“Yeah, come on in.”
Judging by the fact that it even had a door lock, this must be an important room, right?
Was it really okay for him to show it to me so casually?
Just the thought of stepping into Yoon Jooho’s secret space made my mouth go dry.
The room manager propped the door open about halfway using a stopper— to prevent the door lock from engaging.
“Wow… This place— it’s like a bar or something,” Song Hyunsoo said in awe as he stepped inside.
It wasn’t full of expensive artwork or piles of gold bars like he had imagined, but to Hyunsoo, this was far more alluring.
“I can’t believe this is part of someone’s home…”
“This is the room Jooho decorated like a lounge bar.”
A large, boldly colored painting hung on the dark-painted wall, and at the center of the room stood a huge table— big enough for ten people to eat and drink together.
Just like the living room and practice space, a sofa set was placed in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Han River.
And on one wall was what looked like a built-in stainless steel bar.
“I’d believe you if you told me this was an actual bar.”
Even the backlit shelves behind the bar were lined with all kinds of liquor and a wide variety of glasses.
There were even bottles of whiskey worth several million won each.
Maybe that’s why they put a lock on the door— because of all the expensive alcohol?
While Hyunsoo was distracted, admiring the bottles, the room manager asked him a question.
“Hyunsoo, have you eaten?”
“I ate before coming.”
“You live alone, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you probably just had ramen or something.”
“……”
He was right.
“I don’t eat ramen every day,” Hyunsoo said with an awkward smile as he sat down at the table as instructed.
Not every day.
Sometimes he made kimchi fried rice in a pot, or stewed potatoes and mixed them with rice to wrap in seaweed…
“What do you want to eat? I’ll order something good.”
The room manager, seated across from him, pulled out his phone.
He seemed to be opening a delivery app.
“It’s fine, really. You already pay me well.”
“Order as much as you want. Our Jooho’s loaded.”
That part was definitely true.
Stories about this building being worth 30 billion or even 50 billion won, and Jooho having earned over 100 billion in the last 30 years— Hyunsoo had heard all of it.
Honestly, considering the guy had fallen asleep and missed their meeting like it was no big deal, Hyunsoo didn’t feel too bad about spending a little of his money.
“Then… Can you order tangsuyuk for me, sir?”
“Tangsuyuk? That’s all you want when I said to get something expensive? Fine. I’ll order the premium beef tangsuyuk from a really good place.”
Hehehe.
Alright, Yoon Jooho.
At minimum, I’m burning fifty thousand won of your fortune tonight.
While the room manager placed the order, Hyunsoo looked around the room again.
His gaze wandered until it landed on a long display cabinet in front of the windows.
“……”
Several candles were arranged on top of it.
Even to someone like him, who didn’t know much, the labels screamed luxury.
Expensive, fragrant candles.
He’d looked them up recently and learned they were called scented candles.
And when he saw the prices, he nearly fainted.
He already knew perfumes were pricey, but candles?
Tens of thousands of won for just one?
With candles like those scattered all around Jooho’s house, it probably added up to tens of millions of won right there.
No wonder Jooho’s scent always came off as rich— it wasn’t just in Hyunsoo’s head.
He’d considered buying the smallest size for his own place now that he had a decent-paying job— but gave up as soon as he saw the price.
They burn away, after all.
And even the smallest one cost over a hundred thousand won…
Still, he couldn’t deny that these scents really did suit Jooho.
“Um, sir?”
“Hmm?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to turn off the TV if you want to sleep soundly? I can go turn it off.”
Hyunsoo had already half-risen from his seat, but the room manager waved him off.
“That’s okay. No need for that. Jooho can’t sleep without the TV on. Volume is always set to 5.”
“……”
“Oh, it’s nothing weird. Just a habit.”
Director Bang added, almost like an excuse.
“A lot of people sleep with the TV on. I do too.”
“Right? It’s not even a big deal. But if it’s about Jooho, people come up with whole novels over the smallest things.”
