Chapter 16: A Panta Bank Royal Road Member? Kim Hyeju's Bewilderment
Kim Hyeju was thrown into confusion at the revelation that he was a Panta Bank Royal Road member. But Shin Jaewoo was just as rattled.
Why here of all places... these two?
It had to be some vicious twist of fate. He never imagined he'd cross paths with them even in a place like this. Shin Jaewoo had no idea how to react to the pair. All three of them were at a loss. They'd bumped into each other somewhere utterly unexpected, and it wasn't just the location—Shin Jaewoo's standing had shifted dramatically too.
Someone picked up on the weird tension hanging in the air and took action.
"Do you know Jaewoo, sir?"
Squeeze.
"...!"
Lee Sooyoung read the bizarre atmosphere flowing between the three of them. And she quickly figured out how to play it.
Without missing a beat, she hooked her arm through Shin Jaewoo's. The soft, warm sensation against his arm snapped him out of his awkward daze. He realized what she was doing.
Ah.
It was her way of helping out.
"......Strangers."
He pondered how to phrase it. But then he spotted Han Taeho's hand blatantly wrapped around Kim Hyeju's waist. That sight settled it for Shin Jaewoo. Time to cut ties for good.
"Excuse me, we need to get by... mind stepping aside?"
"Hey, you...!"
Han Taeho started to snap back in irritation but froze. This was the VIP lounge. He recalled the dedicated manager's reaction when he'd tried booking it. And even now, Manager Hwang seemed to treat Shin Jaewoo as the priority.
What the hell is going on here?
One thing was crystal clear, though. Shin Jaewoo was no longer the orphan bum he remembered. If anything, he outranked Han Taeho by a mile. Maybe that was why Shin Jaewoo's vibe felt so icy and sharp.
"......Do I know you?"
Shin Jaewoo fixed Han Taeho with a cool stare as he asked. A chill ran down Han Taeho's spine at the calm, detached tone. He got the message loud and clear.
I don't know you anymore.
Shin Jaewoo was drawing a hard line. Their past connection was severed. Han Taeho bit his lip. Best to back off here. But someone else couldn't let it go.
"Oppa, really?"
Kim Hyeju pulled away from Han Taeho's arms and shot him a glare. But that wasn't all—she turned her venom on Lee Sooyoung, arm-in-arm with Shin Jaewoo. She'd dumped him, sure, but seeing another woman claim him—and spotting the Hermès on that woman's arm—stung like hell.
"No idea what you're talking about. We don't have any connection... excuse us."
"Hah? Oppa, just the other day you were begging me not to dump you..."
Shin Jaewoo had already moved on to another woman? Kim Hyeju's mind raced. She'd thought she'd been the one to toss him aside.
So he was two-timing from the start? No way... I didn't realize this jerk was such trash?
She wanted to make sure Lee Sooyoung knew the truth too.
"Excuse me."
This time, she turned her target to Lee Sooyoung.
"That guy next to you? He was promising to marry me just a few days ago. You know that, right?"
Even Lee Sooyoung was stunned by the claim. Shin Jaewoo's expression hardened. Manager Hwang was thrown off by the unfolding drama too.
What the hell is happening here?
Shin Jaewoo was a whale of a client. Manager Hwang didn't know the full details about him, just the extent of his wealth. He was a top-tier VIP under special orders from HQ to handle with kid gloves. So she pieced it together.
So the woman who came with Mr. Han Taeho must be this VIP's ex or something...
Two-timing? Scandalous in a normal relationship. But given Shin Jaewoo's status, it almost made sense. It all felt like a drama unfolding right in front of her. She stayed quiet, observing. This was personal business between men and women—she couldn't interfere.
Lee Sooyoung stepped up.
"And?"
She shot back, her eyes flicking briefly to Han Taeho.
Coming here means he's no ordinary guy either...
She didn't know much about Han Taeho yet. But the conclusion was already set.
She was a junior manager in Panta Bank's VIP division.
Not someone worth my time.
That was enough to size him up. Manager Hwang's attitude backed it up too. She treated him politely enough, like an acquaintance, but without much deference. That alone proved he ranked below Shin Jaewoo. So Lee Sooyoung fired away boldly.
