The Senior
"When you're buying something expensive, we're the best there is. Take it up as a hobby and you could make a living as a reseller."
"......Even so, reselling is a bit much."
For a moment it felt as if the conversation had dropped a level, but what followed made me realize I was the one thinking too narrowly.
"I understand why it strikes you that way, but as I said earlier, it's a different story with buildings or apartments. That's a legitimate private brokerage. And if the paperwork of real estate puts you off, there are luxury cars. Once you're dealing in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces, it's hard to dismiss the work as mere reselling. The profit ratio runs higher than a dealer's. People say the premium has vanished these days, but the share of the profit still comes right after real estate."
"Ah. Because you get the tax benefits on top of it."
"Precisely. If you need a card with a high limit, we'll make the connection and have one issued for you."
For a second he sounded exactly like a credit-card salesman. Was I imagining it? I could tell it was a good arrangement, but I didn't particularly care about cars. As far as I was concerned, a taxi—someone who would drive you anywhere so long as you paid—was the height of transportation. Kim Do-hoon must have caught the lukewarm look on my face. He flinched and pressed on.
"This is the first time I've gotten a reaction like that...... Ha, but I'm confident the last proposal will tempt you."
"I already know it's a big one."
"......There's a banquet."
It was more careful than anything he had whispered to me so far. The sudden turn made me tilt my head.
"A banquet? A party?"
"Yes. A members' gathering held once a month. The date changes each time."
"......Ah. Connections."
"Yes. What you make of it is up to you, Shinwoo, but I can promise you will never regret coming."
That did pull at me. In this country, few things mattered as much as connections, and by nature I valued people more than material things—which only meant my greed ran deeper. As if he had heard the thought, Kim Do-hoon went on.
"And we are people who believe the person themselves matters more, so no one will ever look down on you."
"......I like that. I can relate."
Kim Do-hoon himself had never once given me the sense that he was looking down on me. If anything, his expression and his gestures had been full of goodwill. He opened his arms toward me, smiled gently, and spoke.
"On top of that, there are a great many interesting events."
"Events?"
"Among the women you've met so far, has there been anyone who, after being with you, hoped to meet another man?"
"......Not yet."
"Might I ask how many you've met?"
I hesitated. When Kim Do-hoon simply waited, I decided there was no harm in telling him. Registration was already finished; if he wanted to know, he could find out anyway.
"Four women are registered. I haven't just met anyone without registering them."
His reaction went well beyond what I had expected. Kim Do-hoon's eyes went perfectly round, and he nearly dropped his cigarette before snatching it back.
"......Four already?"
"Yes. And I'm keeping an eye on a few more......"
"......Good heavens. You're remarkable, Shinwoo."
"If anything, you being this surprised is what's strange......"
I had thought a multimale would understand. Instead, Kim Do-hoon's reaction made me shrink in on myself. Maybe I shouldn't have said it.
"Even among multimales, the average number registered is two or three. And you're already at four. Good lord. You're exceptional."
So even multimales weren't all blessed with that kind of masculine vigor? That would be a problem.
"......Am I on the extreme side?"
"Extreme? You're impressive. You're already fairly high in the rankings, but the speed at which you're registering is extraordinary. Then everyone you've been intimate with......?"
He let the sentence trail off, but I knew what he meant. I scratched my cheek and nodded.
"......If you come to the banquet, Shinwoo, everyone is going to be delighted. That is precisely the ideal we pursue."
The fond way Kim Do-hoon looked at me left me oddly embarrassed. As I scratched my cheek, he went on, quiet and steady.
"In any case, as you continue meeting women, there will be more and more times when it ends at intimacy and nothing more."
"That could happen."
Now that I had actually done it, I knew there would be cases where two people simply didn't fit. For the other person's sake, letting go was the right thing. The women I had met so far had all been gentle and kind, or our tastes had matched, or I had shaped the connection myself—but depending on the person, it could easily turn difficult. I had known I needed to think about that part, and I had put it off as something to face when it arrived, because I had been too busy lately. Talking it through had been the right call. My conversation with Changsu had helped, and because Kim Do-hoon was a multimale, he could speak from a perspective close to my own.
"As you know, the women we meet are very likely to be of a certain class. Social standing, or looks. Sexual temperament can become a wall as well."
"I suppose so."
"If she doesn't suit your tastes, or the nights together were unsatisfying, or you've decided not to continue, we sometimes introduce the woman to someone else. We know that forcing a mismatched connection to go on only wounds both sides."
"......Isn't that a little dangerous?"
Before I knew it, ugly images had risen in my mind—human trafficking, partner-swapping. This stirred a real aversion in me.
"Of course this is only when the woman wants it, or consents. I have never once heard of a woman refusing an introduction in the first place. A woman who has met a multimale is hardly going to be satisfied with an ordinary man. And a meeting did take place. To wash your hands of her would mean you aren't a member of Dowon."
That, I had to admit, made sense—especially for a woman with pride in herself. But I had no desire to do any such thing. The pleasure was in matching her tastes and winning her over, whatever it took.
"......And if I don't want to introduce her?"
Kim Do-hoon smiled, nodded, and answered.
