SMNTCERR, Chapter 34 Cyan #7.

“Do you want something special to eat?”

“No.”

“I’ll have okonomiyaki, omurice, and two bottles of soju.”

Jaeyoung handed the return menu to the staff. The other party took it and disappeared behind the curtain.

On Saturday night, at a small Japanese restaurant in a corner, a quiet atmosphere suitable for conversation. Jaeyoung invited Sangwoo while on their way back home after finishing work part-time because of what happened yesterday, he couldn’t work all day. If he didn’t provoke him himself out of annoyance, that meant Chu Sangwoo secretly kissed him and ran away, he couldn’t understand it at all.

Sangwoo, who never deviated from his frame and plan, might be asexual, but Jaeyoung was certain that the other side couldn’t be gay. Besides, the only emotions he saw in those eyes were indifference. If you wanted to believe that it was the gaze of someone in love, struggling to admit that he was infatuated until he annoyed himself would be more accurate.

“Why did you suddenly come to drink?”

“We’ve been working together for two weeks, it’s time to socialize with colleagues.”

“Well… sure.”

After that, silence filled the air for a while. Now Jaeyoung was not sure if he felt or knew anything while Sangwoo sat in front of him. Whether

Sangwoo intended it or not, for the past two weeks, Jaeyoung had been attacked heavily to the point that the city walls crumbled, and the fortress was destroyed. He wanted to confirm where the destination of this conflicting feeling in his heart truly lay, so he prepared like this.

Jaeyoung’s favorite electronic song played softly from the speakers. Meanwhile, Sangwoo stared at the ceiling. Jaeyoung glanced at the side of the other party’s neck for a few seconds before regaining consciousness and turning his gaze elsewhere.

After a while, a staff member arrived with soju and glasses. Sangwoo looked like someone who had never participated in a drinking session before, but he casually picked up the bottle, shook it, and opened it. Jaeyoung received the glass from Sangwoo’s hand with a slight tremor in his heart.

The etiquette for pouring alcohol is to pour with the right hand and hold a cup with the left hand under the right wrist, use the back of the hand to cover when lifting it to drink, and keep the secrets discussed during the drinking session. These were perfect manners.

“Who taught you that?”

“My mother. She said if I don’t know, I’ll lose. As soon as I reached adulthood, she taught me right away.”

Now it’s Jaeyoung’s turn to pour the liquor. Sangwoo held a glass in one hand, while the other rested on his wrist. Even though Jaeyoung felt like they are a true university senior and his junior and should be somewhat reserved, he doesn’t say anything because he knows now that the other party needs to follow certain rules to feel satisfied, and the clear liquid flows smoothly into the glass of Soju.

They clinked glasses and drank together. Jaeyoung popped a few roasted peanuts into his mouth and looked at Sangwoo calmly with a poker face.

When there was nothing to say, he filled the glass with Soju for both of them.

And they let the Soju flow down their throats once again.

“You’re good at drinking.”

“I’m an enzyme that can metabolize acetate dehyde[1] well.”

“I thought you were someone who didn’t drink anymore.”

“Why is that?”

“When we were working together, you never drank.”

Sangwoo poured Soju into Jaeyoung’s glass, raising suspicions with a puzzled look on his face. Jaeyoung took the bottle of Soju and poured it into the other party’s glass before speaking.

“I was right there with you.”

“Oh, so back then, it was a bit nerve-wracking. Did hyungnim see it all?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I was the one who took out the battery from your cell phone.”

That guy… I was thinking about reporting him for theft, but since his personal history couldn’t be verified, I just let it go.”

Jaeyoung twitched a smile and popped a roasted peanut into his mouth.

“If I hadn’t stopped your representative from escaping, you wouldn’t have been able to run away.”

“And even now, you still want to thank me, don’t you?”

‘This kid, he’s just the same.’

It was only during their first encounter with Sangwoo that he felt flustered because he heard words like that. But now, he doesn’t feel anything anymore.

“Are you dumb or something? Who said you’re a coding genius? Oh, or is it because you’re a robot that you don’t understand human emotions?”

When Sangwoo heard Jaeyoung speak as he did before, a corner of his mouth curved into a smile, and the pupil that was visible vanished behind closed eyelids.

“…You’re so cute.”

Jaeyoung closed his eyes and let the Soju flow down his throat.

“Besides that time, I’ve met you many times before.”

“When? Tell me more.”

“A few years ago when we took the same course.”

“Really?”

“Well, I was once scammed by a guy in front of a shop… When I was in university, I asked him for an interview, but he rejected me.”

Sangwoo lifted the soju and drank it with a face as if he had just heard these stories for the first time. At that time, the staff member held a barrel of omurice with a wooden stick and served it. Dried fish was shrinking on a large plate.

“I’ve known you for a long time. Even though you haven’t remembered me for a long time and can’t remember my name either.”

“Did I really do that?”

