Chapter 18. Getting drunk sometimes helps.

 

The host prepared shot glasses filled to the brim with soju. The game was simple: the first person to finish drinking 15 shots would win.

 

Ha Ni swallowed hard as she looked at the row of glasses containing the strong-smelling alcohol.

 

“At the count of three…” the host exclaimed.

 

The crowd started counting, “Hana… Dul…Set!”

 

He Ra gave one last smirk at Ha Ni then started gulping the contents of the glasses like water. Her girl pals clapped loudly for her while the male population hooted.

 

Ha Ni, on the other hand, slowly picked one shot glass and sipped slowly, even turning around to hide her face while drinking. She tried her hardest not to choke on it. The liquid trailed a painful path down .  It’s too strong! Ottoke?

 

Ha Ni glanced at He Ra’s side and saw her finishing her 5^th shot glass already. I only finished my first one!

 

Seung Jo looked serious, his eyes never left Ha Ni’s side of the stage. Why did you accept He Ra’s dare when you clearly cannot drink well, Oh Ha Ni?

 

Min Ah saw the great disparity in the contest and groaned.

 

Jin Woo was very worried. He wanted to go up the stage and stop the game, but he controlled himself, thinking that maybe Ha Ni had her reasons for agreeing to it. Let it go, Ha Ni…

 

When He Ra reached for her 6^th glass, Ha Ni tried to double time. She closed her eyes, pinched her nose and gulped down her 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th glass continuously. She breathed hard and wiped some traces of soju off the side of .

 

He Ra was slightly amazed at Ha Ni’s progress, but she was way ahead of her to be worried. She was able to down another 2 glasses without any difficulty.

 

When Ha Ni miraculously finished her 5^th glass, she started to choke. She felt the strong liquid etching more painful lines deeper down her esophagus. Yet she continued sipping the contents of the glass.

 

The spectators shouted in delight at the turn of events.

 

Because of the loud noise and too much alcohol in her system, Ha Ni’s head started to spin slowly and her vision blurred.

 

Then she felt herself falling.

 

Down.

 

Down.

 

Down.

 

Down.

 

The crowd gasped in shock.

 

Seung Jo who was close to the stage quickly stood up to catch her fall.

 

But Jin Woo was too fast for him.

 

Before Seung Jo could reach the stage, Jin Woo had already leaped up and caught Ha Ni.

 

‘Not you AGAIN, Park Jin Woo!’ Seung Jo thought acidly.

 

Jin Woo slightly tapped Ha Ni’s very red cheeks and softly spoke to her, “Oh Ha Ni, are you okay? Let’s get you out of here…”

 

“Too strong… but one more… one last…” Ha Ni uttered feverishly. After mumbling a couple more incomprehensible phrases, Ha Ni passed out.

 

Jin Woo scooped her up and carried her back to their table.

 

From the stage, He Ra smiled then called loudly. “Wake up, Oh Ha Ni! You haven’t finished your fill!”

 

Jin Woo looked back at the stage and flashed an angry stare at He Ra. All of a sudden, he quickly jumped back to the stage and gulped down all of Ha Ni’s remaining shots.

 

Wiping the side of his mouth, Jin Woo looked again at He Ra. “Satisfied?!”

 

He Ra was too stunned to react.

 

Then he left the stage immediately to assist Min Ah in supporting Ha Ni and the three went to the exit of the bar.

 

Shortly after, Seung Jo also stood up and left their table.

 

“Baek Seung Jo! Where are you going?!” He Ra shouted.

 

Seung Jo did not even pause for a second to look back at her. He strode continuously out of the bar, leaving a very irritated He Ra standing alone on stage.

 

********************

 

“Oh Ha Ni, you are so gonna get it from me when you wake up! Aish!” Min Ah grumbled at her unconscious friend.

 

Jin Woo volunteered to bring Ha Ni home but Min Ah insisted that she would, feeling it was her responsibility in the first place. And beside, because Jin Woo drank several glasses of soju for Ha Ni, Min Ah decided it was not a good idea for him to drive.

 

“Oh! I forgot my purse on our table… I’ll just get it before I call my driver.” With that, Min Ah disappeared back to the bar, leaving Ha Ni in Jin Woo’s arms.

