HPK 14

The hand resting on his ankle had almost no weight to it. Taejung simply lowered his gaze and looked at the slender fingers gripping his ankle.

“……”

Weakly bent knuckles, the back of a hand where blue veins were clearly visible, and fingernails that were pink like strawberry-flavored candy.

What if he spread them out on the floor and stepped on them one by one? Like popping an ant with a fingernail.

The thought came to him in a sudden impulse.

“I’m sorry! I’ll take care of it right away.”

Kim Jeongoh appeared from around the corner. He bowed his head respectfully and then went straight to Wooseung. However, he hesitated when he saw the sneaker pressing down on Wooseung’s shoulder.

“Ah.”

Only then did Taejung lower his foot. A dust smudge similar to the one on his pants was now on the pale ivory knit sweater as well.

“Hey, Yoon Wooseung, get a grip.”

“Yes, yes…”

Kim Jeongoh ground his teeth at Wooseung, who was answering well but had no intention of getting up. When he put his hands under his armpits and lifted him, the body was pulled up with a whoosh. For someone drunk and limp, he was incredibly light.

“I’m sorry, president. I will make sure to educate him so that something like this never happens again.”

Kim Jeongoh held Wooseung’s waist firmly and watched Taejung’s expression.

“Then we’ll be on our way.”

Just as he was about to turn toward the corner, Taejung spoke up abruptly.

“Jeongoh-ya. Don’t give him his table charge.”

“…What?”

Not give him his table charge. Kim Jeongoh could not easily understand Taejung’s words and asked back. Even though he had left the room drunk, he had completed his time. There was no reason not to give him his table charge.

“Just don’t give it to him.”

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

But a reason can always be made up. It was not a difficult thing to do. Thinking this, Kim Jeongoh hoisted up the slumped Wooseung once more.

“You’ll be in trouble if you give it to him.”

“Yes. Please don’t worry.”

As Kim Jeongoh’s back disappeared around the corner, Taejung said in a smooth, sly tone, “He’s so damn dependable, you know?”

The next day, Wooseung heard words from Kim Jeongoh that felt like a bolt from the blue.

“What? Why?”

Kim Jeongoh frowned at Wooseung, who kept clinging to him as if he could not accept it.

“You didn’t finish your time in the room. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“That’s not true… It’s not. I finished all my time.”

“What are you talking about, you bastard who doesn’t even remember how he got home.”

“That’s, that’s…”

Kim Jeongoh waved his hand, saying that was enough. Even when told to stop being annoying and just leave, Wooseung could not easily turn away.

Putting aside the fact that he had drunk so much, as far as he could remember, he had definitely completed his time. But to say he could not get his table charge. It made no sense.

To make matters worse, Hyojun, who had been in the room with him, said he had already been paid. He had left the room with Hyojun, so why was he the only one… Another problem was that Hyojun did not remember leaving with Wooseung at all. He was in no position to protest alongside him to Kim Jeongoh. On top of that, he was sick from drinking and did not even come to work today.

“…Then please at least give me half.”

“This, asshole. Cut it out. I said you can’t have it.”

Wooseung intertwined his clasped hands and chewed on his lower lip.

Did I make some kind of mistake? Is that why Kim Jeongoh is angry and doing this? His memory was spotty, and even that was cut off from the middle, the end completely gone. So Wooseung could not even begin to guess why Kim Jeongoh was acting this way.

“Did I, by any chance, make a mistake?”

Kim Jeongoh stopped organizing the reservation list and looked at Wooseung. The corners of his eyes, which were already naturally downturned, drooped even more as he made a crying face, making him look like a wet puppy.

“Or did I throw up in the room?”

Kim Jeongoh let out a deep sigh and pressed his brow. Far from making a mistake, the clients had actually extended their time and had more fun. They kept ordering more liquor, and if you added the incentive from the additional drinks and the table charge, it was the day Wooseung had earned the most money since coming to the annex.

But…

‘Jeongoh-ya. Don’t give him his table charge.’

Taejung had said with a grin. And repeatedly at that. His way of speaking was playful by nature, but he was not a man who made empty words.

Whatever had happened between the two of them, Kim Jeongoh could not defy Taejung’s words. There was no reason to, either.

“If I say no, then it’s no.”

“……”

“Go, we have a lot of reservations today.”

Kim Jeongoh turned his eyes back to the reservation list. It was not a lie; they were really fully booked. On days like this, they were so busy they had to call in entertainers from outside. He had neither the time nor the leisure to listen to Wooseung’s words. He had indulged him a little because his situation was slightly pitiful, but this was enough.

