IOTF Ch 24
by soapaA little after 9 PM, we got into the Boss’s car. Both Kalbang, who was driving, and the Boss seemed their usual selves. They exchanged their usual meaningless jokes, which segued into dirty talk, thanks to the Boss’s wandering hands on my body.
Throughout the drive to Seoul, the Boss kept me close, kissing me and fondling my thigh. When we reached a rest stop, he had Kalbang pull over and bought me coffee and a butter-roasted potato. He watched me, a smirk playing on his lips as he took a drag from his cigarette, enjoying the sight of the butter glistening on my lips. He opened the window, the smoke curling around him as he continued to stare at me.
“I think you need to take this.”
He took Kalbang’s phone and was silent for a few seconds. He spoke, exhaling smoke, his expression unreadable as he listened to the report.
“Bury the rest of them in a hole.”
His words made me choke on the food I was forcing down. I reached for my soda, but he took the phone between his ear and shoulder, opened the bottle for me, and handed it over.
The fizzy drink went down my throat, momentarily clearing the blockage, but the tightness in my chest remained.
“Interesting. Don’t touch their faces. We’re almost there, so tell them to wait.”
He hung up and tossed the cigarette butt out the window. Then he leaned in, sucking on my cola-flavored lips. Not satisfied, he kissed me again, his tongue invading my mouth, stealing the taste of the buttered potato.
“It tastes even better when you feed it to me, Soyoon.”
“…….”
“Baekil, let’s go.”
We set off again, driving straight to Seoul without another stop. The traffic was heavier here, and it was well past midnight when we finally reached the familiar streets of Seoul. My anxiety spiked.
Just a little further down this road was the club where I used to work. As if to confirm my fears, we crossed a large intersection, and the road was filled with taxis and chauffeur-driven luxury cars, the telltale signs of the nightlife district.
My face fell, and I silently prayed we weren’t going there, even though I knew there was no reason we wouldn’t be. I didn’t owe anything to Marine City, and even if I did, it had nothing to do with the Boss. Still, a sense of foreboding gnawed at me. Then I saw a familiar sign.
Saetairo 2-gil. It was the road to Marine City, home to famous nightclubs, high-end Japanese restaurants, and a cluster of hotels.
“Soyoon, are you nervous to be back?”
“What?”
“This is your old neighborhood.”
Did my eyes harden at the word “neighborhood”?
“I’m just a country bumpkin from Yeonsan; I don’t know my way around here. But Lee Soyoon survived in this place for years.”
He sounded strangely sentimental, stroking his chin as if imagining me living in this unfamiliar place.
“It’s nice. To finally see it.”
“…….”
“Maybe I should have come to Seoul sooner.”
Then his expression shifted, returning to his usual arrogance and disdain, that familiar, menacing glint in his eyes.
“Sir, why are we…”
“You said Queens was trashy.”
No, I’d said that out of anger. Well, it was trashy, but that was just my personal opinion.
“You said Queens was tacky, so I wanted to see how much better this place is.”
He smiled sweetly, and I noticed a slight pulsing in the veins of his thick neck, adorned with a gold necklace.
Black cars lined the entrance to Marine City. Past midnight, their red taillights glowed as they idled. I recognized one of them – the van that used to pick me up from Queens. Jang Woosung was inside, the sliding door open.
He spotted our car and jumped out, his usual neat attire replaced by a white shirt, sleeves rolled up despite the winter chill.
“You’re here, Boss. Boss Soyoon, welcome.”
His face looked sharp against the dark night. I quickly scanned our surroundings. Gangsters with grim expressions surrounded at least five cars.
“What’s happening inside?”
“Boss Doopil told everyone to clear out.”
Jang Woosung bowed his head and disappeared. Men in black suits bowed their heads in unison, clearing a path for us.
I’d seen my share of gangsters, but this was my first time witnessing the scene from the boss’s perspective. These ruthless thugs weren’t wielding knives or fists but bowing so low their eyes were glued to the ground. It was a sight I’d never imagined.
Our car entered the underground parking garage. Marine City had a two-level parking area, spanning 300 pyeong. The Boss of Marine City was what they called a “building Boss,” with two other establishments besides this one.
He was well-connected with gangsters, even Colin, and his business was booming, with overseas clients bringing in hundreds of millions of won every month.
And now, Boss Joo’s men occupied this space. At this hour, the gangsters who worked for the Marine City Boss should have been stationed around the entrance, but there were only the Boss’s men.
