IOTF Ch 13
by soapaYeonsan had been rainy for days. The hotel room’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows were filled with a dark, bleak atmosphere. Rubbing my eyes, I got up from the bed. As usual, the boss wasn’t beside me. I wondered when this guy even slept or woke up when I heard a click.
Thinking it might be the boss, I started to head downstairs.
“Sunjung-ah, stay where you are.”
I froze in place. Only after I heard the clattering sound of a cart coming in did his commanding voice say, “Come out now.”
“Can I move now?”
“Come here.”
As always, he was dressed and ready for work. He was putting on a flashy shirt and necklaces again, his hair swept to the side, holding something in his hand.
“Did you sleep well?”
I nodded in response to his usual question and approached him. Clinging to his waist like a kid, I heard a chuckle before his lips pressed against mine. A deep morning kiss followed, and as the sound of saliva passing between us rang out, he pulled away and said,
“Let’s eat.”
This morning’s meal was scrambled eggs with a ciabatta sandwich. As I sat down and took a bite, the hotel room’s glass window flashed. Soon after, a rumbling sound echoed, followed by a downpour of rain.
“The weather’s really bad.”
“It’ll keep up until tomorrow. It’s always like this when a ship’s due from China.”
“China?”
I asked with the sandwich still in my mouth. I was curious about the connection between a ship arriving from China and the rain, but the boss didn’t seem inclined to explain, switching topics instead.
“What’s Sunjung gonna do today?”
I paused mid-bite. What I did today depended entirely on him. I still didn’t have a phone, and he hadn’t given me permission to go to the shop either. Even if I went out, Woosung would tail me, and I’d long since accepted I was tied to the boss.
“I’ll probably just stay here, right? Maybe put on a movie and organize the stuff we shopped for.”
“Won’t you get bored?”
“There’s nowhere to go.”
“There’s gotta be somewhere you wanna go.”
Only then did I catch his hint. He was waiting for me to ask to stay with him. After all, he’d already shown me his secret spots and even told me the safe’s code.
“What’re you doing today, boss?”
“I’m gonna collect on Boss Kim’s gambling debt. It’s the day the ownership of Cheongwang Building changes hands. A ship’s coming in from China at dawn, and I’ll collect the taxes and stash them in the safe.”
…Just hearing it sounded exhausting and dangerous. Boss Kim was probably that guy I saw at the restaurant, and whatever was on that ship from China, it couldn’t be anything good.
“If Sunjung’s bored, wanna learn the books?”
“The books?”
“The stuff you saw in the safe. Memorize a few codes and punch a calculator right—it’s easy. You can even skim some cash on the side without me knowing, up to you.”
He grinned, but I couldn’t smile back. Knowing he ran a legit business like Joo Financial, I didn’t want to get involved. The amounts in those ledgers he’d shown me were beyond what a guy like me could dare touch.
“Uh, can’t I just laze around? I’ve never handled big money before…”
His laughter burst out. Pleased with my answer, he pulled me—still eating my sandwich—into a kiss, mixing tongues. Not minding my messy mouth, he swallowed what I’d chewed and licked the crumbs off my lips before standing up reluctantly. As if remembering something, he dropped an item next to the sandwich plate with a thud.
It was a box with the same logo as my phone model.
“Play with it.”
“…”
“I’ll send Woosung, so go to the hospital with him, then come to the office.”
I stared at the box, then back at him. He just raised an eyebrow, saying nothing more.
A phone—he still wouldn’t give it to me. He’d bought me a fancy tablet like this but refused to return my actual phone.
I felt a mix of joy and gloom. My face turned sour, like someone had sprinkled bitter medicine on my sandwich.
“What, you don’t like it?”
“…No.”
“Don’t know how to use it?”
No, I do. I know playing with this’ll make the day fly by. But still, give me my phone. It’s mine—why won’t you?
“Come with Woosung later. I’ll show you how much I made today.”
He smiled at me, clearly in a good mood. Before leaving, he hugged me, making creepy old-man noises, sliding his hands under my thin shirt to grope me while reminding me of his dick size.
He only left the room after Kalbang knocked twice. I sent the half-eaten sandwich out. Feeling off, I didn’t even glance at the tablet he’d left. It wasn’t until the afternoon that Jang Woosung knocked.
“Car’s ready.”
I left the room and got in the elevator. October in rainy Yeonsan was dreary. More damp than cold, the smell of rain and the thick scent of the sea seeped into my clothes and hair.
“We’ll hit the dermatologist first, then the dentist, then the herbal clinic, sir.”
I scowled without thinking. Woosung, about to press the elevator button, looked at me like, “What’s wrong?”
“What’d you just say?”
“Huh?”
“What’d you call me just now?”
He blinked rapidly, confused.
“Dermatologist first, then dentist…”
“No, not that. What’d you call me?”
“Oh, ‘sir’? Did I mess up?”
I glared at him hard. Overnight, I’d gone from “brother” to “sir.” Han Doopil started using honorifics to draw a line, and some woman called “Auntie” suddenly phoned asking for my birth date and time—was this all to make me the boss’s kept man?
I sighed at the boss arbitrarily fitting me into his mold without even giving me my phone.
It felt like a collared dog. Or maybe I really was his dog.
I was definitely not in a good mood. Thunder rumbled, crying for me.
I stayed stone-faced the whole time we went to the hospitals. Silent in Woosung’s car, I didn’t say a word until we reached the boss’s office. Sitting tight-lipped on the sofa, some big guy said, “Boss’ll be a bit late.” I didn’t ask how late.
After about ten minutes, I got tired of being alone in an office with a big knife and dagger on display. Thinking it’d be fine to step out, I left and went down the emergency stairs. Queens, right below the office, was quiet since it hadn’t opened yet. I pressed the automatic door button and walked in, spotting a familiar face—Ji Yeonwoo, holding a cigarette pack and phone.
