Chapter 117: Threatening Spirit (1)

 

As I walked into the bar in front of the college, I saw several of my classmates already seated.

 

As soon as Chae-in Jeong saw me standing by the entrance, she waved her hand vigorously and called out my name.

 

“Hey, Lee Han-gyeol! Over here!”

 

“Am I late? Looks like everyone’s here.”

 

“You’re just on time. We went to the karaoke earlier.”

 

I intended to have some fun but not stay out too late, so I took a seat on the edge.

 

The only names I knew were Chae-in Jeong, Seunghoon, and Jaehyun. There were familiar faces, but I couldn’t recall their names.

 

“Oh, you’re here? You should’ve come to the karaoke with us.”

 

“I was meeting my girlfriend, so I couldn’t have come anyway.”

 

Hearing this, Jaehyun looked up at me slyly.

 

“What?! You met your girlfriend first? Then you have to take a penalty drink.”

 

“Hey, don’t give Lee Han-gyeol too much. If he drinks too much, he won’t come next time.”

 

“Right, give him a break. Last time at the semester-opening party, I thought he was going to die.”

 

“When you put it like that, it makes me hesitate. Fine, let’s share the penalty drink then.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Thanks to Seunghoon’s intervention, I didn’t have to drink the penalty drink.

 

The others at the table chatted and drank without any hesitation.

 

“Do you guys understand our major classes? I had a management principles class today and didn’t get any of it.”

 

“Chae-in Jeong, shouldn’t you first ask if anyone actually attended the class?”

 

“Seunghoon, you should attend classes! What are you going to do during midterms? And you too, Jaehyun.”

 

“We trust our future selves to handle midterms.”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

 

The lively atmosphere continued. I sipped my beer, listening to the conversation.

 

It would be nice if the mood stayed this way…

 

Whenever I think that, the attention always turns to me.

 

“Lee Han-gyeol focuses so much in class. You should all try to be like him.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve never seen Lee Han-gyeol mess around during class.”

 

“Well, there’s not much else to do... might as well listen.”

 

I just didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes.

 

Managing grades from the first year definitely has its advantages, so I put in the effort.

 

“Lee Han-gyeol is just a bit different.”

 

“I just think it’s good to have good grades. It doesn’t mean much else.”

 

“I bet Lee Han-gyeol will be at the top of our department.”

 

“That’d be nice. I’d love to get a scholarship.”

 

“Oh, that’s worth aiming for!”

 

Everyone laughed and giggled. I laughed awkwardly along, but then someone approached our table.

 

“Oh, you guys are drinking here?! You should’ve invited us too.”

 

“Huh?! Senior! Hello!”

 

“Hello, Ji-Eun unnie!”

 

She was clearly tipsy, and though I couldn’t remember well, I had seen her at the semester-opening party.

 

I think she was the class representative of the second years... or was she? My memory was foggy.

 

“We’re here to celebrate a classmate’s birthday, so we’re all drinking together. Want to join?”

 

“Sure! Take a seat over here.”

 

“No, just sing the birthday song with us later. We have a lot of people, so we’ll be moving around tables.”

 

“Come to our table too!”

 

“Sure, sure.”

 

The simple classmate gathering had now turned into a department-wide party.

 

With more people, it would be easier to slip away later.

 

After that, the deadly drinking games began again, and once more, I was the target.

 

“From the sky comes! The rabbit says! One Shot! One Shot! Bunny bunny bunny bunny-!”

 

“Carrot carrot!”

 

“Bunny bunny bunny bunny-!”

 

I have no idea why these guys are so quick with this game. I’m not even that drunk, but I just can’t keep up with the pace of this one.

 

“Bang-!”

 

“Huh?! Lee Han-gyeol! You’re caught! Drink up!”

 

“Who’s drinking?! Lee Han-gyeol is! Lee Han! Gyeol! One-shot!”

 

I downed the beer-filled penalty drink in one gulp, and we immediately transitioned to another drinking game.

 

As long as it wasn’t that stupid ‘Bunny Bunny’ game, I was pretty adept at the rest, so I didn’t have to drink as much.

 

As the games continued, I could see more and more people getting drunk.

 

Just as Seunghoon was about to drink his penalty and start another game, a few seniors approached our table with their drinks.

 

“Hey everyone~”

 

“Jung-Hyuk Hyung? Hello.”

 

“Hey. Chae-in Jeong, you’re here too?”

 

“Oh, hello.”

 

Chae-in Jeong’s usually bright expression darkened a bit. I hadn’t known her for long, but the situation seemed pretty clear.

 

“Mind if we join?”

 

“Of course not~ Please sit!”

 

The seniors naturally took seats at our table, and Jung-Hyuk sat next to Chae-in Jeong. She looked a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn’t my place to intervene. She’s twenty; she can handle herself.

 

At first, the conversation steered towards major classes, and for a moment, it seemed like we were having a constructive discussion.

 

One of the seniors shared tips about the classes, and another offered to provide past exam papers if needed. But that constructive talk didn’t last long.

 

As we resumed the drinking games, the atmosphere quickly reverted to the initial chaos.

 

“What drinking games do you guys know?”

 

“Us? Bunny Bunny, Sam-Yuk-Gu game, Babo game, and others?!”

 

“Then let’s play Attendance! Attendance game!”

 

What the heck is that?

 

“You’ll learn as we go-! Attendance! Attendance! Attendance!”

 

“Chae-in Jeong~”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Alright~ Chae-in Jeong drinks and we start~”

 

“What?!”

 

Most of us, except the seniors, ended up drinking two penalty drinks because of this new game we had never heard of before. But once we got the hang of it, the game became familiar, and we weren’t getting caught as often.

 

I figured I had drunk enough for the night and started thinking of an exit strategy.

