episode_0044

#44. Beast 1

“…Ah, ah. It vaguely rings a bell. That woman, I saw her before, long ago. That woman, who sneaked in with her husband, was so haughty…”

“Chairman-nim, there are many ears around. …Let’s leave it at that.”

“What? You damn fresh-faced punk, who do you think you’re talking to…? Hey! What are you doing, bring me any drink, now!”

Outside the booth, the old man, called ‘Chairman,’ bellowed. Yookyung clenched her fists, her face contorted.

Jiyeon remained still, exactly as she had been when she set down the utensils. For some reason, the words of that unknown old man resonated deeply with her. It felt like something she shouldn’t just brush off.

“Lee Hyeyeon… She was once a madam who was at the peak of her career at Midnight, wasn’t she? How did someone like that end up at a party like this, which feels like child’s play…? Ah…”

“Escort the Chairman-nim to his room.”

“Understood.”

“So, you wanted to stop now, did you…? Even so, she’s nothing but a loose woman anyway… Perhaps it’d be alright if she just served my drinks, hahahaha!!”

Even as the old man was led away by the waiters, he continued to yell loudly.

“Tell that couple to speak up if they need money! And tell Chairman Nam I had a good time watching!”

Yookyung fumed, wondering what kind of old man he was. But Jiyeon’s emotions were more subdued than ever. She simply and stoically tried to dismiss the words she’d heard.

How many people with the same name are there in the world? With a single thought, ‘It can’t be,’ Jiyeon organized her thoughts.

She still hadn’t grasped the purpose of this party. It was only natural, as the bar she was working at was enclosed on all sides to begin with.

“Are you okay, Jiyeon-ah? …Normally, I would have really just…!”

“I’m okay, Auntie. I didn’t even understand what he was saying.”

“Hmm… Oh, right. The time… Oh my, less than an hour left already?”

Even as she worked in silence, Jiyeon’s mind kept drifting somewhere beyond this narrow space. Meanwhile, Yookyung excused herself once more, saying she was sorry.

Since there weren’t many orders anyway, she didn’t mind.

“…Mom.”

She took off her rubber gloves and hung them on the sink, then sat on a chair, recalling her childhood.

When did it start? …That she became accustomed to living alone.

The shabby apartment she had been living in was a bit cramped for living with a family, but felt empty for living alone.

The day she became completely certain that her parents had left her and disappeared, Jiyeon filed a missing person report with the police.

However, the police’s response was simply, ‘There’s no problem.’

…How could there be no problem when parents and a child who’s only a middle schooler are separated like this? It was an answer that her young self couldn’t even imagine.

Enough money to live for several years had been deposited into Jiyeon’s bank account. Using that money sparingly, Jiyeon graduated middle school with excellent grades, as if she were a student with no problems at all.

“Mom, Dad. I have a boyfriend now, you know? His name is Hong Doyun, he’s good at studying and he’s really kind. …Uh, I confessed first. Because somehow, I felt like I shouldn’t lose him. So, I’m doing well…”

“About Doyun, he seems a bit clumsy but he takes good care of me, you know? Like how Dad treats Mom. Oh, and I got into high school. …So what he did was, he gave me noise-canceling earphones for my birthday. I was so happy…”

“This time, I met Doyun’s mother for the first time. She was really, really beautiful. I thought she was his older sister, honestly! Ah~ So there’s a reason Doyun is so handsome… I realized it right away, you know?”

“Come to think of it, I’m a sophomore in high school now… How am I doing, you ask? Just the same. Whenever I visit Doyun’s place, his mother gives me various side dishes. Maybe I should just become a housekeeper?”

Like writing a diary, Jiyeon left voice messages for her parents every day. Even so, she didn’t have much to say.

Even the topic of Doyun, which she had been cautious about at first, had now become a daily routine. In fact, without Doyun, she would have nothing to talk about. So Jiyeon talked about everything concerning him. She listed Doyun’s appearance, personality, and all the things that had happened while they were together.

…

Then one day, Jiyeon received a sudden reply. It was from her mother, Hyeyeon.

「I’ll be back soon. Just wait a little longer.」

“Mom? Is it really you, Mom? Mom, Mom. Mommm…”

She kept sending messages, her voice trembling with tears, but no further reply came.

She knew nothing about where her parents were or what they were doing. She could only wait endlessly. Jiyeon had hope that they would surely return.

