The Host's So-So Meeting
“Alright then, let’s start simple. How much allowance do you plan to spend this month?”
“Three to four thousand?”
Some people would see that amount as an annual salary. For others, it was barely enough for a month’s pocket money.
It was the harsh reality of capitalism.
“Then you’re fine losing three thousand, right? Playing with money and losing three thousand while spending a million and a half a month—two months of breathing room would make for quite the story. If you’re crying about not being able to spend a million and a half, there are plenty of people who’d love to smack you.”
“Is there somewhere I can invest in? You didn’t invest?”
“I had too much money coming in. If I had even more, I would’ve invested right away.”
Han Ki-ju’s eyes sparkled again.
Among the people who came for entertainment, many possessed a talent for making money.
That was why stories of hostesses in the entertainment world who hit it big investing after hearing premium securities information from a brokerage were common.
There’s no rule that this kind of thing can’t happen to a host.
If the information was solid, three thousand was nothing compared to thirty billion won.
“Where is it?”
“Webflix. A Korean drama called Octopus Game is coming out later. If we buy the related stocks now, we won’t lose.”
Octopus Game immediately dominated all the news the moment it was announced.
And the economic papers were buzzing about its impact on the economy.
It was shocking enough to stay in Kim Namhu’s mind.
The production company’s stock jumped roughly fifty percent, and Webflix rose seven percent that day.
This was almost a money-eating-money game.
There were still a few months left before Octopus Game would release, and Kim Namhu planned to gather the money that very day and invest in the production company.
Even fifty percent would mean a billion won profit, turning into five million won.
It was no small figure.
Even Kim Namhu, who thought any host could earn money from their work, had more than enough incentive to try investing once.
And Han Ki-ju scrolled through her phone and spoke.
“It’s the place where that actress is appearing, right? Kim Hye-ji.”
“That’s right.”
“Are you talking nonsense because you’re in love with that actress?”
“Even if you invest, the drama either fails or succeeds—there’s no middle ground.”
The drama was already in production and moving forward smoothly.
“If you don’t like it, say so. I’ve given you the information. Don’t regret it later.”
“Then I’ll invest just enough for allowance, okay?”
Kim Namhu had given her plenty of information.
It was practically telling her exactly when the winning bet would appear.
How much to bet was up to her own skill.
Kim Namhu had no intention of advising her on that.
Predicting the exact percentage was something a fortune teller would do.
“Great. Then three thousand. I’ll put it in. As related stocks. And if there’s profit, I’ll give you half of what you invested, based on the information.”
And with those words, Kim Namhu’s heart changed.
If her investment succeeded and she made a profit of one million five hundred thousand, that would become seven hundred and fifty thousand won in his pocket.
If she invested even more, the money that would come his way would be even greater.
But how do I convince her?
Even Kim Hye-ji, who was good at choosing scripts, had not predicted success for Octopus Game.
The only way to persuade her was to tell her he had seen all the information from his future self.
Even so, there was a good chance she wouldn’t believe him.
So instead of persuading her, he decided to provoke her.
It seemed like a better way to lure her in.
“But if it’s only that, it’ll be boring, won’t it?”
“What?”
When he mentioned fun, her attention snapped to him immediately.
“Then what else should we do?”
“You offered to cover my money, but three thousand won isn’t fun. Instead, let’s bet bigger. I’ll cover any losses.”
Han Ki-ju laughed when Kim Namhu spoke so boldly.
She assumed he didn’t know how much money was in his bank account.
“You sure? How much did you earn last month?”
“It fluctuates between two and one million.”
“That’s recent. Right now my account has twenty billion. If I lose this investment, can I handle it? And I’ll have to live like your slave until then?”
Losing a hundred million and ten months of repayments—that was the bet.
If Kim Namhu hadn’t known the outcome of Octopus Game, he would never have made such a bet.
And no normal person would have.
“What’s wrong with that? Instead, I’ll tell you exactly where to invest and when.”
