BOREDOM 1

So, he was a jaded, worn-out man.

And it was not the hardships of the world, but ennui that had worn him out.

His eyes looked as bored as someone who had repeated the same life dozens, hundreds of times. The emotion that flickered in his eyes was habitual, and the expression he formed with his mouth was cliché. The way he languidly drew out the ends of his words seemed insincere.

He only ever wore luxury brands, but he never knew how to button them properly. He didn’t straighten his collar either. His hair was not trimmed often, so it was straggly and long, and he hated wearing socks, so he went around with his ankles exposed even in the dead of winter. Perhaps because of that, the heels of his sneakers or dress shoes were often crushed.

The tattoos etched on his body also looked like graffiti. Tattoos that seemed to have no particular meaning or significance, that looked like they were done impulsively without a shred of deliberation, were scattered here and there on his forearms and calves. I heard there was also a very cute puppy tattoo somewhere on his back or iliac crest, but there was no way for me to confirm it. I had never seen him undressed, after all. Even so, I was well aware that his penis was the size of his forearm.

Those who had been with him all went around talking about his penis. They would brag about how big, magnificent, and hard it was, and how easily it got erect and how long it lasted. Some missed his penis the most even after their relationship with him had ended. They would describe it as if he were a natural-born sex symbol, saying no one else was as big as him. Some even clung to him, saying they didn’t need money, just to have sex with him.

But, as befitting a jaded, worn-out man, he never met the same partner again. His way was that since they met for money, it was over when he got tired of the sex. Knowing that, there were countless people who wanted to sleep with him. It was to the point where they had to pull a number and wait, like a line in front of a famous restaurant. They even envied the act of selling their bodies to him, calling it being ‘chosen.’

And it was understandable. He had a lot of money. So much so that rumors circulated that he was the illegitimate son of a chaebol family.

That alone was a huge advantage, but he was also young and handsome. It was to the point where his insincere attitude, delinquent way of dressing, playful tattoos, gaze that held no seriousness, and cynical way of speaking all felt like charms. When he blew out cigarette smoke with lips that suited the word “alluring,” below a nose that soared like Mount Everest, one could understand what it felt like to be bewitched.

Despite this, he seemed to have no feelings whatsoever about his own wealth, youth, and beauty. Including even that aspect, his very existence was stimulating. Just looking at him caused an explosion of dopamine. That’s why the people who worked at Club Zeus would eagerly wait for him to appear.

That was the same for me, a parking attendant.

“Did Kwon Taeshin come today?”

As always, Jaeyoung was late. Yet, as if he wasn’t afraid of the manager’s wrath, he couldn’t seem to tear himself away from the mirror in the locker room. I, who had come to get my phone from the charger, gave a short answer to Jaeyoung’s question looking for Kwon Taeshin.

“No.”

Jaeyoung, while preening his reflection in the mirror, muttered to himself.

“Ah damn, why isn’t he here? It’s about time for him to show up.”

When Jaeyoung asked, “How’s my hair? Does it look weird?” I replied, “No, it looks good on you.” Not believing me, Jaeyoung asked, “Really?” while sweeping back his newly styled hair several times.

The light color he dyed it brought out his naturally fair skin. “I told you it looks good,” I retorted, then asked casually.

“But how do you know if it’s time for Kwon Taeshin to come or not?”

Jaeyoung glanced this way through the mirror.

“It’s been about a month since he started playing around with that kid who’s a theater actor or whatever. It’s about time he got tired of him.”

This place, Zeus, was an entertainment establishment that presented itself as a members-only social club. The main clientele were either leaders of society who had to maintain their social standing and dignity, or public figures who had a lot of money but whose faces were well-known. Most were people like corporate executives, high-ranking government officials, famous celebrities, and sports stars, and there were not a few people who tried to lobby or offer tribute to get connected with them. To tell the truth, the latter were more numerous.

“He was only meeting women for a while, but these days he’s back to meeting men.”

“Jaeyoung, you’re not gay.”

At my puzzled question, Jaeyoung snorted.

“So what if I’m not gay? If Kwon Taeshin says he’ll give me money to spread my legs, then I’ll spread them.”

I frowned at Jaeyoung’s blatant words.

“They say Kwon Taeshin’s is huge. What if something bad happens after putting something like that in you?”

“They say it feels fucking good because it’s big.”

“How can something big be good for the person getting penetrated?”

“They say it’s good. So good they cum buckets.”

“Isn’t it a big deal if it’s that good? You might turn gay.”

“If it happens, it happens. What’s the big deal about men dating and marrying each other?”

Jaeyoung chuckled, saying he would marry Kwon Taeshin in a heartbeat if he asked. I was about to say that someone like Kwon Taeshin probably wasn’t interested in dating, let alone marriage, but I just let it go. It seemed Jaeyoung didn’t have any serious intentions of dating Kwon Taeshin either. It just seemed like he wanted to make money in exchange for his body, since Kwon Taeshin was said to be a big spender.

“Anyway, let me know when Kwon Taeshin shows up.”

I nodded at Jaeyoung’s request. Then I put my phone in my inner pocket and left the locker room. After that, I went outside through the emergency exit at the back of the club.

It had been dark outside for a long time. Instead, the lights that composed the city’s night view were bright. All sorts of signs and neon lights were lit, but the area around Zeus was dim. Since it was members-only, there was no need to solicit customers, so there wasn’t even a single common stand-up sign. Despite that, in the short time I was away, the front of the club was a madhouse with cars that couldn’t park. Seeing the scene, I rushed over, and the parking chief smacked my head with his light stick.

“What were you doing that you’re only crawling out now?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Here, move this one first.”

I took the foreign car key that the parking chief tossed me and got into the driver’s seat. I started the engine and carefully drove the car toward a nearby parking lot.

