Ch.6464. Afterparty

After the greetings with all the visitors ended, only the Spirit members and graduates remained in the spacious auditorium.

“Hey, everyone.”

Jaejun, who had been working hard as Seo-eun’s photographer, gathered the current students.

“Let’s take a group photo now. First-years, get up on the stage.”

The first-year students rushed onto the stage at their senior’s command.

The boys put their arms around each other’s shoulders in the back row, while the girls posed with their waists slightly bent.

“One! Two! Three!”

After making them strike about three different poses in succession, Jaejun let out a deep sigh.

“Hey. Now 23rd batch, get up there.”

Despite his gruff attitude, Jaejun diligently fulfilled his duties as a senior.

“Oppa! You have to take good pictures of us~”

Seo-eun’s smile was bright and innocent, but Jaejun knew better.

He knew what hell awaited him if he didn’t take proper photos.

Seo-eun was the Spirit’s issue.

She was an especially passionate president who couldn’t help but be involved in anything related to the 23rd batch.

“How should we arrange ourselves?”

Compared to the 24th batch, there were significant height differences among the members, making it difficult to achieve a balanced look by standing in a row.

“Hey, Choi Gang. Just sit in the front.”

Hana forcibly seated Gang in the center.

“And the rest of us will put our hands on Gang’s head. Like we’re doing a team cheer.”

“What are you doing! Yoon Hana!”

As they tried to place their hands on his head as if praying to a Buddha statue, Gang glared at Hana with wide eyes.

“Hey, we’re just playing the role of bonito flakes.”

Treating him exactly like a takoyaki topping!

Gang was so dumbfounded he couldn’t even properly retort.

“Shall we? Gang-ah~ Then excuse me?”

Seo-eun promptly placed her hand on Gang’s head.

Not to be outdone, Hana placed her hand on top.

Juyeon, while looking hesitant, placed her small hand on top of Hana’s.

“Hey, Lee Suhyeok. What are you doing? Put yours on too.”

Standing next to Suhyeok, Hana tilted her chin as if to say “what are you waiting for?”

Her expression was full of mischief, like a playful troublemaker.

While he was concerned about Gang’s dignity, seeing Jaejun sighing on the other side made him realize he couldn’t delay any longer.

“I’m taking the picture! One. Two. Three!”

Having resigned himself to the situation, Gang made a V-sign with a cheerful face.

Only lesser men would worry about such things!

Gang was secretly happy to be the center of attention.

The seniors watched with warm expressions as the 23rd batch struck their comical pose.

“What pose did we do back then?”

“I think we did a soccer team pose?”

“No, no. That was in our first year. In second year, we had Jiseon lying down.”

“Ah, I think those photos got deleted when I changed phones.”

Finally, all the Spirit members gathered together to take one big family photo.

Suhyeok witnessed his gallery filling up with numerous photos for the first time in a long while.

After deciding to meet tomorrow afternoon for stage cleanup, everyone poured out of the auditorium and headed to a bar.

“Juyeon, you have the keys, right?”

When Seo-eun asked to confirm, Juyeon, the key keeper, nodded her head.

Traditionally, post-performance gatherings were grand affairs.

Gatherings attended by graduates always featured luxurious side dishes that couldn’t be enjoyed on ordinary days.

“Ah, I’m going to die. I’m getting wasted tonight.”

Hana’s eyes blazed with excitement.

“You’ll be done after half a bottle anyway.”

Gang doused her fire with his comment, like pouring water on flames.

“Half a bottle is still alcohol, isn’t it?”

“Just go home quietly today.”

“Even if I’m dying, I won’t ask you for help.”

“Then who will you ask?”

Gang was usually the number one person called upon for physical labor.

Hana turned her back abruptly and grabbed Suhyeok’s arm.

“I’ll ask Suhyeok!”

“Huh? Ask what?”

Suhyeok, who had been talking with Juyeon, looked puzzled and asked for an explanation.

“Take responsibility for me if I die.”

Hana looked up at Suhyeok with a burst of laughter.

Suhyeok laughed along, but it was difficult for him to take her joke lightly.

Hana is a friend.

Hana is a friend.

Hana is a friend.

Why was his heart racing so much at such casual words between friends?

Suhyeok bit his lip slightly, just enough not to hurt his front teeth.

“Hey, answer me. Suhyeok. You’ll take responsibility, right?”

Her eyes were like a cat waiting for treats.

Suhyeok had no right to refuse.

“…I’ll try my best.”

“Suhyeok, don’t indulge Yoon Hana. You’ll end up being her errand boy.”

Gang shook his head as if looking at a husband who had married the wrong wife.

“No way~ Today is a day when no one takes responsibility~”

Seo-eun shouted, linking arms with Juyeon and Hana.

“Today is the day we all die together!”

