Chapter 58
During the meal, Baek I-hae pondered seriously.
‘Should I share the information I heard from Baek Yeong right now? But since Baek Yeong said he’d refuse the merger, maybe there’s no real need to mention it.’
She might just end up making them worry over needless details. Still, it could be wise to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
It was hard to take Baek Yeong’s words at face value, given that they were Seo I-heum’s enemies. If not for her, Seo I-heum would have died at Chai Ryeong’s hands.
‘But if I bring it up, I won’t be able to keep the part-time job, and then the main quest would end in failure…?’
The very act of trying to help Seo I-heum would ironically lower his favorability toward her.
If she’d never had their affection to begin with, it might not matter, but now she hated the thought of losing it.
Though she felt a twinge of unease, she resolved to hold off on sharing until she had solid information.
“After we eat, Do-gyeom, stay behind—I have something to say to you.”
“Huh?”
Seo Do-gyeom, who had naturally assumed he’d head up to the second floor with Baek I-hae, furrowed his brow in a rare display of displeasure.
His attitude surprised Old Man Oh enough to make him gasp. It was understandable; the boy usually agreed to anything Seo I-heum said without question.
“I said stay.”
“……Yes.”
Of course, any rebellion against Seo I-heum was futile.
Sensing the tension between the two, Baek I-hae rose quietly from her seat as the meal ended and said,
“Then I’ll head to the mart for a bit. I’m craving ice cream—does anyone want anything?”
“I’m fine.”
Seo I-heum shook his head at Baek I-hae’s question. She’d never seen him eat sweets anyway, so it was the expected response.
She turned her gaze to Seo Do-gyeom, and he shook his head as well.
“You’re going alone?”
“Hm? Yeah. The mart’s only ten minutes away.”
“Send someone else.”
“No, it’s something I want to eat, so why send someone else…?”
Without thinking, Baek I-hae glanced at the other organization members, excluding Old Man Oh.
She worried that their moods might sour.
Just as the atmosphere began to sink subtly, Seo I-heum spoke up.
“I-hae is a person too. Don’t force your standards on her just because you disapprove.”
Wise words.
Baek I-hae inwardly admired him.
‘If only the old man had been around like in the game, maybe Seo Do-gyeom wouldn’t have turned out so broken.’
Seeing Seo Do-gyeom nod immediately, it seemed like a valid thought.
After bidding farewell and heading out alone, Baek I-hae turned her head at the presence she felt beside her.
“Let’s go together, noona.”
It was Seo-yeol. Once Seo-yeol said he’d tag along, Seo Do-gyeom seemed a bit relieved, his shoulders relaxing—as if he’d been watching his brother’s cues before deciding to follow.
Baek I-hae figured the walk wouldn’t be boring, which suited her just fine.
As she opened the front door to step out, someone reached out and held it open for her. A glimpse of a shirt sleeve rolling up revealed a scar on the wrist.
But the sleeve quickly fell back, hiding the scar from view.
“Be careful out there.”
It was an organization member she’d never seen before. Aside from the family and Old Man Oh, this was the first time someone had been so friendly toward her, leaving her a bit flustered.
Seo-yeol treated it casually, urging her to hurry up and go. Taking his reaction as a sign that it was because he was with her, Baek I-hae followed along.
The summer sun blazed fiercely.
Walking side by side with Seo-yeol, Baek I-hae suddenly glanced at his height and marveled.
“Yeol, you’re growing so fast. It feels like you’ve shot up even more since last time.”
“Dad and hyung are tall, so I’ll probably grow quickly too. They said hyung had a growth spurt around this age.”
“You’re not hurting anywhere?”
“I’m fine for now! I’ll grow even taller and protect you, noona—so just rely on me!”
“What’s with that?”
Baek I-hae burst into laughter at the sight of him clenching his fist with such solemn determination.
“I’m your noona, so I should be the one protecting you.”
“No way. You’ve already protected me. So next time, I’ll definitely protect you!”
“That sounds exciting. But I’m learning self-defense, you know.”
