It was a technique he learned from Dae-bok in the barracks, and now Yeonwoo had become a drinker.

“Is everyone ready to drink?”

As Dae-bok and Choa nodded hesitantly, Yeonwoo poured alcohol into their cups and continued speaking.

“Let’s toast first for a sincere relationship!”

“To-toast!”

“To-to-toast!”

Dae-bok and Choa clinked their glasses without understanding a word.

“Now, from now on, I’ll answer questions truthfully. If you can’t answer, you drink.”

“What? When did this become a drinking game?”

Ignoring Dae-bok’s question, Yeonwoo smoothly brought up the main topic.

“Starting with you, Hyung-nim. Do you have someone you’ve been concerned about lately?”

“Do we have to talk about that here?”

“Ding! Wrong answer. Take a sip.”

Muttering complaints, Dae-bok obediently took a sip. Now, it was Yeonwoo’s turn to focus on Choa.

“Next is Choa Agassi’s turn. Do you have someone you want to hit recently?”

“Yes.”

Unlike Dae-bok, Choa answered quite aggressively.

“Is it perhaps Hyung-nim?”

“What, what? Do you think it’s obvious that I’d be the one you want to hit?”

“It’s not your turn to answer yet.”

Maintaining silence to Yeonwoo’s question, Choa swiftly downed the glass in front of her. It seemed Dae-bok was the person she wanted to hit.

Looking puzzled, Dae-bok asked Yeonwoo, “Uh, Agassi. What could be bothering you about me?”

—Crash!
At that moment, after draining her glass, Choa slammed it down roughly and opened her mouth with a determined expression.

“Now it’s my turn to ask questions.”

With discontent evident in her eyes, Choa shot a sharp look at Dae-bok and spoke with a sharp voice.

“Dae-bok-nari, why do you go through Yeonwoo-nari instead of talking to me directly?”

Perhaps due to the influence of alcohol, Choa’s cheeks reddened slightly as she glared at Dae-bok.

Facing Choa’s glaring eyes, Dae-bok’s face turned crimson.

“Ah, augh…!”

Embarrassed, Dae-bok turned to Yeonwoo, sending a pleading gaze for help.

However, ignoring Dae-bok’s earnest gaze, Yeonwoo whistled, feigning ignorance.

When Dae-bok couldn’t say anything, Choa poured plum wine into his glass until it overflowed.

Seeing the plum wine brimming in his glass, Dae-bok wore an awkward expression, as if he might cry at any moment.

“Ah, Agassi…”

“If you can’t answer, you have to drink. Drink it all.”

“Gulp…”

Dae-bok carefully lifted the overflowing plum wine, trying not to spill it.

As he was about to empty his glass, Choa’s relentless questioning continued.

“What did you mean by saying you don’t want to become a man?”

“Cough!”

Choa’s direct question almost made Dae-bok spit out the drink.

Ignoring Dae-bok’s struggle to answer, Choa poured herself more plum wine.

“All right. I must be foolish to expect an answer from you.”

Choa’s glass began to overflow with wine.

As Choa tried to drink from her glass, worried Dae-bok grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Stop drinking. You’re already drunk.”

“Mind your own business.”

“Choa Agassi…”

Choa forcefully shrugged off Dae-bok’s hand.

“…Do you consider me a woman?”

“Of course.”

“Then why do you avoid me?”

Her large pupils held a hint of moisture.

In response to her unexpected answer, Dae-bok slowly opened his lips.

“…Do you know that just standing in front of you makes my head go blank?”

“…!”

Surprised by the unexpected response, Choa stared at Dae-bok with wide eyes.

Only then did Dae-bok reveal the feelings he had kept hidden.

“My heart pounds as if it’s going to burst, and I can’t breathe when I’m in front of you. If our eyes meet, it feels like the world stops.”

Dae-bok spoke with a more desperate gaze than ever.

“My lips freeze like a fool, and my head is filled with thoughts of Choa Agassi. In this situation, how can I dare to speak to you?”

Choa’s drunkenness had long dissipated by the time she heard Dae-bok’s confession.

Now completely sober, Choa looked at Dae-bok with eyes like a startled rabbit.

Suddenly, the words Dae-bok had held back for so long spilled out of his mouth.

“I love you.”
Dae-bok looked straight at Choa and spoke with a determined voice.

“From the moment I first saw you, I held you in my heart.”

The words flowing from Dae-bok’s mouth tickled Choa’s heart.

This time, Dae-bok’s gaze, which did not avoid Choa, stared at her without hesitation.

Meeting that gaze, Choa blushed gently.

Like a dish of flowers blossoming around them, a new connection bloomed.

As the atmosphere between Dae-bok and Choa intensified, Yeonwoo quietly slipped away from the scene.

“Goodness, goodness! Just looking at Lady Choa makes my mind go blank!”

Even though he didn’t say it to me, Yeonwoo’s face blushed for no reason.

Rubbing his cheek with his palm to cool down, Yeonwoo spoke.

“Dae-bok hyung unexpectedly is quite a manly man.”

I thought he would be as stiff as a stone in front of Lady Choa, but it turns out he’s unexpectedly a man when he needs to be.

Looking at the atmosphere, it seemed successful. Dae-bok would handle the rest.

Feeling much lighter, Yeonwoo hummed a tune as he headed back to the Gwangho army base.

It was about time for Geon to return, so all that was left was to go home in a good mood.

At that moment, a voice called out to Yeonwoo.

“Hey, there.”

“?”

When Yeonwoo turned around.

-Thunk!

A dull pain and darkness came over him.