"So what happened?"

Jae Woo busied himself polishing some glassware behind the bar as Hyung Won nursed his gin and tonic. He was nearly done with his shift by the time Hyung Won arrived, meaning he must have taken Jae Woo seriously when he told him to finish his schoolwork first. He looked more exhausted than usual, too.

The club was slowly given that it was a Wednesday, but the turnout was still more than usual with it being a night that Jay was scheduled. His tip jar was almost full, so he didn't mind flirting with the customers as they flocked to the bar for their next drink. Most of the customers were college-aged girls, though a few businessmen were scattered here and there, seeking release from a stressful day. It was around midnight by then, so things had quieted down some, giving Jae Woo a chance to talk with Hyung Won.

"Like I told Manager Moon, I found a lost kid and had to take him to the police station."

Hyung Won shook his head in disbelief. "Was someone really trying to kidnap him?" He leaned forward in his seat and lowered his voice.

Jae Woo had left the part about knocking a man unconscious to his boss, but he told Hyung Won as soon as he arrived, knowing how much he enjoys drama. "Yeah, it seemed like it."

The mention of illegal activity seemed to remind him of something. "Have you heard from your boyfriend lately?" Hyung Won asked, sucking down the last of his drink before tapping the counter for another round.

Jae Woo gave him a murderous look. He didn't dignify the baiting with a response, just grabbed a bottle of liquor and poured a shot directly into the empty cup, unwilling to dirty a different glass for his infuriating friend. Manager Moon left early after she met with Hyung Won, so she wasn't here to reprimand him for his unprofessional behavior.

"How does my schedule look?" Jae Woo asked instead, tossing the cleaning rag over his shoulder and leaning his elbows against the counter.

Hyung Won rolled his eyes and tossed the shot back, wincing at the burn it left in his throat. "You're booked for the next three weekends, between Jade Dragon and D.I.P. Thanks to your popularity, you've been bringing good business to the clubs. Moon wants to create a contract to have you perform twice a month here before the others snatch you."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with school," Jae Woo's heart fluttered but he kept his voice calm.

More exposure meant more money, and being in the public eye would offer him some sort of protection. Too much would put him at risk, though, so he had to ensure there was a balance. He couldn't become famous enough for his personal affairs to come to light and ruin him, or to draw eyes to the kkangpae. Jae Woo had no intention of signing with a production company or becoming an idol, either so he had to be mindful of attracting that sort of of attention. He didn't bother to hide his grin as he went about his work, trying not to let the good news get to his head.

Hyung Won stayed at the counter until closing time and they walked to his car together. On nights that he was able to stay at the club, Hyung Won hung around Jae Woo all night. They both knew why Hyung Won didn't like to leave him alone for very long, though his presence never acted as a particular deterrent. It was nearing the end of the month anyway, so they couldn't avoid running into them forever.

Though Jae Woo's situation had nothing to do with him, Hyung Won wedged himself into the mess on his own accord, despite the threat it posed to his safety. Hyung Won didn't have any close family that he had to worry about getting roped in either, so he didn't mind. He liked to joke that a few scars from a run-in with gang members would help him with the ladies.

Jae Woo found himself thinking about his loyal friend as he stepped into the tiny dormitory, leaving the steamy bathroom. Hyung Won passed out on the bed already, shoes half off, and hugging onto a pillow with enough strength to kill a large dog. If it wasn't for his stubbornness, the two of them wouldn't even be friends. It was his persistence that eventually won Jae Woo over, after all.

Jae Woo pushed his glasses onto his face and sat down at his desk to towel dry his hair. He finished his assignments already but he double-checked his work before tucking them all neatly into his school bag. His phone buzzed to notify him of an incoming call. He glanced over at Hyung Won to ensure that he was still passed out, stepped into the bathroom, and shut the door before answering.

"Hey, Kitten," Came a familiar purr from the other line. "What are you wearing?" The gaggle of laughter that erupted in the background let Jae Woo know he wasn't alone.