Baek I-hae stretched out her arm. As she showed off her forearm, the pale, soft skin came into Seo-yeol’s view.
“Look at this. I think I’ve got some muscle now? Want to feel?”
“Ah, noona! Not just with hyung, but you can’t do that with me either!”
“Come on, it’s just my forearm. Plenty of people wear sleeveless tops—what’s the big deal?”
As expected from a Confucian boy.
The two stared at each other for a moment, as if unable to comprehend the other’s perspective, then sighed in unison.
Their expressions seemed to say, ‘Fine, I’ll let it slide this time.’
“I’ll pick out some ice cream and snacks. You grab what you want too and come back.”
“Got it!”
As soon as they arrived at the mart, Baek I-hae pulled out a basket and said this, prompting Seo-yeol to dash off with an excited grin.
No matter how tall he got or how reliably he talked about protecting her, a kid was still a kid.
Watching Seo-yeol’s enthusiastic back, Baek I-hae smiled softly and started walking.
She began by selecting snacks.
‘I should grab some spicy ramen too. Since no one else eats it, I’ll just get enough for myself.’
She moved briskly, searching for her preferred ramen brand, when a packet of ramen on display suddenly tumbled down.
After placing her own ramen in the basket, she bent to pick up the fallen one, but a large hand moved faster than hers.
It belonged to an adult man wearing a watch with a design similar to her own wristwatch.
“Oh…”
“I’ll get it for you.”
Lifting her head, she saw a man in a shirt with a kind face. He wore horn-rimmed glasses, giving off a somewhat timid impression.
He didn’t seem shy in a bad way, and his gentle demeanor prompted Baek I-hae to smile as she said,
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
The man turned to leave but then glanced back at her. Tapping his own wristwatch lightly, he said,
“It’s not a common design, but yours is similar to mine.”
“Oh, this was a birthday gift for me.”
“I see.”
“Did you get yours as a gift too, sir?”
At Baek I-hae’s question, the man nodded, his cheeks flushing shyly.
“Yes. It was from a senior I admired, so even though it’s old, I treasure it.”
“I got mine from someone I like too! We’re the same.”
“Yeah. Take good care of it, student.”
He smiled bashfully before turning away, as if embarrassed, and Baek I-hae couldn’t help but smile.
To think an adult could be that endearing.
‘If only the world were full of pure-hearted adults like him.’
“Who was that guy?”
Seo-yeol approached, arms full of items, blinking curiously. He soon dumped them into the basket and naturally took it from her.
She felt bad making him carry the heavy load, but seeing him casually avert his gaze, it seemed he had no intention of giving it back.
“Just someone I ran into by chance. We chatted briefly because our watch designs are similar. It’s not a common one.”
“Ah, the one Do-gyeom hyung gave you? I heard he designed it himself.”
Their tastes must be similar, Seo-yeol muttered.
“Do-gyeom designed it?”
“Yeah. I don’t know the details, but he had it custom-made by a company. I didn’t think hyung had any aesthetic sense, so it surprised me too.”
Baek I-hae let out a small gasp of admiration at this unexpected fact and glanced down at her wristwatch.
She’d worn it constantly since receiving it as a gift. The necklace from Seo I-heum was the same, but Seo Do-gyeom’s present held a special significance.
Glancing at her expression, Seo-yeol grumbled,
“You must really like it, noona.”
“You mean what Do-gyeom said?”
“Yeah. You look so happy.”
Does it show that much?
Baek I-hae touched her cheek, then smiled faintly.
“I like him, so that’s why we’re dating. He’s handsome, after all.”
Of course, there were other reasons, but it felt embarrassing to say them seriously to Seo-yeol, so she played it off as a joke.
As Baek I-hae hurried to the checkout to cool her flushed cheeks, Seo-yeol stared at her back.
“……I get told I’m handsome too.”
Seo-yeol gazed down at his elongated shadow. Then, muttering quietly to himself, ‘Maybe it’s the height that’s the issue,’ he followed after her.
