Freshman Welcome Party
Good job today too. I sit down, fidgeting a little as I gauge the mood and find my spot. Soon enough, the rest of the group arrives. The entrance ceremony is next month, but this is the first gathering for new students, so everyone still looks a bit young and fresh. “Well, I’m twenty myself, so to other people I probably look young—maybe even childish.”
I settle on the outer side of the table, greet the people next to me, and sip some water. The guy who seems to be the representative stands up, clears his throat, puts a hand on his hip, and addresses everyone in a loud voice.
“Nice to meet you all! I’m Han Jung-woo, currently a second-year and the class representative of our department!”
Someone beside him cheers “Whoa!!!” and claps, so I join in half-heartedly to match the atmosphere. Ugh, this overly friendly “insider” vibe really isn’t my thing. Back in high school I got along okay with my classmates and ate lunch with them, but the ones I actually hung out with were Mari, Yoo-hyun, and Ga-hyun. “Wait… was I actually an outsider all along?”
In high school I’d been too busy riding the emotional rollercoaster of puberty and worrying about retaking the entrance exam to notice, but… I really didn’t have many friends, did I? Sure, plenty of people are registered as friends on my phone, but how many of them could I actually call real friends? And out of those, two of them are people I have sex with on a regular basis?
“Mmm!” I shake my head vigorously and decide to focus on the freshman welcome party for now. Dwelling on the past won’t change anything anyway.
“…So today, let’s all introduce ourselves, have some drinks, and loosen up together! Everyone, give me a round of applause!”
I clap along with a half-hearted “Yay~,” putting zero energy into it, and lean back against my chair like I’m trying to disappear. The party’s only just starting—maybe things will feel better once the alcohol kicks in?
We go around the table introducing ourselves clockwise. Food starts coming out and the atmosphere gradually relaxes. I realize everyone else is meeting one another for the first time too, so of course they’re nervous. A few extroverts are already chatting comfortably with their neighbors and exchanging SNS handles.
“By the way, Seo-yoon-ssi… that’s what you said, right? Don’t be too nervous. They might look friendly now, but tomorrow when the hangover hits, half of them probably won’t even say hi.”
I follow the direction of his chin and see a few classmates already clinking glasses, arms around each other’s shoulders, shouting “Drink! Drink!”
What the hell, the alcohol’s only been out for five minutes and they’re already at that level.
“Ah, yes. Jung-woo sunbae-nim? That’s you, right?”
“Yep, yep. Thanks for remembering this old man’s name.”
He pushes an empty beer bottle aside—apparently he’s already finished one—and downs his glass in one go. His face doesn’t show even a hint of redness. Looks like this much doesn’t faze him at all.
“Haha… You don’t seem that much older than us, though.”
“Really? Whew, that’s a relief. I was actually worried I might look older since I’m a retaker.”
He lowers his voice a little. “Nah, one year doesn’t make much difference.”
“Even if that’s just lip service, thanks. By the way, have you thought about which clubs you might want to join?”
“Uh… I haven’t really looked into it. Don’t most people join in March or April after the semester starts?”
“Usually, yeah. But some clubs recruit year-round, so if you see one you like, it’s better to jump in early.”
“Ooh, solid tip.”
“Also, you don’t have to match everyone’s drinking pace just because they’re drinking. Last year I came with my girlfriend and tried to keep up with her pace, then…”
He coughs awkwardly and drains his glass in one shot, clearly embarrassed.
“Huh? Oh… right.”
I’d been matching the people around me, but he must have noticed the empty bottle already sitting in front of me and decided to look out for me.
“…I don’t get drunk easily because of my healing ability.”
Apparently alcohol counts as something harmful to the body, so I’d have to chug entire boxes to actually get properly drunk. At least during New Year’s I drank for the first time and managed to feel a little tipsy. When Mari and I drank together, she was the one who passed out first. How many cans did we go through that time? Once we passed twenty I stopped counting.
“I can handle my liquor. I already figured out my limits drinking with friends.”
“Really? You don’t look like you can drink that much.”
“I’m a physical-enhancement type awakener, so I’m a bit stronger than average. Haha…”
“Ah, if you’re an awakener then that explains it.”
He nods in understanding and empties his glass again.
