Chapter 132 – Black Magic…! (2)

The day after the brief conversation with Sama Mang, a grand feast was held, just as the elders had mentioned before. It was a gathering to introduce me and Hong Yeon-hwa and to talk about how the Sama mother and daughter would stay as chefs for a while.

Unfortunately, Pung So-so’s older brother had some business to attend to and couldn’t attend, but everyone else was present.

“For the new members of the Pung family!”

“For them!”

As Pung Oh-jin raised his glass, the rowdy old men cheered along.

I don’t know…what is this…it’s scary…

Despite their lack of actual strength, just looking at their fierce appearances made me feel like I could take on a bear with my bare hands. To calm my nerves, I unconsciously looked for Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Munch munch.”

Unaware of my frozen state, Hong Yeon-hwa was comfortably eating the food in front of her.

It was eerie, so I lightly tickled her side.

“Ah…huh?!”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was about to take a bite of the crispy fried fish with some kind of sweet and sour sauce, flinched with a pounding heart.

Then she glared at me and sighed deeply, shaking her head.

“Phew…if you want to eat it, why don’t you just take it? Or what, do you want me to feed you? If that’s the case, I guess I have no choice!”

For some reason, Hong Yeon-hwa’s determined expression made her hand over the fish she was about to eat to me.

Ha! Did she think I was doing this because I wanted to eat it now?!

“Ah~ try it.”

“Ah.”

It’s not like I didn’t want to eat it.

As I opened my mouth as instructed, Hong Yeon-hwa fed me herself.

The tangy and sweet seasoning, the crispy outer layer, and the tender flesh of the fish that crumbled when you chewed it.

Freshwater fish, especially carp and catfish, are notorious for their muddy smell, but I couldn’t detect any of that odor.

“…It’s really delicious?”

“Oh! Is that so? I have to try it too!”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who hadn’t tasted it yet because she was feeding me, blinked her pink eyes and reached out her chopsticks…but then stopped.

“Um….”

And then she swallowed her saliva and stared at me. Even without saying anything, it wasn’t hard to guess what she meant.

‘Since I fed you, now it’s your turn to feed me!’

I raised the corners of my mouth in response to her intense gaze. If she wants me to, I’ll do it.

“Munch munch.”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who had received a bite from me, had a very happy expression on her face. I watched her wag her head back and forth and chew her food for a moment.

“Ack! Why are you only feeding Hong Unni? What about me? Feed me too!”

Pung So-so, who was chatting with others next to us, pouted and whined at me.

“Okay, okay. What do you like?”

“Um…Jin Gaga?”

“I meant something to eat, not me.”

“Yes. Jin Gaga, please.”

“No dirty talk allowed!”

What is she saying in front of so many people!

I lightly scolded her while grabbing a bowl, but Pung So-so just giggled, as if it was amusing.

I always think this, but I can’t resist her innocent smile.

I fed Pung So-so a piece of crispy fried fish with sweet and sour sauce, which I had chosen myself.

It didn’t matter that it was my choice, as Pung So-so looked satisfied as she chewed on the fish.

After swallowing it, Pung So-so smiled and poured me some alcohol.

“Hehe…it’s good, right? This is a reward! It’s not as good as what you had before, but it’s still pretty good!”

“I think so too. It’s really tasty.”

The alcohol I had before…so, it’s not as good as Yeowahong, but it’s still good enough to be called Myeongju.

Myeongju, also known as Jukyeopcheongju, is relatively easy to find. But the aroma was strong and the aftertaste was clean, which I had never tasted before.

I took a sip of the alcohol that Pung So-so had given me.

As I enjoyed the bamboo aroma that filled my mouth, I suddenly realized that the noisy surroundings had become quiet.

“Huh?”

Everyone’s gaze, except for Hong Yeon-hwa’s, was focused on me.

“I’m eating.”

It was the silence that broke the unknown tension, and Samjang-ro, who had attacked me before, spoke up.

“Now that I see you, you seem to like alcohol quite a bit, don’t you?”

“Huh? No. It’s just average…”

Samjang-ro interrupted me and laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! Well then, everyone, let’s all have a drink for our hero today!”

“Right! You’re speaking the truth, Samjang-ro.”

“That’s right. We should welcome the new family, just as Samjang-ro said.”

