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“Where do you think you’re going?”

I tried to run away to the house, but Ah-young immediately crossed her arms and blocked my path.

“Do you really think you can stop me with that?”

Still, I had a body that’s somewhat toned from dance practice.

Ah-young is also lean like me, so I could probably escape quickly…

Surely… um…

“You’re quite strong, aren’t you?”

“I practice drums every day, you know.”

Oh no… thinking about it, Ah-young is someone who works on her arms every day.

I can’t win against her.

“More importantly, why do you want to leave?”

“It feels burdensome.”

“Oh come on, just relax and enjoy yourself. You came as a friend after all.”

“Um… no.”

The idea that only someone like a social butterfly would join came to my mind, but I stopped as I knew it wouldn’t matter.

“Don’t worry too much, they’ll just be having fun among themselves. You don’t have to pay any attention.”

Well, that’s true, but…

Since I’m already here, I might as well just sit in a corner and eat something tasty.

Since all the Beasts are coming, getting their signatures wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

As I settled comfortably in a corner, I noticed people starting to come in one by one.

Familiar faces and unfamiliar ones alike.

As time went by, more and more people filled the workshop, which was transforming into a party venue.

Seeing all those who didn’t just have ordinary looks gave me a peculiar feeling.

I’m witnessing a scene that’s hard to find even in a TV show right now.

Well, if this is what they call a special experience, then it is, I thought while sipping on the wine that had been left in one corner and nibbling on the expensive snacks.

They said these snacks were pricey, and they truly tasted amazing.

The wine too… well, the sweet kind is definitely to my taste.

While savoring the snacks, Hyeon-su, the star of the party, approached me.

“Why are you sitting alone?”

Dressed up for the party with a glass in hand, he looked so out of place in front of me.

Although his vibe was now completely adult-like, to me, he still looked like the schoolboy I saw back at the café.

“This is comfortable for me.”

“Wow, you haven’t changed a bit. By the way, those snacks are delicious, right?”

“Yeah, they’re really good.”

“I heard they were bought from an expensive place.”

“Is that so?”

But as I faced Hyeon-su, I could truly feel that he had changed a lot.

“You’ve changed since becoming an adult.”

“Excuse me?”

So corrupted.

Throwing parties that feel like they’re straight out of a dark entertainment cartel.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Never mind.”

Well, Hyeon-su is one thing. But really, everyone here is so flashy.

Just as it is, they all came dressed up for a party.

No matter how you look at it, these aren’t faces suited for this musty basement.

Look over there, even the guys just coming in now look glamorous.

With Lee Hyun-jun and Kang Yun-sung here, it looks like they’re part of Beasts.

“Is it okay for idols to come to a place like this?”

“What do you mean by a place like this?”

“A dark entertainment party.”

“Huh?”

Hyeon-su questioned me like I was making no sense, but the impression had already settled in my mind.

Honestly, even if that’s the image, if you look closely, they’re having a wholesome time.

Just feeling relaxed, eating good food, and having conversations.

Since the Beasts have all arrived, I decided to get up from my seat.

“Where are you going?”

“To get some signatures.”

I had heard from Ah-young earlier that all the members of Beasts were coming, so I had prepared paper and a pen in advance.

Carefully navigating through people, I made my way directly to Lee Hyun-jun.

“Excuse me.”

“Who… oh, Kim Soo-hyun, right?”

Coincidentally, while the other members were off at different places, Hyun-jun was alone.

This is perfect timing.

“Aren’t we somewhat close?”

“Not really.”

“But we have a bit of a connection, don’t we?”

Oh? Isn’t he my featuring mate?

So…

I slid several pieces of paper towards Hyun-jun.

“What are these papers for?”

“Um… could I get signatures from the members of Beasts…?”

“Just ask them directly.”

“It feels a bit like I’m imposing…”

See, in one-on-one situations, I may embody Lu Bu, but in a crowd like this, it feels a bit off to approach them.

And it’s a party, after all.

In a relaxed setting, if I suddenly showed up as a stranger asking for signatures, I felt it’d make things awkward for them.

It would be better if Hyun-jun secretly got them to sign on my behalf.

“Are you getting them for yourself?”

Fortunately, Hyun-jun asked if that was what I meant.

