Vol 1 Chapter 4

Today was actually an official free day in the schedule. Nevertheless, the reason I woke up early was because of chores.

After showering in the communal shower room, I stood in front of the mirror and awkwardly straightened my hair. Neat appearance and demeanor ranked second among the rules that caddies here must follow. I received a spare key from the front desk at the resort check-out time of 11 o’clock.

My chore was to collect the laundry and move it to the laundromat. I went around each room on the ten floors, ringing the doorbell one by one.

Now only the top floor remains. The Penthouse. It was a place where only VIPs stayed. Since this was a place where customers were wasting astronomical amounts of money on ‘Royal Golf’, we had to be careful. Now, all I had to do was stop by room 1104, the innermost part of the penthouse, and my mission for today would be over. I walked up to the door with ‘1104’ written on it, rang the doorbell, and waited to hear someone answer.

“I’m here to pick up the laundry.”

Even though a few seconds passed, there was no reaction from inside. I rang the doorbell again. Ding dong. This time too, there was no response.

“If no one is there, I will take it myself.”

The moment I tried to open the door to room 1104 with the spare key I had previously received from the lobby, the door burst open from the inside. I was so startled that I quickly stepped back.

“… ah!”

A woman staggered out wearing a slip. She walked past me, dragging her indoor slippers, holding the needle-pointed heel in one hand. She seemed wobbly and was very unstable. I watched the woman who looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, and came to my senses only after she disappeared from sight.

What should I do? Should I say I’ll come back in the afternoon? While I was hesitating, the door to room 1104 opened again. And then a man in a gown appeared.

He was a man so tall that he was about half a span taller than me, who was quite tall. Brown chest muscles were visible through the loosely dressed gown. At first glance, it looks as hard as a cement wall. Even though he has a large body that could almost look dull, I thought he was agile thanks to his well-balanced figure. I was shocked and nervous, frozen like a plaster statue, when a chilling voice woke me up.

“I think there was a knock on the door.”

I quickly came to my senses and bowed my head in greeting.

“Sorry. I will quickly clean it up and leave.”

The man shrugged his shoulders once and opened the door. The man walked slowly and sat down on the sofa in the middle of the room.

The room was literally a mess. The sheets were a mess, and liquor bottles and wine glasses were lying around on the floor. I also noticed condoms lying around here and there. There was also a woman in the room, and she was wearing her stockings with her legs up on the sofa. I stuck to the wall as much as I could and quickly looked elsewhere. The woman also had soreness on the inside of her legs and in her groin, and she roughly brushed her hair back as she stood saying “f**k.” She went out of the room and the sound of high heels rang out in her hallway.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of intimidation, I quickly placed the things on the tray. The thought of moving my hands and getting out of the room filled my mind. A man who was lighting a cigarette with a Zippo lighter asked me a question. He threw the Zippo lighter on the table, and there was a silver ring on his long ring finger. Is the man also married? For a brief moment, the couple I saw yesterday flashed through my mind. It was another moment that made me feel nauseous.

“Are you new here?”

“Yes.”

Haa, the eyes that briefly disappeared due to the smoke he exhaled and then reappeared scanned my arm. There was almost no distinction between the iris and the pupil, so the eyes were as black as olives. For some reason, I felt a chill. The air conditioner running in the room seemed to be set to a very low temperature. The man, with a cigarette between his teeth, rummaged through his leather wallet, pulled out several of his white checks and placed them in front of him. The man didn’t even go to the trouble of extending his arm towards me, even if it was on purpose.

“This is a tip.”

Even at a glance, the check seemed to have a lot of zeros. I swallowed the saliva slowly so it wouldn’t be noticeable.

“Thank you.”

After greeting him politely, he bowed slightly towards the man. After picking up his check, I quickly straightened my spine. Is it because of his mood? For a brief moment, I felt the man’s dark  eyes glance at the back of my neck. A chill ran down my spine. The man asked in a sinister voice.

“I wonder if Mr. Suwon will be around tomorrow too.”

