IOTF Ch 9

When I opened my eyes in the morning, the boss was gone. I must have been rolling around on the big bed alone while sleeping, because my hair was a mess like a magpie’s nest, and the large bandage I’d stuck on my right cheek had come loose, dangling at the end.

I got off the bed and noticed something different. The shopping bags that had been scattered all over the room until I fell asleep last night were gone. Feeling something strange, I opened the wardrobe being used as a closet. There, the clothes the boss had practically swept up yesterday were neatly stacked, and right below the drawer, I saw a familiar bag.

Delighted, I quickly pulled out the Boston bag with my initials on it. When I unzipped it and checked inside, there was a small notebook, a phone charger, and a clutch bag containing the money I’d earned since coming here. I hurriedly opened the clutch. The ten-thousand-won and fifty-thousand-won bills were still separated as I’d left them, and on the Post-it note I’d attached, the date was written along with the amount: 2.89 million won.

Seeing the money put me at ease. Then I immediately remembered the cash the boss had given me. He’d pulled a wad of bills from his wallet, and since I had nowhere else to put it, I’d stashed it in the bottom drawer of the nightstand.

Wondering if maybe the cleaning staff had taken it, I opened the nightstand. Deep inside, I saw the rolled-up wad of bills. It was exactly as I’d wrapped it in tissue, including the checks, totaling 4.2 million won, not a single bill missing.

I gathered all the cash and stuffed it into the clutch. I placed the bag on the bed, then went to the bathroom to change my bandage and rinse my mouth. Opening the wardrobe door, I put on the hat he’d bought me yesterday and slipped into the clothes.

“Phone.”

That’s when I remembered my phone. I froze, not just from panic but completely stiff. It felt like my mind had stopped too, and for a while, I just stared blankly at the unzipped bag. I hadn’t held my phone since leaving the sauna that day.

When I opened my eyes, I was in this hotel. After Kalbang brought me clothes, I’d gone with the boss to the room salon he ran. Then I got caught up with the yakuza, lay in bed for over ten days, and now here I was.

It was absurd. Feeling dumbfounded, I took off the hat I’d been wearing, and right on cue, the hotel door opened. The boss, who knows when he’d gotten up, was already dressed in a flashy shirt with his hair slicked back. As always, he wore several gold necklaces down to his chest and spotless, high-quality handmade shoes.

“Sunjung, you’re up?”

I stared intently at the boss as he walked into the hotel room. When he came toward me, I kept glaring silently until he glanced at my Boston bag and spoke.

“You saw the bag? I got your clothes and hung them up too…”

“Why didn’t you give me my phone?”

I cut him off without realizing it. His thick eyebrows shot up for a moment, making my heart skip, but thinking that all this started because of this man, a sudden rage boiled up inside me.

“Everything’s here like you said, but my phone’s the only thing missing.”

The boss kept his eyes on me but tilted his head. He looked at me crookedly, and for a brief moment, a burning thirst rose in my throat.

“Sunjung, don’t I look like I’ve got a bad temper?”

“…”

“It’s fine to feel comfortable around me, but you should behave properly. No matter how pretty you are, let’s keep some manners, okay?”

Suddenly, his hand went up. I flinched and closed my eyes instinctively, but then his voice came.

“Open your eyes.”

I opened them as he said. His hand wasn’t raised to hit me; it had lowered.

“It’s the hand that jerked you off.”

“…”

“It held your dick and made you piss too. Would it hit you? Why are you acting like you forgot?”

Like it hurt his feelings, huh?

The boss went to the nightstand by the bed, seemingly annoyed by the bandage I’d sloppily put on. Seeing the bottom drawer I’d left wide open, he picked up a waterproof bandage without a word and came back to me.

“And this is something I should do for you, so why’d you do it alone?”

He tore open the bandage. Peeling off the one I’d put on, he started applying it himself, looking at me with eyes that seemed to expect an answer, not just asking casually.

“…I didn’t know where you went and…”

“Where would I go, leaving you?”

“…That’s not what I meant…”

My heart pounded. Not only had I cut him off without thinking, but I felt my ears heat up, thinking he’d caught me only caring about the money. But all I’d planned was to go to the bank. I was about to explain that I’d just panicked and snapped because I didn’t have my phone when—

“Ha. Fuck.”

He suddenly furrowed his brows hard. He even clicked his tongue like he was annoyed.

“Don’t get scared just because I said something, huh?”

“…”

“You’re not usually like that, right? Wasn’t it you, Sunjung, who’d make shitty faces at me?”

The word “usually” made me bite my scarred lower lip hard without realizing it. And for good reason—I’d never once made a shitty face at the boss. Except for the very first time, I couldn’t even manage it.

Yet he seemed displeased with me like this. His grinning face hardened instantly, every part of his body turning cold and sharp, and soon a curse followed.

“Fuck. So damn hard to figure out.”

“…”

“What the hell am I doing because of one kid?”

He tossed the bandage wrapper aside carelessly. Then he snatched my wide-open Boston bag and flung it far away. With a thud, the contents spilled out messily. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he said,

“Sunjung, come here.”

I approached under that sharp gaze, and he pulled me onto his lap.

“Wrap.”

I didn’t understand what he meant for a moment.

“Put your arms around my neck and cling to me. I’m about to burst.”

Only then did I wrap my hands around his neck. Clinging to him like a kid, his expression seemed to soften as he spoke.

“Let’s catch up a bit.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s do some background digging.”

He hugged my waist tight and started talking.

“I’m Joo Geonwoo. Born here, raised here. My mother’s the woman you saw that time, and my father’s the chairman of Joo Construction. He’s a filthy playboy who still chases skirts at nearly seventy, and I’m his youngest son.”

“…”

“My side gig is running Joo Finance. There’s not a single person in Yeonsan who does business without my money—I’m that kind of loan shark. About three years ago, I took over a few nightclubs and room salons in Namgu-dong and started running them. This hotel’s mine, and so’s the resort near Muyeonpo Beach. That’s roughly how I’ve lived. Never settled down, no kids tagging along.”

Finishing his introduction, he turned his handsome face to meet my eyes and said,

“There, that’s my intro. Now you go, Sunjung.”

I couldn’t think of what to say. Since becoming a host, I’d introduced myself countless times to get picked, but this kind of background digging was a first.

“You’ve got to tell me now too. That way we can learn more about each other.”

“…”

“We don’t know anything about each other, so we can’t communicate.”

