Finally, a Drink
The sky had already turned a shade of twilight by the time we stepped out to buy some alcohol.
“I know where the convenience store is, so just follow me.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw it on our way here. Over there.”
Sia pointed into the distance with a grin and started walking ahead on her own.
She wasn’t even running, so I couldn’t understand why her pace was so fast. I’d felt it since we were at the department store, but she seemed even quicker than Siu.
“Wait up…”
I took quick, short steps to catch up to her side.
The convenience store was closer than I thought. It was right around the corner from the building she had pointed out.
Before we went inside, I spoke to Sia.
“I’ll pay.”
“Huh? Are you sure?”
“I’m the one who suggested we drink… It’s fine.”
“No, no, that’s not it. Are you sure you can actually buy it?”
“What are you talking about? It’s not like it’s my first time buying alcohol, of course I…”
“You said you didn’t have an ID.”
It seemed she still remembered what happened at the barbecue restaurant.
But there was a fact Sia didn’t know yet.
The fact that I had already been issued a resident registration card.
I pulled out my wallet and proudly showed her my ID.
“I’ve got it now…! Now I can live with my head held high.”
I puffed out my chest as I said it, feeling a bit too proud of myself.
However, Sia’s expression was subtle.
“…You seem weirdly excited?”
“I, is that so…?”
Feeling sheepish, I shoved my wallet back into my pocket.
We walked into the convenience store and headed straight for the beer fridge.
“What are you going to get?”
“I’m fine with anything… Let’s just get something standard.”
I pulled a can of beer from the shelf. Sia immediately grabbed two more of the exact same kind.
One can per person.
It looked reasonable, but in my eyes, it wasn’t reasonable enough.
“It’s cheaper if we buy one more, should we get another…?”
“Sure. If we leave it at Siu’s place, he’ll just drink it anyway.”
I grabbed one more can of beer from the fridge.
Two in Sia’s hands, two in mine.
We couldn’t just drink beer, so we grabbed a few bags of snacks, too.
Sia even found some strange gummy bears from somewhere.
Even though there were two of us, we ended up buying so much that we didn’t have a single free hand left.
When we went to pay, there was no one at the counter, so I had to call out.
Usually, I would have pretended to browse for more items until someone came back, but with Sia right there, I had no choice.
“E, excuse me, check-out please…!”
Thankfully, a part-timer appeared from somewhere and started scanning the items.
Once they finished scanning everything, they’d ask for my ID, right?
My heart pounded.
Beep—
The last snack was scanned.
This is it, they’re going to check now, right?
I put one hand in my pocket, opened my wallet, and used my thumb to gently slide my ID out in preparation.
The part-timer looked me up and down, then glanced briefly at Sia behind me.
“Do you need a bag?”
“Oh, yes…!”
…Are they not going to check?
“……That will be 35,600 won.”
“…….”
I silently inserted my card into the reader.
35,600 won was processed.
The transaction was over. The receipt printed out.
Do they usually check after the payment is done?
No matter how I look at it, that doesn’t seem right.
“Do you need the receipt?”
“No…”
What is this? Why aren’t they checking?
Even if it’s just a formality, shouldn’t they check when someone buys alcohol?
“…….”
I walked out of the convenience store carrying the bag of beer and snacks.
Sia, who was right next to me, had been trying to hold back laughter since before we even left the store.
“Pfft, give that to me. I’ll carry it. It’s heavy.”
“No. I’ll carry it…”
As soon as we were outside, Sia burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as if she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Seeing things like this reminded me that she was barely twenty. She still had that high school girl vibe.
“Seriously, if you stand there with a face that says ‘please check my ID,’ they aren’t going to do it even if they wanted to.”
“…Did I really have that kind of face?”
“You were just like my friend. My friend had the exact same look when she went to buy alcohol for the first time.”
“Then maybe they didn’t check because of you… If I had gone alone, they would have checked, right…?”
“Huh? Do I look that old?”
Sia’s shoulders slumped, and she looked sulky.
I was flustered.
Should I not have said that? I chose my words poorly.
“No, no… that’s not what I meant.”
I spent a while trying to appease her, and although she stayed grumpy for a bit, we compromised by letting her pinch my cheeks once we got back.
The air inside Siu’s apartment was cozy.
“You guys got here faster than I thought. But why did you buy so much?”
“If there’s leftovers, you can just eat them yourself, right?”
“I guess so. But seriously, are you guys even allowed to drink?”
Siu checked the time.
“Don’t drink enough to get wasted. It’ll be hard to get home if it gets too late.”
“It’s not like we’d get drunk on beer anyway…”
“One can is fine! We’ll just drink a little and head out. I have to go to orientation tomorrow anyway.”
I was about to sit at the dining table, but Siu took the bag I was holding, walked into the living room, and flopped down.
“What are you doing? Sit.”
Sia and I went to the living room and sat down as well.
“Why are you sitting here instead of at the table…?”
“Just because. It’s my place, and doesn’t this feel more like the vibe?”
It had been a long time since I became friends with Siu, but I still didn’t quite understand his aesthetic.