From what I’d overheard about sending people away, they must have been dealt with. But were they just sent away, or had they been eliminated, with the term “sent away” used as a euphemism?
I remembered scenes from the past: the Boss stabbing a Yakuza, threatening someone with a steak knife in a restaurant, the porn actors, the traditional Korean restaurant… I felt nauseous, my heart pounding, my body trembling with a fear I couldn’t explain.
“Soyoon, why are you so nervous? It’s nothing. We’re just visiting.”
It didn’t feel like “nothing.” Too many of the Boss’s men were present, and even Jang Woosung seemed unusually agitated.
“Why… why are we here?”
“I told you, just visiting.”
I didn’t believe him. Someone opened the car door. Outside, I saw many unfamiliar faces, all lean and mean-looking.
“Soyoon, let’s go in.”
Men formed a protective circle around us. Kalbang led the way on the Boss’s left, and I stayed close to his right.
The elevator arrived. As we stepped inside, he grinned at me.
His smile made my stomach churn. I wanted to refuse, to say I didn’t want to go in there, but he’d said we were just visiting, just checking out my old workplace. He’d preemptively shut down any reason for refusal, leaving me no room to argue.
The automatic doors opened, revealing the opulent lobby of Marine City. It was as glamorous and luxurious as ever, its VIP hotel business club style showcasing the vibrant Seoul nightlife.
The Boss tapped his dress shoes on the marble floor. The sound made me flinch, and he pointed to the diamond-shaped layout around the bar.
“Which rooms did you like to use, Soyoon?”
“…It varied.”
“But there must have been one you particularly liked.”
He stared at me, waiting for an answer. I pointed down the fourth hallway.
“The room with the Santorini theme. I often rested there. You could see Namsan Mountain from the window… and the sky was beautiful at dawn.”
My voice wavered. The bartenders who should have been there were gone, and so were the hosts. The place should have been bustling with customers and music, but it was eerily quiet, as if holding its breath for the Boss’s arrival.
“Santorini suits you. I’d love to fuck you there in those tiny shorts, wouldn’t I?”
Kalbang, who had briefly disappeared, returned and whispered something to the Boss. The Boss started up the stairs to the third floor.
“They said this place has a mezzanine level. Is that right?”
“Yes… it connects to the third floor. The stairs lead directly to the VIP rooms.”
“How many VIP rooms are there?”
“Fourteen. They’re divided into Black Level and Blue Level.”
He seemed pleased with my explanation.
“You must have been itching to get out of here after working at Queens.”
He traced the outline of my lips with his finger. His expression was unreadable under the glittering chandelier. He was smiling, but I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking. I felt uneasy, unsure of what he planned to do on the third floor.
Then I heard sounds of a struggle from above, muffled thuds and cries.
“Soyoon.”
He called my name just as another cry echoed through the space. It was clearly the sound of someone being beaten, and then I heard Han Doopil’s voice.
“Hey, spread out the plastic. Hit him good. You can’t get bloodstains out of marble!”
I knew then, or maybe I’d known since we left for Seoul.
“…Did you bring Park Jun here?”
The Boss grinned.
“I can’t deny that. You’re too quick-witted, Soyoon.”
He came back down a step, his expression serious. He tilted his head, his eyes fixed on me.
“Where… where did you find him?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes. It matters.”
He lit a cigarette, the white smoke curling around him.
“The woman is already dead. Your friend was in a dog fighting ring.”
“A… dog fighting ring?”
“It’s where they take people who are beyond saving. They throw a person into a ring with dogs and watch them get ripped apart. Sometimes it’s one dog, sometimes two, but it’s a playground for sick fucks who like to watch people get their guts eaten.”
Playground. My blood ran cold. If anyone else had said those words, I would have dismissed them as a joke or a lie, but this was Joo Geonwoo. He had a history, and I knew firsthand how ruthless he could be.
“Consider it me saving him. I pulled him out right before he went into the ring. I saved his life.”
I didn’t answer. Someone’s screams echoed in the background, a constant reminder of the horrors taking place. Whether he died here or in a dog fighting ring, it was the same. The only difference was that I’d get to watch Park Jun die.
“What are you going to do?”
“Whatever you want.”
Was that why he brought me here? To see my betrayer and decide his fate?
“Are you sure Madam Cho is dead?”
“Some American had her ripped to shreds. I was going to bring her here too, but he was pretty pissed. You know who I’m talking about, right?”