Even wiping away his sharp expression, he couldn’t hide the irritation underneath. As a host punk, I could read people’s moods like a pro, so I knew right away there was no point in pushing back here.

“I’m Lee Soyoon.”

“Oh, nice to meet you, Lee Soyoon-ssi.”

“I was born in Seoul and grew up in Daejeon.”

“Daejeon?”

“Yeah. My grandma ran a restaurant in Daejeon, and they say my mom left me, not even a hundred days old, in a corner of her place and took off.”

This time, no follow-up came.

“They say she was a small, petite woman, and since the baby’s mom was so young, Grandma gave her extra hangover soup. After lunch passed and she came to, the baby was sleeping alone. Not crying or fussing, just staring at Grandma with open eyes. When she checked the baby’s notebook, it said Lee Soyoon. She knew right away it was her grandson. Grandma raised me without a word. My dad came by sometimes, but he was worse than nothing. I didn’t call him Dad even ten times. He relied on his good looks, tried acting, messed around with women, and ended up a gigolo.”

“…”

“Because of a dad like that, I heard a lot in the neighborhood about being the filthy kid of a filthy father. Then he even screwed over Grandma’s shop, and we moved to Seoul. It was fourth grade, and I lived in that hillside slum until Grandma passed. Then in high school, I met a customer while working part-time at a restaurant.”

That woman was Madam Jung. The one who dragged me into this world.

“She came to the place three or four times a week, then handed me her card. Once she knew I wasn’t a minor, she kept coming. Said she’d treat me well if I worked with her. But I didn’t want night jobs. Grandma was sick, and I couldn’t leave her alone since I had to give her medicine even at dawn.”

Honestly, back then, I never thought I’d end up doing this. Or rather, I despised it. The contempt and bullying I faced because of my dad living off women, and knowing the pain Grandma endured—I thought I’d never touch that kind of work.

“But blood doesn’t lie, I guess.”

I didn’t even notice my arms had slipped from his neck. Unaware that the boss’s face, suppressing irritation, had gone completely blank, I kept talking.

“After Grandma passed, it was too empty. Staying up till dawn with no one to care for was so hard. The room that always sizzled because of her went cold, and it felt like I was the only one left out in the world. Couldn’t sleep, just sad. So I started a night job and ran into that woman again.”

I did delivery for the night gig. Working around a 24-hour restaurant, I met Madam Jung again. Her workplace was a room salon in Gangnam, and I went in with ice cream and snacks the girls ordered, and there she was.

Meeting her again, Madam Jung was warm. She made me realize I didn’t have to be alone in a cold room, showed me there were plenty of poor folks like me.

“At first, I lived like her young lover. Then she casually said she’d introduce me to a place, told me to go hang out there for a few hours. Said it was a spot a friend opened, and if I just filled a seat, that’d be enough. I’d play for a few hours, come back, and my pockets would be stuffed with cash. The boss didn’t take a cut, and tips came right away.”

Back then, I didn’t know it was a typical trick. Didn’t realize it was bait, thought I was just dating an older woman. Sleeping in a nice house, wearing nice clothes, eating good food—I figured I’d live as a bar madam’s young lover.

“That was when I was twenty-one.”

“How long did you sleep with her?”

“About half a year, I think. Ate and slept at Madam Jung’s place, got pocket money. Then the year changed, and I fully got out after Grandma’s first memorial.”

Saying it out loud felt so hollow. I shut my mouth, dumbfounded at how my life had flowed without any will of my own, and the boss lowered then raised his eyes.

“What’s Madam Jung’s full name?”

“What’re you gonna do with that?”

“Go praise that bitch.”

His smiling face somehow looked bitter. He sat me on his lap like a kid, fiddled with my hand for a bit, then stood up abruptly and walked toward the door, muttering to himself.

“Daejeon. Didn’t know that.”

Didn’t know what? That I grew up in Daejeon? Or that I was an abandoned kid? Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with him. All that mattered was that my so-called father ruined a perfectly good college girl’s life.

“Background check’s done, let’s go. You’re busy today.”

He lifted me up and left the hotel room, shifting the mood. Now used to it, I got in the elevator with Kalbang. Walking out through the lobby without a hat, Jang Woosung, the guy from yesterday, opened the car door.

“To Buil-dong first.”

“Yes, hyungnim.”

The boss loaded me in like yesterday and headed somewhere. The difference was, instead of playing with my fingers, he held me tight, and instead of grinning, he stared out at the scenery with a thoughtful look.

The car drove and stopped somewhere. Unlike Namgu-dong, it was a forest of sleek buildings, with hospital signs everywhere.

“Where…”

“You said you wanna get pretty. Booked a plastic surgeon.”

My eyes widened in shock.

I’d asked for a dermatologist, and he took me to a plastic surgeon? As I blinked in surprise, he got out of the car and flicked my lips with his hand.

“Guess you know your face is damn fine.”

He got out and headed into the hospital building. When I begged to get down, he had Kalbang bring a wheelchair. He insisted on putting me in it despite my perfectly good legs. Sitting in the chair he pushed, we entered the hospital, and the nurses stood up to greet him after seeing his face.

“Eleven o’clock appointment.”

“Oh, is the reservation under Joo Geonwoo?”

“Tell them I came on Kim Mija’s introduction, they’ll know.”

He knelt to meet my eyes, ignoring the wide, fancy hospital interior. A coordinator came to explain things, but he didn’t even pretend to listen.

“No, usually you consult with me briefly before seeing the director…”

“Does this face look like it needs fixing?”

At his words, the woman blinked rapidly.

“Maybe my eyes are just third-rate host trash, but I don’t see a single thing to fix.”

Only then did he turn to her while crouching. Her cheeks flushed seeing his face. She couldn’t tear her eyes from his sharp gaze, and I was right—he had the kind of face women went crazy for, exuding danger yet drawing them in.

A nurse called Joo Geonwoo’s name. He stood from locking eyes with me and pushed the wheelchair. Entering the director’s office, a man in his forties saw me and let out a “Haigo.”

“How’d it get this bad?”

The forty-something man threw out dialect, saying, “Come closer and let me see.” Despite the boss’s over-six-foot, intimidating frame, the director put on sterile latex gloves and examined my face closely.

“This ain’t no ordinary scratch, huh? How’d this pretty face get all scratched up?”

“Enough chatter.”

At the boss’s curt words, the doctor, who’d been looking at my face, stopped short and turned to him.

