The Manager Is a Gangster chapter 36

36 – How Gangsters Deal with School Bullying (7)

1.

It was a situation where there was nothing to say, yet there was so much to say, but it wasn’t the right time to say anything here.

“Euhheu······.”

Harira student told me to talk. I guess Lira looked too cold.

When I saw her rosy cheeks and the smooth, pale hands, I couldn’t bear to stay outside in the cold any longer.

“First, let’s find a place to talk.”

“Oh, are you getting straight to the point? Refreshing and nice, isn’t it?”

“If we stay out here any longer, we might freeze to death. Let’s hurry. Give me that bag.”

“This one’s fine.”

“You probably brought everything when you ran away. What’s fine about it? Give it to me.”

Thunk.

I forcefully grabbed the bag that Lira was carrying and we headed towards the cafe closest to the park.

※※※

“Haah… it’s melting. Is this a latte or something? It’s really delicious.”

Lira, who had entered the cafe and ordered a warm hot chocolate, held the mug tightly with both hands and enjoyed the warmth.

Even though she had turned on the heater and was drinking a hot beverage, she still hadn’t taken off her long coat. It must have been incredibly cold.

Seeing her face, which seemed to melt away with happiness after shivering in the cold, I was able to firmly solidify my wavering heart.

While sipping my hot latte, I calmly spoke to Lira.

“I can only listen to your request until the first one. The second one is not possible.”

“Puh!”

Perhaps she was surprised by the sudden transition to the main topic, Lira spewed the hot chocolate that was in her mouth towards me. But that kind of surprise attack was too slow and honest for me.

I grabbed the tray I had brought with the drinks and blocked the splattering hot chocolate.

Splash!

“Cough! Coughcoughcough!”

However, Saré’s sudden groaning as if about to vomit was unexpected.

Well, did she suddenly throw in the main topic out of nowhere? Pretending to be willing to listen to everything and then suddenly saying it’s not possible must have surprised her.

“Kehuk! Hyeok! Kellok! Kheuk!”

I had resolved to maintain a calm and firm posture at this moment, but witnessing her suffer to this extent made it impossible to stay silent.

“Uh, ueu. D-drink this. It’s not hot, so you can gulp it down. I didn’t expect Saré to be so intense.”

In the end, I relaxed my stern expression and handed Rira the refreshing iced Americano I had ordered.

“Colok! Colok! Ha-eup.”

Chorororororop! Gulp!

Huh, huh? She’s drinking it with a straw? I’m the one who ordered it with my mouth?

Since there was a straw in the glass, I thought she would drink it by putting her mouth on the cup and gulping it down, but contrary to expectations, Rira drank the beverage with the straw.

In just one sip, nearly half of the Americano disappeared, and only after finishing the iced Americano did Rira catch her breath and find some relaxation.

“Huaaa… Th-thank you.”

“Oh, no. It’s because of me.”

By the way, drinking with a straw. I couldn’t have imagined.

You can tell that Rira has a carefree personality with just a little conversation, but I didn’t know she would be this carefree.

While looking at the remaining iced Americano that Rira had not consumed and the straw I used, I thought it was a bit ridiculous to pay attention to each and every detail of this, and decided to just let it go.

Yeah, I’m not a kid, and it’s not a big deal to share a straw. Plus, changing the straw here might hurt Rira.

From Noble mtl dot com

As someone who had to advance towards becoming the best idol as a trainee with Rira, I couldn’t afford to do anything that might hurt her.

So, I just left the straw, and while contemplating whether to drink the remaining half cup of iced Americano with a cup or with a straw, at that moment, a complaint mixed with dissatisfaction came in.

“But oppa, you said you could listen to anything.”

“Yes.”

“But why not? You just have to let me stay, right? I do ask for things like meals and baths, but if it’s because there’s no space, that’s okay!”

Lira opened the bag she had placed next to the table, revealing a pillow and blanket as soon as she opened it.

“I sleep well even on the floor. You don’t have to worry about bedding with these pillow and blanket. Just let me sleep, that’s all.”

Contrary to Lira’s concerns, I had plenty of empty rooms in my house, and there were enough bedding. Offering a place to sleep wasn’t an issue.

