Chapter 36
Was it because they had exchanged phone numbers?
After visiting the nurse’s office, Ye Eun-seol hadn’t approached Baek I-hae more than necessary. Thanks to that, Seo Do-gyeom’s tension, which had been on edge as he kept an eye on her, seemed to have eased a bit.
She was definitely quick on the uptake. She must have judged that provoking Seo Do-gyeom wouldn’t bring her any benefits.
“Let’s go.”
Once class ended and it was time to head home, Seo Do-gyeom waited as a matter of course until Baek I-hae finished packing her things. It was the usual routine.
The only difference was that his changed appearance drew more stares than before, making things awkward. The gazes from the girls, including Jang Seul-gi, were particularly intense.
Baek I-hae let out a secret sigh, nodded, and walked alongside him.
Between the two of them, there were no special topics—just the same nutrient-lacking conversations as always.
If anything had changed from before, it was that whenever Baek I-hae spoke, Seo Do-gyeom would stare straight at her face.
It was embarrassing, to say the least.
“Seo Do-gyeom.”
“Yeah.”
“Look ahead a bit. You’re going to bore holes into my face.”
Baek I-hae said it playfully. It was embarrassing, but she was also worried about him not watching where he was going.
At her指摘, he closed his mouth for a moment and subtly furrowed his brows, as if displeased.
What was he sulking about now?
“Why do you call Ye Eun-seol by her first name, but use my full name with the surname?”
It was a muttered question, almost like he was talking to himself.
Baek I-hae pretended not to hear and didn’t respond. When the light changed, she stepped forward first, only for his long legs to close the distance in an instant from behind.
“Baek I-hae.”
“You call me with my surname too. You’re totally shameless.”
Seo Do-gyeom blinked slowly. Then his thoughtful expression carried a vibe of ‘now that I think about it, yeah?’ which annoyed her.
He didn’t reflect on his own behavior, yet he demanded things from others.
Character education was important, but so was teaching basic manners.
“If you want something, don’t act forceful—ask nicely. And always think about your own attitude first.”
“Yeah.”
“And I told you I hate violence. Don’t try to restrict my actions with force like you did at school.”
The first time is the hardest; if she allowed it once or twice, Seo Do-gyeom wouldn’t know where to draw the line. It was better to clearly express her dislike from the start.
At Baek I-hae’s firm words, Seo Do-gyeom nodded obediently. He didn’t seem to have realized his own fault; it was more like he was just complying because she told him not to.
Still, this was better than nothing, so Baek I-hae decided to lower her expectations of him a little.
“I-hae.”
At that moment, Seo Do-gyeom suddenly called her name. Seo I-heum sometimes called her I-hae-ya affectionately, but this felt different.
The two syllables of her name came out stiffly. At the call, Baek I-hae turned her head straight forward.
It was to avoid letting him see that her face had turned red.
“From now on, I’ll call you by your name. And I won’t try to overpower you with force if you don’t want me to.”
“Yeah. That’s just normal.”
“And you?”
“Huh?”
“You should call me by my name too.”
Why was he making such a cringeworthy request to be called by name? If there was a need to call him, she’d do it on her own.
Baek I-hae opened her mouth briefly, but feeling grateful that Seo Do-gyeom had complied with her wishes, she went along with it obediently.
“Do-gyeom-ah. There, happy?”
She tossed it out brusquely, like a favor, due to her embarrassment. Then, narrowing her eyes and deliberately glaring at him, she had no choice but to clamp her mouth shut.
It was the first time she’d seen Seo Do-gyeom smile right in front of her.
“……”
It was just a name. She’d only called him by name, yet he was acting like he’d gained the whole world—what was she supposed to do with that?
“……Let’s hurry up and go.”
Baek I-hae averted her gaze, grabbed Seo Do-gyeom’s arm, and walked forward. It was an unconscious action, but in her confused state of mind, she didn’t even realize it.
Seo Do-gyeom followed her, looking down at his arm where her small hand held on.
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom’s favorability increases by 10.]
[Seo Do-gyeom feels the arm touching Baek I-hae as hot as if burned by fire.]
The favorability, which had only been decreasing bit by bit, had suddenly risen sharply. And on top of that, he felt the touch like that.
It was awkward to let go of his arm at this timing, so she bowed her head deeply. She wished the status window wasn’t visible at all.