“I heard plenty already. Nephew of Kim Mija and Kim Chumi’s patients, right? Since they’re our hospital’s VIPs, I’ll take extra care.”

“Shut up.”

I glanced up at the boss at his rude response. But the director kept going, unbothered.

“Thanks to you, the hospital relocation went off without a hitch. I was sweating bullets wondering how you pulled off that loan so fast—my ass was on fire back then. Our VIPs spoke so highly of you to their nephew, so I’m here to say thanks.”

I pieced it together. So, he’d borrowed money from the boss for the hospital move.

“If you get it, fix him right. Pump in some white jade or whatever.”

“Of course. I may run a plastic surgery clinic, but I’m damn good at trauma care too. Just don’t spread it around—this is a special service for VIPs only. So don’t worry, I’ll fix him up clean.”

The doctor laid me on the treatment bed. Like a pro, he started handling my wounds. The boss sat in a chair watching me, making it pretty uncomfortable.

Whenever I winced, a “Tch” came out, and when I got a direct shot near a deep wound, something crashed like he’d kicked it.

It was embarrassing and shameful. He’d done this to me, yet he took it out on random stuff. Even the unfazed doctor got nervous and hurried to finish.

“You know not to get it wet, right? Keep the bandage on, and take the prescribed meds before sleeping.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I quickly got off the treatment bed. Unlike when I came in, I walked out of the director’s office fine, and the nurses looked puzzled.

Everything just felt humiliating and awful.

I hated walking around with this face, and I was embarrassed by the boss, who had no manners to speak of. I might be a nobody host punk pouring drinks for a living, but I wasn’t that blatantly rude.

I took the prescription for him instead. Leaving the hospital and pressing the elevator button, he grabbed my shoulder from behind with a thud.

“What’s wrong?”

I desperately bowed my head to hide my expression.

“I’m embarrassed.”

“What’s embarrassing?”

You. I’m embarrassed because of you, you bastard, I wanted to say, but knowing it’d only complicate things if he saw through me, I made up a lie.

“I’m a guy too, and rolling into a hospital in a wheelchair looking like I got the shit beat out of me is humiliating, you know? Anyone can see I got wrecked, so why would I hold my head up?”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. I’m human too—who’d feel good looking like this?

“Oh, then I’d be the one who beat you, huh?”

“Huh?”

“To anyone looking, I’m a thug and a gangster. They’d think I beat the crap out of you.”

His tone was cold. I couldn’t say, “That’s not it…” Because, honestly, this was his doing—if it weren’t for him, I’d be hustling and saving money.

The elevator dinged and opened. I followed him in. He didn’t say much. Reaching the first floor, Kalbang was waiting. Something must’ve happened in the meantime, because Kalbang said something in Chinese, and the boss replied briefly before getting in the car.

I walked to the car on my own. He didn’t carry me or cling to me. He took an iPad and paper ledger from Kalbang and kept checking them. I glanced at him, then turned fully to look out at the scenery.

Yeonsan was fully embracing fall, and being down south, the weather was definitely mild. The trees lining the streets were golden, and everyone wore long sleeves. Back when I was dragged to police interrogations every other day, it was the rainy season pouring nonstop. When that bastard Detective Kim grilled me like torture, the AC was still running—how had time passed so fast?

Soon, the long stretch of tree-lined road ended, and a sea view appeared. True to a coastal city, the sunlight sparkled on the water, with boats floating atop. Maybe fishermen out working, but the scene was picturesque, I thought, when—

I turned my head absentmindedly and flinched. The boss was looking at me, I don’t know since when. The ledger and iPad were gone, and he had one arm propped up, resting his head on it.

“Guess I should take our Sunjung on a yacht sometime.”

“Huh?”

“My second brother runs a marine leisure business, and I sold it to him. He went nuts when I screwed his wife, so I bought him a few to calm him down. Did he launch them twice or something?”

Kalbang, in the passenger seat, chimed in.

“Three times. You had them launched one by one, so yeah.”

“Did I?”

“You got one for fishing, one for parties, and one for living, so just pick one, and I’ll have it ready on a nice day. Oh, right, there’s a wake boat too—if you want a jet ski, I’ll prep that as well.”

Yacht prices varied wildly but started in the hundreds of millions. Around 300 to 700 million won, and a wake boat easily topped a billion. Even in Seoul, I knew a rich wife with a yacht, but someone like the boss, tailoring them to his taste, was rare.

Especially in a small regional city like this, a guy not even forty owning them—were they joking or what?

“What do you like?”

“Huh?”

“The yacht. I said I’d take you.”

He was grinning again. His manly lips curved up, showing off his sharp nose, and for some reason, my chest stung. I hadn’t grown a conscience in Seoul, and this wasn’t the time for one either.

But seeing relief in his smiling face, I realized I was probably swayed by his mood.

“I’ll think about it.”

At my answer, he flicked my cheek with his finger.

It was well into October.

˚｡⋆

The car stopped at a restaurant with a sea view. Unlike yesterday’s three-story sashimi place, it wasn’t as tall but still sizable. Split into a main building and an annex, it served charcoal-grilled ribs and hangover soup.

The boss took me into the main building. The modern grill house was busy even outside lunch hours. At 11 a.m., people were eating meat, and I was no different.

He chose a table, not a room. I hesitated, unsure where to sit.

“Hey, you! Why’re you just showing up now! Huh!”

A loud voice startled me. I whipped my head around to see a petite woman in her fifties shouting toward our table.

“Just drop dead, why don’t you!”

Her ring-covered hand smacked the boss’s back. Ignoring me standing there in shock, she looked at his face and bellowed,

“What’re you gonna do with that face! Where’d that handsome face go, turning into this! I didn’t raise you for this!”

Come to think of it, his mom had hit him too when she visited me. He didn’t care, like it was nothing. Now, too, he let her whack him like it was a welcome greeting before speaking.

“Feed me first, then do that?”

“Oh, right, you’re thinking of food at least! You damn punk!”

Despite her words, she went straight to the kitchen and gave orders. She didn’t look like a staff member—her outfit was too polished. Hair pulled tight into a bun, fierce eyebrows, and makeup. Rings on both hands, a necklace, and bracelets—stuff no worker’s wage could buy.

Was this the aunt he mentioned yesterday? Just then, he patted the seat next to him.

“Come here.”

