Cafe Commotion (2)
Park Junghye's son, Park Gisu, was flustered.
Hong Ari and Hwang Juwon… And even one of our guild executives?
They were all seniors who stood far, far above him.
Especially since two of them were current national representatives, weren't they?
With them approaching, he couldn't afford to make a fool of himself.
"Loyalty! Baekho, Park Gisu reporting!"
Park Gisu greeted them with an exaggerated gesture.
It was the sort of greeting you'd expect from a tightly disciplined rookie. Even so, he stole a glance at Baek Ajin.
'That stuck-up bitch.'
For such a pretty face, her mouth was vicious. Of course, he knew his mother had been in the wrong.
If someone had tried to lowball a 50 billion, maybe even 100 billion won item at 10 billion, even he would have gotten angry.
But still?
He belonged to Baekho.
Trying to make a fool out of someone like him, proudly wearing the badge, was the same as making a fool out of Baekho itself.
Look at that!
Aren't those lofty executives over there not just passing by, but coming all the way here?
And why would that be?
'Because I'm Baekho.'
They probably wanted to help because they were from one of the Big 3 guilds allied with them.
See that!
This is Baekho's status!
Still saluting, Park Gisu puffed his shoulders up proudly, but soon had to stare in shock.
"Lady Ajin? What happened?"
It was Hong Ari.
That Hong Ari, the guild master of Arirang, asked after Baek Ajin before anyone else.
And on top of that—
'She knows her name?'
As the situation unfolded in a way he hadn't expected at all, Park Gisu's body froze stiff, like a soldier who had looked into Medusa's eyes.
"When I looked earlier, it seemed like there was a bit of a disturbance."
"Ah."
Baek Ajin smiled faintly.
"That's right. I wanted to leave, but that person stopped me, you know?"
"...That person?"
Hong Ari glanced over at Park Gisu.
Her gaze was cold, devoid of even the slightest trace of emotion.
It was the face of someone who didn't know who he was and didn't care to know.
"Yes."
Smiling, Baek Ajin continued.
"They said that if someone who'd only received an item because they'd gotten a gift from Daeseon's representative got cocky and tried to sell it off, the quality of the item would drop. They said drinking would be ruined, that there was no need to cry over something like this, and that my words were too harsh..."
"I see. If you use power just because you have it, that makes you a beast. Still, you endured it well."
"Yes. If I got caught up in something pointless, people might start talking badly about my brother."
"Oh, come on, would anyone really criticize him over something like that?"
Who was Baek Jinwoo?
A national hero, and the hope of South Korea.
And on top of that, after recently freeing the country from crime, his standing had risen to yet another level.
To exaggerate a little, even if he committed murder, people would probably assume he had his reasons.
"We'll handle things here, so please go ahead first. Your mother too."
Bowing her head slightly, Hong Ari spoke politely to Hwang Myeonghui.
"Oh my, thank you."
Kind-hearted Hwang Myeonghui warmly clasped her hand.
"No, not at all! Of course it's nothing!"
Watching Hong Ari reply with such a bright smile, Park Gisu was stunned.
The Hong Ari he knew was the very definition of prickly. She had never once shown a smile in the media.
Along with the ice-faced Oh Sunyoung, she was one of the people most responsible for chilling Arirang's entire atmosphere!
And yet that same Hong Ari was acting almost humble toward this person.
'Fuck?'
Park Gisu cursed inwardly.
Mom!
What kind of people did you mess with?!
Park Junghye, who was sitting beside him, had also gone rigid, her eyes darting around.
Her expression said she had no idea how this situation was unfolding.
With Hong Ari leading the way, Hwang Myeonghui and Baek Ajin left.
Then, looking at the stiffened Park Gisu, the Baekho executive asked kindly,
"Gisu, could we maybe... talk outside for a moment?"
He was smiling, but somehow...
It was the kind of smile a Joker holding a knife would wear.
"Y-Yes, sir."
Park Gisu, completely cowed, answered.
Baekho Guild was rational.
Just because a rookie had done something stupid didn't mean they could scold him in front of everyone.
