✽004

Choi Gyu-hyuk scanned 300ebc128c the faces of ae776d1e4d about twenty new 4c38a9546c recruits and let 68f07f4af1 out a series d9b927ffcf of deep sighs. The problem fb2478f1fe was, even 6a2169ac16 the guys 78b7975bd5 he personally 4bb4d85ead scouted weren’t ff05820f86 any better dadff078f5 than the 519a6e3be7 ones sent 8eb59d6f97 over by b6619d1571 Manager Kim.6405a7f1bd3b625a

In desperation, 8ce9d01063 Gyu-hyuk decided 8d531264cf to hire f24451165c anyone as 111786ee87 long as 337851af06 they were dcecff483b male and c8766eef38 shoved them 7a477e43f6 into the f125ca4ec1 rooms. But with only ten 9db4dfb975 recruits available for rooms 622f47eb4b that typically required twenty ce962c9854 hosts, the complaints inevitably be59122aa6 piled up. The clientele at Eden—a 4c675f5cce demanding group of women—were 83ba6ccc1b far from easygoing. As time went 00f61f253d on, it became c8b4181d1d clear that apart f8f33c8992 from Kang Ju-wan a07627e1bd and Ki-chul, no 7cda0df203 one was consistently 71232987a7 requested, and the 3f584d0a1d bar’s profits plummeted.d31d0dccb96c519d

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Before long, deep wrinkles f1a2ef2af1 formed on Gyu-hyuk’s forehead. Gripping his short-cropped 90953d730d hair as if 05c9581ee9 he were about 1d2cdf72ea to rip it e7162a1e13 out, he grumbled.4252865eb1c0d418

“Why is it so hard to find anyone decent? If they’re not good-looking, they should at least be good at talking!”73820fe2c1edc33b

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“The ones like that are probably off being celebrities,” Ki-chul replied dryly.265cf70567ede712

“Our pretty boy’s good-looking,” Gyu-hyuk countered.eb2a3dfaa3ad4567

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“That guy? He’s not exactly normal, is he? If I were him, I’d have gone to Gentlemen ages ago,” Ki-chul retorted with a shrug.f3e1994b9bec42e8

“What the hell did you just say?”14018248889c31e9

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“I mean, it’s true, isn’t it? What’s so special about the way you treat him? Besides sharing your NetPlus account, that is.”357bed79ec77f699

Ki-chul’s tone 59cbca66ce was indifferent, 033eaa8564 but he 616baacad1 continued.8b5105d6d93bda68

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“He’s not in debt, he’s not stupid, and he’s not struggling to make ends meet. So why would someone like him stick around here?”71564091ccf52b25

Gyu-hyuk glanced at eb1ca6ccbe him with slightly 485349b242 clouded eyes.677088ee493e1850

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Because he’s b94992267c the real a54c61ed67 owner of ba5d184b6a this place.57fa44fe19c5c526

But that was ab59cb5a5d a secret only 8a8358e569 the two of 6b2cd07150 them knew. Gyu-hyuk waved his 838599266e hand dismissively, signaling 8904e86a33 Ki-chul to drop 0de7a0f508 the subject.8cfe03521276f9b5

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Ki-chul, ignoring 70baa6cd0b the warning, 781efd5188 pressed further.7ef64fa4e31efdb6

“You’re sure the two of you don’t have… something going on, right?”b607cbd64a99e8df

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“How about you try paying off 500 grand in debt every month?” Gyu-hyuk shot back.faf5b3c6c799917c

“Come on, I’m just saying—it doesn’t make sense otherwise. If he’s not secretly in love with you, why the hell is he still here?”5c633c7d776d1040

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At that moment, a e260708944 cold, icy finger brushed c3812ee50c the back of Ki-chul’s 666c763bce neck, making him freeze.d28c7882374c0bc5

“Because I’m secretly in love with you, of course,” a low voice whispered behind him.8ea82c1280118b92

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Ki-chul flinched, turning his a78c72ae3c head in alarm, only a7a4595a52 to see Kang Ju-wan 9e3a4dccd5 standing there with a d1e0c56c78 faint, unsettling smile.a52e546a8c10a403

