“Drinking is quite the task, huh?”
Suddenly, it turned into a party vibe with the members of the Tea and Book Club.
Of course, I wanted to write my novel at home, but they were all asking why I wasn’t going to the after-party. These days, young employees create enjoyable gatherings, so why not? Back in my day, the bosses would take a taxi home and I would walk back after sobering up, then be the first to show up at work the next morning. Those were the fun gatherings.
After sharing a drink with everyone from the Tea and Book Club and stepping out of the restaurant, the night sky suddenly looked like it was swaying.
“I told you to drink moderately.”
Huh? Lady Tang scolded me in a worrying tone.
“These are the folks who clock in at the Tea Bookstore every day. How could I hold back?”
Now that I think about it, the ground is swaying beneath my feet. Should I ride the waves all the way home? If it sways just a little more, I might be able to use a teleportation technique.
“Be careful.”
As I stumbled, Lady Tang quickly grabbed my arm.
“Thanks.”
I must be really drunk.
“Did the people from the Tea and Book Club give you strong alcohol on purpose to get you wasted?”
Lady Tang shot an annoyed glance towards the restaurant where people were gathering, seemingly irritated by my drunkenness.
“They gave me good booze, not because they wanted something to happen to me.”
The Tea and Book Club people insisted on getting me good drinks, saying they couldn’t make Ho Pil drink cheap liquor. It was definitely pretty tasty. Though I think I might have had too much because of the atmosphere.
“I wish I could visit that tavern Tang Jung went to.”
“Do you even have the money, dude?”
“Just because I want to go doesn’t mean I can.”
“Did Tang Jung only go to that tavern? Didn’t he help people at other taverns and places too?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“So today, I’ll cover the cost for the tavern I frequently visit. It’s not expensive, but everyone will be satisfied!”
“Ohhhh. Today, this guy looks like Tang Jung.”
“Dude! I’m not Tang Jung! Not even close!”
“Then I’ll say you look like him if you buy me three more drinks.”
“Hahaha.”
Standing in front of the restaurant, I could hear not only the Tea and Book Club talking but also others discussing The Rise of the Tang Family.
It’s surreal to hear my novel being talked about on the streets. My lips curled into a smile.
“You happy?”
Lady Tang asked gently, noticing my expression.
“Of course I’m happy.”
When I first started as a storyteller, I felt like I had finally risen on two feet in this world, and now it feels like I’m taking steps toward my destination.
“The dream of becoming famous has truly come true.”
Lady Tang seemed to recall when I said I wanted to be known for my stories, speaking with admiration.
“I’m still lacking. Very much so.”
The city of Yichang, where I am, is the second largest after Wuhan in Hubei Province. My success here is akin to being famous in Busan rather than Seoul in Korea.
Moreover, the area of Hubei Province is roughly twice that of South Korea. There are nearly 20 administrative units in the Central Plains.
If you think of each province as a country, I would need to succeed in about 20 countries to earn a worldwide reputation.
I’ve finally managed to take a step, but there’s still a long way to go for that great leap.
“How famous do you want to be?”
“I told you. I want to be famous enough for my parents and friends to hear about me in the afterlife. To do that, everyone in the Central Plains must know Ho Pil Kang Yoon-ho.”
“Right……. You did say that.”
Lady Tang looked at me with a slightly bittersweet expression. Did I touch a sore spot in her heart? Was it unnecessary?
“Haha. And I need to get famous quickly to repay Lady Tang’s debts.”
I exaggeratedly laughed it off, pretending it was no big deal. Lady Tang, bringing up that topic, doesn’t hurt me. I mean, I have no wounds to begin with. But I guess Lady Tang didn’t think that way.
“Uh… Yoon-ho. By any chance, if you pay off your debts…”
Lady Tang seemed anxious as she was about to say something.
“Huh?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
“Are you sure you don’t have something to say?”
“I don’t. Let’s go!”
It can’t be that it wasn’t an important thing. Lady Tang linked her arm with mine and started to walk out of the restaurant to support my drunken self.
“Hey. Be gentle. I’m dizzy.”
“Hehe. Then hold on tight.”
The dazzling lights and bustling night streets of Yichang.
Lady Tang supported me a bit roughly as we headed for the Tea Bookstore. Though I was dizzy from the drinks, I couldn’t voice my dissatisfaction with Lady Tang’s support.
I was too entranced by the grand feeling radiating from her arm around mine.
Ugh.
I left the regret of the sensation I felt in her arm behind and as soon as we arrived in the room, I collapsed straight onto the bed.
“Yoon-ho, at least brush your teeth before you sleep!”
Lady Tang shouted at me after she finished washing up.
“I just want to sleep.”
I had recovered a bit, but I was still dizzy. If I stepped into the bathroom like this, I would probably just collapse there.
“Then go sleep in your bed. This one is my bed!”
There was this odd smell she claimed was better than mine.
“I don’t know. Just come sleep with me.”
I waved my hand towards her while staring at the spinning ceiling.
“W-what?”
“I’m sleeping.”
“Ugh. Seriously! Wait! If you can’t get up from your hangover tomorrow, it’ll be a huge problem. I have some hangover medicine prepared, so take it!”
“Okay! So hurry up and give it to me.”
Lady Tang perched on the edge of the bed I was lying in, starting to look for something in the small drawer beside her bed.
