Payback - Chapter 11

t/n: I changed the cover to the manhwa one from the audio drama one! I originally didn’t use this bc I didn’t want to risk attracting the artist’s attention but ahh fuck it. But to reiterate please don’t share my tl on social media! ty <3

After a simple dinner and on our way back to the company, I had to listen to the manager apologising constantly in my ears all the way to our destination.

“…Don’t worry. Haha~ I’ll buy Photographer Lee some drinks and brainwash him into thinking it’s all a joke, so don’t worry.”

It seemed like he was trying to brainwash me and not Photographer Lee. I was about to tell him to stop because I was tired of it, when suddenly I heard a faint vibration somewhere.

“Photographer Lee is a very poor drinker, so if I say it over and over again that it’s a joke…”

“You have a call.”

I pointed at the cell phone that was ringing. He stopped talking and looked at his phone, then happily pulled over to the side of the road, quickly putting on his earphones to connect. When I was wondering who called him and that made him so happy, I saw the name ‘Chief Park’ on the phone screen. Ah, that crybaby Chief Park. As I recalled the person who interviewed me, the voice of the manager sitting next to me suddenly became strange.

“… Pardon? Chief Park, what do you mean… Why am I being disciplined? …Yes. …Yes, that is true. But, I wasn’t protesting, I was just going to ask you because all the classes you promised were cancelled…”

As he raised his voice, he glanced at me and lowered his voice again.

“In the beginning, isn’t it the company’s fault that the classes applied for were cancelled? … I know. I know. But had Chief Park checked why they were cancelled? No, I’m not trying to cloud the issue, I’m just explaining why I’m being disciplined for protesting to the staff in charge. And if I can’t say that much, how can I work as a manager… Yes, yes… I understand.”

Click. The manager, who hung up with a stiff expression, stared at the phone for a long time. And in that state, he opened his mouth.

“Taemin ah, aren’t you going to ask what’s going on?”

Then he raised his eyes. His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes, which were usually good-natured, turned dark, indicating that he was angry.

“I talked to the person in charge of the non-existent class in the morning, right? That’s the problem. That person reported that I threatened an employee, so disciplinary action came down from above. I won’t be paid the basic operation fees for a month.”

There was a dejected smile on his face, but his eyes remained dark. I looked at him and spoke slowly.

“Then I guess it can’t be helped. There’s no choice but to give up on the lessons.”

“…”

“I’ll be fine. It’s not like I have to go to classes to be an actor.”

Then his remaining smile disappeared.

“It’s not fine!! Because this doesn’t make any sense. In the first place, your scheduled classes were all cancelled because of Myeongshin…”

Mumbling at the end of his sentence, he closed his lips once, lowered his gaze as if thinking about something, and lifted it again.

“That’s right, it was Myeongshin who was wrong in the first place. So why should I be disciplined? That damn fellow!”

Hearing him curse at Myeongshin for the first time brought an unnoticeable smile to my face.

“What are we going to do now?”

“Damn it, I have to go to the company for now and correct what’s wrong even if I’m going to turn everything upside down. I should have gone to the company in the first place. Like you said, I was being a coward like an idiot.”

He cursed at himself and roughly started the car and drove away. As he drove, I leaned back against the car seat and spoke to the manager.

“Why don’t you make a phone call rather than overturning the office?”

‘’What phone call?” He asked, looking back.

“Let’s go to Chief Park first.”

———

Chief Park’s office was on the top floor of the building. The executive offices are all gathered in one place, so we have to go through multiple closed doors with different levels of verification from the entrance to the lobby. I was able to get in thanks to the manager making loud noises at Chief Park.

I stepped on the carpet silently and entered the office not far from the entrance. Chief Park was sitting on the opposite side with a serious expression. Knowing we were here to protest, he made an impression on his face full of firm lines in a masculine manner but it had no effect because I already knew he was a crybaby.

“Manager Choi spoke so strongly that I asked him to come up to listen to me, but it’s no use talking to me.”

Trying to take the lead first, he firmly spoke to the manager.

“I contacted the staff you called in the morning and they said it’s true that you were protesting. Of course Manager Choi was in a bad situation but…”

“So you know I’m at a disadvantage because of someone else.”

The manager interrupted, Chief Park closed his mouth with an awkward expression. Then, the manager pressed.

“Yoohan, Song Yoohan right?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m not sure. If you’re just saying that without proof…”

“Haha, if it’s evidence then I can give it.”

