Chapter 57 – A Heavy Drinker

Kang Jin-hyun rested his handsome forehead on the table and was lying face down just like that. It was a relaxed appearance that he would absolutely never show under normal circumstances.

“Jin-hyun, is something the matter?”

Worried, Hee-na stopped eating her naengmyeon and called out to the collapsed Kang Jin-hyun. At that, Kang Jin-hyun, who had been resting his forehead on the table, sat up groggily.

“……Nothing is the matter. I am fine.”

As he sat back up, he looked perfectly sober. Only, he was slightly paler than usual, and his gaze was somewhat hazy.

“Isn’t he drunk?”

Woo Min-ah, who had practically gulped down a bowl of mul-naengmyeon, poked Kang Jin-hyun with her elbow. No, she tried to poke him.

“……Don’t do that.”

Kang Jin-hyun said slowly, dodging Woo Min-ah’s elbow. His movements were too agile to say he was drunk, but his speech was much slower than usual and his tongue was thick to say he was sober.

“Are you drunk? Are you okay?”

Hee-na glanced at the soju bottles piled up next to the table. There were too many to count at once. The amount appeared to be roughly over twenty bottles.

‘When did we drink that much?’

She recalled that at first they had ordered and drunk one bottle at a time, but because the alcohol ran out too quickly, they had ordered four or five bottles at once.

She also remembered filling the small glasses to the brim with soju and refilling them as soon as they were empty. They had gulped down the alcohol while eating all kinds of beef parts as side dishes.

“Are you okay yourself? I knew you could drink well, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.”

Woo Min-ah expressed concern for Hee-na, who was checking on Kang Jin-hyun. Hee-na showed a bashful smile to Woo Min-ah.

“Unnie, I’m fine. I’m moderately tipsy and feeling good right now.”

Hee-na was a natural-born heavy drinker. No matter how much she drank, she had never been drunk beyond her limit.

Today was the same. The only uncomfortable part was that she felt a bit bloated because she had eaten too much meat.

“Are you okay, Unnie? Your face has turned bright red.”

Woo Min-ah was also a heavy drinker no less than Hee-na, but perhaps because she had drunk a lot today, her face was flushed red.

“I drink this much all the time. Haha!”

However, she also just felt excited, and her consciousness seemed perfectly sober.

Therefore, if one had to choose the person who looked the least sober among them, it was Kang Jin-hyun.

“……I am ……also fine.”

He also claimed to be fine, but his slurred speech was rather unconvincing.

Only his expression was sober; his behavior was that of a drunk person no matter how one looked at it. He was nodding off and waking up, and his words were slowing down…

“I guess even S-class Hunters get drunk.”

It was an unexpected sight. To think that Kang Jin-hyun, who wouldn’t even bat an eye at any danger, was stumbling from just a few bottles of soju…

“Indeed. The higher your rank, the higher your alcohol immunity becomes, so you don’t easily get drunk.”

Woo Min-ah clicked her tongue.

“He must have a constitution that really cannot handle alcohol. To think he became an S-class and got drunk after drinking only this much.”

In the midst of that, Kang Jin-hyun understood Woo Min-ah’s words and refuted them minutely.

“……I am not ……drunk.”

However, no one ever listens to the words of a drunkard who claims to be sober. Hee-na and Woo Min-ah ignored Kang Jin-hyun’s words and continued their conversation.

“I guess you’ve never seen Hunter Kang Jin-hyun drunk either, Unnie?”

“Yeah. He’s a picky eater, so he doesn’t eat much of anything. That’s how he is with food, so would he drink a lot of alcohol?”

Moreover, it was not common for three people to empty well over twenty bottles of soju. Unless they were considerable heavy drinkers.

“This is probably the first time he’s been this dead drunk, right?”

Woo Min-ah whispered and picked up her phone to start recording a video. Hee-na also lowered her voice and asked.

“U-Unnie? What are you doing?”

“I’m going to record this and show it to Hunter Kang later. I think the HR Team Leader will like it, too.”

To film someone dead drunk and show it to them was enough to make the devil weep. Hee-na tried to stop Woo Min-ah, but gave up. Woo Min-ah also seemed to be pleasantly tipsy. As the saying went, there was nothing to be gained from trying to stop a drunk person.

Instead, Hee-na slurped up the remaining naengmyeon. Fitting for an expensive naengmyeon that cost over ten thousand won a bowl, the spicy and sour bibim-naengmyeon was extremely savory.

Woo Min-ah paid the enormous bill for the alcohol and meat.

Startled by the receipt she glimpsed, Hee-na completely sobered up from the alcohol she wasn’t even that drunk on. The amount far exceeded her family’s food expenses for a month.

“Gasp.”

Although Hee-na was now a wealthy person who owned three houses, her heart was still that of a fragile ordinary citizen.

“I was going to make Hunter Kang pay, but since you showed me a good sight today, it’s on me!”

Woo Min-ah giggled and pointed her finger at the neat-looking man standing quietly beside them. It was Kang Jin-hyun.

