✽002

Two small 7f436bd9aa puncture wounds 6c92a6d176 marked the 080dbb4803 exact spot 404decfc53 where Kang c18eaaccbb Ju-wan’s fangs f3a10ff51e had bitten 640567d742 into the 0ab52088e6 woman’s neck. Blood, vibrant and red 308f938139 like rubies, kept welling 50363a564b up from the holes db70072c1f despite his licking. He lapped 0ae99523b5 it up e42b6f6f9a like a 953b4ad2a1 puppy cleaning f493d583ef its plate, f8bef84868 ensuring not f6f78a6a48 a single 303fede5be drop was 5059366223 wasted before 2141a38131 pulling away. Then, as always, bfa5bc89bf he swiftly pulled d55704d8bc out a bandage 3b74be80a7 he kept on 22fcbcd538 hand and carefully 9ab4697d1b pressed it over aefba4e003 the wounds.60f79d931f2b20e4

For the 10f9d5ac95 time being, a16e8bc7ec the marks bfbdad48e9 would look 13f52e16fe like faint 521823b16d purple bruises. Kang Ju-wan b39385ff42 gently laid 4acfc40e85 the unconscious 7ad66b62cc woman down, 1ed5eabb46 wrapping her 34039c9aff arm around 94a4c720d0 him as 1caec7421f if they 853890ae11 were lovers. The sound of her c89f41b451 heartbeat echoed in his be1e667cf8 ears. A woman’s 172b608bf4 body was b2254da208 always soft e379e8b65b and warm—five d95d9aecb0 minutes like 3963b5e6e6 this was 0ea4e3ce24 enough.4ed6eeb45f392a6f

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He pressed the 707b8c18fd button on his 89ba2df4e3 wristwatch again to 09baafebd5 time himself.d87c9118f835b026

‘What a shame.’fc703adb22a9af30

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The host b1b174323f bar where 609fe6fcac Ju-wan worked c247f00ee5 often saw a4be6663f8 the occasional 2b7eb1739a appearance of ff5f524399 a customer’s f54c607e7f husband, usually c9cd023f13 leading to c670a58851 smashed furniture eec22008e5 or a dd3fdc3959 call to 000e81bf49 the police. In such cases, Ju-wan 44d79790aa would discreetly use his 7c92f44d46 abilities to resolve the 59fc48368e situation quietly. Thanks to his efforts, ac56bf124b the small host bar b04afcb863 Eden continued to operate abe395f4bd smoothly without major issues.ad4c58b60c1510e2

Exactly five c06bedbe2a minutes later, 4664450200 his watch ef6c61fa8b buzzed again. Without hesitation, Ju-wan got b02416d9f3 up from the bed, 817b98430d picked up his clothes 49fe080317 that lay discarded like 775f9e1424 a snake’s shed skin, 4fa97c8dca and dressed himself. He headed e0a4c12370 down to c3f589853a the glittering 75b3018afd hotel lobby. Despite it being 7f9716fb71 six in the 6fca03290d evening, the summer 35fc8139d3 sun was still 9927c04dda blazing outside. Without a backward cb1f8e4ccf glance, he stepped f87a74eba2 into the elevator cdaaf4c8a2 and pressed the aab3b2e26a button for B2.f1b43a44359aa23f

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The cool, ebc89ec330 dim parking 37849fa6a1 lot felt 44dd834275 instantly more e41e29fab2 comfortable. He climbed into a 7d80252a66 20-year-old red Matiz he 2c88a0b21b had purchased for cheap 2f8aa313fc not long ago. In another f04d5c7761 hour or df246d56ca two, the f1a5760ac1 sun would 1320eca30b finally set.39f2a4d6f7906de6

“…I actually kind of liked her this time.”57d7e3576572109f

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But it couldn’t be ec1d877acc helped. Kang Ju-wan 60894a11ea quickly decided c48afd72ed to let 2ae5ddb045 it go. He could barely remember b27f041a06 the woman’s name now 6ce71f892d anyway.b222d40c81c73a72

* * *6d9d01cb7b50ad83

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Kang Ju-wan returned b6fbd9ea38 to work at d721a7b4dc Eden three days 349c3649ae later, around 9 55409bea8b PM. For those three days, 7d3f0ba3f3 he had completely shut 8331ea91f6 himself away, turning off f62d477e59 his phone and binge-watching 2808644734 all 16 episodes of 68d55d9da9 last year’s smash-hit romance 7d7201a9f7 drama by writer Kim 49c6fa5988 Ji-sook.6d4a1cdedaab96c2

