I am not a Yandere chapter 148

* * *

The two of them managed to finish all the snacks and polished off three bottles of soju and two bottles of beer between them.

Despite the impressive amount, neither Yeongdeok nor Wonjin showed any signs of being drunk.

On their way out of the pub, Yeongdeok dug through his wallet for cash to pay, but Wonjin stepped in and handed over his card first.

“What’s this? Why are you paying?”

“I’ll cover the first round. You can handle the second.”

“The second round? Are you saying you want to keep going?”

“Don’t you want to?”

Yeongdeok thought back to the first time he ever got drunk.

In that moment, his head had felt pleasantly foggy, free of all thoughts.

He realized that the feeling hadn’t been so bad after all, nor had the sights he had seen when he briefly opened his eyes.

“No, let’s go. Second round it is.”

The two headed to another pub, where they perused the menu together.

Out of the many options, one dish stood out, and for that moment, they were perfectly in sync.

“Shall we get chicken?”

“Let’s go with chicken.”

They spoke at the same time, and Wonjin let out a small laugh.

“Great minds think alike. Since it’s chicken, shall we have beer…?”

“No, let’s stick with soju.”

“Sounds good.”

After waiting, chicken and soju arrived at their table.

This time, Yeongdeok poured soju into Wonjin’s glass first.

“Drink up.”

“Thanks.”

Yeongdeok gazed at the chicken, which he hadn’t touched since having it at Jihoon’s house.

The thought of that guy’s face floated into his mind, and he forced it away, picking up a drumstick and taking a bite.

The crispy batter and chewy meat made a satisfying combination.

“How is it?” Wonjin asked.

“Just as good as usual.”

Hearing Yeongdeok’s reply, Wonjin grabbed a piece and took a bite.

After swallowing, he smiled faintly.

“I used to eat a lot when you ran the place. It’s been a while.”

Wonjin seemed to be reminiscing. As he joined in the nostalgia, Yeongdeok absentmindedly took another sip of his drink.

After downing several glasses, Yeongdeok began to feel a disconnect between his head and body.

His head wanted to stay upright, but his neck drooped, and his limbs felt as limp as a jellyfish.

So this is what it feels like to be drunk, he thought, his vision blurring as he looked at the man across from him.

“Yeongdeok, are you okay?”

The voice sounded muffled, like it was coming from deep underwater.

Even though they’d had a similar amount to drink, Wonjin seemed completely fine, which made Yeongdeok, in a burst of drunken honesty, mutter under his breath that he was a frustratingly resilient guy.

“Huh? Resilient?”

He must have said it out loud.

Even though he was staring straight at Wonjin, he couldn’t make out his expression.

His face looked smudged, like it had been painted over with a blurry brushstroke.

Yeongdeok kept staring at Wonjin, his lips spilling out words unchecked.

He wasn’t even aware of what he was saying, and it felt all the more confusing not to be able to read Wonjin’s expression.

Then, as he rambled on, Yeongdeok collapsed onto the table.

With his eyes closed, the whirlpool in his mind spun faster, like his brain was doing a full 360-degree rotation. It felt surreal.

Wonjin blankly watched the collapsed Yeongdeok, spouting incoherent things before falling into silence.

Snapping back to reality, Wonjin realized he had to take action.

He pulled Yeongdeok’s arm over his shoulder and stood up.

“Yeongdeok, come on… pull yourself together.”

Despite being shaken and called repeatedly, Yeongdeok didn’t show any signs of waking.

Wonjin assumed he had been drinking within his limits, since he had looked fine until he suddenly went over the edge.

So, even though he knew it might be too much, he had gone along with it, and now this was the result. Sighing, Wonjin paid for both rounds and hailed a taxi.

During the ride, Yeongdeok slept soundly against the window, exhaling strong, alcoholic breaths that wafted over to Wonjin.

Was his drunken habit just sleeping?

Despite how calm he seemed, Wonjin couldn’t help but feel a strange emotion, having discovered something about Yeongdeok that only he knew.

The taxi finally stopped in front of Wonjin’s apartment complex.

Even then, Yeongdeok didn’t stir. Wonjin hoisted his arm over his shoulder again and started toward the building.

“Who would’ve thought I’d end up bringing you to my place…” he muttered.

He entered the building, carried Yeongdeok to unit 702, and punched in the code.

The door opened to a dark apartment, and Wonjin gently took off his own shoes and then carefully removed Yeongdeok’s.

