Campus Log - Chapter 35

My head felt like it was about to explode. On my left sat Kim Do-wan, running his mouth like a time bomb, and on my right was Ryu Eun-seok, sharing his warm body heat. On top of that, having to worry about the other seniors staring at me curiously was enough to drive me mad.

“Take this and let’s settle things.”

Kim Do-wan picked up a soju glass that had been rolling on the table and thumped it down in front of me. Someone had used it before—pork belly grease was smeared on the rim.

“You must feel awkward too. Since something good happened today, let’s just settle this. We’ll split this one glass, drink, and forget everything. Okay?”

When a senior puts it that way, I didn’t have the nerve to refuse outright. Struggling to keep my brow from furrowing, I reached toward where the clean glasses were gathered. As always, Ryu Eun-seok realized my destination first and handed me a clean soju glass.

“Since when did you become Hong Sang-hee’s sidekick?”

Kim Do-wan twisted open the soju cap while glaring. The whites of his eyes were already showing.

“You were taking her side earlier too, so damn intensely. It’s you, Ryu Eun-seok, who’s her spokesperson, not me. And then you act like a jerk to me, damn it.”

Even when sober, Kim Do-wan had a rough temper, but with alcohol in him, he was turning into a beast.

If you provoke a drunk wrong, I’ll be the only one suffering.

Planning to just take the glass smoothly and send him away, I tensed the arm pressed against Ryu Eun-seok. It was a signal to stay still. His sharp gaze stuck stubbornly to my right cheek.

“Yes, let’s settle it with this.”

I politely held the clean soju glass with both hands and extended it toward Kim Do-wan. Seemingly pleased with my posture, the senior grinned. The green bottle neck heavily rested on the rim of my glass. If I hadn’t been bracing my arm while watching Ryu Eun-seok’s expression, my wrist might have given way.

Alcohol gushed from the bottle tilted diagonally as if trying to pierce the bottom of the glass. A sense of foreboding proved right as the liquor quickly overflowed, thoroughly soaking my hand and sweatpants.

The noisy surroundings fell silent instantly. Sensing something off about the silence at our table, people at other seats also quickly quieted down and turned to look.

In the pork belly restaurant, which had been deafeningly loud just moments ago, only the low sizzle of meat cooking remained.

“Oops.”

An exclamation admitting his mistake escaped Kim Do-wan’s lips. But the perpendicularly overturned soju bottle showed no intention of returning upright, pouring every last drop onto me.

Clear liquor on gray sweatpants. To anyone watching, it looked like I’d wet myself.

“Hey, what do I do? I must be drunk. Sorry, okay? Ugh, this damn hand.”

Kim Do-wan smacked the hand holding the bottle and muttered a monologue that wasn’t even funny. It seemed his alcohol-soaked brain had managed to script this far.

Without wiping my hand, I first tipped the remaining liquor in the glass into my mouth. Thanks to the spill, not much soju was left in the glass.

“It’s fine. I can wash it.”

I set down the emptied glass and twisted off the cap of a new soju bottle.

“Clothes can be washed clean, but Senior, your personality wouldn’t come clean even with industrial-grade laundering, would it?”

For a moment, my lips lost their fear and blurted out whatever came to mind.

“Should I pour bleach on it? That might get rid of the sour smell a bit.”

I filled the glass I’d drunk from with a moderate amount of soju and pushed it toward Kim Do-wan.

“Aren’t you going to accept my drink?”

I had no intention of stooping to his level. I didn’t want to sink to the same place as Kim Do-wan. Since he had already willingly become a cheap, petty senior, I saw no need to drag myself down.

“F**k. Hey, did you just say all that? Talking to a senior like—”

Right then, Ryu Eun-seok suddenly crossed his arms into an X and pulled his shirt off over his head. The team T-shirt everyone wore fluttered and obscured my view.

For a second, I wondered if I should close my eyes. Fortunately, he was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt underneath.

Before I knew it, Ryu Eun-seok’s green T-shirt was draped over my thighs like a blanket.

“See, this is why people call you a bully.”