Chapter 19
“This is much better than I expected.”
“I think so too.”
As Seo Igeon placed his luggage bag in front of the bed, Han Taekyung nodded while closing the door. Wouldn’t it be too cramped for Taekyung though? After all, he’s the eldest son of the country’s largest conglomerate, so his house must be enormous, and the comforts he’s used to would be extraordinary, so wouldn’t this studio apartment feel too confined?
“What is it?”
Taekyung asked, noticing Igeon’s gaze.
“Couldn’t you refuse this? I don’t think you’d have any reason to live in a place like this.”
“Hmm, just to be clear, I didn’t receive any special treatment when I entered this school.”
“Ah, don’t misunderstand me. That’s not what I meant. I’m just wondering if it’s uncomfortable for you.”
“Why would it be uncomfortable? Isn’t this what everyone has to do when entering this school? I’m a new student now, so I need to follow the rules. Besides, even though I only like 10% of it, it seems I’ve got a good roommate.”
Taekyung said slyly while looking Igeon up and down. Igeon grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at him. Taekyung caught it effortlessly and laughed.
“Want help unpacking?”
“Yeah, stop talking nonsense and help your 10% roommate.”
Igeon plopped down on the bed. The bed had drawers underneath where he could organize his clothes. And next to the bed was a small closet where he could hang jackets and such. The facilities were really quite nice, better than expected. Though small, it had everything neatly arranged.
“What did you do with your house?”
Taekyung asked while hanging clothes on hangers.
“Just cleaned it thoroughly and left it tidy.”
“Are you only going to stay here for a year?”
“That’s the plan.”
Still, he liked that house and would probably miss it. Although the monthly rent was a bit expensive, it couldn’t be helped. If possible, he wanted to work hard and earn enough money to convert the lease to a jeonse contract. He had mentioned this to the elderly landlady, half-jokingly and half-seriously, and she promised to make it happen if he wanted. It was still a distant dream, but… if he kept his hopes up, it might be possible someday.
“Well then, I’ll be in your care, roommate.”
After tidying up, Igeon stood up and offered his fist to Taekyung. Taekyung smiled and bumped it with his own.
“Yeah, I’ll be in your care too.”
“Don’t snore.”
“I don’t. You already know that.”
“How would I know from sleeping together just once?”
“I could tell. You’re the type who wouldn’t wake up even if someone carried you.”
“Have you carried me?”
“I haven’t, but…”
“But what?”
Taekyung stroked his chin with a mischievous smile. Lately, he’d been making a lot of these meaningful faces. How annoying.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t do anything weird.”
“What are you talking about? Ah, where’s the cafeteria here? I’ve always wanted to try campus food.”
“Dormitory students can eat for free at the basement cafeteria, and there’s a paid cafeteria in the main building. Where do you want to go?”
“The basement, of course.”
“Alright.”
As they headed to the cafeteria together, Igeon thought it was truly fortunate. If his roommate had been a complete stranger, he wouldn’t have felt comfortable enough to go to the cafeteria with a smile like this. He might have left alone and eaten by himself, feeling awkward and lonely. Somehow, it felt like things had started off right from the beginning. And so, his enjoyable campus life began.
◆
“Come on! Drink up!!”
On the first day of the new semester, after greeting each senior and speaking with them, the seniors took the freshmen to a bar at 7 PM, promising to treat them to something delicious.
They ordered chicken, pizza, and various dried snacks, along with a case of beer and a case of soju, stacking them beside the table. They then handed empty beer glasses to the freshmen sitting in a row and filled them to the brim with somaek (soju and beer mix). The pungent smell of alcohol spreading to his nose made Igeon sigh. He had never, ever tasted alcohol before. It’s not that he never wanted to drink, but each time he was tempted, he’d restrained himself, worried that if he got caught, it would cause problems for his athletic career. As a result, he had no idea if his liver was suited for alcohol or if it was weak, making him terrified of alcohol.
“Bottoms up!”
When Choi Injun, the department representative, pounded the table and spoke energetically, the other seniors also drummed the table, urging them to drink under the guise of encouragement. If he didn’t drink, he’d likely fall out of favor with the seniors, but if he did, it would be terrible. Even water could kill you if you drank too much of it. How could he down 500cc in one go?
“Not drinking? Anyone who doesn’t drink before I count to ten will have a very fun practice tomorrow.”
“You think we can’t handle it?”
Ah, he’d heard that these days, seniors were less likely to harass juniors in the name of seniority, but this must be what “less” means. Igeon stared blankly at the glass of alcohol, which seemed to contain the devil’s boiling poison. As the juniors hesitated, the seniors really started counting down. That’s when Taekyung quietly approached Igeon.
