Gigolò: 16/20
---CHAPTER SIXTEEN---
He rushed out of the hotel room, inwardly thanking whatever god would listen for his random bout of luck.
This was too close, and he could almost feel his life hemorrhaging, compressing every organ until he couldn't breathe. There had to be some sort of release, a break that would ease this tension; so he kept running. He let his blood flow. Chansung let it go, shouting in the near empty streets until he could cool and come to his senses.
He wanted to see Hyori, but he wanted to tell her the truth. Everything, laid bone dry with honesty. No one else...
...but he needed some help.
Chansung hoped that whatever piece of luck was with him at that moment would stay with him when they met, but he had to make a call first.
A taxi was hailed as he walked, and he got in sweaty, much to the drivers' dismay.
He reached for his phone, feeling it out in his pocket. Feeling the keys, he dialed the number of an old friend, one who knew about trying to calm things in a tough spot. He needed In Young's blunt honesty.
---
The next Friday night, Chansung found himself at In Young's house.
"I don't know if I'm ready," his knee was tapping again, "why now?" he said.
"If not now, then when? Hey...life has enough holdups. Don't punish yourself by letting this eat away at you. ...besides, you should always have backup in a confession. An alibi? I'm a second voice."
In Young popped open a bottle of white wine that night. Chansung looked at it and shook his head piteously.
"You drink too much. It'll get the better of you one day."
"Oh shut up. Don't tell me how to live. You called me...remember? You asked for advice, not me."
He walked over to her counter to play with the cork she set down. She poured the drink into three glasses. Chansung kept his head down as he toyed with the piece of cork, knowing she was thinking. She always kept quiet when she was thinking. As his head rose again, he saw her staring at the bottle for the breadth of a second; nothing too long, but long enough for him to notice her pause.
"You're a friend In Young," he started, "...you know I love you, right?"
She rolled her eyes and huffed.
"Your sweet talk doesn't work with me Chan. At least not anymore. ...and don't look at me like that. ...hey...I'm fine, alright? Now, the least you could do is help me by downing one of them before I do."
She grabbed a glass and raised it to his hands. He looked at the glass for a second, but took the glass anyway.
"Good boy."
The doorbell broke the moment and In Young was shuffling to the door. Hyori was on the other side shaking off the wintry breeze.
"Hyori, hey girl, come on in. ...Chansung and I have been shooting the shit and fucking around."
In Young stood there in the doorway with her glass to her lips and held on for Hyori's reaction. Chansung stood behind her mortified, spilling a bit of his drink as surprise shocked up his spin.
"...what?"
"Hah! I'm just messing with you, that's only half of it. But ah, you know I'm crazy! Get your ass in here. Your knight awaits."
Hyori returned an even larger eye roll than the one In Young gave earlier, and Chansung relaxed a bit. He sent a death glare to In Young as Hyori walked past and approached him, but she simply shrugged. At least it broke the ice.
---
Hours later, In Young took away their plates. Only Hyori finished with relish. She wondered at the quiet disposition of her friends.
"Oh, I really have to apologize. End of term and suddenly everyone wants to study," she finally stood and shrugged her jacket off on In Young's sofa, her body heated from the few drinks she had, "I think I spoke to at least forty students today who needed personal tutoring. You'd think they would form study...groups..."
She stood, looking back and forth between the odd pair.
"...did I miss something?" she asked.
In Young walked to the counter, grabbing another glass and trying to hand it to Hyori. She refused, stating she had to drive. As she sat, In Young began speaking.
"Honey, I didn't invite you over for dinner. Not really anyway. ...Chansung and I need to tell you something."
"You and Chansung? Okay so...what is it?"
"We need you to sit down. Well, I...would like for you to sit down. ...and have an open mind. Please," Chansung added.
She sat, although reluctantly, and continued asking them questions.
"Chansung, what'd you want to say-"
"Chansung and I have been sleeping together. Long ago, mind you," In Young said, cutting in.
"In Young, don't-"
"It's okay Chan."
Hyori sat back, clapping her hands and laughing.
"Alright! Joke's on me! Don't push it. I know you two slept together. We've been over this."