“I signed the contract, and I won’t talk about this outside.”
“Good. Please keep it that way.”
Director Bang smiled as if grateful, though the smile had a trace of bitterness to it.
After being around Yoon Jooho even for a short while, it felt like I could understand the meaning behind that smile.
Whether it was network staff, stylists, or the managers rumored to have been fired by him— there must’ve been countless people who passed through Yoon Jooho’s life.
And among them, some probably treated him like a zoo animal, just something amusing to observe up close while spreading all kinds of stories.
“Order’s in. Should be here soon.”
As Director Bang put down his phone, Song Hyunsoo nodded, then suddenly raised his voice as if remembering something.
“Oh! But the delivery— won’t the doorbell be too loud? What if it wakes him—”
His voice trailed off.
He’d come here excited, only to find Jooho peacefully napping.
He’d been fuming a minute ago… and now he was worried about waking him.
What the hell am I doing?
“I told them not to ring the bell, just to send a message. Wrote that a baby is sleeping.”
A baby, huh…
Not exactly wrong.
A huge, utterly stubborn baby was fast asleep on the living room couch.
Director Bang and Song Hyunsoo looked at each other and chuckled.
“This place doesn’t just deliver fast— it’s delicious, too. Jooho can’t eat this stuff ‘cause of his diet, so let’s dig in while he’s asleep, yeah?”
Yoon Jooho was asleep at least 20 meters away, separated by several walls.
Yet Director Bang lowered his voice like Jooho might be listening right outside the door.
“What should we do while we wait, Hyunsoo?”
Even though he was in his forties, Director Bang had a strangely boyish charm— maybe it was his neat appearance, or his smiling face.
He didn’t look like someone who’d spent decades in the entertainment industry managing a top star.
Song Hyunsoo pointed to the bar behind them.
“If you don’t mind, I could make you a cocktail with what’s there?”
“You know how to do that?”
“I work part-time at a small bar. I know how to make a few simple ones.”
“I heard from Jooho that you bartend on weekends, but I didn’t realize you were an actual bartender.”
“He really said that?”
“He mentioned that you have part-time shifts on Friday through Sunday, so rehearsals need to be scheduled around that.”
The fact that Yoon Jooho remembered something about him— and even brought it up to someone else— made Hyunsoo feel oddly giddy, even though it wasn’t a big deal.
What else has he said about me?
“I’m not a real bartender or anything. Just picked it up watching others and taught myself after that. I’m pretty clumsy.”
“Still, that’s pretty cool. Make me a drink?”
Getting to use a bar like this felt like a luxury.
Hyunsoo stood up and moved behind it.
Whiskey, rum, gin, brandy, tequila, vodka, a variety of liqueurs, even wine in the cellar— there was truly nothing missing.
In the bar’s under-counter fridge were all kinds of garnishes, mixers, and plenty of ice.
“Wow… I think I could live here.”
“For anyone who loves alcohol, it’s paradise, right?”
“Do you drink a lot, Director?”
“Not the strong stuff…”
“Then I’ll make something light for you.”
“I’m not good with alcohol, but I do like fizzy drinks.”
Using the information Bang Isa had tossed his way, Song Hyunsoo selected the ingredients from the shelf.
Rum, gin, vodka, tequila, the orange liqueur Cointreau, and powder to make a sweet and sour mix— he even pulled a lemon out from the drawer-style fridge and laid everything out.
“You move like you own the place, Hyunsoo. How do you know where everything is?”
“Most bars are laid out pretty similarly,” he replied.
First, he mixed the sweet and sour powder with water in a 1:2 ratio.
Then he picked out a tall highball glass from the cabinet— a finely cut, high-end crystal glass.
The kind of glass that would make any cocktail look stunning.
This whole bar felt like a gift Yoon Jooho had prepared just for him.
AWW HAHAHHA SWEET. Starting to feel the rich ml pampering the mc trope vibe :’)