The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 63 - Party (1)

 

 

“Congratulations on being discharged, Yoon-hoo oppa.”

 

“Yoon-hoo hyung, congrats on getting discharged.”

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk chimed in together.

 

“How are you two even here…?”

 

“I brought them.”

 

Seo Do-hwan appeared behind them, holding a cake.

 

“Lee Man-deuk said he has to work overtime again today. He’ll come here straight after, so just be aware.”

 

“Seo Do-hwan.” I grinned as I noticed the sulky look on his face. “Are you pouting?”

 

“Who’s pouting?”

 

“You are,” Lee Yoo-seong replied flatly.

 

“Do-hwan hyung was supposed to pick Yoon-hoo hyung up, but he said he didn’t want to see his face.”

 

“When did I ever?!”

 

Seo Do-hwan protested loudly.

 

“It’s true. Do-hwan oppa bad-mouthed Yoon-hoo oppa the whole way here.”

 

“He said you’re obsessed with work, and he’s going to double-check whether you really got permission from your grandfather.”

 

“And that you’ll die young—dragged away by the work ghost.”

 

“Lee Deok-soon! Lee Soon-deuk!” Seo Do-hwan yelped.

 

Lee Man-deuk’s two younger siblings had just helpfully exposed every bit of his trash-talk, and he frantically slapped his hands over their mouths.

 

“They’re making it all up!”

 

“Sure, sure. I totally believe you,” I said, chuckling.

 

I stepped closer to the cake he was still holding and gently blew out the candles.

 

“Thanks, everyone.”

 

A discharge party, huh.

 

“If I’d known about this, I would’ve gotten off work sooner.”

 

I should’ve just forgotten the interview with Park Ki-cheon and ended it with a warning.

 

“It’s fine—you didn’t stay out overnight!” Lee Yoo-seong said brightly.

 

“If you had, we would’ve dragged you back by force.”

 

Seo Do-hwan’s expression darkened.

 

“Do-hwan oppa, that’s a crime.”

 

“Crime is bad, you know.”

 

“You two sure have a lot to say today, huh? Should I tell Lee Man-deuk that you’ve been volunteering at the soup kitchen?”

 

Silence. Instant silence.

 

Lee Yoo-seong stared at him, wide-eyed.

 

“Do-hwan hyung, don’t threaten kids.”

 

“You be quiet too!”

 

Seo Do-hwan shouted and flicked Lee Yoo-seong’s forehead.

 

“Ow!” He recoiled, clutching his throbbing hand. “You! You blockhead!!”

 

His knuckles were already swelling and turning red. He had recently cut back on candy to avoid getting cavities again — maybe that had made him weaker.

 

“Lee Yoo-seong, what is your skull made of? Rocks?!”

 

“Do-hwan hyung’s fist is just too weak.”

 

Completely unfazed, Lee Yoo-seong neatly sliced the cake.

 

“Yoon-hoo hyung, you eat first!”

 

“No, you guys can—”

 

“We prepared this for you, Yoon-hoo oppa!”

 

“And the guest of honor should always have the first bite!”

 

“We won’t eat until you do!”

 

Their sparkling eyes left me no choice. I picked up my fork.

 

“Cheesecake?”

 

“I figured you wouldn’t like chocolate,” Seo Do-hwan muttered, still sulky. “So I bought cheese.”

 

Correct. It wasn’t just chocolate—I wasn’t fond of sweets at all.

 

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

 

I smiled and took a bite. It was smooth, perfectly balanced—honestly as good as anything our chef at home makes.

 

“You guys dig in too. It’s delicious.”

 

“Okay!” The kids cheered in unison.

 

Instead of eating the cake he’d bought, Seo Do-hwan disappeared upstairs and returned with a bottle of wine.

 

I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Wine?”

 

He grinned as if he’d never been sulking at all.

 

“I stole it from your room!”

 

He said it proudly — which somehow made it worse. Then he filled my glass to the brim and turned to the kids with a stern look:

 

“And you three—no drinking.”

