episode_0109

7 AM.

-Beep beep beep!

I reluctantly lifted my heavy eyelids at the loud sound of my phone alarm.

A beige wallpaper with a very faint stripe pattern caught my eye against the background color.

The familiar ceiling.

Thankfully, I had woken up in my own bedroom.

Ah, it seems like I made it home properly.

Feeling relieved, I got up from my bed.

-Ding!

“Ouch!”

At that moment, a throbbing pain in my head made me quickly grab my head, hoping the pain would go away.

But it didn’t subside easily.

Moreover,

-Groan

Just by getting up from the bed, a dull ache in my lower abdomen hit me hard.

Unable to gather my thoughts for a moment due to the relentless pain, I lay back down on the bed.

“Ughh…”

I couldn’t bear the pain and a groan escaped my lips.

“Ugh….”

It was at that moment when I was groaning to myself.

-Creak!

“Are you up?”

The only person who would come into my room this early in the morning and open the door was my sister.

“Ugh… Dayoung, w-water. Just a glass of cold water…”

My head was hurting and my stomach felt all mixed up. Feeling like I might throw up any moment, I thought that maybe drinking cold water would help soothe me, so I said that, and Dayoung came into the room and handed me something.

“Here. What cold water. You’ll just throw it all up. Drink this and snap out of it, Mom.”

“Ah… th-thank you.”

I got up again and took the glass that Dayoung offered. Warmth radiated from the cup as I held it in my hand.

When I smelled it, it was honey water.

-Swish.

As the stimulating sweetness and warmth entered my body, my upset stomach calmed down a bit. Of course, it wasn’t a headache or menstrual pain that was easing, but…

If only my tooth would hurt a bit more, that would be it. For headaches, toothaches, menstrual pains, you need painkillers…

“What are you thinking about that you’re laughing so awkwardly?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Indeed, just because one’s outward appearance changes, it doesn’t mean the inner self changes as well. It naturally reminded me of dad jokes.

Ah, of course, as long as I don’t say it out loud, nothing will happen.

“By the way, what did you drink that got you so drunk? I’ve never seen you that drunk even when Dad was around.”

“Well, I did drink less than usual.”

It’s true. The amount I can normally drink is the same as what we all drank together yesterday or even more.

The standard of being good at drinking or drinking a lot is not accurate. At least in Korea, the standard amount is calculated with soju as the default value. There aren’t many people who ask what kind of alcohol it is when you say you drank a few bottles.

Also, generally speaking, the amount of alcohol is just measured in quantity. I calculate my alcohol tolerance in terms of how many bottles of soju I can drink.

But what’s really important is time.

Drinking 10 bottles in an hour? That’s truly monstrous. It’s in the realm of impossibility.

But drinking 5 bottles in 3 hours? Well, that’s still a lot, but at least it’s within the realm of possibility.

And yesterday, I went to the second round and drank for about 2 hours… roughly 4 bottles? The memories are hazy…

I can’t recall it well as it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this hungover. To be precise, when I try to recall the memories, I feel a sense of unease, as if something bad happened.

The last thing I remember from yesterday is…

“I think I passed out in the car?”

The really fortunate thing is that I wasn’t sprawled out in the driver’s seat while drunk. No matter what, even if they say that passing out from an injection is different, being drunk makes you do things you don’t know.

“But how did I get home?”

I remember calling the substitute knight, but I don’t remember what happened after that. Did the substitute knight wake me up and bring me home?

“Ugh, seriously. Mom, be careful. Huh? It’s a relief that someone trustworthy took care of you, but imagine waking up to a strange ceiling, how disorienting would that be, huh? Do you think you could handle it?”

Waking up to a strange ceiling.

That’s probably what they’re talking about.

When I, who used to be a man, opened my eyes, it wasn’t the body I had when I first came into this world… no. That body is long gone.

Anyway, waking up in a strange place, sitting up, pulling the blanket up to my chest, and hearing the greeting of a strange man who just came out after showering, “Oh, you’re awake?” Can you keep your composure?

Of course.

I have confidence. I have the confidence to scream as if reflected in the mirror, wanting to tear apart yesterday’s self with a desire to kill, pulling my hair out and pounding the floor with a desire to destroy.

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

And it seems that blood volume was also included in the factors related to alcohol tolerance. Compared to my past self, who weighed close to 100kg, how much blood volume does my current self, which is almost half the size, have? Even if I try to estimate generously, it seems like it’s only about 2/3.

So, does that mean my alcohol tolerance has also been reduced by 2/3? The loss rate might be higher than I thought.

Anyway.

