《Never Date A Man In Pink》


 Chapter 1 - PROLOGUE 1/7 - A Wish

    27 YEARS AGO


    Park Nam Joo, a pregnant 23-year-woman, looked with hope at the property on the horizon. The late fall tinted the landscape in red and gold_ except for the sky, which had a plumbeous color contrasting with the silhouette of the estate at the distance. She caressed her huge belly, smiling:


    "If there is a place to have pomegranates at this season, it can only be there. Wish me luck, Mrs. Shin," she optimistically said, from her position next to the truck parked by the side of the interstate road


    "Aigoo, girl..." Mrs. Shin didn''t look comfortable at the driver''s seat. "I don''t think it''s a good idea, my Gosh, why don''t your husband come out there and do it instead? It''s a strange place, and you don''t even know the owner. Why don''t we just go to the grocery and buy other type of fruit, my dear?"


    The beautiful young woman turned her head to answer the older lady,


    "Mrs. Shin, I went to nearly all the groceries in our town, and my husband searched from top to bottom, without success¡­! I crave eating ripe pomegranates... Oh, I even can feel its taste and texture in my mouth just by thinking of it, my mouth even fills with saliva... And, my husband would be very angry if he knew that I''m going around the town asking things to strangers. But I was told that a pregnant woman was seen there, so she sure will understand my situation... To be honest, I also find this property a little odd, but what can I do? If the pomegranates that will satisfy my craving are there, then I should knock on that door."


    "Aigoo, that I remember how hungry I was for popcorn when I was expecting my first child.There is nothing to replace a pregnant woman''s craving!" the older lady nodded, with an empathic smile. "Nam Joo, I wanted to go and do this with you, but I have to get to the bank before it closes. Promise me to not get yourself tired. After doing my errands I''m going by your husband''s workplace."


    "Just let him know he needs to pick me up at this exact point when he leaves his work, just as we agreed."


    And take it," the driver searched the back seat and gave the younger woman an umbrella. "You should use it to protect yourself in case of rain, and also to defend yourself from stray dogs or whatever."


    "Aish," the pregnant youngster laughed sheepishly, taking the loaned umbrella. "Our little town is very peaceful, Mrs. Shin. Nothing happens even if we want to."


    "I hope it stays that way," Mrs. Shin smiled, starting the car, "Nam Joo, by any chance don''t you want to leave this for tomorrow, so I can come with you?"


    "Ah, don''t worry that much, Mrs. Shin. People who believe in haunted houses just have a lot of imagination and free time to think about it. I''m sure there''s an explanation for the property''s neglected state. I want to go there before the last pomegranate rots and I''m not even sure I can sleep tonight without gnawing my teeth on a pomegranate!"


    "Hahaha, that''s right, I''m going to come by your husband''s garage... And tell him only after you have done what you want to do, so he cannot prevent you from doing it! You''re really smart, Nam Joo!


    "Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Shin, and thank you for telling my husband! And for the umbrella too!" Nam Joo shouted in genuine appreciation, greeting her benefactor as the car drove off and Mrs. Shin waved goodbye.


    Nam Joo nodded to herself optimistically, feeling that her plan of action would work out very well. She opened the umbrella, and reached the unpaved road that led to the property. She whispered to her belly,


    "Yes, I''m walking slowly this time. I have plenty of time for this and to wait for your papa to pick me up here after work. We''re going to be fine today, finally, my little baby girl!"


    ...


    The fairy Myung Hee wiped a furtive tear from the corner of her eye, closing the cameo where the image of her lover smiled tenderly at her. Her pale, wan face was very weak in health; her frail hands had little energy left.


    With languorous movements, she stood up, seeming not to mind her own advanced state of pregnancy. Whatever her gaze was on, there was a memory of her beloved husband, Jeong Hyuk. Even on the ceiling, where a starry sky was cleverly drawn, encircling portraits of him and her touching each other''s hands... The touch of their hands matched the chandelier in the center.


    "You were so talented and creative..." Myung Hee finally sat down again, a heavy sigh came out of her chest. A new urge to cry was suppressed with a sob. "I don''t know what to do! If only you were here!"


    After some time looking at her own empty hands, she lightly touched her own belly, "I have no will or reason to live, but why it should be a burden on you? I still need to eat, for you... But I cannot go outside like this...Or could I?"


    Myung Hee went to the window, watching carefully through a crack in the curtains. The property''s garden and orchard, once a cultivated and productive place, now grows wild and untamed; full of thorns and twisted parasyte branches trying to stifle fruit plants and flowers.


    The fairy narrowed her pale eyes, searching through the chaotic landscape she can see from her window. After a while she could spot them, among their hiding places.


    Wraiths. Lots of them. Their somber and distressing presence wreathes the surroundings of Myung Hee''s house. One of them suddenly loomed in her field of vision, as if mocking on her. Like hyenas, they were there patiently waiting for her to lose her strength, Myung Hee knew it, "That will not take long," she said aloud, with horror putting her feelings into words.


    Closing the curtain with a surge of energy created by fear alone, Myung Hee walks away from the window, reaching for a kettle that she clumsily filled with water, in order to make some tea. She sits down at the kitchen table with a grimace of pain and discomfort.


    "Myung Hee!" She hears the voice of her beloved, calling her outside. "Myung Hee ... Myung Hee" his voice echoes and doubles, in varying tones of joy, apprehension, calling, suit.


    Myung Hee covered her ears, shaking her head. ''You are feeling weak, susceptible.''


    She looked around, seeing shadows that look like her husband''s silhouette, through the window curtains.


    "No, it''s not real. Jeong Hyuk is gone, there''s no way he''s coming back!"


    She glanced at the door, it seemed as if she heard it to open. She then saw her husband, the handsome, smiling Jeong Hyuk, arriving with apologetically loving eyes full of longing, opening his arms to her as if apologizing for making her wait so long.


    "No!" she screamed, covering her face, succ.u.mbing to a moment of despair. The pain in her w.o.m.b made her twitch, the sensation of life itself bringing her a bit more of resilience, she with a grimace faced the door once again, and the illusion vanished like smoke.


    ''It''s leaking. Soon I will not have more strength left to resist. I made a mortal mistake.''


    Opening the diary within reach on the table, the fairy forced herself to read aloud the record from the previous day.


    "Two hundred days passed without you. I know there''s no turning back, not in this life of mine. Why did it have to be like this, and why was I so foolish to give up everything, if you''d left me something to cherish on? You did what should be done, because you had confidence that I would be well, but, foolish me, I was driven by despair and buried my magic under the ground... And I opened the door of my heart for their thirsty. If I am here..."


    Tears would stop her to continue reading, she nodded. "I''m not going crazy, I have to endure it... Hold on, baby!"


    Myung Hee stood up unmoved to prepare something for herself, and stood up to turn the stove on for the tea. ''Just a miracle...''


    Suddenly in the midst of her desperate thoughts, she hears a woman''s voice calling with energy:


    "Oh, hello there, is there anybody home?"

 Chapter 2 - PROLOGUE 2/7 - The Unexpected Visit

    Looking tidy, nice and smiling, Nam Joo positioned herself confidently in front of the house''s porch, waiting to be received.


    Although the place looked abandoned and a bit spooky from the outside, some evidence made her convinced that there was no danger to be expected from the property''s residents. A boyfriend''s swing, lace curtains, a charming weathervane on the roof, a shelf with little plants in their pots, now withering or being parasitized by weed... It was definitely a house of loving, receptive people.


    Maybe they were having financial difficulties; or someone was very sick. That was what Nam Joo could think at the time. Her eyes ran all the time to the trees where pomegranates hung like tinted globe lamps ,fat and heavy. But her upbringing would not allow her to pick them up without asking first, so she stood resolute in her position.


    Inside the house, Myung Hee peered through the lace curtain, fearful it could be a new illusion or kind of trap. She spotted the intruder, standing at her door, totally unaware of the danger out there. Just standing there like an easy target for the wraiths.


    With a sigh Myung Hee reached the door, but her hand shook as she touched the latch, hesitating for a moment. Perhaps, if she ignored the call of the trespassing human, then this innocent person could leave the place without problems. Opening the door was definitely going to create a contact that would touch the life of that human forever.


    If only she had her wand with her! But when she got news from how her beloved husband died, she was consumed by her sorrow. She buried her wand to never be able to cast spells again. She just wished to let the magic inside her die by itself¡­ but it didn''t work that way. If not by the magical barriers in the house, she''d be dead by now. She took a while to notice their presence, and a long more to be able to identify their doings and true forms. And when she realized all that, it was too late to turn back. This prolonged siege was slowly killing her, but what now, when a human inadvertently crossed their ways?


    ''But ... and if it wasn''t possible for her to leave unharmed by now?''


    ''Ohhhh ...! What to do?!'' This thought filled her head with new emotions, taking Myung Hee out of the lethargy she was in for a moment. She felt panicky, startled and distraught.


    Wraiths became aware of the vital and brilliant human''s arrival with her hope and desire as she crossed the threshold of the ranch gate.


    They saw the human woman as a pulsating figure who emitted light; her clear aura standing out in the dark and depressing scenery they had created over time outside Myung Hee''s house.


    Wraiths did not see colors as humans do, but they had their own way of identifying feelings and vitality through the halo of light humans emitted. That human woman emitted the warm and radiant light type that disturb them, and soon they realized that in her prominent belly, the light was more intense. She carried a baby with its own energy. They usually would just avoid such type of ''shining person'', but they''re hungry by now.


    Nam Joo opened the umbrella again, thinking that she made a mistake coming there. Her instincts said there was someone inside the house, but perhaps these people wasn''t willing to receive anyone.


    When she was young, before she got married to her high school boyfriend Jeong Geun, she used to hear stories about how delicious were the jams and liquors made with the fruits of the ranch''s orchard. The owner used to giveaway these goods to anyone coming to her house. But perhaps, this ajuhmma just died or was very sick¡­ Thinking it could be the reason no one was coming to greet her, she decided to try once more. What if a lonely and sick poor ajuhmma was in need of help?


    "Hello?!"


    Were the wraiths moved from their places, haggardly, drawn by the easy prey that came with her own legs into the midst of them. How to refuse such a tempting offer? The boldest among them slid like a liquid shadow across the floor, ready to cautiously rise behind the human''s back and lunge at her. This type of prey was hard to get, anyways. Two others moved along the sides of the pregnant human, to prepare their lunges as well, and with them an icy breeze rose, and touched the woman''s face before them.


    ''Oh! Is there anybody home? How unlucky! Should not I have come then?'' Nam Joo rubbed her suddenly frozen face and shifted to the side, feeling a sudden discomfort in the lower abdomen. Perhaps she had gone too far on her efforts to get a pomegranate?


    She looked around, suddenly very aware of the place. It was as if she was being watched. It felt like someone was coming to her, but she heard no steps or anything.


    She turned suddenly, having the clear impression of almost being touched. And it almost happened, anyway. But the wraith sneaked around the same time as her, staying all the time behind her.


    "Should I ...?"


    She rubbed her arms, bothered by the cool breeze, and instinctively coming closer to the house, blocking the wraiths'' access to her back. Nam Joo backwardly stepped the first step of the threshold, seeking shelter from the cool breeze beneath the little porch.


    Then the door opened slowly, with a delicate, pale hand reaching out, inviting her inside.


    Something about it made the pregnant woman feel distressed, her throat dry and her body shivering all over. Or it would be the fact of being outdoors. ''Where in the world is that a proper way to invite someone in?'' But there was something urgent in the wave of that pale hand inviting her in.


    Apprehensively, but feeling exposed and troubled out there, Nam Joo decided to take the risk and answer the invitation of the stretching hand.


    Swallowing hard, she stepped inside.

 Chapter 3 - PROLOGUE 3/7 - Inside the House

    "He... Hello!" Nam Joo looked around, noticing the environment, which somewhat matched her expectations, but seemed abandoned and dusty. Her gaze fixed on the woman, also pregnant, in front of her.


    In addition to her exotic appearance, the first thing Nam Joo could see in the pale eyes was apprehension and fear. The house owner seemed haggard and starving, though.


    "Sorry, but are you... okay?"


    "Yes," that was the plain answer.


    Myung Hee, by her side, saw in contrast of herself all the stamina and vital energy of the human woman, her broad and sincere smile, full of hope and will for living. The visitor exuded charisma.


    "Can I... help you?"


    "Oh, sorry, what a rude person I am. I''m really sorry to knock on your door like that, and keep straight gazing at you even more¡­ It''s that you... You''re so beautiful!"


    This drew a sad smile from Myung Hee, who did not feel beautiful anymore, especially in front of this woman with such exuberant energy. The fairy sat down, motioning for the visitor to do the same. She really did not feel well today, from all days.


    "Your eyes must be deceiving you, ma''am. I''m not pretty. I do not even look pretty at all."


    Nam Joo shook her head in disagreement, but didn''t insist on this matter. She introduced herself, grinning:


    "What a coincidence, don''t you think?! We are both expecting babies. I''m Park Nam Joo. I live down there in the town."


    "Coincidences are part of the magic of life," said the fairy with a faint smile. The visitor was pleasant. But she still didn''t understand what "coincidences" that led this Mrs. Park Nam Joo to her door were.


    "I am Myung Hee. How many months?"


    "Oh, my Gosh, eight months. It seems an eternity! Doesn''t it?" the visitor laughed.


    "Yes, it seems, indeed." Myung Hee smiled again, but for different reasons she thought it seemed like an eternity. "A novelty like the visit of a neighbor is always refreshing. What can I do for you, Mrs. Park?" Myung Hee tried ¨¢¨¢to hide the discomfort that was beginning to take over her body; a constant pain that moments before was diffuse, began to become pungent.


    "Ah yes! I''m even a little ashamed to speak, but, before doing that! Forgive me, but you look pale, are you all right? Do not tell me you spend your time alone here in this state? How long have you been waiting now?"


    "Still seven months, I believe."


    Nam Joo tried in turn, tried to conceal the feeling of pity for this poor beautiful woman in this strange situation. ''What is happening?'' She seemed to need help, but she also did not seem like telling a stranger anything about what was happening.


    "I came for the pomegranates. I mean¡­" Nam Joo laughed at herself. "I came because I cannot sleep or do anything except crave for pomegranates. They say these cravings are things that happens only in the beginning of pregnancy, but you know ... I feel that way for many months from the beginning on. It''s not about persimmons, it''s not blackberries, I want pomegranates. What can I do? It''s the little girl here, that sweet tooth punk, who wants lots of pomegranates!" the human woman caressed her belly tenderly.


    "So you know it''s a girl?"


    "Yes! And yours? I could not guess, your belly is small."


    The question asked so naturally shocked Myung Hee. She only vaguely thought "the baby," until then. As if to prove her existence within her, a sharp pain was felt in her w.o.m.b. Myung Hee took a deep breath through her teeth, resting her hand on her belly, concentrating on being inside her.


    This little communion woke up things dormant deep within, numbed by Myung Hee''s sorrow and fear. Her eyes filled with tears suddenly:


    "It''s a girl. A little girl!"


    "Aigoo, good! I hope our daughters can be friends!" a little embarrassed, but sincerely moved, Nam Joo watched the strange woman''s reactions carefully. She seemed very sensitive at the moment, so the visitor decided to talk only about good things, like she used to do anyway.


    "Just picture this: the two of them going to school together! It''s so good to have a friend of the same age! Well, at least once a day, I wonder what my daughter''s life will be like! I keep myself hoping that everything will work out well for her! Anyway, me and my Jeong Geun, we are poor. He works in Central Auto Repair, you know where it is? Anyway, I''m grateful to have a husband like him, though. He compensates in other ways, being a good man. But even being poor, he managed to save something before we marry, so we have a house that is really ours, with a backyard! you know? I want to put a swing porch out there, so we can see the stars together in the summer, see my baby grow up from there, she her to play around the backyard... Sometimes I rest my head and dream about her... I mean, I hope she''s as beautiful as she is in my dreams," this time Nam Joo''s eyes also got teary, just by remembering her daydreams. "I dream of this little girl with a wide grin, bright eyes... In my dream she is full of energy, and a little funny too¡­"


    The voice of the human woman speaking off her dreams, plans and hopes, got to have its own pleasant cadence that calmed down Myung Hee and even made her forget the uncomfortable pain. But the visitor could not stop talking:


    "But the girls grow up fast, do not they? We know that life is not a sea of ??roses¡­"


    "Yes, indeed."


    "But what can I wish for my daughter besides the best? May she be beautiful, and intelligent, and capable, and find someone who loves her and who has success and money. All this is what a mother wants, I am no exception. What I most want is for her to have a great destiny, aigoo!"


    "A great destiny has big responsibilities, maybe too big for a little girl."


    The somewhat pessimistic comment from her host made Nam Joo pause for a moment.


    "Yeah, you''re right. One cannot have everything. But a mother can dream, right?"


    "Yes, a mother may wish everything for her daughter. If the right star listens, a mother''s wishes can come true," then Myung Hee added, not to reveal herself or to sound crazy: "That''s what I heard when I was little."


    "Hehe, yes! I also heard things like that. Make a wish for a star," despite her smile, Nam Joo was bewildered by the scenery around her. It did not seem right. Things seemed to tell a sad story, the scattered photos of the man, the amount of lit candles, and the dusty table set for two... She also noticed that the mistress of the house barely seemed to listen to her. She hardly seemed to have the strength to do anything for someone or for herself, for what matter.


    The kettle''s whistle made itself heard, interrupting the conversation.


    The annoying noise hissed for a few seconds without no mention from the house''s owner to do anything about it, getting Nam Joo chafed. When she was about to get up on her own and take care of the situation, Myung Hee looked up and said:


    "Can you please, help me? ...The water in the kettle¡­"


    "I can do this, of course! You look like you don''t eat or drink for a while, unnie. Let me take care of you. That''s what are the neighbors for, right? Isn''t it good that a friend is here?"


    Despite feeling nosy to be acting like this in less than 10 minutes of making acquaintance with Mrs. Myung Hee, Nam Joo rather wished to believe that in an emergency case, when these little things like etiquette rules should be ignored. She was really sure that this wan woman, Myung Hee, could faint from starvation at any moment.


    Nam Joo went into the kitchen, took the kettle off the stove, and searched for tea in the cupboards. She was horrified to see that the pantry was almost empty except for a few items. She found a handful of rice and some canned sardines, and little more than that. She could only make one cup of tea with the rest of the tea can.


    ''What''s going on here?!'' she questioned herself in agony. ''Why so many candles? Why these closed curtains? All this neglect in and out the house? And why does this beautiful poor woman live like this?''


    Nam Joo handed the cup to Myung Hee, who did not seem to care much about etiquette, and simply sipped the liquid as it was given to her. Her face seemed a little upset. The visitor took courage to mention her doubts aloud, completely taken by concern and curiosity.


    "I''m sorry, but did your husband leave you, unnie? Did he die, by any chance?"


    Nam Joo said that in a hurry, and stood up, ready to be scolded by her impertinent questioning, and to fight for her truth. She just knew she had to know, she had to be sure why this woman was living in that abandoned, lonely and depressing way.


    A tear trickling down the livid face of the strange woman was what Nam Joo got as reply.


    "Oh! My God, my God, I didn''t want to hurt you, unnie!" Nam Joo came closer, touched. Now, at least partially, she understood the scenario she had stumbled upon with. Coincidence or fate, she simply couldn''t allow this pregnant woman to remain there, in that state, on the brink of death! ''No, it would be at least irresponsible.'' The details of how it was going to work out, she was going to figure out later, but definitely, she was taking this lady Myung Hee out of that unhealthy environment. She hugged the frail woman, trying to calm her down.


    "Unnie, please don''t cry, okay? Don''t cry, for your baby! It''s not good for your baby! Don''t cry unnie! Your baby needs smiles, and love, all right? Gather some strength, unnie. Your baby needs you to recover."


    The pretty woman with light eyes felt welcomed and bewildered at the same time with this noisy human who had crossed the garden of death to speak those gentle words to her and bring this much energy and hope with her arrival ''I wished this had happened earlier, when I had the strength.'' But now Myung Hee was aware that her mistake could be repaired, if only partially.


    "Help me, I want my baby to live!"


    "Oh, yes, unnie, let''s do it; you have to come with me."


    "I can''t, but¡­"


    "How come, you cannot ?? There is nothing preventing you to, Unnie!" the human woman stared wide-eyed at the fairy, realizing that it was a request with more nuances and implications than she could grasp at first. Only one of them was obvious at this moment, when she noticed her host''s dress smeared with liquid on the bottom part:


    "Are you... having your baby right now?"


    Myung Hee just nodded, with a frightened face.

 Chapter 4 - PROLOGUE 4/7 - Little Star

    Jeong Geun had arrived for at least half an hour near the intersection sign as Mrs. Shin had explained to do. But the sunset was dying the horizon with orange and pink hues, and there was no sign of his Nam Joo coming.


    "That little fox!?" he grunted to himself, yet fond of his wife and the way she was. He looked at the house from a distance, wondering whether or not to go there. ''Talkative as you are, when I get there you will introduce me and tell them our whole life, from kindergarten to our today''s breakfast, and the owners of the house will not be able to do anything but invite us to dinner. If I go there, we''ll definitely just come home late at night, I know her well, that loud mouth ¡­!''


    Jeong Geun was a pragmatic man in the middle of his 20s. All he wanted was to go home after a heavy day''s work, but Nam Joo''s little adventure had changed his plans. Not that it was the first time she''d done something like that.


    He looked at his watch once more, starting to worry. He did not want her to walk alone at night. ''Should I go there? Aish!'' he turned off the radio, and got out of the car, kicking the dust by being forced to do something he was sure was trouble.


    ...


    The delivery was confusing, fast and scary, to the makeshift midwife, Nam Joo, who just carefully cleaned the little girl, delivering her to the exhausted mother. She was not sure how much time had passed, or how she had managed to do all that without any experience, only instinct. But she was equally exhausted, her body aching in several places, her nerves at the edge. But truly satisfied that mother and daughter were doing well, thanks to her interference.


    "All right now. Your little baby needs milk, unnie; and you, good hot food and actual doctors and nurses," she grinned to Myung Hee.


    Myung Hee barely had the strength to smile back, but she managed to; the little one being nested to herself, sucking the milk with all her strength.


    "Thank you, Mrs. Nam Joo."


    "Do not thank me now, I''ll absolutely get all the pomegranates out there and then you''d done thanking me," Nam Joo teased, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The gloom in the house bothered her, the still air was suffocating now. Nam Joo went toward the curtains, placing her hand on her aching back. She certainly had overreacted at all, also had her concerns about her own health after so much effort and emotions, but she would not complain.


    "What if we opened the window a little bit, eh?"


    "No!" the woman lying down exclaimed, making a move so that Nam Joo wouldn''t open the curtains. Nam Joo instinctively stepped back, obeying the owner of the house.


    "Unnie!" Nam Joo wanted to ask questions, but thought that it would be better to do so when the pressing problems were solved. She had to go now, not only because she had arranged a meeting point with Jeong Geun, but also because they needed to get a doctor for Myung Hee and her newborn baby. "I have to go, unnie. Be right back. You''re very weak, and it''s not good. I''ll get help for you and your baby."


    "No, you cannot leave!"


    ''She is afraid of being alone with the baby, but there is no other way, what can I do from here? Why can''t she understand? She''s so scared and weak. What should I do?''


    the younger woman took the woman''s hand, trying to calm her down. "It''s all right. I''m not going anywhere, then. Do sleep unnie, I''ll stay here."


    When Myung Hee, who struggled with all the strength she had to avoid it, fell asleep, Nam Joo knew she should risk leaving them for a moment, so she could get help. Step by step, she left the house and went for the early evening outside.


    ...


    The events inside the house did not go unnoticed by the creatures that surrounded them. The legion of wraiths who eagerly awaited the inevitable moment when they could get Myung Hee, crawled uneasily, preparing for it.


    Nam Joo left the house, surprised by how much time had passed. The sky was already tinted with indigo, the silhouettes of the trees and objects a little diffused at the magic hour. She felt cold, and hugged herself, rubbing her arms. From the part where she was, Nam Joo could not see the road in the distance, but she imagined that Jeong Geun was already there, waiting for her.


    Oh, I''m so tired..." she mumbled, stepping down the steps to the front yard. She hardly believed what had happened this afternoon. Because of pomegranates...


    "I cannot believe it. I didn''t even come close to any pomegranates."


    The cool breeze that had come with the late afternoon seemed wet and unpleasant, the sound of leaves swaying, followed by silence, brought sadness and loneliness.


    "I don''t even hear birds..."


    A light thump reached her ears. She pricked up her ears, trying to find out the source of the sound. ''Was it a fruit falling from the tree? Or something else?''


    Straying a little from her path, with her attention drawn to the nearby orchard, Nam Joo took a few steps, uncertain, thinking that it would not hurt anyone to quench her crave of pomegranates that brought her here. However, feeling totally uncomfortable in that wilderness, she wielded the umbrella she was carrying with a firm grip, for eventual protection.


    "We both deserve a prize for today''s good deeds, don''t we, my baby girl? Who could deny us a fruit? she indulgently smiled at her belly, now taking confiant steps to a pomegranate tree, avoiding and turning away the bushes and twigs entangled along the way.


    "Aigoo, where are you, chubby pomegranate?"


    she turned her eyes to the floor, trying to see between the fallen leaves and rotting fruit, the fresh fruit that had just fallen. She poked here and there with the shaft of the umbrella. "Where are you, juicy?"


    Behind her, the ghostly shadows gathered, before attack, while Nam Joo inadvertently sought her well deserved compensation on the soil of the abandoned orchard.


    The sound of footsteps in the dry foliage alerted the pregnant woman. Nam Joo stopped what she was doing, the umbrella hanging just inches from the ground. Her heart chilled, her legs weakened. She did not know what was behind her, but she was convinced she didn''t want to know it either. The taste of fear in her mouth was nauseating.


    In a way, Nam Joo sensed that this was why Myung Hee kept herself locked in the house even under these conditions.


    But what could she do, but turn around to face whatever it was? Squeezing the handle of the umbrella, she slowly turned.


    "Omo ...!"

 Chapter 5 - PROLOGUE 5/7 - Horror in the Orchard

    Nam Joo cried out, in despair, witnessing the grim horror the wraiths unfolded before her eyes. It was as if she could see through lenses with poor focus, as if she saw through somebody else''s bad dreams.


    A sharp pain ran through her body like lightning, Nam Joo stepped back and shook the closed umbrella in front of her, as defense, not knowing if this ridiculous expedient would keep her safe.


    The spectral creatures were bending and stretching and shapeshifting, two of them quickly reaching their arms with long, icy fingers made of darkness. The light touch seemed to be able to penetrate her soul if it was prolonged, but she shook herself and realized she was capable of pulling away, which she did immediately.


    Though Nam Joo couldn''t understand what they were, how they acted or what they wanted, she was sure of one thing: she should run and escape.


    Now.


    Nam Joo turned on her heels, and realized she could see them distinctly now. The woman used the umbrella''s sharp end to jab them back, or so she thought, when they come forward to reach her.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a gap in their formation, and wondered if she could slip through it, even though she was feeling heavy and aching.


    "Stand back, you! Hey!"


    She did not even know if they understood what she was saying. She felt her heart as if it were going to explode. Nam Joo had never been so panicked in her whole life. But she decided to risk it.


    She turned abruptly, opening and throwing the umbrella on them, on a single movement, and taking this little surprise move as advantage to escape through the gap between them. She squirmed through the orchard, running as hard as she could.


    Not only did the twilight blurred her vision, but after zigzagging from obstacles in her flight from the creatures behind her, only made the woman realize she was running out from energy without a plan of where to go.The panic was dizzying her out, her energies depleting faster.


    Nam Joo, though she did not want to, had to stop, panting, resting her hands on her knees and trying to breathe. Her terror was palpable, she no longer knew where she was, she just felt she had no escape, she could not seem to be able to run or even walk anymore.


    "Please, I just can''t anymore... "


    A moment of lucidity came over her, realizing that she thought she had a coat with her, but that was not true, she had never came there wearing a coat. In horror Nam Joo glanced at her back, and saw the creature perched on her shoulders and swathing her arms.


    "Ohhh!" She slammed her back against a tree, filled with disgust and irrational urgency. The creature melted in smoke, gliding over her head.


    Nam Joo witnessed terror-stricken at the flight of the fluid, dark creature.


    And her eyes landed on something worse.


    In front of her, the wraiths that found her back, and surrounded her, started to gather together in a disgusting shred of ever-changing coiling shapes and movement, which loomed taller, blocking the way ahead. They seemed to form a new towering, grotesque and terrifying creature.


    Nam Joo didn''t know if she was pissing herself as she witnessed it, she just felt the liquid run down her legs.


    She just thought there was no hope at all, and a sense of revulsion against this dark fate was even stronger than her fear. But what could she do now?


    When the huge creature slowly leaned toward her, what could be the head opening his mouth, Nam Joo only instinctively closed her eyes and took both hands forward, trying to protect herself.


    ''No!''


    A flash suddenly cut off her field of vision, causing her to open her eyes and crouch down, fearing the explosion.


    Her hand ached a lot, she just glanced up to see that something was stuck in it. In the midst of the flares, fog and sparks, Nam Joo spotted without a shadow of a doubt, Myung Hee, standing in front of her, holding her feet between her and the shadow monster, and shielding Nam Joo with her own body.


    "Nam Joo! Run! Come back home!" the fairy spoke imperiously, turning to face the monster once more.


    Nam Joo knew that if she obeyed, she would let the other woman die in her place.


    ...


    Jeong Geun was driving halfway down the semi-abandoned property, watching the distant stars in the clear sky, when a flashing light disrupted the nearby horizon, breaking the darkness for a brief moment.


    He rubbed his eyes, but his instinct was telling him that something very wrong was happening at the place where Nam Joo was at the moment. He sped up, trying to get to the place as soon as possible.


    ...


    "No! Let''s run together!"


    Nam Joo stood up, becoming aware at this very moment her baby''s sac had burst. She barely felt the impact when she took it, barely understood that it was Myung Hee throwing herself at her body, this movement followed by a scary and grotesque sor of whine.


    The two stumbled and fell to the floor, and even in heat of the moment, Nam Joo could see the blood stain on the other woman''s chest.


    Myung Hee struggled to her feet, staggering, keeping her stance to guard the human behind her, one hand outstretched in front as if she could do something to stop the next imminent attack.


    "Run!"


    This time Nam Joo regretfully obeyed, but she was feeling much pain after she felt on the floor. Stumbling, she slipped away, still looking back, seeing flash after flash as the creature repeatedly attacked the other woman.


    Myung Hee staggered, and there seemed to be sparks and sparks coming from her as the monster repeatedly struck at her body. It was obscene to witness; its horrible hissing echoed loudly, as it seemed to not have success on whatever it was trying to do. The frail body of the pale woman seemed to barely endure it, grotesquely convulsing and popping sparks and light everywhere, as if about to crack from inside out.


    Nam Joo at last sighted the barbed wire fence separating the property from the road, and while unsure how she could manage to, she sneaked her heavy body to pass through it, just thinking about getting on the road as soon as possible.

 Chapter 6 - PROLOGUE 6/7 - Sacrifice

    Jeong Geun violently braked the truck the moment he recognized that he was going to run over something alive. Human or animal, he did not see well.


    When the car stopped, he recognized the silhouette of his wife. He got out of the car, coming to her and grabbing by her arm. She was looking dishevelled and distressed, breathing heavily, and her skin was cold and sweaty. She seemed like she was going to faint at anytime.


    "Nam Joo! What is going on?"


    "No! We can''t... We gotta go back!" Nam Joo, taken by a wave of adrenaline, get rid of his grip and almost threw herself into the truck when she saw the opportunity to come back and try to save the woman she left behind. "We need to save someone! Hurry up!"


    Jeong Geun just blinked, but his brain processed that his wife''s heavy breathing and panic, the flashes and his wife''s agitated state were interconnected, and got into the car in a hurry, and soon he was driving faster than before in the empty branch road.


    But he still turned to Nam Joo, realizing she seemed to be in extreme suffering in the passenger seat:


    "You? What happened? Are you hurt? What ''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine."


    Nam Joo knew Jeong Geun enough to know that he would not put the safety of anyone else in front of his family''s safety. If she said she was in labor, he would not save Myung Hee and her baby. But on the other side, she knew that she had no time left: she, too, was giving birth to her baby right now! ''But what to do? Leave that woman to die?'' Her husband''s interruption made things easier to decide, though:


    "Who needs to be saved?" he asked, moving on to the next urgent thing quickly.


    "The house''s mistress! They are attacking her! Things! They''re going to kill her."


    Not sure what she meant, but believing in her sense of urgency, the young man made his best to drive his old truck into the orchard to the spot Nam Joo was leading him to. It was dizzying, and the shadows and forms seemed to pop up before his eyes, as he dodged trees and whatnot. Her hysteric behavior by his side wasn''t helping him wither, but he tried to concentrate on getting there as soon as he could, without having any idea of what he would find next.


    "There! Over there!" while Nam Joo could clearly see through the trees the towering monster and the supernatural sparks and gloom, Jeong Geun, saw only the sparse flashes that could be caused by an electricity wire, for example.


    Nam Joo spotted the amalgam shadow monster with its back to them, and shouted, pointing:


    "Come on over!"


    Immediately after saying this, she covered her eyes with her hands in anguish.


    Her husband, however, braked abruptly. The scene was nothing like he imagined. Nam Joo pictured to him an apocalyptic scenario just by the scared grim in her face and her urgent tone. This and the lighting thing he saw when driving to the ranch, made him to imagine some sort of huge accident. Though the jumbled words of his wife seemed to imply that animals of some sort were attacking a person in the orchard But what about the flashes?


    But when they finally came up to the place Nam Joo was guiding him, Jeong Geun only saw a woman lying on the ground, trying to get up but having no forces left to do it. He saw anything about the undulating mass of shadows that together created a frightening 4-meter-high nightmare creature, though he was feeling all the hairs in his body up, a chill in his stomach, and his instinct of preservation screaming to him to go away right now.


    Their arrival, crossing the monster with the high beams of the truck, seemed to culminate with the moment the creature began to dissipate upwards. The car stopped and Nam Joo slowly opened her eyes.


    Jeong Geun got out of the car, amidst the rags of shadows that seemed to seek hiding places away from the light. Nam Joo shouted:


    "What are you doing?! Jeong Geun!"


    Her husband still looked over his shoulder, worried, but turning to the fallen and wounded woman in the middle of the orchard:


    "My goodness ... What happened here?" he picked up the woman from the floor, who seemed to be on the lowest point of one''s stamina, and weighing as same as a feather. He noticed the blood stain on the front, and something sharp impaled in her chest. Jeong Geun could tell for sure that she did not have much life left, so he just wanted to get her to the hospital soon.


    Nam Joo just watched from the seat of the car in terror, the creatures dancing around Jeong Geun, and disappearing, leaving the place as if there was nothing else they wanted left, by now.


    Nam Joo gave space on the truck seat, m.o.a.ning quietly, and trying to accommodate the unconscious woman by her side while she tried to deal with her own pain, breathing in rhythmically as she was taught:


    "My Gosh, woman, what happened here? This woman is on the verge of death, she has to go to the hos... "Jeong Geun sounded strained, mainly for figuring out the shocked look on his wife''s face, but he recognized the technique:


    "What... are you doing breathing like that?"


    Nam Joo shut her mouth up, trying to muffle out her attempts to control her breathing just as taught in the birthing classes she had be on in the last months. She also got worried because Jeong Heun was staring at her, waiting a reply, instead of looking ahead while driving.


    "Eun Ha."


    Before she could respond, their attention was called by the voice of Myung Hee, who was staring at the nightly sky that changed abruptly from cloudy to bright, letting the stars be seen from the once darkened property. Nam Joo grabbed her husband''s arm, wide-eyed, realizing several things at once, including that he had no time to lose.


    And that he had to choose between life and death.

 Chapter 7 - PROLOGUE 7/7- The star goes off

    The starry night was cut off by the strident cry of an energetic baby, and Nam Joo''s heartfelt sobs.


    The final conversation she had had with that strange woman Myung Hee was just carved in her mind. They were lying in the same bed, the only one in Myung Hee''s house, the two babies between them. Jeong Geun had left briefly to bring the truck closer, for now that his wife had had the baby, all four of them were to go to the hospital. Nam Joo had split feelings right now: joy for her baby''s birth, and sadness because she didn''t have much hope about Myung Hee, and it hurt her heart. If she had not told her husband, they might have been in the hospital now, and the woman could be saved.


    "Your daughter is very special ... She has something different¡­" the faint and hoarse voice of the other woman was barely heard.


    Nam Joo swallowed hard, for she felt that this meant far more than the words said. She turned around with a smile, but looking at the woman made her heart ache as if she were the one to carry that thorn in her chest. And all the events of the day still did not make sense. She knew that she just experienced and survived something supernatural and evil, but what?


    "I hope our daughters become good friends," Nam Joo did not know what to say to the woman who seemed to lose the gleam in her gaze with each choked breath, then spoke that, and it was true.


    "Can you... look after my Eun Ha?"


    Nam Joo nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.


    "Yes, I will take care of Eun Ha." At that moment, her words mirrored her heart.


    This drew a smile from Myung Hee, who nodded, and made an effort to take Nam Joo''s hand, laid it on the head of Nam Joo''s newborn baby, and put her own over:


    "Then since you promised it, the star will grant her the desires of your heart. Just wish it aloud."


    Nam Joo''s hand hurt by the thorn''s wound touched her baby''s forehead, and she shivered from pain. She felt so overwhelmed from what she just passed through, that she felt a knot in her throat, and could not speak. Myung Hee noticed it, and taking the human''s hand on hers, looked at the palm, staring at the wound for a moment, and the fairy''s gaze grew sad:


    "I think you cannot do it, as you''re so hurt in your heart¡­ I am so sorry for your baby.... But... I KNOW. She will be strong, and beautiful, and talented¡­"


    Why her mind was filled with only pessimistic thoughts about every word said with effort by the woman with pale eyes? Why being beautiful could be an obstacle, and a danger; why being strong could be misunderstood, why being a smart woman could be a burden? What good is talent, if ... ''What was happening to me?''


    "She would be lucky if she couldn''t exist in a world where things like this exists," Nam Joo uttered, with a bitter feeling, while looking at the little face of her asleep baby.


    The newborn human hiccuped just after her mom''s ominous words, and the fairy shushed Nam Joo:


    "What are you doing, you crazy woman? This is your daughter,... she deserves to live. Don''t ever again say it!"


    But Nam Joo just felt the pain in her palm, where the thorn spiked her deep, and her voice came out panned. "What are you saying, witch? That monster will come again, will chase us again, will eat the babies!"


    "No¡­ because¡­ This girl, your daughter... She will indeed have all a woman can wish... but one thing. This is the word of a star. Your early wishes for your daughter will come true, regardless of you. In exchange, you will take good care of her and of my baby daughter Eun Ha.


    Nam Joo tried to speak, but with a movement, Myung Hee demanded her to remain silent. It as clear that the fairy was struggling to utter her final blessings:


    "She will grow untouched by any supernatural harm. This monster will never be able to do any harm to your daughter. I promise you. Once she keeps my last forces into her, nothing but¡­ " the fairy shifted her gaze to a picture beside the bed, where her departed husband was smiling, and uttered the condition of her ritualistic speech, "¡­but a broken heart will make her kneel."


    "What are you?"


    "I am a fading star¡­ And what is rest of me is going to be part of a nova¡­"


    "Huh?"


    And, when the time comes,... this human baby..." she leaned next of the human baby''s face, and tenderly blowed in her nose, with great intention. This time, Nam Joo couldn''t see anything supernatural, but she felt goosebumps all over. She just knew what she was witnessing right now. The baby awoke, but remained calm, her glazed eyes seemed not to focus on anything. Myung Hee reclined again, seeming very tired and very worn out:


    "¡­this human baby will take back all the stars this monster stole. This is not a coincidence you came today. It''s not a coincidence you were able to see what is not seen by human eyes. It''s her¡­ It''s her destiny, to do great things."


    Myung Hee smiled, but she coughed blood with her last words. Her hand dropped, lifeless, and her eyes went out. Nam Joo was startled by the speed and intensity of how life faded away, like a light that is turn off.


    ...


    This was the memory that had stayed in Nam Joo''s heart, even when Jeong Geun told her that nothing she had witnessed and lived was real. That woman, Myung Jee, had died out of heart problems, aggravated by pregnancy, starvation and possibly, a psychotic episode that made her to try suicide after giving birth.


    "Nam Joo", her husband had said, looking through the glass in front of the hospital nursery, where the two girls were in cribs side by side. "I''m sorry to say, it''s impossible to keep both. I''d be irresponsible with this other girl and with our daughter if I agree with this idea. Plus, I heard of someone who can care after this baby better than we could."


    Nam Joo was tired of crying, tired of insisting that what she had experienced was real; that Myung Hee was a supernatural being and that ghostly shadows attacked both in the orchard. She had noticed the social workers whispering about postpartum depression, and realized that her husband was starting to believe in it.


    It was heartbreaking that he didn''t believe her,and that he insisted on turn off the lights when she needed to keep them on.


    When she looked at her own daughter, Ye Rim, she knew the fairy was right, for from the moment the little baby had left her w.o.m.b, something seemed to have gone out of her forever. She used to stare at the palm of her hand and the resulting scar with melancholy and a strange feeling of emptiness.


    "Do you think I''m crazy, Jeong Geun? Do you think I can hurt the babies? Do you think I don''t want to protect them, with my life, as did that woman?" she choked on her crying, because it hurt so much having to ask him that.


    Jeong Geun hugged her.


    "I cannot agree with you just to please you, Nam Joo. I didn''t see anything you told me. I feel sorry for what happened, I feel sorry for this baby, but you don''t need to protect anyone from evil shadows.I promise. I''m worried about you, too."


    But he sort of conceded, talking to the social workers that the couple would work it out together. The four of them returned home, the little house that Nam Joo one day thought of expanding with a porch and a swing to see the stars with her husband and daughter.


    But Nam Joo, despite being with the two girls and loving them equally, did not feel safe unless with all the lights on, all the time.


    Her scattered mood, filled with unexplained melancholy, and the obsessive attitude toward the children filled her husband with worry. Jeong Geun carefully watched every action of his wife, fearing for the worst. As the winter drew near, the days shortening, Nam Joo became even tenser and distressed, showing by many of her actions that her mind still believed in the things she had told about the fairy who faced the shadows, flashing as she was struck by a monster made of fear, and that the children were special.


    It was Christmas week, things have reached their climax.


    Nam Joo placed some blinkers around the girls'' cradle, and exhausted, fell asleep. One of the little lamps, in contact with the fabric, caused a small fire, but Jeong Geu, which was arriving from work earlier, managed to control.


    They had a violent arguing. Desperate to bring his wife into normalcy, Jeung Geun forcefully locked his wife in the dark garage for the rest of the night. He just imagined that making her face her fear of the dark once for all would do the trick.


    In the morning, with a regretful heart, Jeong Geun opened the garage door. Nam Joo was there with the babies, looking apathetic. She finally was seemingly to recognize reality_ and that there were no monsters in the dark.


    On Christmas Eve, Mrs. Shin came to fetch Eun Ha from the Nams and take her to another foster family.

 Chapter 8 - A Song for a Dead

    PRESENT DAYS


    The microphony cut the open environment, scaring the birds and making the young woman uncomfortable. She quickly turned off the small stereo she had just tested.


    "Are you sure we should do this? Is this really ... adequate?" Ye Rim turned to the three old men at her side, doubt showing in her eyes. Yesterday, the idea seemed good and coherent. But in the light of day, beside Mr. Young''s tombstone, Ye Rim wanted to retreat. She wasn''t really sure that the farewell homage the three friends wanted to give to his old mate wasn''t in fact unseemly and indecent.


    On the lawn next to the portable stereo loaded with a selection of songs matching the late Mr. Young''s taste, an extended towel, a few bottles of liquor, and some snacks. His three friends, elderly like the man who lay in the tomb next to a tree, looked at each other.


    One of them, Mr. Go, assured her:


    "Ye Rim, my dear, it''s what he wanted. He said over and over again how much he wanted it "


    "Wouldn''t it be better to sing another kind of music? Perhaps¡­ Arirang?"


    "My young lady," another old man interrupted, "from all of us, he was the partier. Until the end, he liked good music, beautiful women, and booze; and we promised him he would have a "Young-style" good-bye!"


    Mr. Go added: "He even said he''d rather wished a poshy grave than paying the hospital bills. He was this extreme!"


    Ye Rim overheard rumors that the trio gathered today was the responsible to get his friend the posh tomb he wished, in the end.


    "So¡­ Are we going to say something to Mr. Young''s soul first, right?" ''Is there a sort of waiver for doing such things? If so, I''d like to have signed it up for this gig.'' She didn''t consider herself a superstitious woman, but it was a strange gig indeed.


    The third man with them said nothing, just nodded enthusiastically, and began pouring drink into the glasses.


    Nam Ye Rim looked around, accessing the situation. It was the middle of the afternoon and the cemetery was quiet, except for the strange presence of the eccentric quartet.


    In a way Ye Rim had become accustomed to their way of thinking, through coexistence, although she did not always understand them. The night before they had been melancholic and dejected after the funeral service of a member of their "gang". They had known each other since the army, for many decades. A long and sad illness took Mr. Young out of his usual lifestyle: attending his favorite club, and living happily and recklessly while he could.


    When he finished it and handed glasses to everyone, the singer included, Mr. Go, made a small sign to her, who was supposed to act as a master of ceremony of sorts.


    The singer woman smoothed the gold-sequined mini dress, making up her mind. There was no harm in doing Mr. Young''s last wish. And she was being paid for it. Mr. Go clapped his hands at the change of attitude.


    "Go go, Miss Ye Rim dear!"


    She raised the cup in a toast, opening the services and improvising on the speech they suggested earlier:


    "Mr. Young, we are here in this afternoon, shortly after your official passing rites, to pay our respects and bid you farewell the way you truly wished. You lived merrily, and with no regrets, and we admire your soul for it. You were deeply cherished. Your friends, reunited here, will miss you dearly. That''s why they wish to gave testimony of your deeds and wish to have a last good time with you."


    It was the cue for their own speech, and they looked at each other, until Mr. Park decided to be the first. He raised his cup, his voice got hoarse just after the few first words:


    "Hee Chul hyung. You rascal! You said I should be the first to die! You saved me in that trench when I was 19! I owed you my life.You said it was nothing. When the war came to a halt you came back home with me, and my mom treated you like a son. You stole her money twice, but what to do? You were my hyung! We starved together, and¡­"


    "Ah!" ''Oh Gosh. What is this log in my eye? !'' Ye Rim was feeling her eyes go watery, a sudden rush of feelings while listening to his emotional speech, but she wasn''t prepared to the rest of it:


    "Do you remember Ms. Baek? We used to date her in alternate weeks. I''m sure you remember her. The one that married later with that Philippine ambassador? I''ve met her son a couple of years ago. He was with her. He''s your ugly face, hyung! Then, well¡­ You didn''t go without leaving your ugly face for future generations, that''s what I mean."


    The young woman witnessing the old men getting their moment of nostalgia by their friend''s tomb cringed and even scratched her ear in discomfort, trying to unhear it. ''They were indeed a trio of bon vivants in their good times!''


    The old men proceed with their stories, until Mr. Go motioned her to start singing.


    In the first notes of the old playback melody, Ye Rim closed her eyes and remembered the lively Mr. Young, still alive. He had not always been as adorable as the other members of the quartet. But he no doubt had the desire to live intensely, and had done his best for this purpose, according to the stories they told. So she started singing heartily.


    The singer had never done a show for a deceased person, but she could convince herself now that he would have really appreciate her effort. His closest friends, present there, had tried to do this at the hospital when he was still alive, but they were not allowed to.


    One of the songs on their setlist, unlike most, was not a song from decades ago, when Ye Rim was not even born. It was girls group hit, and Ye Rim threw herself vigorously into the performance, adding the aegyo choreography to the unusual tribute.


    The three gentlemen, sitting politely in front of the grave, raised their glasses in approval, and soon began to clap to the rhythm of the music, while Ye Rim sang and danced.


    Maybe she was too carried on her performance, her eyes closed, and realized late that the playback ceased, as did the palms of her still alive small audience.


    "But what do you guys think you''re doing ?!" The angry male voice cut the last part of the song.

 Chapter 9 - A Goodbye, A Hello

    Ye Rim froze in the position she was in, feeling her face heavily blushing. She opened one eye first, then the other, looking at the owner of the inquisitive and masculine voice that arrived to interrupt the antics of the three elder men in honor of a departed friend.


    The tall man stared at the scene in a mix of irritation and outrage. She could not blame him for this: a woman in a flashy dress beside a recent grave, surrounded by three elderly men who were happily watching her singing and dancing. Ye Rim was certain that at least 80% of the country''s population would have the same reaction as his.


    Surely all she wanted to do right now was to disappear in a cloud of smoke. The fee they promised her for this gig did not seem enough to be ashamed in front of such a handsome... and angry man.


    In fact, he didn''t seem satisfied by just turning off the stereo. In a few footsteps with his long legs, the strange newcomer came to her side, grabbing Ye Rim''s arm to pull her away from the grave. But Ye Rim jerked away before he could have a good grip on her arm, freeing herself and walking away from him.


    "Hey!" she protested, genuinely angry.


    "Jun Hyeon, what are you doing here?" Mr. Go asked, not hiding his surprise.


    "Hal-abeoji! I ask you the same question: what is all of this?!" the younger man turned to the old man, controlling his indignation somewhat, but still sharply horrified. "How can you ... You can bring one..." his tone of contempt, referring to Ye Rim in an unapologetic manner, was clear. It made clear the idea he had of ??the copper-haired woman in a bright dress, who a minute ago was dancing and singing sensuously at the tombstone. The three older men stood up, fl.u.s.tered by the turn of the events after the unexpected arrival of Mr. Go''s grandson.


    "Hey there, it''s not like that!" she vehemently protested this time. Though she knew it was hard to understand only with the images he saw out of context, Ye Rim did not like being misunderstood and would not accept this misconception about her work to linger any longer.


    The newcomer looked at her again and again, looking contemptuous, "Miss, don''t you feel ashamed at all? How can you take advantage of these gentlemen in such a situation?"


    "But ... bwahhhh! What is this ?!" she growled in exasperation. To Ye Rim, even to be mistaken by a seductress of innocent elderly men was outrageous. It was an offense to her dignity. If only by the morning Ye Rim could have imagined she would go through this because of her soft heart and some spare money, she would not even have gotten out of bed. ''What this man is talking about?!''


    "Jun Hyeon, do not treat Miss Nam like that." Mr. Go protested, getting the grandson''s attention.


    After a deadly glance towards Ye Rim, Jun Hyeon turned to his grandfather and his friends again.


    "What happened to you, gentlemen? You''re just going over all limits here."


    "But¡­"


    "What wrong are we doing?" other of the gentlemen completed the first one''s question, the three of them looking very confused that their homage was the cause of such confusion.


    "Yes, Mr. Go''s grandson! What are we doing that is so bad at all?!"


    "We brought Ms. Nam here because..."


    "I wonder why," the man crouched automatically to start gathering the food and objects in a hurry. "Because you are losing your minds."


    Everyone there understood what he meant. The elderly trio got gaped and startled, and Ye Rim barely thought before taking action. Now that she knew who the handsome but unpleasant man who just interrupted them was, she just kicked him hard.


    "Mr. Kim, you''re the one missing out your mind here! I know these three gentlemen and I know they''re in their right mind!"


    It was not as if the kick had done anything more than to upset Mr. Go''s grandson just a little bit. But he opened his mouth agape on surprise and indignation.


    "Agassi?!"


    "I will not let my dear friends be offended in front of me and do nothing!" she yelled. "And where are the police, after all? Well, it seems to me that only a meddling and unpleasant grandchild has arrived."


    "Do you intend to stay and explain that to the police? Are you sure you want to do it?"


    he stood up, now face to face and very close, only a few inches separating their bodies. It was as if a tower stood at her feet. He looked her up and down, and Ye Rim could not help but feeling intimidated by the man''s physical presence. She could smell his cologne, look at the buttons of his shirt, and how his Adam''s apple moved beneath his skin. But again this crazy man seemed to insinuate something bad.


    "Ahhh, you ... what do you mean, huh ?! Don''t you see that I was hired to ..."


    "Just spare me of knowing. Mr. Young''s life stories were shocking enough; you may find all of this very funny," he turned to the trio, standing there still not knowing how to act in the face of the confrontational young couple. "...but it''s actually embarrassing that they''ve created this situation, and I''m not lying about the police."


    Ye Rim, though she had nothing to fear legally, was well aware that a scandal could be bad for her professional future.


    The elders capitulated, with mixed reactions. Mr. Kim, grandson of Mr. Go, expedited the exit of the cemetery for the three elderly men, in fact incisively taking charge of the situation and ignoring the meek protests and explanations of the elder men.


    Ye Rim was a bit dazed and confused, when she suddenly realized that she would be left behind. She grabbed her bag and the stereo, running across the grassfield to reach them:


    "Hey, Mr. Go! Mr. Go! I need a ride..."

 Chapter 10 - Sequin Rain

    In the end, Ye Rim found himself in the car with Dr. Kim and Mr. Go, leaving the cemetery after putting the other two elder men in a taxi.


    As they rode through the streets, the driver wanted to keep his composure for a few blocks. His grandfather, sitting in the back seat, tried to soften the mood, with a relieving smile:


    "Finally you meet Miss Nam Ye Rim, Jun Hyeon. And Ye Rim, this is my only grandson, Dr. Kim, you must remember how much I speak of him."


    "Ah," the man mumbled the answer, trying not to return to the previous subject, nor lose the concentration of the traffic looking at the magnificent legs of Ye Rim, on the passenger''s seat by his side.


    "You might have been right back there, maybe we were overdoing it, but it''s not Miss Nam''s fault," Mr. Go admitted after a pause. The old man kept her smile and a calm expression. Ye Rim wasn''t able to figure if this was a strategy to appease his grandson, or if he really regretted hiring a singer and buying drinks to his friend''s final farewell.


    But the doctor remained silent.


    Although she had a thing or two to say to this arrogant doctor who acted as if he was better than anyone else, Ye Rim took a deep breath and tried to cooperate to Mr. Go, flashing a friendly smile, even after they had yelled at each other, and she even kicked him, moments before.


    "Mr. Go really talks often about his grandson..."


    "Besides being adorable, Mrs. Nam is extremely talented. She sings like an angel," Mr. Go added to the conversation.


    Of course she''d noticed the discreet glance of Mr. Go''s grandson to her legs in the short dress. She liked to be admired for her beauty, but she wasn''t okay with admitting to be just a pretty girl for that kind of man.


    "You should go and see her singing in the club," the old man was still trying to fill the silence in a pleasant tone.


    Seeming finally to understand what his grandfather meant, Dr. Kim looked surprised and regretful.


    "Miss Nam is the Pearl Club''s female singer ?! I ... I wasn''t aware that the Pearl''s singer was someone so ..." he seemed to look for the right word, confused and embarrassed, while still trying to concentrate on the traffic.


    "Beautiful?" Ye Rim teased.


    "Young?" his grandfather suggested with a cheerful smile.


    "Yep," the answer came promptly before he could even think which one he was agreeing with. Ye Rim smothered her winning smile, Mr. Go gave a loud laugh. Dr. Kim blushed realizing that he had praised Miss Nam so directly.


    "Oh, you two!" he complained.


    "Miss Nam sings every Wednesday at the club. On Saturay she shares the stage with Duk Mi. Why don''t you come next Wednesday to see her?" the grandfather proposed.


    Ye Rim, still resentful of the way she was treated earlier, still wanted a proper apology. Something in Kim Jun Hyeon teased her, well beyond him to be a lousy judge of situations.


    "Yes, come on, Dr. Kim. Tell me a song you like, I''ll sing it the day you come to see me."


    She bent to pick up a business card in her bag that was on the floor of the car, at her feet.She wanted him to see her presentation video. Then he would stop thinking she was just a minx girl with a beautiful body and face who was into old men .


    ''Daebak, he''s really tall. These long legs and all. How tall is he?'' she noticed as she bent down. What she did not expect was that her sudden movement had stretching the hem of her dress which she accidentally trapped in the buckle of the seat belt. For now, she could not guess.


    Ye Rim showed the visiting card to the doctor , who was busy with the traffic, and placed it on the sunshade in front of him; demonstrating all her self-confidence.


    "Watch my presentation video. I also sing at events, weddings, conventions ... I don''t sing only at funerals. Haha."


    Seeing from the expression on his face that the handsome doctor seemed sorry that he had misjudged her, Ye Rim smiled.


    "Looks like it was a big mess set on by these three gentlemen, isn''t it?"


    "Aish! I''m not admitting that, boy! I might not have included that dance music on the show... and the spicy chicken foot ... I think my stomach is not well ..." Mr. Go protested.


    "So is this your field in entertainment industry?"


    Ye Rim wasn''t expecting that question, which came with a sarcastic tone and a raising of eyebrows. It did not make of her a rising star. Just a desperate person.


    "It''s not what it looks like ..." she was annoyed at being embarrassed by his comment. "I wouldn''t do that for everyone, just for my cherished fans."


    Although in an inaudible way, Ye Rim saw him distinctly grumbling the word ''fans'' with disbelieving expression. She felt the blood boil under her skin, her cheeks burning.


    In the backseat Mr. Go apparently had given up paying attention to them, worrying about some unpleasant situation in his stomach. "Aiiii ...."


    "What? Are you well, grandfather?"


    "You bothering dear Ye Rim, and this heartburn, together, it stress me out!"


    "Okay, from my part, I just believe that Miss Nam is the best in the industry..." in a patronizing tone the doctor conceded, teasing the elder man.


    "I don''t think I need your approval, Dr. Kim!" Ye Rim retorted. "And we''re done, this is my block. Please stop the car right there." Bewildered, she did not even wait for the car to pull over to grab her things and get ready to get off.


    Mr. Go was still talking about something she could barely remind in the back of her mind. She was just so annoyed by the whole situation and how this man was able to ridicule her, that she could barely think.


    By unfastening the seatbelt and standing up, in a single movement, a distinct sound of tearing cloth was heard, very loudly inside the car. Much for the astonishment of the doctor, who turned to help her without even thinking.


    She felt her foot wobble on the heel that had already leaned on the ground, in the middle of her movement to get out, twisting awkwardly and making her lose balance, and pulling her body back... A new roar of clothing ripping was heard; the doctor''s body bending and his big hand gripping her waist to prevent her from falling... All amidst a rain of golden sparkling tiny circles from her dress falling apart. His movement was stopped by the belt he was still wearing, but at the end Kim Jun Hyeon managed to put her safely in her seat again. Their gazes locked for a moment, and Ye Rim, even in an odd moment like that, realized that Dr. Kim had an exotic and exciting s.e.xiness.


    Then the Doctor''s gaze dropped to see what had happened ... just like her.


    "Ahhhhhh !!!" half of her mini dress was gone in a matter of seconds, torn by the side.


    "He-elp..." she didn''t know if she had spoken loudly or just thought it.


    Dr. Kim backed back to his seat, flushed, turning his face to the other side, avoiding to see her trying to cover herself with the bits of sequined cloth that did not stretch as before.


    "Aigoo, boy, help the girl!" Mr. Go, covering his own eyes, distressed pleaded.


    "Oh, well ..." the man looked around, looking for something that might cover her, but there was nothing, no extra clothes on a sunny day. "I left my extra clothes in the clinic, but ..."


    "Dr. Kim, anything! I cannot go out like this! My building doesn''t even have an elevator!"


    In a heroic and desperate act the doctor began unbuttoning his shirt.


    "Let''s think of it as an emergency."


    "Are you going to be half-n.a.k.e.d here, Dr. Kim?!"


    He blinked in astonishment as he took off his shirt in a nimble move and covered the lower part of Ye Rim.


    "No one wants their nose bleeding, here," he rubbed his own face, wiping out the sequins.


    "Can I open my eyes now?" Mr. Go asked from the back seat.


    Ye Rim was just absentmindedly staring at Dr. Kim''s n.a.k.e.d torso.


    ''To be a doctor, do you need all this fitness? Wow!!'' she thought.


    "Eeeeee ... What, what are you looking at?" He covered his chest, folding his arms, suddenly intimidated by her intense staring. Ye Rim looked away, murmuring,


    "Thank you Dr. Kim."


    Noticing a remnant sequin glued to his cheek, she reached out and removed it with her thumb. Again their gazes met, and Ye Rim saw the mixture of emotions in his eyes: distrust, surprise, and a spark of delighted enjoyment lighting up his eyes, in the end.


    She smiled at the corner of her mouth as she improvised a skirt with the pink shirt he had lent her,


    "Mr. Go has to decide "Who Wore it Better": Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon or Nam Ye Rim?" she mocked her own pathetic situation, while folding, tucking and knotting here and there.


    "I''m still trying to figure out what happened here," the elder man admitted.


    "Me too," Kim Jun Hyeon said.


    "An artist has to know when to make a good exit, so¡­ See you, gentlemen," Ye Rim gathered her belongings as gracefully as she managed to, hoping to regain her pose after some dramatic speech to fix her exit scene.


    Mr Go and his grandson had no opportunity to reply, when the singer triumphantly walked away from the car, elegantly this time, as if she was neither dripping sequins with every step nor wearing a men''s shirt as a skirt.


    After a few shocked seconds, the older man remarked,


    "Miss Ye Rim really is a star, isn''t she? What a poise!"


    After putting a thought on it, Dr. Kim replied as he started the car,


    "Maybe, but it seems she lacks a good fairy godmother ..."

 Chapter 11 - Wheres the fairy godmother?

    Late in the afternoon, Jung Eun Ha, like many people, was tired. She ran to catch the bus _ almost leaving the bus stop_ while carrying a heavy suitcase of prototype clothes.


    Things haven''t worked out so well today. Her boss had allowed her to skip work in the afternoon, so she could go to the other side of town, show her clothes to an alternative fashion gallery. But getting there, all she got was a long wait, only to be notified that they could not talk to her on that day.


    ''Aish, it''s not like I can come and go every day...'' she had thought, but thanked them anyway with a disappointed smile.


    Eun Ha by now had lowered her expectations about her creations, her professional success, her love life; and lately she had few personal reasons to feel good about herself. Except when, she could somehow help somebody.


    Like that woman running with both her children by the hand, trying to reach the bus stop at time to get into the bus_ that was about to depart.


    Eun Ha quickly picked up the ''pen'' from inside her bag, pretending to think about what she should write in the notepad. All she needed to do was to stop the driver from closing the door and leaving in the next minute. With a fluid movement she pointed out the pen-like wand at the driver, who had just picked up a tube of mints from his uniform''s pocket. In the middle of the act of putting candy in the mouth, the magic hit the bus driver. A sudden movement shook the box of mints, causing the lid to loosen and its contents gush out... Directly into the collar of the poor man''s shirt. He jumped up from his seat, surprised and disgusted with the feel of the little peppermint pills in contact with his body.


    "But ... What a damn day!"


    The driver shook himself, the mints slid through his clothes to the floor. He still groped himself, uncomfortable, searching for stray mints inside his clothes.


    Meanwhile, the woman with the children finally entered the bus; clearly relieved of managing it at time.


    Eun Ha contently nodded in self approval, as the bus left, about two minutes late, putting back her "pen" inside her bag.


    Arriving in the apartment where she lived in, Eun Ha opened the door, tiredly dragging the heavy suitcase behind her. Looking at the other woman''s shoes, she called:


    "Ye Rim?!"


    She had no immediate answer, but heard the sound of the shower on. Eun Ha threw herself on the sofa with a weary sigh.


    Her eyes darted around the room, charming in a feminine way, but a little messy at the moment.


    Eun Ha got up, noticing a sequined trail through the house,


    "Ah, this chaotic girl!" she mumbled to herself, picking up the small shiny circles path all the way to the closed bathroom door.


    She saw in a pile of clothes on the floor_ the clothes Ye Rim had taken off, of course. Eun Ha pulled the shiny fabric over to inspect it. She saw the tear in the dress she made, and it frustrated her:


    "Aish, this girl!" she grunted, and then, shouted to the door:


    "Ye Rim! How did you do that to the dress?"


    The shower''s sound ceased, and a moment passed until Eun Ha''s best friend put her face out the door, a towel wrapped around her hair:


    "You think I did it on purpose? It just tore apart!"


    Eun Ha frowned, frustrated and concerned, turning her attention to what was left from the dress, testing the side seams with some stretching pulls. The dress just easily ripped in her hands, to Eun Ha''s horror,


    "Oh my God'', how could you? I used only the best material ... You got fat, didn''t you?"


    "Aish!!!" the other woman huffed indignantly. "Of course not ... How ... Aish, Eun Ha!!!!! Take responsibility!"


    Ye Rim slammed the bathroom door, leaving behind her a trail of bath fog and mystery in the air. The fashion designer was intrigued.


    Eun Ha bent down to pick up the sequins that flew to the floor, when he noticed the pink fabric mixed with Ye Rim''s clothes. She retrieved Ye Rim''s clothes off the floor, looking carefully.


    It was a men''s shirt. A masculine shirt from a well-known and expensive brand, with a good masculine scent and a pink tone a fashion designer would recognize as ''flamingo''... She caught herself sniffing the shirt like a dog. And enjoying the s.e.xy aroma i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed in the fabric.


    "Oh!" she was embarrassed at her own strange demeanor, pulling away the clothes. The ripped dress; the man''s shirt; Ye Rim getting a shower in an unusual hour... The pieces of evidence took the thought of Eun Ha down scandalous paths:


    "Ye Rim! You sassy girl! Is anyone in there with you?!"


    The door opened partially again, "Are you crazy, unnie? First you don''t take responsibility saying that I''m the fat one, then you come and accuse me of ... Oh!" Ye Rim saw the pink shirt in her friend''s hand,


    "Ah. This handsome but stupid man loaned me it so I would not come home n.a.k.e.d."


    Eun Ha looked at her friend and then at the shirt in her hands, horrified. But Ye Rim didn''t noticed it at all. She came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel; and going toward her own bedroom... But making her rambling perfectly audible on the way in. "What good is it to have a stunning appearance and money, if you have no common sense at all? God forbid! Arrogant and full-of-himself, it seems that he still lives in the stone age; what goes in that mind of him, uhn? Who does he think he is? I bet he must have enjoyed to be able to show up his fit choc abs to me_ certainly he doesn''t have many opportunities of flashing himself... Besides at gym, ah! Why does he need that? Is being a doctor and having that face not enough? I barely blinked and he was taking off his shirt, wrapping me like a kimbap ... Was it what he was seeing so bad? I know it isn''t, he was peering earlier."


    Eun Ha followed her into the bedroom, stunned, still holding the shirt, while Ye Rim chattered about the afternoon''s experience.


    But Eun Ha''s thoughts wandered into the past, nervously twisting the flamingo shirt into her hands.

 Chapter 12 - The Prophecy 1

    FLASHBACK


    Eun Ha, then a girl of 16 years old, rushes out of the house, running towards her bike while putting on a backpack in a hurry. She was in complete state of excitement and knew that she had to share this discovery with her best friend, Ye Rim, or she thought she would stop breathing. If that thing really worked, then it would be ... heaven!


    Hurriedly biking across the streets of the small town, she arrives at Mr. Nam''s garage, crosses the workshop where Ye Rim''s father and his assistants work, greeting everyone:


    "Is Ye Rim at home, Mr. Nam?"


    "She must be in the backyard, Eun Ha, she was training for the school parade," the man replied without even taking his eyes off what he was doing. The two girls were so close that he wondered why they did not know exactly where the other was at all times. She thanked him bending over hastily, while Mr. Nam''s assistants teased him: "Did your other daughter come in, Mr. Nam?"


    "Seems so¡­"


    The teenager came across the house as if it were her own, reaching the messy backyard with all sort of things stacked up everywhere.


    "Ye Rim! I''m here, where are you?"


    "On here!" it was the answer. As soon as she spotted Ye Rim in a corner of the wide yard, spinning a baton and training short routines in the hopes of parading as majorette in the next Spring Parade, she ran into her.


    Ye Rim was sweaty and did not seem to be in a good mood.


    "What could this girl want from me now, when I have to train hard if I want to be the band''s majorette?"


    Eun ha knew that Ye Rim was doing her best but was not making much progress on being a majorette. Although very popular and well liked, she had not managed to secure this position, and Ye Rim didn''t want to be once again next to Eun Ha and the rest of the band playing xylophone.


    "I want to show you something!"


    "Uhn ... What can be so great to make you come in such a hurry? You didn''t show this enthusiasm for the past days... "


    Ye Rim was being spiteful, and Eun Ha knew her friend was right to be so. But she wasn''t ready to talk about it now, about her secret. She still had to think of a way to tell this with a lot of caution and thought. But for today Eun Ha desperately wanted to show what she discovered to her best friend, and she was sure she knew how to make it look like a normal thing. Or almost it.


    "Yes, Ye Rim. I think you''ve been pretty pushy and boring with this "majorette obsession". But alright, I decided to let it go, if you don''t want to carry the xylophone anymore, I don''t have to carry one either. But I have something really nice to show you up," as she spoke, Eun Ha went to the pyeong sang, and began taking objects from her backpack.


    "Oh, your little one ..." the younger one pretended to be angry at Eun Ha, but she was missing her friend, who had been stranged in the last few days, moody without apparent reason and just wanting to stay home. In fact, in the last month, even Eun Ha herself knew that she had been distant and thoughtful, lost in her own discoveries, and not knowing what to do with them.


    "Right. What do you have there? What is this?" Ye Rim asked without even giving a good look at the objects now scattered neatly in front of them, after pushing her friend away with her body and gaining space to see what Eun Ha had brought.


    They were all old and mysterious things: a little bag of powder that smelled a little of gunpowder, a pink stick, a dark, grimy pot with a viscous, disgusting kind of content, and old handwritten paper, all looking like they came out of a tube lined with a once glossy, now musty fabric.


    "Yuck! Where did you get that, and what is it, unnie?"


    Eun Ha, who seconds earlier had an anxious and fascinated expression, seemed embarrassed:


    "I ... That, well, this is a Wand of Destiny and Love," she added, quickly, pointing her finger at the paper: "At least that''s what is written there."


    Ye Rim took the grimy paper with pinched fingers, disgusted:


    "Oh, my Gosh, unnie, you''ve really been weird!" Then she whispered, shielding a supposed secret from unwanted listeners: "Did you get it at your real mother''s house?"


    "NO!!!" Eun Ha shook her head vehemently. "No ... I ... I found this gypsy-type, you know, a psychic, on the street, she needed help and ... I loaded some things from the grocery for her... She let me have it."


    "Oh my Gosh, Eun Ha, you''re so innocent! What is it? It looks like this psychic-whatever took it out from a trash bin."


    "Na, na, na! It says that you can see your love future by lighting that wand and holding it, so let''s just prepare it and light it."


    "I don''t know who is the dumbest of us: you for believing that this bullshit will work, or I for being here listening to you!" Ye Rim grunted, rolling her eyes, "You really came here for this?"


    Eun Ha could see in her friend''s expression that Ye Rim sensed that she was lying about the origin of those objects, but wouldn''t confront her to know the truth. Eun Ha knew that she was being dismissive and acting suspiciously since about two weeks ago, but talking about it exactly to Ye Rim was so uncomfortable that she simply did not want to risk it. Then she pretended not to have noticed Ye Rims suspicious look, and started reading the dirty paper again, looking absorted. Ye Rim relented after a while:


    "Okay, unnie. Let''s just assume this thing works, how do we get the... candle?" she laughed, mockingly teasing her best friend: "The Wand of Love''s Destiny! Fantastic! If it works, we''ll know who we''re going to marry... Wait: is there only one?"


    "Yes, just that one." Eun Ha explained, "Look, I think it ends up looking like sparkling stick, you know? Burning fast and sparkling all over."


    Ye Rim looked more closely at the elements on the pyeong sang. "Yes, it looks like this, but this kind of stick burns very fast, will it even give us time to see something? Is it something to see or to feel? It''s so subjective! Tell me the truth, you didn''t pay for it, did you?"


    Eun Ha blushed because she wasn''t comfortable on lying to her best friend, "I don''t know how it works, I just figure that, based on the instructions, one has a glimpse of their romantic future while holding the stick. And yes, you have to light it and hold it to make it work. I''m going to prepare everything, it''ll take just a moment."


    Ye Rim looked surprised at her friend, who just started to make the paste with the gooey goo and the strange powder mixed together:


    "Hey, wait! Are you going to let me use the only stick we have, unnie?!"


    "Why not? Don''t you want to find out how the man of your life is?"


    "But, how about you?"


    "Here, here," Eun Ha ignored Ye Rim''s question, overdoing how focused she was on the process of making the overrated sparkling stick, "It''s you who thinks you''re going to marry a rich and famous oppa! ''Who will it be?'' Jin Yung oppa? David oppa? Geun Hee oppa?"


    "Aish, do not be like that, unnie...You also need to know how the man who will fall in love with you is like!"


    "Meh¡­" said the busy Eun Ha, concentrating in the craft. Ye Rim gave her a deadly and suspicious glance, definitely feeling that something was not right with Eun Ha, but patiently waiting for her to have the seer stick ready.


    "O-kay! Here it is, Ye Rim!" Eun Ha displayed the artifact with pride. For the first time, she noticed Ye Rim coveting the item, her friend''s eyes examining the object with a new sort of curiosity and avidity.


    "Okay, if you say it can be this way, let''s do it soon!"

 Chapter 13 - The Prophecy 2

    Eun Hee stood in front of her friend, pulling a lighter from the pocket of her school skirt,


    "Hold this, concentrate yourself, and the image of your romantic future will appear as soon as I light the stick on."


    "Let''s see if it will be as you''re saying. It''s so little time... three or four seconds only. Do I have to close my eyes?"


    Eun Ha did not answer, concentrating on lighting the candle in Ye Rim''s hand. "Okay... 3, 2, 1... now!"


    Ye Rim smiled at her friend, and to Eun Ha''s surprise, she grabbed her hand so that both of them could hold the stick at the same time. The older teen watched as Ye Rim closed her eyes hoping to see something... And did the same. And she actually started to see something...


    The magazine covers, the lights and spotlights that followed Ye Rim anywhere she went. Her friend has turned into a beautiful woman, and more than it, she was a star! So glamorous in beautiful clothes and exnpesive cars...! And the tall man in the pink shirt, always seen by his back, next to her and imprisoning her with invisible but firm chains... Her friend Ye Rim in despair and sadness slowly fading as the man watched... Until the last scene she saw, when he was shaking her violently, but Ye Rim was laying there, unconscious, her wrists stained with blood... Dead.


    "Aish!" Eun Ha opened her eyes, rebelling against the prophecy. The first thing she saw was Ye Rim''s worried face, eyes closed and frowning, right in front of her. Only a second passed until the last spark has gone, and Ye Rim opened her eyes. Eun Ha looked at her joined hands, took her hand from under Ye Rim''s in a rush.


    "What did you do?!"


    "C''mon, I thought we could share it ..." Ye Rim shrugged. "But ... I don''t think I saw my love future ... I think I saw yours."


    Eun Ha hid her reddened face, her back to her friend, putting the remaining objects inside the box.


    "Uh..."


    "Did you see mine?" Ye Rim asked, coming to the most obvious conclusion.


    "Uhn," Eun Ha nodded, "And then, I have a love future ... How is it? What you saw?"


    "Uh, well ..." Ye Rim shuffled her feet a bit, choosing her words, "I saw you will have a tall, handsome boyfriend, who buys you birthday cakes and everything ...You are so lucky!" Something she saw had bothered Ye Rim, however, Eun Ha could tell this much only by looking at the younger girl''s sullen face.


    "What''s it? What did you see that upset you? "Eun Ha asked, mostly to distract Ye Rim from asking about her own future. She definitely didn''t know how to say something so horrible to Ye Rim.


    "It was a vision that showed everything! He looked rich, well born, stylish, and I was jealous because you were celebrating your 27th birthday and I was not there with you! You had a cake all by yourself! It was written: Happy 27th birthday! He gave it to you, as a surprise. I wasn''t there, though," the other girl said.


    "Such a thing will never happen. Don''t we have a promise?" Eun Ha made a pout, her brain processing the images she had seen, and the information she heard as she walked by her friend''s side coming into the house.


    "And you?"


    "I saw... Something like that. You became very rich and famous, and you had a fianc¨¦ who seemed to be everything a woman could want ... But we were not together on your 27th birthday..."


    Ye Rim stopped,


    "That''s not right, is it? No man will make us apart, right unnie?"


    "It''s ridiculous for you to call me unnie when we have about an hour difference," Eun Ha protested, but Ye Rim just shrugged, ignoring this discussion as usual:


    "Then swear it!"


    "Ye Rim! We are no longer children and we have already done all the possible oaths to each other in the elementary school!"


    They laughed at it without any embarrassment.


    "So let''s ignore this silly stick''s prophecies." Ye Rim proposed, determined to do so.


    "Yeah, let''s do it!" Eun Ha enthusiastically endorsed the idea, trying to push the frightening thoughts out of her head.


    "Yes! We will write our destiny on the go! And we''ll spend all our birthdays together!"


    They made a cracky high five, laughing, and hugging each other as they went to the kitchen fix something to eat.


    ...


    Eun Ha came back to reality, frowning as she sought to wipe away this frightening memory of the day she saw Ye Rim''s future and had chosen to hide this dark fate from her friend. More than that, she''d sworn to herself to do everything in her hands to stop it from coming to fruition.


    She was sitting at her sewing machine, examining what was left from the dress. She stretched at the seams, they looked perfect when she sewn the dress, but somehow the seams seemed to fall apart easily now, but that was not how she''d left it on the mannequin.


    "How could this happen? It''s tearing by itself!"


    "Isn''t that true?!" Ye Rim put a head on the door of the studio, still dressed only with towels over her body and hair. "How can you do this to me?"


    Eun Ha replaced the confused expression with an indignant one:


    "Ohhh...Ohh.. You''re so shameless, Ye Rim! That''s you who took the dress without permission! I should be the one outraged here!"


    "Don''t make a scene, unnie! The dress was for me, anyway. And I thought I heard from you that it was ready!"


    "It was, but I told you it was your birthday present, and as a present you could only wear it at our birthday party!"


    "Oh, you''re such a controlling person, unnie... Maybe I didn''t want to wait so long to put it on. Nor should I wait to meet my new love, hehe!"


    "Oh yes? And why did you debut it in a cemetery?" Eun Ha counterattacked.


    "AH! Eun Ha unnie ... I almost got n.a.k.e.d in front of an old man, and because of you!"


    "Well, sure that it would make any man fall in love, hahahah."


    "Unnie, fix the dress, okay? You said you would make me a beautiful dress so that I''d be fabulous to finally meet the man of my dreams! Take responsibility!"


    "I''m not going to fix anything!" Eun Ha pretended to be more upset than she really was, folding her arms as statement. "You''re fat and ruined the dress. Who''s the type of crazy woman who wears such a dress in a cemetery? So much bad, negative energy, aish!" Eun Ha threw the sparkling cloth into a corner, making such a fuss as smoke curtain to exchange the subject for the one that really interested her at the moment. She asked casually, or she thought so:


    "And what crazy thing is this about a pocket show for a dead man? And who is this other man, the living man, the man in the pink shirt?"


    But Ye Rim was too absent-minded to realize that Eun Ha had a purpose behind her casual chattering, and responded candidly:


    "About the gig, I already told you, it was on the good intention of the deceased man''s friends. He was my fan, you know? I found the idea a bit ridiculous but I just can''t say no to Mr. Go! He is so cute!"


    "And about the guy? This oppa?"


    "This oppa? Well, this rude oppa is the grandson of Mr. Go, Kim Jun Hyeon." Ye Rim started to use a conspiratorial tone, so Eun Ha came closer. "Mr. Go had already told me a lot about him. He''s THE HOTTEST plastic surgeon right now, you know? They say his clinic is crowded night and day. But Mr. Go seems to be very attached to his grandson, so I was totally biased by it at first. It seems like even being born into a rich family, he already managed to double his estate, or something like this. He is in great demand. It also seems that he is into charity, and also has dated some hot actress who I don''t remember the name right now, and..." Ye Rim straightened herself, dismissing the gossiping attitude. "...well, he is an idiot."


    "... Anyway... He is an idiot!?" Eun Ha was startled to the point of repeating the sentence.


    "Yes, a perfect idiot. Handsome, rich, successful, charitable, etc. It''s a shame I''ve already figured out he''s just an idiot." Ye Rim left the studio, humming.


    "Better sooner than late!" Eun Ha loudly quotes to her exiting friend, feeling relieved. But she knew Ye Rim too well to be deceived by these disdainful words.


    "Better keep monitoring it¡­" Eun Ha muttered to herself, now with the pink shirt on her hands.

 Chapter 14 - A Bad Dream

    Later, in another corner of the city, Kim Jun Hyeon had a restless sleep in his bedroom.


    It was a recurring dream, so he had, deep in his mind, a confused awareness of what the sequence of events was like. Still, part of his nightmare was just knowing how things would succeed.


    It was October 25, he knew as it was marked on the calendar on his desk. It was the day of his much awaited first date with Na Ra. There he was, standing in his student clothes, in shock, with the feeling that he just could change everything this time. As it always began, he goes downstairs, convinced that this time he would do it. This time he would change the fate.


    Then the setting of his parents'' house in the capital changed as soon as he set his feet downstairs. It was no longer the elegant city house, but a scene full of smoke and horror. The narrow corridor didn''t mirror in every detail to the actual setting where the tragedy took place, but it mimicked in a wicked way the family''s cottage near the lake. Jun Hyeon was a bit confused as to where to go and how to proceed, until he realized he should reach the back wing of the house, where he would eventually find his noona Ji Hyeon. Looking down the hall, he could see the flames escaping through the doorway, along with the black smoke that quickly filled the room. Stripping off his school uniform, he wrapped his face, covering his mouth and nose, and strode resolutely, ready to enter hell and get her out of there. He could hear in his ears the beating of his racing heart.


    ''Hold on, Ji Hyeon! '' It was his thought. ''I''m coming, this time I''m here!''


    In his nightmare, it was as if he had gone back in time and could change everything. That''s what he wanted.


    Although his focus was on getting there, Jun Hyeon knew that this had happened a few times before, without him actually succeeding despite his attempts. He had a few moments before it was too late. But always, deep in his mind, it seemed he had a difficult decision to make. He passed the stairs leading to the bas.e.m.e.nt, and he had the impression in the back of his mind that if he would stray for a moment from his path to the room where Ji Hyeon was, probably fainted and about to be burned, things might change course.


    But he had only one chance, a few moments, and if he could not reach the room in time, he could not take his noona away. So he remained focused on his goal, even though the corridor seemed long and difficult to come across. When he finally reached the door and crouched down, avoiding the high flames and the smoke, crawling in there, he could see his sister''s hand lying on the floor... He quickly reached for her and turned her around, full of hope of seeing her beautiful face¡­


    "Jun!"


    He screamed in horror, waking up, knowing he had failed, not even needing to see the image in his mind.


    Jun Hyeon rolled over on his bed, turning the side light on and checking his watch. After a few minutes from 3 a.m., several years after the actual fire incident. Again he rolled, belly up, and took a deep breath, feeling defeated and lonely. He felt something rolling in his stomach, dragged the pillow to cover it. It was pain and guilt, he knew how to name the feelings.


    He could not control dreams, that was fact. This recurrent nightmare always left a strange feeling of incompleteness, a bitter nuisance and sense of failure that lingered through the day.


    Jun Hyeon stood up, knowing he wouldn''t get any rest by lying in bed with those thoughts in his mind. Crossing his apartment, he avoided looking at the framed picture at top of the expensive furniture in front of his room. Kim Jun Hyeon didn''t want to exacerbate the bad feeling and end the night like this. With a shrug, he also ignored the drink cart in the living room, though he considered the idea for a moment. He went to his home office, turned the light on, looked around as if looking for something. But he was just looking for peace of mind and something to distract himself to sleep if he could.


    The computer screen lit up, and the starred wallpaper looked much better than reality. That made Jun Hyeon go to the window, pulling away the curtains, to see the night sky, and compare it with the fantasy of the edited photo.


    At this point, his head scratched a little, in a reflex act he took his hand to his hair, fishing from there a small object that pinched his scalp. Jun Hyeon brought it forward to see what it was, and was surprised and delighted to notice it was a golden sequin.


    The memories of the day returned to his mind, in contrast to his dreadful and dreary nightmare. Miss Nam and all the faces she had made in their brief and pathetic meeting. Jun Hyeon could not help but smile. It had a small but significant part on winding away the lingering sensation of weight in his shoulders.


    With his fingers as tweezers, he lifted the little sequin against the setting of the night sky, as if it were a star. He turned from here and there, catching the flare of lights, amused.


    The star-sequin on his fingers snapped, falling to the floor. Jun thought to leave it there, but a rush feeling made him take the shiny little object back, and decided to keep it in his wallet, still with a smile.

 Chapter 15 - How to Fix Broken Glass?

    "Hal-albeoji, is something going on? If you do not answer me, I''m going to start getting worried. Shall I come by later to see you?" Jung Hyeon tried to conceal any exasperation in his voice, as he recorded another message on the car''s phones during his drive to Ji Hyeon Foundation. This was the sixth message his grandfather did not answer to. Jun Hyeon was pretty sure, though, that his elder relative was happily playing cards online, since his social profile seemed to be online.


    But, of course, the surgeon knew the reason for all the ghosting the older man was putting on him. He sighed as he drove into the parking lot of the building. The doctor knew that only one thing would change his grandfather''s mood and manage to get his forgiveness: to admit guilt, even if it was nothing to be ashamed of. ''But doing it would not hurt that much, or would it?'' He was questioning himself.


    "Okay. You''re right and I deeply regret it. Let me apologize to Ms. Nam. What am I supposed to do? Sending her a dress in a larger size?"


    He sent a new message, barely restraining a chuckle, reminding the whole scene as he took his briefcase and lab coat, and got out of the car. It was both embarrassing and amusing to remember that moment on the day before.


    He was even anxiously biting his fist at the the awkward scene''s memory  was bringing, his eyes gleaming in morbid euphoria. The sequins burst, Miss Nam covering herself with her little hands and that big, shocked look in her face; and him having to take off his shirt so she would not come out n.a.k.e.d from the car... And pretty much everything else before and after it.


    His grandfather''s voice boomed in the phone, catching Jun Hyeon by surprise: "You little brat! Why''d she deserve this? Do you want to offend her even more by calling her ''fat''?"


    "Not quite the case, but the dress ... exploded, you were there to see! She should at least ..."


    "No, I didn''t see anything, you jerk bastard!" the grandfather harshly interrupted him. Kim Jun Hyeon put the phone down so as not to laugh aloud in the middle of the conversation with his grandfather, but the situation seen in the light of a new day was quite funny. His grandfather throwing a tantrum and refusing to talk to him because Ms. Nam and her explosive dress.


    The little exchange of words with his grandfather make Dr. Kim to concede at least one thing to that crazy Ms. Nam. She had fans. Her grandfather was one of the loyal admirer of the weird singer.


    Upon entering the elevator, he found Dr. Jang, one of his associates at the clinic. Dr. Jang was a thin-haired man with a polished healthy appearance, about 15 years older than Kim Jun Hyeon, and his specialty was dermatology. They greeted each other, and shortly thereafter, Kim asked:


    "Sunbae, let us suppose that a lady you barely know made a fool of herself in front of you and other people, but she has only herself to blame. But people seems to assume that it was your fault. What would be advisable to do to appease the ire of the witnesses?"


    "I think you''re asking this just to validate your point of view, not that you think I have experience in taking responsibility for bad situations that are not my fault, right?"


    "In a professional level, I don''t think so. But I remember that time when Secretary Park passed gas here in this very elevator and you apologized as if it was you."


    "If I had known you knew, I would not have bothered," the older man laughed heartily, followed by Kim. The elevator opened and they said goodbye, Dr. Kim still watching him greet his assistant, said Secretary Park, before the elevator doors shut off.


    Upon arriving on his floor, he greeted his staff and peered discreetly into the waiting room, realizing that, as most of the time, patients were already waiting for their appointments. This was a day of seeing patients. Early in the morning, he had already gone through the hospital to see his post surgical patients. This would be a relatively quiet and routine day at the Kim Ji Hyeon Foundation.


    He leaned over the desk and towards the Junior Secretary. The Senior Secretary looked discreetly over her glasses, trying to identify the unusual situation. The Assistant Secretary didn''t notice this, for she was staring at Dr.Kim, who was staring at her in return.


    Ms. Kang was a beautiful young woman of a modern and kind appearance, whose professionalism was evident in every act. Except of course, when she looked like a frightened gazelle for being the focus of attention of her handsome boss. For Dr. Kim, there was something amusing about seeing the Junior Secretary blush and her temperature rise to the point that her makeup became oily in a matter of seconds, every time he addressed her directly:


    "Secretary Kang, can you do me a favor? Discover with my grandfather how to send flowers to that Singer that is his close friend, Ms. Nam. Choose a lush, dramatic floral arrangement, but¡­ ladylike. Write something beautiful, like an apology, on my behalf. Something like: ''I''m sorry for being rude yesterday, please accept my sincere apologies, etc.'' In those lines. Thank you," he stood up, with an angelic and condescending smile in his lips, for a moment, and went to his office, closing the door behind him. The matter would be settled just fine, thanks to Secretary Kang.


    Outside the office, the secretaries looked at each other:


    "Extravagant flowers? Wow!"


    "Sunbaenim, what kind of flowers should I send?"


    "He said dramatic, so they must be roses."


    "He said ladylike, then she must be an older woman," the younger woman pondered. "Dr. Kim sends lots of flowers every week, but it''s the first time I hear him being specific about having something extravagant. I wonder¡­"


    "Dr. Kim also mentioned that she is a singer that is friend of his grandfather, so she must be an elderly lady. And being a retired artist explains the taste for extravagant things," the Senior Secretary recalled the younger one, who agreed with a smile. But inside, Secretary Ma knew something was wrong with the way he arrived this morning, unlike any day after his monthly visit to his twin sister''s grave.


    "Wasn''t yesterday the date when he goes to the cemetery to visit the tomb of Miss Ji Hyeon?"


    The two women again looked at each other in common curiosity and shock. "How did he offend a singer in a cemetery? He''s so patient, even with the rudest ladies!"


    There was no easy answer to this at the time, so the matter remained pending as they prepared for the morning''s chores.

 Chapter 16 - How to Fix the Broken Glass 2

    Closed in his office before he started to see the patients, his morning''s euphoria ceased, as Jun Hyeon glanced at the name of the clinic in the embossed letters behind his desk.


    Dr. Kim heavily sighed. There was a lot of work to do.


    Before everything else, he went into the closet to change, passing the small hallway that separated the private part of his office from the service area. There, in a wall, a picture of him and Ji Hyeon, smiling for the camera in a fraternal hug, both sporting limpid eyes and braces on their teenage smiles. It reminded him of his daily mission at the Foundation that borrowed her name.


    The intercom rang with precise timing when he returned with his medical coat on. There were moments that Dr. Kim suspected that Senior Secretary Ma managed to install a hidden camera in his room. Either that or he was even a very predictable and methodical man.


    "Yes, Secretary Ma?" he answered, intrigued by this new pressing question in his mind, for which he didn''t have a pleasant guess in either case.


    "Dr. Kim, Mr. Go, your grandfather, is on the line. Before that, can I confirm with Mr. Lee Dae Won the squash game at the club, next Friday afternoon?"


    "Oh ... yes. It''s confirmed," Kim was not all that excited to see an old friend he''d barely met nowadays, but he rationally knew he had no real reason to avoid seeing Dae Won. The idea seemed much better when Kim Jun Hyeon received the invitation, than when it became an actual event on his agenda.


    His grandfather''s call was transferred.


    "Well done."


    "Well done?" Kim asked, subtly teasing his grandfather about his condescending, grave and imperial tone on the phone.


    "Your secretary called me, saying you''re sending two dozen roses to Ms. Ye Rim."


    "Yes, it''s true."


    "I recommended that she sends the flowers to the Pearl Club, where Ms. Ye Rim will sing tonight. I don''t know her personal address, anyway."


    "Alright, hal-albeoji, that''s enough, thank you."


    "You did just right."


    Jun Hyeon smirked in the middle of the call. "So we''re okay?"


    "Uhn ... I do not know. You interrupted something important and meaningful to me and my friends, offended a young woman who I cherish for dearly, and stood me up that other day, waiting for you in the restaurant."


    "What?! Hal-albeoji?!" his tone rose, surprised by the plot twist. His grandfather was bringing back a subject from three months ago! But that should be expected. '' Why people after a certain age can be so grudgy?'' he wondered.


    "What, what, kid?" the grandfather pretended to be as confused as his grandson. "It is true. You owe me, Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon! It was my birthday present, and you left me waiting in the restaurant!"


    "But, Grandfather, I had a medical emergency that night!"


    "I don''t mind, and your debts only pile up, boy! My only grandson, tsk tsk..."


    ''Oh, here we go again...'' Dr. Kim knew his grandfather''s sense of humor, and that he was indeed a romantic man. At that moment, Kim was probably either on the verge of being made of fool, or incurring the risk of hurting his dear grandfather. He couldn''t pick the right guess on that right now.


    "Right. I have corrected my mistake with Miss Nam, and now, as for you, what could I do, Albeoji?"


    "I''ll think of something."


    "Okay, I got caught."


    What?


    "Nothing, Grandpa. See you tonight? Can we have dinner together, perhaps?" this involved clearing a previous appointment with some friends, but everyone who was close of him knew how close Kim Jun Hyeon was to his family, especially his grandfather by mother''s side.


    "Ehhh. I''ll see," the older man on the other end of the line wasn''t making things any easier to the doctor, but Kim Jun Hyeon was sorry for not having fulfilled his birthday promise on that  earlier occasion, so he wasn''t really annoyed. "I call you later. Now get back to work, Dr. Kim."


    "Yes ... See you, Grandfather."


    "Uhmm," Mr. Go hung up, leaving his grandson thoughtful about how involved his grandfather was with these people from his favorite club, Pearl, to take offense and choose a side on what happened between his grandson and the singer.


    He then pressed the intercom button to tell Secretary Ma that he was ready to start seeing the patients.


    ...


    Around this same time, Ye Rim was returning from her morning jogging, bravely forcing herself to go up the stairs of the suburban and average building two steps at time, to the third floor where she shared an apartment with Eun Ha. Earlier, as she was running, she wondered if she should increase her series, after being exposed to the fabulous ripped abs of a mere physician. '' Should I engage more? Did he spot any cellulite? Well, he''s a doctor specialized in plastic surgery, cellulites shouldn''t put him off. Maybe he only thinks of profit when he sees them... Should I do a liposuction? Would he recommend me liposculpture?''


    She opened the door of the apartment in a fuss.


    "Unnie, good morning! Do you think I should do liposculpture?"


    "If it''s in the brain, totally. Good morning," Eun Ha moved from the bathroom into the kitchen, applying her thick eyeliner as she walked, as if was no big deal. Ye Rim always marveled at this talent of her unnie, "Let''s eat ?"


    "Are you going somewhere, unnie?" Ye Rim sat at the table, checking out the dishes her friend had prepared in her absence, but also realizing that Eun Ha was dressed to go out in some of her heavy, gloomy black garments.


    This was the kind of clothing Eun Ha had worn since her late teens, when they dropped the high school uniforms, and they both came together to the capital to go to college. Ye Rim didn''t even remember what had made Eun Ha decide on this flamboyant, peculiar and unconventional clothing style, but in fact, her friend used to draw attention anywhere she went _even if it was not always the best kind of attention. But as Eun Ha was a talented graduated fashion designer, Ye Rim thought it was just fitting and fair that she sported an exotic style of garments that matched her unique style of thinking and acting. Contrary to what might seem based solely on her somewhat intimidating style, Eun Ha was sweet and humorous. On a second thought, in fact, she also had a side full of quirks and eccentricities.


    "I''m going back to Park & ??Zhang. That was last time that your trainee-era sunbae, Cha Eun Mi, who works for Zhang now, barred me with a tattered excuse. Oh, I just so hate her!" Eun Ha helped herself to the food with cranky, full of frustration moves. It was the seventh time she was being treated like crazy, just because she insisted on getting an appointment for business talk with one of the country''s top fashion designers.


    "Who does she think she is? Does she think I would be there, trying to arrange an appointment with Mr. Zhang, if he had not given me this right?"


    "Unnie, maybe there''s another way to try if it did not work out. These staff just don''t know who you are and why Mr. Zhang is looking forward to seeing your stuff."


    "He said it, didn''t he? And he was emphatic on it, by the way. He said:¡­"


    "When you have a collection, come and see me, Eun Ha ssi. Really. I want to help you. I''m sorry, you should have won this contest," Ye Rim quoted Alexander Zhang''s words by heart, thinking she would chorus with her friend, but spoke alone as Eun Ha chewed her food. She got truly embarrassed when it didn''t work as expected and sudden silence fell in the kitchen. Her unnie looked at Ye Rim with wide eyes:


    "Wasn''t it?! That''s what I''m saying! His personal advisor knows who I am. But this annoying newbie thinks she''s doing everyone a favor by keeping me from seeing him. She really is... A BITCH!"


    Ye Rim patted her friend''s shoulder, comforting her, "Unnie, today is Wednesday and you have already said that he always show up in his main office on Wednesdays. Why don''t you set up an... ambush in the parking lot?! Yes! Enough making it the conventional way! "


    "Ye Rim?!" Eun Ha blinked in shock.


    "Hahahaah, it would be funny, wouldn''t? But these things don''t work well in real life and you can end up spoiling everything. It must not look like you''re begging for his attention, unnie!"


    "Do you think I shouldn''t pay Mr. Zhang a visit in his office today?"


    "Well, Unnie, I think it''s a day for..." Ye Rim got up and went to the kitchen''s window, which had a strategic view of the side street, where there was a greengrocery that serviced the neighboring blocks. She glanced at her watch: "It''s about time. Run! Here he comes!"


    Eun Ha got up and came to join her friend at the window. A pickup truck parked near the service gate of the greengrocery, and a tall, athletic man jumped up, straightening the bandana protecting his head. He took off his T-shirt and went to the back of the truck, taking out crates of vegetables and fruit, while exposing a s.e.xy torso defined by physical labor.


    "Today is day ... It''s day for paying a visit to your future boyfriend! We need carrots and perilla," they spent some time enjoying watching the physical effort of the tall, strong Yoo Kang Dae carrying the crates to the greengrocery. The girls were sure he could guess he was being watched, but they didn''t care being caught doing it.


    Eun Ha laughed at her friend''s teasing, but shook her head as the heavenly vision that brighten them up almost every morning disappeared behind the service gate.


    "Aeee ... I don''t know. He always wants to give me things for free, or almost it..."


    "I hope he gives that body of him for free to you, unnie!" Ye Rim giggled, "How can he be so handsome and so shy at the same time?"


    This time Eun Ha felt truly embarrassed and a self-serving woman for accepting Kang Dae''s little niceties every time she went to the greengrocery store without honestly giving anything back. He was not as shy as Ye Rim used to think, but maybe he was the wrong combination of a stunning body with a goofy personality. Eun Ha shook her head, returning to the previous subject:


    "Okay, maybe I should not look so desperate about seeing Mr. Zhang. And I wouldn''t look like that, if Cha Eun Mi wasn''t insisting on blocking me out."


    Ye Rim sighed, unable to think of anything that could help Eun Ha pass this undeserved blockade.


    "But what about you, did you apply for that DJ job opportunity?"


    "Yes, I applied for it last night. I recorded some voiceovers and sent them along with my resume and portfolio. I know it''s a very disputed position, but I''m sure my stuff is good. I think I have good chances. If they call me for the interview..."


    "They will, you will see. It will be good if you do not just depend on gigs and the ridiculous earnings you make at the Pearl."


    Ye Rim gave a slightly embarrassed smile, but was not really offended by Eun Ha''s comment. "It''s going to be great, Unnie! So we''re going to pay an expensive lunch for that ratchet sunbae of mine, and she won''t ever again look at us from above just because she''s employed in a prestigious brand. Who does she think she is? She''s a failure like any of us!"


    "That''s right!!!"


    They laughed at the idea, returning to the already cold meal with renewed energy.

 Chapter 17 - A Night at the Pearl Club

    ''Why, of all places, it had to be here?''


    Dr. Kim handed the car key to the valet, inspecting with some interest the nightclub''s fa?ade. He looked over the relatively small and discreet neon sign above a equally small vintage-style marquee, displaying Ms. Nam pictures on stage "on Wednesdays and Saturdays".


    The club seemed to occupy just partially the ground floor of the shabby 5-story building. Looking up, he caught a glimpse of the dilapidated exterior of the building, save for the Pearl''s front door. Anyway, the doorman was solicitous and attentive, watching his entrance with curiosity.


    Kim Jun Hyeon could foresee that his grandfather still wanted to play tricks on him. Coming to meet him at the Pearl wasn''t much of a trouble, because his grandfather spoke so much about the good time he used to have there with the "ol'' gang", so Jun Hyeon was curious about the place.


    But from all days, it had to be today, when the apologies roses he had sent to Ms. Nam had been delivered right there? He was already embarrassed in anticipation.


    As he crossed the low lit hallway with walls lined with a gaudy, worn-out fabric, he detected the smell of fried food coming from the kitchen, mixed with the powdery scent of cleaning products used in other areas. It wasn''t totally unpleasant, though.


    The little orchestra could be softly heard through the panelled walls separating the lobby from the main hall. He was a bit confused on what to do next, when an smiling ahjumma, elegant in an old-fashioned way, came to greet him. He soon understood, before she even spoke it, that she was Mrs. Song. She was the owner of the Pearl Club, who used to receive the guests in person, as his grandfather had told him some time ago


    She also seemed to know who he was, apparently, for she greeted him by his name and other kind words. Which made him feel disconcerted for no reason, by the way. Kim Jun Hyeon, however, didn''t want to make a faux pass near his grandfather''s friends. That could cost him another equally awful punishment, so he used his best manners to match Mrs. Song''s gentleness.


    He followed her across the main hall, decorated in a style that looked more old-fashioned than really vintage. Jun Hyeon caught in the corner of the eye a very old man sitting alone in a velvet armchair near the bar, strategically facing both the entrance and the stage.


    The man bore an empty expression that was common on people who can''t control their facial muscles anymore. The surgeon suspected that the man could be Mr. Song, the founder of Pearl Club and the father of Mrs. Song. A man who harbored a deep attachment and love to his club, but bore severe complications due a stroke a few years ago. Or something like this, as he recalled.


    When the duo reached the table next to the stage where Jun Hyeon''s grandfather was, Mrs. Song said something that made Kim Jun Hyeon wish to disappear into a hole in the floor:


    "Ye Rim-ssi loved the flowers, Dr. Kim. She was very surprised and happy."


    Kim''s grandfather grinned at this, as he placed a hand on his grandson''s shoulder and led him to a sitting position after being properly greeted by the younger man.


    "I imagine she''ll be very pleased to hear that you''re here, too, my son. Can you tell her, Mrs. Song?"


    Kim groaned, rubbing his hands together, and begging mutedly for his grandfather to stop punishing him: "Please, enough!" Mr. Go just shrugged, feigning not to understand him.


    Mrs. Song might have noticed, but she didn''t show to have acknowledged any of it. She just greeted the two men before leaving, after offering a drink on the house to Mr. Go''s grandson. Jun Hyeon sat down again after her departure, wondering how to retreat without further losses from his grandfather''s petty guerilla on him.


    ...


    Unlike the gentle words of the owner of Pearl made it to sound, Kim Jun Hyeon''s apologies flowers to Nam Ye Rim were not received with great happiness, but undoubtedly, with great surprise.


    "Hahh! What a funny man is Mr. Go''s grandson!" It was Ye Rim''s scornful exclamation as she checked the card attached to the huge bouquet of roses. "This is the worst kind of man, President Song! And what kind of message is this? He''s pretty much saying I''m an ajuhmma! Is he wanting to go back to those weird insinuations; is he really thinking that I''m trying to seduce his grandfather?! Aishhh!"


    "What are you talking about, silly girl?! What nonsense is this? Let me see it." The ahjumma grabbed the card from the Ye Rim''s hands as a hawk. The singer turned her attention to the beautiful flowers in a lushful arrangement, instead, talking to them in a silly voice as if they''re little babies,


    "I don''t hate you, girls, I only despise that Dr. Kim, who should learn to show some respect and manners."


    After reading the contents of the card, Mrs. Song crumpled the card with a cold look, keeping it in her closed fist. "Don''t mind those ready-made words on the card. It must have been another person who wrote it; it''s clear as water to me."


    "Worse still: he didn''t even write it by himself, he hasn''t the slightest sincerity in those words." the singer huffed.


    "That''s better, isn''t it? He probably doesn''t even imagine that you are a woman who receives more flowers than a funeral parlor; and that, at this point, flowers do not stir your feelings anymore."


    "Aishh, President!" Ye Rim protested, slightly offended. "It''s not like that. I love receiving flowers. I love flowers, I love them!"


    "So if you aren''t willing to thank the gesture for his sincerity, that is zero, thank him because they are beautiful flowers." That was the somewhat harsh advice of Ye Rim''s employer.


    "Ah, sure, of course. I''m going to thank him." Ye Rim leaned in and stuck her face into the arrangement, deeply inspiring the voluptuous scent of the red roses, her voice muffled by them," But I''d rather wish they were flowers with sincerity included. "


    "As I was told by Mr. Go that Dr. Kim will come to see you tonight, I think you should decide whether you like flowers, or sincerity."


    The younger woman straightened her body, fl.u.s.tered with the news. She snorted nervously:


    "Why do I have to want something from Dr. Kim?"


    Mrs. Song was no longer there to hear Ye Rim''s musings, however.


    ...


    After retouching her lipgloss, she went for the stage, signaling her arrival for the band. Ye Rim sighed, noticing the worn state of the carpet under her feet. It wasn''t exactly like that silly prophecy of the Destiny''s stick. It wasn''t about the thrill of fame and glamour, or about being pampered or the shit.


    But it was, indeed, about the only thing she could do in her life.

 Chapter 18 - Sparks Will Fly

    Ye Rim''s voice echoed through the hall in a warm and sensual way, in the first few verses of the song, and the curtains opened, and her eyes involuntarily turned to Mr. Go''s private table by the right of the stage. Dr. Kim really was there, and Ye Rim felt a different sort of fluttering in the pit of the stomach.  I have to prove to hi''Likem that I''m a pro, ha.''


    She looked away and ignored the inopportune visitor, then rendered herself with fervor to the the first song of the night. Ye Rim just decided that she would be kind and overcome the public vexation from the previous day, thank the flowers and accept the insincere excuses, and simply move on. That was the plan, of course.


    Kim Jun Hyeon, to be honest, barely remembered her voice from the day before, although he remembered many other things. When the velvety, smooth voice was heard in the microphone, before the opening of the curtains, he felt a shiver running its body from head to toe. And when the curtain finally opened and she came out surrounded by a halo of light, he definitely felt stunned and thrilled.


    She was beautiful, and her voice was beautiful, and even the intervals when she breathed between the words and the notes of her voice were poetry.


    Kim Jun Hyeon knew a lot of talented people, and a bunch more of beautiful people, and even a fair amount of people with both qualities. Miss Nam was in this select last group, and he could not deny that she had the je-ne-sais-quoi of the stars.


    "Ye Rim-ssi is fantastic, isn''t she, Jun Hyeon?" After the first song, when the singer greeted the audience, Mr. Go pulled the sleeve of his grandson''s jacket with a radiant smile.


    "She''s ... talented, yes. Undoubtedly." Jun Hyeon nodded, choosing just one of the words that came to his mind to describe her. His attention was drawn to her movement coming down from the stage as the second song began, coming to their table. '' What is she doing? '' An unexpected feeling of panic gripped the doctor''s heart.


    Miss Nam''s slim figure in her long, demurely elegant dress, stood beside him and bent to greet her grandfather with smiling eyes. But when Jun Hyeon''s turn came, the look in her eyes wasn''t that warm. In fact, for a brief moment, her lips formed a disgusted little pout that forced her to suppress words, but the next moment she smiled and sang another part of the song, staring blankly at him. The doctor was baffled when she turned around and went to greet her friends at other tables while singing.


    "It''s always like that? Is it always the way she makes her show?"


    Understanding that the grandson was referring to how the singer used to walk through the hall, Mr. Go made a broad gesture with his arm:


    "She has many friends here. Look around you, Jun Hyeon."


    The younger man followed Mr. Go''s advice, scanning the main hall of the nightclub with a closer look. The place wasn''t very big, probably had about 20 or 30 tables. About half of them were taken, but it was relatively early. Then Jun Hyeon understood what Grandfather meant. Only 4 tables, 5 with theirs, as far as he counted, were occupied by more than one person.


    "Ah, I see ... This is a place for lonely and nostalgic old men."


    As expected, his comment was rewarded with a slap in the head. "You bratty boy, you never control your tongue!"


    "Hey!"


    "Miss Nam has a loyal fan club, but it never grows... In fact, it just shrinks."


    Ah, what a morbid geezer my grandfather is, hahaha ..." The surgeon laughed heartily, digesting the funny comment and its link to how close to death were the bulk of the singer''s fanbase.


    His drink came, and he toasted with his grandfather as they went on enjoying the setlist of mostly oldies, without actually talking much during the show. The woman on the stage attracted his gaze. He didn''t recognize many of the songs, but he recognized the talent, and his thought wandered for a moment thinking that Ms.Nam wasn''t a lucky woman, for being there in this obscure club singing on a Wednesday evening for a public that shrinked month by month, as well said his grandfather.


    Then the singer started singing a very romantic and popular American song, and again she came down from the stage, handing out roses to her audience.


    "Aren''t those your roses, Jun Hyeon?" Mr. Go asked, with an amused look, and wondered: "Wow, that''s how she often present flowers to the audience..."


    Kim Jun Hyeon, who was getting all his grandfather''s insinuations, scowled at the thought: '' What do you mean, my flowers ?! Why is she doing this? In front of me? Does she want to piss me off? Is she really so resentful?''


    "Aish, what a crazy woman!" His last thought was audible, and Jun Hyeon just wanted to leave soon. But he reflected that if he left right now, he would look as taking insult on it. Then to keep face he had no choice left but stay, though his mood had dramatically dropped after that.


    Ye Rim finished the passionate song with vigorous applause from the presents, and the orchestra started playing a downtime playlist. She came down from the stage again, coming straight to Mr. Go''s table with an effusive smile, bringing two roses. Jun Hyeon wanted to snort in indignancy, but he refrained himself from doing it.


    "Mr. Go! Dr. Kim!"


    "My dear Ye Rim-ssi! It''s been a long time since you''ve last sung this last song." Mr. Go elegantly accepted the rose offered to him, and commented, gesturing for her to sit down with them, which she gleefully did.


    "Ms. Nam sings wonderfully, doesn''t she, Jun Hyeon?"


    "Yes, wonderfully." He did his best to sound bored, twirling his rose between his fingers, not looking at any of them. Mr. Go''s eyes widened, for this was not the expected answer or manners from his doctor grandson.


    "The songs were not to your liking, Dr. Kim?" Ye Rim asked angelically, realizing that the doctor seemed to want to leave immediately, as he sounded annoyed and hostile. '' Why did you come then? What an idiot!''


    Jun Hyeon didn''t reply, scratching his head exaggeratedly, and barely holding back with curiosity. Mr. Go was alarmed at the grandson''s reactions, and the latter surprised him by putting the question so casually:


    "Did you receive my flowers, Ms. Nam?"


    Ye Rim, who was about to pull the same subject, let the air out of her lungs, with a surprised, comic smile: "Yes. Yes! What a good taste you have, Dr. Kim! Beautiful roses! I really didn''t expect it, I was very surprised! I am so glad!"


    "Did you really like it?" He stressed the tone of doubt in his voice. She was not only a very talented singer, she was very brazen as well.


    "Yes, I loved the flowers. They''re not to blame, you know. They just come into the world to bring love and bliss." Ye Rim didn''t ignore that the arrogant doctor had clearly been offended by her use of "his" flowers. And she was getting sick of his tone already.


    "But... what a beautiful and intriguing way of thinking! Worthy of an artist! I hope it''s not just a beautiful thing just said by the sake of saying it." Kim took a sip of his drink, and knew that he should not be acting so mean, but he was fed up with this little thing that was convinced she was a star just because one a dozen old men drooled over her. She was a farce to those old people, and he would corner the singer in her own territory.


    "You... you..." Mr. Go started to try to stop the impending disaster, but he was completely ignored, since both singer and doctor focused exclusively on each other, at that moment. He had seen something like this before, in the car.


    "By the sake of saying it? By the sake of saying it?! Ha, how funny, coming from a doctor who tells someone else to write his apology cards!"


    "Ahhherm...!" This blow struck low, Jun Hyeon felt the blood rising to the face and a sudden air shortage in his lungs. But handled the situation with a corner smile, and a sardonic uhn!


    "So Ms. Nam, do you think my apology was lacking sincerity? It may sound clich¨¦, but I''m pretty busy man."


    '' What a nerve of him, he outsourced an apology and is still pretending it''s perfectly acceptable. This man can''t be in his right mind. He can''t be serious!''


    "I don''t know what you told your secretary, "Ye Rim sipped at the water the waitress brought her. "But you certainly didn''t tell I''m younger than you, Dr. Kim."


    "Ahnn..." So she''s really upset at me, he thought, finally getting the reason for such rancor.


    "But like I said, I really liked the roses. I admired them. I appreciated their aroma, the softness of their petals, and all their love. They had a difficult mission, when you gifted me with them and that insincere card of yours. So I gave them another assignment: I gifted them to everyone who came to enjoy my performance this evening, and now they express my sincere gratitude to these people."


    "Hey Hey! Why are you like this?" Dr. Kim was shocked by the singer''s falsely soft words, because they convened a hard truth he did not want to take on.

 Chapter 19 - Two Flies in a Jar

    "Ahh, I''m just kidding, Dr. Kim..." She shrugged coquettishly, with a beaming smile. "I know you wanted to apologize, you just are bad at doing it."


    "But what''s wrong with this woman?!" He shifted in his seat, and looking away, asked aloud to no one in particular, not hiding his outrage. Ye Rim had a condescending smile on her face, despite the rigid posture of the body on the chair, legs and arms crossed.


    "Miss Nam, please help my grandson to be a gentleman," Mr. Go intervened, seizing the cue to put his convoluted plan into practice.


    "Who said I''m not a gentleman, when I want to be one?"


    "I thought you wanted to apologize ... to Ms. Nam and to me. You owe me double apologies as far as I remember." The ominous tone of the old man got a suspicious look from his grandson. ''But what is this nightmare? When did it start to get this way?''


    "What¡­?"


    Ye Rim grew uneased, as her moment of triumph was quickly escaping from her hands, and she sensed things would soon awkwardly scale. She was not really into witnessing Dr. Kim being scolded by his grandfather, or something like this, in front of her.


    "Aigoo, gentlemen, I must go back to..." She started to get up, but Mr. Go''s hand gesture, asking her to sit down again, prevented her from leaving the table. She held the air, waiting for what would come next. Mr. Go took some time to get himself back on his seat and pompously retrieve something out of his coat, which he placed on the center of the table. She had to lean forward, as did Kim Jun Hyeon, to see what it was about.


    It was a couple of tickets to a famous musical whose starring cast and rave reviews kept the house full and tickets sold out for months. Ye Rim''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    "What are you doing with these tickets, Mr. Go?"


    "I would go on Friday to watch a show with my grandson, if he could make free time in the schedule. His secretary suggested this date a while ago, so I took my chances."


    Jun Hyeon was surprised and moved that his grandfather wanted to go with him to see the musical, and he knew why. He quickly checked his schedule by the cell phone app, and smiled.


    "It''s going to be great to go with you to see this musical on Friday, Hal-abeoji. I''m free for you. How lucky to have these tickets! I heard the waiting line for tickets to this show is pretty big."


    "I know how much you like musicals, son. I did my best so we''d have fun together this time."


    Jun Hyeon grinned, accustomed to his grandfather''s sentimental temper, and made a pair of finger hearts directed at him, who smiled back.


    "Oh, that sounds good! I''m jealous!" Ye Rim exclaimed sincerely, suddenly enjoying the cute aegyo gesture the doctor made to his grandfather. In that table the events changed course so quickly that she did not even know if she was acting like a fool between them. ''Weren''t we almost fighting moments ago? How come?''


    "Unfortunately, I will be at the funeral of my friend Byung Chul on Friday night. Forced change of plans, I dare to say." Mr. Go barely concealed a smile, before turning deadly serious and letting the plot twist revelation drop in the table.


    Ye Rim and Jun Hyeon blinked in unison, startled.


    "So I guess I should do like Ms. Nam and the roses," Mr Go continued, stroking the tickets as treasured items," and keep the memory of what it would have been. But Ms. Nam can take my place in it, so I''m glad I can share love too! My grandson will be my envoy and entertain you and take you to dinner and to the show after it, like a gentleman who knows how to apologize."


    Kim kicked his grandfather''s foot under the table. Ye Rim swallowed hard:


    "Ahhhh, well, I''d like to, but you see, Dr. Kim doesn''t have to strain himself to apologize to me. The flowers were enough. Seriously! Really!"


    "I think you''re embarrassing Ms. Nam, grandfather..."


    "Ye Rim-ssi!" Mr. Go got up, fl.u.s.tered. "What happened yesterday was an accident caused by me. I also have responsibility for that. And my grandson is a polite and kind man, just seemingly rusty and rude the past couple of days for no reason. I wish you two to have a fair chance to undo whatever bad impression you may have on each other."


    The man and the woman looked at each other, trying to conceal the mutual mistrust. Dr. Kim however realized that he couldn''t let her refuse without a good fight. It would be offensive and un gentlemanly:


    "Miss Nam, my grandfather may have put things differently than I would put them, but in fact I feel that I still owe you an apology, after the card going with the flowers... Please don''t turn it down, if you don''t have other plans for Friday night. Besides, my friends who have already watched the show don''t stop talking about this musical."


    Ye Rim didn''t want to be offensive either, but frankly, how could she go to the musical with that man?


    "Oh, Dr. Kim, it''s just... in fact..." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mrs. Song motioning for her return to the stage, then she stood up. "Yes I have¡­"


    "Got an appointment already? Really?"Just as Dr. Kim spoke, he regretted the eager tone, as hoping a dismissive response from the singer. He watched the Ms. Nam''s face to turn purple.


    "Ah well, understand, it''s not that I don''t want to, it''s..." Mrs. Song gesturing in the background didn''t help Ye Rim to think of a polite refusal either. The singer turned to Mr. Go, apologetic.


    "Mr. Go, are you sure your friend died? Erm¡­ I mean, are you sure you can''t go with your grandson? I''d love to, but is that¡­"


    "Uhn, yes I''m sure he died. At least that''s what it I was officially told. It would have been nice if it wasn''t so, wouldn''t it?"


    "Of course, aigoo... Listen, I have to get back on stage¡­" She turned to Kim Jun Hyeon, who blinked at the singer''s sudden movement so close to him, as a whiff of her perfume reached his nostrils. "Dr. Kim, thank you very much for the flowers. Really. None of that was needed, and¡­"


    "Well then what should I do? Too bad you can''t. I feel like I should buy you a dinner, at anytime." He smiled, this time for the first time sincerely, looking up at her.


    Ye Rim couldn''t help but feel her heart skip a beat. ''Even idiots can have a wonderful smile...'' "Er, well, see you. Enjoy the show. Thank you very much for coming."


    She turned, heading for the stage. Behind her back, she still overheard Mr. Go muttering harshly to Dr. Kim: "Were you even trying?"


    ''He considers himself too superior for such things, Mr. Go. I''m sorry, your grandson is just an idiot.'' She thought, walking away.


    Suddenly Ye Rim felt a grasp on her wrist from behind and reflexively turned in astonishment. Kim Jun Hyeon loosened his grip on her. Feeling that he was losing control of his situation, and his face as well, the doctor desperately decided that he should use a bit of masculine charm to win this game. He leaned toward her, still holding the fragile pulse between his fingers, which was racing, by the way, so much so that he thought he should start counting the beats. But her gaze was not moved, but outraged. He realized that it was better not to try to be gallant or whatever, risking to have his heart eaten raw in front of everyone.


    Taking a deep breath, Kim Jun Hyeon leaned closer so that only she could hear, and spoke next to her ear.


    "Listen, Ye Rim-ssi. Let''s settle this for my grandfather. He just doesn''t want to feel responsible for this¡­ incident. Let''s go to the musical together, and he''ll be fairly appeased. Let''s do it for him, all right? "


    Ye Rim sighed, and said:


    "Drop my wrist, Dr. Kim."


    Jun Hyeon obeyed immediately, but showed no regrets about it. By the way, the best way to deal with this fox was to be straight and cold:


    "Made up your mind already? We can take selfies as proof. Everything will be settled in a few hours."


    "Aishh¡­ So annoying¡­ Okay." Ye Rim agreed, in a fake casual tone. "We can do it like this, if it will end this matter once for all."


    Jun Hyeon walked away, and she made it to the stage, trying to decide if she was angry or anxious. ''What just did I do? Am I really going out with this guy?''

 Chapter 20 - Meeting an Old Friend

    Jun Hyeon followed the sports club assistant and walked across the hall that led to the glazed squash courts, looking around with curiosity. He was taken to the Squash court they rented for a session, and left alone in the small private lounge.


    He expected to find Dae Won already waiting for him, but only saw his gym bag on top of the locker room bench that was in front of the court, and a set of lockers complemented the utilitary lobby. It was the first time he was at this club. Kim Jun Hyeon liked anything that could make him move, but he didn''t play squash for a while.


    The squash court could be observed through a thick glass wall, but his high school friend wasn''t inside either. Kim sat on the bench, wondering where Dae Won was, and checked his watch.


    He had already changed into comfortable sportswear in the men''s locker room, so he just started to warm up, doing some stretching while he waited.


    He sat again. He got up. He wasn''t used to wait, and got bored and a bit annoyed in just four minutes of doing so, then he began to remove his accessories from his own gym bag, checking the tension of his racket strings, and walking around the bench, testing his shots with the racket in the air.


    He was also thinking of the "no-date" he would have this evening with Ms. Nam.


    Dr. Kim felt a chill in the back of his neck, feeling watched, but looked over his shoulder, and was still perfectly alone in the waiting area in front of the rented court. Despite being allegedly soundproofed, the space allowed some sound from the adjoining rooms to reach him, muffled as it was, but it only added to that strange feeling of not being all alone.


    He took a deep breath, wondering if it was not just his slight discomfort from reuniting with Lee Dae Won, a person he felt he owed a great deal without ever being able to repay, and whose presence disturbed him for no plausible reason. Wasn''t this person who had done everything in his power to save his noona? Kim Jun Hyeon was increasingly convinced that he was an obnoxious human specimen who could not have the gratitude nor respect a person like his hyung deserved.


    When the door finally opened, and Dae Won arrived with a smile, Kim also smiled in response, going over to the newcomer and patting his back, friendly as expected. It was just expected within their relationship.


    "Hyung, how''s this flower-boy doing?"


    The newcomer returned Kim Jun Hyeon''s greeting in kind and with an embarrassed smile."What nonsense is this, Jun Hyeon? That''s not even trending anymore."


    "Well, if guys like you went out of style, that means guys like me might be in fashion."


    The joke between them about Lee Dae Won being a flower-boy had been since high school, when the two met at the same elite school.


    Lee Dae Won was still looking good, maybe even better than in boyhood. He was only about a foot shorter than the doctor, but his facial features were on the boyish side, which gave him the nickname flower-boy in high school. That and his artistic skills.


    Interestingly, Kim Jun Hyeon had only one nickname at school: "the twin Kim", in an odd grammar just to mock of his poor education when the siblings come at that rich people''s school, he recalled with a sudden aching heart. His noona suffered some bullying in the beginning, as well. Why it was so, he''d never had a grasp of. Then, Dae Won teamed up with the newcomer twins, and things got better.


    Of course any nickname can be troublesome, and sometimes guys in the locker room teased him calling him Twinkie. But Jun Hyeon was known to be hot tempered in his teens, so it was never a good idea. His hyung, the ever gentle Dae Won, on other hand, was always the peacemaker and good boy. He was only one year older than the Kim twins, but one couldn''t tell now they were a.d.u.l.ts.


    "I''ve heard that actresses like your type more than mine. That''s why I say I''m out of style." Lee also went to his gym bag to pick up his racket, but kept teasing the other man by bringing up the fact that the doctor had briefly dated a famous actress. Kim Jun Hyeon just laughed heartily, not commenting on that. Then they went beyond the glass door, now on the squash court itself.


    "But I liked your hair, hyung. What color is that?"


    "You liked it? Not kidding?"


    "No. Not kiddin''. It''s cool."


    "Yeah, me too. At first I was reticent, but in the end, I liked it too. I don''t know the name of it, though. "Jun Hyeon''s friend shrugged. "The network''s hairdresser said a shade color number, ...8-something. Speaking of color, what will it be? Yellow?"


    "Wow!"Jun Hyeon exclaimed. "Are you feeling ambitious or what? I don''t know if I''m ready for that, but you decide. "They were talking about squash ball colors, which were ranked by color according to the difficulty of play. Kim picked up his ball set and held it out for Lee to decide for them how difficult the game would be.


    Something bothered him there, couldn''t get rid of the strange feeling as if exposed. Was this sensation caused by the big wall of glass?


    Lee actually caught the yellow ball, throwing it at the opponent. Kim hit the ball with his racket, laughing, but the game had not even begun. Dae Won began to stretch and warm up. His tone changed a little, but he kept his friendly smile:


    "I am glad we could see each other today. You have even less time than me in the HTN''s music department."


    ''In addition to regular patients, surgeries and congresses, the Foundation takes up a lot of my time, but I think you already know that."


    "The Ji Hyeon Foundation has grown a lot in recent years."


    "We''re always looking for donors, so far people have helped, they understand and support the cause. But we can do more as more support we get." Kim sighed, catching himself getting into the subject he wanted to avoid the most today. He prepared himself in the service area, without even asking his game partner if they should decide their first serve by chance.


    "When the time comes for the annual event, let me know, I want to help this year too." Lee Dae Won positioned himself on the court, but seemed to sense his friend''s feelings and changed the subject:


    "Your grandfather called me one of these days. He was looking for tickets to that musical that is trending right now. I got him a person who would have them. He said he would go with you. I was amazed at the news."


    Now they were fully engaged in the game, and doing a lot of effort. No doubt picking a slow ball occupied them during the match, and Kim didn''t have much time to ponder the comment, but he understood what Lee was amazed at. But his reply avoided that theme:


    "My grandfather is always one step ahead of everyone. He forced me to take a woman out into this show. Tonight, by the way."


    "Forced you? Taking a woman out? Are they trying to marry you, by any chance?"


    "I don''t think so, but it''s a¡­ long story!" He saw an opportunity in Dae Won''s guard and explored it, lobing and forcing his opponent to the ground. He made a point and celebrated his good shot briefly. It wasn''t as bad as he thought before the game started.


    Lee rolled to the floor and laughed, getting up quickly to continue. He noticed that Kim Jun Hyeon seemed to be looking all the way around as if searching for someone. It made him worried.


    "What''s bothering you, Kim?"


    "No, it''s nothing." The other man shook his head and resumed the game, but the sensation of having something fixedly watching him lingered. But Kim Jun Hyeon smiled and made another serve.


    And the hidden eyes that followed each of his movements and words continued to do so, from the secret place behind him.

 Chapter 21 - Blackout

    "Unnie! Ayeeeee! What do I do ?!" Ye Rim shrieked in despair as she realized that the impatient honking in front of the building was Dr. Kim''s, who was waiting for half an hour for her to come down, and she was not even ready yet.


    "Aish, what a nasty man!" Eun Ha pulled the curtain to check the scene below. The tall man got out of the car and looked directly at their window, waving frantically. He looked annoyed. "Did not you already say that you got an accident here, and that you wasn''t ready? Why can''t he just wait like a normal person?"


    Ye Rim grabbed a makeup tissue and started taking off her eye makeup, which was a disaster after she almost shoved the applicator into her left eye. It hurt, and the eye was watery and reddened. On top of having to clean the eye to stop the itching and avoid an infection, she needed to redo the makeup!


    All day long she had been fumbling around, as if she had two left hands. First, when ironing the shorts and blouse set she wanted to wear at night, she burned the delicate fabric of her blouse. The zipper of the dress she picked next, stuck irreparably. Then the shower''s handle popped out onto her hand, and she had to ask to shower in the next-door neighbor''s apartment. The pumps chosen to match the next outfit dropped a heel, and she had to change the look once more. A fingernail broke, the bra strap snapped, the hairdryer died, the cell phone sunk into the toilet. And now, she nearly punctured her eye applying makeup.


    Eun Ha, who had been casually drawing sketches in the living room, watched over each step of her friend, so to discreetly use any opportunities to make her give up on going out with Dr. Kim.


    She swayed her ''pen'' to and fro, jinxing things up, but Ye Rim was a very stubborn sort of person. The mascara accident was only on her friend''s own overstressed mood, not Eun Ha''s direct action: she could not risk hurting Ye Rim trying to stop her from going out. But now she had to find new ways of getting in the way.


    "Unnie, call that stupid doctor and tell him I''m coming down soon, and tell him to stop honking that stupid horn of him or we''re getting a fine for disturbing our neighbours." Ye Rim asked her friend while she washed her face and tried to cleanse her eye as best as she could.


    "Yep." Eun Ha nodded, picked up the cell phone and went back to the window. There he was, tall and casually elegant, walking on the sidewalk rather impatiently, under the streetlight.


    The woman used the cell''s phone camera zoom to check him further. Zoomed at his striking brows, now furrowed, ''There there, a physiognomist could easily tell you are a psycho. Look at this violent features disguised as "cool bad boy " look! Uhhh, I''m afraid already .'' Eun Ha shuddered and noted to herself, remembering the prophecy. She furthered her inspection with the zooming camera: he''s got an elegant nose, s.e.xy bow-shaped lips, and a strong jawline to match his fair complexion. '' Omo, Dr. Flamingo is so handsomely s.e.xy, so dangerous¡­ No wonder she''s shaken. No, you shouldn''t be near Ye Rim. Get away, you bad wolf!''


    She dialed the number, which called and was soon answered: "Dr. Kim? This is Ye Rim''s friend again. Then it turns out that..."


    Concentrating, she swung her wand in the direction of the voltage transformer on the light pole just above his car. The ensuing BOOM! was so loud and sudden that even Eun Ha cringed back from the window. Sparks flew from the transformer.


    Dr. Kim also took a reflexive leap back, frightened, and moving away from danger. The sequential clicks of the interconnected circuit breakers rang in the night, and the lights of two blocks of the neighbourhood went off in sequence. As did the building where the girls lived in.


    The neighborhood residents'' reaction was heard from a distance.


    "Oh, my God!" She exclaimed, still watching the man''s reactions down in the street. Dr. Kim got into the car quickly. Yes! '' Go back home, go back home and never come back! '' she firmly wished ,when he started the engine. But he just pulled the car away from the pole, and honked again.


    "Aish! What a sticky guy! "Eun Ha couldn''t even suppress her frustration.


    "Why is this going to happen today? How am I going to put on my makeup now ?! "Ye Rim whined, annoyed. But she made up her mind. "Nevermind. I''m going downstairs and tell him I''m not going. I cannot go out like this ... Oh my eye. It''s sore. And now this darkness. I''m going to fall off the stairs."


    "YES !!!" Eun Ha did not hold back the excited tone after Ye Rim''s decision.


    "Yes?! Unnie!" Ye Rim did not understand Eun Ha''s strange reaction. How could she be happy that she gave up on watching a raved musical, for free?


    "I say, ''...Yes! You better go downstairs and tell him'', won''t you? How can you go out this way? At least he goes away at once and stops bothering the neighbors."


    "What did he say?"


    "Uhn¡­ what did he say? Oh ...!" Eun Ha totally forgot that she had called him to give the message. She looked at the phone in her left hand, and realized it was on, the call in progress. Ye Rim took the phone from her friend''s hand and took it to her ear, and said, "He-llo?" Eun Ha was with her ear pressed to the other side of the phone, too.


    "Miss," the male voice on the other side was firm and audible. "Tell your friend Ms. Nam that the best for her to do is to come down after making me wait so long. And to bring her bag and a coat. Please... Say that. I am waiting."


    Eun Ha was the one who responded, intimidated. "Okay ..." After the call has ended, she looked wide-eyed to her friend, iluminated by the light of the cell phone. "What are you going to do?"


    "He won''t believe in any excuses. After all he doesn''t know yet how unlucky I am. I better go. After all this work, not going out would be a waste." Ye Rim took the bag and a coat, as suggested, and realized that Eun Ha strangely and suddenly shut up.


    "What is going on, unnie? Why did you shut up all of a sudden? Are you afraid of being alone here in the dark? Booohoohooo!" She teased her friend.


    "I don''t have a good feeling on all of this. You should take those signals seriously. It''s not a good night. Don''t trust him just because he''s a doctor and related to someone you know." In the dark, Eun Ha ran to the shoe rack by the door, scrambling the shoes Ye Rim would use with another pair, and helped her to tuck them in. Ye Rim really didn''t notice the exchange, just replied to her unnie:


    "I don''t trust. But if I stop living every time something bad happens to me, Unnie, I''m already beaten. Keep calm, unnie! I''m going to take your cell phone with me, money for a taxi, and for your information I''m still sharp with the self-defense classes Oppa gave me."


    "Are you going to leave me here alone in the dark?" Even knowing it was a weak plea, Eun Ha made a tearful voice and clung to her friend''s arm. Ye Rim laughed finding it funny, but opened the door, waiting for her unnie to let go of her arm so she could go.


    "Unnie, you should use this opportunity to call Kang Dae to protect you in the dark...!" Ye Rim joked again mentioning their hot neighbor, and left in the darkness.


    But Eun Ha liked the suggestion. That gave her an idea.


    "Uh..."

 Chapter 22 - Girl Meets Boy

    Ye Rim made it safely to Dr. Kim''s car parked across the street. He was waiting outside the vehicle, and the couple awkwardly greeted each other.


    "Hello."


    "Hello."


    "Ready?"


    "Ready."


    The doctor opened the passenger door for her before taking his seat in the driver''s seat. Ye Rim used the cell phone light to check if she was fastening her seat belt the right way, as she didn''t want to go through another vexing moment inside Dr. Kim''s car. He noticed this, and to help her, he turned on the car''s interior lights as he started the engine.


    He noticed in the rearview mirror that his company for the night wasn''t wearing any makeup and that her left eye was red and a bit swollen.


    "Sorry I''m late". She finally spoke, as they drove by the first corner. "A lot of crazy stuff happened."


    "That''s alright. We still have time for dinner before the show if we don''t take too long to pick dishes. "Dr. Kim sounded calm. "I sent message to the maitre about we being late."


    "Are we really going to make it in time?" Ye Rim was surprised. She was prepared for some acid ranting considering their previous encounters, but he looked like he wasn''t really going to talk about it. But her mind still suspected Dr. Kim. "This is very good. I''m relieved." she said.


    They entered into a full minute of silence inside the car, after it.


    "Do blackouts happen often in your neighborhood?" he broke the silence and asked casually as soon as they entered a zone with street lights on.


    "Uh¡­ Not lately. But don''t even remind me of it, please." She was still with a sore eye, and feeling exposed and ugly without makeup. Her outfit was wrinkled and she felt disheveled and a total mess. Ye Rim would have preferred a thousand times not to go out like this, but she wasn''t going to be the one who give up first. Dr. Kim, on other hand, looked immaculate, she eyed him again as he drove: tasteful casual clothing and accessories from head to shoes, a manly, discreet cologne scent, topping with his expression of one in control. ''Ah, he''s so annoying!''


    About two more minutes passed in silence until Kim asked:


    "Any problem?"


    "No¡­" she said looking out the window, trying to understand the change in Kim Jun Hyeon.


    "I''m sure something happened." he insisted.


    ''Aigoo, how annoying¡­'' she thought. ''If he really needs me to say it, I going to say it.''


    "I just thought it was funny¡­ You, opening the car for me, Dr. Kim. It''s a little..."


    He tried to guess, sounding intrigued in a good way." Old-fashioned?"


    "Uhn... It just doesn''t seem to match Dr. Kim. " Ye Rim tried to taunt him.


    "I''m just trying to do the full job," he said in a confessional tone and a bad boy sneer. "I''m sure my grandfather has a checklist of every step he thinks I should make to score a perfect night out with his sweet proteg¨¦e. So I believe I must try to tick at least 80% of the list to make sure I pleased both him and you, during my atonement duties."


    What he was saying was weird but was plausibly logic too, and was funny, but Ye Rim didn''t want to lower her guard to him, and just smiled slightly. A new silence fell between them. Ye Rim felt her bruised eye tear involuntarily, and quickly wiped her cheek with the side of her hand.She also felt that the eye itching was affecting her nose, that felt humid and swollen.


    Suddenly the singer noticed that he was pulling over the car so she turned, sniffling, to ask why. He was already turning off the keys and taking off his seat belt. "What''s it? Why did we stop?"


    Dr. Kim turned on the interior light and grasped her shoulder firmly. "Stay still."


    "Uhn?!" Ye Rim was startled. ''What''s this crazy man trying to do? If he tries to lay his hands on me as a cheap macho seducer, I''ll kill him'', she nervously grabbed her metal clutch with both hands, but prepared her resolve to fight back. While this sort of things were crossing her mind, Jun Hyeon leaned over and reached for the glove compartment, fishing for a small flashlight, which in a swift motion, he turned on and flashed at her injured eye. As natural consequence, her pupil dilated and she was blinded for a moment.


    "Quiet, quiet." His soothing tone had an effect on her, which at last understood that his medical instincts must''ve been ringing ever since he started the car.


    "Just stay still a little bit more. If you keep tilting I won''t be able to see what is going on." He mumbled while checking her ocular globe.


    "Ah, I¡­ I almost pierced my eye while trying to apply a mascara. That was one of the reasons I was late." While he was busy doing it, Ye Rim justified herself, and immediately regretted doing it, feeling silly for talking about being late, and for looking like she was trying hard to look pretty for this date. It wasn''t really a date after all. What name could she give it, then?


    He shook his head and clicked his tongue in disbelief, holding her chin between two fingers and turning her face to and fro as he tried to examine Ye Rim''s eye within the limited environment and precarious conditions available. "Uhn, it really sounds like a mechanical injury irritation. I guess it''s not going to be an issue, but it needs more cleaning and a soothing agent. Let''s go to a drugstore. If by tomorrow it''s not better, then you should go to an expert."


    Ye Rim was confused by her own feelings . ''When you expect almost nothing from someone and he¡­ Seems to care¡­ Wait! What is it, Ye Rim? He was just being a pro and following his medical oath. The tender way, the touch of his fingers on her chin¡­ it was just a medical evaluation.''


    "That''s it?"


    "It''s done. You''re free at last" He let her go and leaned back, turning off the flashlight.


    "We don''t have to go to the drugstore, Dr. Kim. It''s going to heal by itself right away."


    "It will cure faster with an eye drop. If that''s going to make you not to argue back about what this doctor is saying, just think we should be trying to make a good impression on each other."


    That was what he said while turning back to his place in the driver''s seat and starting the car again, as if that were nothing. But .. Ye Rim thought to have spotted him eyegoggling her legs, as he pulled the gears. He even seemed to narrow his eyes and then stiffly turn forward as if remembering that he should at least pretend he wasn''t ogling.


    ''Seriously?! It isn''t even the first time! What a perverted guy! He doesn''t miss a single chance! When you think a person really is different from the bad impression he gave you beforehand, he does nasty things¡­''


    "Hmpf!" She crossed her arms ostensibly, turning her face to the other side in comptent, showing that she knew what he did. Kim quickly checked on her, and came to the conclusion that she had possibly misunderstood what had caught his attention down there.


    "You think poorly of me again¡­" he chided softly.


    "Uhn?" Ye Rim looked in the same direction, to check what he had seen, after all she wasn''t even wearing a particularly short outfit. But then she realized what he had seen. Her mismatched pumps. One of then was silver and the other was the one she had chosen to go with the clothes she was wearing on, royal blue.


    "My shoes!" She instinctively put her feet back, trying to hide them behind the seat. I''m going to die¡­''


    Coincidentally _or not_ the driver turned off the interior light as soon as she realized her mistake.


    "I was wondering if it was a new trend¡­ But they are both beautiful; I think I would also have a hard time choosing, if I were you." He commented, although he was paying attention to the traffic right now.


    "Aigoo, how did that happen¡­? My shoes... Dr. Kim, I can''t go out with you. I put my shoes in the dark, and¡­ I''m so sorry."


    Kim from his bank just set up the GPS''s search for a drugstore, and diverted the route to the nearest one. He recalled casually, ignoring the distressed tone of Ye Rim''s words:


    "I once did that. I mismatched my shoes before an important event. I was a kid and I was very embarrassed because of it. Believe me, I was. But as I said, I was a very silly boy, not the woman who came out my car in a shirt-turned-skirt, ready to walk a mile on it. In addition, we can go in with the theather''s lights off and leave quickly after the show. What do you think?" He presented an alternative, apparently unaware that she expected him to take her home as the only obvious alternative.


    "I don''t know¡­"


    "I know you are between the devil and the deep blue sea here, but let me say something: Mr. Go, my grandfather, is a lovely old man, right? But here I am, paying my dues. Don''t wish to be the one in my place. Don''t think that is going to be any exceptions for you just because you are his dearie. I was his dearie once, too." The man started in a serious tone as he maneuvered to park at the drugstore, but soon it became clear he was mocking on her.


    That comment was really funny and Ye Rim laughed. "Omo, don''t talk like that. Mr. Go is lovely."


    "Yes, he is. And everyone has two faces."


    "Uhn¡­ " She made a pout to show she was considering his remarks, specially the last part. ''I know. Look at you. Why can''t you behave like this more often than the other way?'' She thought, peering at the handsome doctor as he drove.

 Chapter 23 - Stalkers Gonna Stalk

    "There, there. Ready. It should be enough. Blink a little," he dropped the eye drops expertly in front of the drugstore counter, then wiped the dripping excess with a tissue, and handed another clean tissue to her hand.


    She did as told, feeling that her sore eye wasn''t itching as before. When she opened her relieved eyes again, Dr. Kim was gone, but soon she spotted him in the end of the aisle, carrying the products to the cashier.


    While he paid, Ye Rim knew she should say something important to Dr. Kim. She reached his shoulder, patting to get his attention:


    "Th-thanks."


    He turned over his shoulder and smiled, putting away his wallet, then teased as they left the drugstore and went to the car in the parking lot. "Okay. Your eye should stop bothering you soon and your mood will improve. In fact, now I''m thinking of it, I did it for myself¡­"


    "Oh, you''re so selfish, Dr. Kim!" Now she knew he was just harmlessly teasing her, and laughed with him. But the singer was still unsure about her shoes. As she followed him to the car, she came up with a suggestion: "What if we drop by a shoes store so I can change my heels, huh?"


    "It would probably take all night. No. You are clearly the type that has a high level of exigence with what you use."


    "Don''t blame me," she laughed, conceding it to him. "I share the apartment with a fashion designer."


    "Ahhh! That explains a lot."


    As they got into the car, she turned back to Kim Jun Hyeon again, asking, "Are you sure you want to be seen in the show with a woman wearing mismatched pumps?"


    His expression changed to his usual sarcasm.


    "Don''t be so self-centered, Ms. Nam. People are going there to see the show, meaning: who is on stage. We only have two sector A seat tickets. And we won''t have time left to wait in the lobby anyway."


    Ye Rim got a little embarrassed by his little reprimand, but he was right. The doctor added, as he maneuvered out of the parking lot, with an expression she considered somewhat devilish: "Think of it as building up a quirky funny memory of the day you went out on a no-date with a boring guy; and you were wearing mismatching heels. You''ve got something interesting to tell your friends about this evening, at least."


    Jun Hyeon had just validated the parking ticket at the gate outside the drugstore parking lot, and the machine started speaking "Good night, come back soon" with an awkward pitch, slurring creepily. The gate arm that was now up for him to go through, began to descend again in the middle of his way out. Kim reacted quickly and sped the car past before the gate arm slammed onto the top of his car.


    "Wow!! Did you see that?"


    "Aw! That was a close shave! You had a quick reaction!"


    Kim Jun Hyeon winked at her in response.


    '' Don''t do it, you silly guy. That wasn''t that super!'' She thought, suppressing a smile. But Dr. Kim glanced at the clock, and seemed to realize they had to hurry if they wanted to have dinner before the show.


    "Hungry?"


    "Not much, actually."


    ...


    Jung Eun Ha finally got track of where Ye Rim was through her cell phone''s GPS; and was now closing to them, chasing them on a scooter lent by Yoo Kang Dae.


    She arrived in time to see them enter the drugstore. ''What are they going to do there ?! Oh, this is so fast! Ye Rim is not that kind of girl! No, no!'' the woman shook her head, dismissing the absurd assumptions crossing her mind, and sneaking into the drugstore close behind a random couple. Still using the couple of strangers as a shield, she came as close as she could to Ye Rim and Dr. Kim, and hunched behind a shelf.


    From the position she was, Eun Ha could see Ye Rim''s back as the doctor spoke to the pharmacist behind the counter. Eun Ha crouched further down and peeked again, and spotted her friend''s mismatched shoes. Her fashionista heart bled at the sight. ''Oh my poor friend, I''m so sorry to have done this to you! I''ll make it up to you by making you a lot of beautiful clothes and treating you preciously!''


    She clutched her magic wand in her coat pocket. ''What to do now? He is talking about eye drops... I must be careful to not hurt anyone.''


    Eun Ha ran a few steps further and hid behind a celebrity-shaped stand up display endorsing an antacid, and when the doctor came closer to Ye Rim to apply the eye drops, Eun Ha twirled her magic wand and cast a spell upon his feet. She was supposing that, if he looked pathetic, that would minimize his kindness acting on Ye Rim''s eyes. ''Look at Dr. Flamingo being all helpful and duplicitous! Outwardly so kind, inwardly the heart of a predator!''


    As soon as Dr. Kim took a few steps towards the cashier, he tripped on nothing and fell flat in the middle of the narrow empty aisle. Eun Ha flinched behind the display. She knew the place was filmed, but also believed that she would not be caught by Ye Rim and the doctor.


    The attendant behind the drugs counter c.o.c.ked his head to see what was going on, but the tall doctor managed to recover swiftly from the fall; and looked around quickly to check whether his date had seen it.


    But she had not; Ms. Nam was still blinking to absorb the eye drops as he recommended her to do. He straightened himself stiffly, with his male pride semi-preserved, and elegantly strode to the cashier carrying the products he was buying.


    ''Damn, he''s fast as hell.''


    Before Ye Rim turned around, Eun Ha crept into the next corridor so that her friend wouldn''t stumble on her.


    Peering over the low shelves of the drugstore, the fashion designer watched as the doctor took out his wallet to pay for the eye drops and the tissues, and Ye Rim coming after him.


    Eun Ha figured that if Dr. Flamingo got embarrassed trying to pay for the products but having no credit, it would be a total flop. Neither of them would like the situation. She wasn''t sure how to make it happen. Anyway she twirled her wand again with that intention, pointing to the doctor''s wallet and casting the magic. But Ye Rim suddenly turned in her direction, and Eun Ha ducked behind the shelf by instinct, not knowing whether her spell got into the right target.


    Glancing down by the side of the shelf, behind the band-aid boxes, she saw that he had paid cash, however; while the cashier apologized for the system being down that night. She grunted in frustration, yet another opportunity to humiliate him was missed.


    As the couple left the drugstore, Eun Ha ran to the glass door to keep stalking at them. She realized that it would be harder than ever to get close to them without being seen, once they''re inside the fancy restaurant Dr. Kim booked for dinner. She also wouldn''t have much of a chance on sneaking into the theater where they were going to watch the musical.


    She needed to do something to stop them getting along, and fast.


    That was when she felt censuring eyes upon her, and looked over to catch what was going on. The security guard, the pharmacist, and the cashier with were glaring at her with suspicious and hostile eyes.


    As they met eyes, each of them made sure to express their disapproval on her stalking manners inside the drugstore. Eun Ha cheeks blushed, but what could she do? She straightened her body, putting her pen-like wand down, and called them out loudly, putting on an scene:


    "Ehhhh! What?! What are you looking at? That man... is my husband! My husband! That cheating pig!"


    She showed her "pen" again and pointed at them alternately, faking it was a cheap spy camera-pen, just in case.


    "Do you want to be on the pictures as well, huh? Huh? Should I ask you to be my witnesses in court?"


    The drugstore''s staff suddenly seemed more interested in other things, and embarrassed looked away from her.


    Eun Ha wrapped herself in her coat and hurried out to the parking lot to keep stalking the couple. The car was leaving the courtyard, so she aimed at the gate machine¡­ but that sneaky Dr. Flamingo was good on getting off.


    ''Why did you have to show up now? There is so little time left until our twenty-seventh birthday!''

 Chapter 24 - A Hard Day’s Night

    He wasn''t sure what to do on a non-date.


    He didn''t remember the last time he''d been alone with a woman like Ms. Nam without any mutual interest, and he''d never gone on a blind date either. His life just didn''t work that way. But this evening, definitely nothing was going as planned.


    Kim Jun Hyeon had left home with the firm purpose of keeping his word, but was neither willing to further his acquaintance with Ms. Nam nor getting part into his grandfather''s little games. Who by the way, probably had a lot of free time on his hands lately, to think of weird funerals and set up awkward situations for the people around him. He definitely needed to talk to his mother about his grandfather.


    But of course, Miss Nam was just like her sparkling golden dress: a surprise blast of nonsense on his face. After making him fume about having to wait her getting ready, she arrived with a bruised eye and no makeup, and looking far less glamorous than the other two times they had met. On top of that, wearing mismatched shoes.


    And because of that, Jun Hyeon couldn''t even get angry about waiting so long. He couldn''t be risking being rude to a woman who was feeling ugly.


    "You do your act elsewhere, Ms. Nam? I mean, besides weddings and funerals? Is there any place other than the Pearl?"


    "Uh... No. Not right now..."


    He was going to ask her more about her career, which seemed like a pretty safe subject, but she interrupted him:


    "What type of surgery do you perform the most, Dr. Kim? I mean, in quantitative terms."


    "Nose jobs," he answered promptly. Apparently she had the same idea of keeping their conversation around their careers.


    "Seriously? I thought it''s eyelids. They say it''s the most popular plastic surgery job being done."


    "Yes it is, but I don''t perform many of them. There are other people who can perform it better than me."


    "Uhn¡­" She bit her lip, he saw in the rearview mirror. It looked like she wanted to ask a question, but was uncertain.


    "Go. Ask your mind up."


    "Ask my mind up what?" The singer frowned, confused.


    "Ah, well, if you are not going to ask, then I''ll answer it anyway."


    "How come? Will you answer something without me asking anything?"


    "Your question is obvious to me."


    "Oh is that so? So what is the answer to the ''obvious question''?" she sounded sarcastic. Jun Hyeon realized that she was becoming comfortable with herself again, now that her eye was better and that she had accepted that he didn''t care about her appearance. She was wrong, of course.


    "The answer is no, you don''t need a nose job."


    "Bpppp, you''re out!" She laughed, and so did he. "Dr. Kim. I wasn''t going to ask that! And who ever said I never had my nose done?" She tested him, but Kim didn''t fall for the trick.


    "If so, please introduce me to my new master. He is genius."


    "Oh! He''s so full of himself¡­!" She grumbled audibly, he suppressed a smile as he drove. His attention, however, was caught by a glimpse of what was happening on the road behind him, by the rearview mirror. It seemed that the drivers behind him were angry about something, possibly a motorcyclist, because they were honking like crazy. But he couldn''t see the cause of the problem in just a glance, and kept paying attention to the traffic ahead.


    "Has Park Beum Mi ever had any plastic surgery? A nose job? Because I think it got a lot different in the last year. Did she?"


    Kim Jun Hyeon almost fell into the trap this time, but in the last second he pursed his lips and shook his head in denial, refusing to speak.


    "Come on, Dr. Kim! And how about Kim Hong Byul? Or at least, Kim Ha Neul? She did it, didn''t she? Her face thinned a lot, she did a bichectomy, didn''t she?"


    He could barely contain his laughter now, with the singer''s extra curious tone. He turned quickly to her, shaking his head alternately between yes and no as he kept his lips tightly pursed.


    "What? What is it? She did, didn''t she? Who didn''t it?! Ah, how frustrating! Ha Neul did, but Hong Byul did not? I don''t understand. Give it away...!"


    Jun Hyeon let out a loud laugh at the demanding Ms. Nam Ye Rim. "Come on, you really don''t want me to be your plastic surgery detection toy, do you?"


    "Ahhh¡­! Well, actually, I do." She whined in frustration, but admitted at last with a laugh. They stopped at the red light, and then Kim could see in the rearview mirror a small motorcycle zigzagging between the cars. Strangely, although he could do that, the rider didn''t make it to the first row next to the intersection. But the doctor''s attention turned to his night companion''s next comment,


    "Ok, although the subject is quite juicy, Dr. Kim won''t collaborate with my celebrity knowledge database. I bet you won''t talk about your famous customers either."


    "Uhm ." He agreed with her logic.


    "So¡­"


    "Here she comes again."


    "Have you gotten any plastic surgery done, Dr. Kim?"


    He was in the middle of a sound laugh when an absurdly loud and close thwack made him stop. Ahead of them, at the intersection, the lid of a manhole simply jetted over a few meters off the ground for no apparent reason. A few seconds later, a jet of water followed, reaching at least two meters at its apex, dwindling soon after. The lid fell to the floor a few meters away at the empty intersection with a loud crash.


    He uttered an involuntary curse word and then asked at his own shock: "What the hell was that?"


    Then he felt Miss Nam''s little hands clutch at his arm and her face buried in his shoulder. She curled up in her seat, aghast, jutting forward to seek shelter in his body for some reason. Then Jun Hyeon put a hand on her head to comfort her, patting softly. "Hey, hey, calm down. It was just a scare. Nobody got hurt."


    "Aeehh¡­ Ermm "! Nam Ye Rim cleared her throat and composed herself and back to her seat, without apologizing. "What was this?! I thought we were going to die!" She said, with wide eyes of shock.


    "I don''t know. Apparently the manhole exploded. Plumbing gas, maybe." He changed the car''s gear to leave, the cars behind them already honking frantically, people on near sidewalks gathering to watch. Although he managed to sound calm, his heart was racing, too.

 Chapter 25 - What else can go wrong?

    Jun Hyeon commented as he cautiously skirted the jet of water, "Earlier today the transformer in front of your building blasted right over my head. Now this. This really is a weird night."


    "Oh! Well, the electricity was weird all day in my building. My hair dryer blasted today, as well."


    ''So that explains the frizz on her hair'', he thought, but he was sure she cared more about it than he did.


    "Are you sure no resentful ex-boyfriend of yours works in the electric supply company? Or at the plumbing company?" He teased, but was surprised by her thoughtful expression, until the singer said:


    "Well, I don''t know if I have fans working in these areas. But that couldn''t be possible, would it? I mean... These accidents being the work of a stalker¡­"


    "No, no. I''m just kidding." He dismissed the ridiculous hypothesis with a hand gesture.


    They finally entered the high-end neighborhood where the restaurant was located. The doctor noticed the biker on the delivery scooter riding behind them at some distance. At first he wondered if they could really be being chased, but the idea was so or more absurd than Ms. Nam having a creepy stalker who was destroying utilities just to keep her from going out with anyone else. Surely it was just a delivery motoboy doing his job. "But who is the full of herself person here, huh?"


    "Well, Dr. Kim, I know you don''t believe me because you didn''t see me on TV or the top charts, but I DO have loyal fans." The singer didn''t seem to understand that he was referring to her previous remark on him, and was taking things seriously.


    "Even an official fan club?" Jun Hyeon chafed her in a defiant tone.. At this point they had stopped at another red light, even though the intersection was completely empty in both directions. From his rearview mirror, he noticed that the biker had stopped on the sideway, at a good distance from their car. ''Must be in trouble. Poor guy. Should I lend a hand?''


    "No but¡­" He heard her ruffled reply, in the midst of his new thoughts.


    The green light got on, and Jun Hyeon shifted gears, but a strange clicking noise was audibly heard, and in sequence, the whole car shuddered strangely. The dashboard lights went out, and the car died.


    Thinking it was his fault with the clutch or something, Kim Jun Hyeon just turned the key again, but the car just seemed to choke and didn''t react at the command. A few tries later, the doctor began to worry.


    "What''s it?" Nam Ye Rim questioned.


    "To be honest, I don''t know," he admitted, stubbornly trying a few more times until he realized it wouldn''t work. Nam Ye Rim''s inquisitive and curious gaze over him didn''t help either. He pressed every possible button on the dashboard, but there were no response at all. It was flat dead. Jun Hyeon sure wanted to swear. ''What else was left for this weird night to go wrong? What the hell happened to my car?!''


    "I don''t think it''s something that can be resolved on the dashboard, Dr. Kim." The singer noted, and Kim Jun Hyeon sighed heavily, and got out of the car, banging the door closed, though he didn''t want to make a display of his frustration. It wouldn''t do much good to kick the car, but that was his urge right now.


    But the singer also got out of the car, leaving her door open, and heading toward the hood. Kim went there, too, but figured he couldn''t tell what might be going wrong with such a sophisticated car. There was not a single dashboard indication of error or problem, and suddenly, puft! Your car dies in the middle of a date.


    "You don''t have to get out of the car. I''ll check on it. If I can''t solve it, I''ll call insurance." He tried to conceal his annoyed tone, didn''t manage to do it well. It had really upset the plastic surgeon.


    "Aren''t you going to open the hood and take a look at what it can be?"


    "I will, but you can get in the car meanwhile."


    "Uh .. hmpt. I''m going in, since staying here seems to make you more nervous." She showed her displeasure at his attitude. She turned to get back in the car. Jun Hyeon exhaled again, wanting to run his hands through his hair nervously but resisting and shoving his hands in his pocket instead. "Ok. What can I do about it? Can you get me my cell phone please?"


    Ye Rim looked over her shoulder, with her hand on the car handle.


    "What?"


    Kim Jun Hyeon wasn''t sure if that was Ms. Nam''s expression of mockingly irony or she just hadn''t heard his request well.


    "Better call insurance and also a taxi. Can you get me my cell phone... Please, Ms. Nam?"


    She nodded, looking at him and BAM! Apparently she clashed the car door close with all her might. It seemed the effect wasn''t well calculated, since her eyes widened in surprise. At that particular moment he didn''t find her joke funny at all, and rolled his eyes.


    Jun Hyeon tried to open the hood of the car, but failed, not even putting a little more effort on it. Interesting, because he was sure he activated the hood opening before leaving the car. He hung his head down, looking at his feet for a moment. In this same evening he even tripped and fell at the drugstore. What was missing for him to look like a complete idiot?


    "Miss Nam, can you open the hood ''cause I must have forgotten doing this basic, please?" He asked her aloud, but without looking up. He needed to calm down. It was just a damn breakdown at the most inappropriate time possible, but anyway, this was just a no date. In reality, he shouldn''t even try to impress that girl.


    "I would if I could, but the door is locked. Wait... Don''t you have the key?" he heard her voice.


    Jun Hyeon lifted his head, astonished at what she had just said.


    "Did you¡­ lock the door with the keys in?!"

 Chapter 26 - Sniper Magic

    Eun Ha wasn''t having a good night either, chasing the couple on a delivery scooter.


    Riding a scooter and aiming at the car wasn''t an easy task, and she missed the target several times. Even when she casted a spell on a manhole instead of upon the giggling couple.


    As Dr. Flamingo was a skilled driver, dodging every pothole that popped in his way to puncture his car''s tires, she gave up doing it. Also, she decided to act on them with the car stopped at a traffic light, avoiding major accidents. Much better than her trying to zigzag between cars while pointing a magic wand at a car.


    If it wasn''t a serious mission, she thought it looked a lot more like a crazy video game_ one where she tried to hinder a moving target in front of her while trying to win the race.


    Finally, she saw luck finally smiling at her as he slowed to a red light. The street was empty, and it would be easy to aim at the car. She figured that was better to get off the scooter and do it with both feet on the ground. It was her last chance, because they were about a kilometer away from the classy restaurant where they were going to dinner.


    Even as the car drove away, Eun Ha got off the scooter in the sideway, several meters away from them and stared intently at Dr. Flamingo''s expensive car model:


    "AAAAAND¡­ Go!"


    She felt the magic vibrating through her arm this time, as every time this strange energy she didn''t quite understand was about to "happen" in a special and intense way. Her entire arm tingled and the magic swirled around the pen-shaped wand, bolting toward the vehicle.


    It didn''t take long and she saw the taillights of the car go out.


    "Oh yes!" She cheered in delight. She crouched behind the scooter, excited, hiding herself from view. "Omo, omo, I did it! I got it!"


    Then she peeked from behind the scooter, and saw the tall man getting out of the car; followed almost immediately by Ye Rim. Eun Ha then, covering her own mouth out of childish excitement, cast a spell to make sure the driver''s door wouldn''t open even if he tried with the key. And before Ye Rim got back in the car, she did the same with the passenger-side door.


    She was sure this had totally ruined the mood of the night out. Now all she had to do was just wait for Ye Rim to call a taxi to get her home, while Dr. Flamingo waited for the insurance''s tow truck.


    But of course, now that she was in a good place to aim and cast at will, she could "finish" the doctor and make him never get to look in Ye Rim''s face again.


    "What if I¡­ make his pants tear apart, huh?" Again she covered her mouth, stifling the burst of laughs the mischievous thought took from her. That would be too easy for her to do. She just needed him to come to the back of the car. The fashion designer was slowly getting up, calculating her movements, still fearing to be spotted by the couple. If Ye Rim could see her, and even from far away recognized her, it would be her end.


    It looked like Dr. Kim was coming to the back of the car, and she jutted over the scooter seat_ sniper feelings_ completely focused on find the perfect timing to toss her magic onto that s.e.xy arse of him.


    When Eun Ha raised her arm to make the magic concentrate on the tip of her wand, something stopped her movements. Not something. Someone. Someone grabbing her forearm firmly enough to hurt.


    She looked over her shoulder, startled.


    ¡­


    Ye Rim put both hands to her mouth, fully realizing the gravity of what had happened. She saw the tall man put his hands on his head, and ran his fingers past his hair in a rude and nervous motion.


    "I ... I ... It wasn''t me!" She wondered what it must have looked like to him, but to her, it was as if a strong gust of wind had suddenly blown and slammed the door shut_ and she wasn''t fast enough to stop it. "Im serious!"


    He had lowered his head again, and when he got up, he looked very angry. Ye Rim was intimidated. ''What this man can do?'' She wondered in distress. At this moment she recalled Eun Ha and all the advice on the ''omens of the day''. It seemed fateful that it would end like this.


    "What can we do?"


    "Well ..." he said, in a harsh tone of who just didn''t want to say anything at that moment. "Maybe you could call my secretary to get the insurance sending a tow truck or whatever. And then you can call a taxi back home." He patted his back pockets, even though he knew his wallet wasn''t there, just to be sure. It was on the dashboard, along with his cell phone. "I''ll refund your taxi tomorrow."


    "It would be great." She almost wrung her hands before speaking, knowing that would be the last straw in tonight''s cup of tragedy. "But my cell phone ... my stuff ... It''s on the seat, inside the car."


    The expression on Jun Hyeon''s face was the epitome of frustration mingled with the effort to not outburst.


    "I swear. I didn''t slam the door. It was the wind. "Ye Rim tried to explain, but she didn''t think she could be more convincing than that. At that moment, she really took pity on the doctor. "Listen, are we too far from the restaurant? We could go there and ask to use the phone. But we have to put the warning triangle¡­ Didn''t you open the trunk instead of the hood?" She hoped.


    He went by the other side of the car, apparently even avoiding passing near her. "Seriously, it wasn''t me!" She grunted at herself, upset.


    Kim Jun Hyeon went to the car''s trunk to check, but had no luck. It was locked. Checked all the doors. Locked. He remembered the biker, maybe he could help them, and looked back; but didn''t see him anymore.


    "Can we try to stop a car? Or maybe, like I said, walk to the restaurant?"


    "Forget it. The restaurant is over a kilometer from where we are, and I won''t make you Ms. High-Heeled walk all the way there. Nor can I leave you here alone. "


    Ye Rim waved at a car that passed beside them, but the car didn''t stop to them. She was surprised. "Wow, I understand that people don''t stop in certain places, but we''re in a fancy neighborhood. Rich people have no solidarity!"


    He shrugged, and muttered, "With luck, they''ll call the police."


    Ye Rim looked at the doctor with interest, but said nothing for the moment. Then she burst into laughing out of nervousness, but sounding crazy made up her mind: she had to take action.


    Ye Rim then said to the doctor, "I wasn''t excited to go out with you; but I was tempted by the musical. It is a pity."


    She took off her shoes, and he looked with curiosity as she did that.


    "What are you doing?" He said in an annoyed tone.


    "I''m going to walk somewhere to get a phone. The restaurant or whatever." She shrugged, and turned around looking for the right direction to find help.


    The doctor stopped beside her. "You''re right. Although I worry about leaving the car here, without any warning sign, I''ll worry more about this crazy barefoot woman walking around alone at night. So let''s go. But first put on the shoes. I think I know someone who lives a few blocks from here. "Kim glanced at the house up the hill about 400 meters from where they were.


    "Now that''s good! What are we waiting for?"

 Chapter 27 - The House on the Hill

    They started walking slowly.


    "I hope to get lucky. I met him today, this old friend of mine, and he said he would stay home tonight because he was tired from our squash match. But if he is not home, then you will have been uselessly walking up the hill.


    "Funny that he was the only one getting tired after a squash match... Were you just watching or what?" Ye Rim no longer had any expectations about the rest of the night. So she was just enjoying the moment, or rather trying not to think she was walking uphill on a sloped and solitary street at night. All of this wearing high heels, and taking no money, doc.u.ments, or phone with her. But right now, she found Dr. Kim and his friends'' lifestyle interesting. A Friday afternoon squash match with a friend ... It seemed very unrealistic to her.


    "I had an appointment for this evening." Was his response, probably meaning he spared himself or something.


    "That''s not what I asked, Dr. Kim. I asked if the game wasn''t tiring for you."


    "No. I think I''m probably in better shape than him; that''s it."


    "Uhn. Mr. Arrogant. Carry me, " she demanded, after mocking the doctor''s sincerity.


    "What do you mean, ''carry me''?!" Dr. Kim turned to her, amazed at the singer''s impudence.


    "Carry me. Let''s go. You said you aren''t tired. You have this ''super stamina'' of yours. I''m a convalescent person in high heeled shoes, and do you want me to go uphill by foot?"


    He laughed in astonishment.


    "Convalescent?! It wasn''t even conjunctivitis!"


    "Let''s go. It''s not easy to do that on pumps that don''t even pair up. Besides,¡­" she started to laugh before she finished the sentence, because just thinking of it was hilarious. "You''re going to look like a drama actor to your grandfather, saying, ''I even carried her on my back!'' "Ye Rim tried to mimic his voice, which made him barely contain a laugh.


    "Okay, let''s do this." He bent down in front of her, waiting for her to climb onto his back. "Like a drama."


    "YAY!" Ye Rim didn''t wait for him to change his mind, and climbed him up, holding the pair of shoes in one hand as she huddled to his back and crossed her hands to her chest. ''Uhn, Mr. Smelling Nice! Pigback me!'' She thought on a huff of manly expensive cologne on his collar.


    He started up again, now with the singer on his back.


    "Did you do it often, Dr. Kim? How many girls you carried in your back?"


    "Not many and not often. This is tacky."


    "Well, well, a pity for you that I think more of my comfort than I worry about looking tacky."


    "Just surprised. There''s this girl I met not long ago who said she would walk a kilometer or more if she had to, with or without high heels. And after just 15 meters of actually doing it, she already wants to be piggybacked."


    "It''s a slope. And after your huge sacrifice carrying me on your back like a fishmonger carrying a big tuna around, you will surely be forgiven by me and your grandfather."


    "You''re weird, you know that, Ms. Tuna?"


    "Don''t let this weird person be a burden on your shoulders." She said, and they both started laughing at that.


    "And don''t be shaking down there!" She protested, causing more laughter.


    "Stop talking nonsense, otherwise I''ll end up dropping you over because you make me laugh." He made a pained sound, rubbing his belly.


    "It''s comfortable here. I''m glad Dr. Kim has a fitness life, it''s a comfortable back."


    "Uhn¡­ I bet you have been piggybacked countless times as you compares like a pro."


    "Whatever you say, Dr. Kim? I''m pretty."


    "My goodness, what a shameless person!" He pretended to be shocked.


    "At school, I would be piggybacked all the time if I wanted to. The boys lined up for that. Really."


    "Wow, you''re the most unashamed woman I''ve ever met."


    "I thought a plastic surgeon knew a lot of women. And that he knew them well."


    "Is there such a thing?" He asked, helping her down the front gate of Lee Dae Won''s house. It was an elegant and well-kept residence, matching the other upscale homes in the neighborhood. Kim Jun Hyeon took a moment to catch his breath as Ye Rim put on her shoes and recomposed herself. Then he rang the bell. While they waited, the two looked at each other, and laughed together at the fun walk they just had.


    ...


    The blond-haired man opened the door with a smile, receiving Jun Hyeon''s unexpected visit. Ye Rim was behind the doctor, curious to get a glance on the beautiful house''s owner, but she didn''t expect to recognize who the person was. Lee Dae Won was a name that emerged about a few years ago as a songwriter, mostly for soundtracks, and she had seen him three or four times as a guest juror in one of the popular TV music competitions. She didn''t know much else about him, only that she liked it when he dimpled a cute but somewhat shy smile that was caught by the camera. And he was exactly with that smile as he looked at her with reciprocal curiosity.


    "Dae Won hyung, this is Miss Tuna, I say, Miss Nam. Can you lend her slippers? She''s convalescent." It was the next thing Kim said after greeting his friend, and apologizing for suddenly showing up at his door. Ye Rim would have pushed the impromptu comedian Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon if she was a close friend of him. But she just stood there behind him, beaming her best smile to the musician.


    "Miss Tuna? Or Miss Nam? I''ve got curious about your dual identity. Welcome." They greeted each other, and she was pleased to see that up close he was not as artificially young and suave as he appeared to be on TV. He must be close to his mid-thirties or so, like his friend Dr. Kim.


    Lee Dae Won went to the shoe rack in the foyer, and politely taking her shoes from her hands, he exchanged for comfortable slippers that would fit her. He ostensibly gave a good look at the mismatched pair of shoes in his hand before putting them in the rack, and his smile widened.


    As he did so, Ye Rim noticed that the back of his left hand, and the visible part advancing across his wrist and up his arm, seemed to have a different and discoloured pigmentation. She thought she saw residual scars. The musician turned to her, raising his eyebrows in question, apparently curious to know the story behind her shoes.


    But Ye Rim decided not to explain now; just shrugged and exposed her hands in a sloppy and summarizing gesture meaning that this was just as it was.


    Lee Dae Won turned to his newcomer friend then, and Kim wasted no time explaining the bizarre situation he and Ye Rim were currently in.


    As Kim spoke, Ye Rim looked around the living room, where a grand piano dominated the modern, clean ambient.


    Some music related prizes were exposed throughout the ambients in sight, as well as some works of art. It might not have been the richest place Ye Rim had ever seen in person, but it was one of the most aesthetically beautiful in its subtly cozy and millimeter-calculated simplicity. At least she imagined that this room was a professionally designed place; and that even the piano on display here was not the piano where Lee Dae Won composed in his day to day life.


    "It''s not the most exciting Friday night in the world, is it?" The owner asked over her shoulder, making Ye Rim startle. She hadn''t noticed him coming, and looking around, she also realized that Dr. Kim was not in sight.

 Chapter 28 - Turn of Events

    "It didn''t go as I expected, but look, I''m meeting an interesting person today!" she said.


    Lee Dae Won smiled at the indirect compliment, raising a hand to his heart to thank Ye Rim. Realizing that she didn''t guess by herself where Kim Jun Hyeon was, he said," Jun Hyeon is in the next room making a call to his secretary... About his car''s insurance, it is."


    "Oh sure." Ye Rim felt a little dumb for not assuming that. "Luckily it happened near Dr. Kim''s friend''s house, so we could get here and get help.


    "It''s never lucky to have such a problem, but on the other hand, fortunately I was home, yes."


    "Dr. Kim said he thought he might meet you here. He said you had seen each other earlier in the day, so he knew."


    "Ahhh¡­ I''m glad he told you about me." Lee Dae Won walked over to a sideboard near the door and got his car keys. "But I''m at a disadvantage. He just commented to me that today he would take a girl to the theater¡­ In a kind of non-date."


    "Ahhh¡­" She laughed. "I can imagine him saying that. It''s true anyway."


    "How''s that? I mean, how did that happen?" He leaned back against the furniture, looking at her with interest.


    "Well¡­" Ye Rim was not comfortable exposing the doctor, but the musician said before her:


    "Does this have to do with Mr. Go buying the tickets for the musical?"


    "Ohh! How do you know that?! "she was sincerely amazed.


    "I know the show''s producer and got the tickets for Mr. Go," Lee admitted, crossing his arms as if he doesn''t know whether to brag about it or not.


    "Wow!"


    "So¡­ you should still tell me."


    "OK. I think the best way to say that is that Dr. Kim is being punished by his grandfather, and being forced to take me for a night out; and pamper me for the duration of it."


    That got a laugh out of the house owner.


    "Really! I''m serious!" She was also infected by his reaction.


    "Like Vince Vega taking Mrs. Wallace out for a night out?"


    "As Vin¡­? That 90''s cult movie? Yes! Just like that!"


    "Too bad there won''t be any swing contest."


    "Yeah, well, the night was a complete fiasco." Although her tone was cheerful, Ye Rim wasn''t truly excited about taking a taxi and returning home just as Kim Jun Hyeon planned. She felt Lee Dae Won''s piercing gaze on her, and cleared her throat: "At least, it''s memorable. And I had the honor of meeting a famous composer."


    "Are you really going to embarrass me in my own house? Don''t be like that." He chided her, but in a soft tone.


    Ye Rim shut up, perhaps she was too excited after the events. ''Is it adrenaline, making me look electric?'' she wondered.


    "Anyway, the night isn''t over yet." He said.


    They both heard Jun Hyeon coming towards them, and Dae Won ostensibly changed the subject, winking at Ye Rim.


    "As soon as he finishes the call we will get downhill where you left the car, and get the car signaled up with the warning triangle. Then we wait for the tow truck, and that''s¡­"


    "I heard you were talking about me, snap that," the doctor said as he stopped beside Ye Rim.


    "Speaking bad things about you, by the way... I heard you had one job. Just one job¡­ and failed."


    Ye Rim looked up to catch the reaction of the man beside her. She was surprised to find that his eyes and face were suddenly serious after the mockingly teasing comment, in opposition to the cheerful tone of the blond man. But within seconds he grinned, a bit embarrassed.


    "It is true. I think I''m just piling up debts with the people around me."


    Ye Rim was about to say that, as promised, having carried her up the hill paid out his debts to her, but Dae Won suddenly proposed:


    "Well, let me be part of it and we''ll fix this night out!"


    She raised her eyebrow in surprise, unsure if she understood what he was saying, and the doctor asked:


    "Be part of what?"


    "The non-date of yours! It seems to have a lot of potential for fun."


    "You don''t understand¡­" Dr. Kim was about to say something, but Ye Rim exclaimed excitedly:


    "Yes! Let''s do it! A three-people night out! Good idea, oppa!"


    Dr. Kim glanced at the girl next door with a shocked look. Lee Dae Won celebrated with a punch in the air, seemingly looking happy to have something interesting to do. "Just a minute." He went up the stairs and suddenly turned, tossing his car keys to his friend, who grabbed them in the air:


    "Just start the car, I''ll change clothes and meet you outside."


    When he was out of sight, she turned to the doctor whispering in amazement: "You''re friends with a famous songwriter!"


    "Looks like it," Kim muttered, and looking hurried, walked ahead to a side door_ motioning for her to come with him as she tried to keep pace with his long legs. But his gesture also indicated that he was expecting she would hold his hand by default. Ye Rim frowned and made a sullen face, trying not to think too much about why the hell he was doing that. She just quickened her pace and walked past him into the house''s garage.


    Kim Jun Hyeon apparently understood from the display she did, that she wasn''t there as an appendix to him. He ostensibly let her see that he didn''t care as well, with a shrug and a bored cat face that matched his normal self a lot, by the way. But maybe it was because, like last time, he had noticed her feet before herself did it.


    "It''s a beautiful house." Ye Rim commented as he pulled the car out of the garage. This time Ye Rim sat in the back seat, and had leaned forward to talk to the driver.


    Kim agreed: "Yes. It has changed a lot since the last time I came here, as far as I remember. It must have been about ten years ago? Dae Won''s parents still lived here." he mused as they parked in front of the house, waiting for Lee to join them.


    "So he lives by himself in this huge house?"


    "I don''t know, but I think so. He is an only child and when his parents divorced, as I recall, the house was left to his mother, who now lives in China.


    Ye Rim thought about it, and commented,


    "You''re also an only child, right? I remember hearing your grandfather say that at the Pearl¡­"


    "Ah, well¡­ Actually, I have a 4-year-old brother from my father''s second marriage. But they live in the United States and I''ve only seen him a couple of times."


    "Oh, how cute."


    He made a distracted uhum. "But I had a twin sister." Ye Rim didn''t figure, and opened her mouth in surprise, but before she could say anything, Lee Dae Won walked out the gate, stylishly dressed for a Friday night out. The shirt was the perfect shade of pink that enhanced the paleness of his skin and the blond hair shade, matching the other pastel tones of his outfit.


    Ye Rim couldn''t help but admire his handsomely Hallyu visage before he got into the car, but her mind wandered to the scar she''d seen earlier in his arm and hand. ''What happened to him?''

 Chapter 29 - With Great Powers...

    "Hey, stop the car! I still have the slippers in! My shoes!" Ye Rim exclaimed when she realized she still was wearing the borrowed slippers, inside the car. She completely forgotten about the shoes. But Kim didn''t listen to her, and kept driving to get on where they left his car. Lee just laughed at her reaction.


    "Really! I forgot my shoes in the doorway!" She protested, though she realized they were purposely ignoring her. " What are you doing?! Why aren''t you listening?! Is it a plot of some sort?!"


    "Snap it, Ms. Nam!" The doctor said rather harshly, stressing ''Ms.'' for some weird reason. "Between the slippers and a pair of mismatched shoes, at least bear with the ones that are most comfortable."


    "He''s right, Miss Nam," the blond man mused. "Just relax and enjoy wearing ''comfortable footwear'' for one night."


    "''Relax and enjoy for one night.'' I can do that." She agreed with the musician who had turned around and was smiling at her. "And Dr. Kim, can you do that?" She asked, for he sounded caustic again, though she still couldn''t detect what had been said or done to change his mood, which was a like riding a roller coaster, apparently.


    "Dr. Kim has been thinking about very serious things lately. I don''t know what exactly, but I realized that today. " The doctor''s hyung commented. "But once we solve the car''s problem, will you give us a chance and have fun tonight, Jun Hyeon? By the way¡­"


    Ye Rim liked the musician''s tone of voice, calm and kind of lilting, even when he was putting a bit of excitement in what he said. She wondered if he was a singer too.


    "By the way," he repeated, "since we''re on a non -date with three people, wouldn''t it be better if we could set aside the formalities? Let''s not leave our guest so uncomfortable..."


    A brief silence followed. Ye Rim was a little alarmed, but realized that the doctor had left the decision in her hand. ''Why do I have to decide if he''s the oldest?! It would be more appropriate for him to either allow it or not¡­''


    "Well, it''s okay to me if Dr. K¡­" She was cut by his intromission:


    "Fine to me as well. You can treat us by ''oppa!''" Speaking the last word, he made a squeaky, mocking falsetto. Lee laughed, Ye Rim joined them, and then she did it just like him, for more laughs.


    "Oppa! Oppa!"


    ''So wait¡­ Did Dr. Kim get mad because I called Lee Dae Won ''oppa'' back there? That''s it?'' she mused internally,


    "But we didn''t get your okay, Jun Hyeon ''oppa''. Can you let go of problems and have fun with us for one night?" she asked, feeling that calling him oppa changed things as the musician predicted. The addition of the nice and handsome Dae Won had changed the dynamics between them irreversibly.


    "Uhn¡­" Mockingly pretending to think about it, after a while the doctor nodded, for the other two passengers'' amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "OK. Let''s inconsequentially have fun tonight."


    ...


    "You little punk! Stop it now!" The man holding her arm didn''t seem to be joking.


    Hissing in an authoritative, intimidating tone, he fished her from the scooter seat and got Eun Ha to her feet.


    He searched her quickly, and Eun Ha soon thought he might be an undercover cop. ''But does that even make sense at all?''


    Her instinct warned that she wasn''t facing a normal situation.


    The man, dressed in black from head to toe, was looking at her in a peculiar and weighing, but definitely hostile, stare. Eun Ha knew she had been caught. But she could at least try to escape from it.


    Several weird ideas that she could use as smokescreen flashed through her head, but the stranger''s gaze was so intimidating that the ideas simply died as soon as they got close to Eun Ha''s tongue.


    Eun Ha clutched her magic wand in her hand, thinking only of running away. But the stranger took another step toward her, totally invading what was left of her personal space, and tightened his grip on her arm.


    "Drop me, you idiot!"


    "Wand on the floor! Now! "Eun Ha widened her eyes, and tried to get a better look at the face of the man who was approaching her violently, but he slapped the top of her head painfully, and twisted her arm so that Eun Ha m.o.a.ned and lowered her eyes.


    "Drop the wand now, you''re deaf or dumb?"


    "Ouchhhh!" She m.o.a.ned. She was surprised by what he said, after all, for all intents and purposes, she was holding a beautiful pen. It was pretty out of context that she was on a scooter parked on the sideway of an avenue, like a sniper, pointing a pen at random, but still, she might try to claim insanity.


    But common sense prevailed, for it was clear he wouldn''t fall for this telltale. Her wand landed with a dry thud on the asphalt, and Eun Ha shivered_ she didn''t like to even think that she was throwing something so precious and special in that reckless way on the asphalt floor.


    When she did it, the man let go of her arm and pulled back far enough that she could see him. Eun Ha straightened up, and straightened her clothes as well, still scared. "Yeah ... I ... I ... I can explain!"


    "Who are you?" He asked in a gruff tone, crouching down to check at her magic wand. He took a handkerchief, his expression cynically and ostensibly showing her he was doing it, and examined it carefully. "Why are you stalking that couple of humans?"


    "Yeah¡­" Eun Ha thought about running away; but also thought that, by doing so, she would then leave her valuable magic wand in the hands of this creepy stranger.


    But suddenly she realized two other things as well: 1: He knew what she was, what it was more than she knew, and 2: He implied that neither her nor him were human.


    It made her smile slightly, though she was still intimidated. Maybe she could finally understand many things she didn''t understand. As for example:


    "Wait! If I''m not human, what am I?"


    He rose in a flash, and again hissed, quite annoyed, rolling Eun Ha''s wand in the handkerchief and stuffing it into the pocket of his jacket.


    "I don''t have time for your games, you funny kiddo. Since you don''t look sorry, you can get your wand back_ or ask someone to fetch it_ at the Gates of the Dominion!"


    The fashion designer looked desperately at her most prized possession being confiscated by a stranger; she felt robbed for sure:


    " Hey , ajuhssi¡­ Calm down!" She raised both hands in surrender. "I wasn''t attacking humans, I was defending my friend! If I don''t interfere, she will get hurt in the future! Also¡­ If you take my magic wand, I don''t know where to get it back. Gate What? Where is that ?!" She said in a torrent, not even breathing. Finally, Eun Ha filled her lungs with air and said, And lastly, why are you doing this to me? Are you a witch cop? Does it even exist? Really ?!"


    Again the cold-displeased man examined her from head to toe, but this time it was different.


    "Don''t you know what I am?" He asked, both surprised and suspicious. Jung Eun Ha first shook her head emphatically in denial, and then said, "No."


    "And do you think you''re a witch?"


    "If I am not, then what am I ?! Ajuhssi! "She anguished, her tone becoming pitchier and imploring:" What am I, ajuhssi? I need to know!"


    The stranger turned his back, clearly preparing to leave. "If you don''t know what you are, then you are a potential threat with this wand in your possession. Call me when you know." He started to walk away, but Eun Ha despaired.


    "Yo¡­ you ?! Are you really confiscating my wand?"


    " Yes. I am." Was the answer from the man in black, walking away.


    "But¡­ so what am I going to do?"


    "Uhnnn¡­" A bored sigh sounded. "Ask your parents."


    "Oh, I have no parents."


    "Ask your godparents."


    "I have nobody! No one who knows! Don''t you see ?!"


    The man this time shrugged, and said nothing.


    It was the first time, and potentially the last, where Eun Ha met someone like her. The young woman threw herself impulsively against the man''s body, clinging to him like a parasitic plant, and begged, "No, don''t go! Don''t take my wand away from me, ajuhssi, don''t go away either! I need to know. "


    He kept walking and dragging her easily, but Eun Ha felt she had no alternative but to keep begging. It was much easier to talk to him without facing him, Eun Ha found out. "Please! You are the first person I have met just like myself in all my life. My whole life, I¡­"


    "I''m not interested in your life. Let me go now." He took another step, but then stopped and began to release her hands from his body. In the process of her clinging and his action to her rid of her , Eun Ha fell to the floor. So far, she was being moved by her urge to know, and was not ashamed to beg and beg and to look pathetic and desperate. She sat there on the asphalt, only feeling that she had sold the country in another life. As an outburst of her heart, she said:


    "Since I found this magic wand, I''ve always had so many questions that never got answers, no matter how much I searched. But this time, it''s real. You are here. You are like me! I found, I mean, I was found by someone like me. It''s all I ever wanted. But .... It''s like getting too close to a well of knowledge from which I cannot drink a drop of water! It''s like a dream from which you wake up at the most important moment!" She felt useless and shattered. "I''m being confiscated and I can''t defend myself because I don''t know anything..." Tears ran freely down her face. She had expressed her feelings of defeat and disappointment here, to the stranger giving his back to her. She just wanted him to know. "I''d give anything to know."


    The man turned, putting his hands in his pockets.


    "You have my attention."

 Chapter 30 - Who is this man?

    "I am Jung Eun Ha."


    She said, handing out the coffee cup she had just bought to the strange man she just met. Now that this menacing man had agreed to listen to her, she felt she had to fight to keep him interested, and get him to speak. Besides, of course, getting her wand back.


    The stranger accepted the drink, and waited for her to take a sip from her own cup before starting to walk the sidewalk_ apparently expecting her to follow up.


    The stylist shook her head, deciding to go through this game according to the experienced player''s rules, and tried to keep pace with him, but it wasn''t easier:


    "I just introduced myself, so I think the polite thing is the other part to do the same." She tried not to sound demanding, but this man had an annoying way of being silent.


    "Shin." He stopped and turned amidst people who were walking in the opposite direction, on the sidewalk, disturbing the flow. People got angry, and turned away from the couple_ although the man didn''t seem to care the less about that.


    "Shin¡­" Eun Ha hinted in her tone that it would be interesting to know the full name. But, as she should have suspected, the man was immune to hints_ as he just stopped to smell the coffee with curiosity, uncovering the cup, before taking a sip. She almost lost her temper, but managed to smile and try to get a proper reply from him,


    "Just Shin?"


    "That''s enough for you."


    Eun Ha ran a hand through her hair, exasperated, trying to not commit any mistake that could ruin everything:


    "Mr. Shin¡­ Like I said, I don''t have any living parents anymore. So they couldn''t teach me." ''Am I making a terrible mistake, talking about myself like that? Is he reliable? Because, looking closely, and the way he acts¡­ Am I getting involved with a criminal from the supernatural realm?''


    She realized she was staring at the strange Mr. Shin, and not saying anything as her thoughts raced through her head like a stampede, so she beamed a smile: "Oh, I lost in thoughts¡­ I have to organize my thoughts. I have many things to ask... Mr. Shin."


    "Uhum. Let''s get away from humans. Then we talk. "It wasn''t as if he had said it quietly, in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, however, which alarmed Eun Ha. He simply kept walking toward the park, with Eun Ha chasing after him. He walked fast and it was hard for her to keep up.


    When they finally arrived at a empty spot near the River, where they could talk without being heard, the man who said his name was Shin started,


    "I don''t have much time to waste," Miss Jung ''Eun Ha''. So be straightforward and ask your questions." He crossed his arms, keeping a distance between them. Eun Ha couldn''t help thinking that he was neither as tall as Dr. Flamingo, nor so elegant, but he had very broad shoulders and a rather athletic type. But his gaze was rather intense and intimidating.


    "Okay. Then I must start. The most important question of all is: what are we?"


    "Fairies", he answered promptly and bluntly.


    Eun Ha was startled and literally gaping. It was not her first suspicion. Because of the magic wand she had found, she imagined her family was wizarding. She had probably been influenced by Hollywood teen movies for quite some time. ''But ... Wait! That even makes sense. My God, I''m stupid! Yes! Fairy! Fairy! Of course it is! But¡­''


    "Wait! Are you a fairy too?!"


    "What?" The man snorted. "Don''t I look like a fairy to you?"


    "Well, no! I mean, that''s not it ... Just wanted to know if ... Wait. You have not answered me yet. It''s just that, in my head, the fairies were¡­ ?!" She crashed without an answer. She had no idea about fairies other than a cliche. "I mean ... Is it serious that there are fairies even in Korea?"


    "Hmm, you definitely have a lot to learn," Mr. Shin muttered, tiredly stuffing his hands into his pockets ." Apparently there are, since you are from here. Next question."


    "Aish how nasty. He won''t even elaborate ?!" she muttered to herself, resentful of the scarcity of information. He stared at her and raised an eyebrow as a sign of who was listening to her complaints. His gaze was deadly.


    "Erm, well¡­ Right. Next question." She clapped her hands compulsively to ward off nervousness, and try to improve her thinking. ''Damn, he didn''t have to be pushing me like that, this is worse than Suneung!''*


    "Okay, question number two: am I going to have my wand back?" She asked hopefully, but not knowing what to expect in as reply from this man. She tried to give a smile that showed all her niceness, but it probably just looked like a day old mandu*, she thought.


    He gave her a crooked smile. "So you keep toying with humans out of your childish pet peeves? Does it sounds like something I should do?"


    "Op, I mean, Mr. Shin! "She corrected herself, under his disapproving look remind her that he didn''t allow her to act as if they''re close. "Number three ... are you a cop?"


    He showed a funny expression now, folding his arms again. "No. There is no such thing among us."


    " Ahhhhh! "She agreed, but didn''t fully understand. Then: "Hey wait, so you can''t confiscate my wand! Give it me back to me right now!" She felt unfairly fooled, and raised her annoyed voice, extending her hand. "Give me back while I''m being nice."


    "Don''t be loud, Jung." Shin simply ignored what Eun Ha considered a threat. "You have a huge head between your ears, but apparently only wear it as a token."


    "Um? Uh ?!" Though annoyed, she still knew her words were bluff at best, for what would she claim calling the police against this man? That he had taken her magic wand? And what did he mean by that?


    "I shouldn''t do that." He pulled her wand out of his pocket and carefully unrolled it from his handkerchief, reaching for her without touching the tool with his hands. Eun Ha grabbed the object as soon as she could, figuring she should leave the questions for later. "You got it. And if I find out that you''re stalking and disturbing humans for fun, I''ll come after you."


    Although he didn''t really change his tone to say that, the last sentence sounded so truly threatening that Eun Ha looked away from his face, shivering. She quickly put her wand into her coat pocket:


    "What¡­ why¡­ why are you talking like that?"


    "Because I''m a hunter. I hunt monsters and threats."

 Chapter 31 - Little Truths

    Ye Rim was still marveling at how the night turned out despite her bleak expectations. She even discovered that walking around in slippers didn''t draw as much attention as she thought, or at least people pretended not to notice.


    After getting behind-the-scenes access to the show thanks to Dae Won, and having dinner and drinking at a small restaurant near the theater, the trio were still not satisfied. Thus they decided start looking for somewhere else to keep drinking.


    When she saw one, Ye Rim pointed out a pongmacha* next to a station: "There! Sounds like a good place. What''cha you guys think, uhn?" The two men looked at each other not sure on what to think.


    She exclaimed, "What? Don''t underestimate the comfort of a street food vendor! Let''s go the the pongmacha, ah? It''s so hard to find a good one these days! I knew it! You two studied abroad, didn''t you?" she acted like it could explain their ignorance on pongmacha''s potential.


    She also knew she drunk more booze than she should have to, but simply thought that she should indulge herself a bit. Drinking and having fun was a well-deserved prize after such a stressful day.


    "Okay. That looks like a good place," Kim Jun Hyeon nodded in agreement, and Lee added,


    "Very well. It''s a great place. Let''s do it."


    "Hey. Don''t ignore my question! Did you guys meet in college?"


    "I told you before, we met in high school. And beware!" said the doctor, preventing her from crossing the street without looking around, hooking her by her belt, and keeping her on the sidewalk until the green light turned on for them. Lee laughed at the scene, and watched to ensure that both of them, which drank far more than he, could safely cross the street to the pongmacha.


    Already seated and with orders placed, Dae Won asked, "Now you know that Jun Hyeon and I have known each other since high school, but what about you? Where did you meet?"


    "It''s a sort of macabre story," Kim said, winking at the singer.


    "It involves death," Ye Rim added, adding to the mystery. Ye Rim had the distinct impression that Kim Jun Hyeon still was upset about the cemetery incident; but something rang inside her telling it wasn''t so simple. However, at this point she just decided not to raise the issue by herself, and just comment on the cemetery issue to his hyung if the doctor did it first.


    "Oh well, I can''t imagine what it is. But then? What''s your profession, Ye Rim?"


    "Oh, I''m a singer."


    That made the musician really embarrassed. Dr. Kim just keep silent.


