ihwa | hyunchan

02, after office hours

It's eight in the morning, and Bang Chan has just arrived at his workplace. He works as a sales assistant for the logistics department of a construction company. The man exchanged a few 'hellos' and 'good mornings' with his colleagues until he finally reached his desk. He turned on the computer and started checking his emails and messages to see if there were any orders to prepare or deliveries to pick up.

Soon enough, he began receiving multiple phone calls from different clients, complaining about their delayed orders, missing or damaged items, or lost parcels. The customers vented their anger at Bang Chan, who had nothing to do with it. He's just your average office clerk, not in control of anything.

As if the clients weren't annoying enough, his supervisor—Mr. Shin—also arrived at the office. Shin is so full of himself, acting as if he's achieved so much, while the reality is quite the opposite. He's just a lowlife man in his mid-fifties who never got to make his own choices as a youngster. Growing up with strict parents, he had always been told what to do. Now, as a supervisor, he finally gained some control over others and loves to order Bang Chan and the rest of the workers around.

More calls and emails, more problems to solve, and lots of stress followed Bang Chan throughout this day, the next day, and the whole week. His only relief during working hours is his good friend and colleague, Changbin. They often take their lunch breaks together and sometimes have dinner or drinks after work.

Bang Chan was growing more and more tired as the days went on. The stress didn't stop even when his working hours ended. He wanted to escape the mess that was his life, but he had no one to help him forget the daily worries and struggles. No family around, no friends to hang out with—except for Changbin, of course. He yearned for some relaxation and peace of mind but didn't know where to find it. He would've loved to get to know new people, to make new friends and relationships, but doing so felt overwhelming to him.

Then everything changed one evening when Changbin invited him for an outing after work. It wasn't just a regular restaurant or pub visit. Since they're both into men, Changbin had the idea to take the older to a karaoke bar to have fun with some pretty boys—boys whose sole purpose was to make them feel good. At first, Bang Chan was skeptical about how enjoyable it would be to sing and drink with random strangers, but he quickly grew to enjoy it. He loved choosing multiple boys throughout his visits to spend time with.

This was a place where he could finally let loose, a place where he could also let out his bottled-up feelings. His chosen ones gave him the affection, care, and touches he had been deprived of for so long. Whenever he thought about how he had become a regular in this place, it made him feel sad. He was disappointed in himself for needing such services to feel less lonely. It was truly a vicious cycle: day by day, he felt lonelier, wanting someone to make him feel good. Then the self-hatred kicked in, making him isolate himself, and the loneliness got worse, once again driving him to seek someone to cheer him up. Over time, Chan became so hooked on coming to the bar that he secretly visited even by himself.

This evening wasn't going to be any different. The two had dinner and some soju first, just to make sure they arrived at their beloved place in a good mood. It was quite late when they reached the bar, around 11 p.m. They soon arrived in the familiar area. They entered the eerie-looking building that barely had any light outside, except for an old, flashing neon sign that read 'Ihwa.' Upon entering, they could already hear music coming through the walls. The corridors were dimly lit with red lights, making the place almost resemble a brothel. The nicely dressed, tipsy-looking boys, side by side with their partners for the night, passing by only made the place look even less innocent.

The bar's manager, quickly recognizing Bang Chan and Changbin, led them to their reserved room. The two men took some time to get comfortable on their sofas and chatted a little. Then at last, the boys arrived, from whom they could choose their partner for the night.