I knew. He was talking about Colin. Colin had found Madam Cho and killed her. I remembered Jaehoon’s words:
“Colin left Singapore. There are rumors that he and Park Jun split.”
“They say Park Jun dumped her, but she might have just moved on. Someone saw her with another guy in Koreatown. It wouldn’t be surprising, coming from her. Well, now that Colin’s gone, who knows what happened.”
He’d been right. They had split, and Colin had taken the opportunity to kill the woman, leaving Park Jun to rot.
“Did Colin send him to the… dog fighting ring?”
“The woman was in Singapore, and your friend was in the Philippines. She’d already used up the drugs they stole, so he had nothing left.”
Idiot. I knew he’d end up like this, getting played by that woman.
“Colin isn’t the type to take a loss.”
“Russians are all the same. They’re so simple-minded; they think dismemberment is enough revenge. The guy who stabbed me died because he didn’t know how to calculate.”
What did that even mean? Then I heard a voice, not a muffled cry, but clear, distinct Korean words. A voice I knew echoed from the third floor.
“P-Please, save me! I’m sorry!”
I knew that voice. The voice of the man I’d lived with for the past two years. I bit my lip, steeling myself. I resumed my ascent, and the Boss followed, his pace slow and deliberate. The closer we got, the louder Park Jun’s pleas became. I was ready to face him.
“Please! Ah!! Save… Agh!!”
At the top of the stairs, I saw Park Jun being beaten by a gangster twice his size. He was hit in the ribs and then kicked in the stomach. His screams were choked by blood. He was dragged up by his hair and kicked again.
“Ugh!!”
More blood spurted as the gangster focused on his arms and legs. The gangster was calm, methodical, as if he were playing a game.
I didn’t look away. A strange sense of exhilaration washed over me as I watched my betrayer being broken. I finally understood what the Boss had meant when he said, “Don’t touch their faces.”
Like a gift for me, the gangster had avoided hitting his face. He’d kept Park Jun’s face intact so I could see it as he was being destroyed. Then someone stumbled out of a nearby room.
“Ugh! Why are you doing this?! You told me to find the missing host! Ugh!”
It was the Boss of Marine City, his white shirt stained with blood. He froze when he saw the bloodied Park Jun.
“P… Park Jun…?”
His eyes widened in disbelief.
“S… Shit! Why is he…!”
He started backing away, then froze when he saw the Boss and me.
“Good evening, Mr. Park.”
A deep voice from behind silenced everything. Even Park Jun and the gangster stopped, holding their breath, waiting for the Boss’s next move.
“I’m Joo Geonwoo from Yeonsan. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
The Boss walked across the marble floor, his steps slow and measured, avoiding the blood-soaked plastic sheet.
“B-Boss Joo…”
“It’s our first time meeting, isn’t it? I couldn’t pay my respects last time, so I came in person.”
He grinned at the Marine City Boss, who shook his head in disbelief.
“I had the… the men who were looking after this place removed. We didn’t want any unnecessary bloodshed. I just came for a chat. It would be troublesome to create a mess.”
His smile was terrifying. Even I, his lover, felt suffocated. The Marine City Boss was clearly petrified.
“Wh-Why… wh-why…”
“It’s nothing serious. I heard one of your hosts got his hands on some of that American’s merchandise, and it happened to overlap with my Chinese buyer. Just recently, some Yakuza punk caused a big misunderstanding by bringing in some new drugs. So I came to do some reconnaissance, since that American doesn’t seem to understand business etiquette.”
The Marine City Boss vehemently denied it.
“I don’t know anything about that!”
A thud echoed through the space. I didn’t need to look to know that Park Jun had been hit again.
“You don’t know, huh? But that American’s product was circulating here.”
The Boss’s expression hardened, his eyes cold. I shivered, and he gestured towards Park Jun with his chin.
“You know this guy. You’re the one who connected him with that woman, right?”
What was he talking about? The Marine City Boss had connected Park Jun with Madam Cho?
“No! I don’t know Madam Cho! I really don’t know anything!”
“You don’t know her, yet you let him work with her? You sent them to Singapore. You knew this host was working with the American and set him up with Madam Cho. The American was taking too much in taxes for connecting overseas clients, so you wanted to screw them both over, didn’t you?”
The Boss sounded certain, and his certainty seemed well-placed. Colin had indeed been selling drugs without paying any taxes, using the excuse of connecting overseas clients.