“Yeonwoo-ya.”
At my call, Ji Yeonwoo’s expression shifted from surprise to coldness. Knowing he’d react that way, I approached him.
“You been good?”
He openly furrowed his brow. I stood in front of him with an apologetic look.
“Sorry about what happened in the room.”
That day, Ji Yeonwoo had been singing with Ji-ji, trying to charm the boss. He’d meant to liven things up, and I hadn’t cared. But I’d said what I did on purpose, noticing the boss’s bad mood.
“I had to play to the boss’s mood.”
He blew air through his lips—pfft—then suddenly grabbed me. Dragging me to the hallway connecting the kitchen and the host waiting room, he finally spoke.
“You think I wouldn’t notice? I know you did it on purpose. I’m just worried about you. The boss’s rep is seriously bad.”
He’d told me before not to take his warnings lightly. Plenty of hosts had disappeared without a trace after getting too deep. Not killed—just tied up through contracts, so no reporting it.
“And of all people, you with the boss. Ugh!”
I smirked at his sigh.
“Thanks for worrying.”
“This isn’t funny. There’s talk that even the clients sitting next to you got handsy. The ones who picked you haven’t called once. The lady who took you for a second round got her shop shut down and has been twiddling her thumbs for a week. Once it reopens, cops’ll raid it again—huge losses.”
The “second round” boss was that woman. The boss had personally taken me to her…
“Anyway, what’re you gonna do?”
Frustrated, Ji Yeonwoo lit a cigarette and offered me one. But my eyes went to the phone in his hand instead.
“What else are they saying?”
“The usual. Boss Joo’s got a pretty boy on his arm, and that host’s life is fucked… whoops…”
He shut his mouth fast. He might’ve wanted to clarify, but I was a host, and being tied to the boss was true. Whether it’d fuck me over remained to be seen, but I’d expected this.
I pointed at his phone.
“Let me use it for one call.”
“Huh?”
“Mine’s dead, charging now.”
I couldn’t admit it’d been taken. Luckily, he unlocked it and handed it over without suspicion.
“Here.”
“Five minutes okay?”
“I just called all the ladies, so take your time. I’ll step to the waiting room.”
He left me alone. I glanced around discreetly—only waiters, no goons. From the few numbers I’d memorized, I dialed Jaehoon hyung. Hoping he’d pick up, it clicked and connected.
—Hello, who’s this?
“Hyung, it’s me, Soyoon.”
A one-second silence, then a loud, “Oh, you bastard!”
—If you changed your number, tell me! I thought something happened! No calls, no texts—what’re you doing?
As expected, he’d been trying to reach me.
“Does my phone say it’s off?”
—If it did, I’d have reported it. Some days it’s on, some days off. Didn’t seem like you were dead, but no contact, so I was about to call that Kang manager in Yeonsan.
I frowned. On some days, off others? The boss was deliberately cutting me off.
“How’s Collin?”
—Collin’s in Singapore. Word is he split with Park Joon and Madam Jo. They say Park Joon ditched first, but Madam Jo might’ve cut him loose and jumped ship. Someone saw her with another guy in Koreatown—she’s capable of that. Collin’s gone, so something’s up. Either way, you’re out of this mess completely. Soon as we hear more, Collin’ll either gut Park Joon or stab him in the back. Just stay low a bit longer.
Getting out completely was the goal. And I hoped Collin’d stab Park Joon and make him cough up my money. With mental damages, I wanted his guts sold off.
“That fucker. I need my money back.”
—It’ll take time to reach you. Don’t grind your teeth too hard. You okay, though?
I couldn’t answer. Hearing a manager’s voice nearby, I ducked into the kitchen.
“I’m fine. Don’t call that number anymore, hyung. I’ll call you.”
—This isn’t your number?
“Borrowed it. Stuff’s going on, so don’t call my number—or this one. Got it?”
He sensed something off and tried to press, but I had to hang up. Sneaking a call behind the boss’s back could get messy if I got caught.
—Call me again. Promise.
I hung up fast, deleted the call log, pocketed the phone, and grabbed a banana from the counter. Peeling it casually, I stepped out as the manager walked down the hall on a call. He didn’t seem to notice me. Just then, Ji Yeonwoo came back from the waiting room.
“Phone worked fine…”
“Hyung, there’s a rumor the boss messed with the yakuza.”
His whisper made my eyes harden.
“They say he cleaned up a mess the Namgudong Aces made, but it’s shady as hell. Word is he took over a site the yakuza ran. Lately, he’s been strutting around.”
“Site?” I raised an eyebrow.
“That’s why the rumors about you are flying. Taking a yakuza site and parading a young host around—it’s obvious…”
Waiters in fresh uniforms started coming out. As opening time neared, hosts trickled out of the waiting room, phones to their ears.
“Anyway, that’s the word—watch yourself.”
Ji Yeonwoo’s phone rang too. I left the bustling Queens and went back to the boss’s office. Sitting alone, my eyes landed on the short knife tattooed on his chest, now on display.
Its odd handle was clearly a lethal weapon—not for skinning animals, but for slashing human throats and bellies. But what was this “yakuza-run site”?
I vaguely recalled hearing about Namgudong hosts before, but with my own mess, I’d forgotten.
My mouth felt dry, so I bit into the banana I’d brought up. Tasting its sweet yet green flavor, the door opened. It was the boss. Seeing me, he raised an eyebrow.
“For a sec, I thought that was a dick.”
He meant the banana I was eating—still firm and thick, no sugar spots yet.
“Got hungry, went downstairs, grabbed one from the kitchen.”
