The Host's Relentless Grind
Time flowed on its own, smooth and unhurried.
Lee Sang-soo stood before the whiteboard in the host waiting room, marker in hand, and watched as he scrawled fresh figures for each host’s daily sales. The numbers told a story he couldn’t help but smile at.
“Huhuh. When you force competition, sales shoot up.”
He knew, of course, that this kind of long-term pressure carried risks. Yet in the short term it was working wonders. Sales had been exploding.
Not so long ago he had had to threaten the entire team just to keep the gear from slipping. That memory felt almost unbelievable now.
“The Aces are all on their own.”
Three of them were still locked in fierce competition, and their sales changed rank every single day. In the end, the gap between top and bottom was measured in tens of thousands of won, yet the total movement could easily reach ten million.
“The rookies are putting in real effort too.”
In the host world, new faces never started as strong forces. They had to earn regular customers one choice at a time before sales could climb. Now, though, the newcomers’ sales had become a noticeable chunk of the total.
“They’re better than the long-timers who can’t pull their weight.”
Plenty of hosts with over a year’s experience had no regulars at all and simply chased choices for pocket change. Their numbers still couldn’t compete with the fresh blood.
Lee Sang-soo glanced back.
There sat Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom, backs straight, chests puffed out like they had already surpassed several seniors.
In the end, this world was nothing but sales. They clearly believed they had already passed their mentors.
‘If only they didn’t trip over their own pride.’
Showing this level of self-confidence at such an early stage was premature. It took at least half a year of proven results before it was safe.
Lee Sang-soo decided not to say a word. He didn’t need to remind them that this job was unpredictable.
He turned back to the board and checked the latest numbers for the host he had been watching most closely.
‘Kim Namhu doesn’t stand out yet.’
He had joined The Queen the fastest among newcomers and already secured two high-quality regulars, yet his performance still felt… ordinary. He was simply waiting for choices, growing steadily, one careful step at a time.
Occasional doubles with his regulars pushed his sales up a little, but nothing close to first place among the rookies.
Lee Sang-soo finished scanning every host and spoke.
“Today I’ve got nothing else to say. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Understood?”
After he left, Cha Ji-hoon walked straight over to Kim Namhu.
“Hosts’ work isn’t easy, right?”
Cha Ji-hoon still led in sales, and he was wearing that senior pride like armor.
“It’s not easy, sir.”
“Good. Steady work is what matters. From where I’m standing, you’re doing well. You don’t pull faces like the others, you never skip a day. If you keep stacking regulars like this, sales will naturally follow.”
Cha Ji-hoon delivered the advice as if it were a gift from a senior. He truly believed he was helping, and Namhu had no reason to refuse, so he listened quietly while checking the calendar.
This was already the third week of the month.
The month was running out fast.
Cha Ji-hoon’s lecture was nearly over.
“So just watch what I do and copy it. Got it? Follow this senior’s lead and sales will come naturally.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Kim Namhu looked at Cha Ji-hoon, lost in his own senior role-play, with a gentle, almost amused smile.
‘In the host world, nobody knows until the last day.’
He never voiced the thought.
Suddenly, a new name began appearing on the jimyung list.
Han Ki-ju and Ha Ji-yeon had finally put in a good word about him to their own circles, and the effect was starting to show.
They hadn’t forced their friends to come to the bar the way Namhu once had. They had simply mentioned his name in passing, praising his calm, serious demeanor.
“I know a great host. His name’s Namhu. He doesn’t chase money like the others. He’s just… honest.”
Word spread.
Women who already loved nightlife began to wonder.
“Unnie, is that you? Can I come too? Is it your host?”
“Well… sure. We can just drink and have a good time.”
People who enjoyed the scene were generous in such matters.
Even some men would introduce their favorite host to friends for a share of the fun.
Han Ki-ju and Ha Ji-yeon had made it clear they wouldn’t mind if Namhu didn’t take the extra step of second outings, so the women who showed up were all drawn to him alone.
Pairs and trios of them often claimed him as their center of attention.
Right now, the private room he was in belonged to one of Ha Ji-yeon’s acquaintances.
All of them were prosecutors’ wives.
They knew how to have fun; they simply preferred coming from Gangnam.
“This place is nice. The prices aren’t that bad.”
“There’s nothing Gangnam does better than this. From now on, I’m only coming here.”
Gangnam was the center of everything, everyone knew that. But Gangbuk wasn’t completely behind.
As he poured drinks, Kim Namhu spoke with calm confidence.
“Of course. If you just want to relax and leave, The Queen is perfectly fine. In Gangnam, traffic can take over an hour.”
“This soju. How much?”
“Fifty thousand won per bottle.”
“My, I paid a million for it last month in Gangnam.”
They had clearly been drinking at ridiculously expensive places.
The moment the women realized the prices here were cheap, they started drinking even harder.
Taxis were also easy to catch and got them home quickly and comfortably.
A long taxi ride after getting drunk was a nightmare, but not here.
Watching them, Kim Namhu smiled with quiet satisfaction.
He hadn’t simply worked hard. He had added the knowledge only someone who had walked this world for years could possess.
Word of mouth was everything in this industry.
Good reputation brought clients naturally. Small tricks were needed to build that reputation.
Newcomers almost never understood them.
The good word about Namhu spread slowly.
When moneyed or influential women began seeking him out, others noticed and started wondering what made him so attractive.
They wanted to try him themselves.
Attractiveness wasn’t enough. The ability to draw attention was what truly mattered.
Most hosts never grasped that difference.
‘If I don’t keep pushing this interest, it will vanish quickly.’
Every woman who came here paid well for drinks and company, so one good host could be quoted a fortune in minutes.
Keeping the curiosity alive required long-term effort.
‘But for a newcomer to lead the pack this early, it’s more than enough.’
Kim Namhu had no intention of turning every curious woman into a regular.
His body belonged to only one person, and his time was only twenty-four hours a day.
Maintaining high-quality regulars was the real job.
‘Hosts have to be efficient.’
The memory of his previous life came back.
When he had barely heard his name and people suddenly called on him from everywhere, he had worked without a single complaint.
He never refused second outings.
A woman a day, sometimes two or three, had become his routine.
To satisfy every client he had to give each one at least two sessions.
His body had broken down from the constant use.
He had learned the hard way that too much sex could destroy health.
Now one of the prosecutor’s wives ran her hand down the back of his hand as if she liked him and asked,
“Second outing too?”
“I’ll take you, but if the client I met first feels bad, I won’t.”
The wife immediately opened her wallet and placed a thick wad of cash on the table.
It looked like well over a million won.