President Lee Seo-eun.

Just for today, she’s becoming an unbridled colt!

* * *

“Back then, it was really something… We just drank straight soju on the field. With a pack of kimchi.”

“Wow… Those were the truly romantic days! Hyung! That’s the real rock spirit…”

Why… is this happening…

Suhyeok sipped his soju, suppressing the urge to cry.

His table luck could be considered the worst possible.

A drinking party with an equal ratio of graduates and current students.

Naturally, everyone was seated randomly to encourage mingling.

At a table where various batches were mixed together.

Suhyeok ended up at a remote table with two of the oldest seniors.

“Suhyeok, do you want anything else to eat?”

The good thing was that he was with a senior who was paying, so he could order whatever he wanted.

However, given Suhyeok’s personality, he couldn’t comfortably ask for anything.

“I’m… fine… just with the oden soup broth…”

“Relax! Suhyeok! Be comfortable!”

Please stop.

I’m going to die from discomfort.

Suhyeok awkwardly smiled and downed another shot of soju.

When there was nothing to say, it was natural to keep drinking.

Sigh… I wonder if the other tables are having fun…

Suhyeok’s gaze drifted toward the tables where most of the first and second-year students were gathered.

Gang was downing a beer glass full of soju in one shot as if showing off.

Sohye was clapping enthusiastically beside him.

Taeho was smiling brightly, and Juyeon was cozily attached to Seo-eun’s side!

I… I want to go over there too…!

Though he didn’t say it out loud, Suhyeok was crying inside.

“Suhyeok, if you want to join them, you can go.”

The senior sitting across from him smiled bitterly and encouraged Suhyeok.

“No, I’m fine here too.”

How could he actually leave after being told he could?

Suhyeok had enough social awareness for that.

“Seniors~”

While praying for a second round to escape this torture.

An angel appeared before Suhyeok.

It was Hana who sat down in the empty seat next to him.

Her cheeks were already tinged with a light pink, suggesting she had consumed some alcohol.

“Oh! Hana! Want a drink?”

Hana was popular even among the older seniors.

“Of course! Who else would receive a drink if not me?”

Hana politely extended both hands to receive the glass.

“Hey, Suhyeok. You drink too.”

Hana poured soju into his glass.

Suhyeok wasn’t sure if he was reading it correctly, but her eyes seemed to say, “You only have me, right?”

“To the eternal glory of Spirit!”

“Ah~ Cheers~”

The alcohol slid down his throat accompanied by the clear sound of clinking glass.

Hana rested her head on Suhyeok’s shoulder.

“Seniors~”

“What?”

“Could we possibly get an ice cream chance?”

“Wow~ Hana. You really see us as just wallets, huh?”

“So is that a yes or a no?”

Having already built up a lot of goodwill last year, the seniors found Hana simply adorable.

“Hey, buy some for the others too.”

A senior who couldn’t resist her charm readily handed over his card.

“Ah! Thank you~”

Hana jumped up and grabbed Suhyeok’s wrist.

“Then I’ll borrow him too! Senior!”

“Sure! Go ahead!”

Hana rushed out of the bar as if someone was chasing them, though no one was.

Outside, the sky was already dark, indicating it was late at night.

“Suhyeokie.”

This wasn’t the first time Suhyeok had been drinking with Hana.

He could immediately tell she was drunk.

“Good job.”

Hana reached out and ruffled his hair vigorously.

“Must’ve been hard dealing with the oppas!”

“No… it wasn’t that hard.”

“It wasn’t…? I went there to rescue you, so it was for nothing…?”

With an exaggerated gesture, she covered her mouth and tried to push Suhyeok back into the bar.

“Damn. You go back in.”

“No! Actually, I was really happy! I thought you were my only hope! Please don’t push me back in there! I’ll be really good! Wow! I was about to cry because it was so hard!”

When his obvious lie fell apart, Hana giggled and pinched Suhyeok’s cheek.

“I knew it… Hehehe… But tomorrow will be okay!”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah! We agreed to hang out just the two of us tomorrow.”

Suhyeok had been so caught up in the long day that he hadn’t thought about tomorrow.

“Ah. That’s right.”

“That’s right? Ah, that’s right?”

Hana frowned as if disappointed.

“What? Don’t you want to hang out?”

“No? When did I say that?”

“Right? You’re looking forward to it too, right?”

The crimson streetlight illuminated Hana.

“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”

The phrase “sorry for being cute.”

He used to think it was a ridiculous and inappropriate expression.

But today, Suhyeok could fully understand the origin of that phrase.

Hana’s cuteness was a crime.

A major crime that kept threatening their friendship.

If Suhyeok lost control and made a sudden move tomorrow, it would all be Hana’s fault.

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to it too.”

At Suhyeok’s response, Hana pulled his wrist once more.