Trivial Rival (Lookism Zack)

02: Drunk words, sober thoughts

As Iseul makes her way through the dark alleys near her home late at night, it's not uncommon for her to bump into Zack, for they belong to the same neighborhood. But on this occasion, there was something different about her childhood friend. He was visibly intoxicated, slurring his words and swaying from side to side as he stumbled towards her.

The blonde struggled to suppress her chuckles, her lips curling upwards in a subtle grin. She couldn't maintain her composure any longer as she tried to steady Zack, his flushed complexion and unsteady stance making him appear even more inebriated. As he pressed his body against hers, he stumbled once again, his grasp on Iseul's shoulders the only thing keeping him upright.

"You're a mess. Who did you even drink with?" Iseul questioned as she wrapped her arms around him, preventing him from stumbling furthermore and bringing her down with him if he ever did.

"Those three.. and Zoe.." he murmured whilst counting messily with his fingers. "and Daniel!" Zack added enthusiastically, slightly jumping.

"Daniel? You drank with Daniel?"

Iseul queried, staring wide-eyed at Zack who nodded eagerly with a wide smile plastered on his flushed red face.

"So.. you guys are okay now? Friends?"

"No!" he answered with a grumble, his grin being replaced with an angry pout.

She couldn't help but shoot Zack a side-eye. With a sigh, she guided him to his home with her arms still wrapped around his waist, walking at a slower pace to accommodate his steps. It was apparent that he was having a tough time keeping himself upright, but with her support, he was able to take a few steps at a time. As their journey neared its end, Iseul noticed that Zack had grown more affectionate.

"Iseul!"

"What now?"

"I'm glad you're here!"

Zack wrapped his arms around Iseul, pulling her into a tight embrace and she felt his face resting against her shoulder. Though she appreciated the gesture, she couldn't help but feel suspicious, noting the smell of alcohol on his breath. Her suspicions were confirmed as he let out a small gag.

"Hey! Don't you dare throw up on me!" she said with a stern voice, pulling away from his grasp as she didn't want to subject herself to the discomfort of having to clean up after his mess.

With a mixture of disgust and concern, she tried to guide him towards his home as quickly as possible, eager to get him to a safe place before any accidents occurred. Iseul turned to face Zack as they stood in front of his place.

"Auntie or uncle couldn't see you like this. You should act like you're asleep."

She should've known better than to order Zack around in his inebriated state. He took her words too seriously, slumping down onto the concrete like a ragdoll as soon as those words slipped out the blonde's mouth.

"For the love of- not literally right now! Oh- oh gosh, you motherfucker-"

She crouched beside his laying form and shook him aggressively as he remained on the floor.

"Seriously, if you don't stand up right now."

Despite her initial annoyance and frustration, Iseul couldn't help but let out a laugh when Zack immediately fell into her as he sat up. She shook her head in amusement before turning her back to him, squatting down to position him on her back for a piggyback ride. It was a struggle to stand back up with Zack's muscular physique weighing her down, but she managed to adjust her stance before beginning to slowly walk towards the door.

Iseul entered and just as she guessed, Zack's father sat on the living room's couch. His gaze shifted from the television to Iseul and his son, his eyes filled with surprise at the sight of his son snoring atop his childhood friend's shoulders.

"Hi uncle! He fell asleep on my room." she smiled politely at him and explained the situation flawlessly, acting as if nothing was amiss.

"Aigoo, you should've let him be instead of troubling yourself! He already spend a couple of nights in your house anyways. Look at how big he is compared to you."

The middle-aged man laughed with a mixture of amusement and affection at the sight of the blonde girl carrying his large son on her back. He immediately stood up from his comfortable position as he couldn't help but offer his assistance to her.

"It's fine, uncle! I can manage. I'll bring him to his room."

Before the man could get too close, Iseul quickly scurried away with a grin, eager to get Zack to his room and away from his father to prevent his dad from catching a whiff of the alcohol stench.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" he yelled.

"Yes sir!" Iseul replied with the same level of volume.

The female wasn't amused by her friend's drunken acts, and her annoyance was evident in the way she dropped him onto the bed without any regard for his comfort. She rolled her eyes as he snuggled up to his soft blankets as if he didn't cause her any trouble, but her scowl became even more pronounced when he opened one of his eyes, flashing her a cheeky grin and patted the empty space beside him.

"I don't want to." she scowled, giving him the middle finger.

Her answer made him whine. Zack sat up and managed to wrap his arms around Iseul's waist before bringing her down with him, likely due to his clingy nature while drunk. Iseul let out a small cry of surprise before trying to push him off, but he was too strong and held firm, pulling her closer to him. Iseul let out a small grunt, not knowing what to do in this situation

"I'm hating this. I'm really hating this."

"I would've taken a liking in you if you were as kind and caring as Mira." Zack murmured which made Iseul let out an offended gasp.

"Are you saying that I'm mean and inconsiderate?!" the female scowled, her annoyance prevailing which made her disregard his indirect confession.

"You're so beautiful. I wouldn't have thought that you're into beautiful girls too." he continued, snuggling her struggling form.

"Okay, enough."

With a final push, Iseul managed to break free from Zack's grasp. She quickly tidied up his room, putting things back in their place, and covering him with the blanket before turning off the lights. Before Iseul could even take a step out, Zack spoke up.

"You have your eyes set on only one thing. That's why you failed to notice others other than it."

She then left the male's room, assuming that it was one of his drunk talks as she shut the door behind her.