HPK 34

He slowly picked up his phone. A notification for a missed call was on the screen.

[010—3XXX—XXXX

Missed call just now]

How absurd. It looked just like they had exchanged numbers with each other.

“Hey, you…”

Just as Taejung opened his mouth, the door opened. The person who appeared with the soft light from the hallway was Hoonyeong.

“Yoon Wooseung. You have a request.”

Wooseung’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected words.

“…Me?”

Today marked exactly one month since he started working at the annex. Until now, Wooseung had never had a single request, except from Taejung. He had entered rooms two or three times a day, but that was the end of it. In other words, there had been no customer who specifically sought him out again.

In this sudden situation, Wooseung did not get up right away and instead looked at Taejung. After all, he was here because Taejung had called him, so he felt he should get his permission first.

For a few seconds, their gazes met in a straight line. Unable to bear the flowing silence, it was Wooseung who turned his head first.

“Um… then, I’ll be going.”

Come to think of it, there was no reason for Taejung to tell him not to go. He was the president of Girin, and it was in his best interest for Wooseung to work and sell even one more bottle of liquor.

He awkwardly got up from his seat, passed between the table and the sofa, and went to the door. Before leaving, he turned around and bowed one more time. Even as he straightened up from his bow, Taejung remained silent.

♡

When a customer with a reservation requests a specific host, the manager contacts the host before they come to work. For Wooseung, who had not received any separate notice, it was a sudden request. He did not know who it was even as he left the room because Hoonyeong had not told him. He wondered if it might be a customer who had seated him a few times at the main building, or if not, who it could be. Fortunately, his curiosity was quickly resolved.

“Long time no see.”

“Ah, hello.”

The ones who greeted him with a thick accent were the customers Wooseung had entertained with Hyojun last time.

“Did you come straight here after work?”

“Yeah. We came straight here.”

Hyojun acted sweetly, as if he did not remember that day at all. He even burst into laughter at the man’s unfunny words.

“You played well back then.”

The man sitting next to Wooseung said, hitting his forearm. Thwack. The hand, with hair growing sparsely on the knuckles, was large, but it was so tanned that it looked like burnt bread. The kind that has become very hard from being overcooked. Judging by how his forearm tingled even from a light hit, that analogy was not entirely wrong.

“Back then, the hyungs were fun, so I think I played well too.”

“So, was it fun?”

“Yes, it was fun.”

“Pour me a drink. It’s no fun if you skip drinks like last time.”

The man said that and pointed at Hyojun, saying, “I’m talking to you, you.” The man did not say anything more to Hyojun, who apologized, saying he was truly sorry about that time, but his gaze was still not kind. He looked back and forth between the shot glass and Hyojun and said threateningly, “You’d better do well today.”

Wooseung remembered the man’s furious face and firmly resolved not to make any mistakes.

The amber-colored liquor, like well-roasted almonds, filled the four shot glasses to the brim. The man downed the undiluted-with-ice liquor in one gulp. Just watching made his own throat feel like it was burning.

“Drink up.”

Following the man’s lead, he tossed the shot glass between his lips.

“You’re definitely a good drinker.”

“…Thank you.”

The hand with its ruggedly protruding knuckles lightly slapped Wooseung’s cheek.

“Now, watch him carefully. I won’t let him off easy if he skips drinks.”

“Yes, yes.”

The man, who had glanced at Hyojun with a disapproving look, picked up the microphone. He cleared his throat, as if to sing. In the process, he spat on the floor several times, and all of it was thick phlegm. Fearing he might step in it, Wooseung moved his feet closer to the sofa.

The man kept repeating “Ah, ah,” into the microphone, then suddenly slapped the microphone with his palm. Slap, slap. Thinking that there was something he was not happy with, he quietly asked if he should call the band.

“Shall I call the band for you?”

“Nah, it’s fine. The echo is just not great.”

“Ah…”

“Just queue up ‘While Living’.”

