Adjusting the Gangster Male Lead’s Intensity [Novel] Chapter 2

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 2

Chapter Title: The Conscienceless Lie

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The dark circles under his eyes even looked stylish, and his swept-back hair combined with the black suit he wore lent him a dark, mysterious aura.

He looked like a dangerous man to anyone who saw him, yet he was so handsome that no celebrity could hold a candle to him.

His face even resembled what Do-gyeom Seo might look like as an adult.

At Yi-hae Baek's dazed look of admiration, the middle-aged man and Do-gyeom Seo's gazes turned toward her. Only then did she realize she hadn't answered his question.

The answer to whether she was Yi-hae Baek was obvious.

"No."

Handsome or not, she couldn't possibly rely on a dangerous family like this. She'd rather scout out a protection facility.

Do-gyeom Seo stared hard at Yi-hae Baek's shameless reply. His gaze was intense enough to bore right through her profile.

Whatever. So what?

"You're not Yi-hae Baek?"

The middle-aged man asked again. Yi-hae Baek nodded with utter conviction.

"At least have the decency to hide your name tag before lying."

"I picked up this name tag this morning. I'm wearing it as a souvenir."

"Souvenir for what?"

"For picking up something useless."

"......"

The middle-aged man stared at her, his expression unchanging. But for some reason, she caught a flicker of bewilderment in it.

Yi-hae Baek glanced at Do-gyeom Seo.

He was staring at her with the same unchanging expression, a perfect match for his father. No one would buy her obvious lie.

Yeah, honestly, even she knew it was a lie without conscience or effort.

"You sure take after your old man, spouting all that useless nonsense."

Says the one whose stone face is a dead ringer for his son.

"You look just like your mother—stamped from the same mold—but don't waste my time."

Oh dear. He finds my desperate scramble to survive so endearing.

"By your parents' dying wish, you'll stay under my protection until you come of age."

"I'm good, thanks. I'm seventeen, so I can manage on my own."

"With what money? You don't even have a home."

"I'll just live in the house I shared with my parents!"

She'd have to track down where that was, but it had to exist somewhere in this country.

Yi-hae Baek rejected him brightly with a smile.

What makes him think I'd stay here?

She had no desire to live surrounded by men whose personalities left much to be desired. For all she knew, who could say what they'd do to her?

The middle-aged man stared intently at such a Yi-hae Baek. She met his gaze with a smiling face regardless, and he let out a scoff.

Damn, that handsome face.

"I sold your house."

And then he spouts complete madness with it.

Yi-hae Baek looked at him pityingly. It was truly tragic that someone so handsome had mental issues.

"How could some stranger sell my parents' house? Don't talk nonsense."

Do-gyeom Seo flinched at the "mister." But what could he do? A mister was a mister.

The middle-aged man gave her an odd look. Yi-hae Baek grinned at him.

I'm no innocent kid who falls for a lame lie like that!

The status window blinked into view, mocking her as if to toy with her.

She glared death at the "additional" part. To outsiders, it looked like she was glaring madly at the middle-aged man.

What? Why's my house sold? And beggar? You think I'll just accept this crap without a proper explanation?!

Fuck, if it says accept then I guess I have to...

Yi-hae Baek plopped down on the floor. Despite her sudden collapse, Do-gyeom Seo didn't budge an inch.

No sign of helping her up—he just watched curiously.

"But if you're my parents' close friend, mister, then it must be true. Please don't hold my earlier nonsense against me and take me in. I sometimes lose my mind and spout rubbish. Woof woof."

Yeah, my antics were obvious. Still, glad he's finding it interesting.

Yi-hae Baek couldn't lie well. Nor was she particularly bright. But she accepted reality quickly.

Suddenly possessing a game character with a mystery status window? It probably wasn't all fake.

Maybe staying here was safer than the streets? Or was that just more bullshit?

Who knew. Yi-hae Baek gave up thinking. Her brain couldn't produce a proper answer anyway.

"......Do-gyeom."

"Yes."

The middle-aged man called Do-gyeom Seo. He finally tore his gaze from her and looked at the man.

"Show her to the room next to yours. She seems like she has headaches, so take good care of her."

"Got it."

No, damn it.

She'd pegged him as mentally ill, and now he saw her that way.

As she bristled to snap back, the man added,

"I'll inform the others, but you're responsible for her protection. If any bastard lays an unnecessary hand on her, kill him."

"Understood."

Wait, what? Who's killing who?

Her anger evaporated. Curing her high blood pressure too—the middle-aged man was full of talents.

Still, singling her out for protection was reassuring.

Though she wondered if Do-gyeom Seo could really protect her against adults.

"Thank you, sir!"

Fearing Do-gyeom Seo might grab her by the scruff again, she scrambled up and bowed deeply to the middle-aged man.

He flinched in surprise at her politeness. Or rather, he furrowed his brow.

"I don't like noise."

Shut your trap.

Yi-hae Baek was quick on the uptake. She pursed her lips tightly, hiding her teeth, and nodded rapidly, earning yet another odd look.

Soon, Do-gyeom Seo opened the door, and she scurried after him. As she left, the hulking man who had stood silently beside the middle-aged man spoke.

"She seems like a student with a peculiar personality."

"Just peculiar to you? To me, she looks downright weird."

Calling a man adults feared "sir," brazenly lying without batting an eye.

And she'd even glared at him earlier.

"Tell the underlings: Yi-hae Baek is I-heum Seo's guest."

That would make them treat her accordingly on instinct.

He'd incurred a debt to Yi-hae Baek's parents before, so he'd endure this hassle.

It's just putting up with her for less than three years anyway. Then I can kick her out.

He had no idea a future awaited where he'd urge her to become his adopted daughter.

Is she thoughtless or just fearless?

I-heum Seo, Do-gyeom's father, decided on the former.

"Hey, I know I acted weird just now, but my head's not actually messed up. I just spout nonsense sometimes."

"......"

Do-gyeom Seo hadn't uttered a word, not even on the way up to the room.

He showed no consideration for her, who had trudged along with her head down under the intense stares of all those fierce-looking men.

Brat. Your house even has an elevator, and they scripted lines about how novel that is.

Yi-hae Baek's efforts to keep the conversation going—prepared topics and all—went to waste.

In the end, she sighed deeply and shut her mouth. She preferred quiet anyway, so it was a relief.

I was just trying to loosen up in this tense atmosphere. But thinking about it, Do-gyeom Seo isn't exactly someone I can rely on either.

She worried she'd have to live on guard like this forever.

The handsome sir had ordered it, but she doubted Do-gyeom Seo would protect her. More than that, she questioned if a student even had the power.

But with no home, storming out could lead to worse trouble.

No info from the status window on maternal or paternal relatives. If there were any, this plot wouldn't be happening.

For now, she'd scout for helpful kin or adults and escape this den of danger—when Do-gyeom Seo suddenly turned.

Yi-hae Baek, trailing sleepily behind, naturally smashed her nose into his chest.

"Ow, shit."

She felt Do-gyeom Seo's gaze at her habitual curse, but whatever.

He was handsome, sure, but she had no intention of cozying up to the future heroine's boyfriend.