The Debt Collector

The debt collector. It wasn’t a lie. Every object in the well-decorated room existed for internet broadcasting. Ten million won…? The number felt impossibly distant. Add another two million on top and the total came to twelve million won. I knew high-end PC builds weren’t cheap. If you wanted to stream properly, you needed decent equipment. But what kind of lunatic took out a loan just to start streaming? Fine, let’s say someone did. Why the hell would they borrow from someone like Team Leader Yang Seona instead of a normal bank?

“Pardon…? C-could I see the contract, please?”

There was an insane person here, all right. Today was April 10th. Which meant that this crazy bastard Lee Seha had taken out a twelve-million-won short-term loan. All so he could stream. He’d even gone through the trouble of registering as a sole proprietor. Of course, there were no loan documents among those papers.

…Still, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I couldn’t quite bring myself to dig through that garbage heap.

“Excuse me?”

My head was spinning. This was the mother of all bombs. There had never been a contract in the first place. Or rather, Yang Seona was the one holding it. That crazy son of a bitch Lee Seha…

“I-I’ll come find you. Where are you located?”

She was right. The Lee Seha from my original world was gone. All that remained was me, forced to clean up the shit he’d left behind.

Team Leader Yang Seona answered me even while clearly sensing something was off. I felt a little sorry, but I had zero intention of playing mind games just to keep up the amnesia act. Because I really had lost my memories. Right now, the loan was far more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠important than any sense of alienation. My entire identity was on the line. Dealing with loan sharks was never simple.

“…Understood.”

The call ended. A text message arrived almost immediately after.

“Gangnam?”

The address listed Gangnam. Most small-scale loan businesses operated out of Gangbuk. Back in the nineties it had been Myeong-dong. Of course, this was a near-future modern fantasy world, but… call it the curse of knowledge. An uneasy feeling bloomed in my chest. Gangnam was famous for its nightlife and entertainment districts, after all.

I got ready to head out right away. The clothes I was wearing were far too provocative for a kid like me. The original owner seemed to prefer neat styles, so I threw on a denim jacket. Time was tight. The leather pants were a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠little short, but I had to move quickly.

“……”

I’d expected it, but I really was living in a far more rundown area than I’d imagined. It looked so much like my previous life that I had to wonder if this really was the 2040s. This was supposedly the most deteriorated part of Seoul. Public safety was poor, and I occasionally spotted foreigners. I headed for Gangnam—walking at first, then taking the bus. The trip gave me a chance to learn a bit more about this world.

The sex ratio between men and women was nearly even. Men were inherently weaker than women from birth. They were shorter, smaller in frame, and society operated on the fundamental premise that women were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠superior. Not many people said it outright like modern folks might, but the undercurrent was there.

“……”

I could feel eyes on me. Every person who passed seemed to give me a once-over. Was this what it felt like to be good-looking? The monkey’s paw really had granted the wish. By contrast, the people of this world looked ordinary. There were pretty women here and there, but plenty of plain ones too. Same for the men.

Maybe that was why. The longer I walked around, the more mental damage I took in real time. The men of this world seemed to… pursue beauty. My previous world had been obsessed with looks too, so it wasn’t that strange. But there was a clear difference. They weren’t chasing the boyish charm of idols. They were delicate, fragile, dressed like women. Makeup was a given, and they tried their hardest to produce soft, slender voices. It was almost like… No. Better not say it.

If my body had been packed with macho muscle, maybe it would’ve been different. But aside from what hung between my legs, didn’t I look exactly like a woman? And the women here seemed to like faces and bodies like mine.

Lost in those messy thoughts, I arrived before I knew it.

“……”

Was this normal? It was quite different from what I’d imagined in my previous life. I’d pictured the typical karaoke-style host bars with heart symbols everywhere, or at least a regular office. Instead, thick automatic doors slid open, and the first thing that hit me was a luxurious scent. It felt like a hotel lounge. The dark-toned interior kept the lighting low, yet still maintained an unmistakably upscale atmosphere.

I stepped inside timidly, only to be stopped by a woman in a black suit. She was ridiculously tall. I had to crane my neck for a long time just to look at her face. A cold voice cut through her blunt expression.

“What brings you here?”

If I were a customer, I would have needed a reservation. If I were an employee at an entertainment establishment, she would have greeted me warmly. Instead, the woman stared at me with open interest. That curiosity lit a fuse. I opened my mouth and gave an answer she clearly hadn’t expected.

“I’m here to see Team Leader Yang Seona.”

Her eyes widened slightly. That reaction told me I hadn’t come to the wrong place.

“…Please follow me.”

I walked behind her. The metal molding looked incredibly sleek. As we moved down the hallway, I passed all kinds of people—staff carrying drinks and light snacks, and then…

‘Ugh.’