“I didn’t realize you were this foolish.”
Han Ki-ju felt a little disappointed in Kim Namhu.
She had thought she met an interesting friend, but this friend felt just as foolish as anyone else.
Maybe this is for the best.
Learning this early and cutting her off would be less shocking than being disappointed later.
Then I’ll follow her orders exactly.
The twenty billion won in her account was, in essence, nothing more than accumulated allowance.
Even if she lost it all, it would not affect the buildings she owned.
And she had no intention of losing the money.
“Then I’ll add one more condition. Since I don’t want to lose all this money, if I lose ten percent, I’ll immediately stop the investment and recover the principal. Is that okay?”
She thought two billion was fine to spend on a man who had entertained her for a while.
“No problem.”
Kim Namhu planned to invest the day before Octopus Game was released.
That way, he would never lose.
“This isn’t a joke, right? I’ll get it notarized by the lawyer we use for transactions at my house. Legally binding.”
“Then I’m more at ease.”
The notarization would include profit distribution.
Kim Namhu drank his alcohol without a hint of worry, a natural smile forming on his face.
“It’s fun?”
No matter how successful a host was, this was money at the level of hundreds of millions.
Han Ki-ju couldn’t understand how he could smile while handling it like that.
“Not only you earn money from it. I enjoy it too.”
“It’s really fun. For now. But I worry how sad you’ll be when you’re disappointed later. Why not cancel the bet now and enjoy being friends with me?”
“No. I have no such thoughts.”
**
Kim Namhu had only suggested the bet to Han Ki-ju so he could earn more money.
And it was heading in a direction he hadn’t expected.
The day after the gathering ended.
In the host waiting room, casual talk about Kim Namhu began to circulate.
It seemed they were curious about which celebrity had him as a regular.
Fortunately, nothing more was revealed, and since Kim Namhu hadn’t told the boss the full story, no host asked him directly.
And before the store opened, Lee Sang-soo announced new notices.
“It’s still the beginning of the month. Do you remember that new host took first place in sales last month? Everyone works hard, and if luck comes, there will be such days again. So let’s all work hard this month too.”
The hosts answered with energy, believing the words.
And Lee Sang-soo had more notices to give.
It was something he didn’t want to say much about.
But it was the boss’s special instruction, so he had no choice.
“This time, the boss created a new incentive procedure to motivate all of you.”
Everyone hoped for some kind of bonus.
“It’s not a bonus. He said it shouldn’t be limited to a few. This month, anyone who increased sales compared to last month will get double the incentive.”
Everyone cheered.
Seeing how the hosts reacted, Lee Sang-soo found it even harder to voice his displeasure.
He had tried to oppose the boss with courage, but the boss’s opinion was too strong, and he could not reject the decision.
Lee Sang-soo cleared his throat and spoke.
“Quiet. Quiet. But it’s not unconditionally good. Compared to last month, hosts who had lower sales will receive half the incentive.”
There was a brief silence.
They took a moment to understand what he meant.
Seconds later, some hosts voiced their dissatisfaction.
“What? Main! What does that mean? The ones who worked hard last month and earned money—are they supposed to get only half this month?”
“You know as well as I do, Main. There are good months and bad months. What am I supposed to do if I was lucky last month?”
Lee Sang-soo calmed them.
“There’s nothing I can do. I told the boss it’s unreasonable, but the boss’s intention is clear.”
Thanks to his long-standing character, none of the hosts reacted this strongly.
And those who had been unlucky last month and earned less simply kept quiet, thinking they could earn more easily this month.
Lee Sang-soo’s gaze turned to Kim Namhu.
Kim Namhu would suffer the greatest damage from the new incentive policy the boss had just created.
Even though that new host’s first-place sales last month was a miracle, surpassing it was an even slimmer chance.
It was obvious that even if Kim Namhu worked hard this month, his earnings would be cut in half.
He almost wanted to suggest taking a month’s vacation.