Adjusting the Gangster Male Lead’s Intensity [Novel] Chapter 14

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: To Adjust the Yakuza Male Lead's Intensity

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"Hey, Pumpkin!"

How much time had passed? She had finished making inari sushi for dinner and was preparing the water to boil for ramen.

Yi-hae Baek, who had just torn open the ramen packet while checking the vigorously boiling water, turned her head. She knew it was Pumpkin being used to refer to her.

As expected, she secretly sighed at the sight of Yeol Seo storming in with a scowl.

'Again.'

Ever since receiving that penalty in the form of Yeol Seo's negative affection as a reward, he had been particularly prone to seeking her out and picking fights.

'Wonder what got him so pissed off today.'

Most of it was trivial nonsense that she let go in one ear and out the other.

This time too, she deliberately stayed silent without responding, but Yeol Seo approached without a care, huffing and puffing as he spoke.

"You said we're going to the beach tomorrow, right? Do you have any idea how busy Dad is? Why the hell should he waste time on the likes of you?!"

"Uncle asked for the date he wanted to go first. I didn't push for it."

Of course, she had said she wanted to go.

She brazenly skipped that part, and Yeol Seo's face soured as he stepped closer.

He was still shorter than her, so looking up at her didn't feel threatening.

"Cancel it right now! Who the hell do you think you are... Why should Dad go out of his way for you instead of me and my brother?!"

The main reason Yeol Seo bullied her was because of I-heum Seo's affection.

As I-heum Seo's affection rose, Yeol Seo's dropped accordingly. Of course, it wasn't a perfect one-to-one ratio, so it felt unfair.

"If you want to go too, just say so. Why are you coming at me about something Uncle already approved? If you don't want to go tomorrow, then don't."

Do-gyeom Seo didn't intervene as the two bickered. He had realized that Yeol Seo wouldn't listen anyway.

He would only step in if words like orphan or excessively harsh insults came up, but otherwise, he just watched like now.

At first, Yi-hae felt a bit hurt by Do-gyeom's attitude, but even she thought the bullying was too petty to ask for help with.

'At least he doesn't butt in if I clap back at Yeol without going overboard.'

He was thoroughly neutral. You'd think he'd side with his little brother in a situation like this.

"Argh! I really hate you! Go cancel it now, cancel it!"

"Hey, hold on! Don't shake me! The water's boiling right now...!"

Yi-hae panicked because Yeol Seo was shaking her body while she stood in front of the gas stove.

The moment Do-gyeom stood up to intervene, the accident happened.

The pot tilted, spilling toward Yeol Seo's upper body.

"...!"

Someone quickly wrapped around the stunned Yeol Seo, who was too shocked to dodge. Thanks to that, it wasn't Yeol who got drenched in the scalding water.

"Yi-hae Baek!"

It was the first time Yeol had heard Do-gyeom shout like that. But that wasn't why he was shocked.

"...Damn, Pumpkin?"

Yi-hae Baek, biting her lip hard in agony as she sank to the floor, filled Yeol Seo's entire field of vision.

'It hurts like hell.'

Yi-hae didn't even scream, afraid Yeol—who had nearly gotten hurt—would be shocked. She just curled up and bit her lip, looking so pitiful it tugged at the heart.

She had no idea how hard she bit; her lips had gone numb. Her back burned like someone had set it on fire.

Tears flowed unknowingly.

'It hurts, save me. I'm not gonna die like this, right?'

Wrapping around Yeol had been instinct. He might be cheeky, but he was just a middle school kid.

If she'd left him, he'd have a lifelong scar. Neither Yeol nor Yi-hae wanted that.

'At least it's my back, so that's good.'

She tried to think positively when noisy commotion erupted.

Peeking through half-closed eyes, she saw Yeol's face pale and frozen.

She gave him a faint smile, and for some reason, his eyes wavered.

'Didn't expect him to be this shocked. He picks fights all the time, but he's soft inside.'

As she thought that, a familiar scent wafted over. Yi-hae knew exactly who it belonged to.

'Do-gyeom.'

They'd been sticking close lately, so his scent was familiar.

Then, Do-gyeom's finger slipped between her lips. She blinked in surprise, and he said, rarely frowning,

"Your lip's bleeding. Bite my hand instead. Yeol! Snap out of it and go get someone else!"

