Chapter 31: Dojiwon

(TLN: This is a regular chapter for next week. I'll have Elqueeness out Monday or Tues. Please turn off the adblocks if you are able to. Thank you~)

"Hello, Hyung. This is my noonah. Noonah. This is the hyung I was talking about, Woojin-hyung."

"It's been awhile, Jiwon. You are still very pretty."

Jiwon smirked at how shameless Woojin was being. She had firmly put on a hat. So, how would he know if she was still pretty?

"It's been awhile."

She had last seen him 5 years ago when Woojin had gone missing. It was the time when her life had taken a turn.

"We are about to go eat some grilled beef entrails. Do you want to accompany us for some alcohol?"

"Uh? Grilled beef entrails?"

Do-jiwon hesitated when she heard Woojin's words. Had he been this aggressive in the past? Jiwon tried to comb through her memories, but Woojin's current figure was very different from the past.

No. She hadn't been that close to him in the first place 5 years ago. She probably just didn't know about Woojin's personality.

"Ah. Places with a lot of people is...."

"That's right. We just ate our dinner, so we are full."

Woojin grinned when Jaemin also stepped forward to make excuses.

"Do you think food stomach and alcohol stomach is the same thing?"

At Woojin's word, Jiwon turned to look at Jaemin. She wanted to talk with Woojin. She wanted to thank him for helping out her brother. Moreover, she had to give back the excessive amount of money he gave Jaemin.

"How can we go to an establishment that serves alcohol with my brother wearing his uniform? Let's just go home and talk. I heard all about you helping my brother."

"Eh-ee. This kid is good at drink alcohol."

At Woojin's word, Jaemin had a guilty expression on his face. Jiwon whipped her head around to glared at Jaemin.

"You drink alcohol now?"

"That isn't...."

Ah. Woojin was the one that made him drink it, so what was he doing? How cheap are you? J aemin's eyes looked at Woojin as if to say he wanted to be saved. Woojin grinned as he spoke.

"Send this kid home. Let's drink without him."

"Uh?"

"This is the first time I met a high school friend since I've been back. You can tell me all that has happened."

That's right. Woojin had gone missing. She had remembered Woojin in the first place, because Woojin had gone missing right before the Dungeon Shock. It used to be the hottest news in school.

"Let's go."

"Do you like beef entrails?"

"Yeah. I also have something to say to you."

Jiwon was about to go when Jaemin grabbed his noonah's arm.

"Noonah. Don't drink too much."

"All right. You go home first."

"Noonah. If you feel like you are getting drunk, call me immediately."

"Ooh-ee-gooh. Go home and study. You said your test is coming up soon."

Jiwon saw her worried brother off then she followed after Woojin.

"Is that your car?"

"No. It's the car of a dongsaeng I work with."

Zzeeeng.

Sunggoo opened the window of the front passenger seat to see outside. Then he bowed towards the passenger seat.

"Hello, noo-nim."

"Ah, yes. Hello."

Jiwon quickly lowered her head, then she pushed the brim of her hat down further. The large visor of the cap covered everything up to the bridge of her nose. However, one could tell she was a beauty just by looking at her slender jawline, and red lips.

When Jiwon sat in the back, Woojin followed her in.

"Hyung-nim. Where should I take you?"

"Where do you think? Weren't you going to take me to a delicious beef entrails restaurant?"

He wanted to go to a beef entrails restaurant with such a beauty? Woojin didn't care if Sunggoo thought it was weird or not. He wanted to eat beef entrails today.

"Noo-nim. Are you ok with eating beef entrails?"

"Yes. It's fine. However, can you find somewhere with sparse amount of people...."

"Coincidentally, there is a place I go to regularly. They aren't doing well, so there won't be any people there."

Woojin frowned. He wanted to eat at a place where the beef entrails was delicious.

"...doesn't that mean it isn't tasty?"

"No. I guarantee it will be really delicious."

Sunggoo was basically the chauffeur as he just drove the car. The two in the back seat didnt' speak for a long time. ?

"So why are you going around wearing that hat? You didn't wash your hair?"

"......."

Sunggoo sucked in a breath at Woojin's word. Sunggoo had known Woojin had a difficult personality, but how could he ask a woman such a question?

Perhaps, his great hyung-nim was a virgin....... (TLN:slang term was used. Mo-ssol=shortened from motel solo=single since mother's womb)

The way he treats women is too clumsy.

"N...no. I just like wearing a hat."

"Hmm. Is that so?"

Woojin tried to think about the past, but he came up blank. He just remembered Jiwon had been the prettiest girl in school.

