Chapter 72: The First Mistakes of a Twenty-Year-Old (2) |
TL: looloo
Schedule: 4/Week Mon-Thu
Illustrations: Here
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As the bright light surrounded me, I furrowed my brows and woke up from sleep. It felt like the ground, the world itself, was spinning around me.
The moment I cautiously opened my eyes, a splitting headache greeted me. The dizziness combined with the pain created a torturous harmony.
In short, I felt like I was going to throw up.
"Ugh..."
"You okay?"
What's going on? Why is Heena here when I just woke up?
However, that question was quickly resolved. Even through the pain, memories from yesterday began to resurface. To celebrate the New Year, everyone gathered at our house, chatting, playing, and drinking.
And drinking more. Just continuing to drink. Everyone kept giving me drinks.
And then─
"...Ah."
Crazy, crazy, so crazy!!
Honestly, I couldn't clearly remember everything past a certain point, but I did recall kissing Heena in front of everyone towards the end. Right on the lips.
Had I lost my mind? Kissing in front of family just because I drank a bit!
And after that, I couldn't remember anything at all. Whether I had just collapsed and slept, or if something more had happened. I could only hope that I had quietly passed out. The thought of asking what I had done was terrifying.
"Yeonho, if you're awake, sit up and eat this. Does your head hurt a lot?"
Next to me, where I was silently screaming internally, Heena spoke with concern, gently stroking my head. But I couldn't bring myself to respond to her.
It wasn't the physical contact with Heena that was the issue, but the fact that I had done it in front of everyone. And the fear of what disgraceful things I might have done during the time I couldn't remember.
After a while, writhing in embarrassment and battling the headache and dizziness, I thought I might die from them and managed to sit up.
During all this, Heena never left my side. As I sat up, she supported my back and handed me a square packet of medicine and a glass of water.
"Put this in your mouth and drink some water. It's a hangover cure."
"...Thanks."
When I tore open the square packet, it contained some powder. Normally, I would hesitate, wondering about the taste of such things, but right now, that wasn't important. I never imagined a hangover could be so painful.
I poured it into my mouth and drank the water. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to swallow. The powder felt a bit sticky in my mouth, but it was bearable.
Not quite sure what it was, but after taking the hangover remedy Heena gave me, I again held my face for a few minutes. Then, I cautiously asked Heena, who was sitting quietly beside me.
"Heena."
"Hmm?"
"Did I... do anything strange yesterday?"
"Not at all."
"Really?"
Glancing at her, I nervously asked my question, and she immediately responded as if nothing had happened. Her answer made me breathe a sigh of relief.
So, nothing happened after I kissed Heena yesterday? Sure, that in itself was quite embarrassing and a big deal, but still, if that's all it was!
"Oh~ Han Yeonho, the sweetest charmer of the Han family, did you cough?"
Just as the world seemed beautiful and my heart was about to swell with hope, I heard the voice of Heeseong hyung from behind.
I turned my head to look at him. There he was, strolling around our house as if it was his own, a drink in hand, casually scratching his belly.
Were all the adults in the main room? Judging by the faint voices coming from that direction.
"What's that about? 'Sweetest charmer'?"
"Haven't you checked your KakaoTalk yet?"
"KakaoTalk?"
A surge of anxiety hit me, and I quickly rummaged through my pocket for my smartphone. Sure enough, there was a message from Heeseong hyung, a video message.
No way, it couldn't be. With trembling hands, I downloaded and played the video.
The beginning was a scene I faintly remembered. It must have been right after I drank the liquor made by my sister. The part where I kissed Heena on the lips.
But the problem was what happened after that.
[ "Heena~ I love you~" ]
[ "I love you too! Now, come here~" ]
[ "Here~" ]
[ "Hehehe" ]
There was Heena, opening her arms with a somewhat sly smile, and there I was, stupidly clinging and hugging her.
Seemingly half out of my mind, I kept professing my love for her, following whatever she said.
[ "Who do you love the most in the world?" ]
[ "Umm...Heena..." ]
[ "Hohoho... " ]
[ "Hey, Lee Heena. Get a grip on your face, will you? It's embarrassing, even though he's my brother..." ]
[ "Be quiet. So, Yeonho, how much do you love me?" ]
[ "Umm...?"]
[ "How much do you love me?" ]
[ "A lot... The most..." ]
[ "More than your family?" ]
[ "Yeah... I love Heena the most..." ]
[ "Say you love me the most in the world." ]
[ "Umm... I love you the most in the world..." ]
[ "Hehe... Then will you kiss me as much as you love me?" ]
[ "Okay..." ]
[ "Oppa! Are you filming this properly?" ]
[ "Isn't he going to commit suicide when he wakes up?" ]
And with that, the video ended with me, clinging to Heena and kissing her here and there, before I closed my eyes, feeling dizzy.
"......."
What is this? What kind of video is this? Is this some kind of deepfake?
I couldn't believe what I was seeing was real. I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but the video remained the same.
Was that really me, making such a foolish, affectionate voice?
