On his way to the market, Jong Kook got a 'pleasant' surprise. Ji Hyo appeared at his side while he was walking, giving him a good shock.

"Woah! You scared me... What are you doing here anyway?"

"How was I supposed to know you go to the market at such early hours? I'm here to help you pick out alcohol."

"Alcohol? But Master Yoo-"

"He allowed me to drink in my room remember? And that means my room is now an official drinking zone. Plus you said you'd drink with me..."

Ji Hyo's lips formed a childish pout, and distracted Jong Kook from replying for a good moment.

"I-I did, but I thought we were drinking alcohol from heaven?"

Ji Hyo laughed.

"No, I'm drinking alcohol from heaven. If you drank that stuff you'd die, or worse! And that'd make all my efforts go to waste."

Jong Kook nodded. They entered the market, hearing bogus claims left and right made by swindlers.

"Special sale! Rare Ginseng Fruit to attain immortality!"

The duo laughed. If it were that easy to become an immortal, the earth would get overpopulated within a few centuries.

"You know, if that ginseng fruit could really grant immortality, I'd eat it in a heartbeat."

"So would many others."

"Yeah, but the many others do it for eternal life."

Ji Hyo shot him a look.

"And you aren't?"

Ji Hyo wanted to laugh. It was ridiculous, since Jong Kook spent a large majority of his life attaining longevity. If he didn't want immortality to live eternally, why else would he want it?

"Maybe that's what I wanted in the past. But now? I would eat that fruit so you could fall in love with me."

Oh. Ji Hyo didn't want to laugh anymore. As much as she secretly enjoyed his confessions, it hurt her deep that she couldn't love him freely like he could never imagine.

They approached the stall displaying various alcoholic drinks in tandem.

"So... What drinks do you recommend?"

Jong Kook asked to break the silence.

"You're drinking, you pick."

"But I don't know a thing about alcohol. You're technically taking my 'alcohol ity' later."

Ji Hyo's eyes widened.

"You've... Never drank before?"

He shook his head. He'd joined the monastery at a young age after all. He didn't see what was so great about alcohol either prior to then.

"Gosh... Jae Suk's mean..."

Ji Hyo's mouth was agape in shock that one could go so long without even having a sip of the stuff. She ordered one of every single type of alcohol available, to Jong Kook's horror.

"Yah, are you trying to kill me on my first time drinking? This is crazy!"

"You don't have to drink everything... You just have to try everything! I'll tell you about each one, tonight's going to be so fun!"

She looked so jubilant at getting to witness his first experience with alcohol he couldn't argue any further. Any hangover was worth a night spent with her.

As they walked back to the monastery, Ji Hyo had to literally bite her own lips to stop herself from asking how many other 'ites' he had for her to take.

Later that day, Soo