 

Jin Woo then settled themselves at a sitting area outside the bar.

 

“Oh Ha Ni… babo” Jin Woo whispered tenderly.

 

Ha Ni was beside him in a sitting position, with Jin Woo’s arms around her shoulders and her head leaning comfortably on his chest. He wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and pushed away strands of her hair from her face.

 

A silver car rolled in from the darkness and abruptly halted in front of them.

 

Seung Jo went out of the car quickly, his face contorted with dark rage.

 

“Just what do you think you’re doing again, Park Jin Woo?” he asked.

 

Jin Woo chose to ignore his comment so as not to disturb the sleeping girl. As far as Jin Woo was concerned, Seung Jo could go on boiling with rage all he wanted but he would not care a bit at all.

 

Seung Jo, more angered at being ignored, dashed to their position and scooped Ha Ni up from Jin Woo’s arms. He was evidently  heated that he was handling Ha Ni a little brusquely. Jin Woo was too taken aback by Seung Jo’s recklessness that he failed to react quickly.

 

With Ha Ni still half-sleeping half-mumbling and with her arms around his neck for support, Seung Jo faced Jin Woo and said. “I’ll handle this from here.”

 

Seung Jo turned his back and guided Ha Ni to his car. He made sure Ha Ni was securely fastened on the driver’s seat before facing back Jin Woo.

 

“You have that weird pattern of suddenly turning up when you are least wanted, do you know that, Baek Seung Jo?”

 

Seung Jo smiled furtively, “And you, Park Jin Woo, have that nasty habit of wanting and taking something already belonging to someone else… Not very nice.”

 

Jin Woo gnashed his teeth. “You and I both know that’s a big lie.”

 

Seung Jo nodded his head, “Regardless, you stay away from Oh Ha Ni.”

 

“And who are you tell me that?”

 

“Were you not listening? I just warned you to stop going after what’s not yours.”

 

“She is not yours, either.” Jin Woo shot back, though the back of his mind told him that his early suspicions might indeed be true.

 

Seung Jo smiled again and turned his back from Jin Woo. Before sliding down to his driver seat, he said “Believe all you want, Park Jin Woo… but there’s nothing you can really do this time. Oh Ha Ni is already set to MARRY ME.”

 

With that, the gorgeous car was driven away, leaving a shattered Jin Woo behind.

 

“Jin Woo! What did the jerk say?” Min Ah arrived just in time to catch Seung Jo’s last words and she was totally shocked. “Did he say Ha Ni’s gonna marry him? How could that happen?! I did not even know they got engaged!”

 

But Jin Woo barely heard Min Ah. Even if he heard her questions fully, he did not have the answers.

 

********************

 

As the family went out for weekend trips, no one was at home when Seung Jo drove into their compound. Even the housekeepers went on a day-off. The house was in darkness except for the light in the foyer.

 

Seung Jo opened the passenger seat’s door and extracted an unconscious girl. He carried her in his arms and kicked the car door shut with his foot.

 

“The moment you stepped in, I knew you will bring in problems. Burden! What was Appa thinking when he chose you as my future wife?!” Seung Jo muttered and looked at Ha Ni who was still fast asleep, totally oblivious to Seung Jo’s rants.

 

“Aish!”

 

He carried her to her room upstairs and found her door unlocked, showing how Oh Ha Ni was  already too at ease at the Baek’s residence.

 

“Very careless, Oh Ha Ni. How could you leave the house and not lock your door? What if a burglar came? Don’t tell me you also do not lock your door at night when you sleep? Careless careless girl!” Seung Jo continued ranting while preparing Ha Ni’s bed. He temporarily deposited her into the couch to fix the pillows and comforter.

 

Ha Ni stirred from her position. “Hmmm…cold.”

 

Seung Jo heard her and tried to fix her bed more quickly.

 

Ha Ni muttered something again, this time a little fainter. “Baek Seung Jo…nappeun nom…”

 

Seung Jo stiffened. He slowly turned around to look at her. Ha Ni was already sleeping again. She’s cursing me even in her drunk sleep? Ungrateful careless drunkard!

