Chapter Text
“Have you guys heard of Mr. Vante?”
Jin suddenly threw the question into the conversation.
Jeongguk, like the rest of his friends, looked at him with interest. Jin and Namjoon showed up at the apartment he shared with Yoongi late that afternoon with four boxes of pizza and bottles of soju, and now that everyone was a little drunk, the conversation seemed even more random.
“Never heard of him.” Yoongi drank the last sip of soju and placed the bottle on the coffee table.
Jeongguk tossed the crust of the pizza he'd bitten into the open box, his fingers smeared with grease and his lips a mess of sauce and mozzarella cheese.
“Is he some kind of superhero?”
Jin rolled his eyes.
“Oh my God, can you be any nerdier? Everything's about heroes to you. Well, basically, he's a guy who creates amazing romantic dates. It doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman. All that cliché stuff, you know? He pretends to be a sexy and troubled millionaire, a bad boy, a devoted best friend, or a construction worker. I even love that last one.” He laughed mischievously.
Namjoon looked at his boyfriend with an arched eyebrow.
“Jin?”
“Sorry, my love, but I’ve always fantasized about you dressed like that. We can talk about it later.” He winked.
“Ugh, you guys are disgusting.” Yoongi grimaced in disgust.
“And why does he do that?” Jeongguk tried to bring them back to the subject.
“Interested, huh?”
“Just curious…” He shrugged.
“Nobody really knows, but he has some pretty important clients and various characters to entertain them.”
“People pay for that? Really?” Jeongguk was intrigued.
Why would anyone spend money on that?
“Honey, they not only pay, they also do anything to get a date with him.”
“Some people waste money on strange things. At least this guy seems to make people happy,” Namjoon pointed out, opening a new bottle of soju.
Jeongguk waited for his friend to take a sip and then asked for the bottle to drink. Before drinking, he said:
“To me, this looks like prostitution, or worse, a scam.”
“My God, Ggukie, this has nothing to do with sex. He's more like an companion.”
“Is that a more elegant way of calling male escorts?”
“He doesn't sleep with his clients. It’s just romantic dates.”
“And since when do romantic dates not involve sex?”
“Just because you can't date someone without having sex doesn't mean everyone is the same, Jeongguk,” Yoongi accused.
“Hey! That's not true.” Jeongguk crossed his arms, spoiled. “I don't sleep with everyone I date.”
“Even you don't believe that,” he retorted.
“Actually, most of the people Mr. Vante sees say he helps them in multiple ways,” Jin continued, as if he hadn't even noticed the other two's provocation. “One says she was cured of depression, and another claimed he saved her marriage. He made her see how much she could still be and feel sexy.”
“This is very suspicious,” Jeongguk laughed in disbelief.
“You're the one who's annoying and very skeptical.”
“I'm not skeptical, I'm a journalist. I believe in facts, in things I can prove. And I find it very suspicious that this guy is so nice for nothing.”
“Well, actually, it's not for nothing. From what I understand, people pay for the dates.” Yoongi looked at Jin to confirm.
“And that makes it even worse, right? Why would anyone pay to be deluded? Nothing this guy does is real, and after the dates, don't these people feel worse?”
“Wow, you're annoying, kid!” Jin threw a pillow in his face. “But what should I expect from someone who's never believed in Santa Claus since was a kid?”
“It's not my fault I'm not the type to believe in everything.”
“That's why you're single.”
“I'm single because I want to be, huh?”
“I'll have to agree with that,” Yoongi commented. “Every week there's a different guy leaving this apartment. I don't even have time to memorize their names.”
“When did this conversation become about my sex life? And I don't live with you so you can go around telling everyone everything.”
“Huh, and I lied?”
“You never wanted more than that, Ggukie?” Jin asked, a little more seriously. “More than casual sex with guys whose names you can't even remember?”
“More than what?”
“The whole thing, you know, a boyfriend, love, protection… whatever you want to call 'cute dating and wild sex.'”
“Oh my gosh, Seokjin. I think you've had too much to drink.” Namjoon laughed, sinking into the couch.
Jeongguk grimaced.
“Hyung, I don't need a boyfriend to have sex. Why do people always think they need someone to be happy?”
“One day, you'll meet someone who will change everything you think about relationships. And you know what will happen? I'll be the first to say a big, fat “I told you” so to your face”
“I'm sure you will.” Yoongi burst out laughing.