I didn’t say no and sat beside him. As the charcoal came, side dishes followed one by one. The woman brought a plate of meat from the kitchen, put it on the grill, and said,

“I heard about it. Didn’t your mom nearly faint that day? You called her in the middle of the night asking for bone broth, right? When I heard that, I thought you’d been stabbed and died.”

He smirked at her rough dialect.

“Yeah, Joo Gicheol’s the toughest of the bunch—won’t die no matter how much you curse him. But you’re pushing forty next year.”

I flinched at “forty.” I knew he was older, but not by that much. I’d pegged him mid-thirties at most—older than that?

“What’s wrong with being over forty?”

“What’s wrong? You punk! You need to find a wife and settle down! How long you gonna waste time cleaning up after bar kids? Even if you open a bar, that pretty face of yours is rotting away like this. You short on money? Power? This scene’s swimming in Joo Finance cash, and Chairman Joo’s youngest, Joo Geonwoo, has lackeys everywhere. What’s stopping you from marrying, huh?!”

She was right. Forty was time to think about marriage. Unless you’re set on staying single, even gangsters settle down. Have kids, buy a house, take pics at school. If anything, the boss had more than enough to do it, like she said.

“I’ll do it. What’s the problem?”

“Oh my! You got a girl?”

He smirked and looked at me. I got nervous, but she didn’t notice.

“Who? That lawyer lady you met over the Oksudong land deal? She was perfect for you! Sharp, capable—I thought she’d be great to settle down with the moment I saw her. Is it her?”

“I did think about banging her once.”

I froze at his reply. Even for a crude guy, saying that in front of his aunt? Then her laughter burst out.

“So, did you? Huh?”

“If I did, so what? Worried I knocked her up?”

“You should’ve! Young folks don’t hook up unless they like it! Oh my! This damn punk came to see his old aunt on his own for once—showing off his lover’s face, right?!”

A flicker of hope sparked. Like sunlight breaking through clouds to shine on me, but only for a moment.

“Lately, I’ve taken a liking to something new.”

“Huh? What’s that now?”

“What do you think of this kid, Aunt?”

Her gaze landed on me, sitting there stiffly. I figured even a nutcase like him wouldn’t introduce me to his aunt, but her voice pierced my ears.

“Now that I look, it’s him, huh?”

Her sharply drawn eyebrows twitched up and down. Pointing at me with the tongs, she asked quickly, like she knew something.

“The kid your mom made bone broth for, right? Pale but full of life—this is the one!”

She set down the grilling meat and stared at me. Then she pulled up a chair and asked,

“That’s why his face is like that, huh?”

Honestly, she was intimidating. More fiery than the boss’s mom in her black suit and pearl necklace that day.

“…Hello.”

I greeted instead of answering. She slammed the table with a thud.

“I heard he turned a fine guy into a mess and thought I’d have to pray at a temple. But he’s better than I expected.”

“…”

“You’re a host, right?”

“Yes.”

“You live off your face, so I’m sorry it got messed up like this. But this guy’s not totally crazy—there’s a reason for it, so sort that out yourselves. For now, I’ll apologize with meat, so eat up.”

She apologized with fierce eyes. Showing her clear-cut nature, she stopped talking, served the meat, and left.

I ate like a clueless idiot. Wrapped it in lettuce, dipped it in salt. Finished a whole plate, and even when more came, the boss didn’t touch his chopsticks. He just watched me eat with a grin, blatantly, while I knew his sharp-eyed aunt was watching us from afar.

“Stop staring.”

“Why, does it bother you?”

“Your aunt might see.”

“I know. I’m doing it so she does.”

He stretched his arm long over my chair. Turning his body to watch me eat, Kalbang walked into the restaurant.

“Shinyeong Holdings replied. They say Kwak’s out checking the site with the manager—how should we move?”

“Baekil-ah.”

“Yeah?”

“Our Sunjung’s eating meat.”

“Oh.” Realizing, Kalbang looked at me and shut his mouth.

“You called me a mother bird. If the kid chokes, you taking responsibility?”

Grinning slowly, he spoke, and Kalbang pulled up a chair right away. It was across from me, where the aunt had sat.

“Rushing off a few minutes early to the afterlife? Eat slow and enjoy, Sunjung-ssi.”

Unlike the first day, Kalbang had a sleazy side. He’d giggle with the boss, crack crude jokes, and mess with women.

So, in a way, they were alike. Looks aside, they had some deep bond.

“So, did you greet Aunt?”

“Yeah. She said to knock one up first. Figured out I’m dying to fuck our Sunjung.”

“Big Aunt’s got sharp eyes, huh?”

“One good fuck, and she’d book the wedding hall in a flash.”

Laughter erupted again, hee hee hee. I nearly spat out my meat but couldn’t with her fierce eyes watching from afar. I set down my utensils and rinsed my mouth, signaling I was done. He pulled his body away from me.

“Wanna go for tea now? What does our Sunjung like?”

Sunjung. Sunjung. That damn Sunjung.

Sunjung or whatever, I wanted out of here. Hanging with these two, I’d catch their sleaze.

“To the hotel.”

“Why? It’s nice out.”

“No. I wanna go to the hotel.”

The boss stood up from his seat with a sly grin, following me. Kalbang got up belatedly and bowed toward the kitchen, and a voice from behind called out, “Oh, take care now.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them. As I was about to pass the counter, I noticed a photo of the boss’s aunt posing with a famous celebrity. She wore heavy makeup with bright red lipstick. She was adorned with glittering gold jewelry as if flaunting her wealth, and her hair was tied up in a single bun, her trademark style, topped with a shiny ribbon.

Tacky and vulgar.

I muttered to myself that none of the bloodlines I’d seen could be more frivolous than this, and with that, I left the restaurant.

The boss took me back to the hotel. Kalbang escorted me to the door and told me to go in. Just before the door closed, I asked,

“Where’s my phone?”

Kalbang replied as if it were obvious,

“Who do you think has it?”

Right, that bastard boss probably has it.

There’d surely be messages from Jaehoon hyung, and my personal notes would be in there too. I’d set a tough password, so he probably couldn’t unlock it, but there wasn’t much to see anyway.

“Why won’t he give it to me?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“…”

“Why not ask the guy who has it?”

Kalbang smirked, his scarred lips twisting. Unlike when he was with the boss, he looked at me with disdain. His eyes seemed to say, “Born a man, and all you do is pour drinks? What, selling your body to cling to someone?”

