HPK 20

Taejung, regardless, checked his reflection in the karaoke machine and fixed his hair. His hand naturally swept over his parted hair.

“I told Jeongoh to do it. To fuck you over.”

“…Why? Is it because I didn’t choose what you told me to back then?”

“Yeah.”

The answer was concise.

“A kid who flashed his tits for a mere 120,000 won ripped me off for a million won. While acting all pricey.”

“…”

“Honestly, from my perspective, it’s fucking bullshit. Isn’t it?”

Taejung crossed the room in an instant with his wide strides and went to the sofa. He plopped down, took his wallet and cigarettes out of his pocket, and tossed them carelessly on the table.

“I never played around… flashing my… tits like you said, president.”

“Oh, really?”

Taejung took a cigarette from the pack and put it in his mouth. His pronunciation was slightly muffled.

“…It’s true.”

“But I saw it all.”

“…”

“You played around with your tits out. You even danced a slow dance with the pig.”

Like this, like this. Taejung held up both hands and swayed gently as if he were dancing a slow dance.

“…”

Sweat beaded between his clasped hands. In contrast, his lower lip, which only continued to dry, was hastily wiped with his tongue.

“…Then why didn’t you show me the CCTV footage that day? If you were going to watch it like that, then you could have at least—.”

Clack, what cut off his words was the lighter that was tossed to the edge of the table. A blank gaze fell upon the lighter that slid over and stopped in front of Wooseung. Taejung raised his eyebrows as if to say, what are you doing, not picking it up.

Wooseung slowly reached out and grabbed the lighter. The cheap plastic body of the lighter spun around in his sweaty palm. As he approached Taejung and spun the lighter wheel, a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist, just like before. And just like that, Wooseung was made to sit down on the sofa. In an instant, his line of sight changed.

“You’re looking down on me like a fucking dick.”

Unlike before, when there was a mischievous air about him, this time his voice was truly harsh.

Wooseung lowered his gaze and stared at the cigarette held between the smooth lips. He spun the lighter wheel and managed to light it.

“Honestly, it’s true that you discriminated against people.”

He did not know what to say and just moved his lips, but Taejung pointed toward the door with the hand holding the cigarette.

“Ah, that’s right. Tell them to bring some alcohol.”

Wooseung did not dawdle and stood up, walking to the intercom. He picked up the receiver and asked for a bottle to be brought. Before long, the door opened and a waiter set the table with alcohol and appetizers.

“I only asked for alcohol.”

Taejung, who was sitting arrogantly on the sofa smoking a cigarette, commented upon seeing the fruit appetizer. The fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces, was neatly arranged on a plate. The waiter, who was just putting down the plate, flinched and watched Taejung’s expression.

“Ah, that… Chief Hoonyeong told me to bring it out with the drinks. Should I take it back?”

“No, no.”

Taejung waved his hand, saying it was fine. The smoke swayed and danced along with the movement.

After the waiter finished setting up and left, Taejung straightened up and gathered the shot glasses. Then he poured the alcohol and slowly tilted it over them. The dark brown liquid quickly filled the glasses.

“One lineup choice per glass.”

Taejung pushed a glass in front of Wooseung.

“So that’s 120,000 won per glass. What are you going to do?”

The choice was terribly simple and clear.

Taejung smoked his cigarette and watched Wooseung’s pale face. His skin, which was already white enough to see the blue veins, now looked like a piece of drawing paper. Amidst all that, his lips were red. He could see the front teeth peeking out from between them, pressing down on his lower lip.

He seemed to think he was hiding his true feelings, but nothing was hidden at all. Everything was exposed to the outside like transparent glass. This was especially true when he was flustered or scared.

The silence grew long, but Taejung waited. This kind of thing, the waiting itself was the real fun. Blocking all four sides and watching an ant scurry around in confusion.

“If I don’t choose this time either… then am I still not going to be able to go into a room?”

“Yeah.”

At first glance, it seemed there were two options, but in reality, there was only one he could choose.

“…”

Wooseung slowly reached out his hand. And he grabbed the glass. He did not know if his hand was cold or the glass was cold, but his fingertips felt strangely numb.

He had no idea why Taejung was playing such a prank on him, but there was nothing he could do. He drank the alcohol without hesitation. A warm energy instantly heated his esophagus. He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them, covering his lips with the back of his hand. The hot feeling continued to rise from below.

