DP Episode 81

Deep Pivot Episode 81

In the VIP room, where prime beef and yukhoe were served,(dish)

The SAU team, who had been at a disadvantage from Yeon-woo’s unexpected team kill and Park Min-gun’s early elimination, ended up finishing last among the three teams.

However, this resulted in an upgrade from the originally planned pork belly dinner to premium Hanwoo beef, much to the delight of team members who hadn’t paid fines.

“Oh, Team Leader! Isn’t it too harsh to charge me a million won for a slight touch?”

“Do you want to pay five hundred instead? You complain even after I cut it down.”

Cheong-oh responded with a sly smile when Lieutenant Yoon Do-young voiced his frustration.

“Hey, sit down. If Lieutenant Ji isn’t saying anything, why are you, a lieutenant, whining?”

Park Min-gun said while stuffing two freshly grilled pieces of meat into his mouth.

“Lieutenant Ji got hit squarely by Team Leader Kang Mi-yeon. I just got grazed a little… but what about the baby? Did you see his suit? It was covered in red paint!”

“Oh, come on, Lieutenant Yoon. Don’t be petty with the baby. It’s his first paycheck.”

Park Min-gun grabbed Yoon Do-young’s arm and made him sit down. “Ugh, man…” Yoon Do-young grumbled as he accepted the drink.

Seo-joon watched the team members passing drinks around, quietly gauging when it would be appropriate to leave.

He wished he could vanish with Cha Yeon-woo immediately after training, but today was not the day. Why?

“All right, all right. We’re here to celebrate Lieutenant Ji and the baby’s hundred-year promise. A round of applause for the two main characters.”

…Not a hundred-year promise, but an exclusive contract.

This gathering was to celebrate the exclusive contract between Cha Yeon-woo and Ji Seo-joon.

‘Couldn’t you put that more simply?’

No one here would take Cheong-oh’s words literally, but after Yeon-woo had declared “Day One” earlier today, Seo-joon felt uncomfortable with the phrase.

Congratulations were heard from all directions with the clinking of glasses. Seo-joon held up a glass of water and gave an awkward smile as he accepted their greetings.

“How did you win over Lieutenant Ji’s heart?”

Yeong-gyo, who was sitting across from Yeon-woo, asked. The question nearly made Seo-joon choke on his drink. Yeong-gyo continued with a laugh.

“There have been so many S-classes that Lieutenant Ji brushed off.”

“I just… did my best.”

Yeon-woo answered with an embarrassed smile. Glancing at him, Seo-joon saw Yeon-woo cutting the meat into smaller pieces with scissors, carefully placing the well-sliced portions on Seo-joon’s plate.

Suddenly, a warm touch brushed against the back of Seo-joon’s hand under the table.

“Even if you don’t have much appetite, please try a little.”

Yeon-woo covered Seo-joon’s hand with his own and leaned in to whisper. Seo-joon turned his head to look at him. Yeon-woo shyly lowered his gaze and gave a quick squeeze to Seo-joon’s pinky finger before letting go.

“…”

Seo-joon suddenly felt his heart itch with excitement, realizing he was about to embark on a relationship he thought would never happen in his lifetime.

“…Stop worrying about me, Yeon-woo, and eat up yourself.”

Even though he liked Cha Yeon-woo, Seo-joon was far from prepared to start dating someone who acted like a high schooler. He wanted to faint.

“The baby needs a drink too, in honor of becoming Lieutenant Ji’s exclusive guide.”

Yeong-gyo poured a drink into Tae-hee’s glass and then turned to Yeon-woo.

“Oh, I’m still a student.”

‘What am I doing with a baby who doesn’t even drink…’

Seo-joon thought as he tried to maintain his composure and silently ate the meat Yeon-woo served him.

“But you’re still an adult. Isn’t that a bit too strict?”

“Oh… sorry. I’ve just never had alcohol before…”

Yeong-gyo, amused by Yeon-woo’s uncomfortable smile, decided not to push further and instead filled his glass with a soft drink.

“Right, with a fresh liver like that, you should take good care of it.”

‘What am I doing with this innocent baby…’

Having never been in a relationship before, Seo-joon had clearly overlooked the basic truth even a 20-year-old Cha Yeon-woo knew: a mutual confession is the start of a relationship.

Undeniably, from the point of his confession, Seo-joon’s relationship with Cha Yeon-woo had entered an entirely new phase.

‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’

Seo-joon regretted his rashness. He should have been more cautious with his confession. But it wasn’t something he’d ever intended to hide. He couldn’t believe Cha Yeon-woo hadn’t noticed until now.

‘How can I get Yeon-woo out of here?’

Seo-joon thought. He knew it would be tough for Yeon-woo to keep refusing drinks.

