IOTF Ch 4

Moonzora’s regular had all three of us hosts drop our pants. She slipped a beer glass over each of our erections and offered 10,000 won per second to see who could last the longest. Moonzora, with the help of his thick thighs, held out for 35 seconds, earning 350,000 won before cumming in her hand.

Jiji, the other host with us, had to chug a glass of alcohol that had been soaking his balls, while I was treated like a dog, my neck tied with a necktie the customer had brought. She had me sit, stay, and fetch. When I caught Moonzora’s eye, his glare was even more intense than when he’d held the ashtray.

I realized why he’d been giving me the death stare as we were seeing the customers out.

“Hey, you owe me for the dry cleaning. This is silk; it can’t be dry-cleaned normally.”

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Moonzora blocked my path, scowling.

“Dry cleaning? Did I puke on your clothes? What dry cleaning?”

“This is mine. The noona promised to buy it for me last week.”

He was talking about the silk necktie that had been around my neck. It wasn’t even an expensive brand, and now it was stained with iced tea, whiskey, and my saliva.

“Why are you charging me? Bill the noona who tied it around my neck.”

“It was originally mine! You used it, so you have to pay for it.”

I stepped closer to Moonzora, who was about my height but much more muscular. He flinched as I stared him down.

“In Pohang, did you guys charge each other for things that happened in the rooms?”

“…What?”

“You only saw your precious tie getting dirty. You didn’t see me switching out your cum-filled glass, did you?”

He was silent.

He probably thought Jiji had done it, but it was me.

“I was disgusted, but I still helped you out. And you’re giving me shit?”

“……”

“I thought I’d cut you some slack because you were so desperate to earn money. Do you really think I’m a pushover?”

I didn’t need to shout. I preferred to take people down quietly. The more agitated they became, the more I enjoyed watching them self-destruct.

Of course, I only did this to clueless hosts like Moonzora who picked fights. I wasn’t usually like this. Besides, I was already on edge after what Park Jun had done to me.

“Tch. Over something like this…”

I looked down at the tie in his hand, then I gathered all the saliva I could muster, even the non-existent kind, and spat on it. The glob landed on his navy blue tie with a splat.

Still spitting, I looked up at his sallow face and smirked, wiping the saliva from my lips with my hand. He raised his fist as if to strike me.

Just then, I heard laughter. It came from the direction of the emergency staircase.

“Fucking bastard, where did you crawl out from…”

I shushed him, looking past him as if he were insignificant. Moonzora’s eyes widened, and he finally grabbed me by the collar. Just as his fist was about to connect, I heard the click of dress shoes on the stairs.

The sound echoed, like in a movie theater, and I turned towards it. Something shimmered in the dim light of the emergency staircase.

“Moon Jongwon.”

Just before Moonzora’s fist landed, jewel-like eyes appeared at the top of the stairs. The owner. He stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing his usual flamboyant shirt.

Gold chains tangled around his exceptionally handsome face as he repeated Moonzora’s name.

“Moon Jongwon. When we signed the contract, didn’t I specifically tell you to read it out loud?”

Moonzora’s fist dropped. He backed away, still clutching the tie I’d spat on. The owner pushed himself off the wall.

“No fighting in the club. Resolve conflicts through conversation. That applies to the manager and the drivers too. If I smell blood in the club, I’ll impose a penalty, depending on the severity. Of course, I decide what constitutes ‘severe’.”

Moonzora lowered his head at the owner’s last words. He opened his mouth to explain, but the owner’s hand shot out and grabbed my chin.

“Oh dear, your scab came off.”

I lowered my gaze, my face still in his grip. Moonzora’s trembling voice reached me.

“I, I haven’t even hit him yet…”

“You did. What do you think would happen if you, with your tennis-playing hand, hit the face of my next ace?”

My eyes flickered towards Moonzora. The owner frowned at my movement.

“I, it’s just… I was so angry…”

“That’s why I told you to resolve conflicts through conversation. I even made you read that clause out loud. Did you forget? Or did you think my words were bullshit?”

