Episode 49. Giving Up Isn’t Just for Counting Cabbages (1)

At dawn the next day.

Thanks to the unsettling flood of loan sharks’ calls coming to an abrupt halt, Sodam was able to wake up to her alarm for the first time since possessing this body. Even as she booked and rode a Guide-exclusive taxi with trembling hands, she was shocked at how extravagantly she was living.

She didn’t even spare a glance at the 900-won convenience store rice ball. Instead, she went straight for a hot bar and an 1,800-won Jeonju Bibimbap rice ball. The sheer indulgence made her shudder.

If she continued doing nothing but Juyul’s Guiding for the next two years, she might even be able to afford an expensive bowl of gukbap for breakfast someday.

Thinking about the mountain of money ahead of her, she found herself accepting Juyul’s clinginess more gladly than usual.

However, there was one thing Sodam had overlooked.

The moment when everything is going smoothly is the most dangerous time.

“Are you… Guide Maeng Sodam?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. That’s me. Sodam, as in ‘bright’ and ‘beautiful’… but I suppose you don’t really care, haha…”

“No, no. It’s a good name. Did you come up with it yourself?”

It was a loaded question.

If her opponent had been a mere B-class Guide, she would have thrown caution to the wind and gone in swinging. But the nameplate on the desk was enough to make her throat lock up.

「Association President, Chae Jinmu」

Right after finishing Juyul’s Guiding session, Sodam had been dragged here by a B-class Guide who had been clearly waiting for the chance. Now, she was standing in the office of someone far above her pay grade.

Her body stiffened instinctively.

Baek Juyul, you bastard… If you were going to sign a contract, you should’ve gotten approval from the higher-ups first!

Clenching her fist behind her back where no one could see, Sodam swore that the name she had so gratefully saved as ‘Master’ in her phone yesterday would be changed to ‘Bastard’ by the end of the day.

She was this close to punching Juyul’s smug face for confidently telling her, “As long as I want you, the Association will accept it.”

Accept it? My ass. He probably just got a ‘Sure, whatever’ from them in person. Life must be great when you’re a goddamn “King of Kings,” huh?

Cursing Juyul in her head, Sodam forced a strained smile and replied,

“No, my parents named me. But I’m guessing that’s not really what you wanted to ask, is it?”

“…Right.”

The Association President cut to the chase.

“Guide Maeng Sodam, have you considered giving up the position of Esper Baek Juyul’s exclusive Guide?”

It was so expected that she didn’t even flinch.

This kind of scene didn’t just happen in web novels—it was a staple of morning dramas, for crying out loud. She had plenty of counterattacks prepared.

Tilting her head slightly, Sodam locked eyes with the Association President and spoke.

“How much are you offering?”

“…What?”

“Esper Baek Juyul already offered to clear my debt and even pays me extra for every Guiding session. On top of that, my contract has a termination penalty ten times the original amount. So at a minimum, you should be prepared to offer at least 12 billion won.”

“You… shameless brat…!”

Honestly, Sodam had mentally prepared herself to be cursed out.

Not because of some shaky sense of loyalty to Juyul—oh, no.

If the Association President was actually willing to match that very rational sum, she would gladly shake his hand and bow on the spot.

But with an attitude this lousy, it was clear that negotiations were doomed from the start.

With a loud bang, the furious Association President slammed his fist onto the mahogany desk.

“You think an F-class like you deserves to be by Juyul’s side? That contract never should have happened in the first place—for his sake! I’m giving you a chance to walk away, and you dare ask for 12 billion?!”

“13 billion.”

“W-What?”

“14 billion. And every time you add unnecessary comments, the price goes up. Believe it or not, I’m offering an extremely reasonable amount, President.”

Apparently, 15 billion was too much for him to handle, because the Association President finally clamped his mouth shut.

Sodam wasn’t sure if it was due to the money or if he was just too angry to speak, but frankly, she didn’t care.

She leaned back in her chair and gave a pointed smile.

“If you’re sitting here wasting time on me instead of dealing with Esper Baek Juyul directly, it means you can’t convince him either, President.”

Then, she let out a mocking sigh.

“And yet, instead of dealing with him yourself, you decide to dump this ‘problem’ onto a mere F-class Guide? If anyone here is shameless, I don’t think it’s me.”

“……Hah, seriously… Why the hell did Juyul choose such a crazy Guide…?”

“150 billion won. You know, I’m kind of curious about that myself. If you match the amount, I’ll do whatever you want. You could send me off to some remote island I’ve never even heard of, and I’d go without a fuss. But that’s only if that amount is deposited into my account first.”

Sodam spoke as if she feared nothing, her words smooth and unwavering. But, in reality, she was the one trembling the most.

