GC Ch 21

My body instantly froze in horror at the voice that suddenly erupted. A cavernous voice that completely filled the space…. The moment I froze upon realizing that Jangbae and Boss Chu had arrived, Kim Jeongsuk and Yu Gicheol burst out into the hallway.

“Why all the noise? Did someone come?”

“Where did this idiot Mincheol go without guarding the door?”

The two passed by me as I stood there blankly and walked toward the entrance. And before long, as if they had synchronized their breathing, they let out a sharp breath—hup. Naturally, my feet began to slink toward the back door as well. I thought I wouldn’t see him again until Monday at the earliest, but my expectations were completely off. To see the bastard I saw this morning all over again. How did he even find out about this place and come looking? He really must have been out of his mind with impatience.

“A-Ah, my goodness. L-Look who it is. For our Boss Chu to come all the way to a humble place like this. If you had given us even a little notice, I would have gone out to greet you. But what brings you all the way here…?”

“What business? People come to a gambling den to gamble. I’m not a detective, so would I have come to conduct an investigation?”

Boss Chu replied nonchalantly to the words Yu Gicheol offered while groveling as the frontman boss. It would rather be more comforting to be investigated by a detective.

“S-So then, you came to play cards. I-Is that right?”

“Well, for a few reasons. To play cards and to see our guy’s face for a bit. And while I’m at it, to see how the shop is running. For a few reasons.”

“O-Our guy…?”

“He’s here. Mine.”

As soon as Boss Chu finished speaking, the sound of leather shoes walking in this direction echoed. Yu Gicheol wore rubber slippers. Kim Mincheol wore sneakers. Kim Jeongsuk had also changed into slippers after coming here, so the only ones who could make such a sound were Jangbae or Boss Chu, both wearing leather shoes. Even though my whole body already recognized exactly which of the two it was.

Fuck, I’m in big trouble. Thinking that, I turned around and hurriedly walked toward the end room. If I got caught, I would definitely end up sucking that bastard’s dick. Since he said there was one time left, if I refused, something too horrific to think about might happen. Having my mouth torn open and getting hit in the jaw to the point of bruising from his swinging testicles while sucking dick might just be an ordinary occurrence. However.

Hardly had I moved my feet when words flew at me from behind.

“I’m standing right here, Minjo. It’s not over that way.”

∞ ∞ ∞

“Is this a ten-thousand-won room?”

“Yes. Sometimes they strike a deal and play for higher stakes, but we never go below ten thousand won.”

Room 3. Boss Chu, who had seated me right next to him, asked Kim Jeongsuk about the rules here.

“Anything else?”

“There’s nothing else. It’s the exact same as other places.”

“The betting.”

“Always maximum full betting. We hit it with times 3.”

Maximum full betting. It meant they didn’t do half bets. Times 3 meant that after raising or calling, when raising the pot further, you literally multiplied the amount by 3 to bet. For example, if the person ahead bet 100,000 won, a player who wanted to grow the pot had to bet strictly as follows: raise, take the 100,000 and add 300,000 more. Whether it was Badugi, poker, or Go-Stop, hitting with full betting multiplied by 3 was the rule here at Mugwang. Doing so made the pot grow in an instant.

“How is the dealer decided?”

“That is done fairly by taking turns. Would you like to try?”

“Forget it. Just let the madame do it.”

Holding a cigarette in his mouth, puffs of smoke rose every time Boss Chu spoke. The huge-framed Jangbae stood behind his master with his hands clasped behind his back, watching over this way as if monitoring. It felt as if he was guarding to make sure I couldn’t run away, causing a cold sweat to break out on me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, but this is my first time meeting you like this. I’m Park Deokhyeon. But Mr. Boss, it looks like you work out quite a bit? Your height and wow, this build of yours is incredible.”

“I do a little just to stay alive.”

“I knew it. It didn’t look like a body made by ordinary means.”

Boss Park, who ran a small heavy machinery company, passed the cards over to Kim Jeongsuk while striking up a conversation with Boss Chu. His face held genuine admiration as he looked at Boss Chu’s massive yet solid body.

