Peninsula: My e-sports dream shattered, I chose to become an actor.

"Cheers!"

Inside the private room of the barbecue restaurant, the heat and aroma of alcohol mingled, and the noise almost lifted the roof off.

"Mingye, I really have high hopes for you..."

Director Jiang Xinxiao's face was flushed, and his tie was loosened, clearly indicating that he was in high spirits from drinking, with obvious signs of intoxication in his speech.

He patted Li Mingye's shoulder forcefully, his eyes dreamy yet sincere, constantly expressing his affirmation and appreciation.

Li Mingye was in a good mood after hearing this, and with a polite smile on his face, he responded to the director's praise in a friendly manner, and did not forget to thank the director for his help over the past few months.

Writer Kim Eun-sook sat to the side, occasionally interjecting with a joke, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

The atmosphere at the banquet was quite lively and harmonious; even Lee Min-ho came over with a glass of wine and had a couple of drinks with him. Lee Myung-yeop didn't seem to care about the subtle rivalry from before and responded politely and generously.

There was no personal grudge to begin with, so even if we can't be friends, at least we can maintain appearances.

After dealing with everyone, Li Mingye returned to his seat. As soon as he sat down, he saw Kim Ji-won still in the corner, looking rather lonely amidst the bustling crowd.

Kim Ji-won remained silent, simply keeping her head down and drinking.

As she drank glass after glass of soju, watching the intoxicating blush rising on Kim Ji-won's face, Lee Myung-yeop didn't urge her to drink less. Instead, he silently handed her his empty glass.

"Pour some for me too."

Kim Ji-won raised her eyelids, glanced at Lee Myung-yeop who was smiling, and said nothing. She simply picked up the wine bottle and poured him half a glass.

Li Mingye downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, the spicy liquid sliding down his throat, and he smacked his lips.

The taste was so-so.

He wasn't a big drinker, but he already had a pretty good tolerance for alcohol. Since his body was enhanced, his metabolism has become even more amazing, so this level of alcohol is nothing to him.

"I'll not be able to see Nuna every day anymore, and I feel a little sad about it."

Li Mingye made a lighthearted joke, trying to liven up the dull atmosphere.

As a result, he received a sharp look from Kim Ji-won, whose misty eyes were filled with resentment, as if blaming him for bringing up something he didn't want to talk about.

Li Mingye was also stunned by the glare and didn't know what to say in response.

Since we don't know what to say, let's have a few more drinks.

Li Mingye continued to refill his cup and sipped it slowly.

The bustling surroundings made their little world seem exceptionally quiet, as if it were isolated by an invisible barrier.

Although it was quiet, the atmosphere was not awkward. The two drank slowly, occasionally exchanging glances, creating a harmonious and tacit scene that conveyed an intimacy that needed no words.

After finishing his drink, Li Mingye picked up the bottle to pour himself another drink, but saw Jin Zhiyuan propping her head up with one hand, her watery eyes staring intently at him.

Those eyes seemed to hold a lot of things; emotions that had been hidden by reason and identity in the past finally overflowed under the influence of alcohol.

Li Mingye suddenly felt a strange sense of reluctance.

The peninsula is only so big, and Seoul is even more crowded, so they actually have plenty of opportunities to meet, and it seems that wrapping up filming won't affect anything.

But in doing so, they would lose the opportunity and legitimate reason to see each other every day, and they would no longer look forward to the first greeting from each other the next day.

Lee Myung-yeop has a girlfriend, and Kim Ji-won is aware of this. Without work as an excuse, they might have fewer opportunities to chat, and might even drift apart to avoid suspicion.

The ambiguity will fade with time, and perhaps in the future it will just be a simple relationship between Noona and her younger brother.

This seems like a good idea?

But Kim Ji-won always felt a little unwilling.

After drinking, this feeling of "unwillingness" is amplified infinitely, growing wildly like weeds.

But she still retained her rationality, and her upbringing prevented her from doing anything outrageous, so she could only drown her sorrows in alcohol.

Lee Myung-yeop's heart was also wavering, but he didn't show it on his face, and smiled as he refilled Kim Ji-won's glass.

It seems only natural for a junior to pour wine for a senior.

