Chapter 199: A Drinking Session Between Three People
A total of 120 million won was raised at the charity event hosted by the city of Seoul. Of that, 45 million won was raised from the sale of memorabilia, with Enbin, Muyoung, and Cha Eun-seong accounting for more than half of it.
“Yes. I would like to thank the sponsors, Cosmetic Rose, JIR Design, World Construction, and Ahn Seok Electronics, for their support! I would also like to ask those who participated in the auction to take a commemorative photo. Thank you to everyone who participated today! You are the real heroes!”
The host concluded his speech, and Enbin, Muyoung, and Cha Eun-seong bowed their heads together.
Satisfied applause erupted, and officials sitting in the front row, along with other attendees, took to the stage.
“Oh, thank you very much today.”
“Huh? Are you the mayor?”
“Yes, yes. It’s nice to meet you, Muyoung. You’re very tall!”
It was Seoul Mayor Lee Eung-soo. He patted Muyoung on the shoulder and laughed. It was strange to see someone I had only seen on the news in person, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
I guess fans feel this way when they see me? Enbin had met him several times and greeted him familiarly, shaking his hand.
“Enbin, you’ve worked hard.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“And our Cha Eun-seong, Ha Muyoung.”
The mayor arrogantly nodded his head and turned to the two of them. Cha Eun-seong’s eyebrows twitched slightly. It was a sign that he was not in a good mood.
“Have you heard? About the next promotional ambassador.”
“Yes, a little.”
“The popularity of historical dramas is very significant! Seoul has high expectations for Cha Eun-seong and Ha Muyoung, so please make sure everything goes smoothly. Hmm! Yes, yes! You have to do well! This is a great honor for your family!”
He laughed arrogantly, “Haha.” It was certainly an honor, but it wasn’t something the mayor should say like that. Because the promotional ambassador position was unpaid.
Until a few years ago, promotional fees in the hundreds of millions of won were paid, but after being criticized for wasting taxpayers’ money, major government offices recommended that it be an unpaid honorary position.
“Yeah, well, I do what I get paid for.”
Cha Eun-seong answered, annoyed, picking at his ear. The mayor and his aide then looked at him with confused expressions. Unpaid, yet he does what he gets paid for?
“The people’s love. Love.”
“Huh? Ahahaha! Yes! Yes!”
The mayor laughed, even holding his stomach, as if it were a very funny joke. Cha Eun-seong’s expression turned blank. It was clear that he wanted to leave quickly.
“We’ll take a commemorative photo! Enbin and the mayor, come to the front, and Ha Muyoung and Cha Eun-seong, stand right next to them! Auction participants, please line up in order of height!”
The photographer shouted at just the right time.
Muyoung and Cha Eun-seong fidgeted to find their places. Muyoung looked at his brother and mouthed,
‘S.m.i.l.e.’
What came back was—
‘I. c.a.n.’t.’
They give him a few tens of thousands of won for transportation, also from taxes, and yet he’s the one taking credit for it? What a jerk. Muyoung stuck out his lips slyly, and then smiled as if to say, “Follow my lead.”
“I’m going to take the picture!”
“One, two, three!”
Click!
And so, the official schedule came to an end. Muyoung hugged the guardians who participated in the auction once again and thanked them.
“Thank you for participating today.”
“It was really nice to meet you.”
“Muyoung, did you change your hairstyle for your next project?”
“Yes. We’re working hard on it, so please look forward to it!”
“I’ll be waiting with my neck out! Don’t forget that the guardians are cheering for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to remember.”
It was like a small fan meeting. They even got autographs and personal selfies, but their reluctant footsteps wouldn’t leave easily. It was the same for Muyoung.
“Oh, there’s Cha Eun-seong.”
At that moment, a fan who had received Muyoung’s uniform as a gift was looking for Cha Eun-seong and glanced around. He was waiting for Muyoung in a corner and smiled, tilting his head. He had a bad temper, but he was kind to his fans.
