This World is too Cruel to Men

I looked at the lettuce wrap delivered to my mouth and thought to myself,

‘Is this a trap or not?’

“Hey.”

“…What.”

“Be honest. Did you put anything in it?”

“…”

“Chili peppers… we didn’t buy any, and, ah! You stuffed it with raw garlic, didn’t you?”

Honestly, I thought that was it.

It had to be, because this was the first time Yun-Seo had ever done something like this.

Naturally, I considered that possibility first—

“Ugh, seriously! Can’t you just say thank you and eat it when someone gives you something?”

Along with her indignant voice, the lettuce wrap that had arrived at my mouth was shoved right in.

Thus, I was half-forced to taste it, and the surprising result was that what Yun-Seo fed me was unexpectedly normal.

‘What the…’

What’s gotten into her?

Thanks to that, while I was thinking such thoughts, I also felt deeply moved.

Is this what a father feels like when he receives his first lettuce wrap from his daughter?

“And are you stupid? You have to eat too, instead of just grilling the meat.”

“No, I’m picking at it while I grill.”

“Picking at it, my foot… Here.”

“Can’t you dip it in lettuce wrap instead of oil and salt?”

“…Sigh.”

Anyway, that’s how I was occasionally accepting the food Yun-Seo was offering me.

“Ah, I’m thirsty… Is there anything to drink?”

Perhaps because he wanted something refreshing after eating all that good meat, Jinho voiced his thirst.

“Drinks? We didn’t buy any to save money.”

“Oh, right…”

“If you really want something, go to the convenience store they said was near the campground.”

“That’s a bit…”

Well, it would be a bit much to walk 20 minutes in the middle of the night, no matter how thirsty you are.

“Well, is there a vending machine or something?”

As Jinho continued to whine about drinks, Sanga suddenly chimed in.

“Are you that thirsty?”

Perhaps Jinho hadn’t expected Sanga, whom he liked, to interject at this moment.

While a slightly flustered Jinho twitched his shoulders, Sanga continued, “I do have something to drink… How about trying some?”

Not ‘Do you want to drink it?’ but ‘How about trying some?’ Her words were a bit strange.

‘Is that drink something weird?’

To cut to the chase—

“Wait a minute… I put it in the refrigerator, I’ll go get it…”

My prediction was perfectly accurate.

This was because what Sanga brought out after going inside the pension wasn’t a normal drink bottle, but a thermos.

A thermos at this time of all times.

Thanks to that, the moment I saw it, I knew.

That is… what’s inside that thermos is highly likely to be an adult beverage.

*****

“Wait a minute… I put it in the refrigerator, I’ll go get it…”

The moment those words reached my ears, my heart started to pound.

‘Finally…’

It’s starting.

That so-called Plan B, or whatever it is.

I wonder if it will succeed.

Will I be able to hear Dokgun’s true feelings?

My heart was pounding due to the anxiety and anticipation, but… honestly, it was more because of the situation.

Because… it’s alcohol, isn’t it?

The thought of drinking something like that secretly, without the adults knowing, made my heart race with the feeling of doing something bad.

Meanwhile, what I found slightly strange was Dokgun’s reaction.

He seemed to have no particular thoughts until Sanga went inside the pension, but the moment he saw the thermos she brought out, his expression turned subtle, as if he had realized that what was inside wasn’t a normal drink, but alcohol.

‘Oh, come on…’

Of course, logically speaking, the chances of that were pretty low.

“What, that was yours? I was wondering why there was a thermos.”

“So, anyone want some?”

“No… Shouldn’t you tell us what’s inside before asking that?”

“Ah, this? It’s good stuff. Good and expensive.”

“Even if it’s expensive, it’s still just a drink…”

“So, are you going to drink it or not?”

“Is it… not anything weird?”

“Weird, like what?”

“Like, anchovy fish sauce… you know, things you shouldn’t normally drink.”

“Oh, come on, you think I’d give you guys something like that?”

“Then… I’ll just have a little sip.”

Up to this point, things were going according to Sanga’s plan.

The problem was what happened next…

Feeling a sense of tension creeping up my body, I watched Sanga pour the contents of the thermos into Jinho’s cup.

How much time passed?

The sound of something being poured, ‘glug, glug, glug’, came from their direction, followed shortly by a slightly surprised voice.

“Huh? Wait, is this… alcohol?”

“You figured it out right away? I guess you’ve secretly tried some before.”

“No, the smell… No, even if that’s the case, how…”

“How did I get it? Of course, I snuck it from one of the liquors in Mom’s display cabinet.”

So that’s how she got it.

“Will… will it be okay?”

“Huh? What? Oh… it’s fine. I completely refilled it with one that’s the exact same color.”

“But what if she opens it…”

“She definitely won’t open it, so don’t worry. For my mom, expensive alcohol is for display, not drinking.”

