Stella (4)

Meanwhile, back at the club, the party was still happening with no indication of ending anytime soon. Most clubs on the Entertainment District stayed open until 4-6 AM. There were some clubs that was opened twenty-four seven. However, Playlights' closing time was 5 AM. After that, party-goers either passed out drunk, hitched a ride home, or attended an after party. Since it was a weekend night, the party crowd was even more hardcore and vibrant. 

The DJ continued to play his popular remix playlist and kept the dance floor moving zealously. Up on the third floor, in the privately enclosed and soundproof VIP guest room A, the atmosphere was much more calm and contained compared to the first floor crowd. It was peaceful, but with a serious tone. 

A professionally skilled bodyguard stood outside the door whereas, inside the room, there were two people and one of them was Lee Jiwon. 

"What was that just now?" The man sitting next to her on the red suede couch asked, his tone cold and hard. Although she couldn't say she knew this man like the back of her hand, but she had served him enough times to capture the hint of displeasure underneath his otherwise aloof countenance.

This man, sitting merely inches away from her, was indeed a heart-throb with his captivating deep-set eyes, well-coiffed hair, chiseled, exotic features of a GQ male model and a tall, strapping physique flawlessly packaged in a Hugo Boss suit. He looked like a handsome, wealthy businessman, but he was so much more than that. It was hard to believe he was younger than her by a couple of years, but the aura he emitted was one of danger and adversity. This was amplified by Jiwon's knowledge of his identity and what he was truly capable of as the heir to one of the most powerful criminal syndicate, Takeshi-kai.

Jiwon cautiously snuck a look at him from underneath her lashes. "Are you referring to how that young man tipped Stella?"

He leaned back into the couch. He didn't confirm nor deny, but he was looking at her with an expectant gaze.

Jiwon chuckled softly. "It's just a game the customers came up with to spice up entertainment at the club." She leaned forward and reached for the whiskey decanter as she filled up his old-fashioned glass. Jiwon could clearly see that his grip on the whiskey glass had tightened with a chilling vibe coming from him.

"Who came up with such nonsense?" he said through gritted teeth.

There was a small smile on Jiwon's face as she calmly placed the decanter back down on the coffee table. "It's a harmless game," she reassured.

"You call that harmless?" He pursed his lips as his eyes darkened, recalling the hand around Stella's bare waist.

She vigilantly stole another glance at the man who, on any other normal days, would have men at his beck-and-call but for a mere game was now sulking like a three year old. "What do you want me to do about it, Jang Woosuk-sshi?" Jiwon arched an eyebrow. "Stella," Jiwon emphasized the name, "is a dancer at a strip club. Compared to other services we provide then yes, Woosuk-sshi, that was really a harmless game. Perhaps, even the most respectful of games." Even though Jiwon knew it was in her best interest to never cross the line, she couldn't keep the teasing note out of her voice.

The provocation in her words didn't go unnoticed by Woosuk, but it also kept him in check of his own feelings. He realized he was being a little unreasonable, but so what? As long as it was his turf, being unreasonable or not didn't matter. Everyone had to listen to his rules when they were on his grounds.

"Bongseok thinks it's a good marketing tool for the business too."

Woosuk pulled out his phone and called a number. The person on the other line instantly picked up. "I need to talk to you. Come up here."

They didn't have to wait long. Before five minutes was up, Bongseok was already at the door, breathing heavily and primed to service. It wasn't far off the mark to say that he had dropped everything on his hands when he received a call from the VIP guest. Though to be more specific, the VIP guest they had been referring to was really the Big Bad Boss. However, he wanted his identity be kept a secret, so Bongseok and Jiwon would only refer to Woosuk as the VIP guest.

"Mr. Jang, how may I help you?" Bongseok wiped the sweat off the side of his forehead with a handkerchief. The moment he stepped into the room, he could feel the ominous pressure coming from that one man alone. His charisma dominated the space he was in.

