Chapter 14: Hey! Brother!

“Hey! Brother!”

“What’s up with you guys?”

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.

As the man approached the table, his tattoos peeked out from beneath his clothes.

“You little punks, what are you doing here already? This place is for adults. And you, girl, I’ve had my eye on you for days. Why haven’t you come to our room? Instead, you’re here fooling around with this kid. Come on over, sweetheart.”

The woman snorted derisively.

“Why should I go with you? Seriously, you’re such a creep. I can’t even come here anymore. What a joke.”

“What? What did you just say?”

“Why? I’ve been to your room a few times, but I always left without drinking. Shouldn’t you have realized I’m not interested? You’re built like a wild boar, can’t you take a hint?”

“This is driving me crazy! Hey, you kids better get lost!”

Losing the war of words with the woman, the man turned his attention to us.

Thinking it best to avoid trouble, I stood up and said,

“Sir, I’m sorry. I just turned legal and came here with my friends for a drink. We were about to leave anyway, so please calm down. Come on guys, let’s go.”

Hyeon-seong followed my lead and stood up.

But Myeong-su showed no signs of moving.

“Myeong-su, get up. Let’s go.”

“Come on, I want to stay a bit longer!”

“Hey, are you drunk? I said let’s go.”

“What, do we need permission to pick up girls now? Shit, what’s with this place?”

…Oh boy.

The atmosphere suddenly turned frosty.

“Hey! What did you just say? ‘Shit’?”

“I wasn’t talking to you, so back off. And this is my dad’s place, so don’t raise your voice.”

As our table got louder, people drinking nearby started to take notice.

The loud music masked our conversation, but some people were already putting on their coats and leaving, probably thinking some thug was causing trouble.

Waiters rushed over.

“Oh no! Boss, what’s the problem? They’re just kids, and that’s Myeong-su, the owner’s son. Please calm down. If you go to a private room, we’ll make sure you get all the girls you want.”

The waiters tried to grab his arms, but the tattooed man shook them off and started yelling.

“What? This is the owner’s son? ‘Shit’? What kind of punk is this? Get the owner here! What are you waiting for? If you want to close shop today, keep this up!”

I leaned in close to Myeong-su and whispered,

“What’s wrong with you? We could’ve just let this slide, but now you’re making it worse. What are you trying to do?”

“Did I say anything wrong? Why should we watch what we say when we’re here to drink? This is my dad’s place, isn’t it?”

“Are you drunk? Come on, let’s just go.”

I tried to coax Myeong-su into leaving, but he wouldn’t budge.

He seemed to really like that girl… But getting mixed up with gangsters was asking for trouble.

“Hey, are you trying to mess up your dad’s business? Come on, let’s go.”

Finally, Myeong-su reluctantly started to get up.

That’s when Myeong-su’s father came running over.

“Oh no, Seong-ho, why are you causing trouble again?”

“Owner, is this how you run your business? Should I let my boys loose? Want me to shut this place down?”

From the way Myeong-su’s father addressed the tattooed man as Seong-ho, I could tell things had just gotten more complicated.

“Please, let’s not do this. There’s no need for us to fight, right?”

“Owner, don’t you know we’ve taken over Nampo-dong? I’ve been letting you off easy because we go way back, just taking a cut of the booze. But you can’t disrespect me like this.”

“Come on, Seong-ho, I know, I know. My boy’s still immature, I’m sorry. Please calm down and go back inside. We’ll take good care of you.”

Nightclubs in this era had complex ownership structures.

Myeong-su’s father owned 51% of the shares, but the rest were divided among local strongmen.

That’s how you ran a smooth drinking business. After the Saseongpa was dismantled and even the smaller gangs were wiped out, it seemed thugs like this were running around causing trouble.

Seeing his father grovel, Myeong-su’s expression soured, but thankfully he didn’t speak up like before.

I grabbed Myeong-su’s arm and pulled.

Just as we were about to leave quietly, coat in hand,

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going? Stop right there!”

“Seong-ho, leave the kids alone. What are you waiting for? Get out of here! Myeong-su, I’ll see you at home.”