    "Ah, well¡­"


    "Oh, you won''t never guess which group I am or were from, don''t bother trying... I''ve been a trainee in the past, but the groups I was supposed to debut didn''t happen¡­ three times. Currently, I sing in a place called Pearl."


    "Ah¡­"


    "Don''t make that face, who doesn''t know what to say." She was smiling to Lee. "Of course I am sorry, but that''s how things happened. They happen to a lot of other people every year."


    The doctor poured them both drinks, and looked at the singer:


    "You said Pearl is your only place of work, but you only perform two nights a week," he left the most important part of the question in the air, but it didn''t sound offensive or intrusive.


    "Oh, well, it''s true. Well,... that''s temporary."


    Kim leaned toward her and asked,


    "Apart from being a singer, did you think of being something else? Having another profession, I mean."


    "Ah¡­ well. I don''t think so. It is a strange story. A little funny too."


    "You wanting to be a singer? Why would it be funny?"


    She spread her arms and shrugged, "Well, I think it is. Do you really want to know, oppa?"


    "If you don''t mind telling, yes I''m interested."


    "Well, I was born in this town. Little town. Like, tiny. In this tiny town, my parents divorced early, and that''s another story; but then, my father raised me on his own. My dad¡­ Well, that''s another story too; but the fact is, I was this pretty little girl, the daughter of a divorced young man. The ajuhmmas were more than willing to help!"


    The two men laughed heartily at this.


    "Then one day, one of them, I don''t remember who, took me to a Christian church. I really don''t remember how old I was, but I sure couldn''t read at that time. The ajuhmma gets distracted and the little pest Ye Rim somehow, and don''t ask me because I don''t really remember how, gets a hold on a mic and start singing a song, in front of everyone. I remember how happy I was with all those appreciative looks. Maybe they used some force to make me let go of the mic. They still do, nowadays!"


    They laughed at her funny remark, and she completed,


    "In short, people liked to hear me sing and I liked to sing to them."


    "Your eyes sparkle when you talk about it." Lee noted, Ye Rim just nodded to it. "But this candid moment went on a snowball. I grew up like that, a little local celebrity. Wherever they invited me to sing, I would sing. At candidate A''s rally, at candidate B''s rally. On friends'' birthdays. At wedding anniversaries. At the hospital. At the supermarket. At church. At the Student Games. I was known there, like I said."


    "So? Did your father send you to the capital in search of your dream?"


    Ye Rim laughed:


    "My father was against it. He wasn''t against me singing in our town _but he used to disapprove the whole idea of his daughter becoming a professional singer, and coming to a big city and all that. It involved a few years and a lot of people, even the mayor of the city, telling him to let me come. I even had some support at first."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah." She took another sip of her drink, and continued, with a thoughtful expression in her face." I, and probably a lot of people in my hometown, imagined things would happen magically once I got into the capital. It was something! The day I boarded the bus, almost half the city went to the bus station to wish me farewell! With banners and everything! True story!"


    The three of them fell silent for a brief moment after hearing the report, Ye Rim couldn''t imagine what they might be thinking, but she couldn''t stand the ensuing silence:


    "But I''m getting something else! They recently opened a female DJ job opportunity on the XBTV radio station." She said excitedly. " I''m really counting on being called in for this interview. I submitted my work, and they should start conducting interviews early next week. That''s what they said."


    "Oh yes! Song Kyu is expecting a baby, and decided to leave work." Lee commented, seeming to associate things.


    "Do you know her? She''s very good!"


    "Yes, I know her. I actually know a lot of people on the radio."


    "Oh, sure. You are a music producer on HTN. It is only natural that you meet many people in the industry. But what does a music producer do on a major TV station like HTN?"


    "Well, it''s complex, but in my case, I don''t really have a fixed contract. My contract is only two years long, and I take care of the house''s dramas soundtracks."


    "But I''ve seen you as a judge on the reality show¡­"


    "Ah, just as a guest judge. It''s cool, but it''s not really my league¡­"


    "Do you compose songs for K-pop or just scores for soundtracks?"


    "Oh yes, I compose other types of music. Some artists have been recording and releasing my things lately." He didn''t seem inclined to talk about himself, however; and gestured towards the younger man before Ye Rim could say anything.


    "And, oops, I think we''re totally ignoring Jun Hyeon. He looks bored and lonely."


    "No, you two just keep going. It''s natural that a musician and a singer have a lot of affinity and things to chat about." the other man said.


    "Hey oppa, you had a lot of girl friends on the chorus line! I got the impression they weren''t your clients." She protested, remembering the interesting incident from earlier when they visited the backstage of the musical, thanks to Lee Dae Won''s contacts. Maybe Ye Rim had kept her impressions to herself on a normal occasion, but alcohol made her overly spontaneous. She would have thought it natural for the musician to know many people behind the scenes of the show, but she was astonished when three dancers flocked around to hug the doctor as if they were relatives who had not seen each other for a long time. Kim Jun Hyeon also seemed happy to meet them, although a little embarrassed as well.


    "Oh yes, I saw it too. Who were those ladies who only had eyes for you after they saw you?" Lee didn''t hide he was flaming the topic on purpose.


    The doctor raised his eyes from his plate, and Ye Rim could see that the doctor already had bright red eyes and rosy cheeks. She figured her own shouldn''t be too different:


    "You too, hyung? You''re acting weird tonight, you know it? "Turning to Ye Rim he replied: "Never girlfriends. Long time friends. We lost touch when I entered college."


    "Did they also dance with you guys?" Lee asked, seeming to link facts of which Ye Rim was ignorant of.


    ''Also? Oh, now Kim Jun Hyeon''s conversation with the girls makes some sense! He used to dance! My God, I couldn''t even imagine it!'' She thought, a little confused by the alcohol.


    "Oh, is oppa a dancer? What''s your dance style?"


    "Ah, well¡­ That was a long time ago. Can''t we talk about something different?" He was clear in showing his willingness to change the subject, and his attitude intrigued Ye Rim as well. ''Well, if not from him, maybe I can find it out from Mr. Go? It''s interesting that he always talks about his grandson, but never mentioned anything about him dancing or the like.''


    "Aish, what are you looking at? Don''t tell me you started to like what you see?" He asked with a smirk, and she found herself lost in her thoughts shamelessly staring at him. It wasn''t even the first time.


    "Ah, I was thinking¡­ It was nice to visit the backstage at the show! She turned to Lee. "Lee oppa made our night very interesting. Thank you!" She poured him a drink, which he accepted with a smile. Kim raised her glass in a toast, seconding her words.


    "Dae Won hyung got to be the soul of the party today! Geonbae*!"


    "Bullshit! Ye Rim is the fascinating person who is the soul of the party here."


    "Don''t flatter her, she''s going to become a monster."


    "Hey!" She pretended to protest, but jokingly amended," How did you guess it?"


    "Just looking. It''s part of my job."


    "What? Are you a physiognomist, by any chance? Like those old shamans?"


    "No, just a plastic surgeon, who might say you look a lot like your mother, but your eyebrows are similar to your father''s. And that you both frown when you are concentrated. He has a job where he often forces the vision, and you probably imitated him, even assimilated it."


    "He''s showing off! He''s showing off around now!" Lee semed to find it amusing to watch.


    "Wow!" Ye Rim was impressed with the little guessing, but Lee again put her again under the spotlight:


    "So Jun Hyeon, how do you read our new friend Singer Nam Ye Rim? Please, she''s not flattered enough yet, don''t call her a monster."


    "Uhn¡­ I''d call her... Problem."


    They laughed at his witted comment, Ye Rim pretended to be angry, but if the alcohol wasn''t lying to her, she also thought those two men were a problem. A double problem.

 Chapter 32 - The Hunter

    "Wow!" Eun Ha spoke without thinking, reflecting the first impulse to be amazed on meeting such a cool person. But then the weight of Mr. Shin''s statement sunk down with all its implications.


    "Hey, wait! Monsters? You mean¡­ There are monsters out there in the shadows?"


    He nodded, "Exactly."


    "What¡­ kind of monsters? Like¡­ would I have to worry about that?"


    "Totally."


    The young fairy rubbed her own arm in anxiety.


    "But¡­ oh my God, there are so many things to know¡­! About the monsters that Mr. Hunter hunts, how is that? Are they everywhere? What do they look like? What kind of problems can they cause? How to get rid of them?" she didn''t know where to start, but she was suddenly very worried.


    "Listen, girl, I''m not here to talk about me or what I do. Also, you would need to know many other things first to understand about monsters and other threats. And why you, right now, fall into the "Potential Threat" category. I certainly shouldn''t let you go¡­ But¡­ " he breathed a tired sigh. "I just can''t take care of the problem that is you right now. So just pray we won''t meet in a similar situation again, because I won''t be lenient twice."


    "Ah! I am grateful. And I''m sorry for causing trouble¡­ Although I didn''t quite understand what I did¡­" she mumbled the last part to herself. "Keep doing the good work! Fighting!"


    He nodded, and started to turn to leave her, so Eun Ha quickly added,


    "BUT¡­"


    He stopped with a bored look, waiting, "It''s not over yet?"


    "Erm¡­ I have more a question."


    "Ask it. Now."


    "What should I need to know to understand what I need to understand so as not to have problems or to be in danger?"


    " What?!" he didn''t even seem to understand what she meant.


    "I mean¡­ Mr. Hunter said I would need to know things to even begin to understand. And¡­ I guess I can''t go around by myself without knowing, as there are monsters and other threats everywhere¡­ Or somewhere... And if other hunters might think I''m a complete threat, not just a potential threat. I mean¡­ I''m grateful I''m just a potential threat and not a complete threat; but at the same time, it''s a little frustrating to be half of something_ and please don''t look at me like that, this gaze of you scares the shit out of me; I''m trying to say that it''s nice to know that I could be a real threat, not that I want to be a real threat. In fact I''ve always been a pretty ordinary citizen and always obeyed the laws, so¡­"


    He started shaking his head in denial, "Just stop rattling around. I suppose you meant the essentials to know, so as not to get in trouble or be in danger out of ignorance. Is that it?"


    "It is," "Eun Ha shuffled her feet with her head down, embarrassed.


    "Well..." he sighed, clearly organizing his thoughts.


    "Ah, and¡­" Eun Ha was about to interrupt him, but he raised his hand to silence her from the start. "Shss!"


    The fairy got silent, watching him anxiously until the hunter spoke, counting on his fingers as he numbered the topics:


    "1. What is a magic wand and how to use it."


    "2. What hinders and what enhances magic."


    "3. About fairy society."


    "4. The Streams or Schools of Magic."


    "5. The Elemental Dominion.."


    "6. The Quintessence."


    "7. Anchored Magic and Floating Magic ."


    "8. Why humans are important to fairies."


    "9. How to make better use of magic."


    "10. Perils of Magic."


    "Wow! Sounds like a lot," she exclaimed, impressed, but the hunter just sneered.


    "Listen Jung, this is just the basics for you to avoid messing things up around and causing harm to yourself or others. It is not like going to college. And before you ask me, no, there''s no such a thing like a boarding school in a foreign country where you can learn about fairy affairs."


    "So¡­ How am I going to learn this?"


    He shrugged and did not respond.


    "Ajuhssi! How can you know about my problem and have no empathy?!" she resented, bursting out.


    "I don''t have time to empathize. This is the problem. Excuse me. Thanks for the coffee."


    "No, wait! Can Mr. Hunter¡­"


    "Me, what?"


    "Couldn''t Mr. Hunter teach me? In your free time?" she ventured hopefully. Seeing that he was staring at her slightly gaping at her impudence, when he had repeatedly said he had no time to waste, Eun Ha thought that an Aegyo strategy could help soften his cold heart. She made a cute begging expression to match her request.


    His reaction was to huff:


    "For God''s sake, Jung, what kind of childish nonsense is that? Should that break me or something? Never try this kind of bullshit on me again."


    "But then¡­ Professor? When can we start?" Eun Ha was trying her best to copy the best and most blatant female tactics she knew off¡­ Apparently, though, the Hunter was immune to them.


    "Just stop. It''s too much."


    "..."


    "What?"


    "So..." She started, but was interrupted by the impatient hunter.


    "Doing it is a great favor. You''ll owe me a lot. How much are you paying for it?" he got to the point.


    "Ah¡­" she couldn''t hide her disappointment when she realized it wouldn''t be for free.


    "You didn''t think doing these sneezing bunny impersonations would pay for my precious time and knowledge, did you?" He snapped.


    "..." Her voice didn''t even come out, surprised at the derogatory comment about her attempt to look fragile and innocent.


    "Since you don''t even know what you could do to repay me, let me put a price on my knowledge, so¡­" He seemed to turn to his own thoughts for a moment until he said, "I''ll give you these basic teaching. And you will pay for them with magical work."


    "What do you mean, Mr. Hunt. Prof¡­ Coach¡­ Wait! How should I address you, Mr. Shin? As a Coach or Professor?"


    "As long as it''s not the annoying ''oppa'', it''s up to you."


    "Got it, Professor!"


    "Aigoo!"


    "What?"


    "You''re calling me Professor and you won''t even let me tell how you''re going to repay my time and knowledge."


    "Professor Shin, I understand that I will do a magical job in exchange for each lesson. Is that right?"


    He seemed to consider her words, "Yes. It is. So to get it clear, you''re gonna pay just as I need, all right?"


    Eun Ha thought for a moment and thought it was fair that way.


    "Okay. Deal," she reached out to seal the deal, American way.


    The Hunter looked at the small hand outstretched toward him and the young fairy''s sincere smile for a moment and hesitated. But finally, he shook Eun Ha''s hand.


    "Done."

 Chapter 33 - In Daylight

    Kim Jun Hyeon woke up with the sound of the phone insistently ringing in the back of his mind, a throbbing headache taking over when he finally rolled to his side and reached for the phone.


    "Hello?"


    The person on the other side made sure to getting a proper identification from him, while Dr. Kim forced himself to open the bedroom shutter. The light only made his head hurt more and he shielded his eyes, fully aware that his hangover was his own fault; and barely paying attention to what they were saying on the other side. Gradually he realized that it was the mechanic in charge of his car repair, trying to explain something that made no sense at all.


    "Ajuhssi, sorry. My car, the one with the electric breakdown, that the insurer''s tow truck got last night. The name is Kim Jun Hyeon. Are you talking about this car?"


    "Yes, Mr. Kim, I''m trying to say, there''s no electrical breakdown. There''s nothing wrong with your car, in fact."


    "What do you mean ?! This wretched car just came out of nowhere yesterday, not even the dash lights turned on!" He just couldn''t believe it, and for a moment thought that they were mistaken his car with another person''s. "Are you sure¡­"


    "Yes, Mr. Customer, we are sure. Wait. I''ll be in touch soon." He didn''t understand for a moment when they hung the phone on him, but after he got out of the shower, he saw that he''d gotten a video message from his car at the auto repair shop, working perfectly as the mechanic had said. "Aish, but what the hell just happened?!"


    He didn''t know what to think of it, so he just arranged things for the car to be delivered on Monday. Jun Hyeon checked his watch, and as he had imagined, he was amazed to realize that it was after one in the afternoon. Soon he had to be ready and pick up his mother to a charity tea¡­ Where they both hoped to get new contacts willing to give to the Ji Hyeon Foundation''s cause. The Kims themselves would be supporting other related causes with their presence and donation checks.


    Last night came back to his mind, and he smiled. The surgeon forced his mind to remember when day dawned, and they were taking Miss Nam _or Miss Big Mouth, or Miss Cottonfeet, as they nicknamed her_ back home. He only remembered vague points of this moment. He was really drunk and feeling numb and slurry next to the hyung and the equally drunken singer. One of the points he remembered was Dae Won asking him if he was interested in her.


    "Why, Hyung? Did you fell for her? Is she your type?" They were still looking at her from the car, as she opened the building gate and tripped in the air, holding on her feet and saying," I''m fine! You go! Thanks for the ride, oppas!"


    Hyung''s answer to his question as they smiled and waved at her was a bit long and kind of boring; but he remembered briefly that it included some kind of concern. Of course, what could you expect from Dae Won? He was always the protective type.


    "Aish¡­" He remembered when she told her why she came to the capital to pursue her dream. She had also told them other interesting passages of her life. And Jun Hyeon clearly remembered his own alarming feelings while listening to her anecdotes _and how he was relieved shortly thereafter on how things unfolded from her point of view.


    Nam Ye Rim might have told it all with a laughing expression,and made it seem like she had no bad feelings about her failures; but he guessed it was a lie.


    It was impossible by all standards to have some substance and don''t be affected by such long line of rejections, and unfortunate events. "Is she really a fraud, in the end?" He asked aloud in front of the bathroom mirror; and realizing that his face was questioning him back with a puzzled look, pushed his own reflection with one hand. "You''re not the kind of guy who would fall into Miss Golightly''s type. This protective guy is hyung." He spoke, remembering the classic movie his sister liked so much.


    ¡­


    Eun Ha quietly left the house, making no noise so that Ye Rim wouldn''t wake up. She needed to return the scooter to greengrocer Kang Dae as soon as possible.


    When Ye rim arrived, already in daylight, Eun Ha was awake_ looking like an owl, brooding over the events of the night.


    Her encounter with Hunter-now-Professor Shin, and how she had left Ye Rim unsupervised by Dr. Flamingo''s side. So when drunk Ye Rim opened the apartment door, she was machine-gunned with questions. And defenselessly answered them candidly, while her unnie helped her take a shower and eat something before bed.


    At least being awake at the right time let Eun Ha know that, even losing control of the situation, her interference had not been in vain.


    The couple had found a friend who helped them and stayed with them all night. And if that wasn''t enough, this person was a renowned and handsome musician with a well-established career and excellent character. Lee Dae Won! Eun Ha had already researched him in the morning on the internet, and she liked everything she could find.


    '' It''s destiny offering alternatives, Ye Rim! And look, someone who can understand you and be by your side in your career! Wouldn''t it be perfect?'' The designer dared to dream, and her thoughts brought a smile of hope to her lips. That''s how she stepped on Grocery Yoo.


    She blinked, shocked as she''d thought she''d seen something unexpected. But blinking did miracles, as things seemed to make more sense:


    Yoo Kang Dae had his hand around the neck of Unnie Soo Bin, the local hairdresser, and she was resting her hand on the greengrocer''s chest_ eyes closed and with a mixed expression. Unnie Soo Bin had one side of her face and neck reddened, as if for some friction or allergy.


    But now, Kang Dae seemed fumbling, looking disgusted at his own hand and wiping it on an old rag near the counter. At the same time, Park Soo Bin, an average-looking divorcee in her 30s, was reaching for the reddened area, and looking at the newcomer with a startled expression.


    "Noona, are you ok ?! Damn bug! Sorry, sorry, I got carried away! I shouldn''t hit it when it''s on your neck! I''m sorry! What did I do ?!" Kang Dae acted all worried around the older woman.


    "What?" Unnie Soo Bin seemed to take a moment to understand, until she looked down at her own hand, which had been around her neck. Then seemed to understand that the insect was no longer crawling over her body. "Ah, ah! Yes! Kang Dae, oh my God, what if that bug bites me; I don''t even know what I do!"


    "He-llo!¡­ what happened?" Eun Ha announced her arrival_ even though she knew she had been spotted by the greengrocer and his only customer at the moment. "Unnie, need any help?"


    Kang Dae was shoving the hairdresser into the greengrocer toilet in a rude, clumsy way. "This way, noona, this way. Be comfortable to wash your neck, and soothe the itching area a little. I hope the rash is gone soon!" The older woman had little choice but to accept. By the time she closed the door to the small staff toilet next the greengrocer''s cashier, Kang Dae was already behind the counter, rubbing alcohol in his hands.


    "We have to be more careful with the fruits. An insect was crawling on Noo¡­ our precious client¡­ Maybe I should take her to the hospital, right? That''s only proper¡­" He turned to Eun Ha as he finished cleansing his hands.


    She gestured that she couldn''t possible know, and bowed as she handed the scooter key to the grocer. "Thank you so much for lending me it last night, Kang Dae. It was really useful."


    "Ah." He seemed happy to hear. Before he could fully answer her, the bell in the doorway rang again, but this time it was Kang Dae''s younger brother, Chang Mi, coming in. He seemed to hesitate to see them chatting next the cashier counter, and greeted Eun Ha as he moved into the home area. He was a sullen, rebellious-looking high school student who reminded Eun Ha of a skinny cat who avoided humans and only shows up when it''s hungry. Like his older brother, he also had responsibilities with the greengrocery, but didn''t seem to have the same passion for vegetables as Kang Dae did.


    "Hi Chang Mi! How are you?" She figured if she kept quiet he would think she was hitting on his older brother. She also realized from the corner of her eye that taking advantage of this moment, Kang Dae quickly grabbed two premium peaches that were in a special display on the counter, and began to pack. She pretended not to notice.


    "Noona!" Chang Mi took a moment to turn around, his foot raised in mid-step, but he turned and looked at her. As his face turned red, she thought he must be up to something and felt busted. It was clear as the day he was in some scheme. ''Teens...''


    "Studying even on Saturday ?! Don''t get a nosebleed!"


    "¡­" He greeted her again, this time more deliberately, and stood outside the fringed curtains that separated their home from the greengrocery. Eun Ha at a glance realized that he had exchanged a look with his older brother. But as she turned to try to get what it could be, Kang Dae pushed the small package into her hands, with a silent begging gaze for her to accept without any formal refusal. Eun Ha silently shook her head, nevertheless, understanding that he didn''t want his brother or client in the bathroom to notice his kind gesture.


    "Why, I..." she whispered, starting a negative, but he pushed the package further into her hands. She finally embarrassedly grabbed it, accepting at last. She just greeted him in silence and left_ without even saying that she had filled the tank to make up for the loan.


    Still thinking about how kind, helpful, and a little clumsy and funny Kang Dae was, inevitably the contrast with the Hunter was outlined in her mind. The mere thought of her encounter with Professor Fairy chilled her belly. She would finally know more about herself. With a anxious sigh, she returned to her apartment, forgetting Yoo Family Greengrocer, and daydreaming about the new possibilities unveiling for her in the upcoming meeting tonight.


    She did not see, therefore, the grocer Kang Dae handing down the scooter key to his younger brother, grimacing:


    "Here you are, Persimmon. But if it has any scratches from use, it''s your problem."


    "Did she say why she needed it to?"


    "I told you no. She just said it was an emergency."


    "Uhn."


    The bathroom door swung open, and Hairdresser Park came out composed and with her neck not so red by now.


    "Hello Chang Mi¡­"


    "Hello Noona."


    The student raised an eyebrow at the older brother, sardonically. Kang Dae scratched his nose, avoiding the youngest''s look, in discomfort.


    "Keep up the good work, hyung." Chang Mi walked into the house, leaving the client and the greengrocer alone in the greengrocery. The hairdresser reclined at the counter, looking curious:


    "What is he talking about, Kang Dae?"


    The young man gasped.

 Chapter 34 - First lesson

    Eun Ha saw the Hunter from afar, near the City Walls where they agreed to meet in the early evening.


    He seemed somewhat distracted, scribbling on the ground with a twig, and the fashion designer could better evaluate the style of her Teacher on Magical Affairs. Apparently, he also preferred dark clothes, in a deconstructed style that she decided to tag as more Yohji Yamamoto than anything else.


    His dark hair was tousled from the wind, and looked slightly off-cut, but he seemed to have shaved today; she could no longer see the shadow of a beard under his pale skin.


    Strangely, she considered him to have a peculiar and interesting style, quite different from most Korean men his own age. By the way, how old should he be? She didn''t know how to judge by appearance alone, she just had the impression that it was somewhere between 30 and 40. If she could take appearance into account regarding fairies.


    "Hello, Professor Shin." She bowed respectfully, stopping beside him, but without peering at what he was scribbling. She just stared at the horizon and the city lights, waiting for her teacher to acknowledge her presence.


    The Hunter looked up, appraising her, and Eun Ha patiently endured the scrutiny until he rose, dropping the stick, and wiped his hands on his pants.


    "Hello Jung. This hat of yours¡­ Do you wear it because you think it''s cool to look like a witch? "


    Eun Ha resisted the urge to hold the wide brim of her felt hat. It was one of her favorite hats. "Oh, I wear it because it suits me."


    "Uhun."


    She was past the point of caring about the fact that her clothes might get attention, but she''d like to know more about a thing or two about fairies and clothes... Something she would soon clarify with Professor Shin. But a frightening thought suddenly sprang into her mind:


    "Wait! Are witches considered threats? Should I worry?"


    "Don''t you think so? "Was his sardonic response, looking around to see if humans were too close. But right now there was no one but them in this somewhat secluded spot near the City Walls. After his comment Eun Ha got unsure if it was an empty tease or truth. Her tutor didn''t even seem to be capable of that kind of humor. But right now, instead of pressing further the matter, she held out the paper bag she was carrying to the man in front of her.


    He glanced at the bag with a suspicious look,


    "What is this?"


    "Please accept. It''s something for Professor Shin. For you accepting to teach me, I''m grateful." She bowed respectfully.


    He looked stunned. "What are you doing? I didn''t ask for anything other than what we agreed."


    "Please, Professor Shin. It is only appropriate for me doing it. I''m grateful that you agreed to teach me." She repeated.


    He seemed quite refractory to her offer, but Eun Ha already imagined it might happen, and simply did as Kang Dae did earlier, pushing the gift into his hands until refusing was too rude. This man seemed to have several layers of resistance against the basic things of modern etiquette, but she supposed it was part of being a "Hunter of monsters and other threats".


    "May I?" he asked, and she nodded, expectantly of what he would think of her small souvenir.


    As expected, he awkwardly took the bag and peered inside, fishing for a black scarf.


    "It started to get cool, so I thought about giving you something like this. I hope it can be of some use this winter," she blushed. Even though she didn''t say she had done it herself, but the scarf had a tag with her brand name on it_ if he was checking on it.


    "Ah, well¡­ thank you. Very much." After bowing in thanks, he replaced the scarf he wore with the new one. "You needn''t have done that."


    Eun Ha smiled, putting her hands in her pocket a little embarrassed now. "Professor¡­ What is the most urgent thing for me to know now? Can we start by it?"


    Her tutor took a deep breath, and stood beside her. "Yes we can. There is something urgent, yes. Let''s talk about using the magic wand. "


    "Okay. "She even shifted her position to a steady base, ready to receive the wisdom that would pour over her like a cascade of light. Or so it was imagined.


    "Jung, show me what you can do." The Hunter pointed a bush about twenty feet from them. "Use that bush. Make something happen there. "


    The fairy girl kind of was already waiting for some kind of test like that, so she carefully pulled her wand out and aimed the bush for precision. She turned to the man suddenly,


    "Right here?"


    "..." His gaze just seemed to question if she was serious after being caught the night before pointing her magic wand at humans on a boulevard in an upscale neighborhood.


    "Okay¡­" She turned back to the target, readjusting her aim.


    "Uhm. Just do it. "


    " Can I do anything? "


    " Show me what you''re capable of. "


    "¡­ "Eun Ha wasn''t that thrilled to be judged on magical matters. "Listen, Professor. Remember no one taught me, I learned it all by myself. Maybe¡­ "


    " I get that. Just do it, Jung. "


    " Anything I want? "


    " You don''t think we have all night to be here with you asking this kind of question, do you?"


    " Ehh¡­ "she complained softly. But she sighed and decided on something.


    The arm that held the wand weighed and tingled as it always did when she activated the wand, and she focused her thoughts on one effect, spinning the pointed object in a small circle. A breeze lifted some debris off the ground, which got entangled into the small bush. She concentrated to cause a greater effect, and the breeze rose, taking the dried leaves and other light debris as it blew, shaking the plant noticeably.


    She turned to the teacher, holding her breath.


    He didn''t look the least bit impressed. The Hunter crossed his arms and walked to the bush, unraveling a bigger sheet of print that had gotten caught in the branches of the foliage. He plucked the sheet of paper, catching her eye: "Is this your best, or was a fail?"


    "Oh well, I didn''t know what to do with the bush!" She tried to justify what seemed to be considered a poor performance. "Should I try to destroy it? I thought that was not the intention¡­ "


    He crumpled the paper into a ball and went to the nearest dumpster. Eun Ha was mortified. ''What if I''m beyond help? Is my magic spoiled somehow? It was not that easy. When things are happening it''s easier; but upon a stationary object, and a bush, of all things?! How could I do something interesting?''


    "Professor Shin! May I try around people? I can make very interesting things around people. I was gotten by surprise; I didn''t do many things on static objects¡­" She watched his reaction and stopped talking as he scratched behind his ear, looking not quite pleased with what he was hearing. "But I''m here to learn, aren''t I?"


    "I''m was thinking to myself that maybe you weren''t the potential threat I mistakenly thought you were."


    "¡­" She gaped, her mind trying to decide if it was going to take offense or feeling relieved. "Seonsaengnim!"


    "Let''s start at the beginning, Jung." He cleared his throat and took the more professorial stance as possible.


    "Uhum."


    "Take a good look at your magic wand."


    She examined her green "pen", with swirls imitating leaves over her metallic body, searching for something she didn''t know about it yet.


    "Your magic wand is unique."


    ''Of course he would say that.'' She thought. She imagined the myths had some real background after all.


    "And it must be protected with zeal."


    ''C''mon, tell me something I don''t know¡­ Do you really think I''m going to fool around with such a powerful object? It is always with me. All the time. Everywhere. Even in the toilet. Oh yeah.'' She replied inside her head, but kept her mouth shut.


    "And it doesn''t do much good if it ends up falling into the hands of humans, for example, but that''s the way it is.


    "Uh?" Eun Ha didn''t expect this one.


    He came closer to her. He reached out with his palm upward, apparently expecting her to hand the object to him. Eun Ha was jealous of it, though. Just for a moment she thought she should give it, so he could show what he wanted her to see. But then the girl remembered that the Hunter ostensibly avoided touching her magic wand, in the night before.


    "Professor Shin didn''t touch my wand with your bare hands yesterday¡­ Why?"

 Chapter 35 - Trying Something New

    The hunter lowered his hand, apparently pleased that she remembered, and said,


    "For it would have been, let''s say, a violation. And it would contaminate¡­ Don''t let humans or fairies disrespectfully touch what is yours. Your wand partakes your magic, so it''s a very personal item. It''s the same if I touched your¡­ hmm," he gestured with his chin, pointing to Eun Ha''s chest. Eun Ha instinctively shrunk the area, and shielded her bust with folded arms.


    "No way! Gross! Not my b.o.o.b.s!"


    "It would be very invasive and offensive to touch a person''s private parts, and it is also invasive and offensive to touch another fairy''s wand¡­ It''s like that." He made a dismissive gesture at her reaction.


    "Well, I get it, but is there a reason why it''s so, besides that it''s a very important and powerful private object?"


    That drew a sneer from Eun Ha''s tutor. "The wand is an important object to any fairy, but it''s not powerful by itself."


    The information sounded weird to the young fairy woman, who began to doubt her teacher. Unfortunately he was what she had at hand. "If the wand is not powerful, why is it important? Sorry, I''m not getting it."


    He nodded, and took his old scarf from the paper bag, and after making a makeshift cushion of sorts, said: "Put your wand here."


    "You make a nest out from a scarf so it is enough to prevent touching my wand?" She asked, intrigued.


    He stared blankly at Eun Ha for a moment as he held the rolled-up scarf so she could to put on her wand. Even a bit afraid after the recent information, she did it. The paradigms about her wand have completely changed after the analogy the Hunter made just now. As if reading her thoughts, he said acidly:


    "If you had this 7 centimeter thick of clothing between your hmm and my hand, no one in their right mind, and surely I''d ever, think I''m touching your hmm, Jung. The same goes for your wand. That''s what I''m talking about."


    "Ah¡­ I get it now. It has to be a real touch." She held the shock with another scary analogy involving her b.o.o.b.s. And after it, she found very weird that he wasn''t using the word ''b.r.e.a.s.t'', or ''b.o.o.b.s''; but just pointing out with his chin and murmuring ''hmm'' every time he needs to mention this female''s anatomy part. ''Thinking further about it, he didn''t need to mention it, now he''s making me think of my b.o.o.b.s all the time. Aigoo, why he''s so weird?!''


    Quickly and possessively she reached for the wand back from the cradle it was in, in the Hunter''s cupped hand, but he prevent it by slapping her hand with his free hand. She shrieked in surprise, and immediately withdrew her hand with a resented ''ehhh!''. He took the makeshift cushion and set it carefully on the floor.


    "Your precious wand is safe away from the contact of someone else''s dirty fingers. Now you do again what you did before."


    "That doesn''t¡­"


    He silently pointed at the bush, and did a gesture with his head motioning her to start.


    "Do it, Jung. At least try. "


    Though shocked, Eun Ha was smart enough to understand what he meant. And that was no less fantastic. It was another paradigm emerging like a wall rising out of nowhere in her mind. Should she then be able to do magic without her wand?


    "Wow. I''d never think¡­ "


    "I know you didn''t. Now do it. Show me what you can do without the wand to constrain you."


    ''Uhn? what did he mean with this?'' She, who thought she understood something, was again confused by his words. ''Constrain me?''


    But she turned to the bush. And she concentrated to cast the same effect as before. Eun Ha already felt a little awkward about not holding her wand, and drawing arabesques in the air to make things happen. She took a deep breath, trying to summon the magic. She tried to imagine that the power was coming out of her right hand, and a bit self-conscious, reached for the bush. There was no tingling in her arm this time, just a slight heat in her cheeks and neck.


    "Hmmmhh!" With a grimace, she forced herself mentally, but it didn''t seem like something was going to happen, just that she was contracting several muscles in her body at the same time.


    "Professor Shin! I can''t! " ''Maybe what I can get is an embarrassing accident if I keep pushing so hard.'' the thought crossed her mind.


    "FOCUS!" He said in an authoritative voice. "Stop cowering!"


    "Let the air out of your lungs!"


    "Focus on what you will make!"


    " Stop thinking you have a wand."


    "Let it expand!"


    "Find the heat within you. It''s the magic."


    "Let the heat grow¡­ Make it grow! "


    He was speaking slowly, and Eun Ha began to follow the suggestions. Now that he was naming things in his low, crisp voice, she began to identify "the heat" on her cheeks and head. ''Grow it up? Is he crazy or something? I don''t think I should let it... growwww ... ''


    But she didn''t have time to think about it anymore. A powerful lightning-like flash had struck right in her front and involuntarily she opened her eyes. Eun Ha suddenly felt dizzy and hot; the heat of her head and cheeks seeming to reach every inch of her body, boiling and growing, filling her up and making her legs as jelly. Eun Ha felt that her nerve cells were getting imbibed into something that felt like liquid electricity¡­ Her eyes were heavy and her legs light, but she heard a loud crash, and felt the strong twirling wind whip against her body; all sensations at once.


    Opening her eyes in astonishment, she saw the shrub growing, cracking up through the soil and the flowerbed with violence; its branches multiplying and splitting into new branches. Its trunk became broad and full, growing in height like a leafy and imposing tree, in full blooming, in front of Eun Ha and her teacher''s astonished eyes. It grew high reaching a height of ten feet in a matter of seconds.


    She was still feeling hot, recovering from the experience. She was sitting on the floor, feeling unable to get up in the next few minutes. Her legs won''t obey her.


    The Hunter stopped staring at the tree that metamorphosed before them from a mere bush, and turned to En Ha to say something, but apparently got distracted by watching her reactions after her spellcasting climax.


    Eun Ha''s gaping gaze shifted to the barely concealed smirk on the other fairy''s face. Her teacher finally reached out to help her up.


    "You''re okay?"


    "Ah, I guess so." Eun Ha blushed at his amused gaze, and touched her own face with her palms just to make sure she was as flushed as she felt. '' Damn it! What a shame! I almost pissed myself! It was so strong! What''s wrong with me?!''


    "Not bad, Jung. Not bad, "he commented, putting her on her feet.


    "Did I really make this tree?"


    "Wow. That''s not what you wanted, right? "He was whistling Eun Ha away with quick steps.


    "No, I¡­ No, it wasn''t."


    "Then you should know what the wand is for."


    "Uh¡­ to channel the energy out, like some kind of lightning rod?"


    He nodded, returning the fabric with the wand. Eun Ha looked back at her wand with redoubled curiosity.


    "So you mean the magic is in me, not in the wand, but that I control the magic better with the wand?"


    "That''s it, Jung. The wand is, as you said, a lightning rod, an outlet device. It transports magic where you need it. It is a very useful and private object. Because, I think you get it, it can partake from what you are and the magic that''s within you."


    "I thought of my wand as a prescription eyewear, but I didn''t understand it until now. "


    "Well, I''d say a wand is like a finger. A finger that you point to when you want things done. But¡­ If you chop your finger off, your heart will keep pumping blood into your body, your brain will keep thinking¡­ And your finger is pretty useless to anyone who finds it. It''s only worth something when it''s in your hand."


    She got shocked.


    "Seonsaengnim has pretty weird analogies with body parts."


    "Oh really? "He looked legitimately surprised, but didn''t seem to mind it anyway.


    She still felt breathless and wobbly, so he sat her on a stone bench. "Get some rest, Jung. Then we''ll move on to some more practice."


    "That kind of thing that happened today¡­ Can I control it? At this intensity? Because¡­ "


    "Let''s see. It should get better when you start handling your wand the right way. "


    "Ah¡­ I wondered if I was doing something right. "


    " If I know what you were doing, I can tell you."


    "Well, basically¡­ "She diverted her look from his face, rolling the wand on one leg to distract herself as she talked. "I jinx things up. I cause accidents. I mean, little accidents. A poltergeist effect, you know? Things fall, things break, things get lost, spill up, go wrong, etc¡­ Things like that!"


    In the ensuing silence, she looked up to ask, looking into the Hunter''s face:


    "Does that make me a threat?"

 Chapter 36 - No Regrets

    Ye Rim felt sad for not being able to share with her unnie Eun Ha her euphoria for having received a call from the radio, saying she should show up today for a job interview. Her unnie was sleeping heavily after arriving at daybreak two nights in a row.


    Eun Ha had been mysterious lately, but she mentioned something about taking private lessons or whatever. Of course, Ye Rim had found it odd at first, this evening tutoring thing, and mostly because Eun Ha looked thoughtful and anxious in the last two days or so.


    As she stared out the window at the bus, her mind wandered to small plans for the future, trying to avoid thinking too much about the past or making unrealistic projections.


    Ye Rim wanted to lighten things up for Eun Ha. Their money had barely been enough for making ends meet lately. Eun Ha''s online shop featuring her clothing collection wasn''t going well. Her unnie was still working part-time as a dental assistant_ while Ye Rim had so far achieved nothing better than singing at the Pearl and her eventual wedding gigs as singer.


    That was not why they left their hometown for.


    A few days ago, in front of the two rich guys who went to charity events and squash or polo games whenever they wanted, she said everything was fine. But of course it wasn''t.


    Time had passed hopelessly and several opportunities had escaped through her fingers.


    In other occasions, she barely escaped being in real trouble by pursuing her dreams. She was often surprised that she did not realize before it was too late: she was wasting her precious time on projects that wouldn''t come true. What was she in reality: too na?ve or too stupid?


    She told Kim and Lee that she had been very unlucky, and that the three groups she was scheduled to debut didn''t happen_ but that wasn''t entirely true.


    However, even if her dream had been stifled after so many failed attempts, she needed something more substantial than singing gigs if she was going to support herself with dignity. If she got the job, she could pay back all the money Eun Ha had already borrowed her_ and then her unnie could reinvest in her clothing collection and online store. Maybe it wasn''t as Eun Ha had dreamed it either; but it was a feasible course of action.


    Sometimes Ye Rim wondered when she had stopped dreaming big, as Eun Ha still did. But the reality was harsh, and she was a few weeks from 27 years old, by her true birth date. What was the real chance of debuting as a singer, solo or in a group, at this age in her country?


    Endlessly minimal chances, that''s it, and she should be realistic.


    She had even stubbornly tried to keep her dreams alive for the past two years. But doing it only make things hurt more.


    Still, Ye Rim didn''t feel she had done anything wrong.


    She got off at her bus stop for one more try. Comparatively modest than her girlish ambitions; but still quite large in light of her little achievements so far.


    The TV network''s beautiful building also housed one of the most listened radios in the capital. When she introduced herself to the front desk, she noticed that the receptionist looked at her twice. Ye Rim smiled back, acknowledging her veiled scrutiny, and didn''t comment that she''d been there in the past _ another girl among the girls with a dream. It would make no difference at all.


    The receptionist smiled again as she consulted her ID and entered information into the computer. This usually took less time, and Ye Rim worried. ''Do they still keep information from so long ago? OMG!''


    Like a flash, her mind remembered the chaos, hair pulling, blood, and screams in that very lobby.


    ''Bombshell Girls Come to Blows in Public: Violence and Breakup Few Weeks After Their Debut?''


    It would make a good tagline, but they weren''t even this famous for a tagline at that time.


    She looked back at the now suspicious receptionist. ''Is she recognizing me? How can it be?''


    Ye Rim narrowed her eyes, watching the employee''s attitude. The employee noticed it, and tried to disguise whatever she was doing with a weird cough, and resumed typing.


    The singer, by her side, feigned to itch her nose, and lingered her hand next to face_ partially covering it from the receptionist view. ''From all this keyboard typing sound, she''s not filling out forms, this bitch! She is gossiping about me. How can she recognize me? Can''t she simply ask me? At that time I had white hair and blue eyes! Pretty much entirely someone else!''


    The receptionist made a sudden move to return her ID card, and Ye Rim was quick to put her sunglasses back on, keeping a distracted gaze on the horizon_ even though it was a closed place.


    Doing her best to change her appearance, she flexed her lips so she could make them look thinner, leaving her teeth protruding and her mouth wide and rigid. ''Come on baby, I''m a totally different girl who is into botox, not this one on your computer screen!''


    "Thank you, Miss Nam. Could you please take your sunglasses off so I can register you with the webcam?"


    ''Damn it!''


    "Oh, uh." Talking like that wasn''t easy. Ye Rim took off her glasses and tried to make goggle eyes, as if she had too many surgical procedures in her eye area. "Does it take too long?"


    "Sorry, what?"


    "Register a person in the system."


    "Oh well. Usually not. But ... I had to update your data, as your ID was already in the system. My supervisor needs to input his password for it; please forgive us for the delay."


    ''Seriously!''


    "Oh, no problem!" But Ye Rim had an excellent memory, and watched as the security chief_ a little older than she remembered so far, of course, but still the same man_ came to the front desk to answer the receptionist''s call. He tried to be discreet about dealing with the whatever lock, ban or warning they''re seeing in the screen, but Ye Rim kept eagle eyes on both employees.


    ''Supervisor my foot! Aish, that''s overreaction! So the Bombshells became personas non gratas on this network?! That''s ridiculous!''


    The man looked at her with an apologetic look: "Please, it should take just a moment, I''m sorry."


    ''What if they say_ after a minutes feigning they''re trying to figure it out_ it''s a system issue and they can''t allow access ?! Am I going to miss my scheduled interview ?!'' She kept watching them out of the corner of her eye until a small line of people formed behind her. They seemed to be part of one group. She guessed that the receptionist was starting to be alarmed on keep them waiting while the security chief decided what to do with Ye Rim, so she took action and demanded:


    "Miss, keep my ID and I get it out later, okay? I''m late for my appointment." The front desk clerk exchanged a look with security chief, who nodded in approval, and slightly unease held out the visitor ID to the wide-eyed-looking-crazy woman. Ye Rim almost yanked it from her hand eagerly, turning immediately and heading for the gates.


    ''That''s all I need now, that tiny little past incident keeping me from getting my job interview¡­ OMG! What if that rumormonger person has already spread to the radio staff that I was involved in a fight in this very building? What if it gets in the way of my hiring?!''


    As she got on the elevator with other people, as much as she wanted to avoid, memories of that fateful day came to her mind; even with all the context that culminated in blood, tears and broken dreams.


    The Bombshell Unit group underwent many overhauls until it was defined. Ye Rim has been in rehearsals since the early days, but very close to the debut day, they added a sixth girl with similar Ye Rim''s looks. It was on the day of Min Young''s arrival that Ye Rim realized that her colleagues hated her, and that there was possibly some kind of plot against her in action.


    Of course, Ye Rim already knew that some of them acted fake and petulant toward her, even her hoobaes.


    She knew there were hints that she got favors from one of the producers. Although Ye Rim thought PD Kang was hoping for their success and they really had no special relationship whatsoever, she knew people might think wrong of it. He had defended her stay at the agency even after repeated audition failures recently. He used to give advice and ask her to train hard to make her debut, so those vipers were jealous and made up rumors about them.


    Including rumors that she would be replaced by Min Young before the group debut. But the group debuted as planned, with Ye Rim as lead singer.


    She began to feel threatened when she was in the dorm. Three of them, excluding rookie Min Young and the indifferent In Ha, began to be cruel on her. And since Ye Rim was seemingly immune to bullying, they began to make more aggressive and dangerous pranks, as they called it. This had extended even after the group''s debut, opening a show for a famous group.


    Though, the mild reception and unfortunate timing of the group''s MV_ which coincided with the release of the most successful single''s MV that year _did not improve anyone''s mood.


    That day, early in the morning, they came to the TV station to make part of a shooting for a reality-variety program, as part of the group''s promotional agenda. A lot of weird things happened to the group that day during the shootings, and everyone was dissatisfied and stressed in the end of it.


    Already in the elevator in their way back to the dorms, the other girls started attacking her, saying that she wanted to steal the spotlight from them all and spoil things for the group. Ye Rim was already fed up with them and their complaints and didn''t even bother to refute the accusations. Not even their manager was able to calm them down or control their aggressive attitude.


    Ye Rim remembered how she felt, yes, pretty much cornered_ but mostly angry and fed up than afraid or anything.


    She stopped paying attention to them, and was responding to Eun Ha''s message_ that said she was in the lobby hoping on seeing Ye Rim after her first TV show shooting. When simultaneously the elevator doors opened, and a slap made her phone fly and glide across the lobby floor.


    She remembered looking up from her now empty hand to the awful, petulant Ji Ah''s face, and feeling her fists clench on their own volition.


    The next thing to fall to the floor and slide was Ji Ah, and a very bloodthirsty Ye Rim jumped over her to finish things up. And honestly to this day, even in the memories, Ye Rim couldn''t have any remorse.


    She vaguely remembered the other girls meddling in, or Eun Ha joining her against the Bombshell group members. Just a daze of bites, scratches, hair pulling, punches and kicks; shouts, profanity, and threats_right there on that building''s lobby, in good show for anyone to see. Ye Rim even got a dislocated thumb and some physiotherapy sessions as result of this catfight.


    The consequence was the group''s disband and the termination of contract with the agency for all of them.


    "It really wouldn''t make it. It wasn''t even a good concept."


    She spoke up, summarizing her thoughts about the past incident. Some people with her in the elevator looked weird at her. She smiled and apologized, and as soon as the door opened, she hurried out of the elevator. Luckily, it was the radio''s floor.


    Ye Rim smoothed her clothes and her anxious, hopeful feelings, and walked on to the reception desk.

 Chapter 37 - Radio

    Ye Rim was taken to a small waiting room with two other women who had also applied for the DJ spot on the radio. After trying to engage in casual conversation with both of them, with poor results, she gave up being social, wondering why non chatty people were applying for such a job.


    ''Maybe they think I''m checking about their previous experiences in the field, to have some kind of advantage in the interview. Whatever. I just wished to break the ice. It''s just an interview, I''m sure they''ll want us to record or even make a live broadcast as test, anyway.''


    As she arrived early, she was soon bored having nothing to do but wait. One of the women was called for her interview, and when the radio''s employee closed the door behind the candidate, Ye Rim had the impression that she had been curiously analyzed. ''Did the Bombshell rumor really get up here?'' she wondered, starting to panic. Mentally she began to prepare to answer the possible awkward questions that might arise about her:


    ''You didn''t specify it in your resum¨¦, but is it true that you were Na Na from the now defunct Bombshell Unit girl group?''


    ''You only released a single that didn''t go well on the charts, right?''


    ''Is it true that the agency gave up on you? Why?''


    ''Do you have any violence episode in your background?''


    She shook her head trying to erase off her mind the vivid imagination of an Inquisition style job interview. Her skin felt sticky with cold sweat. ''Oh damn! There should be enough time to retouch up the makeup a bit. I don''t wanna get in there looking like a greasy seal.''


    She left the waiting room and asked the secretary where the resting room was, and was pointed the end of a corridor. She passed two empty broadcast booths and the break room, whose door wasn''t totally closed. She tried not to pay attention to the conversation inside, but the distinctive gossip tone and the subject made it impossible.


    "... I don''t know why to insist on the farce if the name to replace Song Kyu has already been decided this morning." The nasal male voice spoke in a mocking tone.


    "Seriously?! How did you know that? "A female voice excited by gossip asked. "Is she one of the candidates, at least?"


    Ye Rim just wanted to be a better person and get right through, but instead slowed her pace in the small empty corridor and hoped she could hear more, stepping lightly.


    "It seems so.The director called and dropped the bomb early in the morning. By Sunday evening he called sunbae Sunny and requested her portfolio by phone message. That''s what sunbae Sunny told me, later. It seems like a recommendation."


    "Ohh!"


    ''Ohhh!'' Ye Rim replicated in her mind''s the same surprise reaction of the woman she wasn''t actually seeing. ''This is not right!''


    "But that''s not fair! I really hate people who get things like this! What kind of person can this woman be?" the conspiratory chatting followed.


    "Well, Sunny sunbae said she''s never heard from her before."


    "But she has good friends, by the way."


    "That''s when things gets interesting. Sunny sunbae said the Angel recommended her. You know he has his way in here. He knows everyone."


    "Angel?"


    "Oh, don''t you know, silly? Angel is how Sunny sunbae calls MP Lee from HTN."


    "MP Lee Dae Won?!"


    ''Lee Dae Won oppa''?! Ye Rim felt her blood run cold as she finally understood what was happening.


    The door to the break room opened wider and the couple inside came out, facing her. They looked her up and down, with mixed expressions of who feels caught doing something wrong, but catches someone else doing something objectionable as well. Ye Rim just greeted them with a brief bow and hurried past them, entering the bathroom and closing the door shut behind her.


    "Gosh." She looked herself in the mirror, looking disheveled, disturbed and a bit pale. Her desire was to splash cold water on her face and put the fire off her cheeks, however. The words reverberated in her mind:


    ''Farce.''


    ''Recommended.''


    ''Lee Dae Won.''


    She remembered when she was talking to him about her hopes on this job opportunity, when they met in the Friday night. He said he knew a lot of people there. But Ye Rim never asked him for anything. And how dare he ... ''He barely knows me, why did he do that ?!''


    Feeling ashamed in such situation was the most confusing feeling she could feel at that moment.


    ''I did nothing! I did not ask for anything! Why do I have to be ashamed ?! Can''t I just ignore that, as I would if I hadn''t heard this conversation? I know I''m going to perform well in the interview. And in any test they might have. I don''t need to worry about his recommendation helping me to get this spot. I am quite capable of getting this job on my own. And for those who think I''m taking advantage ... Time will tell. They will see that I am good at it. Why in the hell are my hands shaking?!''


    She picked up her cell phone with trembling hands out of frustration, and looked down at her Instagram feed, through her teary eyes. Things were more or less as she left it about one-two hours before. Her post with a photo taken outdoors on her way to the radio station, captioned with: " Wish me luck, today can be a good day!"


    There was Lee Dae Won''s like, and his comment, listed among others: "Fighting!"


    ''Fighting!...''


    ''Here it is! You did it!''


    Ye Rim felt panicked. Someone knocked on the bathroom door: "Miss Nam? Are you there?"


    "Eh¡­ yes!" Was her nervous response. The thought that she had not even done anything to fix the oily face flashed through her mind.


    "Can you hurry? They are already calling for you."


    "Eh, ah yes." She answered automatically.


    The steps outside faded, and she pulled some tissues to dry her hands nervously, and finally looked at herself in the mirror again.


    Now she had to decide whether to get this job knowing what her future co-workers think of her already, or giving up everything.

 Chapter 38 - Dont Choke on Food or Words

    After another dispirited bite at the samgak-kimbap, Ye Rim sighed.


    She was almost choking on food and frustration.


    The singer looked through the window of the convenience store where she was eating in, without really focusing on the images outside. It was almost time for Eun Ha to get off work, and she''d already texted her unnie. Ye Rim was waiting for her at convenience store near the dental office where unnie did her part-time job.


    In the end, Ye Rim had simply left the radio unannounced, knowing she couldn''t work there in those conditions.


    But it wasn''t over yet. The anguishing feeling still wasn''t coming off her chest.


    Evening arrived without notice and people rushed back to their homes, as she observed; and she felt she had thrown a good opportunity away. ''It was just a matter of persistence. I could make them acknowledge my ability regardless of gossips or whatever.'' These were thoughts that crossed her mind. Ye Rim really wanted to believe that she still had the spirit to ignore what people said, but she was growing tired of it. The same way she''d fed up on Dr. Kim''s attitude back in the cemetery, and how...


    ''Aish!'' She actually choked on one more bite of the snack, and coughed for breath again, watery-eyed.


    ''Enough with this! I''m not going to die choked with food or whatever!'' She threw the remaining piece in the bin and left the convenience store, picking up her cell phone from her bag.


    She impatiently dialed Lee Dae Won''s number, walking on the sidewalk to release some of her frustration while waiting him to pick up the phone.


    "Hello?" The songwriter''s soft, intrigued voice was heard. "Ye Rim-ssi?"


    "Yes, it''s me." She took a deep breath, deciding if she really wanted to do this. But she knew she needed to clarify things up.


    "Why did you do that, oppa?!" Her voice sounded aggressive, but she just couldn''t control the tone.


    "I did¡­ what did I do?!" he was taken aback, and by the defensive tone of his nervous laugh, he didn''t seem to understand what he was being accused of.


    "You recommended me to someone on the radio, didn''t you?"


    "Ah, well¡­ that." This time the voice on the other end took a deep breath, sounding rather embarrassed to Ye Rim. "Well, I just¡­"


    "I don''t know what you wanted. I know what happened. You intruded on the life of a person you barely know, probably with great intentions. And you totally messed it up!"


    "Ye Rim-ssi please listen. I can''t ta¡­"


    "Can''t talk ?! And when can you talk? Actually, I don''t wanna listen to you. I want you to listen to me very carefully." She was fully aware that she sounded extremely rude and disrespectful, but she wouldn''t back down now that she''d called to let him know how she felt.


    "Wait a minute, I''m going to find a better place..."


    "Hnf." She snorted in response, until she heard his voice seconds later.


    "What did I do? How did you know? I just thought there might be a lot of applicants, I wish they knew¡­"


    "How dare you say that? What do you think I am? You don''t even know my work! How can you meet me casually just once and feel entitled to recommend me to anyone else?! Are you a sort of genius so you have the ability to evaluate people only by the looks? And what about concede your endors.e.m.e.nt as a music producer on someone you are not sure has any talent or not? Have you heard me sing at least once? Or saw my acting? Have you ever heard me doing a voiceover? What do you think you know about me and my work?!"


    "Ye Rim! Please listen to me! I''m sorry, you''re right, I¡­"


    The tongue and brain of an offended and wronged woman just wanted relief, and she spoke on the phone like a runaway truck:


    "I don''t know how cheap you think I am, but I assure you, I am not what you think! I''m not taking your recommendation. I don''t mind looking ungrateful to your friends at the radio!" She paused for a breath, and the musician on the other side seemed to understand that she wasn''t done yet, as he kept silent. "What do I look like to you, Mr. Lee?" Moving from the offensively informal to the absolutely formal tone, she continued. "Am I a charity case to you? I knew that Mr. Kim used to do charity work, now I know that his hyung also likes to be charitable to strangers. But I don''t need your charity. I have talent. Don''t tell me I don''t have it, thinking you need to back me up to something."


    "Ye Rim, please listen to me."


    "I''m listening." She felt lighter now she had talked off in some part; and could hear what he had to say, if it was nothing too foolish or obvious. In fact, she needed to hear what he had to say. She wanted to understand.


    "Let''s talk in person. I''m so sorry. I''m so sorry, "he repeated, with emphasis the second time. "Have dinner with me today. You need to let me try to explain."


    "Ha. No, thank you. A dinner will not appease me. I missed a chance I had hoped for a while, thanks to ...a charitable stranger''s intrusion!" She practically yelled into the phone, catching the attention of passersby. A little embarrassed, she lowered her tone, realizing that her legitimate outburst and frustration was going too overboard. Even if she considered his silly proposal to take her on a dinner_ and the ridiculously belief that everything would be all right after it. ''Why are men all the same?'' The singer wondered.


    "Excuse me. But I''m very angry." She justified her outburst.


    "Seems like I don''t do anything other than repeatedly offend you unintentionally." His tone now seemed more still and even. "Can you hear me then, without yelling at me_ though I certainly deserve it?"


    "Speak up."


    "I don''t know what they did there. I really did wrong while trying to help. But as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I was arrogant and shouldn''t interfere in your affairs. You''re right."


    "Uh."


    "Ye Rim." Dae Won addressed her informally again, and the singer got a little annoyed as she raised a wall between them seconds ago, but he had a sweet voice that called for attention.


    "What?"


    "I don''t think of you as a charity case."


    She took a deep breath, a little confused. Usually such a pause, with that tone, meant she most likely didn''t want to hear what came after, even from a man like him. Because she was still hurt.


    "You acted like you meant it. I felt like a beggar, who casually meets someone with some influence and benefits from it. I didn''t do it. I didn''t ask for your endors.e.m.e.nt." She felt she needed to make it clear, but didn''t want her tone to sound slightly wailing as it did.


    "I know you didn''t. And I was an idiot for butt in. Did I want to feel like I was part of your success? Perhaps? Perhaps?" He said in a self mocking tone, and it eventually got a chuckle out of her.


    "Do you need this?"


    He quietly laughed, and said, "Apparently my actions speak for me."


    She laughed again at the simple way he admitted his mistakes.


    "Ye Rim, I did it on impulse. But what I did had bad consequences. Did you say something to them over there at the radio station?"


    "No. After I found this out, I just left. I didn''t wait to be interviewed or anything," she confessed. After a short pause, Dae Won asked,


    "Would you go there again for another interview if there was another chance?"


    "What do you mean ?! You said you were sorry and now you want to talk to someone to give me another chance ?!" she didn''t even believe what she was hearing now.


    "No! No! Aish, you''re right! I''m a very stupid person."


    "Uhn."


    "Ye Rim. Will you forgive this stupid oppa?"


    She took a deep breath. What good would it do by holding a grudge against a person like MP Lee, who was just proving to be a well-meaning but clumsy good guy?


    "Uhn."


    "Is that a yes?"


    "Yes."


    "That''s good. Ye Rim?"


    "What?"


    "I want to recommend you out to several things. Maybe I am this genius who sees talent stamped on people''s faces. "


    " Don''t tell me. I''m serious."


    "I feel like I will."


    "Don''t. Otherwise I''m going to hate you."


    "Ye Rim?"


    "What?"


    "Then... show me your talent."


    "Ah." She gaped. He was quite skilled on talking people round and she didn''t even know what to think. "Well, why don''t you come see me at the Pearl this week?"


    "No, not like that. Officially."


    "What do you mean, officially?"


    "Ye Rim, have an audition here on HTN. I''ll schedule an audition for you later this week."


    "I don''t get it."


    "The HTN network does some auditions for staff backup or freelancer gigs, periodically. I am one of the people who evaluates candidates who are musicians or singers. Sometimes I do it with along with a choreographer or a drama director, or other MPs. These candidates will keep on a reserve pool for a wide range of shows. It''s different from the dynamics of an open audition for music reality show applicants, but my secretary can give you the details later. You know what I''m talking about, don''t you?"


    "Ah¡­ I''ve heard of that."


    "Then it will be my chance to gauge your talent. I wonder if you can beat my high expectations about your talent."


    She felt pressured, and laughed nervously,"Do you really want to do this?"


    "Is it for real?"


    "Yes, it''s for real. But these gigs don''t happen often. They don''t pay very well either."


    "Oh."


    "But that''s not the point."


    "What''s the point?"


    "You, persuading me to use all my contacts to your advantage, by endorsing your talent, since I''ll be absolutely devastated by your charisma and artistic ability."


    "Why are you kidding me like that, oppa?" she complained. "For a moment I took you seriously, but it''s just you kidding me."


    "No, I am not." He changed his tone, from cheerful to serious. "You have two options: show me that I was wrong and that you are talented and don''t need me or anyone else; but accept that I, as a professional and also as your friend, can refer you as a professional in every opportunity I feel you fit in. Or, as option two, leave me in everlasting doubt. In fact, in certainty: in the certainty that your pride may be greater than your common sense. And perhaps greater than your talent. And that you won''t ever allow people who believe in you to support you as they can."


    She felt hard hit by his words. Was she ungrateful to the people who had tried to help her so far? Like PD Kang, when she couldn''t stand the girls'' provocation, and ruined his every effort to make her debut to finally happen? PD Kang really believed in her talent back then¡­


    "Right. Closed. Just make me an appointment, and I''ll be there."


    "Great!"


    After he said his secretary would call her later, and hung up, Ye Rim was relieved. In fact, she now had the impression that the present day had crookedly brought a fresh perspective on things.

 Chapter 39 - Give my Shirt Back

    Eun Ha proudly opened the box: "Ta da!"


    "Wow! Unnie, your boss''s wife is really generous!"


    Ye Rim was in a good mood now, while the two friends used the rest of Tuesday night for the weekly Spa Night ritual. Eun Ha was showing off the little gifts that Mrs. Ahn had brought her from abroad, mostly cosmetics, while Ye Rim was busy exfoliating her face and neck in a circular motion.


    "She''s so lovely! Just like Dr. Park."


    "That''s true, he''s funny as well. But then that''s why he wasn''t hanging on at Pearl?"


    "Yes, when his wife is abroad, he comes back home early to be with his mother, who lives with the couple and is very old. That''s why he doesn''t hang out with his friends when Mrs. Ahn is out. Have you decided what color to wear tomorrow?" The oldest showed three new nail polishes that came in the gift box.


    She turned, checking the nail polish vials as she went about her beauty routine. Ye Rim was attracted to a flashy color, but was inclined towards the nude tone as well:


    "Ah unnie, I''m not sure."


    "Which one do you think will look better with your ''audition look''?" The fairy asked. She was still surprised at all that Ye Rim had told her earlier. And about how compelling MP Lee had been when he talked to her donsaeng, while reaching out to help Ye Rim. For Eun Ha, this man''s intentions were still not clear, but she could bet on the most likely, feeling she had a good chance of being right.


    "Maybe the fuchsia?"


    "Aish, are you really calm about this audition? Like it is nothing? There are you, so composed, so blas¨¦¡­ Am I the only one excited, and squee! about it?" Eun Ha was confused about Ye Rim''s reactions.


    "I''m just thinking my last few days have come down to getting weird apologies from people who misjudged me."


    "At least this specific apology is willingly made, well noted." Eun Ha recalled, comparing the two men so that Ye Rim could see what she was seeing.


    But she also knew Ye Rim well enough to know that she''d hate to mix romance and career. If she didn''t want to turn Ye Rim quarterback mode on, it was a good idea not to highlight her impression that the musician might have some romantic interest on her.


    "Ah¡­ Well, at least I thought so. How can I say, unnie¡­? I just didn''t want to have too much expectation on this¡­"


    "This, or him?" The older one teased as she prepared the material for Ye Rim''s nails.


    Ye Rim threatened to throw the towel at her friend, but it was just an empty threat. "Unnie! What are you talking about? Not every man I met is interested in me, differently of what you might think."


    "I don''t think so." Eun Ha vehemently denied, taking her friend''s hand to begin the manicure. "I just think it would be nice if you met someone other than ''Oppa'', someone you could¡­"


    "Oh, Unnie, don''t even start."


    ''Ay unnie don''t even start!" En Ha imitated her, in a joking and pitchy tone. "I think I''m already sympathizing with this mysterious oppa who fights with you and seems to really care about your talent being recognized. And who says things you need to hear. Can you introduce me to him? It is clear that we are soul mates. And he''s even started sharing my workload!"


    The younger woman laughed, amused, but before she could reply, the message alert on her cell phone rang and she gave attention to it.


    ''I hope it''s MP Lee'', Eun Ha thought.


    At this point, everyday activities and her constant preoccupation_ namedly, Ye Rim_ took her focus off her new magical discoveries.


    The unpleasant situation that Ye Rim had experienced today was the result of one of Eun Ha''s actions back in the past.


    And knowing that her every decision to push her friend away from fame and danger, hurt Ye Rim so much and left consequences, was not the best of feelings. Musician Lee could be just one among so many admirers who sought to win Ye Rim''s heart.


    As long as it could keep Dr. Flamingo away from Ye Rim, it would be a great distraction. And if Ye Rim ended up liking him after all, at least her dear friend wouldn''t have her heart broken ever again. After all, he was an artist too, and could understand Ye Rim better than any other man.


    Oblivious to her unnie''s thoughts, Ye Rim was surprised to find that the message was not from who she was expecting, Lee Dae Won, but from Kim Jun Hyeon.


    ''Wow! What now? Does he know anything about today? Why he''d called me?''


    KJH: "So what''s up?" The message said.


    NYR: "Just chilling. And doing girl things." She typed with one hand.


    Seconds later, another message popped up on her screen:


    KJH: "When do you intend to return my shirt?"


    Ye Rim blinked. She had completely forgotten about the piece of clothing.


    NYR : "I''ll give it back as soon as I fix something. I think after washing it, a button got loose." She replied.


    The ''is typing¡­'' message has appeared and disappeared several times, making her anxious. Eun Ha quietly followed with constant glance checks while doing Ye Rim''s manicure.


    When at last the answer popped up on the screen, it was,


    KJH: "Did you blow up my shirt like you blew up your dress?"


    KJH: "Will you at least admit it?" An emoji of a BOOM! popped on the screen.


    "Oh, he thinks he''s so funny ...!" Ye Rim''s loud thought got Eun Ha''s attention. The friend raised an eyebrow.


    She quickly typed,


    NYR: "Your shirt has not exploded, after all it is sturdy enough to hold back your ego."


    "Who isn''t as funny as he thinks?" Eun Ha asked.


    "Kim Jun Hyeon oppa, also known as Dr. Kim. He''s asking for his shirt back." Ye Rim explained.


    "Wow, how petty!" Unnie noticed, turning her attention back to her donsaeng nails, worried. ''Why is this idiot Dr. Flamingo getting in touch, in reality? His shirt? Sure not. Oh sure, he knows Cute MP Lee is in the area.''


    Ye Rim, by her side, was staring at the screen in expectancy. Maybe her joke was too aggressive. ''Did it?''


    A laughing emoji emerged shortly after his message.


    KJH: "Yes, like the Superman''s shirt. Super sturdy. But you got a button off it."


    NYR: "Maybe that''s my power."


    ''Okay, green light to continue.'' She released the air in her lungs.


    A pause, and then a new text.


    KJH: "Sew my button back and give me the shirt back tomorrow."


    "Uh ?!" She was taken aback by the imperious demand.


    "What''s it? Can''t this doctor wait? Is that the only shirt he has, by any chance ?!" Eun grunted out loud, figuring out with one hundred percent hit.


    "He''s saying here, this is a very special shirt for him." She read the next message. "I wonder why."


    "Maybe his ex gave it as a gift," the older one conjectured cynically. She did it on purpose to paint a suspicious scenario for Ye Rim.


    "Why do you say that, unnie? Why would it be an ex girlfriend?"


    "Because if he has a girlfriend that gave him that shirt, of course he needs it back. Before she discovers he lent it to another girl. How does a man explain that for his girlfriend? By other hand... if he had a current girlfriend _and cares about what she gives to him_ he wouldn''t go out on a Friday night with you, even if it was a Divine Decree. So, it''s the second case: ex girlfriend."


    "Uh, you''re right. I should make a joke about that."


    "No, you can''t. If you take the conversation this way, he''ll think you''re throwing a bait at him."


    "Yeah, you''re right again."


    "Just give that shirt back to him. Want me to take it to his office?"


    KJH: "Are you there? Are you sewing back my shirt''s button?" Kim Jun Hyeon was demanding attention on the chat app, so it beeped with his message.


    "What''s wrong with this man?" Eun Ha huffed.


    NYR: "No, I haven''t picked up your shirt yet to fix it." Ye Rim responded.


    KJH: "You said before your house has sewing stuff everywhere. It shouldn''t be so hard to sew it back. Or don''t you know how to sew?"


    NYR: "At least I know how to sew a button in place."


    KJH: "So maybe you don''t want to return my shirt, that''s it."


    "Come on, Ye Rim. Get over with this conversation. I need your other hand." Eun Ha wanted to put an end on all this messaging exchange, but Ye Rim just gestured for her to wait a little longer.


    NYR: "Don''t rush me. When I have some free time to return your shirt, I''ll drop it off at your office."


    She laughed mischievously, pleased with her answer.


    KJH: "No way. You should deliver it to me by tomorrow."


    NYR: "No way it''s your only special shirt."


    KJH: "Yes. It is. And I want it back soon. Believe me. I''m jealous of that shirt."


    An angry face emoji joined the texting.


    NYR: "I believe so, since you are sending me so many messages about that. But don''t worry, I''m going to return it."


    KJH: "I don''t know if I believe you. Maybe you have a unique tactic of getting hold of shirts to sell them on the black market for second-hand designer shirts."


    The comment made Ye Rim laugh out loud, which again took a hard look from her friend. Eun Ha reached for her, demanding her cooperation to continue the manicure on her right hand.


    NYR: "OK. You won. I will no longer sell your shirt to Dr. Kim''s fans in the black market. Can I take it to your office tomorrow?" She recorded the audio message, earning an alarmed look from her unnie. Changing the phone carefully to not damage the her now fuchsia nails, she handed her other hand to Eun Ha continue the manicure.


    KJH: "How about late afternoon? We can have some coffee later." Was the reply message.


    Ye Rim smiled, and Eunha didn''t like that smile at all. She didn''t even have to follow the text to figure was an invitation to a fancy place.


    "He''s inviting me for coffee." Ye Rim confided before answering the invitation.


    "Did you tell him about tomorrow''s audition?"


    "Not yet. But I''ll make him take me there."


    " What do you mean, Ye Rim? Why? "Eun Ha did not understand the logic of the younger woman.


    "I feel that there is something between those two friends I need to know."

 Chapter 40 - New Tactics

    Eun Ha was sweating cold as she rummaged through her best friend''s drawers with an "evil" purpose in mind.


    Last night''s conversation with Dr. Flamingo had made Ye Rim more euphoric than anything MP Lee was doing for her, while the rude doctor only hinted that he needed his shirt before it was too late.


    ''Ye Rim is usually so clever, only a curse explains her attraction to such a person... Aish!'' When the fairy finally found what she was looking for, she tried to leave everything as it was, right in place, so that her friend wouldn''t be suspicious. She didn''t want to think how much it added to her penalties for everything she did. Just remembered that after their 27th birthday, she would reveal everything to her friend and Eun Ha honestly didn''t know what to expect after doing it.


    She returned to her bedroom quickly, as Ye Rim had only left briefly to buy a spool of thread the exact color of Dr. Kim''s shirt. Eun Ha even mused about destroying the shirt, but thought it through, and soon realized that it would only create a new reason for Ye Rim to apologize, compensate, and etc.


    ''And since Professor Fairy, or rather Professor Shin, said I''m forbidden to use my magic on Ye Rim, otherwise he''ll stop teaching me, I need to be creative,'' she sighed, opening the case of Ye Rim''s old cell phone.


    "Let''s see. Since I magically broke it by myself in the past, should I be able to fix it?" The fairy put the charger and plugged it in, and then tried to turn it on as any human would.


    ''Oh my God. It works! I don''t even need to use magic. How did it work again?'' she wondered, remembering she jinxed it so bad no technician could make it turn on, no matter they tried.


    She started searching through Ye Rim''s old phone''s contacts. ''I wouldn''t be doing this if it wasn''t for you, Professor Shin!''


    FLASHBACK ON


    At their last meeting, while Eun Ha was trying to figure out how wrong it was to use magic the only way she knew it, the Hunter looked concerned:


    "Don''t you even have a clue about it, Jung? Does hexing sound like something a fairy should do?"


    "No, but¡­ I don''t know anything about fairies. What I watch on TV counts as lore?" she asked, genuinely interested, even though she knew she wasn''t likely to find the truth in human''s fiction. But the teacher didn''t answer her question. In fact, he questioned her back:


    "Tell me anything else but the truth. Have you ever hurt anyone with your magic?"


    "¡­" She stared at him with a startled look. ''My God, what do I say now? If I tell him the truth, what is he going to do?''


    "Erm... It depends. Do you have powers to arrest me, as a Hunter?"


    "Jung!"


    "Oh, well, I didn''t mean it, of course, but when I found the wand, and when I started using it, I thought it was like in the movies," she pronounced words in fake Latin, as example of what she was referring to.


    "So...yes, I caused a lot of accidents. I hurt some people. I hurt myself too. Don''t look at me like that, please! I already said it was unintentional! Until I learned how to control the wand ... I mean... What the heck, I thought I was controlling the wand... I could never make it work properly. I even thought it was cursed! That it could only do things that way..."


    "Oh sure. And then, because you''ve got a ''cursed wand'' in your power, you decided to act like a witch."


    "Professor Shin, I told you! I never meant to hurt anyone. I didn''t mean to be a witch at all¡­" she mumbled the last sentence, and completed:


    "And over time, I learned how to prevent from causing accidents."


    At his skeptical look, she mended,


    "Well, at high speed it''s hard to aim¡­"


    He put his hands in his pockets, looking distraught,


    "Right. How long do you have the wand?"


    "I have it since I was sixteen." Eun Ha stared at him. "That''s when I felt something. Anguish, a siren call, I don''t know. Something that made me cranky, anxious. Mostly at night. It was summer. I looked like I was going to burst into flames. My mom_foster mom," she added, with a strangled crackle "thought I was in love. Ye Rim thought the same. She was mad at me because she thought I didn''t want to tell her who was the guy I was into." Eun Ha recalled, even though she knew she wasn''t giving all the references her tutor needed to understand the whole context. "I used to stare at the starry night, and to know, inside myself something was missing. I knew something was wrong with me."


    "The call. The call of magic." The Hunter''s deep voice explained. Eun Ha just thought it was right to name it a calling, and nodded.


    "Yes. A call. So that''s what it''s called. That''s what I felt. It wasn''t long before I found the wand. Did it call me?" she asked the older fairy. The Professor scratched the floor with his foot and seemed to choose the short answer, as it seemed to be his favorite path:


    "Anything is possible."


    "Well, if anything is possible when it comes to magic, then I want to believe so. That I was destined to go to the acres I inherited from my birth parents, the fairies, and decide to dig a hole near a well; absurdly as it is."


    He again took a moment to say something:


    "That''s something I''d do."


    Eun Ha stared at the Hunter, again startled, but realized that he, as anticipated, would make no effort to explain the logic behind his words. "Should I keep going?"


    "Another day. For now, you can explain to me why you were chasing those humans. She''s the human Ye Rim you referred to, right?"


    "Yes. She is in danger. There is a prophecy."


    This time, more objectively, Eun Ha tried to explain to the Hunter what was causing her to interfere with Ye Rim''s life, after seeing her childhood friend''s horrible fate_ soon after discovering her own magical powers.


    "So the way you found to defend your human prot¨¦g¨¦ was by preventing her from achieving success, so she wouldn''t attract the man who is going to kill her one way or the other."


    "Yes, it''s right. I thought that would work. And I thought this man would be attracted to her only if she were famous and rich."


    "But she''s neither famous nor rich right now."


    "Yes, I know! That is the worst part. I did it all, but it came out nonetheless. Just now, when we are so close of our 27th birthday."


    "A real birth day, you mean? Do you have a birthday the same day, by any chance?"


    "Yes! On the 11th of November. Our births have only about two hours difference. But this is not important right now. The problem is, if I don''t stop this man from getting Ye Rim falling for him, she''ll die before she turns 27!"


    He took a deep breath. "I see."


    "And can you help me?"


    Her tutor''s eyebrows told him all she needed to know. ''Aish what a selfish man! Such a mercenary!''


    "Why not, Professor Shin? What do I need to do for getting you to help me get rid of this¡­ man in pink shirt ?! I don''t know how or why, but I do know that he will destroy Ye Rim and bring her to death in no time. I saw it in the prophecy!"


    "Because you chose her. You''re her godmother, not me."


    Eun Ha gaped as she had never thought of it like this:


    "Simple as that?"


    "Yes."


    She took a deep breath." So¡­ So, teach me well and quickly so I can defend her for myself."


    Silence ensued.


    "Please." She completed.


    "How fast you will learn depends on you. Our deal won''t change at all."


    "I know that. Professor." She softened the harsh tone of her answer in the end.


    "And, I''m adding a new term: if you use magic the wrong way, that is, as you have been using it to interfere with this human woman''s life, I will no longer teach you. I don''t want to have a student who acts like a delinquent."


    "Professor!"


    "Don''t act like a baby, Jung. Don''t even look at me with this pouting in your face. I told you this is a waste of time." He turned his back to prove his point.


    She straightened and relaxed her face, realizing the ridiculousness of the situation: "Sorry, force of habit."


    "I''m sure even among humans, you''re not very successful with that tactic."


    ''One day I will stop gaping at the lack of empathy this hunter. I already know that he is not human. He makes a point of proving it all the time.'' Eun Ha thought to herself, resented.


    "I''m recovered. Can we do what Professor Shin suggested before? "She got up from her seat, showing renewed energy and willing to get it over with.


    "Ah yes. If you already rested, let''s go to practice, "he replied, changing his posture as well.


    FLASHBACK OFF


    "Like a delinquent¡­" she grunted, remembering his words. "What am I doing now is different from being a delinquent?" She found the number she wanted on Ye Rim''s phone. The fairy also heard that Ye Rim had just arrived from her errands by the sound of a key in the door.


    For a moment, however, Eun Ha was undecided. Now that she looked at the name written on the screen, she felt she could really hurt Ye Rim. Her finger trembled on touching the call button.


    Would calling Police Officer Ji back really was a good tactic?

 Chapter 41 - Dr. Kim

    The elevator door opened and Ye Rim entered the floor where Dr. Kim''s office at The Ji Hyeon Foundation was located.


    She looked here and there for decoration details that attracted her attention. The place was modern and elegant but not too imposing, even though it was, according as they say, one of the hippest plastic surgery clinics today. Across the wide hall, a large panel with several embossed quotes about beauty, inner beauty in particular, caught her eye.


    "True beauty is beyond what is seen."


    She muttered to herself the quote that stood out for her, advancing toward the front desk. ''Isn''t interesting that a plastic surgery clinic is talking about inner beauty? Doesn''t they make their living on outward beauty?''


    The large reception room was empty except for the elegant secretaries. Ye Rim wondered which one had sent the ill-fated flowers. ''The older one, or the one with the snub nose?''


    "Welcome, Miss." They greeted in unison, and Ye Rim saw by their eyes that they had not been warned of her visit.


    She tossed her hair to one side, smugly sighing. She could have some fun, couldn''t she?


    Ye Rim was sporting a nice look and makeup for her next appointment, so she was feeling particularly beautiful and dramatic. ''Who could resist enjoying such a moment?''


    "Hello, good afternoon." She greeted with the usual bow. "Dr. Kim asked me to come late in the afternoon to see him. Maybe he forgot to warn you."


    They exchanged glances that Ye Rim interpreted as being their code for ''another lady trying to scam us to get an unscheduled appointment with Dr. Kim.''


    She put the bag with his shirt on their desk with some drama.


    "His seamstress, Nam Ye Rim, came to bring the clothes she mended."


    She stressed out her name, making it clear that she wanted them to recall it. The younger one intercomed, talking quietly to the doctor, but Ye Rim concentrated to catch some of the conversation. The junior secretary sounded quite literal, and Ye Rim held back a laugh.


    She felt discreetly inspected by the older woman, so she turned and asked,


    "A week ago I received flowers from Dr. Kim. Were you sending flowers last Wednesday?"


    She noticed a slight flicker in the woman''s eyes, but the secretary kept the best poker face she could. But the youngest, as Ye Rim could catch from the corner of her eye, looked agitated as she rose to take her to the office door.


    "I hope you enjoyed it, Miss Nam. But maybe we got confused by something. I apologize for our misconception, and we hope we didn''t offend you in any manner."


    ''My Gosh, I may have exaggerated. They must be thinking I''m having something with their boss now. But¡­ This is so much fun!''


    "Oh No! I really liked the flowers."


    The senior secretary leaned toward her, nodding, before Ye Rim turned to follow the other secretary, who led her to Dr. Kim.


    ''Aigoo, he looks great in his doctor coat.'' It was her realization upon entering the large office, which was as beautifully decorated as the outside. Kim Jun Hyeon was standing, waiting for her in the center of the room, and came toward her with a welcoming smile. He picked up the bag from her hands and placed it on a piece of furniture_ the epitome of the perfect gentleman_ and turned to her:


    "So what can I do for you?"


    "Your clinic is very beautiful. Congratulations."


    "I''ll pass the compliment on to my members, but thank you very much."


    "Is this how you receive your patients?"


    "Usually, yes."


    "And then, what else?"


    He made a pout, assessing the seriousness of her question, and then said, coming toward her, and directing her to a mirrored wall.


    She looked at herself with the doctor behind her. And she liked what she saw.


    "Tell me what you don''t like there."


    "I think perhaps this purple belt is a bit too much. Don''t you think so?" She smirked into the mirror but turned over her shoulder to look at his real face. Then the doctor put his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her forward again, though he was laughing with pleasure.


    "I like that. Your self confidence. But look again."


    Sensing him one step behind herself with a hand on her shoulder, made Ye Rim''s heart thump hard and the back of her neck get goosebumps.


    "Oh, uh¡­" She made a generic circle in the air, encompassing much of herself in the mirror. "That."


    "From nothing to everything, in one leap? This doesn''t even sound sincere."


    "Ah! What do you want to hear, Dr. Kim?"


    "You are the one hiding something from me."


    "Oh. Okay. On here. And here." She pointed to her b.r.e.a.s.ts and h.i.p.s.


    "What happens there?"


    "They could get better."


    "I can''t believe a person as expressive as Ms. Nam can''t tell a doctor what she thinks of her own body," he taunted her with a wry smile.


    "Right. The b.r.e.a.s.ts could be bigger and rounder. And the h.i.p.s¡­" She poked her side with a pointy finger. "Maybe a liposculpture?"


    "Are you wearing a padded bra?"


    She opened her mouth in protest, but then remembered that she was talking to a doctor. "Oh no."


    "So your b.r.e.a.s.ts, which are considerably smaller than what''s desirable, as you say, don''t bother you to the point you want to disguise them all the time?"


    "Well, sometimes I use it. But not all the time."


    "And your h.i.p.s? What bothers you?"


    "Well, what does Dr. Kim think of them?"


    "That if they were perfect you wouldn''t be here today, returning my shirt you borrowed after the dress you wore tore open. But I also think that it will get a lot better just with exercise, than with surgical intervention."


    "Oh!" This time Ye Rim suddenly turned, red-cheeked, taking it personally since he had broken the medical persona. "OH! OH! How dare you say that, oppa?!"


    He looked down at her. They were very close to the point where they could see themselves reflected in each other''s eyes. Ye Rim hold her breath for a moment. Dr. Kim released her shoulder and stepped back.


    "Do you think it''s wrong for a doctor to try to suggest exercise and a diet rather than surgery?" He asked, raising his eyebrow sardonically.


    "No, but¡­"


    "You keep bragging around that you''re beautiful. I have never seen a more conceited person than you, by the way. You don''t even have a problem of insecurity with your image. Just when I asked if you really had nothing to be dissatisfied with, you started thinking about it ... And anyway: no, that''s not how I talk to real patients. Just a bit close to it."


    "..." She''s got speechless.


    "But that''s not bad either." He started to take off his coat. "It would have been easy to send you home."


    Ye Rim watched him for a moment in his activity of folding the lab coat and put it inside the bag she brought, along with the other shirt. ''He has such elegant moves!'' And when he turned to her, she asked,


    "So, are you that kind of doctor who tries to dissuade people out from plastic surgery?" She was already curious about this and many others things, but asked in a way that she thought to be polite enough.


    "It''s not like it. I can''t judge how much a person needs corrective surgery when that''s not obviously apparent. I mean, I may have an opinion on that, but¡­ Usually people don''t have a very clear view of what they look like. What makes a person want to change their exterior is quite complex. Many things that need to be changed outside also need to be changed inside. I just try to understand if I can really help with what I can do. Many times, I cannot. So I try to send them away." He left her for a moment while she thought about it.


    When he returned from the adjoining room, he had a jacket on, and a leather backpack in his hand.


    "Shall we?" He showed the door, walking ahead and leading the way. Ye Rim followed him.


    "Do I have a good ratio?"


    "I''m done with my work for today."


    "Don''t you do any pro bono?"


    "I do, but not for you."


    "Why not?"


    "You don''t need one, you just need to start running and occasional padded bras."


    "God, are you going to wear everything I say against me?!"


    "Everything is a whole lot." He greeted the secretaries in his exiting. "Good night Secretary Ma, Secretary Kang."


    "Good night Dr. Kim," they said, watching the couple walk toward the elevator. Ye Rim hurriedly greeted them as well.


    "Do you have a preference for a cafe, Ye Rim? We can go wherever you want." He pushed the elevator button, casually asking without looking at her.


    "Oppa, I would love to drink coffee with you now, but I have an audition in 40 minutes."


    He shifted his backpack, and was silent for a moment, then wrung his neck slightly, seeming to be comfortable again. "You should have said it before."


    He sounded calm, but a little disappointed. But Ye Rim tried to soften her fault: "Well, look. I was wondering if we could have coffee after my audition¡­"


    He gave a crooked smile, looking intrigued and willing to listen, so Ye Rim continued, "Lee oppa invited me to audition at HTN. But it was the only time they could fit me in the schedule. I thought that, if Jun Hyeon oppa took me there, we could have coffee later, before I go to the Pearl."


    "Ah, so hyung got an audition for you?" His tone was slightly mocking but still intrigued, and he made that move with his neck again, as if relaxing his muscles. As Ye Rim just expected. Apparently she was getting used to identifying some of the doctor''s mannerisms. "And, that''s your way of getting a free ride?" he asked.


    She stifled a laugh, entering the elevator when the door opened, followed by him. "Busted. I was trying to embrace the world. Getting my audition, getting some coffee in a fancy place, getting a ride to my gig later¡­"


    "Are you sure you want a ride in my car?"


    "Oh, I forgot. Your car. That car."


    "Yep."


    "So, is it okay, oppa?"


    "What?"


    "Are you taking me to the audition?"


    "Sure. I''m free tonight." He said, and Ye Rim had the clear impression he wasn''t pleased on knowing about MP Lee.

 Chapter 42 - Audition

    "You sang like a diva, but you didn''t have to take your bodyguard with you all the time," said Lee Dae Won, winking at the singer as the cameraman disassembled the camera in the small studio.The audition was over.


    Kim, who was now exactly behind Ye Rim, didn''t care about the sarcastic comment, obviously aimed at him, just winked back to the other man. He was allowed as audience in the studio, and wasn''t his intention to draw attention, but Dae Won would know him better other than trying to provoke him.


    The other MP woman next to Dae Won, however, did not seem content to be so restrained as the songwriter:


    "Wow! Girl! You have to be in the next edition of our singer''s reality show! Your vocal range is amazing! So smooth!"


    Kim watched his high school friend''s reactions carefully, and Dae Won just nodded, keeping silent as the woman spoke for them. The doctor then turned his attention to Ye Rim, realizing that she didn''t seem the least bit intimidated or anxious after her audition. But he remembered that she was a veteran in this regard, and this wasn''t even a hearing with any concrete promise behind it.


    The singer looked pleased, sporting a smug smile, and quite used to the reaction of the producer. ''You''re really funny as you are, girl. What an infinite self-confidence!'' The doctor was still amazed at Nam Ye Rim''s exciting personality, and having heard her sing the way she sang and moved in front of the camera made him be transported elsewhere in his mind by the duration of her performance. Ye Rim had sung an American oldie jazzy song, with such style and personality that he could practically see her on stage, in a noir movie setting, so glamorous and sensual as her warm voice would sound smokey and exciting at times, and crystalline and ascending in another parts.


    Jun Hyeon had an intermediate musical background, but was unable to pay attention to the technical details. He felt completely enraptured by her performance and how Singer Nam was able to bewitch the people in front of her when she was singing. Even in a shabby and sterile environment as a TV studio room, as she did. Heard her performing in front of camera and four people made him goosebumps from start to finish, like the first time he saw her singing, at the Pearl''s stage. ''The first time that counts, that''s it.''


    He simply couldn''t understand the mystery surrounding her, how a person with this star aura could be an anonymous singer who lives on a poor neighborhood and sings in a declining nightclub to make a living. At those times he wondered if karma was something real. ''If so, did she, was they say, sold her country in a past life?''


    "I like how rich and sultry your voice is. Did you say you sing trot?" The other Musical Producer asked to the singer, though she suddenly turned to Lee, and asked, without waiting a proper reply: "MP Lee, aren''t you going to give Miss Nam your professional opinion?"


    Then Dae Won said, looking directly at Ye Rim:


    "You have excellent control and a great drive, and you are very smart with your deficiencies in the low notes. You... maneuver around it, and do well in your medium and highs. For a soprano without extensive training, you do very well. Your voice is not common, too. I wonder how they let you go so easily."


    Kim gave a sly smile. ''That was so Dae Won! So subdued, so cool!''


    He turned his attention back to the conversation as the station''s musical producer said goodbye to them, and Ye Rim turned to Dae Won:


    "So, your verdict is that I need more study to become a better singer, MP Lee?"


    "You did a lot with very little formal vocal training. I mean, from what I understand, all your training was at the agencies, and for little time. So that''s what they call natural talent."


    "Looks like our singer here is looking for more compliments." Kim Jun Hyeon encouraged.


    "She also has an excellent stage presence, considering the space, and is very educated and aware about the camera."


    She bowed in sincere thanks.


    "Thank you, MP Lee!"


    "He means there''s plenty of room for further improvement, but he''s definitely impressed," he felt he needed to say, interrupting yet another moment where Dae Won was going to start being super technical. "He''ll talk about your Ds and Bs now."


    "I meant what I meant. And you said yourself our Ye Rim-ssi becomes a sort of gremlin when she''s praised."


    The girl seemed taken aback by the memory of such a joke, and laughed softly and cutely shy. "That''s not true! Don''t be mean!"


    "She was getting compliments from your producer friend like she was an international diva. She''s our greedy little monster." Kim taunted her a bit more.


    "Ye Rim ssi could be an international singer. But¡­"


    "But¡­" Kim was interested in an answer, and Dae Won completed


    "Maybe our friend here doesn''t really want to."


    "Don''t you?" He turned to the girl at his side, puzzled.


    "MP Lee must not have liked what he heard, I can only think that. Do you think I didn''t do my best, oppa?"


    "While here, and singing, maybe you did. But even my secretary told me you unprofessionally didn''t send in the required resume and portfolio."


    "Uh, I figured oppa would ask about that. But we had a deal and I couldn''t risk it, could I?"


    Lee frowned, looking at her, and waiting for the singer to explain herself better. Kim, who already knew what happened to Ye Rim at the radio, just put his hands in his pockets in anticipation of Dae Won''s reaction.


    "Did you¡­had doubts about not passing in this audition?"


    "Actually, I had no doubt you would love it, oppa."


    That drew a muffled laugh from the musician, and from Jun Hyeon as well. But Ye Rim continued: "I think I was even a little happier that you''re being so technical on my performance. I wish I had more singing lessons, yes. I still want to perfect myself, actually. But the fact is¡­"


    The two men looked at her in anticipation, unsure what it might be:


    "If I sent my resume, it wouldn''t be of any help. I''ve said it before, I''ve been on some agencies, but I''ve never been lucky. And in fact, actually¡­ There''s even a chance that I''m a persona non grata in the entertainment industry. What to say, it''s just my luck! I am sorry to waste your time. I don''t think oppa can do much for me, at my age and with my background of failed attempts."


    It wasn''t a twist on the story they knew, as she had spoiled it herself at their night out, but in fact it was a twist on the usual positive attitude of the girl they knew.


    "Oh, Ye Rim ssi¡­" Lee Dae Won gathered his folders on the table to leave the studio. "This was not our deal. You''re cheating."


    Ye Rim looked at the doctor with a guilty look, seeming to ask for support, and then at the musician: "I came as we agreed. I did the audition, as we agreed. I kind of felt like I had to prove something to you, and I didn''t want to get that feeling lingering on me. But, oppa, if you recommend me around, or get me gigs or whatever, that''s endorsing me. And if people¡­"


    "If I endorse you from now on, it''s because I believe in your potential. Can''t you just trust that I can take care of myself?"


    "Ye Rim-ssi also knows how to take care of herself, that''s what she meant. At least you should have told her that you would like to nominate her for the job at the radio. None of it would have happened, then." Kim couldn''t help but say it to Dae Won, and did it directly. Dae Won, however, didn''t seem to be shaken, and just said, in his usual suave tone,


    "''Why? If you''re the bodyguard, I can be her manager!" Naturally it was a humorous tease, and Kim couldn''t wait less from Dae Won. But now he was sure his friend had some interest, far more than artistic camaraderie, on Nam Ye Rim. ''You don''t fool me, Dae Won. Even you, you''re all drooling over and charmed by the singer, and being all good-goodie and getting unsolicited things for her. Are you even aware of it already? Really, what a fool ... Is it some kind of protective feeling about the ''Cinderella'' girl up here? Or do you read so much drama scripts for your work that it''s going up to your head?''


    "You guys are so funny together. I wonder what were you guys up at high school."


    "We weren''t the good boys back then," said the doctor.


    "I don''t know whether I believe it or not." She turned to Kim, indistinctly nodding with her head and shoulders, which he thought was a hint for action, but the doctor ignore it as he didn''t want to.


    "So, what''s the next step from here, MP Lee?" Kim asked, stressing his friend''s professional authority, curious to know and also believing that Ye Rim was curious as well.


    "Well, Ye Rim is already a pro. Regarding vocal technique, I can get her an excellent singing teacher who will correct some imperfections, and¡­"


    "Sorry," she interrupted, clasping her hands assertively, as Kim noted, "but I can''t afford it now."


    "Dae Won got silent for a moment, then he said in his lilting voice: "So would you like someone investing in your talent?"


    "Is that so easy to get? Where was I all this time from agency to agency paying my own bills, and not debuting?" She sneered, looking regretful shortly thereafter.


    "Forgive me, oppa. I was very reactive. I just got a little skeptical over time."


    "I don''t blame you," Dae Won said. Kim then decided to interrupt to cut the awkward mood.


    "Ye Rim has a very loyal fan base. They will follow her til their deaths. Perhaps it''s all the support she needs, isn''t it, Ye Rim ssi?" he put his hand lightly on her shoulder, in a friendly way. But that was deliberate, and Dae Won seemed to question him with his eyes immediately.


    The girl laughed at his double entendre provocation, understanding what he meant, and as he imagined it might happen, gracefully broke free of his hand. "Excuse me, I''ll be right back."


    They nodded, and as she walked through the door, Dae Won asked,


    "You''re not together, are you?"

 Chapter 43 - Eavesdropping

    Ye Rim really needed to go to the bathroom, but as expected, the two friends seemed to have a weird vibe between them, and she was curious.


    The singer checked down the empty corridor, making sure she wouldn''t be be caught batlantly eavesdropping. She took two cautious, silent steps backward, stopping beside the door, preventing the studio door from closing, with her shoe heel.


    This technique had been very useful in the past, when she was being bullied by her dorm roommates at her time as trainee. Ye Rim listened, trying to hear what the two men were saying, for she was sure they would speak of her.


    "You''re not together, are you?" Lee Dae Won asked his friend. Ye Rim even put her hand over her mouth in anxiety. ''What a direct questioning!''


    "Ah hyung, where are your manners? Are you asking me this just because I took her here?" She heard, but something suddenly got very strange.


    Ye Rim looked back, and had the feeling that one of them was coming for the door. She slid away from her position and glued to the wall, hiding but taking her foot off the door in the process. With that, unfortunately, the door shut closed.


    She straightened up, imagining they would leave. So she would pretend to be coming back from the bathroom.


    No one left, however. "Damn it!" She muttered to herself. ''What conversation is this? They are talking about me and I can''t even hear it?! This is even fair?!''


    ...


    Inside the studio, Jun Hyeon, who went to the door trying to catch Ye Rim in the act of spying, ended up choosing to end the conversation rather than go for another controversy with the weird singer. He turned back to Dae Won, after making sure the door was really closed:


    "Isn''t she listening anymore?" he wished to be extra sure.


    "This studio has good soundproofing insulation. If she hears something from outside, she''s an alien." The musician clarified." Now if you have nothing to do with this girl, why are you acting like this?"


    "Ha. That''s funny, hyung. I''m only here because she asked me for a ride."


    "Be careful not to mess things up, Jun Hyeon. You should have learned the lesson I learned as well. She just asked for a ride, not that you spoke for her."


    Jun Hyeon was shocked, and tried to understand why his hyung said that. "Why, I just said you should at least have asked her first."


    "I figured you thought she didn''t need black knights to defend her or speak up in her behalf, but you came here to do that. I was almost offended, but I think I understand why." The older man said, and winked at Jun Hyeon in the end.


    "I just think I understand her. Your intrusion bothers and shames her. It''s not your fault she feels that way. She just doesn''t want to try and fail anymore." He expounded his point of view after all he saw and heard.


    "Ha. Now everything''s clear."


    The doctor was a little annoyed, and with the impression that the sarcasm in Dae Won''s voice had hidden layers. He always admired his hyung''s intelligence and wit, but being on the other side of his sword was not comfortable at all. He really didn''t want to argue over Ye Rim, who, as they both knew, was nothing but a recent acquaintance.


    "Come on, hyung." He scratched the back of his neck. "I don''t want to be on your way. But I think this is not the right method."


    "Do you all think I want to help because I''m into her?"


    Kim''s attention was momentarily drawn by a brief appearance from the top of Ye Rim''s head, trying to peek at them through the studio doors window.


    "What''s up?" Dae Won, who had his back to the door, asked, but didn''t turn to check.


    "She. Trying to spy on us."


    "Does this girl really exist?"


    "Sometimes I wonder that, too."Jun Hyeon said. "But since we started it, let''s finish this conversation. I''ve seen you big time into a girl before, and you''re the same way for this girl right now."


    The hyung''s response was a shrug, and the question, "And are you going to keep me from doing my best to help her career just because you believe that?"


    "Don''t you see, hyung? She already said no. She doesn''t want to be into a reality show or anything your friend can get her into right now. Let alone not making it live on TV nationwide. Let alone live on TV for her little hometown." He felt himself a bit over the edge as he said that, then changed his tone, asking: "Leave her alone, hyung."


    "Jun Hyeon. You have only listened to her words. Listen to more than that. She calls for recognition. She begs for recognition. She is a great artist. And she''s withering away, singing who-knows-where; she''s dying. She is wearing away from the spotlight. Pay attention to her eyes. Pay attention every time she says, ''Hey, look at me, I have talent! I''m pretty! Look how unlucky I am. '' She says instead: ''Why is no one choosing me ?! Why? What''s wrong with me?!'' Can''t you listen what is not spoken?"


    Dae Won impressed his words with intensity, and Jun Hyeon couldn''t help but fully understand the analogies his friend was imprinting in his speech. His eyes filled with tears against his will, he huffed trying to dismiss this sad feeling.


    But Dae Won wasn''t over. He took two steps forward, getting close to Kim, who was uncomfortable with his proximity as he felt emotional and weakened by the memories and reflections this conversation were causing:


    "Jun Hyeon, maybe you''re losing your way. Now, when an apparently healthy person comes to you, you tell them that maybe they don''t really want what they say they want. They come to you and have to convince you that they really want to. Ye Rim won''t do that. She thinks no one will listen to her."


    Jun Hyeon sighed, shaken, rubbed the back of his neck, and said," Okay. I got what you''re saying. You''re cruel, hyung."


    "I''ll help her." Dae Won didn''t apologize, nor did Kim think that would happen.


    "Right. Do it, hyung. "


    They looked at each other, and by mutual agreement, strikingly went to the exit, and Kim Jun Hyeon opened the door, speaking loudly: "You should call my mom, she misses you."


    "I''ll do it." Dae Won followed the prank, and they both came across Ye Rim, feigning they didn''t know anything about her eavesdropping.


    She was gracefully ready to touch the doorknob. She put her hand to her chest, ''scaredly'' exclaiming: "Oh!"


    ''She''s batshit crazy!'' Kim concluded.


    Dae Won smiled, "You'' okay?"


    "Oh, you were already leaving!"


    "Yes. I have an appointment in a moment. But I hope to see you soon. And so to you, Jun Hyeon." Dae Won said goodbye, and Kim got the impression that the appointment part was a lie, but thanked his hyung mentally for not setting up a date for three again. As much as he admired his hyung, seeing him reminded Kim of Ji Hyeon, and it always hurt.


    While Dae Won walked down the hallway, he turned to the girl, who suddenly seemed busy reading something on her cell phone:


    "Shall we? Has something happened?"


    She shook her head, and looked up at him, putting her cell phone away.


    "Oh no. Just my unnie who said she took to Pearl a specific dress for me to wear tonight. I just thought it was a bit off."


    "Isn''t that common?" He asked, a little curious.


    "Well, sometimes she gets excited about something she just created, and wants me to try it immediately... Only it''s not the case... Sometimes I wonder what goes inside that little head of hers..." she looked intrigued, and Kim thought he''d like to figure out what''s inside her little head as well.


    But soon the singer switched her thoughtful mood, and exclaimed, walking forward with a bold pose:


    "Over coffee!"

 Chapter 44 - Uneasy Rider

    "What is this place, Jung?" The Hunter asked when Eun Ha reached him, leaving the Pearl building.


    They met on the sidewalk across the street.


    It had been raining early in the evening, and the night was a little cold this early fall, and she realized that he was wearing the scarf she had given him, and got happy with this fact:


    "Professor, I''m glad you liked the scarf I made. This place is where Ye Rim sings on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It''s called Pearl."


    He touched the fabric around his own neck, a little surprised, as he looked up to take a closer look at the building: "Oh, is it that one? It was the only clean one left."


    She turned her face to hide her disappointed expression. ''He''s really is a boor! I can hardly believe ''this'' is a fairy. Can''t he be a little more polite?''


    "So she''s going to sing here today."


    "Yes!" Talking about this night made Eun Ha thrilled. She had even taken a special dress to Ye Rim. Yes, she''s going to, and today she will have a nice surprise! I followed your instructions, Professor Shin, and used no magic to help my friend out on getting rid of Dr. Flamingo."


    The Hunter smiled half-heartedly, looking more concerned than happy. "You''re thrilled and it scares me. But you must tell me the whole thing as we prepare. Follow me."


    "Yes!" The fairy woman was excited for various reasons tonight. She had butterflies in her stomach because destiny had decided for her, and it was going better than she had expected. She followed the teacher to a side street as she talked,


    "After you prohibited me, Professor, I had to take drastic actions. She went out to meet him, completely ignoring the danger! I had to use a tactic that will work one way or the other. Either it draws her from his traps, or at least it''ll make him give away because he''s not a match for the adversary I picked for him''!" she excitedly went for strange game metaphors.


    " Uhn," he grunted, encouraging her to continue.


    "So, bear with me. Ye Rim has several admirers. Lots of them, in fact. Of all of them, there is a special one, but I couldn''t find him. I sent a thousand messages but he hasn''t answered yet. But¡­"


    Reaching a parked motorcycle, he grabbed one of the two helmets and handed it to Eun Ha. She looked surprised. She had no idea they would go wherever they went on a motorcycle. It was a cold evening, and at first she thought he at least had a car.


    As if reading Eun Ha''s thoughts, the Hunter said, waiting her to put on the helmet. "We''re riding a bike."


    "I realized it, it''s just ... It''s cold. And it might rain."


    "¡­" He pulled something out of his pocket, which upon unfolding, turned out to be a large black trash bag, and placed it on the motorcycle seat. Eun Ha stared at the item without understanding. ''Why does he carry a huge trash bag in his pocket? Oh Dak-sal!'' she widened her eyes thinking the worst of a being who presented himself as a Hunter.


    He nodded his chin towards her hand. "Your wand."


    "Ah." She obeyed, pulling her pen-wand out of her pocket. He seemed a little impatient to realize that she would do nothing with it, and took her hand, guiding it and placing her wand over the object.


    "Repeat with me: S-size raincoat."


    "S-size raincoat."


    "Again."


    "S-size raincoat." She felt the energy coursing through her arm again, but in a different way than the uncomfortable tingling she was used to. In the blink of an eye, over the motorcycle seat was a raincoat identical to one she''d seen in a famous brand''s fall collection.


    "Ah! OH! Oh!" She was dumbfounded, grabbing her raincoat for a closer look. It was as beautiful as what she''d seen in the store window, and it was really S-sized, her fitting size! The Hunter had already let go of her hand and was watching her exaggerated reactions with a deep boredom glare. "Daebak! Daebak! Is it original, Professor Shin?"


    "Aigoo, Jung! Of course it''s not!"


    She slipped the transparent raincoat over her clothes with joy, and took her phone out of her bag to take a selfie; but the teacher took the phone out of her hand in one swift motion, and put it in his own pocket.


    "Enough of wasting time, Jung."


    "Ehhh. No need to confiscate¡­"


    "Put on the helmet."


    She obeyed, but couldn''t close the helmet''s buckle, so the Hunter did it for her. She took a closer look at his face taking advantage of the proximity and the fact he was too focused on the buckle to notice. She had already evaluated his square forehead under the shaggy curtain of dark bangs, the slightly broad nose and with slightly flared nostrils wings; his fleshy mouth. As he stared at the subtle crease of his eyelids under the heavy outfold that gave the large, wide-apart eyes a manly visage, the Hunter looked up and their eyes met for a moment. Eun Ha had never seen a gaze so deep, so heavy; eyes that seemed to have seen too many things. She took a deep breath, but couldn''t look away. It was like looking away from a predator. It didn''t sound like a good idea.


    He seemed to question the reason for her deep inspection with a movement of his eyebrows. "It''s ready, Jung."


    "Ah, me, I... was just watching the shape of your eyebrows. They''re straight, and parallel your forehead and your eyes." Eun Ha spoke the first thing that came to her mind, and realized that it sounded more stupid than she wanted to have sounded. "I mean, hairline. Eyebrow. Eyes." She made gestures of overlapping lines accompanied by sounds simulating cuts, trying to be clearer. Then she frowned, demonstrating her frustration at not being able to express herself.


    "Uh. You must draw, since you said you graduated in fashion. Fashion designers draw people too, or just mannequins?" He turned his back to her, putting on his helmet and getting on the bike.


    "Oh, I''m a good designer and can draw other things too. And well, yes. Yeah, that''s why I was looking to. Your eyebrows are cool¡­ Professor Shin."


    "Cool? Can eyebrows be ''cool''?" He asked, motioning for her to hurry up and get on the bike with him.


    She was getting on the bike when she heard the familiar sound of Ye Rim''s old cell phone warning her of a message. "Oh wait. I''m waiting for this confirmation!" Eun Ha didn''t go up, but took her friend''s old cell phone from her shoulder bag. Her tutor casually asked,


    "But how many phones does this woman have anyway?"


    "Just one, Professor. This is Ye Rim''s¡­" she was explaining absently as her gaze darted to the message that had arrived.


    "Oh what to do, what to do?!" It was not possible. She checked and rechecked the phone data, but the message and the sender weren''t really who they should be. ''How come? How could this happen?''


    "What happened, Jung?" Hunter Shin turned off the bike and got off, noticing her commotion." Has something happened to your friend?"


    "No, it''s nothing with her, is that..." she looked up at her tutor, and before he said something like ''spill out the beans, Jung'' , she spilled it:


    "I invited a person to show up at Pearl today. I used an old Ye Rim''s cell phone to contact this oppa_ this very handsome, charming and stylish oppa_ who went with me to college. I did it to make him think it was her. His name is Baek Woo Geun. He really likes Ye Rim. But then¡­" She shook the phone hopelessly. "Something happened."


    The Hunter picked up the phone, glancing quickly, and reading aloud:


    "Hi, oppa! Long time no see you! I thought about you today! How things are going? I was happy to hear that your plans are paying off! I''m singing in a new place. It''s quite different, but it has a unique charm! When does oppa come to see me? If you have time, come today, I''m on¡­ blablabla," he sped up when he realize that this was just address information. "Let''s see what the ''oppa'' replied: ''My precious jewel!'' " Fairy Shin suppressed a laugh but continued: " ''My precious jewel! My sweet princess! I''m so glad you reached me out! I''ll be at your show tonight. I can''t wait to see my old precious friend!'' " Uhn, but his name is not Woo Geun..." he clicked on the avatar to check.


    "No, it''s not! That''s the problem!"


    "Uhn, I see here that his avatar is also his business card. ''President Baek Won Geun.'' He smiled. " ''Home Paradise - All for your Home - Store Chain Owner.'' "


    Eun Ha rubbed her face in agony. "What did I do? Was it the autocorrect? Or is the contact wrong? What did I do?" She wondered, unable to understand.


    "You did it." He got on the bike again. "A new mess."


    "Ahhhhhh!" She stammered in frustration.


    "Let''s go. You already know who''s the real danger for her, and it''s not President Baek."


    "No, I can''t. I have to call the right Baek!"


    "Jung! Not tonight. Tonight you''re going to pay the favor you owe me. A deal is a deal."


    "But, I can''t¡­ I¡­ Just this once, Professor Shin!"


    He started the bike. "Get on. Do I look like a debt-forgiving guy?"


    Eun Ha looked down the street toward Pearl, but knew she had to pay her promise. After looking at his dark-deep eyes, she had no doubt he wasn''t a debt-forgiving guy. She got on the bike, muttering,


    "I don''t do anything right!"


    "What?" He asked as she got on behind him.


    "I don''t do anything right, I said," she said louder, annoyed.


    "Tonight you''ll do it right." He started off with the bike, she held onto him on instinct. But she didn''t know if what the Hunter had said was an assuring promise, or a kind of threat.

 Chapter 45 - Hunting 1

    Eun Ha was nervously tapping her foot rhythmically under the table, unable to avoid the choking sensation that was looming over her as she waited for her order. She was, as the hunter had commanded, inside Delish Cafe, which denied in all respects its name.


    She entered alone, as agreed, trying to carry out her mission, but so far, every second she spent in there increased her desire to leave. Remembering her foster mother''s bakeshop, Jolly Bakery, and comparing her sweet recollection to this bleak and uncomfortable place, only reinforced the bad feeling.


    The Caf¨¦ was located on a gloomy, uninteresting street corner, and was the only open shop in the street at the time of the evening. Its facade looked unfinished and cheap, it had little furniture inside, and the sweets and cakes in the window did not look appetizing, but rather had been there for some time without attracting anyone''s appetite.


    The menu card looked greasy, and had labels stickers pasted over the original price values. ''It seems like everything is on sale here, but why don''t I feel like eating anything?''


    Professor Shin had said he was looking for something bad in this cafe. She didn''t need further explanation to figure that he believed something bad was happening there. She wasn''t sure what to think after listening a bit on the background of that cafe and its owners.


    According to the older fairy hunter, a little over a year ago, the couple who owned this cafe used to own a promising small muffin factory. They even got to open two cafes selling fine pastries in Seoul. But a young digital influencer had apparently destroyed the reputation of the muffins and the brand, with a series of videos.


    Eun Ha vaguely remembered the case. The muffins brand was gaining market share and Han Dong Won, this famous Instagrammer, claimed in a video that he or someone related to him found a fragment of mouse tail in one of their pastries. He even did lab analysis to prove it, and got support from his followers to file a lawsuit against the company.


    Eun Ha didn''t follow the case''s media covering on it and knew no details, but now learned from her fairy teacher that after trying to reverse the situation, the factory was again charged for containing hazardous chemicals in the composition of the muffins. The lawsuit was still pending, but the factory went bankrupt. The employees also went to court seeking labor reparations, but the owners vanished without a trace. Even the couple''s son, who was in the army, was reported to have abruptly deserted.


    "But they are here," she had commented, "And they even opened a new cafe. This is fraud, isn''t it?"


    "It must be illegal, but they have to eat. Human laws are not my concern," the hunter shrugged. "But not long ago, I received a complaint that this area was contaminated and possibly, the food they are serving as well. That means something is very wrong," turning to the fashion designer, he asked, "Can you feel anything?"


    "Yeah, I feel I should be in my bed right now, or at least, wearing gloves," she rubbed her hands together, grimacing. Although Eun Ha had been protected by the Hunter''s broad shoulders and her beautiful new raincoat on the ride here on his bike, her hands on his waist took all the freezing wind frontside. She didn''t bring any gloves because it was still October and she would not have imagined riding a motorcycle at such weather.


    "Just order for some tea to warm your hands, when you''re inside."


    "Aishhh¡­" ''Could you offer me your scarf, or gently rub my hands¡­Uhn? So mean¡­'' she thought to herself, but suddenly a realization came to her mind:


    "Wait: I''ll come in all by myself?"


    "If I come in too early, whatever is there will be aware of my presence, and most probably, will flee. I''ve been here before, and I couldn''t find anything, despite all the traces of supernatural influence. Most likely what was here certainly got away with noticing my arrival."


    "And I¡­ Isn''t that putting your pupil in risk?"


    He blinked when she said the word ''pupil'' with sincere eyes, cleaned something in the corner of his mouth with the thumb, and made a dismissive gesture,


    "No. There''s nothing there that would want to hurt you."


    "And what''s up there?"


    "This isn''t a class night and you have a lot of "why''s" already," he said, picking up a leather duffel bag. "I''m saying you won''t get hurt. It won''t happen. I just need you to neutralize them, meaning, the humans, for a while. So that I can locate what goes wrong there. If they''re only wicked people, or if there''s any other sort of influence over there."


    "Okay! But¡­ How should I supposed to do that?"


    "I need you to think of something. Since you are the only one going to use your magic. I just need them not to notice anything, since it can be pretty weird for humans."


    "You mean, like... Knocking them out?"


    "It would be on point, yes."


    ''Wouldn''t it be too much? Like, knocking out people out from nowhere¡­?'' she thought, "But I don''t know how to do that."


    He looked at the other side, noticing a couple who seemed annoyed with each other, mindlessly coming to their direction. The Hunter moved Eun Ha away with one arm before the passing woman bumped into her, and they were ignored by the strangers. The couple entered the cafe.


    "You''ve been creative for over 10 years, creating absurd things to preserve your prot¨¦g¨¦, and now you tell me you can''t think of anything?! Are you slacking off, Jung?!"


    "N-no. I''m going, I''m going," she rubbed her hands once more, and lowering her head, crossed the street to the caf¨¦. ''He is right. It should not be difficult. I''m good at jinxing people. And to top it off, I created a fantastic raincoat and a huge tree too! He is not asking for anything above my capacity. Eun Ha, fighting!'' she showed a cheering closed fist to herself, in her way to the cafe entrance.


    But now, sitting there, after ordering a cup of tea for the man with the gray hair and dispirited expression, her doubts returned.


    With a finger she outlined the the circle-shaped coffee stain on the checkered tablecloth, trying to think of a strategy. She had sat by the window, and saw the couple, who were sitting by the door, aggressively but quietly arguing to one another. Her attention shifted to the annoying noise of a flickering fluorescent light bulb, near the kitchen door.


    ''Stopping to think of it, this place does seem quite depressing. Is it really supernatural influence? And Hunter Shin said he got a complaint¡­ from who?''


    The man Eun Ha thought was the owner, came to bring her order: a cup of tea and a cookie. Eun Ha looked up with a smile to say thank you, but met with a blank and absent look. A little shocked, she looked down at the cup and noticed a not-so-discreet crack in the cheap porcelain.


    "Ah, ahjussi!" she was going to ask him to change the cup, but the man had just turned his back and didn''t reply to her call. She gave up and just sighed. "What a deplorable place!" she held the cup to warm her hands, but had no desire to drink the liquid from the cracked cup, and ignored the cookie as well.


    At the other end, the couple were arguing a bit louder now.


    ''Aish, can''t they argue elsewhere? I''m trying to think of what to do here! I need to ''neutralize'' the couple that owns this place. The wife must be in the kitchen, since only the man is out here. What should I do? Can I put the Confectioner to sleep by having him drink tea with a soporific? No, even if I can make a tea with soporific, this is dangerous; otherwise it may not work. And there is the ajuhmma in the kitchen. Should I lure them out somehow? Or maybe cause a mess with the quarrelsome couple over there? Oh, I don''t know! Wow, this tea got cold fast, I''m chilling in here!''


    The doorbell rang as another customer entered.

 Chapter 46 - Hunting 2

    A short and overweight man, with hair thin on top and sporting a wan and careless appearance, entered the cafe. He was rubbing his hands from cold and, from the shimmering drops on his shoulders and greasy hair, there was light rain outside.


    Eun Ha looked away from the cafe''s new client to pull the curtain beside her and peer around the corner where she had left the Hunter.


    But Professor Shin was there, like an lurking giant owl in overcoat and hat, under the light pole, holding his duffel bag, looking vigilant. Eun Ha had an unpleasant d¨¦j¨¤ vu, rubbed her arms trying to dismiss the chilling feels, and looked away, not knowing what was worse: being inside the suffocating cafe, or outside with her tutor.


    Probably tonight, for whatever that Hunter hunted, both.


    Eun Ha''s gaze turned back to the newcomer. The man looked annoyed with the noisy couple, looking at them with suspicion and contempt. Completely ignoring Eun Ha, he walked over to the counter where the Confectioner was, in a careless and ostensibly gait. Though she had a feeling this nasty-looking man was a troublemaker, Eun Ha just had an idea, and needed to check its viability. She got up to go to the restroom, past them.


    The door to the only restroom available was next the kitchen door, on the side of the counter. When passing near the men talking quietly, she heard:


    "I thought I was clear, Mr. Lee. I need my money today..."


    The monotone reply was: "You may take what''s in the cashier today."


    "And what you''ve got today, huh? I see your cakes are rotting on the shelf."


    Eun Ha purposely opened the kitchen door and peered inside, pretending to be mistaken on what door was the restroom''s. She saw the woman absently tossing the contents of a box into the trash can. The kitchen was clean, but bleak and cold; quite unlike the wonderful cozy and happy kitchen at Jolly Bakery, where she grew up in. The woman turned to her with a startled look, and Eun Ha nodded apologetically and closed the door in mock embarrassment. Also realizing the gaze of the two men over her, she hurried to the restroom.


    Suddenly the lamp above her head, the one that flickered with a strange noise, made a loud noise and went out completely. Eun Ha got a scare, almost jump from fright. She heard behind him the loud, rather unpleasant laugh of the newcomer client.


    "The girl need not be afraid of a mere burnt out lamp. Need to be afraid of what you''ll find in the restroom! Guess what, hahahaha?!"


    Eun Ha looked back over her shoulder, unsure if she should answer, but the cafe owner spoke_in a voice that sounded irritated but powerless to react. "Don''t keep my customers off with empty hints, Mr. Kim!"


    "Why? Might the girl BE MISLEAD TO BELIEVE there''s a ahem, mouse, or more than one, in there?"


    ''Oh, gross! Why did he have to talk about rats?! How am I going to get in the restroom now?'' Eun Ha was disgusted of thinking she might find a rat inside the restroom already.


    "Stop it, I can''t pay you that way."


    ''Is he being blackmailed by this nasty guy? '' She took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door. But there was nothing there ready to squeal and run toward her feet; it was a reasonably clean, but rather old bathroom, with cracked and grimy tiles.


    ''Omo, omo, what do I do now?'' She gripped her wand tightly and looked in the mirror. For a moment she had the impression that she had seen something move near her in a glimpse, but there was nothing there. The n.a.k.e.d light marked her expressions and shadowed her face, and she realized that her hair was soggy and frizzy looking since hours ago. ''Omo, I''m hideous! If there''s a monster here, it will be the one scared instead. Haha ha. Better get this fixed.''


    She again felt a strange sensation in the tip of her ear, but reached into her bag and pulled out a hairbrush, quickly straightening her hair as best as she could in those conditions.


    ''If I''m going to ruin the bathroom hopelessly, better use it now, right?'' She put the brush away and reached in and began to lower the waistband of her black pantaloon. Her gaze darted to the empty bathroom corner as she sat on the toilet. Her heart pounded strangely, and she stopped in the middle of her sitting movement.


    Outside, the conversation near the bathroom door could be heard, though a bit muffled. She could only understand a few parts, because the man who entered the cafe after her was speaking louder and cynically, pressing on the Confectioner. Eun Ha was starting to get mad at this idiot.


    "You think my family can be content living in misery? We are about to be evicted, Mr. Lee! And it''s your fault! Yours alone! Get it over with! I don''t like or wish to keep coming in here every week, or even messing up your business, but I can''t wait any longer¡­"


    "¡­What can I do, I don''t have any money left. Even here, we are covered in debt."


    "¡­I''ve said already what can solve this thing between the two of us. I will leave you alone once you do it. Once for all. I have a buyer for your industrial mixer. At least my debts also can be reduced and I can accept this much as the total of what you owe me. I can be this nice. And if I can sell it early by the morning, I also can pay my rent tomorrow."


    "...I said I can''t, the factory machinery and everything inside the building are going to be collected for public auction; that''s all I know, and¡­"


    "Don''t be like that¡­ What can I say, huh? May your current location be made public to your other creditors will make you feel like I feel? How can I be the one being bothered by creditors while you are living peacefully¡­?"


    ''Aishh, I''m going to turn this freak into the frog he already looks like!'' she thought, rolling her wand on her leg in anxiety. The bathroom door looked like it was going to crack open, or so it felt to her, and she finished quickly, washing her hands, but the water running noise apparently reminded them that a stranger might be listening to their conversation. A heavy silence followed, while she struggled to turn off the faucet til the end, with no success. It kept dripping water after her use. Eun Ha leaned and forced a bit more the faucet handle, and felt a presence looming behind her, big and dark. With a hasty move, she expired the air of her lungs and turned, raising her wand ready.

 Chapter 47 - Hunting 3

    Gripping her wand so tightly she felt the high relief leaves and flowers of her wand imprinting in her palms, Eun Ha turned.


    But once again, there was nothing to be seem.


    "..!"


    Why her heart was pumping so fast?


    Abruptly, she turned again, to face the mirror, but only with a glimpse she felt, more than saw, a shadow of a woman, nothing like her. The mirror only reflected her, though, looking scared as hell. ''Me? Myself? What the hell?!''


    Eun Ha felt absolutely suffocated, breathless of pure dread, and reached for the door. She hurried out, thinking blank and feeling like the hounds of hell were chasing her.


    Her legs were soft as jelly, it was like she couldn''t move as fast as she wished. At the same time, she had the raw sensation of being observed, from the above¡­ But she couldn''t gather the courage to look to the ceiling.


    Getting out of the bathroom was quite relieving, she realized. Even in the dim light of that corner, she saw something she instinctively understood to be important:


    Confectioner Lee handed Mr. Kim a bunch of keys.


    The fairy''s attention went to their faces, drawn like a magnet. Mr. Kim grinned as he looked at the bunch of keys in his hands, as if satisfied with a deal. Confectioner Lee''s gaze was on Mr. Kim''s face, and his eyes only reflected a frightening expression of grudge and mischievous satisfaction.


    Why was it so suspicious?


    Eun Ha blinked as everyone''s attention was drawn by the bickering couple: they wanted to check out and leave. The confectioner went to the cashier, and Mr. Kim turned his back and just left the cafe without saying goodbye.


    The fairy knew she had seen something strange, and now she thought she knew where. ''Better warn the Hunter.'' She walked quietly out the door as the Confectioner charged the couple, running across the street and covering her hair with her hands to protect them from the fine drizzle. She saw Mr. Kim get on a bicycle and set off in the freezing night.


    "Mr. Shin, I mean, Professor Shin! You are right! There is something there. There''s something in the restroom!"


    He grinned. "Did you see anything?"


    "And also¡­ that man who left. He was blackmailing them! The Confectioner... Sounds pretty weird, but¡­"


    "You did what you had to do? Can I get in there already?" It was clear from the Hunter''s tone that he sensed that she had done nothing of what he demanded her to.She just shook her head, confirming his suspects.


    "The couple just left. Is anyone else there with the owners?" Shin jerked his chin at the couple leaving the cafe.


    Looking back over her shoulders, she followed their exit with a brief glance. Immediately afterwards, with a corner of her eye, she noticed that the confectioner appeared behind them, and stood in the doorway, clearly looking for the customer who left without paying. And then he spotted them there.


    "I''m coming back, ajusshi! Just a moment!" She nodded before he called for her or came where she was. Then continuing to talk to her tutor, she nervously said: "What should I do? I thought about causing an accident in the bathroom, but I think the thing IS in the restroom. What to do, what to do?"


    "Aigoo, how boring you are, Jung!" the Hunter suddenly gave a step ahead, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a strange object, which he held out for her. She took it, and examining it in her own hand, saw that it was a blue lens monocle.


    "What''s this?"


    "An object for which you will lend a drop of magic. Therefore, try and do your best. Use your wand and transfer some magic to it."


    "Is that all I should do?" she marveled, and he said.


    "This object is made to receive magic. But it won''t last long, just a few minutes, probably. Just leave the whys for another day, now we''re in a hurry."


    Eun Ha thought so too, and used her magic just as she did earlier. She felt the energy flow even stronger toward the tip of the wand and then into the object. The monocle gleamed slightly, but soon returned to normal.


    "Did it work?" she asked, raising her hand to look if there was any noticeable difference in the object or if something had gone wrong.


    "Use it and see if it worked. Now come," he just nodded for her to follow him, and strode across the street toward the cafe. Eun Ha blinked, stunned, and tried to balance the monocle on her nose. She looked up as soon as she could, and looked towards the coffee shop fa?ade.


    "Omo!"


    The facade of the cafe seemed to have a dark slime that branched from the doorway out, spreading as a colony of bacteria fom a focus, that was inside. The depressing atmosphere seemed to fog the window panes with a strange vapor. It was the worst building for the decrepit street corner. More than it: it was taken by something to which Eun Ha wished to keep distance.


    She jumped when something touched her hand, and looked away. It was the Hunter, who took her by the hand and led her toward the decrepit and terrifying place.


    "No!" She tried to stall, but he gave her a jerk that made her to stumble and take two involuntary steps forward.


    "I don''t want to go in there!" she implored.


    They stopped in the middle of the street, and the Hunter Shin looked into his eyes:


    "But you will. Because I need you there." At the slightest hesitation of Eun Ha, he pulled her again, and they reached the sidewalk. At a glance through the window she saw with the monocle''s eye the Confectioner''s wife looking at her¡­ Except she had no eyes or mouth.


    But before she screamed, she was already being dragged into the cafe by the Hunter.

 Chapter 48 - Americano, please

    "So you really had no doubt hyung Dae Won would like it?" As soon as the waitress served their orders at the coffee shop on a famous Seoul street, and left, Dr. Kim casually asked.


    "Is this what people don''t like about me? Should I have doubts on myself? Or should I feign modesty?"


    "No. It''s good the way it is. One who is silent is never heard."


    Ye Rim grinned: " Exactly! And, wow, you spoke just like my unnie''s mother! She kept saying that to my unnie: ''don''t be shy, don''t be ashamed of what you can do! An intelligent woman has to fight for her space. But for that, you can''t ever hesitate. Take your talent and go ahead, no matter what people say! Do not hide what you are. Anyone who stays silent is never heard!'' "


    "This ajuhma seems to know better," he conceded, sipping his coffee. "I think she and my mother would be good friends. And I see that you followed her advice well. Your friend too, I suppose."


    "That''s why we came to the capital." Ye Rim agreed. "Eun Ha came to be a successful fashion designer; and I, to sing." She drank some of her coffee before completing. "We were born on the same day, one hour apart. If there is anything to be believed in what the shamans say, then it must be true that there is a relation between one''s time of birth and their life''s destiny."


    "Why do you say that? Do you believe that?"


    "Well, sometimes I don''t want to believe that much, but I think unnie and I are a lot alike, although she''s more reserved. And also, at least professionally, we have been facing similar situations."


    "I always find this kind of belief quite funny. I mean, I don''t know what to think. I had a twin sister, my noona for 10 minutes. And, well, she''s not here anymore. I mean, should I have died too?"


    "Gosh, I''m so sorry. And that kind of situation, it''s, well¡­ really when you stop to think, it doesn''t make much sense."


    "So that''s what I think."


    They looked at each other as a little silence fell on the table after this comment. Kim winked at her, and Ye Rim sweetly smiled back.


    "About what you said before, about your unnie''s mother. I think if she needed to say that kind of thing, it''s because her unnie needed to hear it. Unlike you."


    "Oh!" Ye Rim pretended to be offended, but knew why he was saying that. "It is true. We always listen to what we want to."


    "So, will you or not, listen to what hyung Dae Won said?"


    Ye Rim set the cup of coffee down carefully. She had been taken aback by Kim Jun Hyeon''s direct question.


    "I don''t know if I should."


    "Why, Ye Rim?"


    "Why¡­ I don''t know if I have time to waste on this now. I mean, things didn''t work out before. I have a.d.u.l.t responsibilities now." She stared at the man in front of her, deciding what to tell him about it, but she decided to keep it concise by now. "I shouldn''t be selfish and immature."


    He seemed to expect her to say something more, but then said, gently, "Ye Rim , I don''t know what your wishes are, but maybe they can be adjusted to a new perspective. If you can''t, for whatever reasons, try a career in a group or solo by an idols agency¡­ well, that''s not the end. There are alternatives and ways to reach your goal."


    "Omo! You''re being kind and understanding, oppa!" Ye Rim was thrilled by his words, and although she didn''t know if they were mere words of comfort or the doctor''s real thoughts, she was a little intimidated by the deep course of the conversation. They were talking about things important to her, and she felt a little exposed. She didn''t want Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon to pity her. She was not, at any moment, a person to be pitied. So she set out for nonsense, trying to dismiss the subject in this way.


    "Why, I can be a gentleman when I want to!" He laughed, apparently taken by surprise as well.


    "It still lacks a little," and she pinched her fingers, showing a little distance between them, "to be the gentleman your grandfather is, but you''re doing well. Keep it up the good work, oppa. One day, maybe."


    "Omo, omo! This woman!" he was theatrically outraged. "Mocking my sincere efforts!"


    They laughed, met their eyes, and they both knew there was, at that moment, a spark of electricity between them. Kim dismissed it casually, though.


    "My grandfather is a ladies'' man, don''t delude yourself or listen to him." his tone wasn''t serious, though.


    "How can you talk about Mr. Go like that ?!"


    "I''m just repeating what my grandmother said! She kept saying he seduced her because of her money. But they lived well until her death. If that''s what she said is true, I think he did his job well."


    "Mr. Go always talks about his late wife with a look of longing. So I guess he was just a romantic¡­ unlike his grandson."


    He scowled, but didn''t deny the singer''s accusation.


    "Why did she say that? Was she rich?"


    "Ah, well¡­ Not that my grandmother was rich¡­ but she owned something, while Grandpa didn''t have anything but his charms. But it is an interesting story. Whether you know it already or not, old Mr. Go was an incorrigible bohemian in his youth. After the war, he had nowhere to return to, and lived recklessly with friends, after women and binges, year after year. A friend of his, Mr.¡­"


    "Young, "she added, guessing.


    "Yes, Mr. Young, he owed my grandmother an amount of money. Big money. A car he''d bought from her and never fully paid for. And Grandpa owed Mr. Young money. That''s how it went."


    "This story is getting fun."


    "My grandmother had been widowed in the war, and she was older than him by far¡­ I believe they had 12-15 years difference."


    "That''s a lot."


    "Yes. She had a small grocery store here in the capital. Twists of fate, my grandfather, to repay his debt, come one day to Mrs. Min''s grocery store to indirectly pay Mr. Young''s debt. But in reality, the debt was bigger than he imagined. And then he offered to work in the grocery store until he paid the debt."


    "Oh!"


    "It seems like somehow romance happened. But my grandmother was tough, until the end of her life, by the way. She straighten Mr. Go out. He had to give up his binges and such. It was only several years later that my mother was born. It was a surprise to the couple, they say. But my mother took after my grandmother I guess. She is also a tough business woman."


    "So you took after Mr. Go?"


    He scratched his head, laughing. "Should I answer honestly?"


    "I''ll be surprised if you say yes." You don''t look alike at all, not even physically."


    "Yeah, that''s right. But maybe I have something from him. Or at least, several similar tastes. It may have been because we lived with him more than with the Kim family."


    "What are your tastes like? Binges and beautiful women?"


    "What''s wrong with liking such things?!" he laughed. "But my grandfather taught me many good things. I think he learned many important things as a man without a dime in his pocket or a roof upon his head. It made my family and my materialistic grandmother better people too."


    "Awn, so sweet, oppa!"


    "It''s true! "He defended himself, a bit ashamed. "It''s corny, but it''s true!"


    "Okay, but tell me: I''ve heard here and there that Dr. Kim has a background as a dancer."


    He widened his eyes, and said, "Why, has Miss Ye Rim been interested in my past?" As he feigned a sly, arrogant smile, Ye Rim could see that he had suddenly become self conscious.


    "Why, I''ve got a little bit of curiosity, that''s it. It seems so disparate, a plastic surgeon and a professional dancer, to be the same person!"


    "Yes, it is. Also, I''m not a professional dancer. I''m just a plastic surgeon." His tone was no longer cheerful. But Ye Rim wouldn''t give up that easy.


    "Was that supposed to be a secret?"


    "You''re so annoying! No, it''s not a secret. I bet you can find something on the internet."


    "Should I make a search then? Won''t you tell me?"


    "It''s just an uninteresting story. I wonder why you are so interested."


    "But can I make a search? Isn''t that considered stalking?"


    He shook his head, laughing charmingly, and without answering. He looked down at his coffee cup and asked, "Would you like anything else? May I order some more?"


    "In fact I have to go soon. Earlier I got a message that the club got a reservation for 10 people."


    "That''s great. May I take you?"


    Ye Rim was a little surprised, but she didn''t want to say goodbye to him just yet.


    "You can, if only you help me in my research."


    "What research?"


    "Research on the dancer-surgeon?"


    "Aigoo¡­!"


    "Oppa!" she used her charms on him, till he showed he was defeated.


    "Okay. Search for videos of kid dancers. Here you got it. I''m terrible with mysteries. Perhaps you find something, I don''t know. You''ve got a big spoiler."


    "Ah¡­ kid dancers¡­ "she was surprised, but would ever have guessed. No doubt she would take a look at such type of videos later. To imagine watching a small Dr. Kim dancing seemed like good fun.


    "You''re already smiling at the thought of seeing me dancing!"


    "Of course, oppa! I''m curious what you looked like as a child."


    "Omo, what did I do¡­?"

 Chapter 49 - Hunting 4

    As they entered, the lights flickered, but Eun Ha immediately spotted through the blue lensed monocle, a blurred and distorted version of Ajusshi Confectioner clinging to the Actual Ajusshi Confectioner''s neck.


    It seemed that this monstrous version of Confectioner Lee was connected to him by the scalp, and perched on his shoulders. Eun Ha realized, in just this quick microsecond glance, that the dark, evil entity seemed to be leeching out the man as if he were a juice pouch. The man, not the monster, had a knife in his hand, and bulging eyes staring blankly at them.


    The fairy turned to check the place where she had just seen the faceless ajuhma by the window, but there was nothing there. She didn''t even have time to process the information in her head, just be fed with.


    The light then went out completely.


    She felt a chill on her back, as if she were wet, but was pulled by her hand so fast that she spun awkwardly, but managed to barely hold the monocle with her free hand on her face before falling to the floor. She crouched down, wincing and seeking shelter under a table. She heard movement noise, and tried to focus on what happened when she heard Shin call out to her:


    "Jung! Take off the knife from the human! Don''t let him kill himself!"


    ''What-the-hell! Is that why he has a knife ?! Not as a threat, but to¡­'' She sprang to her feet, wielding her magic wand and trying to focus with the blue lens where the possessed Confectioner or whatever it was, has gone.


    But the magic item fell from her face just as she spotted the man crawling away from the monster and the hunter.


    It seemed like the Hunter was able to free the man from the monster, at least. Her guardian seemed to be having trouble holding the monster, which despite having the Confectioner''s constitution, seemed to have the strength of a wild beast. Flabbergasted, she aimed aimlessly and cast a spell, and heard the Hunter''s sharp yell: "Jung, what are you doing ?!"


    "Omo! Did I hit you, Professor Shin?! Omo !!"


    "Just get out of here now! Go!" His voice was drowned out by a piercing feminine scream. For a moment Jung Eunha was so astonished that only then did she realize that it was not the monster, but the voice of the real and panicked ajuhma.


    She spun on her heel to obey her Professor''s command, but her torso hesitated. If she ran, what would happen? "Damn it, Professor! I can''t see you!!!"


    She turned, feeling a hand cling to her heel. It was the crawling confectioner, but she was so terrified that she kicked him on instinct; and he rolled to a corner where he remained.


    Something rose from where the monster and her tutor were huddled in their fight, and came toward her abruptly. Whether the hunter or the monster, she didn''t know in the dark. But she felt a panic so strong that her heart ached, and she closed her eyes expecting the clash and the pain, paralyzed by fear.


    But her ear heard the rustle of cloths, and then recognized that it was Hunter Shin. He passed behind her body, hugging her waist and gripping her arm tightly, twisting their bodies in the process.


    Eun Ha felt his large hand slide into hers, and intertwine her fingers with his, clutching together her magic wand. He guided the movement of her hand, and she felt the magic pass from the sole of her feet to her toes, and flow through the wand like a spurt.


    She widened her eyes, as she felt the heat rising to her head. ''What is going on?!''


    The sudden flash of light made her blink, unable to really see. But Eun Ha figured what had happened. She figured out that Hunter Shin took over her magic to strike the creature that was charging against her.


    The fairy was still trembling from both experience of magic and fear as she watched the creature dissolve into a dark and gross mist in the air.


    The fluorescent light bulbs flickered on again, and returned to normal.


    She didn''t know if minutes or seconds had passed. It all seemed as though it had been so long and full of detail; while so fast and confusing. Eun Ha just clenched the folds of his coat and buried her face in Professor Shin''s chest, her right hand still clasped in his.


    She felt the clumsy pats on her head, as her Professor was trying to make her come back to herself.


    ''Aigoo, you stupid gruff fairy, can''t you be a s.e.xy hero once in a while? I''m shaken! I am traumatized! And you''re touching my¡­''


    "Omo!" She unhooked her fingers from his, and her wand from contact with the callous palm of his large hand. Shin stepped away with the cue, and turned to examine the humans.


    "Is it over¡­ Professor?" Eun Ha quickly put her wand away, rescued the monocle from the floor, and started to check on the human couple. The mid aged woman seemed unconscious near the bathroom door, and with no monster parasitizing her. So Eun Ha went over to make sure she was all right, while the Hunter checked on Confectioner Lee, blankly sitting and leaning against a wall with his absent gaze.


    "This man seems to be in shock. How is the woman?"


    "I think she passed out. Her pulse is weak, but she breathes well. " Eun Ha responded.


    "Let''s call the emergency. And get out of here."


    Eun Ha remembered that maybe her Professor might be hurt:


    "Professor Shin, did I hit you with the knife?"


    "Missed. But you tried hard, huh?"


    "Oh! Are you hurt?"


    He sighed, shaking his head, and stood up. "Let''s see if there is something in the restroom before we go."


    En Ha wasn''t excited about that, but she followed him to the restroom. She noticed that he was limping slightly, but he did not look injured elsewhere.


    "What was¡­?"


    "Shhhh. I told you, not today. It''s not over."


    "No ?!"


    "No. One of them ran away. But this kind of creature is never the cause of the problem. They are merely consequences." He opened the restroom door. Eun Ha examined with the magic monocle, but saw nothing. They quickly scanned the remaining rooms, and Eunha realized that, as the Professor had said, the monocle''s vision became normal over the minutes, until it didn''t really catch the supernatural miasmas anymore. Just the same vision as the other eye.


    "Call the doctors using the Confectioner''s phone, Jung." The hunter still rummaged through the drawers and cabinets for something. Eun Ha did that, and when she hung up the phone, Confectioner Ajuhma was already coming back to consciousness.


    The two fairies came out, and stopped under a sunroom to avoid the constant drizzle. The Hunter turned to her as he lit a cigarette:


    "You said the man who came here blackmailed them, right?"


    Eun Ha''s heart was still pounding and blood was flowing fast. She was sure the fairy adrenaline rush was the same as human''s. She''d forgotten about that for a moment, but had a click:


    "Confectioner''s Lee''s gaze at that man¡­ It was the look of one who is anticipating something bad and savoring it¡­ Is that why he was going to kill himself? Because of what he did? To avoid punishment?"


    The Hunter just shrugged, looking uncertain.


    "The human was going to kill himself, and his parasyte was leaving him to prey on another person to parasitize. It wasn''t the real human looking outside for you. You responded to no one."


    Eun Ha felt her blood chill all of a sudden. "What?" B-but you said no monster would have interest in fairies!"


    The Hunter seemed to be immersed in his on thoughts while the young fairy was freaking out with this realization. "Don''t act silly, Jung." he finally let go of his pensive silence, "Tell me what you discovered in there, before we entered together."


    The designer summed up for the Hunter what she had witnessed. She added: "Do you think the cause of this whole thing is where this man is going to?"


    "We will not know if we don''t go there to find out."


    "Oh! No! Professor!"


    "You''re smart enough to deduce that the man is going right away to the old muffin factory after the object he wants to sell, Jung. If we don''t go there now, he could die."


    She knew they probably didn''t have time to waste. Although she didn''t want to go, and had millions of questions, En Ha also knew she should cooperate with the Hunter, and questions should be put aside for now.


    "It''s just me, or things are going to get worse on there?"


    He moist his dry lips with the tip of his tongue, and scratched his neck, looking thoughtful, instead of answering directly,


    "If I don''t go, it can become an even worse problem later. Perhaps too big to handle by a single person. I still don''t know what''s going on, but I already have a hint of what it might be. But I''m starting to think I''m a bit too late on it..."


    He stubbed out his cigarette and twirled the motorcycle key in his finger, giving a sudden half smile and saying," Put on the hood of your fake raincoat, Jung. You''re melting."


    "¡­!"

 Chapter 50 - Backstage

    Kim Jun Hyeon followed Singer Nam to Pearl''s backstage at her invitation. He couldn''t help but think that her shameless self-assurance was even a little childish and stupid; and sometimes he would prefer her to be as modest as most girls he knew. But the surgeon couldn''t deny that it made her unique.


    A thrill coursed across his body while his brain still was struggling to decipher the signals. Did the fact that Ye Rim invited him to stay and watch the show, and come to her dressing room, mean something? ''Was it a promise about the end of the night?'' he wanted to know, but was unsure, even after the thought-provoking conversation in the cafe. He could have sworn there was a special thing between them at that moment.


    But now, the lively Singer Nam introduced him to the band''s musicians, who were casually chatting around and spending time before the show started. He was well received, since he was introduced as Mr. Go''s grandson, a known habitu¨¦. No one seemed to mind the visit of a stranger brought by Ye Rim into the backstage.


    "As you can see, it''s very small. This is my dressing room." She opened a door signaled with a star-shaped mirror.


    "Unnie gave it to me, it''s cute, doesn''t it?" She mentioned casually, noticing he paid attention to the item.


    If not for the star in the door, he would have thought it was a broom closet. Inside, it was a little bigger than that, but he couldn''t see much else since it was dark.


    "But," she said, entering the room, and Kim wasn''t sure whether to do the same or not. ''Not a good idea'' , he decided, to go into a small, dark place with Ye Rim tonight, so he stood in the doorway.


    "But," she repeated, seeming to search for things in the dark, "it currently has a problem with the electrical wiring, and until it''s fixed, the Pearl Club''s Royal Majesty kindly grants his dressing room for me to do my makeup."


    She returned to the door bringing a blue dress in a hanger, which she put on Jun Hyeon''s shoulder while carrying a makeup case that was twice the size of his doctor''s bag, and whispered, "Not so kindly, in fact. But he has no choice."


    Jun Hyeon held back his laughter, and she handed him a pair of shoes. Kim wondered if he should feel outraged for suddenly becoming a human hanger.


    "Hold this for me please. Unnie brought this dress earlier today. I love it, a friend of mine gave me some time ago. I haven''t wore this in a while, I hope it still fits."


    ''At least in this matter she is the same as all other women.'' And that was at the same time a scary and calming thought to him.


    Ye Rim closed her modest, dark dressing room and unceremoniously opened the next door, simply painted red with the name Duk Mi in gold.


    "Aigoo! What a scare!" A loud male voice came from the back of the room. Since the dressing room had a fringed curtain at the entrance and was half lit, Kim couldn''t immediately see the voice''s owner, but Ye Rim soon apologized.


    "Sunbaenim, I''m sorry! I didn''t know you were here tonight!"


    The dressing room owner got up, and then the doctor could see him. Singer Duk Mi was a short man in his late fifties, and perhaps much more, of short stature and fragile build, with a tired face; but still elegant in his features. He walked towards Ye Rim:


    "My dear Ye Rim. How many times do I have to tell you to knock on the door before you open it so recklessly? This is a ''boy''s'' dressing room! What if you see something¡­"


    ''Pathetic? Unpleasant?'' Kim thought, allowing himself to be mean for a moment.


    "¡­That could embarrass us both? Don''t be so reckless!"


    "Well, sunbaenim, since today is Wednesday and you don''t usually come on Wednesdays, I didn''t think I should knock on a door of a room that was supposed to be empty¡­"


    "She always has an answer." Duk Mi pouted peevishly then seemed to realize that a man was standing outside the door. He signaled to the younger singer, questioning who Jun Hyeon was. Ye Rim fussily came to the doctor to get her things from his hands, and introduced him to the senior singer:


    "Sunbaenim, this is Dr Kim Jun Hyeon, Plastic Surgeon. Dr. Kim, this is singer Duk Mi, the trot legend."


    Whether or not Singer Duk Mi was a trot legend, Kim had no way of knowing. He just wondered if Pearl Club was a place where those at the bottom of their careers could find shelter. ''Okay, that''s pitiless even for me. But how wrong am I on my "judgemental" impression?'' he wondered.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you". Jun Hyeon greeted as proper, bowing to the older man.


    "Ah, I''ve heard of you. Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon, the celebrities'' favorite surgeon."


    Kim was immediately embarrassed, and tried to downplay,


    "I wouldn''t say that, as surely celebrities should prefer not to be associated with plastic surgeons¡­"


    "What a great nonsense, right? What''s the matter with wanting to look prettier and younger?" Duk Mi approached the doctor. Although the singer is not dressed for the stage, or so Kim guessed, the doctor can''t help but notice that the other man was wearing heavy makeup.


    "Not a problem, Mr. Duk Mi, though¡­"


    "Let''s go for a moment so the girl can get dressed, right? She needs to be pretty to fill the house on a Wednesday night."


    "¡­!" Kim tried not to dislike the senior singer, but the comment sounded slightly mean. Was there some kind of veiled, or not quite veiled, rivalry between the senior singer and his junior?


    The doctor waved bleakly at Ye Rim, who waved back happily at him as the singer led Kim away from the dressing room door. The older man asked,


    "Does Dr. Kim perform all sorts of plastic surgery, or specialize in some specific branch? "His respectful tone immediately raised Kim''s suspicions.


    "Well, actually I do have a specialty, which is..."


    "Take a look here." The singer looked up. "These bags under my eyes, and my eyelids folding so badly, that''s easy to fix, isn''t it? Aigoo, that makes me look like a frog. I look a lot older than I am. How could we do this?"


    "Actually, it''s a simple procedure, but I recom¡­"


    "That skin excess here on the chin can also be simply fixed, right? I heard about it. Define the jawline and such. But I wanted the opinion of a renowned expert. Because, I wouldn''t risk getting such job done with anyone who didn''t have at least your expertise and renown."


    "Oh, thanks, but¡­"


    "Ye Rim going to have some job made? Aigoo, some people don''t know when it''s time to stop! She is already pretty enough. We keep saying that to her. She denies that she has done anything, but Dr. Kim knows very well how to recognize¡­ It was made when she was a trainee, you know? All of them get something done. Noses, eyelids, chins¡­ Now even famous actors are into bichectomy. One movie the cheeks are there, the other movie¡­ no cheeks to see! But I see the benefits, I see it. Good results. But what is she going to do anyway? And most importantly, how is she going to pay you?"


    This ajuhssi king of the trot was rather indiscreet and weird, but at this point Kim was really sorry to have come to the dressing room. He wasn''t sure why the singer mentioned money, but it made him feel absolutely uncomfortable. ''Will this crazy octopus ever let me go of his tentacles? What? Does he want me to see him and prescribe a surgery here in the backstage?!''


    "She will not have cosmetic surgery. As far as I know, at least." Kim thought that would be enough, but the singer''s surprised look changed to a naughty expression immediately," Uhn, I got it now¡­ You''re one of the admirers of ''Miss'' Nam!"


    "Oh! No! It''s not..." Realizing that his reaction would not deny anything, Jun Hyeon decided to just flame the older singer''s weakened ego. "Well, I''m here because we have a mutual friend. He''s a music producer and got a test for Ye Rim on HTN."


    As imagined, the man''s eyes grew in wonder and realization.


    "Really?"


    "Yes, two producers were there, they were very impressed."


    "Well, Ye Rim really is exceptional..."


    "Anyway, I imagine you will soon have your dressing room all to yourself." He wondered if he was being too obvious in his sarcasm, but realized he had reached the point. ''Jackpot! You shouldn''t be mean to your hoobae, Ajuhssi. You never know when things are going to reverse.''


    But their attention was attracted by the entry of a small group, which made the atmosphere in the small backstage quite suffocating.


    "Oh, so this is where our dear Miss Nam Ye Rim has been hiding!"


    Ms. Song was escorting a full-bodied ajuhssi, apparently the same age of Duk Mi but round-faced and slanted-eyed. He wore a branded suit that looked slightly larger than him, highlighting the square aspect of his figure, and from which he had apparently forgotten to take the branded labels off his sleeves. With them, two more men and a woman, clearly his employees, closed the small touring group.


    Kim and Duk Mi looked at each other, suddenly bothered by the same unexpected event, what got the ''instant allies effect''.


    "Who is this ajuhssi?" they questioned each other reactively.

 Chapter 51 - Hunting 5

    When they arrived in front of the two-story plant that had once been the Lee Family''s Muffin Factory, they saw a small removal truck parked in front of the open gate. But there was no one in sight outside.


    Eun Ha immediately used her new trick to activate the blue monocle while the Hunter checked near the vehicle. When he returned from the quick inspection, she was already using it and staring at the exterior of the building in horror.


    To the young fairy, it was a hyper realistic version of a place only seen in horror movies, with dark and disgusting spots and a scary atmosphere.


    But this time, Eun Ha also realized that this feeling was not at all foreign to her. She had already been close to places with this same heavy, oppressive and repellent atmosphere. Places where she normally would rather not stay longer, and if she could, not go at all. Coincidentally or not, these places had bad or dubious memories for her. She shook her head in denial. "Professor, can I keep guard out here?"


    "No." It was his dry reply. "Mr. Kim brought someone else with him. And they''re inside the building right now."


    "An industrial dough mixer can be very heavy. There was one in my foster mom''s pastry shop. He probably needs extra help."


    He nodded, and commented,


    "Since you look worried, you''re probably seeing spots or dark mist around the building."


    "Yes. I''ve spotted such things at the Cafe too, but it wasn''t so strong."


    "Give it to me", the Hunter reached out imperatively, and Eun Ha felt usurped, but handed over the object. He immediately used it, seeming to scrutinize the outer building faster and in a more useful manner than her.


    He returned the item, and also passed the bag he carried to her. Eunha instinctively picked up the bag the older fairy handed her, understanding that she should carry it, as a good hoobae would.


    "These humans are really in danger. There''s something serious going in there. Come on."


    ''If there''s something serious in there, why should I come in ?! Aigoo, why does he care more about these humans_ and exactly this mean thieving man and his minion,_ than about me, that I''m his student?''


    But she didn''t voice her complains and followed the Professor, wand in one hand, Professor''s bag of stuff in the other.


    "Jung."


    They went to the open gate of the loading dock. She approached the Hunter, and quietly asked, "Yes, Professor?"


    Without looking back, he said, "Stay close. And if I say run out, you run. Get the bike and go. Don''t even look back."


    Her chest filled with choking apprehension. But even though she agreed that this was a responsible strategy and kind of the older fairy, Eun Ha couldn''t really imagine herself doing it; as much as she wished she wasn''t there. "I can''t just¡­"


    "Jung. In places like this, often your wand won''t be enough. "


    "OK. I''m going to run a lot," she replied as she scanned the place up and down with her eye behind the blue lens. She could see the corrupted touch here and there, like a slight vapor that was visible only to the eye with the monocle. She was two paces from the Hunter, who was using a regular flashlight.


    The smell of the place was not good, in fact it was quite stomach-turning for Eun Ha. The vanilla scent predominated, i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed on everything, but there was another indistinct smell that, combined with the spice, smelled sweet yet acrid, and nauseating. This, coupled with the crackling of insects and random and unexpected sounds that Eunha couldn''t really identify, made her anxious and alert.


    The fairy couple heard a heavy sound upstairs, and the Hunter turned briefly to signal silence to his apprentice. They had barely advanced five more steps toward the stairs when the freight elevator pulleys groaned and the platform began to slowly rise.


    The fairies could spot exactly where the two humans were upstairs with that. Now that they were closer to the stairs, the noises upstairs were clearer; and at least for Eun Ha, who could identify their source, less scary. They were probably already removing the dough mixer.


    Shin said very quietly to the girl: "Let''s go up now, and we''ll be cops. Let''s get them out of here, so I''m the one speaking."


    The girl nodded. Even if Mr. Kim recognized her from their early meeting, he would probably only imagine that his profits as a blackmailer were over, as undercover cops were on Confectioner Lee''s heels.


    As agreed, they began cautiously going upstairs as what sounded to Eun Ha a roar, echoed through the building. Sounds of heavy, hurried footsteps, and a male voice asking nervously, "What was that? What you¡­? Omo¡­!"


    Eun Ha would have liked to be braver, but grabbed the back of the Hunter''s overcoat in despair: "What was that ?!"


    Hunter Shin jerked away from her hold, looking annoyed, and in one swift motion he went up the remaining steps, disappearing into the darkness of the second floor.


    After being abandoned so hastily, and hearing strange sounds of fast footsteps, clangs of heavy cookware and other muffled sounds coming from upstairs, Eun Ha was torn between getting to the second floor or running back to the motorcycle. But curiosity was greater than common sense.


    She reached for Ye Rim''s cell phone in her own bag, and used the mobile''s flashlight to light her way up the stairs. She didn''t intend to run into peril and act rashly as she had in the cafe_even if against her will_ nor did she want to lose her monocle again.


    On the first flight of stairs, she realized that someone was going downstairs in a rush, and instinctively knew it wasn''t Professor Shin. She looked up, even in the semi-darkness, trying to catching the shape with the magic lens before anything else. The monocle revealed it was a human who, upon seeing her, also stopped in the mid of his hurried flight, as paralysed in fear.


    Eun Ha filled her lungs, threw the intense light of the cell phone flashlight on the man''s face, and went into her improvised crazy mode, in which she had an extensive background on:


    "Freeze! Police!" she shouted.


    She was static when she realized it had worked. The man raised his arms, cautiously descending the steps that separated them:


    "Officer, something is happening! There''s something bad going on over there! "He practically whispered agitatedly. "Dead person¡­ And now¡­ Omo, I need to get out of here!"


    The fairy was a little confused because she wasn''t sure how to act now. ''Should I take him out? Was this the plan? Was the plan still on?'' Whatever it was, she had to take action now.


    She made room for him to pass her because she didn''t want to turn her back on him. ''Was Shin getting his things up there?''


    "Someone dead, you said? What did you see?" she asked, intoning her voice as best she could to sound authoritative as a cop would be, following the young man back into the doorway.


    They walked fast, and the man seemed to want to reach the street as fast as he could, even leaving his partner behind.


    Eun Ha is not aware, however, of the sneaky shadow that followed them at close range.

 Chapter 52 - The Wrong Baek

    Mrs. Song turned to both of them with a half-hearted smile, apparently trying to deal with an unexpected situation:


    "Dr. Kim! Glad you''re here!" she exclaimed, and turning to her guest, said,


    "Allow me to introduce two people while our Ye Rim finishes dressing."


    The man looked with interest and a friendly smile at them, and the Pearl''s owner made the introductions:


    "This is our resident singer, Duk Mi. And the young man here is a very esteemed person for us at Pearl, Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon. Please meet President Baek Won Geun, owner of Home Paradise chain store, a friend of Miss Nam."


    Kim was embarrassed that he did not know anything about this chain store, but was saved by the octopus, or rather, Duk Mi:


    "Ahh, Home Paradise ! That Namdaemun household items chainstore!"


    "Your home pre-ttier/ your fam-ily happier/ the be-est store/ and the best pri-i-ces/, right next to yo-yo-you!"


    President Baek hummed the jingle awkwardly, but with a gleam in his eye and a smile, handing his card to both of them. Jun Hyeon and Duk Mi tried their best poker faces, cringing inside about President Baek''s lack of singing skills; but he was a charismatic character to meet, at least.


    Kim greeted him appropriately for his own age, and returned the gesture. And now that he had heard the jingle, he remembered the sticky melody in the mellow female voice he had heard on the radio for a few years already. ''...was it Ye Rim?'' He had to ask,


    "President Baek, your jingle, I mean your store''s jingle¡­ Is Miss Nam singing?"


    "Precious Miss Nam saved my life!" The older man was emphatic. "No one could have done better than her. The idiots say I should change, revamp the jingle! What a nonsense! It''s perfect as it is! It''s my charm! Miss Nam is my lucky charm! By the way, does she already know I''m here?" He turned to the club owner, who said she was going to call the singer and left them. The president then briefly introduced his staff, and then Kim realized that one of them was carrying a large box with a world-renowned brand_ clearly a flamboyant gift for "the precious Miss Nam."


    "I didn''t recognize it before, but now that I did, it''s the voice of our sweet Miss Nam."


    Duk Mi spoke with a beatific smile, and Kim squinted at him, intrigued by the sudden change.


    "Ye Rim is like a daughter to me. Maybe not a daughter, because I''m not married, but rather a niece. A cherished niece, that''s it. Aigoo, a little problem happened today in our rising star''s dressing room, and my sweet little friend is now wearing my dressing room. I say, I don''t care; actually I think she, being a girl, needs more space than I do. ¡­ I am a man used to the night and the difficulties of artistic life. I can dress anywhere. But our young and fresh Miss Nam, is what, but a fairy?"


    The visitor laughed with pleasure, but Kim thought he saw in his slanted eyes a cynicism about Duk Mi''s exaggerated speech.


    "Aigoo, aigoo. Glad my dear young friend is among such kind people! When she left my company, I even cried. I''m not ashamed to say! This man here even cried when she waved her little hand goodbye, saying, ''Thanks for everything, my friend President Baek!'' " He patted his chest, and made a ridiculous falsetto to simulate Ye Rim''s speech. The doctor almost rolled his eyes and wondered if he would see a battle royale of exaggerated people unfolding in front of him. He wasn''t sure which one would rise as winner.


    "But I was so glad to hear from her today, inviting me to come here this night to see her!" The Home Paradise President added, clapping his hands. "Aigoo, aigoo, I''m so anxious."


    Kim was stunned by the latest casual revelation of the older man. Ye Rim had invited the president of the popular product chain to come to see her tonight. And, too, she had invited Jun Hyeon to come to the backstage... Things were beginning to fit in their places, in the surgeon''s mind.


    The dressing room door came out, and the three men turned to wait for Ye Rim to make her entrance_which did not disappoint her oldest admirer, her sunbae and rival, or the doctor who was perplexed by the whole situation.


    Kim felt his heart ache, because it was torn between his new suspicions, and the sight of that beautiful woman and her red and sensual mouth; and how elegant she was in a dark blue velvet dress_ which she fit perfectly, he noted_ and with her hair carelessly done in an updo.


    She seemed, for the first time, to blush at the unexpected attention upon her ¡ª or maybe not so unexpected, as he suspected¡ª at the dressing room door. But soon she returned to normal and noisily exclaimed, showing all her joy in seeing his friend and former boss.


    "President Baek! Oh, omo, you came! You came to see me, President Baek!"


    "My dear Miss Nam! Of course I did!"


    Kim watched this reunion unfolding with attention. In fact, his eyes, just like Duk Mi''s, never left the reactions of either. He would love to know what this whole story in Ye Rim''s past was like. The President of Home Paradise had been very clear that she had been his employee. Things did not fit well, such as this extravagant reunion with an expensive gift that Ye Rim was receiving right now.


    "President Baek! Omo, you shouldn''t!" The box was opened, by the helpful secretary, and Kim noticed the shock and greed in the singer''s eyes¡­ and Mrs. Song as well.


    The President''s ego was puffed up like a balloon, and he was acting like a full-tail peac.o.c.k, while Duk Mi barely discreetly disdained the woolen manteau with furred collar from the French brand.


    "Please, girl, don''t act so stiffly formal! You don''t have to refuse¡­ We''re friends or not?" the president boomed.


    Ye Rim nodded emphatically.


    "Yes? And I''m happy to meet you again. When I thought, ''I''m going to see Nam Ye Rim ssi today, I have to bring something'', I remembered that you were into these fashion magazines and¡­ Well, the saleswoman said this coat was on the cover of that Vogue magazine last winter. Has it gone out of fashion already? You know, I don''t understand high fashion, just what ajuhmas need for their homes, hehe¡­ I can get you another; just let me know."


    In a way, even the flamboyant, ostentatious behavior of the merchant who bought an expensive coat for a girl half his age, was less shocking than the fact that Ye Rim allowed him to actually put the said coat over her shoulders. Dr. Kim suddenly felt a strange pressure in his neck; black blurred dots popped in his peripherial view.


    The surgeon remembered his grandfather saying about the amount of flowers the singer received, enough for her to distribute often to the club goers. Now, a coat that Jun Hyeon thought cost a facelift, why was this man being so generous? ''Aish, for every Miss Golightly there is an old idiot willing to impress her.''


    That Mr Baek was pathetic, and pitiful, the doctor could fully understand. He just waited for the moment when his eyes met hers briefly. He wished to challenge Ye Rim with his gaze, to show now the honest and misunderstood girl she claimed to be all the time, since they stumbled over each other in the cemetery days ago.


    But she stroked the fur of her coat collar with a loud sigh of appreciation.


    "How can I deny such a gift, President Baek! You embarrass me!"


    "Hehe, don''t be like that. I''m glad to see you before my trip to Malaysia."


    Mrs. Song, beside her, looked smiling and definitely impressed after speaking on a walkie talkie.


    "President Baek, perhaps you would like to join your guests, we have already prepared more tables. We are very happy with your visit. Ye Rim should start the show!"


    The singer nodded, and Kim thought he had seen what he needed to see there. There was nothing wrong. Only Nam Ye Rim was an ordinary and fully understandable person.


    When their eyes met once more, as the President and his staff left the backstage, she seemed to apologize for something. He just raised his eyebrows, accepting the situations as they presented themselves.


    By the time Ye Rim took the stage, Kim Jun Hyeon had already left Pearl.

 Chapter 53 - Sugar Plum Fairy

    Eun Ha was walking four steps behind the young man who had come down the stairs. Her scam as a cop wasn''t going to last long, though, and she just had to get him to leave quickly, while Hunter Shin sorted out the rest.


    As they walked out into the yard, though the night was cold, damp and dark, the fresh air was a little better than the suffocating sweety stench inside. Her normal eye without the monocle also seemed to see better, and she turned off the flashlight and put the cellphone in her pocket.


    "What happened up there?" She insisted, as he mentioned that he had seen a corpse. But just now the weight of the word ''corpse'' seemed to sink on her. "Tell me everything."


    She kept following her surroundings with her magic monocle, only now she saw that other areas out there were also heavily stained by the ''depressing'' stain, but she noticed that its magical ability was quickly fading. On the floor, half melted from earlier rain, protest signs_that had apparently been torn from the factory walls_ demanded labor rights and protested against the threat to public health. Looking at them, her gaze diverted to the boy''s feet in front of her.


    Socks and slippers.


    Freezing, she looked around. They weren''t going to the loading dock either.


    She felt a shiver of realization of her mistake as he turned around with a scornful look.


    "Do you really want me to tell you everything, ''cop''?" His voice denoted neither fear nor respect.


    Eun Ha swallowed hard. ''Am I this stupid?'' She was busted.


    "You''re a deserter soldier," she stated, thinking that she should keep the character even if he showed suspicion. With luck, she could keep him under control by threatening him. She just didn''t like the boy''s strange look, bright and dangerous. So she kept going:


    "At this point, you need to cooperate so that everything ends well. Did you hurt the people who were taking things from the factory? Someone got hurt and you think you might have killed him? Calm down, my partner will check this out. Just be calm and cooperate; and it will be over soon."


    He took two steps toward her, but she backed away a little more, and tightened her grip on her wand. "Mr. Lee, don''t you dare try anything against a cop."


    He clackled under his breath,


    "Is Miss Fashionista really a cop, who''s out there ready for Instagram stories? Cut this out, cute noona¡­ Did you come after your close friend Han? What was your relationship with him? Was him your Boyfriend?"


    ''Damn! Betrayed by my good taste on clothes!''


    "Hey. Calm down. What do you mean by that? Why do you keep talking about him¡­ in the past?"


    "Haha. You are funny, noona. But I can show you. I can show you how poetic and ironic it was. That bastard punk in search of fame and likes destroyed the reputation of my family. Did you know he admitted it? I have the tape here."


    He tapped the front pocket of his sweatshirt, "He said he didn''t think he was going to get this big, but he couldn''t back down¡­ Because he''d lose his reputation! But what about my father''s reputation?! What about the reputation of the factory that was my parent''s dream coming true, and the livelihood of many families?! That narcissistic dude¡­! cried and begged in the end, that damn¡­"


    As shocked as she was, Eun Ha didn''t even need the deserter soldier to tell the rest of the macabre story. She was just worried because she realized he was just telling it to keep her attention. His body swayed, and she imagined he would try to attack her soon.


    He had all the advantage in the world: he was bigger, muscular, and probably much more agile with his military training. ''How I wish I had a taser and not a wand now! And that useless hunter, did he completely forgot that he brought me and that I am a mere apprentice? What of supernatural is going on upstairs that he''s so busy? I''m so screwed¡­''


    "So you killed Han Dong Won...!" Eun Ha asked in a sudden, but before the Soldier Lee acted, she threw Professor Shin''s bag on the man, and spun on her heels, running wildly.


    Eun Ha ran down the side of the building, not looking back and not knowing how close he was after her. She reached the trash bin and realized she had no way out. ''Omo, oo, what to do?''She looked around for a way to use the boxes and stacked objects to climb and jump over the wall.


    The outdoor lighting dimmed creeply, and she distincly heard light footsteps behind her. The monocle was useless now, but she didn''t need it to know she was in trouble.


    "Oh, Sugar Plum Fairy!" the thin, slightly childish mocking voice made her shiver. Even aware of the danger of turning her back on the psychotic ex-soldier coming after her, Eun Ha turned to the creature behind her.


    Standing about five paces away, this slim, long-limbed, slender, hunched creature with a large, distended belly; and thin, disgusting moped hair, kept its feverish saucer eyes on Eun Ha. In those eyes, the fairy saw mostly greed. The creature licked its obscenely red, greedy lips:


    "Should we make a swap, fairy?"


    "D-do y-you know what I am?" she was flabbergasted by the appearance of this creepy creature.


    "You? A much coveted delicacy so much in vogue lately. Probably a lot better than devouring a human corpse, Sugar Plum Fairy."


    Eun Ha felt involuntary tears trickle down her cheeks.


    "About to pee yourself, little fairy? You trespass into my new home uninvited, and you think you can do whatever mess you want to? Why are you all like this? You fairies are such partycrashers¡­ But it seems that the rookie little fairy has no way for the craft¡­" he showed Eun Ha a wooden spoon, in a provocative way, and began to come closer slowly. His lips quivered with excitement. It seemed that the ghostly and disgusting creature felt quite sure of its superiority; like a tiger encircling the prey. Eun Ha could only stare at that mouth, whose lips pulled with excitement and revealed rows of pointed teeth. The scary smile became a monstrous mouth expanding unnaturally to snap at its prey.


    "Aish¡­ How annoying is to hang out with amateurs. I really don''t know how to do my job with a rookie along. Sorry for that."


    In hindsight, she couldn''t tell the exactly moment she realized it was the other fairy''s voice, in an extremely bored tone, on the top of the wall behind her.


    Suddenly Eun Ha saw a blurred object whish down past her, and the creature''s chest jutted inward. Eun Ha did not hear her own voice, but knew she shrieked loudly in terror. The monster toppled, falling sideways. And Shin, in three strides, jumped off the wall, sprung forward and clashed over the evil spirit; stepping on its ribs and tugging at its hair as he pulled the dagger from the monster''s twisted chest. The creature gurgled, trying to struggle.


    "And sorry for the party crashing," Shin told the awgi, keeping it under control.


    She understood that the Hunter intended to slay the creature, and she closed her eyes and ran off to avoid seeing. Eun Ha ran into the wall with a thud, trying to run without seeing, and was painfully dizzy for a moment:


    "Ouch!"


    She kept her back, covering her ears to avoid hearing, and now with a throbbing pain in her forehead. ''Is this what a hunter does? What a horrible thing! What foul creature is this? Does he¡­ eat corpses? He ate the corpse of¡­ Oh, I don''t want to think, I don''t want to think, what a horrible thing! I just want this to end, why did the Hunter ask me to come?''


    She realized that soon or someone was approaching her, and opened her eyes in fright. But it was Professor Shin, who had crouched at her feet to pick up the wooden spoon with the tip of his coat. He, as usual, was a total mess and seemed to have been quite busy so far. Shin stood up and said,


    "Come on, Jung. Enough of this place for now."


    "Is everything settled up? Are the blackmailer and his friend all right? The psycho deserter? What was this creature? And this place, will it go on like this?" she snapped, already following her teacher in quick steps.


    "Yes. Yes. Later. For a while," he said, stopping to pick up his bag thrown near the unconscious soldier. The Hunter pulled a rope and quickly and skillfully bound the killer''s hands and feet to his pupil''s amazement. Eun Ha understood that they were laconic answers to her questions. Her heart was still beating fast and painfully in her chest, but she agreed with the Hunter, she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.


    When they got to the bike, Shin took his phone and typed something, then put the phone back in his pocket. At the younger fairy''s questioning look, he shrugged, "It''s helpful to have a contact into the police. They will come here to solve their human affairs." He took the helmet, held it out to her, and said,


    "But it''s over here. Shall we eat something?"


    Eun Ha couldn''t master her thoughts with the Hunter''s careless question, and threw up the contents of her stomach on the sidewalk.

 Chapter 54 - Brave

    Ye Rim had arrived late, as usual, and when she opened the apartment door, she noticed that the key was jammed. "Did Eun Ha forgot the key in the door again?!" She tried to pull her phone out of her bag as she struggled carrying the box with President Baek''s valuable gift. But before she called her unnie, the message popped on her phone:


    "Is that you, Ye Rim?"


    "What happened? Open the door."


    "I need to make sure."


    What the...?! What?! Unnie ?! I want to come in!" Ye Rim tried to control her voice so as not to wake the neighbors. She heard the footsteps on the other side of the door. "A prank like this, late in the night, please no, unnie, I''m exhausted."


    "What''s your dog''s name in sophomore year?"


    "Bita. From Vitamin. Now let me in, funny girl." To her astonishment, Ye Rim heard the shuffle of furniture, possibly the sofa, and then the door opened a little. Eun Ha looked up at her with fearful eyes before wide opening the door. The singer came in, a little worried, and as she passed her older friend, Ye Rim found that for some strange reason Eun Ha smelled of garlic. She dropped the large box on the sofa and collapsed into it, exhausted.


    "Unnie, what is going on? Why are you wrapped like that in the blanket?" she asked, mentioning the fact that Eun Ha covered her head with the duvet like she was a Joseon maiden protecting from sun. "And why are you locking everything up like this? Did someone try to break in here?" it was the only plausible explanation for her unnie''s strange behavior.


    "No, ha, well, I heard noises. And ... Well, they sent me a horrible video before I went to sleep, and I ... I woke up scared in the middle of the night, listening to noises. Maybe someone tried to get in, but I just wished to make sure our house was safe."


    "And that strong garlic smell? Did you order any food? I thought you were on a diet¡­?"


    "Ah?" Eun Ha ran her hand quickly around her neck under the blanket, seeming to pull something out. "Yes, I mean no. Don''t talk about my breath like that."


    Ye Rim for a moment even thought her friend had dreamed of vampires. "Eun Ha, if you''re going to be watching creepy videos, at least get a boyfriend to call when you wake up scared this way!"


    The older one sat next to her best friend, still wrapped in the blanket from head to toe, and glanced at the box, but didn''t ask any question:


    "What ?! You will see a big Dior box and is not going to ask what it is? You, out of everyone else?!" though tired and intrigued, Ye Rim was more shocked by Eun Ha acting so strangely. "Come here, let me see if you have a fever," she advanced on her friend with the back of her outstretched hand to measure her temperature. Eun Ha dodged her Hans and slapped it out of her way,


    "Did you go out to return one outfit, and come back home with another?"


    "It was a day full of plot twists. But look," Ye Rim took her new coat out of the box, and saw a flicker of interest in her frightened friend''s eyes. In fact, Eun Ha was constantly looking around like a scared kitten every time a little noise was heard in the building." It''s beautiful, isn''t it?"


    "Wow! It''s from the last collection. Yoo Ji Kyung had one of those on Vogue Korea," Ye Rim put it on, eager to show her friend the coat, and Eun Ha stood up, balancing the blanket as best she could with one hand, and went to touch the coat, feel its texture, check the seams and finishings, admiring the quality and design of the clothing.


    "I heard that three times tonight." she confided, laughing. "President Baek of Home Paradise. He came to Pearl and bring it for me."


    "No way!" Eun Ha exclaimed, with a pained expression.


    "I didn''t know what to do! I was so happy to see him again, and everyone who went there today! The house sold out, they spent a lot there! You know how flamboyant the President is."


    "Well, but¡­ the coat was a bit over the top, didn''t it?"


    "Yes. But I couldn''t make him to be ashamed in front of his employees. You know he is like that. He gets satisfied with this kind of¡­ ostentation. He was very good to me in the past, I couldn''t refuse in front of them. He would feel devastated. But I''m gonna find a way to give it back to him. By the way, I will have to do this early in the morning, because he said he would travel to Manilla in the afternoon. Do you believe he wanted me to go with him?"


    "Uhn, he''s very nice, but maybe not so innocent!" Eun Ha slapped the coat, as if beating President Baek for his boldness. Ye Rim escaped and fetched a glass of water to soothe her throat after a night of work. From the kitchen, and still wearing her coat, she said,


    "Are you doing laundry at this hour?"


    "Ah, well, yes," the older girl just gave up explaining why the washing machine was working in the middle of the night. "Well, if you wish, tomorrow morning we can go together return his gift. We can do this discreetly. He''s a really good man, and if his pleasure is being admired as a man who likes to gift extravagant things away, what to do? But you''re right, keeping it is weird."


    "He goes on to say that the jingle saved his business from bankruptcy. He is cute. I wanted to keep this coat so badly! But that would be abuse, and a reason for him to think wrong things about me. Ah!" she seemed to remember something. "Am I still pretty? For pictures? It would be nice to have photos with this wonderful manteau on my Instagram, right?"


    "You silly! Yes! You look decadent at the end of the night, with this blurry makeup, but a nice dress and a beautiful coat. Decadent glamour! Especially with the kitchen in the background and the glass of water in hand. Just like as a fancy fashion editorial. Let me get the camera."


    "Yes, let me enjoy the last moments with this wonderful coat! And when you get back, I''ll tell everything else what happened before it. The audition, and the ... Dr. Kim!" She squeed, and the older girl, who was in the middle of a step to fetch her photographic equipment, suddenly froze. ''Dr. Kim ?! What does she mean, how does she happen to speak his name with such excitement ?!''


    ¡­


    Later, after the photos and reports, Ye Rim was in her bed, slowly drifting into sleep as the images of the day shuffled through her half numb mind: bills to pay; the avocado in the fridge that was rotting; the hot coffee and how the more she knew Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon, the stranger and, in his own way, the more fascinating he became; and how he and the disturbing Lee Dae Won were talking about her but she couldn''t hear a thing; until she hit the memory lane, with the joyful feeling of seeing loved ones:


    President Baek and people she worked with in the time she was a mere store clerk in Namdaemun, how she had been deceived about the content of the ''idols'' agency deal. Agency that were nothing more than a fa?ade for obscure dealings and that threatened to sue Ye Rim if she didn''t pay for the breach of contract. It lead her to work part time with a microphone in her hand attracting customers with household sale offerings at the store door.


    The day the President Baek listened to the jingle she created and decided to use it in a radio advertis.e.m.e.nt, and how it resulted in a contract with an overseas manufacturer who thought his modest network was bigger than it really was.


    That was the start of his rise as a successful chain owner, and also of his penchant for gaudy extravaganzas. She learned that he, in the past, was a very poor and self-educated man, who started his business by selling socks as street vendor, and used to thought it was a reason for him to be so flaunt of his new wealthy status.


    President Baek learned of Ye Rim''s problem with the agency, and somehow scared them to leave her alone. She realized that the President seemed more solicitous than appropriate for the difference in status and especially the difference in age, but he was a kind man and never really proposed anything, though Ye Rim feared the day it would inevitably happen. Until she was finally accepted by a serious idol agency, and said she would resign¡­


    "Ye Rim-ahhhhhhh!" Eun Ha showed her head, wrapped back in the blanket, through the doorway. By her tone alone, Ye Rim already knew that Eun Ha wanted something.


    "Ahnnnn?"


    "Can I sleep here?"


    "Really, unnie? Still scared?" she made room in the bed for the other girl. Eun Ha ran to the bed, a beam of light dancing in the dark preceded her.


    "Aigoo! What are you doing with a flashlight and¡­ this pen of yours, unnie?"


    "Ah, the pen? I just¡­ got it by accident."


    "Please, if you''re going to get it on, turn it the other way."


    "Okay."


    "Where in the world an a.d.u.l.t woman that went to college is afraid of ghosts¡­" Ye Rim grumbled, curling up in her own covers and turning her back, but realizing that Eun Ha was really scared and wide awake. ''Aigoo I cannot sleep with Eun Ha being so scared by my side.''


    "Was the video too bad? What was it about?"


    "If I tell you, we''ll be both scared."


    "Okay. So let''s just sleep, okay? Give me your hand," she reached under the cover, awaiting the contact of Eun Ha''s hand. Her unnie''s cold hand touched hers.


    "Aigoo, Unnie. What a ghost hand!"


    "You don''t know what a ghost hand is."


    "It''s just like yours. Chilling cold."


    "No, it''s not."


    "Oh really? And how is it then?"


    "Yeah¡­ never mind. You don''t need to know."


    "You''re scaring me saying that."


    "I''m not."


    "Yeah, you''re right. No you''re not. I''m too sleepy to be afraid. And don''t worry, your donsaeng is here to defend you. Now sleep. And turn off the flashlight."


    "Aish!"


    The flashlight light went out.

 Chapter 55 - A Friend of Mine Told Me

    "If you weren''t dressed in as a gwisin*, no one would be looking at us awkwardly" Ye Rim grumbled moodily when for the fourth time a child gaped and got afraid to cross ways with Eun Ha because of her garments. The child''s mother had scowled at the stylist and pulled her son away, while the two women strolled late-afternoon along a busy sidewalk. The fairy shrugged, straightening the gat on her head:


    "I don''t expect everyone to understand the concept of my exquisite outfit."


    "I don''t understand it, for example. This blue...ah, thing in just one eye, for instance. What do you call that?" Ye Rim commented rather mockingly.


    "Mo-no-cle. Monocle. It''s part of my¡­ ahem, Joseon Steampunk concept." Eun Ha instinctively corrected the position of the accessory on her face. "President Baek liked it."


    "He must have thought you were cosplaying."


    "Humpf! His opinion doesn''t matter either. He buys things he doesn''t understand, just because they were seen in a magazine or actress X used it. He doesn''t understand true style."


    "What I''m trying to say is that maybe today you''re exaggerating for a simple¡­" Ye Rim''s reasoning was cut short as her friend abruptly pulled her by the hand to go across the street and enter in a fancy and expensive coffee shop.


    "No, unnie! Hadn''t we agreed that we weren''t going to spend on superfluous things this month?" the younger woman protested, but her unnie turned as soon as they reached the opposite sidewalk.


    "I''m thirsty. And we passed by 4 coffee shops. But I REALLY want to get into this cafeteria and rest my feet while peacefully drinking a GOOD Americano in a NICE place. We agreed not to spend on superfluous things, but¡­ A coffee shop like that, exactly as this one¡­ It''s¡­ PRICELESS," she was quite emphatic, which impressed and confused Ye Rim, but the singer agreed.


    "Just this once, okay?"


    Eun Ha grinned. "Just this once!"


    ¡­


    The two girls were accommodated by the waitress in a booth facing the door, with the eccentrically dressed person with her back to the newcomers. But after a good look at the surroundings, Eun Ha took off both her hat and monocle. They made their orders, and Ye Rim''s unnie asked,


    "Did you say the weirdo doctor left without saying goodbye last night?"


    The singer laughed at the ''weirdo'', "Yeah, but well, he''s a real doctor, there might have been an emergency or something."


    "What emergency can a plastic surgeon have? Someone calls him in the middle of the night saying, ''Doctor, the patient is suffering a wrinkle stroke right now, please hurry up!?''"


    "Hahah, you''re so funny! I don''t know why he suddenly left, but I suspect it has something to do with the arrival of President Baek!"


    "Yes!" the fairy cannot hide a victorious exclamation.


    "What?"


    "Aerm¡­ Yes!, you wouldn''t believe me, but the oppa sitting behind you is a god! He''s so hot! I think he just came back from the restroom. I had a full view on him, he''s totally hot!" Eun Ha corrected her exclamation of joy knowing that her plan was working, even starting wrong as it did, when she noticed the stylish man in the booth behind her friend.


    Ye Rim was going to turn to check him, but Eun Ha stopped her, whispering, "Don''t look now! Also, he is sitting with his back to you. You will not be able to see his face. Wait a little more, them you go to the restroom and grab a good look of him on your way back. He''s just awesome!"


    "Okay. But¡­ I don''t know if I should call Dr. Kim, and ask what happened¡­"


    "Omo, why would you do that? Are you guys having something? Why would you demand explanations about his private life, and why in the world would he have the right to dislike the fact you have friends and fans, when you two have nothing to do with one another?"


    "It''s not ''demanding explanations'', I''d just call to¡­"


    "Justify yourself? Tell him about President Baek and that you returned his expensive gift, and about how you just didn''t do it on spot not to embarrass President Baek? Is it really important to him?"


    "Oh, I don''t think so."


    "You aren''t in a relationship, and from all that you have reported about that Dr. Kim, he seems to have a bias about you being interested in wealthy men, no matter what. I wouldn''t be surprised if he thinks you are an opportunist."


    "Oh!" Ye Rim was shocked by her friend''s words, but finally agreed. "You''re right, unnie. I think he might been thinking something in these lines..."


    "He might even think you did it because of him. Returning the coat, I mean."


    "But it wasn''t because of him! Nor would I tell him that I returned the coat, for what matter."


    "Great. So do not call him, Ye Rim. Don''t embarrass yourself asking for something he didn''t care to tell you. Clearly he didn''t think it was important to tell you. Perhaps he was annoyed that President Baek''s arrival ruined his plans for a ''one night stand''!"


    "But I wouldn''t¡­!"


    "C''mon Ye Rim, to a man who acted so rudely at first, all these free rides, patiently waiting for you to do your businesses..." the older one hinted at the air. "Is there a single man in the world who doesn''t want something else, a ''big something else'', in exchange for his ''kindness''?"


    "Wow, unnie, you''re scaring me today! I''ve never seen you as cynical as today¡­" she sipped her coffee, looking worriedly at her friend. Eun Ha snorted,


    "Uhn¡­ Is not like I''m lying. They always want more! True story!"


    "True... true story?" Ye Rim raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested.


    "There''s this... girl... this... Dr. Park''s patient! She... was in trouble. Like, with her college grades. Poor thing. It has been difficult. She even started to cheat on the tests. Then that horrible oppa showed up in her life."


    "Hm¡­"


    "Seriously! He said to her, ''Listen, I know what you''re doing, and if you keep this up, I''ll report you!'' "


    "He''s acting right, isn''t he? Why is he a horrible oppa?"


    Eun Ha grimaced before answering, emphasizing that she had not finished saying,


    "Ok, just listen. She replied, ''Okay, I don''t want to keep doing that either, I''ll stop it.'' And him: ''I can teach you, if you wish.'' She: ''Wow, great, I''d appreciate, thank you.'' He: ''But you will pay me by working for me when I need it.'' "


    Ye Rim stopped drinking her coffee, staring at her friend doubtfully:


    "But¡­ this Dr. Park client¡­ she told you all of this in the dentist''s chair?"


    "Ah? Oh no. It was while waiting for Dr. Park to arrive. People like to confide in doctor''s offices."


    "Ah¡­" Ye Rim was used to some of her bestie''s fibbing, and sometimes confronted her, sometimes let it go. But this time, although the story had some typical elements from a fudge by Eun Ha, it didn''t look like anything that could happen to her either. "And what''s the matter with this deal?"


    "All the problems! All what he taught her was mere breadcrumbs, and he demands that she be his... maid."


    "What do you mean ?!"


    "Yes! He demands that she¡­ do things for him."


    "But¡­ what kind of things? No¡­ that kind of stuff¡­ ?!"


    "Oh! Not! Not that kind of stuff! But¡­ things. Like¡­ Going to all kinds of places to sort things out¡­"


    "What would it be ''to sort things out''?"


    "Ah, well¡­ she didn''t specify. I just wonder. She said she has to work out unpleasant things, and... work out what he asks. It is a heavy work. She is feeling¡­ cheated! She thinks the trade is not hanging favorably on her side. That this¡­ Man, this man¡­ He''s taking advantage of the situation."


    "Uhn, I don''t know if I got it right, but then this girl was in trouble because of misuse in college, and if caught cheating, she would end very screwed up. So this man not only discovered it, and didn''t report it, but offered to help her honestly get her grades back for some services, but this girl thinks she''s being abused."


    "Yes!"


    "But... Don''t you think this girl is used to an easy life? She didn''t study, and even cheated. Now she''s thinking studying sucks, and she doesn''t want to stick to the deal either."


    "No! It''s not like that!"


    "You only heard her side. What do you mean, ''isn''t it''? And this man who could have report her? Is he teaching the girl or not?"


    "He is, but¡­"


    "For a moment, you reacted in a way that I might even think we were talking about you¡­ haha. Good thing I know you''re not in such a situation, and you graduated with praise."


    "Yeah, isn''t it? Hehe¡­ Of course it''s not me. What would it be like? I''m a graduate... Hehe. What a thought! This girl tries hard. She wants to do things the right way. But she also began to think that the man who is teaching her may be diluting the lessons to take advantage of her service. The lessons are super short and summarized, but the work he tells her to do¡­ is a pile of things."


    "Wow, who is he, the Karate Kid''s master?"


    "Haha, you''re the funny one today."


    "Just thinking¡­ If you''re sure this girl is the type who doesn''t complain for bullshit, why don''t you tell her to talk to that teacher? If it''s an exchange, a business relationship, like any other, she should demand what she thinks is right!"


    "But¡­ What if the man takes offense and decides not to teach her anymore?"


    "Uhn¡­ I don''t know. But if he does not teach it for free, there may be several reasons. Most likely, he needs someone to do what he asked her to do."


    "Ah, I thought that too. He doesn''t even seem to be the type who share tasks."


    "Ah? Do you know him?"


    "Ah? Not! It''s just ... she told this story in detail. It''s a long treatment."


    Ye Rim shivered at the thought of a long dental treatment. "Poor thing. But then, if so, he will agree to renegotiate."


    "If not¡­"


    "Can she get another tutor, perhaps?" at Eun Ha''s bleak expression and denial, Ye Rim lost patience. "Ah, I don''t know anything. This girl has to confront him and adjust things. If he is a man with good intentions, things will become clear. If, on the contrary, he is intent on enslaving this girl in exchange of shit and silence, she can think of something to do. What?! Are you even listening to me? Aish, tell me a tangled story of someone I don''t even know, and I can''t even give my opinion? What was this, a monologue? What? Who¡­ ?!" she reacted impatiently to Eun Ha''s worried expression, and turned her face to see what her friend was staring at her back.


    At the same moment Eun Ha pulled her by the neck, trying to stop her from it, but she spotted the woman coming in their direction, and was seen by her as well. Ye Rim ducked down, but it was too late.


    "Aish!"

 Chapter 56 - Round 1

    The glamorous, beautiful woman coming downstairs from the cafe''s upper store floor, Yoon Ji Ah, changed her snob expression to one of extreme disgust when she spotted Ye Rim and Eun Ha next to the exit. She looked like she wished to unsee them as she exchanged words with a cafe''s employee, looking nervous and shaken, but apparently unable to ignore them. Suddenly she turned and strutted straight to their table.


    With the same age as Ye Rim and Eun Ha, the elegant woman looked out of a magazine cover, with a sober and elegant outfit matching her accessories; her beautiful, shiny black hair falling like silk on her back. She was the epitome of Korean beauty. The woman stared at them, her face locked in a cynical and mocking expression, saying nothing in a first moment.


    Ye Rim, who pretended to look out the window while sipping her now cold coffee, turned with an astonished expression worthy of an actress:


    "Oh? Oh Ji Ah! Omo, girl, you look so good!" of course Ye Rim knew this was not the expected reaction, as they had slapped each other in the past and deeply hated each other. But seeing Ji Ah and her embarrassed and furious reaction made her feel bad for carrying on a grudge from a time when both were just girls fighting for who knows what. She still couldn''t get the grudge out of her heart, but she felt at that point she was prepared to try doing it. And if she didn''t take the first step, who would?


    "Ah ?! Yeah, thanks," said the other girl, blushing, with a surprised and embarrassed smile. "This hair color looks good on you, Ye Rim! Long time no see!"


    "Wow, yes! Thank you!" Ye Rim was victorious for trying and taking the first step to overcome their differences. "What have you been up to?"


    The newcomer looked around and saw Eun Ha. Pretending there was no one there, she sat beside the fairy on the bench, and held out her hand for Ye Rim to see her sparkling engagement ring. Ye rim shrieked,


    "Oh, how pretty! Congratulations! Who''s the lucky one?"


    "Congratulations!" Eun Ha leaned toward the newcomer, and curiously examined the ring as it was on Ji Ah''s side. "Two carats, huh? Is it real or a zirconia?"


    Ji Ah bit her lip, but said nothing to Eun Ha, looking at Ye Rim, who felt appraised from head to toes. "Ah, you can only be kidding that you don''t know who he could be¡­?"


    "Should I have known?!" Ye Rim tried to get around the situation, she didn''t want to make the conversation unpleasant, but also wouldn''t admit to knowing that Ji Ah had a longtime dating with a HTN host. It was like admitting that she cared and followed Ji Ah''s life. What she didn''t do. But it would look like if she admitted to knowing.


    "Are you really going to sit next to someone and ignore that person?" Eun Ha leaned a little toward Ji Ah, clearly annoying her.


    Ji Ah looked at the fairy out of the corner of her eye, and just muttered, "I thought it was a scarecrow signaling an out of order seat. An old broom with an overcoat on it. I didn''t know it was a person. I''m sorry."


    Eun Ha narrowed her eyes, and muttered, "Some people never change. They don''t even learn from losing suits." Ye Ri stared hard at her unnie, urging her to stop teasing the former Bombshell''s member, but it seemed to make no effect.


    "Unless you want to make it into a fight ring, I''m just talking to my former agency colleague. Just ignore me for a moment, I''m just going to greet Ye Rim, forgive me if I don''t feel obligated to greet the person who sued me for assault."


    "Oh, so-rry! Does a celebrity attack a fan of her own group and thinks she shouldn''t be sued? I really am a obtuse person, on which planet do I live...?" feigning an innocent tone, Eun Ha poured out.


    "Let''s forget about the past," Ye Rim interfered, a little more aggressively than she would have liked, and then better modulated her tone to sound pleasant. "I want to forget that horrible incident. Actually, I think that''s what we ALL should do. Change is welcome, isn''t it? Ji Ah will start a new life, get married and start a family¡­ And we also changed a lot, don''t we? I am a mindful person. The anger and resentment are gone. Peace is in me, I wish that peace be in you as well. Namaste Ahn? Namaste."


    Eun Ha and Ji Ah blinked in astonishment, and Ji Ah replied, a little confused, "Yes¡­ Great! I agree! A new life, no hard feelings. It suits me and this new moment of mine," she sounded pretentious and full of herself again, remembering once again that she was engaged with a healthy man. The fairy rolled her eyes beside her so that Ye Rim could see, but the singer pretended to ignore it.


    "How are the preparations going?" Ye Rim asked casually, just to keep a conversation.


    "Well, we plan to have the ceremony in May. It''s a bit overwhelming! Too many things to see and decide! Where will the honeymoon, the dress, the wedding parlor¡­ Maybe you can give me some advice¡­ You have always been the best at everything, your advice is precious¡­ "Ji Ah looked at Ye Rim''s hands, without any rings like,


    "Oh! Did I say something wrong? Hadn''t you found the man of your life? I thought I understood that the last time we met! Haha, you were pretty confident and even a bit overblown that day, by the side of that oppa!"


    Eun Ha turned to Ye Rim, worried!

 Chapter 57 - Round 2

    Ye Rim blushed and felt dizzy with Ji Ah''s quick play. ''The bitch doesn''t mean to have her exit without throwing shade on me¡­''


    "Oh, well¡­ it didn''t work out." She just said.


    "Oh¡­ Too bad!"


