The First Regular
Kim Namhu stepped out into the Suyu district, dressed in a sharp, impeccable suit that turned heads even on a casual night. Gangnam might have been the undisputed heart of Seoul’s elite nightlife, but here in the Gangbuk side, it was still a proper entertainment district—packed with every kind of nightlife you could want. The streets were already alive even though it was barely past midnight; people spilled out of bars and clubs, laughing, swaying, lost in the music and the lights.
He wandered the narrow alleys, searching, until he found a tiny bar tucked between two buildings. The moment he pushed the door open, he saw it could barely seat four. Behind the bar stood a stunning woman in her late twenties, pouring drinks while exchanging flirty banter with the few customers.
She looked up, smiled, and greeted him with perfect poise. “Welcome. We don’t get many new faces here. How did you find us?”
Kim Namhu flashed a charming smile and slid into the only empty seat. “I heard the owner is so beautiful that only the best drinks could keep up with you.”
“Oh?” She leaned in, eyes sparkling. “Who told you that?”
“That’s a secret. When you make me your regular, I’ll tell you.”
The woman laughed brightly and poured him a free glass of whiskey without being asked. “It’s a small place, so the only snack is roasted peanuts. Might not be to a young man’s taste. First drink’s on the house.”
She turned to the next table, but Kim Namhu’s eyes kept returning to her. She moved with the easy grace of someone who had spent years in the spotlight—yet there was an unmistakable maturity beneath the youthful appearance. In reality she had to be in her late thirties.
‘Still as sharp as ever.’
Her name was Jang Sun-young—once a legendary Ten-Pro madam who had run one of Seoul’s top room salons. She had earned enough to retire early, bought this tiny bar, and now lived off the handful of old regulars who still came to see her.
She was deep in conversation with her customers when she felt his gaze again. The regulars noticed and teased her.
“What’s this? Even the owner likes a young guy?”
“That outfit and watch scream expensive. Are you thinking of marrying a rich young man?”
“Seriously, don’t say things like that. This is a place where everyone comes to chat and have a drink. Having a lonely young customer makes it even more fun.”
Jang Sun-young walked straight over to him. “Want another drink?”
“I don’t really care for alcohol, but I need something that won’t leave me hungover.”
“You came all the way here for that?” She smiled. “Then vodka would be perfect. The purer the drink, the lighter the next morning.”
She had the kind of sensuality that belonged in old Joseon tales—someone who could be mistaken for a fox spirit in the right light. Talking to her was effortless.
And she liked interesting men.
‘So the question of how I ended up here is basically irrelevant.’
Before long she slid her glass over. “Your clothes and watch are clearly luxury. I have pretty good taste when it comes to men, but I can’t figure out what you do for a living.”
“I just borrowed them. The borrowing part wasn’t the point. I thought you’d enjoy the puzzle.”
She laughed, eyes crinkling. No one in the real world lent out this kind of tailored suit and high-end watch just to flirt.
Kim Namhu met her gaze without flinching. He had never once been caught in a lie in this life.
She tried to move on, but something about him kept her glued in place. Finally she brought her glass back.
“Do you like golf?”
“Huh?”
He already knew everything about her—her past, her money, the old scars—but she had never met him before. At first she found him intriguing. Then she felt uneasy. She had been in this world long enough to recognize when someone was obsessed.
Kim Namhu read every flicker of emotion and spoke before the discomfort could turn dark. “Every sport changes how your body looks. Your core is strong. It’s not just being skinny—the kind of waist that shows up only when the core muscles are developed. Most golfers have excellent core strength.”
“You’re good at reading women, huh?”
She demonstrated with a playful swing, then grinned. “Do you play?”
“A little. I’m not very good, though.”
“You’re young. Your skill will improve fast.”
“Next time, come to the course with me?”
She laughed softly. “You know how to flirt, but going to the course with you? That’s still a bit soon. You’re a very expensive man, after all.”
“You don’t know how expensive I really am yet.”
Her cheeks flushed with pleasure at his confident tone. She had everything she could ever want—money, freedom, a small shop she loved. But nothing had ever made her heart race like this.
This was the first time in years that a man had stirred such excitement in her.
Kim Namhu remembered the words she had spoken the last time he had been her complete regular.
*Life is so long. It’s boring. Everyone’s the same. Namhu, you’re the only one who keeps bringing something new. It’s hard, isn’t it? I want to enjoy it.*
Jang Sun-young was a woman with real talent. She had the natural gift of making men feel good. If fortune had been kinder, she might have become a superstar actress or celebrity. Instead she had become a billionaire madam. Her life had been a blazing firework—brilliant, dazzling, over too soon. By the time the lights went out, all that remained was black ash.
She had chosen to end it herself.
Rumor said she had gone to climb Mount Fuji alone. The forest there was so vast it was called the Sea of Trees. A body would take forever to find. The report was filed, and several months later her corpse was discovered.
That had been the day Kim Namhu became a veteran host.
He had felt hollow at the time—entertaining women to make money, yet still forming real attachments. His job had been to make Jang Sun-young happy. He had failed, and she had died.
‘My skills are better now. If I’m lucky, I can change the ending this time. She can grow old and die happily.’
Making young women happy with nothing but alcohol and sex wasn’t the only way to please them. He knew how to delight a sensual mature woman too.
“It’s strange. I met you today for the first time, yet I can’t stop looking at you. Do you feel the same?”
“I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe there was some past connection. Or would you rather ask for my name instead of guessing?”
“Name?”
“Kim Namhu.”
“Jang Sun-young. Call me Jang-sajang if you like. Everyone does. How old are you?”
“I’d rather call you Sun-young. It’s better that way.”
Calling her by her title or revealing his age only created distance.
Kim Namhu wanted to get closer to Jang Sun-young as a man.
And she was no ordinary woman.
She could read every thought in his mind.
“You’re definitely not a regular. You’re young, yet you know how to seduce. Where did you hear I have money?”
He never lied to a woman like her. It would backfire immediately.
“I heard it, but it doesn’t matter. If you’re that rich, I’ll earn more than you in ten years.”
A madam who worked the underworld earned insane money. But a host of his caliber was no different. Once you crossed a certain level, money became nothing more than something inside your wallet.
His wallet held a black card that belonged to no one he knew yet—and he could use it however he wanted.
Jang Sun-young’s eyes sparkled like stars.
‘This is what I like.’
The more dangerous and mysterious he made himself appear, the more she was pulled toward him.
Kim Namhu felt her growing attraction and smiled.