HPK 57

When should I take it out, at what timing should I give it to him. Countless moments of deliberation had led to this point. Wooseung thought that now was the most opportune time.

He presented the watch, which he had put in a clear zipper bag in case it got scratched, in front of Taejung. For a moment, his face contorted strangely. The zipper bag, the watch, and the wad of tissues placed under the watch.

“I will give this back to you.”

“…”

“So with this… could you say that you bought it, Mr. President?”

“…”

“I was sorry about the ten thousand won.”

With a rustling sound, Taejung took the watch. A constant stream of chuckles, pfft, pfft, escaped from between his lips. He must have pressed down so hard with his fingernails, because the imprints were clearly left on the zipper bag. And what about the tissues inside?

“The packaging… Ah, really.”

He laughed as if he was dumbfounded, but thankfully, he did not seem to be in a bad mood. The watch, which had been a difficult problem to deal with, was safely returned to its owner, and he had also spoken about Hyojun. The anxiety still had not dried up, like a stagnant puddle, but it felt like he had bailed out as much as he could.

“I thought it was a bribe, but this is hilarious.”

Taejung took the watch out of the zipper bag, placed it on his palm, and tossed it up and down, thunk, thunk. A smooth smile hung on the corners of his mouth.

It was questionable why he seemed so happy, but considering what was to come, Wooseung thought it was not a bad reaction.

A moment later, a knock, knock, was heard, and Kim Jungoh appeared with Hyojun, whose face was fraught with tension. Hyojun, in a slightly unnatural posture with his back straight and his chest puffed out, stood tall in front of the karaoke machine. Kim Jungoh, after neatly placing the cigarettes on the table, stepped back and lightly patted Hyojun’s back.

“Good evening, Mr. President. I am twenty two years old, year of the snake! Flailing, flailing young blood, my name is Park, Jae, Woo!”

It was the self introduction he usually gave in the rooms. He just left out the vulgar curses, replaced ‘dick’ with ‘blood’, and shouted his name at the top of his lungs. At Kim Jungoh’s signal to sit down, he moved quickly and briskly, grabbing his own glass without any hesitation.

“Good evening, Mr. President. This is the first time I am meeting you in a room!”

Hyojun was normally sweet and attentive to customers, but today he was putting in extra effort.

Taejung only glanced at Hyojun and showed no particular reaction. He, who had been rubbing the cold sensation of the metal with his fingertips, put down the watch and reached for the cigarette pack.

“Oh, the lighter… ah!”

Hyojun quickly scanned his surroundings, found the lighter on the table, and hurriedly picked it up. And as soon as Taejung put a cigarette to his lips, Hyojun politely brought the lighter to it.

For a moment, Taejung paused. But he soon lit the cigarette by drawing on the filter with practiced ease. As if that brief moment of hesitation had never happened in the first place.

“Jaewoo?”

“Yes, it is Park Jaewoo.”

“Twenty two years old, what was it, year of the snake?”

“Yes! Flailing, flailing co—, young blood! I am twenty two.”

Taejung, who noticed the word Hyojun had hastily changed, let out a smirk. He leaned back comfortably on the sofa and rested his arm on the backrest. Naturally, his fingertips touched Wooseung’s shoulder. As he gently rubbed the rough knit fabric with his hand, Wooseung slightly pulled his shoulder back.

“Should I leave now?”

Wooseung carefully observed Taejung’s expression as he spoke. He thought it would be better for him to leave so that Hyojun could comfortably state his business.

“Leave for what. You need to do what you have to do.”

At the firm refusal, Wooseung had no choice but to stare down at the smooth edge of the table.

“…”

Taejung just lowered his eyes and glanced at Wooseung, who had become noticeably quiet since Hyojun’s arrival. Perhaps because his eyes were directed downwards, his long eyelashes cast a dark shadow under his eyes.

Taejung stubbed out the barely smoked cigarette in the ashtray. Had he taken two drags? The cigarette still maintained its long shape, just like when it was new.

When he nudged the ashtray into which he had spit, Hyojun offered him a glass of water as if he had been waiting. Since Taejung did not take it, he shrewdly did not offer it a second time and put it down.

“It seems you do not drink, Mr. President. I should be pouring you a drink at least…”

Hyojun rubbed his thighs with his palms and smiled obsequiously.

“Ah, I received the 100,000 won you gave me separately last time with much gratitude.”

Wondering what he was talking about, Taejung looked puzzled, but suddenly Wooseung’s head shot up. His lips parted and closed repeatedly, at a loss for what to do.

“100,000 won?”

“Yes. I did not expect you to take care of me like that, so I was truly moved.”

