How Much Is Your Love? by jajajajajazzz at Inkitt

Prologue

Soft music plays in the background as images of busy people flicker by. There is a faint but sharp smell of alcohol in the air. Even though it is nighttime, you can tell that it will rain soon. The air is a bit chilly with a light breeze. Listening to a good song is nice, but if we’re talking about liquor... no amount of bottles feels like enough.

I let the bitter alcohol flow down my throat once more before slamming the small empty glass onto the table. Duen Nao picked up the glass and poured more.

“Nao, slow down. You’re constantly mixing drinks,” Sket, who was sitting opposite us, spoke up.

“North is drinking so fast I can’t even keep up.”

“Then don’t bother mixing it,” I said, reaching for the bottle, but Duen Nao snatched it back.

“Stay sober. You can’t handle it straight. Here, take this glass and then rest,” the person next to me said, handing me the drink again. I downed it in one breath and slammed it back on the table.

“I really hate people with high tolerances like you. It’s such a waste of money!” Duen Nao grumbled.

It was driving me crazy: “I’m not the type with a high tolerance, seriously!” I said, scratching my head. Damn it, I was so frustrated.

“But right now, your tolerance is stronger than your heart, isn’t it?” Sket teased. Looking at him, he wasn’t exactly sober either.

“Exactly!” I laughed, giving him a thumbs up. “Hey, Ikkyu, why are you drinking so little? I’m treating!” I turned to ask Ikkyu, who was only focused on eating. I had won the lottery, so I was treating them to drinks—consider it a late “heartbreak party.”

“Oh my god, North. You’re drunk, Sket is drunk, and Duen Nao is drunk too. If I get drunk, who’s going to collect your corpses?” Ikkyu said, pouting.

“Is Duen Nao drunk too? I can’t even tell.”

“He’s the type who doesn’t show it. He’s drunk, but he won’t say anything. He looks sober, but try making him stand up—he’ll definitely fall over,” Ikkyu said, trying to hold back a laugh at the annoyed look Duen Nao gave him.

There are four of us: me, Duen Nao, Sket, and Ikkyu—all studying Engineering. And today we met up to drink... because I really couldn’t take it anymore.

“Sigh... why, guys? I’m just an Engineering student, what do I have to compete with? Yeah, I don’t have a future, but so what? I know how to take care of someone! Can’t I just have one more chance?” I said. The alcohol made my head spin, so my words were a mess.

“Don’t say that. You’re hurting all of us; we’re in the same major.”

“Do I really have nothing to compete with?” I asked the question over and over, a question they couldn’t answer. Not that I was looking for an answer anyway...

“I don’t have an answer for you, only a straight shot of liquor,” Duen Nao said, handing me a shot glass.

“Huh? Didn’t you just say I couldn’t drink it straight?” I asked, frowning.

“I’m too lazy to mix it.”

“I’ve been strong this whole time... until you gave me this straight shot.” I gave a weak smile, downed the glass, and let the burning sensation spread from my throat down to my stomach.

Actually, I didn’t dare say I was heartbroken because we had broken up a while ago. But the fact that she officially went public with someone new made me collapse. Jaja—my ex-girlfriend—just updated her relationship status with ‘Doctor Temp’—someone she had been talking to since we broke up, or maybe even while we were still together. She broke up with me right when we were about to graduate high school, giving the reason that she needed to choose someone with more of a future.

‘North, I hope you understand. We’re grown up now, so we have to choose someone with a future. We can’t just have an impulsive love like kids anymore, right?’

Yeah... But wasn’t it true that I wasn’t being impulsive?

But what can I do? I don’t have the right to say anything anymore.

“By the way, remember your ex? Does she go to the same school as us?” Ikkyu asked.

“No, she’s at a school nearby. But Temp goes to our school.”

“Is it Doctor Temp? I pray we don’t run into him,” Duen Nao shook his head. “If North loses his temper, it’ll be bad.”

“Nonsense, I’m not that kind of person. As long as he doesn’t make Jaja sad, it’s fine,” I said, reaching for some food.

“Oh wow, so saintly? I don’t recognize North in this mode. Give me back the cranky North from before!” Sket teased.

“North, are you coming back with me?” Ikkyu asked. He was driving today to make sure he could take the drunk ones home.