 

He approached her to carry her to the bed. He sat down on the couch, readying to pick her up. As he bent down, his face just a few inches from hers, he stared at her sleeping face.

 

Despite constantly insulting her appearance, in truth he found her beautiful. Not the perfect goddess face, but that kind of innocent look full of sweetness and charm. No wonder Jin Woo fell for you.

 

As he continued staring at her face, he also smelled that fruity fragrance she wore, mixed with the stench of alcohol.

 

y combination.

 

He gaze travelled from her closed eyes, to her cute nose… then to her lips. Pink and full.

 

As if hypnotized, he came closer, wanting to taste those pink lips that seemed to be teasing him. Tempting him to close that very small gap between them.

 

Giving in to that enticing view and losing his last resolve, Seung Jo swallowed hard and decided to go for it.

 

And just when their lips were just a heartbeat apart, Oh Ha Ni suddenly opened her eyes.

 

Then she threw up.

 

Right there. On the couch. On Seung Jo’s shirt.

 

********************

 

Oh Ha Ni woke up to a skull-splitting headache.

 

She had hang-over.

 

She adjusted her sight and took a look around her surroundings. She realized that she was in her own room. She tried to remember what happened the previous night.

 

Bar. That flirt. Saturday tradition. I got into a soju-drinking game. Against He Ra. I think I lost. I can’t remember things from there.

 

Then Ha Ni looked at herself and realized that she slept with only her undergarments and robe on.

 

Weird. But I cannot really recall a thing.

 

Suddenly, the door creaked open and in came Seung Jo, carrying a tray of food which he put down in a nearby table.

 

“So you’ve finally woken up, Miss Drunkard.”

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Seung Jo mockingly shook his head. “How could you ask me that after everything that happened last night? Don’t remember what you did last night?”

 

Ha Ni was confused. “What exactly happened?”

 

A naughty idea played on Seung Jo’s head and he smiled. “You don’t remember anything at all? What happened between us? How I carried you home from the bar…you were so drunk…”

 

“Oh… I’m sorry about that…”

 

“…No one’s home. Then you did not want to let go of me.” Seung Jo continued his storytelling.

 

“Mwo?!”

 

 “You clung to my neck so hard…”

 

Ha Ni’s jaw dropped.

 

“…then we fell on the bed.”

 

Ha Ni’s eyes enlarged, totally unbelieving Seung Jo’s every word, but also doubtful because she really could not remember anything.

 

And anything could happen to drunk people!

 

Seung Jo tried not to laugh at Ha Ni’s expressions of mixed disbelief, self-doubt and panic.

 

“I cannot blame you… knowing how many girls throw themselves at my feet… and you were too drunk to know what you were doing… I was just a man, what can I do? Do you want me to tell you exactly what we did last -----“

 

“STOP!!!!!!!!! Stop right there. I don’t want to hear anything!” Ha Ni shouted, interrupting Seung Jo’s impromptu story. She covered her ears with her hands and shut her eyes.

 

Seung Jo then failed to control himself and let out a huge laugh. He was laughing so hard that he almost fell to the couch near her bed.

 

Ha Ni opened her eyes and saw Seung Jo laughing, then it dawned on her.

 

“YAH!!!!!!!!!” She instinctively threw her pillows and hit him straight in his face.

 

Seung Jo tried to straighten up and control his laughing. “You have no idea how entertaining you looked… Haha.”

 

“Yah! Stop it! Is it your new hobby to make fun of me and make me miserable?!” Ha Ni covered herself with her blanket, too embarrassed and infuriated to face him. Good thing she did because her face was blushing big time. “Leave my room right now.”

 

“Yah…how could you throw me out after all the hassles you caused last night? Why did you even have to join that contest when obviously you can’t handle alcohol well?” Seung Jo asked, with no intention to leave, and sat at the foot of her bed.

 

“What did I do?” Ha Ni asked curiously from under the blanket.

 

“Hah! You got drunk… you fainted…”

 

“I already apologized for that…” Ha Ni replied. I’m so staying away from alcohol after last night.

 

“And how could a short girl like you be so heavy?! I almost broke my back carrying you upstairs.”

 

Ha Ni emerged from hiding, the “short girl” comment hit a sensitive nerve. “I am not short, you are just too tall. And who told you to carry me? You should not have bothered.”