Men dressed in the most exaggeratedly feminine way possible. The ones who were halfway handsome were even more unpleasant. But the most unpleasant thing of all was the jealousy. The men I’d seen on the way here were all taller than me. At twenty years old, my growth had already stopped. Now I understood why the women had been staring at me like that. When their ideal male archetype walked by, these men—who treated their appearance like currency—must have seen me as competition.

The blatant looks in their eyes made my stomach churn. If they’d at least dressed like men, I might not have minded. After about a minute of walking, we stopped in front of a door. The employee entered first, then called for me.

“She says you may come in.”

I didn’t answer. I simply pushed open the slightly ajar door and stepped inside. In the rather spacious room, a woman smiled slyly. She wore an expensive suit. The refined tailoring made even a fashion-blind person like me realize that a light-colored suit was an unusual choice. Yet it didn’t feel tacky or excessive at all.

Team Leader Yang Seona was quite beautiful. On the phone she’d sounded like a total slacker, but her appearance was completely different. Her overall impression was cold. She wore dark sunglasses, so it was hard to judge precisely, but the bold curve of her lips was undeniably attractive.

“Hey, bring me the contract.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

—Creak.

She flicked her fingers, and the employee bowed without hesitation. The suited woman left the room. The door closed, leaving only the two of us in the wide space.

“…You really do look like a completely different person?”

Her sunglasses tilted slightly. Not enough to reveal everything, but I could catch a glimpse of the light in her eyes.

“The amount I borrowed… it really is twelve million won, correct?”

“Yep. Short-term loan.”

“……”

“Due by May 10th. Twelve million won.”

I tilted my head at her words. I had to repay the full amount in one month. Exactly the principal. Was this an interest-free loan? The moment that suspicion arose, the door creaked open again. The woman who had guided me handed over two sheets of paper. I wasn’t a legal expert, but the contract itself was so simple that I could immediately feel just how thoroughly screwed I was.

One was a standard employment contract. From a typical staffing agency. Five days a week, 6 p.m. to midnight. The hourly wage was, of course, minimum wage. Ten thousand won.

“You should be thanking me for giving you an advance…”

“……”

That crazy bastard Lee Seha. He took an advance? Well, an advance and a loan were basically the same thing. I looked at the next document. The moment I saw the promissory note, I couldn’t stop my face from twisting.

I wasn’t a law major, so I didn’t understand every detail. Even so, I could tell it was vicious.

My hands were shaking. I was legally an adult. Did this… even make sense?

My eyes met Team Leader Yang Seona’s. Maybe she read my expression, because the corners of her mouth curved like a snake’s.

I had to repay the money within a month. If I couldn’t, I would have to work at a company called Raintail. And even worse… I could only use the money earned there to pay off the debt. My emotions grew fiercer. My heart sank with a heavy thud, pumping blood through my entire body. My head cooled, and my thoughts accelerated.

A staffing agency would dispatch me. Where would they send me? My head slowly turned. A luxurious-looking room. In Gangnam, an entertainment establishment could only mean one thing. A male host. If I couldn’t repay the money in a month, I would become a ten-thousand-won-an-hour male host.

“Here…”

“…?”

“Are all the men here hired through contracts like this?”

“……”

Yang Seona said nothing. She simply stared at me in silence. Three seconds of quiet felt like three minutes. Then her lips parted, and laughter spilled out.

“Pfft, pffthaha!! Seha.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m giving you special treatment, you know. Who would lend money to a twenty-year-old man with bad credit? Twelve million won, at that?”

I recalled the countless men I’d encountered on my way here. What I had seen in their eyes was jealousy. If he’s here, I won’t be able to make money. A clear sense of rivalry. Once my brain started turning, the puzzle pieces clicked into place. Yang Seona was right. She really had given me special treatment. She lent me money. Interest-free, even. Only after I failed to repay it would I become a cheap male host. And not just any host—one who was pretty, beautiful, and cute. A man who possessed the ideal male appearance that other men aspired to.

Should I run? Should I kill myself? This was an unfair contract. Wasn’t it illegal? Shouldn’t it be invalid?

But… if I ran, then what? Flee the country? Where to? Stow away? Live without an identity there too? With a face and body like this, could I really survive unnoticed?

No. From the beginning…

“……”

“……”

I looked at Yang Seona. Could a business like this really lack even a single ability user? Even if there wasn’t a Sword Master in the red-light district, there would at least be Sword Experts. Really… was this a place where I could hide so well that they’d never find me, a place so lacking in talent that they couldn’t track me down?

Would a company that used illegal promissory notes treat me kindly?

My thoughts deepened, and the conclusion was brutal. Naturally, my body sank. Half of it was because my legs had lost strength. The other half was pure will.

“More time…”

“…?”

“Could you possibly give me more time?”

The interior materials sparkled. My reflection in the luxurious surface looked utterly servile—and beautiful.