“But still…”

“It really is okay! And if she just keeps it without drinking it, it’ll be sad for the alcohol.”

Judging by his expression, Jinho seemed curious about what alcohol tasted like, enough to make adults drink it so much, but since the source of the drink in his hand was stolen, his worry slightly outweighed his curiosity.

And their conversation like that successfully caught the attention of the others.

“Is it really alcohol?”

“Yeah, Mom said it’s really expensive.”

“Really? Hmm… Maybe that’s why it smells so good. It has a floral and fruity scent…”

“Right?”

“Can I have a little sip too?”

“Of course, I brought it so we could all try it.”

“Then I’ll have a little too…”

Perhaps because everyone was at the age of peak curiosity, the word “alcohol” was like magic. It instantly captivated all the other kids.

Thus, a natural atmosphere of everyone trying a little sip was formed—

‘Why… is he so quiet?’

Somehow, Dokgun seemed uninterested.

Everyone was busy looking at what Sanga was holding with curious faces, but only Dokgun seemed a little indifferent.

At the same time, it felt like he was pondering something.

That kind of expression occupied Dokgun’s face.

So, I was a little anxious.

At this rate, the plan to get Dokgun drunk and hear his true feelings seemed likely to fail before it even began.

‘Is it because…’

I’m not saying anything and just staying quiet?

Wondering if that was the case…

“Yun-Seo, how about you?”

“Then… I’ll have a little too…”

As soon as the question came from Sanga, I carefully held out the paper cup I was holding.

Since everyone was having a little sip, perhaps Dokgun felt awkward being the only one left out.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Dokgun finally picked up his paper cup and held it out to Sanga.

Once Dokgun’s cup was filled, Sanga went a step further. Perhaps she decided to drive the point home after seeing Dokgun’s lukewarm reaction earlier.

“Since we’re doing this… how about a toast?”

“That sounds good!”

“I’m in.”

Even though no one had yet touched the alcohol, the others, already intoxicated by the atmosphere, supported Sanga’s suggestion.

What else could we do in that atmosphere? We had to drink.

“Then everyone… Cheers!”

After confirming that Dokgun had clinked cups with the others and brought it to his lips, I cautiously sipped the transparent amber liquid sloshing in my cup.

The first impression of the alcohol, which I tasted for the first time in my life, was “bitter” and “hot.”

As Sanga explained, it was her mother’s cherished expensive liquor, and as soon as I put it in my mouth, a fragrance, whether fruity or floral, I couldn’t tell, burst forth, but a bitter taste that more than offset it made my tongue tingle.

So I quickly swallowed it down, and a sensation quite different from drinking something hot ran down my throat.

“Haa…”

It felt like something hot was spreading through me.

The feeling was so intense that I felt like I could breathe fire if I wanted to.

“Ugh…”

That was my impression, and it seemed Dokgun felt similarly.

Seeing him grimace immediately after drinking, it must have been that way.

‘But…’

Would one cup be enough?

I don’t think one cup will do…

As Yun-Seo was pondering how to get him to drink more, Dokgun was slightly preoccupied with the taste of alcohol, which felt like he was tasting it for the first time in decades.

‘This…’

It’s pretty strong… This is probably at least 40% alcohol.

That was enough alcohol content to get lightweight drinkers drunk after just a few cups.

That’s why I discreetly placed the paper cup in my hand on the table.

It seemed like everyone was going to keep drinking until the thermos was empty, and if that happened, I would be the only one who could handle the chaotic scene that would unfold.

I was trying to rest up for that, but it seemed like my actions were perceived as a betrayal by the others.

Even though I said I was fine, they forced my share into my cup, saying it wasn’t fair for me to be the only one not drinking… and what happened after that was obvious.

The chaotic scene I had envisioned in my head unfolded before my eyes.

“Hee hee hee…”

“Haa…”

From the one giggling for no reason to the one nodding off, ready to collapse on the ground at any moment.

Compared to those two, the girls were relatively calm.

Perhaps because they weren’t as affected by the alcohol yet, they had just calmed down from their excitement, but they showed no signs of getting rowdy.

That meant…

‘I just need to take care of these two.’

Since we were done eating anyway, I decided to just put them to bed now that things had turned out this way.

Sanga said she would take responsibility for the girls and bring them to their room, so I trusted her words and focused on dragging the two boys to their respective rooms.

‘…Huh?’

After putting the two needlessly heavy boys in their rooms and returning to the dinner area, I noticed someone hadn’t gone back inside yet.

Did she get tired after taking one person to their room and fall asleep?

Anyway, I couldn’t leave her out in the cold like that, so I carefully approached Yun-Seo, who was huddled on a folding chair.

“Hey, are you asleep?”

I asked as I approached, just to check…

“…Oh? It’s Lee Dokgun…”

The moment Yun-Seo lifted her head from her knees in response to my words, I realized it.

She was completely drunk.