After-Party (3)
After-Party (3)
The after-party began quietly.
"Ahem."
As the first-year top seat who had organized the event, Baek A-rin took the stage and said a few words, thanking everyone for their hard work. That was the extent of it.
Her soft cough echoed through the hall's microphone.
After checking that the attention was on her, Baek A-rin nodded and spoke.
"Well, do we really need anything grand? You all worked hard in the Tower. Let's eat, drink, and enjoy! Now, let's get started!"
—Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Applause erupted at the swift toast. A few people close to Baek A-rin even let out playful whistles.
Baek A-rin chuckled and continued.
"The events will begin once the mood has ripened, so for now, just drink to your hearts' content!"
With that, Baek A-rin stepped down from the stage.
At the same time, music began to stream from speakers somewhere near the ceiling.
As the bouncy, upbeat music filled the hall to lift the mood, the tables grew busy.
People were especially occupied with opening bottles of alcohol. Most were bottled like wine.
The popping of corks echoed from all around.
"Oh... smells nice."
One cadet paused to take in the rising aroma before starting to pour into a glass.
A transparent glass filled with a red liquid. In the light, the drink looked no different from juice.
You can't know what that stuff is just by looking. Not until you smell it or taste it.
From the outside, soju and water look about the same. That's why they change the bottle shape, color, or add a label. To tell them apart.
Which means, for someone like me without a sense of smell or taste, the distinction is nearly impossible. Unless there's a difference in viscosity, I can't tell even after drinking it.
'......'
A wave of rejection washed over me. A faint throb in my head and a twisting sensation deep in my stomach.
My brow furrowed on its own.
I have no sense of smell. No sense of taste. So how in the world am I supposed to tell the difference?
And at this distance, how do I even know what bottle was just opened?
I don't know the reason. It's just a distinction that comes from pure instinct.
That's alcohol. My instincts scream at me, shrieking that the moment that stuff goes down my throat, I might just drop dead. What a useless talent.
And that talent is exactly what makes the rejection bubble up.
I suppressed a faint wave of nausea. Fortunately, it was a level I could manage.
As long as no one grabs my hair and forces it down my throat, I can endure it.
In a way, it's natural. Modern people inevitably encounter alcohol and tobacco as they go through life.
Even if I don't drink, I run into people who do. I end up smelling it on them.
Even if I don't smoke, there are plenty of smokers, and I end up smelling cigarette smoke.
I experienced this during my part-time job at a convenience store. The best-selling items were always alcohol and cigarettes.
The customers who came looking for them always had the smell soaked into their clothes.
It was a nauseating sensation, but back then, I could tolerate it.
Unlike the incident with Professor Atra.
'Back then...'
That was a hypersensitivity reaction. No matter how much I detest alcohol and tobacco, I don't faint unless someone forces me to consume them.
But just being near Professor Atra that time made me vomit and then pass out entirely.
It was a clearly abnormal reaction. I thought about it, but my mind was too jumbled to find a reason.
Now... I'm not sure, but I have a bit of a guess.
— ...! ...!!
As I drifted in thought, the noise around me swelled.
I scanned my surroundings with Spatial Perception. The mood was broadly boisterous.
Some tables were sampling various kinds of food, others were pouring and downing an assortment of drinks.
And some tables had pushed aside the food and laid out card games or board games, gathering people around to play.
My table was a small one tucked into a corner.
The hall had tables of different sizes, and in the corners there were even tables meant for just one person.
A sudden thirst hit me.
I reached out and took the cup on my table.
Without needing to analyze it through Spatial Perception, my instinct told me it wasn't alcohol. When I downed the cool water, a small measure of that rejection was washed away with it.
'It's lively...'
Some time had passed since the after-party began.
The place had literally become a playground.
The atmosphere was a far cry from the Freshman Welcome Party, which was a similar environment but still felt quiet and formal in its own way.
The welcome party hadn't been strictly ceremonial, but since the main Siyoram campus hosted it, an invisible formality hung in the air.
This after-party was different. The banquet hall had been opened at the cadets' own request this time.
The very purpose was also different.
If the Freshman Welcome Party was 'let's get to know each other since we just met,' the after-party was 'you worked hard, now let's have fun.'
So people were going all out without a care in the world.
Heroes and Hunters.
The internet media tries to paint an image of them as 'the shield of humanity' and whatnot. But at the most fundamental level, their job is to swing their power around and kill monsters and villains.
And it's not just killing.
They crawl through remote places like dungeons and frontlines. In those unknown places, monsters leap out, and inexplicable traps come crashing down.
It's not unusual for the comrade right next to you to die in the process.
And it's just as common to die yourself. Even if you survive, you might end up with some part of your body broken. That's also common.
There's nobody in this world who doesn't die, but Heroes and Hunters especially have a profession that brushes close to death.
That's why they say it's important to be well-acquainted with this kind of fun.
Blowing off steam while you play.
It's considered such an important habit that it's even covered in the general lectures. They emphasize how important it is to manage your own mental state.
'...When can I leave?'
Participation was optional, but thinking 'maybe it's a good idea to at least make an appearance,' I'd decided to join the after-party.
Now that I was here, there wasn't much to do. Sitting by myself at a corner table nursing a glass of water, I found myself wondering what I was even doing here.
And on top of that,
'Where are Hong Yeon-hwa and Ellia? They didn't come, did they?'
Based on the original story's characterization, Hong Yeon-hwa is a hard drinker, and Ellia is the sociable type who's friends with lots of cadets.