I’d picked it up to hide the call. If he asked why I was here, I’d play it off naturally.
“Should’ve told the guys.”
“I’ll do that next time.”
He walked to his desk chair and called me over. Setting the banana down, I went to him, catching a whiff of mint and the thick sea scent.
“Did you and Woosung manage okay today?”
“Yeah. Went to the dermatologist for treatment, the dentist, and the herbal clinic.”
“Did you play with the toy?”
Recalling the tablet from this morning, I gave a vague answer. He seemed to stare at me, but he looked pleased. No wonder—he dropped a lawyer-stamped envelope on the desk with a thud.
“A four-billion-won contract.”
“…”
“They borrowed money to build Cheongwang Building, and it ended up like this. Should’ve gone to a bank instead, huh?”
I said nothing. I figured Cheongwang Building belonged to that lawyer-looking guy from the restaurant, and that he’d teamed up with the boss’s estranged third brother, only to lose it in a double-cross. I roughly understood how the boss made his money, but I didn’t want to act like I did.
“It’s yours now?”
“Yep, mine as of today. It’s in the neighborhood where you go to the hospital—full of academies and cafés. Interest and principal on the money my third brother squandered, so I had to take this much to keep me and my Sunjung fed.”
He nodded toward the papers, urging me to open them. I picked up the bundle and pulled out the contents. Three heavy file folders smelled of fresh paper and wet ink.
“Remember the safe code?”
It felt familiar but fuzzy, so I shook my head. He laughed and repeated it.
“Don’t forget this time.”
Not wanting to memorize it, I made a face and punched in the numbers. With a beep, the door opened, and he pressed his fingerprint. After the final step, the lock clicked open.
The two-level safe was just as I’d seen it before.
Gold bars stacked like a tower, ledgers, and now these new deeds and contracts.
“Put it in yourself, Sunjung. Boss Kim kept you from eating properly that day—least you can get a taste of it.”
Even for a money-obsessed guy like me, it didn’t feel good. For some reason, I recalled the 400,000 won he’d handed me as a “fee.”
400,000 for oral. 40 million as a deposit. And now, telling me to file a 4-billion-won building deed with my own hands—it made my chest tight.
“Why the face?”
“…It’s my first time with this.”
It was clear this heavy money wasn’t mine. And I started pointlessly wondering if he’d earned it through legit means. Despite knowing firsthand how much blind money existed, I felt uneasy at his utterly shameless morals.
“First time?”
“Yeah.”
He stared at me, squatting by the safe, then explained as if for my sake.
“It’s been a mess of corruption since before construction started. Not a single part followed legal steps. An unfair contract delayed wages, and the rental business they launched was doomed to fail.”
“So it wouldn’t be odd no matter who took it?”
“Exactly. In a situation where it’s not strange, I just moved a bit faster than the rest.”
Among the ladies who doted on me, many ran rentals. Building owners who bought properties with their own money or divorce settlements—they knew tax laws inside out, committed crimes like it was nothing, and understood the profits far outweighed any fines, with no guilt.
The boss was the same. No, more seasoned, more shameless, satisfying himself by collecting his brother’s money from someone else.
I lowered my eyes to the papers, then shoved them into the ledger slot. Twisting to show him I’d filed them right, I saw his brow crease oddly.
“Doesn’t look fun.”
“…”
“Thought you’d be happy I made money, but guess not.”
I didn’t want to fake enthusiasm now. Truth was, I wasn’t happy. This money wasn’t mine, and even if I cheered, none of it would be my share. Even if he gave it to me, it’d just be shackles—and it’d long surpassed what he could’ve gotten from the yakuza deal.
“When I was in Seoul, there was a lady who treated me well. Her dad died early of a heart attack, so all his wealth went to her, his only daughter. Never married, just ran a rental business. But her nephew, who she made her secretary, cleaned her out in one go.”
Her nephew quit a thriving tax firm to “help” her. Living in a 50-million-won-a-month apartment, enjoying everything, then one day, he vanished with all her money, leaving behind double ledgers and tax evasion proof. In the end, she—
“Things got too big to fix, and she overdosed and killed herself.”
The corner of his mouth twitched up. His eyes said my pity was pathetic. Looking at me mourning a woman I’d met as a client and host like I was a naive kid.
“Sunjung-ah, let’s get this straight. You need to relearn what a life worth something is. I liked that you seemed greedy for your bowl, but you’ve got too much useless sentiment.”
“…”
“This’ll just make pillow talk noisy. I wanna talk money with you happily—I don’t do dragging sob stories.”
His eyes mixed disappointment and irritation. Annoyed at my unexpected reaction, he stood abruptly, lit a cigarette, and took a drag.
“Sunjung-ah, first time seeing a gangster?”
“…”
“Working at a host bar, you see gangsters and thugs two or three times a day. Why’re you acting like some unseasoned kid? When’d you ever see a thug earn money through proper channels, paying taxes?”
No, never. They were always dirty, prioritizing money and power, with no remorse for ruining someone.
“You’re like this even when I bring in cash—what the hell do I have to give you to make you happy?”
He stared at me, sucking the smoke deep. As his cheeks hollowed, he let it seep through his lips and asked,
“Or what, you upset about something?”
“No.”
“Then why’re you like this? Like some sulky bastard. I didn’t go fuck some other chick—I brought the money to show you first. I showed you first ‘cause I thought you’d like it—so why the reaction?”
He tilted his head, genuinely baffled. Then, without thinking, my buried truth burst out.
“For someone who says that, you don’t trust me at all.”
“…”
“If you wanna live with me like this, you’ve gotta trust me. Who doesn’t have a phone these days—why won’t you give it?”
