Ch.27027. Secret

“Suhyuk! You have to grant Juyeon’s wish later! For real!”

As Seo-eun smiled and sealed the deal, Suhyuk nodded his head up and down.

Juyeon drinking alcohol in my place…

Honestly, since he hadn’t expected anything like the Black Rose game, Suhyuk was overwhelmed with gratitude.

So joining the band does bring days like this!

Suhyuk sent a telepathic thank you that wouldn’t reach her.

Juyeon, who couldn’t possibly have received the signal, was eating snacks placed in front of her while deeply contemplating what wish to make.

I just helped because he seemed to be struggling.

What should I ask him to do for me?

For now, it seemed wiser not to immediately state her wish but to keep it for later.

Fortunately, the drinking games didn’t last long.

This was because the same people kept getting caught—first was Suhyuk, and second was Sohye.

“Ugh… Oppa. I think I’m too drunk.”

Sohye tried to gently lean against Choi Gang’s shoulder with obvious affection.

Choi Gang glanced at her as if looking at a pebble, then abruptly stood up.

“Get up.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ll put you to bed.”

Depending on how one heard it, it was quite a bold statement.

Both the 23rd and 24th year students held their breath watching the scene unfold.

“Are you too drunk to even stand up?”

To others, he just looked like a stern, intimidating bald man, but to Sohye…

‘Oh my! My heart feels like it’s going to burst!’

Pretending to be drunk, Sohye could barely speak coherently.

Choi Gang, seemingly judging that she was hopeless, slipped his hands under her waist.

Like hugging a teddy bear, he lifted Sohye up and dragged her to the room with beds.

‘What! What! What! What! What! What!’

It was worth putting effort into coming to this MT.

This much progress was definitely a breakthrough.

If she could just hold onto him for a moment, their relationship would advance!

“…Huh?”

For a very brief moment, Sohye’s body floated in the air.

Her upper body drew a perfect parabola like a basketball player’s three-point shot before landing on the bed.

Beyond the light coming through the doorway.

All she could see was the silhouette of her senior.

“You are a disgrace to us drummers.”

At Choi Gang’s words, Sohye instantly realized her plan had failed.

* * *

It’s not the strong who survive.

It’s the survivors who are strong.

This applies to drinking gatherings as well.

However, there were also those who merely pretended to be strong…

“Hey… Lee Suhyuk…”

Flushed cheeks.

Slightly unfocused, hazy pupils.

Hana’s hands were caressing Suhyuk’s cheeks.

A scene clearly filled with affection for anyone to see.

Suhyuk didn’t know how to handle Hana in this state.

“Hana. You seem drunk.”

“Who? Me drunk…? Pfft…”

Hana’s skin, not just her hands, kept touching Suhyuk’s body.

The unique warmth transmitted only through skin-to-skin contact.

The body temperature of someone who had been drinking was slightly hotter than usual, leaving a more vivid impression.

Although he knew this wasn’t skinship done with a clear mind, he couldn’t help but be affected.

Hana was possibly the most beautiful girl in the Spirit—no, maybe in the entire department.

This was too much stimulation for Suhyuk, who had never even held hands with a girl.

“Hey… why… don’t I… have a wish…”

“A wish?”

She was secretly upset that Juyeon had beaten her to it.

I was going to do it first.

Why did you have to jump in right when I was about to do it, Park Juyeon?

“If… if I drink… do I get a wish too…?”

Just as Hana twisted her body and grabbed a paper cup, it happened.

“Come on~ Hana~ Let’s go to bed now~”

Seo-eun, who was still in her right mind, hugged Hana tightly.

“I’m not dead~ I’m not sleeping~”

“Yes, you are. You’re dead, Hana. Come to your senses and let’s go to bed?”

Hana was dragged to the “corpse room” in Seo-eun’s grip.

She never came back out.

“Phew…”

About five people were already out of commission.

Now came the main event.

The battle of the strong.

Seo-eun, having successfully put Hana to bed, sat down in the empty spot next to Suhyuk.

“Suhyuk.”

“Yeah.”

Still feeling Hana’s warmth on his body, he looked up at Seo-eun.

“How’s the MT? Fun now that you’re here, right?”

As the president, she needed to check on all members.

Seo-eun was moving from seat to seat, listening to the inner thoughts of her alcohol-intoxicated juniors.

Whether they were adapting well.

If there were any problematic members.

What concerns they might have.

There were occasionally cases where members would build up dissatisfaction and suddenly quit, unable to bear it anymore.

