Three friends started to empty three bottles down the throat.
While drinking, Noah and Jake’s sight fixated on Lu Lijun as they looked worried, but Lu Lijun showed no sign of anything. He was as usual, cold and stubborn.
When these three were busy completing the task, others talked as they were not happy about it. They knew so many things about Noah and at least something about Jake as his life couldn’t be secret being the prince of one of the royal families. About Lu Lijun, they just knew he was from one wealthy family.
"So bad that we didn’t get to know about him."
"It was a simple question, what’s there to not answer about?"
"He is always like this, and Jake and Noah always meddle in."
"Is there something to hide about?"
"Does he like men and doesn’t want to talk about it?"
"It’s okay if he is interested in men. I bet so many guys around here would be interested in him too."
THUD!! THUD!!
Everyone stopped as they heard a bit loud sound of the beer bottles being kept on the table and looked at the two people sitting on either side of lu Lijun. One of them gave them a killer gaze while the other one just smiled, but there was a warning behind his sweet smile.
That was Jake and Noah, who didn’t like how others commented about Lu Lijun not answering the question while Lu Lijun just ignored them as he was yet to finish the beer.
"Sometimes a person doesn’t find others important to answer even a simple question, and you all might belong to his not so important people list," Noah commented as he smiled, showing he said nothing wrong.
"Excuse me." Saying Lu Lijun got up and stepped out from there.
Noah and Jake looked at each other as if they talked through their gazes.
Jake stood up, "Excuse me" and stepped where Lu Lijun went.
No one could stop these two, and Noah diverted their attention.
"Guys, it was enjoyable to be with you all," Noah then looked at the girl he kissed during the game and winked, "That was a good one."
The girl blushed, "Can I get your number?"
"Of course. I never say no to a girl," Noah smiled and asked her to give her cellphone. He typed his number in it, gave her the cellphone back, and looked at everyone.
"I have to study for my side course’s exam, which is in a few days. So excuse me for now."
"Okay. All the best," said others, and Noah stood up. "Don’t forget to call me when you all have the next party."
Others stood up to say bye to Noah. They had no complaints against Noah as he enjoyed everything with them and made them laugh too with his funny remarks and jokes.
"See you again," others said, and Noah left.
Noah walked calmly until he was in his schoolmates’ sight, but he ran to go out of the pub the moment he was out of sight.
-------
Feeling worried, Jake ran towards him. The moment he reached, Lu Lijun was about to fall, but Jake managed to hold him before he could fall.
Few people passing by looked at them, but Jake didn’t pay attention.
Holding Lu Lijun, who was about to collapse, Jake sauntered to go out of the pub as he circled Lu Lijun’s hand around his shoulder and grabbed him by circling his hand around his waist.
Just as they reached the door, Noah came running, "Did he fall?" and held Lu Lijun’s other hand to circle his shoulder.
"I reached on time," Jake replied, and both friends finally stepped out of the pub carrying Lu Lijun.
"We need to get a cab," Noah suggested as he let go of Lu Lijun to book a cab on his cellphone, but his sight followed the one cab standing on the roadside, and ran towards it.
Once he talked to the driver, Noah returned, "That cab," and both friends took Lu Lijun towards it.
Three were drunk, so they had no other choice but to hire a cab and leave their car.
They made Lu Lijun sit on the back passenger seat as Noah sat beside him, and Jake sat in the front passenger seat.
When the cab left, Noah looked at Lu Lijun, who was sleeping resting in the seat with his head hung down. Noah settled his head on his shoulder so that Lu Lijun could sleep comfortably and spoke.
"How can he have such a low alcohol tolerance?"
"Hmm, I still remember the first time he drank and sacred the hell out of us," said Jake as he remembered that time.
It was the time when they finished high school and entered the university.
One day, Jake and Noah brought beers to Lu Lijun’s home. These two had already tasted it, but Lu Lijun never had it.
They thought of celebrating entering the same university and in the same course as they would be together for a few more years.