“You were trying to consolidate your power base, and the American was a thorn in your side. You were starting to attract wealthy clients – prosecutor’s wives, judges’ daughters – and you didn’t want the drug dealing to get in the way. You couldn’t trust the Hongdo Clan with it, but you didn’t want to lose the American’s overseas clients, so you used this host.”
The Marine City Boss trembled. His eyes darted nervously. Boss Joo seemed to have already pieced everything together.
“Boss Joo, you’re… you’re not wrong! But using a lowly host isn’t a crime, is it? I didn’t tell him to work with Colin. He started selling drugs to my clients; what was I supposed to do? You know Colin has a lot of overseas connections, and he’s not someone to be trifled with. If he knew I was trying to get rid of him, he’d destroy my business! Can’t I use a host to my advantage?”
“So you dragged Soyoon into this too?”
“Soyoon? Who’s…”
Kalbang kicked him in the gut. He cried out and crumpled to the floor, the stench of blood filling the air.
“Now you tell me. What did your boss do to you?”
The Boss turned to Park Jun, his voice menacing. Park Jun, barely conscious, finally spoke.
“…He… he introduced me to a woman named Madam Cho. He told me to convince her to go to Singapore… Ugh… I didn’t know she was a drug dealer… Cough… He said there was a Korean expat in Singapore who knew a local dealer… Cough, cough… So I went to Singapore with Madam Cho… It was… Madam Cho’s idea to use Soyoon… She was the one who said we should steal the drugs… Madam Cho… said… Mr. Park told her to do it… Ugh, ugh… Cough!!”
It all made sense now. The Marine City Boss was behind it all, Park Jun was a pawn, and I was beneath even him.
“So, you heard him. He says you put him up to it. Anything to say?”
“…Even if that’s true, what does it have to do with you, Boss Joo? It happened in my club, and that drug dealer… Gah!”
Kalbang kicked him again. He convulsed, but the Boss remained impassive, grabbing the Marine City Boss’s hair.
“Watch your tongue. What do you mean, ‘what does it have to do with me’? I’m going to be his husband; you think I’d just stand by?”
The Boss spat out the words, his dark eyebrows furrowed. The Marine City Boss started whimpering.
“Think about it. Why do you think I pulled him out of that dog fighting ring? Because he was once Soyoon’s friend? Or to get his testimony about your scheme?”
“U…gh…!”
“I’m not a cop; why would I do that?”
“Then why are you doing this?!”
“You’re really clueless, aren’t you?”
The Boss straightened up and, without hesitation, stomped on the Marine City Boss’s crotch.
“I’m doing this to take over your business.”
His grin sent chills down my spine. He spoke those shocking words with such nonchalance. I hadn’t seen this coming either.
“Like you said, you used a lowly host, so I’m taking what’s owed.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Did you think you could use Soyoon and get away with it? The expenses for this trip alone are worth half your business.”
“Boss Joo, there are rules! This is… Ugh!”
The Boss ground his heel into his crotch. The Marine City Boss thrashed, but the Boss didn’t budge, continuing to crush him as he listed his reasons.
“I sent men to Singapore, took care of the American, and pulled that host out of the dog fighting ring in the Philippines. Do you know how much money I spent? Fuck, and what about the pain you caused Soyoon? He’s so innocent, he thought his friend was behind it all. You think I’d just let you get away with that shit?”
Without laying a finger on them, the Boss had driven two men to the brink of death. Park Jun was nearly unconscious, and the Marine City Boss could only babble incoherently.
“Ugh! No…! No!! Please spare me, ugh!!”
He cried and pleaded, but the Boss remained indifferent. The middle-aged man was sobbing like a child.
“Should we start?”
Han Doopil asked. The Boss turned to me.
“Soyoon, what do you want to do?”
I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know what to do.
“Do you want to finish him off? Or do you just want to watch?”
He held out his hand to Han Doopil, who produced a hatchet painted red from his back pocket.
“I usually start with a hand and a foot. If things go south, I might take an eye too, but that’s up to Soyoon…”
My stomach lurched. The smell of blood, the sight of exposed bone and flesh… I vomited, the buttered potato coming back up.
“Soyoon, are you alright?”
I couldn’t answer.
“I guess you’re too soft for this.”
He handed the hatchet back to Han Doopil, wiping his bloodstained fingers on his pants. He stood in front of me.
“Anything you want to say to your friend?”
“…….”
“Say it now. There won’t be another chance.”
He stepped aside, revealing Park Jun lying on the floor. He seemed to have regained some consciousness and was looking at me.