“Here you go.”
The two whispered and exchanged something. I couldn’t tell what it was because they had their backs to Muyoung.
Cha Eun-seong, who had bowed his head, burst into a big smile and patted the fan on the shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“I’m also grateful. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely donate.”
“I’m not worried. Do as much as you want.”
At that moment, Enbin, who had finished talking to the staff, called Muyoung.
“Muyoung, what are you going to do for dinner? Let’s eat together.”
“Okay! I’m fine with that. It’s okay if Eunseong comes with us, right?”
At Muyoung’s words, Enbin and Cha Eun-seong exchanged a strange glance. Neither of them was very keen, but they couldn’t exactly say they didn’t want to……
“If Cha Eun-seong is okay with it?”
“Why am I a senior?”
“I act too, senior.”
“……It doesn’t matter.”
“Great! Then you two wait a moment.”
Muyoung gestured to the two of them and greeted the fans. Everyone’s eyes were moist, as if they were truly reluctant to leave. They were guardians who had even entered a lottery to get the memorabilia at the party. It was possible to gauge the extent of their fandom.
“I’ll see you next time. It’s really a shame. Everyone, be careful and go home. I’ll show you a better side of me in the future. Thank you!”
“See you again! Really, really!”
“Really, really!”
Muyoung raised his little finger in the air and smiled. Then he pulled Enbin and Cha Eun-seong, who were standing awkwardly, out of the room. Each of them had their own car and manager, so three vans left the hotel in succession.
Sizzle—
Only the sound of meat sizzling could be heard quietly. Enbin and Cha Eun-seong stared blankly ahead, while Muyoung was busy grilling meat between them.
“Did you two put honey in your mouths?”
Muyoung rolled his eyes, checking the situation. They looked so uncomfortable. If they were going to be like this, they shouldn’t have said they’d eat together.
“It’s not like that.”
“It’s not.”
The two answered at the same time and then fell silent again.
Muyoung ignored them and focused on grilling the meat.
If they’re like that, it’s their loss.
Sizzle—
In fact, Cha Eun-seong and Enbin were opposites, yet they had similarities. The only difference was whether they were hot and crazy, or cold and sensitive.
Thanks to that, the managers’ table was lively, as if they had met old friends.
“Brothers, eat a lot.”
“Yeah, yeah. Muyoung too.”
“I’ll eat well!”
“Oh, would you like a glass of cider?”
Just looking at each other’s eyes, they could understand. They carefully shared each other’s troubles and drank cider instead of alcohol. They couldn’t drink because of driving. Muyoung asked Enbin and Cha Eun-seong,
“You two? Want to drink alcohol?”
“Are you going to stick your finger in my nose again? No thanks.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Cha Eun-seong interrupted Enbin’s words.
“Oh, that’s……”
And with that, finally, finally, the two began to talk. The main topic was Ha Muyoung, who was grilling meat in front of them.
“I said we should sort out the way we address each other, but in the end, he won.”
“Oh. Ha Muyoung is lucky in strange places. Last time, we went to a café together, and I ordered coffee—”
“A café? Muyoung drinks coffee now?”
“Didn’t he drink it before?”
Are you sharing a parenting diary in front of the person?
Muyoung chewed on the meat, watching the two of them. The awkward atmosphere was gone, and they were chatting excitedly. They even brought beer, which they said they wouldn’t drink.
“Wow! So, Ha Muyoung said that back then?”
“Ahaha! It’s really funny, right?”
“Ha Muyoung is a complete idiot!”
The two of them laughed heartily, completely in sync. It seemed funny that they were talking about him, but since it would be good if they became friends, he just played along.
“Oh, so what are you working on for your next project?”
“Me?”
Finally, a question came to Muyoung. Muyoung briefly introduced the plot of the movie
“My colleagues are Chu Su-an and Kim Woo-ri.”
“Puhwap—!”
“Eek! Hyung! What’s wrong?”
