At least there wouldn’t be gossip circulating in their community about a “rude colleague” for the time being. He needed to manage the rumors for now. And usually, bad rumors tended to spread faster.
Those types who were clueless and talked too much would add all sorts of embellishments and spread rumors far and wide if they thought they’d been disrespected even slightly, but right now they were probably under the delusion that they’d become someone “special” to Jaeha.
His phone vibrated. Jaeha swept back his wet hair and checked the caller ID. At least this was someone Jaeha had been waiting to hear from. Not desperately, but he’d figured they’d contact him around today.
“Yeah, noona.”
-Hey, Jaeha. That thing you asked me about last time, I’ve got it pretty much made up for you now, you know? Are you free today?
“Even if I’m not, I’ll make time. Where should I go?”
-Come to Nocturne at 10. You know where Nocturne is, right?
“Not Knox?”
-Knox is, like, where old farts go. And don’t be stupid and wait in line at the front entrance. Come to the back door and tell the guard there my name. If he gives you shit, call me. But I think they’ll just let you through.
While our dear Boss Jang Hyeokjin had meticulously decorated a rendezvous spot for the high and mighty, it seemed the children of those old folks gathering there for sordid games didn’t want to set foot in the same space.
Well, that tacky taste doesn’t go anywhere.
Jaeha stretched out his long limbs with a yawn.
First, he should take a shower.
“Hmm.”
Before his eyes, vape liquid boxes with countless grape-shaped beads embedded in them were lined up in rows. Jaeha deliberated for a long while, carefully selecting products with extreme caution.
“This one, this one, this one, and this one.”
Though in reality, he’d purchased almost everything on the display.
“You must really like grape flavor. Are you not interested in other flavors? When this one comes in, customers snatch it up right away so we almost never have stock, but luckily we have a few left today. You know Häagen-Dazs, right? It’s similar to Häagen-Dazs strawberry flavor, but at the end the menthol hits and your mouth feels refreshed as it finishes.”
“Mm, Polar Pop is my preference though.”
Jaeha smiled cheerfully and pushed only the grape-flavored liquids toward the counter. The employee scanned the barcodes as if to say “can’t help it if you don’t want it.”
After finishing payment, Jaeha hummed a tune as he tore open the packaging. This one was a more premium grape flavor. I like the artificial grape scent. Jaeha clicked his tongue in disappointment and blew smoke toward the brilliantly shining sign.
That tacky taste doesn’t go anywhere.
He took about two more puffs and threw it in the trash. Soon after, he peeled off the new packaging like unwrapping candy and looked at Knox and Nocturne standing side by side with just one street between them.
Knox, with its sleek exterior like an art museum with windows covered so they couldn’t be seen. Valet staff dressed in suits politely greeted and opened doors for the luxury vehicles stopping in front of the building. Passersby probably wouldn’t even know what that building was for. Since it was a space made for people who needed privacy in any sense, Knox was located in the most glamorous downtown center yet was more isolated than any other building.
In contrast, Nocturne had flashing LEDs embedded in each letter, announcing its presence in all directions. Even though it was still early, people who’d dressed up to the nines were lined up in front of the main entrance waiting to get in. Staff covered in tattoos up to their necks stood around sloppily, repeating entry announcements in monotonous parrot-like voices. Entry is from 10 o’clock sharp, we check IDs. Not only the people standing in line, but office workers who’d finished their company dinners and were passing by in groups also heard this and whispered among themselves. This place is famous, right? We’d just get rejected anyway, wouldn’t we?
Leaving behind the people passing by with self-deprecating giggles, Jaeha put the newly opened vape to his lips.
Cheap grape flavor.
Mm, this one suited his taste.
He checked the time. 9:50. Just as he was thinking he should head in, a familiar car stopped in front of Knox.
A black BMW. A rental license plate with “Ho” in it. A familiar number.
The driver’s seat opened first. While a familiar bulky figure hurriedly got out, a staff member opened the rear door. Taesung, tall with a sharp suit, got out and lit a cigarette. Then he pointed at the bulky guy from the driver’s seat and spoke briefly. The bulky guy bowed at the waist toward Taesung and handed the car keys to the valet driver.
“Fuck.”
Jaeha unconsciously spat out a curse and irritably sucked on his vape. The grape flavor hitting his throat suddenly felt nauseating.
Couldn’t hold back for even that short time and again.