“Soyoon…”
Seeing his face brought back a flood of memories: being interrogated by Detective Kim, Colin’s men nearly knocking out my teeth, hiding in fear, going to Yeonsan, being taken by the Boss… everything came rushing back.
“You son of a bitch.”
“…Soyoon…”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
I yelled, my fists clenched. He tried to speak, his voice weak.
“I was going to… return the money… convince the madam… and come back to Korea…”
Bullshit.
“It’s true… I was at the airport that day…!”
“Don’t fuck with me. You were trying to trick me until the very end. If that girl hadn’t told me, I would have taken the fall for you. If I’d been caught at the airport, it would have been my fault. Even if I’d gotten through, Colin would have found me and made me do his bidding.”
Whatever that might have been, I would have been his hostage, possibly becoming a drug addict myself.
“And you booked a flight to Hong Kong to save your own skin, while telling me you were going back to Korea!!”
I wanted to stomp on him, to destroy the face of the man who had so casually tried to ruin my life.
“You should have been caught by Colin! Do you know why I didn’t mention his name during the police investigation? Because I thought you might turn yourself in! I had to keep quiet so you could come back safely! If I’d said his name, you would have been a dead man!!”
My vision reddened. I’d never felt such rage. I wanted to see him utterly destroyed.
“S-Soyoon… I wasn’t happy either. That crazy bitch took all the drugs. I didn’t know she was going to contact a dealer in Hong Kong. I was just going to stay there for a while, then come back to Korea.”
“No! You weren’t coming back. You were planning to live off the drugs Madam Cho stole. That’s why you took the apartment deposit too.”
I was certain now, but he showed no remorse.
“I was used too. It’s true that the Boss called me and persuaded me, and it’s true that I asked Madam Cho to go to the Philippines with me. But I was the one who got screwed over. You betrayed me too. I saw you get into the limousine, and then you disappeared. How was I supposed to come back to Korea?”
His shamelessness made me laugh. But this was the real Park Jun; I shouldn’t be surprised.
“And you knew I was selling drugs. You were recording and filming me with those women, pretending you didn’t know.”
“I knew you were using drugs? Did you ever come home high? You were spending days and nights in hotels, skipping work; how would I know what you were doing?”
Looking at his impassive face, I didn’t see the point in arguing anymore. I wondered why he’d even survived the dog fighting ring.
“Forget it. You’re a drug addict who finally got caught; what’s the point of fighting? Just die here.”
He bit his lip at my words, then turned to the Marine City Boss and yelled,
“Fuck. If you were going to set me up, you should have found someone better. That bitch was broke! She was living off borrowed money, her hands shaking without drugs, and even the apartment she got from scamming someone was auctioned off. Why should I fall for your tricks?! And who the hell is this gangster?!”
He was losing it, ranting and raving despite Han Doopil standing between him and the Marine City Boss. His blood-soaked chest heaved with each outburst.
“You’re the one who got caught! You should have stayed hidden if you ran away! You fucking whore, who are you to ruin other people’s lives?! Huh?!”
“Fuck!! You’re the one who set me up with Madam Cho! You told me to use her and take Lee Soyoon with us, you bastard!”
“Fuck you. I hoped you’d overdose and ruin your life, you piece of shit. Who told you to come back alive? You fucking asshole!”
Their vulgar exchange was almost comical. Even the Boss chuckled, seemingly amused by their desperation.
“…Are you really going to take over this place?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan. Why? Do you not like it?”
No, not at all. I’d been surprised at first, but not anymore. Now that I knew what the Marine City Boss had done, he deserved to lose everything.
“I don’t.”
I looked away from the two men, my anger slowly fading. I finally understood why the Boss had talked about cutting off their hands and feet.
These were the kind of people who deserved this fate, the kind you shouldn’t show any sympathy for.
“I wasn’t expecting an apology or remorse. He’s always been like this. You shouldn’t have bothered pulling him out of that dog fighting ring.”
“Then should I do things my way?”
I hesitated. I couldn’t let him mutilate someone, not for Park Jun’s sake, but for the Boss’s. He’d already committed enough sins.
“Can’t you just send them to the police?”
“You want the easy way out?”
“Don’t get your hands dirty. Just send them to jail. Colin will take care of them inside. You don’t have to cut off their limbs.”
Colin was capable of anything, and I didn’t want the Boss involved any further.
