Golden Slumber 📚 ATEEZ [▶]

18

San had just stepped through the glass door, holding a bag full of coffee with someone trailing behind him, when an unexpectedly lively crowd greeted him. The music was playing quite loudly, mingling with the groans of people training, and Hongjoong was on a mat doing jump rope. Though most were enthusiastic about working out, a few people chose to take a break and greeted San eagerly.

“I didn’t think he’d dare show up here, Lee,” Hongjoong said, patting the shoulder of Lee Know, one of his subordinates who had come to the restaurant the day before.

Lee Know grinned before grabbing his own coffee. “Hey, the boss has been waiting for you!” He gave San a rough pat on the back, then joined the other fighters who were taking a break.

San set down the bag he was carrying, then approached Hongjoong, who was enthusiastically exercising, holding the last cup of coffee.

“Mr. Kim?” His call was soft—or rather, it was more like the shy squeak of a little mouse, waiting for you all to fall asleep before stealing food from the kitchen.

Hongjoong grunted in response but didn’t stop. His legs, clad in bright, patterned pants, jumped steadily while his hands continued to swing the jump rope. He occasionally shouted out, expressing his delight as the strain in his calves began to spread almost to his thighs.

After a few more jumps, he threw down the rope and attempted a backflip, though it didn’t go smoothly. Lacking balance and precision, he ended up hitting the floor face-first.

San’s eyes widened, and he was about to help when Hongjoong yelled again.

“Not hurt! Let’s do it again!”

The people across the room cheered, showing their fists in encouragement as Hongjoong did a few more flips. His damp black hair swung with his movements, eventually ending up disheveled as he stopped and ran a hand through it.

San stood there with a hesitant smile, holding out the coffee he’d brought for Hongjoong.

“Where’s yours?” Hongjoong asked as he took the coffee from San and sat down to rest.

“I don’t usually drink coffee.” San still looked awkward, not accustomed to chatting much with wealthy men like this. “It makes my stomach hurt, sometimes makes my hands shake for no reason,” he added, explaining further. Probably just nervous. “The point is, I’m not used to coffee.”

“Not used to school either, huh?” Hongjoong teased slightly, though San just smiled in response. “Don’t worry. When I was your age, I was a loser too.”

“Really?” San was intrigued, not expecting that this wealthy man, with his array of subordinates and billionaire business partners, had once been a loser too.

“Of course. I was average at school—not outstanding, but not terrible either. But isn’t it even more painful to live a mediocre life? Until I realized one thing. The thing that got me to where I am now. You know what that is?”

San shook his head in response to Hongjoong’s question.

“Boxing.” He showed his fist, looking at San as if teaching the younger man. “It’s gotta be strong,” he added.

San nodded uncertainly, lacking enthusiasm. If, to Hongjoong, having a strong fist was the foundation of success, then San thought he’d never succeed. He’d gotten bruised just fighting with Yeonjun; how could he even think about stepping into a boxing ring?

Before he could continue his thoughts, Hongjoong patted his shoulder and guided him toward a poster of a boxer. A man displaying his fist, with a match date and his name printed in bold letters: Big Matthew.

“This guy’s the boxing king I brought in. He’s famous, lots of people bet on him. I’m the bookie. I told him not to win. But he refused.” Hongjoong turned back to San. “You’re a smart kid; you know what you have to do.”

San started to sense that something was off about Hongjoong’s intentions, especially when Lee Know approached and handed him a tube containing pills.

“What is this? I’m not going to jail because of this!” San protested, aware of the huge risk he’d face if Hongjoong’s assigned plan went wrong.

“Hey, Western fighters use this if they want to box,” Lee Know said. “It’s called Mydocalm. He’ll only have a brief spasm after taking it. If you want to know,” Lee Know slipped another pill into San’s shirt pocket, “you can try it at home,” he continued with a grin that San found annoying.

“You do this, and a big payout awaits you,” Hongjoong urged, making San waver. He looked repeatedly between the pill in his hand and the poster beside him, weighing what decision he should make and what benefits he could gain. Stay safe but earn nothing, or take the risk and have a shot at a sum of money he’d never had before.

Just as Hongjoong had thought before. The best recruiter in the world ever.