CHW Ch 3

“…P-pecker.”

Answering such a perverse question made him feel like crying. Soon, an even fouler remark came, accompanied by hot, heavy breaths.

“I did it on purpose. To warm it up. It’s summer, isn’t it? A pecker tastes best when it’s warmed up in summer. But your dick’s pretty big, huh? Thought it’d be smaller.”

His hand dug deeper, kneading with enough force to rip Minjo’s underwear. Feeling a reaction coming, Minjo grabbed Chu’s hand desperately with both of his.

“Ugh, s-sir… please…”

At twenty-three, even a slight brush could set him off. Especially since he’d skipped jerking off for days, leaving him pent-up. Even without that, anyone would react to such blatant fondling. It was already half-hard.

“Sir, please…”

His voice trembled, not sounding like his own, as he pleaded. Thankfully, the hand stopped. Chu stared at him closely.

“Then you do it.”

“…”

Minjo looked at Chu with a face burning hot enough to burst. Screaming internally, Why are you doing this?, Chu gave a small laugh, pulled his hand out of Minjo’s pants, moved his lips away from Minjo’s ear, and detached his massive body. In an instant, he created distance, tapped Minjo’s chin to make him look up, and stared at him intently again.

“I came here because of you.”

“…”

Now what? Chu whispered, raising his eyebrows as if to hurry him. The finger on his chin moved to his lips, tracing their outline. Toying with him heavily, Chu continued.

“The car’s fine, my office is fine. Or we can settle it here. What’s it gonna be? Should I start the car or clear everyone out?”

Without thinking, Minjo glanced at Kim Jeongsuk standing in the kitchen. Knowing it was futile, he sent a desperate plea for help. But the moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away. Not enough, she vanished into the kitchen entirely. Neither Byeol Yang nor Su Yang was around. They’d all fled, unable to handle the atmosphere. He’d never trusted them, but being left alone like this stung with bitter betrayal. After all the kindness he’d shown them.

“I’m right here, and you’re looking somewhere else? Not focusing?”

His chin was forcibly turned back toward Chu. He didn’t know what his expression was, but Chu scowled, clicked his tongue, and said,

“You were real eloquent yesterday. Gave a whole speech in front of me, didn’t you?”

“…”

“If you seduced me enough to drag me here, you gotta take responsibility. Think you can just play dumb? I’m not messing around here. Right, Jangbae?”

A booming response came from the next table. “That’s right, hyungnim! Gotta take responsibility! Otherwise, it’s a crime, isn’t it?”

The one who answered was the guy who’d grabbed Minjo’s crotch—Jangbae. A name fitting his face, his voice was just as loud. Trying to kill him with noise. Jangbae’s ear-splitting shout made Minjo’s body jump. Chu raised both eyebrows this time.

“Hear that? Jangbae says it’s a crime, a crime. To me, scamming is as bad as murder. You didn’t know that, did you?”

“Sir…”

“Stop just calling me and say something. Yes or no.”

“…I’m sorry.”

He squeezed his eyes shut before continuing. To him, it felt like what Chu Gioh was doing to him now was the real crime.

“No matter how much you want it… I really can’t do that. I’m sorry, sir.”

Mustering all his courage, he answered. The moment he finished, silence fell. He couldn’t open his eyes again. After a long pause, Chu let go of his chin.

“Thought you’d wake up changed after sleeping on it, tough guy.”

His tone suggested he’d expected this response. Soon, he even relaxed his scowl and smirked. Then he grabbed Minjo’s left hand and forced it onto his dick. It was terrifyingly, monstrously erect. Enough to make Minjo feel bad for rejecting him, man to man. Holding Minjo’s hand over it, Chu rubbed it slowly, pressing as he spoke.

“This is your fault. Reject it knowing that.”

Under at least two layers of fabric—suit and underwear—a clear pulse throbbed. The dick was alive, breathing. No, it was howling in agony.

“I’ll ask one more time. After that, I can’t guarantee anything. Got it?”

“…”

Eyes squeezed shut, Minjo bowed his head. Thinking of the three women likely watching this from hiding, the shame he thought was gone surged back, overwhelming him. He wanted to vanish, even in death.

“Minjo.”

“…Yes.”

Answering with his head down, Chu called him again. “Woo Minjo.” His tone was a bit stern. Finally, Minjo lifted his face to meet his gaze. “Yes.”

“Jangbae.”

“Yes, hyungnim.”

Though not calling him, Chu’s eyes stayed locked on Minjo’s face. Anxious, Minjo wondered what he was about to order, heart pounding. The next words were unexpected, enough to make his eyes widen.

