“Boss!”
“Hm.”
“Boss, you’ve got to read this book!”
Over six feet tall, thickly muscled, with a face rough enough to scare most people off. And yet the vacant, unfocused look in his eyes was so gentle it clashed completely with his appearance. The man being called “Boss,” Kim Hanyul, stared blankly at the subordinate running toward him with a book in hand.
“What is it now, Hanseo?”
The man was Park Hanseo, the subordinate Kim Hanyul cherished most within the organization.
Hanseo was slightly taller than Kim Hanyul, and despite that imposing height, he was the youngest in the group—the baby of the organization—only twenty-three years old, forever stuck with the role of mascot.
“Boss, look at this!”
“…What is it?”
“Boss! This is a book you absolutely need! You’re already thirty-eight, aren’t you?!”
“That’s right.”
Thirty-eight.
Had it really come to that already?
Work, fights, work, fights—he’d done nothing but repeat that cycle endlessly, so much so that he hadn’t even realized how old he’d become.
I really am past my prime now.
Lately, his body no longer bounced back after sleep the way it used to. Every morning felt heavy, like he was dragging a sack of stones. Proof, no doubt, that time had caught up with him. The passage of years felt oddly cruel.
“And you’ve never even dated once…. This won’t do. Boss! At the very least, I want to see you in a relationship just once before I die!”
Park Hanseo spoke with veins bulging in his neck, meddling far beyond his station.
The youngest talking about dying first….
It was absurd, but Kim Hanyul decided to hear him out.
“You’ve already succeeded in unifying all the organizations nationwide, so there’s nothing big left to accomplish, right? So why not take this chance—before it’s too late—and try dating?”
“…Dating, huh. I suppose.”
Kim Hanyul nodded reluctantly and looked down at the book Hanseo was holding out.
But what kind of book was it, that he kept pushing it on me like this?
It had to be related to dating, judging by everything he’d just said.
Seeing as Park Hanseo had never struck him as the type to read books, the whole thing made him uneasy.
“This is the book that’ll awaken your dormant romance cells, Boss! It’s super hot right now—so popular you can’t even find a copy. I stayed up all night to get this one!”
“…There’s a book like that?”
“It’s called Secret Romance with the Housekeeper! Since it’s set in a gangster family just like yours, Boss, it’s perfect for emotional immersion!”
“Hm….”
At a glance, it looked boring. And he doubted it would help him in any way. He wasn’t much of a reader to begin with.
Just as he was about to refuse, Park Hanseo suddenly put on an exaggeratedly cute expression completely unsuited to his size.
“Boss, please, just read it once—for my sake. I’m doing this all for you, you know? You won’t regret it. I swear! Absolutely!”
“…Really?”
“Yes! Please trust me just this once!”
“Well, if you insist that much. Fine. Hand it over.”
With him pushing this hard, it felt awkward to refuse, so Kim Hanyul took the book.
It was thicker than he’d expected.
When am I supposed to read this?
If he didn’t, Hanseo would definitely pester him endlessly about the plot. Maybe he shouldn’t have said yes. Regret came flooding in too late.
“…Ugh, what a pain. I’ll just skim it or something. It’s not like I’m busy anyway.”
“Then enjoy your time, Boss!”
With that, Park Hanseo left the room.
Left alone, Kim Hanyul looked down at the book. A bright red Adults Only label was plastered on the cover.
The title—Secret Romance with the Housekeeper—made it obvious what kind of story it was. He let out a hollow chuckle. Did Hanseo think he was some middle schooler?
Did the kid really think he’d never read an adult novel at his age?
Still wearing that vacant expression, Kim Hanyul flipped the book open. At least reading a few pages seemed like the decent thing to do, considering the effort Hanseo had gone through.
As the title suggested, the protagonist was a housekeeper.
A mature housekeeper with an impressively large chest.
The story began in earnest when she entered a gangster household.
“…Good grief.”
Blatant. No wonder it was rated adults-only.
Every adult novel he’d ever seen before suddenly felt fake by comparison. Every line in this one shamelessly catered to male fantasy. Four brothers from a gangster family, each getting involved with the housekeeper in turn—ridiculous, impossible scenarios that could never happen in real life.
And yet, despite his initial aversion, once he started turning pages, the writing pulled him in. The author’s skill was undeniable. Before he knew it, he’d finished the entire book—exactly as Hanseo had hoped.
“…Ah.”
I should give Hanseo a reward.
He’d been right. There wasn’t a single regret.
