Chapter 177: The First Glass
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: The First Glass
I had never seen her look so happy, and I couldn't help but raise my arms and pull her into an embrace.
In that moment, I simply couldn't bear it without holding her.
Nestled in my arms, Si-ho rested her head against my chest.
Thump, thump—
I could clearly feel Si-ho's heartbeat resonating through my own body.
The problem was, my own heart was pounding just as loudly.
As I looked at Si-ho in my arms, memories of our time together flashed through my mind.
From her bluntness on the day we first met, to the moment she sent her mother back and truly became an adult.
In a way, I had liked Si-ho ever since that very first day.
A gentle scent wafted from her.
I wished this moment would last forever.
And it seemed Si-ho felt the same way.
We stayed like that for a while before slowly pulling apart.
“Shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
Holding hands, Si-ho and I started walking.
The weather was cold, so we couldn't just stay there forever.
A motel.
Was it because this was the first time the two of us had come to a place like this?
I cleared my throat without thinking.
To my immense relief, they had a room.
I guess you could say we were lucky; the person right before us had just canceled their reservation.
“I’ll need to check your IDs.”
Just then, the motel owner said, looking at Si-ho.
Seeing the suspicion in his eyes, Si-ho quickly took her ID out of her wallet and showed it to him.
The owner checked the ID, glanced at the clock, and then nodded.
Then he shot me a very peculiar look.
It was the kind of look that said, You sure did well to snag a girl like that, and it kept pricking my conscience.
“Here’s your key card.”
An excited Si-ho took the key card instead of me, and we rode the elevator up.
It still felt awkward to say anything, so we remained silent until we entered room 405.
“Wow.”
Si-ho let out a gasp of admiration and walked right into the room.
She looked around with curiosity, then turned to me with a bright smile.
“Manager, this is my first time in a motel room.”
It wasn't like I'd been to one often, either.
The only time was years ago when my next-door neighbor was doing construction, and it was so loud that I had to stay in a motel for a short while.
Meanwhile, Si-ho had gently sat down on the large bed.
Perhaps because she was so light, the duvet compressed slightly, but the mattress barely sank at all.
Sitting demurely on the motel bed, Si-ho looked up at me and smiled.
And this was Si-ho, who had just become an adult today.
We'd certainly been alone together on the deserted island, but this felt completely different.
“Manager.”
When Si-ho called my name, I flinched involuntarily.
It was as if looking at her right now felt like I was committing a sin.
“I want to have a drink.”
Then I remembered my promise to teach Si-ho about alcohol today.
I quickly shook my head to clear such thoughts, brought over a table, and set the drinks down on it.
I had bought some chips and snacks to go with the drinks, but I also ordered some chicken through a delivery app.
“What should I try first?”
Seeing Si-ho looking at the alcohol with such interest, a smile naturally formed on my face.
I figured that for Si-ho, who had just become an adult, everything would be a source of curiosity.
As the one who became an adult first, it was my duty to teach her properly.
“If you drink something sweet first, the bitter taste of alcohol becomes stronger. So, try the soju first.”
With that, I gave the soju bottle a light swirl and twisted off the cap.
Soju was a drink I had a love-hate relationship with.
After all, it was because of this stuff that I once dumped my entire part-time job paycheck into Bitcoin.
I poured a shot of soju into one of the paper cups I’d brought and handed it to Si-ho.
Of course, I poured one for myself as well. Si-ho carefully lifted her paper cup with both hands.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the soju.
Most minors might have tried a sip out of curiosity, but it seemed Si-ho had never done anything of the sort.
She looked so cute that I had to stop myself from laughing.
“Alright, cheers.”
“Cheers.”
When I raised my cup, Si-ho quickly followed suit.
As I took a light sip, Si-ho copied me and downed the whole shot.
The moment she did, her eyes went wide.
“Cough, hack.”
A moment later, she started coughing, covering her mouth and scrunching up her face.
Yep, that's how everyone reacts the first time.
“It’s bitter. Is soju supposed to be this bitter?”
“What did you think it would taste like?”
“I thought it would be sweeter. Adults are always saying soju tastes sweet. Ugh.”
“It’s always like that. I don’t know why, but one day, you’ll find it starts to taste sweet.”
“How could this ever become sweet?”
Seeing she couldn't stand the taste, I held a potato chip to her lips.
Si-ho opened her mouth, took the chip I offered, and sighed as she chewed.
“I don’t think alcohol agrees with me.”
“After just one shot of soju?”