“I have even more.” Namjoon shook Yoongi's hand. “I know the boyfriend I have.”
“Aish! You guys suck; that'll never happen.” Jeongguk stated.
“We can bet if you like.” Jin stared at him defiantly.
“That would be like making a deal with the devil,” Yoongi reminded him.
“Shut up, homophobe.”
“No, thanks. I'm happy doing things my way.” Jeongguk dug into some leftover pizza, just to get away from the teasing.
“And your way is to keep having sex with a different guy every week? Bad sex, by the way.” Jin teased him anyway.
“And how do you know that?”
“Yoon's room is next to yours, and he already told me you had some sex that didn't even last three minutes. I thought the joke was called seven minutes in heaven, not three.”
“Holy shit, Min Yoongi. What the fuck, are you a gossip now?” Jeongguk glared at his friend.
“Wow, thank you, Jin. I'm not telling you anything else.” Yoongi flipped him off.
“You're definitely being ousted as my best friend,” Jeongguk warned him.
“Okay, but all jokes aside, Ggukie. You deserve more than that.” Jin's seriousness returned.
“Do I deserve it?”
“Of course you do, you just need to be more discerning about who you bring here”
“I agree, for the sake of our coexistence,” Yoongi added.
“Look, you have no right to comment anymore. And you know what, enough of this, I don't even know how we ended up here.”
“Okay, but you know what I think?” Jin gave him one of those looks that never meant anything good. “You should write an article about Mr. Vante, Ggukie.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Isn't it obvious? It would be a fucking story!”
“Jin, I write clickbait articles. My boss would never allow me to write something like that.”
“And that's why you should try. You're an incredible journalist, Ggukie. You graduated top of your class, you shouldn't waste your time writing things like '10 signs your boyfriend is a psychopath.' Your specialization in investigative journalism isn't for investigating that kind of crap.”
“I don't know, hyung. I don't even know if this Mr. Vante is real. Where did you hear about him? Choi will never accept a story suggestion like that without any concrete evidence.”
“Then go find some evidence.” Jin shrugged, as if it were simple. “My source is reliable, believe me. This guy has been driving Seoul's elite crazy. And all this without sleeping with anyone, imagine if he did. I can already see the headline: What's so special about this guy that makes people go crazy for him? What do they look for in him that they don't find in their partners?”
“Damn, even I'm convinced.” Namjoon stared at Jin with heart-shaped eyes.
“You're convinced by anything Jin says, you idiot.” Yoongi lightly slapped his friend on the back of his neck.
“Okay, okay.” Jeongguk also seemed convinced. At least, curious. “I'll think about it. Doesn't seem like a bad idea, to be honest. A hot scammer who preys on rich, emotionally dependent people. Sounds like something Choi would approve of.”
“That's it, kid.” Jin ruffled his hair. Then he stood and stretched, glancing at his watch. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time to go home. All this talk has me wanting to take my man home and tell him in detail how I imagined him dressed as a hot construction worker. Shall we, Prince?” He winked at Namjoon.
“Oh, for God's sake.” Yoongi stood, heading for the kitchen.
“Holy shit, I'm sure I'll have nightmares about this tonight.” Jeongguk feigned vomiting, also disappearing in the same direction as Yoongi.
🎭
The next morning, Jeongguk emerged from his room to find Yoongi already sitting near the marble countertop in the kitchen, a huge cup of coffee in his hands and his phone open to some news site. As he passed on his way to the refrigerator, he shot his friend an angry look, still angry of him for gossiping about his sex life with Jin and exposing him in front of Namjoon.
“Good morning?” Yoongi stared at him, his guilty look almost softening Jeongguk's heart.
Almost .
“Morning, old gossip.”
“Ggukie, I'm sorry… I swear I accidentally mentioned that to Jin.”
“Of course.” He rolled his eyes, pouring himself some juice.
He and Yoongi had met shortly after he started journalism university, and in their second year, they decided to share an apartment after realizing it would be much more comfortable and economical for both of them. Yoongi was a great companion, not only because he was his best friend but mainly because of his organization, almost as obsessive as Jeongguk's, which made their relationship much easier.
Yoongi studied music with Namjoon, and that's how he met him too. Seokjin arrived a little later, when he started dating Namjoon, and they became a couple. Since then, they were like family, even though they hadn't known each other for that long.
“Seriously, don't be mad at me,” Yoongi insisted.
