After a brief commotion, the bar resumed its tranquil state as if nothing had happened.
Lloyd, who had been yelling loudly, disappeared a long time ago. His group had forcibly dragged him out.
The stench of his antics had surely vanished, and Kang Tae-hoon sat back at the counter to drink again.
Beside him sat Shin Yoon-seong, doing the same.
“…Hey, aren’t you going to leave?”
“I’ll just finish this one and then head back.”
Though he said that, who knows how many drinks this was already.
Plopping.
Moreover, the white tofu he’d been eating as a snack since a while ago seemed oddly irritating.
Where in the world are there crazy people who eat tofu with whiskey? Even in this globalized era that respects cultural diversity, there are still lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
Shin Yoon-seong crossed that line — this isn’t fusion cuisine.
It’s just plain weird eating.
“Looking at it, you seem to know each other.”
At that moment, Shin Yoon-seong put down the fork he’d been using to scoop tofu and began speaking about Lloyd Hintz, who had caused the earlier disturbance.
Hearing that, Kang Tae-hoon snorted derisively.
“Hmph. Just some guy I met briefly when I studied abroad. Honestly, at first, I didn’t even recognize him.”
It had been when they were both in middle school. At the time, while studying in the U.S., Kang Tae-hoon had shared a classroom with Lloyd Hintz.
“That guy seems to really dislike you. Did you bully him or something?”
“What nonsense. Why would I bully that guy? I barely remember anything except for the few times I slapped him around.”
“That sounds like bullying to me.”
Back then, Kang Tae-hoon was someone who drew a lot of attention — whether good or bad. As the heir of a wealthy family studying abroad in a foreign country, some naturally poked and prodded out of curiosity.
And Lloyd Hintz had been one of those troublemakers.
“The word ‘punk’ was going around about him, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, that. That guy was on drugs. I happened to see him once on the street.”
“Was he?”
Shin Yoon-seong hesitated, showing an odd trace of worry.
“Why? Do you think I was into drugs like him? How stupid.”
Kang Tae-hoon smirked and downed the glass of alcohol in his hand.
Then, he muttered quietly.
“Well, it’s not like I’ve never thought about it… You know.”
“…”
“Can’t help but wonder if doing drugs would make me drunk… if booze doesn’t do the trick.”
But as you can see, Kang Tae-hoon resisted that temptation.
It remained just a simple thought.
“I wish getting drunk could just be enough with alcohol alone.”
Sluush.
Shin Yoon-seong refilled Kang Tae-hoon’s glass.
“Getting drunk…”
Kang Tae-hoon narrowed his eyes and stared intensely at the glass. The slightly amber-hued whiskey tingled his nose.
For someone who can’t hold their liquor, even the smell alone might make them dizzy.
“Hmm. Getting drunk should be a matter of choice.”
But Kang Tae-hoon is different. Maybe it’s because he’s naturally resistant to alcohol, but no matter how much he drinks, he can’t feel drunk.
For him, being drunk, swaying under the influence, or turning red-faced — those are impossible things.
“I hope you haven’t thought about trying drugs just because you can’t get drunk.”
“What did I just say? I don’t do that crap.”
Clatter.
Kang Tae-hoon had emptied his glass again, shortly after it was refilled. This one tasted slightly sharper, maybe because Shin Yoon-seong joined in.
“Hey, Shin Yoon-seong.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
Kang Tae-hoon’s sharp eyes opened slightly. The atmosphere, which felt like it was softening as they shared drinks, abruptly turned cold again.
“Just because we’re going to participate in the evaluation together doesn’t mean I plan on associating with you.”
“That’s the same for me.”
Shin Yoon-seong drained his glass too and then said.
“Since we’re talking about evaluations, would you like to come tomorrow for some practice training to prepare for it?”
“Hey, idiot! Didn’t you just hear what I said? I have no intention of hanging out with you! Are you hearing me wrong on purpose or something?”
“Tomorrow, 1 PM, at the indoor training center.”
“Are you just saying whatever you want?!”
Yeah. That’s Shin Yoon-seong for you. My mistake for expecting a meaningful conversation. Kang Tae-hoon sighed deeply.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Stop misunderstanding.”
The last member is your problem.
The last member— that’s what he meant. Since this was a team evaluation, they still needed the final player.