    "Ye Rim was focusing on her career¡­, different schedules, it''s understandable¡­ When you have a schedule, I mean." Eun Ha interrupted abruptly, leaning over the table to pick up Ye Rim''s bag and dragging it across the table slowly as if it were heavier than it really was. The other two women followed her move as if mesmerized and confused, until Eun Ha justified:


    "Excuse me, will you lend me a mirror for a moment, Ye Rim?" The singer just nodded, sensing that it would escalate, and that the ''namaste'' moment was already behind her.


    It made Ji Ah snap out from her trancelike state and pay real attention to the accessory:


    "Oh, how beautiful! Is it real? I remember seeing this one about... five collections ago? I''m aware inspired versions came to market¡­ I mean, everyone uses fake right now. It''s not a shame anymore." She set her expensive bag on the table casually, starting an inevitable comparison.


    Ye Rim was a little annoyed, as her purse, despite being a famous brand and having a great sentimental value, was already a little worn out, unlike Ji Ah''s purse that seemed to have just left the store.


    "Wow! Your mother-in-law will be very demanding of you after giving you such a bag! It''s a message, Ji Ah! It''s a message! Says: Take good care of my baby or I''ll drag you by the hair and throw you away like I do with my money. "Eun Ha started rummaging through her friend''s bag, and commented with a smile.


    "What are you talking about?! I didn''t get that bag from my mother-in-law! "Ye Rim''s eternal rival returned, annoyed.


    "Wow, you carry a lot of things, Ye Rim, where is the mirror? Aish, what''s this hooking up my sleeve? Ah, your car key! "Eun Ha pulled a BMW key out of his purse. Both Ye Rim and Ji Ah widened their eyes in surprise. The fairy continued, trying to keep a composed face: "Oh, wasn''t it? Don''t tell me it was your own money? "


    "I don''t know why I have to answer that, but I won on my birthday. From my fiance. But what difference does it make?"


    "Ah, it''s always better to be the one who makes his own money. Gaining gifts is very easy, but it is not so easy to make money from your talent."


    "It sounds like you''re trying to tease me, Morticia. But you''re right, I don''t want another process. Why don''t you take your broom and fly around?"


    "Please, you two, why don''t you let it go? Everything has been resolved legally, and it''s been so long. I''m happy for you, Ji Ah."


    Uhn¡­" Ji Ah looked suspiciously at Eun Ha beside her, who didn''t even bother to answer, and kept rummaging through her friend''s bag and pulling items from there, allegedly looking for a mirror. Several imported luxury make-ups, and a Hermes wallet came out of Ye Rim''s purse, to the disguised disguise and envy of Ji Ah. Ye Rim didn''t quite understand what kind of new trick Eun Ha had learned to pretend to get so many fake objects out of her bag, but deep down, she was enjoying how much it was affecting Ji Ah. Finally, Eun Ha pulled out a HTN ID card in a matching lanyard. This time, even Ye Rim was impressed.


    The fairy just set it aside, next to Ji Ah, and finally rescued the mirror from her purse.


    "I¡­ I''m happy for you too, Ye Rim. It looks like you are doing really good. "She stood up, getting ready to leave them, while gesturing at the table and the objects. Ye Rim also got up to greet her on the way out.


    "Well, I really am. I''ve been focusing on my career, but one day, maybe, I''m getting married as well!"


    "After all, no one needs to marry at 27 as if it was one''s expiration date. "Eun Ha''s voice, in the background as if talking to herself , was heard, which made Ji Ah turn indignantly to her.


    "What''s your problem, your talking umbrella?"


    Eun Ha was going to answer, but Ye Rim didn''t want to risk another scandal and covered her friend''s mouth.


    "Kudos to your fiance. I hope to meet you soon!"


    "Well, if you don''t know him yet, it shouldn''t be long. We''ll definitely see each other at HTN get-togethers."


    Ye Rim, as well as Eun Ha, blinked in shock as she realized that she really thought Ye Rim worked at HTN.


    "Bye¡­"


    "Bye¡­"


    The two staged a cheerful farewell with kisses in the air, while barely keeping their eyes from rolling at each other.


    Eun Ha gathered the objects and put them back in the bag, and when Ji Ah turned to her, still unsure whether to greet her or not, the fairy stopped everything she was doing and made the namaste gesture to the former singer.


    Which of course pissed her off deeply.


    "You¡­ maladjusted emo!"


    "Namaste!"


    Ji Ah turned away so annoyed that she even tripped, which made her even angrier. When she left the room, Ye Rim hurriedly sat up, whispering,


    "Unnie! What are you doing?! What was that ?!"


    "Just a trick I saw on the internet. ''Striking back a snobbish bitch''. Basically, keep it in terms she can understand. Did you really think you would soften that venomous snake with a peace flag? With spirituality talk? She was ready to rub that second-class little diamond in our noses! How dare she to come up and brag the presents she gets?!"


    "Aigoo, you''re so aggressive today, unnie!"


    "That teacher taught very little, but at least it was enough."


    "Teacher? I thought that..."


    "Oh no, the YouTuber. The fake stuff video. "She slung Ye rim''s bag over her shoulder and stood up. She didn''t want her friend to see the real objects she''d created with magic from other things in her bag. Had she really produced the key to a BMW?"


    "I wanted to make it up to her¡­ but you''re right. Ji Ah never liked me, and she certainly hates you for suing her for assault."


    "She got away from it with community service." Eun Ha shrugged.


    "Where did you find that HTN access card? She''ll soon find out I''m not a HTN employee."


    "Don''t say never. It''s a good thing to happen next year."


    Ye Rim got up too, to leave. "Aigoo, you really made Ji Ah angry!"


    "She''ll be angrier next year, seeing you shine, and the only bright thing about her will be that ring."


    "You''re savage today, unnie!"


    "I''m tired of being good girl! I''m going to make people respect me!"


    She put her gat with conviction on her head. Ye Rim looked at her in astonishment, but nodded, following the older one.


    "But¡­ It will be our end if she pass by in her car and see us in the bus stop¡­"


    "You''re right. We must walk some bocks and get our bus back home in another bus stop, then¡­"


    As they walked away and their voices could not be heard, the waitress came to the nearest booth with the customer''s order. Lee Dae Won received his coffee with a thank you, and a barely contained smile on his lips.


    "Savage¡­"

 Chapter 58 - Asking for a friend

    "What to do?"


    Kim Jun Hyeon asked the other three doctors at the cafeteria table. They and looked at each other, puzzled, trying to pick up clues that explained the joke.


    "Is it a logic challenge? A new Internet prank?" the oldest of them, Dr. No, scratched his head. The couple at the table, psychiatrist Marion Choi and her husband, Dr. Jang, smirked at the deduction of the Ji Hyeon Foundation''s oldest surgeon.


    "Ahhhh. So what we have to do? We must guess the trick, or give our honest opinion?" Marion Choi turned to Dr. Kim, who was beside her.


    He sighed, "No, but¡­ yes. Just answer what should be done."


    "So the question is¡­ ''Should a man let an acquaintance, that he will be out of touch for a few days, on a trip? Should he give her his trip''s schedule? And as relevant information, they don''t have a love relationship going on, or in their plans.''"


    "Wow, so many things to consider. If they aren''t lovers..., is it a business relationship? Is it important that they keep in touch?" The psychiatrist''s serious question was received with surprise by Kim Jun Hyeon, but before he was forced to think about how to answer it, Dr. Jang spoke, sardonically:


    "So interesting that you question it almost on the eve of the medical congress in Zurich, Dr. Kim. It wouldn''t be a coincidence, would it?"


    "Maybe he''s asking for a friend." Dr. No amended, with a sympathetic smile, patting Kim on the back with familiarity.


    "Couldn''t you just respond without making theories?" he controlled the embarrassment with his best smile. "My secretaries and my resident said no, the nurse''s head, the nutritionist and two patients said yes."


    "Do you want to know what is polite to do in such a situation, or just want to know what people usually do? Do, or expect to happen?"


    They were meeting in the clinic''s cafeteria, as they made free consultations in the morning to evaluate a few eligible cases for pro bono treatment by The Ji Hyeon Foundation''s staff. People came from all over the country with sad cases, hoping to get free treatment with specialists. Especially cases where serious accidents left serious aesthetic and functional sequelae. Although the Foundation has become a national benchmark in plastic surgery in recent years, its purpose was to make it accessible to those who could not afford surgical treatment in complex cases of cosmetic repair. In the afternoon they would discuss the cases and set the treatment line and priorities.


    "My sunbaes are pretty elusive¡­" Jun Hyeon was regretting to have asked.


    "They just want to be precise. I, who haven''t been in a relationship for a long time," said Dr. No, who was a widower for 12 years, "decided to believe you ask this as a hypothetical curiosity; and that you didn''t think much about the details."


    "Dr. Kim has had a lot of hypothetical situations lately." Again Dr. Jang teased cheerfully, remembering the last conversation in the elevator a few days ago.


    Dr. No continued: "I am in favor of calling. A gentleman calls, even if there is no commitment or interest. Call her to say thank you, break the news, and decide later if you will disappear after the trip or not."


    Dr. Marion turned in shock as she did not expect this cynical advice from the oldest and most experienced of them.


    "I''m curious to meet Miss Hypothesis." Dr. Jang hadn''t got enough of it.


    Before Jun Hyeon could deny something, his friend Dae Won''s waving at him by the cafeteria door caught his eye. So he excused himself from the people at the table, saying,


    "Think for a moment and answer me later."


    Everyone agreed, and when the youngest of them walked away, Dr. Marion commented,


    "Miss Hypothesis seems disturbing enough to totally change the usually discreet behavior of our always focused Dr. Kim."


    "Yes. He looks very agitated. But his secretaries were complaining, yesterday, that he''s been pretty grumpy. More than his normal self."


    "From my part, I''m glad he finds someone. He''s too lonely for his age."


    The psychiatrist shook her head, in agreement with the older doctor''s guess. "I think if Miss Hypothesis gets this call, maybe he''s opening up to really love someone."


    "Omo, stop talking about Jun Hyeon''s love life, he''s not even here to defend himself!" Her husband complained.


    "What are you talking? You started it all!" Dr. Marion snapped. They all looked to where Dr. Kim was, meeting his friend.


    He looked back at the group, knowing full well that they were gossiping about him, and made a fierce signal that they should stop.


    The trio muffled their laughs.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, across town, Ye Rim slowly stretched on the couch, before turning the laptop on her lap on.


    She checked her cell phone, but there were no unread messages. The singer didn''t want to admit it, but she was bothered that she hadn''t received a call from Ju Hyeon since President Baek''s incident.


    Eun Ha was right about that, but even so, she couldn''t help but be curious about him.


    She was not the type to stalk people on the internet. But after the conversation with Kim Jun Hyeon in the cafe, she felt allowed to officially do research on Dr. Kim, the surgeon-bar dancer, without feeling as a freak for stalking someone on the internet.


    "Let''s see, how should I research this?"


    As imagined, the search for child dancers, as suggested by him, was vast and possibly fruitless. And research on his name brought his professional data. "Congratulations, Dr. Kim, for being such a person with so many titles. I still wonder how you have time to go to the gym and keep your abdomen hard."


    She bit into a delicious, juicy peach she''d found in the fridge. She was sure it was one of Kang Dae''s little gifts for her unnie.


    She was under impression he was very careful about his personal information online, since apparently he dated a famous woman in the past and it was a tasty gossip for some time.


    "Mmmm¡­ Isn''t it unfair? So, Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon, what''s your secret for being that perfect ah? There was never a man I had ever known who didn''t have a flaw¡­ You sure ain''t the first," she swung the fruit at the computer screen, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.


    After a few unsuccessful attempts and several videos of child dancers, Ye Rim figured she might be following a doctor''s false lead. After all, it could be a long time ago and no videos online at all.


    Ye Rim had never been a heavy computer user, and she was getting a little tired of doing such a search when she came across a dance forum. Launching words into the website search field, one of the queries returned the topic:


    ''Kim Twins, what happened?''


    There, the image of a terrifying headline in a newspaper from that time, where a photo of a couple of smiling teenagers in elegant dance costumes ¡ª clearly a young version of Jun Hyeon next to his twin sister ¡ª was sharing space with the image of a big fire and smoke consuming a house:


    TRAGEDY: DANCE CHILD STAR BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH AFTER FIRE RESCUE


    ''Third Degree Burns and Great Commotion: Teenager Dancer Kim Ji Hyeon Undergoes Surgeries to Survive.''


    "Oh!" she gaped.

 Chapter 59 - Under Pressure

    The impact of the headlines on that image made Ye Rim''s heart skip a beat. It was very tragic news, and she had never really stopped to think further. Kim Jun Hyeon mentioned twice, en passant, his late noona, but didn''t disclose details. "No wonder why¡­!'' The very thought of having a close relative trapped in a fire like the one in the photo made her shiver.


    Although the images were large, the quality of this newspaper scan was not that good, and she could barely read it. So scrolled to read the comments in the forum. Someone have asked,


    "Poor thing. That was really sad. They were so beautiful to look at! Did she survive?"


    The dance community shared photos and even some short videos of the dancing twin couple at various stages of life, and showed their support; but no one seemed to know more.


    From the pictures, Ye Rim had the vague feeling of seeing them on TV as a child: a couple of star dancing twin siblings who used to make appearances on TV shows, dancing; or as cameo candy-eyes in several TV shows. They tapped and were quite flattered for being twin children who danced with excellent tune, synchronism, and precision.


    She saw images of them performing. From the very early years as cute star child dancers, and their career progression as the years passed: from being just cute dancing twins to squee at, to performing tap dance as professionals as teens.


    It was so surprising and wonderful! To think Jun Hyun was once a child star along his twin. It was just so...unfitting to him! Also, she didn''t made the connection with the name of the The Ji Hyeon Foundation until now. At first she thought it wasn''t related to Mr. Go family. Now she realized the Ji Hyeon that got a famous Plastic Surgery Clinic named after her was Mr. Go grandchild, and Jun Hyeon''s twin.


    Ye Rim knew that Kim Jun Hyeon''s twin sister was deceased; but a morbid curiosity moved her on wanting to know more about it. She wanted details, but couldn''t find it in the comments. She even ignored a message alert on her cell phone to keep looking.


    Some messages of support and curiosity later, someone finally dryly answered:


    "Kim Ji Hyeon committed suicide a few years later. It was out on TV."


    "Ah!" Ye Rim bit his fist, in even greater shock than the first. "Omo, how sad!"


    She was scrolling to morbidly try to find more facts when the phone called, and she couldn''t ignore it anymore. Picking up the phone awkwardly while using her other hand to scroll the laptop screen, she answered,


    "Hello?"


    It was President Song, much to her surprise. The Pearl''s owner cheerful voice cut off the sick interest in the Kims'' tragedy.


    She was being called to a meeting at Pearl in less than an hour; and felt a bad feeling about it,


    ''What else could be happening now?''


    ¡­


    A little annoyed at being interrupted in her leisure time, Ye Ri arrived at the club at around 6 PM, unable to take the image of the column of fumes and flames in that newspaper picture scanned for an internet forum.


    Apparently she was the last to arrive, not knowing for sure what the meeting would be about. Lately all meetings were to try to calm employees'' morale about late salaries, but never in a case like that, did Mrs. Song call with such a laid back tone. When she ran into the club''s doorman, Bak, he was smiling:


    "Mr. Bak, what''s going on?"


    But the big man didn''t answer, just gestured for her to enter the hall.


    Ye Rim saw that all the band except for Duk Mi, along with other employees, were there. President Song made her a friendly gesture to join the group. In greeting to all her sunbaes and hoobaes, Ye Rim got a seat in the improvised circle of chairs in the middle of the main hall, still puzzled.


    The owner then began to say:


    "Dear staff, two nights ago we had a great occupation and it turned on a good earning, thanks to our Wednesday''s VIPS customers. And with Thursday''s dancing bingo earnings," just then one of the musicians made a funny sound imitating a trumpet, by blowing his fist; a distinctly sarcastic sound, which made some people laugh.


    President Song was disconcerted, but decided to ignore it and continued, "Because of that, we raised the remaining amount to partially repay our debt to our personnel." The band and the kitchen and service staff reacted in different ways, as Pearl''s owner passed the envelopes forward.


    "It''s not the total amount, just a workweek''s equivalent, out from the four weeks in total the club owes you. I am so grateful that you wait and totally understand the renting issue."


    "Is it all you''ve got for us?", someone asked, but was interrupted by the usual loud entrance of the club''s diva; or rather, main singer.


    Duk Mi arrived this time, asking. "But what''s up, why are we all gathered here?"


    "To receive a week of arrears to which we are entitled," the cleaning lady replied, smiling and showing her envelope to him.


    The male singer sighed heavily, and sat down on an empty chair, not looking very happy.


    Ye Rim was glad that the visit of Mr. Baek and his guests had been so fruitful and lucrative for Pearl club, but she knew that this was an exception to the rule. As for her part, she would make good use of this money.


    But she also thought she might be able to wait a little longer and suggest President Song use her paycheck to fix the wiring in her brooms closet; or rather, her dressing room.


    Shortly after receiving his envelope, the clarinetist stood up from his chair with some fuss, catching everyone''s attention. The club''s owner turned to him, interrupting the distribution of envelopes, intrigued,


    "Musician Chang, what happened?"


    Musician Chang, a man in his forties who liked to dress like an American jazzist, took his Trilby hat and put it on his head, taking a while to answer. When he finally did, it was to say,


    "There is nothing more for me to do here. For me it''s the last straw. This place should acknowledge its bankruptcy and close down for once. I really have nothing else to do here."


    A murmur of mixed reactions began, and Ye Rim was the first to protest,


    "Musician Chang! I understand that you are impatient about late payments, but the President is doing what she has promised. Didn''t she say that with the first money coming in, she would start paying the arrears?"


    He looked at the young singer and shook his head.


    "What''s the use? In my case, things are not so bad, because I don''t have a family to support. Waiting for this meager partial payment was difficult, but I hoped things would change. Mrs. Song promised that things would change. They really looked like they would change¡­ For a while."


    "You''re being ungrateful, Ho Seong, " Duk Mi said in disgust. "You should be grateful to have this job, and President Song was your guarantor when you left jail."


    ''As usual'', Ye Rim thought, ''Sunbaenim Duk Mi is bringing up things he shouldn''t.''


    "People may be grateful, but for how long is this place going to strive like this? We know this place can barely afford the expenses; and if there are any unforeseen times, we have to give up our salaries because rent is the top priority!"


    Apparently Chang Ho Seong''s courage made supporters, and the cook stood up, and demanded,


    "President Song, pay us all the arrears!"


    "I can''t! It''s not a secret to any of you what Pearl''s situation is!" the ajuhmeoni spoke in a squeaky voice, feeling pressured. Duk Mi stood up and stood beside her:


    "What are you doing? Are all of you crazy? If the President pays you all at once, she won''t be able to pay the rent and that¡­ that¡­ " apparently the adjectives that crossed Duk Mi''s mind were not the most polite, but as there were several women in the meeting, he just wasn''t able to utter whatever was in his mind. But Ye Rim took the floor:


    "We know the rent cannot be late a single day because of the clause in the contract. I don''t think we should press on here. I don''t know how much it takes to pay everyone, but I don''t think Pearl has it all right now. What I do know is that President Song is the most honest person I know, and will pay everyone as the money comes in."


    "The problem is, my dear Ye Rim, that our audience is not growing," the bassist said.


    "On the contrary," a younger voice from the service staff was muffled, followed by malicious laughter. Ye Rim was upset by the lack of respect, but from where she was she couldn''t see who said it.


    Chang and Duk Mi were facing each other with hostility until the instrumentalist walked away. "Nevermind. This place is doomed to failure now that Ye Rim ssi is gone."


    "What?!" the owner of Pearl turned to the singer, who felt her cheeks burning as everyone turned to her with the same shocked judgemental expression.


    "What?!" she repeated quietly, not getting it at all.

 Chapter 60 - Under Pressure Part 2

    "Agassi?"


    The soft, melodious voice calling her made Eun Ha got her off her disturbed reverie, distractedly returning from the supermarket. She turned over her shoulder to see who''s calling her, and came across a real flower boy who seemed to have been magically summoned on the sidewalk in front of her building. ''But¡­ Isn''t this the dazzling oppa I saw at the cafe earlier today? Except for the jacket that was a Burberry in the afternoon, and now it''s a Calvin Klein bomber jacket ¡­ My fashion gods, you''re even cuter up close! ''


    "Ahem¡­ yes?" She kept her mental squeal locked inside her head, and tried to act super casual and cool in real life.


    "Sorry, do you happen to know Nam Ye Rim, who lives in this building?" Lee Dae Won gave Ye Rim''s friend a friendly smile.


    "Yes! We''ve seen each other before, haven''t we? "


    " Oh, well¡­ I think your face is familiar to me¡­" He came closer, and reached out to greet her in the American way, but then Eun Ha showed that she was carrying supermarket bags. "I''m Lee Dae Won."


    ''Oh by Balenciaga and Gabrielle Chanel! Stop the world! He really is the TV''s oppa! Lee-Dae-Won!'' She stared at the visitor with wide eyes, trying to keep her appearance cool but too excited internally so as not to let on. The result was a strangely paralyzed face with the onset of a perpetually locked smile.


    The Music Producer was a little disturbed by it. He reached for the bags Eun Ha carried to have something to do. "May I help you? I wanted to talk to Miss Nam, but her number doesn''t answer¡­"


    Eun Ha happily passed the bags to her ''semi acquaintance''; after all she had done a little internet research on him days ago, but in the photos she had seen he was still wearing dark hair. He was handsome in both styles, but quite different on each of them.


    "Well, she said," this is not very common, but please come in! I''m Jung Eun Ha and I share an apartment with Ye Rim."


    "Ohhh. Jun Eun Ha-ssi. She spoke lots of good things about you. Best friend, and also a fashion stylist. I should have suspected soon; you definitely have style," Lee Dae Won kept the formal tone, after all they just met, but he picked up the bags and followed her into the building.


    Although it was strange that the man had come to Ye Rim''s residence without warning or invitation, Eun Ha was excited about the fact. ''If THIS man is here on a Friday night, it''s because he has a lot of interest in Ye Rim. It''s fate bringing the right man near my friend for a change! There is so little time left for our birthday, that it is enough to nurture this friendship so that it becomes something else later¡­ '' The fairy thought.


    "Oh thank you. Ye Rim also told me about you, PM Lee. She recently auditioned on HTN, thanks to you¡­ Was that okay?"


    "Oh, yes. In fact, that''s exactly why I''m here¡­"


    ''Don''t dumbfold me¡­ I really doubt it, but I''ll accept it.'' She bit back a smile as she opened the door.


    "Ye Rim, we have visitors!"


    Since no one answered as soon as she turned on the light of the room upon entering, Eun Ha knew that Ye Rim was not home. This was unexpected, and threw a bucket of cold water in Eun Ha''s plans. The guest entered the apartment, which was charming_ and bigger than expected, apparently, as he commented:


    "Nice apartment you have. Bigger than I expected, seeing from outside."


    ''For those who live in a hilltop mansion, it must be the size of your closet, but¡­'' She can''t help but think, but replied politely,


    "Thank you. Yes, it sometimes happens in old buildings. It was a steal. But¡­ We don''t have an elevator, as you saw. I''ll check where Ye Rim is¡­"


    He nodded, standing in the middle of the living room and putting his hands in his pockets in a shy gesture, that the designer thought was cute.


    Eun Ha went to Ye Rim''s room, only to confirm that she wasn''t really there. ''From the mess in the room, she must have rushed out. What has happened?'' she wondered. ''And what do I do with this oppa?''


    ¡­


    The commotion over the musician''s statement was great, and a buzz of several people talking at once took over the place. Ye Rim tried to ask for explanations, but was not even heard. Until Duk Mi''s baritone voice boomed out, "Quiet, everyone!"


    Though he used the full power of his voice, it only rasped at his throat and he cleared his throat. Which opened an opportunity to Chang up to say,


    "Is that what I''m talking about! Everything here is decaying. I was hoping that with Ye Rim-ssi on, the Pearl would get better, but that won''t happen now."


    "Don''t be ridiculous, Chang, "Duk Mi said after someone gave him a glass of water. "Pearl is a niche club. For trot lovers. Ye Rim is not even the star of the house. She can leave whenever she wants¡­"


    "But I don''t¡­ " she tried to say, but Musician Chang was faster,


    "C''mon, you arrogant old man. Only you think you''re still the star of the house. Do you think people come here to see and hear you? You''re a good musician, but really you don''t have much of an self assessment. Besides the president of your 3-person fan club, and her friends from the Orchidists'' Association_ who do bingo events here once a month _ the days you perform are not even the best in the house. Can''t you see it''s Ye Rim ssi who brings on the audience?"


    Someone said,


    "Those ajuhmmas only drink water and make no profit," comments popped up.


    "And the old scrubs going here on Fridays are are always broke and drunken."


    "Couples that comes on Saturday complained the male singer looks too old for pairing with the female singer in the duet love songs."


    "That ..." Duk Mi looked stunned suddenly.


    "On bingo days, we hardly sell drinks."


    "And the ajuhmmas spend a lot of toilet paper in the restroom," said the cleaning lady, out of blue.


    "What does this have to do with¡­" he looked flushed and overwhelmed.


    "Like I said, I respect you as a musician, but your time is up, old chap. Without Ye Rim ssi, Pearl will close the doors," Chang concluded, taking his hat again. "I have nothing more to say," he started to walk away, but President Song called,


    "Fine. I can''t keep you here without concrete promises. But you shouldn''t cause this chaotic situation just because you want to leave. This was not necessary. Ye Rim isn''t leaving."


    "I have told you, it''s not a problem if she leaves or not. She is free to go. I''m not old and finished as some out there might think¡­" Duk Mi resentfully pointed out loud.


    At the door, Musician Chang turned around. "Whether or not Duk Mi will be able to keep Pearl''s doors open after Ye Rim leaves Pearl, I don''t know. But I wish you the best of luck." With that, he really left, leaving a heavy mood in the room.


    "What nonsense ... It didn''t have to be that way," the owner of Pearl sat down and poured herself the water jug. After a long drink, she sighed, looking at everyone with a worried look. Ye Rim felt sorry for President Song, who already had enough trouble to be without one of her best musicians.


    "I know you are all dissatisfied,and I''m fair with that. And I can''t promise much. So I ask: Does anyone have anything else to say? Well, you better talk now."


    "I also heard Sunbaenim Duk Mi saying that Ye Rim noona will leave us. That she''s got a job on TV. So I don''t understand¡­ Do we have or don''t we have a show going on Wednesdays?" respectfully asked the drummer, who was the youngest of the band''s musicians.


    "And I heard from Ye Rim''s escort, Dr Kim, who said he took her to the HTN studio for an audition. And that she was soon leaving," the male singer was quick to say.


    Ye Rim''s eyes widened in realization of what had happened.


    "Is that true?" the President asked, shocked and hurt.


    "Well, I went to¡­"


    "Wow, when would she tell us¡­" the sudden buzz of disapproval and contempt disconcerted her. Ye Rim took a deep breath, looking mainly at the owner of Pearl, who had given her a job and been good to her for a year.


    "Listen. It was something without compromise. There is nothing settled. I don''t know what was said, but I wasn''t hired or anything."


    "There''s nothing wrong with wanting something better for your future, Ye Rim," said the band''s older musician. "Do not be ashamed. You weren''t born to spend the rest of your life here at Pearl. Whoever charges you with such ridiculous nonsense, is selfish and foolish."


    The musician''s calm tone silenced the collective muttering. President Song rose from her chair and came to Ye Rim.


    "Listen girl. I would be very disappointed with you if you gave up and decided to stay here forever. You are too talented and lively to be the precious pearl locked in this old shell. But¡­ I would also be very annoyed if you just vanished overnight without warning us. Are you looking for another place? Tell me honestly."


    Ye Rim barely remembered another time in her life where she''d been so embarrassed. Almost twenty people were interested in her answer and were watching her closely. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she had to admit that, as much as she liked them, she thought she needed something else too.


    "Yes, President, I''m looking for another job."


    The muttering resumed, but this time, President Song hissed harshly, and everyone fell silent again.


    "Good. Good to know. So I can prepare for this day. "


    "Don''t worry¡­" Duk Mi started again, but tiredly the Pearl owner made a gesture and said,


    "Not now, please, Duk Mi."


    "¡­" the older singer sat down, looking unfairly treated and defeated.


    "Ye Rim."


    "Yes, President Song?"


    When that happens, we want to make a beautiful farewell to you. Customers will want that."


    This time it was Ye Rim who was speechless and dumbfounded.


    Mrs. Song turned slowly from her, as if carrying a weight now, and muttered audibly, "It will be a with a very lucrative event."

 Chapter 61 - Blowing a Candle

    "Ye Rim is not arrogant, oppa. She just has her sense of self-respect!" Eun Ha exclaimed, feeling light after a few sips of shoju. ''Or shots¡­'' She didn''t usually drink, and didn''t have much resistance to alcohol. She joined Dae Won for a few drinks at the bar a few blocks from her apartment, about an hour ago_ and she already knew she should stop drinking or would need to be piggybacked back home. Also, now that she knew the magical power was inside her, not in her magic wand, she was afraid of losing control _just as it happened when the Hunter tested her powers.


    "She''s right about that. I just think I need help convincing her to get a contract," the MP sounded conciliatory. "Maybe Ye Rim-ssi acts this way due her previous bad experiences in the industry, as she mentioned having gone through. But though I don''t have any power to hire or contract her or anything, I think I can... introduce her to people who will take good care of her."


    Ignoring the musician''s pause, Eun Ha agreed, "I believe so. After all, as a well-related musical producer, you must have a good network in the industry¡­ But, I have the same question she probably has: why are you going out of your way to do this for Ye Rim? You won''t tell me that oppa¡­"


    She giggled, implying her opinion, and Dae Won was clearly embarrassed. "Well, that''s not what you''re probably thinking."


    ''Oh, sure it is, beautiful oppa Dae Won¡­ Look at the way you sulked¡­'' She rested her chin on her fist, delighted, with a silly smile on her face; while analyzing his reactions. He was a rather reserved and seemingly introvert man, but here he was, trying to convince a girl''s best friend that he wanted to help her. ''Oh, so cute!''


    "Uh¡­" she agreed. "Whatever. Count on me. Ye Rim is stubborn, but if you get something good for her, I''ll help you convince her. Okay?" the fashion designer reached across the table to set the deal_ but with that, she unbalanced the arm resting on the table to support her chin. She pathetically nearly fell off her chair, but Dae Won grabbed En Ha''s arm and helped her. ''Oh what a gentleman! Isn''t Ye Rim lucky ?! Unlike me. I have only one ridiculously rude teacher, unable to even have the common sense to not say gross things when one is about to throw up.''


    "Excuse me. I thought you were going to fall."


    "Oh, I was. Hahahah I''m the clumsy girl''s friend on the movies. Hehehe. But I have a good heart!" She completed, trying to be funny.


    That got a smile from MP Lee: "I don''t know about ''being clumsy'', but you are surely a good friend. You''ve known each other since childhood, as I understand it."


    "Ah, according to legend, well before that. We met in our mothers bellies."


    "Uhn¡­ Ye Ri commented that her parents are divorced."


    "Ah well, that¡­" normally Eun Ha would divert the subject, but she was feeling light and chatty near the polite oppa who interested on what she had to say. She was definitely being treated with due importance_ not as a stupid and inconvenient apprentice. "True, but she doesn''t like to talk about it. She hasn''t spoken to her mother since she was 4 years old. Which was sort of when I have my first actual memory about her¡­"


    "Well, then it must be a private matter and it''s normal that she doesn''t want to talk about it to mere acquaintances¡­" he sounded diplomatic and understanding. "But then, how was that? Did you go to the same pre school?"


    "Ahh, that¡­" she laughed and scratched her neck, a little embarrassed. These were memories that had a bittersweet aftertaste. Her memory treacherously fled to that distant time of her life, and unknowingly she was lost in her thoughts.


    FLASHBACK ON


    Eun Ha liked it when her mother used to take her to Jolly Bakery. And she was very proud to be the town''s best patissery owner''s daughter ¡ª though there were only two cake shops in the tiny municipality. As much as she enjoyed wandering around the kitchen, watching with delighted awe at the work of creating cakes and patisseries, Eun Ha also enjoyed sitting in the parlor_ pompously posing as part of the Jolly Bakery''s staff.


    That day Eun Ha was particularly puffed up as she was gifted a huge green satin bow, and her mother, Jung Sook Mi, had spent some time to get it elegantly on her daughter''s head. Checking the result in the mirror_ her mom behind her finishing her hairdo_ Eunha had looked with utmost adoration upon this woman who she thought was the most elegant and fantastic person on earth.


    The little girl decidedly felt like a small elegant copy of Madam Jung, and had asked to wear her lilac ruffled dress too, to go with the green bow. Although Eun Ha knew it was a ''special'' dress for special days'', what other dress would look so good with that bow? She had her sense of style early in life.


    "Aigoo, does a 5-year-old girl really want to tell me what she wants to wear?"


    It had been the mild complaint that came with a smile, but after five minutes of arguments from Eun Ha''s part, Madam Jung capitulated and allowed her adopted daughter dressed in the party dress.


    "So today is a special day, you say?"


    "Yes, Mom. You''re going to take me to Jolly and I''m going to draw my birthday cake. I need to be fabulous today," she giggled, as it was obvious. With that her mom laughed too, and agreed that it was okay to be fabulous on a Saturday morning.


    Eun Ha and his mother lived in a nice big two-story house near Main Street. Mother and daughter were very happy together.


    Jun Sook Mi was a 45-year-old single woman, and her business, Jolly Bakery, was responsible for catering to the small town''s most important events, besides being the fanciest place around. Things had not came for free for Madam Jung, as she was called, so she was used to be seen as eccentric. When Madam Jung decided to adopt the baby from the mysterious Heaven''s Garden Ranch''s case, in spite of the rumors, people took it as natural, coming from her.


    For a part of her life, and long before she could fully understand it, Eun Ha saw her foster mother being harsh on people who questioned this decision; regardless of whether it would turn into problems for her business. The ajuhmeoni even didn''t want to change Eun Ha''s name ¡ª which meant Via Lactea _ because she knew the girl''s name had been the last thing her natural mother had said before she died.


    No one dared to speak close to Madame Jung that her daughter was "the daughter of the Ranch''s Witch," as they would mockingly gossip behind her back. Over time, people forgot the story, but Eun Ha remembered very well that it only bothered her mother after Eun Ha met Ye Rim once again.


    In hindsight, Eun Ha now understood that her mother couldn''t ignore that she had a special daughter, since she was a smart woman. However, Mrs. Jung had never loved anyone in her life as she loved Eun Ha_ even though Eun Ha was no ordinary child.


    But that day, Eun Ha, who was a calm and sweet child, was excited and demanding.


    Arriving at the patisserie, after greeting the staff and being spoiled by them, Eun ha took up her girly backpack with papers and crayons, and headed for the parlor, where she sat in the booth near the door _only because she wished everyone passing by could see her in her beautiful dress and her fabulous bow.


    It was a particularly sunny autumn morning, and she was absolutely focused on designing her birthday cake ¡ª which would be celebrated in five days. She carefully drew colored confectionery on top of the cake, and sugarmade hearts, until she stopped to admire her "cake sketch" that she would now take to the confectioner to make.


    "Uhmmm¡­ the most important thing is missing."


    With a new crayon, Eun Ha meticulously drew a pink birthday candle, being careful not to smudge the drawing. Finally, satisfied, she sighed.


    "GOOD!"


    And breathing in the air, she filled her lungs, blowing the candle drawing as hard as she could.


    As soon as she had done that, her attention was drawn to the door, where a girl her age was standing with a rapt expression:


    "WOW!"


    It was Ye Rim.

 Chapter 62 - Of Cakes and Girls

    FLASHBACK (CONT.)


    The girl dressed in a patterned leggings and a yellow hooded sweatshirt gaped in awe by the display windows filled with treats. The interior of Jolly Bakery was cheerful and inviting. Ye Rim took two steps back, and Eun Ha saw the a.d.u.l.t man behind her. A young man in simple clothes and a handsome appearance, who looked quite out of place at the confectionery door; actually, he seemed indecisive about coming in. And even to a child like Eun Ha, it was too obvious.


    Eun Ha had seen that girl before, in the park. The a.d.u.l.ts and children alike used to call her "the madwoman''s daughter". Eun Ha didn''t know who the madwoman was, but the girl always got mad when she was called this way. Not infrequently the "madwoman''s daughter" either fought with the other children, or cried and walked away from the group.


    "Hey girl!" she bluntly called, standing up from her seat, and went to the door. The girl in the yellow coat looked startled, but that made the a.d.u.l.t_which must be the girl''s father_ finally took action and enter the confectionery.


    "Hello girl. Do you want to see my mom''s cakes?" Eun Ha asked.


    The newly arrived girl had a serious look in her face, looking at her appraisingly, and finally said,


    "I want to. My dad will buy me some of your mom''s cake."


    "A slice of. A slice of,"


    the girl''s father corrected her hastily, while also looking at the shop windows with an a.d.u.l.t-looking expression ¡ª later in life Eun Ha was able to assimilate that this was the look of staring at price tags and realizing almost everything was overpriced¡­ A common feeling for her now, whenever she looked at shop windows.


    Eun Ha reached out to the madwoman''s daughter. Ye Rim looked at her father, questioningly. The man with sports cap for the first time truly checked Eun Ha, and looked apprehensive; but nodded to the little girls.


    Eun Ha took Ye Rim''s hand,


    "Come on, girl, I''ll show you the cakes."


    The two then went to one of the cake displays, while the attendant turned her attention to the man. After a few words he was left standing there, in the center of the parlor, looking embarrassed and with his hands tucked in his jeans pockets.


    After naming a few cakes and making up names for those she didn''t remember, Eun Ha turned to the other girl, waiting for her to make up her mind. The girl in the yellow jacket spoke admiringly,


    "Your outfit is beautiful, girl."


    "Ah my mother gave me. What''s your name?"


    "Ye Rim. And yours?"


    "Eun Ha."


    They contentedly smiled at each other. Ye Rim said, "My dad brought me here because he''s going to buy me a birthday cake."


    "Why didn''t your mom come? Is your mother really crazy?"


    Ye Rim was taken aback, but this was a question Eun Ha couldn''t refrain from asking.The newcomer blushed to her ears, and Eun Ha belatedly realized that she had irritated the girl. They dropped their hands and stared at each other, but the a.d.u.l.t conversation caught their attention.


    "The girls are reunited, then" the one who said that was her mother, to the man in the middle of the room. He looked quite agitated, but replied,


    "Is that a problem? I just wanted to bring my daughter to eat a cake."


    Feeling that they were the subject, the girls fell silent, listening to the a.d.u.l.ts'' conversation.


    "Your daughter is taller than Eun Ha."


    "Ah, she is," the man replied.


    Eun Ha felt at a comparative disadvantage, and examined better the girl in the yellow hooded coat. She had a messy hair, her clothes were ugly, and her nails were a bit dirty; so Eun ha felt they could be even, technically.


    "Is your wife really not coming back?"


    The two children pretended to look at the sweets in the counter, but were in fact interested in the answer.


    "I recently divorced, ajumeoni."


    "It''s a pity."


    "Uhm."


    "Do you like custard?" Eun Ha asked the girl, trying to get her attention back.


    She nodded absently, randomingly smearing the condensated water on the window of the desserts display as she tried to hear more of the a.d.u.l.t conversations.


    "Eun Ha is having a birthday party here next week. Couldn''t your daughter come? Since they have birthdays on the same day¡­"


    " I don''t know if¡­" the man started talking, embarrassed, but Madam Jung came closer to him, speaking quietly, "Listen, Mr. Nam. I know things aren''t being easy. You are a young man who has to provide for both of you; and your wife suddenly left you and your daughter. Caring for a girl is hard for a man. I can see that this girl has no one to comb her hair properly, despite being clean and fed."


    "Madam Jung," his voice sounded irritated and shocked, though low "I don''t know what you''re thinking, but definitely that''s none of your business."


    "Wait, what I mean is¡­"


    "People have a lot to say about me and my daughter, but I don''t want to listen to any of it," the man turned to the girl, who wasn''t hiding anymore the fact that she was watching the two a.d.u.l.ts arguing_ just like Eun Ha. "Ye Rim, come on. I''ll buy you a cake next time."


    Father and daughter left the confectionery, and Eun Ha felt a sudden tightness in her chest.


    That night, while brushing their teeth before going to sleep, Eun Ha asked her mother,


    "Is it true that girl''s birthday is at the same day as me?"


    Madame Jung, who had been thoughtful for the rest of the day after her clumsy approach to the Nams. She thought for a moment before answering,


    "Eun Ha, yes, that girl''s birthday is at the same day as you. And the funniest thing is that you were born at the same day and in the same place! "


    At the girl''s amazed and curious look, the lady continued:


    "It''s true! That girl''s mother helped you be born!"


    "Wow, is it true?!" It sounded like something special from the way her mother said it. "Why do they call her a crazy woman?"


    "Because she said everybody that your mother was a fairy and magic things happened in the house she lived in."


    "Nonsense, right?" Despite the fantastic idea being seductive, Eun Ha was smart to know that these things were just fantasy, and mimicked her mother''s mannerisms and words.


    "Well, when your mom become a little star again and returned to heaven¡­ That girl''s mom was there and brought you home. So she had two little girls at her house. But she got sick¡­ And then you came to me."


    "But why did she leave? And why didn''t she take her daughter?"


    "I think she went to see a doctor away from here. And I don''t think she could take her daughter... Because her daughter couldn''t travel."


    The explanations were enough back then, though she had her little heart full of anxiety and strange thoughts, and couldn''t sleep that night.


    But the next day, Eun Ha had an idea. And while this idea did not come true, she did not let her mother alone for a moment.


    Early in the evening, she and her mother went to the Nams'' house. Eun Ha found the house ugly and small, externally, but that was not important. When the door opened, Ye Rim''s father stared in shock at Madam Jung apologetically standing in his doorway.


    Eun Ha craned her neck trying to see inside and locate Ye Rim behind the man blocking the visitors. In one gurgle the woman said,


    "I came to bring Eun Ha. She couldn''t even sleep, and wants to invite your daughter to their birthday, "said the lady. "You''re right, Mr. Nam, that may not be my business. I''m here because Eun Ha wants to see your Ye Rim."


    The man looked at the girl trying to get past him elusively and enter the house, so he eventually ran a hand through her hair, making way.


    "Whatever. Come in."


    Eun Ha openly ran to where Ye Rim was, watching TV. Ye Rim looked at her, surprised:


    "Girl ?!"


    "Hi girl! I brought my crayons for us to draw our birthday cake." She showed her shoulder bag, full of painting gear. Ye Rim got up and came to look. But She suddenly said, walking away,


    "I don''t want to. You called my mother crazy."


    "I''m sorry."


    Ye Rim looked at the newcomer, and said, menacingly placing a hand on Eun Ha''s chest ,


    "I won''t be your friend anymore if you say THAT again."


    "I''m not going to say that again."


    "Then it''s fine."


    The a.d.u.l.ts watched that interaction with interest, in silence.


    "Do you like custard?"


    "I already said so."


    "When?"


    "Yesterday. Are you deaf?"


    "No. I just didn''t remember."


    "Okay."


    Eun Ha spread her pencils and papers on the floor, sitting down. Ye Rim sat next to her.


    "Do you like caramel?"


    "I like it."


    "Me too. Let''s put it on our cake?"


    "Let''s do it. "


    That''s how they ended up having a first birthday party, of many other, together.


    FLASHBACK OFF

 Chapter 63 - Two Knights

    Eun Ha finished her recollection, but wasn''t sure what she had said to Dae Won. She just tried unsuccessfully to count the shoju bottles in front of her, but her vision was too blurred for that.


    "Oppa! You''re in trouble!" she drawled, pointing at Dae Won. He stood up, scratching his eyebrow worriedly, yet resigned to his role, "Wait a minute then I''ll pay the bill and I''ll take you home, okay?"


    "You''re so¡­ kind, oppa!" she hiccuped mid-sentence, and laughed after that. "You''re so kind it even hurts!"


    When Dae Won walked away, Eun Ha looked away at the street. She couldn''t look at the clock, as her sight was blurred, but she knew it was late, because the street was empty_ and that shadow near the gate across the street was growing towards her¡­ ''Oops! How come?!''


    She tried to straighten up in her chair, but her limbs felt too soft. Fumbling, she reached into her coat pocket, groping until she found the magic monocle. Clumsily she held the item so that she could see through it, but it wasn''t working. She pushed the lens away from her left eye, zooming out and in, puzzled that even though she looked at the spot, she could see nothing unusual but the bluish, blurry hue.


    "But¡­"


    PAF!


    Before Eun Ha could know where the sudden pain came from, she put her hand to her aching forehead. "Ouch!"


    The Hunter had just slapped her forehead, and was standing beside her.


    "Why did you do that ?!" she complained in her slurred speech, still ostensibly rubbing her forehead.


    The older fairy didn''t answer, just turned to look at Dae Won, who was returning with a worried expression.


    "Is there any problem out here, Jung ssi?"


    "The problem is: ¡­ I''m drunk. Haha ha. But there are no demons."


    The men looked at each other as the fashion designer propped her arms on the table and laid her head between them.


    Dae Won took his hands from his pockets, "Well, I''ll take you to your house, as I said," he was not saying this to Eun Ha_who seemed unable to listen to him_ but to let the strange newcomer in strange and dark clothes know it. He rolled up the sleeves of his bomber jacket in order to start the complicated operation. But before he could get close to Eun Ha, the Hunter intercepted his path.


    The usually calm musician frowned, clearly annoyed,


    "If there''s any reason you''re stopping me from taking this lady back to her house, it''s a good time to say it."


    "I''ll take her. You can leave."


    Naturally monosyllabic and menacing, the Hunter wasn''t exactly the most reliable-looking figure out from them both, and Dae Won didn''t seem to trust him.


    "Sorry, but I better take her," the composer insisted.


    "I''m her¡­ teacher. I''ll take her."


    "Still, I had already said I''d take her."


    "But that won''t happen. "


    The two faced each other, but in this regard, the Hunter''s intimidating power was simply unbeatable. Even so, looking away, Dae Won tried to wake Eun Ha,


    "Eun Ha ssi? Eun Ha ssi. Wake up. We''ll take you now."


    "Are you still there? Aigoooooo! I think¡­ hic!" she raised her head a bit, but seemed zoned out.


    "Tell your friend I''ll take you and get this over with, Jung."


    She held her hair with her two hands, like it was heavy, and sighed, smiling. "This nice ajuhssi is my¡­ Professor. I don''t know what he''s doing here, but¡­"


    "We had a class. But you were drinking and missed it."


    "That was important too."


    "It doesn''t matter," the fairy Shin bent down a little to help her up from her chair; which he did with ease, but without much care.


    "Eun Ha ssi, do you want me to come with you both?" Despite being an extremely polite man, Dae Won showed concern, after all he couldn''t be sure of the relationship between the pair in black.


    "Oh, oppa, rest assured, he''s my tee¡­ tae¡­ teacher," the fairy steadied herself and tried to look more sober than she was. It somehow crossed her mind that the chivalrous musician would have trouble with the rude Hunter if she didn''t cooperate with Professor Shin. She wanted to laugh at the situation, but vaguely imagined that her teacher just wanted to make sure she didn''t do anything stupid with her magic wand while drunk¡­


    "Go now," said the Hunter to the musician, with no expression on his face, which by itself was quite disturbing.


    "I¡­"


    "Good night."


    Dae Won walked away, still looking back, and as he was near his car, Eun Ha asked,


    "Will my dear teacher carry me on his back?"


    "Am I a horse?"


    "Aishhh!"


    "Gather strength. Walking is good for a drunk person."


    "What if I fall? Hic¡­" she tried to walk straight, knowing very well that this was impossible in her situation. In a few steps, she leaned to the left, tilting¡­ and the Hunter''s hand intercepted her body''s course once more_ and with a pat on the back straightened her spine, making her to fix the posture.


    "Let''s get out of here. You''re embarrassing."


    He started to walk behind her, forcing her stumbling gait. If she began to linger or lean, he would correct her posture and pace; then returning to his position two steps behind the girl.


    "Aigooooo! You''re so¡­ boring! Looming behind me like a ...ghoust!" as she tried to turn and look at him, the Hunter would turn her shoulders forward again, forcing her to keep walking ahead. They were just a few blocks from the building where Eun Ha lived, anyway.


    "Hmm."


    "No! Not like a ghoust¡­ ghot¡­ gat¡­" she gave up. "But I don''t know anything about them. And that reminds me that¡­ " She turned with a raised finger, which the Hunter grabbed with one hand and put down. When he was about to turn her around again, she was quick to put a finger to his lips, laughing drunkenly, and said,


    "Shhhh! Shut up! Don''t command me to walk! You are not my¡­ real teacher. You''re not even teaching me right!"


    Fairy Shin''s face suddenly turned stony. Eun Ha continued, driven by liquid courage.


    "You fooled me! You''re just using me, and you''re not teaching me anything!"


    The Hunter wiped her finger from his lips, his eyes somber and dangerous. He didn''t look happy at all. "Any other complaints?" he asked.


    "Yes!"


    Shin raised an eyebrow in question, and Eun Ha turned on her heels, giving him her back in an arrogant and drunken attitude.


    "You dress good and bad at the same time."


    "Is that a complaint?"


    "It is. I need to know if it''s by chance or by style."


    "Hmpf. Let''s go. Don''t just stand there. We have to get to your house."


    "Don''t think I''m going to invite you up¡­ OR¡­ I''m going to invite you up for something¡­ I definitely won''t¡­ Invite YOU¡­ to eat ramyun!"


    "I appreciate it."


    "¡­!"


    "Come on, Jung. Walking."


    "Aren''t you taking me seriously? Never heard that, ''in wine, the truth''?"


    "Hmm."


    "OPPA!"


    The Hunter stopped walking, annoyed. Eun Ha, who was walking ahead, did not notice this, and kept walking in stumbling steps, saying,


    "But be sure to remember my words tomorrow! I demand better classes!"


    "I think you better not remember your words tomorrow."


    "Why not?"


    "If it''s so pressing, you should try telling me this when you''re sober."


    "Do you think I won''t?" she asked indignantly.


    "It will surprise me if you do," Shin turned her around again, but this time he tucked two fingers in her belt and held it, using it as a rope to guide the girl as he led her forward.


    "Wait and see!"


    "Hmmm."


    "You''re so¡­ monosi¡­ nonosibla..."


    "I know."


    As they reached the front of the building gate, Shin released her, and turned her to himself.


    "The keys."


    "Uhn? I told you, you won''t come in!"


    "I''m not a vampire for this to work."


    "Uh ?!"


    He sighed tiredly. "The keys, Jung. If you fall down the stairs and hit your head¡­ it won''t improve what''s inside."


    "GASLIGHTING!"


    "¡­"


    "Hmmm!" she threatened him with an unidentifiable noise of indignation.


    He just leaned forward and with one arm, lifted her into the air and threw the fairy over his shoulder, opening the condo''s gate.


    "Professor Shin!" her proper education returned from shock as he crossed the small atrium toward the building, carrying Eun Ha as a potato sack on his shoulders.


    "Jung, why aren''t you a silent drunk fairy, huh?" he grunted as he climbed the stairs.


    "I don''t want to learn from you anymore!"


    "I told you. Say that tomorrow. "


    "Hmpf."

 Chapter 64 - Message: SENT

    Once again, Kim Jun Hyeon barely disguised his boredom, and glanced discreetly at the clock, checking that it was almost midnight. He was across town at a hip Gangnam nightclub, with some friends and acquaintances, celebrating a friend''s birthday.


    The electronic music was loud, and it didn''t allow deeper conversations; yet someone was trying to tell something he really couldn''t pay attention to.


    Two younger girls were seated by his side: they''re from the same social circle as their friends, and had recently returned from a trip to Europe. They looked happy and were very beautiful. One had her hair in a copper color shade that resembled Ye Rim''s, just it was straight, sleek and heavy enough ¡ª unlike the crazy singer''s hair, which had light waves and a nice movement.


    The other girl was more reserved and sweet. Which was cute on its way, but also a little tiresome; because he had to make all the decisions, as she apparently had no opinion or couldn''t even choose what to drink. Absolutely unlike the freak Miss Tuna.


    Completely bored, Jun Hyeon dodged the girls, with the excuse of going to the restroom, and walked away, staring at his phone screen.


    Other than the usual messages, there was no sign of the greedy singer of the fifth-class club. ''Aish, why do I care? It''s not like I should get involved with that weird woman¡­ ''


    He returned his phone in his pocket, then changed his mind. But his index hesitated in front of the illuminated screen, when the surgeon realized he would give in to the urge to call Nam Ye Rim.


    ''Wouldn''t I be ridiculous if I called her on a Friday night?''


    He again hung up the phone, making up his mind, and headed toward the bar. ''Let her have fun with her old age fans..."


    ...


    Ye Rim was at Pearl''s backstage, feeling the effects of a migraine, and feeling absolute crap. But there was someone there who was far worse than her:


    Duk Mi.


    The former trot star had tried not to show how much the late-afternoon discussion had shaken his self-confidence, but Musician Chang''s harsh words of farewell had poisoned his heart.


    They were in the third and last break of Friday''s show. The audience was not especially good for this period of the month. It only reinforced the male singer''s sense of failure.


    "Ye Rim¡­ If you wish, keep my dressing room as yours from now on. You are the star here. I''m just the past."


    "Sunbaenim, don''t think about that. Musician Chang just said that as slander. I''m sure he doesn''t even really think that."


    "But he''s right. This wrinkled face of mine does not even live up to a duet with you."


    "What matters is your voice¡­ which is powerful."


    "So you agree with what was said? Do you really agree that I''m wrinkled and wrecked?"


    Ye Rim regretted speaking so thoughtlessly. ''Damn, what a big mouth!''


    "It''s nothing like that, sunbaenim. Although there is an age difference, sunbae is well kept and healthy¡­" What more could Ye Rim say? Age took a toll on all living beings; it was just natural. Unfortunately the singer''s narcissistic personality made him a very vain person and quite susceptible to criticism. And being even older than her father, how could it be any different for a romantic duet to with her to get a little weird?


    "Well, sunbae, people come here to listen to good music. Anyone who says otherwise is lying."


    "Uhm," he ignored her completely, heading toward the backlit mirror of the dressing room, where he meticulously examined his own face. Ye Rim sighed, a little annoyed by that, but she could afford being empathetic with the older singer''s situation. It was quite natural that he was terrified about his declining appearance, his age and his situation. After all, for industry, she herself was considered old and finished at just 26 years old.


    So she approached, placing her hand on the veteran''s shoulder, "Sunbae Duk Mi, just get over it. Talent and experience are your greatest assets."


    "Uhum. I know. But I think if I do a makeover, I''ll be even better. Besides, my fans deserve the best."


    "Of course they do."


    The singer stretched his face with both hands in front of the mirror, pulling at his skin as much as he could. Ye Rim didn''t even want to laugh. It wasn''t funny after all.


    "Sunbae¡­"


    "You have an excellent contact for it, Ye Rim. Your handsome friend Dr. Kim. He is famous, right? Mr. Go keeps talking about him and even my friends know him."


    "Uhum¡­" Ye Rim could predict where this conversation would end. "Sunbaenim, it''s not like you needed his help..."


    "Do not be lying" he turned to her, "He''s the best, isn''t he?"


    "Ah, well, that''s what they say¡­ His schedule is busy, and¡­"


    "This. I need to see him."


    "Ah¡­"


    "I already talked to him, he said it''s all about simple procedures."


    " Uhm¡­"


    "Give me his phone number."


    "Sunbaenim!"


    "C''mon, Ye Rim. Don''t you realize that I have urgency to solve my problem?"


    "Sunbaenim Duk Mi, I don''t see why looking for a plastic surgeon could solve the problem¡­"


    "See, you admit I truly have a problem! See how lies don''t travel far!"


    "¡­! Bwahhh! Don''t be like that, sunbaenim!" Ye Rim was frustrated, but she knew her veteran''s difficult genius well enough to know she was in trouble.


    "If you are my friend, then you must help me, Ye Rim!" Duk Mi pointed a finger at the singer. "It will be much easier to arrange an appointment with Dr. Kim if it is your request."


    "Ah, well¡­ It would be much more elegant if the sunbae did everything the usual way, calling the clinic, and¡­"


    "In an emergency situation of THIS magnitude... Do you think I should patiently wait for a vacant date on his schedule, as normal? You are about to be hired by HTN, and going to leave Pearl; and I''ll stay here_ this wrinkled old turtle? The one responsible for bringing audiences to the club? You want me to die? Want me to be humiliated?"


    ''Omo, such a drama queen!'' Ye Rim thought, but sighed, and said, "Omo, omo, none of this makes sense! Women come here in swarms to hear your romantic songs and look at your charmingly mature features; sigh for your velvety voice¡­ Men are jealous!"


    "So I need to keep my good looks longer. Come on, Ye Rim, be a good girl. Give me his phone number."


    Realizing that it would be very difficult to escape this situation, Ye Rim thought of an alternative:


    "Well, I could send a message¡­ Myself! Look, wait!" She pulled out her cell phone and started typing the message, and she read aloud as she wrote:


    "''Hello, Dr Kim¡­''"


    "Do not be like that. Write ''oppa''! It will make him to see me faster."


    Ye Rim gave a withering glance at the singer, but he did not care; just gestured with his hand for her to do as he had said. However, Ye Rim did not change that. In fact, until then, she was thinking about not really sending the message. She didn''t think she should take advantage of the weak connection with the surgeon to ask him this kind of favors.


    She continued:


    ".''..Mr. Duk Mi, who is my personal friend and met you at the Pearl, needs your opinion about an aesthetic procedure. Would it be possible for you to see him¡­ ''"


    " ''As a personal favor¡­'' "


    "No, sunbaenim! "


    "Don''t be silly, girl. Write it. He''ll like it."


    "No!"


    "Uhn, whatever," he looked frustrated, and returned to the mirror, applying some translucent powder to minimize the glow of the skin.


    "''... would it be possible to see him with priority? He asked so as a favor. Please tell me how he should proceed.''"


    "Ah, if it were for yourself, would you write like this?"


    ''If it was for myself I don''t know if I could even make an appointment with him¡­'' Ye Rim mused. But she was startled when she noticed the veteran singer looking at what she had written, over her shoulder. "Oh, how scary!"


    "Just wanted to make sure my friend was writing to the right person¡­" he said simply.


    "Omo..." Ye Rim muttered under her breath.


    "All right. It''s not perfect, but maybe he''ll read between the lines¡­ Send it."


    "Uhn? Read ''what'' between the lines ?!"


    "''What'', you know. Come on, what are you waiting for? Send it right now," he nodded, ordering her to press the SEND button.


    Ye Rim had no choice but to obey, with cringe and this anxious feeling on the consequences...


    ...


    Jun Hyeon was coming to the bar to order a drink and stay a while away from his friend''s table, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He had a funny feeling about this, and he pulled the phone with his fingertips, and a wry, satisfied smirk on his lips.


    When he checked the sender, he can no longer contain the smile.

 Chapter 65 - Morning Regrets

    Eun Ha woke up to the uncomfortable noise of a vacuum cleaner, somewhere inside her mind, and it seemed to want to rip off pieces of her brain. "Ahnnn no!" she rolled to her side, pulling the covers with her, and stared at the star-painted ceiling of her room. "Ye Rim, isn''t it too early for that ?!" she asked, even though she knew Ye Rim wouldn''t hear.


    Feeling awkward and rather crumpled, she stretched, trying to muster up the courage to get up. The hangover feeling was the worst possible.


    And she had forgotten how she ended up drunken.


    "Wait¡­ !?" she said to herself with a strange feeling.


    She sat up, feeling something hard against her belly. She fumbled until she pulled the object; it is actually a rigid wrapping in brown paper and string.


    "What''s¡­ this?"


    Eun Ha felt her greasy and flaky face, a sign that she had slept without taking off her makeup¡­ ''Ugg, a week of skin detox! I cannot afford it! Why the hell did I drink so much ?!''


    But the images began to come as she undid the package.


    Lee Dae Won¡­ Which got her a smile. ''He is really a gentleman.''


    Something about talking about her childhood ... ''But, what, exactly?''


    This, she could not remember.


    Finally unwrapping the contents of the package, Eun Ha was surprised and intrigued. It looked like an oversized, hardcover children''s book. It was not a new edition, it actually looked like a used but well-kept book. The image on the cover was done in an watercolor old style; and like the old school typography, it bestowed the book a vintage charm. The title read:


    "The Magic Girl"


    "What the hell¡­ Where did I¡­ No!"


    A flash of her hand squeezing a finger against the Hunter''s lips came back to hers mind like a whiplash. ''Oh!'' Eun Ha dropped the book in a rush, covering her mouth with both hands. "Omo!"


    She looked at her own finger_the finger that touched his full lips_ with wonder and curiosity. The fact that she was still holding her hand seemed incredible. ''What else did I do ?!''


    She looked under the covers, but she was fully dressed except for the shoes. She just couldn''t remember how she got into the apartment... or lay down on her bed, for what matter¡­ Just recalled being tossed off the Hunter''s broad back and feeling very dizzy as they quickly went upstairs.


    She rose from the bed in distress and went to look in the mirror. All she saw was her typical rubbish expression after a drunkenness. She fumbled once more her wrinkled clothing, finding her magic wand exactly where she had left it. "I ... Did I really appoint a class with him and skipped it?" she couldn''t remember that much.


    In the shower, the warm water running down her head and body brought back fragments of events, and worse: the things she had said and done on her way to the apartment.


    "Aishhhh!" She punched the bathroom tiles in disbelief and annoyance. "Did I really do all this? I really called him boring; I asked him to carry me; and talked about going up_ or not going up_ to eat ramyun¡­ ?! How can I face him now ?!"


    Still disheartened, after she got out of the shower, she sat on her bed, dressed in her downy robe_ black like all the clothes she wore. The fairy reached for the mysterious book, and looked at it again:


    "Did Professor Shin leave it? I really don''t remember¡­" And also, the fact that it''s a children''s book didn''t make much sense. ''Is it an indirect message? Aigoo! He is so annoying!''


    She couldn''t imagine another way that book was in her bed, so she decided to blame it on the Hunter. She opened the book, flipping through it carefully looking at the pictures first. The delicate watercolor art had beautiful lines, and it refinedly ill.u.s.trated a fairy tale so far unknown to her.


    "How ironic! A fairy tale for a fairy¡­" Though she started the thought with a sullen mood, the realization that she, Eun Ha, was a fairy, drew a silly giggle from her. She shook her head, trying to focus, and began to read,


    "Once upon a time there was a girl, who lived on the mountain with¡­"


    The noise of the vacuum cleaner getting louder as it came closer her room_ along with the remnants of her hangover,_ did not even allow her to finish reading the first sentence. The fairy''s head throbbed hard, and she was about to get up for some aspirin when the bedroom door opened. Eun Ha hastily threw the book under the covers and scratched her head in disguise of her nervousness. She didn''t want to have to explain anything now to Ye Rim, much less about the fairy subject, which she didn''t even master herself.


    Whether or not Ye Rim noticed her maneuver, the fairy had no way of knowing. The younger one gestured for Eun Ha to lift her feet off the floor, which she did by sitting on the bed. Ye Rim vacuumed around and below the bed, then turned off the appliance:


    "Unnie, there''s some guy calling you..."


    "A guy?" Eun ha''s intuition said it wasn''t MP Lee Dae Won, let alone Stylist Zhang,


    "And he did not say his name, I suppose."


    "Yeah. Yes it is. How do you know?" Ye Rim was distracted by the cleaning chores and her own thoughts.


    "Uhn. Just wondered. But don''t worry, it''s not important at all."


    "Ah¡­" Supposing that Ye Rim would immediately cast her a suspicious look and start asking questions, Eun Ha said, stretching her body:


    "Aigoo! Last night I went out with some friends¡­ But where were you? Did I come back after you''re home?"


    "No, I arrived after you. I was at Pearl¡­" Ye Rim recounted the events at the club the day before, from the discussion over money to the musician''s departure, as well as Duk Mi''s late reactions.


    "And the doctor? Did he answer?" Eun Ha was outraged at wondering how fighting with fate was difficult. It all came together to make Dr. Flamingo once again orbit one way or another in Ye Rim''s life!


    "It was checked as viewed, but he didn''t reply. Alright, it was midnight. I have to apologize for sending a message like that at a time like this."


    "Do it when and if he calls back. You left the message, don''t start pestering, as if it were a bait to bring up the subject."


    Ye rim nodded,


    "But speaking of messages, don''t you want to know what the unimportant guy said?" Strangely, coming from Ye Rim in such a situation, the question was not that provocative. Eun Ha cast a worried look at her friend engaged in weekly cleaning. Ye Rim looked a little fl.u.s.tered,


    "Did he leave a message?"


    "Yes, he said you have classes today, and he''ll charge you if you skip it again. I wrote down the address and everything. What classes, unnie? "Ye Rim spoke casually, already leaving the room with the cleaning gear. Neither of them noticed the white card, crumpled along the brown paper where the mystery book had been wrapped. Ye Rim had just put it as the other trash, in the trash bag she was taking away.


    "Lessons ... Lessons of ... French lessons!" she made up in a rush.


    Ah¡­ cool!" it was Ye Rim''s distracted response, leaving the room. Eun Ha hastily took the book under the blanket and put it in her desk.


    "How lewd! Charge fines?! What does he mean by that? I hope he doesn''t even dare to play the smartass just because I''m ignorant of magic. I''m going to turn his head into a kimchi bowl, he''ll just see¡­"


    Eun Ha got up to fetch a glass of water, and shameful new images of the Hunter Shin tugging at her belt and then tossing her over his shoulder like an old bundle flashed her mind:


    "Aishhh¡­!" I she rubbed her neck in pained stress.


    ¡­


    A little later, when Eun Ha left the building, on her way to her meeting with Hunter Fairy Shin, she got across the Yoo brothers down the street. Kang Dae was leading the way, pulling a heavy shopping cart, and Chang Mi was a little behind, empty-handed, and sporting senior school uniform and his usual sulky expression.


    Eunha wondered if she should scold the lazy student for not helping his brother, but she thought that would definitely put her on the level of a dreary nosy ajuhma. Her gaze met Chang Mi''s, but he looked down, embarrassed.


    ''Uhn, this boy! You know you should be helping your hyung...!''


    They stopped by her. Kang Dae said,


    "Eun Ha, we got fresh persimmons! Will keep some aside for you," he was a little out of breath, but had an amused glint in his eyes, which confused Eun Ha a little. But then she remembered that she had heard Kang Dae call his younger brother Persimmon; but she did not know the origin of such nickname.


    "Hello, Kang Dae, Chang Mi!"


    "Your outfit is really stylish, Eun Ha," Kang Dae commented, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and noticing how the fairy was eccentrically dressed - as usual, black from head to toe. "It''s good to know we have a fashion designer neighbor coming out in magazines."


    "Oh, Kang Dae, it''s not like that, it was just onc¡­" Eun Ha''s attention shifted to the cart Kang Dae had dropped by talking to her. The cargo vehicle had begun to move on its own, down the sloped street:


    "Kang Dae! Beware!" She warned aloud, and he turned on his heels, stunned to see the cart sliding its load downhill. With a pathetic look, the greengrocer rushed out to reach and stop the cart before it hurt anyone.


    Eun Ha craned her neck to see if there was a risk of such accident. Her hand was already pressing her wand into the pocket of her garments, ready for action.


    But it wasn''t necessary, Kang Dae reached the vehicle and stopped it before it dealt damage. Eun Ha, however, felt young Chang Mi''s penetrating gaze upon herself; more precisely, upon her hand tucked into her pocket, on a nervous grip around her wand.


    "Aherm¡­ Phew! Glad Kang Dae did it, right, Chang Mi?"


    "I''m sure nothing bad would happen," the handsome yet strange teenager said cryptically.


    Eun ha waved goodbye to them, keeping to herself that strange feeling about everything.

 Chapter 66 - Second Lesson

    '' Should I touch last night''s subject? Should I thank him? Should I question what he was doing in my neighborhood, and how did he know where I was? Or might he answer, ''... I am a Hunter, Jung.'' like it was the most obvious thing in the world?'' the young fairy was hurrying toward him.


    They''re meeting at the capital''s most famous secondhand bookstore.


    The Hunter looked up from the book to watch Eun Ha''s arrival. He was standing near a low shelf, in his Yohji Yamamoto style black clothes; his hair tousled as usual. Eun Ha couldn''t understand why her heart sped up at that gaze of him. It was broad daylight, and they were surrounded by people. He was not even in his intimidating mode. Yet...


    ''Aish, who does he think he is? Constantine? Wolverine? '' A little annoyed she thought. She bowed with the necessary deference as she reached her tutor, who closed the book he was reading with a snap.


    "Jung."


    "Professor Shin."


    Eun Ha looked around anxiously. ''Do I speak up my mind or not? Well, I think he''ll broach the subject first. Not that I expect him to be polite to ask how I am. In any case, when he speaks, I will take advantage and expose my complaints! I will demand that he must be less evasive when he''s teaching me. And especially, don''t be: ''...Ainn, tell you soon, Jung. '' ''...Ainn, not now, Jung. '' Even in her mind, she couldn''t help but imagining a pathetic voice to those lines. But with a sigh, Eun Ha looked back at her tutor, who was watching her with a curious gaze, "Shall we have our class here?"


    He nodded and showed a table where they could sit. Eun Ha peeked at the title he''d been flipping through when he put it back on the shelf. She was surprised to recognize that it was a famous poetry book.


    As they sat facing each other, she clasped her hands together and looked up, with a good student beaming smile on her face, waiting for him to begin.


    "Do you have something to say to me, Jung?"


    The fairy thought she was going to die right there and now.


    "I... I... No," her voice came out small and shy.


    "Ah. I thought you had. Yesterday you said you''d tell me a few things."


    "Uhm... I said so, is it?"


    "Uhhuh."


    "Well, hahah. I forgot what it was. It shouldn''t be anything important," Eun Ha mentally reproached herself for being such a coward.


    "Well," He seemed to wrap up the subject, with a slightly amused glint in his eyes.


    She flashed an embarrassed smile, just wanting to slip into some hole there.


    "So, about the things you saw that other night..."


    "I don''t ever want to go through that again!" she suddenly exclaimed, because it sure needed to get out of her chest. She had spent anguished nights sharing a bed with Ye Rim because she was afraid of sleeping alone.


    Her assertive exclamation made the hunter lean his back against the back of his chair and look one way, and then the other, in a boring manner:


    "This most likely means that we can no longer make business."


    Eun Ha realized that she had just opened a door that led to a dangerous path.


    "Hey Seonsaengnim¡­ Wait! I just meant that¡­"


    "What¡­?"


    "Well, I''m not ready. After all¡­ What do I know? I was a burden there. Professor Shin himself said that it was a problem having to look after an amateur while doing his job. And I didn''t even understand why I needed to be there¡­"


    "Because you owed me a favor."


    "Yeah, well, that''s what we agreed. And then I thought maybe¡­"


    "Maybe you want to give up."


    "Ah, well¡­ Maybe I''m disturbing your activities¡­"


    "We agreed it would be in my free time¡­"


    "Professor Shin! I want to learn, and I want to pay for my classes. But that¡­ made me scared! Is it wrong to be afraid?" Eun Ha felt too pressured to maintain her composure ¡ª after all she realized that the Hunter would use all her ridiculous responses against her. She just didn''t know for what purpose. The fairy just wished her voice hadn''t sounded squeaky like the last sentence.


    "No, Jung. It''s not."


    ''So¡­"


    "I won''t change my terms. But¡­ If you can''t afford it, I should use my free time in other ways."


    "Ahhh, Professor Shin¡­"


    "Don''t even start with that sneezing bunny face."


    Offended, Eun Ha crossed her arms, wondering what to do. The Hunter was one of the most annoying person around; but he was the only fairy she knew. And now she knew that the supernatural world was far more dangerous than she had imagined.


    The fashion designer felt herself dense and unprepared_ thinking that, despite having the wand since she was 16, she never imagined anything about the dangers of the supernatural world. She kept herself inside an eggshell that was her innocent and ignorant little world. ''Is this how I''m going to live life after I had the opportunity to learn?''


    "Professor Shin, give me a class now. Teach me about the things I saw. I don''t want to go through that anymore; or let other people go through it, for what matters."


    Shin stared at her again, and then leaned across the table toward her. The movement was sudden and blunt; and Eun Ha was startled, putting her hand to her heart in a reflexive move, with a gasp. Then she was embarrassed and tried to fix her pathetic expression by taking a deep breath. But the hunter seemed to care nothing about it.


    "I am not a teacher, Jung. You already know that. I can tell you things as I know them, but that''s all. Maybe you should go out and find someone else to teach you."


    "Ah¡­ I¡­ where could I find someone? I mean, I asked for your help¡­ And you''re a Hunter, so¡­"


    "But you''re not."


    '' Why¡­ Look at those eyes¡­ You even have a little sense of responsibility, don''t you, Hunter Shin?'' The young fairy was surprised to learn that Hunter Shin knew very well the danger she had been exposed to, even if he would never admit it.


    "Can''t I be trained to become a huntress?" she asked, suddenly being overtaken by a crazy action fantasy. ''Wouldn''t it be awesome ?!''


    "It won''t happen, Jung," The Hunter popped her whimsical thought bubble with a simple, straightforward sharp sentence, which made Eun Ha grumble to herself grudgingly,


    "Oh, frankly¡­ so rude¡­"


    "What?"


    "Nothing. I didn''t change my mind, Professor Shin. We have a deal, and I''m not a woman, I say, fairy, to back down," she shifted her posture and expression to that of a resolute a.d.u.l.t woman, though inside she didn''t have much idea why she was doing it. Deep down, she just followed her instincts.


    It really took a surprised expression from Hunter Shin, who muttered to himself,


    "Crazy little thing¡­"


    "What?"


    "Ahem¡­" he turned again, watching the surroundings around them, "Well¡­ what to do? If I can''t get rid of you...?"


    Before Eun Ha could reply, he continued, as if he''d never said that:


    "Come on, tell me something about this place. What do you see?"

 Chapter 67 - Why We Shall Care

    Looking around, Eun Ha saw the beautiful bookstore, quietly buzzing with its natural stream of book-seeking customers by the late afternoon. Eun Ha didn''t usually come to this place, but she discovered herself liking being there. The place was beautiful, and the atmosphere, pleasant.


    "It''s a good place. I could stay here for hours ..." but as she was questioned about it, the young fairy thought there might be something more. '' Why, what will it be? Is there a secret passage to another world or something? ''


    "I suppose it''s quite different from some places, such as the cafeteria we visited¡­" the Hunter hinted.


    "Yes! No doubt! Even without seeing through the monocle, I just didn''t want to be there."


    "If you just relax in a place like we are, you''ll feel good. You will connect to the magic of this place. It is so with all fairies. We do not have an intrinsic magic, but in fact we absorb the magic. Or chi; or quintessence... Although magic is like neither of those terms, it''s something related to," the Hunter sighed, as unsatisfied with his own explanation.


    "Do we absorb it? OH! What does Professor mean?" the expression '' psychic vampire'' came immediately to Eun Ha''s mind, but she would not dare to speak her mind to her tutor.


    "Usually, art, beauty, feelings of contentment, harmony, balance¡­ Ah, you know. The good stuff. These things create good magic. Magic circulates and permeates everything. Ahn¡­ When this energy exceeds and leaves living things, it can only flow and dissipate, or pervade objects or places. Our kinfolk only absorbs this energy that flows in the air when it''s not into any living being¡­ It''s not natural to us do it otherwise, I mean. We only feel when the energy is appropriate, and when it is not. However, we do not control what we absorb. We only absorb the chi to which we are exposed. No matter what,¡­"


    "Ahhhhhh!" after listening with enormous attention, Eun Ha exclaimed with relief. It made perfect sense, and many synapses formed the more she related her master''s simplistic and clumsy explanation to her own personal experiences. The girl''s considerations of her previous experiences with events and places drew her attention from the Hunter, who had interrupted his last sentence in the middle with a sigh_ but Eun Ha noticed none of this.


    "What about the bad places?"


    "Well, when things don''t go well in one place, and the energy stagnates, you''ve seen well what that can turn into. It''s not so common for places to be that way in nature, but because it''s contaminated¡­ somehow. Those place loses all magic they once possessed, if it was the case. And when a fairy stays for a long time in such places, ah¡­ It''s not good..."


    His tutor didn''t seem at all comfortable in the role of educator, however. It was clear that he had no talent or didactics.


    '' Considering that he believes there is a tax on spoken syllabes, he''s doing well¡­'' she thought. Even so, perhaps from some kind of empirical knowledge, she was able to understand what he meant. The Hunter seemed frustrated with himself, though. But he continued,


    "Jung, did you see the creatures parasitizing those people in the cafe? That''s called a wraith."


    She rubbed her arms and cringed, just remembering, "They were not ghosts?"


    "No. Wraiths are not ghosts. They are not restless spirits of the dead. They''re just another kind of creature."


    "But¡­ I don''t understand! Weren''t they possessing those people''s bodies? "she was shocked by the information.


    The hunter scratched the back of his neck, looking agitated. "Why don''t we walk?"


    "Because I don''t want to get out of here anymore?" she said charmingly, and this time, he smiled, while getting up.


    "Of course you don''t want to. Why would a fairy want to leave a place where people exchange dreams?"


    "Exchange dreams?" she knew she was sounding like an echoing parrot, but she couldn''t help but look like a curious and fascinated child, as she walked behind the Hunter towards the exit. She realized that if she wanted to see the door, she would have to look around, or his shoulders would block her view. Eun Ha also guessed that the people in front of him could not imagine that a woman was right behind.


    By the time they reached the sidewalk, she already felt the difference between '' energies '' in the interior and exterior of the building. Something, a primal feeling, perhaps, was attracting her towards the bookstore. And now she could name it.


    It was magic.


    It was the same feeling she had as a child thinking of going to Jolly Bakery. A moth to light, a hummingbird to gardens¡­ Knowing magic was a common commodity created and wasted so superficially was intriguing. Humans were able to produce magic in their everyday affairs_ but not to use it, at least in a conscient level¡­ This piece of information was mind-blowing.


    "Yes," he answered at last. "Where there are so many books, and so many people circulating, there is magic flowing. People come to such a place to seek fantasy, poetry, knowledge and enlightenment. That is, they are exchanging dreams."


    "Ahhh¡­" Eun Ha looked, open-mouthed, at Shin''s face. She didn''t expect to hear such beautiful words from that mouth. And not expected to find out that his moving lips were so s.e.xy_ pink and plumpy¡­ '' wow, it''s hot in here!'' she felt her cheeks burn.


    "What?" he looked up and behind him, suddenly searching for something.


    "Uh?"


    "What are you looking at?"


    "Oh¡­ just¡­ thinking about the bookstore¡­"


    "Right. Let''s go. I''ll take you somewhere. As I was saying¡­"


    "Professor Shin!"


    "Yes, Jung?"


    "Fairies go to romantic dates at bookstores and places like that?" she had trouble walking at the same pace as her tutor, but tried anyway. The question was legitimate¡­ But Hunter Shin turned around with a funny, astonished expression:


    "What ?!"


    "I mean¡­ well, fairies are born, so there''s romance. And¡­ what''s the romance like?"


    "Omo, Jung, why are you so random?!" he shook his head and refused to think about it just moving forward with an even faster step.


    "Why ''random''?!" Eun Ha was outraged, but her teacher even more so:


    "Why don''t you even let me carry on a subject?!"


    '' Oh, well¡­ he''s right¡­ Now that he''s coming out, I shouldn''t interrupt.'' Eun Ha ran in front of him, and made a gesture of zipping her lips. Shin just gestured for her to get out of the way, or get run over.


    '' Random¡­ I''m not random, I just don''t have a linear thought!'' she mentally justified herself, following the hunter down the sidewalks.


    After a few blocks, they came to a pleasant tree-lined street, and Shin led her to the window of a small candy store. Sugary Dreams was the name written in small, elegant letters. The facade itself was rather discreet, in a traditional brown tone. But Eun Ha felt the magic, which was strong there.


    She looked surprised to her teacher:


    "Every candy store is magic?"


    "Usually. Haven''t you heard of Gretel and Hans?" he chuckled at the look of horror on his student''s face, for when Eun Ha searched her mind about what he was referring to, she remembered the Witch and the Candy House, and got an involuntary shiver.


    "Aish! Professor Shin!"


    He turned back to the facade, and they both watched the small building for a moment. Eun Ha noticed the closed sign on the door. But she also realized that from the dusty look of the sidewalk and the shop window, the shop had been closed for a while.


    However, her previous experience at the coffee shop and muffin factory was not exactly encouraging, so she asked,


    "What is this place and what have we come here to do?"


    "If you were more experienced, you could say that this place is slowly changing... It''s been closed for some time and the magic will slowly estagnate¡­ which is not good. Remember the family that owned the coffee shop and the muffin factory?"


    "Unfortunately, yes."


    "They had a patron. A fairy godmother¡­godfather, actually."


    "Oh! And what happened¡­"


    Shin showed Eun Ha the wooden spoon they found with the awgi at the muffin factory. Eun Ha didn''t need to listen to understand.


    "Wraiths usually act that way. Wraiths are very common. They are attracted to the stagnant energy of depressed people. So they parasitize them, and begin to feed on the energy of humans. Over time, if the connection goes on, they even begin to look physically like the human they bonded with¡­ The longer, the more they look alike. They are not creatures with great intelligence unless they are with the same person for a long time. Its only malice is to imitate humans: voices, whispers of words already spoken¡­ All this to attract and try to parasite the human. Therefore they can be confused with ghosts. All they need is a weakened person. Which was the case with that couple. They were quite susceptible¡­ After all they had big problems¡­"


    Somehow, talking about a subject he mastered very well made the usual monosyllabic Hunter Shin talk a lot, which surprised Eun Ha.


    "I think they knew that their son had killed Instagrammer Han."


    "I also believe that at some point they had acknowledged it."


    "So the Wraith found those people suffering and were just eating them little by little ... Wait! Are they demons?"


    "Demon is a very generic concept, but it is possible that humans call them that, or even confuse them with actual ghosts. But¡­ Those wraiths didn''t act the usual way. They attacked a fairy when usually they usually run and hide from us."


    "Why? I mean, why did the creature attack me?"


    "Because somewhere in this town, is there something devouring fairies," he said, staring again at the storefront.

 Chapter 68 - Flashy Hats and Blasting Rays

    It was shocking terrorizing news for Eun Ha. '' So it''s really true¡­ He made it clear that there was something very important going on that needed all his attention; but I didn''t stop to ask the details¡­ '' she thought.


    "A fairy-eating monster¡­?" her voice came out a bit high pitched, reflecting her anxiety.


    "Yes."


    "And why did we come here to do, Professor?"


    Shin turned to his student, and said, "The place is magically locked. At first I might think this shop''s owner, Chil Won, had fled the city¡­ but that didn''t make much sense."


    Upon learning that, Eun Ha looked at the Hunter again, out of the corner of her eye. And a suspecting feeling began to form in her mind. She asked,


    "It''s locked magically... But... Why can''t Professor come in?"


    But the Hunter was not as inexperienced as her, and looked up at the fairy woman with an intriguing expression, and didn''t respond directly:


    "There are many ways to make magic, but the main fact about spells is that they cannot be undone..."


    "What does that mean?"


    "I mean that, once a spell is made, even the spellcaster cannot break it. There are some turn arounds; but basically, countermagic is a myth. And that''s why a wise spellcaster will insert triggers to get it undone in the case it''s needed. It mostly works for protection sigils like this one. If only we knew what the triggers are..."


    "So, is there no way magic can blast this... uhn, sigil, off? Like...uhn... a beam of magic that ZZZZZZZZZTRUM! our way in?"


    The hunter stifled his laugh before her dramatization of a magic beam blasting the door, sound effects and all. His eyes squeezed, betraying his amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "No. No magic beam or whatever. Most fairies don''t have such power in themselves to get a blasting beam as attack weapon."


    "Oh, it''s disappointing."


    "But some do. It really gets a lot of ''chi'', and lots of practice."


    Eun Ha recalled the event in the cafeteria, where Hunter Shin conducted the whole thing and a blast of power ZZZTRUM the wraith! She couldn''t possibly imagine how to replicate such effect without him gripping her wand tightly! " OMO !'' She blushed to recall the moment. His callous palm in contact to her wand.


    "Oh, no way we can make a blaster of pure chi¡­ right?"


    He frowned, a bit puzzled, but said, "Anyway, it wouldn''t have the desired effect."


    "But it would be super cool."


    "You like flashy things, as you like flashy hats, right?"


    She looked her tutor from head to toes, examining his black asymmetric clothes, his black hat and how everything just fitted him. He was a funny man. He could go around just as a drama Grim Reaper but she could not wear black hats, does it make any sense? Of course he dressed with some style like that by mere causality. He probably should buy his clothes in outlets or at the Salvation Army.


    "My clothes have flair. It''s called style. Some have, others don''t," Eun Ha could only defend herself.


    "I know," he returned to his casual cool self, and continued. " But I saw you doing something different, that day when we met each other. Something unique."


    After listening to it, Eun Ha certainly understood that she was in a position of advantage. Her self-taught magic learning was apparently innovative and enviable. This information inflated her ego, and she grinned widely. She could already imagine herself in the future, as the forerunner of a magical school with her unique techniques.


    "Unique? Something extraordinarily special and different?"


    "Yes. I believe your style was banned by the Elemental Council and is considered a crime for over 5 centuries. Surely no acknowledged fairy could use it¡­ If one knew the technique, of course."


    "Uhnnn¡­" she pouted, disappointed and a little resentful that her dream of having a technique known by her name had died so prematurely. "Am I basically being called a criminal?"


    "I think there are mitigators in your case. But¡­ I''d like to see it in action one again."


    She narrowed her eyes. ''Is this Hunter Shin really what he says he is? Does he really intend to manipulate me like this to do something he can''t or won''t take responsibility for?''


    "But as the Professor said, I shouldn''t be using it. It''s a banned practice," she pondered aloud.


    "¡­" the Professor sat in the shop''s doorway, fumbling in his pockets for his pack of cigarettes, lighting one and having it in a relaxing nonchalant way. The designer stood watching, waiting for him to say or do something, but he simply stood there, smoking in silence. Eun Ha controlled her anxiety and desire to yell at him, and asked,


    ''What should we do, Professor?''


    ''It would be nice to see how things are inside. If there is anything that needs to be done there. Be taken care of, protected, investigated; or saved. But there''s nothing I can do out here."


    "So what could I do about it if the spells, sigils or whatever, can''t be broken?"


    "There''s not a way that any regular fairy under 500 years old knows about. But you know how to break things using magic. It''s a lost knowledge. Maybe you can break sigils too."


    "Oh!" she exclaimed.


    " OHHHH what?"


    "Five-hundred-years ?! Can a fairy live this much?"


    "Omo. I say one important thing and you only care about nonsense."


    "How 500 years is nonsense ?!"


    "They''ll be nonsense if none of us live up to the end of the year, Jung," he stood, finishing his cigarette. "I would like clues as to what happened to Chil Won. That awgi seemed to imply only finding clues to his death; but not being the real culprit. Also, not an awgi modus operandi."


    "Ahnn," the things were becoming clearer in her mind, but not pleasant to think about nevertheless.


    And it would also be nice to know if it''s possible that your¡­ weird way of cursing things could interfere with this place''s seal of protection."


    "Hey!"


    "What?"


    "Don''t call it cursing!" she said in a small, resentful voice.


    The Hunter shrugged, tucking his hands in his coat pocket. Eun Ha walked to the door of the candy store, and watched what she could do_ if she could do something at all, that''s it.


    Strangely, when she focused on it, she could really feel the faint pulse of magic emanating from the charming building squeezed between larger buildings. She also thought that if she was ''being scammed by a thief who was just interested in taking advantage of her and her powers ¡­'' What would she do?''


    She did not know.

 Chapter 69 - Chocolate

    The doubt of being mislead by the Hunter_ if he was realy a Hunter_ started to make the young fairy to think. Her eyes glanced the Hunter suspiciously once again, as she examined the porch of the Candy Store.


    All the things the Hunter told her today made sense, and the more she thought about the details and branches of such horrible tale of greedy and horror, her heart ached a bit.


    Eun Ha just remembered those people_the owner of the muffin factory and his wife; and the people who worked for him. The couple lived wretched lives, haunted by horrible wraiths, being blackmailed, and keeping a tragic and dirty secret¡­ She still could not understand if there was any relationship between the murder of Fairy Chil Won and that of the human, that was killed by the deserter soldier. After all, she was no detective. But she could see the whole picture in what it mattered regarding magic. These were events that subsequently impacted the environments and even people indirectly involved, as the workers of the factory. The magic Chil Won was protecting by being the muffins factory''s patron, was totally spoiled and wasted... If she was understanding it right, it is.


    As her mind drifted through the intricacies of the effect of the crimes on the factory, a sudden idea arose.


    But if she explained all the logic behind her tactic, she figured she probably couldn''t get the Hunter''s collaboration. ''Since he doesn''t even know how my method works, how would he know whether I''m lying or not?'' she restrained a chuckle.


    "Professor Shin, I don''t think we have to go as far as using magic here."


    "What are you talking about, Jung?" As expected, the Hunter came to his side, and looked at the door. She pointed to the threshold, "Look. The threshold is enchanted, but the door¡­ the door is ''disenchanted''."


    "There is no such word."


    "How could I possibly know?" she said casually. "See it? I''m not sure, but¡­ If the door is just strongly pushed in, it should give way.


    "Not possible, I would have¡­"


    "Well, I don''t know if it''s possible. I," and she stressed the I , "know what I am seeing, that''s all. I ," new stress, "have been doing this since I was sixteen."


    The Hunter nodded and braced himself for the push against the door she was betting to come.


    ''Yes!'' Eun Ha thought, grabbing her magic wand for use on time.


    As soon as he slammed his shoulder against the surface of the door, Eun Ha cast her ''spell''_though she now knew there were differences_ so that the door would not resist his weight and give way. Her reasoning was: the strongest magic power would win. The Hunter said the magic in the place was getting weaker. Also, she wasn''t trying to break another fairy''s spell_ she was trying to make her own.


    Eun Ha couldn''t be absolutely sure of success, but she thought she should take a risk, like everything she did in her life.


    A strange crack and rumble followed as the surprised Hunter fell on the door plank and inside the store. He gave a muffled groan and got up awkwardly.


    ''Maybe I never need to tell him that I was just bluffing¡­'' Eun Ha thought. ''Or maybe I should. After all, I may need to know WHY it worked, to begin with.''


    As they entered the small candy store, Shin soon looked for the switches to turn on the lights,


    "I''m not going to turn on all the lights, just a set or two. I don''t want to get too much attention," he said. "But it would be nice to have some kind of lighting to so we can investigate."


    '' We?! Wasn''t he the one who didn''t like amateurs on the scene? '' She was amused by her own internal remark but agreed.


    "Yes. Is Professor Shin all right?"


    He grunted in response, and Eun Ha once again realized that he limped slightly as he crossed the room to go behind the counter. Eun Ha also came by the counter; in her case, attracted by the smell of chocolate coming from there. It was intoxicating. Now she could tell she understood what the ''magic scent'' was. For that place immediately reminded her of the dearest memory of her childhood: Jolly Bakery.


    The internal illumination of the desserts display was the first thing that lit on in the darkness, and Eun Ha marveled at the wonderful delicacies in display. And she could say for sure that each of them had some of the ''magic'' quintessence_ or magic chi_ Hunter Shin was talking about. In retrospect, she had always seen magic; she just didn''t have a name for her.


    "Omo omo !!!"


    She crouched down in awe, coveting each of the sweets. Forgot her diet completely. She wanted each of them! They were so perfect, as if they''re freshly baked or crafted. Her stomach even seemed to groan in anticipation. In a epiphany moment, she realized there was no reason to restrain herself at all.


    "Ah!" It was a child''s dream: to get all she wanted; no guilt attached.


    She walked around the counter quickly, and reached inside greedily, grabbing a chocolate eclair that exploded in her mouth at the first bite_ as expected, causing a small gourmand ecstasy.


    "Hmmmm!" she exclaimed with a groan of happiness, which made the Hunter rise from his crouching position next to her, searching for the right switches.


    "What¡­?" he started to ask, but Eun Ha had thoughtlessly taken a small piece of the eclair, oozing fudge, and intended to make him try.


    "Hmm nom hmmm!" Was her attempt to say: ''Sharing dreams! Try it!'' with her own mouth full.


    Her sudden move caught the hunter''s mouth half open, and her finger covered in luscious chocolate fudge slipped across and inside his lips. To try to prevent her from doing so, he gripped her wrist, but it was too late: Eun Ha''s finger had definitely touched the tip of his tongue and deposited the delicious chocolate filling in his mouth. The piece of eclair fell, forgotten, but no one noticed.


    Just both of them staring at each other about 4 inches apart, caught by surprise by the incident, inside a half-lit vanilla scented room: Eun Ha with her chocolate-covered finger, on the lips and tongue of Hunter Shin.

 Chapter 70 - Thump Thump

    Thum-thump ...


    Thum-thump ...


    Thum-thump ...


    Eun Ha couldn''t take her eyes off Hunter Shin''s eyes, and she heard the hollow thud of her heart beating fast and hard, taking all the oxygen from her body to her brain ¡­ That was getting dizzy right now. The heat on her face was so intense it seemed to burn with fever. ''I''m hyperventilating¡­''


    His dark, intense eyes still held a little surprise, but¡­ she found that he was paralyzed by the same thing as herself.


    She could also hear his heart. It was also pounding hard on his broad chest. '' Omo¡­''


    While her finger was still on his lips, it felt like forever, each of them deciding what to do next. This electricity passed through them, a little different from when the Hunter held her hand and commanded her magic. She felt his fingers pressing against her wrist¡­ it just seemed that he controlled the strength of his fingertips so as not to hurt her thin wrist. In fact, her legs turning to jelly¡­ It was definitely something else.


    Eun Ha''s gaze dropped to his lips, ''... Omo omo omo!'' At that moment the heat in her face¡­ and other parts of her body, felt like burning. And the damn expectation of what would happen next; please! it was too much to handle!


    Then suddenly his white teeth brushed lightly on the tip of her finger, pressed lightly and hold it for a moment; and gave in to warn her to back off.


    Thum-thum-thump!


    But it wasn''t as if Eun Ha had any strength left in her body to command it. Everything was jelly-made now. She was sure that if Hunter Shin blew hard, she would crumble like a dandelion in the air. Then his tongue curled into her index, and


    '' ainnn, I''m going to die¡­''


    Thum-thump!


    Thum-thump!


    licking the chocolate, and slowly pulled away as he turned his face away. But then his lips went back to the tip of her still raised finger, and placed a small kiss on the tip of it.


    But that was it.


    He turned away from her. The magic moment dissipated.


    His light, gentle smile seemed a little embarrassed. Eun Ha didn''t even know what to think. She withdrew her finger; then hand, arm, and hugged herself, so flushed and embarrassed that she wanted to disappear from there.


    "I''m so sorry¡­! I just wanted to¡­!


    "Share the magic," he added, turning on his back and reaching for a paper napkin to wipe off.


    "Yeah."


    "It''s all right. It was an accident."


    "Ah. Yeah." Eun Ha still felt dizzy, her legs were still soft; and she definitely felt confused and torn about the emptiness and anticlimax feelings after he disrupted the moment. And thank God he interrupted it.


    But she stood there, staring at her tutor''s broad back, wondering what might have happened¡­ '' No! Stop thinking nonsense! That was just the ... heat of the moment.''  The fairy''s thoughts ran over each other. '' Here, alone, a man and a woman. And¡­ And¡­ Besides, there''s always the annoyed ''Jung, you¡­'' ''''


    ''You can go now, Jung.'' The hunter''s voice was kind as he, still on his back, finished cleaning his chest where some chocolate ganache fell on.


    "..." she was surprised. Not what she expected of all things.


    "You''ll still have to explain to me how you did that_ because I know you used your magic; but not today. Today you have done a lot. You must go now."


    His words definitely had the power to kick her off and away from her dreamy state and made her feel used. '' What do you mean you make me open this damn door and now you want me to leave? What are you going to do here that you don''t want to be seen ?! '' Those were her indignant thoughts.


    "I can help, no problem. Two people can do a search better than one," she insisted, thinking that she should force her stay and find out what was really going on there.


    '' Or does he not want me to stay because¡­ Omo, no, no!'' she felt her face flush again, but she swept away any naughty thoughts. Now Professor Shin had walked away, heading for a door that should lead to the little shop''s service area. He stopped with a hand on the doorknob and said,


    "Thanks for what you did today. I won''t charge you for today."


    "What ?! It''s the minimum I''d expect, indeed! Today''s class was too short!"


    "Yes, I know. Now bye. We''ll talk later," he made a dismissive gesture toward her, sending her out without question.


    "Ahhh, now I got what''s really going on!" Eun Ha definitely wished her tone had gone exactly as it was in her head, angry and full of justice; but her voice came out squeaky and weepy instead.


    The Hunter turned to her with an unreadable expression and just said,


    "If you understand that now you must leave because I don''t want you here now, then you understand everything, yes."


    "Oh!" She knew that he was the crudest, uncouth person she''d ever met, but he could always make her look stupid.


    "GASLIGHTING!" she yelled.


    "What the hell, Jung! I know what you are doing, and that''s not it. Just go! Now I need to focus here, and with you talking and asking questions it''s not remotelly possible. You¡­ make it all noisy."


    "¡­!" maybe that wasn''t the point, but the Hunter managed to get her lips together, indignant but admitting she was a bit noisy, yes. At that moment, Eun Ha wanted to say, '' Yes, I make everything noisy, even your cold heart of metal.'' But she knew that wasn''t a good idea. He was not yet ready to admit what had happened between them, a few moments ago.


    "Please?" he insisted, showing the door with the hand.


    "So am I noisy ?!"


    "A noisemaker," he grunted after a while in silence, scratching his forehead and looking down.


    "You''re a well of silence!" she attacked, knowing she was being ridiculous, but just couldn''t contain herself.


    "Jung!" the Hunter hissed aloud, his warning tone of voice only indicated that he was angry that she was informal towards him.


    "Nevermind. I don''t want classes anymore. You are not even a good teacher. You just make me more confused," she turned to go, though her feet wanted to stay. Not only did she not want to go, as she wanted to investigate, but she also wanted to continue learning from the Hunter. She waited for him to call her back. She had noticed that her gesture of leaving made him uneasy and he even moved towards her..


    "Jung¡­"


    "What¡­ Professor?" she didn''t turn around, and answered his voice, a little confused about how to keep the formality. But she regretted her flawed act by calling him Professor.


    "Text me when you get home. And don''t be out on the street by yourself, late night or whatever."


    "¡­ "'' Oh, what an idiot!''


    Eun Ha passed over the fallen door and left the candy shop, wanting to cry.

 Chapter 71 - Airport

    After check-in, Jun Hyeon had some free time before boarding, so he wandered around the airport shops without haste or purpose. As he passed the newsstand, he saw the cover of the latest issue of Vogue magazine¡­ And that immediately brought to mind a certain copper-haired singer who had a lot of fans.


    ''Ok, this is not a problem. She have fans. Who give her away. What''s the matter anyway? She is an artist,'' he tried to repeat mentally, but it bothered him. She looked so happy to be gifted with that expensive coat... It was clear that a snap of her fingers would be enough for that foolish ajuhssi to kneel and even bark, if she asked to.


    But was that really a problem? That she liked expensive things? Or had he been more annoyed that she accepted the flattery of this ajuhssi who was old enough to be her father, just because... a furred coat? Besides, what bothered Jun Hyeon the most was how strange everything had been that day: first Ye Rim had come to his office to return his shirt; and he''d booked the night for a second date with her. But then she cunningly dragged him to an audition, orchestrated by her friend Dae Won¡­ Why? And then she took him to that horrible place where she sings¡­ for what?


    Was it just a cheap strategy to pretend to be proud, when in fact there was none of it?


    Jun Hyeon was divided and certainly had doubts about who Ye Rim really was.


    The fact that his hyung Dae Won seemed so keen to get her career back also made him worried. She seemed to be some kind of mischievous mermaid capable of getting everything from a man_ even that he went out of his way for her.


    When she texted him a favor, it only reinforced that Miss Nam thought of all the men around her as sources of assorted benefits. Jun Hyeon could even have the strange fantasy of her being a siren in her rock, while CEO Baek and his Grandfather would bring her presents; and him and Dae Won at her tail_ just adoring her while she laughed at them all¡­ ''Oh shit!'' That was an odd fantasy and he dismissed it with a frowning.


    Surely Dr. Kim had been very surprised to receive Dae Won''s visit at the Ji Hyeon Foundation days ago. And much more surprised that the subject was Ye Rim.


    Her first thought when Dae Won broached the subject was ''He''s still trying to know if he''s interrupting anything between me and Nam Ye Rim. What would be more typical of hyung than not wanting to hurt anyone''s feelings?''


    And Jun Hyeon had said for the third time that there was nothing going on between them.


    So Dae Won had started talking about the contacts he had made in the entertainment industry, and how the people who worked or met Ye Rim showed sympathy for her bad luck. Yes, they said, she was one of the most talented and charismatic promises they had ever met. But she had a difficult temper and had even caused a minor scandal shortly after the debut of a girl group¡­


    Jun Hyeon, knowing Ye Rim, could say that it suited her very much.


    "Jun Hyeon, the people I spoke to¡­ No one wants to risk giving her a chance. They are not interested, "the hyung had said, his tone downcast.


    "Well, that''s it, hyung. You did what you could," he had said in turn. In a way, with secret selfish satisfaction.


    "You could call her to sing at the annual Ji Hyeon Foundation''s event," Dae Won suggested, and Kim Jun Hyeon knew that the event_ where hundreds of important people from across the country would be at_ could be a good opportunity for the singer to make her phoenix trick.


    "I don''t know. Maybe she won''t accept it. She may think it''s one of those charities she repeatedly says she doesn''t accept. ''


    His old school friend got frustrated as Jun Hyeon somehow savored having the power to alter Miss Nam''s fate with a simple invitation.


    But he would not.


    He would no longer be one of the men in Nam Ye Rim''s network of drooling admirers, rushing to her aid as she ruined everything with her bad temper and ''misunderstood diva'' complex.


    "FLIGHT 2035: FROM SEOUL TO FRANKFURT - LAST CALL"


    The monotonous voice warned on the speakers. His trip to this Medical Congress was an important event, as he would lecture on his method for healing scar tissue, his specialty in the field of cosmetic surgery. Normally he would be happy with this trip, but last week he found himself uncomfortable and unwilling to leave town. He had a strange feeling in his chest that he couldn''t identify.


    Glancing at the airport clock, and checking with his own, Jun Hyeon ran a hand through his hair in disgust. Time had flown and the main subject of his mind was that annoying siren with golden scaled tail.


    The surgeon jerked his wallet out and searched for the golden sequin he''d stored there. He looked at the cheap piece of plastic with disdain, and went to a trash bin.


    Okay, it was symbolic, but he wanted to end it. He made to throw the spangle away. The small shiny object clung to the point of his index finger, to his surprise. "Aish, how annoying! Just like your owner!" he shook his hand harder, irritated. The object finally came loose and fell into the trash bin papers.


    Jun Hyeon gave a relieved sigh. It was over. No more Nam Ye Rim.


    "Wow!" he exclaimed aloud, catching the attention of the passing people. ''What a relief! I could even dance right here. Was it some kind of spell or what?!'' He found himself thinking.


    Now, heading toward the gate, he felt light and serene.


    For a very brief moment.


    Somehow, it seemed, he had actually thrown that woman to a place she definitely didn''t deserve to be.


    Delivering his ticket and ID to conference, Jun Hyeon turned his gaze back to the trash bin.


    "Oh damn¡­" apologizing to the agent, he rushed back to the trash bin, and reached for the small object,


    ''I can''t believe I''m doing this¡­''


    He realized that his eccentric act was getting people''s attention. With his free hand he reached for the phone in his pocket and dialed Ye Rim''s number.


    The gatekeeper signaled the strange passenger, his papers in hand, asking if he would board:


    "I''ll be right out!" He shouted back until he felt his finger had found the spangle between the papers.


    He could hear the ringing call on the phone as he fished the small object with his fingers as tweezers.


    Looking at the golden glow between his fingers again, he felt definitely pathetic, but strangely proud of himself. He didn''t really need to get her out of his life, did he?


    "Hello?"


    "Ye Rim ah?"


    "Dr. Kim? "


    He straightened and headed back to the boarding gate, bowing in thanks and apologizing to the airline staff as he spoke to her.


    ¡­


    Ye Rim was preparing Sunday dinner when the cell phone rang. Eun Ha, who usually cooked for them, had a migraine and was locked in her room.


    By the morning Ye Rim had received the strange call from Kim Jun Hyeon oppa_ and all day the memory of the conversation had disturbed her mind.


    ''What the hell is going on with Dr. Kim?'' she wondered every fifteen minutes.


    First, he called to say he would be out of town for 10 days in Europe.


    Then, he asked if she wanted anything from Europe¡­


    ''What the hell?!''


    His tone was absolutely gallant and gentle ¡ª but not the same gentle tone as when they were on that fateful Friday meeting. In fact, she knew that tone very well. It was the tone of a man trying to call the seductive Christian Grey card.


    She snorted in indignation. ''Like the old saying, a wolf dies on its skin!''


    As if summoned by her thoughts, her phone rang again, and Ye Rim''s intuition told her it was him. Dr. Kim had reported almost in detail his itinerary. At this point, if she remembered well, he had already arrived at Frankfurt, where he would spend the night at; then continue his trip to Zurich by the next morning.


    She wiped her hand on her apron before picking up her phone.


    "Hello?"


    "Ye Rim? Check the messages," he hung up.


    "Uh?"


    There was more than one message from Dr. Kim in the chat app. All images. Ye Rim zapped them all with incredulity,


    "What the hell is this man doing ?! What is he thinking?!"

 Chapter 72 - Miss Golightly

    It was early afternoon and Kim Jun Hyeon was leisurely strolling by the Goethestrasse, wandering around after his early dinner alone at a nearby restaurant. Exercising his long legs after a long flight would help him to get a better sleep later, as he knew his sleep problems very well.


    The windows of the luxurious street were attractive, and in fact, the little whim in the back of his mind was starting to turn into an interesting idea. Perhaps at the beginning of his unpretentious stroll, his real purpose was not at all clear in his mind _ but here he was, lead by his own feet, on a street full of famous brands. In fact, the consumer''s dream of most Korean women he knew.


    How could he not know that?


    The surgeon stood in front of Tiffany & Co, judging the display case with discretion. ''I shouldn''t come back without a gift for her, should I?''


    With his hands in his pockets, in his overcoat and suit elegant outfit, he saw his reflection in the window, and smiled at the exotic-looking, handsome man _ though perhaps not always the sweetest man in the world.


    ''Aishhh¡­ She should stop this game. We know very well that there is an irresistible attraction between us. We are a.d.u.l.ts. What harm is it to playing this game honestly?''


    Taking a deep breath, he turned his back on the famous store, and across the street into Louis Vuitton. She had a branded handbag that had seen better days.


    There are men who don''t notice the details, but Dr. Kim wasn''t one of those. His aesthetic sense and his profession might sharpen his eyes on every defect.


    Oh! And that woman had so many!


    Upon entering the store, he was met by a couple of solicitous sellers, and was taken to the handbags sector. He selected some, naturally without asking at the price, just because they would look nice with Ye Rim: ''a handbag for her to carry that ridiculous stereo sound gadget; this one for her to go to the theater. This small one for an afternoon stroll or else. This one... surely holds a lot of makeup.''


    "One moment," he told the attendants, and pulled out his cell phone, taking pictures of the bags he believed she would like best.


    He sent the images to her with a touch, curious for her reaction.


    After all, when he asked her earlier before boarding, if she wanted him to bring her anything from Switzerland, she said she would be happy with a "souvenir_ chocolates, ...or a bank account hahah."


    Her sense of humor was something completely out of the ordinary, but he was definitely getting used to it.


    The message alert vibrated, the sellers smiled at him in collective expectation. He read the message with a smile on his lips:


    NYR: "Do you need a fashion consultant?"


    He cleared his throat and bit his lip excitedly. He already imagined that Ye Rim would play dumb. Controlling the excitement about another interesting conversation with Ye Rim, he recorded the audio message


    KJH: "Choose one. Or two."


    This! Giving presents was good, but letting them choose¡­ it was even better. If he had known this game was so exciting, he would have exercised it more often in the past. Oh he felt great!


    NYR: "What are you doing, oppa? I don''t understand."


    He read the message imagining Ye Rim''s voice. That took one more victorious and amused smile from him, which recorded another message as his gaze roamed the shop carelessly:


    KJH: "Just pick the one you like the best. I just stumbled upon his store and remembered you. I saw this red bag; it''s nice! I wanted to give you something, but I couldn''t decide on my own either. Just pick one. I insist."


    He put the phone in video mode and showed the shop around him, then again the selected bags, on the table under a sparkling crystal chandelier.


    He turned the camera to himself and looked at her, with a happy yet composed expression on his face:


    KJH: "Come on Cottonfeet, don''t be shy. If you don''t choose, I''ll choose it," he sent the video, then accepted the wine the waiter brought to refresh the customer, as he was invited to sit in a luxurious and inviting armchair. Jun Hyeon was enjoying the drink when the answer came:


    NYR: "So I really don''t need to be shy?"


    KJH: "Of course not."


    NYR: "So know that: I don''t want to. Thank you."


    KJH: "Don''t be like that. If you don''t choose, I''ll pick you up and get you a new bag for you."


    NYR: (is typing¡­)


    After a few moments, when the doctor imagined she was thinking about how to gracefully go back on her words and accept without losing face, and sipping some tasty wine, the message arrived:


    NYR: "If you bring something like this to me without my express consent, I''ll make you swallow that bag, Dr. Kim. Be warned."


    Jun Hyeon bit his tongue and choked on his alcoholic beverage, and began to cough, out of breath. The store staff rushed in worriedly, but he managed to get out of the situation on his own; and after taking a deep breath, waved them away. The surgeon blinked several times, feeling blind and even deaf with anger. ''Damn you!''


    "Oh yes?! Oh yes?! Ms. Honesty ?!" he sat back in the armchair, and the staff sensitively moved away for another session, giving him relative privacy. In the meantime, Jun Hyeon called her for real_ what he had to say would not be said by text or recorded messages. "Let''s see when crude honesty comes back to you."


    In fact, he was feeling choked and more than offended. He was angry.


    "Hello," ger tone was neutral, which said her last message hadn''t even been a joke.


    "Did you mean it, Cottonfeet? Won''t you take a gift from me?"


    "Yes. You bet it."


    He took a deep breath, but his frustration showed completely, contrary to what he wanted. Why on earth did these women make him so upset?


    "Why the hell don''t you accept my gifts? What is your problem?! What''s the matter with my gifts?! From the beginning you refuse any gift from me, but I realize it''s not quite like that with everyone else. So don''t even think about using this as an excuse. It''s not like you don''t like it or can''t¡­ or don''t do it. President Baek didn''t even have to work hard. You accept flowers from everyone; accept to audition, accept furred coats_ but not accept a bag from me?! But you don''t accept my roses, not a thing?!!! What''s the problem?!"


    He ran a hand through his hair, annoyed that he let his tone change and his voice change.


    "Are we boyfriends for you to give me such a bag for no reason? Does that even make sense, oppa?"


    ''And do you even make sense?!'' Jun Hyeon thought. "What are you talking about?"

 Chapter 73 - Queen Maeve

    "Dr. Kim," she was formal. "If we were in a romantic relationship, I would accept your gift. But we do not have a love relationship. It just doesn''t make sense for a man to give a mere friend such an expensive gift."


    "You should listen yourself right now, Ye Rim." He kept his tone informal, "It''s not like I haven''t seen it."


    "Hahahahaahah! So that''s it!" she cried triumphantly, thousands of miles away, and it pissed him off deeply.


    '' ''That''s it'' what?'' Jun Hyeon thought briefly, but his focus returned to something else. And he couldn''t just let her get out after that:


    "And before your inflated ego reaches the Everest''s peak, Nam Ye Rim dear, know that I have no intention of dating you. It''s definitely not the case here."


    Kim Jun Hyeon narrowed his eyes in disbelief, ''Who made this siren believe that he wanted to date her? The idea didn''t even cross my mind, by the way.''


    He had the impression of hearing a huff on the other end of the phone call: "Ah¡­ sure. I don''t know where I got that impression from, just today."


    "My dearest, be sure, this bag was just a friendly gesture. I will not lie: you are beautiful. Very beautiful. You are interesting too. But you''re too ambitious to be someone I''d date."


    ''There you have it, some of your total honesty poison. Swallow it all, you little golden scaled snake.''


    Dr. Kim took the rest of the wine in his glass in one gulp. He could drink a lot more! His mouth was dry as a desert. Jun Hyeon moistened his lips and swept the wine from them, feeling agitated and confused_ as he always did when adrenaline rushed through the bloodstream, crying for fight or flight.


    On the other side there was a huge silence. He knew she was still there, breathing heavily, until she said,


    "That''s good. Because if so, there''s only one way for us¡­ oppa Jun Hyeon."


    His heart seemed to stop for a moment, a sense of dread suddenly creeping into his chest. He suddenly discovered himself afraid of what she would say. He had really been wrong so far, hoping that she, in her funny and flirtatious way, was just a little flippant and ambitious. Or was she, indeed_ and to his surprise_ a vulgar hunter of opportunities, in the pockets and beds that suited her best?


    "A way¡­?" He asked, cautious and puzzled.


    "Yes. I have a tenant I follow in life regarding boyfriends."


    ''Oh, my head! Every time she makes everything more confusing. What could she want now?''


    "Ahhh¡­ A tenet¡­ Do you mind telling?"


    Jun Yeon made an ironic tone in his speech, though the mere fact that he told her made him feel much, much more relieved.


    "Have you heard of Queen Maeve?"


    Jun Hyeon was taken aback, but answered frankly, "No."


    "Like every woman who can think for herself, the legends portrayed her as a promiscuous woman; proud, ambitious, petty and mean. But how could we know if it''s true?"


    "I agree, but I don''t understand what this has to do with the subject¡­" although he could, yes, grasp why she identified with this foreign ''Queen Whatever''.


    "And then at least they registered that she said something to a suitor who made me think... That''s when I decided that would be how I would choose the one¡­ Yes, the man who would be my life companion. I should not content myself with less than Queen Maeve did."


    Jun Hyeon again blinked, as Ye Rim was calm and her tone was one he had not yet heard. She sounded like someone who make a confession. ''What the hell, because just talking to this woman is like a roller coaster? After all, why was she being so open and talking that way?''


    "I suppose you expect me to ask her what she said."


    "You can find it if you look. To me, I say, ''None of these men I could love: the bitter, the jealous, or the coward.''


    "WHAT?!" he glanced around, and there were no signs of shop staff in the room where he was. He looked at the bags on the table, under the red haze of his hatred, "Honestly¡­ You''re crazy! Crazy! Are you saying I''m not good enough? Really?!"


    "Basically. But do not be offended. There are no suitors in sight. Everyone is one or the other, so far," her light, playful tone didn''t calm him down, however.


    "So come on, get this over with. What am I of these three?"


    "Oppa, don''t stress yourself about that. I am an ambitious woman that do not serve for you. We should settle for being imperfect for each other from the beginning. I can introduce you better friends than me, and vice versa¡­ I hope."


    He gave a sarcastic laugh. His head was starting to hurt. ''How dare she tell me this naturally: ''You won''t do''?''


    "You really are a smart-ass. And one of a kind. Your proposal by the end, it''s really ... charming. But as you well know, men and women cannot be friends. So maybe after our enlightening conversation, maybe we should recognize that¡­ " naturally he was being sarcastic, but his head seemed to crack, as each side wanted one thing: one side just wanted to accept the refusal as a gentleman and behave with fair play: apologize for the inconvenience and return to his normal life, trying to act civilly. The other side¡­ He wanted so badly to see her swallow all that nonsense and superior tone she entitled herself to out of nowhere.


    "Can''t men and women be friends ?! What an archaic thought. What period do we live? Where is your sangtu*?"


    He ignored the veiled provocation, and said,


    "Being honest, I don''t believe men and women can be real friends. Unlike you, who seem to collect the so-called ''friends''_ they''re just in your head. If you''re so innocent¡­"


    "Why, I bet Mr. Go would be shocked to hear that!"


    ''Why did I imagine she couldn''t afford to say something like that¡­?'' he scolded himself. "So you think you¡­Ye Rim. And I. Jun Hyeon. Could we really be friends?" he didn''t believe she really could be so naive. But at the same time¡­ he conceded that it suited her a little.


    "I can prove it to you. I have several friends."


    "You think so," he laughed blatantly.


    "Why are you laughing? You might be surprised!"


    This time Jun Hyeon''s laughter turned to something more spontaneous. The vendors returned, and he greeted them with a smile, signaling that he would take the chosen bags. All. The staff quickly picked up the bags to pack, and left again.


    Jun Hyeon got up from his chair, excited:


    "Right!"


    "Right what?"


    "I take the challenge!"


    "Uh ?!" On the other side, the feminine, melodic voice was surprised and confused.


    "Let''s test your theory. Let''s be friends," he doubted it would work, but then several other theories from the smartass Missy Ye Rim would fall apart.


    "Friends ?!"

 Chapter 74 - Friendzoned

    "Yes, if a man and a woman like us can be friends, surely I want to be your friend. What do friends do? Let me see: Real friends do each other favors even when it''s inconvenient; and expect nothing in return. Friends are sincere when you''re being ridiculous, but they support you when you really need it. Friends count on each other, right?"


    Ye Rim could no longer control the conversation after that, and could only agree, stunned, that from now on they were friends. Not just ''friends''. But ''good old friends,'' as he insisted. They would have carte blanche to call each other, ask for favors, and exchange confidences. Respecting the limits of decency, since they could not deny their genders, they naturally had complete freedom with each other. Only then could the ''Friendzone Experiment'', as he called it, prove who was right.


    Apparently Kim Jun Hyeon was a stubborn man, unable to recognize that he had been jealous of her, and that he was being offensive with his ''gift offering'' ¡ª clearly motivated by his inability to accept that a woman could refuse him.


    In fact, she didn''t want him.


    He was jealous and, in the case of a serious relationship, the next step between them would be him asking her to stop singing. And that¡­ No one had succeeded, or could possibly get her to do.


    When Ye Rim told him about her criteria for a boyfriend, she wasn''t kidding. That was how she had consciously decided it would be her love life.


    Being the fruit of her parents failed marriage, and having met and being pursued by various types of men, she created the recipe for finding the perfect man for herself, inspired by Queen Maeve''s legendary motto. Unfortunately, the man who had gotten closer to that¡­


    She shook her head, refocusing on Jun Hyeon, the crazy Dr. Kim. He had called her crazy_ out of pure spite, of course_ but crazy was him!


    About this ruse with which he intended to turn the table_ c''mon! She really hoped he didn''t think so little of her intelligence.


    ''Is he really going to devote his time to a ''friend''? I very much doubt it. He is the type who has no female friends. He will not make it. Soon he''ll be angry and¡­'' Ye Rim sighed, unsure if she was relieved or sorry. ''Dr. Kim will quietly leave my life as soon as he sees something more accessible and interesting.''


    She prepared a rice porridge for Eun Ha, who was lying in the dark in her room all afternoon.


    Unlike Ye Rim, who usually needed to let off steam, Eun Ha usually needed time to ruminate her thoughts before saying something; and Ye Rim learned the hard way that she had to respect these differences. Therefore, the singer didn''t know if it was a serious issue or really a regular migraine, since Eun Ha always complained about migraines as far as she could remember knowing her unnie


    Although Ye Rim wanted so much to let off steam and talk about the absurd situation she had just experienced on the phone as she walked into her friend''s room and turned on a lamp, she didn''t like seeing Eun Ha with swollen red eyes on the bed.


    "Unnie, you''re better? No? What about the painkillers?" Without waiting for her answer Ye Rim tucked pillows and cushions so Eun Ha could eat, and sat down beside her, after putting the plate on the nightstand,


    "So, are you sure it''s not something important, Unnie?" She ran her hand gently through her best friend''s hair.


    Eun Ha looked up, looking exhausted and defeated. However, Ye Rim could not imagine or suspect anything that could be the cause.


    "Thank you, Ye Rim. I''m just feeling terrible."


    "Hmmm¡­ So eat some, unnie. Just a little. I don''t think you''ll get better if you deprive yourself of food, and I also think it''s enough of lying in the dark." She spoke patiently. Ye Rim was the least patient of the two, but worked hard to gather some patience when necessary. Her friend needed some care. "And be sure to eat it soon because... while it''s hot it''s still edible ... After all I made it, hehehe."


    "Thank you, Ye Rim." Eun Ha obeyed, sitting down with a sigh. "Were you talking to someone on the phone? You sounded angry."


    "It''s no big thing... at all. I''m worried, since you didn''t spend the weekend well." Ye Rim as always hinted that there was something wrong, but as always, if she forced her Unnie to talk ahead of time, they would end up fighting. Then cautiously she asked,


    "Has something happened? Did you fight with your mother? Or¡­ is it something else?"


    Eun Ha stopped with her spoon in the air, and looked at her as if struggling with a big dilemma.


    ''Why, it must be a problem. Money? Probably. She is always reluctant to let me know about money problems, because she knows I don''t have any money. Did her mother say anything about money? Is she owing money ?! Oh! What to do?!''


    "Something''s going on, but¡­"


    "What?" Ye Rim asked, realizing that Eun Ha really had something to say.


    Then her cell phone rang loudly. Ye Rim took the phone from her pocket to turn it off, but her gaze darted to the display, checking who was calling.


    DR KIM JUN HYEON


    She hung up the requested video call, and typed hurriedly.


    NYR: "Sorry, I can''t talk now. I''m with my unnie."


    She put the phone on her lap and folded her arms, paying attention to Eun Ha.


    "Ready. Now tell me, what is afflicting you, Unnie?"


    The phone vibrated and rang again; a new video call. As if that were possible, it seemed that there was even more urgency to the touch. Ye Rim was exasperated:


    "Oh, I won''t answer it, Unnie. I want you to tell me what''s going on."


    But Eun Ha seemed to have changed her mind, and just nodded to her to continue the call.


    "Not important, unnie. What''s going on?"


    "Later we talk. I''m going to eat now, then take a shower. Answer it. The noise is bothering me." Eun Ha shooed her away, and Ye Rim capitulated, knowing her unnie''s mysterious moods very well.


    "Jun Hyeon oppa!" She said his name with gritted teeth, answering the call. ''What you might want if we talked a few minutes ago, huh?'' she huffed mentally., but said instead, "I sent a message saying I couldn''t answer, did you see it¡­ oppa?"


    "Yes, I did." His voice came from an off-screen spot_ the camera right now aimed at the luxurious ceiling of the hotel room. When he picked up the camera again, and positioned it to focus on him, Ye Rim felt her traitorous heart pound hard. He had messy hair; that is, no gel or whatever he wore to make it styled, and his bangs fell boyishly over his forehead, softening his normally piercing gaze. To top it off, he wore a white knit shirt_ perhaps could be pajamas_ which casually caressed his broad shoulders and torso.


    Dr. Kim grinned,


    "Yes, I get it. That''s why I decided to insist. After all, I''m your friend too. Your friend¡­" He c.o.c.ked his head to the side with an angelic smile. "I believe there is no preference among friends, right? Your oppa or your unnie, we''re all the same to you, no?"


    That damn smile of him...


    "Or is there any precedence for sorority?"

 Chapter 75 - The Darkest Hour

    "Why don''t you just go away ?!" Ye Rim grunted, not wanting to open her eyes as her hand reached the silver rosary wrapped around the headboard. Still half asleep, half awake, she sat with the relic curled in her fingers. "Honestly, I was trying to sleep here. Damn it!"


    Rubbing her hair with dismay, she turned on the light by the bed. The damn "Big Mouth Monster" had appeared again in her dreams; and as always, the only thing she could do was wake up. It wasn''t as if she remembered the dream, just knew that ''he'' was coming and would appear soon¡­ So as Ye Rim had been doing since she was a child, she thought about the rosary that her father''s sister had given her, and woke up.


    The room was cold_ in a specially humid and displeasing type of coldness_ and Ye Rim thought about turning on the heater, but the singer also thought it was good to save money and it wasn''t so cold that another blanket didn''t do the trick.


    It was one of those particularly silent nights that can be filled with the monsters a delusional mind can produce ... And God knew there were many delusional minds out there about to see monsters in every shadow and recess.


    Like her own mother.


    But now she realized she was not going back to sleep, and would probably spend the rest of the night thinking nonsense about her childhood. And one thing she was sure about was that she definitely didn''t want to spend the rest of the night brooding over a ridiculous and painful subject.


    She unwound the rosary carefully, for it was fragile, made of a fine weblike thread of small spheres and a delicate cross. Her aunt, and Ye Rim''s father, quarreled over this object; but Ye Rim never really got rid of it, despite her father''s opinion.


    Ye Rim was sure that her need for that Christian amulet was only a childhood habit. She felt safe as a child that something her aunt had instilled in her mind. Just as some children have their stuffed animal or favorite blanket, without which they cannot sleep.


    Ye Rim had talked to Eun Ha a few times about this. Her unnie was superstitious and into mystical things; but Ye Rim knew that people believed in what they wanted.


    Hadn''t it been that way with her mother?


    "Aish, no. No no. No way. I''m not going to stay here thinking about her," she snorted, and reached for the phone to check what time it was. It must be 3 am, she calculated, before seeing it.


    Before she even put her hand on it, her cell phone on the headboard lit up with a silent message. Was it an annoying automatic business message, or something important?


    "Uh?" She checked at the message, which said:


    KJH: "You must be sleeping now, so you will see this message in the morning. I decided to go by train to Zurich, and just got off. Is cold! It would be nice to have someone to talk to during the trip, but my best girl friend yelled at me and asked me to stop calling every 5 minutes. And she must be sleeping comfortably and without guilt right now."


    KJH: "She''s unfair. Because I only called three times and at good intervals before she lost her temper."


    KJH: "European coffee is hot, strong and bitter. Proust!" He sent a selfie, where she noticed a luxurious train cabin, by the details at the bottom of the photo. Jun Hyeon looked pretty warm, close to the window against the night sky with blurry lights, and holding a coffee cup for the camera. She found the photo amateur but nice, and smiled.


    She could stare at this handsome man and his smile for a long time.


    Friend?


    If only she could stop thinking of him as a man, maybe.


    Ye Rim put the phone down, and reached for the fantastic historical novel she was reading before sleep.


    "Let''s see if both of us will be smarter this time, Le-Anne," she said to the fantasy heroine of the love misadventures book.


    The Big Mouth Monster and the bitter memories that created it were forgotten for now.


    ¡­


    The gentle rocking of the modern train on its six-hour journey, plus boredom and darkness, as well as tiredness, quickly swept away Kim Jun Hyeon''s hyperactive disposition. The surgeon had spent an atypical day just planning and executing his plan to annoy Nam Ye Rim until she admitted she was wrong about her smug statement.


    He didn''t want her ¡ª that ambitious sassy woman, ??who was so arrogant that she thought she could classify men according to a fantasy of girlpower. Did the singer''s self-confidence border on narcissism? Oh really? Did she have so many men at her feet to choose from? And where were they now? Because he had only seen seniors around him: what was she after all, the Aegyo Princess of the Elderly Men?


    She kept sending him wrong signals: with her eyes, with her body, with every bit of her_ and now did she still want them to be ''friends?''


    Did she really mean to put him, Jun Hyeon, in friendzone?


    The juvenile excitement that had not been on him for a long time gave way to seemingly innocent drowsiness. Soon his eyes were heavy and Dr. Kim felt too lazy to get up and grab a blanket to cover himself. After breakfast he had had dinner and a glass of wine, which contributed to the feeling of comfort and drowsiness. He just leaned his head against the back of the seat, and without looking at the nighttime landscape that was passing at a constant speed outside, closed his eyes without realizing:


    "Jun."


    "What?" a slight irritation at being interrupted when he was almost asleep.


    "Do you remember?" she said, almost in a whisper.


    "What?"


    "Do you remember?" she insisted, in another unidentifiable tone, close to his ear. Jun Hyeon raised his arm to go over her shoulder and bring her close, but she quickly broke away.


    "Shhh¡­" he called for silence.


    "You need to go back and get me."


    "Ji¡­" he opened his eyes, squinting at the empty armchair beside him in the exclusive cabin.


    Of course, she was not there. There was nothing there.

 Chapter 76 - Anormality - BONUS CHAPTER

    In his dream, black birds ¡ª not ravens, but creatures made of shadow ¡ª stand on the electricity wires that cross the city, gazing intently at the empty street. The sky is light gray, like a cloudy dawn frozen in time. All colors are faded and unsaturated. And that''s why he knows that ghost crows can easily spot him.


    There is a humming_ not like electricity, but something like a swarm of bees and a strange low chant_ amalgamated.


    He needs to hide. His heart is pounding faster because there seems to be no alternative left. Soon ''they'' will know¡­ Instinctively he knows he must hide. But the city in the distance, with its empty, post-apocalyptic landscape, seems to attract him. He doesn''t know what to do there ... But he wants to go. He has to go.


    In his first uncertain step, the ghost bird turns its head towards him. With a hoarse and fierce croak, the bird calls out to its mates. They move restlessly, their wings spread, their bright, glossy eyes fixed on him:


    "Go away!!!"


    Chang Mi woke up sweaty_ despite the cold night_ under the blankets in his upstairs bedroom on the greengrocer building''s second storey.


    His eyes searched the darkness for enemy birds, but he was alone. Lately he had frequently dreamed of the damn birds that chased him like emissaries of invisible powers.


    Chang Mi touched the amulet his mother had bought him from a shaman. Apparently it was just expensive stuff because it didn''t work. It never did.


    As he looked at the watch on his wrist and checked that it was nearly two in the morning, the 18-year-old had a feeling.


    Walking to the window and carefully pushing the blinds aside, he peered down the empty, quiet street below.


    Chang Mi, who used to be a pragmatic and silent boy, took the bundle he had prepared under the bed, grabbed the blanket with his other hand, and climbed onto the terrace.


    The cold wind whipped his thin, slender body as soon as he opened the access door. But he just wrapped himself in the blanket and ignored the heat shock, knowing that he would soon get used to it.


    Maybe his vigil would have to last the rest of the night.


    Going to the wall that held the water tank, Chang Mi groped for the hiding place and pulled the carefully wrapped canvas from there. Rolling out in a hurry, he picked up the homemade shotgun he had made himself in his spare time.


    Checking his situation from his weapon, he settled into a comfortable position in the pyeong sang against the rail, wrapped himself better in the blanket, and from inside his bundle reached a chocolate milk box. And a binocular.


    He straightened his straw and sipped his drink, gathering strength with the sweetened beverage.


    Adjusting the focus, his first magnified look was the stars above him. Though cold, the night had bright stars. He was distracted for a brief moment, but remembered his mission.


    His second look went to the window across the street. The straw fell from his mouth as his mouth gaped involuntarily in surprise.


    "Noona!" he exclaimed, seeing her petite, feminine silhouette against the framed light. Her lights were off just seconds ago.


    Her whole body throbbed uncomfortably, and Chang Mi leaned forward, trying to push the sensation away, taking a deep breath, and other and other. Clutching both his binoculars and shotgun, he followed Noona Eun Ha''s movements in his room.


    ''Oh, she''s coming to the window!'' he ducked down quickly, hiding behind the terrace rail. Otherwise, he would be easily seen, he believed, if she looked that way. "Damn!"


    ¡­


    A choking sensation and weight on her chest made Eun Ha struggle without result in the middle of her restless sleep. She walked behind a window full of sweet cakes and pies, and on the other side, female voices whispered, savoring the poison of gossip:


    "She said¡­ Black ghosts..."


    "Hahah, poor crazy woman¡­!?"


    "Yes, the ranch owner was found with a hole in her chest. The crazy girl said nonsense things¡­ Black ghosts¡­ On her shoulder."


    "The woman wanted the other lady''s baby¡­ She wanted the two babies."


    "She said those things. Poor thing. Crazy."


    "Such a horror¡­"


    "Such a horror¡­"


    "Horror¡­"


    She was a child and looked through the gaps between the beauty of the confectionery and the ugliness of the people.


    Suddenly, the sensation.


    That someone was watching her from the other side of the window.


    Something.


    Something hungry.


    "I saw you¡­" the voice that sounded as if spoken with a wide smile, playing with a child, made her shiver. It was a familiar voice.


    Eun Ha woke up staring at the painted stars on her ceiling, feeling her body come out of its nocturnal numbness. She took a deep breath, intrigued.


    She had had a nightmare, and though her heart was pounding wildly, the fairy knew she had reason to dream of grotesque things. Only this voice, which she had a sense of knowing, was something fleeting that really bothered her.


    She really didn''t remember ¡ª if her dream was really based on a memory of her childhood, or if her mind was concatenating information and trying to assemble a bizarre puzzle that seemed to made sense. For mixing her memories of Jolly Bakery with fairy Chil Won''s candy store, the gossiping ladies, and Ye Rim''s mom and the rumors about the crazy woman¡­ Maybe none of that was connected in real life.


    Still, her heart ached, and she decided to get up and let the cool night air into her room. After what she''d heard from Professor Shin, she didn''t want to let bad feelings build up where she slept.


    "Shin¡­ what''s your name, really?" she asked to no one as she stood up.


    Eun Ha turned on the light, and after fumbling for her fluffy robe, she protected himself and opened the window, feeling the cool breeze invade the room. The cold air roused her fully, touching her cheeks.


    The dream still left a lingering, lingering memory in the back of her mind ¡ª the familiar, frightening voice playing hide and seek with her among the delicious sweetnesses.


    The stars caught her eye. ''So bright tonight.'' The night was particularly quiet, suspended¡­ which made her wonder,


    "Wait, have I woken up?"


    The pinch on her arm made Eun Ha realize that she was indeed awake. She sighed. Maybe it was her new look at magic. Maybe she was seeing the night differently.


    She let her gaze wander to the empty street, searching for magic. But somehow it only made her cringe, suddenly afraid.


    She didn''t like the feel of the cold breeze. She felt watched.


    "Uhmmm. Maybe the feng shui in this neighborhood is not so good¡­"


    She closed the window, and closed the curtains too. "Will it give me insomnia? That food Ye Rim made may not have done me good ..." Rubbing her arms, she decided to go to the bathroom right away.


    ¡­


    ''Noona? Have you gone already?'' Chang Mi thought to hear the window closing, and peered cautiously from his strategic position on the roof. ''Yes, you better close the window, Noona¡­ Rest assured. Sleep well magic noona. Nothing will pass me by.''


    He moved carefully, looking through the binoculars at the cross alley where the stranger was hiding _ staring at the window that had just closed.


    "You are there again."

 Chapter 77 - Her Soothing Voice

    "Do you believe in ghosts?"


    That was Kim Jun Yeon''s question on the phone. Ye Rim bit her fingertip, as she always did when she was distressed or uncertain about how to answer something. His sudden call had none of the teasing or friendly tone of the previous ones. Just by the tone of his voice, Ye Rim could tell that the question was quite serious. Instead of answering the truth, she preferred to try to figure out the reason for the call.


    "What happened? Let''s say it''s a pretty weird question."


    She was on the terrace of a small mall in the city''s ''fashionista'' area, sipping coffee in the food court. Eun Ha had come to try to negotiate leasing of her clothing collection with a store located in that mall, and Ye Rim accompanied her.


    Right now, Ye Rim was looking through the window at the gloomy rainy weather that day, and her intention was to use the time to quietly resume her reading from the night before, while her unnie was doing business. Jun Hyeon''s call had totally surprised her. Wasn''t it late night in Europe? Wasn''t he going to Zurich by train? These were the questions she asked next.


    "Yes," his voice sounded tired in response."I just got to the hotel. It''s 4 am here."


    "Shouldn''t you be trying to sleep?"


    "I should. But I can''t. I¡­" his voice cracked for a moment, and Ye Rim made sure that Kim Jun Hyeon wasn''t well.


    "Oppa, tell me what happened."


    He took a deep breath on the other end of the call, and laughed strangely_ without a shred of humor, "Your voice calms me down. It is. I think I saw a ghost. I think I had a bad dream. I don''t know."


    "You don''t look like the type to be easily impressed," Ye Rim ignored Jun Hyeon''s sincere compliment, rather keeping the conversation on the main subject. She didn''t believe he would have called in with that kind of act, so she was sure she should take the call seriously. "Ghost or dream, this is not giving you peace, is it? Glad you called, oppa. Tell me how it went."


    ¡­


    In a luxury hotel in Europe, Jun Hyeon was staring at the hotel ceiling and listening to Ye Rim''s melodious voice, and as he imagined, the comfortable feel of her voice soothed him.


    He recounted what had happened on the train_ which was actually very little_ and was not sure he could convey the horrible feeling of realizing that his noona''s voice was exactly as he remembered it. That the sensation of having her by his side was the same.


    It was so short, and his heart was so full of longing and pain.


    And horror.


    It looked like it was going to explode if he didn''t talk to anyone.


    "I''m going crazy, aren''t I?" at the end of his short narrative he laughed at himself bitterly. Should he tell that this choking feeling happened every time he left the country? It had been a while since he had been traveling abroad, so his talk was so awaited at the congress. But he wasn''t expecting this kind of crisis.


    Had it really been a crisis?


    He wasn''t really sleeping, was he? Was it a panic episode? Should he consult with a psychiatrist when he returned his country?


    "Oppa¡­ You miss your twin sister so much. Were you very close friends? Although twins, she was a girl, I mean."


    "Ah, well¡­ Yes, always. She was my noona; and my best friend, until she died. I was devastated, of course," his voice was heavy, and charged with the emotions stuck in his throat. Most of people can''t understand the link twins share. In spite of being a girl and a boy they shared this link. When she died he thought he was about to die, too. He even felt, thousands of kilometers away, a sudden seizure and got ill. When the news arrived, he knew it was the moment of her death.


    "Do you know? Did you find out about my past funny facts, as you wished?"


    "Yes... You were adored back then as the Tap Dancing Little Prince and Princess. I even remember seeing you on TV," she confessed in a cheerful voice on the other end of the line. This created a new tight lump in the middle of Jun Hyeon''s heart.


    "So. It is true. My mother no longer knew what to do with the terrible, energetic twins she had at home, and put us in the dance school around the corner. We were four years old at the time. Apparently it worked very well."


    "Did you like it? To dance?"


    "Yes. Tap dancing. But noona loved it all_ the pampering and whatever little fame we had. She was the real artist of the house. She has always been very musical. She majored in music, actually."


    "Oppa¡­" Ye Rim sounded cautious," I heard that unnie Ji Hyeon had a sad death."


    He took a deep breath, his eyes stopping tears,"Yes, Ye Rim. She had a very sad death."


    "I''m so sorry, oppa. Really."


    He wiped his eyes, suddenly annoyed at not controlling his feelings after so long,"The fact is..."


    He broke off, considering for the first time that he''d simply called Ye Rim as if she were his therapist or something. Were they this intimate for him to be opening this way, talking about ghosts and noona Ji Hyeon?


    "Ye Rim, sorry, I¡­"


    "Oppa, this friend of yours is here to listen. Don''t hang up the phone with some silly excuse. You have a heavy heart. Your noona suffered a lot and today you remembered that for some reason," was her response to his attempt to start a excuse to hang up.


    He sat on the bed because his body asked for it. Her soothing voice and the things she said were... Absolute truth. That little rush of energy made his heart lighten a little. Heavens know why she had this power.


    "Thank you ye Rim. Thank you very much. For being there, on the other side listening to this foolish man."


    "You''re not foolish for trusting a friend when you need to talk."


    "Still¡­"


    "It will be worse when it''s my turn. Oppa is sparing in words."


    He quietly chuckled. "But you''re lavish, chingu*!"


    "That''s right. It''s no hard job listening to you. I feel like you should tell me more about yourself and your sister."


    He pondered her words. How long had he avoided thinking and talking about Ji Hyeon? Although he lived surrounded by her presence every day, and his life was dedicated to somehow repair his sequence of mistakes?


    Again the lump in his throat formed.


    "I don''t know if I''ll make it, but I think I want to, Ye Rim."


    A silence followed for a while, until her voice asked softly,


    "Oppa, who was Kim Ji Hyeon, who only Kim Jun Hyeon oppa knew?"

 Chapter 78 - Prince and Princess of Tap Dance

    FLASHBACK


    They were already famous kids when they got rich. But they didn''t get rich because they were famous. They were just an attraction and curiosity with little paychecks and some national flattery when their mother won the lottery.


    Literally.


    At that time, Kim Jun Hyeon remembered well, life was not simple, but it was no less complicated after that. Among rehearsals, school, shows and featured appearances, their parents'' marriage was crumbling. Maybe because their mother had a lot of ambition and worked too much on the convenience store, and took care of their children''s careers. Maybe because Mr. Kim had a mistress at the hotel where he was a manager in.


    Jun Hyeon knew, and Ji Hyeon knew, about their father''s mistress. But they didn''t have time for a.d.u.l.t affairs either. Middle-class life, with a business her mother had inherited from her family; dance appointments, studies and chores at home and in the store. It was an infinite tictoc of things to do.


    It was the money that bought them some time.


    They were 14 when it happened. The third most-valuable-prize-winning ticket in Korean lottery''s history was in their mother''s hand when they returned from school that afternoon.


    Jun Hyeon guessed it was some kind of joke from her mother, but Ji Hyeon realized that her mother was literally shaking with excitement and nervousness.


    "Jun, Mom''s not kidding," she took the ticket from her mother''s hand, wrote down the numbers, and went out to check. At this point, thinking of the real possibility that they were suddenly rich, Jun Hyeon felt euphoric. He shouted, exuding the feeling of surprise and excitement: "Wow! Whoa! We''re really¡­ I can''t believe it¡­ Wow¡­!"


    "Shhhhh! Speak quietly, boy!" Mom closed the windows, suddenly returning to her usual pragmatism, "No one needs to know right now."


    Jun Hyeon stared at his mother, seeing the reason behind her words. Getting serious again, he faced his mother. Both he and Ji looked more like the Kims, and especially now that they were teenagers, they hardly resembled the Go family. The twins were tall, thin, and very white-skinned. Although Jun Hyeon knew how socially advantageous it was, he did not like to look in the mirror and recognize in himself his father''s features: arched eyebrows and wide-apart eyes; his thin and fair face losing its childish plumpness and cute features very quickly. His sister, of course, had these same features, but in a refined, pretty and feminine version. By that time too, the childhood charm was gone and it was no longer the Prince and Princess of Tap Dance, going to all the TV shows and getting presents, attention and pampering from famous people.


    "No one needs to know now, Mom. That''s why you should divorce now."


    He saw his mother''s face turn chalky white, but he didn''t see how fast her hand shifted and slapped him painfully in the face.


    He put his hand to his face in surprise and pain as he stared at his mother in shock. At that moment, he was sure she knew what he was implying. Ji Hyeon was coming in the door, just in time to hear her mother shouting, altered,


    "Where is your respect for your father, Jun Hyeon?!"


    Angry and shocked, he had left the kitchen and gone to his room, incredulous with his mother''s reaction. She was a very practical woman, used to hard work, able to manage family life, kids career and a small business. She was always smart and wasn''t one be made of fool. Except for this man she was married to. And she wanted him to have respect for the man who didn''t give a damn about them? Worst of all, would she even share that prize with him, by staying married? It was difficult to understand.


    Some time later, while he was trying unsuccessfully to study, but his mind drifted to the new possibilities of a millionaire''s life, Ji Hyeon knocked on his door. He always knew when it was her.


    Ji Hyeon walked in when he said she could, and pulling a stool, sat beside him near the desk. He, too, knew that this was her way of handling difficult subjects.


    "What''s up?"


    "Jun." That''s what they called each other, just Ji and Jun.


    He was sulky and just responded with a grumble, "Hmm?"


    "Mom''s right. He''s our father."


    He shook his head, rejecting the argument.


    "While she''s working hard, he has an easy job and keeps acting like a single man¡­ She should¡­"


    "Jun. He is our father. We owe him respect and gratitude."


    "No."


    "Jun. She thinks she needs him. He is the manager of a poshy hotel. He speaks some languages ??and knows important people. He knows the world. She is afraid. It is a lot of money. She is afraid, Jun, of dealing with this alone. She is also human and also afraid, Jun. Don''t act like that. This is not the right time."


    The realization of it fell like an anvil over the teenager''s head. More than that, he looked at his twin sister Ji, his noona for 15 minutes. How could she be so mature? He had heard that girls mature fast, but that was ridiculous!


    ''How do you know that? Did she tell you?"


    "Kind of," Ji Hyeon was evasive. She stroked his hair and Jun Hyeon jerked away, refusing the unexpected display of affection.


    "I hope you don''t do anything like that when it''s your turn. I can do nothing because he is my father. But I won''t let any brother-in-law be stupid with you."


    "Oh, I''ll take that as a show of affection," His noona joked with a smile.


    "I''m serious," he growled, annoyed that she was taking it as a joke.


    "Jun, there''s a weird hair sticking out of your chin," she announced, rising to the door. "By the way, from your whole body."


    "Haha. And that pimple on your forehead? And you''re getting heavy, why don''t you go on a diet? Why don''t you take care of your life?"


    Stopping at the door, she said,


    "Brother, rest easy. I promise I will never cling to a man just because I''m afraid of something. I already have you to back me up, right? "


    "Yes, I''ll be there."


    Jun Hyeon was ashamed of what he said, but secretly pleased that she had understood his message.


    And again embarrassed because she was being unexpectedly sweet. It was probably the last time she said something like that, between the time they entered high school and the fateful fire.


    She was faithful to these words until the end.


    But he wasn''t.

 Chapter 79 - A Glimpse

    Camera flashes assault Ye Rim''s face, and the celebrity protects her eyes with her hands, as even the stylish branded sunglasses can''t handle the amount of light. The security guards at her agency are trying to control the crowd of paparazzi and fans around the building where Nam Ye Rim, the country''s most famous and popular living artist, currently lives.


    "Ye Rim, we love you!"


    "Ye Rim please don''t retire!"


    "Miss Nam, what are the real reasons for the sudden announcement of your retirement?"


    "There are rumors that you are dating the¡­"


    "Are you going to sue your agency?"


    "What do you have to say about the rumors that you''re pregnant, Ye Rim?"


    "Ye Rim, don''t stop singing !!!! We love you!!!"


    Voices in cacophony overlapped with a thousand statements and questions, totally ignored by the beautiful woman.


    Ye Rim waves to everyone as she advances with difficulty. Her every move earns shoots that will be on the internet and TV in a matter of minutes, along with catching headlines. Her beautiful, perfectly made-up face, her shiny hair that gives name to the most popular female haircut this year, her clothes designed exclusively by her personal stylist: everything Ye Rim does, says and wears is either news or trend. It''s been that way last year.


    Her face however, is expressionless. Only one person can see the truth, but this person can do nothing but watch in horror as events unfold before her, as if seeing through a screen.


    Ye Rim reaches the elevator of the luxury building, and signals to her entourage not accompany her. Entering the elevator, she lowers her head and removes her glasses. A tear drips on her light pink scarpin.


    Pink is also the color of the shirt the tall man next to her wears.


    His face is never seen, his back is to the mirror. Only the person who observes everything can see him there, but not his face. The singer is aware of his presence, but feigns ignorance. Ye Rim never glances at him, and of course cannot be aware of the chains made of light silver that bind them together, she and the man in pink.


    Ye Rim looks at what time it is in the screen of her cell phone, and sighs. As soon as the elevator door opens, she walks out, slightly dazed, into the hall of her triplex apartment in Seoul''s most luxurious condo. Ye Rim looks back to where the man was, and only sees her own reflection in the elevator mirror, as the door closes.


    "You''re so cruel ..." she mutters, and places the doc.u.ment folder she carries on the glass table near the large window that occupies one entire wall of the living room.


    The immensity of her sadness is so huge, her eyes are watery, and to make matters worse, her body begins to show symptoms¡­


    She takes off her coat and looks at her own arms, the jade skin stained with vivid red and purple bruises. She is thirsty, but too tired to go to the kitchen.


    Looking at her cell phone, the singer tosses it on the carpet and carefully stomps on it, her high-heel breaking the screen like a cobweb. She leaves her shoes there, feeling the softness of the carpet under the soles of her feet.


    Ye Rim coughs, the pain is starting to become unbearable, are her ribs broken? It''s getting hard to breathe. She doesn''t want to breathe anymore.


    Opening the large windows, the famous singer sits on the floor, waiting ... What?


    Him? No, he does not care.


    She will die. If he doesn''t come, she will die. Therefore, she will die.


    ''But you don''t mind if I die, do you?'' her desperate laugh of realization ends with a manic, bloody cough. Ye Rim''s body hurts and she only wishes it to cease soon. Her heart is hurting like being teared into pieces, inside her chest.


    What hurts more? His indifference, or her now aching body? She doesn''t know, it''s all the same.


    ''It''s good not to know what time it is.'' Or whether he would come for her. He won''t.


    Death will come before him. She doesn''t know how long she waits, but death really comes before the cruel man in pink comes for her.


    Her eyes finally close, her beautiful face finally serene as her body tumbles to the side. Lifeless.


    "NOOOOOOOO!" The viewer feels her heart break in half at the same moment¡­ But she only sees the future, unable to interfere with what she was seeing.


    The same moment the elevator door opens once more, and the man in pink enters the apartment. He walks through the open door with no hurry¡­


    oooooooooooooooo

 Chapter 80 - Prince and Princess of Tap Dance 2

    The memories had come in a vivid and violent stream, and Jun Hyeon simply detached himself from the present and immersed on what he was talking about as he saw the images in his mind. Just as he stopped to take a breath, he remembered that he was not just living it, but recounting some of his memories to a listener. More consciously, he continued,


    "When we get to new school," Jun Hyeon said, amused as he was still able to recollect it as if was a memory scrapbook of some sort, as he narrated to Ye Rim, "me and my sister really didn''t expect our previous fame to act against us. Moving to a wealthy neighborhood, travelling abroad and making some family-dreams come true, was the good part of becoming riches overnight."


    He gave a little mocking laugh, continuing,


    "Being new-rich in a elite high school, and everyone knows that, was part of the nightmare."


    "Was it that hard?" Ye Rim asked. He found himself wondering if it was a surprise to her that he had a low-born background. But he continued where he left off,


    "We had been subtly and openly ridiculed in a number of ways: because our simple language; because we were considered ostentatious and kitsch and because our poor education. For dancing, and for being, according to some, nationally-prodigious children. They started calling us the ''Twin Kims'' because of an English mistake Ji noona made. We were hated even for being tall. Apparently even our appearance offended them."


    "I can relate¡­" she seemed to empathize.


    "Boys and girls, with a few exceptions, seemed unable to stand the presence of emergents in their midst. My sister and I, well, we were already united, but I remember that at that time this was even more evident to me_ because we were no longer children.


    We were united also by war and survival in a hostile environment."


    On the other side Ye Rim made a sound that seemed to be of astonishment and understanding, so Kim Jun Hyeon continued,


    "Not that neither of us were excellent students. In fact, we both struggled with our grades and that was more fuel for bullying. They said,


    " ''You can''t buy intelligence with lottery money.'' "


    " ''You might be in the school chair next to me, but that''s all. "


    "People seem to cling to how little they have and feel threatened for no reason ..." she said.


    "Uhm. We didn''t go to TV shows anymore. The time of star children was behind us¡­ Thanks Heavens, haha. It would have been hell."


    "Oppa¡­ Did you enjoy dancing and going to TV shows, as a child?"


    "Uh¡­ " Kim had thought about it many times before, and it was a difficult answer. "I think I liked it in the beginning. I was just a little kid, anyway. People were delighted, we were appreciated¡­ It was nice. I did not fully understan what was going on, when I was little, to be honest. All I knew was that I knew how to do something right, and that people liked it. Only later did I really enjoy dance as dance¡­ And it was around this time, actually."


    "Ohh¡­"


    "In fact, our peacetime was in the dance studio, away from school. We had a sort of ''siblings project'': we were going to study dance abroad, in New York, and when we returned we thought about opening a dance company. It was a Ji noona project more than mine, but I liked the idea¡­"


    "Why ''more of her''?"


    "Because... Because she was more of a planner and was also quite determined. I was a kid at 16, to be honest. I liked the idea, could see myself doing it, but I didn''t think much of it... I think I was still too busy thinking about having fun in my free time. I was a boy, that''s it!" he justified himself, at first in a thoughtful tone, then realizing that his analysis of reality only made him seem childish to any listener. In retrospect, he was far more childlike than his sister; he was able to recognize now.


    It was good to talk about her and that time. He didn''t talk much about it, or his sister_ only when he was forced to.


    "But when did you meet Dae Won oppa?" she asked, which made him raise an eyebrow, puzzled. Does she still remember that I and hyung had met at high school?''


    "Do you want to know about Noona or Dae Won hyung?"


    "Go on, go on," she said only, avoiding opinion. Jun Hyeon even considered stopping talking, both because he didn''t know how interesting his reminiscences were, and because he had been in a huge monologue for some time now. He didn''t know why he was talking about his teenage years to Ye Rim.


    Was the fright of the train car part of this story that had begun so many years before_ was it something in his memory?


    "Well, there''s something interesting, Ye Rim. Maybe it''s related to why I had this nightmare on the train."


    "Is Oppa already convinced it was a nightmare? That''s good¡­ I mean, you don''t think you''re really being haunted."


    "Yes. I think everything has an explanation, doesn''t it?" How could he say differently? he was a doctor and a man of science. Ghosts do not exist. Some stupid mechanism had caused a horrible nightmare, among many, right there. And of course, stupid as he was, he''d called a girl on the other side of the world to play a ridiculous role. But this girl¡­ She never tired of surprising him.


    "Should I continue? Aren''t you tired?"


    "Ahhh, if I say I''m tired, you''re going to say I''m not being a good friend. But no, I''m actually holding back because I''m dying of curiosity."


    "About me?" he teased, suddenly amused. Jun Hyeon was feeling well enough now to remember why he was free to call her anytime he wanted, after all. He stretched at the sound of her voice. He would soon have to get up and prepare for the first day of the medical congress, but he still wanted to continue the conversation.


    "You said what you were going to tell was linked to the nightmare."


    "Good. I think so. During a winter break, I was about 16 years old, our family came skiing in Switzerland. It was something I was looking forward to¡­ Well, I always enjoyed sports and at that time I had a lot of energy¡­ And my father was equally looking forward to this trip to Switzerland¡­"


    "Which is where you are now¡­"


    "Yes."


    "From what you said earlier, there is still a lot of oppa energy! You can do surgery, squash, carry a girl on your back, and go out for a drink all night without getting tired!" she sounded impressed, and he held back his desire to laugh and say what came to his mind. Something totally inappropriate between two friends of different genders.


    "Well, I''ll answer your question that night, then."


    "What?" Only by the tone of her voice did he know she was quite curious.


    "That winter, this smart guy here crashed all over the ski slope. I was in the hospital for three months, interned. I had some bone repair, as well as jaw and nose surgery, which badly broke. So, yes, I can say I went on plastic surgeries even before thinking on becoming a plastic surgeon myself."


    "Ohhhh!" A silence followed, and she asked, "So while you stayed in Switzerland did your sister leave at the beginning of term?"


    Kim was surprised that she could deduce it so quickly, and seemed to quickly come to conclusions, for those who were hearing the story for the first time.


    "Yeah, that''s right."


    "And oppa got sick and feeling lonely in a strange country without his twin?"


    "Ahh¡­ Probably. Probably," he reiterated a second time, after all he couldn''t remember his own feelings back then. But the view of the Swiss mountains would always remind him of the accident and the winter months in a hospital bed, like a prisoner.


    None of that was comparable to¡­


    He shook his head, and got up from the bed, pushing that train of thought away. Across the line, Ye Rim was strangely quiet. He went to the window, pulling back the curtain and watching the dawn rising over the buildings of Zurich.


    "Still there?" he asked.


    "Yes," she said simply.


    He realized they probably thought the same thing: their nightmare was about being in a place where he had a bad memory of. But he couldn''t really convince himself of that.


    "Things changed after this incident_ or rather accident," he continued. "Something fascinating happened that year when I came home and to school. Actually, a lot of things."


    "What? Don''t keep the suspense, oppa!"


    "In my absence, in those three months, overnight Ji Hyeon became the prettiest girl in high school. And that changed everything. I met hyung Dae Won¡­ And also the girl that was my first love."


    "¡­!"

 Chapter 81 - You Are Special

    "No mom, It''s not needed. Really, really don''t, please."


    "To be honest, I have a project¡­ It''s quite viable. I''ll be able to expose on¡­"


    "Mom, don''t ask anything, just please lend me the money, will you?"


    "Eomma¡­"


    Jung Eun Ha paced in her room, staring in the mirror every now and then to rehearse a speech. Each time she did this her heart ached and her face grew hot with embarrassment. It was ridiculous that, at 27, she would consider extorting her mother to have money for a new collection. Her virtually empty bank account wouldn''t help, and unless she put the apartment up for sale, she would have no money for textiles and all that was needed to try to leverage her brand once again.


    The day before, she was greeted by the shopkeeper where she intended to negotiate consignment of her clothes_ a desperate resource. They had been impressed on quality and design, but somewhat disappointed that there were few options. Eun Ha had few pieces left now, and no capital to create new ones.


    The young fashion designer had no doubt that her mother would not deny her money. Eun Ha just didn''t have the heart to ask.


    As for her inheritance from her biological parents_ which her foster mother, being an intelligent woman, had ensured she received as soon as she was of age_ had been enough for her to buy the apartment in the capital and to pay for her extended studies and difficult times after college. With mom''s help. The infertile land acres were not of great value, and so the profit of its sale. Now, however, things have changed. If she could, she knew she must buy that land back.


    Thinking about it naturally made Eun Ha think back to her parents, the fairies she had never met. She only knew the name of his mother, Myung Hee, surname Gyu. She really needed to go back to her birthplace and try to find out more about herself and her parents¡­ But how could she go and leave Ye Rim there in the capital alone? Right now when that damn Dr. Flamingo was still surrounding and seducing her donsaeng even from a distance?


    "What''s the matter with that girl? Is she feeling that she is getting old, and is desperate to marry to the first not-trashy guy sh can find? ''Cause¡­ ''cause, honestly, he is nowhere near to Oppa," she muttered to herself.


    For the past two days, Eun Ha had noticed the constant exchanges of messages and phone calls between Ye Rim and Dr. Flamingo_ and had repeatedly pulled her magic wand to do the same thing she had done in the past with Ye Rim''s old cell phone... just to put her wand back in again, thinking of the threats from Hunter Shin. Her former tutor.


    ''Uhn¡­ what to do? Isn''t this man on a business trip? How can he have so much free time?'' It was probably all a lie. Maybe he wasn''t even abroad. Increasingly the pink claws of that long-legged doctor were advancing over Ye Rim and it caused Eun Ha to snort in indignancy and fear.


    She really should take advantage of the doctor''s physical absence to drive them away. ''Maybe I need to subtly convince MP Lee to get closer to Ye Rim¡­ However, he''s too polite and nice to force a situation, unlike the doctor who invents any nonsense to keep around like an annoying fly. Hmmmm¡­"


    After a moment''s thought, Eun Ha sighed in dismay as she wasn''t inspired by any kind of trickery. In fact, the fairy had no desire to do any of this.


    But as Ye Rim''s Fairy Godmother, she had obligations. Wasn''t that what Professor Shin had said? That from the moment she had chosen Ye Rim as her prot¨¦g¨¦, no one but herself could interfere with Ye Rim''s welfare?


    ''Hahnnnn! Naturally when the deadline is near, hardship times would come. I just rushed forward, preventing my poor donsaeng from having her well-deserved reputation and fame. But I''ll make it up to you next year, Ye Rim-ah!'' Eun Ha promised, and meant it, with all her heart.


    She sat on the bed. "How can he let me out of there alone, and he hasn''t even called in those four days? What kind of teacher is he?" As usual, her thoughts jumped like electrons from one matter to other.


    Obviously, she thought of the Hunter Shin, and how her heart raced like a runaway truck for the first time in her life.


    She sighed in awe, "I''m not in love, am I? Is this love?"


    ''Na, that''s just¡­ Because he''s the only one from my kin I know. And he has broad shoulders, a look that melts my chocolate heart¡­" She covered her own face with both hands, flushed, and giggled like a teenager at the absurdity of the situation. ''What kind of stupid kiddo am I? He''s the only one from my own people I know, and I''m in love with him? He who always scoffs when I''m trying to be cute?!''


    The laughter turned into a frown as she realized he was keen to keep his distance. "By any chance, is he married?"


    "No, he doesn''t wear any kind of ring," Eun Ha shook her head, realizing that she had known this for some time. "Aish, what kind of freak fairy am I? This is not my normal. I''ve always been so¡­ Wait: I barely saw the gift he gave me. I can call to say thank you so I''ll know how he is doing. And I will have my opportunity to magnanimously forgive him for sending me away."


    She happily chuckled and jumped with joy at herself and her good idea. It was the first good thing she''d been thinking all day.


    Satisfied with her plan, Eun Ha reached for the book in the drawer where she had left it.


    She stroked the cover of the book fondly, a smile that never left her lips marking the dimples in her cheeks. "Awnnn¡­ Magical Girl, isn''t it?" She reread the title, very pleased. Although the children''s book had not made much sense when she received it, it now simply seemed full of meaning.


    ''He just can''t handle his feelings. That''s it.''


    Opening the book, determined to find the message of love in the text, she began to read the story of the magical girl who lived on the mountain¡­ Her eyes widened when she saw the first word subtly marked with a very subtle pencil circle.


    "I knew it !!!!"


    She eagerly began to mark the pages and the words:


    "I. Know. That. You. Are. Special."


    "Ohhhhhh!"


    Astonished, Eun Ha felt a strange chill as her face burned. She didn''t know what to think. At the end of the book, only a tiny scribbling almost concealed in the footer of the last image, only said,


    "HAVE YOU LOOKED BY THE WINDOW TODAY?"


    Eun Ha, perhaps hastily and without thinking, stumbled to the window of her room, pulling back the curtains in a hurry. Her gaze swept the horizon from top to bottom as her heart pounded wildly.


    Then the fairy saw it. On a billboard of a famous restaurant, some graffitist had done a clever job, using the letters of the original text and adding his own.


    SARANGHAEYO, JUNG. [I love you, Jung]


    Her heart has failed a beat. A slight separation meant that the intricate message could also be read as


    SARANGHAE YOJEONG [Love you, fairy]


    Eun Ha was gaping, and her hand reached for the phone in her pocket.


    "Professor Shin?"


    ---


    * The surname Jung is spelled with the same final syllable that forms the word ''fairy'', ''yojeong'' (To avoid placing characters that could block this novel in WN, I wrote it in a romanized way).

 Chapter 82 - Octagon

    "Excuse me?! Excuse mee! Excuse meeee!"


    Tired of elbow her way in and trying to see over the shoulders of people, mostly men, Eun Ha realized that she must adopt a more aggressive tactic if she wanted to find the Hunter there. She was small and couldn''t even see anything in front of her, but she had asked at the box office about the weird man in black overcoat. And as expected, that wasn''t the most discreet outfit to watch an MMA fight.


    Discovering that he was sitting in the front row was something Eun Ha didn''t quite know how to process: it suited him, but don''t, at the same time.


    She drew her magic wand resolutely. And she proceeded to poke the flank of all who opposed her passing. She was Moses and they were the Red Sea.


    As expected, her path opened up with surprised, curious and suspicious glances. Some measured the petite woman cladded in black with surprised awe. But she had a clear goal, and headed for the ring, following the bright lights. Handing over her VIP ticket_ which had been more expensive than expected_ she passed the isolation cord to the area surrounding the ring.


    The place was crowded and a fight was already taking place, but as soon as she saw Hunter Shin, absorbed in the ring, her blood boiled. Eun Ha considered herself a relatively calm person, but Hunter Shin slowly pissed her off.


    She understood the hierarchical relationship between them, but ignoring her when she was desperate for answers and help should not be considered a crime?!


    "I''m busy, I already have an appointment for tonight." He had said. And the last straw: "I thought I wasn''t your teacher anymore. Why are you calling me?"


    "Honestly! If I had a little more self-esteem¡­ But it''s me who needs him, so I''ll swallow my pride this time!" she ranted under her breath as she advanced.


    Eun Ha moved closer, but everyone was entertained by the fight, including the Hunter. Then the bell rumbled loudly, stunning the young fairy. She turned toward the ring, a little dizzy from the effect of the loud noise, the chaos of the people, and the frantically moving lights. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the ring girl pacing with her sign, most of the male audience looking appreciatively at the pretty girl with the plaque.


    In a rush she stepped in front of the Hunter. ''What a ridiculous thing, a respectable fairy should be spending his time on really useful and uplifting things!''


    Hunter Shin looked up at the little fairy appraisingly. For a moment Eun Ha thought, even sure, that he read thoughts. What was that drop of cold sweat forming between her b.r.e.a.s.ts, right above her heart? Was that because the cold glare Hunter Shin was giving her?


    He licked the corner of his lips _as he always did when he was reading himself to something unpleasant, she noted_ and setting the glass of whiskey aside, motioned for her to get out of the way.


    "Professor!"


    "Jung¡­!" He looked frustrated, closing his eyes in denial. "What are you doing here?" he c.o.c.ked his neck to look over her shoulder at what was happening in the ring. Eun Ha moved her body to obstruct his vision again.


    "The teacher said I could come¡­"


    "You really have a selective hearing, you little pest," he rose to his feet, and as usual, stood threateningly close to her. Eun Ha tried to pull away but staggered as she stepped back. Shin grabbed her shoulder, and in one movement turned her in one direction and forced her to walk in front of him.


    "Wait, Professor Shin, where are we going? I paid to be here!"


    "Uh. And you paid for a numbered chair. Since we''re not going to sit side by side, I don''t think you came here to talk to me by megaphone," he kept leading her, and Eun Ha had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ From her drunken night when he drove her home.


    "Aigoo!"


    "What?" he couldn''t guess what was going on in her head, but she just grunted. "Nothing."


    It was possible he hadn''t even heard it, after all the place was noisy and chaotic. When he was pleased with the new place, he stopped, and stood beside her. They were on the other side of the ring, but in this place people had to stand and it was a little tight and crowded. Eun Ha realized she kind of burnt away a good money for nothing, buying a VIP ticket.


    She turned to the Hunter, but he was looking at the ring again. It was the entrance of the main fight fighters, as announced on the speakers. The crowd went wild, but Eun Ha didn''t look at it.


    Just looked at Shin.


    He was different tonight.


    But different from what? She couldn''t tell if he was really different or just different from her last memory with him.


    ''Oh, the heat! No, that''s not what I want to think about now,'' the fairy took a deep breath.


    "Professor, you didn''t give me a little souvenir that night you came to my house¡­ To my room¡­ Did you?!"


    The Hunter, who seemed unfazed and impassive until this moment, disconcertingly blinked, turning to look at Eun Ha incredulously.


    "That night in your room¡­?! Jun Eun Ha!!!"


    His stare, both shocked and suspicious, left the fashion designer confused.


    "What are you thinking¡­?!" he asked after looking around and realizing that no one was really paying attention to them.


    "Oh! No, that''s not what... I''m talking about, a book. A strange book was there, I thought it was the Professor, but¡­" she was lost in words as she realized she had heard Hunter Shin speak her full name for the first time.


    ''Awn¡­ He can speak my name¡­!'' She suddenly felt her face burn and flush.


    But the hunter looked worried and confused, and more than that, annoyed. For the first time Eun Ha realized that he was quite old-fashioned, despite his appearance. He had entered a single girl''s room and didn''t want her to say it out loud.


    Suddenly he stopped whatever he was about to say, and turned Eun Ha by the shoulder like a five-year-old, to watch the guest fighter arrival.


    The lights whirled and the amplifiers reverberated with the announcer''s excited narration when the foreign champion was introduced. She stared without understanding, just paying attention to the difficult name of the Ukrainian fighter.


    "Igor ''The Werewolf'' Vukodlak Ivanovich!"


    Although he was the visitor, the crowd cheered him. Despite his ring name being The Werewolf, the first thing she noticed was that he was bald. The fighter was a very muscular and tall man, with narrow blue eyes and a typical Slavic appearance. Shin said something to her, but the noise was too loud and she couldn''t understand it.


    "What?" She gestured that she didn''t hear, so he moved closer to her ear, and said out loud,


    "You are seeing an actual werewolf, Jung!"

 Chapter 83 - Stalking is a Trend

    "Yeah, I''m following her now," Ye Rim said into her cell phone''s microphone as she hurried to keep Eun Ha in sight. Her unnie had suddenly left her bedroom after spending the whole weekend in the dark, and looking rather in a hurry.


    All this suspicious behavior had raised Ye Rim''s distrust, and she couldn''t allow her best friend to get in trouble. If she wasn''t like this because of money, then would it be because of a man? The thought was not entirely out of the question, though Eun Ha was shy and reserved about love.


    "Aren''t you exaggerating, Ye Rim?"


    "Oppa, I know my unnie. She is involved in something. She likes to keep secrets. And that''s usually a problem!"


    "Well, if that is so, you might want to see what might be going on. Even smart people fall for well-executed scams today. Take care of your unnie, Ye Rim," Kim Jun Yeon from across the world spoke. "Where are you now?"


    "I think she''s going to¡­ an MMA fight?!" Ye Rim was surprised to realize what kind of event it was, both by the posters and the type of audience around the venue. As Ye Rim approached to the entrance alone, she was a little intimidated by the appreciative male glances, and she wasn''t even at her best.


    "Is your unnie the sporty type?"


    "Quite the contrary¡­ I''ll hang up, oppa. It''ll be noisy inside anyway."


    "Are you really going in ?! It''s not the place to¡­"


    "Don''t even start, oppa. Eun Ha is there and so I''m going in."


    "Wait. I''ll ask someone¡­"


    "Even if I agreed, it would take time. The place is full of security staff for obvious reasons. It will not be dangerous beyond normal. See ya, oppa!"


    "Ye Rim, wai¡­!" but she hanged up already.


    Ye Rim shouldn''t waste time arguing with Jun Hyeon across the world about a woman''s security measures. Eun Ha had already disappeared from her sight, and she needed to get in soon.


    Arriving at the box office, Ye Rim was shocked by the ticket values, stamped in large print. Her hand hesitated as she reached for the wallet in her purse. Leaning in to speak to the ticket clerk on the other side of the glass, she asked,


    "Oppa, do you take accept credit cards?"


    "Ye Rim ssi?!" the person on the other side of the glass exclaimed, surprised and happy. Ye Rim came closer to see, and recognized the young man at his duty station:


    "Oh omo! Geun Pal!"


    Smiling, he pushed a complimentary ticket in her direction, saying:


    "The main event starts in 5 minutes, one more person will make no difference!"


    She couldn''t be more pleased with her luck at stumbling upon an acquaintance in a convenient place like this. She reached for a business card from Pearl, and returned the kindness:


    "Oh, okay, thanks, Geun Pal. I''m going in then! Go see me sing! It''s on me! We''ll talk later!" she thanked him effusively, and headed for the entrance, still ecstatic over her good fortune to have saved her ticket price by someone she had not seen for a considerable time. When she handed the ticket to the concierge it came to her mind that she should have asked Geun Pal about Eun Ha. He would surely have seen her.


    Upon entering, she was a little stunned, but it was not difficult to move forward asking ''excuse me'' directly at the nape of the neck of the brute ahead of her.


    This tactic had a fairly low failure percentage.


    They turned around in a daze, she smiled with an innocent expression apologizing with her big eyes, and they made room like gentlemen, absolutely mesmerized.


    If she didn''t know the power of beauty she would be an idiot in this world. If it had worked so well since she was a baby, why not use it harmlessly like now?


    ''If I wasn''t a good person, I really would have the world. Oh aigoo, why am I so good¡­? Tsk tsk.'' She blamed herself for not having the courage to take full advantage of her appearance all the time. She knew very well that was one of her greatest advantages.


    She had been raised by a divorced father and surrounded by men from the autorepair shop. They only told her very late that there were rules for girls. Only when it was too late did his father think he had raised a little monster who didn''t want a quiet life, marrying the mayor''s son and having a perfectly prosaic life.


    And for Ye Rim, most of the female rules of modesty and decorum were just restrictions that some women placed on others. And that was why Ye Rim had been fascinated to hear about Queen Maeve and her power over herself. She didn''t have to accept being chosen by a man and being his trophy. She would choose him, instead.


    But it was a long way between empowerment theory and practical life in a society like hers. So a slinky smile and big kitten eyes served her as much as money bills in situations like this.


    ''Look, Dr. Kim on the other side of the world wanting to find a friend to work things out for me¡­ What a cluelessness.''


    Impressed how all these thoughts came to mind as she made her way to the center of the gymnasium and near the ring, she took a deep breath, pushing away her philosophical considerations and focusing on looking for Eun Ha. Turning right and left , she couldn''t see Eun Ha anywhere.


    ''She''s very short, it won''t be easy to see her in the middle of all these people.'' Ye Rim came to the conclusion. She had to go somewhere she could see better.


    Stretching her neck she saw an area near the ring that was emptier than the rest. It should be the VIP area. She also had the impression that there was a small platform, whose reason of being she did not understand right then. But if she could climb up there for just a minute, she would find her extravagant unnie quickly.


    Again advancing through the audience, she reached the entrance of the VIP area.


    On the loudspeakers, the fighters were being announced with fuss and pomp. But that was only in the back of her mind, for all she wanted was to get to a place high enough to find her unnie in the crowd.


    Spotting a security guard, she went to him, but to guard against any rejection, tossed her hair aside as soon as she got his attention: "Oppa, I''m going to talk to my friend there¡­"


    Before she finished speaking, the security was opening access to the VIP area for her to enter.


    The first round bell rang.


    Rushing past the VIP chairs, and noticing with a glance that Eun Ha was not there, she went to the platform, which was only half a meter high and decorated with the sponsoring brand logos. It was very close to the ring, perhaps a podium for photos or something, she thought.


    They would probably ask her down if it was forbidden to be up there. And she was pretty sure it was. But she had no time to waste. At the first opportunity, she up the two steps, and quickly looked around, trying to locate her unnie.


    Then she felt a strong shiver run down the back of her neck, and turned.


    A spotlight flashed right into her eyes right now, blinding her momentarily, but in the middle of the light, she saw a monster in the ring.


    Now she was staring at the Ukrainian fighter, and he at her.

 Chapter 84 - Queen of the Ring

    Across the ring, Eun Ha was still gaping at the Hunter''s revelation when she suddenly spotted Ye Rim on a higher place. First the confusion about what her donsaeng might be doing there, then the realization that she would have much to explain if she were seen. Ye Rim was looking for her.


    "Omo, omo, what to do?! What to do? "Eun Ha turned to the Hunter, pulling his teacher by the lapel of his coat, and literally trying to get inside.


    "Wait, girl, what¡­ what?! What are you doing Jung?!" Shin tried to remove the little hands of the young fairy off his body, but Eun Ha was quick and was fully wrapped inside the coat, sticking to his body. ''Awn, as I imagined, his body is rock hard!'' Eun Ha can''t help but happily think, even in this situation.


    "Jung," the Hunter threatened, "I don''t know what you want, but get out of there."


    Eun Ha couldn''t see anything because her face was buried in the Hunter''s manly chest, but she realized from his movements that he would walk away at anytime, leaving her without cover. If Ye Rim saw her, she would have many explanations to give, and honestly Eun Ha was not ready now.


    "Seonsaengnim!"


    "I''m warning you! 1¡­ 2¡­ " the Hunter began pulling his coat back, uncovering her, but Eun Ha really stuck to the fabric as if her life depended on it.


    ''OK, desperate measures, here I come!'' the little fairy closed her eyes firmly and tiptoed over, releasing Shin''s coat and gripping his face with both hands.


    The Hunter blinked.


    Eun Ha kissed him.


    Technically, of course. His mouth was tightly closed, his jaw hard shut, his eyes wide as Eun Ha pressed her lips against his, hard and willing, her fingers digging into the sides of Shin''s face.


    ''Come on, you idiot! Kiss Me!''


    But then he gave in. The hands that were firmly gripping Eun Ha''s shoulders as he pushed her away gave way to a gentle touch, and his lips parted, enjoying the moment.


    Time stood still for a few seconds for the two fairies.


    ...


    "Ye Rim! Ye Rim! "She heard a distant call in the back of her mind, but ignored it, her eyes fixed on the creature across the ropes of the ring. The huge, two-foot-tall, muscular, hairy, and intimidating creature staring at her menacingly as drool dripped from its open, full-pointed teeth mouth.


    It was not what other people saw however. Other people saw a beautiful girl with copper hair staring at the Ukrainian fighter, and him at her. Whatever it was, it was very fast, and the sight of that woman angered MMA fighter. He roared in threat as if she were the challenger inside the corners of the ring.


    But Ye Rim just felt a tight, aching tightness in her chest, and her body tingling as if she was dip into a fizzing and bubbling bathtub. She didn''t know how that monster could be there, among so many people, and everyone ignore that danger, keep applauding and screaming and cheering when that grotesque thing was among them.


    "Go away," she said, not even altering her voice. She spoke clearly so he could read her lips. She raised her chin defiantly.


    Honestly, deep in her mind, Ye Rim didn''t know why she wasn''t panicking, why she wasn''t crying, and why she wasn''t running.


    The werewolf laughed sarcastically, a frightening laugh full of dark teeth. And it moved.


    Ye Rim just saw his feet and arms and all those muscular machine of flesh, fur and bones moving toward her in slow motion. She was aware that her bones would be easily crushed if his jump gets him to pass the ropes and reach her, in a single strike. Everything was so slow in her mind and yet so clear. She raised her small hand, as if that would prevent the impact.


    Shadows were advancing toward her from several sides, she only noted with her peripheral field of vision.


    ¡­


    "Jung!" his lips parted with a somewhat puzzled and perplexed mutter from Professor Shin, and he quickly pulled her by the elbow to exit through a side door. Eun Ha had neither the strength nor the will to prevent herself from being literally dragged out. As soon as they got outside, he released her with a jerk, and turned to Eun Ha, nervously running his hand through his hair,


    "Jung, what was that? Tell me, what was that, huh?"


    In a way, it was ridiculous and even a little offensive that the Hunter reacted like that, ruffled and all, but Eun Ha was pleased deep inside. He does kiss well, very well. ''Uh la la, by the satin and silk gods! And it was just a kiss! ''


    "Ahem ... Well, doesn''t the Professor know what it is?" she played innocent, deep down in love with the unusual situation. ''He could well confess now, couldn''t he?''


    "Don''t do that anymore!"


    ''Oh ?! OH! What do you mean ''Don''t do that anymore ?! You liked it, you fake liar! '' Eun Ha widened her eyes. For this she did not expect. "Professor!"


    "Exactly! Exactly! How do you expect to have a professional relationship like this?! Although still a little irritated, the Hunter was mastering his reactions very fast, and Eun Ha saw that she was beginning to lose ground.


    "But don''t say you don''t¡­"


    "Not another word, young lady!"


    "¡­" Eun Ha realized he wasn''t playing any games, he really was annoyed with the situation. But before she could say anything about it he said what she feared,


    "If there was any doubt, now there is no more. I can''t teach you anymore, since you want to behave that way."


    ''But what an overreaction! Is he really married? Or¡­ Does he like boys? '' she could not ask none of it right now. She went for his coat again, but he dodged and she only managed to hold his sleeve,


    "Professor Shin, don''t be hard on me! It was a desperate strategy. I''m not trying to seduce you, I swear! It was because of Ye Rim! She was there, I don''t know how or why, but she''s in there."


    It reminded the Hunter of why he was there in the first place. He sighed, apparently accepting that Eunha was crazy enough to kiss someone as disguise.


    "You! Never again¡­ "


    " ''¡­do that, Jung!'' I know, I know, "she grunted, resentful of him repeating as if he didn''t like and enjoyed the kiss that, at least on her part, still felt tingling like champagne on her lips. "Let''s just forget it, as I forgot that time you touched my wa¡­"


    He interrupted her, although she couldn''t know if on purpose or not, "Anyway, you''re going home now. I need to get something sorted out."


    "But I also need to say something important¡­"


    "Then wait for me here, since your friend is looking for you inside."


    He didn''t wait for her answer, and reentered before Eun Ha could protest.But the young fairy had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that apparently had nothing to do with the kiss. With a sigh, she decided to disobey and risk, stepping in behind her tutor.


    ...


    The creature was growing toward her, and Ye Rim raised her arm, her hand outstretched, "You can''t touch me, creature!" She felt perfect peace at this realization, and only with her hand, knew she would stop him. Her senses were on guard and sharpened, she heard the sounds of her feet shifting on the vinyl floor of the ring and even the shifting air as the creature leapt into the air in her. direction.


    She felt her legs weaken, her vision blurred by a bright light.


    "Ye Rim! Ye Rim! My love!"


    POW!


    THUD!


    Ye Rim did not see, for she was surrounded by light and losing consciousness. But the people watching the fight saw it. The angry fighter jumping, coincidentally or not, toward the girl near the ring. And a strange sequence of events:


    During his jump, the opponent interposed and delivered a sharp potent and violent punch to the nose of the Ukrainian fighter. That sort of punch that dislocate and deform a human face permanently.


    The red-haired girl raised a hand as if she thought the fighter would attack her. And for a moment, it looked like it would.


    Some even thought to have seen her hairs flowing as she was in front of a potent air fan.But to be honest, the spotlights spinning and all, no one could be sure if it was part of a dramatic staged act or what.


    Four sporty men quickly approached the ring, and one of them hugged the girl, who seemed to dismount in his arms. The others surrounded the couple.


    The opponent of the Ukrainian took advantage of the moment when the fighter seemed quite dizzy and affected by the punch, which had clearly been a stroke of luck, and delivered another formidable punch, enough to make the Ukrainian collapse on the ring floor like a huge tree in the forest.


    The judge approached, surprised, and observing the state of the fighter, began the knockout count. The other fighter also looked surprised; decidedly happy, but surprised.


    The crowd went wild.


    KNOCKOUT! END OF THE FIGHT! shouts the incredulous narrator.


    "Ye Rim! Ye Rim Ssi! "Jang Ji Woong was also surprised that Ye Rim was passing out in his arms, and shouted for help.

 Chapter 85 - Queen of the Ring 2

    The big screens hanging from the ceiling repeat the shocking moment of the deadly blow that knocked out the unbeaten champion of the category. But the fight was over and the champion celebrated his victory in front of the cameras and the public.


    The surprising result of the night''s fight was still causing controversy among the onlookers when the Hunter returned. Vukodlak''s staff was divided between those who wanted to cancel the fight and those surrounding the fighter. Shin passed them, and faced the foreign werewolf. Eun Ha was right behind her teacher,


    "Where is she?" The stranger continues to ask the people around him, an angry expression on his swollen, purple face. Shin pushes Eun Ha farther behind him with one hand, hiding her with his body,


    "Do you violate some treaty items and still lose the fight, Ivanovich?" Says Shin mockingly.


    Eun Ha couldn''t see straight, but snuck as far as she could. But the Professor kept pushing back. It was a Hunter''s tease, of course, but the werewolf just looked up angrily,


    "I heard a conversation. That there''s a Devourer in this town."


    Eun Ha didn''t know what a Devourer was, but the fact that being the first thing the werewolf told her tutor meant something big, or so she believed.


    "So you came to go sightseeing?" Shin talked back.


    "Fairy, the last time this happened was not pretty¡­" the response was sour, and Eun Ha worried. If she had a taste of what supernatural beings can do by participating in just one hunt, she was afraid to try to imagine what a so-called Devourer could do to the point of causing fear in a werewolf. Weren''t werewolfs puppies, right?


    But the question surfaced,


    "You know, don''t you? Who was she?" muttered the Ukrainian to Shin.


    "What are you talking about?" the Hunter wasn''t very patient.


    "The red-haired girl. She."


    Eun Ha had a feeling Ivanovitch was talking about Ye Rim. Of course, Ye Rim was a magnet for men, and by the way, even werewolves. She decided to find out if Ye Rim was still there. I didn''t know how the fighter met Ye Rim, but he looked pretty annoyed. She couldn''t let Ye Rim get in trouble for coming looking for her.


    The crowd was already emptying the place, and Eun Ha was worried about not seeing her friend anywhere until she spotted the group.


    ¡­


    "Are you better?" the handsome, athletic man dressed in a tracksuit held out the glass of water to her, and Ye Rim nodded him thanks. Jang Ji Woong motioned and his friend, next to the singer, continued to fan her, trying to improve ventilation. The other men, also athletes like Ji Joong, made a barrier so that no one else could reach the corner where Ye was was being given some basic first aid.


    "Where''s the medical help?" The MMA athlete asked, a bit distraught. Ye Rim wasn''t even sure what was going on. She didn''t know why she had passed out, in fact she wasn''t even feeling bad. But for a moment, back there, she felt her body go weak and light as she stared at the¡­


    Werewolf?


    ''Aigoo, how ridiculous! Werewolves do not exist! What did I see?! What happened?''


    "What happened, honey?" Ji Woong''s voice asked the same question, attentive and concerned, realizing that Ye RIm''s gaze seemed to focus on him.


    "Oh! Ji Woong¡­"


    "It''s fine. We called a girl who is a medical assistant to a fighter in the Women''s league. She''ll see you in a moment."


    But Ye Rim was willing, actually quite electric. But she wasn''t sure what had happened, and she repeated the question. Ji Woong ran a hand through his very short hair, nervous to realize she didn''t know, and said,


    "Ye Rim, don''t you remember? Well, I''m not sure, I just saw you up there, I started calling you, I was glad to see you but I didn''t know what you were doing there. Haha, I started trying to get your attention, but you didn''t seem to hear or see anything, so I thought something was wrong with you¡­ I was running over there with the boys on the team, did you look¡­ in a trance or something? Did any strangers offer you something to drink? Huh? Tell me, Ye Rim!"


    How could she say she had played this pathetic role because she had a strange delirium about seeing a werewolf inside the ring? Surely they would think she drank something on drugs.


    Ji Woong had been Taekwondo''s Olympic medalist, and had an undisclosed crush for Ye Rim. They met a few years after Ye Rim was expelled from the idol agency, and she and Eun Ha were doing a Christmas freelancer dressed as Santa''s assistants at a gym party. Ji Woong and his team friends soon became friends with the girls. It was a fun winter, and Ji Woong never really confessed his intentions seriously, but he acted as if it were public and notorious that Ye Rim was his inspiring muse.


    Ye Rim had really considered dating Ji Woong, but he was quite temperamental for her tastes, in spite of many good qualities.


    "No," she said, sitting down, "I didn''t drink anything. I was looking for Eun Ha. I think¡­ Well, I don''t know, I think I got dizzy with the spinning lights, I thought I was seeing things¡­ Yeah, that''s for sure that''s what happened."


    "It was awesome, Ye Rim! " said one of Ji Woong''s partners who also knew her. "It looked like you were challenging the Ukrainian inside the ring. I even thought it was some promotional action!"


    "Don''t be stupid, because of her the guy got a knockout!" said another athlete, shutting up the first one.


    Ji Woong silenced them with a whistle demanding order, "Don''t be ridiculous, Ye Rim is not to blame, he should be paying attention to his opponent."


    "¡­!" Ye Rim widened her eyes at the news, something was not yet fitting about all this, but what could she think about this strange incident? She knew that fairies, witches and werewolves were just inventions of idle people. She couldn''t explain her little delirium, but her heart sped up as she remembered the sensations she had just moments through. But his daydreams were interrupted by Ji Woong,


    "Ye Rim, I''ll take you home then."


    "No one saw Eun Ha?" she asked, they shook their heads, but one of them remembered, "I think I saw her, she was with her boyfriend."


    ''BOYFRIEND?!!!'' Ye Rim was so surprised that her face showed her shock, and Ji Woong laughed,


    "What is it, Ye Rim? You won''t disturb anyone''s dating today! I have an idea! So you don''t feel alone, and since you said it''s ok, let''s go out to celebrate our reunion. We want to know what our favorite singer has been up to all this year!"


    Ye Rim was grateful, but it wasn''t exactly what she wanted to do right now. And the phone kept ringing in her coat pocket. Dr. Kim sure wanted news.


    "Well, I need to talk to her, it''s important and ..." As the singer tried to break free of her friends who at this moment disturbed her, she noticed a commotion over the athlete''s broad shoulders.


    "What''s going on?"


    Someone was shouting in a foreign language, sounding like a warning. Ji Woong looked back, straightened, turning his back to her. The other athletes also positioned themselves to protect her,


    "Ye Rim, that asshole thinks you''re guilty of him losing the fight. But rest assured, we''re here to protect you."


    Ye Rim swallowed hard. Deep down, she knew she''d done something stupid, even though not sure what, exactly.


    "Get out of the way, assholes!" she heard a mob approaching, wanting only one thing: to mash her as potato.

 Chapter 86 - Its Raining Balloons

    "Aigoo, will Ye Rim get hurt because of me ?!" Eun Ha muttered in astonishment, realizing that during some moments of her absence her best friend was in trouble. The Ukrainian fighter''s turf seemed to want to settle accounts with Ye Rim!


    The fairy had left the company of the Hunter, who was talking to the werewolf in the locker room. The auditorium was almost empty now, except for a few people and the two mobs that were about to face each other. "What to do?" Eun Ha wonders in worry, trying to figure out a way to end the impending fight.


    She searched  high and low for something she could use, as the Hunter''s warnings not to use magic now were fresh in her mind. But if necessary, she would use it, anyway.


    All she saw was a large net suspended from the high ceiling of the event center, containing thousands of balloons. For some reason that wasn''t used tonight. ''If that could be used to distract them... If Ye Rim can run away¡­''


    It was her best idea at the moment.


    ...


    Ye Rim felt her heart flutter, the two groups of men had the same number and seemed equally capable, at first glance. She didn''t want her friends to get hurt, but she knew she had to do something to stop the fight.


    "Hey, what if we we could talk peac¡­"


    But then she understood that the group of foreigners didn''t even speak her language.


    "How about¡­ Forget it," it was clear in their eyes that they were not at all inclined to dialogue or forget resentment, no matter what language they used. The ''namaste technique'' would not work as well as it did with Ji Ah.


    As each of the groups stared at each other furiously just before the clash, she really thought she would love a miracle to happen. At this point apparently only something supernatural could save her. She looked up at the ceiling with a sigh¡­


    And it started raining balloons.


    "What the¡­" Decidedly the torrent of balloons and shredded silver paper falling on everything and everyone seemed the necessary miracle coming through. They all looked up, attracted by the sudden mess of silver, blue and red showering over them.


    This, however, delayed but did not nullify the confrontation.


    Absolutely drawn to the bizarre image of men trying to fight and beat each other in the midst of balloons that slowed their movements, it crossed her mind that it was something worth recording for posterity. It was so ridiculous and childish that everyone looked just like boys playing in the ball pool. Some began to laugh at their opponents, while others just got angrier at the unlikely shredded paper rain. Ye Rim took advantage of the moment when she was forgotten and half hidden by the colorful blur and took several steps back, moving away from the mayhem. She even saw her friend Ji Woong looking over his shoulder to see if she was all right, and nodded. Seeing a clear exit, Ye Rim rushed over before they realized she was running away.


    "Aigoo! I need to stop this stupid fight!" she spoke under her breath, looking for something useful. Coming across the fire alarm near the exit door was the best thing that could have happened. "I won''t get any better. I''m sorry to simulate something of this gravity, but this fight has to stop!" With conviction Ye Rim broke the glass and sounded the alarm, which soon rang throughout the building.


    She still looked back, thinking how crazy it had all been, and really hoping her ploy would work.


    ''Oh, when I get that girl¡­!'' She thought, annoyed.


    ¡­


    "¡­ And that''s how I got out of there," Ye Rim finished telling Jun Hyeon the night''s adventures on the phone. The doctor listened her recollection of the events since they last talked with the same strange shiver of cringe and affliction as he listened her other stories. He just wished to be there to stop it and grab her out from such stupid dangerous situations.


    Jun Hyeon was having coffee in a beautiful place across the lake that gave the Zurich its name, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Earlier, Ye Rim''s adventures had stunned him, knowing that she was going unattended to a MMA fight after her irresponsible friend. And listening to the rest of the adventure now made him even angrier. There were so many reasons to be exasperated that he didn''t even want to start listing them in his mind. Much less out loud, of course. Since, for all intents and purposes, he was just a friend.


    But this peculiar situation might give him the freedom to say things that would be misinterpreted as jealous if they were¡­ otherwise dating? Oh, surely Kim Jun Hyeon wouldn''t miss the opportunity to say what Ye Rim needed to hear now.


    Taking a sip of coffee, he began,


    "Well, my friend, that makes me worried. You exposed yourself unattended in a place full of men, attracted the wrath of a stranger and his friends unintentionally, even unintentionally caused a fight, and committed wrongdoing by sounding a fire alarm improperly¡­ "contrary to what he had imagined, his long speech died in this part. His mind wandered for a moment to his own past. "Of all things, I don''t know which one was the worst. Why are you always in trouble? If I was there¡­"


    "Hey, it''s not like that! What happened tonight was extreme, okay? But not quite! I don''t live¡­ ''getting in trouble''! "Across the world Ye Rim protested, but he well realized that her voice wavered, as if she knows very well that she will defend a huge lie. But he would not let it pass. The realization that this nonsense almost really hurt Ye Rim because of her friend, whom she trusted so much, but seemed much more concerned about her own fun ... oh, that really made Jun Hyeon very angry.


    "You are really unashamed, Ye Rim!" Ah, the delicious freedom to say the things you wanted without the social veneer! He''d never spoken to a girl like this before _ except of course, Ji Hyeon. Within his outraged irritation it even drew a half wry smile from Jun Hyeon. "That little mouth of yours really told a lot of lurid stories the time we went out with Dae Won. And today. And even the day we met! Don''t tell me that your performance at Mr Young''s grave is a normal thing in your daily life, please! Or I will think you are completely crazy. After today, when you narrowly escaped¡­ Why, if I was there, I was the first to pull your ear, "Jun Hyeon really would. She was very lucky and had no fear because she had no idea what violent men can do when they are angry. He, as a doctor, had already seen his share of victims.