It was mine, and he’d taken it unilaterally, refusing to return it. He’d blocked me from getting a new one too, drawing a hard line.
“So you’re mad about the iPad I gave you this morning to play with?”
“You should’ve given me my phone first.”
“What’d you do with it?”
“It’s mine, so I’d handle it myself.”
Heat crept into his gem-like eyes.
“Who you need to call? Got people calling you? A lover?”
A lover? I enunciated clearly, “No way.”
“No lover. Even if I had one, I’d have ended it by now.”
“Oh, so you’d handle that yourself too?”
“For example, yeah. Anyway, I need to call clients I’ve served, and my brother in Seoul—!”
“Fuck, you just keep talking back.”
The mood turned icy fast. Veins popped on his cold collarbone as his eyes sharpened chillingly.
“Your phone’s worth more than four billion, huh? You’re the one whining like a bitch about a damn phone—what’re you planning?”
He twisted his head, glaring into my eyes. I’d already looked down, avoiding his gaze.
“Like a kid? You’d die without a phone?”
He was the one whining like a kid. Blaming me and staring like he’d kill me—this was why I hated him.
Then, hand on his hip, he barked,
“Baekil, get in here.”
The door opened, and Kalbang appeared, reading the room and staying silent.
“Take him to the hotel.”
“Yes.”
“Doopil’s calling—get a car ready.”
Just then, the office phone rang. When he didn’t pick up, it stopped.
An odd silence hung, and Kalbang stepped closer, telling me to get up. I didn’t budge. As the phone rang again, something whooshed past me. I realized too late it was his hand. Before I could react, it zipped past my right cheek, pressing my earlobe hard.
“Sunjung-ah, behave when the ship comes in.”
Only then did I realize he’d meant to slap me. If I were any other host, that big hand would’ve hit me mercilessly.
He let go of my earlobe and left the office first. After he and Kalbang were gone, Han Doopil took me to the elevator. Sighing, he said,
“Joo-ding’ll handle it.”
“…”
“When it rains a bit in Yeonsan, it’s ship day—know that.”
Han Doopil’s politeness reminded me of the first time the boss roughed me up. What he’d said with my lip torn:
“Got hit?”
“He raises his hand sometimes, but be glad it ended there. Your legs ain’t broken—deal with it.”
Realizing he’d really meant to hit me made my head spin. Passing the 24-hour lottery shop and stepping outside, the rain poured hard.
“Get in. The youngest’ll drive you.”
Instead of Han Doopil, a young uncle held an umbrella for me as I got in the car. The door shut, and warm air hit my face. As the car started, rain lashed down.
Staring at the blackened sky, I clenched my teeth against an unknown emotion.
˚｡⋆
Back at the hotel, I crawled into bed. In the car, I’d been lost in that strange emotion, but alone now, the emptiness turned to anger.
I opened the fridge and chugged a can of beer. A knock came, and opening the door revealed a cart with dinner, left unattended. I almost slammed it shut but, fearing what he’d do if he returned at dawn, picked up a spoon. After scarfing it all down, blood seemed to pump through me again.
Pushing the cart with empty dishes out, I saw no one guarding the door—no Jang Woosung, no piggy goon. Seeing the empty space eased my twisted gut a bit.
This was right. Guarding someone who’d done nothing wrong made no sense.
Back in the room, I showered and opened the closet. Still dripping, I stared at the gleaming expensive clothes, and my hands moved on their own. A knit, 3.4 million. These pants, 1.5 million. The bomber, 5 million.
Checking the untouched clothes with tags still on, I tied the bathrobe cord tight.
Only then did a bitter laugh escape as I found the real target for my frustration.
Even before hosting, I liked expensive, nice things. No, since childhood, I had an eye for them—thanks to my deadbeat dad. Poor as dirt, he always wore shiny stuff, swindled from rich wives.
Looking back, it’d have been better if he’d used that money for the family, but he wasn’t that kind of man.
I hung the bomber I’d picked in Busan back on its hanger and dusted my hands. Seeing the shirts, pants—all with tags—calmed me. Especially holding the watch in its green box—it melted all my anger away.
Fuck, financial therapy.
I’d thought it was nonsense, but I couldn’t deny it. Glistening so beautifully, welcoming me—why’d I fuss over a damn phone? Like he said, it’s not worth more than 4 billion.
I was about to put it back and close the closet when I spotted something on the floor. A black object on the white rug.
It was a USB, the size of a fingernail. Why was this here? I didn’t own one, and it didn’t fit this computer-less room.
The boss’s, then? This was his closet originally, so it made sense. But he was meticulous—I’d never seen him scatter stuff. He might strip carelessly at dawn, but he wasn’t the type to lose things.
Holding the USB, my gaze shifted to the tablet he’d given me this morning. Plugging it in would reveal its contents, but I didn’t want to bother.
Probably ledgers or dark details about his work. Touching it might get me scolded—or worse, he’d say I’m in on it now since I’d seen it.
I shivered. As I went to put it back in the drawer, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed. A loud boom split the sky, shaking the huge window. Staring at Yeonsan’s roiling black sea, irrational fear surged.
He’d said a ship was coming today—what if something happened? Watching the swelling waves, I imagined a boat capsizing in a storm. But he was a Yeonsan sea man, born here—he’d weathered this before. Even if the ship flipped, he’d somehow make it back alive.
I shook my head, knowing it was pointless to worry. Still, having shared our bodies, I couldn’t help but feel concerned.
When I opened my eyes, the rain was still pouring down fiercely. Checking the time, it was 5 a.m.