Taesung looked around at the entrance. Soon the jet-black door opened and swallowed him. Jaeha anxiously puffed out smoke. White smoke covered the tightly closed building like fog.
[Where are you?]
His phone buzzed. Jaeha sent a reply without taking his eyes off Knox.
[Going in now.]
The people standing in line began entering. Jaeha passed them and entered the narrow alley between the buildings. A muscular man with a menacing expression, giving off a completely different vibe from the young staff at the main entrance, stared at Jaeha with an overbearing attitude. But soon, as Jaeha approached right up to his nose, he showed a flustered look on his face. He’d expected him to be tall, but perhaps he hadn’t realized he’d have to look up at him.
Jaeha gave a smiling eye-smile and bowed his head toward him with exaggerated gestures.
“I’m here to meet Jo Seyoung.”
The man stepped back half a step and shrugged his jet-black eyebrows, trying hard to act nonchalant.
“Did you bring an invitation?”
What invitation. It’s not like we’re having a masquerade ball.
“Noona said I could just go in?”
Jaeha held his head up stiffly as if there was no more reason to make eye contact and only lowered his gaze.
The man scanned Jaeha’s outfit. Meticulously, like an expert appraising auction items.
Soon he brought a radio to his mouth.
“Escort him to Room 1.”
“Thank you.”
Jaeha winked at the man opening the back door and patted his shoulder. The man, who’d been frowning as if his pride was hurt, soon discovered something in his chest pocket and bowed 90 degrees at the waist.
Even though he stood guard at the club’s back door all day glaring at people, he seemed to have pride in solemnly controlling entry for VIPs. Of course, it was pride he could gladly sell off for a million won.
A million won.
If a million won was the money that could make that menacing face wear a servile grin and make that stiffly raised head slam to the ground, then how much did you receive to sell off everything?
It had clearly been a good day, but his mood that had turned to shit in an instant wouldn’t improve at all. Jaeha forcibly relaxed his face that kept hardening and repeated to himself.
Don’t lose it. Don’t lose it. Don’t lose it.
He took the elevator to the third floor.
His feet tingled from the thumping music. As soon as he opened the door to Room 1, everyone sitting turned their gaze to Jaeha. Jo Seyoung, who’d called him, jumped up from her seat and waved.
“Jaeha! Oppa, this is the guy I told you about.”
Today’s target that Jo Seyoung had set up for him.
Ju Seonghwan, the second son of JB Foods, was already staring at Jaeha with droopy eyes made even more half-lidded. Judging by his imposing attitude, he seemed to think that expression looked the most menacing to others.
How did he end up with that delusion? Who told him that making his already flat-beer-like face even more dull and vacant would make people afraid?
Like a con artist who deceived the naked emperor.
Jaeha made eye contact with each person in the room and nodded in greeting. He could feel their gazes trying to gauge his identity. If Jo Seyoung had called someone to introduce to Ju Seonghwan, they’d either be connected through business or would be physically entangled today—one of the two, right?
They’d all never met Jaeha before for him to be an important business figure. Chairman Hyun Hongwon knew better than anyone that the more he and his family were exposed to the outside world, the more dangerous it could become, so he’d almost never appeared publicly. Because of this, even if someone knew “Chairman Hyun Hongwon” and had heard the name “Hyun Jaeha,” the people who could recognize him immediately could be counted on one hand.
Then was he an entertainment industry hopeful sniffing around for a sponsor?
As soon as they judged that he might be someone they could handle, several of them scanned Jaeha’s features with gleaming eyes. Everyone wanted different things, so someone stared holes into Jaeha’s rosy lips while someone else carefully assessed the outline showing on his thighs.
“With a face like that, it might be possible?”
Pretending to use liquid courage, one bastard babbled while sipping whiskey.
“But he’s too tall.”
A guy whose sitting height was bigger than anyone’s muttered sullenly.
“If you make him kneel, you’ll only see his face anyway.”
“Crazy, if you’re going to use him like that, give him to me. I need all of it, you know? Hey, you didn’t get padding in there, did you?”
So now they’ve just decided I’m a prostitute.
Pushing down Jo Seyoung’s shoulder to keep her seated as she tried to stop them in embarrassment, Jaeha approached Ju Seonghwan, who continued watching him with languid eyes. Then he smiled brightly at him. Ju Seonghwan twitched his brow and turned his head. Then, as if suddenly thinking it would make him look foolish to avoid Jaeha’s eyes, he opened his eyes wide again.
