The Thug Hides the Villainess

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013 – Only the Extroverts Enjoy the Party #2

Summary.

I asked Seoga-eul out on a date, but it was put on hold.

Not a rejection, but a pause.

There’s a party tomorrow night at a place called ‘office building,’ and she said she would give me an answer then.

“Then, Hanam-jin? We need to finish our meal, so we can stop talking here, right?”

“Good. Meals should be eaten on time.”

Slipping away slowly, I returned to my original spot.

Was he watching everything that just happened? Choi Chang-sik, the Candy Maker, flailed about in shock.

“To propose a date to Seoga-eul in public! You’ve completely lost your mind! My friend, I’m dying to know where you found that kind of courage!”

“Wow, that’s incredible…”

Even the usually quiet Deok-soon was in awe, but Geum Tae-seong, who had always shown me kindness since we met, shook his head seriously.

“I don’t think it was a good move. Look over there. Do you see those kids?”

He pointed subtly.

“That’s Wang Ja-hyeon’s group from Class F. I heard Wang Ja-hyeon confessed to Seoga-eul last week and got rejected. If you get spotted trying to approach Seoga-eul, it might get troublesome.”

Turning my head, I saw a few boys from the nobles huddled together right in the middle.

They glared at us as if they wanted to devour us, and I returned the stare.

At that moment, Baek-Yeoul frowned slightly and got a bit irritated.

“Hanam-jin, are you coming over to our house or not? You’re the only one who hasn’t decided.”

Baek-Yeoul’s house?

Is that really what’s important now!?

Seoga-eul said, “Every time I see a handkerchief, I’ll think of you. Will you marry me? Let’s have kids.”

Inviting me to her party? It had to be an announcement of our wedding in front of everyone.

So the meal ended.

While I was caught up in my thoughts, everyone else happily chattered about, mostly about their own abilities.

“I haven’t scored a goal in basketball or soccer once since I grew up. Just bad luck for me…”

“Really? You can’t even throw this can into the trash can?”

Swish! Clang!

Geum Tae-seong perfectly tossed the crumpled can into the bin.

The way he arced it suggested he had played basketball before.

“I want to try too!”

Baek-Yeoul, feeling inspired, began rummaging through the trash can.

Looks like she wanted to recycle the can she just threw away.

“Oh? What’s this…”

Swish.

Baek-Yeoul pulled something out of the trash can.

In her hand was a handkerchief embroidered with hearts.

“Hanam-jin, isn’t this what you’ve been touching and sniffing all day?”

“That’s the one I gave to Seoga-eul!”

Huh? Why was something I returned to Seoga-eul in the trash?

Clearly, something went wrong. Just then, Baek-Yeoul let out a small sigh.

“Ugh, here we go again…”

Again?

What in the world does that mean?

“What do you mean by ‘again’?”

Baek-Yeoul and I made a deal. I’d be in the same group as her if she gave me information about Seoga-eul.

Baek-Yeoul glanced around, then whispered to me so the others couldn’t hear.

Whispering.

“What? Sex? Hey, what are you saying into my ear?”

“When did I say anything like that! If you come to my house today, I’ll tell you what I know! But there’s a condition! You have to introduce me to my mom and dad as your… close friend and pretend!”

So, Bang-daeng wants to make a trade of her own, huh?

But that was a tricky condition to meet.

“Pretend to be friends? Weren’t we already friends? We’ve seen each other’s underwear!”

“When did we ever see each other’s underwear! You just showed me yours unilaterally…”

Baek-Yeoul screamed hysterically.

Then suddenly, she blushed as if recalling something.

“W-wait, was it back at the crosswalk?”

“Of course.”

“YAAAH!”

Baek-Yeoul clenched her fists and charged at me.

However, she lost her footing over a rock and stumbled.

Such a klutz!

“Bang-daeng, are you an idiot? Hahaha!”

Just as I burst out laughing, Bal-Yeoul, who had been leaning forward, fell and punched my nose.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

# # #

Baek-Yeoul’s house was slightly away from the center of D City.

It looked like one of those high-walled houses you often see in movies and dramas.

Beyond that wall was a lawn garden visible from the living room terrace, basking in sunlight, enhancing quality of life satisfaction.

Built in a modern minimalist style, the interior boasted a Swiss kitchen, and a plump housekeeper lady seemed ready to peel fruits at any moment.

