Chapter 110
The boss decided to close the store early today, mentioning the shortened work hours he had promised recently. I felt a bit upset that we were using the guaranteed shortened hours for a company dinner, especially after packaging a large number of orders. However, it was awkward to keep those two hours on hold, so I reluctantly agreed.
The place the boss headed for the company dinner was a bar in the basement near the accessory shop. The entrance corridor was narrow and dark, making me hesitate for a moment, but I was relieved that it didn’t look like a club from the outside.
There are many unique stores in Yeonhui-dong, and I had visited quite a few places with Joo Kwon-oh, but this alley was new to me.
“Boss, are we having the company dinner… here?”
As we entered, it turned out to be a very authentic bar. Despite it being early evening, many customers were already occupying tables.
“Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but the atmosphere is nice.”
The boss greeted someone who appeared to be the bar manager warmly.
The manager, wearing a T-shirt with a skull print, lip piercing, and short hair, had a very flashy appearance. It was just the kind of outfit the boss would like.
“Don’t you know that person?” the boss asked after the manager who had shown us to our seats left. I shook my head as I carefully placed Joo Kwon-oh’s birthday gift, which I had brought from the store, on the sofa.
“No, I don’t. Are they famous?”
“They’re pretty well-known on social media. The owner and manager of this place are probably gay. I heard that’s why gay people often come here too.”
I wanted to correct him that it’s not “people who do homosexuality” but simply “homosexuals,” but I decided against it. No wonder he was lecturing me earlier about lacking experience. Was this why he brought me here?
“So, is this a gay bar?”
“No? There’s no such standard. It’s just a regular bar.”
“Oh.”
“Does it become a gay bar just because it’s run by gay people?”
“No.”
“You’re surprisingly narrow-minded sometimes.”
“…”
While talking with the boss, our ordered drinks arrived. I finally relaxed a bit and looked around the bar interior while sipping my drink.
Calm jazz music was playing, and customers were happily chatting with their companions in a bright atmosphere.
After hearing what the boss said, I noticed that the customers were a mix of male-female, male-male, and female-female groups. How should I put it? Even when it was just men with men or women with women, they didn’t quite look like typical friends. Though heterosexual couples seemed to be the majority, the bar’s atmosphere was definitely unique.
It was interesting to see people with diverse preferences mixed in one space. It must be the influence of the owner and manager here.
Above all, the customers’ behavior and expressions seemed free and comfortable.
“The drinks here seem expensive… How did you find out about this place?”
I couldn’t help but be curious, as it seemed so mismatched with the boss, even if it was near the accessory shop.
“There’s a separate small business owners’ association in Yeonhui-dong, so most of us local owners know each other. We’ve had a few meetings here too.”
“But boss, are you good at drinking?”
“I enjoy it in moderation.”
The boss downed the glass of alcohol brought by the staff in one shot.
“Then please drink slowly. If you get drunk later, how will you get home…?”
“It’s fine. When I’m drunk, I only have homing instincts left, so I never cause trouble for others.”
“…”
Well, that’s a relief, but I couldn’t shake off my uneasiness completely due to his fast drinking pace.
“Your ordered food is here. By the way, Park sajangnim, why haven’t you been here in so long?”
The fashionably eccentric manager approached with a tray.
“I’ve been busy making a living. How’s business these days?”
“Oh, so-so? But who’s this beside you?”
“Our store’s part-timer.”
“Ah, he looks young. Have fun, and let me know if you need anything.”
After saying that, the manager waved at me and approached a man sitting alone at the bar table. Then, without hesitation, he kissed the man on the cheek.
“Whoa.”
“Oh, that must be the manager’s boyfriend. I think I saw him on Instagram. Is it the same person?”
The boss muttered nonchalantly while sipping his drink.
“…”
So this is why the boss was so calm when Joo Kwon-oh and I had an argument outside the store.
I seemed to be the only one surprised by their bold display of affection. The customers didn’t mind and were busy chatting with their companions.
There was no atmosphere of caring about who others were dating or who they liked.
“Wow, this place is doing good business even in the early evening. This is why branding is important in business.”
“…”
“Maybe I should work hard on Instagram too. I’ve been neglecting it because it’s a hassle to manage.”
While half-listening to what the boss was saying, my eyes kept darting around.
I vaguely knew that places like this existed somewhere in the world, but I never thought I’d visit one. I had always considered it a world far removed from me. Moreover, I had a strange prejudice that it would be excessively decadent, beyond normal boundaries.
Of course, such people might exist, but at least the customers here didn’t seem much different from the ordinary people I usually encounter.
Looking back, I realized that while I was afraid of other people’s prejudices, I had the same prejudices myself. It was ridiculous.