A thirst welled up, and my chest ached. As I stepped into the hotel room, my mind went blank. The pain was gone now, but suddenly, I missed the shots he used to give me. Those injections let me fall asleep without a thought, making time slip by unnoticed. It felt like I disappeared, just blending into the air and floating.

I stood still for a moment, then picked up my bag that he’d thrown on the floor earlier. I gathered my scattered belongings, strewn around like vomit, and put them back into the bag one by one. After stuffing in the clutch and starting to zip it up, I finally remembered where I’d meant to go today.

‘The bank.’

I’d planned to go there. I was going to check my account balance online and deposit the money I’d saved, but then the boss came in. Realizing this snapped me back to reality. Shaking off the daze, I checked the time. It was just before 3 p.m.—plenty of time to handle bank business.

I reached for just the clutch but ended up grabbing the whole bag. I put on the hat I’d taken off earlier, opened the hotel door, and stepped out. There was no one at the door. Kalbang had taken the elevator down moments ago, so it made sense that no one was around.

I hurried out of the hotel and took a taxi. I asked to go to the nearest bank, and the driver said we’d have to cross the main city area.

I said it was fine, and we arrived at the bank. I went to the counter, opened an account, and deposited the money. Since leaving Seoul, I hadn’t used a credit card at all, so I got a debit card issued and left the bank.

Looking at the scenery, so different from Seoul, I craved a cigarette. But there was no time for that, and just as I was about to head into a phone store—

“Hyungnim.”

A voice came from behind me suddenly. Thinking it couldn’t be me, I reached for the door, but then I heard rapid footsteps.

“Hyungnim, the boss said it’s fine to come back now.”

Blocking the glass door of the phone store with a thud was none other than Jang Woosung. I don’t know when or where he’d spotted me, but he said, “Give me your bag now.”

“How did you know I was here…”

I couldn’t finish the sentence. Jang Woosung took my bag, held it in his hand, and opened the back door of a car.

“You need to leave now, hyungnim.”

My mind went blank. Standing still, he spoke again.

“Hyungnim, can’t you help me out here?”

My head had gone blank several times today. Regardless of his plea, I got into the car after he took my bag with the bankbook. No matter what I asked, Jang Woosung dodged the questions. Not that he outright ignored me—he gave vague, fact-based answers like, “I don’t really know,” or “I saw you heading to the bank earlier.”

The car passed through “Yeonsanpo Central Market” and stopped in a quiet alley. Turning my head, I saw red tour buses lined up along the market street. The noisy crowd was tourists, and I spotted guides holding flags of different countries.

“You can get out here.”

I stepped out of the car and took in the relatively quiet street for a market. Low, quaint buildings stood in a row, far from the bustle of the main area. It felt like time had stopped here, even though it was the same market. There was a locksmith, a curtain shop, and a store selling fish tanks with silk carp and goldfish. Across from them were an old barber shop and a hair salon with faded signs side by side.

Wondering where I was supposed to go, a large figure strode toward me with a swoosh—Han Doopil.

“Where you been wandering around?”

He called out to me from in front of a barber shop with a spinning sign. Standing at a distance, he gestured for me to come over. When I approached, Han Doopil stared at my face, then stubbed out his cigarette.

“Flashy, real flashy.”

“Hello.”

“I knew Kang the manager would get greedy, but who’d have thought it’d turn out like this?”

He’d come to pick me up in a white Sonata. At Yeonsan Terminal, that bustling place, he’d gestured to me just like this when he saw me standing there.

“Since your money-making face got messed up like this, might as well rest up while you’re at it. Who’s gonna say anything to you?”

“What about the bar…”

“Forget it, let’s go in.”

Han Doopil cut me off sharply and opened the barber shop door. The old place showed its age, worn and cramped. Inside, there was a sofa covered with a floral fabric that looked straight out of the ‘80s, three barber chairs, and a single sink lined up together.

I passed the neatly tiled sink and followed Han Doopil inside. The interior was narrow, with another door leading further back. Two gangsters stood guard in front of it.

“You fuckers, no greetings?”

At Doopil’s words, the two hulks jumped up and bowed. With four grown men in the already tight hallway, the air felt thick and stifling.

“Hello, hyungnim.”

“Greetings. First time meeting you.”

I wondered if I should greet them too, but I just nodded out of courtesy. We weren’t close enough to chat anyway, and after a half-hearted response, Doopil opened the door and told me to come in.

When the door opened, another door appeared. Han Doopil knocked on it and said,

“We’re here.”

With that, the inner door opened. Doopil pushed me inside first. Before I could even take a step, a whirring sound hit my ears—charrarrarr. It was similar to the sound I’d just heard at the bank.

“Just sending in Sunjung.”

As the door shut behind me, the whirring grew louder. On the table sat a cash-counting machine with stacks of bills piled high. Among tattooed-neck men, the boss sat, with Kalbang holding his spot beside him.

The boss grinned wide the moment he saw me. Checking the amount on a digital screen, he turned to me and said,

“Enjoyed your city tour?”

It was an odd, surreal scene. A state-of-the-art cash counter in this rundown, old barber shop.

“If you were going to the bank, you should’ve said something.”

“…You left me alone, so I thought it was okay to go.”

At my reply, the boss patted the empty seat next to him. I walked past the money-counting men and sat beside him. He stared at me and said,

“You went to a phone store too, huh?”

“…That’s because you wouldn’t give it back…”

“I was going to. You know I’ve been busy. This week’s collections were heavy, so I’ve been tied up.”

So that’s why he left me alone? That’s why Jang Woosung followed me, tailed me, and said it was okay to come back now? Whatever the reason, it was clear the boss had put someone on me.

Realizing my suspicions were true, I almost sighed, but then the boss nudged a huge bag—easily worth a billion won—toward me with a thud.

“There’s a new apartment complex going up in Yeonsan. I picked out a few units. One’s in my big aunt’s name, one’s for my second aunt, and one’s for me. What do you think?”

What was I supposed to think? If all this cash was his, I didn’t care if he bought a house or whatever.

“What do you mean, what do I think…”

“I mean I’ll buy one in your name, what else?”

He chuckled at me like I was cute. But I couldn’t laugh. If this was payment for the yakuza mess, I didn’t want it. Cashing it out would take time, and if it’s a new complex, was move-in confirmed? If so, when could I move in? I’d need to check.

“Sunjung doesn’t want to live in an apartment?”

“Apartments are nice. But I think I’d prefer cash or checks.”

