episode_0372

…Hmm.

What is this?

A delicious smell…

Ah, I got it. This is ramen.

The kind Jiyun loves the most…

The one she always stacks in the cupboard and boils to eat… That…

The really spicy one…

“…Hmm…”

A spicy, salty, intensely stimulating and overpowering aroma.

A scent so strong that any human would inevitably react to it. As it tickled the tip of my nose, I finally sniffed and forced my eyelids open.

Whoa, wait. This must be a hangover…

I’d only heard about it, but I never knew my head could throb this badly.

So this is why my friends would sometimes curse their hangovers and collapse in pain…

Sigh… I wouldn’t normally drink this much, but the mood just kept pushing me to keep going…

I rolled onto my side and pressed my fingers into my forehead and temples, but it didn’t help at all.

All I could focus on was the spicy ramen smell wafting in from the kitchen.

Hmm. Waking up hungry must mean I’ve been passed out in bed for a while.

Fumbling for my phone, I turned it on—it was already past brunch, almost lunchtime.

Looking at the time, I groaned, stretched, and shoved aside the blanket that was curled up like a corpse next to me before sitting up.

The aftermath of last night was still too strong, so just lifting my upper body was a struggle.

…Huh? Wait.

Who changed my clothes? I don’t remember changing…

Actually, how did I even get home? Did one of my friends bring me back?

The only one who lives in the same direction is Dabin…

I feel like I can vaguely recall something, but the pounding hangover makes it hard.

“I dunno…”

Jiyun must’ve changed my clothes somehow.

And Dabin probably brought me home.

I should send her a thank-you text once I’m a little more functional.

Keeping my thoughts as simple as possible, I swung my legs off the bed and trudged toward the source of the ramen smell.

“…Oh. You’re up?”

“Yeah… Just now…”

Opening the door, the kitchen came into view.

In that space where the boundary between the kitchen and living room blurred, Jiyun stood in front of a steaming pot.

Except her outfit was a little—no, very—skimpy.

…If you’re not gonna button your pajamas at all, just wear a spare hoodie or something.

You used to say things like “Keep those dolphin shorts to yourself,” but now you wear them all the time…

Anyway. Maybe it’s because the three of us have been doing embarrassing things together lately.

Lost in unnecessary thoughts, I coughed awkwardly and shuffled closer to the stove.

Mostly because I wanted to fill my stomach first.

“Were you making ramen because I didn’t cook?”

“That, and I thought it might help with your hangover. And also…”

“Heh. You’re always nagging like a stray cat… But you do love your unnie, huh?”

“It’s hot. Get off.”

“Oh, right. What were you gonna do if I didn’t wake up?”

“Pour ramen in your nose. You’d wake up even if you hated it.”

“You always say that… But you’d never actually do it.”

“Then go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when the ramen’s ready.”

“No. No. Washing bedsheets is the most annoying thing in the world…”

“Ugh… I said it’s hot…”

When I clung to Jiyun’s arm, she flinched like she’d gotten goosebumps before shoving me away with an annoyed grunt.

I almost wondered if this was some third party disguised as Jiyun, given she was making hangover ramen for me, but apparently not.

…Speaking of which, this alcohol smell. When is it gonna fade?

Sniffing at the faint booze stench on my sleeve and pajama collar, I quickly ducked into the bathroom before the ramen was done.

I probably passed out as soon as I got home last night without washing up, and a quick rinse with water wouldn’t take long.

When I came out after a quick wash, I saw Jiyun—now wearing cute kitchen gloves—transferring the ramen pot.

I was just tilting my head to check if she’d grabbed utensils and plates when—

“…Noona. You’re awake?”

“…Huh?”

On the living room couch,

Woojin was rubbing his eyes like he’d just woken up.

Still in the same clothes he’d been wearing outside, no less.

372

“Ugh… I’m tired…”

“Hey. Seo Woojin. Get the utensils.”

“Hold on… What about rice? Are we eating?”

“The rice cooker’s over there, not here. I’ll handle it, just bring the utensils. And plates.”

“Ah, okay.”

…What?

Why is he here?

Did Jiyun call him over? Suddenly?

Well, I did notice she was boiling one more ramen than usual…

Wait, no, hold on—I must look awful right now.

If only I hadn’t downed so much alcohol last night…

Ughhh…

“…? What, Lee Hayun. What now? Why are you just standing there? Come sit down.”

“It’s just… …Why is Woojin here?”

“Seo Woojin was the one who brought you home last night. Don’t you remember?”

“…No.”

“…Sigh. You really need to drink in moderation…”

“……”

Ah.

So it wasn’t Dabin—it was Woojin who brought me back.

…No, no, that’s not the important part.

Well, it is, but—

I’m in such a state right now…

Ugh…

I don’t know.

Whatever happens, happens.

Hiding behind the wall, I cleared my throat unnecessarily before timidly approaching the table.

There was no reason to, but I picked a fight with Jiyun, who happened to be nearby.

“W-We have a guest, and you’re serving ramen…?”

