A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 42

We got into the waiting car and headed to our accommodation. As always, Mr. Kim gave a brief rundown of the day’s schedule.

Choi Taejoon, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.

“That guy earlier,  who the hell is he?”

At the mention of that guy, my hands on the steering wheel flinched.

Mr. Kim sought confirmation.

“You mean ST Entertainment’s rookie actor, Park Ha-hyun?”

“Yeah.”

I knew it. He was still thinking about Park Ha-hyun.

Because of CEO Song Seo-hee’s sudden arrival, they had exchanged brief pleasantries before parting ways, but if it weren’t for her, things wouldn’t have ended so easily.

Park Ha-hyun, that bastard.

No matter how reckless he was, ripping up money like that—was he insane?

Mr. Kim tapped on his tablet a few times before reciting Ha-hyun’s personal information.

“He moved to the U.S. in his second year of high school. During college, he connected with CEO Song Seo-hee and later signed with ST Entertainment. He has no prior filmography, and the movie he’s currently shooting is his debut project. He has no family, and his relationships with those around him appear normal. Nothing else stands out.”

“What did he do in the U.S.?”

“He majored in acting, but… should I look into it further?”

It was the same profile from the original story.

“…No. Forget it.”

Taejoon leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes as if he didn’t want to bother thinking about it anymore.

Most love stories that start with bad blood tend to end in romance. Maybe this was just another one of those cases. Some people fall in love at first sight, while others find themselves drawn to the very person they once despised.

The exotic scenery outside the window barely registered in my mind. Instead, a sharp, uncomfortable feeling lodged itself in my chest like a splinter.

After arriving at my room, I powered on my laptop and downloaded the necessary files.

There was nothing particularly complicated, but it required focus—cross-checking everything one by one.

Thanks to that, I was able to momentarily forget the headache-inducing events at the airport. My mind felt clearer as I worked through the documents.

Once I finished reviewing and submitting them to Mr. Kim for final approval, I received a prompt, formal reply a few minutes later.

“Good work.”

I threw my arms up.

“Done! Finally done!”

Then, another message arrived.

Mr. Kim:
“Make sure to bring Director Choi to Feroche on time.”

Me:
“Understood.”

It was really over now.

I was just about to get up and take a shower when another message from Mr. Kim popped up.

Mr. Kim:
“How are you feeling?”

I blinked at my screen in surprise.

What’s with him? Did he eat something bad? Why was he suddenly checking in on me?

Me:
“I’m fine. I felt better as soon as I got off the plane.”

Mr. Kim:
“That’s good. See you later.”

“…….”

Come to think of it, maybe Mr. Kim wasn’t such a bad guy.

He was just a loyal, dutiful man carrying out his responsibilities. It was his job to weed out undercover agents within the organization and protect both Choi Taejoon and the syndicate.

The unfortunate part was that I happened to be the undercover cop—Hyun Woo Kyung.

From Woo Kyung’s perspective, Mr. Kim was the bad guy. But from Mr. Kim’s standpoint, Woo Kyung was the enemy.

The only unfair part?

The real me wasn’t a cop.

I was an idol!

A hollow laugh escaped me. But what difference did it make?

In Alcohol Swab, I was an undercover cop through and through.

Shaking off my pointless thoughts, I headed for the shower.

The warm water relaxed me, washing away the lingering stress.

Despite the chaos of suddenly waking up in this world, my inherent nature was simple and optimistic.

Might as well just go with the flow and let things unfold naturally. Maybe that way, I’d at least get a peaceful death.

Feeling lighter, I hummed the main title track of my group’s latest song while drying my hair.

Then I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror.

“What’s with my lips…?”

It seemed I had been unconsciously gnawing on them.

My lower lip was red and swollen.

I lightly brushed my fingers over it, and as I did, a vivid memory flashed through my mind—

That moment on the plane when my lips had accidentally brushed against Choi Taejoon’s cheek.

It was barely a touch.

But the sensation remained crystal clear in my memory.

A lingering tingling at the corner of my lips, like the faint sting of static electricity.

The urge to bite or rub the irritation away was unbearable, almost like the itch of a mosquito bite.

I scrubbed at my lips with the back of my hand, shaking my head.

“Ugh, stop thinking about it.”

But the moment I recalled the way Choi Taejoon had looked at me in the cabin, my chest tightened again.

Get a grip, Woo Kyung.

I had been on Choi Taejoon’s side the entire time while reading the novel.

He had a terrible personality.

At times, it was questionable whether he was even the protagonist or just another villain.

