A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive

Choi Taejoon’s tightly clenched jaw let out a mix of curses and deep sighs as he hugged me so tightly, I thought I might break.

“Wh-what’s wrong? Why are you doing this?”

The air in the bedroom felt heavy, pressing down on my chest. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge. Instead, his arms tightened even more around me.

I couldn’t help but think this might have been because I asked Secretary Kim about Taejoon’s whereabouts. What on earth did Kim tell him to make him act like this?

“I don’t know what Secretary Kim said, but it’s all a misunderstanding.”

While I struggled to figure out what was happening, Taejoon’s harsh breathing gradually calmed.

Trying to hide how scared I was, I stammered, carefully choosing my words. I had to be cautious—one wrong move, and things could spiral out of control.

It felt like being chased by a bear, but pretending not to notice and continuing a casual walk.

“You seem… drunk. Did you drink too much?”

Was this Taejoon’s way of handling alcohol? In the original story, there was no mention of him having a drinking habit.

I could feel his warm breath on my neck, trailing up to my ear. It felt so close, like his lips might touch me, and I turned my head in surprise. That’s when I noticed something odd—he didn’t smell like alcohol at all.

So, he wasn’t drunk. Then why was he acting like this?

“I… I can’t breathe. Please, let go.”

It felt like a giant weight was crushing me. No matter how much I pushed, he didn’t move. Taejoon was strong, and once he decided to hold on, there was no escaping him.

“Director… please, I can’t breathe.”

Finally, Taejoon took a deep breath and released his grip. His tense shoulders slowly relaxed as he moved away.

Even as he stepped back, his eyes stayed fixed on me, like he was trying to memorize every detail—my hair, my face, even the smallest features.

His gaze was so intense, so full of emotion, that it made my skin crawl.

I didn’t understand why Taejoon was looking at me with such sadness in his eyes.

“Director.”

Hearing my firm tone seemed to bring him back to reality. His expression flickered, and for a moment, he looked embarrassed.

“…Damn it,” he muttered, clenching his fists tightly before running a hand through his messy hair.

He took a deep breath, and the pale look on his face started to fade as his normal color returned. I took that chance to speak again, this time more forcefully.

“Please, step aside.”

Taejoon stared at me for a moment, then slowly stood up.

“…Fine.”

The pressure in the room lifted, and I could finally breathe again. I got up from the bed, trying to keep my movements calm and steady, even though my heart was pounding like crazy.

Once I was away from him, I felt the full weight of my fear hit me. No matter how much I tried to stay calm, my body wouldn’t listen.

Gripping my chest, I forced a smile, though I knew it probably looked awkward.

“I’m sorry for entering your room without permission.”

I avoided his piercing gaze, but my eyes accidentally landed on his slightly open shirt, revealing his perfectly toned chest. Embarrassed, I quickly shut my eyes.

“You’ve got your own room. Why are you here? I thought you’d disappeared,” Taejoon said, trying to sound casual, but his voice was still shaky.

“I just felt awkward being alone in an empty house, so I wandered around…”

“You feel awkward in an empty house but find it comfortable enough to sleep in someone else’s bed?”

He must’ve been shocked to come home after days away and find me asleep in his bed.

“I was going to leave right away, but the view was so beautiful… I thought I’d stay for just a little longer.”

Following my gaze, Taejoon turned to look out the window.

“It’s raining,” he murmured.

The rain was pouring heavily outside.

“Maybe that’s why… I think rain makes me feel sluggish.”

Before I fell asleep, the sky was full of stars, but now it had turned into a heavy storm.

“I tend to feel extra tired when it rains. And I’d had some beer too, so I must’ve gotten even sleepier. I was only going to lie down for a moment, but I fell asleep. I’m really sorry.”

I could feel his lingering gaze on me, so I quickly stood up from the bed.

“Well… I’ll be going now.”

I needed to leave before this got even more awkward.

Just as I was about to leave the room, Taejoon’s voice stopped me.

“Hyun Woo Kyung.”

I paused with my hand on the doorknob and slowly turned around. Taejoon sat on the edge of the bed, looking tired and drained.

“Yes?”

“…Make me some coffee.”

I blinked, unsure if I heard him right. His voice turned sharp and sarcastic.

“Isn’t a cup of coffee a cheap price for trespassing in someone’s room?”

He was asking for coffee as payment for letting me sleep in his bed.

“Go make some coffee.”

“…Alright, sure.”

As I stepped out of the room, I saw Taejoon’s slouched shoulders through the slowly closing door.

