Gangnam
Kim Namhu spoke with absolute honesty.
“The hosts at The Queen have split into two major factions right now, and the competition between them has gotten so fierce that the atmosphere is just awful.”
“Hmm. Even hosts have their own little dramas, huh?”
“People are people. Prosecutors draw lines and fight their own political wars among themselves. It’s exactly the same.”
“But why suddenly?”
“Probably because of me.”
A brand-new, oversized rookie had just shown up—and he was turning out to be ridiculously good.
Choi Moon-ho had never imagined this newbie could perform at this level, so he’d let Jang Hyo-woon’s faction take him in without a fight. That was the problem now.
Hearing the explanation, Ha Ji-yeon’s lips curved in a proud smile.
“Why?”
“Because my guy’s been doing great, of course.”
She reached over and casually squeezed Kim Namhu’s backside while she spoke.
“Then Choi Moon-ho is the problem, right? What should I do for you?”
Her tone was playful, but Kim Namhu’s heart was hammering like he’d just been caught in a tiger trap.
She was the rich wife of a prosecutor—wealthy, bored, and used to getting whatever she wanted.
If she decided to crush Choi Moon-ho, slipping him a single word into the right ears would be child’s play.
“No, no. I can handle it myself. Just take care of your heart.”
Kim Namhu knew how dangerous it was to be too well-liked by regulars. He’d learned that the hard way.
**
A new month had begun, and Jang Hyo-woon stood in front of the whiteboard, eyes sparkling as he studied the sales figures.
It had only been about a week, yet Kim Namhu’s numbers had already climbed dramatically.
“Namhu’s incredible, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Kim Namhu answered shortly.
His sales were still far below what his skill deserved, but that was all it would take—more regulars would come.
That single fact was enough.
No need to show off or play humble.
The real issue was the stares.
Kim Namhu remained calm, but he couldn’t pretend the attention didn’t exist.
Jealousy that had flared in the past when he’d been the top rookie seller was already rising again.
The advice he’d once received when his sales dipped now felt like it had been made up.
‘Yeah. That’s people for you.’
Kim Namhu had lived through decades of host work and countless female clients across both lives. He’d learned a simple truth.
In this world, almost no one was consistently kind.
You could become saintly or devilish depending on your situation. That was just human nature.
So he stopped worrying about how the waiting-room hosts reacted.
Jang Hyo-woon chuckled. “You’re gonna become an Ace by this month, aren’t you?”
It sounded like a joke, but to the other hosts it was a challenge.
Kim Namhu answered without blinking. “Just some regulars showed up early this month. They don’t come every day, so the odds are slim.”
He was being brutally honest about his current standing.
He had quality regulars, but not enough of them.
At his level, he was barely enough to rival a three- or four-year veteran. Nothing more.
And that was exactly why the newbies saw him as a threat.
“You’re such a buzzkill. Try adding some fighting spirit. I’m aiming for Ace this month, okay?”
“I’ll do exactly what I always do.”
“There you go—always the diligent one.”
Jang Hyo-woon tossed off more playful jabs to lighten the mood, but it did nothing. The tension had already gone too far.
Multiple hosts were shooting him sidelong glances.
Some stared openly, others deliberately ignored him.
Kim Namhu actually enjoyed the pressure.
‘Yeah. This is what being a host feels like.’
The Queen was full of decent people, but it was still a host bar.
When one person was crushing it, the rest had to react. That was proof of skill.
As long as you didn’t cross any hard lines, the tension could even become fuel for better focus.
Lee Sang-soo pushed open the waiting-room door.
“Alright, before we start business today, there’s something I need to tell you all.”
Every host turned toward him.
“A help request came from Gangnam.”
The room’s atmosphere immediately turned sour.
Host bars were all connected through relationships.
If one place suddenly lost several hosts, others would pitch in.
Choi Moon-ho stepped forward. “Why not just hire mobile escorts?”
Mobile escorts were the lower-tier van drivers who traveled anywhere to meet clients. They were looked down on even worse than regular hosts.
