A Sweet Poison
The drinking party with my close friend's couple... Despite my solemn resolve, which had been razor-sharp with tension, the gathering flowed with unparalleled cheer and warmth. The atmosphere bubbled lightly like the expensive champagne Seunghun had brought, and Jian and Sujung laughed together as if they were blood sisters. The three of them—who had stayed up drinking until the end at the camping ground while I passed out—seemed to have forged a deep bond starting from that night. Watching them naturally lead the conversation, chiming in on each other's jokes, I gradually began to let go of my tension.
'Of course... It was all just a rotten delusion cooked up in my own head.'
As I watched my friend casually refilling Sujung's glass without a hint of pretense, and my wife's clear face bursting into laughter at his jokes, a vicious wave of guilt washed over me. I despised myself endlessly for turning the people I cherished most into the protagonists of some filthy tale of betrayal. As if to shake off that remorse, I decided to fully surrender myself to the comfortable, joyful gathering they had created.
"Hahaha, but seriously, does Junseok always pass out so completely when he drinks? I heard from Seunghun that even though you couldn't hold your liquor before, it wasn't this bad. Haha."
Jian teased me with her eyes crinkling playfully. The faint flush of intoxication blooming across her porcelain skin made her look even more vibrant.
"Ah... It might be because of this intense project I've been working on since last year, or maybe it's just that home is too comfortable. I'm fine when I'm out, but for some reason, whenever I drink with you guys, I get so sleepy."
When I answered with an embarrassed smile, Seunghun, who was slicing steak beside me, burst into hearty laughter and jumped in.
"Hey, Junseok. You were really something that time. Snoring away and everything. Thanks to you, me, Jian, and your wife drank until dawn without caring how much we were wasting."
"That's right, brother-in-law! You just slept the whole time at the campsite... If it weren't for sis and brother-in-law, I would've died of boredom, you know?"
Sujung whined in a nasal, coquettish tone, calling him brother-in-law. But it was nothing like the bitter terror from a week ago. Under the living room lights now, the title sounded like nothing more than the affectionate pout of a close younger sister.
"Sujung, still, thanks to that we had some really deep conversations, right?"
Jian gently patted the back of Sujung's hand. Sujung responded brightly, "Of course, sis. I was really touched by you that day, you know?"
The cheerful banter between two couples in their early thirties, looking out for and considerate of each other. Before I knew it, I had shaken off my dark thoughts and downed the last of my wine. In this warm, bright living room, the gloomy fantasies I'd harbored had no place to stand. Enjoying the lively mood led by the three of them, I finally found the leisure to look around from the slight edge of the conversation. My gaze settled on the heavy wine bottle in the center of the table. I picked it up lightly and examined the label.
"Wow, this wine is exactly Sujung's style. She doesn't like dry or astringent ones and prefers something a bit sweeter. You're the best, man—total sense!"
At my compliment, Seunghun laughed boisterously and swirled his glass.
"Of course! Jian told me Sujung likes sweet stuff. So I went out and bought a decent amount of this pretty good vintage port wine. Sujung, does it suit your taste?"
"Yeah, brother-in-law! This is really delicious. It's so sweet, like grape juice, it just slides down... Whoa, but my cheeks are already getting hot. Haha."
Sujung cupped her flushed cheeks and acted cute toward Jian. Jian, as if finding her adorable, picked up some fruit for her and added while looking at me,
"My husband really went all out today since you and Sujung were coming over after so long. We've got the guest room all set up with fresh bedding, so don't even think about calling a driver tonight—just enjoy yourselves. You can sleep in, have some hangover soup tomorrow morning, and head out later. Sujung and I already talked it all through. Haha."
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly... How could I impose by staying over? We should head home..."
I waved my hands in refusal, but then my eyes widened as I noticed the numbers on the back of the wine bottle.
"Whoa... Man, this has a crazy high ABV? It's a full 20%! Wow... Port wine is usually strong, but this is practically whiskey level. Sujung, you shouldn't drink too much of this."
"Come on, Junseok. That's the charm of port wine. That heavy punch hidden behind the sweet, clinging flavor. I prepared it so we could get nicely buzzed tonight, so don't be so scared."
Seunghun winked as he generously refilled both my glass and Sujung's. The glasses we'd already emptied several times, fooled by the sweetness. Whether it was the high alcohol content or the fact that my mind had finally relaxed, the intoxication spread through my body faster and hotter than usual.
"Junseok, don't worry too much. Sujung seems to have adapted to this strength already—she was drinking it so well. From what I saw at the campsite, she might even hold her liquor better than our family does. Right, Sujung?"
At Jian's teasing words, Sujung giggled and leaned her head on my shoulder.
