Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Whale Party
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"Cough."
Jeong So-rim coughed while taking a sip of whiskey.
She knew about the custom where latecomers to a drinking party had to down three shots. She'd even experienced it a few times.
But whiskey in a glass? Wasn't that too much?
Even if these were big spenders, she couldn't handle it.
She was just about to say she couldn't drink it and set down the glass when...
"One-shot that again and it's five million won!"
A voice rang out, brimming with confidence.
Five million for one glass...
Jeong So-rim's gaze shifted to the angular document box in the center of the table.
A box stuffed full of 50,000-won bundles.
What should she do?
She couldn't deny the greed for money.
But whiskey was too strong.
She wasn't great with alcohol to begin with.
She didn't want to repeat the same mistake from her last food date.
Caught between greed and worry, Jeong So-rim hesitated.
That's when Lee Hyunwoo snatched her glass away in one swift motion.
And downed it in a single gulp.
"Ahh... Brothers, that clears it for both of us, right?"
"Whoa, youth really is something."
"Ooh, looks like the Unemployed King's pretty hammered already?"
"Hahaha!"
The whales burst into laughter at Lee Hyunwoo's boldness.
They didn't reprimand him for it.
Sure, in the group chat, they blabbed openly about how to handle women and their top-dog status.
But this was reality.
They were all seasoned enough in society to know when and where to hold back.
"Whoa, Unemployed oppa, you handle your liquor so well."
"Unemployed oppa, you're so cool!"
The whales' cheers naturally hyped up the women too.
The seven women, excluding Jeong So-rim, came from all sorts of backgrounds.
Some were Koreatv female cam broadcasters, others models or racing models.
Their common thread? They were all low-tier BJs short on recognition.
In short, girls here for the money.
That's why they shamelessly called the stranger Lee Hyunwoo "oppa" and showered him with praise.
You never knew, right?
Even though he'd brought a partner, if she caught his eye tonight, he might become her sponsor.
"Hyunwoo! You okay? You didn't have to drink that much just for me, did you?"
Jeong So-rim worried over Lee Hyunwoo, who'd slammed her whiskey without hesitation.
Two bottles' worth in glasses. A standard whiskey bottle was about 1L, so he'd chugged a fifth in one go.
Even a heavy drinker would feel the buzz from that.
"This is nothing. I'm pretty good with booze. Brothers, even if I drink it, the five mil still goes to my girlfriend, right?"
"Huh?"
"What? Girlfriend? You two official now? For real?"
"Say what?"
Everyone at the table gawked at Lee Hyunwoo's bold declaration.
Who brings their actual girlfriend to a place like this?
Plus, just this morning, Unemployed King had said she was just a casual hookup girl, not marriage material.
Under those questioning stares, Lee Hyunwoo explained.
"Not full-time or anything. Just when we date. We agreed to play boyfriend and girlfriend during dates."
"Hyunwoo..."
Jeong So-rim felt a twinge of emotion at his words.
Honestly, she'd thought all the boyfriend talk was just pillow-talk bait.
But to back it up with real actions like this.
At this rate, she couldn't help comparing him to her real boyfriend, stewing at home right now.
"I thought for a sec we were meeting your girl here tonight."
"Haha, fair enough. Unemployed, if you're playing boyfriend, chugging for her counts. Take the five."
The man at the head table reached out, tossing a bundle of 50,000-won bills.
Jeong So-rim picked up the five million that landed on the table.
Earning five million this easily...
Was it because it came too quick? She felt more dazed than happy.
But she didn't let go of the bills in her hand.
"Alright, let's make some space. If Morning slides over a bit, we'll have room."
The people on the sofas shifted around.
The 'ㄷ'-shaped sofas, like in a karaoke bar or room salon, were plenty big for eight pairs of guys and girls.
"Okay, new person's here, so intros again? That guy over there is Jerry bro, today's lightning meetup host. Big in precision machining or machinery. Next to him is Good Morning, heir to the top private livestock family in Korea. Then next..."
The whale bro good at hyping things introduced everyone one by one.
Their group chat vibes matched their real-life images pretty well, so she'd remember them easy.
"Yes, brothers. Thrilled to meet you all. As you know, I'm Unemployed King, Lee Hyunwoo."