    "Oppa¡­ I know. I really know I was lucky. I don''t know why that man got so fixated that he forgot to fight, but I don''t think I deserve such anger just for showing up next to the ring!" she justified herself, and Jun Hyeon just wondered if she really was like that. Annoying at all times, and innocent while she was very smart.


    "In any case, don''t come after telling me I''m not right. Your ''friend'' the fighter you spoke to. Was he your boyfriend?''


    "I do not know why I need to talk about it," she tried to turn, "by chance this is some kind of jealousy?"


    "Haahahahahahah"


    "Hahahahaha!"


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    He laughed a hearty laugh, and held this laugh cynically into the cell phone''s microphone so she could hear his reaction clearly. ''What a player! She wants to make me admit that I don''t have the qualities to be at the right level for her. Hfff! ''


    "None of that, Ye Rim. But as your friend, what''s the matter with telling me? Should we have secrets? What is your relationship with him, exactly?"


    After a silence on the other end of the line, Ye Rim sighed and answered his teasing,


    "No, we haven''t. At least in the past, I know he would have liked to be my boyfriend, but that''s not how it happened."


    "Hmm, even in your answer you''re elusive. I thought we were in a sincerity relationship!" he complained sarcastically.


    "Yes, we have nothing to hide. We''re not trying to look like our best version of ourselves, are we? Since we''re not trying to impress or seduce each other!" she agreed quickly, her tone slightly annoyed, Kim realized.


    "No, not really. It''s okay to see you without makeup or after cleaning the apartment. Or knowing that you have cramps, a stomach ache or are constipated, anyway, all these things that are not at all s.e.xy but happen in the life of a human being."


    "Yesssssss!" she agreed with exaggerated vehemence," or about your foot odor or that you drool on the pillow, or that you trim your eyebrows¡­"


    "I DON''T DROOL on the pillow, but yes, I trim my eyebrows. What would happen if I didn''t do it?"


    She started to laugh, and said, "Well, oppa, there''s a curiosity I always wanted to know, promise me to answer without any evasion."


    Without imagining what it could be, Jun Hyeon agreed. He just didn''t expect the question to be,


    "Oppa, what were you doing in the cemetery that day?"

 Chapter 87 - That Year When Part of Me Died 1

    "Ah, ..." Dr. Kim cleared his throat, a little pained, but it wasn''t as if Ye Rim couldn''t know. They had already called each other in the middle of the night to say strange things, intimate things. "I went to visit my noona. I go visit her grave often."


    FLASHBACK


    "Jun Hyeon, if anything makes me regret trusting you, I swear to you, it gotta have a payback. Be responsible to these girls!"


    That''s how Mr. Kim admonished his son, a little away from the other three teens, but not far enough away that they wouldn''t hear. The two girls and the boy stifled their laughter as Jun Hyeon replied calmly, with a responsible smile from the top of his eighteens,


    "Yes Dad, don''t worry, we won''t do anything wrong while you''re away."


    Maybe Mr. Kim was more concerned that his son would be irresponsible to his daughter''s friend Na Ra than to Jun''s friend, the gentle and cheerful Lee, could get to persuade Ji Hyeon to do something she didn''t want to do. He knew his twin children very well.


    "Okay, I''m going to the capital to pick up your mother and go solve your aunt''s problem, and then we''ll be back here, so I hope I''m not asking too much of you, huh?" the a.d.u.l.t looked to the young people for cooperation as he had to leave, and the youngsters would be alone.


    "You can go, Mr. Kim," Lee said, "We''ll be fine. Don''t worry."


    Drive carefully, Dad!" Ji Hyeon agreed, we''ll take care of them well," she referred to their friends, invited for a weekend at the family cottage.


    "Have a nice trip, Mr. Kim," wished Na Ra, Ji Hyeon''s best friend, waving goodbye.


    Tightening his coat around him, the man got into the car, leaving with a nod to his children and their friends. As soon as the car disappeared from sight, the youths celebrated the fact that they would be alone and without the supervision of a responsible a.d.u.l.t.


    "Wohoo! We have all night just for us!" They gave a collective high five, coming in quickly because of the cold weather of early winter.


    The plan devised by the twins seemed to go much better than expected now that their father had left Jun Hyeon responsible for everything. Each of the four youths had their expectations for this weekend at the Kims cottage, but Jun Hyeon was only partially aware of which they might be.


    Since returning from Switzerland from his long and painful recovery, things had changed a lot at school. His sister had become the prettiest and one of the most popular girls in the final years of school, and had become friends with Yoon Na Ra. Together, the two ullzangs were beautiful to look at, but for him, Na Ra was a celestial being. Jun Hyeon''s heart failed the first time Na Ra passed by him without even seeing him, and he knew what it was like to have feelings for a real girl for the first time.


    To help him get his grades back, an advanced student volunteered to help Jun Hyeon''s studies. It was unexpected, but that''s how he met Lee Dae Won. They were water and wine, but Dae Won was patient, persistent and dedicated, and managed to get Jun Hyeon to enjoy his studies anyway.


    Jun Hyeon soon realized that Dae Won looked at his sister as if looking at a window of a candy story, and though Ji Hyeon was kind toward Dae Won, she didn''t seem to have any interest in the high school''s flower boy. Dae Won attended all the extra classes Ji Hyeon had, and even shared a taste for music. He frequented the twins'' house and even tried to keep up with Jun Hyeon in sports, especially if Ji Hyeon was together.


    "You like Na Ra, don''t you?" Ji Hyeon asked her sibling as they returned from driving lessons.


    "But she doesn''t even see me," he replied.


    "Maybe she likes you, and she''s only intimidated because she thinks you look always angry," the noona laughed, delighted. "We have to solve this, or you two will never be together!"


    "Would you do that? Would you really ?!" he was excited, and remembered, "Are you finally going to give Dae Won a chance, too? After all, he''s shy, it''s going to take another ten years to do something."


    "Look who''s talking¡­ " she sneered. "But¡­ I don''t know."


    "You don''t know what?"


    "I don''t know if I like him that much."


    "But what''s to dislike about him? What''s your problem, girl?"


    Ji Hyeon was always like this, always wanted the unattainable. Maybe it had something to do with their past as child stars. Perhaps deep down she felt a little superior to the mortals who reportedly admired her. He shrugged and thought that if she gave Dae Won a chance, she''d see how cool he was.


    So when Ji Won convinced everyone to allow this weekend with her bestie for the sole purpose of making it easier for Jun Hyeon to be close to Na Ra, he called Dae Won to join them.


    After an afternoon full of silly games between the four, Jun was in a state of complete excitement, as he could see that Na Ra liked being around him, laughed at what he was talking about, and inevitably got close almost all the time. They bumped into each other unintentionally, and she didn''t stop him when he mockingly poked one of her wonderful dimples. He knew he just had to do everything right, and maybe he could tell her he wanted to be her boyfriend. He just needed some time alone with her.


    He had no worries about Dae Won or his sister. Ji Hyeon was very mature and Dae Won was every girl''s dream, polite, patient, mature and romantic.


    When Ji Hyeon went to make popcorn for everyone to watch a horror flick on the big couch and under the duvets, Jun figured he could have a little moment with Na Ra alone.


    "Dae Won, why won''t you help my sister in the kitchen? She''s alone, she''s going to need help bringing the popcorn buckets¡­" he gave a deliberately malicious intonation that Dae Won''s cover might break the barrier between him and Ji Hyeon this time. As he spoke he approached Na Ra on the couch, wrapped in his own edredon, hoping to be able to hug her casually as soon as Dae Won left the room. "Na Ra and I are going to choose the movie," he grabbed the control and dimmed the lights to watch the movie in the TV room. With an devilish expression he asked Na Ra, "Are you sure you want to watch a horror movie? Before you said you were afraid."


    Na Ra nodded with wide eyes fixed on him, and asked,


    "Jun Hyeon, are you sure only those duvets are enough? I mean, it''s pretty cold. Really cold."


    Jun Hyeon thought it was cold, very cold as Na Ra said, but he also thought it was a great opportunity to hug her, so he didn''t answer, but Dae Won, the ever-helpful Dae Won, intruded,


    "What if we light the fireplace..."


    The youngest man just stared at him, trying to give all the signs that he was interfering, bringing up misplaced well intentioned ideas.


    "Well, maybe you can ask Ji for more blankets, hyung," he suggested, motioning for hyung to get out of there.


    Dae Won nodded quickly and went into the kitchen, leaving both of them alone.


    He wrapped his edredon around Na Ra, wrapping her around so she wouldn''t feel any cold, and crossed his arms and coiled beside her as they looked at the movie options on the TV menu.


    "Jun Hyeon¡­ We can share the blankets," Na Ra suggested after a while, out of compassion. He thanked the dim light for hiding his satisfaction smile. He accepted and went under the same covers as Na Ra, she squeaked in fright at how cold he was, took his hands and rubbed with her thin, delicate hands¡­ Jun Hyeon was in the Heavens.


    As he was about to wrap his arm around her for a hug, a sudden uncomfortable feeling came to his mind. They were both taking too long in the kitchen. A strange feeling made Jun Hyeon turned away Na Ra, saying,


    "Be right back, just will check why popcorn is taking so long ..."

 Chapter 88 - That Year When Part of Me Died 2

    ¡­


    "I''ll be right back, this popcorn is taking too long."


    Na Ra looked confused with his change of mood, but then nodded, as her friend and Dae Won really were taking too long in the kitchen.


    Jun Hyeon left promising to come back soon, and when he got close to the kitchen he decided to arrive quietly¡­ There was a chance, for he was hoping, that Ji Hyeon and Dae Won were in a romantic moment, and he didn''t want to disturb them. Nor burn his eyes seeing his sister... well, he just didn''t want to witness anything remotely s.e.x.u.a.l about his noona.


    So, step by step, he approached the kitchen door.


    "¡­ That''s not it," he heard his sister''s voice, a little annoyed, saying, "I''ve said it in every possible way, but maybe I have to be very clear: I. DON''T. WANT. I don''t care. If you can''t just be a friend, then be nothing."


    Before anything else was said or done, Jun Hyeon entered the kitchen, thinking that just an untimely arrival would save the disaster from becoming even worse.


    "Is everything all right here?" he asked cautiously, sincerely empathizing with Dae Won''s pain because his sister had been so cruel and harsh.


    Dae Won was holding a bucket of popcorn very tightly, and Jun Hyeon could see that his whole body was shaking. Lips squeezed tightly, pale face¡­ He''d never seen his friend so upset. He glanced at his sister, who was behind the table, holding the thermos. She was also pale and contrite, but focused on the reactions of Jun''s friend. She was the one who answered,


    "Yes, Jun, that''s fine."


    Dae Won couldn''t stand it and put the popcorn bucket with exaggerated care on the table, and left. Jun turned to look at his sister with a questioning look, but they heard Dae Won stumble over something, and they both turned to the door.


    Jun considered going to see if his friend needed help, but maybe he just needed some time alone and cold water on his face.


    "Is that really all right? Ji?" he approached his noona, who was staring at the popcorn buckets. She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and he saw that she was shaking too, though less than Dae Won. He put his hand on Ji Hyeon''s shoulder, "Did he do anything weird?"


    "No, it''s just¡­" Seemingly unable to explain, she buried her face in his brother''s shoulder, "Jun, I just wish it hadn''t happened. He''s cute and nice and all, but¡­ I just wish he hadn''t confessed. Dak-sal, what an embarrassing situation¡­!"


    Jun Hyeon thought yes, it was rather embarrassing, but they would have to deal with it. Intriguingly, he was relieved, but rather mortified, since Dae Won was one of his best friends.


    "Okay, okay. He''s a nice guy. He will be cool with it soon, I''m sure. He was upset, of course, who would want to be in his situation?" at the same time he said this, selfishly Jun Hyeon tried to gauge how Dae Won''s rejection by Ji Hyeon would spoil his own plans for the night.


    "I totally understand. Also... I shouldn''t have said things so harshly¡­ I kinda¡­ I kinda feel pressed up and..."


    "You were very cruel, Ji. A bad bitch."


    "I''m a bad bitch."


    "Uhn, whatever you say," he pushed her away to look her twin sister in the eye, "So the bad bitch doesn''t need a hug. I''ll hug the victim, instead."


    She smiled, "I''ll apologize to him. He didn''t deserve it, I just got nervous about how the things went, and¡­ well¡­"


    "Okay. Go talk to him and I''ll take these popcorns. Let''s see what''s going to happen."


    "Oh¡­ well, you won''t leave me alone with him, will you? I mean, for you to be with Na Ra¡­"


    "But how naughty! Calm down, as much as I want, Na Ra will sleep in your room! And it looks like we''ll have changes of plans. And .. I''m sorry, I think this was my fault."


    "Of course it was," she replied, apparently returning to her natural mood.


    Ji Hyeon went looking for Dae Won, and he returned to the TV room to give the bad news to Na Ra. As soon as he told her, Na Ra left him to go talk to Ji Hyeon, and he could only be alone with popcorn, thinking that the girls were all the same. Dae Won joined him later, sitting beside him in silence. Jun Hyeon risked, after a while,


    "All right, hyung?"


    "¡­" Dae Won was slow to answer, and then turned with a sad smile, "Well, at least I confessed. It''s out of my chest."


    "I don''t know what got into her. To my knowledge she''s not even interested in any guy, I really thought she liked you¡­"


    Dae Won shrugged, "Ji Hyeon went to talk to me. Things about going to America to study dance with you, and not making sense to have a boyfriend in her senior year here¡­"


    "But is that okay?" he couldn''t argue about what was going on in Ji Hyeon''s mind with Dae Won, it was all very confusing and he sincerely just wished he had not created this situation. Although Dae Won said it was all right, the girls took a lot to return, and when they did, they sat together, and far from the guys. Even though Jun Hyeon tried to lighten the mood during the movie, everyone was embarrassed and silent.


    Towards the end of the movie, Dae Won got up, bowing to the younger ones, to their surprise,


    "Jun Hyeon, Ji Hyeon, Na Ra, I''m sorry for ruining your weekend. I take responsibility and I''m really sorry. I think it''s best to go home and not be the awkward element that causes all this discomfort. Can I use the phone to order a taxi?"


    Despite the protests of Jun Hyeon, joined by Na Ra, nothing they could argue dissuaded Dae Won from leaving. Ji Hyeon didn''t speak at all, but looked distressed and discomfited. But no taxi numbers answered their calls, even though it wasn''t even 9:00 pm.


    After all this commotion, even Jun Hyeon knew he shouldn''t insist on Dae Won staying until the other day, but his father had taken the car with which they all came. But he knew that he had an old service pickup in the garage, used by the caretaker who kept the house in their absence. He would lend the car to Dae Won to return to the capital. The two boys went to the garage, but even before handing the keys to his friend, Jun Hyeon checked and the fuel tank was almost empty.


    "Hyung, you better spend the night here, man. My dad is coming tomorrow, so we''re all back home with the old folks."


    Please no, Jun Hyeon," said the older boy, and Kim could see in his expressions that he was making his best to keep his cool, "If you can only give me a ride to a taxi or bus stop, I''ll find a way. Your sister is embarrassed with me around, I created such a sticky situation to her..., and I don''t feel well right now either."


    Figuring Dae Won''s sensitive, artistic personality wanted relief and some time alone after such vexatious experience, it only made Jun Hyeon agree that it was the best thing to do. And if he just took Dae Won to the intercity bus stop, Dae Won would be home in about 3 hours, with enough gas for Jun Hyeon return to the cottage. That wouldn''t take long, either.


    He then returned to the house to warn the girls that he was coming back in half an hour, and found them with the typical expression they were confiding. Frankly, how about those two! But Jun Hyeon figured they could only be talking about him and Dae Won.


    He told them what he would do, and went to get another jacket to lend to Dae Won. When he returned to the living room, Ji Hyeon said,


    "Na Ra is going with you."


    He was surprised, even more so when he looked at Na Ra, and saw her pretty jade-skin face all red and fl.u.s.tered. His heart pounded hard as she said,


    "So I''ll keep you company on the way back¡­"


    Jun Hyeon thought of nothing else. He would finally be alone with Na Ra on the way back.


    They said goodbye to Ji, promising to be back in half an hour and knowing they were blatantly lying.

 Chapter 89 - That Year When part of Me Died 3

    After leaving Dae Won at the bus stop where he would take the last bus to the capital, Jun Hyeon started the pickup, already noticing the engine choking for lack of fuel. But the distance back home wasn''t that great, and he was sure the gas would be enough to return to.


    "It''s a shame Ji Hyeon isn''t into him," said Na Ra.


    "I don''t understand her reasons either. Apparently confessing is a very difficult thing. Is there a surefire formula? " he asked, looking at her with a smirk.


    She smiled awkwardly, looking away from him, and brushing a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear, "I don''t know."


    Jun Hyeon barely contained the feeling of euphoria. Na Ra was so beautiful and so perfect! Smart and charming, but she was expecting him to take the initiative!


    He pulled the car to the side of the road, on a spot where they could have a view of the cold starry sky from.


    "In this case I need to tell you something, so..." he turned to Na Ra, and held his hands out to her. Looking confused, she handed her hands to him. Jun Hyeon felt for the first time Na Ra''s delicate, cold hands, and clasped them in his warm hands, caressing her skin with his thumbs. He observed the contrast of their hands together.


    "What?" she asked graciously, just seeming to wait for something to happen. He raised his glance to her, and they locked eyes for a moment.


    Jun leaned toward her, and kissed Na Ra.


    ...


    Right now, Kim Ji Hyeon lit the gas fireplace to heat the house while waiting the return of his brother and best friend. The fireplace did not light, strangely. On the second attempt, she saw the small flame ignite and immediately burn itself out.


    "Uhn? What is that ?!" she only noticed the air shift too late, the sepulchral silence around her, the vacuum that formed when the air was sucked into the fireplace.


    In milliseconds Ji Hyeon knew there was something wrong, and she had to get away as soon as possible from the front of the fireplace. Though her thinking was fast, her body wasn''t. It all happened in slow motion. Her heels and torso spinning, her head receding as the orange stain grew from the bottom of the hearth toward her. Ji Hyeon couldn''t deflect the fireball being mercilessly spewed into her face.


    The roar reverberated in the house and in her ears, and she was thrown two meters away, hitting the side of her head on the table and falling to the carpet. Glass broke in the nearby surroundings. The jet of fire licked the objects around the hearth, up the varnished wooden ceiling, starting a fire.


    Ji Hyeon could feel her face moist and hot, but could see nothing from the paralyzing pain. She rolled to the side, thinking of reaching for the door and calling for help, but it was a short, futile thought as she realized she was losing consciousness.


    "Jun!"


    ¡­


    Jun Hyeon felt for the first time the sweet lips of Na Ra, his chest filled with a intoxicating and joyful feeling. His hands left her hands to touch Na Ra''s shoulders and bring her closer to his arms when he had a strange feeling. Jun looked around, and saw no one in the darkness of the empty dirt road.


    "What''s up¡­?" Na Ra asked with narrowed eyes, and he knew quickly that if he said he thought they might be being watched, it would create a silly paranoia in Na Ra, and she might want to go home soon.


    "Nothing," he whispered, "just wondered if you were cold."


    "A little," she nodded, and went into Jun Hyeon''s arms as he opened them. His mouth sought hers as soon as he squeezed her in his arms, and after a second kiss, he said,


    "Na Ra, I like you."


    She just looked at him with her huge eyes, seeming to enjoy hearing that, but kept silent. In a way Jun Hyeon knew now that it was just because girls had to be one way and men the other. Now he knew his feelings were corresponded by the way Na Ra seemed to melt at his touch. And he had a lot of things to worry about happening there right now¡­ When they hugged each other and he inhaled the fruity scent of shampoo on Na Ra''s hair, it seemed to have a bit of a burning smell too¡­ But he didn''t care much.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, curious and amused as he saw Na Ra''s dreamy expression as he pushed her a little from his body. And he only did that because he had very physical reasons to keep her a little away from him right now. OR it would be difficult later on.


    "It''s just¡­" she confessed  in a small voice, "sounds like a dream!" Jun Hyeon wanted to laugh, not at her, but at himself and the situation. They both wanted, didn''t they? He threw his head back, entranced by the discovery. Then he looked at her with a mischievously happy look,


    "What do you mean? That you like me too?"


    " Ah! Stop it! You know!" Na Ra kind of slapped his chest softly, laughing at the fact that Jun Hyeon tried to make her confess the obvious. Jun Hyeon held her hand there, on his chest, so that she could feel his pounding heartbeat. The two now faced each other again, serious and intent in each other''s eyes just before a new kiss.


    "Are you going to date me, Na Ra? Will you accept me?"


    She smiled, but suddenly the smile disappeared from her face, and a comma of doubt appeared on her forehead. Jun Hyeon felt his heart skip a beat. Has he been hasty? Would she humiliate him as Ji Hyeon humiliated Dae Won a few hours ago?


    "Jun Hyeon¡­"


    He held his breath, unsure of what to expect, then realized she was looking over his shoulder. As he turned, a bad feeling hit him. His breath was filled with the burning smell of smoke. Before he completed turning to the car window behind him, Na Ra asked,


    "What''s burning back there near your house?"


    ¡­


    JI! JI! JI HYEON !!! he shouted, calling for his sister and wishing that it was just the house. That she was safe outside, feeling guilty or whatever. That she was safe, that she was safe. That he just got the scolding of his life for letting the cottage burn down. That Ji Hyeon was safe, please please, Ji Hyeon is safe.


    Jun Hyeon didn''t even turn off the car as he opened the door and get off in despair, thinking of his sister. He did not know that the fire made such a loud crackling noise, so deafening. The heat was uncomfortable, even meters away. Columns of smoke poured from the windows and doors of the one-story house, it was hard to see, but none of that mattered. The thought of getting in there was intimidating, but he had to do it.


    "JIIIII! JI HYEON! "Na Ra was screaming, too, trying to see her friend on the cottage grounds. In the distance, headlights of cars trying to reach the place, probably neighbors from the vicinity.


    "Na Ra, ask for help, I''ll come in!"


    No !!!! Ji Hyeon, will you¡­"Na Ra fell silent, as it was clear that Ji Hyeon was inside. Her twin had to come in.


    He took off his woolen shirt, bandaged his face with it, and walked resolutely toward the furnace that was the house, trying not to think he might die there either. Ji Hyeon was there; he should never have left there in the first place; Ji Hyeon couldn''t die beucause of his iresponsibility. Every second of hesitation was one second less for her.


    Then he noticed movement near one of the windows. The pillar of smoke moved, Na Ra shouted, scared!


    Something collapsed from the window, a body.


    Jun Hyeon ran over there, just understanding this much,


    "JI!"


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! COfff AHHH! AHH! COfff "her screams mingled with her hoarse cough.


    He could barely see, but he knew the miracle had happened. Before he reached her, another body rolled from the window to the floor, falling beside her, to his surprise.


    It was Dae Won.

 Chapter 90 - Chingu

    "Noona didn''t die in the fire. Dae Won saved her,"Jun Hyeon said simply, coming out of his painful memories and looking at his watch with tear-soaked eyes. Fortunately, Ye Rim was not there personally to see his moment of weakness and self-deprecation. Because of his selfish desires and guilt, his sister had suffered for years, until she died.


    Night had fallen and the hours had passed and Dr. Kim was freezing at the coffee table outside as he talked and talked like crazy. He was hoarse. He got up and started walking back to the hotel.  People hurried past him in the street by the lake, completely ignorants of his suffering. He looked at the phone screen, still lit.


    "Ye Rim? Are you still there? Or have you slept yet?"


    "I was just wondering if you were okay after talking about it."


    "No, I''m not. "


    "Opp..."


    "Sing for me, Ye Rim," he said in a demanding tone. Letting out had been liberating but also painful. After a while in silence, she began to sing. He didn''t know the song, but couldn''t keep walking. He stopped where he was with the phone to his ear, listening to that voice that was the only warm and kind thing on that cold Zurich night.


    Ye Rim''s voice touched his soul. Jun Hyeon felt thick, hot tears cross his face, the tightness in his chest unbearable. He clamped a fist over his mouth to stifle a sob.


    Here he was, standing by Lake Zurich, weeping amid strange hurried passersby, because that voice seemed to touch his chest and cause all his defenses and locks to open and collapse at once¡­


    His misery escaped like long-caged black birds. They were greedy, they wanted freedom.


    ...


    Away from there, Eun Ha came toe to toe beside Ye Rim, lying on the couch. She had been standing by the door in the utmost silence, trying to find a way in unnoticed, since it was clear that Ye Rim was waiting to ambush her as soon as she entered. She took the cell phone that was about to fall from Ye Rim''s hand, who had fallen asleep. There was that foolish girl, sleeping uncomfortably on the couch, squinting and frowning, as if seeing something unpleasant.


    The fairy looked at the phone screen, and widened her eyes in shock:


    '' A 3 hour call to Zurich ?!'' Eun Ha hit the ''Finish'' key angrily. ''How does this damn man get this ?! '' Carefully she deposited her friend''s cell phone next to the asleep girl, and went to fetch Ye Rim another blanket. '' What am I going to have to do to get this man away from her at once? Couldn''t he just stay abroad forever? It''s not like we need another plastic surgeon around here. What kind of person can help me? ''


    Although tired and sleepy, Eun Ha also needed to re-consult Ye Rim''s old mobile phonebook for a crime partner.


    ¡­


    Jun Hyeon''s eyes were half closed as he was in of the jacuzzi of his hotel room when ''she'' arrived. He heard no footsteps but felt her presence as she leaned behind him.


    Somehow he knew he should not open his eyes.


    Many stupid things happen when you are in a bathtub alone in a hotel far away from your home. Jun Hyeon was not innocent of not thinking about them tonight. But he could not give in. So his eyes were closed, only with the indirect lights on. And she was there. Behind him.


    He knew she was as n.a.k.e.d as he, dressed only in sheer moonlight. Somehow, with his eyes closed, he knew she was emanating the soft light of the moon on her skin.


    He felt the fine hairs on his neck prickle, his skin becoming sandy and sensitive with anticipation. Jun Hyeon wanted to ask if it was really her, but after all, his throat was sore, as were his eyes.


    The warmth of her body approached his back, her fingers gently touching his bare shoulders.


    The touch brought a pleasurable sensation. Pleasant in many ways. Jun Hyeon''s face twitched, his lips traced the beginning of a smile.


    ''How can you ?! ''


    Was it a dream? Was it a good dream? He didn''t want to wake up if it was. She leaned in even more, her bare b.r.e.a.s.ts touching the top of his spine and his shoulder blades. Her arms curling around his neck, her hands resting on the center of his chest.


    The shadows drifted completely from his surroundings. He was bathed in her soft, pleasant glow, like a warm sunny day.


    ''Hnnn, why are you like this¡­ ?! '' he m.o.a.ned in question, slightly confused, immersed in the great feeling of that hug. He even felt her hair trailing slightly, floating like sea anemones.


    "Hmmmm uhmm humm mmm" softly she murmured a strange and fascinating melody in his ear.


    Just fearing that his good dream and the feeling of being held by her in this way would dissipate, he didn''t open his eyes. Never.


    Her satin touch rose from his chest to his face, enveloping both sides, going up through his eyes like butterflies, softly burying themselves in his dark hair. Only her touch showed that his head hurt so much that the mere contact on his sensitive scalp could hurt.


    Jun Hyeon slid his hands back, touching her body kneeling behind his. Felt her thighs, so real! She was so real! She didn''t flinch or fled, just kept her ailing touch.


    Her voice still whispered the soothing song in his ear, making him feel good, more than good, almost sensually good.


    He m.o.a.ned, because the relief she brought begged for it. He didn''t want to think, didn''t want to rationalize. If it was a fantasy, it had come at a good time. The fantasy of being enveloped by her starlight glow, the fantasy of feeling freed of guilt. To think he were allowed to love.


    "I''m not going anywhere, chingu," he murmured, surrendered to the healing touch and her light. The light pulsed brightly, so brightly that even with closed eyes Jun Hyeon felt his eyes sting.


    Suddenly everything was back to normal.


    She was gone.


    ¡­


    In a place far from Zurich, the nonexistent woman opened her eyes with a great feeling.

 Chapter 91 - The Busy Fairy Godmother

    Ye Rim struggled to stay asleep but the activity around her seemed important too, deep in her mind she knew it. A good aroma invaded her nostrils, a delicious aroma of fresh food, and hmmm¡­ She rolled over and nearly fell off the couch where she was lying on.


    "Oops, damn it!"


    Her blurred gaze went to the silhouette hurrying toward the door. ''This naughty unnie!''


    "Eun Ha! Freeze where you are!'' she shouted imperiously.


    Her unnie, carrying a large and stuffed  bag, paralyzed the movement, caught off guard, but soon recovered and muttered some unintelligible excuse, speeding up again and turning the doorknob.


    "UNNIE!" Ye Rim scrambled to her feet, realizing that she would have to be more emphatic, "Where did you go last night and what are you hiding from me?! Don''t play dumb! Answer me!"


    Eun Ha turned on her heels, staring at her,


    "Ye Rim! What is it?! I''d even argue with you, freaking me out for nothing, but I''m late. I have to go somewhere!"


    "You''re acting very weird lately! Walking around with weird people and sneaking out, and¡­"


    "Oh! OHHHHH! I''m not sneaking out! I''m just in a hurry! And¡­ and if we don''t have time to talk, it''s¡­ It''s because you don''t get off the phone, talking to this, this DR. FLAMINGO!" Eun Ha was emphatic, and slammed the door shut as she left.


    Ye Rim blinked in astonishment, finally understanding that Eun Ha''s pet peeve with Dr. Kim was more than a minor objection. She needed to undo this bad impression. After all, it all started with a misunderstanding, and Eun Ha only had a bad opinion about Jun Hyeon because of the things she said earlier.


    But Jun Hyeon wasn''t just "Dr. Kim," or Dr. Flamingo, Ye Rim recently discovered.


    Still thinking about the strange dream she''d had, Ye Rim checked at the phone, wondering whether or not to call him. But it might not be appropriate at that time because of the time zones. She also noticed that she should charge the phone, which already showed the empty battery signal. She left the living room, rubbing her eyes and thanking the heavens for a comfortable sofa.


    By coming to the kitchen Ye Rim saw a phone charger in the socket, but as she tried to plug the USB cable into her phone, she realized that the input was not the same. ''How strange, this charger¡­It''s an older model... Isn''t this charger the same as my old cell phone, the one with no repair?''


    Intrigued, she scratched her head. '' Why did Eun Ha get my old charger for?''


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    About half an hour later Eun Ha was getting on the HTN station elevator to meet Lee Dae Won. Meanwhile, she furiously exchanged messages with a powerful person, So Kwang Sik, smiling with satisfaction when she realized that he had bitten the bait.


    ''Yes! If we cannot have the Golden Prince or the Silver Prince, then the Bronze Prince has to be of use. Ye Rim will be spoiled like a princess, and besides, Kwang Sik will be able to fight Dr. Flamingo with great weapons, since they are from the same social circle! Touch¨¦! '' she was happily praising herself for her good ideas and striking actions when the elevator opened and she came across the lovely MP Lee Dae Won.


    ''You can still be a suitor for Ye Rim''s love. Just try a little harder! And I hope you''re not into me, because I already like someone else! '' she thought, beaming a smile to the blond oppa.


    "Eun Ha ssi! I was so happy with your unexpected visit! " he said,  immediately leading her down the hallway to his office.


    "Sorry to make you a surprise visit, I just took my chances! she said as charmingly as possible, knowing how bold she was to come here without warning. "I needed to apologize for that night, and there was no other way! And as your message said you wanted to talk to me..."


    As expected, he graciously tried to decline her apology, but then she set her huge bag full of fresh food in front of him: her apology gift to the Musical Producer.


    "Okay, okay!" he said after checking each food container and complimenting the look and smell of each one. "I wouldn''t be sincere if I refused anymore! That''s a lot of food for a single man, but I''ll appreciate it a lot! Come on, let''s take a selfie! " he pulled his phone out of his pocket and gestured for her to pose. He really had a very cute way of showing appreciation. After the selfie, properly posted and shared on social networks, he started putting away the pots,


    "But don''t just sit there, please sit down! About my message¡­ it''s true! Yesterday I was called to a reunion for the network''s upcoming drama, and after the exposure of the characters, I figured out there is a role for Ye Rim. The role of a singer!"


    "AH!" Eun Ha was surprised by the good news, and was actually so thrilled and agitated that she dropped her cell phone to the floor. "OH-MY-GOD !!!" She exaggerated her show of happiness as she bent down to pick up the cell phone that had slipped under Dae Won''s desk.


    Her eyes were drawn to something unusual, however, as her fingers struggled to reach the phone. An old, slightly dirt-laden recyclable bag from which a bundle of dried and dirty flowers and a rolled-up women''s magazine appeared. A gentle, pleasant magical energy came from that bag, and because it was the first time Eun Ha had actually realized this energy coming from something as what it really was, she was impressed and curious.


    "Got it?" Dae Won''s handsome face, casually inquiring, appeared across below the table, pushing the bag back.


    She struggled a little harder, stretching her arm "HMMRM, That''s-because-I-have-short-limbs!" But Dae Won pushed the phone toward her with his long fingers.


    ''What''s in this bag?'' Eun Ha wanted to ask, but she had already crossed the line of lack of etiquette today with her surprise visit, but at least Dae Won oppa had done it first, from his part. But she returned to the main subject, settling back in her chair,


    "Oppa! A role for Ye Rim ?! You think?! What role is this? When''s it going to be filmed?"


    "I shouldn''t be telling you about this, Eun Ha, because we aren''t allowed to disclose yet. If it leaks I''ll be in a bad situation!" he made a worried expression, sitting up too. The fairy nodded, and crossed her fingers to her lips, demonstrating that she would keep it secret,


    "Nothing will come out of my mouth."


    "Well, it''s a period drama, and it takes place at the beginning of the last century. And there is this character, which is a supporting role but must have a good amount of scenes, according to the author. She is a singer who is in love with the main male character. She will have a tragic death saving his life. Anyway, it''s a side character that will have a romantic appeal. Most importantly, she is a main singer in a cabaret where Resistance meets to plan. That''s all I know for now."


    "Ye Rim took a acting course at her old agency, as you know! She can get the part!"


    "I think so. Many singers will be interested and probably their agencies will apply, but Ye Rim has an advantage over famous people!" he said with a smile.


    "Yes!!! She has! And¡­ what''s that advantage?"


    "She has the free schedule. The production company recently had a problem with a celebrity who acted like a primadonna and made the shootings to delay a lot. Then she refused to redo some scenes for ''having a full schedule''. In the end, several scenes with her had to be taken out of the drama, leaving the plot with a few holes¡­"


    "Oh, how unprofessional!"


    "But¡­"


    "I''m afraid Ye Rim doesn''t want to come to the test," Dae Won finally confessed. "I know she''s a little tired of auditioning¡­ But, look, I''ll write two original songs for the drama, and Ye Rim could sing one of them! If the drama becomes a success, then¡­"


    "Then the song will become, too!" Eun Ha completed the thought, very excited.


    "Yes! That''s why I need your help. Help me convince her to take this test. She will even have time to prepare. The tests will start in just a few months. But the competition will be tough!"


    Eun Ha drummed her fingers on the surface of the table, excited by the possibilities, and said,


    "Well, if you propose to her, and she accepts, I promise not to let her give up!"


    Really? Well, I''ll talk to her. Be by my side, as we agreed, Eun Ha! Let''s help Ye Rim change the industry''s opinion about her!" Dae Won raised his hands to a high five, which Eun Ha readily joined, completely excited about the future adjusting to Ye Rim''s happiness right after her birthday.


    Unfortunately the fairy''s meeting with her strong new ally ended because he received a warning reminding the Music Producer about a meeting with the Creative Team in 15 minutes.


    As the Composer chivalrously escorted her to the elevator, he asked,


    "Eun Ha ssi, are you going to the Fashion Ball?"


    Eun Ha''s eyes lit up, "Oh, I really would. It would be great. Unfortunately, I am not yet such a recognized name in the fashion industry to receive an invitation¡­"


    "Oh!" he looked a little surprised, and said,


    "Well, I know the organizers, I can try¡­"


    "No, please. You are already doing so much for my donsaeng. Don''t spend your precious time with me¡­" Eun Ha sincerely said, though her heart bled at the thought of the Fashion Ball, the most prestigious fashion event of the season.


    "Oppa¡­"


    "Yes?" They stopped by the elevator with other people.


    "Sorry to ask, but¡­ I saw a bag under the table¡­"


    "¡­?" Dae Won made a puzzled expression, but Eun Ha had the impression he hadn''t forgotten, as he meant to imply. But before she could insist, the elevator door opened and he gestured for her to enter.


    Eun Ha however, remained curious about that bag and its contents lingering off a persistent magical energy.

 Chapter 92 - Chaebol

    Nothing would say that night would be any different when Ye Rim took the stage on Wednesday. The crowd was the usual one, divided between nostalgic loners and noisy old chaps who made Pearl their weekly meeting place. Before squinting in a sad moment of the trot Cry! Hot Tempest, where she reached higher notes, Ye Rim realized that the usual customers were in their proper place. Even Dr. Park, a dentist for whom Eun Ha worked part-time as an assistant, was near the bar, chatting happily with his friends. But it was only at the end of the song the singer noticed Lee Dae Won''s arrival at Pearl.


    ''Wow, he really came! ''


    He was out of place with his modern look and blond hair. His arrival received disapproving glances from the habitu¨¦s of the house. He didn''t care, and waved at Ye Rim as soon as he realized she had already seen him. Signaling to his band that there would be a break after the next song, Ye Rim made her usual table tour, greeting her friends during the last song before the break.


    At first, Ye Rim was surprised that Lee Dae Won was at the same table as Mr. Go, but then remembered the musician''s connection with Jun Hyeon''s family. Of course they knew each other. As she approached, however, the singer noticed a strange, slightly tense mood between the older man and Dae Won. A slight hostility coming from Mr. Go, in fact, and it was barely concealed even when she arrived to greet them.


    So when the break came, Ye Rim went to them, a little worried about what might be going on.


    "Glad you came, oppa!" she greeted Dae Won again, after paying her respects to the older man.


    "Are you guys already this intimate?" Mr. Go asked quite surprised, it was clear he was aware they knew each other, but it was also clear that he didn''t like Ye Rim treating Dae Won that way.


    "Oh, Mr. Go, we met that night when Jun Hyeon was supposed to take Ye Rim to the theater at your request!" Dae Won said cheerfully, "I think I could say that, thanks to you Mr. Go, I had the pleasure to meet this fabulous singer, and a new friend!"


    The old man''s face didn''t hide the shock. Ye Rim was finding it a little funny, but could not demonstrate it, that Jun Hyeon''s grandfather showed a kind of jealousy toward her. "Ye Rim is fabulous, but a person always needs to expand their horizons, meet other people who are not in their professional circles¡­ that''s good," said the old man, implying Dae Won was not a good suitor to Ye Rim. She was trying hard to keep a straight face after it.


    Dae Won looked down as he drank his tonic water, and asked the question that a person with the most common sense wouldn''t do, "So was that really supposed to be a romantic date? Don''t tell me that Ajuhssi is trying to be a matchmaker between Ye Rim and Jun Hyeon?!"


    Mr Go did not expect this direct question, but Ye Rim intervened, understanding that Mr Go really had plans for her and Jun Hyeon, plans that would not materialize. Coming from an old man, this type of thought was understandable, but it didn''t make it less impraticable.


    "Of course not, Dae Won oppa! Mr. Go knows me and also knows Jun Hyeon! We''re too incompatible to be a couple, despite all the qualities of Mr. Go''s grandson."


    Dae Won gave a slight smile,


    "I really can''t imagine the two of you together."


    The doctor''s grandfather grumbled, "Jun Hyeon is a bit harsh, but he''s a good man. I''m sure he wouldn''t be meddling behind a friend''s back."


    Dae Won raised an eyebrow, shocked at the statement, but without replying the old man''s comment, and Ye Rim laughed nervously at the unfounded accusation. But she knew Mr Go well enough to know how stubborn he was, and further explanation would just make the subject sticky. At any rate, facing  the silence of the younger duo, the ajuhssi stood up. Not hiding his irritation, he muttered to himself,


    "I better leave before I start an arguing and say things that I will regret! Aigoo, I''m too old for it."


    "Mr. Go! No, it''s too early! " the singer got alarmed, and got up with him, as did Dae Won, ready to apologize. But the old man just waved his hand in aggravation,


    "You guys stay there, I''m in a bad mood today!"


    Lee Dae Won, knowing that  he was the reason of Mr. Go''s early departure, just kept quiet, and Ye Rim decided to escort Mr Go to the door at least to try to reassure him a little.


    People were tough to deal with, and now she realized that Jun Hyeon had the same genius as his grandfather.


    "Since you can''t stay, I''ll take you to the door, Mr. Go."


    He just nodded, with some proud expressions that made Ye Rim wonder if it was genetics or learned behavior from grandfather to grandson.


    "YE RIM!" A loud exclamation calling her name interrupted his task.


    "Ji Woong!" of course she recognized the person who had possibly saved her life two days earlier. Jang Ji Woong and his pack of best friends, all athletes of various martial arts styles, had come to see her show. Ye Rim vaguely remembered giving Pearl an invitation to one of them, the night it all happened.


    She greeted them happily, and upon looking again Mr Go had already discreetly disappeared from the scene.


    "So this is where you sing now!" Ji Woong didn''t seem to give a damn about the look and style of the place.


    "You need to tell me what happened after I ran out of there!" Ye Rim said loudly, wanting to welcome them in. "Come on, let''s get a good table for you to hear me sing!" And then we talk a bit! Can you stay? I''ll get you the best table!"


    "No Ye Rim, the best table is reserved for me," someone said from behind the group of wrestlers, a familiar voice, in fact. Ji Woong''s friends were surprised, and made room in the tight area near the bar, to see who was talking.


    Behind them was a handsome tall man in an expensive suit, an expression of total and absolute control, accompanied by two friends and four security guards.


    Ye Rim''s eyes widened. Definitely, So Kwang Sik was the last person she expected to step on at Pearl.


    The heir and administrator of one of the country''s most important conglomerates, one of the city''s most coveted newly divorced men, ... and a old fan of Ye Rim.


    Kwang Sik tried to ignore the surroundings around him while keeping his gaze fixed on the singer. His friends, however, seemed shocked to have to be in such a decrepit club.


    "Oppa¡­!" She didn''t know what to say to the unexpected audience to her show.

 Chapter 93 - Chaebol 2

    "Ye Rim!" So ??Kwang Sik passed through the group of MMA wrestlers as if they didn''t exist, or rather as if they were mere subjects, keeping their gaze fixed on the singer, "Isn''t it a fortunate event that we met again? Although you haven''t answered my phone calls before¡­ I''m glad you still remember me."


    "Hey! Who does this idiot think he is to interrupt a conversation?" a voice snapped, annoyed, and Ye Rim turned to the group of athletes, realizing their impatience and outrage. Although Kwang Sik was always a gentleman toward her, it was a fact that he behaved like royalty from the extinct Joseon. But it was also clear that the group of athletes believed much more in democracy than in monarchy.


    "Well, guys, let me introduce you, I''m so happy to welcome you all tonight! Haha ha!" In fact, it was always good to receive her admirers, but not all of them together, when everyone clearly wanted special attention. She made the proper introductions, and Ji Woong couldn''t help but remark after finding out who the petulant chaebol was,


    "Ah, the CEO of that company that came out on TV with a scandal among its directors¡­! Aren''t you supposed to be working overtime to find out who the rats are inside your company?"


    Naturally Kwang Sik was not happy with the comment, but was not far behind in his sarcastic comment,


    "Our national athlete with a decadent career should spend less time having fun and joining mobs, and spend it better training more, to bring in some titles. Even if lesser ones, don''t you think?"


    Ye Rim laughed nervously, saying,


    "Everyone has the right to have some fun, and visit an old friend! I''m so, so happy! Come on, let''s go in, and¡­" In the background, she sensed taunts between the members of the two groups, and already figured she''d have to ask Mrs. Song to put them on tables very far apart. The club''s security guards, who were only two, since Pearl couldn''t either afford or need to pay more, looked to her for tips on what to do.


    But to make matters worse, out of the corner of her eye she saw the entrance of Go Hong Gi''s gang, and signaled the security to keep an eye on the newcomers. She really didn''t want her friends to think she worked at a mafia-run house.


    Should she be thankful that both groups were so focused on each other that they didn''t even look at the mobsters?


    As soon as Ye Rim started working at Pearl, she was very pleased that the atmosphere was very familiar and respectful. Even if she had to sing songs that she then considered ''boring''. It was on Mr Song''s birthday that Ye Rim discovered Pearl''s intriguing story. When a man named Go Man Sik came to visit him for a drink and a time together.


    Just by looking at this man, about the same age as Mr. Go, and the group surrounding him like protective dogs, Ye Rim had thought he could not be an ordinary man. The first thing Ye Rim thought was that this man looked like a man involved in illicit business. And her distrust proved real when she questioned Mrs. Song about who was her father''s friend.


    Like many of the club''s regulars, Pearl''s founder was a former soldier during the war. In a twist of fate, Cape Song saved Lieutenant Go''s life so spectacularly that Lieutenant Go was deeply indebted to his subordinate. Later, as civilians, Mr. Song pooled his savings and opened Pearl, in a building rented by Mr. Go. However, Pearl was never very successful financially, and Mr. Go was quite lenient for several years regarding rents.


    Until President Go''s son, Hong Gi found a buyer for the building, which would be demolished to make way for a commercial complex. To permanently dislodge Pearl, in the contract renewal the rent was changed to a prohibitive price to Pearl''s business reality. The news was the reason for Mr. Song''s stroke, according to his daughter.


    President Go interfered with the ''business'' his son now manages by placing a single clause to keep Pearl paying the same rent, without increase, until Mr Song''s death: that the rent be paid on the due date, in cash.


    Then invariably during the five days preceding the monthly rent payment date, some Hong Gi men would show up just to "remind" Mrs. Song and obviously watch over the club''s progress to their boss, who would definitely wish the club close its doors as soon as possible. But the mobster had not yet had the courage to go against the clause the old boss had put in to protect his friend.


    The club was now crowded, but the overall mood was not the best. And the Hong Gi jackals quickly realized the belligerent potential of the moment and scattered across the empty tables, forcing the group of athletes, and CEO So and their friends, to sit at side-by-side tables near the stage.


    "Ye Rim, Ye Rim! Sing my song! "Ji Woong asked out loud, a bit c.o.c.ky, with the prompt reply from the other table,


    "What do you think Miss Nam is, a jukebox ?!"


    Ye Rim just pretended she hadn''t heard anything, since she didn''t want to exacerbate the mood when So Kwang Sik grabbed her wrist as she took the stage, "Nam Ye Rim, I came to pick you up, don''t take too long."


    Ye Ri was static, she really hated when people held her wrist this way. And¡­ frankly, he was handsome and charming, but¡­ this ''king of the world'' style was so immature! Before the singer could say anything, or break it elegantly though, she heard Ji Woong''s angry voice behind her,


    "Let go of her hand, you stupid little bastard. Do you think this is a drama? Let it go now!"


    Ye Rim turned to Ji Joong, alarmed and also annoyed, after all who was he to think she couldn''t solve this? Well, he was the guy who saved her from the Ukrainian MMA wrestler, but that didn''t matter now.


    "Stop it now, everyone¡­"


    To be honest, she didn''t see which side started the violence. Just noticed the sudden movement. Wrestlers, security and finally all of them, started to act irrationally, throwing punches, and kicks around her. So Kwang Sik''s face deformed with a punch of Ji Joong close to her own nose.


    She took two steps back, stunned, hearing noises of broken glass and shuffling furniture, screams and curses. She just felt herself being hoisted to the stage by her arms, and looking up, saw Lee Dae Won, with a worried expression, saying,


    "Come on, let''s get out of here!"

 Chapter 94 - Pojangmacha

    "I''m fine, rest assured. A friend took me from there. Okay, we''ll talk tomorrow," Ye Rim hung up Dae Won''s cell phone, and returned it with a smile. "Thank you, oppa, for getting me out and also for lending the phone. They''re all fine, it looks like there was only material damage."


    "Were police involved?" asked Dae Won. They were in a pojangmacha near the subway station, which was where he took her when they ran out during the Pearl incident.


    "I don''t think so, because that place, well, the building is not legalized or something."


    "Well, it was quite an action scene. You have some VIP acquaintances," he commented as he helped the waitress distribute the food and drink on the table. People looked at them because they were a beautiful and well dressed couple, among regular people in the pojangmacha, so they were trying to keep a low profile.


    "Well, I know Athlete Ji Woong for a long time, and CEO So Kwang Sik¡­ Well, once I and Eun Ha were stranded on an island after an unsuccessful rafting two summers ago¡­ the two idiots made it to the islet, but we didn''t have enough stamina to go back. He saw from his yacht the two of us swinging the oars and calling for rescue, and drove by with his speedboat¡­ That''s how we met."


    "I must say it suits you and Eun Ha-ssi!" he laughed. "But, Ye Rim, I went to Pearl to tell you something," He showed a business card, which he handed her.


    Ye Rim checked at it, and saw that it was from an idol''s agency, and looked at him inquiringly.


    "Ye Rim, something happened this week. A role in a drama that will be released next year,  and it''s the ideal role for a singer. And¡­ before you hide behind your usual excuses, I sent your test to the President of this agency, and he was very impressed. He wants to give you a chance, Ye Rim. If you accept, you can audition to this role. It''s a good opportunity, I swear."


    She sighed, preparing to say something, and he interrupted her before that,


    "I expected that kind of reaction. For you to take the HTN test for this role, you need to be brokered. But it is your decision. Take your time and think about it, and do what you want with this business card. Just know that I believe you could make it."


    Ye Rim was thrilled by Lee Dae Won''s commitment. He was really working to help her! It just gave a horrible chill in the belly for fear of disappointing him. Fortunately, reacting to her expression, handsome Lee Dae Won grinned and said,


    "Okay, I already said this is your decision now. Let''s change the subject, I hope you come to me about it. See, all those men fighting over you, but it''s me you''re with now! In a not glamorous pojangmacha eating octopus and drinking cheap soju."


    "That''s true," Ye Rim laughed, toasting him. Normally she knew how to tell when a guy was interested in her, but Lee Dae Won always sent her mixed messages. Unless he was the legendary type of guy who tries to be a friend first¡­ ''More or less Dr. Kim''s reverse tactic,'' she thought. But it also reminded her of the story involving the two friends, the tragic story of Ji Hyeon.


    "Oppa¡­ can I ask you a question?"


    "That''s a question already. Do you want to ask an intimate question for this oppa? Is it safe?  Can I answer it without blushing?"


    "Gosh," she laughed, "I don''t know whether you''re going to blush. Days ago Jun Hyeon oppa told me about his sister, your ex-fianc¨¦e¡­"


    " Ahh¡­"


    Of course the subject was not pleasant, and Dae Won reacted as expected. After taking a sip of his drink, he said, "Well, I don''t usually talk about it, but only out of respect for Ji Hyeon''s family. It was a while ago; it hurt at the time, but I don''t think I should hold on to it forever¡­ Nothing that happened was good, I mean."


    Ye Rim nodded empathetically,


    "Yes, of course. You should go on, oppa!"


    Unfortunately, Ye Rim was curious and in a hurry to know, much more than empathic at that moment. In fact, from what she learned from Jun Hyeon''s account, she didn''t expect such a calm and detached reaction from Dae Won.


    In fact, since the Music Producer was devoting so much time to helping her, Ye Rim had a feeling he might be liking her. But perhaps he was still attached to his late bride. It was hard to understand, and she wanted to understand. Her instinct was that what transpired among the high school friends was still affected by Ji Hyeon up to this day¡­ And her self-preservation instinct was always ringing loudly near them¡­!


    "Well, he told me that you had been engaged to his sister, and that you were very fond of her¡­ Do you still think of her?"


    Dae Won looked into her eyes,


    "Ye Rim, Ji Hyeon was my first love. I did everything for her," he showed the scarred arm that Ye Rim had seen the first day she saw him, at his house. "I would die for her. I would exchange places with her if I could. Unfortunately, after the fire, I thought I could help her get over everything¡­ But I wasn''t."


    "I''m so sorry," Ye Rim was a little sorry for her selfish curiosity to make the sweet Dae Won reveal such things. He had been a true hero in saving Ji Hyeon''s life. But the musician went on, as if touching the subject had made him want to vent a little too,


    "You know, it''s funny that you tell me that Jun Hyeon mentioned these things to you. I don''t know if because they were twins or something, but he was also affected by the incident. I think he got a little mad, jealous, I don''t know, at me. Because I came back to the house while he was gone. For taking Ji Hyeon out of there. At first I realized and thought it was just his shock and immaturity¡­ And I waited, but the longer I waited the farther apart he went. We were best friends, and we almost got related to; today is not like that anymore. I miss him."


    "Well, at least I realize this is changing," Ye Rim said sincerely. "I think your friend is ready to get over it like you already have."


    "I hope so. I especially hope Jun Hyeon can get Na Ra''s pardon after treating her so badly all these years. It will be good that he can finally make up with himself and the woman he always loved."


    Ye Rim gulped down the entire contents of her glass of soju at once, trying to digest the unexpected news.

 Chapter 95 - Pojangmacha 2

    "What a beautiful couple! Are you actors, by any chance? They look like celebrities!" a male voice interrupted them, drawing attention to themselves.


    Ye Rim turned to the intruder, a gentleman in his fifties with no particularly striking features, but his cheeks were very red from soju consumption. He was sitting alone at a table next to them, where a collection of empty bottles lined up beside the plate of food. The people in pojangmacha were naturally attracted to them due the loud comment; it was clear that he wanted to draw attention.


    Ye Rim was about to thank the compliment and return to her conversation, where she would try to find out about ''Kim Jun Hyeon''s great love'', but something deep in her mind bothered her.


    She was sure she had seen this ajuhssi before.


    She looked more closely, and the man smiled at the couple, apparently encouraged by the fact that Ye Rim stared at him.


    ''OMG! He''s the gravedigger of the cemetery where I went to sing! '' she realized in shock, wondering how much he would remember of her, and if he would comment in front of Lee Dae Won about this low in her career.


    "Thank you, Ajuhssi," she nodded, hating to be dressed so flashily tonight, from all nights. She turned quickly to Dae Won, who regarded the man with a cautious expression, watching over the older man''s attitudes.


    "Not a problem, I don''t mind," she said, figuring the musician was bothered because of her. But before Dae Won said anything, the gravedigger got up, stumbling drunkily, and managed to come to them. Ye Rim''s heart chilled in anticipation of a moment of embarrassment.


    "She''s a pretty girl, ''President''! Ah, from all the things in a cemetery, nothing better than fresh, vivid flowers, don''t you think?" the unpleasant ajuhssi stopped beside their table and said in a unctuous manner to Dae Won.


    For the first time, Ye Rim noticed Lee Dae Won in annoyance, as he stared at the gravedigger coldly,


    "You must be mistaking us for someone else, ajuhssi."


    "No, no, I''m very good with physiognomies. I''ve seen the¡­"


    "I''m not famous, I''m sure you''re INDEED mistaking us, YES?" Ye Rim stated hurriedly.


    "Oh, right, right. I think I''m getting in the way. I must go¡­ But¡­" the man was staring at them with bright, mischievous eyes, as if he was mentally enjoying himself with things that only he knew. "President, I''m sorry I took long to deliver your things. Will you still need me to do that? Now that¡­" the gravedigger''s words sunk down on purpose, but Ye Rim couldn''t see any sense in what the drunken ajuhssi was talking about.


    "Surely you are taking us for another acquaintances of yours, ajuhssi. I neither know you nor know what you''re talking about." Lee stood up, calling the pojangmacha''s owner to settle the bill. The drunk man laughed mockingly, bowing in fake respect to the couple. He gravedigger turned to Ye Rim once more, about to say something while pointing his finger at her. Ye Rim was embarrassed, but Dae Won stepped in front of the singer, protecting her,


    "Please stop, you are bothering the lady."


    "Won''t she be jealous¡­?" the unpleasant man asked, but his erratic behavior also irritated the owner of the pojangmacha, since he was scaring her customers away.


    "Ajuhssi! You are bothering my precious clients! Sit at your table or walk away!"


    But Dae Won just asked Ye Rim if he could take her home, and the drunken man episode was forgotten.


    But Ye Rim didn''t have the opportunity to know more about Jun Hyeon''s girlfriend either.


    ¡­


    At the top of a building, Hunter Shin reached out to help Eun Ha climb onto the terrace where the a.d.u.l.terated billboard stood. They had come looking for clues about the graffiti perpetrator on the sign, who surely was the same person who had sent the book to the young fairy.


    "Have you seen weird people near your building lately?" asked the Hunter, looking around for clues. The young stylist woman followed him.


    "No, I didn''t notice anything strange¡­ The only different people I''ve seen around here lately were Musician Lee, who came to visit Ye Rim without invitation that day. That very day when ''another stranger'' was walking around this neighborhood at night..." she hinted, staring at the Hunter and waiting for his reaction.


    "I just came to know why my ''pupil'' had missed class," the Hunter said, lighting a cigarette without even looking at Eun Ha.


    "For me it was lurking in the shadows ..." Eun Ha muttered, but the fairy took the blue monocle from her pocket and looked around for signs similar to those she had seen at the muffin factory. The miasma and the black spots. But there was none of that on the terrace floor. When she looked up at the sign, however, the letters in it emitted a bright, pleasant, almost fluorescent, light.


    "Wow, Professor, the writing is shining!" she didn''t even need her Magic Teacher to know that this was just the opposite of what she''d seen earlier, closer to the good feel of the Bookstore.


    The Hunter looked at the sign above his head again, and with an enigmatic expression took a pull on his cigarette before saying,


    "Why, you have a very sincere admirer, Jung."


    ''Hmpf, how can he say that with such calmness?'' Eun Ha wondered indignantly. ''We kissed, it was good. Doesn''t he have the slightest shred of jealousy? Oh yes, he must be finding me an easy girl!''


    "So I have an admirer who is insinuating to know what I am ?!"


    "Well, this is the tricky part," replied the older fairy. "But since you were walking around causing chaos with your wand, it''s not hard to imagine that someone less skeptical has linked the facts."


    "HEY! I wasn''t walking around causing any ch¡­ Well maybe I caused some chaos once or twice," she had begun to defend herself, but at Shin''s skeptical glare, Eun Ha only admitted the truth.


    "You have to find out who it is, Eun Ha. This human needs to be identified. He could put himself in danger now."


    "Professor, are you saying that because of the monster that devours fairies? Don''t you think you should skip some lessons and explain to me at once about these threats? And¡­ Don''t forget that you owe me a class because I opened the door of the candy store door."


    Whatever it was that went through the Hunter''s mind when Eun Ha said it, he looked suddenly distressed, and went to the service ladder, calling Eun Ha to leave.


    ''Which subject bothers him? The monster, or ... me?'' Eun Ha needed to find out soon.

 Chapter 96 - Pay!

    "Seriously?! Can''t you make them pay?! Are you serious?! "


    Mrs. Song was standing in front of Ye Rim, her face flushed and her eyes flashing with fury. The singer had been summoned to the Club early in the morning, and naturally knew why. She just didn''t expect to find the club as she found it.


    The scene behind the room was chaos as Pearl''s staff tried to salvage some of the lounge furniture. Broken chairs and mirrors, broken lamps, damaged sound system, torn fabrics and wet upholsters; that was what had remained after the fight between Ye Rim''s guests.


    Ye Rim wasn''t used to being intimidated by many things, but right now, she felt small and useless. Trying not to look defeated, she tried to argue a little further,


    "We can fix this, I''m sure! The fact is, I''m having a little trouble talking to them¡­"


    The older woman narrowed her eyes, and said,


    "So that''s how it goes, young lady? Do you think your friends come here, break my dad''s bar, and we are the ones who should be hurt because their image can''t be scratched? The CEO and those famous rowdy wrestlers? It is up to us?! And us, Ye Rim?! This is our bread and butter! I need to pay the employees, the suppliers, the RENT! My father will die of heartbreak! And it''s your fault! YOUR FAULT who invited these arrogant idiots in! And you didn''t even stay here to help calm them down!"


    Ye Rim felt guilty for not coming back, and for not imagining that the fight between her friends would escalate that way. Martial martial wrestlers against self-inflated security guards and chaebols.


    At first, of course, Mrs. Song just wanted her to be able to talk to those responsible to make them pay for the damage. However, things were not going as expected. And because of that, Mrs. Song was losing patience and taking it out on the singer.


    "Mrs. Song, I¡­" In fact, Ye Rim had been trying to talk to So Kwang Sik, but his secretary had said he was in a spa and would only be back in 15 days. He didn''t answer his personal phone, either.


    Ye Rim didn''t know if he just didn''t want to talk to her after she was gone in the middle of the mess, or it was true. Well, it could be true. After the punch he took in the face, he could most likely be making some aesthetic recovery in some discreet clinic. But would he want to afford all the losses without complaining, or would he want to destroy Ji Woong''s career? To be honest, she didn''t know him well enough to disclose the possibility.


    What about Ji Woong¡­? She knew he was in the hospital, taking care of a colleague who got hurt most seriously.


    He had answered the phone in a very moody tone. And shortly after he hung up, Ye Rim received the call from Geun Pal, saying that the team had been reprimanded by their technician. Ji Woong could lose his sponsors if they knew about it.


    And she also didn''t know if he had the money, or would want to pay, the bar''s damages if the millionaire CEO didn''t pay his share either.


    '' Oh my head aches! '' she thought, she didn''t even have enough money in the bank to buy a chair whatsoever. As if reading her thoughts, Mrs. Song shouted, in a high-pitched voice that pierced like needles in Ye Rim''s brain,


    "I should sue them, but how can I sue a man like CEO So?! I don''t even have a lawyer!"


    Ye Rim just nodded, agreeing that it was a bad idea to try to go to court against a millionaire like So Kwang Sik, especially in Pearl''s situation. And suing Ji Woong wouldn''t do anything either. In fact, it would only hurt his career, and that wouldn''t bring anyone any money either.


    "Take responsibility, Ye Rim ssi! Make them pay!"


    "But, Mrs. Song, I can''t¡­"


    Every day a different famous or rich man comes here to see you; but instead of spending money in here, they cause confusion! You don''t even know how to decide what you want! Pick one of them and make him pay!"


    Ye Rim swallowed, feeling her face turn red and hot, for the comment was mean! But she couldn''t contain herself,


    "You''re offending me, Ms. Song! Should I get a man just to make him pay my debts?! Does that make any sense?! I''m going to overlook your words because I know how much you''re suffering, Mrs. Song. You''re like a mother to me."


    "Ahhhhhhhh! I don''t know anything else!" Apparently regretting saying that, Mrs. Song was exasperated, "Just pay! Pay! If you''re not going to make them pay, it''s because you know it''s your fault! You have to take responsibility for putting those freaks inside my dad''s bar!"


    Ye Rim was angry at the situation, but saw the tears welling up in the older woman''s eyes, then nodded.


    "Yes, Mrs. Song, I will take responsibility. But¡­ I can''t pay cash. What if¡­ I paid with work?! Let''s calculate the renovation costs, and I will work for free until I pay off the cost, "Ye Rim was pleased with her own idea, it would be fair to everyone. The bar would be closed until a renovation put things in order. The reform could not be long, as this meant that the employees who could be dismissed, would have to leave. And musicians would have to look elsewhere to play until activities returned. It was hard on everyone, but it was unavoidable, so as sooner as it could start, sooner it would end.


    The singer even suspected that much of the damage was not really caused by her friends, but by Hong Gi''s men. But there was really no way to prove it, as security cameras disappeared, according to Ms. Song.


    Mrs. Song looked at her as if she were an alien,


    "Girl¡­! You¡­! "


    "That''s a good idea, isn''t it? We can do it, I will do my best! United we can get over this bad time together! Fighting!"


    "Ye Rim !!! YE RIM!!! Do you think I have money to renovate the Pearl? If I can barely pay the rent on time?! You will sing, yes, but where will the customers sit? Where is the bar that will serve the drinks? Look at the tables! Do you think I can get clients here?!" Mrs. Song was apoplectic, so she just turned and left the room, not wanting to talk to the young singer anymore.


    Ye Rim looked around sadly, feeling suddenly tired and with a heavy weight on her back.


    "Why do these things happen to me?!" she whimpered, discouraged.

 Chapter 97 - Lets Talk About My Harem

    "That''s what happened, Eun Ha. I am torn. I have nowhere else to sing and on top of that, I owe a huge debt," the younger girl threw herself on the couch in a defeatist attitude after telling the latest events to her unnie.


    But out of the corner of her eye, she followed Eun Ha''s reactions carefully. She didn''t think it was delirium or coincidence all the things that were happening without explanation in her life. People she''d never seen again, resurfacing as if summoned, filled with joy at seeing her, but not so surprised by it. Some even spoke as if the invitation had come from her!


    That, and seeing the power cord of her old cell phone out of the right place, and also the fact that Eun Ha had gone to the Octagon without a good explanation¡­ It was definitely as rotten as the kingdom of Denmark, quoting Shakespeare.


    Her unnie''s agitated, wordless reaction only added to her distrust. She was almost convinced that Eun Ha was the one behind their visits, and was doing it with the best of intentions. But how could her unnie to guess that her meddling would cause such a mess?


    But then her unnie stepped out of the window and came toward her, and crouched in front of her, taking Ye Rim l hands and looking into her eyes,


    "Ye Rim! I still don''t know how, but I''ll help you solve it! OK? Don''t worry, and especially don''t look for any rich guy, like Dr. Flamingo, to borrow money. Keep your pride, okay?"


    "Of course I''m not going to borrow money from Dr. Flam¡­ Jun Hyeon oppa!"


    "Good! "Eun Ha said with relief, but Ye Rim still thought her best friend''s expressions showed guilt and embarrassment. She was almost convinced that Eun Ha was the one behind their visits, and was doing it with the best of intentions. But how could her unnie to guess that her meddling would cause such a mess?


    However, Ye Rim knew that Eun Ha no longer wanted to ask her mother for money, and the only thing she had now was the apartment. She couldn''t let her unnie sell the apartment. There had to be another way.


    "Do you know what I find weirdest, Unnie ?! Lately a lot of people I haven''t seen in years have started to resurface¡­ Ji Woong, Kwang Sik oppa, and even President Baek!"


    ''Is Eun ha hyperventilating or is it my impression?'' apparently throwing this bait casually was revealing many things. From past experience, Ye Rim knew that directly confronting her unnie would only make her retreat into a shell of silence. Eun Ha was very sensitive. But definitely, she needed to make her unnie stop interfering.


    It didn''t take any genius to understand that Eun Ha had picked up her old phone and was calling people to distract her from something¡­ And she even sensed that this something was Dr. Kim. ''If Eun Ha knew he had nothing to worry about, hahaha¡­'' But it would be no use just talking. Eun Ha would only believe seeing.


    It was better to play Eun Ha''s game, so,


    "You know, unnie, I was happy to see Ji Woong, and I was even surprised that apparently he''s single, you know?"


    "Really? And is he handsome as usual?"


    "Yes. Wow, he has a divine physique! It''s so manly! He always tries to defend me," she clapped.


    "Yes! Yes! What do you think you''re inviting¡­" Eun Ha clapped her hands too, excitedly.


    "Nah, I decided long ago I can''t date him, though. In spite of his big heart and generosity, he is very temperamental and violent, on the other hand. I couldn''t live with that."


    "Uh¡­" Eun Ha was discouraged, but then she remembered, becoming agitated again,


    "But Kwang Sik oppa is still magnificent, isn''t it? I saw a picture of him recently in a magazine, and¡­"


    "Yeah, he''s charming and elegant and has that cool CEO vibe, and that''s why I''m not comfortable with him, you know? He has that way that everything has to be the way he wants. And I''m spontaneous, so if we dated it would be very uncomfortable and weird. I would have to take care of everything I say and do, dress and eat, to be what he wants. Definitely not!"


    "Well, but you still have a lot of ardent admirers if you want to get involved with someone now¡­ If you''re lonely¡­"


    "Oh, surely not! Who do you think might still be interested in me, Unnie?" It would be better to throw the bait to predict Eun Ha''s next moves and try to deflect the damage.


    "Dong Woo?"


    "My first boyfriend? No way. He got when I joined a band and his band broke up. Immature and passive-aggressive."


    "But it''s been so long, Ye Rim! But okay, how about Hui Cheol?"


    "He went to Italy to be a chef."


    "Sun Woo?"


    "Drink a lot."


    "And¡­ Baek Woo Geun?"


    Ye Rim stifled a laugh. She knew that Woo Geun was Eun Ha''s favorite candidate.


    "Well, he''s perfect¡­ for you!"


    "Stop it! We know he likes you, not me!"


    Ye Rim remembered the famous influencer, who had everything a modern woman could want, and how much he pursued her during the years when Woo Geun studied at the same university as Eun Ha. He was a film and Eun Ha fashion student. That''s how they met.


    Gorgeous, rich, charming, with a sense of style and humor, he made Ye Rim feel special. But she shook her head,


    "Do you know what''s the matter with Woo Geun, unnie? The ego. Sometimes I felt like I was a style accessory. The girl who matched him. Sometimes he would tell me that. That I matched him. He''s a great friend, but I felt like the girl with him is just the supporting character who enhances his beauty; not a true companion."


    Eun Ha widened her eyes, apparently realizing that Ye Rim''s words really did have depth.


    "Oh!"


    "I always thought he liked you better than me, but I was, like¡­ the Barbie for Ken."


    It was interesting to note that Eun Ha didn''t run to defend Woo Geun this time, and Ye Rim wondered if it was really true that her best friend was hiding a boyfriend from her. And if it was true, why?

 Chapter 98 - Back in Town

    "What a ridiculous man, to use this type of blackmail to have a free personal secretary!" Ye Rim cursed Jun Hyeon while maneuvering the car in the airport parking lot. The singer had received a text message from the doctor, requesting his ''new old friend'' to pick him up at the airport. All she had to do was take his car, which was at the Ji Hyeon Foundation, and go to the airport on Dr. Kim''s arrival.


    KJH: ''After all, that''s what friends are for, isn''t it?'' His last message was the coup de grace.


    Within the experiment he proposed, those were the rules, but the singer was going to find a way to have a pay back. Although Ye Rim followed Jun Hyeon''s entire crisis during his business trip, he was still quite annoying at times. He always wanted to be right about everything!


    ''He might as well have a secretary to do these things,'' she thought, finally finding a place to park. Looking at the clock, she realized that she took a long time in traffic and finding a vacant parking space. Also, it had been a long time since she had driven, and Dr. Kim''s car was without a doubt the most modern car she had ever driven in her life. Ye Rim had to admit that she had been a little confused at first.


    And the funniest thing was the face of Dr. Kim''s secretaries when she arrived at the clinic asking for the car keys. Yes, they knew someone was coming to get the car, but they probably didn''t remember ''Seamstress Nam'' and her smug smile.


    Okay, maybe she was picking too much on the two employees who sent her the bouquet of flowers with a very dubious message. Especially when all the blame had been on their boss to begin with.


    Rushing out of the car, Ye Rim went to the international arrival gate, trying to guess what kind of traveler Dr. Kim was. ''Will he arrive tired and moody? Sad? Or full of tricks?''


    At the entrance, the singer saw that the passengers were already leaving through the landing gate. There were many people huddled near the gate, waiting for friends, relatives and business contacts to arrive, so it was a little difficult for Ye Rim to get around and try to get closer.


    In fact, she was unable to stay close to the containment tape, so she had to settle for a place further behind some people hired to wait for business groups. Trying to get past them was definitely being jostled and thrown back again.


    ''Did he really need me here? Isn''t he an a.d.u.l.t who knows how to take a taxi? Aish, how tiresome!''


    Still, Ye Rim watched with increasing anxiety as each person left the gate.


    Then she saw Kim Jun Hyeon leaving the gate, pushing the luggage cart.


    Unexpectedly, her heart started to pound. He looked so handsome, with his brown overcoat and a shaggy scarf, his hair a little messy from the trip! She saw it when he looked around, looking for something, but of course he wouldn''t see her, because Ye Rim had an idiot with a sign doing his best to stand in front of her, as if on purpose! ''My God, why is he getting more and more beautiful?!''


    Ye Rim tried to go around the group of people and find Dr. Kim on the other side, so she lost sight of him for a moment.


    When she finally caught sight of him again, which was not so difficult since he was tall, Kim Jun Hyeon was not alone.


    There was this tall, elegant woman, very close to him, touching the lapel of his coat intimately.


    Many things happened within Ye Rim at that time. The first was a bitter sensation in the throat and a strong pain in the chest, followed immediately by a sensation of heat rising towards the head, contracting her brain: a sudden painful sensation of migraine.


    Rage.


    ''Who is this woman?! Who is she to be so intimate? Why isn''t he doing anything?!''


    Ye Rim advanced blindly towards the couple, arriving at the exact moment that Kim Jun Hyeon took a step back, away from the tall woman. The singer approached her ''old friend'' sideways, just in time to see the beautiful woman opening her purse as she spoke to the doctor, "Let me see, I must have a handkerchief here."


    "It''s nothing too bothersome, don''t worry. It''s just a speck of the meal on the plane. Thank you, Na Ra."


    Ye Rim stopped immediately, taking a second look at Na Ra.


    So this was Na Ra, Jun Hyeon''s ''big first love''? According to the belief, every first love has something tragic, but in fact in their history it was ridiculously tragic.


    To make matters worse, Ye Rim recognized Na Ra. This woman had been a successful model years ago, and her face was known across the country. And she still kept her beauty intact: beautiful and silky hair in a modern cut, huge eyes in a face of flawless skin, as well as a slim and enviable body. In addition, Na Ra had style and elegance, as well as having that aura of a successful woman who managed to scratch Ye Rim''s almost unshakable ego.


    Somehow, Ye Rim felt out of place and small compared to the former model who was Jun Hyeon''s first and everlasting love interest.


    After the things she had heard in the past few days, Ye Rim didn''t really know how to act. Taking a deep breath, she simulated a joy and nonchalance that she did not feel inside, and exclaimed,


    "Oppa! Sorry I''m late! Parking was difficult!"


    Dr. Kim turned to Ye Rim, surprised by her sneaky arrival, and smiled,


    "I thought I was abandoned by my dear friend!"


    "Well, I had a setback or two, but I''m not that late, ''friend''!" maybe Ye Rim had sounded more spiteful than the occasion demanded, but she couldn''t help it. Furthermore, the situation was uncomfortable; it''s not like she has any real reason to feel threatened, is it? She and Dr. Kim weren''t meant for each other, and all they could really be was what they were: friends. And nothing else.


    Na Ra looked at them with a static smile on her face, waiting to be introduced. And Dr. Kim soon did that,


    "Ye Rim, this is a longtime friend, Hae Na Ra. She is the President of Hae Event Productions."


    The singer couldn''t help but cast a withering look at Dr. Kim. She really wanted him to read her thoughts now, and Ye Rim sure as hell was trying to convey them through the look: ''Friend?! What do you mean, ''longtime friend''?! You''re not the one who doesn''t believe in friendship between members of the opposite s.e.x, are you?!'' Even more knowing that Na Ra was his dream girl.


    But in real life, Ye Rim bowed respectfully to the other woman, without any scandal or verbal hints. An awkward silence followed, when Jun Hyeon did not immediately introduce Ye Rim. Na Ra kept the smile on her face, but the singer noticed the scrutiny and veiled evaluation. Just today that she had decided to be ''the old friend'' and had come with clothes that she would normally wear to go to the supermarket! Shabby jeans and an oversized coat over a T-shirt, and she hadn''t even done her makeup properly!


    ''Wow, I hate competing with other women since Bombshell, but this is ridiculous, I''m feeling like I have to be up to her. And for what? I''m really just oppa Jun Hyeon''s friend.''


    "And your friend, is...?" Na Ra naturally wanted to know, but Jun Hyeon''s hesitation forced her to be impolite.


    ''My God, he is really a boar, I''m glad he''s not my boyfriend!'' Ye Rim thought, feeling slightly relieved.


    "Exactly," said the doctor, turning the body towards Ye Rim, with a dubious smile. "This is Nam Ye Rim, my ''old friend you don''t know''."


    Of course, that was a provocation, only Ye Rim didn''t know for which of them. ''What is he doing, anyway? He''s not going to use me to make her jealous or something, right?''


    Na Ra frowned, clearly confused, and looking a little frustrated said,


    "Actually, I thought I knew all your ''old friends''."


    But the surgeon gave no further explanation, "Goodsee you, even if in airport. Did you come for someone, Na Ra?" In fact, the doctor''s body language indicated that he was preparing to say goodbye, keeping his eyes on Ye Rim.


    "Jun Hyeon, I actually came to get you," said Na Ra.


    This certainly surprised the doctor, and Ye Rim saw his discomfort, "But how did you know that¡­"


    "We have to talk. It is important," definitely, the businesswoman was emphatic and firm, realizing that the doctor was not sure what to do in that situation.


    "As you can see, Ye Rim came to get me. She has my car..."


    Na Ra looked at Ye Rim again, and said,


    "Honey, you don''t mind going back alone, do you? Today Jun Hyeon is mine."


    The woman was definitely determined and possessive, it was easy to understand what Jun Hyeon had seen in her, beyond beauty. Still, Ye Rim was feeling betrayed. ''Not because this woman came, but because a friend asked me to get out of my way for a favor. He wouldn''t throw me out like that, would he?''


    "Na Ra, I am not YOURS today. But we can talk at another time. Now I need to take my luggage to the car. Ye Rim is doing me a favor, she came to get me."


    " It''s important, dear. Can you lend me OUR FRIEND this morning? It''s hard to get his attention nowadays, I had to do my best today.''


    Ye Rim barely recognized her own voice, saying timidly,


    "Sure, no problem!"

 Chapter 99 - The First Love, not the Last

    Of all the things Ye Rim could have done, that was the most unexpected. She simply acted like a good friend, caring and cool, who even offered to take Jun Hyeon''s things to the clinic. But, for all intents and purposes of this experiment, she was a friend, not his employee. And that''s not why he asked her to pick him in his car, in first place. He could just take a taxi home.


    Now the doctor was there, abandoned by her, which disappeared into the crowd as soon as Na Ra started to become annoyingly insistent about giving him a ride. For a brief moment, almost a split second, Kim Jun Hyeon thought he saw in the eyes of that crazy singer a bit of jealousy. But soon she praised Na Ra for her shoes and was gone, in a very strange way.


    And Na Ra stared at him expectantly, while he tried to see Ye Rim in the crowd, to no avail.


    Dr. Kim really didn''t expect to see Na Ra of all people there.


    Na Ra, his first love.


    Na Ra, the girl whose heart he broke.


    In recent times, it was even difficult to see her. He was sure he was very much to blame for all the hurt that has been created between them over the years. And Jun Hyeon definitely felt that Na Ra should move on. They never really managed to have a relationship after that fateful night. Years passed and apparently they seemed to be caught in a spell that put them in limbo: between what did not happen and what could have been.


    Only, Kim Jun Hyeon couldn''t stare at her without feeling guilty.


    "How unusual. Did you get my schedule from my secretaries?" the doctor really hoped she wouldn''t lie about it as they headed for the airport exit.


    "No, your secretaries are as loyal as if you were Joseon''s Sovereign King! I think when they make a mistake, they scream on their knees: Jeonha! Don''t forgive us! We deserve to die!" she laughed at her own joke, walking beside him. Why was he getting angry with Na Ra?


    He snorted in agreement, but when he left the building, Dr. Kim turned to his ex-girlfriend, "And what is the reason for coming?"


    "Jun Hyeon!" the woman used a playful reprimand tone, trying to charm him. "Gosh, you did a lot of shopping! Are those all gifts? Mrs. Go is just as lucky to have a son as you are ... you really spoil her!" She pointed to the spot where her car was parked, "Come on, it''s over there."


    ''Well, she''s ignoring that these bags are from a brand that my mom doesn''t particularly like. She knows it very well, given that Na Ra is the one who makes the events for my mother''s company and also for the Ji Hyeon Foundation. But she decided to play dumb. She''s really elegant, but didn''t miss the opportunity to sting me, '' he thought, but stopped before going further.


    "Na Ra, I''m really tired, and whatever it is, couldn''t it be at another time?"


    But she looked at him with her beautiful eyes, while it was clear to him that her head was fuming and working at full speed.


    "I guess so, you even called your new friend to come and pick you up. Or did she come like me, without an invitation?"


    The plastic surgeon almost laughed, thinking how hard it was to have Ye Rim''s time,


    "No, it definitely wasn''t like that," and then he thought of this supposed coincidence of his ex showing up at the airport today, on his return to the country. With a sigh, Dr. Kim asked, as he walked behind her, pushing the cart with his luggage,


    "Na Ra, what are the plans?"


    "Well," she started excitedly, "We can have brunch at a hotel, and you tell me about the lectures in Zurich! I''m so excited! I know they were in high demand after you published your new method."


    '' And that will lead to a situation that I definitely don''t want, today of all days. It has cost me enough to remember Ji Hyeon''s suffering for all the last week, '' Kim pondered,


    "In Ra, today is definitely not the right day for a chat, I''d better get a taxi."


    This time, he felt that she got cold as ice at his side. But Kim didn''t even feel bad about it. She had come here for a purpose. Somehow she heard about Ye Rim, and it was so pathetic that he couldn''t accept being part of this scam. ''Fool, she doesn''t even imagine that I would never be in a real love relationship with Ye Rim. '' Furthermore, the sooner the doctor sent her away, the less time she would be ridiculously exposing herself in such a role.


    Kim Jun Hyeon certainly didn''t want to lose the respect he had for her.


    However, Na Ra hit him with a merciless card. Spinning on her high heels, she stared at him coolly, and said,


    "Well, Jun Hyeon. I don''t know the reason for this cold treatment, but if you prefer it this way, I''ll be straight to the point. I want to talk to you about the Ji Hyeon Foundation Annual event. There is little time left, but you have been very busy lately, according to your secretaries. You ignore my calls, and you make the worst excuses for my messages. However, ¡­ this event. It''s important to me, as much as it is for you. We''ve been doing this together since the first year. Ji Hyeon was and is very important to me, and my company has always made a point of doing this fundraising event. So don''t ignore me, and we''ll talk along the way, since you''re so out of time."


    "Wow!" He wouldn''t admit defeat, but when she opened the trunk, waiting for his initiative, he knew he owed that to her.


    This, however, did not improve his mood. The fact that she rub it in was not fair, either. In fact, they didn''t need to discuss the event in detail every time, did they?


    Suddenly, Jun Hyeon felt that this strategy always worked, when it was Na Ra talking about how committed she was to the Ji Hyeon Foundation fundraising event.


    Getting into the car, he tilted the seat and closed his eyes. Jun Hyeon really preferred that she was handling this with the Foundation''s marketing department.


    Na Ra drove a few minutes in silence, until she said,


    "I''m sorry I came, it seems that I ruined your triumphant arrival. Who is she? I certainly don''t know her."


    "I told you, a friend. Not a girlfriend, past, present or future. A friend."


    "Now I''m the one who says it, WOW!"


    The thought that he had previously refused, but had returned many, many times during the trip, now seemed like a stupid idea. Ye Rim singing at the event organized by Na Ra.


    That would be awful. He had already realized that Na Ra decided that Ye Rim was a rival.


    '' Why are women like that?''


    "Is talking about Ye Rim on the topic of our meeting? I think not. I don''t really need a brunch, so we can work out the essentials now, right?"


    She wanted to talk about business, right? Then they should be professionals. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was irritated that she somehow misjudged Ye Rim.


    '' But why the hell does everyone judge you so strangely, girl? ''


    His daydreams were cut off by Na Ra''s acid voice.


    "Okay. Let''s go to the main subject. I want you to go to the Fashion Ball with me."


    "Haha. Don''t dream that big."


    She glanced at him blankly, fulminating him with her stare, but he kept a cool facade.


    "I don''t know what''s biting you lately, but it''s essential. There, we will have the chance to be introduced to Ms. Vera Ming, a Chinese philanthropist who is very friendly with stylist A. Zhang. And we are going to convince her to donate part of her annual budget for social purposes to the Ji Hyeon Foundation. I''ve already worked with your marketing people, but if you talk to her¡­ If you dance a dance with her!"


    He couldn''t believe what he just heard,


    "What do you mean by ''dance''? What is it, if I dance, will she donate?" It was a little nonsensical.


    "Don''t be silly, Jun! You shouldn''t deny a dance to a woman who can donate millions to our cause. Your project to create a wing for long-term treatments can get off the ground."


    The doctor truly wanted to believe that a dance could do that. He hadn''t danced in a long time. His dance partner had died, and he totally lost his wish to dance.


    "That plan of yours doesn''t seem the most assertive."


    "You know as much as I do that social events help raise funds."


    "Right. Let''s give it a try," he agreed, at least, and a thought came to him,


    "Are you going with Dae Won?"


    "No, he said he already has a pair, and my pair of invitations, well, I already promised them to my sister, so ... I''m going with you, of course. After all, it will be a mission for two."


    Those damn invitations were like water in the desert, almost impossible to get, and Na Ra had conveniently donated hers.


    '' I could go with another girl, at least. Not Ye Rim, for obvious reasons. Not Ye Rim. But now I have to go with Na Ra. ''


    "Okay, for Ji," he finally said, capitulating to Na Ra''s elaborate plans.

 Chapter 100 - The 100th

    With her eyes closed, the nonexistent woman heard the clicks, and her heart sped up involuntarily.


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    And then the electronic beep of the last lock, releasing the door by using a password.


    She couldn''t help, like a dog in the Pavlov Experiment, feeling anxious in anticipation of the events that had been repeated for so long.


    It was stronger than her, and she sat on the bed. The nonexistent woman had already gotten up earlier, done some stretching exercises, and walked a little on the treadmill. But he had gone to bed again; in the past few days, she hadn''t felt well. Her foreboding feeling took away her sleep and hunger.


    She straightened her hair with her fingers, as did the pink plush sweatshirt she wore, with a university print. The woman would never again be seen as dirty or decomposed. She would rather maintain a dignified, if not entirely pleasant, appearance.


    The steps on the stairs, each one of them, gave her chills and nausea. However, the nonexistent woman had decided for some time that it would not defeat her anymore. She focused on the good aroma of the food. There was something new and smelling tasty, and she felt herself salivating, unexpectedly.


    "Ji Hyeon! Today we have a different breakfast!"


    "Dae Won Oppa," she looked at the grinning man in front of her, with the tray of food.


    "Did you change the restaurant?" she asked casually, looking away and getting up. Kim Ji Hyeon was always intimidated by looking at that man''s sweet, almost youthful beauty and knowing what he really was.


    Ji Hyeon went to set the table, placing a linen towel and plates, aluminum jeotgarak and plastic cutlery. Food was always for two on Wednesdays.


    "You will find it funny, but someone gifted me all this food. It looks appetizing, doesn''t it?"


    '' People always fall for you, '' Ji Hyeon thought, but kept her expression aloof. Dae Won passed her the stainless steel terrine, and Ji Hyeon inadvertently looked at her reflection on the silver surface. With a start, she almost dropped the container, but Dae Won was attentive and took the terrine out of her hands, placing it on the table.


    "Ah! Forgive me, I totally forgot! I stopped thinking about it when you asked for a mirror, pardon!"


    ''I very much doubt you forgot it or anything else ,'' Kim Ji Hyeon said nothing and walked away from the Musical Producer, sitting across the table for two people. The fact she was startled by her own monstrous reflection and distorted by the convex surface, it was beyond pathetic. She would not allow herself to cry over it anymore.


    "Oppa, when is my brother coming back from abroad?"


    In the end, that''s what Ji Hyeon wanted to know. She had been restless, dreaming constantly about Jun, lately. Getting to see him was always very difficult, but at least she could try to get news.


    The problem is that Ji Hyeon couldn''t trust the news bearer.


    "Well, I managed to find out that he was coming back today! And I called Na Ra, and played dumb, the information slipped from my lips... Well, I don''t know if I should play matchmaker, but they''ve already lost a lot of time. Jun Hyeon isn''t getting any younger, either."


    Many things went through the mind of the cloistered woman upon hearing this. Jun Hyeon and she were twins, and therefore, she wasn''t getting any younger either. Ji Hyeon had been locked up in that room for so long, almost 10 years.


    Like a snow globe dancer.


    She only knew about the world the things she heard from Dae Won or saw on TV.


    They started to eat, and she enjoyed the food. Knowing that her brother had come back and would see Na Ra, had brought her appetite back. '' He''s going to recover from my ''death'' '', she thought with some optimism, hoping that finally he and Na Ra could settle as a couple after so long.


    "But, that girl who came here with Jun Hyeon the other day, remember? Well, she said he''s not doing very well. That he''s been thinking about you a lot," Dae Won spoke casually, helping himself to more food. Ji Hyeon put the jeotgarak aside for a moment, overwhelmed by the news. '' Why must it be this way? Why is nothing you say is only what it seems? There is always something behind everything you say. What kind of trap is this now? ''


    "And who is she anyway?" Ji Hyeon decided to ask. If this girl was meeting frequently with Dae Won, but also with her brother, what was she? A hired spy? Or an innocent girl being hypnotized as a bird by the serpent?"


    "Your grandfather set up a blind date for both of them. That''s how they ended up here, that night. Since then, Jun Hyeon has been involved with her, but she is quite¡­ complicated."


    "Uhn¡­ But is she your friend?"


    Dae Won looked up from the food with a smug smile, "You are my friend, Ji. Isn''t it a little late to act jealous?"


    Ji Hyeon sighed, "I''m not jealous of you, Oppa."


    "Aish, you''re so prideful!" Dae Won spoke jokingly, getting up and abandoning the meal.


    Yes, Ji Hyeon knew that she was proud. She knew that this was her biggest flaw and the cause of her suffering. But it was also her point of support and what kept her alive for all these years. Yes, she had gone to the depths of despair several times. But she had managed to swim back to the surface and recognize herself as a human being again. Her sympathy for Dae Won, her silly Stockholm Syndrome, had been gone for some time.


    "I wanted to see my brother again, Oppa."


    "Ahhh, sometimes I even think you can read my thoughts. You ask for these impossible things whenever I''m too busy to oblige! Ji, please understand, I already said that I don''t have so many excuses for visiting your brother all the time. Besides, arranging an outing for you is very difficult! Can''t you really settle for the video I did last time?"


    "Ah, so this is the girl? The one you talked about, in that hospital?"


    He sat on the couch, and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels,


    "Don''t be like that. It is not an ordinary ''hospital''. It is the JI HYEON Foundation. It has your name. It promotes hundreds of free corrective surgeries every year, helping people who have suffered accidents like yours. Or which suffer from congenital problems. It receives thousands of won a year in donations to the cause. Thanks to your memorial, thanks to your name."


    Whenever she thought about it, the woman''s head felt like it was going to explode. She went to the piano, opened the lid, fl.u.s.tered. Resurface now, alive? How would it be? It was her biggest dream and her worst nightmare. There would be the press, stamping her horrible, twisted face on every channel. First the pity. Then distrust.


    "This delicious food was made by Ye Rim''s friend and supporter. The singer we were talking about. But if you heard our conversation well, your brother doesn''t want to help her. It would be simple to let her perform at the annual Ji Hyeon Foundation event. However, he''s making excuses, so I know that between her and Na Ra, he prefers Na Ra."


    Ji Hyeon thought she knew her twin too well to agree. Even after so long apart. He couldn''t have changed that much, could he? But he would not share her thoughts with Dae Won. She aimlessly slid her fingers over the keyboard, asking,


    "Does Oppa promise to find a way?"


    He smiled and again did not answer. Ji Hyeon had already noticed that lately, not even her sweetest requests could move him.


    "But yesterday you said you had a lot of news to tell me ..." She sat on the piano stool, but turned to him, still on the couch, still busy with the remote.


    Lee Dae Won''s mansion''s bas.e.m.e.nt had a luxurious fixture to keep her isolated, and apart from cooking and getting out, she was relatively comfortable. Dae Won had even installed a huge TV screen where she could play 3D games that simulated outdoor activities. Still, while she lived in a state of misery and self-destructiveness, that was her shelter. Now, that was her captivity.


    "YES!" He exclaimed, excited. "The first news is that there is a new drama, which will be the main release for the next season. And we''re going to compose the incidental music score, and even the two theme songs!"


    "Us?" Ji Hyeon raised an eyebrow. Dae Won composed incidental songs. And he had stolen her songs and released them as if they were his.


    "Aren''t you happy that your music is coming out of those four walls, since you decided to live in isolation?"


    "Yes, thanks oppa. You always help me have some meaning in life," she said, feeling exactly the opposite, internally.


    "How nice! I like to help you, it is not an obligation for me. It never was, Ji."


    "I know, oppa."


    "And this is the other news! I even recorded the story for you to see! Come, sit here."


    The prisoner rose from where she was and sat next to Dae Won, watching TV. Sometimes she wondered if she could take him down and make him lose consciousness, to try to escape, but she was afraid she wouldn''t be able to get through the locks.


    He was also afraid of how the world would receive his return.


    On the TV screen, an article from an entertainment channel showed a young singer, whose name was Hani. The subject revolved around the solo career of the young singer. Hani thanked the composer Lee Dae Won for the opportunity of releasing her best hit, while showing scenes from her MV and her performance on stage. The singer must have been about 20 years old, and a face full of innocence, although her huge, dark and sad eyes were what most caught Ji Hyeon''s attention. At the end of the report, the narrative wished the singer success, mentioning that her great success, ''Deep Dive'', would be the main song theme to a long-awaited film for the coming winter.


    Ji Hyeon, contrary to the reaction expected by his captor, just trembled in disgust. Deep Dive was the song she had written that most reflected her state of despair and anguish. It was her swan song.


    She had only allowed Dae Won to publish the song because she imagined that when Jun Hyeon heard it, he might know that only she could have written it. But this had not yet happened.


    Ji Hyeon could only hope that he would recognize his own sister behind the next song by ''Dae Won''.

 Chapter 101 - All About Timing

    "Did you hear Dae Won''s new song? A new singer released it last month," Na Ra asked, when a sad song started playing on the radio. They were already arriving at the Ji Hyeon Foundation.


    "Yes, it is very good," the doctor simply lied, not wanting to be charged for being a reckless friend who was not interested in Dae Won''s projects. It was hard enough when Hyung himself from time to time subtly reminded him of that fact. Dr. Kim was relieved when he saw the clinic building, and he was able to say goodbye to her at last.


    When he was left by Na Ra in the clinic parking lot, the first thing Kim Jun Hyeon did was to look for his car. There it was, parked in the worst possible way, crossing the spot. Was she a bad driver, or was she consumed by jealousy and pettiness?


    Normally Jun Hyeon would have gone to his apartment after arriving, and without a doubt, this was his initial plan. But now, a sense of urgency overwhelmed him.


    As soon as he saw Na Ra''s car coming up the ramp to leave the underground parking lot, he went into action. He called the parking attendant, and asked,


    "How long ago did my friend leave my car here? It can''t be that long, right?"


    "Actually, less than ten minutes ago, Director Kim," was the helpful reply. "And then Miss Nam asked for directions to the nearest bus stop."


    He wanted to shout, asking why the employee didn''t give her money for a taxi, but that was ridiculous and unfair. After also inquiring where this damn bus stop was, Dr. Kim found himself running over there, like a madman, trying to find her before she left.


    To his dismay, the doctor spotted the rear of the bus, leaving the bus stop.


    Looking at his cell phone, he realized that he had no battery left, as he had forgotten to charge during the flight.


    "What the hell!"


    It would be very difficult to get her to accept his gifts on another occasion. What justifications would Jun Hyeon have in the future to tease her with all those expensive bags? The joke would lose context and timing.


    Returning to the parking lot, the surgeon ordered a taxi, much to the surprise of the parking attendant. It didn''t make any sense at all, right?


    A little while ago Jun Hyeon had been overcome by a ridiculous urge to see her and explain that Na Ra had been his first love, but that meant nothing but the past. But now that he had oxygenated his brain with a little running, the doctor realized how pathetic it would have been if he had met Ye Rim at the bus stop.


    When the taxi arrived, he gave the singer''s address, and threw his luggage hastily and carelessly in the trunk.


    In a whim of destiny, his taxi aligned with the bus where the singer was, at a red light. Dr. Kim saw her through the vehicle window, deep in thought. Ye Rim was looking at nothing, and he really wanted his cell phone to be charged enough to take a picture of her there, like that.


    "Aish! What an airhead! Carelessly not paying attention to her surroundings. That''s how people get mugged on the street!"


    The bus entered a bus-only lane and the doctor lost sight of the vehicle. His taxi continued on its way to the neighborhood where Ye Rim lived. It was better to have something smart to say about it, by the way. Undoubtedly, that smartass girl would provoke him for coming for her so quickly.


    When the taxi finally stopped in front of the building, he saw Ye Rim standing in the outward atrium. She looked at the mail in her hands with a shocked and uncertain expression, while the postman talked to a lady and delivered her the other mailing.


    Intrigued, he got out of the taxi, immediately realizing that something was not right with the singer.


    Feeling watched, Ye Rim looked up and was surprised by his arrival. And he soon noticed she wasn''t in her best mood. In fact, her eyes were red and watery. Then Kim Jun Hyeon strode across the space that separated them and hugged her tightly.


    It was good to hug her. Her coppery hair smelled and felt good, and her body was just as he imagined it: absolutely perfect to have in his arms. He saw the shocked look of the postman and the ajuhmma staring at them, but he didn''t care, because his friend needed a hug at that moment.


    In fact, it was as if everything he had wanted since the plane landed. Discover if his dream at the hotel in Zurich had anything to do with the real Ye Rim. And all sensory sensations were the same. This was absurd and crazy, but he didn''t bother to rationalize too much at the time.


    "W-why ... are you hugging me ?!" she asked in astonishment, her face pressed into his chest.


    "I''m sorry, but everything is going to be okay," he replied, rubbing her back in a consoling way. Then she started to push his chest, looking up at him in a confused and irritated way,


    "Oppa, what are you doing?!"


    "What do you mean, ''what am I doing''?!" he let her walk away, suddenly fl.u.s.tered by Ye Rim''s strange reaction. "What else could I be doing? You were crying when you got your mail!"


    "Do you hug everyone who receives their credit card bill and condo bills?!" she waved her mail in the air, mad at him.


    "...!" For a moment Kim Jun Hyeon wished to die in embarrassment.


    "And what are you doing here? Didn''t you hitch a ride with Miss Hae?" she insisted.


    The postman and ajuhmma followed the scene with interest now, ready to interfere if necessary. This the doctor understood only at a glance.


    Although still confused by the faux-pas he had made, he countered,


    "Of course not, I explicitly said I wouldn''t accept her ride, that I would come with you! But you abandoned me at the airport, and with all those bags!" Jun Hyeon whispered so only Ye Rim could hear, maybe a little too loudly; but he wanted it to sound natural and not rehearsed. He didn''t want to think that he was having a huge job lying about it, and he didn''t want to think about why he was doing it.


    "Aishh! This is ridiculous! Did you think I had brought your precious car here ?! I didn''t do it! And ... "


    Well, he had already done this pathetic scene for some reason, so before Ye Rim''s neighbor thought it was romantic, he hugged her again.


    This time she was with open arms and the hug was even better, it was good to smash her b.o.o.b.s against his chest with the excuse of being a good friend! They were the real deal, not padded bras! And they were firm and perfect-sized, she was wrong about wishing them bigger!


    "Aigoo! I''m sorry, I''m sorry!" Ju Hyeon barely contained his laughter, but his gaze went to the hand where Ye Rim held his mail. Although there were some business letters, the first letter had a blue envelope and was written in feminine calligraphy. However, he was unable to read before Ye Rim pushed him again.


    The taxi driver started honking, and the doctor had to resolve this, ending with his luggage in front of Ye Rim''s building.


    She observed with a deadpanned face,


    "The Doctor is not thinking that he is going up with his bags to my apartment, is he? My neighbors won''t understand that."


    "If I can''t get in, take my things. I wait here. Then let''s go out to eat, I''m hungry! What kind of friend are you leaving me at the airport?!"


    "I''m not going to carry your heavy bags up the stairs! I already said that my building doesn''t have an elevator."


    "So obvious, aishh!"Jun Hyeon went over to the woman who was watching them, imagining she was the janitor or superintendent, since he had stayed with the building''s correspondence. After greeting and introducing himself, he said,


    "Do you mind saving my things for a moment, while my friend at least takes me out to eat? I will return soon to search, after finding a place to stay. She said I could come from Australia, and I figured I could stay at her house, but apparently, there is a law that¡­"


    "Don''t bother Mrs. Cha. Let''s go up, don''t make it look like we have something, Oppa!" Ye Rim interfered.


    "She calls me an Oppa because we are friends," he winked at the lady, stunned by the scene. He went to get his luggage, but gave the duffel bag for Ye Rim to carry, "Here, friend, help me a little."


    "Uhnf!" The singer snorted, as he imagined, but followed behind him.


    She opened the apartment door, and he saw a perfectly pleasant, feminine and cozy atmosphere. In reality, much better than he imagined from the facade of the building. Ye Rim let him in and put his bags in the middle of the room.


    "I wasn''t kidding, let''s go down or the neighborhood will start talking," she asked.


    "Why! Oh! So society also thinks that a man and a woman like us can''t just be good friends? What a surprise! I''m shocked!" Ye Rim''s request naturally made way for him to be sarcastic, but she just stared at him with narrowed eyes of disapproval.


    "What a low blow! And¡­ what drugs have Dr. been taking?!"


    Jun Hyeon didn''t need to measure his pulse to know that hormones were running free through his blood, which is why he was so euphoric. But he changed the subject, making the most serious expression he could manage,


    "Don''t change the subject or disguise, what letter is it that made you cry? You have to tell me!"

 Chapter 102 - The Letter that Made Her Cry

    '' This man is crazy, '' was the only thought that Ye Rim had when she was crushed against Dr. Kim''s chest, at the door of her building. He just got out of a taxi and literally walked over to her, and suddenly she had her face pressed against the lapel of his coat, smelling his delicious cologne.


    She had to admit to herself, however: that the hug was all she needed right now. She felt cozy and comforted, especially when Jun Hyeon rubbed her back. It was as if he had guessed that she needed a hug. Something she doubted, of course. However, I was surprised that he was there, and not with Hae Na Ra.


    Her suspicion was that the stubborn, arrogant and competitive Dr. Kim had some plan in mind. This had to do with his injured pride on the issue of handbags, of course. The singer had already suspected it when she received his message to go to the airport to pick him up.


    Right after she figured it out, Jun Hyeon did all that scene to enter her apartment.


    But then, now he was looking at her with worried eyes and a sweet expression, and it made her so confused!


    Ye Rim threw himself on the sofa, putting the mail aside, with a sigh,


    "Oppa, thank you so much for the hug. Apparently, you have more empathy for people than you like to show."


    And that handsome man, who was playing being a friend on a whim, continued to stare at her sweetly.


    "Well," she reached out to touch the blue envelope, and the thought of the contents bothered her. It was as if it had a snake that could lunge at her hand and bite it. She withdrew her hand with a feeling of disgust, "This is a letter from my mother. Park Nam Joo."


    The plastic surgeon raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her reaction, "Well, that means it''s not news of death. You owe me a hug. The first was free."


    The attempt at humor took a half-smile from Ye Rim, who nodded, "Well, I already said that my parents have been divorced since I was little. So this is no big deal. I haven''t really had contact with her in years, I just know that she lives somewhere here in the capital. This is her second letter; I received the first one in the New Year. I have no idea what she might want now, after so much time away."


    "Anyway, she''s getting in touch. Do you already know the contents of the letter?" Kim Jun Hyeon asked cautiously.


    "No," she replied dryly, feeling a little intimidated by the course of the conversation. She stood up, thinking of offering something to drink. But Jun Hyeon''s eyes did not leave the pile of correspondence at her side. With another sigh, Ye Rim said,


    "Okay, I surrender. I threw the first card away without opening it. But your reproachful expression tells me that you think I''m an idiot for not wanting to open this letter too."


    "Does my face say I think you''re an idiot? I hope not," was Dr. Kim''s reply. At that moment, he looked more like the man she met in his office, when she went to return his shirt. Gentle, serious and mature.


    He continued, "Ye Rim, I don''t get along with my dad either. But I am grateful that he gave me my life. Since I don''t know why you and your mother were estranged for so long, I would be an imbecile to judge the situation. Still, it can be serious, and you should check it."


    "Why should I check it? She never cared about me all these years. She ran away from home when I was four years old. With her psychiatrist. With the psychiatrist!"


    She was incisive because she knew it would hurt her pride as a doctor. When she was old enough to understand that her mother, considered ''town''s madwoman'', had fled to the capital with the doctor who was supposed to be treating her ... it devastated her more than imagining that her mother had mental problems. Whether Nam Joo had pretended to be crazy all the time for having a lover who was a psychiatrist,... or freaked out about being married to a poor mechanic,... or for whatever... the revelation hurt a lot.


    "So you''re not going to open the letter, but are you going to panic every time she writes?" he asked, also incisively, and apparently not buying himself the medical ethics tease.


    "I''m not panicking!"


    "Well, then, open the damn letter," were his words.


    "Don''t use reverse psychology on me!" Ye Rim revolted. "I don''t want to forgive her. I was abandoned by my mother. She never looked back. Even during the divorce, she didn''t want to see me. My father tried hard enough, and he never, ever, said anything against her. In fact, I don''t think he ever got married because he had hopes ¡­" she laughed bitterly, which quickly broke into tears. Ye Rim dried them quickly. "Enough. I don''t want to talk about it. "


    It was Jun Hyeon''s turn to sigh, a little agitated, and get up,


    "You don''t trust people much, do you, Ye Rim?"


    That affirmative question left Ye Rim speechless. She understood what Jun Hyeon meant. Naturally, her instinct was to deny and be angry, but she controlled herself. She was an a.d.u.l.t, wasn''t she?


    "Well, it''s not easy," she admitted.


    Unexpectedly, the doctor laughed,


    "We are not going to create a tense mood right now! I don''t want to see you cry, and I don''t have the same gift for speaking the right words at the right times, as you do!"


    She laughed too, relieved and surprised by Jun Hyeon''s attitude.


    "This is a good idea, Oppa. But thanks for the hug, again. Although the place and the moment have certainly created a new rumor in the neighborhood."


    "You''re welcome. But you can explain that we are friends, just friends," he teased. Ye Rim accepted this as his attempt to raise the mood, and then he announced,


    "I brought you something from Switzerland. First I thought about taking your order and bringing chocolates. But then I thought it would create a new problem for me. As your friend, I would have to be shirtless almost all the time while you blow up your dresses around."


    "You idiot " she mumbled, but with a smile. He trying to do comedy looked almost like someone else. She even wanted to hug him and act frivolously cute to him.


    Could Dr. Kim please get tired of playing with her soon, so she could not start dreaming about him? '' Aish, it is easier to despise him when his flaws are more evident! ''


    "Well, I didn''t know what to choose, and I brought all the bags I saw in that store," he pointed to the largest branded suitcase, "don''t be a proud girl just with me, or I''ll start to think that you have bigger plans for me. Now I''m a friend."


    Ye Rim narrowed his eyes, ready to say something against Dr. Kim''s cheap strategy. He really was resentful! '' What an ego! So resentful of not being idolized by this third-class singer! ''


    But there he was, removing the purses one by one from their packages¡­ ''OMG! They are so BEAUTIFUL! I want to hug them!'' Ye Rim restrained her desire to scream with excitement and run for the bags. When he finished emptying the large suitcase, Ye Rim looked around in amazement. They were a reasonable number, and together, they cost good money.


    "You really have a point to prove, don''t you, Oppa? To spend so much money on a woman you will never bed."


    He stood for a moment, and put his hands behind his back, with a falsely angelic smile, while the tone was acidic,


    "Yes Ye Rim, I am this kind of capricious person. It''s so nice to be honest with a woman, for a change! As we know that the seduction game is not the point here, I don''t even have to continue pretending and sweetening the reasons, do I?"


    "Uhn, indeed," nothing like pressing the right buttons, so the doctor revealed his true colors. But while looking at the luxury items, tantalizingly displayed on the furniture in her living room, Ye Rim had a fantastic idea.


    As always, her initial intention was not to accept the extravagant gift, perhaps she would be able to sell those new bags at a good price. Then she would have an amount that would help cover the damage costs on Pearl.


    "But tell me the reason for such an ¡­ expensive gift, Oppa. If you tell me the truth, I will accept it. But if you try to deceive me, you take it all home and spend it on girls you want to impress, ... or whatever," but whatever Jun Hyeon said, Ye Rim would take the bags as true. But I wouldn''t let the doctor think that she owed him anything for that. No way.


    "I just wanted you to feel rewarded for listening to my sad drunken phone calls. It must have been tough," he said.


    Ye Rim was shocked that he was lying so blatantly, to keep up appearances.


    They were definitely starting to step back from the "Friendzone Game". As she imagined, Kim Jun Hyeon was beginning to regret becoming so intimate with her.


    "Well, oppa. You may not believe it, but it was not a sacrifice. Friends listen to each other."


    "You have a lot of theories, but you don''t trust me. As I imagined, and I had the test today, you can listen to, but you can''t talk," he said quietly, but his gaze was piercing. "So please, consider this gift as a payment."


    Ye Rim felt her legs tremble. At that moment, she really wanted those bags, because she knew that with the sale of them, she would probably be able to pay Pearl''s band, so that they wouldn''t disband while the club was undergoing renovations. After all, they needed income for a few weeks, while they had no gigs. But her pride was exacerbated after his words!


    '' What to do?!''


    "Aish, if you want so badly not to be in debt, I accept it!"


    His devastating and victorious smile made her lose her breath, ... for several reasons. Ye Rim felt like she was going to pass out. This man was so disturbing!


    "Great! Very well!" Jun Hyeon couldn''t stop smiling, looking around for evidence of his victory; in this case, the bags that now officially belonged to Ye Rim. "Tell me: which one is your favorite?"


    The singer felt a crazy urge to grab a flower vase and break it on his head. He knew very well that it had been difficult for her to accept that expensive gift, and he was laughing like an idiot! But then a memory came to mind, and she reached for her old purse on the sideboard,


    "This is and remains my favorite bag ever. The only man I loved bought it for me on my birthday."


    She saw the doctor''s smile disappear from his face instantly.

 Chapter 103 - Mr. Perfect

    "Well¡­ Mr. Perfect gave you a bag! And where is he now?" Jun Hyeon could hardly believe Ye Rim''s shamelessness. Dr. Kim was astonished that she had met the man who passed Queen Maeve''s quality test!


    Ye Rim seemed to back off, putting the bag aside, "Well, oppa, I didn''t say he was perfect. OPPA was almost perfect. But¡­ Unfortunately our story didn''t work out."


    And the icing of the cake, Mr. Perfect was OPPA, all in capital letters! Even the way she said it put the guy on a level reserved for the deities. He closed his eyes, trying to erase it from his mind, and took a deep breath,


    "Ahem ... Well, considering our incompatibility, I''m really curious as to how you found the ''perfect Oppa'', and why it didn''t work out."


    "Forget it, Jun Hyeon. I just said to tease you a little¡­" She started to pack the bags carefully in their packages, turning her back on him. But Dr. Kim would not let her get away with it. She was probably just making it up, and that''s what he threw at her,


    "You''re making up this relationship, aren''t you? You purchased this bag yourself."


    "If I had, do you think I would hide it? I would be very proud, in fact," she sassed back. "But no, Jae Wook gave me on my birthday."


    Kim Ji Hyeon felt a twinge of pain in his temple, and sat down,


    "Okay, where is the great man who won Queen Maeve?"


    "I told, and it''s obvious: it didn''t work! Will you be teasing me? I don''t want to talk about that! That''s just the past," Ye Rim reacted in an exacerbated way, going back to what she was doing and turning her back on him.


    "Aish how annoying! I don''t understand at all! How can a man understand a woman? You women are always starting a subject and then giving up on it; and ending unilaterally. ''It''s nothing, it''s nothing!''"


    Ye Rim pursed her lips, holding back her reply.


    Jun Hyeon stood watching her for a while, hoping she would end up revealing more, but she didn''t. '' She still likes this guy. ''


    "This is ridiculous. You have an attachment to that bag because you still like that idiot."


    "Who is saying he''s an idiot?" she reacted.


    "I''m not seeing him here by your side."


    "It was nobody''s fault. We ended up in mutual agreement.''


    ''Ah, of course. And she''s all hurt just because I''m asking where he is.'' "Is he married?"


    "No!" She reacted indignantly, and Jun Hyeon was confused. Ye Rim always played tough, but she was really realizing that this issue bothered her. And to be honest, it also annoyed him,


    "Okay, okay, keep your secrets. Leave me thinking that you got kicked in the arse by a married guy." Dr. Kim stood up, picking up his luggage, "Just tell me his name, in case I find him, I''ll punch him in the face for you."


    Ye Rim looked him up, surprised,


    "I''m telling the truth. He doesn''t deserve a punch. He did the best for me."


    "Does that make any sense?"


    FLASHBACK ON


    Ye Rim desperately got out of the taxi, grabbed the bulky skirt of her rented wedding dress the best way, and ran into the hospital lobby. The girl''s hasty and turbulent passage, of course, drew people''s attention. After all, it is not every day that a bride in character runs into a hospital. But she arrived at the information desk, and asked, almost breathlessly,


    "Officer Ji, I was told he was brought here. Ji Jae Wook. I''m his..."


    "His fiancee?" guessed the receptionist, and asked her to calm down while she checked the computer. Ye Rim had received the news that Jae Wook had been shot in a confrontation with thugs. She was trying on the dress for the photoshoot they were supposed to do that afternoon. He was late, which was not uncommon in their relationship. But when the upset singer called back to him, the person picking up his phone said he was being taken to the hospital. She couldn''t get much information, and in desperation, Ye Rim just left the studio thinking of anything else than seeing her fiance as soon as possible.


    But Ye Rim had to wait long hours before she could see Jae Wook. Her fiance''s police friends talked to her. Eun Ha came as soon as she heard the news. But Ye Rim only calmed down when she learned that the surgery had been successful and Jae Wook would recover well. When at last she was able to enter to visit him, Ye Rim found him understandably ill and pale, quite different from the handsome man who made her heart flutter just because he was in the same room as her.


    "Ye Rim ah," he called her name without opening his eyes. Jae Wook used to say he knew how to recognize her perfume.


    "Jae, you can''t do this to me ever again!" she came closer, trembling. Ye Rim''s agitation made her want to hit him, and hug him at the same time.


    He tried to laugh, but it seemed to hurt, and he stopped. Officer Ji Jae Wook opened his eyes, and looked at her,


    "I was told that you were beautiful as a bride, waiting for me in the waiting room for hours. It''s true. You look gorgeous."


    "Of course I''m not. I''m rubbish. And you always choose the worst moments to praise me."


    "You always look beautiful to me, Ye Rim ah. From the first day I saw you, being mugged. I thought, ''You son of a bitch, you can''t rob such a beautiful woman! It''s doubly a crime!''"


    Ye Rim ran a hand through her fiance''s hair, starting to get worried. Jae Wook was not a man used to making jokes. Except when he had something very serious to say next.


    "Well, I''d ask to be robbed again, if I knew you were going to save me!"


    "I wish I could choose to meet you again and again, Ye Rim, but my work has these other parts too. The parts you hate."


    The bride felt her eyes water, because they had an argument about it a few days ago. Ji Jae Wook had refused the opportunity for a more bureaucratic work career into police, away from the Special Crimes Investigation team, and that had upset Ye Rim. They would be married in a month, and she had accepted the idea of never trying to pursue a career as a singer again. She would be a housewife, the wife of a police officer. Because she loved him and was loved in return. Why couldn''t Jae Wook give in too?


    "Ye Rim ah," he called her name softly, again.


    "Yes?"


    "Let''s end things here, okay?"


    She was slow to understand her fianc¨¦''s words, and when she did, she looked at him in shock. Jae Wook tried to smile,


    "Look at you over there. Dressed as a bride. So disheveled and yet, beautiful as the star of a movie. How can a girl have her eyes swollen from crying, and yet, look like a goddess? I don''t deserve you. We fight because I can''t be a cop who''s married to a talented and beautiful celebrity. We fight because you can''t stand the idea of me returning home bleeding or else. What are we doing with each other?"


    "Ji Jae Wook, listen to me."


    "Let me finish, my dear. I love you. I love you. Listen to that. Today I went to work thinking about how much I was being unfair to you. When we first dated, I learned about your dreams. And you knew me, that way I am. The thing you love most is singing. The thing I know how to do ... That''s it," he showed the results of his profession with his hands. "I wanted to see you tonight, take you out to dinner and say that I was going to try to be a less possessive guy. That you still have time to try your career. And then¡­" once again he showed his current situation, his chest bandaged and several abrasions.


    "...!" Jae Wook''s words touched her. Their lightning passion began in a stupid incident, and it blossomed in a way that both of them never imagined. They were very different, but they managed to like each other, anyway. However, the marriage proposal, which Ye Rim readily accepted, began to show that the couple''s incompatibility occurred where they least expected it. Their career choices were the thing that scared each other the most. Ye Rim thought it was part of her role, as a woman, to give in. She imagined it had to be this way. She just didn''t realize that Jae Wook could see that she was still yearning for things he couldn''t give her.


    "You said you couldn''t bear to be abandoned, Ye Rim Ah. And when I was coming here, before I passed out, well ... I thought of you. I thought how sad, angry and confused you would be. And I felt bad. I can''t do this to you, Ye Rim. Not if I love you. I don''t want to be that selfish guy who demands everything, but I don''t even know for sure that he will come home alive."


    That''s how it ended. Ji Jae Wook took on the debts they had made together for the wedding, and helped her financially until she asked him to stop. They loved each other, and it was love that separated them.


    Yes, Ji Jae Wook was Mr. Perfect.

 Chapter 104 - Magic Money

    "Our class was not scheduled for today, so I imagine you have a good reason to make me come here," said the Hunter as he met Eun Ha, on a street in the capital known for its beautiful shop windows and high-end luxury products.


    "Yes, this place does me good," Eun Ha said simply, pretending not to notice that her tutor was looking bad: stubble, hair in need of a good cut, and deep dark circles around his s.e.xy eyes. At least his clothes were clean. ''When we''re dating, I''ll fix this!'' she made up her mind, and looked at a shop window as they walked. Eun Ha didn''t want to look at him like that, she would rather remember the night at the Octagon, when they kissed and he was handsome. And s.e.xy. And angry at her!


    Se decided to appease his proverbial bad mood from the start,


    "Professor, although you haven''t answered the basic questions I''ve been asking, I imagine it''s for a good reason. Since you''re the seasoned fairy, I can''t complain and I won''t rebel. About the werewolf, about the devourer¡­ It looks like it''s Hunter''s affairs, so the Professor doesn''t want to talk about them. Okay. I get it."


    In response, Shin pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on, with his usual blas¨¦ expression. Eun Ha turned around,


    "Is it all right?"


    "Hmm. But, do you want another class? Now?"


    ''Aish, what a mercenary! Why is he always talking about our deal?'' Eun Ha was annoyed, but stopped to admire the items in another shop window, "It''s not quite a class, it''s a favor. Advice, in fact."


    "Advice is free, and I don''t give it," he looked up at the sky, as if gauging the weather for a walk. And began to move away from the fashion designer, clearly dismissing the matter.


    "Wait, wait Professor! What are you doing?! I''m not done yet," the fairy girl rushed to catch up, and the Hunter without slowing or turning, said,


    "Somehow I feel that you are not paying attention to the things I teach you. About magic. Looks like you''re focused on other things, like¡­"


    Like¡­?" she repeated hopefully that he would talk about the kiss. And just thinking about the KISS made Eun Ha melt.


    "¡­ About your prot¨¦g¨¦ and your weird plans to stop the prophecy."


    Eun Ha stopped, gaping, "OH! Teacher, is this your gift or can I train it too?"


    The Hunter turned around, his expression puzzled and a little petulant as he realizes he is being trapped, but can''t help it,


    "Train what, Jung?"


    "Guessing so well! Is it a divination technique? And yes, indeed, something happened to Ye Rim. Trying to help her with the man in pink, that is, get rid of him, I ended up¡­ causing¡­"


    The Hunter lowered his sunglasses for a moment, to face her with a judgmental glare, and Eun Ha was getting increasingly intimidated.


    "I know she''s not hurt because otherwise, you wouldn''t be beating around the bush. So what happened?" he asked sharply, and Eun Ha finally told him everything. During all the time of her long report, the Hunter had an expression of stoic suffering from having to hear how her silly plans unfolded.


    "What should I do?" the young fairy finally asked, after her narrative.


    "Isn''t that obvious?"


    "No¡­?"


    "Pay, of course. You must repay the debt you got for your donsaeng."


    "But Professor, I have no money!"


    "Do you want me to lend you money? Is that what you called me here for?"


    Eun Ha didn''t need to look twice to know that just by her tutor''s expression he would never lend her money.


    Not that the Hunter seemed to have much anyway.


    "It''s just¡­ I was wondering¡­ I could pay the debt with some magic money, right? What''s the secret to doing that?"


    Her Professor sighed, and said,


    "You really need a class today, and it''s urgent. Come with me."


    Eun Ha dutifully followed, trying to imagine what was going on in her teacher''s head, but failing miserably. The Hunter made her wait outside a real estate, and then left with an apartment key.


    "Let''s go. It''s only a few blocks ahead."


    "But, Professor, is this a real key? Did you pay the deposit with real money or magic money? And after all, what are we going to do?"


    He didn''t answer, and opening the door of the unfurnished apartment said,


    "Use your magic. Create a gold bar out of nowhere in the middle of the room."


    They were still at the door of the apartment, which had no furniture in sight other than kitchen appliances. Eun Ha promptly pulled out her magic wand and pointed to the living room floor, concentrating,


    "Gold bar, here we go!"


    The fairy, who had now begun to become more aware of her magic, definitely realized that it was different from using her magic to cause events. It seemed to require more energy. Her arm went a little numb after the usual tingle, but here was a beautiful gold bar gleaming in the middle of the room, after a minute or so.


    "It was fast!" said the Hunter, so impressed that he didn''t even hide the ''compliment''.


    "You mean I did well?" Eun Ha was suddenly vain and happy with the result, no doubt quite different from that first-lesson fiasco.


    "Yes, you did. Now let''s go downstairs and have some coffee, then we''ll be back later, so you can train more."


    "Can I get my gold bar now?" the fashion designer asked, already heading for the valuable object. But the Hunter scolded her,


    "Leave it there and come with me."


    ''Aigoo, always being so hard on me¡­'' she had no choice but to follow him again. Sometimes Eun Ha thought she looked like a duckling after her duck-mother, as Shin the Hunter walked fast and didn''t care how she would follow him.


    At the cafeteria, after a sip of his drink, he told her,


    "Jung, continuing our last ''lesson'', the chi that acc.u.mulates in a fairy can belong to one of the two types, regarding accessibility. We usually refer to these two types as anchored magic and floating magic. And it''s important to know how you can use this energy and how it interferes with the creation of spells. Whether objects or events."


    Eun Ha sucked hard on her straw, completely intent on her tutor''s words. As his student asked no questions, the Hunter continued,


    "Well, as I said before, we capture the quintessence of the environment, and it stores itself in us. However, over time, unused magical energy does not dissipate but acc.u.mulates ''away from the surface.''


    "This energy is harder to access. "Floating" energy, on the other hand, is the most recently acquired chi, or quintessence, and is easier to consume on magic."


    "No, I don''t know if I understand. Do we spend the newest first, and then the oldest?"


    "Well, I''ll try to explain further," he shifted in his chair, took another sip of coffee, and resumed,


    "Remember Jung, the fairies can''t control the quintessence they capture. The only way to do that is by trying to be and surround yourself with elements that produce the ''good'' quintessence, and immerse in it. Because fairies pick up quintessential energy and transmute it into their bodies, the kind of quintessence that they capture also affects their bodies, and vice versa. So, when it''s out in the air, so to speak, we can classify them in three types. But when it''s inside a fairy, it is transmuted and receives the influence of the fairy energy.


    The energies a fairy can attract are, basically:


    Number 1, Yang, White Energy. Or Good, if you prefer to call it that. As I said before, it is the chi of good intentions, happy and pleasant environments, sacred and blessed. Environments full of pure and high feelings; as gratitude, affection, kindness, mercy, love, peace, harmony, joy, fascination and many others.


    "Number 2, Black Energy, Yin, or as you can imagine, ''Bad Energy'', is the energy of evil intent; from toxic and unpleasant environments; damn, corrupted, dirty, full of low and vile feelings; such as envy, greed, l.u.s.t, corruption, anger, contempt, disgust, hatred, violence, horror, etc."


    "Number 3, the Neutral Energy, Yinyang. This is rarest and the type that will not bring direct benefits to the fairy or the environment. It can be used for any kind of magic, and it can be transmuted into both energies. It is found in places where the other two types of energy cancel each other out, or in special situations that I will detail later.


    "As I said, Energy, chi or quintessence, is stored in a fairy on two levels: floating and anchored."


    "Floating "energy: it is the "shallow" energy just picked up. It is easier to access, and the first source to consume normally. For younger or inexperienced fairies, it is the only energy to be used, practically."


    "The ''anchored'' energy, in turn, has been with the fairy for a long time without use. It is a kind of energy reserve and is usually quite imbued with the fairy''s personality. Also, when consumed, usually leave sequels in the health of the fairy. Consuming the anchored energy is never advisable, but it''s the most potent energy of a fairy."


    "Do you understand?" he asked, and Eun Ha nodded vehemently. In fact, she was impressed that her teacher had greatly improved his teaching today.


    "I understand that like yin and yang the energies are polarized, but it is also possible to find neutral yin-yang energy in some cases. Chi, when absorbed, brings information and energetic charges with its primordial characteristics, and therefore influences the fairy.  An acc.u.mulation of chi is called anchored magic. Anchored magic has characteristics of its new owner''s personality, and are not yin or yang anymore. Depending on the fairy''s pool of anchored magic, it turns yin or yang. Anchored magic is difficult to access and when used exhausts the fairy," Eun Ha struggled to give her version and show to have absorbed so much knowledge that it would become anchored magic.


    To Eun Ha''s surprise, the Hunter beamed beautifully at her.

 Chapter 105 - Magic Money 2

    "Where is it? Where''s my gold bar? "Eun Ha hurried into the apartment when they returned from the cafe for a little more ''training''. The valuable item was gone, despite the key being in the Hunter''s hand. She looked up at her teacher, astonished.


    "You now know why you shouldn''t pay with magic money. It''ll disappear after a while," Shin said, closing the door behind him.


    "It can''t be like that! It''s not like that in fairy tales!" the fairy protested, sulking. Despite the magical moment of winning a huge smile from her crush and teacher, Eun Ha was very excited about the possibility of not only paying Ye Rim''s debts, but also of becoming the youngest Korean millionaire woman.


    "Don''t tell me that you have no idea why this is happening, Jung. I just explained it " no one could accuse the Hunter of not trying to teach the fashion designer something. Still pouting, she pondered a little,


    "Because¡­ it was done with floating magic, perhaps?"


    "Yes, that and also something else. By the way, what do you think happened to your raincoat from that day?" He casually asked, putting his hands in his coat pocket.


    "WHAT?!!! My stylish beautiful raincoat ceased to exist?! No! I don''t want to live anymore!" In fact, Eun Ha never checked it again after keeping it in her closet. The same for the items she created inside Ye Rim''s bag. Once she got them locked inside a drawer, she forgot them.


    The Hunter snorted at his student''s sudden drama, and said,


    "Jung, floating magic is not forever. In fact, she is very ephemeral."


    Eun Ha blinked and blinked again, thinking about everything the teacher had recently explained.


    "Ahhhh! I got it! This has to do with the use of floating magic! It''s not everlasting!"


    "Yes, ephemeral magic lasts only seconds, or at most, hours. And uses only floating magic."


    "Like Cinderella''s dress!"


    "Hmmm," apparently her tutor didn''t seem to like comparing real magic to fairy tales. "In any case, Jung, you would be caught quickly if you used ephemeral magic to create money, and financially harm people. And you''ll learn that using anchored magic to create semi-permanent, or lasting, magic is costly and painful..."


    The young fairy watched the Hunter discreetly, out of the corner of her eye. She knew he had been limping for a while, even though it was barely noticeable. Would it have to do with the use of too much anchored magic?"


    "Is the teacher going to teach me to use both?"


    "Yes, let''s train a little here, I''ll tell you how to do it and you do the best you can," Shin said. Eun Ha already imagined that there would be no demonstrations; in fact, she already suspected that he did not perform spells; not because he did not want to, but because he could not.


    In the next one and a half hours, the Hunter taught and explained how to use magic to create objects and change them; how to make them look the way they want, and even how to make them last longer than just a few hours.


    He also spoke about the scales of magic: Ephemeral, Enduring, Deep, which allowed great magical effects to last; and Life, which required more than anchored magic, but part of the fairy''s vital energy, to be performed.


    The Professor also mentioned that he would soon teach her about control methods: how to countermagic, intrusive magic, and conditional magic. And also the schools of magic, which made Eun Ha very curious.


    Then Hunter Shin said he would let her train some more, while he would be gone for a few hours, researching something.


    Eun Ha was definitely having a lot more fun without the teacher around to curb her imagination with rules and rules!


    In fact, when the Hunter returned, his student was waiting for him anxiously outside the door.


    Eun Ha was a little tired but definitely excited about her progress! She wore Gucci boots and a Givenchy coat, as well as a Chanel bag and matching accessories. Even her makeup copied exactly the best products and techniques, and besides, her hair shone like silk.


    But of course, what did the Professor ask her?


    "Is this your witch hat the only real thing about you?"


    Eun Ha felt her balloon of happiness wither a little, but before she could answer, he still had a question,


    "Did you remember to change your lingerie too?"


    "OHHH !!!!" She was shocked, and a little embarrassed, for not remembering the underwear.


    But in a way happy that he thought of her lingerie, "Professor!"


    "Everyone forgets their underwear," he responded casually, while being pushed into the apartment by Eun Ha, who was unable to contain her expectations.


    What she wanted to show was her meticulous and creative interior decoration work. The entire apartment was renovated, from floor to ceiling, with the most perfect replicas of furniture and decorative objects that Vogue Home Residence could publish on its pages. It was like walking in a drama setting, and that''s exactly what Eun Ha said,


    "Doesn''t it look like we''re in a drama set? Am I good or not? Ah, it''s like being a millionaire!" she whirled, ecstatic with her own gift for the first time in her life.


    It was as if she had found his purpose in existence! It would be so simple to live, just creating everything she needed at the right time!


    But her Professor opened drawers, looked behind the curtains and cushions. Each time he did something like this, Eun Ha became more and more anxious. "Damn perfectionist!" She grumbled through her teeth, starting to get irritated.


    "It''s not good? Don''t tell me you''re going to judge if I simulated the price tags too..."


    That was when the first item, a comfortable Louis XV, vanished into the air, at the same time that Eun Ha felt a huge urge to sneeze!


    "Achoo!!!"


    I think"I think you lost some of your decor, Jung," the Professor was mocking, but when he looked up, his amused expression became concerned and he approached her.


    "Why did the Professor go around checking so much ?! It was so beautiful!"


    Hunter Shin took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her, signaling that she should clean her face. When Eun Ha complied, the young fairy saw that she had lost some blood through her nose. With a sigh, she stopped focusing so much, and almost everything she had built, including her garments, vanished in the air as if it had never existed in the first place. Only a few objects, such as the sofa, were left intact.


    "This is not fun," the young fairy complained.


    "You did very well, Jung. Better than anyone I''ve seen before."


    "Really?!" considering how cheap the Hunter was with praise and encouragement, it must have been true. This made her less discouraged. "So for the first time did I do well?"


    "I shouldn''t have tried so hard, but I see that you don''t look as drained as most of us would have been at your age," the Professor said, simply.


    "YES! That means I''m really special, isn''t it? Professor had said the other day that my method is different from all others, and now he says that I am very good at doing magic!"


    "No, I said that you use shady banished methods; and that today, you have managed to create a lot huge number of objects out of nowhere. Using even a little anchored magic. Without getting too tired. Which leads me to believe..."


    ''I hate those dramatic pauses, it always seems like he will think better and never tell me what goes through his head,'' the stylist threw herself on the couch. In fact, she needed to get some rest.


    "That you have access to an enormous amount of magical energy, so much so that your anchored magic is quite strong."


    "Even with my nose bleeding?" she asked, a little confused by the information. But something came to her mind as the most logical explanation,


    "You think it''s strange because you don''t know Ye Rim! You didn''t even hear her sing! Surely she creates magic with her music!"


    The Hunter raised an eyebrow, pondering, "Well, it could be. Humans who are true artists produce magic enough to be perceived even by humans themselves!"


    "But it''s special! She''s better than everyone!"


    "Of course you would say that," he was not impressed by his student''s enthusiasm. "And we return to the subject of our meeting, that''s not it?"


    "Do we? Ah yes! Ye Rim! Professor! Help me to help her! What can I do?!"


    "It''s very simple and I already said that. Pay. If you don''t have the money, produce it somehow," he sighed, apparently mentally preparing himself for more whine on the part of his student.


    "I don''t ..."


    "JUNG! How can you be so defeatist?! Do your best! You have a profession, so you have the means to earn money honestly! What''s your best, anyway? Grumbling and chasing your prot¨¦g¨¦''s suitors, is all you know how to do?"


    "No! I DESIGN CLOTHES!"


    "Oh, well, I remembered," his expression was not encouraging, and it filled Eun Ha with spite. And there were few things that motivated Eun Ha more than her willingness to prove himself right.


    "Well, I just had an incredible idea to get the money on my clothes and pay off the debt I created for Ye Rim!"


    "...!"

 Chapter 106 - Operation Gamer 1

    Eun Ha''s bombastic statement, about having an idea of how to pay the debt she caused to her prot¨¦g¨¦, took the Hunter by surprise,


    "This is good. I''m glad you made good use of today''s class," he glanced at the watch on his wrist, ostensibly. "You said you didn''t have any scheduled plans for today, did you?"


    "Yes! Tonight, we could go to amazing places! I want to have fun and have the Star''s VIP treatment, and now I know I can!" said the fairy, apparently planning to make good use of her newly learned techniques.


    "Let me guess: this shameless fairy intends to use her powers on herself to shamelessly flaunt and humiliate rivals and foes," the Hunter made a pretty good prediction of what was going on with Eun Ha''s thoughts.


    "What''s the problem? Don''t tell me that also this is banned by the Fairy Counsel?" the fashion stylist was apprehensive.


    "No, it''s not banned. It''s just part of a clich¨¦ almost as old as the fairies themselves ... But, you can''t do that, anyway," he lamented exaggeratedly.


    "Why, Professor Shin?"


    "Because today you''re going to pay the second favor to me."


    Recalling the last unpleasant experience for a moment, Eun Ha opened her eyes wide,


    "Well, I was being optimistic about my free time, but actually I think I should go home and start working on my plan, ..."


    "Don''t even start, Jung. I am fulfilling our part of the agreement and you must fulfill yours," said the Hunter with an annoyed expression. "While you spent the whole afternoon training, I was doing some research and I think I can''t wait any longer to act. I need your favor today."


    The young fairy sighed, resigned,


    "Yes, I know, we have a deal. I just wish I didn''t have to deal with all those things again."


    The Hunter kept silent about this, and Eun Ha now imagined that he also preferred not to have to take an amateur with him to hunting situations.


    "Can we have dinner before, while the Professor tells me what we have to do?"


    With Hunter''s consent, they went to dinner. And contrary to Eun Ha''s previous plans, the restaurant was nothing expensive or trendy. In reality, it was a fried chicken chain, the sort that can be found in any corner of the city.


    '' Aish, I would never imagine coming to dinner with my crush in such a dull place ... '' the fashion designer lamented in her inner thoughts. But she tried to keep it cool, and charmingly smiled, biting a spicy chicken drumstick. Shin ordered the same, but was eating his absent-mindedly, immersed in his thoughts.


    "Professor, I asked you to tell me what we are going to do. Not to tell me only in your head, like the last time," she complained, when it became apparent that he was going to fall into his usual silence.


    "You little noise machine! You look like a shop door, always ringing," the Hunter crossly sighed. "I will speak when it is necessary to speak. And what needs to be said."


    "Oh, yes, I know, each piece of information has a cost, and the Teacher doesn''t teach classes for free. But it would have been different if¡­"


    "Why do you have to know every little thing?" he asked, a little aggravated. Eun Ha thought she was going a little too fast for her poor Professor. She knew Hunter Shin was usually scary, intimidating and all. But now that she understood the energies, Eun Ha wondered if prolonged exposure to bad environments was what made her tutor be in a constant bad mood. Well, that happened even to humans and animals, didn''t it? No wonder with a being that absorbs energy, like a fairy!


    "It''s not like I want to know about monsters. But it looks like I''m going to have to know if I''m going to pay back my classes. We''re going on a hunt, aren''t we?" she tried to find out.


    "Hm," he grunted, apparently noticing that Eun Ha wouldn''t wait for him to filter what to say. "Just be quiet. Listen without question."


    And the Hunter told his pupil about his next Hunt.


    "I had received a request from a fairy named In Jung some time ago, but I was busy with other things, and I was unable to answer at that time. This week, I found In Jung''s studio empty. I didn''t find him at his house either."


    Eun Ha was doing her best not to ask questions, and she even thought about taking her moleskin out of her bag and taking notes. However, she thought it would irritate her normally irritable teacher. But she was beginning to see a pattern. One fairy had a candy store, the other had a studio. And herself, well, she was also something of an artist. She could have sworn that the In Jung fairy had a prot¨¦g¨¦, just as she had Ye Rim. And Chil Won had Mr. Kim from the muffin factory.


    Just her Teacher, well, he was ... Hunter Shin.


    "Are you paying attention or all I need to do is say what I want you to do?" the Hunter hated to speak, and most of all, hated to speak uselessly, so Eun Ha hurried to answer,


    "No, no, I''m paying attention! In Jung didn''t come back to his studio. But what had he asked for, earlier?"


    "He commented about his suspicions In Jung believed to have been stumbled upon the activity of an Oneiric. A Oneiric is a creature that dominates the will of humans through fantasies and dreams. When the Oneiric captures a mind, it traps it in a network of illusory images, causing the human to lose track of reality. Oneirics are a plague today. He just wanted me to solve the problem because he thought his prot¨¦g¨¦ was involved with people who had signs of possession by Oneirics."


    "And are Oneirics like those wraiths?"


    "No. The effects are different. Usually, humans are already addicted to some type of activity that attracts Oneirics, such as drug abuse, games or other types of escapism. Humans become obsessed with the pleasure of that activity, but the dreamers feed on the human''s sense of pleasure. They are related to a succubus and incubus, but their focus is another type of pleasure."


    Eun Ha shivered, thinking that dreamers were a plague, but the information even made sense.


    "So, anyhow, are you going to do what he asked you to do? Wouldn''t it be better to look for him first?"


    "In Jung has always been impatient, and may have tried to solve the question himself, just like Chil Won. But I finally managed to locate the whereabouts of his prot¨¦g¨¦, and the whole case is really ... worrying," the young fairy realized that her tutor regretted having used this word, but now it was too late.


    "What''s going on, Professor Shin?"


    "In Jung''s prot¨¦g¨¦ is a video game programmer. He recently created a kind of virtual universe as one of those games that young people spend hours online playing."


    "And are the players in this game being parasitized by Oneirics? Most likely," Eun Ha tried to guess, and she gave herself an answer, feeling very satisfied with her own wit.


    "You''re right. The problem is that the game company that this boy founded was closed about a month ago, and this boy, Lee Yo Sub, disappeared. But I found his location, as I said."


    "And where is he?! Eun Ha was anxious for the answer, but then remembered that it probably involved the difficult part of the hunt.


    "It looks like he''s in a clandestine LAN house. The only server that runs the game infested with Oneirics is the server at this LAN house. And according to the informants I got, it is the only updated game server for Yo Sub."


    "And is there such a thing?"


    "I must understand even less than you do network games, or MMORPG, as they call it. This LAN  house is not far from here, and is controlled by a family of criminals."


    "Well, I heard that there are young people who are completely addicted to some video games, who can spend hours and even days immersed in these virtual realities," Said the fashion stylist, beginning to better understand the scope of the Oneirics'' activities.


    "Yes, I was told that this LAN house is crowded with young people who are completely absorbed in this game''s virtual reality. They seldom go offline. I suspect that this human is being forced to produce the updates just for this clandestine server, for some reason."


    "He''s kidnapped there, is that it?" Eun Ha asked, concluding the unfortunate programmer''s situation.


    "I guess so. What I do know is that In Jung would not stand by and allow this kind of situation."


    The younger fairy needed no further explanation to imagine that the fairy might have had trouble trying to rescue his prot¨¦g¨¦. The Hunter looked irritated with himself, but before his ward asked some kind of embarrassing question, he said,


    "Well, getting into this LAN house doesn''t seem to be that difficult, for the right people. What I need to do is find Yo Sub and if I can, In Jung. And get them out of there."


    "What about the Oneirics?"


    "One doesn''t simply destroy Oneirics. The best you can do is banish them for a while away from humans. This really devastates infected humans, but it''s not impossible for them to recover.


    "Now the big question, Professor. How can I help you, anyway?"


    "Well,¡­" her tutor bit his lip in that s.e.xy, embarrassed way he did so well, when a question from Eun Ha baffled him. "Entering the LAN house is easy for the right people. However, I clearly don''t look like a person who would go to that kind of place."


    "And¡­?"


    The idea that came to her mind was a lot of fun, but Eun Ha had to ask, "Does Professor need me to change his appearance for a few hours?"


    The Hunter heavily sighed and closed his eyes, and agreed.

 Chapter 107 - Operation Gamer 2

    "It doesn''t seem to be working," Eun Ha grumbled, looking at the result of his magic. Although the clothes were in line with her sketch, she just couldn''t think of how to change her Professor''s appearance. This resulted in failure of the magic, and his face just didn''t change.


    "I think you have very strong expressions," she explained, trying to justify the block after so many attempts.


    "Um, did you do so well in the afternoon, are you tired by any chance?" he asked, his back to the mirror. Obeying the stylist''s whims, Hunter Shin could not look in the mirror until she was finished. They were in the warehouse of the clothing store of a friend of Eun Ha, who had given the space for the stylist to ''try clothes on her model''.


    "No, I actually feel full of energy and disposition! I''m very excited! I could eat a pot of jjajangmyeon and go up flights of stairs! I''m nervous!" the fairy confessed, jumping up and down." I shouldn''t have had coffee earlier!"


    "So easy off. You are wasting all of our time," the Hunter seemed to be spending all his proverbial little patience quickly. "What did you understand about conditional magic?"


    Eun Ha was displeased that he was asking about it, as if she hadn''t absorbed the theory. This was not the case. She took a deep breath,


    "Well, I can condition magic to certain events, to make it stronger. For example, I can turn a prince into a frog. But in order not to put in too much anchored magic on it, I can determine that if a girl kisses him, the effect of my spell ends."


    "Then condition your magic at once, and do what you have to do!" as always, the Hunter was in a bad mood and snapped at her.


    "Aishhh ..." she grumbled to herself. "I just can''t seem to concentrate on thinking another look for Professor Shin!" Well, actually yes, she could think of a couple of good new looks for him. In getting that tousled hair done, and putting a bit of makeup, and ... All the things Eun Ha thought she could do soon, when her plan to help Ye Rim was in action. But not now. Now she needed an ordinary young man.


    Eun Ha had previously done part of the magic crafting, creating the clothes he would wear. In fact, she was shocked to see him in ''regular'' clothes; the kind that a college student would wear.


    She then created glasses that would match that ''nerdy'' outfit: a varsity bomber jacket, a plaid shirt, and very ordinary pants. Finishing it up with a plain black cap.


    Then the Hunter put on the fake glasses, after cleaning the lenses. Eun Ha couldn''t look at him without burst into laughing,


    "Ehhhhhh! What is the reason for laughter? What did you do to make me look silly?"


    "It''s just¡­ well, Professor Shin is looking like a drama actor who suddenly has to film a flashback to his student life. Totally fake-looking," she laughed, but didn''t say the most important part. It was as if they had painted a tiger in pink and put on fake bunny ears. It was clear that it was a disguise.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about, but I figured it already. I''m ridiculous-looking. Of course. Because I don''t need the favor of a fairy to just disguise myself and drawing even more attention."


    He was looking quite cute, but at the same time a bit off-ish. Still, she suddenly wanted to be a noona to this fake student. '' I would even pay for your food, Student Shin! ''


    "Don''t be ambitious. Just rejuvenate me enough, it will be enough," Shin suggested, taking out his pack of cigarettes. It was the last cigarette in the pack, which he crushed and tossed right into the bin.


    "Uhn ... This isn''t good enough, but it''s an interesting approach," the suggestion appealed to Eun Ha, who now pointed her magic wand at the face of Fairy Shin.


    She made a silly sound, "ZRUMMM!" since her magic wand didn''t make funny sounds alone.


    "Okay?" Hunter Shin asked skeptically, analyzing his apprentice''s excited reaction.


    "Okay!" she had to restrain herself from jumping with excitement! As always blas¨¦ and indifferent, the Hunter groped for his lighter and ignored her display of self-awe.


    When the Hunter lit his cigarette and took the first drag, his moment of leisure was cut off by Eun Ha''s two fingers in tweezers, extinguishing the end of the cigarette.


    "Ouch!" She complained the little burn, carefully smoothing out the smoke she had put out. The fairy Hunter glared at his student,


    "What the hell are you doing, Jung? I think you''re going well beyond your limits, Agassi!"


    "Erm, well¡­ This is my Conditional Rule. When this cigarette ends, the effect of my spell will also come to an end," Eun ha felt quite pleased with herself, as she looked at a young and resplendent version of Hunter Shin.


    '' Omo, so cute! I didn''t know I could be a noona in love! ''


    Hunter Shin raised an eyebrow, seeming to conform when he realized that his student had learned very well. Conditional magic becomes more potent and easier, the riskier the condition; it was what he had taught.


    "So what, Professor? Don''t you want to look in the mirror? Don''t you want to remind your best years?"


    "What nonsense is this, Jung? Those were not my best years," he was turning to the mirror, but her words, in fact, made the opposite effect. Hunter Shin resisted the urge and won over curiosity.


    "Come on, it''s been too long," he abruptly snatched his last cigarette from Eun Ha''s hand, heading for the exit.


    "Aish, so grumpy ... I hope he really resists the urge to smoke this last cigarette," the fairy grumbled to herself once again, following her tutor.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The fairy couple arrived at an unsuspected commercial building in the early evening. Shin had already given general instructions to his student. He would come in first, and then Eun Ha would come in and ask for him. Then all she had to do was sit at a computer and after a few minutes, manage to do a magic spell by reproducing an alert message on the Room Manager''s computer.


    The Hunter then showed her the exact image of the screen she was supposed to reproduce.


    When the computers went through the reboot that this alert would trigger by the team, Eun Ha should ''get bored'' and go to the restroom. There, she was supposed to wait for him, and use her magic in one of the cubicles so that people would think they saw only a solid wall. She just had to quietly wait in safety, that he would come to her and take her home.


    Of course, he didn''t intend to include her in the dangerous part of the hunting, Eun Ha already expected for it. But ... This place seems to have special security. Normally she wouldn''t have noticed if the Professor hadn''t said earlier that the building and the LAN house belong to the mafia. But these scary men wandering around in the building remind Eun Ha of Go Hong Gi''s men. Hong Gi was the mobster who owned Pearl''s building. ''Ugh, bad people! ''


    In addition, this building didn''t have good energy, and Eun Ha wanted to spend as little time as possible there.


    She turned to look again at the handsome young Hunter, and felt her heart rejoice again. She stumbled on a step but didn''t fall.


    "Try to act naturally, Jung," her master muttered under his breath, reprimanded her.


    '' How does he think I''m going to act naturally, if I can''t stop staring at him?''


    "O-kay, your NOONA is going to buy something to drink, do you want something, SHIN?" she said with a grin, emphasizing their new dynamic and his name. The Hunter even blinked. It was obvious he was feeling humiliated for being treated informally, and as a mere student, by his own apprentice.


    Hunter Shin took a deep breath, and gave a bewildered smile which seemed to say '' Are you tired of your life? Do you want to die? '', but actually said, "Of course noona, I''ll be right back."


    '' Look who talks about acting naturally, where did he learn to act so badly?'' Eun Ha thought she could contain the smirk that came to her lips, and acted as aegyo as possible, waving goodbye when ''student Shin'' came down the stairs that led to the bas.e.m.e.nt of the building. That was where the clandestine LAN house was located.


    Eun Ha had a drink in the building''s cafeteria, to pass the time while pretending to look at her cell phone, but she was very nervous. In fact, Eun Ha was aware that tonight''s greatest threat was not a supernatural attack, but the fact that greedy humans probably kept people trapped and enslaved somewhere in this building. And despite knowing that Hunter Shin was probably a very capable man of action, from the little sample she had during the first hunt, the place would probably be full of people. How would he do everything without using any magic other than a modified appearance and a trick on a computer screen?


    The fairy discreetly reached for her monocle in the bag to observe the surrounding area. From where she was, sitting inside the cafeteria, she could see the end of the corridor that led to the bas.e.m.e.nt. Quickly activating the object with a little floating magic, the fairy placed the object over one eye and peered at the ambient.


    The corridor looked almost typical, if it weren''t for dark stains in the corners, signs of corruption and the potential presence of wraiths and other beings attracted by low feelings. But what caught Eun Ha''s attention was the profusion of mysterious colorful and attractive lights, like coming out of a fantastic amus.e.m.e.nt park, coming from the stairs to the bas.e.m.e.nt.

 Chapter 108 - Operation Gamer 3

    "If you speak out loud or someone complains about you, you will be expelled. Only one person per machine is allowed. No outside drink or food is allowed." Those were the rules she heard when asking the doorman to enter the world of colored and psychedelic lights dominated by the Oneirics.


    Entering, Eun Ha found out she had to pass other two thugs: huge, mean-looking men who seemed to hate the job they were doing. Without the blue monocle, what the fairy saw was a dark place that didn''t smell good: there was a nasty mixture of smells of food, sweat and dirt and even human waste, cloaked with cleaning products. The place was chilly, and most of the light came from the screens in the stalls. Near the entrance, there was a sort of mini convenience store, with refrigerators and shelves. The person responsible for renting the machines, or Room Manager, was behind the counter.


    At a glance, Eun Ha thought the room had at least a hundred stalls, in rows. The hum of the machines and the frantic chatter were the dominant sounds in the room. She didn''t see the Hunter, but that was to be expected. Her Professor was probably already on one of the machines, as part of his cover.


    With the monocle, however, the view was completely different.


    Colorful lights dominated the room. Eun Ha saw humans sitting in their cubicles, and from the computer screen, very thin and opalescent chords clinging to people''s faces. She could see the chords pulsing rhythmically. Some people also seemed to have fluorescent blue spots spreading from the face to the rest of the body, in varying amounts. They looked like sparkling spores, which also pulsed and exuded a little of a purulent and suspicious-looking substance. To Eun Ha''s understanding, they somehow looked to be open wounds caused by some kind of magical leeches.


    In any case, none of the people she observed would be able to look anywhere but at the screen. They were connected to them by the faces. Eun Ha couldn''t even see their faces with the monocle. That tangle of pulsating chords must have been the Oneirics'' feeding method. Eun Ha wondered if she would really like to see the entire and actual appearance of one of them, concluding that, definitely, not.


    It was grotesque and terrifying to assume that these people, mostly young students, were being consumed mentally by those seductive creatures and their bright lights. Eun Ha also felt that all the magic of the environment had already been absorbed by the Oneirics. She also understood there that they were, the fairies and them, rival species. The distinction is that the Oneirics really vampirized humans in search of energy, and fed on it. She feared if, in this case, a fairy was not a plump and stuffed delicacy for an oneiric. Eun Ha really hoped that her tutor had not suppressed this information from her, but the fairy felt that she was starting to sweat cold.


    She started up her acting,


    " Ajuhssiii, my boyfriend just arrived. He''s gorgeous and has a jacket and plaid shirt¡­"


    The Hunter could call that expression ''sneezing rabbit'', but the disgusting attendant pointed to a row and typed something, placing a numbered magnetic card on the counter.


    Eun Ha bowed to thank him, knowing that, unlike Hunter Shin, other men found her aegyo way very cute. She reached out for the card. Unexpectedly the strangely repellent salon manager asked for a credit card or cash deposit to give it to her.


    ''Aishhh what a heartless person!'' she thought, opening her wallet to get some bills. Moving to the designated place, Eun Ha discovered herself forcing each of her steps to make at the end of the corridor between the rows. The lack of magic and humanity was evident and chilly. Everything was sucked into computers. The screens flashed with colorful characters and explosions and movement, but aside from the players'' frantic fingers, they were essentially immobile and engrossed. Captured and mesmerized.


    ''The Hunter needs to do something about it!'' she shuddered in disgust, seeing his head pop up behind a cubicle wall.


    Hunter Shin motioned for her to come over soon, and Eun Ha thanked the heavens for seeing him. The young fairy felt more secure, even though she still wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    Eun Ha sat in the stall next to the young version of Professor Shin, and with her magnetic card, she activated the computer. It welcomed her and next, offered several options for games. Judging only the price tag of the game sessions in the menu, Eun Ha soon learned that the most popular MMORPG there was Lords of Runedrake. It should be Lee Yo Sub''s game. Turning to the Hunter, she whispered,


    "When do I do it?"


    "Ten minutes from now," was her Professor''s reply.


    "Are these things going to eat me if I join the game?" Again she whispered.


    He shook his head, reassuring his apprentice, and made a sign of silence. However, Eun Ha chose another game and started typing randomly, just in case.


    Her heart was pounding very hard, and Eun Ha thought she was going to have a heart attack when the Hunter suddenly got up, and by making a sign, showed that he was going somewhere. The young fairy looked at her watch and saw that she would have to spend at least another 7 minutes pretending to play, before putting step two of the plan into practice.


    Eun Ha looked again at the screen of her cell phone for the image she was supposed to reproduce. ''Better to memorize it.''


    6 minutes.


    5 minutes.


    The stylist could no longer know where the Hunter was, and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.


    Suddenly, the lights went out for a brief moment, and the whole room seemed to disappear into the darkness.


    Strangely, it took a while for humans to complain, and that happened when the lights came on, and the computers turned on again.


    ''But¡­ what was that?! A power outage? And now? Should I follow the plan?'' She got up, a little shaky, out of tension. But she went towards the counter, feeling more relieved to be closer to the door with each step.


    "Erh, Manager? I can''t choose another game, I think my computer crashed," she said the first thing that came to her mind, Eun Ha just wanted to be as close to his computer as possible. The manager didn''t seem to hear her, looking at the screen, and she repeated what she said,


    "Ah, sit there that someone is going to see this in a moment."


    Taking her wand out of her pocket, Eun Ha spoke, drawing his attention. While discreetly pointing the magic object at the computer, and casting the spell.


    "AJUHSSIIII! ''I DON''T WANT TO WAIT! CAN''T YOU BE FASTER?!"


    The Manager glared at her for Eun Ha speaking so loudly, breaking the rules of the LAN house. But he peered at the magnetic card the woman was waving in front of him, and spoke patiently, "Agassi, sit down at your machine and wait. I''ll send someone over there."


    Eun Ha pretended to return, but headed for the restroom as planned. However, when the fairy got there, there was a cleaning cart, and a sulky cleaning lady to warn her,


    "You won''t be able to use the restroom now, I''m cleaning. Someone threw up at all of this."


    "Eek!" she tried to peer over the cleaning lady, but the grumpy ajuhmma went in and closed the door pointedly on the client''s face.


    ''Omo! What to do?'' Eun Ha looked this way and that, knowing that it completely changed the plans.


    Then her gaze strayed to two doors ahead, from which two men hurried out and went up the stairs at the end of the room.


    A sign on the door said:


    ''AUTHORIZED PEOPLE ONLY - IT.


    This seemed like a great opportunity. Maybe she could finish off that Oneiric barn before she left!


    Sneaking around and watching to see if she was not being noticed, Eun Ha came to the door, and found it was locked. Disobeying his Professor''s explicit orders, Eun Ha used her wand to jinx the electronic lock, opening the door easily after the disarming beep,


    ''Mwhahahaha, I could be a great spy!'' she celebrated her minor victory mentally.


    Upon entering the room, the first thing that caught her attention was the security monitoring screens, as well as the computers monitoring the activities on the rented machines. Eun Ha didn''t understand any of that, so she turned to the security camera screens. Some screens showed the public part of the LAN house, where the players were, and the entrances. Others, however, showed several other rooms that Eun Ha did not think existed.


    Scanning quickly, she searched for movement, and saw where the IT technicians had gone. They were in a server room, rummaging through the shelves and blinking machines, looking for the defect reproduced in the alarm screen. She also saw, in another room, a man who was eating some delivery food while a woman observed. It was a bit off, but that was not what Eun Ha wanted to see. The fairy girl reached for the keyboard and started trying to spot where the Hunter was.


    Wandering through the controls, Eun Ha accessed the cameras on the third floor, and then faced chaos. Men ran after the  Hunter and another young, tall and overweight man. Hunter Shin pushed a cleaning cart toward the kidnappers to buy time. However, it was clear to the spectating fairy that Lee Yo Sub''s poor physical form delayed them a lot. The Hunter stayed a little behind, to fight with the security guards.


    He was really good at that! Eun Ha was tiptoeing in anticipation and excitement when she learned that her wonderful Professor of Magic Affairs was an excellent Taekwondo fighter! ''That! Yes! Awn! Much better than any MMA wrestler, how can you be so perfect and manly?!'' she wondered with a smile on her face.


    "Is it too much fun, Agassi?" Eun Ha heard the mocking voice behind her, and felt the tip of a blade poking her ribs. Looking over her shoulder, the fairy confirmed her bad luck. One of the security guards and the disgusting Room Manager looked at her menacingly.

 Chapter 109 - Operation Gamer 4

    "Uh-oh!" Eun Ha automatically raised her hands, feeling that those bandits would have no qualms about stabbing her if she resisted. Immediately the horrible manager took out his cell phone and said,


    "We got the girl."


    On the screen the fairy was looking at, she realized that Hunter Shin stopped fighting, turning to the camera. She imagined that her Professor might be listening to something being said over speakers, as that was his expression. Quickly looking at the programmer he had come to rescue, who was huddled in a corner, Shin held up his hands in surrender. The security guards who were being beaten by him could not do anything, although at least they tried to get up. Even so, the Hunter just waited in the middle of the corridor, with his hands on the back of his neck.


    Eun Ha took a jolt, and was sharply grabbed by the arm, being forced to leave the monitoring room along with her captors.


    The fairy girl was taken upstairs and placed in a large meeting room, all white and with a huge table. But she was taken to a far corner, away from the table.


    She was thrown against a chair, and sat on it, avoiding disobeying them. They mumbled something to each other, referring to Eun Ha as ''the bitch who almost screwed us''. But they did seem to fear the consequences of the security breach, which they would surely be charged with.


    They took her purse and coat from her, where her ''extravagant pen'' was. She wasn''t tied or handcuffed, but her objects were placed on a table away from her.


    ''They used me for Hunter Shin to surrender!'' this conclusion made Eun Ha''s mouth dry and her chest ache as if she had been punched directly over the heart. But Eun Ha tried to control the panic that took away her reasoning. She was not as brave as Ye Rim. She had never been, since children. But Ye Rim had given tips on how to overcome stage fright and how to speak in public. Lessons that had been valuable to Eun Ha at various times. At this point, she needed to calm down and think of something to free them. She couldn''t give in to panic, definitely.


    "Are you going to call your boss or not?" Eun Ha asked suddenly, because it seemed like a good idea to master the situation. That''s what the good guys did in the movies, at least.


    "Shut up, bitch, what do you think you''re doing?" the Manager laughed evilly, "Don''t worry, when she arrives, you''ll be sorry you were in such a hurry, hehe."


    ''It doesn''t help much to know that the boss is a ''she'', does it?'' the fairy asked herself, not knowing the answer. But she had to keep trying,


    "Well, tell her that I''m only going to negotiate the information I already have about this place if she brings and releases my assistant."


    "What a jerk!" the manager came up to her and threatened to hit her face. Fortunately, it was an empty threat, but Eun Ha instinctively turned away. The manager then left the room. The thug who had captured her stayed with Eun Ha, though. They didn''t seem to be sure what to do with her at the moment. It was as if they were waiting for orders.


    Eun Ha stood looking at the wall, wondering if she was trying to use her magic, even without the wand to channel, to escape from there.


    However, she didn''t know where her master was, or the kidnapped Programmer they came to save. Should she run away alone, or should she try to help Hunter Shin? What if she just screwed it up for him? For the second time he had to change his modus operandi because of her!


    But then they finally opened the door and brought in both Programmer Lee and Hunter Shin.


    The young game developer was pale and scared, but he looked fine. The Fairy Shin, in his student appearance, had some bruises and bloodstains, in addition to limping a lot. Eun Ha swallowed at the sight!


    Before Eun Ha could say anything, she saw a woman a little older than herself entering behind them. The newcomer had a contemptuous smile and a cruel look that took all the beauty out of her carefully made-up face. With the elegantly dressed woman, two other bad-looking, sadistic-looking thugs entered and closed the door.


    The other two prisoners were seated away from Eun Ha, but unlike her, they were handcuffed. Eun Ha noticed that the Hunter assessed her condition, but when he raised his head to try to look around, one of the henchmen slapped his head hard, in a clear show of dominance. This, coupled with the fact that the henchman next to Eun Ha again pulled out the knife and placed it close to the fairy''s neck, made Shin stop trying to challenge the captors.


    "Didn''t you really learn your lesson, Yo Sub? Will you continue to attract idiots who think they are heroes to our trade deal?" said the woman, jokingly addressing the programmer.


    More than fear, Eun Ha was starting to get irritated by that ridiculous villain caricature. Yo Sub did not answer, just bowed his head. He didn''t seem to do this out of cowardice, but because he didn''t know who the pair that had tried to save him were. However, Eun Ha saw the opportunity to try to bargain and who knows, to get the attention of that odious woman.


    "Yo Sub is a genius, that would happen more or less day. Don''t you think you''ll be able to keep him hidden here forever? The Internet has many mouths and many eyes!"


    "Who are you after all, and why do you think you can intimidate me?" the woman scoffed.


    "Are you afraid of Easter Eggs that Yo Sub could put into the ''Lords of Runesdrake''? Don''t be ridiculous, Ajuhmma! You guys let out other leads much easier to follow than he could! After all¡­ He has a team of designers who watch him very well, don''t he?" Eun Ha was haphazardly saying random things, avoiding her teacher''s disapproving and furious look. She had come to some conclusions on her own, about how for example it was impossible for the Programmer to do everything alone. But the fashion designer was betting that much of the ''game design'' would be left to the Oneirics, who would turn any trash into the best virtual experience in the world. Even if there was a designer team, they wouldn''t be so quick to expand the game that way. Meaning¡­ That woman knew something about the supernatural nature of her business.


    The mobster woman reacted to En ha''s words a little more nervously than she would like to demonstrate, twisting her lips in a flawed act. And she came to Eun Ha, giving the fairy a painful slap across the face with all her strength,


    "Ouch!" Eun Ha felt her blood boil, and out of the corner of her eye the girl saw the handcuffed Hunter being restrained by two bullies.


    "Who''s the ajuhmma here, uh?!" the woman was hurt in her vanity, but Eun Ha thought the nervousness was for another reason.


    "Stop talking!" Hunter Shin grunted from the other side, and his gaze showed a mixture of fury and concern. But Eun Ha didn''t have that filter. The more nervous, the more talkative.


    "O-kay, President! It''s good to have an evacuation plan, because I did a live stream of my report until the moment I was found in the monitoring room! Don''t think that you will disappear with more people as you did with Artist In Jung!"


    At this point Programmer Lee lost his mind and tried to get up, dragging his chair with him, yelling at the mobster woman


    ,


    "You said you were going to set him free! You said that if I behaved you would set him free! I''m going to kill you!" He was restrained too, and at this moment of distraction the Hunter motioned to Eun Ha, moving only his lips, and showing the handcuffs,


    ''OPEN. IT!''


    However, Eun Ha knew that he was already injured and there was a henchman with a club very close to him. The woman turned to Eun Ha, barely containing her irritation,


    "So, you little s.l.u.tty reporter, did you do a live stream? Am I going to have to kill you both and pay some people to say it was all fake news?"


    Eun Ha swallowed, but taking a deep breath, said with as much c.o.c.kiness as possible,


    "Well, you''re being very extreme. I myself can admit that I made fake news to gain visibility. Set us free and I will be accessible. Paying me too would be a good plan."


    "The girl who doesn''t know how to apply eyeliner will be nice to me! Hahaha how hilarious!"


    The men laughed along with their boss, pathetically, and the fairy was furious. She was very proud of her skills with the eyeliner. It turns out that she liked the line very thick!


    "Hfn, what are you talking about? Shall we fight, woman to woman?! Are you tired of living?! Do you know who I am?! Aishhhhh!" Eun Ha shouted, while the woman continued laughing and gesturing over the black line in the fairy''s eyes.


    "STOP, for everything you care about, just STOP!" this was the poorly contained gruffy voice of Hunter Shin, begging for a little common sense from his student.


    The chief-ess turned to the young man,


    "Wow! But you are really¡­ handsome, Student! Have you ever thought about being a model or an actor?"


    The Hunter just looked at her with nothing but loath in his eyes,


    "Let noona go. It was a mistake."


    But now the obnoxious mobster woman seemed quite interested in the injured young nerd with swollen, sensual lips. She went over to Shin and crouched in front of him, holding his chin appraisingly and willingly,


    "Student, you shouldn''t be walking with this crazy woman. She''s dangerous."


    "You didn''t see anything! Take your hands off him!" Eun Ha didn''t know if she was afraid the bitch would hurt him, or she was just jealous of that whore''s hand on her dear Hunter!


    "Haha ha! So should I release your noona?" The chief-ess laughed and felt for Hunter Shin''s chest, who huffed with hate as he was restrained by the henchman.


    "Stop groping him, you whore!"


    While he was being bullied by the naughty woman, Shin looked at Eun Ha and again motioned for her to release him. ''FAST. RELEASE. ME!'' But the henchman next to Eun Ha shook her and showed the knife again, "Shut up, bitch!"


    Suddenly, the criminal woman reached into Shin''s shirt pocket and fished out a cigarette.


    The ''cigarette''.


    With a crystalline laugh, she said,


    "Well, if I can''t have the pleasure I want, at least offer me your cigarette." One of her gangsters promptly lit a lighter, and the woman lit her cigarette.

 Chapter 110 - Operation Gamer 5

    The mobster took a pleasant drag on her cigarette, looking with curiosity at the young Hunter, whose real identity she would not even guess. Eun Ha had the impression that her Professor, with that rejuvenated face, had swallowed hard, but that was not possible. Hunter Shin was tough, not that type.


    "Right ... Noona. Release the girl now. She didn''t do anything that she said. She''s just bluffing. We continue the conversation, you and me," despite the youthful face, Hunter Shin''s attitude remained the same intimidating and scaring one.


    Eun Ha shook her head, cringing. Her Professor was very good at other things, but definitely not at playing a young innocent boy. ''If it were a different situation, I would hit this rude Student, he is unashamed just like Chang Mi!!!'' she thought.


    The woman then glanced at Eun Ha, pretending to be thoughtful. It looked like she wanted to play with both,


    "I don''t know, Handsome Student. I think you could be useful in so many ways¡­ But your noona is unbearable and a loudmouth."


    "Okay. Enough. He''s right. Let''s stop with it. I have a party to go to later. How about I tell you where I put the cameras, you collect everything, and we''re done with it?" Eun Ha interrupted.


    "Your arrogance doesn''t really have limits, does it, ''Monster High''?" the criminal looked at the cigarette for a moment, "I wonder who you are, anyway?" and turning to her henchmen, she said, picking two of them, "You, and you, do a search for where she had access to."


    Great. There were two less in the room. Now there were only two henchmen, the three prisoners and the ridiculous chief-ess in the meeting room. However, Eun Ha knew that time was running out for them. One of two things would be over soon: the cigarette or the stinging and ridiculous woman''s desire to play. The fairy imagined that after the shock of seeing a young student turn into the dangerous Shin, the armed henchmen would be unpredictable.


    That damn cigarette was finishing too fast!


    Overcoming her own hesitation, Eun Ha felt she needed to try to cast some magic. ''Her style of magic''. But without the wand.


    With the best mocking tone she could, the fairy girl replied, staring at the handcuffs on her Professor''s wrists.


    "Ajuhmma! Didn''t you see that the young Student you were shamelessly groping for is Go Ji Hwan, son of Go Hong Gi? Hong Enterprises ring a bell for you, uh? How can you be so distracted?!"


    The woman gasped at the mention of the mobster from a rival family. She started coughing and put a heart on the chest, gasping for air. Eun Ha didn''t expect this to happen, but taking advantage of the moment, she thought she could intensify the moment, and made the woman''s high heels break. She became unbalanced, and this caused the henchmen to be distracted, undecided on whether to help her. The surprise made the mobster chief-ess even support her body on the table. The cigarette fell from her hand onto the carpet in the meeting room, but that was not the focus now.


    Eun Ha waved her hands as best she could in the direction of the handcuffs, missing her dear magic wand very much.


    The magical energy, accessed so quickly and in a disorderly manner, tingled throughout her body, causing itchiness and small shocks, which were quite unpleasant. But everyone''s attention went from the coughing woman to the young student, just released from his handcuffs. They''re astonished!


    With an agile movement, the Hunter used the steel handcuffs to hit the face of the henchman at his side. The man was absolutely taken by surprise, and in that infinitesimal moment, the fairy Shin took the club from the man''s hands as if it were the easiest thing in the world.


    Eun Ha''s mouth was still opening in an "O" movement watching the whole scene, when the Hunter jumped to the table that separated them. Before the henchman beside Eun Ha could threaten her again with the knife, the club had met his head as if it were a samurai sword. The girl just felt the gangster fall beside her as if jelly-made. The Hunter landed in front of Eun Ha in a not very elegant way.


    He looked at her urgently, and Eun Ha hesitated for a moment about what to do, until the Hunter yelled,


    "Your wand, JUNG?!"


    Eun Ha ran to the table where her purse and coat were, while the Hunter turned and prepared to face the criminal who had been without his club. The fairy apprentice grabbed her coat just as the mobster woman grabbed her by the neck, from behind. But the fairy didn''t care. She had also taken self-defense classes with Officer Ji!


    Her reaction to the attack certainly surprised the criminal lady, but the latter had more technique and experience than Eun Ha, in addition to being bigger, and knocked Eun Ha to the ground. The young fairy rolled to the side, using her coat in her hands to throw at the mobster''s face.


    This moment of distraction and confusion was enough for the fairy to use her magic to get the building''s fire alarm system activated.


    Using her wand again, Eun Ha pointed at the woman and conjured the first thing that came to mind. Finally, getting rid of Eun Ha''s coat, the evil woman stumbled spectacularly on the wire of a slideshow equipment and fell to the floor, in a surprised and pathetic way. Her face crumpled up next to the face of Eun Ha, who had not yet stood up. Facing the criminal in surprise, the fairy can''t help herself from saying,


    "You should blend your foundation better, honey!"


    The furious woman still tried to grab her, but Eun Ha rolled over and stood up, fleeing in the direction of Programmer Lee. Using her wand without qualms, she freed him from his handcuffs, and it was he who prevented the mobster from grabbing Eun Ha by the hair again, with his big body.


    He was furious, and grabbed the mafia woman by the neck,


    "Where''s my friend In Jung? Did you kill him? Did you kill him, you wench?!"


    Without her henchmen to shield her, the mobster lady showed fear for the first time. Yo Sub seemed to have nothing left to lose. Eun Ha grabbed the Game Designer''s arm, trying to stop him from really strangling the mobster, but she didn''t have the strength to do so.


    She just suddenly remembered the man who was dining, under the eyes of a woman. It was that bitch!


    "Drop that monster to the police, Yo Sub! The artist In Jung is alive! I saw him on camera!"


    That alone was enough for Yo Sub to drop her on the floor, coughing and cursing. Yo Sub was horrified to what he has done, but Eun Ha said,


    "We need to shut down this place, Yo Sub!"


    "I know very well what to do, let''s go to the servers!"


    The Hunter had finally gotten rid of the henchman, even though he was hurt, and the three just left the meeting room, running. It was about the moment they walked through the door that Eun Ha''s magic on the Hunter was completely gone, with the end of the cigarette forgotten on the floor. Yo Sub blinked, a little stunned, when he saw a new man by his side, but asked no questions.


    "Jung and Yo Sub, while you go to the servers, I''m going to get In Jang. Where did you see him, Jung? After that, go out through the emergency exits and go to the van that is parked near the cafeteria," Hunter Shin, panting, quickly planned, and they nodded.


    The alarm sounded, and the sprinklers went off in the corridors, and Eun Ha hoped that in the LAN house the alarm would also work to get people to leave. But she wasn''t sure, since those people were completely enslaved by the Oneirics. Luckily, it wasn''t a real fire.


    Eun Ha explained quickly where she thought In Jung was, and ran with Yo Sub to the server room. Her mind was split between her concern for the Hunter, who had been left with the difficult part of facing the gang alone to rescue the other fairy, while she and the Programmer took away the Oneirics access to the real world. They should destroy the servers that contained the game the Oneirics used as a bridge to the minds of humans.


    Fortunately, if there was one thing Eun Ha knew how to do well, it was destroying things.


    Yo Sub entered the server room so savagely that the two technicians who were there gaped in panic. But then the young Game designer chased after them like a sumo wrestler, roaring in berserk fury, and the cowardly technicians fled screaming, terrified. The fairy locked the door to guarantee them some time before the impending arrival of more security guards, or so she thought.


    Yo Sub accessed the computer to prepare data deletion from the servers, while Eun Ha simply cast her spell on the machines, ensuring that they were beyond any possibility of data recovery.


    Hearing the mob arriving, Eun Ha opened the exit to escape. The data deletion wasn''t over yet, but she used her wand one last time to cause a definite general short circuit, with all her intention. The fairy''s arm even burned, and Eun Ha felt a brief throb in her chest, feeling that she had just used anchored magic, and a lot of it.


    The building''s lights went out completely, with a resounding noise that, to Eun Ha, sounded more like a frightening collective shriek of pain. Yo Sub and the fairy knew at that moment that they had succeeded, and smiled.


    The thugs around the hall pointed to the pair, and started to chase them, but as soon as Eun Ha passed the emergency exit, she closed it shut with her magic. Yo Sub was panting, of course, as he was heavy and sedentary, but the Game Designer managed to go down the fire escape behind the fairy. They saw the van parked where the Hunter had said it would be. There were only a few meters to go. Eun Ha looked at the empty street, and the dark building,


    ''Where''s Shin at?'' Her heart sank.

 Chapter 111 - Theres a man in your room!

    Eun Ha''s question didn''t go unanswered for long. Around the corner, among the quite stunned people who were leaving the building, the fairy In Jung helped the Hunter to stand. The stylist ran to her tutor, to help him too. The Hunter was badly injured and exhausted; it looked like he would pass out at any moment.


    In Jung put the fairy Shin in the back seat, with Eun Ha''s help. Then In Jung just said to his prot¨¦g¨¦, "Let''s get out of here while those useless mobsters are worried about the police!"


    In fact, both police and firemen''s sirens could be heard nearby. Leaving the building with other people from other floors, Eun Ha saw the LAN house customers. They''re easily identifiable because they looked like zombies having trouble walking and dealing with the outside environment.


    It was the last thing Eun Ha saw from that place, before they left there in the van that Yo Sub was driving.


    After laying the Hunter down beside her on the van''s seat, Eun Ha put Shin''s head in her lap, so he would be more comfortable. She asked,


    "What should we do?"


    "Take him home or to Dominion," this was In Jung''s reply.


    "I don''t want to. Don''t take me anywhere," wearily said Shin.


    "Hunter, you know that I cannot help you. I would like to, but I can''t, said the thin, cadaverous man, now that Eun Ha could study him better. His clothes were quite loose on his body.


    "I know. Don''t worry," Hunter''s response made even less sense to his apprentice. Eun Ha knew that she still had a lot of things she had to learn, but for now, she thought she should focus on what was urgent.


    "Where are you going now?" she questioned the men, although what Eun Ha wanted to ask was, '' Why the hell can''t you help the person who saved you? And what can I do to help Hunter Shin? And where the hell is Dominion, why nobody is telling me? Argh !''


    The two men in the front seat looked at each other. Apparently they had no concrete plans after being released from their captivity. It was even understandable. Eun Ha tenderly stroked Hunter Shin''s forehead and wiped some blood with the tip of her coat. She didn''t want to panic, but her professor looked like he would collapse at any moment.


    "Professor, stay with me! Hey. Please stay awake. We''ll take you to the hospital," she felt her eyes water.


    "NO!" said all the three men, and the fairy was startled.


    "WHY NOT?!" she bellowed back at them.


    "Because those bandits could find the Hunter easily there."


    "Listen ..." said the Hunter, again trying to focus. "You both need to leave the country. They will recapture you them if you were sta ... In the glove compartment ... " In Jung went through the glove compartment immediately, finding an envelope with doc.u.ments and money. Turning around, he spoke,


    "Agassi, you must take him home and heal him there. They''ll be hunting us all in the next few days." Reaching out to grab the Hunter''s hand briefly, he thanked,


    "Hunter¡­ We''ll see each other again. Thank you."


    They left Eun Ha and her injured Professor in front of her building. And disappeared into the night, with just that simple ''thank you''.


    '' Aishhhh¡­ How ungrateful! '' she was astonished.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha woke up with a beam of sunlight hitting her eye. She had been having nightmares about a stupid ''Hunting'' that resulted in Professor Shin wounded. The fairy was about to roll over to reach the shutter cord and close it, but her body met an unexpected, hard wall in her mattress.


    "Unn?!"


    The fashion designer felt the mountain beside her, and in shock removed her hand, opening her eyes and suppressing a scream of terror.


    "Prof ...!"


    Hunter Shin groaned, and shifted slightly. He was looking so bad!


    '' Omo! I want you right where you are, but not like that! '' Eun Ha jumped up, realizing that she had slept in her clothes and recollecting all the events after the hunt at once.


    With some effort, she had managed to get the Professor to her apartment and to her room, in the middle of the night. That was when the Hunter simply collapsed on her bed. In desperation, all she could think about was using magic. Eun Ha didn''t know if it was really possible to cure him, however. She had pointed her wand and strongly wished it would heal Shin, several times, but nothing really happened. And she must have slept out from exhaustion, without even realizing it.


    Today, however, Hunter Shin was no worse, on the contrary. Apparently he had not swelled, so there was nothing broken. Eun Ha also thought he had fewer cuts and fewer bruises than yesterday. He was quite smeared with blood and his clothes were in tatters, however.


    '' Was he cured overnight? Did I make it? Did I heal Hunter Shin? Or did he heal himself? '' Eun Ha had no way of knowing for now. And for a change, her mind was full of questions. She searched for a bowl with warm water and also the first aid case. She could at least take care of what was still grazed externally. And the Hunter needed to be clean so as not to get infected.


    Carefully, Eun Ha started to clean Shin''s face. Then the fairy realized that she would have to cut the Hunter''s torn clothes to clean and disinfect his wounds. While doing this, Shin narrowed his eyes, grumbling and trying to get away, sleepily,


    "Jung!"


    And went back to sleep.


    Eun Ha just ignored this ineffective protest, and continued the cleaning and disinfection process, carefully and swiftly. But of course, Eun Ha''s reaction to seeing the Hunter Shin with his bare torso was the best possible. '' Aha, I knew you were handsome and athletic¡­! Look at that, he certainly devotes a lot of time to physical training¡­ Ah, I guess I shouldn''t even be putting my hand on him! No! I''m being a great nurse! I''ll sweep away the naughty thoughts right now! Get out, get out! Instead of staring at this vertical navel in that perfectly tough abdomen, with so many packs, you dirty girl, must apply more Povidone-iodine in this wound! OH! Look at his back! It''s a sharp ''V''! Omo! And ... Wow, how many scars!''


    The young fairy noticed, while cleaning the wounds of the other fairy, that the man she knew as Hunter Shin had many old scars, some almost faded, others more recent. '' Uhn¡­ As I imagined, your life as a Hunter made you a pain-resistant, tough man¡­ but even you have a limit¡­ And¡­ ''


    The handle on her bedroom door turned, and Eun Ha almost had a mini heart attack right there.


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!


    "Unnie! Unnieeee!" Ye Rim''s soft voice called from the other side of the door. It was rare for them to lock the doors, and of course, her best friend would find it strange. '' OMO! Omo! She will see Professor Shin here and ...!''


    Eun Ha stood up wildly and started looking for a way to hide her teacher. She gathered up the objects and the scraps of clothing she had cut, and hid under the bed, hastily. But as for the Hunter, he could not be moved, nor was he a small object, and Ye Rim kept calling,


    "Unnie?! Eun Ha ya? Are you okay?!"


    "I am, I am, I just¡­! I''m going to open it, aishh, I''m going!" swallowing hard, the fairy found herself helpless, but that was only until her eyes hit her beautiful pen-shaped wand. '' Ah, save me, dear wand!''


    Pointing her wand at Hunter Shin, who slept shirtless with his back to the door, Eun Ha cast a spell. Now, there wasn''t a man with a s.e.xy V-shaped back on her bed anymore, but a sewing mannequin.


    '' Aha! I''m a genius!'' happy with herself, Eun Ha smoothed out her clothes, and even decided to conjure up the simulacrum of her favorite pajamas, instead of those rumpled clothes. With everything ready, the fairy went to open the door for her friend.


    "What was it, Ye Rim? What''s wrong?!" She tried to sound as carefree as possible and was condescending to her donsaeng. Ye Rim looked her unnie up and down and shot,


    "Unnie, what are those dark circles under your eyes? Ouch! You look like crap!"


    Eun Ha touched the skin under her eyes, alarmed. '' Okay, I forgot about it, but why had Ye Rim to have such a sharp eye for detail?!''


    "Ah, it''s just that I have ..."


    "Unnie, what a sorry state!" the younger girl touched the fairy''s skirt, and Eun Ha blinked, stunned. '' A little while ago it was star-patterned pajamas!''


    "Why, I, ...!"


    "OHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ye Rim peered into the room, and pulled her friend out immediately, closing the bedroom door like there was a lion inside. Her face reflected a huge shock, but her eyes had an amused glow,


    "UNNIE?! UNNIE!! How do you¡­! Unnie, there''s a man in your room! In your bed!"


    "Are you crazy?! It''s not a man! It''s just a¡­ a sewing mannequin that I''m fixing! And¡­"


    "Eun Ha! Where did you find such a ''sewing mannequin'', uh?!" Now Ye Rim''s expression was playful and provocative, but she got serious for a moment,


    "Unnie, who is he? Who is your boyfriend? And¡­ it''s not a little too early for you¡­!"


    "YE RIM! Stop right there! That''s not it!" Eun Ha couldn''t understand how Ye Rim had managed to break her magic, but she was sure she checked twice before opening the door! Only it didn''t work with Ye Rim! ''What did I wrong? '' But it was no use crying over the spilled milk, and knowing Ye Rim, if she insisted it was a mannequin, they would end up fighting. She gave an embarrassed laugh,


    "Ah hahaha, don''t be like that! Judging so hastily! He''s not my boyfriend. He''s my teacher. My French teacher, remember? I already told you about my French classes, etc, etc."


    "Uhn¡­" Ye Rim didn''t seem very convinced, but she was finding it all funny, at least that''s what it seemed. "Seriously? Your French teacher? And what is your French teacher doing in your bed, Agassi?"


    "Er, that¡­"

 Chapter 112 - Shirtless French Professor

    "He drank a little and, ... he lost his house key. Yes, that was it," Eun Ha  vehemently said, looking candidly at her best friend.


    Ye Rim again looked down at her unnie''s rumpled outfit,


    "Uhn, okay. He was the only one who drank too much? And why isn''t he sleeping on the couch? Why is he in your bed, and shirtless?"


    Ye Rim again looked down at her unnie''s rumpled outfit, "Uhn, okay. He was the only one who drank too much? And why isn''t he sleeping on the couch? Why is he in your bed, and shirtless?"


    "Unnie! Don''t insinuate things you don''t know! Okay, I didn''t want to worry you. But we''re mugged while he accompanied me after class, and the Professor defended me!" Eun Ha made up a better excuse. Anyway, the fairy was insulted by the constant and very reasonable questions her donsaeng was nagging her with,


    "If Professor Shin were my boyfriend, you would be the first to know. He''s really just my French teacher."


    Ye Rim sighed, "It reminded me of that stupid prophecy we had with that strange stick, remember? What morons we were! What was that? Collective hysteria? I don''t know. I was excited about your predictions that I was going to be rich and famous, and I made things up too. Look at that. Our birthday is coming and neither you nor I have boyfriends!"


    "Hahaha, such nonsense, right?! I was so credulous and imaginative ...!" Eun Ha agreed with a half-hearted smile. "What did you say you saw, again?"


    "That we didn''t spend our 27th birthday together for any reason. You had a stylish boyfriend, and you spent your birthday with him. Something like that," Ye Rim laughed, and whispered, "Would it be your French teacher? Is he handsome and sleek by any chance?"


    Eun Ha excitedly whispered back, "YES!"


    They giggled and high-fived, but after that Ye Rim changed the subject,


    "Well, I thought I could count on you for something, but you better take good care of the man who saved you from the assault. Eun Ha, please don''t walk around at night, even when accompanied. It''s dangerous! I worry about you! Look what happened!"


    ''If she only imagined what really happened, she would be scared and furious with me!'' the fashion stylist reflected, knowing that among the two, Ye Rim was the bravest.


    "Is it too urgent?" She asked, realizing that Ye Rim looked quite euphoric.


    "Yes, I got a donation of exclusive items to sell and raise money to pay off my debt! The President of Sunbae Duk Mi fan club is related to some NGOs. I remembered an event she helps organize every year, a charity bazaar. Luckily, it''s today, and she managed to get me to take the items to sell there," Ye Rim spoke and ended her sentence with her signature smile. Her smile swag was a ''close deal'' type, but Eun Ha knew it was most often used to sweep under the rug something shady from Ye Rim''s part. Like the fine lines in the deal.


    She would like to probe further and understand where the catch to that explanation was, but today she needed to take care of Professor Shin.


    "I''m sorry, Ye Rim. I won''t be able to help you today. But look," she opened the bedroom door. It was long enough for Ye Rim to spy on the sleeping man again. Reaching for her purse inside the room, Eun Ha took some spare money, "Take this and get a taxi."


    "Hadn''t you been mugged?" Ye Rim waited for her unnie to lend her money, but she didn''t stop teasing her again, whispering with an amused expression.


    "Yes, but Professor Shin recovered my purse," Eun Ha replied, also whispering. "Now go!" She closed the door and pushed Ye Rim''s head out.


    She even heard Ye Rim hum around the apartment, looking quite upbeat and lively in the morning, before leaving to the charity bazaar.


    It was hard to keep a bad mood or have bad thoughts about last night when the day was so beautiful, even though it was fall. And to think there were people who ignored the beauty of life and preferred the video game''s fantasy!


    The fairy turned to continue taking care of Professor Shin, and saw him covered with the sheet up to his neck. He looked at the ceiling and every corner of the room as if he were captured and was a prisoner in an enemy camp.


    ''Aishh what a prude!'' she thought she could create some clothes for the Hunter, but found it more fun to make him stay under the sheets.


    "Is the Professor feeling well?" she asked as if she hadn''t noticed the other fairy''s uneasy reaction.


    "I am. To my surprise, I''m better than I thought I would," he confessed.


    "Am I not great? I spent all night using my magic to save your life," she said, blatantly lying. He had no way of knowing, did he? And Eun Ha could demand extra lessons from him in return. She was already getting used to Professor Shin''s capitalist way.


    "You probably think about taking advantage of this lie, don''t you? You don''t know how to practice healing," was the Professor''s sour retort.


    "Aigoo, how ungrateful! Are all fairies so ungrateful? Your friend In Jung didn''t want to help you. I just said goodbye and threw you here at my door."


    "Don''t be like that. You don''t know, but he couldn''t help me. Some time ago In Jung used all his magic to accomplish something very important. So he has no magic left," after the explanation the Hunter moved on the bed to get up, but he didn''t contain a surprised groan of pain.


    Eun Ha almost ran to help him, but stopped herself, putting her hands back, and asking,


    "Do you need help from this nurse?" It surprised her to have misjudged the poor fairy In Jung, but now Eun Ha knew that a fairy could lose your magic forever.


    The Hunter seemed to ponder for a moment, and agreed. The stylist imagined how bad he was still feeling to accept someone''s help. Especially hers.


    While bandaged according to his directions, his teacher surprised the younger fairy with a question,


    "That was Ye Rim?"


    "Yes. That snooper was Ye Rim! And ... Professor Shin, I had the impression that she kind of ... broke my magic?! Is this possible for a human? I mean¡­ Is it possible that she could see just because she already knows me?"


    "I heard the conversation and was also intrigued by what happened. No, that''s not possible. Even I see your magic as you created it. And you see it that way yourself. It''s not common for a human to see through illusion. But I begin to believe that your friend really is as different as you say."


    "How different?" For Eun Ha, her best friend was always different from other people. But at the same time, she knew her so well that she might not be able to tell apart.


    "Well, there are humans touched by magic still in their mothers'' w.o.m.bs. These people are often different. Some see ghosts, others see the future ... And a few have even rarer gifts. I don''t know. But it seems that Ye Rim may be one of those ''touched'' people.


    He looked around, and added,


    "This might be why this place is so nice and cozy."


    "This is my room, Professor Shin!" she smiled, correcting the Hunter''s mistake.


    "I still have to know more about your prot¨¦g¨¦ to be sure," Shin purposely ignored his student''s comment.


    "As I told you earlier, when you found me, Ye Rim and I were born on the same day and in the same place. Her mother was the laughingstock and the ''madwoman'' in our hometown, because she believed my mother was a fairy. I, however, know nothing of my birth mother, only social and legal data. Perhaps Professor Shin could help me find out more about it ... I can pay with magic favors!" she candidly suggested, even trying to make an attractive offer.


    "Ah, about that!" The Hunter stood up, frowning but containing other expressions of discomfort. Two things, Jung: I owe you a favor for yesterday. And our classes¡­"


    Sensing that this was one of the times the Hunter would try to undo the deal of teaching her, Eun Ha rushed to his feet,


    "No, please Professor Shin! Don''t say it''s over! I still have a lot to learn. I don''t even know where the Dominion is yet! Whether in the north or the south! Please don''t say that classes are over!"


    He crossed his arms, looking vexed,


    "Get up now, Jung!"


    Just when Eun Ha was on his feet, his teacher continued,


    "As I was saying, I don''t have a lot of free time, but ... When I have, I''ll teach you. Let''s forget about the deal."


    "Well, in my defense I was captured because I found a cleaning lady cleaning the restroom and¡­" she apologized because she quickly guessed that he was saying this because of last night.


    "It''s all right. I was very optimistic, because of the last time."


    "¡­!" Eun Ha blinked, imagining that the word optimistic and Hunter didn''t go together.


    "I''m sorry that I was more in the way than helped," she said sincerely, and he made a dismissing signal,


    "Don''t try catching praise Jung. You showed presence of mind, after all."


    "Yes! I know! It was a little fun to upset that woman. But ... Is that really over? Will that gang come after us?" that was a question that persisted in Eun Ha''s mind. The Hunter looked at her in an appraising manner, and said,


    "Don''t worry. Just change how you do the eyeliner, and you will never be found."


    She started laughing, until she realized she was being mocked,


    "HEY!!!"


    "But if you feel in danger, whatever the reason, call me immediately, Jung!" He went to the bedroom door, but Eun Ha stepped in front of him, preventing him from leaving,


    "Wait! Profes¡­ I mean, Hunter Shin, you just said you owe me a favor!"


    Surely Shin didn''t expect to be charged this promptly, and frowned, but Eun Ha didn''t care,


    "Listen! This is the plan to get the money for Ye Rim. And I need your help!"


    Shin grunted, realizing too late his mistake.

 Chapter 113 - Dentist

    "Right. Tell me about your plans!"


    "Yes, but first, I''m curious," Eun Ha still had a question to ask. "Did Professor recover on his own, or did any external factors interfere? I mean ... Yesterday you were really bad. This is important."


    "Do you remember being sick all your life?"


    "I don''t know. I think I must have had a stomachache or something ..."


    "Yes, maybe that. But we are very resistant. If we have a ''full battery'', it is almost impossible to get hurt or die. It turns out that I don''t have a full battery, as you can see," Shin admitted. "Could you¡­" the older fairy gestured the sheets which he was wrapped on. But Eun Ha knew that as soon as he had some clothes on, he''d remember urgent things to do.


    "OH! So could we be virtually immortal?"


    "No, Jung. The oldest fairy that ever lived was 600 years old. That''s our limit, it seems. I think I already told you that."


    "WOW! This is too much! And what kills us?"


    "A heart wound, usually. Wounds caused by magic, too."


    "Is that all?" it seemed too good to be true. She could reach 600 years if she avoided the wrong places. "And ... How old is Seonsaengnim?"


    "Jung, I ..." he made an annoyed face, from who knew she would end up asking this kind of indiscreet question. But the doorbell rang insistently.


    They exchanged a look, and the owner of the house said,


    "Hey, I better see who it is. Our superintendent is a bit nosy and was already gossiping because Ye Rim received a male visit a few days ago. It''s ridiculous. It''s not even a boarding house or anything! Like¡­! Probably Professor could stay as long as he wanted¡­" she continued speaking, even though Shin murmured,


    "No, thanks. It''s not proper at all."


    Just when Eun Ha was about to leave the room to open the door, he seemed startled,


    "Wait! I''ll go with you. It could be the mobsters."


    '' Aww, he''s so chivalrous! '' Eun Ha felt like melting. But she snatched her wand, just in case.


