Chapter 74
“I’m glad you contacted me first. I was worried you might just pretend not to know.”
Do Ha-jun uttered words he didn’t mean at all, flashing a leisurely smile. Seeing that face, Baek I-hae forced her reluctant lips upward into a strained smile.
Then she recalled Baek Yeong’s advice.
‘Contact Do Ha-jun first. If you don’t show your willingness to cooperate, he’s the type to use Seo Do-gyeom. If you want to protect Seo Do-gyeom, you have to make the move.’
Baek I-hae was currently meeting Do Ha-jun separately at a cafe.
“Baek Yeong seems to be treating you well. You looked like a living corpse when you were with your family. Ah, of course, that’s not meant as an insult.”
By family, he must mean Jang Seul-gi and her uncle.
Baek I-hae held back the curse that threatened to escape. To avoid losing her cool and handing over control, she maintained her smile. Just as Baek Yeong had approached her with an act, she put on one too. It didn’t matter if it would eventually be seen through.
“Yes. Being by Uncle I-heum’s side has made me accustomed to places like that.”
Baek I-hae knew full well that Do Ha-jun’s smiling face was a facade too.
“Well, that’s good to hear. If you’d like, we at the Shinwoon faction would welcome you as well.”
“I’ll gratefully accept the sentiment.”
“That’s unexpected, I-hae. Honestly, when you suggested we meet, I worried I might get slapped.”
Do Ha-jun took a sip of his coffee and replied languidly.
“I know you’re in a relationship with Seo Do-gyeom, but it seems it wasn’t that deep after all. If you’re quickly abandoning a disabled boyfriend, that’s quite a rational move.”
“…”
Baek I-hae closed her mouth for a moment. Her expression slipped out of control for an instant. Those words carried multiple implications: he knew about her relationship with Seo Do-gyeom, he was aware of Seo Do-gyeom’s current condition, and there was a subtle hint that he was the one who had caused it.
‘I have to endure.’
She couldn’t ruin everything in a moment of anger. Only by dealing with Do Ha-jun decisively could Seo I-heum stay safe, and only then could Baek I-hae and those around her find peace going forward.
“That’s not what you’re curious about from me. Tell me what I need to do from now on. And you have to promise me clearly: you’ll handle the revenge against Uncle I-heum yourself.”
Baek I-hae paused for a moment before continuing.
“Once my role is done, you won’t interfere with me anymore. That includes Jang Seul-gi and my uncle, of course.”
“You’re not warning me to leave Seo Do-gyeom alone?”
Do Ha-jun sneered, even though he was facing someone much younger than himself. Thinking what a twisted bastard he was, Baek I-hae stood up from her seat.
“Do you think Seo Do-gyeom will be left all alone?”
It was a provocation. As if daring him to try touching him if he could.
Whether to stir up those who didn’t know about Do Ha-jun’s existence and raise their guard, or to lie low and thoroughly use Baek I-hae—that was Do Ha-jun’s choice.
Perhaps by now, Seo I-heum had realized it wasn’t just a simple hit-and-run.
“Ha.”
As Baek I-hae left without lingering, Do Ha-jun burst into loud laughter. It was impossible to tell what part had satisfied him enough to elicit such a laugh.
‘Crazy bastard.’
If it weren’t for the fact that Seo Do-gyeom had given it to her, she would have wanted to throw away the wristwatch she wore like a matching set with Do Ha-jun’s right then and there.
***
Baek I-hae spent most of her time at Baek Yeong’s house studying. If she stayed idle, her mind would get tangled with worries about Seo Do-gyeom and guilt toward Seo I-heum.
Solving problems with predetermined answers was the perfect task for clearing her head.
The calls from Jang Seul-gi, who used to check in on her like surveillance, had suddenly stopped, and at school, she no longer kept tabs on her. Baek I-hae wondered if Do Ha-jun had given her a heads-up.
Ye Eun-seol, having heard the news about Seo Do-gyeom, would sometimes look at Baek I-hae with worried eyes.