“But a trustworthy person? Was it someone the substitute knight knew?”

There’s no way someone who was with me at the drinking party yesterday would have taken care of me. After all, I personally took down everyone and sent them off one by one.

Then who on earth is it? The trustworthy person.

“What is this lady talking about? It’s Taehyun oppa. Mom’s subordinate, Kim Taehyun.”

Kim Taehyun? Why is he here?

“Ugh… really. Anyway, hurry up and get ready. I’ve made hangover soup.”

Saying that, Dayoung left the room.

What on earth is going on?

And making hangover soup? Who? You, Dayoung?

Although my headache and menstrual pain hadn’t completely subsided, I was able to move enough to get up after drinking some water to soothe my stomach.

Anyway. After briefly visiting the bathroom and leaving the bedroom, what I saw in the living room was.

A familiar scene. The smell of food stimulating my appetite, a neatly set table. And Dayoung and Dabin, who were eating as usual. And.

“Are you awake?”

Kim Taehyun.

“Huh? T-Taehyun? Why is Taehyun here…?”

“Oh, that’s…”

“Mom, seriously! Be careful. No, being careful is one thing, but Mom, saying that is causing trouble for Taehyun hyung. Hyung has a good personality, so it’s a relief.”

Before Kim Taehyun could say anything, Dabin uncommonly raised her voice to me.

“W-what, what?”

“Yeah, how much did you drink to cause such a commotion…”

A commotion?

“Wait a minute. What is this all about, seriously.”

At that, Dayoung let out a deep sigh, and Dabin raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Don’t you remember? Or are you avoiding it because it’s awkward?”

“No, I, I…”

I don’t remember.

If I don’t remember, is that the end? Does the mistake disappear? Why did I do something wrong? Why did I drink so much? These questions will probably come up.

Dayoung’s role is usually to nag at me, but when there’s a really big issue, Dayoung actually becomes quiet, and Dabin scolds me. Well, I’m not sure if it’s right to say that a child scolds an adult. Anyway, the roles switch. And Dabin’s style is really like a corporal in the army endlessly drilling a private, so it’s difficult.

But usually, when Da Bin takes the lead, it’s a situation where I’ve made a mistake that I can’t even refute, so I have no choice but to accept it until Da Bin’s mood improves.

Thinking like that, I can’t help but cry…

“J-Ja, Ja. Da Bin. Let’s stop there. The snacks…, no, Chief, must have had unavoidable circumstances.”

“But still…”

“Hurry up and eat your meal. You said you have to go to school early as it’s your turn today.”

“Th-then. Okay. I’ll endure this time because I saw my brother’s face. It’s funny that I’m more upset than my brother, who should be the one mad in the first place.”

“But if Mom really gets in trouble because of this? Ugh, still, I’m grateful to have my brother.”

“Oh, this is nothing.”

“Mmhm. Oh, this is delicious. Brother, you’re good at cooking~. Oh, right! You were a chef, right? That’s why it feels more refined than what Mom made.”

What, what? Da Bin, you little rascal!

“The soup seems to have a deeper flavor. It’s a hundred times better than Mom’s clumsy cooking. Should I just let my brother live in our house? I’ll give him the master bedroom.”

Dae Young, how can you say such harsh words?

“Hehe, Ah~ Why are you like that. Well, I’ve been living alone lately, so having someone to eat breakfast with is nice. Oh, Da Bin. Why? Oh, this? I’ll teach you how to make it later.”

Tae Hyun, why do you blend so naturally into that scenery! That’s my spot!

What, who do you think you are to say that to me?

I’m the head of this household!

Both Dae Young and Da Bin are not feeling well, and they’re already in a bad mood, but being nagged by the kids since morning and having my spot taken away made me feel even more upset.

And as my eyes grew hot and my vision blurred.

-Drip.

Tears flowed down my cheeks drop by drop.

“Mom, come quickly and eat… Huh? Oh, Mom?”

“Chief!”

“Wh-why are you crying right now?!”

Hot liquid poured out incessantly, emotions exploding.

I shouted at them with all my heartache.

“I, I! Won’t eat!”

And then I turned around and went into the bedroom.

-Bang! Click!

I slammed the door shut and locked it, then lay down on the bed, burying my face in the pillow.

I hate you all! I won’t eat! Live together without me!

Jung Do Yeon, Position- Team Leader of Team 2 in the Food Development Department at mid-sized company Woo Sung Food, Rank- Chief, a mother of two teenagers. 39 years old.

Crying ‘won’t eat’ in front of her children and new employees!

It was a late… summer.