Broken
The place I followed Journey Unni into was a bar with the unusual name Broken, located on the first basement level. As soon as we pushed open the glass door coated entirely with posters from the famous musical Hedwig, a man in a black suit who had been sitting at the nearby stand bar shot to his feet and bowed deeply in greeting.
When Unni gave a slight nod in return, the man in the black suit took the lead and guided us deeper inside. Since business hadn't started yet, the interior was quiet. There was no music playing, and the lighting was dim, giving the whole space an eerie, gloomy atmosphere. The seats arranged around the central stage were staggered so that almost every seat offered a clear view of the show. Imagining the scene with twenty or so table seats and ten stand seats all filled made me realize just how impressive it must look when the place was packed.
We left the spacious hall behind and soon passed through a door marked STAFF ONLY. After going a little farther to the right, we stopped in front of a long hanging curtain. The man bowed politely as if to say his duty ended there, then turned and retraced his steps.
"The hall we just walked through is open to regular civilians as well. Of course, only those who are members," Unni said as she drew back the curtain and pulled a card from her small handbag. "To the left is the staff waiting room and lounge. If you go a little to the right, you can head straight up to the stage."
She pressed the card against the sensor on the door. A soft electronic chime sounded as the lock released. This was clearly a place that required a card for entry. A staircase leading down to the second basement level came into view.
"It's a passage the girls downstairs and the ones upstairs use when they need to move around. You can check the CCTV over there and open the door, or open it directly with a card like I just did... Of course, guests can also take the elevator straight down to the second basement."
"Hey, this place looks like it would be a disaster if a fire ever broke out," Jeongsook said, pretending to be scared as she joked around.
"You don't need to worry about that. It won't happen, but if a fire does break out, the entire system is designed to unlock all the doors. There's a separate emergency exit on the second basement level too. You're more of a scaredy-cat than I thought, Jeongsook. Hoho..."
As a doctor, Ma Yeojeong usually had a very businesslike demeanor, but the Journey Unni I'd seen at Delma was quite bright and chatty. Today was no different.
"I'm not trying to ruin the mood on purpose, but I heard that places like this have pretty strict building codes and fire regulations. Honestly, I'm more worried about getting caught in a raid than about fire."
We reached the second basement level. In front of us was a door made of black glass. Journey Unni turned around in front of it and looked at Jeongsook.
"You don't need to worry about that either. This building is owned by a certain organization—well, calling it an 'organization' sounds weird, doesn't it? Let's just call it a 'company'... Anyway, a company owns this building and runs the club. And among the members here, there are people who could cause serious trouble if they found out. Hehe... Like I said before, from now on, you all have to keep secrets just like I do. Especially once you step through that door."
She pointed at the black glass door. I swallowed hard without realizing it. Changhee squeezed my hand tightly, as if she was scared. Unni still hadn't opened the door. Standing in the space bathed in a reddish glow, she spoke quickly.
"Alright, last question. Are you truly prepared? I'm sorry for choosing such an extravagant place for the party. But once it starts, you'll understand why. Thank you, Jeongsook, for trusting me and holding out all this time. And thank you, Sohyeon and Changhee, for understanding and deciding to get on board with us."
Jeongsook hadn't told me anything either, but she'd gone nearly three months without knowing how her own husband was living. That alone showed just how much she trusted Journey Unni as both an older sister and a lover. All I could do was hope for a satisfying outcome.
The interior of the second basement split in two directions as soon as we entered. We followed the glowing arrow pointing right, and Unni explained that the left section was where the bodyguards and staff lived. Once we left the right corridor, a stage and several tables came into view on our immediate left. I guessed it was designed so they could go straight from their quarters to the stage. Beyond that, several private rooms lined the hallway. According to Unni, they were rooms where various 'services' tailored to the guests' tastes took place. When Jeongsook asked what kind of services, Unni just laughed and said we'd find out gradually, so there was no need to get too worked up about it right away.
We entered the third room. I could see a few more rooms beyond it, but since we hadn't gone all the way to the end, I had no idea what lay at the very back. Maybe because I was so tense, I didn't even feel curious about it.
