* * *
I was so dumbfounded I froze for a second.
Why was the wine I drank with Woo Jaehyun in my item pouch?
Only the owner could put things in there, so it had to be me who snuck it in.
I had no memory of it, but judging from the situation, I must’ve swiped it while completely drunk.
Woo Jaehyun might not have noticed, but no way would Cha Rui just let it slide.
Most likely, I’d ignored all protests and stuffed it in.
“Seriously…”
I really went all out, didn’t I?
Feeling a mix of shame and regret, I was about to shove the wine bottle back in when a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
I stared at the label again.
“……”
Maybe… in this freezing cold, this would actually be better than coffee.
Didn’t it make my whole face heat up with just one sip last time?
It was strong, so the warmth would come quickly.
With a hint of hope, I held the wine bottle up to Do Soohyuk.
“Wouldn’t this help warm us up a bit?”
“You sure you’re not just looking for an excuse to drink?”
His blunt response hit hard, and I clamped my mouth shut in embarrassment.
I had kind of wanted to drink it, so I had nothing to say.
“And we’re not S-class right now, remember?”
“Ah…”
Right.
Of all the things to forget—I got so caught up thinking about wine, I totally ignored the fact that it was S-class only.
The bottle was already opened, too.
If I’d taken a sip without thinking, it could’ve ended badly.
“Give it to me.”
Seeing my expression visibly deflate, Do Soohyuk suddenly snatched the bottle from my hand.
Before I could stop him, he started pouring the precious wine out onto the ground.
“No—!”
Do you know how expensive that is?!
Even if we weren’t drinking it, there was no need to waste it!
I tried to stop him, eyebrows raised in protest, but it was too late.
The wine was nearly gone.
And if that wasn’t enough, he did the unthinkable—he filled the bottle with water.
I was so stunned, my jaw dropped.
At this point, it felt like sacrilege against alcohol itself.
But Do Soohyuk calmly shook the bottle, mixing it well.
“If you really want to drink it, this is how.”
“Huh?”
“It won’t taste good, but it’ll work.”
With that, he handed me the now-unrecognizable wine bottle.
He said it’d still be effective—so if it’s diluted like this, a regular person can drink it too?
“Are you sure it’s safe to drink?”
“The alcohol content’s probably close to Chinese baijiu now.”
“Still, the taste… it’s practically just water, isn’t it?”
“Are you disappointed?”
“……”
Of course I am, what kind of question is that?
Fiddling with the wine bottle for no reason, I narrowed my eyes and shot a sideways glance at Do Soohyuk.
The way he calmly waited for my answer was irritatingly smug.
“You’re the one who peeked while I was in the pool, weren’t you?”
“…I did no such thing.”
Huh?
I had only thrown it out there to test the waters, but his reaction was suspicious as hell.
Oddly enough, Soohyuk lowered his gaze — which didn’t suit his usual demeanor — and started poking at the perfectly fine campfire with a stick.
I had a feeling the silhouette I’d seen had come from his room, so I casually dropped the line — and it landed way too accurately.
What the hell?
Acting like he wasn’t interested, but he really did peek?
I raised the wine bottle and took a swig straight from it, a subtle smirk playing on my lips.
Maybe it was the lingering taste, but I could still faintly sense the original flavor of the Celeste wine.
“If you wanted to join in, you could’ve just said so.”
“……”
Watching Soohyuk pretend not to hear me, I struggled to hold back a laugh and held out the bottle toward him.
It was basically water now, sure, but still technically wine — and drinking together sounded nice.
“Have some.”
“I don’t drink.”
“Seriously?”
He looked like the type who could down an entire bottle and not flinch… but imagining Soohyuk with flushed cheeks after a single sip — my grin refused to fade.
God, I’m curious.
I knew now wasn’t the time, but the curiosity wouldn’t go away.
Maybe it was the alcohol slowly kicking in, making me obsess over weird things.
Whatever the case, this wine had to be strong — my face was already warming after just a few sips, and my mood was lifting.
“That just makes it more effective. Come on, be my human heater.”
Not giving up, I urged him again.
Soohyuk reluctantly took the bottle.
I thought he’d just wet his lips — but no, he went for it with surprising boldness, drinking without hesitation like a total alpha male.