She felt like hiding in a mouse hole if one were available.
***
“You said you’d help with midterm studying?”
Seo I-heum asked.
As soon as they arrived home, Baek I-hae assigned Seo Do-gyeom a pile of homework, telling him to study, and then fled as if escaping.
The moment she changed into comfortable clothes, she hurried to the study where Seo I-heum was working.
Despite her sudden intrusion, he familiarly made space for her.
“A young master studying, of all things……”
Old Man Oh, who was bringing snacks to Baek I-hae, muttered with a face full of disbelief.
If he was saying that even with Seo I-heum present, then Seo Do-gyeom must have been quite distant from studying. Well, his grades certainly suggested as much.
“I’m not sure if that kid Do-gyeom will follow in your footsteps and become a gangster or not.”
In the household, Baek I-hae was the only one who liked sweet things. So, the snacks that always appeared must have been bought just for her.
Stretching her legs out straight and wiggling her toes, Baek I-hae scooped up a bite of cake. It was a sweet gesture of consideration.
“Even if he becomes a gangster, studying will help him make judgments without being swayed by others, and if he doesn’t, it’ll give him more options in life.”
Seo Do-gyeom and Seo-yeol were naturally expected to become gangsters. In a household that thought that way, Baek I-hae’s words might come across as somewhat presumptuous.
Seo I-heum gazed at her silently. Old Man Oh simply shut his mouth quietly and watched the situation.
“No one knows what the future holds. Do-gyeom and Yeol are good kids. I just hope they can choose better options.”
“Studying well doesn’t solve everything.”
“You’re right. If we’re being picky, money is the ultimate solution.”
There’s hardly anything that can’t be solved with money. The same goes for violence, probably.
Seo I-heum had both money and power. He likely intended to pass them on to his sons.
“My opinion isn’t the absolute truth.”
Baek I-hae stated her view without insisting on it. But perhaps her straightforward attitude pleased him, as Seo I-heum lifted one corner of his mouth.
By then, he had been watching her, who was now propped up on her chin, sitting on the sofa and eating cake.
“I-hae.”
“Yes?”
“Should we reconsider your engagement to Do-gyeom?”
The affectionate call carried an unaffectionate content. Not understanding, Baek I-hae tilted her head, and Seo I-heum added.
“You’re too precious for that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Your son is Seo Do-gyeom.”
Baek I-hae burst into giggles. At her laughter, Old Man Oh smiled contentedly.
He cared for the young masters, but hearing the bright princess’s laughter was still more enjoyable.
“Oh, right. I had something I wanted to ask. You said the formal engagement would be simple. When will it happen? And is the partner set to be Seo Do-gyeom?”
Recalling Seo-yeol’s words, Baek I-hae asked tentatively, as if probing. Fortunately, Seo I-heum didn’t sense anything odd and answered straightforwardly.
“The partner isn’t fixed. I said it would be you and one of my sons, so if you want, it could be with Yeol—no problem. As for the timing, well…… Nothing’s set, but perhaps before you become adults.”
At the suggestion that they could do it on any date she wanted, Baek I-hae drew her knees together and hugged them. Resting her chin on her knees, she asked.
“The date doesn’t matter to me. But even if it’s my parents’ last wish, is there really meaning in holding a formal engagement ceremony?”
“You can think of it as my own satisfaction.”
“That’s honest. What was your relationship with my parents? Friends?”
Seo I-heum crossed his arms. It seemed like he might refuse to answer, unlike before.
Glancing at Old Man Oh, he wasn’t giving any signals. Then what was it?
Noticing the meaning in Baek I-hae’s gaze, Seo I-heum briefly met her eyes before slowly responding.
“Your parents were my benefactors. They helped my late wife.”
She hadn’t asked directly, but since there was no sight or mention of her, Baek I-hae had guessed she had passed away.
Since Seo Do-gyeom resembled Seo I-heum as if stamped from the same mold, the cute-looking Seo-yeol must take after his mother. To have captured Seo I-heum, she must have been an extraordinary beauty.
“They were benefactors and betrayers. In the end, your father was the one who caused my wife’s death.”
Huh.
Baek I-hae, who had been casually imagining the beauty of Seo Do-gyeom’s mother, opened her mouth like a fool.
Suddenly, she had become the daughter of his enemy.
