Chapter 46
“Ihae.”
How long had she been curled up like that?
She had been so startled, just as much as Baek Ihae, that she hadn’t budged even when the employee told her to come out. But at the sound of the familiar voice, she lifted her head.
There, right in front of her, was Seo I-heum, who had approached unnoticed and was now kneeling on one knee.
“Are you okay?”
“Uncle…”
She knew Seo I-heum was a busy man. Given his line of work, she had wondered if calling him to a place crowded with people might be rude.
She had debated whether to send Old Man Oh or another member of the organization, waiting all the while. Still, she had hoped it would be Seo I-heum who came.
“I’m sorry for calling you when you’re so busy.”
She liked Seo Do-gyeom, but in a scary situation, what she wanted to rely on was an adult. Seo I-heum was the only adult Baek Ihae knew whom she could truly trust.
As soon as she saw his face, the pent-up sorrow surged forth, and tears welled up in her eyes. Seo I-heum patted her head.
“It’s alright.”
But why did those words of comfort make the tears she was trying to hold back spill out even more?
Finally bursting into tears like a child, she threw herself into Seo I-heum’s arms, and he patted her back.
“Boss, I’ve got the guys spread out around the area. Could I just ask the young lady for a description of the suspect?”
The employee, who had been watching Baek Ihae and Seo I-heum with a warm gaze, flinched at the sight of Old Man Oh entering through the door. It was unclear if it was due to his massive build or the ominous words he spoke.
“He was a man wearing a black hat and windbreaker. His build seemed smaller than yours, sir.”
Baek Ihae sniffled and quickly replied. Her firm determination to catch him quickly was evident, and Old Man Oh, unable to laugh in such a situation, bit his lip hard.
After Old Man Oh left, Seo I-heum watched Baek Ihae stand up, then turned his gaze to the employee who had been observing them.
The employee startled in surprise and hurriedly lowered his eyes. Clearly, Old Man Oh was bigger in stature, but an inexplicable aura of danger surrounded Seo I-heum.
“You must be busy, but thank you for helping our girl.”
Unlike the employee who had jumped to fearful conclusions, Seo I-heum politely expressed his gratitude. And as if that weren’t enough, he added that he would repay this favor before leaving.
Baek Ihae also bowed her head in thanks as she departed, and the employee followed suit, bowing in return.
‘Well, it’s probably just talk. Still, it feels good to have helped someone.’
The employee smiled contentedly. He didn’t know what their relationship was or what family they came from, but he decided not to pry.
The next day, when the employee was alone, Old Man Oh came back. Grinning broadly at the tense employee, he held out a bag he was carrying.
“The boss wanted to buy everything in the store, but I stopped him. After all, even if he did, you wouldn’t get a bonus out of it, right?”
“Uh, yes?”
“This is to say thank you for protecting our precious young lady. I’m leaving my business card too—if anyone bothers you, we’ll help you out once for free!”
“…?”
“Oh come on, you don’t have to look so grateful. It’s been a while since I’ve done a good deed; it’s giving me hives. Anyway, thanks! I’ve got to go serve that damn boss now!”
Old Man Oh laughed heartily, placed the bag and card down, and left without a second thought.
The employee blinked slowly, then opened the bag and widened his eyes. Correction—he widened them enormously, as if they might pop out.
***
Seo-yeol glanced at Baek Ihae, who was gazing at the sea with a slightly excited expression.
Had she already forgotten yesterday’s commotion? She seemed continuously delighted.
‘In the end, they said they couldn’t find out which side was targeting her, right?’
Upon hearing about yesterday’s disturbance, Seo I-heum had stopped Seo Do-gyeom and Seo-yeol from rushing after them. Unlike Seo-yeol, who had barked in confusion about why they were being held back, Seo Do-gyeom had clamped his mouth shut and turned away.
What had Seo I-heum said to Seo-yeol then?
‘That kind of empty worry doesn’t help Ihae,’ or something like that.
Those words had hit Seo-yeol like a blow to the back of the head. Only then did he understand why Seo Do-gyeom had worn an expression as if suppressing anger.
It was rage directed at his own inadequacy. Realizing it belatedly, Seo-yeol’s face flushed hot.
‘Sis protected me. So I want to help her too, but right now, I probably can’t even be relied on.’
If Seo I-heum weren’t around, Baek Ihae would surely lean on Seo Do-gyeom. To her, Seo-yeol would be someone to protect, not someone to rely on.
He hated that. Seo-yeol clenched his fist tightly.
“Ihae, how about changing your mind even now?”
Baek Ihae was doing warm-up exercises in front of the sea. They had brought her here to lift her spirits, but she stubbornly insisted on squeezing into a swimsuit.
Seo I-heum let out a deep sigh. Behind him, Seo Do-gyeom wore a resigned expression as a bonus.
“We’re at the sea, so of course it’s swimsuits! But I held back and didn’t wear a bikini, so I’ve compromised a lot!”
“I see… Our Ihae has held back a lot.”
Following Seo Do-gyeom, Seo I-heum also adopted a resigned look. Still, as she said, it was a one-piece swimsuit, so the exposure was relatively minimal, which was fortunate.
