“Hello? Oh, Kang. Chang. Soo, Hunter?”
– Yes, Commander Dok. This is me. I’m calling because I’ve finished patrolling the Sangwon intersection area.
Jong-sik answered the phone confidently, while the fancy-looking woman sniffed in disbelief. Then she glanced at Jong-sik as if to say, “What kind of trick is this?” Yes, let’s see how long you can keep up that look.
“Oh, what a nuisance….”
“Ah, I see. Everything alright?”
Jong-sik’s loud voice drowned out the woman’s voice.
– All clear here. Commander Dok, are you still on patrol?
“No, I’ve also finished patrolling. No special incidents in this area either. Oh, wait. There was a minor issue.”
Using the tiger’s authority to flaunt oneself like a fox.
The fancy-looking woman was no different from a fox. Then what would happen if a tiger appeared before the fox?
Jong-sik smirked at the fancy-looking woman.
– A minor issue?
“Hunter Kang. Do you know the Morak Morak Cafe across from the Okgeo Jokbal restaurant at the intersection?”
While facing the fancy-looking woman, Jong-sik continued the conversation.
Upon hearing this, the fancy-looking woman felt a sudden unease. From Jong-sik’s casual demeanor during the call, she felt a hint of doubt. Moreover, his self-assured attitude was also irritating.
– Yes, I know it. What’s happening over there?
“It’s because the wife of Hunter Kang’s brother is causing a disturbance.”
– Hmm. You mean my brother?
“Yes.”
-I’m his half-brother? Are you sure about what you’re saying?
“Are you? That’s odd. This woman claims her husband is Hunter Kang’s younger brother. Oh, wait, is it not? She said something about being a brother’s wife. Anyway, that’s the situation.”
– You mentioned the Morak Morak Cafe, right? I’ll head over there immediately.
“Take your time. Let’s have a coffee together.”
Jong-sik hung up the phone shortly after.
He muttered as he looked at the fancy-looking woman.
“So, your husband’s older brother, Kang Chang-soo, the Hunter, is coming here”
“…!”
“Why are you so surprised? I told you. Kang Chang-soo, the Hunter, and I have quite a connection too. So let’s see if you can behave like that even in front of a big shot like him.”
Contempt, suspicion, fear. The fancy-looking woman felt a mix of emotions. She had dismissed it as bluffing, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. In that case, she needed to hurry and get out of here.
‘I can’t afford to meet my husband!’
“Bluffing? Hah! Didn’t need to deal with such low-class people. What a waste of time.”
“Waaah!”
“Son, let’s go. We don’t need to be here.”
The fancy-looking woman tried to leave, holding her son’s hand. The flustered child represented her current state of mind. She must be feeling uneasy. But she had to take responsibility for her actions. Jong-sik blocked her way.
“You can’t leave. You have to wait for your husband to arrive.”
“What are you doing? Get out of the way!”
“No, I won’t.”
“Hey, everyone, look here! Huh? A grown man is pressuring a child and a woman!”
A few customers looked at her with indifferent expressions.
After all the bullying and abuse, now she’s pretending to be a victim. It’s not even funny.
“It seems like you’ve forgotten your actions.”
“That’s right. And why is this woman even here? She’s been pressuring the owner a while ago too.”
Whispering customers. It was a private conversation, but everyone could hear it. The fancy-looking woman, with a determined expression, said:
“Huh, you’re all in this together, aren’t you? Just watch. I’ll take legal action against all of you! Move, move out of the way!”
Then she started pushing Jong-sik recklessly. Of course, Jong-sik wasn’t going to be pushed around.
“If you want to leave so badly, apologize properly to the cafe owner here.”
“Why should I! Get out of the way! This is coercion and imprisonment!”
“Apologize properly.”
“Scream!”
Customers were staring, the child was crying, Haeli was watching the child warily, and the cafe owner was holding his head. It was chaos just five minutes ago.
And then, at that moment…
Ding!
Hunter Kang Chang-soo entered the store. He arrived much earlier than expected. He found Jong-sik.
“Chief.”
“Chief?”
At the same time, the fancy-looking woman muttered in surprise. A Chief? What kind of situation was this?
“you’re here? You arrived at a good time. This is the person who is supposed to be the wife of your younger brother. Do you know her?”
