Chapter 11
‘What’s that supposed to mean? What’s the Baek Young faction, and Chai Ryeong being their enforcer? And the boss of the Baek Young faction?’
Baek I-hae’s mind reeled in confusion, her mouth gaping like a fool before her face drained of color.
Chai Ryeong was a spy.
That meant she was likely either a member of a rival faction targeting Seo I-heum or some righteous figure tied to the police.
But if she were with the police, she wouldn’t have felt the urge to kill Baek I-hae on sight, so the latter was ruled out.
‘The conclusion is she’s a spy for a rival faction.’
And during her time as a spy, Chai Ryeong had also witnessed Baek I-hae’s odd behavior.
‘…In other words, she thinks her failure might be because of me?’
Damn it! Pretty lady, that’s not it!
Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? She’d been so focused on worrying that failing a side quest would make her the spy’s next target, she hadn’t anticipated that the process of completing the quest would get her noticed by the spy.
‘To think I missed that Chai Ryeong was a spy in the first place! If I hadn’t, there’s no way the boss of their faction would’ve noticed me!’
Was she spared because these gangsters were secretly pacifists? Or did they just lack the ability to catch her?
Screaming internally, Baek I-hae froze and stared at the status window.
The red warning window still hung ominously in the air.
[Warning!
The enforcer of the Baek Young faction, Chai Ryeong, has become aware of Baek I-hae’s existence.]
“An enforcer, that’s insane. So pure and beautiful, yet an enforcer… Lady, isn’t that gap a bit too much?”
If this were just a scene in a game, she’d have gone, ‘Mmm, delicious! Yum yum!’ and danced a jig.
But Baek I-hae felt an overwhelming craving for a cigarette she didn’t even smoke.
‘Should I sneak a peek at what’s going on outside? From the rewards Seo Do-gyeom and Seo-yeol got, it seems like they know something about this situation.’
Cautiously, Baek I-hae rose from her bed. The moment she opened the door and peeked out, she screamed at the sight of dark hair right in front of her.
“Kyaaa!”
“…”
Realizing it was Seo Do-gyeom only after her scream didn’t change the fact that she’d already shrieked.
“What’s wrong!? Pumpkin, what’s going on?!”
She locked eyes with Seo Do-gyeom, who stared at her with an expressionless face. Just then, a commotion erupted as several people thundered up the stairs.
Leading the group was Seo I-heum, blood streaming from his side.
“What’s going on?”
Despite the blood, his voice was eerily calm.
At Seo I-heum’s question, Baek I-hae gaped before blurting out in a panic, “It’s just… it sounded chaotic outside, so I came out, and Seo Do-gyeom was right there, so I got startled.”
“Seo Do-gyeom? You disappeared suddenly, and now you’re in front of Baek I-hae’s door… You little—”
Seo I-heum’s curious gaze at his son darkened into something menacing.
Even in his near-death state, he exuded a lethal aura that suggested he could easily kill someone—his own son, no less.
Baek I-hae, watching from the side, flinched in alarm, but Seo Do-gyeom remained utterly unfazed.
“I was just standing here.”
“It’s not polite to loiter outside a girl’s room at this hour.”
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom, fails to connect the term ‘girl’ with the supporting character.]
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom, belatedly realizes the situation with keen intuition.]
“Sorry.”
This guy, not even registering my gender but catching on to his mistake through sheer instinct.
Baek I-hae ground her teeth, glaring at him with a murderous look, tempted to smack him on the back of the head.
“Good heavens, boss! You’re still bleeding, why are you running around like that?! You refuse to go to the hospital and act all stubborn, but you’re going to get yourself killed!”
Old Man Oh, Seo I-heum’s ever-present aide, came rushing up the stairs in a panic.
In his massive hands, he held a first-aid kit that looked comically small, like a toy.
“Mister, you’re hurt?”
Only then did Baek I-hae fully grasp the situation. She bent down, wide-eyed, to inspect the wound at Seo I-heum’s side.
Neither Seo I-heum nor Seo Do-gyeom, who both flinched at her movement, registered in her mind.
“Look, Pumpkin, you startled Dad so much he moved, and now his wound’s worse. You gonna take responsibility if it reopens?”
Seo-yeol grumbled, shoving Baek I-hae’s face back with a surprisingly large palm for someone so short.
“Hey, I’m worried about him, and you’re giving me grief!”
“You’d help by not causing worry, Broke Pumpkin.”
Well, she had no comeback for that.
Truthfully, she hadn’t expected her scream to bring not only Seo I-heum but also Seo-yeol running.
For a fleeting moment, Baek I-hae wondered if she should feel touched.
Even in the midst of this, Old Man Oh diligently insisted on disinfecting the wound, telling Seo I-heum to take off his shirt.
Baek I-hae, assuming they’d go to a bedroom or downstairs for treatment, screamed again when Seo I-heum started peeling off his shirt right there.
“Mister! You’re the most impolite one here!”
“…?”
“No matter how innocently you bat those eyes or puff out that angry chest, it doesn’t work! Why are you stripping in front of an innocent girl!”
If you’re gonna strip, go all out and take everything off!
Unable to voice the rest of her thoughts, Baek I-hae covered her eyes with both hands and shouted as if scolding someone.
“Put on your coat, boss! Before the lady chews you out even more, pfft.”
“…Don’t laugh, Old Man Oh. I’ll rip your—”
“Rip?”
Noticing the rare hesitation in Seo I-heum’s words, Baek I-hae tilted her head in curiosity.
He was fastening his collar, his face suddenly contorting into a scowl.
“…Before I make you shut that mouth for good.”
“Pfft!”
Why was Old Man Oh laughing when Seo I-heum spoke with such a chilling expression?
His heart must have been leaping out of his ribcage. Or maybe he was just too dense to pick up on the icy edge in Seo I-heum’s demeanor.
As they started heading down to the first floor, Baek I-hae hurriedly grabbed the hem of Seo I-heum’s coat.
“Sir!”
Seo I-heum’s gaze flicked toward her.
“…You’re okay, right? You’re not going to die, are you?”
From what she could piece together, it seemed the situation had been mostly resolved.
According to the status window, it looked like they’d missed Chai Ryeong, though. Still, her unease drove her to ask him directly.
He’d rushed over out of concern for her, but it didn’t seem like he had any intention of giving her a detailed explanation.
Then, Seo I-heum’s large hand settled gently on top of her head.
“Yeah. Don’t worry, just go to sleep.”
It was a fleeting, almost careless pat, but it lingered just long enough to feel real.
It was the first time Seo I-heum had shown her any kind of physical affection, and her eyes widened in surprise. But those around her were even more shocked.
Clatter!
Old Man Oh dropped the first-aid kit on the floor, utterly stunned, while Seo-yeol rubbed his eyes furiously, as if doubting what he’d just seen.
“Okay. Good night, sir.”
For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw the hint of a smile on his face, but it must have been her imagination.
As she watched Seo I-heum and Old Man Oh walk away, a strange, almost enchanted feeling washed over her. Seo-yeol, meanwhile, was fuming.
“I knew I didn’t like you.”
So this was the reward for a -100 favorability rating.
Baek I-hae scratched her head, watching Seo-yeol storm off with an even deeper scowl than usual.
‘He’s jealous, isn’t he?’
What a kid, kind of cute.
Though, with a favorability score in the negatives, he wasn’t that cute.
