536

 [Chapter 146]

[Summer Break Before the Gathering]

Around the time all the hospitalized students were discharged,

The first semester ended.

Most students returned home to spend about 2 months of summer break.

Eunha also planned to spend the summer break comfortably at home.

This break isn't much of a break...

Of course, his wishes couldn't come true.

The people around him wouldn't leave him alone.

Mainly his fiancée and girlfriend.

Yesterday I met Ha-yang, today I'm seeing Seo-hyeon, tomorrow I have to go see Ha-yang again, the day after I'm meeting Seo-hyeon again...

He wondered if he truly had any holidays.

Of course, his fiancée and girlfriend didn't intend to overwork him.

Whether the two had secretly compromised, there were days when Eunha could spend time alone.

The problem was that on days he could spend time alone, he had made appointments to meet people he hadn't seen in a while.

Since it's break, Tae-hee said to meet so I'm going to meet with Ara too...

I should see Yeon-hwa noona after a long time too... Excluding Chang-jin hyung, I need to visit Hae-su hyung's workshop too...

There's a lot to do.

Besides that, other friends also talked about setting dates to hang out, so there was no way he could spend time alone.

Eunha realized after the break started.

It was better when attending the Academy.

Feeling like he wants to live separately on a remote island.

Eunha was pessimistic about his situation.

Of course, Han Seo-hyeon keenly noticed his emotions and─

"─Why. Are you tired of being with me?"

"...Nah, when did I ever say that?"

Han Seo-hyeon asking with a smirk.

It was a question that hit the mark, but Eunha knew he would anger her if he spoke his true feelings.

"You can take a nap if you're tired." "...Really?"

But Han Seo-hyeon unexpectedly offered to Eunha readily.

Eunha was unintentionally tempted.

She cut the cake with a fork, then giggled and─

"─Instead, sleep next to me. Don't think about going home. Here."

"...Yam."

She puts cake in his mouth.

Eunha chewed the cake with a face saying 'I should have known'.

At least eating the sweet dessert seemed to make his tired appearance fade.

Just then─

"─By the way, have you thought about who you'll attend the gathering with?"

"...Yam."

While feeding him cake again, Han Seo-hyeon launched a surprise attack.

She's giggling.

Eunha couldn't say anything.

...This is driving me crazy.

Eunha inwardly let out a sigh.

He couldn't understand why he had to be so troubled.

That damn gathering, really...

The summer gathering of people from the political and business world.

It was the cause making him most tired recently.

Han Seo-hyeon had to attend, and Eunha also had to show his face as her fiancé.

And if Han Seo-hyeon attends, Jung Ha-yang who belongs to her faction also had to attend her first official greeting place after returning to Korea.

The problem was that there was a separate place for direct descendants of business groups to meet at the gathering, and direct descendants could only bring one person.

Then the question was who Eunha would go to the direct descendants' gathering with between Han Seo-hyeon and Jung Ha-yang.

"It would be good to decide quickly since there's not much time left until the gathering day."

It was a few days ago.

Eunha heard about the summer gathering from Han Seo-hyeon and Jung Ha-yang almost simultaneously.

Thanks to receiving a hint from Kim Geon-ung, he wasn't surprised when he heard he had to attend the summer gathering.

However─

'─So who will you go with?'

'Who... will you go with?'

When the two asked like that,

Eunha couldn't answer.

So he had been continuously postponing the answer until now.

"...But you're talking like this is someone else's business?"

"What's the big deal about who you go with?"

But while he was agonizing over who to go with,

Han Seo-hyeon was treating him as if she didn't care much.

Apart from the cake Han Seo-hyeon was feeding him,

Eunha found her really annoying.

This noona... Now that I look at it, it seems like she's enjoying me constantly agonizing?

Why does he have to decide?

Eunha looked at the giggling Han Seo-hyeon with a sullen expression.

She held out cake to him as if that was good too.

Noh Eunha now reflexively opened his mouth wide.

"Is that such a worry?" "Of course it's a worry, how could it not be?"

Soon Han Seo-hyeon asked casually while putting down her fork.

Then she says─

"─You don't need to be so considerate of me. Just go with Ha-yang." "...What?"

"Go with Ha-yang. I don't mind attending alone."

