People Drink Alcohol After All, It Seems
Alcohol is alcohol, no matter how many layers of packaging it comes with, it only brings good feelings when you drink it. Nothing about it is actually good for your health.
I can't call it good for health in any way.
The idea that a glass of wine a day is good for the body is just one of those half-truths pushed hard with the negative side completely ignored.
And that's not limited to just one's own health.
If you get drunk and start spilling your guts, you make trouble for the people around you too.
In the end, you're spending money to ruin your own body.
But you can't just never drink at all while living in society.
So my father taught me how to drink, and I did start once I went to university.
But offering it to the next-door sister instead of my friends... still, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Whether it's because of Confucian ideas I picked up from childhood or not, I don't know.
But anyway...
"Um... Unni, aren't you going to work today?"
I tried to slip away from the topic.
And thinking about it, it was almost twelve now.
For me it was barely even the start of the day, so it felt like morning.
But if you were a normal office worker, it would be time to wrap up the morning shift and start thinking about lunch.
"I stopped by on my way to work. It seems like Noeul is trying to hide whatever she bought at the convenience store. Is it something embarrassing to show Unni? Not like those silly snack toys for kids, right?"
"Ah, um."
But Unni was not one to let it go easily.
She seemed like she was going to keep pushing until I told her what I bought.
First I set my phone down on the desk and started explaining to the viewers.
"Everyone, while I was at the convenience store the next-door sister came over, so I chatted with her for a bit."
- 실버판테아 : 엌ㅋㅋ 언제 오셨대
- 띠확찢 : 대체 얼마나 모기 목소리로 말씀하시는데 아무 말도 안 들리냐
- 렉시아여왕님 : 원래 목소리 톤 낮으면 조금만 멀어져도 마이크에 잘 안 잡힌다더라
- 모기도살자 : ㅇㅇ 나도 친구들이랑 디코할 때 조금 떨어져서 홈트라도 할라 치면 안 들린다고 함
- Starfall : ㅗㅜㅑ 허스키한 목소리의 섹시한 옆집 언니... 북극곰이 찾아올 때인가?
Unni's voice must have been too soft to catch on the mic because everyone was looking confused.
It was easy to hear the sound from the front door with Bae Deuro's mother, but apparently the noise cancellation on the mic worked that well.
If we just kept chatting with the viewers like this...
I might even be able to avoid the next-door sister finding out what I bought.
"Unni comes to our house a lot, so viewers must be curious about her too. Want to come say hello?"
"No thanks. It's your stream, Unni, not hers. Unni would be embarrassed."
"......"
I'd thought about how embarrassing it would be to talk in front of strangers, but feeling shy when no one's even looking at me... didn't that make me pretty self-conscious?
Especially since she kept walking into someone else's house like she owned it.
But when we talked, it wasn't like we were being unfair.
I was the one speaking, but the viewers were just watching and listening while I chatted with them.
To me it didn't feel like a big deal.
It might be embarrassing for normal people though.
After convincing myself of that, I just sat down without thinking much.
Unni pointed at my stomach and asked.
"You must have put it in your pocket, huh? Some drink. Did you hide it because you were scared Unni would steal it?"
"Ah."
No matter how much I tried to hide it, the 700ml bottle of vodka was pretty bulky.
Even in my pocket it couldn't stay hidden under my clothes.
Noticing that, I took it out feeling awkward.
"It's not because I didn't want to give it to Unni... It's just embarrassing to drink at noon."
"Well, maybe, but so what? There's no one around anyway. And since it's not like I'm drinking while working, pointing it out would be overstepping."
Thinking about it, drinking while working doesn't sound right.
After all, streaming is work too.
So I felt a little weird about it.
But what was more fortunate was that Unni didn't really stop me from drinking.
"Um, thank you for understanding."
"Don't mention it. It's your choice. But you're not just going to drink plain vodka, right? Unni will stop you. You'll regret it later."
"Ah...... I warmed up some chicken in the microwave. It's ready now. Want some too?"
At that moment, the microwave beeped as the chicken finished heating.
So I offered it to Unni out of habit.
It had been a while since I'd used that polite tone.
Something my parents taught me from when I was little.
When there's food, you offer it to elders first.
But that wasn't always the right way to handle things.
"Unni, you have to go to work soon. You should have one drink before leaving?"
"Ah, no. Not like that..."
