* * *
“Doing it now is the only way my tomorrow can come.”
“I’ll guarantee your tomorrow, so do it later, not now.”
Is this one of those things? A resolution to delay today’s tasks with trust in my future self. Tomorrow’s me, having aged by one more day, will have the wisdom to handle what I couldn’t today.
“CEO, but…”
“Hm?”
It wasn’t a simple “Hm?”, but a slightly drawn-out “Hm~?”.
Normally, he speaks so sharply, but tonight, his words dragged a bit due to the alcohol. With that face, using that tone—it’s cheating.
Staring at his handsome face, I wrestled with my thoughts for a moment, hoping he’d remember the promise he made tonight, and then I relaxed my shoulders.
“You promised. Don’t mark me as absent without leave tomorrow.”
“When have I ever made a promise I didn’t keep?”
His words, tinged with a hint of amusement, made it clear he was enjoying the situation.
As he spoke, he slid his glass towards me with a subtle nod. It meant I should drink.
Watching the golden whiskey gleam under the dim light, I reluctantly pulled the glass closer.
Come to think of it, I ended up having drinks with the boss at least once a month.
Of course, being summoned out was a pain, but the reward for these drinking sessions was being allowed to work from home.
Saying I’d rest didn’t mean I could truly rest, but working from home was easier than going to the office, so it wasn’t a bad trade.
As I continued to stare at the glass, the boss raised his hand, signaling the bartender to order a different drink.
“Richard Hennessy, neat.”
He handed me a glass full of ice—one he’d already been drinking from—while ordering a new drink for himself.
I squinted, trying to gauge his intentions, then gave up. In reality, it wasn’t even his drink I’d been given.
When I arrived, the boss was already half-drunk, with a glass full of melted ice in front of him, so I assumed it was his and just drank it.
Surely, he wasn’t being stingy about buying me a new drink, right?
A man with so much money wouldn’t be that petty, I thought as I grasped the glass.
“Please, remember this tomorrow.”
Instead of answering, the boss simply smiled and lightly clinked his glass against mine. The clear sound of glass meeting glass echoed briefly.
Taking a resolute stance, I downed the drink in one go, only to clamp my mouth shut against the bitter onslaught.
Just then, something hard touched my lips.
When I instinctively opened my mouth, a small, sweet object slid inside.
As I widened my eyes in surprise, the boss’s amused voice reached my ears.
“Chocolate. After something bitter, you should have something sweet.”
“…I can handle my drinks, you know.”
Even as I said that, I busily rolled the piece of chocolate around with my tongue. As the sweet chocolate melted, I chewed it slowly.
But the small piece of chocolate disappeared all too quickly, and I found myself missing the brief sweetness as I looked at the empty glass.
Sneaking glances between the glass and the boss, he casually tilted his glass towards mine again, clinking them together once more.
Resigning myself, I drank again and ended up repeating the same action several times after that.
When I frowned at the hand brushing against my face, a low chuckle reached my ears.
My dad used to smooth my bangs whenever I fell asleep on the living room floor, and it always tickled so much that I’d wave my hand in my sleep.
“Stop it…”
I lazily waved my hand as if swatting away a mosquito, burying my face deeper into the soft blanket and curling up.
Then something oddly cool touched my ear. It traced the outline of my ear, slid down to my earlobe, and then gently probed the wound on my shoulder.
“Don’t bring back weird things.”
“…….”
“It’s pointless…”
What kind of nonsense was this?
I opened my eyes with a start, and a blurry light filled my vision.
I shot up from the bed and quickly scanned my surroundings, blinking slowly as I tried to make sense of the situation.
I remembered drinking, drinking, and drinking again… But that was as far as my memory went. Even Pavlov’s dog would be smarter than this.
What was in that chocolate that made me gulp down drink after drink? Sitting still and retracing my steps, I suddenly realized the room was too bright, and I shouted in a panic.
“…I’m late for work!”
What time was it?
No matter where I looked, there wasn’t anything resembling a clock. My face turned pale.
Frantically searching my pockets for my phone, I suddenly noticed the vivid sensation in my hand and cautiously lifted the blanket, only to lower it again immediately.
I wasn’t wearing pants. No pants.
I gulped and nervously patted various parts of my body.
Apart from a surprisingly clear head, there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong.
Just… my body felt a bit off. There was a faint smell of alcohol lingering too.
