Love Me More

Chapter 9

Si-yul opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. Understandably, even he would find it difficult to trust someone like himself. As a lowly person selling small amounts of drugs, it was natural that he wouldn’t inspire any trust.

“It’s true. I swear on my balls.”

Without money, car, or house, this was all he had. In his mind, it was a serious statement showing his determination, but the person on the other end of the line burst into laughter that reverberated through the receiver. The “Ha ha ha” laughter sounded boisterous like the man, yet unfamiliar. Somehow, Si-yul’s opposite ear felt itchy, and he tugged at his earlobe.

“Forget about that. You say you have no money, so what can we do? You’ll have to pay with your body.”

“…Pardon?”

A chill ran down Si-yul’s spine, wondering if the man was of the same ilk as the pig. Whether aware of Si-yul’s misunderstanding or not, the man added with a voice still tinged with laughter:

“Do you like drinking?”

* * *

Even after hanging up, Woo Hyun-se continued giggling like a child for a while, amused by something. Thanks to this, the quiet office briefly came to life. Though it was just Woo Hyun-se and Park Hae-jung there.

“Are you doing charity work or something?”

Park Hae-jung, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, spoke up. Hyun-se looked down at his phone and then raised his gaze with an “Hmm.” A smile played on his handsome face. Judging by his upturned lips and crescent moon-shaped eyes alone, he looked as benevolent and loving as a saint from a painting.

Woo Hyun-se was a peculiar person. Setting aside his exceptional looks that would turn anyone’s head, there was a significant discrepancy between his expressionless face and his smiling one. When his lips formed a straight line, he looked utterly cold, but when he smiled, he appeared kind-hearted. So while first impressions of him tended to be good, well… Having observed his true nature for several years, Hae-jung prided herself on knowing at least a bit of what lay beneath the surface.

“Charity work, you say.”

Hyun-se responded after a beat. His eyebrows were furrowed, but a faint smile still clung to his lips. He continued, saying, “As an adult…”

“Let’s say I’m guiding a lost lamb onto the right path.”

Inwardly, Hae-jung laughed silently. This was a man who, upon finding a lost lamb, would thoroughly strip it of its meat, bones, skin, and fur before the owner could arrive, yet his tongue moved impressively well. He was a talent who should have entered politics early on, following his adoptive father, rather than wasting his innate abilities in self-employment.

“Isn’t that friend the one from before? The one who threw up on your pants, sir.”

He was a notable figure in many ways. A delicate-looking beta who sold drugs at a club owned by the CEO. The drug was called Herma, short for Hermaphroditos, an omega heat inducer. Regardless of one’s gender, taking it supposedly made one leak like an omega in heat, which made it quite popular.

However, being a synthetic drug, its quality was poor. One of the club’s VVIPs nearly died from taking it, causing trouble for the CEO. Just as he was about to completely eradicate it, that friend was caught. Given the CEO’s usual temperament, he would have taken him to a warehouse, methodically crushed him starting from his fingernails and toenails, and then gone after the ringleader, but for some whim, he let him go.

Then again, he was too young to be dealt with harshly. With large eyes brimming with tears and snot dripping, his pitiful face could sway even the most unscrupulous person. His dirty face from crying resembled a rain-soaked puppy or a kitten with swollen eyes from weeping.

Of course, it’s unlikely that the CEO’s heart was swayed by such trivial tears. It was just that the kid’s luck was incredibly good that day.

Instead of thanking his ancestral spirits, the kid fearlessly showed his face at another club. And then he told an unconvincing lie, saying it wasn’t him. At that time, I truly believed his luck had run out. But the CEO just heaved a sigh and only took away the kid’s ID.

And for the third time. Even when the kid accidentally vomited on the CEO’s feet, instead of punishing him, he just took his number and let him live. There was no other way to explain it except that the kid must have saved a country in his past life.

“Do you like that kid?”

“Didn’t you hear? He’s betting his balls. He’s a guy, so there’s no question of liking him or not.”

“It seems like you’re treating him well.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you, sir.”

With a “hmm,” Hyun-se crossed his legs and took out the kid’s ID from the drawer. The photo on the ID looked even younger than the face he had seen recently. The eyes peeking through the bangs looked sleepy and dazed, and the cheeks were plump with baby fat.

“Well, I suppose it’s time for him to grow up. As you said, charity work doesn’t sound too bad.”

