59 – Reunion (4)

“Ugh…”

Hayoon, who had shared the liquor mouth-to-mouth with Woo Shin-hyung just like she had with Han Seol-ah, hiccuped.

“What was that sound? Don’t tell me you’re drunk?”

“Ah, no. I’m not drunk, hic…”

Hayoon desperately shook her head at Han Seol-ah’s question, trying to deny it, but the hiccups stubbornly continued.

Even if she had only taken small sips while sharing mouth-to-mouth, the amount couldn’t have been more than a mouthful. To have such a reaction, she couldn’t understand what kind of body she had.

She wondered if it was because she was an Awakened, but Han Seol-ah, with wide eyes, was already sipping her third glass of wine. Her face was perfectly fine, unlike Hayoon’s, which was flushed bright red.

Still, she wasn’t completely out of it. She just had hiccups and a red face, but her thoughts and actions were still normal.

Hayoon fanned her hot face with her hand and took a deep breath. Han Seol-ah, who had been watching her, smiled playfully as if she had a fun idea.

“Hayoon, did you drink or smoke before you became an Awakened?”

“Huh? Yes…”

“How much did you smoke? A pack a day? Or two?”

“About two packs…”

“You were a heavy smoker? Then it must have been pretty tough at the training center. They don’t allow drinking or smoking there.”

To be honest, there were so many crazy things happening that she didn’t even have time to think about drinking or smoking, but hearing Han Seol-ah’s words made her feel a sudden craving.

Especially since she was lacking nicotine to calm her mind and body. Hayoon nodded in agreement, and Han Seol-ah smiled and asked,

“Want a smoke?”

“…Is that okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? This isn’t the training center, and the only people who can order you around are me and Master.”

“If it’s okay, then please.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Han Seol-ah muttered, surprised by Hayoon’s forceful words, which were different from her usual timid self.

Hayoon was worried that she was going to say something, but instead, she took out a rectangular pack from the bag she had placed next to her.

It was a popular brand of cigarettes, commonly known as Reds. Hayoon’s eyes widened because she thought rich people would all smoke expensive cigars.

Han Seol-ah chuckled at the sight.

“What’s with that face? Did you think rich people would be any different?”

“Well… yes…”

“That’s right. I don’t usually smoke these.”

She readily admitted, opened the pack, and took out one of the six remaining cigarettes.

“This isn’t an ordinary cigarette. It’s a little better.”

“A little better…?”

“Well, it’s better to try it once than to talk about it ten times. Here, say ‘ah’~”

“Ah, aah-“

Hayoon had no choice but to open her mouth and receive the cigarette as she made a nasal sound and tried to put the filter in her mouth. Then, with a chak sound, she brought the end to the flame that appeared in front of her and lit it.

Hoo- She inhaled with the filter in her mouth, and the smoke filled her mouth along with the sound of burning.

Normally, she would smoke by filling her lungs instead of just holding it in her mouth, but Hayoon wasn’t stupid.

Her body wasn’t the same as before she became an Awakened. Instead of lungs that were rotten from smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, she had brand new ones.

If she inhaled the smoke straight into these lungs from the start, she would definitely be crying and sniffling as if she were in a chemical warfare drill.

Hayoon slowly exhaled the smoke, savoring the bitter taste of the cigarette.

Because she didn’t inhale deeply, she didn’t get the usual dizzy feeling, but watching the rising smoke made her feel calm.

She repeated the process of holding and exhaling the smoke a few times without saying a word, and when she felt somewhat accustomed to it, she inhaled deeply.

“Ugh-heuugh…”

Her nose tingled and she felt like she was about to cough as the smoke seeped into her lungs. Tears welled up in her eyes, but Hayoon smiled at the dizzying sensation. This was why she smoked.

“You’re smoking deliciously. Do you like it?”

“Hehe, yeees, I like it-“

Hayoon, who answered in a languid voice, put the cigarette in her mouth again and inhaled the smoke. The soft music playing in the background swirled around her ears and whispered. At the sound, she smiled as if she had heard a funny joke.

“Hayoon looks pretty when she smiles.”

“Thank you…”

“Give me one too. Watching you makes me want to smoke.”

“Should I smoke with you?”

“Do as you please.”

With a chak sound, the master and servant shared a kiss with the white stick. Hayoon’s eyes widened at the smoke rising as it burned.

The rising white smoke was like a dragon ascending to heaven.

No, that couldn’t be. Was she hallucinating because nicotine had seeped into her brain after a long time? Hayoon rubbed her eyes and looked at the smoke again.

Of course, she didn’t see a dragon.

“Hwaaa- feels good…”

Han Seol-ah, who had her arm around Hayoon’s waist, muttered as she exhaled the smoke.

She felt like her head was opening up and her mind and body were becoming relaxed. It was a little troubling that a silly smile was popping up on its own, but so what? This was why she smoked.

Ignoring her upturned lips, she tilted the glass she had refilled with wine. It was several times sweeter and tastier than what she had drunk earlier. It was no exaggeration to say it was the best thing in the world.

“Keu- huh?”

Han Seol-ah, who was giggling and making sounds like an old man, turned her head at the intense gaze.

She saw Hayoon staring at her with drool dripping from her mouth.

She wondered if she wanted more cigarettes, but seeing her looking at the wine still left in the glass, Han Seol-ah asked,

“Do you want a glass too?”