“You know, when I first started my business, I was so nervous about going to buy stock that I couldn’t sleep at all the night before. But time heals, you know?”
“…”
“Once you dive in, things always work out somehow! I started from the very bottom to get where I am now. You know that, Jeong-ha?”
The boss’s eyes were already slightly unfocused, probably from the alcohol kicking in. He seemed to be the type to brag a lot when drunk.
Normally, I would have wanted to leave as soon as possible, but today I found myself relaxed enough to sip my drink while half-listening to his rambling.
It wasn’t so bad to listen to the nagging, hear the music, and observe the people.
“Excuse me, I’ve been watching from over there for a while.”
Just then, a woman in a dress approached our table and tapped my shoulder.
“Could I get your Instagram ID? Or maybe your number…?”
“Ah.”
I pointed to myself, mouthing “Me?” and the woman, who looked about my age, nodded with a smile.
“This kid doesn’t date women. Give up.”
The boss dropped this bombshell statement with slurred speech. I was flustered, looking back and forth between the boss and the woman, trying to find words to respond.
“Well…”
“Oh, I didn’t know… Sorry for the intrusion.”
The woman laughed awkwardly and returned to her table without lingering.
My face turned bright red in an instant.
“Boss! Why did you say that?”
“What’s the big deal? This place is full of people like that.”
“That may be true, but still…”
I glanced in the direction of the table where the woman had returned. Surprisingly, she seemed to have accepted the situation quickly and was laughing naturally among her companions.
I thought about confronting the boss for saying such things without the other person’s consent, but then decided against it.
Normally, this would have been a shocking incident, but strangely, I didn’t feel very angry now. There was no sense of compulsion to hide anything here.
As I had just seen, people might not pay as much attention to others as I thought. And the worries that had been troubling me might not be as significant as I feared.
There are people like Sung-rok sunbae in the world, but there are also people like the boss who don’t care who others like. Is that why I felt much more comfortable in front of the boss?
Ah, come to think of it, even Joo Kwon-oh, who was heterosexual, didn’t treat me with prejudice when he found out I was gay. He was surprised but didn’t spread rumors or bully me.
There was some truth to the boss’s old-fashioned words. I was certainly lacking in experience and might have been living in a closed-minded state all this time…
As that thought occurred to me, I felt like the suffocating fog that had been surrounding me for so long was lifting. Even though I had been drinking along with the boss, my head felt clearer.
Meanwhile, the boss had been reciting his entrepreneurship history and collapsed face-down on the table. He had already downed more than five drinks by himself.
“Hey, boss. Try to get up.”
I shook his arm slightly, but he didn’t budge.
“…”
Does he pass out this easily?
So much for his strong homing instinct. It was all lies. I should probably call a taxi…
I sighed without realizing it. Looking at the time, it had only been a little over an hour since we entered the bar.
I don’t even know his home address. This is trouble.
Before the boss could turn into more of a nuisance, I quickly called for a taxi on my phone and then went to the counter to ask the manager for the receipt.
I also asked if he could help move the boss outside when the taxi arrives.
“Of course, I’ll help. Oh, the boss seems pretty drunk.”
“Um… I’ll go to the bathroom for now.”
“Okay. I’ll clear the table and bring the receipt to your seat.”
“Please keep an eye on the boss. I didn’t know he was such a lightweight…”
Not knowing what kind of drunk behavior he might exhibit, I anxiously glanced at where the boss was sitting as I headed to the bathroom.
Thanks to drinking so quickly along with the boss, I was starting to feel dizzy from the alcohol too. Considering we had barely eaten any food and only drank, I should probably go home soon.
What should I tell mom? She’ll nag if she finds out I’ve been drinking.
When I came out of the bathroom and returned to the bar table, the manager was on the phone and waving at me to come closer.
I approached him, wondering what was going on.
It turned out he was holding my phone. The manager immediately handed the phone to me.
“You said you called a taxi, so when the phone rang, I answered it. It’s your friend.”
“Friend? Who…?”
I took the phone, puzzled.
And I saw Joo Kwon-oh’s name on the screen. Flustered, I hurriedly continued the call.
“Kwo-, Kwon-oh?”
“You went out drinking at this hour?”
As soon as I answered, Joo Kwon-oh asked in an interrogating tone. At the same time, my heart sank.
Why did the call come while I was in the bathroom? What bad timing.
I stammered as I explained the situation.
“Ah, well… The boss wanted to have a company dinner, so we came out, just the two of us.”
“Just the two of you with the boss? Is it a bar?”
“It’s a company dinner, so naturally…”
After a moment of silence, Joo Kwon-oh’s low voice came through the receiver.
“If you’re too drunk, should I come pick you up?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