    The Hunter rolled out of the sheets and went ahead of Eun Ha. '' Instead of the wand, I wanted to have the cell phone now! I bet Ye Rim would agree with me he is as athletic as Kang Dae, hihihi! ''


    After peering through the peephole, Hunter Shin opened the door.


    Eun Ha saw no one, just an envelope taped to the door.


    "Uhn, but what is that?" she reached for the envelope, and opened it to check the contents.


    There was a photo, taken at night. A date, a few days ago, was marked in red with a permanent marker. A hooded figure, whose silhouette was vaguely familiar, was shot near the building. The photo was already strange because of the way it had reached Eun Ha. But even more strangely; a kind of yellowish and blurred light enveloped the figure. As if there was a problem with the photo exposure.


    In the note, the message that Eun Ha already foresaw,


    '' CAUTION! This man is hanging around you, Miss. Jung!''


    "Did my secret admirer find another secret admirer of mine?"


    "Maybe your secret admirer is upset because you are seeing a friend today. He wants to make sure you''re okay," the Hunter took the photo to analyze.


    "Is this you, in the photo?" she asked, a little confused.


    "No, Jung. But your friend is right. It would be nice if you could find out who he is and could talk to him. If you can''t do that, I''m going to look for him."


    "Talk to him? But he''s keeping himself secret! He doesn''t want to reveal himself!" to Eun Ha this was quite obvious. '' Was it Kang Dae? '' It was her most likely clue.


    "Jung. Your secret admirer may be in as much danger as you are. This photo ... this is the Devourer. The Fairy Eater. And he already found you," uttered the Hunter, gravely.


    "¡­!" Eun Ha couldn''t help but fear the way the Hunter himself looked concerned. "Hunter Shin¡­ what are we going to do?"


    "I need to find him. But the best thing you can do while I''m hunting is¡­. well, get out of town. It''s the safest thing, Jung," said the Hunter. And,


    "I owe you another favor if you give me an outfit. Now."


    Eun Ha was even forgotten, with her mind busy speculating about the things that had been said. But instead of creating an outfit with magic as her tutor expected the younger fairy to do, the stylist went to look in her closet for male clothes she had created herself.


    When Shin returned from the sewing room where he dressed, Eun Ha admired her own work. It was perfect! Of course, Hunter Shin looked a little uncomfortable, but in her opinion, just a few adjustments would be enough. She just didn''t have time for that, and the fairy tried to use the wand successfully to fit the outfit to the Hunter''s body.


    "You don''t owe me anything. I would even like to take a trip to see my mother, but then I''d leave Ye Rim here, with a huge problem. I would run, and I would be the worst fairy in the world. Not even In Jung thought of himself only when his prot¨¦g¨¦ was in danger. I don''t need you to tell me it''s part of my duty."


    The Hunter was going to protest, but Eun Ha continued,


    "Besides, the Devourer could just follow me out of town, and so the Hunter wouldn''t know until it was too late, isn''t it?"


    Of course, Eun Ha was scared, but she would be a lot more scared if she was away from Shin. If she revealed that, he would just mock her and send her away, though,


    "The Hunter already knows the hunting area the Devourer is, and¡­ I can help you. I''ve already been on two hunts and I may not be the best assistant ... But the Professor said that I have a quick mind. I don''t know why Professor cannot recharge his magic, but maybe when he finds the Devourer, he needs a quick wand at his disposal."


    The Hunter stared at her, perplexed.


    '' And definitely, I don''t want you to be shot in the chest while you''re out of your magic, Hunter Shin, '' she kept her deepest fear in her thoughts.


    Her smartwatch rang, and Eun Ha slapped her forehead,


    "What the hell! I''m already late for my job!"


    "Your job as a dental assistant?" he was confused.


    "Yes. Isn''t it funny? I''m Jung Eun Ha, the Tooth Fairy!" she smiled, managing to get the Hunter to smirk at her bad joke. "But we keep talking there. It''s a very quiet place and today has only one customer in the late afternoon."


    They made a meal on the street vendor and upon arrival at the office, Eun Ha showed how it was her part-time job. She stopped talking when she realized that the Hunter had returned to his usual taciturn and silent manner. The young fairy turned to the older fairy, ready to apologize for speaking so much. But the peculiar way the Hunter stared at her surprised Eun Ha.


    "Eh? Did I say something wrong, for a change?"


    Shin was slow to respond, looking lost in thought as he stared at her. That look even gave her butterflies in her stomach! But Shin said,


    "No. You said good things earlier. You are a generous girl, Jung. We''ll just do it safely this time. I''ll only ask for your help if it is really important."


    "Was nothing we did before important?" Eun Ha was so excited by the compliment she thought she would fly away! So it was better to get back on the ground!


    "Aigoo Jung, why are you like this?!" he returned to his classic bad mood, closing his face and crossing his arms immediately. "Why don''t you tell me at once what your plan is?"


    "Okay!" the young fairy rubbed her hands together, excited, "I have a contact who said he would help me with my career. The stylist Zhang, have you ever heard of? No, of course not. Very well. I''ve been sabotaged and I can''t get to him. But there will be a time when these people won''t be around him."


    "Hmm. When?"


    "At the Fashion Ball!"


    "A Ball. Wow, how original," Hunter''s mocking and surly side had been awakened again.


    "Professor Shin! I need not be original in these things! I just need to be original with my clothes!" Eun Ha complained, but the Hunter just motioned for her to continue. "Well, now that I know how to use my powers, getting to the Fashion Ball will be very easy! All I have to do is arrive in style! That way I won''t be barred!"


    Suddenly the Hunter looked quite uncomfortable in his clothes.


    "I will arrive as a stylist who works abroad. I''ll have an invitation. I will arrive in a shiny limousine and I will provide information for one night so that everyone who researches me will find the information about my success. Then I will meet stylist Zang, who will recognize me and give me the job because he likes me a lot," she finished with a radiant smile.


    "Do you really think this is a good plan, Jung?" the Hunter asked, incredulous.


    "Of course, it is! If there was a fairy godmother college, this plan would certainly be taught at the basic level," she said, pleased with herself. "And don''t say it''s different, just because it wasn''t your plan. I know that we have different styles. It''s because I''m a Fairy Godmother and Professor is a Hunter."


    "Jung, the problem with your plan¡­"


    The intercom rang, and Eun Ha was excited. Looking at the screen, she was surprised,


    "Why, it''s Dr. Park! He arrived earlier than expected."


    "Well, I''ll be right away."


    "No! If the Professor leaves Dr. Park will want to know why the patient left and¡­"


    "But I am not a patient."


    "He will think I bring men here when he is not! I''m going to lose my job!" Eun Ha was distressed. While her plans for greatness were not happening, she needed to at least secure this job. Mostly, she didn''t want to break Dr. Park''s trust in her. He was a nice boss.


    "...!" the Hunter stayed, although he looked like a sulky cat.


    Dentist Park came into the office with a grin. Noting the coincidence of garments, which had Eun Ha''s indefectible signature, the old man raised an eyebrow at her, in a silent question about the identity of the new patient. But the part-time assistant just shrugged, pretending to be surprised by the coincidence.


    Eun Ha introduced,


    "Mr. Shin was appointed by a mutual friend, Dr. Park. He wants to have a dental check-up."


    ''ME? I DON''T!'' Shin mouthed to his apprentice. The Dentist didn''t notice it, he was going to the consultation room,


    "Good, good. A checkup is always good, Mr. Shin."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be there," Eun Ha smiled to appease the furious Hunter.


    '' He''ll like it even less when I say he''ll be my model at the Fashion Ball,'' Eun Ha thought to herself, as he took Shin to the dentist''s chair.

 Chapter 114 - Smile More, Dr. Kim!

    ''That man is crazy, how can he buy fifteen Louis Vuitton bags at once?'' Ye Rim would like to keep some for herself, but her conscience told her it was better this way. She would make better use of these bags by selling and giving the money to the Pearl''s musicians.


    "Thank you so much for allowing me to sell the bags here, Ms. Cha!" she thanked the ajuhmma with sincere gratitude. This event was famous in the capital, used to gather many philanthropic entities and NGOs in a charity bazaar. The singer started to unpack the designer handbags.


    "Stay calm, Ye Rim. Although the items are very expensive, in the early afternoon a group of socialites should come here to make their round for charity. I bet they''ll be interested," Ms. Cha encouraged Ye Rim, while helping to unpack and label bags. She''s got a small space next to the flowers that the Orchidists Association exhibited and sold to raise funds for a charity.


    Mrs. Cha was the person who organized the bingo at the Pearl, and was a very friendly and rather plump ajuhmma. In return for the favor, Ye Rim would attend the Noraebang duet stage, as an official singer, in the late afternoon.


    By the middle of the afternoon, Ye Rim had sold only two handbags. After all, they were really pricey. Even at a bazaar price, the brand-new bags caused much coveting, but they still hadn''t made women open their wallets.


    The singer was restraining her frustration as much as she could, when explaining to a potential buyer that the bags had a certificate of authenticity. Ye Rim showed again every detail of the product''s excellent workmanship, when with a glance she saw the group of socialites coming in that direction.


    She spotted among them Yoon Ji Ah! The former singer Ye Rim had the displeasure of meeting weeks ago, and with whom she had a long-lasting rivalry.


    Ji Ah was quite talkative and distracted looking at a stark-looking lady who came in the center of the group. Ye Ri could bet that this would be Ji Ah''s future mother-in-law. The group had four or five more women, all as elegant as Ji Ah.


    "Ajumeoni, this model really looks good on social occasions. Isn''t it a keep? Imagine your friends, they''ll be totally ''OH!'' in shock! There are only a few units of this model in Korea!" Ye Rim insisted once again with her possible buyer, just wishing the group would pass straight by her counter this time. ''What the hell, why did you have to be with this group, Ji Ah?! You will definitely ruin my opportunity to sell the bags!''


    However, as she herself predicted, due to her ''bad luck'' factor, the leader of the group came exactly toward her booth. Ji Ah even turned around at a glance, tossing her silky hair aside, pretending she hadn''t seen that Ye Rim was the salesperson at the booth.


    The singer just prepared for the worst.


    The ajumeoni socialite gave Ye Rim a tight-lipped smile as she came, seeming to do so out of mere social obligation. Her court of women dressed in more or less the same style and with the same haircuts also gave Ye Rim copies of the same smile. Ji Ah, however, spoke extravagantly aloud,


    "My Gosh, Ye Rim! Nice to see you!" the fake kisses in the air between both ensued, of course. "What do you have here, uh?! Wow, what beautiful handbags! Are they original?!" the young socialite took one of the bags with her fingertips.


    ''Aish, why does this girl make me want to resort to violence every time?!'' Ye Rim wondered internally. But she took  the bag from Ji Ah''s fingers a little abruptly, and showed her the certificate of authenticity.


    "Ah! Aigoo, you weren''t even kidding about your new phase, were you?" despite the slightly mocking tone, Ye Rim noticed a hint of doubt in Ji Ah''s voice. ''Did that nonsense that Eun Ha did at the cafe really fool her? This girl deserves to be fooled, what a mean person she is!''


    "Ah, well, I don''t like to brag ...!" the singer smiled falsely, preferring to use the tactic of talking less, and not committing herself. She wouldn''t deny anything, but she wouldn''t confirm either,


    "But please, ladies. Come on! Feel free to look at the bags. Prices are on the tags."


    The women did not move, however. Even the previous buyer, who was looking for her wallet in her purse while this exchange was taking place, stopped and looked at Ji Ah''s mother-in-law. And put the wallet back.


    ''I don''t believe it,'' Ye Rim resisted the urge to express her frustration.


    Then the leader of the socialites came forward slowly and took out a bag, proceeding to examine it carefully.


    "Who is your friend, Ji Ah?" she asked the future myeonuri, not even looking at Ye Rim a second time. She probably had the scanning before.


    "Ah, Eomeoni, she¡­ She went to college with me! Hahaha, Nam Ye Rim, meet Choi Hye Seok, mother of my fianc¨¦ Park Byung Soo."


    ''College? Uhn, right, she doesn''t want to remind her mother-in-law of the embarrassing moments of her past,'' Ye Rim quickly realized, frowning.


    "Ye Rim works at HTN, as Byung Soo, Eomeoni."


    "Aigoo, what is she doing? Does she really believe that or is she trying to promote herself with her so-called social circle?" Ye Rim even thought this was the right time to get back at Ji Ah, but she didn''t consider herself so petty.


    It was interesting to see Mrs. Choi''s gaze going directly to Ye Rim''s hands, more precisely to her right and left fingers. "Are you married, Miss Nam?"


    "N-no," she replied a little confused, noting the baffled expression that Ji Ah tried to hide with a frozen smile.


    "Eomeoni, Ye Rim is a career woman! But look at what beautiful Louis Vuittons! You didn''t buy them all here, did you, Ye Rim? I haven''t seen the entire collection here yet."


    "Ah, well¡­ they were bought in Zurich," well, she wasn''t lying about that. ''If only they could decide whether to buy or just leave¡­'' They were occupying the entire front of the stand and Ye Rim had the impression that other people wanted to get closer.


    "Ah, and what is the cause for which you will be donating the sale amount, again?" Ji Ah asked.


    In fact, the booth''s board didn''t have a sign telling it, because she was not sure if the public would be empathetic to ''Pearl Club''s Renovation'' story.


    "Ah, right, the cause ... Well ..."


    "Miss Nam is donating the proceeds from the sale of her collection to the Ji Hyeon Foundation," said the voice that came out of nowhere beside the women. Ye Rim recognized the voice and closed her eyes in total defeat.


    She immediately flinched, feeling divine punishment fall on her.


    "Dr. Kim!" Most of them recognized him immediately. He kept a small, friendly smile for the socialites, and his hands in his pockets. All this Ye Rim saw when she opened his right eye to see if Jun Hyeon Oppa was still there or was it just a nightmare.


    He greeted the ladies, and turning to Ye Rim, asked with a radiant expression,


    "How''s the sales going, Miss Nam? Have we managed to reach the initial goal yet?" he glanced at the exposed bags. "Uhn, do we only sell two?"


    Ye Rim nodded feeling shrinking. What could Dr. Kim say about her, since after being gifted all those expensive bags, the next day she was trying to sell them all out? Knowing Kim Jun Hyeon as little as she did, she knew it was not exactly a good reaction.


    But¡­ ''Hey, wait. Did he say the profits went to his Foundation? How come?!''


    Dr. Kim had already gone behind the counter, and was now at her side, reaching out for handbags for the socialites to examine. As soon as he could, he muttered under his breath to Ye Rim,


    "''Friend'', you really are shameless. I barely turned my back around and you''re already selling my bags!"


    "You gave me the bags!" she grunted back, attending to a customer.


    "Not for you to sell them!"


    "Do you want to control something you gave away?"


    "They were pricey and I regret purchasing them. I obviously did this in a moment of madness. I even had to pay import taxes at the airport."


    "Taxes? How can you talk about your gift taxes?"


    "Aren''t we friends and play it fair and honestly? I can talk about rates and prices since I''m not trying to seduce you. You are not going to make money from the gifts of an old friend who is repenting it, are you?"


    "You are so cheap!"


    "I am not. You will donate to the Ji Hyeon Foundation. Your name will even appear at the annual event. Without you spending a dime with us."


    This whole conversation followed in murmurs as they both turned to customers interested in the handbags with huge smiles. Obviously Ye Rim realized how charming and brazen Dr. Kim could be when it came to taking money from donors. ''Look who''s talking about me, do you need to smile like that? If he grins a little more at this ajuhmma, Dr. Kim will touch his ears with the corners of his mouth!"


    An hour later, they were selling the last designer bag. There was a sense of accomplishment when they thanked the last client together and looked at each other with smiles of satisfaction.


    "It was very fast, wasn''t it?"


    "Yes, after you arrived, those women almost slapped each other to buy the bags. I no longer know if they were buying bags or a smile of yours, "Ye Rim grunted, counting the money from the sale.


    Jun Hyeon chuckled with amus.e.m.e.nt, "This is a Ye Rim''s exclusive trick."


    She glared at him, but said nothing.


    "Come on, give me the money," the surgeon demanded, one of his striking eyebrows raised in defiance.


    "OPPA! I don''t ... "


    "You didn''t even sell the bags by yourself. And frankly. Work at HTN? Tsk Tsk. I didn''t know you were a compulsive liar," he teased, holding out his hand, waiting for the money.


    "Okay, okay!" Ye Rim handed the money over to Dr. Kim, irritated. Now she''d must find another way to get the money. Would she really have to accept Dae Won''s proposal and sign a contract with an agency?


    But he cut her inner thoughts, putting the money in his wallet,


    "I saw that you are the singer of Noraebang Duet. Isn''t it time to start? I want to sing."


    "Do you want to sing?" off course she was surprised.


    "Uhum," he replied indifferently to Ye Rim''s surprise, taking her hand and leading her to the booth, "I want to celebrate the donation."


    Ye Rim tried to control the sudden awareness of his hand in hers.

 Chapter 115 - A Rose with Thorns

    Dr. Kim and Miss Nam''s fingers briefly touched, but the doctor spun her in a swift move, bringing Ye Rim with him behind a column. At first Ye Rim didn''t understand, but then it became clear that he was hiding. Kim Jun Yeon discreetly peeked from behind the column, and then went back into hiding.


    "But what are you doing, Oppa?"


    "Shall we stay here for a while, please?"


    "Are you crazy? What are we going to do behind a column, in an event full of people?"


    Kim Ju Hyeon sighed, glancing around and realizing the ridicule of the situation. He, an a.d.u.l.t man and not exactly small, hiding behind a column, and holding a girl''s wrist, on top of that. Releasing Ye Rim, he said,


    "So look for yourself, but be discreet."


    Ye Rim thought there must be a good reason for that, and she quickly peeked what was going on. The singer soon spotted the friendly Mr. Go, escorted by an elegant lady of empowered posture. She was sure that this woman could only be Dr. Kim''s mother.


    "Mr Go! Aigoo, I don''t believe it! Why would we have to hide from Mr. Go? He''s your grandpa! Is that ajumeoni your mother, Oppa?" it puzzled Ye Rim.


    "Ye Rim ah! How can you not know why he can''t see us together?! Is obvious! He wants us to date! And he will start to assume that we are secretly dating, if he gets to see us here together! He''ll tell everyone we are a couple!"


    "Uhn¡­ Obviously you don''t want to be seen with a woman like me," Ye Rim grunted, feeling offended and irritated at being offended. The doctor replied,


    "No, of course not!"


    "What did you say?!" her blood boiled at his honesty.


    "Why so mad? You know I''m not the type for you! I am stingy and you are a gold-digger! Nothing against it, after all that is why my grandfather identifies with you so much. Gold-diggers can be very cool, though. And I like you, because you are fun. But you have your requirements and I have mine. Girls who only think about money don''t stand a chance with me."


    "Why, what a prick! You don''t know me at all!"


    "Don''t be sad. I''m going to introduce you to some very generous friends. That''s what friends are for."


    "Thank you very much, but I''ll pass. I will be busy making my own money, Dr. Kim. I won''t have to take anyone''s, or win the lottery," saying this Ye Rim pushed him to get out of there. She was furious and wouldn''t waste any more time with that idiot. Whenever the singer thought Kim Jun Hyeon was proving to be a decent human being, he showed his stupid side.


    "It would be nice, ''friend''. I got no offense by you rubbing in my face that I have money because my mom won the lottery. It was the worst thing that happened to us. I don''t use that money anymore, although I had a privileged education thanks to it. And ..." the surgeon tapped his wallet, chuckling, "In case you don''t know yet, ''easy comes, easy goes''."


    "You are incredibly stupid, did you know? Whoever saw that smile back there doesn''t know what kind of guy you are," Ye Rim said, feeling her head start to hurt and her eyes start to itch and water.


    "I know who I am. That''s enough for me," Dr. Kim replied, raising an eyebrow in contempt. "And do you, Ye Rim, know who you are? You compare yourself to a queen, but there you were, like a Cinderella in that booth. You treat me like an unworthy idiot, but you got tiny and meek around those women. I wonder what so valuable Queen Maeve offered back to the men who courted her. Well, she was a Queen to begin with, wasn''t she? But Ye Rim ... You are not a queen. You just behave like a proud queen to me. To others, you act like a dazzled and innocent poor protagonist of a cheap drama. But if it''s me, you show your thorns. A rose with thorns, as Exupery would say."


    Dr Kim''s words, spoken gravely as he looked her straight in the eye, hurt. At the same time, Ye Rim was aware of the public environment they were in. With the doctor resting a hand on the column and she curled up in his shadow, vexed and resentful.


    Ye Rim took a deep breath, refusing to cry. Kim Jun Hyeon had no right to make her cry.


    "You''re crazy!"


    The doctor snorted, pulling his hand away for her to leave. Jun Hyeon seemed to have decided to abandon the discussion as well. People were staring at them.


    "Crazy? I thought I could be sincere. See you soon, ''friend''," saying this, the doctor walked away, disappearing into the crowd that visited the charity fair.


    Ye Rim smoothed her clothes, buying time to breathe.


    '' Aishhh! I''m so angry! So angry! Why didn''t I kill him?! Who does he think he is to judge me like that?! He knows that I was selling the bags for¡­ ''


    No, he didn''t. She never considered telling him. Ye Rim noticed this as she headed for the public toilet in the event hall. She just wanted to leave and crash in her own bed. But the singer must do her part in the deal with Ms. Cha.


    Jun Hyeon''s words seemed to reverberate in her head, though.


    After a few minutes of looking in the restroom mirror, Ye Rim wondered why Dr. Kim''s angry tone seemed to have any hurt. ''He treats me like a self-serving person, and he resents that I''m not fascinated by the condescending behavior ... Well, he''s not condescending, to be honest! Bwa! He could be kinder! He knows how to be as gentle as he wants!'' Several moments came to her mind, however. Like when Dr. Kim gave her his own shirt, took her to the drugstore... And even when the crazy doctor hugged her because he thought she was crying.


    Sighing, Ye Rim decided to leave those thoughts for later, because she didn''t want to sing when angry. For all intents and purposes, those bags had become something really useful. And as for her, there was only one possible way out: signing a contract with an agency and trying to get an advance to pay Pearl''s debt.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "It''s just a moment," said the sound technician while working frantically on a computer, "Within minutes the upload of new songs will be complete and the portable noraebang will be available for use."


    Ye Rim nodded, waiting for more recent songs to be made available to anyone who would sing on the Noraebang Duet, or Karaoke Duet, as the imported equipment sign said. It was a booth where the user could either sing alone or choose to sing along with a professional singer. In this case, Ye Rim, who would be in a separate booth, would appear on the screen and sing with the person. It was the same system as a famous mobile app, but Ye Rim had never done that before. Taking a peek, the singer saw that a small line of people was waiting to sing in the booth, accepting up to three people each turn.


    At least it looked like great fun. The first in line was a group of teenagers in school uniforms, who were already choosing the song from the catalog.


    "That one?"


    "No! Let''s sing this one! It''s so beautiful!"


    "But isn''t it very sad? It''s so depressing!"


    "It''s a bit sad, but it''s also deep! And Hani rocks singing this song! Don''t you know?"


    "I know, it''s just that I think we should sing a happier song."


    "Okay, fine. I''ll sing this one alone later!"


    Ye Rim smiled listening to the girls chatting.


    "Hey, what are you doing over there? You can''t stay in there!" Said one of the event''s security guards, and a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt escaped from the booth. Ye Rim only saw him from the back, but he looked young, very young, and strangely familiar. She felt a strange shiver. And when she glanced at the booth again, Ye Rim had a macabre foreboding.


    "Hey. Student?!" She called to the figure who was dashing out of the crowd. It was funny because people seemed to dodge him. Ye Rim even followed him, taking a few steps towards him, but gave up, because there were too many people on the way.


    The security guard went into the booth to check that everything was fine, and left with a positive sign.


    "Girls, come in now, the freak did nothing dangerous or perverted here," Ye Rim heard him say. Why did she have all the hair on her body standing on end?


    The girls replied to the security guard, "Ajuhssi, he wouldn''t do anything perverted! He could even sing with us if he wanted to! He was so handsome!" They giggled among themselves, but the security guard wasn''t amused at all, and just motioned for them to enter.


    They bowed to him and entered, and Ye Rim, still looking for the boy whom she only saw his back, had to go to her booth. The singer just felt uncomfortable and a little tense, and did exercises by turning her neck and making faces to loosen her muscles.


    '' That idiot ruined my day, '' she had to blame, at least. Was it impression or was the air conditioner too cold?


    In front of Ye Rim, the music catalog information screen flashed, showing the teenagers'' options. They would sing the first song without help, but the second song, called Deep Dive, had selected the singer''s help.


    Despite the cold, it was a little suffocating in her small booth. Ye Rim pulled the collar away from her neck, wishing he had not accepted this service. It was getting a little claustrophobic there, even though she never had claustrophobia before.


    The green light came on and the big screen turned on. The singer could see the girl who would sing. Ye Rim waved at her, who smiled and waved back.


    "I''m going to sing ''Deep Dive'', by Hani. Do you know him?" said the girl.


    Ye Rim didn''t know this song, but on her auxiliary screen the score appeared and she had the headset on, so she said yes.


    Ye Rim felt a sudden lump in her throat, skimming the lyrics and the chorus, trying to find the tone:


    "I went high, to fall down


    On a deep dive, different from the one


    in Jeju that summer ... "


    When the music started, the screen in front of her went black suddenly. For some reason, Ye Rim knew that something had happened to that girl, in the other booth.

 Chapter 116 - I Dont Want to Be Like My Mother

    Dr. Kim felt a terrible headache, sitting in the seat of his car in the parking lot of the charity bazaar. He wanted to just leave the place, after having the last word, but it wasn''t that simple. To begin with, he hadn''t come to the event for a walk. And the constant beeps from the messaging app on his cell phone reminded the surgeon of it constantly.


    MOTHER: ''Where are you?''


    MOTHER: ''Aren''t you going to come? We''re already here.''


    The plastic surgeon had taken this afternoon to work as a volunteer, handing out food to the volunteers of the event in the food truck that his mother had brought. And instead, Jun Hyeon was in his car, thinking of going back to Ye Rim and apologizing for everything he had said to her.


    It''s not like the doctor thinks differently from what he said. Kim just shouldn''t have been cruel with the excuse that he was being sincere. '' Aish, why does this woman occupy my mind this much? Don''t I have too many problems already?! ''


    But Jun Hyeon knew that he had left Ye Rim almost crying because of his harsh words, so he had to go back.


    The Doctor texted his mother, saying that he would soon be ready to work on the distribution of meals. And he headed for Noraebang Duet''s booth.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim felt her heart tighten when the screen in front of her went out and she didn''t see the student anymore.


    "Student? Student?" she asked into the microphone, with no answer.


    As soon as the singer did that, the music halted and started playing backward. It was a creepy thing Ye Rim had only heard happen in old horror movies.


    "Student? Are you okay?"she repeated, alarmed.


    The feedback microphonia hurt in her ear, and Ye Rim thought she heard the girl ask for help, in the background.


    '' Omo! What is it?! ''  the feeling of something dreadful and ominous hit her. She tried to turn the sound system off, but realized it wasn''t possible. Then in a fit of desperation, Ye Rim pulled the heavy electric cables forcefully, disconnecting them,


    "Stop! Stop it damn thing! Arghhh!" an electric shock struck her, and Ye Rim was thrown back against the wall.


    The lights in her booth went out, and her heart pounding and aching, Ye Rim opened the door, staring at the people looking at her in astonishment.


    Without thinking too much, she ran to the booth door where the student was. Somehow, she was sure there was someone in the booth with that girl.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    From a distance, Jun Hyeon saw the neon lights on the Noraebang Duet booth sign flicker and sparkle dangerously, and then go out. The doctor felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. He quickened his pace, noticing that people were crowding around the booth. Excusing himself and conquering his space with difficulty, he even heard someone comment,


    "I think someone got hurt in there!"


    ''Ye Rim!'' it was his first thought and warning that he was a doctor, he made his way until he reached the booth. The only security guard prevented two students who were crying hysterically from breaking into the booth. Kim repeated that he was a doctor and had his ticket cleared. When Jun Hyeon entered the booth he saw a strange scene which he couldn''t understand at first. In the dark, Ye Rim seemed to protect a convulsing teenager from someone who was possibly in the booth''s corner, but he couldn''t see the threat because it was dark.


    Stepping in front of Ye Rim, to prevent her from getting hurt, he blinked in astonishment. There was no one there. But when the doctor touched her, she was cold and sticky to the touch, and barely reacted to his presence. Jun Hyeon didn''t have time to check Ye Rim''s pulse. Having to decide between the two patients, he crouched down beside the girl who was convulsing, and who was at greater risk of death.


    A man came in while the doctor was doing first aid. The girl had spasmodic convulsions and foamed from the corner of her mouth. She had no signs of electric shock, but nervous system seizures. Dr. Kim quickly gave the instructions to call the ambulance.


    In a few moments they had dealt with the emergency and the teenager wasn''t in danger of dying anymore.


    Jun Hyeon then treated Ye Rim, noting that she showed more typical signs of shock. He kept her wrapped in his coat until the ambulance arrived.


    The girl''s friends were already calling her parents, and Dr. Kim asked, as he accompanied the girl to be taken to the ambulance,


    "Does she have a history of seizures? Are your friend sensitive to flashes or something?"


    "No, Shin Hye had none of that!" It was intriguing. He imagined it could have been an electrical discharge from the devices, but he couldn''t understand the atypical symptoms. Or the disparity of symptoms of both Ye Rim and the teenager.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Upon arriving at the hospital and presenting himself as responsible for both, at least until Shin Hye''s parents arrived, Kim questioned about the results of the exams.


    As soon as possible, they allowed him to go see Ye Rim, who had been conscious all along.


    When he entered the infirmary, he worried about seeing her looking so pale and dejected. Ye Rim was sitting on her stretcher, taking serum and medication, and looking quite anxious. As soon as Kim approached Ye Rim asked,


    "How''s the student doing?"


    "She''s fine, and under observation. They are undergoing complementary tests because of the seizure. And you also need to get tested. You got a shock, didn''t you?"


    Ye Rim looked at him with eyes so scared and big, and she looked so lost and vulnerable, that Jun Hyeon wanted to hug her. He just arranged better the blanket on her shoulders, though.


    Ye Rim replied his question,


    "Yes, I did. But there was something there. Something was trying to get that girl," Ye Rim stared at the horizon, uneasy. Dr. Kim smiled and took a towel, crouching down. He began to nuzzle her feet to warm them up a little. The feeling of comfort would slowly bring her out of confusion and shock.


    "What happened?" he asked in a soft, professional voice. Deep down, the doctor was furious with the event organizers who put the lives of two people at risk with that equipment in poor condition.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The black thing was hunched over the girl when Ye Rim entered the booth. With a low shriek, the shadow seemed to try to escape, but there was no way to do it. Then the creature turned back to the girl who was lying on the floor.


    '' Oh my Gosh! It will eat her! '' for some reason Ye Rim realized that, and tried to draw the thing off the girl. But her hands seemed to sink into a kind of frozen, sticky and very disgusting cotton candy. The singer''s heart hurt a lot, it felt like it would tear in half.


    But it worked. The creature seemed startled, and retreated to a corner of the booth.


    Then Ye Rim had heard Jun Hyeon Oppa arrive.


    But now ... What had really happened? Her rational mind could not see an explanation. One moment, a teenager chooses a song to sing, the next she is convulsing on the floor of the booth. The booth''s equipment starts to act strangely, and when Ye Rim enters the place, she hallucinates. That was it, wasn''t it?


    However ... Why did this account look so much like her mother, Nam Joo''s?


    Shadows with shapes of people! Sparks! Horror ...


    Was she going crazy, like Park Nam Joo? Ye Rim shivered again, just thinking it could be the beginning of some inherited disease. As bad as thinking that, it was to think that none of that was a lie and delusion from her head. It was to think that the girl was really being attacked by something dark and scary.


    "I don''t know. The devices went crazy after the second song started. I think the girl got a shock on the microphone, and ... I tried to turn off the equipment, but I got a shock too. I think I hallucinated a little. I thought someone was attacking her¡­ something dark."


    Ye Rim started to cry, and Jun Hyeon stood up, hugging her. "Is she really going to be okay? Instead of helping, I did nothing!"


    Ye Rim started to cry, and Jun Hyeon stood up, hugging her. "Is she really going to be okay? Instead of helping, I didn''t do anything!"


    "Shhhh! Calm down, Ye Rim. It''s all right. You were great back there. You turned off the equipment before she died from being electrocuted. You saved her. And¡­ dark things. Blurred vision is common in this type of accident."


    Ye Rim wanted to believe that. She buried her face in Dr. Kim''s chest for a moment, feeling miserable,


    "What were you doing there? I thought you were gone."


    "I came back to apologize. I have no right to offend you for anything you do. Also, you know that I go around trying to be heroic," he tried to be funny. "It''s our secret."


    Ye Rim also had a secret. She didn''t want to become the madwoman who sees black ghosts and fairies. And again, it was nice to receive Jun Hyeon''s hug. And it was good not to be fighting with him.


    Before leaving the hospital, they tried to check on Shin Hye, but they arrived a little late. The teenager was already leaving the hospital with her parents. Dr. Kim called, but they didn''t hear, entering the elevator.


    However, when the door was closing, Ye Rim had the impression of seeing black smoke following them into the elevator. For Shin Hye.


    Ye Rim blinked. That must definitely be the blurred vision. Even if her body shivered, like in the Octagon.


    "Shall we go?" the Doctor asked.


    It was the blurred vision, she tried to convince herself, following Dr. Kim to leave the hospital.

 Chapter 117 - The Supreme Chessplayer

    VOICEOVER: "Watch now scenes from the moment of the rescue in the karaoke box, provided by an amateur filmmaker," said the professional narration on television.


    Ji Hyeon could barely see her twin, as the footage made with a cell phone camera was shaky and there were some people in front. She barely saw Jun at a glance, helping to get a girl in school uniform on the stretcher. "Aish, why don''t you get out of the way?!" The person whose head almost completely hid her brother in the fuzzy and blurry scenes irritated Ji. "And about him? Did he get hurt?!" it was what she really wanted to know.


    "According to the medical report, the two victims are doing well. Witnesses later identified the doctor who helped the rescue as plastic surgeon Kim Jun Hyeon. He gave a brief statement over the phone to our reporter Sarah Lee."


    KJH: "Fortunately, when I got into the cabin, there was still time to provide first aid. The a.d.u.l.t victim, even after suffering a shock that left her disoriented, tried to rescue the teenager. It possibly saved her life, as the singer was able to turn off the power before significant damage occurred. I regret the incident because I know the bazaar organizers and I know that they are serious and dedicated people. This fatality must be investigated carefully, to avoid further accidents."


    REPORTER: "Thank you, Dr. Kim."


    ANCHOR: "The firefighters and the police are investigating the cause of the incident, with the help of the organization of the event. All permits and inspections had been carried out previously. It''s suspected that the noraebang booth suffered sabotage, because minutes earlier, the security team expelled an unidentified man from the scene."


    "And now, news of the weather for tomorrow in the capital."


    It was good to hear her twin''s voice. Jun was being kind, but he was angry, Ji knew. She was relieved that no one had been hurt, and most of all, that Jun hadn''t been hurt.


    Ji Hyeon started looking elsewhere for more news, although she knew Jun had given the interview because Sarah Lee had been their neighbor before they got rich. No other channel would repeat her twin brother''s recorded statement.


    The door locks opened one by one, as usual, and Ji Hyeon fidgeted. Dae Won greeted her from the stairs, carrying bags. She just looked up, not moving at all.


    "I brought the cake you saw on TV," Dae Won said in a cheerful tone, placing the packages on the table. From one of the bags he took out personal care products and opened a bottle of shampoo to smell the contents.


    "Aren''t you sick of this shampoo? It doesn''t seem to do well for your hair, either," he commented, putting the product aside.


    "My hair looks like this because it lacks sunlight and D vitamin, Oppa," she reminded him, feeling her blood boiling up.


    "This is a myth, dear," Dae Won smiled looking at her, but when he saw Ji Hyeon''s annoyed face, he also became serious. "You are being cruel and arbitrary, but remember that you used to be indoors and kind locked up all the time. Avoiding the sun and seeing people. You never wanted to go out with me, no matter how hard I tried. You said the sun would aggravate your scars. You even fought with me several times, when I was very insistent about it."


    "I was depressed at the time," Ji Hyeon replied, cautiously. She hated it when Dae Won spoke of the past, her depression and her attempted suicide,


    "I don''t want to talk about it."


    "Well, neither do I. Have you made any progress in writing the song yet?"


    "I don''t feel inspired," Ji Hyeon realized that Dae Won was demanding progress because that project should be very important to him. Perhaps he was becoming ambitious now that the song she wrote would appear in a film. Since Dae Won seemed to need her, maybe she could take advantage of it. He had already allowed Ji Hyeon to leave the bas.e.m.e.nt before, and stay hidden to see her brother. She hadn''t been able to get away or communicate with Jun, but at least she can see him. Perhaps in a new opportunity, Ji Hyeon could finally escape and be rescued by her brother. Then she dismissed,


    "Did you see that Jun Hyeon was a hero today?"


    Just from the way Dae Won raised his eyebrow, it seemed like he didn''t know. Then she said,


    "It''s on the news! He saved a singer and a girl from an accident!"


    "Uhn¡­ Really? The singer must be Ye Rim, who is always suffering accidents or into some trouble. She always needs to be saved ... Like you, I think. Is he making up for his double neglect in the past? Hope not. I also hope that your brother is not creating situations for Ye Rim to need him," Dae Won sounded taciturn, and Ji Hyeon worried. He was well aware of this girl''s life. This has happened to herself in the past. Dae Won had been involved in just about every aspect of her life.


    "Why would he do something to harm her, Oppa?" of course, Jun Hyeon was not a psychopath like Dae Won. In fact, she always suspected that her kidnapper caused the accident at the cottage. She never had evidence, of course, and she felt bad about distrusting the person who had saved her. Dae Won saved her and even got hurt because of it. But Ji Hyeon still had that uncomfortable feeling, and she remembered the episode in the kitchen. She and her brother stayed in the kitchen and heard a strange noise, but they thought Dae Won had tripped in the dark. It was possible that he had sabotaged the gas supply. But she would never be sure, would she?


    "I don''t know. You know that Jun Hyeon wants to save the world," he replied, looking annoyed. Then he went over to the piano and began to carelessly rummage through the drafts he found tucked under the lid.


    ''No, I don''t know. The only one here who fantasizes about being a hero is you, you batshit crazy demented!'' she wanted to scream, but that would only make him treat her like the psychotic one. But a plan was taking shape in Ji Hyeon''s mind. And it would not do to conflict with Dae Won. She couldn''t just do everything he wanted. If she played right, maybe she could convince him to let her out again,


    "I read the script, but the singer''s character looks so cliche and flat! I can''t convince myself that she would give her life for the protagonist. I can''t get inspired. Is it really a sure thing? Will the role really be Ye Rim''s?"


    "She will sign with the agency," he commented. "She texted me today. Now, she needs to rehearse and prepare for the audition. Ye Rim''s talented, but she loses focus quickly."


    "It shouldn''t be difficult, since the role is simple. But Oppa¡­ I miss my brother! I''m in a bad mood and bored here. Why don''t you take me to see him, like that time at the squash game? I think it would be good for my mind¡­" she started trying to involve him. "I would certainly feel more refreshed and inspired."


    But Ji Hyeon noticed that Dae Won seemed distracted, with his mind lost in thoughts.


    "Oppa? What is it?"


    "Yes, it''s a very simple role. And she can do it easily¡­" he murmured to himself, but Ji Hyeon had a great hearing. The prisoner shivered. ''Why doesn''t it look like he wasn''t totally happy about it? Why does it seem that deep down, he doesn''t want her to get the role, if he''s working so hard for it making it happen?"


    "Oppa? What are you saying? I can''t understand. But¡­ wouldn''t it be possible to take me to see Jun? I know you said earlier that it''s not easy, that he is always busy and never has time for old friends, but you couldn''t try, just one more time?"


    In anticipation, she watched him slowly come back to reality, from his plotting moment. Dae Won then turned to Ji Hyeon,


    "Ji, you gave me a fabulous idea. That will resolve all points at once."


    As Dae Won now smiles very pleased with himself, Ji Hyeon felt a sudden nausea. She needed to know what she had triggered in that sick mind.


    "And what are you going to do?"


    "Well, you need to find inspiration, and the one-dimensional character disappoints you. Ye Rim needs some motivation for her audition. Just like Jun Hyeon needs to be in the place and time we need, so you can see him."


    "Uhn. Yes. So what?" she still didn''t see the connections.


    "Ji, if the singer character needs to tap dance, it will create the need for a tap dance teacher. If Jun Hyeon teaches Ye Rim for the audition, I will make you see him easily, as he will have to make room in his schedule to accommodate Ye Rim''s lessons. And more than that, it will inspire you, as you need. I just need to convince the screenwriter that the character should be tap dancing. It won''t be difficult because she listens to my musical advice and also because it matches the period of her drama.


    Ji Hyeon had no doubt that Dae Won was Machiavellian. She also knew that he was a persistent and quite efficient manipulator. Two things that terrified her deeply. She needed to look excited, even when she felt that there was still a part Dae Won hadn''t told her. Ji Hyeon clapped her hands,


    "Are you really going to be able to do both? I thought Jun had abandoned the dance altogether¡­ Do you think he would do that?"


    "If he doesn''t, then he will deeply hurt Ye Rim¡­"


    Ji Hyeon realized that Dae Won had all the plays on his chessboard well planned. It was a win-win situation for him.

 Chapter 118 - Eun Ha, what are you doing next Friday?

    "And it was like that!" Ye Rim laughed, a little stunned by the shot of drink she had just gulped down, applauding herself. "After all this, I woke up determined to go to the agency that Lee Oppa referred me to."


    "It was a great decision, Ye Rim," said Dae Won gently, raising his glass in a toast. Ye Rim had signed the contract with the entertainment agency that afternoon. Tonight, she had offered a dinner to the music producer as a thank you.


    "Unnie still thinks I acted rash," she said, placing her hand on Eun Ha''s shoulder. Her best friend drank her drink with a frown, before answering,


    "But you are wrong, Ye Rim. In fact, I''m glad it happened now. It takes about two months for the end of the year. And the audition for your first TV role will take a while from now. You have a good span to get your acting skills going. And your agency has the professionals for it. I assume we just have to thank Oppa Lee," Eun Ha said, looking at her friend sincerely. Ye Rim scratched her head,


    "Oppa, I swear I thought Eun Ha was angry about something. Was not it?"


    "I was angry for other reasons. Besides, you almost died of electrocution!"


    "I''m glad I didn''t get on TV, nor was my name mentioned! I don''t think it would be good publicity!"


    "Well, I think you should follow your agent''s advice on advertising, so be sure to inform them about any public project or activity. This is important," advised Composer Lee.


    Ye Rim nodded. She knew that Eun Ha was sulking about everything she told about the events in the bazaar. From accepting the handbags to the incident in the noraebang booth. Her unnie didn''t gloss over her annoyance about the Kim Jun Hyeon''s involvement on it, whom she called Dr. Flamingo.


    It was a little entertaining, that her unnie was being so peevish about him. But Eun Ha was genuinely concerned about the incident and the sabotage in the karaoke box. She made a lot of questions and wished to know every detail.


    Eun Ha also reminded Ye Rim that the Music Producer''s effort should be praised.


    "I don''t understand his signs, but he''s a great ally, Ye Rim. He seems to see your talent like no one else," she had said. And even proposed dinner in a restaurant.


    So they were there, celebrating the contract, for which Lee Dae Won had arguably worked hard to help her get it. The director of the agency Optimus was a friendly and assertive man, and told Ye Rim that although she found doors closed elsewhere, he would do his best to get her back into the entertainment business.


    Ye Rim hid from Dae Won and Eun Ha that she had requested an advance on the contract, however. The singer knew that Eun Ha would be angry because it put her in a vulnerable situation within the agency. And Producer Lee could be embarrassed. The director agreed. It would only take a few days for this to happen.


    Eun Ha positioned the cell phone camera to take a selfie together,


    "Smile swag!" they did funny poses, and were having fun, but Ye Rim''s unnie apparently was getting a lot of messages lately. Her fingers moved quickly on the screen of the cell phone, responding to her contact. Ye Rim spoke loudly to Dae Won, to tease Eun Ha,


    "Oppa, my unnie is taking French classes! She''s a very committed student, don''t you think? It has nothing to do with her teacher being a handsome man, of course. Oui oui, oh la la!"


    The musician smiled, while Eun Ha scowled at the comment. As if remembering something, Dae Won addressed the stylist,


    "Eun Ha ssi, what are you doing next Friday?" this naturally raised the Ye Rim''s curiosity, who looked at the musician. Had Dae Won Oppa been enchanted by Eun Ha? She already knew they met at least twice, days ago. Eun Ha always had admirers, but her unnie always seemed to never be interested in anyone. It would not be strange if she had captivated musician Lee with her friendliness and good heart.


    Eun Ha looked up from her cell phone, blinking funnily. She seemed to be trying to produce what to say next. But Ye Rim heard her unnie praise the "beautiful, cute, gentle Lee Dae Won" so much that she imagined Eun Ha was going overdrive.


    "Unnie¡­ Friday. You don''t have an appointment for this Friday, do you?" she whispered, trying to help.


    "Ah¡­ I¡­ actually... I do! I have an unpostponable appointment! Totally can''t put it off! With my French class!"


    Ye Rim held his laughter. ''Of course, it had to do with the class and French!''


    "Uhn ... With all this dedication, you''ll soon be speaking like a native!"


    Her unnie gave a big smile. The singer knew that Eun Ha was embarrassed, and at that point, she was sure that Eun Ha, for the first time, was in love. Her best friend said,


    "It''s a day of immersion in the language. And at night we''ll have a costume party, where we''ll explain our costumes! Completely in French!"


    "And have you decided on your costume yet?" asked Dae Won.


    "Yes. I''m going as Joan of Arc," she said proudly.


    "And you took measurements for your teacher''s fantasy, didn''t you?" Ye Rim did not refrain from provoking, but Eun Ha pretended that she would hit her donsaeng. They were in the middle of this female joke of giggling and tickling when Eun Ha''s phone called. Looking at the screen, she became concerned and stood up, walking away, after excusing herself.


    "Bon soir, Monsieur Shin!"


    When Eun Ha left, Dae Won commented, looking a little disappointed,


    "Well, a French course partially destroyed my plans."


    "What did you have in mind, Oppa? I can ask her ..."


    " Well, actually, she said I shouldn''t do that. But I just couldn''t help myself. It''s about the Fashion Ball," he seemed apologetic, which always made him very cute. But Ye Rim knew that Oppa wouldn''t stand a chance with Eun Ha now.


    "I don''t believe it! Oppa wanted to take Eun Ha to the Fashion Ball?! Did she talk to you about the Fashion Ball?"


    "Not exactly, I just thought you were going to like it. In fact, I had two invitations. I tried to get one more invitation, but it was impossible."


    "I imagine so, I heard that it is very exclusive. Only for VVIP!"


    "Yes, I heard that her favorite stylist is one of the honored guests this year. But ... It wouldn''t be wasted at all if you could make an appearance at this type of event, would you? I imagine your agent couldn''t find it better! " the musician proposed hopefully. "Do you want to go to the Fashion Ball with me, Ye Rim?"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Eun Ha went to the restaurant bathroom to answer Hunter Shin''s call.


    Her friend had reported the events at Noraebang, where she almost died of electrocution. However, Ye Rim had told in detail about the music playing backward, and the mysterious man who disappeared in the crowd.


    ''What if this man is the same one in the picture?'' it was the first thing the young fairy had asked himself. Then, of course, she had reported it to Hunter Shin. It was one thing for the Devourer to want to take her. The other was to approach and harm Ye Rim.


    That was exactly what the Hunter was investigating at the moment.


    "As I said, Eun Ha, the cabin has a bad resonance. Maybe because of what happened, but I think something magical happened here," told her tutor on the phone. "I''ll make sure it''s no longer used. It''s better not to risk exposing people to it ever again, just in case."


    "I''m glad. But is there no way to be sure if it was the Devourer, Professor?"


    "I will investigate further. I can come back here on Friday night, and ..." The Hunter started, but Eun Ha interrupted him with a tasty taste of revenge for giving back exactly as he did last time.


    "It just won''t be possible. Professor Shin. On Friday we are going to the Fashion Ball, did you forget?"


    "Jung ..." he seemed to be speechless, and the young fairy realized that Hunter Shin already had the answer but tried to buy time. But Eun Ha would pretend she didn''t know.


    "This is important too! That''s how I''m going to pay my prot¨¦g¨¦''s debt. Debts are serious things. The Hunter owes me, he knows that. And I am not a woman who forgives debts, of course," she tried to sound like a mobster.


    The Hunter sighed heavily on the phone.


    "I even ignored a request for a date with a super nice guy because it''s so important, Hunter Shin. I''ve already found a great excuse for Friday night. And it reminds me we should do a fitting test. I need to know what clothes you''re going to wear. I want to impact and make people fall at first sight for my style!" she was excited.


    "Listen, Jung. I won''t do it. I cannot be the model. I can be the security guard, the hatter, the driver, but not the model. I''d just screw up your plan."


    "Haha, this is hilarious, but you owe me a favor."


    "Anything but that," he insisted, and he meant it.

 Chapter 119 - Are You VIP?

    "It''s useless. If Hunter Shin doesn''t behave like an international actor, there''s no point in him being dressed in the coolest clothes in the universe. He''s the hottest man in the world, no doubt. Aishh, why did Hunter Shin have to be so shy?! Why did he have to be so rude? Why did he have to be sulky?!" the fairy stylist grumbled and complained to herself, early in the morning.


    It was Friday, the day of the Fashion Ball, and Eun Ha hadn''t been able to convince the older fairy, or find another solution. Having a cup of tea while looking out the kitchen window that drizzly morning, Eun Ha wondered if that was the end of her plan. It was depressing after all the progress and effort to perfect her plan. She had tested everything else.


    She could transform an average rental car into a super luxury car. She could affect an area for cellphones and laptops to find entries about the fake actor''s international hits for a few hours. She would get the invitations, and even, according to Professor Shin, she could have dolls transformed for a short time into ''robots'' who followed basic commands. It was the alternative Shin gave her as an excuse for not being the international actor Eun Ha needed.


    She had trained with a wooden mannequin for drawing. Eun Ha even understood where the Pinocchio legend came from. And next, she also tried with a Barbie doll.


    The latter had a good result. Barbie looked like a sophisticated-looking android with the memory of a Tamagochi, able to follow only simple and very precise instructions. Androids would probably be useful as security guards and drivers, though.


    But Eun Ha didn''t need a Pinocchio or a beautiful, soulless android. She would already spend enough ephemeral conditional magic to create false information on the internet and keep it online for a few hours!


    The stylist needed a live person celebrity.


    A stunning celebrity with shining eyes that brought all the attention to her success as a stylist. Eun Ha didn''t have the money to hire even a newbie model or actor, let alone pay a real celebrity''s fee. Not to mention that she needed someone for tonight.


    ''Unless¡­'' When Eun Ha''s gaze went down to the side gate of the Yoo''s Greengrocery, the fairy''s idea''s lamp immediately turned on over her head.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Hidden camera?" asked Kang Dae, arranging the artichokes in a perfect pile. The grocery store was empty in the rainy morning. And besides Kang Dae, Chang Mi was studying at the register. Eun Ha was beside the handsome grocer, trying to convince him.


    "Well, as I said, my friends recruited me and they also need someone with your profile. They pay well, they only take about three weeks. I did it once for them. It''s fun and also very easy," Eun Ha knew that her scam was not the best in the world. But she had no better way to sway him to party crash a VIPs party, if it wasn''t for a crazy story about friends doing a movie project.


    "And the Fashion Ball''s Producers allowed it. Totally allowed it. It''s part of a film school project, it''s a¡­ what''s the name¡­ a mockumentary, I think", Eun Ha was getting desperate. The fashion designer had really hoped she could persuade Kang Dae, since he liked her. Normally she wouldn''t attempt this kind of dirty thing, but it was for a noble cause.


    "Aww, Kang Dae! Please, please! Help me tonight, will you?! Awn, please!"


    Kang Dae smiled dimly, and spoke quietly, anxiously checking on his brother who was nearby,


    "Okay, repeat what I need to do again. I don''t think I got it right the first time."


    "Sure!" Eun Ha opened the biggest smile,


    "For this hidden camera, I''ll be this fashion stylist, and you will be an action movie actor, who happens to like my clothes." While speaking Eun Ha shined a pumpkin, "Someone will take us in a luxury car, and we will make a grand entrance at this VIP party. You cannot reveal that you''re on a hidden camera. You just have to pretend to work as an ascending action actor in Hollywood. The fact is that fashionistas aren''t big fans of action flicks, and they will probably apologize for not knowing you. And if you don''t understand what they are trying to talk to you about, it''s not a problem. Just improvise!"


    "Kang Dae worked on ''Zuchinnator'', ''The Ultimate Greengrocer'' and also, ''The Last Mango Fighter''!" sang Chang Mi, without looking up from the books.


    "Eh¡­ Eun Ha, really, Chang Mi is right. I''m a simple guy who only knows about vegetables. Chang Mi is younger and cool. He would be a better choice¡­ Look at him. Hasn''t my Persimmon an idol''s looks? You should take him, over me. Huh?"


    "Forget it. Mom will freak out. Tomorrow is Suneung," Chang Mi was red-faced, although he hasn''t looked up from the book yet. Yes, Eun Ha considered the young student handsome enough, but Kang Dae was still a great option. However¡­


    "Well, maybe I can talk to them to let Chang Mi drive the car. He could study while he waits..."


    "Still, I would love to help, Eun Ha, but I don''t think I could ... I can ruin your filming¡­" Kand Dae tried to cling to this opportunity to escape.


    "It''ll only be for an hour. So you can leave the party, even if I stay there," Eun Ha tried to manage the fragile layer of credibility of her lie to convince Kang Dae to accept. It would totally ruin her strategy if he didn''t agree to do it.


    "Eun Ha, I''ll just ruin everything! I''m warning you!" Kang Dae seemed desperate to escape the situation, but Eun Ha couldn''t afford to have mercy.


    "Awwww Kang Dae! Please, yes?! Or I''ll be mad at you! Yes, I will!" she made the more childish aegyo pose she could. Complete with big eyes, puffy cheeks and swinging of the body. The whole package of cuteness.


    "Hyung CAN AND WILL, Noona! I''m sure that if Noona teaches this big guy to have some manners in front of the camera, until the night you will turn this turnip into an international actor!" Chang Mi spoke eagerly, like someone who''s fl.u.s.tered and tired of watching the whole argument. Eun Ha shifted her gaze from one to the other. But why did she always have the impression that Chang Mi was a new student with little respect for his hyung?


    "Persimmon, help me out here, yes?!" Kang Dae seemed to whimper. Eun Ha always found it funny when Kang Dae called the youngest by the name of a fruit.


    "Noona, I really can''t be the driver tonight, but I know that my hyung is going to do the BEST possible to help Stylist Eun Ha with her fellow filmmakers. Right, hyung?" the boy questioned his older brother with a slightly defiant expression and arched brows.


    "YES! Yes, of course! I was just thinking I''d have to do everything by myself, but if Eun Ha teaches me to pose for the cameras, etc ... I will try my best!" the grocer looked anxious, but he kept a frozen smile on Eun Ha.


    "Ah, that''s good! How nice!" the stylist celebrated. The fairy knew she would have a busy day, but she''d focus only on the essentials.


    Eun Ha took advantage of the grocery store''s ample space to teach Kang Dae about posture, and thought he gained a few extra inches just by stretching his spine. After that, the fashion designer taught him to pose and face the cameras, between the rows of vegetables. At first, her grocer friend was a little confused, but then Kang Dae started to let go and act naturally.


    In fact, as Eun Ha already imagined, Yoo Kang Dae was a raw diamond waiting to be polished! He was tall and with a well-defined body. Besides the beautiful smile, Kang Dae had a manly face and a rustic and naturally sensual type. No one would imagine that when he opened his mouth, he was such a sweet and helpful person. Even a bit na?ve! Furthermore, Kang Dae seemed to have only one thing on his mind: his beloved greengrocer. Sometimes Eun Ha even doubted whether he had ever had a girlfriend!


    Then she taught him how to pose and even took several pictures of him, against the background of all those fruits and boxes of vegetables.


    Her magic wand was discreetly put into action to treat the photos the way she wanted.


    It was laborious, but gratifying, to have a quick, albeit superficial, result in turning Kang Dae into his Cinderella Man.


    The third and final step was to make him perfect. Then the fairy took him home, and submitted Kang Dae to a session of barbering, exfoliation and facial moisturizing, manicure, haircut, and makeup. After all, Eun Ha had the best products available in the world, thanks to her magic! And her own natural aesthetic talent, of course!


    Chang Mi gave a thumbs up for each improvement in his hyung''s look, holding back his laughter, while spending most of his time studying alongside them.


    Finally, Eun Ha handed the clothes to Kang Dae to get dressed, and went to get ready too. She was just the stylist; she didn''t need to be as fascinating as Kang Dae!


    Upon entering the sewing room and looking for the clothes she had decided to wear, Eun Ha was intrigued as the box for the beautiful red dress was not in its usual place. It was the only evening dress she had ever created. And she did it for Ye Rim. ''Why did Ye Rim move him?''


    But the young fairy didn''t have time to think about it now.


    When Eun Ha left, ready, and returned to the living room, the stylist saw her masterpiece waiting standing, looking like someone else completely. Even though she had known Kang Dae for a long time, Eun Ha was breathless!


    Chang Mi entered between them, and said,


    "Noona, good job. You really managed to turn a turnip into a celebrity!"


    "Hehe! It was not difficult at all!"


    "Eun Ha is really a fairy, as you say, Persimmon!" Kang Dae commented with a grinning smile.


    Eun Ha looked at Chang Mi a little embarrassed, and he also immediately turned the color of a strawberry.


    ''Could it be that¡­?''


    But her cell phone rang. The Hunter was coming to take them to the Fashion Ball.


    Then they said goodbye to Chang Mi, who wished,


    "FIGHTING!"

 Chapter 120 - Cinderella Man

    "Welcome to the annual edition of the Fashion Ball! I''m So Min Soo and this is Choi Da Ra," said the entertainment channel reporter to the camera, posing next to another commentator.


    Both wore impeccable clothes from famous designers, besides having perfect faces and the wittiest comments prepared for any occasion. A few meters behind them, the red carpet got all the attention. Celebrities and established names of Korean fashion mixed in, for flashes and greetings in front of cameras.


    "We have already seen actresses Park Bo Mi, Kim Ha Neul and the honoree of the night, Alexander Zhang, passing by on the red carpet. Among other famous names in the fashion and entertainment industries, and other VVIP guests. Actress Park Bo Mi was stunning, don''t you think, Da Ra?"


    "Yes Yes. She grows more beautiful as the years go by! And she denies the rumors of plastic surgeries!" said the hostess, trying to be spicy. The attentive eyes of the two TV commentators went to the stars that their assistants had managed to attract for a brief appearance on the broadcast. Da Ra tried to hide her panic because she didn''t remember them. The assistant jotted the name on paper and discreetly passed it on,


    "Hello, how are you, Ryan?" she saved her partner from memory lapse, improvising over the information her assistant got somewhere. "Hollywood has been welcoming our actors very well, hasn''t it?"


    "Without a doubt, Da Ra," Ryan Lee, the action movie actor, gave the hostess a radiant smile, shaking her hand the American way. The reporter couldn''t take her eyes off the actor''s dimpled smile that she had never seen in her life. And missed the timing of the next question. Ryan Lee had a photogenic and rustic face and was stunning in strikingly modern and well-cut clothes.


    Eun Ha kept her expression serene, next to Kang Dae, or rather, Ryan Lee. But Ryan Lee turned slightly towards the short woman beside him, in a huge hat and exotic black outfit, in addition to sunglasses. A little behind, a man in clothes similar to actor Lee''s, wore a peculiar blue monocle, and acted like a manager or something.


    "Da Ra, Min Soo, let me introduce Jung Eun Ha, my fashion stylist. If it weren''t for her, I wouldn''t be here today. She makes my clothes, and created this interest in fashion in me! What did you think, Da Ra?" Eun Ha had to admit that Kang Dae was exceeding her expectations. She didn''t know he was such a good liar!


    The brief interview alternated between Ryan Lee and Eun Ha, who soon posed for photos and were interviewed by other channels and media. In a brief interval, Hunter Shin stepped forward and whispered in the Stylist Jung''s ear,


    "Jung! You will need to take responsibility for this later!"


    But at this point, the young fairy was assessing her peers'' reactions to her style. Did she see veiled admiration and jealousy? Would she have heard "freshness and precision"? She was ecstatic, and feeling like her heart was about to stop!


    ''And, uh, isn''t that Cha Eun Mi, the same person who always stops me when I try to talk to Stylist Zhang? There you are, working outside the event by placing buttons on the celebrities! This time you can''t stop me, mwahaha! Mwahahaha! '' Eun Ha couldn''t refrain from having her subtle revenge by passing Cha Eun Mi, who immediately recognized her.


    "Miss. Cha! How long has it been, hasn''t it? Look, what is this, HIV prevention campaign buttons?! Yes, please, I want one! Do you know my friend, Actor Ryan Lee?"


    "N-not in person!" the ex-trainee stammered, stunned by the reverse of fortunes and the dazzling charm of the actor who escorted Ye Rim''s eccentric sidekick.


    As soon as they entered the sumptuously decorated ballroom, Kang Dae gaped, looking at the beautiful and stylish people hanging around. Eun Ha said,


    "Don''t be intimidated by all these celebrities and photographers. They are just people."


    "Ah! Okay. But look at this! These ice sculptures and also this buffet with these carved fruits!" was the answer of the fake actor, with the bright eyes before the elaborate fruit compositions. Eun Ha even expected this. That was the Kang Dae she knew!


    The fairy smiled at her male cinderella, "Go ahead, Kang Dae. I mean, Ryan Lee. Don''t forget that there are hidden cameras and other actors that will be close to you without you knowing it! And it''s open bar and open food, isn''t it the best part after all?!"


    "So I''m supposed to be circulating around a bit by myself, is that it?" the grocer was a little concerned, but Eun Ha made a sign, gently shooing him away,


    "Go, go. You won''t be alone for long."


    Kang Dae walked away a little apprehensively, but in fact, some fashion people soon surrounded him.


    "Can this work?" The Hunter grunted beside him.


    "Yes. Now I need to find Stylist Zhang. The condition of magic ends at midnight, but it is still early," she confirmed information that her Teacher already knew. Eun Ha took off his sunglasses to look across the room.


    "But¡­ where is he?! I''m not seeing! Can you see it?" as the Hunter was taller, the young fairy figured that he could see further.


    "I did a little research on Alexander Zhang, and I''m not seeing him," said Shin, standing beside her. "But I am seeing several traces of wraiths and one or two perched on people here, even in this festive setting."


    "Eun Ha shivered, but said,


    "Why doesn''t that surprise me? Is it something serious?"


    "Right now, here in the ballroom, just things that we should ignore. Only a restricted area of ??the building is a point that I''d like to¡­"


    "Please, Professor? Can we focus on my plan first? Please?" Eun Ha already knew that wraiths were everywhere. But not Stylist Zhang. It wasn''t easy to meet him.


    "We''d better find him soon, because it''s almost ten at night," and he suggested a direction to start looking for Eun Ha''s future patron.


    It was even a little fun to realize that Kang Dae was doing his job very well, because in less than half an hour people were already whispering, "That is Stylist Jung and her Manager, let''s talk to her." And just because Eun Ha couldn''t waste time doing public relations or being interviewed, she seemed uninterested in advertising her work. Eun Ha couldn''t believe that she was snubbing all these names and media outlets, which she would have given an arm for, in the past!


    "Eun Ha! Eun Ha-ssi!" she heard a familiar voice behind her, however.


    "Woo Geun! Baek Woo Geun!" she turned instantly. That was the ''real Baek'', Prince of Fashion Baek Woo Geun! The s.e.xiest fashionista in all of Korea!


    "Is this the perfect man for your prot¨¦g¨¦?" asked the Hunter grimly, as if he couldn''t believe it.


    Baek Woo Geun was the complete opposite of Hunter Shin. Slim but not too tall, he had the face of a national boyfriend, dressed in an unmistakable and youthful style, and always had a smile on his face. Perhaps he was a little narcissistic and aware of his beauty, Eun Ha knew. Still, they had an affinity since college.


    But Eun Ha had absolutely forgotten that Woo Geun would definitely have an invitation to the Fashion Ball.


    At that moment, some photos flashed and almost dazzled her. Woo Geun had a famous fashion channel on social media and was influential in fashion media as a critical voice. But what would he do to her now?


    "Ah, I thought you wouldn''t have time for an old friend either, Eun Ha!" he came over to greet her.


    "I was just looking for you, Woo Geun!" she exclaimed back with a grin.


    Woo Geun came to her side, and subtly turning her to one side, posed for a photo next to Eun Ha. Secretly, the fairy was delighted to notice that Hunter Shin even shifted when her influential friend touched Eun Ha''s shoulder. Like a jealous bodyguard. She introduced them next, but Woo Geun just admired the outfit Shin was wearing, ignoring him completely!


    "Eun Ha! Your style is getting better and better! Look at that! WOW!"


    "Hehe, thanks, Woo Geun! You always supported me!


    Shin was frozen in a martyr position, as if suffering some torment, while the influencer was circulating him and examining his outfit in a kind of ecstasy. While Woo Geun was doing this, the Hunter discreetly showed the watch to Eun Ha. They couldn''t waste time on that.


    "Eun Ha," said the fashionista, changing his tone and taking her by the arm, like someone who needs to speak privately. Again the Hunter was not exactly thrilled at it, but Woo Geun didn''t even notice, or pretended not to notice,


    "Eun Ha ya, I chose my look carefully for tonight. I was sure that no other man would be more elegant than me. But¡­ Ryan Lee is wearing the most stunning male outfit of the night. Why did you do that, Eun Ha? Can''t I trust you anymore?"


    "Uh?!" the fairy felt hyperventilated. ''By Gianni Versace, what is he doing? Is he going to show me up or worse?!''


    "Yes, Eun Ha ya!" he continued in an emphatic and complaining tone, "You had this beautiful outfit and you didn''t offer it to me! And the worst!" Baek Woo Geun turned to face the stylist fairy with narrowed eyes,


    "Who the hell is Ryan Lee?"

 Chapter 121 - Tic Toc, time is running

    Ye Rim felt a chill in her stomach as she strutted across her first red carpet. Of course, she was not there as a star, but as an escort to Composer Lee, a VIP guest at the event. But when a fashion reporter asked her what Maison signed her stunning dress, she could proudly say,


    "It''s a Jung Eun Ha!"


    And the reporter even seemed to recognize her friend''s name. Ye Rim knew that this was very unlikely, though. But if her picture ever came out in a magazine, the singer was sure that her stunning red dress and Eun Ha''s name would be news! Even at her new agency, the costume designer offered Ye Rim several borrowed dresses from the archive, but when he saw Eun Ha''s dress he was ecstatic,


    "You definitely need to go with this one! No one is going to look at another woman!"


    With a smile, she posed beside Lee Dae Won, and he introduced her to people he knew personally.


    "Oppa, do you know Designer Zhang personally?" she asked MP Lee.


    "I don''t know him personally, but we''ll manage to be introduced to him," Dae Won winked at her, understanding her reasons. If Ye Rim gets to make acquaintance with Stylist Zhang, she would give him Eun Ha''s phone number. If he had really been honest with her unnie, he would not have forgotten what he promised.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha swallowed hard, staring at Baek Woo Geun,


    "Have you met him? Haha. He''s a nice guy," she glanced around, trying to see where Kang Dae was now. But the party was huge, and he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Uhn, I don''t know. They introduced him to me, but he''s ... He''s a funny guy. Showing off and stuff," Woo Geun was vague, but it was clear he hadn''t had the best of impressions. Woo Geun, after all, was a Visual Arts major. If he started asking more specific questions, he would quickly debunk Kang Dae.


    The young fairy looked at the Hunter, seeking some kind of support, but at this moment the Hunter was pretending not to pay attention to her, or so she thought. ''Is that jealousy?''


    "Uhn, so¡­ Woo Geun! Do you remember when I did NOT win the Young Stylist contest? When did stylist Zhang go backstage to console me?" Eun Ha asked. She only had one chance.


    "Yes, we were all so sorry for you!"


    "I did what he said! I finished my college, set up a collection, and went to look for him. And do you know what I earned from it? A door in the face!"


    "I can''t believe it! He had even given you his personal phone number! We were all so happy for you!"


    "Unfortunately the phone number is no longer the same, and Cha Eun Mi, that b¡­! Well, she just boycotts me and doesn''t let me get to Stylist Zhang!"


    "And who is Cha Eun Mi?"


    "A former trainee that was on a project with Ye Rim. Now she works at Park & ??Zhang, and doesn''t let me pass the lobby''s port! That''s why I came up with a plan!"


    "Haha, it was taking too long to get to this part!" Woo Geun laughed wickedly, and then looked from side to side, "Wait a moment! Do you mean that at this very moment you are party crashing the Fashion Ball, and deceiving everyone? To speak to Stylist Zhang?" the conspiratorial tone caught the Hunter''s attention, who came closer.


    Eun Ha felt like not wasting the opportunity to see him jealous, and walked away with the Prince of Fashion, turning her back on her tutor, ''Ah, it''s so good to see you with this glare and suspicious look in my direction!'' She went on,


    "Yes, Woo Geun. I created a very ingenious plan involving actors I hired to be here today. Please, for our friendship, don''t expose me! As soon as I speak to Alexander Zhang I''ll be gone!"


    "Eun Ha, if you had told me you wanted to come for this, I wouldn''t have come with Jessica Kim!" he said, making a face. Eun Ha was surprised. Would he really have stopped coming with a girl group member so she, Eun Ha, could come to the Fashion Ball?! The young stylist was amazed.


    "Listen, Zhang is the honoree of the night and should give a speech thanking the event. It would be better to talk to him before that because afterward the reporters will swarm at him!" said his friend.


    "Help me, Woo Geun! Help me with this and I will help you with a project of yours! I have little time, I can''t stay here all night long!"


    "I don''t know how to help you tonight. But Stylist Zhang went up the stairs with his business partner, Vivian Park. Rumor has it that they were being mean to each other in front of people, and they literally went up arguing. So far they haven''t returned, and it''s been over half an hour!" Baek Woo Geun discreetly showed the stairs that led to a restricted access section.


    Exactly the same ladder that the Hunter wanted to investigate! Two security guards were guarding the area to prevent guests from trespassing.


    "Omo, what to do?" she asked aloud, starting to get distressed.


    "Eun Ha, just don''t be so inconvenient as to interrupt a conversation they don''t want to be seen!" the fashionista advised. "It is better to wait for him to come back because he''ll do this at one time or another. But there is something you need to do!"


    Eun Ha looked on without understanding, and Woo Geun lifted his chin, talking pompously,


    "Ryan Lee may be the best-dressed man at the party, but he certainly is clueless. Of course, they''ll soon find out he''s just a hired person. I think he''s really enjoying the drink bar, because he''s there laughing out loud and making metaphors involving fruits and vegetables. Dreadful. Do something Eun Ha, or he''ll get his stylist''s name dirty. That''s if I don''t get that fantastic outfit I should wear! Do something, Eun Ha!"


    "OMO!"


    They said goodbye, and the fairy looked at her watch. It was already 10:05 pm. Going to Hunter Shin, she spilled up,


    "Professor, Stylist Zhang is in a business meeting upstairs. I shouldn''t interrupt them, but he needs to get down soon! Aishh! I''m so nervous! And I need to see what Kang Dae is doing, too. I think I was very optimistic!"


    "So in less than five minutes, you told this person everything. But you didn''t even tell your friend the greengrocer the real reason he was here, working hard and for free to help you! Your choices always intrigue me, Jung," the Hunter sneered.


    The fairy gaped, and didn''t know what to say to defend herself,


    "Why! Please, Professor Shin! Just help me now! Get them downstairs, while I find out what Kang Dae is saying and why so many people are around him.


    "Okay," replied the Hunter, with a sigh, "Take care of yourself until I return."


    Eun Ha nodded and went back to the other side of the room, where the main bar was. There was a small crowd around the bar, and Eun Ha hurried on, worrying.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "I''m getting a little dazed," said Ye Rim to his date, when he asked if she wanted more champagne. She didn''t miss the opportunity to speak Eun Ha''s name every time someone asked who signed her dress. This has happened several times in the short time since they arrived. Despite the excitement of being at the famous Fashion Ball, Lee Dae Won was doing his best to make her relaxed.


    "Then don''t drink anymore," with a smile, he returned the glass of champagne to the waiter''s tray. Ye Rim saw an intriguing figure passing behind the waiter. A short figure with a huge black hat.


    ''I know that way of walking ...'' Ye Rim couldn''t believe it. ''No, it can''t be. Eun Ha would be at the French costume party tonight, seducing the French Teacher with her Joana D''arc costume. ''She was, wasn''t she?''


    "What is it, Ye Rim? Did something happen?"


    "No, it''s just ..." The singer tried to stretch her neck to see where the woman who looked like her unnie had gone. "I think I just saw my unnie!" Ye Rim laughed, although the more she thought about it, the more certain she was that Eun Ha was indeed at the Fashion Ball.


    "Well, that would be fantastic, but ... Why didn''t she tell you she would come?" Dae Won asked.


    "Ah, unnie is so busy that we barely have time to talk. But for the past few days, I''ve also been busy with the agency, and I haven''t told her either, "Ye Rim said, while consciously following the same path the woman in black had done. Dae Won escorted her across the crowded ballroom, "But if she is here, it will be cool because I''m wearing the dress she made for me! I need to get check it out, do you understand, Oppa? If it''s her, we have to meet!"


    The singer was still struggling and trying to see her short friend. In that place where many people were extravagantly dressed, Eun Ha was not so easy to find. But she stood on tiptoe for a while, and saw the girl with the big hat go towards the bar, dodging a couple who had just entered the room.


    Ye Rim held her breath.


    Jun Hyeon and Na Ra had just arrived at the Fashion Ball.

 Chapter 122 - Roofied?

    "Then they said: ''Stay in that line! I was like ''Uhn! Okay!'', I just thought I was going to win a giveaway ... And that''s when ..." Ryan Lee entertained his new friends with some narrative, surrounded by people near the bar. "There is my friend Eun Ha! She is always so secretive and mysterious! But we are good friends!"


    Eun Ha got to where Kang Dae was, trying to keep it cool,


    "WOW! It looks like you''ve already made good friends. What are you telling them, Ryan?" she intercepted the drink the waiter was delivering to Kang Dae. It was a blue drink with smoke coming out of it. Ryan Lee had red cheeks and bright eyes, though.


    "Just talking about how I met Sylvester Stallone!" he responded candidly.


    Eun Ha was alarmed. ''But what is this crazy guy doing?!''


    "Unnie, Ryan Lee is having fun! Please go on with the story, Actor Lee!" a woman''s voice interrupted her. The fairy glanced around to find out who the hell was calling her unnie, and saw Jessica Kim. There were not only pretty women around the fake actor, though. Kang Dae said,


    "Eun Ha-ssi, tell us why you only wear black? In all the years we''ve known each other, I''ve never seen her in any color other than black. Is it any superstition?"


    Everyone looked at Eun Ha. She was surrounded by stylists, models, and famous people, staring at her and waiting for an answer.


    Eun Ha took a good sip of the drink in her hands, thinking about what to say. Since she discovered that she had magical powers, several times she had the impression that some colors influenced her magic. In addition, she felt an itch every time she used a yellow color. Or touched yellow things. She definitely couldn''t use her magic on people wearing yellow. The only safe color to wear was black. When she was a teenager, Eun Ha thought it was because she was a witch. And witches wore black, right? But of course not that. And it was the same color that she saw Hunter Shin wear, invariably! So there was a reason, and it wasn''t just her imagination, she was sure of it.


    But what could she say to those people?


    "Ah, when I was a teenager I believed I was a witch. It was when I tried to make my first voodoo doll that I saw that the needles had another use," it wasn''t exactly a lie, since she had even tried to make voodoo. People laughed, as she expected,


    "Ryan Lee, can I talk to you a little bit?" she called him.


    They pulled back a little, and she whispered, "You must be having fun, but please, Kang Dae, don''t flirt with the girls! Jessica Kim, for example. She should be with her date, but she is with you!"


    "Why, but you also came with me and you are with your filmmaker friend with the little blue whatchamacallit," he winked at Eun Ha with a grin. Eun Ha felt her cheeks burn instantly.


    "Why! Please, Kang Dae, as we agreed, say goodbye before 11 pm, right? Maybe you could¡­"


    "That''s too early! Aren''t you having fun?! I was told that there will be a shower of balloons and the DJ will start after the speech by the stylist I-don''t-know-who. That the best part of the party is later, when the uptight people go away!"


    ''Oh my god, I created a monster!'' she thought, while her monster beamed at her. She was feeling herself boiling, her face on fire.


    "You have half an hour, Kang Dae, to get Ryan Lee out of the picture!" she warned, turning away without waiting for his answer. The fashion designer needed to wash her face. And Eun Ha still had to stay close to that ladder for when Stylist Zhang showed up. She had no time to lose, and it was already 10:20.


    Why the hell was her face so hot? What about this sudden headache?


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    ''Of course. Of course he would come with his paramour to the Fashion Ball,'' Ye Rim tried to keep a neutral expression, just wishing she hadn''t given up on that glass of champagne so early. ''I''m glad they''re not coming here,'' the singer thought when she saw the beautiful couple greeting other people. ''I still have to find Eun Ha. He didn''t have to invite me. What was I thinking? He, the plastic surgeon of the Stars, would not be at the Fashion Ball?''


    "Did you see that Jun Hyeon and Na Ra arrived?" Dae Won commented, seemed ready to go toward them.


    "Can we greet them later? I really wanted to look for Eun Ha," she apologized, just as someone touched Dae Won''s shoulder to speak to the musician. ''I don''t need to run to greet you, Jun Hyeon'' she justified internally. Picking up a new glass of champagne from a waiter, she continued towards the woman in black who had passed Jun Hyeon. This was much more important than going to greet the ''Made for each other'' couple.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jun Hyeon had the impression that he would hate this Fashion Ball. Na Ra, as always, was looking gorgeous at his side, wearing an elegant white dress. As a famous ex-model, her arrival caused an anticipated frisson.


    By avoiding being hit by a short woman with a huge hat, Jun Hyeon was confused. He wondered if that was not Jung Eun Ha, Ye Rim''s best friend. He had seen pictures of the two besties together when he went to the singer''s apartment. And when the surgeon looked up, his eyes were immediately drawn to that stunning woman in red. The focus on other things just disappeared, because Nam Ye Rim was the center of the room.


    ''How can she be so beautiful?!'' he asked himself, feeling agitated and unhappy at the same time. Ye Rim looked at him, and Jun Hyeon wanted to disappear immediately because he was accompanied by Na Ra and not hers! What was he doing?!


    But then he saw Dae Won, taking two steps forward and standing next to Ye Rim.


    Dr. Kim felt his body go cold, and raised an eyebrow in a reflex of what was going on inside him. ''Are they dating?!''


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jung Eun Ha tried to find a not crowded restroom and thought that maybe she had ingested some spiked drink. What was in that drink with a refreshing and sweet flavor? However, her face burned, and the rest of the fairy''s body felt limp and feverish. She moved away from the main atmosphere of the dance, looking for a quieter place where she could rest for a while, as the restrooms seemed to be full of women. Where is Shin? While walking, the fairy found a waiter and asked him for water. After drinking all the water in one gulp, Eun Ha saw a low lit side that was quite empty, and looked for a sofa to sit on for a while.


    Then Eun Ha felt she was holding something strange, velvety and soft, and looked at her hand,


    "Whoa! Where''s the glass?! Why am I holding ... a handful of flower petals? What? What is happening?!" The hand holding the glass of water had nothing but petals, and Eun Ha thought he was hallucinating. But of course, they roofied Kang Dae''s drink! AND ME ... I''m a fairy, and this is going to be really bad,'' feeling dizzy and with a terrible headache. She rested a hand on the wall.


    "OMO! Hunter Shin, help me! They poisoned me!" she whimpered, shaking her head. Her hat started to bother her a lot, and Eun Ha took it off her head, only to see it fall apart in flower petals, like the glass of water. But taking off her hat seemed to do wonders for her headache.


    She needed to go to where Hunter Shin was. It was better to go back and do her best not to touch anyone!


    She came across a couple who looked at her oddly, but they smiled and passed her by. As Eun Ha returned, they were not the only ones to look at her strangely and with smiles and puzzled looks. ''And now, what''s going on?!'' In a panic, the fairy started walking quickly, not bothering to keep up appearances.


    Then she passed in front of a mirror.


    She came back, seeing the blur of her reflection. There was something VERY wrong with her face.


    What were these¡­ pointed bumps protruding from her forehead, looking like¡­ little horns?!


    Eun Ha touched them. They were sensitive to the touch, and she shivered, feeling the heat return to her cheeks, but nothing turned into petals this time.


    She was walking around the Fashion Ball with¡­ natural horns?


    "AHAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!!!" her cry of horror surprised herself. What if that ... never disappeared?


    "Professor, Professor Shin, help me ...!" she murmured, feeling tears flood her eyes. Groping the walls and trying to go unnoticed, the young and desperate fairy tried to reach the stairs with restricted access. She really needed Professor Shin now.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "What was that?!" The sudden female cry was heard across the room, and people looked at each other for a moment, puzzled. But the scream was not repeated, and the guests laughed and gave the matter as a joke.


    But not Ye Rim. Ye Rim knew Eun Ha''s voice.


    "Eun Ha?! Where are you, where?!" she searched here and here, unsuccessfully, more and more anxious.


    Then the singer felt someone holding her by the arm.


    Jun Hyeon.


    They looked at each other for a moment, saying nothing.

 Chapter 123 - Hooked

    "You should already know that I hate when someone holds my arm, Oppa," Ye Rim looked annoyed and Jun Hyeon released her arm. He had got rid of Na Ra for a moment, but it was not fair to leave her alone. Jun Hyeon knew he still needed to fulfill his mission: to convince the donor to visit the Ji Hyeon Foundation before leaving the country.


    "I think you are avoiding me," he said. Before Ye Rim could reply, smiling Dae Won interrupted them,


    "Why, Jun Hyeon, I thought you were pretending not to see us!"


    "Ha, Na Ra has a huge list of people to greet. I''m here for work, actually," Dr. Kim rushed to say, feeling Ye Rim''s gaze on him.


    "But since you''re here, let''s toast! Ye Rim signed a contract with Optimus Entertainment!" his hyung reported, reaching for two glasses of drink with the waiter. Jun Hyeon blinked,


    "When was that? Why haven''t I heard of it?" It was important, wasn''t it? Why hadn''t she told him yet? He looked at Ye Rim with suspicious eyes, but she replied only,


    "Dae Won Oppa struggled to make it happen. He has a big influence on that. I''m so glad!"


    ''Oh, and just for that reason do you think you have to go out with him? I don''t believe it, ''Jun Hyeon really hoped that wasn''t the core of her presence by Dae Won''s side.


    "But I have news that will interest you both! In fact, I even expected to find Jun Hyeon here and have you both together. Although I feel a bit of a cheater for saying something I shouldn''t," Dae Won had an excited smile, about to reveal a secret.


    "You have my attention," he replied to Dae Won, interested. Ye Ri also looked very attentive and expectant.


    "The role of the singer that Ye Rim is applying to got a revamp; the character will have more importance and more scenes. And besides just singing, she will be a tap dancer!"


    The surgeon didn''t hide his surprise. He turned to Ye Rim, who looked confused,


    "You don''t look thrilled ..."


    "No! I''m happy! A more important role would give me more visibility!"


    But he could say she was concerned, judging by her furrowed brows."Isn''t it great that you have a friend who can teach you tap dancing?" Dae Won winked, patting Kim on the back. His words alarmed the Doctor, but he smiled at Ye Rim,


    "Cool! Well, I know it isn''t a very common dance style, but your agency must have ..."


    "Please, Jun Hyeon! An agency usually has good dance professionals, but not a tap dance specialist! In addition, Ye Rim is a newbie and would not be entitled to a teacher just for her, as it''s only an audition!"


    Dae Won argued. "It won''t be a problem! I know great teachers! Ye Rim will get the best tap dance teachers, I''ll assure it!"


    "We already have someone to blame if your tap dance doesn''t impress the director, Ye Rim! Unfortunately, the Prince of Tap Dance cannot help you!"


    "But I said I can! I''m going to talk to a lady friend, and¡­" Dr. Kim rushed to fix misunderstandings.


    Ye Rim''s skewed look when he said ''lady friend'' almost made him choke. Of course, Dae Won was doing this on purpose. Showing who worked hard for her. ''Damn hyung! Don''t make it a competition!''


    "One of the first things Oppa told me when we met them was that he was a very busy man!" Ye Rim commented carelessly. Was there a tone of criticism, or was it just his impression?


    "I AM busy, actually. But in fact, I believe that it''s not the best option as a teacher. I can really recommend¡­" it was better to rectify it so he didn''t look as slacking.


    "Well, actually, I think the question may be more profound. Let''s leave this matter alone. I didn''t mean to upset you, Jun Hyeon. I just thought it would be fun if you taught Ye Rim tap dance. The little I learned was from you, remember?"


    Yes, he remembered. Dae Won did everything to be close to Ji Hyeon, and spending time in the dance studio was one of those strategies.


    "Yes, it was fun."


    "It would be nice to learn from you, Oppa," Ye Rim said. "Right now, I can''t afford a dance teacher, that''s why. You would do it for free, as a favor from a friend, wouldn''t you?"


    ''Why are you doing this to me?! AGHH!'' the surgeon resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off his forehead. ''I haven''t danced in years!''


    But then he looked at her face. As always, chin slightly raised and one eyebrow raised, waiting for his answer. She expected a refusal, an excuse.


    "I can check a schedule at that studio where you and Ji trained, if you can arrange your schedule to accommodate classes for Ye Rim," offered his hyung.


    ''My God, just stop being perfect, Dae Won! You can always get intangible things for her, things she won''t refuse!'' his desire to strangle his hyung needed to be controlled with a small breathing exercise.


    "Ye Rim, let''s do this! It will be fun too! And I am sure that you will learn quickly, since you have experience with other dances!" Jun Hyeon spoke at once, before he regretted it. That would definitely mess with his schedule, but he wouldn''t be selfish and accommodating. Moreover, the expression of disbelief on Ye Rim''s face was priceless. First, the shock. And finally, she smiled,


    "Really, Oppa?"


    He nodded, very proud of himself. In the end, this was better than giving out those handbags. He would teach something that she couldn''t sell.


    Dae Won insisted on the glasses to make a toast. Kim watched from the corner of his eye while Ye Rim drank the champagne with bright eyes and full of hope for the future ... Or at least that was what Jun Hyeon imagined. She also looked sideways at him as she drank, and her eyes squeezed together with the smile, sharing her joy.


    ''It''s official. I''m in love with this crazy woman,'' Dr. Kim assumed to himself, as he watched Ye Rim.


    Then she got excited and left everything to greet someone as if he were the most important person in the world,


    "Baek Woo Geun! Woo Geun! You look fantastic! Where have you been in the past few months?!" she seemed very excited to find this who-is-him with flashy clothes and lots of makeup. The man wore special shoes to look taller, too.


    "Ye Rim! You look beautiful! You should be my companion tonight, so we''d be the center of attention!"


    ''Really, did I hear that?'' Kim turned to Dae Won with this dumb question on his face, and the musician shrugged, seeming to find the situation amusing.


    "Let me introduce you to my new friends!" Ye Rim turned to them again, and to Jun Hyeon''s shock, the unknown ''peac.o.c.k ''put his hand on Ye Rim''s waist. The surgeon couldn''t hide his astonishment and indignation, raising an eyebrow in question as he looked at her. Ye Rim just pretended not to notice and kept a beatific smile when introducing them to his fashionista friend. ''As long as this guy doesn''t take his fingers off Ye Rim''s waist, I''m not going to stop hating him. Should I hire people to destroy him on social media? If there is such a thing, I am very tempted to do it,'' Jun Hyeon came around and stood on the opposite side of Ye Rim.


    "At least you are with classy people, and not that Ryan Lee. You are peerlessly stunning. It''s okay to be escorted by MP Lee. He''s neither obfuscating nor shaming you," Woo Geun turned Ye Rim slightly so that the photo about to be shot would take them at favorable angles. Perhaps the photo recorded the exact moment when Dr. Kim was pinching the fashion critic''s fingers behind the singer''s back, to loosen him from her waist. Baek Woo Geun looked at him, surprised and angry, but Jun Hyeon kept a stern expression. At the very least, what the fashionista was doing was invasive!


    "Sorry for my ignorance, but who is Ryan Lee?" Asked Dae Won, and Woo Geun just made a dismissive gesture, "Don''t worry about him, it''s just a well-dressed buck. Why don''t we look for Eun Ha to take a picture with us?"


    "Why, so that woman I saw earlier really was Eun Ha-ssi?!" Jun Hyeon remembered the meeting earlier.


    "I really thought I had heard her voice, said Ye Rim. I almost forgot for a moment, but I thought she was in trouble or something."


    Then the brazen fashionista whispered something in Ye Rim''s ear, while touching her shoulder! ''What a daring son of a bitch! Why doesn''t she do anything? Doesn''t she hate being touched?''


    "Sorry to be indiscreet, but I want to congratulate your makeup artist," said Jun Hyeon, knowing he would hit him at Baek''s weakest point. He couldn''t help it while this funny guy was leaning against Ye Rim all the time. Dr. Kim had even seen him signal for some photographers to approach.


    "Thanks," the fashionista replied without thinking, but then looked at him puzzled. "Anything I should pay more attention to?"


    "Of course not. He''s skilled at hiding imperfections. Well, I''m an expert, so I noticed¡­" out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his hyung lips tremble to hide his laughter, so Dr. Kim knew he was going the right way.


    "Excuse me. It would be unethical," Jun Hyeon realized that the handsome man had insecurity with his eyes, since they were slightly different shapes. This upset the annoying man, who became self-aware and uptight. He felt a bit ashamed of doing it, but at least he took his hands off Ye Rim.


    Baek was the first to see and waved,


    "Hae Na Ra!"


    "Sorry, I''ll be right back," Ye Rim excused them to go to the bathroom, coinciding with Na Ra''s arrival.


    Jun Hyeon just wanted to do the same.

 Chapter 124 - The Horned Fairy

    Eun Ha slipped into the service area, passing by the kitchen and grabbing a tray. Using the object as a shield where she could hide behind. The fairy sped up her pace and entered the first door she saw, hoping it was a pantry or something, where she could hide and use her cell phone to call her teacher. Looking at the reflection of the tray, Eun Ha saw her little horns protruding from her forehead, while her cheeks and nose were crimson. The magic tingled throughout her body, causing chills and sobs. And she was under the impression that this was just the beginning!


    But Eun was not in a pantry, but in a hallway. Some supervisor shouted near the door,


    "How many times I need to say this door is out of limits?! If someone goes up to the offices, I will fire them without payment, are you listening?!"


    When the man opened the door to spy if everything was okay, Eun Ha hid in the shadows, shaking. The door slammed shut.


    The fairy pulled out her wand and tried to change her appearance, but the chaotic sensation in her body prevented the use of magic. Next, she tried to call Professor Shin, but his phone was off. ''Damn, I need to find him! Is he upstairs?''


    Taking a deep breath, she moved forward cautiously, since she couldn''t back down.


    Going upstairs, Eun Ha reached a luxurious floor full of locked doors, with indirect and pleasant lighting. A crack of light escaped under a door at the end of the corridor. Was this where Stylist Zhang was talking to his partner, Vivian Park?


    This was not important now, as he could not see her in that state. Realizing that someone was about to open that door, Eun Ha opened the first door she found unlocked and entered. The lights were off, but the huge window had the blinds open, allowing light to enter the elegant office. The spotlights on the terrace were strong enough to light up the room, leaving only streaks of darkness.


    Somewhere nearby, a door slammed shut, but the stylist could not identify the origin.


    Eun Ha tried to call the Hunter again, without success. Then, as she decided to risk going out into the hall again, she heard a noise outside the window.


    The fairy retreated to the dark side of the room, startled. The window opened from the outside and someone entered, with some difficulty, and trying not to make a noise. Eun Ha remained hidden in the shadows as she watched the woman carefully closing the window. Eun Ha had a sense of familiarity when she saw her, but the fairy could not recognize her at once.


    The short-haired woman wearing a beautiful Park & ??Zhang dress was probably her age or a little younger. In addition to the unusual situation of coming in from outside the window, she was panting and looking panicky. Although on one hand, Eun Ha wanted to step out of the shadows and ask what had happened, she also felt some disgust for the young woman. It was the same feeling she had when entering Kim''s cafe on the first Hunt. The fairy suspected that the girl was being parasitized by wraiths.


    The woman seemed tempted to go back to the window, but at the same time, she acted as if paralyzed and stuck to the floor. She brought her fist to her mouth, but then resolutely closed the blinds.


    ''Is she struggling with the voices of the wraiths? What should I do?'' Eun Ha stirred, feeling pressured to act, although knowing that she would expose her nature in doing so.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Excuse me too, I''ll be right back," said Jun Hyeon, making a sudden decision. He would meet Ye Rim, and he would not end tonight without telling her they should stop this farce. He would confess tonight.


    The doctor just followed the woman in red''s trail, avoiding people he knew at the party. In the distance, he saw her asking people and gesturing about a short person in a big hat. Someone pointed to one side, and Ye Rim moved on. Attentive only to her, Jun Hyeon tripped over someone, and stopping to apologize briefly, noticed an elegant lady coming from the opposite direction where Ye Rim was going. This lady gave orders to two security guards, who left their posts, looking concerned.


    The woman then looked at the party for a moment, and felt her clutch discreetly. While walking without looking back, the woman didn''t notice that she had dropped something.


    It wasn''t a problem for Dr. Kim to take the object and return it.


    "Lady? Excuse me, you dropped something," he said, bending down to pick up the object. It was a small pack of pills, with a familiar name. As a doctor, Jun Hyeon knew that they were anticonvulsant pills, commonly used by people with epilepsy. It was certainly important to return them!


    The woman seemed nervous when receiving the medicine from his hand, but as a doctor, Jun Hyeon knew that many people were embarrassed to have this type of illness. She didn''t even thank him, and left.


    ''Aishh, what a rude person!'' still, he looked for Ye Rim with a look, and followed her up the stairs.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha could no longer stand to watch that beautiful woman crouched with her hand on her head, seeming to struggle between conflicting thoughts. A person started knocking on the window, outside, looking desperate,


    "Yuna!! Yuna?! Daughter?! Yuna! Open it! Open Yuna! I''m begging, open it!"


    Eun Ha recognized the voice on the other side of the window: it was Stylist Zhang! So this was his only daughter and assistant, Yuna Zhang!


    ''My God! That woman locked her father on the railing! She looks upset, but I can''t let her commit a crime!''


    Eun Ha came out of the shadows,


    "What did you do Yuna?!"


    The crouched woman looked up at the figure that emerged from the shadows, and her face paled in terror. Eun Ha sighed, "Don''t pass out just because you''re seeing a horned, red-faced creature coming out of the dark corner of the room! What you did is much worse!"


    However, instead of obeying or passing out, the woman ran to the door, leaving before Eun Ha could hold her. The stylist wasted no time and ran to the window to open it. But when trying to do that, she realized that it was the type of window that had a small key, and of course, Yuna had taken it with her!


    ''Damn it!''


    "Calm down, Stylist Zhang, I''ll get you out of there!" she didn''t quite understand what the two of them were doing on the building''s par.a.p.et on a party night, but she knew it was too risky. "Just don''t move too much, I''ll open the window!"


    The man on the other side looked at her, seeming for the first time to look at Eun Ha through the glass. ''Damn, who would calm down when he knows that there was a damn horned creature on the other side of the window?'' she pondered as she took out her wand.


    Unfortunately, Eun Ha still couldn''t command her magic. Breaking the window close to Stylist Zhang was dangerous, so she figured she might find the way he had come. Hurriedly leaving the room, she tripped over Hunter Shin,


    "Professor, where were you? Forget it! We need to save stylist Zhang!"


    Fortunately, the Hunter didn''t need many explanations. He just stopped her for a moment, holding her by the shoulders, to look at her face. ''BWAAAA! I must look awful!'' Eun Ha lamented herself intimately. But the Hunter ignored it, and they both ran to the room where Eun Ha had seen the light on before.


    There was no one there, but the window was also closed. With no hesitation, the Hunter broke the window and jumped out, and had no trouble rescuing the famous stylist, paralyzed with terror on the narrow par.a.p.et.


    Stylist Zhang was an elegant, kind and good-humored man, but at that moment he was in shambles. He looked like he was about to pass out, totally disoriented.


    Eun Ha didn''t think of herself at that time and took a glass of water for him to drink. Strangely, Stylist Zhang didn''t comment or ask about Yuna, the younger stylist noticed. Upon returning the glass to Eun Ha, Alexander Zhang smiled weakly.


    "I am grateful. I have a¡­ neurological problem, and I''m having what they call an ''aura'' right now. On the phone on the table, can you call Mr. Cha? He''s my driver.


    "Stylist Zhang," said Eun Ha, while the Hunter did what was asked, "Isn''t it better to go to a hospital in this case?"


    "No, Miss. Jung. I took medicine when the symptoms started, about half an hour ago. I just need to rest. And¡­"


    It amazed her! Stylist Zhang, even in such a situation, had recognized her!


    "Does Sunbaenim know who I am?"


    "Of course, darling. You''re still splendid in every way. And I liked the headpiece a lot. Very thought-provoking!" Zhang replied, getting up when the driver came running. He was keeping his elegant manners despite showing a bit of slowness in his reactions, as if drunk.


    Eun Ha was torn between being ecstatic and concerned about the whole situation. The stylist also said, before leaving,


    "Miss. Jung, let''s exchange business cards! I want to speak to you at a more opportune time, when I''m not seeing lights. Although I took my medicine, I think I need to see my doctor. My pills are not relieving me anymore ... And ..." as he took a business card out of his pocket, and Eun Ha did the same, he quietly suggested,


    "I know I can count on your discretion."


    "Sure, Sunbaenim," Eun Ha was still too shocked to reason properly. ''He really wants to talk to me!''


    When they were alone, the Hunter commented,


    "I came across a woman possessed by wraiths. I threw them out. But they''ll be back to her, I''m sure. I think it was she the one who¡­" he stopped, realizing that Eun Ha wasn''t listening.


    "Oh, I forgot, look at this!" he looked concerned, turning to the horned fairy.


    "Will I die?!" Eun Ha asked with eyes full of tears, "Am I going to die right now?"


    "No, you have allergy symptoms. I''ll take you home," he put a hand on her shoulder, to lead her out. However, suddenly the Hunter changed his mind, and closed the door. "But why are you still crying? Didn''t I say it''s just an allergy?"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim had gone up the stairs and saw her unnie and the man dressed in clothes designed by Eun Ha leaving a room at the end of the hall. Suddenly, the handsome man took Eun Ha by the shoulder and romantically turned her around, going back inside and closing the door behind him.


    "Uh la la! Is it the French teacher?" she exclaimed, thrilled. However, in a second thought, there was something wrong with the whole scene, which was sudden. It was better to check if Eun Ha was safe.


    Tiptoeing, Ye Rim approached the door. Checking if she was alone, she put her ear to the door.

 Chapter 125 - By the Han River

    "Why am I crying?! Sniff Sniff! Because it''s SO GOOD to be recognized by someone you admire!" Eun Ha was feeling very emotional, she just didn''t know if it was natural. But tears flowed down her face like a flood, at the older fairy''s embarrassed and worried expression! "Why, Jung ... Isn''t that what you came for?"


    "I was AFRAID! Afraid to be wrong!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jun Hyeon saw Ye Rim leaning against a door at the end of the hall,


    "I don''t believe this! What is she doing? Listening behind the door?!" it was shocking and, at the same time, hilarious. He let himself be seen as he approached. Ye Rim just motioned for him not to make a noise. ''She''s really shameless!''


    The doctor came up to the singer, taking her arm gently and showing that they should leave, even while obeying his request not to make a noise,


    ''LET''S GO!'' he mouthed and gestured, but she also denied it with gestures. And she motioned for him to stand beside her. Without knowing what it was all about, Jun Hyeon stayed, after all it could be important. And so, Dr. Kim also started to hear the conversation on the other side of the door, without believing he was doing it.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "This has never happened to me before, Professor Shin! Did you hear what he said? He recognized me, and he recognized my clothes on you, too! He praised me openly. After years of trying to score and be recognized, I''m finally close! I didn''t know it would be so good!"


    "But you know you''re a good stylist, Jung."


    "Being good and being successful don''t always go together, Professor. You know it. This has always happened to Ye Rim. People always recognize her talent and charisma, immediately. But it had never happened to me," the fairy burst out, "It feels good, this warmness here in the chest! And at the same time, so scary! Because it seems that when I reach out to take it, I will wake up from my dream!"


    "Aissh, you are always so dramatic! Look at you, sobbing like a child!" the Hunter looked her in the eye, and used his own sleeve to dry her eyes and clean the blurred makeup. "You are very close to having what you want."


    "And I''m scared! As scared as Ye Rim! When things are about to happen and fall apart like a house of cards, for her! It can happen to me too! And in my case, I know I deserve it, because I¡­ I deserve it! I am an envious and mean friend to her!"


    "Envious? Mean? You are being cruel to yourself Jung," said the Hunter, shaking his head in denial. But Eun Ha couldn''t stop, just let out the bitterness that clutched her chest,


    "Yes! Everyone loves Ye Rim and sometimes I feel jealous of it. I like her as if she were my sister, but sometimes I feel in her shadow. I know it was me who chose this and that she''s not to blame. Instead! Ye Rim always supports me and fights for me, and I shouldn''t have those feelings! And¡­ the things I do! Sometimes I feel like I''m carrying a burden! I don''t want to live her life! I also want to have a life of my own! I also have dreams, I really want to chase my dreams! I don''t want to do this anymore! I don''t want to!"


    "Sshhhh! Calm down, calm down ... It''s okay, it''s okay ... Cry it out. It''s okay," Shin touched her shoulders and brought her to him, in a tight hug. Eun Ha buried her face in his chest, hugged him back, feeling her horns prick him. But the Hunter didn''t complain the least.


    "BWAAAAAAAAAHHH!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim didn''t understand why Eun Ha was saying those things, nor why her unnie considered herself envious and mean. When all her unnie had done so far was to help and support her. The singer raised her arm to knock on the door, to stop Eun Ha''s crying and console her, but Jun Hyeon stopped her by shaking his head.


    She felt desolate, and with tears in her eyes. ''So this is how Eun Ha feels? Do I do so badly for my unnie? Am I selfish and haven''t I seen anything that hurts her?'' these doubts plagued her when Dr. Kim took her away.


    Involved with her own thoughts and doubts, she realized that they left the party, but Ye Rim really needed some time away from the festive and futile atmosphere, and they could always come back later. The valet brought the car quickly and she got in without thinking too much. Only that it was good to get out of that noisy and light-filled ballroom for a moment.


    "Where are we going?" Ye Rim asked after a moment, wondering if she had done the right thing to leave Eun Ha with the French Professor Shin. But of course, her unnie trusted him and he was being kind to her. Was it a romance?


    "Let''s go for a walk by the river," said Jun Hyeon, while driving in silence. She was grateful for that. This silence was necessary so she could put her thoughts in their places.


    When they were already walking along the Han River, Ye Rim couldn''t help feeling like the heroine of a romance. There she was, standing next to a beautiful man, both in evening clothes, walking in silence and just enjoying the moment and the beauty of the night.


    "She''ll be fine, won''t she? Should I call her?"


    "I think you shouldn''t. I think they hugged, don''t you think? In that moment of silence, I mean?" the doctor asked. Ye Rim smiled.


    "I think so. He''d have been nice if he had hugged her, I think," they looked at each other again, nodding. And they laughed about it together.


    "Ye Rim, I think you two need time to think. You are very close friends, and your lives can sometimes get confused. I don''t think what she said reflects the truth or the dynamics of your friendship, but rather a feeling of comparison that has emerged today, or recently. Don''t worry too much about it," said Jun Hyeon. The singer looked at him, impressed for a moment.


    "It is good to have a male friend, for a change. Different perspectives," she confessed.


    "Hey! And what did you say before?" he responded with false indignation.


    "I said that I believe that men and women can be friends. Not that I had a close friend who was a man!" she laughed, realizing her flawed act.


    "I understand. I know your unnie is irreplaceable. My sister was my best friend too. Aside from her, I never had this ''camaraderie'' and sincerity with a woman, who we have exercised lately, you and me. But¡­"


    "I can''t help buworry aboutth Eun Ha, Opp"," she interrupted, saying things that came to mind, not realizing that he had not finished it. "She''s been seeing this guy now, and she''s been very differentShe''s been actinged in a covert manner. But ... After the things I heard today ... How am I going to confront it? She''s having a hard time to! "


    "Uhum," the vague answer made her turn to Dr. Kim,


    "Oppa, what would you do in my place?"


    He sighed, getting closer. Ye Rim knew he was invading his personal space, but she didn''t care.


    THE DEEP DIVE, DIFFERENT FROM THAT¡­


    "Well," he made an exaggerated thoughtful expression looking at the starry sky, succeedingly making her laugh, "If it were with my sister, I would have to check carefully that I wasn''t being a super jealous brother, and hindering a possible beautiful romance. Don''t you think?" Jun Hyeon stopped and his fingers lightly brushed Ye Rim''s, making her stop too.


    THE DEEP DIVING, DIFFERENT FROM THAT SUMMER¡­


    "A beautiful romance?" Ye Rim felt that there was a provocative hint in the doctor''s words, and she felt her heart beat faster.


    Jun Hyeon raised his hand and brushed her hair away, pretending the breeze had messed it up. ''Why are my toes preparing to stand on tiptoes, anxiously waiting for ...'' she questioned herself.


    THE DEEP, DIFFERENT DIVE ...


    He sighed, and Ye Rim imitated his gesture. They stared at each other and saw each other''s eyes shine.


    It was a magical moment, both of them knew it. They felt the excitement and anticipation of the next moment.


    But Jun Hyeon turned his face, to Ye Rim''s surprise and confusion,


    "Are you listening to this song?"


    "This sad song?"


    "Yes. This damn sad so¡­" he broke off when Ye Rim was still shocked by the sudden change in the mood. Jun Hyeon bent down and grabbed a cell phone with headphones, left on the rail that bordered the river.


    "Omo, someone forgot their cell phone here ..." she said, but immediately noticed the error in her reasoning. They didn''t have to look far to find the abandoned pair of women''s shoes. Now they knew where to look. Dr. Kim jumped over the side to inspect the river banks closest to the objects.


    The magical moment was replaced by terror when Ye Rim saw, floating in the water, a female body with face down.

 Chapter 126 - The Day After

    The next day, Ji Hyeon was watching the coverage of the Fashion Ball while preparing a sandwich. Her best friend always went to the Ball every year and the media always interviewed Na Ra in the Red Carpet. It was always nice to see how time was a good friend for Na Ra.


    In the transmission''s interval, they commented on the terrible incident of the death of the young singer Hani.


    "A couple found at the end of last night, a body floating on the banks of the Han River. Police have confirmed that the body was identified as belonging to the 20-year-old singer Park Ae Cha, known as Hani. The police don''t confirm the suspected suicide, and the official cause of death will be known in 30 days. Hani was known for her debut hit song "18 Balloons", and released her second album recently. According to her press office, Hani left the studio where she was working on a new version for her hit "Deep Dive", around 8 pm. The song must be part of the soundtrack of a film by the acclaimed director ..."


    "My music didn''t give you luck, did it? And how would it work, poor thing?" Ji Hyeon shivered, murmuring to the figure of the big-eyed girl smiling at the camera in the paralyzed image.


    To her delight, right after that, the regular show returned, and they made more spicy comments about the Fashion Ball. She saw Na Ra and OMG! Jun beside her. Both were so beautiful that she wanted to freeze the image forever. However, it was so brief! Jun also didn''t seem connected to Na Ra. In fact, he seemed to look elsewhere. Something the cameras didn''t catch.


    ''What or who is he looking for?'' she wished to know.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha had her face tucked into Hunter Shin''s overcoat, feeling his body heat and smelling ''¡­ Argh, anise?!'' Opening her eyes, she turned and, for the third time, vomited into the bowl beside her bed. ''UGHHH!'' In fact, she was clinging to the other fairy''s overcoat, but Shin was not in it. And the smell of anise was her own, exuding the substance which she was allergic to.


    The Hunter had brought her home and promised to make sure that Kang Dae returned home safely. After the fifth bath, the fairy no longer smelled of anise, and had no obvious sign of horns or redness.


    Looking at the clock, she saw that it was early, about 7 am, and went to the kitchen, feeling totally recovered now, after the shower. Really, her home was the best place in the world, where she felt good and recharged! She made herself some tea and, turning on her laptop, Eun Ha looked for news about the Fashion Ball.


    "OMO!" the first news from her favorite gossip channel was,


    EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FASHION BALL: THE BEST LOOKS, THE Faux pas AND WHY A. ZHANG DIDN''T SPEECH - KNOW EVERYTHING


    followed by:


    THE BEST FASHION BALL MEMES -


    WHO''S RIGHT: RYAN LEE OR J-MANCER - ASTROS'' DIETS


    INSIDERS OPINION - THE BEST FASHION BALL DRESS THIS YEAR IS NOT FAMOUS AT ALL


    J-MANCER CLAIMED: I DIDN''T FAKE IT, I DON''T KNOW WHO RYAN LEE IS


    Eun Ha gave a loud laugh. With the magic dissipated and no evidence on the internet, his marketing scam had been successful. Later, she just needed to admit that it was an advertising strategy. Her smile died when she read the next headline:


    IDOL AND HOLLYWOOD ACTOR FIGHT IN THE FASHION BALL (SEE EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS!)


    "But what did Kang Dae do in my absence?!"


    There was a sequence of photos of J-Mancer, a famous rapper, and Kang Dae, or rather Ryan Lee, pushing each other. The strange thing is that they both had their shirts wide open, showing their fit torsos. ''What the hell is Kang Dae doing? How shameless!''


    The report said that ''witnesses claimed that the rapper and the Hollywood actor started a heated discussion about the keto diet, advocated by J-Mancer. The actor reacted and started advocating balanced diets with lots of vegetables. So they compared their abs, but the discussion didn''t stop, J-Mancer didn''t believe Ryan Lee''s description of the diet. Then accusations and even jerks and punches started. The security guards had to intervene, and the two were expelled from the party.''


    "My God, what now? What if J-Mancer sues Kang Dae?" Eun Ha ran her hands over her head, aghast.


    As Eun Ha imagined, there were many photos of ''Ryan Lee'' and her, and mentions of her name; as well as mismatched information about the mysterious actor. But it shocked Eun Ha to see Ye Rim next to Dae Won. Ye Rim was on the top 10 best dressed of the night!


    "Was she at the Fashion Ball? I can''t believe it! Did she see something? Did she see Kang Dae? Did she talk to him? OMO!" Eun Ha still didn''t feel ready to have ''The Conversation'' with Ye Rim.


    Still looking through the news, she realized that the trending topics revolved around two subjects this morning: Hani''s death, and the Fashion Ball.


    When she was about to open the news to find out what had happened to the young singer, the key turned on the knob and Eun Ha almost had a mini heart attack.


    It was Ye Rim, dragging her body into the apartment. She looked exhausted and discouraged. She collapsed on the couch, but soon realized that her unnie was awake,


    "Unnie? It''s all right?!"


    ''Why is she asking this? Did she see anything? Oh, my gosh what am I supposed to say?''


    "Ah yes! But how clumsy we are, isn''t it? I didn''t think you were going to the Fashion Ball with Dae Won Oppa!"


    "Nor did I imagine you were going to the Fashion Ball either! I only knew you were there by Woo Geun! It would have been great if we had met there, Unnie!"


    "We should have arranged this! I thought you were busy with acting classes at your agency and other appointments, so I didn''t even comment. I didn''t want to keep talking and talking about the Fashion Ball! But¡­ I spoke to Stylist Zhang!"


    "OMG OMG! This is so good!" Ye Rim stood up, with renewed spirits, "How was it? Tell me everything! But wait, I''m going to fix something to eat first!"


    "No-no, you don''t have to! Sit down, I''ll tell you everything!" Eun Ha was surprised by the goodwill of Ye Rim, who hated to cook, and didn''t do it very well. Besides, she looked tired.


    "I had a lot of work, but I entered the party. But everything went well, because I could talk to Stylist Zhang! I mean, more or less, because he was in a bit of bad health," unnie told of how she and the French teacher took the famous stylist off the par.a.p.et and the strange family situation they witnessed.


    That was when Ye Rim also said that she had just returned from the police station, as she had spent the rest of the night giving testimony. She and Dr. Kim had found Hani''s body in the Han River!


    After Ye Rim gave all the details of the horrible incident, Eun Ha understood why the dress looked damaged and Ye Rim, so dejected. It was her turn to pamper her friend and suddenly realized,


    "Well, but if you went with Dae Won to the Ball, why were you with Dr. Flamingo by the river?"


    "Erm, well¡­ And why did you take your French teacher and say you were going to a costume party elsewhere? Why didn''t you just tell us you were going to the Fashion Ball?"


    "Because common-sense people would try to prevent me from entering without an invitation! But in the end, it was better to do it my way," Eun Ha defended himself. "By the way, have you seen Ryan Lee?"


    "No, I didn''t get to see him," said Ye Rim, now showing signs that she was exhausted and needed to sleep. "


    Who is he? I''ve never heard of him."


    "Don''t worry, he''s the type of person who might even be your neighbor next door. Now rest, you have been through many things!"


    They spent a lot of time talking, and when Eun Ha looked at her cell phone again, she saw dozens of messages. Most from the journalists and media outlets.


    Calling back the first call, she changed her voice a little,


    "Hello. We got your call. I''m Kim Alison, Miss. Jung''s assistant. What could we help you with?"


    After returning several calls in this manner, pretending to be her own secretary, Jun Eun Ha realized that she had new problems. Now, everyone wanted to see her fall/winter collection, and asked when her next runway show would be. They also asked for the number of Ryan Lee''s press office! They tried to get a lot of information from the ''actor'', some even aggressively.


    What to do? She couldn''t afford to make a runway show! Even doing it with magic would raise suspicion, because the lack of personnel!


    And to make things worse, at the end of the morning, Park & ??Zhang''s staff called her number, asking where they should send stylist Zhang''s flowers to Stylist Jung. And they also wanted to know if they could have invitations to the next runway show!


    All the professionalism she couldn''t afford yet!

 Chapter 127 - A Mature Lee Joon Gi

    Ye Rim tried to speak to Lee Dae Won as soon as she woke up, but received no response from her calls and messages. Dae Won had the right to be upset, even though Ye Rim tried to explain herself in text, as she couldn''t speak to him.


    Naturally, her conscience was heavy and contrite. Promising herself to try a few more times until she got her benefactor''s forgiveness, Ye Rim put her cell phone aside for a moment. Right now, she was waiting for Duk Mi to inform his data to Dr. Kim''s secretaries.


    They were at the Ji Hyeon Foundation, two days after the Fashion Ball. Ye Rim was accompanying Duk Mi, who was surprised to have been informed of a change in the surgeon''s schedule. Duk Mi was re-scheduled as the last patient of the day. Her Sunbae, in a cunning way, immediately summoned Ye Rim to accompany him. And there was a clear reason for that. Duk Mi thought he would have a good discount if Ye Rim was around. But the singer also had her intentions with that. She wanted to ask Jun Hyeon to have a conversation with Dae Won about the reasons he took her out of the party.


    "Sunbaenim, all these tests? Are they recent? Don''t you think the doctor should order the tests he deems necessary?" she asked, looking at the pile of papers that the senior singer was carrying.


    "I did these tests recently. Another doctor requested them recently! Do you think I am rich to keep doing tests all the time? Of course, I''ll undergo any tests he orders, but he should be able to check these tests first."


    "But are these tests for?.."


    "Ye Rim, Ye Rim" he hummed her name, "Dr. Kim may be the best plastic surgeon in Korea, but he''s not the only one. Of course, I have been to other plastic surgeons, I like to have all possible opinions,"


    The singer was a little confused, but when she would ask more questions, they heard a woman''s voice speaking loudly, in the corridor beside the room where they waited,


    "Who does he think he is to refuse to do a procedure? He''s not taking into account the patient''s wishes, but his own aesthetic opinions! I should report him to the medical board!"


    Ye Rim heard the voices of Dr. Kim''s two secretaries trying to calm her down, but the woman shouted,


    "Don''t come near me! This is harassment! Do you think I can''t do it ?! Dr. Gong said he would, but my husband insisted that I should come here! The ''doctor of the stars'', he said. ''He''s the best!'' What a waste of time and money! I didn''t need his second opinion, since he doesn''t have any! Success is going up in Dr. Kim''s head, that''s the truth!"


    Duk Mi gave a serene and condescending smile, while in the corridor, they tried to calm the frustrated client,


    "What a silly woman! Dr. Gong is the plastic surgeon who advertises on buses! If he were that good, would he need such cheap strategies? He must be a terrible professional, unlike Dr. Kim, the plastic surgeon of the stars!"


    Ye Rim didn''t know if advertising on buses was demerit for the professional, but she was surprised by the calm and favorable reaction of her Sunbae, who was normally so fickle. She had to admit to being surprised by Duk Mi''s restrained behavior since they arrived at the clinic, as well.


    Duk Mi insisted that she enter with him in the Doctor''s office, although Ye Rim wasn''t so willing. Dr. Kim, of course, was surprised but didn''t object to that.


    Sitting down with a smile, after greeting them, the surgeon apologized for the noisy incident near the waiting room. Duk Mi soon came in favor of the doctor,


    "Don''t worry, I understood everything. Oh, it''s so hard! So hard! Tsk Tsk! A responsible doctor cannot go along with everything the patient wants. The human body isn''t a stone block for the surgeon to model as if it were Michelangelo. There are nature''s limits!"


    "I''m glad you understand that, Duk Mi. We are a step ahead in our conversation, then. But tell me, what do you have in mind?"


    The older man smiled, feeling connected to the doctor, and relaxed more, saying,


    "Well, we had talked informally the other time, about correcting a little under the eyes and also¡­ Wait. Better than talking, it''s showing," Duk Mi took some photos and magazine clippings from a folder, which he handed to the doctor.


    Ye Rim followed with interest the exchange between professional Dr. Kim, and Duk Mi. She knew Jun Hyeon was aware of her presence, but his focus was on his patient.


    Dr. Kim went through all the photos, and raised an eyebrow, spreading the photos like a suit of cards on the table. Ye Rim peeked out, at the same time as the plastic surgeon questioned,


    "I don''t know if I understand well, as they are pictures of two very different people. Some are yours, in various stages of life, Duk Mi. And others are¡­ Actor  Lee Joon Gi."


    "Yes, I know. He''s a lot younger than me. But please think about it like this¡­ I reasoned a lot, and I don''t want to be like that lady and many other people, who enter with unrealistic expectations into a plastic surgeon''s office. I am aware of my age. But also of your expertise. Wouldn''t it be very unrealistic to plan how to achieve this result, would it? A ''mature'' version of Lee Joon Gi?"


    Ye Rim fought hard to keep from laughing. She didn''t want to be a mocking person. But she couldn''t see any resemblance between the Sunbae Duk Mi and a mature version of Lee Joon Gi, for starters.


    Dr. Kim didn''t smile, just pursed his lips and stood up,


    "Why don''t we simulate the results that we can achieve? Come here a moment, my assistant will film you while I look at all these tests that you were kind enough to bring. My colleague who consulted you earlier ordered them, is that it?"


    "Can''t I look like Lee Joon Gi? My mom always says he looks like me when I was young!" Duk Mi exclaimed as the assistant took him to the next room. The doctor inspected the tests, with little attention, and commented,


    "Na Ra wants to kill me for leaving her there alone. I should have done something I didn''t do, and it was important."


    "I understand, because I''m also in trouble with Dae Won Oppa. He''s not picking my calls."


    "Neither mine," Dr. Kim commented, but his attention turned to an exam, and then he compared it to others, looking concerned.


    "Is there anything wrong?" Ye Rim asked, alarmed.


    He didn''t reply, as Duk Mi was returning from the brief computerized photo shoot.


    "Show me then what our ''Michelangelo of flesh'' can do for this man," the senior singer looked excited.


    "Let''s look at some possibilities. I saw on your tests you have a congenital coagulopathy, Duk Mi. This makes complex surgeries difficult and a great risk, you know that, don''t you?"


    "Yes. But plastic surgery is not the same as heart surgery, is it?" the singer spoke candidly, with a smile, and Ye Rim wondered how much Dr. Kim was controlling himself at the time.


    "In fact, Duk Mi, any surgery is always risky. It''s not that you cannot do surgery, just that you should choose those that are really necessary, if possible. Coagulopathies mean that ..."


    "I know, I know, ha haha. The Doctor is not speaking to an ignorant here. The Doctor is the doctor of the stars! But¡­" the singer''s expression was desperate when he stopped pretending that everything was fine. "Is there anything that can be done for this man here?! I look like a frog!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    When Duk Mi took a taxi home, looking very disappointed, Ye Rim consulted the GPS to find out how to get to his agency. Today she''d sign some papers and take the advance on her contract to pay Pearl''s debt.


    A message appeared on the screen of her cell phone,


    KJH: "I will take you wherever you are going."


    It took a smile off her face. It was perfect because she could talk to him about Dae Won and also about tap dancing classes.


    Jun Hyeon stopped in front of her with the car, and opened the door, with a smile,


    "Don''t tell me you think I was cruel to your Sunbae."


    After entering and fastening the belt, Ye Rim replied,


    "I only have one question: would you be able to turn my Sunbae into a mature version of Lee Joon Gi? Because, although he played sympathetically back there, he was heartbroken."


    "In the case he didn''t have a coagulopathy? I think not. But I wouldn''t try, anyway. He has been refused by a colleague before. Duk Mi is a risky case because of several factors. As I advised, minor surgeries are okay, but I wouldn''t risk his life to make him look like someone else. But let''s not talk about it now," he started, after knowing where Ye Rim was going.


    "Was your unnie okay?"


    "Yes. She''s happy as she''s gotten a brief conversation with stylist Zhang, as I told you. But she admits nothing about dating her French Teacher!" she laughed.


    "Is she also adept at being a ''good friend'' of guys?" he teased with a smirk.


    "Oppa, what are we going to do about Dae Won Oppa and Na Ra unnie?" although she preferred to talk about frivolities, it was better to deal with the thorny subject at once.


    Jun Hyeon sighed and said, in an ironic tone,


    "Can we ignore them? Pretend they don''t exist?"


    "You could?!" it shocked Ye Rim. She didn''t like to account for her actions to anyone, but in that case, she felt ashamed.


    "I''m going to speak to Dae Won. It was my fault, after all," he maneuvered into the parking lot of the building where Ye Rim''s agency was located. Unfortunately, it had been a short ride.


    "Are we going to have coffee or dinner later?" he suggested. But Ye Rim was watching someone next to the valet. She didn''t know if it was luck or bad luck, but the person they were talking about was right there, a few meters away from them.


    "Oppa, perhaps right now it''s the right time. Dae Won Oppa is right there."


    She couldn''t help but notice the doctor''s slight frown at her side.

 Chapter 128 - The TROT Twist

    "Thanks for letting me explain, hyung," said Dr. Kim, fastening the safety belt in the passenger seat of Dae Won''s car. He preferred to leave his car with Ye Rim and take the opportunity to resolve the situation now, while Dae Won had offered a ride.


    His hyung was clearly in a bad mood when he saw them arriving together at Ye Rim''s agency.


    Dae Won just said nothing and Dr. Kim went on.


    "Hyung, I''m sorry. It was a situation that got out of control. I saw Ye Rim going in a direction other than the restroom, and getting there, she was listening to her friend, Eun Ha, vent and cry in a guy''s arms. Eun Ha said things about Ye Rim that made her very upset. I thought she needed to clear up a little, so I took her out of the Ball. Yes, I should have warned you, texted you as soon as I did that. It''s true and you have a right to be mad at me. But don''t be mad at Ye Rim. She wasn''t thinking straight at the time and she trusted me."


    "Na Ra cried, you know?" Dae Won was incisive. "Why do you act based only on your interests, Jun Hyeon? Aren''t you already old enough to be a little more mature?"


    Of course, those words hurt like fire in Jun Hyeon''s heart. He took a deep breath, before trying again,


    "I didn''t expect to find Hani''s body in the river, hyung. My plan was to get back quickly."


    "You always count on luck," it was Dae Won''s soft reply, not looking at him a single time. But he seemed to change the subject for a moment, "What happened to Hani was terrible and heartbreaking. I''ll be in her wake. After all, she recorded a song of mine, it'' just fair that I pay my respects to her. Poor girl."


    Jun Hyeon didn''t know that, and commented,


    "Really? Did she record a song of yours? I didn''t know."


    "It''s not hard to believe, Jun Hyeon. You show little interest in anything that doesn''t directly involve you. It surprised me you agreed to give Ye Rim dance lessons. But of course, it involves you directly," he said as he searched the on-board computer display for a playlist. Jun Hyeon imagined that his hyung would show Hani''s music, and he was right.


    "Well, you can''t escape from this car for some minutes, so listen at least once," sardonically said his hyung.


    The thing I miss most, is the half of me


    That you were, and it makes no sense any more


    Wait for what? There will be no new twist


    There''s no longer a way up


    There''s no escape, but the final escape, the deep dive


    "Don''t be afraid, you said"


    Cross over and you will see


    Jun Hyeon was disturbed,


    "Wow, it''s intense," he commented.


    "You really hadn''t heard it, wow! My theory that you don''t even try was right," Dae Won spoke in his beautiful, melodic voice, but of course, there was a lot of poison in his words. Jun Hyeon knew he was at fault. That he was a reckless friend with Dae Won. He just couldn''t get too close to hyung, and he felt guilty about it. He wanted that song to stop at once, in fact. It was a painful song about someone who flirts with death. At least that''s what it sounded like. He wasn''t trying to pay attention, to be honest. It was a depressing song, to say the least.


    I grabbed your cold hand and I felt safe, because you were my smiling half


    We discovered so many things; we were so young and foolish


    Tap and Toe, these were us


    Swiss chocolates and French lipsticks


    Mute people, sidelong looks,


    Broken mirrors, compassion


    Welcome to the new world, I was the half that wept


    What remains of that, if not the deep dive


    different from that, in the summer of Jeju


    "Poor Hani. Don''t say that, hyung. I''ve been busy¡­"


    I plunge, in the cold waters of my pain,


    One misstep, and the sky has become the bottom


    of the endless well of my existence


    A deep dive¡­,


    "Jun Hyeon, do you make time to steal Ye Rim from a Ball, as you made time for Na Ra that day. Even if it hurts other people. But I know why you keep me away. It''s okay, because I know. You keep me away because I saved Ji Hyeon in the fire. You have created a bad feeling about it. I''m sorry¡­"


    "Stop talking now, hyung," that sad song about suicide and now Dae Won bringing Ji Hyeon up, it was making the doctor very upset. His wish, at that moment, was to shut up his hyung''s mouth with so many punches!


    "You''ll keep hurting people if you don''t assume to yourself that you keep doing the same things, always! You just want me to understand your faults, for Ji Hyeon to understand your faults! You are good at mending, but what about avoid doing?" Dae Won raised his voice, looking for the playlist''s repeat button.


    Jun Hyeon, who felt his head throbbing through the set of things, pushed Dae Won''s hand away from the button, without thinking. Dae Won reacted, pushing him away, and Jun Hyeon did the same, out of instinct and anger.


    Then the steering wheel turned, and Dae Won could not control the car in time.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ji Hyeon''s hand trembled over the piano key, and she paused for a moment, feeling sudden dizziness. It seemed that everything around her spun and spun, but she was not in the bas.e.m.e.nt, but in a car out of control.


    "Jun!" she called, knowing her brother was in danger.


    Then she felt a deep pain in her chest, and went out on the open piano.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "It''s a shame that Pearl succ.u.mbed. As ajuhmma knows, my dad likes it here a lot. But business is business," Hong Gi told Ms. Song, just as Ye Rim and Eun Ha arrived at Pearl. The gangster, as always surrounded by henchmen, counted the rent money slowly, while the owner of Pearl swallowed his anger. Ye Rim passed Hong Gi without saying hello and stood beside Mrs. Song. She had come here to bring the money to pay for Pearl''s renovation.


    "But the President is being a little pessimistic today," interrupted the singer. "Pearl didn''t succ.u.mb yet. Mrs. Song will start the renovation and soon Pearl will reopen."


    As a quick-witted woman, Ms. Song agreed with the singer,


    "As long as I have the strength, the trot will have its shell here. And please, President, tell your father he is our guest of honor for the reopening!"


    Looking at the three women staring at him so intently, the man clicked his tongue, barely hiding his contempt. "Very well. I believe. But I heard that Pearl''s mermaid is leaving. She''s going to swim in bluer seas ..." Taking a walk around Ye Rim, he didn''t hide his lasciviousness, clicking the tongue as he did so. The singer wanted to remove her shoe and stick it in his face, but resisted the urge to do so.


    "I knew that this big fish wouldn''t be around for long. This wonderful golden-tailed mermaid. Miss. Nam, I wish all the luck in the world on your new project, far away from this stinky muffle. It is good to know that you have not been affected by the cheap sentimentality of the people here," after these words, Hong Gi left the place, followed by his minions.


    Upon making sure that Hong Gi or his men were not around, Ye Rim handed the money over to Mrs. Song, with a bow,


    "Forgive me for taking so long, but please start the Pearl makeover soon. That scoundrel cannot win this battle!"


    "So it''s true that you got something better and you''re going to leave us," Pearl''s owner commented. "It will be difficult without you here, Ye Rim."


    Mrs. Song was a very practical woman, and if she said that, it wasn''t just to make her feel good, Ye Rim knew. It moved her heart. And looking at her beloved club, falling apart and looking even worse after a few closed days, brought tears to her eyes.


    "It was necessary. And the ajuhmeoni said that I should follow my dreams."


    "Yes, it''s what you must do, so as not to become someone bitter and ugly," said Ms. Song. "But will we have one last show of yours, at least?"


    "Yes, it won''t be a problem. I also want to say goodbye to the place that did me so well and taught me so many wonderful things. To respect the great classics of our country, and our singers! And I got to know the legend of the trot, Duk Mi!"


    This made Mrs. Song laugh. Eun Ha asked,


    "What was it, Ms. Song? Why did you laugh when Ye Rim talked about Singer Duk Mi?"


    "Duk Mi is not the trot star he says he is. He thinks he deceived me, but I just leave things as they are because he is a good singer after all. His name is not even Duk Mi. He is the double of the real Duk Mi, the legend of the trot, who died in an accident 20 years ago," the ajuhmeoni spoke in a secretive tone.


    The revelation stunned the two friends,


    "Aigoo!" they spoke in unison.

 Chapter 129 - Dae Won Must Live

    Jun Hyeon felt the side impact when Dae Won was pushed against him, and the impact jerked his body forward, taking his breath away completely. He saw the front panel shatter and instinctively closed his eyes. He felt a diffuse pain in his head, and then his chest hurt, due to the impact on the airbag. It has triggered the alarms. Taking a deep breath, he realized that no vital organ was injured. Still a little dizzy, he looked away.


    Then he saw Dae Won, squeezed against him and between the side and front airbags on the driver''s side. The light pole the car crashed against advanced far into the car and the crumpled bodywork on Dae Won''s side.


    Strangely, the blond man seemed to have a strange smile on his bloodstained face.


    Getting rid of his own seat belt, Dr. Kim assessed the situation before attempting to remove Dae Won. His heartbeats his blood loss, breathing, and eyes responsiveness. He realized that the musician''s left hand had been caught between the pole and the car door, and he tried to remove it carefully, to get him out of there. He placed Dae Won with caution over his shoulder to get him out of the car.


    "Shhhh ... Don''t worry, I''ll save you too ..." after making a gesture of silence, Dae Won spoke with the same smile, looking into his face, before passing out. Jun Hyeon blinked several times, astonished. ''What did he mean by that?! Will he¡­ save me? Does he want me to keep quiet?!''


    On the way to the hospital, in the same ambulance, Jun Hyeon made the urgent calls and then looked at his intubated friend, just in case. He wasn''t in immediate danger of death, according to paramedics, but was unconscious due to concussion. But Dae Won had hurt his left arm and hand badly, and the plastic surgeon anticipated that perhaps one or more surgeries would be necessary.


    It was ironic that he, Jun Hyeon, had only suffered scratches, or so he thought. He would be sure after some exams.


    Naturally, he felt responsible. He had caused the accident and Dae Won could have died, because of him. It was Dae Won passed out there, not him.


    His fingers ran to Ye Rim''s number without his noticing. Hearing her voice saying that everything would be okay was all he wanted to ease his confused and guilty mind.


    But she was on another call, apparently.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "You shouldn''t be calling me, who I''m a close friend of stylist Jung, just because you think I''m going to tell you who she is, what she does, how much she charges and who she dates," said Ye Rim, holding the phone between the chin and the shoulder while drying the dishes.


    "Reporter Lee, it''s okay, I''ll be understanding but I won''t reveal my friend''s secrets. She is a reserved person with many creation rituals. Her customers are looking for exclusivity and impeccable cut, but they like a touch of irreverence, don''t they? Yes, you know that award, the ... what''s the name? Ah, I don''t remember, but it was a year ago. The host was that actor, the ... well, I suck at names, but you can research it. He was wearing a shirt from the Eun Ha''s collection. She doesn''t like advertising. Her craftsmanship and concept of creation is beyond advertising. She went to the Fashion Ball because Stylist Zhang made sure she attended!"


    Getting more acting classes was already doing wonders for her improvisation skills, Ye Rim thought. She was receiving several calls on her personal phone from people who discovered that she was best friends with the mysterious fashion stylist Jung. The new sensation of Korean fashion.


    Her unnie deserved all the spotlight, but Ye Rim was shocked as the press was running after this ''fresh news'' with voracity. The singer was sure that it was Cha Eun Mi who gave her phone to the press. Eun Ha had turned off her phone because of the constant calls, and actually left a little earlier, and went to the bank. But of course, Ye Rim could boost her unnie''s surrounding myth.


    "Eun Ha has a very strong connection with the tradition of our culture, but she likes to reinterpret them in a way to reestablish the contact of the modern with the intrinsic of being, you know? She may be inspired by the subway, the fish market or the theater, but the process of cutting the fabric for the first time is sacred and,¡­"


    Maybe she spent about 10 minutes chattering about Eun Ha''s weird ways as if they were rituals. She talked about the detached, ecological lifestyle, and her conscious choices about a simple life. Sharing the apartment was a space-saving option; and riding a bus was a decision to reduce pollutant emissions. She traveled twice a year to alternative communities in different parts of the world, looking for new sustainable ideas to create fashion. She usually donated money to struggling artists.


    She just needed to remember to tell Eun Ha all these things later, haha. The part of donating money to struggling artists was true, as Eun Ha has practically supported her throughout the last year.


    Apparently the reporter was very grateful and asked if she knew how Stylist Jung had met actor Ryan Lee and what she thought of the controversy with rapper J-Mancer.


    Taken by surprise because she didn''t know what the reporter was talking about, Ye Rim turned to the internet to a quick research,


    "Uhn, Ryan Lee¡­ Well, I don''t know. I don''t know him personally, but Eun Ha¡­ OMO!"


    She knew whom those choc abs belong to! "I need to hang up!"


    She sat down, opening the photos and watching Kang Dae, her neighbor Kang Dae, fighting with a famous rapper at the Fashion Ball. "What did you do, Eun Ha and Kang Dae?!"


    Abandoning household chores, Ye Rim went down to the Yoo''s grocery store as quickly as she could. How could they do such a risky thing?!


    But Chang Mi was alone in the grocery store, closing doors to end the shift.


    "Ye Rim Noona ...?" he asked suspiciously, and Ye Rim was sure he knew everything.


    "Chang Mi, where''s your brother? What did those two get that your brother is in all the magazines? How did your brother hit a celebrity?"


    "Technically, it wasn''t him, but an actor named Ryan Lee," Chang Mi replied with a chuckle. Ye Rim threatened him with a fist,


    "You''re hilarious, but they don''t stop calling after him. Where is he?"


    "Well noona, Kang Dae is in hiding. Things didn''t go very well for him after he went into hiding with noona Eun Ha, but ended up showing off shirtless nationwide! He''s really, really in trouble, and it''s neither the paparazzi nor the rapper that worries him!" the mocking boy shrugged as he finished his job.


    Ye Rim imagined that if Kang Dae was in trouble, Eun Ha had better never need a lettuce again in her  life. Mrs. Yoo, a widow who ran the grocery store with iron hands and was known for being highly jealous of her sons. At the same time, she admired her friend''s audacity and nerve.


    "But where is noona, anyway?" asked Chang Mi.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "This afternoon, musician Lee Dae Won and plastic surgeon Kim Jun Hyeon had an accident on the access road ..." as soon as the anchorman spoke, in the evening newspaper, Ji Hyeon thought she''d pass out again, but she struggled not to panic and hear the news until the end. It was important, and perhaps it was the only time she would see this news on television.


    "... the doctor is doing well, but the musician is under observation. According to the medical record, he is not at risk of death but should remain hospitalized for a few days. The car accident caused a two-kilometer traffic jam tonight on the access road¡­"


    "Oh! OH!  Doing Well! He''s Doing well! Wohoo! That means everything is fine! It''s okay with Jun, that''s it. Calm down now girl. Calm down. Dae Won didn''t kill Jun. In fact, he was the  one in observation. Hahaha, he got hurt! Hahahaha!" Ji Hyeon laughed at the irony. Her twin was fine, and Dae Won¡­


    But then an important fact fell with the weight an anvil on her head.


    ''If something happens to that bastard Dae Won, am I going to remain locked up here until I die? Am I going to¡­ die here from starvation?''


    Ji Hyeon ran to the shelves and the fridge, to check her food supply. It wasn''t much. Dae Won always brought ready-made meals, and all she had  in the bas.e.m.e.nt were snacks, fruit and shakes. Nor did she have a lot of drinking water either. But, how long would he be gone?


    But if something happened to Dae Won, and it impeded him to return home, someone would inevitably come to the house, right?


    Probably.


    But ... How long would it take for someone to think about visiting the bas.e.m.e.nt?


    Ji Hyeon did not believe that one day she would look forward to the return of her jailer.

 Chapter 130 - The Skeletons in the Closet

    Jun Hyeon entered the hospital room where Dae Won was admitted and found out the orthopedist was saying talking to his patient. He had already requested his discharge, but was still waiting for the bureaucratic part of the process. So he patiently waited the specialist to explain the following procedures and put Dae Won at ease.


    He had suffered light scratches on his face and hands, had a sore chest, and nothing more, as all the tests stated. Dae Won, on the other hand, had dislocated his shoulder and would need surgery on two fingers of his left hand, in addition to some other injuries.


    Jun Hyeon was grateful that it wasn''t worse, but overwhelmed by a feeling of contriteness. His unthinking act hurt, almost killed, Dae Won. He did it again.


    When the door closed, he looked at his hyung for a minute, in silence. Dae Won sighed when she saw him, putting the cell phone aside,


    "Don''t say anything. I don''t know why you did that, but don''t worry, I''m not going to accuse you or tell the police. Don''t worry."


    Kim Jun Hyeon was so astonished that the words disappeared. He didn''t really expect that. ''Yes, the police. They would certainly want to know. Shouldn''t I tell? Is he worried about the repercussions on my professional and social life '' Only a concussion explained his hyung''s state of mental confusion.


    "Hyung¡­ I don''t think this makes any sense at all. I¡­"


    "I must apologize, Jun Hyeon. I was upset, and saying things I shouldn''t have. I think I got you mad. You were always a temperamental guy, and I kept talking and talking because I was angry. Let''s say I caused a situation that got out of hand," said Dae Won.


    The doctor shook his head. He had to admit that things happened as Dae Won was reporting, but he didn''t want Dae Won''s forgiveness to be that way.


    "I''m sorry, hyung. I don''t know what¡­"


    "Jun Hyeon," said the musician softly,  "I know you didn''t do it thinking about the consequences. You would never do something like this in a planned way, I don''t think so. You are not a person who plans to hurt the people you love. Or anyone else. It just happens. You don''t want to hurt the people you love, but you end up doing something that hurts them. Sometimes there''s no going back, unlike now. That''s it. Awareness comes only when you measure your actions."


    Jun Hyeon took a deep breath, shaken by the words spoken with the shadow of a smile by the bedridden man. His eyes burned, and he felt a lump in his throat. Those were words as deep and precise as a scalpel.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim still had her hand up to knock on the hospital room door when she heard Jun Hyeon''s apology. Holding the breath, the singer was silent, as she didn''t want to interrupt an intimate moment. But Dae Won''s smooth words also left her with a lump in her throat. But not from sadness.


    Announcing her arrival with a brief knock, she came in smiling, carrying the two vases of flowers.


    "But is this what happens when I leave my two Oppas a second alone?!" Ye Rim strove to be breathtaking and completely ruin the awkward and sour mood between Kim Ju Hyeon and Lee Dae Won. Looking at one and the other, she knew that they both were weighing what she may have heard.


    "Is anyone going to tell me what happened?"


    Dae Won was reticent. Ye Rim held her breath for a moment, and before the doctor spoke, she purposely interrupted him,


    "Why, forget it. The culprit of all this is me, who am a coward and did not know how to apologize to Dae Won oppa! I am devastated! If I hadn''t taken Jun Hyeon oppa''s car, none of this would have happened! I will blame myself forever if you guys get upset with each other because of me! I do the worst things, because you just want to help me, but I do everything wrong!" she deeply bowed to both of them, exaggerating a little, it was a fact, but exasperated by noticing Dae Won trampling Jun Hyeon over, even if being polite while doing it. Did he not know how much he hurt Jun Hyeon because of Ji unnie?


    "It was not so. I was surprised and confused on the Ball''s night, but it''s okay. Really. And it''s a pleasure to help you, Ye Rim," replied Dae Won.


    "Don''t beat yourself up, none of this was your fault," added Jun Hyeon.


    "Really? Is it all right? Are you guys upset?" ''If I need to treat them like two children whom I will force to make amends, I will do that,'' she thought.


    They vehemently agreed that everything was fine, and the accident was nobody''s fault, just a casualty. Soon after, the singer wanted to know the state of health of both, and pitied that Dae Won had to have surgery the next day.


    "Do you need someone to check at your house,  bring you things, or check a pet? Water a plant? If you need anything, count on me, I can do it for you!" Ye Rim volunteered willingly.


    Dae Won stared at her for a moment, Ye Rim was a little uneasy under the intense gaze. But then the musician gave his beautiful smile,


    "I''m fine, thanks. The cleaner and the gardener go only once a week. I don''t have pets. Unless something goes very wrong during general anesthesia. So I will need someone to delete my files before my mom comes back from China. And get the skeletons out of the closets. Yes. Definitely get the skeletons out of the closets."


    "Aargh!" Ye Rim shook himself at the macabre idea, but insisted, "Are you sure? Don''t you need clothes, toiletries ...?" she looked at the hospital''s electronic visit permit card. A red light was flashing on it.


    "Don''t worry, everything is fine. My house''s security system is complicated even for myself. I''d live in an apartment if it weren''t a waste to leave that huge house without residents!"


    "Well, you can always ask friends to live there," she suggested, thinking she was being funny when she suggested that she would like to live in that mansion. He winked at her and promised,


    "One day."


    "Ye Rim," Jun Hyeon, who had become quieter, interrupted at this very moment, "that red light means that more visits have arrived for this patient. However, only a limited number can be here with the patient at a time."


    "Ahhh ..." the singer lamented, reaching for her bag. "Then I must go." She said goodbye to Dae Won at length, wishing her well. At the door, Ye Rim turned to them both, with a huge smile,


    "Ah, I was just forgetting! Jun Hyeon oppa has promised that he will teach me to tap dance in 10 lessons!"


    Dae Won smiled, while Jun Hyeon was astonished, and laughed at the singer''s outright lie.


    "Ten lessons? When did I say that?"


    "At the river''s side. Don''t claim dementia, please," saying this Ye Rim left. She hadn''t even reached the elevator when Dr. Kim ran after her, alarmed,


    "Ye Rim, wait. I''m going to go down too. My discharge paperwork must be ready. And we can take the stairs, the elevator will take a bit."


    As she imagined, her nonsense behavior would break the possibility of the two friends continuing that ridiculous conversation from before.


    "What really did happen, Oppa?" she asked as they went down the stairs. Ye Rim expected to hear his version without being in Dae Won''s presence. But Dr. Kim put his hand over the bandage on his forehead, thoughtfully,


    "I swear I can''t explain it. I was suddenly furious, very upset and ... I have to think calmly what was that, Ye Rim. And maybe look for a professional to help me solve it. I wasn''t feeling as myself, I swear. Don''t ask me anything now."


    She nodded, worried, as they arrived in the hospital lobby. Ye Rim had followed Jun Hyeon''s anguish during the trip to Zurich, and had also been intrigued by the accident reasons. Dae Won was so gentle, and Jun Hyeon wasn''t even driving!


    Both saw, going up the escalator, Na Ra carrying a bouquet.


    "Hmm," Ye Rim murmured, "I think someone should be told that her friend has already been discharged."


    "Don''t be like that, or I''ll think you''re jealous ... And not exactly a jealous friend," he didn''t miss the opportunity to tease her. "Also, the beep was for Dae Won''s room."


    "No, I get this card for your room, but you weren''t there. And I guessed you''d be with Dae Won," she explained.


    "Hmm," he sounded thoughtful, and grinned, "So I was priority."


    "Ha ha, imagine how many ''no-friends'' friends would come if you stayed one more day," ''Oh my God, I shouldn''t have said that, me and my goddamn big mouth! Now he''ll think I''m jealous. This is ridiculous! I always fall for his teasing '', the singer thought, wanting to hide her red face in shame.


    But then they clearly heard a woman calling,


    "Jun Hyeon!"


    Before Ye Ri turned around, the doctor took her by the arm and walked up a flight of stairs as if his life depended on it. Ye Rim, stunned by Jun Hyeon''s momentum, went on with little thought about the reasons for running up the stairs. They stared at each other. The singer opened her mouth to say something, actually to ask, when they heard the sounds of high heels on the floor of the stairs, rising slowly.


    Jun Hyeon pulled her behind a corner. Again! Their bodies touched, this time, and his face stayed close to hers as their agitated breaths calmed down.


    Calmed down? Not likely.


    ''Why are we doing this, and why¡­?'' Ye Rim couldn''t even think with Dr. Kim''s parted lips so close to her, while she was smashed into the wall by his body.

 Chapter 131 - Ambitions

    ''Omo, I don''t know what''s going on, but my knees are weak and I really want to ... kiss ¡­ Dr. Kim pretty lips ...'' her own lips quivered in anticipation, and again Ye Rim was feeling her body wishing to move yet more towards his. And maybe, actually moving. Their mouths were just inches from each other.


    Then she saw beautiful red enameled nails land on Jun Hyeon''s shoulder.


    "Son!"


    An imaginary guillotine cut the tiny space between the two bodies, and both jumped away from each other. Ye Rim felt her face turn the color of an eggplant.


    Spinning, Jun Hyeon just reacted with the obvious,


    "Mom!"


    ''Aigoo. What will she think now? And why did he run?!'' Ye Rim didn''t know what to think.


    Mrs. Go looked at Ye Rim appraisingly, and then grinned,


    "Hello! I am Dr. Kim''s mother!"


    ''Bwaa! What is it? Isn''t she furious?!'' surprise took Ye Rim. Kim Jun Hyeon''s mother was the face of a successful CEO. Flawless, with an intelligent and insightful look, but there was also the same kind and sensible expression that she saw on the face of Mr. Go, her father.


    Ye Rim bowed quickly, while Jun Hyeon made the introductions, trying to disguise the embarrassment.


    "This is a very special friend, mom."


    ''What? ''Special friend''?! She''ll think we''re dating! Aigoo, she will kill me now!''


    This made Mrs. Go frown immediately. Then she turned to the stairs again, meaning to point out something, and then to the couple again,


    "But¡­ I saw Na Ra. I''m sure I saw Na Ra going up. How then¡­?"


    "Well, mom, I didn''t see Na Ra. I was discharged, actually. Why don''t you take the time to talk to Dae Won a little bit."


    "Well, that was exactly what I was going to do. I see you look great, after all. What are you going to do now?"


    "Miss Nam is going to take me to your house, okay? She has my car. I''ll be waiting for you there."


    ''I don''t believe he''s doing this,'' Ye Rim kept her paralyzed grin, thinking Jun Hyeon was mad for adding to the idea that they had a romance. But she wasn''t getting killer vibes from Mrs. Go. Now getting annoyed, the singer could only believe that this was commonplace in Dr. Kim''s life.


    "Okay, honey," she rubbed her son''s shoulder with a new appraising look, this time checking to see if he was really okay. But of course, Jun Hyeon was even glowing, how could he not be well?


    With a slight growl of disapproval at her son, Mrs. Go walked away, going up the stairs alone.


    Ye Rim would normally think Jun Hyeon should accompany his mother, but in that case, visiting Dae Won a second time while remaining estranged was not even a good idea. Clearing her throat, she fixed her clothes and said,


    "Well, if that''s it, then I''ll take you to your mother''s house. But¡­ why the hell did you do that?!"


    "I''ll tell you on the way," he ran a hand through his hair, wincing in pain.


    On the way, however, Jun Hyeon remained silent and thoughtful. Although Ye Ri was still waiting for an answer, she didn''t insist until they arrived in front of Mrs. Go''s beautiful house.


    "Sorry for making you uncomfortable back there. I acted ridiculously like the other time. But, I thought it was better that way, and that you would understand."


    "Maybe I understand if you explain why you left your mother thinking ..."


    "My mother ... hates Na Ra. And there is nothing that Na Ra can do to get her to look at both of us in the same room. If I had been with Na Ra in the room, for example ... She would have been very unpleasant with Na Ra. She has already made Na Ra cry several times. I knew that my mother had seen me, and I drew her to the stairs."


    "Hey! But what if she hated me too?!" Ye Rim exclaimed indignantly.


    "Why would she hate you if you don''t know her, Ye Rim?"


    "So basically it could be any woman, except Na Ra?"


    "Erm¡­ Almost. Don''t be like that. She knows that I have high standards. It would never be ''anyone''," he justified himself.


    "Hmmm. I almost felt part of a select VIP club right now!" she replied sarcastically.


    "Well, I''m not even part of your select club, have you forgotten?" he replied instantly, reminding her of his everlasting grudge against Queen Maeve''s theory. But Ye Rim wanted to know something else,


    "Poor Na Ra¡­ It was not her fault. Why can''t your mother understand this, after so many years? And is that the reason you didn''t get married?" at least as a friend she could ask embarrassing questions.


    "Ye Rim," he took his hand through his hair, exacerbated, but due to his injuries he preferred to do his other mannerism, draw out his neck, preparing for something,


    "Maybe it wasn''t clear to you, but I don''t love Na Ra. I''d like her to be my friend, as you say, but that''s impossible. What could have happened spoiled a long time ago. And ... Even if I loved her ..." he wet his lips, "the fact is that it would be painful considering everything that happened. And with my mother hating her. As much as she is a strong woman, and I admire her, I don''t think it would be healthy for anyone."


    "But if it weren''t for that, you would marry her. Even though you didn''t ''love'' her," Ye Rim insisted.


    "Why, Ye Rim ..." he almost laughed, seeming to find her question embarrassingly silly.


    "Yes?"


    "No. I wouldn''t marry if I wasn''t completely, absolutely, terribly in love with a woman. This woman would have to be something as indispensable to me as breathing. It would have to be a tidal wave, a tsunami. A woman to whom I feared fury and at the same time was fascinated by the beauty of her power. I don''t need calm loves, Ye Rim. Not someone who brings me guilt, or just convenience. I don''t want to think about betraying her a single day. I want to wish her from day zero. I want to find her ridiculously cute. In short," he took a breath, "that woman could have been her, but the time has passed. In fact, everything has the right timing to happen."


    "Wow," sighed Ye Rim, stunned and delighted by Jun Hyeon''s words. But in a blink, the doctor was out of the car.


    "Hey, wait. Take your keys! It''s your car!" she took her bag to leave, but he motioned for her to stay in the car.


    "It''s all right. I won''t use the car now. Thanks for today, Ye Rim."


    "You''re welcome ..."I have something to say. I really can''t be your tap dance teacher. I¡­ am out of time and out of energy. But I''ll find a great teacher for you! Don''t worry about the value of the classes, think of it as my apology for not being able to teach you."


    Ye Rim narrowed his eyes,


    "I don''t believe it. There is another reason."


    Dr. Kim blinked, astonished. Of course, he didn''t expect to be contradicted, since he had made his puppy face to sweeten his excuses with.


    "What? Ye Rim!"


    "I can even take classes at dawn. Or we can do it on a weekend, in an intensive course. But I want it to be you."


    "Why me? Why does it have to be me?" he leaned against the car window, waiting for an answer.


    "Because I want you to dance again. I wanna see you dancing. I want to see you take a step, literally, away from this trauma, Jun Hyeon Oppa. And also for me. If you don''t do this for you, but for me, it will be easier to dance again. You know I need it. This role may be my last good chance. Shall we go back together? Can I be your partner in this?" It was not her plan to have said it so directly, Jun Hyeon was very susceptible at the time. Dae Won, his mother, and even Na Ra were a burden to him. Perhaps he would begin to see dance as it was and not associate the loss of his twin sister, as he had been doing. It was time to heal those wounds.


    "You!" he exclaimed, without words to continue, taking a deep breath and looking around, as if looking for a way out of an uncomfortable situation.


    "Oppa, I really am serious. Teach me. Do your best and demand my best. Make me get that role. Make me get the director completely obsessed about my name!"


    "You are ambitious!" he exclaimed again, biting his lip. Ye Rim didn''t remember seeing him so agitated and indecisive since she met him.


    "You keep saying that. I don''t care that you think about it. I had already given up, you know. But now I believe it again."


    "I''m talking about what you want to do to me. Do you think I should go back to dancing¡­ Without Ji Hyeon?"


    "I bet many people have told you that in the past. So, yes, I am ambitious. I want you to give me something that you are not willing to give and have never given to anyone. Tap dance classes."

 Chapter 132 - Park & Zhang

    "You are right, unnie. Everything you told me about Yuna Zhang swapping rooms using the par.a.p.et and locking her father out of the building... This is certainly very suspicious. He may be in life''s danger," said Ye Rim on the phone, impressed by the report. "But don''t worry, unnie. I''ll try to hear the rumors like you said, office people are very gossipy at lunch. And I''ll be there trying to catch some information, paparazzi-style!" she exclaimed excitedly, hanging up the phone after saying goodbye.


    The night before, Jun Hyeon had said he would teach her tap dancing. He seemed moved by her words, although Ye Rim was just being honest. She returned home in his car, feeling light for imagining that the weight he carried on his shoulders could be eased little by little. As he stopped condemning himself and definitely, listening to the echoes of the past wanting to punish him for an accident.


    When she confronted her unnie because of Kang Dae and the Instant Celebrity she had made of him, Eun Ha showed her concern about this. But mainly, she focused on the life of Stylist Zhang.


    Having been so involved with her own projects and feeling distanced from her best friend, Ye Rim decided to help her in any way she could.


    Both were now in the vicinity of the Park & ??Zhang building, to find out whether Stylist Zhang was really at risk of being murdered by his own daughter, or had been a misunderstanding.


    Ye Rim waited for lunch, and when she saw a promising group of white-collars leaving the glamorous company on foot.  The singer followed them discreetly. As soon as they chose a table in the restaurant, she tried to sit next to them. Pretending to be completely absorbed with her cell phone, she paid attention to the group''s conversations, while they lunched.


    As Ye Rim imagined, it didn''t take long, and they started to gossip.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha hung up the phone with a satisfied sigh, happy to have her regular partner-in-crime helping her in this self-imposed mission. Last night she could hardly sleep thinking about that scene between Yuna Zhang and her father. It convinced the fairy that Alexander Zhang narrowly escaped death that night.


    Now, after observing a little, she used her magic wand to replicate a uniform from the outsourced cleaning team. Eun Ha was feeling n.a.k.e.d and exposed without her thick eyeliner, but she needed to face a day without makeup for the sake of her whole operation of signing a contract with Park & ??Zhang. Stylist Zhang''s life was important, but she couldn''t forget that everything she had done so far had a purpose.


    After it, she popped up from behind a car, going to the service entrance of the building next. It was not so difficult to enter after convincing the concierge that the outsourced cleaning company had not yet delivered her ID card. As Eun Ha imagined, the only person obsessed with preventing someone from entering was Front Desk Assistant Cha Eun Mi. She easily joined the cleaning team and the tired head of the team accepted her lame excuses without question.


    Completely ignoring the mission that the head of the cleaning team assigned her, she took a cleaning cart and climbed up to the boardroom floor. Eun Ha knew that because it was lunchtime, the posts would be empty and it would be much easier to spy.


    She had seen it in a movie, once. Social engineering. It was unethical, of course, but if it saved someone''s life or solve a crime, wasn''t it forgivable?


    Passing through the closed doors, she reached the door to the office where it was written, Zhang, Yuna - Brand Manager.


    She wasn''t impressed. The fashion designer had already done some research on the internet and knew that Yuna was considered an excellent professional in the field. Park & ??Zhang had renewed its worn ''Park Bo Jeon'' brand when Zhang took over from Park Bo Jeon, an exponent of Korean fashion in past decades, as the house''s creative director. Park, dying a few years ago, had left half of the company to Zhang, which at the time was a big shock to his family and a great source of gossip in the news.


    But things have progressed well, as Zhang''s charisma and talent have kept the brand as one of the 10 most influential in the country. Yuna actively took part in revitalizing the brand with aggressive brand positioning decisions. She was a young CEO to admire. So, having seen her acting so oddly as she was on the night of the Fashion Ball made Eun Ha very suspicious. In addition, Hunter Shin had said that the woman who ran out of the room definitely had some wraiths around her.


    Double-checking to make sure she wouldn''t be caught or interrupted, Eun Ha pushed on the office door.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The amount of meanness and pet peeves the employees of the Park & ??Zhang office poured over lunch horrified ye Rim. All the bullying and useless gossip against employees of the same or higher ranks keep their mouths moving while they''re not chewing. Then someone started talking about Yuna Zhang''s secretary,


    "She is desperately trying to find a new protector, since she knows she will hardly be the secretary for the new brand director," said a woman. "She''s as ridiculous as before. Se Ra passed by with her nose up because she was the secretary of the mighty Miss. Zhang, but now she runs like a docile little dog asking for a seat for the executives."


    "But at least she told my boss it was Director Zhang himself who fired Brand Manager Yuna. She was on the phone when the Director arrived, on the same day as the Fashion Ball, and locked himself up with Yuna for almost two hours in the office," the owner of this valuable information shared it as if it were a piece of bread delivered to the hungry people. The listeners leaned towards her, and Ye Rim thought she should ''fix'' her heel, to lean in too.


    "Yes. And what else?"


    "And then the Headmaster left and told Se Ra to help Yuna get things ready to leave office in a week. Bluntly. Se Ra got startled!"


    "No wonder he was sick during the Fashion Ball. He must have been on edge."


    "Yes. But ... What was the reason for the dismissal? And ... can he fire her? Does he have that power?"


    It divided opinions at the table.


    "Vivian Park loves Yuna. I often saw them together," someone commented.


    "Look who''s coming," someone else whispered. Ye Rim also looked discreetly. Today was not her lucky day. Cha Eun Mi and another girl arrived in the restaurant.


    What now, should she try to go unnoticed or greet the ex-trainee?


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha saw cardboard boxes meticulously organized, with personal items and even decorative objects from the office. ''Why, this is not what I expected.'' Unfortunately, the magic monocle was back in the hands of its true owner, so she could not investigate the supernatural aspects of that room. Still, Eun Ha could say that despite being a refined environment, she didn''t really want to stay there. Looking at the environment, she didn''t know where to start investigating, so the fairy did exactly the same thing she had done the first time: she went to the bathroom, the place she least wanted to enter.


    The first thing Eun Ha saw was the broken, blood-stained mirror in front of the sink.


    ''Well, this girl is really troubled.''


    There was nothing else of note in the elegant bathroom, except that Eun Ha had the strange feeling that the floor was full of salt crystals. Her shoes seemed to crush the dust on the porcelain tile. The uncomfortable feeling was most evident when she came close to the toilet. Lifting the lid of the toilet, Eun Ha looked inside, but saw nothing but a slight trace of ''salt'' on the edge of the lid.


    Then she heard footsteps in the room, and a person''s voice asking,


    "Hey, who gave you permission to enter this room?"


    Eun Ha quickly grabbed the trash can, and went out trying to make the most innocent expression in the world,


    "Sir, I was just told to clean this bathroom."


    "I highly doubt it," said the man, in his safety uniform and unpleasant expression. He pulled out the walkie talkie, and turned it on, asking her,


    "What''s your name? Where''s your ID card?"


    ''Damn it! The ID card! I forgot to make the ID card! '' Eun Ha panicked.


    "Erm¡­" All she thought about doing was discreetly grabbing her wand and breaking the security''s communication device. "Mr. Floor Security, I had to leave it with my supervisor downstairs, Mr. Gong. My name is Eun Mi... Ja Eun Mi." She went out with the trash can from the bathroom, while Mr. Floor Security tried to use the walkie talkie without success.


    When she reached the hall, she saw Stylist Zhang leaving the elevator with other people. ''My God, I don''t believe it! Now it''s so easy to find him! But he can''t see me! ''She leaned against a wall, trying not to be seen by him.


    Floor Security, however, left the Brand Manager''s office, and immediately spotted Eun Ha hiding,


    "Hey! YOU! HALT!"


    Eun Ha gasped.

 Chapter 133 - Not everyone is a Hunter

    "CHA EUN MI!" Ye Ri exclaimed emphatically, standing up. The elegant receptionist was taken by surprise, but responded with a smile.


    "Ye Rim! What are you doing here?!" it really made little sense for Ye Rim to show up in a typical white-collar restaurant out of nowhere. They had seen each other briefly at the Fashion Ball a few days ago.


    "I just missed you! Seeing you at the Fashion Ball, I remembered the old days, and stopped by to say hello!"


    "Seriously?! This is a good surprise! Do you have time for lunch?"


    After the irritating encounters with Ji Ah, Ye Rim wondered that talking to Eun Mi would be as painful. To her surprise, the receptionist seemed genuinely happy to meet her, and the first thing Cha Eun Mi asked was,


    "You need to tell me, which one are you dating?! Ye Rim, introduce me to one of them, please! Some people commented that you arrived with the musician Mr. Handsome and left with the Hot Surgeon!"


    "Ah, Eun Mi! I''m not dating any of them! But I can introduce you to..." her mind went into overdrive remembering that she had promised to introduce female friends to Dr. Kim. "I can introduce you to MP Lee! Give me your new phone number!"


    In the middle of this amusing conversation, Ye Rim wondered why both her unnie and the former trainee''s coworkers didn''t like Eun Mi.  In Eun Ha''s case, at least the reason was that Cha Eun Mi chased her and barred her entry into Park & ??Zhang under the strangest excuses. But Eun Mi was a beautiful and intelligent girl, outgoing and charming. Also, after abandoning the dream of being an idol, she had studied hard and helped her family. At least on the surface, Ye Rim couldn''t see anything in Eun Mi that was hateful.


    After lunch, Ye Ri walked Eun Mi back to Park & ??Zhang,


    "Eun Mi, that restaurant was full of mean and gossipy people. They kept talking loudly about the company where you work. Do you like working there?"


    "When I joined Park & ??Zhang two years ago, it was better. But lately ... I''ve been thinking about looking for a position elsewhere. How can I say ... Although it''s a place with status and a good salary, maybe it''s a place for those ... who can stomach? But¡­ did you hear anything about me?"


    Of course, the ex-trainee would be worried about that, Ye Rim just told the truth. Eun Mi should have known, if she didn''t know already, so she could guard against malicious actions. The singer remembered how good it would have been if someone had told her in time how much they hated her in Bombshell''s day. Eun Mi, however, had not been part of this ill-fated project. They had known each other from an earlier time.


    "Well, Ye Rim, thanks for telling me that. I have noticed my co-workers gossiping by my back. There was a... scandal here recently, among the company''s partners, and unfortunately, I got involved. Although it didn''t harm me professionally, my colleagues are misinterpreting things. "


    "Take care, Eun Mi. Coworkers can only harm us out of jealousy and prejudice."


    "It''s true. And ... Ye Rim. Tell your stylist friend that I''m sorry. The partners disagree a little and we received explicit orders from Ms. Park not to allow Jung Eun Ha and a few other young designers to enter. Even the secretaries on the upper floors received this kind of order. I know she doesn''t like me very much because I follow orders. At least she met Stylist Zhang at the Fashion Ball, and she didn''t need him for anything! Because I know she would never get support at Park & ??Zhang. No one can talk to Alexander Zhang without talking to Ms. Park first!"


    "Eun Mi! I don''t believe they are doing this! So isn''t Eun Ha the only one?"


    "No! A part of the company does not want this ''renovation'' that designer Zhang wants. Even scheduled meetings were secretly cleared! It''s a real war of egos and projects between Vivian Park & ??Alexander Zhang! However, this is not the worst ... But," Eun Mi shook her head, reproaching herself for talking too much. "Just tell her I apologize for all the times I have been unpleasant to her. I just followed orders," the two women stopped beside the lawn that surrounded the Zhang & Park building.


    "Okay, I think she''ll understand," said Ye Rim, but just behind Cha Eun Mi the singer saw her unnie running across the lawn at full speed, dressed in a cleaning lady''s outfit. It didn''t take long, two security guards appeared on the lawn, looking everywhere.


    Alarmed and distressed, Ye Rim hurriedly said goodbye to the ex-trainee, running to the car right after. Security guards were nearby, looking for Eun Ha, so Ye Rim got into the car borrowed from Dr. Kim elegantly. Security guards even bowed to her as she passed.


    After turning the corner, she looked in the rearview mirror, seeing her unnie curled up in the back seat,


    "So, did you discover anything important? Because I discovered very, very interesting things!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "So let me recap, Professor Shin. According to the ''Old Elemental Astrological Map'', fairies have very specific inclinations, "Eun Ha consulted her notes on the night of that same day.


    They were in Seoul Sky watching the sky while the older fairy educated her. Eun Ha continued, "Fairies usually have very defined skills, such as Guardian Fairies, Artisan Fairies and Elemental Fairies. And each of these types can have subtypes. Artisan fairies, who are my type, can be Masters or Patrons. Elementals can be Scholars or Regulators. And Guardians, your type, are Defenders or Hunters."


    "You forgot to talk about a type," commented the Hunter, looking at the starry horizon through the glass panoramic window.


    "Ah, yes, the Wild Fairies, who are those who don''t accept living according to the norms of the fairy society. Banned fairies are also ''wild'', Eun Ha sighed, closing her Moleskine,


    "Well, it''s fairly condensed, but that''s it."


    "Why, for such a creative people, there are so many rules and lists of things to study!" the young fairy complained, tired and hoping to lure her Professor into giving her his impressions on what she told him earlier. "Professor Shin, about all the things I told you before, have you come to any conclusions yet? Now that you have explained to me I am a ''mere'' Artisan, and I wasn''t born to investigate, I feel less able to understand what Ye Rim and I discovered today!"


    "Don''t be sarcastic, Jung. I thought you already had enough problems with both hunts, and that you understood the risk. But now you''ve done ''investigations'' that can put you in jail."


    "But Professor Shin is not afraid of this. And you could go to jail as much as I do," the younger fairy challenged his argument. He snorted,


    "Ah? Do you want to make comparisons?"


    Eun Ha pouted, considering what to say. It certainly couldn''t compare to Hunter Shin, who was experienced. But that deterministic nonsense saying that she could only be an artisan was ridiculous. Then the Hunter sighed,


    "Eun Ha, do you understand that you could have hurt people? Get hurt yourself? Or ... else! You involved your prot¨¦g¨¦. She could also have been arrested. Then you would have ended her career again."


    No, she didn''t think it.


    "And she would now be in even greater debt. You should have paid but you still haven''t got it. Now that you know that Park & ??Zhang is not going to open up to you like an Open Sesame, why aren''t you thinking of an alternative?"


    No, she didn''t think of it either.


    "Professor Shin! Other alternatives exist, but they will take a long time! The fashion world is very ungrateful! And how can we put this matter aside, if Stylist Zhang ...!"


    Shin interrupted Eun Ha,


    "If there is a conspiracy to kill Stylist Zhang, just invading his company will only make you look suspicious. We are fairies, not human policemen! You can''t even go to the police with that kind of allegation. That you found traces of methamphetamine in the bathroom you broke into. Can you see that it is a very sensitive family and business issue?"


    Again, she didn''t think of it earlier on.


    "But the wraiths ...!"


    "Eun Ha! Focus! Don''t be distracted. Don''t even distract your prot¨¦g¨¦ from what she has to do. If you don''t have money and you can''t get it quickly, why not try to pay your debt in another way?!"


    "Professor?!" Eun Ha exclaimed with wounded pride. "I got a small loan from the bank, which I had requested before Pearl''s debt. A loan for young entrepreneurs. I was going to make my new collection, and I mortgage the apartment. I can use the loan money to return it to Ye Rim. But then she''ll know about the mortgage, and she''ll give it back to me, and ... There''s no point in that."


    Shin scratched his head with an anguished look and was speechless. Eun Ha could tell by his rigid posture that 1) he was craving smoking, but it was forbidden in that place, and 2) he probably had the urge to break her neck, but fortunately it was also forbidden in that place.


    "Professor Shin¡­?! I''m listening, I swear! What should I do?!"


    "Don''t mix your personal affairs, that is, your personal ambitions, with Ye Rim''s life and the payment of that debt. And... I suspend our classes until you fix this mess!"


    "Nooo!


    "Yes!" and Shin went to the elevator, certainly feeling his pocket for his pack of cigarettes.

 Chapter 134 - Ruining Kang Daes Life

    "Do you want to die?! Are you tired of living?!" The hairdresser Soo Bin poked Eun Ha''s forehead with her index, threateningly. The fairy widened her eyes, alarmed, and indignant that Hunter Shin was not defending her. Why was he still with his hands in his pockets?!


    "Unnie! What did I do?!" she snapped the older woman''s hand away, legitimately questioning. "What did you do?! How dare you ''ruin'' Kang Dae''s life?! What are you doing? I knew that whole ''thing'' made little sense!"


    "''Thing''¡­? What are you talking about, Soo Bin Unnie?!" Eun Ha stammered, threatened by the way the hairdresser projected her body forward as if she was going to hit the fashion stylist at any moment. They were in front of Eun Ha''s condo, and drawing a lot of attention of the passersby.


    "I shouldn''t be saying that, but I''ll let you know! You got him discovered by hundreds! No, thousands of women in Seoul, and they keep surrounding the grocery store as fruit flies! Everything was great as it was before! He needn''t have become the ''Monthly Hot Oppa'' in the gossips magazines! ''Ryan Lee Oppa''! Why did you turn his head with this ''fame and money'' thing?! He loves vegetables and must stay in our neighborhood! If you do something like that again, you''ll regret it! It''s my final warning!"


    "But, Unnie, Kang Dae ...!" Now many things she didn''t understand earlier made sense. Hairdresser Soo Bin did pay a lot of visits to the greengrocer. Eun Ha even asked once if she was a vegan. So she and Kang Dae had a secret affair, and the divorcee hairdresser was feeling threatened! But then¡­ did Kang Dae pretend to flirt with Eun Ha just to disguise it? What was the point of that?


    "And you''re lucky that I''m the one to talk to you before his mom," Soo Bin was condescending. "Even Chang Mi isn''t able to work in the grocery store because of the swarm of women around, and even reporters! Mrs. Yoo has already promised to get you by the hair once when she sees you!" saying that, Soo Bin walked away, ignoring the small crowd watching them.


    "Oppa!" Eun Ha turned to the Hunter, her feelings hurt. He shrugged, and she said,


    "Did you hear that? Soo Bin Unnie prefers Kang Dae to live here as ''the hot guy next door'' than seeing him making money from his popularity and good looks! Does it make sense at all?"


    "Uhn, where have I heard that mentality before? Ah, right here," Shin pointed at the young fairy, fixing her hat at the same time. Eun Ha opened her mouth, but couldn''t get a good answer for that. She felt caught in her own trap.


    "Miss Jung, could I speak to you for a moment? I''m Reporter Ahn, from the magazine ..." the fashion designer heard someone across the street address her,


    "Not now, Reporter Ahn, I''m sorry!" she waved her hands in a hurried negative, grabbing the Hunter''s arm and using him as a shield to enter the building once and for all. Shin had no choice but to be dragged by her.


    When they reached the small entrance hall, they found Ye Rim coming down the stairs.


    The donsaeng beamed, and Shin broke free from Eun Ha''s grip,


    "Well hello, good evening! Finally, I''m getting to meet my Unnie''s French Teacher!"


    Eun Ha blinked repeatedly, looking at Hunter Shin. Although he became a little more talkative when it came to scolding or teaching, Shin was still a social disaster. How would Ye Rim believe he was a French teacher? By the way, did Hunter Shin know a word in French?


    ''Look at his face! Practically the most frowning and unsympathetic person in the world!''


    She turned back to Ye Rim. Her friend raised an eyebrow in question, as apparently at least a minute passed in awkward silence.


    "Ah, so, this is my best friend, the singer Nam Ye Rim, who I always talk about. This is¡­"


    "Shin," much to the young fairy''s chagrin, the Hunter didn''t even try to maintain the farce.


    "Shin ...? Just Shin?" Ye Rim looked at one and the other again. "Ah, the Teacher has an American name, is that it? Or rather, a French one?"


    "Ah, yes, he does, his name is ..."


    "Hye Seong," he replied, staring at Ye Rim''s face enigmatically.


    ''Honestly, what is he doing? Is this glare to threaten her for asking too much? And¡­ Hye Seong? Shin Hye Song? Is that his name or is he making it up? And why is he telling her and not telling me?! GRRRR!!'' Eun Ha narrowed her eyes watching each other intently. But Ye Rim just grinned wider. "It is a pleasure to meet you, French Teacher Shin! I wouldn''t say you''re a language teacher, by your looks only! But an athlete or¡­ Police officer¡­"


    "You don''t seem to be what you are either," he said, finally looking down and diverting his gaze to Eun Ha. She hurried to ask,


    "Are you going somewhere, Ye Rim?"


    "Yes. Dr. Kim is going to start teaching me tap dancing tonight," she commented, being distracted by this question, "Are you guys going to ... study upstairs?!"


    "Yes," said Eun Ha.


    "No," countered Shin. "We suspend our classes due to Ms. Jung intense activities. I just came to bring her home."


    Eun Ha was forced to signal Ye Rim to leave them, which made everything even more embarrassing. Her donsaeng contained her amused expression at the situation, and said,


    "Well, if you''re going to study or something, there''s a lot of things in the fridge to eat¡­ But I have to go. See you!"


    Eun Ha blushed at Ye Rim''s hint, but as soon as she saw her leave, the stylist turned to the older fairy,


    "Hye Seong is your real name?"


    "Er ...?" he seemed distracted, still looking at the path that Ye Rim took.


    ''Don''t play dumb!'' she screamed internally, but also externalized, "Professor Shin! What''s your interest in my prot¨¦g¨¦?! Why are you saying her name and looking at where she went?"


    "What are you talking about, Jung? Don''t you see?!"


    "What?"


    "Your prot¨¦g¨¦ really has something different. There is strong magic surrounding her."


    "Of course, she''s under a spell. The spell of the man in pink!" Eun Ha still didn''t have all this experience to identify magic the way the Hunter could. Or maybe she was just too used to Ye Rim.


    "Never wondered why is she under a spell?"


    "Ah¡­ yes, to tell you the truth, yes I already wondered. I cannot understand exactly why the spell involves the man in pink. But I have known Ye Rim all my life. Only the day of our birth can explain the fact that she is under a spell."


    "You didn''t tell me the whole story."


    "I also don''t know the whole story. Ye Rim''s mother, who met my fairy mother, was considered crazy and ran away with the psychiatrist after a while, leaving the family. She lives in the capital, but Ye Rim doesn''t want to contact her. I think she is the person who really knows what happened."


    "Interesting," The Hunter murmured, and Eun Ha nodded. Then the Hunter asked,


    "But, did you hear that your prot¨¦g¨¦ is going to meet the man in pink, and isn''t itching all over to go after her and stop the romance? Is there anything new that I''m not aware of?"


    "Yes, of course there is," the fairy sighed. "The things I said on the night of the Fashion Ball. I meant it. I''m sorry for everything I did. And I have the impression that, trying to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled, I ended up causing them to meet."


    "Hmm," he nodded.


    "Just now I realized that I shouldn''t try to think I know what is best for the people I love."


    "Hmm," this time there was a twinge of admiration for her words.


    "And of course, it would be useless to trying to prevent her from falling in love. She is already in love."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Totally," Eun Ha stated with conviction. "But I must be around so when she gets hurt, I can support her and help her get up. It is."


    "And don''t you think he''s in love, too?"


    "Why would I think that? I think all he wants to do is to compete with MP Lee. It looks like they have some long-standing rivalry, or something. This sudden offer to teach tap dancing? Spare me of such nonsense! He wants to disrupt MP Lee''s chances."


    "But Ye Rim wasn''t interested in the musician, was she?"


    "This is very strange. I''m sure it''s because Dr. Flamingo has been using his time to subtly hinder and vilify MP Lee behind his back. MP Lee is the perfect man for Ye Rim. No. In fact, he is the most perfect man around. His only flaw is being a gentleman and not playing dirty like Dr. Flamingo!"


    "There are no perfect people, Jung," the Hunter stated flatly.


    "Ahh, he probably has his toenail stuck. So, he''s no longer perfect," Eun ha showed her teacher her tongue, which made him smile spontaneously.


    Excited by this, Eun Ha said,


    "Anyway, this time I''m happy that she''s going to see Dr. Flamingo. And maybe get a miracle this time. Being in love should help her motivate about dancing. See, I''m not that radical."


    "Uh? I didn''t get it this time, Jung."


    "It''s simple. Not every time she was refused or failed as a trainee had to do with me. Not even her colleagues'' hatred had anything to do with me. Ye Rim is a great singer and a good actress¡­ But as a dancer, even a popsicle stick dances better than she does."


    The Hunter raised his eyebrow in surprise.

 Chapter 135 - Lets Dance

    The dance studio was not far from the mansion where Ye Rim left Dr. Kim two nights ago, she found out via the car''s GPS. An elegant two-story building near a wooded park housed some large dance halls. They had a dance hall reserved just for them, every night. Lee Dae Won, even from the hospital, had kept his promise.


    She felt a chill in her belly. Her worst moments in her search for her dream were in rooms like this. But Ye Rim tried to calm herself. She would not be competing with aggressive girls or fighting for space to move, but learning from private lessons.


    Then, Jun Hyeon went in, and Ye Rim thought she was going to have a mini heart attack right there. Kim Jun Hyeon was a handsome man in a formal suit and clothes, with his doctor''s coat and also in a black tie. He was s.e.xy and powerful because of his manly and devilish cool glare. But he was looking at least 10 years younger looking like he was now.


    Wide, soft, light-colored pants with suspenders and a basic white T-shirt. There was nothing special about it, but Jun Hyeon looked like someone else. Thinner, fresher and younger. His hair was wet from the shower he had just taken.


    He was a god of beauty, and at that moment, he seemed to be unaware of it.


    She blinked to make sure it was Kim Jun Hyeon,


    "Don''t be mocking. And sorry for the delay. There were a lot of complications today," was his way of apologizing, sitting on the bench along the wall.


    "Look what I brought you," he motioned to a paper bag beside him as he put on his special tap-dancing shoes. Ye Rim could easily guess the content, but she wouldn''t refuse his gifts anymore.


    "OMG!" Ye Rim was delighted with the pair of special doll-style shoes, red and with decorative stitching in the shape of a heart on the front. She had bought a pair, of course, but they were a simple black model. The ones Jun Hyeon had given him were better quality, and more beautiful.


    "How did you know my shoe number, Oppa?"


    But Jun Hyeon didn''t respond. He was looking across the room. The mirror.


    Ye Rim thought she saw what he saw. The empty bench beside him, as Jun Hyeon stared at himself in the mirror of a dance hall, after several years. Then she sat down, not on the larger, empty end, but closer to him.


    "You have already taken a big step by being here, haven''t you


    "I don''t know. Am I dramatizing too much?"


    "Sometimes, if we think too much, we end up not taking the necessary step. Don''t worry about it now, don''t even think about it¡­"


    He looked a little thoughtful, but he looked up at her and smiled, with his usual defiant expression,


    "You''re right. Sit down, let''s see if those shoes fit," he took the pair of shoes from Ye Rim''s hands, crouching down.


    "Erm, well, it''s not necessary, I can do it myself ..."


    "These shoes are great for beginners, but maybe they can hurt you because they''re new. Be quiet for me to check it,"


    Jun Hyeon meticulously arranged her socks and put her shoes on carefully, cupping her heels. Ye Rim couldn''t stop blinking, feeling jittery and her heart pounding for something so trivial. He buckled one shoe and then the other, and then put her two feet together, watching them for a moment. Then his gaze went up the length of her legs and the rest of her body, until it reached her face.


    Ye Rim was out of breath, and feeling her face burn. ''What was he doing, scrutinizing my body with that face so¡­ Omo!'' she had perverted thoughts with Jun Hyeon at her feet, crouched in front of her and with his eyes raised to her¡­ His slight devious smirk at the corner of his mouth...


    ''I''m going crazy! I better concentrate a lot to learn something, and stop thinking about how good he can be with the female anatomy...''


    "Let''s start?" Jun Hyeon turned around and went over to the stereo, his back to her while he chose the songs, "Come in front of the mirror, let''s get warm a little."


    He took a deep breath, muttering something like, "I haven''t done this for a long time, I don''t even know what I''m doing ..."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Dr. Kim arrived a little late at the dance academy that he once knew so well. He attended the place for a few years during high school. The location had changed a lot, and Jun Hyeon was surprisingly aware of how time has passed since the last time he was there.


    He thought about turning around and going home, resting after a stressful day, but there was his promise and his hope.


    And Ye Rim.


    Of course, he couldn''t be a girl''s dance teacher and declare himself for her. It would ruin everything. He would have to wait for Ye Rim to pass the audition. Then he would take her out to dinner, and ...


    Besides, he didn''t feel so good this week. His recurring nightmares came back more strongly after the car accident. This morning he had woken up in his office chair, where he had gone after waking up from a nightmare in the middle of the night.


    Only in the middle of the day, when his secretary brought the pair of shoes he ordered for Ye Rim, Jun Hyeon felt a little better. Remembering Ye Rim and smiling just because of an object meant that he was lost, right?


    He had even bought new clothes for classes. He wanted to to look cool, oh yes. Did she like that style? It was risky, maybe a little pretentious or tacky. And totally ''old Jun Hyeon'' from the past.


    He was feeling ridiculous, actually. But at the same time, he wanted Ye Rim to see his ''other side''. The person he once was.


    He arrived and Ye Rim was alone in the dance hall. He was breathless, but had to disguise it. Ye Rim wore loose sports pants, and a cropped T-shirt that left her midsection tiny and highlighted her perky, round b.r.e.a.s.ts. In addition, Jun Hyeon remembered her golden dress turning to a rain of sequins and wished her clothes would do the same at that moment. ''A man can fantasize, right?''


    But his mind wandered very far as he looked in the mirror. He practically heard his sister saying,


    ''Don''t be distracted there, you silly pervert. I am waiting for you! Come soon! I need you, come soon! '' and his thoughts were lost as he stared at the empty space beside him. ''I shouldn''t be here, it doesn''t make any sense without you!'' he thought.


    But then the melodious voice of reason, through Ye Rim, reminded him that several years have passed and that the present needed to become the future.


    ''Look at those little feet. They fit completely in my hand. Probably her shoes fit inside my shoes, ''Jun Hyeon was astonished and resisted the temptation to massage and play with Ye Rim''s feet in the white socks, and concentrated on putting on her shoes. I''m not a foot fetishist or anything, but I wanted to be caressing her skin and your ankles. And taking advantage of the fact that I''m here, halfway down, I''d go between her legs and¡­ aishh! Baggy pants are both a problem and a blessing!''


    "Okay, let''s start?" ''It''s better to buy some time to breathe isn''t it? I need to calm things down or she''ll realize she made me hard. Uhn, but a girl like her always knows!'' moving away the doctor went to rummage in the stereo to let his body have the time for a cooldown.


    After a slight warm-up, Jun Hyeon said,


    "Why don''t you show me a choreography that you know of, Ye Rim? Shall we try to adapt it for tap dance? Are we going to see how your body expression is and work from there?"


    "Uh? Do you want me to dance for you?"


    "Why, what''s the matter?"


    "None, I just wasn''t expecting it. Come on," she indicated a song. When the first notes started, Ye Rim was in the middle of the room, looking a little lost and forcing her memory. Then she seemed to remember, and started to dance.


    ''Uhn, well. She doesn''t remember the choreo,'' he was condescending, because it was clear that she was having problems.


    "Okay. How about improvising?"


    This seemed to aggravate her a little, much to Jun Hyeon''s surprise. But Ye Rim didn''t back down. The music started again, and she closed her eyes, slowly starting to get into the music.


    "Uhn, this isn''t working," he commented.


    "What?" she stopped immediately, and Jun Hyeon made a movement with his hands for her to continue,


    "No, it''s nothing. Forget. Just relax. You are nervous?"


    "Me? No¡­ I was dancing and you¡­"


    "Haha dancing? You were rocking."


    "What?"


    "Nevermind. Can you do a more sensual dance?"


    "Why?"


    "Ye Rim?! Idols do s.e.xy dances all the time. You sing in a way that makes men within 15 kilometers of you shiver with passion! What''s wrong with making the dance like any other dance in a girls'' group?"


    "I''m dancing!" she struggled, but it was painfully artificial.


    "Aigoo."


    "Did you say anything?"


    Not knowing whether she was aware that she was very, very awkward dancing, Jun Hyeon just smiled and made a heart with his fingers, while internally thinking,


    ''Aigoo! How can she be so stiff?''

 Chapter 136 - Eyes Wide Open

    Ji Hyeon looked at the ceiling above her bed, thoughtfully. There was a time when she thought she was going insane from being trapped in Dae Won''s bas.e.m.e.nt. She thought she heard voices. Jun Hyeon''s voice. She waited every night for him to burst through that damned door. But that never happened. It was a cycle of pain and hatred, self-deprecation and anxiety.


    A radio program changed everything. It was a pirate broadcaster, the KWB. The announcer was a kind man, who twice a week at 11 pm, talked about profound matters, focused on the lonely and misunderstood hearts. Certainly, during her teenager days, she would have found it all too tacky. But invariably, she cried until her eyes burned, hearing words that seemed to be said especially to her. That man''s words gave her, little by little, the strength to recognize her sickness, and to get rid of her Stockholm Syndrome, among other toxic and twisted behavior patterns. Each day, she put that DJ, Mr. Kwak, in her prayers.


    In the previous year, just before the program, the DJ announced that there was a special gift for Kim Ji Hyeon. At first she thought of the coincidence of a namesake, but then, Mr. Kwak read the lyrics to one of her songs. Mr. Kwak thanked the author of the poetry for ''Kim Ji Hyeon'', and also said that that evening program was now sponsored by Mr. Lee, the  Anonymous Donor.


    The fact that their names were transmitted without problems, even if the radio was a pirate, made Ji Hyeon think that there was no escape. Jun Hyeon would never know.


    That hurt her so much! Dae Won had discovered the source of her rediscovered strength and taken it for himself. That''s how he acted when something obsessed him. He never gave up and surrounded the object of his attention in every way.


    So it meant that Lee Dae Won was no longer interested in her. Ji Hyeon was three days alone in the bas.e.m.e.nt, without news of him. Although she was rationing food and water, she didn''t have much more to wait for another two days.


    Now, Ji Hyeon suspected that Dae Won had turned his attention to the red-haired woman, Ye Rim. And that could mean that the day of her death would be near, whether from starvation, or simply because Dae Won would want to get rid of her.


    But Ji Hyeon didn''t want to die anymore. In fact, Ji Hyeon really wanted to live.


    And thinking about it, she realized that this frightening incident from Dae Won''s accident could actually be her big chance to escape.


    If no one would come to save her, she had to do it for herself.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "You were laughing!" Ye Rim accused him, which only made Jun Hyeon laugh immediately.


    "No, I was not!"


    "Were you laughing at me?"


    "Of course not. You did the basic steps really well. Tap, toe, river, heel, shuffle. And it wasn''t too bad on the flap. But it''s only the beginning, don''t be so hard on yourself," he said with a wide smile and looking away, so she realized he was lying.


    "I''m talking about before," Ye Rim gave him a shoulder shove.


    "Well, before ... I was smiling, that''s all!" he restrained his urge to laugh more while eating sandwiches sitting in the park near the dance academy.


    "Okay, if you smiled it was because it was okay for your first time in years," the singer said. He nodded, gnawing on his meal with gusto.


    She, on the other side, felt a lot of difficulty during the first class, as she always did. It always seemed that she was completely unable to understand instructions on how to move her body. She thought left and went to the right; upwards, then she moved downwards, etc. It seemed that she was deaf or stupid, although she understood the rhythm, the times and setbacks. Only her mind seemed to overdrive, and the body didn''t do what was expected.


    That is why she never managed to be the twirler at school, and in trainee groups, she only came forward in the stage when singing.


    The news that the role would require dancing had discouraged Ye Rim a lot, but she couldn''t say that after Dae Won''s efforts.


    "Dae Won oppa put you in a difficult situation, doesn''t he?" she asked the doctor, resisting the urge to remove a lock of hair that fell over his eyes while he ate.


    "Ah, that. He has that thing. He''s very good at using the right words at the right time¡­" Jun Hyeon stopped chewing for a moment, thoughtfully. But the smile on his lips died.


    "Hmm," Ye Rim watched him for a moment. Since the day at the hospital, she had been uncomfortable with the situation between Dr. Kim and MP Lee. Ever since she met them, she felt there was something wrong with their relationship, and her intuition had not disappointed her.


    "What were you talking about when I arrived at the hospital that day?"


    The doctor scratched an eye, "You shouldn''t be worried about that. Sometimes it''s better to just let it go."


    ''You say that only because you agree with the things he said, deep down, even when you know he''s being mean!'' Ye Rim thought, and risked a question,


    "Ever since I met Dae Won oppa, I realized that he was upset because you got away a little. What was the reason for this departure, oppa? Do you resent something?"


    "Uhn¡­" Jun Hyeon was uncomfortable and, as usual, snapped and stretched his neck to ease the tension, "Okay, I didn''t want to say that so as not to influence you, but¡­ Did you know that in some languages, like English and Portuguese, the expression ''thank you'' means that you will not forget that you received a favor?"


    "Seriously?! No, I didn''t know," Ye Rim thought about this seemingly random information, but there was a connection to the previous subject, that is, Dae Won. "So when we say ''thank you'', are we saying that we feel in debt?"


    "Of course, not all situations where we say ''thank you'' make us think about it a lot. We are only slightly grateful for the small niceties," he explained.


    But of course Ye Rim understood that feeling. Some things and some gifts created this feeling that it was necessary to give back. She also knew that people often expected retribution of some kind. And maybe that''s why she felt so bad about accepting unexpected and extravagant gifts and favors. She feared not to be to return.


    "You expect me to return the fact that you left your car with me almost all week, is that it? Because, if you remember well, I could live without your car. I even tried to return it several times," she said.


    "I''m doing this for myself. You insist on using public transport and you will be late for your appointments, and also expose yourself to all kinds of perverts and bandits. If you are a moment later, I''ll worry about what happened to you, and I can go to the station looking for you, we''ll lose each other, etc. A good way for me to waste time and get angry."


    "There are messaging apps for that," she narrowed her eyes, that was the most lame excuse he could have come up with, "Then don''t say I''m abusing."


    "Did you even understand that I was talking about Dae Won, before you interrupted me to talk about yourself?" he asked.


    "Yes, Oppa. Sometimes it''s bad to feel connected to a feeling of retribution. But is that the reason for the estranging?"


    "May be. He thinks I''m jealous that he saved my sister from the fire. No. I was always grateful that he came back for forgetting his Game Boy. But we got estranged because, sometimes I get irritated by his way. He''s a little¡­ suffocating."


    Ye Rim was silent, thinking a little about the reasons Jun Hyeon might have for thinking that. She still hadn''t lived with Dae Won Oppa that much to know. Her silence kept Jun Hyeon going,


    "Ye Rim, when he buzzed around you like a hummingbird, I was a little confused. But I remembered that when he sympathizes with someone, he was always that guy who does everything he thinks you might need. So he decided to become your ''fairy godmother''. He got auditions, a contract so good I didn''t even believe it, and even inside information about an important role. He''s writing songs for you to sing. He is in love? Do you think he will declare himself? I still haven''t figured out what interest he has in you."


    She sighed,


    "I don''t know, either. He''s been helping me so much, and other guys would have asked me out on a lot earlier than that. And he wasn''t even going to take me to the Fashion Ball. He wanted to take Eun Ha, because he knew she needed to speak to Stylist Lee."


    This revelation made Jun Hyeon raise an eyebrow,


    "At this point, we both have the same impression. He''s conquering everything around you ... Like a baduk player. But, what is the reason for that?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m feeling bad about it, as I already did from the beginning. And he even got you to teach me!"


    "He didn''t do it. This is your responsibility alone,"the doctor stood up, collecting the empty food containers and placing them in the trash can.


    "Now take me home, because I deserve to rest while you drive. My day was exhausting," he was playfully imperious, taking the slightly unpleasant subject over for the night. Ye Rim also preferred it that way, although Jun Hyeon''s revelations of feelings made her conclude that perhaps the rivalry between the two men was the real reason behind everything.

