The New Host's First Regular
Lee Sang-soo knew that Oh Chang-won had racked up a decent amount of sales, so he loosened the headlock he had been applying to the younger host's hair.
Lee Sang-soo addressed the aces as if issuing a command.
"We don't have any brilliant ideas, do we? You all know how it is—it's all about atmosphere. When a host bar is packed, passersby can't help but get curious and walk in. But an empty place? The first customer who enters is usually tense and on edge."
Lee Sang-soo spoke those words, yet he wasn't actually expecting much from any of them.
The three aces shared the same lack of clear solutions.
Only Jang Hyo-woon had a fleeting thought cross his mind.
"Speaking of which, hyung."
"Hm?"
"Our maknae—Namhu—told me today that a customer is coming who wants the most expensive drinks we have. He requested the most expensive selection possible. The pricier, the better."
"So?"
"Well, we already have two bottles of Armand de Brignac in the bar, so he said to go ahead with that."
Armand de Brignac was an ultra-premium champagne. Buying it at full retail price exceeded 1.5 million won, and in 2010 it had been voted the world's best champagne. It was also produced in far smaller quantities than Dom Pérignon, which already ranked as one of the most expensive drinks in Japanese host bars.
"A bottle like that in our place?"
"We had a regular customer who asked for it before. And in Gangnam, they sell thirty bottles in a single night, so it's not exactly hard to get."
Lee Sang-soo and the aces returned to the bar together.
Jang Hyo-woon headed straight for the waiting room.
Kim Namhu was already there.
"Maknae."
"Yes?"
"Any good customers today?"
At that, Kim Namhu smiled and replied.
"Do you prefer the surprise of not knowing? Or the milder shock of being told in advance?"
"Haha. Not knowing would be more fun. But if no one's coming at all today, the disappointment would hit even harder, right?"
"I'll make sure to avoid that."
A few minutes later, one of the staff workers opened the waiting-room door and announced, "Mr. Kim Namhu? VIP room—your designated client."
The Queen was a host bar packed with multiple private rooms, each varying slightly in size and amenities—and therefore in price.
The highest-end VIP room naturally commanded the highest fee and was rarely used by ordinary guests.
Jang Hyo-woon stood up first and asked the staff, "Did you also order drinks?"
"Yes. I brought the most expensive option—Armand de Brignac."
"Ooh!"
The markup on alcohol was much higher than in regular stores, and it was even more inflated in a special venue like a host bar.
A bottle of 1982 Valentine that cost around 60,000 won on the open market would have doubled in price if served here.
Women who patronized host bars paid heavily to satisfy desires that were otherwise difficult to reveal to the outside world.
That was precisely why hosts could earn such large sums.
A single bottle of Armand de Brignac sold for 3 million won at the Queen.
Only a tiny fraction of customers could afford to pay that much for one drink alone.
It was either people with truly vast wealth or those completely out of their minds.
"Whoa. Kim Namhu, if you pull off this one sale, you can knock off early for the day."
With sales like this, it was practically the same as finishing an entire day's work.
Jang Hyo-woon wasn't finished praising him either.
Lee Sang-soo had heard the news and rushed over to the waiting room, roaring with laughter after so long.
"Did you all see that? Ever since the maknae started hunting on the street, things have been heating up! When someone throws their whole heart into it, something's bound to show up!"
Lee Sang-soo patted Namhu on the shoulder.
"Wait for your customer. Get going."
Kim Namhu straightened up and left the waiting room.
The excited chatter of hosts who hadn't seen a big spender in ages echoed from the hallway behind him.
Even though most hosts prioritized their own earnings above all else, complete indifference to their colleagues was rare.
When the maknae did well, some would cheer him on enthusiastically.
"Whoa, maybe I should go hunt too."
"Whatever customer shows up today, we'll make sure to have fun."
"If we get a ton of customers today, let's do a group drink!"
The atmosphere that had been stagnant began to thaw.
