Chapter 9
Without looking back, Baek I-hae bolted toward Seo Do-gyeom’s room.
The first floor was too far, and the only person she could think of as remotely trustworthy in that moment was Seo Do-gyeom.
“Seo Do-gyeom! Save me!”
Chai Ryeong, who had been chasing after her, flinched at Baek I-hae’s cry.
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom, is intrigued by the supporting character’s booming voice.]
[Warning! You have escaped the life-threatening danger.]
‘I’m alive!’
Seo Do-gyeom must have heard her voice, as he opened the door and stepped out. At the same moment, a status window popped up, confirming she had escaped the threat to her life.
She had worried about dragging Seo Do-gyeom into danger with her, but thankfully, it was a stroke of luck amid the chaos.
“What’s wrong?”
Seo Do-gyeom glanced at Baek I-hae and Chai Ryeong in the hallway, his tone laced with confusion. There didn’t seem to be any obvious danger, so his question was only natural.
Baek I-hae opened her mouth, then hesitated.
‘She tried to kill me! But he wouldn’t believe me if I said that, would he? She’s prettier than me.’
It was a strange logic, but she knew Seo Do-gyeom had no trust in her whatsoever.
He didn’t even care about her, for that matter. That’s probably why the status window still referred to her as a “supporting character” instead of by her name.
“Hello, young master.”
Chai Ryeong approached slowly, flashing a picture-perfect smile as she greeted him.
Seo Do-gyeom nodded slightly in acknowledgment before turning his attention back to Baek I-hae.
“What scared you?”
“Huh?”
She had expected him to snap at her for causing a fuss over nothing, so his question caught her off guard.
Baek I-hae, still gaping, stole a glance at Chai Ryeong before slowly shaking her head.
“It’s nothing. I… I’m sorry. I thought I saw a huge cockroach, but I must’ve been mistaken.”
“You screamed that desperately over a bug?”
“I really hate bugs…”
She forced an awkward smile, feeling Chai Ryeong’s piercing gaze fixed on her. It was the calm, observant look of someone leisurely studying her every move.
The chill it sent down her spine made her shudder, and Seo Do-gyeom, who had been watching her for a moment, stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“The dining room. I was about to come get you anyway.”
Whether by intention or coincidence, Seo Do-gyeom stood between Baek I-hae and Chai Ryeong.
He was a prospective gangster himself, someone she should be wary of, so why did his presence behind her make her feel safe?
“Yeah, let’s go together.”
Baek I-hae let out a sigh of relief as she answered. She remembered scoffing when Seo Do-gyeom had once come to fetch her, warning her about danger. But in this moment, she understood what he meant.
‘He might not suspect Chai Ryeong specifically, but he must’ve judged that someone else could be a threat.’
Even if she was here as Seo I-heum’s guest, this was a place filled with dangerous people.
Baek I-hae’s face fell, a fresh realization of just how terrifying this place was.
‘I want to get out of here.’
No, if possible, she wanted to return to her original world.
Unlike her usual self, she trudged along listlessly. She could feel Seo Do-gyeom’s gaze but didn’t react.
As always, Seo I-heum was already in the dining room when they arrived. Baek I-hae, lost in her thoughts as she followed Seo Do-gyeom, didn’t even notice she had sat in Seo-yeol’s seat.
Seo-yeol arrived soon after, fuming and pointing an accusatory finger at her.
“Hey, you broke pumpkin! Why are you in my seat? Your seat’s over there!”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
Baek I-hae, who had been staring at the floor, finally registered the situation. She mumbled an apology, still in a daze.
She didn’t even notice Seo-yeol’s surprised expression at her uncharacteristic response.
“It’s fine. Stay there.”
It was Seo Do-gyeom who stopped Baek I-hae as she listlessly rose to switch seats.
Grabbing her wrist and sitting her back down, he turned to the flustered Seo-yeol.
“Yeol-i, you sit on the other side today.”
“What? But the seat next to you is my seat!”
“…”
Seo Do-gyeom didn’t repeat himself, merely glancing at Seo-yeol with a quiet intensity. Under that unspoken pressure, Seo-yeol puffed out his cheeks but silently moved to the other side.
Seo I-heum, who had been watching the swapped seats and the unfolding scene with interest, looked at Baek I-hae. Her face remained blank, lost in thought.
“…”
“…”
The dining room was unusually quiet lately.
