UCCU | Chapter 2.1

He was sleeping so deeply and sweetly. He could’ve slept like this for another day or two, but the urge to pee was so strong that he had no choice but to wake up. Seonwoo, who was squirming with his face buried in a pillow as soft as a cloud, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

‘What time is it?’

Late for work! His hazy mind snapped awake. Do I have any clean clothes? I need to brush my teeth and wash my hair—quick! Seonwoo kicked off the blanket and tried to jump up but ended up flopping back down. Groaning, he looked over and saw his left wrist tied with a cloth.

“What, what the…?”

Startled and flustered, Seonwoo squirmed on the spot. Once he calmed down and checked, he realized his left wrist was tied to one side of the bed, and there was an IV in his arm.

Did I get so drunk last night that I passed out and got taken to the hospital? He looked around in confusion, but the place he was in looked more like a luxurious, spacious bedroom than a hospital room.

He still couldn’t figure out what was going on, but after drinking and getting an IV, his urge to pee was so bad his lower stomach hurt. Luckily, his wrist was only lightly tied with cloth—probably just to keep the IV from coming out. Seonwoo untied his wrist, carefully got out of bed, and dragged the IV pole along as he moved.

There were two doors visible from the bedroom. One wouldn’t open, no matter how many times he tried; it just rattled. Feeling a sudden sense of dread, he headed for the other door. Thankfully, it opened, revealing a bathroom.

After taking care of business and washing his face, Seonwoo looked around the room with a clear head. It was so big and fancy that he was left speechless.

One side of the room was a full window, giving a view of a beautifully landscaped garden, and the sun was already high in the sky, so it was bright. The bed he’d just been lying in was big enough for three people, and there was a huge, thin, wall-mounted TV right in front of it.

Waking up in an unfamiliar place was confusing, so Seonwoo sat on the bed for a while, dazed, before starting to search the room. The clothes he’d worn yesterday were gone, and he was in pajamas—he had no idea who’d changed him. He couldn’t find his phone or wallet anywhere.

The locked door finally opened while Seonwoo was peering out the window, hoping to spot someone in the garden. He whipped his head around at the sound, and his eyes widened.

“…Choi Ihyun?”

“Did you sleep well, Seonwoo hyung?”

The person holding a tray was Choi Ihyun—someone he never expected to see here.

Seonwoo frantically searched his memory and could barely recall running into Ihyun at the vending machine last night. They’d had a drink, then sat on a bench…

What happened after that? Worryingly, he couldn’t remember anything beyond sitting down.

‘Don’t tell me I passed out right there last night?’

Seonwoo stared blankly as Ihyun set the tray with water on the nightstand.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed he’d gotten so drunk that he’d collapsed in front of a hoobae he wasn’t even close to. He’d been to plenty of drinking parties, but to lose control like this…

He sighed inwardly. The hoobae everyone gossiped about for being rude had actually brought his drunk sunbae home and taken care of him.

‘Guess in chaebol families, they give you an IV when you’re drunk…’

Thanks to that, he didn’t have a bad hangover, but Seonwoo, feeling embarrassed, gently touched the spot where the needle had been.

Just how much of a mess was I for him to give me an IV? As he blushed, his gaze drifted to the door that had been locked earlier. Did he lock it so I wouldn’t wander around the house after waking up?

…But usually, doors lock from the inside, not the outside, right?

Even as he wondered, Seonwoo just sat there, still a bit sleepy, so Ihyun poured him some water and handed it over.

“Here, drink.”

“Oh, thanks…”

Seonwoo awkwardly but gratefully took the water. Even with the IV, his throat was parched. He downed the water in one go, finally shaking off the last bit of sleepiness. As he carefully set the cup back on the tray, he spoke up.

“Um, sorry. I got really drunk last night, didn’t I…? I didn’t cause any trouble, did I?”

He knew he didn’t have any bad drinking habits, but just in case, Seonwoo asked with an embarrassed smile, not forgetting to thank him.

“Really, thanks, Ihyun. It must’ve been heavy carrying me all the way here… I’ll treat you to a meal sometime.”

As Ihyun picked up the tray to clear it, he stared at Seonwoo. A subtle, unreadable smile appeared on his gloomy face.

“It wasn’t really… heavy.”

No way carrying a grown man isn’t heavy. …Or maybe, since he’s a chaebol kid living in a house like this, he had someone else carry me? As Seonwoo wondered, Ihyun came over and calmly removed the IV needle from his arm. The touch of his fingers was cool.

“Want to eat? Aren’t you hungry?”

