Honbul: Flame of the Soul Chapter 96

“Excuse ! We’d like to order!”

Kang Ibin shouted with both hands raised high. Her voice was so loud that every custor in the restaurant turned to look. Jaegyeom’s shoulders flinched in surprise, and he fidgeted with his fingers. Yoon Taehee, sitting diagonally across from him, gave a small laugh. Jaegyeom frowned faintly and looked away.

“First, two bottles of red-cap soju. Do you have beer?”

Kang Ibin waved at the employee who approached, visibly in high spirits. Pyo Jiho looked up from the nu and stared at her in disbelief.

“Um, Ibin. Shouldn’t we order the at first?”

“I’m thirsty, so let’s wet our throats first.”

At so point, the team mbers had started speaking comfortably to one another regardless of rank. Unlike at the scene, the mood was more like a gathering of friends. That was how close the team mbers were.

“Whew. Chief, please stop that lunatic.”

Pyo Jiho appealed with a frightened face. Yoon Taehee, who was taking off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, chuckled. Even while the team mbers spoke casually among themselves, they used polite speech only with Yoon Taehee. Yoon Taehee did the sa with them.

He was soone with little interest in hierarchy. That was why his team mbers could get along so informally with their superior. Yoon Taehee treated his team mbers as colleagues, regardless of rank. He worked with the team as its leader, not as its boss. However, when it ca to his personal life, he drew a clear line.

He did not create unnecessary hierarchy, but he also did not allow the distance to narrow more than necessary. He maintained close collegial relationships with his teammates, but that was all. Yoon Taehee separated work and private life thoroughly. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he rarely ate with his team mbers unless it was a company dinner like this one.

“Lead Naja Kang, are you excited today?”

Yoon Taehee asked playfully, finally down to just his shirt after removing his suit jacket. His tie was crumpled carelessly in his jacket pocket.

“Of course! Since our youngest is here, we have to go all the way.”

At Kang Ibin’s enthusiastic declaration, the team mbers burst into laughter.

Before long, bright red raw at, several side dishes, and various greens were set out. The alcohol Kang Ibin had ordered also took up one proud corner of the table. When she perford the trick of popping a beer bottle cap off with a spoon, the team mbers cheered and clapped excitedly. The mood was already heating up. The team mbers divided into the soju group, the beer group, and the soju-beer mix group, each choosing the liquor they preferred.

And today, Yoon Taehee chose to go his own way. As he poured pineapple-flavored soda into his beer glass, his teammates nodded as if they were used to it.

“As always, a mixer for our Chief.”

Pyo Jiho gently held out a bottle of soju. Yoon Taehee filled the glass about halfway with soda, then filled the rest with soju. Since Yoon Taehee liked sweet things, he always mixed soda into his alcohol when he drank.

anwhile, Jaegyeom was staring openmouthed at the at cooking on the grill. The words I hope it cooks quickly seed written plainly across his face. Watching him, Yoon Taehee grinned.

“Probationary Naja Kim, a fly’s going to get into your mouth.”

The team mbers’ attention fixed on him. They looked at the youngest mber with delighted eyes. Jaegyeom turned his head with a puzzled expression. Just then, Pyo Jiho suddenly handed him an empty beer glass. Jaegyeom, who had been quietly shifting his eyes around, took the glass. Pyo Jiho slyly glanced at the fat brown bottle.

“Co on, our youngest should have a drink too.”

He quietly suggested alcohol. Kang Ibin’s face imdiately hardened. Having a younger brother around Jaegyeom’s age herself, she shook her head firmly and pushed Pyo Jiho’s hand away.

“What are you doing to a growing teenager?”

Undeterred by Kang Ibin’s disapproval, Pyo Jiho extended the beer ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) bottle again.

“One glass of beer is fine. You’re allowed to drink what adults give you.”

“Hey, an adult has to act like an adult to be an adult. Teach him sothing good.”

“Co on, honestly, people should try alcohol at least once while they’re young.”

“No ans no. Jaegyeom! Drink Fanta.”

A childish argunt broke out between the adults.

“...”

Jaegyeom stared at the nu posted on the wall.

Beef ribs. Beef brisket. Rib eye. Beef brisket soybean paste stew...

