Chapter 43
“Okay, everything is going according to plan.”
Baek I-hae turned her head toward Ye Eun-seol, who spoke as if thoroughly satisfied. Despite her incredulous gaze, he was wearing a pleased smile.
Under the blazing sun, the PE class was underway. Baek I-hae and Ye Eun-seol were sitting in a corner of the sports field.
The two of them were staring straight ahead, so intently that no one would guess they were in the middle of a conversation.
“What plan? You haven’t done anything.”
“Don’t say that; it hurts my feelings. Didn’t Seo Do-gyeom get jealous because of the bracelet I gave you?”
Baek I-hae’s eyebrows twitched. She turned her head again to glare at Ye Eun-seol, who was sitting two steps up on the stairs.
How could he be so shameless?
“Hey, hey, don’t look at me. Seo Do-gyeom’s eyes are shooting fire.”
Ye Eun-seol, still staring ahead, suddenly flinched in surprise and hurriedly waved his hand. The gesture, urging her to turn her head away, was laced with urgency.
She pursed her lips and turned her head forward, only to lock eyes with a pair of dark pupils.
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom feels an impulse to pluck out Baek I-hae’s eyes for a moment and make them see only him.]
They were measuring running times in order, and now it was Seo Do-gyeom’s turn.
Faced with the eerie status window popping up before her eyes, Baek I-hae quickly stood up from her spot and waved her arms energetically.
“Our Do-gyeom, you can do it! Fighting!”
What was a little embarrassment? Survival was what mattered.
Among the kids staring at her as if witnessing something bizarre, Ye Eun-seol’s gaze was mixed in.
He muttered in a small voice that only Baek I-hae could hear.
“You’re really putting in the effort…”
This kind of situation had happened a few times before, so Ye Eun-seol probably had a rough idea of what kind of status window had appeared.
Baek I-hae’s face flushed with embarrassment. Still, she had no regrets, and there was only one reason for that.
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom feels satisfaction at Baek I-hae’s cheering directed only at him.]
[Obsession level decreases by 3.]
The effect was just too good!
‘The obsession level that was at 35 is already down to 22. He definitely reacts when I treat him specially, differently from others.’
As she sat back down, Baek I-hae racked her brain furiously. Based on all the hardships she’d endured so far and the patterns she’d observed, Seo Do-gyeom liked being treated specially.
More precisely, receiving Baek I-hae’s attention seemed to ease his anxiety.
“How much did it drop?”
“3.”
“It’s more effective in the short term than I thought.”
Ye Eun-seol nodded in admiration.
He hadn’t believed her when she said that if she raised his trust level, he might not become as obsessive as in the original story.
But as the days went by and Seo Do-gyeom’s behavior changed noticeably, he seemed to have come around to the idea somewhat.
Thanks to that, he avoided approaching Baek I-hae more than necessary, so as not to provoke Seo Do-gyeom too much.
“Seeing you work so hard at this, it doesn’t seem like you’re just doing it out of fear. You actually like Seo Do-gyeom, don’t you?”
Ye Eun-seol whispered softly. Fortunately, the kids around them were busy talking among themselves and didn’t seem interested in the pair.
Baek I-hae closed her mouth for a moment, then soon nodded honestly. Her actions made it obvious anyway; there was no point in denying it to seem otherwise.
“Yeah. But that’s with the condition that he ends up with a healthy future. That’s why I haven’t been completely honest with Seo Do-gyeom yet.”
“Well, that’s true. Being a gangster from the start isn’t exactly healthy. Aren’t you scared living in that house? It’s full of men.”
“Old Man Oh gave them warnings, so… Some people just ignore me and pretend not to see, but as long as they don’t mess with me, I’m fine.”
In truth, aside from Old Man Oh, the other organization members’ reactions toward her fell into two categories.
Either they were indifferent to Baek I-hae, or they had complaints but were holding them in.
‘At first, the latter made me a bit anxious, but Old Man Oh said it’d be okay.’
Despite his bear-like appearance, Old Man Oh was quite perceptive. He’d noticed the atmosphere around her and her reactions, and he’d subtly given warnings.
‘Miss, there’s no one here bold enough to defy the boss’s orders. For all their size, they’ve got tiny livers.’
He’d chuckled heartily, saying that if anyone disobeyed the boss’s command, that day would be their funeral—and it had given her a slight chill.
Baek I-hae was reminded once again that they were gangsters.
“More than that, that status window thing seems really convenient. Being able to see someone’s inner thoughts or favorability right there… It’s like playing a real game.”
Ye Eun-seol fell silent, his mouth shut tight. In the unnecessarily long pause, Baek I-hae spoke without turning around.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking right now. The status window didn’t tell me. Though, it feels like it’s something insulting.”
