The First Regular Client
At a golf course located in Gyeonggi Province, Kim Namhu had once again turned to Jang Hyo-woon for help since he still did not own a car.
Golf was the sport of the wealthy, and private courses could be quite demanding without a personal vehicle.
Kim Namhu boarded Jang Hyo-woon’s sports car and entered the course. He bowed his head respectfully and greeted his senior.
Even on days off, serving as a chauffeur for such a distant junior was no easy task.
“Thank you for driving me.”
“No need. I just wanted to come here. This place is one I’ve only heard rumors about—I’ve never actually been myself. It’s truly impressive. If I could charm even one auntie out of here, my luck would change forever.”
Without Jang Sun-young’s reservation, Jang Hyo-woon would never have been able to drive this far into the private parking lot.
“Then why don’t you try your hand at hunting here too, Hyo-woon. After all, making the ladies’ work here a day or two thing isn’t that simple.”
Actually, one of the main sources of income at The Queen was wealthy regular clients.
Once you had money, the inhibitions about fulfilling sexual desire vanished, and this applied to both men and women.
Especially women with husbands who were themselves entertainers; they already knew that room salons existed because their husbands went there.
That was why the wives justified their own visits by saying that since their husbands did it, so could they.
“Haha, sure, if the chance comes up. You keep going too. I’ll take you home when we’re done, okay?”
It meant that once he seduced a woman, he would simply take her car back to Seoul afterward.
It was a firm promise.
“Yes, understood.”
Kim Namhu walked alone into the golf course grounds.
Yet another large sum had been spent just to get here.
He had purchased brand-new golf attire.
Buying secondhand clothes always showed it immediately.
He had also bought secondhand golf equipment.
Still, because he had played golf back and forth in his previous life, his eye for gear had sharpened enough that the equipment he possessed would not have earned him any curses.
“I spent the money I earned last month just like that… but what could I do?”
To attract a big spender, investment was necessary.
As soon as he entered the members-only course, staff began checking reservations.
A room had been reserved under his name.
He had arrived early so he would not have to keep the guest waiting.
When the appointed time arrived, Jang Sun-young opened the door of the private room and walked in.
“You beat the rush, huh?”
She looked as sexy as ever today.
The golf outfit suited her perfectly.
At first glance she resembled a graceful, energetic young female golfer.
Jang Sun-young had not come alone.
She had brought her friends.
One was a friend she had worked with in a Ten-Pro room salon.
The other was an old regular client and friend of hers.
With Kim Namhu included, a perfect two-men-two-women group had formed.
“Oh my, who is this handsome young man?”
“Haha, is he your new boyfriend, Sun-young?”
“Just for today, though I don’t know how long it will last.”
Jang Sun-young gave him a playful wink.
She must have thought he had not wasted their previous meetings.
Hosts were originally meant only for female clients.
But an elite host had to be able to perform any kind of clowning to make a woman happy.
That included knowing how to treat a slightly older man.
Kim Namhu had become everyone’s clown for Jang Sun-young.
He kept just the right distance from her female friend and made her laugh.
With her male friend he asked questions and flattered him.
“You really know how to talk.”
“Haha, this guy. If I had a friend this smooth working under me, life would be so much easier.”
Thanks to Kim Namhu’s skill, the atmosphere quickly improved.
A normal host could not read the room and would ignore the woman he actually wanted, instead getting overly friendly with the woman beside her.
Many also did not know how to make a man feel good.
Jang Sun-young watched Kim Namhu with a smile.
“It’s not natural talent—it’s training. But from what I overheard at the store, he’s only been a host for a short time. Still, he’s fun.”
Someone gifted in talent would easily make the mistake of getting too close to too many women.
They would also fail to flatter a powerful man to win his favor, thinking everyone naturally loved them.
What Kim Namhu had shown today was the kind of ability only someone with talent could achieve after countless mistakes and hard work.
The same held on the course.