The gaze of the man who asked that was fixed on my chest. I lowered my head, following the man’s narrowed eyes. Two small, round protrusions stood on the white uniform. The thin uniform showed off the light-colored areola without any obstruction. At that moment, the back of my neck became flushed. It was a physiological phenomenon due to the cold flowing in the room, but I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. I continued stuttering.

“Yes, I work tomorrow too.”

The man smiled deeply, as if satisfied. Another thick chill ran down my spine.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll see you then.”

“Thank you.”

I grabbed the check tightly and ran out of the room. As soon as I walked out the door, I let out all the breath I had been holding. I rubbed the skin on the back of my hand and forearm. Thinking that he was a very unpleasant man, I quickly pushed the tray away and left.

***

Early morning the next day. Before anyone woke up, I sneaked out of the dorm and walked down the wet dirt road. The humid early morning air clung to my face like a spider web. Feeling anxious, I watched my surroundings and entered a public phone booth near a convenience store.

I put a few coins I had brought with me into the coin slot and punched in the phone number. Suddenly, a beep sounded. It was still early, but since the person works early in the morning, I was sure I would still get an answer.

As expected, the signal soon stopped. It was only for a moment, but it felt like my breathing had stopped as well. After exhaling loudly, I spoke the first word with difficulty.

“… It’s me.”

A voice like a piece of rusty metal came out of the receiver.

– Why didn’t you answer the phone?

“There were circumstances.”

The man chuckled and laughed.

– Circumstances?

“… … .”

– Is now the time for a guy like you to talk about his circumstances? What if my pant legs are stretched out and stretched out, but it’s still not enough?

I put a lot of pressure on the hand holding the receiver. My cheeks were puffy because I bit them hard. My knees shook intermittently in physiological disgust.

“I was busy looking for a place to get money. Still, I think we can get it fixed in about two weeks.”

– 2 weeks?

The man let out a laugh.

– Why do I trust you and wait for you? To a guy who might change his mind at any moment and run away to a foreign country. I guess I should raise it to 300 million won.

300? My eyes opened wide as the price doubled in an instant. I grabbed the cord of the pay phone with my hand, which was resting next to my thigh. My hands were shaking.

“Three, three hundred….”

– When your face changes, you’re bound to get some damn spots, right?

“Uncle, uncle. That’s not possible.”

The man who was shouting like a debt collector was actually my uncle. He cruelly cut my words like a knife.

– No? Well then. Because I have nothing to lose.

“… … .”

– Don’t miss the deadline. Because I don’t know how I will come out unexpectedly.

The phone call, filled with threats, was hung up, leaving only a long lingering sound. I stood blankly in the same spot, helplessly holding on to the phone with no other person on the line. The voice of my uncle, who was threatening me with such force as if he had entrusted me with money, kept doing somersaults in my head. His goal rang loudly, and white flashed before my eyes. I lost my balance, staggered, and leaned against the phone booth.

I took a slow breath and tried to gather my scattered mind. The foggy, blurry vision before my eyes gradually became clearer. I was able to think more rationally about it. … If you look at it calmly, it was a more profitable business for this guy to somehow use the money that came into his hands. There might come a day in the future when I become so useless that he would want to get rid of me right before my eyes, but that won’t happen right now. Because now I am steadily providing him with money. So, I wasn’t going to talk loudly that easily. Because I am good at calculations.

I let go of the receiver and stumbled out of the booth. 300 million won. With that, I had to survive the mayfly that could run away at any moment. How long can it last?

For a moment, it was dark before my eyes, as if the world had gone out of power.

***

The schedule was canceled because it had been raining continuously since dawn. Due to unexpected rain, Kim Miran and Park Jinkyung had to kill time in ‘Room 420’. Because it was unusually dark outside, the suite had a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. I spread a blanket with a rough surface on the table and they played poker with cigarettes in their mouth. What replaced the chips were promotional matches that were provided in the room.

Jinseok massaged the shoulders of Park Jinkyung, who was wearing only a robe over skimpy lingerie, and I did chores like serving drinks and running errands. The room was filled with smoke from  the two customers chain-smoking. My eyes and nose were sore, but the change I received for running errands was quite good, so I gritted my teeth and endured the pain.

“CEO Jang, I heard he won the KO contract this time?”