It almost seemed excessive for a first go.
I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down continuously and immediately checked his face.
“Well? Not bad, right?”
“……”
He didn’t say anything.
His expression didn’t change much, but his brows drew slightly closer — didn’t seem like he was enjoying it.
Watching him grimace after tasting his own wine?
That was oddly satisfying.
See? Should’ve mixed the water better.
As I bit my lower lip to stifle my laugh, the little bird perched above Soohyuk’s head — our chipper companion — seemed interested in the wine too.
Chirp?
“Not for you, Chirpy.”
I gently stroked the little guy as he reached for the wine, trying to distract him.
I ended up bribing him with a few peanuts and tucking him back into my pocket.
He was relentless otherwise.
Then, after a stretch of silence, Soohyuk suddenly said something bizarre.
“Did you just pet my head?”
“Huh? No way.”
What kind of scandalous accusation was that?
I waved my hands in surprise, but in that brief moment, something about Soohyuk had changed.
Not just his expression — the entire atmosphere.
I leaned in slightly and brushed his cheek, examining his relaxed face.
His skin wasn’t too warm, so it didn’t seem like he was tipsy.
“Soohyuk, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
His pronunciation was clear enough.
But I couldn’t take appearances at face value — Jaehyun came to mind.
That guy looked completely normal too while his whole body was flushed red.
I stared at Soohyuk’s earmuffs, then lifted one side.
Just like the night at the convenience store, his ear was bright red.
“Why’s your ear so red? Is it the cold?”
“……”
“Do you like the earmuffs?”
“I do.”
With that, Soohyuk carefully started adjusting the earmuffs as if handling something precious.
His touch was unexpectedly gentle, almost reverent.
He’s drunk…
That’s when I knew for sure.
No matter how much he liked them, Do Soohyuk sober would never act that way.
“Your hand’s not on fire or something, right? It’s really hot.”
Now that I looked closer, his hand — the one adjusting the earmuffs — was red too.
With a stupid grin, I started playing with his hand the way I would with Chirpy.
Of course, it wasn’t as soft, but its rough, calloused texture brought a strange sense of comfort.
“Wow, it really works. Booze beats coffee any day.”
I took another sip of the warm wine and leaned back against his broad chest.
With the heat spreading through my body and a warm hand in mine, it felt like paradise.
I could actually fall asleep like this.
“This is way too nice…”
“You can’t fall asleep.”
There it is again.
The moment I so much as consider closing my eyes, he’s right there to stop me.
It’s not like I’ll freeze to death — what’s ten minutes of rest?
Grumbling with irritation, I tilted my head back slightly.
It landed perfectly against Soohyuk’s shoulder, the ideal position to drift off.
“Unless you plan to wake me up yourself…”
I mumbled it like a joke, half-asleep already.
And then — a strange, unfamiliar sensation from below snapped me wide awake.
At first, I thought Chirpy had crawled out of my pocket again, but no — it was way too heavy to be a squirrel.
More importantly, this wasn’t just a brush or a touch.
…Huh?
I looked down, and unbelievably, Soohyuk’s hand was rubbing me over my pants.
His grip wasn’t light either — his hands were big and strong, and I could feel it.
“W-What are you doing—”
“I’m helping you stay awake.”
What?
Has he lost his damn mind?
I jolted, trying to pull away, but the arm around my waist locked me in place.
He was even stronger than before — was that the alcohol, too?
“I’m definitely awake now!”
“Stay still. You’ll feel warm soon.”
No, I’m already warm.
Too warm.
I was about to fall asleep just a moment ago!
But despite my resistance, his large hand slipped inside my waistband.
“That’s not what I mea—ah!”
I flinched hard, shoulders jerking involuntarily.
It wasn’t like before — this time, there was direct stimulation.
His hand pushed past my briefs and started stroking me, completely unannounced.
I was already sensitive — and my body reacted before I could stop it.
His hands were rough, full of callouses — probably from sword training — and every stroke sent stronger waves through me.
“Ahh…”
I’d never even let anyone touch me before — hell, I couldn’t remember the last time I handled things myself.
This sensation, so new and overwhelming, left me utterly helpless.
* * *