It had been ages since he’d read a book, but he’d never experienced one that flowed so effortlessly. Still, he doubted it would help his love life at all. He glanced down at his newly revitalized lower body, let out a deep sigh, and stood up. He headed for the bathroom to take care of things.
That was when his legs suddenly gave out.
“…Huh? What’s this?”
The room spun.
He’d always been healthy, so this kind of dizziness caught him completely off guard. His vision blurred as he staggered forward a few steps, then collapsed onto the cold floor. His consciousness began to fade.
“…This… isn’t good. If I pass out like this….”
Despite his efforts to stay awake, the world drifted farther and farther away. He tried to endure to the very end—but in the end, Kim Hanyul lost consciousness.
*****
My head hurts.
With a splitting headache, he slowly opened eyes that felt glued shut. A strange, unfamiliar ceiling greeted him.
“…Where am I? Why am I here?”
Unable to grasp the situation, he looked around. Not just the ceiling—everything in the room was unfamiliar.
Where the hell is this place?
Panic crept in. His room had been large—spacious enough to make this one look at least five times smaller. And yet, after losing consciousness, he’d woken up in this cramped little space.
He slowly got up. Thankfully, the crushing headache had already faded.
Looking around, he saw only a thin, worn blanket on the floor, a wardrobe, and an old mirror standing in the corner. As if possessed, he walked toward the mirror.
“…Who are you?”
The words slipped out unconsciously. Startled by the unfamiliar voice, he clutched his throat in shock. The stranger in the mirror mirrored his movements exactly.
Vacant eyes, average male height—just over five-seven—and a round face with round eyes that gave him an overall soft, almost chubby impression.
That kid looks… weirdly bright. Like a squirrel.
And yet, the empty gaze made him seem like several screws were loose.
Just like me, normally….
He raised his hand and pinched his cheek.
“Ow.”
That hurt.
…It really hurt.
The slight furrow of his brow confirmed it. This wasn’t a dream. It was real.
The moment that realization hit, his mind went into overdrive.
Why am I here? Who is this guy? Where is this place?
First, he needed information. Normally, he’d just have his subordinates handle it—but there were no subordinates here. Even if there were, they wouldn’t recognize him. He had no choice but to move himself.
Suppressing his irritation, he quickly searched the room.
Nothing.
All he found was a wallet with an ID inside and an old phone. The ID read Park Gyumin, age twenty.
There wasn’t much cash in the wallet, and the phone contained barely one or two contacts. Giving up on gathering information, he turned his gaze toward the tightly shut door. He’d have to go outside.
He approached the door.
“Hey!”
At that moment, the doorknob turned, and a voice exploded through the room like a train whistle, nearly tearing his eardrums apart. Startled, he looked up to see an uninvited guest standing boldly in the doorway.
A young man in his twenties—absurdly tall. Kim Hanyul had to crane his neck to look up at him.
A solid build, bronze-toned skin, bleached blond hair, flashy earrings dangling from his ears. The delinquent appearance was topped off with sharp, hostile eyes. The first thought that crossed his mind was that the guy had one hell of an ugly mug.
A gangster in training, maybe?
“What time do you think it is, still passed out asleep? Aren’t you going to cook? Don’t you eat?”
The man pointed accusingly. Kim Hanyul glanced around. There was no one else in sight.
Don’t tell me… he’s talking to me?
“You’ve barely been here and you’re already lazing around. I told you, didn’t I? After morning training, you prep breakfast immediately! Do my words mean nothing to you?”
“…What, did this brat swallow a train boiler or something?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
Ah. That slipped out.
He’d been a boss for so long that he’d never needed to watch his words around subordinates. The guy’s energetic demeanor reminded him of his own men, and before he knew it—
“Ah. My mistake.”
He waved his hands quickly, signaling to let it go.
But the man clearly had no intention of letting it slide. His already menacing face twisted even further.
Honestly, if he’d stop scowling, he might look half decent. Does he really need to screw his face up like that all the time?
At this rate, he’ll be nothing but wrinkles when he’s old….
“Relax your face. You’re young—why look so pissed off all the time? Got a hungry ghost haunting you or something? It’s just food. I’ll make it for you.”
Thinking of his subordinates made the nagging come naturally. The man’s eyes filled with confusion.
Figuring there was no point in talking further, Kim Hanyul brushed past him. The kid was whining about food—might as well shut him up by feeding him.
Hard to believe, but cooking was the one thing Kim Hanyul did best after fighting. He often cooked for his subordinates, so feeding someone wasn’t new to him. Intent on stuffing the guy’s mouth and ending the noise, he stepped out of the room—
—and froze.
“…Where am I?”