Cha Eun-seong reacted violently when he heard Kim Woo-ri’s name. Fortunately, he turned his head, and it spilled onto the floor, but even the managers were startled and stopped.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, I’m okay, khem! I’m fine.”
When Muyoung handed him a tissue, Cha Eun-seong laughed, wiping his mouth roughly.
Enbin sipped his beer, eyeing him. His reaction was so primal that he had a hunch……
“Didn’t Kim Woo-ri tell you about me?”
Fortunately, Cha Eun-seong didn’t seem to want to hide it.
“She didn’t say anything. Why? Did you make a mistake with my sister, Hyung?”
“We dated in the past.”
Zing—!
This time, Muyoung was surprised and dropped the tong. Enbin picked it up. Why are they all missing a screw or two?
“Whoa! No way!”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“It’s just surprising. Two people I know dated in the past. Why didn’t my sister tell me?”
“Well, um, because I was at fault if you look at it that way.”
“You got dumped?”
“……Y, yep, I got dumped.”
At those words, Enbin and Muyoung’s eyes narrowed.
If you look at it that way. Cha Eun-seong was definitely at fault.
“What’s with you two? That look.”
“Why? What’s wrong with us? Right?”
“That’s right. Eunseong, you’ve got it wrong.”
As Cha Eun-seong tried to smooth things over by raising his beer glass, Enbin and Muyoung clinked glasses with him. Still, their narrowed eyes didn’t relax.
“My sister was really nice……”
“Hey! Are you on Kim Woo-ri’s side or mine?”
“How childish, worrying about something like that.”
Muyoung avoided answering by drinking his beer. If I had to choose, I’d be on the victim’s side.
“Answer quickly!”
“Woo—”
At Muyoung and Enbin’s jeers, Cha Eun-seong drank his beer, looking aggrieved.
At least Enbin, who had a similar alcohol tolerance, laughed and played along. After drinking like that several times, Cha Eun-seong’s face turned bright red. It must have been because he drank it so quickly.
“Ha Muyoung, you have to be on my side! And look at this. This is a 500 won tag. Five hundred.”
What Eunseong took out of his pocket was Muyoung’s name tag. So, that’s what he exchanged with the fan earlier? It seemed like a thank-you gift and a souvenir.
“Okay, I’ll be on your side, Hyung.”
“Even if Kim Woo-ri says something, only believe half of it.”
“My sister didn’t say a word about you, Hyung.”
“Not even rat poop? Really?”
That seemed shocking in its own way. Ha! He leaned back arrogantly against the chair. It was impossible to guess what was going through that tiny head of his.
“Cheers.”
At Enbin’s consolatory toast, Cha Eun-seong raised his glass. And a few hours later, it was hard to tell if it was a drinking party or a mess.
“Ha Muyoung! Eat this quickly.”
“Muyoungie~ Muyoungiee~”
Enbin kept trying to feed Muyoung, while Cha Eun-seong stuck his name tag to his chest and clung to him.
As they kept bothering him, Muyoung sent an SOS signal to the managers.
“……What should we do with them?”
“Put them in the car one by one.”
“Ugh. I’m going to throw up all the meat I ate.”
The managers worked together to move them one by one, and the drinking party ended safely.
Ko Gyeongmin, sweating profusely, looked back at Muyoung and asked,
“Are you okay? You’re meeting Chu Su-an tomorrow, right? You can’t back out. How many is this?”
Ha Muyoung’s method of checking drunkenness, taught by Enbin. When he held up two fingers, Muyoung burst out laughing.
“Oh, really!”
“He’s fine. Lucky.”
“It’s three, you know. Ahahaha.”
“……Get in.”
“Oh, really. Hyung, you’re so funny.”
Muyoung, who was laughing in admiration, shook his head. Ko Gyeongmin, who was at least better than the other two managers, thought as he drove the car.
“Ahaha. He’s really funny.”
Ignoring Muyoung’s sleep-talking, which he heard from time to time.