Lee Sang-soo shook his head. “You idiots really don’t know about them, huh? The ones with seniority will be handled separately—don’t worry. We help each other out when times get tough. Otherwise, when we need help later, we won’t get any.”
Even the younger hosts, who hadn’t been here long, heard that.
“For now, we’ll send support. The newer ones can experience why Gangnam is Gangnam this time. They even offered a bonus. Anyone want to go?”
Most newbies looked reluctant; their seniors usually preferred familiar bars.
‘Interesting.’
Kim Namhu was different.
He’d started in the north before, but the place that made him the best host in Korea had always been Gangnam.
At the heart of the country’s nightlife, Gangnam was still the center.
Going to a fresh venue every now and then from The Queen might even do him good.
He raised his hand.
Lee Sang-soo grinned. “As expected—Namhu. No matter the bar, the rising rookies always rise.”
When Kim Namhu lowered his hand, two other newbies lifted theirs too: Shin Yong-geom and Cha Ji-hoon.
They still clearly believed they were owed at least as much as Kim Namhu.
Kim Namhu watched them and smiled.
They had no idea how different Gangnam was from the north.
In Korea, the host industry at the very top belonged to Gangnam—and the mentality there was on another planet.
The north was basically a flower field.
Lee Sang-soo handed over his car keys without hesitation.
The Bentley was a base three-hundred-million-won model—lightly over the line.
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom had never driven something this expensive, so they both volunteered.
Kim Namhu simply stayed quiet, confident he could manage.
“Shall we see just how far they’re killing it in Gangnam?”
“Sounds like it’s gonna be fun.”
Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom were so excited they’d already forgotten they’d been fighting each other just weeks ago, and they chatted cheerfully.
**
The three newbies arrived at Main Stage, the famous host bar in Gangnam.
The moment they stepped inside, Cha Ji-hoon and Shin Yong-geom’s mouths fell open in shock.
“Such a huge gap in standards?”
The Queen had been one of the top bars in the north, with no small scale to speak of.
But compared to Gangnam, it felt like a completely different league.
Just looking at the building, it occupied two entire floors at once.
The interior screamed money—every detail lavish. The decoration budget alone must have been three times what The Queen spent.
Most importantly, the hosts themselves were on a different level.
Even if you were an Ace here, you’d still out-earn someone like Cha Ji-hoon or Shin Yong-geom, who didn’t have years of experience yet.
Without that experience, no amount of fashion could hide the cheapness in their presence.
The vibe hosts gave off came only from accumulated years.
Same clothes, but one looked like a luxury brand, the other like a discount rack.
Only Kim Namhu radiated an aura that screamed “newbie” without actually feeling like one.
He fit in perfectly among the Gangnam hosts.
And while the other two were already starting to feel the pressure, Kim Namhu leaned against the wall in the waiting room, relaxed and scanning the room.
‘Main Stage…’
He’d never been here before, only heard the name.
‘Even the top Gangnam bar isn’t this place.’
It ranked around fourth or fifth at best in the district.
If he couldn’t make it here, he’d have to forget about becoming the industry’s number one.
Kim Namhu sipped his sweet coffee, refreshing himself with sugar and caffeine.
The existing hosts at Main Stage were chatting among themselves.
He recognized a few familiar faces from their past shifts in Gangnam and several new ones.
‘Was I even here at this point?’
Some of the hosts he’d later competed against with new female clients in Gangnam were already present.
---
Gangnam Aura
Top 5 Hosts by Monthly Sales:
1. Kim Namhu — 98.4 million won
2. Lee Joon-seok — 87.2 million won
3. Park Min-woo — 76.5 million won
4. Cho Tae-wan — 64.8 million won
5. Han Seung-ho — 59.1 million won
Kim Namhu! That’s our new face today? The rookie from The Queen is actually wearing his own shoes. Respect.
…He’s not even trying. Just sitting there like he owns the place. This is gonna be annoying.
Look at him. Smiling like he already won. If he makes even one regular here, I’m never living it down.
Gangnam: Main Stage — Temporary Support Shift Complete