“Is, is that okay…?”

“Of course.”

Besides, now that she had smoked, it was about time she started to get thirsty.

Of course, she wasn’t going to just give it to her. The wine poured out with a glug glug glug sound, filling the glass to the brim. Han Seol-ah burst into laughter as she watched Hayoon’s expression, who had been looking at it with anticipation, gradually sour.

Did she think she was going to give it to her normally? Her brain must not be working properly because she had smoked something that gave her a happy feeling.

Thinking so, Han Seol-ah carefully handed over the glass, which was overflowing, and said,

“Here! I poured you a lot because you seemed very thirsty! Aren’t you grateful?”

“Thank you…”

Her lips were still smiling, even though she had a sullen expression. Han Seol-ah, who was watching her, also had a silly smile on her face. Their eyes weren’t smiling, but they were both wearing big smiles.

Hayoon swallowed hard as she looked at the wine that was filled to the brim.

She had accepted it, but she was sure that she would get drunk if she drank it. Her body was already hiccuping after drinking only one or two sips, so if she drank a glass full like this, it would definitely happen.

But even as she thought that, her hand reached for the glass and moved it towards her mouth. She was too thirsty from watching Han Seol-ah drink.

Hayoon touched her lips to the rim of the glass and slowly tilted it. As the crimson liquid poured into her mouth and touched her tongue, her eyes widened.

‘Sweet…’

It wasn’t just sweet. No matter what sweet food she brought, it wouldn’t be as sweet as this wine.

Glug- glug- Her throat moved and the wine that had been filling the glass disappeared quickly. The master and servant who were watching her were so impressed that they exclaimed, “Ooh-” as the glass disappeared as if she had opened her throat and poured it straight in.

“Hwaa-“

Hayoon, who had completely emptied the glass and put it down, momentarily witnessed a scene where the world rapidly shrank and then expanded again.

She wondered if she had finally gotten drunk, but her mind was still clear.

Look, wasn’t she thinking clearly like this? Her face wasn’t hot, and she wasn’t hiccuping.

Instead, her head was a little fuzzy, so Hayoon stared at the air for a while with the glass in her hand.

“Ha-yoo-nah-?”

“Yes-?”

Han Seol-ah’s voice came from the side, very drawn out. Hayoon looked at Han Seol-ah as she answered in a drawn-out voice.

Her face was waving like waves. Hayoon couldn’t help but smile as she watched her face swaying.

It was definitely a bizarre sight, but she didn’t feel scared or anything. She just kept smiling.

“Hehe…”

“She’s completely gone, isn’t she?”

Han Seol-ah said as she looked at Hayoon, who was smiling with a blank expression and dilated pupils.

Woo Shin-hyung blew smoke into a donut shape and then rubbed the cigarette against the ashtray to put it out, asking,

“Is she completely useless?”

“It’s not that bad, it seems like it’s because she took medicine and alcohol and something she wasn’t used to all at once.”

The cigarette that the three of them shared wasn’t an ordinary cigarette, of course. It was something classified as a drug, but with low dependency and added psychoactive effects.

The effects were limited to amplifying the senses and making you feel happy, but it seemed like it was too stimulating for Hayoon.

Han Seol-ah, who had returned to her expressionless face, filled the empty glass and sipped it, saying,

“Hayoon.”

“Hehee, yeees…”

“Do you want to stand up?”

“Yes, I will!”

Hayoon stood up abruptly and staggered. She didn’t fall, but she couldn’t help but stare at the swaying butt in front of her.

Han Seol-ah lifted her leg and kicked the butt that was flickering in front of her.

“Agh!”

Hayoon fell helplessly, face first, but wasn’t seriously injured. The red wine-colored carpet on the floor cushioned her fall.

But it couldn’t absorb all the impact, so blood dripped from Hayoon’s nose.

“Blood…”

It was a similar color to the carpet on the floor, so it wasn’t noticeable even when it fell on the ground.

Hayoon blankly looked at the dripping nosebleed and then stood up again, saying,

“I’m bleeding.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Blank words and blank answers. Their eyes met in the air, but there was no meaning in it.

It was just a feeling that if they were looking over there, they would look over here too. Han Seol-ah wasn’t thinking properly either, probably because she was also on drugs.

However, she was just more lucid than Hayoon. Han Seol-ah, who had woken up her mind with alcohol, leaned on Woo Shin-hyung’s shoulder and said,

“Hayoon, do you remember the dance we did earlier?”

“Dance?”

“Yeah. The one where you shake your chest and shake your butt.”

Han Seol-ah said that and then, as she looked at the bunny girl outfit Hayoon was wearing, she made an ‘ah’ sound as if she had remembered something.

“No, not that. Imitate a bunny, imitate a bunny.”

“Imitate a bunny?”

“Like this, put your hands up by your head and hop, hop-“

Hayoon watched the demonstration with a languid face and then nodded, saying,

“I’ll try!”

Then, just like Han Seol-ah had done, she put her hands up by her head to make bunny ears and squatted down, jumping slightly.

“Hop, hop…”

“Ahaha-“

Han Seol-ah burst into laughter at the sight of her dangling breasts and bunny ears, making bunny ears with her hands and jumping around.

“They’re playing well.”

Woo Shin-hyung sipped his alcohol as he watched them. Even though he said that, he had a smile on his face too.

Author’s Note

Hop, hop