Zeus didn’t have its own parking lot. Perhaps because it was a remodeled building that used to be some kind of government office, there was no separate land for parking. The people who visited the club were also reluctant to park ostentatiously in front of it. Since corporate vehicles and security or protocol vehicles for government offices came and went, everyone hoped their movements would not be conspicuous. That’s why parking attendants like me had to diligently provide valet parking.

I parked the car in the lot and returned to the front of the club, my feet sweating. Cars came in a ceaseless line, and I repeated the process of moving the cars to the lot and running back. In the middle of that, I saw the car of the person Jaeyoung was waiting for with bated breath.

It was Kwon Taeshin.

Even in this place where one could see all kinds of foreign cars, his car stood out. These days, because SUVs were in fashion, a low-slung, sleek sports car like the one he drove was hard to see. I didn’t know much about cars, but the jet-black car with doors that opened upwards like the Batmobile was sleek, just like its owner.

Seeing that car stop in front of the club, I quickly sent a message to Jaeyoung. I only dashed off the initials ㄱㅌㅅ, but he would surely be able to understand what it meant.

Soon, the car door lifted and a long leg stretched out from inside. When the leg, so long it seemed cumbersome, bent, Kwon Taeshin, wearing a ball cap pulled down low and some kind of strange, see-through shirt under a dark jacket, revealed himself from inside the car.

Jaeyoung, having seen the message I sent, came running out to greet him. He wasn’t originally in charge of greeting guests, but it seemed he had used money to change his position to hit on Kwon Taeshin. Jaeyoung, with a confident smile spread across his face, offered a greeting, “Welcome.”

Kwon Taeshin accepted the greeting perfunctorily and held out his car key. I quickly ran over, bowed my head, and received the key. In doing so, I entered Kwon Taeshin’s line of sight.

Briefly, our gazes brushed past each other, and the moment his eyes landed on me, my heart dropped for no reason. The gaze that flowed from under the brim of his pulled-down ball cap was sweet yet cold.

He turned away indifferently, and I calmed my needlessly pounding chest and got into his car. As I settled into the seat that required me to almost lie down, a subtle and soft scent seeped into my nose. Perhaps because it was an expensive car, even the fragrance in the car was luxurious.

Breathing it in and feeling dazed, I opened my eyes wide and got a grip on myself. I had to be on edge, as Jaeyoung had made a fuss about how there were only a few of these cars in our country. The thought that I’d be sitting on a pile of debt if I got even a minor scratch made me drive more carefully than usual.

By the time I parked the car, which was worth as much as a decent house, in a prime spot in the lot and got out, I was sweating. I fanned my collar, took the car key, and went back to the club. Then I put the key in the safe at the security post and sent another message to Jaeyoung.

「Is it going well?」

Since there was no reply, it must be going well. I wondered how much one would get for having sex with Kwon Taeshin. You’d get at least a million won, right?

A million won… With that money, I could buy Wonyoung a new phone. I could also replace the constantly breaking washing machine, and the family could even eat out together.

I muttered to myself without realizing.

“I’m jealous.”

I knew well that I shouldn’t be envious of selling one’s body. And yet, because there were so many things I lacked, I felt tempted. If I were a woman, I wouldn’t be keen on it because of the various dangers, but since I was a man, I thought it would be okay. Moreover, if the partner was Kwon Taeshin, wouldn’t it be worth doing? Even being on the bottom didn’t seem like it would be that bad. It was scary that Kwon Taeshin’s dick was supposedly so big, but you can’t stop making soy sauce for fear of maggots.

I had worked for several years at a site where industrial accidents happened frequently. Compared to the risk of getting a finger cut off, a leg crushed, or being pressed to death by getting caught in a machine, this was nothing. No, wasn’t this actually a piece of cake? Continuing with such thoughts, I soon let out a deflating sound.

Even if I wanted to sell my body to Kwon Taeshin, it’s only possible if you have the looks like Jaeyoung. If an ordinary person like me stepped up saying I wanted to be on the bottom for him, he wouldn’t be pleased. He might even say he should be getting money from me.

Reminding myself of the fact that I had an utterly ordinary appearance, I stopped the useless thoughts. Then I made the parking chief a cup of instant coffee and had one myself. After boosting my energy like that, peak time arrived. After working hectically for an hour or two, it was past 2 a.m., and there were more people leaving than entering the club.

The parking chief, receiving a call on his radio from the manager, began to call for designated drivers. I took the designated drivers’ IDs at the security post and handed over the car keys in exchange. As I was sending customers off in that manner, a radio call came in.

“8820, driver call.”

Number 8820 was Kwon Taeshin’s car number. I found his car key in the safe and exchanged it for the designated driver’s ID. Soon, the designated driver brought Kwon Taeshin’s car to the front of the club. Stretching my neck, I saw Kwon Taeshin just stepping out of the club entrance.

Contrary to my expectations, he was alone. I couldn’t see Jaeyoung. It seemed he had failed in seducing him.

Well, in my view, it was very strange for a man like Kwon Taeshin to pay for sex. Kwon Taeshin was someone who could have sex for money, not pay for it, if he wanted. There must be tons of people who would want to have sex with him even if they had to pay a fortune, so why on earth?

My guess was that Kwon Taeshin just wanted to have sex and didn’t want any kind of emotional exchange. It seemed he disliked having a physical relationship without a monetary transaction and then having to do something resembling dating. Perhaps the money received from him was not the price for sex, but rather the price for not bothering him.

Then he could just not have sex, but seeing as he constantly seeks partners, his sexual desire must be very strong. Does he grow thorns there if he doesn’t have sex for even a day? It would be quite a sight if thorns grew on something that was already so big. While having such useless thoughts, I watched Kwon Taeshin disappear into his car.