In Young downed the rest of her glass and sat it down. She set herself on the couch next to Hyori, who was still smiling, albeit tightly. She took her friend's hands, staring her in the eye as Chansung went to sit on another chair. Hyori looked between the two of them again, now a little scared at how calm each of them seemed, especially In Young.
"Hyori," In Young began, "you remember Hyoyeon don't you?"
"Yes...unfortunately."
"Well...so did she. And...so did a few other girls. ...and...women..."
"What is this?" she asked, pulling her hands from In Young's. She laughed nervously, thinking it was some sort of cruel joke. "What does she mean Chansung?"
Chansung set his drink down and decided that he should just lay it on the table, no matter how much it hurt. No more lies.
"I'm a...male escort."
"...a what?"
"Women...like Hyoyeon and In Young..."
Chansung took the hardest, longest sigh of his life, and he just wanted to step inside a wormhole and fall inside, into another time; a time when he could change this. Maybe luck wouldn't be on his side.
"...they hired me to...service them," he sighed again, "with sex."
Hyori couldn't believe what she was hearing, raising her hand to her head. She suddenly had a migraine pounding away behind her eyes. It left her dizzy and spinning. This was what they wanted to tell her? This was the news? She always knew something was off about Chansung, maybe a large debt owed or some other financial trouble. The idea of him being a sex fiend had gone at the window, having been with intimate with him more than her share of times, but the thought came back. It hit her mind like a solid, lead weight swinging on some invisible pendulum, launching itself into her brain. He pulse was building, and she needed to escape. Hyori couldn't take it, and had the urge to leave.
Her breathing was ragged as she grabbed at her coat, and her arm knocked away the calm one that In Young put out toward her. She fixed her collar and grabbed her purse the moment Chansung came up to her, attempting to hold her away from the door.
"Let go of me Chansung..." she warned.
"Don't leave me Hyori. I'm sorry. I was stupid. I wanted better and I found you, but I didn't know how to say anything-"
"Shut up! I can't believe this is happening to me...oh my god..."
She pushed him off of her and she fumed. Hyori rummaged through her purse, finding her wallet and grabbing any form of payment she could.
"Paid...services!?" She threw cards at him. "You were paid for fucking them all...why don't I pay you too!?" Bills flew at his head next and floating to the ground around them. "How much do I owe Chansung? ...how much do I fucking owe you!?"
In Young watched, completely unsure of what she should do now, and Chansung sunk to his knees, begging forgiveness and crying.
"Am I sick Chansung? ...do I have anything? What the fuck did you give me!?"
"Hyori, calm down-"
"In Young, shut up! And you told me to...to...what did you think I was, another damn client!?"
Now Hyori was crying as frantically as Chansung, unable to hold back anymore as her anger got the best of her.
"What do I have Chan?"
"Nothing! ...I...I'm clean. I'll take you if you want me to, but there's nothing wrong-"
"Did you get any of these girls pregnant?"
Only heavy breaths echoed in the enormous space of In Young's home. Hyori came forward, standing directly in front of Chansung as both of their tears fell. She dared him to look up at her, nudging his knees with her feet.
"Look at me dammit," she commanded.
Chansung shifted his head up and only more tears poured from him. She raised her arm, promptly slapping him across the face before she yelled the question.
"Did you!?"
His head fell to the side after she slapped him.
"...I'm sorry."
Her hands now ran through her hair as she staggered back. Hyori felt herself choking, suffocating with all these words. What had he done to her? How would things change?
"Oh god...get me out of here. I need to get out of here."
She grabbed her purse and swiftly let her fingers close around keys inside. With that, she was out the door; when she would come back was left unknown to the others.
Chansung remained a heap on the floor, huddled in on himself and quiet. He didn't care that he looked like a child crying for spilled milk or a broken toy, for that was what it felt like. He was broken, and his heart crushed at what spilling out everything to her had done. Hyori was the simplicity in his world, the one thing that made him happy, but repeatedly he'd tested her patience.
He didn't know if he would get her back after this.
He didn't move when In Young touched his shoulder, didn't hear the "it'll be fine"'s or "it's alright"'s she cooed into his ear. She sat back down and let herself cry quietly, feeling her heart drop for the strange, enchanted boy that made her feel again.
