Come Back

Before the store opened, a few of the employees were arguing with the shop’s manager over late fees. Hongseo had been circling around the area, waiting for the right moment to approach the manager.

“Hey, bro,” he called.

“Oh, what’s up?”

The manager didn’t look up from his ledger and answered absentmindedly.

“The thing you mentioned the other day,” Hongseo said.

“Huh? What thing?”

The manager still wasn’t paying full attention, jotting down something in the ledger.

“The deep-sea fishing boat job. You said you introduced another guy who used to be a host here. And that he quit being a host after going on that boat, remember?”

At that, the manager finally looked up from his paperwork.

“Oh… right.”

“Do you think a rookie like me could get on that boat?”

The manager put down his pen, showing more interest now.

“Why the deep-sea boat all of a sudden? It’s not something just anyone can do.”

The manager scrutinized Hongseo’s serious expression and glanced around before lowering his voice.

“…Is it because you need the money?”

Looking back, what Hongseo failed to notice at the time was that the glint in the manager’s eyes wasn’t worry or concern. It was more like the thrill someone experiences when they finally get a bite on a fishing line after a long wait.

Hongseo, at that moment, didn’t sense any of it.

The manager was someone he trusted deeply. Even though he had ended up working at the host bar because of that very manager, Hongseo still thought the manager wanted him to avoid this line of work. Everything had been carefully set up from the beginning to make Hongseo think this way.

Hongseo went on to explain the situation. His family had debts, and his parents wanted him to help take over or buy into a business.

“Your parents work too, right? Why are you, a young kid, trying to take that on? Doesn’t your dad drive a taxi?” the manager asked.

“He’s been resting since last month because his back’s been hurting,” Hongseo replied.

His father had never stayed with one job for long, and even when he did, he often had long stretches of unemployment, which caused frequent arguments with his mother.

“And your mom? She’s still active, right?”

“Sometimes she does part-time work, but she doesn’t have a regular job.”

Hongseo had trusted the manager enough to even share personal details about his family, things he hadn’t told his friends. The manager had become the one adult he could rely on, more so than even his parents.

“Tsk…” the manager sighed deeply, showing a sympathetic expression, though it was all an act.

“Kid, that deep-sea fishing job, the first 3 to 4 months you’re just getting a base salary, but after 15 months of being out at sea with no solid ground under your feet, you’ll get paid 100 million. That’s 20 months of grueling work for 100 million.”

“I thought if I were going to make big money, that might be the only way. Could you help me get in?” Hongseo asked.

This had been Hongseo’s idea after a few days of brainstorming. He wasn’t worldly or experienced, and the deep-sea fishing job was the only thing he could think of after the manager had mentioned it before.

“Hongseo…” The manager hesitated, his lips twitching as if he was struggling to speak. He checked to see if anyone was around and then leaned in closer to Hongseo.

“There’s actually someone who really wants to take you out after hours…” the manager said.

“Bro…” Hongseo responded, feeling uneasy.

“I know, I know. You don’t want to go out with customers like that. That’s why I’ve been covering for you, telling them no for a month. You think I want to send you out?” The manager tried to reassure him.

“Sorry, that’s not what I meant…” Hongseo stammered.

The manager then pulled Hongseo into an empty room.

“If I hadn’t known you were in need of money, I wouldn’t have said anything about this. But the thing is… this guy is different. You know Hanseo Group, right? The son is one of those high-end clients. We’re talking top-tier, like Gucci. No, this guy is beyond that. We’re talking Chanel, Hermes.”

“That’s not the issue…” Hongseo said, feeling uncomfortable.

The manager brushed off his concern, flicking the ash from his cigarette and showing three fingers.

“Three million.”

“…”

“You’re not the kind of guy who goes out after hours, so I’ve been rejecting this guy for a whole month. But now, he’s offering three million. I’ve never heard of anyone getting that much just for going out after hours.”

Hongseo shook his head and lowered his gaze.

“I said I’d help until you find a good host. It’s true that I’m in a tight spot, but I’m not desperate enough to do that,” Hongseo said firmly.

The offer of three million just for a night still stunned him, but he didn’t feel inclined to accept it. It wasn’t a matter of morals; he was genuinely scared. The thought of accepting money for something like that terrified him.

The manager nodded as if he understood.

“Right, you’re just helping out temporarily. So I’ve been telling this guy you’re not really a regular, just helping out… But this guy is persistent. He’s rich but seems naive, like he doesn’t know much about this world. It’s like he’s falling for it because it’s all new to him.”

In hindsight, the manager’s words seemed ridiculous, but he spoke with such conviction.

“Anyway, I’ve been rejecting him for a month, but I can’t keep doing that. It’d be better if you just met him and rejected him to his face.”

“Me??” Hongseo exclaimed.

“To be honest, I’ve done everything I can to protect you. But this guy doesn’t listen, he’s insisting on meeting you. If you tell him no in person, he’ll give up.”

“…”

“To avoid worrying you, I didn’t mention it, but I can’t just deal with that customer alone… It’s been really stressful.”

Madam Hyung said this as if feeling guilty, but Hongseo couldn’t bring himself to impose more on someone who had already helped him a lot.