As I answered and turned my head, his grinning face vanished, replaced by a near-expressionless stare.

“Why?”

“…Well, apartments are hard to deal with right away. It’d be my first one, so I’d need to look into benefits and stuff. And if I live there, I’d have to stay at least two years, which feels too long…”

All I heard was the charrarrarr of the machine. Earlier, there’d been occasional chatter from the money counters, but now it was dead silence.

I wondered if I’d said something wrong, then gave up thinking about it. I thought I heard the boss sigh and a tch—laugh beside me, but I couldn’t turn my head. All I could see was the toe of his shoe tapping the money bag as he sat with his legs crossed.

“It’s nice out, let’s grab a drink.”

For whatever reason, the boss suggested drinking. I wanted to talk about future payments and my worth as a pawn rather than booze, but I couldn’t open my mouth.

Following him out of the barber shop, it was getting a bit dark. Looking back, the tourist buses were still there in the distance. How late did tourists roam this place?

“Know what Yeonsan’s famous for?”

The boss stood beside me, pulling out a cigarette.

“Yeah. Yeonsancho Beach, Hwimola Rock, and Byeoldari Island…”

“It’s famous as a good island for banging.”

He spoke of Yeonsan with a self-mocking tone. He said widows who lost husbands to sea work would go to Byeoldari Island at night to sell their bodies. The island’s strong winds swallowed the moans from all over, and the mild weather let them keep the trade going even in winter. Time passed, and now it’s a tourist spot, but the old reputation lingers, known among men as that kind of place.

“You probably knew that.”

“I heard it’s famous for girls.”

“Now it’ll be famous for guys too.”

He held out the filter he’d been smoking. Taking it as a cue to suck, I put my lips to it, and the bitter smoke filled my mouth after a while.

“With a face like yours working the dick, I bet horny bastards with cash will line up.”

I stayed silent at his crude words. He crushed the filter I’d smoked with his teeth.

He drove me somewhere. Wondering which of his many bars or clubs we were headed to, a familiar neighborhood came into view.

A ruined dried pollack yard, fluttering PVC tarps of street stalls. The first-floor lottery shop was still open, but the Queens sign wasn’t lit yet.

“What, sad to be back where you worked?”

“No. Doesn’t matter.”

Getting out of the car with him, I saw the utility pole where we first met. I’d been puking my guts out, and he’d swaggered around me in circles. He’d called me a snowflake and asked my name.

If I’d known it’d come to this back then, would I have left Yeonsan without looking back? If I’d known I’d end up tangled with a gangster thug, unable to speak my mind, I’d have gotten out no matter what.

My eyes stung again. Instead of sighing, I pushed down the coldness inside me. A punk living as a dick-sucker didn’t need past regrets.

Regretting not leaving Yeonsan the next day was pointless too.

Riding the elevator to the third floor, his lackeys greeted us. Among them were the young uncles guarding the first floor.

“Call Fujisan and order two specials. We’re eating on this floor, so book a room.”

He gave orders to his men and entered the central office. The office, with its sofas and desks, was the same as before. The long sword behind the desk was still there.

“Sunjung-ah.”

“Yes.”

“Wanna give it a try?”

Sitting at his desk chair, the boss nodded toward something below. Thinking he might be up to something weird, I saw a safe.

“I’ll give you the code, so open it.”

He told me to open the safe. Before I could even think why, he urged me on. I walked over slowly and knelt in front of it as he started reciting numbers.

“7892310.”

“…”

“Curious what it means?”

I paused before entering the code and looked up at him.

“It’s the address where my dad set up house with his third mistress.”

“…”

“The address of the house where I was born. It survived when the second mistress set it on fire, and even when the main wife sent people to kill me and my mom, it kept us alive and well—a lucky house. So I use it as the safe code.”

His casual tone made me realize why he’d pushed out his brothers and taken his sister-in-law’s hotel. He was the youngest but a bastard child. Born to the third mistress, growing up under threats to his life.

“Were those aunts I met your real aunts?”

“Of course. They’re tight with Chairman Joo Gicheol. When the old man calls, they jump. The third mistress, though, doesn’t budge.”

Grasping the gist, I had no more questions. A bastard kid who caused trouble and should’ve been sent to study in China. Coming back and turning the family upside down, yet no one dared criticize him—he might be a mistress’s son, but he was top dog in the pecking order.

I punched in the numbers he gave. After he added his fingerprint, an electronic beep sounded, and the door clicked open.

When the safe, supposedly unmelting even at 1,000 degrees Celsius, opened, my eyes widened for a moment. Gold bars were stacked inside. Filling the two-tier safe to the brim, he pulled out a ledger from the bottom.

“Come here.”

I didn’t know what he wanted to show me, but he sat me on his lap. Like it was second nature now, he perched me on his thigh and explained the codes.

“PA is expenses, OT is income, TY is interest, RF is credit, BGB is VIP tribute payments.”

My eyes spun. The neatly organized ledger was filled with billions and cryptic codes. It was deliberately hard to decipher, making my head reel.

“You’re a guy too—staying home doing housework would drive you nuts.”

“Huh?”

“You should know what I do so living with me stays fun. Nag me, fuss about someone messing with the books.”

I didn’t catch his meaning right away. He held the ledger out like I should study it, but it was gibberish to me.

“What am I supposed to do with this…”

“Do what? Meddle in your man’s business, stash some slush funds. Our Sunjung likes money, right?”

Was he joking? The amounts in that ledger were no joke. And Mr. Joo wasn’t my man.

He folded the ledger and put it back in the safe. I watched the black books disappear alongside the gold bars.

“Shall we go downstairs for a drink now?”

“…”

“Our Sunjung needs disinfecting.”

He wrapped his hand around my waist and started groping me with his big hands. As if this was his real goal, he grabbed my flat chest hard. When I flinched in surprise, his laughter burst out.

“Alright, I won’t do it here.”

He pulled back the hand meant to tease me. If not here, where? I glared at him silently, and he stood up briskly, taking me out of the office. The men guarding outside stepped back in surprise. Understandably—since he hoisted me up and headed for the stairs.

Clinging to his arm, I pleaded,

“Please, let me walk…”

“This embarrassing too?”

I couldn’t answer and just lowered my head.

“Our Sunjung’s got a ton of shit to be embarrassed about, huh?”

Thankfully, he let me be. Kalbang was coming up the stairs below.

“They say it’s ready.”

