Chapter 12
“But seriously, why were you even out here? Do you know how freaked out I was? The old man got hurt, and you should’ve been by his side.”
Seo-yeol had left, leaving just Seo Do-gyeom and Baek I-hae.
As if she’d been waiting for this moment, she turned her head and fired the question at him.
Her small mouth moved so quickly it was almost a marvel. Seo Do-gyeom, his face as impassive as ever, looked at her with a curious gaze before responding in his usual flat tone.
“You.”
“Huh?”
“You’re scared of being alone.”
What did that even mean?
Sure, she’d been clinging to Seo Do-gyeom’s shadow, terrified of some looming threat to her life.
But she hadn’t imagined that while she was locked in her room sleeping, he’d been standing guard outside.
Baek I-hae hesitated, then asked cautiously, “Wait, you’re not saying you’ve been doing this every night, are you?”
“No. I sleep too.”
He answered blankly, as if stating the obvious: I’m human, after all.
‘Almost fooled me into thinking he’s some selfless saint.’
Feeling awkward, Baek I-hae pursed her lips.
Embarrassed, she reached for the doorknob to head back to her room when he spoke again.
“Sometimes, though. Tonight, I thought Chae Ryeong might come after you since she’s on the run.”
She should have asked why Chae Ryeong was on the run, but the words wouldn’t come.
Instead, she found herself locked in his serious gaze, staring back as if entranced.
Maybe it was the whirlwind of confusing events swirling around her.
Seo Do-gyeom, standing there in the quiet of the early morning, was unknowingly prying open a door to her heart she hadn’t even realized was there.
The next morning, Baek I-hae rubbed her eyes as she stepped out of her room, a yawn escaping her lips.
“Yawn. Huh?”
She’d come out a bit earlier than usual, fully expecting to see Seo Do-gyeom waiting by the door as always.
Scratching her stomach, her messy hair contrasted with the frilly, princess-style dress she wore—a pale sky-blue nightgown she’d bought with Seo Do-gyeom during their department store trip.
Without hesitation, she padded toward his room, the hem of her dress fluttering like gentle waves.
“Seo Do-gyeom, you up? Time to go eat breakfast!”
No answer came from outside his door.
Despite his tough-guy persona, Seo I-heum was surprisingly domestic, insisting that the family eat breakfast and dinner together.
If you had a prior commitment, fine, but sleeping in and missing a meal would earn you a scolding.
Baek I-hae crossed her arms and tilted her head, her tousled hair sliding to one side.
‘I’m kinda curious what the old man looks like when he’s mad, but I don’t really want to see Do-gyeom get chewed out.’
Sighing deeply, she muttered to herself, ‘Guess big-sis Baek I-hae’s gotta take care of things. Ugh.’
It was an audacious comment, the kind that would’ve made Seo Do-gyeom scoff if he’d heard it.
“Hey, Seo Do-gyeom, I’m coming in, okay?”
Unlike her, Seo Do-gyeom didn’t lock his door. Why would he?
No one in this house would dare mess with him.
As she pushed the door open, a room as spacious as hers came into view.
She scanned the layout, which was similar to her own, and let out a small gasp of admiration.
‘Man, this place is bleak. Is this that minimalist lifestyle I’ve heard about?’
Her own room suddenly felt like a chaotic maximalist haven in comparison.
“Hey, Seo Do-gyeom,” she called out, feeling a bit awkward as she strode toward his bedroom.
Some might scold her for barging into a guy’s room so fearlessly, but to Baek I-hae,
Seo Do-gyeom wasn’t that kind of person.
He was the only one who triggered the status window, the undeniable male lead of this dating sim world. To her, he wasn’t just some rational being.
‘Even if I act all chummy like this, he’s got no reason to see me as anything special. Once the original heroine transfers in, he’ll fall for her, no question.’
Still, she felt a sense of familiarity with him, and her hope was to get comfortable enough to be like family or friends.
Seeing how well Seo Do-gyeom looked after Seo-yeol and didn’t hassle her, Baek I-hae figured he wasn’t such a heartless guy after all. At least for now.
Who knew how he’d change once he met the female protagonist?
‘It feels like he only got twisted after his father was killed… So, doesn’t that mean he has no reason to go astray now?’
Maybe he’d even have a normal romance with the heroine!
Baek I-hae felt a private swell of satisfaction at the thought before reconsidering.
‘I’ll just keep things friendly for now, but if I take a liking to that decent sub-male lead from the original story, maybe I’ll snatch him up midway.’
She couldn’t recall the details exactly, but she vaguely remembered he was a pretty good guy.
Now that she thought about it, he had some hidden identity too, didn’t he?
But her memory was foggy, like a mist had settled over her mind.
‘Is my memory just bad, or is the status window messing with me?’
