Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Hey, hold on.
What the hell did I just say out loud?
[He said to hit him until he feels refreshed, even if it kills him.]
What!
I didn't say it that far, you girl.
No, more importantly, look at Park Ui-ri's fist. Without realizing it, my gaze glanced over at Park Ui-ri's fist and it was literally a murder weapon.
What kind of fist is the size of a watermelon?
If I get hit even once by that fist, I'll definitely lose consciousness and be taken to the hospital. And he says to hit him until he feels refreshed.
Did I really lose my mind and want to die?
'I must have been out of it for a moment.'
I seriously considered in my head about a million times whether I could take it back even now, but on the other hand, I also thought this:
'Ah, he wouldn't actually hit me, right.'
It's not like we're fearless, hot-blooded teenagers.
Everyone knows how scary the laws of South Korea are.
We're all adults who know what a huge price comes from swinging a fist lightly.
But I was mistaken.
If he were that rational, he wouldn't have taken a job guarding the front door of a host bar in the first place.
"Bite down. I'll clear it all cleanly with just one hit so you feel refreshed."
"Eh...?"
Before I could even be flustered by the completely unexpected line, a watermelon-sized fist was flying at me.
Bam!
"Keo-heok!"
A scream burst from my mouth involuntarily.
Worry about whether my eyeballs got crushed and pain hit me at the same time, and at the same time, blood rushed to my head too, almost making me shout out, but since I was the one who said to hit me first, I couldn't say anything.
'What a crazy bastard.'
As I was swallowing my curses internally, Park Ui-ri first held out his hand to me and asked.
"You okay? Let me know if your teeth feel loose."
For fuck's sake, giving medicine after causing the illness?
He hits me and then asks if I'm okay, what bullshit.
"Hoo, it does feel refreshing."
"......"
"You son of a bitch, do you know how fucking annoyed we've been every time you, a young punk, look down on us just because you make some money?"
"......"
"There are guys who got stabbed by a woman who came looking for a knife because of host bastards like you and were taken to the hospital. You know that?"
"I... didn't know that."
I never dreamed something like that could happen, so I let go of the anger that was rising.
Above all, even though I got hit by that watermelon fist, it wasn't as painful as I thought.
Given the stinging pain rushing in, it's probably just a black eye at most? I'm not entirely lacking in toughness, but was it always like this?
"Anyway, we're settled from earlier. I'll take you to the manager. He's probably throwing darts at the counter right now."
...Cool, I guess.
Park Ui-ri, as if he had forgiven everything that happened up to now with just one punch, refreshingly helped me up.
Seeing that, one punch seems really cheap.
"Are you really satisfied with just one hit?"
"What, want me to hit you one more time?"
Looking at Park Ui-ri swinging his watermelon fist around, I quickly waved my hand.
"No, that's not it..."
I awkwardly scratched my cheek, embarrassed, when I recalled what I said to Miho today.
「Start with an apology.」
It's not just children who are mirrors of adults.
Adults too have one or two things to learn from children. Giving proper guidance while also reflecting on oneself...
"I'm... sorry."
Park Ui-ri, who had been walking quietly ahead, flinched and stopped.
"And thank you."
You might think it's nothing for a mere guard to say a word, but human relationships aren't always like that.
Regardless of rank or position, a word from someone you see regularly and often carries more weight than you'd think.
If I had gone to see the manager alone without a plan, he might have had something to say to me and wouldn't have listened out of pride.
But with Park Ui-ri's help, that probability skyrocketed.
'Thank you...'
If it were the old me, would I have said thank you so readily?
Probably not.
"Hey, have you changed a bit?"
"...Having experienced rock bottom, wouldn't it be weirder not to change?"
"That's true, but..."
Park Ui-ri scratched his cheek.
Well, that makes sense.
Even I found myself a bit awkward.
'It's not because of experiencing rock bottom.'
It's Miho.
Meeting that kid changed me.
「Where, go?」
Thinking of Miho's face, I let out a chuckle involuntarily.
It's so absurd it's funny.
'It's ridiculous.'
How much time have I spent with that kid?
A few hours at most.
But what can I do about the truth? What can I do about what I learned through him?
Sometimes the time needed for a person to change can be an instant.
"Hoo, to be honest."
Scratch scratch.
Park Ui-ri said.
"I haven't completely let it go. Inside, I still thought you were kind of a jerk. You still have a good face, even if I gave you a black eye."
"Ah, so I do have a black eye."
"But with that one word just now, I really let it all go. I'll put in a good word for you with the manager. Wait here for a moment. If he sees your face first thing, he might not say anything good out of embarrassment."
"Ah, yes. Thank... you."
Watching Park Ui-ri stride away, I felt something strange. Something I've never felt in my life at this age—a lump in my throat?
An itch that doesn't suit me at all.
「Hyunu. Come, back soon?」
Even in this situation, Miho comes to mind.
