Chapter 20.2

Chapter 20.2

“Well, if that’s not the case, then just take the gift and repay it. Buy more from her next time, or bring in more customers. Isn’t that what goblins are good at?”

The task that once seemed so difficult and burdensome suddenly felt simple and logical when she said it, even though she was being absurd.

Before Seok-kyung could even process this strange realization, the shopkeeper emerged from the storeroom.

“Sorry to keep you waiting so long.”

She handed over two bottles, one of sesame oil and the other of perilla oil. “These should last you a good few months,” she said.

“Thank you so much, Grandma. We’ll enjoy them,” Ara said, beaming.

“Enjoy them, and come back soon. I think of you two like my own grandchildren, so I’d love to see you often,” the grandmother replied with a warm smile.

“Of course. We’ll be back. Take care of yourself,” Ara replied as they left the shop, the warmth of the elderly woman’s blessing lingering in the air.

Ara quickly stepped in front of Seok-kyung as he reached for his wallet, smoothly taking over the conversation with the shopkeeper and paying for their groceries. The generous allowance Seol-do had given her made it possible.

“Let’s go, darling,” she said with a grin.

In the end, Seok-kyung was left standing awkwardly, holding the heavy bags in each hand, while Ara clung to his arm, still playing the part of the newlywed wife.

They walked a bit further, passing beyond the shopkeeper’s sight. As soon as they were out of view, Ara let go of Seok-kyung’s arm, and he stopped in his tracks.

“Give it to me,” Ara demanded, extending her hand.

“What?” Seok-kyung asked, feigning ignorance.

“That. Isn’t that what you were doing all this for?” Ara pointed at the bags he was carrying.

What does she think of me? Seok-kyung was about to protest but then shut his mouth.

‘What does she think? She clearly sees me as a particularly cold-hearted goblin.’

The retort was so obvious that he decided against it. Instead, he shifted the bags into one hand and pulled out his smartphone with the other. He tapped the screen several times before slipping the phone back into his pocket.

It wasn’t long before the area they had just passed through began to buzz with activity. The vegetable shop in particular, started to draw a crowd.

Ara, who had been watching him intently, finally clapped her hands in realization when she saw the growing number of people.

“Got it. You repaid the favor, right?”

“Unlike some people, I can’t be a debtor forever.” He said, referring to her.

“Seriously, with that mouth of yours…” Ara muttered as she followed Seok-kyung.

Just out of her sight, Seok-kyung’s indifferent face was touched with the faintest of smiles.

“Hey! Na Ara!”

A loud shout echoed from behind.

Ara jumped in surprise and instinctively shrank back. She turned toward the source of the sound, her gaze meeting the crowded market street now swarming with people.

Specifically… a group of thugs pushing their way through the crowd toward her.

Ara recognized them all too well. They were the same group of troublemakers who had been harassing her and handing her those waivers at the market.

“Hey! You little bitcH! Stand still while I’m talking to you, got it?”

Ara froze in place.

This is bad.

Ara’s face went pale in an instant as she stumbled backward. She only stopped when the heel of her white sneaker bumped into Seok-kyung’s polished shoe.

Seok-kyung glanced between Ara’s frightened face and the approaching thugs, then clicked his tongue in mild irritation before taking a deliberate step forward.

The late summer sun glinted over Seok-kyung’s shoulders, casting a solid shadow that shielded Ara from view.

“Mr. Kim Seok-kyung.”

Ara grabbed Seok-kyung’s sleeve tightly, positioning herself as a barrier between him and the thugs.

“Can you run fast?”

“I’m good at almost everything.”

Is he showing off even now?

Ara looked up at Seok-kyung with a bewildered expression, but her face soon turned anxious as she tilted her head slightly. Her terrified eyes darted to the thugs closing in from behind Seok-kyung.

The group of thugs drew nearer with every passing moment. As Seok-kyung blocked their view of Ara, the thugs’ previously casual pace seemed to quicken.

“Why do you ask about running?”

In contrast, Seok-kyung remained as composed as ever.

Ara, feeling desperate, tugged at his sleeve more urgently.

“Because we’re going to need to run now.”

“Run? Why?”

“Those guys are loan sharks coming after me… No, I’ll explain later! Just run! Quickly!”

Ara twisted her body and urgently pulled Seok-kyung along.