Chapter 68: Craving Ice Cream

“Yo, yo, yo, the foam on this is seriously delicious. You might think it’s just filling space, but try it with and without the foam, and there’s a huge difference.”

“Hyung, are you doing this on purpose? It feels worse than before.”

“So being a chatterbox isn’t just an act; it’s real, huh…”

“I don’t even like beer foam.”

“That’s because you haven’t been to a really good place. I’ve been going around since I was twenty, trying all kinds of places, and in my opinion—”

“Save it for later and let’s just toast.”

“Cheers!”

Everyone lifted their glasses, and the clinking sound followed.

The beer, cold enough to chill your teeth, went down with a refreshing gulp.

As I drained my glass in one go, a concerned voice came from beside me.

“Ahhh!”

I set my glass down with a clink and turned to see Lily staring at me with a surprised expression.

“Wow, you drank a full 500ml in one go?”

“You must’ve been really thirsty.”

“Teacher, drink slowly. You’ll regret it if you go too fast.”

Honestly, the comment hurt my pride.

It’s just beer, after all.

Who gets drunk from drinking a little beer?

Well, someone like me, apparently.

I couldn’t argue since I had a track record.

Thinking about it again, I understood why my teammates reacted that way.

If I got drunk like last time, completely out of it, it would definitely be a hassle for them to handle the aftermath.

“Alright, alright.”

So, I replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, I ordered another beer, thinking this much should be fine.

After all, I hadn’t really had a proper drink since the start of this team dinner.

Thanks to Lily’s constant watch over me, she kept taking my drinks away for some reason, sitting beside me like a guard.

Now that her guard was down, this was my chance.

Besides, it was just beer.

This time, I felt confident I could drink responsibly without getting too tipsy.

Humming a little tune, I took another sip.

No wonder Han Kang was so confident; this place was pretty good.

“Te-eacher, you shouldn’t drink so fast, ugh.”

Even while slightly drunk, Lily was nagging at me.

I tore a piece of dried pollock and popped it into her mouth.

Just in case it felt dry, I dipped another piece in sauce and fed it to her.

Since someone had put effort into giving her food, she couldn’t spit it out.

She even drank some beer afterward, seemingly thirsty.

Chewing and swallowing dutifully, she ate well.

Watching her like this, I suddenly understood why mothers enjoyed feeding their children.

The way she accepted the food was oddly endearing.

“Wait a minute. Um.”

This was, in a way, a countermeasure.

Blocking her mouth and controlling her actions couldn’t be more effective.

Every time I drank a glass of beer, I handed her a piece of pollock.

To avoid monotony, I alternated with dried squid and yellow corvina as well.

The result?

Lily was too busy nibbling on the snacks I gave her, her hands constantly moving to her mouth.

Noticing the quietness, I turned to see the rest of the team sneaking glances at me.

“Teacher, you’re really good at preparing snacks.”

“It’s like you’re… raising her or something.”

Had I been hoarding all the snacks?

Realizing this, I placed some pre-prepared pollock and yellow corvina on each teammate’s plate, moving from left to right in order.

It felt almost like a mini-game.

And then it happened—someone extended a plate that didn’t belong to any of the team members.

I lifted my head to see the owner of the hand holding out the plate. It was a well-built young man, awkwardly smiling at me.

When our eyes met, he seemed to momentarily catch his breath, his eyelids fluttering slightly before he raised his voice.

“I lost a drinking game, so can I take just one piece of pollock?”

“Pollock?”

“Yes.”

What was this about asking for pollock instead of alcohol?

I sighed inwardly, already seeing through his intentions. This had happened before at other bars, and now it was happening here, too.

I’d thought such a small, tucked-away spot wouldn’t attract this kind of behavior, but I was wrong.

The sudden appearance of this uninvited guest left our table in silence.

The atmosphere grew oddly uncomfortable.

My teammates coughed awkwardly and exchanged glances, but the young man just kept smiling at me, his gaze unwavering.

He was clearly a strong-willed type.

He didn’t seem oblivious, either—he was probably doing this intentionally.

Is this what they call someone with a dominant personality?

I couldn’t understand it. Did receiving snacks from me have some special meaning?

I decided I’d just hand over a piece of pollock and send him on his way—no afterparty invites or sharing of phone numbers.

With that in mind, I reached for my chopsticks.

“Nom!”

Lily, who had been sitting quietly beside me, suddenly sprang into action.

Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, and she had already eaten all the snacks I’d given her earlier.

Now, she was shoveling the remaining pieces of pollock into her mouth as well.

And with a bold, reddened face, she began chewing them fiercely, as if to show off to the young man.

For a moment, the man’s poker face faltered.

An expression of disbelief flashed across his face, though it quickly disappeared.

His gaze then shifted toward the remaining dried yellow corvina.

