DA 01

Sunday night.

A lounge bar, quieter than usual.

In the private room, known as the most expensive in the place, sat a man and a woman.

Unlike the woman, who was sitting quietly sipping her whiskey on the rocks, the man sitting diagonally across from her was busy fiddling with his phone, constantly looking around.

The man’s name was Na Yong-sik.

With his tall, muscular frame and crisp sports cut, he might look like a tough guy, but he was far from it.

As the CEO of a sports agency called ‘The Dragons’, he had once reached the pinnacle of the industry and gained a significant social standing, but that was now nothing more than a faded glory. In front of a woman who looked much younger than him, Yong-sik fidgeted like a puppy about to poop.

“Haha... Why doesn’t he answer his phone…?”

“…….”

“He definitely said he wouldn’t be late….”

He forced a laugh to lighten the mood, but the woman didn’t even look in his direction.

‘I’m screwed.’

What good would making excuses do at this point anyway?

It was well over half an hour after the appointed time. The man they were waiting for was nowhere to be found, not even answering his phone.

The longer they waited, the more the woman took sips of her scotch.

‘Isn’t that stuff like 40% alcohol?’

Even diluted with water, it would only be about 10% weaker. Yet the woman’s complexion remained the same as when he first saw her.

In fact, she looked even paler than before.

He’d heard that there were people whose faces paled the more they drank. Was she one of them? Or perhaps she just had a high tolerance.

Either way, the person who might become a long-term business partner gulping down drinks without saying a word was not a good sign.

Yong-sik shrank his large frame as much as possible. He focused all his attention back on the speaker of his phone.

It wouldn’t make much difference how small he tried to make himself. He was two or three times her size, but he wanted to show how sorry he was.

Ring…….

Ring…….

Ring…….

Contrary to his wishes, the ringing continued endlessly. He moistened his parched lips with his tongue.

‘Please just pick up!’

Click.

As if his desperate plea had been heard, the ringing finally stopped.

– The number you have dialed is not available… Please leave a message after the tone…

‘Damn it!’

End call! End call!

Startled by the automated message, Yong-sik fumbled and pressed the end call button.

He hung up as quickly as he could, afraid the woman might hear it, but it seemed he was too late.

The room was soundproofed and incredibly quiet. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Yong-sik stood up abruptly.

“I-I’ll excuse myself for a moment. P-Please wait a little longer!”

He hurried out of the room before the woman could answer.

Waiting outside wouldn’t make the person he was waiting for arrive any faster, but he couldn’t bear to face her any longer.

“Damn it. Where the hell is he?!”

Yong-sik muttered in frustration.

It was the twentieth unanswered call.

He pressed the call button for the twenty-first time, holding the phone to his ear and pacing anxiously.

“Pick up the phone, Ju Seong-chan!”

***

At the entrance of a lounge bar on Dosan-daero.

A man strode in.

Noticeably taller and more solidly built than the others, he immediately attracted attention as he entered.

“Oh…?“

People were momentarily captivated by his familiar handsome face, only to flinch when they saw what he was holding.

“Th… Th-that! Hang on a second! Sir? Sir!”

Some of the startled staff tried to block his path.

“Move.”

But the man didn’t stop.

With an air of single-minded determination, and a menacing aura that was heightened by the ominous object in his hand, the staff were reluctant to intervene in a more forceful manner.

Ignoring the people pointing their cell phone cameras at him and the nervous staff, the man walked towards the corridor that led to the private rooms.

“Ju Seong-chan!”

By the time he was in front of the most imposing door, Yong-sik, who had been waiting outside, spotted him and rushed over.

“You, punk, where the hell have you been and what have you been doing…?”

Yong-sik’s relieved smile and welcoming expression vanished instantly when he saw what the man was holding in his hand. His face contorted.

“You little punk…”

What the man Yong-sik had been waiting for, Seong-chan, was holding was a 1-wood driver. It was a golf club with the biggest head of all golf clubs, with an intimidating presence.

Bringing such a thing, without even a case, to a place unrelated to golf… His intentions were clear, almost blatant.

“Hey, you bastard! Have you gone mad? Are your eyes playing tricks on you? Did you really bring that thing in from the entrance? Ugh!“

Yong-sik’s outburst turned into a yelp as he tried to grab the driver, only to be pulled back by Seong-chan’s strong grip.

