"Finally, the Asia preliminaries are over. We’ve really been running breathlessly."

"Well, technically it was over yesterday. If you count the duo and squad events, there’s still about a month left. Not that we need to worry about those though…"

"True. Time really flies."

Clink.

At 1 a.m. on Monday morning, somewhere in the eSports stadium, two crimson-filled glasses clinked together, echoing a refreshing sound through the air. The liquid inside vibrated slightly before being drawn to the lips of the two people sitting across from each other.

The table, though not large, was elegant, and next to the wine glasses were various appetizers and several wine bottles. Cheese, ham, chocolate, canapés, and shrimp were all lined up, waiting to be savored.

The fresh scent of wine filled the room, while Yu-jin and I chatted, seated comfortably together.

"Wow! Drink! Drink! Drink!"

"…Seems like the next room is having a wild time."

"Weren’t they like that when you and I were there too? They must have iron stomachs. If we hadn’t left early, we might not have made it."

"True enough."

Sip.

Even as the whiskey slid down my throat, my gaze kept drifting across the table. Through the glass, I watched Yu-jin, her sharp, yet delicate features contrasting with the small, dainty way she handled her drink. She didn’t seem used to alcohol—at least, it didn’t look like she drank often.

And yet, despite having already had a bit to drink, here she was, acting like someone tasting alcohol for the first time.

That’s right, as hinted earlier, we’d already had a successful preliminary round, followed by a dinner party with about 30 other people, including drinks. In other words, this was our second round.

Seeing her like this, it was clear—Yu-jin was as consistent as ever.

"Yu-jin, your face is really red."

"…I told you. My face turns red really quickly."

"Is that because you’re a manifestor?"

"…"

Yu-jin shook her head slightly in a rare display of modesty. I wanted to react, but she opened her mouth a beat faster than I could.

"I think I’m just weak with alcohol."

"Yeah, I can tell. How many drinks did you have back there? Three, maybe four? That’s like half a bottle of soju, right? And your face got that red?"

"…Stop making me repeat myself."

Well, people don’t always understand their own bodies. It was better to just let it go. Honestly, that was the only option. I didn’t want to keep asking questions and make things awkward.

Still, based on what I’d seen so far… I wasn’t so sure she was actually that weak. If she were really weak, she’d probably be passed out by now. But here she was, still drinking, even though she claimed otherwise.

Then again, she was starting to look different from how she usually did. The more she drank, the softer her demeanor became.

At least, that’s how it seemed to me.

‘Come to think of it, do I have any drinking habits…?’

On the outside, people often told me I looked like the type to enjoy sipping fine wine with expensive appetizers while gazing at the night view. But the truth was, I was just a regular person with a perfectly normal liver, born and raised in Korea. I didn’t have a close relationship with alcohol, but it’s not like I had no experience with it either.

As far as I could remember, no one had ever told me I had a weak tolerance. I wasn’t sure if I was considered strong, but at least I wasn’t known for being weak. In fact, I was usually one of the last people standing at any drinking party.

One thing I’d heard a few times, though, was that I tended to get a little chatty. Maybe that was my drinking habit.

Anyway, the appetizers were good, and the wine was top-notch, so instead of the usual bitterness, I was tasting its aroma, acidity, and a host of other flavors. It just made the wine go down even smoother.

Yu-jin agreed that it was good wine. She kept sipping, even asking a few times if it was okay to have more.

"Yu-jin, you get quieter when you drink."

"…Do I? I’m not sure."

"You also seem a little spaced out."

What was certain was that the sharp confidence and charisma Yu-jin always displayed were nowhere to be found. Her once sharp eyes had softened, and her normally serious expression had given way to an innocent look—a look that seemed more fitting for someone her age. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of life she’d lived to be this way.

…Or maybe I was just getting sentimental because of the alcohol.

"You know, you look a lot better when you’re not frowning all the time. Try relaxing a bit."

"I do try to relax."

"That’s what you call relaxing? I mean, doing things that make you happy for your age, like hanging out with friends, drinking…"

"Wait a minute. I’m doing that right now."

"Oh, right."

Thinking about it, Yu-jin had never really been this casual with me before. I glanced at her through the glass as she continued to drink. There was something… softer about her now. She wasn’t the same Yu-jin who constantly pulled off outrageous stunts and justified them with her incredible skills.

I’d thought I was the one feeling tipsy, but seeing her like this sobered me right up. It seemed like tonight, I’d be the only one going to bed with a clear head.

Meanwhile, Yu-jin was picking up the pace, drinking a bit more rapidly now. For someone who claimed to be weak, she sure was handling her alcohol well. Maybe when she said she was weak, she meant she wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow. Who knows?

Whatever the truth was, I figured it’d reveal itself soon enough.

"Yu-jin, do you have any fun stories to share? Like something you’ve been wanting to talk about, or any future plans… Honestly, with the amount of alcohol we’ve had, we could talk until sunrise."

"Uh… I’m not really that interesting."

"Well, if all stories were entertaining, we’d all be comedians. No pressure, though. Just anything you feel like talking about?"

"Well…."

There was a brief pause. I had a gut feeling that she might need more alcohol to open up further, so we clinked glasses one more time. This time, I decided to break the silence myself.

"By the way, Yu-jin, I heard from Harmony that you once showed her how you can make a heart shape with your tail? Is that true?"

"…Oh my god. Yeah, I can do it."

"Show—"

Before I could even finish asking, Yu-jin, with a slight grumble about why people were so fascinated with her tail, gave in and started moving it.

