episode_0046

After talking about myself for a while,

Dad said it was getting late and got up from his seat.

Since he had to go back, he stood up and said we should meet again next time in the car.

His smiling departure seemed like he was boasting about something, which made me even angrier.

Alone with Jiwon in that state,

I looked at Jiwon.

Jiwon was striking a pose as if saying, “I did well,” asking me to praise him.

Seeing him like that, I approached and grabbed him by the collar.

“What were you thinking! Do you want to fight? Is that what you want today?”

Perhaps due to his actions conflicting with his thoughts, Jiwon looked at me in confusion.

Obviously, wasn’t this an invitation to fight rather than praise?

Even though the Oh-Na-Hall incident was already embarrassing enough, he brought up even more embarrassing past events.

In that situation, it was surprising that I didn’t kill Jiwon.

“Wait a minute! Jihoo, just calm down for a moment!”

Jiwon started asking me to calm down.

Releasing his collar, I told him to speak up.

If his reason wasn’t valid, I was really going to hit him.

“Well… Today, you know, Dad seemed really pleased.”

“So?”

His reason wasn’t valid.

I don’t see how his father being pleased has anything to do with me.

Should I grab Jiwon’s collar again? I thought, but…

“Dad! He really likes you!”

“It wasn’t awkward, and it seems like he’s watching over you very well.”

At Jiwon’s words, I froze in place.

Although I heard it with one ear and let it pass through the other due to embarrassment.

Dad really spoke highly of me.

“…Hmm, just let this one slide.”

Upon my words, Jiwon nodded.

It was completely different from when Dad was pleased, so revealing my dark past would make me truly want to die.

Thinking like that, I went back home.

I wondered why I came in the first place.

I should have at least asked for some pocket money since I came all this way.

With that thought in mind, I returned home and lay on the bed.

It felt like cleaning up the house was pointless.

I just felt like I had been through a lot.

While lying on the bed like that,

I felt my phone vibrate.

Who could it be this time? I wondered.

“Why is this guy contacting me?”

A call from someone I never expected to hear from started coming in.

So, I decided to answer it.

“Hello?”

As I answered the call, I heard my brother’s voice.

He wanted to meet briefly today.

It wasn’t too late, so meeting briefly should be fine, I thought.

“I’ll be out for a bit.”

Upon saying I would be out for a bit, Jiwon asked where I was going.

“Just meeting a friend for a bit.”

At that, Jiwon looked slightly surprised and exclaimed.

“Jihoo… That sounds kind of fishy.”

“What nonsense is this?”

“Commonly known as voice phishing, where they pretend to be your friend, ask for money…”

“These scammers…”

Seems like Jiwon thought I didn’t have any friends.

“I have friends too.”

“Yeah… I’m your friend and girlfriend!”

Why is he acting so weird today of all days?

Does he want me to hit him?

Ignoring Jiwon, I decided to just go outside.

**

When I went outside to the agreed meeting place, my brother was waiting there.

“Jaesung hyung!”

Calling out to him, my brother raised both hands and greeted me.

“What’s up? Suddenly calling and all.”

Gu Jaesung, the friend I met in college.

Although he’s currently on leave and not attending school.

Still, we occasionally keep in touch.

“Just… submitting my withdrawal letter.”

“Withdrawing? You’re dropping out?”

Jaesung was taken aback by his brother Jaeseong’s news of withdrawing.

He had never heard of someone dropping out before.

“Just… I thought about why I’m even going to school when I like what I’m doing now.”

Upon hearing that, I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m fine not going to college because I have a mindset that it’s okay. And things are going well with what I’m doing now.”

I nodded at Jaeseong’s words.

He seemed to handle things on his own.

There was nothing I could say to stop him.

I even felt a sense of respect.

Because of my parents, I attend school almost forcibly.

I wanted to drop everything and leave like that.

“Hey, but I’m curious about something.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“That person keeps staring at us. Is it just me feeling that way?”

At his words, I turned my head and saw…

“… Kim Jiwon?”

Behind me was Jiwon, staring at me.

