DI Ch 65

I stared blankly at the moon in the black sky, then I focused my eyes and spoke directly.

“I’m not going to roll forward, so don’t assume that.”

[Hey, damn it, how much have you been drinking?]

Tae Seong-je’s voice rose as if he had been waiting for this moment.

[It has not been long since that bastard brought you the tonic. I told you to drink moderately.]

“Hyung. That’s not what’s important.”

[Sigh…]

If I had been sober, I would have realized right away that he was pissed off but putting up with it. Aside from being drunk, I was distracted by the unique title of the sign in front of me. The bar was called Samhaengsi.

“Hyung, I’m going to compose an acrostic poem. Give me any topic.”

[You’re really acting up.]

“Oh! Hyung, I love you so much! Give me! Give me…”

Ah… Tae Seong-je, you’re really too much. Instead of just laughing happily with my improved mood, I pouted my lips.

“Hyung, it’s too hard. Please give me an easy one.”

[Fuck.]

Ah, this one’s easy.

“F! Fuck, Hyung, I love you. Uck! I hope you love me too!”

[…Did you seriously have to resort to vulgarity.]

“Uck is the only word that came to mind. Uck as in a government office and uck… uh… a prison…”

Unlike the warm air, the cold ground felt good, and I lightly tapped my cheek against it as I began to chant words that started with “uck.”

[Hyung is not having fun, so get up now. Do you want to go back inside?]

“You’re not fun, Kwon Joong-hyuk is more fun.”

[Fuck, Seo Seung-won.]

“Ah, Kwon Joong-hyuk. Funny asshole. He said hyung was going to dump me because I’m not cute at all. Seong-je hyung, are you going to dump me? You won’t, right? That’s right. Hyung, you won’t dump me.”

I tucked my cell phone roughly between my cheek and shoulder and hugged the bag tightly with both arms. I closed my eyes and couldn’t imagine being this good in the world. A body that didn’t ache anywhere, the most perfect survival bag, and his voice. Could there be a more perfect combination in this world?

“I think I’m starting to understand now. I’m fun, right? That’s why you called me today, right? You’re going to see me again, so we can keep having fun…”

My words trailed off, and I bowed my head deeply. The sidewalk block coming into view filled me with resentment. Suddenly, it might sound like complete nonsense, but it made my nose tingle with sadness. Damn it, sidewalk block… My phone dropped, but I didn’t even glance at it; instead, I buried my head in the bag I was holding and mumbled.

“It’s still a long way to go home, and I don’t have the confidence to endure it alone. No, I can’t do it… I don’t know how I’ve managed so far. It’s really tough even now…”

“Hey! Seo Seung-won!”

From afar, Kwon Joong-hyuk yelled out excitedly. Raising my head like a turtle, the guy who had been forcibly helping Park Kang-woo stand up by gripping his arms forcefully now spoke with a hearty face.

“Let’s go for round three!”

“Sure!”

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

Kwon Joong-hyuk shouted brighter than the last time before collapsing to the ground. After sniffing, I got up from my seat, grabbed my phone and bag, and began walking, holding onto the backs of the weeping Park Kang-woo and Kwon Joong-hyuk as we began to walk. Despite the weight of the two stumbling guys complaining about their sore buttocks, it felt good. I just wanted to cling to this good mood for a little while longer.

While walking, I suddenly spotted a convenience store and let go of the shoulders of the two guys I was holding, and continued straight ahead.

“Hey, hey. Why are you suddenly like that, Seo Seung-won?”

“Hey. Where are you going…”

I stopped abruptly in that spot and silently pointed to the convenience store. Even though I heard a feeble voice from behind saying, ‘Why is he like this all of a sudden?’ in a powerless tone, my eyes and my complete focus were fixed on the convenience store. I wanted to grab all the snacks I could, and as soon as I entered the convenience store, I hastily swept up whatever I could get my hands on.

“Oh, I ran too fast at the beginning.”

“Seo Seung-won, that guy got caught up in your speed. He doesn’t look drunk to me.”

The guys who followed along slowly entered, paid for their hangover remedies, and then sat down on the chairs at the table, letting out sighs.

“It’s regrettable, so let’s each have a bottle and then head to my place to sleep.”

“Then we’ll go to your school and crash there… Wait, that crazy guy. Hey. Can’t you calm down a bit?”