Saying that, he used his phone to send a message. Not long after connecting the phone to the speakerphone he had taken from the car, the phone rang. The manager smiled and gave the phone to Chief Park.

“Listen carefully. Hello? Myeongshin?”

[“What do you mean by that? What do you mean thanks to me?”]

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“Ct, atjcxr obg kbggslcu jybea ws cfkmbwfg. Pa’r jii atjcxr ab sbe. Ktjcxr ab sbe ajxlcu jii atf raevlb qtbabugjqtfgr ktb rlucfv klat atf mbwqjcs, P kjr jyif ab ajxf j qlmaegf klat Utbabugjqtfg Off ja WW Vaevlb.”

When Myeongshin asked, ‘Photographer Lee?’ with disbelief, the manager laughed louder.

“Yes, that Photographer Lee. Haha, by the way, I also filed a complaint with the company because the registered classes weren’t for beginners who didn’t know anything. That’s why Chief Park will give us an exclusive instructor! Haha, if it’s not thanks to you, then what is it? Thank you very much. Seems like this time the person I’ve been attached to is a university lecturer… ”

Di, di, di~ It seems that the other party has hung up so only the dial tone flowed from the speaker. Then the manager raised his head to look at Chief Park.

“If he complains to Chief Park about the exclusive instructor, then I’ll be right, won’t I?”

When asked by the manager, Chief Park rubbed his forehead with his hands as though he had a headache.

“That’s true, but what if he catches your lie? He can check quickly if you’ve taken a picture at XX Studio by Photographer Lee…”

“That is real.”

“Huh?”

“I came back after taking a profile picture there.”

The manager spoke in a confident voice. It was quite different from the manager who was running with the drink in his arms when I saw him for the first time. He straightened his shoulders and looked at the other person confidently. Chief Park was also a little surprised, so he cleared his throat.

“Hmm, what if I don’t get a call?”

“It’ll come.”

“…”

“If you get the call, please let Taemin receive class support according to the original contract. It doesn’t matter if I don’t get activity expenses.”

Director Park nodded as he stared still at the manager’s serious voice.

“Yes. I’ll do that. Certainly.”

“Thank you, Chief Park. Right, Taemin said he was curious about something.”

He remembered the request I made before coming up. Chief Park’s eyes suddenly became a bit alert as if recalling the scene where I was swinging a knife.

“Hm, what are you curious about?”

“Please tell me who it is.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“The one who ordered that my manager be disciplined.”

There were many reasons why I asked that madman to discipline my manager, but the biggest reason was that I wanted to know his identity. The easiest way was to ask him, but I wanted to check first before I heard it from him. To see if he can really do anything I ask, if he really was a powerful person. And now the opportunity had come. But Chief Park’s reaction was a bit strange.

“Pardon?”

He was surprised and just opened his eyes wide, and I asked one more time.

“To be honest, it’s very strange. Disciplinary action because of a phone call that hardly counts as protesting? It’s as though someone was slandering him.”

Of course, it was me.

“Ah… That… It’s…”

He looked at me with his eyes wide in confusion and stammered out sounds like an idiot. But why was he so flustered? Although I knew he probably wouldn’t answer easily, I didn’t expect him to be so taken aback.

“Is it because the person who pressured you is a celebrity?”

The manager who was standing beside me shouted agitatedly at my question.

“Celebrity? Could it be Song Yoohan again? That guy…”

“Ah, no. It’s not Song Yoohan. It’s not a celebrity.”

This time it was my turn to be surprised when he waved his hand in denial. Oh? Not a celebrity? So he’s in another position to give orders? I furrowed my brows and asked Chief Park to confirm once more.

“Really not a celebrity?”

He nodded.

“Then why are you so surprised?”

I asked impatiently and Chief Park gulped.

“I was really surprised. I didn’t expect you would actually ask that question.”

Actually ask what?

“Actually, I got an order.”

“What… order?”

“If someone asks me about who ordered the disciplinary action, I should answer like this.”

He looked at me awkwardly and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Mind your own business 200 won, you dumbass…That’s it.”

I barely put the curses that were about to come out and turned away. Okay, I admit it. You really can be more of a headache than me.

