitter, though she didn't know why.
“Then shall we order like this?”
Shane pointed to the items labeled dakgalbi and grilled pork.
‘Grilled pork?’
It was probably samgyeopsal.
“Let's do that.”
“Yeah. I like it.”
The portions looked a bit small, but none of the four were big eaters.
This seemed like enough.
“Excuse me.”
Shane raised her hand and spoke calmly, prompting a female server to approach.
“How can I help you?”
“This and this. And ten bottles of alcohol, please.”
The server looked around at the four of us.
Her expression seemed to ask whether we could really drink ten bottles.
“Red chicken dish and grilled pork. And ten bottles of alcohol, correct?”
After confirming, Shane nodded.
“Yes.”
“Order received.”
After the server left, Adel blinked and asked.
“……Ten bottles?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Shane tilted her head with a faint smile.
“Isn't that a lot?”
“It's fine. Siris, Shane, and I can hold our liquor well.”
“……How well?”
“Last time we drank three months ago, the three of us finished…… eight bottles? And none of us were even fully drunk.”
“……”
Why were they so good at drinking?
Christina saw Adel's reaction and asked.
“Adel, are you perhaps……”
She wore a gentle smile.
“Nervous?”
“……”
How many people would actually say “Yeah, I'm nervous” after hearing that?
“It doesn't matter.”
At least Adel wasn't one of them.
Seeing that, Christina thought Adel must be good at drinking too.
It was a strange misconception that would soon be shattered.
“Pfft.”
Shane covered her mouth and laughed.
‘Cute.’
Even though she had told him her drinking capacity last time, his reaction strangely didn't bother her.
Thud, tap.
After some time chatting, the server who had come earlier placed down the bottles and glasses.
“Your order is ready.”
The server, who had stepped away briefly, set down the food and spoke.
Pop!
The moment she left, Siris opened a bottle.
“Let's drink.”
Before anyone knew it, alcohol had been poured into all four glasses.
“Can't stop her.”
Shane muttered, lifting her glass.
Siris watched the others raise their glasses and thought.
‘What will it taste like?’
The last time she drank, it had been to share happiness with friends and forget the pain of her curse.
Every time she drank, the pain vanished and only smiles remained on her lips.
But now that the pain was gone, she wondered what it would feel like.
Especially if it was with Adel.
When all four had raised their glasses, Siris gave a soft smile.
“Cheers.”
““Cheers.””
Adel quietly downed his glass.
‘It is good.’
There was no bitterness at all, only sweetness.
“Want another?”
Siris said while pouring more.
She had already intended to drink more.
‘……A heavy drinker.’
The sight of her pouring again in less than ten seconds made her look like a true tavern regular.
“Cheers.”
““Cheers.””
Christina and Shane seemed quite used to this pace.
‘……That's it.’
Adel's memory ended there.
***
“Ugh……”
His head felt like it was splitting open.
His whole body felt heavy.
It was as if he was bound by something.
‘……How much did I drink?’
Adel tried to stand while pressing his temples.
Press.
‘……?’
His body wouldn't rise, as if something was pressing down on him.
‘……Come to think of it, where is this?’
He barely remembered anything from when he was drinking.
The sensation he felt now was softness.
It felt like a bed.
Adel focused his mind as much as possible and opened his eyes.
“……Siris?”
The reason his body felt pressed down became clear.
Soft breaths……
Siris was sleeping comfortably on top of him.
Right beside him, Shane was asleep while holding his arm.
That was the reason for the “binding.”
Looking around a bit, he saw two doors and the bed he was lying on.
‘……An inn?’
His judgment wasn't clear, but this was probably an inn.
‘……What's going on?’
He felt dizzy.
It might be from the hangover, or perhaps from the current situation.
“Mm……”
When Adel shifted slightly, Siris stirred.
“……Siris.”
Adel whispered quietly as she seemed about to wake.
“Uung?”
Siris slowly opened her eyes.
“……”
She stared blankly, as if trying to grasp the situation.
Slide.
Siris slowly sat up and brushed her hair back.
Sitting on Adel's stomach, she spoke.
“……Did you sleep well?”
Her slightly husky voice made her look elegant.
And the gentle smile she wore.
She was beautiful even right after waking.
“……Probably?”
“Yeah?”
Slide.
Siris lay back down and hugged Adel's body.
“Mm……”
While they were talking, Shane, who had been lying beside them, stirred.
“You're up?”
“Yeah…… Haaam……”
After Siris turned her head and asked, Shane rubbed her eyes and yawned again.
Seeing how casual the two were, Adel asked.
“……Don't you two have headaches?”
The first time he drank, strangely, he hadn't had a headache.
But today it hurt quite a bit.
It was hard to even talk.
“……”
“……”
At that, Shane and Siris exchanged glances.
‘Should we tell him how to get rid of the drunkenness?’