Therefore, she wasn’t easily swayed just because some old man she didn’t know by name or face had mentioned the same name as her mother.

While she sat there alone, the duo of waitresses who had been chatting at the bar table a while ago sat down again.

“…Oh, we’re not ordering. …Anyway, why was a partition wall like this installed this time?”

“No idea~. How about over there? It’s been a while since I went in.”

“It’s chaotic right now. The kids are going crazy, pushing themselves forward to get even one more penny in tips. But I didn’t want to deal with those old geezers.”

“Me too, me too…! Rather than those guys, that boy number 60…! I want to sleep with him!”

“Watch your language, you bitch. We’re outside.”

“Damn it, who else is going to hear us, honestly? Hey, about that guy’s partner, I heard she used to be a very successful madam?”

“Really…? But why is she so soft? No, it’s like she’s treating him like a real baby, it’s just teasing! If it were me, I’d tie him to the toilet and start there.”

“You told me to watch my language and now look at you… Let’s go now. That person will be here soon.”

Just as the two were rustling around, trying to get up from their seats, Jiyeon, who had been quietly inside, spoke up.

“Excuse me… what are you talking about? Inside… is something happening?”

“Uh… what? It’s a social club, isn’t it? Is this your first time here today?”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute. The person in there. You’re someone dispatched from the group, right?”

The two were feigning surprise but quickly grew suspicious of Jiyeon. Who would come to work at a social club like this without hearing anything about it?

“Group… Ah, yes, that’s right. The CEO… Joo Chaebin-ssi recommended me. It’s my first time.”

“…Chaebin-nim? You know Joo Chaebin-nim? Then it’s true, but…”

“You bitch, what are you hiding~. It’s just a gathering to watch some dirty femdom sex. …The person inside? There probably won’t be any more orders anyway, so just come out and enjoy yourself before you leave.”

The two giggled for a moment then went back to work.

The more she heard, the deeper she felt she was sinking into a swamp.

Femdom sex? Madam? …Boy number 60? What does all that mean?

Is this place I’m in now some kind of secret social gathering for the upper class? And the host of such a social gathering is the CEO…?

…

Yookyung still hadn’t returned. She knew that, by principle, she shouldn’t leave her post, but nonetheless, Jiyeon opened the door.

The bar was located in a wide hallway. As she moved a little further down, she heard murmuring from somewhere.

The hotel was vast, so she got a bit lost, but she eventually found the source of the sound. After confirming that less than ten minutes remained before the social club’s end, Jiyeon quietly opened the door and entered the unknown place.

“Uh oh… hey, hey, hey. What’s that woman suddenly doing?”

“If she came in first, she should just quietly take her money and leave! Damn it, how much money did I bet?!”

The place Jiyeon reached was a luxurious hall with a large screen installed. All the spectators and waiters gathered there were whispering and staring at the screen.

Then, a spectator who could no longer bear it stood up and shouted angrily, and everyone, united as one, began to criticize woman number 30.

Naturally, Jiyeon’s gaze also turned to the screen. Just then, the camera was showing the back of woman number 30. The woman was raising an objection towards Chaebin, who was in front of the platform.

But… this voice and way of speaking… And that back…?

When the talk of her betting her own ring came up, the hall stirred once more.

“If she’s returning her ring, that’s a different story! …Does that mean she won’t be able to be a madam anymore?”

“That’s rare at Midnight, it must be a big decision.”

Following that, Doyun, male number 60, and Hyeyeon’s husband, male number 31, appeared on the screen in succession.

…Huh? It’s Doyun?

Why is Doyun here? And that man… he’s wearing a mask, but probably…

Even after the screening ended and everyone had exited the hall, Jiyeon stood there in a daze. This place felt like a fantasy world, detached from reality.

Otherwise, she couldn’t accept it. Male number 31 and female number 30 were unmistakably Jiyeon’s father and mother. They were her only family.

Jiyeon belatedly checked her phone’s vibration.

A new message had arrived from Hyeyeon just a minute ago.

「I’m sorry, Jiyeon-ah. It looks like my return will be a little delayed. But don’t worry. You trust Mom, right?」

Besides that, there was also a message from Yookyung. Yookyung had sent her regards earlier, saying it seemed she would have to use her hotel stay voucher today.

“I’m glad you’re safe… I’m glad, but…”

Her thoughts were so tangled that it was too difficult to untangle them one by one. But the outcome was already decided.

