* * *
Despite some annoyed remarks from parents, Siyoung managed to free up a few days right before the high school summer break began.
Though he felt a bit self-conscious for making them adjust to his schedule, the others were surprisingly fine with it, saying it was better to avoid the crowded vacation season anyway.
“So, I’ll be out of Seoul for four days. If anything happens, call me right away…”
-Hyung, do you think I’m a grade schooler?
The day before departure, Siyoung called Jooyoung to remind him, only to be scolded in return.
Even though they didn’t live together since Jooyoung stayed in a dorm, the thought of being too far away to help immediately made him uneasy.
-Have fun. Next year, after I get into college, let’s take a trip together too.”
“Yeah. Let’s do that.”
Jooyoung smiled, telling him not to worry and to enjoy himself.
Considering how stressed he’d been as a senior about to apply for college, it was a relief to see him back to normal.
‘Just pack some clothes. If you need anything else, you can buy it there. They’ll have most of the essentials at their place anyway.’
Even though it wasn’t anything special, the fact that it was his first proper trip in a while made him want to prepare and worry unnecessarily.
The last time he’d traveled was during his high school field trip, where he’d awkwardly followed kids he barely knew.
The last time he’d drunk alcohol was at the OT.
It was shaping up to be an uncertain trip.
‘At least I’m not bad at handling my liquor. I shouldn’t do anything embarrassing.’
Comforting himself with that thought, Siyoung checked his small bag one last time.
Just some clothes, a toothbrush, and a charger—light packing.
The next day, he arrived early at the train station, sitting on a bench and waiting for the others.
“…Why aren’t they responding?”
Even 15 minutes before departure, with their train’s boarding location displayed, no one else had arrived.
The group chat was silent too.
Just as he considered calling, someone placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.
“You scared me.”
“If they’re not answering by now, it means they’re not coming. Just give up.”
“Huh?”
“This happens every time. At least one of them always drags their feet and misses the train.”
Hyun, unfazed, pulled Siyoung up from his seat. Confused, he asked.
“So, what do we do?”
“What else? We go ahead.”
With a shrug, Hyun guided him to the train and casually took the seat next to him.
Five minutes before departure, messages finally came through.
[Joo Yeonseok: Sorry, we’ll take the next train. It’s 30 minutes behind yours. – 11:12 AM]
[Joo Yeonseok: Just go ahead without us. – 11:12 AM]
[Kim Jaeyoon: I’m with Yeonseok. Sorryㅠㅠㅠㅠ – 11:14 AM]
“Did they oversleep…?”
“They probably woke up fine but dragged their feet. They’ll catch up, so don’t worry.”
Leaning back in his seat, Hyun put on his earphones and closed his eyes.
Though hesitant about going alone with him, the train began to move before Siyoung could second-guess further.
[Joo Yeonseok: If I had been even an hour later, I would’ve taken a different train – 12:02 PM]
[Joo Yeonseok: I know Hyun’s home address and door code, so you can head there first or explore the area before going – 12:02 PM]
I woke up as the train approached its destination, briefly dozing off during the ride.
Yeonseok’s message had arrived while I was asleep.
One hour—not too long, but not short either.
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t have anything better to do. Might as well head there first.”
Hyun, still drowsy, blinked slowly as he walked towards the taxi stand, his movements unhurried.
I was used to his usual sharp, tense demeanor, so this laid-back side felt unfamiliar.
“You’re not coming?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I’m coming.”
Just a few weeks ago, I never would’ve imagined seeing this side of Hyun.
It felt surreal—like we had truly grown closer. A
fter all, Hyun had even agreed to let me join this trip.
“This is kind of amazing.”
“What is?”
“I mean, I thought all of you were the kind of people who were hard to get close to. But here we are, going on a trip together after just a few months.”
Siyoung said with a faint smile.
For someone who’d thought having friends was a luxury in a life barely held together, this kind of casual bonding was a novelty, and he found it surprisingly enjoyable.