The remote control was on the opposite sofa. Wooseung called out to Hyojun, who was playing while sitting closely with the customer.

“Jaewoo. The remote, please.”

“Ah, yes. Hyung, here you go.”

Twisting his body slightly to get out of the man’s embrace, he brought the remote and handed it to Wooseung. Then he slipped back into the man’s arms. As if waiting, the man wrapped his arm around Hyojun’s shoulder. Pretending not to see the sticky, rubbing hand, Wooseung turned his gaze to the remote control.

As the intro began, the toe of the man’s sneaker tapped the floor. Soon, a rough voice echoed through the microphone.

While singing, the man forcefully hugged Wooseung’s shoulder. He was dragged along and ended up being held in the man’s warm embrace as if he had been shoved into it.

His sternum was warm from the consecutive drinks, but he clapped steadfastly. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them repeatedly to chase away the tipsy feeling that was starting to spread faintly from his temples. Of course, it did not help much.

After that, Wooseung continued to drink every glass the man gave him. He did not make any obvious attempts to skip drinks. If he did and got caught like last time, there was no telling what the agitated man might do. As a result, he got drunk in an instant.

“Order another bottle. We’re running out.”

“Isn’t this one watered down?”

The man laughed, shaking the empty liquor bottle. Swish, swish. He puffed out his chest, saying that he was especially good at holding his liquor today. Hyojun got up from his seat and ordered another bottle of liquor through the intercom. Soon, a waiter brought the liquor, and the man handed the waiter a 10,000 won bill.

“Good work.”

They had finished one bottle of liquor in less than an hour. The men drank at a very fast pace, and they wanted Wooseung and Hyojun to keep up with them. With four adult men chugging down drinks, it was only natural that the liquor ran out quickly.

The area around his eyes was not just hot, it was burning. Wooseung grabbed the glass with ice, let it go, and pressed it against his eyes. He felt the stark contrast in temperature. If they continued to drink the newly opened bottle of liquor at this pace…

At this point, Wooseung gave up the idea of walking out of here on his own two feet. A silver lining, if any, was that the men were in a good mood. There had been some minor troubles, but for the most part, the atmosphere was loosening up nicely.

After downing two consecutive glasses of the newly opened liquor, Wooseung stealthily grabbed the man’s wrist.

“Can I, can I go to the restroom?”

“Oh, oh, feel free.”

There was a restroom in the room, but most customers did not like the hosts using it. Wooseung went outside and walked down the hallway. He placed his hand on the wall and slowly moved forward. The restroom in the lobby was to the left, past the counter.

“Hey, hey. The plant.”

Kim Jungoh, who was checking the ledger at the counter, pointed. He had almost tripped over the potted plant in the corner. Wooseung said, “Thanks, thank you,” bowed his head, and carefully turned the corner.

“Uh…”

But suddenly, someone blocked his path. He could faintly hear Kim Jungoh’s flustered voice.

“Where are you going?”

The owner of the familiar voice was Taejung. It was no wonder Kim Jungoh was flustered. He had been playing with business cards at the counter, then suddenly went over there, smiling like a child who had found a toy.

“To the, restroom.”

“There’s a restroom in the room.”

“…”

“Ah, slacking off?”

“No. President, I, I have to go right back in, so I’ll be on my way, sir.”

Wooseung, leaving the wide path, deliberately squeezed through the space between Taejung and the wall. He heard a low laugh but did not turn back to check. But it was strange. The sound of footsteps on the marble floor was coming from right behind him.

He was about to go into the restroom and pretend not to notice by closing the door right away, but a sneaker wedged itself into the gap in the door.

“Ouch.”

Taejung lightly pushed the door open with his foot. He strode in through the gap and then slammed the door shut with his foot again. Slam.

“I didn’t know you were coming in. I’m, I’m sorry.”

The smiling, mischievous face stared straight at Wooseung.

“I have to keep an eye on you to see if you’re slacking off.”

His voice was full of undisguisable playfulness.