Han Seo-hyeon speaks as if she doesn't care at all.

Eunha asked back, unable to understand.

Then Han Seo-hyeon says─

"─Saying one side is clearly being neglected no matter who you attend with... That's just talk from people who like gossip." "..."

"The people attending there aren't all fools. They won't believe such slander. If we show that you, me, and Ha-yang are getting along well, who would say anything?"

"That's true, but..."

"Then what are you so worried about?"

Han Seo-hyeon's words were correct.

No matter who he enters the direct descendants' gathering with, it was just a formality.

Practically, they just need to show the three of them together.

Nevertheless, the reason Eunha is worrying is─

─But it's obvious there will be talk.

People who like slandering others. Also people who like seeing those above them fall.

Such types of people will exaggerate even trivial things and try to spread them around.

In other words, the person he doesn't accompany gets a bad reputation.

I don't like it...

Who are they to try to make Seo-hyeon and Ha-yang get cursed at?

Whether Han Seo-hyeon or Jung Ha-yang,

Eunha didn't want to leave either of them to be cursed at.

That was the reason he wasn't choosing either side and kept worrying.

It was then.

"─I'm fine." "..."

As if reading his mind,

Han Seo-hyeon looked at him straight and said.

"I'm grateful that you're worried... But I haven't gotten along well with those people from before. My reputation is already bad, and it's fallen even more since breaking off an engagement once. There's nowhere lower for it to fall even if I get cursed at more here." "...You're speaking very calmly."

"Well, I'm confident in myself no matter if those people curse or whatever. Do you think I'd be intimidated by such things?"

Confidently,

Han Seo-hyeon snorts.

But Eunha couldn't just accept her words favorably.

He was worried about Han Seo-hyeon.

He was annoyed at the people pointing fingers at Han Seo-hyeon.

"Thanks for worrying. But I'm really fine, so go with Ha-yang."

"Ugh..."

Han Seo-hyeon feeds him cake.

Eunha obediently ate it while groaning, unable to come up with a proper solution.

She just kept laughing playfully, seemingly very pleased about something.

Then she blurts out.

"─Of course, it would be nice if you attended with me." "..."

Han Seo-hyeon's true feelings.

She already knew the answer.

But Eunha had to eat the cake without being able to answer.

☆

The next day, Eunha met Jung Ha-yang.

As they conversed while eating dinner, the topic naturally moved to the gathering in 2 weeks.

"─Have you decided who you're going with?" "...No, not yet."

Jung Ha-yang putting side dishes on top of rice.

As if just watching him eat makes her happy, she looked at him with a big smile.

Eunha shook his head.

Should we just barge in, all three of us?

To hell with the rules.

He just wanted to say that in his heart.

But he had to notify the people hosting the gathering in advance about who he would attend with.

There was nothing Eunha himself could do about it.

"You don't have to worry too much. Even if you choose who to go with, neither I nor Seo-hyeon unni will resent you or anything."

"...Thank you."

Perhaps considering his position at that time,

She spoke to lessen his burden.

Then she also says─

"─I'm fine, so go with Seo-hyeon unni." "What?"

As if she had decided something,

Jung Ha-yang spoke with a stern expression.

Eunha, who had been lost in thought while picking at his food, opened his eyes in surprise.

But it seemed like something she had been thinking about for a while.

She continued speaking.

"Everyone attending this gathering is coming to see Seo-hyeon unni who returned from Japan. But Seo-hyeon unni can't become a laughingstock in a place where she's receiving attention."

"That's true..."

Surely the main focus of interest at this gathering will be on Han Seo-hyeon's return.

In that sense, Jung Ha-yang's words had a point.

Eunha affirmed her words.

"Seo-hyeon unni probably wants to say to go together but can't. Eunha, you try asking her to go together once."

"...I guess. With Seo-hyeon's personality, she really might..."

Jung Ha-yang urges.

But Eunha couldn't readily make a decision.

Because it was obvious Jung Ha-yang would become the target of rumors the moment he chose Han Seo-hyeon.

"Are you really okay with it?"

"Hmm... I really hate it if someone curses at me. I hate it, but... I hate it more if someone curses at you or Seo-hyeon unni."

"..."

