Swallow Hunting - Chapter 57.1
No Eun-jae added this as he poured a pile of beer and snacks he had brought onto the dining table. After unwrapping the dried snacks, he picked out the largest piece and gave it to Hae-jun. Hae-jun accepted it readily.
“You said it was fun?”
Regardless of whether the work suited his aptitude, it was difficult to call it fun. Those were the days when he had to cater to every whim of the customers, pour liquor down until his stomach burned, and spend every single day worrying about how to pay off his private loan interest and cash advances, with dark clouds and thunderstorms constantly looming over his head.
He had lived optimistically and positively, smiling in front of the guests, but by comparison, the present was much more enjoyable and physically comfortable than before.
The corners of Hae-jun’s mouth rose slightly. Memories of what he had done on that bed in broad daylight a few days ago flashed through his mind. That act, which began at high noon and only ended after dusk had settled in.
“Yes. Getting to drink for free and hanging out with the guests was fun, too.”
He looked down and toyed with his phone. He wanted to contact Lee Kang-ju and ask him what he was doing. He wanted to hear his voice, but a phone call would likely be difficult.
“I’ve been wanting to have a drink with you, Hyung, so this worked out well. Hyung, do you not work at the club anymore?”
“Yeah. Because I’m doing deliveries.”
“Do deliveries make as much money as the club?”
Not a chance. If you factored in the money per table, per hour, and the tips from going on second rounds, the money earned from deliveries couldn’t even be compared. It was barely enough to provide a bit of breathing room but was difficult to sustain as a primary income.
However, Hae-jun did not have the energy to explain all those details one by one. It was also a hassle.
“Well, it’s okay, I guess.”
“My friend says he does deliveries as a part time job, too. He said it’s pretty lucrative. Maybe I should do deliveries next time. The club is okay, but still.”
“Why did you quit the club?”
“Ah, that… because of a nightmare customer.”
“You got a nightmare one?”
“Yes. They kept calling me to ask me out and stalking me. I endured it until I just couldn’t take it anymore and quit. Has that never happened to you, Hyung?”
Hae-jun shook his head. He had never met a customer like that. Han Young-hwa briefly crossed his mind, but she didn’t act like a stalker. She had merely pushed Hae-jun forward while dabbing her tears with her sleeve, telling him to go to Lee Kang-ju and clear up the misunderstanding.
If it weren’t for that incident, he wouldn’t have become entangled with Lee Kang-ju like this. He felt grateful to her once again.
“When you’re this cute, though.”
“What?”
“Hyung, you were popular with the guests because you’re handsome. You got chosen a lot. I find it hard to believe there wasn’t a guest stalking you.”
No Eun-jae smiled like a large dog that had brought back a ball. It was a harmless smile that showed no hidden agenda.
There was no way a guy younger than him would have used the word ‘cute.’ Thinking he had misheard, Hae-jun lightly scratched his ear.
“But really, why did you quit the club? Did you pay off all your advances? Didn’t you say it was quite a lot?”
He had too many useless questions. It was annoying to answer. He also didn’t feel like revealing that his debt had been transferred to Lee Kang-ju.
“Well, things just worked out that way.”
He cut the conversation short and took a drink. No Eun-jae, who showed his dissatisfaction by pouting his lips, shrugged and backed off when Hae-jun just stared blankly elsewhere.
No Eun-jae brought over a few more cans of beer and only lifted his heavy rear an hour later. Hae-jun nodded off while leaning against the sofa, regardless of whether No Eun-jae was getting up or not.
“Hyung, sleep in the bed. I’m leaving now.”
“Mhm.”
Hae-jun crawled on all fours across the floor to get onto the bed. No Eun-jae, who was watching his waddling backside, covered his mouth with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. The inside of Hae-jun’s thighs, visible through the wide leg openings of his pants, were exceptionally white.
“Let’s drink again next time.”
Hae-jun mumbled something and just stuck his hand out from under the covers to wave. Between the intoxication and the drowsiness, his mind was already half-asleep.
“You’re so defenseless.”
No Eun-jae shook his head and turned off the light as he left. At the ‘thud’ of the door closing, Hae-jun snapped his closed eyes open. He was still sleepy, but he couldn’t miss this moment now that the intruder was gone.
He held the phone he had been clutching in front of his eyes. In the darkness, only Hae-jun’s face was illuminated brightly by the light of the screen. After repeatedly typing and deleting with his fingers, the sentence he finally completed was plain and ordinary.
[How was your day?] [I met a junior for the first time in a while and had some drinks.] [Good night.]
There was no way he was drunk off just a little beer, but he found the courage in his tipsy mood. He didn’t expect a reply from Lee Kang-ju. Even if one came, it would be a short sentence or he wouldn’t check it until tomorrow morning.
Just as he was settling in to sleep with that thought, the phone vibrated. Hae-jun jumped up in total surprise.
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