“You can pass out.”
“Huh?”
“Pass out while drinking. I’ll take care of you.”
Ah, I understand what he means. He’s suggesting a trick. But is that really the right thing to do? If they’re not careful, Han Taekyung might also get on the seniors’ bad side… And avoiding today doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t come, so Igeon shook his head.
“Let’s just drink, and whoever passes out first, the other will take responsibility. How about that?”
As Igeon grinned and grabbed his glass, Taekyung also smiled and nodded, grabbing his glass simultaneously. They both downed their drinks before the senior could say “zero.”
Even without alcohol, downing 500cc in one go is really challenging. Suppressing the urge to throw it all back up, he finished the drink and put down the glass. The first taste of alcohol was stronger and more painful than expected. His throat felt scorched, as if his esophagus was burning, and it felt like his insides were being cleansed. Sure enough, some of the other friends immediately vomited after drinking, and some ran to the bathroom. Igeon also wanted to throw up right away, but he held it in and barely managed to swallow it all. Taekyung also finished his drink and looked at the responsible seniors. When the seniors made eye contact with Han Taekyung, they cleared their throats, avoided his gaze, and looked at the struggling Seo Igeon.
“Ahem, well, you drink well.”
“Come on, kids, have one more glass each. Don’t feel wronged. Those who threw up will also drink again when they return. We have to finish all we ordered today, right?”
I’m going to die. Suddenly, everything became dizzy, and his body felt hot. Is this what it means to get drunk? The world started to flip.
“Wow, look at this guy! His eyes are already glazed over!”
One of the seniors looked at Igeon and asked, “You’re mixed-race, right?”
“Yesss…”
Even though it was a senior’s question, Igeon quickly answered, but his response was as stretched out as a loose tape.
“Mixed with what?”
“German…”
“Ah~ German~ But it doesn’t show at all? Just blue eyes~ You look just like a Korean!”
“That’s right. Actually, Han Taekyung sitting next to you looks more mixed. Taekyung, aren’t you mixed?”
“Both my fathers are Korean.”
The atmosphere became awkward again. Several seniors cleared their throats again and looked at Igeon.
“So, you two entered with a joint first place, right? The professors and coaching staff have high expectations. They say two promising national team candidates have come up.”
“I’ll- work hardd…”
“Of course, of course, you should work hard. It would be a shame if you came this far and couldn’t even get to the national team selection.”
“That will definitely~ not happen!”
“Haha, life is unpredictable. You never know. Come on, drink, drink.”
The glass was filled again. If he drank that, he would die. He knew that today he would go up and down to heaven several times, but he had no choice but to drink. As Igeon grabbed the glass, Taekyung quickly grabbed his hand.
“Stop drinking.”
“Yours is full again too. You have to drink too.”
Those seniors wouldn’t leave Han Taekyung alone. Seeing that his glass was also full, Igeon clicked his tongue. Who’s worrying about whom now? You’re in the same boat, man. Let’s both survive, friend. Igeon clinked glasses with Taekyung. Hearing the seniors laugh at that sight, he tilted his head back for another shot, and after that, Igeon’s memory completely cut off.
“Ah… my head.”
Wow, what’s going on? He never knew morning sunlight could be so irritating. The sunlight made his head hurt so badly, and his stomach felt like it was going to turn inside out. It felt like someone had been beating his body all night long. Even after intense taekwondo sessions and harsh training from Instructor Jin, he had never felt this kind of pain.
“You’re awake?”
A glass of warm water was offered in front of him. I want cold water… he muttered weakly as he drank it, only realizing it was honey water afterward.
“Are you okay?”
Someone kept talking to him, but he was in no state to respond to that voice now. He put the cup down on the floor, lay back on the bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and groaned. Soon, Taekyung noticed that Igeon’s breathing under the blanket had become peaceful and gently pulled back the blanket. He sighed as he looked at Igeon, who had fallen asleep with his brows deeply furrowed. Carefully placing his hand on Igeon’s forehead, he was relieved to find no fever.
“Tsk.”
Despite being told not to drink so much, Igeon had finished the second glass and collapsed right after. The seniors found it amusing for some reason, giggling and trying to wake the unconscious Igeon. At that moment, Han Taekyung slammed his glass down hard. With a “bang!” the startled seniors took their hands off Igeon, and Taekyung looked them each in the eye, as if memorizing their faces. He didn’t suppress them with his pheromones, nor did he say anything harsh to them, but somehow, everyone felt intimidated by Han Taekyung. Even as they denied it and tried to smile, sweat dripped down their foreheads.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