With a puzzled expression, Jong-sik pointed to the fancy-looking woman and asked.
“Well… I don’t think I’ve seen her before. Is this person supposed to be my brother’s wife?”
“According to herself. She caused quite a scene with the cafe owner. I thought my brother had an amazing wife. But since you don’t seem to know her, it’s a relief.”
Before Jong-sik finished speaking, the fancy-looking woman opened her mouth. Her attitude was noticeably different from before.
“Oh, no. There seems to be a misunderstanding. Mr. Kang Chang-soo Hunter, I…”
The fancy-looking woman tried to grab Kang Chang-soo’s arm. But Kang Chang-soo had no intention of listening to her.
Why would he listen to someone who sells out their name to flaunt their status?
Kang Chang-soo brushed off the fancy-looking woman’s hand and asked Jong-sik.
“Could you please explain what’s going on?”
Jong-sik explained the situation as he had heard and seen it. The cafe owner also stepped forward and added his remarks.
As the story continued, Kang Chang-soo Hunter’s expression darkened. Needless to say, the fancy-looking woman’s expression was no better. She looked like she was at her wit’s end, like a deer caught in headlights.
Eventually, as the explanation came to an end, the fancy-looking woman suddenly changed her attitude.
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll apologize. I’m really sorry. I must have lost my mind for a moment. I’m truly sorry.”
It was an apology that seemed like it would never come. That’s how desperate she seemed.
“There, you should apologize there too.”
If her husband and Kang Chang-soo Hunter were to come face to face in this situation? It would be a terrible disaster.
So, as Jong-sik suggested, the fancy-looking woman rushed to the cafe owner and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted like that. When I saw my son’s upset face, I lost control for a moment. So, I made a mistake with the owner. I’m really sorry.”
However, all her efforts were in vain.
Because her husband had arrived. He swung open the cafe door and shouted.
“Hyun-ah! I’m here! Who dares to touch our wife and son? Huh? Who is it?!”
“…Kim Seok-ho. Was it you? Kang Chang-soo’s brother’s wife?”
Flames flickered in Kang Chang-soo Hunter’s eyes. He wouldn’t have been this angry if it were someone he didn’t know.
The fancy-looking woman’s husband was a hunter affiliated with the same guild as Kang Chang-soo Hunter.
“Isn’t it Chief Kang? What’s happening here?”
Unexpected encounters make people bewildered. The fancy-looking woman’s husband frowned.
“Your wife came here and caused trouble at our local cafe, selling my name.”
“What? What are you talking about? Bullying? Hyun-ah? That’s impossible. My wife would never do that. Right now, someone attacked my wife…”
“Attack? For an attack, she looks pretty unharmed, doesn’t she?”
At Kang Chang-soo Hunter’s words, the husband looked around. His wife was crying, saying, “Honey, what should we do?”
“Hyun-ah. Bullying? What is all this?”
The fancy-looking woman lowered her head at her husband’s words. Even without saying anything, it was clear. His wife caused the accident!
“How did the household management become so lax that it led me to come to a place like this?”
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll fix it. I’ll compensate for all the damage to the store.”
“Of course you will. I’m not just going to let this go today. I plan to report it to the HR department as soon as I get to work tomorrow.”
At that, the husband pleaded, not just pleaded.
“Chief Kang. Please. You know I’m up for promotion this time. But if the ethics committee convenes now…”
“You’ll be demoted. But you’ll have to bear it, won’t you? Maybe it’s for the best. If you get promoted, won’t bullying become even worse?”
“Oh, no! It’s my fault. My husband didn’t do anything wrong.”
The fancy-looking woman cried out belatedly, but it was already too late. That’s why they say, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” In the end, she reaped what she had sown.
***
The closing time for Cafe ‘Morak Morak’ was usually 2 a.m.
But today, the lights of the signboard were turned off two hours earlier than usual.
The cafe owner, Hong Ye-jin, locked the door with a tired face.
Three years into the self-employment journey. Despite encountering all sorts of troublemakers over the years, she still hadn’t developed immunity to them.
It was consistently exhausting and challenging.
Especially today, despite miraculously receiving an apology from the troublemaker, her wounded heart didn’t easily heal.