He rushed out of the hotel room, inwardly thanking whatever god would listen for his random bout of luck.
This was too close, and he could almost feel his life hemorrhaging, compressing every organ until he couldn't breathe. There had to be some sort of release, a break that would ease this tension; so he kept running. He let his blood flow. Chansung let it go, shouting in the near empty streets until he could cool and come to his senses.
He wanted to see Hyori, but he wanted to tell her the truth. Everything, laid bone dry with honesty. No one else...
...but he needed some help.
Chansung hoped that whatever piece of luck was with him at that moment would stay with him when they met, but he had to make a call first.
A taxi was hailed as he walked, and he got in sweaty, much to the drivers' dismay.
He reached for his phone, feeling it out in his pocket. Feeling the keys, he dialed the number of an old friend, one who knew about trying to calm things in a tough spot. He needed In Young's blunt honesty.
---
The next Friday night, Chansung found himself at In Young's house.
"I don't know if I'm ready," his knee was tapping again, "why now?" he said.
"If not now, then when? Hey...life has enough holdups. Don't punish yourself by letting this eat away at you. ...besides, you should always have backup in a confession. An alibi? I'm a second voice."
In Young popped open a bottle of white wine that night. Chansung looked at it and shook his head piteously.
"You drink too much. It'll get the better of you one day."
"Oh shut up. Don't tell me how to live. You called me...remember? You asked for advice, not me."
He walked over to her counter to play with the cork she set down. She poured the drink into three glasses. Chansung kept his head down as he toyed with the piece of cork, knowing she was thinking. She always kept quiet when she was thinking. As his head rose again, he saw her staring at the bottle for the breadth of a second; nothing too long, but long enough for him to notice her pause.
"You're a friend In Young," he started, "...you know I love you, right?"
She rolled her eyes and huffed.
"Your sweet talk doesn't work with me Chan. At least not anymore. ...and don't look at me like that. ...hey...I'm fine, alright? Now, the least you could do is help me by downing one of them before I do."
She grabbed a glass and raised it to his hands. He looked at the glass for a second, but took the glass anyway.
"Good boy."
The doorbell broke the moment and In Young was shuffling to the door. Hyori was on the other side shaking off the wintry breeze.
"Hyori, hey girl, come on in. ...Chansung and I have been shooting the shit and fucking around."
In Young stood there in the doorway with her glass to her lips and held on for Hyori's reaction. Chansung stood behind her mortified, spilling a bit of his drink as surprise shocked up his spin.
"...what?"
"Hah! I'm just messing with you, that's only half of it. But ah, you know I'm crazy! Get your ass in here. Your knight awaits."
Hyori returned an even larger eye roll than the one In Young gave earlier, and Chansung relaxed a bit. He sent a death glare to In Young as Hyori walked past and approached him, but she simply shrugged. At least it broke the ice.
---
Hours later, In Young took away their plates. Only Hyori finished with relish. She wondered at the quiet disposition of her friends.
"Oh, I really have to apologize. End of term and suddenly everyone wants to study," she finally stood and shrugged her jacket off on In Young's sofa, her body heated from the few drinks she had, "I think I spoke to at least forty students today who needed personal tutoring. You'd think they would form study...groups..."
She stood, looking back and forth between the odd pair.
"...did I miss something?" she asked.
In Young walked to the counter, grabbing another glass and trying to hand it to Hyori. She refused, stating she had to drive. As she sat, In Young began speaking.
"Honey, I didn't invite you over for dinner. Not really anyway. ...Chansung and I need to tell you something."
"You and Chansung? Okay so...what is it?"
"We need you to sit down. Well, I...would like for you to sit down. ...and have an open mind. Please," Chansung added.
She sat, although reluctantly, and continued asking them questions.
"Chansung, what'd you want to say-"
"Chansung and I have been sleeping together. Long ago, mind you," In Young said, cutting in.
"In Young, don't-"
"It's okay Chan."
Hyori sat back, clapping her hands and laughing.
"Alright! Joke's on me! Don't push it. I know you two slept together. We've been over this."