I turned my head to look at the spot beside me, but there was no trace of anyone. Just then, I heard a click as the door opened. Wondering if the boss had returned, I heard the sound of dress shoes stepping on marble in succession. He didn’t come straight to the bed. The boss started talking on the phone in Chinese. His voice, spitting out an unfamiliar language, was calm yet resonant. I couldn’t understand a word, but it definitely wasn’t the loud, chaotic pronunciation I’d heard in the middle of Myeongdong.
The call ended, and the sound of a lighter flicked on. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, the rain kept falling, and the wind was blowing so hard that I could see the trees bending over in the faint blue dawn light.
I waited quietly to see what he’d do. At that moment, the bathroom door opened. Only then did I get out of bed and slip on some slippers. In the middle of the large living-room-like hotel suite, the boss’s discarded clothes were strewn about. When I approached, they were wet, carrying a fishy smell mixed with something like the scent of gunpowder.
I picked up his pants and slipped my hand into the pocket. There wasn’t a single small piece of paper, let alone bloodstains. Just the fishy smell of the sea and some sand clinging to them.
I set the clothes down and slowly walked toward the bathroom. It was quiet beyond the door. Only a faint smell of cigarette smoke lingered.
As I turned to leave, I recalled the boss’s irritated face when he’d told them to send me to the hotel. The boss, who’d been so annoyed he’d pushed me hard.
So I turned the doorknob. It was as if that moment had lodged itself in my chest. When I opened the door, the boss’s voice came through.
“Why’d it take you so long, Sunjung-ah?”
Through the warm steam rising to the ceiling, I saw the boss. He was sitting in the bathtub, one arm resting on the edge, waiting for me.
“You knew I was awake?”
“You think I’d come in and my Sunjung wouldn’t wake up?”
He made a splashing sound as he stubbed out his cigarette. When he pressed the butt into the crystal ashtray at the edge of the tub, his water-soaked, firm chest muscles and forearms twitched as if alive.
“You were pretty wet.”
“It’s raining.”
“Did the ship come in okay?”
At my question, he ran a hand through his hair.
“You said you weren’t interested in my work, but you’re worried about the ship?”
“Well, the weather’s so bad.”
Having only lived on land, I’d never seen the sea churn and thrash like this. Unlike the rain falling on land, the sea, swollen with rain, was like a massive entity, a mountain unto itself.
“It does feel like the weather’s gotten shittier since you showed up, Sunjung. The sea must’ve noticed you’re here—it was so damn wild, two crewmen fell in and died.”
My feet, which had been stepping on dry floor, stopped. Was he serious? Before I could process it, he continued casually.
“They weren’t our crew, so it doesn’t matter much. But fewer heads means less toll money. It’s not a big loss, but it’s a shame. It’d been a while since a ship came in.”
It sounded like he collected something from the ships passing through Yeonsan’s waters. I didn’t know the details, but I got the gist. It made sense—Collin did similar things. He’d received raw materials for drugs from ships coming out of China and Macau, processed them, and smuggled them out.
“You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
“What’s there to hurt me? I just counted heads and came back.”
For that, the danger radiating from him was thick. Even the day he’d stabbed a yakuza in the neck, he’d worn this same calm expression.
“You don’t look too happy.”
“Do I?”
“Should I leave?”
“Why? I’m fine.”
For someone saying that, he didn’t seem to have any lust or dirty thoughts toward me. It was like his mind was floating elsewhere, wasn’t it? A guy who’d been obsessed with sex suddenly losing interest overnight and filling up with other thoughts—facing that shift head-on sparked an inexplicable urgency and pointless pride in me.
“Wanna strip over there?”
“Like a strip show?”
“My Sunjung’s good at stripping too, not just lip service?”
“Well, I can manage alright.”
For a host, stripping was practically a required skill. You had to thrust your hips blatantly, learn moves and gestures to drive the ladies wild.
Even so, standing in front of the boss, I got nervous. My waist stiffened, and it felt like my hips were creaking. Not wanting to chicken out, I slowly unbuttoned my shirt and walked toward him. The bare floor between me and the tub was marble, but after a few steps, I felt the plush rug.
Tilting my head as I undid the third button, my slightly upturned eyes seemed to glisten under the light. The boss let out an “Mmm—” sound and leaned back against the tub.
With the rippling water in the tub and the rug between us, I locked eyes with him. No music, no buzz from alcohol, but seeing him soaked and naked stoked a low fever in me.
I played a song in my head and kept unbuttoning. One button popped open, then another slid free along the smooth silk fabric naturally.
“Kind of a shame there’s no music.”
“Who needs that shit? Come closer and do it.”
He rubbed his jaw with the hand he’d been dangling out of the tub, staring at my flushed lips.
I didn’t back down and kept unbuttoning. As the humid, warm steam brushed my collarbone, my confidence grew. Seeing his indifferent expression shift little by little satisfied me. When I undid the last button, my stomach tightened as my skin stretched taut.
“Sunjung-ah, wanna do it solo?”
No need to ask “Do what?” For some reason, I wanted to act like a seasoned pro in front of him. It’d been that way since that unknown emotion hit me earlier. My gut twisted, and I got pissed. All this talk of being a couple when he didn’t trust me one bit—that’s why. So I wanted to mess with him, do things my way.
Of course, he wasn’t the type to let me toy with him, but I still wanted to try.
Feigning slight shyness, I flushed and bared my chest to him, saturated with sea breeze. I didn’t thrust my hips like I did for clients. Slipping off the silk pants revealed my lean torso and long, smooth legs. Hoping my pale body glowed properly under the bathroom light, I pulled down my briefs too.
I approached him without covering my half-wet cock.
“Should I turn around?”
“Go for it.”
He leaned back in the tub leisurely now. Half his torso was hidden by the tub, but down there, under the water, it’d be fiercely hard and twitching.