Is it enough to apologize after stabbing someone with a knife? That’s the feeling.
Anyway, for that reason, Hong Ye-jin decided to leave work early. Fortunately, there were no customers at that time.
“Let’s go home, have a can of beer, forget everything, and get some rest.”
Early departure, a refreshing shower, a cold beer in a warm room, and a nicely grilled hairtail fish.
That should be enough to wash away the humiliation she felt today.
She hastened her steps towards home.
And then, she ran into Jong-sik on patrol.
“Are you going home now?”
At Jong-sik’s question, Ye-jin nodded.
“Yes. I closed early because I’m not feeling well. Oh, I was going to ask you something.”
“…?”
“Chief Dok. Were you on your way to our cafe? If so, I’ll open the door again.”
It was sincere. It was Dok Jong-sik, after all. She wanted to repay his kindness, even if it meant doing so.
But Jong-sik waved his hand and said, “That’s not necessary. I’m on neighborhood patrol. This intersection is in my jurisdiction.”
“Oh, patrol… I’ve been meaning to thank you regardless, Chief Dok.”
Ye-jin nodded her head respectfully.
Jong-sik recalled what had happened earlier in the morning.
“Is this about what happened earlier? You’ve already thanked me so many times. There’s no need to do it again.”
“Of course, I’m grateful for that too, but the greeting I just gave you is for something else.”
“What?”
“Usually, when I close the shop and leave, it’s around 2:30 in the morning. At that time, the streets are usually deserted except for drunkards. So, the walk home was always scary for me.”
Ye-jin glanced around. She could see a few patrol officers like Jong-sik and some burly figures.
“Not too long ago, I started feeling safer walking home at that hour. There are patrol officers on the streets that used to be empty, and there are also members of the ‘Poison Toad’ organization over there. But this is all thanks to you, Chief Dok. So, I wanted to express my gratitude.”
“Me again. Didn’t you also pay protection money?”
“Is there anyone among the shopkeepers in Sangwon-dong who hasn’t paid protection money? Of course, I paid.”
“They’re getting protection money from those guys over there and patrolling. So, you don’t need to thank me.”
“Well, that’s not the point.”
“Anyway, make good use of the protection money you’ve paid so far. Are you heading home now?”
Ye-jin nodded. Jong-sik called over one of the burly figures nearby. He was a member of the ‘Poison Toad’ organization.
“Chief Dok! Do you need anything?”
“I need you to escort the cafe owner on her way home.”
At his words, Ye-jin quickly waved her hands.
“Huh? Me? I can go alone. Plus, it’s not even midnight yet. What? This is almost like daytime!”
“Daytime, what? Don’t say that and just come with me. There’s been a lot of ominous news lately. I’d like to escort you myself, but my patrol in the assigned area isn’t finished yet.”
“…Um, okay.”
In an instant, the burly figure stepped forward. He was quite perceptive.
“I’ll safely escort you home!”
***
One hour ago from now.
There was a suspicious group that stepped foot in Sangwon-dong.
“Sangwon-dong, 2-1. Is that the right house?”
“Yeah. What should we do? Wait in front of the cafe? Or should we go inside the house?”
“It’s freezing out here. What’s the point of waiting outside? Anyway, there’s no one at home. Let’s go in and have some fun while we’re at it.”
“Hehe. I’m already drooling.”
The organization called them hunters. Their job was to hunt down manpower for drug packaging.
Their prey was mainly vagrants and debtors to the organization. But not today.
“But aren’t you curious about her expression? If she finds out that our friend spilled information to us….”
“Man, just thinking about it is so funny. Hey, shut up, all of you. I’ll tell you.”
“Then I get to watch the fun first.”
“Well, whatever.”
Today’s target is an ordinary person. Someone with no connection to the organization.
Yet the hunters had various information about the target.
From the target’s home address to the door lock password, and even the target’s workplace and lifestyle patterns.
The informant was a catch they had made before.
They called him a ten-year friend of the target.
The caught prey readily sold out his friend’s information to avoid beating.
How would the target react when they hear this fact? The hunters were very excited.
It was a different feeling from catching vagrants or debtors.
With a cruel smile, they entered the target’s house. Now, all that was left was to wait.
