Chapter 5
Chae-ah, who had been matching me shot for shot every time I downed my soju, still couldn't get used to the bitter taste.
She shook her head in surrender and switched mainly to beer.
"Beer okay?"
"Yeah, it's fine. It's bitter, but not as bad as soju."
"Highballs let you taste the booze too. Those were alright?"
"The sweetness made it okay. I could chug them nonstop, actually."
While we chatted, the nabe we'd ordered arrived at the table.
It was a reward for her solid work today, and since this was her first-ever drinking outing, she was the star of the show in a way.
So for this one day, I took it upon myself to serve her—scooping the nabe into her personal bowl and all.
"Try it. It's gonna be good."
"Thanks, unni. *Slurp*... Whoa, this broth is insane."
One spoonful of broth had her eyes going wide with delight, and she didn't stop there, digging in like she had with the tteokbokki.
Seeing her eat so heartily made me, the one footing the bill, pretty damn satisfied.
"Unni, can I come out to work every day?"
"I was thinking five days a week."
"I can work on my illustrations while I'm at it, so I wanna come every day."
"I'd love that, but you sure?"
"Yeah, totally. 'Cause I get to be with you all the time, unni."
Part of it was her genuine enjoyment of the job, but it felt like being in the same space as me weighed even more in her mind.
Getting this kind of attention from someone seven years younger was... a lot.
She's old enough to hang with people her age, after all.
"This nabe is so good. I can't stop eating."
"I tried it here first, then started making it myself at home."
"Wait, unni, you cook?"
"Yeah, been living alone for eight years now."
"I'm liking you even more now, unni."
"Good, thanks."
"I always just grab convenience store stuff, delivery, or frozen meals to get by."
I'd been the same as Chae-ah back in my early twenties—living off convenience food and takeout.
Once I realized how much that was costing me, I started cooking my own meals.
"Oh, right. Forgot about this."
She perked up like she'd just remembered something, lifting her beer glass.
"Unni, cheers!"
Her treating even clinking glasses like something special made me chuckle.
"Yeah, cheers."
I raised my soju glass and lightly tapped it against her beer.
-Ting!
The crisp sound rang out, and she marveled at it for a second before breaking into a satisfied smile.
"Drink slow, Chae-ah."
"Aww, it's just beer. I'm fine."
Even with beer, she kept chugging it in one go, hurriedly refilling her empty glass.
Beer's lower proof than soju, sure, but at that pace? What came next was obvious.
"Unni, you on Insta?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Follow me."
"Sure."
We followed each other on SNS, then I got up for a bit.
"Gonna hit the bathroom."
"Okay, unni."
"Drink slow. No chugging."
"Got it~"
After handling business in the bathroom and washing up, I checked out Chae-ah's SNS.
I figured an illustrator's account would be full of artwork, but it was all everyday life posts.
She must post her drawings on another app.
Illustrators tend to use Twitter more than Insta, from what I'd heard.
She loves clothes, huh.
Most of her posts revolved around outfits.
Lots of full-body mirror selfies in new clothes gave that away.
She gets around solo a lot.
Over drinks and talk, I pieced together who Chae-ah was through her SNS too.
After some casual snooping, I headed back to the room.
Chae-ah welcomed me like it was the most natural thing, but her state was... off.
"Unniii! Hurryyy!"
"You're wasted."
"Not wasted~ Just had some beer. Who gets drunk off that?"
Her eyes half-lidded as she stared at me, her tongue loose with slurred words.
"Hold up—you drank all this alone? In that short time?"
The two beers we'd ordered were empty, and the soju bottle was half gone.
Trip to the bathroom took maybe five minutes.
Downing that much in such a blink? Unbelievable.
"I drink good, right?"
"You're killing me..."
"Love drinking parties so muchhh, gotta drink moreee."
Two beers and half a soju in five minutes? That's a talent, alright.
"Hehe... Unniii, praise me."
"Praise? For what?"
"I drank a ton. Praise me quick!"
As I sat down, she shoved her head close, demanding pets.
Couldn't let her drink more, but she wasn't the type to listen nicely.
