Chapter 17
The principal, who had been watching the situation unfold, suddenly rushed out.
“Wait, hold on! It’s just a minor scuffle between kids. Why are you trying to escalate this?”
“Do you really think that? I thought it wasn’t just about the kids when you started bringing up job ranks.”
“…That’s absolutely not the case. I was just saying that Jeong-min’s father contributes to society.”
Despite being bundled up, her youthful appearance and voice peeked through.
Thanks to that, he thought he could calm her down and end the situation.
The principal, who had tried to quickly resolve the situation by leveraging the fact that Choi Jeong-min’s father was an A-Class Awakened One, was taken aback when Jeong Ha-yul stood her ground.
‘…Is she too young to understand the status an A-Class Awakened One holds in society?’
In this era where monsters and villains run rampant, heroes are undeniably important.
Among those heroes, A-Class ones are special, ranking within the top 5%.
Of course, they can’t compare to S-Class, but there are only five S-Class heroes in Korea.
For ordinary people, it’s safe to say they’ll never cross paths with them.
If the past Korea was a country of chaebols, the current Korea is a country of heroes.
“Do you know what could happen with just one call from me?”
“What could happen?”
“Beyond your imagination. I could make it so you can’t live in Korea… or make your entire family disappear without a trace.”
If he really wanted to, it might be possible… but it’s not that easy, and if he got caught, he’d face public backlash and be kicked out of the industry.
But Jeong Ha-yul is still a young girl.
He thought he could intimidate her just enough to get his way, so he overdid the threats…
But she didn’t seem scared at all.
To the point where even Choi Gang-cheol was flustered.
“So… what’s your name?”
“Choi Gang-cheol.”
“Gang-cheol. Nice name. Perfect for breaking.”
“What…?”
“Hey… guardians, please calm down…”
“Do I look calm to you? Look at this little girl acting out of line.”
Choi Gang-cheol, who had been acting composed, started to lose his temper as things didn’t go his way.
“Got anything else besides that cliché line?”
“…How dare you!”
Not satisfied, she even mocked him, prompting Choi Gang-cheol to start gathering his magic power to show her his true strength.
“Mr. Gang-cheol! This is getting out of hand. Please stop!”
As the situation escalated, the principal tried to intervene, but it was no use.
“I won’t stop until that girl kneels and apologizes to me!”
He even started using informal speech with the principal, who looked at least twenty years older, to assert his dominance.
An A-Class is still an A-Class.
Just by circulating his magic power, the energy emanating from him enveloped the entire principal’s office.
Of course, this was just for intimidation and show.
He had no intention of harming a civilian.
“You’re really making this big and complicated, huh? How kind of you.”
Her continued mockery was beyond belief.
“Alright! I’ll do as you say!”
“Wait a second.”
Just as he was about to exert a little more force, since mere intimidation wasn’t working…
“What? Are you scared now? But it’s too late. I want to show you that society isn’t so easy.”
“That’s why… society isn’t so easy. Just wait a second.”
Jeong Ha-yul rummaged through her pocket and pulled out her phone.
“Are you trying to show off your connections? It won’t work.”
“You’ll see, won’t you? Or are you scared?”
“…Fine, make the call. It’s just going to cause trouble for others because of you.”
“Thank you. Hi Bixby, call the bald guy from the Association.”
The bald guy from the Association? Choi Gang-cheol scoffed at the ridiculous name, but his expression gradually stiffened.
-Yes, this is Jeong Ho-min.
“Team Leader, do you know Choi Gang-cheol?”
-Yes, he’s an A-Class hero affiliated with our Association… Why do you ask?
The Korean Hero Association, directly under the Association President.
The head of the Hero Care Team. Jeong Ho-min.
Hearing the voice of someone known as a real power player, Choi Gang-cheol was flustered.
‘How does a kid like her know Team Leader Jeong…?’
The momentum he had built up slightly waned.
But Jeong Ha-yul’s call wasn’t over yet.
“He said he could make it so I can’t live in Korea, or make my family disappear without a trace?”
-…What? What are you talking about?
Jeong Ho-min couldn’t understand the situation.
Did an A-Class hero really say that to Demon King Jeong Ha-yul?
It was hard not to think that the Demon King, tired of using brute force, had decided to politically crush someone.
“He said society isn’t so easy and even flared up his magic power. Is that right?”
-First, let me apologize…
“No need, the person on the phone said they’d suffer because of me… I think I should be the one apologizing.”
He didn’t understand the situation or what Jeong Ha-yul was saying.
‘Isn’t it around the time Gyeoul’s entrance ceremony ended? Choi Gang-cheol also has a son… Could they have enrolled in the same school?’
Being a seasoned team leader, he quickly pieced together the answer.
-Sorry, but could you hand the phone to Choi Gang-cheol?
“Sir, would you like to take the call?”
“…”
Choi Gang-cheol, with a stiff face, took the phone Jeong Ha-yul handed him.
“I’ve handed over the phone.”
-Choi Gang-cheol… What are you doing? Apologize immediately.
“This is Choi Gang-cheol. Choi Gang-cheol. I don’t know how you know that girl, but are you really going to oppose me over her?”
They had eaten together a few times and occasionally met for work, so it was hard to understand why he was acting this way over a young girl’s phone call.