“L-Look at the way your chest sticks out and how your forearms are built, and seeing the highway paved across your shoulders, no matter what, it looks like you’ve worked out for at least ten years. Am I right?”

“The shoulders are genetics. As for the rest, think whatever you like, Boss Park.”

“Genetics? Well, the frame has to be good to make a good masterpiece. Anyhow, it’s a pleasure to meet you like this. I’m also involved in the construction side, but mine is so small that I don’t even have a business card worth showing off.”

“Ah, is that so.”

“By the way, have you played Badugi a bit? It’s not your first time, right?”

Boss Chu, who stroked down my back completely, extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and answered casually, just as he had been doing so far.

“I know enough to keep up with the table, so you can just play the way you usually play. Don’t make me cry too much, though.”

“Haha, as if that would happen.”

The time right now was around two o’clock, and Boss Chu had said he would play for just one session, so my fate would be decided in two hours when one session ended. Do I meekly suck his dick, or do I cause a chaotic mess that even Boss Chu can’t handle? My insides were burning to death as if I were standing at the crossroads of life and death.

Six people, including myself, sat around the round table. The round table, which would have been spacious if not for Boss Chu, became so cramped that our shoulders touched simply because he took up the center. So imagine how it was for me, sitting right next to Boss Chu. On top of that, the fat butcher Boss Go sat to my right, making the space so narrow that I couldn’t even dodge to the side. If Boss Go moved even a little, my shoulder would get pushed toward Boss Chu.

Because there were not enough cards, it was impossible for six people to play, so I just sat there. Since this rarely happened, I felt embarrassed and awkward for no reason. Because of Boss Go, who looked at me with displeased eyes while conscious of my presence, even blinking my eyes felt awkward and uncomfortable. On the other hand, Boss Chu looked extremely pleased, as if he had received a definitive confirmation that he would get his dick sucked by me. Out of house etiquette, he had both hands on the round table and wasn’t touching me directly, but clear excitement could be felt from the physical contact of our touching shoulders and thighs.

“Let’s begin.”

Kim Jeongsuk, the dealer, distributed 4 cards to each person and started the first round of betting. After the betting ended, it was time to exchange the cards received.

“Alright, let’s eat breakfast. I’ll cut first.”

Having said that, Kim Jeongsuk changed one of his cards and spoke. “I’m a double.”

In Badugi, you could change the cards you received across three rounds called breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which was referred to as a cut. Changing one card was called a double, changing two cards was a twoca. Three cards was a threeca. If you didn’t change anything, you called stay, and if you changed all 4 cards received, you called box. While doing so, you received new cards to match a hand with different suits for each card. The lower the numbers, the better.

Gang Munsu, who was next in line after Kim Jeongsuk, called double just the same like a match made in heaven, Boss Park called twoca, Boss Chu called stay, and Boss Go called box with a scowling face, saying, “I’m not a dog, why are you giving me so much food?”

As I stole a glance at Boss Chu’s cards, our eyes accidentally met. He smirked at me and leaned his head close to mine. A voice in an extremely low tone could be heard whispering softly.

“You must be insanely tired. How many hours have you worked until now?”

“I-I’m fine.”

“Fine, my ass. Your eyes are completely out of focus like a guy about to kick the bucket soon.”

“….”

“I was going to come after shooting a load, but it’s a good thing I came. As soon as this is over, let’s go out and sleep together. I’ll let you get a deep sleep.”

“…What?”

When I asked back with both eyes wide open without realizing it, Boss Chu chuckled softly and turned his head away. “Look at you getting surprised.” With that, he called out a call.

My heart began to beat like crazy. Switching in a single moment from sucking dick to sleeping together—fuck, what kind of guy could stay calm?! My throat was parched, so I gulped down the bottled water brought for Boss Chu to drink. Gang Munsu across from me laughed at me openly and covered his mouth with his hand. Then, minding Jangbae’s eyes, he secretly put his middle finger in and out of his mouth in a shuttle motion. That son of a bitch…! Just as anger surged within me, Kim Jeongsuk spoke.

“Let’s eat lunch. Cut.”

Gang Munsu lowered his eyes to his cards innocently, as if nothing had happened. He pretended to focus only on his cards, as if he had never scratched my nerves by calling stay.