Chapter 27: A Drunken Confession from LA

After saying that Dajeong was guilty, he didn’t contact me at all.

In Odin, he was desperate to defeat Machoking, but this time, for some reason, he went completely MIA. The last time I logged in, he didn’t even show up, so we went on the dungeon without him.

Unable to hold back my curiosity, I casually asked Yaongi, and they told me it wasn’t just that day—he hadn’t logged in much recently.

[Guild] Machoking: Not logging in?
[Guild] Machoking: He’s not playing the game?
[Guild] Yaongi: Yep, even if he does come, only the guild master logs in, not the vice master.
[Guild] Machoking: Ah.
[Guild] Yaongi: So I’m happy hehe lol
[Guild] Machoking: I see.
[Guild] Machoking: Congrats.

Finding this strange, I tried messaging Seohyun as if nothing was wrong, but there was no response. It would have been better if Gongdaenam said something, but whenever I even hinted at it, he’d expertly change the topic. Clearly, it meant “don’t ask, I can’t answer.”

I sighed lightly as I looked down at my phone while preparing a cup of instant noodles.

In the office where I was working late, the news warned that, since it was mid-October, we should watch out for colds. I checked that Seohyun lived in LA, where the average fall temperature is over 26°C. There’s no way someone like him would catch a cold, and judging by his constant Instagram updates, he’s definitely alive.

“Why the sudden cold shoulder?”

Did I do something wrong? No. I’m the one who got wronged.

As that thought hit me, I threw down the chopsticks I was holding and picked up my phone. After being ignored for several days, I was irritated enough to send an angry message, but at the perfect moment, he called.

I stared at the familiar number for a moment, then pressed the call button without relaxing my furrowed brow.

“Hey.”

My voice was clearly annoyed, but his reply was no different from usual.

[Seohyun:] What are you doing?

His calm question made me let out a hollow laugh.

“You, seriously, that’s all you’re going to ask me? When did you set that? You ignored all my messages, and now what? I’m eating noodles, damn it.”

[Seohyun:] …Seriously, don’t be so mad.

“I’m mad because of you.”

Three minutes passed as the noodles in the cup threatened to go soggy, and I moved them aside, waiting for his reply.

[Seohyun:] Hm… why are you suddenly angry?

“…You.”

Hearing his unsteady voice, I furrowed my brow. Could it be…?

Listening closely to his breathing and voice, I realized one thing:

[Seohyun:] You contacted me, so I contacted you… ugh.

“Did you drink?”

What a situation. Understanding it made me laugh in disbelief. I tapped my neck with the chopsticks and spoke.

“Man, did you make your liver and gallbladder out of iron? Youth is useful at times like this. Testing your liver first thing in the morning.”

[Seohyun:] Lower your voice, my head’s going to explode.

It was just past 11 PM for me, so for him it was morning or afternoon. Drinking in the morning? Madness. I asked if he was out of his mind, and he replied indignantly.

[Seohyun:] You can’t get mad at me, hyung.

“Drinking first thing in the morning isn’t something to get mad about. Okay, fine. Let’s talk later when you’re sober, alright?”

Dealing with a drunk stubborn person made my day hectic, and I was working late. But he wasn’t thinking of hanging up; instead, he threatened me:

[Seohyun:] Try hanging up. I’ll keep calling until you pick up.

“What kind of conversation would we even have in that state?”

I stirred my noodles in frustration but focused on his voice.

[Seohyun:] You saw my Instagram that time, right? You saw everything, didn’t you?

His body looked great, but I didn’t comment and changed the topic.

“Seohyun, why so many tattoos on your back? If you ever want to remove them, you’ll need a gag in your mouth to endure it. There’s so much to erase.”

[Seohyun:] I don’t need to erase it. You saw my body, right? Tell me what you think.

Despite the intention of the question, I answered without blinking.

“Solid. Needs work to be double solid.”

If he’s drunk, he should be sleeping, but as I shoveled noodles into my mouth, he continued talking without caring.

[Seohyun:] Okay, I’ll try to get double solid. By the way, you saw all my Instagram posts, right?

“Yeah, I saw everything. Eat your noodles.”

[Seohyun:] Even though you saw it, it’s fine, right?

“I’m telling you, ignoring my messages isn’t polite. You’d be scolded in Korea. Where did you learn such manners?”

[Seohyun:] Manners?

I rapidly lectured him.

“Yeah, it’s very rude. I’m saying this because I care about you like a younger sibling. Take it seriously.”

[Seohyun:] Why am I your sibling?

That one comment froze the noodles near my lips. His cold voice made me blink. Slowly, my chopsticks dropped as Seohyun’s drunk, slurred voice became clear.

[Seohyun:] I want to meet you, hyung.

“Seohyun, what are you talking about? Play Odin? Wait a week, I’ll hang out when I’m free.”

[Seohyun:] No. I want to meet you, not Machoking.

My chopsticks fell from my hand.

“…What?”

Did he just say he wants to meet me? My eyes wandered, recalling one of his Instagram photos—he was hugging a guy in it.

As I reached to remove the phone from my ear, he warned:

[Seohyun:] Try hanging up. I mean it.

His voice snapped me back.

[Seohyun:] I’m not drunk. I’ve been thinking for days.

I interrupted:

“…Not enough time to think.”

[Seohyun:] Don’t cut me off.

He pushed me away verbally and muttered in a smaller voice:

[Seohyun:] I’m curious about you… and even if you say no, I…

“…Seohyun.”

[Seohyun:] I’m confessing to you, so don’t hang up.

“…My battery’s low, though.”

He said I should just listen until the phone dies.

[Seohyun:] I’ve never met you, but I like your warmth.

“…Warmth?”

I have no memory of that.

[Seohyun:] Yeah.

“…You might be confusing me with someone else.”

I only remember scolding him and eating him up, yet our memories are completely opposite.

[Seohyun:] If you’re okay with it, we could meet casually, no pressure.

“I’m too overwhelmed right now…”

Meeting someone of the same s*x was unexpected for me.

[Seohyun:] I’m not asking you to do anything right now.

“…Seohyun.”

[Seohyun:] You saw my Instagram photo hugging a guy.

I recalled the photo and my chopsticks flicked again.

“Why did you post that? Were you showing off?”

[Seohyun:] I just wanted you to see it. Anyway, you saw everything.

“Yeah, I saw it.”

[Seohyun:] So you pretended not to see it and wished me a good partner.

“Then why am I scolding you? Fight against the world’s prejudices boldly!”

[Seohyun:] Okay, let’s fight together.

“….”

Finally, I surrendered in this lost conversation.

“Are you drunk?”

[Seohyun:] I want to see you.

“…Seohyun, don’t assume this is because I signed you up for that academy.”

[Seohyun:] It’s not, don’t jump to conclusions.

He added ominously that he wouldn’t forgive me if I misunderstood again.

“Ha… if not, you wouldn’t have said anything gentle.”

His sudden drunken confession made me scratch my head in disbelief.

[Seohyun:] If you won’t hang up, just say something.

“Don’t speak casually. I’ll kill you.”

[Seohyun:] I might go to Korea. I have an offer, and if it’s okay with you…

“Seohyun.”

I sighed heavily and added:

“I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m not gay.”