Chapter 66
“Hello.”
Baek I-hae regained consciousness when someone lightly tapped her cheek.
Frowning, she opened her eyes to find a familiar face before her.
The man she had encountered by chance at the supermarket.
His eyes widened in apparent surprise, and the bespectacled man smiled.
“You recognize me, don’t you?”
He tapped the watch he was wearing as he spoke, and Baek I-hae gave a small nod before letting out a groan. It was due to the pain throbbing at the back of her head.
“Oh dear. I asked them to bring you gently, but it seems my brothers made a mistake. I’m sorry, Miss Baek I-hae.”
“Brothers……?”
Baek I-hae rolled her eyes in confusion. The one she suspected of knocking her out was none other than one of Seo I-heum’s organization members.
A hollow laugh escaped her in disbelief. To think there was another spy besides Chai Ryeong.
“Why did you want to meet me? I don’t even know you.”
Baek I-hae slowly raised her upper body. Though she had been kidnapped, she was likely being held as a hostage.
In that case, they probably wouldn’t kill her easily. This wasn’t her first abduction. The fact that she was already assessing her situation like this left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“You say you don’t know me, but it seems like you already do.”
“Pardon?”
“Do Ha-jun. That’s my name.”
The bespectacled man, Do Ha-jun, smiled.
At the same time, Baek I-hae’s eyes grew wide.
‘They ended up in the place where the boss had chased out Do Ha-jun to begin with!’
‘That bastard killed our parents and then tried to use me—it’s all bullshit!’
‘If you mention Shinun faction or Do Ha-jun outside and get caught up in something unnecessarily, you could end up in a bad spot.’
‘……If it’s that guy, he probably already knows we kidnapped I-hae. Even the fact that Seo I-heum came to rescue her.’
Suddenly, the conversations between Baek Yeong and Chai Ryeong came rushing back. Along with Baek Yeong’s warnings.
[Main antagonist, Do Ha-jun, the real power behind Shinun faction, is genuinely delighted.]
Ye Eun-seol’s guess had been right. The speculation that if there was a supporting villain, there must be a main one too.
Though she wasn’t particularly thrilled about it.
“I only heard the name by chance.”
“It’s not a name you’d hear by chance, so I suppose Baek Yeong mentioned it.”
Baek I-hae spoke as if making an excuse, but Do Ha-jun smiled as though he already saw through everything.
She shifted her gaze, slowly scanning her surroundings.
‘Is this an abandoned factory or something? I have that status window reward where stamina doesn’t deplete when escaping, but if I get caught, it’s useless.’
Even in this crisis, the status window showed no intention of helping. In the past, it would have prompted her to choose an option that could assist in such a situation.
“Miss Baek I-hae, you’re an interesting person. You appeared out of nowhere, got close to Seo I-heum and his sons so easily, and even foiled the plans of Chai Ryeong, whom I had planted to kill Seo I-heum.”
Baek I-hae straightened her posture and sat up, while Do Ha-jun continued, pacing around her with an air of fascination.
“You seem quick-witted, yet you didn’t notice that my brother, who had been tailing you, was living in the same house—so maybe your observational skills aren’t that sharp.”
‘So the man in the black hat and black windbreaker who followed me before was that organization member.’
It was Baek I-hae’s mistake for not suspecting it sooner, even if she hadn’t seen his face.
“But getting involved with Baek Yeong and Chai Ryeong as well—that’s quite peculiar. It’s not easy for an ordinary civilian to form ties with gangsters.”
“Would you believe me if I said it was coincidence?”
“Of course not. Actually, the part with Baek Yeong wasn’t a coincidence either. I was the one who asked the CEO to kidnap you and place you as Baek Yeong’s office assistant this time.”
Do Ha-jun grinned. It was chilling, not knowing how far he had investigated and planned.
He bent down to meet Baek I-hae’s eyes.
“The reason I wanted to meet you is simple. I’d like your cooperation in my goal of killing Seo I-heum.”
“If you plan to use me as a hostage to lure Uncle out, you don’t need my cooperation.”
“I changed my mind after seeing the last kidnapping incident. Shinun faction is just starting to bloom, so a full-frontal war isn’t ideal yet.”
He smiled shyly, as if saying it was still a baby, which was utterly absurd. His face alone didn’t seem threatening.
‘But Baek Yeong warned me about him, so he must be dangerous. From what he did to Chai Ryeong, he seems ruthless.’
