Chapter 18 — Friday Night
I got kicked out. At 10 PM on a Friday night.
Is this real?
I was completely dazed.
A long time ago, one of my friends got kicked out after saying something stupid during a one-night stand and called me. I never thought I would be the one in that situation.
Well, technically I did have sex, so maybe it’s not exactly a one-night stand.
“Argh, I don’t know!!!”
I scratched my head in disbelief.
“What did I do wrong?”
I walked through the streets of Gangnam, carefully reviewing everything that had happened today.
We had hot sex twice.
Up to that point, there was no problem. The light was yellow. She wanted it too. Plus, with my perfect-fit cock, there was no way Kim Ain wasn’t satisfied.
Then…
While we were washing each other, she suddenly said it wasn’t fun anymore because it had become too natural, and kicked me out. That was the problem.
“Does that even make sense? It became too easy so the excitement died?”
It seemed she didn’t like becoming someone she could have anytime he wanted.
If she were an ordinary person, it would make sense that she didn’t want to become “easy,” but this was Kim Ain.
A sexchote. Someone who would even take drugs in pursuit of pleasure.
It was clear that what she disliked wasn’t the sex itself, but that the buildup — our relationship before the act — had become too comfortable.
Ah. This is difficult. Even saying “I love you” wouldn’t fix this.
“Still, kicking me out? That’s too much. Ha. I don’t know anymore. Let’s just go home.”
I gave up on understanding and started walking.
Before I knew it, I had reached Gangnam-daero. I could see people who had been drinking wandering around.
I should have just drunk outside or watched a movie at home.
I had planned to spend all night with Kim Ain on Friday, yet here I was, left alone like this.
It felt empty.
“Kim Ain’s words are starting to piss me off.”
Just wait until the coin goes up and you become my slave. I’ll do exactly what you want.
Kim Ain’s plan had succeeded. I was now desperately waiting for the day the coin doubled.
“That’s for later. For now, I should just go home.”
There was nothing to do alone, and the bustling Gangnam area was tiring.
Especially the scary older women in front of the clubs who kept glancing at me.
Their makeup was much heavier than what office workers usually wore, and their clothes were provocative. I wondered if they weren’t cold.
Why are you approaching me?
One of them stepped right in front of me.
“Excuse me. Could you give me your contact information?”
Are you trying to steal my kidneys? Not happening!
……No, wait. I’m handsome now. And tall too.
I glanced at the club. Several women were looking at me.
Maybe if I went in there, a third round would be possible.
- No chance! The God of Losers has already blocked such events with the female friend restriction, so don’t worry!
You damn god!
Because of the God of Losers, I could only do it with female friends. Since there was no reason to give my number, I waved my hand.
“Sorry. I have a prior engagement.”
“Prior engagement with who?”
“Well…”
“Huh? Juchan Oppa!!!”
It was a familiar voice. I turned my head.
We meet here?
It was Han Jia. Standing next to her was her fellow new employee, also a classmate from Korea’s top university, and my former slave colleague from my previous life — Yoon Jungwook.
The two of them drank together? No way they have the same kind of relationship as me and Kim Ain?
Yoon Jungwook looked way too pitiful for that.
He was dragging two large suitcases behind him with both hands. He really looked like an actual slave.
“What brings you here? You said you were going straight home even when I suggested we drink.”
Han Jia came to my side with a bright smile.
Then she looked at the club woman who had been standing next to me.
“Friend?”
A slight, meaningful smile. As if saying, ‘Her? Really?’
The club woman seemed to understand. She turned and left without a word.
Han Jia looked surprised.
“Oh? She wasn’t your friend?”
“I’ve never seen her before.”
“Really? What did she want?”
“She asked for my contact info.”
“Seriously? As expected of Juchan Oppa! You even get approached on the street? I thought only women got hit on.”
“I guess she was just asking randomly. What about you, Jungwook hyung?”
I felt bad for him so I tried to talk to him, but his tone was sharp.
“Other people said they weren’t drinking, so we just had a couple. What about you? Your face looks like you’ve drunk quite a bit.”
My face is pale, what the hell are you talking about?
Still, I understood the real meaning behind his words.
Just go home. Please don’t join our party.
It seemed like that.
I was about to agree and leave.
But—
Slap.
Why the hell are you doing this now?
Han Jia suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Oppa, don’t do that. Let’s drink together. It’s Friday night.”
Fire sparked in Yoon Jungwook’s eyes.
“He looks like he’s already had a lot. Don’t burden him.”