“Never mind,” he grumbled, standing on the other side of the counter. “Tell me something. Do you think I should try to publish something about this Mr. Vante?”
“Sounds like the kind of topic that gets ratings. And it'll be better than that crap you publish.”
“Thanks for being honest.”
“Sorry, but Jin's right when he says you're wasting your time in that place. You studied too much to be making up this nonsense: five tips to know if your cat wants to kill you.”
“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, unhappy.
Whenever he had to write an article like that, he wanted to punch himself in the head. Usually, he felt like he was wasting his life. He wanted more, he just couldn't think of a better way to get it.
“Okay, I'll think about it. Now I have to run to work.” He finished his juice and left the glass in the sink. “See you later, stop gossiping about me.”
“Today is your day to go to the market, don't forget,” Yoongi shouted before closing the door.
Jeongguk had been working for two years at Korea Magazine, one of Dispatch's main competitors in the news and entertainment industry, with the difference that they didn't publish sensationalist articles or articles intended to tarnish people's image. KM had an audience of over six million subscribers, and it was Jeongguk's job to keep them entertained. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the work itself — he did. But graduating first in his journalism program always made him question whether he should pursue a better opportunity. He wanted to pursue his investigative journalism specialization, but his boss often had other plans for him.
Upon arriving, he passed his colleagues' desks, exchanging greetings, until he reached his own. He set aside his backpack, took out some papers and his cell phone, and turned on his laptop, already thinking about what he was going to do before even starting on the day's posts. He opened the browser and clicked directly on the search website, then typed Mr. Vante into the search bar.
Nothing but that annoying “you didn't mean that?” suggestion appeared.
Frustration hit him, making him even more skeptical about the story. If Mr. Vante was so well-known, why couldn't he find any news about him? He closed the browser page and leaned back in his chair. Maybe this was a huge waste of time. It was better to focus on the new article he had to hand in that day than on that nonsense.
“So, Jeon, what's up?” The voice behind him made him turn around.
It belonged to Kim Yugyeom, his coworker. Yugy was one of the first colleagues Jeongguk befriended when he joined KM. They were desk neighbors and started exchanging a few words, even if they didn't seem to have much in common at first. Kim wasn't a bad guy, usually friendly when he wasn't hitting on him. Responsible for the magazine's technology department, Yugy's articles were always quite interesting. Better than writing about stupid things like him.
“The usual,” he replied without much enthusiasm.
Yugy dragged his chair over and approached.
“What's today's story going to be?”
Another normal day when he was actually going to hit on Jeongguk.
Again.
“Hmm… nothing fascinating, a test to find out what kind of serial killer you are… people who hate spicy food trying spicy food. That kind of thing.”
“Wow… sounds really cool.” He forced a smile.
“Seriously, Yugy!” Jeongguk rolled his eyes.
“Okay… maybe it's not that cool.”
“I'm tired of this crap.”
“Have you tried talking to Choi? Don't you have anything better to show than this?”
“Well… I've been researching a few things, but I don't know.”
“Show me.”
Jeongguk pulled out some notes and handed them to him. There was something about a guy who was spray-painting graffiti on the walls of busy places as a sort of protest, some traffic tickets being issued out of the blue and suspiciously, where the account for payment seemed to belong to some scammer.
“Uh… these aren't bad ideas, but… do you think this is the kind of thing that will attract attention?”
Jeongguk was about to answer when his cell phone started ringing on the table. He was about to ignore the call, but it continued to vibrate and ring insistently. He apologized to Yugy and picked up his phone to see who was in such a hurry to talk to him.
Seokjin.
“You're taking so long to answer. You've been better with your hyung, you know?” Jin complained, acting dramatic.
“Hyung, I work, remember?”
“If you call this work…”
“Jin…”
“Okay, I called because he's real, Ggukie!”
“Who is he? What are you talking about?”
“Mr. Vante!”
“Oh, still this thing? He's not real. I researched him and all I found was a big NOTHING.”
“Of course, you won't find anything about him by randomly searching the internet. That's not how things work with this guy. After our conversation yesterday, I tried to find out more about him from my source. She told me a friend told her that the whole scheme to get a date with Mr. Vante is top secret. You can only get to him if you're referred by someone who was or still is a client. Like a sharing system, you know?”
“This story just gets worse. Before it just seemed like prostitution, now it seems like a mafia. But it's still interesting. Is this friend of your source's client of Mr. Vante?” he asked, a pen already in hand to scribble some notes.
