The Price of Dignity

“f*ck. This is disgusting. I try to have some fun for the first time in a while, and instead of getting hard, you’re gagging?”

The chairman, now close, reeked of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and a strange musky odor. Whenever the shouting man’s body shook, I could see sweat glistening on his skin.

Filthy bastard. Hae-jun’s gaze, laced with pity, turned to U-gyeom. If it were me, I wouldn’t have just gagged—I would have thrown up.

“Do you know how much money I spend here?! Get Manager Kwak here right now!”

“I’m truly sorry, Chairman Jeong. U-gyeom, come here this instant.”

The manager, who had been bowing repeatedly in apology, glared as he spoke. U-gyeom, still rubbing his slapped cheek and keeping silent like a dead mouse, staggered over. The manager, who had just used his skills to calm the guest and seat him on the sofa, turned to U-gyeom with his eyes wide open.

“Can’t you act like a pro? You came here to make money, didn’t you? If a guest tells you to strip, you strip. If they tell you to suck, you suck. You’re making a fuss over not being able to suck a d*ck? Do you want to get fired from here? Don’t you need the money?”

Hae-jun, listening to the quiet but threatening tone that the guest behind couldn’t hear, was shocked. The manager looked at U-gyeom, who was just biting his lip, with annoyance, then sighed and whispered something in his ear. Whatever he said must have been bad, because U-gyeom’s face turned white.

“Fix this properly, and fast.”

With a bright smile, the manager grabbed the wrist of U-gyeom, who looked on the verge of tears, and stepped forward in front of the guest.

“We are truly sorry. U-gyeom says he’s sorry and will make sure to give you proper service.”

“Hah, now? What about when you were gagging?”

“Oh, Chairman Jeong, please calm your anger. He wasn’t feeling well and made a momentary mistake. U-gyeom, apologize.”

At the manager’s glare and words, U-gyeom knelt on the floor and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, Chairman. I wasn’t feeling well earlier…”

Chairman Jeong, now a bit calmer, twisted his thin, line-like lips and sneered.

“Just because you apologized, do I have to forgive you? Beg until I feel better. Go on.”

“…I’m sorry. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel better.”

“Then show me. Suck again.”

Snorting, the man turned his cunning eyes toward Manager Lee, who was watching the situation.

“Manager Lee, watch closely and judge. See if he’s really doing it right. Whether I should forgive him or not.”

Curses exploded in Hae-jun’s mind. That bastard was trying to humiliate U-gyeom in front of everyone, forcing him to do degrading things. But none of the others present stepped forward for U-gyeom.

U-gyeom, meeting the chairman’s amused gaze, seemed to resign himself and lowered his eyes. He crawled on his knees to find his way between the man’s legs, which were even scrawny-haired. Seeing him settle into position, Hae-jun couldn’t endure any longer and turned away. But Manager Lee grabbed his arm tightly and whispered.

“Don’t move. The guest wants an audience. If you stay, you’re helping U-gyeom.”

The clinging touch was as horrible as a tick, but the mention of U-gyeom stopped him from leaving. Soon, sounds he didn’t want to hear came. Sticky, cracked moans and sucking noises—listening to them felt like insects crawling all over his body.

Unable to bear it, Hae-jun turned his head and saw, behind the open door, the sound of footsteps. He prayed that whoever it was would just pass by without looking inside. It was shameful. He didn’t want anyone else to see this filthy scene unfolding here.

As always, earnest hopes were dashed. The man walking slowly down the corridor glanced inside casually, and his eyes suddenly met Hae-jun’s, who had looked back.

Hae-jun blinked in disbelief, then his pupils dilated as he recognized the other person. The dark eyes observed the dirty act happening inside, then turned to Hae-jun. Those cold, abyssal eyes lingered for a moment before turning away without pity.

It was like a lightning bolt struck his head—he came to his senses abruptly.

As if his blocked ears had unclogged, he heard the greedy panting moans, and nausea rose. He turned instinctively and saw the manager’s earnest expression as he watched the two, his gaze moving with interest. Looking at that greedy, lecherous stare made his stomach churn.

“Ugh… Kkrrr—”

The man made a strange sound, then shoved U-gyeom away mercilessly and pounced on him as he fell. Chairman Jeong, who had been panting while shaking his hips over U-gyeom’s body, stopped and ejaculated on U-gyeom’s face. The man, seeming drained, gasped, then slapped U-gyeom’s ass with a satisfied expression.

Manager Lee, who had witnessed everything like a witness, smiled with relief.

“It’s a relief that the Chairman is satisfied.”

“Even if he plays coy, his tongue really works well. He sucks balls good, too. That’s why I like him.”

At the chairman’s words, as he teasingly squeezed and twisted between U-gyeom’s legs, Manager Lee bowed again.

“Then please enjoy your comfortable time. We’ll take our leave…”

“Wait.”

Words dropped over Manager Lee’s head as he was about to bow and turn. He looked up awkwardly, but the chairman stopped him and looked around.

“You worked hard, so I should give a tip.”

