Freshmen Welcome Party (2)
Freshmen Welcome Party (2)
"You need to stop drinking now."
"I'm not dunk..."
"Your words are already slurring and your eyes are completely glazed over, you know that?"
"I. Said. I'm. Not. Drunk."
I answered, enunciating carefully right into Jeong-hwan's ear.
Even if my tongue was twisted and my eyes unfocused,
I was still in my right mind, so I definitely wasn't drunk.
But Jeong-hwan didn't seem to think so.
"I was gone for just a moment to check on another table, and you got this drunk..."
"I said I'm not drunk, geez. Just take care of Lee Min-ho over there."
I pointed at Lee Min-ho,
who was still guzzling down drinks that seniors kept handing him from another table.
He looked kind of dangerous, like he was about to cause a major incident or become the victim of one.
"He can handle himself. What am I, his dad?"
"Cold."
"Cold, huh... Do you know how much trouble I've been through because of that guy?"
From what I heard, starting the night of December 31st
and right up until school started, he'd been dragged out drinking at every possible place and gotten completely wasted.
And that wasn't all — apparently, Jeong-hwan once had to physically drag him back when he tried to follow some woman he didn't even know out of a bar.
"That was a close call..."
"You're about to be in trouble too, look at your tongue twisting. Give me your phone."
"My pone?"
I fumbled through my pockets to find my phone.
Uuugh... not here...
Where did it go?
I couldn't remember.
I'd been holding it just a moment ago.
"You put it in your bag earlier because you might lose it. Don't you remember?"
"I did dat?"
"Sigh... I'll get it out, so drink this in the meantime."
What Jeong-hwan handed me was a glass of cold water with ice cubes floating in it.
There's nothing better for sobering up.
I took the cup and downed it in one go.
"Ugh... my head hurts..."
"You're the type whose IQ drops a bit when you're drunk, huh.
The gap from your normal self is way too extreme."
"Hehe..."
"Don't laugh. That wasn't a compliment."
Letting out a sigh, Jeong-hwan unlocked my phone and called someone.
Did I lose my phone or something?
How careless...
I should call A-ra soon too.
"Ah, sorry to trouble you. I'm Kang Jeong-hwan, who became friends with Yoo Seong-hwan in the same department as of today.
If it's not too forward, might you be Yoo Seong-hwan's wife? The thing is, Seong-hwan got drunk and..."
Oh...
Was Jeong-hwan calling A-ra?
How did he know the number...
Right.
I'd saved her as "Wife."
But still, I wasn't drunk enough to need someone to make the call for me.
Ah, whatever.
Thinking is too much of a hassle. I'll just sleep.
My eyes keep closing.
"Yes. Then I apologize for the intrusion... Seong-hwan, you can't sleep."
He seemed to say something else after that, but nothing reached my ears anymore.
I should ask again later when I wake up...
***
"Seong-hwan. You can't sleep."
I shook him and tried to wake him, but he wouldn't get up.
To think he'd drink and just go straight to sleep. I let out a heavy sigh.
He's kind, smart, and good-looking, but to think he has a hidden side like this.
He definitely has the kind of personality women would like.
Which is exactly why someone capable already snatched him up in a flash.
For now, since he showed no sign of waking up, I pushed him into a corner and threw a blanket over him.
A guy not even carrying a blanket around — what was he thinking?
No, more than that, falling asleep in a restaurant...
What if something happened to him...
"Is that bastard the same?"
I clutched my forehead as I looked at Lee Min-ho, who was still taking drinks from the seniors.
Yesterday, too, he'd said it was to celebrate the first day of classes and drank like crazy at my place before passing out on the spot, so I'd let him sleep over.
Now it looked like I'd have to drag him home and put him to bed again today.
"Hey, Lee Min-ho. Get a grip, you bastard."
"Uhehh? Jeong-hwan, why aren't you drinkin?"
"Drinking my ass... Right now, literally no one is drinking except you and the seniors, you know?"
The welcome party had already broken up.
Since we'd rented out the entire restaurant, there were still people who'd passed out drunk, but they had to be woken up soon so we could clear out.
Of course, that was the seniors' job, not mine.
"Sunbaenim, please stop giving him alcohol. If he drinks any more, it'll be serious."
"Alright, we only kept giving it to him because he kept drinking. We should probably head out now."
Still, I guess I should count it as a blessing that it was male seniors.
If he'd gotten mixed up with some weird people, what was he thinking drinking this much?
No, this guy just doesn't think at all, so he probably just guzzled down everything they handed him.
I dragged Lee Min-ho over and tossed him next to Seong-hwan.
Lee Min-ho, already asleep, stole Seong-hwan's blanket and covered himself with it.
Seong-hwan was shivering a little, like he was cold.
It felt like things just got twice as difficult...
I pulled a coat out of my bag and draped it over Seong-hwan.
Only then did I see him breathing softly in his sleep again, and I gave a bitter smile.
"?"
At that moment, someone walked into the restaurant.
There was still time until we had to clear out.
I couldn't see her face clearly from far away, but she was quite a beauty.
No... she looked like someone I'd seen somewhere before?
"Huh...? Is... is that person...?"
"Hey, am I seeing things because I'm drunk? Isn't that Song A-ra?"
"It is, though...? Am I seeing things too?"
The seniors who'd been giving Lee Min-ho drinks just moments ago
were now rubbing their eyes and slapping their cheeks.
World star Song A-ra.
An active idol who, as a solo artist, had reached number one on the Billboard charts — a major figure who'd reignited the boom of K-POP and the Korean Wave culture.
