# Chapter 5
Even though I was forcibly brought into this bar by the Devil gang members, my real self actually enjoyed drinking and often went out with friends to get wasted. Not that I was an alcoholic or anything. I could handle my liquor well, so I had a high tolerance.
However, my conscience was pricked by drinking alcohol while wearing the disguise of a high school student, so I tried not to drink as much as possible. Somehow in this world, minors could freely enter and exit bars in their school uniforms without getting caught. Anyway, internet novels are really something else in many ways.
In any case, I figured it was better to just let my mind go completely rather than continue experiencing unwanted mental breakdowns, which might lead to a situation where I’d turn evil like that one anime protagonist who became half-ghoul. So I decided to rely on the best choice: “drinking alcohol.”
If I kept listening, I’d probably get sick from anger.
“Cider?”
Damn. The problem was this body.
“Yes! It’s common knowledge in our Iljinhoe that the apex can’t drink alcohol.”
Fuck.
I glared at the ten cider cans stacked in a tower in front of me, ready to explode them. Ah, how annoying. What are you, some cider collector? A carbonated beverage enthusiast? Tsk tsk… Having the guts to come to a bar as a minor who can’t even drink, with a nasty personality, creating black history you’ll regret for the rest of your life—what merits do you even have?
Your handsome face? Well, I’ll give you that.
At that moment, Jung Ion chimed in to agree with Park Hanseo who had just returned.
“You’ve always hated alcohol. It’s famous in Devil that you always insist on cider. Nothing new there.”
I don’t know why that bastard sipping his beer with a smirk looks so irritating. Come to think of it, I think there was a brief mention in the novel. Devil Apex Gu Haejin is weak with alcohol.
“I’m not drinking cider.”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
Both were surprised by my bombshell statement. Everyone’s attention focused on me again. Why are you all staring so intensely? It’s burdensome. Ignoring their confused expressions, I pushed away the cider cans. You expect me to stupidly sip cider while leaving these lovely alcoholic beverages untouched?
I poured soju and beer into the ten glasses that were laid out in front of me in a golden ratio of 3:7, then tapped the glasses with chopsticks, and instantly created somaek (soju-beer mix) that I often drink. Hmm. Ah, I’m excited. Just thinking about drinking makes my mouth corners unconsciously rise.
“All these ten are mine, so don’t touch them.”
After threatening the Devil members, including Jung Ion who was staring at me with wide eyes, with a look that said I’d kill them if they touched my drinks, I downed a glass in one shot. Ahhh— this is why I drink. It felt like all the stress I’d been experiencing until now was being relieved. Heheh. Yeah, this is it!
“Hey, hey. Gu Haejin, are you okay…?”
“Sunbae-nim, you shouldn’t…”
“Are you ordering the apex now? I told you not to touch them. I’ll kill you.”
Gasp. Did I just say something cringeworthy?
After downing all ten glasses straight, I magically prepared another ten glasses in no time. Even though everyone was staring at me in shock, I ignored them and kept drinking while eating the delicious side dishes, prompting Jung Ion and Park Hanseo to try to stop me. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had alcohol in a while, or because this isn’t my body and it can’t handle alcohol. I glared ferociously at the gang members. They couldn’t stop me, not daring to after my threat to kill them if they interfered.
Their anxious fidgeting made them look like whimpering puppies, which seemed kind of cute. Hah. If only it weren’t for that damn Iljinhoe, things would have been so much better. Reality is deplorable.
“Gu Haejin?”
“What…?”
“Are you okay?”
“Are you alright, Sunbae-nim?”
“I think you’ve had too much to drink, Apex!”
Ah, shut up. That damn “apex”… What does it matter if I drink too much? You little punks. You should be studying instead of fighting!
I raised my head fiercely.
That’s when it began—my, no, Devil Apex Gu Haejin’s drunken ramblings.
“Hehehehehe… One person… twoo… Huh? There’s three!”
“Gu Haejin… you’re so defenseless…!”
“Why? Haejinnie shouldn’t drink like this…?”
Ion froze at the sight of Haejin’s drunken behavior, something he’d never seen before. The Devil gang members likewise stopped all movement with their mouths open. Regardless, Haejin, who had already consumed more than twenty glasses of somaek all by himself, was thoroughly intoxicated.
“Haejinnie can drink like this too! I’m the apex, because I’m the apex, I can at least drink alcohol!!”
CRASH-!
CLANG!!
Tap-
Clatter!
He is the Thousand-Year Prince.
Gu Haejin, the apex of Devil, ranked second among the Four Major Iljinhoe, was not only the object of admiration and aspiration for Devil members but for all Iljinhoe members due to his unrivaled fighting skills. Despite being male, he reigned as everyone’s queen and the “flower” of the gangs.
This was largely due to Gu Haejin’s beautiful appearance that could instantly captivate people. While all the apexes of the Four Major Iljinhoe had insanely good looks that no one could match, Haejin was even more special among them.
A beauty who made people lose their words the moment they saw him. His face overflowed with beauty that was not only pretty with fine features but also exuded nobility. Additionally, his fighting skills were also extraordinary, nearly on par with the emperor of gang members, Focus Apex Kim Pyeonghwa. In a way, it was only natural that gang members went crazy for Haejin, who possessed both strength and beauty.
