Swallow Hunting - Chapter 53.1
On the day he ran into Choi Man-seok, a small wind of change blew through Hae-jun’s heart.
Until then, he had thought it would be impossible to get anything out of Lee Kang-ju and believed he should just be grateful for whatever money he was given. However, he could not continue living a life where he was constantly struggling just to cover the interest. To move forward, to make things better, he had to obtain something more.
The problem was that he did not know how. He had been chosen by clients, received their favor, and gone out on second rounds, but he had never received anything beyond that. He felt lost regarding how to bring it up or what kind of sob story he should sell.
“Oh. So you’re finally planning to run a scam?”
Yohan looked delighted, as if it were his own business. On the other hand, Hae-jun’s expression was dark. He even looked somewhat grim.
“But I’ve never actually received anything either.”
“Ah, what?”
Yohan had been bragging and telling Hae-jun to call him ‘Sunbae,’ but he turned out to be an empty shell. Hae-jun’s eyes narrowed into slits.
“I’ve heard a lot, though. Usually, you sell out your family. Your mom is sick, your only younger sibling needs surgery but you have no money, a close uncle who is like a father to you collapsed, and so on.”
As Yohan’s explanation continued, Hae-jun conversely began to lose confidence. Lee Kang-ju already knew that his mother had passed away when he was five. He had also already blurted out the fact that his father was a gambler with his own big mouth. To sell out his family, he would have to invent fictional members, but that was a tactic that would not work on Lee Kang-ju.
“Anything else?”
“Anything else… maybe ask him to pay off your debt because you have one?”
“How could I say something like that?”
“It’s possible if the guest is head over heels for you. You keep sighing, pretend to be depressed, and even shed some tears.”
The premise itself was the problem. Lee Kang-ju did not like him. At best, he was just a novel toy.
When he was about to jump off the bridge, the man didn’t even try to stop him; instead, he said he would just watch. Although he ended up saving him, he wouldn’t have been that upset even if Hae-jun had died. Hae-jun was certain of it.
Lee Kang-ju was a man like a glacier. Even when he smiled sweetly, let Hae-jun into his home without a thought, or treated him kindly, his boundaries were incredibly distinct.
‘I hate annoying things, so take what I say with a grain of salt.’
Squeezing things out of him? Perhaps just trying not to be abandoned was the best he could do.
“Why? Has that guy still not fallen for you?”
“I don’t think he ever will.”
“True. He did look like he’d be high difficulty. That’s why I told you. Wrap it up quickly.”
Hae-jun pouted. Yohan raised his palm to swat him like a fly, so Hae-jun quickly tucked his lips back in.
Wrap it up quickly? That was easier said than done. Even if he sold his body elsewhere, he couldn’t earn this kind of money. Moreover, since the man provided lodging, the conditions could be considered excellent. As a gigolo, it was the best welfare possible. On the surface, at least.
Aside from that, there were things that popped up whenever he saw Lee Kang-ju, or moments where he became dazed just by thinking of him, making him feel helpless. Even so, he did not try to find out the reason. He would keep the lid closed and pretend not to notice until it disappeared on its own.
“If it’s really too much, I’ll look for someone else for you.”
“I thought you said that was nonsense last time.”
“That was before I saw that guy’s photo. Of all the people you could pick, you chose a guy who reeks of blood…”
Yohan clicked his tongue openly. He looked at Hae-jun with a crumpled, disapproving expression. When Hae-jun tucked his tail and whimpered, Yohan sighed and looked away.
“I have someone who isn’t a seventy year old grandpa but is quite sturdy. Is someone in their fifties okay? His hobby is golf and he has a clean personality. He has a divorced wife and two kids. They say the divorce was clean without any noise.”
“That sounds…”
He was about to nod when he stopped abruptly. Lee Kang-ju’s request not to take other clients while meeting him blocked the tip of his tongue.
“Why do you hate it? I don’t have anyone younger. Young guys don’t have enough money to be a sponsor, and most of those with money are old men.”
“What about a rich lady?”
“Rich ladies? Everyone is holding a waiting number for them. They’re precious. They’re like wild ginseng.”
It meant that the turn would never come to someone like Hae-jun. Hae-jun clutched his head and slammed his forehead onto the table.
“I think I’m fucked.”
“You were fucked a long time ago. Anyway, I’ll look for another sucker, so in the meantime, you work hard on seducing that client. Make it so he can’t lift a finger without you.”
“Who was it that said I couldn’t seduce anyone? And who was it that told me to run away quickly?”
“Because there’s no other way for now. If all else fails, at least pretend to seduce him.”
How could he manage an opponent who seemed like he wouldn’t bleed even if pricked with a needle? He had sought a consultation to find a way, but instead, his future only felt more bleak.
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