182 – 176. Son Byung-Ho’S Game
“What are you going to do if you’re late?”
I asked carefully as I held her hand and walked.
I had to go back by 11 pm at the latest, but it was already 30 minutes past.
I felt sorry because I knew it was because I asked her to do more at the end.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Seo Ye-rin, who had been frowning since earlier, replied lightly.
“I’m twenty-one now. It’s not an age to live by my mother’s attention.”
It’s true that at 21, you’re still under your parents’ shadow.
But I’m not the one to talk, since I ran away from home barefoot.
But I was still worried.
Especially since Seo Ye-rin’s mother would be counting the days.
“Whew. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll tell you who my father is.”
It’s always uncomfortable to use my father’s influence, but it’s an overwhelming power that makes me ignore the discomfort.
I wonder if my parents would be a little more lenient if they knew that Seo Ye-rin was dating the youngest son of a large corporation’s chairman.
“Hmm, I don’t think that would help much.”
Seo Ye-rin scratched her cheek and gave an ambiguous response.
Anyway, I’ll see Seo Ye-rin to her house.
She said she didn’t want to go and refused to let go of my hand, or suggested that she wouldn’t go into her room secretly.
If I really cared about Seo Ye-rin, I had to resist the temptation here.
“Oh, by the way, are you going to the after-party tomorrow?”
“……What after-party?”
I asked because I really didn’t know, and Seo Ye-rin tapped her cell phone.
“MT after-party. You knew about it and made an excuse for it on purpose, didn’t you?”
“No?”
I didn’t know it was real.
“Hyun-ho announced that he was going to have an MT after-party. But he said it was actually for those who didn’t come to the MT.”
“How much do you have to drink?”
“Anyway, are you coming? I don’t really feel like going, but I said I would.”
“……”
I wanted to ask if the other kids were coming.
I wondered how Choi Yi-seo and Yoo Ah-rin would react if they saw me there.
I was a little scared.
“I’ll think about it for now.”
“It would be better to meet Yi-seo and Ah-rin there. They won’t be able to hit you in front of people.”
They’re coming.
“That’s true.”
It seemed safer than seeing them in person.
“Are you coming tomorrow? Okay? I’ll be bored without you.”
“……Okay.”
After a short kiss with Seo Ye-rin, I saw her off.
‘After-party tomorrow.’
I don’t know what else to do after we’ve already had our fill at the MT.
But I thought it would be good to go for now.
Wait a minute.
‘But will Seo Ye-rin be able to come tomorrow?’
Since she came in late today, won’t she get caught by her parents?
* * *
– Seo Ye-rin: Ugh!
My worries were right.
Seo Ye-rin was unable to attend the MT after-party.
Sending a tearful message was the only resistance she could offer.
The after-party was at a dakgalbi restaurant.
I guess they’ve had enough pork at the MT, so now they’ve switched to chicken.
Outside the dakgalbi restaurant, in the smoking area.
I was watching the kids eating dakgalbi through the window. I don’t know if it’s because the professors weren’t there or because they got close at the MT, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than at the MT.
“Woo-jin, what do you really think about Gyu-ah asking me out?”Ahn Hyun-ho’s love consultation rings in my ears.
I was dragged to the smoking area against my will, and the reason was Ahn Hyun-ho.
He came to me for advice because Gyu-ah confessed to him.
I plugged my nose and replied, annoyed.
“Just date her. You like her, don’t you? What’s the problem?”
“You keep saying weird things that bother me. That’s why I wanted to hear why Gyu-ah told me not to date her before I accepted.”
“Hmm.”
I glance away.
I look at Gyu-ah through the window.
She seemed to have felt something when she saw me with other guys last time.
“I saw her boyfriend.”
Gyu-ah and Ahn Hyun-ho.
If I had to weigh which of the two was heavier, I would say Ahn Hyun-ho.
Actually, it’s not that Ahn Hyun-ho is heavy, but that Gyu-ah is too light.
“She had a boyfriend?”
“Yeah, I heard she’s been dating three guys.”
“Crazy!”
The guy hit his forehead and made a sad face.
The frustration of finding out that the girl you liked was a player.
“Oh, come on, don’t joke. It’s not funny, Kim Woo-jin.”
He’s already accepted it, so what difference does it make if I tell him not to lie?
“So give up. You’re not good enough for her, and Gyu-ah is really not.”
“Wow, Kim Gyu-ah, you’re unbelievable. You said that and then asked me to date you?”
I felt strange seeing him explode with anger at Gyu-ah but also looking sad.
As I patted Ahn Hyun-ho on the back, a familiar face approached us.
“Hey guys, what’s up?”
It was Han-kang sunbae, who had unexpectedly come to the smoking area.
I couldn’t help but wonder why he was here all of a sudden.
“I called him.”
Ahn Hyun-ho, his shoulders slumped, confessed as if he were grumbling.
“Sunbae said he wanted to meet the new students.”
“Now that I’ve postponed my military service, I’m a free man.”