Jiyeon, having steadied her resolve, turned her steps.

Repeating the message from Hyeyeon countless times, Jiyeon left the hotel. It felt like she would be back here soon.

Someone says.

Hotel Midnight. A place that is both the entrance and the exit for all hideous desires.

Baek Jiyeon’s parents, whom she had thought were missing, had been held captive by the Group for over 5 years. The two negotiated with Joo Chaebin to escape the Group through the social club.

Chaebin accepted their demands without any conditions. Therefore, the couple’s freedom was as good as a foreseen future, but at the last minute, Hyeyeon turned everything upside down.

She even put up her ring, which symbolized her status within the Group, to help Doyun, who failed to place within the top 3.

The reason was incredibly simple. It was because she realized that the child assigned as her partner was her daughter’s boyfriend, Hong Doyun.

…

No matter how much she tried not to look back, everything had been decided from the beginning.

Chaebin was just waiting. Until Jiyeon took the enormous bait that was Lee Hyeyeon.

***

## Joo Chaerin’s Story 2

“It was you, wasn’t it? Who made my sister into… that kind of person.”

“‘Made’ her… Is that what you said? That might have been true in the past, but now, it’s incorrect, Chaerin-yang.”

Chaerin had secretly investigated who Chaebin was meeting and what she was doing over a long period of time. Although she hadn’t found a decisive clue, all the circumstances pointed to this man in front of her, Namgeon.

Because Chaerin was still a sophomore in high school, there were restrictions on her following into places like bars or clubs. But she knew without even going in.

Wherever Chaebin went in, Namgeon always followed. Even if Chaebin was with her boyfriend, Seong-yeon.

“Chaebin-ssi once spoke about her younger sister. She said you were a smart and decisive, yet kind and pretty child who seemed aloof but knew how to think of others. That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Haa… Oh, come on. Damn it, are you trying to change the subject now? I’m asking you! Are you the one who turned my sister into a cripple?!”

This was Namgeon’s private space. He closed the book he was reading and took a sip of tea.

Judging by the way this young girl spoke, she was extremely bold. But Namgeon didn’t react at all. He even closed his eyes, enjoying this tense situation.

“…Anyway, if I leave here, I’m going to report you immediately. My sister’s boyfriend told me everything. Namgeon, what kind of person you are.”

“…You can do as you please. However, seeing you like this, it’s a pity. That someone with such a perfected appearance as you is just an ordinary student. …Have you not yet achieved your dream of becoming an actress?”

“You heard that from my sister, didn’t you? …Not content with my sister, were you targeting me too? …You filthy bastard. Just confess already—!”

“—I’m not particularly interested in unfinished women. In that sense, Chaerin-yang, you too… are just a rolling stone to me.”

“You know how disgusting it is to pretend otherwise and belittle people, right? Bastards like you should all be thrown in jail. No, just die.”

There was no need to listen further. Over the past few days, the signs of beatings on Chaebin’s body had gradually increased. It was impossible that a kind person like Seong-yeon would resort to violence. In that case, Namgeon was the only culprit.

Come to think of it, her sister was strange too. …Why was she so fixated on Namgeon to the point of becoming his subordinate? Why did she volunteer to become Namgeon’s slave?

“Young people like you can get close to perfection just by experiencing innocent love. Such things become harder as one gets older…”

Namgeon’s words were no longer of any concern. Chaerin took out her phone without hesitation and called the police.

-This is the police. What is the matter?

“There’s someone here who assaulted a woman and is acting shamelessly, so come quickly and arrest them.”

“…Midnight is always open. Chaebin-ssi is one of the people who will become my hands and feet in the future. In that sense, I’ve also prepared a gift for Chaerin-yang. …If you return home, it should have already arrived.”

Further conversation was meaningless, so Chaerin left Namgeon’s space and headed for the hospital where Chaebin was hospitalized. Her sister wasn’t answering her phone, so she went directly to her hospital room, but she had already completed the discharge procedures and left.

Even after returning home, Chaebin wasn’t there. Instead, a letter written by Chaebin was left on the desk.

The letter contained words of gratitude for the past, along with an elegant ring studded with diamonds throughout.

Since then, Chaerin could not meet her sister. Even the report came to nothing. This was because Chaebin herself stepped forward and denied Namgeon’s guilt. To make matters worse, the fact of his assault couldn’t even be proven.