“Bring that boss, Kim Jeongsuk, to sit in front of me.”

“Got it, hyungnim.”

Jangbae stood abruptly and shouted loud enough to shake the hall. “Madam! Come out here for a sec!”

The sound of Kim Jeongsuk dragging her feet toward them was audible. Without turning, Minjo could picture her expression. Her hesitant steps alone screamed fear. With Kang Munsu absent, it’d be worse.

Jangbae hauled Kim Jeongsuk to sit in front of Chu. Naturally, Minjo faced her too. His heart pounded like it would burst. What was he planning?

Chu placed both hands on the table, interlocking his fingers. Glancing sideways, Minjo saw him tilting his chin, staring at Kim Jeongsuk impassively, his face devoid of obvious emotion.

“How much is his debt?”

Debt? Minjo’s debt? Chu’s question shocked both him and Kim Jeongsuk, though it was just a simple inquiry.

“M-Minjo’s, you mean?”

“Who else would it be?”

Chu’s tone was calm but showed no consideration for her. Minjo had never seen Kim Jeongsuk look this scared in his life. Yet, he could tell there was a flicker of expectation in her fear—a dirty hope that she might get Chu to cover Minjo’s debt. Her lips trembling, she answered.

“H-he’s like a nephew to me, but somehow he ended up owing me, so I brought him here… Still, I care for him a lot, in my heart. Isn’t that how it is? The closer you are, the clearer money matters should be.”

“Hey, boss. What’s with the speech? Stop grandstanding and answer the question.”

“Oh, y-yes. I was just about to.”

Kim Jeongsuk’s face soured briefly before regaining composure. Facing someone like Chu, no matter how furious, she’d have to swallow it.

What was it like for Minjo, hearing this exchange right beside them? Thinking Chu might be asking about his debt to offer a loan, his stomach tightened. If this led to an unwanted situation… If his creditor switched from Kim Jeongsuk to Chu Gioh in an instant… Nothing could be more terrifying.

The debt had been inflated so arbitrarily that even Kim Jeongsuk seemed unsure of the total. Counting on her fingers, she arrived at a figure.

“Five million total. After all deductions.”

“What? Five million?”

The absurd amount made Minjo shout, forgetting Chu was beside him. Five million! How could three million five hundred thousand become five million in three weeks? His body shook as he raised his voice.

“No way, five million? It was three million five hundred just three weeks ago! Are you kidding?”

“W-what’re you saying, kid?”

Flustered briefly by his outburst, Kim Jeongsuk started countering point by point.

“The principal was three million five hundred, and the interest has been piling up from before. It’s been five months since you defaulted—calculated at five percent, it easily hits that.”

“Five percent? You never mentioned that! Five percent? That’s sixty percent a year. Does that even make sense?”

“Doesn’t make sense? When you default on someone’s money, it’s calculated by the lender’s terms. It’s not just me—everyone charges like that. And what about feeding you, housing you, huh? Why don’t you count that? That’s not money? Am I running a charity here?”

Kim Jeongsuk was Kim Jeongsuk. No matter how scared, she was a woman who could deftly manage and hide her emotions. Unable to stand her slickness, Minjo was about to jump up when Chu, a step ahead, threw out a remark.

“So. You took all his money under that pretext?”

“W-what’d you say?”

Kim Jeongsuk stammered, and Chu pulled a cigarette from his pocket. Slowly taking one out and putting it in his mouth, he tossed Minjo a lighter. An order to light it. With trembling hands, Minjo held the lighter, cupping both hands to bring it to Chu’s lips. As it lit and he lowered his hands, Chu exhaled smoke. His long, slit-like eyes narrowed further. The deadly glare shifted from Minjo to Kim Jeongsuk.

“The money I gave him. You took it all, didn’t you? That’s what I’m asking.”

Chu said, tapping ash into the glass he’d just drunk from. At his low voice, Kim Jeongsuk’s face reverted to fear in an instant. Swallowing hard, she managed a trembling reply.

“T-to reduce his interest… I did it for him…”

Unable to finish properly, she broke out in a cold sweat. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, she was stared down by Chu. Then, with an emotionless smirk, he nodded.

“You must’ve done it because you care for him like a nephew, but I’ll say this nicely, first and last time. Don’t do it again.”

“B-but then the interest will keep piling up… Later, he’ll struggle even more with it.”

“Don’t worry about it—just put it all on his tab from now on. No matter how much it grows. Need more explanation?”

Kim Jeongsuk seemed briefly shocked, like Minjo, but nodded quickly as if she understood.