"And no matter what rumors spread, my close friends wouldn't believe such rumors anyway. And you too... right?" "Of course." "That's enough for me."

Jung Ha-yang smiles sheepishly.

Eunha saw her smile and was able to let go of his worries a little.

He felt grateful to her.

As Ha-yang said, it would be better to go to the gathering with Seo-hyeon.

Instead, I should treat Ha-yang even better...

He thought his heart was leaning towards Jung Ha-yang after talking with Han Seo-hyeon.

But after talking with Jung Ha-yang, now his heart leaned towards Han Seo-hyeon.

If he could only choose one person,

Eunha decided to choose Han Seo-hyeon.

"Alright, then..."

"Ah, of course─"

Just as Eunha finished thinking and was about to open his mouth,

Jung Ha-yang cut off his words.

She adds with a bright smile.

"─I would really like it if you asked me to go together." "..." "Do whatever is comfortable for you, Eunha. I'm fine. Go with Seo-hyeon unni."

Jung Ha-yang's true feelings.

She already knew the answer.

Eunha couldn't continue speaking.

...What do you want me to do?

Both Han Seo-hyeon and Jung Ha-yang,

They both advise him to go with the other person, not themselves.

While subtly wanting to go with him themselves.

Jung Ha-yang is smiling brightly.

Really─

"─I don't care about such things at all. I hope you won't worry too much."

"..."

I don't know which tune I should match.

Eunha inwardly let out a deep sigh.

☆

By the time he escorted Jung Ha-yang home, it was already past 9 o'clock.

Eunha drooped his shoulders while heading to a nearby station.

"Is she telling me to go or not to go...?"

I don't understand Jung Ha-yang's heart.

I don't understand Han Seo-hyeon's heart either.

He felt like he wanted to split his body in two to solve the problem.

In the end, he would have to postpone the decision to tomorrow again since no answer came out today.

Ha-yang said I need to decide in time so the person I'm not going with can find someone to go with in advance...

I wish someone would tell me a clear correct answer.

Eunha trudged along the street while checking his smartphone.

He usually tried not to look at his smartphone when with Han Seo-hyeon or Jung Ha-yang.

When he opened Finetalk, there were quite a lot of messages.

Among them─

"─How many messages did this kid send?"

Eunha clicked his tongue while scrolling through the chat list.

Ariel had sent over 30 personal messages.

While he was dumbfounded, he read the messages wondering what on earth happened.

「Alcoholic」: I'm really having a hard time ㅠㅠ (08:57 PM)

Tears are falling in every message.

The main content was about drinking alcohol together.

Eunha sighed.

"Looks like this kid got dumped again..."

At some point, Ariel started frequently sending messages asking to drink alcohol.

Eunha refused a few times, called friends to drink together a few times, and inevitably drank with her alone a few times.

Then he became able to somewhat grasp Ariel's emotional state when she called him to drink alcohol.

When she's bored, when she's happy, when she just wants to drink alcohol, etc.

Her reasons for wanting to drink were diverse each time─

"─This means she had something she wanted to cry about."

Among the various reasons, there were also reasons he couldn't refuse her invitation.

This was exactly that.

It seems Ariel had fallen pathologically into alcohol.

Eunha immediately called her.

[...Hello.]

"What are you doing now?"

[...Noh Eunha. I'm so upset. What were you doing not answering my calls?]

"You tell me first. What were you doing?"

[I drank dew.]

"Sigh... How much?"

[I don't know. When have you ever seen me count while drinking?]

"I told you to count while drinking."

[I don't know, I don't know. I don't know such things.]

Her voice is hoarse.

A nasal sound is heard.

It seems she had a bout of crying.

She seemed to be drunk.

Eunha rubbed his brow.

"Where are you now?"

[This place is...]

"...Alright. I'll go there."

She says she's drinking alone.

She added that she was drinking at a bar, when she usually drank alone in the dormitory when drinking by herself.

Thinking something might happen,

Eunha headed to the place Ariel said she was drinking at as soon as he hung up the phone.

"─Huh? Noh Eunha! Why did you come so late? Do you know how much I drank alone because you didn't come?" "...Didn't I tell you last time not to drink alone?"