Kim Ji-won stared at the soju in front of her, her expression unwavering, as if it were both poison and antidote.

Then, she tilted her head back and drank the wine in one gulp, a bold action that was quite unlike her usual self.

Drink more, let your mind wander to the alcohol.

Seeing her drowning her sorrows in alcohol, Li Mingye felt a pang of pity and couldn't help but speak up to stop her:

"Drink less, too much soju is bad for your stomach, you'll have a headache tomorrow."

Kim Ji-won ignored him and continued her actions, sipping the wine as if she were deliberately getting herself drunk.

Before long, her eyes began to glaze over, and she seemed somewhat drunk.

Li Mingye sighed and glanced at the time.

It's getting late, so leaving at this time is perfectly reasonable.

He forcefully stopped Kim Ji-won's small hand from pouring the wine, his tone slightly domineering:

"Stop drinking, I'll take a taxi to take you home."

Kim Ji-won, who had been stopped, pouted a little and shook his hand as if she were being coquettish, muttering something under her breath.

Looking at Noona, who was quite different from usual, Lee Myung-yeop felt a surge of excitement, but he didn't change his mind. He took the bottle from Kim Ji-won's hand and placed it on the table.

"Don't drink it anymore, Nuna. I'll take you back."

Kim Ji-won remained motionless, sitting there in a daze.

Li Mingye thought for a moment, then gently took her soft, boneless hand in his.

Her body trembled slightly, like a startled rabbit, but she did not break free.

Li Mingye asked softly:

"Shall we go back?"

Almost half a minute later, Kim Ji-won nodded almost imperceptibly.

Lee Myung-yeop breathed a sigh of relief and went to greet Kim Eun-sook and the others, saying that he would send Kim Ji-won back first.

He put on his coat and led the dazed Kim Ji-won out of the barbecue restaurant.

A gust of cold early winter wind made Kim Ji-won shiver. He hailed a taxi and helped her into the car.

The driver, a man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, seemed not to recognize them and started the car with a normal expression.

"Where to?"

Kim Ji-won gave the address, albeit with some slurred speech.

The car was quiet, with only the low strains of music coming from the car radio. Li Mingye watched the street scenes rushing past the window, but his heart was inexplicably racing.

Not long after, the car arrived at its destination.

After paying, Li Mingye helped the limp Kim Ji-won into the elevator.

I was lucky; I didn't run into anyone else.

Which floor?

"7th floor..."

Upon reaching the seventh floor, Li Mingye fumbled for the key in Jin Zhiyuan's pocket and opened the door.

The house wasn't decorated much, but it was neat and clean, seemingly reflecting some of the homeowner's personality.

Lee Myung-yeop placed Kim Ji-won, who was muttering in an alien language, on the bed and checked on her condition.

Her clothes were slightly disheveled, her neckline was slightly open, her eyes were half-closed and dreamy, and her face was rosy, giving her an alluring look that seemed ready to be taken.

If this had happened before he started dating Lim Nayeon, he definitely wouldn't have been polite, especially since he had been drinking. You could say he acted out of control while drunk.

But now, his reason tells him he's not drunk, in fact, quite sober.

He couldn't deceive himself.

He's usually only enthusiastic about things for a short time, but this time he wants to stick with it longer and doesn't want to ruin his current relationship because of a momentary impulse.

Li Mingye sighed, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and prepared to turn and leave.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Kim Ji-won opened her eyes slightly, her gaze shimmering with tears, and met his eyes.

"Don't go..."

The voice was soft and trembling, yet the reluctance and affection within were jarringly clear.

Li Mingye seemed to hallucinate hearing a "bang".

The string of reason snapped completely at that moment.

Li Mingye let out a long breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He stroked Kim Ji-won's rosy face with one hand, his fingertips gently caressing her lips, and slowly leaned down.

They act as if he's some kind of virtuous gentleman.

He really couldn't hold on any longer.

A few pieces of clothing were carelessly thrown on the floor, and suppressed groans came from the bed.

"...Wait a minute, I don't have that at home."

Kim Ji-won seemed to retain a sliver of consciousness, reminding everyone of something important at a crucial moment.

"I brought it."

"..."

Kim Ji-won couldn't utter another complete sentence, only broken moans remained.

A night of galloping.