His voice was low and menacing, and I quickly averted my gaze. I felt suffocated by the owner’s intimidating presence. His large forearms and broad shoulders made me feel like I was being choked, as if my throat would be slit any second. Moonzora quickly bowed and threw the saliva-covered tie away.

“What should we do, Mr. Moon Jongwon?”

“I apologize and will ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

I kept my eyes down, waiting for the owner’s response. He didn’t smile at me, nor did he tease me like he usually did. He showed no emotion towards Moon Jongwon, as if he were simply making a judgment based on a broken rule.

“Baegil.”

The scarred man appeared from the bottom of the stairs. He grabbed Moonzora’s arm without even looking at me.

“O, Owner! Actually, he… Sunjung started it!”

I didn’t hear any sounds of violence, but I could tell Moonzora was being dragged away behind the owner’s large frame. Once they were gone, silence fell over the entrance of Queens. The elevator was still, and the usual chatter of the hosts and waiters was gone.

It was as if everything was following a script. Moonzora had been dragged away, and I stood there, still trapped in the owner’s grip, barely breathing.

“That mouth should only be used for sucking my dick. It’s a waste.”

What did he mean? I didn’t ask, simply blinking. His grip on my face loosened, and he turned towards the stairs leading to the third floor, gesturing for me to follow.

I followed him up the stairs. The click of his dress shoes echoed, and his flamboyant shirt swayed in front of me. His large, agile body moved gracefully with each step, his broad, inverted triangle shoulders shifting beneath the sun god print on the back of his shirt. It felt like the print was mocking me.

‘Idiot.’

‘Can’t even handle a loser like him.’

‘You needed me to step in, didn’t you, Sunjung?’

I felt like his back was taunting me with every step. I stopped when he reached the top of the stairs. The third floor was different from the club entrance. It had metal doors and barred windows. Three doors, three entrances.

He opened the middle door and gestured for me to enter.

“What, you don’t want to come in because it looks like a gangster’s office?”

Yes. I didn’t want to lie. I’d seen someone get beaten to a pulp in an office like this. A cabinet-sized safe, stacks of documents, curtains reeking of cigarettes and jajangmyeon, gangsters gleefully breaking bones.

“No, sir.”

He smirked as I entered. I avoided looking around but couldn’t help but notice the long katana hanging behind his large desk. The gleaming blade was fully exposed, and next to it, a shorter knife caught my eye.

I recognized it. The shorter knife was identical to the tattoo on the owner’s chest. It had a sharp tip and a handle that resembled a dragon’s claw.

“Have a seat. I have something to discuss with you anyway.”

He sat down in his chair. I was about to sit far away from him, but I noticed his gaze and quickly sat in the chair next to him.

“Why, are you shy?”

“N, no, it’s just… I might smell of alcohol.”

“Ah, were those women from earlier your first customers of the day?”

“Yes…”

He crossed his long legs, resting his elbow on the armrest of his luxurious single sofa, which was far nicer than anything in the rooms downstairs.

“What did you do with them?”

“Are you referring to what happened in the room?”

“Yes. I’m asking what you did with your partner in the room.”

My eyes widened. We usually shared stories about what happened in the rooms – which customer was pretty, which one was too kind. But we never told the owner.

“Why, you don’t want to tell me?”

“No, it’s just… I’ve complained about customers before, but I’ve never told the owners what happened in the rooms.”

“Me neither. I don’t give a shit. But I need to hold Moon Jongwon accountable. He tried to start a fight in the club, I need to know why. So I’m asking Sunjung, the one who got grabbed by the collar.”

Silence fell. The atmosphere shifted. His question felt like an interrogation, and his gaze seemed laced with irritation.

Of course, he wouldn’t be happy about two of his hosts fighting, but his tilted head and sharp gaze made me uncomfortable.

“I’m not sure which part you want me to talk about…”

“Doesn’t matter. If I had to pick, the part where you spat on the tie was the most entertaining. Tell me about that.”

He wanted me to describe what I’d done with my partner. My split lip throbbed at his request. I could taste the iced tea and whiskey in my mouth. He rested his chin on his raised elbow, watching me intently.

“Well… Moonzora’s partner brought the tie, and my partner picked it up and tied it around my neck. I… I knelt down, put my head on her lap…”

His lips curled into a smile.