Even so, the fact remained that I was missing the basic clothing required of a civilized person.
I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and focused on recalling the past.
First, I drank.
Second, I drank.
Third, I drank.
Seriously, how could my memory be so vague?
These memories of just drinking didn’t help me figure out the current situation at all.
Wrapping the bed sheet around myself, I muttered in despair.
“How much did I drink…”
After a few more failed attempts to remember, I gathered the sheet tightly around me and started feeling my way around the room.
Then, I noticed a small note on the nearby table.
[If you’re awake, eat something first.]
The elegant handwriting belonged to someone I knew well. Holding the yellow memo in my hand, I cautiously got up from the bed.
The soft carpet underfoot tickled between my toes.
As I hesitated, shifting from foot to foot, I noticed another note stuck to the curtains by the window and slowly walked over.
[Your clothes are on the left. You know where the bathroom is, right?]
Turning my head, I saw a gray suit hanging on a white wardrobe wall. Another yellow note was attached to the suit jacket.
[Breakfast is in the dining room on the first floor.]
Looking around quickly, I carefully unwrapped the sheet from around me and slipped on the suit pants first.
Even if I’d sold my memory to the alcohol, I hadn’t sold my dignity as a human being.
While adjusting my clothes, I reached into my pants pocket and found yet another note.
[I threw away Secretary Seonyul’s clothes. You threw up in them last night.]
I checked the other pocket and found one more note.
[Your things are in the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed. Your phone is charging there too.]
Moving as if in a trance, I found my belongings just as the note said, along with my phone.
It was 6:52 AM.
Exactly eight minutes before I needed to take my medication.
Rummaging through my bag, I found the suppressants, took them in hand, and started checking my phone.
There wasn’t a single missed call.
Staring at the silent phone, I hesitated before calling the boss.
The ringtone didn’t last long before the call was cut off.
“The person you are trying to reach is not available…”
I tried calling again but got the same response. F
or some reason, the fact that he wasn’t picking up made me feel uneasy, and just as I was about to call again, a text message came in.
[From CEO Han] – Make sure to feed Dduki and Ddolboki, and take them for a walk. The pet sitter is off today, so Secretary Seonyul, you’ll have to do it instead. 06:58
Sitting dazedly on the bed, I absentmindedly stroked the unusually soft sheets. After a long moment, the phone alarm jolted me awake, and I quickly swallowed the suppressant pill.
It felt like I was under some sort of spell.
Squatting on one side of the spacious yard, I held the paws of Ddolboki, a Golden Retriever, in my hands and moved them like clapping. I muttered to myself in a daze.
“Ddolboki, if I drink again, I’m not human.”
Actually, this was a vow I had made a month ago as well.
Every time I drank with CEO Han around the middle of the month, I’d inevitably pass out, only to wake up later.
It’s not like I’m weak to alcohol… but whenever I drank with CEO Han, it was always strong distilled spirits like whiskey or cognac.
Since I usually only drank beer, I figured I might be more sensitive to distilled spirits.
It’s not that I can’t drink them, but the uniquely awful taste of alcohol was hard to endure.
As I noticed Dduki, the Labrador Retriever, approaching me, I reached out to pet him. His warm breath touched my cheek, and soon, Dduki began to lick my face vigorously.
Not to be outdone, Dolbok joined in too.
Before I knew it, both dogs were all over me, and my face became wet from their licking. I laughed so hard I could hardly breathe, like someone whose lungs had deflated.
Being pinned under the large dogs was heavy, but hearing their panting and seeing their tails wagging wildly made me just surrender and enjoy it.
After being licked for a while, I saw the two dogs suddenly run off somewhere, so I sat up. I heard the front door open, and a tall man entered the yard.
He looked as sharp as ever. It was CEO Han, the man I’d been seeing all morning and the one who held my purse strings. I quickly stood up and ran towards him.
“You’re here, CEO Han.”
“…”
He petted the heads of the two dogs rolling around at his feet, then looked me up and down.
“So this is how it feels.”
“…”
“This must be why you keep picking out clothes for me.”
I was about to ask what he meant, but instead, I quickly took the tablet he handed me.
It was my work tablet that he had taken the day before.
I felt uneasy, realizing I had been so drunk that I had forgotten about something so important.
Just then, I felt his gaze and looked up.
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