Chapter 42
Baek I-hae forced her creaky, robot-like body to move and chased Seo Do-gyeom out. As she pushed at his back, he pretended to give in, but the way he looked down at her was so tender and deep.
‘Ah, is this just my own selfish desire?’
“I’m going crazy, jumping out of my skin.”
Even a frog wouldn’t jump this much.
She muttered a lame dad joke to herself and let out a deep sigh.
Then she lay down on the bed where Seo Do-gyeom had been sitting. Her heart was still pounding pleasantly.
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom is thinking of Baek I-hae. He feels his heart pounding.]
[Baby Gangster, Seo Do-gyeom’s favorability toward you has increased by 5.]
‘Stop increasing it.’
Seo Do-gyeom’s favorability toward Baek I-hae was already at 65.
It had felt fine when Seo I-heum and Seo-yeol’s favorability rose, but why did it feel different every time Seo Do-gyeom’s went up?
‘What happens if Seo Do-gyeom maxes out his favorability? If I keep the obsession level as it is and only raise favorability….’
Baek I-hae stared up at the ceiling. A flush of anticipation colored her cheeks, though she herself was unaware of it.
“Then maybe life in this world could be bearable….”
A sincere thought slipped out, one she hadn’t even realized herself.
Baek I-hae imagined the future. For the first time, she pictured a life in this world.
Dating Seo Do-gyeom, going to college together once they became adults. If she said she didn’t like the gangster life, maybe he’d pretend to give in and look for a normal job.
He was lacking in basics, but if he studied steadily from now on, he might even get into a good university.
An ordinary romance with Seo Do-gyeom, and a future together.
That’s when it happened.
[Main Quest Success!
‘Uncover the identity of the mysterious original female lead, Ye Eun-seol!’ has been completed within the time limit.
Rewards are being distributed.
Upon success: Ye Eun-seol’s identity, Ye Eun-seol’s trust +10]
As if snapping Baek I-hae out of her realistic daydreams, the status window appeared.
[!Warning!
Main male lead Seo Do-gyeom’s favorability has reached 60 or higher. If you raise only obsession without increasing trust, an imprisonment ending may occur.]
“Trust!”
Baek I-hae bolted upright. The red status window was warning her, but upon reading it, she broke into a bright smile.
‘So it can be solved by raising trust!’
The original male lead’s excessive obsession and jealousy toward the female lead might have stemmed from a lack of trust in her.
The anxiety that she could leave for another man at any time. That misplaced affection is what led to imprisoning the female lead.
In that case, the answer was simple. Just raise trust, as the status window suggested.
‘If I don’t raise obsession any further and solidly increase trust, I won’t have to fear Seo Do-gyeom anymore. I won’t have to avoid him!’
Before she knew it, the thought of pairing Seo Do-gyeom with the original female lead, Ye Eun-seol, had vanished.
She was just thrilled at the fact that she no longer had to push him away out of fear for his uncertain future. It felt like confirmation that it was okay to accept him.
‘But how do I raise trust? The old man’s trust is at 0 too.’
Among the family, Seo-yeol had the highest trust. Though it was just a small, cute 20.
There had been two moments when Seo-yeol’s trust increased.
‘When he realized Chai Ryeong was dangerous.’
That method couldn’t be used anymore. Baek I-hae clicked her tongue and recalled the second.
‘And when I promised not to abandon him because he was scared of ghosts.’
The latter seemed more feasible. But suggesting they watch a horror movie just to scare him felt a bit guilty.
‘Let’s think about it slowly. At least I’ve realized there’s a possibility.’
Baek I-hae smiled contentedly and lay back down on the bed.
She drifted off into a deep sleep just like that. It was the first sound slumber in a long while.
***
Time flowed relentlessly onward.
Baek I-hae and Ye Eun-seol, having learned each other’s identities and feeling a shared sense of camaraderie in their misfortunes, bickered playfully but grew close without barriers.
Though Seo Do-gyeom’s favorability would drop and his obsession rise whenever he saw them like that, which always gave her a fright.
Fortunately, when she told Ye Eun-seol about it, she would get startled too and quickly keep her distance. Because of that, the two would act awkwardly when Seo Do-gyeom was around.