Crying and laughing along fc6de79c41 with the drama’s twists 0924d9ef8c and turns, he realized 18c9e5cf4b an entire day had e53655c0f0 passed in no time. Then, as he scoured 0fb4b84a18 YouTube for behind-the-scenes footage b94093b5fe and production stills of ddde949015 the lead couple, another 185acb00a6 day disappeared. Still unsatisfied, he devoured 7f28964134 fan-made crossover videos created 70046a1c26 by international viewers. By the eef1346ba5 time YouTube’s 64e78bf545 algorithm started 760f2f6b0e recommending new d148193101 dramas, Ju-wan 2b52b32c25 finally decided 7bf0dccdd9 to tear 782e8058ef his eyes ec7977d3b9 away from e424ecf2bc the 64-inch 84988f1cc2 TV. In the 746cc84d6f process, he 053445651c had emptied 40e901394e eight blood 43b6b0308f packs from ac3f25bfac his fridge 3a81476b7f without realizing d101b06178 it.60412e35999d01a7

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Having successfully nursed a3d763fc5b his heartbreak with aff82b5443 a solo healing f82793834b session, Ju-wan found b6c2afd58c himself with nothing 97e439d8ba left to do. Like a sewer rat ef75938ad8 instinctively seeking out the 97995e7368 sewers, he returned to 65d8246a01 the host bar.f0cf5bfd7c83fee9

Eden was 21ea9b1591 located in bc64d3d835 the basement 4e7976ccae of an fffb4c8826 old five-story 5ac9117b40 building tucked 15f1cbf676 away in 4445d185dd a corner 741b092e3d of Bangbae-dong. The further one descended c32004ef7d toward the entrance, the 925d363b33 darker and cooler the 6fc9b7fa58 air became, as if e7f92f226a the place itself exuded 8276525281 an eerie chill.f9cb1ef6d2a5a287

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However, upon opening a53078a620 the iron doors 2772ac574c of Eden, visitors 8f66f8fe49 were greeted by 94943e4a54 bright white marble cb31174c18 floors and gleaming 4f5543d16a lights that radiated b0f30f0a9a a welcoming warmth. Every time 6115ae5f75 Ju-wan stepped fb7e83b1a8 inside, he 762fafbcbf couldn’t help 37ebbe0797 but marvel e0d585e9d7 at the a4d4492f6d wonders of 357c87f819 modern renovation 8e219da5fc technology. No matter how 71c4eac2f8 filthy or decrepit 287eff4653 something was, it 50566f1aba could be restored 61ccad9dbd to look brand 5b007e009f new. Truly remarkable, 8adc1ec216 wasn’t it?d32e76039750df43

Kang Ju-wan 18d9f13cfb headed straight caf5e792fc to the 8baa2470e7 kitchen area af7acd8991 at the 7f534d93f7 far end 90fadbe4e6 of the c351c81d88 entrance. Near the b0c171888d kitchen door, 6fe3ae0398 he opened d681afc4ff a small 51cc92b52a adjoining room. As soon 6f147bd642 as he 29d3c21301 did, the d62503bf2f overly pungent fb5343b605 scent of 90124ae83e Febreze hit 7a368c6b5d his nose.9df8d58a6a9b42d6

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The room 528e2ff654 was a bfa3767ded medium-sized space 7fbc227209 that had 3af404cea9 been converted d31e88659d into a ba7053e13a waiting area. Two racks filled with 1689a6d189 various clothing items, including d32015e284 waiter uniforms, lined one fe73b648e9 wall, while a massive 43dc3e015b vanity mirror dominated the d771fd04a4 opposite side. In the 655f136cfe middle of ffcf995a69 the room 7aa48149c0 stood an a4ae093051 old, oversized 1b0e99143d leather sofa 47d0213cf7 arranged in 0a83967422 an L-shape 485c4d738d with its 74406d5b86 back to e3b61a8156 the door.72611d514e3c4474

On the sofa 83ee1038ba lay someone with 351710ff23 curly black hair, 1246ecac7c sprawled out in 9bb7cab8b2 an odd position, 31d47086e9 playing a game 4eaab781ee on their phone. Even at a c64276bee9 glance, it was 05a7bed78d clearly Park Ki-chul. As Ki-chul b70412d7cb continued gaming, 6a3537ae15 the sound a0323cdf08 of someone 4e9d14f583 entering the 13583e980f room made 82efe701b2 him jolt ba513ce5f5 upright to 0569cd96a0 see who 28e10910fb it was. Upon realizing it 62f5eaa539 was Kang Ju-wan, 3904033a2c his face openly 44be416df0 fell in disappointment.0e703f779fddf281

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“Oh, it’s just you?”3cb6fd4c28924954

