Author-nim?
“No, you fucking bastard. Now you're treating me like an idiot? You think I don't know what you're up to?”
Kim Dong-su's sharp rebuke. Han Taeho couldn't even take a proper drag from his cigarette. He didn't dare think of lighting another one. Standing straight, he bowed his head deeply before Kim Dong-su.
“……I'm sorry, hyungnim.”
“Yeah. If you'd been honest from the start like this, wouldn't that have been great?”
“I was going to tell you in advance, but…… I only found out today that Shin Jaewoo is RL……”
“What's the situation?”
Kim Dong-su decided to hear out their full relationship. He'd already grasped that they had bad blood, but it might not be something he could just brush off as simple bad blood. Truth be told, he had another reason for digging deeper.
Same RL doesn't mean same level.
They could be in different weight classes. So he needed to figure out just what class Shin Jaewoo was in.
Han Taeho explained.
“Jaewoo was my college classmate. He had nothing to his name back then—just an orphan, he said.”
“An orphan?”
“Yes, hyungnim.”
No parents. A kid with nothing.
“And then?”
“No idea what happened, but today I ran into him at the department store VIP lounge. Manager Hwang said he's RL……”
“Yeah, with your personality, if you'd known that guy was RL, you wouldn't have acted tough—you'd have bowed your head low and crawled on all fours to get along.”
“That's right, hyungnim.”
The rift with Shin Jaewoo wasn't intentional, Han Taeho explained. Kim Dong-su understood that much.
“Then what's with that cam girl with her head in the clouds?”
“……She was engaged to Shin Jaewoo back in the day. They broke up after he caught us going into a motel.”
“That was just a few days ago?”
“Yes. This week.”
“What a shitshow. Total mess. That's why you can't trust women.”
Promised to marry another guy—hell, even engaged to an RL—and then she goes into a motel with someone else.
“Kya. Pure drama. Looks like our Taeho's living a full-on soap opera life.”
Han Taeho bit his lip hard as he listened.
You shouldn't be the one saying that.
His insides burned. And deep down, he cursed Kim Dong-su for it. Who else had he learned that from? It was all Kim Dong-su's doing. The same shit Kim Dong-su had pulled.
“Taeho.”
“……Yes, hyungnim.”
“Why are you so clueless, huh? You gotta read the room before you mouth off. Like me.”
Kim Dong-su had stolen Han Taeho's girlfriend once before.
“Whether the other guy's someone who can fuck me up or not—that's crucial to gauge, Taeho.”
“……”
Kim Dong-su was right. Even after that incident, he'd never had any issues. Han Taeho still couldn't stand up to him.
“You're good at copying me, but you gotta do it right. So, what're you gonna do about this mess?”
“Honestly…… I'd like your help, hyungnim.”
He was swallowing his pride hard. All this time, even now. It was all for a moment just like this.
“You think that'll work?”
“Huh?”
“Will it fly?”
Kim Dong-su asked smugly, puffing up his chest. The moment Han Taeho heard it, he read his intent.
This bastard.
All the humiliation he'd endured until now. If he was gonna call him little bro, shouldn't he help when the little bro was in trouble?
“Tsk tsk. Pathetic fucker. Though that airhead bitch from earlier was pretty crazy too. Cheating and all……”
Han Taeho agreed on that point. Kim Dong-su leaned in.
“Well, she looked decent enough for a one-night stand. Face and body…… not bad, right?”
“Yes, hyungnim.”
“But Taeho.”
Kim Dong-su called him again.
“…Yes.”
“Will it fly?”
He repeated the same question. Han Taeho couldn't answer.
“Hey. You know what I mean?”
Kim Dong-su eyed him. Asking just “that” left it vague, of course.
“Us nobles don't fight each other.”
“……”
“You plebs can scrap among yourselves. Cut ties if you want. But we're nobles. Think that'll fly?”
It was Han Taeho's own catchphrase. Plebs and nobles. He'd picked it up straight from Kim Dong-su.
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
Kim Dong-su clicked his tongue.
“I gonna let some pleb like you ruin my ties with a noble?”
“……”
“Right?”
“……”
“Answer me.”
Han Taeho stayed silent, so Kim Dong-su pressed. Finally, he spoke.
“…Yes.”
“What yes?”
“Because of a pleb like me…… you can't fight a noble, hyungnim.”
“Good boy. Our Taeho's brain isn't totally rotten.”
He grinned as he said it.
“I'll give you a shot.”
The “chance” he dangled.