Privately, she was never seen anywhere, and even in public settings, it was hard to catch a glimpse of her unless it was a concert venue, a broadcasting station, or a set.
And someone like that had come to the 'Happy Pig Slaughterhouse'?
Of course, I knew that celebrities are people who live on the strength of good food, just like everyone else.
If someone said, isn't it possible for her to come to a restaurant anytime, I'd have nothing to say.
But ever since her debut, she hadn't revealed her private life to the public even once.
Could anyone understand someone like that showing up at a BBQ place late at night?
"Sh... she's coming this way?"
"Ph... phone... No, of all times, I left my camera at the dorm."
"That's right! That big telephoto lens camera you were bragging about before! Why'd you leave that at the dorm?!"
"S...sorry.. No, how was I supposed to know Song A-ra would show up at a place like this?"
The seniors bickering next to me must be huge fans too, it seemed.
Especially, seeing them mention a telephoto camera, they might be the type who uploads stalker photos or something.
And then, finally, Song A-ra arrived right here.
Gulp.
"Haah.. haah.. You're Jeong-hwan-ssi, right? The one who called earlier?"
"Huh?!"
I flinched as I looked at Song A-ra, who was breathing so heavily from running that the sound nearly drowned out the ventilation fans.
What did she mean by that?
I had called Seong-hwan's wife, but I had no memory of calling Song A-ra.
She'd definitely said Seong-hwan's wife would be arriving soon...
Wait.
Come to think of it, hadn't Song A-ra caused a huge stir online for a while because she married a man two years younger than her?
The only thing revealed about her husband was that he was a civilian; nothing else had ever been made public.
Song A-ra was 22.
Seong-hwan was the same age as me, so 20...
A two-year difference...
And didn't Seong-hwan say earlier that he and his wife had a two-year age gap?
So, if I pieced together the results of my deduction so far...
"Don't tell me... Song A-ra-ssi, are you Yoo Seong-hwan-ssi's wife?"
"Yes, thank you. I never imagined he'd get this drunk."
Song A-ra... no, let's call her my sister-in-law.
Looking troubled, my sister-in-law stroked Seong-hwan's cheek.
In response, Seong-hwan's face filled with a smile as if he felt good, and seeing that, my sister-in-law's face filled with a smile as well.
"Jeong-hwan-ssi, you took care of him, right? Thank you so much. I should treat you to something later..."
"Oh no, no! I only did what anyone should do."
"I feel uncomfortable otherwise. Let's at least have a meal together sometime."
"Ah... well... thank you?"
My sister-in-law laughed brightly.
Then, asking, 'Why are you thanking me for that?', she lifted Seong-hwan, who was still asleep wrapped in my coat, into a 'prince carrying' pose.
Maybe because she's a celebrity, but her stamina and strength seem to be no joke.
"Then I'll take my leave first. Jeong-hwan-ssi, you're a man too, so be careful on your way home at night."
"Ah... Ah! A-ra-ssi, get home safely too!"
"Or would you like me to give you a ride? Ah... right, but the passenger capacity..."
"Oh no, no. I can just call a taxi, so don't worry.
I'm planning to let this guy sleep at my place anyway, so please don't worry about him either."
I followed my sister-in-law as she walked away carrying Seong-hwan in her arms.
It looked like she'd driven here, and in that state, wouldn't she have trouble even opening the car door?
Sure enough, when we got to the parking lot, I saw my sister-in-law struggling, unable to open the door, so I stepped up next to her and opened it.
Was this a sports car?
As expected of Song A-ra...
"Thank you. Please get home really safely."
"Yes, thank you for your concern."
With that, my sister-in-law started the car.
A roaring Vroom sound came from the exhaust, and I even had the illusion that the fumes were stinging my nose.
Then, once more, my sister-in-law bowed her head in greeting,
drove out to the entrance of the parking lot, turned the steering wheel, and disappeared from sight.
"Hooooo... Should I get married too?"
I like older women too.
It's about time I tried a proper relationship...
Looking at Seong-hwan being carried like that, a wave of envy washed over me.
"So this is why they say you need a woman you can lean on."
I remembered the well-wishing advice my father gave me in the past, telling me that no matter what, I must find a reliable woman to marry.
"Kkeu-eu-eu-eung!"
I stretched out and went back inside the restaurant.
I should take Lee Min-ho and head home soon.
***
"Seong-hwan?"
"Mmnyah..."
Isn't this the kind of situation where they say you could carry him on your back and he wouldn't know?
I chuckled looking at Seong-hwan.
I'd thought he had a dependable side for a man, but to think there was a gap like this.
He was so cute I honestly wanted to pinch his cheeks.
"Seong-hwan. If you don't wake up, noona's going to eat you up?"
"Mmnyah..."
"You're really asleep."
Even though we'd arrived at the apartment parking lot, he still wouldn't wake up,
so I had no choice but to move him into the 'prince carrying' pose like before.
No, actually, I could put him on my back, but that wouldn't be as fun.
I got out of the driver's seat, walked over to the passenger side, and opened the door.
There was a slight smell of alcohol, but Seong-hwan, still unable to shake off his youthful look, was fast asleep and breathing softly, and he filled my eyes.
And I gave him a light kiss on the lips.
It was a kiss as soft as the shallow sea along the coast.
When I pulled my lips away, his face was smiling brightly.
"Goodnight, Seong-hwan. Dream good dreams."
And this time, I kissed him on the forehead and lifted him up.