“Listen to me… if you don’t study now, you’ll regret it later like Haejinnie, you know? Completely! Being called a freeloader by the witch grandmother and being called unemployed and disrespected by your younger sister…”
With such a Haejin referring to himself in the third person, making aegyo with his beautiful face, and drunkenly rambling, who could maintain their sanity? Currently, the Devil executives were collectively dropping glasses, breaking plates, and dropping chopsticks in chaos.
“Fuck. Is he trying to make all these kids go into heat? This is why I said not to drink.”
Ion sighed deeply.
Unlike his pretty appearance, Haejin had an extremely nasty personality. He didn’t talk much to begin with, and even when he did open his mouth, he was always cold and chilly, impossibly frigid. When Haejin first entered the ranking board, gang members who underestimated him based on his face alone became too scared to approach him, let alone make eye contact, after learning about his crazy personality. They knew they’d be crushed in that moment.
Also, he rarely smiled. There were so few times anyone had seen him smile that they could count them on one hand. He was so notorious for this that he was given the title “Prince with the Thousand-Year Smile,” meaning he might smile once in a thousand years, and if he did, it felt sacred—hence the nickname “Thousand-Year Prince.” In addition, he had a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder where he was sensitive, neurotic, and extremely averse to ordinary skinship. All in all, while he appeared quiet, he actually had the most unruly personality.
Because of this personality, Devil, under Gu Haejin’s leadership, feared Haejin more than Kim Pyeonghwa, the top-ranked apex. If anyone even slightly upset him, it was clear they wouldn’t even be able to gather their bones afterward.
“Uwuuuung…”
But today, Haejin was exceptionally lovable and cute. As if his personality had changed, he had openly smiled prettily twice even before getting drunk, and now that he was drunk, he was absolutely killing it. The Devil gang members’ mouths went dry. As Ion said, with that adorable face throwing a drunken fit, they felt an urgent rush. And an inexplicable sense of pride.
This person is our king… We can’t let anyone take him away!
“Let me go.”
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Bathroom. My stomach hurts…”
“Your stomach hurts? Let’s go together. You might collapse on the way.”
“No. I’ll kill you if you come? I’m the apex.”
Hah… Ion was exasperated. Since Haejin exercised his apex authority so perfectly at times like this, he could only sigh and let him go despite his worries. The apex’s orders were absolute. As Haejin staggered and struggled toward the bathroom, Ion signaled to Hanseo with his eyes. Follow him secretly. Don’t let him notice. Haejin should be fine even after drinking, but just in case.
“Fuck. Can’t you look somewhere else?!”
Ion yelled at the people around who had been eyeing Haejin since earlier. The apex of an Iljinhoe was a subject of interest even to ordinary people. At the fierce voice of Jung Ion, Devil’s number two, people had to avert their eyes from Haejin.
We shouldn’t have sat in the central hall. Ion ruffled his hair in annoyance.
Ah, my stomach hurts. My stomach hurts. My stomach hurts!!
Haejin’s body was even less tolerant of alcohol than expected. Not only was his mind not in a proper state, but his stomach, which had started with a gentle ache, was now beginning to hurt terribly. Ugh… Is that why he didn’t drink? Shit, it hurts so much…
I crawled towards the bathroom while clutching my stomach. I left the hall and turned toward the corner. I think it was somewhere around here. Being drunk and having a stomachache, it was hard to tell. Ah, I should have agreed when Jung Ion offered to go together. Regret came belatedly, but it was already too late for regrets now.
“Kyahang! Found it.”
I shouted in joy as soon as I spotted the bathroom sign. Fortunately, there was no one around. I’ll take my time and go.
“Gasp.”
Just as I was about to fling the door open, thinking no one was there, it suddenly opened from the inside, startling me. When I raised my head with a slightly displeased face at someone who was a full palm taller than my 179cm, there stood a person who was really, really fucking handsome. Woah, amazing.
Silver hair, small face with features proportioned in a golden ratio. Well, whoever’s child he is, he’s certainly handsome. Hmm. Haejin is handsome too, but if I had to differentiate, Haejin is pretty, while this guy is fucking handsome. Literally a “handsome guy.” But the more I look at him, something feels familiar? Looking closer, he’s wearing a school uniform. Fuck. As expected, all the school kids in this novel are rotten.
“Devil Apex.”
“Huh? You know me?”
Ooh. Seems like this is someone I know. But I don’t know who you are. Blinking my eyes, I made a gesture saying “I don’t know you,” and the mysterious silver-haired handsome guy chuckled. Ah, that laughter sound doesn’t deviate at all from the characteristics of male protagonist bastards and is being used quite productively. What. Are you a male protagonist here!? The male protagonists here are me! Also Kim Pyeonghwa! Oh Eundo! Jang Seoldam! Are there any others? Are there any others…!
[“Ah, Gu Haejin? The apex of the second-ranked Devil…?”
“Kim Pyeonghwa, the apex of Focus. Are you declaring all-out war?”]
“……”
Ah, shit. It was you?
My stomachache had long since disappeared without me noticing.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
