FT 1

It was a day when the streets were especially soaked.

The smell of rain lingered thickly in every corner of the entertainment district, even though the downpour had stopped.

In the still-damp night air, muffled music and hazy smoke drifted in freely, seeping through everything.

Everything around felt damp and heavy. The unsteady footsteps of passersby splashed against puddles collected on the ground.

The bustling night street was completely steeped in a sticky kind of pleasure.

On nights like this, even the clearest mind can easily become hazy and lose its balance.

“Hey, Seohee-yaaa.”

Even though it was still a bit early for the night to be in full swing, the club was already packed. In front of its entrance, Suyeon clung to Seohee’s arm, whining.

“Let’s just stop by for a little while, please?”

Drunk out of her mind, Suyeon slurred her words and clung to Seohee desperately. But the owner of the arm being tugged—her face firm and composed—responded with a voice just as calm as her tidy demeanor.

“No. You’re already way too drunk. Let’s just go to a bar instead.”

Her tone, like a parent scolding a misbehaving child, was intentionally strict. Suyeon pouted and yanked Seohee’s arm toward herself.

“I really… sniff… I really want to forget that bastard today. He went and had his fun behind my back, didn’t he? So now that we’re over, what’s stopping me from doing the same? Huh? It’s not like I can’t—I just haven’t. But tonight, I’m gonna burn it all down!”

It was the same story she had repeated over and over during their earlier drinking session.

Seohee quietly lifted her gaze to the sleek cursive lettering engraved on the black stone wall above them:

BLOSSOM

A lounge club that had just marked its fifth anniversary, Blossom was a leading nightlife hotspot in the Gangnam area. Popular among social media influencers and celebrities alike, it was located beneath the Cheongdam branch of JK Hotel, which sat on prime land right past Hannam Bridge, where several roads branched out like veins.

Seohee shifted her gaze away from the sign and looked to the side. Past the intimidating bouncer in a jet-black suit guarding the entrance, her eyes landed on the hotel building—its rounded arches giving it a graceful silhouette.

Lights from each room sparkled against the sleek and elegant exterior of the hotel, resembling stars scattered across a clear night sky.

Suyeon snapped Seohee out of her thoughts.

“Anyway, we’re on the afternoon shift tomorrow. And if you think of this as part of market research, doesn’t that make it okay?”

Suyeon was a colleague who worked with Seohee at the hotel’s front desk. Their shifts rotated on a three-shift schedule, and the afternoon shift started at 1 p.m. Judging by her tone, Suyeon clearly intended to burn through the night and spend all of tomorrow morning sprawled out in bed.

But there was something off about what she said.

Market research? The outdated hotel they worked at didn’t have any flashy clubs like this one.

“I saw it on Insta—actors Han Gyoyeong and Lee Boseok, you know them, right? They came here just last week. I heard the owner of this place is the heir to JK Hotel. It’s not some shady club where just anyone can walk in, so it’s probably not dangerous. And I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while now.”

In truth, Suyeon’s heartbreak had mostly subsided—after downing two bottles of soju on her own and cursing out her ex with every insult she could think of, all while Seohee sat beside her without touching a drop. Now, she was half-using the situation as an excuse to lift her mood by visiting a trendy hotspot.

“Let’s just stay for a little while, yeah?”

She spoke cautiously, eyebrows drooping like a guilty child.

Seohee let out a resigned sigh.

“Alright, fine. But we’re really only staying a little while.”

“Aww, you’re the best, Seohee.”

Linking arms with her, Suyeon giggled. Seohee couldn’t help but laugh a little herself. Taking Suyeon’s hand, she followed her toward the bright white entrance, shaped like a wide, open mouth.

“Good evening, Director!”

A booming voice rang out near the roadside. The three guards stationed at Blossom all bowed deeply in unison toward one spot. Taebaek, who had just stepped out of the car and was striding toward the back door, grimaced in annoyance.

“Ah, fuck.”

A sharp curse burst from his lips. The bulky men standing with their hands clasped in front of them flinched.

“I’m the owner of this place, not a fucking gang boss, you idiots. Just acknowledge me lightly, lightly. And relax those damn shoulders. You’re scaring the guests. You already look creepy as hell.”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

“Ugh, forget it. Not even worth talking.”

Taebaek muttered in disgust.

It was a mistake to come through the back entrance near the staff parking lot instead of the front door.

“Where’s Chief Ji?”

As he pushed through the guards, his chin jerked in the direction of the question, and one of them straightened up and responded crisply.

“He’s in the office right now.”

“Alright.”

Taebaek swept a hand roughly through his hair and snapped the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. Then he gave the guard’s stiff shoulder a firm pat.

“Good work. But let’s keep the decibels down, yeah?”

“Thank you, sir!”

As if to shut out the loud voice behind him, he slammed the thick metal door closed.

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

The sound of his shoes striking the metal staircase echoed through the enclosed asphalt-lined space like a drumbeat.

His sharp steps slowed slightly as he reached the first basement level.

As soon as he pushed open the heavy emergency door, a wave of sound crashed into him—blaring noise that hit his body like an electric jolt, showing off the club’s perfect soundproofing until that very moment.

Line lights in geometric patterns flashed off the fireproof glass panels that looked down onto the B3 stage. The chaotic hallway led straight to the office. Along the way, long display cases sparkled with Cairo chandeliers casting decadent light, and every frame was finished with golden mirror stainless steel.

In other words, this was a ridiculously over-the-top, gold-drenched path to the office.

Taebaek, striding forward with purpose, paused just as he reached the office door and glanced down the hallway.

It led to the corner where the emergency exit was.

Haa. He sighed in irritation and turned his steps toward where his gaze had landed.

“Fuck.”

It was already the second curse he’d spat out since arriving at work. Taebaek was starting to feel a completely irrational suspicion that everyone had conspired together today to thoroughly get on his nerves.

And for good reason.

“Ah… ahng…! Hng, ah, oppa…!”

The wet slap of flesh against flesh echoed louder as he approached. The moment he rounded the corner, Taebaek let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh.

A man and a woman were furiously going at it in the hallway.

The office corridor Taebaek used was completely isolated from both the B3 stage and the B2 private rooms, but occasionally, when the guards left their posts, some sneaky little rats from the clientele would creep up to the B1 level.

He leaned casually against the wall and watched them with indifferent eyes.

Fixing his gaze on the guy who still hadn’t noticed him and had the woman pressed to the wall, groping his butt, Taebaek waited. The woman, clinging to the man and moaning, tilted her head back—and spotted him.

Her eyes bulged in horror.

“Kyahhh!”

She screamed.

A vein twitched in Taebaek’s brow. If not for the bass-heavy music rumbling from the stage, someone might’ve thought a murder was taking place.

“Holy shit…!”

“Wh-what do we do?! Move, hurry!”

The two of them scrambled to separate, just moments before full-on penetration.

Taebaek walked toward them in long, heavy strides. Looking down at the man as he clumsily fumbled to fix his pants, Taebaek spoke in a low, calm voice.

“This isn’t a place for guests to fuck, you know.”

“Huh?”

The man, still flushed and hurriedly fastening his belt, pointed a finger at him in outrage.

“W-why would you say it like that?!”

Beside him, the woman looked mortified.

“So I’m supposed to treat horny mutts who can’t even control themselves in public like honored guests? I know it’s nightlife, but don’t you at least pretend to carry some basic decency or manners when you leave the house?”

“I-I mean…”

“What is this, a motel or a nightclub? I’m starting to wonder.”

Taebaek muttered lazily.

With his towering, broad-shouldered frame and cold, unflinching gaze, he looked utterly unfazed by their lewd behavior, which only made his presence more chilling. The man, suddenly unsettled, glanced nervously at the woman.

“Hey… hey. D-don’t tell me, is this guy Joo Taebaek, the owner?”

The woman couldn’t answer. She just stared blankly. Taebaek lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk and answered for her.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Joo Taebaek, owner of this club.”