“I really can’t….”

“Go.”

“Then, then can I get my table charge in advance?”

Kim Jeongoh laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

“Hey, you bastard. You still have a 20 million won advance, what more are you trying to pull from here. Have some conscience. You, who can’t even get chosen.”

“……”

“Go, go.”

His back was roughly pushed by his hand. When he came outside, he could hear the sound of music, as if it was filtered through the walls. Even though it was early, there were already clients in the rooms.

Wooseung trudged toward the waiting room, constantly trying to retrace his memories.

I’m sure I completed the time… I heard their voices waving at Hyojun and me as we left the room, saying let’s hang out again next time…

Wooseung took out his phone and opened the calendar app. The same schedule was recorded for every Monday.

[With U Loan]

That was the day Wooseung had to pay back the loan company. He had to pay weekly, and there was only one day left until Monday. The money he was short…

As anxiety washed over him, he found himself chewing on his fingernails. After chewing on his index fingernail until it was ragged, he sucked on the hand, now damp with saliva and blood.

The waiting room was just around the corner. As he took a heavy step, a familiar figure came into his view. Wooseung ran to him without a shred of hesitation.

“Excuse me, the president, has the president come?”

Hoonyeong, whose arm was grabbed by Wooseung, raised his left eyebrow.

“Is there a reason I have to tell you?”

Wooseung flinched. The president coming to the club was not exactly a secret…

But he soon realized that Hoonyeong was genuinely asking for a reason. Although his expression was blank, there was no hint of displeasure.

“Yesterday, I was in a room, and Chief Kim said he can’t give me the table charge for it. He said I left in the middle… But I really did complete my time. I was extremely drunk, but I said, said goodbye to the client and, uh, also…”

Hoonyeong, who had been quietly listening to Wooseung’s stammering explanation, asked.

“So you’re saying Chief Kim Jeongoh lied?”

“What? Ah… that’s.”

Wooseung felt as if he was tattling. He felt wronged, but he did not know how it would sound to Hoonyeong. Madams, or chiefs, and entertainers generally did not have a good relationship, and if one had to pick a side, Hoonyeong would probably be on the chief’s side. At that, his tongue became stiff as a board.

“It’s not that Chief Kim lied, lied. I think he might be mistaken… That’s why I was hoping to see the president and check the CCTV or…”

Hoonyeong, who had removed Wooseung’s hand from his wrist and was smoothing out the crumpled fabric, let out a small laugh. Wooseung thought he had misheard.

“CCTV…”

Hoonyeong muttered to himself as he finished adjusting his cufflinks. There was still a hint of laughter in his voice. He had not misheard.

“Go to Room 7.”

However, the answer that followed was, for some reason, compliant. Hoonyeong said, “Ah,” then continued.

“Or just say I told you to go.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

He managed to answer, wiping his parched lower lip with his tongue. Before turning away, he glanced at Hoonyeong and mumbled, “Thank you….” There was no reply.

Wooseung left Hoonyeong behind and hurried his steps. When he arrived in front of Room 7, his heart was pounding. He had come this far on momentum, but he was not confident that he could explain himself clearly and logically to gain Taejung’s understanding. But there was no other way.

Knock knock.

Wooseung knocked on the door with his tightly clenched fist. There was no response from inside. The moment he knocked again, knock knock.

“Ah, why, fucking hell!”

A shout mixed with a curse came from inside. Thinking it meant he could come in, he cautiously turned the doorknob.

“Why the fuck are you suddenly knocking. You’re the bastard who usually just barges in.”

He looked significantly more displeased than usual. But Wooseung, with no way to retreat, had no choice but to close his eyes and go inside. When he closed the door, silence fell.

“Huh? You’re not Choi Hoonyeong?”

Wooseung swallowed the saliva that had pooled under his tongue and slowly approached. Taejung was in the middle of a meal, it seemed, as he was holding a disposable fork and dangling it. In a transparent plastic container was a salad. Well-grilled chicken breast was placed prettily on top of lush green vegetables.

It was an unfamiliar sight. A salad on the marble table, where whiskey, fruit platters, and soaked napkins scattered about would have been more natural.

Suddenly, Taejung’s words from when he forced him to swallow the semen came to mind.

‘Swallow it. It’s clean. I only eat super healthy food.’

At the same time, he recalled the sensation of the liquid flowing down his throat, unpleasantly filling his mouth.