Han-kang grinned.
I don’t know when he’s going to come to his senses and live like that.
If he has the guts to come all the way here to flirt with freshmen while on academic leave, I think he can do anything.
“Sunbae, don’t do anything weird. Just go to the military quietly.”
I tried to tell him to calm down, but Han-kang immediately interrupted me.
“Shut up. I’ve been so busy hanging out with Jin-ho that I can’t even remember the last time I smelled a woman. I’m definitely going to get one today.”
Just then, Joo-hee sunbae came out with a cigarette in her mouth and bumped into Han-kang.
“Oh, oh. Joo-hee, it’s been a while.”
Han-kang greeted her in surprise, but Joo-hee sunbae lit her cigarette without saying anything.
Tsk.
She exhaled a long stream of smoke.
“What are you doing here?”
Joo-hee sunbae asked warily, her hands in her jacket pockets, and Han-kang scratched the back of his head and replied.
“Well, I was just passing by. I wanted to see you guys after a long time.”
“You’re flirting with first-year girls.”
I added from behind, and Han-kang’s expression turned serious.
Joo-hee sunbae nodded and clicked her tongue in annoyance, as if she had expected it.
“Just go to the military quietly. Don’t ruin the relationships of the freshmen.”
“……Joo-hee, that’s not fair.”
Oh.
Look at him being serious with Joo-hee sunbae.
“I know I’ve done a lot wrong. But I’m not going to let you restrict me from meeting and dating people.”
“What?”
The moment Joo-hee sunbae glared at him and told him to say it again properly, all three of us flinched.
Isn’t Joo-hee sunbae the one who even gang leaders are afraid of?If you don’t bow your head here, Han-gang might end up falling into the Han River.
“……Can I just drink and go?”
Han-gang asked cautiously.
His appearance of tucking his tail between his legs at a single nod seemed both funny and pathetic.
“Ugh, go play at the 3rd-year table. Don’t go to the 1st and 2nd years for no reason.”
“Yes…….”
And then, Joo-hee sunbae clicked her tongue as she looked at us.
“Don’t play with that kid. You’ll get weird.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Jeez, what a piece of trash. Going crazy over women!”
Ahn Hyun-ho immediately snapped.
I distanced myself from him, cursing him out.
“…….”
Joo-hee sunbae stared at me, dumbfounded, but I just pretended not to see her.
I went inside with Ahn Hyun-ho.
When we returned to our table, many of the seats had changed.
Boys and girls were sitting mixed together.
While we were outside, the kids had already started gathering people to play drinking games.
‘Ugh, I hate that kind of thing.’
I just wanted to drink, not play games while drinking, so I tried to leave, but.
I saw Yoo Ah-rin and Choi Yi-seo there, so I had no choice but to use Ahn Hyun-ho to join them.
“Are you going to play?”
I asked Choi Yi-seo as I sat down next to her.
The murderous intent dripping from her voice sent chills down my spine.
“I have to.”
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I nodded in response, and Choi Yi-seo stared at me blankly before sighing.
“I hate this kind of thing. Don’t force me to join.”
“You don’t like it that much either.”
“…….”
Choi Yi-seo kept her mouth shut, knowing that I wasn’t wrong.
On the other hand, Yoo Ah-rin, who was sitting across from us, was laughing with the kids as they set up the drinks, saying it would be fun.
“Let’s start with something simple since it’s going to be noisy from the start.”
Ahn Hyun-ho was suddenly hosting the game, even though he had been with me.
“Oh, the host.”
“Ahn Hyun-ho, the MC of the Department of English Language and Literature!”
He had hosted the talent show at the MT, so he would be good at it.
As the kids dragged their chairs over and gathered, Joo-hee sunbae and Han-gang, who had finished smoking, came in.
Thanks to them, I was able to join them naturally.
The game they started was the Son Byung-ho game.
“What’s that game?”
I asked seriously because I didn’t know, and Choi Yi-seo whispered the answer in my ear.
“Start with your hands open, and if something the kids say is included, fold one of your fingers.”
“For example, if they say ‘man’, you fold it?”
“Uh, if you fold them all, you drink.”
Hmm.
“Is this fun?”
I asked honestly because I didn’t know if it was fun, and Choi Yi-seo replied, looking embarrassed.
“Normally, when you drink, you get a little excited. This is the same. It’s just to get the mood going.”
“You know a lot about it?”
“……You’re exaggerating. I got to know it even though I didn’t want to.”
Choi Yi-seo lamented that she had to drink because of it. As we started talking normally, I smiled at the old feeling.
“Don’t laugh.”
Choi Yi-seo snapped at me like that, but even that looked cute to me.
And so.
The game started, and I honestly didn’t know what was so fun about it.
From the start, Han-gang said with a laugh.
“Fold if you’ve ever liked me.”
“Wow, what the hell. That’s so funny.”
Seeing a few of the girls actually folding their fingers in embarrassment or giggling, I unknowingly took back what I had said to Choi Yi-seo earlier.