Occasionally, when Baek I-hae stepped away, snacks would appear on her desk, and she could only guess they were from Ye Eun-seol.
Seo-yeol came to see Baek I-hae every day. Unlike Ye Eun-seol, who seemed to understand that there must be a reason for the distance and let it be, his behavior was different.
At first, he had asked why she was keeping her distance, but now he would just come occasionally, stand by the back door for a while, and then leave.
It felt almost like he was checking to make sure she was okay.
Unlike how she had grown distant from the people she used to be close with, Baek I-hae—though unintentionally—was getting closer to the people of the Baek faction. Whether it was because they were the only ones who knew her current situation, so she had nothing to hide, or simply because she saw them more often, she couldn’t say.
She hadn’t fully opened her heart like she had at Seo I-heum’s house, but now the place didn’t feel entirely uncomfortable anymore. That alone was a big change for her.
“To think someone so good at studying would come from our house!”
“Hehe. I thought the boss was the only mutant like that! Our baby princess, you’re so admirable! Tonic food! She’s studying hard for the college entrance exam soon—shouldn’t we catch a duck or something?!”
“What duck! Abalone! No, something even more expensive! It’s the boss’s money anyway, so let’s buy all the pricey, healthy stuff!”
Sometimes the commotion right outside her door felt burdensome.
In those cases, Baek Yeong or, rarely, Chai Ryeong would chase them away, telling them not to disturb her.
Baek I-hae, who had lost weight while staying at Jang Seul-gi’s house, was able to eat well and live comfortably again after coming here.
Perhaps the reason Seo-yeol would just look at her and leave was that he felt reassured seeing her getting plumper day by day.
“Princess, are you studying until dawn again today?”
She was studying late when a knock sounded, and she turned her head. Chai Ryeong was coming in with a late-night snack.
“Yes. I’m not sleepy yet.”
“Don’t overdo it. There’s rain in the forecast today, so make sure the windows are closed tight. The weather report mentioned thunder and lightning too.”
Chai Ryeong grumbled but had been taking good care of Baek I-hae all this time. When asked why the other day, she said something about feeling a sense of camaraderie since they shared a common enemy in Do Ha-jun.
Despite her pure, innocent appearance, she was quite straightforward.
‘In the beginning, I was really stressed because of that sister.’
Now, she was even bringing late-night snacks to the room where Baek I-hae studied and checking if the windows were properly closed. Truly, no one knows what life will bring.
“Ah, right. If possible, avoid the boss’s sight today. He gets really sensitive on rainy days like this.”
How sensitive could he get, she wondered.
Since she planned to study in her room anyway and wouldn’t run into him, Baek I-hae nodded and focused back on solving problems.
Chai Ryeong silently stroked her hair and left the room.
How much time had passed after that?
‘I’m tired.’
Baek I-hae stretched and looked at the clock with bleary eyes. It was already dawn. Thinking she should get some water, she got up and left the room.
Baek Yeong’s house was divided into the main building and an annex, with the annex being a bit larger, so the organization members stayed there. She had heard Chai Ryeong had her own separate place.
That meant right now, only Baek I-hae and Baek Yeong were in the main building.
“Uh… Boss?”
Baek I-hae was startled to find Baek Yeong drinking in the kitchen without even turning on the lights, and without thinking, she called him the way Chai Ryeong did. His gaze turned toward her.
Staring at Baek I-hae in complete silence, he looked very different from usual.
‘Ah, come to think of it, Ryeong unnie told me to be careful.’
Wondering if she shouldn’t have called out, she glanced nervously, and Baek Yeong spoke.
“I-hae.”
In a rather affectionate tone, no less.
It was only natural for Baek I-hae to stiffen. Hadn’t he always just called her Baek I-hae?
“Baek I-hae.”
No, that wasn’t it. Today’s Baek Yeong was somehow different.
Even the way he called her name sounded profoundly unlike before.