“Yeah. I think so.”

Although he felt sorry about the sloppy soccer and drinking games, he could honestly answer that it was fun.

“Really? How’s band practice?”

“Good.”

It was a clear and transparent answer.

One without any hesitation.

“Heh. That’s a relief. Shall we have a toast, just the two of us?”

Seo-eun filled the glass halfway and offered it to him.

“Looking forward to working with you! Suhyuk!”

“M-me too!”

“And you know what.”

Seo-eun subtly changed the subject.

She didn’t usually like to interfere in others’ love lives, but this was an exception.

Because it involved Suhyuk and Hana.

Not only was Suhyuk lacking in social awareness, but Hana was also a girl who struggled to be honest.

“About Hana.”

“Yeah.”

“You know she prepares really hard for your Tuesday guitar lessons, right?”

“…Really?”

Suhyuk hadn’t thought about it, since she always seemed to progress smoothly.

“Yes. She told me she practices intensively at home to show you.”

“I see…”

He felt both sorry and grateful.

At the same time, he thought she didn’t need to go that far.

“So pay her tuition fee! Lee Suhyuk!”

“Tuition fee?”

“Maybe give her a small gift? She’d like that, and you’d probably feel better too.”

“You’re right. Thanks, noona.”

Suhyuk clenched his fist under the table after hearing Seo-eun’s words.

The president was right.

It wasn’t right to keep getting free lessons without giving anything in return.

Even if not money, he should show his appreciation somehow…

But now that he wanted to give a gift, he wasn’t sure what would be appropriate.

“Good, good! You’ve got the right idea! Now let’s have more fun!”

That was enough nudging.

Beyond this point, things should flow naturally.

Seo-eun moved back to the first-year students’ table.

Suhyuk decided he needed water and walked toward the kitchen.

Where was the water…

There were only empty bottles on the table…

After scanning the floor, Suhyuk found a water bottle and filled a glass.

“M-me too.”

Juyeon’s voice came from behind him.

“Oh. Sure.”

Suhyuk took out a new cup from the cupboard, filled it generously with water, and handed it to her.

Juyeon cupped both hands around the glass and gulped down the water.

She, the champion drinker of this battlefield, was still completely sober.

“Um, about earlier.”

He wanted to express his gratitude for the Black Rose game.

“Thanks for drinking in my place.”

Juyeon looked up at Suhyuk after putting down her water glass.

“It’s nothing.”

“Huh?”

“I-I did it because you promised me a wish.”

This was purely a transaction for a purpose.

Not done out of kindness.

“Still, thank you.”

After all, no one else would have drunk it even with that promise.

When Suhyuk smiled in response, Juyeon seemed to become even more shy.

“I-I’m going to get some fresh air.”

She turned her back abruptly and headed for the entrance.

Suhyuk returned to his seat and rejoined the first-years’ conversation.

“Well then, shall we play a truth game now?”

“A truth game?”

“You know, where you have to answer any question no matter how embarrassing it is.”

“Oh! Let’s do it! Noona!”

This kind of game was actually advantageous for Suhyuk.

Being afraid of a truth game meant you had something to hide.

Suhyuk had nothing to hide, so he had nothing to fear.

If it wasn’t fun, it simply wasn’t fun.

Maybe he could even hear some interesting stories for free.

“Huh? Where did Juyeon go? Did she go to sleep?”

Seo-eun looked around for Juyeon.

“Juyeon said she was going out for some fresh air.”

“Really? Then Suhyuk, could you go get her?”

“Sure.”

Suhyuk got up again, put on slippers, and went out the front door.

The night had deepened, and without lighting, nothing would have been visible.

For some reason, Juyeon wasn’t right in front of the pension building.

Suhyuk walked straight ahead along the front yard without a specific destination.

He found Juyeon in the corner at the back where trash was supposed to be thrown.

He was able to find her easily because of the phone light illuminating her face.

“Juyeon.”

The moment Suhyuk called her name.

“Eek?”

Startled, Juyeon dropped her phone.

-Clack clack clatter

The phone bounced on the decorative gravel on the ground and reached Suhyuk’s feet.

Naturally picking up her phone, Suhyuk couldn’t help but see the screen.

[It’s Yeon! I think I’ll be taking a break from streaming tomorrow ㅠㅠ]

Before he could read the rest of the message, Juyeon snatched the phone from Suhyuk’s hand.

“Did… did you see…?”

Her pupils were trembling with panic.