Deliberately slurring the end of his sentence, another junior sitting across the table—Woo Ji-woo—suddenly jumped into the conversation. Her cheeks were flushed bright pink, likely from the alcohol.
“Han Jeong-seok, why are you asking Jae-ha oppa something like that? If he texted me, I’d get on my knees and reply even in my sleep. He’s not like you.”
Jeong-seok and Ji-woo had been joined at the hip ever since they started school. As close as they were, their words often got rough, and Jeong-seok raised a finger at her with a sharp “get lost.” That was just how their friendship worked. Between them, Jae-ha muttered playfully.
“Oh yeah? Guess I shouldn’t reply to Ji-woo anymore. Don’t want her knees giving out.”
“Ah, oppa!”
Ji-woo’s voice rang out high and indignant, clearly offended. When Jae-ha poured her a drink, saying it was just a joke, she quietly accepted it, but still gave him a sulky, side-eyed glare. Jae-ha, pretending not to notice even though he obviously did, casually sipped from his glass.
Despite being just as close with Jeong-seok and Ji-woo as he was with Ji-hyang, there had never been any dating rumors between them. That was mostly thanks to Ji-woo being so open about her crush on Jae-ha. This bold, cheeky junior had even sent him a private message asking to go see a movie together. She was just twenty and still new to adulthood, so out of basic decency, Jae-ha replied—but he had no intention of taking things further.
“She might just be slow to reply. Give it some time, and don’t come off too clingy.”
Seizing a lull in the conversation, Jae-ha leaned in and offered the advice quietly. Jeong-seok, who had been glumly fiddling with his phone until then, perked up a little. The way he nodded eagerly was almost puppy-like. Why do all these kids look like puppies these days…? Probably time for an eye exam.
The drinking continued well into the night. It wasn’t until the subway’s last train was nearing that the gathering finally started to wind down. A few energetic students kept circling Jae-ha, asking him at least five times if he was going to the second round. When he gave noncommittal answers, they clung to him, insisting that someone who lived so close had no excuse to dip early.
“Why even ask if you’re going to guilt me into it anyway?” he grumbled.
“It’s ‘cause we like you, Jae-ha~,” came the cheeky reply.
Luckily, he’d been sleeping well lately and felt pretty good. When he gave in with a reluctant nod, one of the seniors bought everyone ice cream, saying it was a great decision. It was delicious.
Those who lived far away and needed the subway, the ones with curfews, and the lightweight drinkers all started to head home. That cleared out about half the group. But with so many people to begin with, the energy didn’t fade. Still buzzing from the alcohol, the remaining group moved together like a single herd toward a nearby beer bar.
While walking, Jae-ha checked his phone. Amid the unread messages and missed calls, one unexpected name stood out:
[Ju Hae-hyun]
Where are you, hyung?
It was the first time he’d gotten a message from Hae-hyun. The chat window was empty except for that lone message bubble.
Did I forget to tell him I was going out drinking?
[Me]
Out drinking
Might be home late
As he tapped out responses to his other unread messages, another one from Hae-hyun came through. He must’ve read the last one instantly.
[Ju Hae-hyun]
Late? Like how late?
Jae-ha glanced around at the group. A few people looked a little tipsy, but most were either heavy drinkers or just plain alcohol lovers. Definitely the kind who could keep going through a third round without breaking a sweat.
[Me]
Really late. Just go to bed first
Save my spot
The bed was barely big enough for Hae-hyun to stretch out alone. Worst case, Jae-ha might end up having to sleep half on top of him.
God, no thanks… The mental image made him laugh out loud. Just then, Min-ho suddenly appeared beside him and threw an arm over his shoulders.
“Ooooh, Seo Jae-ha, who you texting? Got a girl on the hook?”
“Wait—Jae-ha oppa, are you seeing someone?”
“Whaaat? Oppa, you’re dating someone?!”
In an instant, people swarmed around him. There was no way he could keep using his phone unless he physically peeled them off. Sighing, Jae-ha tucked it away.
