The entrance of the club ‘Chante,’ filled with young men and women who had groomed their appearances to the fullest like male peacocks in courtship, was extremely chaotic. The line of people waiting to enter seemed endless, but even amid the chaos, eyes busily exchanged glances exploring each other, creating a strange atmosphere.
The noisy, chaotic underground hall. Flashing lights and colorful illumination leaking from that place filled the interior. Everyone cheerfully shook their bodies to the booming, fast-tempo music without exception. In addition to the loud music, laughter, jeers, shouts, and curses ran rampant. The dark lighting made it impossible to distinguish who anyone was, making it literally like a bustling night market.
However, the atmosphere on the third floor here was a bit different. Just looking at the interior showed it was distinctly different from the floors below. This place, running the gamut of extravagance, had a separate entrance from the start. Since no one could enter without a recommendation, even guards stood watch at the door, clearly intending to keep ordinary people far away.
The White Hall that existed after breaking through the maze-like corridor—there was a group enjoying entertainment there with regular customers beneath their feet.
“You said you wanted to see Haeseong. That’s why you came all the way here. But why? Why won’t you drink?”
Under the bluish lighting, Choi Won, grinning circularly in a smarmy way, grabbed an open wine bottle with one hand and shook it skillfully. The reddish liquid surged as it was shaken.
Spanish Romanée-Conti. The mouth of the wine bottle that cost two million won tapped against the cheek of the trembling man. Choi Won’s eyes looking down at him while sitting right next to the man were somehow sticky.
“I told you nothing’s in it. Really won’t drink?”
No, no. The man’s head shook rapidly in refusal. Choi Won, who let out a deep sigh, shook his head as if he had no choice.
Even refusal should be done in moderation—like this, there was no point in bringing him.
“This won’t do. Then he’ll have to drink it instead.”
Wine poured onto the white shirt and the shirt began to turn red. The startled man pushed Choi Won away.
“Wh-what… Aaah!”
“Oh my, it’s all soaked.”
Choi Won, who had put the bottle down on the table, grinned slyly and began unbuttoning the man’s shirt one by one from the top. The man whose face had turned bright red couldn’t endure the humiliation and jumped up from his seat.
“…I’m sorry, but I’ll be going now.”
“Where are you going looking like that? Hm?”
He had been so excited and followed along eagerly when told a meeting with Jin Haeseong would be arranged, but it seemed he couldn’t bear this humiliation. The man, biting his lower lip hard as if he’d burst it, turned his body sharply as if he didn’t want to stay here any longer. Choi Won grinned foolishly while watching the man’s rear end.
“Hey, fuck. Torment him in moderation.”
Kang Eunje, who was sitting across from him, openly rebuked him, but Choi Won crossed his legs and sat down again as if nothing happened. Unable to suppress his laughter at whatever was so funny, Choi Won looked at Jin Haeseong and said,
“Jin Haeseong. I just got rid of one for you. If you’re grateful, you know what to do, right?”
Jin Haeseong, lying down using a woman’s white legs as a pillow, had no reaction to Choi Won’s words. He just slowly drew in the cigarette in his mouth. Lee Juyeon, the owner of the knees he was using as a pillow, was fiddling with Jin Haeseong’s smooth forehead with her slender fingers while his eyes were closed.
The cigarette ash hanging from the end of the cigarette held in his mouth was precarious. Lee Juyeon lowered her head and whispered softly to the one using her knees as a pillow.
“Can I take it?”
“……”
There was no answer, but Lee Juyeon acted as if she had received permission. She pulled out the cigarette held in his mouth, tapped off the ash, and brought it to her own lips. The moist filter was held between her lips. White cigarette smoke slowly swam through the air.
“Today if that fucker Lee Siwoo comes, he dies and I die too. Every time we set something up, he comes running after us, so I really can’t kill him.”
Choi Won, grumbling discontentedly, moved seats. The distance between Jin Haeseong and Lee Juyeon became even closer.
“Jin Haeseong. How long has it been since your aunt got stabbed by Jin Yeongchan and got kicked out, and you’re still holding out. Come over when they offer you lots of money.”
