AILGML 3

“We’re here. This is your room.”

At Seo Do-gyeom’s words, Baek I-hae looked up while rubbing her nose.

Compared to the first floor, there weren’t many rooms on the third floor. But that likely meant each room was incredibly spacious.

Baek I-hae peeked inside as Seo Do-gyeom kindly opened the door for her and let out a sincere breath of awe.

‘Should I forget escaping and just settle down here?’

The space was so large and luxurious that it made her reconsider her earlier thoughts. Like a hotel suite, the room had a small living area and bathroom inside, with a separate bedroom.

While she continued to marvel at the room with her mouth agape, she heard the sound of footsteps moving away.

“Wait a second!”

Baek I-hae called out urgently to Seo Do-gyeom, who was about to head to his room.

She worried he might ignore her, but surprisingly, he stopped and turned to look at her. He didn’t say anything, but even that was enough to be thankful for.

“Is there anything I need to be careful about while living in this house? I mean… earlier, I saw a lot of scary-looking people. I shouldn’t make anyone angry by mistake, right?”

“Mistake?”

Seo Do-gyeom simply blinked. His tone suggested he had no idea what she meant.

“You don’t need to worry about those guys.”

“Then who should I watch out for?”

“The person we just met downstairs.”

“…The handsome mister?”

Seo Do-gyeom nodded. Since she had called only one person mister, he clearly knew exactly who she meant.

She had figured he was someone important, but she hadn’t gotten the impression that he was dangerous.

Maybe it’s just because he’s his dad, she thought, brushing it off with a light chuckle.

“Alright! I’ll be careful around the mister. Anything else I should look out for?”

“Noise.”

“Aha, don’t worry—I won’t play music loudly or anything!”

“Your voice is high-pitched. It’s irritating.”

…What was she supposed to do about something she was born with?

Baek I-hae seriously considered delivering a flying knee to that annoyingly handsome philtrum of his.

Of course, it was the kind of thought you could only entertain in the safety of your imagination.

“Fiiine. I’ll be careful, extra careful. I’ll try being reborn with a husky voice.”

She lowered her voice as much as possible—it was practically a comedy routine at this point. Still, if that was his taste, she couldn’t risk annoying the landlord’s son.

This was the tragedy of the powerless!

“And one more thing.”

It seemed like this was the final warning, and Baek I-hae’s eyes sparkled in anticipation.

There hadn’t been as many warnings as she feared, so she had started to feel a bit more at ease.

“Don’t do anything annoying.”

“…Huh?”

Seo Do-gyeom said his piece, turned sharply, and walked away. He left so coldly and quickly that she didn’t even have time to stop him.

‘Isn’t that too vague? What exactly counts as annoying?’

Baek I-hae blinked. Since he said her voice was annoying, maybe he meant she shouldn’t draw attention to herself.

That was exactly what she wanted anyway, so it didn’t bother her much.

‘If he’s offering me a place to stay and wants to ignore each other, then I’m all for it.’

As soon as she entered the room, she double-checked the lock and then did a short run before leaping onto the bed.

It was still bare and felt a bit cold since no one had been living in it, but it wasn’t bad at all.

‘Alright. I can take my time finding a trustworthy adult. This bed’s more comfortable than I expected.’

Smiling smugly, she blinked as she looked up at the clean ceiling—but then frowned. There was a small mark.

‘What is that?’

Standing on the bed, she looked up at the ceiling and soon realized the stain was dark red—like dried blood.

Or maybe she only saw it that way because that’s what she was thinking about. But the mark did look like splattered blood.

‘I need to escape as soon as possible.’

Personal safety came before the comfort of a bed.

‘There’s a lot I need to figure out. First of all, why did I suddenly get possessed and end up inside this game world? And the key question—how do I escape from this game?’

She opened the status window.

There was only the basic information she had seen earlier about Baek I-hae. No quests or other details.

‘Don’t tell me… the only way to get back to my world is to seduce Seo Do-gyeom instead of the female lead and get a happy ending?’

It was a plausible theory. Objectively speaking, Baek I-hae had the looks to be more than just a supporting character.

She even wondered if she needed to take on the role of a villainess instead.