Best to redirect her focus, so I slowly stroked her hair like she wanted.
"Yeah, good job."
"Hehe, got praise from unni."
While she melted into the pets, I shoved the bottles and glasses aside.
Soda took their place.
"Chae-ah, let's do drinks now."
"Wanna more boozeoo."
"Drink soda and I'll praise you more."
"For real?! Then gimme soda!"
Chae-ah, who seemed ready to fight to the death, started chugging soda at the promise of praise.
It was a hunch based on how she'd acted so far—and it nailed it.
"Unniii, question time."
"Shoot."
"How many times... a day do you masturbate~?"
I'd been about to slowly eat some snacks when her question hit, throwing me off completely.
My spoon hand froze stiff, and I stared at her, ears not believing what I'd heard.
"What?"
"Masturbate... how many times~? Curious. Hehe."
No malice in it—just drunk Chae-ah blurting stream-of-consciousness stuff.
"Why ask that..."
"Oh! Me on... super horny days... six times~."
"Pfft! *Cough*... *Cough cough*!"
The shock made me gulp soju to wet my burning throat—and I spewed it everywhere.
Not just casually admitting it, but six times? Insane number.
"S-six...?"
"Yesss! Hehe... Aww, embarrassed~!"
As I wiped spilled soju with napkins, she cupped her cheeks, acting shy.
Wouldn't most people react like that before spilling the beans?
"Told unni I masturbate a lot. Sooo... your turn~."
"You spill first, then demand mine?"
"Yup. Makes me less embarrassed~."
She wriggled around with an innocent grin.
That unsteady? Any more booze and she'd black out for sure.
"Not telling."
"Ugh... Guess I gotta say this too. Started with clit stuff, then insertion later... Mmph!"
She was about to detail her routine, so I clamped her mouth shut quick.
No more invading my privacy.
"Chae-ah, you're way too drunk right now."
With my hand over her mouth, I pointed out her state; she smiled with her eyes and shook her head side to side.
Nothing more annoying than a drunk denying they're drunk.
*Smack...*
I was about to sigh deep when I felt a rough, wet flick against my palm.
"What the—?!"
I yanked my hand away; her tongue was darting out playfully.
"Unni's hand tasty~."
Drunk Chae-ah wasn't pure or cute anymore.
She oozed lewdness, locking seductive eyes on me, tempting nonstop.
"Ahh, so hottt..."
With that, she finally shed her outer layer. But it didn't stop there.
She grabbed her knit top, yanked it up, casually baring her bra-wrapped breasts.
"Ch-Chae-ah?! You're super drunk...!"
I shot up, grabbing her hands and forcing them down.
"It's hooot..."
Stopped the striptease cold, but she struggled to keep going.
"Not that. Can't strip here."
"Ughhh... Meanieee..."
"Not being mean..."
-Thud!
Straining to undress, she wobbled and faceplanted onto the table.
"Wow, total mess."
I'd held back saying it since it was her first time out, but that slipped out pure and honest.
Black out like this? Everything after was on me.
"This is such a hassle."
What to do with her? Only one choice.
"Ugh... Why so heavy..."
Drunk and limp, she felt brutally heavy on my back.
Stumbled to pay up, then found the nearest motel to the bar.
Wrenched open the room door and tossed her onto the bed.
"Hnnnya... More boozeoo... Unniii..."
"Wrong. Sleep it off."
Ignored her bed-bound whining and headed to the bathroom to wash off the sweat.
Leave her here and go home? Or crash together?
Couldn't stop mulling those two options.
She's safe now that I've brought her, but leaving her alone nagged at me.
That plastered? Who knows what could happen.
Should've skipped the drinks.
How was past-me supposed to predict this?
"Sigh..."
As I sighed, finished washing, and reached for my clothes—
"Huh? Unniii..."
Chae-ah's voice, like she'd woken up. But what followed was straight-up bewildering.
"Unniii... You're nakeddd... Me toooo... Naked~..."
Lying on the bed, Chae-ah had stripped down to just her panties, gazing at me with sultry eyes.