Gender Reversed Geum Taeyang - Chapter 82

Chapter 82 – Wrong Meeting

“Is Ari coming?”

“Well… from her voice, she seemed in bad shape, but she said she’s coming anyway.”

“Wow… it feels like it’s been forever since we saw her!”

“I know! How long has it been!”

At the drinking spot were three men and two women. Five people in total.

The faces of the three men brightened at the news of Ari’s arrival.

If one were to name the most popular person in the Business Department at Korea University, it would undoubtedly be Seol Ari.

Most male students who were close to Ari had experienced having a crush on her at some point, and these three men were no exception.

In this reversed world, handsome men are treated much better than beautiful women. Except for Yuhan.

Being in a position where popularity was inevitable, Ari became even more special due to her characteristically serious personality, while still being fun to be around.

She was like an idol of the department. All the men at this gathering were excited at the news of her arrival.

However.

When Ari stumbled into the bar after taking a taxi.

Everyone was thrown into panic.

###

The confusion subsided surprisingly easily.

Even though this person known for her serious demeanor appeared with dyed hair, piercings, and disheveled clothing.

They couldn’t make a fuss because her expression looked quite pained.

‘Boyfriend? Ah… she said they broke up…’

The men remembered what they had heard from Ari earlier.

They thought perhaps she had changed like this due to the shock of the breakup.

Though they knew it was somewhat strange reasoning, they chose to believe it since there wasn’t any other obvious reason why the Ari they knew would change so drastically.

Ari already appeared quite drunk, but she started drinking even more at this gathering.

The other men poured drinks for her freely, saying they wanted to comfort her, and Ari had no particular desire to refuse the alcohol since she wanted to get more drunk anyway.

How much time passed like that? Perhaps it hadn’t been that long, but.

“Hey, Seol Ari, you’re really drunk now, stop drinking! Hey, you guys stop giving her alcohol too.”

“Huh…? Ah, I am a bit drunk…”

“What do you mean a bit! Ari, you should head home first, it’ll be trouble if it gets too late.”

“What does it matter… I’m a woman… Let me stay a bit longer…”

“Even women are in danger these days. Can you at least take a taxi?”

“Ta…xi?”

“She’s completely gone.”

Ari was completely intoxicated.

Everyone at the gathering agreed that they should send Ari home.

The men were each thinking about taking her to their own apartments. Even in a reversed world, a woman like Ari was bound to be an object of desire.

But they all decided to step back.

After all, the goalkeeper was gone now. That pathetic boyfriend had disappeared.

Everyone judged that their chance would surely come.

“Hey, Seol Ari. Unlock your phone.”

“Oh… here…”

“Wow. Never thought I’d see the day Seol Ari would be this careless with her personal information.”

Ari’s friend Yu Hana started searching through the contacts on Ari’s phone.

Even if they sent her in a taxi, it didn’t seem like she’d arrive safely.

They judged it would be best to contact family, and decided it would be better to contact her sibling rather than her parents.

Since it was almost night, they felt uncomfortable calling adults, and thought if they contacted her sibling, either the parents would come pick her up or leave her be – something would work out.

“Yu… Han? Hey, is Ari’s brother’s name Yuhan? It’s saved as ‘Yuhani’ here.”

“I remember there was an ‘h’ sound… Well, it must be right. Besides Ari’s boyfriend, who else would she save by first name? Her boyfriend’s name is Lee Junhyuk so this must be her brother.”

“Makes sense, right?”

After the dial tone rang briefly, the call connected immediately.

The voice coming through the phone was too sensual to be a brother’s voice – a low, ominous male voice.

“… Ari?”

“Ah. Hello! You’re Ari’s brother, right? We’re Ari’s friends, and Ari’s had too much to drink and can’t move well, so we were wondering if anyone could come pick her up!”

“What? Ah, um… Where are you located right now?”

After sharing the information, the brief call ended.

Since everyone else was still quite sober to end the drinking session, they all started drinking again and trying to liven up the mood and.

After about 15 minutes had passed.

The appearance of one man.

Dropped that atmosphere straight to rock bottom.

###

She’s not the type to drink that much.

I thought that while searching for the bar in the busy district where Ari was supposed to be.

My current outfit is a gray t-shirt I bought while preparing for cosplay and the jeans I always wear.

In one hand, I’m holding a cardigan to put on Ari.

Early summer nights can feel quite cold.

Actually, I’m just pretending to be considerate by bringing the cardigan Ari left at our place.

With my right hand in my pocket as I walk, glances fly at me from here and there.

Mostly from drunk women. Honestly, looking at those faces, the attention isn’t very welcome but… well, I’ll have to deal with it. This is a gender-reversed world after all.

Up ahead, I can see the sign with the bar name I was told earlier.

Ari must be inside there.

I’ve never seen Ari moderately drunk before, let alone so drunk she can’t control her body. It’s not really something you’d easily see anyway.

I feel anticipation wondering how cute she’ll look with that cold face of hers loosened up.

Rejecting requests for my number, ignoring invitations to drink together.

I arrived at the bar.

Peeking through the window, I can see a table of college students that looks like where Ari would be.

No need to wait.

I pushed open the side door and moved inside the bar.

Hmm.

The bar is.

Hmm.

No.

Why did it suddenly get so quiet?

It’s quite disconcerting to have everyone’s attention focused like this.

Damn. I feel like I’ve ruined everyone’s fun for nothing.

Still, ignoring stares has become quite familiar by now.

I walked steadily towards the table where I could see Ari’s form in the distance and.

When I arrived, everyone at that table froze.

I hear the voice from the phone earlier.

“Wh-what… What brings you here…?”

“I came to get Ari…”

“Are you… are you Ari’s brother…?”