Hyojun, sitting with his back ramrod straight, said again that he was truly grateful. The more he did, the paler Wooseung’s face became.

As if spotting the moment the fishing float bobbed, Taejung did not miss it. Before long, a mischievous smile bloomed on his handsome face.

“Ah, the 100,000 won.”

When he reacted as if he had just remembered, Hyojun nodded his head happily.

“Thank you so much, Mr. President.”

“But this is strange.”

Taejung exaggeratedly tilted his head and rubbed his chin.

“I’m pretty sure I gave you 150,000 won.”

“Pardon?”

“Wooseung. Did you by any chance skim off 50,000 won?”

Wooseung made a stupid face with his lips slightly parted. Taejung held back his laughter and deliberately put on a serious expression. Wooseung, realizing Taejung’s mischievous prank belatedly, hurriedly made an excuse.

“No, Hyojun. I didn’t skim anything.”

But as soon as he finished speaking, Taejung turned Wooseung’s cheek toward him with the back of his hand.

“You should be telling me.”

“Ah…!”

“There’s an order to things. An order.”

The black pupils went to the left, then slowly returned to their original position.

“Mr. President, you gave me 100,000 won.”

“Really?”

“…Yes.”

“Did I really give you 100,000 won?”

Really? At the persistent questioning, Wooseung’s eyes began to shake with anxiety. He looked flustered, as if he had really skimmed the money.

“Mr. P-President. I think I received 150,000 won. I think I remembered it wrong.”

In the strange atmosphere, Hyojun shifted in his seat and defended Wooseung, saying he must have been mistaken. But his sorrowful voice failed to reach Taejung and faded away helplessly.

“Anyway, you have a lot of talents. You’re good at lying, too.”

Taejung lightly tapped his cheek with his fingertips before pulling back abruptly. Contrary to his accusing tone, the smile hanging on his lips was deep.

“Alright, whatever. You want to work? That’s what he said.”

Taejung asked, returning to his nonchalant posture with his arm slung over the backrest. Unable to adapt to the rapidly changing atmosphere, Hyojun just blinked stupidly before answering belatedly.

“…Ah, yes, yes!”

“Do you even know what kind of work it is?”

“Ah, I don’t know the details yet, but I can do a really good job. I came here prepared.”

He, who had been looking at Hyojun with a gauging gaze and a raised eyebrow, finally made a face of realization, “Ah.”

“That’s right. You slept with Moonsu.”

“…”

“Then you’ll do a good job. Moonsu isn’t small, after all.”

“Pardon?”

Hyojun, who did not understand Taejung’s words, asked back stupidly. What does this mean, he wondered, and glanced at Wooseung to see if he knew, but his face was not much different from his own.

“You don’t need to know.”

Taejung flicked Wooseung’s cheek with his fingertips. Then, whether it was unconscious or not, he kept rubbing his own fingertips together.

“But what makes you think I can trust you with a job?”

Hyojun straightened his back even more. He looked like a recent graduate in an important job interview.

“To be honest with you, sir… I am in desperate need of money right now. So I am confident that I can do a really good job without skipping or avoiding any kind of work.”

“Is that so?”

Taejung took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Then Hyojun looked for the lighter to light it for him like before. Taejung waved his hand as if to stop him.

Taejung’s gaze was directed at Wooseung. Wooseung, who noticed the gaze a half beat late, hurriedly found the lighter and held it. The flame flared, and acrid smoke slowly rose.

“I have.”

Taejung rested the fingers holding the cigarette on the table. His straight fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the table.

“Seen too many motherfuckers who are different when they go into the bathroom and when they come out.”

The sound of Hyojun swallowing his saliva echoed loudly in the quiet space.

When Taejung sized someone up, he always used silence. As the quietness lengthened, Taejung’s head tilted to the side. His gaze was directed at the dazed face etched with tension.

“Will you vouch for him?”

Wooseung jumped and his eyes widened. A surprised breath escaped from between his slightly parted lips.

“If he doesn’t do it properly, you take responsibility. How about it?”

“Mr. President, that’s—”

Hyojun hastily interjected, but Taejung stopped him by raising his hand.

No one knew what this ‘errand’ that Hyungho had done was. Only Taejung knew what that job was. In a situation where the total amount of information was so different, Taejung was asking if he could be the collateral. For Wooseung, it was an extremely unfair and unreasonable situation.

However, the deliberation was short.

“…I’ll do that.”

“Hyung!”

Hyojun called out to him in surprise, but Wooseung gently shook his head, as if to say it was okay.

“So we’re set, right? We’re sealing the deal?”

Taejung playfully made a fist and struck the table three times, bang, bang, bang. The cigarette between his fingers had become significantly shorter in no time.