Chapter 100

The restaurant that Yoo Ju and I went to was incredibly fancy and had a great atmosphere. It was the kind of place perfect for couples. Located in a high-rise building, it had a spacious terrace where you could enjoy the view while dining. It seemed to operate on a reservation-only basis, and there were already people chatting and eating at their tables. Naturally, given the vibe of the place, most of the people seated were couples. I spotted some middle-aged couples, but the majority seemed to be around the same age as me and Yoo Ju.

“…. Are they the children of nobles? There are a few foreigners here too, though not many.”

As Yoo Ju and I sat down, I overheard some of the guests’ conversations.

“… Look over there.”

“Huh?”

“That banner… Isn’t that the Eternity Clan?”

“Even here, they recognize it.”

Of course, it wasn’t because of our clan’s current status. It was more likely due to the time when Gu Yeon-jeong was the Clan Master.

“But… that guy and girl are ridiculously good-looking…?”

“Hey, you… Are you blind? What are you even looking at?”

“Ah… well, um…”

I immediately noticed the man getting a cold stare from his partner. Given Yoo Ju’s looks, I could understand why the guy was distracted, but dealing with the aftermath was his problem.

“Yoon Seong?”

“Yes?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing. I was just enjoying the restaurant’s atmosphere.”

“Hehe, right? I told you you’d like it here.”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure, but since Yoo Ju was in a good mood, I felt good too.

“I think… I’ll go with this dish. What about you, Yoon Seong?”

“Ah… I’ll have the same.”

We ordered food and drinks, and the conversation continued.

“Thinking about it, it feels like so much has happened in almost a year.”

“True. Starting from the tutorial, there’s been a lot.”

“… I remember when I first met you during the tutorial. Back then, it was really…”

“Ah… when I was on the verge of death. I survived thanks to you, Yoo Ju. If it weren’t for you, I probably would’ve died.”

“But… we’re here together now. Back at the training facility, I thought you were going to join the Myth Clan alone…”

“Haha… yeah. I remember how much trouble I had clearing up the misunderstandings with you and the other clan members.”

Especially the effort it took to clear up Yoo Ju’s misunderstandings. She kept asking if I was planning to join the Myth Clan every chance she got.

“Well… that was your fault, Yoon Seong. You kept mentioning the Myth Clan, so of course, I’d misunderstand…”

“True, I did mention the Myth Clan a lot. It was understandable that you’d get the wrong idea.”

Talking about the past made me realize just how much we’d been through in such a short time. Not to mention how quickly I’d grown close to Yoo Ju and the other clan members.

“Thinking about it, life is really unpredictable. Getting dragged from Earth to this place, fighting monsters, and now being part of the Eternity Clan, even going to the royal palace…”

“Haha… but it all turned out well, right? I’m sure the royal palace will treat us well. Everything’s working out, so there’s no need to worry.”

As Yoo Ju finished speaking, the food and drinks arrived, and I noticed her reaching for the bottle.

Suddenly, I remembered the last time we drank alone together and flinched. Yoo Ju seemed to remember it too, judging by her reaction.

“Ah…”

Her face suddenly turned red.

“Ah… um… maybe we shouldn’t drink…?”

I guess she remembered the embarrassing scene from last time. But for a day like today, I thought it’d be better to go along with her.

“No, it’s fine. You can drink.”

“… Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“….. Really, really, really?”

“…. Yes, really, really, really. You don’t have to worry about me. Everyone makes mistakes when they drink.”

“… So you’re allowing it?”

‘…. Surely she won’t do it again.’

“Haha… yes, go ahead.”

We ate to our heart’s content and continued chatting while drinking. Thankfully, Yoo Ju seemed to be holding herself together. She was probably more desperate this time. If she messed up again, she’d probably want to hang herself.

‘… I’m getting a bit drunk too.’

Of course, it wasn’t just Yoo Ju drinking; I was too, so it was natural to feel a bit tipsy.

“Hehe… Yoon Seong, cheers!”

“Haha… isn’t the pace a bit too fast? We have plenty of time, so we can take it slow.”

“Ah, don’t be like that, cheers!”

For some reason, Yoo Ju seemed determined to keep me drinking.

“… Alright, let’s cheers.”

Thankfully, there were no uninvited guests like last time. The only problem was…

“Cheers!”

Yoo Ju, with her face flushed, kept offering me drinks.

‘What’s up with her?’

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but she seemed determined to achieve whatever she had in mind today.

“……”

“Hey, Yoon Seong, are you backing out?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Of course, I was hesitant to drink more. I was already quite drunk. I could feel my body struggling to keep up, so I knew I was pretty far gone.

“Come on, drink, drink.”

The sight of Yoo Ju, her eyes wide, continuously offering me drinks was almost terrifying.

‘Why is she like this? It’s scary…’

“Then… let’s just have half a glass.”

“Wow… Yoon Seong, are you a lightweight?”

The moment Yoo Ju said that, my grip on the glass tightened.

“…. What?”

‘Did she just… call me a lightweight?’

Lightweight. A word no self-respecting Korean man in his 20s could ignore.

“…. Yoo Ju, don’t push yourself. You’re the lightweight here, aren’t you?”

“Ha… then let’s really go all out today?”

“… No take-backs later. I’m giving you a fair warning.”

I overheard the neighboring table talking about us.

“Hey, hey, look at that table. They’re crazy. How many bottles is that?”

“Is that guy forcing the girl to drink?”

