𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓 , 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘰-𝘫𝘪𝘯

[ 𝟒 ] . . . a shoulder to lean on

FORELSKET
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cho min-ji and hong woo-jin

Min-ji followed Gun-woo and Woo-jin up a flight of stairs, reaching the man who, from what she gathered, Woo-jin had pleaded with earlier. Woo-jin offered a warning as they ascended, "He has a quick temper. Keep your heads down; I'll do the talking."

Skeptical but trusting Woo-jin, Min-ji allowed him to lead her toward the door. With a nod, Woo-jin knocked on the door, then boldly announced their presence, barging in with confidence. "Woo-jin is here!" he declared, bowing, a gesture mirrored by Min-ji and Gun-woo.

The man inside, sporting tattoos on his neck and a sleek mullet, wore a fuzzy red and white checkered coat. Confirming Min-ji's previous assumption, he questioned Woo-jin's audacity, "You got some nerve dropping off the grid, then coming here to ask me for money, huh?" Moving closer, he delivered a light yet aggressive slap to Woo-jin's cheek. "Come on, what do you have to say to me, huh?" Another slap followed, but Woo-jin's goofy smile remained intact.

"I'm... sorry, okay? You look good," Woo-jin chirped, maintaining a grip on the man's wrist.

Cursing, the man demanded, "Let go of me, you little shit." Min-ji shared a look with Gun-woo, finding the scene somewhat amusing. The man directed them to sit on a couch, and as they settled, Min-ji felt the man's lingering gaze. Uncomfortable, she straightened up, leaning closer to Woo-jin.

"All right. So, how'd you get in debt?" he questioned them.

"Some thugs got them. Smile Capital," Woo-jin replied.

"Smile Capital? In Gwangan-dong?" he asked, turning his attention to Min-ji, who responded with a silent stare. His gaze shifted to Gun-woo, accompanied by a small smirk.

"We're not really sure," Gun-woo admitted.

The man cursed, "Oh shit. Yeah, Smile Capital isn't just a bunch of goons. They're a huge company. How much was it?"

Woo-jin lifted his finger with a grin, answering the question for them, "A hundred."

The man with the mullet cackled, leaning back as he put his arms behind his head and crossed his legs. "You're screwed, huh?" he mocked. Min-ji and Gun-woo averted their gazes to the ground, feeling belittled.

Woo-jin maintained his grin as he spoke, "Yeah, exactly. So help them out, man. You've got enough money."

The man sighed, leaning forward and pushing a stack of cash toward them, "Here's a first-tier loan of 100 million." Min-ji's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the money, her hard façade faltering as her face expressed awe.

"In exchange, you'll do some work for me," he said. Of course, there had to be a catch in business like this. Min-ji glared up at the man, feeling his stare already on her. She tilted her head as he spoke, making direct eye contact, "Thanks to COVID, business is booming. Let's strike while the iron's hot and make some real money." He offered, glancing between the three. "Just help me out, and I'll throw in a bonus for each collection." Although tempting, Min-ji couldn't help but wonder about the nature of the work.

"What will we be doing?" she asked.

He averted his attention to her, a smirk playing on his lips. "So she speaks!" he exclaimed before continuing, "For you; seduction work. Not necessarily prostitution, just intoxicating them and making your move while they're drunk in your presence." Her curious expression faltered, replaced by a look of disgust. Woo-jin clenched his jaw, his grin finally disappearing from his features as he glared at the man. Gun-woo scooted closer to Min-ji in an attempt to mark her feel protected, noticing her discomfort. "For you two, work as bloodhounds for one year."