“Go grovel to our Jaewoo hyungnim. Who knows? He's got a good heart—might take you back.”
Kim Dong-su patted his shoulder as he spoke.
“I'm out.”
On his way, he tossed one last line.
“If Jaewoo hyungnim doesn't forgive you, don't act like you know me.”
“Huh? No, hyungnim!”
What the hell? Han Taeho jumped at Kim Dong-su's parting words. But Kim Dong-su didn't bother with more talk.
Done. Cut loose.
Ah, such a fun lackey to toy with…… Shame.
That was all Kim Dong-su thought as he walked away. The punk had dared to sic a venomous snake in his own den. Time to cut him off. That was his mindset.
Same with Kim Hyeju.
That bitch was cute enough……
Was she the only pretty girl in the world? Song Sarang was a bit older now, but she held up fine compared to Kim Hyeju.
After ripping into Kim Hyeju once, she couldn't stay at the table—too embarrassed. Hell, she left the whole party.
Why poke the bear like that anyway?
Shin Jaewoo couldn't fathom it. He'd switched seats himself. Truth be told, Kim Dong-su gave off a vibe he didn't want nearby.
Just like looking at Han Taeho.
Han Taeho's sleazy attitude. He could guess who he'd learned it from.
“……His reputation isn't exactly spotless in real life either.”
Lee Sooyoung elaborated after hearing his thoughts. She'd explained it as they left the table together.
Still, if it was entertaining, I saw plenty of funny sights.
Han Taeho acting all high and mighty in front of them. Now he knew how he was really treated.
Guess that explains why the guy tasted like shit.
A bit pitiful, even. But his feelings toward Han Taeho had already cooled off. He'd never expected much from him anyway.
Just……
College classmate. Nothing more, nothing less—that was his sentiment toward Han Taeho.
Of course, that didn't mean forgiveness.
I was planning to just ignore him……
The corner of Shin Jaewoo's mouth curved up. Not a bad haul today.
Injung Yeopo, right?
The strong bully the weak. So even if his ego took a hit in real life, he'd still want to play kingpin online.
Time to crush his little escape too. He'd take everything bit by bit, just like that.
Not right now, though. No concrete plan yet.
“So…… you heading out now?”
“Dunno. I was hoping to snag an autograph from a streamer I know……”
A touch disappointing. Naturally, Shin Jaewoo didn't have any close viewer friends from watching streams. So the “streamers he knew” were just celebs.
If a standout one caught his eye, he'd thought of asking for a sign or a photo.
But now that I'm here, no one's jumping out……
Plenty of pretty girls, sure. Cam girls had swarmed the place. They dolled up hard, hunting for new big spenders.
One more thing.
Looks like the girls are in a standoff to keep their loyal fans from getting poached.
All out to snag the new whales. But that made the whole venue a minefield.
“Hey. Eyes here.”
“Oppa, only look at me.”
Such lines, half-joking half-serious, floated by as he passed.
Should I bounce?
They were all pretty enough. Eye candy, but no knockout standouts.
Then a familiar voice hit his ears.
“Unnie, unnie! Where was that cake?”
Very familiar.
Huh?
Shin Jaewoo's steps halted.
“All the other cam girls are busy fishing for new oppas here, and all you see is cake?”
“What can I do? They all look delicious!”
Chattering away. He'd heard it yesterday afternoon too. And it was the first voice he'd encountered when he heard about this party.
And another one.
Huh?
The woman she was calling unnie unnie.
That voice rings a bell too?
Both voices felt familiar to Shin Jaewoo. Though the bubbly girl's stood out most.
“Hehe. But it's Baekje Hotel food—gotta stuff myself before I go. Unnie, look. My belly's poking out now.”
“Hey! You're a cam girl.”
“So? With all you pretty unnies around, no oppa's eyeing me anyway.”
He chuckled watching them. After a moment's thought, Shin Jaewoo pulled out his smartphone.
And sent money to the girl via KakaoTalk.
“Hm?”
She checked it mid-bite.
“Huh?”
“No way, is this oppa crazy?”
“……Does calling an oppa crazy make you any less crazy?”
“Eh? Oppa? Why're you here, oppa?”
Like him, she'd just spotted him—eyes going wide. The woman next to her jolted too at Kim Minseo's words. First at “oppa,” but even before that……
“……Author-nim?”
She recognized Shin Jaewoo.
“Isn't that Zeus Author-nim?”
Shin Jaewoo was surprised too. Only then did he realize why the voice was familiar.