Chapter 5 "Because We Were Drunk"

“Jane~ Take care of you sweety pie!” the drunk Mariel teased me as she wobbled together with our other friends.

“Hey! You should help me!” I begged, but no one did. They left Eric on me, and speaking of the b*astard, he is now leaning on my shoulder; half dead-half alive.

“It’s cold~” Eric murmured.

I looked at him and slapped his face. “Wake up! Wake up and go home by yourself!”

Eric only winced, and instead of moving away, he buried his face on my shoulder even more.

“Jane,” Griffti called me.

With sweat on my forehead, I looked at him and felt shy.

“Do you want me to help you? I’ll carry him. Then, let’s take him to his apartment.”

I was happy he offered help.

‘Unlike those silly guys who left me alone.’

But yeah. I know it’s impossible to happen. Because as soon as Griffti tried to hold the drunkard’s hand, he was rudelt pushed away.

“Get lost!” Eric shouted after roughly pushing him. He glared at Eric, as if he’s a bull which is ready to attack, and he said, “Don’t you dare lay your hands on me, you dirty commoner.”

“Pardon?” Griffti gasped, unable to understand why Eric was so impolite.

So, I butted in and explained. “I am really sorry. But Eric is a good person, he’s just drunk.”

At the same time I was explaining, I saw Eric sending him a gesture that he will kill Griffti on his neck. Quickly, I pulled his hand down and gave an apologetic smile to the innocent man.

“D-Don’t worry about me. This is a piece of cake,” I said, dragging Eric away. “See you tomorrow!”

With my remaining strength, I grabbed a taxi and threw Eric inside. Since I was worried if he could go home safely in that state, I went with him.

To pay for the ride, I took money from his wallet and paid the driver.

“Thank you so much, Sir!” I said to the taxi driver who helped me get Eric out of the car.

As the taxi broomed away, I was left with this annoying man clinging around my arms. It will be better if Eric is skinny and weak, but opposite to that, he’s bulky and tall. No doubt why my arms felt all numb as time passed by.

“Hey! Wake up! We’re here in front of your apartment building!” I said, shaking him.

He barely opened his eyes and looked at the building in front of us.

“That is not my house. Too small,” he whispered in a husky tone.

“What do you mean that it is not?!” I asked. “Stand up and go home! Now!”

Eric shook his head and hugged me tightly as if he did not want to let me go.

“What the…” I said with a sigh, as I gave up.

I drank a lot too, so I was quite tipsy. I knew I was reaching my limit too. However, I couldn’t leave Eric outside the apartment building and become the laughing stock of the people tomorrow morning.

Thankfully, the building has an elevator.

“Be thankful that there’s an elevator inside. Or else, I’ll kill you,” I said while we were on the elevator.

Looking at the numbers going up, I heard  Eric murmuring something.

“Tomorrow…”

His voice was deep and husky, and oddly, I felt so drawn into it.

“What?” I asked.

“Are you really going to hang out with that guy?”

“With who?”

“Griffti.”

I was shocked for a moment. How did Eric know Griffti’s name and that we are going to hang out tomorrow? He was sitting on the other table, but it seemed he was still guarding me.

“I will. But don’t think it's weird. I just…”

I couldn’t continue what I was about to say because I felt my head splitting into two. At that moment, the elevator opened with a clang. Looking forward, I saw Eric’s apartment door which is ten steps away from us. For a moment, I forgot what we were talking about because my mind focused on bringing Eric back to his home, so that I can go too and rest.

With difficulty, I dragged him on the way to his apartment. It wasn’t hard to go in because I know his door pass code. My classmates and I usually went to Eric’s place to hang out, do thesis, or to review.

When we arrived inside the apartment, the first thing I did was throw him on his bed; and that’s my second mistake. Because the first mistake was when I stepped inside his apartment even though I knew that we were both drunk.

“Ahhh!”

I fell on his top as his weight pulled me down. I think I was stupid back there when I threw him  away when he was still clinging around me like a Koala.

Wincing, I put my hands on the bed, there on his both sides, locking him between my arms as I placed my weight on my palms and separated my body from his top. As I did, I looked at the man beneath me and realized that I probably looked like someone cornering him from the top.

Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to move. Eric’s eyes were closed. Although they were, he’s still damn good-looking.

That’s the truth that everyone already knew. However, it was weird for me to think that way because I never saw him as a man, a handsome man. Nevertheless, I blamed the alcohol again.

‘I had to go! ASAP,’ I told myself and I started to move. It was then Eric suddenly held my wrist and pulled me back to my place.

“Don’t…” he murmured, “do it.”

His eyelids moved, and not too long after, his blue eyes appeared. They spoke silent words, as they filled with my images. Only my image.

Without realizing, my lips went dry and I gulped nervously.

‘It is because of the alcohol. It is because of the alcohol that’s why I am weak!’  I kept blaming myself like that.

“You are not interested in that guy, right?” Eric tossed a question.

‘Am I not?’  I asked myself. Griffti is friendly and it was fun talking with him. But I knew that I only agreed on hanging out with him the next day because I was curious.

“If not,” Eric murmured, “why do you need to take that guy in the garden? That is our favorite place.”

My lips opened and closed several times, as if I was trying to argue but soon gave up.

“I can’t understand why all men tend to like a monkey like you,” he added, which made me frown.

“You are drunk,” I uttered.

“What made you think so?”

“Because, you have the courage to call me monkey.”

“Then, I think you are drunk too,” he retorted.

“And why do you think so?”

“Because if you are not drunk, then you should have punched my face the moment I called you ‘the missing link.’”

At his words, I laughed so hard.

“I should get mad, but you’re funny. Your words are getting harsher, Eric. I think you really wanted to die and…”

Eric pulled me closer, causing me to stumble closer to him. Before I knew it, we were looking closely at each other. Our breaths mingled together and our lips were a hair's breadth away, and the slightest move would be enough to join them together.

Eric slowly raised his hand, then, he combed his fingers through my hair.

I flinched.

I knew I had to stay away from him but I couldn’t move. While looking at Eric, I just couldn’t damn move.

“When someone is drunk, does it mean it is natural to do something you rarely do?” he whispered with a voice as soft as evening thrush.

Something that I rarely do. I must say I agreed to that. Because if I am not drunk at that moment, then I won’t think how handsome Eric was at the time.

And so, I mumbled, “Maybe?”

Eric looked at me, with eyes that seemed to devour my entire being, right here and then. I felt his hand fall on my cheek and go on my nape.

“Then, I think this is fine,” he whispered before he pulled me closer and kissed my lips.