[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 239

No matter how much the location changed, since the people gathered didn't change, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal.

"Try grilling it properly. What is that?"

"Bro, you don't know how to eat meat. Watch closely. Meat has to be well-done."

"Who eats beef well-done?"

"My family all eats it like this? Are you insulting my family right now?"

"...This kid."

Is beef medium-rare or well-done?

A profound debate about something completely useless passed, and the team dinner officially began.

"Everyone worked hard today."

"You too, sis."

"Eat to your heart's content today, and work hard again from tomorrow. Got it?"

"Yup!"

Kim Jaemin replied while shoving half-raw beef into his mouth.

After insisting so much that meat should be well-done, it seemed he ultimately chose to wolf it down rather than eat it well-done.

"He answers well, though."

Honestly, I had thought of something special for the team dinner, but since the people gathered were the same, there was nothing particularly special about it.

Kim Jaemin diligently grilled meat in front of the grill like a part-timer, and Baek Sungahn moved his chopsticks around, picking at the food on the table one by one as if indulging.

Of course, his main target was the enticingly laid-out sashimi.

'Hmm.'

I shifted my gaze to Seo Yeonwoo, who was buried under the table.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, the broadcast of today's match. I was curious what the commentators were saying......"

"Really?"

It seemed Seo Yeonwoo was curious about the reactions to the plays he did well, so he immediately turned on the replay.

"I'm a bit curious too."

"What is it? Let's watch together."

Since there wasn't much else to talk about, the team members' gazes naturally fixed on the broadcast replay screen playing on Seo Yeonwoo's smartphone.

『"Top, you need to watch top."』

『"Graves is getting behind him right now, isn't he?"』

『"Can Lulu survive this?"』

『"But he does have flash! It seems like we should take a look, right?!"』

Baek Sungahn said.

"Ah, is this the part? I thought you survived well in top, but it was quite dangerous, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I barely survived."

The replay continued.

『"Ah, Lulu noticed! But wasn't it a bit late noticing?"』

『"The moment I say it! Jackson used forward flash!"』

『"Jackson's counter skill doesn't disappear even with polymorph! Ah, that's why Lulu's flash just got used. What happens from now is important!"』

『"Is he holding on? Is Honor holding on through this?!"』

As the commentators chanted Honor's name, Seo Yeonwoo's shoulder, watching this, involuntarily flinched.

This kid, how cute.

"Did you see him flinch just now?"

"He did?"

When Baek Sungahn said it teasingly, Seo Yeonwoo shook his head with effort.

"...No. I didn't."

"What do you mean no? I saw it all? You cute punk."

"Actually, I saw it too."

With a feeling that I wanted to tease him somehow, I subtly joined in, and Seo Yeonwoo's face quickly turned red.

"Uh... so......"

At that moment.

Along with the commentators' excited voices, the "Teasing Seo Yeonwoo Season 1" was temporarily suspended.

『"Lulu is dodging Graves' skills nimbly like a little mouse!"』

『"Even so, his health is......"』.

『"Ah, ahh......!"』

『"Uwaaaaah!! A minion! A minion took the auto-attack instead!"』

『"No, is this how it happens? From BLH's perspective, it was a situation where they absolutely had to catch him!"』

"Ohhh~"

"He survived that."

"Oh......"

Kim Jaemin and Baek Sungahn exclaimed in admiration one after another, and for once, even Kim Jihun let out a small exclamation.

To that extent, the play Seo Yeonwoo showed was certainly not lacking in being called a super play.

"Honestly, Seo Yeonwoo is super bummed about not getting POG right now. Admit it?"

"...Don't admit it."

Seo Yeonwoo gave a response that wasn't quite a refutation, but unfortunately, there was no one siding with Seo Yeonwoo at this table right now.

"Even looking at it, it feels like the first game was a top carry. I think I got it because of the pick."

"Right? Look. The POG recipient himself says so."

"That is......"

"That's right, top played really well."

When Baek Sungahn also joined in, Seo Yeonwoo seemed about to say something but then lowered his head deeply.

He was still weak against praise.

"Anyway......"

As is typical when gamers gather, the conversation that followed was about the match that happened today.

"So I was pushing the lane in bot earlier, and I got a weird feeling. So I looked, and the enemy jungler was right there! I dodged immediately, didn't I? Was awesome, right? Admit it?"

"Ah, so that's how it happened there? No wonder. Well done, well done."

Kim Jaemin and Baek Sungahn led the atmosphere naturally, trading words back and forth as usual.

Just then, Kim Jaemin pointed to a bottle placed on the table.

"What is this? Is it alcohol?"

"Hey, leave it alone."

