"So... As you know, I'm leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow."
Da Hye fell onto the soft white chair on the terrace, handed her friend a drink, and continued,
"I will be gone for about two months or so but the room is paid for in advance so feel free to stay as long as you need. Again, you can stay here even after my return, you just need to tell me, okay? I don't mind at all!"
She looked at Se Ah from underneath her sunglasses with a look of a parent preparing to scold a child which Se Ah accepted with an annoyed sigh and a generous sip from her wine glass. With all the arrangements and adjustments, she failed to notice that the day was already over and the two women decided to order room service and let go of a hectic day with the help of alcohol in the relaxing ambiance of the terrace overlooking the evening city.
"I hope it won't come to that, I don't want to impose any further."
"What are you even talking about? Besides, the house renovations in your building might be finished by that time so why waste your effort running around looking for a new place when I'm offering you such an easy solution?"
The solution was indeed an easy one, especially since it would save Se Ah a lot of money she did not have. Of course, two months would not be enough to save the money she needed both for new furniture and clothes, however, considering her long-term needs, accepting Da Hye's kindness would not set her financial state back so drastically.
As if having read Se Ah's mind, Da Hye decided to tempt her even more.
"Since my apartment is being renovated too, I brought ALL my clothes here so feel free to take anything you like and keep it. There are lots of clothes I don't even know I have so I don't really care."
"Geez, Kang Da Hye, I really feel like Cinderella now."
Se Ah smiled, half-tipsy from wine, and hugged her friend with a warm, affectionate hug. It felt nice to have someone who cared for you unconditionally, who, despite all the wealth and power they possessed, was willing to go out of their way and offer her a helping hand, expecting nothing but kindness and understanding in return. If she had someone like Kang Da Hye ten years ago when her whole world crumbled at her feet, she might have been a better person now. A person who could trust people as easily; a person who could even love.
"Boss Kang."
"What?"
"Do you know where I can earn some extra money?"
Da Hye rounded her eyes and asked in a serious voice,
"Well, you know what kind of business my family runs, so..."
"I can work as a waitress on the weekends! I just don't want to mooch off of you completely and... It is possible that once my apartment is renovated, the landlady will increase the rent. I want to be prepared."
Da Hye scratched her chin pretending to be a scholar deep in thought, then sighed, and looked back at her friend with a business-like smile.
"I have better options for you. One - a hostess in one of my underground bars. There is no sex involved, you just need to drink with them and laugh at their jokes. Two - a dominatrix in "Red Velvet". There, you pick your clients yourself, and I'll make sure to pay you handsomely. Maybe I can arrange something in "Tea Rose", too, but I'll have to check. What do you think?"
Although Se Ah knew that Da Hye's business did not involve prostitution, unlike her father's, however, she still felt weird getting involved in it. When she was still in college, she met Oh Ma Ri at one of the S&M parties and learned that one could earn money by working as a dominatrix, being in dire need of money, she decided to try it out and even had a few clients, but once she was done with it, she never did it again even once because she did not want to expose her sexual preferences to a wider audience. So would she be able to do it now? Even thinking about that was making her rather uncomfortable but she knew that Da Hye would make sure not to harm her, therefore, she did not want to discard the idea just yet.
"I'll think about it and let you know."
"Sure thing. Anyway, you had a very long day today so go sleep first. I need to finish packing."
"Let me help you!"
Da Hye shook her head and pushed Se Ah onto the bed, wrapping a soft white blanket around her, preventing her further movements.
"And don't even think about doing anything funny because I'll be sharing that bed with you tonight!"
She laughed and disappeared behind the door, leaving only silence and a soft humming sound of the wind playing with the white curtains over the open terrace window. Without even realizing how exhausted she was, Se Ah closed her eyes and felt her body sink into the warmth and softness of the unfamiliar bed, and as her body gradually became heavier, she let go of her fatigue and finally fell asleep.
The next morning she woke up to the sound of her own alarm and found herself all alone in her friend's expensive hotel suite. She checked her phone one more time and realized that Da Hye had already gone to the airport since her flight was supposed to depart at 6 AM.
Walking out of the bedroom and facing the lavishness of the suite's living room, Se Ah still found it hard to believe that she was staying there absolutely for free. It felt like a dream she did not want to wake up from. Thanks to the hotel's proximity to the company she worked at, she still had a lot of time to kill before going to the office, thus, she decided to look around the closet room that looked more like a huge multi-brand store than a mere "room".
"Once the management sees me wearing luxury brands, I'm afraid my chance for promotion will definitely disappear."
She moved from one rail to another, trying to pick something that would stand out the less, when her hand finally reached a large white dresser with a heart-shaped key inserted into the keyhole of the first drawer.
"What the... Did she bring it here from her apartment?"
Se Ah turned the key and heard a light click indicating that the drawer was unlocked. She then pulled it open and widened her eyes, completely astonished by that unexpected discovery.
"Kang Da Hye... You never disappoint!"