Afterimages
The air inside the taxi was heavy.
Arin kept her gaze fixed on the window while Taejun quietly stole glances at her profile. Neither of them spoke a single word until they reached home.
Beep—beep—beep—beep—
The lock chirped a cheerful little tune. Click.
They punched in the door code, pushed open the front door, and stepped into the familiar scent of home. Arin slipped off her shoes without a word and disappeared into the bathroom. Taejun headed quietly for the living-room sofa.
Shhhhhhh—
A moment later the shower started running. Taejun dropped heavily onto the sofa and tried to scrub the night’s images from his mind. They only grew sharper.
Bodies writhing behind translucent curtains, moans, sweat-slicked skin, a stranger’s waist arched like a bow—and above all, Han Seua’s cold, dismissive eyes.
He closed his own eyes and pictured her naked, kneeling at his feet with a look of pure humiliation. Blood rushed downward at once; his pants tented hard.
Then Arin finished her shower. The sound snapped him back. She walked past in her usual long nightgown and went straight into the bedroom. Taejun waited until she was under the covers before he took his own shower. When he finally slipped into bed beside her, the room was dark. They lay side by side, backs turned to each other.
He shut his eyes, but sleep refused to come. Scenes under the red lights looped endlessly behind his lids. This time the fantasy shifted: Arin beneath another man. Strangely, the image made him even harder.
If… if Arin were with someone else…
He swallowed quietly.
On the far side of the bed Arin was just as sleepless. She pulled the blanket higher and stared at the ceiling. Jieun’s words kept circling in her ears.
Once you rack up a few points… you could even open that design studio you’ve always wanted.
Arin pictured the private studio she had dreamed of for years. Their current apartment was cramped; she never had enough workspace. With their combined income the idea had always felt impossible.
A hundred million won…
The prize money kept floating through her thoughts. She shook her head hard.
I’m crazy. Me? With another man? Absolutely not.
But the thought, once born, refused to die. She curled into a tighter ball and yanked the blanket higher. Something strange pulsed low in her belly—tight, insistent. When she slipped a hand into her panties under cover of the dark, she found them already soaked.
That night both Taejun and Arin lay awake a long time, each lost in their own private storm of thoughts.
The next morning Arin rose earlier than usual and started the coffee. Taejun appeared later and padded into the kitchen. Their eyes met. An awkward silence stretched.
Arin spoke first.
“Did you sleep okay…?”
Taejun took a careful sip of coffee.
“Yeah… About last night…”
She looked out the window and murmured,
“I don’t really want to talk about yesterday…”
He closed his mouth and set the cup down. Red lights and half-seen bodies still burned behind his eyes.
Then Arin’s phone buzzed.
Vrrr—vrrr—
Caller ID: Jieun unnie.
Arin stared at the screen for a long moment, every nerve alight. At last she hit accept.
“…Hello?”
“Arin, it’s me. Jieun…”
They talked for a long while. When the call finally ended it was with Arin’s soft sigh.
“…Yes… Yes, I understand. Unnie…”
Click—
“Haa…”
She glanced at Taejun.
“Tomorrow… I have a lunch appointment, so I’ll be out for a bit…”
He already knew exactly who had called, but he simply nodded over his coffee and pretended not to.
The following afternoon Arin met Jieun alone at a quiet café in Gangnam. Jieun greeted her with a bright smile. She wore a casual dress that still somehow made her figure impossible to ignore.
“Arin, I’m sorry about the other night. It was way too sudden, wasn’t it?”
Arin shook her head over her untouched coffee.
“Unnie… please just tell me honestly. That place… what do they really do there? Do people actually… with other men…”
Jieun sighed and nodded.
“Yeah. I was scared just like you at first. But once I tried it… the whole world looked different. The points turn into real money, the stress melts away…”
She cleared her throat, glanced around, then dropped her voice so only Arin could hear.
“Ahem… this is a little embarrassing to say out loud, but… the truth is Minhyeok finishes ridiculously fast. I never once got satisfied.”
Elegant Jieun’s unexpected words made Arin flinch. Jieun barreled on, unconcerned.
“So we were sexless too for a while. Then I came here and actually came—really came—and it felt like my whole life flipped. Weirdly enough, after that we started wanting each other even more. Isn’t that strange?
“Minhyeok already told me a little. Your marriage is pretty similar to ours used to be. That’s why I wanted you to try it just once. You’re like a little sister to me. I’m not forcing you. Just come watch. If you hate it, you never have to do anything. I only watched the first time too.”
Jieun’s tone was soft but earnest.
“…You said you wanted your own studio, remember? I started for the money too. Now I actually enjoy it. You and Taejun would too… I’m sure of it.”
