Chapter 30.1

Chapter 30.1

The impression of the first alcohol he ever drank was simple.

‘Not bad.’

It just tasted like a soft drink. As Yeon-ha set the cup down, she felt a bit flustered. She had a vague sense of tension, but it was just a refreshing fizzy feeling. Of course, something like soju would be much harsher.

“…Give me a bit more.”

“What?”

“No, I just don’t feel anything.”

Min-gyu looked at her with an incredulous expression on his small, tilted face.

“What feeling are you looking for after just that?”

“Exactly, it’s too little.”

With a calm agreement, he let out a chuckle. In the end, she ended up drinking another cup, but still felt nothing.

‘It’s kind of tasty, I guess.’

As she reflected on the cool and spicy aftertaste, Min-gyu went into the room to answer a phone call. In the meantime, Yeon-ha poured herself another drink. The call wasn’t long, so she couldn’t drink more than one cup…

“What are you doing?”

Min-gyu, who had returned before she knew it, clicked his tongue. He decided it was time to stop drinking and clean up. Was he worried she might get drunk and start acting out?

“I don’t think I’ll eat anything else. Should we clean up?”

As expected, proactive Min-gyu began tidying up as soon as she nodded. While they were clearing the table together, Yeon-ha suddenly stopped him as he reached for a nearly half-full beer bottle. His large hand was covered by her small white one, causing him to pause.

“Let’s just drink one more bottle.”

“……”

The man’s gaze became strange as he silently looked at Yeon-ha’s face, which was almost pleading.

“Even if you try to entice me like that, some things just can’t happen.”

“……”

With his seemingly firm voice, Yeon-ha bit her lip without saying anything else. Well, she didn’t really want to drink that much anyway. As Min-gyu watched her silently finish clearing the table, he ran his hand through his hair, looking a bit awkward.

Just when it seemed they were done cleaning up, they ended up setting up a small drinking table in the living room and sitting side by side less than 30 minutes later. After taking turns brushing their teeth, Min-gyu called out to Yeon-ha, who was on her phone in bed, with an expression that seemed to say he was giving in.

“You look so gloomy; it’s really distracting. Let’s just drink one more bottle and go to bed, like you said.”

He hadn’t really thought much about it… But Yeon-ha didn’t feel the need to add anything. It was true that she felt a bit of regret. On the table were glasses filled with beer they had poured for each other and the snacks Yeon-ha had carelessly bought yesterday.

“What’s with all this rain?”

“Right?”

Yeon-ha nodded and lightly clinked her glass with his. Beyond the darkened window, the sound of heavy rain continued. The cold taste sliding down her throat felt delightful. Yeon-ha thought that maybe it was okay to drink like this once in a while.

Just, very occasionally.

Leaning loosely against the wall while looking out the window, she suddenly felt a sense of tranquility. There were so many things she had to do that it was overwhelming, but in this moment, drinking for the first time and leisurely listening to the sound of the rain felt comforting.

The moment of reflection was broken by a sulky voice beside her.

“The flowers are going to be gone.”

Ah… Yeon-ha paused and turned to the side, holding her breath at how much closer his face was than she had expected. She realized that his large thigh was now pressed closely against hers. Why was she suddenly so aware of the sensation transmitted through their touching bodies? The man, unaware of her feelings, set down his empty glass and added,

“But it’s supposed to clear up tomorrow. Let’s make sure to enjoy what’s left.”

She nodded absentmindedly and then suddenly asked, “But…”

“Why are you sitting next to me today?”

“Hmm?”

“No, you don’t sit like this when we eat.”

When they occasionally had meals together, they naturally sat facing each other. At her sudden remark, he momentarily closed his mouth. Then, without warning, he reached out and tugged at her soft cheek.

“What are you doing…?”

Though he didn’t pull hard enough to hurt, she was slightly taken aback by the sudden touch. He chuckled at her somewhat squished pronunciation.

“Why, do you dislike me sitting next to you?”

“No…!”

Yeon-ha’s eyes widened. That was definitely not the case. It was just that it felt too close, and it was a thought that had slipped out without much consideration.

“I’m just trying to be ready to catch you if you fall over from drinking.”

You never know, Min-gyu exaggeratedly shrugged and bit his lip. Was it the influence of the alcohol? Yeon-ha quietly gazed at his face, which seemed somewhat relaxed. His straight eyebrows and eyes, his sharp and prominent nose, and his slightly upturned lips.

He certainly had an attractive and handsome face, but rather than feeling neat, he gave off a somewhat sharp and unruly vibe. Perhaps because the initial impression of him being a delinquent was firmly embedded in her mind, she wasn’t sure if others felt the same way. Yeon-ha was unaware that she was staring at him a bit too intently.

“Is my face that interesting?”

With a hint of innocence in his eyes, Min-gyu’s lips curled into a smirk. Ignoring the large hand that subtly brushed against her thigh, Yeon-ha opened her mouth. You know…

“Why do you think I dislike you?”

The answer to her carefully considered question came back surprisingly quickly.

“Then, did you avoid me so diligently because you liked me?”

“…At that time.”

Feeling a bit guilty, Yeon-ha couldn’t continue and fell silent. They both had acted as if they didn’t know, but she had definitely avoided him excessively.

Feeling awkward, Yeon-ha finished the remaining drink in her glass. Then, suddenly, she felt a touch on her lips and instinctively opened her mouth. It wasn’t a gentle feeding sensation, but rather a rough hand. As she munched on a snack covered in chocolate powder, Yeon-ha made a half-hearted excuse.

“You look a bit scary.”

“Huh.”

Min-gyu laughed as if he found it ridiculous. He had an expression that was truly baffled.

“So, it’s all my fault, huh?”

His head tilted slightly as he asked, looking quite intimidating. Even so, he didn’t seem scary at all now. At Yeon-ha’s lack of reaction, he made a thoughtful sound.

“Don’t you like my face? You were staring at me just now.”

“…!”

Yeon-ha’s eyes widened at the heavy arm suddenly wrapping around her shoulder. The already close distance had shrunk even more, making it look like she was half-hugging him. The man, tilting his head and smiling at her, had a gaze filled with clear interest.

It felt somewhat dangerous, yet she couldn’t move at all.