“It’s been ages since I went on a trip this far. Just arriving here makes my heart race a bit.”
With that little thrill of excitement, the first day of the trip began.
“Wait, did we really come here just to drink?”
“Of course. Drinking at a restaurant and drinking at home are completely different experiences.”
Yeonseok nodded as he came in, arms full of bottles.
Apologizing for losing track of time while leisurely preparing, he’d gone straight to the store upon arrival and bought almost a full box of alcohol.
“First day is for drinking till we drop. Second day is for sleeping in and recovering. Then, maybe grabbing some hangover soup. Nothing beats that kind of relaxation.”
Could that really be called relaxation?
Siyoung thought it was odd but didn’t bother to comment.
They had gone out to see the ocean before sunset, had dinner, and returned to kick off the “real” start of the evening.
“Come to think of it, this is our first time drinking together. Can you handle your liquor?”
“I haven’t drunk a ton, so I don’t know my limit exactly, but I think I can hold my own.”
“Well, we’re staying here anyway, so it doesn’t matter if you pass out drunk.”
Yeonseok chuckled as he poured the drinks.
He didn’t say how much he could drink himself, but the second round was already underway.
“What about you? Are you good with alcohol?”
“Me? I’m not great, but I don’t have any bad habits when I’m drunk. If I drink too much, I’ll just go to sleep.”
“And Yeonseok?”
“Hmm… depends on the day, but he’s never caused any trouble.”
Jaeyoon answered quietly on Yeonseok’s behalf.
It seemed like no one in the group could outdrink him.
“Man, it feels so good that the semester’s over. School’s so exhausting.”
“Anyone who hears you would think you were the model student.”
“I did go to class. I just didn’t pay attention during lectures.”
“Didn’t someone else do your assignments for you too?”
“I did most of them myself. As long as you submit something, you won’t get an F. But group projects? Yeah, if someone tried to freeload, I’d leave their name off, and then they’d get an F.”
Yeonseok grumbled about how he wasn’t completely reckless, claiming he had his reasons for doing things.
“I do have to graduate, you know. My family’s pretty laid-back, but they’ve got standards. I have to meet those while still having fun.”
“And you?”
“Me? Well… it’s not like graduating means I need to get a job right away. My parents just like saying I go to a good school. They don’t care about grades.”
In other words, grades didn’t matter to him.
Honestly, Siyoung felt a little envious.
It must be nice not to worry about employment or family expectations and to just enjoy life.
“School’s hard enough as it is. Maintaining top grades? That’s superhuman.”
“You do what you have to. You show up to class even when you don’t want to because it’s required, right? For me, keeping my grades up is just another part of what I have to do.”
“Because of jobs? Sure, being top of the class makes it easier to get hired. But with your school’s reputation, doesn’t that already put you in a good spot? I heard your department has great job placement rates.”
“Still, nothing’s guaranteed. Besides… I got in on a scholarship, so I need to maintain my grades. And there are separate scholarships for top students too.”
He didn’t need to say that much, but for some reason, the alcohol loosened his tongue.
Even though he wasn’t tipsy yet, he used it as an excuse to share bits of himself.
“My family’s just me and my younger sibling. If I don’t keep my head on straight, who knows what’ll happen to us.”
“If it’s employment you’re worried about… want to join my company? It’s not exactly small.”
Not “small” was an understatement—it was a major corporation anyone would recognize.
Siyoung admired how casually Yeonseok could suggest such a thing but didn’t want to take him up on it.
“I want to earn it myself. That’s why I work so hard. Don’t worry about it. I’ve just got my reasons for needing to stay at the top. That’s all.”
Siyoung downed a strong shot in one go.
He didn’t feel embarrassed, but after sharing such personal thoughts, he felt a little awkward.
“Well, working hard is good. Work hard when you need to, and play hard when you can.”
“Let’s toast to that.”
The mood quickly turned lively again.
The four of them laughed and drank, chatting aimlessly.
Who knows how long they went on like that—until the first one finally tapped out for the night.
* * *
