HPK 54

On the wall of the waiting room, there was a 32-inch TV. Most of the guys looked at their own phones, so usually, no one watched it, making its constant presence seem pointless. But today, everyone had their eyes off their phones and on the TV. More precisely, on the 9 o’clock news that was streaming from it.

[A man in his forties, Mr. A, was found dead in a house in Nowon-gu. According to the police investigation, Mr. A’s… the cause of death was… 52 bags of ecstasy were found ruptured in his stomach… along with 108 intact ecstasy pills…]

“Wow, crazy, in his body?”

One of the hosts gasped, his mouth hanging wide open. Chanil, who had lowered his phone, lifted it again and shook his head from side to side.

“No matter how desperate you are for money, how could you do something like that.”

“I’d do it for about 500 million won.”

“You crazy bastard.”

One of the hosts sitting on the sofa in the back craned his neck and smirked. Playful jokes flew from here and there, with some saying, “I’d do it for a billion,” and others, “I’d do it for fifty million.” There was even a host who joked, asking where he had to go to do that kind of job.

Working in the adult entertainment industry, the hosts used drugs more easily than the average person. They lacked the perception that it was an illegal act that should never be done. Even now, in a corner of the waiting room, some were smoking synthetic marijuana like an e-cigarette. But even in their eyes, the act of smuggling drugs by swallowing them seemed to be a completely different territory. Was it because, as the news reported, if the bags burst in your stomach, you die instantly? A few of them shivered exaggeratedly, saying it gave them goosebumps.

“Isn’t that what Kim Hyungho did too?”

The host who had spoken before asked Chanil. Chanil scowled and said, “Crazy, no way.”

“He could have died doing that, and that’s why he’s not coming to the establishment now.”

“You crazy bastard. Does that make any sense?”

The host laughed loudly and added a tasteless joke, saying he would only give ten thousand won for the condolence money. His words had an extra sting because he had lent money to Kim Hyungho and had not been paid back.

“But seriously, where did Kim Hyungho disappear to?”

“Probably skipped town to avoid paying his debts.”

“He borrowed from Manager Han, didn’t he? Did he flee overseas?”

“I don’t know, you fucker.”

“Seeing as he’s not even on Instagram, it’s clear he skipped town with a plan.”

[This is the fifth case of a Korean body packer smuggling drugs from a foreign country into Korea for domestic distribution…]

While the other hosts were busy watching the news and chattering, it was strangely quiet next to him. When he turned to look, Hyojun was staring straight ahead with empty eyes. He looked more like he was spaced out rather than lost in thought.

“Hyojun-ah.”

“……”

“Hyojun-ah?”

“Ah, yes?”

Hyojun reacted a beat too late.

“Are you sick somewhere?”

“No. I’m just a little……. tired.”

Hyojun smiled, saying it was nothing. Then he awkwardly said, “Wow, five of them got caught at once?” making a completely irrelevant remark. In the end, Wooseung had no choice but to ask him what was wrong.

“Is something the matter?”

At that moment, his pupils wavered terribly, like someone who had been hit right on the mark. He had been like this for days. His eyes were sunken as if he had not slept properly, and his lips were so dry they had bled a few times. It was an uncharacteristic state for him, who always put so much effort into his appearance. To top it all off, his once-great appetite had also shrunk drastically.

“It’s not that something is wrong. It’s just, uh, well……”

Hyojun trailed off. His wandering eyes dropped downward. His clasped hands were squeezed tightly. Wooseung glanced around at their surroundings before nudging him.

“Want to go to the convenience store?”

Hyojun licked his bottom lip repeatedly before slowly nodding his head.

♡

Wooseung bought the king crab sticks and an ion drink that Hyojun used to enjoy. For himself, he chose a carbonated drink that was on a 1+1 discount.

“Thank you, hyung.”

Wooseung gave a hollow laugh and replied, “What’s this to be thankful for.” He meant that Hyojun had bought him more things in the past, but Hyojun still seemed grateful.

He placed the things they bought on the long, light green table. Outside the glass window, the rain continued to fall. Perhaps because of the weather forecast that predicted rain until dawn, not only the establishment but also the streets were deserted. It was because of this that they could slip out for a moment without having to worry about Kim Jungoh’s watchful eye, even on a Friday.

“This is my first meal of the day.”

Wooseung was surprised and asked if he should buy him something more.

“Do you want to eat a lunch box? Or maybe a cup of ramen……”

“It’s okay. I don’t have an appetite anyway.”

Hyojun shook his head, nibbling listlessly at the king crab stick.

“What is it? Is it serious?”

Wooseung asked again, not even thinking of drinking his beverage. The water droplets that had condensed on the surface of the can transferred to his palm.

“My grandmother collapsed.”

Wooseung was so surprised he could not say a word.

“It was a cerebral hemorrhage, so she had surgery. They found it early, so the prognosis isn’t bad, but……. there’s no one to take care of my grandmother right now.”

“……”

“For now, my eldest aunt is looking after her, but ha, that’s only until this week……. A caregiver, I looked it up, and it’s so expensive.”

Hearing the words “caregiver,” his story did not feel like someone else’s problem. The cost of hiring a caregiver for his grandmother was so high that Heehoon had to quit his job and stay home, so their situations were similar.