“Yes, got it. It’s not hard—I’ll do as you say.”

“And, boss.”

Chu, his brow deeply furrowed, paused to puff hard on his cigarette. After two or three drags, he dropped it into the ash-filled glass and spat thickly. Letting the sticky saliva drip onto the ember, he glared at Kim Jeongsuk.

“If a product’s defective, what do you think happens?”

“…Huh?”

Chu grabbed the glass, tangled with cigarette and spit, and suddenly slammed it upside down on the table with a loud bang. Holding it inverted, he spoke to the flinching Kim Jeongsuk.

“It gets scratched up and can’t fetch its value. Who’d feel worse then?”

Minjo didn’t get it, but Kim Jeongsuk understood instantly and replied. “Yes, I understand. Don’t worry—I won’t touch him again.”

From her words, Minjo belatedly grasped what Chu meant. It was a threat not to touch him—if she wanted to sell him to Chu at full value.

Suddenly, Chu held out his palm to Jangbae at the next table, gesturing.

“Jangbae, your wallet.”

“Yes, hyungnim. Here it is.”

The wallet passed from Jangbae to Chu. A plain black men’s wallet, not as thick as Chu’s but still stuffed.

Chu opened it and started pulling out its contents. Several cards, including an ID, fell onto the table with soft thuds. He didn’t touch the thick stack of cash. Wondering what he was doing, Minjo watched as the wallet was tossed to him.

“Carry it. Everything in there’s your pocket money, my sincerity.”

“Huh?”

Shocked, Minjo asked, but Chu ignored him, addressing only Kim Jeongsuk. “Listen.” He stretched out his arm, pulling Minjo’s shoulder to yank him close. Chu’s indescribable scent hit Minjo roughly. Feeling Chu’s chin brush his forehead, he heard a voice above him.

“This one’s mine, whole. Got what I mean?”

“…Yes.”

“If you get it, get out.”

With a single gesture, Chu sent Kim Jeongsuk away. Unlike when she was called, she left quickly, seeming in decent spirits. Her light steps were proof.

Following her with his eyes, Chu released Minjo’s shoulder. Then he pressed his index finger hard into Minjo’s chest. Despite the loose t-shirt, he hit the nipple exactly.

“Hear that? You’re mine, whole.”

As his hand left Minjo’s chest, it suddenly slid to the back of his neck, yanking him close. Gasping in shock—Chu’s face was instantly in front of him.

“I like a challenge, but I hate things I can’t crack in the end.”

“…”

“One more chance. One.”

“…”

“Remember that.” Tapping Minjo’s cheek twice with his other hand, Chu pushed him away and stood. Minjo scrambled up, stepping aside so Chu could pass. Then he noticed a man in his peripheral vision. At some point, Kang Munsu had appeared, leaning on the counter, staring at them. His eyes were hollow, likely from an all-night card game.

“I’m going.”

Chu said, brushing past. The wallet in Minjo’s hand felt heavy as a brick. Unable to bear its weight, he sank back onto the sofa.

The big guys filing out after Chu suddenly felt terrifying. The empty glasses they left behind were scary too. But scariest of all was Chu Gioh, who’d come all this way just to have a taste of someone like Minjo. What the hell had he done? Was Kang Munsu right about the shoes being the issue?

“Damn it…”

Slumped on the sofa, chuckling bitterly, Kang Munsu approached. He placed a hand on Minjo’s head, gripping tightly. Looking up with a scowl, Minjo met his smug grin.

“You’re full, bitch. Stuffing your face with pumpkin seeds.”

“Stop talking shit, take your hand off, and get lost. I’m too tired to deal with you.”

“Think I can’t touch you?”

“Try it then.”

Glaring fiercely at Kang Munsu, the guy sneered, yanking Minjo’s hair hard. In that moment, Kim Jeongsuk burst from the kitchen, yelling at him.

“Ease up! Don’t you see he came here this morning? That crazy dog’s serious, serious! Even yesterday’s tab was on purpose!”

Ignoring her, Kang Munsu didn’t loosen his grip, bending down to meet Minjo’s eyes. Having overheard Chu, he spoke to Kim Jeongsuk while staring at Minjo.

“Who doesn’t know? That’s why I’m thanking him. This is all money to sell off, so how could I not be grateful?”

Stroking Minjo’s head gently, Kang Munsu continued.

“Stick around just three more months. I’ll sell you clean for a hundred million. Got it?”

