Do Not Feed Recklessly - Chapter 4. Part 3

Jia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t underestimate soju. It creeps up on you.”

Ethan, still not impressed, poured himself another shot and downed it just as quickly. Jia shook her head, then picked up a piece of meat and a small slice of kimchi, placing them on his plate with a playful smile.

“Hey, soju can sneak up on you. Make sure to eat something while you drink.” she cautioned.

Ethan paused for a moment, then picked up a piece of bossam and popped it into his mouth.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Whoa, what is this? It’s like steak—it just melts! It looks like bacon, but it’s completely different.”

“Good, right?”

Jia grinned, delighted by his reaction.

“Yeah, really good.”

Ethan replied, beaming and enjoying the meal. Seeing him relax and smile finally eased Jia’s tension as well.

***

As expected, after brushing off the soju as weak and downing it like water, the effects soon kicked in.

Ethan’s eyes began to glaze over, and he started to nod off, his head bobbing slightly as he fought to stay awake.

Jia watched him with a knowing smile, shaking her head.

‘I warned you.’ she thought.

Clicking her tongue softly, she gently patted Ethan’s shoulder to rouse him.

“If you’re going to sleep, at least move to the bed.” she urged.

“I’m not sleeping…”

Ethan mumbled, his words slurring from the alcohol.

“Yeah, right. Your speech is all over the place. I told you to drink in moderation…”

Jia muttered, feeling exasperated.

Eventually, Jia had no choice but to lift Ethan off the table and drag him to the bed. It felt like a Herculean task – he was so big and heavy, and managing him alone was not easy.

‘Why is this giant such a handful?’ she thought, panting from the effort.

“Agh, seriously… so heavy.”

Jia muttered as she finally managed to throw Ethan onto the bed. Her face was red from the struggle and she was out of breath. Ethan, however, was blissfully unaware, sprawled out on the bed without a care in the world.

Feeling a surge of anger, Jia decided to take a little revenge. Smirking, she gave him a playful slap on the forehead.

‘Serves you right.’ she thought.

Then she had an idea.

‘I should take a photo for revenge.’

She pulled out her phone and angled it in a ridiculous position to get a perfectly embarrassing shot of Ethan, completely passed out and oblivious to her actions.

It was rare to see Ethan this drunk. Usually, it was Jia who got tipsy first, making her the frequent target of embarrassing photos. But now the tables had finally turned.

With a mischievous grin, she positioned the camera under his chin, making sure to get the most unflattering angle. She stifled a giggle, feeling victorious at the thought of revealing the ridiculous picture to Ethan the next morning.

Satisfied after taking a few pictures, Jia started to walk away – only for Ethan’s long arm to suddenly wrap around her waist and pull her close.

Caught off guard, she froze, her heart skipping a beat at the unexpected contact.

“Ah!”

Jia yelped, losing her balance as Ethan’s arm pulled her down. When she regained her senses, she found herself trapped in his embrace, completely pinned against him.

“What the hell? Let me go, you idiot!” she exclaimed in horror, trying to pull his arm away. But his grip was unyielding; his drunken state only made him cling tighter.

“Seriously, if you’re drunk, just sleep like a normal person,” she grumbled, struggling in a futile attempt to escape.

The more she struggled, the tighter his arms became around her, until her entire field of vision was filled with Ethan’s chest.

Utterly annoyed, Jia let out a series of heavy sighs, her face contorted in frustration.

‘Of all the ridiculous situations, why this one?’

“Let me go.”

Jia muttered, still struggling against him. Despite her best efforts, Ethan’s grip was too strong.

Most people would have given up by now, but Jia was stubborn, twisting and turning in an attempt to free herself. Just then, as she continued to squirm, she heard a familiar voice, now fully awake.

“I don’t want to.” Ethan mumbled.

“…What?”

Jia’s head snapped up, her eyes locked with his. He was no longer fully asleep; his half-lidded eyes were fixed on hers, and he let out a soft laugh.

“Are you seriously out of your mind? Let go and sleep quietly, okay?” she pleaded, exasperation mixing with her disbelief.

‘Is there something in soju that makes people lose their minds?’

Jia thought, her frustration growing as she made another attempt to wriggle free. But before she could try again, Ethan leaned closer, his face just inches from hers, and whispered in her ear in a low, teasing voice.

“You think I got drunk off that little soju?”

His voice was soft, almost pleasant, but the fact that it was Ethan’s made Jia’s skin crawl. Goosebumps crept up her arms, not from the sound of his voice, but from the unsettling realization that this situation was far from normal.

“I told you this drink was weak.”

Ethan murmured, leaning in closer. Jia instinctively craned her neck back, trying to create as much distance between them as possible.

‘This guy’s lost it. There’s no way he’s sober. That soju has definitely fried his brain.’

She couldn’t care less about his handsome face or the clear, lake-like eyes that could have made anyone else faint. All she could focus on was how completely out of character and uncomfortable this situation was.

“Okay, okay, I get it. Now can you please let go?” she asked, her voice tense.

“I said no.” 

Ethan laughed softly, clearly amused by the panic on Jia’s face. 

“I’ve been thinking about it.” he began. 

“Thinking about what?” 

Jia stammered, a terrible feeling creeping up her spine. Her entire body felt tense as if every instinct was screaming at her to escape the situation. 

“I always thought we were just friends, so I tried my best not to cross any lines.”

Ethan continued, his tone unnervingly casual as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell. 

“I was trying so hard to stay in my lane, like an idiot…”

Jia’s body stiffened, every muscle tensing as his words sank in. The atmosphere was tense and she could feel the alarm bells ringing louder in her head.