I laughed for a good while at her reaction before pouring her a beer.
Even though she’d just said alcohol didn’t agree with her, the mention of beer seemed to pique her interest again, and she cupped the glass I gave her.
“Go on, try it. It should be a bit lighter than the soju.”
“Okay.”
Listening to me, Si-ho took a drink from the beer glass.
After swallowing a gulp, she slowly lowered the glass from her lips.
Then she tilted her head.
“What kind of taste is this?”
She must not like it.
“Well, it tastes like beer. How is it? Better than the soju?”
“It’s less bitter, but… this is bitter toooo.”
Si-ho put the beer down with a displeased look.
It seemed alcohol wasn't living up to her expectations at all.
In that case, it was time to try something tasty.
I poured her a glass of a pre-mixed cocktail.
“Then try this one.”
As I said that and handed her the glass, Si-ho stared at the pink, shimmering liquid.
“The color is pretty.”
“That one’s sweet. You should find it drinkable.”
Si-ho seemed hesitant because of the soju and beer, but she soon took a gulp.
Her eyes widened, and then she drained the entire glass.
Wiping a drop from the corner of her mouth with her tongue, Si-ho looked at me with an amazed expression.
“Manager, it’s sweet!”
“Right?”
“So alcohol is delicious.”
I was glad she liked it.
After that, I had Si-ho try several other types of alcohol.
From makgeolli and fruit wine to whiskey and vodka.
With each new drink, Si-ho would sometimes grimace and other times find it delicious.
As we gradually tasted our way through the drinks, I started to feel a bit tipsy myself.
I can usually hold my liquor pretty well, but I guess I got carried away while teaching Si-ho and drank more than I realized.
Just then, I looked up and saw that Si-ho had pulled a chair next to me at some point and was now resting her head on my arm.
Her face was flushed from the alcohol, and she was breathing softly.
“Man… ager.”
With a halting voice, Si-ho looked up at me.
Her pretty face was flushed, and a slightly clumsy smile played on her lips.
“Si-ho, are you drunk?”
“I’m not drunk at all.”
Her pronunciation is surprisingly clear.
She might look like this, but Si-ho was still a hunter.
She could probably overcome the effects of alcohol if she really tried, but since this was her first time drinking, it didn't seem to be easy.
“Manager, do you like me?” Si-ho asked in a sweet, charming voice.
I smiled at her question and stroked her hair as I answered.
“Yes, I do.”
I'd already told her once. It wasn't hard to say it a second time. When I did, Si-ho's eyes widened, and she stood up from her seat.
Then, without warning, she climbed onto my lap.
Startled, I looked at her. Still sitting on my lap, she cupped my cheeks with both hands.
“I like you too. I like you, Manager. I really do.”
After saying that, she gave me a quick peck on the lips and pulled away.
As I stared at her with wide eyes, she gave me a drunken smile.
“You did it first earlier, so this time, it was my turn.”
Hearing that, Si-ho gave a cute laugh, and I felt something inside me snap.
I had been holding myself back this whole time, watching Si-ho act all cute every time she had a drink.
But that was the last straw. Feeling my reason give way, I pulled her close and tilted her chin up.
And with that, our lips met once more.
Si-ho was surprised for a moment, but she soon closed her eyes and kissed me back.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, her breath felt even hotter than before as it passed from her lips to mine.
And with that breath, our tongues intertwined.
It was a sudden kiss, but I slowly wrapped one arm around her waist and cradled the back of her head with my other hand.
In response, Si-ho wrapped her arms around my neck and began to deepen the kiss.
As our saliva mingled, the only sound that filled the room was our ragged breaths.
We kissed deeply for a long time, until Si-ho, out of breath, slowly pulled her lips away.
A thin thread of saliva connected us for a moment. Si-ho looked at me with hazy eyes and gave a small smile.
“Manager, are you drunk?”
Look who's talking.
With my arm still around her waist, I slowly stood up.
Perhaps because she was so small and light, I easily lifted her into my arms.
It was just like the 'princess carry' you often see in movies.
“...My prince.”
Si-ho called me that, her eyes completely unfocused.
This was the Si-ho who had always dreamed of a prince from a fairy tale.
I didn't know if I was a prince worthy of her, but one thing was certain in this moment.
I liked Si-ho, and Si-ho liked me.
For us, that was more than enough.
I gently set Si-ho down on the bed.
Sitting there, she cupped my cheeks and gave me another peck.
“Will you… undress… me?”
As Si-ho whispered this carefully, I felt the last thread of my reason snap.