"So I tried to drink with you but there was no contact! This is all because of you Noh Eunha, because of you!" "Ha..."

Just how many bottles did she drink?

Eunha clicked his tongue seeing the soju bottles on Ariel's table.

Even though he scolded her in a stern tone, Ariel who was already drunk as could be didn't even blink an eye.

"Come, come here."

Ariel waved her hand while swaying her body.

Eunha suppressed his annoyance and sat down.

She immediately poured alcohol into a glass.

Without properly controlling the amount, the alcohol filling the glass wet the table.

"Hey! Cheers!" "..."

Then the fish drinks the alcohol in one gulp after making a toast on her own.

Eunha frowned.

"I should drink one more glass... Ah, why are you taking away my dew!?"

"I'll pour it for you."

Ariel trying to pour alcohol into the glass again while giggling.

Unable to watch anymore, he snatched away the bottle she was holding.

At first she expressed dissatisfaction, but she became docile when he poured the alcohol for her.

Then she shrugged her shoulders.

"You know..."

"Yeah."

"I-byeol says I'm scary..." "..."

"She tells me not to come close, you know?"

Ariel lamenting as if sobbing.

Eunha finally understood why she was drinking.

It's because of Yoon I-byeol.

I-byeol had been avoiding her.

Around the end of the first semester,

Yoon I-byeol was also discharged from the hospital.

But she couldn't return to classes.

Because her PTSD from monsters hadn't improved.

She was receiving rehabilitation treatment from instructors at the Academy.

Of course, she couldn't treat Ariel intimately like before.

Ariel became noticeably depressed.

What to do about I-byeol...

Ariel is also a problem...

I never thought something like this would happen.

The parties involved probably feel the same.

Eunha was equally frustrated.

He felt like using Stygian Eye to remodel her mind.

No, that's too dangerous.

He quickly gave up the idea.

If he made a mistake, the personality called Yoon I-byeol could disappear.

She could be completely broken.

In the end, Eunha had no good solution and could only hope Yoon I-byeol would overcome it.

But unlike him, Ariel who was close to her seemed twice as hard.

"What did I do wrong?" "You know well it's not your fault. I-byeol said so too."

"But... She says I'm scary..."

Ariel blames herself.

Tears fall drop by drop.

Eunha pulled out some tissues for her.

Ariel reached out her hand and gulped down the glass Eunha wasn't drinking, not the tissues.

Eunha was at a loss for words.

"This won't do... I need to drink more."

"...Stop drinking already."

"I'm going to drink until I black out so take me home safely!"

"Ha..."

Ariel drinks alcohol like crazy.

Eunha secretly switched the alcohol with water while avoiding her eyes.

But the moment she gulped down the glass, she amazingly noticed.

"Hey, Noh Eunha. You shouldn't do this!" "You have a supernatural sense for these things."

"Comfort me. I'm so sad. My heart hurts so much."

"My heart hurts because of you. Please stop drinking already."

"I'm not joking, you know?"

"I'm not joking either."

She seems to have trouble controlling her body.

Ariel sways this way and that.

Eunha decided to drink the remaining alcohol and get up.

But─

─Thud

Ariel suddenly hit her head on the table and collapsed.

She doesn't even move.

"...You're joking, right? Hey, wake up."

She was conscious and drinking well just a moment ago.

Eunha was startled and shook Ariel's body.

There was no response.

"Mmnya..."

"..."

She's sleeping.

She's not coming to her senses.

She blacked out.

She really does everything.

Eunha couldn't help but sigh without realizing.

"Why are you doing this to me..."

He misses Academy life.

Where is there such a break?

Eunha lamented while gulping down the remaining alcohol.

"Damn it... What am I doing because of one fish..."

As it was nearing midnight,

Eunha piggybacked Ariel.

Of all places, she drank at a bar quite far from the Academy.

It was impossible to return to the Academy.

"Hey, wake up. Where's your home?"

"Hmmm..."

Eunha hit Ariel's butt.

Ariel made a groaning sound and choked Eunha's neck.

There's no sign of her coming to her senses.

In the end, Eunha─

"─Ah, shit... She's surprisingly heavy?"

He had no choice but to bring her to his home.

""""...."""

And that day,

Of course, there was an uproar at home.