I turned and bent over. No client had ever wanted to see my hole before, but I figured the boss, who’d be intrigued by my dangling balls and the path to my perineum, would be different.
“Should I put my hand in?”
Even without an answer, I felt it was a yes. I parted the round mounds, breathing in the damp air. As the narrow hole opened with a cool sensation, not even the sound of water splashing came. My balls, dangling below, tightened as if nervous.
“How is it?”
“What?”
“My hole.”
I turned my head to look at him. Unlike my expectations, he wasn’t wildly aroused. His calm eyes studied the spread hole, and his outstretched hand showed no sign of moving.
“You should call it a cunt in times like this.”
“…”
“You know I’ve got a filthy mouth.”
I didn’t deny it was about him. Instead, I let out a small moan with my hole spread. Doing it solo made blood rush to my face and thirst climb. I shook my hips side to side to show off the gaping hole. Then I stuck my fingers in my mouth, sucking them noisily. Like I was sucking his dick, I slid them deep in and out, licking between them. Saliva pooled on my dry membranes, and the stimulation drew sour liquid up my throat.
“I’m putting it in now.”
Without waiting for a reply, I pressed my wet fingers against the hole like I was propping it up. Not using both middle and index fingers, I pushed with just the longest middle one, letting out a moan. As I kept pressing into the tight gap and slipped the tip in, the sensation was vivid. Even with just a small finger, my walls stretched, and my half-hard cock sprang fully erect, leaking pre-cum in streams.
“Sunjung, you’re doing good.”
“Ugh…”
“Rubbing your own cunt solo.”
His crude words and gaze hit me full-on, but I wasn’t ashamed. Fucking a guy who’d tossed morals to the dogs made me feel like a slut beyond compare. Like a guy crazed for cock, I shoved my finger deeper and took a big breath. Pulling it out, the pink flesh clung, sending sharp, intense jolts through me.
“Ugh!”
“Why’d you pull it out?”
“It… it feels like it’s coming.”
“Already? Wow, my Sunjung’s a total slut. Not even started, and you’re already feeling it.”
Like he said, I’d only stuck one finger in. Still, the clumsy stimulation sparked wild joy, and with him watching from behind, my lower belly already tightened. Then—smack!—a sound snapped me alert. Turning, I saw him raising his big hand to slap my other cheek.
“Ah! Why!!”
“Sunjung-ah, loosen up quick. I’m waiting here—don’t hog it all yourself.”
He yanked my finger out of the hole. As I tried to lower my hips at his rough, thoughtless touch, he grabbed my body and pulled hard.
Water splashed over the tub’s edge as I was dragged in. With a splash and fragrant water up my nose, I flailed, barely opening my eyes. He sat me on his thighs and gripped my chin.
“Why’re you coming on so strong since dawn?”
“…”
“You bitched when I brought money, so why the sudden change?”
He tilted his head, genuinely curious. Looking at me like a kid, he flicked my forehead and nose, now wet from the water.
“Did you reflect while alone?”
“…”
“‘Let’s act happy when the boss brings money’—like that?”
With his questions piling up, I stayed still on his thighs instead of answering. Feeling two hard cocks under the water, I said,
“Sometimes you treat me like an idiot, boss.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. When I first said I wouldn’t do second rounds, you looked at me like, ‘What kind of moron is this?’ And earlier, when I talked about that old client’s suicide, you looked at me like I was pathetic.”
She’d been good to me. A client I’d fooled around with, sure, but she had human charm. The only one who’d told me to save up and switch jobs since I wouldn’t be able to do this forever once I got older.
“Everyone dies eventually.”
“I know. But it was suicide. She lost everything—taken by a nephew she treated like a son.”
“So you pitied her that much? Enough to see yourself in her?”
“I didn’t see myself in her. I just said there was this woman—”
He cut me off, pulling my chin closer.
“Sunjung-ah.”
“…”
“You’re you. While you’re with me, think about the future we’ll build together—why dwell on the past? I just wanna live happily with you, but you don’t seem to want that. It’s upsetting.”
A future with me? He just liked screwing me. I was getting hooked on all the sex with him too, but not enough to plan a future.
“What do you want from me, boss?”
“To live purely with me.”
“Then you should look for other women.”
“If I wanted that, I’d have done it already. You think I haven’t had bitches clinging to live with me?”
He wasn’t wrong. He stood out wherever he went, and plenty of women found even his dangerous vibe attractive. Walking through markets, hospitals, department stores—everywhere, eyes lusted after him, and I’d felt jealous glares aimed at me too.
“Why’d you turn them down?”
“Does there need to be a reason to not like something?”
“If you want a pure life, you could settle down with a woman who’s truly pure and only knows you—”
He laughed like it was absurd. As his laugh made my chest ache for a moment, he put his hand on my ass, making me feel his hard-on.
“Asking when you already know—is it jealousy? Pouting? Or a clumsy apology for earlier?”
He leaned in close. His long, thick lashes cast small shadows, and his wet lips looked ready to touch mine any second.
“If there’s a decent woman, you think I’d ditch you for her?”
“Can you say no?”
I wasn’t gay, and neither was he. I never thought he’d be purely devoted to me from the start.
“You’re full of thoughts today, Sunjung. Talking a lot too.”
“…”
“When the one who’s really overthinking is me.”
With that, he pounced. He forced my closed lips open, moving roughly. I met him eagerly, tangling tongues. Twisting our heads, we licked each other senseless. Panting breaths exploded as we kissed and kissed again. But the warm tub water wore me out fast.
“I’m tired.”
“From what?”
“It’s hot… stifling.”
At my words, he pressed a button. With a whir, water sprayed in the tub, and cool air flowed from the ceiling purifier.
“Better?”
“Yeah.”
“Open your mouth like before.”