“Call in a few guys.”

He half-dragged me down to the second floor. Despite the early hour, waiters were lined up waiting for him. The manager rushed out, spotted him, and bowed. He saw me but ignored me completely—his guy had latched onto the boss, so he couldn’t just chat me up.

Room 7’s door opened, and the boss sat down with me tucked under his arm. Taking the head seat, the manager soon brought in some guys.

“Choice is here, boss.”

I couldn’t lift my head. Needless to say, that’s where I should’ve been—standing there, tossing lines at customers. This situation wasn’t easy for me either.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Ji Yeonwoo! I do everything full-out, no holding back, and give my all!”

It was Ji Yeonwoo. Then Ji Ji’s pitch followed.

“Who you playing with?”

When I didn’t answer, the boss clicked his tongue and lifted my chin.

Under the yellow lights, my face came into view, and Ji Yeonwoo’s expression stiffened. Ji Ji’s mouth dropped in shock.

“Or should I tell them to play with each other?”

“…Maybe…”

“Hm? What’s that?”

“Could they come in later?”

At my quiet voice, he let go of my chin. With a wave to leave, they all shut the door and exited.

Once the door closed, I reached for the liquor-laden table. I popped the whiskey cap and filled two shot glasses. Handing one to him, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Cheers, boss.”

I clinked my glass against his. With no snacks out yet, I downed the shot. The high-proof burn, unlike soju, set my mouth ablaze. My still-healing mouth felt like it was flipping inside out, screaming, but I poured and downed another.

“Sunjung missed it that bad?”

I nodded, swallowing the searing pain.

“I said let’s drink, but Sunjung’s going hard.”

He must’ve rung the bell, because waiters came in with snacks. Fruit platters, smoked chicken, and a plate of fresh sushi—new items I hadn’t seen before.

“Specials from Fujisan.”

I realized then he’d ordered them separately.

At the waiter’s words, the boss checked the plate, picked up a piece of tuna belly with chopsticks, and put it in my mouth. After downing whiskey on an empty stomach, the premium snack slid in, and I swallowed it reflexively.

“Chew it, Sunjung-ah.”

He picked up another piece and fed it to me—a sushi topped with fresh sea urchin.

“Let’s drink.”

He filled his own glass. One drink, one sushi. I kept drinking, eating the sushi he gave me. After a few rounds, I finally mustered the courage to speak.

“I think we can do the choice now.”

“Yeah? Should I call them in?”

“Yes.”

With liquor flowing and my stomach full, I felt like myself again.

I hadn’t expected to drink at Queens and have guys come in too. Pulling myself together, I faced him.

“Who you picking?”

“Before that, who’re you picking, boss?”

At my question, he tilted his head and smirked. His handsome face, as flashy as his shirt, spoke.

“You.”

“…”

“I’m playing with Sunjung.”

I knew it. There was no choice from the start. I ended up picking Ji Yeonwoo and Ji Ji anyway. Thinking back, they were the same crew I’d worked with that day with Han. I didn’t know the boss’s intent, but I decided to go along for now.

Maybe because I was already buzzed, Ji Yeonwoo pouring drinks didn’t bother me. Even when Ji Ji, stuck to the boss, passed me a drink, I could handle it. More precisely, treating it like work made it easy.

Ji Yeonwoo stood and started singing. Belting out a surefire dance track, Ji Ji joined in, dancing and shaking a tambourine.

Under the psychedelic lights, they sang with gusto. My eyes met Ji Yeonwoo’s, but neither of us showed it. Ji Ji poured drinks for the boss and me, treating us like customers.

The song ended, and Ji Yeonwoo set down the mic, saying he’d show off his specialty.

“Time for a cool mix! I’ll show you how long I’ve honed this skill!”

Cute and pretty-ish, Ji Yeonwoo took off his jacket. Unbuttoning his shirt, he set up four beer glasses and placed shot glasses on top.

“Here comes the bomb!”

Sweaty from singing and dancing, Ji Yeonwoo’s face and collarbone glistened. His clean skin under a heaving chest seemed especially youthful. Then, with a bang—, he slammed the table. The stacked glasses flipped, dropping into the beer glasses.

Eyes on the boss, Ji Yeonwoo picked up a glass and rolled it over his sweaty chest. Each time it slid across his shirt and skin, he bit and released his lip, flicking his tongue like a kiss before offering it to the boss.

“It’s an honor to welcome Queens’ boss as my first guest. Cheers, boss!”

Ji Ji clapped and cheered loudly, but the boss didn’t budge. He didn’t take the drink Ji Yeonwoo offered, just sat there. As Ji Yeonwoo wet his lips again and swayed his hips—

“Fucking trash.”

The boss’s single line froze the room. It was never a vibe that could heat up. There was no way Ji Yeonwoo could seduce the boss when I didn’t even know why he’d called them in.

“Throwing yourself at me, huh, bitch.”

Veins bulged on the back of his hand gripping the glass. It couldn’t be helped. Ji Ji had already backed off, scared, and Ji Yeonwoo stared at the boss, stunned.

I snatched the glass from Ji Yeonwoo’s hand. Downing it in one go, I placed my hand on the boss’s thigh.

“Tell them to get out, all of them.”

One of his eyebrows shot up.

“That bitch is eyeing you.”

Ji Yeonwoo’s face showed shock at my words.

“We came to play together, so let’s just play ourselves.”

Only then did the corner of his mouth curl up. The boss, unmoving moments ago, pulled me by the waist with his signature smirk. I still didn’t know why he was doing this—what was the point of calling in guys I’d worked with, or putting ones he didn’t even like in front of us?

It all tangled up—leaving the hotel silently, cutting him off over the phone, wandering the city for it, and not answering properly when he asked about the apartment.

“Sunjung-ah, jealous?”

Jealousy? I just wanted both of them to walk out fine. I didn’t know what the boss might do to them, but I already knew he didn’t look kindly on Ji Yeonwoo.

“You’ll play with me?”

“Yeah. Boss, you came here to play with me, right? That day too.”

He didn’t usually come to the second floor, but he did for me. He didn’t like guys, but he called them in for me. So I emphasized “with me” and pressed my hand harder on his thigh.

Maybe he wanted to treat me like a dog again. To pin me down and make me suck him off on his whim.

“Should I suck you?”

He smirked at me. Then he told the stunned Ji Yeonwoo and Ji Ji to get out.