“…then I… I found the fruit she’d hidden in her panties and ate it with my mouth.”

“Just the fruit?”

“…I licked her thighs, which were wet with alcohol…”

His smile widened, and he chuckled. He leaned forward, and just as I felt his tattooed hand reach out for me, beckoning me closer, I leaned in. Our lips were almost touching when he asked, still smiling, “Was it tasty?”

“……!”

“She must have liked it, having you lick her.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Shame washed over me. All the insults I’d endured meant nothing compared to this. He had been humiliating me since yesterday, watching me with an expression that seemed to relish my discomfort.

“You said you enjoyed it too, sir.”

“Yes, I did. That’s why I’m asking.”

I braced myself, expecting him to unzip his pants and force himself on me like before. But he pulled away and tossed something onto the table from his drawer.

“You didn’t sign the contract, did you?”

It was the same yellow envelope the manager had given me this morning. I had left it on the plastic table at the raw fish restaurant. I hadn’t expected the owner to call me directly.

“The manager said he had something urgent to attend to and left. How urgent could it have been that he forgot to take this?”

I stared at the envelope, thinking. I hadn’t left in a hurry, and I’d clearly stated my intentions to the manager. I’d implied that I would consider it but probably wouldn’t sign. It seemed he’d misrepresented my words.

“Did your boyfriend from Seoul come down?”

“…No, sir.”

“You’re not saying you don’t have one.”

“What boyfriend? Hosts don’t have boyfriends. Of course, I don’t have one.”

I spent all my time with women, and I’d even been forced to have sex with them, but that didn’t mean I never met anyone I liked. Some hosts dated customers, some even lived with them, but I wasn’t interested in that.

“You’re good with words. I thought you were just relying on your looks, but that mouth of yours is quite something too, isn’t it?”

I thought he would grab my chin again, but he just smiled.

“Take it out. I removed the seconds clause, like I said.”

“……”

“I consider hosts and prostitutes to be the same, and I want to smash the heads of anyone who refuses seconds. But what can I do? Our Sunjung isn’t that kind of host. I have to treat you well.”

He scrutinized my face with a dubious expression. His dark brown eyes followed my every move, lingering on the two moles under my eyes and my moving lips.

He was searching my face, trying to determine if I’d really left the contract behind because of a sudden emergency.

“Well, you see, the thing is…”

“Take out the contract, Sunjung.”

He cut me off, tilting his head slowly. Unlike when he was listening to my story about the room, he wasn’t smiling.

I picked up the envelope.

The sour taste in my throat intensified; I hated this situation. Nevertheless, I took out the white paper and started reading.

The content was straightforward. Under a separate clause, it stated, “There will be no interference or coercion regarding seconds.” It also stated that I couldn’t work at other clubs while under contract with Queens. Breaching this would result in financial penalties and repayment of five times the advance.

I read the clause and finally saw the number.

40 million won advance.

400,000 won, the payment he’d given me last night.

Was this man’s monetary scale based on the unlucky number 4?

“That’s a generous advance.”

“Of course. It’s for Sunjung. I have to be generous, since you’ll be sucking women’s pussies and my dick from now on. Right?”

A chill went down my spine. The memory of his finger in my ear made me shudder.

“Well, I don’t know if you heard, but I agreed with the manager to only stay for a week.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I was originally supposed to go to Namgu-dong, and Jaehoon hyung said he’d find me another place…”

“Ah, Namgu-dong.”

He uncrossed his legs and cracked his neck, his gold necklace swaying.

“That place isn’t suitable for you right now. I can send you there if you want, but this place is better. The top earners there are fighting amongst themselves, it’s a mess. I don’t think you’d have trouble surviving there, but wouldn’t it be more comfortable to be right under my nose?”

“……”

“And the manager never said anything about a week. This is the first time I’m hearing this.”

He fell silent. I hesitated, then put the contract back down.

“That’s what we originally agreed on. So, I’ll be leaving at the end of this week.”

“Are you doing this because I made you suck my dick?”

He sat up straight, and his gold necklace swung free.

“…I don’t take male clients. And I’ve only worked at straight clubs. Even if you ask me to… suck yours again, I won’t be able to.”