Especially not in front of his parents. So the executive took him to the emergency stairwell.
And the moment they got there—
"Hey, you crazy bastard."
Thud!
A dress shoe slammed hard into his shin joint.
"Gaaah!"
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Park Gisu grabbed the aching spot with both hands and jumped around.
"You little shit, are you insane?"
"S-Sir?"
"Do you think you're actually somebody in this guild? Don't get it twisted, asshole. Our guild runs just fine without the likes of you. Got it?"
Why was he suddenly saying that...?
Park Gisu felt like his heart had just dropped straight through the floor.
How hard had it been for him to get into Baekho?
He had worked obsessively, applied relentlessly, and barely made it in.
It felt like just yesterday that he'd passed, thrown a huge party, and bragged to the whole neighborhood that his life had finally turned around...
"Wearing the Baekho badge and causing a scene in a cafe is already enough for disciplinary action, but... ha, fuck. Of all people, you had to mess with that one."
"I-I'm sorry!"
Just who the hell had he messed with to make this happen?!
He was curious, but apologized first. Because he was scared.
"Do you even know what you're sorry for?"
Thud!
This time the other shin got kicked.
"You nearly trashed our guild's image because of your little stunt. This doesn't end here for you. I'm calling a disciplinary committee and I'll make sure you get kicked out. Got it?"
Tears welled up in Park Gisu's eyes.
A Baekho executive firing one rookie?
That was nothing.
That was exactly why he was an executive.
Park Gisu felt it was unbearably unfair.
"W-Who exactly is that woman that you're reacting like this?"
Even if he had to suffer for it, he at least wanted to know who he had messed with. Otherwise it would feel even more unfair.
"The person you threatened?"
"Yes..."
"Who else? Baek Ajin, Baek Jinwoo's little sister and Yoobaek's director."
"...Baek Jinwoo?"
It was a name he'd heard many times before. For a moment, it was as if his thoughts stopped.
Then his pupils widened.
"Baek Jinwoo? The national hero?"
"Yeah, you little shit. If you'd crossed the line any further back there, you might've ended up dead. Don't you know what happened to O Ji-myeong and Park Ho-seop after they messed with Baek Ajin?"
He knew.
Anyone who was a player would know.
And then—
All the puzzle pieces fell into place.
Why that older woman could receive such an expensive summon as a gift.
How Baek Ajin must have experienced those hours of his mother's nonstop bragging.
'Fuck.'
He felt humiliated.
Even showing off in front of a grub takes some sense of proportion.
Calling Baek Jinwoo's mother over just to brag about your son?
He was so dumbfounded he couldn't even sigh.
"If you understand now, then go reflect on yourself!"
Bang!
The executive slammed the emergency stairwell door shut irritably and left.
"..."
In that bleak space, Park Gisu stood there blankly for a long while.
* * *
Junghye felt like she was going out of her mind.
Anyone who wasn't an idiot could tell.
Her son had come out utterly terrified, while Myeonghui's daughter had left looking even more relaxed.
After pacing anxiously in the cafe by herself, she finally stepped outside.
The stares from the people around her were too much to bear.
'What happened?'
Her hands trembled violently.
Do they even know who my son is?!
He belongs to the famous Baekho!
And that means nothing to Hwang Myeonghui? What, does she have even better connections?
Biting her lip, Junghye searched through her phone contacts.
The Commissioner of the National Police Agency, a Chief Prosecutor, a third-term National Assembly member, and so on.
She was looking for intimidating connections she had at least some link to.
It was then that someone approached her from the side.
It was her son, Park Gisu.
"Son?"
"Mom."
"What happened?"
Junghye's heart ached.
How could it not, seeing her son's face fallen as though he'd just been severely scolded?
But then—
"Mom, what the hell is your problem?"
"Huh?"
"Did you decide to ruin my life?"
"W-What are you talking about?"
Junghye shrank back.
They had argued a few times before, but she had never seen that expression on his face.
"Do you have any idea... any idea how I got into Baekho? I told you, didn't I? Please, stop going around bragging everywhere and just live quietly!"