So far, Kang Tae-hoon and Shin Yoon-seong were confirmed to participate.
“Alright. I’ll take responsibility for finding the last person.”
“Just don’t drag in another weirdo. Got it?”
“…”
“Did you hear me?”
Shin Yoon-seong didn’t reply. He only refilled their glasses.
Then he raised his glass high.
“How about a toast? Since we’re practically a team now.”
“Hell no! Why would I toast with someone like you?!”
Kang Tae-hoon rejected Shin Yoon-seong’s toast and drank alone.
—
The next day, Kang Tae-hoon arrived at the indoor training center right on time.
He didn’t plan to come here under any circumstances, but only did so because Shin Yoon-seong said he’d brought the rest of the team.
He had no intention of actually training. He just planned to show up, check who they were, and then leave.
“Hey, is there a wedding today or what? Why are there so many people here?”
As soon as he arrived, Kang Tae-hoon frowned. There were far more people at the training center than he had expected.
“Let me introduce you. These are the support members who’ll help with the evaluations.”
Aside from Shin Yoon-seong, there were three unfamiliar faces. Shin Yoon-seong began to introduce them one by one.
“First, Yoo Ji-woo from the technical corps. Matters regarding the setup of the training center and equipment should be handled by her.”
“Hi. Just thought it’d be fun, so I stopped by.”
A really short girl in lab clothes who looked like her coat might drag on the floor. Her skin was unnaturally pale, almost white, with dark shadows under her eyes that stood out even more.
Clearly someone who had spent too much time cooped up in a lab.
“Next, Kim Han-bit from the technical corps. Think of her as your all-around handy person.”
“Hold on… I never said I’d help…”
Next was a somewhat normal-looking female student. She seemed like the sanest person among the gathered group.
And…
“Lastly, let me introduce you. Our team’s third player— Kim Dae-sik.”
“Ooh.”
“Boom. Boom.”
A giant of a man with a muscular body resembling a boulder entered, his movements echoing through the room. The copper-toned skin, thick lips, and massive physique made Kang Tae-hoon instantly exclaim.
“Hey, what the hell? Why did you bring some black guy for an international competition?!”
“Hmm? Despite appearances, Dae-sik is a native Korean.”
“Are you serious? You’re joking around! He clearly looks like a foreign worker!”
As expected, trusting Shin Yoon-seong had been a mistake. A nauseous sensation was creeping up. Why even bother dragging just any random person along? And what was with bringing someone who clearly looked like he couldn’t speak Korean well?
Kang Tae-hoon rubbed his forehead.
“Are you trying to mess with me? Are you that desperate to lose?”
“In terms of skills, he’s more than capable. I can vouch for him.”
“It’s not about skill, idiot! The root of the problem is wrong!”
Kang Tae-hoon screamed loudly enough for the whole training center to echo.
On the other hand, Shin Yoon-seong just looked blank.
“Is this even an international evaluation? Do you really not know what you’re doing?”
“I know that much.”
“Then why are you bringing a foreign-looking guy? Do you think this is some professional sports event where you can just hire mercenaries?!”
And his size made him stand out even more. There’s no way to quietly brush this under the rug.
“I’ll reiterate: Dae-sik is a native Korean. Look closely.”
In an attempt to put Kang Tae-hoon’s concerns to rest, Shin Yoon-seong decided to provide proof.
Shin Yoon-seong called out to the giant.
“Dae-sik.”
“Ooh.”
“Are you Korean?”
“Ooh.”
“Great, let’s work hard.”
That was that.
Instantly, a blue vein bulged on Kang Tae-hoon’s forehead.
“Are you serious? Are you playing with me? That guy can’t even speak proper Korean! Haven’t you noticed something’s wrong?!”
Kang Tae-hoon turned to Yoo Ji-woo and Kim Han-bit for their opinions.
“Meh, I think it’ll be fine.”
“I… well… I was just dragged along anyway, so… whatever happens, it doesn’t really matter to me…”
Yoo Ji-woo was busy tapping on a tablet, showing little interest. Kim Han-bit, meanwhile, avoided eye contact, not wanting to take any responsibility.
“You guys are amazing… what a great team we’ve got here!”
This initial team meeting made Kang Tae-hoon want to throw everything away, forget the school’s request, and just leave.
