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Chapter 30 — VIP (1)
“Isn’t just one watch a bit too little?”
“We don’t have enough customer information.”
“So he also bought luxury shoes and a wallet?”
“He paid for those with a debit card too.”
“He looks pretty young, doesn’t he?”
“Early twenties at most? He can’t possibly be a teenager, right?”
“Hmm…”
The VIP Customer Service Management Team at Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong.
An employee from the luxury watch boutique had just handed over the information of a recent customer.
The department store operated under a system where VIP performance was directly tied to overall sales.
The spending of the top ten percent of customers had a greater impact than that of the remaining ninety percent combined.
That was why the customer management team had no choice but to devote themselves to serving VIPs.
Especially among department stores in Gangnam, the competition to attract VIP customers was fierce.
Landing even one new VIP could mean hitting the jackpot.
Sometimes the spending was temporary, but more often it had a long-term effect on sales, which was why they treated customer service as a matter of life and death.
And genuine VIPs were anything but common.
There were only so many people among the upper class.
Every day, they fought an all-out war to retain their own VIPs while stealing them away from rival department stores.
The management team could hardly contain their excitement at the appearance of a completely new VIP candidate with absolutely no customer history.
Everyone gathered together, exchanging ideas on how to register him as a VIP.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s on the fourth floor, at the golf apparel section.”
“Golf apparel?”
The team leader’s eyes immediately filled with certainty.
He wasn’t a VIP candidate.
He was a VIP.
The golfwear brands inside the department store were on an entirely different level from ordinary fashion stores.
Right after purchasing an expensive watch, the customer had headed straight to the golf section.
His route alone confirmed that he was the child of an upper-class family.
“I should go myself.”
“You, Team Leader?”
“I’ll go.”
“No. Something about this feels unusual. I’ll handle it personally.”
A veteran of the industry and the head personal shopper of the department store’s VIP Customer Service Team—Park Taesu.
A powerful feeling had struck him.
It strangely overlapped with the memory of the VIP customer he had once discovered, the very reason he now occupied his current position.
His instincts were sending him a powerful signal.
Swish.
Park Taesu rose from his seat and straightened his dark gray suit.
He even adjusted the angle of the name tag pinned to his chest.
“I’ll come with you.”
His female assistant stood up as well.
“You will?”
“Yes.”
She was Yoo Areum, the ace of the management team, well known for her beauty and cheerful personality.
She too had excellent instincts.
Whenever she accompanied the team leader while serving customers, she often sensed things others missed.
The two quickly made their way to the fourth floor.
“Do you think he’s the real deal?”
“Who knows.”
“Let’s just watch.”
The dozen or so employees remaining in the office fixed their eyes on the dozens of CCTV screens.
Normally, their personal shopper team leader only moved personally when direct family members of Korea’s top one hundred conglomerates visited the department store.
Wealth was important, but social prestige was also a criterion for becoming a VIP.
Yet now, despite knowing virtually nothing about this customer, their team leader had chosen to act.
“When was the last time our team leader personally discovered a new VIP?”
“Uh… it’s been about a year, hasn’t it? He hasn’t personally stepped in since then…”
Only then did the employees realize something.
The conversation stopped as everyone focused on the CCTV footage.
Through cameras installed throughout the department store, they could track the customer’s movements.
The VIP management team had direct access through coordination with the security department.
On the screens, they watched Park Taesu and Yoo Areum walking briskly through the building.
And then—
“That’s him, right?”
“I think so.”
“Wow… what are those proportions? He looks like a model.”
“…He looks like a celebrity.”
Before anything else, the employees noticed the silhouette of a young man walking toward the golf apparel stores on the fourth floor.
He strolled calmly, completely overshadowing every other male customer around him.
The golf clubs were one thing.
But I didn’t own a single piece of golf clothing.
Tomorrow was the day.
The day Ahn Hyunju Pro had invited me to play my first round of golf.
There had been an indescribable earnestness in her eyes.
It made it difficult to refuse.
Naturally, I accepted.
Besides, I wanted to experience the golf course for myself.
Golf had long been considered a sport reserved for the upper class.
Now it had become practically essential for business, even for ordinary people.
The problem was that while I had received the golf clubs for free, I had never even worn golf apparel before.
The fourth floor housed over ten specialty golf clothing stores.
Not only clothing but countless golf accessories were displayed as well.
“Hmm.”
Everything on display was luxury merchandise, but choosing something wasn’t easy.
This was an entirely unfamiliar world to me.
“Sir.”
At that moment, a polite male voice came from behind me.
It probably wasn’t directed at me.
I didn’t know any employees here.
“Sir.”