As cool air blew down and my breathing eased, he shoved his tongue in again. It was an overwhelming kiss. My jaw stretched, and uns swallowed saliva dripped as I instinctively gripped his shoulders, digging in my nails.
Then he bit my tongue with his teeth. With a groan and a cough, I couldn’t handle the sharp pain and pushed him off, yelling,
“That hurts!”
Our lips parted, and pinkish blood mixed with saliva trickled down. The same pink blood dripped from his lips too.
“You hurt me too.”
“When!”
“You’re always clawing at me, then acting like you don’t.”
He slammed his forehead against mine. After staring at me for a few seconds, he stood abruptly. With the water churning, he flipped me around. As my ass, submerged in the tub, surfaced, he pressed his face to it without any foreplay.
“…!!”
He shoved his tongue into the deep crevice, probing my hole. With the pointed tip, he pressed the tight folds, making ravenous noises.
“Ugh! Boss!”
My body, leaning on the tub, trembled. His high nose mashed between my cheeks. Loving the feeling, I thrust my hips, pushing my ass back as far as possible. Spreading my legs wide to let him suck my hole more, he soon bared his sharp teeth and bit my flesh.
“Argh!”—a silent scream as he bit my ass. Waving him off, I grabbed his hair. Threading my fingers through his lush, wet locks and pulling, he bared his white teeth and bit again.
“It hurts! Why do you keep biting!”
“With a cunt this hot, this is just playful.”
“I said it hurts!”
He didn’t mind my casual tone at all. Instead, he grinned with teeth bared, looking for another spot to bite, spreading my cheeks wide. Then he buried his nose back in the crevice, licking up and down with a long tongue. Sucking relentlessly between my hole and balls like devouring something delicious, my mind went blank.
“Haa, stop, stop…”
“If you’ve got the breath to say that, relax some. You’re not a damn kid—I’m trying to suck you, but it’s too tight for my tongue.”
He gripped and shook both my cheeks. The unfamiliar pain curled my toes and twisted my waist. Enjoying my reaction, he blew hot breaths, heating my hole even more.
“Pulsing like crazy—love it?”
“Haa…”
“My Sunjung’s cunt is dripping.”
It was lewd and vulgar. Still, the sexual tension surged, and I rubbed my cock hard against the tub wall.
“Your front’s crying too?”
Not a pussy, though? I trembled and weakly resisted. He shoved his high nose in deeper, sucking my hole. The maddeningly erotic sounds burst out, and I shook my leaking cock wildly. Jerking it frantically, focusing on the tip, he stopped sucking and lifted me up. Standing me against the bathroom wall, he moved to penetrate, and I quickly spoke.
“I don’t want it doggy-style.”
“I won’t do it doggy-style.”
Then, with a slick thrust, something the size of a child’s forearm pushed in. Clenching my fists at the tearing pain, he started rocking his hips slowly.
“Ahh! You’re… you’re doing it doggy-style!”
“Hold on, Sunjung-ah.”
With splashing water, he began thrusting into my hole. He didn’t pound me like a dog from behind. Holding me close, our torsos pressed together, he moved his hips. His cock dug precisely into my rectum, hitting me at steady intervals. Soon, the ripping pain dulled, replaced by new pleasure.
The tight, full feeling lingered, but each thrust made my narrow rectum quake.
“Ah! Ah! Too fast!”
He pounded deep, then slyly shifted angles to thrust again. Heat spread, and a simmering ecstasy tipped my head back. Whether it was fluid from his cock soaking my insides, wet squelching sounds came as his balls slapped my crevice repeatedly.
“Hah! Boss! Ahh!”
“Feel good?”
“Ah, ah!”
“Guess when you really like it, you don’t even answer.”
His breathing grew rough too. Deliberately, he pressed my torso closer. As my back straightened against his chest, I saw the bathroom ceiling. The deep thrusts turned sharp like a blade, stabbing near my prostate.
“Aaah!!”
A convulsive scream erupted as liquid burst from my cock—not cum, but a thin fluid spilling like piss.
“Sunjung-ah, you came this quick?”
My whole body shook from his massive cock inside me. Wanting to act like a slut today stemmed from my hidden lust.
I was out of my mind. My lungs felt torn with ragged, cracked breaths, and a fishy blood smell seemed to rise from my throat. But I knew it wasn’t blood—it was lingering desire for more orgasm. My swollen tip leaked with piss as I tried to thrust my hips. Then he grabbed it.
“Haa… gonna…!”
“You already did. Wanna go again?”
With his cock still inside, he stroked my shaft. Overwhelmed by intense pleasure, I moaned with my head back. His big, scarred hand swept over my cock while thrusting into my hole again. Wet squelching and coarse pubes drove me wild with the rising urge to cum. Still greedy for more of his stimulation, I held off, and he pressed my tip, asking,
“Sunjung-ah, don’t wanna cum?”
“Haa!”
“Want more? Hungry for my cock?”
Even in my daze, I nodded. Kindly, he thrust fast enough to make the tub water overflow, stroking my cock. The electrifying sensation from my soles drove me insane. Thrashing like I was chained, screaming, and pulling my hips back, cum shot from my tip.
“Ah!! Ahh!!”
As my body shook, he hugged me tight. His cracked groans joined mine, piercing my ears. Hot breaths and a pounding heartbeat.
“…I like you this much—why don’t you get it?”
His voice rang in my ears as he pulled his cock out with a slick sound. Grabbing it, he jerked it—tap, tap, tap—then, unsatisfied, shoved it back into my stretched hole.
“Ahh!”
“I only put this much effort into you, Sunjung.”
Unlike his words, he pounded mercilessly. No amount of clinging or crying helped. Fluids dripped down, my body shook apart, limbs flailing.
