He knelt down to eat. Since both hands were bound behind him, he could easily fall forward if he wasn’t careful. The key was to eat while maintaining maximum balance.
After scanning the food, he decided to deal with the ice cream that was melting like water due to the lights first. The green tea ice cream in the crystal glass had melted and was no different from water, but it was quite delicious. It wasn’t sweet and had a clean aftertaste.
If he could have used his hands, he would have gulped it down at once, but he had no choice but to lick it up with his tongue. He felt like a dog. But rather than feeling miserable, he actually felt pleased. Thrilled.
Wasn’t this the opportunity I’d been longing for?
Even though he vowed not to get excited, his mind became unsettled.
He had to comfort himself over and over inside.
Now it was time for a late breakfast. The sausages were full of juice, the scrambled eggs were soft as clouds, and the croissants full of butter fragrance had a perfect harmony of sweet and salty.
Jiwon licked the plate frantically like someone who’d been starving for days. Somehow, the more he ate, the more his lower abdomen pulled with excitement rather than fullness. It was a bit strange, but he had no time to think about such things.
Before he knew it, he was losing self-control. Without realizing it, he moaned and greedily sucked, licked, chewed, and tasted the food. When eating the whipped cream cake, he was in a state of ecstasy. When his tongue submerged in the thick, fluffy cream, he felt like he’d go crazy with happiness. Not only his face but his shirt and suit pants got smeared with whipped cream. The cake was gone in no time.
Jiwon turned his eyes to the next target—fruit. Most of them had soft flesh, so they were very sweet.
Mango and watermelon, peach and Shine Muscat, melon and kiwi.
The only one he could call a preference was peach. He took care of the soft peaches first. The juice and texture of the peaches were fantastic. He felt like he’d suffocate from the sweet smell bursting from the juice.
Just as even the handful of reason he was barely holding onto was fading, fortunately a feeling of fullness came over him.
That was also when he snapped back to his senses. Now that he was full, the sweet smell that had only been fragrant felt disgusting. Because of that, he couldn’t even finish half the fruit and crawled as is to the stand where the champagne was. He’d wondered why there was a stand—it was so he could drink alcohol even with both hands bound.
He raised his upper body slightly and put his mouth to the bottle. Using his lips and teeth to bite the opening and carefully pull it down, bitter and refreshing champagne flowed into his mouth. He’d worried the champagne might be sweet too, but fortunately it was dry.
Now I can live.
He sipped the champagne while being careful not to let too much alcohol enter his throat at once. Once his mouth felt somewhat refreshed, he moved back to the remaining fruit. Thanks to the champagne, he barely managed to finish the fruit.
It was the first time in his life he’d overeaten on desserts alone. His stomach felt greasy and his tongue felt like it would die from sweetness.
Moreover, it was very hot. He knew the air conditioner was on. But because he’d been crawling around frantically eating under the piercing lights, his whole body was drenched in sweat. Needless to say, his shirt was stuck tightly to his upper body, and even his underwear was soaked through.
Jiwon panted and glared at the final target.
Whatever, it’s just jelly—I can bite into it. At least jelly would taste good compared to an actual cock.
He crawled on his knees with determination toward the jelly shaped like an adult male’s cock—one that seemed to be modeled after a large one. He had no intention of opening his mouth wide. That reminded him too much of oral sex.
Trying to be clever in his own way, he sank his teeth in to bite from the side of the cock. At the same time, he let out a short scream—”Ah!”
It wasn’t jelly but candy. His teeth had almost broken.
It was only a moment later that he realized he had to suck it away.
They could have at least given me something I could eat and be done with. Fucking perverts anyway.
While Jiwon hesitated for a moment,
“Suck it properly. Like oral sex.”
The speaker said in a dry tone.
“If you can’t do it, you can just get up and leave.”
He added a word as if doing a favor.
Then 50,000 won bills flew over Jiwon’s head. They were thrown by the monkey.
The 50,000 won bills that fluttered down like petals around Jiwon looked to be at least 100 bills even without counting.
He was angry at the monkey’s vulgar behavior of throwing bills, convinced that Jiwon was desperate for money.
Fine. I’ll show you what you want to see.
He ground his teeth.
Fuck, I’ll suck it properly.
Jiwon raised his upper body again. Then he opened his mouth as wide as possible and took the glans into his mouth first. Slurp, slurp slurp. He sucked greedily. Like someone eating the sweetest, most delicious thing in the world.