-…If you don’t apologize to the person in front of you right now, you’re going to have a hard time.
“…What? Are you serious? What’s that little girl got to do with it!”
-I’ve warned you. It’s best to stop now.
“Wow, you’re really full of yourself just because you’re close to the Association President. Do you think I don’t have connections? Let’s see.”
The adults, except for Choi Gang-cheol and Jeong Ha-yul, couldn’t understand what was happening.
“Principal… What’s going on?”
“Don’t ask me. Mr. Choi. I don’t know either…”
Meanwhile, Choi Jeong-min was busy munching on snacks.
Jeong Gyeoul…
Was preparing to run.
‘Damn it… I told you not to call me.’
Meanwhile, the call between Choi Gang-cheol and Team Leader Jeong Ho-min was heading toward disaster.
-I know the line you’re holding is the Vice Association President… But this is a fight you can’t win. Please stop.
Even though he has some personality issues, A-Class heroes are rare.
Jeong Ho-min, who didn’t want to lose such a valuable asset so pointlessly, pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.
“Can’t win? We’ll see about that. Everything that happens from now on is your responsibility. Be ready to step down.”
He roughly threw the phone, but Jeong Ha-yul caught it as if it were nothing.
“Hello?”
-I didn’t reveal your identity because it seemed you didn’t want to… But can’t we just let this go peacefully?
“That’s why it’s even more infuriating. That man thinks I’m a civilian, and that’s the problem. Why are you protecting him so much? Did you… take bribes from him or something?”
-…Please don’t even joke like that. I’d lose my head. Anyway, our team is on a helicopter, so please don’t cause any more trouble… I beg you.
“We’ll see.”
If he had heard this conversation, he would’ve realized something was wrong.
But Choi Gang-cheol was too busy calling his connection, the Vice Association President, to pay attention to Jeong Ha-yul.
-Hello.
“Vice President, it’s me, Choi Gang-cheol.”
-…I’m hanging up.
“Huh? What do you mean…?”
-Because of you, I’m about to suffer too. There’s a limit to repaying kindness with enmity.
“Is this because of Jeong Ho-min? He’s just a team leader under the Association President!”
-You think I’m doing this because of some team leader? You should’ve known who you were messing with!
He couldn’t understand why, after all the bribes and efforts he’d made, they were trying to cut him off.
“…I’m very disappointed with the Association today. I might just leave Korea, whether to the U.S. or Japan.”
-Then leave immediately. Don’t cause trouble for innocent people here.
Even after playing the strong card of threatening to emigrate, he was being pushed away, which only fueled his anger.
“Damn it! Who the hell is that girl that everyone’s freaking out over me?!”
-The Demon King.
“What’s a Demon King! Even if she’s a Demon King… Demon King?…20 years old…female…”
Only then did Choi Gang-cheol realize who he was dealing with.
‘Damn it, if she’s S-Class, she should act like it, flaring her magic power or something!’
His anger management issues instantly turned into anger management skills.
Hurriedly ending the call with the Vice President, Choi Gang-cheol called out to Jeong Ha-yul in a soft voice.
“Hey… Gyeoul’s guardian. Kids grow up by fighting, right? Jeong-min got hurt, but let’s just end it here, okay?”
“Honey! Can’t you see Jeong-min’s face is scratched? What are you talking about!”
“Shut up and sit down!”
“…What?”
Choi Gang-cheol’s wife couldn’t understand why her usually confident husband was suddenly acting this way.
“If you’re going to socially bury me and my family, you should at least make some calls.”
“I was ignorant earlier and spoke out of line. Please forgive me just this once, and I’ll make sure this never happens again…”
The principal and Choi Ye-na looked like their jaws might drop at any moment.
An A-Class Awakened One kneeling and apologizing to a 20-year-old girl.
It was a scene beyond their comprehension.
“Honey! What’s going on? Get up!”
“I said shut up! You too, bring the kid and kneel!”
At that moment.
The principal’s office door burst open, and men in suits rushed in.
“Who… who are you?”
“We’re from the Korean Hero Association’s enforcement division. We’ll need your cooperation.”
“The Hero Association?…Why are you here…”
Passing the stunned principal, the suited men lined up in front of Jeong Ha-yul.
“Hero Jeong Ha-yul. May we intervene?”
“An arrogant, reckless girl who knows nothing about the world—what authority does she have to stop you?”
“Then excuse us. Choi Gang-cheol, as of now, your hero license is revoked.”
Verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, using magic power on civilians, etc.
Considering what he’d done, the punishment seemed light.
Just as he was about to add a comment, feeling it was too lenient to just revoke his license, he saw Choi Gang-cheol’s eyes and smiled.
Those eyes that refused to accept the outcome.
Eyes that looked like they were about to cause trouble.
Sure enough.
“…I’m Choi Gang-cheol!”
In an instant, Choi Gang-cheol gathered his magic power and charged at Jeong Ha-yul.
Kwaaang—
A powerful magic-infused punch landed on Jeong Ha-yul’s face, producing a sound that shouldn’t be possible between humans.
“Hero Jeong Ha-yul!”
“…Now it’s self-defense, right? You all saw it?”
“Please don’t kill him…”
The energy Choi Gang-cheol had gathered paled in comparison to the ferocious energy now emanating.
“Brace yourselves.”
