It had been a long time since the value of currency fell below that of scrap paper as the world came to an end. In an era where survival took precedence, the most important commodities for trade were none other than water and food.
People would dash into the remote wilderness and gamble their lives just to wet their throats even a little, and they would harm others without a moment’s hesitation to stave off hunger even slightly… Such was a desperate, hellish world.
For humanity, which had fallen into a life little different from beasts, pleasure was merely a luxury.
And…
Now, I had such a luxury right before my very eyes.
*Gulp—*
A bottle of liquor in a crystal-clear, transparent bottle. No, two bottles, three bottles…
Countless. Bottles of alcohol worth more than I could have ever imagined on the surface were lined up here.
This room alone was practically a liquor warehouse.
What lay before my eyes now was something far more valuable than water or food.
My jaw wouldn’t close. My mind had already gone half-mad at their resplendent appearance.
There was no label, so I couldn’t tell what kind of alcohol it was, but… what did it matter? They looked expensive at a glance; not worth thinking about.
“Ms. Yura, is this a company benefit too?”
“Hng… It’s not exactly a company benefit… An acquaintance of mine stockpiled some. They’re quite the alcoholic…”
“I-Is it really okay for me to drink this…?”
“It’s fine. I don’t even drink much, so the person who actually drinks it should have it.”
If we turn back the clock a little.
It started with just a joke.
While eating dinner with Yura, something felt lacking. Even as I ate samgyeopsal, an unfulfilled sense of satisfaction nagged at me uncomfortably.
Of course, if the people on the surface saw me, they would’ve mocked me for being full, but even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Ah… If only I had one bottle of soju, it would really be killer…
I knew I wasn’t in my right mind. I’d eaten enough to be full. What more could I want? I knew better than anyone that it was a shameless thing to do, but…
True to my instincts, I inadvertently blurted it out.
“Kya… I want a drink…”
“Liquor?”
“Ah, no. I misspoke…”
A slip of the tongue made while drinking water as if it were alcohol. It was absolutely not something to say in front of the person providing me with food and shelter.
“Th-That is, it’s an old habit. Please don’t mind it.”
“…”
Had it been too late to take it back? Yura stared at me intently. She stroked her chin as if lost in thought for a moment, then smirked and spoke.
“Then do you want to drink? Alcohol?”
“???”
And so we return to the present.
I never thought the unbelievable would actually happen. I figured there might be one or two bottles at most, but this was enough to drink for a lifetime and still have leftovers.
“I told you, I’m a woman who has everything. Killer, right?”
“Yes… It’s killer.”
Is this how dogs felt when humans first domesticated them?
My hands holding the bottle trembled uncontrollably.
I carefully cradled the bottle in my arms as if it were a baby.
“You said you wanted samgyeopsal with soju, so let’s go.”
“Y-Yes, l-let’s go.”
***
Yura expressed her sincere gratitude to a friend whose whereabouts were unknown.
Who knew he would be so happy, like a child, over just a single bottle of alcohol?
If she had known, she would have brought it out sooner… Well… She didn’t think it was so bad learning these things one by one like this.
Seeing him with wide, sparkling eyes and a silly grin, a smile naturally formed on her face.
Yes, eat well and stay well just like that.
She didn’t ask for much. Just someone to soothe her loneliness. That alone was enough.
Seohan stuffed a wrap into his mouth and chewed diligently.
Perhaps feeling the alcohol, he slid over next to Yura.
Huh? Wha? Th-the distance?!
For Yura, who had almost no resistance to the opposite sex, this was a sudden crisis. He shook the bottle lightly and leaned his head in until it was almost touching her lips.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been curious since a while ago, Ms. Yura. How old are you?”
“I-I’m… t-twenty-eight.”
She didn’t know where to rest her eyes in her confusion. She had always felt he was defenseless, but with alcohol added on top, pheromones were practically pouring off him. Her heart pounded as if it would burst at any moment.
“Oh, you’re older. Noona… Ms. Yura, aren’t you drinking? You’ve only been eating meat since earlier…”
“Liquor? I-It’s not that I like it that much. I don’t really get drunk even if I drink.”
If she got drunk, she would’ve drunk a lot. Her family had a strong alcohol tolerance passed down through generations, so a normal amount didn’t easily intoxicate her.
Besides, she was too full to force herself to drink more.
“Really? So you don’t get drunk easily, Ms. Yura… Then… do you hate drinking with me?”
“…”
For a brief moment, Yura felt her reason snap. Was he really throwing a tantrum because he was so drunk?
Without even realizing he was seducing her.
Yura quietly stood up and took out a soju glass from the shelf.