"Then of course you don't have to. There is no compulsion whatsoever. If anything, we want to help the women we've formed bonds with find a better happiness. You simply need to understand this. A woman who has tasted a multimale is not someone who will leave just because you let her go. Seeking your affection again and again when she no longer pleases you is a kind of stalking. Once you've lived through it, you'll understand how miserable it is."
It was a cold thing to say, but I found myself persuaded. There was sense in it. The way Kim Do-hoon's color changed, as if he had been through it himself, made me trust him. So even from a multimale's position it was suffering, and the answer was to find her another man. For now I only nodded and let it pass.
"Then I understand."
"It is also a kind of arena where a man shows off his women."
"......Shows them off?"
"Yes. I take it you haven't had the occasion yet. But you, Shinwoo, will realize it before long. There are many who want to boast of things too good to keep to themselves."
"It isn't anything strange, is it?"
But the way Kim Do-hoon only smiled told me this was truly something he could not put into words. It had a way of stirring the imagination.
"......Do I have to take part as well?"
"As I said, only those who wish to, and only women who consent. I'm afraid that's as much as I can tell you."
At that I sank into thought. Every part of it left the choice in my hands, and none of it was forced. There was no real reason to refuse. The connections, above all, pulled at me. The other benefits didn't even feel real yet. I still hadn't received a single multimale support payment.
"......You really are young. That strong possessiveness is good to see. These days everyone hesitates to register."
"......Why is that?"
Kim Do-hoon let out a sigh, shook his head, and went on.
"Ah, of course. I suppose you haven't had a fight yet over turn order, or over pregnancy."
At the words turn order, I swallowed. I had been starting to worry about that myself. Bae Jihyun, especially, was obsessing over it. I understood not wanting the military—that much I got. Pregnancy was the same. If Hyunji or Rahee weren't pregnant and someone else got there first, I had no idea how they would react. From the sound of it, this was not something that would blow over easily.
"......Fortunately, not yet. I take it it's bad?"
"It's no joke. Especially when women who train get into it—the house is smashed to pieces. Ah. My apologies."
"It's fine."
"That's why I dislike athletic women. When a fight breaks out, the house is left in ruins. Fights between women are not ordinary. For a week, two weeks, the place is unlivable, and I don't even want to set foot in their homes."
"......I don't know much about this, but what about pregnancy? I mean......"
"You mean a case where a woman who registered later becomes pregnant before one who registered earlier?"
"Yes. That. Exactly that."
"......That is the one and only time the women's hierarchy is shaken."
"A power game breaks out?"
"Yes. Even we can't intervene. It touches their desires, their instincts, a competitiveness that comes from the very root of being human. I recommend you pay special attention to the women you met first. Let the sparks fly the wrong way, and they'll wring you dry all night."
That made me serious as well. Just as I had thought, I ought to involve myself in everyone's relationships, at least as far as I could control. Unlike what Kim Do-hoon said, though, I trusted my women. I still couldn't really picture Hyunji and Rahee fighting. I had some faith that they wouldn't.
"But don't worry too much. Pregnancy is not that easy."
"......But for some people, it's far too easy."
"How do you know that so well, young as you are? Still, a happy occasion is a happy occasion, and in the end everyone is glad. Child-rearing, if anything, causes no trouble at all. They're all too busy adoring the child. The looks on their faces then—truly. They're so happy you'd never know they had fought."
"......So the problem is getting through the feelings up to that point?"
"......That's right."
Kim Do-hoon sighed without another word, then broke into a grin and turned back to me.
"So, do you agree?"
I looked at him as he asked, eyes quietly alight. Then I dropped my gaze to the floor and thought. I nearly told him I had tendencies closer to Valhalla, but once I was sure I was not that extreme, I gave a small nod. The benefits were benefits, but I had also realized there was still a great deal I needed to learn.
"All right."
"As expected. An excellent choice."
"But I'd like to look into it a little more."
"Of course. Caution is a good thing. I'll prepare the membership papers, so contact me whenever you're ready. There's a banquet next week, so if you'd like to attend, it would be best to let me know by the weekend. If you have any questions, call me anytime. I'd like to be on good terms with you myself."
"Understood. I was glad to meet you too, Senior."
"And you speak so smoothly. The women must adore you."
"So far, I think I've only met good people."
"Mm. Good to see."
That was when it happened.
"Master. It's nearly time for your appointment."
I couldn't help flinching. A woman was standing behind Kim Do-hoon before I had noticed. He had been blocking the passenger side, so had she stepped out of the driver's seat, or the back? I must have been too lost in thought. But that was not the only thing that startled me. Kim Do-hoon, wearing a proud expression, quietly wrapped an arm around the woman's thick waist. His face was full of pride.
"......Well? Not bad, is she?"
"......I think I roughly understand your taste, Counselor."
"So stiff, calling me Counselor. Just call me Do-hoon now. Brother is fine, too."
"You should speak comfortably as well, Counselor. I'm thirty now."
"Straightforward. We'll do it that way, then, Shinwoo."
Perhaps because I had decided to join, Kim Do-hoon was drawing closer, familiar now. But my eyes were on the woman standing beside him. They caught, especially, on her chest, and I barely managed to shut a jaw that wanted to fall open.