WWBU - 53

“Is there anyone here you’re interested in right now?”

“Hmm...”

“Eh, no answer? What are you going to do later if you can’t even answer an easy question like this?”

“What’s with the threats so early on?”

“Just answer already.”

“...Yeah, there is someone I’m attracted to.”

Ooooh. The slightly tipsy classmates cheered, raising the atmosphere. The girl who had answered laughed awkwardly and rubbed her cheeks. She seemed embarrassed.

This went on—several rounds of meaningless, trivial questions. While the others laughed and chatted happily, Hyun-soo awkwardly fiddled with her drink, feeling out of place in this lively atmosphere that wasn’t really her style.

“...”

Suddenly, she felt something brush against her back. Glancing behind her, she saw Guk’s arm resting on the backrest of her chair. Out of the corner of her eye, he appeared disinterested, sipping his water as if nothing was amiss.

“Huh? Kim Hyun-soo?”

“Yeah?”

Then, hearing her name called, Hyun-soo snapped her attention forward. Everyone’s eyes were on her—or more accurately, on her and Guk.

“No, Yoon Guk, right?”

“It’s ambiguous. Feels like it’s about both of them.”

“So, who should answer?”

“Should we spin again? Or do they answer together?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Thunk. Guk placed his glass of water back on the table. Startled for a moment, Hyun-soo looked at him, then back at the group. The classmates continued their heated debate, though neither Guk nor Hyun-soo said much—it felt like they were on the verge of chaos.

“Let’s have them answer together.”

At that moment, Choi Cheol-ho, who had been unusually quiet, chimed in.

“What’s this? So boring.”

“Why not? It’s fun. We just need to ask a question both can answer.”

“What kind of question is that supposed to be?”

“Why not? There must be one.”

Smirking, Choi leaned forward, bringing his face closer to Guk and Hyun-soo, and asked:

“Did the two of you live together during high school or not? Which is it?”

“What?”

Hyun-soo was taken aback. Guk simply stared blankly at Choi Cheol-ho.

“You know, there were rumors about it back then. Just came to mind. So, what’s the answer?”

The chatter around the table gradually died down. Everyone was waiting for their response.

Suddenly, Guk let out a soft laugh. He turned to Hyun-soo, giving her a subtle nod as if asking, “Do you want to answer?” Hyun-soo was flustered all over again.

Now that they were adults and old enough for cohabitation to no longer be shocking, the context of high school made it a different story.

Remember those two? The girl and that guy—they lived together in high school, didn’t they? Who knows what they got up to?

Hyun-soo dreaded the scandal that would follow if she admitted to it. Frankly, for a woman, such rumors were tantamount to being forced into a poisonous stereotype from which there was no escape. Whether their living arrangement had been innocent roommates or something more intimate, people wouldn’t bother verifying the truth. They’d cling only to the phrase “they lived together.”

Realizing this, Hyun-soo lost both the will to affirm and the confidence to respond. Shaking her head desperately at Guk’s silent offer to answer, she pleaded with her eyes. Understanding, Guk withdrew his gaze.

He reached out and picked up a shot glass filled with a chaotic mix of drinks—a “bomb cocktail.” Seeing him refuse to answer and prepare to drink the penalty shot, groans of disappointment erupted around the table. “Aww, so boring.”

Guk stared straight at Choi Cheol-ho as he downed the bomb cocktail in one gulp.

“Ahh, come on. So lame.”

“Just say no if it’s not true. Not like we’re saying it happened.”

“Shut up, idiot.”

As Guk slid the empty shot glass back to the center of the table, Choi Cheol-ho couldn’t suppress a faint smirk. His furrowed brows betrayed his dissatisfaction. Neither Guk nor Hyun-soo missed it.

“Alright, alright, spin again.”

The bottle spun once more, stopping this time in front of a male classmate. A dirty, awkward question was posed. The embarrassed classmate hesitated, mumbling, “Ah, whatever,” before answering. Laughter erupted around the table.

The bottle spun again.

“Huh? Kim Hyun-soo again.”

She had thought that after being picked once, she was safe. Perhaps Choi found her relief irritating. Hyun-soo froze, staring at the bottle pointing directly at her. When she looked up, there was Choi, already snickering. His smug expression unsettled her.

“Kim Hyun-soo.”

“Yeah.”

“You slept with Guk, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“With Yoon Guk. You did, didn’t you?”