“Okay, I’ll refuse him myself.”

“And…”

“Yes?”

“I’ll lend you the money. Is 100 million enough?”

“What? No, hyung! I can’t keep asking you for favors like this. It’s fine.”

Hongseo jumped up from his seat and waved his hands. But Madam Hyung, seemingly resolute, spoke plainly.

“It’s better than you getting on the long-distance fishing boats. You’ve been helping out at the store, and besides, you’re a younger brother I care about… Can you imagine what it would be like if you had to suffer out there for 20 months? Do you think I would feel comfortable with that?”

“…”

“You don’t have to pay me back quickly. You’re not the type to waste money, and if you really need to, you can work it off doing manual labor. I know you’ll pay me back, that’s why I’m doing this. But don’t talk about this to anyone else.”

“Hyung… thank you.”

Hongseo’s throat tightened. The words “thank you” didn’t feel enough. He lowered his head, and tears fell from his eyes, not because of the money, but because of the way Madam Hyung cared for him.

If Madam Hyung hadn’t offered to lend him the 100 million, or if he had pushed him to go with the rich client for a second round, Hongseo might have doubted him, even back then. He might have grown distant from him because of the pressure.

But Madam Hyung didn’t pressure him. Instead, he said he’d lend him the money, but the decision to meet the customer and refuse him had to be made by Hongseo himself.

Of course, this was part of a much more sophisticated scheme. By removing all doubts from Hongseo’s mind, Madam Hyung strengthened Hongseo’s trust and belief in him.

People who don’t trust others never get scammed.

A con artist doesn’t lay out their entire scheme right away. They first build trust, give the impression of being a good person, and gradually earn the level of trust where the victim believes that no matter how many people might scam them, this person would never do such a thing.

A victim of fraud doesn’t need to be threatened; they willingly hand over their property, lend money, or invest in businesses because they’ve been made to believe in the person’s goodness.

Every word and action from Madam Hyung was part of this groundwork.

Hongseo had often imagined going back in time, wishing he could fix his past mistakes.

There were so many moments he wished he could undo.

He shouldn’t have gone to meet that client. He shouldn’t have borrowed the 100 million from Madam Hyung. He should have disregarded the sentimental reasons for wanting to make his parents happy. He should have refused Madam Hyung’s urgent request to fill the headcount.

He should have turned down his classmate’s invitation that cold day in March to come to the store.

However, if he could fix just one moment, only one, Hongseo knew exactly which one it would be.

He wouldn’t have gone to meet that client.

That client, the executive from Hanseo Group, was none other than the chairman of UB.

—

As soon as they passed customs and entered the arrival hall, the members of “Layered” were greeted by a barrage of camera flashes from reporters and fans. The security team, who had been waiting, moved in to form two lines, surrounding the six members and guiding them through the crowd.

It took more than five minutes for them to get completely through the gate. Outside the airport, people were waiting on ladders to take photos. The crowd surged, causing the ladder to topple, and people fell, forcing the members to stop temporarily as chaos erupted.

“Get back! You’ll get hurt! Maintain distance! It’s dangerous!”

The security team shouted, and the members walked slowly, heads down, wearing hats to avoid drawing attention. They couldn’t afford to offer fan services like waving or showing their faces due to safety concerns.

However, there was something strange about the scene. The usual car they rode in wasn’t waiting for them at the designated spot.

Instead of their familiar RV, a large van was parked.

Due to the confusion of the scene, the members, still bewildered, had no choice but to get into the van.

“What… what’s going on? What is this car? Is this our car, Boss?”

The members who had gotten into the van started questioning Madam Hyung, who was already inside.

“Just sit down and let’s go. You’re asking about the car before even greeting me?”

“What’s going on?”

“This is the car you’ll be using from now on. It’s a surprise for you while you’re in Ho Chi Minh.”

“Wow! This is amazing! Only top actors drive this car!”

“Yeah! This is the same car as Yoon Juho’s! I’ve seen it!”

“We’re probably the only idols in the country with a car like this, huh?”

“This is crazy! We really made it! Why are we in a Mercedes Sprinter at the UN Village?”

“Stop being so naive. Don’t you remember who made this happen? It was Hongseo who got us here! If it weren’t for Hongseo working alone for years to get ‘Layered’ to this point, we’d never have this luxury! Thank Hongseo and take good care of the car!”

But by then, it seemed like the members weren’t even listening to Madam Hyung’s words anymore.

Could this have been arranged by Lee Seong?

Hongseo couldn’t help but think that was the case, but he couldn’t ask directly in front of the others.

“Hongseo, by the way… before you leave for Yeongjong Island, you need to transfer.”

“Transfer? What do you mean?”

“They’re waiting for you at the underground parking lot of a mixed-use apartment complex nearby.”

“….”

“They really wanted to meet you, but there are reporters all over the airport, so they’re in a restricted parking lot for residents. You can change cars there, avoid the stalkers, and get to your destination safely.”

Was it really Executive Lee Seong from Hanseo Group waiting? Hongseo’s heart dropped, but he managed to calm himself.

Based on Madam Hyung’s tone, he was clearly referring to Lee Seong, not Lee Seong’s assistant.

—