🍀

It’s 9 p.m. now. The girls all left, so the café shut down early. I thought Kim Jeongsuk would make me do deliveries instead, but she didn’t say a word, just lowered the shutters. She was clearly wary of Chu.

Tomorrow’s Sunday, the café’s day off. But for me, there’s no such thing as a day off. Weekday or weekend, a debtor’s life keeps spinning.

Weekdays, I’m tied to the café. Weekends, I’m tied to the house. It’s small, but a steady stream of petty customers keeps it as busy as the café. Meaning, from now until sunrise, I can’t sleep. There’s another ashtray besides me, but when I’m there, they’re too busy working me to matter.

“Stop by the supermarket, buy this, and head to the office. Hurry—they’re busy with a lot of people.”

Kim Jeongsuk handed me a check card and a piece of paper with something written on it. Out of cigarettes, the paper listed various brands. Sighing inwardly, I took it and headed to the car. How sleep-deprived would I be before today’s work ended? Run ragged all day without a nap, my body was already spent. The one silver lining was that tomorrow’s day off meant I wouldn’t have to see Chu’s face for a day.

The office, in the heart of downtown’s entertainment district, was unlike other houses. It had taken over a karaoke bar as-is. They removed the karaoke machines, swapped square tables for round ones, and sofas for individual chairs—that was it. In a dim, airless basement, it was tough to work in, but the separated rooms made it less noisy and kept table disputes rare, a standout perk.

After buying cigarettes at a nearby convenience store, I parked at the alley’s entrance and headed to the office. Descending the stairs and punching in the code, a thick cigarette smell hit me. Dense smoke poured from a room where a game was in full swing. The narrow hallway was so hazy it looked white. Because of that, I never felt like smoking while working here.

Kim Mincheol, an ashtray coming out of Room 1, saw me and scowled. Wagging his finger to call me, he spat crudely.

“You damn bastard, dragging your ass so late. What, don’t wanna work?”

“I came straight after closing. All I did was stop for cigarettes.”

“We all know you closed at nine, right? It’s nine-thirty now, right? Takes less than ten minutes from the café, right? You’re begging for a beating, huh?”

Mimicking a Seoul accent poorly, Kim Mincheol sneered, raising his fist like he’d swing. But he didn’t follow through, just snatched the black bag from my hand. Grabbing a pack of his cigarettes from it, he headed back to Room 1, ordering me to cook a ramen and bring it. Damn bastard. Two years older, he acted like a big shot, so obnoxious I could barely stand it. At least he didn’t get handsy, so I let it slide. Just a loudmouth.

Wiping sleep from my heavy eyelids, I went to the filthy, cramped kitchen, where roaches wouldn’t be surprising. Filling a pot with water and putting it on the stove, I opened a ramen pack when an annoying voice came from behind.

“Cook one for me too.”

Kang Munsu. He’d lost five million yesterday and was back at it today. From his tone, it sounded like he’d lost just as much. What Kim Jeongsuk saw in a guy like that, bankrolling his gambling, was pathetic. No matter how good a younger guy’s dick was.

Without answering, I grabbed another pot and filled it with water. Suddenly, my hair was yanked, and my head jerked back. Kang Munsu, eyes bloodshot, glared down at me, snarling.

“Answer, you bitch. Unless you want it all ripped out.”

“…”

He was pissed, probably from losing big. Mess with him now, and you’d end up with a dent in your skull. The urge to fling the boiling pot water in his face surged, but it stayed a thought, and I answered as he wanted.

“…Yes.”

Before letting go, Kang Munsu gave my hair one last hard tug. A grunt escaped, but I held it in with effort. Thankfully, that was it. Acting like he’d touched something filthy, he released me, leaving only a final order before exiting the kitchen.

“Bring it to Room 3. With water.”

My scalp stung sharply from the rough pull. Bastard. One day, that guy’s hands would get chopped off, no doubt.

I worked straight for four hours. Kim Jeongsuk showed up too, sticking close to her boy toy as usual, playing cards. Before she arrived, Kang Munsu’s luck was ice-thin, but once she came, he roared back, recouping all he’d lost yesterday and today, and then some. Seeing that, they were a match made in heaven. With such chemistry, what did a little age gap matter? They should stick together for life, not break up.

“I’ll grab my money and be back, so don’t break the game. It ain’t over yet!”

Go, the butcher shop owner, who’d been on a roll but lost it all at the end, stood fuming. His angry face was red, like he was drunk. Kim Jeongsuk sat him back down, soothing him calmly.

“What’s the point of going back and forth? We’ll play for free, so just borrow today. Pay it back tomorrow, and don’t put the cards down—your luck’ll dry up.”

