Tempting Baek Arang
BAM!
A loud crash echoed through the guild master's office at Baekya Guild.
Cha Eunwol clutched her head in irritation and kicked the desk hard with her foot.
"Haa... those damn hyena bastards... they just won't let go."
Having received Kim Hyunah's report, Cha Eunwol's face twisted in annoyance.
"...It's about time they started sniffing around, but how much longer can we hold them off?"
"At most three weeks. The top guilds have already caught on, more or less."
"Yeah, it'd be weirder if they hadn't..."
Grinding her teeth at Kim Hyunah's report, Cha Eunwol roughly raked her hand across her face.
Those insanely buffed breads that Arangi made.
Honestly, she couldn't deny wanting to monopolize them, but what worried her more was the kid becoming a target.
The other guilds had vaguely caught wind of that cheat-level buff's existence and were starting to apply subtle pressure and reconnaissance on Baekya Guild.
"Ha, these pathetic punks... who the hell do they think they're messing with."
Fierce magical energy poured out from Cha Eunwol's body, sharply cracking the office floor as it spread outward.
"Maybe I should just wipe out all the annoying ones while I'm at it... then there won't be any more wide-eyed bastards like before."
Kim Hyunah sighed at the killing intent laced with genuine sincerity in her words.
"I'll cover the repairs for whatever you break this time out of your own pocket, Guild Master. And you know it'll just make things more complicated, right?"
"......Hah."
"Smashing everything won't solve it. Even if you suppress attention from Korea with brute force for a bit, it'll just draw eyes from overseas."
At Kim Hyunah's words, Cha Eunwol flopped roughly onto the sofa.
"I know... I was just saying. It's frustrating, damn it."
"I get how you feel."
Cha Eunwol leaned back deeply into the sofa, gazing up at the ceiling as if lost in thought for a moment.
Her fingers tapped the desk rhythmically, and soon a smirk tugged at her lips with a soft pfft.
"Hyunah, let's get in touch with Cheon Yura."
"Pardon...? You mean Cheon Yura, the guild master?"
"Yeah. You know that saying—even a rabbit will bite if cornered. Cheon Yura's totally fallen hard for our Arangi too."
Cha Eunwol pulled out her phone and immediately dialed Cheon Yura's number from the recent calls.
The line barely rang a few times before Cheon Yura picked up.
"Huh, what's up? You calling first for once."
Cha Eunwol grimaced at the leisurely chuckle coming through the receiver.
'Still as grating a voice as ever.'
Cha Eunwol cut straight to the chase.
"You tried Arangi's bread last time too. You saw the effects."
[...Yeah.]
"Don't your guild need Arangi's bread too?"
Silence fell on the other end for a moment.
After a brief pause, Cheon Yura's stiff voice came through.
[For real...?]
"Would I joke about something like this?"
Cha Eunwol grinned and shot a glance at Kim Hyunah.
"But convincing Arangi? That's on you guys."
[What?]
"Arangi isn't officially with Baekya Guild—she's a freelance artisan working independently. I can't just order her around."
Cheon Yura stared silently at the phone in her hand for a moment.
What was Cha Eunwol's angle here?
Cha Eunwol smiled quietly at the sound of gears turning on the other end.
And soon, laughter burst from the phone.
[Hah... so that's your game, Cha Eunwol.]
"Quick on the uptake, good."
[With the hyenas circling, you're gonna use me as a shield for Arangi, huh?]
"If you don't like it, forget it."
[Who said I don't like it? I'll gladly do it. And don't worry—I'll handle wooing Arangi myself.]
Click.
As the call ended, Cha Eunwol tossed her phone onto the desk with a smirk.
"Heh, so straightforward."
That should buy some breathing room for now.
It was warm.
A pleasant afternoon with good weather for once.
I'd stepped out for a walk and was basking in the warm sunlight on a park bench, soaking it up with my whole body.
"Warm... grrr."
The sun made me feel all languid and relaxed.
Before I knew it, a contented purring rumbled deep in my throat.
My tail, hidden behind my back away from prying eyes, swayed lazily in the sunlight.
This is paradise... I never had time for this before.
The plants... just doing their own thing as always.
I'd been sprawled peacefully on the bench for a while when suddenly my view darkened, the pleasant sunlight on my face vanishing.
"Hm...?"
Who's blocking my photosynthesis...?
I furrowed my brow and slowly lifted my heavy eyelids.
"Uh...?"