“No… I just figured Sake could use them…”

Upon mentioning Sake’s name, Hyun-jun gave me a curious look.

“Still, you’re a bit famous, do you really not want your own signature?”

“Really? Oh, no, it’s just that doing two sounds like a hassle.”

For me, a signature might be forgotten quickly, so getting Sake’s would be much more enjoyable for me.

“Well, alright then.”

Understanding my point, Hyun-jun nodded and raised a hand.

…But why is he raising his hand? Is he trying to get everyone’s attention…?

“Hey, guys!”

“Um, excuse me?”

What are you doing…?!

Why are you drawing attention?

“What’s going on?”

At Hyun-jun’s call, the scattered members of Beasts gathered around.

And they all stared at me.

“This is…”

“Oh, this is my friend who wanted your signatures.”

“Is that so? Of course, we should help.”

“Should we give her three signatures or something?”

The Beasts members took the papers from Hyun-jun with playful smiles.

Um… I think I’m going to die of embarrassment.

Now I understand why women cover their faces in embarrassing situations.

When your face feels hot, you just want to cover it with your cold hands.

Yeah, that must be it.

Wanting to do the same, I covered my face.

“I’ll sign as Izakaya Sake…”

“Excuse me?”

“Because it’ll be a gift to a friend…”

Feeling my cold hands warm as I did so, I managed to get all the Beasts members’ signatures right then and there.

“Here, all done!”

“Thank you… I’m sorry for bothering you during the party.”

“No, no, it’s actually quite nice!”

“Really?”

“Exactly. We can do this anytime!”

No matter how much I thought about it, I felt I was being a nuisance, but all the Beasts members were smiling, looking genuinely happy.

Do they enjoy doing autographs?

Well, considering they’re celebrities, perhaps they welcome this kind of attention.

Or maybe they’re just nice people.

“No… that’s enough, I should be going now…”

But for now, I slipped away from the spot.

I was already definitely going to have a blanket kick today, no need to push it.

Sake should feel grateful to me.

I should tell Sake about today while giving them the signatures.

Anyway, after that, several more people approached me to chat.

“Are you Kim Soo-hyun? Right?”

“Um, yes? That’s me.”

“Want me to sign for you? Hehe.”

“…Um.”

As a playful actress approached, I nearly smacked my forehead.

I feel like my image has been distorted.

I avoided the celebrities approaching one by one and slipped back into a corner.

…Speaking of which, where did that expensive wine go?

There were a bunch of bottles on the table, but I couldn’t tell which was which.

I suppose I should just drink the wine I had earlier.

It was sweet and tasty.

So, sipping wine alone, I sat back on a sofa arranged in the corner of the workshop, watching the scenery of the party.

Though they called it a dark social scene, it certainly felt wholesome.

Just conversations about how yesterday was, what’s interesting these days.

Worries about releasing their new songs coming up.

They may be celebrities, but they share complaints and the joys of daily life just like regular folks.

“Still sitting alone, huh?”

As I casually observed the party from my cozy spot, Hyeon-su returned, who seemed busy wandering around.

He looked a bit tired; perhaps he was looking for an escape just like I was.

“You were such a social butterfly just a while ago.”

Huh? Have you heard of the Beasts?

I was surrounded by that famous idol group just moments ago.

“I saw! Need me to sign for you?”

“Do you want to get hit?”

“Haha… More importantly, look there! Kang Woo-hyeon the composer is here too.”

“I saw him.”

I thought about approaching him briefly but decided against it when I saw him surrounded by numerous singers.

He truly seemed like the star of the party. I mused about how different these networks were as I sipped the wine in my hand.

“Speaking of which, this is pretty good.”

“The wine?”

“Yeah.”

I had been clinging to this wine for a while, and it tasted quite nice.

Maybe I was a bit tipsy too.

Is expensive wine really that important? As long as it’s sweet and tasty, that’s what matters.

“Don’t drink too much, okay?”

Seeing me like that, Hyeon-su warned me with a slight concern.

“Excuse me.”

That expression is so cocky.

Who’s worrying about whom right now?

I suppose he forgot that I’m two years older than him.

“Don’t worry.”

You think I would get drunk at a party like this?

Getting drunk here would be such a hassle.

