Double Junk - 207

Seokju pressed his lips together tightly. He didn’t like the idea of Ajin drinking outside, especially in such a crowded place. Just imagining Ajin’s flushed cheeks from the alcohol and his goofy smile made Seokju feel an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.

But then—

“Can we get some soju here? Soju, please.”

Ajin called out to the staff grilling the meat.

“Yes, understood,” the staff replied, nodding and leaving the table. Soon, a frosted green bottle appeared. Ajin eagerly reached out to open it, but Seokju grabbed the bottle and opened it himself. He then poured soju into Ajin’s glass. Ajin, excited, watched the glass fill up.

Afterward, Ajin tried to pour soju into Seokju’s glass, but Seokju pulled his glass back and shook his head.

“I need to drive.”

“But it’s a company dinner, and you’re not drinking?” Ajin repeated his earlier statement, his wide eyes looking unnecessarily adorable.

“I’m still on duty. My work ends when you fall asleep in your bed. Until then, I have an obligation to take care of you.”

“…”

Ajin shot him a sullen look. Seokju, firm in his decision, pushed his soju glass to the far edge of the table. Ajin pouted, but Seokju placed some perfectly grilled meat onto Ajin’s plate. With a disgruntled expression, Ajin ate the meat. Then he suddenly asked sharply:

“Why is there no one else at our table?”

Seokju froze, his arm midway through moving more meat onto Ajin’s plate. Indeed, their table was empty, with just the two of them sitting at a six-person table. Meanwhile, the other tables were packed with employees.

“…”

Feeling a strange tightness in his chest, Seokju exhaled deeply, as if releasing smoke. Then he scanned the room for someone to blame. Predictably, his eyes landed on Hwang Myungjin.

“Secretary Hwang, come here for a moment.”

Sitting far away, Myungjin stiffened instantly.

Soon, Myungjin sat across from Ajin. Ajin, smiling brightly, poured soju into Myungjin’s glass with both hands. Myungjin downed it immediately.

“Uh…”

Ajin, who had been about to clink glasses with him, looked at Myungjin in confusion. Misunderstanding Ajin’s expression, Myungjin quickly drank another glass that Ajin poured. Ajin leaned forward and asked:

“Secretary Hwang, am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Huh? N-no, not at all. You’re not uncomfortable. Very comfortable. Extremely comfortable.”

Myungjin practically jumped out of his seat, wearing a pained smile under Ajin’s cheerful authority. Silently, Seokju poured another glass for Myungjin. This time, Ajin quickly clinked his glass against Myungjin’s and said:

“Then why do you keep drinking alone?”

“…”

“Let’s drink together. Together. Cheers, like this.”

Ajin grinned and drank his soju. Despite the sharp, bitter taste, he winced, shoulders shaking. His brow furrowed. His first thought was, This is awful. Seokju handed him a glass of water and ordered a sweeter alcohol recommended by the staff. It arrived quickly.

Meanwhile, Ajin chatted away to Myungjin:

“You were super busy today, weren’t you? You’re amazing. Taking care of Secretary Kang, my mom—oh, I mean, the chairman—and even dealing with the drunk director throwing tantrums.”

“Oh no, I wasn’t that busy. Secretary Kang handled most of the important things.”

Myungjin smiled, seeming more relaxed now. The two clinked glasses again. Ajin appeared to enjoy the sweet alcohol, eagerly refilling his glass.

By the time one bottle of alcohol was gone, Myungjin’s face was flushed red. He slapped his thighs with both hands, then leaned slightly toward Ajin.

“Boss, you seem a bit different these days.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You’ve been punctual at work, listening to me and Secretary Kang… It’s fantastic. Really fantastic.”

As if inspired, Myungjin kept nodding and continued:

“Even earlier, after your speech, you stayed and greeted the VIP guests, shaking their hands. Usually, you’d have left without looking back. It’s so rewarding to work now.”

“Sounds like I used to be pretty awful.”

“Well, a little rough—oh, no, no. Back then, you were considerate, giving us space to work without feeling watched. That was good too.”

Flustered, Myungjin quickly corrected himself. Ajin laughed softly and took another sip of his drink.

Another bottle disappeared, and both Ajin and Myungjin now looked visibly tipsy. They leaned closer together, talking like old friends. Then suddenly, Myungjin pulled out his phone.

“Boss, would you like to see my daughter? She’s so pretty. Luckily, she takes after my wife and not me. Look at this. Wow… She even calls me ‘Dad’ now.”