In the night, these three sat in the gallery of Lu Lijun’s room, where Martha brought snacks for them but was unaware of what these three were up to as Jake and Noah hid it from her.
"I am not interested in it," said Lu Lijun as he looked at the beer bottles that Noah pulled out of his bag.
"It’s because you are a man culture and never tried it," Noah countered teasingly.
Lu Lijun looked at Jake, and he too nodded, "You should try it."
First, Noah had some as he showed the slightly empty bottle to Lu Lijun.
"See, nothing happened. Instead, it feels so good," he looked at Jake, who too drank from another bottle, "See Jake drank it too."
Hesitantly Lu Lijun had a sip, but the next moment he coughed and spat it out as he exclaimed, "How can you two drink this shit?"
"Once this shit goes into your head, you feel out of the world," Noah commented happily, as he continued drinking.
"Hey Lijun, be a man and drink it all," said Jake as Noah agreed, "Yeah, be a man."
Finally, Lu Lijun agreed and emptied the bottle slowly as his friends accompanied him.
Just as some time passed by as they talked about various things and laughed over it, Lu Lijun lost consciousness and almost slept on the gallery floor as they were sitting on the mats.
It scared the other two, and they immediately moved towards him to check, "Lu Lijun, are you okay," Noah patted his Cheeks, again and again, to wake him up while Jake looked at the bottle that Lu Lijun was drinking from.
"It’s just half a bottle he drank," Jake informed and looked at Lu Lijun in disbelief, "Is he drunk already?"
"What the hell? Is he a kid?" Noah exclaimed.
"Or is it something serious?" said Jake as worry painted on his face.
"S-Serious? Did we just kill our friend?" Noah asked as he felt worried about Lu Lijun and scared at the same time.
Placing his hand on Lu Lijun’s chest to check if Lu Lijun was breathing, Jake spoke, "He is fine. Let me call for help," Jake went downstairs and searched for Jerome.
Jerome was about to go to bed when he heard a knock on his door. The moment he opened the door, he heard, "Jerome, something happened to Lijun."
"What?" Jerome exclaimed and ran to go upstairs as he knew these three were in Lu Lijun’s home.
Reaching the gallery when Jerome saw Lu Lijun lying on the floor as Noah tried to wake him up, it scared Jerome, but when he noticed the scenario, he understood.
"Did he drink?" Jerome asked as he kneeled and checked Lu Lijun’s pulse.
"Yes, but it’s just a little," Noah showed Lu Lijun’s half-empty bottle to Jerome.
"Let’s take him inside," Jerome instructed, and three carried him inside the room and let him put him on the bed.
"Are you sure he is fine, Jerome?" Jake asked.
"Hmm, His elder brother was the same, but it seems like the fourth young master is on a worse level than him," Jerome informed.
"Won’t he be able to drink? I mean, how can one not drink? Like this, he will keep fainting everywhere if he drinks," said Noah.
"Then, you should not let him drink." Commenting, Jerome left.
The entire night these two spent with Lu Lijun not knowing what to think about it, and after that day, they never asked Lu Lijun to drink.
Sitting in the cab, Jake and Noah smiled as they remembered that day.
"This guy, why did he even drink when he knows he will faint?" Noah mumbled.
"Don’t you think it was easier than answering the question?" said Jake.
"I wonder why we both acted like that? I mean, we didn’t even let him answer and assumed that things would end at drinking."
"It’s called being true friend’s instinct," Jake replied.
Noah agreed, "Hmm, But why did we think that he would choose not to answer when we don’t know what’s in his mind?" Noah asked.
"Think carefully whether you really don’t know about it."
"Well, he never said anything so..."
"Is there any need for him to say something?" Jake countered.
"I wonder if he knows what’s in his mind or what’s happening with him," Noah commented.
"Or he might not wish to know it," said Jake.
Noah sighed deeply, "I feel worried about him. I just wish one day he should talk about the things that he keeps hiding even from himself."
Jake nodded, "I hope so too."