Mixed-Blood in a Gender Role Reversed World - Chapter 50

 Chapter 50 : The Problem with Cigarettes (1)

Everyone probably has that experience at least once. The feeling of waking up from sleep with an unusual sense of refreshment.

And that, in itself, was a signal of great danger.

“...!”

I opened my eyes wide, not feeling any grogginess. Fumbling for my phone, I checked the time first.  

Pressing the power button, the white text on the screen displayed the time.

6:50 AM, Saturday.

I had to be at work by 8 PM. Adding everything up, it was a pretty tight schedule.  

I threw off the blanket covering my body. I wondered if I’d even slept under it, but that wasn’t important right now.

“Sleep more.”

I turned my gaze toward the voice. As expected, it was my aunt.  

Pecha and Yuri were also sitting at the table in the same positions as before. Are these two planning to live here permanently or what?

Narrowing my eyes slightly, I looked at my aunt. She gave me a grandmotherly smile, as if watching her cute grandson’s antics, and let out a hearty laugh.

“Don’t make that face. You looked like such an angel while you were sleeping.”

“...”

My slightly narrowed eyes scrunched up completely. My hands and feet curled up in embarrassment.  

But I soon relaxed my expression. To my aunt, I must look different. Getting all worked up and telling her not to use such expressions wouldn’t do any good.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do...”

Anyway, now wasn’t the time to get distracted by trivial things. I got up from the bed, the frame creaking, and rubbed my eyes as I shuffled toward the bathroom to shower. Out of habit, I started pulling my shirt up from the bottom.

“!”

I heard a gasp and the sound of heads turning. Someone must’ve turned too quickly because I also heard bones cracking.  

Sighing, I slowly pulled my shirt back down.  

This is my house. I can’t even take my clothes off freely.

“What were you trying to do?”  

My aunt’s face had turned goblin-like.

“Young master... it might be best to be a bit more careful.”

Pecha was rubbing her neck, a faint blush on her face.

“...Oh.”

Yuri let out an exclamation but quickly shrank under the sharp glares of two pairs of eyes.

---

“I have to go to work now... I was just trying to shower.”

“Yes.”

My aunt’s reluctant response. Surely she wasn’t planning to lock me up here under the pretense of protection.  

There hadn’t been any issues so far, and I didn’t think anything major would happen in Korea, so I wasn’t thrilled about it. Plus, I had confidence in myself.

“Should we step out then?”  

“...?”

I looked at her suspiciously as she backed off so easily. Misinterpreting my gaze, she gestured to Pecha and Yuri.  

They stood up and flowed out the door like water.

“What the...”

I’d expected strong resistance. I didn’t think my aunt would agree and leave so quickly.  

Tilting my head in confusion, I walked into the bathroom, but the moment the showerhead’s water hit my body, I shook off all stray thoughts.

---

Roza smoked a cigar with a satisfied smile. The fact that Shasha was now living healthily and diligently.  

When she had called Shasha in the past,  

her nephew’s voice over the phone had been tinged with death. Not knowing the direction of his life, those were days when her heart was filled with worry.

She hadn’t been there for him back then, but now he was thriving in this far-off foreign land. Going to school and even working a part-time job.  

If only he could let go of that obsessive possessiveness and fixation, he could live happily as someone’s good husband.

“It’s all because of that damned inheritance. And being stuck to that woman’s side, he couldn’t help but take after her temperament.”

Or perhaps it was because of his bloodline? Roza’s breathing grew rough as she inhaled the cigar. Regardless, from now on, she would take good care of him.  

Roza looked at her subordinates standing rigidly with pity.

“You’re working hard. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go just yet.”  

“Please don’t say that.”  

“Yeah... it’s actually nice to get some eye candy—ow!”

She’s asking for a scolding. Roza flicked Yuri’s forehead and turned to Pecha.

“Is it about time?”  

“Yes, it should be fine to go in now.”

With another satisfied smile, Roza stepped forward. Toward the house where her admirable nephew lived.

---

“...Shasha, aren’t you going to change? Your boss doesn’t say anything about going to work dressed like that?”  

“Huh? Oh, this is basically my uniform.”  

“...Where do you work?”  

“As a club bouncer...”

Roza’s eyes glinted fiercely. Who was the wretch making him dress like that and work? A club bouncer, of all things?  

She felt like she wouldn’t be satisfied unless she put a few bullets in that woman’s head. Or maybe...

As Roza’s expression shifted like a pro, imagining all sorts of methods, Shasha hurriedly continued.

“I applied for it myself, so don’t get any weird ideas. I don’t have much time, so I’m heading out now.”  

“Wait.”

As Shasha stylishly swung his sukajan jacket and headed for the door, Roza stopped him.

“In exchange for my leniency, there’s something you need to do.”  

“...What is it?”

---

“Pecha, Yuri, can’t you walk a bit farther away on the street? It feels a bit off walking like this in a crowded place.”

Despite my burning frustration, I kept my voice as cold as possible.  

The condition my aunt set was that I had to go around with Pecha and Yuri as escorts.

So, I got off the taxi far from the club. Why?  

Because everyone we passed was staring at us strangely. Pecha and Yuri were following me closely, standing on either side like bodyguards.  

In this world, people assume a woman over 170 cm tall is strong. But when two women taller than that, dressed in suits, are following a man like me?

It depends on one’s imagination. As another person glanced at us with fearful eyes, they spoke up.

“We’re sorry. There’s a valid reason.”  

“Yes, young master. It’s to keep riffraff women away...”  

“...Pecha, does that sound like a valid reason? I won’t say anything near the house, but for now, follow me from a distance. Both of you stand out too much as foreigners.”

