Karmic Foe Han Taeho
To Han Taeho, Shin Jaewoo was a nemesis. To put it bluntly, an insolent punk. No, not even a friend.
What the hell does that guy have to come at me like that?
To Han Taeho, friends were synonymous with lackeys. Everyone naturally deferred to him. But Shin Jaewoo didn't. He went even further, picking a fight with him once in the past.
The nerve of him.
That had bruised Han Taeho's pride. But as the saying goes, men bond through fights. That described Shin Jaewoo and Han Taeho perfectly. On the surface, at least, they grew close after that. That's how he found out.
"Hello."
Kim Hyeju. Shin Jaewoo's girlfriend at the time—she definitely stood out. She had a smiling face by default, with plenty of reactions and aegyo. She had all the traits men would love. And maybe that's why.
"...I wonder what face that punk Jaewoo would make if he knew what we're doing right now?"
"Haa. Oppa, don't say stuff like that."
Han Taeho had seduced Kim Hyeju. He'd succeeded in bedding her, and he lived in anticipation of the moment Shin Jaewoo found out. Shin Jaewoo—how despairing would his expression be?
I hope he finds out soon.
And that moment finally came. He'd even heard it from Kim Hyeju herself—that Shin Jaewoo had begged her. He laughed his ass off at that. But after that, his interest in her quickly faded. Otherwise, he might not have come this far with her.
She knows she's pretty, that's for sure...
Han Taeho smirked bitterly as he glanced downward. The woman Shin Jaewoo had pathetically clung to and still lost. What reaction would he have seeing her like this now?
"Oppa, you have to keep your promise. You're going to the party with me tonight, right?"
"Of course. I'll take you. But hey, instead of that, how about we go shopping first?"
"Shopping...?"
"Yeah. It's a place full of big shots, and you probably don't have anything fancy enough to wear there anyway."
Han Taeho's tone carried a hint of condescension. But Kim Hyeju swallowed her rising humiliation at the jab. This wasn't the time to let pride get in the way.
"...Are you going to buy it for me?"
Instead, she pinned her hopes on that. Han Taeho grinned and fired back.
"Hey, I'm even taking you to the party venue. Honestly, shouldn't you be the one treating me?"
"Eyy, how could I treat you, oppa? You have way more money than me anyway! Come on, oppa..."
She clung to him with an aegyo-laced whine. Pressing her body against his did the trick, and Han Taeho nodded.
"Fine, just this once to make me feel good. But you better brace yourself for tonight. You'll pay the price with your body."
"Aing~."
A mutually satisfying deal was struck. Han Taeho pulled out his smartphone.
"Alright, then I should make the call first."
As he spoke, his expression brimmed with smug arrogance. He was calling the department store manager.
"So, I'm heading over now... and I want to use the lounge."
He couldn't have imagined it at the time.
-Ah...
The manager's voice carried an uneasy edge.
-I'm sorry, Mr. Han Taeho, but the VIP lounge is currently in use by another customer. Would you mind waiting just until they're finished?
Kim Hyeju could hear the call too. To Han Taeho, this felt like a public slap in the face. It wasn't just bruised ego—it was mildly embarrassing. A blow to his pride. He'd planned to strut in as VIP, but everything fell apart.
"What? That place is huge—how can you say it's occupied and I can't use it?"
Just share it.
That was Han Taeho's logic, but it wasn't accepted.
-I'm truly sorry, but the current guest requested to use it quietly alone.
The moment he heard that, Han Taeho couldn't push further. He sensed it instinctively. Even among VIPs, they weren't equals. There was a wall between him and the other guest taller than between civilians and VIPs.
Damn, is some real chaebol heir actually here?
Still, switching stores wasn't an option. He was barely maintaining his minimal VIP perks. Changing spots risked losing VIP status at both. He was only VIP at this specific branch of Shinwha Department Store.
"Sigh. Fine, I'll wait and use it then. It won't take too long, right?"
-We can't guarantee that, unfortunately. Apologies again.
It was utterly ridiculous. But he went to the department store anyway. He could still shop in the regular stores even without the lounge.
Damn it.
What should have been a VIP-treated shopping trip now felt no different from any commoner's. That alone soured Kim Hyeju's mood. Then the call came—the previous guest was almost done.
"...They say we can go now. Wanna check out the VIP lounge?"
Han Taeho asked Kim Hyeju. With her vanity, there was no way she'd pass it up.
"Really? Hey, um... can I take a selfie inside?"
"Haha, sure, go for it. Let's go."
"Yes!"
The two headed to the elevator with that in mind. And as the proverb goes, enemies cross paths on a single log bridge.
Ding.
7th floor—VIP lounge level. The elevator doors opened, and the two came face-to-face with the waiting man.
"Huh?"
"Ah."
"Hmm."
A completely unexpected moment. Shin Jaewoo, Han Taeho, and Kim Hyeju's eyes met. Han Taeho's lips curled up. His hand blatantly wrapped around Kim Hyeju's waist.
***
Of all places, here...
A nemesis. He'd never imagined running into that nemesis here. It was disorienting, and though he hadn't done anything wrong, he oddly wanted to avoid it.
"Oh, who do we have here? Fancy that. Shin Jaewoo, you here too? Shopping?"
A woman he'd once loved. Another man's arm was wrapped around her waist. She couldn't even meet his gaze, turning her head away. But the man spoke to him without a shred of conscience, his eyes unpleasant—like he was saying, this isn't a place for you. Just then, the manager who'd escorted Lee Sooyoung earlier appeared.
"Thank you for visiting us today, sir."
"Ah, Manager Hwang. No need to greet me personally like this..."
As the female manager bowed to him, Han Taeho mistook it for his own welcome and puffed up. But the head-turning manager made an oh crap face. She awkwardly responded to him.
"Ah... Mr. Han Taeho, you've arrived. Sorry for making you wait this time."
Her words made Han Taeho's eyebrow twitch. Something was off. Even a fool like him realized her earlier greeting wasn't for him.
What the?
And Manager Hwang—she barely even glanced at Han Taeho now. More precisely, she was watching someone else's cue.
"We hope to see you again soon, sir."
And the target was weird.
What is this...
Han Taeho's eyes narrowed. Only then did he realize Manager Hwang was deferring to Shin Jaewoo, not him. And there was something new.
Click-clack.
Another person approached their space. A captivating woman in heels. It was Lee Sooyoung, who'd briefly stepped into the restroom.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Jaewoo."
A beauty exuding a different charm from Kim Hyeju. If Kim Hyeju had a bright college-girl vibe, Lee Sooyoung carried a mature, professional allure. Hard to say which was better. But right now, Lee Sooyoung was fully dolled up. She wouldn't look this way at work, but with full makeup, she made even Kim Hyeju seem drab.
"Uh...?"
Even Kim Hyeju was speechless in the moment.
What?
Their brains couldn't process the situation fully. Of course, Han Taeho and Kim Hyeju were shocked for different reasons.
Why is Manager Hwang sucking up to that orphan bastard Jaewoo...?
We broke up how long ago, and he already has a woman like that? Did Jaewoo oppa pull a rebound breakup?
Han Taeho was just flustered, but Kim Hyeju was starting to boil. What made it worse was the woman's follow-up. She lifted the bag in her hand.
"Oh, and this... thank you so much for the gift."
The H logo on the bag Lee Sooyoung held up. Not the top model, but the famous Hermès. And what was she saying now?
Jaewoo oppa... gifted a woman a Hermès bag?
This made no sense. Him giving gifts was odd enough, but if anyone was getting a luxury bag from him, it should be her.