Jiho spent time in the studio late into the night working on a song.

As he was wrapping up, Hyungju sat on the couch, leaning back.

“Jiho, have you thought about it?”

There were increasing inquiries from reporters demanding clear confirmation about singer J.

Previously, it had been perfectly blocked at the agency level, but with Jiho’s photos released to the media and rumors of J circulating, it became difficult to hide any longer.

“I’m still considering it. Even though it’s as good as known, directly saying it would be different.”

Jiho was usually quick to make decisions without much pondering, but he was unusually cautious about this matter.

Once revealed, it would be difficult to take back, and thinking about what he would have to go through afterwards made him feel a bit lost.

He was already experiencing it like a preview, but maybe it would die down.

Maybe he could just ignore it until then.

Jiho didn’t want to come to the forefront if possible.

He preferred composing and singing while hiding behind initials as he was doing now.

“What does your aunt say?”

“Mom never really liked the idea of me being a singer from the start, so she asks if I should quit now.”

Grandfather thought the same.

So Jiho was in deeper contemplation.

Jiho had started it with a light heart, thinking of it as a deviation, so he hadn’t concretely thought about future plans.

He had thought of quietly disappearing at some point while active under the name J, so this situation was not at all welcome.

“It’d be such a waste of your talent to quit now. If revealing it is really uncomfortable, let’s wait a bit longer until it quiets down. You don’t have an obligation to disclose it.”

“Yes.”

Jiho looked at his watch as he left the studio.

It was a little before 11 PM.

‘The freshmen party should be wrapping up around this time.’

Recently, due to the attention focused on him, he had been avoiding even close encounters with Yisoo at school, worried that it might harm her.

‘Would it be okay to go now?’

Jiho called Yisoo as he walked to the parking lot.

After a long ring, it eventually went to voicemail.

It was the same the second time.

“What’s this? Did she drink a lot?”

Jiho frowned and let out a long sigh.

Jiho tapped on the steering wheel after getting in the car, then searched for Hajun’s number and pressed the call button.

Jiho brought the phone to his ear with an anxious heart.

Hajun answered the call after a few rings.

[Oh, Jiho.]

“Is it not over yet?”

A clamorous sound could be heard through the receiver.

[Yeah. Still drinking. Everyone’s met after a long time, so no one seems to want to leave. But why did you call me instead of Yisoo?]

“Yisoo’s not picking up. What’s she doing now?”

Hajun looked around for Yisoo, craning his neck toward a corner table.

He saw Yisoo, Aera, and Juhee, dead drunk.

[She’s wasted. Yisoo.]

“Why? Did someone make her drink again?”

A sharp voice abruptly spilled out at Hajun’s words.

Previously it was Kwon Minwoo, wasn’t it?

Jiho recalled Yisoo staggering after drinking everything that senior poured for her at the first semester freshmen party.

If it happened again, this time Jiho thought he should make that bastard drink so much he can’t even control his body.

[No. She’s in the middle of pouring and drinking with Juhee and Aera on their own.]

Hajun clicked his tongue, looking at the bottles of alcohol stacked on Yisoo’s table.

[The three of them seem to have drunk quite a lot.]

“Sigh… I told her to drink moderately.”

She really doesn’t listen.

[Hey, you should understand. If I were Yisoo, I think I would’ve drunk like that too. Wouldn’t you be upset if the whole nation knew your boyfriend as another woman’s man?]

Hajun hit the nail on the head, as if he understood Yisoo.

Whew.

Jiho had nothing to say about that either.

He believed Yisoo would be fine since she knew better than anyone else that the rumors weren’t true.

‘Is she really drinking because she’s upset about that?’

Thinking it could be possible, Jiho’s heart sank.

“Is it okay if I go now? How’s the atmosphere?”

Jiho asked, rubbing his face.

[Well. It seems like it’ll get noisy again if you come. The kids were asking why you weren’t coming earlier. It’d be good to come prepared if you’re coming.]

There were many people eagerly waiting for Jiho to come.

It was the same even when this kind of thing didn’t happen, but after the article broke out, people everywhere wanted to see Jiho.

“I’ll go. It’ll probably take about 30 minutes, so keep an eye on Yisoo in the meantime.”

‘Let’s go and think about it there.’

[You’ve made a big decision. Alright. Come safely.]

Jiho started the car and drove off.

**

It was close to midnight by the time he arrived at the bar.

Upon hearing that Yisoo was very drunk, he rushed over right away, but Jiho couldn’t go inside immediately and paced in front of the door.

He wasn’t sure if taking care of Yisoo without her consent, in a place where all her school friends were present, was the right thing to do.

In a situation where people’s attention was already focused on Jiho, what would happen if Yisoo got involved too?

That was also something he couldn’t ignore.

His heart wanted to go in right away and take Yisoo out, but this could make things difficult for her.

Moreover, if Yisoo didn’t want it, Jiho acting on his own would be inconsiderate.

How great would it be if he could confidently present himself as Yisoo’s boyfriend?

If only Yisoo would give him a little courage, he wouldn’t waste time with these worries.

Jiho called Hajun again.

Waiting for the call to connect, Jiho smiled wryly.

‘Secret dating is really tough.’

At times like this, the urge to close his eyes tight and just go public would surge up.

[Oh, Jiho. You said you were coming.]

“I’m worried Yisoo might be inconvenienced if I go without thinking. How’s Yisoo now? Can she take a call?”

[Yeah. I’ll hand it over. Just a moment.]

Through the receiver, voices of several slurring women mixed together.

