Chapter 99: 96.5—Just "One Cup" of Concentrate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: 96.5—Just "One Cup" of Concentrate
A boisterous drinking party.
A place where only the "in-crowd" was said to play hard.
Behind his mask, Min-su barely managed to suppress his uncontrollable excitement.
Boobs here... boobs there... I’m finally experiencing a real drinking party, even if it is thanks to the guy next to me.
During his character education, he hadn't been able to experience much because of his title as an "Always-Active Main Skill Holder."
Whenever he tried to stray even a little, they treated him like a ticking time bomb, claiming he might lose control and go on a rampage. He couldn't exactly ignore their desperate pleas, especially when they brought up the Fat Boy Massacre over and over again.
But things were different now.
He had perfectly completed his character education and had even entered Victory Academy.
It was as if all the barriers blocking his path had vanished.
Of course, that damn bastard Baek Tae-yang had interfered and messed things up quite a bit along the way...
But... it was fine.
Because I am the Indomitable Hero.
Min-su nodded to himself and handed a glass to the woman in front of him.
"They say you're supposed to pour as much as you love the person, right?"
"Ah... haha... yes, I suppose so..."
Was her name Min-jeong?
The fact that their names, Min-su and Min-jeong, were so similar was proof that they were practically soulmates. To happen upon a woman using the alias Min-jeong in a place this vast? Surely, this was a sign from the heavens that they were destined to be lovers.
Filled with "love," Min-su poured the drink until it overflowed from Min-jeong’s glass.
"Ack! What are you doing? It’s overflowing... my hand is all wet."
"...Oops, well, that’s just how much I love you, haha."
Wit, humor, a bit of flair, and a fatal wink that even a mask couldn't hide.
The Pure Love Diary Writer’s advice had stated that most women loved this kind of thing. In fact, according to those tips, she should have been head over heels for him from the first meeting.
She’s a formidable lady.
Just as he had become the Indomitable Hero with the name Min-su, was she of a similar caliber because she used the alias Min-jeong?
Heh.
A competitive fire ignited within him.
The snacks and drinks are out, anyway. Time to shift gears.
Snap, snap.
Determined to see things through to the end tonight, Min-su snapped his fingers to call the waiter.
I’ll keep showing her my cool side and make her fall for me before I even start the real move.
While Min-su expanded his delusions to infinite proportions, he failed to notice Min-jeong’s expression even once. To him, the most important thing right now was becoming the "king of the club" through his own sheer coolness and style.
"Waiterrr, bring us the most expensive appetizer and the most expensive bottle of liquor you have."
"Um... sir? I’m sorry, but currently, all food and drinks provided by Noble are free. You’ll need to specify the exact names of what you'd like."
"...Aha."
This was a bit awkward.
Well... if it’s expensive liquor, is it just whiskey? Isn't it all just whiskey?
In movies, didn't they usually set out fruit platters and whiskey?
Min-su glanced at Tae-ok, seeking help.
"So, I told her then, 'Are you okay over there?' and do you know what she said?"
"What? What did she say, Oppa? Tell me quickly, I’m dying to know, for real."
Tae-ok wasn't paying him any attention at all, laughing and chatting with the woman on the other side.
Here I am, doing my best to figure out what we’re going to eat, and he’s just over there playing around.
It was truly spiteful.
He wondered just how sorry Tae-ok would feel later when Min-su revealed his true identity. He had even planned on granting him the honor of a follow-back on In-Space, considering the bond they shared over these drinks.
Min-su shook his head and turned his attention back to the waiter.
"Then, uh... the whiskey... and the appetizer is, uh... fruit and..."
As Min-su stammered, Min-jeong, unable to bear the frustration, finally spoke up.
"Give us a Macnaren 44 Year and the canapés."
"Understood. I’ll have those ready for you shortly. Please wait a moment."
Once the parade of incomprehensible words ended and the waiter disappeared, Min-su laughed jovially.
"Haha, woo~ I must say, Min-jeong, you just passed my test."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"It’s a joke. A joke, a little joke. It’s a tactic I often use at drinking parties when I don’t know what the other person likes."
"Ah... ahaha... so... you pretended to be like that on purpose to get me to order...?"
"Yes, exactly. It’s... I’m really glad you’re so quick-witted, Min-jeong. It almost got awkward there."
Good. I naturally shifted the topic and refreshed the atmosphere.
Min-su clenched his fist inwardly, radiating intense confidence.
What a natural way to lead a conversation.
A beginner wouldn't have been able to progress further from here, but he was different.
I didn't take those relationship coaching lessons for nothing.
It was time to reveal his true form as a king.
"Min-jeong, what is your family like?"
"What? So suddenly?"
"Ah... was it too early? I see this meeting as something a bit more... serious, rather than just simple fun. Not something light... but more like an opportunity for us to get closer...?"
A mask cannot hide one's eyes.
