It's For Life
I was so terrified that I wondered if I was hearing things. Or perhaps this entire situation was nothing more than a dream. I pinched my cheek, but the sharp sting only confirmed I was still awake. She had really meant every word.
She bit her lip stubbornly. I stared at her in a daze for a moment before snapping back to my senses.
“How can you possibly think that’s feasible? That’s completely unreasonable!”
“It is feasible! And why wouldn’t it be? If it doesn’t work, I’ll just blackmail the prime minister!”
“!?”
My jaw dropped. I couldn’t even begin to grasp the sheer scale of her organization if she could say something like that so casually. The way she puffed out her cheeks in defiance was almost cute. But then her next words—that I could never leave—turned my mind completely blank.
“Isn’t this going too far? I really hate you right now! I actually thought you weren’t a bad person… How could you break a promise you made yourself?”
Maybe it would feel better to just say everything I wanted. Even if she drew the Japanese sword from the wall and beheaded me, or shot me with the gun in the frame, I wouldn’t regret speaking my mind now.
Since I was right, she looked extremely flustered and struggled to figure out what to do.
“I’m leaving no matter what! I’ll find a way, no matter what it takes!”
A window stood right in front of me. I flung it open and climbed onto the ledge. It looked about three stories high. Even someone with severe acrophobia like me was staring down from this height. I figured there might be a slim chance compared to being trapped here forever.
“W-what are you doing? Are you crazy!?”
She must have thought I was about to jump. Her expression grew far more panicked than before as she rushed over and grabbed my hand.
“This is what I want to say! You kidnapped me out of nowhere, told me to give up on university, and you’re the crazy one here! Let go! I’m escaping right now!”
Honestly, I had no intention of jumping. I just hoped that by threatening to, I could soften her resolve. But as expected of a syndicate boss, her grip was incredibly strong. She yanked me down in an instant.
“L-let’s calm down! Even so, this isn’t right! Let’s just talk again—”
“No! Talking doesn’t work with you! What the hell is there to talk about? I’d rather do something with even a tiny chance of success than stay locked up here!”
I refused to back down either. The silver-haired woman looked flustered again, then suddenly changed tactics as if she’d had an idea.
“F-fine! From now on, I’ll be your guardian!”
“What!? What kind of guardian are you talking about? And is it okay for a guardian to lock someone up like this!?”
“Ugh…”
When I brought up the logic again, she seemed to weaken, her shoulders slumping. This might actually work. If her heart was softening, maybe she’d take back her earlier promise. But instead, she suddenly pulled me close and wrapped her arms around me, pressing my face into her chest.
“Mmph!?”
“I’m sorry… I really messed up. So… sob… don’t go…”
What kind of situation was this? It was so absurd that I didn’t even feel embarrassed. I tried to push away from her embrace, but tears were streaming endlessly from her crimson eyes.
“Why are you crying again!? I’m the one who wants to cry! Let go!”
“Sob… I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry… I know I’m a bad person. But even so… I still can’t let you go.”
“……”
Was she messing with me? I was beyond exasperated and didn’t even want to talk anymore. I made another gesture toward the window as if to jump, but—
‘Whoa… it’s higher than I thought…’
Earlier, courage had made me assume it was only three stories. Up close, it was clearly five. Fear was natural, and my eyes lost focus as they trembled.
Thud—
In the end, I slowly sank backward and sat down on the floor.
“Y-Yujin!”
The drop from the window to the floor wasn’t that far, but she overreacted, immediately grabbing my hand and pulling me into a hug. I was about to complain again when I felt her body trembling violently against mine.
“Let me go… Please, I’m begging you…”
“I’m sorry… I can’t do that. But I’ll do anything else! Whatever you want, I’ll bring it to you—no matter what it is!”
She brightened through her tears, claiming she could even make me prime minister if I asked. Her confident tone only made it more terrifying.
“I don’t need anything like that! What I want is to get out of here!”