 

“Does anyone smoke?”

 

“None of us do, I think~? Ugh... I feel like I’ve drunk too much.”

 

“Then we’ll go for a smoke break ourselves~”

 

The seniors left the table, and I saw my chance to leave quietly.

 

The others were already too drunk to notice if I disappeared.

 

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

 

“You better not sneak out!”

 

“Yeah, Lee Han-gyeol. You’re staying till the end tonight, right?”

 

“Sure, sure.”

 

I felt a bit guilty toward Seunghoon and Jaehyun, but it was really late. I grabbed my phone and headed out of the building, planning to go home.

 

Just as I stepped outside, I heard familiar voices from between the buildings.

 

- Did you see? Honestly, Chae-in Jeong is the prettiest among the freshmen.

 

- Yeah. I first saw her at the semester-opening party, she looked kind of innocent.

 

- She has a pure look, and her chest is quite big up close, too.

 

- Are you planning to take her to your place tonight?

 

- She’s drunk, so what can she do?

 

- You’re such a scumbag.

 

Why did I have to hear that?

 

I was about to walk away, thinking it wasn’t my business. I barely knew Chae-in Jeong; we hadn’t even known each other for a month.

 

There was no reason for me to get involved...

 

“Haa... damn it.”

 

I turned back. I really hate myself.

 

****

 

Eventually, I returned to my seat. The seniors were already back, and as expected, one of them was sitting next to Chae-in Jeong. She was struggling to keep her eyes open, clearly very drunk.

 

Get a grip. You’re about to spend the night with that scumbag.

 

“Hey, Chae-in Jeong. You look really drunk. Maybe you should head home now.”

 

“Huh...? I-I’m not drunk at all.”

 

It’s frustrating. She has no idea why I’m staying.

 

“Sure~ Hang out a bit longer, Chae-in Jeong. Lee Han-gyeol, right? If you’re drunk, just go home. I’ll make sure Chae-in Jeong gets home safely.”

 

To your place, you bastard.

 

“Ah, I’ve decided to stay till the end tonight.”

 

“Wow... Lee Han-gyeol, you’re really cool. Here, have a drink.”

 

“Yeah... Lee Han-gyeol staying till the end... That’s a first.”

 

Even Jaehyun and Seunghoon, who were too drunk to function, looked up to support me at that moment. The camaraderie is strong, I guess.

 

But the real issue is how to get Chae-in Jeong home. That senior doesn’t seem like he’ll let her go easily, and she’s in no state to go home alone.

 

The best chance would be to sneak her into a taxi when everyone leaves...

 

What if that chance doesn’t come? I can’t exactly force the issue.

 

Even if I mentioned what I overheard, I have no evidence or witnesses. I might just be seen as a liar.

 

If that doesn’t work...

 

“Ugh... I need to go to the bathroom...”

 

Chae-in Jeong mumbled as she grabbed her phone. The senior didn’t seem inclined to follow her to the bathroom, thankfully.

 

He seemed reassured by her leaving her bag behind, fiddling with his phone as soon as she left.

 

He was so focused on Chae-in Jeong that he didn’t even notice me leaving the table. I stood silently by the entrance, planning to escort Chae-in Jeong when she returned, but she was taking forever.

 

If that senior gets up and comes out, it’ll be trouble... I can’t wait by the women’s bathroom either.

 

After a moment of deliberation, I decided to ask a passing woman to bring her out. But as I stepped outside, I saw Chae-in Jeong sitting on the stairs, leaning her head against the wall.

 

“Whoa! You scared me. What are you doing here?”

 

“Ugh...”

 

“This is a mess. Hey, get up. Take a taxi and go home.”

 

“Ugh... I want ice cream...”

 

This girl is seriously frustrating...! If you stay here, that senior is going to come looking for you.

 

“Haa... I’ll buy you ice cream, so get up.”

 

“Really...?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll buy it, just get up and come outside. I can’t help you up.”

 

“I’m not drunk...! See? I can walk just fine...!”

 

As soon as she grabbed the railing and struggled outside, I flagged down the nearest taxi.

 

“Get in.”

 

“What about the ice cream...?”

 

“I’ll buy it once you’re in.”

 

“Yay~”

 

The moment she got into the backseat and closed her eyes, I quickly asked, “Hey, what’s your address? Tell me before you fall asleep.”

 

“Here~”

 

Ugh, this is annoying...

 

“Stop messing around and just tell me.”

 

“Hehe... this is my house~”

 

I can’t waste any more time... If that senior comes out, it’ll be a bigger problem.

 

“Hey, student. Are we going or not?”

 

“Oh...! Driver, can you do me a favor? Could you drive around for about 30 minutes and then come back to the university gate?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“It’s just that someone keeps bothering her, and we barely managed to get away. Could you please come back to the university gate in 30 minutes? I’ll leave my card with you.”

 

“Is this dangerous?”

 

“No, it’s just that someone might come out looking for her soon. Please, I’m begging you.”

 

“Hmm... okay.”

 

“Thank you so much.”

 

After the taxi left, I went back up the stairs. Just as I was going up, I ran into the senior coming down.

 

“Oh, you’re Lee Han-gyeol, right? Have you seen Chae-in Jeong?”

 

“Chae-in Jeong? I think I saw her getting into a taxi while I was smoking. Wasn’t she in the bathroom?”

 

“Oh... she got in a taxi? Even without her bag?”

 

“I’m not sure if it was her exactly... it could have been someone else.”

 

“Thanks for letting me know.”

 

“Sure.”

 

I lied without hesitation and continued up the stairs.

 

I need to get to the university gate in about 30 minutes... I’m already scared of telling Eun-ha about this.

--- The End OF The Chapter ---

 

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