“Caregivers are expensive. My family couldn’t hire one either for that reason.”

“I can’t go down there myself. Ah, I’m going crazy. For now, I’m going to hire a caregiver with the money I’ve saved, but I can’t be sure how many months it will take until she fully regains consciousness……. But Kim Jungoh says he can’t advance me any more money. I’m really going to lose my mind.”

Hyojun rested his hands on the table and lowered his head deeply. He gripped his hands so tightly that the tips of his nails turned white. Wooseung, not knowing what to say to comfort him, just chewed on his lips.

“Should I lend you money?”

Hyojun shook his head. His firm refusal reminded Wooseung of how he had once said that you should never get entangled in money matters, even with family.

“Then what are you going to do……”

A short silence fell. Wooseung wiped the moisture that had spread on his hand onto his pants. A moment later, Hyojun asked in a low, sunken voice.

“Hyung, what exactly is your relationship with the President?”

It was an unexpected question.

When there was no reply, Hyojun raised his head and gazed at Wooseung with desperate eyes.

“Can’t you just be honest with me? I won’t ask for anything difficult. Really. Have you received money from him since then? No, you are still meeting with the President, right?”

He could not quite meet his eyes and just stared at the raindrops that collected on the windowpane and streamed downward.

“That’s true, but it’s one-sided……”

“……”

“Why the President?”

“……”

“You’re not, surely……”

Silence was another form of answer.

The errand, the one Chanil had excitedly talked about once, and the one Hyojun had shown deep interest in.

“Hyojun-ah. That’s……”

He was about to say that it was not a good idea. But facing a face colored with disappointment and faint hope, the words did not come out easily.

“But it’s true that the President calls for you often, hyung.”

“That’s true, but……”

“Can’t you mention me just once then? Kim Hyungho isn’t coming to the establishment anyway. So just tell him that I can do that instead.”

“……You don’t even know what kind of job it is.”

“Kim Hyungho did it, so why couldn’t I?”

Looking at the turbid eyes, mixed with disappointment and hope, Wooseung felt a sense of helplessness.

“Hyung, please. Huh?”

“……”

“From what I’ve seen, the President is really interested in you, hyung.”

“That’s not true……”

“Hyung, hyung. I’m really in a hurry. Okay?”

After thinking for a long while, Wooseung reluctantly opened his mouth.

“The President might not call for me anymore. Things ended on a bad note last time.”

“Then if he calls! If he calls, you have to tell him then. Please.”

“……”

“It’s not a difficult favor, is it, hyung.”

Considering what had happened with Taejung a few days ago, it seemed unlikely he would call for him again. Unless, of course, it was for the purpose of getting angry or screwing with him.

“Hyuuung……”

He could not refuse Hyojun outright as he clung to him so plaintively. Wooseung let out a deep sigh and said he would at least try to mention it.

“I’m really counting on you. Hyung.”

Hyojun roughly rubbed the area around his mouth with a trembling hand. It made a very gritty sound, like rubbing dry sand.

Only after Hyojun threw away the king crab stick he could not finish, with an apologetic look, did they leave the convenience store. In Wooseung’s hand were two cans of carbonated drinks. They shared an umbrella and walked quickly back to the establishment. As they entered the parking lot, they saw a car parked with its headlights on. The license plate was familiar.

Wooseung flinched but turned his head, pretending not to have seen it. He was folding the umbrella after entering the establishment when the automatic door, which had closed, opened again. He had a bad feeling about this.

“Just getting to work now?”

And ominous premonitions never failed to be right on the mark.

Taejung came in with Hoonyeong, and Hoonyeong folded his umbrella and handed it to Junseok, who followed him in. The whole sequence of actions was very natural.

“Ah, good evening. Mr. President!”

Hyojun bowed deeply with a loud voice.

“I asked if you’re just getting to work now.”

Taejung ignored Hyojun’s greeting and asked Wooseung again. Wooseung swallowed before slowly opening his mouth.

“I just stepped out to the convenience store for a moment. I already clocked in earlier.”

“Is that mine?”

Taejung asked, looking at the carbonated drinks in Wooseung’s hand.

“Ah……”

It was not. Just like with the rice cakes, Taejung had a very shameless side to him. The way he naturally assumed he had brought it for him was exactly that. But it was an awkward situation to refuse, so Wooseung held out one can. He was planning to give one to Chanil anyway.

“I only drink zero.”

The man who snatched the can looked closely at the words written on the surface, just as he had carefully inspected the rice cakes. And then what he said was that he only drinks zero-calorie versions. He could have just given it back then, but he held onto the can and walked right past Wooseung.

“Talk to Jungoh and come to the room.”

He added the unexpected words, telling him to come to his room.

Hoonyeong and Junseok also disappeared down the stairs after Taejung. Watching their backs disappear around the landing, he was reminded of Taejung from the other night.

‘Hey, you just wait and see.’

He had definitely said to wait and see…….

Taejung did not glare at him with menacing eyes, did not make any absurd demands, and did not get angry. He acted as usual, as if nothing had happened.

It might be a relief, but……. Wooseung felt more anxious because Taejung was acting completely different from what he had expected.

Even more so because of Hyojun, whose eyes were sparkling beside him.