I stared at her in a daze. She looked a bit annoyed, but I could see concern in her face.
Wait. Could it be…?
“Here it is.”
Lady Tang pulled something out of the drawer and looked at me.
“Lady Tang. Wait a second.”
I grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to me.
“Hey… Why, why are you suddenly getting so close?”
Ignoring Lady Tang’s surprised voice, I propped myself up next to her on the bed.
I’m having trouble keeping my head steady. My forehead brushed against Lady Tang’s shoulder. What a nice smell. Did she change her soap? I guess little things like these show when life is getting better.
Gulp.
I heard a loud gulp from somewhere. Oh right, this isn’t the time for that.
“Lady Tang…”
I stared at her and brought my hand to her face.
“Huh? Huh?”
Lady Tang looked confused, but she didn’t reject my hand as it brushed against her complex.
“Lady Tang, seriously. People would find your face attractive if they didn’t have biased views.”
I carefully caressed the spots on Lady Tang’s face, even though others might wrongly think it was contagious. Upon closer inspection, it was just patches on her skin.
Feeling the skin with patches felt slightly different than normal.
“Hey, hey. Are you… drunk? No, wait. Is this being drunk?”
Am I the one being dragged around by a drunken person, now I’m the one drunk?
Thud!
Something that was in Lady Tang’s hand flew somewhere. What was she holding? It probably wasn’t directed at me, so it’s fine. I kept fondling her face with both hands.
“Lady Tang. Lift your face up.”
“Can’t you just do it comfortably?”
“Yea, I’ll do it comfortably.”
“Uh… okay….”
Lady Tang seemed to have understood my intention and lifted her chin as high as she could to match the angle of our faces.
Why is she closing her eyes when I just asked her to lift her face? Is it because Lady Tang’s face was reflecting the light, giving it a strange redness?
I wish she’d just tilt her head slightly. As I gripped a bit harder, I could sense her face trembling. Could it be I’m right in my assumptions? This is tricky.
“Lady Tang.”
“Uh-huh?”
“Could you loosen your collar a bit?”
“Whaaaaat?”
Lady Tang’s eyes widened in surprise, and she screamed.
“My ears hurt.”
“Hey… things like this require steps. Do you know how much courage I gathered? No, no. We’re not that kind of relationship yet, are we? Are we? No, that’s not it. We shouldn’t jump to that conclusion yet, either. But we at least need to know. No, do we know each other well enough? But still. At the very least, you should be the one to take the lead when it comes to that. Wait, is this also stretching it?”
Lady Tang fell apart.
Asking her to loosen her collar a bit is that unreasonable?
“Then I’ll do it for you.”
I reached for her tightly fastened collar.
“Yikes!”
As my hand touched her, she squeaked loudly. The shriek pierced my ears and lodged itself into my brain.
Her high-pitched scream cut through the fog clouding my mind in an instant.
Oh no.
“I’m sorry, Lady Tang. I made a mistake. I didn’t mean it like that.”
I must’ve really lost my mind because of the alcohol. That was a huge blunder. With that one scream from Lady Tang, the intoxication that ruled me began to fade away.
“Huh?”
Lady Tang looked at me with wide eyes, confused.
“I just wanted to take a peek at your collarbone. You don’t have to do anything. I’m really sorry.”
How embarrassing. I couldn’t even bear to look at Lady Tang. I turned my head away, staring at the floor.
“No, that’s not it. Ugh. What the heck. Wait.”
Swish. I heard the sound of her clothes sliding against her skin. No way… Is she serious?
I subtly peeked at Lady Tang. With a shy expression, she gently loosened her collar a bit.
“Here. I don’t know what this is, but take a look.”
“Uh, uh?”
I turned to look at Lady Tang. I only asked for a glimpse of her collarbone, but it seems like her clothing design had different plans.
Lady Tang clutched her clothing with both hands, trying hard not to let it drop, showing me her upper chest.
There was—
A grand canyon of the human body.
Could such a breathtaking view be crafted by a human? Would nature’s Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls look anything like this?
Though there were patches on her skin, they were at a level that didn’t distract from the stunning sight. If I didn’t keep my jaw clenched, my mouth would drop open.
It was so magnificent that I felt the urge to shout out how amazing it was amidst the grand display of her chest, where a dizzying deep gorge seemed to exist.
No, this isn’t a gorge; it’s a sinkhole.
If I enter that, I might discover a lost world. Inside, a giant gorilla with an axe would be fighting a dinosaur using a radioactive breath.
“Hey, Yoon-ho?”
Lady Tang called me, looking a bit anxious.
“Focus now. The world I’m searching for isn’t a lost one, but the world just above.”
I leaned further towards Lady Tang to once again gaze at her collarbone.
“See?”
The remaining alcohol and the shocking sight cleared my head in an instant.
“Uh? What do you mean ‘see’?”
“Lady Tang. I’ve got something to tell you, so calm down and listen.”
I looked at Lady Tang with a serious expression.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“First, take a deep breath. It’s important.”
Gulp. I heard another intrusive gulp. Lady Tang took a deep breath and then looked at me.
“Okay. I’m ready to listen.”
I pulled up on her rapidly slipping clothing from her shoulders.
Lady Tang could be in shock. As I firmly held her shoulder, I felt her gently trembling.
Looking into her trembling eyes, I opened my mouth.
“Lady Tang, your face is getting better.”