This momentum would spread even to the rarest of high-spending clients, changing the entire bar's mood.
The gazes of his fellow hosts toward Kim Namhu were already shifting slightly.
Aces were consistently good earners, but the promising up-and-comers who would become aces were the ones who liked to show off.
When everyone was struggling, landing a truly big hit was the surest self-proof of being a rising talent.
Jang Hyo-woon escorted Namhu to the VIP room door.
Through the glass, he saw a single woman waiting inside.
"Whoa, you can tell just by looking she's loaded."
"You think so?"
"Obviously. Just the clothes she's wearing must cost several million won. And a woman coming alone, looking that relaxed—it's not normal. If you need help, let me know. I'll send someone skilled to assist."
Some hosts were natural comedians who could melt frozen atmospheres with jokes.
If someone made a mistake, having a witty friend around proved incredibly effective.
"No thanks. You handle things your own way from the start. You don't need help."
"No, if I need assistance, I'll definitely ask."
"Haha. No need to butter me up."
"Thank you."
Kim Namhu was clearly a host who didn't need anyone's help.
But the rule for success was simple: keep the good ones close and the bad ones far away.
The man who had so boldly extended his goodwill was a good person.
His gratitude was more than enough.
"Seriously, you're a smooth talker. Now go on in—the customer's been waiting."
Kim Namhu entered the VIP room.
Jang Sun-young greeted him with a bright smile.
Jang Sun-young had already developed interest and affection toward Kim Namhu.
The conversation flowed naturally and pleasantly.
She requested even more drinks after finishing the two bottles of Armand de Brignac.
When it was time to leave, she opened her wallet.
Back when Korea still didn't have 50,000-won bills, the true wealthy used 100,000-won checks as cash.
After the 50,000-won notes appeared, no one used checks anymore.
Instead, they switched to 1 million-won notes.
It was so convenient for buying luxury items—you just needed a few checks.
Jang Sun-young's wallet was stuffed with crisp 1 million-won checks.
Kim Namhu could tell by the thickness alone how much was inside.
"A hundred."
He was essentially carrying 10 million won in his wallet.
Jang Sun-young pulled out enough checks to cover the bill—about ten of them.
"Keep the rest as your share."
Jang Sun-young smiled.
She had worked in the same industry long enough to know the structure of the host world inside and out.
Hosts and host bars were symbiotic.
If you only tipped the hosts, they could earn big for a short time, but they would drift farther and farther from the bar.
Truly successful aces earned large sums themselves and also brought massive revenue to the host bar.
Jang Sun-young took one more 1 million-won check from her wallet and slipped it into Namhu's inner pocket.
"This is a tip. See you tomorrow."
After Jang Sun-young left, many hosts gathered around Kim Namhu, curious about the new customer.
Jang Sun-young had retired from Ten-Pro a long time ago, and there was almost no overlap between the male clients who played there and the female ones.
Not a single host knew her true identity.
Cha Ji-hoon, who had grown close to Namhu, approached and asked.
"Namhu, who was that client? I know almost all the real housewives in the Gangbuk area, but I've never seen someone like her."
"The client's identity is a secret. You know that, Ji-hoon—how many high-end clients do you secretly play with? You can't just blab it around."
Cha Ji-hoon understood Namhu's point, so he didn't press further about Jang Sun-young.
"Then tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's my off day, right?"
"Yeah. I promised to do something like a date."
"Whoa, you're turning into a full regular. Congratulations."
"I won't know if it'll stick until I try more, though."
The reason Jang Sun-young had spent so lavishly today was because Namhu had made her truly happy the previous time.
The power in a host-client relationship truly rested with the female client.
Until the woman completely pulled away, she held the choice to continue or end the relationship.
"You know the old saying—three dates and no kiss and the man and woman aren't meant for each other?"
This had been the first meeting—Namhu seeking out Jang Sun-young.
The second was her coming to the Queen.
Now tomorrow's golf course outing would be the third.
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