“In the 20 years we’ve lived together, have you ever seen me cook with my own hands?”

“…”

Her shamelessness left me speechless.

But with Woojin clattering around over there, I couldn’t just stand there looking pathetic.

So I tried to act like the dignified older sister I was supposed to be, but—

“Here. Noona.”

“…Thanks.”

Woojin smoothly handed me utensils right between me and my sister, ruining my timing.

…Looking back, it was kind of embarrassing, so maybe it was for the best.

“Ah, I forgot the ladle.”

“While you’re at it, grab the tongs. And some water.”

“Hold on.”

The meal afterward went surprisingly smoothly.

We just transferred the perfectly cooked ramen to our plates, ate noisily, and that was it.

Honestly, I wanted to casually ask what happened last night—like how Woojin ended up bringing me home—but the mood was… Well. A little…

Not bad, but… Awkward?

If I asked outright, Jiyun would probably peck at me like a sparrow—”Did you really black out that hard? Are you sane?”

So I just slurped the spicy red broth a few times and finished the meal in silence.

Leaving only a fleeing remark like, “I’m gonna go wash up first.”

“Sigh…”

At least bits of memory were slowly coming back.

Squeezing mint toothpaste onto my brush, I scrubbed noisily while piecing together the blank spots.

So, I remember around that time.

When the drinking mood was at its peak, one of my friends kept prefacing questions with “Honestly…”

“Honestly, honestly, honestly…… Did you sleep with the health teacher?” or something like that.

I remember getting caught because I answered, “Why would you even ask that—”

They said if I hadn’t done it, that reaction wouldn’t make sense.

That I must’ve done it if I responded like that.

Something along those lines.

…But after that…

I think I ended up telling them about my first time.

Not in detail,

just a rough summary… with a little MSG sprinkled in.

And then, without thinking, I even demonstrated Woojin’s…

…Size…

“……”

Lee Hayun, you insane bitch.

What were you thinking, acting that out with your hands?

If my memory’s right, it was just for a second, but they all saw it.

Even Dabin, who was right next to me. All of them.

…And that’s not even the worst part. The bigger issue is the lies I mixed into my first-time story.

I said that since I’m a year older, I took the lead like a proper noona.

But after that vivid demonstration, there’s no way they believed me.

Especially since three of them, including Dabin, already have boyfriends…!

So they’d either think the size was a lie…

Or that instead of taking the lead, I got absolutely wrecked by Woojin…

“…Ptooey… Ugh, so freaking embarrassing…”

This is bad. I need to check the group chat with my friends ASAP.

Seeing my flushed cheeks in the mirror, I quickly rinsed my mouth and wiped my lips on the towel hanging on the wall.

Shower later.

Right now, rescuing myself from becoming their plaything is top priority.

And with the sun high in the sky, none of them would still be asleep. They’re probably roasting me alive.

Rushing out of the bathroom, I saw Woojin and Jiyun chatting while moving dishes to the sink.

I told them I’d handle the dishes and they should rest, then snatched my phone from the bedside to fire off a message in the group chat—

“Hayun noona.”

—or tried to.

“Ah, yeah, hold on. I’m kinda busy…”

“What are you doing?”

Before I could react, Woojin—fresh from brushing his teeth—made his presence known at the door.

“J-Just texting friends…”

“Why are you hiding it? It’s not like you’re doing anything bad. Doesn’t seem that urgent either.”

“No, it’s just…”

Glancing at my phone while answering him, I noticed the unread count had dropped by one.

The girls were already spamming the chat—asking if it was Dabin or me.

And just as I feared, they were mocking what I’d said last night…

The lingering buzz made my head spin, but I forced myself to stay composed.

“I-It’s private…! This is private…!”

“I know. It’s not like I’m forcing you to show me.”

“…Right… Yeah…”

Woojin just sat next to me, uninterested in my phone, and kept brushing his teeth.

Listening to the rhythmic brushing sounds,

I glanced back down and discreetly checked the chat.

Now that I was calmer, I saw they weren’t going as hard as I’d feared.

More like… they didn’t fully believe it?

It all felt too unrealistic, maybe.

Realizing this might actually be better, I decided to play along.

If you don’t wanna believe it, don’t! —that kind of vibe.

They’d probably tease me a bit and then lose interest.

Relieved, I let out a quiet sigh—

“Noona. About what Jiyun and I were talking about earlier.”

“Huh, huh?!”

—just as Woojin lightly touched my knee.

I reacted like a startled kitten, puffing up and hiding my phone behind my back.

“Want to go for a walk? The three of us, to clear our heads?”

“…A walk?”

“Yeah. Though it’s more like…”

“…”

“…Jiyun seemed like she wanted to do something. Not sure what exactly.”

“…Ah, um.”

“Does noona have any guesses?”

“……”

What does Jiyun want right now?

With a vague idea forming,

…Why is it already…?

Did they just let me sleep in out of consideration…?

Ughh… I want kongnamul-guk…

Ah, wait. A message…

…From Baek Jihyo.

…

…I’ll reply later. Lunch first…