"I, Seo Minho, will be nobody's pawn."
It was now almost 9pm, and there were no customers in the restaurant.
Except for one.
And he was drunk.
Very drunk.
Haeun bit back peals of laughter multiple times at Minho's antics. Eunchae had briefly stepped out, going to deliver some food to a customer, leaving just Haeun and Minho inside.
For some reason, Minho had declared he would wait behind and eat his meal, which shortly after he had began to ask for soju.
After consuming two full bottles of soju, he was as drunk as the Ajusshi from earlier, and he started rambling. It was quite the sight for Haeun, and she saw it as a form of karma over him defeating her earlier in the day.
As she wiped the crumbs off a table, Minho muttered besides her, his head hanging from his neck like a haunted skeleton.
"Yes. Seo Minho. No, I reject the Seo name. What was the name of that girl from cuisine?" Haeun froze. The girl from cuisine?
Could he be referring to their class?
"That girl… ahhh. What is the time? Gotta go, gotta prepare for marriage."
Marriage? Ha! Seo Minho was clean drunk.
Haeun snorted, already reaching for her phone to catch the moment on video. But before she could even unlock the camera, Minho lurched out of his seat and stumbled straight into her, sending the phone clattering to the floor.
Haeun's legs nearly buckled under his weight, and she struggled to keep him standing straight.
"You better stop this." She hissed, holding him by his arms. His eyes flickered open, and they briefly widened.
"You… take off your mask. I want to see your face." He slurred, and Haeun's breath hitched. His face was very close to hers, and she had to admit, he was very attractive.
Haeun, focus!
"You can't." She responded curtly, still trying to steady him. But to her dismay, he only moved closer to her.
"Why not? Are you a spy?"
"Spy?" The idea was so incredulous Haeun let out a laugh.
"Seonbae, you are really out of it." She looked around, thinking of what she could possibly do. Her thoughts roamed wide, but unfortunately they still landed on a fact she didn't want to admit.
She would have to take him home.
Haeun groaned, and she guided him to take his seat back, resting his head on the table. Thankfully, this time he stayed in place, mumbling incoherently. Haeun sighed as she finished wiping the last table.
Just as she picked up the rag to head back to the counter, the bell over the door jingled and Eunchae bounced in, cheeks pink from the night air.
Her eyes immediately fell on Minho slumped against the table, and she clasped her hands dramatically.
"Uuuu, is he finally passed out? Woww. Just look at his features. He is so k-drama coded. I wish he could be my boyfriend."
Haeun snorted, ripping off her nose mask and tugging her baseball cap off as well. Eunchae had already seen her face plenty of times, and besides, she went to a different school.
Outside of work, they weren't even that close.
And honestly, with Minho drunk like this, he wouldn't even remember what day it was, let alone her face.
"Goodnight," Haeun said briskly, waving Eunchae off. She slipped Minho's arm over her shoulder, groaning at how heavy he was. "Come on, sleeping beauty. You're going home."
He half-stumbled, half-dragged beside her, dead weight pressing down on her shoulder. Haeun's irritation grew more with every uneven step, though she couldn't stop the tiny grin tugging at her lips. Who knew Seo Minho was completely unhinged when drunk?
They walked through the chilly evening streets, his head bobbing like a puppet's. Haeun's eyes flickered up at him in annoyance and amusement, especially when he muttered nonsense like, "The kingdom will fall without me," or "Soju is the nectar of gods."
By the time they reached the familiar apartment building, her arms and back were aching. She remembered it clearly from before during her delivery. "Right… this is it."
She shifted him against the wall and patted his shirt. "You should have a key…" Minho was still leaning heavily on her, mumbling into his own chest.
Haeun groaned, face twisting as she realized what she would have to do. "Ugh. Sorry in advance." She reached into his pockets, rifling past a handkerchief, some coins, and finally a small silver key.
"Hm?" His head lolled toward her, and he slurred, "I don't like guys."
Haeun slapped a hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter so hard her stomach hurt. "Oh my god. Please stop talking before I die right here."
She shoved the key into the lock and pushed open the door. Her eyes widened the moment she stepped inside. From the outside, the apartment had looked plain, average, even a little run-down. Nothing you'd think a chaebol heir would stay in.
But the interior? Marble floors. Expensive-looking art on the walls. The faint scent of cologne lingering in the air.
"Wow…" she muttered under her breath. "So the crown prince actually lives in a palace."
Still half-carrying him, she guided him down the hall until she found the bedroom. She pushed the door open and nearly froze again. The bed was neatly laid, spotless white sheets, everything tucked to perfection. There was not a sock out of place.
"…Huh. So Seo Minho is a neat freak."
She struggled to place him onto the mattress, panting. As he flopped down, something red in the corner caught her eye. She turned, and instantly grimaced.
A bra.
Bright red. Just lying on the armchair like a trophy.
"Ugh, seriously?" She recoiled. "Gross. Disgusting."
Rolling her eyes, she turned to leave, brushing her hands together as if ridding herself of his nonsense. But before she could step away, a sudden grip clamped around her wrist.
Her heart skipped.
Minho's eyes were still closed, his brows knit tight as though trapped in a nightmare, but his voice came out raw, broken.
"Mum… don't leave me. Don't leave me alone with him. Please. Please come back…"
Haeun froze, her lips parting. She stared at him, the mighty, arrogant Seo Minho, begging like a lost child.
"…Mum?" she whispered under her breath. What on earth was he talking about? Who was "him"?
But his grip slackened, his hand sliding off hers, and the spell broke.
Heart still pounding, Haeun quickly turned, stepped out of the room, and shut the door behind her. She didn't stop moving until she was outside, the cold air rushing into her lungs.
Only then did she let herself exhale.
"What are you hiding, Seo Minho…"