By evening, the MT 분위기 had completely changed.
The smell of grilling meat filled the area in front of the lodging, and the sound of beer cans opening could be heard here and there.
Even the people who had only been awkwardly greeting each other during the day were now calling each other by name and laughing.
"Yeoju!"
"Come here!"
I found my place among my friends.
A little farther away, Wonbin was sitting too.
His expression was more relaxed than during the day, but he still didn’t say much.
'Still, it's a lot better than before.'
I smiled to myself, pleased.
*
"Alright, cheers!"
"Congratulations on finishing midterms!"
"Let's enjoy MT too!"
The sound of glasses clinking rang out one after another.
Wonbin quietly lifted his glass too.
He didn't seem like the type who usually drank much, but today, for some reason, he kept emptying his glass quickly.
"Hey, Wonbin."
Seongchan said with a smile.
"Take it slow."
"...I'm fine."
He said that, but he emptied another glass.
Watching him from afar, I tilted my head.
'Does he actually like drinking?'
Then the drinking games began.
Even Wonbin, who would normally have just laughed from a corner, kept drinking whenever he got a penalty.
"Wow, Park Wonbin can drink."
"Right?"
"That's unexpected."
Wonbin didn't even smile.
He just took the glass and drank quietly.
*
After an hour, Wonbin's face had turned noticeably red.
"Hey."
Seongchan tapped Wonbin on the shoulder.
"Stop drinking."
"...I'm okay."
"You don't look okay."
"I'm fine."
Even the ends of his sentences were getting a little slurred.
Seeing that, Minsuk turned toward me.
"Yeoju."
"Yeah?"
"Your assigned younger senior seems drunk."
"Looks like it."
"Take him out for a bit."
"He's my assigned older senior."
The others chimed in too.
"Right."
"Yeoju should take care of him a bit."
"Go get some fresh air."
I got up from my seat and stood in front of Wonbin.
"Wonbin."
"...Yes."
"Want to go outside for a bit?"
Wonbin nodded wordlessly.
*
Outside the lodging was quieter than I expected.
Only the sound of insects could be heard, and laughter drifted faintly from far away.
I bought an ion drink from the vending machine and handed it to Wonbin.
"Drink this."
"...Thank you."
Neither of us said anything for a while.
Wonbin just kept fiddling with the drink can.
"Are you really drunk?"
"...A little."
"A little, my ass."
I laughed and let out a sigh.
"If you can't hold your liquor, you should drink in moderation."
"...I'm sorry."
"How many times have you said sorry today?"
"..."
Wonbin gave a small laugh.
Then he fell quiet again.
He was a lot quieter than usual.
I worried for no reason.
"Is something wrong?"
"..."
"You've been weird since earlier."
"..."
"Wonbin."
After a long silence, Wonbin finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
"...Noona."
"Yeah."
"...I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"...Earlier today."
"...?"
"...I accidentally overheard it."
I realized what he meant in an instant.
In front of the convenience store.
The conversation I had with Minsuk.
"Ah..."
"I didn't mean to."
"..."
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head.
"Why are you apologizing for that?"
"You couldn't help hearing it."
Wonbin didn't answer.
Instead, he hung his head low.
Under the streetlight, I could see his ears turning red.
"...Noona."
"...Yeah."
"...The younger guy."
Wonbin's voice trembled a little.
"...Is he really that bad?"
I froze where I was.
"...Huh?"
Wonbin looked like he was trying to smile, but couldn't.
The corners of his eyes were red.
"...It's just."
"...I was curious."
My heart dropped all at once.
That this question wasn't just a joke.
That even if he was drunk, he meant it.
I could vaguely tell.
But I didn't know what I was supposed to say.
"...You."
I gave Wonbin's arm a light tap for no reason.
"You're way too drunk."
"..."
"You've gotten some fresh air too."
"Let's go back in now."
Wonbin didn't say anything.
After a moment, he gave a small laugh and nodded.
"...Yes."
*
All the way back to the lodging, not a word passed between us.
It was when we arrived in front of the door.
"Noona."
"...Yeah?"
"...I'm sorry."
"..."
"What I said earlier."
"..."
"Please forget it."
I looked at Wonbin's face for a moment.
Whether it was because of the alcohol or for some other reason.
In the end, Wonbin still couldn't properly meet my eyes.
"...Go inside."
"...Yes."
Wonbin quietly went inside the lodging.
I stood there for a long time, staring only at the closed door.
'...What was that.'
For it to be brushed off as just a drunk person's mistake.
And yet.
Over and over.
'Is the younger guy really that bad?'"】}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}}}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}}}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}}}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}]}