"I see you've been working really hard for the club," Woosuk said uninterestedly as he propped an elbow on the couch's armchair and supported his head with his hand. "I saw the sales report. Last quarter's sales went up by ten percent. I want to thank Manager Min's tenacity and ingenious marketing skills."

Was that supposed to be a compliment? For some reason, Bongseok didn't think so. He carefully denied credit, "No, no, I'm just simply doing my part for the organization, Mr. Jang."

Woosuk's stared at Bongseok callously. "As part of your efforts, I heard you allow customers to jump on stage to tip the dancers and even have it filmed to spread on the internet." It wasn't a question, but a damned accusation with no way out.

Bongseok swallowed, sensing that he was the target of a murderous aura. However, he wasn't sure why the boss was not happy about it. For one, Bongseok thought it was a great marketing opportunity. Social media was everything these days. He was just trying to get the club more traffic. He truly did not know why the boss didn't sound impressed. In fact, it sounded like the boss was giving him a dressing down this moment, though half-heartedly disguised in a praise.

"Err…yes, well I figured it would be a good chance for media marketing, especially since the customers seems to be having fun with it," Bongseok answered truthfully until he caught Jiwon's warning gaze, but it was too late. The words had already left his mouth. He felt like someone had put a heater right in front of his face. It was getting too hot and hard to breathe as his heart raced, knowing he had said the wrong things. It wasn't only Jiwon's silent caution, but he could feel the frost in his boss' eyes.

"Oh?" Woosuk smiled, but it never reached his eyes. "But I don't recall approving this gimmick." His tone was callous and unforgiving, causing more sweats to roll down Bongseok's face as he furiously dabbed it away.

"I'm sorry," Bongseok lowered his eyes and bowed ninety-degrees. "I should have ran the plan by you first. How foolish I was! I will immediately let the dancers know that they are prohibited from participating in such…such gimmick from now on." Bongseok stared at the ground in fear but he was also confused. He truly didn't understand why he was getting criticized for improving profits by ten percent and raising the club's stats! He felt wronged, but didn't dare to speak out his injustice.

Jiwon sighed inwardly, staring at Bongseok's folded figure. The poor man didn't even know what button he pressed, she thought, sympathizing with his misfortune. 

Satisfied with Bongseok's answer, Woosuk dismissed the anxious-ridden manager with a wave of his hand. "You can go back to work."

"Yes, Sir." Bongseok obediently took his exit.

When he was safe on the other side of the door, his knees wobbled as he had to hold the walls to steady himself. The pressure inside that room was too scary and stifling. At times like this was when he had to applaud Jiwon's mental fortitude. He was not as strong as Jiwon to be able to deal with the heir to Takeshi-kai. If anything, he wanted to continue being a small fry as a manager of Playlights. He wanted to go about his ordinary life without having to worry someone would point a gun to his back when he wasn't paying attention. He shuddered at the mere thought. Suddenly, he felt a shiver as he rubbed his arms and scurried off.

Inside the room, Jiwon took a sip of the aged whiskey. Swirling the liquid gently, Jiwon stared down into the amber liquid as she was reminded of a pair of hazel eyes with amber flecks.

Watching his facial features closely, Jiwon courageously asked, "If you're interested in Stella, why not call her up?"

There were so many reasons, Jang Woosuk didn't know where to start, but he wasn't going to sit around and entertain Jiwon with his endless list either. Because if he had to start, he would have to begin from ten years ago. A memory came to mind, her words flowing sweetly into his ears like bees to honey.

"How great would it be if I weren't a Takeshi? Takeshis are liars, murderers, criminals. I'm…I'm a Takeshi."

"No you're not. You are just you. To me, you are Danny." Sparkling hazel eyes stared back at him with heart-aching sincerity. "Yes, you're right. A name isn't just a name. A name embodies a person's character; it gives the person their identity. With identity comes beliefs, attitude and memories. In the future, when I hear your name, it will always give me hope and the strength to persevere. Because some names can affect you just like that; because you are just like that, Danny. You are nothing like a Takeshi."

Instead, he tilted his head back and downed the rest of the amber liquid as he softly whispered, "Because I'm a Takeshi."