"It's a joke. Noeul, eat it nicely. Unni ate breakfast already. Eating more here might make you gain weight. I'll go just watching you take one bite. Don't worry about me and keep streaming. Eating streams are the trend these days."
It was almost rude.
Luckily Unni just joked back and didn't scold me more.
Thanks to that, I didn't feel burdened bringing the chicken and a plastic cup.
And in front of the camera, I poured half a cup of vodka.
- 띠확찢 : ??? 보드카를 컵에다 따라 마시는 사람이 어디 있어
- 실버판테아 : 이 자식 설마 병째로 마시라는 이야기냐
- 렉시아여왕님 : 한국 사람이 소주를 소주잔에 계집애처럼 따라서 마실 때 러시아에서는 병째로 보드카를 들이킵니다
- 띠확찢 : 아니 걍 쌩으로 마실 거면 얼음이라도 띄우던가
The viewers' teasing came raining down.
Whenever I tried to eat or drink anything, they all jumped in.
But I didn't mind the nosiness.
I thought alcohol was just basic, but people with more experience probably knew better ways to enjoy it.
Like dipping chicken in mint chocolate ice cream, I could skip those stupid ideas.
Ice in vodka... that was within my limits.
Since it wasn't refrigerated and had been sitting out, it was supposed to be warm anyway.
I didn't feel like going through the hassle though.
I'd already been to the kitchen once, and walking on this leg was difficult.
"I'll try putting ice in it next time. The first drink should be vanilla to enjoy the original taste properly."
- 실버판테아 : 독할 텐데...
- 렉시아여왕님 : ㄹㅇ 뭐 안 섞어 마시고 쌩으로 마시겠다고...? 콜라 남은 거 있잖아 그거라도 섞자
- 띠확찢 : 냅둬 한 모금 마셔보면 알아서 후회하겠지
So I took a bite of chicken and a sip of vodka.
The heat that spread through my mouth, no, enough to fill my stomach, was too much.
I couldn't spit it out, so I forced the chicken down with the vodka and panted hard.
"Haa... haa......!"
Who said alcohol was a cold flame?
Trying the vodka, I realized that wasn't an exaggeration.
Ah, in this case it was just warm fire though.
It felt like it was burning my throat, and every time I breathed in the air felt cold and hot at the same time.
I didn't even open the window, so the stuffy smell of the room made it feel a bit refreshing.
"Hot...... hot!"
- 띠확찢 : 이제 좀 정신이 들어?
- 실버판테아 : ㅋㅋㅋ 방장님 얌전히 콜라 남은 거 섞어서 드세요
- 렉시아여왕님 : 노을이는 명예롭고 긍지높은 탑솔답게 보드카를 쌩으로 마시는구나! 본받아야겠다!
The viewers really didn't need to teach me.
They were just worried about me.
"Right, vodka is pretty strong, isn't it? It's not just forty degrees for nothing. Don't drink it all at once, just sip while hanging out with the viewers. Got it?"
Looking at the viewers, maybe they knew I would do something like this too.
Unni gave me a look that said 'as expected' and scolded me lightly.
After all, she must have thought it was something you only understand once you experience it.
A bit irritated by that, I turned back to her with a slightly annoyed glance.
Maybe because I just drank, or where she got her courage from, she looked me right in the eye.
Her face was completely white, but her eyes were the same bright red as mine.
Just unlike me, they sparkled like jewels.
Maybe because of the alcohol.
White skin, no blemishes, eyes red, and silver hair... I could see the resemblance.
With that thought, I just stared with my mouth open.
Unni smiled at me and waved.
"Then I'll head out. I should get going to work."
"......Ah, yes. Have a good day."
The next-door sister looked a lot like me in her features.
Ah, so that's why she kept visiting.
She must have seen us as sisters and come to take care of me.
Of course, except for the features, we were very different.
My eyes were unpleasant, fiery, and eerie, making me feel bad.
But Unni's eyes, just looking at them made them sparkle.
Unlike my small frame, Unni had... well, a big chest and tall height.
Anyway.
The images of Unni I saw until now finally made sense.
......So I felt a little embarrassed.
After all, I was slowly getting attached to Unni like I'd been wet by the rain.
Since we were together every day, no matter what, I couldn't help feeling something.
But from her side it was probably just the feeling of a little sister.
Well, dating a woman was hard anyway.
But for me, who had started to like her, it was a bit bitter.
I took another sip of straight vodka.
"Crueh."
That's why people drink.