Yong-sik was pulled closer, less than a handspan away from Seong-chan. He was overshadowed by the larger man and met his bloodshot eyes.

A cold voice reached Yong-sik’s ears.

“Don’t stop me unless you want your head split open.”

Unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure, Yong-sik yelped ‘Hieek!’ and recoiled in fear. Seizing the moment of Yong-sik’s retreat, Seong-chan ruthlessly pushed him aside and violently kicked open the door.

Bang!

He walked towards the person waiting inside.

“Huh?“

His long strides came to an abrupt halt.

As the dim light allowed him to see the person clearly, he realized that it was an unexpected figure.

He’d assumed that the CEO who’d summoned him to this bar to offer him sponsorship would be some middle-aged pervert, but she was a woman around his age. And a well-known one at that.

Well, that wasn’t expected.

Seong-chan let out a hollow laugh, feeling deflated.

Thud!

The driver, which was meant to bash someone’s head in, was now useless. He threw it carelessly to the ground and gave the woman a sideways glance.

“So the crazy bastard who offered to sponsor a guy with the same dick turns out to be the eldest daughter of the Cha Seong Group?”

“…….”

“But what can I do? I may be a manwhore, but I don’t fuck just anyone.”

He was deliberately using vulgar language to intimidate her. She had chosen the wrong target and her method was terribly misguided.

He intended to teach this woman, who had probably grown up sheltered and naive, a hard lesson.

“……Just as rumored, quite the temper.”

“What?”

But surprisingly, the woman remained unfazed, showing no sign of fear. Instead, she calmly swirled her whiskey glass.

“But when should a manwhore use his body, if not now?”

And there she was, using such vulgar language with that elegant face. Before Seong-chan could react, the woman continued sharply.

“Golfer Ju Seong-chan. Suspended for three years for assaulting a civilian. His sponsors have long since abandoned him, and he probably has no money left after paying the breach of contract penalties. On top of that, he’s been kicked out of his family, who were his only backing, so he’s left with his arms and legs cut off, unable to do anything, right?.”

“Ha!“

“The fact that the CEO of your agency came all the way here means you’re desperate. I don’t see anyone else who would help you, so you’re not exactly in a position to be picky, are you?”

At her harsh words, Seong-chan’s mocking smile faltered.

“…….”

Yong-sik, sensing the shift in atmosphere, glanced at Seong-chan, but he made no move. Even though Seong-chan had a reputation for being ruthless in the world of sports, he wasn’t the kind of scum who would have his hands on a woman.

Click.

The woman put down her glass and walked towards Seong-chan, the sound of her heels clicking on the floor.

“What are you…?”

He was about to say something when she came surprisingly close. Their eyes met and Seong-chan inhaled sharply.

A pale, almost frail face and clear, light brown eyes. A slender neck and collarbone visible beneath her neatly styled hair. Yet her gaze was unwavering and strong.

She looked delicate, but there was an undeniable strength and poise about her.

“Swallow your useless pride and take my hand. I’ll save you.”

Despite her gentle tone, her words were a clear command.

“Oh, so I should just fawn over you and get you to sponsor me, is that it?”

“What else can you do? You’d rather die than bow down to the Tae-yang Group, wouldn’t you? That’s why you’ve held out this long.”

“…….”

“Don’t worry. I won’t sponsor you and expect some kind of pure-hearted devotion from someone like you. I don’t need that.”

The woman took another step closer. A faint scent mixed with the smell of alcohol wafted over him.

Being openly called a manwhore irritated him. Seong-chan clicked his tongue and let out a hollow laugh before asking,

“What do you need then?”

The woman extended a slender, white forefinger and pointed at his chest. Her finger moved slowly and smoothly downwards.

“…….”

Seong-chan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He felt a strange tingling sensation, even where her finger hadn’t touched. A wave of heat seemed to follow her fingertip, making it difficult for him to endure.

Her finger continued its slow descent, passing his lower abdomen and moving further down. It stopped at his most sensitive area.

The woman, who had maintained a stoic expression, finally curved her lips into a gentle smile.

“To be precise, this is what I need.”