———

The manager and Chief Park both wondered what the ‘200 won’ was about, so it was a long time before I could change the subject and leave the company. I refused the manager’s goodwill to take me home and walked to the bus stop alone. There was only one reason. This was because when I left the company, I received a text message with good timing as if the other person had been waiting. The name and phone number of the store. And a line added below.

‘Come here now.’

The sender was [Madman].

The lights in the entertainment district were brighter than during the day, making me a little dizzy. It was time to go home and relax after a long day elsewhere, but it was only the beginning here. People overflowing on the streets such that their shoulders collide with one another, street vendors lining up, and cars moving like turtles to pass through narrow roads. Laughter, chatter, and excited voices were mixed with upbeat pop songs coming out of the buildings. People seemed to be hypnotised in this atmosphere.

Things that didn’t concern me. Music, noise, neon lights all left no impression on me. It wasn’t because I had forgotten the joy of hanging out with people, laughing, chatting, and drinking. Perhaps it was dull because I hadn’t done these things for years, but rather, the part of my mind where I felt pleasure and enjoyment seemed to have been cut off with a knife. Since that moment five years ago. So it felt like it wouldn’t change over time. As though I can’t go back to what it was like before.

I stopped walking and looked up at the sign hanging at the entrance to the basement. I checked that the long English name was the same as the text in my phone and entered. Then a sturdy man in a black suit standing just behind the entrance stopped me.

“You can’t go this way.”

I looked down the stairs,and checked the name again, and took another step. I ignored him and moved, but this person who seemed to be the store security guard quickly stretched out his arm in front of me and blocked me.

“This is a membership club, so you can’t enter unless you’re a member.”

“What if I am a member?”

The guard hesitated, then stepped back and looked up at me from top down. Then he questioned doubtfully, as though I did not meet his standards.

“Are you a member?”

“No.”

Looking at his contorted face, I pointed down.

“But the person waiting below is a member.”

The security guard immediately apologised and asked something into the receiver connected to the earphone he put in his ear. I was about to get annoyed with that person for asking me to come to such a troublesome place. So I stood in a slightly crooked manner when the security guard who was checking asked me,

“What is the name of your companion?”

He’s…

“Can you tell me the name of your companion?”

“…”

“You have to give me the name so I can check…”

“Just check if there’s someone who seems like a madman there.”

“Sorry?”

He raised his voice and frowned.

He seemed as though he was about to drive me out by force if necessary, so he took a big step back. Yeah, I’m done with what I had to do by just coming all the way here, so I should just leave. If he tries to find me later, I could just make an excuse, so I turned around. As I was about to leave quickly, I seemed to hear someone running up the stairs and then I heard my name.

“Are you Lee Taemin-ssi?”

Since it was not my real name anyway, I thought for a while about whether I should just say no and leave. However, I couldn’t help but turn my head to the words that follow.

“Ah, Lee Taemin is just a stage name, and the real name is Lee Baekwon, if it’s you, then please…”

When I looked over, the security guard’s face was red, surprised by my real name.

Because my real name was Lee Baekwon, I followed this so-called club manager down below. Contrary to the expectation that the store with a long English name would be a regular room salon, it was calmer and similar to a luxurious restaurant. Classic music flowed, chandeliers on the ceiling, and paintings hung throughout the small hall. The narrow passages extending to three places around the hall were bent in different directions, making it feel like the centre of the maze.

“This way.”

Just as I stopped and looked around, he called out quietly and guided me to the leftmost hallway.

“For those who come for the first time, it’s easy to get lost, so please follow me closely.”

Perhaps he was right, the strange passage met more corridors and branched again, it seems that I really would have lost my way if I missed the manager. The only distinguishing feature were the doors on both sides of the hallway, all of which were of different designs. The manager stopped in front of one of the doors, opened it and held out his hand.

“Can you wait here for a moment?”

Entering the small room with an interior that looked like a regular hostess bar, I asked him before he could close the door.

“How long?”

About to close the door, he hesitated and then replied with a smile.

“It won’t take more than 30 minutes.”

Click. After the door closed, I looked around the still room, sat down at the end of the long sofa and checked the time. 9.29 p.m. Come quickly, I was mumbling when the door opened and someone came in.

“Hello.”

A beautiful girl approached with a smile and a greeting.

The face with light makeup had clear skin without any blemishes and seemed to have come out of a painting. Under her French pleat, her pale nape was emphasised by the deep neckline and red one-piece and appeared more dazzling. The girl was prettier than most celebrities, to the point that she could make people on the street turn around. She held a tray of glasses and a bottle of liquor in her hand.