As Choi Won took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, an employee who had been on standby quickly approached and lit it for him. Jin Haeseong scoffed at Choi Won’s proposal as if uninterested.
“Too bothersome.”
Choi Won, who managed a small entertainment agency, was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to snatch up Jin Haeseong. With Jin Yeongseol, who had cherished Jin Haeseong for her own reasons, having gone abroad, there was currently no one to block articles or controversies, and the assault incident—not once but twice—had brought cold reactions from the public.
The situation and atmosphere were running at their worst, but for some reason, Choi Won was desperate to recruit Jin Haeseong.
“He’s not the kind of guy who needs money, so why are you trying to entice him with that?”
“True, what should I entice him with. Women?”
When Choi Won looked at Lee Juyeon teasingly, she avoided his gaze as if displeased.
“Come to think of it, I’m curious. Haeseong-ah. What was the reason this time? Why did you beat someone up and blow things up to this extent?”
Kang Eunje’s question as she dropped ice cubes into her whiskey glass aroused the curiosity of the people in this hall. All gazes gathered on Jin Haeseong.
At a point not even two months since the attitude controversy erupted, an assault article on a civilian had surfaced again. The people here weren’t at that incident scene recently, so they must have been curious about the full story of that incident.
Beneath slowly raised eyelids, languidly loosened pupils were revealed. Jin Haeseong, making eye contact with Lee Juyeon, smiled charmingly with an attractive face.
“They dared to touch me.”
Hesitation. Lee Juyeon’s hand, which had been stroking Jin Haeseong’s smooth forehead and soft hair, stiffened. Flustered, she withdrew her hand.
But then.
Jin Haeseong grabbed Lee Juyeon’s hand and brought it to his cheek. As if to say she was allowed. Lee Juyeon, who had flushed red as if about to burst, began caressing his face again.
“Waha—!”
Choi Won burst out with something that might have been an exclamation or laughter. He giggled by himself as Jin Haeseong’s behavior seemed both irritating and funny.
“Ahahaha. Anyway, such a transparent bastard.”
The sight of Jin Haeseong accepting women’s touches nonchalantly or actively and enjoying them while being merciless to men was always funny to watch. Kang Eunje and Ha Seungjin next to her also sent jeers while watching him.
“Water.”
Jin Haeseong, who sat up, slowly massaged his neck and ordered. Kang Eunje, who was in a diagonal direction, passed him a water bottle and asked.
“Should I tell my dad? To take down the articles.”
“Don’t need it.”
Jin Haeseong was resolute in response to Kang Eunje’s question. Despite clearly being in a bad situation, Jin Haeseong didn’t seem particularly desperate. With the CEO away and many incidents and accidents erupting recently, his position at J Entertainment was gradually narrowing—what kind of guts did he have?
Kang Eunje, the beloved daughter of a major newspaper company’s CEO, stared at Jin Haeseong and shook her head side to side.
“Come to think of it, Jang Yeonguk called earlier. He asked if you were here, Haeseong. He said he’s bringing someone here?”
Ha Seungjin, who had been quietly drinking next to Kang Eunje, spoke. It was said to Jin Haeseong, who had been quite close with Jang Yeonguk, but Jin Haeseong showed little reaction and was indifferently listening to Lee Juyeon’s story. It seemed he didn’t care whether Jang Yeonguk came or not from the start.
“Wow. I’ll see that expensive-faced bastard after fucking forever. Haven’t seen that mug in five million years, fuck.”
Choi Won gathered saliva and spat it into the ashtray. At that dirty behavior, Kang Eunje frowned and turned her head.
Wasn’t Jang Yeonguk the bastard who at some point stopped showing his face at gatherings like this and pathetically acted dignified? Having lived miserably before, now he acted high and mighty, acting clean—Choi Won, who found that behavior irritating, muttered a small curse.
“But who is he anyway?”
“There is one. A moron bastard who transformed into a fucking scholar type.”
At the familiar name, they showed interest briefly, then picked up their glasses again and continued their interrupted conversation.
No one was interested in who Jang Yeonguk was bringing. No one.