“You’re all being way too overprotective! Yeol, let’s go into the sea.”
Lost in thought, Seo-yeol’s hand was grabbed and pulled by Baek Ihae. Now at similar eye levels, her smiling face filled his view right in front of him.
‘I want to protect Sis too.’
More precisely, it was her smiling face. He never wanted to see a face like the one she had when she was in pain and shedding tears while saving him.
‘I wish she’d rely on me. Not on Dad or Bro.’
Seo-yeol smiled brightly. For the first time, not as a gangster, but with the will to become something else.
It felt like something he had been desperately holding back had burst forth. Of course, since he himself didn’t realize it, by the time he did, it would be too late to turn back.
Meanwhile, Baek I-hae was carefree, as if she had already shaken off yesterday’s events without a trace.
‘They said they’d secretly assign someone to protect me from now on, so I can relax. And I can use this as an excuse to put off my plans with Seul-gi for a while.’
Moreover, being brought to the sea to cheer her up was a nice touch. Of course, there had been a brief friction over the swimsuit, but naturally, she had won.
Seo I-heum sighed and said,
“I’m realizing for the first time that my two sons are the docile type.”
It was a short remark, but loaded with multiple meanings.
Baek I-hae wore an awkward expression and subtly averted her gaze.
‘Still, even though he says that, he looks like he’s enjoying it more than I am!’
With his upper body fully exposed and his bangs swept back by sunglasses, didn’t Seo I-heum look like someone brimming with the desire to enjoy himself more than anyone?
‘Of course, it’s fun to look at because his body is great.’
Later, when Seo Do-gyeom becomes an adult, he’ll probably turn into a charismatic middle-aged handsome man like Seo I-heum.
Indulging in that pleasant fantasy, she turned her head to look at Seo Do-gyeom. Though not quite like Seo I-heum, his slim and firm muscles were visible.
“What?”
Catching Baek I-hae’s gaze, Seo Do-gyeom looked back with a face that said he had no idea what was going on. He seemed oblivious to the mischievous intent hidden in her innocent eyes.
“Nothing.”
Thanks to that, she could ogle him more openly, which was nice, and she grinned to herself. Then Seo-yeol grumbled.
“Really, grown men and women showing skin like this—it’s the end of the world, the end.”
Seo-yeol, the only one wearing a T-shirt and shorts, looked thoroughly dissatisfied with the situation.
The youngest one acting the most Confucian of all.
“It’s easier if you just give up. We might as well enjoy our youth while it lasts. Uncle looks like he’s fully ready to enjoy it too.”
As Baek I-hae patted Seo-yeol’s head while speaking, Seo I-heum, who had been quietly watching with contentment, pressed his lips together.
Then he asked softly,
“…Was it that obvious?”
Even as he stroked his chin and tried to act nonchalant, his embarrassment was clear.
Baek I-hae stared at him in disbelief, and Old Man Oh, wearing a similar expression, spoke first.
“Boss, even if we’re gangsters, we’ve got to have some conscience… Urk!”
“I don’t recall giving you permission to speak.”
Seo I-heum’s foot accurately kicked Old Man Oh in the shin.
That must hurt like hell.
Baek I-hae silently cheered for Old Man Oh in her mind as she led Seo Do-gyeom and Seo-yeol back toward the sea.
“The young lady and the young masters seem to have gotten a lot closer.”
Old Man Oh said this to Seo I-heum while watching them with satisfaction.
Seo I-heum lay down on the sunbed that had been prepared for him and nodded in affirmation.
As his well-defined muscles shifted with every movement, Old Man Oh shook his head.
“Jeez, isn’t it a bit too bare in front of a girl in the midst of puberty?”
“Bare? What’s bare about it? Don’t say stuff like Yeol.”
“Or at least tone down the muscles. Kids these days are so precocious—what if she says she wants to marry you or something!”
Seo I-heum lowered his sunglasses against the sunlight, shielding his eyes. Then, as was his habit, he stroked his chin before nodding.
“That’d be cute. I always wanted to hear something like that if I had a daughter.”
“That’s a disaster waiting to happen! I’d oppose it to the death!”
“Who are you to say?”
“Hey, I care about the young lady too!”
Old Man Oh grumbled as he fumbled around setting up a sunbed next to Seo I-heum’s. Then, with brazen nonchalance, he lay down beside him, prompting Seo I-heum to click his tongue.
“You call me Boss, but sometimes I can’t tell if you’re the one mooching off my money or if you’re a friend.”
“I came along for overtime on the weekend, so cut me some slack at least this much.”
Fair enough.
Seo I-heum coolly acknowledged it.
“More importantly, when are you planning the engagement for those two? If you’re doing it, I need to prepare, so give me a heads-up.”
“I’m thinking about it.”
“Why? Is the young lady reluctant?”
At Old Man Oh’s question, Seo I-heum shook his head. Then he gazed at the brothers and Baek I-hae frolicking in the sea.
“It seems Yeol is interested too.”
“…Is this a real-life Love and War? Sorry, Boss, but I’m overdosing on dopamine right now.”
A girl torn between handsome brothers!
Old Man Oh wore an excited expression, waiting for the next words, so Seo I-heum fell silent for a moment.