However, I could see at a glance that she was not a server at all. With a long slit at the side of the red dress and flashy accessories, she looked more like an entertainer. The question is why the hostess came into the room right away. It wasn’t that I hadn’t been to such a place in the past. Unless you were a regular, they wouldn’t bring out alcohol and women immediately. Confused, I watched her lower her hips. At my gaze, the girl came to sit closer to me and smiled.

“I’m here to accompany you while you wait.”

“No need.”

“Ah, you don’t like noise? Then I’ll…”

“I said it’s not necessary.”

Staring at the girl. I coldly spat out. A look of embarrassment flashed across the pretty girl’s face, but I had no choice. Based on my experience, their job is to receive guests, so even if the man sitting in the room refuses, they couldn’t just leave. I wasn’t used to this, so I thought I only had to refuse once. So unfortunately, I had to say it clearly.

“Take that and get out.”

I pointed at the alcohol and spat out in a low voice. The girl stopped breathing for a moment, and looked at me and realised what I meant, and put on a trembling smile.

“Are you not satisfied with me? Or should I change the drink?”

When I heard her return to her original bright voice, I could see that she was well-trained. That appearance and good training. Since this place had a membership system, it must be a place with considerable standard. Maybe the price of that bottle of liquor will be equivalent to my half-year salary.

“Please let me know what alcohol you like. I was told to tell you not to mind the money and wait comfortably.”

The voice was as pleasant as a song of a bird. It was nice that I could drink expensive alcohol for free but…

“I don’t drink. So take it and get lost.”

At the second remark, she eventually stood up. However, leaving the alcohol unattended, she left this comment and left the door smiling.

“Looks like you’re not happy with me. I’ll call someone else over.”

She left before I could refute, and after a while someone else really came. This time, a handsome guy. As expected, a more handsome man than most celebrities smiled at me as soon as he entered the room.

“Wah, you’re cute…”

“Get lost.”

As I spat those words, I had an uneasy feeling that I would have to continue to say this for a while.

9.59 p.m. As soon as the second hand of the clock touched the dot, I stood up right away. Since then, several more men and women have come in alternately and I had to tell them to get out, and finally 30 minutes have passed. I really wanted to leave this room because I’ve had enough, but the door opened first before I could even open it.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m here to pick you up.”

As soon as I saw the face of the club manager who first guided me, I almost cursed. If I had been one step faster, I could have just been gone.

Barely enduring regret, I was forced to follow him around in the maze-like hallway again. It was bent to the right, bent to the left, and then to the right again. I passed the hallways to the point where my sense of direction disappeared, but it was not boring. It was quite amazing to see the various doors of designs. I think I had seen these scenes in a fairy tale before. A corridor lined with different doors. The little girl who got bigger and smaller. And a rabbit came out…

“Will you please go inside?”

When I looked up, I saw that he had opened an iron door at the end of the blocked hallway and pointed inside. Ah, I remembered that the girl entered the wrong door and fell into a strange and troubling world. For some reason, I felt like I would fall into a strange world if I went inside. But that feeling vanished in an instant.

“Lee Baekwon-ssi?”

I slowly turned to the name that had no choice but to make me realise reality. The manager who was in his late 40s entered first and kindly explained.

“We’re almost there. Lee Baekwon-ssi.”

“…”

“Lee Baekwon-ssi, are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“No.”

I replied briefly to confirm with him. Obviously he didn’t do that on purpose. Still, I looked at the innocent man for a moment, perplexed, and then went inside. It was a warehouse with items piled on either side. The manager passed through, opened an invisible door on the opposite side, and entered again. Then came a hallway again. But this hallway looked a little different. It looked like an aisle used by busy staff, with no decorations and no music. The manager crossed the narrow hall, stopped in front of the door, knocked, and looked back at me.

“He’s waiting inside.”

Then he opened the door slightly and stepped aside. I looked around once more before entering. This meant that at least he wasn’t a guest here since it wasn’t a room in that place that resembled a strange world. Was he possibly the owner of this place?

“Who’s the person inside?”

I asked this as a test, and the other looked surprised but soon replied with a smile.

“Of course it’s the person who is waiting for you, Lee Baekwon-ssi.”

The day I first met that fellow and only had 200 won in my pocket, I suddenly regretted it deeply.