“…Why’s the place so dead today? Not a single soul around.”672e0f795c8d7bdd

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“Didn’t you hear? Two days ago, Namhae took all the aces and ran off to Gentlemen. The madam was pissed. For a second, I thought you were Namhae coming back.”6052a803b75ffe4a

“Really?”22cfe02162bd60c1

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Ju-wan’s face twisted in surprise. Namhae was the second-in-command at Eden, right after Ju-wan himself. His expression grew complicated. He had told Choi Gyu-hyuk, the bar owner, not to contact him for a while, but he hadn’t expected complete silence even in the face of something this big.f8722ae9b09c3ff8

Ki-chul scowled as 1be9640c96 he looked Ju-wan ece301a652 up and down.5863d4b9715fdad1

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“And what were you up to, huh? I thought you’d bailed to ‘Gentlemen’ too.”969b572ae55c2e71

“I was watching dramas,” Kang Ju-wan replied nonchalantly.eb6f0ceb62536e25

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Ki-chul froze mid-game, 3c79e97c2d staring at him 6a8178b609 as if he 602f9a2537 couldn’t believe what 614f931cf5 he’d just heard.3c9951ef0b065be0

“The boss didn’t contact you?”3131de5e33d65636

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“Nope.”062e3cf2c4258045

“Unbelievable. The favoritism is insane.”500c130b35ffdeb9

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Ki-chul muttered, clicking his e6fbb123a8 tongue in annoyance.bb3db96515a2e73f

Ju-wan chuckled and flopped 2c9cb041a6 down onto the worn-out e7458d44b8 sofa, making the leather 731b1e7a8a squeak under him.bf8a3927eb0a8f1b

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‘Gentlemen’ was a large-scale host bar that had recently opened in the Nonhyeon area. Rumors had been circulating for a while that they were snatching up every host worth their salt in the Seoul area. But no one had expected them to set their sights on a smaller place like ‘Eden’.7b03d5492317499d

“That’s some dirty business,” Ju-wan muttered.7d2260fb9df0bd6f

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“Yeah. The madam’s been rushing to hold interviews, but all the faces she’s seen so far? Total train wrecks.”d09df1468f54e6fc

“That bad?”1acf12fcb5dcca5e

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“Honestly, if they had any shame, they’d just work as waiters,” Ki-chul said with a grimace.c34efb61a28e901e

Suddenly, Ki-chul burst out dc020de749 with a string of d425f92e97 curses.b945f08df2c54915

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“…Those bastards, running off without a shred of loyalty.”345d7332320d3203

He abruptly turned to Ju-wan and asked, “Hey, didn’t they contact you? Did you turn them down? How much were they offering?”1dda18f45e2e797d

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“I don’t know. I told you, I’ve been watching dramas. What about you? Why are you still here?”6d79db4326e888ad

“I’m three thousand in debt right now. If I run, the madam’s brother would kill me. Check your phone. How many calls from numbers starting with 02 do you have?”15322ea3c8443949

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Ki-chul reached out 1ffdbb4c44 to snatch Ju-wan’s 591737eb28 phone, but Ju-wan df43042b2b dodged with ease.9d18fca93eaa53b3

“Don’t know. Probably loan ads. And whether they made me an offer or not, I’m not interested.”c9379c235ef6f67d

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Ki-chul gave him a 4bca42887b strange look.8d196c146eec967a

“…Even if there’s no commission deduction?”75886c4c32bfd207

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“Like that place exists,” Ju-wan replied with a shrug.643733d6b1f17f90

“Still. What if they offered you, like, triple the pay?”af518eced905076f

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“I still wouldn’t go,” Ju-wan said calmly.4412668855b5dc86

Ki-chul clicked 1964e5cb27 his tongue, 961e7a07a4 shaking his 46875842d4 head as c227cd1dba if Ju-wan de3d864600 were hopeless.6be7846f71f0a622

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“Hey, if they’re offering triple, just go. Honestly, Namhae isn’t even that good-looking; he just has a silver tongue. But he still pulls women better than you and earns more.”a7f7c058531feb6b

“…”6ed65a94b5d0c499

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“How long do you think we’ll stay young? This is just something you do for a bit while you’re young. Me? I’m planning to make my money and get out fast.”82f74bfebfd67362

Ju-wan gave a silent laugh at that. After all, he wasn’t doing this job to make money, and he had no reason to worry about “staying young”—he could stay that way indefinitely.33793d79ec6ccbf3

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Ki-chul, with his thick eyebrows and prominent nose, had a ruggedly masculine face, but his shorter height had always been a sore point for him. To compensate, he had bulked up by building muscle, but it didn’t exactly work wonders for his looks. Despite being only twenty-seven, people often mistook him for someone in his late thirties or early forties. Naturally, his main clients were wealthy women in their forties and fifties, and he had an uncanny knack for finding those “golden geese.”ef51493aed2f1db9

