Chapter 23: A Drunken Rendezvous

“Yoo Seo-jin.”

“…”

“Yoo Seo-jin, snap out of it.”

A hand shaking my shoulder jolted me awake, and I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids. As my bleary gaze slowly sharpened, I saw Han Jung-woo’s face pressed close to mine.

‘It’s Han Jung-woo.’

I had almost called out Seon Woo-jung’s name without thinking. While their identical faces made such a mistake understandable, I refused to acknowledge it, even for a fleeting moment.

As I lifted my head from where it had rested on the table, Han Jung-woo naturally returned to his own seat. The lounge, which had been sparsely populated earlier, was now completely deserted, making me wonder how long I had been asleep.

“What time is it now?”

“Midnight.”

I had thought I’d only closed my eyes for a moment, but it seemed I had slept for several hours, slumped over the table. The thought of needing to return to my room made me spring to my feet, only for my vision to waver, forcing me back down.

‘How much did I drink?’

I counted the scattered glasses on the table; there were well over ten. It seemed I had overindulged, sampling various drinks because they tasted good, forgetting myself in the process.

Of course, I had been too intoxicated to even remember that.

‘I should go back to the accommodation and rest.’

Learning from my earlier mistake of standing too quickly, I moved slowly this time. Fortunately, I managed to get to my feet, steadying my breath.

As I prepared to take a step, my legs, weakened by drink, buckled dramatically, just as I had feared. I belatedly flailed my arms, but my hands slipped, finding nothing to grasp.

‘I’m going to fall…!’

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact, but something strange happened. My body felt as though it were floating in the air, almost like flying.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and indeed, I was hovering light as a balloon. More accurately, Han Jung-woo had caught me.

“What exactly are you doing?”

Han Jung-woo, having righted my body, snapped in irritation. Blinking slowly, I stammered out a defense.

“I was just trying to go back to my room—”

“And can you walk there by yourself?”

When I shook my head honestly, Han Jung-woo let out a deep sigh, as if he had expected nothing less.

“Hold on.”

Han Jung-woo extended his arm towards me. My mind, sluggish with alcohol, failed to immediately grasp why he was offering it.

Perhaps frustrated by my dazed inaction, Han Jung-woo took my limp hand himself and placed it onto his arm.

Ah, he meant for me to hold onto him.

‘A scent…’

Due to our close proximity, a fragrant aroma wafted from Han Jung-woo. I had smelled it somewhere before, but the memory was hazy.

As I leaned in slightly closer to catch more of it, the scent suddenly vanished as if by magic.

Like a mirage.

‘What was that?’

Just as bewilderment filled my mind, Han Jung-woo abruptly moved. Caught off guard, I found myself walking alongside him, my attention entirely consumed by my wobbly legs, causing me to completely forget about the scent.

“Where is your key card?”

Han Jung-woo asked, having somehow already arrived in front of the accommodation. Though he likely thought he was matching my pace, I was utterly drained from trying to keep up with his quick strides, and I fumbled through my pockets a beat late.

“In my pocket… just a moment.”

I finally managed to open my wallet, but it was crammed with too many cards. Han Jung-woo, who had been patiently waiting for my indecisiveness, eventually snatched the wallet from me.

“What are you doing—”

“Here it is, the key card.”

Han Jung-woo found the key card instantly, the one I had been searching for endlessly. Seeing him wave it back and forth before my eyes, I quietly closed my mouth, abandoning my intention to question him.

Using the key card he’d retrieved from my wallet, Han Jung-woo opened the accommodation door and stepped into the entryway. The sensor light detected his movement, briefly illuminating the area. Finally, I was in a familiar space.

‘Han Jung-woo…’

As I was about to walk straight inside, I remembered Han Jung-woo, who had brought me all the way here. Feeling I should at least thank him, I turned around, only to find him standing directly behind me.

The entryway was so narrow that it felt crowded with both of us standing there. I tried to subtly back away, but my heel caught on the threshold, stopping me from moving any further.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“I’ll go once I see you settled in bed, Yoo Seo-jin.”

I wondered if it was truly necessary, but knowing Han Jung-woo wouldn’t simply leave after coming this far, I reluctantly slipped off my shoes. He, too, removed his shoes and followed me inside.