Even though the photo was blurry, the mole under his eye was clearly visible. Hyun-se wondered if he should poke it with his index finger next time he saw the kid. He tapped the photo lightly with his fingertip. He meant to just touch the mole, but his finger was so thick that it covered the entire small face in the photo.

Hae-jung looked at Hyun-se expressionlessly. His sparkling eyes seemed familiar from somewhere. After racking her brain trying to remember where she had seen it before, she finally recalled.

The CEO’s eyes now were similar to the look her nephew had when he discovered a new toy. It seemed that the man before her had found a new plaything to alleviate his boredom and tedium in his daily life.

* * *

Si-yul alternated between looking at the address he had received and the signboard. This was indeed the place Woo Hyun-se had given him. While he was still trembling, wondering what the ulterior motive was behind asking if he liked drinking, he was told that there was a place the man knew and to work there.

It was a fortunate turn of events for Si-yul. He had been consistently failing job interviews lately. Regardless of the man’s true intentions, he had essentially secured a job.

The establishment was on the 6th floor of the building. Perhaps because it was early, the door was still locked. Si-yul peered inside through the glass on the door. While the entrance atmosphere was similar to the place where he had drinks with the pig, the interior decor was different. Most notably, there was a small stage attached to the wall. Next to a large piano he had only seen in movies, there was also a standing microphone and a chair.

As he leaned in closer to see better, his breath fogged up the glass. As he was wiping it clean with his sleeve to look again, someone suddenly appeared from inside.

“Ack!” Si-yul stepped back in surprise. The woman on the other side of the glass also widened her eyes before quickly opening the door.

“We’re not open yet… Oh, are you Kwon Si-yul?”

“Ah, yes. I’m Kwon Si-yul. Um, Woo Hyun-se…”

He struggled with what title to use. It seemed he ran a club, but he also owned a bar. As he hesitated between “Mr. CEO,” “Mr. Owner,” and “Mr. Director,” the woman stepped aside, inviting him in. Si-yul entered awkwardly.

The woman offered Si-yul a seat. He sat down, straightening his back stiffly.

“I heard from the CEO that you’d be coming. Have you worked in a bar before?”

“No.”

After leaving the orphanage, he had worked at convenience stores and done daily loading and unloading jobs, but never at a bar. Si-yul glanced at the bar over the woman’s shoulder. One wall was filled with unfamiliar liquors. The only alcohol Si-yul knew were beer, soju, and the cheap imported liquors he had seen when his older acquaintances showed off.

“Well, you’re not here to be a bartender anyway. You just need to help with odd jobs. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. Are you strong?”

“Yes. I’ve done loading and unloading part-time jobs before.”

Si-yul answered politely. He sat at attention with his clenched fists resting on his thighs, like a job interviewee.

“I’m the manager here. My name is Kang Ji-won. Nice to meet you.”

Kang Ji-won extended her hand. Si-yul sprang up, bending his waist at a 90-degree angle and grasping her hand with both of his.

“By the way, what’s your relationship with the CEO? Just a junior acquaintance? He doesn’t usually introduce people, so I’m curious.”

Ji-won, who had been laughing brightly at Si-yul’s formal greeting, asked with a smile. Si-yul was simply at a loss for how to answer. Should he say they were debtor and creditor, or that they were nothing to each other?

“Somehow… we got to know each other in passing.”

He thought it was the most neutral answer, but Ji-won seemed unsatisfied, saying, “What’s that supposed to mean?” while waving her hand. However, she didn’t pry further.

“Si-yul, you can start coming in from tomorrow. I’ll give you a detailed schedule tomorrow. What’s your shirt size?”

“Ah, I wear a size L.”

“Really? You look slimmer than that.”

“I tend to wear things a bit loose.”

When he answered as formally as a trainee soldier, Ji-won laughed brightly. After that, she said they were done and told him he could go. She mentioned that she had already received his number from the CEO. After getting Ji-won’s number, Si-yul left the establishment.

Even after leaving the building and coming down in the elevator, he still felt dazed. It was as if he had been sucked into a strange world and then returned to the original one. Si-yul tilted his head, thinking, “Well, that was something.” When he looked back, the establishment was still there in its place.

Anyway, he would start work from tomorrow. Si-yul pulled his hood down low and tightly pulled the strings on both sides. He wasn’t sure if he could do well. But he had dependents and debt.

Si-yul soon snorted. Whatever, it couldn’t be that hard.