30 – My Hero (6)

When placed under excessive stress, Song Soo-yeon’s choice was always one.

It kills emotions.

Even after reconciling with Jeong-gyeom, the feeling of embarrassment did not stop, and even more disturbing.

It was like that every time Jeonggyeom looked at Solas, no, Minbom.

Solas was sitting in the store, changing into cute plain clothes.

“Do you like spicy?”

Jeong-gyeom’s voice echoes from the kitchen.

“yes! I like!”

Minbom answered lively. It seemed that she was already looking forward to the drinking party to be settled in the future.

It wasn’t Song Soo-yeon. If Min Bom hadn’t been here, she might have been able to enjoy it too.

However, because of Min-Bom, it felt as if her and Jeong-gyeom’s space had been invaded, making her feel uncomfortable.

Song Soo-yeon waits quietly and asks.

“… Mister, won’t you ask me?”

“yes? What.”

“…Do you like spicy food or not?”

“You like it.”

“…….”

Song Soo-yeon had nothing to say. He didn’t know why he was doing such a childish thing.

Soon, Jeong-gyeom came out with the last snack.

Jjambbongtang is placed last on the table with stir-fried bean sprouts and fried chicken.

“Wow…..”

Minbom reacts in admiration. The sincerity of his heart was also reflected in his expression.

“I didn’t have anything to take care of like this, but thank you.”

Jeonggyeom saw it and smiled awkwardly.

“I’m glad you responded that way.”

Seeing Jeong-gyeom happy, Song Soo-yeon’s heart sinks even more. No matter how much I tried to kill the emotions, the pain did not go away.

Min-bom gets irritated for no reason.

‘…Are you flirting with the old man?’

…Similarly, a feeling that had never been thought of in a woman was born.

“Since it’s Suyeon’s graduation ceremony, I tried my best.”

And Song Soo-yeon, who was hitting the floor, is lightly lifted by Jeong-gyeom’s words.

When Song Soo-yeon blinked and looked at Jeong-gyeom, he was smiling brightly at her.

“…I’m glad they reconciled. I was in a bad mood to fight at graduation.”

“……mister…”

Song Soo-yeon swallows a smile. and quietly whispered

“…..thanks.”

“Congratulations.”

Once again, Jeonggyeom congratulated me. Song Soo-yeon takes a deep breath and exhales to refresh her mind.

“therefore. hero. What’s the drink-“

“-I’m Minbom.”

Min Bom lightly pointed out Jeong Gyeom. A smile hung on her lips at the scene Jung-gyeom and Song Soo-yeon showed.

“yes?”

“Please call me Minbom. Am I not Solas now? They are civilians.”

“Ahaha.. is that so? I know. Minbom, so where is the alcohol?”

Min Bom gets up from her seat. Song Soo-yeon also watched her quietly.

Minbom walked to the refrigerator in the kitchen and took out a black envelope from inside.

In it, she found soju.

“braided! It’s soju!”

“……Reddut…?”

Jeonggyeom tilted his head and murmured.

Song Soo-yeon and Min Bom also had the same doubts.

“…What’s a prattu?”

Minbom asked. Jeong-gyeom pointed to the liquor Min-bom was holding.

“…that soju. Red lid.”

“…..yes?”

Minbom still couldn’t understand Jeonggyeom’s words. It was the same for Song Soo-yeon. The soju her mother drank was just like that.

“…That’s a little higher. This will be your first time, will you be okay?”

“oh..! okay…?”

Min Bom made a mistake. Her eyes wander over Soju and Jeonggyeom.

“…is…is this not okay? It’s my first time drinking…”

“It’s okay… but I think you need to be a little careful.”

“…..”

Song Soo-yeon’s eyes quietly return to Jeong-gyeom.

“…Sooyeon too.”

And with that said, it came back to its original state.

“Um… that’s right. Thanks for letting me know first. Um… but let’s have a drink before the food gets cold…?”

Min Bom cautiously proposes. There was still freshness in his appearance.

He seemed excited about his first drink. Jeong-gyeom smiles as well.

“Okay, then please come here.”

Jeong-gyeom received a bottle of soju from Min-bom’s hand.

“Actually, I don’t know much about Judo either.”

When Minbom sat down, Jeonggyeom turned the lid and opened it.

“…I grew up lonely. Someone should have taught me.”

“……”

“……”

Song Soo-yeon and Min-bom silently nodded. Jeonggyeom looked at the drink with longing eyes.

“So, if I get a chance later, I’ll recommend someone else learn Judo separately. I will not be a good teacher.”

“it’s okay. I’ll take it though!”