My heart pounded. His dark eyes hardened at my words. A heavy silence hung in the air.

“And you were sucking it so well, now you’re saying this?”

His voice was sharp, but I shook my head.

“That’s not it…”

“You were the one who pressed your lips against my cheek and begged to suck my dick. You were clinging to me, and now you say you can’t do it?”

His expressionless face was terrifying. His eyes, once bright, were now sharp and cold. His sudden change in demeanor revealed his true nature.

“Fuck, you’re trying to use me and run, aren’t you?”

That wasn’t it. He was the one who made me do it. I’d chosen to suck his dick to survive, choosing between getting beaten to death and just dying.

“I even gave you an advance because I thought you’d be upset about the payment. Are you playing with me?”

The sour taste in my throat intensified, and I clenched my jaw, expecting him to lash out.

His large hand grabbed my face. I closed my eyes, bracing myself. But there were no insults, no violence, just silence. I opened my eyes, confused, and he was smiling.

“Sunjung.”

His voice was languid.

“You should speak nicely.”

He pulled my face towards him, his grip forcing me to slide down the sofa. I ended up between his legs, staring at the bulge in his black pants.

His enormous cock was hard. I didn’t know what had turned him on, but he deliberately pressed his erection against my face.

“You were the one who said you were good at sucking, you begged to suck mine.”

“…Sir…”

“You even figured out that you had to suck my dick to be treated like a human, even if it meant being treated like a dog. Why aren’t you using your head now?”

He released my chin and grabbed my hair, shoving my face against his crotch.

“Fuck. Why do I get so hard just looking at your face?”

“Ugh!”

“Snowflakes and innocents are supposed to be treated with care, but my dick gets hard just looking at you, what can I do?”

He pressed my face against his cock, grinding my nose and eyes into his crotch. His grip on my hair was firm, and his cock grew harder, pressing against my face.

“Sunjung, don’t you need money?”

“Ugh… S, sir!”

“Suck my dick while I’m still being nice. If you don’t like the advance, you can ask for payment every time you suck me off. I’m a fair man; I’ll pay for what I get.”

He started thrusting his hips against my face. I pressed my hands against his thighs, trying to push him away, struggling to breathe. He suddenly stopped.

“…and then he called me, ‘Sunjung.’”

“Don’t you get it? I’m offering to be your sugar daddy.”

“……”

“So you can earn money while sucking my dick.”

The owner’s lips curled into a smile. Beneath his exceptionally handsome features and glittering eyes, his vulgar nature writhed.

I saw his true colors. His morals were worse than any other owner I’d met, lower than the madam who’d brought me into this business, as vile as Park Jun.

“N, no…”

He didn’t say anything more, simply reaching for his belt as if to demonstrate his intentions. Just then, the phone next to the sofa rang.

He paused, frowning, but continued unzipping his pants.

“I won’t!”

I tried to back away, but he grabbed me. His eyebrows arched, and just as he was about to pull me towards him again, a knock came, followed by a voice.

“Sir, the manager urgently needs a host.”

It was the scarred man, Baegil.

“A customer made a reservation without specifying a host.”

The owner froze, his narrowed eyes fixed on the door before turning back to me. A flicker of hesitation crossed his lust-filled gaze, and the hand that had been reaching for me now picked up the phone.

“Who are they asking for?”

He looked at me as he held the phone to his ear. My face throbbed from being pressed against his hard cock. I gasped for air. He listened to the voice on the other end, then slammed the phone down without a word.

“Fucking bitch. Of all times.”

I couldn’t understand what he was talking about, but the venom in his voice sent shivers down my spine. If the manager hadn’t called for me, I would have been on my knees with his dick in my mouth.

“…I, I should go.”

I straightened up. He watched me quietly. I was afraid he’d grab me with his tattooed hand, but he just sat there, his belt still undone, watching me rise.

“Then I’ll be going.”

My voice trembled with fear and nervousness. As I turned to leave, he picked up the phone. Just as I reached for the doorknob, his harsh voice stopped me.

“Send Hyeyoung up.”

I closed my eyes.

And I silently thanked Hyeyoung, the woman who would be sucking his dick in my place.