It only took a few exchanges for her to realize that the real power in this room wasn’t the Association President—it was Baek Juyul, who wasn’t even present.

So, whatever happened from here, she decided to bet everything on him.

If the Association truly wanted her gone so badly that they were willing to pay 150 billion won, great.

If they threw in the towel and let her stay by Juyul’s side, that worked too.

Either way, there was nothing for her to lose.

Honestly, she was a little disappointed that she was the only one getting to enjoy this show—seeing just how ambitious the Association President really was.

Would he pay up? Or would he give up?

It all came down to a single word from him.

After letting out a long, frustrated sigh, the Association President gritted his teeth and spoke.

“…If you think you’re the only Guide who can handle Juyul, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“For the first time since this conversation started, you’ve said something correct.”

She flashed a sardonic smile.

“So? Are we calling this negotiation off?”

“Negotiation? Ha! If you want to sit at the same table as me, maybe try raising your rank first, F-class Guide Maeng Sodam.”

“Oh… Sure. I’ll try my best while leeching off Baek Juyul, sucking up all the benefits I can get.”

It was already clear that the conversation was ending, but since he had taken a jab at her, she simply threw one back.

That alone was enough to make the Association President’s face flush red, as if she had just delivered some grand insult.

She had a feeling that if she pushed him just a little more, he would explode.

But before she could witness that satisfying sight, she grabbed the doorknob, ready to make a quick exit.

That’s when a low warning reached her ears.

“Don’t think I’ll give up so easily, Guide Maeng Sodam.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you will. But between the two of us, one will have to surrender eventually. That’s inevitable.”

She didn’t know exactly what kind of retaliation the Association President was planning.

But she did know one thing—no matter what obstacles he threw at her, Juyul’s support would be enough to counteract them all.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Sodam let out a long sigh and slumped against the wall, rubbing her temples.

“…It’s not like I chose to be an F-class. Damn rank-based hierarchy…”

It wasn’t as if she had any control over her ability from birth—so what was she supposed to do?

She let out a weary breath, her mind drifting to the man sitting at the very top of this food chain.

According to the Association President’s logic, Juyul should be happier than anyone.

Yet, from where Sodam stood—both by his side and as someone who had seen the story’s outside perspective—he didn’t seem happy at all.

Despite how much the Association claimed to support him, they were blind to the suffering his so-called fate had forced upon him.

She didn’t even have time to fully process those thoughts before the first move in the Association President’s efforts to break her arrived.

“…So, you’re saying I have to accompany Baek Juyul on the subjugation mission? Why?”

“As his exclusive Guide, it’s your duty. You should have read the contract more carefully, Guide Maeng Sodam.”

“…Ah. Right. But why exactly am I hearing this at my front door?”

A man, dressed in luxurious clothes from head to toe, stood before the shabby entrance to her home.

His presence alone felt so dazzlingly out of place that she almost felt guilty for making him stand there.

The thought of scooping him up and placing him in a proper setting—like a hotel or a fine-dining restaurant—kept nagging at the back of her mind.

But she wasn’t too overwhelmed by that urge, because her curiosity about what had actually happened to bring him here was even stronger.

She could guess, of course.

But was the petty man she knew really bold enough to pull this crap on Juyul himself?

“…You got called into the Association President’s office too, right? So you must already know what’s going on.”

“Oh wow, wait—you’re telling me the President actually tried that with you too? That’s… surprisingly bold of him.”

“…Yeah, well. He’s that kind of person. But don’t worry about it. He always loses to me anyway.”

“Oooh, confident.”

She meant it as genuine admiration.

But apparently, Juyul took it the wrong way.

His expression twitched slightly—like something about her tone had rubbed him the wrong way.

Still, instead of snapping at her, he cleared his throat awkwardly and muttered,

“…Don’t take it too harshly. He’s just worried about me.”

“Oh, right. I suppose telling me, ‘How dare an F-class stand beside an SSS-class?’ could be one way of expressing concern.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them—too sharp, too mocking.

The moment she realized her mistake, she clamped her mouth shut.

She had expected Juyul to immediately get angry.

But instead, he just silently nodded.

“…He really was worried about me. I had a… bad experience with an F-class Guide before. He didn’t want me to be reminded of that.”

TL/N: The chapter title “포기는 배추 셀 때만 하는 게 아니다” plays on a common Korean saying, “포기는 배추 셀 때만 한다,” which means “The only time you give up is when counting cabbages.” This phrase is a pun, as “포기” can mean both “to give up” and “a unit of napa cabbage.” The title, however, reverses this idea by adding “아니다” (not), implying that sometimes giving up is necessary. This likely hints at a significant realization or decision within the chapter.