"Uh, y-yeah!"

At Do-gyeom's shout, Yeol finally came to his senses and hurried off.

He nearly twisted his ankle in his rush but quickly steadied himself and dashed away.

"Why'd you stupidly take it for him."

"...He's your little brother."

She mumbled weakly. Do-gyeom wiped the cold sweat from her face as she broke out in it.

'Doesn't it gross him out?'

Even as she thought that, his care made her want to act spoiled.

"Do-gyeom, it hurts so much. It hurts like fuck, wahhh."

"You're driving me crazy, seriously. If you can't take it, bite my finger instead of your lip."

"Then you'll hurt, sob."

"Just do it already."

Unlike usual, he urged her on as she mumbled.

Yi-hae hesitated briefly before biting his finger to endure the pain. Blood from her lips smeared his hand, and her canine pressed into his skin.

Still, Do-gyeom didn't flinch once, just stroked her hair.

It seemed like he was trying to calm her anxiety.

'He's so sweet like this, so why is he so cruel to the heroine when he grows up?'

He could just grow up normal and love normally.

With I-heum Seo and his group rushing into the kitchen in the distance as the last thing she saw, Yi-hae lost consciousness.

Yeol Seo fidgeted restlessly, clasping his trembling hands together.

Everything had happened in an instant. As soon as Yi-hae, who had suffered severe burns, passed out, I-heum Seo hurriedly carried her on his back and rushed out.

Do-gyeom followed, and other gang members went along to drive.

"Young Master."

The one who looked after the overlooked young Yeol Seo was O Seo-bang.

Yi-hae worried him too, but he couldn't leave Yeol in this state.

The household knew Yeol picked on Yi-hae. They knew it stemmed from jealousy.

"The young lady will be fine."

Thus, sensing this accident wasn't mere chance, O Seo-bang patted his shoulder.

As the large hand patted the small shoulder, tears finally poured from Yeol's eyes.

"Why... why did she protect me? I've only said awful things to her until now. Girls can't have scars on their bodies. But I'm gonna be a yakuza, so a burn scar or whatever is no big deal!"

"She was worried about you, Young Master. The young lady is a kind soul."

"Kind? She comes into our house, takes over a room like it's hers, hogs Dad and my brother's attention! What's kind about that?!"

"Do you know this?"

O Seo-bang calmly spoke to the agitated Yeol, who was avoiding reality.

"She smiles in front of us, but sometimes she cries alone, missing her late parents."

"...What?"

"It's true. A maid saw it when she almost entered to clean, thinking the room was empty."

In truth, it was when Cha I-ryeong was around, and she cried from stress over the life threat, but they had no way of knowing.

"And yet she never got mad at you for calling her an orphan, just smiled."

"I... didn't know."

"No one knows but Do-gyeom Young Master, who happened to see it, since the boss said to keep it secret."

Yeol's eyes shook. Now he understood why Do-gyeom always scolded him sensitively whenever he called her orphan.

O Seo-bang smiled kindly at the hesitant Yeol and added,

"The young lady is like a nagging daughter to the boss. You know what she often says when she pops into the study?"

"...What?"

"Spend some time with your still-young ten-year-old Yeol. Or at least express some affection with a kind word."

"..."

"Even if he has to keep up appearances for work, even if he cares deep down, if he doesn't show it, even family won't know—that's what she scolds him about fiercely."

Yeol's eyes reddened at O Seo-bang's words, laughing as he said it scared even him a bit then.

It seemed he was finally ready to truly face Yi-hae.

"What if she's badly hurt? She fainted... she's not gonna die, right?"

"She'll be fine. The boss will do whatever it takes to fix her up."

So, wait calmly and apologize sincerely when she returns? At O Seo-bang's question, Yeol nodded.

O Seo-bang hugged the childishly sobbing boy. He looked just like any kid his age.

Just a kid bad at expressing affection.

Lost his mom young, dad and brothers all gruff—he must have been lonely.

'The young lady better be okay.'

He'd reassured Yeol, but O Seo-bang anxiously glanced toward the entrance.

A status window flickered faintly beside them.

It was a status window that Yeol Seo and O Seo-bang could not see.