As soon as I got downstairs, the manager grabbed me. He didn’t even ask what I’d discussed with the owner, simply dragging me towards room number 5. Before opening the door, he stopped me.

“It’s a big spender. Treat them well.”

I thought about the customers I’d had so far, but none of them qualified as big spenders.

“Is it a reservation?”

“Yes, so give them good service!”

He pushed me into the room. Ji Yeonwoo and Jiji, the host who’d been with me earlier, were already inside. Jiji was pouring drinks.

“Here’s Sunjung. Ladies, let’s relieve some stress tonight.”

I didn’t recognize any of the women. If they had requested me, I would have seen their faces before.

A woman in a tight blue dress beckoned me.

“Hello, my name is Sunjung.”

“Oh, you’re Sunjung. Come here.”

I carefully navigated around the tables laden with alcohol and snacks to reach her side. There were five women in total; two of them, without hosts, were huddled together at the edge of the sofa.

“You’re even more handsome up close. You’re so good-looking.”

I mixed whiskey and beer in a fresh glass, creating a foamy head. I placed the drink on a napkin and handed it to her. The woman, who looked to be in her mid-30s, smiled.

“You should make one for yourself too. We have to start with a love shot, right?”

“Yes, noona.”

I quickly made myself a drink. We linked arms and downed our drinks. The strong scent of whiskey mixed with her perfume.

“What are you good at?”

“I can sing.”

“Your voice is nice, sweet.”

Back in Seoul, my nickname had been “Daldal,” which meant “sweet.” I’d asked to be called Sunjung here, but my original nickname suited me.

“You’re from Seoul, right?”

“Yes. I was in Gangnam before coming here.”

She stared at me for a moment. She had a small face with delicate features, an alluring and somewhat intimidating presence.

“Who recommended you? Hyun?”

I smiled and winked at the familiar name. She seemed to like my expression and reached out to touch my face, but Ji Yeonwoo interjected.

“Noona, Sunjung hyung was scouted by our manager.”

“Oh my, Manager Kang did it again?”

“The manager worked so hard to recruit Sunjung hyung. Right, hyung?”

Was he trying to help? I played along, even though it wasn’t true.

“I knew him briefly when I was in Incheon. He asked me to come to Yeonsan. I haven’t even been here a week.”

“Manager Kang is good at taking care of his boys. That’s how he gets guys like you.”

“I heard you requested me…”

She held up two fingers, asking for a cigarette.

I quickly pulled one out of the red pack.

“I heard a rumor about a handsome guy arriving in this town, so I came to see your face. I heard you’re a good singer and give great hand massages. They say your lip service is amazing.”

I’d only given head twice here. Once to a woman who came alone, and once to the woman who’d tied the tie around my neck. The second time was more like playful teasing, so the rumor must have come from the woman who came alone.

“Is that what they’re saying?”

“Yes, that’s what they’re saying. So, Sunjung, you’re mine tonight. Got it?”

She seemed pleased with my looks and called for the waiters. The karaoke music started, and Ji Yeonwoo began singing. Expensive drinks flowed, and I kept her glass full, half-holding her in my arms.

The woman in the floral skirt sat on my lap, refusing to move. Every time her glass was empty, she’d push my hand between her legs, and I’d play along, caressing her.

As the song reached its climax, she unzipped my pants and fondled my cock. She played with my erection as if it were a toy, then turned to the two women with her.

“Sunmi, you said you’d fuck a guy, right?”

My gaze shifted to the woman with short hair and a masculine shirt.

“I’d fuck him if I liked his style.”

“What about this face? Not your type?”

As I met her gaze, I thought of the owner. His incredibly handsome face, his languid sex appeal. His large, agile body was erotic, and like this masculine woman, he also exuded a sense of the forbidden.

Something I didn’t want to know, an unknown territory.

She looked at me and chuckled, then pointed at the long-haired woman next to her.

“She wouldn’t like it.”

My partner laughed theatrically and squeezed my cock.

“So, it’s a matter of preference? You’d do it, but your girlfriend wouldn’t like it?”

