Adjusting the Gangster Male Lead’s Intensity [Novel] Chapter 1

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 1

Chapter Title: 1st Year, Yi-hae Baek

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Prologue

Possessed into a game.

Fine. That's all good up to there.

There are romance sims where you live happily ever after between an emperor and a duke, and the latest trend is getting isekai'd into horror games.

Zombie games are great too. You can nurture love and friendship while fighting a common enemy, right?

'But yakuza? Was there even a game with a yakuza male lead?'

There was. The 19+ romance sim she'd played right before falling asleep!

It was brutal despite the high heat level! Of all the games to get possessed into!

"Fuck."

The low curse she muttered made the boy staring out the window flinch and turn his head.

His black bangs hung so low they hid his eyes, giving him a shadowy, ominous vibe. But she knew better. She knew just how handsome the face hidden beneath was.

And she knew how terrifying an adult he'd grow into.

'Of all people, stuck as desk mates with the future yakuza boss.'

If he takes a dislike to me, won't I get dragged into some alley and done away with?

She slammed her face onto the desk with a silent scream. The thud was so loud she could feel him flinch again.

She knew he was the type ignored by the other students right now, keeping a low profile. Of course, she also knew he secretly despised and mocked them all.

'Then the transfer student heroine shows up, he falls for her, and when she gets bullied, he reveals his true colors.'

Playing the game, she'd gotten all excited over how cool it was. But now that it was real, it felt pretty damn brutal.

With her face still buried, she clenched and unclenched her fist hard. Her way of trying to regain some rationality.

'Is this a dream? I'll wake up soon, right? What if I don't? Looks like I possessed a side character. Did I love the game that much to dream this vividly?'

Sure, the characters were hot, so she'd played with a satisfied grin. It was brutal, but squeezing the romance out of it had been fun.

Thinking that far, she sniffled.

'Sucking the romance out of a romance sim! Should've realized something was off back then, damn it!'

Her friends had tried to stop her from playing that niche stuff! She should've listened!

"Hey, you okay?"

"No, fuck."

Someone annoyingly asked, and she blurted out the honest truth without thinking.

Then she sensed something off and snapped her head up. There was the future yakuza boss, still watching her.

"...You were talking to me?"

"Yeah."

Was he nuts? Who the hell talks to someone out of the blue and gets cursed at?!

I'm marked. Definitely marked.

Tonight, kidnapped and sold to organ traffickers? Or torture chamber? Yakuza are brutal—probably tortures beyond imagination.

Her face paled, then flushed, repeating the cycle. The boy just stared blankly, saying nothing.

Then, something appeared in front of him with a cute little ping.

"Oh, fuck."

Possession and now the game status window too. What a messed-up combo.

Distracted by the status window's majestic entrance, she didn't realize she'd cursed while looking at the Baby Yakuza's face.

1st Chapter

01. 1st Year, Yi-hae Baek

The romance sim she'd possessed into had a scenario pretty similar to standard ones.

A heroine transfers to a school where the male lead hides his true identity. Unbeknownst to herself, she does something meaningful to him, and he falls hard.

Coming from a yakuza family, he sees becoming one as natural, so his way of showing love is nothing like normal.

Coercive actions without asking consent, and if she rejects him, he'd kidnap and imprison her in some insane way.

'The happy ending was even him killing her whole family, and her living confined to him without knowing.'

At that point, you had to wonder if the scenario writer even knew what "happy" meant.

There was a sub male lead too—if she showed interest in him, the male lead repaid it with torture and murder.

With his sinister inner thoughts, he'd drag her down to rock bottom, ruining the futures of everyone around her too.

'In the sad endings, he'd kill her family or the sub male lead right in front of her, forcing her to say she loved him.'

It was so pitiful for the heroine, you almost thought dying would've been better. All those endings where her sweet, caring face just withered away were heartbreaking. She'd gotten too immersed, sure.

'But it was still a game, so I kept playing. The illustrations were insanely hot.'

Of course, the desk mate she'd glimpsed earlier had a killer lower face too.

His bangs hid his eyes, but she knew. That face was a perfect match for her tastes!

"Damn it, damn it."

She muttered under her breath, ignoring the gaze from beside her.

Just think of me as a slightly crazy student. Then maybe he'll lose interest.

Sorry to the heroine, but she had zero desire to get tangled with the male lead, not even a hair.

She—no, correction.

She glanced at the name tag.

'Yi-hae Baek.'

That was her name in this world. Pretty name at least, she thought with a hollow laugh, gripping it tight.