Myeong-su’s father tried to block the tattooed man who was advancing towards us.

I was about to slip out with a nod when it happened.

Slap!

If only that sound hadn’t rang out…

“Hey, Owner, you think I’m a joke, huh? I was being nice because you’re older, but that’s not how this works. I clearly told them to stop, but you’re sending them away? What does that make me?”

Everyone – the dancers, the DJ, the drinkers – all turned to look at us.

Myeong-su’s father, stunned, just stood there holding his cheek and staring at the tattooed man.

“Hey! Everyone out! We’re closing shop today!”

The tattooed man’s cronies started herding people out.

It took exactly 10 minutes for the once-bustling place to fall silent.

“Owner.”

“…What is it?”

“You better show some respect when I’m being nice. What the hell is this? Getting slapped by some punk half your age? You must be loving this, huh?”

The fuming tattooed man gestured towards us.

“You kids, get over here.”

“Seong-ho…”

Myeong-su’s father tried to intervene, but when the tattooed man glared at him, he couldn’t say more.

The tattooed man stood right in front of Myeong-su and shouted,

“Hey! Say it again. What was it? ‘Shit’?”

“…”

“What’s wrong? You were so cocky earlier. Feeling scared now? The world’s funny, isn’t it? Living large as the owner’s son, thinking gangsters are a joke?”

“I’m sorry. Please forgive us.”

Myeong-su apologized, but the man kept going.

“This is all because of you, you know that? Your old man got slapped because of you, didn’t he? Shit, this is rich.”

“…”

Myeong-su just stood there with his head down, saying nothing.

The tattooed man tapped the back of Myeong-su’s head.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“Ah, just a baby. Since you’re the owner’s son, I’ll go easy on you today. Just take a few hits.”

Seeing the tattooed man about to hit Myeong-su, his father stepped in again.

“Seong-ho, please stop. It’s my fault, I’m begging you. Just let my boy go. Look, I’m on my knees.”

Trying to prevent Myeong-su from getting hit, his father grabbed the tattooed man’s clothes.

The tattooed man let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Wow! Owner, you really think I’m a joke, huh? This could’ve ended with a few punches. Why do you keep getting in the way?”

“Please, he’s my only child. Hit me instead.”

Myeong-su’s father was always like this.

Whenever we got into trouble, Hyeon-seong’s father handled the police matters, while Myeong-su’s father took care of anything money-related.

The person who loved Myeong-su the most.

In my previous life, when Myeong-su became crippled, his father sold all his assets in Busan and left the city without a word.

“Owner, do you really want to quit this business?”

“If I can’t protect my only son, what’s the point of running a business? Please, just leave.”

Myeong-su’s father was stronger than anyone. Enraged, the tattooed man raised his hand.

I grabbed that hand.

“That’s enough. We’re all sorry. My friend was drunk and made a mistake. Please, let’s end it here. We’d be grateful.”

“Who the hell are you? Did you just grab my hand? My eyes aren’t playing tricks on me, right boys?”

“Yes, boss.”

The tattooed man looked between his arm and me, laughing in disbelief.

I let go of his hand and said,

“No one hits a parent in front of their child. You’ve made your point, haven’t you? Let’s stop here.”

“Wow, you’ve got guts, kid. What’s your name?”

“Kim Mu-hyeok.”

“Kim Mu-hyeok? Want to work for m?”

As if a wolf cub would work under a dog.

“I’m sorry, but no.”

“No?”

Just then, one of the thugs nearby whispered something in his ear.

“Ah! You’re that crazy dog from Dongseong Technical High?”

“You know me?”

“You’re famous. They say some punk straightened out and made it to Korea University. The whole neighborhood was buzzing, wasn’t it? Wow! I really want you. Sure you won’t join me?”

“I’m sorry, but no.”

My continued refusal made his expression harden.

“Hey, do I look like I’m on the same level as some high school punks? Want me to gouge out your eyes and suck them dry?”

“…”

Why would I work under you?

I was trying to keep my expression neutral since we were apologizing, but the tattooed man seemed to take offense at my silence too.