Her grip was surprisingly strong. Jiji’s ballad ended with a flourish. His partner called for more drinks and snacks, then slapped his face with green bills.

“Alright, it’s dick-sucking time! Jiji, strip!”

Jiji readily took off his clothes, revealing a slightly muscular physique and a trail of hair leading down to his pubic area. The woman rubbed his lower abdomen and slid her hand into his pants. As if taking a cue, Ji Yeonwoo stood up, stripped, and pulled out his cock.

I should have followed suit, but the woman on my lap wouldn’t budge. She kept fondling me, watching the other hosts with amusement. They were definitely not the type for polite conversation; they’d probably have the two hosts fuck, just like the lesbian couple.

I decided to just pour her another drink.

“Let’s go somewhere else, shall we?”

She draped her arm around my shoulder. I thought for a moment.

She’d already spent a fortune on drinks. With three hosts working for her, she was definitely a big spender, boosting both my earnings and the club’s revenue. The money she’d slipped me wasn’t bad, and since I was leaving anyway, doing seconds wouldn’t hurt my reputation.

I leaned closer to her and whispered, “Noona, are you a madam somewhere?”

She answered immediately, “Why? Are you going to visit me?”

“I haven’t done any seconds since I got here.”

She grinned, releasing my cock and leaning in for a kiss. The other customers and hosts faded into the background.

I wrapped my arm around her waist in agreement. Spending the night with her was definitely better than waking up to that yellow wallpaper. It would be a good way to forget about the owner forcing his dick in my mouth. We kissed for a bit longer, then stood up.

She smiled brightly and announced to her friends, “I’m leaving, girls! See you at the club tomorrow! I’ll cover the bill, like I promised, so enjoy yourselves!”

I felt a pleasant buzz as we left the room.

While she paid with her card, I stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist like a lover. I nuzzled her and swayed back and forth, making her laugh as she took the receipt.

“So, where should we go?”

“This is my first time here, I don’t know any places. You decide, noona.”

She kissed my cheek, pleased with my clinginess. We walked past the Queens entrance and towards the elevator, stuck together like cockroaches. As we waited for the elevator, I made eye contact with someone coming down the emergency staircase. A cold gaze met mine, and the woman, still pressed against my cheek, spoke.

“Oh? President Joo? You’re hard to find these days.”

It was the owner. He stopped on the stairs, looking at us, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“I heard you’ve been busy. Is CEO Park treating you well?”

“What, has the rumor reached your ears? You never cared about this kind of thing. As long as your own hosts aren’t running scams, you don’t care, right? Ah, right, I heard about the Namgu-dong incident.”

“……”

“That’s why I told you before, those from gay clubs never lose their touch. There are plenty of pussies around, why bother with assholes? They’re so hard to manage.”

I couldn’t understand what they were talking about. The Namgu-dong incident probably referred to Versace, and it seemed some hosts from gay clubs had caused trouble, but the context was unclear.

“I’m so honored to receive advice from Madam Han, no, President Han now. So, President Han, do you like our host?”

Since our initial eye contact, the owner hadn’t looked at me once. He stood there in his flamboyant shirt, talking to the woman, deliberately ignoring me.

“I finally found a flower boy. Jini kept bragging about him, so I came to see his face, and he’s totally gorgeous.”

The owner chuckled.

“I’m quite fond of flowers, you know.”

“……”

“I cherish snowflakes, flower boys, pretty boys…”

His cryptic words and increasingly low tone made me uneasy. I loosened my grip on the woman’s waist. Just then, I saw a figure trying to emerge from behind the owner, only to be blocked by his large frame.

I knew it was Moonzora. He stood there, head down, trapped behind the owner.

A shiver ran down my spine. The woman, seemingly unconcerned, pulled me towards the arriving elevator.

“Come visit me sometime. I’ll show you how generous CEO Park is.”

I followed her into the elevator, unable to see the owner’s face. I could only imagine him taking a deep drag of his cigarette, the scent of mint filling the air.

The doors closed, and the woman pressed herself against me, whispering sweet nothings.

I tried to erase the image of Moonzora’s bloodstained shirt from my mind.

˚｡⋆

The atmosphere was tense when I arrived at work the next day.