 

“We know that!”

 

All three answered in unison, then giggled. It looked like they’d gotten close while I was hospitalized.

 

‘That’s good.’

 

Honestly, I was glad Lee Man-deuk was drowning in overtime. Thanks to that, Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk got close not only to Seo Do-hwan but also to Lee Yoo-seong.

 

‘Maybe I should keep him stuck in overtime for another week.’

 

I was thinking that when—

 

“Here, drink up!”

 

Seo Do-hwan shoved the glass toward me.

 

“Seriously? You’re offering alcohol to someone who just got discharged today?”

 

“Well, considering you jumped right back into work the moment you walked out, I figured our boss wouldn’t have a problem drinking.”

 

He was still holding that grudge.

 

“…Isn’t your resentment lasting a bit too long?”

 

“Just drink already.”

 

“Fine, fine.”

 

We clinked glasses. I slowly savored the wine he poured, while Seo Do-hwan downed his in one go.

 

“If you drink like that, you’re going to get drunk.”

 

“I don’t get drunk.”

 

He gets drunk. One hundred percent. Guaranteed. And sure enough—

 

“Woohoo! Feeling goooood!!”

 

He started acting up, downing wine like it was soju.

 

“Deok-soon! Soon-deuk!”

 

“Yes, oppa.”

 

“Yes, hyung.”

 

“How do you two even live with that crazy mage bastard? If it were me, I’d have run away with all his money ages ago!”

 

He had absolutely no filter in front of kids.

 

“Seo Do-hwan, you’re drunk.”

 

“I’m not drunk.”

 

And truthfully, he didn’t look drunk. No flushed cheeks, no unfocused eyes—those black pupils were perfectly sharp. But I knew better.

 

“Yoon-hoo, I have a question!”

 

There it was. The moment he called me “Yoon-hoo” so casually, I knew he was wasted. Thankfully, alcohol didn’t count as a “drug.” If it did, I would’ve gone through way more regressions than I already had.

 

“Yoon-hoo!! I’m talking to you!! Why are you pretending you can’t hear me?!”

 

A full-blown tantrum. If I ignored him any longer, this would get worse. I sighed.

 

“What is it you’re dying to ask?”

 

“You, Yoon-hoo.”

 

He jabbed his finger into my forehead.

 

“Why are you so fearless?”

 

There was raw frustration in his voice.

 

“You were like that when we first met, and again with Lee Yoo-seong, Kang Ye-seong! Even that crazy mage!”

 

He cursed, clearly meaning Lee Man-deuk.

 

“With Lee Man-deuk too—why don’t you ever protect yourself?! Like some idiot desperate to die!”

 

Like someone who’s desperate to die, huh.

 

I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“You’re laughing?”

 

“Sorry. But what you said is funny.”

 

I gently swirled the wine in my glass.

 

“Seo Do-hwan, I don’t want to die.”

 

Not ever.

 

“And I don’t want anyone else to die either.”

 

Especially not the returnees. And of course, not my grandfather.

 

“So stop worrying that I’m going to drop dead any second.”

 

Even if I do die, I’ll just rewind and show up in front of you again.

 

“Well, if your question’s over, go inside and sleep.”

 

“It’s not over yet!”

 

“You said you only had one question.”

 

“It turned into two!”

 

I seriously considered asking Lee Yoo-seong to knock him out cold—or just grabbing the stun gun from my coat and doing it myself.

 

I stared at him, whining and throwing a fit, when—

 

“Deok-soon, Soon-deuk. We’re going home.”

 

Lee Man-deuk suddenly appeared before us. He must’ve teleported the moment he got off work.

 

“Oppa, you’re here?”

 

“Hyung, you’re back?”

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk greeted him like it was no big deal.

 

“Hello, Man-deuk hyung,” Lee Yoo-seong said politely.

 

Lee Man-deuk ignored him.

 

“Get up. We’re leaving.”

