AECS 62

Chapter 62

Café Incident (2)

Park Ki-soo, Park Jeong-hye’s son, was flustered.

Hong Ah-ri. Hwang Joo-won…

And even our guild executive?

All of them were seniors far above him.

Two of them, in particular, were current national representatives!

He couldn’t afford to make a scene in front of them.

“Salute! Baek-ho, this is Park Ki-soo!”

Ki-soo gave an exaggerated salute, a stiff, disciplined greeting typical of a rookie.

Still, his eyes darted toward Baek Ah-jin.

“That brat…”

Her sharp tongue didn’t match her pretty face.

Of course, he understood that his mother had overstepped.

If someone tried to sell an item worth 50 billion—or maybe even 100 billion—for just 10 billion, anyone would be furious.

But…

He was part of Baek-ho guild.

Targeting him in front of his badge was like targeting the entire guild.

Look!

Even those high-ranking executives didn’t just pass by—they came all the way here!

Why, you ask?

“Because I’m from Baek-ho.”

They probably wanted to help since Baek-ho was allied with the Big Three.

How’s that for prestige!

Ki-soo straightened his shoulders with pride while saluting—but then he was utterly shocked.

“Ah-jin? What happened?”

Hong Ah-ri asked.

She was asking after Baek Ah-jin first, not him.

Even more shocking:

“She knows her name?”

Caught off guard, Ki-soo froze like a soldier under Medusa’s gaze.

“Seems like there was a bit of a commotion earlier.”

“Oh.”

Baek Ah-jin smiled lightly.

“That’s right. I wanted to leave, but this person was blocking me.”

“This person?”

Hong Ah-ri glanced at Ki-soo. Her gaze was cold, devoid of any emotion. A look of neither interest nor recognition.

“Yes.”

Baek Ah-jin continued with a smile.

“The representative gave a rainbow snail as a gift, but he tried to haggle it down to 10 billion. That was too much of a prank. And when he complained about me being rude… I figured it wasn’t worth arguing, so I tried to leave. But he used intimidation. Doesn’t anyone realize that just because someone doesn’t fight back, it doesn’t mean they’re powerless?”

“Exactly. Using strength just because you have it—that’s beastly. Still, you handled it well?”

“Yes. I couldn’t let my brother get insulted over it.”

Baek Jin-woo.

The national hero. The hope of South Korea.

Recently, his heroic deeds against crime elevated his status even further.

Exaggerate a bit, and people would assume even if he committed murder, there must be a reason.

“Leave this to us. You and your mother, go ahead.”

Hong Ah-ri bowed politely to Hwang Myeong-hee.

“Oh, thank you.”

The kind Hwang Myeong-hee grasped her hand tightly.

“No, of course! It’s nothing!”

Seeing Hong Ah-ri smile so warmly, Ki-soo was stunned.

He knew her as the epitome of coldness.

She had never smiled publicly, and along with Ice Face Oh Seon-young, she maintained Arirang Guild’s intimidating atmosphere.

Yet here, she was practically submissive toward Hwang Myeong-hee.

“What the hell?”

Ki-soo cursed internally.

Mom!

What kind of people did you provoke?

Next to him, Park Jeong-hye also froze, rolling her eyes.

She had no idea what was happening.

Guided by Hong Ah-ri, Hwang Myeong-hee and Baek Ah-jin left.

The Baek-ho executive turned to the petrified Ki-soo with a friendly tone:

“Ki-soo, can we step outside and talk for a bit?”

Though smiling, it was the kind of smile that could be the last thing you see.

“Yes, sir.”

Terrified, Ki-soo nodded.

Baek-ho Guild was rational.

They wouldn’t publicly scold a rookie in front of everyone, especially with his parents watching.

So the executive led him to the emergency stairwell.

No sooner had they arrived:

“Hey, you crazy bastard!”

Bam!

He kicked Ki-soo’s shin.

“Argh!”

Ki-soo jumped, clutching the pain.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Y-yes?”

“Do you think you’re important in this guild? Don’t delude yourself. The guild can run perfectly fine without you, got it?”

Ki-soo’s heart sank.

How hard had he worked to get into Baek-ho?

He’d struggled, applied relentlessly, and finally succeeded. He’d just celebrated with a party.

“Causing a scene in a café while wearing the Baek-ho badge… That alone is punishable. Damn it. There’s someone you don’t touch.”

“I-I’m sorry!”

Curious about who he’d offended, but first he apologized.

The next kick landed on the other shin.