“There’s a detective named Kim Joohyuk, the head of the narcotics team. If you hand them over to him, he’ll take good care of them. He’ll bury them in paperwork, so you don’t have to touch them.”
They’re dirty.
I glared at him, and he grinned.
“Are you jealous?”
“They’re not worth it. So please don’t, sir.”
My last words were a plea. But I knew he wouldn’t listen. His smile told me so, as did the way Han Doopil was twirling the hatchet like a toy.
I turned away. I’d said my piece; that was all I could do. I walked down the stairs, glancing back at the opulent interior of the club I’d once cared for.
Then I heard a bloodcurdling scream. Instead of closing my eyes, I grabbed a crystal glass, one of the expensive ones, and held it tight. Another scream echoed through the space.
This was Joo Geonwoo’s way, and I was starting to like his world.
Park Jun lost his hand and foot. The Marine City Boss, instead of losing his fingers, signed an agreement to hand over his club.
From the moment the seal was stamped, Marine City belonged to Boss Joo. A lawyer was immediately dispatched to finalize the acquisition. Kalbang and Han Doopil remained stationed on the blood-soaked plastic sheet while the Boss systematically dismantled Marine City and everyone associated with it.
The middlemen who supplied drugs from Singapore were summoned, bundled together with Park Jun, and handed over to the police. The office of the gang that had backed Marine City was set ablaze. An entire floor of the building burned, the outcome predictable.
The Boss was terrifyingly efficient at seizing what wasn’t his. Just as Kalbang’s fists landed with precision, the Boss unearthed the Marine City Boss’s hidden slush funds and illicit dealings, dismantling and destroying everything in his path. Almost every day, black vans disgorged grim-faced men who swarmed into the Marine City building like cockroaches.
I watched the spectacle unfold from the 21st floor of a nearby hotel. Looking at the Marine City sign on the 12th floor, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over me. Then I’d see the Boss, silhouetted against the dawn sky, and think, This is right. If it weren’t for him, I would still be a fool, blissfully unaware.
“The smell of blood is overpowering.”
The Boss, just arriving, shrugged off his jacket. The comment wasn’t literal; it was a way of asking who he’d dealt with this time.
“These bastards were messing with the books.”
He grumbled, uncharacteristically petulant, as he took off his blood-splattered jacket and shirt.
“Double bookkeeping is standard practice. The madams have their own books, the managers have theirs, the hosts have theirs… it’s a mess.”
I knew what he was talking about. The books belonged to the former Marine City Boss and detailed all the illicit money he’d taken.
“A lot of drug users?”
“More than in Yeonsan.”
“I told you, I’m surrounded by so many addicts that I can’t stand drugs. I hate gangsters too. They know that the easiest money comes from drug addicts. Even if Colin makes a lot here, the Boss makes even more by personally injecting clients with propofol. Do you know why the rooms are always full during the day?”
It was because of the people coming for injections. The books detailed the clients and hosts who received propofol injections, as well as the money paid to the nurses and pharmacists who supplied the drugs.
“You seem to know a lot.”
“Jaehoon brought in quite a few of those clients. In the beginning, he got a cut for bringing in customers. There are always rumors floating around, even if you don’t experience it yourself.”
I wanted to wash the blood off him. Before, I wouldn’t have cared about his business, but things were different now. He was here because of me, cleaning up the mess that had started with me, in his own way.
“That’s why Colin was so sensitive about the drug dealing. The clients who come for propofol injections don’t like other drugs. Colin sells GHB and Philopon, and if someone mixes them and dies, it becomes a huge problem.”
“Has anyone died before?”
I followed him to the bathroom.
“Not at Marine. But someone died at another club Colin managed. A young guy overdosed on GHB with a couple of hostesses. He happened to be the son of a wealthy client, so the Marine City Boss freaked out.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist as we stepped into the bathtub. The water overflowed, the rising sun filling the glass-walled bathroom with light.
“I think that’s when the Boss started calling Park Jun in. He’d call him to his office and talk for hours. Sometimes they’d eat at restaurants together, and he’d buy him clothes.”
The warm water soothed my skin, chasing away the chill that had settled in while I waited for him. I leaned against him, my heart finally calming down.
“Didn’t you suspect anything?”
“You know what Park Jun looks like. He was the ace. He was especially good at seducing older women, making millions a night.”
That’s why I hadn’t suspected anything. Older women were his type, so no one questioned his relationship with Madam Cho.
His wet hand brushed against my forehead, pushing back my wet hair. He chuckled.