Park Jinkyung bit down on her cigarette, puffing out the smoke from her lips and chatting in an unclear voice. The breath she was exhaling was terrible, so I covered my nose with my fist and coughed softly so that it wouldn’t be noticeable. Kim Miran pinched my cheek as if she thought I was cute when I was messy. Thanks to this, the smoke from the cigarette on the woman’s ring finger reached my eyes.

“There has been talk about purchasing the southern land for several months now due to business expansion there. I guess CEO Jang knew about that and started working behind the scenes early on. Thanks to this, Joongang Corporation President Kim opened his eyes completely and got a cut on his nose.”

Park Jinkyung, who was whistling, giggled and laughed.

“Anyway, you should know that CEO Jang is good at smelling money.”

Kim Miran, who was sipping a glass of brandy, opened her silver case with a snap and took out one of her cigarettes.

“Oh, shit. I’m out.”

After smoking for so long, it seemed like she finally ran out. The woman took out a stiff 50,000 won bill from her wallet and called me over.

“Baby, please buy me a cigarette.”

I quickly stood up and took the money with both hands.

“All right.”

“Yes, the rest is your pretty tip.”

I left the room that resembled a raccoon den and took the elevator to the first floor. As I pushed open the front door, the wet wind and rain hit my face and body.

I walked quickly to the store provided for the convenience of customers. I couldn’t remember exactly how many packs it was, so I picked up about three packs in my hand and got back on the elevator. I passed through the dark hallway and knocked sharply on the room door. I was given permission to come in from the inside. I tried to open the door with my card key and go inside.

My steps stopped for a moment as I confirmed that a new person had entered the room. The menacing shoulder of a strange man was facing away from me. I walked into the room, moving my feet as if they were sticky and not easily coming off. The man’s identity was the mysterious guest seen in room 1104 yesterday.

I stood in front of the table and bowed my neck to the man.

“Hello.”

The man’s long, slitted eyes looked towards me. The man looked at me with snake-like eyes without saying anything. My gaze naturally fell to that. For some reason, these eyes were difficult to meet. Kim Miran, who was receiving a card from Jinseok, spoke to me as I stood upright in front of the table.

“This is Suwon’s first time meeting the CEO, right?

Is that man the CEO the women were talking about?

“I saw him while I was cleaning his room yesterday.”

The man kept his gaze fixed on me, lifted the crystal glass and drained the brandy. I quickly grabbed the ice with tongs, put it in the empty glass, and poured an appropriate amount of yellow liquid into it. CEO Jang, who had been silently watching me do the things I was doing, asked Kim Miran.

“I heard he’s new. Was he your exclusive caddy?”

“Yeah, isn’t he cute? Not only does he have a pretty face, but his butt is also quite plump.”

Park Jinkyung, who was looking at her hand, turned over her card and announced that she was giving up.

“I’m going to die this time.”

Jinseok, who was by her side, said it was a wise choice and soothed her mind with brandy. CEO Jang threw all the matches in front of him into the center of the table.

“All?”

Kim Miran was lost in thought with her eyebrows furrowed. She then showed me the cards and asked what I should do. Three of the five cards were triples with the number ‘8’. It’s not a bad loss. I glanced at CEO Jang’s face to check the atmosphere. The deck beneath him was poor, but his face had a mysterious smile hanging leisurely at the corners of his lips. It was like the insidious smile of a trickster. However, unlike me, Kim Miran interpreted it as the composure of someone who was in control of her victory or defeat. Her woman turned over her own card.

“I should die too.”

CEO Jang revealed his card. Cards with jagged numbers on them showed his face. Funny enough, it was a no pair. Kim Miran, who was laughing helplessly, pointed her finger at me as if calling her puppy.

“Baby, can you come quickly and put a cigarette in your aunt’s mouth?”

Even though the bottom of my pants was soaking wet, I pulled out the plastic bag of the cigarette pack that I had kept in my arms and protected it from getting even a drop of water on it. Kim Miran  placed one of her cigarettes between her bright red lips. I quickly took out the lighter from my pocket and lit her cigarette. Kim Miran sucked her cigarette into her mouth and said with an unclear voice.