Under the soft light of the ceiling, the scales of her tail shimmered beautifully as it wavered through the air. And sure enough, it slowly formed a loose heart shape. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It struck me that this was a form of affection unique only to her. I wondered, would Yu-jin ever show this to someone she might date in the future?

But honestly, I wasn’t sure that day would ever come.

"…Do you want to see more? I’m starting to feel a little self-conscious."

"Huh?"

We locked eyes for a brief moment.

Her gaze, still tinted red, quickly darted away, her blush deepening. I chuckled softly and reassured her that she could stop if she wanted to. The tail slowly uncurled and lowered back down.

And then, with a slight pause, Yu-jin added quietly:

"I only show this to people I trust, you know."

"Wow, I’m honored. So does that mean I can touch it?"

"Your desire is showing."

"Ah, must be the alcohol talking."

Then, something soft pressed against my thigh.

Yu-jin, with a curious yet slightly mixed expression, asked:

"…Is this really something people like? Everyone seems so fascinated with it. Why does everyone love tails so much?"

"Well, the texture is nice. It's pretty, too. Soft and squishy… Plus, we don’t have tails, so we’re naturally curious about them… Though I realize now I sound a bit creepy."

"So you've always thought that?"

"…I've only ever thought about your tail, Yu-jin."

"Oh, jeez."

And so, in the spirit of drinking, we ended up talking about all sorts of things—things we’d been meaning to say, thoughts we’d kept bottled up. There were still some topics left untouched, but I figured she’d share them eventually. If not, it didn’t really matter.

I took another sip of the dark red wine.

The wine and the late night blended together, sliding down my throat.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when suddenly—

"Ugh…."

"Yu-jin, come on, you need to get to bed…!"

With a soft thud, Yu-jin’s face landed on the table. Whether or not she was actually weak with alcohol was still up for debate, but here she was, fast asleep, face down on the table. I coaxed her up, the sweet scent of shampoo drifting from her hair. She was surprisingly heavy—definitely not the type to sling over my shoulder.

After about ten minutes of gentle nudging, she finally woke up and stumbled her way over to the bed just a few meters away. I handed her a glass of water, which she drank absentmindedly, still half-asleep.

I sat down next to her on the bed and asked:

"…You’ll be able to sleep properly now, right?"

Soft breathing.

There was no response, only the sound of her soft breathing. I gently shifted her, guiding her head onto the pillow. She didn’t move again—clearly, she was out cold. Whether I felt sorry for her or relieved, I wasn’t sure, but it seemed that Yu-jin didn’t really have any strange drinking habits after all.

Having snacked while we drank, there wasn’t much cleanup to do. I decided to wipe up quickly and get some sleep myself. Yu-jin stirred slightly in her sleep, but remained still as I checked the time.

It was around 3 a.m.

Time to sleep.

Thud.

"…Huh?"

And suddenly, without warning, I was yanked back onto the bed with a force I couldn’t resist. I had no idea what was happening, but as my body hit the mattress, I felt something soft wrap around me.

Soft, warm, and… a pleasant scent?

"Y-Yu-jin…?"

There was something soft pressed against my back—Yu-jin’s tail, wrapped carefully around my waist and legs. And from behind me, pale arms gently draped over my shoulders.

There was no denying it now.

‘…I’ve become a human body pillow!’

Yu-jin had rolled over in her sleep, and I had become her makeshift hugging pillow. What was even stranger was how… plush her body felt. The sensation of her soft breathing against my back, paired with an almost marshmallow-like softness, jolted me awake. But at the same time, sleep was creeping up on me fast. After all, resistance was futile, and I was exhausted from the long day.

Just as I was about to drift off, her tail, which had been wrapped around me, slowly loosened and fell across my lap. For some reason, hugging her tail felt oddly comforting, and I held onto it as I let myself finally relax. The lights automatically dimmed, and the room filled with a quiet darkness.

There I was, hugging Yu-jin’s tail like a pillow, while she held onto me in her sleep.

It was, without a doubt, a strange sight.

‘I’ll have to tease her about this later….’

With that last thought, I finally passed out.

It had been one long day.

Saturday morning, 7:30 a.m.

Owens, waking up at his usual time, found a message notification blinking on his screen. The link had been shared just ten minutes earlier, sent by Logan Blemis. Considering the time difference, it was probably around 8:30 p.m. Sunday in Korea. The video itself had been uploaded at around 5 a.m. U.S. time.

The thumbnail featured Yu-jin holding a microphone, and there was no reason not to click on it. The video was short, only about 30 seconds long.

The title read: Yu-jin’s Unexpected Secret.

Still half-asleep, Owens watched the video, and a faint smile spread across his face.

"There’s always a reason people keep certain things to themselves."

Of course, he didn’t know who Yu-jin was hanging out with these days, and it wasn’t something she would have mentioned. But judging by the video, there wasn’t anything scandalous—it wasn’t like she’d gotten drunk and caused a scene. Still, for the sake of her privacy, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

For some reason, his entire body ached.

Just then, a call came through.

"You’re thinking the same thing I am, aren’t you, Owens?"

"Do I need to say it out loud?"

"Haha, that’s all the answer I need."

Even Laura, a manifestor herself, had once mentioned how her body creaked after being wrapped up in Yu-jin’s tail while drunk… Maybe this was too early of a thought.

Owens chuckled softly as he added something else that had crossed his mind.

"Next time I see her, I’ll have to ask if she did anything strange while drunk. I’ll just say it was your idea."

"What?! That’ll get me killed, Owens… Owens? Are you there? This damn guy, where did he go?!"

Click.

And with that, Owens hung up, ignoring the flurry of annoyed texts that followed. It was shaping up to be a pretty refreshing morning.