Swallow Hunting - Chapter 29.1
Thinking he might arrive late, Hae-jun caught up on his sleep in the early evening, washed himself thoroughly, and waited for Lee Kang-ju. As expected, Lee Kang-ju visited around 2:00 AM.
He entered as if it were his own home by pressing the password. Hae-jun had never mentioned the code, yet the man seemed to know it. Then again, it was only natural since it was a house he had provided.
“The password. Should I leave it as it is?”
When he asked just in case, Lee Kang-ju shrugged. Whether he changed it or not, it seemed the man didn’t care as long as he was notified.
The current password was four zeros, which was the lowest level of difficulty. It was a number where a thief could press it without a thought and the door would swing wide open, allowing them to steal the furniture inside.
He wondered for a moment if the man was worried about the house he had provided, but soon shook his head. Well, there had to be something worth taking. Anyone who broke in would probably just hurl insults about never seeing such a beggar before leaving.
Lee Kang-ju did not come empty handed. Inside the shopping bag he brought were two bottles of wine and a platter. There was a variety of cheeses, olives, and charcuterie.
“Do you like wine?”
“It’s alright. What about you, Hae-jun?”
“I am a soju person. I do drink Western liquor, but the hangovers are bad. I can’t drink much beer. I get full on the liquid.”
“And wine?”
“I haven’t had it much.”
Compared to other types of alcohol, he had experienced it less. Since almost no customers came to a host bar to order wine, the Boss hadn’t stocked it, saying it didn’t make any money.
“Maybe I should have bought something else.”
“No! This is good too.”
Since there were no wine glasses, they used water cups instead. He felt a bit regretful about that point deep down, but Lee Kang-ju poured the alcohol himself as if he didn’t mind at all.
His gestures were elegant. If not for the scars on the back of his hand, the bulging calluses, and the memory of him beating a man down in that office, one might mistake him for a kind gentleman from a prestigious family who had received a perfect education.
“CEO, you are…”
He wasn’t drunk, but the end of his sentence slowed down. Hae-jun fiddled with his glass of liquor. Lee Kang-ju rested his chin on his hand and waited for the rest of his words.
“How did you end up in that line of work?”
“That line?”
“The mob.”
He didn’t know exactly what Lee Kang-ju did for a living. He was simply guessing based on how accustomed the man seemed to using his fists. The scent of blood caught by his instinct also played a part. Hae-jun had a knack for picking up that scent.
Lee Kang-ju laughed softly. It was as if Hae-jun’s question was absurd.
“Do I look like a mobster?”
“Based on what you showed me in the office last time…”
“To be precise, I am a finance professional. While working, there are times when fists are occasionally necessary. But a mobster is stretching it.”
He tilted his head while taking a sip. Hae-jun quickly emptied his glass. His throat felt dry as if he had asked a pointless question. However, the man gave a smirk and gazed at Hae-jun.
“Well. I suppose I could look that way. I just drifted into this field while living my life. This time, you answer, Cha Hae-jun. How did you end up becoming a male prostitute?”
“As for me, well.”
The time to get angry at such a direct word had passed long ago. What else would one call a profession where you sell your body for money if not that?
“I was told I had no knack for work, so I was scolded every day. My hands are a bit slow. It was like that when I worked at a cafe, too. I even did manual labor, but I made so many mistakes that the older men scolded me a lot. Later, even the foreman cursed and yelled at me. Eventually, I got fired.”
Hae-jun spread his palms wide and showed them to Lee Kang-ju. His fingers were long and straight without a single bump. His pink nails were like jewels polished into smooth curves, and the backs of his hands were fair without any scars. Looking only at his hands, he looked like a young master who had grown up precious without ever touching water.
However, these hands were useless when it came to work. Not only did he lack manual dexterity, but his body was also not as sturdy as his hands.
When he worked at the cafe, he broke expensive glasses while passing the counter; when he worked at the construction site, he fell over and burst cement bags while carrying them on his shoulder. He even almost killed another worker by dropping a steel bar.
At first, the employers let it slide, saying everyone learns through mistakes, but as it happened more often, they found it difficult and eventually fired him. Hae-jun understood them. Even if he were in their shoes, he wouldn’t want to hire a worker like himself. A clumsy person who caused accidents at every turn.
“The debt collectors were pushing me, and I had to make money. That’s how I ended up here. My hands might be slow, but my cock is pretty.”
Lee Kang-ju’s lips curled up at the joke added to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“Is it a good fit for your aptitude?”
“I think so. I make fewer mistakes than in other jobs, and a lot of people have been very fond of me.”
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