I couldn’t understand why he was acting like that.

Approaching him and asking what he was doing, he replied hesitantly.

“I… who are you? I really don’t know.”

Jiwon insisted that he wasn’t Jiwon.

Argh!

I got so angry that I grabbed his head.

“Oh my! People from the neighborhood! This guy is trying to kill me!”

Jiwon said it hurt and started looking for people from the neighborhood while holding his head.

“Why were you watching me?”

When I asked Jiwon why he was watching, he mumbled something evasively.

“No… Jiho said he was meeting a friend, so it sounded like a lie no matter who heard it.”

This little liar?

Ultimately, he just didn’t believe a word I said.

I was about to meet a friend and send Jiwon home, but he refused to go.

“What’s going on?”

Jaeseong approached, trying to figure out what was happening.

Jaeseong looked surprised when he saw Jiwon and pointed at him, asking, “Girlfriend?”

I quietly nodded in response.

Then he looked at me and muttered, “This bastard…”

“Why suddenly a bastard? I didn’t do anything!”

“Well, how did Seonga take it?”

“We broke up.”

“What…?”

I felt like I needed to explain to my clueless brother, but it seemed like it would get too long here, so I suggested changing locations.

**

I thought we would go to a normal cafe or a simple restaurant after changing locations.

“Let’s have a drink first.”

Jaeseong handed me some soju, which I didn’t expect.

“Relationship or interpersonal stories should be discussed over drinks. Let’s drink quickly.”

Saying that, Jaeseong poured the soju.

“Jiwon, do you drink alcohol by any chance?”

He offered Jiwon some alcohol.

“Oh… no, I don’t really like alcohol.”

Jiwon said quietly that he would just eat snacks from the menu.

It’s a bit odd to just eat snacks at a bar, but forcing someone who can’t drink alcohol to drink wouldn’t be right.

Thinking that, I quietly drank with my brother and talked about Seonga.

We started drinking one glass after another.

“Yeah, damn it! It’s true that Seonga and you really don’t match.”

My brother mentioned that they broke up while drinking.

It seemed that even in his eyes, we weren’t a good match.

After drinking a glass or two like that,

I felt like if I drank more, I would really get drunk, so I said I should stop drinking now.

“You shouldn’t stop drinking. Have one more.”

Saying that, my brother poured another shot.

At the word “cheers,”

I felt like I had turned into Pavlov’s dog.

I shouted “Cheers” and took another shot.

Is this really the end?

That’s the last thing I remember…

Feeling disoriented and queasy, I lay down as is and drifted off to sleep.

**

“Jihoo? Jihoo, wake up!!”

Shouting his name, I glanced at the passed-out Jihoo and was momentarily taken aback.

He really conked out just like that.

I don’t know his alcohol tolerance well, but I heard he can handle about two bottles of soju.

He must have gone overboard and collapsed just like that.

If he sleeps like this, how am I supposed to move him back home? It’s going to be a hassle.

No matter how much I tried to rouse him, there was no sign of Jihoo waking up.

With a sense of helplessness, I raised my head.

“Oh man… He’s out cold for real.”

The person who introduced himself as Jihoo’s friend looked straight at me.

“Well… it’s fine anyway. I wanted to talk to you alone.”

Damn it…

Could this possibly be heading in that direction?

I’ve seen scenes like this often in doujinshi, but could this be turning into an NTR drift?

Thinking like that, I stared at Jihoo’s friend for a while.

He began to pour me a drink.

He clearly said he can’t handle alcohol, but offering me a drink…

This could actually be happening, couldn’t it?

Should I leave Jihoo behind and make a run for it?

If I suggest running away now, I could bolt with all my might.

Deep inside, thoughts of leaving Jihoo behind and escaping filled my mind.

Closing my eyes tightly, I contemplated having just one drink, but then thought, “I need to talk deeply about Jihoo.”

“About Jihoo… I have something important to discuss.”

“Hmm…?”

It seems like the steamy scenario I imagined won’t unfold after all.

Probably…?