I refused to compromise, and her expression crumpled again. This time she scooped me up in a princess carry and carried me out of the room.
“What do you think you’re doing!? Put me down right now!”
“No! I’m not letting go until you calm down. And I’m going to show you exactly how much I love you!”
No matter how much I struggled, her strength was overwhelming. She carried me effortlessly down to the first floor without losing balance. When her subordinates approached, she shot them a cold glare and muttered “Get lost,” before setting me down on a sofa.
It looked like a lobby at first glance, but the atmosphere felt more like a living room.
“Have you calmed down a little?”
“……”
Would you calm down if you were me? I muttered it in my head several times, but I didn’t have the courage to say it out loud. Besides, I didn’t even want to talk to her anymore.
“Yujin… don’t hate me too much, okay?”
Her voice trembled. This time it wasn’t just tearful—it carried a stronger, more obsessive tone. Still, I ignored her and kept my mouth shut.
“Hic… sob…”
More tears fell from her eyes. The subordinates watching nearby fidgeted anxiously, as if I were the one who had made her cry. Eventually, I had no choice but to speak.
“Why are you crying again…? I’m the victim here.”
“I know… I’m just sad. Haah, I made you uncomfortable again. I’m really sorry.”
She forced a smile while wiping the falling tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes were already swollen. Little by little, my heart began to soften. She didn’t seem like a bad person, but she was incredibly stubborn and said the most ridiculous things without thinking. If there was any fault in her, it was simply that she liked and loved me.
‘Haah… am I going crazy too? What am I even thinking…’
Even my own thoughts felt absurd. She was sitting right beside me, her shoulder brushing against mine. Then she leaned her head against my shoulder like a spoiled child.
“It’s okay if you hate me… As long as you’re here, that’s all I need. I’ll protect you…”
“This is really too much. If you say things like that… what am I supposed to do?”
She apologized again. At first I thought she was playing the victim, but it really did seem genuine. After several minutes of silent contemplation, I carefully asked a question.
“I can’t leave this place, can I?”
She hesitated, lips pressed together. After thinking for a few minutes herself, she slowly parted her trembling lips.
“Mm… It’s probably impossible for you to leave. Without you, I…”
She seemed about to say more, but shook her head and cut herself off. She looked worried I might push back again.
“Then just answer a few more things for me.”
“Mm… Go ahead.”
“Is there a time limit on me not being able to leave? Or is it a matter of years? Sob… Or… is it forever?”
My lips trembled as the sobs I had been holding back finally escaped. I wasn’t wailing like before, but tears streamed down my face just as much as hers, leaving my eyes swollen. She immediately wiped my eyes with the back of her hand and pulled me into another hug.
“F-forever.”
“……”
“B-but! I’ll treat you so well! I’ll love only you for the rest of my life, Yujin!”
The moment I heard those words, my vision wavered. She was confessing to me, yet it felt like someone had struck me over the head with a hammer. So it really was forever. I had thought she might at least say we could try living together for a few years first. Now I finally understood what “never leaving” truly meant.
“Forever… hahaha… I see. So it’s forever.”
I wasn’t laughing because it was funny. The tiny spark of hope I had clung to had vanished, and I could no longer control my emotions. She gently stroked my cheek and spoke again, her voice filled with the same sincerity as her confession.
“It’s forever, but… don’t take it too badly. We’re still awkward with each other right now, so maybe that’s why. If we keep living together, you’ll grow to like me too! You’ll be able to accept living here positively. I’ll make sure of it!”
Was that even possible? I was beyond ordinary—I was practically invisible. Meanwhile, she was a famous syndicate boss in Japan. The fact that she could casually offer to make me prime minister shattered any sense of reality I had left.
Once again, I had no words. I sat quietly on the sofa and tried to meditate to clear my head.
‘Yeah… I can’t leave anyway. So let’s deal with the urgent stuff first. At least she’ll listen to that…’