Whoa, bold question. The classmates shifted uneasily for a moment, but soon focused entirely on Hyun-soo, waiting for her response. Her face flushed red, then paled. Memories of that night at the villa flooded her mind, overwhelming her thoughts.

“...”

While Hyun-soo struggled to speak, nervously picking at her fingernails, Guk watched Choi Cheol-ho with an inscrutable expression. The silence at their table was deafening, broken only by the distant sound of laughter from the other team. The tension was suffocating.

“I...”

Unconsciously, Hyun-soo glanced at Guk. Once again, she hoped he might step in somehow, a mixture of expectation and desperation swirling within her. But he said nothing. With effortless calm, he rested his hand on his knee, legs crossed, as if the entire situation concerned only her.

“Answer quickly. You slept together, didn’t you?”

Choi Cheol-ho pressed impatiently. Hyun-soo clenched her fists. It was clear now—she was the only one left to answer.

Her mind reeled. What could she possibly say? To maintain her act of feigned ignorance about that night, she needed to deny it. But lying outright weighed heavily on her conscience.

On the other hand, admitting to it would expose her lie to Guk and reveal her private life to everyone, leaving her mortified. Ugh, torn between options, Hyun-soo sighed deeply, unable to hide her anguish.

Just then, a soft chuckle reached her ears. Turning, she saw Guk smirking, amused by something. He gave a slight shake of his head, then reached out and pulled the bomb cocktail toward himself.

“...”

“...”

Soon, the shot glass slid effortlessly across the table, stopping in front of Hyun-soo. Guk flicked it with his finger, and it glided smoothly to her side.

Stunned, Hyun-soo alternated her gaze between the shot glass and Guk. And then it hit her—he already knew.

Kim Hyun-soo wouldn’t answer.

Even if she denied it, Guk, sharp as ever, would see through the calculation behind her words. His composed demeanor and subtle smile confirmed it.

Realizing he had played along with her act this whole time, embarrassment washed over her. Memories of pretending while under his watchful eye made her feel exposed and ashamed.

Picking up the shot glass, Hyun-soo downed the bomb cocktail in one go. The vile taste threatened to make her gag, but compared to the bitterness welling inside her, it was bearable. Leaning back against her chair, Guk watched her silently.

When Hyun-soo drank the penalty shot instead of answering, groans of disappointment filled the air.

“Ugh, we need to change the rules.”

“This is boring. Why even play?”

“Maybe we should make the penalties harsher?”

“Let’s play Slave Game. Whoever gets picked has to do whatever they’re told.”

“How childish.”

“Truth or Dare is supposed to be classy, and here we are drinking and shouting nonsense. Let’s just keep playing. When else will we mess around like this if not when we’re drunk?”

“Fine, fine.”

“Spin it again.”

Tsking, one classmate grabbed the bottle and spun it. Whirrr, the bottle spun fiercely on the table, wobbling slightly. Tension rose again as the game abruptly shifted to Slave Game mode.

Hyun-soo blinked rapidly as the effects of the bomb cocktail hit her hard. She desperately wanted to shake off the alcohol and appear sober.

“Huh?”

“It’s Guk.”

“Yoon Guk.”

“Woohoo... Starting this round, it’s Slave Game, okay, Guk?”

The bottle pointed directly at Guk, who casually brushed his hair back. Instead of the person tasked, it was the others who squirmed nervously, exchanging glances.

“What should we make him do? Haha.”

“Well, um... How about paying for dinner tonight? You’ll cover the bill, right?”

“Yeah, that works. Might as well ring the Golden Bell.”

Raising an eyebrow, Guk glanced at the classmates who suggested the idea. An awkward chill swept across the table. Ha ha ha, one classmate scratched his head sheepishly.

“Not good enough? Guess we need a better task.”

Watching the absurd sight of the penalized person remaining indifferent while those assigning tasks panicked, Hyun-soo lowered her head. Though not asleep, her heavy head drooped. One thought kept surfacing in her mind: If you don’t have anything fun to do, why not stop the game altogether, you idiots?

“Hey, you fools, stop overthinking such an easy task. Seriously, your brains are useless.”

No sooner had the words ended than—bang!—the table shook. Hyun-soo clicked her tongue, assuming the speaker had slammed their fist down. Looking up, she realized they were just as drunk as she was.

“What’s the point of playing games, huh? Isn’t it about physical contact? Physical contact!”

The loud voice dragging its words belonged to none other than Choi Cheol-ho. His face was beet red, clearly drunk after frequently tipping back his glass.

“Kiss. Kiss.”