Seed of Friction – 1

Friday night.

Kim Sung-ah attended school without any absences, and as a reward for that achievement, she suggested drinking.

Although she was of legal drinking age, Inho was initially worried about whether it was okay for a student to drink, but he thought it was right to give her a suitable reward, so he picked up some alcohol at the mart.

He decided to make bacon-wrapped rice cakes, which he often made when he drank alone.

He wrapped rice cake skewers with bacon and then secured them with toothpicks.

Then, he put them on a frying pan and grilled them until golden brown.

Depending on preference, it was also delicious to dip them in mustard sauce.

Of course, it was also delicious to eat them as is, as the salty flavor of the bacon permeated the rice cake.

As the appetizing smell spread through the kitchen, Kim Sung-ah, who had been sitting in a chair, came up behind him.

“Is this the snack? I’ve never seen it before.”

She stood on tiptoe and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“I think I would have been disappointed if you knew a lot about snacks.”

He glanced sideways. His eyes met her mysterious pupils, and he turned his face forward again.

“Heh… is that so?”

Taking her chin off his shoulder, she began to massage his shoulders with both hands.

Her hands were small, so the massage wasn’t very effective, but he still felt her sincerity.

While massaging his shoulders, she subtly ran her fingers over his neck.

Seeing that he so easily exposed his neck, which could be considered a vital point, she wondered if their relationship had become much closer.

After she had been fiddling with it for a while, he said while flipping the bacon.

“Why don’t you set the table?”

“Okay~”

Humming to herself, she skillfully began to set the table.

She glanced at him. She could see his back as he concentrated.

“Ahjussi. Hurry, hurry.”

She looked at his reliable figure with satisfaction, and then she opened her mouth.

“Wait.”

I’m not lonely anymore.

Kim Sung-ah muttered softly.

“Haa….”

Kim Sung-ah picked up her fourth can of beer.

“Aren’t you drinking too much?”

He asked, putting his third can of beer to his lips.

“What does it matter? It’s my day off tomorrow anyway.”

“In my day, we went to school on Saturdays to study, but these days you don’t go at all….”

“Wow, it must have been a long time ago. Did you do mandatory self-study too?”

“What if I did?”

“Tteul.”

She covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled, and

“Jeul.”

He responded by making a mountain with his fingers.

“The alcohol is really hitting me tonight.”

She emptied half of it in one gulp and picked up a bacon-wrapped rice cake.

Using her front teeth to pull it out of the toothpick, she felt the savory smell and juices of the bacon at the same time.

“What should we do tomorrow?”

“You have to study.”

“Eck.”

Her expression twisted as if she had eaten mint chocolate.

“What do you mean, ‘eck’? Let’s take this opportunity to find out which schools and departments you want to apply to. Come to think of it, I haven’t even checked your grades.”

Regardless, he put the last remaining bacon-wrapped rice cake in his mouth.

“High school seniors don’t have time to rest. You have to study.”

It was a perfectly natural thing for him to say, but she didn’t think so.

“Tteul.”

She tilted her head diagonally and sipped her beer, and

“Jeul.”

He said, chewing on the bacon.

The two sat at the table and silently enjoyed the afterglow.

The tipsy mind and the fullness filled with snacks kept them sitting in their chairs.

Just as the topic of conversation had run out, the two of them didn’t say anything.

“……..”

“……..”

Kim Sung-ah looked at his face.

He stared blankly at the beer can. Was he thinking about something using it as a medium? She was curious.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Huh?”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Just, old memories.”

“You look so wistful. Are you thinking about your ex-girlfriend or something?”

Clearly, she was joking. She expected him to jump up and deny it at her mischievous question.

“…No.”

However, the emotion that flashed across his face was not what she wanted.

“What.”

Her voice lowered without her even realizing it.

Her heart tightened.

“Really?”

“I told you, no.”

Avoiding her gaze as she narrowed her eyes, he said with a sigh.

After staring at him for a long time, she leaned back in her chair and shrugged.

“Ha, well… it’s none of my business. Whether it’s true or not. Haha….”

Changing the atmosphere with a listless voice, she said her stomach hurt and went upstairs to the second floor and didn’t come down.

She was probably in her room, watching YouTube.

“……..”

The drinking session ended awkwardly.

As he was about to clean up, he took a can of beer from the refrigerator and drank it straight down.

The small, needle-like carbonation irritated his throat.

His body, heavy with alcohol, called him back to his chair.

“……..”

He stared meaninglessly at the unlit living room.

“Ex-girlfriend, huh….”

With that murmur, he closed his eyes.

[Oppa, you’re so selfish.]

[Yeah, you’re right. Are you satisfied now?]

[Why do you always make me the bad guy?]

The memories he wanted to throw away were eventually dragged out again.

At that vivid voice, he bit his lower lip.

People were gone, hearts were gone, and even the emotions of that time had faded, but

The memory of his first girlfriend and ex-girlfriend always followed him like shackles.

His first love was clumsy, lacking, and lonely, always seeking affection.

“Ah, I need a drink.”

He truly wanted to forget that memory.