“Well, in other countries, I heard people start drinking at sixteen. It’s only our country that’s so strict. Huh? It’s just one glass of beer, co on.”

Pyo Jiho lanted. Yoon Taehee, sitting beside him, showed no intention of getting involved in the question of whether to give Jaegyeom alcohol or soda. He simply sat with his legs crossed and laughed quietly.

“Is that sothing a public servant should say? Is it all right for soone paid so generously by the state to say things like that? If this were the old days, your head would already be off.”

Kang Ibin rolled her eyes and pretended to chop the back of Pyo Jiho’s neck. At that, his complexion changed completely, and he quickly raised his hand in a salute.

“Ohh, my apologies. Pay and I’ll be patriotic. Loyalty.”

Pfft. Jaegyeom burst out laughing despite himself. The two of them were acting so absurdly that he could not help laughing. Then his eyes t Yoon Taehee’s as Yoon Taehee rested his chin in his hand.

Their gazes t, and Yoon Taehee’s eyes curved like half-moons.

“...”

Embarrassed, Jaegyeom pretended to fiddle with his chopsticks while the other team mbers, watching the two bicker, laughed as if they were dying.

In the end, Jaegyeom’s glass was filled with Fanta. Since Jaegyeom did not particularly enjoy drinking, he felt no real disappointnt. It was not that he hated alcohol. When he drank, he liked traditional rice wine or floating-rice wine, but he had never tried modern soju or beer, so he had no interest.

“Now that everyone’s glasses are full, shall we make a toast?”

Kang Ibin clapped her hands and cheerfully led the mood.

“Now, attention, everyone. The Chief has a word to say!”

The team mbers clapped in agreent. Yoon Taehee, sitting languidly with his legs crossed, pointed at himself.

“?”

Everyone burst out laughing. Yoon Taehee looked as though this was the first he had heard of it, but soon obediently rose from his seat despite not having volunteered. Jaegyeom stared at him in disbelief.

Yoon Taehee stood leisurely with one hand resting on the table.

“I was away for a while, so everyone had a hard ti in my absence...”

Yoon Taehee continued with words of encouragent, kindly eting each team mber’s gaze in turn. The team mbers raised their glasses one by one. Jaegyeom looked at him too and hesitantly lifted his glass.

Yoon Taehee’s gaze stopped when it reached Jaegyeom.

“And last but not least... our new probationary Naja.”

A clear dimple appeared in Yoon Taehee’s cheek.

“He’s precious, so please treat him that way.”

It was a short but powerful ending. Jaegyeom’s eyes trembled rapidly.

Precious.

Suddenly, a faded voice he had heard long ago ca to mind. Yoon Taehee’s voice seed to overlap with it.

Ah. There was one more person who told I was precious...

“Well, then...”

Yoon Taehee smiled and raised his glass.

“To our success!”

The Naja echoed him and toasted in unison. Jaegyeom’s hand, having missed the timing, wandered awkwardly in the air. Seeing this, Yoon Taehee stretched out his arm and clinked his glass against Jaegyeom’s. As glasses ca in from every direction, several small toasts followed. Each ti the glasses touched, a clear clink rang out.

Watching Yoon Taehee and the others empty their glasses, Jaegyeom rubbed his faintly flushed cheek. Then he suddenly looked down at the glass in his hand. The lingering sound of the toast left ripples behind, making the surface tremble.

“...”

Hesitantly, Jaegyeom took a sip of Fanta. The sharp carbonation slid down his throat. A corner of his chest flared. The prickling sensation felt almost like excitent.

Until recently, he could never have imagined anything like this. He had taken a test for the first ti in his life, gone to a departnt store and bought clothes, eaten a al fit for a king, and joined a company dinner like the ones he had only ever seen on TV. These days, he was trying so many things for the first ti that every day felt strange and awkward. Maybe he was even excited.

But he must not forget why he was here.

When Yoon Taehee spoke of success, he ant Yoon Taehee’s success and Jaegyeom’s. Destroying the Office of Narye—that was why Jaegyeom was here. They had clinked glasses without thinking, but this was only a brief mingling for the sake of the plan.

And all these monts would beco nothing as ti passed.