The sound of the doorbell ringing repeatedly made Yu-jin frown in confusion as he hurried to check the wall pad. A familiar face appeared on the screen.
Andrew.
Upon spotting Winston’s older brother, Yu-jin let out a soft sigh of relief without realizing it. Andrew had been dropping by now and then for a while now, always after a heavy binge on pills or booze, and he made sure to leave before Winston showed up. It was probably because there weren’t many places—especially not the mansion—where he could get high in peace.
At first, Yu-jin had found Andrew deeply uncomfortable to be around, but with time, things got a little better. Despite his heavy use of drugs and alcohol, Andrew never spoke to Yu-jin with disdain or acted rudely. In fact, excluding Winston, he was one of the kindest members of the Campbell family. He even cracked jokes from time to time, and Yu-jin didn’t exactly dislike his company.
Still… doing that many drugs couldn’t possibly be good for him.
Once Andrew was inside, Yu-jin wouldn’t be able to stop him. What should I do? Pretend I’m not home? No, that won’t work. He already knows I rarely leave the house anyway…
While he was still deliberating, the doorbell blared again—louder, more insistent, as if urging him to hurry up. Yu-jin hesitated, then reluctantly pressed the button on the screen. As the elevator carried his visitor up, he took a deep breath, composing himself to greet the guest. When the chime signaled that someone had reached the front door, Yu-jin ran a hand through his hair and quickly made his way to answer it.
“Hey, Andrew…”
The door opened, and Yu-jin started to greet the man who appeared—only to freeze mid-sentence.
Andrew had stepped inside without hesitation, but he wasn’t alone. Several other men appeared behind him, and the moment Yu-jin saw them, a strange sense of unease prickled up his spine. His guard went up instantly.
“Winston? Oh, right… he’s probably at work right now.”
Andrew looked around the house with casual confidence, like he owned the place. Yu-jin glanced nervously at the unfamiliar men, then answered cautiously.
“Yeah… um, what brings you here?”
“Oh, come on. Isn’t it obvious?”
Andrew chuckled as he pulled a small plastic bag filled with white powder from the inner pocket of his jacket. The guys behind him followed suit, flashing bottles of liquor and pill packets with wide grins on their faces.
“Hey, Andrew…”
Yu-jin quickly moved in front of him and grabbed his arm, pulling him aside from the others. When Andrew looked down at him in confusion, Yu-jin spoke with a worried expression.
“You… you’re doing way too many drugs. I really wish you wouldn’t use in my house anymore. Last time, Winston almost found out, and I had to come up with excuses—I got in trouble for it… And now you’ve even brought friends…”
Yu-jin’s face clearly showed how uncomfortable he felt. Andrew burst out laughing and replied with a shrug, as if it were nothing.
“Don’t worry, Yu-jin. I get it. I’m done. I’m not gonna use anymore—and I won’t be coming to your place either.”
“Really?”
Yu-jin’s eyes widened in surprise. Andrew nodded, really.
“That’s why I brought those guys. This is the last time. I owe you for putting up with me all this time, so I figured we’d have one last party together.”
“Uh… yeah…”
It felt less like a party together and more like their own party, but still, if Andrew was really quitting drugs, that was a good thing.
“If you’re not coming over to get high, you’re welcome anytime.”
Yu-jin reached out and gently caught Andrew by the arm as he turned to leave. Andrew blinked in surprise before his lips curled into a smile.
“Thanks, Yu-jin. You’re seriously too kind.”
He gave Yu-jin a light tap on the cheek, then turned and followed after his friends. Watching him go, Yu-jin quickly rushed to the kitchen and pulled out some liquor and glasses. He figured if they drank more, maybe they’d do fewer drugs. Alcohol was still bad for the body, sure—but it had to be better than hard drugs.
“Whoa, no way! You actually have this at home? How much did this whiskey cost?”
“Damn, I’m having this one. It’s killer! Freaking insane!”
“Fuckin’ hell, let’s drink ‘til we die, DIE!!”
Hearing them shout and curse as they raised hell, Yu-jin’s mind went blank for a moment. Andrew was mixed in among them, swearing and laughing just the same, yet he didn’t quite fit. Something about him felt out of place, like he didn’t belong with them at all.
Maybe it was because he was still a Campbell.
That thought lingering, Yu-jin sat a little distance away from the chaos, quietly observing.
“Sorry, Yu-jin. These bastards are way too loud, huh?”
Andrew spoke up once he’d gotten a little buzzed. Yu-jin answered honestly.
“A bit, yeah. I’d prefer it if you came alone next time.”
