TCWS 25🎓

Chapter : 25

After returning from their work at sea, the sailors gathered at the restaurant to ease the fatigue of the day and fill their stomachs.

Taeshin, dressed entirely in black from head to toe with a baseball cap pulled low over his face, took a seat in a corner of the restaurant.

“You’re not from around here. Are you a tourist?”

The restaurant owner asked, peering at Taeshin.

Taeshin simply nodded once under his cap and ordered whatever caught his eye.

He kept an eye on Iseol through the crowd that filled the restaurant.

She drank obediently whatever alcohol Junpil poured for her.

Judging from the few cups of dongdongju she had the last time, she didn’t seem to be a strong drinker.

Yet Junpil kept refilling her glass, which made Taeshin suspicious of his intentions.

Perhaps a parent among the patrons had sent drinks and snacks to Iseol’s table, and several times encouraged her to drink, leaving her no choice but to comply.

When Iseol suddenly staggered to her feet, Junpil caught her by the shoulders to steady her.

Ha.

Taeshin reflexively restrained his urge to spring forward and instead gulped down some water in frustration.

“Let’s go. At this rate, you won’t even be able to walk properly. Why did you make someone who can’t even drink well drink this much? Ugh, it’s annoying. And there’s no car. What are we supposed to do?”

Na-eun scolded Junpil and helped support Iseol as they left the restaurant.

They entered a shortcut through a bamboo grove that led to the health center.

Taeshin followed behind.

When Iseol was carried on Junpil’s back, a low, discontented groan escaped Taeshin.

Na-eun, dressed flamboyantly, kept glancing back, perhaps sensing something off.

Taeshin had planned to quietly observe from a distance, but he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

When Iseol, claiming she felt nauseous, sat down on the ground after getting off Junpil’s back, he stepped forward.

He approached them ahead through the bamboo grove.

“How much did you drink?”

“Enough that she couldn’t even steady herself. Because of someone,”

Na-eun glared at Junpil.

“Is it okay to push someone who can’t drink well to drink like that?”

Taeshin’s expression hardened as he spoke, causing Junpil to avert his gaze.

“Can you carry me?”

At that moment, Iseol unexpectedly spoke.

Having been avoiding him before, now she came up and asked to be carried—she must have been thoroughly drunk.

“She’s lost her mind. Asking someone to carry her,”

Na-eun flustered, stepped forward to stop Iseol.

“It’s fine.”

“Still… it must be heavy…”

Ignoring Na-eun’s constant concern, Taeshin picked up Iseol.

Relaxed completely on his back, Iseol leaned her weight into him.

The woman was light, soft, almost childlike.

While Iseol seemed comfortable being carried, Taeshin felt the opposite.

The warmth of her body against him, the soft curve of her chest pressing against his back, set his nerves on edge.

The health center’s lights were off, and the door was locked.

“They shouldn’t be asleep yet. Where did they go?”

Junpil peeked through a window.

“They took Grandpa Im, who collapsed yesterday, to a large hospital by boat because his condition worsened,”

Taeshin relayed what he had heard from Jaehyuk earlier.

“Ah.”

“Iseol. Yoon Iseol. Wake up. What’s the door lock code? Huh?”

Na-eun, swallowing her annoyance, shook Iseol awake, but she was not in any state to enter the password.

“This won’t do. We’ll have to take her to the housing complex.”

Junpil said.

“There’s nowhere to put her there.”

“We’ll put her in my room, and I’ll sleep in the next room.”

“How are we supposed to carry her that far? It’s a good twenty-minute walk. Don’t do that…”

Na-eun glared at Taeshin and asked,

“Can we take care of her just for one night? It’s right next door, so it’ll be easy to get ready for work in the morning.”

“Let’s do that.”

Taeshin answered without hesitation.

He had no intention of leaving Iseol in Junpil’s room.

Junpil felt the same.

“How can you leave Iseol with men she hardly knows? She’s not even in her right mind.”

“Then can you be trusted?”

Na-eun scoffed.

“What do you take me for? What if people hear a rumor that Iseol slept at a student’s house?”

“If you’re really worried, I can stay with her. Then there’s nothing to worry about, right, Taeshin?”

Na-eun smiled, presenting a solution.

“If it’s okay, let’s do that.”

Taeshin complied and entered the room first, and after shooing Junpil away, Na-eun followed, insisting she would stay the night too.

“Hyung, is that Iseol on your back?”

Yushin approached in surprise.

“Hello. So you’ve never lost first place in the school in Seoul? I’m Taeshin’s sister. Nice to meet you,”

Na-eun greeted Yushin warmly.

“Hello.”

“What’s going on?”

Jaehyuk, who came out of the room, asked.

Na-eun explained the situation, and with her help, Taeshin laid Iseol on his bed.

“How much did she drink to pass out like this?”

Yushin shook his head as he looked at the deeply sleeping Iseol.

He could already imagine her, embarrassed tomorrow morning, avoiding him and refusing to meet his eyes.

“She won’t remember today, right?”

“Probably not.”

“Luckily, the bed is double, so there’s enough space for both of us,”

Na-eun asked, glancing around Taeshin’s room with interest.

“This is your room, Taeshin? Very minimalist. But what about losing your room?”

“It’s fine. I can sleep on the sofa.”

“Thanks to that, we avoided the trouble of going up to the housing complex. Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?”

“You can use the bathroom next to the entrance.”

“Do you have an extra toothbrush?”

“I think so. Yushin, show her.”

“Follow me.”

After Yushin and Na-eun left the room, Taeshin sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at the defenselessly sleeping Iseol.

Her blouse was slightly open, revealing her skin, and her drunk face was flushed in a sensuous red.

Her thick, glossy black hair spilled across the white pillow enticingly.

Taeshin carefully brushed the strands from her cheek.

Frowning, she stirred and brought his hand to her chest.

Feeling the soft curve of her breast under his palm, his blood rushed to his core.

“Ha.”

When he tried to pull his hand away, she gripped it tighter and murmured,

“Mom…”

“…”

“Don’t go, Mom. Stay with me.”

Was she dreaming of her late mother?

A mix of pity and amusement welled up in him, and a nervous laugh escaped his lips.

By tomorrow morning, she probably wouldn’t even remember this.

Feeling the flutter of such a delicate, soft little life in his palm, Taeshin withdrew his hand and left the room.

Jaehyuk had placed an extra blanket on the sofa.

It didn’t seem like he would get much sleep that night either.

Iseol woke in the pre-dawn, before daylight.

She was on an unfamiliar bed. Beside her, Na-eun, wearing a bathrobe, was asleep.

Why was Na-eun here?

And whose bed was this?

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, revealing the room vaguely.

It was Taeshin’s room.

How had she ended up here?

She must have passed out at some point, completely losing awareness from being so drunk.

Yesterday, she had received a message from Director Jang that Grandpa Im had been taken to a large hospital.

Since no one else knew the door code, she must have been brought to Taeshin’s house by necessity.

Na-eun must have come along because it would be difficult to leave her alone.

Carefully, so as not to wake Na-eun, Iseol got out of bed, picked up her handbag from the table, and left the room.

The house was eerily quiet and dark.

It was impossible to tell one place from another.

Unlike the city, the countryside became pitch-black at night.

Iseol moved cautiously, tracing the wall to find the entrance.

As she reached the door, the sensor light turned on.

“Where are you going?”

Taeshin’s low voice caught the scruff of her neck, stopping her from sneaking away unnoticed.