It felt like his jaw would dislocate. What about his lips and the inside of his mouth? They swelled up and then tore and bled. But even so, Jiwon smiled. He giggled looking at a text message.
Conscious of the thick jacket pocket, he pondered the lunch menu. He felt like his stomach would burst, but his desire to soothe his greasy stomach was greater.
After deliberation, he entered a Chinese restaurant and bought jjamppong. His torn lips and mouth stung like crazy every time the spicy food touched them, but he didn’t care. He left almost all the noodles but emptied all the broth. Then he rinsed his mouth with an iced Americano bought from a nearby discount coffee shop. Since there was nowhere in particular to go, he sat in the cafe sipping coffee and spending time.
Before going to work at the logistics center, he took out the backpack he’d left in a subway locker and changed into casual clothes in the bathroom. He regretted not bringing spare underwear not knowing he’d be soaked in sweat, but there was nothing he could do. Perhaps because he’d bathed at the sauna in the morning, there was no particularly bad smell.
And so Jiwon returned to his ordinary daily life.
*
The sweltering heat that had started in early June became even fiercer when July arrived.
Before he knew it, three weeks had passed since the second interview.
He grew more anxious day by day. But there was nothing else he could do except wait.
Jiwon’s life remained the same. Chewing painkillers twice a day, he dismantled frozen pollack at the cold storage warehouse and carried repackaged boxes, worked as a substitute driver, and went to work at the room salon three times a week.
Of course, not everything was exactly the same. Thanks to the eight million won he’d practically gotten for free, he had some leeway. He didn’t have to be anxious about earning the monthly quota.
His income also unexpectedly increased. The cold storage warehouse work that should have ended last weekend was extended indefinitely. It was due to the record-breaking heat wave.
On the day the hyung who’d introduced him to the frozen pollack warehouse work returned to his company, just as he was about to give his final farewell as planned, a job offer came in from another cold storage warehouse run by the same company. Due to the explosive increase in frozen goods, every warehouse was desperately short of workers. They practically begged him, saying it was especially hard to find a young man like Jiwon.
The newly offered work was essentially loading and unloading, so both the hourly wage and allowances were much better than the pollack work, but it was proportionally harder. Considering his current physical condition, it would have been right to refuse.
Maintain your daily routine.
Don’t forget you’re a debtor.
But because of the magic sentences that came to mind whenever his resolve weakened, he reluctantly accepted.
Inflexible bastard.
What can I do when I’m made like this? he thought with a bitter smile.
Because it was physical labor, he increased the number of painkillers from twice a day to four times. He had to work overtime every day to handle the pouring volume of goods.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the overtime pay was quite substantial, so he didn’t have to work evening substitute driving shifts. Instead, he took one or two hours of sleep at the gosiwon to soothe his aching arms, then moved to Gangnam before the buses stopped running, and to Hwangje Room Salon on weekends. Using his own tricks, he only pretended to work half-heartedly at early morning substitute driving on weekdays when he didn’t go to work at the room salon. Only then could his body barely hold up.
His relationship with Han wasn’t much different either. The two didn’t mention a single word about the second interview as if they’d made a promise. The penalty fee was scary, and there was nothing else to discuss.
I can’t exactly ask if the cock candy was good to eat, can I?
That day too, they were sitting side by side at the convenience store bar table, eating triangle kimbap nearing its expiration date and drinking coffee drinks on a “two plus one” deal.
“This heat is just rude, don’t you think, hyung?”
Han complained with irritation.
Han, who was particularly sensitive to heat, said he’d been taken to the emergency room last week due to breathing difficulties. He rested for three more days after that, and during that time added a tattoo.
He’d gotten a large lily tattooed right above his left inner ankle bone. He’d shown Jiwon that he already had a somewhat crude but very uniquely shaped scorpion tattoo on his collarbone—Han insisted on calling it a Scorpion even if it killed him—and said he had a scorpion of the same design as the collarbone one on his right hip too.
Then for some reason, this time he got a lily. He revealed that while resting, he’d gone to someone’s wedding, saw the bride’s lily bouquet, thought it was so pretty, and impulsively decided on it.
The fully bloomed white lily suited Han much better than the scorpion that looked almost grotesque.
‘Why did you get the scorpion tattoo?’
Anyone would have to ask.
Han absolutely would not say why he got the scorpion. If it were his usual self, he would have at least said empty words like “It looks cool” or “It’s awesome,” but for some reason he kept his mouth tightly shut. Thinking he might regret it, Jiwon didn’t ask further either.