I felt wronged hearing that. It was the opposite, after all.

And so, the hellish drinking race began, and eventually, I, not having the strongest tolerance, had no choice but to pass out.

“Ugh…”

Before I completely lost consciousness, I faintly heard Yoo Ju’s voice.

“It’s done…! I did it…!”

******

“Ugh… my head…”

I woke up with a headache, probably because I drank way too much yesterday.

‘Damn it, I shouldn’t have fallen for the provocation…’

It seems like I wasn’t thinking rationally because I was too drunk.

‘If only they hadn’t called me a lightweight…’

To make excuses, I was already pretty drunk when I heard that, and I just couldn’t let it slide.

I waited for the headache to subside and looked around, only to be shocked.

‘What… what is this? Where am I?’

Because the place I woke up in wasn’t the guest room of the Royal Palace.

‘What the hell happened… huh?’

I felt something strange on my hand as I moved it, and when I looked, I saw…

‘What… huh? Why is Yoo Ju in the same bed as me?’

“F*ck.”

A situation where I couldn’t help but swear out loud.

I quickly checked my clothes, and thankfully, both Yoo Ju and I were still wearing what we had on yesterday.

Thankfully, it seems like I didn’t make any mistakes last night.

“Phew… that’s a relief. Oh, why is my shirt unbuttoned?”

I must have unbuttoned a few buttons in my sleep because it felt stuffy.

‘My clothes are all messed up…’

Not just my clothes, but Yoo Ju’s too. She was still dressed, but her buttons were undone, and her clothes were disheveled.

The sound of me moving and muttering must have woken Yoo Ju up.

“Ugh…”

Yoo Ju rubbed her eyes and sat up, and it only took a few seconds for our eyes to meet.

“……”

“……”

‘F*ck… what… what should I say…’

I couldn’t just casually ask, “Yoo Ju, are you awake?” and I had no idea what to say in this situation.

I even blacked out at some point, so there’s a chance I might have brought Yoo Ju here myself. Objectively speaking, Yoo Ju is really beautiful.

Before I could say anything, Yoo Ju spoke first.

“Ahaha… you’re… you’re awake?”

“…… Ah… yeah, I… I just woke up.”

“Ah… I see… ahaha…”

“…. I’m really sorry, but… do you know what happened? I can’t remember clearly…”

“Ah… you can’t remember…?”

“…. Yeah.”

I was nervous. There’s a chance I might have done something stupid while drunk.

But for some reason, Yoo Ju’s expression brightened when I said I couldn’t remember.

“It’s… it’s nothing. You were really drunk, Yoon Seong… so I helped you walk, and then I saw this place nearby… I was too drunk to make it back to the Royal Palace, so… I didn’t book a separate room, just a double room…”

“… Ah, I see…”

For some reason, Yoo Ju swallowed hard and asked me a question.

“So… do you… remember anything after we got here?”

‘Why is she trembling like that? Is she cold?’

“No. I only remember drinking at the restaurant…”

“Ah… I see… you must have been really drunk.”

“Probably. By the way, Yoo Ju, are you cold?”

“… Huh?”

“It’s nothing… but you keep shivering…”

“Ahhh…! Yeah, right, right! Hehe… I’m… I’m a little cold!”

“Then I’ll… go take a shower first. You should cover yourself with the blanket. You’ll probably feel less cold.”

“Shower… yeah, yeah… take your time.”

I couldn’t go back to the Royal Palace like this. My clothes were all messed up, and even if I could fix that, my messy hair and the smell of alcohol were still a problem.

‘Sigh… damn, my head hurts… I hope she’s not misunderstanding anything.’

Being alone together outside like this, I couldn’t help but worry that the clan members might misunderstand.

‘There’s no way to go back without getting caught, is there?’

It’s already been a day, so there’s no way to hide it.

‘Sigh…’

After finishing my shower, I got dressed and came out of the bathroom. Since I wasn’t alone with Yoo Ju, I couldn’t just walk out naked.

“I’m done showering. Yoo Ju, you should take a shower too.”

“Ah…”

“….?”

“…..”

“… Yoo Ju?”

“Ah.. yeah, yeah! I should… shower…!”

‘What’s wrong with her? Is it the hangover?’

I should probably get her some hangover remedy on the way back.

While Yoo Ju was showering, I took a closer look around the room. I had a feeling earlier, but this place… seems like it’s meant for couples.

‘Why did we have to come to a place like this?’

While waiting for Yoo Ju, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t told the Royal Palace about staying out, which made my head hurt even more.

‘Damn it… well, I can’t blame anyone. It’s my fault for falling for the provocation.’

At least I didn’t do anything with Yoo Ju, which is a huge relief. It was already weird enough hearing her shower.

Thud –

While I was beating myself up, Yoo Ju finished her shower and came out.

“Ah… showering feels refreshing.”

“Ah, Yoo Ju, you’re done…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. Because I was momentarily stunned by Yoo Ju’s appearance.

‘Why… why are you like this…’

All Yoo Ju was wearing, or rather, draped in, was a single towel.

“Yoo… Yoo Ju… um…”

‘Please, just put something on.’

“Ah… sorry! I just did it out of habit, like when I’m alone…”

“Haha… it’s not that big of a deal… just put some clothes on first.”

“Ahaha… yeah…”

I might be imagining it, but Yoo Ju seemed to smirk a little when she saw my flustered reaction.

‘Damn, are you… doing this on purpose?’

… Probably not.