‘Yisoo, pick up the phone,’ Hajun’s voice was heard, followed by Yisoo’s.

[Hello.]

“Yisoo.”

[Oh. Jiho.]

“I heard you drank a lot. I came to pick you up, can you come out?”

[Ah… Where are you now?]

“In front of the door. In case it’d be awkward for you if I went in.”

[Whew…]

Yisoo let out a long sigh and was silent for a while.

“Is it hard to come out?”

Jiho asked again, unable to wait.

Thinking about what to do if she was too drunk to even control her body, Yisoo answered.

[Jiho, you come in. Come and take me.]

“What? Are you serious?”

Jiho asked again, thinking he misheard.

[Yeah. I’m serious. Come here and show them you’re my boyfriend.]

The moment he heard Yisoo’s words, Jiho was dumbfounded and couldn’t speak right away.

If it had been said while sober, there would have been no need to hesitate, but Yisoo’s voice now was drowsily drawn out, drunk.

It was something Jiho had truly hoped for and really wanted to hear, but suddenly hearing it in this situation, he couldn’t readily say okay.

He didn’t know if this was Yisoo’s true heart or the alcohol talking, so what should he do?

[Huh? Why aren’t you saying anything? You don’t want to?]

Don’t want to? That’s nonsense.

“Are you sure you won’t regret it? You’re not going to forget this tomorrow, are you?”

He thought it would have been good to record the call.

[I won’t regret it. I miss you.]

Jiho threw his head back and let out a long breath.

Right. When else will there be another chance if not now? Yisoo clearly wanted it.

“Wait for me!”

**

Ding-a-ling.

Opening the door and entering, the place was packed with people without a single empty table even at that hour.

Walking further in, a row of tables lined up against a long wall came into view.

Turning his head to look for Yisoo, he saw three women sitting at the end table, tilting their glasses in similar poses.

Whew.

Jiho walked straight to Yisoo.

Not only the ski club members but also other patrons at the bar recognized Jiho and glanced at him.

As if on cue, they all spoke Lee Hanna’s name.

“You’re here now.”

“Yeah.”

Hajun, who was sitting with the group, was the first to acknowledge Jiho.

“Hello.”

Jiho greeted the gazes fixed on him all at once and resumed his steps.

Murmurs about Jiho could be heard, but he ignored them and approached Yisoo.

The table was cluttered with unopened bottles.

“How many bottles did you drink?”

Jiho firmly grasped Yisoo’s staggering shoulders and knelt on the floor.

“Yisoo.”

Yisoo whipped her head around.

Her eyes, blinking slowly, were half-dazed, and a strong scent of alcohol wafted from her breath.

This was the first time seeing Yisoo this drunk.

“Are you okay?”

“Wow. It’s my boyfriend.”

Yisoo grinned.

“I missed you. Jiho. Do you know how much I like you? I won’t give you to anyone.”

Yisoo cupped her face with both hands like a flower stem and gazed at Jiho.

Jiho’s heart melted at Yisoo’s aegyo that he would never see when she was sober.

If only there were no prying eyes, he would have kissed her right away.

“Yeah. Don’t give me to anyone. I won’t give you to anyone either.”

Jiho smiled, returning Yisoo’s cute confession in kind.

Even if it was the alcohol, seeing Yisoo like this made him happy.

Juhee and Aera, who were wobbling, were looking on in surprise.

Jiho held Yisoo and gazed at her affectionately.

“Yisoo, shall we go home now?”

“Okay. Hug me.”

Yisoo nodded her head and stretched out both arms toward Jiho.

‘She’s so cute I’m going crazy. Should I just hug her?’

More than a few glances were directed this way.

They all seemed dumbfounded by the situation.

‘There’s no clearer way to show that I’m her boyfriend.’

Jiho lifted Yisoo, who was seated, into his arms.

Yisoo, her body folded in half, locked her arms around Jiho’s neck and nestled into his embrace.

The surroundings were instantly enveloped in shock.

Jiho left the people blankly staring behind and went outside.

“It seems like you won’t even remember this when you wake up tomorrow. I wonder if you’ll resent me.”

Jiho chuckled and hugged Yisoo tightly.

**

Entering the bedroom after taking a shower, Yisoo was fast asleep as if passed out.

Jiho stared blankly for a moment, then went into the bathroom.

He wrung out a towel soaked in warm water and came back out.

Sitting beside the deeply sleeping Yisoo, he brought the towel to her face.

He wiped her round forehead, her cheeks, and dabbed the towel on her neck.

“Drink in moderation.”

Despite his words, a smile was spreading across Jiho’s lips.

Show them that I’m your boyfriend.

Thinking about it again, Jiho felt like he could die of happiness.

To think he would hear these words from Yisoo’s mouth.

It was fine even if she was drunk.

Because he got to see many sides of Yisoo today that he couldn’t have seen if she wasn’t drunk.

As if on a mission, she confessed her feelings in front of people and asked to be hugged.

Her dizzying cuteness was a bonus.

Jiho tapped Yisoo’s cheek.

How can she be this pretty even when she’s passed out drunk and sprawled asleep?

Jiho meticulously wiped down to her fingers, then loosened a few buttons on her uncomfortable-looking shirt.

Yisoo, who had been motionless, scrunched up her face.

“Ugh… Thirsty…”

“Oh. Wait a second.”

Jiho dashed out and brought a bottle of water from the fridge.

When he placed it against her lower lip, Yisoo sipped the water without even opening her eyes.

As if still half-asleep, Yisoo suddenly started undressing after lying back down.