Chapter 6 – ​The ​Price ​of ​a ​Misjudgment

Out ​of ​all ​the ​contacts I’ve received, why ​on ​earth did I ​pick a guy ​like ​this?

Since ​I ​was ​the ​one who called ​him ​out, ​it felt rude ​to sigh openly, so ​I just ​let my ​frustration simmer ​inside.

To begin ​with, ​the ​other party was ​the one ​who threw etiquette out ​the window by suggesting ​I get a job ​at a ​host ​bar the moment we met today, ​but regardless.

“I don’t think ​that ​kind ​of ​work ​suits my aptitude.”

“Ah, ​have you ​tried ​it before?”

The man’s ​eyes ​narrowed slightly.

Why did he take ​it that ​way? ​He seemed like ​the ​type ​to ​hear ​only what ​he ​wanted to. ​I wouldn’t have any reason to see ​this guy again ​after today, but ​I hated being misunderstood ​for no ​reason.

I had ignored ​all ​the wild rumors ​swirling around the ​Center because ​they ​were a ​nuisance, ​and as ​a ​result, those ​rumors ​had ​solidified as facts.

No ​matter ​how recklessly ​I ​was ​living ​now that I’d set a date for my death, I’d rather go through the trouble of correcting him than remain in this guy’s memory as a host bar employee. Even the dead deserve some kind of honor.

“No. I’m just bad at catering to other people’s whims. And [stolen [unauthorized copy]unauthorized copy -->content]I’m not in desperate need of money.”

Yoon Ki-hyun felt pathetic even as he muttered the correction to the host bar manager’s misunderstanding. It felt pitiful that his meager pride would claim he wasn’t desperate for money, when the very reason he’d set a date for his death was because he had none.

But thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely untrue. Perhaps it was half-right and half-wrong.

I’m going to die anyway, so having a bit more money now wouldn’t change much. It would only be a hassle because I’d have more money to squander every day.

“The guys at my place make a decent living. Hmm…”

The man scanned Yoon Ki-hyun subtly. Not to mention his face was a rare A-class, but looking closely at what he was wearing, everything was luxury brand, just in understated designs.

Ah, did I pick the wrong person to talk to?

His mouth tasted bitter, but he still felt a lingering curiosity. Various types of people worked at that man’s establishment.

There were employees living at rock bottom, and many who had come from wealthy families, gone astray, and drifted into the entertainment industry.

“I really think you’d be the ace of our shop, Ki-hyun. What a shame.”

“Is that so?”

Yoon Ki-hyun gave a crooked smile, and suddenly a question occurred to him.

Just how much do they make for him to be this confident upon a first meeting?

After tossing back a drink, he asked the man—who was still resting his chin on his hand—how much he earned. The man leaned in as if revealing a grand secret and whispered in his ear.

“Oh.”

“Not bad, right?”

Not bad my ass. He was surprised because it was worse than he expected. The earnings of a host bar ace were less than the salary Yoon Ki-hyun received for working like a dog at the Center.

While he thought that there was a reason Guides were classified as a high-income profession, he wondered how other people managed to afford medical bills that were overwhelming even with a salary like that.

Even with insurance, rare and incurable diseases usually aren’t covered…

“Of course, if you don’t have designated clients, you’re better off unloading delivery trucks. But in Ki-hyun’s case, you have this, so it’s fine.”

The man made a cheap gesture pointing toward his face.

Is this a compliment or an insult… should I be happy that my face would work at a host bar?

Yoon Ki-hyun pondered for a moment and buried his lips in his glass. He found visit [visit our site]our siteit absurd that he had called someone out just to drink, only to end up hearing this.

“Anyway, you have plenty of time to think about it, so contact me if you’re curious.”

Sensing that Yoon Ki-hyun’s silence would persist, the man gave a smiling glance and subtly created some distance. Watching with a dull expression as the man arbitrarily took the bottle to refill his empty glass, Yoon Ki-hyun sneered inwardly.

‘I don’t have time, you bastard. I’m dying at the end of the month; what the hell is a host bar.’

He was only curious because a profession he’d never considered had popped up; he had no desire to do such work while drinking.

He didn’t know for sure, but to be among the high earners at a host bar, indecent acts were surely a requirement, and that was also unappealing.

Furthermore, was there any medication in the world that could coexist with alcohol? At least, as far as Yoon Ki-hyun knew, there wasn’t.

‘This is ruining the taste of the drink. Just leave already.’

Yoon Ki-hyun leaned back indifferently. Seeing the clear sign that his interest had cooled, the man chatted for a few more minutes on trivial topics before standing up, claiming there was something he had to attend to at the shop.

Still feeling regretful, he babbled that he would wait for Yoon Ki-hyun’s contact before he finally left.

‘Contact my ass. See if I ever call you back.’

Yoon Ki-hyun frowned and began drinking in earnest.

