Seventeen, and the Accomplice (3)
Right after the field trip ended, mock exams were waiting. And once those were over? Finals loomed ahead. The other kids screamed in collective agony, but I'd been through it a few times already, so it hit me relatively less hard. Of course, relatively speaking—I'm suffering just as much as anyone. I desperately want to goof off... but what can you do? This is the fate of a K-high schooler. I do think it's way better to savor my days off fully when I'm stuck at school anyway. Sure, no friends to hang out with, but I'm not regretting it. ...Actually, no—now I do have one friend who hangs out with me whenever I'm bored.
"Exams are over, aren't they? You sure you don't wanna go play with your friends?"
At that voice that oddly sounded like he was worrying about me, I deliberately grabbed a potato chip and crunched it loudly.
"Just 'cause mock exams are done doesn't mean we're going out to play or anything. And I told you before, right? I don't really like hanging out with kids my age these days."
"Ah... yeah, you did."
His profile nodded as if remembering belatedly, shaking in the reflection on the TV screen. He insists on refusing the spot next to me on the sofa and sits on the floor instead—doesn't his butt hurt? Today, every time our eyes meet, he turns away. What a weird guy.
Anyway, the sofa was cozy and plush, and the AC was just cool enough. With the curtains fully drawn, the dark living room felt just like the dead of night. The perfect Saturday in summer for total lounging.
In this ideal setup—wearing my comfiest home clothes, leaning back on the living room sofa with both legs stretched out, binge-watching Netflix? How do you resist that? Oh, right—I'm using his account, of course. He couldn't find the game console, so we're making do with this for a while, but honestly? I'm thrilled. There were so many things on Netflix I wanted to watch, but after the one-month free trial ended, it was permanently off-limits. How's a student supposed to afford the monthly fee?
"Y'know, that's surprising? I wouldn't have pegged you for a fan of this genre, Seojin."
"You think?"
We're watching an SF adventure drama set in a post-nuclear war world. It's based on a game with great reviews, so I'd been dying to check it out. Plus, it's one I used to play a lot, so spotting the Easter eggs is extra fun. Each episode's about an hour long, total of ten. We can knock out 3 or 4 whenever he comes over. Should take about three weeks to binge the whole thing. Gotta plan what to watch next already. Just skimming the movie category shows tons of good stuff.
'Ah, stuff like this is best with a cold beer cracked open, but all I've got is cola...'
I missed that crisp refreshment of ice-cold beer, the way the carbonation tickles going down your throat. Mom and Dad never touch alcohol at home, and Unnie only drinks out. So there's not even beer in the house, let alone any booze. Still, today it's hitting me weirdly hard... Should I tempt him?
"Ajusshi, we've got snacks—beer okay even if we don't have any?"
"Nah, it's fine. What kinda drinking starts in the afternoon?"
I'd asked with a sliver of hope, but his simple reply dashed it. Disappointed, I chugged the cola in my cup. The fizz stung my tongue, but it wasn't the carbonation I'd been craving.
"Save the booze for when you're an adult, got it? Stick to cola for now."
His chuckling voice rang in my ears. My shoulders twitched—I'd been caught red-handed. Then he laughed outright and kept going.
"Heh, knew it? Where does a kid like you get off trying to drink already?"
He said it like a scolding, but the playful tone kept it from feeling serious. Still, my throat trembled a bit from the tension.
"Wh-wh-what're you talking about...?"
I clutched the cup and sipped more cola for no reason. Even I could tell it was obvious from my face and voice. Way too transparently busted.
Sweating bullets inside, he casually dropped it like it was nothing—whether he knew or not.
"You're only seventeen anyway. Just three more years. Time flies once you're older, y'know?"
I grumbled inwardly at that.
'It's been almost five years since this happened that I haven't had a drop—and now three more? How much more torture you planning?'
The fizz slid down my throat, but the frustration lingered.
"Don't most parents teach you a little drinking at home around that age?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I turned at the random comment, and he was lost in thought.
"That's how it was at my place. Dad said you learn it from your parents, so around high school, he poured me a shot of soju."
Saying that, he smiled nostalgically and eyed my cola cup. Some families teach drinking at home, sure—but that early? Isn't feeding booze to minors kinda weird? It's illegal, even if secretly. At least I'd never heard of it around me. Well, now there's one example.
"That wasn't just your family, was it?"
He laughed sheepishly.
"Haha... yeah, probably not normal? Most places wouldn't allow it, right?"
'What kinda thinking is that... you'd get busted.'
I clicked my tongue inside and turned back to the TV. On screen, a zombie in a cowboy hat was drawing its hip revolver and blasting away. The uncensored gore made me blink repeatedly, and the sofa back trembled faintly. Still, the immersion was no joke. Full-level zombie for sure.
I zoned out watching for a while, and as the action scene died down, he piped up out of nowhere.
"Come to think of it, Mr. Yoon doesn't drink at home, does he?"
"Huh... yeah. How'd you know?"
I just turned my head naturally, and he continued calmly. Our eyes met once, then his gaze dropped below and he turned away. What's his deal?
"We drank together once at a company dinner with vendors. Talk turned to tolerance, and someone asked how much he drinks at home. He said he never touches it there. Doesn't want his daughters seeing him drink."
"Dad...?"
I drew a quiet breath. So that was why he never drank at home. The zombie cowboy on screen, the guy in the robot-like suit—none of it registered anymore.
That was the reason he never let us see him drink at home. Makes sense—if parents do it, kids wanna copy. Even if you tell 'em it's bad or harmful, plenty don't listen. Come to think of it, my own dad did that once, and my brother turned into a total drunk because of it...
'Still, I wish Dad could relax at home at least.'
The thought hit me, and suddenly I remembered myself scheming for beer just minutes ago. Felt kinda embarrassing. Yeah, whatever. Three years ain't that bad... I'm an adult inside, so I can hold out.
"But why bring that up?"
I narrowed my eyes, and his shoulders twitched.
"Nothing big..."
He hesitated, then continued.
"Good intentions and all, but isn't it a bit too strict?"
"Too strict? You're badmouthing someone else's dad?"
I shot him a glare, and he waved his hands frantically.
"No, not like that! Just... even when you're an adult, I worry he might never let you drink at all."
Somehow, that made perfect sense right away. He doesn't say a word when Unnie comes home tipsy, so Dad's not uptight. It's me that's the issue. He's super worried about the girl who had that huge accident, even if he pretends otherwise. Parents see their kids as babies forever, and with my kid-like looks, he'd be extra cautious... I could picture him fretting if I drank and something went wrong.
Ugh, imagining it gave me a headache. Not worth stressing over yet anyway. Can't drink now regardless, and I can figure it out later. Settling that in my mind, I noticed him again.
'If not Dad, Ajusshi can teach me later, right?'
Dad approves of him, and he puts me at ease too.
"Then later, you teach me to drink, Ajusshi."
His eyes went wide, face full of shock. Why's he like this again?
"If I did that for real... Mr. Yoon would kill me...?"
He laughed awkwardly, voice tinged with real fear. What was he on about? Then it hit me too, and I freaked out.
Like it or not, he's Unnie's fiancé right now. If that sticks, he'd be my brother-in-law. Him teaching me to drink right when I turn legal... Yeah, that wouldn't fly.
We'd gotten so comfy, I'd totally forgotten. Felt like I'd committed some huge sin without doing anything.
After that, we both clammed up. We just stared blankly at the TV as subtitles changed scene by scene. The AC breeze, refreshing before, now felt subtly chilling.