‘For now, I should maintain a good relationship with Seo Do-gyeom until I get more information.’

The fact that the status window had updated meant there was a chance she needed to obtain specific information.

Just as Baek I-hae was forcing her brain to work—which it rarely did—

Thud!

“…?”
There was no doubt she was alone in the room, yet a strange sound echoed around her.

Baek I-hae quickly sat up and looked around. No one was visible.
‘A ghost?’
Better a ghost than some gangster sneaking in and waiting in the dark.

She looked around with a tense face, trying to find something she could use as a weapon, but there was nothing.
Not that she could stand a chance against a full-grown man even with a weapon in hand.

‘I need to handle this properly from the start, or the next one might get ideas.’

She took the hair tie from her hair, twisted it into a slingshot, and got into a position to strike at any time.
Her target: either the crotch or the Adam’s apple.

‘I won’t let you off, you perverted bastard.’

The sound had come from the dressing room.
Baek I-hae crept closer, suppressing even her footsteps.
No further sounds came from inside.
The person inside was probably holding their breath, afraid of being discovered.
Before she could think of a better response, she yanked the door open.

The moment she glared inside—

‘What the hell? There’s nothing here?’

Maybe it had just been something falling?
She frowned in confusion, and that’s when—

Someone stepped hard on the top of her foot.

“Aaagh!!”

The pressure was so precise and intense that she screamed before she could stop herself.
The little foot had pressed down right on her pinky toe, with terrifying precision.

Startled, she flailed, and at the same moment, the rubber band in her fingers flew forward.
With a sharp whistle through the air, it smacked into something.

“…”
“…”

It was only then that Baek I-hae realized there was someone below, not above.

A boy—his forehead now glowing red where the rubber band had hit—looked up at her, eyes glistening with unshed tears and sheer rage.

She didn’t even need to ask who he was.

‘He’s Seo Do-gyeom’s spitting image.’

If anything, this one had even more expressive emotions.

Realizing instinctively that he was Seo Do-gyeom’s younger brother, Baek I-hae’s mouth opened wordlessly.

She had so many questions: Why was he here? Why did he step on her the moment he saw her?
But all she could focus on was the boy’s forehead.

‘That’s gotta hurt. I mean, I did shoot the rubber band, but still…’

Worried, she reached toward his forehead, but the boy opened his mouth wide and lunged at her hand.

“Hey! What are you doing?! Were you trying to bite me?!”

“I don’t like you!”

Stunned, Baek I-hae yanked her hand back, only for the boy to answer instantly.

His glare was fierce enough to seem like he was looking at his parents’ sworn enemy.

She let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

He’s not even an animal, and he’s trying to bite people.

“No one said they liked you either. I don’t like you, too.”

Sure, she felt sorry for hitting him with the rubber band, but feeling sorry and liking someone were two different things.

Even if he was a kid, Baek I-hae wasn’t about to lose in a petty argument. She replied firmly.
The boy looked completely shocked.

‘Wait, why does he look shocked? He just said he hated me—what, did he think I’d still like him after that?’

He must’ve been ridiculously spoiled.

Clicking her tongue, Baek I-hae closed the door she had opened.
The kid, now locked in the dressing room, started pounding on the door in a panic.

“Let me out, you thug!”

“A thug? Says the gangster’s son! If you liked it in there so much, just stay.”

“Who said I liked it?! You’re doing this on purpose to screw with me, you clueless pumpkin!”

Pumpkin, he said.

There was a vanity next to the closed door, and in its mirror she could see her own face.
She didn’t have flashy features, but she had a clean and cute appearance. Even objectively, she was pretty.

“Sure. I’m clueless, so stay in there forever, you little pumpkin.”

“Pumpkin?! Are your eyes just for decoration?! How does my face look like a pumpkin to you?!”

What a shameless mini version of Seo Do-gyeom.

It was oddly entertaining, so she decided to mess with him just a little longer.

“You… you…! I’m telling Dad!”

“Wow, sh*t.”

She hadn’t expected him to tear up with those big round eyes after just a little teasing.

She hurried to open the door again—

That’s when she realized the room lit up.

‘Oh… so the lights go off automatically when the door’s closed.’

That one was clearly her fault.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───

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