Love Me More

Chapter 14

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“No, it’s just funny. I never thought you’d come to a place like this, CEO.”

“Do I look like that?”

Si-yul nodded, puffing his cheeks like a goldfish. Woo Hyun-se just shrugged and picked up some noodles with his chopsticks. Though Si-yul didn’t usually enjoy watching others eat, he found himself constantly drawn to his companion. Perhaps it was because his chopstick skills were flawless.

Si-yul tried mimicking the chopstick movements in the air a couple of times. He wasn’t as skilled as the other. He quickly lowered his hand before Woo Hyun-se could see.

“I used to come here often. In college, I think. We were all poor then.”

“Were you ever poor, CEO?”

“No.”

It was a typical Woo Hyun-se answer. Brazen, but it suited him. Si-yul scrunched up his face to show his disapproval, but as soon as Woo Hyun-se glanced at him, he pretended nothing had happened.

“Is your situation that bad, Kwon Si-yul?”

“Yes. If it weren’t for the installment plan, we’d have trouble with next month’s rent. But why are shoes hundreds of thousands of won? Do such shoes really exist?”

“If it’s difficult, apply for revolving credit. I’ll approve it.”

“Revolving credit?”

Si-yul asked, unfamiliar with the term. Woo Hyun-se poured alcohol into an empty glass and explained kindly, as if to a child.

“You pay only part of it and the rest is added to next month’s payment. But there’s interest. Usually around 20%.”

Si-yul still couldn’t understand. As he stared blankly, showing his lack of comprehension, Woo Hyun-se added more details. In summary, if you were to pay 1 million won, you could pay half and next month pay the remaining 500,000 won plus that month’s installment and interest.

Even with his poor math skills, Si-yul could tell it was a system where debt snowballed. He stopped using his chopsticks.

“…CEO, do you also do private loans?”

“This is legal.”

“How can that be legal? It clearly looks like a way to fleece people.”

Before leaving the orphanage, Si-yul had heard countless times that the world would take advantage of you even if you were wide awake, so he should be prepared. Those words were entirely true. Why were there so many things in the world that one wanted or needed to buy?

When money was tight, spam messages and calls somehow knew and offered zero-interest loans or credit card applications. If Kwon Yuwon hadn’t been there nagging him, Si-yul might have been drowning in debt and crying his eyes out long ago.

“I don’t want to do that. I’ll just work hard and pay it back.”

“You’re reliable. And kind.”

Woo Hyun-se reached out and ruffled Si-yul’s hair as if to mess it up. While most people don’t like others touching their hair, Woo Hyun-se’s hand was large, firm, and warm, so it didn’t feel unpleasant. As if starved for praise, Si-yul quietly accepted the touch.

They had intended to just finish one bottle lightly, but as is often the case in drinking situations, one glass became three, and three glasses became three bottles. As the empty bottles increased, Si-yul’s cheeks turned bright red. Even under his eyes became flushed.

Although he hadn’t drunk it all himself, his drinking companion sitting across from him showed no change in complexion. His eyes remained the same as when they started.

“What’s your alcohol tolerance?”

Woo Hyun-se asked, resting his chin on his hand. Si-yul furrowed his brow, trying to focus his increasingly blurry vision, and held up four fingers.

“Three bottles.”

“Not four?”

“Three bottles.”

Woo Hyun-se chuckled softly and reached out to grasp one of Si-yul’s fingers, folding it down. But as soon as he let go, it sprang back up. Tilting his head, Si-yul looked at his finger, glared at the soju bottle, then clenched his fist before extending his fingers one by one until finally three fingers were straight.

On the day he became an adult, Si-yul and Kwon Yuwon had drunk themselves silly, believing that knowing one’s alcohol limit was crucial for surviving drinking sessions. Si-yul had passed out after three bottles of soju, while Kwon Yuwon had barely managed half a bottle.

Since then, he had always controlled his intake at drinking parties to avoid collapsing, but for some reason, the alcohol was going down smoothly tonight. He wondered if it was because the side dishes were particularly delicious.

“We’re already at six bottles.”

“Already?”

“Yeah. Can you see?”

Woo Hyun-se lightly flicked the neck of the soju bottle with his middle finger and thumb. Si-yul straightened his swaying head and looked at the bottles. Counting them one by one with his finger, it was indeed six bottles. Even though they were drinking together, they had already far exceeded his limit. It might be dangerous to drink more.

He didn’t have any particular drinking habits. When excessively drunk, he tended to pass out on the floor. Still, he couldn’t embarrass himself in front of someone other than Kwon Yuwon, so Si-yul forced his drooping eyes open. Though he tried to control himself from now on, Woo Hyun-se, unaware of Si-yul’s state, filled the empty glass again.