“Then lend me five million for now. I’ll wire it tomorrow.”

“You don’t ask me—you ask the kid working here.”

Kim Jeongsuk glanced at me, continuing.

“Hey, kid, go to Mr. Yoo quick and borrow five million for Mr. Go. He says he’ll send it by tomorrow morning. Oh, and you’ll charge interest, right? We always charge interest here, even for a day.”

“Don’t ask obvious stuff. Doesn’t your mouth get tired? Hey, Mr. Park, let’s deal the cards already. You, damn it, what’re you standing there for? Didn’t you hear me say to go borrow the money?”

Mr. Go, eyes bloodshot, urged Mr. Park sitting next to Kang Munsu, then yelled at Minjo. Judging by his crazed look, he’d probably lose his entire fortune tonight. Without sticking around to watch, Minjo headed for the back room. Clicking his tongue in disdain felt too generous for them.

The house was run by Kim Jeongsuk, but few customers knew that. They operated with Minjo’s second cousin, Yoo Kichul, as the frontman, partly to dodge suspicion since Kim Jeongsuk and Kang Munsu occasionally ran rigged gambling schemes.

Minjo went to Yoo Kichul, got cash with a ten percent fee deducted, and was heading back to Room 3. A loud banging came from the entrance door. Exhausted to death, it seemed another customer had shown up. All five rooms were already full, running at capacity. From the look of things, it wouldn’t end even by morning.

Bang, bang. The door was pounded again, hard. Kim Mincheol, in Room 1 near the entrance, shouted, “Yes, coming!” as he ran over. Thinking you shouldn’t just open the door for anyone, Minjo heard it swing open and a customer step in.

“Why’s the response so damn slow? If you’re stuck in a weird place, at least take customers quick. Right?”

The voice piercing his ears was familiar. Kim Mincheol, sounding like it was someone new, hesitated and said,

“Oh, y-yes. Sorry. But, sirs, did… someone refer you here, or did you think this was a karaoke bar…?”

“You joking? Think I came to sing?”

“N-no, that’s not it… I’m sorry, but…”

“What? What’s sorry?”

“Well… we’re members-only, so without a prior reservation, it’s a bit hard to let you in.”

It was true. They didn’t take anyone without a verified identity. Could be an undercover cop or a hustler sneaking in to clean up. Even if not, wariness of strangers was the way of this world. You had to be cautious to survive long. But the familiar voice, apparently offended, roared.

“This guy’s lost it! Hey! Don’t you know who your boss is? Who the hell picks and chooses customers?”

“What, am I some celebrity, Jangbae? Everyone knows me just by looking. Tch.”

“Sorry, hyungnim. Got thrown off by some dumb talk.”

A new voice made Minjo’s body freeze in a chill. A cave-like voice filling the space… Realizing Jangbae and Chu had arrived, his body stiffened, and Kim Jeongsuk and Yoo Kichul rushed into the hallway.

“What’s with the noise? Who’s here?”

“Mincheol, where the hell were you, not watching the door?”

They passed Minjo, standing dazed, heading for the entrance. Moments later, they gasped in unison—helping Minjo confirm who it was. His feet instinctively shuffled toward the back door. He’d thought he wouldn’t see Chu again until Monday, but this completely defied expectations. Seeing the guy from this morning again now? How’d he even find this place? He must be seriously pent-up.

“Oh, my goodness. W-who do we have here? Mr. Chu himself, gracing this shabby place. If you’d given a heads-up, I’d have come out to greet you. So, what brings you here…?”

Yoo Kichul, playing the frontman, groveled, and Chu replied flatly.

“For business. Came to a gambling den to gamble. Not a cop, so not here to investigate, right?”

“S-so, you’re here to play cards, then. Right?”

“Sort of. Play some cards, see my guy’s face a bit. And check out how the place runs. Multitasking.”

“Y-your guy…?”

“He’s here. Mine.”

The moment Chu finished, the sound of dress shoes approached. Yoo Kichul wore rubber slippers, Kim Mincheol sneakers, and Kim Jeongsuk had switched to slippers here, so only Jangbae or Chu, in dress shoes, could make that sound. Minjo’s body already knew exactly who it was.

Damn it, this is bad. Thinking that, he turned and hurried toward the back room. If caught, he’d definitely end up sucking that guy’s dick. Chu had said one chance left—refusing now could lead to something horrific. Getting his mouth torn or his jaw bruised black and blue from pounding balls might be the least of it. But.

Before he could take another step, a voice shot from behind.

“I’m right here, Minjo. That’s not the way.”