Since Baek I-hae’s arrival, her chattering had ensured there was never a moment of silence.
But now, the familiar quiet felt unbearably awkward. Even young Seo-yeol sensed something was off, stealing glances at Baek I-hae as he ate.
Baek I-hae picked at her food before setting her chopsticks down. Still, she stayed at the table until the others finished their meal.
“You can leave first.”
Seo I-heum stood up, unaware that he was even concerned about Baek I-hae.
He wondered if she was watching him warily.
Maybe if he left first, she’d follow suit. Or maybe not—usually, around this time, she’d approach him with some strange prank.
“…?”
But even as he left the dining room, Baek I-hae didn’t budge from her chair.
Seo I-heum, expecting some kind of playful ambush, felt an odd emptiness when it didn’t come. He glanced back, but her mischievous eyes, which usually chased after him, didn’t meet his.
Seo I-heum left the room, brushing off the strange feeling that lingered.
“Get up.”
As soon as Seo I-heum was gone, Seo Do-gyeom stood, as if he’d been waiting, and spoke to Baek I-hae.
Like a broken machine, Baek I-hae rose from her seat in a daze and followed him. Seo-yeol, who would usually go his own way, trailed behind her like a puppy.
“What’s with you, Rag Pumpkin? Are you sick or something? Don’t be a nuisance—go to the hospital if you’re unwell!” Seo-yeol snapped.
His words stung, laced with a cruelty meant to provoke a reaction from Baek I-hae. But she gave none.
Instead, Seo Do-gyeom called out to his younger brother in a chiding tone.
“Yeol-i.”
“But because of her, mealtime today was a complete mess!”
“It’s no different from how things were before Baek I-hae came.”
The truth was, she’d been far too lively for someone so out of place in their world. All because of one person’s presence.
As the three of them rode the elevator to the third floor, alone in that confined space, Baek I-hae could no longer hold back the tears she’d been suppressing. They burst forth.
“Hnngh.”
Sobbing like a fool, sniffing loudly, she caught Seo Do-gyeom’s attention as he turned to look at her. Seo-yeol’s face twisted in disgust.
“Hey, Rag Pumpkin! Why are you crying?! Did someone mess with you? You didn’t cry when I messed with you!”
“I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”
“I don’t want you here either! Hurry up and leave!”
“But I can’t leave. I want to, but I can’t…”
Seo-yeol, ready to fire back as usual, faltered at her words, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.
Even he knew that Baek I-hae was staying here because she’d lost her parents.
To the two brothers, who didn’t know the full story, Baek I-hae was just a pitiful person who had been holding back her grief until it finally spilled over.
“Hyung, what do we do?” Seo-yeol asked awkwardly, turning to Seo Do-gyeom for help.
He didn’t want to comfort her himself, but he couldn’t just ignore her either. Seo Do-gyeom let out a sigh and approached her slowly.
He placed a hand on the crown of Baek I-hae’s head, where she stood sobbing, and gave it a gentle pat.
“Your home is here now. If something’s scaring you, tell me. I’ll take care of it.”
Baek I-hae’s tear-soaked eyes turned toward him. Her smiling face had always stirred something in him, but seeing her cry now made his stomach churn in a way he couldn’t explain.
Seo Do-gyeom couldn’t make sense of the strange feeling that washed over him every time he looked at her.
“You don’t know anything either. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“You haven’t even tried telling me.”
Baek I-hae pressed her lips shut tightly. Seeing this, Seo Do-gyeom’s mind raced.
Could it be that, despite Seo I-heum’s warnings, someone had tried to harm Baek I-hae?
He considered calling Old Man Oh and rounding everyone up to interrogate them, maybe even resort to torture to extract a confession. But then Baek I-hae grabbed the edge of his sleeve.
“…Will you really take care of it?”
“…”
Seo Do-gyeom had never cared much for small animals, but Baek I-hae, who seemed so fragile in that moment, reminded him of one.
With her red, teary eyes, she looked a bit like a rabbit, or maybe a hamster, given how she always ate so much, as if storing food for later.
“Yeah.”
He didn’t know what it felt like to find something cute, but he did feel a urge to protect her.
It was probably just pity for something weak.
Unaware of his thoughts, Baek I-hae seemed to find his response enough. She blinked her eyes, let out a relieved breath, and then smiled—a foolish, unguarded smile.
Truly foolish.
And yet, it was a smile he found strangely hard to look away from.
