The Jirai-kei Freshman's After-Party

I told them I was going to the bathroom during the drinking games and slipped outside. Do Harim was huddled in a corner, puffing on an electronic cigarette. The drinking games were way too hard. But surprisingly, I hadn't been called out that much. I just had to read the room and do... something. Turns out, quite a few people were worse at it than I thought. Even so, there was no way I could pull off those weird ad-libs or sing along like a backup dancer.

I swirled the cigarette smoke in my mouth. Still, they were... kind of helpful. *Someone is typing...* the text appeared on the screen.

Do Harim exhaled a long cloud of smoke. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

That was when the bar door opened. It wasn't just one or two people, but a whole crowd pouring out. Do Harim immediately turned off her phone, her eyes wide as she watched them. It was the seniors and classmates she’d been playing games with. One of them spotted Do Harim crouching in the corner and approached with an "Oh!"

"Harim-hoobae, what are you doing? You said you were going to the bathroom. You were out here smoking!"

"Ah..."

The other students who had come out to smoke naturally gathered around too.

"Wow, this isn't right. Noona, I just got hit twice in a row and had to drink two shots, right? I think you need to drink too, Noona. Isn't this cheating?"

Everyone laughed as Kim Yeonjun pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Hey, what are you saying? Isn't that just you getting hit with a 'dumbass shot' all by yourself, Yeonjun-hoobae?"

Kim Ihyun, in particular, laughed while holding his own cigarette to his lips. Naturally, they started taking seats around Do Harim, one by one, and lighting up. *Ah. What is this situation?* Do Harim took the electronic cigarette out of her mouth for a moment. Did they catch me? I said I was going to the bathroom, but I came out to smoke? But no one was calling her out. They were just smoking and chatting among themselves. And that was the same for the people around her.

"Noona, are you going to the second round? We were just talking about it among ourselves," Kim Yeonjun said, inhaling smoke.

...Second round? Second round... was that mentioned? Hmm. It was draining, but...

She made a humming sound, lowering her head to ask Lee Doha, when Seo Yunha, her face flushed red, approached and held up a finger. "We have to go! We have to go. Unnie, we have to go. We have to go to the second round."

What’s with her? She wasn't even holding a cigarette.

"Oh, Yeonjun-nim is so good at drinking games. No, I just feel like I got hit way too much. I can't let it end like this. I want to see it to the end. You're coming too, right, Unnie? Yeah? Yeah?"

Is she drunk? How drunk is she? Did she drink that much? She definitely looked wasted. Her face was bright red. Maybe that’s why she looked kind of cute. Her brown bob cut, her features... Kim Yeonjun watched her, then turned his head to Do Harim.

"But they say we aren't doing drinking games at the second round. Noona, let's just go and talk comfortably, yeah? They say we won't be drinking that much either."

"...Ah, really? No drinking games?"

"Yeah, you know that? What is it, two-touch? That’s seriously fun, but they say we’re only doing that and some options."

"Hmm."

"You're coming, right?"

"Eek, no drinking games?" Seo Yunha’s voice echoed from the side.

"If you come, I'll buy you some chocolate milk. How’s that?"

"...Chocolate milk? Why that?"

"Ah, if you don't like it, something else is fine. What do you like?"

"But wait a second, first..."

Do Harim lowered her head again, making a humming sound. She opened CocoaTalk and wiggled her fingers.

She tapped her fingers against the edge of her phone, then sent another message to Yeonjun, telling him, "Wait, just a sec."

She waited for a reply. Beside her, the guy seemed to be waiting for her answer, too. She was conflicted. She wanted to go home and play games with him, but it felt a bit awkward to just say that outright. She felt self-conscious, and anyway, she had actually had a decent time. It felt like a setup, like she’d come to an offline meetup. It was always a hassle before going, but once she was there, taking pictures and hanging out was fun... Is this what hanging out with real-life friends is like? It was draining, so very draining.

Do Harim tilted her head. "I'll go. Second round."

"Oh, really?"

The moment Kim Yeonjun asked back, Do Harim suddenly spotted Choi Hangjun behind him. She closed her mouth without realizing it.

"Oh, Noona. You're going? Nice."

Like Seo Yunha, he wasn't holding anything in his hands. He didn't come out to smoke, so what is it? As she watched him, Do Harim felt a sudden urge to ask, even while taking a puff of her electronic cigarette.

"Why did you come out?"

"Yes?"

"Ah... I mean, the cigarettes. I thought you didn't smoke..."

"Ah, ah... I just came out for some air, some air. Ugh, I’m so wasted." Choi Hangjun shrugged his shoulders. "And, well, she’s there too. Yunha. She doesn't smoke either."

Seo Yunha was already off with another group, noisily showing off her drunkenness. She wasn't smoking either. She hadn't been holding anything to begin with. ...But for some reason, she felt annoyed. Was that really the answer she wanted? No, was the question itself even right in the first place...

She chewed on her lip, and just as Do Harim was about to nod, Kim Yeonjun chuckled and said familiarly, "But Hyung, you were pretty wasted."

"Are you going to the second round too, Hyung?"

"Well, I’ve got plenty of time. Especially today?"