She really dug in like poison.
"I'll finish the talk quickly and come back with some chicken. Wait for me, you little piggy."
I smiled broadly and quietly waited for Park Ui-ri to return.
While thinking about what kind of chicken to buy.
She'll like it, right?
What reaction will she show when she eats chicken?
「Thwack! Thwack!」
All the rapidly thrown darts land dead center. In front of them, the manager, wearing a sharp suit and a cigarette in his mouth, was checking his score.
"Phew."
The last dart.
「Creak, thwack!」
As the door opened, one dart went wildly off course. Seeing that, the manager let out a small sigh.
Ahn Gi-pyo, manager of the Valentia host bar.
He thought he'd run it well for a very long time. But time passes, and just like the manager himself gets older.
Popular hosts also get older.
There are limits to enduring through experience, connections, and accumulated goodwill.
Women with money keep wanting attractive men, and supplying them isn't easy in this day and age.
"Hoo."
The Valentia host bar's popularity was still pretty good. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was creaking.
A slightly precarious feeling?
It felt like steering a large ship breaking through a storm. Like if you turn the wheel even slightly wrong, you'll hit a reef and sink...
'In that sense, it was a little better when Hyun-woo was here.'
That greedy bastard had a good face, but the kid himself was born with a troublemaker vibe that somehow stimulated women's maternal instincts.
However, he often crossed lines with that childish side, or made mistakes that caused trouble for those around him.
And after his erectile dysfunction, his personality got even worse, making him completely useless, so I kicked him out myself.
But...
"Excuse me, Manager. I have something to say."
"I'll listen to anything except talk of quitting."
"Hyun-woo came by. Why don't you have a word with him?"
"......"
「Plop!」
Ahn Gi-pyo, who had been pulling darts from the board, looked at Park Ui-ri with an incredulous face.
"Did you eat something bad?"
"I know it's a bit awkward since you kicked him out yourself."
"No, I don't care about that. But that bastard really pissed off your security guys too. Why are you, of all people, suddenly bringing this up?"
If another guard had said it, he'd have suspected they took money from Kim Hyun-woo.
But Ahn Gi-pyo knew better than anyone what kind of man Park Ui-ri was.
Park Ui-ri was a man of unwavering loyalty, a man among men.
A bit stupid sometimes, but his loyalty was greater than anyone's, and though he worked at a host bar, he was an incredibly honest guy.
If this guy honestly forgave Kim Hyun-woo, then the guys who follow Park Ui-ri would certainly be convinced, even if reluctantly.
But how?
'He's not a guy who can be bought with money. How did Kim Hyun-woo shake this guy's heart?'
Looking at Park Ui-ri with that question, Park Ui-ri smirked and raised his huge fist.
"I gave him one good punch."
"What? What if that bastard reports you for violence? You should have just buried him in cement instead of hitting him."
"That bastard lowered his head and told me to hit him until I felt refreshed."
"...?"
It got more absurd by the minute.
"Did I get drunk without realizing it? I keep hearing strange things."
"And he apologized, said he was sorry. And when I said I'd put in a word with you, he immediately bowed his head and thanked me."
"Are you kidding me? Is that really Kim Hyun-woo? Are you sure he doesn't have a twin brother or something?"
"See for yourself."
"Fine, I need to see that bastard's face myself because I can't believe it."
Convinced that the obnoxious guy couldn't have changed, Ahn Gi-poo slammed the door open. Kim Hyun-woo was standing at the end of the hallway.
But his vibe was noticeably different.
"...Are you sure that's not someone else?"
"That thought does cross your mind, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, man."
How should I put it?
Before, it felt like seeing an all-talented troublemaking teenager who outgrew his age, thinking he was the king of the world.
Now it's like...
"He's grinning with that spaced-out smile you'd see on dads."
But Ahn Gi-pyo is 42 years old.
At this age, you desperately want to have a family, and among that, you want a daughter you'd never get tired of doting on.
In that sense, Kim Hyun-woo's expression wasn't bad at all.
"Hey! Kim Hyun-woo!"
"Ah, Manager!"
And that huge black eye stamped like a seal on that annoyingly handsome face really struck a chord with Ahn Gi-pyo.
'Heh, it is refreshing.'
He laughed inside, but kept a straight face on the outside.
That's experience.
"You, what nerve do you have to set foot here again? I told you never to come near this place again, didn't I?"
"Could you give me one more chance?"
"What?"
Though he asked back, Ahn Gi-pyo was inwardly a little surprised.
Indeed, he's softened a bit.
If it were the old Kim Hyun-woo, he would have thrown a tantrum or gotten angry and shouted louder.
Seeing him politely asking was quite pleasing.
"Is it possible? Hey, you know better than anyone what kind of place this is, don't you?"
At that, Kim Hyun-woo replied as if he'd been waiting, in a confident voice.
"I'm standing again now."