After drinking heavily for a while, when he suddenly snapped back to his senses, there was a man sitting next to him. He looked quite young at a glance.

‘Who was this? Ah, the joint table.’

Tracing back through his hazy memories, it was a guy who had asked if he could join because drinking alone was boring.

Since drinking alone had been boring anyway, he had agreed, and he vaguely remembered chatting about various things until now.

“Wow, it’s so amazing that you’re a Guide, Ki-hyun.”

Did I blabber about that too? Anyway, it was a problem that his mouth became loose whenever alcohol was involved.

It seemed that after deciding to live recklessly since setting his death date, his speech had become just as liberated. Ki-hyun let out a small sigh and picked up a piece of snack to eat.

“I quit now.”

“You told me that earlier.”

Ah, did I? Yoon Ki-hyun nodded and gave a short laugh. He felt awkward and a bit embarrassed that he seemed to have spilled so much.

“Um… would you be interested in moving to another place for one more drink with me?”

The man made the suggestion tentatively. Judging by the face that looked quite decent even under the dim bar lighting and the fragmented memories of their conversation, it had been fairly enjoyable.

Compared to the guy who had babbled about becoming a host bar employee, he was a far better companion.

When Ki-hyun showed a sign of hesitation, the man gave a slight shrug and tossed out another option.

“Or I’m fine with going somewhere else.”

Look at this.

Yoon Ki-hyun glanced at the man, who radiated a youthful vibe. When their eyes met, the man gave a subtle smile that clearly indicated he had other intentions.

“Do you perhaps want to sleep with me?”

“Ah, is it that obvious?”

The man rubbed his cheek with his hand, looking sheepish. His face, which looked like that of a college freshman at best, seemed a bit cute. By the way, how old did he say he was?

“How old did you say you were?”

At Yoon Ki-hyun’s question, the man replied with a bright smile.

“I’m twenty-five. You’re twenty-eight, right, Ki-hyun?”

“I even told you my age. I’m a bit drunk right now…”

“I’ve had a lot to drink too, so it’s fine. What does it matter.”

Ki-hyun gulped down the water on the table, trying to clear his head. Perhaps because he had drunk more than he thought, his memory was fragmented. That was quite unpleasant.

When he emptied the cup, the guy sitting next to him lifted the water bottle as if asking if he wanted another glass.

Feeling his throat burning, he nodded, and the glass was quickly filled. It was just as Yoon Ki-hyun took a few sips.

“…I don’t know how this sounds, but I’ve actually always wanted to try it with a Guide.”

As expected, he was interested in that side of things. Yoon Ki-hyun emptied the water glass in one go and glanced at the man.

The way he lowered his eyelids, pretending to be shy, looked somewhat hypocritical. The more he looked at him, the more annoying his face became.

“Are you an Esper?”

“No. Not that, but someone told me it’s great to do it with a Guide.”

Did he not know that excessive honesty becomes rudeness? Seeing how he tossed out words without thinking, he was definitely a young punk.

Yoon Ki-hyun recalled the face of the stranger he’d met earlier today who also spoke however he pleased, then shook his head vigorously.

“You’re not even an Esper, so you wouldn’t even know the difference if you did it with me.”

“Why? You never know. And Ki-hyun—no, Ki-hyun hyung—even if you’re not a Guide, I still like you.”

The guy, failing to understand the subtle rejection, even shifted his address from ‘Ki-hyun’ to ‘Ki-hyun hyung.’ Ki-hyun couldn’t tell if the heat rising in his head was from anger or the alcohol.

‘Is this bastard a plant sent by that host bar guy?’

If not, how could he possibly meet such strange bastards in a row in a single day?

“You’re young, but you’re quite precocious, Jae-min.”

“Not Jae-min, it’s Jae-seo. Hyung.”

“Ah. Well, whatever.”

“So, what do you think, hyung?”

Since he seemed like the type who would only understand a direct refusal, Yoon Ki-hyun was shaking his head and waving his hand when—

“Wow, look who it is.”

A familiar voice drifted from behind. Was there a voice he would find familiar in this city?

Yoon Ki-hyun turned his head reflexively.

Even under the dim bar lighting, he was a handsome man with a chilling gaze beneath prominent brow bones. Yoon Ki-hyun knew exactly who that face belonged to.

‘Ah, fuck. What?’

Yoon Ki-hyun’s face crumpled. Of all the timings, he had to run into the one person he never wanted to see again.

Regardless of whether Yoon Ki-hyun looked dismayed or not, the man strode up to him and leaned his upper body deep over the table, bracing himself with his hands.

It was to get a proper look at his face. The scent of perfume that wafted over him was mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant.

“It is you. Team Leader Yoon.”

After confirming Yoon Ki-hyun’s face, the man’s lips curled upward.

“Thanks to you, I had a hell of a time.”

Jeong Si-jun was smiling as if he were about to throw a complete fit.