In Young downed the rest of her glass and sat it down. She set herself on the couch next to Hyori, who was still smiling, albeit tightly. She took her friend's hands, staring her in the eye as Chansung went to sit on another chair. Hyori looked between the two of them again, now a little scared at how calm each of them seemed, especially In Young.
"Hyori," In Young began, "you remember Hyoyeon don't you?"
"Yes...unfortunately."
"Well...so did she. And...so did a few other girls. ...and...women..."
"What is this?" she asked, pulling her hands from In Young's. She laughed nervously, thinking it was some sort of cruel joke. "What does she mean Chansung?"
Chansung set his drink down and decided that he should just lay it on the table, no matter how much it hurt. No more lies.
"I'm a...male escort."
"...a what?"
"Women...like Hyoyeon and In Young..."
Chansung took the hardest, longest sigh of his life, and he just wanted to step inside a wormhole and fall inside, into another time; a time when he could change this. Maybe luck wouldn't be on his side.
"...they hired me to...service them," he sighed again, "with sex."
Hyori couldn't believe what she was hearing, raising her hand to her head. She suddenly had a migraine pounding away behind her eyes. It left her dizzy and spinning. This was what they wanted to tell her? This was the news? She always knew something was off about Chansung, maybe a large debt owed or some other financial trouble. The idea of him being a sex fiend had gone at the window, having been with intimate with him more than her share of times, but the thought came back. It hit her mind like a solid, lead weight swinging on some invisible pendulum, launching itself into her brain. He pulse was building, and she needed to escape. Hyori couldn't take it, and had the urge to leave.
Her breathing was ragged as she grabbed at her coat, and her arm knocked away the calm one that In Young put out toward her. She fixed her collar and grabbed her purse the moment Chansung came up to her, attempting to hold her away from the door.
"Let go of me Chansung..." she warned.
"Don't leave me Hyori. I'm sorry. I was stupid. I wanted better and I found you, but I didn't know how to say anything-"
"Shut up! I can't believe this is happening to me...oh my god..."
She pushed him off of her and she fumed. Hyori rummaged through her purse, finding her wallet and grabbing any form of payment she could.
"Paid...services!?" She threw cards at him. "You were paid for fucking them all...why don't I pay you too!?" Bills flew at his head next and floating to the ground around them. "How much do I owe Chansung? ...how much do I fucking owe you!?"
In Young watched, completely unsure of what she should do now, and Chansung sunk to his knees, begging forgiveness and crying.
"Am I sick Chansung? ...do I have anything? What the fuck did you give me!?"
"Hyori, calm down-"
"In Young, shut up! And you told me to...to...what did you think I was, another damn client!?"
Now Hyori was crying as frantically as Chansung, unable to hold back anymore as her anger got the best of her.
"What do I have Chan?"
"Nothing! ...I...I'm clean. I'll take you if you want me to, but there's nothing wrong-"
"Did you get any of these girls pregnant?"
Only heavy breaths echoed in the enormous space of In Young's home. Hyori came forward, standing directly in front of Chansung as both of their tears fell. She dared him to look up at her, nudging his knees with her feet.
"Look at me dammit," she commanded.
Chansung shifted his head up and only more tears poured from him. She raised her arm, promptly slapping him across the face before she yelled the question.
"Did you!?"
His head fell to the side after she slapped him.
"...I'm sorry."
Her hands now ran through her hair as she staggered back. Hyori felt herself choking, suffocating with all these words. What had he done to her? How would things change?
"Oh god...get me out of here. I need to get out of here."
She grabbed her purse and swiftly let her fingers close around keys inside. With that, she was out the door; when she would come back was left unknown to the others.
Chansung remained a heap on the floor, huddled in on himself and quiet. He didn't care that he looked like a child crying for spilled milk or a broken toy, for that was what it felt like. He was broken, and his heart crushed at what spilling out everything to her had done. Hyori was the simplicity in his world, the one thing that made him happy, but repeatedly he'd tested her patience.
He didn't know if he would get her back after this.
He didn't move when In Young touched his shoulder, didn't hear the "it'll be fine"'s or "it's alright"'s she cooed into his ear. She sat back down and let herself cry quietly, feeling her heart drop for the strange, enchanted boy that made her feel again.