The Secret
"Suhyun! You'll grant Juyeon's wish later, right? For real!"
As Seoeun laughed and sealed the deal, Suhyun nodded his head up and down. Juyeon drank in my place... Honestly, he hadn't even expected something like the black rose, so his emotions surged to the maximum. As expected, joining the band really does bring days like this! Suhyun sent out a telepathic thank you, even though he knew it would never reach her.
Juyeon, who could not possibly have picked up the signal, munched on the snacks in front of her while lost in thought about what wish to make. She had only helped because he looked like he was struggling. What would be a good thing to ask for? For now, it seemed wiser to keep the wish on hold rather than state it right away.
Fortunately, the drinking game did not last very long. It was because the same people kept getting picked—the first was Suhyun, and the second was Sohye.
"Ugh... Oppa. I think I'm really drunk."
Sohye gently tried to lean her head on Kang's shoulder, her eyes full of ulterior motives. Kang looked at her like she was a random pebble, then abruptly stood up.
"Get up."
"...Yes?"
"I'll put you to bed."
Depending on how you heard it, the line was quite bold. Both the twenty-third and twenty-fourth generations held their breath as they watched the scene.
"Are you so drunk you can't even stand?"
To everyone else it just looked like a scary bald guy acting tough, but in Sohye's eyes... 'My heart feels like it's going to explode!'
Sohye, who was pretending to be drunk, could barely speak properly. Judging that she was beyond saving, Kang slid both hands under her waist. In a pose like he was hugging a giant teddy bear, he lifted her up and dragged her straight to the bedroom.
'What! What! What! What! What! What!'
As expected, putting real effort into the MT had been worth it. At this rate she had successfully made bold progress. If she could just hold onto him a little longer, their relationship would advance!
"...Huh?"
For the briefest moment Sohye's body floated in the air. Her upper body traced a perfect parabola—like a three-point shot from a basketball player—before landing neatly on the bed. Beyond the lighted doorway, only the senior's silhouette was visible in shadow.
"You are a disgrace to our drummers."
At Kang's words, Sohye instinctively realized her plan had collapsed.
The strong do not survive. The survivors become strong. This principle applied even to drinking parties. However, it was not only the truly strong who survived—there were also those who knew how to appeal to the strong...
"Heeey... Lee Suhyeooook..."
Cheeks flushed bright red. Pupils slightly unfocused and hazy. Hana's two hands were gently stroking Suhyun's cheeks. Anyone who saw it would immediately recognize the scene was dripping with ulterior motives. Suhyun had no idea how to handle this version of Hana.
"Hana. You seem drunk."
"Who? Me, drunk...? Puhuhu..."
Her skin, not just her hands, kept brushing against Suhyun's body. The unique warmth that could only be transmitted through direct skin contact. A drinker's body temperature burned a little hotter than usual, leaving a clearer trace behind.
He knew this skinship was not coming from a completely sober mind, yet he could not help being affected. Hana—who might very well be the prettiest girl in the entire department, let alone in Spirit. For Suhyun, who had never even held a girl's hand before, it was overwhelming stimulation.
"Heeey... Why don't I... have a wish...?"
"A wish?"
He was secretly upset that Juyeon had beaten him to it. I was going to do it first. Why does she stay quiet the whole time and then jump in exactly when I'm about to speak up? Park Juyeon.
"If I drink... will you give me a wish too...?"
The moment Hana twisted her body and grabbed a paper cup—
"All right~ Hana~ Let's go to sleep now~"
Seoeun, who was still relatively sober, wrapped Hana in a big hug and pulled her away.
"I'm not drunk~ I'm not sleeping~"
"Yes you are. You're completely gone, Hana. Come on, pull yourself together and let's go sleep, okay?"
Hana was dragged off to the corpse room by Seoeun's hand. She never came back out again.
"Whew..."
Roughly five people were already out. From here on it was the real show—the battle of the heavyweights.
Having successfully put Hana to bed, Seoeun sat down in the now-empty spot beside Suhyun.
"Suhyun."
"Yeah."
Still feeling the lingering heat from Hana on his body, Suhyun lifted his head to look at her.
"How's the MT? It's fun now that you're here, right?"
The president had to keep an eye on every member. Seoeun was moving from seat to seat like this, listening to the inner thoughts of her alcohol-soaked juniors—how well they were adjusting, whether any members were having problems, what worries they might have. It was not uncommon for people to bottle up their dissatisfaction and suddenly quit when they could not take it anymore.
