Chapter 45
Chapter 45
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Outlet Showdown
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Eek."
Go get water?
What am I, some dog?
Kim Hana felt a twinge of annoyance but held her tongue.
She had an enemy to face right in front of her.
Click-clack, click-clack.
The high heels on Kim Hana's feet echoed sharply through the store.
She marched straight toward Ryu In-young inside the luxury boutique.
Her presence radiated the unyielding aura of a general stepping onto the battlefield.
"…."
Catching sight of Lee Hyunwoo out of nowhere, Ryu In-young was struck speechless.
Why had that guy shown up here?
And with such a trashy-looking girlfriend, no less?
Had he done a background check on her?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind as Kim Hana spoke up.
"Doesn't this store teach its staff to greet customers?"
"What...? Oh. Tsk. Hello, welcome."
Ryu In-young scowled at Kim Hana's snide tone.
Then she remembered she was on the clock and quickly bowed her head.
Seeing Ryu In-young like that, Kim Hana curled her lips into a smirk.
"What was that? 'Tsk'? Did you just click your tongue at me? What's wrong with your customer service! Where's the manager? Get the manager out here!"
Kim Hana's voice boomed through the outlet mall.
To fan the flames even higher, she kept going.
"How dumb do you think customers are? Your staff doesn't greet us, glares at us, clicks their tongue—where's the manager? Aren't you coming out?"
"Hey, why are you making a scene here? Why follow me and start acting like a Karen!"
True to her rotten personality, Ryu In-young raised her voice and fired back.
"A Karen? Are you insane? You're calling a customer a Karen right now? Do you even know how much money we've spent here today?"
"A hundred million or a billion won—doesn't matter! That doesn't give you the right to throw your weight around!"
Sparks flew between the two women.
It was a true clash of fox and swine, as if ghostly images of a sly fox and a bloated pig hovered behind them.
But the advantage was clearly Kim Hana's.
She was the customer; Ryu In-young was just staff.
A brainless idiot who couldn't even grasp the customer-server dynamic.
No wonder she wasted her time gossiping about other people's men.
"Hold on! Hold on a second! What's going on? Talk to me. In-young, step aside."
"Manager... sniff, that woman... "
Someone intervened at that moment.
Judging by the title, he seemed to be the person in charge.
Ryu In-young deployed her crocodile tears stratagem.
"Ha, so you're the manager?"
Ryu In-young squeezed out her tears, but they fell on deaf ears with Kim Hana—a woman who'd weathered countless catfights her whole life.
Instead, Kim Hana scoffed and summoned the manager.
The manager had already sized up the situation upon stepping in.
Kim Hana was draped in seven pieces of luxury designer wear.
Plus, the shopping bags carried by her and Lee Hyunwoo held eight more high-end items.
They were the biggest-spending VIPs to visit today.
The manager knew full well that in situations like this, you grovel without question.
That's what made VIPs VIPs.
They kept outlets alive, so they were treated like royalty.
No need to hear both sides—conflict between a VIP and staff meant the staff was always wrong.
"Yes. My deepest apologies. If something offended you, allow me to apologize on her behalf. Please, come inside. I'll attend to you in the lounge."
The three golden rules for handling an angry customer:
One: Swap out the frontline staff.
Two: Change the location.
Three: Give them time to cool off.
The manager put his customer service training to good use.
But Kim Hana didn't budge an inch.
Her target was right there—why move anywhere?
"Forget that. Manager, do you know how much we've spent here today?"
Kim Hana held up her shopping bags.
She nodded toward the ones in Lee Hyunwoo's hands too.
This was all part of her plan.
It was the only way to get proper revenge, she'd said.
"...My apologies."
"No need for you to apologize, sir. It's her fault. 18 million won. A whopping 18 million. We were planning to hit the department store for the latest pieces, but it was closer, so we came here instead. But is this how outlets are? What kind of customer service is this? Why even call it 'premium'?"
"My sincerest apologies, ma'am. I'll do everything in my power to provide the best service possible."
"You've already ruined my mood—what 'best service'? I don't want your apology. I want proper compensation."
"Compensation...? Tell me what you're looking for, and I'll pass it along to upper management."
"I don't want anything from the outlet. The one who messed up should take responsibility, right?"
Kim Hana jabbed her finger at Ryu In-young, who was still sniffling pathetically.
The manager's gaze shifted to her.
Ryu In-young kept glancing sideways, tears flowing, to gauge how things were turning.
"Y-you mean have the staff apologize directly...? If you're expecting her to kneel or something..."
