Joker 1 (Side Story) Ch 8

The invitation to Jeongseon Casino came from Tangbang.

But how he got Hawon’s phone number, he wondered. Well, considering he operated through intelligence networks, it wasn’t really surprising.

The last time Hawon had seen Tangbang was at the Füssen Casino, when he had emptied Aeil Kwon’s pocket into a charity donation box. Two years had already passed since that day.

Hawon had thought he’d never have to deal with Tangbang again—but the message on the phone was quite something.

-Long time no see.

“…Tangbang.”

Wow, Hawon. I’m impressed—you recognized me just by my voice?

“Are you in Korea?”

The number started with 82, so it couldn’t be Macau.

If you’re curious, come to Jeongseon. Let’s meet at the casino.

Tangbang got straight to the point about meeting.

“Why should I?”

“Tell me your ulterior motive first.”

-Don’t be so defensive. Like always, I’m not your enemy, right?

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, I’m hanging up.”

-Because I left Macau? And I asked about news that might interest you and CEO Kwon—why not meet first?

-Better to bite than ignore. It’s information I got when Gangho Inn was destroyed. I also have something to tell your CEO—could you hand him the phone?

Hawon, feeling uneasy, passed the call to Kwon Taeha.

Taeha stayed silent for a moment, then surprisingly, instead of ignoring it, volunteered to meet Tangbang. Tangbang imposed one condition: tell no one else the location, meet only at Jeongseon Casino.

He said it was to ensure his safety, but Hawon wondered who exactly he was threatened by.

He considered the possibility of a trap but quickly dismissed it; Tangbang wasn’t the type to play games or trick them. And if anyone touched Taeha, Tangbang himself wouldn’t be safe.

Hawon asked Tangbang his purpose, but he only gave the vague answer that it could be known only by meeting him in person.

Gangho Inn.

The mention of that place made Hawon feel as if the humid air of Macau had suddenly returned. If asked whether he felt any attachment to Macau, he could admit he did—to some extent.

For him, Macau had been a city akin to hell, yet occasionally, the songs of Deng Liyun and the musky smell of spices from Gangho Inn would strike his mind like a sudden nostalgia.

And the man he met there: Kwon Taeha.

He remembered Taeha refusing food after drinking, worried someone had poisoned it. Yet he devoured the scones without hesitation. Every moment with Taeha was vivid, but that day was especially alive in his senses.

He remembered the sharp scent of alcohol from Taeha and the sweltering, humid weather as if it were yesterday.

That day was probably… the first time he had glimpsed Taeha’s emotions.

“You think of me as… what?”

When Hawon said he seemed like money to him, Taeha replied:

“It was an impulse, I swear.”

Hawon, lost in thought for a moment, lifted his head.

The TV in the room, left on aimlessly, showed a current affairs exposé—about cars with sudden acceleration. Feeling awkward, he switched the channel, though a faint chuckle escaped him.

“Hawon, you keep laughing too easily.”

Taeha tapped the small two-person table lightly. Hawon looked at him across the table. The chair was fine for Hawon, but for Taeha, it seemed ridiculously small.

“Isn’t it good to laugh easily?”

Hawon chewed the squid sausage Taeha had bought, topped with salted shrimp.

“It’s good if you laugh at me—but not just now, right?” Taeha hadn’t even changed into the room slippers yet.

He had always walked around in others’ homes with his shoes, but now he openly showed he didn’t like the room. They had booked late at night, so the suite was unavailable. They barely got a deluxe room, which was smaller than the dressing room in his German house.

“You laughed just now because of this CEO, didn’t you?”

When Hawon said he looked like money, Taeha had slammed something on the table.

“What did I do? I just watched you eat. You keep invading my thoughts, I was just reminiscing.”

“Do you have memories worth laughing at?”

“Well, I’d only have grim memories if we were talking about the past.”

“Now is better than back then, isn’t it?” He seemed to say, focus on the present.

“Looking back, there are a lot of funny memories. I didn’t realize they were funny then.” Hawon set down his chopsticks and stared at Taeha.

“Every time I met the CEO, I was so on edge I made mistakes. Honestly, the CEO must have been terrifying.” Taeha reached out and touched the corner of Hawon’s eye; Hawon lightly rubbed his cheek against Taeha’s large palm.

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“For scaring you?”

His slate-blue eyes were serious, but Hawon had no idea what he had been afraid of. He didn’t feel the need to articulate it.

Thinking back, he had been scared when Taeha found him after he ran away, and even later, when Taeha almost held him captive, he only pretended to be calm but had felt like standing at the edge of a cliff.

Hate him, yet when he wasn’t around, Hawon’s emotions sank even deeper than when he was in front of him. It was better when he could lash out at him face-to-face. So he both hated and loved him.

“Not now, right?”

Taeha brushed Hawon’s eye with his thumb. Confident that Hawon wouldn’t be scared now, Hawon replied jokingly:

“Not completely, maybe sometimes?”

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

Though the answer probably wasn’t satisfying, Taeha hurried to frame it positively.

“And you, CEO?”

“If I had to pick the scariest person in my world, it’d be you.”