Is there really a reason to sit in the living room when there’s a perfectly good table?
Siu started opening the snack bags one by one.
“If you’re still doing orientation, you could probably skip it. Orientation isn’t really a big deal.”
“No, even so, I’m a freshman, I should go…”
“You’re going to school just to listen to something that doesn’t even take ten minutes?”
“But I’m a freshman! I have to show that I’m diligent from the start…”
“What diligence? They won’t even remember you anyway. A graduate is giving you a pro-tip here. If it’s orientation tomorrow, you don’t have to go.”
“No, I’m going. That professor starts teaching from the orientation session.”
Siu quickly changed his tune.
“Then you should go.”
While talking, Siu had already opened all the snack bags.
“Umm……”
It was really annoying that Siu only asked Sia if she was okay for tomorrow.
I could have things to do tomorrow, too.
Why doesn’t he ask me?
“Why don’t you ask me if I’m okay for tomorrow…?”
“What’s there to ask you? You’ll be at home anyway.”
“Don’t ignore me… I started a part-time job this time…!”
“You??”
His voice was a bit loud, as if he was genuinely surprised.
No, if he’s that surprised, I get a little hurt.
“What kind of part-time job? A PC bang?”
To think of a PC bang right away—do his thoughts never stray from that?
“A cafe…”
“You?? A cafe??”
His voice was even louder than before.
Why is he so surprised?
I can work at a cafe, too.
“Wow, I can’t even imagine it…”
“It’s not like I wanted to, it was just the closest one available. It’s better to have a part-time job that’s close by.”
“That’s true. Hey, but you, working at a cafe? It really doesn’t suit you.”
How many times is he going to say the same thing?
…Does it really not suit me that much?
“Oppa, what’s with that reaction?”
“Hey, you don’t know this guy well. He can’t even order if there’s no kiosk, what kind of cafe part-time job is that? Ah, I guess he can just make coffee in the back.”
…He even guessed that I only make coffee in the back.
“W-what? I’m doing a good job, though…”
I cracked open the beer can.
Tsk—
The sound of carbonation escaping filled the air as the can opened.
Some foam was about to spill over, so I hurriedly sucked it up with my mouth.
Bitter.
But I like it.
“The people there are nice, too… even though I haven’t been working there long.”
I was about to take a sip, following the foam, but I stopped when I heard the sound of more beer cans opening.
If I were drinking alone, I would have just started, but we were drinking together.
I waited for the right moment, clinked our cans together, and toasted.
Now, I’m really drinking.
Holding the beer can with one hand felt a bit unstable, so I gripped it firmly with both hands and poured it straight down my esophagus.
Gulp, gulp.
The alcohol was kicking in.
I liked this sensation, one I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Even if it was a bit too bitter.
Not long after I drank, the back of my throat felt warm.
A pleasant tingling spread through my body.
This is it.
I touched my cheeks and they were a bit hot. My face might be turning a little red right now.
Thankfully, my alcohol tolerance seemed to be the same as before.
My mind was completely clear.
Sia set her beer can down and asked.
“Where do you work at the cafe?”
“If it’s around where he lives, it has to be that one place. Are you going to go visit him? It would be funny if you did. Do you give freebies if we go?”
“C-can I just give out freebies whenever I want? I told you I haven’t been working there long. It’s only been about a week…?”
“Ah, but I can’t go because of my work schedule.”
“Oppa, should I go instead? I think I can go visit when I have nothing to do. We promised to hang out last time, too.”
“Oh…?”
“That sounds good! Go in my stead.”
“I’m curious what you look like in your uniform…! Don’t they have a staff uniform there? The hat is cute.”
What are these two talking about all of a sudden?
Sia leaned in close.
“When do you work~?”
Sia’s hand wrapped around my waist. It was ticklish, so I grabbed her wrist to pull it away, but my strength was too weak.
“I won’t tell you…!”
I really didn’t want them to come visit me at my part-time job, no matter what.
But she looked like she wouldn’t let go until I told her my schedule.
Not just my waist, but other places, too.
…If Sia were a different gender, I would have reported her for sexual harassment.
“Aww, tell me~!”
“S-stop…”
“I’m not letting go until you tell me.”
So, I had no choice but to spill my schedule.
“Whatever time you come, I’m there until closing… so just come whenever… Now, now stop…”
I thought Sia would let me go, but it wasn’t over.
“Got it. Oh, right. One last thing from before.”
Sia pulled on my cheeks. It didn’t hurt.
Siu didn’t help and just watched quietly while sipping his beer.
Is he using me being teased as a snack for his drink?
If you’re my friend, you should help me out.
He’s been doing this since last time.
Sia kneaded my cheeks and asked Siu.
“Oppa, do you want to try touching them? They’re really soft.”
Siu waved his hand.
“Nah, I’m good.”
…Does it matter if my cheeks get touched?
It’s not like they’ll wear out anyway.
Still, I didn’t say that out loud.
For a long time, the topic of conversation was my part-time job.
Was it really that shocking that I was working part-time?
I picked up my beer can.
I shook it to check, and it seemed like there was only half left.
My mind was completely clear.