“Our department has a higher ratio of awakeners than most, so every time we have a department gathering or company dinner the budget gets ridiculous.”
“Makes sense if people don’t get drunk easily. When I drink with my friends I’m usually the only one still sober.”
“I thought I could hold my liquor pretty well, but I can’t keep up with awakener friends. It’s like they’re a different species.”
“How many bottles do you usually drink?”
“Four bottles of soju? The ones with the red caps.”
Wait, he’s not even an awakener and he drinks four bottles of soju? Isn’t that more impressive?
“Drinking four bottles of soju is already pretty amazing…”
“There’s nothing good about being able to drink a lot. I only drink this much because the department covers the tab. If it was my own money I couldn’t afford it.”
He tells me to drink as much as I want and orders more snacks, then says we should just have fun tonight before stepping away for a moment. Apparently his girlfriend is calling. Once the only person I’d been talking to disappears, things feel awkward again. What was the name of the person sitting next to me again…?
“Anyway, it’s a freshman welcome party so we don’t have to pay! Let’s drink more!”
But the others are already flushed. Some are spinning their heads like they’re dizzy, and a few have started dropping spoons and chopsticks.
“They’re drunk…”
Still, none of them say “I think I’m drunk, I’ll rest for a bit.” Pride is a thing, after all. Admitting you’re drunk this early would be… embarrassing?
* * *
The drinking session finally ends past midnight. Good thing I already texted Mari that I’d be home late.
“Ugh, now that I think about it, she’s not exactly my girlfriend… or boyfriend, but it kind of feels like that.”
“Whoa, everyone worked hard today. Get home safe~”
The class rep, who had returned after talking to his girlfriend, is slurring his words and stumbling. We haven’t even had the entrance ceremony yet and they’re already like this. How much are these people planning to drink once we’re actual college students…?
“Haaam… The buses should still be running.”
How many bottles did I have? Thanks to the food I don’t feel particularly drunk. Maybe my ability got stronger, or maybe I’ve just gotten used to alcohol. My stomach feels full from all the liquor and snacks, but I worry it’ll make me gain weight.
“Mm, I should exercise with Mari.”
Beep— I tap my card, get off the bus, and walk the rest of the way home. When I quietly open the door, the lights are all off except for the entrance light. It’s almost 1 a.m., so Mari has probably gone to bed already. I wonder how a twenty-year-old can live such a disciplined life, but she did come three times this afternoon before I left, so she must be tired. I’m the one receiving, so it’s easier on me, but Mari’s the one expending energy… Plus my recovery is fast while she has high stamina, so the difference in how quickly we bounce back is obvious.
I try to stay as quiet as possible while undressing and head straight for the shower. No matter how late it is, I have to wash up before bed—that’s my routine. Getting into bed dirty after going out? Absolutely not. And it’s not even my bed alone; I sleep with Mari, so of course I have to shower. If she tried to go to bed without washing I’d drag her in with me.
“Warm water really is the best…”
After being out in the cold, the hot water feels like it’s melting my fatigue away. Just standing there zoning out under the stream is healing. I glance down and notice my pubic hair has gotten a little unruly.
“Guess it’s about time to tidy up…”
I brush the hair aside with my hand and catch a glimpse of the pretty pink slit underneath. I’ve always thought this—my nipples and even down here are such a vivid, flushed pink that it’s a little embarrassing…
“Not that it’s a bad thing, but still… it feels kinda… you know.”
Looking at it makes me feel strange. Now that I think about it, since I started living with Mari I haven’t really masturbated much, have I? Whenever we make eye contact during the day we just end up having sex, so there’s never time for it. Sex is great, but sometimes I miss the days when I used to touch myself…
“…Well, it’s been a while. Just a little.”
Mari’s asleep anyway. My womb is already starting to buzz and tingle like a switch has been flipped, and my pussy is getting wet. It’s not from the shower water—it’s getting soaked from the inside, so wet that it’s starting to drip down my thighs.
The sensation of it trickling along my skin startles me, but I decide to enjoy this rare moment alone.
“Hnn…♡”
I run my freshly washed fingers slowly down my lower belly. Past the slightly grown-out pubic hair, they reach my clit. When I gently brush the hood, my pussy flutters and twitches.
“Haa… It’s been a while since I felt this…♡”
