Chapter 137: Negotiation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137: Negotiation
Lately, I’d been spacing out a lot.
I was aware of it myself, but it was hard to shake that dazed feeling.
“Are you even listening?”
It was the same even while I was working.
Since my part-time job was nearing its end, I’d been hearing that I’d lost my edge, but getting my head back in the game wasn't as easy as I wanted it to be.
What is wrong with me?
I asked myself, but the frustration remained.
I knew the answer; I just didn't particularly want to dwell on it.
It was probably because of Seo Ye-rin.
Seeing her working as an actress, I found myself strangely unsettled.
I knew all too well that it was a disgusting mix of obsession and possessiveness.
I’d felt something similar with my ex-girlfriend.
Oh Yun-ji used to grumble that she was the only one with severe obsession and jealousy issues.
But in truth, I had been quite obsessed with her back then, too.
Considering how I’d fallen apart after she left, it wasn't hard to see just how deep that fixation went.
But to think I was feeling those same emotions for Seo Ye-rin…
“What are you doing?”
Yoo Ah-rin spoke up as I stood there blankly gripping a cart.
Lately, she was the only person who made me feel at ease.
“You used to be so good at your job, but now you’re useless. What am I supposed to do with you now?”
She’d been teasing me relentlessly every time we met.
“I’m going, I’m going.”
I moved my feet busily, pushing the cart.
But even as I pressed the elevator button, the clutter in my head wouldn't clear.
Clutter.
Yes, that seemed to be the perfect word for my current state.
My mind was a mess of self-loathing, misery, and rising jealousy.
This is annoying.
There had been many times when I’d hated myself.
This was just another one of those many moments of self-deprecation.
I tried my best to just brush it off.
* * *
“They say we have to vacate this room.”
After work.
Yoo Ah-rin and I were back in the hotel room where we had spent the night before.
It was the room my sister-in-law—who was also my big brother’s secretary—had given us.
I thought it might come in handy, but in the end, I’d only used it once with Yoo Ah-rin.
I didn't feel any regret.
If anything, I felt this room had served its purpose well enough.
Regardless, vacating the room wasn't the problem.
“What are we supposed to do with these?”
The adult products inside were the issue. Looking at the mountain of items piled up, I could only shake my head in disbelief.
When I asked, Yoo Ah-rin scratched her cheek, looking bewildered.
“She said we can have them?”
“……”
What the hell were we supposed to do with these?
“First, let’s divide them into what you’re taking and what I’m taking.”
When I spoke while giving her a thumbs up, Yoo Ah-rin made an annoyed face and suggested, “Can’t we just throw them all away?”
“Most of these are brand new, still in the packaging. And looking at the brands, a lot of them are really expensive.”
“And how would Woo-jin Gong know that?”
“……”
I pretended not to hear her and reached out to grab something at random. Of all things, it was a squishy onahole, which felt pretty gross.
“But they probably are expensive.”
Yoo Ah-rin nodded in agreement.
I was busy waving the onahole around, fascinated by its squishy texture.
“I mean, someone like the Vice Chairman wouldn't use cheap stuff.”
Suddenly, my body froze.
I stared at Yoo Ah-rin, wondering what she meant, and she just shrugged.
“They were going to use this room themselves before they gave it to us. So, they might have used these, too…”
“Ah, fuck!”
I screamed, immediately hurling the onahole—which might have been in contact with my big brother’s dick—onto the floor.
Oh, god.
They say there are abysses in this world that should never be looked into, and it was true.
The tower of adult products before me was a structure that should never have been built.
A Tower of Babel built by modern depravity.
“Let’s throw it all away.”
When I spoke firmly, Yoo Ah-rin’s reaction was a bit ambiguous.
Even though she was the one who suggested throwing them away earlier, she seemed a bit tempted now that she knew their value.
“Instead of throwing them away, should we try taking them? We could sell them on Joonggonara or something.”
“People buy this stuff on Joonggonara?”
Even if some were new, selling adult products on a second-hand site felt a bit much.
Yoo Ah-rin also seemed to realize how ridiculous she sounded and shut her mouth tight.
“No, but why are we the ones dealing with this? The only thing we used was one pair of handcuffs!”
When I shouted while holding up the handcuffs I’d used with Yoo Ah-rin last time, her face turned bright red.
The way she squirmed was strangely suggestive; I almost thought she was trying to seduce me.
I nearly pounced on her.
“I’ll talk to Big Hyung.”
I immediately called the person responsible for this situation.
We weren't exactly on 'call-each-other-frequently' terms, but this was something that needed to be settled.
After a few rings, Big Hyung’s voice came through.
— You’ve been calling often lately. What is it this time?
It was just like him to get straight to the point, so I did the same.
“Don’t you think you should clean up the stuff you enjoyed in this room?”
— Room?
“The room in Building C Hotel that you gave the key to Yoo Ah-rin for. 909-Dong. You’ve got a mountain of adult toys piled up here.”
— What are you talking about?