The voice came again.
Curious, I turned around.
“You mean me?”
A man and a woman were standing there, looking directly at me.
Judging from their neat appearance, clothing, and posture, they appeared to be department store employees.
The man looked to be in his late thirties, while the woman appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties.
Both were remarkably attractive.
They smiled politely at me.
“Yes, sir.”
“What… can I do for you?”
I calmly asked the unfamiliar pair.
“Here is my business card.”
The man politely handed one over.
VIP Customer Service Management Team
Team Leader Park Taesu
VIP Customer Service Team?
This was my first visit to the department store since returning to the past.
I hadn’t even registered as a member yet.
There shouldn’t have been any reason for me to cross paths with these people.
In my previous life, I would have accepted the business card with both hands in gratitude.
But things were different now.
Understanding their intentions, I slowly opened my mouth.
“So?”
Park Taesu flinched at the unwavering response.
The young man before him was anything but ordinary.
He had spent years working in department stores and had dealt with tens of thousands of customers.
Among them, he had built extensive mental profiles of every type of customer imaginable.
He’s not an ordinary person.
It had been a long time since anyone had made him this nervous.
The young man looked barely in his early twenties.
So youthful that someone might mistake him for a high school student.
Like the child of a wealthy family, his flawless skin was completely free of blemishes.
An understated elegance naturally surrounded him, making such a background entirely believable.
He wasn’t one of those newly rich children who occasionally appeared around Gangnam.
They could never imitate the aura this young man possessed.
There was a reason people nicknamed the children of true upper-class families “lion cubs” or “tiger cubs.”
It was because of this impossible-to-copy aura.
It wasn’t even the atmosphere found in the households of judges or prosecutors.
Even the children of Supreme Court justices or the Prosecutor General rarely carried this presence.
Only those born into families possessing stable wealth, generations of honor, and political influence exuded such an air.
In other words—
The great chaebol families of Korea.
And not just any chaebol.
Only those ranked within the country’s top fifty, with long-established family histories.
He wasn’t disrespectful toward others.
Nor did he treat them with excessive reverence.
That calmness reflected in his eyes…
Normally, customers reacted with excitement upon receiving his business card.
A future VIP’s response, however, was simply:
“So?”
“You appear to be shopping. We believe we can assist you.”
“We came to offer our services.”
Without showing any sign of panic, Park Taesu answered with a smile.
Beside him, Yoo Areum added her own words.
From Park Taesu’s perspective, the customer clearly seemed to need assistance.
But at the same time, barging into someone’s shopping experience would only be intrusive.
For the upper class, shopping was much like appreciating fine art.
Their children also had shopping routines of their own.
They acted according to their own clear judgment rather than worrying about the opinions of others.
“…”
The future VIP silently looked at the two of them.
“All right.”
The answer was unexpectedly cool.
There wasn’t a single unnecessary word.
It was the kind of speech that reflected the upbringing of a prestigious family.
“Thank you. We will do our utmost to assist you.”
Park Taesu gave a slight bow.
It was a sincere gesture of appreciation.
“I’m Assistant Manager Yoo Areum. Sir, may I help you with your golf apparel shopping?”
Yoo Areum, who had quietly stood beside Park Taesu, finally stepped forward.
With her polished appearance and clear, articulate voice, she had earned the trust of countless customers.
She had chosen exactly the right moment to step in.
“Yes.”
“Is there a golf apparel brand you usually prefer?”
“This is my first time shopping for it. I’m playing my first round tomorrow.”
“I see. Congratulations.”
Yoo Areum smiled brightly.
The team leader is nervous. That means there’s definitely something special about him!
Her dream was to become a personal shopper herself.
The team leader standing beside her, Park Taesu, was expected to be promoted to an executive position soon.
There were many employees hoping to take his place.
The position came with an annual salary exceeding one hundred million won, plus a three percent commission on sales.
That easily amounted to hundreds of millions of won in yearly income.
Securing just one VVIP customer meant never having to worry about money again.
Yoo Areum carefully observed the extraordinary young man before her.
Setting aside his value as a potential VIP…
His appearance was simply unreal.
He was tall enough to put professional models to shame, with flawless skin.
His physique looked lean yet solid.
His looks and presence were so overwhelming that no woman could help but notice him.
“Would it be all right if Assistant Manager Yoo Areum assisted you?”
Park Taesu stepped back.
Today, he decided that introducing himself was enough.
“Yes.”
The answer came as briefly as before.
“If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, please contact me immediately. I hope you enjoy your shopping.”
Park Taesu gave one final respectful bow and turned to leave.
Just then—
“Ha Taewoong??”