"Yeah. I think so."
He felt a little sorry that both the foot-volleyball and the drinking games had been sloppy, but when asked if it was fun, he could honestly say yes.
"Really? What about band practice?"
"It's good."
His answer was clear and transparent. This was the one thing he could say without any hesitation.
"Hehe. That's a relief. Shall we have a quick drink, just the two of us?"
Seoeun filled the cup only halfway and held it out to him.
"Please take care of us from now on too! Suhyun!"
"M-me too!"
"And you know..."
Seoeun smoothly changed the subject. She did not particularly enjoy meddling in other people's romance, but this case was an exception. The people involved were Suhyun and Hana. Suhyun's social awareness was nonexistent, and Hana was also a girl who rarely spoke her true feelings.
"About Hana."
"Yeah."
"You know how she prepares really hard for your guitar lessons every Tuesday, right?"
"...Does she?"
Suhyun had simply thought she was naturally diligent; he had not realized she was going that far.
"Yeah. She even does last-minute cramming at home just to show you."
"I see..."
He felt both sorry and grateful. At the same time, he thought she really did not have to push herself that hard.
"So pay the tuition fee! Lee Suhyun!"
"Tuition fee?"
"If you give her a small gift or something, she'll love it. And you'll probably feel better if you give her something too."
"I should do that. Thanks, Noona."
After listening to Seoeun, Suhyun clenched his fist under the table. The president was right. It was not good to keep receiving without ever giving back. Even if it was not money, he should at least show some sincerity... The problem was that now that he had decided to give a gift, he had no idea what would be appropriate.
"Good, good. Smart decision! Then go enjoy the rest of the night!"
She had given the push she needed to give. Anything more would be better left to flow naturally. Seoeun moved back to the first-year table.
Suhyun decided he needed some water and headed toward the kitchen. Where was the water again... The table only seemed to have empty plastic bottles... He scanned the floor, found a water bottle, and filled his cup to the brim.
"Me. Me too."
Juyeon's voice came from behind him.
"Ah. Yeah."
Suhyun took out a fresh cup from the cupboard, filled it generously with water, and handed it to her. Juyeon held the cup with both hands and drank with steady gulps. She, the undisputed champion drinker of this battlefield, was still completely sober.
"About earlier."
He wanted to thank her for doing the black rose for him.
"Thanks for drinking in my place."
Juyeon set her cup down and looked up at him.
"It was nothing."
"Huh?"
"I only did it because you said you'd grant my wish."
This had been nothing more than a transaction with a clear purpose. It was not an act of pure goodwill.
"Still, thank you."
In the first place, no one would have taken the drink even if he had offered. When Suhyun smiled and answered, Juyeon seemed to grow even more embarrassed.
"I-I'm going to get some air."
She spun around and headed for the entrance. Suhyun returned to his seat and rejoined the first-years' conversation.
"All right. Then how about we play a round of truth or dare?"
"Truth or dare?"
"You know, the game where you have to answer no matter how embarrassing the question is if you're picked."
"Oh! Let's do it! Noona!"
Truthfully, this kind of game worked in Suhyun's favor. Being afraid of truth or dare meant you had a lot to hide. Suhyun had nothing to hide, so he had no weaknesses. If it was not fun, then it was simply not fun. At least he might get to hear some interesting stories for free.
"Huh? Where did Juyeon go? Did she go to sleep?"
Seoeun looked around, searching for her.
"Juyeon said she was stepping out for some air."
"Really? Then Suhyun, could you go bring her back?"
"Got it."
Suhyun stood up again, slipped on some sandals, and stepped outside. The night had grown deep; without the lights, nothing would have been visible. Strangely, Juyeon was nowhere in front of the pension building. Suhyun walked aimlessly along the front yard.
He found her in the back corner that had been set up as a trash disposal area. The reason he could spot her so easily was the bright glow of her phone screen illuminating her face.
"Juyeon."
The instant Suhyun called her name—
"Eek?"
Startled, Juyeon dropped her phone.
-Tap tap tap tap-
The phone bounced across the landscaping gravel and slid to a stop at Suhyun's feet. Naturally bending down to pick it up, Suhyun saw the screen.
Before he could finish reading the text below, Juyeon snatched the phone from his hand.
"D-did you... see...?"
Her pupils were trembling violently.