episode_0046

“…um.”

The competition was nothing special. To be exact, I couldn’t even go out. That was because Choi Ju-eun, who was thinking deeply about something, approached me, grabbed my hand, and dragged me down.

“Hey, hey… .”

“Huh?”

When I opened my mouth to ask why she was suddenly acting like this, Choi Joo-eun snickered and ruffled my hair.

“It’s nothing. It’s a hotel anyway. If you want, you can rent it for a year.”

“Ah… .”

“I just wanted to change my mood and show her the outside world, so I went out for a walk, but this doesn’t seem right.”

…Why are you suddenly doing this? It was even more awkward and scary because he wasn’t being rough with me like he usually was.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, no… .”

But if I tell you that straight up, you’ll call me presumptuous and try to rip my clothes off, right? Let’s just keep quiet, okay?

“But since it’s been a while since you’ve been out, is there anything you want to eat?”

“The… other people…?”

It’s even scarier because it’s Choi Joo-eun and not someone else.

“Huh? They decided to go first.”

“Ah… .”

Where are you going? Are you sure you’re not at home? You haven’t been able to go out and play properly yet, but if you go out and about like that…

‘Poem, I hate it… .’

Just thinking about it makes my body tremble again. I keep telling myself that it won’t happen, but the fear I’ve already learned makes my body infinitely helpless.

“… … .”

Choi Joo-eun, who was quietly looking at me like that, made a slightly uneasy expression, then quickly hugged me.

“…ah.”

“It’s okay. Nothing will happen today.”

Was it because of those words, or maybe because I felt safer this way? The trembling gradually subsided, and only then was I able to exhale and burrow into her arms.

“Is there really nothing you want to eat?”

“Ugh… .”

While I was talking to Lee Hyun, I think they must have talked about something too. Somehow, they seemed to have become friendlier than before.

“…I want to eat meat, meat.”

“Meat? Okay. Let’s go.”

“Going, where are you going… .”

“Where.”

Choi Joo-eun picked up her cell phone and made a call.

“If you want to eat meat, you have to go to a meat restaurant… Oh, I want to go to a meat restaurant. Reserve a seat in advance.”

Choi Joo-eun put her phone back after saying just one word and smiled faintly.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes… .”

“Do you want to walk?”

“Ah… .”

What should I do? Actually, there would be no danger if I just held her hand and walked. After all, she was a true superhuman. I had actually seen her power several times.

But why is that?

I shook my head and buried my face in her arms, thinking that I wanted to stay like this a little longer.

“…I want to go like this.”

“Yeah.”

After saying that, Choi Joo-eun started walking away, hugging me.

***

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes… .”

No, why is everyone suddenly like this? This makes me feel more burdened.

Seong Ha-neul, who keeps looking at me as I munch the meat, and Joo Ha-na, who keeps picking up things here and there and putting them on the plate.

“What about drinks? Is there anything else you want to drink?”

…Han Yu-rim, who kept asking me questions from the side, also felt completely different from usual. Choi Ju-eun, who had carried me here without caring about the eyes of those around her, was also needless to say.

At first, he tried to blow on it and put it in my mouth, so I refused and said that was okay, but I was sweating profusely.

“…Wow, I feel like drinking after a long time.”

“Alcohol? Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve had one.”

But that was only for a moment. Joo Ha Na naturally accepted the words Sung Ha Neul blurted out as if he was not paying attention, and soon the mood at the table began to flow towards drinking.

‘…Is this what you were trying to do?’

From what I heard from Lee Hyun, he said he was locked up for drinking. Maybe they told the same story.

That means…

“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that? Do you want to drink?”

“Yes, yes? Oh, I… .”

If that’s really the case, then maybe he’s trying to get me to drink alcohol like he did last time and then drag me in while I’m drunk to rape me.

“…I.”

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it.”

“Ah…?”

When I showed signs of hesitation, Seong Ha-neul nonchalantly said that it was okay if I didn’t drink it.

“We’re just drinking together anyway. You’re an adult anyway, so if you want to drink, drink. ”

“That, that’s… .”

Could it be that I didn’t think of it? But why now of all times…?

‘Joe, would you like a little drink?’

Before I became like this, before I fell into this world, I used to enjoy drinking quite a bit.

After work at the lab, I would go to the convenience store and buy four cans of beer for ten thousand won, then come home and watch YouTube. That was the joy of my life.

Suddenly, memories of that time came to mind, and I opened my mouth without realizing it.

“Jo, just a little bit… .”

“Okay? Okay. Over there~.”

Seong Ha-neul nodded after hearing what I said and raised his hand to call the waitress. As she approached, Seong Ha-neul held out his fingers and ordered a drink.

“Please give me five glasses, and um… dew, please.”