“Isn’t this face the real ace?”
“I was just a good singer.”
“And a good fuck.”
“Sex was forbidden in the rooms at Marine. No soliciting either. That’s why I told you I didn’t do outcalls at Queens.”
He was silent for a moment, his expression not nostalgic, but almost… deflated. As if taking over the place where I’d lived and worked had left him feeling empty.
“Why the long face? You’re good at taking what you want.”
“What’s my face like?”
“Like you ate something you didn’t want to.”
He chuckled, his wet eyebrows arching playfully.
“Afraid I can’t stomach it?”
“Not exactly, but you don’t seem happy. Or amused.”
He denied it, the sound of water splashing softly.
“I’m amused. Of course I’m amused that your favorite club is now mine. But if I show too much excitement, the boys will get complacent. That’s why I’m playing it cool.”
Was there a difference between amusement and enjoyment? I suppose you could be amused without enjoying something, and vice versa.
“So you find this amusing.”
“Why?”
“Most people wouldn’t.”
“I’m not most people. Do you think I can live like an ordinary man with a dick like this?”
He chuckled, mimicking the motion of his thrusts with his hand in the water. He started stroking my cock.
“I have to be this way to make you happy.”
He did. He had to be Joo Geonwoo, Boss Joo, for me to feel safe and miss him.
I missed his sly grin and playful voice, his large hand that chased away my hunger. I loved resting my head against his broad chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. I loved how he effortlessly eliminated those who looked down on me, how the view of Marine City from above filled me with a sense of superiority.
Now that the club across the street belonged to him, I could come and go as I pleased. I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the building. I lifted my hips to accommodate his large cock, and he suddenly grabbed my chin.
“What are you looking at?”
“…….”
“Are you a pervert? Getting turned on by a building?”
How did he know? He couldn’t see my face or expression with me clinging to his arm.
“I know everything about you, Soyoon.”
His grip on my chin brought back memories of our first meeting. He used to hold my chin like this, his eyes searching mine. It was both persistent and unsettling. But looking back, he’d been consistent from beginning to end.
He truly loved me, never wavering.
“Why do you like me?”
“Pussies like yours are rare.”
“But… you could find another one if you looked.”
“Why bother? I already have you.”
He continued to hold my chin, staring at me.
“Why do you like Marine City so much?”
I didn’t have an answer. It wasn’t because it was my first club as a madam or because I’d made real money there. But if I had to assign a meaning now…
“Because it led me to you.”
His eyes softened. Bathed in the morning sunlight, I continued,
“Like you said, if it weren’t for Yeonsan, I wouldn’t have met you, and you wouldn’t have met me. In a way, Marine City sent me to you. That’s why I like it.”
“What are you, some kind of…”
“A host.”
He chuckled. Had I been too honest?
“Perfect. A gangster and a host. Fuck, if we had a kid, we’d be one messed up family.”
He grabbed my hips and thrust into me, the water splashing. His cock rubbed against my ass, sending jolts of pleasure through my balls.
“The thought of not meeting you drives me crazy.”
“……!”
“The thought of you working in this city without me drives me crazy too. And looking at these glittering buildings makes me sick. What do you think it means?”
Glittering buildings. A sick feeling.
And that deflated feeling I’d sensed earlier.
“Don’t you think I love you?”
My mind went blank, struggling to process his words.
“I want to gut the bastards who messed with you and squeeze every last drop out of them. I want to give it all to you. I believe this is love, Soyoon. What do you think?”
His words were simple but impactful. It wasn’t the kind of love I’d known, but it was the most sophisticated thing I’d ever heard from him, the closest to my own understanding of the word.
A gangster who wanted to give me everything, to crush my enemies and offer me the spoils… Could anything be more Joo Geonwoo than that?
“So take everything you can. Ask for more.”
“…Why…?”
“Because I was born first. I was born first, but I didn’t even think of looking for you. I deserve to be punished.”
He clicked his tongue, sounding genuinely remorseful. I realized he hadn’t been deflated, but guilty, bothered by the fact that he’d left me alone all those years.
“You’re a hard man to understand, sir.”
“Do you hate me for it?”
“I did, but not anymore. I couldn’t understand you before, but I do now.”
I like you. It was that simple. Joo Geonwoo being by my side felt natural, his possessiveness, keeping me locked in this hotel room, comforting.
“So, is your devotion really mine?”
“Yes. It’s yours.”
“No returns, right?”
“Try it. I’ll show you how much your life can suck.”