“This kid really is a crazy dog. Look at those eyes. You got a death wish?”

One-on-one, I might have a chance, but I wasn’t confident against all those thugs.

But there was another reason I’d stepped up.

One of the thugs guarding the entrance came running over.

“Boss!”

“What is it? Why all the noise?”

“It’s Boss Dong-su. Park Dong-su.”

“What are you babbling about? What about Dong-su?”

When the tattooed man first approached our table, I’d noticed someone familiar leaving after spotting me.

“Hey! Brother!”

Park Dong-su’s distinctive voice came from behind.

But this guy keeps calling me his little brother. I’m not his brother.

Turning around, I saw Park Dong-su entering the club with a few of his men. He was smiling.

“What? W-why is that bastard here?”

The tattooed man stuttered, clearly caught off guard.

Park Dong-su waved at him.

“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it Byeon Seong-ho? It’s been a while. I’m surprised you haven’t been locked up yet.”

“What? This is my territory. Why are you here?”

“Hey, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, and you can’t even say hello? Still as rude as ever. You know the kid in front of you is my little brother, right?”

At those words, the tattooed man Byeon Seong-ho glanced at me.

“You’re recruiting him?”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Why would I need to recruit someone like you to do business with my little brother? I heard you were causing trouble with him, so I came.”

“…”

The tattooed man bit his lip.

Park Dong-su, unfazed, chuckled and gestured to me.

“Hey, little bro, aren’t you happy to see your big brother?”

“I’m not your little brother, mister.”

“Hahaha! That crazy bastard, still like this even now.”

The thugs Park Dong-su brought surrounded the area. The atmosphere quickly turned heavy.

Looking over at Myeong-su’s father, I saw him standing still, unsure of what was happening.

“Alright, Seong-ho, shall we have a little chat now?”

Having finished setting up, Park Dong-su sat down with a thud.

True to his reputation, his actions exuded confidence.

Byeon Seong-ho looked around nervously before sitting down in front of him.

“Seong-ho, how many years has it been? Seven? You’ve grown up, our Seong-ho, even making it to Nampo-dong.”

“…Let’s stop this.”

“Stop what? We haven’t even started yet.”

I wasn’t sure of the exact relationship between the two, but it was clear that Park Dong-su was the stronger one and Byeon Seong-ho the weaker.

Seeing that the conversation was likely to drag on, I approached and said,

“Mister, I’ll be heading home with my friends now. Thank you for your help.”

Park Dong-su turned to look at me and waved his hand.

“Hey, little bro, wait a bit. Now that you’re legal, let your big brother buy you a drink.”

“That’s all fine, but could you stop with the ‘little brother’ thing?”

“Hahaha! This is why I like you.”

“The owner here is my friend’s father. Please take care of him. And… they’re still serving fake liquor here. Are there still lowlifes using those tactics these days?”

Park Dong-su looked at Byeon Seong-ho and smirked.

“You punk! Still haven’t gotten rid of those petty tricks? Why haven’t you changed since you were young? Who messes with alcohol supplies these days? In the end, you’re just spitting in your own face.”

“…”

Ignoring Byeon Seong-ho, who didn’t respond, Park Dong-su turned back to me.

“Will you wait?”

“No, thanks. My friends have had a lot to drink, so we’re heading out. Thanks for your help.”

Ignoring Park Dong-su’s attempt to speak, I went back to the guys.

“Let’s go. If I drink with you again, I’m dead.”

“…I’m sorry.”

I approached Myeong-su’s father and said goodbye.

“Father, I’ll visit you another time. Mr. Park Dong-su over there will probably take care of things. And please check the alcohol when you receive it. Looks like someone’s been playing tricks.”

“Huh? Oh, alright. Take Myeong-su home safely, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just take him to my place tonight.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll treat you to a drink before you head back to Seoul. Stop by.”

“Sure, sir.”

As we were about to leave the club with the guys, Park Dong-su’s booming voice rang out.

“Hey, little bro! Let’s have a drink before you go back to Seoul! I’ll come find you soon!”

Geez, he’s still calling me his little brother till the end.