Min-su gazed at Min-jeong with a deep look and slowly reached out his hand.
Her hand sat defenselessly on the table, looking cold. He planned to take that hand gently and wrap it in his warmth.
"Um... I don't think I really need to tell you that... but are you two really together?"
"Pardon? Ah... well... isn't that obvious? Don't we look like we're of a similar caliber?"
"Caliber...? I mean, people don't really have 'calibers'... I’m surprised you reacted so sharply."
"Ahaha, it’s just... a reaction to this 'Noble' community, I suppose."
Min-su prayed for the drinks and food to arrive faster.
He thought he could talk interestingly even without them, but the silence at an empty table was terrifying.
I should have paced myself with the whiskey.
The problem was that the basic snacks provided were mostly beef tartare and popcorn chicken. Since he had skipped a meal to study dating tips before coming to the party, he was starving.
And in the middle of that, beef tartare and popcorn chicken?
I couldn't help myself.
In other words, the reason he had to order more drinks and appetizers was that Min-su had eaten everything too quickly.
It’ll probably take a while since there are so many people... I guess I have no choice.
Min-su decided to open the bag of stories he had been saving for later.
"By any chance, do you know much about Hunters?"
"Everyone here... is an Awakened, though?"
"Ah... right... haha..."
Oh, that’s right.
He had planned to show off his broad world experience by telling her about clearing Gates and the world of Hunters. But come to think of it, Noble was a group of Innate Awakened. It meant there were all sorts of people, from Cadets to 1st-Grade Hunters.
Since Min-su was only at the "Cadet" level, the longer the story went on, the more disadvantaged he would be.
"Then, uh... let’s move on to another topic... First, uh... um... Lady, why did you come to this party?"
"Huh? Oh, hold on a second. I have someone I need to contact."
"Ah... ah, yes. Please, go ahead."
Min-jeong signaled to her friend a few times and then fixed her gaze entirely on her phone.
Since a gentleman’s first duty was to understand a woman’s circumstances and wait, Min-su sat still.
At the next seat, Tae-ok was playing a drinking game with his woman and engaging in some rather suggestive play. The woman sitting across from Tae-ok had already moved to the seat right next to him.
They’re practically rubbing chests... how vulgar... Meanwhile, Min-jeong is focused on her phone, attending to work or something even while she's out? Tae-ok... he has absolutely no eye for women.
I’ve picked a real gem.
Since all he could do was sit there awkwardly, Min-su kept turning his head back and forth like a meerkat. Just as he was waiting for the appetizers, the long-awaited moment arrived.
"Here are the drinks and appetizers you ordered. Please enjoy your time."
"Yes, yes, of course... wait, Waiterrr?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Just as he was about to send the waiter off with a word of thanks, Min-su felt a slight surge of annoyance.
"This... Carpe? Isn't the portion size a bit too small?"
"Do you mean the canapés? I’ll bring you some more. One moment, please."
"Yes, please do."
There were two of them; how could they bring such a small amount of these cracker-like things? At most, there were a dozen or so, which meant he could only eat five if he ate a lot. They looked delicious, but bringing so little—even if it was free, the sales tactic was too obvious.
A man who points these things out precisely. What do you think, Min-jeong?
Min-su looked at Min-jeong with that sentiment in his eyes. After appealing to her this much, wasn't it about time she opened her heart?
However, contrary to Min-su’s expectations, completely different words came out of Min-jeong’s mouth.
"...? Ah... um... Mr. Warrior... was it? This isn't your first time at a drinking party, is it?"
"Pardon? Hah... I’ve drunk a lot in my time... I don’t know what made you think that, but um... then, shall we play a simple game to show you? Like 'One Mountain After Another'..."
"...One Mountain After Another?"
"Yes, yes. One Mountain After Another..."
One Mountain After Another.
One of the best drinking games for initiating skinship. It was a simple game where you made a triangle with your arms and did a little dance to the chant "One Mountain After Another."
During the game, skinship is involved, and the next person has to increase the intensity of the skinship they received. For example, if the first person touched a thigh while chanting, the second person would have to stroke the thigh, and so on.
Truly the optimal game for a man and woman to get physical!
Min-su had looked up a vast amount of material to practice this game perfectly. From what kind of skinship to start with, to how to progress to the end without being overbearing.
"...Why would I do that with you, Mr. Warrior? I don't want to."
"Ah... um... I see."
The atmosphere froze.
Min-su was quite flustered.
They definitely said that if I did it this way, by the time she came to her senses, she’d already be lying on a bed...
As his prepared plans were blocked one by one, Min-su brought out his trump card.
"By the way, uh... Yujin and Min-jeong, what are your sex fantasies?"
A technique to grab everyone's attention by throwing the conversation even at the woman attached to that guy Tae-ok!
I’ll turn the tables with this.
The fact that Min-su was punched by Baek Tae-yang and knocked unconscious because of this was a story for a little later.