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

Hawon smiled, chewing the squid sausage carefully. Feeling Taeha’s eyes observing him, he ate diligently. The sausage was hard to get in Germany, and freshly bought ones were even rarer. That made it taste even better.

“How did you find a place open at this hour?”

“What can’t the CEO do?”

When Hawon said he wanted sausage, Taeha searched for a sausage shop and got in the car. The shop was about to close, and the owner rudely told him to come back tomorrow.

In that case, as Hawon would say, there was only one option: overpay. Offering a hundred times the price, the owner seemed incredulous but didn’t close the shop.

“They thought you were pregnant.”

“…Excuse me?”

“The owner asked if the wife looking for sausage was pregnant, and if she was Korean.”

Hawon stifled a laugh with his fist. Taeha’s appearance was obviously mixed-race, so the owner’s misunderstanding made sense.

“So, what did you say?”

“It’s not like I’m pregnant.”

“You just dodged it instead of taking it seriously.”

“They even gave extra.”

Kwon Taeha gestured toward the pile of liver on one side.

“They said even couples without kids can live well. They had a hard time too since they couldn’t have kids, but now they eat well and live happily together.”

What a story… Hawon had no idea what they had actually talked about.

“You became that friendly with the owner in the meantime?”

“Just slice the sausage. While that guy was talking non-stop, that’s all I was thinking about.”

Hawon laughed out loud, dipped a piece of squid sausage into the salted shrimp paste, and offered it to Taeha.

“Here, try it.”

“You’re picky. I at least match the food to German tastes.”

When Hawon tried to pull back his chopsticks, Taeha grabbed his wrist. Holding his gaze, he opened his mouth and ate the sausage. Even while chewing, Hawon’s eyes stayed on Taeha, and his wrist was still held.

He could have just swallowed it, but even now he chewed carefully before finally swallowing.

Hawon stared at Taeha’s throat, half-expecting him to choke again, but fortunately, he remained quiet. Still, seeing him sip cheap wine, normally untouched, made Hawon think he had made some effort.

“Oh, he mentioned that too.”

“What?”

“Not to waste money.”

Hawon paused his chopsticks.

“How much… did you pay for this?”

“I asked for a hundred times the price. He misunderstood a lot but finally gave it at the regular price.”

“If I’d paid a hundred times more, I might have ended up on what you ate.”

Hawon cleared his throat with the wine. It was convenience-store wine, and since he didn’t particularly like wine, he didn’t notice much difference from the bottles at home.

In the basement of his house in Germany, one room stored hundreds of wine bottles. It was climate-controlled for temperature and humidity, essentially serving as a wine cellar.

It was cold in summer, even colder in winter, so Hawon rarely entered that room. Sometimes, being alone in the vast house made his spine shiver.

Taeha didn’t like this hotel room, but for some reason, Hawon felt excited, like a student on a field trip. Being in such a small space together made him feel unusually close.

Though they often spent time together, this felt more intimate, as if all the busy schedules had vanished and they were enjoying a private vacation.

“Want another piece?”

“If you feed me.”

“Not bad, huh?”

Taeha suggested Hawon try the native sausage dipped in salt; he opened his mouth willingly.

“Is that okay?”

“Can I clean my teeth and then taste you with my lips?”

“You want to say that with this right in front of you?”

“Should I go clean now?”

“I don’t want to eat while sucking nipples.”

“Then eat quickly.”

Taeha rested his chin and watched Hawon. Seeing him eat properly, he didn’t feel the need to urge him twice. Should they establish a base in Korea? Hawon found it amusing that such trivial concerns over food were important to Taeha, yet he liked that his life prioritized Hawon.

“You keep getting prettier.”

Cough—Hawon choked lightly on Taeha’s sudden words. It wasn’t severe, so he soothed his throat with lukewarm water.

“If you want to bother me, go sit on the bed.”

“Which one?”

Two single beds were set side by side in the direction he indicated.

“The side you want to lie on.”

“Then Hawon will come?” Two men would find it too narrow.

“If you rampage there, they might make you pay for the bed.”

“What’s the point of keeping money?”

Still, he didn’t move a step toward the bed. Hawon wrapped up the remaining sausages to eat tomorrow, then realized something.

“Wagner brought my phone?”

“Probably?”

Probably? After taking Tangbang’s call, Hawon had gone straight to Gimpo, only then noticing his phone was missing. If Taeha weren’t there, he would’ve reported every move to Wagner—but with him around, he didn’t care much, assuming Taeha had handled it.

“Once you’re done eating, let’s shower together.”

“It’s really cramped.”

“Shall we imagine we’re fugitives?”

“Are you a kid?”

Hawon grabbed Taeha’s wrist and strode toward the bathroom.

“Hawon, getting all flustered by my boldness?” Taeha looped an arm around his waist and kissed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, thinking about doing this in such a small space…”

Hawon unbuttoned his shirt while leaning his head on Taeha’s shoulder.

“I’m excited too.”

Kisses traced the smooth side of his face, sending jolts through his toes. Nerve endings were taut, and pre-ejaculate had already leaked.

They stood naked, pressed together under the shower, the water hitting their bodies and scattering in all directions.