“I shouldn’t drink anymore.”

“If you collapse, I’ll take you home.”

“No, I can’t. Yuwon is at home. You two can’t meet.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re an alpha, CEO. Yuwon is… Yuwon is an omega, so you two can’t meet.”

Although Si-yul tried his best to pronounce clearly so the other would understand, his tongue felt thick due to the alcohol. He opened his mouth in an “ah” sound, trying to articulate, but his tongue remained dull. The intoxication seemed to have settled on his tongue as well.

“Did you know you have a mole here?”

Woo Hyun-se’s finger pointed at Si-yul’s face. Si-yul felt around where the finger was pointing. Despite seeing his face in the mirror every day, he couldn’t remember where the mole was.

As he touched his forehead, nose, and around his lips, asking “Here? Here?” Woo Hyun-se leaned forward and gently pressed the flat part of his thumb under Si-yul’s right eye. It felt like a hot stone had touched him, and Si-yul flinched back in surprise.

“Ah, this one. They call it a tear mole.”

Only after the other had touched it directly did Si-yul realize which mole it was. He’d had it since childhood, and sometimes it had been a target of teasing because of its meaning.

“Is that why Kwon Si-yul cries a lot?”

Exactly like this. There were kids who would play mean tricks, saying they wanted to test if he really cried a lot. Feeling melancholic from old memories, Si-yul downed the brimming glass in one go, even though he knew he shouldn’t drink more.

“When have I ever cried?”

“Why? You cried the first day we met too.”

“That’s because you were so scary. You said you’d kill me.”

“I said I’d get rid of you, not kill you.”

“You also said you’d fill my stomach with concrete.”

“It was cement,” Woo Hyun-se corrected. Si-yul pretended not to hear and just filled his glass. Remembering that day, it was hard to believe they were now sitting face to face drinking together. To think he was drinking with someone he had prayed to a god he didn’t even believe in to never meet again. Life was truly unpredictable.

“I meant I would have done that if you kept doing bad things. But now Kwon Si-yul is living well and being good, right?”

“I think you’re worse than me, CEO…”

“Me? I’m someone who could live without laws, why such a misunderstanding? I feel a bit wronged.”

Woo Hyun-se spoke with a completely neutral expression that showed no sign of feeling wronged at all. It was funny how his words and actions didn’t match at all. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Si-yul found himself laughing at something that wasn’t even particularly funny. His eyes crinkled into half-moons as he giggled. The tear mole stood out even more on his plump cheek.

Woo Hyun-se stared at Si-yul intently, chin resting on his hand. His gaze swept over Si-yul’s alcohol-moistened plump lips, the round cheeks pushed up by his smile, and his glistening eyes. Despite the intense gaze, Si-yul, more than half consumed by alcohol, didn’t notice.

“…”

Woo Hyun-se soon averted his eyes and emptied his own glass. He also downed the glass in front of Si-yul and stood up.

“Let’s go now. If you don’t want to introduce me to that friend.”

At the mention of his friend, the slouching Si-yul widened his eyes. However, being drunk, his gaze wasn’t particularly clear. As he stood up unsteadily, gripping the table, Woo Hyun-se came over to support him.

“Drunk driving is…”

“I’ll call a designated driver.”

The other replied with a short sigh, as if both familiar and tired of this. Only then did Si-yul relax his body, which had been tensing up defensively.

Woo Hyun-se grasped Si-yul’s shoulder and pulled him close, causing Si-yul’s head to bury into his side. Despite drinking in the same space, the other didn’t smell of alcohol. Taking a deep breath, the same scent as before filled Si-yul’s lungs. Although he flinched, Woo Hyun-se didn’t push him away.

“What perfume do you use?”

“I can’t remember the name.”

“I’ll go pay, hic.”

“Pay next time.”

Si-yul tried to take out his wallet, but his hand kept missing. Cursing, he tried to sit back down but was caught by Woo Hyun-se. Woo Hyun-se paid instead. Si-yul flailed around trying to offer his card, but the owner quickly snatched the cash Woo Hyun-se had taken out.

“I should be the one paying…”

“It’s not like today is the only day.”

As they left the food stall following Woo Hyun-se, the cool night air hit Si-yul’s cheeks. He tried to steady his swaying body, but the alcohol made it difficult to maintain balance. So, he had no choice but to lean on Woo Hyun-se beside him. He tried to say out loud, “I’ll just lean a little,” but it was too long to articulate and just circled in his mouth before disappearing.

He shouldn’t fall asleep like this.

His body was drooping like a weeping willow. Still, he wasn’t worried. The man who was still scary, but less so than before, was with him. Thinking that this man might fill his stomach with alcohol but probably not with concrete, Si-yul smiled broadly and leaned his head on Woo Hyun-se.