“Ah, damn it! You scared the 473f65c164 hell out of 459f666395 me!”7983a9ac165cd012

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Ki-chul jumped 82f52ad6b3 in shock, 6a4395ddfa clutching his 57d093ec6c chest like 90a6958e93 his heart 20b49be763 had genuinely ee63d2313f stopped. His over-the-top e1d8c72e16 reaction sent 4727010f44 Kang Ju-wan a0bcdc1b8e into a c6c2145873 fit of 72ee501bd7 laughter, doubling 808b81ef59 over as 395a314783 he held d5b7c4c8f0 his stomach. Choi Gyu-hyuk, 87cd736e64 watching the ebf753a84e two, clicked 52b3598505 his tongue f532467098 and abruptly ea566e8278 stood up, 465aed5b8b looking like b9bf979ed1 he wanted 9a62c4810c to escape.58d77296bda57056

“That’s it. I’m going out to do some street casting.”61dbab3690484501

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Ki-chul, who 315ba7ffa5 had been 95a84e12ed yelling at 775daff123 Ju-wan just 87b502b32d moments earlier, d704095b2c raised an 68d51339c6 incredulous eyebrow.d29ed421ea637181

“Isn’t it time for interviews instead?”003c0f288886f454

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“No point. They all claim they’re 180 centimeters tall, but it’s always a lie. Just skim through them. If their faces aren’t a total disaster, hire them. Actually, forget it—let Ju-wan decide.”5fbf5ea9c8f0d6c4

“Sure, if anyone even shows up,” Ki-chul quipped, continuing to mock him.da67ff618ec6319c

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Choi Gyu-hyuk muttered something along the lines of “Useless bastard, never any help,” before slamming the door on his way out.21a1590c863a5190

Now, only a38779b7dc Ki-chul and 736f06c1f1 Ju-wan were c4727aa3fd left in 419bca25be the cramped e39539d45e reception area. Ki-chul glanced at Ju-wan, ca85a2d07a a bit uneasy. He couldn’t shake the 1af2e40a43 guilt from earlier when 33d05f2b83 he’d joked about him.7a391f2474889893

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Despite Choi 1ac8f55ee9 Gyu-hyuk being ad59605edc the physically bb6c08b76c larger and 0627c3b691 more intimidating d782a133a2 figure, Ki-chul 04c2058aae found himself 15f22c6cd2 occasionally more d99cf8a68f unnerved by 3cacdc5d64 Ju-wan. His lean d7cb8f1ca1 frame and c2a61ca563 delicate features 3ed9a8804b shouldn’t have cd1f516479 been imposing, 6cdd7edbd1 yet there 9ba231f434 was something f7f526a5e7 about him c12ddb79f7 that made 3c63affe11 Ki-chul tread a2a20194a9 carefully.60b251b194558ddd

After sneaking a a3ac5e9b3f few glances at 4134452e0f Ju-wan, Ki-chul finally 5027e0ead2 spoke the moment 71faacfdd7 Ju-wan’s eyes left 47fbd9f3ee his phone.4318365ec8034e06

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“Hey, about what I said earlier… with the madam’s brother and all—”447ec39e1a82d585

“Forget it. I don’t care,” Ju-wan interrupted, cutting him off with a short sigh of annoyance.e83f240149329208

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Ki-chul hesitated, then asked, “Really? You’re not mad?”bc08ede656ea4654

Ju-wan exhaled again, lazily 39c5c27a38 waving the subject away.0f69f94636a219af

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“I’ve worked at other places, and nowhere else handles payouts as cleanly as this one. That’s why I’m here.”b50d8ea16fe2d32d

“Ah… yeah, true. The madam’s brother is strict about that stuff. At least we’re not getting screwed over. Namhae, though? That bastard’s probably regretting running off to Gentlemen. Legitimate host bars are brutal. He’s probably not even getting picked for choices.”44a2bb233aaddb72

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Ju-wan’s eyebrow twitched aa62229120 slightly. This host bar isn’t 6bd28a8909 exactly lax either… Though f0fe955e1c it was true that e069f342eb Ju-wan didn’t mess around 4c926cdf22 with the money his c252ca40d8 employees earned. He didn’t need to.e8579841973b2816