Kim Namhu became Jang Sun-young’s perfect caddie.
Golf had been decided so that she and Kim Namhu would form one team, and her other two friends the other.
The match was intense, with no one standing out clearly as the best or worst.
In the final moment when Jang Sun-young would decide the winner, she sank her putt.
The thrill of a closely fought game ending by your own effort was the sweetest taste of victory.
Jang Sun-young burst into joy.
“Whoa! I’m so happy! Here, your tip!”
She pulled out her wallet and handed him a one-million-won check.
“Thank you.”
The losers in the match also seemed not entirely displeased; the contest had been perfectly balanced.
“See you next time, Chairman Jang.”
“Come visit the store sometime, okay?”
The woman who had once worked with Jang Sun-young in a Ten-Pro and was now the madam of a major salon spoke from Kim Namhu’s side.
“Where are you talking about?”
“The Queen. You probably won’t see me there, but the others will treat you to plenty of fun.”
“Is it a jimyung thing?”
“The industry is dirty, but there’s still an unwritten rule. You’re a friend of Sun-young’s. If I brought you to her, she’d be unhappy. Even if she allows it, I won’t do it.”
“Even with permission?”
“Permission or not, a woman’s heart won’t feel right.”
“You’re completely irresistible.”
This woman wanted Kim Namhu more the more he refused her.
“You don’t know this, but I’m doing just as well as Sun-young. If I become your regular, you’ll be earning a pretty sum too, right?”
“Even if I earn money, I’ll never get the heart of the woman I truly want.”
Kim Namhu’s words sounded like a joke but also carried a hint of sincerity.
A host and a former Ten-Pro woman.
Both belonged to a profession few would trust if asked about love.
Jang Sun-young burst out laughing at his remark.
The more Kim Namhu looked at her, the higher her self-confidence soared.
“Sigh. He really is a host through and through. He can talk, but I still can’t believe it. If he ever goes to The Queen, be sure to treat him well. Just drinking together is no small thing, right?”
“He might end up eating you up instead.”
“Eat me? I can tell from the way he talks. He’s a complete woman-stealing ghost.”
Kim Namhu bowed politely and said goodbye.
“Then I’ll give you my best service when you visit the store.”
A single big spender could not make a host shine on his own.
If a big client had to wait in line, one could call him the best host in Korea.
Winning over one big client’s heart would naturally bring others.
**
Kim Namhu and Jang Sun-young returned to the luxury private room at the golf course.
They each showered and came out.
After washing away the sweat, feeling refreshed, they sat facing each other on the sofa wearing only bathrobes.
“I wonder if she wants to have a deep conversation?”
While Kim Namhu was thinking this, Jang Sun-young suddenly asked a question.
“Normally at this point would you not shower a woman with sexy flattery? Today might be the last time.”
“If I were a woman, I would have. But women don’t usually like that kind of flattery, do they?”
The way a woman seduced a man was simple.
If she was pretty and sexy, she would satisfy his ego and that would be the end of it.
That was enough to hook most men.
But seducing a woman was different.
Each woman approached differently.
The key was to read that and gently scratch at her weakness.
At the same time, if you came on too strong, everything ended.
Because women were physically weaker than men, even a slight sense of threat made them disappear immediately.
“More importantly, is there something you want to ask me?”
“Quite a few. Too many, actually.”
Kim Namhu had steadily shown new sides to her.
Today he had shown that he was not just skilled inside a host bar.
That was something no ordinary host of his age and career could do.
“You know… ever since you came to my store, I’ve only been thinking about you. I keep wondering what your secret really is.”
Any ordinary host would have assumed he had already won her heart at this point.
And Kim Namhu was no ordinary host.
“Were you having fun?”
Jang Sun-young smiled at the unexpected question.
“It was fun. Is that important?”
“It is. After all, a host exists to bring joy to women. Sun-young seemed so happy chatting and drinking with her regulars at her own store.”