Minbom holds up her soju glass and stretches out her hands. Jung-gyeom smiled again at her freshness and poured her the first cup.

Song Soo-yeon, who was a little late, fumbled with her glass. Shortly after Minbom’s turn, she too was able to extend her hand.

Song Soo-yeon’s cup is filled. In the meantime, Jeong-gyeom said.

“Still, there is one rule. As much as I made a place to be friendly, there is no filling the glass alone. how about it?”

“like.”

Minbom smiled and said. Meanwhile, Song Soo-yeon reached out for Jeong-gyeom’s bottle of soju.

“…I’ll follow you, mister.”

“Ahaha, thank you.”

Even his cup is full.

And everyone raises their glasses and looks at each other.

Jeonggyeom stopped the start.

“It’s early, but… Tada!”

“Please take good care of me!”

Minbom laughed and clinked the glasses.

“…….”

Song Soo-yeon also carefully held out her glass.

Everyone poured soju into their mouths together.

Song Soo-yeon easily passed all the soju.

‘….what.’

she thinks It was cooler than expected. At first, everyone frowned at how bitter it was, but it didn’t feel that way to her. Rather, I just wanted to sweeten it a little.

It wasn’t tasteless, but when I saw Jung-gyeom watching his reaction curiously, I didn’t want to show off.

“How are you, Soo-yeon?”

“……It’s nothing special.”

“Um, is that so? Then, Mr. Bom Min… Mr. Bom Min?”

Song Soo-yeon followed Jeong-gyeom and looked at Min-bom.

Minbom stood still with her body shrunk. His expression was endlessly frowned, and his eyes wandered around the soju glass and Jeong-gyeom in confusion.

After a while, she let out a breath through her teeth.

“…Uh…isn’t this…isn’t this spoiled…?”

Jeonggyeom burst into laughter. He tilted his head slightly back, rolled his eyes and smiled loudly.

Song Soo-yeon looks at Jeong-gyeom’s reaction slightly embarrassed.

She had been with her for months, but she had never made him laugh like that.

Jeonggyeom laughed and said.

“Why, isn’t it the taste you imagined?”

“You… are you too bitter? Soo-yeon…how did you eat this?”

Song Soo-yeon’s gaze was captivated by Jeong-gyeom.

Should I have done it like that? Did I have to respond cutely and innocently like Minbom? Then, she wondered if Jung-gyeom would have smiled at her like that.

“…I just… endured…”

Song Soo-yeon answered as it came out.

Minbom continues to speak.

“…why do adults eat these things?”

“Min Bom is an adult too.”

“Ah, that… that’s right. But why are they all eating these things…”

“Eating makes me feel better.”

Jeonggyeom promised. His eyes were full of confidence.

As much as she believes Jung-gyeom’s words, Song Soo-yeon’s eyes are focused on the bottle.

….According to his words, Song Soo-yeon needed nothing more than this.

Because I kept feeling like I was hitting the floor.

Song Soo-yeon picked up the bottle again. And he reaches out to Jeong-gyeom with both hands.

“…You don’t even eat snacks?”

“…Hurry up.”

Jeonggyeom gave her a warm smile again.

“Certainly someone follows me so I’m not lonely.”

It felt like my heart was on a roller coaster. Of course, Song Soo-yeon has never ridden a roller coaster, but she probably feels this way.

Feeling bad and getting better repeatedly. When Jung-gyeom says that he is not lonely because of himself, he is slightly excited even without alcohol.

“…I will continue to follow you, I.”

Jeonggyeom playfully raises his eyebrows.

“…Your tone towards me has softened? Are you still careful?”

Besides, she was too easily embarrassed by his antics.

“……What did you say.”

If it was like before, he would have cursed at her, but as he said, Song Soo-yeon was being careful.

Because an intrusive opponent appeared.

Song Soo-yeon handed the bottle to Jeong-gyeom and held out her own glass.

Jeong-gyeom refills her glass. Even with this simple exchange, it felt like a bond kept growing.

It seemed like I could understand why alcohol was good for socializing.

As Song Soo-yeon’s cup was filled, Min Bom also held out her cup.

“Hey, me too!”

“As you write. it’s okay?”

“Because we still have to be friends!”

Jeong-gyeom smiles and fills up Min-bom’s glass.

Thinking that they are also building a bond, Song Soo-yeon’s heart throbs again.

After Song Soo-yeon bumped her glasses, she poured soju into her mouth again.

…..I didn’t write that much this time either.

****

The atmosphere heated up. Empty bottles began to line up one by one.

However, Song Soo-yeon’s mood did not improve.

On the contrary, seeing Jung-gyeom and Min-bom gradually becoming closer, he continued to be disturbed.