 Chapter 137 - You Gotta Run!

    "Aishh! This time I''ll make them pay!" she grunted, looking out of the corner of the eye at the men standing on the other side of the corner, covertly watching her work.


    For the third time, Eun Ha passed that corner and put up the


    HEARING - WE ARE LOOKING FOR FEMALE SINGERS signs. She had spent the entire day helping to publicize the audition process for a singer for Pearl. When Pearl reopened, they would need a new singer to replace Ye Rim.


    It was not very simple to walk around like Stylist Jung Eun Ha, however. Recently, some reporters were stalking the ''hottest topic'' in Korean fashion near her building, trying to get an exclusive interview. Eun Ha had no choice but to disguise herself. She disguised as a student, with lighter hair and no makeup. Her magic wand was very effective for that.


    Many students took these little pamphlet jobs after class, and that was what she counted on. It had been a long time since she had worn this type of clothing, and Eun Ha was stunned to realize that she had changed little since her high school days. She looked ridiculously youthful when she was without her stylish makeup or one of her hats.


    The fairy had already distributed the flyers all morning at an intersection at the entrance to the neighborhood, and had gone to various music stores to post the ads. But then she realized that one of Hong Gi''s men was following her like a looming shark.


    When Eun Ha was on her way back to Pearl to get more posters, she saw that all they had already torn the posters she had glued on the light poles.


    Of course, Mobster Hong Gi didn''t want Pearl to reopen, as he wanted to evict Mrs. Song and sell the building.


    Picking up the brush with the glue, she spread the viscous liquid over the mass of old and torn posters on that post, and using her magic, cast a little spell to play a trick on those useless mobsters. Then Eun Ha crossed the street, passing them, and entered the convenience to rest and eat a ramyun. Who could complain that this poor student was hungry since she was working so hard?


    As soon as Eun Ha sat down to savor her ramyun, she saw through the glass of convenience the gang cross to the other side of the street and start tearing up the posters again.


    What they didn''t expect is that as soon as they put their hands on the posters, the paper would come out completely in their hands, but sticking to the skin as if by super glue.


    She laughed when she saw them exclaim in surprise and anger. As if watching a silent slapstick comedy flick, across the street they were waving their hands, but it was impossible for the poster to come out of them. If they tried to crumple tha poster with the other hand, both hands would get stuck. Of course, some henchmen pulled both hands now joined by a piece of paper to tear it apart. The paper tore from the thrust, but his two hands now had pieces of paper stuck to them. It was even worse when one mobster tried to help the other. She saw their mouths move and could guess every ''Aish!'' of frustration they uttered.


    Of course, Eun Ha could make things worse, and turning her wand from where he was, while sucking her ramyun, a sudden whirlwind lifted the torn and glued pieces of paper in the air, sticking to the mobsters clothes.


    "It''s much better, u-hun!" it amused her. Now, it was better to quietly get out of there, while they were distracted and busy.


    Taking a hooded sweatshirt from her backpack, she hurried out, covering her face.


    Unfortunately, they saw Eun Ha. One of Hong Gi''s henchmen shouted,


    "That damned student! You put this hellish glue on purpose! Get her!"


    "Uh-oh!" Eun Ha looked both ways, and ran.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    ''Click.''


    Ji Hyeon woke up with the first sound, her heart pounding. She felt into her sweatshirt pockets, feeling the pot of ch.i.p.s and the bottle of water where she had left it before she fell asleep. She also felt the side wall and found the food tray empty she put by her side. Ji Hyeon was sleeping at the top of the stairs, in a corner, hidden from the cameras.


    In her usual place on the bed, a pile of clothes wearing her pajamas forming a passably human volume, covered with the duvet.


    Ji Hyeon had even taken care to place empty water bottles near the bed, and made a strange diluted stain with some water and ketchup on the sheet. If Dae Won thought she was passed out or dead, through the images on the camera, he would enter the bas.e.m.e.nt carelessly.


    He was crazy enough to think Ji Hyeon would despair without him around, the sick bastard.


    ''Click.''


    The second lock had been engaged. At the usual speed.


    It was Dae Won.


    She had to make up her mind now.


    Taking a deep breath, Ji Hyeon slowly stood up, holding the wooden tray with both hands, and leaned his back against the wall, holding his breath.


    The electronic lock beep sounded, and Ji Hyeon heard the mechanism open the door.


    Then the heavy door opened, and she saw one of Dae Won''s hands, bandaged, lightly supporting the tray with food that the other hand held.


    But it was only when Dae Won had already put his whole body into the bas.e.m.e.nt at the top of the stairs that Ji Hyeon attacked him. With the plank tray, she aimed at his face and struck.


    Dae Won realized that he tried to defend himself and tried, but the blow pushed him against the opposite wall and he lost his balance on the stairs. Ji Hyeon closed her eyes, trembling, but she couldn''t afford to be empathetic or hesitate. Running down the hall in front of her without much thought, she came to a door, which had the key in the lock. Turning the key and opening the door, the natural light coming from the ample windows made her dizzy for a moment. She was on the ground floor of Dae Won''s house. Shading her eyes, Ji Hyeon ran awkwardly past a piano and headed for the door.


    "Aigoo aigoo!" breathing heavily, she touched the handle and saw that the door had a modern electronic locking system. She had no idea how to open that door. Back halfway, Ji Hyeon saw another door, and arrived at the kitchen. The utensils Dae Won used to prepare her meal were still on the table.


    Ji Hyeon thought about taking a knife, but abandoned that thought. She didn''t want to hurt him. She just wanted freedom. The kitchen door was also closed, but she saw a swinging window near the laundry.


    It was her best alternative to reach the outside area of ??the house.


    Squeezing through the gap, Ji Hyeon reached the garden of Dae Won''s house. She tried to climb the gate and the wall. It wasn''t easy, but adrenaline gave her the strength to reach the top of the wall. The street was empty, and Ji Hyeon feared being hurt by jumping onto the sidewalk, but she would have to do it. If she got hurt, Dae Won wouldn''t have much trouble recapturing her.


    She knew Dae Won was previously hurt from the car accident, and as far as she remembered he didn''t roll down the stairs, he just slid down a few steps. But the strike with the tray perhaps injured him. Which was good because Ji Hyeon didn''t want him dead, nor did she want to become a murderer. And yes, that he paid for his crime. If he was conscious, he should already be on her trail.


    "JI HYEON!" she heard him call, as if Dae Won read her thoughts. What could she do?


    He was still inside the house, but it wouldn''t be long before come out to chase her. He''d open the doors and the gate, and soon be there. She had to jump.


    THUD.


    Crouching down to absorb the impact, Ji Hyeon felt her heels hurt, but the adrenaline kept her moving. Running, the fugitive passed other mansions with closed facades and inaccessible inhabitants. If she stopped to ask for help in one of them, Dae Won would surely reach her.


    Following side streets, Ji Hyeon not only felt her heart beat so fast that it was the only thing she heard in her ears. She also realized that the world made no sense.


    She knew she was at Dae Won''s house, but she didn''t know where the house was. She didn''t recognize houses, streets, anything. Everything was similar in that quiet, upscale neighborhood. Daylight stunned her, but she wasn''t even sure what time it was.


    Nor did she have time to enjoy the freedom or the cool autumn breeze. She was running for her freedom.


    Around a corner, she saw a small square.


    ''A square ... There may be someone there'', it was her most immediate thought.


    Running over there, Ji Hyeon stopped when she saw a boy and a girl, both about 10 years old, walking in circles with their bikes around the bandstand, and shouting at each other. She didn''t understand what they were talking about, and it didn''t matter either.


    ''Children! Okay. Children will do. I will ask them for help,'' she approached, gaining breath to speak to the first human beings other than Dae Won after almost 9 years.


    Before she could speak, however, her approach was noticed by the children.


    They stopped their bikes, side by side.


    Ji Hyeon approached them, not knowing what to say. The children backed away on their bikes, staring at her with open mouths of terror.


    "Help me, children. I¡­"She took two more steps towards them, taking her hands out of her sweatshirt''s pockets, wondering if she was offering them the fries. "Listen, I''m not going to hurt you, I just need to ...!"


    The girl screamed, a high-pitched scream of horror, trying to steer the bike abruptly. The girl''s clumsy movement made her trip over the pedals and fall awkwardly. Both her friend and Ji Hyeon stepped forward to help her, but the girl screamed more loudly, skating on the floor trying to stay away from the strange woman.


    The boy screamed, grabbing the girl by the arm quickly, without taking his eyes off Ji Hyeon!


    "Get away, monster! Get away from us!"


    The children abandoned their bikes and ran for help, without looking back.


    Ji Hyeon touched her deformed face, feeling the tears streaming down to her chin.

 Chapter 138 - On the Fence

    Ye Rim was next to Mrs. Song and the most experienced musician in the house, Mr. Park, when the candidate took the small stage. Pearl was still restricted for renovations, but the Orchidists Association lent its meeting room so they could do the auditions.


    Duk Mi was sitting farther away from them, cell phone in hand. After the singer introduced herself and said what she was going to sing, both Ye Rim''s and Mrs. Song''s cell phones vibrated. Ye Rim was sure they had received the same message from Duk Mi,


    DK: ''Why do they always want to sing the same song?''


    DK: ''She doesn''t even know how to position herself on the stage.''


    ''Aishh! All three singers who came to the audition were not good enough for the Legend of the Trot! '' Ye Rim thought, aghast. Mrs. Song shook her head at the phone with a sigh. The singer noticed the mood of her evaluators, and it made her insecure,


    "Shall I start?"


    With the consent of Mrs. Song, the singer began to sing along with the playback. She didn''t have a trained voice, but she was lovely as a good noraebang singer. But of course, the salary was not attractive, nor was Pearl a well-known place to attract top singers.


    Their cell phone kept vibrating, with more derogatory comments. Ye Rim sighed, but it was finally over, and she thanked the candidate for coming. They would respond in two weeks.


    When the candidate said goodbye and left, Ye Rim turned to Duk Mi, exclaiming,


    "Sunbaenim! Nobody is good enough for you! We already had three candidates today!"


    "And is it my fault they aren''t good?" Duk Mi defended his point of view.


    "Nothing will be enough for Royalty," mocked Mrs. Song. And turning to an employee, she asked for the next candidate to enter.


    "There''s no next candidate, Mrs. Song," replied the young man, apologizing.


    "How can it be? Seven women had confirmed it!" she questioned, but the boy shook his head.


    "Did something happen?"


    "I think Hong Gi''s men are out there on the street, preventing candidates from arriving," said Ms. Song''s husband, peering out the window.


    "Aish! I can''t believe it!" the ajuhmma grunted, getting up. They all went to the windows on the second floor where they were on, and confirmed that some suspicious-looking men were actually hanging around the building.


    "I''m going to reschedule the auditions," Mrs. Song said.


    "I don''t know if it''ll be necessary, since it''s been a waste of time," replied Duk Mi. The singer was preparing to make a dramatic exit when he turned from the door, adding, "I don''t even know if I will have time for this nonsense again."


    "I thought the first candidate was good enough," Ye Rim commented. She was sure that her Sunbae was making things difficult because of his ego. And by Mrs. Song''s expressions, she thought the same thing. Pearl''s owner asked,


    "When will your surgery be, Duk Mi? Are you sure you will be recovered for Pearl''s opening week? Because it would be tiring for you to go back to singing right after your surgery."


    Duk Mi stopped in the middle of his exit movement, fl.u.s.tered.


    "Is Sunbaenim going to have any surgery?" It startled Ye Rim. Then a suspicion hit her. "Does Sunbaenim still think about having plastic surgery?"


    "Ah, I''m evaluating it. Seeking a second opinion. See you!" he quickly left after answering evasively. Even ignoring  Ms. Cha''s arrival, the vice president of the Orchidist Club and his biggest fan.


    "See you later," the two women automatically answered, and looked at each other. Ms. Song revealed,


    "I know that after the fiasco with Dr. Kim, he went to see another doctor, this Dr. Gong. He''s getting ready for all these plastic surgeries!" Probably Mrs. Song would talk more, but with Mrs. Cha''s arrival she stopped herself.


    After the greetings, Ms. Cha wanted to know more about what she overheard. She was shocked and worried about her idol!


    "Aigoo! Why is he so insecure? He''s such a handsome mature man! He doesn''t have to look like Lee Joon Gi!"


    "Even because it would be impossible," said Mr. Park, who was collecting sound equipment near them. The women ignored him with a snort, and turning away.


    "A style''s declining popularity always hurts an artist. He''s feeling a little undervalued, Ms. Cha," said Ye Rim. "I don''t think telling him to just not have a delicate plastic surgery is going to work. Sunbaenim is a stage man, so he knows that an impeccable appearance is important. However, in his case it''s quite risky!" she avoided saying that he was an eccentric narcissist and had a difficult temper. And after Ms. Song''s revelations, about him not even being the real Duk Mi, he thought Sunbaenim was taking his persona too far. She just wanted someone to put a little bit of reason in his head, before it was too late.


    "A fan meeting!" exclaimed Mrs. Cha.


    "Uhn?!" Ye Rim and Mrs. Song were startled by the suggestion.


    "Yes! Let''s organize a fan meeting!" excited by her own idea, Ms. Cha, an exceptional and engaged event organizer, explained, "We are going to have a fan meeting so that our beloved Singer Duk Mi realizes how much he''s appreciated. My niece is good with social media and will help us organize it! Let me do this for our beloved Astro do Trot, yes?!"


    Mrs. Song laughed  out of tension, apparently. Ye Rim could almost read her thoughts. Duk Mi could be exposed!


    Ms. Cha was waiting for an answer, and Ye Rim said, "We couldn''t stop the Fan Club President in Seoul from holding an event. Furthermore, if it helps Sunbaenim regain his self-esteem about his appearance, it will be great! I will help as I can! Count on me!"


    Mrs. Song raised her hand to her head in desperation.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Eun Ha ran for Pearl, which was only two blocks from where he was, with four Hong Gi men in pursuit, "Aigoo, what the hell!"


    Around a corner, she stopped to breathe for a few seconds, leaning against the wall, and thinking she should do some aerobic exercise again. ''Why do fairy rays look like humans in the worst things?!'' she wondered. Remembering her great advantage, however, she grabbed her magic wand and peered around the corner, preparing one of the spells banned by the elemental council.


    ''Well, that''s it, ''out of sight, out of mind,'''' she thought, since what the Elemental Council didn''t know, it wouldn''t be punished.


    But nothing happened. No fall or incident prevented them from continuing to run towards Eun Ha, pointing at her with papers stuck to their hands.


    ''Uh-Oh!'' She waved her wand, wondering why it had failed. She was doing it the same way as always and ...


    Nothing.


    Not a tingle in the arm or belly.


    The magic was not leaving her body, and they were getting close and¡­


    ''Run Eun Ha!'' she spun on her heel and felt the hand of one of them pass very close to her head as she bent down and ran with all the strength of her legs and the breath of her lungs.


    "Aigoo!" Her wand no longer worked, no matter how much she shook and forced her mind as she ran. She started to throw the pamphlets back, hoping to delay them. If she was caught, she would be beaten or worse.


    Reaching for the cell phone, she tossed her backpack at them, entering a random corner.


    On speed dial, she called the Hunter!


    "HELP!"


    Unfortunately for the fairy, the street ended in a wall with a 2m high fence mesh atop of it.


    Eun Ha turned and already saw them around the corner. She was trapped.


    She climbed the fence, as the men reached the wall. The worst: on the other side of the fence, two huge dogs came running, and barked at the invader. If she threw herself to the other side, she would probably have a terrible fate. This was definitely a situation of being between a rock and a hard place.


    One of the thugs started to climb, when another suggested, "Don''t bother, Ji Soo. Let''s see how much she can handle being there."


    "JUNG! Where are you?!" she heard the Hunter''s voice on the phone''s speakerphone, in her sweatshirt pocket.


    "Professor ..." She whimpered, as tears streamed down her face. Eun Ha tried to pick up the phone while balancing on her hands and feet in the holes of the fence mesh, but the phone fell, along with her wand.


    "NO!"


    The bandits laughed, and one of them bent down to pick up the objects. He looked at the ''pretty pen'' and, realizing it must be an important object, threw it across the fence. Eun Ha watched in horror as the dogs surrounded her precious magic wand, sniffing out the intriguing object.


    "Get down, student! Come and get your cell phone!" they teased. The voice on the phone said,


    "You! Whoever it is, leave my student alone! What do you want to leave her alone?"


    The men laughed, and looked at Eun Ha again, who was suffering from the effects of clinging to the screen. Her hands burned with pain and her knees buckled. Her feet were contorted inside her sneakers. She didn''t know how much she could take, so she screamed with all her breath without caring about the shame,


    "HELP ME, PROFESSOR SHIN!"


    "Should we send your teacher over with some money so we can let you go, Student?" someone asked, snickering. The other henchmen approved his idea.


    Eun Ha nodded vigorously.

 Chapter 139 - I Need a Hero

    "Aghhh! Please! Please let us go!" one of the men knelt, pleading with the mysterious man in black who had subjugated and beaten four men with a paint pole. Hong Gi''s henchman rubbed his hands pathetically, with bruises on his face and tears of pain reaching his chin.


    Hunter Shin stepped forward, and the henchman flinched, imagining that he would take another thwack on his aching back. One of the men was passed out and two others were writhing on the floor, grabbing the most injured body parts.


    The stranger had had no mercy on the men who hound the student.


    He narrowed his eyes, and throwing the stick aside, crouched down in front of the pathetic man, grabbing his collar,


    "Are you going to be pestering young students?"


    "Not Sunbaenim! Never!"


    "Get out of here, sc.u.m!"


    The man did not miss the opportunity to leave while he could still walk, and dragging his passed out companion, he called the others to leave the alley.


    Only then did the Hunter turn to Eun Ha, looking up.


    The fairy was very wide-eyed, glued like a gecko to the bars. After everything she witnessed, she could barely blink! Hunter Shin was an exceptional martial artist! He looked like an actor from historic films fighting with a spear!


    ''Daebak!''


    He put his hand over his eyes, and said,


    "Get out of there, Eun Ha."


    ''Awn how cute, he''s covering his eyes, so he doesn''t see under my skirt!'' she thought, delighted by the cute manner of that rude man. But when Eun Ha tried to move, she cried out in pain,


    "OH! AH! UH UH! I can''t do it, Professor Shin! I''m cramping when I try to loosen my fingers!"


    Making an annoyed expression, Shin reached where she was in three movements. And taking his hand, he began to loosen her fingers carefully from the wire.


    "UHUHUH! It hurts!"


    "Hold me," he said as he released one of her hands.


    "My wand ... It fell on the other side, with the dogs. And¡­ The magic didn''t work!"


    Shin answered nothing until he was with her on the floor. But Eun Ha didn''t release the hug.


    "Thank you for coming!" she buried her face in his chest for a moment, wanting to stay there forever. Then she looked up at him in adoration.


    She saw the change, from an expression she thought was a concern, to the usual, empty poker face,


    "Are your fingers still cramping? Is that why you can''t let go?"


    ''No, that''s not the reason. But you don''t have to know! Hehehe!'' she made a sad and defeated face, nodding,


    "Sorry Professor! Let''s stay a little bit like that, okay? My fingers are stiff!"


    Shin sighed, and patted her on the head, who smiled happily.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    KJH: "I need some fresh air today. Feeling completely suffocated! Why don''t we meet a little earlier, before class, for some outdoor exercises? If you can, answer YES!"


    Ye Rim was happy earlier to receive Jun Hyeon''s message inviting her to come earlier to classes and make some outdoor exercises first.


    She left the building, and as she left she saw something very peculiar: Mrs. Yoo peering in front of her own greengrocer behind a pole. Lately the front of the Yoo''s greengrocer was always full of people who were clearly not from the neighborhood. Ye Rim knew that ''Ryan Lee''s'' fame was causing a problem for the Yoo. But the most interesting thing was when she saw the woman make a sign and, coming from a side street, Kang Dae, wearing a mask, sunglasses and hood, ran and entered through the side gate.


    ''They already have a celebrity logistic plan!'' she had a fun thought. But she remembered to warn Eun Ha by message that Kang Dae was finally back home, and her unnie could speak to him today.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ji Hyeon felt her strength was ending, as she pedaled the pink bicycle of the girl who thought she was a monster. She didn''t know how much she had cycled. She had a general sense of where she was, now that she had reached an avenue with a known name.


    She just didn''t want to speak or be seen by anyone else. The reaction of those children tore her apart and took away much of the confidence she had in her previous plan. The plan Ji Hyeon had made before leaving her captivity. She thought people would help her as soon as they saw her. But now ... She thought those who didn''t think she was a monster, would think she was a drug abuser or mentally ill. They would run and avoid her, in fear and disgust.


    Every time Ji Hyeon thought about it, her heart ached as if she had been stabbed, and her eyes blurred. But now, she imagined she was about 10 kilometers from her old home.


    ''What if my mom doesn''t live there anymore?'' Ji Hyeon wasn''t sure. She also didn''t know where Jun lived, or where the Ji Hyeon Foundation was. She just knew that she didn''t want to be judged by strangers, who would avoid her gaze and ignore her. She wanted her home, her mother, Jun.


    It was rush hour. Cars passed her, and other fast bicycles too, along the lane. They were annoyed at her. She even got slapped on the back of the head and was cursed for blocking the flow.


    Bent over on a bicycle too small for her, but still faster than her own feet, she was an obstacle on the bike path.


    The cramps started. Ji Hyeon tried to ignore it. A long time ago, in the past, she danced and trained to the limit of exhaustion, ignoring body aches and pains. However, her mind no longer worked like that. Much less her body, no matter how much she exercised in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Old Ji Hyeon was dead, and this one, about to die.


    ''If I die here on the bike path, I will certainly be buried as destitute and my family will never know what happened. They will continue to call Dae Won for family events and consider him a hero and a good fianc¨¦,'' she thought, when a stronger cramp made her lose her ability to move her foot on the pedals. She fell to the side, feeling the bike topple over with her. A cyclist whizzed past, just dodging her.


    Thick tears streamed down her face in pain and humiliation.


    Ji Hyeon curled up in a ball, grabbing her knees and crying as her muscles throbbed painfully.


    Then she heard an engine approaching.


    Motorcycle wheels?


    A pair of All Star sneakers approached her horizontal field of vision, blurred by tears, she saw legs in jeans crouching in front of her. Hands touched her shoulder gently,


    "Agassi? Agassi? Can you speak?" a young, rough voice spoke.


    "Mmm... cramp!" she murmured, feeling her mouth full of gooey saliva.


    The person helped her to sit up, even with her muscles aching as hell. She remained clinging to her knees, trying to let her hair cover her horrible face.


    The boy came back with a half-full bottle of water. Ji Hyeon drank heavily, realizing how thirsty she was.


    He also offered a banana.


    This was strange. Then she looked at the green scooter, and saw a delivery box on the back, written "Yoo Greengrocer". She grabbed the banana with a deep thanks, and reaching for her can of potatoes, offered it to him in return.


    This only elicited an intrigued denial from the student. He watched while she ate, which didn''t take long.


    The delivery boy had a penetrating look and an attractive face who was staring at her with concerned eyes.


    "Agassi. Why did you leave the house during rush hour on a children''s bicycle?"


    She didn''t know what to say. If she said he was kidnapped for years and was now on the run, would he still help? Or would he abandon it because he realized that it was a big problem?


    "Agassi? Can you hear me?" the boy made exaggerated signs, and she understood that he thought that perhaps she was deaf.


    "Help me! I need to get somewhere! Can you help me?!" the words came out abruptly, and Ji Hyeon wasn''t even sure if they looked like words at all. Putting her hands together, she rubbed and pleaded with the delivery man,


    "I just need a ride! I need to get somewhere, nothing more! Please, please! I can''t do it alone!"


    He looked at her strangely, seeming to ponder and analyze. Ji Hyeon cringed at the scrutiny.


    "Can we leave your bike here?" he asked, helping her to her feet. The touch of his hand caused a kind of shiver in hers, but Ji Hyeon was baffled and just thought it might be a sign of cramp in her hand.


    She nodded. All she wanted to do was get out of there. Arrive home.


    She thanked the heavens for this angel to meet her when she needed it most.


    "I don''t have another helmet," he commented, and she felt that was the excuse he would use.


    But the boy took his helmet and put it on Ji Hyeon''s head, buckling it firmly.


    "Can you get on the back by yourself? Where are you going?" he asked.

 Chapter 140 - Bad Delivery

    Ye Rim and Dr. Kim were doing some stretching on the park''s outdoor gym equipment as the night fell. The early evening was pleasant, but a bit windy. The singer was commenting on her day, and how she found out that her Sunbaenim had sought out another plastic surgeon.


    "Is this Dr. Gong a good professional?"


    "Ye Rim, doctors need to maintain professional ethics ..." he excused trying not to give any opinion on the matter.


    "So, if you need to use this type of response to omit your opinion, it is because you disapprove of his ethics or capability."


    "Even so, my disapproval can be for personal reasons and even disagreement in methods, and not because the professional is incompetent or something. The Medicine Council determines such things, not me."


    "But Oppa disapproves of his methods," Ye Rim insisted, teasing and pushing for an answer. But she had a smile on her face to let him know that this was not a real discussion.


    "You are terrible! I don''t know what Duk Mi said to him or what he said to Duk Mi. I also don''t know whether Duk Mi will undergo all the procedures he wanted when he came to see me. What do you want? Validate your opinion that Dr. Gong is a bad professional? Or validate your opinion that Duk Mi does not need plastic surgery? I told you once: nowadays,  plastic surgery is rarely a functional NEED."


    Ye Rim knew that Kim Jun Hyeon took his profession very seriously, and also that Jun Hyeon was not in his best mood today. She thought it best to change the subject, and asked,


    "As for the Chinese donor that Na Ra wanted you to impress with a dance, Oppa, did you get the donation?"


    "She left without I could meet her in person, which was a shame. But I will try to talk to her at another time. Apparently, the Fashion Ball was only good for your friend Eun Ha-ssi and this Ryan Lee. I was wondering if we will have a male plastic trending coming up. All you see are comments about this guy: IS RYAN LEE A HOAX? RYAN LEE''S DIET? RYAN LEE STYLE: DO YOU LIKE RUSTIC HANDSOMENESS?"


    He seemed to say this to lighten the mood, and Ye Rim laughed, holding on to the desire to reveal Ryan Lee''s secret. He would wait to know what would happen to Kang Dae before spreading that Ryan Lee was her neighbor. He proposed a short walk through the park, while they waited for the dance hall to be free for them.


    The doctor asked,


    "So, do you think rustic men are super hot, Ye Rim?"


    She bit her lip, feeling it was a trap.


    "Uhm¡­"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ji Hyeon still doesn''t know the name of her savior, while the scooter of the Greengrocer Yoo''s delivery boy passes by the park near her house. A lot has changed in the years she was locked in a bas.e.m.e.nt, but she recognized some points in the neighborhood. She knew, for example, that on the other side of the park was her old dance school, where she and Jun practiced. Jun liked to run in the park in the late afternoon, in the past. Usually when he was in a bad mood that was what he did. Unlike her who used to lock herself in the room.


    People go jogging or just walk through the park''s alleys at that time, regardless of the big event that evening. She was coming home!


    She recognizes, in the distance, the roof and the window of her room, when the scooter turns the corner of her street. Her heart is pounding hard and Ji Hyeon feels isolated from the outside world, remembering when her family came to live in this house. She tries to keep her breathing steady so as not to pass out, as she feels a little dizzy with emotion.


    The scooter stops right in front of the mansion''s walls, and the delivery boy helps her down. Ji Hyeon looks up at the high wall and massive gate, which prevents any view from inside the house. Her knees are soft, and her mouth is dry.


    On the other side of that gate was her family.


    "Is it the place? The address you gave me lead us here. At least that''s what the GPS says," said the young boy beside her, also looking up at the high wall.


    Ji Hyeon said nothing.


    How would your family react to your return?


    "Agassi? Are you sure it is the right place?"


    She nodded, wanting to smile for the first time.


    "Aren''t you going to touch the intercom? Agassi?" he asked, seeming to struggle between impatience and kindness. She looked at the device on the wall, and approached it slowly. Her hands were shaking, and she clenched her fists to control the tremor. Looking at the device, she realized that there was a small camera.


    After a hesitation, she pressed the button.


    Her heart counted down, with each beep.


    "Agassi, you better take your helmet off, don''t you think?"


    Ji Hyeon was confused, but then realized that he still hadn''t taken off her helmet. She unfastened the buckle and turned, lowering her head to remove the helmet and return it.


    When she lifted her head, she saw a stick meet the delivery man''s skull with a thud. There was no time to shout or prevent it to happen.


    The boy still spun and tried to grab his attacker, but Dae Won stepped to the side when the delivery boy fell off balance and leaned over, with blood dripping from his head.


    The delivery boy took two blind steps forward, bending down, throwing himself at Dae Won, who again used the improvised club against his opponent. It hit the boy twice in his back. The delivery man still managed to land a punch in the abdomen of the armed attacker, but he doubled over and fell to the ground.


    Ji Hyeon had two alternatives.


    At that moment, she chose to run.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    The attack from behind took Chang Mi by surprise, but he understood one thing: that noona was in great danger. He had no idea what that woman was going through, but she was in a panic. Her face was not the best thing to see. It looked like a stained mask of skin drawing back her muscles of the face, stiff and scarry. But when that person lying on the bike path was ignored by the other cyclists, he had to stop and help her up. He didn''t imagine at that moment, of course, that it would get you out of the way of his delivery so much, or that it would end that way. With him trying to hold a man armed with a stick while poor noona ran away.


    Dizzied, he punched right on the kidney of the man wearing mask and hood, but he was losing strength. At that moment, he regretted never going with Kang Dae to the boxing gym or at least doing some exercise. When he fell to the floor, out of breath, Chang Mi felt his hands tingle as if they were burning. He tried to regain his balance, although his head and back hurt a lot. The man turned to go after the noona, and Chang Mi grabbed his ankles, feeling the energy flow out of his hands like a stream.


    The man screamed, immediately falling to the floor with his chest.


    Panting, Chang Mi concentrated on having the strength in his legs to get to his feet, bewildered,


    ''Did I shock the masked guy? What I am?''


    It didn''t matter now. He came close to the fallen man.


    ''Is he unconscious?''


    "HEY! HEY!!!!" he shouted, overcome with aggressive euphoria. "You son of a bitch, why did you do that, huh? What do you want with that noona, Uhn? Damn you!"


    Still panting, he approached the man, who spun in a quick motion and hit him in the right knee with the stick. Chang Mi bent over again, in pain.


    The student raised his hand, again feeling the rush of energy building up in his hands. However, before he could use it, the masked man hit him on the head again.


    It was Chang Mi''s turn to fall on his face on the asphalt, still watching the wheels of his scooter as the man got up, and followed behind the strange noona.


    Chang Mi felt the blood drip from his forehead to his ears and the world spun over his head, but he didn''t pass out. He just didn''t have the strength to get up.


    ''Son of a bitch!'' he thought, trying to join forces to get up and go after the bastard. But being honest with himself, he knew he couldn''t.


    Then he heard the intercom beep stop. Someone had finally answered.


    But he needed a little more time to get up.


    When he finally had the strength to do this without getting dizzy, Chang Mi went over to the mansion''s intercom, and called until someone answered. A female voice that sounded annoyed answered,


    "Yes?"


    This was ridiculous. How to explain this through an intercom?


    "Ajuhmeoni. I brought a woman here at her request. It would be better if I could explain it in person, because it is complicated. But someone attacked us in front of your home. A man came out of nowhere and hit me with a stick. I am bleeding."


    "So I''m going to call the police," the arrogant voice said and hung up the intercom. Chang Mi pressed the button again, annoyed.


    "Don''t insist. I won''t open the door to a stranger. Go to a hospital. I already said that I will call the police, you can wait on the street if you want."


    ''Idiots! They think it''s a scam,'' he thought.


    "Aishhh, ajuhmma! I brought the Agassi with a burnt face. She looked lost and disoriented. She said she wanted to go home. And that this was her address. She was about that size, and wore a pink sweatshirt, with hair this size and her face looked¡­ burnt," he gestured in front of the camera, trying to explain and convince them.


    The intercom hung up immediately. Chang Mi insisted a little more, but only a few minutes later the same voice answered, this time furiously,


    "I already called the police!"


    "Aish! Aish! I quit! You are going to hell!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    The police would arrive and he would be the bad guy, instead of the hero. He didn''t need that in his life.


    Chang Mi wiped his face again, frustrated, and went to his scooter. He''d better try to find this noona by himself.

 Chapter 141 - Girlfriend for One Night

    Running aimlessly, Ji Hyeon wiped the tears from her face, thinking of the poor boy being attacked by Dae Won back there. But panic drove her. Blurry lights danced in front of her when she saw the cars drive by at full speed. One more look back, and she saw her stalker coming down the street quickly, towards her.


    She couldn''t wait for the cars to stop, and impatient drivers honked when she ran across the two lanes of the avenue. One more block and she would be in the park. Police officers usually patrol parks, she knew. She would be able to save herself if she got there, therefore. She would find a patrol and ask help for the delivery boy, and when they arrived at the police station, she''d tell them everything. That''s all Ji Hyeon thought when she crossed another block running.


    At one point she looked back, but didn''t see Dae Won.


    Did he give up chasing her?


    Had the cameras scare him away, maybe?


    Arriving at the park, with her spleen hurting a lot because of the forced exercise, Ji Hyeon saw people walking away from her. She must have looked like a beggar or something, behaving oddly and with dirty, sweaty clothes; greasy hair partially covering her face.


    Pausing to breathe, she looked again and didn''t see Dae Won approaching. Dodging people, she looked for less busy paths, and crossed the park woods with quick steps, to reach the other side of the park.


    But there were many paths within the woods, and it wasn''t as small as she remembered.


    Was she lost?


    "Calm down, Ji Hyeon. Get out of the woods, you''ll find the police soon. Just don''t panic. The way out of this is close. It''s close, "she repeated to herself aloud.


    Ji Hyeon walked a little further, her heart startled at every different noise she heard. Then she started hearing nearby voices again. She decided to leave the trail and go toward the voices.


    Not far from the trees, she saw a couple from behind, in the outdoor gym. There were only them around, and they were side by side on two outdoor elliptical equipment. The girl had a beautiful body and followed the instructions of the man in sports clothes, laughing. He said,


    "It''s like I''m saying. Now, do the same thing in the classroom, when I..."


    The voice.


    She would never mistake that voice. Jun.


    That was Jun Hyeon, her brother, along with Ye Rim. The back, the arms, the way he moves his head. It was Jun!


    She took two steps forward, without taking her eyes off him. Ji Hyeon couldn''t breathe with happiness.


    ''I can''t believe it, I found my twin! Jun! JUN!''


    Then he felt a tug on her neck. Dae Won wrapped his arm around her neck while pulling her back. She tried to struggle and grabbed his arms, but she had no strength against him.


    "JUN!" she tried to call, but Dae Won''s hand muffled her cry for help.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim didn''t have time to understand what had happened. Jun Hyeon Oppa was at her side explaining something about tap dancing, and in the next moment, he had choked and gasped for air. She abandoned what she was doing and went to help him, but the surgeon resolved the situation on his own.


    "Omo, what happened?"


    "I don''t know. I felt like choking!" he said, without looking at her. Perhaps he was ashamed. But who keeps his cool when trying to expel a foreign body from the throat? A little embarrassed, she took his water bottle to make him drink some,


    "These things happen outdoors," she commented while he did so. "Probably some tiny insect or leaf has entered your throat," she was sure it had been that.


    But now he continued to rub his chest insistently, while looking everywhere, uneasy.


    "Oppa? What''s it? What are you looking for? Are you still feeling unwell?"


    Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Didn''t you hear someone calling my name?"


    She tried to remember. Well, maybe she heard something, but they were out in the open, the sounds could come from all sides. At that moment, a frightening thought came to Ye Rim''s mind, ''Perhaps he is hallucinating. What if he is schizophrenic?''


    "Can''t you be confused by the sounds, Oppa?"


    He didn''t seem to be listening. He went towards the woods, slowly, as if looking for something. Ye Rim worried and went after him,


    "Didn''t you hear, Ye Rim?"


    "Hear your name?"


    "Yes. The worst, it was as if ... It was my sister''s voice. It felt like Ji Hyeon calling me."


    "Oppa ..." Ye Rim wrapped her arms around him, in a sudden and tight embrace. He looked so bleak, knowing he was sounding crazy! She wanted to say that being disturbed was natural, because he was stirring up memories of the past. But Ye Rim didn''t have the courage to say things like that on a moment like that. She also had a bad impression of that night. Suddenly, the place already seemed strange and threatening, and they, very distant from the rest of the people.


    "I''m looking crazy, aren''t I? Hearing my sister''s voice everywhere."


    "Oppa. Let''s leave the class for another day, okay?" she rubbed his shoulders, pulling away enough to look him in the eye.


    He had bloodshot eyes and pale, horrible color. He was a total mess. She had to do something for Jun Hyeon,


    Ye Rim looked at him again, "Come on, I''m going to take you home. We''ll not deny that you''re not well today. Just come, will you? Let me take care of that today."


    Jun Hyeon just followed her in silence. He gave his apartment address without asking questions and said nothing when she got out of the car and escorted him to the elevator. The trip there had been in absolute silence. Ye Rim was often uncomfortable with the frightening silence, and wondering if she should say anything to break the dark mood. But then she figured he might need that silence to think about it.


    "Do you want to come in?" he asked in a strange way. Ye Rim already knew that he wanted to be alone. But her intuition said that it would be idiotic to leave him alone today,


    "Of course! Didn''t I say I would take care of you tonight, Oppa?"


    He shrugged and opened the door, letting her in. Ye Rim was delighted with the apartment. It showed Jun Hyeon''s love for jazz and tap dancing, and it was very elegant and masculine,


    "Take a shower. I''ll see what''s in the kitchen to fix something for you," she announced, keeping an imperative yet cheerful tone.


    "What are you, after all, Ye Rim?" he asked, following her to the kitchen door. She had already opened the refrigerator. The singer wouldn''t normally do that, but she would go over all common sense and education to make Jun Hyeon more comfortable and make him forget that pain,


    "What am I? What are you talking about?" she hadn''t told him she was a bad cook, of course. And to be honest, she didn''t even know how to cook asparagus and several of those things in his fridge. But she grabbed some random things with a confident expression, so he could find no reason in her hesitations to send her away tonight.


    "I think these are not a ''friend''''s assignments. You are acting like a ''girlfriend''!" he didn''t smile, however, when he said that.


    But she wasn''t going to fall into any traps tonight,


    "Don''t friends do that?"


    He shook his head.


    "Forget it, Oppa. I''ll stay here until you feel better. And if this is a girlfriend thing ... Well, consider that for tonight I am your girlfriend, if that gives me the right to stay and take care of you in your apartment," she flashed a smile, trying to keep confident.


    He stared at her for a while, and Ye Rim could see that his mind worked on things to say, but then Jun Hyeon shrugged and said,


    "Okay. Right now I thought of several stupid things to say, but I just have to grab your heartfelt gift of generosity with both hands. I''m going to take a shower to eat your dinner."


    When he left her in the kitchen, she sighed. She would have liked it if the doctor was in the mood to say ''stupid things''. But things had been so strange, earlier in the park!


    A little later, they had dinner with something she made and also something that Ye Rim had found ready in the fridge, and drank soju. They had a light talk, about tap dancing, and Ye Rim kept chattering about the style and his favorite artists for a while, while drinking a little more,


    "I''m getting sleepy, Ye Rim. And you still look good! You have great resistance to alcohol!" he confessed, pulling her hands away and placing his head on her lap. Alcohol made him good-natured and talkative, she remembered.


    She didn''t push him away. Ye Rim just stroked her hair, like his ''girlfriend for one night''. She knew his approach was not sensual, but because he felt sad and alone.


    "I haven''t been sleeping well, Ye Rim. I have been having recurring dreams, and this is driving me crazy ..." Jun Hyeon confessed, while receiving Ye Rim''s patient pat, head on her lap.


    "Tell me," she encouraged him.


    The doctor told about his dreams about the fire, and a bas.e.m.e.nt,


    "It really doesn''t make sense. It''s not part of my memory, because I didn''t enter the house during the fire. Not even the house had a bas.e.m.e.nt. No house I lived in had a bas.e.m.e.nt."


    Ye Rim pondered a little and suggested,


    "There''s no point in the same message coming up repeatedly if it wasn''t important. It is something important that you are missing!"


    "I feel like yes. I feel it and go crazy."


    Ye Rim was playing with Jun Hyeon''s hair and pondering,


    "Oppa, why don''t you really look for a professional, or even more than one, who can help you analyze this dream? I heard that there are professionals who can help you with something called ''conscious dreams''. There must be something in the bas.e.m.e.nt of your dream that you need to discover, Oppa. Perhaps something very important about this whole tragedy. What do you think about this?"


    But he didn''t answer, he was sleeping.

 Chapter 142 - A Long Night 1

    Greengrocer Yoo was rolling down its doors when Eun Ha quickly snuck inside,


    "Kang Dae?! Kang Dae?! I need to talk to you!" she called, advancing cautiously, since she saw no one. Suddenly her senses suspected the danger and she swerved in time for avoiding a broom, which whizzed by her head,


    "Easy! Calm down Mrs. Yoo! I can explain!" Eun Ha put her hands in front of her face, while the greengrocer''s owner stopped in front of her, furious,


    "What do you want here? Do you wanna die? Aren''t you tired of ruining my son''s life?! I thought you were a good girl, but look at that! Kang Dae can''t even work anymore!"


    "Well, wait! Wait! Maybe that''s not so bad. His fame will bring free advertising to your business! There''s no place where they don''t say that Ryan Lee, I mean, Kang Dae, advocates a healthy and balanced diet, coupled with exercise. Aren''t people buying more vegetables? I see lines to buy in the Yoo''s greengrocer!"


    "But my son is now thinking about becoming a model! How will he help me? Celebrity life! This is a world of illusion! He didn''t want to study, so all he knows is about vegetables! Also, I don''t want him to get involved with gold-digger women! He''s a pure boy! I want him to have a beautiful family! Not to get involved with actresses and singers and women who only think of themselves!" The ajuhmma was outlining her motives when Kang Dae came from the private area, to take the broom out of her hand,


    "Calm down Mom, this is not going to happen."


    "What? Aren''t you going to start a normal family?"


    "I won''t marry to an actress or singer."


    "Oh, sure. Because there''s that other minx in your life! Kang Dae! KANG DAE! DO YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR MOTHER OUT OF GRIEF?!"


    Eun Ha was sure that no logic or argument could penetrate Ms. Yoo''s mind at that moment. She was very frustrated and obsessed that her children would follow their detailed plans for the future.


    "Mom, I''m going to talk to Eun Ha ssi, I also have things to say to her. Can you leave us alone for a moment?"


    The woman watched them both with narrowed eyes, and went into her residence, not before showing the broom to both of them. Eun Ha and Kang Dae cringed at the threat.


    "Kang Dae, I''m sorry!" Eun Ha bowed respectfully to ask for forgiveness, "I was wrong to deceive you. I just wanted to promote myself, but I didn''t have the money for it. I disrupted your routine and your life. But here''s the amount I promised, and in case anyone wants to sue you, I''ll pay a lawyer. After all, this is my responsibility," she held out an envelope with money. It was part of the loan she had taken.


    Kang Dae refused, though,


    "Eun Ha¡­ Alright. Of course, I''m afraid they''ll sue us, but it was fun. I never imagined that these things would happen to me! Cool job offers and paparazzi around our greengrocer! Chang Mi said that I have to plan my moves and double check before signing a contract for modelling, making ads, or whatever. Although my mom doesn''t want to, Chang Mi says it will be very good for me and our mom, and our business!"


    "Chang Mi is really smart!" she nodded, impressed. It relieved Eun Ha that he wasn''t mad at her. She was more surprised when Kang Dae said,


    "I also have to apologize to you for Soo Bin noona for offending you these days ago."


    "Well, it was a surprise that you guys¡­ were having a secret affair. Because you looked like¡­" Eun Ha didn''t even know how to say that. Deep down, it relieved her to find out Kang Dae was into another woman, as she always felt ashamed for not returning his feelings.


    "Eun Ha¡­ Those little gifts¡­ They were from Chang Mi. Ok, done. I spilled it up. Chang Mi is completely obsessed with you. There''s no age difference for him. Well, if he saw you now in this student outfit ..."


    Eun Ha had even forgotten about that detail. So that was it?! Chang Mi?! It was unbelievable. She was several years older than him, and she could bet there was a lot of girls chasing him. He was a pretty boy.


    "He''s a complete madman, that brat," continued Kang Dae. "But being the idiot he is, he didn''t have the courage to give you the presents himself. It was because he forced me so I agreed to go to the Ball. He forced me to do a lot of ..." he stopped when he saw that he was talking too much.


    ''Did he force his hyung...? Now I understand everything. Chang Mi blackmailed Kang Dae and kept the secret about Soo Bin Unnie! What a smart boy! '' Eun Ha thought. She was going to say something else, but noticed that Kang Dae was pale, looking at something behind her. When the fairy turned, she saw Chang Mi, staring at them.


    And he was bleeding.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Kim Jun Hyeon looked at his chest, and saw his student pin and also his high school uniform. Swallowing hard, he looked at the calendar, knowing he would see the date set: the day so early, October 25th. It had happened so many times, but he couldn''t change it. But this time he could do it. He''d save his sister.


    Jun Hyeon started down the stairs, slowly.


    In the middle of the stairs, he stopped, noticing a strange noise upstairs, as smoke began to rise from the floor below. His confused mind tried to understand what was going on. The bas.e.m.e.nt and his sister were downstairs.


    He had to go downstairs and decide, as there was no time.


    But now, upstairs, Ye Rim was being attacked.


    Her feet shuffled, in anguish and desperation to go to both places, but part of herself seemed to know that this was a dream.


    Still, what would he do?


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim opened his eyes, alarmed. Had she dozed off?


    The answer was yes. She was tired and had been drinking, and when Jun Hyeon slept and everything was silent, she just dozed off. The singer wasn''t sure exactly how long, but she didn''t think it had been more than a few minutes.


    The blinds were open on the living room''s panoramic window, and she could see rain falling on the city. It was also a little cold, Ye Rim noticed rubbing her arms.


    ''Well, I''m going to get a comforter to cover Jun Hyeon oppa. It''s getting cold fast! '' carefully leaving the sofa, Ye Rim went to the private part of the apartment, a little embarrassed to be going to Jun Hyeon''s room without him.


    A''Without him? What did you want, Ye Rim? Go with him?'' she asked herself a bit amused. Unlike the first day of school, when she was fully aware of Dr. Kim''s s.e.x appeal, tonight Ye RIm had given little thought to how s.e.xy he was. Just about how difficult things were being for him. Although Dr. Kim was an enlightened man and even had psychiatrists and therapists at his own Foundation, she knew it was very difficult for a man to seek professional help, regarding trauma or psychological problems. She never had highly esteemed psychiatrists or respect them, too.


    ''Uhn, okay, so this must be his room,'' she stopped in front of an elegant furniture full of family photos, next to the last door. An intriguing thought overcame her, as she put her hand on the door handle of the room,


    ''How funny, the air is freezing here near the door, did he forget the air conditioner on, inside the room?''


    Opening the door, her hand felt the wall for the switch. It was a set of switches and she couldn''t really understand what she was doing, so she wasted some time pushing buttons until she gave up and had only part of the lights on. It would be enough. And she liked what she saw.


    The room suited Dr. Kim a lot. There was nothing revealing and unexpected like collections of toys or even more shocking, collections of e.r.o.t.i.c toys. It would shock her if he was the bold type.


    She passed by the bed to the door she imagined was the closet, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed something strange. The hairs on her body stood up immediately, and she heard her heartbeat in her ears.


    Turning cautiously, she looked in the opposite direction, facing the bed. Her eyes scanned the room, and again, Ye Rim had the impression that the figure, a person in fact, was hiding there. She didn''t know where, but she knew it was inside the room. It felt the same as it did when the girl passed out in the karaoke booth. There was someone there.


    She looked down, searching the floor, and then realized that the person, or something, was behind her, at the top of the closet.


    ''Son of a bitch, are you a ghost?! Are you disturbing Jun Hyeon?! '' Although she was afraid, Ye RimI was also angry. Jun Hyeon said he couldn''t sleep in the room and was waking up in the office. She had never believed in what she considered scam and rubbish, but the latest events proved something: the supernatural existed, and whatever that thing was, she had to get it away from Jun Hyeon. No one else would die because of these things, like Eun Ha''s mother died.


    This decision came along with the moment when Ye Rim spun her body quickly, and came face to face with the ''shadow''.

 Chapter 143 - A Long Night 2

    Ye Rim felt her blood run cold when she saw the humanoid shape made of shadow. There was no face, but somehow, the creature vaguely resembled Jun Hyeon''s sister.


    She noticed something interesting too. The creature seemed to be afraid of her.


    The singer didn''t think much, and climbed on the bed to confront the black thing. As soon as she did that, and moved closer to the shadow, the person-shaped thing stretched as if it was made of a slimy mass, and taking on an elastic shape, ''ran'' to a corner of the wall.


    "Come back here, evil thing! You are not Jun Hyeon''s sister! And if you are, it''s better go to hell!" It wasn''t even scary like the ''Big Mouth Monster'' dream. This was the only nightmare that made Ye Rim hold the rosary her aunt gave her. Just as she did with the werewolf, she raised her hand toward the shadowy creature, and went to its side again, with cautious steps,


    "Get out of here!" she didn''t know why she knew, but maybe she had shaman gifts. Ye Rim didn''t take her eyes off the creature. It stared at the singer with its blank face, not to challenge her, but to foresee her movements. The thing was a cornered ''animal''.


    Unfortunately, her entire focus made Ye Rim forget that she was reaching the edge of the bed. Ye Rim felt her foot stomp, and as much as she tried to be fast enough and regain balance, she fell.


    Trying to hold on to something, her hand hit hard a glass object. Ye Rim felt the object shatter under her hand, before she could do anything. A piece of glass cut into her flesh. The creature took advantage of the fact that the singer was trying to get up, and slid into the closet. Ye Rim got up, furious, and followed the creature to the closet, without hesitating.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t quick enough, and when she entered the bathroom, she saw the creature escaping through the small open window, taking advantage of its ''liquid'' and flexible form.


    "Damn you!" Ye Rim was frustrated and growled, looking at herself in the mirror. She had a kind of luminous halo around her,


    "What''s going on?" she wondered.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jun Hyeon opened the cellar door. There was no smoke there, and it wasn''t a bas.e.m.e.nt to begin with. It was the long corridor behind the scenes of an old TV show. In the middle of the mess, he found himself waiting in a kind of queue, next to his sister and mother. They waited their cue to be called on stage. Beside them, a famous psychic turned and looked at him and his mother. Despite speaking to her mother, the psychic looked him straight in the eye, with her dark eyes slightly crossed,


    "Mrs. Go, protect your children. There is a lot of tragedy lurking around your children. They are a rare kind of twins. Your children have a kind of connection and they will always feel when the other is hurt. If they are close it''s strong, but when they''re afar, this bond is weaker.  The supernatural surrounds your children, but they must fear humans too. Your children must wear pink to attract luck and ward off evil."


    His mother swallowed, hating the woman and wishing her children hadn''t heard all that bullshit. But the psychic knew what she was doing, and repeated, again staring at Jun Hyeon with her odd eyes,


    "Remembering is essential."


    She pointed to the calendar, and he saw the date, October 25th. Now, for some reason, this date seemed very important.


    Jun Hyeon opened his eyes, stunned. He was lying on the sofa in his living room, covered with an ededrom. His head hurt because of alcohol and the agonizing dream. All the while he saw the scene from his past, he regretted choosing the bas.e.m.e.nt. He had saved neither Ji Hyeon nor Ye Rim.


    But one thing was clear, the dream had changed, this time. Changed to show a long-forgotten memory. And remembering was essential, as the woman in the dream said.


    Looking away, the doctor saw the singer sleeping beside the sofa, sitting on the floor. Ye Rim was wrapped in a light blanket, in a very uncomfortable position. ''She must have dozed off without realizing it,'' he thought. It filled his heart with tenderness for that incredible woman.


    He moved to get up, and Ye Rim opened her eyes,


    "Jun Hyeon!" she looked distressed and moved her body towards him. Jun Hyeon held her by the shoulders, fearing she would hit or hurt herself. As a doctor, he knew that people who wake up abruptly have little idea of ??where they are or what they are doing. She was acting like she, too, suddenly  woke up from a distressing dream.


    When the doctor held her up, the blanket around her fell off, and he realized that Ye Rim had a bloody towel wrapped around her left hand.


    "Ye Rim ?! What was this?!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Chang Mi''s report was terrifying, to say the least. At this point, Eun Ha was supporting him on the shoulder, while Kan Dae was driving to the Gangnam Police Station, the neighborhood where the crime had occurred. Chang Mi chose to hide from his mother for now, as he knew she would be in shock. After passing through the hospital emergency room, so that the student could receive first aid, he was determined to go to the police. Chang Mi preferred to go to the police station as soon as possible, so that the police could start searching for that noona.


    It was terrifying to think he could have beaten to death in an upscale neighborhood in Seoul while a man chased a woman. Chang Mi said he still looked a little more for her, but it was useless.


    Kang Dae was so serious and tense that he looked like he was going to rip the steering wheel off the steering wheel at any moment,


    "Persimmon! Did you see anything that can identify the guy?"


    "I already said no. He looked very prepared. Hooded and all. The more I think but the more I think he knew she would come."


    "Is it an abused wife, perhaps?"


    "She seemed to suffer a lot. And she terrified too. But probably those people didn''t know who she was," said Chang Mi, looking out of the  pickup''s window. "What worries me the most is that after this rain, things that could help to identify them go to the culverts."


    And it was this story that Chang Mi told the police clerk at the police station. That night seemed quite hectic, and Eun Ha was eager to leave the police station as soon as possible. The place was naturally not where people came to share dreams and good things. Quite the opposite. She was waiting in the hall while Kang Dae took Chang Mi somewhere, at the expert''s request.


    A familiar voice called out her name,


    "Eun Ha ssi! Did you go back to high school?"


    The fairy turned perplexed, but smiled when she saw ''OPPA''! Officer Ji Jae Wook come closer with his usual confident gait and a wide smile. Ye Rim''s ex-fiance looked exhausted and with bags under his eyes, but that didn''t make him lose his imposing presence.


    "I was told that you were around with someone, and I just stopped by to see how you were doing. Do you need anything, little sister?"


    Eun Ha has always trusted Officer Ji''s character and professional ability. And that was why he was OPPA. She didn''t refrain from telling and poured out everything Chang Mi had told him. The odd report got a raise of brows from Officer Ji,


    "Well, they will deal with the case tomorrow, but I''ll press for a throughly search of the region tonight."


    Eun Ha thanked Officer Ji. She knew very little about police procedures, but asked,


    "Is Oppa going to investigate the case?"


    "Not at this stage, I am sorry Eun Ha. I investigate special cases. But I can talk to friends to keep me informed about this case in particular," Officer Ji explained. Scratching his head, he asked,


    "Do you still live with Ye Rim? I mean, she left your old address in the statement she gave days ago."


    "Yes. Are you talking about singer Hani''s case?" the fairy asked. It was a strange way to ask questions about Ye Rim. But she also knew that she had tried to lure OPPA to see Ye Rim several times, and he hadn''t even responded to her messages. She didn''t need to look at his hand to know that he hadn''t married or was engaged to another woman. Eun Ha was sure that they were born to each other, but they thought they loved their careers more. ''Stubborn idiots!''


    "Yes. I am handling this case right now. In fact, I will have to talk to Ye Rim about her testimony, but ..."


    Eun Ha pondered for a moment. She understood his hesitation. Meet Ye Rim behind a desk in the Police Station. That would be so embarrassing!


    "Well, Oppa, she''s going to be doing a little farewell show in a few days at the Club where she used to sing. She finally got a good contract."


    "Hm."


    As always, he was reticent about this path that Ye Rim chose; she thought.


    "I don''t think it would be a bad thing if the official showed up for some non-binding questions after the show. It won''t be embarrassing, and I''m sure she wouldn''t object, either," Eun Ha suggested. At that moment Kang Dae and Chang Mi were coming back down the hall.


    When Officer Ji said goodbye, Eun Ha was more relieved. She felt that with the return of OPPA close to them, the shadows would begin to dissipate.

 Chapter 144 - A Long Night 3

    "Don''t you know where you hurt your hand?"


    While Dr. Kim bandages her hand, Ye Rim just said,


    "I had a strange dream while I dozed off. I dreamed that I would go to your room and find a thief there. Or something in these lines," she couldn''t be sure what she had dreamed of after so much alcohol and an unhappy night.


    But the doctor stared at her, stopping what he was doing, for a minute. "Did you dream that you would go to my room and was attacked there?"


    "Erm, well¡­ I wasn''t attacked. I was the one who attacked, actually. But the thief ran away," she felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn''t dreamed of a human, however. But dreamed of a dark version of Kim Jun Hyeon''s sister. But perhaps it would be better not to speak of this detail. This wouldn''t do Jun Hyeon any good, she believed.


    "Hmm," he seemed lost in thought, but then returned to the subject, "And what does that have to do with your injured hand? Are you a sleepwalker?"


    "Hmm. Well, kind of. I used to sleepwalk when I was a kid. But not after a.d.u.l.thood," she confessed. "But alcohol makes us do weird things ... I bet that if we go to the kitchen, we''ll find out I tried to organize your kitchen and cut myself with a bottle of soju, or whatever," she suggested, when he finished the first-aid care. Opening an extra band-aid, Dr. Kim put it on her nose, smiling.


    She also smiled, but saw that Jun Hyeon''s eyes were serious.


    "What is it, Oppa?"


    "I also dreamed that you were in danger. You were upstairs in a house while I was on the stairs. Maybe I subconsciously realized that you were going to get hurt while I was asleep."


    "Wow!" This was a macabre coincidence. Dr. Kim stood up, stretching his neck and looking determined to chase away the ominous mood,


    "Fake girlfriend, let''s go out for a while to chase away the nightmares. What do you think?"


    "I think I''m stinking and feeling awful, I should go home," she also stood up.


    "You can shower here. After all, you''re a girlfriend tonight."


    "This is a long night, by the way," she agreed. "If the rain is over, let''s go for a walk and eat something on the street", she also thought it would be good for the two of them to get away from unpleasant matters. Ye Rim saw he was making an effort not to be having sad thoughts.


    However, Ye Rim''s mind returned to the shadow creature. Had it been a dream, or not? Was Jun Hyeon oppa being haunted? Is that why he couldn''t get over his sister''s death?"


    She missed the next events, lost in her thoughts, she had only seen Jun Hyeon leave the room, when she heard him call her name, from his bedroom.


    She shivered. She was now sure.


    Going to his room, Ye Rim looked at the mess. Rug and bedspread pulled, pillows on the floor, blood and broken glass on the bed. Kim Jun Hyeon stared at her, incredulous,


    "Don''t you remember any of this?"


    Ye Rim took a deep breath. In addition to saying that she had found a thief hidden there, one of the most unlikely things when you are in an apartment on the seventeenth floor, what else could she say?


    "Oppa ... I''m sorry. Maybe I was too drunk. I pay for what I broke, "she shuffled her feet. There was no way she was going to sound crazy saying she tried to grab a demon that looked like his sister.


    "It wasn''t important, forget it. Just tell me if you really think you saw someone. I''ll call the doorman."


    "I''m not sure. I don''t remember anything. For real. Perhaps my mind has created things. I just wanted to come back with the comforter and cover you."


    Jun Hyeon came back to her, and Ye Ri waited for a hug, but he stopped himself,


    "How can I say thank you? For being like a German shepherd by my side while I slept?"


    "HEY! What are you talking about? Are you comparing me to a German Shepherd?"


    "Yes. Watching my sleep, sitting, instead of lying in bed and sleeping comfortably," he smiled, pulling the band-aid from her nose. She had even forgotten about it.


    "I came here on a mission!"


    "Wasn''t getting hurt part of that, was it?"


    ''Hm, I was defending you from the ghost that chases you, so it was a risk in my mission,'' Ye Rim thought, feeling that although things had escalated, she was doing her job. But she wondered if the creature would return.


    "Take me out for a little bit of fresh air as you promised," she asked, wanting to leave the apartment soon.


    A little while later, they had stopped by a street stall and had some snacks, and now they were wandering, side by side, close to the river. Leaving the apartment had taken Jun Hyeon out of his shaky mood, Ye Rim noticed.


    Then she felt his fingers touch hers, seeking contact. Not knowing exactly what to do, she glanced at him and tried to read his expression.  Jun Hyeon was still looking straight ahead. Feeling himself watching, he turned to her,


    "Why aren''t you holding my hand? You are my girlfriend tonight!"


    She considered whether to grumble that he was kind of overstepping his limits, but she didn''t. After all, the touch of his fingers had made her heart race, and this game was interesting, for a change.


    As she didn''t respond, Jun Hyeon ostensibly took her hand and placed it in his, with a ''Humpf!''


    She laughed, but let him continue with this game.


    "Oppa, do you think it will be difficult to teach me to tap dance?" that was a good subject to avoid talking about sad things.


    "No. I''m sure that, in the time we have until the audition, you will be able to do a simple but interesting choreography. And if you like it, you can learn more later!" he raised their hands together and kissed her hand, intertwined with his, as if it were an old habit among long-time boyfriends.


    ''Awn, he is so loving!'' Ye Rim couldn''t help thinking, feeling a new sense of happiness growing inside her. It was surprising to realize that they had such an affinity and naturalness when they were together. Even the fact that he wasn''t overly romantic, or mushy, pleased Ye Rim.


    "Are you saying this just to please your girlfriend?"


    He smirked, "It could be. But I already know something about you."


    "Do you know something about me? What?" naturally it made her curious.


    "You only listen to yourself. If you are convinced of something, you make it happen. While you believed that your career was over, things were bad. But now you believe that your career is just beginning. And you believe that you need to tap dance to get the role. To be quite honest, I think if it was necessary, they would remove the dance scenes. It would be enough to be a good actress at the right age and appearance, and with some talent for singing. But, you are right. If you get there doing all this at an excellent level, they won''t be able to think of anyone else for the role. Your time has come, Ye Rim! You will shine. Just be disciplined and willing!"


    "Awn Oppa, I can''t believe it. Remember when we first met? You humiliated me and made light of me. And today we are friends and you cheer me up!"


    "Not friends! Tonight we are lovers," he corrected her.


    "Yes, just for tonight," she agreed. "But if you remember, think about how you hated me in the past?"


    "Hmm, ''hated you'' is a strong and incorrect statement. I didn''t hate you. I got angry at you a few times. That''s correct."


    "I know ..." she laughed, waving their hands together.


    "Did you hate me?"


    "Ah, well, a lot, but for a few minutes each," she confessed.


    A cold breeze passed over them, and Ye Rim flinched. Then Jun Hyeon stopped, taking off his jacket,


    "Why do women wear clothes that don''t get hot? It''s fall!" he pretended to be angry while putting his coat around Ye Rim''s shoulders.


    "I didn''t think I would be on the street until dawn!" she replied, justifying herself. Jun Hyeon looked around, seeming to pay more attention to the fact that the city was waking up to a new day.


    Discreetly, Ye Rim sniffed the cologne on his clothes, and remembered that other moment a few days ago, when they were at the river''s edge and found Hani''s dead body. There was always something bad to spoil the moments when they were together.


    Pulling his coat around herself tighter, she turned to the river, and sighed, watching the sky change colors on the capital''s skyline. They stood in silence watching the dawn, filled with the beauty of the moment and forgotten, at least for a few moments, the horrors of this long night.


    Ye Rim turned to ask a question, but she honestly wouldn''t remember what it was, later. She was just a little surprised to find that Dr. Kim, too, was turning to her at the same time. However, his movement was a little abrupt, and Jun Hyeon pulled the hand that joined them, to bring her to him.


    Their faces came closer, and they both had time to look at each other. In the eyes and then, she saw Jun Hyeon''s gaze go down to her mouth.


    She couldn''t control her body''s agitation at that moment.


    When his lips finally touched hers, and they looked thirsty to explore her mouth with passion. Ye Rim just let himself be guided, feeling her body''s longing for his.


    When their lips finally parted, Jun Hyeon tightened his grip on her arms, and whispered in her ear,


    "Now you can stop playing fake girlfriend."


    ''Uhn?!''


    "OR," he continued, "you might want to stick to the role longer."

 Chapter 145 - Feed the Paparazzi

    Ye Rim didn''t want to get up, but an aggressive conversation not far away was annoying her. ''But what the hell is going on!'' her sleepy mind wondered, but then the violent knock of a door and Eun Ha''s loud and frustrated  ''AISHHH!'' totally woke her up.


    When she dragged her tired body into the living room, she found her unnie by the window, peering out from behind the curtain,


    "What was that, Unnie? I thought I heard an argument."


    "And you did it, Ye Rim. Two neighbors came here to complain!"


    "How come?!" she had no idea what Eun Ha was talking about, so her friend pulled her close to the window.  Three vans from different media were parked where they had been for the past two days.


    "Aigoo. Haven''t they given up yet?"


    "Now they are trying to prove that I bribed broadcasters to publicize fake news. They made up a lot of things about me and Ryan Lee, and now they''re furious, pointing in all directions and to each other. The neighbors are angry and have already said they are going to hold an assembly in the building about this," said Eun Ha, closing the window for good and throwing herself on the sofa, frustrated. "It is even difficult to leave the house! Kang Dae is also hidden, unable to leave his quarters."


    Ye Rim didn''t say anything about raising rumors about Eun Ha and boosting her career facts, but she was already sorry. Sitting next to her unnie, Ye Rim hugged her,


    "Think on the bright side. Paparazzi are surrounding your home, wanting an interview with you!"


    "But all they are saying about me now is my weak resume as a stylist, that I don''t even have a collection to show, and that so and so are thinking about suing me for having entered the Fashion Ball without invitation. OH! I''m so sorry!" Eun Ha whined.


    "But so far no one has really sued you, have they? Why doesn''t anyone really have proof against you! You shouldn''t have entered the Ball without invitations, but your marketing campaign is viral! They tried to invent a lot of things about Ryan Lee and you."


    Eun Ha looked away, but Ye Rim was not going to judge her this time. In fact, her morning had started off great and she still could taste Jun Hyeon''s lips on hers. ''Ah! Focus on your friend! She needs help!'' the singer reproached herself.


    "You are the owner of the apartment, they cannot expel you just because people are across the street, and vans are in legal parking lots. They are envious! Stay calm."


    Eun Ha just hit herself on the back of the head, trying to relieve stress.


    Ye Rim went to the kitchen, looking for food, but there was none, even in the fridge,


    "Unnie, why don''t we have food?"


    "Guess why! I couldn''t go to the grocery, let alone the greengrocer! Yesterday I had to leave in disguise! Aren''t they pestering you too?"


    "Yes, yesterday I had to run because they also want to fill me with questions," Ye Rim confessed. "But did you spoke to Kang Dae? As I told you, I saw him coming into the greengrocer yesterday."


    "Yes, I did it," her unnie told the conversation and also a horrible story about a woman was on the run from an attacker and crossed Chang Mi''s path. It horrified Ye Rim.


    "Unbelievable. With so many things going on, reporters are concerned about the gossip from Ryan Lee and Stylist Jung," she commented. But she knew those were experts in entertainment and fashion, not reporters of police cases. "You know what, Unnie? Let''s do your runway show! Isn''t that what they want? Fresh news? Let''s give them that news!"


    "What are you talking about, Ye Rim? Running a runway show is not a cheap thing."


    "But Eun Ha, you need to take advantage of it while it''s in evidence. If you let them start denigrating you before you act, you will lose your timing. Invite multiple people. Certainly, some will come. The press will come. We just can''t take long to do the event, we can''t let interest cool down. How soon can you make the collection you designed?"


    "Ah, well, it''s just¡­ I need people and fabrics, but I was thinking about¡­"


    "Today Jun Hyeon Oppa told me something. That I do everything I believe to come true. And so it will be! Let''s make the stylist Jung''s show happen!"


    Ye Rim got up euphorically, knowing she needed to infuse some energy into her best friend. In fact, she was coming up with ideas right now,


    "Unnie, make a list of everything we will need to do a runway show in the next 15 days. We can''t wait too long or waste free advertising."


    "Apart from the clothes, I will need models, a venue, catering, lighting and music, staff, an event manager and ... courage!" Eun Ha seemed to be sweating cold, but at the same time, her eyes shone.


    "Okay. Go to work on planning what clothes will be on the runway, and leave the rest to me.


    "But Ye Rim, besides you having your own schedule ... you never did that!"


    You are right!" Ye Rim barely believed in her own energy level.


    Eun Ha just looked at her, static.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim appeared in front of the building just as Baek Woo Geun got out of his car like a movie star. The paparazzi were bored making small talk when one of them pointed out the news. Baek Woo Geun took the time to close a button on his coat, letting his best angle be captured by the cameras. He greeted Ye Rim with a huge smile, asking, through his teeth,


    "Is it showtime?"


    "Yes, as we agreed, feel free to say what you want," Ye Rim also replied through her teeth, taking the opportunity to toss her hair in a seductive way to the cameras. After all, she could also benefit from some previous exposure!


    Realizing that the couple was not averse to answering questions, as they stopped by the car, the reporters approached. Fashionista Baek knew some personally and greeted them.


    "Woo Geun, so is it really true that you and Stylist Jung dated during college?"


    He shook his head, "We are just good friends. We''ve always been friends. Eun Ha helped me with my first doc.u.mentary on fashion. You can even see her name in the credits! Stylist Jung, in addition to being a good friend, is the most creative and inspired person I know!"


    The commitment of the words of the fashion critic and social influencer impressed Ye Rim. When she called him asking for help to organize a runway show for Eun Ha, she thought she would have some work to convince him, but he accepted at once. Did he really have a crush on Eun Ha, as Ye Rim always suspected, or was he just wanting to take advantage of the publicity? Even if it was the second alternative, it would be fair if he helped Eun Ha develop the design for an independent runway show.


    "Is this a social or professional visit, Woo Geun?"


    "Ah, both. I recently spoke to Eun Ha at the Fashion Ball and she invited me to her new experimental project. As I said, we already had this experience of working together. We had several ideas and maybe we can create something together. I am ready for this partnership, and I was very happy with the invitation. You will certainly be fascinated, as I was, just seeing the sketches. "


    "So is there really going to be a runway show?"


    "Without a doubt, yes! Get ready for something new and transcendental. Stylist Jung is today what Alexander Zhang was for Korean fashion 10-15 years ago. The renovation! Wait for official announcements, but get ready! You know that if I applaud, the young Korean fashion will applaud too!"


    "Some people claim that Stylist Jung made fun of Korean fashion by forging a celebrity. What do you think?"


    "What an incredible concept! Not everyone can understand the criticism behind this. As a filmmaker by training, the way she recreates Cinderella and My Fair Lady by Oscar Wilde as a critic of ''packaged fashion'' is simply remarkable. I''m not saying it''s revolutionary. But Eun Ha has subverted the media by showing her point of view entirely. But whoever understood the references must see this repeated in the runway show we are producing. Whoever didn''t understand, is grumbling about marketing scams and things like that. There was no ''scam'', as she didn''t create fake news. She introduced a character and the media just replicated as truth without judgment. Whose fault is it? Who does consume with conscience or who replicates patterns without proper recognition of value?"


    Ye Rim knew why Baek Woo Geun was so famous as a fashion critic. Even though he is a vain egocentric. She was thinking that Woo Geun really liked Eun Ha. Never before had I seen him so engaged for something other than himself.


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to go up to meet Eun Ha," the fashionista smiled condescendingly, as part of his act.


    "Just one more question, Woo Geun."


    "Okay, just one more. I must send you food, as you will keep pestering the quiet neighborhood that my friend chose to live in? Or do you prefer to wait in your offices for my assistant to call you with exclusive news?"


    The paparazzi thanked Baek Woo Geun for his kindness, but they asked the final question, nevertheless,


    "Will Ryan Lee be at this show?"


    Baek Woo Geun pursed his lips to hide his anger, taking a deep breath.

 Chapter 146 - Pay-Per-Minute Spiritual Call

    Jun Hyeon was doing the asepsis procedure before entering the operating room for the surgery he would perform in an instant. His mind wandered to the magical moment of dawn, and Ye Rim''s beautiful face came to mind. Her half-closed eyes, and her plump, sensual lips, her soft hair and of course, the taste of her kiss.


    Then, as if he had been suddenly punched, he frowned reflexively, his head aching,


    ''Migraine?'' it was a surprise, but again he felt short of breath as in the night before. Stunned and blinking, he turned and leaned against the stainless steel sink, feeling nauseated. He didn''t understand the symptoms, it couldn''t be a stroke, could it? His assistant arrived to also perform asepsis, and saw Dr. Kim breathing heavily, holding his head in both hands,


    "OMO! Dr. Kim, your nose is bleeding!" said the assistant, alarmed.


    Instinctively the doctor checked with his fingers, which confirmed the problem. A diffuse sensation of pain throughout his body followed. He couldn''t perform surgery like that.


    The assistant insisted that he sit down for a while, they would call another doctor to see Dr. Kim.


    What was happening? He kept asking himself, but as for now, he had no answer.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Now that we have finished the plans, we have to find the professionals. And well, I must admit that the strategy of taking... ugh Ryan Lee to the catwalk is a good one," Woo Geun conceded, and En Ha clapped her hands, excited.


    Ye Rim heard Woo Geun and Eun Ha talking, but her mind wandered.


    She was looking for suitable places to do the runway show, on the laptop, when she thought it wouldn''t hurt to deviate her focus for a moment. She typed ''ghosts that look like shadows'' into the search bar, and came across an extensive list of sites that spoke of the supernatural.


    Some readings seemed just fictional tales unrelated to what she had witnessed. Shifting the search to ''how to tell if you have paranormal gifts'', Ye Rim felt a little ridiculous, and after doing some tests online, she just realized that they were just pointless casual games. She didn''t know what else to research or whether she really took any of it seriously. An ad that flashed on the side of the screen caught her attention,


    MO BIN, THE SHAMAN


    FAMOUS PSYCHIC PROVIDES YOU SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE


    I HAVE THE ANSWERS YOU NEED


    100% GUARANTEED


    PHONE CALL, PAY-PER-MINUTE OR PREPAID SESSIONS


    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - TELL ME YOUR NAME AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE


    Ye Rim snorted, disdaining that cheesy ad. But as she researched and the collective voice of the internet only responded with nonsense, the shaman Mo Bin was becoming more and more attractive.


    Grabbing the cell phone, Ye Rim left the room with the first excuse she found, leaving Eun Ha and Woo Geun to plan the event. Getting into the kitchen, Ye Rim looked both ways before frantically typing in the number for the oracular consultation with the psychic Mo Bin.


    A recording answered, instructing her to buy the minutes of the consultation with the shaman Mo Bin. Intending to be assertive and not fall into any kind of scam, Ye Rim grudgingly typed in her credit card number and bought ten minutes of consultation.


    But the shaman didn''t pick up the call immediately. Ye Rim heard a recording instructing her to inform her date of birth, and shortly thereafter, the recording informed her of lucky numbers, lucky colors and lucky days. Ye Rim was already feeling cheated, and about to hang up the phone. Then she remembered that she bought 10 minutes with the psychic, and that they weren''t that cheap. So she forced herself to listen to the messages, until a soft male voice spoke,


    "My dear friend, tell me your name!"


    "Ye Rim! Nam Ye Rim!" the singer grunted. But she waited to see what he would say now that he knew his name.


    "Nam Ye Rim, your name is exquisite! Like your name, you bring talent and you are precious like a jewel."


    ''Will he be saying that kind of thing?'' she asked herself, annoyed. But the shaman continued,


    "Ye Rim, Ye Rim, your birth date is very peculiar and I see here that the beginning of your life was very intriguing. You were in a lot of danger, still in your mother''s w.o.m.b."


    ''OMO! How can he know that?!'' the information was so accurate that she gasped.


    "I am telling the truth, am I not?" asked the shaman.


    "Well, I think I heard a story about it. But listen, I''m not the main reason of this call. It''s about someone else. In fact, something else. Shaman Mo Bin, if you really are a good shaman, you will explain to me what I saw."


    "Hmm, isn''t the consultation about you? But you are the person I see here. And you are very special. You¡­!" The shaman''s thought-provoking tone did not buy her, however. He might want to shove his formulas on her, but Ye Rim wasn''t going to spend time and money on bullshit. She wanted the shaman''s help.


    "Listen, Shaman Mo Bin. I saw something in my friend''s bedroom last night. I need to know what it was."


    "How come that a single woman is visiting a male friend''s bedroom?!" questioned the shaman on the other end of the line with a laugh.


    "Boyfriend," Ye Rim simplified, and corrected herself.


    "Hmm, let me see, let me see," he took a while to answer, and almost two minutes passed. Ye Rim was almost complaining when the shaman spoke again,


    "Ye Rim, Ye Rim, your boyfriend and you  are crossing each other''s life like two stars in the sky align sometimes. It is brief and beautiful, like an eclipse. What is his date of birth?"


    ''Aigoo, didn''t he understand that that''s not what I want to know? Is he stupid or what?'' she wondered. "Shaman Mo Bin, let''s focus on the monster, okay?"


    Well, it didn''t hurt to find out with Jun Hyeon Oppa his birth date. She typed the question for him, hoping he would answer before the consultation ended.


    "Ye Rim, I see here that you are a person who brings life and well-being to everyone around you. You are like a beacon in the darkness. However, there is a f¡­"


    "Listen, Shaman Mo Bin, I don''t have time to talk about myself now. I want to find out how to help my friend," she looked at the answer that came on the screen,


    KJH: ''My date and time of birth? Are you trying to discover our romantic compatibility?''


    She felt herself blush, immediately. Was it making him conceited? Just because of a kiss?


    KJH: ''I''m in a meeting, we''ll talk later.''


    He went offline, just as the shaman Mo Bin said,


    "This man is unreachable for me now. Without knowing his Four Pillars, I have no way of knowing about him. But you Ye Rim, you will soon see things that many people would doubt! Amazing but real things! Be very careful! You will see things thirsty for light, things capable of devouring you! But trust yourself, you have the necessary power! Just trust that you can and cut off the evil like using a knife!"


    "...!" it was confusing, but at least it looked like he was referring to the creature, this time.


    "My dear friend, we are reaching the end of the credits you have acquired. Do you want to buy more credits so we can continue our conversation? I have something very important to say to you now."


    Ye Rim agreed, and bought more minutes. ''Gosh, I''m really stupid!''


    "So, what''s important and what do you want to tell me, Shaman Mo Bin?" she asked anxiously.


    "Ye Rim, I see here that the supernatural surrounds you. And not everyone around you is what they say they are "


    "What?" ''How did the subject change so quickly?!''


    "Not everyone is what they seem, and they  act quite differently than they are when they are away from you."


    "I want to know what you meant by ''cutting off with a knife''," she demanded in exasperation, feeling that this was the most important part of this whole conversation, "The thing I saw, is that what I have to cut with the knife? It''s a spiritual knife, right?" It was better to make sure they were talking about the same thing. And not that he was suggesting to her to stab people.


    "Ye Rim, to get rid of the harmful things that you will see from now on, you have to ''cut them off''. Yes, we are saying the same thing."


    "Give me something, Shaman Mo Bin. Anything for me to deal with."


    Then, the shaman said something. Strange words, "Ye Rim, this is the Word of Power of the Serpent-Sun, if you need to, recite that and the evil will go away."


    Ye Rim repeated the words, trying to engrave them in her mind.


    "But listen, I still have something to say. The people around you, as I said, they aren''t what they appear to be. You''ll be disappointed soon and¡­"


    Eun Ha came into the kitchen, bringing the tray with empty glasses. Ye Rim quickly hung up the phone, embarrassed, and dropped the cell phone on the table as if it were on fire.


    Her unnie just raised an eyebrow, but asked no questions.

 Chapter 147 - Fashion and Meds

    Dr. Kim looked at the phone screen with a smile as he turned off the phone. He was in the middle of a meeting but he had forgotten to hang up. Fortunately, the message he received made his day improve immensely after his morning high blood pressure problem.


    Ye Rim was being silly and doing compatibility tests!


    "Ahem, I''m sorry, It was an emergency," he apologized to the people gathered to discuss the annual Ji Hyeon Foundation event. But he could barely contain the smile on his lips during the entire costs presentation. After the marketing team explained the costs and how much they expected to raise, he commented, turning to Na Ra, who was also part of the committee,


    "I received an email recently. I forwarded it to you, Na Ra, about two days ago. Mrs. Vivian Park seemed interested in donating an amount to our project. She said we met at the Fashion Ball, but I don''t remember you introducing me to her, "Jun Hyeon never had a bad memory for names or faces, but at this point he didn''t know if he could trust his mind.


    "I didn''t. Maybe it was someone else," replied Na Ra acidly. Several people at the table held their breath as if they were receiving the needling. Jun Hyeon tensed, he knew he still owed Na Ra an explanation about the Fashion Ball, but he wasn''t going to do that during a business meeting. Even though this meeting was over.


    But it was curious to realize that his personal life was apparently a known subject.


    ''What a bunch of gossipy people!'' he thought, without real grief.


    "Good, but who is she?" he jumped to the part that mattered, keeping his tone friendly.


    When Na Ra described Vivian Park''s appearance in detail and how she was dressed at the Fashion Ball, a click in Jun Hyeon''s mind associated her with the pedantic woman who dropped her pills on the floor. Still, it intrigued him that a person he believed to be the epitome of arrogance offered a donation to the Jun Hyeon Foundation. ''If she knew who I was, why didn''t she greet me? Or did she find out who I was after the incident? ''


    He commented to those present,


    "Well, then I think I met her accidentally, at the Ball, but we didn''t introduce ourselves. She''s the woman who dropped her meds. She was a little embarrassed when I returned it, she didn''t seem to be comfortable with it," he quoted the name of the medicine.


    "Hm, some people still feel inferior because they have diseases that a long time ago were signs of impurity or even demonic possession," commented Dr. Jang, speaking of epilepsy.


    "Well, this substance is used by patients who don''t adapt to more modern ways of avoiding episodes, and tend to have frequent seizures," said Dr. Marion, who was the Ji Hyeon Foundation''s Psychiatrist.


    Na Ra shook his head, commenting, "Are you talking about epilepsy? Vivian Park doesn''t have epilepsy."


    "Well, there are few other uses for this substance other than to contain strong spasms and convulsions, typical of epilepsy episodes, but present in other pathologies as well," explained the doctor.


    "Well, I don''t know about Vivian Park''s health problems. But I''ve been a model for Park and Zhang in the past. Alexander Zhang suffers from epilepsy, this is not a widely known fact, but some people in the industry know," said the former model. It intrigued Jun Hyeon. He learned that the Stylist didn''t make his speech at the event because of a health problem. And then he found a woman, his partner actually, leaving the scene with the drugs that could contain his crisis. However, Dr. Marion was quicker to ask the question he would ask next, although he''d asked it differently,


    "Na Ra, is it true that there is a rivalry between Vivian Park and Alexander Zhang?"


    She smiled,


    "Well, at least in the past it seemed that way. They used to say it at the time when I held fashion shows for the brand. But I think they said that because designer Park left part of the company to Alexander Zhang. Stylist Zhang considered him his successor, but let''s say there was also a nasty rumor about it ... So I think part of these rumors is because Park gave Zhang part of the company. Vivian Park is an excellent person, in reality."


    "Very informative, Na Ra, thank you," Jun Hyeon kept his impressions to himself, only reinforcing that they should invite Mrs. Park to the event and also to visit the Foundation. Although intimately he thought she was quietly trying to buy his silence with a donation.


    When the meeting ended, Jun Hyeon asked if Na Ra would have breakfast with him. He needed to apologize officially for stood her up at the Ball.


    They went to the Foundation''s cafeteria, and after they placed their orders, Jun Hyeon started,


    "I''ve been trying to talk to you about this for a few days, and I know you''ve been avoiding me. I need to apologize for leaving you like that at the party."


    Na Ra took a deep breath,


    "Dae Woon told me you left with his date there when I visited him at the hospital. And even that you and her found Hani''s body in the Han River," her tone was full of hurt and anger, but he could understand that very well. There were many implications, and he was quite a sleazebag on this matter.


    "Na Ra¡­"


    "Are you dating? Or is this in your plans?" the question took him by surprise. She really wanted to know if it wasn''t just an one-night stand, which would be even worse.


    "Yes. It''s in my plans. She''s the woman I love," not only was it useless to beat around the bush and extend her suffering, but he wanted to say it out loud. But he felt his chest tighten as he watched Na Ra''s eyes fill with tears, her face red with pain and fury, and her facial muscles tighten. He looked down,


    "Listen, Na Ra. We have both been dragging this for a long time. This thing that never really existed between us. Most likely my fault, of course. It dragged on, even though I was sure we would never be together, actually. I think we spent too much time blaming several external factors, like my mother or the death of Ji Hyeon, and even the guilt that we both feel for what happened. But it only masked the most important. The fact that I always knew that what I felt for you was never strong enough to overcome any of these obstacles," Jun Hyeon knew he was hurting Na Ra, but there was no other way to do it. There was no elegant way or half words. "Now I know that I want to be with that woman. Even if it''s like her friend, if she doesn''t want me as a lover. I think about her all the time and it made me blind to everything else. It''s this idiot you spent so much time with, Na Ra."


    The ex-model''s eyes widened. With shaking hands she reached for the glass of water in front of her, throwing it in Jun Hyeon''s face. He felt the liquid run down his face without moving, as Na Ra grabbed her bag and hurriedly left the cafeteria.


    Taking a deep breath, Jun Hyeon took a napkin and started drying himself, ignoring the people around him.


    He reached for his cell phone and turned it back on, looking at the last message from Ye Rim, on the screen


    NYR: ''Don''t be conceited. Someone asked me, but I don''t think it''s necessary anymore. I''ll be very busy in the next few days. I''m helping my unnie organize her fashion show. This is extremely important and urgent! Can we reschedule classes after that? I promise to train hard! ''


    ''Is she avoiding me after our kiss?'' it was definitely an alarming thought. He started typing something and thought about what he had just said to Na Ra. It was a relief and hoped that after a while, she''d be able to think that way too. Would he be friends with Ye Rim if she didn''t want him?


    "No. It definitely hurts so much that I have to find a way to shorten it."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    In the early evening, Eun Ha had met Professor Shin for a class, but she was so excited by the unexpected turn that her plans had taken that same afternoon, that she poured all the news of the past 24 hours over the proverbially impatient ears of the older fairy.


    "Oh boy, I should have brought a bottle of water. I''m thirsty!" she exclaimed, after her monologue. The Hunter just narrowed his eyes in his direction. She knew her throat was dry from having spoken for almost forty minutes uninterruptedly, telling everything from the moment she returned home after being rescued by him.


    Finally, Hunter Shin asked,


    "So you started solving the Fashion Ball problem with the help of Baek Woo Geun?"


    "Yes, he will be the event manager. He''ll call some of his friends who are models and ask if they want to do this without getting paid. Ye Rim lent me some money that, along with mine, it''ll be enough for the major expenses and something else, but I still need to get a place. A good, big and beautiful place is where a lot of the money will go, unfortunately. The entire organization and people involved in the event ... I must reduce these costs. But it would be impossible to do everything with magic without people noticing. And the income tax would be relentless with me, too."


    "Hmm, and how many people should there be, including the staff and models?" he asked.


    "Can you help me find a good place, Professor Shin?! Woo Geun suggested that we be thrifty with the invitations to maintain the mystique, so there will be about 200 guests with the press included, and about 60 people behind the scenes," she already had the numbers in her head, after debating and downsizing along with Woo Geun.


    "Well, I may know a place. But I don''t know if that would be what you are looking for..."


    "The price will be decisive, believe me. Professor Shin!"


    "Then come with me," said the hunter, putting out his cigarette and getting up.


    "...!" Eun Ha didn''t know what to expect.

 Chapter 148 - Daebak!

    Upon arriving in front of the double gates of a high-walled property, Eun Ha was confused. The faded sign affixed to the wall read:


    ''SANATORIUM - DON''T BEEP - DON''T TRESPASS''


    But as they passed through the gate, Eun Ha saw a large European-style garden, surrounding a manor that looked more like a neoclassical palace. At least on the facade, it didn''t look like an institution for the mentally ill, but rather like a museum or mansion. Despite this, the exterior looked abandoned, and the garden was poorly tended. The outside lights were off, and most importantly, she couldn''t feel any kind of magical sensation. Eun Ha couldn''t decide whether the place was pleasant.


    "What is this place? Are we allowed to be here or are we going to remove the ghosts first?" she asked, and Hunter Shin just gave her a cold look, ignoring her next and going to a side door.


    He let her in through the beautiful door, and even in the dark, she could tell he was in a long hall with a high ceiling. Behind her, the older fairy turned on the switches, and the lights on the ceiling came on sequentially, revealing the beauty of the architecture of this part of the mansion. The wooden panels, the marquetry on the ceiling and the floor, the chandeliers and the works of art ... It was like being in n European-style palace. The hunter was watching her reactions closely, but at that moment, she could only keep her mouth open,


    "Daebak!"


    She followed behind him, crossing to the back of the mansion. Everywhere they passed, there was something that made Eun Ha stop to observe in ecstasy. A Chinese screen, a sanggam-style pot, a European painting, beautiful statues, and classy furniture.


    Hunter Shin took her to a large, completely empty room, and turned on the lights of the huge crystal chandeliers.


    "That''s enough? Or is it too small for your runway show?" he asked.


    "What place is this?"


    "It''s my home," he replied nonchalantly.


    The young fairy went to one of the arched doors leading to the garden, while her mind was already working on a thousand ideas on how to make her runway show in that place. Only then did his response slowly enter her mind, and Eun Ha turned around,


    "What did you say?!"


    "This is my home, Jung."


    "Did you bring me to your house?" the thought this was happening was mind-blowing for the young fairy. She couldn''t stop blinking. "And is this your home? I mean? Is this where you sleep? Is this where you live?"


    "Hm," he scratched an eyebrow, uncomfortable. "Do you think you can do it here? If it is clean?"


    She covered her mouth with one hand, as she could not express her astonishment. A myriad of thoughts popped into her mind,


    ''Did he bring me to his house?!''


    ''Wasn''t he poor? He''s always so cheap! ''


    ''Does he want to lend his ''little'' house for me to do the runway show?''


    ''Why is he offering help now, and hasn''t he offered it before?''


    ''How can he live surrounded by works of art and be so insensitive?''


    ''Is this house magical?''


    ''Did he¡­ Was he jealous that Baek Woo Geun is helping me?''


    They heard footsteps, and an elderly man dressed in a robe over his pajamas entered the room. She could barely see his eyes on his withered face, two slits that matched his everlasting smile. It amazed the man that there was someone else there,


    "Master! I heard you coming, but I didn''t think you had visitors. I''m sorry, "said the man. But Eun Ha didn''t need to be a genius to know that actually, Hunter Shin didn''t bring people to his house often. And it made his offering even more special.


    "Er, this is Jung."


    "Miss. Jung, it is a pleasure to meet you," the man leaned over and she tried to stop him, after all, he was the old man.


    "Jung, Ahn lives in this house and will give you the necessary keys and also tell you where not to go," Shin briefly explained to the elderly man that his student would be doing a fashion show at the house. Eun Ha could only think that the Hunter had told someone about her. Mr. Ahn knew who she was!


    ''Does Professor Shin complain a lot about me, Mr. Ahn?''


    Ahn cleared his throat, and said,


    "Master Shin doesn''t talk much, Miss. Jung. But he never had a student before."


    Shin sighed, and when Ahn suggested preparing a supper, Shin shook his head, but Eun Ha was quick enough to force a situation,


    "Ah, I would love to have supper, Mr. Ahn! I''m also interested in knowing the faience of the house, in case we need it, right? Could you show me, please?"


    Mr. Ahn sought his Master''s approval with a look, and Shin shrugged, with his usual inexpressive facade. Eun Ha almost waltzed through the house after Hunter Shin''s butler!


    ''OH MY GOD! Hunter Shin is Batman!''


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "It''s getting great, President Song! I liked the new fixtures!" said Ye Rim, when visiting Pearl this evening. The renovation works were over, and after the authorities did the inspection to clear the venue for shows, Pearl could finally reopen. Mrs. Song was being particularly careful with this part, as she knew that any pending issue could delay the reopening of the Club.


    "They looked great, didn''t they? You will be delighted with the stage lighting set. Duk Mi insisted that we buy this one and even made a "donation" for it. I hardly believed it!" the ajuhmma laughed, but then lowered her tone and said, in a conspiratorial tone, "But now I don''t know what to do! Mrs. Cha really is moving the waters to have a fan meeting. And she told me something new that left me so stressed, aigoo!"


    "Please Mrs. Song, don''t make me too anxious, tell me, please!"


    "Mrs. Cha''s niece contacted the singer Seol Im Ja!"


    "What?! Seol Im Ja?! Daebak!" Seol Im Ja was a respected name in the trot genre, and was still active as a great singer.


    "Because someone said that she and Duk Mi, I mean, the real Duk Mi, started their career almost together in the countryside! And Ms. Cha said that Singer Im Ja is interested in coming to the meeting to meet Duk Mi again!"


    "OMO!" This was not a good thing. What if she discovered Duk Mi was not the real Duk Mi?!


    "Well, let''s hope she has a busy schedule. Honey, can you do me a favor and get a box from my car? Ms. Song gave Ye Rim the car key, "I bought what the electrician asked for, but I ended up forgetting inside the car. It''s behind the driver''s seat."


    "Sure, President!" Ye Rim took the keys, it wasn''t a problem to help while Mrs. Song worked out more pressing things. She left the building and saw President Song''s car across the street. She had opened the front door and leaned over to pick up the small box of electrical items when she noticed a car approaching. Looking in the rearview mirror, she immediately identified Hong Gi''s luxurious car. She remembered the last time she saw the mobster who owned Pearl''s building. He harassed her, how to forget? Ye Rim quickly got into the car and closed the door. Hong Gi''s driver stopped in a double file, and just behind him, another car stopped. A thug got out of the back car just to open the door for Hong Gi.


    ''That''s ridiculous!'' Ye Rim thought, and lowed her head so she wouldn''t be seen or questioned by any of them. Eun Ha had commented that Hong Gi''s henchmen were ruining the audition posters. Ye Rim imagined that they could start to become more and more aggressive by getting Mrs. Song and Pearl out of there.


    Hong Gi came down, talking on the phone. She was unable to see him, but he stopped by the car where she was hiding into,


    "... That matter from before. Do you need me to fix it? But you see, my friend, I no longer work with these things. Really, it''s something that becomes to the past. My old man would be disappointed ... Listen. It''s ok. I no longer have any active contacts in the morgue, things are not so simple nowadays. Besides, that money doesn''t interest me. I''m talking, why don''t you listen to me ?! Am I not listening ?!"


    ''He''s not afraid of anything at all. The only thing he fears is his father''s reactions!'' Ye Rim found out, suspecting that this conversation had criminal content.


    "You are quite bold, Lee. But then did the fish start to stink? I don''t solve that kind of problem. My business is different. And to think that you had a huge job to catch this fish, right?"


    ''What is he talking about? ''Fish''? Is it money or person?'' she wondered, keeping herself low.


    "Uhn, well¡­ I can even do that. But it will be expensive. I will have to dedicate two people to take care of your fish. I also don''t want to do that for a long time, do you understand?" Hong Gi heard the answer on the other side, and laughed, hanging up the phone. Then he mumbled to himself,


    "Damn rich boy, if I don''t do it, you will make things hard for me, won''t you? Crazy psycho," she heard him walk away and enter Pearl''s building.


    Listening to the whole conversation made her uneasy. Who would Lee be and what would Hong Gi do for him?

 Chapter 149 - Hye Seong

    Mr. Ahn showed all the dishes and silverware. Eun Ha found them too delicate and expensive to put in use. Some of them were definitely antique pieces! Mr. Ahn also ended up telling, because of the young fairy''s insistence, that the Master used only a portion of the big house and lived there for a long, long time. After that he closed himself up like a shell and revealed nothing more, keeping only his smile matching his slitlike eyes. Eun Ha doubted that he could even see anything with those slits covered by drooping eyelids.


    Eun Ha left him in the kitchen, and tried to return by herself to where Hunter Shin was, with her mind full of new questions.


    Attracted by a room not yet explored, the stylist strayed from the path and came across a reading room with a fireplace and exquisite decor. Above the fireplace was a framed painting on silk, actually a Joseon-style portrait, of considerable size.


    Eun Ha blinked. Was that "THE" Hunter Shin? Totally Joseon style?


    "I should have guessed that a sly creature like you wouldn''t come straight back," Eun Ha heard the voice behind her, and turned around hiding her hands behind her body as if she were being caught stealing,


    "Professor Shin ... Is that you?"


    "You are not going to tell me you are suddenly myopic," he had his hands in his pants pockets, and looked up at the ceiling, as if thinking about something. "Besides, I already explained that our people live much longer than humans ... in a sense."


    "But you still haven''t explained why you don''t age!" Eun Ha turned around, narrowing her eyes accusingly. But of course, her threatening expression didn''t even make him respect her the slightest. The Hunter took two steps forward and placed his hand flat on her forehead, pushing it slightly back. Eun Ha tried to keep her stand, but even that little pressure was too much for her, and she became unbalanced. In order not to fall backward she grabbed the other fairy''s free arm with both hands.


    "I would have explained it if you stopped talking," he raised an eyebrow, apparently not intending to lose this ''argument''.


    "If only you''d speak! It''s so hard to get information from you!" Eun Ha didn''t let go of his arm.


    "And don''t listen to me when that happens," he shook his head.


    "When did the Professor tell me his age? And why don''t you get old? And that your name is Shin Hye Seong?" she didn''t forget he told Ye Rim his name without little effort from her part.


    "No, ''Jung''. I don''t have a surname. Only humans have surnames. My name is Hye Seong."


    Eun Ha looked at him, static. She remembered when they met, and she introduced herself with her full name. The Hunter was quite ironic in calling her Jung at the time. She also remembered that no other fairy had a last name. The fairy who had lost her powers, In Jung. Or the owner of the candy store, Chil Won.


    "Why?"


    "Well, because, about 500 years ago, there was a war between some fairy clans, here in the east. There was an idea of ??aristocracy, and there was royalty. At the end of the war, a council was formed, and family names were extinguished, to avoid hubris, and loser and winners sides."


    "So ''Shin'' is arbitrary?"


    "Uhm ..."


    "And why don''t you call me by my name?"


    "Jung?"


    "No, Eun Ha."


    He took a deep breath, showing impatience, and was going to free his arm and walk away, she realized. But she clung more tightly to the arm she was holding.


    "Jung! What is it?! Let me go!" he snarled.


    "No! Our conversation is not over!"


    "You can''t tell me when I''m done talking!" this time the Hunter actually turned his back to her, but Eun Ha remained clinging to him. Resulting in Hunter Shin dragging the little fairy as she dragged the Persian rug and slid behind him across the room, stubbornly,


    "When am I going to stop aging?" she insisted.


    "When you have a deep trauma," he gave her a usual laconic response.


    "What happened to me, the allergy. It''s very rare?"


    "No. Everyone has some type of allergy."


    "Even you, Professor?" she recently discovered the side effects of ingesting anise, and didn''t want to repeat.


    "Yes. I have a chocolate allergy," he mumbled, looking back and seeing that she didn''t seem willing to let go of his arm.


    "OH! So that''s when..." Eun Ha remembered when she put the ganache on his mouth, ''Poor thing!''


    Then Shin stopped walking and tried to run away from her, and turned to the young fairy again,


    "And you also react to the yellow color. Your magic does not work if you are in contact with the yellow color."


    "Why?" she also remembered her sweatshirt was stained with yellow paint when she ran from Hong Gi mobsters. She probably touched some freshly painted surface. And that''s why her wand didn''t obey her commands when she needed the most. Knowing how it affected her magic was important.


    "It is a complex part. Jung¡­"


    " Eun Ha. "


    Hunter Shin looked at her seriously, clearly holding back what he would say next when they heard Mr. Ahn''s call near the door,


    "Excuse me. I prepared a simple supper, which awaits you in the dining room."


    After Ahn left, the Hunter asked,


    "Are you still going to need my arm?"


    Eun Ha released him, sulking, following behind Shin to the dining room.


    There were soup and fish, and it was delicious. Eun Ha waited to see if the Hunter, as a host, would have a pleasant conversation, but it didn''t. Shin just ate in silence, ''I don''t even know why I''m surprised.''


    "Your house is beautiful."


    "Thanks."


    "Is it your family''s home? ""


    "No. My family''s home was destroyed many years ago."


    "So the Professor lived here with his wife?" her second theory, while painful, seemed the only likely alternative.


    "Yes."


    Eun Ha crushed a bean in the soup, biting her lips, ''Couldn''t he just play dumb ?!''


    "A long time ago?"


    "Hm."


    "Your strategy of keeping the garden unattended and that sign outside very smart."


    "Thanks."


    "Why did the Professor offer his home to me?"


    "Because it will be free. So you use the money to pay people."


    What I mean is that ... This is your home. Wouldn''t it be easier¡­ lend me the money so I can find a good place? "


    "I already said that I will not lend you money."


    She sighed. It was true. He had said that.


    "I can''t feel the magic here. That place ¡­"


    "The magic that once existed here has been consumed for a long time. The humans who come here don''t stay long enough, except Ahn. But it''s not enough to leave and i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e the place."


    So Eun Ha understood. Unlike her home, where Ye Rim constantly produced magic, Professor Shin''s home was empty and even those works of art had been emptied from magic. She was itching to touch the delicate subject of what would have happened for the Hunter to be without his magic. But she thought it would not be a good time. He was quite wary now.


    "How can I thank you for everything you have done for me, Professor Shin? Like teaching, and saving, and lending me your home?"


    "Do you think it would be possible?"


    "Mm, well ... Maybe I''m not the best fairy in the world, but sometimes I have good ideas."


    "Like the Fashion Ball?"


    "This will still revert to the good of all, you will see. But I''m talking about other ideas, especially the time I opened the door to the candy store. In fact, the Professor shouldn''t have been alone that day. The chocolate thing, I mean."


    "It wouldn''t solve much, if you had stayed. In fact, it would probably be talking and talking and would hinder my investigation."


    "I would have given you a hug, like you did when I was scared."


    "Ahem!"


    "What is it, Professor?! These are other times! I thought you acted like an old-fashioned man! " she revealed with a smile. She just didn''t foresee he''d have a bad reaction,


    "Call me whatever you want! Don''t expect me to behave like a ''modern man'', like your ''friend'' Baek Woo Geun! You don''t touch a young single woman as if¡­" he only stopped when he saw Eun Ha''s amused look.


    "I thought you didn''t care about me that much."


    "I didn''t want to, but I have to care. You are an uneducated orphan, a wild fairy! It needs to be recognized by society and¡­"


    "And¡­?" she was undoubtedly interested in knowing what else he would have said before he found himself talking too much.


    "Find a real teacher."


    ''No! I don''t want another teacher! Only you!'' she held her breath to control the reaction that was going through her mind,


    "I am happy with the teacher that I have. She held up her wine glass, "To Professor ''Shin'' Hye Seong. He''s grumpy, but he offered me his home to make my dream come true," she smiled sweetly at Shin. He remained impassive,


    "Then listen to me. Don''t let yourself be seduced by that preening kiddo. He''s fickle and judges people for what they can offer. It will not last over nine months."


    "Nine months ... Is that a Joseon''s old measure?"


    "Hm, do you think I''m kidding?"


    "Well, the Professor also measured me for what I could offer. Magic. Will it also last nine months?" Eun Ha felt compelled to return in kind. Did he really think she was that silly?


    "Ha, you''re right. And that is why I say that it sucks. Because I can recognize a similar one."


    ''Aishh. When will he admit that we''re meant to be a couple?''

 Chapter 150 - With a Little Help from My Friends

    Things came together favorably in the coming weeks for Eun Ha''s projects. With the help of her friends, the designer had time to produce the clothes for the show while they took care of the rest.


    The runway show was only a few hours away. Many people invited confirmed their presences, and in fact the event was packed, as all vacant seats were requested.


    Alexander Zhang and his daughter Yuna Zhang had confirmed their presence at the event and sent flowers and a basket of fruit in the morning. Other people, like Composer Lee, had also sent gifts and congratulations. In fact, even Dr. Flamingo had sent her flowers!


    Feeling so tense that her neck hurt, Eun Ha once again passed the makeup room, where the models talked while the professionals worked. Soo Bin Noona was beaming, while commanding her assistant hairdressers and makeup artists. Fifteen models, men and women, would take turns on the catwalk to show 34 different clothes.


    One of these models was, of course, Kang Dae, or rather, Ryan Lee.


    Woo Geun and some friends organized every detail as if it were his show. He had complete control of the situation. He was also filming backstage for posterity, and recorded several moments of the production. He made some live streams in his channels to boost the event relevance in social media.


    Eun Ha''s former boss, Dentist Park, had hired a professional DJ as his good luck gift to Eun Ha. Friends at Kang Dae''s boxing academy offered to help with parking and securing the event for a lower fee. Chang Mi would be in charge of lighting the catwalk. Ye Rim managed to get Mrs. Cha, from the Orchid Club, to get flowers at a good discount. Ye Rim would help with the reception of the event, together with Woo Geun''s team.


    And when Madame Jung, Eun Ha''s mother, was communicated, she immediately came with Ye Rim''s father to the capital. Madame Jung took care of all the catering details, her specialty in the girls'' hometown.


    Only the owner of the mansion was not in sight when this whole event was prepared. But the garden was perfect for the day of the event, and the signage was replaced by banners that announced Jung Eun Ha''s fashion show.


    The press and photographers were already in their designed places, and Woo Geun came to remind her she had to be prepared for some interviews before the event.


    Looking around, Eun Ha took a deep breath. It was time to get in the storm''s eye and definitely put her talent as a stylist at stake.


    None of this relied on magic. And she wondered if she would be able to enthrall people enough that some magic would build up in that hall.


    ooo


    It was unbelievable that the French Professor of Eun Ha was actually a wealthy and eccentric heir with a mansion overflowing with works of art. But it was true, and thanks to him Eun Ha would make his official debut in a place as beautiful as her clothes. It was much better than they envisioned!


    Ye Rim looked around, and then at the clock. The parade would start in about 20 minutes. The guests were waiting. Lee Dae Won, Alexander Zhang and his daughter, as well as other important guests, were already in the hall, waiting for the fashion show to begin. Jun Hyeon had not come yet, despite being invited. They hadn''t seen each other in the past few days, as Ye Rim was quite busy with the runway show in her spare time, so she wasn''t taking dance lessons.


    Then, Mr. Shin''s butler, Mr. Ahn, came to her discreetly,


    "Miss. Nam, I''m afraid to disturb you, but Mas ... Mr. Shin asked me to report any problems with the guests to you."


    "Sure, what happened?" Ye Rim just hoped that no guest had spoiled this magnificent house.


    "I just saw a woman putting medicine in a drink, I''m sorry to have to report this. But I think someone might be in danger," Mr. Ahn described the woman and said he suspected her attitude when she was spotted into a forbidden place. Ye Rim reassured him, saying she would find the person. She just hoped that no one would ruin Eun Ha''s event tonight. She would drag that person by the hair, if that happened!


    Ye Rim was going to where the guests were, when she saw Jun Hyeon arrive. She, who was already a little angry and thinking he wouldn''t come, felt her heart flutter treacherously when he hurried in, and came straight at her.


    With an embarrassed smile, he apologized for the delay,


    "Something happened at the hospital, so I was late. Has the show started?"


    "No, but it will start soon. Can you do me a favor, meanwhile?" she briefly told what was going on, and that she wanted to deal with it discreetly. Unfortunately, from the description, she believed it involved an important person: Yuna Zhang. Jun Hyeon said he would keep an eye out, and he looked very concerned. Then she took him to the salon, realizing that it impressed the doctor. It made her happy,


    "Did you expect less?"


    "Well, I had to follow the GPS, because I had never heard of this place. Which is? A museum? It''s an exquisite and  different place for a runway show."


    "No, it''s the home of the French Professor Shin!"


    She needed to remind him who was Professor Shin and his relationship to Eun Ha.


    "The event is beautiful. I look forward to meeting your friend in person after the parade," he commented.


    "Those," she pointed to the front row, "are my father, and Eun Ha''s mother," she was proud of them. Ye Rim just didn''t know what it would be like to introduce Jun Hyeon to her father. But out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the doctor''s reaction. Dr. Kim seemed curious and full of plans, which left her inappropriately euphoric. ''We don''t even have anything, we just kiss once, why am I looking forward to introducing you to my father?!''


    However, a staff member came to tell her she should be backstage. Eun Ha asked for her presence before the show began. Saying goodbye, she hurried out. But not before Jun Hyeon quickly squeezed her hand and let it go, wishing them luck.


    ooo


    Jun Hyeon had done his best after a surgery that took longer than expected, to arrive dressed in a presentable way for the fashion designer Jung''s debut. The surgeon knew how important Eun Ha was to Ye Rim, and how involved she was with the event.


    Ye Rim was so beautiful and bold with an aggressive and dark makeup, and a very sensual black silk jumpsuit that enhanced her curves, that he was breathless when he saw her. But that was nothing new, was it? He was happy to see that she was a little sulky because of his delay. It hadn''t been on purpose, but she missed him! How could an a.d.u.l.t man be happy with such nonsense?


    But then she told him about her suspicions about Yuna Zhang. Kim Jun Hyeon was immediately concerned. The facts of the Fashion Ball together with this suspicion could indicate an ongoing crime. He looked for the woman with the description, and soon saw Yuna Zhang, leaving her father''s side. Dr. Kim decided to follow her discreetly.


    The woman moved away from the crowd, trying to avoid the cameras. She left through a side door, and Jun Hyeon followed her. The doctor felt he was doing something wrong, but the accusation that Yuna Zhang possibly spiked a drink for someone was quite serious. And Jun Hyeon now suspected that she was trying to poison her own father.


    Upon arriving as close as he could in a casual manner, without being seen, Jun Hyeon hid himself. He stood in a position where he could see her silhouette projected on the grass in the garden, since Yuna Zhang had her back to a lighted door. From there, he can only hear her exclaim,


    "Maybe it won''t work. I don''t know if I can do this!"


    ''Hm, this is definitely suspicious, but should I interfere and confront her?''


    He watched more and more puzzled as to the silhouette move away from the door and into the bushes. So he had a better view of what Yuna Zhang was doing.


    She was hiding something in the bushes! Then she went back to the salon, taking her cell phone out of her bag.


    ''Hm, let''s see what she left there ...'' Dr. Kim let a few minutes pass to make sure she wasn''t returning, and went over to the bush.


    "How pathetic, how am I going to justify myself to the owner of the house for checking his garden," he mumbled, as he fiddled with the plants in the flower bed using his cell phone flashlight as an aid. He finally saw the object. It was a cell phone, which he fished with two fingers.


    "Well, you can start now," a voice said behind him. Jun Hyeon stood up in alarm. In front of him, a man of aristocratic appearance, perhaps a little older than he, naturally handsome and without any plastic surgery. ''Sui generis''.


    "Good evening. Are you the owner of the house? Professor Shin?" he asked. He imagined someone different as Eun Ha''s eccentric friend.


    "Yes, I am the owner of the house. And what did you find in my garden, Dr. Kim?"


    ''Great. He knows who I am. Now, to the explanations of why this is a  problem,'' thought Kim Jun Hyeon.

 Chapter 151 - Slipping Away I

    ''My babies!'' Eun Ha thought as the models walked past her backstage and onto the catwalk. They were so perfect that her eyes filled with tears of nervousness and emotion. Baek Woo Geun and Ye Rim are at her side, as anxious as she is. Kang Dae passed by with a smile, saying,


    "It will be all right, Shorty. Relax!" and he strutted onto the catwalk. She bit her lip as she watched what was happening outside on a TV. Kang Dae was impeccable on the catwalk! So s.e.xy! Even Woo Geun mumbled,


    "Aigoo, he''s not that bad!"


    "Unnie, Unnie!" Ye Rim exclaimed, showing his cell phone, "The reactions are incredible! People are enjoying it! The views are increasing!"


    The two hopped for joy together. But everything went so fast. The final line of models passed and at the end, Eun Ha, accompanied by her two friends who worked so hard to make the event, went to the catwalk, to receive the applause. Her first look was at her adoptive mother who was melting into tears near the catwalk. She went to the edge of the catwalk and leaned over to hug her mother, and receive flowers from Ye Rim''s father. The man she had as her father''s reference. But her gaze also shifted to the back of the room, where she saw Hunter Shin standing, as always so serious, looking in her direction.


    He was applauding her.


    Ye Rim finally managed to leave the backstage with Eun Ha, but people surrounded her unnie as soon as she showed up. Ye Rim was at her limit and urgently needed to pee. She just forgot to do it before.  There were so many worries and so many good emotions at the same time that she wasn''t sure if she was missing anything.


    On the way to one restroom, she saw Lee Dae Won, and although she wanted to talk to him, she didn''t want to do that when nature called her so urgently. So she turned away, hoping the Musician wouldn''t see her so she wouldn''t have to explain herself. But Ye Rim realized that he was going in one direction, and suddenly he pivoted, in a very peculiar way. Almost as if he didn''t want to be seen.


    ''Well, it''s not just me.'' She didn''t have time to find out why Lee Dae Won was immediately going to the exit door. To the side where he looked, Ye Rim just recognized Chang Mi, absentmindedly carrying some heavy objects.


    Luckily, Ye Rim knew exactly which bathroom was unlikely to have a line of women, and went there.


    After using the toilet, she was washing her hands when she felt the same cold she had felt days ago near Jun Hyeon''s room. She took a deep breath, letting the water run some more in her hands.


    Outside the bathroom, there was such a creature, she wondered, ''Why is this thing here?''


    Ye Rim wasn''t afraid, she just tried to think what to do. But now she had a weapon: the words of power that the shaman Mo Bin had taught her. Words to expel and ''cut like a knife'' those creatures. The Serpent-Sun Prayer.


    Taking a deep breath, Ye Rim opened the door.


    To her surprise, in front of her was Yuna Zhang, with an anxious expression and glassy eyes, her forehead shiny with sweat. She looked away when their eyes met, and passed Ye Rim to enter the bathroom.


    But Ye Rim saw more than that. Glued to the woman''s neck and crouched over her back, the black shadow seemed to suck heavily from Yuna. It was like a dark version of herself, fat and glossy like a worm made of shadow. Ye Rim knew she was going to risk her reputation, but that thing was killing this woman. Should she just let it go, like she doesn''t know?


    When Yuna was closing the door, Ye Rim put her foot up to prevent it, and forced the door open.


    Yuna looked at her in surprise, opening her mouth at the odd and invasive attitude of the unknown woman.


    Ye Rim entered the small bathroom space and closed the door behind her, much to Yuna Zhang''s shock.


    oo


    "Miss Jung, can you come here for a moment?" Hunter Shin''s low voice brought the fashion designer out of her lively conversation with a group of people. Eun Ha was so happy that she couldn''t pay much attention to what was going on around her. But of course, if her fairy teacher called her, she had to go.


    Following him to a less crowded part of the party, next to the entrance, Eun Ha turned to thank him for the thousandth time in the last few days,


    "Professor Shin, thank you so much for ..."


    "Cut it out. Hold this," he said, pushing an object into her hands. She held it like a hot potato, until she realized it was not at all dangerous. Just a cell phone.


    "What is it? I mean, what are you giving me this for?" she asked, genuinely intrigued.


    "Dr. Kim saw Yuna Zhang hiding this cell phone in the bushes in the garden. And Ahn saw the same person spiking a drink just before. I think this woman is trying, for the second time, to kill her father. And from the things Dr. Kim ended up telling me, he thinks it may involve Vivian Park," the Hunter summed up what the guest revealed to him. Kim Jun Hyeon was pressured about the reasons he was following Yuna Zhang. Eun Ha looked at the people at her party, but saw none of the Zhangs around.


    "But ... what am I supposed to do with this phone?"


    "I didn''t want to involve you today, but you are a girl. Use your magic to change your voice just a little and imitate Yuna Zhang for the person on the other end of the line. I still don''t know why she hid her cell phone in the bushes, but there must be a good reason. I just need you to do this. I''ll fix it out of here, without ruining your event. But maybe the person on the other end of the line will get rid of their own cell phone, if we take too long to act."


    Eun Ha took a deep breath, and said,


    "Yes, please keep it from hurting Stylist Zhang. He''s a good person, "and discreetly using her magic wand, she cast a spell on the phone. Using callback, she waited for the person on the other end to answer.


    ooo


    Yuna was wide-eyed, in the small space of the toilet, when Ye Rim raised her hand in her direction,


    "What are you doing? Who are you?! Don''t touch me!" she flinched at Ye Rim''s aggressive attitude. Ye Rim, however, was not really focusing her attention on the woman, but on the thing over her head. The shadow seemed to be on the alert as soon as Ye Rim appeared. The singer could comparatively assess that this creature was much stronger than the one she had seen in Jun Hyeon''s room.


    Ye Rim recited the mantra, and felt the body tingle. The thing about Yuna Zhang jumped from her towards the ceiling, looking like it was in pain, and trying to stay as far away from Ye Rim as possible. Yuna covered her mouth, seeming to contain a sudden nausea.


    ''What should I do now? Shouldn''t that thing just go away? '' Ye Rim wondered, looking at the high-ceiling of the bathroom, where the creature had taken shelter. And where it seemed that Ye Rim could not reach it even with prayers. What she did was carefully open the bathroom door behind her, and say, "Go away, Yuna Zhang."


    The woman pushed Ye Rim violently to pass, looking like she was about to pass out, while covering her mouth with both hands.


    ''What do I do now, aigoo!'' Ye Rim asked herself in distress. She trapped the creature, but the singer also could not expel it. She knew that what the creature wanted was to escape from there and go after its host, Yuna Zhang. And at that moment, Yuna Zhang could be outside saying that she was a madwoman who had attacked her in the bathroom.


    ''Why do I get into this kind of thing?'' she wondered, staring at the shadow.


    ooo


    "How much longer will you take, you little idiot?" the female voice on the other side growled.


    "It''s full of people here, I can''t ..." Eun Ha tried to maintain a dubious dialogue, but now she was sure it was Vivian Park. She had never spoken personally to the heiress to Stylist Park, but she had seen several interviews on TV and on the internet. And her own voice came close to Yuna''s voice on the phone, or at least that was what she expected.


    "It does not matter to me. You shouldn''t have even waited for the show to end. Will it make an effect in front of people? Don''t delay your part in this deal, it''s useless. If it doesn''t happen today, it will happen. Suffering and shame for you and your father. Your videos are ready to upload. "


    Eun Ha looked at Professor Shin, alarmed, not knowing what to say to continue the conversation and keep Vivian Park talking. Then she saw the real Yuna Zhang coming towards them. Yuna was not only pale, but of a purple hue of pale. Her distraught state and poor health were visible even under layers of makeup. The woman pointed a finger at Eun Ha, and said in a strange way,


    "This cell phone ..."


    On the other end of the line, Vivian Park seemed to notice the trap, and hung up.

 Chapter 152 - Slipping Away 2

    Ye Rim also wondered why she was more disgusted than afraid of that grotesque thing and whose face vaguely resembled Yuna. It was like a c.o.c.kroach. Something hateful, but you couldn''t really be afraid. Ye Rim knew that the creature could not attack her or do any kind of harm. She thought about speaking the words louder and more clearly, and maybe even going up to the sink to get closer to the creature. Shouldn''t the Sun Serpent Prayer work?


    However, the door behind her suddenly opened, hitting her in the back. It threw Ye Rim forward, and the woman who had opened the door apologized, embarrassed and distressed. Ye Rim still felt the painful impact on her lower back, when the creature took the moment to escape like a gecko. The thing ran across the wall and ran through the top of the open door in that liquid, terrifying way that she had seen once.


    The human, of course, saw nothing, and still apologized effusively, asking if she had hurt Ye Rim.


    Ye Rim controlled her frustration and even the pain, and left the bathroom after losing her supernatural ''prey''. The singer looked around and saw she didn''t see the creature anymore, in the midst of the noisy crowd.


    "I finally found you," Kim Jun Hyeon stopped beside her. He didn''t have a cheerful expression, however,


    "You seem in pain, what is it?"


    "A girl slammed the bathroom door on me, unintentionally. I''m okay."


    After making sure she really wasn''t hurt, Dr. Kim said,


    "Ye Rim, I spoke to the owner of the house. We''d better talk to him. I think we have to do something about Yuna Zhang. She is up to something, which may happen tonight."


    "I also have something to tell you, Oppa. Something incredible just happened!" Right now, Ye Rim just wanted to tell immediately about the shadow and her attempt of ''exorcism''. Yuna was free from the thing, and maybe everything would be resolved now. But then Jun Hyeon drew her attention to a small group near the entrance,


    "Look, how convenient for us! Yuna is with your friend and the owner of the house! Perhaps it is the right time to act!"


    Ye Rim nodded, looking at where Eun Ha was, with Shin Hye Seong and Yuna Zhang. And intimately she loved Jun Hyeon''s attitude! Sensible but assertive!


    They headed for the group, while Ye Rim thought better about how to tell the things that happened to them. Would they believe her?


    ooo


    "Yuna-ssi!" Stylist Jung exclaimed as if she hadn''t realized that the woman was clearly in poor health. She knew that Yuna had serious addictions, and that she was being blackmailed because of them. She was being forced to cause an accident that could kill her own father. While Eun Ha  felt sorry for this woman, she also disliked Yuna. But she also didn''t want to cause any scandal at her own fashion show, did she? Yuna was in complete disarray, with bulging eyes and a sweaty skin. The Hunter also could not took the magic monocle and examine the woman in front of everyone. But it wasn''t necessary. They both knew that she was in an advanced stage of wraith parasite due to her depression and addictions. A wraith were not the cause, but it worsened her condition, and made her more susceptible.


    "Is this your cell phone, Yuna-ssi?" Eun Ha asked innocently, taking her hand down for a moment. Her wand was in the same hand as her cell phone, and she expertly placed both of them in the pocket of her clothing.


    "Yes, Mrs. Jung, I dropped it and was looking for it!" Yuna said with shaky and pitchy voice, a mix of anger and fear.


    "How lucky that the owner of the house just found him!" Eun Ha said with a smile.


    "Were you trying to call with my phone?"


    "The phone rang as soon as I took it," Eun Ha handed the phone back, without further questioning. What Yuna wouldn''t know, of course, is that it wasn''t the real phone.


    "You¡­!"


    "But when I answered, the person hung up!" the fairy wanted to see Yuna''s reaction. Designer Zhang''s daughter visibly trembled, but thanked her with a yellow smile, seeming not to trust Eun Ha''s words entirely,


    "Right. Thanks. I am in debt. Unfortunately, I''m afraid I have to go," she froze when she saw Ye Rim join the group, next to Dr. Flamingo. This intrigued the fairy, but she realized that the couple also was acting strangely. The woman, contrary to expectations on social occasions turned on her heels and hurriedly left them. The doctor turned to go after her, but Hunter Shin stopped him,


    "Dr. Kim. We better get this out of here. I don''t want to spoil Miss Jung''s reception."


    "But what happened here?" asked Ye Rim, "Ah, before that, I can finally introduce you personally," and she introduced Dr. Flamingo by his real name.


    Eun Ha couldn''t even narrow her eyes as she wanted, if it was another occasion. But she had promised that she would no longer pursue the Man in Pink, so she smiled. ''You are still under observation, you pink wading bird! One misstep and you''re done! '' she thought with conviction. The doctor, on the other hand, smiled with all his teeth showing at Eun Ha. ''Ah, up close he is even more handsome! This is worse than I thought!''


    "I suggest we follow Ms. Zhang and her father on the way home, and hand the phone over to the police after that," he said. Eun ha looked away from her friend, just to see her eyes sparkle with emotion at all that Dr. Flamingo''s facade attitude. Eun Ha sighed, turning to the person who would certainly solve everything. The brave and effective Hunter Shin!


    He held out his hand for Eun Ha to hand him the real cell phone. Of course, her maneuver had not escaped his eyes. He mumbled,


    "Your talkative friend Baek is coming, Miss Jung," and turning to Dr. kim, he spoke more audibly, "If Dr. Kim is a good driver, I will accept a ride to do exactly what you said."


    ''Uhm? What a traitor! How is he going to call Dr. Flamingo to help him?!'' Eun Ha felt jealous. Ye Rim at their side, however, encouraged them,


    "Please be cautious. This woman is in serious trouble. I don''t know how to explain it right now, but I just know that she is very upset."


    "It will be good to have a doctor by my side, in case something happens along the way with one of them," explained the Hunter. But the conversation couldn''t continue as, as predicted, Woo Geun reached out to them, asking Eun Ha and Ye Rim to circulate with him for a while to greet more people.


    Eun Ha saw the two men leaving together, with a tightness in the chest.


    ooo


    "There they are!" said Mr. Shin. And Jun Hyeon looked immediately at the courtyard where the valet was holding the door for Yuna Zhang to place her father into the car. Alexander Zhang staggered in the passenger seat of her car.


    "I think we can reach them. I was late, so my car must be closer," he said. And he was right. Jun Hyeon has always been a great driver, so I had no trouble reaching Yuna''s car out of the neighborhood.


    "Don''t you think it''s strange that she came with a car without a driver?"


    "I think it has a purpose. She doesn''t want witnesses ..."


    "Or she wants to cause an accident. Her father''s chances of surviving would be severely diminished if he were unconscious or semi-unconscious," said Kim, although his mind also wandered to cases where a person could die of intoxication and, if he suffered a violent accident, the fact would be easily covered up. While he remained in Yuna''s track, he noticed that the man beside him had put on a strange blue monocle.


    "Your accessory ... Does it have a purpose?" he asked, curious.


    "Yes," replied Miss. Jung''s French teacher.


    "And what is it?" He thought it unnecessary to ask, but he had already realized that Mr. Shin was as eccentric as Ye Rim''s unnie. And they were a very peculiar couple.


    "Look cool while we do this," was the unexpected response he received from Mr. Shin. Jun Hyeon laughed. This guy was cool. Maybe I didn''t even need the monocle.


    "If this woman tries to throw that car against a pole, we''re going to have problems. I think we better call the police."


    "Yes. Because, I''m sure she''ll do it," said the mysterious man. ''Why does it look like he is seeing things that I am not seeing?'' Jun Hyeon wondered. But he pressed the dashboard of the car and called the police, denouncing driving under the influence of alcohol and telling them where they were.


    Yuna was going to the bridge over the Han River.


    "Why do I think this woman wants to do something even more crazy and horrible?" he exposed his most pessimistic thoughts. He was afraid that the woman was so desperate that she planned to commit suicide while her poor father was unconscious in the car. Yuna was acting as a suicide, before leaving the mansion.


    "I think we better try to make it pull over," said Shin. Can you get close to them?"


    "Maybe she speeds up if I do it."


    "Then, we must take a drastic measure," the monocle guy said, and Jun Hyeon thought he was quite bold for a French teacher. ''What this guy really is?''


    "What do you intend to do?" Kim asked, as he sped up to do what was necessary.


    "She''s in the right lane. Come closer. We have to do this just before it reaches dangerous terrain or the bridge. Then you will hit her car behind the rear wheel with the side of that car."


    Kim Jun Hyeon acknowledged the police maneuver. If done in adverse conditions or on a dangerous road, it could make the car go flying, and it might be lethal. So it had to be now.


    He turned the wheel, taking a deep breath, and muttering under his breath,


    "And here we go!"

 Chapter 153 - Chang Mi Has Something to Say

    "They got along really well, didn''t they?" asked Kang Dae, passing Ye Rim. He brought plates while she set the table. He was referring to the group of older people gathered under the shade of an awning in the garden, talking animatedly: Mrs. Song and Duk Mi, Mr. Go and Dr. Park and wife, and also Mr. Ahn, Mrs. Yoo, Madame Jung, and Mr. Nam.


    The morning after the event was mild and pleasant, and those who stayed to help organize the venue after the parade got a surprise breakfast organized by Madame Jung, Mrs. Yoo, and Mr. Ahn.


    "Ah, the older ones always have a lot to talk about when they meet. I''m glad they''re welcoming my father and Madame Jung so well," she commented with a grin.


    Baek Woo Geun, wearing sunglasses and protecting his skin from the 6 AM sun with a huge hat, arrived with the kimchi,


    "Aigoo. I''m so tired! But it was worth it! Mrs. Yoo told me to be careful with this national treasure," he said, depositing the pot in the middle of the table.


    "My mom will always say that, Woo Geun. She treats kimchi as if it were the middle child."


    That comment drew laughter from Ye Rim and Woo Geun, who said,


    "By the way, you weren''t disappointing as I feared, Kang Dae. I think I owe you an apology for doubting you."


    "It''s all right. It just stimulated my competitive side, as that rapper did. I knew I should rock the catwalk. I have yet to convince some women it''s a real career," he glanced sideways at Soo Bin noona, resting with her eyes closed on a lounge chair.


    "Well, you look good, but you lack style," the fashionista needled. Kang Dae replied embarrassedly,


    "Well, some people like you and Eun Ha are already born with this. But some simpletons like me have to work hard to learn,"


    "Hm ..."


    "Woo Geun, Kang Dae is right. Perhaps he can''t reach your level overnight, but he has to start somewhere. A style guru could make him the new David Beckham! An icon of style, but without losing his essence!"


    Apparently Ye Rim''s words were the external stimulus that Woo Geun lacked.


    "I will help you if you want. And after that, I''m going to introduce you to a good agent," said Woo Geun. Ye Rim was surprised and happy. Kang Dae had really worked hard in the past few days to perform well to the catwalk.


    "I accept, Woo Geun!" Kang Dae was as radiant as she was. Woo Geun just gave his cryptic smile and asked,


    "Where''s Eun Ha?"


    ooo


    "What are you doing here, Chang Mi?" asked Eun Ha, catching the youngest of the Yoo in a forbidden part of the house. Of course, this only happened because she herself was also in a prohibited part of the house.


    "This place is intriguing, noona," said the student, with his usual enigmatic and controlled expression. It even looked like he wasn''t doing anything wrong when he knew he was. He pointed to a stunning library. Eun Ha was undecided for a moment, but then sighed,


    "Let''s find out!"


    He let her get in front and followed. The library wasn''t very large, but the books crammed the walls up to the ceiling. Parchments were kept in special places for this, just like the ancient manuscripts. There were also maps and intriguing objects. Here was the only place where there was the magic of knowledge gently emanating. Eun Ha had no doubt that that library held knowledge about its people.


    Chang Mi also seemed fascinated, but he refrained from touching anything. Eun Ha observed the boy who had a crush on her, according to Kang Dae. Was he the one who wrote those things at the top of the restaurant? Was he trying to say he knew your secret? He could have had easy access to her home, when making deliveries, to leave that book she thought was a gift from Hunter Shin. I could also have a good view of the apartment¡­ ''Ugh! Does he see me n.a.k.e.d from his bedroom window? Aigoo, what a perverted boy!''


    Just as they could have a good view of the greengrocer, the reverse could be true. She remembered several times when she passed him through the neighborhood, and how she sometimes felt watched. ''It''s definitely him!''


    ooo


    Chang Mi had not known the mysterious Eun Ha noona''s French teacher, but he was sure it was all a scam. Now, looking at that house and that special library, there was no doubt. He looked up at the skylight on the ceiling, surrounded by constellations he had never seen painted on a fresco.


    And then, lately, noona spent a lot of time away from home, arriving late and looking more agitated than usual. The mysterious man who surrounded the building had stopped coming shortly after a car started passing on the street, every night.


    That man was someone very special. And Chang Mi thought he could be, like Eun Ha, someone magical.


    When his first suspicions about noona arose, he doubted his sanity himself. That kind of thing happened only in video games and manhwa. But after a while, it was difficult to deny that what she did was magic. Eun Ha noona had the power to alter small day-to-day events, just by waving her green pen.


    But that was so fitting, when he thought of the huge smile and her huge eyes, her cheerful and spirited energy, her goodwill and charisma! Even when she was angry at some injustice, and his heart ached to embrace her! She was not of this world! Eun Ha noona was so perfect that there were no girls at her school, or idols, to compare with her. Ye Rim noona, who all agreed to be the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood, did not appeal to him like Eun Ha noona and her broad dimpled smile. He liked noona''s creative makeup, the black clothes and the hats, and how she was always willing to help. Because of her looks, at first, he thought she might be a witch. But he did a lot, a lot of research, and found ancient accounts of Goryeo''s fairies. Who used staff and were capable of many magical feats.


    But then this man, the ''French Professor Shin'', had come into her life. Chang Mi noticed that his Noona had changed a lot.


    He felt stabbed in the heart, especially now that Kang Dae, that stupid big-mouthed man, had told her everything. Now he was the perverted student who followed her.


    "Noona, I''m sorry for going into your room to leave a gift," he could start there, at least, to lessen his shame.


    "Chang Mi, you were very creative, I admit. But it''s a good thing you know you went over those things," she replied, looking at him. Perhaps he should have his eyes downcast and his face contrite, but he couldn''t. His mother always said that he was very proud and stubborn, but that was something inside him that Chang Mi was unable to tame,


    "Noona. I did it out of admiration. People say that you can be rejected when you confess your love. But I don''t believe that. I don''t need you to accept me. Even if you accept my love. It will be there, for you, regardless of whether you say you want to be loved. And don''t say that I don''t know what I''m talking about. Or about incompatibilities or whatever. I don''t want to be ashamed of something good that I feel. I will not be inconvenient or scary."


    Noona was silent for a moment, her eyes bright and full of tears, then she said,


    "Chang Mi, I can''t talk about this. You are the owner of your heart. I can only say that I know how you feel."


    "So it''s better not to talk about it anymore, is it?"


    "This part. But you need to tell me how you found out. And promise me you won''t tell anyone else."


    "You got my message, didn''t you? About the mysterious man surrounding the building? The man who doesn''t come out right in the photos?"


    "You need to tell me everything you know about this, too."


    He nodded, but before he could continue, they heard footsteps coming in that direction. Both left the library immediately, like two sneaky mice, and intended to return to the others in the garden when the owner of the house.


    Chang Mi saw the man in the overcoat, and immediately knew that he was, as he suspected, the same species as Eun Ha. A magical being. He immediately felt compelled to become defensive, his neck hair stood on end and his feet spread. Normally he was not afraid of anyone, only when bullies were in much larger groups. For some inexplicable reason, even at school he was never really attacked or bullied, despite knowing that many boys talked about him behind his back. But he felt evaluated from head to toe by the man in black.


    Then they stared at each other for almost a minute, without speaking. Noona Eun Ha interrupted this strange meeting,


    "I''m glad you finally arrived, Professor Shin! This is Chang Mi, my neighbor, and Kang Dae''s younger brother."


    He bowed respectfully, as was appropriate.


    Then the man said, looking away from her showing no more concerns to a mere student,


    "They are waiting for us for breakfast."


    But Chang Mi considered himself smart enough to know that he knew. He knew that the ''mere student'' was also special.

 Chapter 154 - Persimmon

    Jun Hyeon was still thinking about the things he had witnessed earlier, when the taxi dropped them off in front of Mr. Shin''s mansion. Both were exhausted, but received endless messages on their cell phones from their respective ''students''. However, he had an opinion on the matter,


    "It''s better not to give sordid details when we arrive. This Baek Woo Geun can ruin Park & ??Zhang with an indiscreet comment. In addition, it''s better that the police have time to investigate Vivian Park, hyung," he commented.


    Shin Hye Seong agreed,


    "Besides, it is a very delicate family matter."


    The doctor looked at him sideways, remembering when Yuna Zhang''s car spun and stopped a few meters away from theirs, after the crash. His companion jumped out of the car as soon as Jun Hyeon finished braking, running towards the other car. Jun Hyeon followed him, and when they reached Yuna and his father, the doctor realized that the Stylist Zhang was having a cardiorespiratory arrest.


    While doing cardiac massage on Alexander Zhang, out of the corner of his eye he realized that Shin was struggling not to hurt Yuna while containing her from hitting her head against the steering wheel. The woman was struggling and seemed out of control when Shin removed her from the car. She screamed that she had to die, and only stopped when Shin placed a small object on the woman''s forehead.


    At that time, Jun Hyeon was sure that the supernatural existed. He felt a chill rising from the ground level, and he felt suffocated, with an enormous weight on his shoulders. Shin quickly turned to him and touched his forehead with the cold object, and the sensation was immediately gone. Was it a stone? A coin? He wasn''t sure. What he was sure of was that Yuna Zhang had just been exorcised.


    The police arrived shortly afterward, and it took them some time to explain what had happened. And why they interfered.


    But they didn''t talk about it on the way back. They just agreed that they were hungry, very hungry.


    Jun Hyeon and Professor Shin arrived dirty and exhausted when almost everyone was at the breakfast table. Ye Rim went to them, asking distressingly,


    "How did things go? Are they well?"


    "They didn''t get hurt, in the end, but it''s complicated," replied Jun Hyeon with a sigh, and in a low voice. "The police took them both to the hospital. I accompanied them there, and then we went to the police station to give our statements. But we better not talk about it now." Looking around and seeing that everyone was paying close attention, he just changed the subject,


    "Apparently we missed the best part!"


    "Ah, what a pity. Your grandfather just left with Dr. Park," Ye Rim commented, understanding that it was not a good time for such a delicate subject.


    "Well, it''s a shame really," he looked directly at Ye Rim''s father. Mr. Nam was sitting next to Mrs. Yoo and Madame Jung.


    As he imagined, Ye Rim had her father''s eyes and eyebrow shape, and some facial expressions. He was a tall, athletic-looking man with gray hair and a tired face from perhaps a little self-abuse and overwork. But Ye Rim had already told him that his father had been a mechanic all his life.  Mr. Nam also examined him was from head to toe.


    "Aren''t you going to introduce me to your father, Ye Rim?" he asked strategically.


    But he heard,


    "Ah, look, let me finally introduce you to my mom, Professor Shin! Mom, this is Professor Shin, who lent this beautiful house for my fashion show. This is Madame Jung, the owner of Jolly Bakery, in my hometown. I always talk about our confectionery in our classes, mom. Professor Shin always wanted to meet you!"


    Jun Hyeon was interrupted in his plans by someone who had the same idea as him. Looking to the side, he witnessed Shin Hye Seong looking as if they had shot him in the foot. His face was so pale! Beside him, the witty mini version of Ye Rim. Miss. Jung, despite not physically resembling her friend, had the same amount of energy in a smaller body, and presented hyung Shin to the tall woman in hat and gloves. Madame Jung smiled at the man in black,


    "The good taste of your beautiful home already impressed me, Professor Shin. But now I''m impressed with the man you are. Bravo!"


    ''She looks like a picky person, I think he really got her approval!'' he thought, amused.


    "So, Ye Rim, are you going to leave me out?" he asked grimly, as the more time passed, the more Mr. Nam seemed to be upset.


    "Daddy!" Ye Rim spoke up, happily, pulling him closer to Mr. Nam. "Dr. Kim is a good friend who has been helping me lately. He''s a doctor who has a foundation that helps many people. He''s also the grandson of Mr. Go, who was talking to you a few moments ago, Dr. Kim please meet my father, Mr. Nam. "


    Mr. Nam greeted him dryly, without commenting or asking questions. While beside her, Madame Jung bombarded Shin Hye Seong with questions and praise.


    Jun Hyeon wondered what he had done wrong.


    ooo


    A little alarmed by Hunter Shin''s unexpected reaction to finding Chang Mi in a forbidden place, Eun Ha stood by the student during breakfast. Her teacher sat across from her, and she knew it was to keep a closer eye on the boy. ''Is he like this to know that it was Chang Mi who sent me the gift, or for some other reason?''


    Chang Mi returned to his usual silence, after the words he had said in the library. But after eating, he was going to excuse himself when Shin suddenly asked,


    "This stain on your wrist, is it a birthmark?"


    Chang Mi looked down at his wrist, partially covered by the jacket sleeve. Eun Ha also looked, noticing the intriguing dark spot. As she showed curiosity, Chang Mi exposed his arm and showed the birthmark that looked like a comma, exactly on his wrist.


    "This is the sign of special birth," commented the Hunter out loud. Eun Ha was surprised that he had revealed his thoughts in front of everyone, but figured it was on purpose. Chang Mi tried to hide the embarrassment of becoming the center of attention, and his white and aristocratic face turned red when his mother commented, shortly afterward,


    "When I first saw his little arm with this stain, I thought it was a mess, a dead leaf or whatever. I took my finger and, RUB RUB RUB! Rubbed it a lot. He cried so much!"


    "A leaf, Mrs. Yoo? asked Ye Rim, curious.


    "Don''t you know why our Persimmon is called Persimmon?" Kang Dae exclaimed, turning to Ye Rim. Eun Ha had always questioned the reason for the nickname, and asked,


    "Please tell us."


    Beside her, Chang Mi groaned in shame.


    "Persimmon was found in a crate of persimmons!" masterfully summed up his older brother. Ms. Yoo started to explain, however,


    "I still lived in the countryside and only had Kang Dae. Then one day, my husband came from the union with the fruits and vegetables of the day. We forgot a crate of persimmons in the truck. When I went to get this box, I found the most beautiful baby in the world in the middle of all those persimmons!"


    "Hey, I thought I was the most beautiful baby in the world!" complained Kang Dae, but his mother replied promptly,


    "You were, until Chang Mi arrived!"


    This made everyone laugh out loud.


    "We try to find the parents. My husband went back to the producer where he got the persimmons. At that time and place, the union used to buy vegetables from some producers in the region to distribute in our city. The Producer was as astonished as we were, and took us to the persimmon field. It was a very beautiful place, but it didn''t even have houses around. Only the persimmon farm and the owner of the place. People didn''t know who that baby could be. See, Chang Mi was not a newborn baby, he looked to be about eight months old, more or less. He was totally n.a.k.e.d, but clean. Silent, looking at us. He had no clothes, no identification. Nothing. We never found out how he ended up in a crate of persimmons."


    Madame Jung was very curious and asked a few questions about the adoption process. From Ms. Yoo''s awkward responses, Eun Ha quickly understood that she never actually made a legal adoption of Chang Mi, but registered him as her biological son. Because of this, the subject has changed to other topics.


    Eun ha smelled a rat about the Hunter''s interest in Chang Mi, along with his strange and unknown origin. The student, after having received so much attention, withdrew as soon as he could, and was no longer seen.


    But Eun Ha would not forget to question Hunter Shin as to why he was so interested. Nor would she forget to question Chang Mi about the man in the photo.

 Chapter 155 - Parents Love

    "Eomma, I know I''ve asked this a few times, but what do you know about my biological family?" Eun Ha asked Madame Jung, while saving all the food that her mother had brought for her and Ye Rim. The day had been exhausting, and her mother was traveling back home the next morning. Eun Ha was taking the time to have a ''mother and daughter'' moment. She missed that.


    Madame Jung sighed,


    "Did this matter come back to you for a special reason, Eun Ha?"


    "Ah ... Mom. Sometimes I wonder how you couldn''t know ... Knowing me since I was a little girl," the young fairy said, trying to study her mother''s face. Madame Jung gave a small smile,


    "Mothers always know, Eun Ha."


    "So did you know that I wasn''t ''normal''? When were you sure? And why didn''t you tell me?"


    "Mothers always wish to do everything for their children. And I thought the more you struggled to adapt, the easier it would be for you. If you don''t feel entitled to be different, I mean. People tend to be very mean with everything they don''t understand," told her foster mother, staring at her daughter as she handed her another plastic container for Eun Ha to put in the fridge. "There were already too many rumors and too much malice, for you to deal with self-doubts. After all, I didn''t know how else I could help. Our town''s special people, your mother Myung Hee and your father Jeong Hyuk, were no more."


    Eun Ha looked at his mother in shock,


    "The way you speak ... It seems that you knew them. Why didn''t you tell me that before?"


    "Ah, I always wondered what our conversation would be like, daughter. And how would I justify myself for not having told you before? I cannot say that I regret it. It was certainly due to the weakness of a mother who loves her daughter very much. I wanted you to be my daughter and not theirs. If I said that they were special, you would give more importance to them than to me. That''s the kind of petty person I am. The story of your life with me would be less important than the story of the life you never had with them. It was nobody''s fault they died. But you were my daughter, then."


    Eun Ha was silent, feeling her face flush with emotion and confused feelings. Then she dropped the pots and closed the refrigerator, and went to her mother for a long hug.


    Mother and daughter hugged silently as thick tears streamed down their faces,


    "Thank you so much, Eomma! For taking such good care of me!"


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Ye Rim, who was entering the kitchen, returned silently where she had come from, not wanting to interrupt the conversation between mother and daughter she had just overheard ''unintentionally''. What did they mean by ''being special''?


    After the chaotic events, and having encountered supernatural beings close to acquaintances, Ye Rim felt she was becoming a little paranoid, ''Maybe I shouldn''t have listened to that sad excuse for a shaman.'' She went to the living room balcony, where her father was, watching the neighborhood and drinking beer.


    "Appa! You could stay a little longer, couldn''t you? "


    "Madame Jung drives like a Formula 1 racer and has no idea. If I don''t take her back she''ll kill herself on the road," he mumbled. "But the important thing is that I saw that you are doing well. Eun Ha made her dream come true and you¡­ You are following your dreams too, aren''t you?" He sounded doubtful, and she felt like justifying,


    "I know it''s taking too long. For a moment I doubted it. But maybe I lacked maturity, earlier."


    "Ye Rim, we have discussed a lot in the past, before you left the house. Today you are an a.d.u.l.t woman. I just wonder if I didn''t do something wrong, letting you do everything you wanted to do."


    "Do you think trying to be tough on me would work?"


    "I was just afraid to break you. To be too hard. To hurt her in a way that would never come back, "said Ye Rim''s father, which made her eyes fill with tears. "Damn, are we on family conversation day ?!"


    "Yeah, I think we are. The two are in the kitchen having their moment. Don''t be so tough and tough, Mr. Nam Jeong Geun. You raised me to be a strong and independent woman, but you also let me be a girl. I have nothing to complain about. It must have been difficult, actually."


    "Hm. It sure was, since you are terrible! I think I will have good karma, after all," he ended up smiling at his daughter, patting her head with his calloused hand.


    "Well, I''m glad you think so, Dad. I know you''ve always been concerned about it. Because of my mom," she leaned on his shoulder, enjoying the moment. "Lately I''ve been thinking about her. Whether people were right about it or not. If she had a correct diagnosis. If she was telling the truth, in the end."


    Nam Jeong Geun pulled the air to his lungs thoughtfully.


    "My convictions always came and went, about your mother. I thought I was doing my best for her, and for you, many times. And I often thought I should have tried to believe it. You don''t remember, I know, after all you were very small. I just didn''t want her to hurt you. I wanted her to stop saying strange and scary things to you, which upset you so much. But I couldn''t understand it, in the end. If it was a disease, or if she was in fact a shaman or something, I feel like I wasn''t a good husband."


    Ye Rim stroked his father''s back, trying to cheer him up, "Well, I know you tried your best. Sometimes we just are not prepared to deal with things. But about the things she saw, what did she say? I don''t really remember."


    "Ah, well¡­ On the day of your birth, when it all started, there was a strange incident. The more I think, the less it makes sense. I''ve relived that day a million times in my mind, but I couldn''t understand it. As I already told you, your mother had gone to that farm behind pomegranates, without worrying about the fact that she was almost at the end of her pregnancy. She created a situation where I would just have to pick her up there at dusk, after leaving the mechanic shop where I worked at the time," he stared at her to make sure she followed his narrative. Jeong Geun was a very pragmatic and reserved man, who detested nonsense. He and Madame Jung never got along, despite their daughters living close together, because he considered her an ''illogical and irrational'' person.


    His daughter just remained silent, waiting for him to continue, and Mr. Nam spoke again,


    "Night fell fast that day. I saw low flashes, like lightning, on the horizon behind the trees in the orchard. Imagining that it might be the serious problem with power lines, and knowing that his mother was there, I accelerated the truck. I found her on the road, breathless and shaking as a reed, talking about returning to the property because a woman was being attacked. I don''t know what I thought. First, I thought of wild animals, then of assailants, but none of that made sense. When I got to where she wanted to take me, I found Eun Ha''s mother lying on the floor. She looked like jelly when I took her in my arms. She weighed very little, was malnourished and sick. And there was a wound in the chest ... a wound as if he had been stabbed. His mother was acting out of control. She looked at the sky while holding her belly. I didn''t know it yet, but she was giving birth, right there. But she kept looking at the sky as if she saw horrible things floating in the air. But we couldn''t wait any longer, and I had to deliver you in that house¡­" he smiled, showing his hands.


    "Thank you so much, Dad, for saving our lives."


    "Unfortunately, it wasn''t possible to save Eun Ha''s mother. When we arrived at the hospital with you and her, your mother said nonsense. She said that a large monster made of shadows had killed and devoured Eun Ha''s mother. She also said that she had been attacked by shadows, in the orchard. "


    "This part ... do you remember in detail what she said?"


    "Unfortunately, yes, daughter. But why do you want to know that so much? "


    "Lately ... I''ve been dreaming about these things, dad," Ye Rim knew that if she said she was seeing these things for real, her dad would be very worried. And she didn''t want that.


    He reported everything he remembered, forcing the memories to be as exact as he could. He asked.


    "Did you dream about these things again?"


    Ye Rim nodded. She just remembered her dream about the star eater. Was the monster she dreamed of manifesting the things her mother had told her when she was too young to remember? But if it were just things on her mind, why would she have seen it now?


    "I don''t remember what I dreamed of when I was a child, father. I only know that I have dreamed of creatures made of shadow. And also like the Big Mouthed Monster."


    He made a worried pout, and kissed her hair,


    "Maybe it was time for you to look for your mother, don''t you think?"

 Chapter 156 - The Man in the Rainbow Raindrops

    The first day back to routine after the departure of her father and Madame Jung seemed a little bitter, after the strong emotions of the past few weeks. The conversation the night before left Ye Rim thoughtful about opening the last envelope her mother sent her, and wondering if Nam Joo was okay or needed something.


    Ye Rim had spent the whole afternoon taking acting classes. And an unexpected meeting called by his agent, in the late afternoon, brought unexpected and welcome news. The music department was picking some artists for the launch of a solo project. Because of the recent exposure and the good image associated with Ye Rim lately, they''re considering her name for the project.


    This time, however, Ye Rim received the news with less anxiety. Possibly because, as she told her father the night before, she was more mature to separate success from her talent. But also, because her personal life today was more important than her career, for the first time.


    The day was rainy and confusing, and Ye Rim had returned the car to Dr. Kim days ago. The same car he had crashed against Yuna Zhang''s car.


    "Take a cab, Ye Rim," he said on the phone, as she walked along the wet sidewalks, "Take a cab and go to my apartment. I have things to talk to you about."


    "It''s not necessary. I''m not made of sugar, hehe. It''s just a setback. In addition, Professor Shin is going to dinner at home tonight."


    "All the more reason for you not to be there," he said, laughing. A little while ago, Jun Hyeon had said her that he would need to stop by his mother''s house to solve a problem. "And I want to see you. I want to talk to you," this time his voice sounded serious.


    Ye Rim even straightened up, looking around. People passed by looking at the floor, under their umbrellas, without paying much attention to anything,


    "It''s nothing like what you''re thinking. Madame Jung left a lot of food and Eun Ha invited him to dinner, but she also invited me."


    "In fact, you must tell me why your father hated me."


    "I''ll do it in person," she thought it best to think of a way to explain that her father had no appreciation for doctors. And that right after the presentation between the two, he remembered how Officer Ji had been a perfect ''almost son-in-law''.


    "Is it that serious?"


    "It''s not so serious, after all, it''s not like it''s an official introduction ..." she reminded him that, in reality, they were just friends.


    The phone went dead, in a strange way. At first Ye Rim thought he hung up on her. But even for him, that was unthinkable. She took the headphones off, and also looked at the screen of her cell phone, confused. The cell phone seemed paralyzed, accepting no command. After pressing a few buttons, she gave up, and put the phone in her bag, a little irritated. It wasn''t a good way to end a conversation with someone. But the light opened, and she crossed the street, heading for her bus stop.


    Ye Rim was crossing the street when she saw him.


    The familiar figure, crossing in the opposite direction to hers.


    Ye Rim couldn''t take her eyes off him.


    The young student in the black raincoat and umbrella.


    The light rain seemed to reflect in thousands of colors around him, like small prisms, in a diffuse iridescent blur. People didn''t look at him, but they seemed to avoid him instinctively.


    He didn''t look at her, either.


    Although the scene of the prismatic raindrops around him was mesmerizing, it doesn''t fool her. She felt his power even with the soles of her shoes in contact with the floor where he stepped.


    Everything lasted a few seconds. They passed each other, and he turned slightly towards her for a fraction of a moment.


    That was when Ye Rim had two frightening findings.


    One, he reminded her of the chilling sensation of her dream of the great Big Mouthed Monster.


    And two, his face was identical to Yoo Chang Mi''s!


    ooo


    Eun Ha opened the door with a big smile. Hunter Shin had already come to her house a few times, but this was the first time that he would come in an ''official'' way. She didn''t expect him to have done anything special. He wouldn''t wear different clothes or stylish his hair, which again needed a cut.


    But he had brought her a dessert!


    ''Deep down, he knows how to behave, he just doesn''t care!''


    The first thing the Hunter, no, Shin Hye Seong asked was,


    "Where''s Ye Rim ssi?"


    ''Aish, in a little while you want me to call you ''oraeboni''!'' she thought, but said,


    "She''s coming soon, she will just be a little late. You know my mom is going to call me asking if ''kind Professor Shin'' has tried all the food she made personally, don''t you know? My mom doesn''t even cook her own food nowadays, except on special occasions. And guess what! It''s so much magic that you''ll choke!"


    "I wouldn''t miss this dinner!" he replied with a wry smile.


    "Professor Shin, my mom told me startling things about my parents!" she was eager to share the news. "Sit down, I''ll text Ye Rim to stop by the grocery store before going up, so we''ll know when she''s coming."


    "So before that happens," he said, sitting down as she suggested, "I have something important to say."


    "From the way you are talking, I realize that it''s really important," Eun was picking up drinks, but she deposited it on the table, showing total attention to her tutor.


    "I have scheduled your official presentation to the elemental council. This is an important ''civil'' step. As you grew up far from your family, and are considered a ''wild'' fairy, you must go through a sabbatical. About the points I listed when we met. With wild fairies, the approval of the elemental council is essential, so they''re not considered a threat. Therefore, you must speed up your studies a little."


    "Wow! That''s great!" the fairy still didn''t know if she liked ??having to undergo an evaluation. But the Hunter looked serene, and even pleased with himself. On the other hand, it meant that he had thought about her a lot and often! "I think I should study a lot. But I still haven''t finished solving the problem I caused for Ye Rim. Did the teacher lift the suspension of classes?"


    "No, I didn''t withdraw. But you can study alone. You can study at my house," he handed Eun Ha a pair of keys. "Use the library and the material I picked for reading."


    "Will I¡­ be able to come to your house anytime I want?"


    "I''m not there usually, but Ahn will be. Don''t wreck his nerves by going where you shouldn''t in the house," Shin gave her a wry smile. "Now, tell me ... Unf!" the shock of the little fairy hugging him from behind interrupted Shin,


    "Professor Shin! Thank you! Thank you! Professor is so good to me!" she squeezed him, knowing he was curling up in the chair to decrease the contact surface.


    "Jung, let go of me!" he snarled, annoyed. Eun Ha obeyed, knowing she had extrapolated. To put it mildly, she went straight to the point,


    "Professor Shin, my mother said she knew that they, I mean, my parents, were special. She didn''t call them fairies, but said they were a magical couple."


    He tilted his head, interested, "Go on, Jung."


    "My mother said that she first met my father, as soon as she arrived in the city, on a stormy night. He helped her on the road and as soon as she opened the store, they came to her. My mother wanted to know the ''European'' sweets, and that surprised Madame Jung! My father, she said, somewhat resembled her friend the Professor. ''He''s also like you, isn''t he?'' she asked about you you, Professor Shin! I swear she asked, I didn''t say anything!" Eun Ha spoke with agitation, without restraining her grin. The Hunter fixed the collar of his shirt, a little embarrassed, but he wasn''t truly focusing on that,


    "He was probably a Hunter or a Guardian ... But there aren''t many of us left in the last thirty years ..."


    "Yes. My mother said that he traveled a lot, and that he was a military man. By the time this happened, my mother had traveled to resolve family matters. She came back exactly on the day my mother died!"


    "On the one hand, it''s a pity, because perhaps the story had been different. On the other hand, it was good that she came back and took care of you so well. Humans are fascinating."


    "My mom has some letters that arrived at my parents'' old property. She is going to hand them over to me now, but she said that nothing indicates a reason for the events that Ye Rim''s mother used to tell. She also believes it was something supernatural."


    "It will be important to speak to Ye Rim''s mother. I would like to understand what happened. Was she dominated by wraiths and confronted her mother? Or was it something different?"


    "I don''t know. But I didn''t think the Wraiths could influence violence that much."


    "They can whisper things that make people paranoid and confused. With the right triggers, wraiths can cause violence as the later moment of regret is delicious for them. In the same way when they let go of a human, they try to cause suicide, to take advantage of low emotions until the last second."


    "Ugh ... Is that what happened to Yuna Zhang?"


    "..." Shin was about to reply, but seemed to hear something. It didn''t take long before they heard the key on the apartment door.


    It was Ye Rim.

 Chapter 157 - Taking the Blindfolds Off

    "Hello," Ye Rim came in putting on a stern face, after changing shoes and taking off her coat. She had really stopped to eavesdrop before coming in, and even put her ear to the door. She didn''t want to interrupt any romantic moments right?


    The singer had heard part of the conversation, from the moment Eun Ha said that her father was a military man who traveled a lot. In addition to the strange feeling of jealousy for not being the first to know about these things, and the surprise of realizing that her unnie''s relationship with the teacher was deep enough, the singer was alarmed and intrigued by the information. It seemed that Eun Ha and his French Teacher knew something about supernatural creatures. They had a name for what was sucking Yuna Zhang. And they suspected that their mother could have been a victim of these creatures too!


    The eccentric millionaire who spent his time as a French teacher, and her unnie, looked at her strangely.


    "Were you talking about my mother? Saying that her story looked like Yuna Zhang''s story?"


    "Ye Rim, you got it wrong ..." Eun Ha started to justify herself, but Ye Rim just waved her hand,


    "No, unnie, I''m not mad. Not shocked either. I''m actually a little shocked. But I want to understand better. I," she looked at both, "saw two of these creatures that my mother has seen. Recently. And I ... I exorcised them. One of them was with Yuna Zhang!"


    Eun Ha came running towards you,


    "Ye Rim, what are you talking about?!"


    "The shadows that my mother spoke of. They''re all over the place, aren''t they? Do you think¡­" she was unable to continue on this path, imagining that her mother could have killed Eun Ha''s mother under the influence of this monster. "What I want to say is that I believe you, I have seen very strange things, and more and more. I''ve seen shadows following people in a hospital, but I thought I was crazy. I also saw a shadow that looked like a person climbing on top of a closet and running away from me through the bathroom. And on the day of Eun Ha''s fashion show, I saw a shadow ... A creature made of shadow, actually, that was on top of Yuna! But the shaman Mon Bin taught me a prayer to ''cut off'' the supernatural, and then the thing jumped from her to the ceiling ... but then it ran away. And there was the day in the Octagon, when the Ukrainian fighter became a werewolf in front of me!"


    Ye Rim blinked, realizing that she had spoken quickly. Eun Ha looked at her, open-mouthed, and Professor Shin looked alarmed. Ye Rim then realized that he should have sounded crazy.


    "You were talking about it, weren''t you? You believe me, don''t you?"


    "Jung, you better calm down Miss Nam," said Professor Shin, standing up with the distinct intention of leaving.


    "Professor Shin!" Eun Ha protested, in a high-pitched voice.


    "Don''t you want to talk privately?" he seemed surprised by her unnie''s reaction, and Ye Rim turned to Eun Ha, confused, "Weren''t you talking about this?"


    "Well, it''s a theory, based on¡­"Eun Ha collected her thoughts and tried to explain, "There is a theory on beings that feed on negative emotions. That''s what we were talking about, Ye Rim."


    "But ..." Did she hear it wrong? She saw that the Professor looked annoyed, and Eun Ha nervous. "You were saying my name, and about my mother and Yuna Zhang."


    "Did you really see these things, Ye Rim-ssi? And you¡­ did you see a werewolf in the Octagon?" asked the man.


    "I went after you in the Octagon, and I saw a werewolf!" Ye Rim spoke louder than he should, seeing her unnie''s friend''s arched brow and uncomfortable expression.


    "Jung, I really think you should talk to Ye Rim -ssi alone."


    ''Am I sounding crazy, or are they making me look crazy? What secret is that between them? Why do they look at each other like that? They were talking about the same thing as me! '' Ye Rim thought, watching the exchanges between teacher and student.


    "Do you think I''m crazy like my mom?!"


    "No, Ye Rim! Calm down! Calm down! I think you just got us wrong. You are experiencing a lot of stress. I''m going to make some tea and then we¡­!"


    "Don''t treat me like crazy!"


    Ye Rim was so sure of what she had seen and gone through, that the expression of horror on her unnie''s face made her crumble. Turning on her heels, and with tears in her eyes, she left.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "So, the police were here asking questions about a boy who asked for help at the gate of the house. I don''t understand, this story is very confusing, grandpa," Jun Hyeon was having dinner with his grandfather at his mother''s house.


    Mr. Go tried to explain for the second time,


    "Mrs. Young was very embarrassed to tell me, and apparently only did this because the police insisted on talking to one of the family. The police were here twice because a boy said he was attacked right outside our gate. Not only is the story worrisome, but there''s also an aggravating factor, which is why I called you here, my son. Your mother would be furious if she had to deal with this, and maybe even fire Mrs. Young."


    His grandfather was again losing track of the information. No doubt his mother would lose her temper if she had to deal with the police.


    "Halabeoji, would you prefer that I call Mrs. Young to tell me? She is a good employee, she has been here for many years, but Mom would really be upset if asked to testify. She is very busy! What did Mrs. Young do to this boy? "


    "You know that every now and then a charlatan or another comes around saying that he has messages from his sister."


    The doctor shivered. It was not a few times that good or bad people tried to talk to their mother, saying they were sensitive.


    "Was that boy a sensitive?"


    "Mrs. Young said that two weeks ago, in the early evening, someone rang the doorbell. He answered and was a young boy, with a bruised face. At first, she was afraid of being a scam and an attempted robbery. Then this boy said that a man had attacked him, and that he had brought a girl to our home. A girl he described as Ji Hyeon, she said," Mr. Go paused dramatically, watching his grandson''s reactions.


    "What do you mean, with Ji Hyeon?" the surgeon''s voice cracked when he asked.


    "He spoke of the burnt face, the height and Mrs. Young thought he was talking about her. Then she thought he was one of the scammers who used to show up here years ago. And called the police. When the patrol came to the scene, they found no one on the street, and left. However¡­"


    Jun Hyeon was getting anxious about this strange story. Making quick calculations, he concluded that these events happened on the same day he had a seizure in the park, thinking he heard his sister''s voice near him.


    "What did the police say and why did they come? Did they find someone?"


    "The boy went to report the attack that same night. According to police, the boy found this woman, whom he didn''t know her name and seemed disoriented, on an avenue about 10 kilometers from here. He, who is a delivery man, gave that woman a ride. Upon arriving in front of our house, a masked man with a stick attacked him. While he tried to defend the woman, she ran away, walking down the street. The attacker abandoned him and went after her. It was then that he got up and rang the intercom. That''s what the police said to me, son. See, I''m shaking. This story is horrible, but¡­ why would a charlatan go to the police?"


    "Didn''t they say anything about the street cameras? Nothing? What about our private cameras?" The idea that his sister was alive was absurd, but the event was also absurd, as was something inside him that said he wasn''t crazy. He should check this out.


    Mr. Go stood up, "Come on Jun Hyeon, watch it with me again. The police asked for a copy, but we haven''t taken it to them yet. If your mother finds out, Mr. Young knows she''ll be fired. But understand, she couldn''t have known before seeing the recordings ..."


    Jun Hyeon held his breath inside his chest, preparing for an unpleasant surprise. Upon reaching the security screens, Mr. Go showed the footage files they prepared to be sent to the police.


    Only two cameras were filming in front of the house. And around 7 pm that night, someone carefully pushed them were carefully out of the way.


    "Someone meticulously planned it..." Dr. Kim grunted, shocked and angry. "But one of our neighbors must have better images."


    "What should we do, son?" Mr. Go knew this was a serious matter, and perhaps he could even guess the thoughts of his only grandson.


    "I''m going to the police, I need to know more about it," the grandson replied.


    At that moment, a message arrived on your phone. Glancing the screen, Jun Hyeon raised an eyebrow, surprised,


    "Oppa, I need you! I''m in a cab, going to your apartment!"

 Chapter 158 - Bubbles and Candles

    Jun Hyeon arrived and found Ye Rim in the lobby of his building, staring off into space, without a coat. He picked up his pace, and stopped in front of her,


    "Hey, what happened?"


    She raised her red eyes to him, and there was no doubt that she had cried.


    "Hey, hey, have you been crying?" he took his hand to help her up from the couch.


    "You said that we are friends and that in difficult times they support each other," she whimpered, clutching her purse. He stroked the top of his nose, worried about what he saw. She was the type to deny her sadness, but now she wasn''t doing it.


    "Okay, let''s go up. You tell me what happened and we order food. You didn''t have dinner, did you?" he remembered that she had hung up on him a few hours ago.  She hadn''t had time to dinner with her friends and come to his building unexpectedly.


    "What happened to your coat?" he asked when they got into the elevator, but she didn''t reply. She looked up from her shoes to the mirror, but he quickly turned her towards the door.


    "Am I really that bad?" she asked, and he ostensibly smoothed the frizz in Ye Rim''s hair,


    "No. Now everything is fine."


    She smiled, "You are a bad comedian."


    "Yes, I know. I don''t have the right face and my mood is very childish," he conceded. When they entered his apartment, Ye Rim looked around the room as if scrutinizing every corner. Perhaps she still remembered the dream about the thief, he thought.


    "I''m sorry for doing that. Come running to disturb ..." she started some sort of apologies, but he dismissed her efforts,


    "Shhh. Forget it. We will leave the problems out there tonight, promise? "


    Ye Rim nodded.


    When Jun Hyeon asked her to come, well he had plans. He thought he might tell Ye Rim what he felt before he started teaching dance to her again.


    He also wanted to tell about the runway show''s night''s adventures. But now that she looked shaken by something, it again felt like a bad time. Why would he talk about demons, or even once again regret his sad stories about his sister? To be honest with himself, in the last few days, precisely since the day he had kissed her, he felt refreshed and energized. Kissing her again would be great!


    Jun Hyeon found himself saying,


    "You better get undressed ..."


    "Uhn?"


    "Your clothes. It''s damp. Take a hot shower, put on a robe while your clothes dry," he corrected himself, with a grimace.


    "HMMMM!" Ye Ri reacted with a disapproving look.


    "I swear it wasn''t a joke. Relax in the bath."


    "Won''t you want to know what happened?" her expression was priceless. Didn''t she really know that he was trying to control himself and keep civility?


    "To be honest, no. You were going to have dinner with your friends, but then you came running over here. I wasn''t even invited to dinner. I''m just a hanger-friend, someone you look for when your real bestie isn''t available," Jun Hyeon took her by the hand and led her to the bathroom in his master suite, handing out towels and a robe. The doctor was sure it would be a long night if he let her really make him a genderless friend. He could respect the moment, but he couldn''t let that joke get out of hand again. He couldn''t become the confidant of all moments.


    His response shocked Ye Rim, but after a moment, looking at the bathroom, she asked,


    "Can I really use your bathtub?"


    "Uhum," he turned to fetch the bath salts from a drawer. It always worked. The architect said that he would have a bathroom that would drive women crazy, and until then, his bathtub had really been a "pantie-dropper". He almost felt ashamed to use his technique so automatically, even when it wasn''t his intention.


    "Do you really feel totally safe with me? Like I''m a genderless friend?" Jun Hyeon asked casually as he turned on the water and prepared the bathtub. Ye Ri looked at him sideways,


    "You? No gender? Why would I think something like this? You even kissed me!"


    "OH! How can you talk like that? Was it a ''kiss robbery''?" it was good to make sure she wasn''t thinking anything bad about that kiss.


    "No, it wasn''t a robbery. It was good. It was ... unexpected. It was a magical moment, the dawn and everything ... Ahem, we need not be ashamed of that, do we? We are a.d.u.l.ts. We kissed. It was good," she replied looking again at everything around her.


    Internally satisfied, because he was sure she was minimizing, Jun Hyeon kept up the pressure,


    "Aishh. What a mild reaction. You probably had kissed a lot of men to just classify my kiss as ''it was good!''"


    "Ah, not that many. And I''m not ranking kissers either."


    "Liar."


    "I know you are trying to tease me. What you want? Another kiss for comparison? Is that what your conversation is leading me to?"


    "No. My kisser ranking is already very high and your evaluation wouldn''t change anything. We''re a.d.u.l.ts, like you said, so I don''t mind saying it. I''d repeat it anytime you wanted it again," he turned to face her, knowing what to expect. She got red to the ears. That was a great sign.


    "I''m going to get some candles, get in the water in the meantime," he proposed casually, drying his hands.


    Ye Rim looked around, bewildered,


    "Are you trying to seduce me?"


    "Of course not. First, I certainly never try to seduce. This is natural," he boasted himself with a wink. This game was fun, and at least he didn''t think about anything outside while he was with her. "And, we have an open game, don''t we?"


    "Do we?"


    "Of course yes. Since we can act with sincerity and without games," this whole phrase was a brutal lie, but he spoke with the most sincere expression in the world," if there was something between us, two a.d.u.l.ts who trust each other, that would leave us uncomfortable, we would say, wouldn''t we?"


    "Uhum," she agreed.


    "In short, as much as I want you, and you know it, just as you want me, and I know it ... We would still know when to stop, wouldn''t we?"


    Ye Rim blinked, and he wanted to hug her and tell her not to listen to a guy like him.


    "When to stop ... what?"


    Jun Hyeon did not answer, and let her imagination answer the question itself. Later, he returned with some candles, which of course, he had at home for special occasions. Since her delay was deliberate, she was in the bathtub, under a cloud of foam. He spread out the lit scented candles and dimmed the lights, sitting on the edge of the bathtub,


    "You said you don''t see me as a genderless guy  or a guy who you feel totally safe around. And yet you are n.a.k.e.d in front of me."


    Ye Rim thought for a while, and then gave him a knowing look,


    "We are always n.a.k.e.d in front of each other, under clothes. Only now I''m under foam."


    "So, are you trying to seduce me?"


    She raised an eyebrow in a funny grimace,


    "If you don''t try  hard seducing women and are just yourself, why do you think I''d be trying hard?"


    He threw his head back in a loud laugh, "Ye Rim Ye Rim, as always, her ''Queen Syndrome'' makes her very arrogant. It''s not because you are naturally beautiful and desirable that you should not try a little to seduce a man. You are very good at refusing them, but are you good at attracting them?"


    "Hmm, now you are being arrogant, Dr. Kim! You are very used to women chasing you ..."


    "Indeed! But I have a seductive gene, after all I am the grandson of Go Ha Kyun!"


    She laughed, probably remembering what he told her about his grandpa, and threw some foam at him. So Jun Hyeon was able to deliver his masterstroke,


    "I challenge you. Three rounds of seduction!"


    "What?" she laughed again, incredulous.


    "A little game for a.d.u.l.ts. I will rate your attempts at seduction, and you at mine."


    "And what is the prize?"


    "The final prize for seduction?"


    "You are too brazen!" she found out for herself what his naughty smile meant, and poured more water on him. Jun Hyeon pretended to defend himself, and teased,


    "Didn''t we agree that we are a.d.u.l.ts enough to know when to stop?! Where is the seductive and ravishing Queen?"


    "Uhn¡­ I don''t want ''it'' to be the prize. This is ridiculous."


    "Ok ... Suggest a prize yourself," Jun Hyeon could barely contain his smile.


    She was thoughtful, and her face showed what was going through her head: serious ideas that she refused, then bold ideas that tempted her, but common sense judged and suppressed. The indecision between speaking and being judged by him.


    "Speak your mind. I can refuse if I don''t like the idea. But show me your unleashed and unrestrained imagination, don''t let me down," he encouraged, since he was curious. Thing were heating between them and Jun Hyeon was sure that his favorite woman''s diabolical mind was planning to play a trick on him. ''Great, since it means she''s going to play for real,'' he celebrated internally, full of bad intentions.

 Chapter 159 - JoKenPo

    "I''m still trying to understand why you didn''t use the opportunity to reveal everything, Jung. I think your friend needs to know the truth right away," commented the Hunter.


    Eun Ha grabbed her hair in anguish, "I was nervous. I was afraid! I was in a panic, actually!"


    "After what happened, you need to find a way to do this soon, Jung. She is an intelligent woman and, if she finds out for herself and in the wrong way, she can think terrible things," he added, although Eun Ha could think of it alone. She knew she had just missed an excellent opportunity to tell things. In the end, all she did was make Ye Rim hurt!


    "It''s not easy, Professor Shin! She was always so skeptical, because of what the townspeople talked about in our mothers'' case! Mrs. Nam Joo became known in the city as a madwoman, and she couldn''t bear the burden! So when I found out that I had inherited magic, I couldn''t muster the courage to tell her."


    "I understood that this would change the whole dynamic between you. Maybe she hated it, or maybe she told it to everyone. But before you were teenagers. Today, you are a.d.u.l.ts. And given the things she said ... That is still your decision, but your prot¨¦g¨¦ apparently has been living very important things that she has not said to you either ... Maybe she is also afraid. "


    "Ye Rim is strong. She is never afraid," Eun Ha knew this because she had lived with her for much of his life.


    "Everyone is afraid. But you have to make a decision soon, Jung. Think about it.!


    The young fairy knew her teacher was right, but the fear of Ye Rim''s reaction had paralyzed her until now. How to do this?


    "Should I go after her?"


    He shrugged, showing he didn''t know. Eun Ha understood that he didn''t want to decide for her how to deal with her prot¨¦g¨¦.


    "The worst thing is that I''m sure that she is with Dr. Flamingo right now!"


    The nickname drew an unusual laugh from the Hunter,


    "Hey! Don''t laugh! Really! I still need to monitor events, even though I try not to interfere at this stage. He can still be a hidden sociopath!" she exclaimed, offended.


    "Honestly, Jung, I don''t think Dr. Kim is a sociopath or anything. He looks like a good human, actually," said Shin.


    "Ah! I have my doubts! Because I had the prophecy! Please, Professor Shin, help me find this out once and for all!"


    "I?" he pointed at his chest, pretending to be surprised.


    "Yes! Please, please! I owe you a favor! A huge favor! Investigate Dr. Kim! Find out if he is not a closeted sociopath! I have my reasons for thinking like that!" she pleaded vehemently.


    "Reasons? What are the reasons, besides being very interested in Ye Rim-ssi, something perfectly understandable, by the way?"


    Eun Ha just waited a moment to voice his suspicions,


    "Look: Ye Rim told me that his sister died tragically. In fact, it looks like there was an "accident", "and around the word ''accident'' Eun Ha made the double-quote gesture, "a fire that didn''t kill her, but only she was in the house at the time. She was saved by Lee Dae Won at the last moment! Years later she "committed suicide", "once again Eun Ha used double-quotes to emphasize her suspicions. "And look at this: with her death, Kim Jun Hyeon becomes the sole heir to the empire of conveniences his mother built!"


    "Hmmm," Shin was thoughtful, but his eyes betrayed a little bit of humor at his student''s theory.


    "Professor! I am serious! Help me find out if he can hurt my prot¨¦g¨¦!"


    "Okay. I couldn''t judge him so hastily having met him just once. "


    "Ah, I also have something to ask. Couldn''t a bandit or sociopath be identified by being surrounded by wraiths? Maybe I can see for myself with the monocle."


    "If a person is consumed by regret and sadness, he will attract a wraith or more than one. But not all bad people who commit crimes have wraiths. Because not all are depressed or consumed by guilt. People who cannot feel guilt, or have what human scientists call ''psychopathy'', are unlikely to be attractive to wraiths. But their victims would be. "


    Eun Ha was thoughtful, but then asked,


    "Ye Rim said he could see wraiths, and even the werewolf. Why do we need a monocle?"


    "It is not common for a human to be able to see them. Some shamans and people touched by magic very early in life are the rare exceptions. "


    "And why can''t Ye Rim know that I''m a fairy?"


    "Why are these our real forms. We don''t morph into different things unless we are sick and out of control of our spells. But essentially, there is nothing in our bodies that different," he explained.


    "So Ye Rim was touched by magic?"


    "Very likely. Listen, Jung. The story of what happened on the day of their births becomes more and more intriguing. I''m beginning to understand better what may have happened, but I need confirmation. Help me talk to Ye Rim''s mom. And I will do what you asked me to do. "


    "Are you going to find out if Dr. Flamingo is a sociopath who wants to hurt Ye Rim?"


    "Yes, let''s clear that doubt once and for all."


    ooo


    "JoKenPo!"


    Both said, at the same time, making their moves to know who would start the game. Ye Rim''s decision, that the loser would be the other''s perfect husband or spouse for one night, doing just about anything that would please the other, had fit the bill for Jun Hyeon''s plans. At the beginning of the night, he didn''t imagine being so close to finally seducing her.


    Ye Rim was a little obvious and put on scissors, so his stone won, but he did not splurge. ''YES!'' he celebrated in his thoughts, she wouldn''t even have a chance.


    "It''s your turn," she said, seeming to have all the control in the world.


    ooo


    Nothing that she expected was happening when she came running to Jun Hyeon. She thought she would sit on his couch and probably say strange things, but now she was n.a.k.e.d in his bathtub, her heart pounding with excitement over a silly e.r.o.t.i.c game.


    She shouldn''t have agreed with that in the first place, but if he thought she would open up like a flower to any cheap technique ... ''I really hope he doesn''t want to do a striptease or something ... What can go through his head of a man when it comes to seduction? They are not very creative. Some try it with gifts, romantic dinners and walks in beautiful places ... Then they tell me that I am beautiful, and ... ''


    Jun Hyeon came a little closer, and leaned towards her.


    ''What he is doing?''


    With his eyes fixed on his mouth, he slowly rolled up his shirt sleeve and then the other. Ye Rim immediately became aware of his lips. The fact that he was looking directly at her face, or rather her mouth, seemed to have a magnetic power. Her lips parted as if of their own accord. But her gaze shifted discreetly to his exposed forearms as he carefully rolled one sleeve and another. That was s.e.xy, but did he know that? That even the veins in his arms, when he flexed them, made him more manly?


    Ye Rim shouldn''t have been thinking about it, if she wanted to win the game, but the scene pleased her. But it wouldn''t be enough for ...!


    ''Oops!'' she was taken by surprise when he grabbed her hand that was out of the water with his right hand, while his left hand dived into the water quickly. The thought of what he could achieve made her move instinctively, but his hand went to the least expected place, the middle of her back. Jun Hyeon spread his big hand out, pushing it slightly forward towards himself, and holding it, while he linked the fingers of the other hand with his.


    The small fright made her very aware of the small strip of water and foam that covered her n.a.k.e.d body from his eyes and his touch. No doubt her heart was pounding, but she still couldn''t say it was from desire.


    "Think of it as our tango," he said, looking up briefly at hers, and slowly approaching his face. Only to deflect it onto his neck when Ye Rim already felt his lips waiting for theirs.


    The pressure of his hands on his bare back while his own hand was entwined in his was a little stronger than normal, a little stronger than it would be in a dance. There was possession. He inhaled the scent from her neck, and she felt his breath being the only thing that touched her skin. She shivered immediately, every hair on her body stood on end, while she felt his breath once, twice, three times, meeting the curve of her neck.


    ''OK! that''s nice! But I won''t say it''s all that, ''she didn''t have to admit that it had disappointed her not to receive the kiss, and that her skin wanted his lips on her urgently.


    But Jun Hyeon seemed to know that, the devilish seducer. Turning his face slightly on his side, he lowed his face, leaving his mouth first in front of her collarbone, and lower and lower, until his chin touched the foam. At that point, Ye Rim felt her betraying b.r.e.a.s.ts aching and crying out for attention, her n.i.p.p.l.es erect in anticipation of a touch that didn''t come. And of course, it wasn''t just that. She found herself sliding slightly forward, and he looked up at her,


    "Can I?" he asked, adjusting his hand on her back again, showing that he knew she had moved.


    ''Damn it!'' she thought, but she also thought she was wasting enormous time leaving that idle, unused mouth.


    Using her free hand, she held Jun Hyeon''s chin, and bent down to kiss him.

 Chapter 160 - Spooning with Wifey

    Jun Hyeon woke up to the cell phone alarm, feeling deliciously pressed against the soft and fragrant body he was spooned with. He inhaled the scent of her hair, pulling her closer to him for a moment. Ye Rim grunted, sleeping and trying to escape his embrace, but he didn''t allow it. He reached for the phone and turned off the alarm with one hand. He hated to know that he had major surgery that would take him all morning.


    Could he just stay there for a moment, like that? He would enjoy every possible minute.


    They kissed and touched each other the night before, but when they got to bed, Ye Rim asked them not to go on. It was difficult to contain himself. To be honest, he knew that if he insisted a little more, he would have her, because her body was ready and also wanting his. But perhaps because love makes a man a complete idiot, he felt insecure that, the next day, she would resent or feel bad.


    And, in retrospect, it would suck if he left Ye Rim alone after the first night together, wouldn''t it? He wanted to be able to repeat for long hours being with her, inside her, and ... These thoughts would only make his early morning more difficult.


    "Ye Rim ... Wifey ..." He poked her in the ribs, mean. "You lost the game, come be my slave, I say wifey for 24 hours."


    "Yawn ... What? '' dizzy sleep she complained, but the unusual awakening made her sit up in bed. Jun Hyeon had a privileged view of his body, as the robe was not fully closed, ''Ah, I look like a teenager ... So hard it even hurts. How much should I try to take advantage of this situation?'' She still hadn''t noticed that the robe was untied, and she looked at him, first suspiciously, then embarrassed,


    "Good morning ... We ...?!"


    "Did you really have amnesia? Did you forget that we made passionate love while you asked for more? By the way, do you use any contraceptives, or should I order some tests?" he opened a beautiful smile. As he imagined, Ye Rim went purple, and finally realized that his gaze continued to descend. She pulled on her robe and tied it up dramatically,


    "Do you think a woman doesn''t know?"


    "I''m glad you don''t have amnesia. Because it means you remember that you lost our bet, right? I was sincerely tempted to let all my perverted fantasies come to light on this opportunity, looking at your body. But I will be forced to restrain myself. Even so, you are my little wife today. So, get up and get my clothes, and fix my breakfast, while I take a shower," he stood up, not hiding the fact that he had an erection under his pants. As she imagined, she immediately looked at his bulge,


    "Sure, if you want you can help me with this. It would also be nice of a wifey to let her hubby go to work with his mind at peace," he laughed, when Ye Rim threw pillows at him. She was in a bad mood, but Jun Hyeon imagined it was because it was too early for her to get up. And he was right,


    "Do you have to go? Can''t I be the sleeping wife? "


    "Na na ni na no! You are the ''perfect'' wifey, not the wife you would normally be. Make my breakfast, fix my clothes and set aside a white coat. Without messing up my underwear drawers, ''he laughed devilishly as he went to the bathroom.


    Her bathroom was chaotic after the night before, with a wet floor and clothes lying around. But the scene made him happy. He was sure that this would be repeated many times in the future, but with much happier endings.


    oo


    The coincidence of the news that Vivian Park was in the crosshairs of the Federal Revenue for tax evasion and the invitation to lunch with Alexander Zhang left Eun Ha stunned. Shin Hye Seong had also been invited to lunch, so the main subject was perhaps not what she expected.


    They arrived at an exclusive hotel, at the appointed time, and were taken to a cozy restaurant surrounded by a lush indoor garden. Eun Ha saw Stylist Zhang accompanied by his staff. He looked physically frail, a little thinner and with dark circles. Still, Alexander Zhang had a sincere smile to welcome them. Eun Ha was able to easily identify in this human a person with charisma, creativity, and the will to live. Many fairies would certainly want to be a patron of such a human.


    After the amenities of the meeting, while having lunch, the famous Stylist looked at them with admiration,


    "It is interesting how well you are together, an intriguing aesthetic counterpoint! So stylish! You trigger my creativity! "


    The two fairies looked at each other, embarrassed, not knowing what to say.


    He asked his secretary for drawing material and made some doodles, while continuing,


    "You saved my life and that of my only daughter! For the past few days I have been thinking and thinking about the information that has come to me. That Eun Ha-ssi and Mr. Shin, along with Dr. Kim of the Ji Hyeon Foundation, discovered very serious things about my family and my company. And as honest and sensible people, for not being able to contact me, they did their best to prevent a tragedy. That''s what my lawyers told me and what little I remember from those two nights."


    "Is your daughter OK?" Eun Ha asked, for the two. The stylist replied,


    "Within the possibilities, yes. She had to be admitted to a clinic. I don''t want to expose it to the world, and I thank you for being so discreet. I still have to think about the impact of this crime orchestrated by my own partner, using Yuna''s fragility, on Park and Zhang''s actions. This is cruel, because to be honest I am very angry with that woman at the moment. Nothing justifies the monstrosity of that wicked mind. But to preserve my daughter and the company that my creative mentor entrusted me with, I have to shut up. I hope this doesn''t leave you frustrated after so much effort to help me and help my daughter."


    Both said they didn''t. It was easy to understand Alexander Zhang''s plight at the time. The stylist showed them the design he had just made: the sketch of a man and a woman in clothes he had imagined. Eun Ha recognized Alexander Zhang''s unmistakable style there with a little bit of the personality of each of them in the clothes. He was really a style genius. Shin was also surprised by the drawing and seemed to like it.


    "Eun Ha-ssi. You don''t even know how happy I was to see you again. And how angry I was to discover that my partner boycotted my attempts to speak to you!"


    "Ah! When I found this out I was very upset too. Mainly because I suspected that someone I know was responsible. "


    "It is a pity that it happened that way. But I am relieved that you have not lost faith in me! "


    "No, of course not!" Eun Ha was so vehement and smiling that he was elbowed by his teacher. But if stylist Zhang saw this, he ignored it, continuing,


    "I really wanted to see your latest works and you brought such a peculiar and interesting collection! Although that horrible night in  your runway show, I couldn''t see the clothes. I later watched the show on Woo Geun''s channel and I can tell you how impressed I was. You still have a very good view on fashion! ,"


    "Awn ..." She blushed, feeling in the clouds with the compliments of a person she admired so much. And she didn''t need to look to the side to know that the older in joy.


    "Don''t be modest as your modesty doesn''t fit here. Furthermore, your boldness and indie spirit is what I would like to bring to our aegis."


    "Uh?" Eun Ha had already given up on that idea when she heard about Park & ??Zhang''s internal problems. So the proposal came as a surprise,


    "I have an invitation to make to you, Eun Ha-ssi. I''ve been wanting to create a more youthful line for Park and Zhang for some time now. And the more I think, the more I think we had to have you ahead of the creative process of this new brand. It is still a project, but I would like to invite you to attend some meetings and decide if you would like to join us, "the stylist ended the informal invitation, looking at it expectantly.


    Eun Ha felt a different chill in her belly. It was an important opportunity, which, even if it was not fruitful, would boost his career as a stylist. Still, she didn''t feel as eager to give an immediate answer, as she always imagined it would.


    In a very composed way, she smiled at stylist Zhang, and said,


    "This opportunity to sit down with Park & ??Zhang to evaluate such a project together is incredible, Stylist Zhang! It''s impossible not to be flattered! After the runway I realized that the possibilities for my creativity are no longer tied to a contract. Still, because it is a brand I appreciate very much, and the admiration I have for your work, it would be an honor if we could work together. I hope to be able to decide soon, during our meetings!"


    "I also hope that these meetings will support future collaboration, Eun Ha-ssi! Can we toast this possibility?"


    She agreed, and looked down hunterly at Hunter Shin, knowing she had surprised him with her good sense.

 Chapter 161 - Professor Shins Double Date

    Jun Hyeon ended the meeting with his lawyer, explaining the strange story outside his mother''s mansion. The lawyer had been with the family for years, and said he would clarify the facts with the police and get images from nearby cameras to identify those involved. As soon as the lawyer left, his secretary warned that a ''Mr. Shin'', and she said it with a tone still unheard of for Dr. Kim, was there and would like to speak with him,


    "He said that Dr. Kim met him at the Jung Fashion Show," added the secretary, knowing that he didn''t use to meet people without an appointment.


    ''Professor'' Shin''s visit was unexpected and curious, but he had no other commitments and just thought about going back to his ''little wife'' who had orders to return home as soon as she was done with her errands.


    "Hyung!" he said as soon as Eun Ha-ssi''s mysterious friend set foot in his office. "Is it a medical visit or for other reasons?"


    "For other reasons, and very brief, in fact," Mr. Shin became more relaxed with his informal reception. Jun Hyeon didn''t know why, maybe because of the little adventure they had, but he had sympathy for the eccentric man.


    "So¡­?"


    "Is Miss. Nam at your house?" asked the older man, watching everything around him with curiosity. Jun Hyeon sensed that he was there for legitimate concern, so he replied,


    "Yes. She got there yesterday, but she didn''t tell me the reasons. I imagine that she and her friend are not on good terms."


    "To be honest, I was there, which is why I''m interfering."


    "Ah, yes, I heard that the three of you were going to have dinner last night. But what happened? Did the girls fight?"


    "Hm, how can I say? They have delicate matters to deal with. But Eun Ha got upset and worried about Ye Rim."


    "Well, ... I know that Ye Rim loves her friend, and that they''ll be fine again soon. Don''t worry so much," Jun Hyeon thought that maybe Ye Rim was feeling resentful of this new dynamic. "Do you think we can help them, hyung?"


    "Yes. I think. Since we care about them, don''t we?" Shin didn''t beat the bush or dramatize unnecessarily. "I know it''s strange that I came here for this. But I thought I owe you dinner too, Dr. Kim."


    "No, you don''t owe me anything, hyung," Dr. Kim was sincere, but he was thankfully surprised that Hye Seong was that kind of person.


    "Yes, I feel that I must. Let me buy dinner today, if possible. "


    "Ah, this is a good idea. You take Eun Ha and I take Ye Rim. A neutral meeting zone and it''ll help them realize that there is no reason to fight."


    Shin just nodded, satisfied that he didn''t have to explain his strategy.


    "Okay, Hyung, it won''t be a problem," Dr. Kim also agreed with satisfaction. Getting Ye Rim''s best friend by her side was also part of the whole deal. When people around you approve of a relationship, it becomes inevitable. It was an immutable law of humanity.


    When Shin left, he picked up the phone and called Ye Rim, excited by the possibility of teasing her some more,


    "Wifey? We have a social appointment tonight."


    ooo


    Ye Rim left the agency and was at the supermarket buying the ingredients for the dinner, when Jun Hyeon called to say that the dinner was canceled. That was a relief, as she only made two dishes well, one of which was soup.


    But the singer didn''t expect the ''social appointment'' to be a stroll followed by dinner with a couple of friends. And that the couple were Eun Ha and Professor Shin!


    She had no idea how it happened, but she was curious to see how things would be. She and Eun Ha never went out on a double date, because Eun Ha never really dated. But now they could!


    ''Hm, what kind of thinking is that? It''s not like this ''Wifey and hubby'' fantasy is more than a joke, is it? Did he wake up confessing love? No. He didn''t even insist when I asked him to stop. ''


    Ye Rim had loved every moment of the night before and it constantly surprised her at how strong their bodies were attracted to each other. She had to admit that it was only a little while before she had begged Jun Hyeon to make love to her. And only by a great effort of will, she asked him to stop. Because Ye Rim thought it would ruin everything between them. It was too rushed.


    But it surprised her to think about how everything had scaled up to this moment. The arrogant, straightforward man she met in a cemetery was a mischievous and seductive devil. And also a man capable of risking his life to save people. He was complicated and captivating.


    But ... Since when did he have double date plans with Shin Hye Seong and her unnie? When did this all happen?


    ooo


    The cold, starless night was perhaps not the most beautiful night of fall, but the two couples were having fun at the amus.e.m.e.nt park. They went on the Ferris Wheel and the Dark Ride, on a fast-spinning ride that left the girls dizzy. Everyone measured their strengths and made several bets, mocking each other and boasting about their skills.


    I shocked Ye Rim that Jun Hyeon and the French Teacher Shin were getting along so well despite their recent acquaintance. Feeling a little jealous that the men were talking animatedly to each other, the girls ostentatiously embraced each other, leaving them behind.


    Eun Ha suggested that everyone go to the shooting tent, and although the two men didn''t show off their skills, both were exceptional and won the most coveted stuffed animals in the tent.


    Ye Rim was not particularly a fan of white tigers, which was the stuffed animal that Dr. Kim had won, but she would be happy receiving it as Jun Hyeon''s gift. Professor Shin was carrying a Unicorn, which Eun Ha found very cute.


    But after exchanging glances at each other, the men just kept walking behind them and talking about the new subject, life in the army, much to their shock. Ye Rim couldn''t stand it and asked,


    "These stuffed animals ... Are they for yourselves?"


    Professor Shin shrugged, and Jun Hyeon replied,


    "What''s wrong? If we give it to you, people would think we are lovers¡­ When in fact, we are your teachers."


    Eun Ha opened her mouth, astonished,


    "Professor Shin?! This unicorn¡­ doesn''t even suit you!" she reached out for the Unicorn, but Professor Shin ignored her,


    "Jun Hyeon is right. It would be inappropriate."


    Professor Shin''s ability to speak such a thing so seriously impressed Ye Rim. Jun Hyeon looked away and held himself back from laughing, though.