“You really don't know? Then who did my sister-in-law use these with? Should I assume she’s cheating? Should I call Mom right now?”
— ……Don’t do that.
“Why can’t you just admit you used them?”
— I didn't.
“Sure, sure. You probably just finished without using them.”
— …….
“Fuck, it’s true.”
I slapped my forehead, a sigh escaping me involuntarily. The items in front of me felt even more unsanitary now.
“Ugh, I seriously want to throw up, but let’s just finish this. What are you going to do? Come get them.”
— Do whatever you want with them—use them or sell them. Most of them are unused anyway.
“Tell me straight. Which ones were used? Are all the opened ones used? I’ll just throw those away.”
— …….
“……You should quit being the Vice Chairman.”
— I’m on the cleaner side for someone my age. People in my circle usually have three or four lovers as a baseline.
I wanted to call them all scumbags, but I couldn't say it because I made eye contact with Yoo Ah-rin.
I wasn't exactly in a position to criticize anyone else’s love life.
— But you’ve grown quite bold.
“What now?”
Look at him trying to change the subject.
— Neither Mother nor I have any intention of giving you any more separate support.
Yeah, right. Mom gave me a little pocket money to use without you knowing.
I’ve got it stashed away as a secret fund.
— So why don't you try selling those things? There are plenty of unopened items.
“So you’re saying all the opened ones were used.”
— …….
Coincidentally, Yoo Ah-rin was currently sorting the opened and unopened items into neat piles.
“Who would even buy this kind of—”
I started to say, but then a thought occurred to me.
“Wait a minute. This might actually work.”
I hung up immediately and called Chan-woo to get someone’s number.
A few minutes later.
— Hello?
A somewhat androgynous voice answered.
I felt a chill run down my spine, but I tried my best to remain calm.
“Do you remember me?”
— Ah, of course I remember. We had a great night together back then.
“It wasn't me; you had a great night with Chan-woo.”
When I corrected the Bald Man, he laughed but didn't deny it.
Thank god.
“Do you happen to buy adult products? I have some expensive, unopened ones here.”
I found out later from Chan-woo.
Surprisingly, the owner of the adult store where we’d bought those things was this very Bald Man.
The man had quite the business sense.
I even suspected that he might have been the one who lured our drunk selves there in the first place.
— Could you take some pictures and send them to me?
“Yes, sir.”
I told Yoo Ah-rin to step aside and sent him the photos.
His reaction was intense.
— Wow? These are all high-end brands. You’re really just selling them?
“Since we have a bit of a history, I’ll give them to you for a good price.”
They were a nuisance to deal with anyway.
Even if the price was low, getting some cash for them was better than nothing.
— But what about the opened ones next to them?
“Ah, those are used.”
— ……Did you use them?
Why did it sound like he was licking his lips?
This is so gross.
“Gross.”
— …….
“Ah, sorry.”
— No, it’s understandable.
“But wasn't licking your lips a bit much?”
— Sorry, I started salivating. It was my mistake.
If he hadn't been so polite, I would have cursed him out properly, but he was actually quite well-mannered.
“It wasn't me; someone else used them. Are you interested? Even though they’re used?”
— Who used them?
“……Does it matter?”
— Depending on the face, the price could go down or up. Roughly a 0.5 to 1.5 times difference?
“Hold on.”
I immediately called my brother back.
“Hyung, I’m about to sell the onahole you used to a bald gay guy, so send me a photo of your face.”
— ……What?
“I’m trying to sell these diiiiirty adult products you used, and the bald guy said he’d pay double if I showed him your face. But I don't exactly carry photos of you on my phone.”
— Don’t you dare.
“You’re not going to send one?”
— Do you really think I would?
Sigh.
“Nothing I can do then. I’ll just go to the company website and use the Vice Chairman photo there.”
— ……I’ll just take care of them myself.
“They’re mine now, what are you talking about? If you don't send a photo, I’m hanging up.”
— Double.
“Customer, you’re talking too much, so the price just went up. 2.5 times.”
— Don’t play games with me.
“Okay, 3 times.”
— Hooooooo.
“4 times?”
— Let’s settle for 2.5.
“Forget it. What’s the point of taking that? I’ll just sell them to the bald guy and consider it revenge for teasing you.”
— ……3 times.
“Thanks, Hyungie!”
— You really make me want to swear for the first time in a long while.
“But really, with negotiation skills like that, how are you even the Vice Chairman? You should just quit.”
— You little son of a—
Click.
Scumbag.
This was revenge for the way he talked down to me last time.
“What did you decide to do?”
Yoo Ah-rin, who had finished organizing, asked with a bright smile. I gave her a big thumbs up.
“Unused items go for a bit below retail, and used items go for three times the retail price.”
“……How does a transaction like that even work?”
I just gave Yoo Ah-rin a beaming smile as she looked at me, utterly confused.
“Want to go eat Hanwoo?”
“Hanwoo!”
All her doubts vanished instantly. With her eyes practically turning into steak, Yoo Ah-rin began to hum a happy tune.