The heroine transfers when the male lead is in 2nd year. The textbook on the desk was for 1st years.

'Gotta survive a whole year. Transfer? Or fake sick?'

Fake sick, yeah right.

Yi-hae Baek let out a self-deprecating laugh, as if this were some company, and smacked her forehead with her palm.

Cursing alone, self-mocking alone. She didn't even notice her desk mate propping his chin, observing her like a specimen.

'Come on, status window. Baby Yakuza my ass—show me my info first!'

As if reading her thoughts, a blue window popped up over her notebook as she looked down.

'Introverted? Fine, no info yet, so I'll keep my mouth shut.'

But orphaned right off the bat upon possession?

Tears welled up. Orphan in her past life too, and now here. Damn it.

And no clue where to go! Yi-hae Baek faceplanted onto the desk again at the status window's oh-so-helpful info.

No quests, no role explained.

Come to think of it, her past life memories were fuzzy. Maybe that was the dream, and this was reality?

'But no, the game details are crystal clear. Heroine and male lead names too.'

Yi-hae Baek turned to glance at her desk mate. Their eyes met—had he been staring the whole time?

'Do-gyeom Seo.'

Her name was fine, but the male lead's was pretty too. No matter his personality or background.

'Oh, yeah. Nailing me as the side character, huh? Won't even show his name?'

Go eat and live well together, rot!

Yi-hae Baek grumbled inwardly. Sure, same class and desk mates as the male lead, but no real entanglements expected.

Introverted Yi-hae Baek wouldn't start conversations, and she'd play deaf if he did.

Her fantasy of seducing some decently hot sub male lead for a happy life shattered on the way home.

'Why is he following me?!'

She didn't know the new home's location, but luckily the status window provided a map. Displayed like a minimap in the corner of her right vision—game-like and handy.

Heading there, Do-gyeom Seo followed at a consistent distance.

She wanted to ignore it, but the steady pursuit was driving her mad.

'Because of the curse earlier? Gonna kidnap and torture me?'

...He's still a minor? Though yakuza probably don't have that kind of conscience.

Yi-hae Baek's eyes shook wildly. She didn't want to die like this.

Suddenly, she bolted, dashing toward her destination before he could catch up.

Thankfully, Do-gyeom Seo didn't follow. Relieved, she circled around via the minimap and arrived.

'...Way richer than expected.'

The mansion was grander than anticipated, sure.

But why were two scary-looking guys standing guard at the entrance?

They eyed her suspiciously. Like, why was a student loitering here?

'No way. Nah, no way.'

Backing away anxiously, Yi-hae Baek bumped into someone. Looking up instinctively, she saw a familiar face.

Gazing up, she caught Do-gyeom Seo's handsome face past his bangs—just a bit—and his unexpectedly cold eyes.

"Knew it. You're the guest coming to our house starting today, huh."

Something's wrong. Handsome guy's spouting nonsense.

Yi-hae Baek dug in her ear. Desperately denying reality.

"No, I think I got the wrong place! I'll check again...!"

As she tried to retreat, Do-gyeom Seo grabbed her by the scruff like casually snagging escaping prey.

"Yi-hae Baek, right? Unique name, stuck with me. Only one at school, so yeah, you."

She flailed, but damn, that slim build hid crazy strength! Or was she just pathetically weak!?

Ignoring her teary distress, the massive mansion doors opened. Do-gyeom Seo dragged her inside.

Like being hauled into a tiger's den.

Mom whose face she didn't know, dad whose name she didn't know.

Why make friends with yakuza of all people and put her through this hell? Kicking her out of her daughter's body for this shit?

Bitter as bile. At least give some sweetness!

Do-gyeom Seo dragged Yi-hae Baek deeper into the mansion.

Along the way, burly men in black suits glanced at her. Faces saying, why's this tiny thing here?

Yi-hae Baek stared back with equal bewilderment.

'Damn it, I don't know why I'm being dragged either! Don't look at me like that! It's intimidating!'

Finally at the study, he knocked and entered, releasing her collar.

Then he clasped his hands behind his back, facing front. Looked disciplined, like a soldier.

Yi-hae Baek looked too. A middle-aged man sat at the desk, chin propped.

'Whoa, that face is insane.'

Parents unknown in face, name, blood type. But clearly vetted the face when picking friends.

"You're Yi-hae Baek?"

Yi-hae Baek was awestruck. Suddenly sorry to her complaining parents.

'Sorry for whining it's bitter! This sweet—gonna send me to diabetes heaven!'