“Not exactly. But she knows someone who is. And you won't believe who!”
“Spit it out, hyung.”
“Bang Sora.”
“Wait, what? Damn. Isn't that the wife of the CEO of Hybe? That Bang PD guy? Are you serious?”
“Seriously. You have no idea how being a celebrity stylist makes you know everything. It seems like when the beloved CEO is with his groups on tours, Mrs. Bang calls the mysterious hottie to play. Can you imagine if something like that explodes in the media? If KM publishes it before Dispatch even does?”
“I don't know, Jin, that doesn't sound like KM's proposal. We're not like Dispatch; we don't publish sensationalist articles that might affect people, and that's what sets us apart.”
“Ggukie, pay attention, baby. This is your chance to grow professionally. And I'm not talking about that magazine that barely gives you the recognition you deserve. But of all the magazines that will want to hire you after you publish this story. Please, stop being so damn correct.”
“Okay, let's say I accept. What should I do? It's not like I have contact with this woman and can ask for information. Besides, as soon as she found out I’m a journalist, she wouldn't even want to talk to me. How do these people get in touch with this guy? Phone? Email? Smoke signal shaped like a giant dick, like Batman's?”
“For God's sake, you're hanging around with me a lot.” Jin laughed on the other end of the line. “My source said he has a form. You receive it by email with a questionnaire after he accepts your referral. He also sends you a post office box address, which you can use to send everything after filling it out, plus 21 million won in cash.”
“21 million won? What the hell? All that for a date with a stranger?”
“No, honey. The date costs 69 million won. Those 21 are just for him to check if you're a good fit as a potential client.”
“Oh, fuck you. That's absurd. I can't believe people pay all that for a guy who won't even sleep with them.”
“Well, people say it's worth every won.”
“Hyung, how do you think I'm going to get all this money? Seriously, if this guy gets paid all this to play pretend, I think I took the wrong job.”
“The first step is to convince that piece of shit boss of yours to let you write the story. Then you ask the magazine's finance department to help you with the money. Simple.”
“You're kidding me, right? Do you at least have the post office box address?”
“Of course I do, but there's no point in having the address without the form and the questionnaire. My source doesn't have either, and even if she did, I doubt she'd give it to you.”
“And how do you expect me to get this damn referral? Does Mrs. Bang have the form?”
“Probably, but you'll have to be creative to approach her and get it.”
“Wow, that's great. I'll find a way. Thanks for nothing, okay?” He huffed and hung up.
Jeongguk took a deep breath and buried his face in his hands.
The adrenaline from Jin's information was coursing through his veins, making it difficult for him to think clearly. After a few minutes, he pushed back his chair and approached Yugy's cubicle, nudging him on the shoulder.
“Hey, Yugy! I need your help with something.”
“What do you need?”
Before he could lose his nerve, Jeongguk explained everything he knew about Mr. Vante. As he listened, Yugy's expression changed from excited to surprised, confused, and disbelieving.
“Damn, this will be a scandal if it's true. The first lady of Korea's biggest entertainment company? Imagine how many big names could be behind this.”
“Exactly!”
“And what do you need help with?”
“I need you to hack Mrs. Bang's email and find the questionnaire for me.” He smiled, trying to sound innocent, as if he were flirting with him. Jeongguk knew it was mean, but Yugy's interest in him had to serve some purpose besides irritating him.
“Are you serious?”
“Seriously. You said you'd help me. Please. Do you think you can't?”
“Of course I can, but she's the wife of a CEO. Her things must have the same kind of security as the company's idols.”
“So, you actually think you can't?” he teased.
Yugy sat up straight in his chair, adjusting the collar of his train driver's blue shirt.
“It'll be easy,” he sniffed.
“I'm sure. After all, you're the one doing it, right?”
The smile on Yugy's face almost made Jeongguk regret it.
He was sure that plan would backfire later.
“Jeon Jeongguk.” They both jumped in their chairs at the scream.
Jeongguk pushed back his chair and looked around, finding Choi, his boss, standing in the doorway of his office with the grumpiest expression in the world.
Oh, there you go.
Choi Hyun was KM's editor-in-chief and the guy who thought he was the best in every department of the company.
“I want you in my office before I blink again,” he threatened, droplets of his saliva bouncing off Yejin, a girl sitting nearby.
“Good luck,” Yugy whispered.
