Chapter 91: Roy’s Hidden Weakness

Why was he hesitating so much before saying anything? Roy’s fingertips trembled slightly as he held the champagne glass.

There was a drink right in front of him that he could already tell would taste exquisite just by sight and aroma, yet he was forced to only look at it.

It was nothing short of torture.

Roy fixed his gaze intently on Han Jihoo’s lips.

His well-shaped lips quivered a few times before the corners spread wide into a bright smile.

Holding his breath, Roy waited for what he was going to say.

“Let’s get along well from now on! No fighting!”

But what followed was an ordinary phrase about getting along well. Roy’s mind almost snapped with some harsh words, but he steadied his breath.

“Hyung, why do you say such obvious things like you’re putting on some kind of weight?”

It seemed everyone was thinking similarly to Roy.

Lee Hajun laughed playfully and gave Han Jihoo’s arm a light tap.

“Come on, come on. Let’s toast, quickly!”

Song Doyoon, whose throat was parched, clinked his glass with a clear ching sound.

The others followed suit, bringing their glasses to their lips nervously and drinking.

‘This taste… this is insane.’

The first to finish his glass was Roy.

The luxurious champagne wrapped around his tongue so smoothly that his pupils immediately dilated.

It wasn’t intoxication—he was drunk on the flavor.

“This is really delicious. I’ve never had such good alcohol in my life.”

Kim Jaewoo expressed his admiration.

Roy’s gaze had already shifted to the remaining champagne bottle.

With a broad smile, Han Jihoo approached Roy, holding the bottle out.

“Roy hyung, want to drink more champagne?”

“Yeah.”

There was no way he could refuse.

If possible, Roy wanted to skip pouring into a glass and just press the bottle’s mouth to his lips to chug it down.

Roy took the stem of the glass with both hands and held it out to Han Jihoo.

Seeing Roy sitting in his chair and looking up at him so adorably, Han Jihoo exaggeratedly pressed a hand to his chest.

“Ugh. Hyung, you look so cute like this.”

“…Stop talking nonsense and pour it quickly.”

Being called cute was almost an insult to Roy.

Despite his delicate appearance, he held an unspoken complex about it.

Even though he had won the survival program and debuted, he wished for a more masculine look—someone like Min Junyoung, for example.

Roy glanced sideways at Min Junyoung, who sat beside him and took repeated sips of champagne.

Anyone could tell he was handsome and masculine, and for a moment, Roy felt a pang of envy.

“Beep-beep!” (Me too, me too~!)

“Uh, uh…?”

Kim Jaewoo flinched, raising his glass as Ber flew toward him.

“Roy hyung, can Ber drink too?”

It was the first time Ber had approached him so eagerly, which made him both excited and uneasy.

Ber’s obvious goal seemed to be the champagne in his hand.

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

The spirits had already eaten food in front of them multiple times and even done mukbangs with Roy, so there was nothing left to say.

“You all come here too.”

“Isn’t this expensive?”

“On a day like today, you don’t worry about that.”

Han Jihoo, seeing the spirits eager to join the drinking party, didn’t hesitate and ordered five bottles of champagne at once so they wouldn’t feel burdened.

Roy quietly got up and grabbed the bottle that looked the most expensive, heading to a corner.

The platter of side dishes laid out on the table didn’t catch his eye at all.

Normally, he would stuff his cheeks full, but right now, just the champagne was enough.

“Drink with me.”

Lee Doha sat next to Roy with another bottle of champagne.

He seemed concerned about Roy drinking alone.

“Why only the two of you? We have to drink together!”

Kim Chan trotted over to them.

“We all know you two are close, but from now on, we should all get along.”

Just as Song Doyoon, who had been watching with dissatisfaction, also approached, Roy found himself surrounded by the members, making his effort to seek a corner useless.

At least Kim Jaewoo and Han Jihoo stayed with the spirits, fascinated by them drinking.

“Why aren’t you eating any side dishes?”

Lee Hajun, worried when Roy drank only straight alcohol, pulled over a plate and placed it in front of him.

Roy shook his head despite the plate of various cheeses before him.

“I have to drink only alcohol. If I eat side dishes, it mixes with the taste of the drink.”

“Wow, hyung. That sounded like something only a serious drinker would say.”

Song Doyoon clapped his hands together at Roy’s words, then sneakily tried to pour some champagne into his own soft drink glass.

“Stop right there.”

Although he tried to be discreet, it was no match for an S-rank hunter’s eyes.

Kim Chan swiftly grabbed Song Doyoon’s wrist.

“That’s cheap, really. I’m going to be an adult in a few months anyway! And my dad even tells me to have a drink sometimes!”

“That’s when you’re with your parents. Absolutely not until you’re an adult.”

Song Doyoon protested, feeling wronged, but Kim Chan’s tone was firm.

He looked around at everyone with desperate eyes.

But Roy was completely absorbed in the champagne, Lee Doha was watching Roy curiously, and Song Doyoon seemed invisible to them.

“You want to drink too, don’t you!”

Kim Chan was the same age but only drinking soft drinks, so he must have felt just as frustrated.