He signed. "I'll have your money when you come to see me. No need to bring the goons with you this time," he made sure to keep his voice low, but he turned on the faucet to drown himself out for good measure. Hyung Won only drank this much when he was stressed, so there was no point in agitating him further with this.

Ki-Jun shushed the other men who surrounded him, seeming to walk away from their amused sounds. "That's half the fun though..." His teasing tone abruptly faded with the noise in the background as he stepped away from his friends. "Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you this time. I know how hard you've been working, but my boss has been in a bad mood lately," He sounded apologetic, but Jae Woo didn't soften for him as he may have before. He learned long ago that Ki-Jun was capable of changing his personality in the blink of an eye, shedding his skin as often as he pleased.

Since they were in high school, Jae Woo has had a crush on Ki-Jun. He was so handsome that everyone wanted to be around him and he was kind to everyone, alienating anyone who bullied any of his admirers. They grew closer when Jae Woo joined the same boxing gym as Ki-Jun and the summer before they graduated, Jae Woo confessed his feelings. Ki-Jun let him down quickly and they had remained friends since then, at least until Ki-Jun got roped into working for a group of kkangpae. It wasn't as though anyone planned for it, but Jae Woo's first love was now in charge of collecting loans owed to the gang, and Jae Woo's family happened to be one of their debtors.

Ki-Jun sighed at Jae Woo's silence. "I can tell you're upset. Can I come to see you?" He sounded hopeful and Jae Woo knew what that meant. "I want to make it up to you."

Those words would have made his heart flutter once, but now all Jae Woo felt was repulsed by his own desires.

"I'm not alone tonight," He answered curtly, allowing Ki-Jun to draw his own conclusion. It wasn't as though he had never met Hyung Won before, considering how the self-proclaimed manager shadowed Jae Woo. It was no secret that the two of them were always together, but Jae Woo refused to elaborate on their relationship, as he saw no need to explain himself to a man who already turned his affections down before. Jae Woo owed nothing to Ki-Jun but money, which he was always certain to pay on time. "Maybe next time," His tone was flat and unpromising.

Jae Woo made the mistake of sleeping with Ki-Jun a few times before when he was feeling exceptionally lonely, and now the loan shark seemed to think he had some kind of claim on him, calling whenever he wanted sex. It was pleasurable enough that Jae Woo allowed it occasionally, but this night wasn't one of those occasions. He initially thought that Ki-Jun was just curious about what sleeping with a man was like, but he seemed to be growing attached in a way that Jae Woo didn't like. He thought that sleeping with him a few times would help lessen the burden of dealing with the kkangpae, but Ki-Jun offered no protection from his underlings in the end.

Ki-Jun didn't bother to hide his disappointment. "Damn, again?" He sighed, assuming that Jae Woo had a partner sleeping over tonight already. "Whatever, just call me instead next time. I'll be seeing you soon."

The line ended with finality and Jae Woo set his phone down with a sigh, gazing at his reflection. How had things ended up this tangled? His father is the one who began running up a debt with the kkangpae to fuel his gambling addictions, then ran off when they came to collect. In order to avoid having their small restaurant destroyed or seized, Jae Woo's grandmother and mother took on the debt. It was way above their heads, however, so Jae Woo came to Seoul as soon as he graduated high school to find better work to help them pay it off.

Jae Woo turned the tap on, watching the steam fog up his reflection. Using the running water to muffle the sound, he slapped himself across the cheek, hard, as repentance. I'm sorry, grandma. He thought to himself, imagining that it was her weathered hand that stung his face. If she knew what sort of things he had been doing in the city, she would be so disappointed in him. Jae Woo turned off the faucet and quietly climbed into bed with Hyung Won, who remained unconscious and undisturbed by the noise from earlier. If only he could sleep as peacefully.

Jae Woo flipped onto his side and turned out the lights, allowing the fantasies of a different life to lull him to an eventual sleep.