“Huh? Well…”

Seonwoo, feeling bad for causing trouble and now being offered a meal, rubbed his sore arm and hesitated. Plus, he had a reason to hurry.

“By the way, do you know where my phone and wallet are?”

He was getting anxious, sure he was super late for work. The pay was good, but the boss was so nasty, always nitpicking and threatening. He’d never been late before, but he could already imagine how furious the boss would be if he didn’t show up on time.

‘With that boss, he’d probably dock my pay, too.’

He needed to run over and beg or work extra hours. With all the end-of-semester gatherings, his living and food expenses were tight. At this rate, he’d be living on water.

“Yeah, I know.”

With that, Ihyun left the room. Seonwoo listened to the sound of slippers shuffling away, then hesitantly got up from the bed. He found a neatly placed pair of slippers by the bed, put them on, and stepped outside—amazed.

This was the kind of house you only see in movies or dramas. The dazzling white marble walls and the artistic chandelier hanging from the high ceiling made the chaebol rumors seem even more believable.

Sunlight poured in through the living room’s huge windows, and the beautifully landscaped garden outside looked like a painting.

He sighed, jealous of anyone who could live in a place like this. It was embarrassing to have gotten drunk in front of Choi Ihyun, but he couldn’t help feeling a little happy about this unexpected luxury.

“Seonwoo hyung, come eat.”

Seonwoo, who’d been staring at the garden in a daze, snapped out of it at Ihyun’s call. He crossed the spacious living room, following Ihyun, and half gave up on worrying about being late.

He’d always been diligent and never late before—if he begged, maybe they’d let it slide just this once? Mesmerized by the house, Seonwoo felt a rare urge to be lazy. Honestly, he still felt a bit hungover.

“Sit here.”

Ihyun pulled out a chair for him, and Seonwoo thanked him and sat down. Ihyun sat across from him, and the staff quietly set food in front of them. There was fluffy rice, clear soup, and a few neat side dishes—a perfect Korean meal for a hangover.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Feeling like he was in a restaurant, Seonwoo thanked the staff, who smiled gently in return. As the two staff members hurried away, Seonwoo felt a strong gaze. He turned to see Ihyun staring right at him. Flustered, Seonwoo smiled.

“Thanks for even feeding me. I’ll eat well.”

Instead of answering, Ihyun just smirked. Seonwoo couldn’t tell if it was a pleasant or unpleasant smile, and it made him nervous. He awkwardly smiled back and picked up his spoon. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d done something rude to Ihyun while drunk.

The meal was honestly perfect. It was the fanciest, most delicious breakfast Seonwoo had ever had. Even with a hangover, it didn’t upset his stomach at all. After finishing, he nibbled on some carefully prepared fruit and glanced at Ihyun.

“Um…”

“Now that you’ve eaten, want to wash up?”

Ihyun cut him off, and Seonwoo nodded, getting up. When he reached for the dishes, Ihyun pushed his hand away and shook his head. As he hesitated, the staff, who’d been waiting, came over and cleared the table. Seonwoo smiled at Ihyun.

“Thanks to you, I had a great meal.”

“Yeah.”

Seonwoo was usually sociable and outgoing, but Ihyun’s chilly, short replies made it hard to keep a conversation going. Plus, Ihyun was so out of the ordinary, and the house was so overwhelming, that Seonwoo felt a bit intimidated.

Wondering what to say, he went back to the bedroom he’d woken up in. The IV pole was already gone—it seemed like there were quite a few people working in this house.

Seonwoo awkwardly opened the bathroom door. At first, he hadn’t noticed, but now he saw that the bathroom was just as extravagant. In the connected dressing room, he opened a cabinet full of soft white towels.

He carefully took one towel and a bathrobe, then asked Ihyun, “Where are my clothes?”

“I’ll bring them while you’re washing up.”

With that, Ihyun left. Only then did Seonwoo feel comfortable enough to look around the bathroom. He muttered,

“This bathroom’s bigger than my whole apartment…”

There was a huge bathtub big enough for two, a spacious sink, a separate shower, and the dry air was filled with a subtle scent. Even though no one was watching, Seonwoo hesitated and awkwardly undressed.

First, he opened a new toothbrush and brushed his teeth. In the shower, hot water poured out instantly, and as he scrubbed his hair with shampoo, he spaced out.

‘Was the hotel room in Clover Hotel Club this nice…? No, this is even better.’

was a drama about hotel management, and it was his favorite show. He’d watched it over and over, one episode at a time, after long days.