Part 1: Straws
- Chance and Inevitability
It was a strange coincidence. It was rare for such a high-class ryotei to call for an ordinary substitute driver. Places like that usually had exclusive contracts with premium service substitute driver companies, and the drivers themselves were people with verified identities and tremendous experience.
Of course, there was no law saying customers who went to high-class ryotei couldn’t use regular substitute drivers, but that was basically how things worked over there. Jiwon also knew this story from hearing it from Ahjussi Kang.
But a call came in from such a place. Jiwon, who happened to be nearby, was checking the call that had been dispatched to him with priority and discovered that the departure point was the high-class ryotei that Ahjussi Kang had bragged about so much. Moreover, the destination was Hwangje Room Salon. Since there was no reason not to accept it, he immediately checked the detailed information. The customer number field was empty, so he called the office directly.
Ahjussi Kang, who said he had worked at a premium substitute driver company until he was fired for frequent drinking, told not only Jiwon but other drivers ad nauseam about those days. He missed the time when he worked wearing a uniform as if that had been his life’s work. Eventually, Ahjussi Kang had his license revoked for drunk driving and gave up the wheel entirely, but he kept in touch with Jiwon occasionally.
On the way to the departure point, Jiwon thought of Ahjussi Kang and resolved to contact him soon.
The vehicle waiting in front of the ryotei he arrived at in about 2 minutes was a Maybach. Since it was the first time he’d seen one in person, naturally he’d never driven one either. While regretting that he should have asked what kind of car it was, a staff member who came out of the ryotei opened the back seat door for the customer.
The large-framed customer got into the car with rough movements. The car swayed.
“Can you drive this?”
The staff member in a suit spoke down to him out of nowhere, as if they’d met before.
“…Yes.”
When he answered without confidence, the man looked Jiwon up and down and said, “Be careful. It’s a car worth over 500 million won.” Even with the condescending tone and gaze, Jiwon was too busy worrying about how to drive the car to care.
“He’s waiting.”
At the urging, he couldn’t delay any longer and got into the driver’s seat.
The customer was on a phone call. Jiwon scanned the driver’s seat and passenger seat without disturbing the customer.
He was curious what could be so different to make it worth 500 million won, but driving was urgent for now, so he changed gears first. Since it was manufactured by Benz, the operation method was similar. He moved the car as carefully as possible.
The customer was on the phone the entire way to the room salon.
While the person on the other end changed several times, he spewed all kinds of vulgar and crude words. For trash like that to drive a luxury car like this, what a waste of a car.
“Hey, you fucking bastard, I said I got it. Are your ears clogged? Huh? Should I clean them out for you?”
Finally, the customer threw down his phone with an irritated motion, loosened his tie messily, and opened the car window. Rain poured into the car, but he didn’t care.
Jiwon, who had been unnecessarily reading the mood, was bothered by the rain pouring in even though it wasn’t his car.
Before long, they were approaching the destination. Then curiosity arose.
Just how does that bastard know about and find Hwangje Room Salon?
Aside from his cheap-sounding way of speaking, the customer’s appearance and age range didn’t match Hwangje Room Salon at all. At the very least, he should have been asking to go to a high-class room salon or bar befitting the price of the car that man drove.
Because if you just cross the street, members-only clubs are everywhere.
But the customer’s destination pointed precisely to ‘Hwangje Room Salon.’
The alley full of run-down entertainment establishments was crowded with customers staggering drunk and people looking for establishments to get drunk. Mixed among them were hostesses, touts, and waiters like Han.
No, Han was actually there. He was blocking the alley, in the middle of grabbing someone by the collar.
In the brief moment of “huh,” Han swung his fist and the man on the other side fell to the ground. With women’s screams, coworkers and onlookers trying to break it up, the narrow alley became pandemonium.
The customer expressed all kinds of irritation.
“Fuck, this is driving me crazy. Should just run them over with the car or something.”
From his tone, it seemed like he was about to order Jiwon to step on the accelerator right now.
“I’m sorry, boss.”
Jiwon repeatedly apologized as if it were his fault and honked the horn.
“Let me out here.”
The customer requested.
“Yes, understood.”
Jiwon hurriedly stopped the car.
The customer took out two 50,000 won bills from his wallet and handed them over as if throwing them. His personality was so fucking terrible that Jiwon hadn’t even expected a tip, but it was completely contrary to his expectations.
“Good work.”
He even said this.
Since the substitute fee was 50,000 won, the 50,000 won was essentially a tip. It had been a long time since he’d received such a large tip, so he received it with both hands and bowed.
The customer ignored Jiwon and got out of the car, then walked toward the room salon without even an umbrella.
Feeling like he shouldn’t let him get rained on, in his urgency he honked the horn and stuck his face out the car window. Then Kim and Choi, who had been stopping Han, turned around, and recognizing Jiwon, immediately grasped the situation.
While Choi guided the customer underground, Kim came to the car and received the keys.
“Ahjussi’s customer?”
Kim approached the driver’s seat while whistling.
Kim always called him ahjussi even though he knew Jiwon was the same age as him. Since many customers who used substitute drivers regardless of age also called them ahjussi instead of driver-nim, it didn’t particularly bother him or anything.
Jiwon got out of the car and did a baton touch with Kim. Then he ran to the dedicated parking lot attached to the room salon building to check out a parking spot.
Kim didn’t get out of the car until a while after the Maybach’s engine stopped. He probably thoroughly examined the car’s interior and took pictures. Taking pictures was fine, but since Kim had a record of theft, Jiwon felt unnecessarily anxious.
“The ride is killer, right?”
“Well, it’s an expensive car.”
Jiwon vaguely deflected while casting his gaze toward Kim’s hands and pants pockets.
At that moment, someone let out a scream. Instinctively, his head turned toward the sound.