"Oh." Kim Yeonjun flicked his ash. "But you look really drunk. Will you be okay?"

"Hey, my tolerance is pretty good. I’m not that drunk."

"Huh? You just said you were wasted."

"I mean, that’s just a figure of speech. Ah, you don't know? Like, there’s that kind of language at drinking parties. You know, drunk or not drunk, that kind of thing."

"Ah~ yeah. I know, I know."

"And it’s been a while since I played drinking games? I used to play them a lot back in the day."

"Oh, really?"

"No, anyway, Yeonjun, you seemed to be drinking a bit too? Do you usually drink well?"

"I, well."

Kim Yeonjun smoked in silence, then quietly asked Do Harim, who was still crouching, "Noona."

"Yeah?"

"Are you a good drinker, Noona?"

"No. I, I can't really drink."

"But you didn't get hit much in the drinking games? No, this Noona, you’re surprisingly good at skating by. Did the others go easy on you?"

Do Harim laughed silently. Ah, there was a bit of that, wasn't there? Was she skating by, or were the others going easy on her? It was probably the latter, right?

"And you should’ve told me if you wanted to smoke. I would’ve come out with you."

"No. It’s fine."

"No, no. It was kind of an eyesore that only you were using a cheat. I drank two shots, you know? Ah, if I’d used a cheat like you, I wouldn't have had to drink those. What a shame."

Do Harim rolled her eyes and shrugged. She laughed again. Kim Yeonjun met her gaze and grinned. For some reason, Choi Hangjun’s gaze seemed to be fixed on her platform shoes. This platform shoe... it felt like it was right in front of her.

After a moment of silence where they just smoked, the tall senior who had been leading the drinking party approached them again.

"Yeonjun-ssi, do you want to go buy ice cream with me? I’m planning to go around to each table."

Kim Yeonjun turned around and said, "Ah, yes, yes. That sounds good," while flicking the ash off his cigarette. He even threw the butt away and crushed it with his foot.

"Do you want to come too, Noona? Is there anything you want to eat?"

Then the male senior said, "Hey, let’s just go quickly, the two of us. It’s right in front anyway."

"Ah, yes. That’s good, that’s good." Kim Yeonjun replied with a smile.

—

"But Yeonjun-ssi, you must hear that you’re handsome a lot."

At the convenience store in front of the bar, the senior said while picking out ice cream. Kim Yeonjun made an "Oh" sound and agreed.

"But Hyung, you’re super handsome too. You must hear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that from women a lot."

"Nah. You’re going too far."

"No, seriously."

"How old do I look?"

Kim Yeonjun looked down at the ice cream display, thought for a moment, and said, "Thirty-one?"

"Huh?"

"Minus ten?"

"Ah. Ah, damn. Ah, Yeonjun-ssi, this won't do. I have to take you to the student council."

"...Yes?"

"You’re coming to the general assembly, right? And the MT."

When Kim Yeonjun deliberately didn't answer, the senior bumped his shoulder against his. "Ah, what is this, playing hard to get?"

"I don't really do skinship with other guys."

"Ah, damn. Don't eat the ice cream, man."

"Ah, I’m joking, I’m joking. It’s a joke."

"Can I use that age-flirting line? It’s super creative."

"I learned it from someone too."

After continuing the small talk, they left the ice cream at the counter, and Kim Yeonjun asked casually, "But don't we exchange Instagrams between tables?"

"Why? Is there someone you want to exchange with?"

"No, we need to form the OT after-party cartel. We didn't even have time to talk because of the drinking games."

"Wow. No, Yeonjun-ssi, you were quite bold."

"Ah, well. You only live once, you have to live like this."

The senior chuckled. "Anything else to buy?"

"No. I only need the Melon bar."

They left the convenience store carrying a large bag. As they neared the bar, Kim Yeonjun pulled his cigarette pack out of his pocket and said, "But Hyung, I’m going to finish my cigarette before I go in."

"Ah, are you playing hard to get or what? Are you the only one not drinking?"

"It’s similar. Harim-noona skipped out earlier, so I should use a cheat too."

"Hmm~ Okay. Come in quickly."

"Yes, sir."

With that reply, the senior opened the bar door and went in first. Kim Yeonjun found a spot in a corner, smoked his cigarette, and took out his phone. He opened Instagram DM. Among the many notifications, he clicked on the group DM room he had with some older guys he knew. They were guys he had known through connections since high school, and you could say they got along pretty well...

The conversation had been going on actively until just ten minutes before he turned twenty. The conclusion was about him. Hadn't some of the guys said they were going to a club? While inhaling the smoke, Kim Yeonjun tapped away at the screen.

Someone read it immediately.

Kim Yeonjun flicked the ash onto the floor and replied.

At that moment, another profile appeared as "read." It was the profile of a quite tall man taken in a dimly lit bar.

Kim Yeonjun felt the bitter aftertaste of the two shots of soju in his mouth, spat on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the floor, and typed.

One more person read the message. Ro._.hun. No profile. But he was the most handsome of them all.

He realized he’d already finished his cigarette. Should he smoke one more... he thought, but just crouched down and typed.

*Typing... Typing...* It appeared several times, and then a reply came.