Partners for the Big Spender's Party
Shin Jaewoo let his imagination run a little wild.
'They wouldn't be doing anything sketchy there, right?'
Things like drugs or orgies with women. Lee Sooyoung immediately dismissed the possibility.
"That sort of thing usually happens at clubs. If it does go down, it'd be through private gatherings, not company channels."
Or maybe they used so-called 'organizations.' But she insisted nothing like that happened at Panta Bank's VIP parties. This venue was no exception.
"It's not just anywhere—it's the Baekje Hotel. Holding a shady party there would tank their corporate image. Even VIPs can't touch Baekje Hotel."
She had a point. The name carried real weight.
Baekje Hotel.
Even after spinning off its affiliates, it was still one of Korea's top conglomerates. A drug party there? Baekje Hotel—and the powerhouse backing it—wouldn't stand for the reputational damage.
'I'm a pretty big player myself now, but...'
When he thought about Baekje Hotel and the Saseong Group behind it, even he wouldn't dare entertain funny ideas.
"It's tough to pull off anything crazy inside the party hall."
"Inside the party hall?"
Her words seemed to hint at something.
"Well... the internet celebrity crowd has a lot of scandals and debauchery. With streamers attending—especially yeocam girls—and unvetted big spenders from that scene..."
She trailed off, glancing at him cautiously. Then Lee Sooyoung got a bit more direct.
"Once they head to a guest room, even Baekje Hotel can't intervene much."
Party hall and guest rooms—those were two very different beasts.
"Most of them will bring yeocam girls as partners. And since it's a hotel, booking a room to party is pretty likely."
Shin Jaewoo could agree with that.
'Yeah, Baekje Hotel can't exactly police what's happening in private rooms.'
Whether it was drugs or group hookups inside, the hotel wouldn't know. And if there was plausible deniability, they wouldn't crack down hard.
'So, does that mean all the yeocam girls here are down for that kind of thing?'
Spotting one might kill his interest. But hearing this only piqued his curiosity more. That was why he'd decided to go.
"So..."
Lee Sooyoung hadn't hung up yet. She seemed to have more to say.
"Yes?"
This time, she hesitated to continue.
"What about your partner? You don't have to bring one..."
Her question brought Kim Minseo to mind first.
'Come to think of it, Minseo's a streamer too... Would going to a place like that help her?'
Streamers probably knew the scene inside out. He decided to casually ask.
The reply came right away.
She must've been checking her phone. No point explaining further—she couldn't make it anyway. But his curt attitude only piqued Kim Minseo's curiosity.
Her messages screamed mania. Shin Jaewoo didn't even glance at them. Time for the classic read-and-ghost mode.
'If not Minseo, who else could I take...?'
Truth be told, Kim Hyeju popped into his head first. If they hadn't broken up, he'd have taken her for sure. But he shoved the thought aside.
'Gotta forget her already.'
Kim Hyeju was ancient history.
"Guess I should tell Sooyoung I don't have anyone."
That's when her reply notification popped up.
Was she interested? It was a bold ask. No reason to turn her down, so he went with it.
Kim Hyeju.
Doll-like face and figure, always smiling. She knew her charms well. She'd never once clung to a guy—bees came to honey on their own.
'But...'
She bit her lip. Han Taeho, the latest ride she'd switched to after dumping Shin Jaewoo, was getting under her skin.
'Taeho oppa's got money, sure... but he treats me like dirt.'
More precisely, he acted like spending on her was a waste.
'Like I'm a caught fish now, huh?'
It hadn't started that way. Quite the opposite. Back when she was with Shin Jaewoo, Han Taeho had been generous, acting like all his money would be hers if she came over. But it was all an illusion.
'What the hell?'
It started just the other day. She'd cut ties with Shin Jaewoo and gone all-in with him. Technically, Shin Jaewoo had found out about them, forcing the breakup. Same result either way. The real issue came after.
"Oppa, I can come to the party tomorrow, right?"
She asked with high hopes. The elite gathering at Baekje Hotel's hall tomorrow. Before the split with Shin Jaewoo, Han Taeho had bragged about it to her.
"If you want, I'll bring you as my partner. The host is insanely rich. Not just anyone gets in—only folks dropping eight figures a month."
A monthly meetup for big spenders. She pictured glitz and glamour, secrets among VIPs.
'Am I really going to a place like that?'
It was this weekend. And now it was tomorrow. But the day Shin Jaewoo found out... after that, Han Taeho's interest in her had cooled dramatically. Not just a feeling—his excitement had genuinely faded.
'She's hot, but no thrill in stealing another guy's girl anymore.'
Pretty girls were a dime a dozen. Without that extra spark, she wasn't worth his resources. That's how Han Taeho saw it. His response matched.
"Oh, right. That."
He reacted half-heartedly, like he'd just remembered when she asked.
"But..."
Then his eyes scanned her up and down, filling Kim Hyeju with humiliation. Like he was saying, 'Who do you think you are to go there?' or 'You?' At least his words weren't outright hostile yet.
"You didn't reply right away, so I made plans with another girl. What now?"
"What?"
It sounded like a question, but it was really a done deal. Kim Hyeju's face hardened. Her voice rose.
'This is too much! I dumped my fiancé for him, and now he breaks our promise for someone else?'
She was shaking with rage. But Han Taeho stayed cool. And he had a point.
"You said you weren't sure about going and never answered. That's on you."
It was true.
"No, that's not..."
She'd just worried agreeing too quick would make her seem easy. And back then, she hadn't even broken up with Shin Jaewoo yet.
'So he strings me along like he'd wait...!'
He must've known she'd come around eventually, breakup or not. Kim Hyeju had thought the same—even if she played coy, he'd take her.
"It's tomorrow. I didn't ask late. If you wanted to go, you'd have said by now."
But Han Taeho pinned the blame on her. It wasn't wrong, but she felt utterly wronged. Why she'd ditched her steady fiancé? All for Han Taeho. Even after their affair blew up, Shin Jaewoo had given her a choice: him or Han Taeho. She'd picked Han Taeho. But now...
'If it'd be like this... I shouldn't have left Jaewoo oppa!'
That final choice felt like a mistake. Regret hit her now. This wasn't what she'd signed up for.
'How could this happen?'
It stung. But venting was tough. Before, she could've—she had a fallback. Not anymore.
'Can't go back to Jaewoo oppa now...'
She'd rejected his last gesture. Han Taeho was all she had left.
"...Well, if you really wanna go, there's one thing I could consider."