"Sis, I'm really only drinking today! Honey, you'll forgive me if I get drunk, right? Brother-in-law brought such good liquor—if I left any, that'd be rude, wouldn't it~"
My wife, in a much more excited voice than usual, doted on brother-in-law while acting adorably spoiled. I couldn't help but burst into helpless laughter. The terrible suspicions that had tormented me for a week seemed to be washed away cleanly by the sweet yet potent 20% wine.
My kind friend and his wife, and my wife who looked so incredibly happy. In this perfect harmony, their suggestion that we stay over began to feel like an irresistible temptation. The dreamy haze from the high ABV was slowly undoing the last locks on my reason. Was it the sweet poison of the port wine, or simply the release of tension? As the mood was reaching its peak, I felt a heavy ache in my lower belly. It was an embarrassing signal I couldn't possibly voice aloud in someone else's home—especially one this refined, with marble floors. I broke into a cold sweat and tried my best to keep a straight face.
It happened just as Sujung and Jian were deep in their own conversation, bursting into bright laughter. Seizing the moment, Seunghun casually moved over to sit beside me. He studied my complexion, then leaned in close to my ear and whispered lowly.
"You... need the bathroom?"
Caught right on the mark, I could only manage an awkward, embarrassed smile. He clapped me on the shoulder with a hearty laugh, then suddenly stood up and spoke casually toward the living room.
"Hey, Junseok says he's curious about the interior of my study and master bedroom. I'll show him around real quick. You girls keep chatting!"
He led me to the master bedroom. The moment the door closed, he opened the bathroom door attached to it and winked.
"We just installed a new bidet, and the soundproofing is solid, so take your time. I'll go out and tell them you're still looking at stuff in the study, so handle your business at your own pace and come out when you're done. Got it?"
"Man... Thank you so much. I'll buy you a proper drink later."
Grateful for his thoughtful consideration, I stepped into the bathroom. I heard him leave the master bedroom, and only then did I finally relieve the urgent pressure I'd been holding back. About ten minutes later, with my stomach emptied, the dreamy intoxication rose pleasantly again. I straightened my clothes and headed back to the living room—only to freeze in place.
The once-noisy living room was now wrapped in silence. On the wide dining table, two empty chairs. Neither Seunghun nor my wife Sujung were anywhere to be seen.
Left alone in a daze, I stared at Jian and awkwardly returned to my seat. Noticing me, she gently swirled her wine glass and spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"Ah, Junseok, you're back? Sujung said she left her phone in the car and went to get it."
"Ah... My wife? Then what about Seunghun...?"
At my question, Jian smiled sweetly and added,
"The underground parking in our apartment is a bit of a maze. Plus, it's late at night and there aren't many people around. It felt a little dangerous to send Sujung, who's already tipsy, by herself. So I asked my husband to go with her. It's okay, right, Junseok? They'll be back soon. Haha."
She sounded slightly drunk, yet Jian's voice was excessively calm and kind. But my mind was already burning white-hot again. The parking garage, the late hour, a deserted place... Seunghun, who knew the layout well, and my wife, whose tongue was growing heavier with each drink.
In stark contrast to Jian's porcelain skin under the bright kitchen lights, my vision overlapped with the image from my dream: my friend's thick hand greedily kneading my wife's breasts inside a dark car in the underground parking lot.
"Here, let's have another drink between us, Junseok."
Under the kitchen lights, the charming Jian—my peer—filled my empty glass with a sweet, intoxicating voice. She looked me in the eye and spoke softly, but none of her words reached my eardrums. Every nerve in my body had already left this house, wandering through the cold, dark underground parking garage somewhere.
A cruel timeline began to form in my head. When exactly had the two of them left? Right after I went into the master bathroom? Or just before I came out?
'Fuck... No way.'
The excessive kindness from my friend that I'd just been admiring as thoughtful now tightened around my throat with a completely different meaning. The sly consideration of herding me into the corner bathroom and even closing the door for me. The suspicion that it might have been a prearranged setup with my wife to perfectly isolate me sprouted like poisonous weeds.
The master bedroom door he'd closed so I could "do my business" now felt like a perfect soundproof wall to let the two of them run off to the parking garage and enjoy a secret rendezvous. The veins on the back of my hand bulged as if they might burst.
Right about now, in that dark car, where was my friend's thick hand wandering? Was my wife calling him brother-in-law while accepting his touch?
'Fuck...'
The curse I couldn't spit out rose in my throat along with burning bile. Behind the mask of a respectable husband, a black vortex of uncontrollable suspicion and depraved guilt swirled wildly.
Like a man possessed, I picked up the glass Jian had poured for me and downed it in one gulp. The 20% liquor burned like fire down my throat, but it was far more bearable than the damp, filthy fantasies of what might be happening in that parking garage.