#91. Hangover
#91. Hangover
"Hey. What did you just say?"
"Serialized Updates! Lee Min-hoooo!"
Na-eun raised her soju glass, rhyming pointlessly for no reason.
"Since when have you even read my novels that you're telling me to do Serialized Updates or not, you bitch."
Is there any reason for someone who doesn't read novels to nag me about Serialized Updates?
With my alcohol-fogged mind, I tried to reason it out hard.
Actually, this wasn't the first time Na-eun had given off vibes like she was reading my novels.
Sometimes when [I Imprisoned Her] came up, she'd suddenly speed off like a rocket, and other times she'd talk like a real reader who'd properly read it.
I remembered her dodging or making excuses every time I pushed...
If I asked outright, she'd probably bolt like a startled rabbit, so I decided to slowly tighten the noose.
"What do you get out of it if I do Serialized Updates?"
Clink.
Her glass and mine collided in mid-air, making a crisp sound.
Na-eun dumped the full glass straight into her mouth.
"Pfft! If you do Serialized Updates? You'd feel goooood!"
Ambiguous... Serialized Updates make you feel good, huh.
If she's a reader, that's a normal reaction.
Comments begging for Serialized Updates popped up every chapter on my stuff too.
If she's not a reader, maybe she just means I'd make more money, which is good.
"Why does it make you feel good?"
Suddenly I felt like one of those child psychologists you see on TV all the time.
"That's... a secret..."
Na-eun, giggling away, dragged her chair right next to me.
Smack.
My senses were dulled by the booze, but I knew exactly what Na-eun had just done.
The soft sensation on my cheek.
I turned my head, and there was my girlfriend, still beaming innocently.
"It's a secret~"
Whoa... this is...
Is it okay for a 24-year-old to be this cute...?
Just moments ago I was gearing up to interrogate her hard about whether she was a reader or not, but one surprise skinship from her and I couldn't stop my lips from curling up.
"Aah~ I'm drunk~"
She really seemed to be struggling to hold herself up, slumping right onto my shoulder.
My arm felt like a plush cushion to her or something—her eyes were starting to close.
"Hey, hey. Han Na-eun, wake up. Go home and sleep."
"Should I go to your place, Oppa?"
The occasional casual speech that popped out.
My girlfriend, drunk off her ass and casually suggesting we go to my place, was way too hot.
Maybe I should get her to drink more often?
Na-eun showing a side different from usual felt fresh.
I wanted to piggyback her right now and toss her on the bed, but I knew today wasn't the day.
"You're already in your neighborhood—why crash at my place? I'll pay and be right back, so wait a sec."
I went to the counter, finished paying, and came back to find Na-eun clinging to her chair with a wobbly expression.
"Hey. Come here."
"Ung!"
Na-eun trotted over to my side and stuck to me like a cicada finding a tree.
At least she wasn't drunk enough to need carrying—that was a relief.
I properly wrapped the red couple's scarf around Na-eun's neck and supported her as we headed toward her Officetel.
"Oppa."
"Yeah."
"End of Semester~ We did it~"
She must've loved End of Semester so much—she kept singing "End of Semester, End of Semester."
Luckily, it wasn't far from the restaurant to home, so we got there quick.
Ttirorirori.
The front door opened, and only then could I finally relax.
"Hooooome~"
She kicked off her shoes and bolted straight to her room, diving onto the bed.
Still in her coat, bag and all.
"Hey, hey. You can't sleep like that. Change into comfy clothes and sleep."
If I left her like this, she'd be out in under a minute.
"Oppa, you undress me."
With her face buried in the pillow, Na-eun was requesting personal service.
"Sigh..."
Letting out a deep sigh, I successfully detached the bag strap from her shoulder.
"Hey. Sit up a bit."
Drunk as she was, she felt heavy like a waterlogged hippo. I propped her up and started removing her coat.
The knit underneath looked tricky...
Whew... alright.
Remembering how Na-eun sometimes did my laundry, I sensed this was my chance to pay her back.
I forcibly sat her up against the headboard and asked the half-dead her to raise both arms.
Of course, with no strength, they only went up halfway, but hey, good enough.
I pulled off the knit and started unbuttoning her blouse one by one.
With each button, more skin came into view.
Today's Na-eun underwear color: mint.
Usually seeing only provocative colors, this plain one felt kinda novel.
On days she was dying to get laid, she'd show up in full-on battle-ready lingerie.
Thinking about it now, it was pretty devoted.
Nah, if I just said let's do it today, she'd do it normally.
Na-eun seemed to love surprise-attacking when I was in a pissy mood.
Top all done, I undid her skirt button.
The stockings showing hints of skin kept tempting my dirty thoughts.
The wine-colored skirt slid down the smooth stockings.
Now only the stockings left.
Gulp.
Face flushed from booze.
Slumped posture.
Upper body with just the bra.
The sweet scent from her blanket was awakening the beast inside me.
Ravaging her while she's asleep—no matter that she's my girlfriend, that ain't right. So I pondered how to vent this boiling lust instead.
...I slid Na-eun's stockings all the way down.
Agh. My head hurts.
I grimaced at the throbbing pain.
Rubbing my eyes, I slowly replayed yesterday's memories.
I remembered clearly up to after the Critique, eating pork belly with Oppa.
But then getting hyped about End of Semester and chugging like crazy...
How'd I even get home?
No clue...
But since I made it properly to my place, Oppa must've suffered for me.
My pink pajamas—who knows where he found them—had me looking just like usual bedtime.
Sitting up in bed, I stretched long.
Ah. Slept without removing makeup.
Well... even Oppa couldn't handle that.
I opened the door and saw Oppa snoring away on the sofa.
Did the last train stop so he crashed here, or did he pass out caring for me? Either way, why not just sleep in my bed together.
Seeing him without a blanket made my heart ache.
End of Semester's here—might as well let him sleep. I started boiling water in the coffee pot.
The day of a real deadline, I get drunk way too easy.
When you're at your physical limit and drink, you can barely handle half what you usually do.
Water boiled—I grabbed a tea bag from the cabinet.
Poured into the cute teacup I bought recently 'cause I liked the shape, waiting calmly for it to steep.
What'd we talk about yesterday...
Sitting quietly, recalling, it didn't take long to realize I'd slipped up.
[Serialized Updates!]
...Ah.
Did he catch on? He probably did.
I desperately prayed Oppa was as wasted as me and forgot, but I knew the odds were slim.
If Oppa was really smashed too, we wouldn't have made it here safely.
Thinking he'd caught me as a reader, all my efforts felt wasted—I banged my head against the wall.
"Han Na-eun. You fucking idiot."
Ah... how do I explain? Will he buy more bullshit this time?
I couldn't even remember how far I went, so no clue what excuse to make.
"Aaaaaah"
My mental broke—I let out a wail.
No more drinking. Never again.
What the hell's with that soju.
Stomping mad, I brought my lips to the steaming cup.
A faint jasmine scent tickled my nose.
One sip, and the headache eased a bit.
Haa... gotta talk to Oppa when he wakes. I got up to sort yesterday's clothes.
Coat was on the hanger, stockings and knit needed washing...
Hoping I'd tucked them in the hamper right, I peered inside.
O. He's got style. Even sorted this far.
That's what I thought—that instant.
...What the hell is this.
Faint white stains on the stockings.
I pulled them out of the hamper to check properly, since some unknown mark was on them.
"...Wake up! Lee Min-ho!"
...He didn't use me and used my stockings instead?