Pecha, who had been glaring at Yuri with a suppressed look, opened her mouth as if to protest.

“You’re not saying you can’t guard me from a distance, are you?”  

“Of course not.”  

“I’d like to show you. With just one long stick, before anyone even gets close...”

When I lightly scratched at their pride, I got the reaction I wanted. I turned to them near the club and made a request.

“There are a lot of people here, so it should be fine. Go wait at a café or something. It’ll be a while before I’m done.”

They bowed their heads and disappeared somewhere.  

I shook my head weakly and entered the club.

---

There was a new face today. A rookie guard who came in after seeing the job posting. It seemed Sia didn’t personally pick every guard.  

A shy young woman. Yoo Yeri seemed to like her, teaching her this and that.  

When we had a moment alone, we exchanged greetings.

“I’m Juhana, senior.”  

“I’m Ryu sehwa. And  you don’t have to call me that. I just started yesterday.”  

“Oh, no, still... can I just call you senior?”  

“Call me whatever’s comfortable.”

She stammered a bit, seeming shy, but as we talked, she came across as kind-hearted.  

Assuming she wasn’t a bad person, I lost interest, stood up from the desk, and returned to work.

Dealing with rowdy customers as usual.  

Nothing special happened, except getting hit on while stepping out to smoke.

When the sky, once devoid of light, began to brighten, I politely declined Yoo Yeri’s offer to drink and left work.

...With Pecha and Yuri following me like ghosts, of course.

---

__

“Are you getting off here?”  

“Yes, I need to buy something. Pecha, do you have your ID?”  

“Yes.”

Like yesterday, I stopped the taxi near a convenience store. I gave Pecha a slightly apologetic look.

“Can you buy me a pack of Marlboro Reds?”  

“Anything else you need?”

I told her it was fine, and she headed into the convenience store.  

Meanwhile, I led Yuri to a spot far from the store.  

I never thought I’d be sending someone to buy cigarettes for me. It felt degrading, but my craving for my preferred brand overpowered it.

The ones Mina gave me were decent, but compared to my usual cigarettes, they were lacking.

By the way, I want to see Hayul soon... but I can’t because I’m afraid my mind will switch back to Shasha’s.  

Even though Hayul works nearby, I can’t visit for that reason.

I resolved to look for a tattoo artist when I got home. And to think about what phrase to engrave on my finger.

---

“Ugh... another foreigner.”

As closing time approached, Hayul tensed up internally at the sight of a foreign woman.  

It’d be nice if she could speak Korean like Sehwa. Or at least English.

Fortunately—

“One pack of Marlboro Reds, please.”

She spoke Korean quite fluently.

Hayul smiled brightly, checked her ID, and started looking for the item.

“She smokes the same brand as Sehwa. A whole pack...”

As a non-smoker, Hayul couldn’t understand why people smoked.  

Sehwa, who used to self-harm, came to mind. People with hurting hearts always seemed to turn to cigarettes. Was that why?

Rummaging under the counter, Hayul finally found the pack and handed it to her.  

After the woman paid and left, Hayul stretched her neck sly.

“Ugh...”

While stretching her stiff neck, she glanced out the window.  

The customer who just left was looking around sharply, as if searching for someone, impossible to ignore.  

Her menacing aura made Hayul swallow hard.  

The woman reached into her jacket but then sighed in relief and started walking quickly.

Curiosity piqued, Hayul pretended to clean the table and stepped outside, spotting someone far off and widening her eyes.

“Is that Sehwa...?”

Hayul darted to hide behind a wall, peeking out again.  

It was hard to see from a distance. All she could make out was a man with black hair, a head taller than the woman beside him.

“...I’m not a stalker, what am I doing?”

Questioning her actions, Hayul thought it must be a mistake and turned to head back to the store.  

But human intuition isn’t easily ignored.  

Muttering “just for a second,” Hayul stepped away from the wall.

Like a spy in a movie, she hid behind buildings, slowly approaching to confirm the man’s identity. And who was the woman beside him?

“...Huh?”

The customer was walking toward the man. He and the woman beside him stood still, as if waiting for her.

“...That direction?”

Not caring about being spotted, Hayul boldly closed the distance.  

They seemed to know each other, greeting one another. Then she confirmed the man’s identity.

“...Sehwa?”

It was definitely the sukajan she’d picked out for him. The black tank top Sehwa wore. The dark, unfamiliar marks on his skin—probably tattoos.  

Even from afar, there was no mistaking it. The two women stepped behind him, surrounding him.

All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind, but Hayul clutched her pounding heart and kept following them.  

She could feel her heart thumping even over her chest.

When the customer leaned close to Sehwa’s ear and whispered something, Hayul’s long eyelashes trembled.

“...It’s not true.”

Not sure what she was denying, Hayul pushed down her rising anxiety and followed them with her eyes.  

She’d long forgotten she was neglecting her job to tail them.

Their footsteps felt like a path of thorns. She knew approaching would hurt, but Hayul didn’t stop.

When they finally stopped in front of a building,  

Hayul’s heart seemed to stop too.

It was Sehwa’s house.  

She wanted to run up, grab him, and ask—  

Why are you going to your house, where you live alone, with these women?  

Even if I don’t know who they are, isn’t it dangerous? She wanted to say it gently, calmly.

But Hayul wasn’t given that chance.

Unbelievably, Sehwa and the women walked into his house together, chatting amicably.

With trembling eyes, Hayul stared at Sehwa’s house.

She pinched her cheek.

A tear trickled from the corner of her eye due to the sensation.

_______________________________________

Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id  

/ Reversalnovel.web.id