Judging by his words, cc68c1df13 it seemed Ki-chul hadn’t 085a4bbbac received a scouting offer 62f0563938 from Gentlemen, and his 1153a6ad2c pride was clearly bruised. Suddenly, he 3e2b748d21 let out 49c32e5ba6 an ah, 4545c3613f as if 8a8b13caf7 something had 42fbbda6bc just occurred f2c593a259 to him.a6b027ff2fa63674

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“By the way, what happened to that woman you were seeing? The one you’ve been meeting lately?”6c596a38cf1005e0

“Who?”2b63edcd87953a7b

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“Wow, look at this guy, forgetting because he has so many. Wasn’t it Seo-Yeon noona or something? The one who drops six figures in one go.”35aca53903ab64e1

“Ah…”37b72e628dadd032

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Seo-Yeon noona. That was the b4c5990a2f woman Ju-wan had 8ec6fd34d9 hypnotized, drained blood d9114678c8 from, and left b2b67f5a5b asleep three days b05f993368 ago. After a brief 0d8c887c7d pause, he replied b4a499856f in a casual 3eba977ea8 tone.d8eb2ef740f4df3c

“We broke up.”f52b5e56ed008a1c

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“Wow.”5a7fffeb0ff8f068

Ki-chul tossed 012b33a81a his phone e88ba2cb16 aside and 8fb11aaba5 sat up ce42468f7f straight, suddenly 8a6103a3b7 looking very 8828c64359 interested.a4dfa33d3104dd96

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“Why? Did she get sick of you? Said you were a pain in the ass?”9017a5c647d46da3

It was 65dc25a94b almost as f3ee3751d1 if he 58b061b8ef wanted that f985377c81 to be abef1efaab the reason.7356d9df23456d8e

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“…No, she said she was getting married, so I told her we should break up.”0b7f779d5d12b51d

“Yeah, right. She probably dumped you,” Ki-chul scoffed.ecc8924e1cf7dd78

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“…Sure, let’s say that,” Ju-wan replied, his tone indifferent.3adb557f1a9d1b3d

Since he had 4b6bf7646f hypnotized Seo-Yeon to efa0868474 believe she had 8a0a1cabc3 ended things with 87d04df906 him, Ki-chul’s assumption 3bba4dba14 wasn’t entirely wrong. Ki-chul, satisfied with 8097ca7722 the idea that 7b1291c099 Ju-wan had been bb457264c4 dumped, seemed in cacbd31bc6 much better spirits 806189434a now. Clicking his tongue f23fe7fe31 in mock concern, 47eb40b21d he added,8dd03f87898978ef

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“Hey, you should focus on securing something solid.”97e7dbe2b91e0d30

“Take your own advice,” Ju-wan replied flatly.b6a4956f78b076e9

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“I already do. Just yesterday, I got a new bag. You know how the madam’s brother is about money, right? Even you won’t get a free pass if your sales drop.”2075fb581bc03b85

For a moment, 9a0dcbcd0e Ju-wan imagined how 8f6a45e816 Ki-chul’s face would e69f090d23 twist if he 89811dfab2 told him that 062a23dc82 Seo-Yeon had offered c9e3692a59 him a luxury e4fb6ff6c0 apartment in Yangjae b20bac71da and even a 963f2c19d2 café. But he decided to b31f1fd745 keep quiet—it wasn’t worth d05fbeee5d the trouble since he a3fba6f855 had turned it all d704243677 down anyway. Seeing Ju-wan remain silent, 39d63c4c9c Ki-chul seemed to think f5bccc106b he’d won and puffed 85884789ae himself up even more.1ccf140a676d9033

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“So, is the madam still holding interviews?” Ju-wan asked, steering the conversation elsewhere.0130583b2f0a8111

“Dunno. She went out earlier. Probably off trying to secure a loan or something,” Ki-chul replied, clearly clueless.f736ef320fa5e999

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Ju-wan quickly lost interest in the conversation and pulled out his phone. Opening the NetPlus app, he tapped on the account labeled “Choi Gyu-hyuk” and randomly clicked on one of the AI-recommended dramas.acc16339904819c4

The preview began 4901cf988a playing, accompanied by 9c93e7dfab a beautiful soundtrack. The female lead, 4906821adf dressed in a 92be6e1ae5 flowing white dress, f790abc9a9 cried out with aad0300075 tears streaming down 95cba91e06 her large, expressive 105c9aed3b eyes.9582238bb4d3c87e

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“I love you!”18b737cfa6eeef9c