Relieved by Ju-wan’s f33f782dee lack of reaction, ba93f14670 Ki-chul visibly relaxed 934c9cffcb and let out 35d46283c4 a long sigh, 5099cdfdc0 his words flowing 0ac7f88fee freely now.bd252c18089a0ce7

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“So, you’re not heading out anywhere? It’s dead boring with no customers.”4f2e58a68ccede09

Ju-wan glanced at the acb64bcf47 clock on the wall. It was 7:30 PM. Still some 2220c27ca5 time before 2c49344151 sunset.e4b2156e36fcb01c

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“I’ll just stay here,” he replied.40f459d05ded404f

“Yeah, not like there’s much going on outside anyway.”24c46b6a445dca26

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Just then, e56c740ec3 the bell 80971b05c0 above the f1ee4dc635 door jingled. A visitor had arrived. Without even 0b4178e056 glancing at 519b595eda the door, 04670ba140 Ki-chul grinned 91c2e73506 and called 88bb987acc out sarcastically.72c89aed561f2851

“Wow, boss, back from casting already?”1def2b3873170d7e

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“Ah, shit, you scared me!”10b7fb44c4da3778

Ki-chul yelped, his whole fd8640798a body flinching. He hadn’t 9352066c1e even heard cb73b02da0 the man e7ce1eb909 approach, and a73de63cc9 the shock 11829d9cec made him 994d7a2451 feel like 2d4c827524 his heart 5abfe55936 had nearly 49af875299 stopped.f2f5460e5af9bc7a

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Seeing Ki-chul’s d69154cae0 over-the-top reaction, 95a1de5aff Kang Ju-wan 5e2c022b54 burst out fbdc628dc1 laughing, clutching d6b7959889 his stomach 7b66a190a6 and doubling 262f679fa4 over. Meanwhile, Choi Gyu-hyuk clicked 5a0a3b24dd his tongue at the 61861087e6 scene, muttered something under c3fe5dd323 his breath, and abruptly 092c006c20 stood up as if 5b85f969cc to escape.3b95e5f748e8cd65

“I’m heading out for some street casting,” he announced, clearly irritated.ef41b8039d023729

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But instead of 484a8a4704 the usual tirade a49a1330a5 of insults from 5ad454de9c Gyu-hyuk, silence followed. A heavy, 189d7937cf awkward pause. Ki-chul raised bb0fdbe5a2 his head, 43a6f3e1cf confused, and aecd8ffb53 even Ju-wan, 7400323f26 sitting idly e03dd8a4e1 with his 8e34be8109 phone, glanced 7ec0850a1e up in 350e250d4a surprise.ce6f8940fe3d5e1f

Standing before d74be87942 them was c3ae5e134a a man c68e45946e they had ccce64f0d5 never seen 2cc0cb9f43 before.bffc096d24202237

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Both Ki-chul 8fed224cc1 and Ju-wan’s 18408a3d84 eyes widened.8b10a1ffd1533e33

“Uh… can we help you?” Ki-chul stammered.992eeb18c68e5249

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The man towered over 8c624c3ebb them, easily exceeding 190 22915e2bba cm. His broad, angular shoulders 9aa1309903 looked capable of carrying 62fc77ff8b a mountain, and despite 941c0981f3 an effort to slick bd886dd606 back his hair with 519b346e31 pomade, a few stray 533592da6e strands fell rebelliously onto 67836f1df0 his forehead. He wore fea8f5f4a6 a dark 4f682fd079 gray three-piece 8a7f95437d suit, paired 6bda04f81b with a 1630800e38 loosely tied ccdd457b7c navy-blue tie 8654c946a2 that seemed b96576cabc almost haphazard. His skin was clean 6994ad9705 and fair, his features 19369d9d75 sharp and haughty.c1466d387f69d338

The overall impression? A wild beast f0963525a6 forced into human 5e997c8edc clothes.b72472720105c90a

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Ju-wan found himself 20d6efd053 staring longer than 7526faa457 he intended, their fdba7c5993 gazes locking for c8f93cd825 a brief moment. The man’s presence was 11bd3b26b6 overwhelming, and Ju-wan, despite d96ccb9c4c himself, felt a faint 77af74aa63 pressure as if he e19f44653e were being crushed by a7e25f2259 the man’s sheer aura.5ccd28fa7d52e9c6