Without turning on the lights, Wonjin led him to his room, the only one with a bed.

He laid the alcohol-soaked Yeongdeok onto the spacious mattress, which dipped under his weight.

Catching his breath, Wonjin sat at the edge of the bed. Yeongdeok was still out cold, snoring lightly, completely unaware.

Over the years, Wonjin had always supported Yeongdeok, but seeing him this defenseless was a first.

Without thinking, Wonjin’s hand reached out to touch Yeongdeok’s hair.

As he gently ran his fingers through the short strands, he felt the bristly texture, like the spiky shell of a chestnut.

His hand moved from Yeongdeok’s hair to his cheek, where he encountered a soft, warm sensation.

Wonjin couldn’t help but crave that feeling.

His hand trailed from Yeongdeok’s cheek to his neck, then brushed over his ear, lingering momentarily.

What am I even doing to someone passed out drunk?

Wonjin let out a self-deprecating chuckle and pulled his hand back from Yeongdeok.

He was about to cover Yeongdeok with a blanket and leave when an arm reached out, grabbing Wonjin’s shirt and pulling him back.

“Uh…?”

Even though Wonjin could have steadied himself, he pretended to lose his balance and fell onto the bed.

Once he regained his senses, he saw Yeongdeok, blinking slowly, still clutching his shirt.

“Ye-Yeongdeok…”

A flush rose from Wonjin’s neck to his face as if he, too, had been hit with a wave of intoxication.

If the room had been brighter, Yeongdeok would have easily noticed how red Wonjin’s face had become.

Embarrassed, Wonjin turned his head away, unable to meet Yeongdeok’s gaze, but Yeongdeok reached out and brushed Wonjin’s cheek with his hand.

At that moment, Wonjin felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

“My heart… it’s felt strange for a while now.”

“…What?”

“I don’t know why. I thought I had made a clean, reasonable choice.”

Wonjin instinctively realized that Yeongdeok was looking through him, seeing someone else—just like at Chairman Cha Heeseok’s party.

The hand that had been on Wonjin’s cheek slid down to rest on his shoulder.

As Yeongdeok pulled him closer, Wonjin found himself dangerously near, so close their noses would have touched if he hadn’t kept his knees firm.

“You seem really drunk, Yeongdeok…”

Wonjin tried to slip away, but Yeongdeok wrapped his arms around his neck.

The scent of alcohol grew stronger, and Wonjin gulped, feeling as if he might get swept up in the strange atmosphere Yeongdeok was exuding.

“You… you were always strange from the moment I first met you. You made me feel things I’ve never felt before…”

Yeongdeok let out a breathy laugh and wore a languid smile.

His eyes, unfocused and shimmering, narrowed gently, looking uncharacteristically tender.

“Ye-Yeongdeok…”

And then, Yeongdeok leaned in and kissed him.

Was it the taste of alcohol on his lips that made Wonjin feel intoxicated, or had he been drunk from the moment they left the bar?

Even though Wonjin could have easily pushed away a drunk man, he let himself melt into the moment, closing his eyes.

The sensation of their lips meeting sent tingles through his body.

Everywhere he touched Yeongdeok felt prickly and electric, as if pollen were brushing over his skin.

Wonjin knew that Yeongdeok wasn’t really seeing him.

He knew it wasn’t gentlemanly to not resist the drunken advances of someone whose mind was clouded.

But he couldn’t help being captivated by the vulnerable, unguarded expression on Yeongdeok’s face.

Taking off his glasses and placing them on the nightstand, Wonjin kissed the nape of Yeongdeok’s neck.

The subtle scent of his skin, barely hidden under the alcohol, tickled his senses.

He felt himself harden, his heart pounding wildly, sending shivers down his spine.

“Ha… haha…”

When their eyes met at such close range, Wonjin’s hand, which was braced against the mattress, began to tremble.

Was it hot in the room, or was it just his body burning up?

His overly aroused body couldn’t hide his excitement any longer.

“Yeongdeok…”

Even as he saw Yeongdeok’s eyelids drooping as if he were about to drift off again, Wonjin pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed him fervently.

Even though he knew he shouldn’t, his hips pressed against Yeongdeok’s body, grinding against him as if seeking stimulation.

In that moment, nothing but Yeongdeok existed in his vision, as if he’d been consumed by a wild, irresistible desire.

* * *