“No, well, um. Just.”

Hmm. What kind of relationship do we have?

I don’t want to say we’re friends.

It’s too early to say we’re lovers since we haven’t gone through the confession procedure yet.

Broadcasting colleagues? I’d have to be crazy to say something like that.

While putting the cardigan on Ari who was slumped over the table, I said.

“Just. We’re close. Very close.”

I give her a friendly smile too, and she looks like she’s about to die from joy. Look at those terrified expressions.

I just ignored it. That’s what this face does after all.

Looking at Ari, she’s staring at my face blankly with a drowsy expression.

I took out some tissues and wiped off the alcohol slightly staining her face.

Why did she come here wearing clothes like this? Looking down, I can see a t-shirt that slightly shows her underwear.

My heart is racing seeing someone who always wears concealing clothes looking like this.

I pulled the hastily put-on cardigan to cover the front a bit.

I don’t want to show more of this to those men right in front of us staring with shocked expressions.

“New-han…?”

Who’s New-han now.

Ari calls my name with slurred speech. Seeing her smile, it seems she still hasn’t properly grasped the situation.

Does she think this is a dream?

Well, it doesn’t matter either way.

I grabbed Ari’s shoulder as if hugging her to help her stand up.

Ari lets her body lean on me as if her strength has left her.

Now it’s really become a hugging pose.

Though touching a drunk person’s body is somewhat strong stimulation for me, it can’t be helped.

After gathering Ari’s phone and wallet, while supporting Ari’s arm, I bid farewell to everyone at the table.

I didn’t forget to smile. My smile might look strange to them but this much is simple courtesy.

“Well then, we’ll be heading out now… Have fun.”

“I’m going…”

Ari also said goodbye to them with a smile.

Still with a drowsy expression, still with a drunken voice.

That’s how we left the bar.

Until I left, not a single sound came from that table.

###

At the time Ari visited the bar in the busy district, Lee Junhyuk was also drinking at another bar nearby.

The faces of the two men sitting across from Junhyuk didn’t look too pleased.

They came out wondering what was wrong when Junhyuk unusually contacted them to drink with a low-tension voice, only to hear that he had broken up with his girlfriend whom he had been getting along with so well.

There’s a limit to how much consolation one can give.

This situation of being made to sit for hours listening to nothing but self-pity wasn’t very welcome to them.

Junhyuk was only talking about himself to the point where the term ’emotional garbage can’ came to mind.

Of course, they tried to suppress their uncomfortable feelings since this had happened to a close friend but.

This endless lamentation was simply unbearable to listen to.

“Junhyuk, you’re really drunk, shouldn’t you head home now?”

“Yeah. You’ll get sick like this. We’ll call you a taxi at least.”

“Don’t worry… I can stay longer… Just listen to my story a bit more.”

He was usually a fairly kind friend and though he could be inconsiderate at times, it wasn’t a big problem but.

Listening to the story, it seemed Junhyuk’s issues were clearly the cause of the breakup, and his subtle attempts to avoid responsibility were uncomfortable for third parties to hear.

The other two men here had some friendship with Ari and knew her personality well.

They had a rough understanding of how these two’s relationship had progressed.

It seemed quite pathetic to them that he had lost someone who had cherished him so much, and here he was acting like this.

After several more tens of minutes passed like that.

“Hey, let’s go home now. Junhyuk, we’ll call you a taxi so take that home.”

“Huh…? I can still drink more…”

“You’re super drunk, you know? You’ll cause an accident! Go home and get yourself together now!”

“Yeah, Junhyuk, if you drink more here you’ll only make it harder on yourself.”

“I still have things to say…”

“I’ll listen another time. Let’s go home for today.”

The drinking session finally managed to end.

Three men out on the street.

The two men supported Junhyuk who was in the middle as they headed towards where they could catch a taxi.

Though glances flew their way occasionally, that much reaction was perfectly normal in such a busy district.

Junhyuk in the middle keeps calling Ari’s name but no one responds to it.

They just quietly keep walking.

As they were walking slowly like that for a few minutes.

Seeing two people walking out from the alley ahead.

“…Huh?”

Three voices overlapped.

The same surprised voice from all of them.

All three men had surprised expressions with their gazes fixed on the same spot.

But only Junhyuk’s expression soon started to change strangely.

“A…ri?”

In an atmosphere where the surrounding noise seemed blocked out.

Only Junhyuk’s voice calling the name of the woman a few steps ahead echoed softly.

Junhyuk couldn’t be sure.

Though quite some time had passed since he last saw her.

That woman in front of him.

There was too much disconnect to say she was the same person he had in mind.

Not her characteristic black hair, but hair with a silvery tinge.

Though it was the same long straight hair he always saw, it was tied up in a way he had never seen before.

Piercings in her exposed ears.

The Ari that Junhyuk knew would stop drinking right away when she felt drunk, but the woman ahead was completely intoxicated and having trouble controlling her body.

The Ari that Junhyuk knew wasn’t someone who would wear such a short t-shirt that showed her underwear. Didn’t Ari not want to show an imperfect appearance anywhere?

Junhyuk.

Prayed that the disheveled woman standing right in front of him please not be Ari.

Prayed that she be a complete stranger he didn’t know.

Junhyuk’s body started trembling with an inexplicable fear.

And the moment he detected someone’s tanned hand wrapped around Ari’s arm.*¹

“Ah… Junhyuk…?”

From her lips.

A name he wished hadn’t come out was spoken.

Of course.

The shock that Junhyuk would feel next when he saw the man beside her.

Would be incomparable to the shock he felt seeing Ari’s changes.

(End of chapter)

T.N. 1. This scene reminds of a certain do*ujin by great mosu 😂.