A massage shop nestled in the middle of the city. My name is Cha Daehyuk, and I manage this place. I had a sturdy frame, a stocky build, and a motto: Every woman in the world was a potential slut.
At the moment, I sat in the manager's office, staring at my phone.
"Oh, there's a character wearing pretty clothes."
I had taken a screenshot of an idle card-collecting RPG. I started playing after stumbling across an ad online. A scantily clad female character was displayed on screen.
With a sigh, I tapped the screen for another 10-game draw.
Tsk...
Even after the 28th ten-pull, the one character I had been chasing refused to appear.
"Is it the ceiling?"
I knew how these games worked. If you didn't pull the character after 300 draws, the ceiling system guaranteed it. I hit the screen again. A special rainbow animation played.
"Ana…"
It wasn't until the 290th draw that a unique production animation popped up. The one that signaled a rare character.
My breath was caught. If the rare one I wanted showed up now, I'd lose the accumulated stack of 280.
"Please no, please no, please no."
I would've rather hit the ceiling. At least then I wouldn't lose anything.
But fate had other plans.
"Fuck…!"
The game displayed the exact character I had tried to avoid.
All the stacks disappeared.
"Today's luck is the worst."
I turned off the screen, depressed.
Right then—
Tiririri!
The phone screen lit up again and began to ring.
"Who the hell is calling me?"
Still frowning, I glanced at the caller ID. My expression twisted into something more puzzled.
"Huh? What's he doing calling me at this hour?"
I picked up.
"Bongpal, what are you doing calling me this late?"
[Uh~ta, brother! Are you that surprised I called at this hour?]
That loud, deep voice on the other end belonged to Park Bongpal. Someone hearing it for the first time might've found it intimidating, but I just found it annoying.
"You only call when you want me to buy you dinner."
[Wow, listen to that tone. Lost more money on that game again?]
"You are noisy."
[Bro, if you wanted girls, you could just get real ones. Why waste money on digital drawings?]
"There's something strangely fun about collecting them, alright? If you're just going to mock me, hang up."
[No no! I called for a reason. Something perfect for you came in!]
"For me?"
[Yes! Only you can handle this one…]
"Bongpal. Park Bongpal. I'm broke. And I don't work at your crime report agency."
Bongpal ran a private crime report office in the building next to mine.
[Come on! We both know you're not broke. And I swear you'll be interested this time!]
"…Is it a woman?"
[Hehe! And top-notch too!]
I grew serious.
"When do I go?"
[Do you have time now?]
"Wait."
I ran through today's schedule in my head.
"No guests lined up. I'm free."
[Really? I thought you had that lady client today.]
"She's a noble's daughter. Even she has her own busy life."
To be honest, I felt more anxious than pleased when that young lady dropped by.
"I'm heading to your office."
[Great! I'll be waiting, bro!]
After ending the call, I stood and left the office.
As I passed the reception desk, Miran—the short-haired receptionist—looked up.
"Director, where are you going?"
"Oh, Miran. Got an errand to run."
I handed her a card from my pocket.
"Order whatever you want for lunch, for everyone. Except me."
"Ahhh! Director, you're the best!"
I left the shop behind and made my way to the next building.
…..
…..
"Bongpal. I'm here."
"Oh my~! Welcome, brother!"
His office was lively. Around eight guys were sitting at desks—reviewing documents, chatting, or on calls.
Among them, sitting near the window, was Park Bongpal.
He stood up, grinning like a bulldog trying to act cute.
He was reliable, if I had to put it nicely. Rough around the edges, if I was being honest.
"Welcome, Brother Daehyuk!"
When he stood, the other guys all jumped up and bowed their heads.
"What is this, a gang hideout? Get back to work."
I walked over to Bongpal's desk.
"So? What am I doing?"
"Hehe, follow me, brother."
With a sly smile, he led me into a private counseling room.
"The client's in here."
"Really?"
I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open.
….
….
A man in a suit sat on the sofa inside. His expression was plain and stiff.
I closed the door again without a word.
Bah!
'Fucking bastard!!'
I kicked Bongpal in the shin.
"You bastard! You said it was a woman but it's a guy!! What, you trying to get me to touch a man's body now?"
"No no! Bro, wait! It's not like that!"
"Forget it!"
I lifted my leg for another kick, but I flailed as he blocked it.
"He wants your other specialty, not massage!"
"…Other specialty?"
"The one you're really good at!"
"…How the hell does he know I have that specialty?"
"Well, I might've bragged a little…"
Bah!
'Fucking bastard!!'
"You're leaking info again."
"Ow ow…"
I rubbed my chin and looked up.
"Come on, bro. I've got an eye for people. This guy doesn't seem like the type to run his mouth."
I stayed quiet.
"And if he does? If anything you don't like happens, I'll take full responsibility. You have my word!"
I'd known Bongpal for a while now. I could read him like a book.
"…You sure?"
"Absolutely."
"I'll believe you. Just this once."
"As expected of you, bro!"
I sighed and went back inside the room.
Putting on my professional face, I sat across from the man and said,
"Sorry about earlier. My name is Cha Daehyuk."
"No problem. I'm Kim Jisan."
He looked blunt, like the kind of guy who hadn't smiled in years. Glasses made him seem even more rigid.
"Mind if I get straight to the point?"
"Go ahead."
I observed him more closely.
Didn't look like the type who'd want that kind of service…
Still, people surprised me all the time.
My other specialty? It was training women.
It didn't matter if she was cold, snarky, disgusted by men, or just plain arrogant. I could strip all that down and make her realize what she really was—a female slut.
I didn't do it often, but I was confident in my ability. Confident enough to live a pretty comfortable life thanks to it.
I figured this guy had someone like that in his life. A pain in the ass, he couldn't handle himself.
But then he said—
"Please train my wife."
"…What?"
*****
****
I stared at him in disbelief.
A request to train his wife?
Then he took it a step further. He said she was having an affair—with another woman.
He even asked me to train that other woman, if possible.
I'd seen some crazy things in my life, but this? This was a new one.
Still, it wasn't the request or the affair that shocked me the most.
It was the photo he slid across the table.
Two women.
One had soft pink hair—his wife, clearly.
The other had short golden hair and sharp eyes.
I knew that face.
She was the new employee I'd recently hired at my shop.
It was Seorina.