"Y-You! Is that any way to speak to your mother—"
"Why should I care?!"
Park Gisu shouted furiously.
"Because of you, I'm about to get kicked out of Baekho!"
"What?"
Junghye's pupils widened.
No, how could someone get kicked out of a major guild just for causing a little commotion in a cafe?
Did that make any sense?
"There's a limit to bragging too! Why the hell were you bragging to Baek Jinwoo's mother?!"
"...?"
Baek Jinwoo's mother?
What kind of bullshit was that?
Hwang Myeonghui, that dirt-poor woman, being... what...?
"Son, what are you talking about? Calm down and explain it in a way I can understand."
"Do I look like I can calm down? That family we met was Baek Jinwoo's family! And that snail she showed off was a gift from Yoo Jia of Daeseong!"
Baek Jinwoo? Yoo Jia?
She couldn't understand what he was saying at all.
The words had come too suddenly, and Junghye frowned as she tried to make sense of them—then soon had no choice but to stand there in horror.
"...!"
Something completely beyond her common sense had happened.
Her old classmate's son was Baek Jinwoo...?
That Baek Jinwoo...?
Thud!
In that instant, the things she had said to Myeonghui came flooding back.
The way she had advised her to support her son properly since he was supposedly good at securing his own share in life, and how she had prattled on and on about her own son being that famous Baekho rookie.
Only then did she understand what Baek Ajin had said.
— The world is wide, and there are many outstanding people. Your mother lacks humility.
There wasn't a single wrong word in it.
She wanted to argue back, but nothing came to mind, and she nearly sank into self-loathing.
"From now on, you're not getting any allowance from me."
"...."
"What allowance? I'm the one who's about to end up out on the street. If I get kicked out of Baekho, who's going to take me?"
At her son's lament, Junghye squeezed her eyes shut.
* * *
A few days later.
While Baek Ajin was busy working, she received a call.
It was from Park Hoe, the guild master of Baekho.
"Yes, this is Baek Ajin."
—I heard what happened. It seems one of our guild members made you uncomfortable.
"Hm? Ah, that."
—We failed to manage our people properly. I sincerely apologize.
"No, no. You really don't need to apologize for that."
Baek Ajin truly was fine. She had already forgotten all about it after that day.
To her, it wasn't even worth keeping in mind.
Honestly, she had been far too busy to spare any attention for it.
—We expelled the guild member responsible. It was a dishonorable expulsion, so it will likely hurt his prospects with other guilds as well.
"What? No, you really didn't need to go that far. Seriously."
At the time, she had been a little annoyed, but cutting off someone's livelihood over that felt too harsh.
—As it turned out, there were already plenty of records of misconduct and abuse of authority. On top of that, we also discovered signs of bribery during his admission process.
"Ah... I see?"
Wow.
He really was something else, in all the worst ways.
'If it had gone that far, then it really isn't any of my business.'
"Anyway, you really don't need to apologize."
Baek Ajin knew better than anyone why Baekho was apologizing.
Park Hoe, Kang Geonho, Bok Jeonghee, and Seo Sangwon were current national representatives.
During consulting sessions, they constantly met Baek Jinwoo and received his guidance.
And in that situation, if they ended up on bad terms with her?
They believed it could hinder their growth.
"My brother probably doesn't even know something like this happened. I don't plan on telling him either."
—Haha, I see. Thank you. If anything like this ever happens again, please don't hesitate to contact me! I'll step in and take care of it right away!
Just as expected.
The moment she said she wouldn't tell him, he sounded delighted.
"Yes, thank you."
Baek Ajin smiled.
Is this the power of authority?
She had to admit what was true.
Sometimes it was frightening, and other times it was incredibly convenient.
'And it's all thanks to my brother.'
Closing her eyes for a moment and pressing her palms together, Baek Ajin silently offered thanks to Baek Jinwoo in her heart.
And so the cafe commotion came to an end with Park Gisu's expulsion.
As a side note, after that, Junghye never attended another class reunion again.
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