Nefarious-looking elders with sharp eyes…no, the elders of Pungga, including those who held important positions such as the Chief of Police and the Head of the Law Enforcement Department.

There were about ten people gathered around me, blocking my escape route. And then, Samjang-ro, who spoke first, poured me a glass of alcohol.

Glug, glug, glug.

The alcohol poured generously, overflowing slightly from the glass.

“Jukyeopcheong. It’s a first-class product. Drink it all up.”

“….”

“What are you hesitating for? Don’t tell me…you can drink the alcohol that Pung So-so gave you, but you can’t drink the one that Nobu gave you?”

“I can drink it alone.”

As I hesitated and declined, Samjang-ro shouted with a malicious expression.

“What? You have hands and feet, but you can’t eat or drink alone, so you have to mooch off others?”

“No…”

Desperately, I looked at Pung O-jin for help with my eyes. Only Gaju could stop them.

“Oh…”

But Pung O-jin not only didn’t help me but drank the alcohol with a fascinated expression, taking advantage of my predicament.

This is driving me crazy.

Sama Ye-ryeong, who was nearby, was giggling with her mouth shaped like ‘self-up-self-acquire,’ and Sama Mang just looked complicated without saying a word.

Well, I never expected help from those two, so it doesn’t matter.

I looked around for Pung So-so, who was sure to help me since she was the one who got me into this mess.

“….?”

But instead of Pung So-so, I saw Ijang-ro sitting in her place, shaking her head firmly.

What’s going on? Where did she go?

It wasn’t hard to find Pung So-so. She was trapped in a group of women with Hong Yeon-hwa, a little further away.

Listening to various tips for married life, it seems.

Of course, their intentions were genuine, unlike my disguised malice, but in any case, they couldn’t be easily dismissed.

As I looked at them with a disappointed expression, Hong Yeon-hwa and Pung So-so met my gaze and asked for help with their eyes.

‘Please help!’

‘Save me, Jin Gaga!’

‘Sorry. I think I’ll be the first to die.’

Despair filled their eyes. And mine too.

Samjang-ro, who had noticed me because I was right next to him, laughed with a sinister voice.

“Hehe. There’s no way out. Give up.”

“Kuk…!”

There’s no choice. I have to endure it somehow now that it’s come to this.

I raised my glass with a determined attitude.

Cheers!

***

“Teeeeeeng!”

“Oh, are you awake, Jin Gaga?”

“Huh? Where am I…?”

I realized that I was being carried on Pung So-so’s back.

“Don’t you remember? Hmm, that’s possible.”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was walking next to me, nodded her head with a tired voice.

“You drank too much and fell asleep.”

“…Is that so?”

According to Hong Yeon-hwa’s story, I was initially hesitant, but after getting a little drunk, I enthusiastically drank the most.

After passing out, I instinctively used my inner energy to expel the alcohol.

“Did I really do that?”

“Yes. I didn’t know you were such a good drinker.”

“I didn’t know either…”

I’ve never drunk enough to get drunk in this life.

“Still, be careful. Even if you expel the alcohol, you won’t sober up immediately.”

“Yeah. I still feel a little dizzy.”

I stretched out my body and let myself go, and Pung So-so started giggling.

“By the way, I didn’t know Jin Gaga’s acupuncture was so fun.”

“What was it like?”

“Hugging someone and then throwing them away.”

“What?”

“Exactly. You hugged the person next to you and then threw them away.”

“What the hell?”

Am I crazy? No, it’s true that I’m not in my right mind when I’m drunk…

“The strange thing is that if you hug me or Hong Unni, you become docile.”

“Hmm. Maybe it’s because sleeping with me or So-so has become a habit.”

That could be it. But there’s one thing that bothers me.

“So…I drank like crazy and suddenly hugged and threw people around me repeatedly? In my in-laws’ house? In front of my father-in-law or other elders?”

“That’s right! To add a little more, you didn’t do acupuncture in front of your father-in-law or other elders, but you did it to them!”

“Ugh….”

As I listened to Pung So-so’s words, vague memories of that time began to surface. Fortunately, everyone was strong enough that no one was actually thrown.

As I screamed in horror, Hong Yeon-hwa patted my back and comforted me.

“Well, it was quite cute how you became docile in our arms.”

“That’s not the problem….”

How am I going to face them tomorrow?