He couldn't remember her personality or even her appearance.

"Ah, is that so? Any ways, I'm really glad I got to meet you. I was surprised when Jaemin said you are his noonah."

What was it? How can he treat a person in such a comfortable manner? Jiwon felt like she was falling into Woojin's pace.

"I was also surprised. Jaemin doesn't talk too much about his school life, so I didn't know he was being bullied. I'm really thankful."

"Ah, it was nothing. Jaemin helped me a lot too.."

Jiwon remembered what Jaemin had said, and she spoke quietly.

"I heard you extorted money from him...."

"Haha. I just borrowed it. I borrowed it. Why aren't you driving faster, Sunggoo?"

"We are in a school zone, hyung-nim."

"......."

Why couldn't this bastard read his cue?

While Jiwon was laughing, Sunggoo's car left the main street into a construction zone where a neon sign was blinking.

"Chet. It seems a Dungeon Break happened here."

"Yes, hyung-nim. This was originally an empty lot, but they started construction about a month ago."

When a Dungeon Break happens, the area around the station becomes totaled in an instant. After the area around the station was organized again, the development plans varied on what kind of Dungeon formed near the station.

"Why is there such a large construction site near this station?"

"Ah. This is the housing complex where Kim-gahngchul will be moving into."

"Who is that?"

"What?"

"I said who is that person."

How could he not know about Kim-gahngchul? Amongst the 10 great Roused of Korea, he was the most successful one.

"You don't know who Kim-gahgchul is?"

"I have no idea"

"He was the very first Rank A Roused of Korea. If you look at the Roused Rankings, he is ranked 1st."

"Is he trying to build some pleasure palace? Why is he building such a big house?"

Hyung-nim was 24 years old, but how could he know less on how society worked than a 21 year old?

"This isn't all going to be Kim-gahngchul's house. It is a housing complex being advertised as where he would live."

The area around stations were dangerous.

If the Dungeon couldn't be cleared within 30 days then the Break would happen. As the word indicates, the monsters would flood out. It was the worst thing that could happen to a residential neighborhood.

It was like living next to a ticking bomb.

However, it was an entirely different situation if a high ranked Roused lived nearby. The Roused living nearby would help attack the Dungeon just from the fact that they didn't want their house to be damaged.

This was why the real estate developers were desperate to have a high level Roused, so they could use the Roused as publicity models.

After listening to Sunggoo's explanation, Woojin understood.

"So, if one could raise one's Rank then one could get free housing."

"...that's correct."

Woojin started touching his Roused card . Jung-minchan was very quick in handling his business. Woojin was handed a Rank C card, and Sunggoo was made into Rank D.

'Should I visit the Bureau to raise my Rank?'

He was able to enter high rank Dungeons as a Rank C, so he didn't really care about his rank. However, the numerous benefits a top Rank received was enticing.

Do-jiwon was surprised when she saw Woojin's Roused card.

"Wooojin. You are a Rank C Roused?"

"Uh? Yeah."

"Jaemin said you were Rank F."

"Ah, it rose."

Didn't he know Roused Rank wasn't something that was easily raisable? Jiwon looked at Woojin in a new light. She had heard from Jaemin that Woojin was making a lot of money. If he was a Rank C then she could understand why.

"Let me ask you a question."

"Uh?"

Jiwon became really nervous at Woojin's question. She hoped he wouldn't asked about her complex. Her heart started to beat faster from concern.

"How was I in the past?"

"Uh?"

Woojin wanted to know more about his past self. He had lived a hellish life for the past 20 years at the Planet Alphen. It almost made him forget who he was.

"We weren't that close, so...."

"Ah, is that so? Do you remember who I was close to?"

"I don't...."

Woojin thought for a moment. Jiwon glanced towards Woojin. When she saw Woojin look outside the window as he frowned, her heart fluttered. Was that weird?

It has been a while since she had met someone who only remembered her from 5 years ago when she had been pretty. Moreover, he didn't show any sympathy or disgust. It had been awhile since she had a conversation like this, and she welcomed it.

This was why she didn't want him to see it . Jiwon pushed her hat deeper on to her head.

*

Sunggoo drove past the construction site of the housing complex then they stopped on top of hill at the poor part of the city. This place didn't even have access to a subway, so it was an inconvenient place to live.

Most of the affluent people had left Seoul. The people in the poor part of the city remained as they guarded where they lived.

"Aigo. My baby is here?"

"Grandma!"

"Aigo. Are you friends with my Sunggoo?"