“Can you walk by yourself?”

“Oh, yes. I feel a bit better now.”

The effects of the alcohol had mostly worn off, so walking by myself was no longer an issue. Consequently, there seemed no real need for Han Jung-woo to follow me into the room, yet he appeared to think otherwise.

The room was pitch-black, as no lights had been turned on. However, the quickest way to get Han Jung-woo to leave seemed to be for me to go to sleep, so I simply moved to lie down on the bed.

“Aren’t you changing your clothes?”

“Oh, clothes.”

I meekly pulled down the comforter I had half-lifted and headed for the closet. Han Jung-woo remained leaning casually against the room door, watching me move in the darkness.

Though the lights were off, the moonlight streaming through the window provided enough illumination to discern objects without difficulty.

I opened the closet door and began searching for something light to wear, but Han Jung-woo’s persistent gaze kept unsettling me.

‘Is he planning to keep watching?’

To put on my pajamas, I would have to take off my outdoor clothes. Even with the pervasive darkness, my silhouette would be clearly visible in the moonlight.

I stole a glance at Han Jung-woo, finding him fixated on me without a single blink. After a moment of deliberation, I clutched my pajamas and slipped into the adjacent bathroom.

‘What in the world is he doing?’

I was utterly baffled by Han Jung-woo’s behavior. If he had followed me with some ulterior motive, he would have headed straight for the bed the moment he entered the room, but he hadn’t.

He simply leaned against the room door, never coming any further, as if an invisible line had been drawn. Yet, his gaze never left me.

‘Could I have done something wrong while drunk?’

Unless I had thrown up spectacularly, which I hadn’t, Han Jung-woo’s clothes were impeccably clean. Moreover, I rarely had any drunken antics, so it was unlikely I’d caused him any trouble just by being intoxicated.

‘I need to go out. I can’t keep Han Jung-woo waiting here forever.’

Having made up my mind, I quickly undressed and changed into my pajamas. Then, I quietly opened the door, and sure enough, Han Jung-woo remained exactly where he was.

However, his gaze had momentarily left me, directed instead towards the window. His profile, illuminated by the shimmering moonlight, was so utterly perfect it drew a gasp of admiration.

Yes, anyone would think the same upon seeing that face. That’s precisely why I wanted to see Han Jung-woo even less.

As I closed the bathroom door with a distinct click, his gaze, which had been fixed on the window, returned to me. Han Jung-woo surveyed me, now in my pajamas, and let out a small chuckle.

“You’re quite slow at changing clothes, Yoo Seo-jin.”

“Then you should have left instead of waiting.”

“I told you I’d stay until I saw you in bed.”

It meant he wouldn’t leave until I was in bed. So, I deliberately lay down on the mattress.

I pulled the blanket up to my neck and squeezed my eyes shut, assuming he would leave now. Instead, I heard footsteps approaching.

‘No, he said he’d leave?’

Han Jung-woo’s actions, contrary to his words, left me flustered. I cautiously opened my eyes, and just then, a cloud must have obscured the moonlight, plunging the room into darkness and making Han Jung-woo’s face indistinct.

Han Jung-woo did nothing. He simply watched me. As the tense moment stretched on, the room brightened again, a cloud having apparently moved past the moon.

“I’ll see you next time, Yoo Seo-jin.”

With that curt farewell, a large hand reached out and lightly tapped my cheek. I squeezed shut the eyes I had barely opened, pretending to be asleep. The brief warmth of his touch quickly faded.

Leaving that brief parting message, Han Jung-woo turned and departed without a hint of hesitation. *Thud.* The door closed, and only after the sound of his footsteps completely faded into the distance did I finally open my eyes.

‘Is there something wrong with his head?’

Han Jung-woo had requested three meetings from me. And today, one of those meetings had concluded.

Yet, all we had done was sit in the same spot, exchange a few trivial conversations, and drink alcohol.

I had constantly suspected he hadn’t called me just for something as mundane as this, but until the very end, Han Jung-woo had done nothing to me.

Of course, he had tapped my cheek, but that was far too insignificant to count as physical contact.

I idly touched the cheek where Han Jung-woo’s hand had briefly rested. His body heat had long since vanished, leaving no sensation, yet for some reason, that spot felt strangely tingly.