“Ugh.”
Choi Yi-seo shook her head as she looked at me.Of course, my fingers didn’t fold.
No, wouldn’t it be fun if the level of questions went up to this extent?
I mean, I’ve never really played drinking games.
Let’s just skip it.
Since there were no heavy questions like Han River’s level, I quickly got bored.
When it was Gyuah’s turn, he said with a grin.
“Fold your fingers if you confessed at MT.”
Damn it.
I barely managed to hold back the urge to smash his head with a soju bottle right away.
I forced my lips open and folded one finger.
“What, Woojin confessed at MT?”
“To whom? What, who are you dating?”
“Isn’t it Cha-in?”
“If Gyuah knew, then surely to Gyuah-“
Since I folded it alone, the eyes around me focused on me, but I exercised my right to remain silent.
Because he didn’t ask me to tell him who I confessed to.
Choi Yiseo and Yoo Ah-rin clicked their tongues at the same time and looked at me like I was trash, but whatever.
‘But shouldn’t Yiseo and Choi Yiseo fold this too?’
No.
It’s ambiguous.
It’s Yoo Ah-rin’s turn right next to me.
Yoo Ah-rin’s gaze was directed straight at me, so I couldn’t help it.
“Fold the trash.”
I fold another one.
Now, the rumors that I confessed to Yoo Ah-rin started to spread, and the drinking party started to get even hotter.
“Senior Han River should fold!”
“That’s right, fold the senior!”
“Shouldn’t Joo-hee fold too? They say she used to beat up kids in high school.”
In the end, senior Han River and senior Joo-hee folded. Ahn Hyun-ho also folded quietly.
The turn went around and around and it was my turn before I knew it.
I bit my lip and looked at Gyuah, who had two fingers left, and said.
“Fold if you have more than one lover.”
Damn it, you’re done.
Everyone looked at me as if to ask why I was asking such a question, but the first shot came from over there.
As I stared at Gyuah, her face turned bright red and finally.
Snap.
She folded one.
“Ugh.”
The atmosphere was buzzing.
The kids started talking to Gyuah, so she shouted urgently.
“I, in high school! I didn’t know anything then and I dated him and that’s it! That’s what happened!”
She tried to explain it, but honestly, it didn’t work very well.
Ahn Hyun-ho was already shocked and clenching his fists.
“How did you know that?”
Choi Yiseo whispered to me, and I answered with a smile.
“I saw her fighting with her ex-boyfriend. She asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend, so I immediately put on wasabi.”
“Should I praise you for that?”
“Then should I have pretended to be her boyfriend?”
“……Good job. If something like that happens again next time, just walk away again.”
“Roger that.”
Now, the distance between Choi Yiseo and I has narrowed considerably. Before I knew it, our shoulders were touching.
It wasn’t bad, except that Yoo Ah-rin was glaring at me.
Yiseo’s question, who was next to me, passed by rather blandly, and as it continued.
Ahn Hyun-ho, who was shocked, looked at Gyuah and asked with a doubtful look.
“Fold if you’ve had a threesome.”
“Oh, that’s really not true!”
Gyuah exclaimed in embarrassment and made excuses.
She shouted that she had had multiple lovers, but she didn’t do such a promiscuous act.
Well, yes.
3P is crossing the line no matter what.
‘It’s so scary.’
My lips are parched.
It’s okay.
Just smile and let it pass without showing any concern-.
“……”Senior Joo-hee is staring at me.
I look away, pretending not to see her.
I reach for some water, but Yoo Ah-rin, who is sitting across from me, is staring at me.
– Don’t do it.
When I mouth those words, Yoo Ah-rin glances at Choi Yi-seo, who is next to her.
Yoo Ah-rin, who had been glaring at Choi Yi-seo and me as we whispered to each other earlier.
– Fold it.
She smiles and folds one of her two remaining fingers.
To make matters worse, the remaining finger is her middle finger, so she naturally flips me off.
“Ooooooh!”
“Wow, she did it!”
“Hollywood! This is Hollywood!”
Exclamations erupt from all around.
I quickly bow my head under Yoo Ah-rin’s gaze, which is pressuring me to fold one of my fingers.
Before I know it, Choi Yi-seo’s hand is gripping my thigh so tightly that it hurts.
“Woo-jin-ah.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I try to answer in a trembling voice.
“If you fold that, you’re dead.”
She’s smiling, but her voice is cold and her eyes are dead.
I don’t want to fold it either.
If I don’t, it’s obvious what Yoo Ah-rin will say.
Swoosh.
In the end, one of my fingers is carefully folded.
And at the moment when everyone’s shocked gaze falls on me again.
Creak!
Choi Yi-seo pushes her chair back and stands up, not even looking at me, and says softly.
“Outside.”
And then she walks out of the dakgalbi restaurant.
“Ou, outside….”
I have no choice but to follow her, my shoulders slumped and my face downcast.