Feeling betrayed, I turned my head to look at Heena.
Nothing happened, you said?
Yet, even under my gaze, Heena smiled as if she hadn't a single regret in the world.
"Nothing happened?"
"This, this is nothing?"
If this is 'nothing', then just how spectacular is my normal life supposed to be?
"They were all words you've said before and meant, weren't they? Just a bit cuter this time."
"........"
Couldn't they have just let me sleep off the drunkenness? It seemed like my sister led the filming, but honestly, wasn't Heena also an accomplice? The way she kept talking and leading me on...!
-Trembling with regret from the past day, betrayal, and shame, I heard Yoonjung noona's laughter-filled voice as she emerged from my brother's room.
"Yeonho's awake? You were really cute yesterday~"
"Ahahahaha!!"
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Raei Translations
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As evening approached, Heena and I stepped outside.
I was startled when I checked the time after regaining consciousness. It was past 3 PM. I must have fallen asleep around 3 or 4 in the morning, but I didn't expect to be out for so long.
I really wanted to rest at home due to the hangover and feeling unwell, but there was a reason I had to go out.
Starting with Heeseong hyung and Yoonjung noona.
"You're up? Han Yeonho, you were really going at it with the kisses."
"If you want your allowance from me, you better start being cute."
"Insane, who'd want to watch that again?"
"If he's willing to do that sober for money, he must be really desperate, right?"
"Oh~"
My older brothers, Sunhoo hyung and Jeongwoo hyung, teasing me back and forth.
"I should've had a son like Yeonho~ A son needs to have some charm, you see?"
"Hmm, that Heeseong, always up to no good."
Aunt and uncle, just like Yoonjung noona, saying how cute I was yesterday.
"You drank too much, we couldn't even check your limit properly. But you handled it well, son. Didn't know you were so affectionate."
"Heena took such good care of you. Make sure you treat her well in the future."
On top of that, my mom added a comment, teasing me, and my dad, still all about Heena, in our house.
How was I supposed to endure this? What could I possibly say? It seemed like burying my head and dying was the only option.
Moreover, when I heard that uncle would stay until he sobered up from driving, I made up my mind. If I stayed home and got teased more, I felt like I might actually die of embarrassment. That's why I escaped right after showering.
The hangover remedy Heena gave me seemed to help, and by the time I took a quick shower and changed, I felt somewhat better. Not completely over it, but bearable.
"Is your head feeling better?"
"Better than before. But did you buy that hangover cure separately?"
"Yeah. I saw it online and it had good reviews, so I bought it in advance. Thought we might have more drinking occasions in the future. Did it work well for you?"
"I've never tried anything else, so I don't know, but it seemed effective."
As we walked together, Heena was still concerned about my condition. I appreciated her care, but remembering what happened earlier, I cautiously broached the subject.
"I looked pretty happy when I was out of it, didn't I? How could you take advantage of a drunk person like that─"
"I told you to stop drinking. But who kept going?"
"...Me?"
I was at a loss for words. I knew I was drunk, but I thought I'd be fine. I never expected to get so completely out of control in just a moment.
"Guess you'll have to listen to me more from now on."
"Ugh... I should have stopped then..."
But how could I not try when I saw cola mixed with alcohol?
If Yoonjung noona planned the entire cocktail-making sequence, it would be nothing short of meticulous. Giving me all sorts of drinks when I was slightly tipsy, then pulling out the perfect mix I couldn't resist right before I lost it completely. Well, that probably wasn't the case.
Lost in these thoughts and aimlessly wandering the streets, Heena asked about our destination.
"Where are we going?"
"That's a good question. I just had to get out of the house, I couldn't stay there any longer."
My head was still spinning a bit, so I didn't think I could handle anything too active. Many places would be closed on New Year's Day too. Maybe we should go to Heena's house.
-Dring Dring
My phone started ringing while I was pondering where to go. Who could it be? Kim Suhwang?
"Heena, wait a sec, I need to take this call. It's Suhwang."
"Okay."
I excused myself and put the phone to my ear.
"Hello? What's up?"
─Had a good time drinking yesterday?
"I drank so well I feel like dying. What do you want? I'm on a date."
─We were supposed to meet yesterday but it fell through. We're planning to meet today, are you free?
"Today?"
Suhwang's words made me ponder for a moment. Sure, last night was a disaster, but honestly, I felt like having a drink with friends. Plus, it would be at a bar this time, and I wanted to experience that.
Still feeling a bit hungover, but if I drink responsibly, it should be fine, right? Being with friends is what matters.
"I'll ask Heena. Hold on."
─Okay.
Turning to Heena, who was looking at me curiously, I relayed Suhwang's invitation. Even though I felt okay, Heena might have had a tough time yesterday, having drunk a lot too.
To my surprise, and rendering my worries unnecessary, Heena's eyes lit up as she enthusiastically agreed to join the drinking session.
"Sure! I'll just call my mom and be right back!"
"Okay~"
As she took out her phone to make the call, I picked up mine again.
"She's okay with it. You know we're coming together, right? Where should we meet?"