“120,000 won.”

Taejung said so and kindly pushed another glass forward. It reminded him of that day.

‘What are you doing? Not drinking.’

Eyes that glistened with a vile interest. The cans of barley tea that were placed in a box.

Only the subject had changed from barley tea to alcohol, but everything was no different from that day.

“…President. Then, in that case.”

“…”

“Is what I’m drinking today for this week’s lineup choices? Or is it for the future as well… Can’t you just decide on that?”

This was a very important issue for Wooseung. He had heard that in May, the month of family, reservations dropped significantly compared to other months. For Wooseung, who had to pay back money every week, each and every lineup choice was very important.

At the words he mumbled while holding the glass, Taejung stopped pouring alcohol into the empty glass and put down the bottle. And then he took a long drag from the last bit of the nearly half-smoked cigarette. The cigarette, with its remaining embers, was carelessly crushed out.

“You talk too fucking much.”

He spit into the ashtray and then rinsed his mouth with a bottle of water.

“No, just do it like that day.”

“…”

“Someone is paying one and a half million and is still pouring your drink. Huh? It’s so fucking unfair.”

Taejung encouraged him, saying he would make it for this week’s lineup choices, so he should do a good job.

Wooseung slowly raised the glass in his hand. And then, without hesitation, he downed the alcohol. If he squeezed his eyes shut and held on for a few seconds, the warm feeling fortunately subsided quickly.

He could not even touch the carefully cut fruit. It was because Taejung kept complaining that he had brought some fucking expensive whiskey. If he were to pick up and eat the fruit in this situation, it was obvious he would not hear anything good.

And so, he continued to drink the alcohol he was given, glass after glass. Just like when he drank the barley tea, if he tried to make some conversation, Taejung would hold out a glass instead of an answer. And when he passed the seventh glass, his limit slowly began to approach.

When he came to his senses, he was spouting off things he had not been asked to. He did not even know what he was saying himself. His vision was spinning, and just like that day, the floor and ceiling stuck together and then pulled apart. The walls were undulating and dancing.

“Uh…”

And when he tried to grab the tenth glass, he ended up fumbling. The glass, knocked by the back of his hand, fell limply to the side, spilling all the alcohol inside.

“Ah, shit. What a waste!”

Taejung got irritated at the alcohol that had soaked the table. Regardless, Wooseung placed both hands on the sofa and gasped for breath. He felt like his body would collapse if he did not hold onto something. As his head spun, he somehow felt like singing. It would be even better if he danced too.

“A song, I’ll sing, heh, I’ll sing you a song?”

“What?”

Taejung, who was moving the cigarette pack so the alcohol would not reach it, flinched. But it was only for a moment, and the corners of his mouth twitched. The ant, which had been cornered by walls on all sides, had found a gap between them. Pfft, a laugh escaped his lips.

“No, not a song, do something else.”

“Something else… Uh… A slow dance?”

A scene from the CCTV flashed in Taejung’s mind. The sight of Wooseung dancing, helplessly led by the pig’s hand, almost crushed in his arms. The sight of him staying still even when the pig took off his shirt, and the sight of him drinking all the alcohol he was given and stupidly clapping and laughing as if he liked it.

“No, not that. You know, something else.”

Taejung subtly guided him toward another option. Wooseung, who had become even more foolish from being drunk, followed his lead well. When he had said he played around with his tits out for 120,000 won, he had a bewildered look on his face, but now that he was drunk, it seemed the memories were coming back to him.

The dance, the song, the drinking game he had done in that room that day, all came rambling out of Wooseung’s mouth. But what Taejung was talking about never came out, no matter how long he waited, so his already short patience quickly ran out.

“This, I mean this.”

In the end, unable to wait any longer, he reached out and lifted the hem of the knit sweater. The sweater, which was already loose, was easily lifted up. Taejung’s eyes immediately shot down to the pale white flesh.

“Wow, shit. You’re pink?”

Taejung, as if he found it amusing, chuckled and teased Wooseung’s pink nipple. Normally, he would have been embarrassed, but the drunk Wooseung neither covered nor cowered his body. Instead, he did something Taejung had not expected.

He raised his hand and held the hem of his own clothes so that the sweater would not fall down.

“Hahaha!”

At the action that far exceeded his expectations, Taejung burst out laughing.