    "Oh, yes?! Why don''t you exchange stuffed animals?! Since you seem to live a bromance!" Eun Ha blushed, but spoke up being sarcastic. This time Ye Rim joined his unnie,


    "Hahaha. Exactly. Look at this bromance. We are both just extras tonight. You should gift the toys to each other!"


    Professor Shin was embarrassed, and Ye Rim laughed as he asked his new friend,


    "But what are they talking about?"


    "Ha, they are trying to be funny at our expense," said Jun Hyeon, which made Ye Rim laugh even more. "They mean that we are such close friends that it''s almost as if we are living a romance. That we only have eyes for each other," and saying this, the doctor extended his tiger to Professor Shin, in a theatrical way,


    "Here, my friend. Let''s celebrate our new but unbreakable friendship!"


    Hye Seong laughed along, while Eun Ha squeezed her eyes and mouth in a disapproving and shocked expression. He accepted the gift, and gave Jun Hyeon his in return.


    ''Ah, they are so ridiculous!'' but in fact, they''re having fun tonight and Jun Hyeon was very relaxed and happy, she saw. Even though she had pending matters with Eun Ha, she decided that she would not spoil the fun of that night.


    Her unnie wanted to go on the beautiful carousel, to take pictures. Ye Rim thought it was a good idea. The carousel was stunning, with its beautiful lights and mirrors. The men were not at all excited but encouraged the girls to go on the ride.


    They entered the small line for the ride, while they still playfully discussed the bromance. A child beside his parents looked at Eun Ha curiously.


    Ye Rim knew that children always had a strange reaction to their unnie: they were either afraid or fascinated!


    "Don''t worry! She''s not mean. In fact, she''s very nice," she bent down to talk to the boy.


    This boy, about 5 years old, had a toy that was a kind of bugle with bright colors in his hand. Feeling encouraged by Ye Rim, the boy took two steps forward and pulled on Eun Ha''s skirt. The unnie turned with a smile, and the boy motioned for her to bend down,


    "Ah, what a cool toy you have there! Is that what you want to show me?" Eun Ha spoke sweetly, lowering the height of the boy''s face. Ye Rim thought it was funny how Eun Ha always did her best Disney Princess expression, even changing her voice, when a child wanted her attention.


    The child blew his toy with all the breath he had in Eun Ha''s face. From the toy''s opening, a shower of golden glitter and yellow confetti covered her friend''s face and hair. The scene was too funny, although Ye Rim also found the child a little mean. The child''s parents saw it too late, and scolded the boy who cried. Eun Ha looked terrified and was nervously trying to rub the small, sticky pieces of paper off,


    "Aissh! I hate children!" she grunted, to her friends'' laughter.


    Shin and Ye Rim tried to help her clean up, but it would be virtually impossible to do that entirely.


    "Relax, Eun Ha. You are among friends," said Jun Hyeon, trying to cheer her up. "The photos will be more fun like that!"


    "Yes, unnie! It''s our turn. Come on!"


    Ye Rim called, not wanting her friend to start cursing children at an amus.e.m.e.nt park. She still saw Eun Ha looking at Professor Shin, but he now seemed distracted by his phone that had just rung,


    "I''ll be right back. Yes, stay on the carousel, it''s okay, Jung," he said absently.


    As it seemed something serious, and he walked away a little, Ye Rim just took his friend by the arm to get on the ride, with a wide grin.


    "Let''s go! Let''s go! It will be fun! Oppa, please take lots of beautiful pictures!"


    "Okay! It''ll be easy!" replied also Jun Hyeon, getting his phone.


    When Ye Rim picked a white horse in the carousel full of colored lights and mirrors, she didn''t imagine that in moments her fun night would turn into moments of terror.

 Chapter 162 - The Carousel Incident

    That dark night, the hungry Wraiths surrounded the lit place, attracted by the succulent magical prey, with its diffuse and pulsating energy. Searching among mortals, they ignored small prey as they skimmed through the air to reach their target.


    The carousel spun, and inside, a human with bright aura protected the big, fat magical prey. Still, it was worth taking a chance.


    The hunt could be worth it.


    ooo


    Ye Rim heard Eun Ha shout to her, grinning,


    "Why did we never do this before?!" she looked at her unnie, who had her arms raised on her pink horse. The singer''s vision suddenly blurred. The lights seemed to flash at a very high speed, and even the music seemed a little distorted and sped up. Trying to fix the vision at one point, she looked at the mirrored axis of the ride, behind Eun Ha. But her unnie''s reflection was distorted and odd! Was she seeing a dokkaebi, like in old school stories? ''Wasn''t that your friend and unnie?''


    "Unnie?!" Ye Rim called, starting to get dizzy. She knew that if she closed her eyes, it would be worse.


    "Ye Rim?" she heard Eun Ha''s voice, worried. But then she felt the sudden cold. She already recognized that. The ''shadows'' arrival. Looking up, she saw several of them, approaching Eun Ha for a boat.


    "Watch out! Unnie! Unnie, watch out!" She screamed without thinking, throwing herself at Eun Ha clumsily. The two fell to the floor of the carousel, while the creatures descended like crows on them.


    "Ye Rim, what''s going on?" she heard her unnie ask, underneath her. Ye Rim turned the body, raising her hand to defend them from the evil shadows.


    A loud crash was heard, and the carousel stopped, the lights suddenly went out and electric sparks came out of the toy. People screamed in panic. Eun Ha hugged her and rolled to a corner, avoiding people who rushed to take children or run away from the carousel.


    "Are you okay?" one asked the other, hearts beating in unison and hard. Ye Rim couldn''t see very well, lights continued to flash in her vision, and she turned her head in all directions trying to perceive more shadows. But she felt they had run away. Soon they felt strong hands pulling them. Kim Jun Hyeon took them out of the ride quickly, covering them with his coat because of the sparks that occasionally popped out of the short circuit lighting. Upon getting off the carousel, Professor Shin was running towards them, and then asked Eun Ha,


    "What was that, Jung?!"


    Jun Hyeon still held her in his embrace, but Ye Rim didn''t like the tone in which the French Teacher spoke to his unnie,


    "I don''t know. Everything spun crazily and Ye Rim threw herself at me!" Eun Ha looked at Ye Rim in distress, "but right after something exploded in the carousel!"


    "Did you see anything weird, Ye Rim? It''s all right?" Jun Hyeon pushed her away from the carousel''s vicinity. The amus.e.m.e.nt park workers were running towards the ride and they would just get in the way. The other couple followed, whispering to each other.


    He sat her on a bench and measured her pulse. Ye Rim complained about her vision that blinked with colored lights, but was returning to normal.


    "Take a little rest. This is the effect of adrenaline on your bloodstream."


    A doctor''s words had the power to make the fantastic things she had seen seem like just a psychotic break. Would it be this? Was she experiencing hallucinations, caused by external events? She wanted to cry as she felt her body relax. She heard the couple next door arguing in a low, nervous voice. Again Ye Rim felt her blood heat up. She really didn''t like the authoritative tone of the teacher to her friend!


    "Is there a problem, unnie?" she asked, to let Eun Ha know that she was paying attention.


    ooo


    Eun Ha''s body was sore and tingling, and she was still trying to remove the yellow confetti stuck in her hair and hidden in the folds of her clothes. Her magic was out of control, and she didn''t know if she was the one who caused the carousel''s incident. Professor Shin had guaranteed that everything would be okay and that she shouldn''t worry! And why had Ye Rim jumped on her, as if saving her from a sniper attack? Did Ye Rim still see things? It would be good to take her home and ask what was going on, and take the time to clear it up. Just the two of them. But Dr. Flamingo now looked like an appendage to Ye Rim. And Professor Shin was nervous as she had never seen before,


    "I''m just a little sore, Ye Rim," and before Dr. Flamingo wanted to take her to a hospital, she got up from the bench, stretching,  It''s all right. It was just a tumble. Only the pride and the butt are sore, in fact."


    Professor Shin cleared his throat,


    "I''m sorry, but I got a call now and people I know have a problem."


    "What''s it? Can we help in any way?" asked Dr. Kim.


    "I still don''t know. But if I need help, I''ll ask, rest assured," he told his new friend. "I just have to leave now. I''m sorry since I was the one who invited you," he added, and Eun Ha realized that the Hunter seemed in a hurry. Then she said,


    "Okay, we understand. Dr. Kim will not be upset, since you have a bromance. Ye Rim and I are going home, there''s still a lot of food there."


    She pretended not to notice Ye Rim making head movements that she should invite Dr. Flamingo too, a little mad at her.


    "Jung, don''t you want to come with me?" Professor Shin asked. But if she did, she might miss the opportunity to speak to Ye Rim. Besides, she needed a shower and a change of clothes, to get the yellow confetti out of her and control her magic again. Perhaps he wanted to protect her from herself and her magic without control. But Eun Ha thought if she stayed at home, everything would be fine,


    "Don''t worry, Professor Shin. I will be at home with Ye Rim, rest assured. All I''m going to do is go to bed after dinner."


    He frowned, looking sideways at the couple beside him,


    "Jung, you better come with me."


    "But Professor, everything is fine¡­"


    "Jung! Come with me. Please! Now. I can''t stay long," this time he spoke under his breath and a little impatiently. Eun Ha understood that it was important to go with the Hunter, and she glanced at Ye Rim, who was frowning at the scene. Unfortunately, she had no way of undoing the misunderstanding in front of Dr. Flamingo.


    "Ah, all right," and turning to her friend, she said, "Well, in that case, I''m going with Professor Shin. I am sorry that our night ended so abruptly."


    ooo


    "If you don''t want to go, you shouldn''t go, unnie!" Ye Rim spoke, and Jun Hyeon noticed a strange change in all of them after the incident. Of course, the carousel''s explosion was frightening, and luckily no one, a.d.u.l.ts or children, was hurt. The ride was spinning more and more and suddenly everything went dark. Then lights came back with a blast before the short circuit and the sparks. It was really weird. But he had a lingering, disturbing impression about it all.


    "It''s all right, unnie," replied Eun Ha. He realized that the couple was tense and didn''t want to tell them what was going on. But Dr. Kim imagined that everything was related to the phone call that Shin Hye Seong received. They headed for the parking lot together, as they parked their cars next to each other.


    So Shin, after keeping the stuffed tiger in the car, said goodbye to them, while Eun Ha looked nervous.


    "Are you going anywhere near here?" Ye Rim asked, in an aggressive tone, and Jun Hyeon took her arm, trying to calm her down. She was being very invasive! As much as she wanted her unnie to stay, if Hye Seong didn''t want to tell where he was going, how could they pressure him?


    "Ye Rim, it''s okay. It is not polite to ask that kind of question," he murmured so that only she could hear. She stared at him with wide eyes, as if she didn''t believe he was interfering. ''Ah, the judging glare of a woman! How can a man live with that? '' he asked himself, also questioning his sanity for wanting a serious relationship and being subject to these things. Meanwhile, after a brief greeting and without giving any explanation, the couple quickly moved away from them in the open parking lot. It had definitely been very suspicious behavior. He exchanged a meaningful look with Ye Rim, who said,


    "Did you see that? He completely dominates it! She becomes a puppy with no opinion near him!"


    "Ah, well, I think ..." Jun Hyeon wasn''t sure what to make of the scene he witnessed, but he found the couple''s relationship a little strange. I just didn''t know how to label it at the moment.


    "We will follow them. I need to know what''s going on!"


    "Ye Rim! It doesn''t make any sense! We can''t follow people just because¡­." he tried to explain, but Ye Rim interrupted him impatiently,


    "Doesn''t it make sense?! It makes perfect sense! And what is the law that prevents me from doing it?!" she snarled and started walking in the direction the couple headed to. Jun Hyeon sighed, feeling that he had no alternative but to accompany his little troublemaker.

 Chapter 163 - A Thriller Night

    Ye Rim looked back, and was pleased that Jun Hyeon stepped up to catch up with her. More than concerned about Professor Shin''s influence on Eun Ha, her experience on the carousel made her apprehensive. She no longer saw the shadows that came to attack the merry-go-round. Did they specifically attack Eun Ha? That was the impression she had. Unfortunately, at the exact moment of the attack, the lights were too bright. She wasn''t sure if it affected the shadows, or if it was just a side effect. She also wasn''t sure if her intervention had made a difference this time. And mainly, why were these creatures appearing and attacking people close to her?


    A clearer thought appeared in the mire of doubts and the fear of being crazy: there was a real chance that she wasn''t crazy. There was a real chance that these things had come to chase Eun Ha, as they could have chased Eun Ha''s mother in the past. Whether it was a family curse, or whatever, it didn''t matter. If she had a chance to help her friend, she would. Eun Ha wouldn''t die as her mother had died, attacked by the shadows.


    "They already realized that we are following them, Ye Rim," commented Jun Hyeon. "What do you suspect?"


    "Yesterday I found them having a strange conversation. I want to make sure my friend is safe," she muttered, resolutely keeping her eyes on the couple a hundred meters away.


    Jun Hyeon didn''t comment on Ye Rim''s words,


    "The night is so dark. None of us should walk around here at night," this city area wasn''t particularly dangerous, but in fact, the moonless night contributed to the couple''s feeling of apprehension. Ye Rim agreed,


    "It''s a strange habit for a man as wealthy as Professor Shin. He''s very eccentric, don''t you think? Just by looking at him you can imagine that he''s a man who likes action and sports. But then he lives in a giant mansion with hundreds of works of art. It sounds so unreal!"


    "Hm, I got what you mean. I also had that impression. He''s very athletic and assertive, and he doesn''t even seem to be a good language teacher. He has a very martial stance. But why would he be lying to your friend and to all of us? Unless you think he''s some kind of Korean James Bond," Jun Hyeon chuckled, and Ye Rim hit him with her bag, as a punishment.


    "Ouch! Wifey!" They arrived at the intersection, just around the corner from the public park. The traffic light was closed for cars, and the avenue was quite empty, actually.


    ooo


    Mr. Choi had lost his job ten days ago and still hadn''t had the courage to tell his wife. His former boss had convinced him to help him defraud the company''s accounts, in exchange for a great salary and gifts like travels, bonuses and extended vacations. Counting on the extra cash flow, he had financed a beautiful house and a car for his wife. Mr. Choi had even taken out a loan for his daughter and wife to do their long-awaited plastic surgeries. But not only had he been fired, but there was a risk that he would end up in prison in a few days. Recently, Mr. Choi had tried to speak to his ex-boss, but he pretended he didn''t see him and crossed the street.


    He pretended to go to work and even work overtime, so as not to alert his family. Mr. Choi didn''t know what to do. The sad song of the singer Hani, on the car radio, didn''t help to improve his mood, and he even wiped his moist eyes, concentrating on the traffic. He changed the station, but didn''t realize that the radio changed to a station he never heard. Deep Dive, by Hani, started playing at that moment,


    "What''s up with this song, for a person to be successful all they need to do is kill themselves?!" Mr. Choi asked aloud, but he wasn''t in the mood to actually turn off the radio.


    Mr. Choi felt a chill and a sharp pain in his head.


    He couldn''t have known, that at that moment, a shadow escaped from his speakers in the trunk and climbed his back, digging his tentacles into his head, and crossing his heart with a small thorn. He felt suffocated and saw the couple crossing the security lane. A well-dressed couple engaged in conversation.


    ''Look at that hateful woman ... Your boss will remain unharmed, and going out with beautiful women, while you sink into debt and shame,'' a voice rang out in his mind.


    Was that his boss? The excruciating headache didn''t allow him to see right now, but that was how his elegant boss dressed, wasn''t it? He was always with beautiful women like that.


    Grinding his teeth, Mr. Choi stepped on the accelerator while staring at the couple in the lane with hatred.


    oo


    Jun Hyeon noticed something wrong and looked first at the car that was coming, and then at the opposite side, confirming the red lights. But the car was coming at full speed!


    Ye Rim just looked ahead, and he grabbed her by the arm, throwing himself forward with all his strength while trying to protect her from falling. He felt the impact of the body on the asphalt and felt the car''s rear tire go a few inches from his head. His right elbow had hit against the hard ground, but he had prevented Ye Rim from being hit by the car at high speed. The cars on the cross track abruptly braked to prevent a collision with the car that ran through the red light.


    Ye Rim, on top of him, looked up at the fleeing car, and exclaimed, as if she had seen a ghost,


    "Omo, they are everywhere!"


    Jun Hyeon sat on the floor, grabbing his arm, and she asked if he was okay, worried, as she got up too,


    "I think so. What a crazy driver! He could have killed us!"


    "The way he drove, it even looked like he wanted to kill us," she said in a sinister tone. Getting up Jun Hyeon went to the sidewalk with Ye Rim. She looked at the sky, just as he had seen Shin Hye Seong do on the day of the fashion show.


    "What are you doing? What are you looking for in the sky?"


    "This is a weird night, Oppa. You once asked me if I believed in ghosts, and that day I didn''t know how to answer. But on a night like this, I feel that bad spirits are at loose... Ant what just happened was not a coincidence. It almost killed us."


    As she dramatically spoke, the modern doctor in his mind wanted to make fun of that kind of superstitious thinking. But Jun Hyeon refrained from doing so. With each passing day, reality became more confused. Even the words of a seer years ago seemed to make more sense now. Still rubbing his throbbing arm, he looked around,


    "I''m not seeing your friends anymore."


    "They entered the park. I''m concerned about them. I know you''re in a little bit of pain, Oppa. But please, come with me! I have a really bad feeling about tonight."


    "Will I be able to convince you not to go?" Dr. Kim asked. The pain in his arm had taken a lot out of his spirits, and his senses were unreliable, since his nerve cells wanted relief. He hoped he didn''t crack an arm bone.


    "No, you won''t. I need to know if my unnie is okay."


    "I hope your Oppa deserves the same care afterward," even with that strange night, he might as well try to get a little more of the affection from the night before.


    She didn''t answer him, however.


    They entered one of the park''s alleys. It was already a little late, and there weren''t many people walking around. For now, Jun Hyeon just hoped that all of this anxiety from Ye Rim was overkill. And that what Hye Seong reasons to be here were something much simpler like helping a friend find a lost puppy. But he was believing that Ye Rim and his female intuition were right.


    "Can''t you find your friend on her cell phone?" If Eun Ha were the type to share her location, perhaps that would help them.


    Ye Rim tried, but then shook her head, "Her phone looks out of range."


    "So we have to keep looking," the surgeon said, trying to refrain his own irritation, which he knew was because of the pain. They continued to walk, and passed close to a group of homeless people, in their cardboard shells. Ye Rim grabbed his hand to make him walk faster. He understood that she, as a woman, would be anxious when passing through a large group of strangers considered suspicious by society. But he thought the drastic change in behavior was a little offensive. They were victims, not potential bandits.


    A familiar song started playing over the park''s speakers. He didn''t like that song. It was Lee''s famous hit. Jun Hyeon just clenched his jaw, keeping to himself his frustration at how horrible his night was getting by the minute. Today could have been the night he would declare himself to Ye Rim in his ''Hubby and Wifey'' joke, and they could be making love right now. But they were looking for a couple in a dark alley and they had almost been run over. Not to mention the carousel incident. ''How lucky for me!'' he thought wryly.


    "Oppa ..."


    "Yes?"


    "I-I think we have to run," she stammered, squeezing his hand even tighter. He looked back, and saw the homeless people walking in a group. And coming in their direction. They acted strangely and menacingly.


    To Jun Hyeon, they seemed to act like zombies from horror movies.


    And really, it was a terrifying situation.

 Chapter 164 - Save us, Hunter Shin!

    "They lost sight of us," said the Hunter, without looking at his student, "What happened there?"


    "I don''t know, but I think Ye Rim saw something," Eun Ha kept worrying about Ye Rim, as she hustled behind him.


    "Your friend is showing all the signs of being a special person. Not only does she produce a lot of magic, but she''s also being affected in some way. Ye Rim is very interesting, but we need to find out why this is so.  We don''t wish her to get hurt."


    "That''s what I want to do, but the Professor wanted me to come!" she protested, but he paid no attention. After the trees, they came to a lane where the young fairy saw two female silhouettes under a lamppost.


    "Who are those?"


    "Our kin, Jung," he replied.


    As they approached, Eun Ha could see them better. One was older in appearance, with a heavy body, a round face, and hazel eyes. Like them, she wore loose black clothes. The younger-looking one was small like Eun Ha herself and wore a completely blue Chima Jeogori, and a long braid. She looked like someone out of a Sageuk-era drama.


    "Hunter!" the two women exclaimed, coming to the couple. Eun Ha could see the unwavering admiration in the bright eyes of the two fairies, even though they looked nervous. They bowed to each other, although they seemed to want to honor him more.


    "Seol Hee, Chae Young, this is Eun Ha."


    He didn''t introduce her with a human surname or call her Jung alone, as he sued to do. Eun Ha felt included as kin, despite the strangeness of hearing her name for the first time being spoken by the Hunter.


    The two fairies examined Eun Ha, and the woman in the blue hanbok, Seol Hee, said,


    "She has no control over her magic. Did something happen? Was she attacked?"


    "Yes, there was a problem just now. But you called me, so what happened?"


    "Dear Hunter." Eun Ha raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, while Shin remained motionless and stoic. "We found Kwang Min this morning, dead," she took a traditional calligraphy brush from her bag. Eun Ha soon understood that this wand belonged to the fairy found dead. Chae Young didn''t look particularly sad, just scared. But she still had time to drool over the Hunter, who tried to conceal the annoyance of being idolized in this way. Seol Hee, a little more polite, said,


    "''Shin'', you are our only hope. The Devourer was slow to come to the capital, but he finally arrived. We cannot take any more chances after our friend''s death. You have faced it once and you know it. Please help us. We are leaving the city, and as far as I know, we are the last now," looking at Eun Ha, she said, "You should go back to your parents."


    "My parents are dead," she said, realizing a fact she didn''t until this moment. The Devourer could have caused all fairy deaths, including those of their parents.


    The pair opened their mouths in a penalized ''O'', and Seol Hee said, "Come with us, Eun Ha. There is a place for you where we go."


    "Ah, well¡­ I have a prot¨¦g¨¦. I can''t leave her."


    "You should go. Seol Hee, would you take care of Eun Ha for a while? She will be presenting herself soon to the Elemental Council," said the Hunter at her side, and the young fairy widened her eyes. ''Uh? Professor Shin?! How can you say that without even hesitating a little? Won''t you miss me?''


    "Ah ... she''s a ... lost child," said the fairy in the beautiful hanbok. Eun Ha knew the term was ''wild'', and she didn''t like condescension or being called a child. She didn''t know how old they were, but she also knew that these two could be helping the Hunter to do something, and not putting all the responsibility on his back. She wondered if they could know that he was out of magic, or with so little he couldn''t use. And if, even knowing that, they would leave all the work to him.


    "I''m not going," she said, more resolutely. "I will stand next to ... Hunter Shin."


    The two stared at her in disbelief. But Chae Young said,


    "Hunter Hye Seong, we are counting on you. You are the only one who can contain this threat. But we just met him to say that he does not worry about us, as we will leave the city. And as you asked me here is everything I could find out," she handed him a bound manuscript, which the Hunter quickly flipped through.


    He thanked her with a bow, and it was Seol Hee''s turn to take two steps forward, staring at him as if he were her ''husband going to war''. Eun Ha has already imagined herself doing a flying kick and the older fairy flying like a balloon with her blue hanbok. ''Ha, why didn''t I imagine that before? Hunter Shin is a hero and a man of action, and all fairies fall for him. As a superstar, he could choose the partner he wanted! And I see that they are all candidates! Grrr! I bet he''s conceited about it.''


    The blue fairy handed him an object wrapped in beautiful fabric, in the traditional way,


    "I hope this helps, ''Shin''. It was all that I collected in that short time."


    Shin thanked her again, and Eun Ha was curious about the content of the gift.


    "Are you already leaving?" The Hunter asked, and the Artisans replied yes,


    "We just came to warn you of it, so you wouldn''t waste your precious time now," and they both looked at Eun Ha again, with icy looks.


    "I am sorry to have disappointed you so far. Staying away from the capital will be the best for now," he said, and Eun Ha was very upset. ''Why is he apologizing? Why is the weight of this problem all over his back?!''


    "We trust you, Hunter!" Seoul Hee hugged him suddenly, and the Hunter was taken by surprise and just didn''t react. When Seoul Hee finally dropped him, Che Young did the same.


    ''Aish, what a bitch!'' at least she realized that the Hunter was only showing slight discomfort. Anyway, they left quickly, and the Hunter handed over the manuscript for her to hold.


    "WHY CAN THEY EMBRACE YOU?"


    "Shhh. Don''t be loud. They can''t."


    "But why did you allow it?"


    "What you want? That I take their arms out?" he crouched down while saying it, and placed the package on the floor. In undoing the knot, he found a Talchum mask, the folk theater of masks, representing an old woman. He smiled, which made Eun Ha imagine it was something important.


    She was going to ask what he was doing, when she saw him take a dagger out of his shirt, and she didn''t have to think long to know that it was Hunter Hye Seong''s magic wand, ''Shin''.


    "Jung, get closer," he said, and she did, crouching beside him. Although her body was still tingling with her own magic escaping, she realized that it was a magical object, like the Blue Monocle. When the Hunter pierced the mask with his dagger, her heart ached, not from any physical effect but from witnessing the destruction of the object. She could perceive the object''s magic passing through Hunter Shin''s magic wand, and the way he gripped the dagger, and the twitch in his face, the magic was absorbed into his body very quickly. Little sparkling dots vibrated around the Hunter and seemed to be drawn to him. As they were absorbed by him, Eun ha felt the tingling in her body cease. He took a deep breath and looked up at Eun Ha,


    "Jung, tonight you saw two rare things, and one of them, forbidden. I absorbed some of your energy. Not every fairy knows how to do this, and that, of course, is dangerous. I only did it because your magic is out of control and can be dangerous for everyone."


    "But you also absorbed the magic of that mask."


    "Yes. There is a rare path of magic that instills objects with magic. Like the monocle. I learned this path from one of the best teachers that have ever existed. Master Seong Hwan. But that path can also lead to an uncontrollable addiction: devour the magic of a fairy. It can lead a fairy to become a predator of others. So, obviously, what I did now was a crime, even if it was to save us trouble. Forgive me."


    She looked at him with a start.


    Eun Ha wanted to say many things, but a shout caught their attention. And she recognized that voice. It was Ye Rim!


    Getting up quickly, she asked,


    "This conversation can go on for later."


    They ran in the direction from which the voice had come. As they approached the mall, they saw a group of beggars surrounding Ye Rim and Dr. Flamingo. But they didn''t act normally. Loud music played through the speakers, and those people acted as if commanded or hypnotized. Shin ran towards them, leading the way, while Dr. Flamingo pushed people who came closer to Ye Rim.


    "Omo!"

 Chapter 165 - Some see, and Others Not

    Eun Ha blinked twice, as she was seeing the wraiths, even without the monocle. They were disengaging from their hosts, like dark rags, and ascending to the sky. She didn''t have a good feeling about that!


    Looking down, she saw Ye Rim more concerned with what was going on over her head than with the humans who acted like zombies. She didn''t understand how it could happen, but it was happening. The Hunter and the doctor were dealing with humans, and Ye Rim raised her hands to defend herself ...


    Eun Ha needed to do something!


    ooo


    Those people crowded near a concrete structure they used as shelter, all had shadows attached to them. Then Ye Rim grabbed her oppa''s hand to get away quickly. And why did that song start playing so loud and suddenly? They were many, about thirty people, men and women. And suddenly the mob started to follow them. It wasn''t a coincidence. The shadows dominated those unfortunate people as Yuna was. She heard the distorted whispers¡­


    "Kill! Kill the woman!"


    "Oppa! We better run!" she turned to Jun Hyeon, pulling him. But Jun Hyeon couldn''t see what she was seeing. He probably just saw homeless people acting weird. He turned, as if to say something to them, as she tried to pull him away. There would be no dialogue. People could not hear.


    When Jun Hyeon realized this, they ran, but the mob easily surrounded them.


    They tried to grab Ye Rim. She was the target. Jun Hyeon was trying to defend her, but he was just one against many. They were trapped.


    Then Ye Rim saw the shadows start to come off those people, and as if they were sucked into the sky, they gathered and started forming a bigger thing.


    It looked familiar.


    It looked like her nightmare with Big Mouthed Monster.


    "Oppa! RUN!" she felt the tears of terror run down her face. In her dream, she could never escape the Big Mouthed Monster.


    Dr. Kim didn''t even respond, and she knew he wouldn''t budge while defending her.


    Then Professor Shin arrived to help Jun Hyeon. They were fighting those people, whose only aim seemed to be to grab Ye Rim. Jun Hyeon put her own body in front of her, enduring the fingernails and pushes of those people with empty eyes. Professor Shin threw them away to get to the couple.


    Suddenly, the formation of shadows on something bigger and scarier was aborted. They ''pulled apart'' and left like rats dispersed by a broom. The homeless people seemed to awaken those numb minds and, temporarily released from their ''demons'', those people also fled like rats.


    Eun Ha came running and hugged her, which was good, because her legs were weak,


    "Are you okay, Ye Rim?"


    She just shook her head, trying to see how Jun Hyeon was doing too. He was bleeding and dirty, but he seemed more concerned with her.


    Shin approached them and said,


    "Jun Hyeon, take them home, I''ll talk to the police and explain what happened."


    ''Police?! What police? '' Ye Rim looked around and saw and heard no sign of the police. But her gaze caught Eun Ha''s hand, inside the jacket, moving as if he was stirring something all the time. It was so weird!


    It didn''t take long for the trio to drive home in Jun Hyeon''s car. The doctor broke the silence,


    "That was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. Those people ... They didn''t want to rob us. They wanted to kill us!"


    "Drugs, Dr. Kim! It''s the drugs! I saw a horrible video about drugs that even make people cannibalize each other!" Eun Ha said, still hugging Ye Rim in the back seat. "Isn''t it better to go to a hospital? You are bruised and bleeding..."


    The singer looked at Eun Ha out of the corner of her eye. She knew her unnie''s ''fudge'' and that comment was more of a smoke screen. Eun Ha knew what was going on, she was sure now.


    "I''ll go to the hospital after leaving you at home safely. I''m happy that neither of you got hurt."


    "Thank you, oppa!" Ye Rim said, really grateful. Jun Hyeon managed to keep her safe even with so many people surrounding them. He didn''t give up. "But we really must go to the hospital now. I''m fine and Eun Ha, too, but you''re bleeding, although you feel okay. As you said, it''s adrenaline."


    He smiled in the rearview mirror, "You are right, I will do this if you don''t mind. Eun Ha, I don''t believe in these rumors and videos on the internet. I hope the police will check the situation of those people. The police arrived so quickly and in large numbers, I was thankfully surprised! Did you call them?" Ye Rim was still confused, since Jun Hyeon claimed to have seen the police, but she had not seen any police cars or their arrival.


    "Ahem! Yes, I called when Professor Shin ran to help them!" replied Eun Ha, fl.u.s.tered.


    "He''s a good fighter!" admitted Jun Hyeon, wiping his face once again with his torn jacket sleeve.


    "Yes! Is he a martial artist?" Ye Rim asked, starting to be more alert after recovering a little.


    Her unnie replied,


    "Ah, well, I thought you taught TaeKwonDo in the army."


    "Not at that level. Yet everything that happened,¡­ It seemed supernatural," the doctor veered off to the hospital.


    "I believe it''s because of synthetic drugs abuse. And their homelessness situation... You were in the wrong place..."


    "But you were also there, and you weren''t attacked," Jun Hyeon countered. Ye Rim saw her friend getting fidgety. Then she asked, pretending to haven''t noticed it at all,


    "Oppa, I didn''t see the police. How can I have missed this? " she was hawk-eyeing her unnie''s reactions. And Ye Rim realized by the tightening of the muscles in her face, how tense Eun Ha was. Angry, Ye Rim came out of the embrace of her liar unnie, and opened the window to breathe some air. Jun Hyeon replied,


    "Didn''t you see? In that case I will ask a doctor to see you and maybe give you a light tranquilizer so you can sleep well today. Don''t worry."


    "But tell me what I didn''t see!" she insisted, on edge. She understood that Dr. Kim wanted to guarantee her well-being, even though he was hurt. But Ye Rim wanted to know what he saw. She was now starting to realize that there was much more than evil shadows at work.


    "That loud music suddenly stopped and police cars approached, with sirens and lights on. Someone spoke into the microphone: LAST WARNING, YOU ARE SURROUNDED! SURRENDER NOW!" said Jun Hyeon, looking uncomfortable about something.


    "What is it, Oppa?"


    "It was strange, wasn''t it? Is this the standard way of acting? I don''t think the police could even do that."


    "But what matters is that it worked, didn''t it?" Eun Ha interrupted quickly, "Maybe they did it because it was a big and dangerous group."


    "I don''t know," said Jun Hyeon. All the time Ye Rim watched over Eun Ha''s reactions. It was plausible that her unnie was nervous about what had happened, but she seemed to be on the defensive too. And it was definitely not normal. When they arrived at the hospital, Ye Rim jumped out of the car, and pulled her best friend by the arm,


    "Listen unnie. At this point we''ll take care of Jun Hyeon oppa, who is injured, first. But when we get home, you have many things to explain to me! And don''t even think about running to your Teacher!"


    Leaving her unnie with her mouth agape, she went with Jun Hyeon to the hospital emergency room to get medical attention. Even when he insisted that she should see to a doctor too, Ye Rim refused, as she wanted to be wide awake to confront Eun Ha.


    An hour later, they met Professor Shin, who was waiting for them in front of the building where they lived.


    "How did things go? Did the police find them?" asked Jun Hyeon.


    "The police didn''t believe my report. That they acted like zombies from a movie. They said they would do a search and scolded me for walking in the park late at night," he explained, but of course, his explanation didn''t convince Ye Rim. She hadn''t seen any police, and it just showed that, as she suspected, Professor Shin was involved in whatever Eun Ha was. That if he were really a Professor. She no longer believed that.


    "Did you solve the problem you came here to in first place?" Jun Hyeon asked pointedly. The other man looked at him, and said,


    "Yes, a student had a manuscript to deliver to me before going on a trip, and since she lives nearby, she asked me to pick it up there. It was urgent for her, and important for me," he showed the notebook from afar, putting it away again. "I wouldn''t have imagined that we would be in danger. In fact, I wouldn''t have thought you were going to follow us," there was a slight disapproving tone, and it embarrassed Jun Hyeon. But not Ye Rim,


    "I had a bad feeling. And I wasn''t mistaken."


    "Well, I understand and I''m sorry to have exposed you to this," Shin bowed to them, looking sincere this time. Ye Rim was getting more and more confused with these two!


    But when the men said goodbye, and left the two girls alone, she turned to Eun Ha,


    "Enough lies, unnie! I want the truth!"


    ooo


    Soon after the wraiths dispersed in the park, they flew through the night and through the center of Seoul, converging on the same building. A building in an upscale neighborhood of the city. The shadows rose to the top, to the antenna on the roof of the building. Below that antenna was a duplex apartment, and inside it, a sound room. The clandestine radio station, known as the KWB, broadcast from there.


    "MR. KWAK PRESENTS ''THE TOP 10! YOU CALLED, WE PLAY''EM! ''"A recording was triggered by the computer, which had a sequence of automated tasks to follow. Bots answered calls to, and the hand that used to push the buttons manually lay near the overturned microphone. Worms roamed the rotting flesh. Mr. Kwak, or the Young Jin fairy, had been dead for days.


    In a dark corner, the Devourer closed his eyes, slightly bored.


    Hye Seong was bothering him again.

 Chapter 166 - No Magic Will Fix a Broken Heart

    Eun Ha felt her legs tremble. The moment of truth had arrived, and she didn''t feel ready for it! Furthermore, this conversation was just after a series of events in which she was forced to act suspiciously! The fairy knew that Ye Rim was angry and feeling underestimated in her intelligence. But she had no choice but to start talking,


    "Ye Rim, I also wanted to have this conversation with you for a long time, but I''ve been putting it off. It is more difficult than it looks. I¡­"


    "Let''s start with this week''s business. I found you and your ''Teacher'' talking about me, my mother, and Yuna Zhang. But you tried to deny it. I was so furious that I didn''t even want to look at you. But tonight I forgave you. And for what? For you to deceive me again, hiding something that is important! You better tell me all about these shadows I''ve seen! I know you saw it too! And what happened today? Jun Hyeon oppa for some reason believes that the police saved us, but I know it was your arrival that changed everything! NOW! DO TELL!"


    Even though her eyes were full of tears, she had to make an effort and say,


    "Ye Rim, I don''t think I should tell you about this part, but long before. I have no way of saying it any other way. I¡­ am not human."


    She waited to see some reaction on her best friend''s face, and saw it. Shock, fear, and suspicion.


    " Are you really the girl who grew up with me?  Or¡­ Are you a dokkaebi?"


    "Yes, I am your friend who has known you since preschool. The girl who was born on the same day as you. I haven''t been replaced, if that''s what you think. But ... Dokkaebi? Perhaps something similar. I am a fairy."


    "Fairy?" Ye Rim was as incredulous and suspicious as she imagined she would be.


    "Yes, Ye Rim. That is my nature. I found out it was different during our teenage years. You must remember the time when I was acting furious and just wanted to be alone. When I started dressing in black and doing stupid and weird things... At that time I knew that what happened on the day of our birth differed from what the whole city believed. I didn''t know what it was like, but I knew that your mother wasn''t lying or was crazy. I didn''t know why your mom was gone or if she found out what I was ... And I thought you wouldn''t understand. YE RIM," she cried, "I didn''t want you to reject me! I was afraid you would hate me! That''s why I didn''t say anything! That''s why I kept it secret until now!"


    Ye Rim''s face was pale, and she was static, glaring at Eun Ha. After some time in silence, she snarled,


    "So are you able to do magic? And have you done magic?"


    "Wait. As I said, I am not a dokkaebi. I can''t create real gold or anything. In fact, I didn''t even know exactly what I was. I just found a magic wand in my mom''s things... "


    "A magic wand? Let me guess: the green pen that you carry everywhere?"


    "Yes. But all I knew how to do was crash things and cause problems. It took me a while to get some control over my magic, and it was only after I met Hunter Shin¡­ Well, that part is also complicated, but¡­" Eun Ha told about her learning with Hunter Shin, and that only now she was beginning to understand and master her powers, but Ye Rim interrupted, dryly,


    "We''ll get back to this later. The shadows I saw, the werewolf in the octagon, none of this is magic or illusion, but reality, isn''t it?"


    Then Eun Ha explained everything she knew about the wraiths. The reactions on her best friend''s face were one of horror and silent crying, until Ye Rim exploded,


    "UNNIE! You¡­! YOU KNEW IT ALL ALONG! You could have told me years ago what you were! We could have investigated further, together! But you were selfish! How many things could have been different¡­! For the past few days I have doubted my sanity, and in many moments of my life I have doubted! Because strange things happened around me! Today, on the carousel, I saw your real reflection!"


    "No, my real reflection is the usual and ...!"


    "You spent years lying to me. How can I believe you? You selfish and insensitive creature! You are A MONSTER!"


    The words she feared most came out of Ye Rim''s mouth. Monster. She wasn''t a monster, but that was what Ye Rim would invariably think, as Eun Ha had imagined since the day she discovered she wasn''t normal. She crouched in the middle of the room, hugging herself and crying softly.


    But Ye Rim was too furious to have mercy on her,


    "Now I am imagining all the bizarre things that have ever happened in my life. And there were many. You were always around."


    "No... Not everything was my work."


    "But then you admit that you manipulated my life," Eun Ha even feared that Ye Rim would hit her, such was her friend''s wrath at that moment. She just curled on herself and cried more, but Ye Rim insisted,


    "Come on, you liar! Tell the truth! Or are you going to keep trying to lie?!"


    "Forgive me Ye Rim! Forgive me! I just wanted your good! I wanted to save you!" Eun Ha threw herself at her friend''s feet, begging forgiveness with her heartfelt cry. And knowing that she needed to say everything, Eun Ha told of her concern about the prophecy of the ''man in pink'' and some of her interferences in Ye Rim''s career,


    "And when you met Dr. Flam¡­ Dr. Kim so close of our 27th birthday!  And once you arrived home with his pink shirt...!"


    "You crazy! How can you! How could you interfere so much in my life ! You didn''t have that right! You couldn''t do all this with me and the people around me, without consulting me! You are a psychopath!"


    "No, Ye Rim please don''t say that! I am your unnie, I just want your well being!" she begged for forgiveness.


    But Ye Rim didn''t listen to her anymore.


    ooo


    The shocking revelations left Ye Rim upset and crushed! Although this confrontation was necessary, what she heard was terrifying. She lived for years with a supernatural being without knowing it, trusting and loving Eun Ha as a sister. Yes, like an unnie of her own blood. But all this time Eun Ha lied and manipulated the truth around her. She had also sabotaged her career for years, and even meddled in her love life! But what hurt most was the prolonged lie. Not even the fact that monsters existed, or that she was a ''fairy'', could be more shocking than the loss of confidence in the person who was one of the pillars of her life.


    Ye Rim felt dry eyes now. Her heart was so hurt that she felt she would choke. Even her desire to slap Eun Ha was small near the emptiness in her heart. No matter what her unnie said she had done for her, to protect her, she had no right to decide what her life would be like without consulting her.


    "I''m leaving, Eun Ha. Don''t cross my way never again!" she spoke with contempt, pulling in the air with effort, and feeling her heart freeze after that. Yes, it was what Ye Rim was supposed to do. Staying away from this insane creature who lived for years pretending to be her friend, but playing fairy godmother as if she were a brainless doll.


    "Nooooo! NO! PLEASE, DO NOT GO! YE RIM! YE RIM DON''T GO! " Eun Ha sobbed and clung to her feet, but Ye Rim started walking towards the room. Today, she would pack a suitcase with the essentials, but she would soon move to the agency''s lodgings, or anywhere else. But decidedly, she would not stay another minute beyond the essential in the apartment that belonged to Eun Ha.


    "Let me go! Don''t touch me! You have no right to ask for anything from me, Eun Ha, not even forgiveness!" she turned her face away from seeing Eun Ha crying on the floor, and angrily locked herself in the room, taking the suitcase from the wardrobe and throwing what was most important inside. In her mind, Ye Rim saw scenes and scenes from the past, at various times when everything seemed too surreal to be true, even the most recent, increasingly strange facts.


    Monsters and fairies existed, and her unnie was both.


    ooo


    Jun Hyeon was examining just below his left rib in front of the mirror. He was making sure that the stitches he had there had been really well done before re-dressing when the phone rang. Recognized by the personalized touch that was Ye Rim. Worried, he answered,


    "What''s up, Ye Rim?"


    "O-oppa, I know it''s late but ... I have nowhere to sleep today and I''m in a cab in front of your building ..."


    Scratching his head, he asked her to go up. The tearful tone and previous events already told him that the problems were far from over.

 Chapter 164 - The Half-Fairy Boy

    Jun Hyeon spent the last few days with a lot of work due to the upcoming annual event. The next week of free surgeries that the Ji Hyeon Foundation promoted was something that worried him now. It aimed at people who needed and could not afford complex cosmetic correction surgeries, but he didn''t know if he could perform surgeries at that time.


    His sleepless nights, since he left home, began to take their toll. He didn''t believe that senseless attack by miserable people in the park was the reason. Still, the images kept coming to his mind as if they wanted to join into a jigsaw. His reason refused to accept the result, whatever. In a way, it was a sensation similar to that of his recurring dream. A dream that, in fact, had not returned since the night the images changed.


    But it wasn''t the only reason. Lately, he had been experiencing headaches and dizziness. He didn''t want to worry anyone unnecessarily, so he didn''t tell anyone. This problem had not yet hindered his activities, but he was considering transferring his surgeries to other doctors, even if he had to pay their fees himself. Those people looked forward to their surgeries and Dr. Kim didn''t want to reschedule them.


    He had ruled out a brain damage diagnosis that morning after his doctor checked the tests taken earlier in the week. After all, he had recently suffered a car accident, and despite having been tested at the time, he thought he should double-check.


    His friend and doctor, seeing his doubts about the result of a normal and perfect brain, recommended that, discarding physical aspects, he should go to a psychiatrist for an evaluation.


    Dr. Kim decided to follow this sensible advice and planned to do so in the next month, when his schedule was less troubled.


    Now, in the late afternoon, his lawyer paid him a visit, to talk about the mysterious woman. He was anxious about that too.


    When the lawyer started talking about the difficulties he had and how the neighbors weren''t exactly cooperative, actually looking irritated, Kim Jun Hyeon snorted with anger.


    "But did you have access to an image? Is there anything we can take to the police? What about community cameras? "


    "Jun Hyeon," said the man who was old enough to be his father and had known him since he was young, and so the intimacy to call him by name, "This whole story is very suspicious. Your front neighbor refused to cooperate, messing with me for a few days and finally saying that the security company had deleted the footage by mistake. The community cameras from that region to the park ... were also deleted by mistake. Weird, isn''t it?" he finished sarcastically, turning on his tablet.


    "Weird? I would say suspicious, Lawyer Cha."


    "Then watch this, my son. We will discuss it after you watch the videos. This resident at the beginning of the street yielded the images, because he was walking his dog and saw a boy with a delivery motorcycle go down the street that day, looking for something. And his side camera took some images that interest us."


    Dr. Kim leaned forward to watch the footage from the security camera.


    As always, it was a low-quality black-and-white image, already edited to get straight to the point of interest.


    Lawyer Cha explained,


    "Video 1 is the couple''s arrival on the motorcycle."


    The image wasn''t good enough because of the angle, but they could see a boy without a helmet riding a delivery scooter, and a woman in a hooded sweatshirt and mismatched sweatpants wearing a helmet.


    He had seen this type of scooter before. He even remembered once, actually the first time he went out with Ye Rim, when he saw exactly this model. It wasn''t possible, however, to see many details of the people.


    "Video 2," the lawyer pushed a button, and Kim Jun Hyeon saw the woman, running across the street. She held the helmet in her hand, but because she was constantly looking back, her face couldn''t be seen. Jun Hyeon felt a tightness in his chest. Even with the poor quality of the image and without seeing the face ... the movements were very familiar. She looked like his sister. He bit his fist in anguish when he saw on the other side of the sidewalk the silhouette of a masked man in a cap, running with a stick, right after. It was too fast and blurred.


    "The third video is with the delivery man looking for her," and Dr. Kim followed the boy on the scooter down the street. "So far, it was the best video we got, Jun Hyeon. What do you want to do from here?"


    "I want the police to find this woman, Dr. Cha. Incredible as it may sound, this woman ... It could be my sister."


    "I''m going to ask for an investigation opening with this video, Jun Hyeon," the lawyer sighed, although he already seemed to expect it. "You have an idea that this whole process of questioning your sister''s death will be very difficult and painful, don''t you?"


    Jun Hyeon wanted to express his anger that it didn''t matter. That he had to find the delivery man, the woman and that he should use all methods for that. But Lawyer Cha didn''t deserve to be yelled at. The doctor bit his lower lip to contain his frustration, and said in a grave tone,


    "Whatever it takes to find this woman and whoever attacked her, Dr. Cha. Do everything."


    ooo


    Mi Chang came to Mr. Shin''s mansion that night, answering his request. He was looking forward to this moment, when I would hear the truth in detail. The richness of the place impressed him, but much more the amount of knowledge that should have been there. He would like to explore that library freely at least once.


    Mr. Ahn, the ahjussi who seemed to smile at everything, as far as Mr. Shin was, led him to the next door to the library. The room was a mix of cabinet and laboratory. There were beautiful weapons hanging on the wall and also large empty glass containers. Mr. Shin was standing there, reading a notebook that reminded Chang Mi of books he saw in sangeuk dramas.


    After greeting each other, the fairy man stared at him, and Chang Mi saw a myriad of emotions pass over the older man''s face. This was so strange!


    "Erm¡­ Well, I''m here as we agreed, Mr. Shin. I came to know everything ''I need'', as you said yourself."


    "Chang Mi, I have been looking for a person like you for about 27 years," Mr. Shin was quite assertive.


    "So I mustn''t be that person. I am much younger than that," Chang Mi replied in the same way.


    "The possibility that you are still the person I am looking for is huge, Chang Mi. When I heard that your foster parents found you in a crate of persimmons, some things started to make sense. But you might need to hear a story with a sad ending, first."


    Chang Mi had nothing to lose, and when the fairy started telling the story of a woman who had a forbidden romance with a fairy, he understood why being a half-fairy was not the best thing in the world. As Shin explained, without any kind of half words or roundabouts, half-fairies were usually monsters. They were rarely born with a human appearance, and even when they did, they were often considered dangerous and unreliable.


    The rest of the story, like the father of the half-fairy, a scholar named Seong Hwan, went crazy while researching so-called wraiths, caused him to lock his chin. It was a hard blow receiving the news that his possible father had become a monster. That certainly wouldn''t make him the most popular guy among fairies, he thought.


    "But how can you be sure I am his son?"


    "I''m not sure," said fairy Shin. "I just understood what could have happened to you. There''s an old transformation spell, very complex and powerful for me to explain, and even for me to perform," saying this he tapped the book he had been reading before. "This magic could turn a woman into a plant, for example. Many times people were transformed into plants, animals, etc. and then rescued later on. You must know or have heard of the Peach Boy tale, for instance."


    In fact, he knew that story, but it amazed Chang Mi that the man in front of him, fairy or not, assumed that he had somehow turned into a real persimmon when he was a baby. His expression of disbelief must have been very visible to Mr. Shin, who asked,


    "Can''t you believe it? It was so easy to accept that Miss. Jung was a fairy, but can''t you accept that you and your mother could have been bewitched?"


    "Mr. Shin, are you really wanting me to believe that I was a persimmon? A Persimmon Boy?"


    "Exactly. And a couple of greengrocers, the Yoo, found you. A persimmon tree can take up to 9 years to have its first fruit. And you were the first fruit."


    "And the persimmon¡­ was it my mother?" it was fantastic and at the same time, painful. "Did she use any spell or magic object to transform herself into a persimmon to avoid being captured by a Hunter?"


    "You are canny, Chang Mi."


    This was so fantastic that he sat, dazed, "Daebak!" Of course, he was sorry for his father and mother. What a tragic romance! His father had turned into a crazy and corrupt creature by consuming magic. His mother, to protect him, turned into a tree.


    "Is there a way to turn my mother back into a human?" he asked.


    "Usually the method is in the spell''s casting, Chang Mi. In other words, probably the only person who knows, or knew, is your father, who cast the spell."


    The student was thoughtful for a while, digesting the information.


    "Chang Mi," continued the Hunter, after a while. "There''s a test. A dangerous test, to make sure that''s what happened. If you are the child that the Devourer seeks. But through this test, it is possible for the Devourer to know that you exist."


    The half-fairy looked up at the Hunter, puzzled,


    "Hm. How is this test?"

 Chapter 165 - Meeting Mrs. Nam Joo

    It was three days before Ye Rim and Eun Ha''s birthday, but they hadn''t yet spoken again. Eun Ha tried to call every day and had even gone to the Optimus Entertainment to wait for Ye Rim, but the singer was adamant.


    The mere idea of spending their birthdays alone distressed the fairy. They had sworn it would never happen.


    But Eun Ha still needed further confirmation, and after some searching, she got the address of Ye Rim''s mother. As was known in her hometown, Mrs. Park Nam Joo had left Ye Rim''s father, and eloped with the psychiatrist in the neighboring city. However, according to the small town''s gossip network, a few years later she left him. And a few years ago she had remarried to a pastor in a Pentecostal service.


    Mrs. Park agreed to receive her, however, when she found out who she was.


    Eun Ha was a little nervous when talking to Ye Rim''s mother on the phone. She had a voice a little like her daughter''s, just tinged with maturity minus the energy. The young fairy had chosen a scarf and gloves as a gift for her friend''s mother. It was a small gift for the human who had saved her life. She wanted to know the ''Instillation'', which was to permanently enchant an object, to make something wonderful for this woman. Mrs. Park wasn''t the villain in this story, but a victim. At that time, however, Eun Ha didn''t know how to permanently enchant objects to present her with something special.


    Getting into the cab she hoped to have the answers she needed, and finally to meet this extraordinary woman.


    ooo


    Ye Rim looked again at the envelope in her hands, while she was inside the car watching the house across the street. That was her mother''s address, Park Nam Joo.


    Ye Rim had been restless since the latest events revealed things about her past that took many doubts out of her heart. Holding a grudge over facts that her mother had no control over ... She couldn''t keep doing this.


    Looking at the seat next to her, Ye Rim saw the gift she had bought. Flowers. She had no intimacy with Park Nam Joo, and didn''t know how to present her. Ye Rim just knew she needed to talk to her. Rebuild the bridges that Nam Joo had been trying to rebuild for some time.


    With her cell phone in hand, she was about to call the number her mother had sent her, when she saw a cab stop in front of the house. And from the cab, Eun Ha came out, with a box in her hands!


    ''WHAT?!'' What was that crazy woman doing there ?! Ye Rim was amazed, literally with her mouth agape. She wasn''t going to let Eun Ha talk to her mother ... Or did they already talk?


    Ye Rim hurriedly got out of the car, slamming the door. Eun Ha immediately turned around, startled.


    "UNNIE, I MEAN, SRTA JUNG EUN HA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Ye Rim yelled as she crossed the street, looking at her ex-unnie. Eun Ha went white as wax,


    "Ye Rim! Y-you¡­ What are you doing here?"


    "Are you going to answer me with my question ?! Do you want to die?!"


    The fairy looked at her with fear in her eyes,


    "Aigoo, Ye Rim. I came to pay a visit to Mrs. Park."


    "Ah, did you? What right did you come to my mother''s house ?! "


    "Ye Rim!" her ex-friend reacted with surprise, "I called! I talked to her and she said I could come today, at this time!"


    Ye Rim opened her mouth, amazed. But then she narrowed her eyes accusingly,


    "What are you up to this time, ''Eun Ha''?! What can you want with my mom?"


    "Good Ye Rim, I need to hear about the day of our birth. I need to unravel this charade once and for all," Eun Ha confessed her intentions with this visit.


    "You only think about your interests!"


    "That''s not it! I always wanted to know, because it''s part of my story. But as my best friend would resent it if I came to her mother, so I let ALL THESE years go by without knowing it!" Eun Ha was also exalted, and her boldness to say such things surprised the singer.


    "Aish, how brazen!"


    "And what are you doing here? Did you know that I would come?"


    "Of course not! I am not the one who keeps an eye on other people''s lives and sabotages them!"


    "Okay, that was offensive, but it was true so I will let it pass! But you still can''t stop me from visiting someone ..."


    She interrupted Eun Ha, approaching menacingly,


    "Can''t I?! Let''s see if not," she held up her hands to grab Eun Ha, who was retreating as she cringed.


    "Hey, calm down, Ye Rim! Don''t be like that, I already said she agreed. If I knew that¡­ Aiiiiiish!!!" Eun Ha turned and started running while Ye Rim ran after her.


    But Chang Mi, who came in front of her intercepted the singer,


    "Stop, noona! I won''t allow this kind of situation! I am here to defend you, but I cannot let you be hurt."


    "I don''t want to and won''t attack Ye Rim!" justified Eun Ha. Ye Rim snorted, realizing how pathetic the situation had become.


    Chang Mi suggested, "If the two of you need to talk to Ms. Park, wouldn''t it be better to do this together? So any suspicion about the content of the conversation will dissipate. I''m sure there will be no problems with Mrs. Park. She must be eager to see them again."


    One looked at the other hoping for agreement. Ye Rim tried to control her grudge, and nodded, agreeing,


    "Okay. It''s even better that way. I don''t want my visit causing a disruption in the agenda. But I won''t allow Eun Ha to talk to my mother alone."


    She felt Eun Ha looking at her with hurt, and when she looked out of the corner of her eye, she saw her lips tremble. ''Aish, how dramatic!'' "Let''s go. But don''t think about visiting my mother behind my back. If I find out about this, you will feel my fury!" she threatened and made the gesture of cutting her neck with her hand, accompanied by a characteristic sound. Eun Ha winced, but agreed,


    "Okay. It will be good for you to hear it too. I imagine it will be a painful conversation, after all."


    It was in this way that both passed through the gate of the house, being received by a uniformed employee. The house was comfortable and beautiful, although both girls were feeling uncomfortable at the time. The woman led them down a corridor and saw pictures of the couple and their children, a teenage couple. Ye Rim wondered if they were really her half-siblings. She had no details. The door opened to a comfortable room, where Ye Rim and Eun Ha saw Park Nam Joo.


    Ye Rim felt her chest tighten. She thought she had already forgotten what her mother was like, but the closeness brought back the oldest memories of her life. She swallowed, watching and being watched by her mother.


    But noticing that her mother looked like a dead person distressed her the most. There was no shadow with her, but there was ''something'' with her. Ye Rim, however, didn''t know what it was.


    Thick tears started streaming down Nam Joo''s face, looking at the two people. She just wrung her hands, not knowing how to act around the children, now a.d.u.l.ts, that she abandoned. Only when it seemed unbearable, did she abruptly express,


    "Forgive me! Forgive me!"


    The two had the same impetus, and embraced her, without words to express the intensity of this reunion.


    Just a little later, they could sit down, and have a conversation. Nam Joo didn''t know them nor did they know her. They started by telling what they were currently doing. Ye Rim''s mother revealed that she had married Reverend Jo 8 years ago. Nam Joo had been converted to this denomination 12 years ago. He was a widower and had two children from his first marriage. She helped with Church activities.


    Nam Joo had a beautiful exterior appearance, although she looked frail and sickly. Not at all with the fussy girl from the photos her father kept hidden in a box at the bottom of the closet. Now Ye Rim could understand the great transformation that the day of her birth caused in his mother.


    Nam Joo held the hands of the two women beside her, as if seeking energy and contact with them.


    Ye Rim felt a scar on his mother''s palm, and turned her hand to look. There was an ugly scar, as if something had pierced and burned right in the center of the palm. Ye Rim might not see a shadow, but she felt that this was where her energy was draining away. She noticed Eun Ha, on the other side, peering and widening her eyes when she saw the scar. This confirmed her suspicions, even though Eun Ha said nothing.


    But Eun Ha asked, before her,


    "Mrs. Park! This scar ... It''s not normal! That happened on the day of our birth, didn''t it?"


    Park Nam Joo smiled slightly,


    "At least you''re going to believe me, aren''t you, Eun Ha?"


    "I''M GOING TO BELIEVE TOO," Ye Rim interrupted, regretting that she had been so aggressive in her intrusion. But her mother also smiled at her,


    "Okay. So I need to tell you how it all happened."

 Chapter 166 - 27 YEARS AGO - A Wish

    27 YEARS AGO


    Park Nam Joo, a pregnant 23-year-woman, looked with hope at the property on the horizon. The late fall tinted the landscape in red and gold_ except for the sky, which had a plumbeous color contrasting with the silhouette of the estate at the distance. She caressed her huge belly, smiling:


    "If there is a place to have pomegranates at this season, it can only be there. Wish me luck, Mrs. Shin," she optimistically said, from her position next to the truck parked by the side of the interstate road.


    "Aigoo, girl..." Mrs. Shin didn''t look comfortable at the driver''s seat. "I don''t think it''s a good idea, my Gosh, why don''t your husband come out there and do it instead? It''s a strange place, and you don''t even know the owner. Why don''t we just go to the grocery and buy another type of fruit, my dear?"


    The beautiful young woman turned her head to answer the older lady,


    "Mrs. Shin, I went to nearly all the groceries in our town, and my husband searched from top to bottom, without success¡­! I crave eating ripe pomegranates... Oh, I even can feel its taste and texture in my mouth just by thinking of it, my mouth even fills with saliva... And, my husband would be very angry if he knew that I''m going around the town asking things to strangers. However I was told that a pregnant woman was seen there, so she sure will understand my situation... To be honest, I also find this property a little odd, but what can I do? If the pomegranates that will satisfy my craving are there, then I should knock on that door."


    "Aigoo, that I remember how hungry I was for popcorn when I was expecting my first child. There is nothing to replace a pregnant woman''s craving!" the older lady nodded, with an empathetic smile. "Nam Joo, I wanted to go and do this with you, but I have to get to the bank before it closes. Promise me to not get yourself tired. After doing my errands, I''m going by your husband''s workplace."


    "Just let him know he needs to pick me up at this exact point when he leaves his work, just as we agreed."


    "And take it," the driver searched the back seat and gave the younger woman an umbrella. "You should use it to protect yourself in case of rain, and also to defend yourself from stray dogs or whatever."


    "Aish," the pregnant youngster laughed sheepishly, taking the loaned umbrella. "Our little town is very peaceful, Mrs. Shin. Nothing happens even if we want to."


    "I hope it stays that way," Mrs. Shin smiled, starting the car, "Nam Joo, by any chance don''t you want to leave this for tomorrow, so I can come with you?"


    "Ah, don''t worry that much, Mrs. Shin. People who believe in haunted houses just have a lot of imagination and free time to think about it. I''m sure there''s an explanation for the property''s neglected state. I want to go there before the last pomegranate rots and I''m not even sure I can sleep tonight without gnawing my teeth on a pomegranate!"


    "Hahaha, that''s right, I''m going to come by your husband''s garage... And tell him only after you have done what you want to do, so he cannot prevent you from doing it! You''re really smart, Nam Joo!


    "Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Shin, and thank you for telling my husband! And for the umbrella too!" Nam Joo shouted in genuine appreciation, greeting her benefactor as the car drove off and Mrs. Shin waved goodbye.


    Nam Joo nodded to herself optimistically, feeling that her plan of action would work out very well. She opened the umbrella, and reached the unpaved road that led to the property. She whispered to her belly,


    "Yes, I''m walking slowly this time. I have plenty of time for this and to wait for your papa to pick me up here after work. We''re going to be fine today, finally, my little baby girl!"


    ...


    The fairy Myung Hee wiped a furtive tear from the corner of her eye, closing the cameo where the image of her lover smiled tenderly at her. Her pale, wan face was very weak in health; her frail hands had little energy left.


    With languorous movements, she stood up, seeming not to mind her own advanced state of pregnancy. Whatever her gaze was on, there was a memory of her beloved husband, Jeong Hyuk. Even on the ceiling, where a starry sky was cleverly drawn, encircling portraits of him and her touching each other''s hands... The touch of their hands matched the chandelier in the center.


    "You were so talented and creative..." Myung Hee finally sat down again. A heavy sigh came out of her chest. A new urge to cry was suppressed with a sob. "I don''t know what to do! If only you were here!"


    After some time looking at her own empty hands, she lightly touched her own belly, "I have no will or reason to live, but why it should be a burden on you? I still need to eat, for you... But I cannot go outside like this... Or could I?"


    Myung Hee went to the window, watching carefully through a crack in the curtains. The property''s garden and orchard, once a cultivated and productive place, now grows wild and untamed; full of thorns and twisted parasite branches trying to stifle fruit plants and flowers.


    The fairy narrowed her pale eyes, searching through the chaotic landscape she can see from her window. After a while she could spot them, among their hiding places.


    Wraiths. Lots of them. Their somber and distressing presence wreathes the surroundings of Myung Hee''s house. One of them suddenly loomed in her field of vision, as if mocking on her. Like hyenas, they were there patiently waiting for her to lose her strength, Myung Hee knew it, "That will not take long," she said aloud, with horror putting her feelings into words.


    Closing the curtain with a surge of energy created by fear alone, Myung Hee walks away from the window, reaching for a kettle that she clumsily filled with water, in order to make some tea. She sits down at the kitchen table with a grimace of pain and discomfort.


    "Myung Hee!" She hears the voice of her beloved, calling her outside. "Myung Hee ... Myung Hee" his voice echoes and doubles, in varying tones of joy, apprehension, calling, suit.


    Myung Hee covered her ears, shaking her head. ''You are feeling weak, susceptible.''


    She looked around, seeing shadows that look like her husband''s silhouette, through the window curtains.


    "No, it''s not real. Jeong Hyuk is gone, there''s no way he''s coming back!"


    She glanced at the door. It seemed as if she heard it open. She then saw her husband, the handsome, smiling Jeong Hyuk, arriving with apologetically loving eyes full of longing, opening his arms to her as if apologizing for making her wait so long.


    "No!" she screamed, covering her face, succ.u.mbing to a moment of despair. The pain in her w.o.m.b made her twitch, the sensation of life itself bringing her a bit more of resilience, she with a grimace faced the door once again, and the illusion vanished like smoke.


    ''It''s leaking. Soon I will not have more strength left to resist. I made a mortal mistake.''


    Opening the diary within reach on the table, the fairy forced herself to read aloud the record from the previous day.


    "Two hundred days passed without you.  I know there''s no turning back, not in this life of mine. Why did it have to be like this, and why was I so foolish to give up everything, if you''d left me something to cherish on? You did what should be done, because you had confidence that I would be well. But... foolish me, I was driven by despair and buried my magic under the ground... And I opened the door of my heart for their thirsty. If I am here..."


    Tears would stop her to continue reading, she nodded. "I''m not going crazy, I have to endure it... Hold on, baby!"


    Myung Hee stood up unmoved to prepare something for herself and stood up to turn the stove on for the tea. ''Just a miracle...''


    Suddenly in the midst of her desperate thoughts, she hears a woman''s voice calling with energy:


    "Oh, hello there, is there anybody home?"

 Chapter 167 - 27 YEARS AGO - The Visit

    Looking tidy, nice and smiling, Nam Joo positioned herself confidently in front of the house''s porch, waiting to be received.


    Although the place looked abandoned and a bit spooky from the outside, some evidence made her convinced that there was no danger to be expected from the property''s residents. A boyfriend''s swing, lace curtains, a charming weathervane on the roof, a shelf with little plants in their pots, now withering or being parasitized by weed... It was definitely a house of loving, receptive people.


    Maybe they were having financial difficulties, or someone was very sick. That was what Nam Joo could think at the time. Her eyes ran all the time to the trees where pomegranates hung like tinted globe lamps, fat and heavy. But her upbringing would not allow her to pick them up without asking first, so she stood resolute in her position.


    Inside the house, Myung Hee peered through the lace curtain, fearful it could be a new illusion or kind of trap. She spotted the intruder, standing at her door, totally unaware of the danger out there. Just standing there like an easy target for the wraiths.


    With a sigh Myung Hee reached the door, but her hand shook as she touched the latch, hesitating for a moment. Perhaps, if she ignored the call of the trespassing human, then this innocent person could leave the place without problems. Opening the door was definitely going to create a contact that would touch the life of that human forever.


    If only she had her wand with her! But when she got news from how her beloved husband died, she was consumed by her sorrow. She buried her wand to never be able to cast spells again. She just wished to let the magic inside her die by itself¡­ but it didn''t work that way. If not by the magical barriers in the house, she''d be dead by now. She took a while to notice their presence, and a long more to be able to identify their doings and true forms. And when she realized all that, it was too late to turn back. This prolonged siege was slowly killing her, but what now, when a human inadvertently crossed their ways?


    ''But ... and if it wasn''t possible for her to leave unharmed by now?''


    ''Ohhhh ...! What to do?!'' This thought filled her head with new emotions, taking Myung Hee out of the lethargy she was in for a moment. She felt panicky, startled and distraught.


    Wraiths became aware of the vital and brilliant human''s arrival with her hope and desire as she crossed the threshold of the ranch gate.


    They saw the human woman as a pulsating figure who emitted light; her clear aura standing out in the dark and depressing scenery they had created over time outside Myung Hee''s house.


    Wraiths did not see colors as humans do, but they had their own way of identifying feelings and vitality through the halo of light humans emit. That human woman emitted the warm and radiant light type that disturbs them, and soon they realized that in her prominent belly, the light was more intense. She carried a baby with its own energy. They usually would just avoid such type of ''shining person'', but they''re hungry by now.


    Nam Joo opened the umbrella again, thinking that she made a mistake coming there. Her instincts said there was someone inside the house, but perhaps these people weren''t willing to receive anyone.


    When she was young, before she got married to her high school boyfriend Jeong Geun, she used to hear stories about how delicious were the jams and liquors made with the fruits of the ranch''s orchard. The owner used to giveaway these goods to anyone coming to her house. But perhaps, this ajuhmma just died or was very sick¡­ Thinking it could be the reason no one was coming to greet her, she decided to try once more. What if a lonely and sick poor ajuhmma was in need of help?


    "Hello?!"


    Were the wraiths moved from their places, haggardly, drawn by the easy prey that came with her own legs into the midst of them. How to refuse such a tempting offer? The boldest among them slid like a liquid shadow across the floor, ready to cautiously rise behind the human''s back and lunge at her. This type of prey was hard to get, anyway. Two others moved along the sides of the pregnant human, to prepare their lunges as well, and with them, an icy breeze rose and touched the woman''s face before them.


    ''Oh! Is there anybody home? How unlucky! Should not I have come then?'' Nam Joo rubbed her suddenly frozen face and shifted to the side, feeling a sudden discomfort in the lower abdomen. Perhaps she had gone too far on her efforts to get a pomegranate?


    She looked around, suddenly very aware of the place. It was as if she was being watched. It felt like someone was coming to her, but she heard no steps or anything.


    She turned suddenly, having a clear impression of almost being touched. And it almost happened, anyway. But the wraith sneaked around the same time as her, staying all the time behind her.


    "Should I ...?"


    She rubbed her arms, bothered by the cool breeze, and instinctively coming closer to the house, blocking the wraiths'' access to her back. Nam Joo backwardly stepped the first step of the threshold, seeking shelter from the cool breeze beneath the little porch.


    Then the door opened slowly, with a delicate, pale hand reaching out, inviting her inside.


    Something about it made the pregnant woman feel distressed, her throat dry and her body shivering all over. Or it would be the fact of being outdoors. ''Where in the world is that a proper way to invite someone in?'' But there was something urgent in the wave of that pale hand inviting her in.


    Apprehensively, but feeling exposed and troubled out there, Nam Joo decided to take the risk and answer the invitation of the stretching hand.


    Swallowing hard, she stepped inside.

 Chapter 168 - 27 YEARS AGO - Inside the House

    "He... Hello!" Nam Joo looked around, noticing the environment, which somewhat matched her expectations, but seemed abandoned and dusty. Her gaze fixed on the woman, also pregnant, in front of her.


    In addition to her exotic appearance, the first thing Nam Joo could see in the pale eyes was apprehension and fear. The house owner seemed haggard and starving, though.


    "Sorry, but are you... okay?"


    "Yes," that was the plain answer.


    Myung Hee, by her side, saw in contrast of herself all the stamina and vital energy of the human woman, her broad and sincere smile, full of hope and will for living. The visitor exuded charisma.


    "Can I... help you?"


    "Oh, sorry, what a rude person I am. I''m really sorry to knock on your door like that, and keep straight gazing at you even more¡­ It''s that you... You''re so beautiful!"


    This drew a sad smile from Myung Hee, who did not feel beautiful anymore, especially in front of this woman with such exuberant energy. The fairy sat down, motioning for the visitor to do the same. She really did not feel well today, from all days.


    "Your eyes must be deceiving you, ma''am. I''m not pretty. I do not even look pretty at all."


    Nam Joo shook her head in disagreement, but didn''t insist on this matter. She introduced herself, grinning:


    "What a coincidence, don''t you think?! We are both expecting babies. I''m Park Nam Joo. I live down there in the town."


    "Coincidences are part of the magic of life," said the fairy with a faint smile. The visitor was pleasant. But she still didn''t understand what "coincidences" that led this Mrs. Park Nam Joo to her door were.


    "I am Myung Hee. How many months?"


    "Oh, my Gosh, eight months. It seems an eternity! Doesn''t it?" the visitor laughed.


    "Yes, it seems, indeed." Myung Hee smiled again, but for different reasons she thought it seemed like an eternity. "A novelty like the visit of a neighbor is always refreshing. What can I do for you, Mrs. Park?" Myung Hee tried to hide the discomfort that was beginning to take over her body; a constant pain that moments before was diffuse, began to become pungent.


    "Ah yes! I''m even a little ashamed to speak, but, before doing that! Forgive me, but you look pale, are you all right? Do not tell me you spend your time alone here in this state? How long have you been waiting now?"


    "Still seven months, I believe."


    Nam Joo tried in turn, tried to conceal the feeling of pity for this poor beautiful woman in this strange situation. ''What is happening?'' She seemed to need help, but she also did not seem like telling a stranger anything about what was happening.


    "I came for the pomegranates. I mean¡­" Nam Joo laughed at herself. "I came because I cannot sleep or do anything except crave for pomegranates. They say these cravings are things that happens only in the beginning of pregnancy, but you know ... I feel that way for many months from the beginning on. It''s not about persimmons, it''s not blackberries, I want pomegranates. What can I do? It''s the little girl here, that sweet tooth punk, who wants lots of pomegranates!" the human woman caressed her belly tenderly.


    "So you know it''s a girl?"


    "Yes! And yours? I could not guess, your belly is small."


    The question asked so naturally shocked Myung Hee. She only vaguely thought "the baby," until then. As if to prove her existence within her, a sharp pain was felt in her w.o.m.b. Myung Hee took a deep breath through her teeth, resting her hand on her belly, concentrating on being inside her.


    This little communion woke up things dormant deep within, numbed by Myung Hee''s sorrow and fear. Her eyes filled with tears suddenly:


    "It''s a girl. A little girl!"


    "Aigoo, good! I hope our daughters can be friends!" a little embarrassed, but sincerely moved, Nam Joo watched the strange woman''s reactions carefully. She seemed very sensitive at the moment, so the visitor decided to talk only about good things, like she used to do anyway.


    "Just picture this: the two of them going to school together! It''s so good to have a friend of the same age! Well, at least once a day, I wonder what my daughter''s life will be like! I keep myself hoping that everything will work out well for her! Anyway, me and my Jeong Geun, we are poor. He works in Central Auto Repair, you know where it is? Anyway, I''m grateful to have a husband like him, though. He compensates in other ways, being a good man. But even being poor, he managed to save something before we marry, so we have a house that is really ours, with a backyard! you know? I want to put a swing porch out there, so we can see the stars together in the summer, see my baby grow up from there, she her to play around the backyard... Sometimes I rest my head and dream about her... I mean, I hope she''s as beautiful as she is in my dreams," this time Nam Joo''s eyes also got teary, just by remembering her daydreams. "I dream of this little girl with a wide grin, bright eyes... In my dream she is full of energy, and a little funny too¡­"


    The voice of the human woman speaking off her dreams, plans and hopes, got to have its own pleasant cadence that calmed down Myung Hee and even made her forget the uncomfortable pain. But the visitor could not stop talking:


    "But the girls grow up fast, do not they? We know that life is not a sea of ??roses¡­"


    "Yes, indeed."


    "But what can I wish for my daughter besides the best? May she be beautiful, and intelligent, and capable, and find someone who loves her and who has success and money. All this is what a mother wants, I am no exception. What I most want is for her to have a great destiny, aigoo!"


    "A great destiny has big responsibilities, maybe too big for a little girl."


    The somewhat pessimistic comment from her host made Nam Joo pause for a moment.


    "Yeah, you''re right. One cannot have everything. But a mother can dream, right?"


    "Yes, a mother may wish everything for her daughter. If the right star listens, a mother''s wishes can come true," then Myung Hee added, not to reveal herself or to sound crazy: "That''s what I heard when I was little."


    "Hehe, yes! I also heard things like that. Make a wish for a star," despite her smile, Nam Joo was bewildered by the surrounding scenario. It did not seem right. Things seemed to tell a sad story, the scattered photos of the man, the amount of lit candles, and the dusty table set for two... She also noticed that the mistress of the house barely seemed to listen to her. She hardly seemed to have the strength to do anything for someone or for herself, for what matter.


    The kettle''s whistle made itself heard, interrupting the conversation.


    The annoying noise hissed for a few seconds. Without no mention from the house''s owner to do anything about it,  Nam Joo got chafed. When she was about to get up on her own and take care of the situation, Myung Hee looked up and said:


    "Can you please, help me? ...The water in the kettle¡­"


    "I can do this, of course! You look like you don''t eat or drink for a while, unnie. Let me take care of you. That''s what are the neighbors for, right? Isn''t it good that a friend is here?"


    Despite feeling nosy to be acting like this in less than 10 minutes of making acquaintance with Mrs. Myung Hee, Nam Joo rather wished to believe that in an emergency case, when these little things like etiquette rules should be ignored. She was really sure that this wan woman, Myung Hee, could faint from starvation at any moment.


    Nam Joo went into the kitchen, took the kettle off the stove, and searched for tea in the cupboards. She was horrified to see that the pantry was almost empty except for a few items. She found a handful of rice and some canned sardines, and little more than that. She could only make one cup of tea with the rest of the tea can.


    ''What''s going on here?!'' she questioned herself in agony. ''Why so many candles? Why these closed curtains? All this neglect in and out the house? And why does this beautiful poor woman live like this?''


    Nam Joo handed the cup to Myung Hee, who did not seem to care much about etiquette, and simply sipped the liquid as it was given to her. Her face seemed a little upset. The visitor took courage to mention her doubts aloud, completely taken by concern and curiosity.


    "I''m sorry, but did your husband leave you, unnie? Did he die, by any chance?"


    Nam Joo said that in a hurry, and stood up, ready to be scolded by her impertinent questioning, and to fight for her truth. She just knew she had to know, she had to be sure why this woman was living in that abandoned, lonely and depressing way.


    A tear trickling down the livid face of the strange woman was what Nam Joo got as reply.


    "Oh! My God, my God, I didn''t want to hurt you, unnie!" Nam Joo came closer, touched. Now, at least partially, she understood the scenario she had stumbled upon with. Coincidence or fate, she simply couldn''t allow this pregnant woman to remain there, in that state, on the brink of death! ''No, it would be at least irresponsible.'' The details of how it was going to work out, she was going to figure out later, but definitely, she was taking this lady Myung Hee out of that unhealthy environment. She hugged the frail woman, trying to calm her down.


    "Unnie, please don''t cry, okay? Don''t cry, for your baby! It''s not good for your baby! Don''t cry unnie! Your baby needs smiles, and love, all right? Gather some strength, unnie. Your baby needs you to recover."


    The pretty woman with light eyes felt welcomed and bewildered at the same time with this noisy human who had crossed the garden of death to speak those gentle words to her and bring this much energy and hope with her arrival ''I wished this had happened earlier, when I had the strength.'' But now Myung Hee was aware that her mistake could be repaired, if only partially.


    "Help me, I want my baby to live!"


    "Oh, yes, unnie, let''s do it; you have to come with me."


    "I can''t, but¡­"


    "How come, you cannot ?? There is nothing preventing you to, Unnie!" the human woman stared wide-eyed at the fairy, realizing that it was a request with more nuances and implications than she could grasp at first. Only one of them was obvious at this moment, when she noticed her host''s dress smeared with liquid on the bottom part:


    "Are you... having your baby right now?"


    Myung Hee just nodded, with a frightened face.

 Chapter 169 - 27 YEARS AGO - Little Star

    Jeong Geun had arrived for at least half an hour near the intersection sign as Mrs. Shin had explained to do. But the sunset was dying the horizon with orange and pink hues, and there was no sign of his Nam Joo coming.


    "That little fox!?" he grunted to himself, yet fond of his wife and the way she was. He looked at the house from a distance, wondering whether or not to go there. ''Talkative as you are, when I get there you will introduce me and tell them our whole life, from kindergarten to our today''s breakfast, and the owners of the house will not be able to do anything but invite us to dinner. If I go there, we''ll definitely just come home late at night, I know her well, that loud mouth ¡­!''


    Jeong Geun was a pragmatic man in the middle of his 20s. All he wanted was to go home after a heavy day''s work, but Nam Joo''s little adventure had changed his plans. Not that it was the first time she''d done something like that.


    He looked at his watch once more, starting to worry. He did not want her to walk alone at night. ''Should I go there? Aish!'' he turned off the radio, and got out of the car, kicking the dust by being forced to do something he was sure was trouble.


    ...


    The delivery was confusing, fast and scary, to the makeshift midwife, Nam Joo, who just carefully cleaned the little girl, delivering her to the exhausted mother. She was not sure how much time had passed, or how she had managed to do all that without any experience, only instinct. But she was equally exhausted, her body aching in several places, her nerves at the edge. But truly satisfied that mother and daughter were doing well, thanks to her interference.


    "All right now. Your little baby needs milk, unnie; and you, good hot food and actual doctors and nurses," she grinned to Myung Hee.


    Myung Hee barely had the strength to smile back, but she managed to; the little one being nested to herself, sucking the milk with all her strength.


    "Thank you, Mrs. Nam Joo."


    "Do not thank me now, I''ll absolutely get all the pomegranates out there and then you''d done thanking me," Nam Joo teased, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The gloom in the house bothered her, the still air was suffocating now. Nam Joo went toward the curtains, placing her hand on her aching back. She certainly had overreacted at all, also had her concerns about her own health after so much effort and emotions, but she would not complain.


    "What if we opened the window a little bit, eh?"


    "No!" the woman lying down exclaimed, making a move so that Nam Joo wouldn''t open the curtains. Nam Joo instinctively stepped back, obeying the owner of the house.


    "Unnie!" Nam Joo wanted to ask questions, but thought that it would be better to do so when the pressing problems were solved. She had to go now, not only because she had arranged a meeting point with Jeong Geun, but also because they needed to get a doctor for Myung Hee and her newborn baby. "I have to go, unnie. Be right back. You''re very weak, and it''s not good. I''ll get help for you and your baby."


    "No, you cannot leave!"


    ''She is afraid of being alone with the baby, but there is no other way, what can I do from here? Why can''t she understand? She''s so scared and weak. What should I do?''


    The younger woman took the woman''s hand, trying to calm her down. "It''s all right. I''m not going anywhere, then. Do sleep, unnie, I''ll stay here."


    When Myung Hee, who struggled with all the strength she had to avoid it, fell asleep, Nam Joo knew she should risk leaving them for a moment, so she could get help. Step by step, she left the house and went for the early evening outside.


    ...


    The events inside the house did not go unnoticed by the creatures that surrounded them. The legion of wraiths, who eagerly awaited the inevitable moment when they could get Myung Hee, crawled uneasily, preparing for it.


    Nam Joo left the house, surprised by how much time had passed. The sky was already tinted with indigo, the silhouettes of the trees and objects a little diffused at the magic hour. She felt cold, and hugged herself, rubbing her arms. From the part where she was, Nam Joo could not see the road in the distance, but she imagined that Jeong Geun was already there, waiting for her.


    Oh, I''m so tired..." she mumbled, stepping down the steps to the front yard. She hardly believed what had happened this afternoon. Because of pomegranates...


    "I cannot believe it. I didn''t even come close to any pomegranates."


    The cool breeze that had come with the late afternoon seemed wet and unpleasant. The sound of leaves swaying, followed by silence, brought sadness and loneliness.


    "I don''t even hear birds..."


    A light thump reached her ears. She pricked up her ears, trying to find out the source of the sound. ''Was it a fruit falling from the tree? Or something else?''


    Straying a little from her path, with her attention drawn to the nearby orchard, Nam Joo took a few steps, uncertain, thinking that it would not hurt anyone to quench her crave of pomegranates that brought her here. However, feeling totally uncomfortable in that wilderness, she wielded the umbrella she was carrying with a firm grip, for eventual protection.


    "We both deserve a prize for today''s good deeds, don''t we, my baby girl? Who could deny us a fruit? she indulgently smiled at her belly, now taking confiant steps to a pomegranate tree, avoiding and turning away the bushes and twigs entangled along the way.


    "Aigoo, where are you, chubby pomegranate?"


    She turned her eyes to the floor, trying to see between the fallen leaves and rotting fruit, the fresh fruit that had just fallen. She poked here and there with the shaft of the umbrella. "Where are you, juicy?"


    Behind her, the ghostly shadows gathered before the attack, while Nam Joo inadvertently sought her well-deserved compensation on the soil of the abandoned orchard.


    The sound of footsteps in the dry foliage alerted the pregnant woman. Nam Joo stopped what she was doing, the umbrella hanging just inches from the ground. Her heart chilled, her legs weakened. She did not know what was behind her, but she was convinced she didn''t want to know it either. The taste of fear in her mouth was nauseating.


    In a way, Nam Joo sensed that this was why Myung Hee kept herself locked in the house even under these conditions.


    But what could she do, but turn around to face whatever it was? Squeezing the handle of the umbrella, she slowly turned.


    "Omo ...!"

 Chapter 170 - 27 YEARS AGO - Horror in the Orchard

    Nam Joo cried out, in despair, witnessing the grim horror the wraiths unfolded before her eyes. It was as if she could see through lenses with poor focus, as if she saw through somebody else''s bad dreams.


    A sharp pain ran through her body like lightning, Nam Joo stepped back and shook the closed umbrella in front of her, as defense, not knowing if this ridiculous expedient would keep her safe.


    The spectral creatures were bending and stretching and shape-shifting, two of them quickly reaching their arms with long, icy fingers made of darkness. The light touch seemed to be able to penetrate her soul if it was prolonged, but she shook herself and realized she was capable of pulling away, which she did immediately.


    Though Nam Joo couldn''t understand what they were, how they acted or what they wanted, she was sure of one thing: she should run and escape.


    Now.


    Nam Joo turned on her heels, and realized she could see them distinctly now. The woman used the umbrella''s sharp end to jab them back, or so she thought, when they come forward to reach her.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a gap in their formation, and wondered if she could slip through it, even though she was feeling heavy and aching.


    "Stand back, you! Hey!"


    She did not even know if they understood what she was saying. She felt her heart as if it were going to explode. Nam Joo had never been so panicked in her whole life. But she decided to risk it.


    She turned abruptly, opening and throwing the umbrella on them, on a single movement, and taking this little surprise move as an advantage to escape through the gap between them. She squirmed through the orchard, running as hard as she could.


    Not only did the twilight blurred her vision, but after zigzagging from obstacles in her flight from the creatures behind her, only made the woman realize she was running out from energy without a plan of where to go. The panic was dizzying her out, her energies depleting faster.


    Nam Joo, though she did not want to, had to stop, panting, resting her hands on her knees and trying to breathe. Her terror was palpable, she no longer knew where she was, she just felt she had no escape, she could not seem to be able to run or even walk anymore.


    "Please, I just can''t anymore... "


    moment of lucidity came over her, realizing that she thought she had a coat with her, but that was not true, she had never come there wearing a coat. In horror Nam Joo glanced at her back, and saw the creature perched on her shoulders and swathing her arms.


    "Ohhh!" She slammed her back against a tree, filled with disgust and irrational urgency. The creature melted in smoke, gliding over her head.


    Nam Joo witnessed terror-stricken at the flight of the fluid, dark creature.


    And her eyes landed on something worse.


    In front of her, the wraiths that found her back, and surrounded her, started to gather together in a disgusting shred of ever-changing coiling shapes and movement, which loomed taller, blocking the way ahead. They seemed to form a new towering, grotesque and terrifying creature.


    Nam Joo didn''t know if she was pissing herself as she witnessed it, she just felt the liquid run down her legs.


    She just thought there was no hope at all, and a sense of revulsion against this dark fate was even stronger than her fear. But what could she do now?


    When the huge creature slowly leaned toward her, what could be the head opening his mouth, Nam Joo only instinctively closed her eyes and took both hands forward, trying to protect herself.


    ''No!''


    A flash suddenly cut off her field of vision, causing her to open her eyes and crouch down, fearing the explosion.


    Her hand ached a lot, she just glanced up to see that something was stuck in it. In the midst of the flares, fog and sparks, Nam Joo spotted without a shadow of a doubt, Myung Hee, standing in front of her, holding her feet between her and the shadow monster, and shielding Nam Joo with her own body.


    "Nam Joo! Run! Come back home!" the fairy spoke imperiously, turning to face the monster once more.


    Nam Joo knew that if she obeyed, she would let the other woman die in her place.


    ...


    Jeong Geun was driving halfway down the semi-abandoned property, watching the distant stars in the clear sky, when a flashing light disrupted the nearby horizon, breaking the darkness for a brief moment.


    He rubbed his eyes, but his instinct was telling him that something very wrong was happening at the place where Nam Joo was at the moment. He sped up, trying to get to the place as soon as possible.


    ...


    "No! Let''s run together!"


    Nam Joo stood up, becoming aware at this very moment her baby''s sac had burst. She barely felt the impact when she took it, barely understood that it was Myung Hee throwing herself at her body, this movement followed by a scary and grotesque sort of wail.


    The two stumbled and fell to the floor, and even in heat of the moment, Nam Joo could see the blood stain on the other woman''s chest.


    Myung Hee struggled to her feet, staggering, keeping her stance to guard the human behind her, one hand outstretched in front as if she could do something to stop the next imminent attack.


    "Run!"


    This time Nam Joo regretfully obeyed, but she was feeling much pain after she felt on the floor. Stumbling, she slipped away, still looking back, seeing flash after flash as the creature repeatedly attacked the other woman.


    Myung Hee staggered, and there seemed to be sparks and sparks coming from her as the monster repeatedly struck at her body. It was obscene to witness; its horrible hissing echoed loudly, as it seemed to not have success on whatever it was trying to do. The frail body of the pale woman seemed to barely endure it, grotesquely convulsing and popping sparks and light everywhere, as if about to crack from inside out.


    Nam Joo at last sighted the barbed wire fence separating the property from the road, and while unsure how she could manage to, she sneaked her heavy body to pass through it, just thinking about getting on the road as soon as possible.

 Chapter 171 - 27 YEARS AGO - Sacrifice

    Jeong Geun violently braked the truck the moment he recognized that he was going to run over something alive. Human or animal, he did not see well.


    When the car stopped, he recognized the silhouette of his wife. He got out of the car, coming to her and grabbing by her arm. She was looking dishevelled and distressed, breathing heavily, and her skin was cold and sweaty. She seemed like she was going to faint at anytime.


    "Nam Joo! What is going on?"


    "No! We can''t... We gotta go back!" Nam Joo, taken by a wave of adrenaline, get rid of his grip and almost threw herself into the truck when she saw the opportunity to come back and try to save the woman she left behind. "We need to save someone! Hurry up!"


    Jeong Geun just blinked, but his brain processed that his wife''s heavy breathing and panic, the flashes and his wife''s agitated state were interconnected, and got into the car in a hurry, and soon he was driving faster than before in the empty branch road.


    But he still turned to Nam Joo, realizing she seemed to be in extreme suffering in the passenger seat:


    "You? What happened? Are you hurt? What ''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine."


    Nam Joo knew Jeong Geun enough to know that he would not put the safety of anyone else in front of his family''s safety. If she said she was in labor, he would not save Myung Hee and her baby. But on the other side, she knew that she had no time left: she, too, was giving birth to her baby right now! ''But what to do? Leave that woman to die?'' Her husband''s interruption made things easier to decide, though:


    "Who needs to be saved?" he asked, moving on to the next urgent thing quickly.


    "The house''s mistress! They are attacking her! Things! They''re going to kill her."


    Not sure what she meant, but believing in her sense of urgency, the young man made his best to drive his old truck into the orchard to the spot Nam Joo was leading him to. It was dizzying, and the shadows and forms seemed to pop up before his eyes, as he dodged trees and whatnot. Her hysteric behavior by his side wasn''t helping him either, but he tried to concentrate on getting there as soon as he could, without having any idea of what he would find next.


    "There! Over there!" while Nam Joo could clearly see through the trees the towering monster and the supernatural sparks and gloom, Jeong Geun, saw only the sparse flashes that could be caused by an electricity wire, for example.


    Nam Joo spotted the amalgam shadow monster with its back to them, and shouted, pointing:


    "Come on over!"


    Immediately after saying this, she covered her eyes with her hands in anguish.


    Her husband, however, braked abruptly. The scene was nothing like he imagined. Nam Joo pictured to him an apocalyptic scenario just by the scared grim in her face and her urgent tone. This and the lighting thing he saw when driving to the ranch, made him to imagine some sort of huge accident. Though the jumbled words of his wife seemed to imply that animals of some sort were attacking a person in the orchard But what about the flashes?


    But when they finally came up to the place Nam Joo was guiding him, Jeong Geun only saw a woman lying on the ground, trying to get up but having no forces left to do it. He saw anything about the undulating mass of shadows that together created a frightening 4-meter-high nightmare creature, though he was feeling all the hairs in his body up, a chill in his stomach, and his instinct of preservation screaming to him to go away right now.


    Their arrival, crossing the monster with the high beams of the truck, seemed to culminate with the moment the creature began to dissipate upwards. The car stopped and Nam Joo slowly opened her eyes.


    Jeong Geun got out of the car, amidst the rags of shadows that seemed to seek hiding places away from the light. Nam Joo shouted:


    "What are you doing?! Jeong Geun!"


    Her husband still looked over his shoulder, worried, but turning to the fallen and wounded woman in the middle of the orchard:


    "My goodness ... What happened here?" he picked up the woman from the floor, who seemed to be on the lowest point of one''s stamina, and weighing as same as a feather. He noticed the blood stain on the front, and something sharp impaled in her chest. Jeong Geun could tell for sure that she did not have much life left, so he just wanted to get her to the hospital soon.


    Nam Joo just watched from the seat of the car in terror, the creatures dancing around Jeong Geun, and disappearing, leaving the place as if there was nothing else they wanted left, by now.


    Nam Joo gave space on the truck seat, m.o.a.ning quietly, and trying to accommodate the unconscious woman by her side while she tried to deal with her own pain, breathing in rhythmically as she was taught:


    "My Gosh, woman, what happened here? This woman is on the verge of death, she has to go to the hos... "Jeong Geun sounded strained, mainly for figuring out the shocked look on his wife''s face, but he recognized the technique:


    "What... are you doing breathing like that?"


    Nam Joo shut her mouth up, trying to muffle out her attempts to control her breathing just as taught in the birthing classes she had be on in the last months. She also got worried because Jeong Heun was staring at her, waiting a reply, instead of looking ahead while driving.


    "Eun Ha."


    Before she could respond, their attention was called by the voice of Myung Hee, who was staring at the nightly sky that changed abruptly from cloudy to bright, letting the stars be seen from the once darkened property. Nam Joo grabbed her husband''s arm, wide-eyed, realizing several things at once, including that he had no time to lose.


    And that he had to choose between life and death.

 Chapter 172 - 27 YEARS AGO - The Star Goes Off

    The starry night was cut off by the strident cry of an energetic baby, and Nam Joo''s heartfelt sobs.


    The final conversation she had had with that strange woman Myung Hee was just carved in her mind. They were lying in the same bed, the only one in Myung Hee''s house, the two babies between them. Jeong Geun had left briefly to bring the truck closer, for now that his wife had had the baby, all four of them were to go to the hospital. Nam Joo had split feelings right now: joy for her baby''s birth, and sadness because she didn''t have much hope about Myung Hee, and it hurt her heart. If she had not told her husband, they might have been in the hospital now, and the woman could be saved.


    "Your daughter is very special ... She has something different¡­" the faint and hoarse voice of the other woman was barely heard.


    Nam Joo swallowed hard, for she felt that this meant far more than the words said. She turned around with a smile, but looking at the woman made her heart ache as if she were the one to carry that thorn in her chest. And all the events of the day still did not make sense. She knew that she just experienced and survived something supernatural and evil, but what?


    "I hope our daughters become good friends," Nam Joo did not know what to say to the woman who seemed to lose the gleam in her gaze with each choked breath, then spoke that, and it was true.


    "Can you... look after my Eun Ha?"


    Nam Joo nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.


    "Yes, I will take care of Eun Ha." At that moment, her words mirrored her heart.


    This drew a smile from Myung Hee, who nodded, and made an effort to take Nam Joo''s hand, laid it on the head of Nam Joo''s newborn baby, and put her own over:


    "Then since you promised it, the star will grant her the desires of your heart. Just wish it aloud."


    Nam Joo''s hand hurt by the thorn''s wound touched her baby''s forehead, and she shivered from pain. She felt so overwhelmed from what she just passed through, that she felt a knot in her throat, and could not speak. Myung Hee noticed it, and taking the human''s hand on hers, looked at the palm, staring at the wound for a moment, and the fairy''s gaze grew sad:


    "I think you cannot do it, as you''re so hurt in your heart¡­ I am so sorry for your baby.... But... I KNOW. She will be strong, and beautiful, and talented¡­"


    Why her mind was filled with only pessimistic thoughts about every word said with effort by the woman with pale eyes? Why being beautiful could be an obstacle, and a danger; why being strong could be misunderstood, why being a smart woman could be a burden? What good is talent, if ... ''What was happening to me?''


    "She would be lucky if she couldn''t exist in a world where things like this exists," Nam Joo uttered, with a bitter feeling, while looking at the little face of her asleep baby.


    The newborn human hiccuped just after her mom''s ominous words, and the fairy shushed Nam Joo:


    "What are you doing, you crazy woman? This is your daughter,... she deserves to live. Don''t ever again say it!"


    But Nam Joo just felt the pain in her palm, where the thorn spiked her deep, and her voice came out panned. "What are you saying, witch? That monster will come again, will chase us again, will eat the babies!"


    "No¡­ because¡­ This girl, your daughter... She will indeed have all a woman can wish... but one thing. This is the word of a star. Your early wishes for your daughter will come true, regardless of you. In exchange, you will take good care of her and of my baby daughter Eun Ha.


    Nam Joo tried to speak, but with a movement, Myung Hee demanded her to remain silent. It as clear that the fairy was struggling to utter her final blessings:


    "She will grow untouched by any supernatural harm. This monster will never be able to do any harm to your daughter. I promise you. Once she keeps my last forces into her, nothing but¡­ " the fairy shifted her gaze to a picture beside the bed, where her departed husband was smiling, and uttered the condition of her ritualistic speech, "¡­but a broken heart will make her kneel."


    "What are you?"


    "I am a fading star¡­ And what is rest of me is going to be part of a nova¡­"


    "Huh?"


    And, when the time comes,... this human baby..." she leaned next of the human baby''s face, and tenderly blowed in her nose, with great intention. This time, Nam Joo couldn''t see anything supernatural, but she felt goosebumps all over. She just knew what she was witnessing right now. The baby awoke, but remained calm, her glazed eyes seemed not to focus on anything. Myung Hee reclined again, seeming very tired and very worn out:


    "¡­this human baby will take back all the stars this monster stole. This is not a coincidence you came today. It''s not a coincidence you were able to see what is not seen by human eyes. It''s her¡­ It''s her destiny, to do great things."


    Myung Hee smiled, but she coughed blood with her last words. Her hand dropped, lifeless, and her eyes went out. Nam Joo was startled by the speed and intensity of how life faded away, like a light that is turn off.


    ...


    This was the memory that had stayed in Nam Joo''s heart, even when Jeong Geun told her that nothing she had witnessed and lived was real. That woman, Myung Jee, had died out of heart problems, aggravated by pregnancy, starvation and possibly, a psychotic episode that made her to try suicide after giving birth.


    "Nam Joo", her husband had said, looking through the glass in front of the hospital nursery, where the two girls were in cribs side by side. "I''m sorry to say, it''s impossible to keep both. I''d be irresponsible with this other girl and with our daughter if I agree with this idea. Plus, I heard of someone who can care after this baby better than we could."


    Nam Joo was tired of crying, tired of insisting that what she had experienced was real; that Myung Hee was a supernatural being and that ghostly shadows attacked both in the orchard. She had noticed the social workers whispering about postpartum depression, and realized that her husband was starting to believe in it.


    It was heartbreaking that he didn''t believe her,and that he insisted on turn off the lights when she needed to keep them on.


    When she looked at her own daughter, Ye Rim, she knew the fairy was right, for from the moment the little baby had left her w.o.m.b, something seemed to have gone out of her forever. She used to stare at the palm of her hand and the resulting scar with melancholy and a strange feeling of emptiness.


    "Do you think I''m crazy, Jeong Geun? Do you think I can hurt the babies? Do you think I don''t want to protect them, with my life, as did that woman?" she choked on her crying, because it hurt so much having to ask him that.


    Jeong Geun hugged her.


    "I cannot agree with you just to please you, Nam Joo. I didn''t see anything you told me. I feel sorry for what happened, I feel sorry for this baby, but you don''t need to protect anyone from evil shadows.I promise. I''m worried about you, too."


    But he sort of conceded, talking to the social workers that the couple would work it out together. The four of them returned home, the little house that Nam Joo one day thought of expanding with a porch and a swing to see the stars with her husband and daughter.


    But Nam Joo, despite being with the two girls and loving them equally, did not feel safe unless with all the lights on, all the time.


    Her scattered mood, filled with unexplained melancholy, and the obsessive attitude toward the children filled her husband with worry. Jeong Geun carefully watched every action of his wife, fearing for the worst. As the winter drew near, the days shortening, Nam Joo became even tenser and distressed, showing by many of her actions that her mind still believed in the things she had told about the fairy who faced the shadows, flashing as she was struck by a monster made of fear, and that the children were special.


    It was Christmas week, things have reached their climax.


    Nam Joo placed some blinkers around the girls'' cradle, and exhausted, fell asleep. One of the little lamps, in contact with the fabric, caused a small fire, but Jeong Geu, which was arriving from work earlier, managed to control.


    They had a violent arguing. Desperate to bring his wife into normalcy, Jeung Geun forcefully locked his wife in the dark garage for the rest of the night. He just imagined that making her face her fear of the dark once for all would do the trick.


    In the morning, with a regretful heart, Jeong Geun opened the garage door. Nam Joo was there with the babies, looking apathetic. She finally was seemingly to recognize reality_ and that there were no monsters in the dark.


    On Christmas Eve, Mrs. Shin came to fetch Eun Ha from the Nams and take her to another foster family.

 Chapter 173 - Thorns

    Chang Mi leaned against the car, sighing. Those two noonas were to take the patience out of a saint. They were like sisters, and they fought like real sisters!


    Calling them noonas now hardly made sense, since he had discovered that, technically, he was the same age as them. Daebak! He was just delighted. Shin had promised to teach him how to control his powers so he wouldn''t hurt anyone, and Chang Mi was grateful for that.


    But as for the ''test'' to find out the truth, that was a problem.


    The Hunter took a black thorn about 20 cm long from a box, saying that it was the most effective way to find out. Chang Mi couldn''t imagine what would happen next.


    "Chang Mi," said the Hunter, "This thorn is now part of Seong Hwan''s ''Devourer'' form. His spiritual form amalgamated with the wraiths, when his servants crowd together. They do it when they catch the prey. And in this way, I mean, with this thorn, he can kill or at least injure enough a fairy. Fairies, in general, are ''thick'' and quite resistant, but not against the Devourer."


    He was thoughtful about this information, but asked,


    "Hunter Shin, so does this thorn have a connection with Seong Hwan in the same way that the wraiths that amalgamate him do?"


    "Yes, this is part of it, and even outside of it, it has a connection. That is why I believe that this stinger will be useful for our purpose. I believe that if you really have a connection with it, with this thorn you will be able to feel him. We can do this for a brief moment only, in a controlled manner."


    "And if I have no connection with him, what should happen?"


    "You will probably feel really bad and be sick for a few days. The idea here is just to prick it lightly on your finger or elsewhere," the Hunter put the thorn back in the box and pushed it towards Chang Mi. "But perhaps, because you are a half-fairy, the effects are not intense. Maybe you felt nothing."


    Chang Mi looked at the object with morbid curiosity,


    "How did you get that thorn, Hunter Shin?"


    "I fought the Devourer," replied the man plainly. Chang Mi then decided to remove this doubt from his chest, and took the thorn, pricking his finger.


    It went deeper, and it hurt more than expected. As he watched the drop of blood forming, his vision blurred, and he felt sick. His mind wandered to another place, a dark place.


    Then he saw the Devourer. Seong Hwan. To his shock, Seong Hwan looked a lot like him. The most striking difference is that he had shoulder-length hair. Chaotic energy swirled around him.


    The Devourer opened his eyes, and looked at him, and it was Chang Mi''s turn to close his eyes, by reflex. When he opened them again, he was back in Hunter Shin''s laboratory.


    However, even a few days later, Chang Mi had a restless mind.


    He had sleep interrupted by grotesque images that always ended with Seong Hwan opening his eyes and looking at him. He woke up sweating, making sure that the fact that he forced himself to wake up was his only way to keep himself safe.


    Now that his father, the Devourer, knew he was alive, Chang Mi knew it was only a matter of time before he found him.


    oo


    Eun Ha and Ye Rim left Park Nam Joo''s house several hours later. The accurate account of the facts of the day of their birth had left they open-mouthed. Both were emotionally drained and left Nam Joo, who was very fragile, to rest after her long narrative. But Mrs. Park had shown them, as proof, the object that caused the scar on her hand.


    A long, black thorn. Just looking at that stinger, Eun Ha''s skin prickled. Her eyes were swollen with tears when she learned of all the suffering that her mother went through. But the blessing that her mother, the fairy Myung Hee, had given Ye Rim had intrigued her. Mrs. Park had not forgotten any part, and was able to say it word for word, or so they believed.


    In front of Ye Rim''s car, she asked,


    "Ye Rim, don''t you think it''s better to find out what it is about and how my mother''s words affected her?"


    "If I want to do this, I will do it without your help, Eun Ha," said Ye Rim dryly, getting into the car. Eun Ha quickly held the door so Ye Rim wouldn''t close, and the other woman sighed heavily, irritated,


    "Aish, what a boring person! Do not think I will forgive you because you are offering to ''help me''," Ye Rim made ''quotes'' in the air. "As if I don''t know that, in one way or another, you just do it because you find me an incapable person who can''t make decisions on her own or can protect herself."


    "It''s not like that, Ye Rim. But at this point, it''s important that¡­"


    "Eun Ha! You piss me off by saying these things. I am an a.d.u.l.t person. A thinking person. An able person. My decisions are mine and the responsibility for my actions must also be mine. I feel I should be grateful for all of your concern and effort over the years. But ... How could I? How many opportunities have you taken from me?"


    Eun Ha didn''t want the subject to come back to that, but he fell silent, since Ye Rim was right. Ye Rim continued,


    "Don''t think because you have special powers and you are a fairy, you are better than me who I am human. Don''t be condescending. I wonder if you haven''t been condescending to me all the time, your whole life. But you know what? Enough. In fact, I called our mutual friends and canceled our birthday party together."


    "DON''T!!!!" your biggest fear happened. Ye Rim was really breaking the promise they had made to each other, that they would never have separate birthdays.


    "YES!" Ye Rim responded vehemently. "And leave me alone. I solve my problems from now on."


    The fairy dropped to her knees, "No, Ye Rim, please don''t do this! Give our friendship a chance. I know I did, and I did a lot, but please! I can be your slave, if you want. To redeem myself for everything I did wrong! But for me, you are my sister! Please give me a chance to show how sorry I am!"


    "Why would I make you a slave? What madness is this?! No, it is enough for me to know that from now on I am responsible for my life. And that no one is sabotaging me, either in career or in love!" saying this Ye Rim carefully closed the door, still avoiding hurting Eun Ha who was still on her knees and with her hands together, crying her heart out.


    Ye Rim started the car and left, ignoring her unnie''s sorry situation.


    Chang Mi helped her to her feet and hugged her tightly,


    "Calm down, Eun Ha. Everything will be fine. She''s smart and will soon realize that she is making a mistake and being unfair ..."


    She sobbed, resting her head on his chest. Yes, Chang Mi was speaking a truth. Even though Ye Rim was hurt and furious, she was a person with a huge heart.


    "She doesn''t want to celebrate her birthday with me anymore ..." she whimpered, and Chang Mi stroked her hair,


    "Okay, Eun Ha ... You girls will be over it soon. Be patient."


    That''s what made Eun Ha wake up to reality. What was she doing, in public on a sidewalk, hugging a  high school senior student?"


    "Why aren''t you calling me noona?" she stepped away and faced him. Chang Mi''s beautiful face was slightly flushed,


    "Ahem, well¡­ I''m actually your age. I just fell victim to a spell that kept me a baby until I was plucked out from a persimmon tree ... Like that."


    "OMO!" she put her hand over her mouth, shocked. Even so, that punk copped a feel on her!


    "Well, thanks, but you should go after her now, Chang Mi, since this is what you agreed on."


    "Do you want me to keep calling you noona?" Chang Mi asked, clearly hopeful that she would say no. Eun Ha thought a little,


    "Well, if you change the way you speak, people will find it strange."


    He pouted, but partially agreed,


    "Well, I''ll do it until you get used to the idea."


    Eun Ha was always amazed by that boy''s quick thinking. She discreetly showed him the thorn, which was in a case, summarizing,


    "The woman who lives in this house is Ye Rim''s mother. She was with my mother when the Devourer attacked my real mother, and killed her ... Ye Rim''s mother was hit with that thorn, and so she became ill. She ended up abandoning Ye Rim and running away. Only today did Ye Rim see her again, after so many years."


    Chang Mi''s eyes went dark, and he tensed, putting his hands in his pocket. In a deep voice, he asked,


    "Noona. You know that I am the son of the Devourer, don''t you?"

 Chapter 174 - Not the best Dinner Ever

    Jun Hyeon arrived at his building as a guest to his own apartment, and that was unusual. That day they didn''t have a dance class, and he was a little upset that he couldn''t see her at night, but Ye Rim surprised him.


    Ye Rim said she would invite him to dinner, and Dr. Kim tried to joke around, asking if it was some kind of date. But the evasive answer made him realize that she was still in a bad mood because of her friend.


    Still, there he was, bringing a sophisticated ice cream cake for dessert. Their secretaries made sure it was a great dessert, but Jun Hyeon didn''t appreciate sweets very much.


    She opened the door apologizing for the mess. He handed over the box of ice cream, instructing it to be placed in the freezer, while ostensibly looking around.


    Jun Hyeon scanned his living room, noting all the changes that only a few days of Ye Rim had caused in his headquarters. There were flowers. ''Of course there are flowers, she didn''t stop receiving flowers just because she was sad, did she?'' There was a colorful blanket on the sofa, and a good, feminine scent in the air. He also noticed that she had been listening to his jazz vinyls and also spotted a box of tissues next to the sofa. Near the covered with scrawled papers coffee table, was a guitar. Even though Ye Rim was sad, his home seemed infinitely more alive.


    ''Was my house really that cold?'' Or was it simply that he saw Ye Rim''s arrival had changed his old lifestyle? She was so chaotic and full of energy that it made him question his lifestyle. Although Jun Hyeon had left recommendations, she had imprinted her personality onto every corner he could see.


    But, he needed to know.


    "These flowers ... Did you buy or win?" he asked casually, reaching the kitchen door.


    Pans bubbled on the stove, and everything looked very chaotic. At that moment Dr. Kim was sure that it might be better to order a pizza, or try to book a restaurant. But he thought it best to wait for herself to suggest that. She replied, closing the refrigerator door,


    "I got it from your neighbor downstairs! I just arrived yesterday, and these flowers were on the apartment door. How cute, isn''t it? The note said that he thanked me for the song he heard on the balcony¡­ Well, that''s better than receiving a complaint, isn''t it?"


    Jun Hyeon didn''t know the neighbor downstairs, to be honest, but he always imagined that he was an elderly man. Ye Rim continued to be successful with his loyal audience, apparently.


    "And all those papers ...?"


    "It''s a mess, isn''t it? Well, I was writing stuff ... It''s one of my ways to vent ..."


    "Are they songs?" he asked, returning to the room to check. Ye Rim ran after Jun Hyeon and intercepted him,


    "Ah, well, it''s silly¡­ don''t look yet. I''ll show you when they''re ready ..."


    "Nonsense ... Only someone else can judge."


    "But you are not an expert!"


    "It''s not a problem. Many non-specialists judge plastic surgeons'' work daily, and we have to live with that," he feinted Ye Rim to reach the table with his compositions, but she was quick to defend her work. He, who was just doing this to tease her, looked into her eyes for a moment, feeling the love for her filling his heart. His lioness was fragile like a kitten right now, he couldn''t judge her today, that was all he knew. But that woman was hard to resist.


    He smiled, and pulled out the hairpin she used to tie her hair up in a bun,


    "No! I''m cooking!" she protested, and he laughed. She followed him, taking the hairpin back and remaking the bun, but the doctor could see that she was still sensitive.


    "Still upset about Eun Ha?" he asked.


    "Oppa, this subject still bothers me. But I didn''t want to talk about it now. Can we talk after dinner? The Yoo sent me some vegetables and fruits. It''s a grocery store next to my¡­ I mean, Eun Ha''s condo. That''s why I asked you to dinner. It would be sad to waste so much fresh food."


    "Hm, so there''s nothing special about dinner tonight except the fact that you need to share the food so you don''t throw it away ..." he pretended some resentfulness, and she bit her lip in distress. He added, jokingly,


    "My mom and you think a lot like that."


    Jun Hyeon accompanied her to the kitchen and offered to help, but Ye Rim said she was okay. So he just sat down, watching her as the worst cook in the world.


    The meal, as the doctor expected, was inedible, but he tasted each dish, saying nothing about it. When Ye Rim tasted what she cooked herself, it mortified her,


    "Why did you taste everything and say nothing?" she asked. He barely hid his chuckle,


    "Well, let''s say I wanted to calculate the risk of death if you were really my Wifey!"


    Ye Rim replied with an understanding smile, but there was no joy in her eyes. She started to collect the dishes, embarrassed, but Jun Hyeon took her hands,


    "Leave it, let''s sit on the couch. Tell me what''s on your shoulders."


    They did this, and Ye Rim told an unusual story. She had visited her mother, after several years without seeing her. He found it very courageous, since he had witnessed how difficult it was to deal with the matter, for her. But the details of the story that her mother had told Ye Rim, years later ... That story shocked him.


    Ye Rim looked up at him, asking,


    "What do you think about this, Oppa? This story about fairies, and monsters, and a prophecy about me? "


    "Well, Ye Rim," he scratched his eyebrow, and stretched to remove the discomfort that this question brought. Lately he had come to believe more and more in the supernatural. She and her friends had acted strange, and they looked at the sky constantly, at critical moments, as if they saw something he did not see ... He remembered that woman, Yuna, who seemed possessed. The people in the park, who also looked possessed. The event right there in his apartment. Maybe Jun Hyeon should ask her what she really saw. But to say he believed in fairies, magic wands, and that kind of thing? Jun Hyeon wasn''t so sure. He just asked,


    "Well, let me ask you a question. If that were true, then would your friend Eun Ha be a fairy too?"


    Ye Rim scratched her head, suddenly shaking, "Well, Oppa, what can I say¡­"


    "It''s not that I doubt what you''re saying to me. See, in my memory I see a psychic who said strange things about my future and that of my sister. But to be honest I''m not sure it really happened. But ... I don''t doubt that this kind of thing can happen ... I just understand little and I find it a little strange that your best friend is a fairy. Like, you would know, wouldn''t you?"


    "And you are right. I would have noticed," she said thoughtfully, but turned to him. "I canceled the birthday party that Eun Ha and I hold every year. There is reason or mood for it."


    "Hm, it could be an opportunity for you to make peace ..."


    "But it''s settled," she cut the subject off, making it clear that she was only communicating him of her decision.


    "Well, and how do you plan to spend your birthday?" Jun Hyeon started having a lot of ideas. But it was better to see Ye Rim''s availability first.


    "Well¡­ I could do a lot of things. But after I spoke to my mother ... I feel like I should spend that day with her, if she is willing. She is a little sad, because of the depression that comes and goes, but she is adorable too. It moved me seeing her. I thought we wasted a lot of time away from each other," in saying this, Dr. Kim saw that Ye Rim''s eyes filled with tears. He reached for her wrist and started massaging it gently,


    "I think it will be an excellent idea, actually, Ye Rim," he had become emotional about this outburst from Ye Rim and her plans to spend the day with his mother. "I think it will be very important for you two to resume ties and it''s a good start. I hope it works out. I imagine it will be a long way, but it is worth the journey."


    She was thoughtful, and he again pulled the stick out of Ye Rim''s hair. But this time she didn''t protest. He leaned back more comfortably on the couch, to sound casual and not frighten her,


    "But if you could take a little time later, we could have dinner or something. Reserve a moment of your day for me, will you?"


    She smiled slightly, looking at him,


    "Are you going to cook me a dinner, Dr. Kim?"


    "No, I don''t have that ability or the courage. But don''t be mean. I had already booked the evening for your birthday party."


    "Okay, I''ll spend the day with my mom and see you in the evening."


    Jun Hyeon wouldn''t miss the opportunity to date Ye Rim on her birthday. He had two days to plan something romantic and special.


    He nodded, reaching for his cell phone on the table.


    "What are you doing?" Ye Rim asked, curious. He finished the purchase and said,


    "What do you think? Ordering a pizza!"

 Chapter 175 - Dont Make Plans for Tonight

    On the morning of her birthday, Eun Ha was awakened, as usual, by a call from her mother, Madame Jung. After a loving conversation, she got up and walked through the empty house.


    Most of Ye Rim''s things were still there, but after 8 days, the house was already starting to change. Now that she was studying magic and understanding her skills and perception, Eun Ha realized that the magic of the place was waning, as she absorbed it from the environment and Ye Rim wasn''t there to produce more.


    This was just a side effect of her best friend''s absence, of course.


    During the day she received phone calls and gifts, just as Ye Rim''s gifts acc.u.mulated in the room. The Yoo brothers and others showed up, but no Ye Rim and not even Hunter Shin. But in the early afternoon, Eun Ha hung up the phone and threw himself on the bed, feeling terrible. It was the worst birthday of his life.


    ooo


    Ye Rim woke up knowing it was his birthday, and looking at the ceiling of Dr. Kim''s room, he felt very lonely. She spoke to her father on the phone early, and also to other people. She even picked up the phone to send a message to Eun Ha, but gave up. In fact, their 27th birthday would be separate, but it was all her unnie''s fault!


    However, his day was not at all lost. Today, she would have the opportunity to spend time with her mother, and get to know her better. The weather was mild, so they planned some trips. Ye Rim felt that she should take these things calmly, that they should not hurry, so as not to be disappointed. If there was a way to cure her mother''s depression, she would like to know.


    ooo


    Kim Jun Hyeon arrived at his apartment in the late afternoon, determined to turn tonight into an unforgettable romantic event.


    The buffet of a famous restaurant would deliver the meal at the agreed time, and by then, he should have enough time to prepare the environment.


    The doctor placed the table for two by the large window overlooking the Seoul Tower, meticulously calculating how much curtain he should leave open, to create intimacy and warmth. A beautiful dark towel, with tableware, glasses, and cutlery neatly arranged. He made sure that the ice bucket would be available at the right time for sparkling wine. Next, small candles strategically placed around the room and near the table.


    Jun Hyeon arranged the flowers in a way that he found passable. The surgeon didn''t realize until now that putting flowers smoothly together  would be so difficult, and he regretted not having hired a specialist, ''Aish, if you weren''t the stingy type!'', But at least they weren''t falling apart. He finished off with flower petals on the linen tablecloth, realizing that he was too meticulous for his good.


    The birthday cake arrived, and he kept it in the fridge, a little tired. But then Jun Hyeon took a shower and dressed carefully. Looking in the mirror, he thought he was at his best. ''Devastating, yes! She won''t resist you today! '' he greeted Dr. Kim in the mirror for his good taste and sharp looks.


    Ye Rim wouldn''t take long to arrive. She would have quite a surprise. Jun Hyeon threw himself on his bed, smelling Ye Rim''s scent all over his sheets and pillows. ''Hmmm, it''s great. I could marry this woman.''


    Running his hand under the pillow, he found her yellow pajamas with a cute print, ''Aish, how silly! A teddy bear!''


    What was that stupid and intoxicating feeling called love? It was beyond passion. He had been in love before. Desired women and done romantic things too. But this time, he felt he could go much further. Jun Hyeon was never a patient man, and he had never been more open with a woman. He had never considered believing in fairies just because she was the one telling. He had never considered dancing again. He had never considered marrying a woman considered vulgar and gold digger the first time he saw her.


    Jun Hyeon decided to steal that pajama. It was by looking at that smiling teddy bear that he decided that more than dating Ye Rim, he wanted to marry her and wake up every day beside her.


    He was putting Ye Rim''s pajamas in his doctor''s bag when the phone rang.


    It was Ye Rim.


    His heart accelerated pathetically, as if he were the Little Prince''s Fox. Dr. Kim took a deep breath to hide his excitement, and responded casually, although his voice had involuntarily sounded deeper and s.e.xier, betraying his intentions,


    "Ye Rim? Are you free yet?"


    "Oppa! Could we leave dinner for later or another day?"


    It was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He even saw blue polka dots flashing in front of him.


    "What?!"


    "I remembered something important that is going to happen tonight. I mean, I think it will happen tonight. I need to be there to check! Do you want to come with me?"


    Well, Jun Hyeon should admit that he liked that things never went as planned when they involved Ye Rim, but that was too much! He had to hold back his urge to be dry and acid about it, though.


    "And what is it about?" he asked tersely, while in fact, he was furious. But it was her birthday, wasn''t it? He was planning to surprise her, she had no way of knowing.


    "Well, Oppa! Don''t you want to come with me? Witnessing will be better than explaining. If I''m wrong, you can laugh at me as much as you want," the voice on the other end sounded agitated, and it confused him.


    "Where are you?" he asked, going to the door while putting on his coat.


    ooo


    It was about 8 pm when Eun Ha, a little sleepy, forced herself to open the door. And she did so only because the insistent bell could disturb the neighbors.


    It was Hunter Shin.


    The first thing that Eun Ha noticed was that he wore clothes that she hadn''t seen yet, although it looked generally like all the others. Hunter Shin was a consistent person with a great love for wide pants and big coats. The second thing was that he had a different colony. Eun Ha wondered if he was like this because it was her birthday. Eun Ha remembered the warning that there would be no party.


    "Come in," she said with little enthusiasm. Today, even her mysterious Teacher of Magic Affairs presence didn''t seem to make sense.


    "Ah, I''m glad you''re home. Your phone doesn''t answer," he said slightly accusingly.


    "Ah, I didn''t notice," said Eun Ha, unwilling to justify himself and look like an unbearable crybaby again.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. I need you. We have something important to do today," he said again, looking out the window. Eun Ha noticed that she only answered the door in her pajamas, and mentally reproached herself, ''Aish! The 150-year fairy can''t see his student in underwear! But ... Did he forget that today is my birthday?''


    "Professor Shin? Aren''t you forgetting anything?"


    "Hm. I think not. Everything is ready for today''s mission. Unfortunately, I need you to come with me again. I''ll explain the whole situation there, as I think you''d better see for yourself," Shin shot her a sidelong look, but looked away again when he met hers. He was definitely a man with Joseon manners!


    ''If he were anybody else, I would even think he joined my friends for a surprise party. But this is impossible. He is not gregarious and much less the type who plans things like that, ''she thought, and sighed,


    "Okay. I''ll get ready. I really have nothing important to do TONIGHT, NOVEMBER 11th."


    The Hunter blinked, "Today is November 11th?"


    "Yes, Professor," she replied, hoping that it was just a mess on his part.


    "Hm, it''s worse than I imagined. Can you hurry up? And put on warm clothes, please? The weather has cooled a lot tonight. It won''t be good for you to sneeze when we''re doing what we''re going to do."


    Eun Ha rolled his eyes, but did what was asked, ''Aish, what a callous man! How could he forget the birthday of his only student?! What a miserable life! Does he want to take me on a hunt today? I hope it''s really important. Is he still collecting favors? ''Aigoo, how stingy!''


    After putting on warm clothes, she took out her purse and her magic wand, following along with Professor Shin,


    "What are we going to do tonight? Is it related to the Devourer, or is it something else?"


    "Fortunately, it is something else, but no less important," he replied, without explaining, however.


    He parked his car near a park in the center of the city and started walking.


    The Hunter walked fast, guiding the way, and Eun Ha had some difficulty keeping up with him, staying behind a few times. He was looking over his shoulder, and she was speeding up to catch up with him.


    Then they arrived at a famous Confectionery, and Eun Ha wondered, ''Why are they always confectioneries?''


    She had no idea that, about 20 meters behind her, a suspicious couple was following them.

 Chapter 176 - Doesnt it Look Like We Are Made For Each Other?

    Ye Rim and Jun Hyeon walked cautiously after the fairy couple, trying not to lose sight of them. And the singer didn''t like what she was seeing! It was exactly like his memory of about 10 years ago, the vision she had when she held that ''Candle of Love and Destiny''!


    At the time she thought everything was just a fantasy of her imagination, trying to fill the moment with something meaningful. Eun Ha had said she based all the things on the visions she had that day. But after the recent revelations, Ye Rim needed to know if it was true. If it were true, if what she hadn''t told Eun Ha happened, maybe that would mean that the ''Prophecy of the Man in Pink'' wasn''t meaningless bullshit, then.


    "Is following them your hobby, Ye Rim? Does it make any sense what we are doing now?" asked Jun Hyeon at his side, annoyed that they were stalking the couple once again.


    "Oppa! 10 years ago unnie and I played with an ''esoteric'' object. Each of us had a revelation. I thought what I saw wasn''t important, but Eun Ha thought differently. She acted her whole life believing what she had seen. Today, something of what I saw at that time came true. Please believe me.  And before you suspect something, no, we don''t use any kind of legal or illegal drugs. I had a kind of premonition of the future. That she and I wouldn''t be spending our 27th birthday together," she grabbed his arm to walk at the same fast pace.


    Jun Hyeon said shortly after, "Well, Ye Rim, you may have unconsciously wanted to fulfill the ''prophecy'' of not spending the 27th anniversary together. Do you know what I mean?"


    "Yes, Oppa. So it''s important to see if they go to Baek & Bake Confectionery and there Mr. Shin will give her a birthday cake with her name on it. If that happens ..."


    "If that happens it will be great, don''t you think? I think they were made for each other!"


    "Nothing like that! He is arrogant, and she must not act like a trained puppy!" Ye Rim was sharp. She was seeing her friend acting exactly as she saw it, having a hard time following the man who treated her as if she were a pet. Ye Rim wanted to run there right now and kick that pretentious man in the arse.


    "Well, I think Mr. Shin is an eccentric man, but I like him. I don''t think we should judge without knowing the context of the situation, like the other time," even though she gave him a deadly look, Jun Hyeon didn''t change his mind,


    "If it happens like in your ''prophecy'', what does that mean?"


    "Well, we questioned about ... the loves of our lives," she admitted a little embarrassed.


    "So if it happens as you predicted, will Mr. Shin and Eun Ha marry?" he rejoiced.


    "Not if I can help it! I don''t want my friend to suffer with a man who doesn''t treat her well!" she snarled, determined.


    "But it''s her life, Ye Rim!" the man beside her scolded her.


    Ye Rim froze. She was acting exactly as Eun Ha had done!


    Blinking and even feeling dizzy, she stopped, grabbing Jun Hyeon''s arm tighter. Even without understanding, he hugged her protectively, and Ye Rim leaned against his chest for a while.


    When she looked up, for the first time that night Ye Rim noticed something that made her stiffen. Under the brown wool cashmere coat, Kim Jun Hyeon wore the same pink shirt he was wearing the day they first met.


    ooo


    The Hunter had entered the famous confectionery, and Eun Ha followed him, holding her magic wand tightly in her coat pocket. But she had no strange feeling about this place, however. Everything seemed normal at first. Clean and uniformed attendants and a beautiful cake counter.


    Shin motioned for her to approach when he went to the counter, and when she did, Eun Ha noticed the magical energy of the place constantly flowing. It was a place like her mother''s bakery. A place where humans poured their best energy.


    It made her smile involuntarily. Eun Ha looked at the cake display while the Hunter spoke to the attendant. Just looking at those confectionery wonders put her in a better mood.


    Then the attendant brought a cake from the kitchen, and showed it to them. The small but beautiful cake had her name, EUN HA, followed by HAPPY BIRTHDAY written with icing!


    The three attendants started singing Happy Birthday while Hunter Shin took a silver birthday hat from somewhere and put it on her head.


    Eun Ha noticed that he kind of murmured the song instead of singing it, but that was enough! Tears came to her eyes. That old fox''s elaborate ruse really took her by surprise!


    She would never expect such a¡­ ROMANTIC act from that grumpy fairy!


    It had been many years since she had a birthday cake of her own. Eun Ha had been resenting it until now. But now, she understood that she and Ye Rim needed their personal spaces. She wouldn''t have that moment if it weren''t for the break.


    She blew the only birthday candle out loud, selfishly wishing for a wonderful night with Shin Hye Seong!


    When the quick moment passed, Shin took the cake to a table by the window, and one of the smiling attendants poured caf¨¦ au latte for both of them.


    Eun Ha alternated her gaze to the cake decorated with her name and the Hunter''s slightly flushed face. His lips were redder than usual.


    "This cake has no chocolate, right?" she made sure, and he nodded, cutting the cake. After serving her plate, Shin looked her in the eye.


    Eun Ha felt an immediate shiver, and heat rising through her body.


    "Jung¡­ I need to apologize formally for being a terrible teacher. I am a lousy teacher."


    ''Wow! What is going on?'' she wondered, blinking. ''I know this is a special day, and he has said it in some ways before, but today it''s ... different.''


    "Professor, you put a lot of pressure on yourself. Didactics is something that comes with time. But there was an evolution. I''m learning a lot!"


    The Hunter lowered his head, embarrassed,


    "I''m glad to hear that."


    "It''s true," she shook her head vehemently to show her approval. The Hunter reached out to pat her head, with smiling eyes,


    "Stop it, you look like a dog with a wobbling head, like those we see in cars!" he held a smile. Was it her impression, or was he nervous?


    "Try it," she took some cake with her fork, and held it out towards his mouth. It wasn''t as good as doing it with your finger, but he was less likely to refuse. And Hunter Shin accepted, opening his mouth,


    "Hmmm! Isn''t it good, Professor Shin?" she leaned forward to whisper, conspiratorially, "Almost as good as Jolly Bakery cakes, but still the best in Seoul!"


    "Ahem, I like it. But it would be better if¡­" the Hunter trailed off, scratching the back of his neck and biting his lower lip.


    "If ..." Eun Ha raised an eyebrow in question, loving that the Hunter was clearly tense. ''Oh, he''s so s.e.xy!''


    Hunter Shin took a deep breath and looked out the window for a moment, and frowned, but then turned to her. Eun Ha looked in the direction he had looked, wondering if he had seen anything strange. But there was nothing different outside.


    "Eun Ha," he started, "You are very special ... to me."


    The young fairy''s heart skipped a beat. ''Daebak! Did I really hear that? ''


    "Sorry, can you repeat, please?" she fumbled her purse to pick up her cell phone to record the moment, and the Hunter made a face,


    "I am not kidding, Eun Ha. I don''t have all that sense of humor usually ... But when I''m around you, You made me enjoy teasing you all the time."


    "...!" ''What?! Is he saying what I think he is saying? '' Eun Ha wanted to hide her face and laugh like a little girl, but he would probably say that her aegyo face was ridiculous.''


    "You spoke my name!"


    "Isn''t it the first time that I speak your name, Jung ... Eun Ha?" he defended himself, alarmed.


    "Does that mean that I shouldn''t be formal? Can I call you by your name?" she grinned, knowing that this was a huge step towards the fulfillment of her birthday wish!


    The Hunter nodded slowly, eating a mouthful of cake.


    "Hye Seong," she relished his name. "It''s beautiful. It means ''comet'', doesn''t it? Comet and Milky Way, which is what my name means. Doesn''t it look like we are made for each other?"


    He looked up at her, taken by surprise, but returned the question, with a wry smile,


    "Do you really think so?"


    "I have one question, or rather, two. The first is: do you remember we kissed once? And we enjoyed it."


    ''Shin'' Hye Seong breathed out from his chest, bit his lip and let out a delicious smile, confessing,


    "Yes, Eun Ha. I think more than I should in that kiss. And also on the day at the candy store, and at other times too."


    "And what do you think?"


    "What ..." he frowned, seeming to struggle with the words, "that I agree with you."


    "Hn?!" Eun Ha was a little confused. What did he mean by that? Does he agree with me?


    "I had something to say here, but I think I can ignore all of that. It wouldn''t make any sense to you, after all," he complained quietly, and Eun Ha didn''t know if he was just thinking out loud or talking to her.


    Then Eun Ha realized that it was time to take charge of the situation!


    "Shin, are you trying to say that you like me?"

 Chapter 177 - Fairy Romance

    "Frankly, Ye Rim!" Jun Hyeon was incredulous with himself. This was another one of the unusual situations he got into just because he was with Ye Rim. They were peeking out of a bakery window while the other couple had their date.


    "OH-MY-GOSH! Exactly what I saw 10 years ago!" Ye Rim ignored him, while keeping her eyes fixed on the couple. He peeked again. Shin Hye Seong was presenting Eun Ha with a birthday cake. Quite frankly. He pulled Ye Rim out of sight when the couple turned towards the window, coming this way with the cake.


    "If you want a cake, I can give it to you. In fact, if we go back to¡­"


    "Wait," she pulled him back to the window, just this time quite more stealthy. Jun Hyeon sighed,


    "Ye Rim. So did your prophecy predicts this beautiful moment? Is it the moment when he will confess his love to her?"


    "Don''t be an idiot, Eun Ha! Don''t accept his feelings!" she didn''t even hear him, murmuring to herself with her eyes fixed on the couple, like a psychopath stalker. Then Shin turned to them, and Jun Hyeon pushed Ye Rim''s head down, trying to hide her out of his view. But the doctor just didn''t have time to hide.


    So he waved pathetically, and bowed, apologizing for it. Now he must reach Shin later for formal apologies and vexing justifications.


    "Let''s get out of here! Enough!" This time he was more emphatic, and took Ye Rim out of there, who went all the way growling like a troubled Chihuawa.


    It was all he needed. Watch another couple romantically confessing themselves on the day that he planned to do the same. If he confesses his love tonight, after watching them, it would seem tacky and glamour-lacking. And how could he do that with Ye Rim completely focused on this ''prophecy'' thing?


    In the car, he scratched his eyebrow, not knowing what to do next,


    "Ye Rim, was that all you saw from the prophecy? The couple in the bakery, having fun and being happy with each other?"


    "Yes," she replied, sulking.


    "But¡­ You said you needed to know if it was true. How important is that? Does it have to do with why you girls broke?" maybe she would let off steam at once.


    "Ten years ago, she said that a man in a pink shirt would cause my death," she said, without looking at him.


    "Are you talking about me?! Am I the man in the pink shirt?!" he looked at the shirt he was wearing, astonished by this revelation.


    oo


    "Yes, Eun Ha," assumed Hunter Shin, looking up at her.


    "Good,"''This s.e.xy gaze should be prohibited by law! It''s hot and I''m dying of heat here!'' after melting by inside, Eun Ha straightened up on the chair, stomping her feet excitedly on the floor,


    "Then we must date. And maybe get married," she added the second proposal sneakily, just to see the strength of his feelings. ''A woman needs to know where she is standing, right?''


    "U-hum," he agreed absently as he finished his slice of cake.


    "U-hum? Did you hear me well?" she opened her eyes wide, because Shin Hye Seong''s expression didn''t even change.


    "U-hum. You accept to be mine."


    The young fairy blinked, concerned by Shin''s deliberate words, "Do I accept to be yours ...?"


    He blinked suddenly, with a wry smile, "Do you want to change your mind?"


    "Haha, it''s just that, for a moment, I found the phrase a bit¡­ comprehensive," Eun Ha felt a little panic at the feeling of being a property, and sincerely hoped he wouldn''t think like an old man at all aspects!


    "You look hot, Eun Ha. Meaning, you''re flushed and even has a sweaty forehead," he commented casually, sipping his coffee.


    "Ah, well, I asked once what romance between the fairies is like ... You know, I have no idea," she wiped the sweat from her forehead discreetly. How could a promising moment like this become a pre-nightmare experience in a very short time?


    "Well," he wiped his mouth on his napkin, before continuing, now with his bright, provocative eyes, "I can teach you what romance between fairies is like. What you need to know, briefly is:


    1, Types of dates


    2, Affectionate terms


    3, Romance etiquette


    4, Theory of the relationship between long-lived beings


    5, Kisses 1, 2, and 3


    6, Caresses 1, and Caresses, Advanced


    7, Intercourse


    8, Marriage Rites


    9, Promises of Fidelity


    10, Expecting Babies,"


    he said this with the most serious face he could, even though the corners of his lips twitched, betraying his mood.


    "Did you just make that up?" Eun Ha narrowed her eyes, also holding on to the smile.


    "No¡­ But to learn all of this, you need to pay me. I don''t forgive debts or do anything for free," he raised an eyebrow, pretending to threaten her. Eun Ha couldn''t believe she was witnessing Shin Hye Seong playing games! Was that his way of being cute?


    "Awn, Hye Seong. I don''t know if I can afford it ... Ainn! Lower the price, please!" she made her cute face and rocked on the chair, puffing out her cheeks. The Hunter sighed and, without looking at her, covered her face with a flat hand, pretending indifference,


    "Stop it! This is too cute. I can''t seem to be serious and keep my face when you do that," he revealed, looking away.


    ''Ah, I''m going to melt with these revelations. He made me believe that I was a sneezing rabbit just to maintain his bad pose!''


    "Am I not a sneezing rabbit?"


    "No. But keep these things¡­ just for your ''significant other'', okay?" he released her. "And yet, I cannot lower the price. I''m already being generous. In fact, I didn''t even say what the price was, and you were bargaining already¡­"


    He reached for her hand on the table, and Eun Ha intertwined her fingers in his. She remembered the first hunt, when Hunter Shin touched her hand and her wand to command the magic.


    Staring at him and being looked at openly by Shin was the height of her happiness. Eun Ha even forgot that she wanted to ask the price of ''romance'' classes. Suddenly Shin got up, causing her to get up too,


    "Oops, where are we going?" she asked as they went back to the car, opening the door for her to get in.


    "Seize this moment, Eun Ha. Away from humans, away from earthly problems. What do you think? Trust me?"


    "Do you still doubt it?" she smiled back at her lover.


    Shin drove to a distant place, quietly, outside the city. Eun Ha didn''t pay attention to the way, because she kept looking at her boyfriend with a perpetual smile. Sometimes Shin surprised her by looking and raised an eyebrow in question, other times he looked embarrassed.


    They entered a private property, with stone walls. She saw a beautiful lake reflecting the moonlight, where they walked to, hand in hand.


    There was a bridge across the lake. Stone dragons holding orbs adorned the old-style bridge entrance. Eun Ha was a little nervous because it was the first time that she felt a place of perfectly balanced energies.


    "Is this Dominion?" she asked, as they walked across the bridge.


    He stopped and turned to Eun Ha,


    "No. Here," and he made her take another step with him, "is Dominion. "


    He stopped and turned to Eun Ha, "No. Here," and he made her take another step with him,"is Dominion. "


    Eun Ha looked around, and realized that everything had changed. The private grove that dominated the property had been replaced by a mansion of the type she commonly saw in period films, by the lake.


    The moon behind the building was just huge. She just wasn''t sure if there was a ''floor'' or ''ground''. The stone path behind the bridge seemed suspended in the air or was some kind of optical effect. A diffuse mist came more or less to her knees and occasionally allowed her to see her feet. Still, it was not a scary or dreary place. In fact, it was mysterious and fascinating. In the distance, Eun Ha could see silhouettes of similar buildings.


    As soon as she stepped on the threshold of the mansion, Eun Ha turned to Shin,


    "Completely different from what I imagined!" Shin said nothing, just opened the heavy doors in front of him, revealing a garden where the reddish maples trees exuded its characteristic aroma. In addition to the garden, the mansion''s sumptuous balconies were lit with metal lanterns, as if by magic. ''Of course, it''s magic, what nonsense is mine¡­'' Eun Ha thought, delighted.


    "Is this your family''s ancestral home?'' she asked, although she already sensed the answer, and the Hunter just nodded.


    "I thought I couldn''t come here before The Elemental Council heard me," Eun Ha commented as he looked around. The murmuring fountain of clear waters, the beautiful trees spilling their leaves in different autumnal shades illuminated by the lanterns, the ecstatic moonlight. Best of all, Hunter Shin looks at each of her reactions with an unreadable expression.


    Eun Ha stopped in front of him, looking up,


    "Do you regret stopping by to prevent this wild fairy from doing more nonsense?"


    "Quite, in fact," he took a step forward, and Eun Ha felt her heart race. "I feel like I''m going to spend the rest ..." he stopped, closing his eyes for a moment, and she asked.


    "The rest¡­?" Eun Ha was curious, but then he touched her lips with his thumb, drawing her outline smoothly. ''Who needs to stay alive, right? If he just imagined that every time he says or does something like that, my heart stops beating... ''


    "Yes, I think I''m going to spend the rest of my existence doing exactly the same thing," he added, leaning down to kiss her passionately.

 Chapter 178 - Prophecies

    Eun Ha and Shin were watching the moonlight on Dominion and all the stars that dotted the sky. With hands clasped and wrapped in a blanket, sitting in the garden, they talked lazily as the stars changed places, marking the passage of time,


    "So is it what happened? Did Ms. Park Nam Joo see her mother ''blessing'' little Ye Rim? And were her words these?" the Hunter asked after Eun Ha recounted the facts she heard from the witness of her own mother''s death. Nam Joo had an excellent memory for the events that took place 27 years ago, as they had changed Ye Rim''s mother''s life forever.


    "Yes, as I understand it, my mother promised to grant Ye Rim intelligence, charisma, talent, beauty, and courage, except for one thing," she accounted on her fingers, intrigued by this detail. Was the ''lacking thing'' the condition of magic? Most likely. But what Shin said afterward gave her a clue as to what it would be.


    "Yes, a broken heart would be her only weakness, probably a dire one. The spell even allowed her to be untouched by the supernatural. This is intriguing," Shin scratched his chin thoughtfully.


    Was it ''love''? Having all of that and not being able to have your love with you was really a fitting price for blessings, but ... it was so cruel! Eun Ha understood now that the death of her husband shook her mother. But glancing at Shin by her side, she knew that she''d given up many things to have her lover by her side. Did it relate in any way to the ''Man in Pink'' prophecy?


    "But what about the last part of the spell?" Eun Ha asked. She had come a long way on magical matters, and now she knew that this type of enchantment was powerful and permanent. Probably her mother invested all the magic that still remained. The effort to do so consumed any life which was still in her body. It should be important enough, Eun Ha understood.  Her mother intended something else, besides wanting Nam Joo to feel compelled to keep her promise.


    "Let me see. She said¡­"


    "She said, ''This baby will bring back all the stars that the monster has stolen''. I believe she was referring to the Devourer."


    "Well, there were some noble houses in the past that believed that each fairy was linked to a star in the sky. This is part of the myths, and today it''s not even part of basic education. From what was told, I believe your mother had an outstanding education. All the more reason for you to try, isn''t it?" He kissed Eun Ha''s head, who purred contently, before agreeing,


    "But, could that explain why Ye Rim says she''s able to ''exorcise'' supernatural beings?"


    "I believe so. She could even upset a werewolf."


    "And what about the ''Prayer of the Serpent-Sun''? Does that make any sense?"


    "I don''t know. Gifted humans exist, and the rituals they use differ from our kind of magic. It might work. It may just add a dose of confidence to what Ye Rim can do," he mused.


    "Like a kind of ''placebo effect''?"


    "Exactly."


    "But isn''t that dangerous for Ye Rim?" Eun Ha concluded that, prophecy or desire, her mother''s final words projected a heroic but risky destiny for Ye Rim.


    "This is my fear. May Ye Rim attract the Devourer''s attention, if she hasn''t already. According to the terms of the magic, not even he could kill her. Because nothing that''s supernatural can achieve it. But she can kill him, if she can, and thus keep her mother''s words."


    "But if he can''t hurt her, he might fear her instead!" Eun Ha followed the logic behind Hye Seong''s words.


    "And because the Devourer fears her, he may want to destroy her. Although he cannot do this himself now, he could find other means," the Hunter concluded his thoughts. "Furthermore, at this point, Ye Rim can do nothing. She has no preparation for dealing with a magical monster of this caliber."


    "Actually," said Eun Ha, after thinking about it, "why would she want to do all of this?"


    "I imagine that at some point, she will find herself without choices," Shin said, and Eun Ha shivered. She wished that it wasn''t true, but she also believed in prophecies.


    ooo


    Again having trouble sleeping, even after experiencing at least a dozen different emotions in his bed tonight, Jun Hyeon got up very early. After a run in the park and taking a shower, he returned in time to meet his grandfather, who also woke up early, making breakfast in the kitchen,


    "Yesterday was Ye Rim''s birthday! Why are you here, and so soon?" asked his grandfather as soon as he entered the kitchen.


    Sitting heavily on the chair, he wondered how his grandfather knew about his plans. Or if it was just a very smart assumption.


    "I planned a special night. But when it comes to Miss. Nam, the unlikely can happen. And again, everything went wrong,  he said.


    "Aigoo. And to think you were mad at me for introducing you!" your grandfather spoke with a smug face. Maybe he wanted to be flattered with a gift or something else.


    "What part of that was a performance?" the doctor really hoped that the situation at the cemetery was not part of a plan.


    "Ahem, pass the rice to me, please," Mr. Go changed the subject and Jun Hyeon raised an eyebrow. "But I wouldn''t have left such a beautiful girlfriend alone on her birthday night," her grandfather insisted. The grandson closed his eyes, holding his breath,


    "But she is not my girlfriend yet."


    "Aigoo," dramatically his grandfather dropped the cutlery to make it fall with a crash, and stood with his mouth open, staring at the only grandson. "Jun Hyeon! What do you mean, aren''t you a couple yet? What is wrong?"


    "At first I thought I would beat her in her game, but that only led to a huge delay. Then ... complications ensued. From my being her tap dance teacher to the fact that she''s angry with Eun Ha. Yesterday I prepared a romantic night for both of us, and what happens? She decides to spy on what her friend was doing. Ask me: what was the friend doing? Dating. I don''t know if Ye Rim really has room for anyone in her life."


    "But ... She seems to like you ..." Mr. Go was shocked and confused.


    "I also think she likes me. But at the same time, I think she is boycotting the outcome. I think she''s afraid of committing. Ye Rim has a ''record''. Her parents divorced in a weird way," now Jun Hyeon had one more reason to worry, the ''man in pink'' prophecy! But bringing this issue up to his grandfather would only make this conversation a lot weirder! He hadn''t even understood the problem himself, only that it was a problem. But not how real this problem was ...


    Both men had been lost in their reflections for a moment. His grandfather shook his head in disgust,


    "Tsk tsk, poor girl. Anyway, she and you are not her parents. Show her."


    "Well, I tried to build trust," he explained.


    "You need to give an ultimatum, Jun Hyeon!"


    ''Aigoo. I''m getting interrogated and getting loving advice from my grandfather like when I was 17, ''Jun Hyen wanted to hide his face in his hands and die. But Mr. Go didn''t notice or pretended not to see the plastic surgeon''s embarrassment.


    "It''s not easy to find this type of relationship, Jun Hyeon. A woman who doesn''t see herself above or below you. Being your equal, there''s no rush to discard or grab. Maybe she wants to solve everything around her. Like a woman who only goes to bed with her husband after the house is completely tidy."


    He laughed involuntarily at the example his grandfather cited. And his old ideas. But the wisdom of an experienced man was valuable. There was truth in those words, even though they seemed strange.


    "Uhn. Shouldn''t I have acted like a modern man then? Should I be a little more ''desirable''? Less available, less understanding? Should I hide that I like her? Are there still women who like this type of man?"


    "Hmmm," the elderly man pondered, "Yes, there are definitely women who like this type. And women who like to dominate their men, too. But in your case ..."


    ''What a humiliation. He has a complete diagnosis for my love failure, ''Jun Hyeon lamented internally. Ye Rim had that fixed fantasy of ??Queen Maeve''s tenets, and Jun Hyeon even researched about it. But she wasn''t quite who she wanted to be.


    "In your case, you have won the trust of a woman very suspicious of love. It''s not time to gamble and lose everything. But, of course, you should, ..."


    "I should¡­" the grandson expectantly pressed on, moved by curiosity.


    "Spice things up. I thought you knew!" the grandfather spoke, slamming his fist on the table.


    "Aishh!" Jun Hyeon stood up, "It''s a piece of cake. I was taking it easy. But I will have to play my regular game!"


    "More than normal. Play on the ''hard'' level. It shouldn''t be difficult," the grandfather chuckled, and Jun Hyeon laughed at the double entendre!


    But, as the morning seemed ripe for loving advice, the doctor sent a message to Shin Hye Seong, the lucky guy from last night,


    KJH: ''Hyung, how did you win Eun Ha-ssi?''


    Dr. Kim laughed when he got the answer, half an hour later,


    SHS: I don''t know. I just let her do it as she wanted. I don''t know how to deal with modern girls. Shall we exchange tips?'' He still had the phone in his hand, looking at the screen, when Ye Rim called,


    "Oppa, I need a thermometer ... How ... Doesn''t a doctor have a thermometer at home?" her dragging and weak voice worried him.

 Chapter 179 - I Wanna Sleep With You

    "Eun Ha-ssi, please come! Ye Rim needs you!" the voice on the other end of the phone called. She didn''t hesitate, imagining that Dr. Kim wouldn''t call her if he could solve anything himself. He gave no explanations, just the address of his apartment.


    Upon arriving there, Eun Ha wanted to see Ye Rim immediately, and found her burning with fever. Dr. Kim stopped beside him, saying,


    "She had a high fever and was very confused when I got here. I administered some medications and managed to lower her temperature with a bath. If the fever increases again, we will probably have to take it to the hospital."


    "What does she have?" Eun Ha asked in distress.


    "She wanted to talk to you before you fell asleep," the doctor scratched his head. "Eun Ha ssi, some unexplained fevers can be caused by stress. Perhaps you could stay with her for a while, uhn?" he suggested with a gentle smile. Eun Ha didn''t know that the Man in Pink could have a beautiful and captivating smile, almost youthful. ''No wonder he''s the man Ye Rim loves and the man of prophecy, but¡­. did I not know how to correctly interpret what I saw? '' she wondered, agreeing with the doctor''s suggestion.


    "I''m going to get something from the pharmacy and also coffee, so please, stay by her side. I shouldn''t be long," he said, taking the car keys. She wondered if he really needed to do these things or was it just a way to leave them alone.


    Eun Ha sat next to Ye Rim on the bed, thinking about the conversation she had earlier with Shin. Their concerns had grown when they learned that the Devourer had come very close to attacking them in the park, nights ago. In addition, Chang Mi had even taken pictures of the corrupted fairy, Seong Hwan, unaware that he was his father, and a fairy eater. He had been hanging around their apartment, and that meant he was looking for a new quarry. Had he been interested only in her, a wild fairy, or had he also identified a potential problem in Ye Rim?


    Ye Rim opened her eyes with difficulty, groaning,


    "Unnie?!"


    "I''m here, Ye Rim," she said softly, touching her donsaeng''s forehead. "Just rest, everything will be fine,"


    "Unnie ... Forgive me. Unnie ... I was unfair to you," Ye Rim whimpered, holding Eun Ha''s hand over her forehead for longer.


    "You don''t have to apologize for anything. I really did everything wrong. I did what I did because I was scared. Afraid for myself. And fearing about you, Ye Rim," she said. "I was scared and unsure. I was afraid that people would hurt me, because I''m not like them. I was afraid that you were no longer my friend because your mother was gone because of supernatural beings. And then ... I was afraid that you''d die. I was afraid that you''d suffer. But you were right. I thought I knew what was best for you. I tried to decide for you, and even forgot about me. It would have been a lot easier if I had trusted you, instead of transferring my insecurities to you," Eun Ha was calmer today after understanding things she didn''t understand before.


    "Unnie. I owe you an apology too. For not appreciating how you dedicated yourself and helped me too ... For ... Not having understood that you wanted to protect me because you are my unnie ... And not because you think I''m incapable!" despite the weak voice, Ye Rim looked at her with feverish eyes.


    "I wanted to protect you but I should have done it differently¡­ Today, knowing a little more about Dr. Flamingo¡­ I think I may be mistaken about him, and what the prophecy meant. What I mean, Ye Rim, is that¡­ Living love seems to be more important than ever getting a broken heart. I won''t interfere unless I''m sure that you are suffering ... But I''ll speak to you instead, putting some reason back inside your head. And not going around acting like a crazy saboteur!"


    Ye Rim smiled understandingly and happily,


    "Thank you, unnie. I will do the same."


    "Aren''t you mad at me anymore?"


    "No," she said.


    "Are you ready for going home?"


    Ye Rim nodded, and Eun Ha was happy.


    "Unnie?"


    "Yes?"


    "''Professor Shin'' is not a man for you! He''s going to break your heart!" Ye Rim narrowed her eyes, showing her resentment, and Eun Hah opened her eyes wide,


    "Uhn?!"


    ooo


    "Professor Shin, this is my current situation," said Chang Mi, looking at the Hunter with his best expression of fragility. In fact, everything he had reported was real, except that¡­ maybe he could handle it without making such a blatant appeal. But there he was, with a backpack full of clothes and personal stuff, ready to ''camp'' in Hunter Shin''s immense mansion for as long as needed.


    Since he had pricked his finger with the Devourer''s sting, in fact, his father, he had had even more terrifying dreams. He realized that all the dreams about the crows, which he had had before, were in fact with the ''shadows'' that his father dominated. But now he realized, after waking up, that his father was trying to contact him. Chang Mi saw his eyes inflamed with madness search the dark. He even heard ghostly whispers calling out to him,


    LET YOURSELF, ACCEPT MY CALL ... DON''T BE AFRAID ... COME ON TO ME ...


    It terrified him. But I wouldn''t have admitted that to the Hunter without reason. He didn''t intend to answer the call, but he suspected that, because of the connection they had, the Devourer could now see through his eyes.


    And if Chang Mi weren''t enough to worry about his mother and hyung, this morning he had seen Hunter Shin take some suitcases from the noona''s apartment.


    Was she going to stay at the mansion?


    Alone with Hunter Shin?


    Chang Mi decided that this was not going to happen.


    Claiming to his mother that he was going to stay in a house with other students studying hard for college, Chang Mi headed for the hunter''s mansion with a plan in mind.


    "Okay, Chang Mi. Your idea of ??having your sleep monitored to find out where¡­ your father is very good, "said Shin, comforting him. "I''ll be around watching."


    "Then fine? Can I stay here for a while until we resolve this? " he kept a grateful smile. The Hunter nodded,


    "I''m going to ask Ahn to get one ..."


    "Professor Shin, where is your room? I can arrange my things myself. I mean, it will be easier if we sleep in the same room, right? " noticing the fairy''s hesitation and how he frowned, Chang Mi continued, "If I sleep in another room, even if I scream, by the time Professor Shin gets there it would all be over. And uhn¡­ I don''t snore. "


    "Okay ..." although not thrilled, not even the experienced hunter could deny that this was the best way to monitor someone''s sleep. Then Shin guided him to the bedroom.


    Although large and luxurious by the standard that Chang Mi was used to, the room was a little old-fashioned and there was no modern western bed. He saw instead a yo and an ibul, which, despite being elegant, didn''t have half the comfort a modern youth was used to. Chang Mi should have imagined that the Hunter would sleep in an old type of bed. Realizing his shock, the fairy asked,


    "Do you still think it''s necessary?"


    "Ah ... which side do you prefer, Professor Shin?" he gave a big smile. He''d sleep next to Professor Shin, rather than his heavenly noona!


    "The house has western beds, too, if you prefer. I imagine that you aren''t used to it and you may find it even more difficult to sleep," said the Hunter.


    "Can I ask you a... intimate question? As I''d ask for a hyung?"


    "Um, yes, of course."


    "Do you bring girls here? To¡­ sleep with them?" he always wondered how a girl would react to making love on a yo.


    "Well, this is my room," replied Shin, reaching out to flick Chang Mi''s forehead. "And you can call me hyung, if you want."


    "And they don''t complain?"


    Shin smirked,


    "I don''t think so, Chang Mi. I don''t think so."


    ''Uhn, so the hunter thinks he''s the God of S.e.x, doesn''t he? Noona deserves a fluffy bed and a lot of affection. Sorry Hunter Shin, you are a nice guy, but we are at war for noona ... Eun Ha, I always forget that we are the same age. In fact, I may even be older than her! ''


    "Are you changing your mind? Do you want the soft bed?" asked the hunter with an amused look.


    "It''s all right! I sleep on the floor often, in fact!" he took the backpack off his shoulders and placed it on ''his'' side of the bed, lying down next to try the yo. "I have back pain, so it''s very relaxing!" He lied.


    "Oh really? This is so surprising. A fairy, and even a human-looking half-fairy, with back pains," he didn''t seem to believe it, so Chang Mi smiled condescendingly,


    "But not all of these fairies and half fairies have been as many years as a persimmon, aren''t they?? Aish, everything is explained now. My inexplicable pains. I spent years of my life curled up and tight like a small persimmon embryo. No wonder. Aigoo! I really am a poor Persimmon Boy!"


    Shin looked at him wide-eyed, but he had no arguments,


    "Okay¡­ Persimmon. As you wish."


    Chang Mi put his arms under his head, grinning. He could get used to it.

 Chapter 180 - Dirty Dancing

    Ye Rim left Dr. Kim''s apartment directly for Hunter Shin''s house. Her unnie explained that the Fairy Eater had located where they lived, and so the place was compromised until he was captured.


    Although Eun Ha told her to continue her ordinary activities, just being more attentive than usual, it worried Ye Rim. Eun Ha was in danger, and even "Hunter Shin", as she had been informed recently! Daebak! It was like she was living a kind of Supernatural Romcom starring Gong Hyo Jin!


    The dangers of the past came back to haunt them, but according to Eun Ha, Hunter Shin was working on a way to capture the monster.


    It had put her out of sleep, as well as the fact that Pearl''s reopening would take place the next day. She had received the news that they rescheduled auditions for the role of the drama towards the end of this week. She needed to practice hard.


    With so many things to do, Ye Rim got up early. Picking up her toiletries, she headed for the bathroom. The house was old, and the upstairs had few bathrooms and no modern master rooms.


    Stepping out into the hall, she found Eun Ha walking out the door in front of her, and smiled. None of them used to wake up so early, usually. Her unnie quickly explained that she had an appointment with Park & ??Zhang in the morning. They were talking softly when the door at the end of the hall opened and sneaked like a cat, Chang Mi came out, wearing a T-shirt and pajama shorts, barefoot, towards the bathroom. He saw them and looked uncomfortable, his feet scrambling between going back to the room or running. Eun Ha changed her expression immediately, and Ye Rim frowned,


    "Aigoo. Isn''t that the homeowner''s room?"


    "Chang Mi?!" Eun Ha strode up to the student, whom Ye Rim saw for the first time in his life, intimidated.


    "Ah, well, I can explain ...!"


    ooo


    She imagined that Jun Hyeon would have laughed if he knew what happened, but that implied telling details that Ye Rim was not sure if it would make sense. Lately she also thought a lot about how to tell Jun Hyeon about all the supernatural things in her life, but in the end, she was always unsure. Like when she introduced the subject, and he asked about fairies. It was difficult for a modern man to accept that. She needed to find a way, because she didn''t want to create a bad situation later, when he found out.


    But tonight, as they stretched before revising the choreography, a melancholy feeling overcame Ye Rim. Looking discreetly at Jun Hyeon as he touched the floor with his legs stretched out, eyes closed and completely relaxed, Ye Rim thought she would miss those daily moments with him. Today was the dance lessons last day.


    Jun Hyeon felt watched and opened his eyes, and winked at her. ''Awn, my heart will melt!'' she thought, delighted with this fan service.


    "Ok, do you want to review the choreography?" he asked, unaware of her feelings.


    "OK!" she agreed, and they went through the choreography for about an hour and a half, until Jun Hyeon said,


    "Well, now you''re going to record the choreography to send to the casting board."


    "Now? I thought I would do that in front of them!"


    "Well, that''s what hyung asked me to do tonight!" he laughed when he saw Ye Rim''s despair.


    "I''m not ready!" she whimpered, startled.


    "Relax a little while I''m setting up the equipment," he ignored the drama and started setting up a tripod and camera in an appropriate location, "I have a surprise kept for you."


    ''Surprise? What does he mean by that? I already said that I hate surprises! ''


    She sat on the dance floor for a while, breathing heavily. Jun Hyeon had thought of a fun and modern choreography, and although he said it was ''small and simple'' for Ye Rim, it was quite complex. But Ye Rim tried harder than he would have done, he didn''t lose her temper or give up, because Jun Hyeon had dedicated all this time and created something for her.


    He sat down next to her, thirstily drinking his  water,


    "It''s sad that we are getting to the end of this, but ... I can''t believe we are so close to the day of the audition, Ye Rim! I hope it was helpful, by the way. I saw a huge evolution, even this little choreography for the audition already showed that you just needed confidence in using your body to express yourself."


    "Uhn, is that so? You think?" she was still a little unsure, but his words comforted her.


    "I do," he sat down next to her. "But I''m sure of one thing: you are counting on your other talents to win it. The audition thing. Dance is just your extra card. I''d like you to change that attitude and do everything as well as you sing. Including my choreography."


    Ye Rim turned to Jun Hyeon, feeling unwell,


    "Oppa! I''m doing my best!"


    "You are doing everything right, but the passion is still missing! I''m going to record the video just once, Ye Rim. And I have two surprises for you!"


    She opened her eyes wide. Well, she thought she was doing well enough, but in fact she was not ''in love'' with choreography or tap dance as he was. He stood up, and she did the same. Perhaps for the first time, Ye Rim felt an enormous fear of disappointing him, after Jun Hyeon pressured her to show more than just repeat the steps.


    He turned on the music, but it was a different, slower tempo version of the music they rehearsed. She started tapping her feet in the new time, experimenting with choreography again.


    "You know the movements, right? Now interpret them for this new tempo. It''s easier to enjoy the dance, isn''t it? Express the rhythm!"


    Ye Rim was a little intimidated because she knew that dancing was not her forte. The rhythm was so sensual and delicious that it prompted something more than mechanically doing the choreography. Maybe if she just followed the song¡­


    Jun Hyeon suddenly took her hand, and pulled it out of her thoughts,


    "Think about it: the mirror is the audience. And you are my partner," he tilted his face forward, and pressed his forehead lightly to Ye Rim''s forehead. "Now, starting at 8, let''s alternate the verses. You first," he reached for Ye Rim''s other hand, now holding both. "Hey, hey, don''t slack off, don''t miss a beat! Look at me! Don''t take your eyes off me! Challenge me! 7,8!"


    He continued to keep his gaze fixed on hers, so Ye Rim couldn''t look in the mirror or anywhere else. Her feet moved, and in that way it was very interesting. There was the tap sounds made by the shoes and not thinking about how to get around or anything. She smiled when he started dancing, and she stopped. Kim Jun Hyeon was fantastic!


    They continued to ''duel'' into the choreography, and it encouraged her to be more daring and to improvise and challenge him as well. Of course, Ye Rim didn''t have the expertise to perform better than him, but she was satisfied with her newfound confidence! Jun Hyeon made the choreography more free and sensual, provoking all the time with very ... exciting movements.


    There was that spark of mild e.r.o.t.i.cism in his movements, and she tried to match the maximum. Her heart beat faster each time he held her hand, walked behind her, or touched her cheek with his, romantically, as the music and dance evolved.


    The experience didn''t exhaust them, but their breaths were fast and Jun Hyeon took her hand, placing it over his heart,


    "I loved the way you moved!" he exclaimed, and Ye Rim did the same, taking his hand so he could feel her heart. It was on purpose. She longed for more of him.


    "I loved it too!" she looked up at him, and Jun Hyeon stared at her immediately. The song was on repeat, but they didn''t care. He leaned down to kiss her, first a brief peck on her parted lips. But he quickly returned to several others, quick as butterfly kisses, until his free hand slid down Ye Rim''s back and he kissed her passionately, long,


    "You drive me crazy, Ye Rim!" he murmured, pulling her close to him, smashing her entire body to his. The hand that was between her b.r.e.a.s.ts slid to her waist and then to her h.i.p.s, feeling her buttocks with evident desire. She could feel the effect it had on his body, just as she was sure Jun Hyeon knew how she was feeling now, wrapping his neck around and begging him to pick her up.


    As if guessing her desire to stick to him like a starfish, Jun Hyeon lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist, without stopping to kiss her. Ye Rim wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly, wishing his hands would run all over her body. It was so good to kiss him! It felt so good to touch him! From the first moment Ye Rim knew she had a strange and overwhelming chemistry with this man, Dr. Kim, but she had no idea that every time she touched him she''d feel so naughty and l.u.s.tful.


    Jun Hyeon leaned against the mirror, and one of his hands slid under Ye Rim''s T-shirt. She m.o.a.ned into his mouth when he squeezed her b.r.e.a.s.t with l.u.s.t, nibbling lightly on his lower lip in response.


    "Ahem!" they heard a very close voice calling attention.


    ''OMO!'' the two quickly looked at who had interrupted them.


    It was Lee Dae Won, standing at the door with an unreadable expression.

 Chapter 181 - Were all A.d.u.l.ts Here

    Ye Rim felt her face flush even more than it already was, mortified, but Jun Hyeon asked, turning and protecting her with his body,


    "Hyung, can you give us a minute?"


    Dae Won didn''t answer, just left and closed the door behind him carefully. Jun Hyeon fixed Ye Rim''s hair before letting her go,


    "Hey, don''t be scared. We''re all a.d.u.l.ts here," he ran his finger over her cheek trying to cheer her up.


    "Ahem, we¡­ got excited! Dae Won Oppa must be shocked!"


    Jun Hyeon said nothing about it, just went to the camera and removed the memory card. Ye Rim realized at this point that the camera had been on all along!


    "Aigoo! Was everything filmed?" she hid her face in despair.


    "Hey, calm down, Cottonfeet!" he called her by the affectionate nickname he had given her on the first date, because of the slippers. Jun Hyeon held out the memory card to her. "Keep it for now. Tomorrow we''ll edit it and delete our ''hot'' scenes... Or, we can save them to watch together in the future!" he teased her with a huge and naughty smile, and Ye Rim slapped his chest, a bit embarrassed.


    "No way! Delete it!" although nervous about ??starring in a spicy shoot, one side of her she wanted to watch it.


    "Do you really trust me?"


    "Um, maybe I should delete it myself," she returned the teasing, and he playfully tried to take the memory card from her hand. Ye Rim quickly put it away, and defended herself with her hands,


    "We''d better go talk to Dae Won, we shouldn''t keep him waiting."


    "You''re right," he said. "I talk to him while you fix your beautiful hair and swollen mouth ... from my kisses," Jun Hyeon leaned over to steal another quick kiss from Ye Rim. She weakly pushed him away, and only for the impropriety of the moment. "Come when you''re ready..." blinking, the doctor left nonchalantly, or at least it looked so.


    As soon as Jun Hyeon closed the door behind him, Ye Rim grabbed her knees and lowered her head, taking a deep breath and trying to get back to reason! Madness! Delicious and hot madness!


    She ran over to the camera and replaced the memory card, to watch the recorded footage. And Ye Rim discovered, to her morbid fascination, that the camera had recorded everything, since they were sitting on the floor talking, the improvised choreography, and the two of them in scenes of pure passion!


    This footage definitely couldn''t go public. Fixing herself up as best she could and drinking some water, she planned to leave the training room when she heard that Jun Hyeon''s phone was ringing. He forgot it on the bench. She verified that it was Secretary Ma. She took the phone for Dr. Kim to pick up the call. It might be important.


    The two friends were talking by the drink machine, down the hall. Jun Hyeon excused himself to take the call, and left Ye Rim with Lee Dae Won.


    The Musician scratched his head, looking embarrassed,


    "I thought doing a surprise would be cool, but apparently I just surprised myself," he sighed after saying that. Ye Rim swallowed,


    "No, it''s not what you''re thinking. Things really got a little hot¡­"


    "Don''t justify yourself, Ye Rim. You owe me nothing. But you were lucky because the Optimus President would come with me today. He wanted to see how things were going¡­" there was a slight, slight bitterness in his sweet tone. "It was a close shave that your agent wasn''t the one entering that room tonight."


    "Well, I''d be as embarrassed as I am now. I apologize. It was thoughtless and really wrong, as it''s a public place, but ..."


    "Ye Rim¡­" the musician waved his hand to show that what she was saying wasn''t relevant. "I''m embarrassed to be the person to tell you that. I really thought you knew, being experienced with entertainment agencies, etc. It would be a disaster and your career might sink down. Again. I don''t know the details of your contract, but I think you can''t expect much from an artist cannot to impress her agent. People are mean and, unfortunately, judge women judged harshly on their behavior. Or that you intend to start your career with rumors that you have a romance with a plastic surgeon? Although our country is the Mecca of plastic surgery, the public is very voracious in relating one thing to the other, ... in a derogatory way. It would be difficult to deny you''re a plastic doll, because people like to believe the spicy and mean things better."


    Ye Rim was confused, but Dae Won''s words made her worried. Dae Won gave an embarrassed smile,


    "I''m being tough. I''m sorry, I just didn''t want to see all your effort wasted, nor you blaming it all on bad luck¡­ I just came here to cheer for you and," he held up the wrapping in his hand, "bring your birthday present. I couldn''t find you or talk to you on your birthday."


    At that moment Ye Rim would like to change her name, nationality, and country. Her embarrassment must have been breaking some national record.


    "I¡­ Well, thanks! It''s very kind of you. And about what you saw, well, it was really a momentary thing, it''s not a ''romance'' nor will it hinder my career," she didn''t want to extend herself justifying her private life to him but, at the same time, Lee Dae Won had done a lot for her, in exchange for nothing. She felt she owed at least one explanation.


    "Well, as I said, I don''t want to disrupt your personal life, I''m just fascinated by your talent and I wish you the best. And if you didn''t live in that industry, where a mere rumor could be the end of many careers and even lives ..."


    "Oh, no! Not after so much effort!" she shook her head, distressed by yet another failure on the eve of her success. The subject was making her nervous, and she was just thinking of disappearing.


    ooo


    Chang Mi was still diligently monitoring Ye Rim. Even after almost being beaten by her for being caught by the two noonas leaving hyung''s room. What were those crazy people thinking? It outraged him they imagined unreasonable things as the first reason for the fact. The half-fairy knew that it was a tendency for the noonas to like everything related to boy love, etc., but must be a limit to fantasies!


    A few moments ago, however, Chang Mi had put his indignation aside when he noticed something suspicious.


    Days ago he started watching Ye Rim from across the street because of an unusual fact: a ballet teacher expelled him from the dance academy. The 14 to 20-year-old dancers who took their classes by night were crowding the lobby because of him!


    Indeed, Chang Mi had never been a popular boy in high school, despite occasionally receiving a confession, from both s.e.xes. But that was ridiculous! It was impossible to keep a low profile when he felt like a mother swan with all those tutu swans walking behind him.


    It wasn''t good for his task, but at least Chang Mi could really watch from this point, and not waste his time answering endless silly questions.


    But Chang Mi just saw a man entering the dance academy, and that person definitely raised his suspicions. Although the student saw the tall man from a distance, he reminded Chang Mi of the man who beat him with a stick in front of that damn mansion! Of course, Chang Mi had never seen the face of the bastard son of a bitch, but the body, height and everything ... He couldn''t be that wrong.


    So, he needed to enter the enemy field.


    Chang Mi entered the lobby and slipped away, taking advantage that the receptionist was talking to an ajuhmma. Looking around the first floor, he didn''t see the man anywhere.  He wondered if he would be on the second floor, where the training rooms occupied at this time, including where Ye Rim Noona did her classes.


    He saw no young dancer in tutus in sight, and that was a good thing. For some reason, all of them knew his name!


    If it were really the man who beat him, Chang Mi would arrest him and call the police. Chang Mi hated the person who had hurt and humiliated him. But from time to time the idea that that poor woman might suffer at the hands of that scoundrel was even more disturbing.


    Sneaking up the stairs, Chang Mi took a careful look at the floor, but only saw Dr. Kim talking on the phone from the angle he was peeking around.


    Where will that man be? Is it really him? It would be a very unlikely coincidence, by the way. Or not? After all, this dance academy was very close to where it all happened. His conscience told him he couldn''t just grab a stranger without being 100% sure it was the man.


    But someone took him by the arm, instead. He reflexively grabbed the person''s arm, ready to use a krav maga maneuver that a friend of his brother''s had taught him. But looking at the person''s face, it was just Ye Rim Noona.


    "What are you doing spying on like that?"


    "I saw someone ..." Chang Mi stopped speaking when he saw that she looked quite stunned, and had her backpack on her shoulders. He asked, surprised, "Are you ready to go yet, noona?"


    "Yes. I want to go now. Let''s go?"


    "Yes, just let me check something out ... oh crap!" Chang Mi saw a group of three girls in tutu leaving one of the rooms and coming in that direction.


    "Yes, oh damn it. I''d like to go now, if you don''t mind. But if you want to talk to your ''fans''¡­"


    He couldn''t leave Ye Rim alone for long. It was part of the deal.


    Chang Mi followed the noona, convincing himself that even if he saw the man again, he needed to make sure it was him before doing anything.

 Chapter 182 - By the Grave

    Kim Jun Hyeon deposited the flowers on his sister''s grave thoughtfully.


    Although his lawyer assured him he was using all the legal tools to find out more about the mysterious woman, the doctor had the impression that this was not enough. He had received the news that the delivery man who made the assault report had traveled or something.


    "So I was an idiot the whole time?" as he looked at the tomb and saw his sister''s name, his eyes filled with tears. "Please don''t deceive me like that. Don''t give me false hopes."


    He usually brought magazines and even some of his twin sister''s favorite foods, once a month. Dr. Kim used to talk to Ji Hyeon as if she were alive. Now there was a possibility, however remote, that this was true. Or was it a perverse plan by some scammer trying to get money out of his family? The absence of cameras was very suspicious.


    Jun Hyeon wasn''t in the country when Ji Hyeon committed suicide. He was doing a crucial Mastery in the United States when he received the news. Dae Won, Ji''s fianc¨¦ at that time, took care of everything, and Jun Hyeon arrived just to see the urn. He knew that his sister never wanted to be cremated, so he insisted on a tombstone in a beautiful place. He came to keep her company, share the banana yogurt and tell his life.


    "Dae Won was at the dance academy yesterday, Ji. He''s in love with Ye Rim, the woman I''m going to marry. Sometimes it stresses me out, you know? I don''t know how you could have listened to him after all. It always pissed me off on him. He surrounds you with attention, and then he is¡­ um¡­ passive-aggressive? He''s skilled at words. But it''s a little tiring at times, isn''t it? "


    In fact, when he returned from his conversation with Secretary Ma, Ye Rim was already gone, without saying goodbye, and he had no doubt that the reason was Lee Dae Won. He had said,


    "Well, I know that you''re in love with her, Jun. But I think you should protect your heart."


    Jun Hyeon raised an eyebrow in doubt, and maybe he sounded a little sarcastic when he asked,


    "Oh, really? Did it look like I need it, hyung?"


    "Oh, what can I say, Jun Hyeon? You know more about biology than I do. But Ye Rim¡­ she has already shown what she wants and that her favorite hobby is playing with the hearts of men."


    Of course, when Dae Won touched his biggest fear about Ye Rim, his heart froze. But it couldn''t be true. Was she really just kidding, all this time?


    "You seem to be very sure of that."


    "She just thinks about being a star. There is no room in her heart for anything else until she reaches stardom."


    "Well, to be honest, hyung, I think YOU are in love with her. Look at everything you''ve done for her. And¡­"


    "Am I in the Friendzone as much as you are?" Dae Won gave an enigmatic smile, which only irritated Kim. "I just want to remind you it was you who crossed my path. I asked a few times if you had any romantic interest in Ye Rim, and you said no."


    Jun Hyeon was speechless at this point, because this time Dae Won was right.


    But the musician smiled, continuing, "I don''t want to turn this into a war or cause a breakup on our friendship. I''m just reminding you of your words from a not-so-distant past."


    "Well, let''s say I regret my words, hyung. My relationship with Ye Rim has evolved."


    "Hm. Should I continue to invest my efforts in giving her everything she wants? You say that I should stop supporting her, because this is what you will do in my place?"


    "What is it? Some kind of veiled threat, hyung?" he wanted to know.


    "If you are so sure you are reciprocated, don''t you find it a little offensive that I keep moving heaven and earth for her? We''re being honest with each other, aren''t we? This was my strategy: give her the stardom she wants. She''s almost there ..."


    Jun Hyeon frowned, concerned. Ye Rim had signed a contract with the Dae Won''s friend''s agency, who had hitherto been quite generous with the terms of the contract. Unbelievably generous. She had a good chance of debuting in what they believed to be next year''s drama. A super production. Dae Won was even writing songs for her to record, and the company wanted to launch her career as a singer in the middle of the following year. But all of this had Dae Won''s finger.


    "Sorry, hyung. I love her. Really. I want more than just an affair."


    Dae Won looked thoughtful,


    "Okay. I already said I understand. But then, do your best for her. And when I say that, I also mean that sometimes, she needs to remember that only discipline will get her where she wants to be. Or do you want her to go back to that cheap bar where she sang? Just to have her for yourself?"


    Jun Hyeon shook his head, stunned. The musician put his hands in his pockets,


    "Listen, Jun. I''m feeling pathetic and the villain in this situation. I got jealous. I know that you are spending a lot of time together in physical activities. While the idiot here is at the piano trying to compose a beautiful song for her to debut as a national singer. I''m the idiot here, I repeat. I thought I could wait. I''d like her to fulfill her dream and look at me as someone who has always been by her side, without putting pressure on her. But being realistic, it''s a little difficult for that to happen."


    The doctor bit his lip, uncomfortable with that speech. It sounded like he was the smart guy stealing something that didn''t belong to him. But Ye Rim wasn''t an inanimate object that two people could dispute without her interference. But the veiled threat that existed in hyung''s words¡­ Maybe he regretted saying what he would say, but his tongue couldn''t help it,


    "Hyung, do as you see fit. If you think your support is the only way for Ye Rim to get what she wants, you are wrong. Take your ''Midas hand'' off her. Stop being the patron behind her. She never wanted to ask you for anything, did you forget? Don''t use that kind of thing to have a woman. She''s not like that," his rude tone left no doubt he was on edge.


    Dae Won was thoughtful again, and looked up,


    "Right. If you ask me to walk away, I''ll walk away. But don''t be mad if Ye Rim leaves you and looks for me later. I''m playing this game as fair as possible," and saying that Dae Won left. Jun Hyeon wanted to kick the drink machine, but stopped himself.


    Now, the doctor had doubts if he had irreversibly affected Ye Rim''s dreams.


    "Oppa," the sound of her voice next to him surprised Jun Hyeon. Turning around, he saw that she reached the grave of Ji Hyeon, and had a rosebud in her hand.


    "You left without saying goodbye last night," he commented, when she stopped beside him.


    "Sorry, I was very embarrassed and just wanted to disappear," she said, respectfully placing the rose on the grave.


    "Thank you for coming, Ye Rim," he said, "I don''t know if you would be friends, Ji had a strong temper."


    "I wouldn''t mind. If you love her, I''d be nice to her."


    He looked at her with the corner of his eye, then gave a loud laugh,


    "Really? Would you do that for me?"


    "Why not? You tolerated my father being quite unpleasant to you the other time," she laughed too, looking for his hand with hers.


    He wasn''t dreaming that, was he? He held Ye Rim''s hand, delighted by these two unexpected displays of affection.


    Should I tell her about my conversation with Dae Won?


    "Pearl''s opening is tonight, and tomorrow is the test," she said, "Will I see you later?"


    "Yes, I''ll show up. But today is not your farewell show, is it?"


    "No, it''s next week. I just wanted to sit there tonight with friends and relax a little."


    ''Hm, friends. Apparently she thinks there is still something missing to get me out of this status, ''he thought. "Well, Ye Rim, if things don''t go as you plan, don''t get discouraged. I''ll be by your side, okay?" he kissed her hand, keeping his fingers intertwined, but felt that Ye Rim tensed at his words. She didn''t like what she heard,


    "We aren''t going to think the worst, are we? I had a lot of support and let''s say, this time, there''s nothing to stop me from having what I fought so hard to achieve," she said, with a slight smile. "You won''t be there to console me, but to applaud me, will you?"


    If Jun Hyeon at least didn''t believe that fame was a whimsical lover, he''d say yes.


    "This is really important for you, isn''t it? More than anything?"


    She looked at him, surprised by the question, and seemed to reflect on it.


    "I feel, deep in my heart, that since the day I was born, I''m destined for great things, Jun Hyeon. And ..." she fell silent, not finishing what she would say, just looking at their joined hands, with a worried expression.


    "AND¡­?" he encouraged her to continue, even though only Ye Rim''s sad look gave her clues as to what was on her mind.


    "If things don''t work out as expected, will you hate me for being the way I am?"


    That was a painful question.

 Chapter 183 - Second Lead

    As Ye Rim headed for the audition, her mind briefly wandered to the conversation she had the day before with Jun Hyeon, at the cemetery. He expected to hear that they would be together ... but how could she promise that if it was in her destiny not to be happy in love?


    These were Ye Rim''s thoughts on arriving at HTN for her audition.


    They took her to a waiting room, where 3 other actresses were waiting. Ye Rim knew those faces, they had done dramas before.


    After greeting them and having a pleasant conversation with them for a few minutes, they called the first and the other two decided to reread the text. Ye Rim closed her eyes, choosing to relax, although her mind kept returning to the moment they were, she and Jun Hyeon, holding hands the day before.


    They had said that the weather was changing, that it would rain soon, and they left with the first drops of rain.


    She didn''t have the heart to tell Jun Hyeon what she had heard from Dae Won. It might even be true that she wouldn''t have the support of her agency to take on a relationship with a plastic surgeon. She was knowledgeable enough to know that people would brand her as ''Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon''s girlfriend''. Derogatory comments could arise. But it wasn''t for this reason, for her career, that she would move away from him. Rather, knowing that, at some point, something tragic would separate them.


    In the past, choosing a career over love was difficult. And in the end, she lost both. But now, Ye Rim knew that there wasn''t even that option. It wasn''t destiny. Love had been excluded from her life, her mother said.


    This time, the belief that Jun Hyeon would be by her side until the moment she had to leave was bittersweet, but it gave her strength.


    She had never felt so encouraged before. It was better not to anticipate suffering, but to live the moment. Nothing had happened yet. Neither she had the role, nor had she been judged for having a boyfriend. And in fact, why was he taking so long to ask her?


    Her thoughts were interrupted when a person entered the room. It was a famous drama actress, Jang Han Ri.


    Ye Rim knew that she was the likely protagonist of the drama. Well, she acted like she was, as Miss. Jang immediately greeted her friend, one of the candidates, with effusive statements about how good it would be to work with her on this series.


    ''Aish, how unethical. What is she doing? Trying to undermine our confidence?'' the other actress beside her, looking at the script, started to stomp nervously.


    The two women talking loudly and commenting on their personal relationsh.i.p.s with the director and the creative team made her feel a little better for having received the support of Dae Won. At the same time, they were angry at having received the news that the character had changed, requiring more effort from the actress.


    "I might take dance lessons," said the candidate for Han Ri. "But that''s okay¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it. Just do your best. It won''t be possible for a secondary character like Se Yeon to be so prominent in the story. It would take the focus off the main couple. They should rewrite most of it and the concept will stay, but ... Honey, we both know what those things are like. Stay calm about it. It''s not necessary to sing or dance, only to interpret. I was talking to my agent yesterday and he reassured me about it. For that reason alone I''ll accept the invitation."


    "Oh, good, Han Ri! I was a little worried!" said the candidate who was friends with the famous actress.


    The other candidate beside Ye Rim bit her lip nervously. Ye Rim also didn''t like what she heard. But more than anything, she wasn''t liking the overbearing attitude of Jang Han Ri and her beta friend.


    ''What are you doing, uh?! Are you tired of living?! Do you want to die?! Is it polite to ignore other people in this way while talking nonsense, disrespecting the other candidates? So is the role of the protagonist Chae Ah already yours, Miss. Jang Han Ri?! Don''t act spoiled!''


    However, this time instead of opening her huge mouth and saying something that would hurt her, or running out of hope, she ignored her sense of justice and kept silent. Jang Han Ri was a well-known and well-liked person, arguing with her would be awful.


    But hearing that unbearable conversation gave her a sudden ''click''.


    Ye Rim was the next to be called. Drawing a breath, she got up, straightened her dress and entered the room.


    Five people, including the director and the screenwriter, were there.


    It was a surprise that the screenwriter was present. She was excellent and had made Ye Rim fall in love with the tragic and ambitious character, who was destined to die with a shot in chapter 11, saving her beloved. The main male character would be played by an established actor and quite loved by the public, making the comeback after being discharged from the army.


    She greeted them and thanked them for the opportunity, and they were kind.


    "Hello, Miss. Nam. We saw your portfolio and we are happy that you are interested in the role. You are a singer, but you never acted, is that it? "


    "Not really, Director Lee. But I completed the Acting Course and I am licensed."


    "And what interested you in the second lead Se Yeon?"


    "Second lead?" she raised an eyebrow, slightly arrogant, "There must be some mistake. Se Yeon isn''t the second lead. This story is about her, her love for the country, Shin Yool, and music. I''m here for this role."


    She knew that she had surprised and pleased them by the discreet smiles in her small audience. Director Lee then asked,


    "Please, Miss. Nam, convince us that Se Yeon is the main character. Show us what you have prepared."


    Ye Rim smiled. She wished Jun Hyeon was there to see her.


    ooo


    Opening the umbrella, Jun Hyeon got out of the car in front of HTN in long strides.


    Ye Rim was doing the audition, and he''d surprise her when she left. It didn''t matter what the hearing was about. Or if Dae Won had taken off his miraculous patronage, as he had threatened. He, Jun Hyeon, would be there, to applaud her.


    In the pocket of his pants, the small gift he had bought for the occasion, a gold chain with a star-shaped pendant, where a small 2K diamond sparkled discreetly.


    He was waiting for her in the lobby when Jang Han Ri left the elevator with another woman and her personal manager. Jang Han Ri was his client and the person who introduced him to one of his past girlfriends, the also actress Yoon Se Ra.


    Even though she introduced him to his ex-girlfriend, Han Ri had a bad habit of meddling in their relationship. In the end, she appeared drunk at Se Ra''s apartment when he was there and declared herself to Jun Hyeon in front of his girlfriend. That was so embarrassing!


    She looked up at him, and smiled. Jun Hyeon begged the heavens not to do this to him. The lobby was full of people because it was raining outside. There was no way to simply ignore a national star if she came to talk to him.


    But he felt tempted to do so, for the briefest of the moments.


    "Han Ri!" he greeted her with a slight bow when she stopped in front of her with her friend, "How have you been?"


    "Now infinitely better and feeling like I''ve won a prize. See my dear Dr. Kim after so long! It just crowned my wonderful day!"


    "That''s great. I am also happy to see you. What are you doing?" he spoke, while looking behind her to watch the elevator where Ye Rim would appear.


    "I came to talk to the team about a drama to which they invited me. Informally, of course," she laughed. "We are in talks, but it is quite interesting. And you, Jun Hyeon ...? Did you come to take part in an interview show?" she spoke his name without embarrassment, although he insisted the last time that they should keep a professional relationship.


    "Me? I''m actually here to pick up my fiance¨¦," he said, happy to see the elevator door open and Ye Rim to leave. Along with her was that agency intern, who was always with her now.


    He broke into a smile at the same time that Jang Han Ri barely hid the unpleasant surprise by turning to the elevator door.


    Ye Rim walked toward him staring at him with bright eyes as if he were the only human being in the place. Her heels made tack tack tack in the lobby and with the peripheral vision, the doctor noticed people turning their necks to look at that full of charisma goddess and poise to come to him.


    And suddenly Ye Rim threw herself into his arms, unexpectedly and in front of all those people! He hugged her. It was brief but a bold display of affection, but he didn''t mind. When they parted from each other, she exclaimed,


    "They loved it, Jun Hyeon!"


    "Wow!" he smiled, genuinely happy, only deep in his heart the fear that Ye Rim would choose her career and cut him out of her life. But it was no time for serious business now.


    Ye Rim turned around pretending to see Han Ri for the first time. Ye Rim didn''t possess Se Ra''s sweet personality, and she would never be tolerant of an inconvenient ''friend'', he was sure. His hand went back into his pocket, where the jewel box with the pendant was. ''Damn it! Why did I think this could be romantic? Is it my impression, or is fate making everything difficult for me?''


    "Jun Hyeon, we have to go, our friends are waiting for us to celebrate at a restaurant near here! If your friend Miss. Jang wants to come, she will be welcome!" he heard Ye Rim say, to his shock! She sounded so sweet!


    But Han Ri wasn''t that bold, and when they reached the parking lot, he asked quietly,


    "Can''t you just let your personal assistant go a little bit?" he nodded to the boy holding the umbrella for Ye Rim, near the car.


    Ye Rim looked at her young assistant, and smiled,


    "''Persimmon'' is not a personal assistant, he is my spiritual bodyguard!" she and the young guy smiled, but Jun Hyeon just frowned.


    It seemed like an inside joke he wasn''t a part of. And it left him restless.

 Chapter 184 - Twins Connection

    Ye Rim was still euphoric that they didn''t even hesitate. She was in the drama, which until now had the provisional name of ''Bullet''.


    She had sung, done the monologue, and when the director commented that he had watched her video with tap dancing, Ye Rim remembered the circ.u.mstances in which it was recorded. She blushed a little, but probably not for the reasons they thought! Then Ye Rim offered to show them live, and in the end, everyone was delighted with her performance.


    That''s what she told her friends while they were celebrating. A large group gathered at the Pearl, now reopened, to drink and party.


    "Are we going to wait for the drama to premiere to see Ye Rim tap dancing?" asked Park Soo Bin, Kang Dae''s girlfriend, who was also there.


    "Come next week to see my farewell to Pearl! I''ll show you a little of what I''ve learned!" she replied smiling. Jun Hyeon was at her side at the table, and that was totally natural. They were frequently and naturally close to each other.


    "And Dr. Kim? Could he present something too, don''t you think?" said Baek Woo Geun.


    Everyone supported the suggestion and Ye Rim turned to him expectantly. But Jun Hyeon said,


    "This will be the Ye Rim''s night. We''ll dance together at another moment. I promise!"


    Everyone applauded, but soon he excused himself and left the table, lingering in the bathroom. Ye Rim quietly asked Chang Mi to find out if there was any reason to worry, while he kept entertaining her friends.


    While she was waiting for the answer, Eun Ha asked,


    "Ye Rim, what about MP Lee? Won''t he come?"


    "Oh! I tried to call, but he didn''t answer, so I left a message! I hope he shows up at any moment!" she said hopefully.


    ooo


    "Here it is!" Ji Hyeon heard the muffled voice of Dae Won speaking as he pushed her forward. She stumbled, but strong hands prevented her from falling on the floor. She was wearing a hood covering her face, so she couldn''t identify where she was. She just felt surrounded by people, in a cold place.


    In addition, her hands were tied back, and she had a gag. Without it, maybe Ji Hyeon had escaped on the way to there. For the first time in days, she was not doped and sleepy.


    Since we had was captured, it was more or less as the days went by.


    Dae Won had physically punished her once, and then said he would soon replace her with his new muse.


    Ji Hyeon was sure it was Ye Rim, her brother''s girlfriend. She feared and suffered for this new victim, but there was nothing she could do. Dae Won no longer had the least interest in her and now Ji Hyeon was just something boring that he wanted to get rid of, in favor of a new toy. To Ji Hyeon''s confused surprise, she realized that Dae Won believed himself to be above violence.


    Of course, he wasn''t. But after recapturing her with all that violence, he became very nervous and his manipulative speeches had a single purpose. Convince her she was to blame for him having to resort to violence.


    He really had a sick mind. But it kept her alive, for a while, at least.


    Ji Hyeon knew that things had changed when Dae Won put her in the car and took her out that rainy night. She struggled as hard as she could, even trying to hit him with her legs, but she couldn''t see with the hood and it was difficult to breathe with that horrible thing in her mouth. Her face ached for the long hours with his mouth open.


    The place they were in was large and empty. She knew it because the steps with leather-soled shoes and wooden heels echoed. Ji Hyeon was an expert on the sounds of heels. Someone with exquisite taste and expensive shoes was there with them.


    "How long do you need us to stay with her, Lee?" the cynical and condescending voice asked.


    "Two weeks, at most three," he said. "Here''s the payment. Keep her alive."


    "This is the plan," the man gave an unpleasant laugh that echoed in the room. Another person took her tied wrists and pulled Ji Hyeon violently. Ji Hyeon followed up with this person knowing that she wasn''t being executed tonight. What was Dae Won plotting? What kind of plan was that?


    She couldn''t understand, and heard a metallic noise. A door? Her own footsteps echoed with a characteristic sound. Was she in a¡­ container? The man who brought it out took off her hood and gag.


    The light was dim enough, and Ji Hyeon was not blinded when he removed the hood. She really was in a container and a man in a black mask and cap, despite the cheap suit, expertly released her hands. There was a mat, a toilet and sink, and a closed crate.


    She dr.a.p.ed her arms, relieved,


    "Thank you," she murmured, and barely recognized her voice.


    But the man did not answer and left.


    The door closed behind him. Ji Hyeon heard the bolts lock her in with a bang.


    ooo


    Jun Hyeon was sitting on the toilet with his head in his hands, astonished. His face was aching, especially the muscles of the jaw. But his arms and legs hurt too, with too much lactic acid and cramps. There was no plausible explanation for this sudden pain or the excess of lactic acid because he exercised every day.


    The doctor was unable to diagnose the problem on his own. Even his hands were tingling hard, and he feared an ongoing stroke. Calling his neurologist, and feeling a lot of pain while doing this, he explained the symptoms quickly and asked to see him later tonight. When he left the booth, he came across Ye Rim''s agency''s intern, "Persimmon". He seemed to wait for him. Jun Hyeon looked around, but saw that the other cabins were free.


    He always found that intern intriguing. He had a rather arrogant appearance, as if he were one of the chaebols who studied with him at the elite school he attended. But he was kind to Ye Rim, although he sometimes acted like a watchdog.


    Pointing a finger at his chest, he asked,


    "Do you want to talk to me?"


    "Do you think you are having a stroke?"


    Jun Hyeon sighed, going to the sink to wash his hands. The tingling sensation was still strong and hurtful, but the cleaning habit was stronger.


    "Don''t tell Ye Rim."


    "I''m going to have to say something if you die."


    "Aigoo, I won''t die. I just¡­"


    "I overheard the conversation with your doctor. Don''t strain yourself. Your mouth hurts," the guy used the sink beside him to wash his hand too. ''Strange dude,'' he thought, but at the moment it didn''t matter. He just needed to leave, and he didn''t want to alarm Ye Rim or ruin the celebration.