“I’ve never been in such a spacious house. I knew Yeoul lived well, but I never thought she was this wealthy!”

“Truly impressive. At my part-time job, buying a house like this would take me a lifetime.”

“…It’s like the house from the movie ‘Parasite.’”

Everyone from Team ‘No Leftover Day’ was amazed.

However, I couldn’t hide my disappointment honestly.

With the reputation of a chaebol house famous for desserts, I expected something akin to a fairy tale candy house, but all I saw was concrete, cement, and stone.

“Then wait here for a moment! I’ll bring my parents! Mom! Dad!”

Baek-Yeoul took off her shoes, scampering upstairs, then soon came downstairs with what appeared to be her middle-aged parents.

“It’s been ages since our Yeoul brought a friend home!”

“Nice to meet you all! I’m Yeoul’s father.”

A gentle-looking woman who seemed like a madam and a slightly balding gentleman appeared.

They guided us to a large dining table where they piled various dishes on top.

From vividly roasted lobsters to beef I didn’t know how to eat.

“Uh… Mom, is this too much?”

Baek-Yeoul glanced nervously at her mother, who chuckled and lovingly patted Baek-Yeoul’s back.

“Since our daughter is bringing home friends, how could I just sit still? I decided to show off my skills a bit. Eat up! There’s plenty more, so no need to refuse.”

“……”

“……”

Overwhelmed by the upper-class dining atmosphere, everyone was just glancing around.

I figured this was the moment to speak up.

“Madam, if there are leftovers, can I take some home?”

As I pulled out a container from my bag, Madam’s eyes lit up as if they exploded.

“If you want more, I’ll pack some for you!”

Madam’s joy loosened the tense atmosphere, and everyone started eating.

Mr. President seemed like a taciturn person, but Madam was chatty, ensuring silence wouldn’t descend during the meal.

“Our daughter is kind but has a slightly clueless side, so I always worry about—”

“Yummy!”

“I always worry if she’ll make good friends or if she’s being bullied. So, how is our Yeoul doing at school? At home, she’s quite the troublemaker.”

How’s Baek-Yeoul doing at school?

I recalled how everyone bullied her, but Baek-Yeoul spoke up before I could.

“I have lots of friends! Everyone wants to be in the same group as me!”

Indeed, her parents seemed unaware of how Baek-Yeoul was faring at school.

Baek-Yeoul must have chosen not to disclose that.

Her awkward fib made the dining atmosphere a bit awkward, but the food was truly delicious.

Crunch, crunch.

“Hey! How can you eat the shell of the lobster? That’s going to be spoiled!”

“Madam, you really are a fantastic cook.”

“Really? How are your parents? Is your mom a good cook?”

“Uh, mom—”

Baek-Yeoul appeared flustered.

‘Name: Baek-Yeoul

Status: 《Nervous》 – She is worried about whether her parents will say something unnecessary.’

Baek-Yeoul started glancing around.

As everyone turned to me, puzzled, I gave a simple answer.

“My mom wasn’t a good cook. She only made weird food every day, like putting ketchup and ssamjang into kimchi stew.”

“Oh, she sounds like quite an interesting person! You can see someone’s character through their cooking style.”

Just when the meal atmosphere was getting relatively cheerful.

Dudududun!

Suddenly, men in black suits burst into the house.

I thought it was a surprise event, but seeing Madam, Mr. President, and Baek-Yeoul all in shock, it clearly wasn’t staged.

“W-who are you?!”

“Sir, we are from the National Tax Service. Due to overdue taxes, we are unfortunately required to proceed with seizure procedures. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please bear with us as we follow legal procedures.”

The black-clad men began sticking yellow stickers all over the house. Even the dining table where we were eating had stickers slapped on it. Even the dishes!

Both Mr. President and Madam appeared shocked, lost for words, merely flapping their mouths.

‘Name: Baek Joong-won

Status: 《Humiliated》 – He is distressed from experiencing an embarrassing situation in front of his daughter and her friends.’

‘Name: Dang Hwa-yeon

Status: 《Worried》 – She is concerned that her daughter may get hurt.’

Everyone just glanced around in disarray.

Baek-Yeoul, on the other hand, was scowling with tightly clenched fists, trembling.

Seeing tears welling in her eyes made me worry she might lash out like a rabid raccoon.

