The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Chapter 198

A sudden silence fell over the small food cart.

The children and I sat quietly, munching on fish-shaped bread while our eyes darted nervously.

"Grandma, I'll take care of the cart. Please go inside and rest," Yoon Chae-rin said, glancing briefly at Jo Yoo-chan.

Jo Yoo-chan sneered, letting out a dry chuckle.

"Ah, what’s a hurt kid like you going to do with a cart? Just go inside and rest."

"It's fine. My friends promised to help today."

Chae-rin and her grandmother bickered lightly, each insisting the other should rest. Eventually, Chae-rin emerged victorious.

"Fine, then. Spend time with your friends," the grandmother relented.

"Hehe..."

Grandma stepped out of the food cart and, through the clear vinyl walls, gave us a warm, affectionate glance—one that only the elderly seem capable of.

"If the kids want anything, make sure to feed them well."

With those parting words, she disappeared into the distance, her figure fading beyond the alley.

The moment she was out of sight, Jo Yoo-chan spat out the fish-shaped bread he had been chewing.

"Ugh, this tastes disgusting, Chae-rin. What’s up with your grandma's cooking?"

"..."

Ah, so he came here to blow off steam too.

Unnerved by the tension in the air, I was at a loss for what to do, silently opening and closing my mouth. At that moment, Chae-rin nudged our backs.

"Guys, isn’t it time for you to head home?"

"Uh, well..."

We found ourselves gently but firmly pushed outside the cart. Jo Yoo-chan didn’t seem to care about our departure.

What should I do?

Leaving like this didn’t sit right with me—it felt wrong. I hovered nearby, hesitating, unable to bring myself to walk away from the scene.

And then I felt it—a warm, familiar gaze at the edge of the alley.

Looking up instinctively, I saw them—my family watching me.

Midsummer nodded encouragingly, while Jung Yuna raised her fists in a fighting gesture. The Guild Master and Choi Jin-hyuk stood with arms crossed, observing us calmly.

"Ah..."

They wanted me to stand my ground, to be brave.

It was true—I had been acting like a coward. The intimidating presence of a bully had kept me frozen, unable to speak.

But nothing changes if I stay scared.

At the very least, I had to face what was happening right in front of me.

Clenching my fists, I walked up to the vinyl entrance of the food cart and tapped on it.

"Excuse me..."

"Huh?"

Jo Yoo-chan turned to me, frowning deeply.

The memories of past encounters made my heart race, but I mustered my courage.

"You shouldn’t bully people..."

"What are you saying? Get lost!"

Smack!

Jo Yoo-chan slammed his hand against the vinyl covering, sending it flying into my face.

Saebyeok bared her teeth, growling low in her throat.

Worried she might leap at him, I quickly glanced her way, but Levinas acted faster.

"Don’t hit the King!"

Thud, thud, thud—

Levinas pounded his tiny fists against the vinyl, though his strength wasn’t enough to reach Jo Yoo-chan himself.

"You little—"

Jo Yoo-chan’s face twisted with irritation as he stepped outside the cart, looking much more menacing now.

"Leave my friends alone..."

"No."

He grabbed Levinas by the ear, pulling him upward without hesitation.

"Aaagh!"

"..."

But then, the man’s hand began to tremble. The hand that had risen as if to welcome his son instead swung sharply, striking Jo Yoo-chan across the face.

Smack!

"Ugh!"

The force of the slap whipped Jo Yoo-chan’s head to the side, blood spurting from his mouth.

"Whoa!"

Levinas flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. The Guild Master furrowed his brow deeply.

"Raising a hand in front of kids—what are you thinking?" the Guild Master said coldly.

"I apologize..."

The intimidating middle-aged man immediately bent at the waist in a deep bow, his demeanor now completely different. The Guild Master let out a heavy sigh.

"Your son tried to extort money from my kids. Followed them all the way here and even laid a hand on them."

"...I see."

A murderous glint appeared in the man’s eyes as he turned to look at Jo Yoo-chan, who now stood frozen in place, his head bowed low as if finally realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Do you see how scared my kids are?"

The Guild Master gestured toward us with his chin, drawing the man’s gaze to our group.

The sheer weight of his presence was overwhelming, infinitely more so than Jo Yoo-chan’s ever could be. My ears flattened, and my tail drooped under the pressure.

"I apologize. I will take full responsibility for this," the man said, his voice low and firm.

"Fine, for now..."

The Guild Master waved us off with a motion of his hand, signaling us to leave. Jung Yuna quickly ushered me, the children, and even Yoon Chae-rin away from the scene.

We didn’t look back.

***

"I'm sorry..."

I couldn’t help but feel that the situation had escalated because of me.

When I apologized to Jung Yuna, she gently patted my head.

"Why would this be your fault, Winter?"

"I just feel like everything got worse because of me..."

"Hey, don’t say things like that. This isn’t your fault, okay? They were the ones who started it."

With that, Jung Yuna pulled out a freshly made fish-shaped bread from her pocket. It was warm, its delicious aroma filling the air.

Before I could even respond, she placed the bread into my mouth.

"Eat this, and... what was your name again? Chae-rin?"

"Y-Yes?!"

Startled at hearing her name, Yoon Chae-rin flinched, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her gaze dropped to the ground.

"Thanks for looking out for the kids, even in such a tough situation."

"Oh, no, I didn’t do anything..."

"Didn’t do anything? You gave them fish-shaped bread and even tried to get them out of a scary situation."

"T-That’s just because... they were here to bother me in the first place..."

Yoon Chae-rin’s face flushed red as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, unable to meet anyone’s gaze.

"How should we repay you for that...?"

Jung Yuna hummed thoughtfully, crossing her arms as she pondered.

Suddenly, Levinas shot his hand into the air, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Levinas has a great idea!"

"You do? What is it?"

"Let’s sell fish-shaped bread at home!"

By "home," Levinas obviously meant the guild. In other words, he wanted the guild to start selling fish-shaped bread.

Clearly, this wasn’t about repaying anyone—it was just his desire to have unlimited access to the treat.

"Levinas, asking someone to sell fish-shaped bread as repayment is a bit much."

"Y-Yes, that’s way too much...!" Yoon Chae-rin stammered, shaking her hands in refusal.

"Huh?"

Levinas tilted his head, confused by their reactions.

The notion of “too much” wasn’t what I had meant, though. My own tail began wagging side to side, mirroring my confusion.

The swaying formed several question marks in the air, perfectly capturing my bewilderment.