Seems like we were a bit sober now, exchanging words with each other in a more civil manner than before. Suddenly, those guys snatched the snacks I had in my arms, taking them all at once. By the time I tried to resist, Park Kang-woo, that quick-handed brat, had already placed my snacks neatly on the shelf. I seized his collar in retaliation, shook him, and cursed him. Where are my snacks…

“Byeek… breath… I can’t breathe…”

“Heh… Hey, wake up from the alcohol haze. Come on. Open your mouth. Seo Seung-won, ahh~”

Kwon Joong-hyuk handed me ice cream without warning and pushed it into my mouth. I put down the collar I gripped, feeling the cold and sweetness of the hard bar inside my mouth. The refreshing sensation in my mouth spread through my head, making me feel refreshed.

As Kwon Joong-hyuk paid for the ice cream, I looked down at the dirty convenience store floor where people were coming and going. Upon leaving the convenience store, Park Kang-woo followed behind me, shoving something into my pocket and sighing before lightly patting my back.

“Yeah, you crazy guy. Eat a lot. It looks good.”

“Is it delicious? Do you want some of mine?”

I was too lazy to answer, so I nodded after receiving the hard bar that Kwon Joong-hyuk held out.

We entered the university grounds where Kwon Joong-hyuk attended before I finished my ice cream, and despite the fact that it was early morning, I saw quite a few people drinking on the lawn. Feeling drowsy, I stretched out on the lawn, and the bag pressing down on my back was uncomfortable, so I hugged it tightly in front of me.

I was about to eat the remaining ice cream when Park Kang-woo approached and spoke.

“Are you feeling sleepy?”

“No? I’m feeling good.”

I raised my head while tightly closing my eyes. It wasn’t sleepiness but rather a relaxing sensation and pleasant drowsiness that accompanied it.

“Seo Seung-won. Listen carefully.”

Park Kang-woo shoved a hangover cure in my hand and asked me seriously.

“I said we’d drink until we drop today. Sober up. Got it?”

“Sure. We should drink more then.”

I nodded my head slowly while biting into the fully-eaten ice cream. Then, the two of them exchanged familiar glances and began to make plans.

“Let’s go to the fried chicken place and get just one chicken.”

“Chicken? I don’t really crave chicken.”

“Not you, him. Chicken is the best for your health.”

“Samgyetang (chicken soup)?”

“That’s what I meant. But is it really good? Considering it’s okay to drink with alcohol, it seems fine, but then I remember he passed out before.”

“I really don’t know. They diagnosed it as an incurable disease at the hospital, but they said he’s really healthy. Anyway, let’s get two chickens just to be safe. It’s better to have extra than to run out.”

One of the guys who was chattering non-stop came over and shook my shoulder.

“Hey, I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere, just sit there and drink that.”

“You shouldn’t sleep, okay? Whenever I called, you just didn’t answer.”

“I’ll be waiting for you, so go.”

As I waved my hands, the incessantly chattering guys finally left their seats. These guys had such loud voices that even from a distance, their voices could be heard. But my ears seemed blocked; I couldn’t hear the sound of their chatter.

While sitting still, my body started spinning around, and I felt like I was sinking down. Was this what it felt like to ride an amusement park ride? Oh, so did I answer or not? Did I nod my head or not? Was it Park Kang-woo or Kwon Joong-hyuk who talked to me?

“Sigh…”

Maybe because the breeze was a little cooler. Even though it was hot and humid, it felt relatively okay. In the distance, the sound of honking cars echoed, and nearby, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind was clear. Those sounds were so pleasing that the world felt incredibly peaceful and secure.

I quietly sighed alone with my eyes closed. I don’t know what the principle is, but the more I drank, the less pain I felt. I felt sluggish, but my mood was good, and the weather was so nice… If I just had one more drink here, everything would be perfect.

At that moment, I heard footsteps from somewhere. I couldn’t tell if they were coming from the east or west, but the sound of someone treading on the grass seemed quite leisurely. When I thought the sound was closer than I expected, it suddenly stopped as if right next to me.

“This is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous.”

The voice muttering softly was much more leisurely than Park Kang-woo’s and much softer than Kwon Joong-hyuk’s. But it was familiar.

“No matter how nice the weather is, you can’t do that. What if you catch a cold again? Are you planning to lie down and sleep on the ground?”

Affectionate yet somewhat cold, it sent shivers down my spine. Who is this? I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere. Amidst my hazy thoughts, I suddenly realized who it was, and I thought that I must be dreaming right now.

“Sunbae…”

The boundary between dream and reality was so faint that I didn’t know how long I had been dreaming.  Still, dreams are nice, dreams are good. Even if I dislike it, it’s my memory; even if I hate it, it’s my reminiscence; even if it’s bad, it’s my past. Captivated by the floating feeling, I mumbled to myself like sleep-talking. But suddenly, my nose was pinched. Wondering what it was, I opened my eyes slightly, and my pinched nose twitched.