It was a burden, but I hadn’t actually drunk that much.
I was going to say I’d just head home anyway, but—
“If he doesn’t want to drink, just leave him. Let’s drink, just the two of us.”
Three times? Isn’t this going too far?
Suddenly, memories from my previous life flooded back.
The memory of wanting to stay but being sent home. The memory of her pushing me away while saying we’d meet next time.
Even though Han Jia was the one who did it back then, why was she making me remember it now?
I was already outside anyway, and I had plenty of time, so I decided to have another drink.
“A light beer would be fine for me.”
Yoon Jungwook had a fit.
“We’re going to drink soju!!!”
He must have made up his mind with some deep meaning tonight.
You idiot! At least hide it a little! You haven’t even kissed Han Jia yet!
He was probably aiming to get her drunk. But Han Jia’s soju tolerance was over three bottles.
And mine was the same.
I could go over four bottles.
“Let’s drink soju then. Whatever. Let’s all go drink together.”
Yoon Jungwook fell into despair.
On the other hand, Han Jia looked delighted. She unlinked her arm and cutely pushed my back.
“I know a good place. Let’s go there!”
We walked in a line: me, Han Jia, then Yoon Jungwook.
***
The place we arrived at was an ordinary bar.
It was crowded with people.
We sat at an empty table.
Han Jia and I sat together while Yoon Jungwook sat alone, using his two suitcases as an excuse.
Did I make a mistake by following them? I started feeling sorry for Yoon Jungwook again when Han Jia stood up.
“I’ll go to the bathroom real quick.”
The moment she left, Yoon Jungwook let out a deep sigh.
“Juchan-ah.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“I’m sorry for saying this, but can’t you leave after staying for a bit?”
He’s being this honest?
I listened to him until the end.
“You’re doing well with Kim Ain, right?”
Actually, things aren’t going well. I just got dumped and kicked out. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going to hit on someone else.
“I want to do well with Han Jia.”
Ah… Bro. Don’t cross that river. Why are you voluntarily trying to become a slave? To her, you’re nothing more than an academic trophy.
“But when you’re here, you get in the way. Of course, there’s no way she’d like you or anything.”
That’s actually nice to hear.
“Jia said that Juchan Oppa is handsome, good at dancing, and stands out well in front of people, but you have zero social skills. What do you think that means? It means she doesn’t like introverted guys. And you’re introverted.”
Sigh, you idiot. You’re already completely enchanted.
The reason he said that wasn’t his honest impression of me. He was subtly putting me down to make himself look better to Han Jia.
Of course, a fox like Han Jia wouldn’t have openly badmouthed me. If she really said something, it was probably at the level of “It would’ve been nice if Juchan Oppa joined us for drinks. He always seems to be alone.”
Yoon Jungwook was the one who added all the extra flavor.
‘How cute.’
Excluding the fact that I was a lifelong solo in my previous life, I had 7 years of social experience.
Watching these early-to-mid-20s kids play mind games was just adorable.
So I felt like teasing him.
I was thinking about what to say to blow his mind when Han Jia returned.
She sat down next to me and looked at the two of us with a bright smile.
“What were you guys talking about?”
Yoon Jungwook stuttered.
He seemed scared that if he told the truth, Han Jia would press him with “When did I ever say that?”
I didn’t say anything childish like that. Instead, I made it even more annoying for him.
“We were talking about Instagram.”
“Instagram?”
“Yeah. We were thinking about posting a photo of us drinking together.”
Han Jia smiled brightly. As expected from an Instagram addict.
“Sounds good! I’ll take the picture.”
She held up her smartphone, trying to get all three of us in the frame.
Our side was only two people, so it was cramped. I naturally moved closer to her.
“Everyone smile~”
I smiled brightly. Han Jia did the same. Only Yoon Jungwook forced an awkward smile.
‘That seat next to Han Jia should have been mine!’
‘You should be the one sitting alone, Juchan.’
Behind his smiling face, I could clearly see him screaming, like the JYP meme yelling about the house he lives in.
Seriously, why did you even poke me? I was just going to drink beer and catch the last train home.
But it seemed he had no intention of sinking like this.
While Han Jia was fiddling with her phone, Yoon Jungwook brought up a new topic.
“What are you guys planning to do with your salary?”
Ah. Right, Yoon Jungwook was in the securities club during university.
He probably wanted to take the lead in a field he knew well.
“I’m thinking of splitting my salary and investing in stocks.”