The man, drunk and staggering, grabbed his dark red monstrosity and aimed at the shiny marble floor. Before he heard the sound of urine streaming—no, even after—Hae-jun didn’t realize what he was seeing.

After shaking off his genitals and finishing his business, the chairman took out his wallet, grabbed a handful of bills, and threw them with gusto into the puddle of urine. The bills fluttered and landed one by one in the yellow puddle, getting soaked.

“There, share it amongst yourselves.”

Hae-jun couldn’t believe his ears. The bills settled in the yellow urine puddle, floating, and the stench of urine began to waft. The chairman’s grinning face twisted maliciously.

“Picking up money where it belongs keeps you in your place. You people are the ones we, the leaders of society, trample and roll over. Don’t get cocky. Got it?”

Hae-jun, watching the chairman’s sneering warning and the money soaking in urine in disbelief, finally truly realized what kind of mire he had stepped into.

Chairman Park had called them ‘you people.’ But what they sold wasn’t time or conversation skills, laughter or alcohol. They didn’t even sell labor. They sold their human dignity. They were consumables—to be trampled by the haves, and when they became useless, they’d just replace them.

Hae-jun turned, kicked the door open, and ran out.

“Hae-jun!”

“What’s that bastard?! Hey! Catch him!”

Ignoring the shouts behind him, Hae-jun ran forward. He headed straight for the VVIP area.

He had heard about it when he first came here, but it was a place that had never been opened. That man had gone there. He dashed into the corridor of the special terrace room, where no one was allowed entry.

The guards at the entrance called out in flustered voices as he passed them.

“Hey! Who are you? Hey! Stop there!”

Hae-jun grabbed the heavy door and pulled it open with all his might. As he rushed inside, a man in the center, who was taking off his suit jacket, turned around with a cold gaze. Soon, people followed Hae-jun in and bowed deeply.

“We’re terribly sorry. We’ll take him out immediately.”

As the guards approached Hae-jun, Mujin gestured for them to leave him alone.

Seeming surprised by the unexpected order, the guards looked between the two, then bowed politely and left. The sound of the door closing made Hae-jun feel trapped, and he looked back.

The closed door felt ominous, as if he could never leave.

Mujin slowly picked up a glass from the table. His large, firm hand gripped the transparent shot glass strongly.

“Lee Hae-jun, I remember the name. But I didn’t expect to see you here.”

His calm voice was just as Hae-jun remembered it. Dry, emotionless—a tone that sounded quite alien even in this noisy, chaotic world.

“Do you have business with me?”

Clink. He set down the glass and leaned back comfortably on the sofa. The lines of his solid physique moved under the gray dress shirt that fit his body. In the dim indirect lighting, the man moved quietly with an air of control. Hae-jun clenched his fists to suppress his trembling and spoke.

“I’d like to ask a favor. Please invest in me.”

At the reckless outburst, Mujin’s hand, which was about to bring the glass to his lips again, hesitated for a moment. But that was all; the glass soon moved again, touching his firm lips. His Adam’s apple moved dangerously as he swallowed the drink unhurriedly, like a predator licking its lips. The glass clinked against the table coldly, and the thick aftertaste of whiskey spread around.

“Is there a reason I should invest in you, Mr. Lee Hae-jun?”

“You’ve seen me busking with my friends before, haven’t you?”

Once, when busking, Hae-jun had seen the CEO standing at the very back. Even though he had only met him twice, he had recognized him in the crowd. The man, who stood out from ordinary people, had been staring at him clearly then, too.

“At first I thought maybe, but when I tried to look properly, you were gone. Am I right?”

Mujin neither confirmed nor denied, just tilted his head slightly, as if it were no big deal.

“You liked my music, CEO. That’s why you let me go that day without a word. If you think it’s okay, please invest in me.”

Hae-jun lifted his chin and demanded confidently. If he didn’t act like he had confidence, why would anyone accept a worthless guy like him? He suppressed his trembling and spoke boldly.

“If you do that, I’ll work hard like my life depends on it and succeed for sure. I’ll accept whatever conditions you name.”

Seeing the bored, weary look in Mujin’s eyes, Hae-jun realized he had no interest in his words and grew anxious. As he racked his brain for something to do, Mujin answered slowly.

“If I truly liked it, do you think I would have let you leave?”

Hae-jun bit his lip at the question turned back on him. It was true. If he had liked it, he wouldn’t have cared about company violations. But maybe it wasn’t bad enough to immediately drive him away? The day the CEO caught him busking, he was nervous, but nothing was said. At the time, he thought the CEO let it slide because his performance wasn’t bad.

But was that really it? Was he just deluding himself out of desperate need to grasp at straws?

“I fully understand that your situation is difficult.”

At the positive words, hope seeped into his heart. Hae-jun’s head, which had been drooping, shot up. A sliver of expectation, as thin as a needle’s eye, began to beat in his chest as he waited eagerly for his answer.

“However, I don’t see how that concerns me. Do you have some beggar’s mentality? Demanding things as if they’re owed to you, even when you have nothing.”