I laughed. He made me laugh now. I couldn’t remember the times I’d screamed at him in disgust, the times I’d clawed at his stomach trying to escape. Those memories felt distant, replaced by the heat of our naked bodies pressed together, the growing ache between my legs.
“Let’s have sex.”
I felt strangely shy.
“Are you trying to seduce me again?”
“Am I?”
“Why are you blushing like a newlywed? Is it because the sun is high in the sky? Is that it?”
He wasn’t wrong. The sun was shining brightly, streaming in behind him, almost blinding.
“Should we start by sucking your pussy until it’s nice and wet? I love sucking your cock and pussy at the same time.”
…Ugh, that vulgar mouth. One minute he was talking about devotion and love, the next he was spewing filth.
“Your cum is so delicious too. You have to suck my cock too.”
Of course, he would say that. I didn’t bother telling him to shut up, grinding my ass against his cock instead. He slid a finger inside me, his tongue clicking against his teeth as he moved it relentlessly.
“Ahh…!”
“It’s a shame I can’t drink your cum in the bathtub. Soyoon, come here.”
He pulled his finger out, scraping against my insides, sending shivers through me. He pushed me against the glass wall of the shower.
Water splashed everywhere as my chest pressed against the cold glass. He stood behind me, spreading my cheeks, and thrust inside.
“Ahh!”
His monstrous cock filled me. Pressed against the glass, I gasped for air, my breath fogging the surface with each exhale.
“Someone… might see…”
“Let them see. I have to show off how good we fuck.”
He gripped my hips. I whimpered, my ass sticking out. I’d said someone might see, but I didn’t really care. The buildings outside glittered in the morning sun, filling my mind as his thick cock pressed against my prostate, his balls brushing against my hole. It felt incredible.
“Ahh! I like it!”
“You like it?”
A sharp sting made me cry out as he slapped my ass hard. He thrust even deeper.
“Ah—Mmm!”
I pressed my face against the glass, the slick sounds and sensations amplified.
“Look down, Soyoon.”
He continued to pound into me, telling me to look at the building across the street, at Marine City on the 12th floor, where Kalbang and Han Doopil were probably still waiting on the plastic sheet.
“Ah! Ah!”
“I’ll give you everything I squeeze out of them, so keep getting turned on.”
I almost said, Really? Are you really giving it all to me? He pulled my face towards him, his thrusts alternating between hard and deep, slow and grinding. My lips parted, and drool dripped down my chin.
“I love how you’re getting turned on by a building. So fucking hot.”
He told me to open my mouth. It was already open, so I stuck out my tongue. He spat into my mouth, and I swallowed. My eyes were glazed over, lost in lust. If I was a sex fiend, he was a sex demon.
Joo Geonwoo, the sex demon who apologized for being born too early to find me. I loved the feeling of him inside me, so much so that I nearly pissed myself.
“Ahh!! Sir!!”
“Soyoon, you have to call me a bastard.”
“Ahhh!! B-Bastard!”
A stream of urine sprayed against the glass wall. My back arched, my hips thrust out, and he held me tight, pounding into me like a madman. My ears rang, my vision blurred. I felt like I was falling, plummeting from the 21st floor to the 12th, exploding on impact.
I came, lost in the pleasure of his cock, and he abruptly pulled out, turning me around to face him.
He thrust back inside, his breath ragged.
“Who am I?”
He started moving again, my body bucking.
“Joo Geonwoo… Mmm!”
“Who is Joo Geonwoo?”
He groaned, close to his own release. I tried to look away, but he pressed his forehead against mine, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“S-Sir… Mmm!”
“Again.”
“Ahh! Please… stop!”
“Who am I? Hmm?”
He bit my ringed finger, the sharp pain making my eyes widen. He pressed on.
“Who am I to you?”
His eyes, sparkling like jewels, were insistent, boring into me, knowing the answer even as I refused to speak.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. The sunlight shifted, now illuminating his face, his sweaty brow, the furrow in his brow that made him look so dangerous, his nose and lips more handsome than any man I’d ever seen, his sharp jawline enough to make my cock hard.
And now I knew the words I needed to learn, the words I needed to say to survive in Joo Geonwoo’s world. I pushed aside the memories of calling him a monster and willingly crossed the forbidden line.
“Husband. My husband.”
His lips curved into a smile. He kissed me, his tongue devouring me. He came inside me, growling like an animal.
Joo Geonwoo’s devotion was raw and untamed.