Everyone is just enjoying it, drinking in moderation and chatting happily.

I know how to pace myself well, so there’s no way I’d get drunk.

Well, the wine is indeed very tasty.

Has it always been like this?

It goes down so smoothly it’s exquisite.

After Hyeon-su departed, I spent my time enjoying the party, casually chatting with the occasional person who approached me.

At first, I felt pressured, but now, it was enjoyable just to watch.

Seeing celebrities letting their guard down and enjoying a party isn’t something you see every day.

Plus, the snacks were delicious as well.

A little time passed, and strangely, I began to feel drowsy, with my head growing heavy.

On top of that, the sofa was so soft; I felt like if I relaxed too much, I would doze off.

“This is comfy…”

“Hey, Soo-hyun?”

Just as I started to doze off, Ah-young, who was tossing herself into the party with all her might, approached me.

She tugged my cheek and stretched it out.

“Hey…?”

“Look at your flushed cheeks, why are you so drunk?”

Isn’t that you being drunk, Ah-young?

Why are you pinching my cheeks… oh wait, is that so?

In her eyes, I was definitely resembling a drunken person.

Hmm… It seems I may have let my guard down.

I probably drank too much wine because it tastes so good.

“Oh my, I noticed from when you were sitting alone and drinking over there.”

At Ah-young’s words, I felt a grudge bubbling up.

While it’s true that I was sitting here drinking alone, part of my heart was also waiting.

“Where’s the wine?”

That expensive wine I was lured here for.

I wanted to taste it just once, but it never came.

“Huh?”

“I came here to drink that….”

“It’s right in your hands.”

“Huh?”

In my hands?

I glanced down and, for some unknown reason, saw the precious wine bottle in my grasp.

This was the expensive wine?

“Your expression is adorable right now.”

“….”

“Now, since you’ve had the expensive wine and gotten drunk, shall we head back?”

“…Yes.”

Thus, the nuisance who drank expensive wine that she couldn’t buy with her own money quietly headed home.

Luckily, Ah-young hailed a taxi for me, so I was able to get home comfortably.

Arriving home, I staggered into my room, seeing the dark living room where everyone seemed to be asleep.

I fell onto my bed, still in makeup, dozing off when a forgotten thought came to me.

“Did I forget to broadcast…?”

Thinking back, I was supposed to go live…

It’s already night, and I remember I didn’t go live today.

I don’t think I did yesterday either… why was that?

My tipsiness made it hard to recall.

Well, it doesn’t matter. I can always do it today.

So I leaped out of bed and headed to the soundproof booth.

Tap tap.

Even in my drunken state, I set up the broadcast swiftly and accurately, wrote the title, and started the stream.

[Miro’s Night Broadcast]

“Ah, um…. Hello.”

-???

-What’s this??

“Miro has arrived…”

I managed to turn on the broadcast but still felt weighed down by the effects of the drink.

I need to get my head straight. I’m Miro, a professional broadcaster…

I can wake up while streaming.

-How long is this going to be?

-Why did you come?

-This is huge, lol.

-Explain that song, damn it.

Chats started flooding in but honestly, I couldn’t read them very well.

How did I read this during regular streams? My eyes felt heavy.

“New Year’s countdown, right?”

As I thought about what to do, a great idea crossed my mind.

It’s almost New Year, so I can do a countdown.

-But there’s still a day left?

-You drunk?

-You’re not in your right mind at all.

“Ah, is there still time?”

Have I truly gotten this tipsy?

Looking at the date, it really was still a day away.

Hmm… then could I take a quick nap before going live?

I’d really wanted to sleep since I’d been feeling tipsy and drowsy since earlier.

“Then I’ll sleep for a bit…”

-???

-What the heck?

-You serious?

-Seriously just started streaming.

If I take a short nap and then do the countdown, it’ll be fine.

I wobbled to get up from my seat and made my way to the bed.

-What are you doing?

-???

-Nah, lol.

As soon as I turned off the lights and lay down, my eyes felt heavy.

Yeah, I can always do the countdown tomorrow.

I closed my eyes.

*

The next morning.

“…Sigh.”

Seeing scattered clothes and the precious signatures I had carefully stored.

And the cold stream that was left running, I heaved a sigh.

I really won’t be drinking again.

 

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