"Didn't we already pay for everything anyway? Can't we just drink it? If we order soju and beer here, I think they'll look at us strangely?"

"Is that so?"

Naturally, their gazes turned towards me as if seeking agreement.

"...Do as you like."

Even if I didn't know if it was alcohol or something else, since it was there, we could probably drink it.

"Nice."

"But can we really drink it?"

"Come on, sis said we can drink it. Who's going to say anything when the person paying says we can drink it?"

At the same time, Kim Jaemin opened the bottle cap.

At the deep aroma that wafted out, Kim Jaemin momentarily frowned before smoothing his expression.

"What kind of alcohol is this?"

"I don't know? It's the first time I've seen it too."

It was certainly not a Western alcohol like whiskey or wine.

But the bottle looked somehow high-quality, and it was written in Chinese characters, so I couldn't tell what kind of alcohol it was at all.

"Well, what does that matter? We can just drink it."

Kim Jaemin truly possessed a simple thought process.

In a way, it was almost enviable.

"Alright, everyone, receive a glass~ OLZ's adorable youngest will pour a drink!"

Kim Jaemin, as if saying this is how social life is, went around and served drinks to me and Kim Jihun, starting with Baek Sungahn.

Should I say his face was thick... anyway, it wasn't ordinary socialability.

'What kind of alcohol is this?'

Sniff, sniff.

I only took a slight sniff, but the strong alcohol smell wafting from the glass almost made me tipsy.

'...Can I drink this?'

It feels like I'll get drunk just by smelling it, and I'm supposed to gulp this down? Really?

While I was momentarily having a staring contest with the glass like that, my teammates had long finished their drinks.

"Huh?"

"Not drinking?"

"Oh-ho, you can't do that. The first glass is supposed to be a one-shot. Right?"

Somehow, the tongues of those saying that seem to be already twisted......

"Come on, you're not doing something tactless like backing out here, are you?"

"That's true."

"I drank it too."

A strange resentment could be felt in Kim Jihun's last words. It probably wasn't just my imagination.

'...This kid.'

Along with that, Kim Jaemin started clapping his hands.

"Rest for one beat, rest for two beats!"

Kim Jaemin started, Baek Sungahn followed, and soon even Seo Yeonwoo and Kim Jihun got into the mood.

"Rest for the remaining three beats, one two three!"

"Drink it, drink it, drink it, drink it~ The alcohol is going in. Gulp gulp gulp, gulp gulp! Gulp gulp gulp, gulp gulp! How long are you going to make me do the shoulder dance~ Look at my shoulder~ It's dancing!"

......What is that again.

It was a somewhat bizarre scene, but I didn't dislike it either.

"Alright, I'll drink it. I said I'll drink it."

When was the last time I drank alcohol in my life?

No... there's no way.

There was no way I, who had grown up in an environment like a sterile room, would have had a chance to drink something like potent poison like alcohol.

'Anyway... why would Mom allow something like this?'

Because it's a team dinner?

Or because she's that confident in my health?

I couldn't know the answer.

No, now it doesn't matter.

Gulp-

"Lee Yoojin is awesome!"

"Kyaak, sis, I'm dying."

Having drunk just one glass, perhaps they were already tipsy, as the teammates' atmosphere became highly excited.

"...Be quiet."

The alcohol I was drinking for the first time in my life was hot, as if burning my throat.

As expected of expensive alcohol, it seemed to have some sort of taste, but it was so hot I didn't have time to feel it.

"Ugh...... What is this."

Why would anyone drink something like this?

Is this bragging about having good throat durability?

"Ahahaha!"

"Alright alright, get your next glasses."

In a daze, I once again accepted the alcohol poured by Kim Jaemin.

...I must be crazy.

"Cheers?"

"Cheers!"

One glass became two,

Two glasses soon became three.

'Huh?'

The alcohol that was only bitter and hot at first, at some point began to feel sweet.

'Something... I feel quite tipsy.'

I felt like I could understand, if only a little, the pleasure of drinking that I couldn't comprehend before.

Seo Yeonwoo, whose face was dyed red like a beet after drinking just a few glasses, opened his mouth in a slurred voice.

"Sis, uh, perhaps......"

"Huh?"

"Pfft... It's nothing."

"What is it?"

With a flushed face, Seo Yeonwoo seemed to hesitate for a long time whether to speak or not, then said it as if spitting it out.

"......Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Phooop!"

It wasn't me who spat.

The cola sprayed from Kim Jaemin's mouth was somehow thickly splattered on Kim Jihun's face, who was sitting next to him.

"Ah, uh...... Sorry."

"......Be careful."