He could never quite get used to this kind of raucous energy. He preferred quiet, calm conversations over tea. When Yu-jin said that, Andrew gave him a strange look.
“You like it when I come alone?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Something about Andrew’s voice—it was lower than usual—made Yu-jin feel slightly off, but he nodded anyway.
“Don’t bring your friends anymore.”
“All right.”
To Yu-jin’s surprise, Andrew agreed without hesitation.
“I’ll do that. If you like it when it’s just the two of us.”
There was a double meaning hidden in that reply. For Andrew, it was one more test—but Yu-jin was far too innocent to pick up on it.
“Yeah, I like it better that way too.”
Andrew’s eyes lingered on him for a moment before his lips slowly curled upward. Then, with a smile brighter than Yu-jin had ever seen on him, he said,
“Got it.”
With that, he tipped back his glass and drained it in one gulp. Then, taking a rolled-up bill, he leaned down and snorted the white powder laid out on the table.
“This is the last time.”
Sniffling as his nose ran from the hit, Andrew wiped it off with a swipe of his finger and continued,
“No more drugs. No more booze, either. I mean it.”
“That’d be great. I’m glad. You made the right decision, Andrew. Don’t ever do this stuff again.”
Yu-jin nodded brightly, and Andrew stared at him—intensely, unwaveringly.
“If you’re here… I can do it too. Just like Winston.”
Only then did Yu-jin feel that something was a little off—but he brushed the feeling aside.
“Yeah, of course. I’ll be cheering you on.”
Andrew’s face lit up even more at his words. That night, they drank every drop of alcohol Yu-jin had brought out, along with all the drugs Andrew’s crew had brought. By the time they staggered out the front door, they were completely wasted. Swaying on his feet, Andrew slurred a promise through twisted lips.
“Next time I’ll come sober. Real soon. Fast like the wind… faster than a plane…”
“You better,” Yu-jin said, laughing at his drunken rambling. “You have to come sober, okay?”
“You’re not gonna forget this ‘cause you’re drunk, right?”
Teasing him with a mischievous smile, Yu-jin watched as Andrew frowned and then replied in a surprisingly serious tone.
“I’ll never forget.”
The resolve in his voice made Yu-jin nod.
“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”
He walked Andrew to the door and waved him off. But just as Yu-jin was about to send him on his way, Andrew suddenly turned around and pulled him into a hug.
…Huh?
Yu-jin blinked in surprise. The smell of drugs and booze clinging to Andrew’s body made his stomach churn, but he managed to hold it in. Giving a few friendly pats on Andrew’s back, Yu-jin gently pulled away and smiled.
“Come on, go now. I’ve gotta clean up before Winston gets back.”
“…Right.”
Andrew muttered in a tone that clearly said he wasn’t happy about it, then took a step back.
“See you.”
“Yeah, take care.”
After exchanging a farewell that dragged on longer than usual, Yu-jin finally closed the door and returned to the living room. There, a far worse mess than usual was waiting for him. It made sense—this time it hadn’t just been Andrew making a mess, but several people tearing the place apart.
Letting out a sigh, Yu-jin switched on the ventilation to clear out the lingering stench and rushed to clean up.
By the time Winston came home, there wasn’t much difference from any other night. As usual, he returned sometime past midnight and went straight to the bedroom to check on Yu-jin. Still lightly asleep, Yu-jin woke at the sound of movement and greeted him with a smile.
“What did you do today?”
After a kiss, Winston asked sweetly, and Yu-jin replied with a grin.
“I hung out with some friends.”
It wasn’t a lie. Winston didn’t know that Andrew had come over. And if he found out that drugs were being used in their home, he would absolutely lose it. Yu-jin hadn’t told him because he didn’t want to lose the only person from the Campbell family—besides Winston—that he had managed to get close to.
But now that Andrew said he was quitting…
If he really came clean next time, Yu-jin figured then it’d be okay to tell Winston. He might even be happy to hear his brother had quit drugs. And if Yu-jin told him he was the one who convinced him?
He’d probably praise me so much.
A smile crept onto Yu-jin’s face, swelling with pride at the thought. Winston, watching him, assumed Yu-jin was simply happy remembering the time he’d spent with friends during the day, and brushed it off without much thought.
“Phew…”
When Winston began rubbing one of his shoulders, Yu-jin’s smile faded. Replacing it with a more serious expression, he asked softly, “Are you really tired?”
Winston had been buried in work for weeks. It was rare for him to come home on time—so rare, you could count the days on one hand. Seeing the concern in Yu-jin’s eyes, Winston smiled and shook his head.
“No, it’s not that bad. Come on, I’m the one who woke you up.”
dudeeee why yuji is sooo naive 😭🤞🏻