Arin kept her head bowed for a long silence.
“….”
Then she lifted her face. Jieun’s deep, knowing eyes held hers; Arin couldn’t look away. At last she gave the tiniest nod.
“…Just once. I’ll only watch. If I hate it, I’m never going back.”
Jieun’s smile lit up.
“Perfect. Come again this Saturday evening. Minhyeok and I will already be inside. Just dress comfortable.”
They talked a while longer until Jieun’s next appointment pulled her away.
“I’ve got somewhere to be. I’ll head out first! See you Saturday!”
Left alone, Arin sat at the café table a long time, turning her cup in slow circles and exhaling a deep breath.
What am I even doing right now…?
She stood, left the café, and stared out the taxi window the entire ride home. Her mind was a tangle of the studio, a hundred million won, the hungry eyes of strangers, and the red-lit afterimages from the night before.
At the front door she hesitated, then steeled herself and went inside. Taejun sat on the living-room sofa watching TV. Arin toed off her shoes and walked over, heart hammering.
Just once… I only said I’d watch.
“Um… so… I just met Jieun unnie…”
“…Yeah?”
He already knew, yet the fact that she brought it up first still startled him. He switched off the TV and looked at her.
Arin kept her eyes slightly averted.
“I decided… just once… only once, I’ll go watch. And if I hate it, we’re leaving immediately.”
Taejun’s eyes widened. Joy surged in his chest; he forced his face to stay calm.
“Why all of a sudden…?”
The prize money still circled her thoughts, but she fidgeted with her fingers and gave a small, sideways answer.
“…Because I could tell you wanted to go. Just… once.”
In the next second he was across the room, gripping her hands tight.
“Thank you. Really… We’ll just look, and if it feels wrong we’ll walk right out.”
“Mm…”
The days that followed passed in ordinary rhythm. Taejun went to the office; Arin worked on designs at home. They ate together, watched television, exchanged light conversation. Yet both of them thought of nothing but the swapping club.
At last Saturday evening arrived.
This time they dressed casually—Taejun in a simple shirt and pants, Arin in jeans and a loose blouse. When they reached the base of the penthouse building, Taejun texted Minhyeok.
Taejun showed Arin the reply. Without a word they laced their fingers together and stepped into the building.
The lobby was as opulent as before. They passed other guests and approached the front desk, where a familiar face waited—Elly, the stunning staff member in her deliberately provocative uniform. She smiled, her clear voice bright.
“Oh my! Hello again. Welcome back. Tonight’s a proper entry, isn’t it?”
Taejun nodded. Elly slid a sheaf of papers across the counter.
“Please read these carefully and sign. If you decide to join later, just tell any of the staff inside and I’ll take care of everything. First, though, I’ll need your belongings.”
They handed over phones, wallets, everything. Then they read. Arin studied every line this time; the further she went, the paler her face became. But she had already made up her mind.
They signed the waivers and surrendered their IDs. Elly opened the inner door with a smile.
“I’ll explain about the IDs once the viewing is over. Enjoy yourselves, both of you.”
The door swung wide and red light washed over them once more. Arin clung to Taejun’s arm; her fingers still trembled faintly.
This time it was not the front-desk staff who greeted them but an internal guide. She had short hair, dark skin, and a petite yet voluptuous figure. She wore black lace lingerie, a G-string, and high heels; a gold nameplate glittered on her chest.
Lisa
Lisa smiled softly.
“You’re here on Minhyeok’s recommendation, correct? I’ll take you to a private viewing suite.”
Arin kept a death-grip on Taejun’s arm as they followed. Her palm was damp and shaking. Lisa led them down a corridor draped with translucent curtains and into a secluded two-person booth. The deep leather sofa seemed to swallow them whole. Thick velvet curtains hung in front, giving the space the intimate feel of a private box at an exclusive theater.
Lisa asked gently,
“Something to drink? We have whiskey, champagne, cocktails—whatever you like.”
Taejun’s voice came out tight.
“Whiskey for me, please.”
Arin whispered,
“…Champagne.”
Lisa bowed her head with another smile.
“I’ll bring them right away. Please relax and enjoy.”
Once she left, the couple sat pressed together, hands locked. Arin leaned into Taejun’s shoulder and breathed,
“Oppa… I’m really scared. Let’s just watch a little and then go.”
He stroked the back of her hand.
“Yeah… just watching.”
Lisa returned with their drinks and slipped away again. They lifted the glasses but could not quite bring them to their lips. Tense silence filled the booth.
Then—
Shhhhrrrk.
The heavy velvet curtain in front of them began to part.
Both of them sucked in a sharp breath at the same moment.
The scene that unfolded beyond the curtain was nothing short of staggering.