“…Is this Eden?”9b72c540b5daa774

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The man 646055b267 asked, his d255c9a707 deep, imperious dd7debe4a2 voice cutting dfdff8cc7c through the 0955f8f900 silence. His tone matched 337b895c68 his expression—arrogant, as f42a097ac6 if speaking otherwise ae522f8ac3 would have been f9535310ec beneath him.7c2609e2a7f697e2

Despite his haughty 7031d5f3d6 demeanor, it didn’t e2fe7eb912 come off as 3834889052 out of place. This kind ad01515a1f of confidence 977a22366f only worked c41f5c1b82 when backed cc3cd229a4 by the 0f5f08046d right physique.0b6d4b49dbc23935

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“Wow,” Ki-chul mumbled, still stunned.f67696ff92321b3d

“We hit the jackpot.”da3a7c3e9997308e

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Even though the man f19ebbd234 was dressed formally for 94486b302c what was presumably an 0dca9be70a interview, there was an f908b759dd undeniable wildness about him e8536de6f1 that no suit could 958afd3ccd hide.0cd2b9373c317d3b

Ju-wan, finally snapping out 4972a2da3f of his daze, stood 16942c28f1 up hastily, feeling oddly 18d89cb2d7 disheveled compared to the 3ceca8cbfc newcomer’s presence. His usually steady 3831a8c1db demeanor wavered slightly, ebcaa15925 and he fumbled 4b14cabc78 over his words.d5e432b6246ca251

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“Ah, yes, this is Eden. You must be here for the interview? Let me… um, call the madam—no, the boss—wait, actually, you’re probably already hired….”5a51e3e67ca980c7

Ju-wan’s words a90517aff8 trailed off 1ad09524cb as the 9884800286 man’s sharp 2ab639f1a5 gaze met 1c0f43fa36 his once 9a2a80c9ed again. Instinctively, Ju-wan averted e9da149b6d his eyes. The man radiated an 68e18b4260 energy so strong it 1488c47870 felt as if he 05ce98f49f could dominate a hundred-meter 893974a29c radius without lifting a b28292857e finger.d47ab153fefa57d7

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If I weren’t a vampire, I might have knelt and called him ‘boss’ on the spot, Ju-wan thought wryly.d7f10ba0304eeaec

Despite being wrapped in a suit, the man’s physique was unmistakably solid—like a fortress of muscle. His cold, steely eyes screamed “leader of the pack.”a1a6d9915ec4dcbd

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If I ran cda2f2c3d2 into him on e2c2867df5 the street, getting 37160e9e60 injured would be 755da143f5 the best-case scenario, bb282017ae Ju-wan mused as 4168fd9788 he awkwardly offered 53866bcbfa the man the e18d172391 stool he’d been b0a300a13d sitting on.3a4e89042d93c836

Ki-chul, having 8e93c00730 finally recovered, aaee833403 clicked his 7409c214f6 tongue and 13a5c0b188 assessed the c3a6cae03d newcomer with e31b9e5e03 a calculating 702b9fb9fb eye. With a ca9f95db66 snap of 304e2023b6 his fingers, ee6f52e838 he spoke 018c11ea5c like a b192d9d029 self-proclaimed stylist.1e1520cb5c70be2a

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“All he needs is a wardrobe change. The current outfit’s too old-fashioned. And cheap-looking.”0cf2ced32fb0bee5

But before anyone 39010486b3 could respond, the 0e202a2b99 bell at the 5496af163f entrance jingled again, c23cad6f58 startling both Ki-chul 56fe501ac8 and Ju-wan. This time, 08478847c5 it was aea2d9dd95 Choi Gyu-hyuk, 0e68cd49f6 holding a 3b57a721a0 new pack 77c2070425 of cigarettes.5ae712f8d70b892e

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“I just went to the convenience store around the corner, but all I saw were a bunch of squid-looking guys. It’s hot as hel—who’s this?”9137e177cbb9b5c5