 

But leaving wasn’t happening.

 

“Well, look who we have here! Isn’t this our Man-deuk?”

 

Because Seo Do-hwan was latched onto his leg.

 

“Whoa! Are you insane?!”

 

“Ahh, our Mandeuk. Listen to that foul mouth! Just like a crazy mage bastard! So cool, right, boss?”

 

Why did he have to drag me into this?

 

Lee Man-deuk stared blankly at the mess of a human clinging to him and asked me,

 

“What’s wrong with this idiot?”

 

“He’s drunk.”

 

“If he’s drunk, he should just sleep.”

 

“My thoughts exactly.”

 

I had no idea why he was acting like this. Meanwhile, Seo Do-hwan giggled and started running his mouth.

 

“Man-deuk-ah, how about we clear things up while we’re at it?”

 

“Clear up what?”

 

“Obviously! Clear up our bad blood!”

 

“Are you seriously crazy?”

 

Lee Man-deuk let out a short laugh—then kicked Seo Do-hwan.

 

“Quit acting all friendly and just pass out already.”

 

“Huu…”

 

Seo Do-hwan rolled across the floor with a dramatic sigh.

 

“Man-deuk-ah! You’re just—!”

 

“Mmpph!”

 

Suddenly, he shot to his feet and forced the remaining wine into Lee Man-deuk’s mouth, making it spill everywhere.

 

“…Wow.”

 

Lee Yoo-seong watched in dumbstruck silence at the chaos created by these childish adults. I covered my face with both hands. Among the returnees, the only one with a weaker tolerance than Seo Do-hwan was Lee Man-deuk. Which meant—soon he’d be just as bad.

 

“You little—!”

 

Lee Man-deuk shoved Seo Do-hwan away, coughing furiously.

 

“Are you trying to die?!”

 

His face was beet red as he staggered and wiped his mouth.

 

“Seriously… fuck…!”

 

Dizzy, he clung to a pillar for support.

 

“Oppa, are you okay?”

 

“Hyung, are you alright?”

 

At his younger siblings’ concern, Lee Man-deuk forced a grin.

 

“Of course I’m fine!”

 

He was absolutely not fine. Swaying, he threw his arms wide and stumbled toward them.

 

“My precious babies!”

 

Before Lee Deok-soon or Lee Soon-deuk could react, he dragged them into a drunken bear hug.

 

“Ugh, you reek of alcohol…”

 

The siblings grimaced, pinching their noses, but the drunken mage only chuckled. Seo Do-hwan also slung an arm around me and laughed.

 

“Yoon-hoo, isn’t Man-deuk hyung amazing? He’s crazy protective of his siblings.”

 

‘You’re the amazing one. How can someone look so perfectly fine while being this drunk?’

 

If I could, I’d report him to one of those variety shows that hunt down “amazing people” around the country. And Seo Do-hwan himself reeked of alcohol too.

 

Who knew wine could smell this strong? I brushed his arm off my shoulder and nudged him toward Lee Man-deuk.

 

“Well, since things are already like this, why not let you two handle each other?”

 

“Should we?!”

 

Seo Do-hwan’s entire face lit up.

 

“Man-deuk hyung! Let’s playyyy!”

 

Hearing that, the younger siblings immediately pushed the swaying Lee Man-deuk straight into Seo Do-hwan. Delighted, Seo Do-hwan dragged him down to sit. And the funniest part—

 

“Man-deuk hyung, have another drink!”

 

“Sure, sure!”

 

Only Lee Man-deuk would remember them calling each other “hyung” and “dude.” Seo Do-hwan always forgot everything once he sobered up.

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk frowned as the two grown men kicked off a drinking party right in front of them. Lee Yoo-seong shook his head and said to me,

 

“Yoon-hoo hyung, your phone’s ringing.”

 

“My phone?”

 

I checked my screen—an incoming call.

 

Caller ID:

 

[Kang Ye-seong]

 

Leader of Victory, Muse.