CHAPTER 826: CHAPTER 128 - ROSE AND IRENE (3)

Let’s go back to last night, where it all started—when everything quietly slipped out of control.

Rose was absolutely wasted, her entire upper body slumped across the scratched wooden table, a couple of empty glasses scattered around her like fallen soldiers.

"Ughh, aahh...~ S-S..."

She could barely get a single sound out, her words melting into slurred sighs that didn’t even form a proper sentence.

I let out a long, tired sigh, the kind that felt like it came from somewhere deep inside my chest.

It wasn’t that Rose couldn’t handle her liquor—if anything, she usually held it better than most. But sometimes, for reasons only she knew, she’d push herself too far, knocking back drink after drink until she was completely out cold like this.

It honestly still amazed me she wasn’t a total lightweight, considering how reckless she got.

As for me... I knew how to keep my drink down, keep it from climbing straight into my head. I knew when to slow down, when to let the burn sit quietly in my stomach instead of letting it take over.

But now, staring at her limp figure, the problem became painfully clear. What the hell was I supposed to do with her?

Driving her back to the academy crossed my mind for a second—but that idea died quickly. I wasn’t exactly sober enough to trust myself behind the wheel either. My own head felt fuzzy around the edges, and I could already feel the beginning of a headache pulsing at my temples.

My plan from the start had been simple and that was to rent a small, cheap inn nearby, crash for the night, and wait until I sobered up enough to drive back.

But Rose? She hadn’t even bothered to think that far ahead. She had no backup plan at all.

So, like it or not, the only choice left was to let her sleep with me at the inn.

And then, of course, came another problem.

How the fuck was I supposed to get her there?

There was no way I could carry her on my back or throw her over my shoulder. If anything, she was the one who could carry me—but obviously, she was in no condition to do that now. And trying to drag her with her arm over my shoulder wouldn’t work either with her legs looking like noodles, completely useless.

My eyes drifted toward her phone lying beside her empty glass, and an idea started creeping into my head.

There was someone who could help. Someone strong enough to actually carry her...

But should I really call him?

I hesitated, staring at the phone like it was about to bite me.

Still, I didn’t really have a choice, did I?

I picked it up.

Sure, I could’ve called him from my own phone—but somehow, using hers felt less embarrassing. At least it wouldn’t show his name on my screen later.

Thankfully, she hadn’t bothered locking it.

I scrolled through the contacts, and there it was. "Leon" with a little heart emoji tagged on the end. Typical Rose... though, seeing it still made something flutter uncomfortably low in my stomach.

For a moment, my thumb just hovered over the screen, my heart thudding so loud it felt stupid. Like I was about to press a detonator instead of just making a phone call.

After what felt like forever, I swallowed hard and finally tapped the call button.

The phone barely rang once before he picked up. His voice came through so quickly it startled me.

"Hello?"

"Um..." My voice caught. Damn it, why was this suddenly so hard?

"Irene? Oh, is Rose with you? She told me earlier you two were going out for drinks."

"Y-Yes... well, here’s the thing... Rose is completely knocked out right now. I can’t wake her up at all. Would you mind coming over to help me get her to a nearby inn? Just so she has somewhere to crash."

"Sure. I don’t really have anything booked right now anyway."

"Really? Thank goodness..." Relief washed through me so fast I almost felt light-headed. "W-Well, I’ll send you the address then."

"Sure thing."

And just like that, he agreed.

"Wait for me there. I’ll be right over," he said, and then the call ended with a soft click.

When the line went dead, I just sat there for a moment, my phone still in hand, the reality sinking in that soon... I was going to see him again.

And for some reason, that thought made something warm and restless spread deep in my lower stomach, twisting and curling until it left me squirming a bit in my chair.

"Mrhhhhhhgg...~" Rose mumbled something incomprehensible, her head still buried against her arm.

Not long after, he showed up.

Leon always had this damn effect on me. He walked in like it was nothing, and just seeing him made my breath catch a little in my chest. Seriously, it was embarrassing how just his presence could make me feel wet.

"It looks like you two really overdid it tonight," he chuckled softly, eyes drifting over Rose’s limp form. "I’ve never seen her this drunk before."

"W-Well... she likes to unwind more when she’s with me, I guess," I stammered out, scratching awkwardly at the side of my face.

Without missing a beat, Leon stepped forward, bent down, and scooped Rose up into a princess carry as if she weighed nothing.

I couldn’t stop staring. Watching how easily he did it, how steady his arms were—it honestly caught me off guard. Rose wasn’t tiny, and yet he made it look effortless. But then again, Leon was Leon. Of course he could.

With Rose in his arms, we headed out of the bar.

The cold night air rushed against my flushed skin, making me shiver. It felt sobering, and for a second, everything felt sharper and clearer.

It was late—well past midnight by the look of the quiet, empty streets.

"Are you sure you didn’t have anything to do tonight?" I asked, my voice softer than I meant it to be.

"Nah, nothing important," he replied with a small shrug, almost too casually.

Part of me knew he probably had a million things he could be doing, yet here he was—coming all the way out just to help. Even if it wasn’t just for me, the thought still made my face heat up uncontrollably.

"W-Well, where should we head?" he asked after gently laying Rose in the back seat of his car.

"Um... I’ll lead the way," I said, my voice coming out small.

So I climbed in beside him, quietly giving him directions to the nearby inn I’d planned to stay at.

It wasn’t a long drive, but it felt longer somehow, every second stretching out, my heart thudding annoyingly fast.

When we got there, I went to the front desk to rent a room. Leon didn’t say a word—he just picked Rose up again, still in that princess carry, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

As we walked down the dim hallway to the room, the weight of everything started pressing on me.

My heart was pounding so loud it felt like it echoed in my ears.

And I couldn’t help but wonder, why the hell is my heart beating so fast?

It’s not like we were going to have sex or anything... right?