“Wow. She really doesn’t look like you at all. She’s adorable.”

Ajin smiled at the picture of the little girl tilting her head. Pleased by the compliment, Myungjin chuckled heartily. They poured more drinks into each other’s glasses.

Just then, someone approached their table. It was a secretary from the team, one Ajin recognized but didn’t know by name. He bowed deeply.

“Good evening, Boss. I’m Secretary Shin Jaehyun. May I offer you a drink?”

“Wow, of course! Hello, Jaehyun. Sit here,” Ajin said, patting the seat beside him.

Seokju pushed back his chair and stood, moving to Ajin’s side. The employee sat across from Ajin, flashing a friendly smile. Ajin also smiled and poured a drink into the employee’s glass.

Watching quietly, Seokju loosened his tie slightly.

The company dinner continued in a lively and heated manner. The air grew hazy, almost fog-like, from the smoke of grilled meat. As the alcohol flowed, people approached Ajin warmly, striking up conversations and clinking glasses. Perhaps it was as Myungjin had said—Ajin’s softened demeanor and expressions over the past few months made him more approachable. Still, no one crossed any lines or acted rudely.

At one point, it was time to watch the teaser for the drama featured in that day’s event. The restaurant was asked for permission, and the teaser was played on a large TV screen.

The staff focused intently, erupting into cheers and applause. Ajin joined in, feeling inexplicably happy and proud despite having done little as a figurehead. The company logo at the start of the teaser even gave him chills, making him shrink his neck slightly.

After the brief viewing, the drinking resumed. Seokju glanced at Ajin, whose shoulders drooped from intoxication. Despite his earlier warnings to stop drinking, Ajin had kept going and was now visibly drunk. Seokju checked his watch. The hour hand was well past ten.

They had stayed too long. He had intended to make a brief appearance but ended up staying. It was time to leave.

As Seokju gently rubbed Ajin’s back, preparing to suggest they leave, a voice called out from a distant table.

“Who wants ice cream?”

One of the employees cheerfully shouted, sparking murmurs among the group about how ice cream was perfect after drinking.

“Me!”

Ajin shot his hand into the air.

“……”

“……”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Ajin. He blinked slowly under the weight of their stares, then grinned sheepishly. His innocent expression prompted bursts of laughter. Though no one voiced it, their eyes seemed to say they found him endearing. The looks implied thoughts like, Well, you got this high position because of your connections, but you’re still in your twenties. Kind of cute, actually.

“Ha…”

Seokju pressed his palm to his face, trying to suppress his exasperation. He couldn’t leave Ajin in this setting any longer.

“We’ll go,” Seokju said, lightly grabbing Ajin’s wrist to help him stand.

Ajin looked up at him blankly, as if to ask, Me? I have to go? It’s such a hassle.

Seokju leaned in and whispered softly in his ear, “If you buy it for everyone, they’ll be happy.”

Ajin’s previously dazed eyes sharpened with determination. Nodding, he reluctantly got up from his seat.

“No, I’ll go!”

Myungjin staggered to his feet, his expression disciplined like a soldier on high alert despite his unsteady movements.

Seokju firmly pressed him back into his seat. “We’ll handle it. You rest, Mr. Hwang.”

It was late, and no ice cream parlors nearby were open. The two ended up heading to a convenience store.

“Ice cream!”

Ajin skipped into the store and glued himself to the ice cream freezer near the entrance, his eyes widening as he examined the variety. The unfamiliar names of the ice creams, many of which sounded bizarre, puzzled him.

The ones at home didn’t look like this. While the strawberry and chocolate-themed ones couldn’t possibly taste bad, they weren’t what Ajin had in mind.

“Ew, hyung, there’s a fish-shaped ice cream here. Gross…”

Seokju gently lifted Ajin’s head off the freezer door, where he had pressed it. Ajin looked at him with a distressed expression.

“The ones you eat with a spoon are better… I guess they don’t sell them here.”

Seokju let out a small chuckle. Left alone, Ajin seemed ready to hug the freezer and shed a tear.

“Is it really that disappointing?”

“I just think it’d be nice to eat something delicious with everyone…”

“……”

Seokju smiled subtly, touched by how sweet-hearted Ajin could be. He led him around the convenience store, eventually stopping at another freezer. There, neatly lined up, were the spoonable ice creams Ajin liked, though they were priced significantly higher than the others.

“Ice cream!”

Ajin’s face lit up with joy as he grabbed the freezer. To anyone else, it would’ve looked like he was greeting an old friend.