The room we entered could hold about ten people. The wall facing the corridor was made of special one-way glass that let us see outside from within. Delma had rooms with a similar layout, so it didn't feel too unfamiliar. Soft music flowed from an audio system set up on one side. Since I'd called ahead while getting out of the car, the drinks were already prepared. It seemed like a considerate touch meant to preserve the special atmosphere of the party as much as possible.
Journey Unni personally poured a little brandy into each glass, handed them out, and suggested a toast. Everyone must have been tense, because we emptied our glasses the moment the toast ended. While Jeongsook filled the second round, I took out a cigarette. Changhee quickly lit it for me. Fortunately, we were all smokers, and since we'd smoked together at the wedding party, there was no need for formalities.
"Well then... we've finally made it this far. Hehe... It really has been a long journey. Just like my name, hohoho..."
Everyone laughed at the lame joke she made using her own name. Since she had brought us all the way here without giving us any information about the two people we were about to meet, it seemed she wanted to shake off the tension that had built up without her realizing it.
"Don't be so nervous, everyone. The two people we're about to meet aren't nervous at all, yet here we are getting all worked up. Hoho... Should I give you some sedatives too?"
The way she said it made it sound like she'd given the two husbands tranquilizers. Journey Unni immediately read my expression and smiled softly.
"Whether they were given sedatives or not isn't what's important, Sohyeon. Among the staff who work here, there have been cases where sedatives were necessary. Some people see it as a terrible punishment—not only having their entire lives flipped upside down, but also being forced to come out to their wives or lovers."
The staff who work here... Did that mean everyone working here had been transformed into women, just like Jeongsook and Journey Unni's husbands?
"But those two have already moved past the stage where they need sedatives. It's because they've both accepted their new lives. Of course, they probably still think about the good old days sometimes, but I've been consistently using hypnosis therapy to help them view their current lives positively. So there's no need for you to be any more nervous than necessary."
She had a point. If we hadn't come at all, that would be one thing, but it felt ridiculous to be this tense after coming all this way. It didn't seem like me at all. When I thought about how persistently I'd turned Changhee into my woman, it only made sense to acknowledge Jeongsook and Journey Unni's persistence as well.
While I was thinking that, two figures briefly flashed past the glass window. Soon after, there was a polite knock and the door opened.
"Hello! My name is Lucy. Please take good care of me."
It was an extremely feminine voice. This was the first time I'd learned that Journey Unni's ex-husband's female name was 'Lucy.' I had never asked, and she had never told me, so it was only natural.
"Hello! My name is Penny. Please take good care of me."
Penny... Since Jeongsook had already told me, I knew he was the man named Kim Hancheol. Unlike Lucy, his voice had the neutral tone typical of transgender women—a high pitch forced to sound feminine.
Both of them had heavily made-up faces. But perhaps because this was their first time appearing before us, or because it was still before business hours, they weren't wearing full drag queen makeup. Even so, I couldn't tell whether they'd had facial surgery or not. I simply couldn't remember their original male faces clearly enough.
Lucy had bright blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and wore green contact lenses. She was dressed in a red bra, garter belt, and stockings, with a sheer negligee that left almost nothing to the imagination. Penny wore the exact same outfit, but with a bright blue bob haircut and blue contact lenses. Both had outfits that prominently displayed their ample breasts, and they wore tall red high heels. Combined with their heights well over 180 centimeters, they looked like towering fir trees.
Seeing the aura they gave off, I finally understood why both their names were Western. As they stood perfectly still, shifting their bodies this way and that as if inviting us to examine them from head to toe, I suddenly noticed something strange. I hadn't caught it when I first looked them over quickly, but now I saw that there was nothing between their legs where there should have been. That hairless area was as smooth and flat as mine—a gentle mound!
Without thinking, I glanced at Changhee sitting beside me. Her face was stiff. I thought she must be looking at the same place I was, but her gaze was fixed on Penny. Ah, I'd momentarily forgotten that the two of them were friends. Besides, while Penny didn't know Changhee's true identity, Changhee knew that Penny was her friend Kim Hancheol. That explained the look on her face.