 

“Hah! And who could have carried you instead? Jin Woo?”

 

“Of course not!” Then an idea crossed Ha Ni’s mind. “Yah… you keep mentioning Jin Woo. You get mad when I’m with him…. Are you… by any chance… JEALOUS?”

 

Seung Jo’s face looked a mixture of menace, shock and panic.

 

Ha Ni laughed out loud. “Gotcha! I was kidding. But the look on your face is priceless.”

 

Seung Jo, still a little shaked by her sudden ‘joke’ he feigned a loud laugh. “In you dreams, Oh Ha Ni. Just because we are going to be engaged is not a reason for me to be jealous. You are even pretty enough to be jealous for. Hah!”

 

Fine, I was a bit defensive. He thought.

 

“And besides, I have my reasons for disliking that guy. And speaking of that guy… you’ve been breaking so many rules. If we were on baseball, you would have been struck out of the game already!”

 

“Oh yeah? So what of your precious rules did I break again?”

 

 “Rule #4, you are not allowed to date. So how come you were out there with Jin Woo?”

 

Ha Ni wanted to smack him in the face. “How come the Jin Woo topic crops up almost every 5 minutes in this conversation? Really!”

 

“I was only reminding you of our rules.”

 

“You and your stupid rules. Well for your information, Baek Seung Jo, Min Ah invited us there. Technically, I was not on a date. I did not break your rule.”

 

Seung Jo had no retort for that.

 

Then Ha Ni continued, this time in a little lower voice. “Unfair stupid rules…”

 

“What did you say?” Seung Jo asked though he clearly heard what she said.

 

“I said your rules are as unfair as you,” Ha Ni answered. Then she added in a sarcastic voice, “I’m not allowed to date but you’re allowed to flirt openly with that He Ra.”

 

“Do you have anything against He Ra?”

 

“None. I am just not used to seeing a young woman flinging herself so scandalously ----“

 

“Are you jealous of He Ra? Was that the reason why you agreed to that stupid challenge?” Seung Jo interrupted her. Payback time.

 

“Of course not!” Ha Ni vehemently denied, nervous suddenly. She was also in denial to herself, even after all those livid thoughts she had against He Ra that time at the bar when she was flirting with Seung Jo.

 

Then she added, “And why do you copy my questions? I’m just stating a fact. I’m just saying that your rules are unfair. I cannot date anyone, you can still fool around with your throng of girls… not that I personally care. I have high standards, and you’re not my type.”

 

It was like she was convincing not only him, but also herself.

 

Seung Jo only snorted and said, “As if I care if I’m your type or not…we are going to be engaged and married after all. And besides, there are a lot of girls out there. Prettier, more talented… those girls who are not troublesome.”

 

“Hah! And when was I ever a trouble for you?”

 

“Well, Miss... last night was a good display of how troublesome you are. May I remind you Rule #2. I told you not to be a burden. When you are in your normal state, you are clumsy and you fall into scrapes often. But last night, it was my first time to bring a drunk girl home,” he said continuously.

 

“By the way, you ruined my shirt.”

 

“What is the connection?” Ha Ni asked.

 

“Nothing… it’s just that you chose a very convenient place to throw up.”

 

Ha Ni had nothing to say. She was very embarrassed. I did? I puked on his shirt?

“In case you’re planning to get me a new one, you can consult my list of favored brands.”

 

Ha Ni rolled her eyes. “Then I guess we are even. I broke some of your rules and you also broke mine.”

 

“Such as…?”

 

“My Rule #3 says you have to be discreet when you are with your girls. At have some respect for me and our future relationship. Last night with He Ra…”

 

“I did not do anything to her…”

 

“But you let her do things to you…”

 

“And that made all the difference. Not my fault.”

 

Ha Ni wanted to throw him another pillow. “You are twisting our rule system, Baek Seung Jo!”

 

Seung Jo just shrugged. “You’re just mad coz I did not really break any of your rules. Deal with it.”

 

“Oh yeah? How about my Rule #2? You should be nice to me. How come you’re always teasing me… or making fun of me…? There are times when you ignore me… embarrass me... speak to me harshly…”

 

‘And you took my first kiss without my permission.’  She added mentally, blushing afterwards.