"Ha, sir, aren't you jumping to conclusions? Or are you trying to make me look bad on purpose? Namsan Group has employee regulations, doesn't it? Follow them to the letter—discipline for damages caused by employee negligence. If you don't handle this right, we'll return everything. And I'll tell all my friends to boycott Namsan Outlet."
Lee Hyunwoo was a little surprised.
He hadn't known Kim Hana could talk like that.
She actually sounded pretty sophisticated.
And seeing Ryu In-young cornered, unable to fight back—it was downright satisfying.
"Understood. I'll look into the details and..."
"What details? That staffer didn't greet us, clicked her tongue at a customer, and called us Karens! And you still need to investigate? Think I'm lying? Fine, let's take this all the way!"
"No, no! I misspoke! We'll discipline her properly. And again, my apologies. This is partly my fault for not training my staff adequately. I'm sorry."
"Manager!"
The manager, who'd fought to protect his subordinate to the end, finally surrendered.
It was a battle he couldn't win.
Ryu In-young, failing to grasp that, shrieked in protest.
"In-young, what right do you have to yell? Apologize to the customer. Now."
"But she started picking a fight first..."
"They said you didn't greet them and clicked your tongue. Was that wrong?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
"Sigh... Then apologize. Regardless, your customer service was lacking, wasn't it? If you don't want discipline, quit."
"Manager..."
Ryu In-young's face fell like the world had ended when the manager she'd trusted to shield her turned ice-cold.
Society was that ruthless.
The manager had done his utmost to defend his employee.
But he wouldn't stake his own career on loyalty that far.
"…."
Ryu In-young wavered.
She could find another job if she quit the outlet.
But job hunting wasn't easy.
In the end, she bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, ma'am..."
Victory!
Lee Hyunwoo felt triumphant watching Ryu In-young apologize.
Unlike the beaming Lee Hyunwoo, Kim Hana had no intention of stopping there.
She leaned in slightly, whispering just loud enough for Ryu In-young to hear.
"That's right. Know your place. Gossipping about other women's men like some desperate hag? This is what you get."
"What!"
Ryu In-young's head snapped up at Kim Hana's parting shot.
But she couldn't retort further.
Only after bowing did she truly grasp who held the power.
"Text the disciplinary results here. I'll check."
Kim Hana scribbled her number and handed it to the manager.
If you're doing it, finish it right.
Today was full of new sides to Kim Hana.
"Oppa, did I do good?"
The two strode out of the outlet with heads held high.
The moment the crowd's stares faded, Kim Hana clung to Lee Hyunwoo's arm.
From fierce vixen back to enchanting seductress.
"You did great. Amazing, even. Hana, why do you look extra gorgeous today?"
Lee Hyunwoo showered her with praise.
He might be laying it on thick, but his admiration was genuine.
She'd crushed that annoying porker like swatting a rat—how could she not look stunning?
"Where'd you learn to talk like that? You sounded so classy, totally different from usual."
"Hey! So I look dumb normally? Oppa, I went to a four-year Seoul uni, you know? Well... I dropped out in my first year to start broadcasting."
"Whoa. Hana, you were a good student?"
"Ahem, so treat me even prettier from now on. A girl this cute, with a killer body and brains, hanging off you? I did some pretty badass stuff today, so buy me two pairs of heels, right?"
"Hahaha! Got it, got it. Two pairs it is. But we don't have time for the department store now... You pick them out later. I'll cover it."
Truth be told, time wasn't the issue.
They'd dropped 18 million at the outlet, leaving his funds short.
But he couldn't admit that, so time was the excuse.
Telling her to buy herself might mean no reimbursement.
Better to let her shop, then deduct the cost from next week's cashback.
Most of the 18 million was on Lee Hyunwoo's items.
Two pairs of heels, three suits, two ties, one watch, six casual outfits, one pair of sneakers.
The watch alone was 9 million—half the total.
Pricey, but all practical buys.
Not excessive spending.
18 million would refill in a week anyway.
"Aww, then it won't feel like a gift. Fine. I'll grab them at the department store later. So where to next?"
Kim Hana said as she opened the car door.
"Car dealership. Time to pick out a ride."
"Ooh! Oppa, finally buying a car? What're you getting?"
"Not sure yet. Just gonna browse. I'll snag whatever catches my eye."
Lee Hyunwoo didn't have what you'd call a dream car.
He'd never been big on cars.
Still, he wanted solid ride comfort and presence.
Foreign luxury it was.
Something flashy that turned heads, especially with women.
"Sounds good. Let's go check it out!"