As the shocked pair left, he grabbed my chin and told me to open wide. I parted my lips under the yellow lights. Then he lit a lighter. With a chik—!, the flame came toward my face, and my heart felt like it’d explode.

Flinching in shock, he said with a slightly twisted face,

“Sunjung-ah, gotta check your mouth wounds.”

“Uh.”

“You said you’d suck.”

My heart trembled with fear. I shook, unable to push him away.

“What, think I’d burn you with it?”

As I recoiled from the hot flame, his hand grabbed the back of my head. For a moment, it felt like my eyebrows would singe.

“Kind of hurts my feelings. You don’t trust me that much?”

He grinned wide, then lowered his head to actually peer into my mouth. Checking the wounds, he flicked the lighter away.

“I’ll hold off two more days. But Sunjung-ah.”

He shoved aside the glasses the two had been drinking from. With a crash, they shattered on the floor, and he stretched out to yank the mic cord.

“Sing something.”

My heart raced. I wanted to cling to him and ask why, but he wasn’t the type to cave. If I didn’t play it cool here, who knows what’d happen.

“What should I sing?”

“One you like, and one good for fucking.”

I gripped the mic tight. Luckily, back in Seoul, I was known as a crooner with a sweet voice that melted thighs. So I picked a song I used to sing a lot.

“I’ll sing ‘Breath of Love.’”

I punched in the key, and the backing track started. Standing under the psychedelic lights, I held the mic and began the first note. Maybe thanks to the booze, my voice came out smooth. The song, dripping with love’s longing, started calm but rose to high notes, showcasing a man’s deep yet clear tone.

If we were meant to meet no matter what, even parting like this wouldn’t sadden me at all.

We’d meet again, love again, and breathe together.

To us, time is a fleeting midday dream. I’m here, you know. Meeting you, breathing with you. Feeling the texture, waiting for the days we’ll be together again.

Just, I.

In the monologue part, I locked eyes with the boss. Sitting with his legs crossed, he was expressionless. He stared through me as I sang. Under the cheap psychedelic lights, I hit the final note.

“I was born before you, just waiting for you.”

The song ended. The boss didn’t move. Thinking he didn’t like it, I started to set the mic down when he suddenly stood from the sofa and grabbed me roughly.

“…!!”

I stumbled, caught by him. In an instant, he threw me onto the sofa. Shocked by his rough hands, I flailed, but his eyes glinted fiercely as he climbed on top. He looked at me like he’d kill me—like he’d pull a knife from his waist and stab my throat right then.

“Where’d you learn shit like this?”

His hand seized my collar. He lifted me like a sheet of paper with one tug. Then, with his other hand, he swept the table clean. Bottles shattered and plates rolled with a crash.

He threw me onto the table. Soon, the belt on his jeans came undone, and my pants were yanked off. I couldn’t fathom what pissed him off. His shifting expressions and moods were impossible to grasp—we were entirely different breeds.

“Help, save me!”

“Did Madam Jung teach you this? What the hell did she teach you, and how much, to turn a fucking bitch into something like this?”

The boss’s hand shot straight between my legs. Even knowing it was limp inside my briefs, he pulled my dick out.

“Ah! Boss!”

“If it’s not that, then why the hell am I only like this with you? Huh?”

The boss’s tattooed hand tore my T-shirt apart. The fleece-lined sweatshirt was shredded to rags as he couldn’t control his strength or his emotions. Any thought of what he was so pissed about flew out the window. More than that, I had to survive. I couldn’t let this happen.

“Sunjung-ah, spread your legs.”

“Ugh!”

I tried to escape, but the force pinning me down wasn’t human. The boss didn’t just spread my legs—he lifted them. As my dangling balls revealed what was beneath, his fingers suddenly shoved into my mouth.

“Suck it good yourself. Before I make you suck something else.”

Was he going to ruin my mouth again, just as it was starting to heal? But whether it was my lower half getting wrecked or my mouth getting fucked up, it was all the same. Still, the fear of doing something I’d never done before made me think my upper mouth might be better. With my wounded mouth, I sucked and licked his fingers. Even in this maddening terror, his fingers grew wet.

“Sunjung’s lower pussy should be this wet too.”

He yanked his fingers out, and the saliva I couldn’t swallow dripped down. He immediately shoved those fingers into my hole. The piercing sensation made my whole body stiffen. A scream mixed with shame and despair burst out, but he forced in a second finger, stretching the hole open.

“Ha, why’s it so tight?”

“Ah!!”

Tears burst forth, and beyond my blurred vision, I saw a face flushed red. It was the boss’s face, eyes wild with madness. He raised those thick eyebrows, creasing his forehead, going crazy with lust over my hole.

“Stop it!”

“Quiet down. I might just ram it in like this.”

He reached out and grabbed something. Realizing it was the mic I’d been holding earlier, an unimaginable terror surged through me.

“You fucking bastard!”

Instinctively, I cursed and thrashed to survive. The snacks dangling at the edge of the table spilled, spreading a sticky stench. The already spilled whiskey, beer, and barley soda smells mingled as he threw the mic he’d been holding far away.

“Oh, thought I’d shove that in? Nah.”

He grinned like a lunatic with that crazed face. Then, out of nowhere, he jammed in a third finger. As if the mic had been a feint for the third finger, he ravaged my hole and yanked my ankle.

“Ahh! It hurts!”

“We’re just starting—how you gonna cry about pain already? Huh?”

“Fuck! You bastard! Ahhh!!”

He grabbed my kicking ankle and twisted it hard. Like he’d been tolerating something annoying, he bent a grown man’s ankle, and the excruciating pain stole even my screams.

“Filthy mouths aren’t my type.”

“Argh! Argh!”

“But I like it when you act like a bitch during sex, so it’s fine, Sunjung-ah.”

Having twisted my ankle, he kept jabbing my hole with his fingers. It was pain upon pain. With my leg bent like that, I couldn’t tell what hurt more or what was worse. Then he pulled his fingers out. He stuck those fingers, still wet from my hole, into his mouth and sucked them greedily.

“Tastes good, Sunjung-ah.”

The ravenous sounds kept coming. As if it wasn’t dirty, he licked and sucked the fingers that had been inside me, lapping up the moisture between them with his tongue.

“Now I’m gonna put it in.”

The moment I squeezed my eyes shut, he yanked my body off the table. A screeching friction sounded on the glass surface as he aligned my hips with the edge, flicking his red tongue and speaking.