“It hurts! Fuck!”
Despite my curses, he spread my legs wider and kept thrusting relentlessly. His bones and muscles against my ass burned like fire. Breathing heavily, he was nearing climax too, slamming his cock in hard.
“Ahh!! Please!!”
“You take it too well—that’s why. Who told you to take it this good, huh?”
The pounding force drove me mad. Today, he thrust with inhuman strength, so relentless I wanted to stick my tongue out.
“Fucking bitch, you love it.”
Thud, thud, thud—my limbs felt like they were splitting as I screamed. I wanted to pass out, unable to take more, but I wasn’t a man who broke easily or crumbled. Clawing my nails into his beastly thighs as he raced toward climax.
“Hah! Gonna… die…!!”
Despite the slippery soap, I scratched, pinched, and punched.
“Aaaah!”
My ribs tightened, tailbone shattering as he slammed into me.
You fucking bastard! As I screamed, he wrapped his hand around my neck, squeezing like he’d choke me. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t breathe from the pain. Tears flowed, saliva drooled from my gaping mouth. Begging for mercy, clawing at him, his animalistic groan burst out after relentless thrusting.
“Cunt!”
His rock-hard body stiffened. With a hot exhale, he shot cum into my hole. The scalding liquid seeped into every corner, and only then did he release my neck.
“Hoo, this is sex. This is fucking sex.”
Beyond satisfied, he muttered like a kid tasting sex for the first time, slowly moving his cock. Confirming my cum-filled insides, he pulled out long, then shoved back in, teasing my nipples.
I barely turned to look at him.
His sharp, upturned eyes were maddeningly provocative. His handsome face oozed dignity, no trace of vulgarity. Yet his heart and soul were decadent, bottomlessly depraved.
“What, wanna hit me?”
I didn’t answer. Panting, I dropped my flushed face, suddenly wanting to gouge out his eyes.
Filthy bastard. A man who’d never know life’s nobility till he died.
Why did such a guy have such beautiful eyes? What made him this way? No—he was fated to live like this, destined to grow into this kind of man.
“What’re you thinking?”
“About you, boss.”
“Me?”
“Wondering how we’d have met if we weren’t doing this.”
“We wouldn’t have.”
His answer was singular.
“It’s only ‘cause I’m the boss that we’re here like this. If I weren’t the boss, nothing at all, why would you even give me the time of day? Right?”
His one answer was dead-on, no margin of error. If I hadn’t come here in the first place, we’d never have crossed paths. Even if we had, we wouldn’t be like this—maybe just a loan shark and debtor.
“So, Sunjung-ah, you came to me. I was just here, and you found me. Like snowflakes, you fell in front of me.”
“…”
“Don’t make it so you can go back.”
You came to me, don’t make it so you can go back—his words echoed. Even after cumming, his still-hard cock moved again. Hugging me from behind, the mint scent lingered, his obsession laid bare.
He knew I’d go back to Seoul.
He knew I’d leave once my business was done. That’s why he took my phone, taming me in his space until I got used to it. Like he’d told me how to train a dog that first time, he wanted me unable to live without him, even without a leash.
But that wouldn’t tame me.
This Sunjung he spoke of wasn’t a dog and had no intention of living like one. Just as he didn’t trust me, it was obvious I couldn’t trust him either.
I looked down at his scarred fingers, unable to let me go. When I pried one off, he gripped my skin hard again.
Familiar moans and pleasure erupted as he sought my lips, panting. I closed my eyes, taking his furious cock deep. My fingertips pressed against the wall tensed.
No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t want it that way.
˚｡⋆
After the ship came in, the boss got busy. He’d come in late at dawn, change, and leave. Some days he reeked of harsh tobacco; others, an indescribably fishy stench clung to him.
The tobacco wasn’t just cigarette leaf—it was the smell of weed, called marigold. The fishy odor wasn’t something you’d catch anywhere by the sea either.
He seemed to be doing far riskier things than before. From his discarded clothes, his hair, his voice calling my name, a dark, sharp edge kept seeping out.
Still, he didn’t tell me what he was up to. Maybe knowing I was subtly scared of him, he’d wipe his expression clean and smirk, tossing out dirty jokes like usual.
It was the third day like that. Even at midday, the sky was unusually dark. Fierce winds rattled everything with loud bangs. Even in the 35th-floor hotel room, the sight and sound of the wind made me uneasy.
The boss and I were about to explore each other’s skin against that backdrop when his phone rang. Ignoring it, both his phones buzzed at once. Sucking my nipples atop me, he finally scowled.
“Fuck, should I just kill them?”
It’d been a while. Three days wasn’t long for me, but for him, it was different. He’d been on edge since the second day, trying to squeeze in sex whenever he could. But his men kept hounding him, and now new guys—not just Kalbang or Han Doopil—trailed him like a guard, probably still outside the door.
When he didn’t answer, a knock came. Stark naked, I pulled the crumpled sheet from below me.
“Go check it.”
“Fuck, they won’t let me have a good time.”
“Sounds urgent.”
His broad back moved slowly. As his toned thighs, clad only in black briefs, slid off the bed, I let out a small, involuntary gasp.
His body’s insane. I’d never seen him work out—when did he build and maintain those muscles? No protein shakes, yet abs, triceps, and legs bursting with power. It was like he wasn’t out doing dangerous shit all night but training instead.
Turning to take the call, he spoke in Chinese. His Chinese was calm and heavy—not loud, with a pleasant tone.
Of course, his expression—brows furrowed tight as he lit a cigarette—was nice too. Something pissed him off, and he muttered in Korean, “Fucking bastards.” Wrinkling his forehead and raising an eyebrow, he caught my eye and mouthed,
Why.