Either way, her presence here probably wouldn’t change much.
“…”
Seo Do-gyeom was lying on his side in bed, fast asleep.
Though he hadn’t shown it, staying up until dawn guarding her door must’ve worn him out.
‘The protagonists are already set in stone. What’s the point of me being stuck in the body of a side character like Baek I-hae?’
She approached Seo Do-gyeom, kneeling in front of his sleeping face to study him closely.
Through his tousled hair, she could see his smooth skin and long eyelashes. For a gangster male lead, he looked surprisingly delicate.
“He’s stupidly good-looking. If only he weren’t a gangster.”
Muttering softly, she reached out and lightly tapped the tip of his nose. He didn’t even stir.
Maybe he was a heavier sleeper than she’d thought. Watching him sleep so peacefully, Baek I-hae felt drowsiness creeping in, as if it were contagious.
Yawning with her mouth slightly open, she blinked slowly, thinking to herself.
‘It’d be too cold to let him get in trouble alone.’
With that flimsy excuse, Baek I-hae quietly climbed onto the wide bed, stole his blanket to cover herself, curled up, and closed her eyes.
The steady sound of her breathing soon proved she’d fallen asleep.
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom feels a strange sense of domesticity.]
Right after, Seo Do-gyeom opened his eyes and looked at the sleeping girl.
“…”
This time, it was his turn to reach out.
His hand, brushing aside the strands of hair covering Baek I-hae’s face, was both indifferent and tender.
“They’ve been asleep this whole time? …In Seo Do-gyeom’s room, no less?”
When Seo Do-gyeom and Baek I-hae didn’t show up at the dining hall, Seo I-heum had sent Old Man Oh upstairs.
Hearing the report, he let out a wry chuckle of disbelief.
Seo-yeol, who’d come down to the dining hall early to avoid Baek I-hae, was equally stunned.
“They were sleeping so soundly, I just left them be. Should I wake them?” Old Man Oh asked.
“No, let them be. They’re probably exhausted from yesterday’s ordeal and didn’t sleep well,”
Seo I-heum replied, shaking his head as if he’d let it slide this time.
Seo-yeol, shocked by his response, shouted,
“Father! Are you just going to let them be? She’s definitely trying to seduce him so she can stay here forever! She’s a nobody, banking on her looks and acting all sly!”
“Hm.”
Sure, Seo-yeol teased her, calling her a pumpkin, but even he could see Baek I-hae was pretty.
Her bare face, with its delicate and gentle charm, drew eyes effortlessly. She’d probably grow even more beautiful as an adult.
Of course, he’d never let on that he thought so in front of her.
“If I-hae wants to stay, that’s fine by me. I was planning to have her engaged to Seo Do-gyeom anyway, so if it leads to marriage, all the better.”
“Father!”
“Lower your voice, Seo-yeol.”
Seo-yeol called out frantically at the unexpected response, only to be met with a cold reprimand.
He clamped his mouth shut, grinding his teeth in frustration.
‘I-hae? Did he just call her by her name? Damn it, why are both Dad and Hyung so soft on her? What’s so special about this Baek I-hae girl?!’
It was bad enough that she’d barged into their home out of nowhere, but it grated on him even more that his family seemed to care about her more than him.
The only one who should be doting on Seo Do-gyeom like a little brother was Seo-yeol, and no one—not even Baek I-hae—should have a claim to Seo I-heum’s affection!
‘It’s just a coincidence, but they must think we survived Chai Ryeong’s attack yesterday because of Baek I-hae. …Sure, like she said, Chai Ryeong was a bad person, but still!’
Admitting that much annoyed him, and he ate his meal with aggressive vigor.
Seo I-heum, watching him with an odd expression, spoke to Old Man Oh.
“Is he in his rebellious phase?”
“He’s at that age, after all. Best to keep a warm eye on him during times like this,”
Old Man Oh replied.
“Hm. Is that so? By the way, tell them to give Seo Do-gyeom another round of sex education. I mean, I-hae may be innocent, but if he’s like that too, what’s the point?”
Seo I-heum clicked his tongue, and Seo-yeol seemed not to have heard.
‘His fondness for the young lady has gone up since yesterday’s incident. He’s worrying about her, not the young master,’
Old Man Oh thought, the only one who caught the muttered remark. He gave an awkward smile at Baek I-hae’s growing presence.
The betrayal by Chai Ryeong, whom they’d taken in as a child, had left the organization members with somber faces or lost in thought.
Yet the atmosphere didn’t stay entirely gloomy, likely thanks to Baek I-hae.
‘She’s a little blessing, isn’t she?’
Old Man Oh, who’d been downcast by the sting of betrayal, smiled.
He couldn’t help but recall the angelic sight of Seo Do-gyeom and Baek I-hae earlier.
