TIN 42

‘What, you know it well.’

Kei replied with a disappointed face and let out a chuckle. Then suddenly, he turned to me with eyes wide open. His gaze was filled with astonishment.

‘Wait, don’t tell me you…’

‘Kei.’

I cut off his words and placed a whiskey glass on the table. Following what I learned at the shop, I set up the snacks and then opened the whiskey bottle, filling the ice-filled glass. The ice in the glass clinked, making a small noise.

‘Let me know before you stop coming.’

I didn’t think he’d visit every month just for one blowjob. He was a merchant skilled in calculations and not the type to offer selfless kindness without compensation. I had no intention of repaying him, so it was clear he’d eventually get tired and leave on his own.

‘…Huh.’

He must have caught my roundabout rejection. That was why he furrowed his brow and gulped down the whiskey I poured.

The fortunate thing was that Kei was more loyal than I originally thought.

‘I’ll come back in a month.’

The next time he visited, staff were also called to Kei’s room. They were men with notably black hair and pale skin.

I diligently saved tips and entrusted them to Kei and occasionally went out with him to search for the blue-eyed woman. Every time, the way to pay the price was always similar.

“I was really surprised. Who would have thought I’d see Bada in a place like this…”

And now I suddenly met that same Kei at this party. While it wasn’t an impossible encounter, the unexpected meeting was somewhat bewildering. It seemed Kei felt the same, as he rushed over as soon as he spotted me, the delight obvious on his face.

“Since this is fate, shall we have a drink?”

Kei politely suggested, calling a waiter, and handing us each a glass of champagne. Surprisingly, Joo Do-hwa readily accepted, so I awkwardly took a glass too. As I looked around unsure if I should drink, Kei smiled at me.

“It’s okay. That has low alcohol content.”

That wasn’t what I was worried about, but I figured it was fine anyway. Judging by Kei’s lack of reaction, it didn’t seem like anything was spiked. He should also know very well that I didn’t enjoy drugs.

“It’s really great to see you like this. I’ve known Bada for quite a long time. Ah…our relationship isn’t a secret, right?”

“What’s there to keep secret about?”

If it was really a secret, it would have been ruined the moment he acknowledged me. We weren’t in a relationship significant enough to keep secret, and even if we were, it would be Kei who needed to hide it, not me. He must know this too, so I couldn’t understand why he was deliberately joking about it.

“I met him thanks to Director Joo. I don’t know how to express my gratitude…”

Was it my imagination, or did a hint of wariness flash in his eyes behind his glasses? It was a brief moment, but sure enough, both Joo Do-hwa and I noticed it.

“There’s no need to thank me.”

Yet Joo Do-hwa casually curled his lips. His gaze, alternating between Kei and me, held an interest-like curiosity.

“So…about ‘Kei’?”

“Haha, it’s just like a nickname.”

What nickname? I felt ridiculous, but I had no intention of refuting his words. If his money-playing hobby was a secret, I needed to play along. So I just kept my mouth shut, but Joo Do-hwa spoke monotonously.

“There are a lot of men.”

“…”

It was a subtle tone. Despite my bewildered look, he simply gazed down at me with smiling eyes. Seeing us like this, Kei reached out toward me.

“Most importantly, I’d like to talk to you alone for a moment…”

Kei naturally grasped my forearm. His touch slid down, holding around my hand and wrist. It wasn’t a particularly strong grip, just enough to appear adequately intimate.

“Can I take him for a bit?”

Surprisingly enough, Joo Do-hwa readily let Kei take me. There was no particular reason to refuse, but I was inwardly surprised when he said, “Go ahead.” For some reason, I thought he wouldn’t let me out of his sight at this place.

Kei took me out of the hall, and we headed to a reception room furnished with sofas and tables. Come to think of it, this building belonged to Kei so he certainly would have no hesitation when using an empty room. It was the same with how he casually locked the door after we both walked in.

“Why are you locking the door?”

“I don’t want to be disturbed.”

Kei casually replied as if it were obvious, removing his glasses and putting them in his jacket pocket. His winking smile no longer looked like that upright young man from earlier.

“It would be troublesome if someone came in to have sex.”

I understood. There might be people who, getting heated up and looking for a suitable place, could stumble into this room. It wasn’t for nothing that Joo Do-hwa said rich guys enjoy alcohol, drugs, and sex.