Ugh, damn male! Wagging his tail like that. Right now… right now… Ugh…
She set the glass down on the table with a *tang-!* Spreading her legs wide in an unladylike manner, she thrust the glass at Seohan.
Shut up and pour, you bastard!
“Fine. If you want to drink that badly, pour me a glass.”
“Hehe… Yes, Ms. Yura. I’m younger, so I should pour. Ahem…!”
Seohan held the bottle with both hands and carefully filled the glass. It was driving her crazy. The way he cautiously poured so as not to spill a drop while intoxicated stimulated her in various ways.
I want to drag him to bed.
She shook her head. No matter how hard it was to keep her senses, she couldn’t do that. That had to come after mutual agreement was reached. It wouldn’t be long now. She had to endure until that day.
*Clink-!*
The glasses clinked. When Seohan downed his drink, his Adam’s apple bobbed. A few drops that failed to make it into his mouth spilled out and trickled down below his chest.
To match the mood, Yura also swallowed hers in one go.
“Ah, this is so good… If I had known there was alcohol, I would’ve asked sooner.”
Right? If I had known you liked alcohol, I would’ve let you drink sooner…
“How is it, Ms. Yura? It’s good, right? Drinking after a long time. Doesn’t it feel floaty and nice?”
Floaty? It’s very good… Drinking with a man beside her, how could it not be? She wanted to touch him all over unconsciously. And…
“Ms. Yura, I have something I’m curious about.”
“Something curious?”
*Grab-!*
“Kuhk!”
It was a moment of carelessness. In an instant, Seohan reached out and grabbed Yura’s chest.
What, what?! What?! What the hell is happening?!
Before she could react, Seohan continued to grope her chest.
“What is this? I’ve been curious every time but thought it was too awkward to ask… It’s sparkly and fascinating…”
“Sp-spark… wha…”
Her brain short-circuited. Her mind went so blank that she wondered if she had ever been so devoid of thought in her entire life.
How drunk was he? Seohan even slipped his hand deeper inside her white gown.
“Y-You, are you talking about… the Augmentation… Suit?”
“Suit… Yes… Suit…”
An Augmentation Suit made of metallic coding that clung tightly to the body, amplifying physical abilities with minimal effort. It seemed he had been curious about the faintly flickering blue circuit lines that appeared intermittently.
“Wow… Is it really an Augmentation Suit? The kind you only see in movies?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Can you lift heavy things with this?”
“Usually about three times the user’s body weight without any effort… Hup…”
I’m going crazy. A man… a man is touching my body all over. My chest was sensitive enough as it was…
Cold sweat poured down like a waterfall.
“Wow, you’re like the main character of a superhero movie. So cool! Huh? Ms. Yura… the sparkly things are turning redder? Why is this happening? Is it broken…?”
“N-Now, now, let’s stop and have another drink, cheers!”
*Clink-!*
*Gulp gulp-*
She was getting drunk. Normally she wouldn’t get drunk from this much, but combined with other factors, the alcohol quickly traveled through her veins.
They repeated the cycle of drinking and chatting. When she came to her senses, nearly four bottles were already empty.
What was the proof of that stuff?
It wasn’t ordinary soju. It was alcohol an acquaintance had distilled. If she recalled correctly, it was at least around 20 percent, a bit stronger than the usual kind…
“Urp… Urp… *Hiccup*…”
Seohan staggered, unable to keep his balance, as if dizzy. He even hiccuped repeatedly. Anyone could see he was on the verge of collapsing.
“Should we stop drinking now?”
“I’m fine. I can drink more… *hic*.”
“I think you’re really drunk?”
“I’m not drunk. *Hiccup*…”
Not drunk? Looking like that? He couldn’t even stand straight?
“Ms. Yura…”
“What?”
“Don’t throw me away.”
“What?!”
“I don’t want to go outside. I’ll do whatever you tell me to… Please, just don’t throw me away.”
It was a different atmosphere from just moments ago. A sincere voice that could only come from drunkenness echoed painfully.
“I-I won’t throw you away.”
“…”
“If I were going to throw you away, why would I have…”
“…”
He nodded off. Having spewed all his drunken nonsense, Seohan was on the verge of collapsing. He swayed back and forth before resting his head on Yura’s shoulder.
“A-Are you asleep?”
He didn’t stir.
He merely breathed evenly. Yura slowly reached around and wrapped her arm around Seohan’s waist.
A long silence flowed between them. Noah, who had been tidying the dining table, cautiously approached her side.
[Administrator, Baek Seohan is currently completely intoxicated. He will most likely not remember anything that happens from now on.]
“…”
[This is a personal opinion, but I recommend quietly taking him to the room and carrying out the deed. It may help alleviate the Administrator’s stress as well.]