Chapter 9
But Han Yaseong could sense it was real. He knew Senior Choi Yujin wasn't just joking around. For some reason, he could tell she was dead serious about going through with it. Everyone else seemed oblivious, but to him, it was plain as day. He even shook his head a few times to clear it.
"Alright, no objections? Game on, then."
Senior Choi Yujin flashed a devilishly pretty smile and explained the rules.
"Nothing fancy. It's just word chain. Mess up, and you kiss the person next to you. So if you wanna kiss someone, screw up on purpose. The girls will switch seats every round. Guys, if you want those kisses, just tank it. Tonight's your legal shot at it. Okay, seats—rotate!"
She herded the clustered girls, making them stand and disperse. The sophomore girls and his freshman classmate looked like they were about to cry, faces screaming they never thought it'd actually happen. Senior Euna had given up entirely, nursing her beer in defeat.
The funny part? Not a single soul objected. Someone could've put their foot down right there—"Hey, let's not!"—and killed it, but no one did. The guys just watched warily, while the girls followed Senior Choi Yujin's lead, slipping one by one into the guys' midst, fidgeting nervously.
The air crackled with something electric. The guys weren't protesting at all. They'd riot if it were guy-on-guy, but with girls sliding in beside them? No way they could say no. If anything, they looked secretly thrilled.
Han Yaseong tensed up, glancing at Senior Euna on one side and the sophomore girl on the other. Is she really gonna make us do this...? His heart pounded.
He'd never kissed a girl. Never even held hands. He had zero immunity to the opposite sex. Barely talked to them, either.
That's when Senior Choi Yujin plopped down between two junior guys.
"Let's kick it off. Want a kiss? Blow it."
As the game actually started, reality hit the girls like a truck. They freaked, and Senior Euna blurted out in a panic,
"W-wait, what? You're really doing this?"
"Yup."
"Even so... kisses are a no-go."
"Fine, quick peck on the cheek?"
"No, even that's... How about regular penalties instead?"
Senior Euna's plea sparked a chorus of agreement from the other girls.
"Yeah, simple penalties. Kisses are too much..."
The guys who'd been eyeing kisses deflated, of course. But even they felt awkward pushing for full-on smooches, so no one fought it. A cheek peck seemed like a fair compromise in their minds.
Senior Choi Yujin frowned as the girls pushed back en masse, then compromised.
"Fine, new rule: The girl next to the loser picks the penalty. Girls, hate kissing? Just make the guy do something else. Like... dunk in the ocean?"
"Gasp!"
The guys recoiled. Summer night sea was freezing. Ocean dip as penalty? Grimaces all around.
The girls looked uneasy too.
"Ocean's too harsh. What if someone catches a cold...?"
His freshman classmate voiced a timid objection, and Senior Euna backed her.
"Yeah, get sick out here and it's a straight trip to the hospital. No water penalties. Something else."
Senior Choi Yujin sighed, steam practically venting from her ears.
"Ugh, you killjoys... What am I supposed to do with these nerds? Fine, alternative: guys, full nude strip show?"
"Hell no!"
This time, the guys united in protest.
She threw out one embarrassing option after another, all shot down. In the end, they settled on bomb shots—soju mixed with beer—as the penalty.
The little bombs circulated round after round amid the game. Han Yaseong flubbed a few himself and had to down them. Everyone was crumbling, shot by shot.
But no one hated it. Maybe they'd all secretly craved this kind of wild night at least once. Normal folks did this stuff all the time, but Mystery Club members? Quiet types who skipped parties. They'd only watched from afar, never dived in.
Han Yaseong was no different. He'd wanted this experience too.
The bombs kept flowing, felling one after another. His freshman guy classmates puked repeatedly, then crawled into their tent, tapping out. Most guys followed suit, wasted.
The girls were wobbling too. Senior Choi Yujin had threatened strip shows if they skipped shots, so they chugged reluctantly.
But Han Yaseong? Barely buzzed. He was usually a lightweight. At his freshman orientation, a few sips had him puking and nearly blacking out. Head pounding, stomach churning—he'd sworn off booze forever.
That's why he avoided parties from the jump. Early semester, he'd tried a few sober, but got nagged—"Drink up!"—or force-fed. Nothing worse than being the dry guy at a booze bash. Even sitting quietly got pushy.
He'd bail midway every time. After a few rounds, he stopped going altogether. Not a total outsider by nature, he'd wanted to bond over drinks like everyone else. But no tolerance meant no dice. So he shrugged it off, went solo.
"Ugh, why are you guys such lightweights? Buncha idiots—that's why Mystery Club gets called a herbivore herd!"
Senior Choi Yujin vented, slurring hard herself. Senior Euna was gone, knees hugged, head drooped. The other sophomores and the freshman girl dozed off, nodding.
No one left to drink. Han Yaseong figured it was cleanup time.
"Uh, think we should head in and crash."
"What? Crash where? Booze is still flowin'..."
Her tongue was thick. Han Yaseong was the only one still sharp-headed.
Well, head clear-ish. Body was heavy. Weird.
Strange. Normally I'd be flat-out...
Mind intact felt off. Must be that year in the other world toughening him up. No colds crossing over. No indigestion, no headaches. Used to catch bugs, stomach issues, migraines needing days of pills. Now? Ironclad.
Grateful to that portal for the upgrade.
"More drinks, more..."
Senior Choi Yujin finally flopped sideways. The girls, Euna included, succumbed to the spins, slumped asleep sitting up.
Han Yaseong was stumped.
"What now?"
Sleeping outside? Chilly night. Bonfire or not, exposed was rough. Maybe fatal.
He nudged Senior Euna first.
"Senior, gotta get inside."
"Mmm..."
Just mumbles. Body and mind checked out. Same for the sophomores and freshman girl. No walking themselves in.
He checked the guys' tent. Booze stench wafted out—bodies sprawled everywhere. No waking them to help with drunk girls.
"Aigoo... what a mess."
How to haul them in? Princess carry one by one would work, but he'd never touched a girl like that. Embarrassing as hell.
But no choice. He started with the easiest—his classmate girl.
"Time for bed inside."
"......"
No response. Bombed out cold. Multiple shots'd do that.
Deep breath. Right arm under knees, left supporting back. Up she went.
"Hm."
Lighter than expected. Half-worried he'd drop her, but effortless. Strength boost obvious.
Princess carry to the girls' tent. She was out, mouth agape.
He eased her down gently. Then the sophomores, one by one.
Senior Euna next. As he lifted, her eyes fluttered half-open.
"Mmm?"
"Tent time."
"Mmm..."
She nuzzled into his chest, compliant. Tucked in safe.
Last: Senior Choi Yujin. Still mumbling tunes, not fully asleep.
Straight lift—no chit-chat, just bed her down.
"Huh? You?"
Eyes squinted at him.
"To the tent."
Off they went. Suddenly, her legs kicked wildly.
"You little perv, tryin' to bang me, huh?"
"Pardon?"
Han Ya-seong looked at him in disbelief. Senior Choi Yu-jin seemed out of it, licking his lips and acting all flustered.