“You almost tarnished our guild’s image because of you! This isn’t something you can let slide. I’m opening a disciplinary committee, and you’re getting cut. Understand?”

Tears welled in Ki-soo’s eyes.

Getting a rookie expelled? Routine for an executive.

It felt unfair.

“Wh-who is she, anyway?”

“The person you threatened?”

“Yes…”

“It’s Baek Ah-jin, Baek Jin-woo’s sister and Director Yu Baek’s relative.”

“……Baek Jin-woo?”

The name rang a bell.

His mind briefly froze, then his pupils dilated.

“National hero, Baek Jin-woo?”

“Exactly. If you’d crossed the line further, you’d have been dead. Don’t you know what happened to O Ji-myeong and Park Ho-seop when they messed with Baek Ah-jin?”

He knew.

Everything clicked.

Why that woman received an expensive summoning gift.

Why his mother had spent hours bragging to Baek Ah-jin.

Damn.

Humiliating.

Even showing off in front of a slug should have limits.

Bragging about her son to Baek Jin-woo’s mother?

Ridiculous.

“Understand? Go reflect on your actions!”

Bang!

The executive slammed the emergency stairwell door and left.

Ki-soo stood there, stunned, in the cold stairwell.

Jeong-hye was beside herself.

Any rational person would understand.

Her son was trembling, yet Hwang Myeong-hee’s daughter walked out calmly.

Ki-soo had just been pacing alone in the café, eventually stepping outside because he felt the eyes of others.

“What happened?”

Her hands shook.

Her son! A member of the famous Baek-ho guild!

And it didn’t matter to Hwang Myeong-hee?

Better connections?

Jeong-hye scrolled through her phone contacts: police chiefs, prosecutors, veteran congressmen. She wanted someone powerful.

At that moment, Ki-soo approached.

“Son?”

“Mom.”

“What happened?”

Her heart ached seeing her son with his head down, as if scolded.

But…

“Mom, why are you doing this to me?”

“Huh?”

“Are you trying to ruin my life?”

“What… what do you mean?”

This expression was new to her.

“How did I… how did I even get into Baek-ho? I told you, please don’t brag to anyone, just live quietly!”

“You… you! How dare you speak to your mother like that!”

“Why should I care!”

Ki-soo shouted.

“Because of you, I almost got expelled from Baek-ho!”

“What?”

Jeong-hye’s pupils widened.

Expelled from a major guild just for causing a scene in a café?

“Stop bragging! Why would you brag to Baek Jin-woo’s mother?”

“……?”

Baek Jin-woo’s mother?

What nonsense was this?

“Hwang Myeong-hee… the snail my mother coveted was a gift from Yu Ji-ah of Daesung!”

Baek Jin-woo? Yu Ji-ah?

Jeong-hye frowned, confused by the sudden revelation.

And then it hit her.

Everything Baek Ah-jin had said made sense:

“The world is vast, and there are many outstanding people. Your mother lacks humility.”

Not a word was wrong.

No rebuttal came to mind, only self-reproach.

“From now on, no more allowance.”

“……”

“Allowance? I might end up on the streets! If I get expelled from Baek-ho, who’s going to take me in?”

Jeong-hye squeezed her eyes shut.

A few days later, Baek Ah-jin, busy with her work, received a call.

It was from Baek-ho Guild Master, Park Ho.

“Yes, this is Baek Ah-jin.”

I’ve heard about the incident. Our guild member caused some inconvenience.

“Ah, that…”

We failed to manage him. We sincerely apologize.

“No, no. There’s no need to apologize.”

Baek Ah-jin truly didn’t mind. She had long forgotten it. Too busy to dwell on such things.

The problematic member has been expelled. It’s a dishonorable expulsion, which may hinder his future guild activities.

“Eh? No, that’s not necessary. Really.”

He had been annoying, but cutting off his entire livelihood seemed extreme.

That aside, during the investigation, we found traces of him abusing the guild badge and extorting others. Also some bribery during entry. We thank him in a way—it allowed us to nip the problem in the bud.

“Oh… really?”

Indeed. Remarkable.

‘That’s beyond me, anyway.’

“Anyway, no need to apologize.”

Baek Ah-jin knew why Baek-ho was apologizing better than anyone.

Park Ho, Kang Geon-ho, Bok Jeong-hee, and Seo Sang-won were all current national representatives.

They met Baek Jin-woo during consulting and learned from him.

If they disliked someone, progress would be hindered.

“Your brother probably doesn’t even know this happened. And I won’t tell him.”