Even A Tired Villain Has Circumstances

Chapter 3

I desperately wanted to ask him not to lock the door from the inside, as he had said to come back. Improving our relationship meant living together, but as someone who had intruded into Baek Woojin's body, I had no way of finding a new home at all.

'If I keep coming in and out of the house, I'll become a strange guy.'

Still, it was better to be a bit strange than to end up homeless, stabbed by my younger brother's knife.

"You finally came out."

As I slowly left the garden and opened the front door, a husky and low voice from the side made shivers crawl down my spine. The owner of that voice was a man towering over 190 centimeters, so tall that I had to tilt my head slightly to see his face.

'Why is he here?'

"Kang Gwonhoo?"

It was Kang Gwonhoo, the hidden leader of the evil guild that Baek Woojin had walked on with his own two feet, and the enemy of Baek Soohyuk. His solid body and exotic appearance like a foreign actor naturally imposed a sense of intimidation on people.

"It seems you've forgotten the promise we made. I was curious how late you'd be, so I waited."

Contrary to his very polite tone, his wide smile had no hint of kindness, making it even more terrifying.

"What... What promise did we make?"

Perhaps because the target was not Baek Soohyuk this time, the 'inferiority complex' and eighth-grade syndrome' didn't kick in. In other words, my awkward words came out unfiltered.

"I'm not a fan of jokes, you know."

Kang Gwonhoo's smile deepened. His face, which seemed like he would have lived lavishly even if he just breathed while working as an entertainer, sparkled even more brightly. However, I was simply terrified.

"Right? You remembered. We made a very important promise."

Sensing the danger, I decided to lie at least temporarily to avoid the situation.

"Instead of doing this here, should we go to a cafe and talk? We should have a very confidential conversation, so standing here feels a bit inappropriate."

First of all, the deserted alley around us was not ideal. It seemed more reassuring to go to a spacious and crowded cafe. Kang Gwonhoo glanced at me as if something was strange, then nodded.

"Since what you're doing is quite amusing, let's do as you say."

"Thank you."

While moving, I squeezed my brain and tried to gauge what situation I was in right now.

'Considering Kang Gwonhoo's attitude, trying to maintain at least a minimal courtesy, and the fact that I still have a choice of faction, their contact must be relatively recent.'

And Baek Soohyuk had mentioned that I would leave the house, so Baek Woojin must have some confidence in his whereabouts.

'Then, considering the timing and situation, could today's promise with Kang Gwonhoo be related to joining their guild? Kang Gwonhoo mentioned that he would meet new guild members when they join.'

If this assumption was correct, it was quite troublesome. I was in a situation where I had to create my own guild due to the quest. Joining someone else's guild would undoubtedly result in failure. Moreover, considering the quest about the harmonious stepbrothers, it wasn't a good idea to join a guild that had someone in direct opposition to Baek Soohyuk.

'Yes. I'll politely refuse to join the guild.'

Next, I needed to figure out how to reject the intimidating man's persuasion and, after that, how to move forward. However, I arrived at the cafe without finding any alternative solutions.

"So, Baek Woojin, did you think things through on the way here?"

Kang Gwonhoo smoothly opened the cafe door and asked me. Thanks to him, my head, which had been rolling like crazy until now, came to a temporary stop.

"What? No. I didn't think about anything."

"Is that so?"

Drawn in by Kang Gwonhoo's movements, I absentmindedly ordered a drink, and when I came to my senses, the payment was already settled. I ended up getting a drink even though I intended to refuse.

"Do you remember pleading to live with me?"

"Me? Yes?"

Surprised, I let out a sigh. It was bewildering to directly experience the things I had only read in the game settings.

"Yes. You said you wanted to join the guild I'm planning to create and stay at my place because you have to leave your house. I said I could provide a guild dormitory cheaply."

Even if I didn't want to live with Baek Soohyuk, making such a ridiculous request was another matter.

"At that time, I guess I wasn't very rational. If you could treat the guild joining as if it never happened, I would appreciate it."

I regained my composure and spoke as calmly as possible. If Baek Woojin had insisted on it so forcefully, rejecting him first wouldn't have been unwelcome on their side either.

"Well, we'll see."

What?

The strategy I chose was to "accept special quests but try to appear as incompetent as possible!"

Understanding Kang Gwonhoo completely was challenging, but based on the information I managed to extract, it seemed he liked strong and straightforward people while enjoying testing them. People who tried to cling to others and flaunt their weak and poor strength were detestable to him, but it appeared he had a penchant for manipulating and using them when they were by his side.

'So, if I act like I'm playing along while keeping my distance from this guy's radius, that should do it! There are guys scattered around here, waving their A-grade hunter business cards and being nuisances, but Kang Gwonhoo, you dislike those kinds of people, right? How about that? Interest dropping, huh?'

For a plan devised in a short amount of time, it was perfect.

"Listening to what you're saying, it sounds reasonable. So, I don't want to miss it even more."

It would have been a perfect plan if not for Kang Gwonhoo, who smirked and interlocked his fingers while wearing his ring.

"Yes...?"

"Does Mr. Baek Woojin think he's really good at acting?"

Interpreted, it meant, 'Your bad acting is so obvious, who are you trying to deceive?' Damn S-rank, damn Kang Gwonhoo!

"When did I ever say I acted?"

Even though I knew I was already in trouble and had no next plan, I decided to pretend to be arrogant forcefully. However, while crossing one leg and trying to appear nonchalant, I slipped a bit. It was a posture I rarely attempted, so it twisted.

"Tell me what the quest is. Depending on your answer, I might give up on running a business in my guild."

It was an intriguing proposal. Special quests related to Baek Soohyuk were difficult to disclose due to their uniqueness. However, aside from the strong penalty, the guild creation quest had the same conditions and content as others, making it less of a noteworthy subject for Kang Gwonhoo, despite its uniqueness.