Song Doyoon stomped his feet in annoyance at being stopped from drinking.

“Don’t make noise between the floors.”

Roy, who had just taken his fourth glass in a row, warned him.

Through YouTube videos, he had learned a lot about this world’s culture.

Among them, noise between floors was a sound forbidden for the sake of mental peace and preservation of life.

“I’ve never drunk before. I won’t touch it until I’m twenty.”

Following Roy’s words, Kim Chan spoke firmly as well, causing Song Doyoon’s face to redden in frustration.

“And we’re debuting soon. It’s best not to get into trouble. Underage drinking is strictly illegal.”

They all said what was right, which made it all the more irritating.

Song Doyoon huffed and grabbed a whole bottle of soft drink, putting its mouth to his lips and gulping it down.

“Where did you learn to drink from the bottle like that? You’ve got a lot to teach me.”

Kim Chan crossed his arms and shook his head.

Though it felt far off now, if their popularity took off after debut, reality shows filming their dorm life could be very likely.

Just imagining this scene of Song Doyoon getting caught by cameras worldwide sent chills down his neck.

“…I think the roommates were matched wrong.”

“Yeah, you too? I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

Kim Chan had never wanted to share a room with Song Doyoon from the start.

Like before at the company, he wanted to room with Han Jihoo.

If he had his way, he’d want to be roommates with Roy, but since Roy was sensitive to snoring, at least he hoped to room with Han Jihoo.

“Why are you guys about to fight again? This is really delicious. Everyone, try it.”

As the atmosphere between the two got tense, the youngest, Lee Hajun, stepped in.

He stuffed small mini burgers into Kim Chan’s and Song Doyoon’s mouths indiscriminately.

Normally, this might have sparked a real fight, but everyone subtly gave the much younger Lee Hajun some leeway.

“Isn’t it good? This is also really tasty. I guess expensive food tastes better.”

As the sharp looks of the older members softened, Lee Hajun happily placed more food before them.

“Roy hyung?”

What had been a small incident between Kim Chan and Song Doyoon was starting to settle, but something happened elsewhere.

Lee Doha called Roy’s name and grabbed his shoulder.

“Phew…”

Roy lowered his head deeply and sighed.

But it wasn’t a typical sigh—the lips stuck out too far forward.

“Huh. Roy hyung is drunk? From just one bottle of champagne?”

Song Doyoon, who had finally given up on alcohol and was eating, blinked wide-eyed.

He didn’t know the exact alcohol content of the champagne but knew it wasn’t very strong.

Yet Roy was completely out of it after one bottle.

“Lemmee gooo… why are you shaking me so much…”

Lee Doha had only shaken Roy’s shoulder once and then quietly kept his hand there.

That meant Roy was swaying back and forth on his own, thinking Lee Doha was causing it.

“Roy hyung, you’re really weak with alcohol.”

Han Jihoo, who had been bragging about the various drinks he had shown to the spirits, shuffled over to Roy.

“Water guy…”

Han Jihoo caught Roy’s blurry gaze as he wrapped his arms around Han Jihoo’s waist and slumped.

“Roy hyung acts like a kid when he’s drunk.”

Roy rarely showed much expression unless he was on stage.

His mood swings were subtle, and he often remained expressionless.

But now, he was laughing clumsily at Han Jihoo, his tongue twisted.

…They really shouldn’t let him drink anywhere else.

Kim Chan clicked his tongue as he watched the drunken Roy like a disappointed parent.

Roy’s face already evoked strange feelings when he ate delicious food; it was even more pronounced when he was drunk.

If anyone with ill intent saw this, they’d surely try to take advantage.

“Give me more…”

Roy’s eyes were half-lidded as he shook the champagne bottle in his hand.

Only a little champagne remained at the bottom, so the bottle felt heavy but empty.

Even if he tilted the bottle to his lips and shook it, only a few drops spilled out.

“You’ve had enough. Let’s go to your room and sleep.”

If they let him be any longer, he might cause a serious accident.

But Roy was already drunk all the way to the top of his head.

“Beep.” (Tsk tsk. Now that the contractor is drunk, everyone’s night is ruined.)

“Pork…” (Reminds me of old times…)

Roy was weak with alcohol but enjoyed drinking.

The problem was that his drunken behavior wasn’t quite bad enough to call ‘bad habits’ but was still difficult to handle.

Each time, the spirits would leave Roy to the other members like watching a fire across the river and enjoy their own drinking.

The spirits liked drinking as much, if not more, than Roy.

“Eat up and die…!”

While Lee Doha was debating whether to forcibly carry Roy away, Roy suddenly sprang to his feet.

Han Jihoo, who had been enjoying watching Roy flounder while clutching his waist, suddenly grabbed his nose in shock.

“Ah! What’s with that head…”

It felt harder than a rock.

He seemed drunk too, as Roy had no chance to dodge when he smashed his nose with the crown of his head.

“Jihoo hyung, nosebleed…”

Han Jihoo looked down.

The warmth in his nose grew, and a thin trickle of blood flowed between his fingers.