More rounds of meat were served, and empty bottles piled up faster. Despite Seo-joon’s worries, Yeon-woo skillfully dodged every drink offer, refusing them all without drinking a single glass.

He’d assumed that Yeon-woo would lack the tact to refuse, but he was surprisingly firm. After all, when had Yeon-woo ever been easy? He’d always appeared gentle, but he had never been a pushover.

However, even Yeon-woo’s firm refusals started to lose their effect over time.

“Our baby drinks well! Have another one.”

Cheong-oh, heavily intoxicated, sat down next to Yeon-woo. Just minutes earlier, he’d filled Yeon-woo’s glass with water himself, but he’d already forgotten.

“Oh, I’ve already had…”

“You know I like you a lot, right? Huh?”

Cheong-oh laughed cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Yeon-woo’s shoulder.

“Yes…”

“Ah, you’re such a gem.”

Cheong-oh swayed, pulling Yeon-woo closer and trying to kiss his cheek. Seo-joon reached out and separated them as Yeon-woo turned his head to avoid the kiss. Yeon-woo quickly settled into Seo-joon’s arms.

“Team Leader Jin, you’re drunk.”

“Oh, you don’t have to guard him so fiercely. We know he’s yours, okay?”

“Hey, Team Leader Jin! Stop bothering the baby and have another drink with me. Let’s drink a hundred thousand won worth of booze and die together tonight.”

At that moment, Min-gun, who was as drunk as Cheong-oh, pulled him away. Cheong-oh quickly shifted his attention to Min-gun, enthusiastically embracing him in a display of camaraderie.

“…”

‘Now’s the time.’

If they stayed any longer, those drunkards would surely ruin the pure-hearted Cha Yeon-woo. Seo-joon looked down at Yeon-woo, who seemed too comfortable in his arms to stand up.

“…Shall we step outside for a moment?”

“Can we?”

Yeon-woo looked up at him, still leaning against his chest. Seo-joon felt breathless seeing his face up close. He was thankful they were at a gathering, or he might have kissed him right there.

Is he flirting with me because he knows I like him? Seo-joon thought. When a naturally beautiful person makes it obvious, there’s no defense.

Seo-joon looked away from Yeon-woo’s charming face, which was like the Puss in Boots in fairy tales, and stood up, pulling Yeon-woo by the hand.

“Lieutenant Ji, where are you going? We said we’d stay together till morning!”

Yeong-gyo and Tae-hee, who had just returned from the restroom, blocked his way. Their slurred speech suggested they were as drunk as the others.

Seo-joon lied shamelessly with a smile.

“Getting ice cream.”

“Really? I want grape flavor!”

“Make sure to call a taxi when you head home.”

“Oh, I want melon flavor!”

Although Seo-joon couldn’t hide Yeon-woo entirely, he nodded and quickly maneuvered his way out. Yeon-woo quietly followed him until they reached the parking lot, where he stopped.

“Wait… aren’t we going to get ice cream?”

He believed it? Seo-joon chuckled.

“Why? Do you want ice cream? Should I buy you some?”

He turned his head and looked at Yeon-woo, whose eyes quickly darted away. Yeon-woo’s face turned bright red as he lowered his gaze.

Seo-joon had been watching and thought he hadn’t drunk any alcohol. Apparently, he’d taken a few drinks without Seo-joon noticing.

“Yeon-woo, how many drinks did you have?”

“No… I haven’t had a single drink.”

Yeon-woo rubbed his cheek with one hand and turned away. Seo-joon tilted his head, puzzled.

“Then why is your face like that? Are you sick?”

Worried that he might have a fever, Seo-joon reached out to touch his forehead, but Yeon-woo turned his head to the opposite side, saying softly,

“…My hand is shaking because you’re holding it.”

“What?”

Seo-joon finally noticed their clasped hands and looked down. He was too stunned to laugh.

“You’ve held my hand before, so what’s the big deal?”

“But it’s the first time after we’ve started dating.”

Yeon-woo said, rubbing his cheek.

“It’s different from holding hands for guiding. Even if I try to calm down, my heart keeps racing uncontrollably…”

Despite his effort to speak calmly, his voice trembled slightly.

“…”

Seo-joon was so bewildered that he stared at Yeon-woo with his mouth open. ‘

We’ve already done much more than this, so why now…?’

What was even more surprising was how his own heart had begun to race along with Yeon-woo’s words.

“How will you guide people if you’re this weak?”

Seo-joon instinctively let go of his hand and took a step back, joking as he opened the passenger door. He needed some distance or Yeon-woo would hear his heartbeat.

“Get in. I’ll buy you ice cream.”

Despite the flimsy promise, Yeon-woo quietly got into the car. ‘

This makes me feel like a bad adult luring a baby with ice cream’

Seo-joon thought. He struggled to calm his wildly beating heart, trying to stifle it with what remained of his conscience.