On top of that, Seo Do-gyeom’s grades had noticeably improved thanks to the steady tutoring from Baek I-hae.
Of course, it was partly because his previous grades had been such a mess. The homeroom teacher was so enthusiastic that she seemed ready to bow deeply to Baek I-hae, which even left her feeling flustered.
Another time, as Baek I-hae was admiring the beautiful cherry blossoms on her way home from school, that very evening, Seo Do-gyeom presented her with a small bouquet.
It was such an unexpected gesture that Seo-yeol, who happened to witness it, gasped in astonishment, but Baek I-hae smiled shyly.
The pink baby’s breath bouquet was far more beautiful than the cherry blossoms.
Time passed once more, and summer arrived.
June 2nd.
It was Baek I-hae’s birthday. Since she hadn’t spent her birthday with them last year, this was essentially her first birthday in this house.
Seo-yeol tried to act casual while eagerly asking if there was anything she needed, which was adorable, and though Seo I-heum remained expressionless, he was more proactive than anyone in preparing the birthday party.
Under Seo I-heum’s directions, Old Man Oh moved busier than anyone else. The rough-looking subordinates below were the same.
Some of the subordinates showed dissatisfaction, wondering why they had to bother with all this for Baek I-hae.
At Baek I-hae’s request that gathering everyone would be overwhelming, only the Seo family, including her, came together.
With a large cake placed in the center, Seo I-heum handed over his gift. It was a necklace with a simple heart pendant.
“There’s a GPS tracker attached. It can’t hurt to be cautious.”
The memory of her kidnapping by the Baek faction seemed to have left a bad mark not just on Baek I-hae, but on Seo I-heum as well.
As he gently stroked her hair and looked down at her steadily, his gaze held worry. Baek I-hae could understand the meaning behind that look.
He had come to see her as family and kept her close, but that had put her in danger, so he was concerned.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to wear it all the time.”
But Baek I-hae, who had no intention of turning back now, simply smiled and expressed her gratitude. As if sensing her resolve, Seo I-heum smiled too.
Seo-yeol had prepared a cute gift fitting for a student his age.
Hair ties and headbands.
He must have braved his embarrassment to buy them himself. With a flushed face, he mumbled that they would suit her long hair.
It was so endearing that she almost pulled him into a hug, but she was stopped by Seo Do-gyeom—still, it was a very satisfying gift.
“You can’t check your phone during exams.”
What Seo Do-gyeom had prepared was a wristwatch.
It seemed like a gift he’d chosen after always watching her set a stopwatch and solve problems within the allotted time.
The watch had a jet-black strap like him, with a gold second hand that stood out.
“……Thank you. Really, thank you all so much.”
The price of the gifts didn’t matter. What mattered was that they had thought of her in preparing them.
Baek I-hae’s heart swelled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing her express her joy, those who had given the gifts smiled as well.
In this way, Baek I-hae’s treasures were steadily accumulating.
The items they had gifted her, and the time spent with them—all of it was precious, like treasures.
***
As the seasons shifted from spring to summer, the status window didn’t appear. Except for the occasional ones notifying her of changes in Seo Do-gyeom’s favorability or obsession levels.
Jang Seul-gi, who had nearly become a supporting villainess, seemed to have given up once Seo Do-gyeom openly showed his affection for Baek I-hae.
Perhaps it was part of the reward for succeeding in the main quest.
For reference, a few days later, Ye Eun-seol, who happened to learn of Baek I-hae’s birthday, gave her a bracelet as a gift.
It was a pretty bracelet that looked quite expensive, and she liked it so much that she fiddled with it all day.
Perhaps because of that, the next day, the bracelet she had briefly taken off to wash disappeared without a trace.
‘I knew he was the culprit when I saw Seo Do-gyeom’s obsession level rise.’
But what fault did the innocent Ye Eun-seol have?
Feeling sorry, she apologized and explained the situation, but what do you know.
-Yes! That’s how a man should be! Ha, I believed in him. As expected of Seo Do-gyeom!
“……”
-Please keep that unwavering heart from now on! It’s fine if you throw away all the gifts I give and outright ignore me! Please!
Ye Eun-seol, who received the explanation over the phone from Baek I-hae, let out cheers of joy instead.
He was disgustingly annoying.