Jeongguk walked toward Choi's office, following the hallway like a prisoner on death row. Every day, Choi chose someone to yell at like an idiot. Apparently, today was Jeongguk's day.
“Sit down,” he ordered without looking at him. As soon as the young man complied, he continued, “Jeon, do you know what sets KM apart?”
“Communicating and entertaining clients ethically, without sensationalist or misleading stories?”
“Exactly. Which doesn't mean the story has to be poorly written.”
“What do you mean?”
Choi turned the computer screen toward him, one of his latest stories printed on it.
“WOMAN BENDS DOWN TO PICK UP A COIN.
YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!”
“What the hell, Jeon? Nothing happens after she picks up that damn coin! Are you trying to get fired?”
Jeongguk swallowed hard.
Maybe yesterday wasn't his best day publishing, and perhaps he also took out his frustrations on one of the articles.
“It was ironic. I thought people would understand and find it funny,” he shrugged.
Then Choi clicked another link, and a new article appeared.
“BALLS, BALLS EVERYWHERE!”
“For God's sake. This is a family magazine.” he shouted, full of rage.
Trying to contain his laughter, Jeongguk bit his lower lip.
Yesterday really wasn't a good day for him.
“It's not what you're thinking at all. It was also ironic.”
“Jeongguk… look, you're one of my favorite guys here,” he began, and Jeongguk wanted to roll his eyes. Imagine if he didn't like him. “But for God's sake. Time is money, and every click people make on the articles is worth a lot of money. If you keep publishing these stupid jokes, they'll start to get tired of it. And then you know what will happen? They'll ask for your head on a platter.”
“I know. I'm sorry.”
“If you know, why did you publish this crap?”
“Choi, I… maybe this isn't the area I'm most talented in.”
“Don't tell me?”
“Perhaps if you gave me a chance to show my potential in another area. You know, by writing more substantial articles, I can prove to you that I'm good.”
“You know how things work here, Jeon… start small first.”
“I know, but I've been on this low for two years, Choi. I have something that might be interesting.”
“Tell me more about that,” he arched an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
“Have you heard of Mr. Vante?”
“What's that? Some kind of new comic book superhero?”
“No… he's a high-class escort. His clients are from Seoul's elite, both men and women. So far, I've managed to find someone married to someone quite influential in Korea who uses his services. But I'm sure I can find more people if I dig deeper. Politicians, celebrities, idols.”
“You want to do a article about a male escort? Does he sleep with these people for money?”
“No… and that's the difference! It's just dates. He creates scenarios and takes these people on a perfect date.” He made air quotes with his fingers. “And even if it doesn't involve sex, imagine if it explodes? It would be a scandal. Rich people paying millions of won to go out with a guy instead of their partners?”
“You know that's not KM's focus, right?”
“I know… but think about it, it's not like we're going to expose the people who pay for this, but the guy. He seems like a scammer who exploits people's vulnerability.”
“Are your sources reliable?”
“Yes, today I got access to some information that might help me get to him. Choi… it'll be an exclusive news article for KM. Give me this chance.”
“Exclusives are good. Exclusives always make me think about big money.” He looked happy now.
“So, let me do this. If it doesn't work out, I promise I'll dedicate myself and work even harder on clickbait, you'll see. But if this works out…”
“I knew there would be a ‘but’ at some point.”
“I want a spot in the news department and a raise.”
“Boy… you're dangerous. I called you here intending to firing you, and you're turning the game and making me think about promoting you?”
Jeongguk smiled smugly.
“Does that mean you accept?” he asked excitedly.
“That means you have one chance to make this work, Jeon.”
“Thanks, Choi! You won't regret it.” He jumped to his feet, and before leaving, he added, “I need 21 million won.”
“Jeon, this is an entertainment magazine, not a bank.”
“I need that money to get a meeting with the guy. He'll refuse to talk to me if I don't pay. I have to, at the least, pretend I'm a rich guy upset about a breakup and eager to spend my money on distractions. After he accepts me, I'll need more money to buy the date.”
“Damn, what the hell? Does he extort people like that? What's so special about him?”
“That's what I'll find out,” he stated confidently.
“I'll talk to Lee from finance. Stop by before work ends today. He'll give you the money.”
“Thanks, Choi! You won't regret it.”
“I already regret this, Jeon.”
Jeongguk waved, a huge smile on his face as he left the room.
Mr. Vante, get ready, I'm coming for you.
🎭