“Oh, your guessing skills are pretty sharp, huh?”
Should I just create a marriage ending with Seo Do-gyeom?
Ye Eun-seol would have been horrified and told her to just curse instead if he knew what she was thinking, but Baek I-hae crossed her arms.
The sight of Seo Do-gyeom running across the sports field with his long legs moving was as beautiful as a painting.
“The status window doesn’t tell me my inner thoughts, but it does let me know when my hair is dyed…”
Ye Eun-seol trailed off, his tone suggesting a strange mood. Then he paused, crossing his arms and tilting his head.
She was observing his actions through the shadows when Ye Eun-seol spoke up.
“If we’re going to discuss things moving forward, texting or calling has its limits. What are you doing over summer break?”
“I don’t have any particular plans. Maybe going to the beach with Seo Do-gyeom’s group?”
“Then, want to do a part-time job?”
The out-of-the-blue suggestion made Baek I-hae blink slowly. Mistaking her reaction for confusion, Ye Eun-seol added,
“My dad recommended a company where I’m supposed to learn the ropes as the heir during the break. I could probably slot you in for some simple assistant work on a short-term basis. If you agree, I’ll ask my dad.”
It was a statement that suddenly made her realize anew that Ye Eun-seol was a chaebol second-generation. Come to think of it, in the game, the female protagonist was set as a rich family’s daughter too.
‘A confinement ending for such a female protagonist… Even for a game, isn’t that way too unrealistic?’
She let out a hollow laugh and propped her chin on her hand.
‘A part-time job…’
Honestly, it didn’t sound bad. Assuming she’d eventually have to break free from Seo I-heum’s protection and become independent, it would be good to prepare some money in advance.
Even if not, it could help solve urgent problems when they arose.
‘And since it’s recommended by Ye Eun-seol, there probably won’t be any major issues.’
Baek I-hae, who had planned to either study or work on her fitness during the break anyway, nodded readily.
It absolutely wasn’t because the part-time pay sounded enticing.
“Okay. Then, once the schedule is set, I’ll text you. If we talk briefly after work and you head home, Seo Do-gyeom probably won’t notice.”
“Yeah. Ah, Do-gyeom’s coming.”
No sooner had Baek I-hae finished speaking than Ye Eun-seol stood up and walked away to another spot.
She was watching him head toward the group of female students welcoming him, feeling a bit annoyed, when it happened.
A shadow fell over her. Seo Do-gyeom’s shadow covered only Baek I-hae.
“Where are you looking?”
It wasn’t a question laced with curiosity. The nuance was to focus on him, and Baek I-hae smiled.
“You ran well.”
Now quite adept at deflecting smoothly, Baek I-hae even clapped as she spoke. Seo Do-gyeom stared at Ye Eun-seol for a moment before gently taking her hand and leading her.
“I’m going to wash my face.”
“Huh? Yeah, you did sweat a lot…”
But why say that while pulling my hand?
Unable to voice the rest, Baek I-hae let herself be led by Seo Do-gyeom.
The place he took her to was a faucet tucked away in a corner of the sports field. Releasing the wrist he’d been holding, Seo Do-gyeom turned on the water.
His gaze lowered as he held his hands under the gushing stream. Wearing gym clothes and sweating, yet why did it look like a scene from a photoshoot?
Baek I-hae seriously wondered if she was wearing rose-tinted glasses, but objectively, Seo Do-gyeom was a handsome guy.
So, her fussing over him was only natural.
“Spacing out again.”
“Ah, seriously!”
Cold water droplets splashed onto Baek I-hae’s face. Caught off guard and unable to dodge, she frowned and turned her body, only to hear a low chuckle.
Mischievous. But seeing the usually well-behaved Seo Do-gyeom teasing the girl he liked, just like any other kid his age.
Somehow, it felt fresh and exciting, making her cheeks flush hot.
She was seriously contemplating whether she should wash her face too, pressing the back of her hand to her warm cheeks, when it happened.
A stream of water suddenly splashed across her back, leaving Baek I-hae dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“Ah, that was an accident.”
Seo Do-gyeom, who had meant to play a prank, seemed surprised by how strong the water came out, blinking his eyes.
Thanks to that, her white gym top got damp. At least it was the back that got wet, which was a small mercy!
“It’s gross! Do you want to die?”
“Sorry.”
His expression was utterly blank, not looking sorry at all, yet he said the words perfectly.
Baek I-hae was grinding her teeth, about to give him another earful, when.
“Whoa, that’s gross…!”
From behind came a small but piercing voice filled with disgust.
Turning her head, she saw Ye Eun-seol with a flustered expression, along with the female students.
Their gazes were directed at Baek I-hae’s back.
