episode_0575

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Fortunately, the plan worked—to some extent.

Literally, “to some extent.”

It wasn’t to the level where Hayun would pass out snoring like last time, but it was close enough, I guess.

In reality, it went something like this.

“Dabin-ah… Ughh…”

Hayun clung tightly to my arm, whining as she sat right next to me.

I obediently let her have my arm while rummaging through my pocket.

After all, this guy should know better than me just how drunk Hayun was.

…Last time, the reason Hayun passed out so quickly was because she was drunk enough for Jiyoon and Seoujin to have sex right next to her.

But this time, all she’s doing is acting clingy beside me…

Objectively speaking, the chances of seeing the same scene as last time seem slim.

If things don’t go well, maybe we should just give up.

“…Mmm, you smell really nice… Perfume…?”

“How could anything smell good in a bar? You’re just drunk.”

“Nooo… You really do smell nice…”

“Hey, wait… That tickles…”

“You did put on perfume…”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Was it for your boyfriend…? …Oh, you’re working right now… So then…”

“…….”

“You just wore it because you liked it…? It smells really good, this…”

“…….”

Her chest pressed firmly against my arm, covered by nothing but a thin knit sleeve.

And as a bonus, she was quietly inhaling my scent.

From my perspective, it was a little embarrassing, but still tolerable.

Strangers—like the middle-aged men nearby—might glance our way, but the friends drinking with us already knew about Hayun’s drunk antics.

This time, Dabin’s the one taking the hit.

What if she ends up staining his clothes?

Under their pitying gazes, I somehow managed to fish my phone out of my pocket.

[Seol Dabin] – Hey.

[Seo Ujin] – Should I come pick you up now?

[Seol Dabin] – That too, but…

His reply was quick, as if he’d been waiting.

This guy always takes minutes to respond, but of course, in situations like these—

Suppressing my irritation, I kept my message concise.

[Seol Dabin] – Hayun’s just pretty drunk, but not to the point of passing out anywhere like last time. – You should know, since it’s not like before.

[Seo Ujin] – Then I’ll just get her to drink more on the way.

What kind of insane logic is that?

That was my immediate thought, but after taking a moment to consider it, I realized it wasn’t entirely wrong.

The idea of “getting her drunk to do something bad” was trashy, sure…

But I couldn’t deny that it was the most effective and straightforward method.

What, was he planning to slip her sleeping pills instead?

That’d be crossing a line.

“…….”

But agreeing outright still felt too morally questionable.

Feeling Hayun’s weight against my arm, I hesitated before reluctantly sending a short reply.

[Seol Dabin] – I’ll tell Hayun to contact you. – Just come at the right time.

575

Even after sipping more beer, Hayun, unfortunately, showed no significant change.

She wasn’t blackout drunk yet—just very drunk, I guess.

Still, she was in no state to be left alone.

She might even follow some creep offering her snacks without a second thought.

So it made sense for Hayun to call her boyfriend.

And for all of us to wait until he arrived.

Even though his reply said it’d take a while, no one left first.

The loose curfew I’d heard about from my friends had, at some point, disappeared entirely.

It all felt… very natural.

“Hello, Teacher!”

“Ah, yes. Hello. You’re the one I ran into in the hallway with your sister last time…”

“That’s right!”

“…….”

When Seoujin appeared in casual clothes, my friends’ voices noticeably brightened.

Well, maybe “natural” isn’t the best word for it.

But whatever.

At least they’re normal.

Unlike the Seoujin fan club I glimpsed last time, they just smiled at his face, chatted, and laughed.

That was it.

While they happily talked, I hung back a step, waiting for the conversation to lull before speaking up.

“The subway. Shouldn’t we head out soon? Or are you taking a taxi?”

“I was thinking of doing that. Though it depends on whether a driver will accept us.”

This was something Seoujin and I had already discussed.

One of our friends had to go much farther in the same direction, making the subway inconvenient despite being a decent alibi.

“…Oh, wait, aren’t you going the same way?”

“Well, yeah…”

“Huh? How do you know Dabin’s going the same way?”

“I’ve ridden along with Hayun’s younger sister a few times since we intern at the same place.”

“Ah…”

This, too, was part of the plan.

Hayun already knew, and the taxi would only fit three—maybe four—people.

If I secured a spot first, joining them would seem natural. Any more than that would make things awkward for the last person…

Seoujin had suggested this approach himself.

This pervert, who only thinks about how to feel good during sex…

I guess he’s got some weird cunning after all.

“I’ll head in first. See you when school starts again.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get home safe. Bye, Dabin~”

“…Yeah.”

…No wonder a woman like Seoyeon sunbae would gladly lend her pussy for creampies.

Or why a cute girl like Yozora would call herself a “cum dump.”

Of course, I haven’t allowed things to go that far yet…

…But he’s the one who taught me what a “friends-only” relationship really is.

What it feels like to be truly desired.

I was lost in thought, staring at the profile of my first sex partner, when he spoke up while seeing my friends off.

“Not home. Dropping by a convenience store nearby would be best, right?”

“Huh…? Convenience store…? Why a convenience store…?”

“There’s something I need to buy.”

“Something to buy… Oh, right, we need to restock the fridge… We’re almost out of eggs…”

“You said last time while showering together that we’d need shampoo soon too.”

“Mmm…! Right, we need shampoo…”

He was probably asking me.

His polite speech, likely for Hayun’s sake, felt unfamiliar after so long.

I didn’t answer, just nodded slightly.

Even though he was talking to Hayun,

Even though he was sharing an umbrella with Hayun,

His gaze was on me.

He must have seen it.

“Then let’s go buy what we need. You should rest properly on Sunday—it’d be annoying to go out just for small things, right?”

“Yeah, yeah…”

After some small talk, the taxi Seoujin called soon pulled up in front of us.

Luckily, Hayun didn’t seem too drunk, so the driver didn’t refuse us.

With smooth traffic, the scenery outside the window blurred past.

After an uneventful ride, we stopped in front of a convenience store. Just before entering,

I poked Seoujin’s shoulder and spoke.

“…I’ll send you the taxi fare later.”

“Why go that far? It’s not a big deal.”

“Because it’s not a big deal. If it were, I wouldn’t even dare mention paying you back.”

“Drop it. Or just treat Jiyoon to something nice during your internship.”

…Fish bread, maybe?

Since I see Jiyoon often, opportunities will come.

I agreed for now and pulled open the convenience store door.

Hayun staggered toward the household goods section, but Seoujin and I had no business there.

We stopped in front of the beer-filled fridge.

When I glanced at him for confirmation, he grabbed a random can and headed to the counter.

Along with the eggs, shampoo, milk… and other things.

Items with clear “reasons” beeped as they were scanned.

“…Huh?”

Noticing the beer can, Hayun tugged at Seoujin’s jacket.

“Heyy… Why’d you buy this…?”

“Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since we drank together.”

“We drink sometimes… Has it really been that long…?”

“Since you just drank with your friends, I got a little jealous.”

“Pfft… Jealous of what~ This noona can drink with you anytiiime…”

“So why not make up for it today? Since you’re already drunk—might as well.”

“Okay!”

Hayun thumped her chest proudly, but of course, she didn’t look the least bit reliable.

Instead… I was a little worried.

“…….”

“…….”

Seoujin always parrots that it’ll be fine,

…but will it really be fine when we tell Hayun about this relationship?

“…….”

“…….”

Even now,

holding hands behind Hayun’s back as we leave the store,

risking the part-timer misunderstanding us completely…

…What exactly are you planning to do if Hayun finds out?

Doing things like this.