“Yes? You bought three packs. Was there anything left?”

There were almost none. Just a few thousand won bills. It was because Kim Miran, who had sophisticated tastes, smoked imported cigarettes.

“Let’s see.”

Kim Miran rummaged through the thick luxury wallet she had placed on one side of the table and handed me a bill. Unfortunately, it was a check for 100,000 won. I wish I had received it in cash. Although it was just a piece of paper in my hand, I politely accepted it with both hands and bowed my head to express my gratitude. Kim Miran smiled with her lips covered in thick lipstick and patted my butt.

“What do you mean by this? I look forward to your continued cooperation.”

I was being touched by Kim Miran while holding money in my hand. Suddenly, I felt a scary gaze on me. The epicenter was CEO Jang. A feeling that had been forgotten for a while since I came here began to bloom. Shame. The gaze of a third party reawakened in me the feelings I had forgotten because I was influenced by this place where money is power and class. Suddenly, my earlobes felt hot.

“In this round, all the money went to CEO Jang.”

The game was already over because all the matchsticks had been used up. I picked up the matchsticks that were scattered haphazardly on the table one by one and put them back in the original box. There were fifty-two matchsticks in total that I counted in my mind. The pieces of wood, all of which had red lumps of sulfur attached to their heads, were treated by rich people with a price of one million won per cigarette.

The matchbox was covered with a gold engraved lid that read ‘Royal Golf’. Then I looked down at it with fleeting eyes. It looked exactly like a match from a luxury brand called ‘Royal Golf’. People who live scraping lives like me can’t have it no matter how many times they die and wake up.

“Do you want it?”

This was the question asked by CEO Jang, who had 52 million won in his hands in just a few dozen minutes. I quickly shook my head as if I had been turned upside down. Unexpectedly, I made an excuse, saying I had never dreamed of having that much money. CEO Jang smiled leisurely.

“Everyone has some greed hidden inside. I’m also a greedy person, so there’s no need to feel sorry.”

“… thank you.”

You even consider the feelings of ordinary people like me. I was lucky that they didn’t throw ashtrays or swing golf clubs at me, asking if I was daring to take money like the chaebols I saw on the news channels.

CEO Jang emptied the glass of brandy I poured in one go. After taking a sip of the strong drink, CEO Jang picked up the bottle and poured it overflowing into the glass without a change in his expression. A drop of yellow liquid dripped from the open bottom of the bottle and into the glass.

CEO Jang handed the cup to me. He held the glass with both hands and looked at CEO Jang with puzzled eyes.

“I’ll give you a match for each glass.”

I lowered my eyes and stared into the glass. The amber liquid inside the crystal glass shook. It was a concentrated solution without a single piece of ice. If I take it all out at once, it’s sure to be painful, as if my esophagus is burning. A glass of this is worth a million won. There was absolutely no reason not to drink it.

He raised his glass and looked around the table. Everyone in the room was looking at me with interest. I felt like I was part of a circus. It seemed like I could be called a monkey at the zoo. The fact that I was treated a little better than that gave me some comfort.

“… … .”

“… … .”

I placed my lips on the cup, bent my neck, and filled my mouth with alcohol. As I swallowed the liquid, I felt a burning pain in my esophagus and throat. After forcing the remaining liquid into my shrinking throat. I coughed and grabbed my neck.

CEO Jang smiled happily, poured another drink, and handed it to me. I accepted it without hesitation and drained another glass.

The challenge came in the very next glass. As the liquid passed through the esophagus, leaving a hot trail, the central axis of the body burned brightly as if it had become a pillar of fire. Huge waves swirled before my eyes. I supported my staggering body by placing my arms on the table. It was no longer possible. Thinking that I should stop drinking, I pushed away the glass that CEO Jang handed me with my hand.

Once again, CEO Jang made a sweet offer.

“I’ll give you five for this one.”

My hand resting on the table was trembling and I extended my hand towards CEO Jang. The glass that CEO Jang held out slipped my hand. At the same time that the glass was clouding the carpeted floor, my mind also drifted far away. A hissing voice was heard in my ringing ears.

“You’re not a minor, right?”