"No. It's just a hyung-nim and noo-nim that I know."

"Ah-yoo. You are Sunggoo's seniors. Please have a seat."

The restaurant was located in a run down building, and there were only 5 table there. Moreover, the store was empty. It seemed Woojin's party was the first customer of the day.

Was this place really a delicious restaurant?

He came here with a very high expectation.......

"This is your grandmother's store?"

"No. This is the store of my friend's grandmother."

"You brought us here to increase revenue for your friends restaurant??"

"Heh heh. It isn't like that. Amongst all the places I know, this restaurant has the best tasting beef entrails."

Woojin had a skeptical expression on his face. However, as the food was being laid out, his rigid expression relaxed.

The beef entrails was delicious.

No. It seemed every food on earth was delicious to Woojin. The grandmother, who was the owner, was pretty skilled at cooking food.

"This is the first time I am drinking alcohol with Hyung-him. I am honored."

"Fill it to the brim."

Sunggoo poured soju into Woojin's glass.

"It is an honor to be able to drink with hyung-nim's alumni."

"Ah, yes...."

Is this person in the mafia? Every word he says ends with hyung-nim.

"Kyahh. It's delicious."

After the toast, he emptied the soju. Then he picked up a well-cooked beef entrails, and he ate it after dipping it in a sauce. The cool soju and the chewy texture of beef entrails was downright delicious.

"Ah. This is tasty."

Every time Woojin's glass emptied, Sunggoo immediately refilled the alcohol . Woojin was able to have a good meal.

It seemed Woojin really just came to eat some beef entrails with no ulterior motive. This made Sungoo and Jiwon stare vacantly at Woojin. Jiwon looked like a fish out of water.

"Huh? Why aren't you eating? I'll pay. Eat it."

"......."

Sunggoo secretly glanced at Woojin and Jiwon to gauge the mood.

In the beginning, he thought Woojin had brought Jiwon, because they were close school mates. However, it seemed that wasn't the case. By listening to their conversation, this was the first time they met in five years, and they were only acquainted with each other's face.

Wa. If it was me, I would have avoided such an awkward situation. I would have just parted ways after giving a greeting.

'Maybe hyung-nim isn't used to being around a woman?'

Maybe hyung-nim liked the pretty nonnah with the graceful jawline? Is that why he brought her here? What was Woojin thinking inside? As his manager, what was his duty?

'All right. I'll create the mood then I'll excuse myself.'

Maybe hyung-nim was trying to test his ability. As a Roused, he had cut short his college life, but he had a lot of experience drinking alcohol as a freshman.

Sunggoo's wasn't placed under academic probation for nothing. He'll prove it here.

Then several dozen methods to break this awkward situation passed through his head like instinct.

"Hyung-nim! Let's do a game. A game."

"Huh? A game?"

Woojin had left earth during his 3rd year of high school, so how would he know the drinking tradition of a college student?

Sunggoo grabbed a bottle of alcohol in one hand, and he spoke in a regional dialect. Then Woojin experienced a new world.

The situation developed too fast for Woojin to stop it.

Woojin experienced a diverse game.

On the floor below the table, 12 empty bottles of soju was lined up. Jiwon was slumped over, and she was using her arms as a pillow.

As he looked at Jiwon, the red face Sunggoo stood up on his chair then he started to shake his shoulders.

"Drink. Drink. The alcohol is going down. Gulp. Slurp. Gulp. Gulp. Keep doing the shoulder dance. Look at my shoulders. Tal~"

Woojin's face hardened. He had come here to eat the delicious beef entrail and soju. However, why was Sunggoo trying so hard to make him drink alcohol?

"Why don't you sit before I wrench your shoulders out of their sockets?"

His voice held a murderous intent. Sunggoo's dancing shoulders came to a halt. It was instinctual.

Sunggoo neck retreated like a turtle, then his gaze met Woojin's eyes.

"Sit."

"Yes, sir."

Ah. He was waking up from the alcohol. Sunggoo quickly sat back in his chair. Both their eyes headed toward Jiwon. She had passed out after imbibing a lot of alcohol.

"Mmmm."

Jiwon was already passed out, and when she moved a little bit, her hat fell away.

"Uh?"

Sunggoo rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. However, he wasn't imagining it.

The left side of Jiwon's head was bereft of any hair. On her scalp, there were lumpy scars that was unsightly. The injury reached past her forehead, and it reached her left eye.

"......."

Sunggoo looked at Woojin to see his reaction. However, Woojin indifferently looked at Jiwon.