The hosts were huddled together, talking quietly. No one was playing poker. They all seemed to be discussing something, and when I tried to join them, Jiji acknowledged me.

“You’re here?”

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, it’s about another club. Nothing much.”

I knew he meant Versace. I’d heard something about it yesterday.

“Did some hosts cause trouble?”

“Well, not exactly trouble. One of the hosts got involved with a male customer and things went south. Apparently, the host got the guy pregnant, and now a few hosts might get sold off. The customer is connected to the yakuza, and they’re saying the hosts will have to go to Japan and shoot porn.”

The word “pregnant” made me curse. “Fuck.” I’d been in a similar situation with Park Jun, and it brought back bad memories.

“Isn’t Versace a straight club?”

“Yes, it is. You know about it? It’s a straight club, they don’t take male customers, but that host got caught running a scam. The club was already a mess because of the fight between the top earners, and now this. Apparently, the manager of Versace was just upstairs in our manager’s office, yelling and causing a scene.”

I suddenly remembered Moonzora’s bloodstained shirt. He’d been caught fighting with me and taken away by the owner. But no one was talking about Moonzora, only about the manager of Versace.

“What about Moonzora…?”

“Ah, Moonzora hyung? I heard he’s taking a few days off.”

Jiji seemed unconcerned. I glanced at Moonzora’s locker, but nothing seemed out of place.

I ate instant noodles with Ji Yeonwoo and brushed my teeth. After getting my hair done at the salon, customer calls started coming in. I booked appointments for 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Just then, the door burst open, and the manager stormed in.

“Sunjung, come with me.”

He looked furious. I followed him to his office. He immediately lit a cigarette.

“What did you talk about with the owner in his office yesterday?”

I stood there, speechless. “Just… this and that.”

“Did you say you’d sign the contract?”

Ah, so it was about the contract.

“No. I told you I’d only work for a week…”

“Then why did you bring up Versace?!”

His sudden outburst made my ears ring.

“You said you were supposed to go to Versace! I made up stories and went out of my way to keep you here! And you’re betraying me like this?!”

I couldn’t understand what he was talking about. I wanted to argue back, but he was in no mood for it.

“Explain it so I can understand. And I already told you I wasn’t going to sign the contract.”

“When did you say that! You said you’d think about it! You came here with nowhere else to go, and you have an offer for an advance! What’s there to think about?!”

I took a deep breath. His words about me having nowhere else to go infuriated me, but I held back. He exhaled a plume of smoke.

“The owner wants you to go to Versace.”

“What?”

“The hosts there are fucked. Their manager is going crazy, apparently threatening to quit. He’s trying to poach hosts. Sigh, I should just kill him. Anyway, sign the contract and go to Versace.”

He waved his hand dismissively. I could understand his frustration; a rival manager was trying to sabotage his business.

His phone rang. He answered it, cursing and kicking his desk.

I left his office and went back to work.

It was Friday night, and the club was packed.

Customers kept calling to reserve hosts, and even those who’d been rejected earlier were eventually chosen.

Ji Yeonwoo seemed to be double-booked, and I was also in high demand, getting quite drunk as I went from room to room. A fight broke out in one room; a woman in her underwear was screaming and pulling a host’s hair. In another room, they seemed to be live-streaming a 69.

By 3 a.m., I was exhausted. Tired of singing, dancing, and servicing customers, I stepped outside. I took a deep breath on the first floor. The 24-hour convenience store was brightly lit, the young driver inside looking at his phone. The dilapidated factory building still stood in the distance.

I took another deep breath, then clamped my hand over my mouth. I still couldn’t get used to the salty smell of the sea. The smell was especially strong at night. I ran towards a streetlight and vomited.

“Ugh!”

My stomach churned, and my throat burned. I threw up two more times.

Footsteps approached, and a dark shadow fell over me.

I slowly looked up. The owner was standing there, not in his usual flamboyant shirt, but a black silk one. He took a long drag of his cigarette, his cheeks hollowing.

“…Hello, sir.”

“Yeah. Looks like my little snowflake has been working hard.”

I glanced at the vomit on the ground, then pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped my mouth and chin. He exhaled a long plume of smoke.