If she misbehaved, it would truly be a disaster.

There was no other choice.

I grabbed Baek-Yeoul by the wrist.

“Hey, the adults are busy, let’s give them some space.”

“……”

As I led Baek-Yeoul out, everyone, still stunned by the situation, silently followed me.

Once we stepped outside, crossing the lawn over the high wall felt like the events that had just unfolded were just a dream.

Everyone’s expressions were ambiguous.

Certainly not in a good mood.

“It’s my fault…”

Ultimately, Baek-Yeoul furrowed her brow and burst into tears.

Crying made her look even worse.

“It’s because I’m ‘unlucky’ that our house is struggling. My mom and dad get hurt often. It’s all my fault…”

Did the Baek-Yeoul household have financial issues, contrary to appearances? It was no wonder they couldn’t fix her broken phone right away.

It seemed she believed that everything stemmed from her so-called ‘bad luck.’

But as I mentioned before, luck is like a seesaw.

For everything that goes up, something must come down, and vice versa.

“Hey, you’re extremely lucky today. From now on, you’re going to eat something really delicious. Let’s go!”

I led everyone to my house.

Crossing through an alley filled with trash and junk, my friends were surprised when we entered my home.

“Is this your house? This neighborhood is so quiet.”

Geum Tae-seong marvelled at the serene atmosphere.

Choi Chang-sik seemed a bit worried.

“My friend, isn’t it rude if we just barge in without telling your parents?”

“It’s fine. My mom and dad aren’t home. This is my place. So everyone come on in. You can wear indoor slippers if you want.”

Guiding the timid-looking friends who shuffled in like broken cats, I headed straight to the kitchen to boil some water.

I tossed in all the meat dishes I had brought, along with the ramen seasoning, ssamjang, and ketchup I had saved, and the pot already started to smell delicious.

“Here, my homemade ramen.”

The thick broth already looked appetizing.

As the drooling began, everyone’s nerves kicked in.

“…Is it really okay to eat this? Why did you mix everything together?”

Nervous, Geum Tae-seong.

It was so appetizing that it seemed to put some strength into him.

“Why did I mix it? It all ends up in your stomach anyway. Anyone with an IQ over 140 eats like this.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“…I’ll try it. I’ve said before that you shouldn’t leave anything behind when you eat.”

The first to lift their spoon was still sniffling Baek-Yeoul.

With her spoon, she ladled the broth and plopped it into her mouth, and her expression changed colors.

“Delicious…!?”

“Yeoul, really? You’re saying this twisted hellish broth is actually good? I must try this! Mmm, this… ugh….”

So good that Choi Chang-sik couldn’t keep it together and dashed to the bathroom.

“Ha-ha, Nam-jin. I’m sorry, but I can’t eat this.”

“It’s not food; it’s poison…”

Even Geum Tae-seong and the gentle Deok-soon couldn’t handle just one bite and were left dazed, while only Baek-Yeoul continued to scoop the broth, slurping it down with chopsticks.

“…Why does this taste good? It shouldn’t be tasty! Why? Why? Why is this good! I-I can’t accept it!”

The groundbreaking taste seemed to make Baek-Yeoul forget all the sorrow that had been weighing on her just moments ago.

In the end, Baek-Yeoul and I shared all the food. Honestly, she ate a bit more than me, which made me a little mad, but since I had already gotten some from Madam, I decided to forgive her.

“Look! There’s a praying mantis in the yard! A golden praying mantis!”

Just as I was about to clean up our bowls, Choi Chang-sik suddenly shouted from my yard.

Excited about seeing the golden mantis, I bolted outside, and Geum Tae-seong tapped my shoulder.

“Nam-jin, you’re cooler than I thought.”

Suddenly?

Is my cooking that good that it makes me look more handsome?

That’s entirely possible.

In this age, a man who can cook is seen as quite attractive.

In the end, we didn’t spot the golden mantis.

Apparently, it flew away before we came out. Missing a rare golden mantis is such a bad stroke of luck.

Instead, Baek-Yeoul came out to the yard, looking shy, which was hilarious.

“Are you imitating the golden praying mantis right now?”

“…No! You! You said you were going to that party Seoga-eul is holding. At the ‘office building.’”

“Oh, right.”

“Don’t go. It’s a trap. I fell for it too….”

Baek-Yeoul seems to have a lot to say about Seoga-eul.