Yet, as the story progressed, I found myself unable to side against him.

Sure, part of it was because of his irresistible charm as a dominant, possessive character that had me utterly hooked.

But when I looked deeper—

I just felt sorry for him.

A man who had never once experienced love in his entire life.

And then, one day, he met his so-called fated partner—only to realize that person was an undercover cop sent to deceive him.

“…Even thinking about it again, it’s just pitiful.”

But this was purely from a fan’s perspective, a sentiment born out of admiration, not romantic feelings.

It was similar to how heroes in movies were incredibly charismatic, yet no one actually wanted to date them. Living as a hero’s lover would be far too extreme.

Of course, Choi Taejoon wasn’t exactly a righteous hero—he was a villain forced to live as one.

I turned back to my reflection in the mirror.

Even though I had purposely chosen a bright-colored tie, I still looked pale and lifeless.

I rubbed my rough cheek with my palm and swept my hair back, attempting to strike a confident expression, but it didn’t make much of a difference. I had been worn out from the flight and hadn’t slept properly for days, too excited about coming to Jeju.

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again—only for Park Ha-hyun’s dazzlingly bright face to pop into my mind.

Damn it.

Now that the protagonist of this world had made his grand entrance, the story would inevitably revolve around him.

Everything would fall back into place according to the original flow of the novel.

I just needed to sit back and watch the show.

Or was I supposed to be the one conducting the show instead?

Letting out a bitter chuckle, I checked my reflection in the full-length mirror by the entrance one last time. Then, straightening my clothes and my resolve, I made my way to Choi Taejoon’s room.

“You’re early.”

Security Team Leader Seo greeted me first.

“Is Director Choi ready yet? Should I knock?”

“Wait. Give it two minutes.”

He checked his wristwatch and shook his head. Exactly two minutes later, the closed door swung open, and Choi Taejoon stepped out.

I instinctively held my breath before reciting the line I had practiced multiple times.

“Director, I’ll escort you to the meeting room.”

It was just a few words, but it was my first official duty accompanying Taejoon without Mr. Kim.

Taejoon glanced at my stiff posture before speaking indifferently.

“So today, you’re taking Mr. Kim’s place?”

“Huh? Oh, yes! I am. Mr. Kim is with CEO Song and the CI guests who arrived earlier. You can head straight up.”

Taejoon casually patted my shoulder a few times.

“You look better now. Looked half-dead on the plane.”

Though his touch was light, barely applying any pressure, it felt as heavy as a block of iron.

As I awkwardly hesitated, Taejoon turned and walked ahead toward the elevator.

“Let’s go.”

Something felt off.

That’s when I noticed—Taejoon had removed his cast.

Was it even safe to take it off this soon?

I hurried a few steps ahead to press the elevator button while asking,

“Is it okay to take your cast off already?”

“Yeah.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

A faint smile flickered across Taejoon’s face before disappearing.

“I’m fine.”

My lower lip tingled again. I found myself biting down on the inside of my lip, trying to ignore the sensation, and focused on the elevator.

Just then, the doors slid open. Holding the button, I waited for Taejoon to step inside.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he stood there, staring at the person already inside.

“…Park Ha-hyun?”

Inside, Ha-hyun had been idly scrolling through his phone. He only looked up when he heard his name.

“Oh, senior?”

His face lit up as he recognized me, but when his gaze shifted to Taejoon, his expression hardened.

Taejoon frowned as well.

“Let’s take another one.”

Without hesitation, he turned toward the next arriving elevator and stepped inside. The security team followed, and I hurriedly trailed after them.

As expected, the story was steering itself to keep bringing these two together.

Sooner or later, fate—or more accurately, the narrative—would weave them into a couple.

Just like in the original, they’d fall passionately in love, fight bitterly, and be drawn together again.

Even at the airport, that ridiculous handkerchief incident was just another thread in their inevitable connection.

Of course, in the novel, they were supposed to meet for the first time on the set of Ha-hyun’s debut film.

Their fated encounter should have happened when Ha-hyun punched his co-star—a senior actor who had been bullying him.

And it wasn’t gangster Choi Taejoon throwing the punch.

It was actor Park Ha-hyun.

That moment had piqued Taejoon’s interest, leading him to seek out Ha-hyun in his hotel room—where, after a struggle, he had forced himself on him.

…Ugh. Even now, thinking about it made my stomach turn.

Maybe something similar would happen when we visited the film set at the end of the trip.

Just as I reached that conclusion, I tilted my head in confusion.

Wait a minute…

Something didn’t add up.

Support