It was Han and that man.
“Nothing to see. Those bastards are always like that.”
“Really?”
“You wouldn’t know, ahjussi. Is this your first time at this hour?”
“…Yes.”
“Those fucking bastards fight all the time.”
Kim made a sinister smile and made a circle with his left hand. Then he held up his right index finger and lewdly moved his finger rapidly through the circle. In that way, he implied that the two were having sex.
“Filthy bastards. Ptui.”
So Han’s into that.
He’d suspected it, but Han often made confusing statements and actions, so he’d been uncertain. Just last week, Han said they were having an anniversary party for two years of living with Madam, so he thought Han and Madam were in that kind of relationship.
Bisexual, maybe. Could be. Well, it didn’t matter either way.
He checked his watch. It was only 11 o’clock. Since it was raining and he was already here, he planned to kill time nearby for about an hour before going to work at the room salon.
Jiwon entered the convenience store where he always hung out, bought two triangle kimbap with imminent expiration dates and a canned coffee, and sat down by the window. He tore open one triangle kimbap, chewed it vigorously, and sent a text. Then he blankly looked out at the rainy street.
His phone vibrated. It was a loan advertisement text. He checked two texts that arrived in succession and immediately deleted them.
The convenience store rang with a dull bell sound every time a customer came and went. When he had almost finished the second triangle kimbap, he felt a presence in the seat next to him.
It was Han.
“You brought the Maybach, hyung?”
“Ah. Yes. It just happened.”
“Did you see that customer? He’s fucking huge. Over 190, right?”
Jiwon quietly nodded and recalled the customer with the threatening height and build.
Leaving aside his appearance, that person’s behavior and way of speaking were things only organized crime members would use. Considering the car’s price, he was probably a corporate gangster with considerable money.
While inwardly reviewing his face and physical characteristics, he looked at Han. The more he looked, the more Han’s appearance reminded him of that kid, but he absolutely didn’t equate them. He couldn’t.
Han’s expression was so bright that it didn’t seem like he was someone who had just been brawling in the street. Seeing that he had no injuries, it seemed the other person had been beaten one-sidedly.
“He’s not even a foreigner, but how can his physique be like that? A bit scary but cool, right?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Ah, hyung. There you go again. What kind of reaction is that?”
Han wiggled his lips and shook his head.
Until he heard Han was gay, Jiwon hadn’t been conscious of it, but now that he looked, Han’s actions and way of speaking were somewhat gentle.
Was that kid like that too?
No. He absolutely didn’t show it like that.
Even if he had, I wouldn’t have noticed. Back then I was a terribly narrow-minded bastard.
“Hyung, don’t people say you’re like a machine?”
Jiwon awkwardly fidgeted with the coffee can.
“You’re not leaving now, right?”
Han checked the time and asked. He seemed worried that Jiwon might receive a call and leave.
“I’m planning to stay here until my shift starts if possible.”
“Perfect. Hyung, aren’t you hungry? Want to eat something?”
Han made a fuss as if it were his own business, delighted.
“It’s okay. I already ate.”
Jiwon pointed at the triangle kimbap wrapper and coffee can.
“I’m starving to death. What should I eat?”
Han jumped up, looked around the store, then came back with a bunch of stuff.
“Want to eat cup noodles?”
“No. It’s okay.”
“It’s one-plus-one, so there’s one left over.”
Han always tried to ease Jiwon’s financial burden by lying like this.
“I just ate triangle kimbap. And if I get a call, I have to leave right away, so cup noodles are a bit…”
He was still hungry, but felt bad about always getting food from a young friend, so he deflected with various excuses.
“Just eat it. If you get a call while eating, you can leave it. I’ll clean it up for you.”
Han poured hot water into the cup noodles regardless of Jiwon’s wishes.
“Eat this too. It’s a new snack and it’s fucking delicious.”
Han tore open a snack bag and held it out to Jiwon.
Jiwon couldn’t understand why Han was so particularly kind to him. He’d never done anything brotherly for him, nor was he good at jokes or funny. Yet Han was desperate to take care of Jiwon.
Jiwon picked up a couple of snacks out of consideration for Han’s sincerity.
“It’s good, right?”
“Yes.”
“Is it really good?”
“Yes. It’s good.”
He forced the corners of his mouth up to smile. Han mimicked Jiwon and giggled.
“Really no fun.”
It was probably about Jiwon, but Han’s gaze was directed outside. That appearance looked lonely.
His own tired face reflected in the glass looked just as lonely. But self-pity was a luxury. He didn’t have the right or time for it. That wasn’t his personality to begin with either.
Jiwon deliberately made slurping sounds as he forced down the cup noodles.
“Is it ready?”
Han muttered and stirred the noodles with chopsticks. He said he was starving, but he just picked at them. Instead, he brought up the story of the customer Jiwon had driven again.
Stories like how much the car he rode in cost, how many had been imported to Korea. He also learned the fact that the suit the man wore cost over ten million won.
Jiwon was amazed that Han had found out that much information in such a short time.
“I’m kind of interested in that stuff.”
Han shrugged as if it were nothing.
“I see.”
He responded vaguely, having nothing particular to say.
“Aw, hyung. What’s with ‘I see’? I’m not even your customer, so don’t talk like that. I’m hurt, really.”
“Sorry. It’s a habit.”
When Jiwon apologized, Han sulked even more. It wasn’t that he was angry or upset—the expression “sulked” fit his expression perfectly.
Just as he was flustered, not knowing how to appease him, a call happened to come in. The departure point was Hwangje Room Salon. It seemed they’d used the substitute app not knowing Jiwon was nearby.
“Go ahead. I’ll clean up.”
“Thanks.”
Jiwon bowed in greeting and ran toward where the call came from.