“Well, then, could I at least take a piece of corvina…”

It was as good as a rejection, but the man didn’t give up.

However, the corvina wasn’t something I could give him either—not anymore.

Lily had already devoured all the remaining corvina as well.

“What the… seriously…”

Lily’s ferocious demeanor must have left the man feeling overwhelmed.

Eventually, he couldn’t maintain his cheerful smile any longer.

“Oh dear, our Lily must have been really hungry!”

“I wanted some pollock too, but I guess it’s too bad for me!”

“This place really does have tasty pollock, though.”

My teammates quickly lightened the mood with playful banter.

I couldn’t help but chuckle along, letting out a sound like air escaping from a balloon.

The young man clicked his tongue and eventually returned to his seat.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha! Lily, you’re amazing!”

“Did you see his face? He looked like he was thinking, ‘What’s with this person?’”

“Seriously, though, who does that in a bar? This isn’t even a fancy emotional pub—this place has a completely different vibe.”

Meanwhile, I couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of discomfort.

I wondered if I’d caused trouble for others because of me.

“What? No, why would you think that? This wasn’t your fault at all.”

“Everything worked out fine, so don’t worry about it. Honestly, you must get so tired of it. With your looks, I’m sure all kinds of people bother you.”

“Next time, let’s go to a private restaurant or something. Today’s spot wasn’t the best choice. I’ve been visiting places like that since I was twenty, so I know them all.”

Their warm smiles and reassuring words eased my concerns.

Having Camilla’s body, with its enhanced vision and reaction speed, I could tell they weren’t lying.

When people lied or hid their intentions, subtle expressions would flash across their faces.

But these people didn’t show even the slightest hint of deceit.

For some reason, my chest felt warm. If I were to describe it in Lily’s terms, I’d say my heart felt all fuzzy and warm.

Lily?

Come to think of it, she hadn’t said a word since she devoured the pollock and dried yellow corvina earlier.

Curious, I turned my head to look at her.

“Ugh.”

Ah, this was trouble.

“I’m sorry, teacher…”

“It’s okay. Do you feel less drunk now?”

Lily lowered her head, hiding her face behind her sleeve. She didn’t need to feel this apologetic.

Wait, no. She wasn’t apologizing—she was embarrassed.

Perhaps from stuffing herself with too much food, Lily had come dangerously close to decorating the pub table with a pancake of her own making.

I had quickly noticed and rushed her to the restroom.

After patting her back, I texted the team members to let them know they could keep drinking without us.

Thankfully, there was no vomit on her clothes, nor was her condition particularly bad. Once everything was cleaned up, we could return.

Yet Lily, who seemed to have a touch of teenage sentimentality, couldn’t bring herself to meet my gaze even after we were done.

Was this really something to be so embarrassed about?

She said she was 23. Surely, at university welcome parties or retreats, it wasn’t uncommon for people to pat each other’s backs or clean up after incidents like this.

“I only graduated high school…”

“I see.”

She explained that she hadn’t had many opportunities to attend such gatherings, nor had she ever overdrunk like this before.

While she had thrown up before, it was the first time she’d been guided to the restroom while someone else heard the sounds and saw the mess.

“Are you sure nothing got on you? There shouldn’t be, right?”

“Looks like there isn’t.”

Since I had gotten her to the restroom in time, there wasn’t any collateral damage.

Even so, her anxious demeanor made me wonder if there was something she’d missed.

Ah, the handkerchief I used to wipe her mouth earlier had a strange mark on it.

The discoloration was unmistakable.

“P-please give it to me! I’ll wash it and return it!”

“Oh, you don’t have to go that far…”

“No, no! It has to be cleaned! It absolutely must!”

Lily quickly snatched the handkerchief from my hands before I could even protest, folding it up and stuffing it into her pocket.

Seeing her so desperate, I didn’t see a reason to refuse.

“Shall we head back now? The others must be worried.”

“Okay…”

We began walking slowly.

Despite claiming she was sober, Lily stumbled unsteadily, her gait not much different from before we entered the pub.

The only difference now was that her mind was clear.

“Th-thank you.”

“Careful not to fall.”

Step by cautious step, Lily held onto my hand, her slightly flushed face looking down as she walked.

Together, we exited the building where the restroom was, taking one step at a time.

“If we walk for a bit, the fresh air should help. Or we could stop by a convenience store for a hangover remedy. Actually, we could grab some for the others too.”

“Y-yes, let’s do that.”

Lily nodded as I led her down the road, her hand still in mine.

While checking a map app for the nearest convenience store, I stopped in my tracks, spotting something.

It was a brightly lit shop, even in the dark night.

To be precise, it was an unmanned ice cream discount store.

For some reason, it piqued my interest.

I had a sudden craving for something sweet. Didn’t they say ice cream could help with sobering up?

With that thought, I turned to Lily, my voice slightly excited.

“How about some ice cream before we go?”