I was sure both of them would show up at an after-party like this, but no matter how much I sweep around with Spatial Perception, I can't find them.
They really didn't come? I thought they'd be here for sure.
True to the word 'optional,' if I counted the numbers, quite a few had actually skipped it.
Everyone's injuries were gone, but a lot of mental fatigue remained—and some people are just the type who'd rather be alone.
...That's my type, by the way.
'Did I come here for nothing?'
Should I have just skipped the whole making-an-appearance thing and gone to train instead? Regret crept in over nothing.
'Let's just say hi and leave.'
I finally reached that conclusion. Staying here was just going to waste time, and I could be satisfied since I'd already made an appearance.
I'd just exchange a word with people I'm at least somewhat acquainted with... Attila, Aiden, Nam Yeon-jung... and then head back.
With that thought, I rose from my seat.
—Flinch
The heads of people enjoying themselves among their own groups all turned toward me. Under the sudden deluge of gazes, my body, half-risen, went ramrod stiff.
At some point, the boisterous hall had gone quiet. I swallowed. The sound felt incredibly loud.
'What the.'
Did I do something wrong?
Is standing up right now somehow rude? No, that can't be it, other cadets are moving between tables too.
As I stood there awkwardly trying to read the room, several cadets sidled over.
Something felt off. They were just walking over in a normal way, but they reminded me of predators approaching prey.
But there was no particular malice to it, so it wasn't like I could leap away in alarm.
"Hello there! We've come to greet you from the next table over~"
'?'
"If you're bored, maybe you'd like to come over here..."
They spoke to me with surprisingly friendly attitudes.
Wondering what this was about, I listened to the smooth flow of chatter, and before I knew it, I was seated at a large table.
Huh?
.
.
.
"The tables placed on the side mean, 'I'm exhausted right now, don't bother me.' So out of courtesy, you don't touch anyone sitting there."
After the whirlwind had passed,
Baek A-rin, sitting across from me, explained with a snicker.
"When everyone saw you settle at a side table from the very beginning, they were all biding their time. Then the moment they saw you get up, they pounced and bit down."
Chomp. Baek A-rin grinned, making a gesture like a predator biting into something.
At her blatantly teasing attitude, I slumped my upper body onto the table.
In the blink of an eye, I was surrounded by cadets, dragged away, and shuttled from one place to another.
One table had a board game set up and was in the middle of its session, another was enjoying some bizarre card game.
Some cadets had gone off, not to tables in the main hall, but to attached facilities like a table tennis room, a volleyball court, or a bowling alley to play.
I went out of my way to dodge the tables that were making bets while gulping down alcohol, but I was accumulating fatigue in all sorts of ways...
Having cycled through all those tables and facilities, I'd only just been rescued by Baek A-rin moments ago.
"If you were that tired, why didn't you just refuse?"
A laugh escaped Baek A-rin as she lightly pushed a glass toward me. It was cold water with ice cubes floating in it. My stomach had been feeling heavy at just the right moment, so I brightened and accepted it.
[Thabk you]
"For something small like this? Still, if you're going to thank me, you could be a little more thankful!"
I gulped down the cold water. As the chill seeped into my body, the stuffy heat that had filled me seemed to subside.
But my head was still dizzy.
A weird sensation: faint and hazy at the same time, my mood sinking and lifting all at once?
That feeling only grew stronger. I hadn't noticed it when I was caught in the whirlwind just now, but sitting calmly like this made it more apparent.
—Sniff, sniff
My nose kept twitching. It had been doing that for a while. Especially whenever I got near a table that was throwing back drinks. That's when it got particularly bad.
I don't know why. I scrunched up my face at the tickle and rubbed my nose.
The moment I rubbed the itchy spot, a distinct sense of relief followed. Since I was at it, I scrubbed my face hard with my sleeve.
Seeing me do that, Baek A-rin let out another laugh. A clear laugh grazed my ears.
It was nothing more than a laugh, but somehow it irked me.
[Why are you lauhging]
"I wasn't laughing?"
[You were claerly laughign jus tnow]
"Was I?"
[You lauhged]
Baek A-rin's transparent attempt at denying it set off a sulky mood in me. I puffed out my cheeks in displeasure and tapped at my smartwatch, and Baek A-rin tilted her head and asked.
"Did you drink?"
[I absolutly did nto]
"Hmm?"
After asking, Baek A-rin studied my face. Wondering if there was something wrong, I checked my own condition.
My face was a bit red, but there was nothing strange otherwise. It was a little flushed, but that sometimes happened when I got a fever.
Then it happened. My shoulders suddenly jerked.
—Hiccup!
My mouth popped open and a hiccup came out. Afraid the Curse of Silence might trigger, I flinched and covered my mouth with both hands.
"Well, well?"
"You seem drunk?"
—Shake, shake.
At that ridiculous statement, I shook my head firmly. Me, drink alcohol? I'd spit it right back out on the spot and roll around on the ground.
"Mm..."
Baek A-rin tapped the table with a finger, mulling something over, then abruptly stood up from her seat.
She circled around the table and came over to me, grabbing me by the sleeve.
My body was pulled upright by the sleeve.
When I tilted my head, Baek A-rin pointed at the window. Beyond it lay the Siyoram Trail, already dark but still lined with a soft, ambient glow.
"Your condition seems off, so let's go outside and get some fresh air."
[I saId I didnt drnk anythig?]
"Sure, sure~ Actually, I want to take a walk. Please, accompany me~"
Grabbed by the sleeve, I was led out of the banquet hall.
I followed behind Baek A-rin with short, quick steps.