Taejoon had only managed to hold back his emotions because of years of experience in controlling himself. In his world, suppressing feelings, staying low, and waiting for the right moment had become second nature.

The original story described him as someone who only showed his true emotions in front of the main character, Park Ha-hyun.

But now… what had shaken him so deeply?

If I hadn’t imagined it, he looked like someone overwhelmed, frightened, and completely lost.

As always, thoughts without answers didn’t linger long.

Outside, the sky was a deep gray, but the cheerful sound of raindrops tapping against the window filled the air.

I patted my shoulders lightly and headed to the kitchen. Still feeling the rapid thumping of my heart, I rested a hand over my chest and pulled out the container of coffee capsules.

The coffee machine on the counter was unfamiliar, but it didn’t seem too complicated.

I placed a mug and a capsule in their spots, closed the lid, and pressed a button. Nothing happened.

“Huh? What’s wrong with this thing?”

Normally, that would’ve been all it took to start a capsule machine. The cord was plugged in, and there was enough water. Puzzled, I opened the lid to check, only for the capsule to fall through.

I tried pulling the base apart to fix it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Turn it the other way.”

Suddenly, Taejoon’s calm, low voice came from behind me, and I felt his faint warmth at my back.

“Oh.”

Startled, I flinched and began to turn around, but his hand reached over my shoulder and pressed the button for me.

The machine whirred to life at last.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My mouth felt dry, and my face flushed with heat. Taejoon, unbothered, opened a cabinet, pulled out another mug, and placed it under the machine.

“You want some too?” he asked.

His expression was relaxed, more so than I’d ever seen it. Slowly, I nodded. The soft aroma of coffee and Taejoon’s calm voice helped ease the tension in my chest.

Low-hanging clouds cast shadows into the living room. Holding our mugs, we sat at the edge of the shadowed area in silence.

“Are you going to work today?” I asked.

“In a bit.”

“If you drink coffee now, won’t it keep you up later?”

He gave me a sideways glance. The sharp curve of his eyes made me nervous, and I quickly looked away. The awkwardness in the air made me sip my coffee a little too fast.

“How’s it there?” he asked.

It took me a moment to realize he was gesturing at my forehead, where a small bandage remained.

“Oh, my forehead? It’s fine now. Doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Not your forehead. Your brain.”

My brain? I froze for a second before Taejoon tapped his temple with a finger, clarifying his question.

“My brain? Uh…”

His serious expression was oddly endearing.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, frowning as he caught the subtle change in my expression. The more I tried to suppress my laughter, the harder it was. I ended up covering my mouth with my mug.

“It’s just… calling it a ‘brain’ sounds funny.”

I couldn’t help but think of a movie where Do Hyun-tae, playing a neuroscientist, kept obsessively saying “brain.” It was absurdly repetitive.

As I tried to stifle my laughter while sipping my coffee, Taejoon gave me a disapproving look.

“You’re clearly not fully recovered.”

“I’m fine. Really, I’m perfectly fine.”

For a moment, I wondered if pretending to be a little off might work to my advantage. It might help explain any mistakes I made because of the differences between this world and the one I came from.

“Thanks for the coffee,” he said.

He studied me with the detached curiosity of a scientist observing an experiment. Then, setting his mug on the table, he stood up and added, “When I call later, come straight down to the parking lot.”

“The parking lot? Why?”

He didn’t answer. He simply glanced at his watch before heading back to his room to prepare for work.

That afternoon, I sat in the passenger seat of Taejoon’s car as he drove us somewhere.

Given the earlier conversation about my brain and mental state, I assumed we were headed to a hospital.

I even started planning how to act confused enough to convince a doctor without overdoing it.

But when the car stopped, we were in front of a luxury department store.

“Why are we here?” I asked, surprised.

I had been so sure we were going to a hospital that I’d come out in a casual outfit—just a short-sleeved shirt and sweatpants.

“You said you didn’t have any clothes.”

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t think we’d come here. I only brought my phone.”

Taejoon gave me a puzzled look, clearly wondering what I meant. Then, realizing I was talking about money, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

“You could’ve just gone to a discount store or ordered something online. I don’t have the money to shop in a place like this,” I muttered.

Even if I had brought all the cash I had, it wouldn’t have been enough to buy anything here.

While I sat stubbornly in my seat, a valet driver approached Taejoon’s door, looking unsure of what to do.

“Um, sir…?”

“I’m getting out, I’m getting out.”

Reluctantly, I got out of the car and followed Taejoon, who was already walking ahead without waiting for me.

“Director! Wait for me!” I called out, hurrying to catch up. My casual clothes felt completely out of place in the polished, luxurious surroundings of the department store.