“You called me Min Youngjae, didn’t you? When I thought about it, I ran out of words.”

Jaeyoung picked up a stick and bit into the omurice. Sangwoo sat still for a moment before doing the same. They ate and drank without saying anything for a while and ordered more.

“When I entered the office, there was a senior soldier named Kim Youngjae.  He was just like the other annoying seniors. So, I became confused, you know.” Sangwoo dug up painful memories, narrating them with a calm expression. However, it was because of that demeanor that Jaeyoung continued to address the topics that he often wondered about.

“Which department did you join?”

The Goyang unit [2]. Big guns.”

“Oh, the Cheonma unit. That place must have been intense for training, right?”

“Well, it was okay for me.”

Jaeyoung secretly thought that Sangwoo might not have adapted well to the military standards as an infantryman. Therefore, he felt surprised when the other party talked about military standards as if he didn’t feel anything.

“How’s life in the military? Besides Min Youngjae, is there anyone who bothers you?”

“That guy? When I got promoted to Sergeant Major, I transferred to another unit, and since then, I’ve been comfortable.”

“Why did you transfer?”

“When he acted annoying and gave orders without letting me rest, I could endure it, but he liked to pat me on the head. I wrote a complaint and put it in the complaint box, but it wasn’t resolved. So, I went to talk to the company commander, but even then, it couldn’t be resolved. So, I reported it to the military police.”

‘Scary kid, this one.’

“Did you have any conflicts with other soldiers?”

“If it’s not when we have to speak. I wouldn’t say anything at all. The army is already a place like that.”

“No problem at all?”

“It’s fine. With the remaining time, I’ve been able to study a lot. I’ve received marksmanship awards and excellent combat skills, joined the special forces, became an exemplary soldier, and even led a platoon. Your father even said I was born to be a soldier.”

‘That’s crazy.’

But if it’s Sangwoo, it seems like he can endure physical hardships well, unlike Jaeyoung who struggled in the military, from waking up early, useless gun cleaning every day, cold showers, restricted hairstyles, restricted clothing, confinement, dog-like food, hand-to-hand combat, marching, night watch, standing guard, meaningless tasks, he hated everything physically demanding. If it reached the point where deteriorating ancient culture is used, he wouldn’t know what to do, but even then, he still had to threaten the kid to make him afraid, pretending not to take advantage of his position.

“I used to be an assistant instructor.”

“Hmm… hyungnim you weren’t in a position to train someone else’s mental state, were you?”

“I thought so too, I was chosen because I’m over 180 cm tall.”

“The new soldiers looked down on me.”

They called me the toughest training assistant, that kid.”

“Hmph, don’t lie.”

“Only you think I’m worthless.”

Sangwoo remained silent for a moment.

“You’re not worthless at all.”

Then the silence engulfed them, both drinking without saying anything, after emptying glass after glass, the Soju bottle ended up empty with four bottles gone unnoticed. Jaeyoung blinked his eyes in a daze, Sangwoo held the Soju glass in his hand and turned slightly to the side. Then he poured Soju into his mouth, his posture as steady as ever.

‘Why is he so sexy…’

Stay calm, that kid is a guy. No matter how much he screamed in his heart or even glanced again, he still looked the same, with a slight blush on the other cheek and an especially red border on the lips. Jaeyoung moved his gaze from Sangwoo’s neck and stopped at the checkered pattern on his shirt. Sangwoo rolled up his shirt sleeves to open a new bottle of Soju, revealing his muscular arms. As the other twisted his white wrist, blue veins prominently appeared.

‘If blood flows like this, my nose will bleed, damn.’

He raised his hand and rubbed his face, the warmth not only from being drunk but also transmitted through the skin.

“Recommended game… Yaja Time[3].”

When Sangwoo heard the murmuring sound, Jaeyoung raised his head. The other side was pointing at the wall. Jaeyoung turned his head back and found a written message on the wall summarizing recommended drinking games with gameplay explanations. There were games like “King’s Cup.” “Thumb Master.”

“Charades.” and “Never Have I Ever.” Jaeyoung slowly turned back and met Sangwoo’s eyes, which were rarely seen so lively.

“Do you want to try playing?”

“Yes.”

“I’m actually quite interested.”

Sangwoo stared at him without answering the question, as if there was nothing he couldn’t do anymore… Jaeyoung responded to that proposal with delight. When he said, “Which one do you want to play?” Sangwoo immediately called his name.  “Jang Jaeyoung.”

________________________________________.

[1]      Acetaldehyde, a naturally occurring chemical found in water, air, alcoholic beverages, and certain foods.

[2]      Goyang, a province located in the northern part of South Korea.

 

 

 

[3]      Yaja Time, “Yaja, 타임”, is a game that allows younger people to speak without honorifics or freely interact with older individuals. Sometimes roles are swapped, for example, playing Yaja Time with an older sibling, the younger sibling becomes the older sibling, while the older sibling becomes the younger one.

 

   SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME