Come Back

“Even though the CEO keeps calling you, he says you’re on the phone. Take it.”

“The CEO?”

Surprised, Choi Hong-seo took the phone and returned to his room.

“It’s me.”

**[Were you talking to the vice president?]**

“…Yes.”

Contrary to his expectation of an angry scolding, the voice on the other end was as soft as it could be.

Recently, the CEO’s attitude toward Choi Hong-seo had been changing rapidly. When he first met Lee Hae-seong, CEO Myung had been very aggressive, talking about 5 billion, but now he had clearly backed down. There was no need to ask why—he had guessed that Lee Hae-seong, unlike other VIPs who would just pay to play with Choi Hong-seo, was actually putting a lot of effort into taking care of him.

But something didn’t sit right.

No matter how high Lee Hae-seong’s social status was, Myung had no reason to benefit from Choi Hong-seo unless he was paying him. He had always seen Choi Hong-seo as a mere means of making money.

Had he connected with Lee Hae-seong to build his network? Or was he too reluctant to let go of such a profitable relationship, considering the small amount of money made from trading his body?

Even now, UB was benefiting from Lee Hae-seong. Thanks to investment in *Cream Mansion*, Choi Hong-seo had safely landed the lead role, and the rent for the Han River-view villa was almost 10 million won a month, which was mostly just paying the maintenance fees. It couldn’t have been more profitable.

**[I bet the vice president misses you a lot since you’re on a business trip?]**

Choi Hong-seo didn’t want to hear that kind of talk about his relationship with Lee Hae-seong from CEO Myung. Lost in thought for a moment, he was shaken back to reality by an unsettling feeling and quickly changed the subject.

“Why did you call me?”

**[Oh, right. That’s the thing…]**

CEO Myung paused for a moment, making a clicking sound with his tongue before sighing. After a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and shouted.

**[That bastard is back.]**

“Excuse me?”

Who was this bastard? Choi Hong-seo didn’t need to ask, already sensing the answer instinctively.

**[Ugh… That son of a bitch was hiding in Shanghai for a while, but now he’s back. Apparently, Hanseo Group is acquiring some hotel in Bangkok, and he’s been coming in and out of Seoul a lot lately…]**

“…”

**[He’s looking for you.]**

Choi Hong-seo felt like he needed to sit down or grab onto something—he felt like his feet were bound, unable to move.

**[He keeps talking about all the money he’s sent you for your education, pretending to be your guardian, but damn, it really makes me want to puke.]**

Choi Hong-seo didn’t even pay attention to CEO Myung’s rant about the actions of Executive Director Lee Seo-kyung.

**[If that bastard spent more time on business than monitoring celebrities, he would have already handed over a subsidiary to his sister by now. Just wait. He’s going to get overtaken by his younger brother soon.]**

“So, what did the CEO say about this?”

Unable to hold back, Choi Hong-seo raised his voice, unable to endure CEO Myung’s rambling any longer.

**[There’s nothing to worry about. What are we afraid of? We’re not like we used to be, right? With the vice president here, there’s nothing we need to fear.]**

How could the two of us be *we*?

How dare you think you could hide behind that person to avoid Lee Seo-kyung?

Choi Hong-seo wanted to grab CEO Myung by the collar and challenge him like a madman, but he couldn’t even focus on fighting or arguing. His mind was too full of other things.

**[I said you’re doing so well now, practically never even in the country. I just told him we won’t run into each other, but I’m keeping it under control. Just know that bastard is looking for you.]**

“…”

**[You know how persistent that freak is. You might have to stick to overseas schedules for a while… You’re not having any problems with the vice president, are you?]**

A pitiful voice, anxious that Choi Hong-seo might grow distant from Lee Hae-seong, worried about losing such a powerful connection.

Without a word, Choi Hong-seo hung up. Standing still, he turned to look out the window.

It was impossible for snow to fall in Ho Chi Minh, but the sky was so pale that it almost seemed like heavy snow could fall at any moment.

@

Right after graduating high school, Choi Hong-seo was working the night shift at a convenience store. The store was located in an entertainment district with a lot of bars, so the pay for the night shift was higher than other places. He wasn’t good at studying and didn’t have any hobbies, so he had no complaints about not being sent to college. Although he envied his friends who were entering small local universities just by paying the tuition, he never voiced it, knowing his family’s financial situation.

It wasn’t until after graduation that he realized he had been living without much thought.

Sitting in the back of the classroom, unnoticed by the teachers, passing time, he had slowly been pushed out of school and into the world. It wasn’t until then that he realized he didn’t have any skills or weapons to survive.

Without any education or training, his parents, who had ignored him for 20 years, had pushed him to start earning money the moment he graduated. The only job he could start right away was the night shift at the convenience store.

“Hong!”

A young man in a sharp suit, looking very much like a rookie, entered the convenience store and greeted Choi Hong-seo. It was early March, and the cold air from outside seeped in through the counter.

“One pack of Marlboro Red.”

The guy was an old classmate working at a host bar.

He pulled out a card from his designer wallet and placed it on the counter.

“What are you doing after work today?”

It wasn’t that they were particularly close, but they weren’t distant either. They were part of a group of friends who hung out together.

“What else would I be doing? I’m working all night, so I’m just going home to sleep.”

“Is that how you’re going to waste your youth? Come over to our place and hang out.”

“Your place?”