A smattering of applause and cheers followed his re-intro, wrapping up the round.
That's when Jeong So-rim hurriedly spoke up.
"I'm Jeong So-rim, music broadcaster on Koreatv. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, yeah. Nice to meet you. Now that Unemployed's here, shall we get the party started for real?"
Her intro got a tepid response compared to Lee Hyunwoo's—no cheers, no clap.
That alone made her position crystal clear.
To these people, Lee Hyunwoo mattered. Not her.
A twinge of shame and humiliation.
But she couldn't show it.
Not with five million clutched in her hand.
Not with over 100 million on the table.
It all felt too huge.
'Whoa, these guys really know how to party.'
The vibe was scorching hot.
The whales handled the women without restraint, groping and stripping without hesitation.
Sometimes swapping partners mid-fun.
The women showed no resistance to those touches.
Why would they? A million here, five there just for playing along.
Getting clothes tugged off or groped? Small price.
No need to feel shy either.
All the other girls were here for the same reason, getting the same treatment.
Except one.
Jeong So-rim couldn't adapt to the atmosphere.
"Not having fun?"
"Huh? Oh, no... I mean, not sure."
Lee Hyunwoo asked the now near-silent Jeong So-rim.
She had no clue how to handle this.
What was it? Like she was in the same room but totally an outsider?
Do what the whales wanted, get big cash.
But she couldn't.
It was all too raw, too extreme.
Against her morals and beliefs.
Exposing breasts, stripping panties, sucking dick right in front of her.
Thanks to Lee Hyunwoo, she was starting to taste the allure of money.
But she didn't want to act like those girls.
At least the whales' hands hadn't reached her.
Maybe they found her lack of adaptation boring.
Or protecting her as Lee Hyunwoo's partner.
They ignored her as much as when she'd greeted them, partying among themselves.
So Jeong So-rim ended up isolated, like she was in another room entirely.
"Sorry. Like I said coming in, this is my first time too. Didn't know it'd be this kind of party."
"Oh, no. I said I'd come. It's fine. Thanks for worrying."
"If this spot's uncomfortable, wanna drink alone upstairs? Saw a ton of rooms on the second floor."
"That okay?"
"Why not? Everyone's wasted anyway. Let's go."
Lee Hyunwoo grabbed Jeong So-rim's hand and stood.
No one noticed them slip out amid the booze and perfume haze.
Escaping just before the orgy kicked off, Jeong So-rim finally breathed easy.
"Wow, that world really exists. Thought it was just movie stuff..."
"They're all loaded. What else they gonna do? Eat fancy, play with girls. That's their time-killer."
"Wait, so... you're the same?"
"Nah, I'm different. First time here for me. Wasn't wild like the others. Too busy playing good boyfriend."
Jeong So-rim burst out laughing at Lee Hyunwoo's playful tease.
Her first real laugh since the tension of the orgy party.
"Hang tight. I'll grab drinks. Hate high-proof stuff, right? Saw wine too, I'll snag some snacks."
One of the many rooms on the second floor.
Tighter than a motel, but had the basics: bed, table, TV.
After seating Jeong So-rim, Lee Hyunwoo headed back up to the third for drinks.
Left alone, she pondered what was coming next.
'Tonight's definitely gonna happen, right...?'
Same vibe as her first time with her boyfriend.
Couldn't explain it perfectly, but felt like something was about to go down.
Plus, she'd just seen all that raw action upstairs.
Back there, it was too much to process, too lewd—she'd just panicked.
But now, cooled off a floor down, those scenes replayed in her head.
Women have sex drives too.
Long exposure to that flood of eroticism? Bound to stir things up.
Earlier, the shock and shame drowned it out.
But now, alone with Lee Hyunwoo.
Their vibe had been great lately.
A guy and girl like that.
Alone.
In a tiny room.
Wasn't just gonna be drinks.
"Sorry, oppa."
Jeong So-rim fiddled with the finger where her couple ring used to be.
Whispering an apology that wouldn't reach him.
Guilt weighed heavy.
Heart felt burdened.
But no choice.
This was the only way to save for wedding funds and her own place.
She'd even matched her lingerie just in case tonight went that way.
She was prepared.
With trembling anticipation, Jeong So-rim sat on the bed, waiting for Lee Hyunwoo.