“And since I was young, my dad couldn’t do household chores, so I took care of everything. So, I’m really good at housework! I can clean a house like yours, where my brother lives alone, easily and perfectly!”

I lived with Haan, and my house was spacious, occupying an entire floor of the Barun-gil building.

No matter how confident she was in her housekeeping skills, cleaning a house like mine would not be an easy task.

But whether I was good or bad at housework, there was a reason I couldn’t fulfill Lira’s request.

“And remember what you said to me. I’m the gem you’ve been looking for. Will I not become an idol? It’s a secret, but my dream is to become an idol! So, I’ll join your agency as a trainee! Let me stay!”

“…”

“To be honest, even I think I’m quite pretty. My body and proportions are perfect. I take good care of myself. I don’t think just any idol on TV can match me. I’ve even received a lot of street castings! You cast me on the street too! It would be great for you to accept the topic of an idol already approved by you, wouldn’t it?”

Certainly, as Lira said, her potential was unmatched. From confidently facing dozens of gangsters alone to her lecturing innocence and charming appearance typical of a high school student.

The amount of brilliance she possessed, regardless of the direction of her talent, could rival the best talent even recognized by Haan.

If Lira became a trainee, my dream of creating the best idol group could take a step further.

No, honestly, just as it was when I first met Haan, meeting Lira, who sparkled so much, meant that replacing her with someone else was an impossible task.

Since I caught Lira falling from the sky and saw her face, I was captivated by the radiance she emitted.

But still, what I could say remained unchanged.

“But still, it’s not possible.”

“Why!”

Because.

“You, you’re a runaway minor.”

Lira was an underage, irresponsible teenager who was about to enter her senior year.

“Eugh…”

My words seemed to have hit the mark, as Lira’s attempts to persuade, pressure, and convince me suddenly ceased.

But her eyes were still filled with dissatisfaction, so I continued speaking to let her know that she was being unreasonable.

“It’s not like you have nowhere to go, you have a home, a guardian, and a school to attend. You suddenly called and ran away, so don’t expect me to accommodate you just because you want to be an trainee.”

“But, but I said I would do anything if you let me in…”

“Sure. I can accommodate anything.”

“Then why not?”

I looked into Lira’s eyes, filled with a sense of injustice, and calmly responded in a firm voice.

“I can accommodate anything that I can accommodate. But what you’re asking for right now is something I can’t accommodate.”

A minor signing a trainee contract without parental consent, and taking in a runaway minor to my home, were all impossible tasks.

It wasn’t a matter of whether I could do it or not, but rather something that shouldn’t be done.

“The person responsible for you is not me, it’s your dad. Mr. Ha Hyuk-soo. And it’s not something I can just take on. So, I can’t fulfill your second request.”

That’s why, despite the desperate look in Lira’s eyes as she clung onto me, I had no choice but to refuse her request.

“… “

Of course, I had no intention of severing the bond between Lira and me by simply stating the facts.

I continued to meet Lira’s empty gaze, and listed all the possible ways to fulfill her desires.

“Let’s go back home since I’ll carry the luggage. After that, persuade Mr. Hahyuksoo, get permission to become an idol, then go to school, talk to the teacher, hold hands with Dad, and come to our planning agency written on the business card. Then, whether it’s providing accommodation or signing a contract, they’ll do it all…”

However, my words couldn’t continue until the end.

“…No.”

It was because Lira, who had never been unclear until now, interrupted my words with a small voice.

Although it was the first time I met Lira today, it was so unfamiliar to me to see her in such a powerless state, who hadn’t been the least bit intimidated even against ten gangsters.

“…What?”

So, when I asked awkwardly, Lira expressed a part of the emotions buried deep in her chest.

“Persuasion and everything won’t work. Neither school, nor home, nor Dad, nor the teacher, nor the kids, none of them listen to what I say!”

The emotions Lira brought out were so dark and heavy that even a part of them made my fist clench involuntarily.

It wasn’t the kind of emotion that a mere eighteen-year-old high school girl would display.

“…”

In the face of such a sudden emotion, filled with anger and irritation, I lost my words, and Lira, trembling her lips, pleaded in a small voice.

“So, can you just… not bring that out here?”