“Yes. Oh, over there… .”

The employees’ eyes were fixed on me.

‘Seo, by any chance, did you find out…?’

Every time I received someone’s gaze, I had that thought and was about to cringe without realizing it.

“Can I see your ID please?”

“…ah.”

That’s what it was. I felt relieved and searched through my arms…

‘By the way, do I have an ID?’

As far as I know, he doesn’t even have a cell phone, let alone a wallet. If he gets reported like this…

“Here.”

“Oh, yes. I checked.”

“……?”

Joo Ha-na naturally took out a card from her bosom and showed it to the employee. The employee accepted it, looked at it, lowered his head again, and walked away.

“That’s…?”

“Oh, your ID.”

Aha, I see… That’s not it.

“Excuse me, your ID…?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Why? Why do you have it and not me?

“Oh, no.”

But if you bring it up again straight away, you’ll be called arrogant and say something like, ‘I said I’d keep it, so why are you here?’

‘Ugh… .’

I seem to have been thinking about this a lot lately. Suddenly, I remembered the three women who came to pick him up after he finished talking to Lee Hyeon.

-Oh, you had fun. Hyuna?

-yes!

– Really? Should I go home now for today?

-Oh, but the competition…

-Oh, that? I forgot to apply.

-to…?

-Just think of it that way.

The women who looked at Lee Hyun with affectionate eyes while embracing him. To be honest, I was a little jealous. Even though their relationship started out as a twisted one, it developed well.

“What’s wrong? Are you full?”

“Oh, no. Nothing… .”

I thought about that for a moment, then shook my head, trying to hide my feelings.

***

“…Suicide attempt?”

“Yes. How surprised I was at that time… .”

I heard that the women in front of me had driven that little boy named Lee Hyeon to the brink of death.

“We didn’t even think about it, but we pushed too hard without realizing it. We were so obsessed with sexual desire… .”

The bespectacled woman took a sip of coffee with a bitter expression on her face and made a sad expression as if she was reminiscing about that time.

“If you think about it, it’s not like it’s going to end with us being unilaterally cute. We need to be sure that we’re loved before we open our hearts.”

“… … .”

Feeling as if they had been hit in the head, Joo Ha Na and the other women could not open their mouths.

“All the women who live with one man around them are similar. They are busy satisfying their own desires and only trying to please their tastes.”

Every word she uttered seemed to be a criticism of what they had been doing.

“And then you almost get to the end and regret it, usually. You shouldn’t have done that.”

Surely not me. There’s no way I would do something like that.

“People who think like that are the ones who end up regretting it the most.”

Following the glasses-wearing woman, the next person to speak was the gloomy woman who was slurping down her chocolate latte.

“…and after regretting it like that, it takes a long time to come back. A very long time.”

By that time, the women, including Joo Ha Na, could not help but exchange glances with each other. This was because they knew very well what each other had done to Do Yoon.

“That’s… .”

“I know. I just did whatever I wanted without anyone teaching me properly.”

The reason why women in this world are so unruly. The reason why kidnapping and rape are considered easier than normal relationships.

“Because there is no place that teaches proper dating methods.”

In the first place, humanity was not at ease enough to teach others to understand each other. This is even more so in a situation where the sex ratio itself has been destroyed.

“That’s why it’s better to treat them well. Once they start to go wrong, they fall apart in an instant.”

***

…something feels strange.

I tried drinking and pretending to be drunk, but everyone just looked at me with concern and no one touched me.

No, I did touch her. I put my hand on her forehead, or stroked her hair for no reason. That was all.

“Are you okay? Do you want to go and rest first?”

He even added this: If necessary, he will bring it to you himself.

“It’s up to you… .”

No, it could be a trap. He pretends to be more drunk on purpose and burrows into Seong Ha-neul’s arms.

“…Oh.”

Along with Seong Ha-neul’s small exclamation, he feels the stinging gazes of the other three people.

“What, bitches.”

“…I’m sitting there.”

Along with Choi Joo-eun’s grumbling, laughter rings out like at any other drinking party.

‘Oh, you’re really not doing anything?’

Is it because this is a restaurant? Then if I go home like this…

“Let’s go soon. Let’s put Doyoon to sleep and have the second round at home.”

“Is that so?”

With those words, this time Seonghaneul hugged me.

“Here, please do the math.”

…It’s a bit strange because he’s really not doing anything. While I was watching Joo Ha Na, who was calculating, I hugged Seong Ha Neul’s neck and whispered in his ear.

“…Why, aren’t you doing anything?”

“……?!”

Seong Ha-neul looks at me in surprise… and then lets out a sigh with an expression on his face as if he’s holding back something.

And then.

“Sorry. Was it too much for you?”

“?!”

I apologized.

…Did I hear that correctly?