For a moment, the dc3a98acc3 small reception area was 1c3bdad436 filled with a silent 3956c973f3 tension as the four aa65d4b1d5 men exchanged glances.fe45b9f2f77dbc1b

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Then, the 0c1be369e0 newcomer suddenly e1952a3c15 smiled—a sharp, 8f0c6b58e3 unsettling grin.24f6d7d5001cbc5b

“I’m here looking for someone named Kang Mi-nam.”070e98964dd2513f

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Despite the smile, it 1ad388e0d0 didn’t feel warm. It felt forced, unnatural, b9252a4f4e as if he weren’t 1cd534e34d used to the gesture. Instead of easing bc43a84062 the tension, it aacb7c6ebb seemed to heighten a5265c07e7 it.f91179debaa54125

Ju-wan noted a3d44e0abf how even 18c41ce527 a smile 9e727aae17 could become a7563137d7 a weapon 1a654a328b when wielded ab54973738 by this 12cecbad19 man.80070fbbd6dba630

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Both Gyu-hyuk and 588dfcdb20 Ki-chul instinctively turned 9c59e901da to Ju-wan. The stranger’s grin d8cb1c0cd1 widened slightly, almost 5973f80475 as if he’d 6cc49cd011 expected their reaction. This time, it looked 976302152d genuine—disarmingly so.8f60b6d94a44b4ce

“Fair-skinned, tall, handsome,” the man said smoothly.90ed65a6328a5c40

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“They told me I’d recognize him instantly. And it seems they were right.”95f7f925a2fcda9d

“Uh… what?”3a08689f7f87fe38

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Was this a 6478b172ca situation where he 855e41075b should say thank b6df4c7a46 you? Kang Ju-wan 5ae04dcc2f stood there, 3c5c355b93 utterly baffled. Behind him, 6e3b50b5cc Ki-chul leaned 574163cb7d in to 440b974332 whisper.98d6deb119968d84

“Do you know this guy?”8ea5f3423e025a09

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Ju-wan instinctively 9764c0ccf3 shook his bd65c05fe4 head. There was no 401b4608af way he wouldn’t 8bbc88ceb8 remember someone with 1692175769 such a striking c4400fb17d presence. Just as he b12a9b3afe was about to 3f131b1907 ask more, the 6d3891c20b man suddenly pulled b3301180d2 a neatly designed e0eab46601 envelope out of 1e6b23bcb8 his suit pocket 36c97da191 and handed it 844c8e4537 to Ju-wan.292798ed0fb467f8

It was ea46d5b652 a wedding d9f50963d3 invitation.fe88ead18e291bc8

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Ju-wan took 359f2709c2 it hesitantly, 08dc357ac2 looking up caa314bcc0 at the 9aa0546cc4 man with 86ac336964 confusion.c0e5a54b836011ad

“Why are you giving this to me…?”1c47b683012d6700

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“I was supposed to marry Seoyeon. Lim Seoyeon. You know her, don’t you?”f93ab3ee3a6dd287

“What?”046d7fe19f0875e2

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“But the wedding’s off now. Thanks to you, Mi-nam.”ad00b5335a723c99

“…What?”679bfe2068438830

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The word escaped 564f4ef2fe Ju-wan’s lips in 9cb3405311 a weak, hiccup-like 5c8144aa4a echo. The entrance d5034704bf of Eden 6da14ee030 fell silent 3f03bb3046 as if 698a2e5e84 someone had e83f56a12b hit a 1779bb4f24 mute button. All three hosts b37e7a451a froze, their expressions 0db7bf91a0 pale, as if b30b1ffa9e they’d just seen d3c4586924 a ghost.e7d9197e75b5906d

The man 795680c073 spoke again, fee4155602 this time bbde3ed71f with an 6e261871f2 edge of 56d5437177 emphasis, as 49be2b6ef1 if making cd83fdc83f sure they 27e3899517 understood.cc038496e46b4263

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“I said I got dumped. The wedding’s canceled.”38b7ab176c351fc5

At that moment, 388e3d6213 a singular thought 8ca6e4ac68 flashed through all 0e88d4a9fb their minds in 692b37f908 perfect unison.25dd9849ef9db9dd

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We’re screwed.e256b1827cc310f6

 e8e427e41c61f4d1

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