The Taste of Money (4)
‘I’ll drag you down from the second floor.”
Mong-Doo sighed with an anxious expression.
However he stepped back and held his hands up in a show of trust.
Moon-Joong got up right in my face and started fuming.
“This motherfucker! Ever since your cheeky little celebration earlier, you’ve been getting on my nerves.”
“Moon- Moon-Joong-ah!”
“Kim-nion. Say another word and your dad is fired.”
The man who was trying to pull Moon-Joong back couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction.
Hmm. If he’s calling him Kim-nion, it should be short for Kim-minion right?
It must be really tiring to be his friend.
Moon-Joong rolled up his sleeves while scowling fiercely, showing off his thick, gold watch and chunky rings.
“Do you know just who I am? You’ve messed with the wrong player today.”
If I really have got it wrong, then I guess I should just roll over now.
I crossed my legs arrogantly and turned the money-guns onto him once more.
A storm of money engulfed him and his surroundings.
Whiiiing- Smack- Smack- Smack-
“…this fucker!”
“What about you. Do you know who I am?”
The money had already piled up on the floor in heaps.
I stepped over them as I got up to my feet.
“I think I know who you might be.”
Moon-Joong
That means he’s probably one of three brothers.
Moon-Sang. Moon-Joong. Moon-Ha.
Once upon a time, their family had been the epitome of a powerful dynasty that was hated across Korea.
In the past they were a part of a conglomerate that managed department stores, but after the IMF crisis they were left with only a few outlet stores.
Nowadays, well, they were just one of the countless companies trundling along in mediocrity.
However these guys were still stuck in the glory days of the past.
Employee abuse. Unfair dismissal. Salary cuts.
Every member of this family held a record of being forced to apologize in front of the police station.
“What kind of look is that for a guy whose family sells clothing?”
“You, how do you…”
“It would be best if you stop your nonsense here. If you don’t want to lose everything that you have left, that is.”
“Crazy bastard. Where do you get off with that kind of mouth?”
“Why? Do you think that I can’t back it up?”
Whiiiing-
I shot another burst of the money-gun.
The amount of tips that I had sent flying with just that probably exceeds this guy’s alcohol bill for the whole day.
This showed that there was an implicit gap between us.
Even though he should already know this, his teeth ground noisily as his pride was prickled.
He’s pissed off, and with so many eyes on him, it isn’t easy for him to back down now.
Moon-Joong grabbed a wine bottle from the table and drew it back to strike.
Whooosh-
“You motherfucker!”
“Dear guest.”
However his arm was halted in mid-swing.
This was due to the fact that one of the club’s higher-ups had run over and stepped in front of me with impeccable timing.
“We are very sorry, but we must insist that you vacate your seats.”
“What?”
“We will make sure to arrange better seating for the next time you visit us.”
“This! This!! THIS!!!”
They might say next time, but when would that ever happen after publicly kicking him out.
“Get the manager out here! Fuck! Do you know just how much I’ve spent here!”
“Moo- Moon-Joong-ah. I think we’ve had enough for today.”
“That’s right. And it’s not like this is the only bar.”
Despite Moon-Joong’s protests, his companions, who still had their senses, had already picked up their coats and were prepared to leave.
They had probably noticed the bunch of men dressed in black clothes that were now standing behind them.
Very soon, they were all running out of the store like they were being chased.
The employee who had intervened came up to us and asked with a polite bow,
“Our apologies for the rudeness, but would you like to switch seats.”
His words were polite, but it was difficult to discern his true meaning.
Damn it. Could it be that he’s throwing us out as well?
I hesitated with a frown on my face.
At that moment.
“Chang-ah. That’s not how you’re supposed to ask them.”
The voice that spoke up then was clear and cool.
It came from a woman who had descended from the second floor.
“Greetings. I am Madam Shim.”
-Shit.
It was Madam Shim.
Black couldn’t help his noise of surprise.
“If it is alright with you, would you like to come up to the second floor and have a drink with me?”