“What girl? There’s nothing going on.”
“Come on. Hasn’t it been a while since you dated?”
“Yeah, but I can’t date by myself. I just haven’t met anyone interesting.”
He answered dryly as they walked, and soon they reached the next bar. They pushed tables together and sat down in a rowdy huddle. It was as if their earlier drinking had been wiped clean. Glass bottles clinked onto the table, glasses were filled, and the sound of cheers! overflowed once more.
“Hey, now that I’m looking, Seongji and Jae-ha ended up sitting next to each other.”
As soon as someone pointed it out, all eyes turned their way. Great. What now? Jae-ha blinked, having barely registered who was beside him. Sure enough, teasing voices began to fly.
“Oooh, what’s this? You two a thing or what?”
“Did Seongji try to make a move again?”
“It’s not like that!”
Even though Seongji waved her hands in protest, the mood was already set. No one was backing off.
“Okay, okay. Should we bring back an old-school drinking game for old time’s sake?”
“Let’s match up a couple from the business department tonight, huh?”
“Loser does a love shot with whoever they get picked with!”
With the smaller second-round group, it was actually the perfect number for drinking games. The buzzed students perked up with interest. In the midst of the chatter, someone pointed something out.
“Wait, but if it’s love shots, doesn’t that mean Jae-ha hyung’s just gonna drink them all? What if he ends up totally hammered?”
That drew a round of laughter. Even Jae-ha found himself looking at the person who said it. The freshman looked slightly embarrassed but amused. Jae-ha had only ever seen him a few times in the department lounge—this was their first time drinking together.
“You’ve never drunk with Jae-ha before?”
“Seo Jae-ha drinks like a monster.”
“He’s always the last one standing.”
“Oppa, how much can you even drink?”
Jae-ha gave a nonchalant shrug.
“Dunno.”
“See? That’s a real drinker for you.”
“His vibe is unmatched…”
That was the last comment before a sudden hush fell over the group. Then someone broke the silence with a yell:
“Seo Jae-ha’s favorite random game!”
The chant started with one voice and quickly became a chorus. All eyes turned toward Jae-ha. He blinked and then answered smoothly.
“Number game. One.”
“Two!”
The drinking game had officially begun—and the more they played, the more the energy amped up. The older students, unfamiliar with the latest games, lost round after round. Grumbling that they didn’t even understand the rules, they kept downing penalty shots. They ended up acting like a human shield, taking the hits and letting the younger students shine for once.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
“Jae-ha oppa never gets caught.”
During a brief break between rounds, a junior across the table stuck out his tongue in disbelief. It was true. Despite being one of the five oldest in the group, Jae-ha hadn’t taken a single penalty shot—unless someone specifically picked him for a love shot. A few frustrated players even tried targeting him on purpose, but he deflected every time with practiced ease.
He never even froze up or hesitated, no matter how weird the rules were. No matter what game was thrown at him, he handled it like second nature. Like someone who trained in drinking games for a living.
In fact, there had been a time when his friends dragged him to a villa with an ocean view for a four-day, three-night retreat. They barely went outside. Every night, all they did was drink and play drinking games. It wasn’t even a retreat—it was bootcamp. Thanks to that experience, Jae-ha had developed the quick instincts to dominate any party.
“It’s just experience.”
His playful comment drew teasing boos from all sides.
“Whoa, even Seo Jae-ha sounds like a boomer now.”
“Oppa, you can’t say stuff like that. What does that make all the older guys who kept losing?”
“Min-hee, you’re the one making us drink the most.”
As Jae-ha took a sip of water, the conversation wrapped up and the game resumed. Fast-paced chatter flowed like a current until it stopped—right in front of Jae-ha. This time, the loser was Seongji.
“Who are you picking?”
“Come on, if it’s Seongji, we already know.”
Amid the laughter, everyone’s gaze shifted back to Jae-ha. Grinning wide, Seongji looked straight at him.
“Guess I have to live up to expectations. Jae-ha oppa, you’re up.”