“No, my dorm is in a different direction. If I pass out, just press the number saved as ‘Messy Roommate’ and tell him to come pick up my corpse.” I said this because I had told Ter I was going out drinking, so I left my motorcycle there and asked him to pick me up.

“Messy Roommate? Ter? He’s not even that bad?” Sket frowned.

“No, he clings to his boyfriend way too much, it’s annoying.”

“...”

“Well, his boyfriend is handsome after all. Who wouldn’t want to cling to him?” Sket sighed. They were close with Ter, so they knew his boyfriend too.

“I don’t know if I’m jealous or happy. I can’t say much because ever since Ter started dating P’Hill, I’ve been reaping the benefits. Sometimes it’s free rice, sometimes it’s snacks. Not only is Ter getting fat, but I’m getting fat along with him. He even bought some stuff for our room. Later on, he’ll probably end up paying for the electricity and water too.”

“A beautiful person and a good person for all time. I want to share some of that luck too, since every month I still have to argue with Ikkyu about the electric bill,” Sket complained.

“Just split it and pay up, you guys,” I said.

“How can we split it? He uses way more than I do.”

We continued to joke around, occasionally clinking glasses, and eventually, our words stopped making sense. Everyone started to slump over, eyes getting heavy, barely able to stay open.

“North, I remember now... I think I’ve seen that Temp guy before,” Sket drawled, his eyes half-closed. “Is that the face? You showed me a picture before.” He pointed in a certain direction.

I whipped my head around instinctively.

...

It really was him.

“Damn, I was just praying we wouldn’t run into him. And who is that sitting next to him? That’s not Jaja.” Duen Nao strained his eyes to look. “Holy shit! North, where are you going?!”

I stood up before my brain could even process the situation. Ignoring the voices calling out behind me, I stumbled toward that guy—the one who had acted so tough saying he would take good care of my ex-girlfriend.

And yet here he was, betraying that promise!

“What the hell are you doing?” I growled, causing the noisy table to suddenly go silent. Every eye turned toward me. Temp looked over, seeming surprised to see me, and slowly moved his hand away from the girl next to him.

“North?” Temp stood up and called my name.

“I asked what the hell you’re doing?!” I didn’t need an answer. I clenched my fist and punched him right in the face with all my strength.

Temp fell down instantly. Screams and whispers broke out everywhere.

I admit, I’ve never been a calm person.

Especially not when I’m this drunk.

So if you ask if I could control myself, the answer is definitely no.

I grabbed the collar of the guy who had just fallen. He stared back at me without a hint of fear. The corner of his mouth was bleeding, but he let out a provocative smirk.

“Are you really holding a grudge this long? What? Are you salty because you lost?”

“You bastard, Temp!”

“North!” A familiar voice called out from behind.

“Don’t stop me! Go home,” I replied without bothering to turn around. Judging by the voice, it was probably Duen Nao.

Temp took the chance to punch back. Normally I could dodge, but in this wasted state, it was impossible. I stumbled and wiped the blood from my mouth.

“Who said I was going to stop you?!”

“Damn it! Nao, why did you punch him too?!” Ikkyu yelled.

“Because they’re about to gang up on my friend!”

“Holy crap! You guys are dead drunk and just hitting everyone! Don’t drag me into this, I don’t want to get hit!”

The small bar descended into total chaos. I punched Temp repeatedly, and he didn’t back down either. Nobody cared about the people trying to intervene or what was happening around them.

All I knew was that Duen Nao was helping me fight off Temp’s friends, and then Sket jumped in too. Even Ikkyu, who usually hates trouble, got caught in the crossfire.

Then, without realizing it, everything went black...

—

“Ugh...” I bit my lip, slowly regaining consciousness. A dull ache ran through my body, and my head felt like it was being hit by a hammer. A faint scent of perfume drifted near my nose.

Wait, is this a dream or am I awake?

I couldn’t open my eyes.

Guess what...

I was either too drunk or my eyes were swollen shut from being punched.

“My head hurts...” I muttered as a sharp pain flared up.

“Who told you to drink so much?”

Huh?

Who is that?

A completely unfamiliar voice.

And why do I feel like I’m being carried?

Oh crap, I’m gonna puke...

Even though I wasn’t fully conscious, I recognized this familiar feeling.