“Our Madam’s brother is actually a really good guy. On slow days when there aren’t many customers, he calls up his friends, buys some drinks, sings karaoke, and hangs out at the bar. Other guys have been there a few times already.”

“Free drinks?”

At this, the guy laughed mischievously, as if asking how he could be so naive. It was a laugh that suggested he thought of himself as something of an adult.

“We buy the alcohol from the supermarket, but the place is provided for us, and the karaoke machine’s free. The guys are coming over tonight. What do you think?”

There was no one waiting for him at home. His younger sibling, who was a good student, would complain about his study time being disturbed whenever he came back, so there was no real reason to get home on time.

“Alright, where should I go?”

That was the beginning.

The host bar that he went to wasn’t as dirty or shady as he had imagined.

The decor was upscale, and the staff were all dressed in brand-name clothes, their manners impeccable. They looked like celebrities.

And as his friend had said, the “Madam’s brother” was a genuinely nice guy.

Despite the age difference, he treated Choi Hong-seo like a local older brother and got along easily with the other workers. He often gave them advice about their lifestyle and spending habits, and it seemed like he genuinely cared for them.

Young, penniless kids with a lot of free time naturally gravitated toward a kind older brother who spent money generously and looked out for them.

“You guys shouldn’t be messing around in this business. Min-jun, you should save up your money and get out when you’ve made enough. It’s too late for me, but you still have hope.”

The “Madam’s brother” often said this when they hung out together, both inside and outside the bar. Choi Hong-seo never suspected anything. He thought the older man was just being kind.

But soon, he realized that all the nice words and actions were part of a deliberate plan to draw him deeper into the nightlife industry.

One day, the “Madam’s brother” called him, sounding worried.

“Hong-seo, do you have time? Isn’t today your day off from the convenience store?”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask why, but we’re packed with customers right now. We don’t usually use girls brought in from the photo studios. Can you come in and just stand around to fill up the numbers? Please, do me a favor. I’ll take care of you, I swear.”

By that time, Choi Hong-seo had completely lost any hesitation about working at the host bar. He saw it as just helping a friend out at the place he ran.

“Do I just have to stand around when they choose someone?”

“…I can’t lie. There’s a chance a customer might pick you. But if that happens, I’ll make sure they take it easy on you since you’re new. If they’re a troublemaker, I’ll kick them out. Please, Hong-seo, I really need you.”

“Okay, I’ll get ready and head out now.”

“Are you serious? You have no idea how much this helps me! If you come and stand there, it’s a big help for my reputation. I’ll make sure you get a nice tip!”

“I’ve already gotten so much from you, drinks and food, I don’t need anything more.”

“Look at this loyalty. I can always tell when I meet a good person!”

That day, the work wasn’t hard at all. He had almost no objection to working as a host anymore, though he later realized it had all been set up by the “Madam’s brother.”

Soon, Choi Hong-seo became a regular at the bar.

Yet, he still didn’t realize he was actually working as a host. He thought he was just occasionally helping out his friend.

When it came to payments, the “Madam’s brother” always emphasized that Choi Hong-seo wasn’t a regular host, further clouding his judgment.

He was now earning as much in two days working weekends at the bar as he would in a month at the convenience store. Choi Hong-seo was even working fewer days at the convenience store and going to the bar to work more often.

One day, he brought home a large sum of money.

“W-Where did all this money come from?”

His parents were stunned.

It was too much money to have been earned from a regular job. He couldn’t lie his way out of it.

“I’m working as a waiter at a host bar. The customers give huge tips.”

“A host bar?”

His father, who was serving soup at the table, raised his eyebrows.

“I’m not a host, just a waiter! I change the ashtrays, serve drinks, and occasionally take care of troublesome customers. It’s not that hard! It’s not a dirty job, I promise!”

His father put down his spoon and grabbed an envelope from his mother, inspecting its contents without a hint of surprise, and without any shame.

“In this world, is there any work that doesn’t involve some dirt? There’s no such thing as a lowly job. You’re young, healthy, and working, so it’s better than those who just sit around doing nothing!”

“….”

He didn’t know what he had expected. Even though his son was working in the nightlife industry right after graduating high school, his parents didn’t seem concerned at all.

Choi Hong-seo set down his spoon, his appetite completely gone. But his mother moved closer to him and looked at him nervously.

“If you make this much as a waiter, I guess a host would make even more, right?”

“….”

“You didn’t go to school, and your parents are like this, so… if you could just save up a lot, you could start your own business. That would be your way out, don’t you think?”

When Choi Hong-seo didn’t respond, his father chimed in.

“Yeah, don’t you remember your uncle’s restaurant in Daejeon? The one with the pork ribs. They’re selling it now and moving to the countryside. If we could buy it, maybe it would help us get on our feet.”

In the end, it wasn’t even about wanting to help him find a way out.

“Even as a host, you can’t make that kind of money overnight.”

“You’re friends with that uncle, aren’t you? If we tell him we want to buy, maybe he’ll help us out with some easy terms. They’re well off, and they’re nice people.”

“I’ll talk to them about it.”

At least for now, Choi Hong-seo was glad to see the smiles on his parents’ faces as they counted the money he brought home. As long as he brought in money, the atmosphere at home stayed calm and sometimes even seemed harmonious.

But soon, a deep, foul-smelling trap was slowly waiting to snap shut on him.