A man who unhesitatingly used violence on Jang Seul-gi and her uncle to summon Baek I-hae, and who wouldn’t shy away from murder for his purposes.
“How about luring Seo I-heum out separately? Ah, I don’t mind if my intentions are exposed. He’s the type who’d come alone anyway, knowing it’s a trap, if he learns you’re in danger.”
“Why do you want to kill Uncle so badly?”
Baek I-hae cautiously asked the question that had been burning in her mind. Planting Chai Ryeong from childhood meant this had been planned for quite a long time.
Do Ha-jun blinked in surprise at the unexpected question, then smiled. He grabbed Baek I-hae’s wrist and rubbed her watch with his thumb.
“I told you last time. It was a gift from a senior I liked.”
Seo Do-gyeom had said he referenced his mother’s watch design when making the gift for Baek I-hae.
Do Ha-jun, who possessed a watch similar to the one Seo Do-gyeom’s mother had cherished. Do Ha-jun, who hated Seo I-heum enough to kill him.
“That senior was precious to me. A treasure I could only watch from afar, not daring to touch—and Seo I-heum coveted her. So he deserves punishment, doesn’t he?”
“What do you mean…….”
“She’s beyond anyone’s reach now, but until the end, it was Seo I-heum she wanted, not me. This is revenge.”
“Don’t tell me you’re the one who killed Seo Do-gyeom’s mother?!”
Do Ha-jun’s large hand covered Baek I-hae’s mouth. Wondering if raising her voice had provoked him, she gauged his reaction, but his eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“Don’t call her that. It’s disgusting.”
But Do Ha-jun was enraged about an entirely different point. He was smiling, yet his faintly glowing eyes were filled with madness.
Faced with a type of person she had never encountered before, Baek I-hae felt an inexplicable terror.
“Now, I’ve given you the answer you wanted, so you should give me the response I desire. Will you cooperate in helping me? Of course, it won’t be for free.”
Do Ha-jun smiled.
“If you help, I’ll spare not only your life but also Jang Seul-gi’s family. If that’s not what you need, material compensation is possible too.”
“……And if I refuse?”
“Well.”
[Scenario #3 Quest triggered!
Main antagonist Do Ha-jun proposes you become bait.
Accept: Life guaranteed, Title of Jang Seul-gi’s Savior
Reject: Witness Jang Chung-won’s murder scene, Hear Jang Seul-gi’s screams in real-time, Seo-yeol kidnapped, Ye Eun-seol kidnapped.]
“We can think about that when the time comes. I’m a non-violent person who prefers amicable resolutions.”
Liar.
For the first time, Baek I-hae realized how terrifying gangsters could be.
She had no right to refuse. As she slowly nodded, Do Ha-jun smiled as if he had expected it.
“Let’s start by leaving that house, shall we? Declare that you’ll live with your uncle and come out. It’ll make things easier to move.”
Baek I-hae nodded again. Her face was etched with worry.
“And just in case you’re thinking of asking for help, forget it. Another of my brothers will be watching you in that house. At school, Seul-gi will handle the surveillance.”
Do Ha-jun glanced at his watch and turned to the organization member, saying it was best to return before raising more suspicion.
Then, the organization member who had been the spy approached Baek I-hae and helped her to her feet.
Staggering from the headache, Do Ha-jun added.
“Don’t let the injury show either. I’ll take you to the hospital for treatment once you leave that house.”
So many demands.
Baek I-hae bit her lip. She refused the organization member’s support and walked, hearing Do Ha-jun’s laughter from behind.
Baek Yeong had been right. Do Ha-jun was someone to be wary of.
‘What do I do now?’
The path ahead felt blocked, her breath caught in her throat. It was like being dragged into hell.
When she returned home, the family was waiting for her in the living room.
“Baek I-hae! Where have you been, leaving your phone behind!”
Seo Do-gyeom approached with a furrowed brow, his worry on the verge of turning into anger, which he was trying hard to suppress.
“I was worried.”
Seo I-heum added calmly, while Seo-yeol was nowhere in sight. He might still be in his room.
Baek I-hae forced a composed expression as she replied.
“I’m sorry, I got caught up in a long conversation with a friend. I’m tired, so I’ll head up and rest first.”
As she went upstairs, she heard Seo I-heum’s puzzled voice asking the accompanying organization member if anything had happened.
Of course, the member reported that nothing had.
