"Sunghan, over here!" Kang Min-hyuk called out, waving me over with a grin.
Thanks to his casual invitation, I slid into the seat next to his girlfriend, Amber—or Yena, as she was known here. I was the only one at this reunion who knew her secret identity. The quest about "hiding her true nature" made it clear that even Min-hyuk, her boyfriend of seven years, was in the dark.
That knowledge made it hard to shake the image of Amber in her revealing streaming outfits, and I felt a twinge of discomfort. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I tried to act natural and struck up a conversation with Yena. Since we were all alumni and presumably the same age, I kept it casual.
"Hey, what was your name again?" I asked, feigning forgetfulness.
She blinked, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Seriously? It's Yena. Don't tell me you forgot—we used to hang out all the time, you, me, and Min-hyuk."
Her easy mention of shared memories caught me off guard. The three of us were close, huh? That's a bold move, third-wheeling a couple like that. Was I clueless in this world? Or maybe I had a crush on her, stubbornly tagging along despite their relationship? Either way, those memories didn't exist for me.
It was kind of wild to think about. After graduation, I'd somehow forgotten Yena, only to fall hard for Amber, the adult streamer. Now, knowing they were the same person, it felt like my tastes hadn't changed at all—like I'd been drawn to Yena all along.
And honestly? I got why. As Amber, her face was half-hidden by a mask, but up close, Yena's beauty was striking. Her soft, innocent features clashed with her jaw-dropping figure, creating a magnetic contrast that could drive anyone wild. Every slight movement sent her chest swaying, and I had to fight the urge to stare.
Get it together, I scolded myself. My pent-up desires, bottled up from my ex's insistence on premarital chastity, had been unleashed with Hanna. Now, they were roaring back to life, making me feel like a hormonal teenager. Was my skill amplifying this? I wasn't usually this unhinged, but one glance at Yena's curves had me painfully hard, my jeans feeling tighter by the second.
I'd heard alcohol could dull arousal, so I downed some soju and beer, but it didn't help. If anything, it made things worse.
Clatter!
A sudden noise snapped me out of it. Yena had dropped her spoon, the metal clinking against the floor. It was a common drinking party mishap, but some of the guys pounced on it like vultures.
"Yena's drunk!" one teased.
"Min-hyuk, man, take care of your girl!" another chimed in.
"I'm not drunk!" Yena protested, her voice clear and steady. She didn't seem tipsy at all—her face wasn't flushed, and her movements were precise. If anything, she was handling her liquor better than most of the table. I wasn't drunk either; I'd always had a high tolerance.
Yena ducked under the table to retrieve the spoon. From my angle, the view was… distracting. As she bent over, her chest pressed against her knees, shifting softly, while the curve of her slim waist and full hips stood out. For a split second, it felt like she was teasing me on purpose. My barely calmed arousal surged back, painfully obvious.
Am I that desperate? I thought, mentally reciting the national anthem to distract myself. But Yena stayed under the table longer than expected. Had the spoon rolled somewhere tricky?
Finally, she emerged, looking slightly winded. Her cheeks were flushed now, and small beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. She clutched her phone, her breathing uneven. Odd—she'd seemed fine just moments ago. Why the sudden change? Was she exhausted from the search?
As I studied her profile, our eyes met. Yena flinched, quickly looking away, then pulled out her phone and started typing. Sitting taller, I could just glimpse her screen over her shoulder. It was an SNS app with an "X" logo—X, no doubt. She finished her post, sighed deeply, and chugged her beer.
"Damn, Yena's killing it!" one friend cheered.
"Min-hyuk, step up, man!" another teased.
"You okay, Yena?" Min-hyuk asked softly, his concern quiet but genuine.
Yena just nodded, brushing it off. I was dying to know what she'd posted, but I couldn't exactly lean over and check. Then it hit me—I could use my phone.
I opened X and searched for Yena's account. Thanks to our apparent history, I was still following her, but there were no new posts. On a hunch, I searched for Amber's account. Bingo. Her latest post was fresh, and it made my jaw drop.
[The guy next to me has a dick size… so hot…]
I stole a glance at Yena. She was smiling serenely at Min-hyuk, as if she hadn't just posted something so brazen. The rest of her thread was even wilder:
[I'm so horny these days, and I saw an erect dick.]
[I'm gonna get my boyfriend drunk tonight and take him.]
[Ugh, but he'll probably pass out again…]
[Haa, I want to be raped.]
I nearly choked. Her innocent exterior hid a shockingly vulgar side. Conquering her might not be as hard as I'd thought—she was already a bundle of untamed desires.
But one thing nagged at me: the hidden quest. My first quest had rewarded me with two skills through a hidden objective, and I was betting this one had something similar. The key seemed to be how thoroughly I completed the main quest, but I hadn't figured out the best approach yet.
Clang!
Another clatter broke my thoughts. This time, it was Min-hyuk, his spoon hitting the floor.
"Min-hyuk's wasted!" someone laughed.
"Already? Dude's got no tolerance," another said.
"Let's send Min-hyuk and Yena home. We'll hit up round two without 'em."
Min-hyuk was a mess—his face beet-red, his body swaying like he could barely sit upright. The group naturally suggested sending the couple home, and I saw my chance.
"I'll take Min-hyuk," I offered. "Yena can't carry him on her own."
Given Min-hyuk's state and Yena's petite frame, no one objected. Our supposed history as a trio probably helped my case. I had two reasons for volunteering: I figured learning more about Min-hyuk might reveal a hidden quest clue, and it'd give me a chance to get closer to Yena.
"Alright, we're off," I said.
"Catch you next time!" the group called out.
"Stay in touch!" another added.
The three of us left, blending into the chaotic night streets of Hongdae, where groups of drunk friends and their sober escorts were a common sight.
"Ugh…" I grunted, struggling to support Min-hyuk's dead weight. Dragging a grown, intoxicated man to the road for a taxi was no joke. I was tempted to dump him on the sidewalk, quest be damned.
"You can head out, Yena," I said, half-hoping she'd take the hint.
She shook her head. "How's he supposed to get home without me?"
Fair point. Min-hyuk was out cold, snoring like he didn't have a care in the world. I doubted he could even mumble his address to a driver. Waking him seemed like a lost cause, too, despite the blaring noise, cigarette smoke, and scantily clad passersby that filled Hongdae's streets.
We reached the road, and there was no need to call a taxi—plenty were lined up, ready to scoop up the night's drunkards. As we piled in, Yena gave the driver the address. "Saekkum Villa 301, next to the tax office."
"Yes, ma'am," the driver replied.
I sank into the front passenger seat, finally able to relax. A quick search on my phone showed the villa wasn't far from Hongdae—we'd be there soon. Min-hyuk and Yena took the back seat, where he promptly slumped against the cushion, snoring louder than ever. Yena, meanwhile, was glued to her phone, her fingers flying across the screen with impressive speed.
Is she posting as Amber? I wondered. Sure enough, a quick check of Amber's X account confirmed it. Nothing major—just a short post announcing a break from streaming tonight.
An idea sparked. If I play this right…
The taxi pulled up in front of Saekkum Villa, and I braced myself for the next step.