As Kim Tae Hyun stormed out of his grandfather's study, the weight of the situation settled heavily on his shoulders. The sound of his grandfather's thunderous voice still echoed in his mind, "Meet with the family and settle this, and make sure that no one writes an article about this! Get out!"
Kim Tae Hyun's annoyance simmered just below the surface as he walked out of the Kim Estate. He couldn't believe his grandfather's reaction. What did he expect him to do? Apologize for something that wasn't entirely his fault?
As he reached his car, Kim Tae Hyun tossed the pictures onto the passenger seat, feeling a mix of emotions: anger, frustration, and a hint of shame. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before getting behind the wheel.
Instead of heading home, Kim Tae Hyun decided to drive to his private bar, a place where he usually went to unwind with his friends. Although he wasn't much of a social butterfly, tonight he needed some company to take his mind off things.
As he arrived at the bar, Kim Tae Hyun pulled out his phone and sent a text to his friend, Jang Ji-Hoon: "Wanna drink with me?"
He didn't have to wait long for a response. Two minutes later, his phone buzzed with Ji-Hoon's reply: "Hey, let's catch up in a party instead! Will be better than drinking alone, huh?"
Kim Tae Hyun raised an eyebrow, considering the suggestion. A party might be just what he needed to take his mind off the drama with his grandfather and Shim Ji-Na. He agreed, and Ji-Hoon sent him the directions to the party location.
With a sense of anticipation, Kim Tae Hyun reversed his car and headed towards the party. As he drove, he couldn't help but wonder what the night had in store for him.
Kim Tae-Hyun sat in his office, staring blankly at the papers in front of him. He was supposed to meet with the Shin family to discuss the settlement of their agreement marriage, but he couldn't bring himself to focus. The thought of marrying a woman he didn't love, all for the sake of his family's business, and his reputation was suffocating him.
He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He needed a distraction, something to take his mind off the impending meeting. He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey, Ji-Hoon," he said, when his friend answered. "I need to get out of here. Meet me at the club tonight?"
Jang Ji-Hoon agreed, and Kim Tae-Hyun spent the rest of the day going through the motions. As soon as the sun began to set, he made his way to the club, where Ji-Hoon was already waiting for him.
The music was loud and the lights were flashing, but Kim Tae-Hyun didn't notice. He made his way to the bar and ordered a whiskey, downing it in one gulp. Ji-Hoon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
As the night wore on, Kim Tae-Hyun continued to drink, trying to drown his worries. He didn't dance or flirt with any of the women, he just sat at the bar, nursing his drink.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Kim Tae-Hyun stumbled out of the club, calling for his chauffeur to take him home. He collapsed into the backseat, feeling exhausted and defeated.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, Yoon Ji-Yoon was getting ready for a night out. She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her dress and applying her makeup. Her friend, Kim Ha-Na, walked into the room, looking shocked.
"Hey! Yoon Ji-Yoon, where are you going dressed like this? Are you crazy?" Kim Ha-Na asked, her eyes wide with concern.
Yoon Ji-Yoon sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. She had been receiving calls from the hospital, telling her that her brother needed surgery to correct his eye problems. The surgery fee was astronomical, and Yoon Ji-Yoon's yearly salary wouldn't even cover a fraction of it.
She had agreed to provide the money within two weeks, but she had no idea how she was going to come up with it. She didn't want to tell her father, who was already struggling to make ends meet.
The stress and worry had been building up inside her, until one day, she had broken down in tears on her way home from work. She had squatted on the sidewalk, crying her eyes out.
"Omoni," she had wept, using the Korean term for "mother". "Are you watching? You should help me out a little bit. It's so hard doing this."
Kim Ha-Na's voice brought her back to the present. "Ji-Yoon, what's going on? You're not exactly the clubbing type. What's with the dress and makeup?"
Yoon Ji-Yoon took a deep breath, trying to come up with an excuse. But before she could say anything, Kim Ha-Na's eyes narrowed.
"Wait a minute. You're not going to do something crazy, are you? Like, try to make some quick money or something?"
Yoon Ji-Yoon's eyes darted away, and Kim Ha-Na's expression turned serious.
"Ji-Yoon, talk to me. What's going on?"
"I am going to tell you when I am back, take care, friend," she said before leaving their apartment.
As Yoon Ji-Yoon walked away from Kim Ha-Na's apartment, she couldn't shake off the feeling that her friend was worried about her. She had tried to reassure Ha-Na that everything would be fine, but she knew that she hadn't been convincing.
Ji-Yoon hailed a cab and gave the driver the address she had found on the flyer. As the cab drove through the streets of Seoul, Ji-Yoon couldn't help but think about the flyer and the promise of 2 million dollars for just three nights of singing and dancing.
The cab driver, a middle-aged man with a kind face, looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Where are you going, miss?" he asked.
Ji-Yoon showed him the address on the flyer. "I'm going here," she said.
The driver nodded and continued driving. As they drove, Ji-Yoon noticed that the cab had a meter that calculated the fare based on the distance traveled. She watched as the numbers ticked up, wondering how much the fare would be by the time they arrived at their destination.
The driver, noticing her interest in the meter, smiled. "Don't worry, miss," he said. "The fare won't be too high. We'll be there soon."
Ji-Yoon smiled back at him, feeling a sense of relief. She was nervous about what lay ahead, but she was determined to see it through.
As they approached the club, Ji-Yoon could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She had never been to a place like this before, and she wasn't sure what to expect.
The driver pulled up in front of the club and turned off the meter. "We're here, miss," he said. "The fare is 15,000 won."
Ji-Yoon paid the driver and stepped out of the cab. She looked up at the club, feeling a sense of trepidation. The sign above the door read "Bear C Club" in bold letters.
Ji-Yoon took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The music was loud and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and alcohol.
Ji-Yoon's heart was racing as she made her way to the bar. She had no idea what lay ahead, but she was determined to see it through. She was going to make that 2 million dollars, no matter what it took.