Standing there looking down at me with a slightly tense expression was Cheon Yura, the guild master.
"...? Hello."
Still lounging on the bench, I gave a light nod in greeting.
"Uh, uh... yeah. Hi."
Cheon Yura hesitated at my greeting, awkwardly averting her eyes.
What's with her? Did she do something wrong?
Cheon Yura stared at me quietly for a bit, seeming to debate whether to say whatever was on her mind.
Man, some people wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Does she need a favor or something?
At her fidgeting, glancing at me hesitantly, I just looked back at her steadily.
"You look like you have something to say?"
"Um, Arang."
"Yeah."
"Wanna... go grab a meal with me?"
After beating around the bush so much, all that came out was an invite to eat? Kinda anticlimactic.
I looked at Cheon Yura for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure. But I want Korean food."
Korean food's easier for me to eat a decent amount of...
Just a little more effort, and I'll nail finishing a full serving one day...
At my words, Cheon Yura finally relaxed, flashing a bright smile.
"Korean? Yeah, sure. I know a great place. Let's go."
We arrived at a fancy Korean restaurant in Cheon Yura's car—one that screamed "only for the ultra-rich" just from the look of it.
"Whoa..."
I looked around as we entered.
Elegant traditional tile-roofed interior with soft lighting.
From the entrance, staff in neat hanbok uniforms stood smiling welcomingly.
"Welcome, please come in."
I froze awkwardly at their deep 90-degree bows.
First time getting treated like this... no idea how to respond.
Unable to handle their gazes, I ducked slightly behind Cheon Yura.
I could feel my ears drooping flat.
Once we were seated in the private room guided by the staff, I finally relaxed.
...Phew, that was intimidating.
Money talks, but... it's kinda weird. Gotta get used to it slowly.
Cheon Yura glanced at me slyly, then slid the menu my way.
"Order whatever you want. It's on me."
"Hm..."
I scanned the menu slowly.
But all the dish names were unfamiliar, and crucially, no prices were listed.
...Wait, is this a buffet?
"I'm not familiar with places like this... no clue what to order."
As I closed the menu and glanced away, Cheon Yura let out a chuckle.
"Really? How about the meat course then? Their meat's pretty good."
"Meat? Sounds great!"
Meat's always a safe bet at minimum.
After ordering, soon side dishes and premium Hanwoo beef that screamed "expensive" arrived on the tabletop grill.
Sizzle.
The sound of grilling meat and the savory aroma of fat filled the room.
"There, all done. Dig in."
The staff had grilled it perfectly, and Cheon Yura placed a piece on my plate.
I popped it into my mouth with sparkling eyes.
"......!"
Juices burst in my mouth, melting away like cotton candy.
"Whoa... this is so good!"
I widened my eyes and clamped my twitching ears down with both hands.
So this is what expensive meat tastes like.
Flap, flap.
Shocked by the flavor, my tail slipped my control, thrashing wildly inside my pants.
Cheon Yura quietly watched Baek Arang munch away happily, cheeks puffed with meat, a soft smile spreading on her lips.
'What an oddly charming kid.'
Unlike Cha Eunwol's flashy type, she didn't flaunt her wealth despite earning plenty, and she didn't demand anything.
With her skills alone, she could rake in massive benefits, yet she didn't exploit it.
Not greedy, but not overly restrained either.
What was it... she seemed untouched by society's grime.
Just watching her made a smile slip out naturally.
It pricked her conscience a bit to ask a personal favor of such a kid, but... no choice.
Cheon Yura cautiously broached the main topic.
"Um, Arang..."
"Yeah?"
"Could you... maybe bake some bread for our guild too?"
Even after saying it, her heart pounded wildly.
The thought of possible rejection flashed through her mind, making her hands sweat—had she been too hasty?
'Driving me crazy... how long have I even known her to be like this?'
Baek Arang paused mid-chew and looked at Cheon Yura.
Gulp.
Swallowing her meat, she nodded.
"Sure, I'll bake some for you."
"......Huh?"
Cheon Yura blinked in shock at how readily Baek Arang accepted—she was the one flustered now.
"I-Is it really okay to decide that so lightly?"
"What's to think about? I'm getting paid for it, and..."
"......"
"I haven't known you long, Guild Master Cheon Yura, but you don't seem like a bad person."
Cheon Yura froze, chopsticks halted mid-air, staring at Baek Arang.
Not a bad person.
That casual remark rippled strangely through a corner of her heart.