With somewhat sleepy eyes, he followed closely behind Hee-na.

“Jin-hyun, will you be able to find your way home alright?”

Hee-na was worried about Kang Jin-hyun. But that was only for a moment. This was because Woo Min-ah patted her shoulder, as if telling her not to worry about such a thing.

“He is a guy who wouldn’t even feel stiff in his body if he lay down and slept on the street.”

Indeed, that was true. It had been the same in the Giant Mushroom Dungeon last time. Even after being rolled, thrown, and beaten like that, he hadn’t budged.

“……I do not sleep on the street. The street is noisy.”

Meanwhile, Kang Jin-hyun retorted systematically with whatever consciousness he had left. He also said that because his five senses were sensitive, he could sleep even less outside where people and cars went by.

Woo Min-ah clicked her tongue at the sight of Kang Jin-hyun, who was mumbling endlessly.

“Yes, yes. I get it. You are an amazing S-class. Okay?”

Only then was Kang Jin-hyun satisfied.

“……Yes.”

At the same time, he smiled slightly, and as a smile drifted across his weary face, a strange atmosphere was exuded.

‘Wow.’

Hee-na lost herself for a moment as she looked at that face.

As expected, a person’s face was indeed everything. Even though his actions were completely foolish, because his face was handsome, he actually looked atmospheric instead.

“He is also very drunk, so let’s call it a night without a second round. I’ll head in first. You get home safely, too. And Hunter Kang, go home and rest on your own.”

Woo Min-ah waved her hand lightly. Since she knew about Hee-na’s ‘Home Sweet Home’ skill, she did not say anything about taking her home in particular.

Woo Min-ah quickly distanced herself with light steps.

“Um……, Jin-hyun?”

Left alone with Kang Jin-hyun, Hee-na habitually checked on him.

This stemmed from her years of experience with company dinners, a sort of instinct to safely watch over and send off a heavily drunk person.

“……Yes, Hee-na.”

Kang Jin-hyun replied a beat late. Then, he looked around and seemed to sink deep into thought.

“……It is late. The day is dark.”

He stated the obvious. It was 10 p.m. now. This meant they had been eating meat and drinking alcohol for over four hours.

“Yes. You should head home too, Jin-hyun. If you want to go to work tomorrow.”

“……For the next few days, there is no dungeon subjugation, so I am free. I only need to go out in the afternoon and conduct a few interviews. The day after tomorrow, there is a newspaper advertisement shoot, and the day after that, there is an executive meeting.”

Kang Jin-hyun diligently reported his schedule. True to a drunk person, his explanation was excessive.

“……I understand that Hee-na is on vacation until tomorrow. Is my memory correct?”

“Yes. That’s right. I’m on vacation until tomorrow, and I’ll start working from the day after tomorrow. To cook for you, Jin-hyun.”

Hee-na explained simply so that the drunkard could understand easily.

“……I am looking forward to the day Hee-na comes to work very much. This is the first time I have felt such excitement. Thanks to Hee-na, I am truly glad and…… happy.”

Kang Jin-hyun’s earlobes turned slightly red. To anyone looking, it would seem as if he was making a confession while drunk.

There was not a single incorrect word, but it felt awkward for nothing. It was a bit excessive to be considered anticipation for a colleague she would work with.

Though she was not drunk, Hee-na’s cheeks also turned red in turn. Hee-na pretended to be busy elsewhere for nothing.

“Cough, ahem. Jin-hyun. You should go home now. My older brother is waiting for me at home, so I should head back too.”

Kang Jin-hyun replied seriously.

“……You must not go alone. The night streets are dangerous for a civilian.”

“I’m an Awakened person in my own right too. I’m C-rank now, so the sum of my Health, Strength, and Agility stats has passed 30.”

“……Still, Hee-na is a non-combatant Awakened who can easily get hurt. You are fragile.”

“I just need to stick to the main streets.”

Hee-na only needed to find a secluded wall and open the front door, so there was nothing dangerous at all. However, as Kang Jin-hyun did not know that fact, he seemed to be endlessly worried about Hee-na.

“……I will escort you.”

He scooped Hee-na up without even a warning. It happened in an instant.

“Kyaak!”

Hee-na let out a shrill scream.

“……I can escort you safely.”

“P-Put me down!”

“……The outside is dangerous. A gate could suddenly open, and you might encounter monsters. I must be by your side.”

Perhaps because the alcohol was taking a heavy toll as time passed, Kang Jin-hyun’s delusions only grew wilder and his stubbornness stronger.

He held onto Hee-na and muttered, ‘I cannot lose you.’ As if he was holding onto some incredible treasure.

“……I will take responsibility.”

With this final word, Kang Jin-hyun kicked off the ground with a light step.

‘Aaaack!’

Feeling her body float as if she was riding a rollercoaster, Hee-na screamed inwardly.

‘What on earth is happening!’

The Homemaker of the Dungeon