“Sit down here. Is that drink okay for you?”

Kei, still holding my hand, guided me to sit on the sofa. He gestured at the champagne glass I had brought in reflexively, then plopped down right next to me. His gaze, crossing his legs and staring intently at me, was quite meaningful.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Kei replied briefly, raising one corner of his mouth. It wasn’t a sneer, but he looked slightly annoyed.

“The fact that you’re even wearing perfume…”

Kei leaned in close and sniffed. I hadn’t noticed because my nose had grown dull over time, but the scent of the perfume Joo Do-hwa had sprayed on me must still be lingering.

“I guess the rumors were true.”

“What rumors?”

I asked, moistening my lips with the champagne. As he said, the alcohol content was low, and I could barely taste it. I had been tense the whole time, so my throat felt parched, and I gulped down the rest, loosening my tie.

“Just, you know.”

As I put down the empty glass on the table, Kei let out a shallow sigh. His eyes were still full of displeasure.

“I go to Oceans and they say you’ve been sold off. I ask for your contact info and that pig-like guy says no, and that thug next to him keeps glaring at me.”

The manager was just big, not fat, but Kei always called him a “pig-like guy.” Separately, Theo was indeed a thug, so I had no intention of correcting that part.

“I wanted to flip everything over in anger, but I held back since Oceans has customers too.”

After visiting Oceans a few times, Kei had started doing business with the employees as well. You could call him a born salesman. Now, Oceans probably had about ten of his customers.

“And when I came back, what do you know, you’re the prince’s next doll.”

“Prince?”

“I mean Director Joo.”

I had thought before that if there was a country with a monarchy, Joo Do-hwa would be about the level of a prince, and it seemed that was actually what he was called in certain circles.

“He does look like a prince.”

As I muttered this sudden impression, Kei gave me a bewildered look. The fact that he couldn’t deny it showed that he clearly couldn’t bring himself to say otherwise.

“Anyway…I guess that kid has an eye for these types of things.”

He draped his arm over the back of the sofa as if embracing my shoulders and lightly touched my cheek with his fingertips. His smiling face softened gently.

“He’s dressed you up quite nicely. It suits you well.”

I thought it was just a bit of hair styling, but both he and Joo Do-hwa were saying such ticklish things. I wasn’t feeling awkward like before, but what he said next made me laugh.

“You were the prettiest one there.”

“…You’re saying exactly the same thing as Joo Do-hwa.”

Men’s flirtations were all the same, weren’t they? Even if Joo Do-hwa didn’t mean it that way, the moment Kei said it too, it clearly became a cliché compliment.

“He says things like that?”

K’s eyes widened as if my words were unexpected. He feigned surprise for a moment before letting out a frivolous laugh. Muttering “Come on…” he looked quite bewildered.

“I guess he treats his dolls well in his own way?”

“About that ‘doll’ thing.”

I thought this was a good opportunity since the topic came up. As I opened my mouth, Kei met my gaze as if urging me to speak my mind.

“How many were there before me?”

The reason for asking was simple. I wanted to know roughly how long the shelf life of this stand-in was. I was planning to run away soon anyway, but it was better to have as much information as possible.

“Well…Honestly, they all looked similar so I’m not sure. They changed every time I saw them too.”

Kei furrowed his brow and gave an uncertain answer. Did that mean there were too many to count? In other words, it looked like no one had lasted long.

“So, is it your turn now?”

“…Hmm.”

I couldn’t answer K’s question right away. Despite knowing what answer Joo Do-hwa would want, I suddenly hesitated.

Should I faithfully act like I’m the ‘hyung,’ or just say yes?

Or should I tell the truth and say, ‘I’m the real one, but Joo Do-hwa doesn’t know’?

The reason was simple. I was going to leave as soon as I found Yoon Ji-soo, and even if I didn’t find her, I wasn’t going to stay here forever. Although I had attended the party due to unavoidable circumstances, it didn’t mean I needed to comply with Joo Do-hwa’s wishes.

Furthermore, if the other person was Kei, I didn’t need to wear a mask anxiously like I did with Lee Yuna. After all, there were no eyes watching me here, and only Kei and I would know about this conversation.

As if sensing something from my demeanor, Kei casually spoke up.

“Want to run away with me?”