"From the look of it..."
A mocking smile curled her lips.
"......you've got bad taste in men and switched to a downgrade. Stop clinging to Jaewoo and get lost?"
"What?"
Lee Sooyoung's words crushed Kim Hyeju's pride. She wasn't just insulting Kim Hyeju—she was dragging Han Taeho through the mud too. Lee Sooyoung gave him a quick once-over from head to toe.
"This guy's just some poser flashing cash to play with women. All he wants is to get in your pants, but he can't even love you properly—doesn't look like he's got it in him."
Han Taeho's face flushed crimson at her cutting words. The humiliation burned. He wasn't holding back anymore. But right then—
Shin Jaewoo finally spoke first.
"......Don't come back to this department store."
"......!"
Casually tossed out. Lee Sooyoung might not have caught the weight, but it floored Manager Hwang. Shin Jaewoo frowned.
"Wasted my time dealing with people I don't even know."
"C-Customer."
Lee Sooyoung's heart pounded, but Manager Hwang was in full panic mode. After a moment's hesitation, she hit the call button in her pocket.
Tap-tap-tap.
Tall, suited, burly men rushed in. The department store's security guards. Elite ones, tasked with protecting the VIP lounge.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"These people are harassing a customer who's trying to leave."
"......!"
Han Taeho was a customer too. One who'd earned VIP status at the store, no less. But Manager Hwang stayed stone-cold. The guards were even icier.
"H-Harassing...?"
Kim Hyeju shrank back. Surprisingly, Han Taeho did too.
Fuck. What the hell is that Shin Jaewoo bastard, really?
Normally, you'd expect outrage. But Han Taeho couldn't muster it. He realized why Manager Hwang was handling it this way. Shin Jaewoo—the guy he'd mocked and belittled—was actually a heavyweight he couldn't even dream of touching.
Some hidden chaebol heir or what?
The pair were eventually escorted out by the guards. Small mercy—they weren't tossed from the store entirely. The guards just dragged them out of the elevator they'd been hogging, blocking Shin Jaewoo. At least they were still on the seventh floor, home to the VIP lounge.
With the elevator cleared—
"We're truly sorry for today's incident, sir."
Manager Hwang bowed deeply to Shin Jaewoo alone, ignoring Han Taeho entirely. Nearly ninety degrees.
"Hah."
A sigh escaped Shin Jaewoo. He said nothing and stepped into the elevator. Lee Sooyoung followed, hit the button, and the doors slid shut. Only then did Manager Hwang straighten up. She turned to Han Taeho and bowed too.
"My apologies, Mr. Han Taeho."
She'd treated him like a problem customer in front of Shin Jaewoo, but he was still a key VIP. With Shin Jaewoo gone, Han Taeho's fire reignited. His face burned with rage.
"Manager Hwang. Is this how you treat customers? What did I even do...!"
It felt utterly unfair to Han Taeho. That's how he saw it. Manager Hwang seemed to agree his anger was justified and bowed her head.
"We'll do everything we can to compensate you for this. Once again, my deepest apologies."
"Hoo. I'm not letting this slide either. But seriously, what the hell is going on here?"
Frustrated, Han Taeho demanded answers from Manager Hwang. For a split second, the guards had even intimidated him. He'd been strutting in front of Kim Hyeju, and now he'd been thoroughly humiliated.
Damn it.
And it was all because of Shin Jaewoo. The guy he'd always seen as beneath him had bested him in his strongest domain.
Manager Hwang looked troubled. But then she glanced at Han Taeho and spoke up.
"That gentleman just now? He's a Panta Bank Royal Road member."
"Huh?"
Kim Hyeju didn't get it. But Han Taeho did. His eyes widened in shock.
What?
Royal Road. He knew it well. Not for nothing—his family was a subcontractor to another Royal Road member. They might look like an upstanding business to outsiders, but Han Taeho knew the truth: he and his parents were just errand boys for Royal Road elites.
That made the shock hit even harder.
That orphan bastard... is Royal Road?
He could hardly believe it. But then a graver realization dawned.
Wait a sec.
That meant he'd stolen a Royal Road member's girlfriend...
"Gasp!"