Adjusting the Gangster Male Lead’s Intensity [Novel] Chapter 6

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Adjusting the Yakuza Male Lead's Intensity

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After mealtime ended, the absurd declaration dropped that breakfast and dinner should be eaten together as a family every day.

That family included the prospective fiancée, Yi-hae Baek.

'The food is delicious, but eating it among those people feels like it'll give me indigestion!'

It would've been nice if they just brought food to her room so she could eat leisurely alone, but this was a regrettable situation.

With those words, I-heum Seo turned away without a second thought. Among the three left standing awkwardly, Yeol Seo was the first to speak up.

Her fierce glare at Yi-hae Baek resembled a feral cat.

"I hate girls like you the most!"

Yi-hae Baek wistfully watched Yeol Seo's back as he spat his piece and dashed up the stairs.

'I should've said I hate you too... too late now. I let it slide earlier because he looked pitiful.'

Letting out a sigh, she headed toward the elevator when a hand approached the nape of Yi-hae Baek's neck. The pull on her school uniform jacket drew an involuntary grunt from her.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Wait."

"Say it before you act! Use words! Why grab my collar?!"

Who does he think I am, some stray dog?

Grumbling, she rubbed her suddenly sleepy-feeling neck. Even then, Do-gyeom Seo showed no sign of apology.

Just staring blankly, which made Yi-hae Baek snap irritably.

"Why'd you call me?"

"You're a beggar."

No way, is he starting to take after his little brother?

Her face was about to crumple menacingly when Do-gyeom Seo continued.

"Let's go shopping. Dad gave me a card to buy clothes, shoes, or whatever you need."

"Any spending limit?"

"None."

His firm reply made Yi-hae Baek's face brighten more than ever.

"Let's go!"

"......"

"What're you doing? You said let's go?"

Thinking she could shop without worrying about money with a rich guy like this, she started humming a tune, but Do-gyeom Seo just stood there blankly.

Does he mean I should go alone? She approached him again to take the card.

"Don't smile."

'This jerk... should I just punch him and run?'

For him to feel queasy at the sight of her smile! Without the status window, she might've thought he was smitten by it.

Card or pride?

Clenching her fist tightly, Yi-hae Baek soon erased her smile, put on a serious face, and said.

"Alright then, Do-gyeom. Can we go now?"

Her serious expression was paired with an overly cheerful voice.

"......"

Do-gyeom Seo nodded without a word.

Rot in hell.

Grinding her teeth, she vowed never to smile at him again.

Her anger subsided right after Do-gyeom Seo brought her to the department store.

She'd been tense the whole way with even the driver accompanying them, but it turned out they were just picking out clothes at the department store. Any brand, whatever!

'I jokingly pointed at a bag worth tens of millions of won, and he headed straight to the checkout—I freaked out.'

Realizing it wasn't a joke, she bought several outfits at prices reasonable by her standards.

In addition, while she shopped freely for shoes, bags, and stationery, Do-gyeom Seo quietly followed along.

"You're surprisingly decent at this."

"At what?"

"You're not into shopping like this. I figured you'd say let's wrap it up quick or wait somewhere else and call when you're done."

The driver was handling the bags anyway, so Do-gyeom Seo had no real reason to tag along.

"I'm not interested."

Unlike her, dressed in a black tee and black slacks, he replied flatly.

His unnecessarily long limbs for a high schooler drew glances from around. Or maybe it was his unique aura.

"But you're interested."

"What's that got to do with you?"

"I can't force you to do something you're not interested in."

Yi-hae Baek blinked slowly. No lie was visible in Do-gyeom Seo's black eyes peeking through his hair.

'W-what? Why's he suddenly flirting?!'

Her heart fluttered for a moment.

Afraid he'd notice her flushed face, Yi-hae Baek turned away.

"Fine, do whatever!"

"Yeah. You're a guest my dad asked me to look after."

A guest, of course.

Yi-hae Baek sighed, realizing it was her misunderstanding. But the lingering ripples of her heartbeat left her unsettled.

Thus, the day passed.

It was an ordinary day with nothing special, and breakfast was still with the taciturn Seo family. The innocent food was, of course, delicious.

Her impressions so far: She couldn't read Do-gyeom Seo's thoughts. I-heum Seo seemed to care for her but clearly didn't. Yeol Seo growled whenever they crossed paths.

Even so, I-heum Seo warned them not to inconvenience his "guest" Yi-hae Baek.

Thanks to that, she had to go to school side-by-side with Do-gyeom Seo. Walking together without talking was pure torment.

'Maybe because I'm paired with this guy, no one approaches!'

In class, everyone just glanced their way—no one spoke to her. At this rate, cobwebs might form in her mouth.

Boring lessons dragged on. She'd learned this in her previous life too, but nothing stuck in her head.

Half-listening, she doodled on the edge of her notebook.

'The game revolved around the female lead, so details about Do-gyeom Seo's family weren't fleshed out.'

But she knew the male lead—Do-gyeom Seo—lost his parents early and entered the yakuza world.

A line from the game Do-gyeom Seo suddenly flashed in her mind.

Yi-hae Baek's scribbling stopped abruptly.

'First year of high school. That means the uncle dies this year?'

Murdered, no less.

She desperately tried to recall how. Tracing the game's plot urgently, she got a clue.

It was from the early kidnapping episode with the female lead. The enemy faction, quick to spot she was Do-gyeom Seo's weakness, kidnapped and nearly tortured her.

'In the game, it was the moment Do-gyeom Seo realized his feelings and first showed real anger.'

Yi-hae Baek recalled the enemy line too.

The villain mocked that he hadn't expected I-heum Seo to die so easily from a knife by the spy he'd planted nearby.

Back then, she'd fangirled over a mere side villain's looks—clearly out of her mind.

'Spy. That means there's someone the enemy planted near the uncle. Close enough to stab with a knife without suspicion.'

Probably someone who visited the house often.

She wouldn't say she liked I-heum Seo, but she didn't hate the man providing her food, shelter, and clothes either.

So she couldn't just let him die knowing the future.

'Plus, if the uncle doesn't die, Do-gyeom won't enter the underworld early... Couldn't I just rehabilitate this kid and send him to a normal college?'

It'd help the female lead's future too, she thought sincerely.

'I'll think about that later. Priority: Save the uncle.'

She drew a star over the name I-heum Seo. A handsome name for a handsome man.

'Until I escape, I need him handling my living expenses and managing the dangerous adults around.'

As she pondered seriously, a status window alert suddenly chimed.

"Hey, why peek at someone's stuff without permission?"

If not for the status window, she wouldn't have noticed Do-gyeom Seo, who'd approached so quietly, peering at her notebook.

She hurriedly covered it and scolded him in a whisper the teacher wouldn't hear.

Despite her scolding, Do-gyeom Seo stared blankly without a hint of guilt.

"Why'd you put a star by my dad's name?"

Sharp eyes too. She hadn't expected him to spot I-heum Seo's name so quickly.

He didn't see the "Death, how?" note next to it, right? Cold sweat trickled down.

The words alone made it look like Yi-hae Baek was plotting I-heum Seo's demise. She quickly defended herself.

"I'm interested."

"In my dad?"

"Yeah. He's handsome."

"......You know the age difference, right?"

"I do. But age is just a number, and my hesitation's for other reasons."

"Hesitation about what?"

Why was Do-gyeom Seo so curious? Tired of answering, Yi-hae Baek blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Becoming your mom?"

"......"

Do-gyeom Seo silently stepped back.