 

“Oh Ha Ni. You are really dim. If I am not nice to you, I would not have brought you home last night. I would not have tended you last night. I would not have prepared that porridge for you.” He looked at the direction of the tray of food.

 

“But…”

 

Seung Jo stood up, “No more buts… just eat your food and sleep some more. Your head must still be aching, though I don’t know how you can still argue like this with your hang-over…”

 

He walked to the door, really going out. Then he looked back again at her and said, “And if I am not a nice guy, I wouldn’t have changed you into your robes when you also puked on your dress.”

 

Ha Ni’s eyes bulged again and hugged herself, feeling like she was in front of him. He was the one who removed my clothes?

 

As if reading her mind, Seung Jo said, “Don’t worry, I did not see anything in there that interest me…”

 

“YAH!”

 

Another pillow flew to his direction… but he was already safely on the other side of her door.

 

Laughing silently.

********************

 

Back at his room, Seung Jo relived what happened the previous night.

 

---flashback---

 

Just a fraction of an inch into the kiss, Ha Ni vomited on Seung Jo’s shirt. Some also spilled on her dress.

 

“Ah! Oh Ha Ni! You are really something.”

 

Seung Jo did not know whether to be angry or to laugh at the situation. In all his playboy life, it was certainly his first time to get puked on, on his attempt to kiss, no less.

 

He removed his soiled shirt and looked around for something to clean Ha Ni up. He saw a towel and some wipes from her dressing table.

 

“You owe me a lot, Oh Ha Ni. And you are never allowed to drink again,” he said, knowing that Ha Ni would not hear him anymore as she drifted back to unconsciousness.

 

After mopping her up, he came to the dilemma of how to change her clothes. He looked into her closet and drawers for something suitable to wear. As he was rummaging through her things, he came upon her stacks of and brassieres.

 

Oh no, I can’t do this… but what shall she wear? I can’t let her sleep with that stained smelly dress…

 

He looked around once more and saw a robe. He got it and went back to Ha Ni’s side by the couch.

 

He did not know how to start undressing her. Sure, he had some experience with some of his past flings. But this was new to him, undressing an unconscious girl who would have surely ripped his head off if she knew what he was about to do.

 

Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead despite the cool air provided by the airconditioning system in her room.

 

He started by removing her shoes, taking care not to stare at her legs. Gorgeous legs.

 

With the easiest part done, his dilemma continued on how to remove her dress. He began with slowly ping the back of her dress. So agonizingly slow.

 

‘Baek Seung Jo, you gotta do it more quickly. Be done with it and leave,’ he scolded himself.

 

He was already sliding the material off one of her shoulders when he suddenly stopped. The sight of her white neck, creamy skin, plus the appeal of her disheveled hair made him stop.

 

My parents are gonna kill me if I do anything foolish.

 

He shook his head and stood up. He had to find the light switch. >_<

 

He quickly turned off the light. In the darkness, it became easier for him to remove her dress and slipped her into her robe.

 

Whew.

 

He carried her to the bed and tucked her in. Wiping her forehead and fixing her hair, he stared at her sleeping face. Too many things had happened between them recently, and those things affected him, without a doubt.

 

“I have been a very good boy tonight, Oh Ha Ni…so I hope you won’t get mad if I do this…” Then he gave her a soft peck on the lips and left.

 

********************

 

Ha Ni finished eating her porridge quietly. “Hmmm.. this is delicious Just like the one Eun Jo did for me when I got sick last time. These brothers have talent in cooking.”

 

Then she remembered the flow of her conversation with Seung Jo. Still full of arguments and bickering.

 

On second thought, at least we are already talking again. At least my getting drunk helped a bit. We still have a lot to settle, but that could wait a little more.

 

Then her phone beeped. A message fro Min Ah. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Oh Ha Ni!"

 

Oh-oh.

 

********************

A/N: Sorry, uber late update. And a long delay does not necessarily mean a grand update, so sorry again. I might edit it in the future. But for now, it will have to suffice. XD

 

A big THANKYU to owlsinspace for the banner and background pic. :)

PS: Readers of Blind Traces can now demand for an update. :P