Han Jia reacted with surprise.
“Really? Oppa, do you know something?”
“This is only for you guys. I was in the securities club, so I know some seniors in the business department. They told me this.”
“What did they say?”
“You should invest in cosmetic stocks.”
Is he willingly walking into the basement?
Han Jia didn’t seem very impressed and pouted.
“But aren’t they doing badly because of the Korea-China relations ban? Is it okay?”
“That won’t last long. They’ll lift the restrictions in the second half of this year. We should buy cosmetic stocks now while they’re down.”
Bro… I told you not to cross that river.
Still, I had no intention of criticizing Yoon Jungwook.
Even Isaac Newton lost money in stocks, so it was only natural that even a Korea University student couldn’t predict the market. The Korean stock market was basically a scam coin anyway.
Of course, I had no plans to stop him either. I just nodded when I suddenly felt a hot gaze on the side of my face.
It was Han Jia.
She was staring at me with wide, sparkling eyes.
“Then, Jungwook Oppa is investing in cosmetic stocks… What about you, Juchan Oppa? Where are you going to invest?”
She instantly created a rivalry. It was as if she was asking me to give her good information.
Yeah. I’m not giving you any.
“I’m just going to put it in a time deposit.”
Yoon Jungwook laughed.
“With interest rates like this? You won’t make any money with time deposits.”
It was a welcome reaction.
He was trying to push me away from Han Jia, and thankfully he gave exactly the response I needed.
The problem was Han Jia.
“You’re not just doing time deposits, right? It looks like you know something.”
It didn’t work. She was like a ghost — she somehow sensed I knew something and subtly moved closer.
“No, I really don’t.”
Feeling guilty, I took a sip of alcohol.
Yoon Jungwook drank too, not wanting to lose, and Han Jia also drank before pouring more for me.
“It’s strange. I’m sure you know something.”
“I really don’t. If I did, I would tell you.”
“Really? Then cheers!”
She was a master at reading the room. She knew 100%. She knew I had a solid investment in mind.
There was no reason for me to share Bitcoin information with her, so I just drank.
Yoon Jungwook drank along with me.
“So where is it?”
“I really don’t have anything.”
“No, you definitely do.”
“I said I don’t.”
“Then since you don’t, cheers~!”
We drank again.
Yoon Jungwook did the same.
We kept drinking.
And drinking.
And drinking.
Han Jia seemed to think she could get me drunk and then pry the information out of me with a single cute act.
My tolerance was four bottles.
More precisely, I had the ability to effectively drink four bottles or more by using two bottles’ worth of skill.
I had a secret arsenal of alcohol disposal techniques honed by countless factory uncles from the engineering department.
The basics were tomato — vomit and drink, vomit and drink.
“Cya! The alcohol is bitter.”
Hold it in my mouth, spit it into water, then secretly discard it.
I endured using every trick I had.
Compared to me, Han Jia was innocent. Because she had strong tolerance, she believed there was no one she couldn’t outdrink, so she gulped it down obediently.
As for Yoon Jungwook…
“I’m really good at drinking.”
His tongue was already slurring.
It was about time to head home.
If I stayed any longer, I’d have to take Yoon Jungwook home on top of everything else, so I stood up — when suddenly,
Thud.
He’s not dead, right?
Yoon Jungwook collapsed forward.
“Hyung! Wake up. Hyung!!! You can sleep in ten minutes!”
“Just let me sleep for a bit… Zzz~~~”
“What do you mean sleep!!! Sleep at home. Never mind. I’ll head out first.”
I was hurriedly trying to leave for home when—
Plop.
My arm was grabbed.
“Oppa… I want to sleep a bit too…”
Han Jia’s head dropped heavily as well.
……I got caught.
***
An unexpected addition to the drinking party. Two people completely drunk.
Thankfully, it was resolved well.
Yoon Jungwook’s older brother came to pick him up and took him home.
The only one left was Han Jia.
She was currently leaning against the stairs, pretending to sleep.
It was clearly acting. It didn’t work on me, but she was still doing it.
I was tired and wanted to go home and sleep, so I shook her shoulder to wake her.
“Wake up. Jungwook hyung already left.”
“Zzz~~~”
“I know you’re not sleeping. Get up.”
“Mmmnya mmmnya.”
How far is she planning to take this act?
Then—
“My stomach feels bad… Blegh.”
“Huh? No!!!”
It wasn’t acting?
Han Jia breathed out, showing me tonight’s side dishes.
……This was an emergency.