‘Hmm…… Let's tell him.’
‘Then what about drunk Adel?’
‘He'll probably only use it for hangovers.’
Adel had said alcohol was sweet.
He didn't dislike being drunk either.
He only hated the pain of a hangover, so he would probably only use it to cure that.
The two, who had communicated only with their eyes, nodded.
“Adel. Stay still for me?”
“……?”
Siris placed her hand near Adel's stomach.
Just as Adel wondered what she was doing.
Hum.
Siris channeled mana.
When he thought it wasn't strange behavior, his mind cleared.
The pain of the hangover had disappeared.
Adel asked.
“What did you do?”
“It's a way to remove drunkenness. You just erase the areas where the alcohol has spread with mana.”
“Areas where the alcohol has spread?”
“Yeah. Want to try?”
After nodding, Adel closed his eyes and began operating his fire energy.
‘Is this it?’
There was a place where something was concentrated.
When he approached it with fire energy, it slowly disappeared and his mind became a little clearer.
‘I can just use this when I have a hangover.’
Alcohol was sweet, and being drunk felt good.
There was no need to use it while drinking.
Besides, it felt a bit sneaky.
Everyone else just drank normally, but he would be the only one removing the drunkenness.
Shane's guess had been exactly right.
Thus, Adel lay comfortably with a clear mind.
‘Come to think of it, where's Tina?’
Click.
At that moment, one of the two doors burst open and Christina walked out wearing a shower gown.
She had a bit of moisture on her, as if she had just finished washing.
“Tina.”
“Ah, Adel?”
When Adel called her name, her cheeks flushed red.
She stood still for a moment.
Thud!
Christina went back into the shower room.
Adel found it odd, but figured there must be a reason.
‘……What do I do.’
Christina found it awkward to face Adel.
Not because she disliked him, but because she was too embarrassed.
‘……He probably doesn't remember, right?’
She hoped Adel had no memory of last night.
Tap tap.
After lightly patting her cheeks, Christina came out of the shower room.
‘……Why are they hugging him?’
Siris was on Adel's lap, and Shane was hugging him from right beside.
It wasn't particularly unpleasant.
Strangely, looking at Adel made her feel at peace.
But somehow.
‘……I wish it was me.’
Christina, slightly annoyed by Adel's pure gaze that looked at her as if he knew nothing, opened her mouth.
“……Lightweight.”
“What?”
“Adel. I thought you could hold your liquor, but you passed out without even finishing one bottle.”
“……”
“Adel is a baby who can't drink, a baby.”
Christina looked at Adel as if he were cute.
‘……She started it first, right?’
Adel also had something to tease her about.
Slide.
‘Was it like this?’
He spread both arms and recalled yesterday's memory.
“Tina wanted Adel to hug her……”
“Kyaaaah! Don't!”
Christina flailed her arms and approached.
Her drunken habit was acting cute.
Last night, while the four of them were drinking, the drunk her had said.
-Tina wants Adel to hug her. Can't you? Huh? Do it~
While spreading her arms and smiling brightly.
Referring to herself in third person while acting cute.
This memory naturally surfaced once the hangover was cured.
‘At least that's a relief.’
This time there was no embarrassing incident like last time.
Because Christina and Siris were there, Shane had deliberately hidden and restrained herself.
‘Strangely, these two didn't get drunk much……’
Shane and Siris.
The two had brought the drunk Adel and Christina here while still perfectly sober.
“Want me to hug you?”
“No!”
“But Tina said she wanted it?”
“……Then hug me.”
“Huh?”
Thud.
Christina sat beside Adel with a grin.
“Huh? Hug me. Tina wants Adel to hug her…… Huh?”
“……”
He had nothing to say.
‘……I didn't expect this reaction.’
He had teased her first, but he never imagined she would respond like this.
Especially acting cute in front of the others while completely sober.
Her cheeks were gradually turning red, so she must be embarrassed.
Tap tap.
“……?”
Adel, who had been joking with Christina, turned his head.
There was Shane, wearing a little devilish smile.
“Adel. Hug me too. Huh?”
Adel's face turned bright red at those words.
The memory of drinking alone with Shane last time came flooding back.
“……”
Siris, who had been watching the entire sequence, spoke.
“I'm the one hugging Adel.”
“Siris?”
Siris hugged Adel's body even tighter.
“Hmm……”
Hearing that, Shane sat behind Adel and hugged him.
“Kkng…… Hmph.”
Christina, sounding a bit frustrated, stood on one knee beside Adel and hugged his head.
‘……As long as they're happy.’
It wasn't particularly uncomfortable.
The smiles blooming on the three girls' faces made it seem like hugging like this made them happy.
That was enough.
If they were happy, it didn't matter.
Adel simply closed his eyes, accepting everything.
Time passed along with this happiness.