Adjusting the Gangster Male Lead’s Intensity [Novel] Chapter 45

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 45

Chapter Title: Escaping the Stalker

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'I'm so tired.'

Yi-hae Baek let out a yawn as she headed out of the house, unable to rest even on the weekend.

A sky-blue bunny doll dangled from her phone as she sent a text saying she was on her way. It was a gift from the protagonist she was about to meet.

[Seul-gi: Yup yup lol I'm already here. Take your time!]

'I didn't actually expect her to reply. Does she really want to be friends with me?'

Yi-hae Baek stared intently at Jang Seul-gi's response. Of course, she couldn't read the girl's mind just by looking.

'It'd be nice if her inner thoughts showed up in a status window like Do-gyeom Seo's.'

She wondered if she should practice being more open to goodwill. On the other hand, it felt too naive to trust someone who'd been labeled a side character villainess so easily.

'But she apologized, and she's still young, so she could make mistakes. Maybe I shouldn't suspect her all the way.'

Yi-hae Baek sighed inwardly, unsure of her own feelings. For now, she'd meet up and talk it over before deciding.

Having reached that conclusion, she ran into another dilemma as she walked.

'That thing I've been feeling since earlier... it's not my imagination, is it?'

Yi-hae Baek frowned at the discomfort she'd sensed since leaving home.

Pretending to check her phone, she glanced back with her eyes.

A strange man appeared at the edge of the dark screen.

'If it's not my imagination, he's been following me at a steady distance.'

He had a black cap pulled low over his face and was wearing a black windbreaker in the middle of summer.

He might as well have had a sign saying "suspicious."

'Doesn't seem like one of Uncle's guys.'

At first, she'd thought Seo I-heum might have assigned someone to watch over her out of worry. Given how much he doted on her and even put a tracker on her necklace, it was within expectations.

But if it really was his doing, he would've warned her beforehand so she wouldn't get scared.

'And it's not a face I recognize, which makes it even more suspicious.'

It naturally reminded her of the time she'd been kidnapped by Yeong Baek.

Yi-hae Baek tried not to let on that her body had stiffened as she sorted her thoughts while looking at her phone.

At least she'd noticed early and was sticking to the main road.

'What do I do? Leading him to Seul-gi seems dangerous.'

No matter how much self-defense she'd learned, confronting him directly was unrealistic. Her only option was to lose him.

Pretending to check her watch, Yi-hae Baek started jogging lightly. Slowly enough not to provoke him, but steadily increasing the distance.

She blended naturally into the crowd, looking like someone hurrying to an appointment.

'......'

Yi-hae Baek's face hardened. Her gaze fixed on the failure penalty.

'Like with I-ryeong Cha, why does it keep fixating on Uncle's death? Is Yeong Baek behind this too?'

She bit her lip, her eyes glaring at the status window with venom.

'You think I'll fall for it again?'

Now that she knew it wasn't one of Seo I-heum's men, she had no hesitation. Yi-hae Baek picked up speed and started running.

Thanks to her stamina training with Do-gyeom Seo, her form was steady.

'There are lots of people, so when he's struggling to close the gap, that's my chance to bolt.'

Yi-hae Baek ran at top speed. She wasn't sure how long her stamina would hold, but she hoped for the best.

'Who knew this would come in so handy.'

Glancing back, the man whose eyes met hers scowled fiercely. He'd clearly just realized she was deliberately running away.

But he hesitated for a moment, then pulled his cap low and turned around. It was an anticlimactically pathetic retreat.

'What the...'

Yi-hae Baek didn't let her guard down, still glancing back as she ran.

She circled the area near her meeting spot with Jang Seul-gi repeatedly until she was sure the man was gone. Only then did she relax a little.

Just then, her phone rang—Jang Seul-gi, probably worried about her delay.

"Yi-hae, why are you so late? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, sorry. Some weird guy was following me, so I shook him off. I'll be there soon."

"A weird guy? Want me to come get you? Where are you right now?"

Jang Seul-gi sounded alarmed, asking frantically after her well-being. It was more concern than Yi-hae Baek deserved, making her feel guilty for suspecting her.

"I'm fine now, don't worry. I'm... in front of the burger place next to the department store."

Yi-hae Baek glanced around and spotted a burger joint across the street, mentioning it casually.

It wasn't a lie since that's where she was headed anyway.

"Still, keep the call going just in case. Stick to crowded areas!"

Yi-hae Baek smiled faintly at Jang Seul-gi's worry and said okay. She stopped at the crosswalk, waiting for the light.

'...When did that guy get there?'

The man she'd seen earlier was standing in the alley next to the burger place, as if waiting for someone.

Yi-hae Baek instinctively stepped back. A chill ran down her spine.

"Yi-hae? I'm heading to the burger place now. Everything alright? Why'd you go quiet all of a sudden?"

In the midst of Jang Seul-gi's chatter, Yi-hale Baek swallowed dryly and forced a laugh.

"Seul-gi, I'm really sorry, but can we reschedule? That guy's nearby, so I'm hiding."

"Gasp, for real?"

"Yeah. So I was gonna ask my d... family to pick me up."

Yi-hae Baek lied, figuring calling Do-gyeom Seo or Seo I-heum would complicate things.

She slipped slowly into a nearby sports store to hide. The clerk's eyes widened in surprise.

"Should I call the police? I'm so worried... I'll come to you, Yi-hae."

"No, I'm really okay, and it might be dangerous for you. Head home quick."

"But..."

Was it just a misunderstanding?

She gestured quietly to the clerk who was about to ask what was wrong, signaling silence. The clerk nodded, sensing there was a reason, though she hovered nearby out of concern.

"Gonna hang up now. Sorry again. Next time, lunch is on me!"

"I'm fine, so don't worry—just text me when you're safely home!"

"Yeah, got it..."

"By the way, which way is that guy? What direction?"

Yi-hae Baek clamped her mouth shut.

Her instincts screamed that this might not be a mistake.

Jang Seul-gi, the side character villainess. The Player who'd issued a quest practically screaming to run.

Yi-hae Baek paused, then abruptly ended the call. Her heart pounded wildly.

"Um, miss? You okay? If something's wrong, should I call the police?"

The clerk approached cautiously once the call ended.

Seeing the clerk's genuine concern, Yi-hae Baek finally let her face crumple, trembling as she handed over her phone.

"This weird guy's chasing me. C-could you call my family for me instead? My hands are shaking too much."

"O-okay. Calm down first. Who should I call? Mom? Dad?"

Yi-hae Baek shook her head side to side. As she huddled down, she vaguely heard the flustered clerk say, "Then... the uncle with the heart icon saved here?"

'This time.'

Yi-hae Baek squeezed her eyes shut at the words she couldn't easily dismiss.