“…..That’s why I was chosen there. I never thought I could become a hero at such an early age.”

“It happened because I had enough ability to become. You are amazing.”

“no. Like I said, I think Jung-gyeom is more amazing. He’s a lot more like a hero than me.”

Song Soo-yeon could not make a gap in this bright atmosphere. In the first place, Jeong-gyeom was only looking at Min-bom.

The longer she drank, the more she was able to understand her heart.

I realized why I was feeling so bad.

……I didn’t like Minbom getting close with Jeonggyeom. Until now, he himself did not know why.

I just hated it and got grumpy. I didn’t know how hard I had to work to not show off. At least for today, I had to be careful.

Song Su-yeon raised her glass. When I drank it, it was already empty.

“…well-“

Before she could call Jeong-gyeom to say that the glass was empty, Jeong-gyeom gently grabbed her hand as she lifted the glass.

Song Soo-yeon felt like she was sober. The slightly dizzy head clears up in an instant.

“…..Sooyeon. it’s okay?”

“……yes?”

“…..I’m worried because I’ve been drinking silently since before. Did you know that if you eat silently, you get drunk faster?”

“…Is there such a thing?”

“…cuck-cuck. I can’t control the speed.”

“……..”

Even in the midst of that, Song Soo-yeon wonders why she doesn’t like his touch.

So far, all men’s skinship has been disgusting to me, so why does this skinship… exhilarate my heart?

I didn’t want him to let go.

Thinking about that, she chose silence, and when she chose silence, Jung-gyeom was surprised and removed his hand.

“….ah. I’m sorry. I must have been drunk too.”

“….it’s okay.”

“…do you want more?”

“…if the uncle follows me.”

“Drink in moderation. If you get dizzy, you should stop drinking.”

Song Soo-yeon has a conversation with Jeong-gyeom after a long time, and her heart is excited. Breathing became easier, and my mind was revived. I feel much better.

“You two are still friends.”

Min Bom speaks from the side.

When she cut off the conversation between herself and Jeong-gyeom, Song Su-yeon developed a strange grumpiness.

“…Of course we are close. Did you know you weren’t close?”

Jeonggyeom also helped.

“What is it. It was Min Bom who said that Suyeon didn’t hate me.”

Minbom waved her hand and made excuses.

“Ah, no…I do, but…but I saw them fighting today, and again…”

“……?”

“Considering that we’ve been together for a long time, I felt a sense of distance from the title…”

Jeong-gyeom and Song Soo-yeon exchange glances.

“…I guess so.”

Jeong-gyeom readily admitted,

“……How is ‘Mister’?”

Song Soo-yeon asked.

Minbom lightly raised both hands as if he had no malice.

“no! Are you fine! But… I thought that with a 3-year age difference, he might be a bit like that.”

“……”

An ominous feeling crept up to Song Soo-yeon. I didn’t like the direction the story was heading.

jeonggyeom says

“Right? I’ve said before that we should change, but I don’t like Suyeon. You cannot force it.”

“What were you trying to call me?”

Minbom instantly feels interest and smiles mischievously.

Jeong-gyeom rolls his eyes and recalls that moment.

“…Uh… did you ask me to call you Mr. Gyeom…?”

“What is it, he was still an uncle.”

“….Yes?”

Song Soo-yeon wanted to end this conversation. My heart was pounding more and more. Something bad is coming.

“…How is it? It’s none of your sister’s concern.”

“…Um…that’s right.”

Jeonggyeom also helped.

“Actually, the title ‘Mister’ has settled down and I can’t change it to anything else now.”

“……yes?”

Song Soo-yeon let out a puzzled voice.

“yes?”

“…..Ah…that…no.”

Song Soo-yeon’s heart twists strangely.

She may have vaguely thought that it would be a title she would change someday.

As Min Bom felt, Song Soo-yeon may also have been bothered by the sense of distance from the title.

Even this kind of heart is now realizing little by little.

However, the seal was stamped, and it seemed that the title could not be changed. That fact gives her an uncomfortable dissatisfaction.

He had warned me before. Once a name is established, it will be difficult to change. For some reason, those words lingered in Song Soo-yeon’s ears.

“……I don’t want to keep calling you Mr. Jeong-gyeom.”

At that moment, a shy voice echoes from Song Soo-yeon’s left side.

Song Soo-yeon turned her head. Min Bom was looking at Jeong Gyeom.

“sure?”

“For me, the title ‘Mr.’ is still awkward. I guess I’m less of an adult.”

“Then how would you like to call me?”

Minbom twisted her long hair with one finger, averted her eyes and murmured.

“……Cum…brother?”