    In fact, he didn''t feel like he was going to die.


    Then the boy quickly approached and reached for his forehead,


    "I know a method that will free you from pain."


    "Reiki?" he asked, a little uncomfortable with the sudden invasion of space. That boy was definitely weird.


    "No, something else."


    Just saying that, the guy touched the doctor''s forehead with his middle and index fingers. Jun Hyeon was going to dodge and apologize, escaping the bizarre situation, when a surge of energy hit him right where the boy touched.


    The doctor saw everything in front of him go white and felt his body soften immediately, without him being able to do anything about it.


    "Jun, Jun Hyeon ..." he heard his sister''s tearful voice beside him as they took him on the stretcher. "Everything will be fine ...!" Ji Hyeon passed out, and although he was suffering from his own unbearable pain, it scared him. He was back on the day of his ski accident in Switzerland. Paramedics had extra work with Ji Hyeon. She had panicked when she saw him suffer the accident, and had to be sedated.


    While he was recovering in the hospital, Ji complained of pain and did several tests, which didn''t prove any illness. She only got better when she traveled back to Korea with their mother, while her father stayed with him in Switzerland.


    But Kim Jun Hyeon didn''t wake up in the hospital bed in Switzerland, but on a sofa backstage at Pearl. Ye Rim was reclining on him, patting him on the face, while in the background, Shin Hye Seong scolded ''Persimmon''.


    "OH! He''s coming to himself! Jun Hyeon? how are you feeling?"


    He blinked several times, and then asked himself the same question. But it was as if he had taken a potent anesthetic, without the effect of drowsiness, however. He felt awake and well.


    Daebak, what did this ''Persimmon'' do?


    As a doctor, he was always skeptical of spiritual healings, which worked in psychosomatic settings or just as a placebo effect, in his opinion. But he couldn''t deny that, after his brief dream of something forgotten from the past, his physical pain was completely gone. He sat down, and scratched his head. Shin asked,


    "Are you okay, Jun Hyeon? Do you feel any limbs tingling? Are you listening to me?"


    "Yes, I''m fine," he said, grabbing Ye Rim''s hand so she would stop poking him. Looking around, he made sure that everything was connected. They looked at each other suspiciously.


    But that was even less important than the memory he had had during his brief faint.

 Chapter 185 - The Meet and Greet

    On this rainy afternoon, Eun Ha and Ye Rim were taking pictures of each other in the beautiful living room of Shin Hye Seong''s house, having fun like they hadn''t in a long time.


    Ye Rim''s agency was handling the bureaucratic part of her participation in the drama, while Eun Ha had agreed to direct the new youth fashion line for Park & ??Zhang. The financial proposal had been, as Don Corleone would say, ''irrecusable''.


    Apparently, turning 27 had totally changed their lives, which seemed to have crystallized in unsuccessful attempts so far.


    In front of a beautifully framed full-length mirror, Ye Rim looked at the new look that Eun Ha had just created with the use of her magic. Straight black hair with soft makeup and a romantic and well-behaved look, full of frills and bows.


    "Wow!" she could hardly believe the wonderful uses of magic that Eun Ha said she learned recently. Posing for photos in that beautiful and sophisticated environment, with any look they wanted, and without taking hours to do their hair and makeup, was amazing!


    Eun Ha has also changed her own look a few times, with hints from Ye Rim.


    "Dr. Flam ... Did Kim have the test results yet?" Eun Ha asked. Ye Rim had been concerned about his health for the past few days, and he underwent a series of medical tests. Chang Mi''s interference created a little discomfort. Eun Ha was sure that the doctor had become suspicious not only of Chang Mi, but of all of them. Ye Rim had said she would tell him the truth when he said the tests were all right.


    "He asked me for a little patience, since I ask him every day," replied Ye Rim thoughtfully, looking at herself in the mirror in a beautiful green silk dress with a mermaid tail style, bare shoulders, and a high collar.


    Eun Ha nodded, and twirled her magic wand and Ye Rim''s makeup and hair changed to match the dress perfectly.


    "This could be your dress for tomorrow!" she suggested. "And as for Dr. Kim, he looks just as cranky as when you met him ... I hope I''m wrong and it''s just a phase."


    "It''s stressful for him, but¡­ unnie. I don''t think I can wait long to tell him. I just don''t know how to do that!" Ye Rim complained, taking a selfie with her cell phone and sending it to Jun Hyeon. "We aren''t officially dating yet, should I be doing it?" she pointed to the photo she had just sent.


    "I am not the best person to advise you on this. The right time to tell, I mean. Do you want me to ask Shin to tell him? Their bromance is a real deal and they exchange a lot of messages," Eun Ha spoke with a slight hint of humor. "But I say that, regarding him not having officially proposed¡­ tsk, tsk. If he is listening to his new hyung''s love advice ... This could take LONG!"


    They laughed, but Ye Rim exclaimed, looking at the phone,


    "Unnie! We will be late for the Duk Mi Fan Meeting!"


    "Omo! I thought you guys changed your mind about that! After that famous singer sent word that she would greet Duk Mi at the event!" the fairy expressed her concerns. And with another wave of her wand, she dressed her friend in a beautiful peach-colored classy outfit, keeping in with the rainy weather. Matching makeup and hair. After exclaiming her approval of the visual, Ye Rim explained,


    "It would have been impossible to cancel without revealing the reason for Ms. Cha! She was so excited that she took the whole organization into her hands!"


    "But ... did Mr. Duk Mi accept to be part of it?" Eun Ha asked intrigued. If he was an imposter, and had passed for the real Duk Mi until then, why would he be exposed to this risk?!


    "He only found out this week, and I think he was cornered, too. However, I was informed that the singer Seol Im Ja didn''t confirm her presence, she just said that if she had a free schedule, she would come to the ''Greet and Meet Duk Mi''. So her special feature will be a surprise. It may not happen, and I hope so! But we have to be there, to help minimize the damage!"


    They quickly went to the hotel where the event was taking place. To their surprise, there was a bus stopped across the street, with a banner on the side announcing that they were from the hometown of the real Duk Mi.


    "Daebak! They traveled for hours here! Mrs. Cha is fantastic!" Ye Rim spoke, delighted, but then she seemed to remember, "I just hope her memories are a little bit erased, don''t you?!"


    Eun Ha agreed with her. They reached the lobby and already saw a banner pointing to the location of the ''Greet and Meet Duk Mi, The Trot Legend''. A photo of Duk Mi quite retouched in Photoshop, Eun Ha thought, received his fans right at the entrance to the auditorium. Men and women of the singer''s own age group, some accompanied by younger people, circulated near the entrance to the auditorium. Several of them carried vinyls with time-worn covers with them, waiting for the opportunity to win an autograph.


    "And isn''t that the ''Trot Legend'' fame really true?!" Eun Ha exclaimed, impressed. There were more people than she dared dream there, and more were arriving.


    Ye Rim put her hand on her chest, looking moved. At least, Eun Ha saw her friend''s watery eyes. "Unnie, see how beautiful it is! To have been part of people''s memory!"


    "But¡­" Eun Ha whispered, "If our Duk Mi is not the real Duk Mi, it''s wrong, don''t you think? He should tell it himself."


    Naturally, the fairy could understand everything that was involved there. How many people would be hurt, not to mention the financial loss. And how an excellent singer with a bad personality could lose everything. But she was once in his place with a huge secret, and it was up to him to decide what to do with it.


    Ye Rim seemed to think the same way, from the way she sighed, "It would be the end of him ... Although Sunbaenim is a difficult old man, I know he must be brooding over it right now, behind the scenes."


    The auditorium door opened, allowing fans to enter, and the two went to the reserved seats near the stage. The Pearl band was there, ready, and according to the schedule, there would be a chat with reminiscences of Duk Mi''s career, intermixed with songs, in the pocket show format. After the event, there would be a time for autograph and photos.


    Mrs. Song sat down next to them, with a sigh. After greeting them, she said,


    "I am so scared that I already took two tranquilizers and my heart is still racing. It is impossible to go back now!"


    "And how is he?"


    "Totally within the character! Happy with the flowers and bragging. He made a chronology of his career that had him glued to the floor in front of him. As if he could see without his glasses! That crazy man! "


    "Don''t you think it''s better to warn him of Seol Im Ja''s possible appearance?" Ye Rim asked, but before Mrs. Song answered her, the lights went out and the emcee started the event with a beautiful speech.


    Mrs. Cha was completely fanatical about the singer Duk Mi and had spared no effort in making a very professional event!


    Duk Mi appeared on stage in his blue sequined suit, and was applauded by the audience. Eun Ha saw that the house was not crowded, but there were a good number of people present.


    He started the event with a song that Eun Ha had heard him sing several times at Pearl, and she had to admit that with good acoustics, the singer really had a powerful voice, albeit harsh with age.


    After about half an hour of questions and answers, in which Duk Mi told anecdotes about his career, the emcee interrupted him for one more question.


    As usual, everyone turned to look at the illuminated spot in the audience that would ask the next question. But this time, the spotlight illuminated the auditorium door, where Seol Im Ja, the famous trot singer, was standing there smiling and looking very emotional.


    "OMO! She came!" Ye Rim and Ms. Song exclaimed with their mouths open beside Eun Ha.


    Seol Im Ja came down, and started singing a song, accompanied by the band. Even Eun Ha, who had never had much sympathy for the narcissistic singer, felt the heat of emotion rise in her chest. She saw Duk Mi, stunned and also very emotional, with tears in his eyes, get up from the stool and go to meet her on the stage ladder, to help her up. They did a duet and embraced with clear happiness for the reunion.


    "But ... he passed the test!" Said Eun Ha, dumbfounded.


    "What if¡­" Mrs. Song was in tears, "is that idiot really the real Duk Mi?"


    "DAEKBAK!!!" the two friends exclaimed in unison, hoping this was true. The audience was ecstatic, with the reunion of the two singers. They talked for a while, and Seol Im Ja told the audience that in the past, when she started her career with him on the same label, she had a secret crush on Duk Mi!


    "If only I knew that at the time!" Duk Mi said, wiping his eyes, "I think we would have gotten married and abandoned the music!"


    Their encounter was very emotional, but both realized that Mrs. Song was suddenly agitated, beside them. She left for a moment, and Ye Rim told her unnie that she was going to check what had happened. Eun Ha didn''t have a good feeling about this, and her suspicions were confirmed when Ye Rim returned, whispering a little upset,


    "Pearl''s new sign! There was a storm near Pearl and the facade is in chaos. The backlight sign is destroyed! Just today! Tomorrow is my show! The neighbors sent photos to Mrs. Song, who is quite distressed! She is again covered in debt, and even if she had the money, there would be no time to fix the sign until tomorrow. Anyway, I offered money for the repair. But she is very upset. And me too!" she made a face.


    "Okay, we can fix this. Stay here, I''ll go there! Tell her I have a friend who can do this. Everything will be perfect by tomorrow," Eun Ha winked at her.

 Chapter 186 - Spied

    Eun Ha got out of the cab and studied Pearl''s facade. The signpost was off, the streetlight lamps off. And at the top of the building, the backlit banner that Mrs. Song had paid so expensively, hoping to improve Pearl''s visibility, could not be seen.


    Looking at the empty street that rainy Tuesday night, Eun Ha made sure that there were no humans around, and used her magic wand.


    "PLIMP!" she joked, making a sound effect on the magic effect. The street lamp above her head blinked a little, and turned on.


    While studying in the books of Shin''s library, Eun Ha had discovered that the schools of magic were divided by type, according to the techniques they taught.


    Illusion, which created illusions from real objects and beings, was the technique responsible for hair and makeup or even police sirens. It created images and sounds convincing enough, but it didn''t create matter.


    Interfering with real objects, building, repairing or damaging ordinary objects was known as the Art of Manipulation. Eun Ha had a natural talent for this art. It differed from Conjuration, the technique that allowed invoking real beings and objects to the desired location.


    Only the rare techniques of Instillation allowed to create magical objects, infusing magic energy on specially made objects.


    The Mesmerism school taught how to deceive and convince, functioning to different degrees as a charisma enhancer or even, profound hypnosis. Eun Ha was certain that it was with this school that the Devourer manipulated those people, through his trained wraiths.


    Manipulating magical energy around you to cause events, without consuming it, as Eun Ha did, was the banned art of Disruption. It was as rare as the Elemental path, which only channeled pure magic as pure elemental energy, able to create the most potent forms of magic. It was necessary to master some aspect of Elemental magic to be an Instillator.


    Eun ha was still a beginner, and had a lot to learn, but she knew enough now to try to fix Pearl''s facade for tomorrow. Ye Rim deserved to do her last show with Pearl in perfect condition!


    Turning to the side of the building, she saw the fire escape. Since Hong Gi had vacated all of the upper floors and the only thing working in the building was the Pearl, he didn''t care at all about maintaining the external fire escape. But Eun Ha opened the rusty lock and took care to climb the dangerous steps, using a powerful flashlight created by her ephemeral magic.


    ''Aish, this useless mobster really wants to get Pearl out of here. It doesn''t take long for Mrs. Song to have to give up that place. This building is attracting a lot of bad energy up here! '' she identified the pattern. The less time she stayed there, the better. The fairy didn''t want to absorb low energy if she could help it.


    Arriving on the terrace, Eun Ha saw the sign tilted to the side, and was quite torn.


    It was very unlucky. She had seen no other backlit banners of the same type fallen or damaged on her way to Pearl.


    "But look at this!" she mumbled to herself, pointing her flashlight at the floor. The site gathered soot, which had clear footprint marks in the mud that formed after the storm.


    "Hm, I don''t want to be Sherlock Holmes, but hunting with Shin kept my mind sharp. It wouldn''t be likely that footprints would have survived a storm intact. Some people were there shortly after, and it was probably they who damaged the Pearl sign.


    ''No doubt it was Hong Gi''s henchmen, trying to please his boss. But didn''t they know that they shouldn''t mess with Jung Eun Ha? '' taking her wand out of her pocket again, she focused on her spell. Putting that backlit banner in place and fixing it up would take a lot of magic, but Eun Ha was willing to test herself.


    ''Hng!'' the magic started to be transferred to the object and the backlit metal frame slowly returned to the place, as if a film was rewinding. The support has been fixed and has become firm again. All the effort undertaken took her breath away!


    ''Now, for my last trick ...!'' she repaired the damaged vinyl panel, and in the end, she made the lights come on.


    ''TCHARAM!'' she laughed, and took a picture to send to Ye Rim and Shin. She just didn''t imagine that, just a few meters away, a wide-eyed human was watching in horror all the action on the terrace.


    ooo


    The following night, Ye Rim hung up the phone, and looked at Eun Ha, worried,


    "I think Dae Won Oppa is avoiding me. When he answers my calls he is kind but evasive. I know he''s upset, but I can never understand him. As I told you, he saw me and Jun Hyeon kissing and said he was worried about my career. But I don''t know if I believed that much. Still, I want to thank him for everything he did. I bought a beautiful gift and I will always be grateful, but he''s... avoiding me!"


    "Well, maybe that''s not it. Maybe he''s too busy. Do you want me to ask him?"


    "I know that I will meet him on HTN or in the studio, since he gave me his music. But I wish I didn''t have any kind of misunderstanding between us. I have to think about how to do this."


    Eun Ha agreed. They were in Pearl''s dressing room, and from the morning, flowers and gifts arrived for Ye Rim''s farewell. Ye Rim checked one by one, thrilled. Pearl and their customers and staff had been a part of her life, and she was sure she would miss them all.


    Mrs. Song came in with two baskets of fruit, placing them on the dressing room sofa. It was Duk Mi''s dressing room, but it was on loan to Ye Rim tonight.


    "I don''t know how it happened, but this morning I got a call from a guy named Ji Woong. This is that fighter, isn''t he?"


    Ye Rim nodded, puzzled, and Ms. Song continued,


    "Well, he apologized for the day of the fight and said that his friends had collected money to help pay for the losses. He apologized for taking so long to collect a reasonable amount. They found that the handsome chaebol took on nothing. What should I do with it? After all, you paid what they owed! So that money is your rightfully!"


    Ye Rim''s eyes widened. Mrs. Song continued, handing over an envelope. "But surprise. Earlier today the handsome chaebol lawyer was here. It looks like he finally came back from the trip or wherever he was. And he brought a check, much less generous than the sports boys'', by the way."


    Eun Ha was surprised,


    "Look at this, Ye Rim! It seems that everything started to work properly again! Everything that was stagnant, before our anniversary!"


    "Aigoo," said Ms. Song, "What superstitious girls!"


    "Wouldn''t it be nice to look for a better place for Pearl?" suggested Eun Ha. After seeing the pitiful state of the building on the terrace, she imagined that much of the problem was the location. After all, as the name implied, Pearl was an old oyster hiding real jewels!


    "After this renovation?! I would be crazy!" said Mrs. Song. Eun Ha still did not have good money to help Pearl, but she imagined that she and Ye Rim could offer a loan or make a good donation in the near future.


    "Don''t get too attached to that old shell, Mrs. Song! Don''t forget that this is the shell of Nam Ye Rim, a future national star, and Duk Mi, the Trot Legend! First and only!"


    "Ah, don''t even tell me! I''m still shocked by it all! That bully left me thinking for years! And yesterday, after the show, when I questioned him, he told me the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my life!"


    "WHAT?! What did he say?" the girls leaned forward, excited and thirsty for gossip about it.


    "He said that ten years ago, he owed a huge sum to loan sharks, so he needed to ''disappear'' from the country for a while. He got false doc.u.ments and went to Malaysia. After two years he returned to the country, and remained hidden from his moneylenders, who still wanted his head. So he accepted to live a ''simple'' life as a failed singer who impersonated the real Duk Mi. Aigoo! I don''t know if he''s really telling the truth or if this is all his delusional mind! I can expect anything from that nutcase!"


    "Well, if Seol Im already recognized him ..." Ye Rim could believe that Duk Mi was really the real Duk Mi. He always behaved as if he were a big star relegated to the shadows.


    "Now that you''re leaving me and we haven''t found a replacement yet, I don''t know if I could afford to lose Duk Mi. But this morning he gave an interview for a vlogger or whatever, and he is all pompous and full of himself!"


    "Is he still running from loan sharks?" Eun Ha asked.


    "If they still remember him, they will come when he starts showing up too much, I guess¡­" the ajuhmma shook her head. "But I need to think about one problem at a time, aigoo! And the problem now is that Ye Rim is leaving! In two hours she will do her last show in this house!"


    Ye Rim stood up and hugged Pearl''s owner with emotion,


    "Don''t be like this, my dear President Song! I will always be around! It''s a promise!"

 Chapter 187 - THE OPPA (in Capital Letters) is in the House

    Pearl was sold out tonight, when Ye Rim started the first song.


    The soft noise of the conversation was interrupted by applause and the light turned to the singer on stage, dramatically looking up when the curtains opened.


    Ye Rim recognized several dear faces in the audience, and of course, Jun Hyeon was close to the stage with his grandfather and Mr. Go''s friends. The irony was that they were the quartet he spotted at the cemetery when Ye Rim and him met for the first time. There were no free tables tonight.


    She was at the end of the first song when someone entering the room made her heart skip a beat.


    Ji Jae Wook.


    What was he doing there, after a year without seeing each other?


    The policeman was in plain clothes, more handsome than ever, and when she noticed him, Jae Wook put his hand on his heart, simulating a fast heartbeat when he saw her. This brought out a smile from Ye Rim.


    She immediately felt Jun Hyeon''s withering look on her. It was impossible not to feel flattered that two such special men had their roles in her life.


    But if she needed some test to find out if she loved Jun Hyeon, he had just walked through Pearl''s door.


    Ji Wook, the singer discovered, was in the past. When Ye Rim saw him, she felt fondness, affection and respect because he was an admirable person. But she didn''t felt butterflies in her stomach or any other silly thing.


    Her heart was that of the strange, s.e.xy and adorably annoying Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon.


    ''Jun Hyeon, I love you,'' Ye Rim admitted to herself, as real deal, for the first time.


    At the break, Ye Rim went backstage, and Jae Wook was there.


    "OPPA!" she beamed her best smile,  and he, as always, smiled tightly, putting his hands in his overcoat pockets.


    "What a diva! I saw outside that this is your last show here," he commented. His eyes showed curiosity and warmthness, but she couldn''t read anything else. The singer was a little confused. What is the reason Ji Jae Wook came, after all?


    "You look great, too. So you didn''t come for the show?" Ye Rim asked.


    He scratched his head, embarrassed, "Well, unfortunately I''m working tonight, Ye Rim ..."


    "I see that nothing has changed," she winked, this time without really being hurt by it. Jae Wook was a dedicated and workaholic policeman. "But why do you need to talk to me?" out of the corner of her eye she watched Jun Hyeon discreetly coming backstage. She didn''t know if she found it amusing or worried.


    oo


    Dr. Kim made room to get backstage, where he had seen the tall man go. When Ye Rim smiled, seeming to recognize someone, as he sang, he couldn''t resist the urge to turn his head and look at the entrance. The ridiculously tall, photogenic man had his hand over his heart, flirting with Ye Rim!


    ''Let me guess if this isn''t the stupid Mr. Perfect, the'' OPPA ''in capital letters!'' he narrowed his eyes, feeling the unmistakable sting of jealousy in his chest, and the annoying pain in his temple caused by spite.


    So the ''perfect man from the past'', who should have remained dead and buried there, had become a zombie that threatened his yard! Impossible! What happened?! Why is it so hard? Did I sell the country in my past life? How do you, ''he said to the Gods of Fate,'' dare to dig up this¡­ damn ''OPPA?!''


    He reached the door of Ye Rim''s dressing room, and the couple was talking. If Jun Hyeon could scoff at any possible suitor to Ye Rim, he had to admit that they made a good sight together.


    Taking a deep breath and straightening up, Jun Hyeon approached casually,


    "Ye Rim?"


    "Jae Wook, this is Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon. He was with me the moment we found the body. In fact, he was the one who pulled her out of the water, "she said, turning to him next. "Detective Ji Jae Wook is my personal friend, but also who is investigating Hani''s death."


    So that was it? Was he there because of that? His posture relaxed slightly as he greeted the other man. But he was aware of being examined from head to toe by the Detective. It was impossible not to feel a rush of exacerbated rivalry around Ji Jae Wook.


    "Yes, Dr. Kim. I''m glad you''re here. I would like some clarification about the statement you gave that day, but at the same time I didn''t want to return you to the police station. I was thinking of visiting you this week at your office."


    "As you''d wish," he said, for the first time happy to hear that. At least Officer Ji wouldn''t be alone with Ye Rim. He wouldn''t even need to go back to see her.


    "So¡­" Officer Ji scratched the back of his neck, "You were the first to arrive and also said you found Hani''s cell phone. And that he played a song on repeat."


    Jun Hyeon turned to Ye Rim for a moment, and they both confirmed,


    "Yes. Indeed. It was the song that really caught our attention. And it was definitely on repeat," Ye Rim said.


    "Do you know what the song was? It can be important."


    "Why could a song be important as a clue?" he was curious to know, but perhaps his tone had sounded a little hostile. But Officer Ji explained,


    "Dr. Kim, is that we have found no music apps or files installed on the phone. Just relaxation podcast files. Which is actually quite strange for a singer. So our search could be faster if you guys might remember ..."


    "I heard that song later," said Jun Hyeon, while Ye Rim just crossed her arms as if she felt a sudden chill. "I actually heard that song in sad moments later. It''s ''Deep Dive'', which Hani recorded."


    "Yes, it was the song we heard in the park, wasn''t it?" Ye Rim asked, and he nodded. It was a macabre coincidence that Lee Dae Won''s composition was linked to bad events.


    "Did anything I should know happen in the park?" asked the policeman, but Ye Rim shook her head. "The song we heard on Hani''s cell phone was the original version of the song. I heard that she was working on an alternative version, for a film ..."


    "Yes. She had spent several hours in the studio that day. But as I said, there was no music file on your phone. Not even her songs."


    "Didn''t anyone send messages?"


    The police officer shook his head, and asked questions confirming their previous statements. Jun Hyeon realized that Shin Hye Seong was around with Eun Ha, but they didn''t interrupt them.


    However, Ye Rim was called by one of the musicians, and said goodbye, "Sorry! I need to get back on stage! If you need me, you know how to find me!" she smiled at her ex-fiance, and Jun Hyeon scratched his head, uncomfortable. But this time, it wasn''t just jealousy.


    Thinking about that song left him with a strange feeling of having missed something important.


    ooo


    "Did you bring me here just to see Dr. Kim''s rival?"


    "Yes!" whispered Eun Ha. "He is a special person. He''s OPPA!"


    "Hm¡­ I can see that he is a special person. But are you meddling in Ye Rim''s love life again?" he whispered, a little annoyed. Eun Ha was silent for a moment to listen to the trio''s conversation.


    And when it came to music, the two fairies paid attention to the conversation. Looking at each other for a moment, until Ye Rim left the two men, both seemed attuned to the same thought. Shin pulled Eun Ha into Ye Rim''s tiny ex-dressing room, and didn''t even turn on the lights, whispering,


    "You sure heard what Ye Rim said. The mysterious music was the same one that played in the park that night. Do you remember?"


    "How could I forget?!""Eun Ha''s eyes widened. "I thought it was strange that the music suddenly started playing over the speakers. But at that moment, I was so stunned! "


    "As for that ... Just as there are cursed paintings etc, there are ''cursed'' songs," explained the Hunter. "This comes in line with a series of strange events happening in the city. I still hadn''t been able to understand how they were connected, but¡­ I hadn''t thought of a ''cursed song'' until tonight."


    Eun Ha listened attentively, gaping.


    He finished, rising from the uncomfortable bench he was sitting on, in the tiny environment, "I''m going to go home. I need to take a look at the library to make sure of something. You stay?"


    "Oh, well ..." Eun Ha looked at the door, and made her decision, "I think Ye Rim will understand that it''s for a good cause."


    ooo


    "Well, it was just that. Dr. Kim. I hope I can count on your cooperation in the future, if necessary," said the other man. "By the way, what happened in front of your mother''s house? Have the investigations continued? I was at the police station when the complaint was made."


    Jun Hyeon felt a tightness in his chest, and reflexively asked,


    "So what did you think when you saw the victim? Did he look suspicious?"


    "Hmmm, certainly not. We asked for a detailed search at the time, but I honestly couldn''t follow up on the case..."


    In a rush, although he reproached himself for that, Jun Hyeon told of his suspicions. Suspicions that her sister was alive and trying to get home. The investigator listened to everything seriously and carefully, holding his breath in clear tension.


    "All of this is very suspicious and I feel like we''ve been duped all this time! This person can tell me if it was my sister or not. But my lawyer said he went to the address the deliveryman''s mother gave, and no one knows him there! I''m desperate. But¡­" in the end, Jun Hyeon kept his most horrifying suspicion to himself. He was not a man capable of accusing someone of something so serious without proof.


    Ji Jae Wook studied his face before completing, intrigued, "I actually have the impression that I saw the delivery guy in the audience today. You know he''s Eun ha''s friend, don''t you? Let''s talk to them right now," the policeman proved to be a man of direct actions in speaking.


    Ji Jae Wook strode from the backstage of Pearl towards the hall, and Jun Hyeon followed.

 Chapter 188 - Deep Dive

    Gathered in Hunter Shin''s library, he, Eun Ha and Chang Mi consulted some books that the older fairy placed on the table.


    Eun Ha read aloud,


    "I found something here about damn music. ''Few mundane objects, that is, that were not specifically made for the purpose of being magical, can be instilled ''. They must be naturally imbued with exceptional brute magical strength, derived from human expression and also of excellent quality in their manufacture. These criteria include works of art or products of human skill, such as paintings, sculptures, musical and singing pieces, poetry and handicrafts of great artistic value. Such ''cursed'' or ''blessed'' works can be instilled, becoming objects of magic.''" After reading, she asked,


    "But I thought only objects made specifically to be instilled could withstand more addition of magic. And how can a ''song'' store magic?"


    "Some can," said Shin.


    "But how can a song become ''cursed''? it was Chang Mi''s doubt.


    "It has to be created with a catharsis of heavy feelings. The human transfers all the bad energy of his feelings to music. It could be a painting, a sculpture, anything else. They are very long-lasting works of art, unfortunately."


    "You mean they are magical in themselves?" asked Chang Mi.


    "Basically, yes. And if a great energy handler knows how to use a cursed piece of art in his favor ¡­"


    "If I''m not mistaken, Ye Rim reported that the song that the karaoke girl wanted to sing was this one. And then it all happened!" Eun Ha remembered and shared.


    "Hm," the Hunter grunted, thoughtfully. "I need to investigate. But it definitely seems to fit in with a ''cursed music'' case."


    "So you think the Devourer may use this song like he did in the park?"


    "It is a theory. He would be able to feed his grim lackeys easily, contaminating people through this music. I just found an old reference on conjuring with cursed music."


    "Wow, it makes perfect sense," the youngest sounded impressed, "Using a song to invoke a ''wraith'' close to a potential victim."


    "U-hum," The Hunter agreed. "In addition to perhaps having other, even worse uses." "Maybe Hani died from too much contact with this song?" Eun Ha thought this was the most logical explanation. The poor singer could have gone mad quickly by giving voice to the accursed music and being forced to re-record it.


    The two men stood in dismayed silence for a moment, thinking of the mental suffering of the promising young star. Chang Mi did some research on his cell phone and said,


    "This song was composed two years ago by Lee Dae Won, it says here, and it has been climbing gradually on the music charts after being recorded by Hani. OPS," he paused, pausing to read some more on the screen, "Actually, after her death, sales went up and the song climbed the charts. There are also reports of suicides among young people here, which are related to music, according to ''internet rumors''," said the half fairy.


    Eun Ha gaped, "Did you say, Lee Dae Won?"


    Shin turned to her, curious, and asked, "Is this person ''I''ll take Miss Jung''?" Apparently he managed to add the name to the person. Eun Ha would have been flattered and amused at another time, but she was still too shocked at that,


    "A person ... can create this without knowing it, right?"


    "Most of the time a ''cursed'' creation is done unintentionally, Eun Ha. It is emotions that transpire into magic and are imprinted on the work," said Shin. "A traumatic memory or something."


    Eun Ha was silent, thinking about the kind of agonizing suffering Lee Dae Won oppa might have. She remembered the story that he lost his bride, but maybe he was confused. Was it a fire? Was it Dr. Kim''s sister? She wasn''t so sure. Then she asked, "But, aren''t the Wraiths attracted to that kind of feeling? Wouldn''t he have been parasitized?"


    Shin threw his head to the side while lighting a cigarette, "Well, maybe the bad feelings have all been transferred to music. Thus, he would have been healed, and the music would attract the wraiths, who would abandon him."


    "Um, well, that makes more sense. He''s a quite serene man," she commented.


    Chang Mi, who had been quiet for a moment, said,


    "Now that we''re talking about this, ... I think I understood my dreams about the Devourer."


    This took the couple''s focus away from other matters, and they approached Chang Mi, who was furiously fiddling with his cell phone,


    "I think the place I see¡­ could be a sound studio. Now that I have something to relate to¡­ It definitely looks like a broadcast studio, like hmm a radio," he turned the phone screen over to show them a picture of a radio station.


    "It makes perfect sense," Shin took the phone from his hand to get a better look.


    ooo


    After searching Pearl, they found neither the delivery man, nor Eun Ha or even Shin.


    Jae Wook said he needed to go back to the police station to get some things moving, and that he would help him with the search for Ji Hyeon. At this point, Dr. Kim was incredulous when he realized that the man he had disliked at first sight was probably Mr. Perfect. He had dismissed no suspicions and, in fact, found them quite plausible.


    But the thought his sister was alive cluttered Jun Hyeon''s head. He could no longer enjoy Ye Rim''s show, no matter how much he wanted to support and cheer her. His fixed thought was on Ji Hyeon.


    Jun Hyeon got out of Pearl and drove to his mother''s house. The doctor had already returned to his own apartment, but tonight he wanted to see the place again and try to figure out what to do next. In addition, he searched the damn song ''Deep Dive'' on the app and put it to play while driving.


    The thing I miss the most, is half of me


    That you were, and there''s no more point


    Waiting for what? There will be no new twist


    There is no way up anymore


    There is no escape, but the final escape, the deep dive


    "Don''t be afraid, you said"


    Cross over and you will see


    I grabbed your cold hand and went on confidently, because you were my smiling half


    We discovered so many things, we were so young and foolish


    Tap and Toe, those were us


    Swiss chocolates and French lipsticks


    Mute people, sidelong looks,


    Broken mirrors, compassion


    Welcome to the new world, I was the crying half


    What is left of me, but the deep dive


    different from that, in the summer of Jeju


    I dive, in the cold waters of my pain,


    a wrong step, and the sky became the bottom


    of the endless well of my existence


    A deep dive ..."


    Before they got rich, in their early teens, the Kim family traveled to Jeju. He and Ji took a dive. He always made fun of how scared she was, of being at the bottom of the sea, even with the guides and in a safe place. But then he saw that noona was not just being sly or seeking attention. She was scared as hell. He reached for her hand and gave a thumbs-up, guiding her through the corals. She lost her fear, in the end.


    She had never commented much on this, nor had he given importance to it. Just listening to this song and paying attention to its lyrics, Jun Hyeon clearly remembered the unbearably sunny summer day when it happened.


    ''It''s not possible ... The lyrics ...!''


    There were other similarities: ''Tap and Toe, these are us'', referred to two tap dance steps;


    ''Swiss Chocolates and French Lipsticks'' were what Ji Hyeon wanted most on their first international trip, now millionaires;


    ''Mute people, sideways looks,'' ... could refer to the hard period when they changed social class and were ostracized at the new school;


    ''Broken mirrors, compassion,'' after the fire, with a deformed face, when his sister went into a descending spiral of depression ...


    He made it to his mother''s house barely safe, and went straight to Ji Hyeon''s room.


    His tear-misty eyes barely saw the furniture and photo of Ji Hyeon as she was before the accident. Sitting in the chair in front of the desk, the doctor tried to focus. Looking everywhere to make sense of it. That poignant song, was it¡­ a clue? It couldn''t be a coincidence. He would be going crazy if it were just in his head. Only one idea came to mind, and Dr. Kim decided to put it into practice and find the evidence he needed.


    With his cell phone, he accessed the lyrics of the songs composed by Lee Dae Won. And after picking up a pen and paper, he started to read the lyrics and write down everything that made sense. Anything that could be a message from Ji Hyeon to him.


    His eyes burned, but his heart seemed to burn as well, in pain and hatred.


    Rummaging next in the cabinets, he found the memories that Ji Hyeon kept, and spread them out. Photos, objects, notes.


    As the night progressed, its huge puzzle became more and more complex and full of details. Deep Dive was just the tip of the iceberg. In at least six songs composed by his sister''s ex-fiance, details that Dae Won most likely did not know, from the childhood of Ji Hyeon and his family.


    It wasn''t just incredible.


    It was scary.

 Chapter 189 - Turning Point

    Ye Rim was astonished to realize that Jun Hyeon didn''t return to the audience, but the show had to go on. Even more intrigued and concerned after the show ended and she returned to the dressing room, discovering that he wasn''t there waiting for her either. There was no message on the phone or anything. His phone was off, by the way.


    Worried, Ye Rim didn''t care about anything else and took a cab to Jun Hyeon''s apartment, but to her surprise, Dr. Kim wasn''t there. Had it been something she had done? Or was he feeling ill again? Oh, she wanted so much to see and comfort him!


    "Why did you hide from me, Jun Hyeon?!" she got off the elevator in the lobby of the building and found the trio there, Eun Ha, Shin and Chang Mi.


    "Something happened?" she knew she should have looked for one according to the security protocol they insisted on, but her distress was greater. "Has anyone seen Jun Hyeon?"


    "Dr. Kim was with Ji OPPA the last time I saw him, Ye Rim," said Eun Ha, while Shin looked at her inquisitively before ''OPPA''.


    But Ye Rim could not understand, following them to the car. Chang Mi explained,


    "We are investigating the cursed song that killed Hani. That''s what happened, noona!"


    On the way home, she tried to pay attention to their explanations, but her mind wandered to Jun Hyeon''s strange absence. Her night had been a whirlwind of emotions and ended in an anticlimactic manner.


    Was she being selfish?


    She just wanted to meet with Jun Hyeon and confess once and for all the feelings that became clear in her mind and heart tonight. Whether or not he was the Man in Pink, she loved him. She wanted him.


    "Ye Rim, you''re not listening to me, are you?"


    "Oh, sorry, Unnie, my mind has wandered just a little bit. You said your boyfriend is going to start looking for broadcast stations. This is going to be difficult, don''t you think? There are hundreds of community radio stations out there! "


    "Yes, I talked about it, but now, I''m talking about the message on my phone. The message that Ji OPPA sent me a few hours ago, and that I just saw now."


    "Is he with Jun Hyeon?" the singer asked, swirling her soothing cup of tea. Maybe that way she could get some sleep.


    "Ji OPPA asks me about Chang Mi. And why I didn''t tell Dr. Kim about Chang Mi opening a police report. But¡­ why would I have told him that?"


    "What are you talking about, unnie? I am completely lost here."


    Eun Ha then told an absurd story about the strange burnt-faced woman who hitched a ride to Chang Mi.


    "When did this happen?" she asked, and after Eun Ha provided the date, the singer tried to rescue the moment in her mind. It would have been the day they were in the park and Jun Hyeon had a strong dizziness, imagining having¡­ HEARD HIS SISTER''S VOICE SCREAM?!


    "Unnie! You have no idea what''s going on! Jun Hyeon''s sister may be alive!"


    "Wait! Do you think the woman Persimmon helped ... Could be Dr. Kim''s supposed dead sister?"


    "Where''s Persimmon now?" asked Ye Rim, agitated again. Eun Ha shrugged,


    "Where do you think? Sleeping with my boyfriend!"


    Even at that moment, it was funny to hear that, and they both laughed. But deep down, both had serious concerns.


    ooo


    Jun Hyeon woke up from his disturbed nap with his mother''s gentle touch on his hair. He didn''t need to open his eyes to know her touch. His body ached, and he knew he should have closed his eyes for just a few moments, overcome by tiredness. She asked,


    "Jun Hyeon, what is this?" she was referring to the surrounding chaos, on the floor. Papers, photos and objects, along with his notes.


    "Eomma," he didn''t want to break the news like that, but she was a strong woman. He started at the end, and when his mother understood that her son believed that Ji Hyeon was alive, because of Dae Won''s songs, she was very confused. With tears in her eyes, Ms. Go said,


    "Jun Hyeon, if it were someone else telling me¡­ I would be crazy about that person. You were always rational and sensible ... Yes, these things make sense ... But if Dae Won wrote ... He was close to her, he ... may have heard her confessions!"


    "Is it easier to believe that?"


    "I don''t want to compromise. I want to be reasonable with Dae Won. What should we do, my son?! Can you imagine Dae Won¡­ hiding it from us?"


    "I don''t know if I know him, after all. I know I walked away from him because I wanted to¡­"


    "You wanted to give yourself a chance to live after a tragedy, my son! Seeing him reminded him of his sister. This is not wrong and I will not let you blame yourself. I know you keep it in your chest, that you believe it was your fault just because your father¡­" she stopped talking. She herself still had a lot of grudges against the man she believed to have failed them, and left her teenager son in charge of everything. Jun Hyeon knew that, and that was not what he wanted to discuss.


    "Eomma¡­ So I''m going crazy and Ji Hyeon is really dead?! There is no way to prove that she is really dead. You went to identify the body, but you said it was badly burned. We were all very shocked at the time that she wanted to die the same way she was injured. And Dae Won, always so helpful, so kind ... took care of everything for us. Cremation! We never thanked him enough. But¡­"


    "Stop!!! Stop, my son!" his mother started to cry disconsolately, and Jun Hyeon felt bad. To say that Ji was alive was to imagine years being sluggish, all of them. Without ever knowing the truth. He hugged her, whispering,


    "Mom, we thought it was suicide, not a crime. But it''s a crime, I''m sure. Call our lawyers. We shouldn''t warn Dae Won. I spoke to someone from the police, who is helping me. And I need to talk to him again about what I found out. I don''t know why Dae Won did this, but now I have no doubt that he is not innocent in all of this. And if he hasn''t told us so far, it''s because he doesn''t intend to tell."


    ooo


    Ye Rim woke up with a start, with the sensation of collapsing in her bed. It was still early, or at least, early by her standards. This terrible insomnia was caused by a series of things that ended in her mind.


    Looking at the cell phone, she saw that there were no messages from Jun Hyeon. She tried to call him, but the phone was off. Maybe he was in surgery.


    The light rain made the day melancholy and suffocating, and that sad feeling made Ye Rim hate rainy days. Rolling the messages on the screen, she came across a message from Dae Won,


    LDW: ''Honey, I was in front of Pearl, but I was told it was sould out. I''m sorry for missing your last show at Pearl. But I''ll be on your first show for a record label! It''s a promise!''


    She sighed. It was a confusing night, and she needed to speak to Dae Won. The last conversation wasn''t pleasant, and she thought he was hurt. But that message seemed to mean that Dae Won was willing to overcome any disagreement.


    She smiled hopefully. Standing up in a rush, Ye Rim decided to go over to his house to talk. He had previously said that when he was composing he liked to stay at home, and that rainy days were the best.


    She also had a gift for him.


    Imagining that there was no reason to wake up Chang Mi to visit a friend during the day, Ye Rim ordered a cab and went to Dae Won''s house.


    She regretted having come on such a rainy day, as soon as she put her feet in front of the gate of Dae Won''s house. While waiting for him to answer, she ended up getting a little wet. He was slow to answer, and his voice was surprised and perhaps hesitant.


    But he opened the door, looking her up and down with a penetrating look. She expected a smile or even excitement, but he let her in and took her purse and gift bag out of his hands in a gentle and efficient manner. But there was not a smile on his face.


    "You always appear unexpectedly at my door, changing my plans and my life! I''m starting to like your style," he said at last.


    She smiled, satisfied, "I didn''t imagine it would rain so much. I just woke up with an incredible desire to see you! And then I saw your message! Oppa! I''m so sorry!"


    "Are you sorry? What are you talking about?" he asked, crossing his arms.


    "For upsetting you the other day. Because I seem to ignore your advice. But, mainly, for not having thanked you before for all your effort."


    Dae Won''s eyes flashed, and she knew she was right about what to say. He was so sensitive and intelligent, it was a little difficult to talk to him. In fact, sometimes she felt like she had to step on eggshells all the time. It wasn''t comfortable, but now that she knew he was so sensitive ... After learning that he created a song that took all of his pain ...


    "You''re looking at me strangely, Ye Rim. You need to tell me what''s on your mind."


    "I don''t think I can," she said, looking down. He noticed that her clothes were partially wet and her hair dripped on the carpet in the entrance. Dae Won had already put slippers close to her feet, but she asked,


    "Can I use your toilet? I think we better talk without your house being ruined."


    "Ah. Sure. Come this way," he took her to the toilet, but Ye Rim felt uncomfortable without knowing exactly why.


    She went into the bathroom and closed the door, deciding to make this visit much sooner than she had planned.

 Chapter 190 - A Bond is Broken

    [You grew up well, Chang Mi. Learn everything you can. You will need a lot of knowledge soon¡­ ]


    Seong Hwan''s voice sounded a little metallic and artificial, with a slight feedback noise. Chang Mi saw his powerful presence in the shade. He noticed black beings, who looked like crows perched on the Fairy Eater, moving restlessly and merging in the shade. The reflection of green and red light dots, coming from the nearby equipment, touched his father''s pale and crazy face.


    Chang Mi knew he was dreaming, but he also knew it wasn''t just a dream. He nodded. Now he was sure that the Devourer saw through his eyes. And he knew where and with whom he was.


    "You are not going to touch what I protect," he said grimly. Chang Mi was afraid, but that wouldn''t stop him from saying it.


    The Devourer laughed, delighted,


    "Yes, you have found your vocation in your heart¡­ A Guardian. Just don''t get in my way, tell him to get you out of my way, tellhimhimhim ... ohohohtellonemustwaywaywayway ..." the Devourer voice rolled up and mixed with choking and laughing, distorted radio sounds and static noise. Chang Mi opened his eyes suddenly, feeling Hunter Shin''s eyes piercing his face, such as the heavy finger poking on his forehead, between the brows.


    "Did you make it this time?" he asked the Hunter.


    "Are you alright?" Shin asked, without answering, tapping the student on the shoulder to calm him down. They were in the bed they shared since Chang Mi''s little trick worked. But the official purpose was also working. The Hunter was trying to ''watch his dreams'' until today, with the help of a magic object.


    "Even if I didn''t live with him, like you, hyung, and I don''t know what it''s like to have filial devotion to him, it''s painful to see him like this. You spoke the truth. He seems to have fits of conscience when he talks to me in my dreams. But even he knows that he is deranged and without control over his all actions. If you had seen¡­"


    " This time I saw. A little. I don''t know if he realized that I saw him or not. But he has definitely seen through your eyes during this time," apparently the Hunter was unaware of this side effect caused by the thorn. But Chang Mi felt a shiver whenever he was awake and felt the Devourer looking into his eyes to peer on his companions and activities.


    Seong Hwan already knew where the noonas were, and all thanks to Chang Mi!


    "Take it from me. You must get this out of me," he said, showing the band-aid on the finger stuck with the thorn. The Hunter made a face, and stood up.


    Chang Mi followed him to the laboratory. They walked in silence, so as not to wake the women in their rooms.


    "He said that I am a Guardian ... Is he saying this just because he knows that I am acting as Ye Rim Noona''s bodyguard?" he asked as soon as they closed the door behind them, sensing that there was more than that.


    "He thinks you found your calling because you said you would face him if needed, Chang Mi. He knows that you have a sense of who he is. He knows that even if I didn''t tell you, you are a smart boy and would find out for yourself that it would be your first and last battle," Shin opened the box with the thorn, but Chang Mi realized that this time there was another thorn inside the box, side by side with what he knew. This new thorn seemed to be what Eun Ha had shown him. The thorn that hurt Eun Ha''s mother to death.


    The Hunter lit a fire in a container on a metal tripod, and threw the thorn inside, after a little hesitation. Chang Mi felt a horrible throbbing pain in his hand at this point. He grabbed the injured hand with the other, curling on himself and bitting his lips to muffle any sound.


    But it stopped hurting only when the flames completely consumed the thorn.


    ''Wow, motherf.u.c.ker! He could have warned me! '' Chang Mi couldn''t help thinking, taking a deep breath and taking the band-aid off the small but deep wound. It was no longer there, and there was no scar or sign that it had been there to begin with. Sitting in an armchair, still panting, he asked,


    "Okay¡­ I saw that noona gave you the thorn that killed her mother. Does he also have a bond with my¡­ with the Devourer?"


    The Hunter replied,


    "Yes, it has. But I intend to trap him with his own poison. I''m making a weapon instilled with his own magic. Now that I know who could hurt him."


    The Hunter wouldn''t have told him that before freeing Chang Mi from the Devourer''s influence, of course.


    "Me?" Chang Mi had mixed feelings about this idea. As much as he felt ready to defend the noonas to the end, he didn''t feel that being Luke Skywalker from fairy people was anything to him. He didn''t know if he would hesitate at the last moment.


    But the answer surprised him,


    "Ye Rim, actually."


    "But she''s ..."


    "She''s a human. She''s a human and a woman?" the Hunter raised one brow, questioning his logic.


    "That'' not what I meant. And yes, I can''t imagine how Ye Rim Noona could do that when a fairy like Hunter Shin failed, " he didn''t want to be rude but needed to explain himself.


    "Indeed. It seems strange at first that it''s possible. But he can''t hurt or affect her to get the magic out of her. She, otherwise, could find a way to hurt him, and he knows it. "


    "But then Ye Ri will hunt him down and destroy the Devourer?"


    "No. She needs the thorn to defend herself. I''m trying to think how Seong Hwan would think. He''s a predator, and recently discovered a human with an incredible gift. He has failed to kill her mother in the past, even though she was an apparently ordinary human. After that, Ye Rim received the last and most powerful magic that Myung Hee could summon at the time of her death. She''s destined to free all the souls of the fairies that The Devourer consumed. I don''t think he knows these details, but he has already discovered that she is a threat."


    "Makes sense. He was probably attracted to Eun Ha noona, but he backed away from realizing Ye Rim was around his prey, having to rethink his strategies. He even preferred to attack more experienced fairies first, with smart and convoluted  plans," at least that''s what the young student could think, now that he was aware of many facts told by Eun Ha. "He was probably trying to find a way to attack when hyung approached them."


    "I also think so, Persimmon Boy," said the Hunter, closing the box with the thorn, "He has even been doing tests around Ye Rim, like the karaoke incident. And even chose a very interesting method, music, as he has been studying a way to dominate Ye Rim. He may have a lot more information about her than we think. Seong Hwan is extremely intelligent, methodical and dangerous."


    "So how do you think his modus operandi will be?" Chang Mi was interested in how a Hunter did his hunting. The Devourer was the Shin Hye Seong''s Great White Tiger. He was very knowledgeable about his biggest and most desired prey.


    "I believe that if she''s wounded by a human, the Devourer would take advantage of the fact that she''s weak.  And consume the magic that''s within her, thus breaking the spell. So, basically, he has to move pieces for a human to be the offender. And believe me, he will be very creative, because he also knows that he''s being hunted. That''s why Ye Rim needs to have the thorn prepared."


    "But ... does she already know that?"


    "No. I need Eun Ha''s help to finish the instillation as soon as possible. When the magic weapon is ready, I''ll talk to Ye Rim. This is an extra precaution. I intend to find the Devourer before he can do something to Ye Rim."


    "Er," Chang Mi scratched the back of his neck, "And does Eun Ha noona know about the risk that Ye Rim noona takes? Like¡­ does she really have a clue?"


    "Yes, she''s aware. I just don''t know if Ye Rim is aware of the risk that her unnie takes because Eun Ha wants to be close to her right now, "replied the Hunter in a grim tone.


    "Can''t you keep them away for a while?"


    "Eun Ha needs to study to be presented to the Council, but I understand that she''s concerned."


    "And I¡­ Can I ever be introduced to the Council, hyung? To be accepted as a fairy? Or do you think that is impossible?" he already understood that his birth made him an outcast. Not only because he was a half-fairy, but also because he was the son of Seong Hwan, the Devourer. But why did he have to pay for it and live on the run? Even the Fairy Devourer knew what it would be like for him, and said that Chang Mi should prepare for a difficult future. Chang Mi really wanted to know what the Hunter had to say about it.


    And Shin looked at him seriously, before saying anything,


    "Chang Mi¡­ Things don''t change quickly. Don''t expect it. But as I promised, I won''t abandon you."


    Having been abandoned as a baby, as he believed much of his life, made him grow up with tingling distrust of people. He''d like to trust the Hunter fully, but perhaps it would demand time. A long time.


    "How can you protect something you have already hunted? And ... You know I like her," he was fierce and faced his Tutor.


    "I think I need to trust you. Or you won''t trust me," he said, as if reading his heart.


    Chang Mi gaped at Hunter Shin''s words. Then there was a brief knock on the door. It was Mr. Ahn.


    "Master, I''m sorry to interrupt, but I''m afraid I need to. Miss. Nam left the house about seven minutes away by cab."


    Chang Mi swore under his breath, "Aish! That stubborn noona!"


    But, a shiver ran his spine once again. Was the bond with his father just a magic thing?

 Chapter 191 - Small Cues

    Ye Rim looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She looked terrible, and it took a while to get her hair and makeup done.


    In the meantime, Ye Rim was thinking about how to thank Dae Won for everything he did and also make clear the limits of her personal life and career. In fact, when she was younger she made a mistake by not having the maturity to differentiate between private and professional life. But today she knew the difference and was sure that she didn''t want to give up everything because of fame.


    As she took the bag off the furniture next to the sink, she noticed something strange glued to the leather of her brand new bag. Yes, the one that ended up costing her ''a donation'' to the Ji Hyeon Foundation. Reaching out to check, Ye Rim realized that it was a flower petal, more precisely the petal of an astromelia, white with brownish spots. Ye Rim knew this because she knew a lot about flowers. And because the singer had recently seen similar astromelia at Ji Hyeon''s tomb. It was the flowers that Jun took to his sister the day they met there.


    The memory gave her a strange feeling, but she could not put a finger on the reason.


    Returning to the living room, Ye Rim found Dae Won returning from the kitchen with two cups of coffee. ''Wow, did he have an espresso machine in the kitchen or what?'' she wondered, accepting the drink.


    Sitting on the couch while he sat in an armchair, Ye Rim sipped the hot drink for a moment and then said,


    "Oppa, when I decided it seemed like a good idea to come by, as strange as it seems now. But I am crazy and I may have made a poor impression for showing up without an invitation to your house."


    "It wouldn''t be the first time and in fact, I''m grateful," he said with a smile on his lips. His look, however, looked thoughtful. "In fact, your arrival was something I didn''t know I was expecting. Please, do not worry. Let''s say that fate did the best."


    "Ahh, well," she laughed, relaxing. "I was regretting it."


    In fact, the strange way in which Dae Won said this seemed fatalistic and Ye Rim still did not understand what he meant by that. She didn''t know if he wanted her to ask, or was just sad about something. "Oppa, when I saw your message, I was elated. I felt that our last conversation could have driven us away or left us with a rift. And that is why I came. I don''t want misunderstandings to grow between us. And also¡­" She showed the gift package beside her, "For some time I''d like to start expressing my gratitude for our friendship."


    Taking the gift carefully, she offered it to Dae Won. He showed no surprise as he saw the package all the time, but he looked down for a moment gracefully, and his cheeks took on a slight pink tinge.


    "Ye Rim ..." he admonished, although only the tone of his voice showed it. "You shouldn''t have. It wasn''t necessary at all."


    "Well, I don''t usually think material goods can replace feeling, but I thought we had at least a symbol of our friendship," she explained, also a little embarrassed.


    The conversation proceeded as Ye Rim planned, explaining her points to a silent Dae Won. She could see that he didn''t agree with her opinion from the way he looked at her, stern and judgmental, but that didn''t stop Ye Rim from explaining what she felt and what she would do. He did not interrupt her even once, until Ye Rim realized that he was repeating herself and also digressing, and fell silent, with a nervous laugh,


    "Oppa, don''t do this! Say something!"


    "Ye Rim, I think you are confused and perhaps scared by the actual possibilities of grandiosity. It requires a lot of responsibility. You have the potential, but you are also afraid. I think you should think about whether you are about to abandon a bright future for a romance just because you are too terrified. But ... I kind of expected that. That you give up. May you create a new excuse," he said, looking away at the end.


    Ye Rim gaped at what he heard. Sincerity and delicacy were present, even if the words were direct and caused doubts and reflections. But then Dae Won turned to her again and smiled,


    "But count on me, Ye Rim. Whatever your eventual decision is. If you have regrets just know that I will be here to take care of you. I will be here to look after you," he repeated, placing the empty cup on the table. "But I have a long commitment in a little while, so I''ll take you home."


    "Oh, don''t worry! I''ll call a taxi!" Ye Rim stood up, always surprised as he was a gentleman in all situations.


    "I must insist. So I have the excuse to spend more time with you," Dae Won quietly replied. However, she felt that the previous tension had returned, and when he excused himself to get his coat and wallet, Ye Rim felt uneasy.


    Time seemed to pass slowly as she looked at the beautiful decoration of the house, waiting for Dae Won to be ready. Ye Rim knew he was being condescending, but was pleased that he was no longer angry with her.


    She looked at the cups on the coffee table, and thought she could at least take them into the kitchen. Maybe that was a little invasive, but what''s the problem with a kitchen, isn''t it? It''s not like she''s going up the stairs to enter the rooms or going to the office without supervision.


    Picking up the cups, she turned to go to the kitchen, which she imagined was the door right there. Of course, the singer might be a little curious about what the kitchen in a so impeccable house was like.


    But she never took two steps towards the kitchen when she heard Dae Won''s voice from the top of the stairs,


    "There is no need, Ye Rim. I''m sure somebody''s going to fix this later," he said, coming down calmly with a shoulder bag and coat.


    "Oh! Well, okay, I just thought that¡­" again that strange feeling that his gaze seemed to weigh on her and each of her attitudes. But if so, it was probably because she gave in to an impulse and came to Dae Won''s residence without warning. Or so she thought at the moment.


    "Let''s go?" she asked, seeing that he was ready.


    Minutes later, they were driving through heavy traffic that very rainy morning in the musician''s comfortable car. Dae Won asked some casual questions about her last show, and Ye Rim answered happily. They were standing in a small traffic jam when a scene caught Ye Rim''s eye.


    A little dog was leaning against the guardrail of the opposite lane, looking lost and abandoned. The runway, unlike the one they were on, had a normal flow, but the bug looked very disoriented and shivered with cold. On the other side of the track, a person in the heavy rain, holding an umbrella and a dog collar, waiting for an opportunity to cross and rescue the puppy. But it didn''t seem like a simple task since it was not an intersection and the cars passed at high speed.


    "Oh, look at that. That puppy will end up being run over!" she exclaimed, thinking of what to do. Dae Won looked away where she pointed to, and was silent for a moment. Ye Rim even thought, from the lack of comment and the impassive face he made, that he was not seeing or that he wasn''t moved as she was, but then the musician opened the car door, and said,


    "Wait here!" leaving before Ye Rim could even say anything. She gaped, as Dae Won had no qualms about abandoning the car in the traffic jam and jumping onto the track, in the rain, to rescue the animal.


    He crossed the guardrail and took the small dog, which was docile. Then he boldly challenged the cars to cross over to the other side.


    Ye Rim started having a hard time seeing why the windows were fogging up quickly, and she found that Dae Won had left the driver''s door slightly open, and the heater was off for some reason. The white fog washed over the glass before she could do anything. Following the dramatic rescue behind the glass, Ye Rim reached out to clear the fog, but stopped suddenly. Around it, especially in the back seat''s windows, there were many marks, including some of what looked like the sole of a sports shoe.


    ''Wow'', her eyes flickered for an instant trying to identify all those marks. ''Things have been rough around here ...'' she concluded, but in fact she couldn''t understand why everything was so stained and why a woman wearing sports shoes would have left marks in so many places on the glass. I definitely thought the brands were women''s sneakers, due to their size and shape, despite not having seen any complete footprint.


    Ye Rim couldn''t imagine Dae Won being the type of guy who had that kind of wild romance.


    But if she didn''t think about it, what would have happened there?


    Dae Won was a stranger guy than she imagined at first, she concluded. She turned on the heater to clean the windows and stop seeing that, which disturbed her mind.


    Dae Won opened the door suddenly, dripping from head to toe and Ye Rim was startled,


    "OMO!"


    Ignoring Ye Rim''s reaction, he sat on the bench, wiping the water off his face with his hand and laughing happily,


    "There! The poor thing is saved!"


    She smiled and applauded. He had been really heroic, risking himself,


    "You nutcase! With that horrible visibility, you could have been run over! And look how you are now!"


    "But I had to try! And¡­ this is the type of person I am." Dae Won said, looking lighter this time than in the morning so far. His gaze, however, shifted behind Ye Rim at the window, and the singer turned to see what it was. The steam was quickly gone, and one of the marks on the glass disappeared before their eyes.


    "What?" she asked, although she knew that the mark was the reason he looked serious again. Why did that make her so apprehensive?


    But horns pressed the car to move, and Dae Won proceeded, responding as he started the car and resumed driving, enigmatically,


    "Just remember that."

 Chapter 192 - Breaking In

    Kim Jun Hyeon spoke to his secretary,


    "Ms. Ma, please cancel today''s appointments. I''m not feeling well," he said, and it really wasn''t a lie. His head hurt and no painkillers had eased the pain. He felt anxious and hot, but he didn''t want to use a tranquilizer.


    He just needed to get out of his mind all the thoughts that came up last night.


    "Can I help you with something? Can I call one of the doctors to see you, Dr. Kim?" the solicitous and always reliable Mrs. Ma tried to help, but the doctor thanked,


    "Everything is fine. I am going home, there is no need to alarm anyone," but it was not for rest that Dr. Kim was abandoning his appointments. Quickly taking off his medical coat and prepared to leave. He had a fixed idea in mind, and even though the consequences were harsh, Jun Hyeon felt like he would go crazy if he didn''t do it.


    The rainy morning did not cooperate, and every minute lost in traffic was a torment. And when he finally arrived in front of Lee Dae Won''s house, he turned off the car and sighed, wondering if he should really do this one last time.


    Getting out of the car with a resolute heart, he rang the bell several times, making sure that Dae Won, or some employee wasn''t at home. Then he started trying to crack the gate code.


    The second attempt, his own birthday, and Ji Hyeon''s, consequently, opened the gate. That was scary, but it matched Dae Won''s personality, Jun thought.


    His heart was pounding, and he felt the blood literally running faster in his veins, and the tension made it seem as if it wasn''t he who was committing the crime of invasion, but a third person. The dissociation was frightening itself. His friend, psychiatrist Marion Choi, once said that dissociation allows a human being to commit the greatest atrocities without suffering. Now he understood why.


    The main door opened with the same code, and soon Jun Hyeon was inside Lee Dae Won''s house. He looked around the hall and noticed the floor was a little wet, and he paid extra attention to details. Two pairs of slippers were used recently, he noticed.


    It was disconcerting to observe these details. He could practically swear to smell the warm and faint perfume¡­ ''things in my head, he thought. Ye Rim cannot be here. ''


    Walking cautiously, he saw two cups of coffee abandoned on the coffee table in the beautiful, large room. The silence was oppressive. Jun Hyeon was aware that the cameras were recording his movements, but he wouldn''t and couldn''t deny what he was doing. Moving away from the thought of the future consequences of his crime, he approached the sofa and saw a gift package. Why did his intuition associate Ye Rim with all these clues about a woman''s recent visit there?


    Taking a deep breath, he went upstairs, trying to ignore his fear of finding something he didn''t want to see, and at the same time thinking he had come there to find his sister. But what if he was about to find Ye Rim and Dae Won upstairs ...


    ''Don''t be an idiot!''


    Each door that opened was a moment of tension that seemed to be able to tear his heart out.


    But there was nothing unusual or unexpected.


    Except for a wet shirt in the bathroom stall in Dae Won''s suite. But the rainy weather could easily explain that, right?


    ''Am I really disappointed to find trivial things at Dae Won''s house? Am I the crazy one here? '' he wondered, disturbed.


    His disappointment mixed with relief was still not enough to get the feeling of suspicion off his chest, however. Down the stairs, Jun Hyeon went to the kitchen.


    There, his nose was the first to notice something wrong. The potent smell of chlorine and cleaning products dominated the kitchen and the adjacent laundry. A packet of unused trash bags was on the kitchen counter, and apparently someone was in the middle of cleaning up when he had to leave abruptly. Did the visitor''s arrival interrupt a cleaning?


    Feeling very dirty and monstrous, Dr. Kim went to the garbage bag in the laundry room, and opened it, after protecting his hands with a napkin.


    When looking at the content, his mind could not understand at first what those things were. Then the information started to make sense. Those things were exactly the items he had taken to his sister''s grave recently. Jun Hyeon blinked, astonished. Even the rose that Ye Rim took was there.


    Stunned, he left that and started wandering around the house, making it even more sure that Dae Won was behind the mystery about his sister. He needed to find her.


    A sliding door perfectly embedded in the home theater''s side, which he had already passed three times without practically noticing it, seemed to make sense at once. Jun Hyeon slid it and found another door, with an electronic lock. He anxiously tried the same code he used to open the house, but this time to no avail.


    After several frustrating attempts, his proverbial little patience ran out, and taking the first heavy thing he saw, a bronze statuette, Jun Hyeon thought of striking the panel until it broke. But he was smarter than that and looked for the extra battery source, to disconnect it and also the general circuit breaker in the house. They were in the garage.


    When the power went out, he came back prepared with a crowbar ready to destroy that door. There was nothing, any kind of awareness of the crimes he was committing against his schoolmate''s trust and his assets, that could stop him. Kim Jun Hyeon was convinced that Ji Hyeon was a prisoner of Dae Won, and was behind that door.


    When the door opened, after much effort on his part, Jun found a long hallway that ended in another door, and had emergency lights with his own batteries.


    Then he got to the last cellar door. And when he finally managed to open it, he found something unexpected.


    ooo


    Dae Won''s car stopped in front of Shin''s house gate. Ye Rim put the bag on her shoulder, and turned to him, after taking off her seat belt,


    "I think you should go in and dry yourself. Why don''t you call where you''re heading to and tell them you''re going to be a little late? You will catch a cold!"


    "I should take your advice. I cannot do much this wet and smelly. But I will take the car to wash and take a taxi home. It has a company specialized in interiors with leather seats. And I made a big mess, bigger than you think," he smiled, opening his arms and taking on his guilt. The phone connected to the car''s dashboard showed a call, and Ye Rim looked at the screen at the same time as Dae Won. BAS.ALARM, it was written on the screen.


    Ye Rim didn''t say anything, as it would be rude, but she imagined it was some alarm service.


    But Dae Won just disconnected the call, without looking concerned at all. Taking a deep breath, he said,


    "Ye Rim, I appreciate your visit. I really did. In the future, you will know how important this was to me. And maybe you will forgive me."


    "To forgive you?!" a little puzzled and not knowing what to say, the singer laughed nervously, "What could I forgive? You should be forgiving to me ..."


    "No. Listen. I need to tell you something. Please listen to me. I need to tell someone, someone who can understand what I did ..."


    With no idea what Dae Won could have in mind, but feeling that he would finally reveal the reason for his concern since she arrived, Ye Rim frowned, tense,


    "Sure, tell me, Oppa. You can open up, rest assured." Ye Rim held her hands out flat, offering her hands if he wanted to. Dae Won touched her hands gently, with his chilly hands, and slightly callused musician fingers.


    He sighed heavily, but dropped his gaze,


    "Ye Rim, I ..."


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    Firm knocking on the window next to Ye Rim startled them both. Ye Rim turned, startled, and had to look twice, to recognize Chang Mi, holding an umbrella, and with a wide grin, looking anxiously into the car,


    "SRTA NAM! Your mom is waiting for you! Fast!" he spoke loud enough, and showed the umbrella he was holding, making it clear that he was there to take her inside. This sudden news that her mother was visiting confused Ye Rim. Dae Won removed his hands quickly, and gave a sad smile,


    "You better go, don''t keep them waiting."


    "Oh, Oppa. I¡­" she started, confused and embarrassed, because she wanted to hear from him and be a good friend, and at the same time, she had to find out what was going on with her mother. But Dae Won didn''t give him time to apologize, he unlocked her door, and waved his hand,


    "If we don''t talk soon, forgive me. I wanted to tell you, but I don''t think we''ll have time to talk in the next few days." He started the car. As soon as the door was unlocked, Chang Mi opened the door for Ye Rim to get out, and helped her with the umbrella. Ye Rim got out, waving back with a sad smile for saying goodbye like that.


    When the car left, Chang Mi looked over his shoulder, muttering the license plate to himself.


    "What are you doing, Persimmon?" Ye Rim knew that he was responsible for keeping an eye on her and that she kind of ran away from him this morning, but that was overkill. Now, she even doubted that his mother was really there. "You lied, didn''t you?"


    Chang Mi looked down as they walked, and nodded. But when he looked up, his face had changed to a mask of apprehension and disgust,


    "Noona, this was the man who hit me with a stick that day. I''m sure."


    "...!" Ye Rim has never been more surprised and horrified in her life.

 Chapter 193 - Crimes

    "Stay calm, we will get it done now," said Ye Rim to Chang Mi, when they arrived at the police station. Once again she looked at the phone, hoping that Jun Hyeon had read her messages, since he didn''t answer the phone.


    "I''m calm now, since I know where to find that bastard," Chang Mi said, as they entered the police station hall. Ye Rim looked up at him, concerned. In fact, she was almost in a panic.


    Dae Won was keeping Ji Noona captive for all these years?! By Chang Mi''s testimony, yes. Jun Hyeon''s sister was alive, and closer than they imagined. The feeling of horror, revolt and disgust was indescribable, and she felt herself suffocating just thinking that, minutes ago, she was at Dae Won''s house quietly... Thoughts ran over in questions that had no answer. The only thing Ye Rim could think of was that Dae Won was a psychopath, and she was grateful that Chang Mi had the cold blood to get her out of the car quietly.


    Ye Rim announced she would like to speak to Ji Jae Wook, as she trusted him. She drummed her fingers nervously on the counter while waiting, impressed to see Chang Mi''s impassive expression, only broken by the somber gleam in his eyes.


    After a while an officer called them and guided them to the door of the detectives'' office, and Ye Rim looked around the place realizing that little had changed since the last time she was there, just visiting. Some familiar faces, some empty tables, some new people.


    But the surprising thing was to find Jun Hyeon talking to Jae Wook.


    She blinked in astonishment, with a bad feeling. Jun Hyeon looked very upset, and when he looked at her he didn''t smile. But she took Chang Mi by the arm and took him there, resolutely,


    "Officer Ji, Dr. Kim, how nice to meet you together. We came to talk about Kim Ji Hyeon. She is alive and Chang Mi is the witness!"


    The officer kept a serious semblance,


    "I don''t know if it''s a coincidence or not, but we were trying to reach you, Yoo Chang Mi."


    "I saw the man who beat me up with a stick and chased the woman I helped. I saw him today, and he was with Ye Rim Noona," said Chang Mi assertively.


    "He''s talking about Lee Dae Won. He gave me a ride earlier, and Chang Mi saw him," completed Ye Rim, looking at the Detective and also at Jun Hyeon. She tried to assess his reaction, but Ju Hyeon was already pale and reddish eyes, and after a brief moment where their eyes met, Ye Rim understood that he already knew.


    "Did you already know, Oppa?"


    He nodded, turning to Chang Mi next, "That''s why I''m here. Yoo, did you see my sister, what did she say? How was she?"


    Frowning, Chang Mi replied,


    "Noona just told me on the way here that the woman I helped could be your twin sister, hyung. I don''t want to assume anything, but ... you have similar eyes. It may have been her. But she ran away from the man who attacked me, as I said in the other statement."


    Dr. Kim turned to Detective Ji,


    "As I said, I found a dead man in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Dae Won''s house. I''m sure the place was my sister''s captivity, but I have no idea who the man might be. But with this boy''s testimony, isn''t that enough?"


    "The murder report is enough, I will ask a warrant for Lee Dae Won. Procedures for investigating your sister''s whereabouts will also be prioritized, Dr. Kim. Ye Rim, thanks for bringing Chang Mi. Just give me a few minutes to ask for teams to go to Musician Lee''s house and another to pick him up. Did he say where he was going?"


    "Ah, no, actually he ... oh, the car!" Ye Rim exclaimed. "He said he was going to leave his car in a specialized place to wash it, but¡­ I saw shoe marks on the car window! And¡­ I think he was at the cemetery recently, at Ji Hyeon''s grave! " she looked in desperation at everyone, knowing that at least one piece of evidence would be destroyed. But then what Ye Rim just heard settled in her mind, and her voice sounded shaky and high,


    "A dead man?! Was there a dead man in that house?!"


    Both Ji Jae Wook and Kim Jun Hyeon raised a hand to place on her shoulder, and stopped at the same time. Clearing his throat, Detective Ji put his hand in his pants pocket, and said,


    "Yes. It was what Dr. Kim came to report. It would be good if your lawyer was here, as I already informed you, Dr. Kim, to guide you. It is your right, because of the crime you have committed."


    Ye Rim was increasingly astonished, her gaze going from one to the other, but Ji said that he was coming back soon and excused himself, indicating that they sit in the chairs available for this while they waited. Chang Mi said he was going to get coffee for everyone, leaving after confirming what they would like to drink.


    The couple faced each other and sighed,


    "Did you find a dead man at musician Lee''s house?!" she asked.


    "Yes. In the bas.e.m.e.nt. In a damn cellar full of locks," he took another deep breath, running his hands through his hair with a gesture of despair and horror. "I went there because I convinced myself that my sister is alive and trying to send messages through music! Dae Won''s songs that have been successful, they all have messages from my sister!"


    It was like listening to the plot of a macabre movie, with the difference that it was happening near them. Worse, it was happening to them! Ye Rim touched Jun Hyeon''s shoulder trying to calm him down, he was very tense and disgusted as he told the facts,


    "So I went over there and started looking for my sister. I found the things I took to her grave, and also the bas.e.m.e.nt. When I managed to get into that damn bas.e.m.e.nt that was a super safe prison, I found a room that was totally empty and freshly washed from ceiling to floor. And in the middle of the room, a man who bled to death. He was hit several times¡­" his voice trailed off, while his eyes lost their brightness and he remembered the scene.


    Ye Rim started to shake, imagining that she had arrived at Lee Dae Won''s residence after a murder. And that that person calmly listened to her complaints and was patient, and then even offered her a ride home. That person had worked hard to save a puppy on a busy road, and seemed genuinely happy to have saved a life.


    That person was a complete madman, and Ye Rim had no doubt that he was the person imprisoning Jun Hyeon''s sister.


    What would he reveal to her in the car, if Chang Mi hadn''t interrupted? Would he talk about the murder? Would he try to justify yourself?


    "You don''t believe it, but he was calm the whole time I was there. Suddenly he decided that we had to leave, talked about an appointment but now I doubt it. He insisted on taking me home. He even saved a puppy halfway and¡­ he probably got Ji Unnie out of the house recently. I swear, I saw marks in his car. Marks made by a women''s sport shoes. Maybe she struggled¡­!"


    She interrupted herself, looking at Jun Hyeon. What she was saying only hurt him, if it didn''t serve as facts or testimony since it was not a trial, and Jae Wook wasn''t even there to hear it.


    Jun Hyeon had his fists clenched, and his jaw tight and bewildered look showed the pain he felt at the mere mention of this possibility.


    "His family has a country house and several properties ..." he murmured, to himself, clearly thinking where his sister might be at this moment. Ye Rim wondered who the dead man was. Another person who, like Chang Mi, stood between Dae Won and his victim?


    She remembered something, in the back of her mind. A distant night, a strange conversation, and her feeling of confusing things.


    "Oppa, I think the cemetery grave digger knew Dae Won. We once met him in a pojangmacha and this man said strange things to Dae Won. Maybe¡­ was that how Dae Won got the flowers and things you brought to your sister?"


    His comment made Jun Hyeon think, but before he answered, a man arrived who Ye Rim immediately identified as an expensive and experienced lawyer, and Chang Mi was right behind with cups of coffee for everyone.


    Dr. Kim introduced her to the Lawyer Choi as ''Miss Nam, a friend and witness'' just like Chang Mi. The lawyer seemed to already have knowledge of the basic information when he arrived. But he looked as shocked as they were by the revelation.


    "Lawyer Choi, I want Dae Won to pay, but before that, he needs to reveal where my sister is. I want my sister back, as safe as possible!" his voice was hoarse and charged with pain and hatred.


    Ji Jae Wook returned to the room with a concerned expression. She knew that expression well, and it didn''t mean good news. He didn''t make a fuss when he arrived,


    "I just received the news from another police station. Musician Lee is currently with his lawyers in another district, surrendering and giving a testimony about a murder he committed in his own home."

 Chapter 194 - When Fairies Gift

    "Dr. Kim apologized but he won''t be coming to dinner with us tonight," said Chang Mi, as he checked the group conversation on his cell phone. Ye Rim sighed, not feeling like eating despite Eun Ha and Mr. Ahn had made a great-looking and aromatic dinner. Looking around, and seeing Shin, her unnie, Chang Mi and Mr. Ahn, all with thoughtful and discouraged expressions, she knew everyone was still shocked by the recent events.


    "Okay, it was a good attempt to let him know he has our support and to make him eat properly, but he really must be very busy, with the press and lawyers and the police. His family must also need him right now," she said, to no one in particular.


    Ye Rim spoke to Jun Hyeon whenever possible over the phone, and they were only a day and a half from Musician Lee''s arrest for Gravedigger Kwan''s murder. Mr. Kwan was the same man who questioned them at pojangmacha one night. The drunk man with mysterious phrases, Ye Rim discovered, with horror.


    The press voraciously surrounded the case, as did the police. Detective Ji had been assigned to investigate the case of the alleged kidnapping of Kim Ji Hyeon, which was a parallel case, but possibly related to the murder of the gravedigger. According to the news they had, Dae Won had claimed that he used to buy the items that Dr. Kim took to his sister, from the Gravedigger Kwan, but that when the business relationship ended, he was blackmailed. The man found out where Dae Won lived and came to his house, where they had a fight and he accidentally killed the blackmailer. At first, in a panic, MP Lee thought about hiding the crime, but then he decided to report the murder himself and surrender to the police.


    Undoubtedly many investigations were being carried out to check his statement. But Dr. Kim''s charge against him caused an even greater uproar.


    And Dae Won denied having forged death and kidnapped Ji Hyeon.


    He was being kept under arrest, but also surrounded by very competent lawyers. According to Jae Wook, MP Lee would most likely still be released tonight, to await trial for the murder of the gravedigger in liberty, unless they obtained strong pieces of evidence of the other crimes during this short period. The fact that Dae Won surrendered and was a primary defendant made a lot of difference.


    In order not to make Eun Ha and Mr. Ahn sad, Ye Rim forced himself to eat some, but her mind revolved around the shocking events in which she was involved. Even her unnie had offered to testify, having seen a bag full of old flowers and objects the day she went to visit Dae Won at the station.


    Suddenly, Eun Ha exclaimed, looking at her cell phone,


    "Aishh! I don''t believe! That bastard will be leaving shortly with a provisional release! If it weren''t for Dr. Kim''s lawyers asking us not to go there, I''d be right in front of the police station to say a few things to him! Traitor! Murderer! With that ''good guy''s'' face! I cooked for him!"


    At another time it would have been funny to see how Hunter Shin stopped eating and then started to chew very slowly, glaring at Eun Ha out of the corner of his eye.


    "Your food is great, Noona," said Chang Mi, without looking up from his plate.


    "Thanks. It would be a waste for Dr. Kim not to eat. I think I''m going to make a lunch box for him."


    Ye Rim blinked in astonishment as did Chang Mi and Shin too, when Eun Ha got up and came back with some containers, starting to make a lunch box for Dr. Kim.


    That was quite a change! And that was a great excuse to go to Jun Hyeon and see how he was doing, Ye Rim thought.


    "Thank you, unnie, I''m sure he will appreciate it!"


    "In fact, I think we should investigate as well. We could use different methods to find the whereabouts of Dr. Kim''s sister," Eun Ha cast a sidelong glance at his boyfriend, and Ye Rim knew that her unnie spent the whole afternoon being convinced not to interfere and run into police officers doing their job. It wouldn''t only be risky but could interfere with the experts'' investigation.


    "Well, if you can do me a favor while I''m taking your bento to Oppa, I''d appreciate it. Mrs. Song said that I should get the gifts I received the day before yesterday before they were ruined. But I think Duk Mi needs his unoccupied dressing room, actually. I should have gone, but with this mess ... Would you be a darling unnie just this time?"


    Ye Rim could do this herself, but she also knew that Eun Ha was acting jittery and driving her boyfriend crazy. Hunter Shin could love Eun Ha, but he seemed busy on a project in his studio and didn''t want her there, Chang Mi had told her. Ye Rim suspected Shin was making a special gift for her unnie.


    Eun Ha was thoughtful for a moment, but said, resigned,


    "Okay, it won''t be a problem. Doing something will make me less irritated because I''m useless in this case." The hint was obvious. It had something to do with Shin insisting that she spare herself from going to ''low energy'' places or something, and focus on other things. Ye Rim knew that they had barely started dating and faced a conflict because he was also the ''Professor of Magic Affairs''.


    Relationsh.i.p.s were complicated.


    But right now, she really wanted to help Jun Hyeon more. Although they were not a couple. She wanted to be at his side.


    ooo


    "Ye Rim, before you go, I would like to speak with you," Shin Hye Seong intercepted the singer when she was near the door, about to leave.


    Ye Rim blinked, because the solemn tone of the owner of the house meant something, she was right. She realized that he had taken advantage of the moment when Eun Ha had left to do this. ''Smart, very smart. I don''t know what you want, but I''m starting to understand you, ''Professor Shin''! '' she thought, amused.


    "Sure, why not?" she would not deny this to the owner of the house where she was staying, of course. So Shin asked her to go to the studio ... Of course, it had to do with Eun Ha, she thought. He made Ye Rim enter his studio full of peculiar objects and made her sit down and get comfortable.


    But the Hunter surprised her by starting the conversation by offering her a small, long box. Ye Rim felt a shiver and looked at the fairy, apprehensive. Why was she suddenly afraid of this conversation?


    "Ye Rim, I made this weapon for you," Shin Hye Seong nodded at the box, which Ye Rim hurried to open. What he called a weapon was a long, eccentric silver pendant attached to a chain. The shape resembled a needle or dagger. The surface was grooved. It wasn''t overly embellished, and in fact, looked like perhaps an ethnic jewel. But her instincts suspected something, and Ye Rim had to ask,


    "Does that remind me ... that thorn that my mother took out of Eun Ha''s mother''s chest."


    "You are right. This object is that thorn. But now it is also something that can help you defend yourself," he said calmly.


    "Listen, Professor Shin ..." it was strange to call him Professor since he was not exactly a teacher, but Ye Rim was certainly not prepared to call him a Hunter. What did she want to say to him? That she wasn''t ready to hunt monsters, so she couldn''t keep it? "Look, I don''t even know how to thank you. But it would be a waste. If that magic item is useful, it should be in the hands of those who can actually use it."


    He sighed, a little sadly, and a little annoyed too. Crouching in front of her, Shin said,


    "Ye Rim, it''s not a choice. According to the reports of your mother, the only witness and the person with the greatest interest that was not so, facts happened that indicate that you have a very peculiar skill. As much as you have spent your life denying it, because of your experiences and misfortunes, your skills are real and have become more evident in the last year. So let''s get straight to the point, since I know you really want to go see Jun Hyeon today."


    Experiencing firsthand the assertiveness that Eun Ha complained about so much surprised Ye Rim. She nodded. And the fairy continued,


    "You are here for a few days and this house has already changed. You exude magic, a lot of magic, with your simple presence. If there was something wrong with you before, this year things have changed. It''s your peak. There''s no denying it. The Devourer already knows who you are and probably already knows WHAT YOU ARE. The threat you are. And the Devourer is already after you, as you saw that night when we went to the amus.e.m.e.nt park."


    She shivered at the mere mention of that night. Shin also nodded and said,


    "It is part of my job to find him as soon as possible, but¡­ I cannot be looking for him all the time, and also by his side. Nor would you want that. Or you will want Chang Mi all the time with you. HE wants you. So keep my words as very serious things."


    Ye Rim swallowed. The Hunter looked her in the eye,


    "Soon I will confront him. If I fail, he''ll come after you. He cannot reach you directly, because nothing supernatural can hurt you. Then he will reach everything around you, and do many tricks to have you at his mercy. But eventually, it will reach you personally. Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    He couldn''t be clearer, and again Ye Rim nodded, without taking his eyes off him.


    "I need you to prepare to kill the Devourer, in case I can''t. I will tell you how," Shin stood up.

 Chapter 195 - Its my Lucky Color

    Eun Ha was devastated by the recent revelations, mainly because she was so futile and let herself be carried away by appearances and prejudice. She believed that the ''bad boy'' was a psychopath while in fact the one who looked innocent was who he was! The fairy felt she owed Dr. Kim an apology for all her nagging. And the more she thought about it, the more she imagined that she had put her friend in danger by trying to get her closer to Dae Won, the real madman there!


    Mr. Ahn had brought Eun Ha to Pearl by car, which he never visited before. Once there, she introduced him to her ex-boss, Mr. Park, who was a friendly person and easily made friends. The butler wanted to help her with Ye Rim''s gifts, flowers, fruit baskets and other things, but Eun Ha refused to accept,


    "Please keep Mr. Park company, this is a light service, and it''s your night off. You are already doing a lot to bring me here," in fact she couldn''t conceive of Mr. Ahn working while she, who was young, was idle. She was neither a princess nor an invalid. Even at home, he didn''t do heavy work because Shin wouldn''t allow it. Some services were outsourced and Mr. Ahn took care of only the essentials that Shin didn''t trust anyone else. But now Mr. Ahn wanted to pamper her as if she were precious. Although she was flattered, Eun Ha knew it was only because he was so happy to be rid of his master''s chronic foul mood.


    But it was great to know that Mr. Ahn approved of their relationship!


    After the reopening and disclosure of Duk Mi''s name, Pearl started to receive more customers, at least that''s what Ms. Song said. And Eun Ha was seeing fresh faces at the tables. Still, she would prefer Pearl to move to a better place. Although only in her imagination, she could see a sip of yin energy coming from the top of the building and blocking the bar''s commercial success. That place had many disputes and just got in the way of good energy, and she would like to help. If only Mrs. Song wasn''t so stubborn!


    It was her second trip to the car carrying the gifts that Ye Rim got from his friends on the day of Pearl''s farewell. It was no longer raining, but there was a cold, uncomfortable wind. Only a few more things were missing and it would have ended. Then she could go back to Shin and convince him to watch a romantic movie with her ... Perhaps?


    Eun Ha wanted more intimate moments with her boyfriend, but since they started dating, they have made little progress in this regard. Not only was Shin quite ''traditional'' but Chang Mi was almost all the time, especially by night, with them. And because of his nightmares, he even slept in the room with Shin¡­ ''That smartass kiddo, he thinks I don''t know what he''s doing!''


    The fairy was in the middle of these thoughts, while organizing the items in the back seat of the car, when she felt a presence behind her. Her hand was in the way of her coat pocket, to pick up her magic wand, when a threatening voice warned,


    "Don''t even think about it. Hands up!" she felt the presence of other people around her at the same time that something hard touched her back.


    ''Damn it! What do I do now?!''


    Another man approached and felt in her coat pockets, much to Eun Ha''s despair. ''Don''t! They know!'' she felt her level of despair rise when she realized that she was being mugged for a very specific reason. The man pulled out her cell phone and also her ''pen'', chuckling,


    "Hahahaha. Here it is. I said she was a witch! I saw it with my eyes!"


    "That explains a lot! The other day with the posters and also how the billboard went fixed overnight!" another voice agreed.


    Eun Ha felt the gun move away from her back, and turned to see three of Hong Gi''s henchmen mockingly surrounding her.


    "What about now, witch, how are you going to make your voodoo?" the tallest of them mocked.


    Eun Ha''s eyes turned in despair to her magic wand in the hands of those dirty people! Really, just seeing them wielding their beloved magic wand looked like they were violating her body!


    "STOP! give it back to me! Take my money, but give me back my¡­"


    "Magic wand, you mean?"


    "Not! It''s a cherished pen! It was my mother''s. Give it back to me, I''ll pay you a ransom!" she tried to bargain, even though she had tears in her eyes and felt panicked. But they just laughed.


    "What are you going to do now that you''ve lost your powers, witch?" one asked, but another said,


    "Let''s get out of here soon. I want to know what this magic wand can do for us!"


    "What about her?"


    "She knows she can''t challenge us, does she? She lost her powers, did you see that she tried nothing without the wand? It''s clear she just can''t! Hehehe!"


    They still looked at her, and the guy with the wand pretended to break the magic object with his knee. Eun Ha felt her knees weak and her heart pounding in despair,


    "Stop! I''ll pay whatever you want!"


    "Y''all see it? If it wasn''t important, she wouldn''t be so desperate!"


    "Don''t be silly! So why in the hell would we sell something that can create all the money in the world!" the man holding the wand scoffed.


    "C''mon C''mon!" one of them urged, and they moved away, while Eun Ha felt her legs as heavy as lead, in a genuine panic. She even overheard them talking to each other excitedly,


    "Do you really think we can make money using this thing?"


    "I think the only thing impossible now is to fix your ugly face, hahaha!"


    "Hey you asshole!"


    Eun Ha crouched down, trying to breathe and with her hand over her heart. She was still shaking and trying to organize her thoughts. She couldn''t believe that she had been mugged, and that they had taken her magic wand away! Once again she had been sloppy and Shin would be furious about it!


    Because, of course, it wouldn''t be difficult for the Hunter to retrieve the magic wand they stole from her.


    And they wouldn''t be able to use it, anyway. But every second they spent with their wand, the more they would contaminate it with their mean and vile energy.


    Not only that.


    How did she, a fairy, manage to be assaulted by humans and couldn''t even react? Although she knew that fairies were not easy to kill, her survival instinct spoke louder. Perhaps Eun Ha still thought of herself as human in that regard, but she was afraid of being hurt. And well, she had already seen that even a fairy was hurt, and was in pain. And she was afraid ...


    ''What a humiliation!!!''


    Wiping away the tears of distress and anger that kept running down her face, she knew she needed to take action. If she called Shin to fix it, he would have even more reason to insist that she wasn''t yet ready. If he had already suggested that Eun Ha study in Dominion while he hunted the Devourer, with the news that she was unable to defend even her own wand ... he would insist again.


    ''Not! I definitely can''t accept this! I can, and must, handle it myself! '' she decided, standing up and inhaling air into her lungs.


    "I will give those scoundrels a lesson that they will never forget!" thus deciding, she marched into Pearl again.


    Minutes later, wearing a Duk Mi''s blue sequined jacket as a dress and blue high boots that were part of Ye Rim''s old costume, she crossed the street to a noraebang where those gangsters used to gather. It was public and notorious that this was where they spent their time when they weren''t around Pearl causing problems.


    But it wasn''t even necessary to enter. When passing through an alley, the fairy realized that the three were there, hidden from other people, as she heard a familiar voice say,


    "Aish, give it to me! You don''t know nothing! You don''t have to say ''Engado Leverosa'' or whatever! I saw her wearing it and she just¡­ Give it to me, come on!"


    She shivered at the thought of those hands on her delicate wand! She was so full of hatred that all she wanted to do was break the hands of those useless parasites. But for now, taking a deep breath, the fairy entered the alley making a lot of noise with her high-heeled boots that made her at least six inches taller.


    "But what is this?" one of them turned and noticed her arrival before anyone else, and stood agape staring at the shiny and flashy woman in high-heeled boots.


    "Hey, it''s the hot witch''s friend! What outfit is that? Now that you can no longer be a witch because you lost your wand, have you changed your profession?" the laughter of the other henchmen accompanied the witty comment. Eun Ha snorted and replied, with a sarcastic and mean smile,


    "You kind of asked me to change my clothes. But please take note that blue is my LUCKY color."


    The trio turned to her, curious about the change in attitude. She was not begging or crying, in fact Eun Ha was looking at them menacingly.


    "What are you talking about? Do you want to negotiate or something?" one of them asked, showing curiosity.


    "You already realized that this object, which is special to me, doesn''t work in your hands, does it?"


    "What are you talking about¡­?" the astonished response from one of them showed that they had already suspected the fact.


    "That I want to negotiate. You give me back my cell phone and pen, and I''ll let you live," Eun Ha gave a disturbing smile, advancing on them and raising a hand to the sky. A sudden flash and crash hit the alley, while Eun Ha laughed startlingly,


    "Mwhahahahahahha!"

 Chapter 196 - How to Confess your Love in Dire Times

    Ye Rim saw the reporters standing in front of Jun Hyeon''s building, and winced in concern.


    The scandalous news involving Dr. Kim and MP Lee was a field play for the press, and they would not give up as Jun Hyeon''s accusation against his former schoolmate and his sister''s ex-fiance was unsettling.


    She stopped the car across the street, and decided to call again before entering. Ye Rim still had the key, which he insisted she keep, but she would like not to use it. This time Dr. Kim answered on the third call, much to the singer''s relief,


    "I don''t know if I should, but I''m in front of your building with food for you. Are you busy? Where are you?" maybe it was sounding pathetic, but it wasn''t the time for games between them. She needed to see him, wanted to know if he was okay. She wanted to make him feel a bit better, if she could.


    "Get out of there, the press is there. I''m in a hotel. I''ll send the address," his voice sounded tired and serious, even a little imperative, but Ye Rim didn''t mind this last part,


    "Okay," and hung up the phone, starting the car. She imagined that even Mrs. Go''s house was surrounded by reporters as well. Tonight, Lee was likely to go free with a habeas corpus. Unfortunately it wasn''t possible to speed up the testimony processes, headed by Chang Mi''s statement, which could prove that Lee was a dangerous man and that he kept Ji Hyeon in captivity. But Kim''s lawyers worked for it, as did Jae Wook.


    Upon arriving at the hotel, she was expected and went up to the room where Dr. Kim had stayed. For a moment she thought it might ruin her career, be seen entering a man''s hotel room, but she couldn''t help it.


    He opened the door, looking down and with deep dark circles around his eyes.


    Ye Rim didn''t say anything.


    Just hugged him tight.


    Dr. Kim was taken by surprise, but he returned the hug and pulled her inside, closing the door behind them.


    "You are mad! Aren''t you thinking about your career?" he whispered, chin resting on her head, Ye Rim still in his arms.


    "I''m not that selfish. Or maybe it is. I thought you needed me," she tried to be a little funny, looking up at him in giving herself extreme importance. She noticed that his eyes shone slightly amused by her statement, despite the tiredness and stress. Jun Hyeon said, releasing her,


    "Well, it looks like it. Your hug is ther.a.p.eutic for me."


    "I can do this whenever you want me to," Ye Rim smiled slightly, finally walking away and looking around. It was in an anteroom of the suite and a wall separated the bedroom from the lounge where the connected laptop was on the table and the cell phones were charging. The coat was on a chair and the suitcase was in a corner, indicating that Jun Hyeon had not done anything like resting since he arrived.


    "Eun Ha sent food. It''s her way of showing that she cares a lot," Ye Rim took the lunch box out of the bag. Jun Hyeon smiled,


    "That''s very kind of her. I???m grateful," he didn''t seem very inclined to make a meal, until Ye Rim opened the bento and the appetizing aroma of homemade meal reached him.


    "I guess I didn''t know I was hungry until I saw this bento, my stomach is growling. I don''t remember when I haven''t eaten last."


    "I bet you were around with just coffee all day," she commented, arranging everything for him to sit and eat. Ye Rim watched him enjoy his meal for a while, then said that she would hang his clothes on hangers. As he didn''t object, she did so while he finished the meal. Suddenly, Jun Hyeon turned to her,


    "Should I go to him and beg him to release my noona? So he doesn''t let her die?" It was a tough question and Ye Rim didn''t know if he really didn''t have the answer. She knew it was being difficult and that Jun Hyeon undoubtedly blamed himself for not knowing it. He no doubt imagined that all nightmares and hallucinations were related to the fact that he intimately knew and did nothing. Of course, that was beyond him.


    "Well," she came back and stopped beside the table, bringing Jun Hyeon''s head to her stomach, stroking his hair. "I don''t know if begging, or threatening Dae Won will do any good. He''s sick and I mean it. Who knows if someone makes a psychological profile of him, somehow understand how to get him to speak where she is. At least in the movies, it works. We should ask Detective Ji."


    "Detective Ji?" he looked up suddenly, looking surprised. "Not OPPA, but Detective Ji?" the unexpected question made Ye Rim raise an eyebrow in surprise.


    "He''s still a fantastic person, but I have another favorite Oppa now. You," Ye Rim said, ruffling his hair and making a move to release him. She had confessed her feelings but felt a heat in her face, and wanted to take it back, but Jun Hyeon quickly put his arm around her h.i.p.s, not letting her go.


    "Ye Rim, it''s a terrible time to say that, and God knows how I tried to find the best timing. When this is all over.. date with me."


    "...!" she blinked, startled.


    "Is it really that bad?! You don''t have to answer. I guess I definitely don''t fit your dream of happiness. But ... I like you. I want to have you around. I really, really want to have you around, next to me," he sighed, looking into Ye Rim''s eyes. "But right now, I have little to offer on my part. I know that."


    His reddish eyes shone, and she knew that Jun Hyeon was very close to his own limits.


    Reaching out to take his hands on her h.i.p.s, she made Jun Hyeon stand up. Ye Rim could feel his gaze examining her closely, looking for clues as to how she would respond. Still holding his hands, she looked up at him again,


    "I can''t wait. I want to be your girlfriend now."


    "Why? It would be very selfish of me to want you by my side when I''m living this nightmare. When I can offer so little, close to what I want and I know you deserve!" he said the words at once, and didn''t flinch nor his eyes lie. He meant it.


    It seemed difficult for Jun Hyeon to understand the obvious, so Ye Rim put her fingers over his lips, to keep him silent,


    "Shhh! You are confused and with a lot to think about. What are we going to do then? Wait for the perfect moment? I don''t think life is like that, with perfect timing and a light sign going on to tell you that we can already record the show! If I ... love you," Ye Rim took a deep breath, realizing what she had said and realizing that Jun Hyeon''s pupils they dilated to the sound of her voice, "If that''s the case, I want to be by your side in difficult times too. And if you don''t have the energy to dedicate to me now, that''s not a problem. I want to date you, Dr. Kim. I can wait for the good times to come, to enjoy them together. I¡­ I think you''re worth it."


    At first Jun Hyeon was confused, and then his cheeks flushed at the same time as his eyes lit up,


    "You have a gift for embarrassing me and making me very insecure, you know?" his hands ran back to her h.i.p.s. Ye Rim couldn''t control her smile nows, he knew she must have looked like a fool showing all her teeth. But Jun Hyeon smiled too. And it was good to see him smiling amid so much tragedy.


    "Me? Of course not. You are unshakable. I should have known I''d fall in love with you when you took your shirt off for me."


    "Well, that was quite a dilemma. The view was superb!" he winked, and then with a sigh he walked away. "Luckily you''re crazy enough to understand and forgive my inability to be romantic right now."


    "Okay okay. I understand. You are the man of my fantasies, but you are also a human being. You need to eat, take a shower, rest ... Because we have to find your noona."


    Jun Hyeon looked at her, and nodded slowly,


    "Did I tell you we''re getting married?" but after he said that he went to the bedroom and when Ye Rim followed, he was already entering the bathroom, and closing the door behind him.


    "What?!"


    ''He did it on purpose!'' Ye Rim sat on the bed, thinking of the words and the serious tone with which he said it. At another time she would have thought it was a silly provocation, but not today. Kim Jun Hyeon really meant what he said, after they confessed as two a.d.u.l.ts, no games and no desire spell to create a romantic fantasy full of empty promises.


    Ye Rim was happy, and Jun Hyeon convinced her with simple words he loved her.


    She felt her heart racing and that at least corrected the anticlimactic and uns.e.xy confessing from both parts. Knowing that he loved her and didn''t feel able at that time to give his best. But she''d give her best to him.


    But at that moment, how could they be happy without guilt?

 Chapter 197 - Closer than Ever

    Chang Mi had woken up early in the morning with oppression in his chest, and rubbed his eyes without remembering exactly what he had dreamed of, only with the certainty that it had not been a good thing. With all the recent events, this suffocating sensation didn''t surprise him.


    "Bad dream?" the Hunter''s voice totally woke him up. He raised his body and saw that the master was zooming at maps on his cell phone, lying beside him. Chang Mi suspected that it was a search for the Devourer,


    "I think it was only anxiety because of the statement today. Officer Ji said that I will make an identification of the suspect among other people. And I will help them with a sketch of the woman I met. But ... I kind of blasted him that day, with my powers. I don''t know how I did it, I was nervous, and it was just out of instinct."


    "He won''t confirm this, so I don''t see why you should comment," said the Hunter. "I am not taking you to the police station, though, but Eun Ha said she will go with you," he added, standing up with a determination that seemed to Chang Mi stemming from a sudden decision. The student sat down, and asked,


    "Hyung, did you find the Devourer?"


    "I think so. I''m going to investigate a suspicious radio tonight."


    "I can go with you?" Chang Mi asked before he had really thought about how it would sound. The Hunter gave him a strange look, and said,


    "It wouldn''t be good. Furthermore, your testimony is key to finding that woman as soon as possible. You should be alert and waiting. And¡­ you can keep Eun Ha out of trouble while I''m gone."


    "Aish, noona can handle herself, she even ...!" despite wanting to express his admiration for his delicate noona, Chang Mi stopped in time. Because the Hunter released him from looking after Ye Rim noona he didn''t have much to do the night before, and realizing Eun Ha''s delay, he went to Pearl after her. Only to find her in the alley giving a lesson to some henchmen.


    She completely intimidated them, to the point of they peed in their pants and begged for their lives. But of course, if he couldn''t keep his mouth shut, Hunter Shin would think it was not funny at all.


    "Did she even ...?" But Professor Shin was very attentive, and it did not escape him Chang Mi had suppressed information. Then Chang Mi gave a sardonic smile,


    "She even tries to take care of us all."


    "It is part of her kind and helpful nature. But she wants to help find Miss Kim. However, at this point in human investigations, we cannot interfere. It would be risky for everyone."


    Chang Mi agreed with that opinion and also had a good impression of Officer Ji. He had already been informed of the success rate in his cases, and it was very high.


    "I''ll be keeping an eye on noona while hyung is away," he said, staring at the fairy. And before leaving the room, Chang Mi added,


    "Please take care of yourself too. Come back to us."


    Chang Mi just didn''t have a good feeling for that day.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Accompanied by Lawyer Choi, upon arriving at the police station, Chang Mi and Eun Ha were taken to a waiting room. Chang Mi was instructed to report everything again.


    The events were very vivid in his mind, with colors, sounds, and even sensations. Furthermore, his habit of recording his strange dreams had made him record the events of that day in detail, while they were still fresh in his mind. It wasn''t necessary as he was never able to forget. When he saw that man next to Ye Rim noona, her heart froze. Although the day he saw him he was wearing a cap and mask, Chang Mi was sure it was him.


    It was either his eyes or ... his supernatural instincts were more acute. He wasn''t sure if that was possible, and he had had that question with Hunter Shin. But the hyung had told him that no fairy could boast of identifying a bad or crazy person just by seeing him. Not all bad people had unbalanced yin energy or were surrounded by wraiths.


    The strangest thing was to know that they were in the same places after that, but they did not meet. Ye Rim had said that on the day of the fashion show, Musician Lee dodged him and left immediately. Chang Mi didn''t remember seeing him, but Ye Rim said the opposite was probably true. But he recalled chasing Lee Dae Won the other day in the dance school.


    They had to wait for a considerable time, and Chang Mi felt that his head was going to explode in pain. Since morning I was feeling some heaviness and a strange sensation, but now it was getting worse.


    He excused himself and went to the bathroom to wash his face. After doing this, and looking up into the mirror, his vision suddenly became dark and filled with purple dots. Chang Mi gripped the edge of the sink tightly, feeling his finger joints stretch as far as possible.


    "No!" he murmured, because now he knew what was going on. His father, Seong Hwa, the Devourer, was on his mind. Despite the link supposedly being broken with the destruction of the spike, the Devourer was there, with him. As if it were behind his eyes. He didn''t recognize the person in the mirror as being himself, Yoo Chang Mi. That curious look, the eyebrow raised in question, the pale face and the faint smile sticking out of the corner of his lips ... That was not Chang Mi.


    KNOCK KNOCK


    A knock on the door, and Eun Ha''s voice outside brought him out of the trance,


    "Chang Mi, please come. They are calling you to identify the suspect."


    Chang Mi took a deep breath, terrified.


    ''What do you want here?! If you can hear me, tell me, what do you want?!'' he wondered in his mind, wondering if the Devourer could hear him. And if I would answer it.


    But there was no answer.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "You look pale, Persimmon," commented Eun Ha, seeing Chang Mi squinting with a pained expression as they left the building.


    "I have a headache and I''m hungry, in fact, noona. Can we stop for coffee, maybe?" the student replied, trying to smile. But Eun Ha understood. They spent the entire morning inside the police station, and Chang Mi had to recall all the horrible events and then identify the man who assaulted him among some suspects. They never crossed paths with Musician Lee, and lawyer Choi''s team protected Chang Mi''s identity and presence, so that the press didn''t even know he was there. Finally, he testified for a portrait of the woman he took to Mrs. Go''s mansion. She didn''t question that he was emotionally exhausted, even though he liked to look like a blas¨¦ guy most of the time.


    Ye Rim picked them up by car and said goodbye to Lawyer Choi. Given Chang Mi''s need, they decided to go to a cafe. On the way there, Eun Ha''s mind wandered over other matters.


    After last night, Eun Ha was still unsettled about getting rid of problems and three Hong Gi''s henchmen, making them promise to leave Pearl alone if they wanted to get away. But she also knew that admitting to being a supernatural being for those humans had not been the best alternative.


    ''Will it cause me any problems in the future?'' even while worrying about the Kim Ji Hyeon affair and Chang Mi, she also thought she might not have done the best. The young fairy tried to mentally justify herself, but the concerns persisted. It was better to tell Shin as soon as she arrived home, even risking a scolding. At least it would help her think of ways to minimize the impact of what she had done. Eun Ha just couldn''t stand the thought of leaving her wand another minute with those worms!


    While she was distracted by her internal dilemmas, the three arrived at the cafe and sat in silence for a while. Eun Ha noticed that Ye Rim looked more radiant than ever, especially in contrast to Chang Mi''s distant and somber expression.


    "Are you sure you''re okay, Persimmon?" she asked, making Ye Rim stop looking at her cell phone for a moment to check him too.


    Chang Mi tilted his head to the side looking at her, and the fairy was definitely concerned. He used to be brazen with other people, staring directly, but he hardly ever did that to her. Then he said, and his voice sounded ''strange'',


    "Do you really like coffee or is it just ''fashionable''?"


    "What?" it was a strange question that came out of nowhere after the morning that passed. "I¡­ Are you okay, Persimmon? What kind of question is that?"


    "You¡­ I should be thanking you, supposedly. For taking such good care ... of Chang Mi."


    Eun Ha felt her body hair stand on end, and Ye Rim''s eyes widened in horror. She didn''t know what was going on, but he wasn''t acting normal. The half-fairy''s lips formed a big smile and he winked, rather charmingly, by the way, while his fingers clung to the edge of the table tightly, his body tense.


    "Chang Mi! Chang Mi!" she called out to him, distressed. ''That'' was not Persimmon.


    Ye Rim, who was at the student''s side, and had instinctively moved away, touched Chang Mi''s shoulder, and he turned to her with the frozen smile on his face, but the intense look sought hers. They stared at each other for a brief moment.


    Then Chang Mi''s body went limp on the bench, and he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 198 - A Chance to Escape

    Ji Hyeon opened her eyes, hearing the sounds of footsteps echoing outside the container. Although it had been awful to get there the way she did, and all the fear that went through the first few days, it was the most certain chance she had of escaping in years.


    The reasons why Dae Won brought her here were pretty obvious now, although they weren''t at first. He was thinking about getting rid of Ji Hyeon, but he still didn''t know how. And he thought about outsourcing the situation, pushing the problem to someone who sold his qualms and was already involved in the crime, when years before, he found a body to be cremated instead. It wouldn''t be long before the chief of those men got tired of the situation of having a useless hostage, and decided to ''have a problem that needed drastic measures''. Dae Won''s hypocritical and sick mind longed for something like this. At least that was what Ji Hyeon believed.


    But, things have changed a little, leaning favorably to her side after all.


    Thanks to loneliness.


    There were three shift changes around her cell, which came with her meals. Normally she cleaned her cell each morning, under surveillance, and her jailer in the morning even allowed her to stay outside the container for a while, claiming that ''even prisoners need a yard time''. It wasn''t a yard time in the strict sense, but she could stretch out and see a little natural light through the tall windows of the shed. The morning man was also the one who brought her clean clothes and sanitary pads and headache remedies. Ji Hyeon could see that he was obsessed with health and hygiene by the little she talked to him about.


    The man in the afternoon did not speak to her or let her out, except when that was inevitable. He used to receive visitors and spend time watching sports or discussing stupid things, making a racket and causing the headache that Ji Hyeon cured with painkillers.


    The man of the night, Jake, did not receive visitors nor did he like to stay there.


    One night through the door he asked whether she would like to watch TV, and thirsty for an opportunity to get out of the container, Ji Hyeon agreed. From that day, after a certain time, he would unlock her and they would spend some time chatting, watching the evening TV shows or playing cards.


    Jae Ik, who was what they called him, had already been in prison, and also, in the lockdown, from what she understood from the conversations they had. And he was kind and patient, to the point that Ji Hyeon wondered why a man like that was associated with that gang and what crime he committed to having gone to jail. But she always preferred to keep matters neutral so as not to lose the perks she had.


    She intended to probe the possibility of making a deal. Jae Ik didn''t want her dead, he had no interest in that. But he also didn''t want to get into trouble with the rest of the gang, she was sure. But maybe Ji Hyeon could start to put the idea in Jae Ik''s head that helping her escape or handing her whereabouts to the police would be quite financially advantageous for him. They could think about it together, since the only experience she had of it was watching movies.


    She didn''t want him to be harmed if he decided to help her. But also, Ji Hyeon was afraid to start the subject and be refuted and locked up. ''What to do?'' For the past two nights, his thoughts had only revolved around that. But she felt inclined to try, even today, to introduce the subject. Ji Hyeon didn''t know how much more time he had left in that container.


    She couldn''t wait too long.


    That afternoon, however, the big boss himself had come here. She overheard his conversation to his men apprehensively. The place full of echoes didn''t let her know if they were near or far from the container, but she managed to understand part of the conversation,


    "... Prepare this corner here so that nothing will slip. The police are looking for her right now, and I want to make sure I don''t have this on me," she recognized Hong Gi''s cynical and unpleasant voice. The men started dragging things around and making comments and suggestions among themselves, while Ji Hyeon struggled to hear more of Hong Gi''s voice. At one point, she heard him explode,


    "Aishh that bastard isn''t answering my calls, is he?! But I''ll not get this on me, I''m not holding his hot potato anymore! Either he solves his problem or I''m going to blow him up!"


    Ji Hyeon felt nauseous when she realized that her life was on the line again. She didn''t know what was going on, but she had understood that the police were looking for her! What would be a relief, she discovered, only increased her tension. Then someone said,


    "Boss, I just got a message from one of the guys. Apparently they are alive, but you will not like to hear. In fact, I don''t even know how to interpret what is written ..."


    "Speak up! What''s wrong with interpreting? Where are those three and why did they disappear without warning? I was already starting to think it was a problem ...!" the boss replied angrily. The henchman started to read,


    "''I''m not going back and I don''t think the others are going either. The Pearl''s hot singer is related to black magic, and last night we had proof of that. If you don''t believe it, just think about why it is still there. This has always been inexplicable but now we know why. They are witches! Don''t try to convince me. If coming back means staying close to Pearl, neither I nor the guys want to.'' End."


    During the reading, Ji Hyeon heard poorly contained laughter, and finally, they lose it. Hong Gi himself gave a dry, humorless laugh,


    "Witches¡­ That would explain a lot. I don''t know what they''re talking about, but I can''t get rid of that damn Pearl no matter how hard I try!"


    "But¡­ doesn''t the pretty chick have a good contract now? She has even done a farewell show!"


    "Hmpf! Stopping to think, this is even worse. Now with money, that dumb woman might well want to finance that failed place and disrupt my plans. No. I need to be more incisive. And if she is a problem and if she is involved with magic, black or whatever..."


    Ji Hyeon would normally have found it all very ridiculous, a gangster who is superstitious and who believes in witches. But that seemed to disturb him even more than her presence, so she could only think it was a good thing he was superstitious.


    But after that, she was taken out of the container and placed in front of a cardboard wall. They didn''t bother to hide their faces, and that was an awful sign, she assessed.


    One of the men turned on a cell phone camera, and they started to record her. Ji Hyeon''s heart raced and a thousand contradictory thoughts and theories came to her mind. She couldn''t stay calm and tears started streaming down her face, even though she didn''t dare open her mouth. Nobody said anything for the short time they shot it, and then with a wave from Hong Gi, she was taken and locked up again.


    Ji Hyeon realized that they never imagined that she could hear their conversation when she was inside, no matter where they were.


    "What are we going to do with this footage, boss?"


    "This is my safe way out of this situation. If that insane playboy is not going to solve this mess, I''ll fix it for him¡­ But I want my guarantees to get out of it."


    It wasn''t possible to understand just what the gangster''s plans were with just this piece of information, but Ji Hyeon at least realized that he had a little more time. She had to act fast.


    Then, at night, when Jae Ik came to ask her to dinner in the mezzanine office, in front of the TV, she was determined to take the chance.


    But Jae Ik surprised her when he placed the delivery package in front of Ji Hyeon and commented,


    "You are the national affair today, Ji Hyeon."


    "...!" it was shocking but at the same time, it made sense. It explained a lot. Jae Ik turned on the TV, and pointing at the device with the remote while chewing, shrugged,


    "I didn''t think the story was that brutal, girl. I didn''t even know you were KIM JI HYEON. I mean, the dancer."


    She stopped unpacking the food, looking at the screen. They''re airing a retrospective of her life, and ended with the twist about her supposed death, involving her fianc¨¦ at the time, Dae Won as the main suspect. He had killed someone, but Ji Hyeon didn''t pay any more attention. She turned to her friendly jailer,


    "Jae Ik! Help me! My family can pay a reward! We can get everything arranged for you! Please help me! I know this is the critical moment!"


    Jae Ik stared at her, swallowing the food in his mouth with difficulty. He seemed to reason about the possible outcome of this case and his role in all of this. Ji Hyeon took advantage of his thoughtful and uncertain expression to insist,


    "You know you will never get rich here, living like this, but if you help me, I''ll help you back! Just help me escape! Let''s think about how to do this! Help me escape and my family will make you rich! I promise!"


    At that very moment, her brother''s face appeared on TV. Reporters surrounded Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon, at the door of some place that Ji Hyeon did not identify. He reinforced the information,


    "Yes, it is true. There is a reward for the person who gives us concrete clues that lead us to my sister Ji Hyeon. I am sure that someone may have seen her recently, since according to witnesses she managed to escape once from her captivity. So I come forward to ask," he stared at the camera, "if you saw her, let us know. You will be rewarded."


    Then the journalist reported the reward amount and the police phone number. Aside from the police number, Dr. Kim opened a call center for news from his sister. It was an absurdly tempting amount as a reward for information.


    "Jae Ik! Be that person!" Ji Hyeon leaned towards him, pleading.

 Chapter 199 - Showdown

    KWB.


    The light lettering on the wall looked out of focus, so Chang Mi realized he was seeing through fogged glass. An almost imperceptible shadow came into view, and he turned, climbing the winding stairs silently. He looked at his bare feet. He looked at the pajama pants, loose and dragging on the floor, and the silk robe open over it. He looked at his nails painted black ... were they really painted? No, they were really black, he observed with horror.


    ''Why did you bring me here?'' he asked himself. He knew he was dreaming, and in his dream, he was the Devourer. Seriously, he didn''t want to dream that. Chang Mi didn''t know if it was just a dream, either.


    ''Don''t be afraid, Chang Mi. I just want you to know something. I didn''t want to leave you. They forced me. And now¡­'' The shadows surrounded him like pets that brushed his legs and sought the contact of his fingers, as he climbed the stairs. Wraiths. There was some expectation in the air, it wasn''t just any night.


    Then Chang Mi remembered! Today the Hunter would go hunting for the Devourer.


    Damn it! ''He''s on my mind'', and that meant he knew it, as soon as Chang Mi thought.


    ''Don''t worry, Chang Mi. I already expected. My diligent friend Hye Seong has been working hard for a rematch. Hye Seong is stubborn and prideful. But there''s a problem, Chang Mi. I don''t want to die,'' he just heard the voice echoing in his mind, without moving his lips.


    The upper floor was a house, and Chang Mi / the Devourer navigated into a large room, and opened the glass doors to the terrace. A gust of cold wind enveloped the Devourer''s body, but the sensations were numb in Chang Mi''s head. The only thing he felt alive and vibrant was a hollow sensation that felt like a painful hunger, especially when he paid attention to it. A longing for something intangible and ecstatic. A craving for a torrent of pleasure and magic.


    On the terrace, Chang Mi could see the big transmission antenna of the pirate radio, above other buildings in the city. KWB was a clandestine radio with a lot of resources and professionalism, apparently. The house was a rich and comfortable place, and Chang Mi was able to see some familiar location points from the rooftop.


    "Hey, wait,'' he tried to get the Devourer''s attention,'' Since you say you care, at least you could tell me your point of view of what happened.'' he didn''t know if it would make any difference, and the Devourer asked,


    ''Wouldn''t it be a waste of time?''


    ''Why do you say that?''


    You already have a side.''


    ''If it''s a waste of time to talk to me, why did you come to me?'' Chang Mi questioned.


    ''I looked for you and found you some time ago. Close to the appetizing Miss Wild Fairy and the Enchanted Human Girl. I expected you to remain ... safe... '' the Devourer sighed, and suddenly Chang Mi had a blurred vision and then it went completely black, as if he had lost control of himself ...


    Chang Mi awoke abruptly, feeling a cold and delicate hand on his forehead. His head was on the well-known pillow in the Hunter''s room, and Eun Ha reclined on him with a concerned look. He felt hot, but he got even hotter when he saw the curve of noona''s neck and her lips so close, asking in a distressed voice,


    "Persimmon¡­! Please say anything! Please!"


    He gave a nervous cough, and after the surprise Eun Ha''s lips smiled. It would be his dream come true to be in a room alone with Eun Ha, but not as a patient. And not struggling to get rid of the Devourer''s mind control webs. How could it happen?


    "Eun Ha ..."


    That short break was interrupted by a searing headache, and again his vision started to blur,


    "No!" he groaned, grabbing Eun Ha''s wrist before being swallowed up again for the strange connection with his father, the Devourer. Chang Mi didn''t want to go, he didn''t want that connection.


    But this time, when he looked through the eyes of the Devourer, he heard him say,


    ''Love upsets and blinds us, huh? If it weren''t for that silly and unpredictable feeling ... Everything would be different.''


    He could try to understand what the Devourer was referring to, but Chang Mi feared he did not have the capacity for understanding the clearly deranged and insane mind of his father. The Devourer could be talking about Chang Mi, and his youthful crush on Noona. He could be talking about himself. And he could be talking about Hunter Shin''s motivations.


    Coming from the lower floor of the duplex, HUnter Shin made his appearance.


    Shin had a sword in his hand and his gaze was cautious and fixed on the Devourer''s face. Chang Mi was pushed to the back of the mind, as a forced observer of events. The Devourer''s attention was now entirely on the newcomer.


    "Are you dumbfounded because you found out that I killed him?"


    Chang Mi knew that the Devourer was referring to the corpse in the radio studio. He wondered if that was the music expert fairy that the Hunter mentioned. Shin''s furious look showed that the Devourer nailed it. The spectral wraiths stirred at the Hunter''s appearance, and bristled like trained animals awaiting the order to attack. All the young half-fairy wanted was to cut the empathic bond with the Devourer. But at this point, he realized two things.


    The Devourer longed for this moment, and was afraid of that confrontation.


    He was afraid to die, and he was afraid to kill.


    "CHANG MI!" Eun Ha''s desperate call came to him, but he was unable to respond, muted and paralyzed. At that moment he was both in the arms of noona and in the mind of the Devourer, and he wondered what kind of torture it was. He didn''t want to see it happen.


    He didn''t want to witness it.


    "AGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Hunter''s violent cry, accompanied by the quick and precise movement to reach the Devourer with the instilled sword was almost a blur. At the same time the Devourer raised his hand with the scepter with an orb, his wand, and Shin slammed against an invisible wall of energy, his body bouncing off with the impact.


    But the Hunter reversed his movement still in the air, apparently being able to measure where the invisible ''wall'' was, and using it to his advantage. He overcame the barrier on the second attempt, and using a metal mesh glove in one hand, conjured up an orb of frightening energy. Now Chang Mi knew that the time when he was instilling magic in those objects, with energy that Eun Ha deposited in the big glass containers in the laboratory, had the purpose of creating these magic weapons.


    The power struggle and agility was unbalanced in favor of the Devourer, while the Hunter used the two instilled magical objects to get rid of the wraiths, getting them out of the way, and advancing inexorably towards the insane fairy. Chang Mi knew every counterattack the Devourer was going to make, and all his reactions to avoid the damage. And every moment he was hurt or hurt the Hunter. Seeing it happen through the eyes of the Devourer was maddening.


    The fight advanced to the terrace, and all caution was put aside. The Devourer became more and more upset and losing his sense of control. Chang Mi could feel Seong Hwan''s faery blood boil and the reason diminish in inverse proportions. Both were injured, but the Hunter was losing attack strength as both his energy and the magical power of the objects began to fade.


    Chang Mi was surprised, at the very moment he was concluding these things, with a surprisingly clever and unexpected attack by the Hunter. That despite facing the damage of going through the Devourer''s elemental attack with his body, he managed to plunge the sword in his opponent''s chest.


    The Devourer''s magic scepter fell to the floor with a metallic noise, while he choked and Chang Mi felt the blood rise in his throat that was not his.


    Chang Mi gasped, sharing his biological father''s physical and mental pain.


    "Yeah ... that''s what will happen to you one day, Chang Mi!" the Devourer managed to speak.


    The statement aloud removed the victory glow from the look with Hunter.


    And with a shock of understanding, Chang Mi realized that yes, the Hunter had stuck the sword in the Devourer''s chest ... But not exactly in his heart, for a tiny mistake. And the fury of pain, anger and madness caused the Devourer to get rid of its self-imposed limitations.


    "Is that what you want, Hye Seong? Kill me? Your master?" Seong Hwan joined forces and stood up, with a hand movement to launch the Hunter away.


    "You killed many of us, Seong Hwan! I have to stop you from killing¡­"


    "How dare you!" the Devourer was staggering, but only with his bare hand did he launch the Hunter with kinetic energy against the antenna a few times, until the structure began to collapse. The loud noise of the collapsing structure hurt Chang Mi''s ears. Shin was unable to get up this last time, even though he struggled to find the strength to do so.


    The Devourer plucked the sword from his chest with trembling hands, and Chang Mi realized that even for him, it was close. Although her magic was strong, her body was like that of all fairies. Gasping in pain, the Devourer invoked his immense magical power into his hand, the hand that held the sword.


    "So far ... I spared you, Shin ... Because you were the only one who stood by me against the Council ..." and the Devourer was slowly approaching the fallen fairy, panting heavily.


    Chang Mi tried his best to shout in his father''s mind,


    ''NO! DONT DO IT! PLEASE! PLEASE DON''T!''


    Shin looked up at the Devourer. He didn''t have the strength to get up and his magic was too little to resist. But he murmured,


    "I regret it, Seong Hwan. I regret."


    The Devourer grimaced, raising his sword towards the heart of the other fairy, as if ignoring the pleas in his mind.

 Chapter 203 - I Want You to Say

    Happiness.


    That was the feeling when steady hands and a look full of evil intentions, and yet, Jun Hyeon''s loving touch her face, pulling it into a kiss. Ye Rim willingly accepted and returned the delicious touch of his lips, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend''s neck. The kiss became deep and possessive, and soon they played and teased each other, feeling their bodies ignite with passion.


    In sync, they stopped to breathe, without taking their eyes off each other, and laughed silly,


    "Are you going to be mean to me?" he asked, looking down at her neck and making Ye Rim shiver with anticipation and desire. Soon that grinning mouth pressed the lips against the exposed skin, brushing the teeth, the tongue, arousing her senses to an extent that her toes curled up inside the shoes and Ye Rim felt herself getting on the tip of the toes.


    "I ... I''m not an easy girl ..."


    "Oh, I know, I know ..." Dr. Kim grunted as he sniffed the perfume on the back of her neck, and leaned the singer against the wall next to the door. "But it''s hot in here, isn''t it?" Jun Hyeon took off Ye Rim''s coat, who didn''t resist to it. Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that the towel around his waist looked... about to fall.


    "It''s ... scorching hot in here," she whispered, barely able to speak. Her fingers went to Dr. Kim''s damp hair while he was quite busy nibbling on her earlobe. "In fact, Dr. Kim, is that always how you receive people¡­? Half-n.a.k.e.d?"


    Jun Hyeon stopped what he was doing, which almost made Ye Rim protest, to face her with a smirk, speaking after stealing a brief kiss on her lips,


    "Look who''s talking, Miss, Half-N.a.k.e.d-At-The-First-Meeting!" Ye Rim''s coat fell to the floor at her feet, and she frowned at the provocation,


    "Hey! That wasn''t even our first date ...! AND¡­!"


    Jun Hyeon interrupted the singer''s protest about the day when her dress inexplicably tore open, with a passionate kiss. His hands went to her waist, starting to pull her blouse out of the skirt and probing the skin beneath the fabric.


    "Ye Rim, I should receive you every day like this!"


    "You pervert!" but she was enjoying the warm, firm touch of his body, and her hands also slid over those magnificent V-shaped back, feeling that Jun Hyeon also had the same reactions as she did. Ye Rim could feel his skin getting goosebumps at her subtle touch. Whatever she came to say to him that night was completely forgotten.


    "Jun Hyeon ..." she purred.


    "Did you say my name?" he pulled away from her mouth, looking delighted that he was causing her to m.o.a.n. The devilish Jun Hyeon emerged even at such a moment!


    Ye Rim narrowed her eyes, wishing she had the strength to be mean and stop him from going on. But his fingers went up to her sides and now went under the elastic of her bra... If Dr. Kim wanted to prove he was a master of seduction, he was totally nailing it! Ye Rim bit her lip, wishing she could regain control of the situation.


    "Uhmmm, what are you doing ...?" the question was so rhetorical that it had the sole purpose of giving both the chance to stop at that moment and return to reason. Something that, Ye Rim knew, they didn''t really want. Then Dr. Kim suddenly leaned down at the same time as he freed her from her blouse and bra. It was so fast that Ye Rim barely realized,


    "Jun Hyeon!"


    "Oh, as perfect as I remembered them," he praised hoarsely, and grabbed a luscious n.i.p.p.l.e, drawing a choked sound of surprise and pleasure from the singer''s lips. She clamped her fingers tightly on his body, while Jun Hyeon''s tongue did all kinds of sweet sensual torture experiments on her b.r.e.a.s.ts. The mysterious connection between these erogenous points with others was clear, making her body cry out for his urgently.


    Jun Hyeon picked her up,


    "It doesn''t look like I''m going to settle for just that," he teased, as Ye Rim realized he was taking her to bed.


    "I¡­ It wasn''t why I come here for, we shouldn''t," she mischievously teased, trying to take back control. But Jun Hyeon shook his head in denial, depositing Ye Rim carefully on the bed,


    "Don''t even think about it. We have many unfinished businesses in this regard. Do you want me to list all the times I wanted to do what I''m going to do now? Take responsibility, Ye Rim."


    The towel he wore had long since fallen off and he was gloriously n.a.k.e.d in front of her. Ye Rim was able to confirm all her expectations about how handsome, s.e.xy and muscular he was.


    "All the times? Isn''t that too much?"


    It made him laugh,


    "Maybe our conversation about it won''t end tonight ..." He took off her shoes carelessly, ostentatiously throwing them away, and spreading her legs with a devilish smile.


    "You are quite self-confident about it ..." she watched in fascination as Jun Hyeon reached for the hem of her skirt and lift it teasingly, sliding his hands down her legs and making her body literally tremble! Ye Rim felt her mouth parched dry and moistened her lips. The e.r.o.t.i.cism of each of Jun Hyeon''s movements mesmerized her.


    "I need to prove that you were a great fool to postpone this inevitable night with your futile games... Since we knew since day one that we were destined to end up like this, in each other''s arms..." he stopped his bravado to kiss one of Ye Rim''s raised knees, then the other. His hands gently brushed the edges of Ye Rim''s panties, and he gave her a surprised and mischievous look,


    "Hm, lace panties¡­ And you had no plans? Who do you want to kid?"


    For the first time since Ye Rim arrived, she felt exposed and felt her cheeks on fire. She had started wearing lace panties since they started dating, in fact.


    "Don''t be mean!" Ye Rim thought he might as well stop that torture, teasing her like that while lightly caressing the frontal lace, drawing the contours of her most intimate spot.


    "Let''s get rid of any doubts..." He kept locked-eyed with her, a seductive smile on his face, "You are quite outspoken when you want to."


    "What do you want?" Ye Rim hardly believed that Jun Hyeon was a spiteful detail-oriented guy whose whims were to torture her in this way. She was literally burning with desire and needed him NOW!


    "Just that you tell me the truth. Just the truth," he said, leaning over her and playing again with his lips on her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Then making a kiss trail across her solar plexus towards her navel and quickly reaching her pubic mound.


    "Oh hmmm no!" she bit her closed wrist, ecstatic.


    "Not?" he asked, as he pulled on her panties inch by inch, placing kisses on the exposed skin. ''If I say no, will he stop?'' she asked herself,


    "Oh, yes, please, yes!"


    She looked up at the scene and their eyes met for a moment, before he started exploring the newly n.a.k.e.d place with his tongue,


    "Very good. I want the pretty mouth of yours to speak out the truth that the rest of your body speaks to me." Ye Rim wasn''t sure he was kidding, teasing, or being serious, but she nodded, and he went to it with renewed vigor.


    He was incredibly s.e.xy doing that, and he seemed to savor every moment of it, while she grabbed the sheets to endure the sweet ravaging of her body..


    "Hmmmmm ..." she m.o.a.ned, unable to control herself. Her body spoke all the truths and Jun Hyeon was right: she had lived in denial since the first day she saw him.


    "Jun Hyeon, I want you now... please!" she m.o.a.ned in a needy voice.


    He promptly answered her request, leaving to her mouth and fitting his h.i.p.s between Ye Rim''s thighs. She gripped his back tightly, pulling Jun Hyeon in, and arching her back so that her chest squeezed against his. Jun Hyeon squeezed her tight, lifting her buttocks and pulling her against each other until they were fully connected. He groaned as he slid inside her, and Ye Rim couldn''t resist digging her teeth into his shoulder, and starting to move before him.


    "Jun Hyeon!" she gasped.


    Her calling was met with a shower of kisses on her face, forehead, cheeks, mouth, chin, neck, as Jun Hyeon began to move slowly and sensually. It was so delicious that Ye Rim wanted to scream, each movement leading to a crescendo that only fueled her desire to have more of him.


    The singer pulled him in, and Jun Hyeon gave in, a little surprised, and switched positions. Now that Ye Rim was on top, she commanded the pace and was free to move as she wanted. It was satisfying to see the muscles of her partner''s face contract in pleasure and agony, showing the sensations he felt with each of her movements. Jun Hyeon looked at her with adoration, barely containing his m.o.a.ns, just like her. Sometimes he would caress her face and say her name, as if in ecstasy.


    They embraced tenderly when they reached climax. After a few moments with his face buried in Ye Rim''s hair, Jun Hyeon asked,


    "Can we do this more often?"


    Ye Rim nodded and touched the spot where she had bitten,


    "Sorry about it."


    "Ouch, you really are savage!" he joked, brushing the hair off her forehead with his thumb.


    "It''s just that I love you," she said. Ye Rim hadn''t said that before, but she wanted him to hear her confession.


    "I know," Jun Hyeon kissed her forehead affectionately. "And you know that I love you, so it''s all right." And hugged her even tighter, until she complained and he released her, laughing.


    Ye Rim, however, could not help feeling that it was not all right.

 Chapter 204 - A Long Forgotten Memory

    After their intense lovemaking and sweet chatting afterwards, the couple struggle not to sleep, trying to overextend the pleasure of being in each other arms as much as possible. It doesn''t matter they engaged on a teasingly bragging of how they made the other shiver and m.o.a.n. And how they proved their point one more time late in the night.


    But, humans as they were, both Jun Hyeon and Ye Rim couldn''t resist the tiredness of their bodies and mind. Sleep stole them from each other for a moment.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jun Hyeon saw the sky coming towards him, and ironically thought it was fantastic, but it could only be very wrong.


    "I am dreaming, right? This is crazy!"


    Except that, unlike most of his dreams, he felt a great excitement, and it didn''t seem like the end, but the beginning of something. Then his body spun in the air, as he awkwardly tried to correct the parable, and Jun Hyeon went towards the clouds for a moment. He closed his eyes, preparing for impact when he came down. It was so fast that when the impact happened, Jun Hyeon didn''t even feel it. He just noticed his body getting weak, his brain trying to adjust the change in speed, and feeling a panic overtake his mind as he realized what had really happened.


    ''Am I going to die? Oh hell, it''s happening.''


    He hoped to be mistaken.


    He waited for the pain, which came after a few seconds, excruciating as he expected. Jun Hyeon screamed, unable to control himself. Then the pain subdued. Time seemed to stop as snow fell on him.


    ''I''m not going to die because of this stupid accident, but because I am I going to freeze out here. Is it so?'' it was a revolting thought. A ski trail and a stupid, overconfident boy. Someone who felt like the king of the world for being a millionaire overnight. What a stupid death.


    His forces were draining fast, and he heard the characteristic wet screech! when skis stopped beside him, scattering snow everywhere. He heard his noona''s voice. A cry of despair,


    "JUN! Jun Hyeon! Please talk to me!"


    As if it were a poorly edited film, confused things happened in his dream, but Jun Hyeon was in the hospital in Switzerland. Yes, he lived in a dream where he was young Jun Hyeon, although his a.d.u.l.t mind was aware.


    The long recovery time.


    "What happened to you?" He asked the other teenager waiting for his turn in the X-ray room. Jun Hyeon had been hospitalized for several days and didn''t quite understand what people were talking about, but he heard his native language and turned the wheelchair to check over the melodious voice that answered something.


    The boy with the angelic face had also gotten shocked by the coincidence. He also wore hospital clothes, like Jun Hyeon. His legs were in plaster and with frightening orthopedic hardware as external fixators, like Jun Hyeon''s.


    "Oh, uhn ... I fell out of the window. Of the hotel."


    Jun Hyeon found that much more frightening than his own accident, but he didn''t have time to comment or continue the conversation. The nurse was already gently taking him to the x-ray room. He just waved, unable to bend his neck because of the neck brace. The other teenager also waved.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Thanks for the magazines, Miss. Blanche," he thanked in his lousy English to the nurse who left manhwas and American magazines on the nightstand, on her shift.


    "Don''t thank me, Kimmie," for some reason the woman called him that, regardless of any logic. "Thank the patient from the next room. He''s also Korean. Maybe he wants to be your friend."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "What about these balloons?"


    "Well, it''s your discharge day, isn''t it, Kimmie? It''s good to celebrate. Soon you will bid farewell to this hospital and return to your life in your country! It''s actually like a brand-new life. You survived and have no major sequelae. Isn''t it great?"


    "Yes, you and all the staff have been kind to me these months, but I will be happy to leave."


    "Don''t blame yourself. Leave us behind in your memories. You are young and you don''t need to remember pain and wasting so much time in a hospital."


    The conversations with Nurse Blanche, whose face only returned in her dreams now, seemed vague and displaced in time or space, just a tenuous connection to an obscure period in her mind.


    Then his father arrived and took Jun Hyeon away. In the hospital parking lot, while his father kept some objects in the trunk, Jun Hyeon felt that he should look at the floor where he spent so many months.


    Someone was looking out the window, holding one of the golden balloons by the string.


    The patient in the next room.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jun Hyeon woke up stunned, feeling his heart beating very hard against his chest. He felt the comfort of the sheets and the warm body against his, in addition to the intoxicating scent of Ye Rim''s hair.


    He hugged her tightly, molding his body to hers in a spooning. It was a relief to be beside Ye Rim, who reacted with a cute grunt when he squeezed her, and tried to escape. But he didn''t let her out of his embrace. Dr. Kim stuck his face in that silky jungle with coppery hair and took a deep breath, wanting to escape some of the painful shock that dream brought him.


    ''A dream¡­ or a memory?''


    After a few moments, he felt Ye Rim stiffen, fully woke. She sighed,


    "Are you all right, Jun Hyeon?"


    "Hm no. I''m not all right, I wish I was," he confessed, finally sitting down, concluding that he couldn''t go back to the wonderful idyll with his beloved Ye Rim while that thought haunted his mind.


    Jun Hyeon told his strange dream to her. Ye Rim listened to him while lying down, playing with her hair while giving him full attention.


    "That''s what''s on my mind right now, when I wanted to be thinking only of you," Jun Hyeon explained, leaning down to kiss her forehead.


    "You mean, in your dream, the boy next door was ... Dae Won?"

 Chapter 205 - Disturbing Realizations

    Dr. Kim nodded, looking for his clothes and then remembering that there were none.


    "But maybe it''s just a dream. It is no longer enough for him to take everything away from me, he must also take my time with you, and even my sleep¡­ " He turned to Ye Rim again with a loving and apologetic look.


    "Well, unfortunately he can''t get out of our lives until he returns unnie Ji Hyeon," Ye Rim said thoughtfully, and sat on the bed as well. "But if it upsets you so much ... It''s because you think it''s more than a dream, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, Ye Rim. It seems like I''ve been failing to connect things im my head. But, when I''m with you, I''m able to see through the mists of my dreams.Like¡­ You acted like a shining star, perhaps?"


    "Uh, yes. It fits me. I''m a shining star in the sky." Ye Rim mocked with a grin. "I''m glad you feel I''m helping¡­ But perhaps. We''re healing each other. I know I changed a lot because of you, and I''m glad You made me see I armored myself to tightly.. Because I was afraid to fail in more things than my career."


    "Uh, I don''t believe you are saying it!" Jun Hyeon exclaimed. "Is Ye Rim was softening because of me?"


    "Don''t be a jerk!" she slapped his bare back, and he squinted his eyes in surprise. "I mean¡­ Perhaps you are becoming increasingly aware of things you forgot or thought too disturbing to remember, or admit. I don''t know. Dreams always bring truths. I discovered I dreamed of the Fairy Eater since I was a child. I just didn''t know I knew it, or how I knew it. But my dreams were making me look to something I was trying not to see." She now was rubbing his back, comforting him. Jun Hyeon rested his head on her lap for a moment, allowing himself to receive his lover''s affection.


    He thought hard on it. His recurring dreams about the fire. If it made some sense, he was just ignoring something important from those dreams. Something he knew all along.


    "January 25, in fact, is the date of my ski accident in Switzerland."


    It was only when he said that, that is, when the words came out of his mouth, that Jun Hyeon had the shock of the truth. When several pieces of the puzzle suddenly made sense.


    When the boy''s face at the hospital in Switzerland made sense in his mind, and when several small events, clues, and sensations made sense. All at once.


    Jun Hyeon froze at his shock.


    ooo


    Eun Ha placed the steaming rice on the table, with a smile,


    "You must eat, Chang Mi. I did for you! And for Mr. Ahn, too."


    "Noona, you shouldn''t," mumbled the student. "She is very busy taking care of the Master Shin. In fact, with all the things you have to do, your fashion collection, your business meetings, your studies for the fairy council meeting, and still taking care of Hunter Shin ... Isn''t that too much? There is no need to cook."


    "Uhn, but you have had a bad time too, and you are far from your mother! Isn''t my food as tasty as Ms. Yoo''s?"


    Chang Mi quickly dug the spoon into the bowl and filled it with rice, stuffing it in his mouth with an explicit gluttony,


    "OF COURSE NO! I SAY, IT''S BETTER! MUCH BETTER! YUMMMM! NOM NOM!"


    Eun Ha seemed satisfied as the half fairy ate as a savage, and placed side dishes on the table. Mr. Ahn helped her distribute the dishes, and they sat down. Chang Mi asked, still chewing,


    "Your mood is great today, Noona."


    "Yes! After all, I KNOW that things are looking up. I got to talk to Detective Ji last night. He wanted news. But he ended up saying that there is an arrest warrant for Dae Won. So I think they will arrest Lee today."


    That man''s name made him angry, but it also caused another kind of feeling that Chang Mi couldn''t help. That bastard had beaten him and Chang Mi thought he was going to die in front of that mansion, without even knowing the reason.


    Thinking of it made her heart race, the student''s throat tightened and his fingers tingled with magic electricity. Chang Mi was smart enough to wonder if those were symptoms of panic.


    ''Am I a fearful weakling? Am I suffering from panic syndrome with the mere mention of that¡­ bastard psychopath''s name?'' he wondered, feeling like crap.


    His eyes blurred for a moment, and he felt like he was going to start all over again. ''Leave me in peace! Leave me alone!'' he thought, but that alone was not able to convince his father, the Devourer, to stop showing him everything he wanted Chang Mi to see, for some obscure and sordid reason.


    This time, he was in a police car. The sensation was that he was close to the roof, over the head of one of the policemen in the passenger seat. The driver said something to the person in the back seat, but Chang Mi heed no attention to what he was saying.


    He just looked back, as if it were the policeman himself turning over his shoulder.


    ''What is it? Am I seeing through the eyes of a possessed person?'' he asked himself. But his shock was greater when he saw that, in the back seat, Detective Ji smirked slightly, without answering the comment of the police officer he was driving.


    Beside him was Lee Dae Won, handcuffed.


    Musician Lee had his head down, seeming to want to ignore what was going on around him.


    Then, suddenly, the policeman in the passenger seat pushed the steering wheel sharply. The driver couldn''t keep up, and lost control, when he pushed back his colleague and tried to avoid going off the road.


    Screeching tires, the police''s car spun on the wet track.

 Chapter 206 - Unexpected

    The shocking news that a mysterious accident had made it possible for Musician Lee, a confessed murderer of a grave digger and suspect of Kim Ji Hyeon''s kidnapping, made headlines and social media hashtags even before the middle of the day.


    Ye Rim followed her boyfriend''s tense reaction without even being able to believe that something so surreal could have happened. Also, Ji Jae Wook had been injured and spent much of the day in the hospital, while the other two policemen died shortly after being rescued due to severe injuries.


    Only when Jun Hyeon had to meet with his mother and the lawyers, Ye Rim still left his side, feeling stunned by the strange revelations about how Musician Lee really came into Jun Hyeon''s life, and obsessively coming closer to anything important to him.


    She had no idea what could happen in that sick mind. Her major concern now was that, with Dae Won on the run, the chances of finding Ji Hyeon alive could decrease dramatically.


    The singer didn''t like to think about it, but found it plausible that Dae Won would kill Ji Hyeon just to get rid of the problem she had become now. As Jae Wook had said, she was no longer needed by him.


    ''Does it also mean that he can¡­ really come after me?'' she wondered, when the thought came to her mind. But the feeling that ran down her spine was brief, as she felt too self-centered.


    ''Jae Wook was certainly just being overzealous, as always. And I''m not a heroine in a pulp romance, to become the psychopath''s next target! '' she corrected herself with an attack of unusual modesty.


    It just seemed very fanciful that Dae Won would show up one day at her bathroom window with an ax in his hand, threatening her only to hit Jun Hyeon.


    Now, in the late afternoon, she stared sadly at her cell phone with almost no battery, while waiting for Jun Hyeon. She was having coffee at the cafeteria next to the Ji Hyeon Foundation, where Dr. Kim had met with his lawyers.


    A last message from the director of her agency asked her to come urgently, as they needed to talk, it was the last thing she was able to read.


    ''Surely he must fear my involvement with Dae Won and must be very sorry of signing me a contract! Perhaps he proposes to cancel the contract. What should I do in this case? He even paid me good money, which I spent to pay for Pearl''s rehab¡­ I will probably need a lawyer, but I don''t have the strength to sue them for a breach of contract, in this case, ''Ye Rim would like to push further this problem away.


    Just today, after the long-awaited first night with Jun Hyeon, the world once again collapsed. She would have liked to be at that very moment looking at him and laughing with him, but all they received was tragedy and pain everywhere.


    "Ye Rim!" A familiar voice rang out near her, and the hand on her shoulder made her jump in her chair. Turning, Ye Rim put her hand on her chest,


    "Why do you do that, Unnie ?! You want to kill me?!"


    Eun Ha changed her expression to one of extreme concern, sitting quickly in front of her friend and leaning in her direction,


    "You shouldn''t even be alone in a place like this, Ye Rim. With the latest news about Musician Lee''s escape, he can appear next to Dr. Fla¡­ Dr. Kim and no one knows what he can do."


    "You weren''t going to call my boyfriend Dr. Flamingo again, were you?"


    "Ah, Ye Rim, it''s just a habit. I know I must have misinterpreted what I saw. But I saw him!" she defended herself. "But that''s not what I came here for. You are not answering your phone!"


    "Low battery," the singer sadly showed the dark screen to her friend. "I have many things to tell you, some happy and some not, Unnie! But first, let me know! How is Hunter Shin doing?"


    "Ah, he''s recovering well, but his mood is the worst I''ve ever seen," Eun Ha sighed, but ginned shortly afterwards, leaving Ye Rim confused. "That''s not why I''m here, though. I wouldn''t have come if it weren''t seemingly urgent. Ye Rim, you need to come with me now," as soon as he said that, Eun Ha stood up and pulled the singer by the hand.


    Ye Rim shook his head, surprised but determined,


    "Unnie! I want to wait for Jun Hyeon!"


    "Your agency people keep calling me wanting to know where you are and why you don''t answer your phone! They need to talk to you!" Eun Ha insisted. "Didn''t you need to officially know if you were chosen for the drama you worked so hard for?"


    "Yes, but I think that after what happened ..."


    Eun Ha opened his mouth in an ''O'' when he understood what Ye Rim thought. But he soon recovered,


    "Ye Rim! Even if they change their mind, which I doubt, there''s no point in avoiding the truth! It is better to hear what they have to say, no matter what, and ... They are driving me crazy and they even wanted me to give them Dr. Kim''s phone number! Seriously!? Dr. Kim! I didn''t even call him Dr. Flamingo!"


    "Haha, you funny. I don''t know what you might think is so funny at a time like this, but ... Why did they ask for Dr. Kim''s phone number? Aigoo¡­! Do they already know that I spent the night at the hotel with him?"


    "What? Ye Rim?! You naughty girl!" Eun Ha covered her mouth with both hands, clearly excited by the news, which made Ye Rim lose her composure and laugh too, revealing her own joy and excitement at the fact. The friends laughed at each other in complicity.


    "No, I don''t think so. I think it has to do with the fact that Dr. Kim picked you up on the day of the test! But don''t just sit idly there. Let''s go over there and you''ll find out whether you''re unemployed again or not. And if that happened, it is also not the end! You know that I am a great fairy godmother when I want to be, and if Kang Dae signed on to be a model thanks to my little help, you can do it too!" Eun Ha seemed a little out of the ordinary considering the latest events, quite agitated and talkative.


    Ye Rim thought her unnie just wanted to cheer her up so she wouldn''t be anxious.


    As soon as they arrived at Optimus Entertainment, Ye Rim and her friend were taken to the casting director. She had to wait just a moment, for the director to join them. This time was spent with a pleasant conversation that involved Eun Ha and her notorious rise in the fashion world. It might still be a fresh face for insiders, but it was one of the hot topics of the moment.


    The Director of Optimus entered the room with a great expression, and the first thing he said was,


    "Ye Rim ssi! Are you ready to be the primary star of a drama on HTN?"


    Ye Rim could hardly believe what she had heard, and beside her, Eun Ha clapped her hands in excitement!


    "M-main-Star?"

 Chapter 207 - Drama Queen

    She couldn''t believe what she just heard,


    "Yes, Ye Rim ssi, the lead role in ''Bullet'' will be yours! Most interestingly, the broadcaster decided to rewrite the drama, turning Se Yeon into a protagonist. The screenwriter apparently really liked your point of view about the character, and here''s her message for you!"


    The director played the recorded message from the famous drama screenwriter for them to hear:


    "Ye Rim ssi¡­ After your audition I could barely sleep. It felt like you had opened my eyes to some flaws in my script. I would be presumptuous if I didn''t admit that Se Yeon is much more interesting than Chae Ah, and that she stirs the plotline in more engaging ways too. The next morning I had a lot of fresh ideas and I had to convince some people I wasn''t crazy about wanting to change everything at this point. What I mean, Ye Rim ssi, is that I am grateful. And now that I know we can change the script with that in mind, I hope you can accept our invitation to work on this drama. I am thrilled, scared and excited about this restart. But I hope you take excellent care of Se Yeon! Fighting!"


    The spontaneous speech took some emotional tears from Ye Rim. She felt her body tremble out of overexcitation, and knew that the blood had drained from her face. It was such wonderful news and so scary! It was something she would never have imagined!


    Eun Ha embraced her, under the satisfied and smiling look of the Optimus Director and also the Casting Director''s cheerful semblance.


    "Aigoo, I am also surprised and thrilled!" told her boss. "I had a good feeling about seeing your portfolio, but I wasn''t expecting it! Modesty aside, I have an incredible feeling for promising stars!" he clapped his hands. "I will need your time in the coming weeks, and a lot of effort from your part so that nothing goes wrong! Tomorrow we will start the paper signings and so on, and meet with the production team. They are preliminary meetings, which should define the costume, makeup and hair, etc. The team must designate a specialist to help the cast with the historical setting ... But our casting director will keep you up to date! Congratulations, Ye Rim ssi!"


    Only then did things seemed real, and Ye Rim bowed in deep thanks. After all, the agency had helped her so far in several ways.


    Only after the primary subject had been exhausted by the hour, Director Choi suggested,


    "Why doesn''t Director Gong show our wardrobe room to Stylist Jung? I would like to clear up some issues with Y Rim ssi, but it will be quick. We will meet you there in a few minutes."


    The singer saw that her friend didn''t want to go, but she signaled Eun Ha not to be worried.


    A little after they left the room, the Director turned to Ye Rim,


    "Ye Rim ssi, you must imagine how concerned I am with what is happening now. A person I considered a great professional, an example in my career, and a person of excellent character, proved to be someone very different. And today he''s in the news for the wrong things. "


    "..." Ye Rim held an anxious smile on her face, she would like to say many things about it but after all, they had a professional relationship and she should not say everything that came to mind.


    "Aigoo, Ye Rim ssi! I don''t want this horrible situation to tarnish Optimus'' reputation, let alone yours! But I already predict that, as soon as they announce your name as a co-star in this drama, everyone will remember that you were at the Fashion Ball with Musician Lee in that beautiful red dress!"


    It was a very subtle way of saying that he was also concerned that they would remember him as one more person who might be called ''friend'' of Musician Lee by the press. It was certainly sad to think he was now desperate to break any ties with a person like Lee, no matter how he would be judged by Korean justice in the future. But very understandable since, after all, Ye Rim imagined that Dae Won did not consider him a friend either.


    "Oh! Well ... I hadn''t thought of that," she mumbled.


    "My dear Ye Rim ssi. It would ruin your career before it starts just so that pseudo-journalists can gain some views!" he reinforced.


    Ye Rim frowned. She supposed that, as much as she denied having any involvement with Dae Won, there were facts that could be misinterpreted.


    Dae Won''s efforts to help her.


    Her official appearance along with him at the Fashion Ball.


    And even the fact that she went to his house alone on a rainy morning, which could easily be checked in her testimony, could be fertile ground for malicious assumptions.


    "I have no control over the past, Director Choi. I supposed that they may misinterpret my acquaintance with Musician Lee, although it was just that, a superficial friendship, I would say. I was also wrong about his character, from the day I was introduced to him by a mutual friend. I think we all were."


    "Hmmm," he was thoughtful for a moment. "So you are sure that there is no kind of evidence that can tarnish your image right now, are you?"


    It was a boring subject, but Ye Rim knew he had to endure it, as it was in Optimus'' interest, which gave him a very generous and liberal contract, certainly thanks to Dae Won.


    "I gave my testimony to the police and it can be used against me, I think. I reported that we saw the gravedigger while eating street food one night. And I went to his house the morning of the murder. Even I, looking at it from the point of view of a malicious person, would find it very suspicious that we didn''t have a romance. But, I swear, it was not the case," she could do nothing but be sincere.


    "Ye Rim ssi, we are going to get you a famous boyfriend. It is crucial. We will make a confidentiality contract, something that will be good for both involved. It just has to look like you have a beautiful, pure romance with a nice guy."


    "But ..."


    "Trust me. We will remedy the damage before it becomes public. I know the press, they will already be furious that Han Ri lost the role to a newbie. It will be tough, but we can win this battle."


    Ye Rim felt his chest tighten. But she thought she should try something,


    "Director Choi ..."


    But the ever smiling director interrupted her, although he still had a smile on his lips, his eyes did not.


    "Ye Rim ssi¡­ I never asked you for anything hard to accomplish. I hope you can reciprocate everything I have done so far. Let''s do this, will we?"


    She knew she owed him a lot, and Ye Rim just had to agree.

 Chapter 208 - Home Alone?

    "Aishh, so sulky! I hope you recover soon, Shin!" Eun Ha spoke to herself as she arranged a tray of tea and snacks in the mansion''s kitchen.


    The news was stressful, and her boyfriend''s foul mood after the second unsuccessful confrontation with the Devourer made it worse.


    But after hearing Ye Rim''s confessions about how the romance with Dr. Kim evolved, Eun Ha felt a twinge of envy. So far, with Chang Mi actively boycotting the couple''s intimate relationship as if it were a jealous, spoiled little boy, they had been nothing but sweet moments and little more than kisses.


    Eun Ha really wanted to go further, because she loved him and longed for him, as she never felt for anyone before. But it was so difficult! At that moment, as Chang Mi said, she had many things to worry about, but she wanted to spend more time with Shin.


    She had to think of something. To start, I should take advantage of a moment when Chang Mi was not there.


    ''Yes, I''ll take care of my grumpy wolf with affection and one thing will lead to another, hehehe. I know that no matter how much he pretends he doesn''t, he enjoys peering her legs exposed in a short skirt, that naughty guy! All those lacy ruffled petticoats and such. And I already saw that he has red cheeks when I leaned closer to serve the tea. He must have some fetish in maids dressed in black. Aigoo¡­ Men!!''


    But she even thought this fetish was cute and would use it to her advantage.


    Going toward Shin''s room, she passed in front of a mirror to check that everything was in order. Her gathered skirt with lace petticoats, short enough but not very revealing, with 7/8 black stockings, an elaborate chiffon scarf with a bow on the collar, and make-up that highlighted her eyes, as always. She bit her lower lip nervously. ''It would help if I were the s.e.xy type, wouldn''t it? I hope I can do this without being pathetic. If that rude man laughs at me, I''ll smack his face with this tray!''


    Upon entering the room without knocking, she found Hye Seong sitting on a chair, reading something in a small notebook, and dressed only in a comfortable silk robe.


    The stubble shadow on his face and the look that the Hunter gave him, looking up from the book, made Eun Ha''s heart beat faster.


    She waited for him to say something, but he said nothing. So Eun Ha, trying not to say anything trivial that would change the seductive mood she intended to impose, just approached and started pouring tea. She felt Shin''s gaze assess her in silence. He still looked in a bad mood. Or was it something else?


    Eun Ha came over to deposit the cup in front of him, and for that she leaned behind Shin, brushing her chest on his shoulder for a moment. It was true that she was certainly giving all possible clues, since her heart was beating so loudly that it seemed to resonate in the silent room.


    "Ahem!" the Hunter cleared his throat, much to the delight of Eun Ha showing that he was not immune to her moves. "Don''t you think you''re doing this the hard way?" He turned over his shoulder to receive her answer. Their faces were very close and the stylist swallowed hard. Shin really messed up all her hormones!


    "Oh?" Eun Ha batted her lashes in false confusion. Again Shin''s eyes scanned her fully, and she noticed a small wicked smile.


    ''I knew he liked it!'' she rejoiced internally.


    "Yes? I''m just bringing tea."


    "It''s just ..." he looked down and reached for her skirt, dabbing it as if to feel the texture. The fabric rustled, and it seemed to attract him. Looking up Shin barely hid his amused expression now. "Your spine. You are stretching yourself all over."


    "Like this?" this time she kept her legs straight and leaned over the table in a 90-degree bend.


    Shin shook his head as if he didn''t believe what he was seeing. Eun Ha felt her face burn, and he succ.u.mbed to shame,


    "Oh! Please don''t laugh!"


    He was indeed about to laugh but he bit his lower lip to contain himself.


    "Oh, Eun Ha! No, I won''t laugh ... ahem," again he cleared his throat. His hand went to the back of her knee, and Shin slid his hand over the silk stocking. Eun Ha felt a chill go from the nape of the neck to the end of the spine.


    "I''m just concerned about your safety ... For example, this," he continued to stroke the sensitive part of her body, over the stocking, "Maybe it''s not very safe. Don''t you think?"


    "Ahh, I¡­ I don''t know. Are you talking about the stockings or the position?"


    "Both." Shind slid his hand up, finding the edge of the stocking and playing with it. "These things make your legs very s.e.xy and I don''t think I can resist seeing you walking around with them without ..."


    "Without ...?" she had high expectations about Shin''s next response. In addition, she kept her 90 degrees bend, and was feeling a breeze on her panties-clad, exposed butt. She hoped he could make up his mind soon ...


    "Without behaving with the consideration and respect my bride deserves."


    ''Awww, how cute!'' her heart melted,


    "Your fiancee must be very happy that you are recovering, and even more so she can be alone with you in this room, since your other student isn''t at home right now..."


    Pling!


    Those were the words that worked like a charm from her magic wand!


    Shin smirked wickedly.


    "In that case," his hand went up to the lace petticoats, painfully slowly, causing an excitement unprecedented in Eun Ha''s life story. The other hand came to her face, gently caressing her cheeks, while Shin reached the edge of her panties, "Maybe I can teach you how to serve tea in a safe and¡­ pleasant way."


    "Oh? Yes, please teach me!" she said anxiously.


    He started pulling on her panties in a torturing slow way, without taking his eyes off hers. The other hand left her cheek and went to the buttons of her blouse, handling it so easily she suspected he was quite experienced in undoing female''s clothing. Eun Ha had to admit that this fantasy was also turning her on a lot. In fact, her legs were quivering like a reed in the wind.


    "Hunter Shin..." she had already advanced enough in the relationship that she didn''t need to formally call him, but she thought it would tease him. She had no experience in the games of love, but no one could accuse her of not using some creativity.


    "Yes, Jung?" he responded in kind, and that was exciting. Her panties were at her knees now, and she maintained the same position, while Shin spread his legs on the chair, breathing harder, as his hand slid down to her b.r.e.a.s.t, under her blouse, grabbing some marshmallow-like flesh willingly.


    "Hmmm!" she didn''t contain a m.o.a.n, and then she asked in a very innocent tone of voice,


    "Do you think I''m going to like it?"


    He took a deep breath to answer it with a naughty grin, when they heard a knock on the door,


    "Master?"


    It was Chang Mi.

 Chapter 209 - A Mad Fairy-God

    "Can you see what Seong Hwan wants you to see, is that it? And did you watch the whole accident with Musician Lee and Detective Ji, which was caused by the Devourer and his minions?" asked Hunter Shin, with a grimace.


    After rushing to make it appear that nothing unusual was happening seconds before the knock on the door, the couple answered Chang Mi, only to hear an agonizing account of the half-fairy''s involuntary visions.


    The student nodded,


    "Did he have connections with Musician Lee from the beginning? Is that why he interfered and helped him escape?" Eun Ha tried to understand. Persimmon had arrived with dramatic and shocking news, and it had nothing to do with what they were doing behind closed doors in Shin''s room.


    "He used Deep Dive as a vector for his Wraiths to feed on. So he knew musician Lee," concluded Chang Mi.


    "It might be true, Persimmon. With what we know so far, I know that the Devourer could know who Musician Lee was. But I still can''t understand how much Musician Lee is worth to him ..." the Hunter replied to the student.


    "Perhaps it wasn''t relevant to the Devourer where the cursed music came from. But he certainly should have known the story behind the song''s curse," commented Eun Ha, stating her opinion.


    Chang Mi shook his head, demonstrating that he couldn''t concatenate a logical thought behind the Devourer''s actions. And none of them there yet could predict the monster''s next move.


    "I just called Detective Ji, telling him what I know," said the student.


    "Did you tell him you saw in your head where Musician Lee went?" Eun Ha wanted to know. Although it was quite a surprise to learn that OPPA Ji knew about the supernatural and even helped Hunter Shin from time to time, she didn''t know how the Detective could explain his sources to the police.


    "Well, I told him what I saw. I said what Musician Lee did on the run, from the car crash to some point when the vision ended. And I gave him general information where Lee must have gone. They now have a smaller area to search in, assuming he is still in that region," Persimmon explained.


    Chang Mi had red, glassy eyes, and Eun Ha knew that the student was going through tough times now that his father, the Devourer, had decided to be a ''good father'' and bond with him.


    Unfortunately, Seong Hwan was demented and the bonds he created only disturbed his son and made Persimmon''s life a nightmare.


    Eun Ha still didn''t know enough of magic to help Chang Mi with this, but she felt penalized by his suffering. With a sigh, she said,


    "Detective Ji will at least investigate based on your report."


    "However, the Devourer didn''t take Musician Lee out of the hands of the police just to have Chang Mi hand him over again. There is a plan behind it," pondered Shin thoughtfully.


    "Yes, you are right. Is it because¡­ he wants Chang Mi to take revenge for Lee''s beating on him?"


    "Maybe ..."


    They both looked at Chang Mi, who looked so tired and scared, unlike his normal blas¨¦ facade. Eun Ha was filled with compassion, and took the cup of tea she had offered to Shin, handing it to the student. Shin''s eyes widened at the exchange of preferences.


    "Persimmon, rest a little. I''m going on a search with Detective Ji," the Hunter announced.


    "NO! You haven''t recovered yet!" Eun Ha protested. "This could be a trap to attract us. At least wait until Detective Ji asks your assistance ... No one said he won''t be able to solve this without your help."


    "You already saw that only the police won''t be able to deal with this case, Jung!" Shin was harsh, and Eun Ha recoiled from the Hunter''s aggressive tone. She thought it best to step back before they argued.


    The young fairy knew that he was angry and feeling vulnerable. For a hunter like him, a legend among fairies, he was going through a terrible time. His magic didn''t acc.u.mulate at a good speed because he was always on edge. Eun Ha didn''t want to make it worse, and yet, she didn''t think she should support his idea of ??going on another hunt involving the Devourer after the last confrontation.


    That happened days ago, and where Shin almost died.


    However, Eun Ha didn''t like the way he had treated her, and decided to end the conversation at this point.


    "Hmp, Chang Mi, come. Did you know today is your brother''s first photo shoot as a contracted model? We should celebrate later, right? Don''t think about it anymore, and let the Devourer see that you have already overcome this event. Your life shouldn''t be about watching the macabre horrors that someone else wants to put in your head," all she could do at the moment was try to ease Chang Mi''s mind, and with a smile, she asked,


    "And CSAT''s results, aren''t they about to announce it?"


    "Soon, noona," Persimmon sipped his tea and sighed. "I rather wish to stay, if it''s not a problem. I don''t want to have any kind of outbreak in public. Kang Dae would be very concerned, too."


    Eun Ha was thoughtful for a moment. "Right. Come with me. Lie in my room for a moment,"she thought the western bed was more comfortable for the student. Again she received an alarmed stare from Shin, which the fairy pretty ignored.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Chang Mi closed his eyes when the bedroom door closed, smelling the soft scent of noona''s perfume on the pillow. It was a relief.


    He had doubts about what he would do in the future. Would he try to live like a normal human, or should he try to develop his fairy powers? What if they pursued him, as Hunter Shin had warned, because of his half-human origin?


    At that moment he was there to learn to control his gift, which wasn''t and wouldn''t be tamed by the use of a magic wand, like normal fairies.


    And the upsetting visions.


    The student didn''t know how to make it stop.


    Should he talk to Seong Hwan? Deep down, he had to admit that he was afraid of being caught up in the extraordinary but corrupted fairy.


    It was a fact that his nerves were shot, because he felt watched and received these ''unsolicited images'' all the time. He just wanted to sleep a little and in peace, to dream that instead of hugging noona''s pillow, he could actually hug her¡­


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Who are you?! Who are you?! What you want?! Get away! Get away!" Lee Dae Won skated on the black mud inside the concrete tube where he hid.


    The black shadow at the mouth of the tunnel seemed to vibrate like a swarm of bees unable to maintain its humanoid shape. The human who today was just a tatter of his soft, gentle beauty, flinched in fear.


    "DEEP DIVE¡­ You really dove to the bottom, Lee Dae Won¡­"


    "Who are you ?! What you want with me?" the Musician''s shaky voice created a small echo inside the concrete tube. But no one would listen. The machines and the swirling waters noises would obscure his presence.


    "Someone who understands your position. Misunderstood, hunted, abhorred¡­ I''ve been there, done all that."


    The deep voice, full of electrical static noises, changed to a perfectly normal voice, next to Dae Won. The musician turned, startled, away from the presence who was suddenly so close to him. His hands and feet splashed in the putrid sludge from the tube, but he had nowhere to go.


    "Why are you so scared, pal?"


    "Pal? What are you talking about? Are you a¡­ demon, by any chance?"


    "You humans tend to give things like that to me, but¡­ I wouldn''t say I''m a demon¡­ Actually, you owe me one, so I''m not the typical demon you deal with¡­ We''ve worked together before. I have been promoting your songs, so to speak ... oops, they say that they were not yours. Therefore, at that point, our society would be undone. Besides¡­ you seriously offended my son¡­ and I should definitely kill you for it."


    The human narrowed his eyes, forcing his vision to see the face of the person squatting beside him, on the dark end of the concrete tunnel. The person half hidden by the shadows gave a little laugh.


    "Although you are generally despicable, Mr. Lee, you and I have some common interests."


    "I don''t understand. Do you hate me, yet are willing to help?"


    "I''m already helping, Mr. Lee. I need human hands and a human mind to accomplish something. And you have both."


    "And if I do something for you, will you help me escape? Is that the deal?" Dae Won moved a little closer to the crouched figure, to look into his face.


    The person laughed, a cheerful, white-toothed laugh. His face shone when the creature at the mouth of the tunnel moved away, letting in a little light.


    Dae Won frowned in confusion. Despite his overlong hair and white traditional clothing, such as expected from a demon, he knew that face,


    "Student Yoo!"


    "No. I''m not Student Yoo ..." Looking down in a self-satisfied and condescending way, the mad fairy-turned-god smiled again at the fugitive''s mistake.

 Chapter 210 - Partners

    "Can you see what Seong Hwan wants you to see, is that it? And did you watch the whole accident with MP Lee and Detective Ji, which was caused by the Devourer and his minions?" asked Hunter Shin, with a grimace.


    After the rush to make it appear that nothing unusual was happening seconds before the knock on the door, the couple answered Chang Mi, only to hear an agonizing account of the new visions of the half-fairy.


    The student nodded,


    "Did he have connections with Musician Lee from the beginning? Is that why he interfered and helped you escape?" Eun Ha tried to understand. Persimmon had arrived with blunt and shocking news, and it had nothing to do with what they were doing behind closed doors in Shin''s room.


    "He used Deep Dive as a vector for the Wraiths to feed on. So he knew musician Lee," concluded Chang Mi.


    "I can''t say, Persimmon. With what we know so far, I assume the Devourer could know who Musician Lee was. But how much Musician Lee is worth to him ... I still haven''t figured it out," the Hunter replied to the student.


    "Perhaps it wasn''t relevant to the Devourer where the damn music came from. But he certainly should know the story behind the music curse," commented Eun Ha, stating her opinion.


    Chang Mi shook his head, showing that he couldn''t concatenate a logical thought behind the Devourer''s actions. And none of them there yet could predict the monster''s next move.


    "I just called Detective Ji, telling him what I know," said the student.


    "Did you tell him you saw in your head where Musician Lee went?" Eun Ha wanted to know. Although it was quite a surprise to learn that OPPA Ji knew about the supernatural and even helped Hunter Shin from time to time, he didn''t know how Ji Jae Won could explain his sources to the police.


    "Well, I told him what I saw. I said what Musician Lee did on the run, to the point where I saw it. And I gave general information where he must have gone. They now have a smaller area to look for, assuming he''s still in that region," Persimmon explained.


    Chang Mi had red, glassy eyes. Eun Ha knew the student was going through difficult times now that his father, the Devourer, had decided to be a ''good and present father'' and bond. Unfortunately, Seong Hwan was insane and the bonds he created only disturbed his son and made his life a nightmare. Eun Ha still didn''t know enough of magic to help Persimmon with this, but she felt penalized by his suffering. With a sigh, she said,


    "Detective Ji will at least investigate your lead."


    "However, the Devourer didn''t take Musician Lee out of the hands of the police just to have Chang Mi hand him over again. There is a plan behind it," pondered Shin thoughtfully.


    "Yes, you are right. Is it because¡­ he wants Chang Mi to take revenge for Lee''s beating on him?"


    "Maybe ..."


    They both looked at Chang Mi, who looked so tired and scared, unlike his normal blas¨¦ facade.


    Eun Ha was filled with compassion, and took the cup of tea he had offered to Shin, handing it to the student. Shin''s eyes widened at the exchange of preferences.


    "Persimmon, rest. I''m going to meet Ji."


    "NO! You haven''t recovered yet!" Eun Ha protested. "This could be a trap to attract us. At least wait until Detective Ji asks for help¡­ No one said he won''t be able to solve this without your help."


    "You already saw that only the police won''t be able to deal with this case, Jung!" Shin was harsh, and Eun Ha stepped back from the Hunter''s aggressive tone. She thought it best to step back before they argued.


    The young fairy knew that he was angry and feeling vulnerable. For a hunter like him, a legend among fairies, he was going through a terrible time. His magic didn''t build up at a good speed because he was always on edge. She didn''t want to make it worse, and yet, Eun Ha didn''t think she should support his idea of ??going on another hunt involving the Devourer after the last confrontation.


    That happened days ago, and where Shin almost died.


    However, Eun Ha didn''t like the way he had treated her, and decided to end the conversation there.


    "Hmp, Chang Mi, come. Did you know that today is your brother''s first photo shoot as an contracted model? We could celebrate later, right? Don''t think about it anymore and let the Devourer see that you have already overcome this event. Her life should not be about watching the macabre horrors that someone else wants to put in her head," all she could do at the moment was try to ease Chang Mi''s mind, and with a smile, she asked,


    "And the results of CSAT, did they announce it yet?"


    "Soon, noona," Persimmon sipped his tea and sighed. "I prefer to stay, if it''s not a problem. I don''t want to have any kind of outbreak in public. Kang Dae would be very concerned, too."


    Eun Ha was thoughtful for a moment. "Right. Come with me. Lie in my room for a moment," she thought the western-style bed was more comfortable for the student, but again received an alarmed look from Shin, which the fairy ignored.


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Chang Mi closed his eyes when the bedroom door closed, smelling the soft scent of noona''s perfume on the pillow. It was a relief.


    He had doubts about what he would do in the future. Would he try to live like a normal human, or should he try to develop his powers? What if they chased him, as Hunter Shin had warned, because of his origin? At that moment he was there to learn to control his gift, which was not and would not be tamed by the use of a magic wand, like normal fairies did.


    The student didn''t know how to make it stop. Maybe he should try to talk to Seong Hwan¡­ His biological father? Deep down, he had to admit that he was afraid of being caught up in the extraordinary corrupted fairy.


    It was a fact that his nerves were in tatters, because he felt watched and received these ''unsolicited images'' all the time. He just wanted to sleep a little and in peace, to dream that instead of hugging noona''s pillow, he could really hug her¡­


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    "Who are you?! Who are you?! What you want?! Get away! Get away!" Lee Dae Won skated on the black mud inside the concrete tube where he hid.


    The black shadow at the mouth of the tunnel seemed to vibrate like a swarm of bees unable to maintain its humanoid shape. The human, who today was just a tatter of his suave beauty, flinched in fear.


    "DEEP DIVE¡­ You really dove to the bottom, Lee Dae Won¡­"


    "Who are you ?! What do you want with me?" the Musician''s shaky voice created some echo inside the concrete pipe. But no one would hear him. The noises of the machines and the waters would obscure his presence.


    "Someone who understands your position. Misunderstood, hunted, abhorred¡­"


    "I was all that," The deep voice, full of static noise, changed to a perfectly normal voice, next to Dae Won.


    The musician turned, startled, away from the presence so close to him. His hands and feet splashed in the putrid sludge from the pipe''s floor and wall, but he had nowhere to go.


    "Why are you so scared, partner?"


    "Partner? What are you talking about? Are you a¡­ demon, by any chance?"


    "You humans usually give that kind of name to things like me, but¡­ I wouldn''t say I''m a demon¡­ Actually, you owe me one, so I''m not the typical demon you deal with¡­ We''ve worked together before. I have been promoting your songs, so to speak ... oops, they say that they were not yours. Therefore, at that point, our society would be undone. Besides ... you seriously offended my son ... And I should definitely kill you for it."


    The human narrowed his eyes, forcing his vision to make out the face of the person squatting beside him on the dark side of the concrete tunnel. The person half hidden by the shadows gave a little laugh.


    "Although you are generally despicable, Mr. Lee, you and I have some common interests."


    "I dont understand. Do you hate me and yet, want to help?"


    "I''m already helping, Mr. Lee. I need human hands and a human mind to accomplish something, and you have human hands."


    "And if I do something for you, will you help me escape? Is that the deal?" Dae Won moved a little closer to the crouched figure, to look into his face.


    The person laughed, a cheerful, white-toothed laugh. His face shone when the creature at the mouth of the pipe moved away, letting in a little light.


    Dae Won frowned in confusion. Despite his long hair and white traditional clothing, he knew that face.


    "Student Yoo!"


    "No. I''m not Student Yoo ..." Looking down in a self-satisfied and condescending way, the mad god smiled again at the fugitive''s mistake.

 Chapter 211 - Hired Boyfriend

    "You can only be kidding, Ye Rim!" Dr. Kim''s look left no doubt astonished. "Do you want me to sign a contract for a public relationship? Do you want me to be a hired boyfriend?"


    "Not quite," even embarrassed and pressured, Ye Rim tried to explain. "You will not be paid for this."


    "HA! And I was supposed to work for free!"


    "Well, I can always make it up to you..." she purred and added a wink to her plea. Still, Dr. Kim laughed,


    "Oh, that would be great, but I don''t want to think you would make that offer to any other candidate."


    "I wouldn''t! This offer is exclusive!" Ye Rim crossed her arms, feeling herself blush. "And besides, what''s the problem? We are already in a relationship, aren''t we?"


    "I don''t want to sign a contract with your agency on this. It is not clear enough?" Jun Hyeon also crossed his arms, and this time he wasn''t laughing.


    Ye Rim had insisted that they talk somewhere other than the hotel, so they were in a tourist spot, watching the cold night. The conversation, which had started while Dr. Kim and Ye Rim walked around hugging and snuggling, and had reached this point where Ye Rim had to admit, she was not doing well.


    "Oppa! Be understanding! The Director has already invested a lot in me and he doesn''t want to lose his money, not even his company''s good name, because of Dae Won! He''s adamant about it. I managed to convince him to let me try with celebrities I know, before he even picked anyone. He told me that I have until the end of the week for this. He believes that we can''t wait long to make it public. I have a boyfriend and it''s not Dae Won."


    "But this is the point. Do you have a boyfriend! Did you tell him that?"


    "Ah, well ... not yet. Because I needed to talk to you first!" Ye Rim was getting upset now. Honestly, she didn''t think it would be that hard to convince him.


    Jun Hyeon sighed,


    "I don''t like the idea of ??having to sign a contract on this, my dear. We don''t have to fight. We just have to take over our relationship, don''t we?"


    "Well, I told him that, too. I asked, ''Dear director, what if I had a relationship, but without a contract?'' "


    "And what did he say?"


    "That he needed to ensure that the other person wouldn''t go back or expose us, so it was common for there to be a contract. Of course, with confidentiality clauses and etc. It''s for six months."


    "Ye Rim! This is ridiculous!"


    "We are not innocent of how things work in show business. This is pretty normal."


    Ye Rim took a copy of the contract out of the bag and handed it to her boyfriend. "You could at least read."


    Jun Hyeon took the contract, and waved it in the air, "If I don''t sign this crap, then will he find a guy with some reputation to be your fake boyfriend? Just to untie your name from that bastard''s name?"


    "That''s what he said. He even suggested some names. But he admitted that it would be easier if I already had some connection with that person. He commented that it could be Baek Woo Geun..." she wrung her hands.


    "Give me a pen," Jun Hyeon made up his mind.


    Ye Rim restrained the urge to shake her head in disbelief. If she had known that saying the candidate for a false boyfriend for the media was Baek Woo Geun was going to do the trick, she would have started with that information.


    "Don''t you want to read with your lawyer?"


    "I can read it by myself. But I already say that six months is too little. Two years of dating is the minimum I require," he returned the papers to her, with a smile full of bravado. Ye Rim loved that devilish, victorious smile.


    "Two years?! Are you crazy?!"


    "Of course not. It''s just to avoid gossip about how we rushed our marriage."


    The singer laughed,


    "You fool, you deceived me too well with your resistance to fake dating."


    "Who said I was kidding? It is ridiculous that you have to fake a relationship and get a false boyfriend because of all this mess. And even more ridiculous that I can be the candidate. By the way, does that make any sense? I am neither an actor nor a singer."


    "But you are a celebrity. Don''t play the modest. And the best part, you are my real boyfriend!"


    Jun Hyeon sighed, "Then tell your boss the search for a boyfriend is over, and tell him that we are really dating. And let him know I will sign the contract for two years. I don''t want him to come with other contracts with more fashionable celebrities after six months."


    Ye Rim had to agree that this was also her fear. She threw herself into his arms and kissed the tip of his nose,


    "You are right. Oppa is so experienced with contracts!"


    Wrapping her waist around, he smiled,


    "Yes, enjoy fully calling me oppa while our relationship is personal and not professional! I don''t usually mix pleasure with business!"


    "Uhum ..." she mumbled, doubting his words. His eyes were smiling, even if one brow was raised arrogantly to match his words.


    Ye Rim was happy.


    That rare moment when Jun Hyeon was smiling and being playful would surely become a good memory when all this mess was finally over. And she hoped it would be over soon.


    Jun Hyeon''s phone started ringing in his coat pocket. Ye Rim reached out and fished it from there, handing it to him, while she held herself hugged and protected from the wind by his broad chest.


    It was close enough to hear,


    "Dr. Kim. This is Gi Myung Dae, director of your call center. We got a call. We believe it could be Kim Ji Hyeon," the voice on the other side spoke cautiously. "Can we put the recording on for you to hear? With your authorization, we will pass the call on to the police."


    "Yes please."


    Jun Hyeon''s heart was beating fast now, just like Ye Rim''s.


    She held her breath, looking up at Jun Hyeon''s face. He could even see his Adam''s apple in motion, swallowing.


    The call was paused for a moment and there was a click. And after that, the call lost its quality and became full of noise.


    A woman''s voice, shaky and trailing, was heard,


    "Er¡­ hello. This is Kim Ji Hyeon. This is the number on the TV for information on my whereabouts, so I called. I will arrive at Gangnam station at 9 pm today. Pass that call on to my brother and mother. They will recognize my voice. It''s me, Ji Hyeon. Please, I need the police''s help. I''m in danger, but I''m going there now. I''m hanging up now."


    Ye Rim saw Jun Hyeon''s eyes go red immediately. He had difficulty speaking when the call came back to the person responsible for the phone lines.


    "Pass the call on to the police. I need to hang up. Thank you."


    "Oh! Yes!" the person on the other end was surprised and genuinely happy, but Jun Hyeon hung up before he heard anything else and called another number.


    Ye Rim didn''t have to be a genius to deduce that he was Detective Ji.


    She looked at her watch. It was 20: 32h.


    ooo


    Jae Ik handed the wide hooded sweatshirt to Ji Hyeon, who wore it over his clothes. She put a pollution mask on her face.


    He also took the money out of the wallet,


    "Take this, and throw my wallet outside. Did you decorate the path? "


    "Yes. Right for two blocks, left for one block, pass the supermarket and the bank, turn right again. Subway station, "Ji Hyeon felt his chest ache with anxiety, moments before his planned escape. "Jae Ik, I will not forget you. After I get to my family, we will meet in a month at the Seoul Tower. "


    "Okay, but now hurry up. Here, "he handed the heavy cleaning bucket to Ji Hyeon to hit.


    The woman''s hand shook as she took the object. It had been hard to hit someone as despicable as Dae Won before trying to escape. Hitting a friend was even more difficult. Seeing this, the ex-convict encouraged her,


    "Come on! Without this part, I will be in a lot of trouble."


    Taking a deep breath, she did, with all the strength she could. Hit him in the back twice, as they had agreed. I wouldn''t risk killing him by accident with a blow to the head, but it would have been enough to get him out of action and run.


    And she ran away.


    The doors were open, but she closed the outside door of the shed as planned. Then, running through the dark alley, she reached the street and saw lights and people.


    Her hands shook in panic.


    She couldn''t back down now, however, and she didn''t want to.


    Struggling to walk at a normal pace, she put her hands in her coat pockets and lowered her head, walking down the sidewalk in the direction indicated. Each step away from her captivity seemed to urge Ji Hyeon to simply run towards the subway station, but she couldn''t get attention.


    The fugitive turned the corner when she felt a hand pulling her clothes from behind, hard. Ji Hyeon froze, and turning around, found that her nightmare was not over.


    She raised her eyes to face Dae Won.

 Chapter 212 - Subway

    Again inside the metal container, Ji Hyeon held back her tears of anger and fear just so she could hear what they were saying outside.


    Luckily, finding Jae Ik wounded and trying to get out of the shed to recapture the fugitive, no one suspected him, but they humiliated him for being so sluggish.


    How could they imagine that just that night, Chief Hong and Dae Won would meet there?


    But there was still hope. She had called the whistleblowing call center. And maybe some camera recorded how Dae Won dragged her back into the alley. Perhaps at that very moment, a rescue operation was underway, coming to that place.


    Trying to remain optimistic and warding off thoughts of failure, Ji Hyeon took a deep breath. Listening to what they said was important.


    And at that moment, Hong was saying,


    "Lee, I think I should applaud your audacity! Worthy of a movie. Who should they call to do their part, uhn? Lee Joon Gi? But causing the death of two police officers will not help you in any court in the world..."


    "I think you''ve done this scene before. So you are thinking about Lee Joon Gi," replied Dae Won.


    "Ah, it can be. But you are looking... Terrible. And coming here in that state only damages my image. I know you can empathize with my dilemma right there."


    "I don''t intend to harm you."


    "Well, but in the current state of affairs, I realize that I made a mistake. I thought it would be simple, but your ''merchandise'' in my shed causes me problems. I know you''re in a, let''s say, tricky time, but I need to get rid of this problem. Soon."


    "I have an idea, and I think you will enjoy listening to it. I think it meets your own problems. So let''s say it would make up for the extra ''inconvenience'' I caused."


    Ji Hyeon cowered in fear in his bed.


    What were those two criminal minds up to?


    ooo


    Jun Hyeon was at the Gangnam station with Ye Rim, and a team of plainclothes officers led by Detective Ji.


    It was nine-fifteen, and all access and subway trains were being monitored to locate Ji Hyeon.


    Not only he, but the entire team involved, were tense, as they did not know what to expect.


    He rubbed his hands anxiously, trying to get rid of the cold, nauseating sweat he felt. Inside his mind, Dr. Kim asked that he be spared from the temptation to meet Dae Won in person. He was sure he would become a murderer if that happened.


    But as time went on, and the team tried to find Ji Hyeon, whether it was through messages encrypted by the subway''s messaging system, video searches and scans on the cars, everything was fruitless.


    Even after the last train, they remained there searching, until it became clear that Ji Hyeon was not there.


    Detective Ji was constantly talking on his communicator and also on his cell phone. He came to the couple,


    "We found nothing in the vicinity, but I just received a response from another team, who located the origin of the call. It is a wide region, but a train ride back and forth would take exactly the time for her to be here before nine o''clock. Don''t lose hope. If you recognized her voice, it is because she is alive ... And we will find her."


    Jun Hyeon knew that Detective Ji Jae Wook was doing his best, and that he had returned to work to stay in this case even after the accident. He wore a sling because he was injured in the accident that Dae Won caused to escape. In addition, his lawyers kept him informed of all the legal operations and procedures that were being done to arrest Dae Won and obtain the maximum sentence for that sick monster.


    They were already suspicious that the body cremated in place of Ji Hyeon had been stolen in a morgue in another city, and this indicated that Dae Won used an established network of criminals to simulate Ji Hyeon''s death.


    With investigations and the call center for complaints related to the Ji Hyeon case, testimonies popped up about how the musician had bribed people so he could hide a woman inside lockers or rooms. Or you could install cameras in places where Dr. Kim would be. Jun Hyeon imagined that he could keep Ji Hyeon cooperative because of that, but he didn''t want to think to what extent his dear sister was involved with that disgusting psychopath.


    Although the evidence about Dae Won''s guilt acc.u.mulated, with undeniable proof that he had really kept Ji in captivity for all these years, they still hadn''t been able to find her whereabouts. Her main and last captivity had been at Dae Won''s own house. All other households linked to the family had already been investigated, and she had not been found.


    At that time, Dae Won''s family had returned from abroad and was trying to clean up all the dirt that the only son had brought to the family name, but Kim couldn''t allow them to exempt themselves.


    It was impossible that they didn''t know what kind of person he was.


    And earlier, Detective Ji had even told him that the police had searched a place where a witness had reported it as a possible whereabouts of the fugitive musician after the accident. A water treatment plant. They found clues that the site had been invaded, but the cameras didn''t capture Dae Won.


    Detective Ji suspected that Dae Won had been hiding there for a while, but had already changed his hiding place.


    "Go home, I will keep you informed about the searches. But at that point, there''s no reason for them to stay." said Detective Ji.


    Jun Hyeon, with a lump in his throat, agreed. He wanted to be more active in that search, but he was just a doctor, not a detective.


    He looked to his side, and saw Ye Rim''s look, full of concern and pain. She was a wonderful person, standing there beside him for hours without complaining or drawing attention to herself, and she certainly must have her feet hurting in those high heels. Ye Rim was at his side, and that made things a little more bearable.


    "Yes, Ye Rim needs to go home."


    "I can stay as long as you stay. I''ll get warm coffee for us," she offered.


    "No. Detective Ji is right. If we''re not helping, we''re just getting in the way and demanding attention. I''ll take you home."


    "Don''t forget, Dr. Kim. At this time we have not yet located Dae Won. He can try to contact you, stay contactable."


    If before remembering and making sure that Lee Dae Won was the other Korean teenager in the hospital in Switzerland, so many years ago, Jun Hyeon had doubted that possibility, today he would not doubt it.


    As Detective Ji already suspected and his memory confirmed, Dae Won could do this so methodically, for so long, in a distorted and unhealthy relationship with Kim Jun Hyeon. A relationship in which he wanted to be noticed. Whether it was a relationship of admiration, rivalry or whatever, only the experts could tell.


    Upon leaving her at Shin''s door, the doctor turned to Ye Rim,


    "Thank you for being by my side today."


    "Where else would I be?" she asked, with a tired smile. "I would just be happier if unnie Ji Hyeon had come home today. For her, for you, for everyone!"


    "I will confess that I thought my chest was going to explode today. I''m so frustrated that I feel like I''m going crazy! Ji Hyeon doesn''t deserve any of this! I wish I could look for her myself! I don''t know! Do something!" he vented, and Ye Rim hugged him, reclining for a moment on his chest, in the car seat.


    "I would change hearts with you now, then! I can''t stand to see the people I love suffering! You cannot blame yourself when you have created no kind of situation that would justify the actions of that madman. He''s so independent of you, Jun. And I''m so sorry for everything that''s going on with your sister! But I know that you will see her soon. And the past, however painful, will be only the past. Have faith, my love."


    Running a hand through his hair, he tried to be as optimistic as Ye Rim. He didn''t want to be a burden to her, because she wasn''t a burden to him. On the contrary, she was his only source of joy at the moment.


    "I believe what you are saying, just because you are the one saying it. Please come in. Tomorrow, do tell that boss of yours to redo the contract as soon as possible, as I told you. I will be your fake boyfriend, but our wedding will be real!"


    "Psss! Don''t think about any of that now. Save your energy for other things. "


    "It''s all right. My marriage proposal will be more romantic than the dating proposal. Something at your height. I promise."


    "I''ll wait ..." she kissed his lips briefly and opened the car door. Jun Hyeon felt his heart warmed by his love for that fantastic woman. He admired her strength, her attitude, and her huge and generous heart, and he liked it even when she was ''his nutcake''.


    He loved Ye Rim and felt that his life would be cold and lonely without her. In fact, when he thought of the past, it seemed that all his other relationsh.i.p.s had been of no color or importance.


    The fear of losing her hit him like a cold wave.


    The fear that Dae Won would also come to Ye Rim to take her as he did with his sister paralyzed him for a moment.


    He couldn''t let that happen.


    He would kill Dae Won if he came close to Ye Rim.


    Starting the car, he stepped away from Shin''s mansion, and even when the headlights of his car illuminated the figure in white and long hair walking along the secluded road, Jun Hyeon was too upset to have paid attention.

 Chapter 213 - Devil is Calling

    A few days passed, with everyone''s attention focused on Kim Ji Hyeon''s searches. The subject became a national obsession, due to the notoriety of those involved and the almost cinematic details of the story.


    But Ye Rim was too involved with the production of the drama in which she would be the protagonist, to be with Jun Hyeon all the time, while they investigated each clue.


    What would have been a rare moment of complete wonder for her, being a co-star in a production alongside a beautiful and famous actor, had lost the fantasy tone that she would have had in another situation. And it was a job like singing at Pearl.


    Although she was still excited and dedicated, doing her best in this pre-production phase, Ye Rim had to work hard to focus on the job. Many things happened at the same time.


    When the news that the female protagonist of Bullet, alongside the coveted actor Joon Jae Yoon, reached the social networks, the matter rivaled the Kim Twins scandal, as the press called the case.


    There was a lot of grudges among Jang Han Ri fans, who took it for granted that the famous actress would be the female protagonist.


    Although Han Ri herself was being diplomatic about it, in the film studio they knew that she was a shrew, and capable of playing only one type of role, just the opposite in real life. But Han Ri was smart enough not to tarnish his image before his audience.


    Ye Rim''s agency did an outstanding job of public relations to turn every known aspect of Ye Rim''s life into a novelesque story of overcoming. Nothing was invented, but even what the singer always considered a failure was shown as injustice and chance of destiny. Even Ye Rim had to agree that the way of looking at events influenced the lesson from her past.


    She could now see, in each rejection and setback, lessons she had to learn to develop humility, maturity and self-discipline. And Ye Rim knew she still had a lot to improve.


    She had just met with the production team to decide on costumes and looks, and Ye Rim knew she would have to change her hair color for the period drama. She was a little agitated but knew that she should trust the experts. Ye Rim was just a little attached to her hair''s coppery tones!


    "I''m just going to be there to support and answer a few questions. I hope it doesn''t take too long," while doing makeup in the bathroom, after finishing the assessment with the team, Ye Rim spoke to Jun Hyeon on speaker. The singer was not in a festive spirit, but she could not refuse Duk Mi''s request!


    The senior singer, now in evidence again, had caught the attention of a group of young filmmakers, who were making a doc.u.mentary about the trot.


    They were going to Pearl tonight, and Ye Rim accepted the invitation to appear on the set.


    "Okay¡­ My father and his family are arriving in the country in two hours, I will pick you up at the airport. See you later, call me," her boyfriend had replied in a tired voice.


    Jun Hyeon had already warned Ye Rim of his father''s arrival. The event was too important, and Mr. Kim had maintained frequent contact with his son in the past few days after Ji Hyeon''s call.


    Ye Rim didn''t know how he had the energy to handle all of this. He was more silent and sulky, and all she could do was be patient and supportive at that moment. She couldn''t be too demanding about their relationship with everything he was going through. Ye Rim would like to help more, but there was not much she could do, especially with the start of Bullet recordings scheduled for ten days from now. Jun Hyeon asked her to focus on that.


    Ye Rim imagined that he wanted to make sure that his personal life was not interfering in hers negatively. He had signed the contract on the terms he asked to change, and she knew it was a proof of love.


    Even Ye Rim was receiving phone calls and messages from people concerned about Jun Hyeon and her, now that it was public that they had a relationship.


    "Aish ... Thinking about these things gives me a headache," she mumbled to herself before reaching for her bag and car keys. Why did Jun and his noona have to suffer so much?


    ooo


    She saw two vans standing near the Pearl and soon knew that the film crew was already there, so she hurried to cross the street and enter.


    The house was abnormally crowded tonight, and a small group of people was busy around the stage, filming Duk Mi.


    And he was especially hammy tonight.


    Mrs. Song watched by the bar, with her arms crossed and a worried face. Pearl''s employees were also avoiding her eyes. Ye Rim wondered what the problem was this time, before approaching Pearl''s owner.


    "Is there a problem, President Song?"


    "Ah, Ye Rim! I thought you didn''t come!"


    "Why, but if I said I would come ...?" the matron''s hurt look worried her.


    "It''s just ... it just came out on TV ... Didn''t you see it?"


    Ye Rim''s heart froze. "Something happened?"


    "They just announced that Lee Dae Won called a TV station, saying that he would hand over Mr. Go''s granddaughter in exchange for some guarantees."


    "Oh!" the singer covered her mouth with her hand, shocked. The news made her hopeful while making her heart race, tense. She immediately picked up the phone to call Jun Hyeon, but her finger hesitated.


    At that very moment, his phone rang with the familiar ring of Jun Hyeon. Feeling herself holding her breath in anticipation, she answered the call,


    "Oppa?"


    "Ye Rim. I will need to leave the phone free. Dae Won got in touch. He will hand over Ji Hyeon. I will be with Officer Ji." Jun Hyeon spoke all at once, denoting the urgency of his call.


    "Okay. Understand. I can pick up your dad at the airport," Ye Rim tried to be as assertive as he was.


    "It''s not necessary, Miss Ma is already on her way. Sorry, I have to go."


    "Hey, wait."


    "What?"


    "I love you, Jun Hyeon."


    A small silence followed on the other end of the line. She thought he must be surrounded by people. Still, she wanted to say that. She wanted him to know.


    "Then marry me," he replied. His tone, despite the urgency, was serious enough that Ye Rim knew he was serious.


    In another moment she would have wished he was being more romantic in saying that, but not now.


    "Whenever you want," she replied, and found that, from the bottom of her heart, she wanted it. "I''m going to turn it off now. Call me with news, I''ll be waiting."


    Ye Rim didn''t know how he could concentrate on another subject at that moment and sighed when Jun Hyeon hung up the phone. In fact, during their brief conversation, the sounds at the bottom of several messages coming in already announced the approaching storm.


    Ye Rim answered some calls, and messages from several people warning and talking about the news that Dae Won was going to deliver. She tried to speak to Eun Ha, but her unnie didn''t answer the phone. All she could do was leave a message.


    "You don''t really have to stay, Ye Rim," said Ms. Song. "Duk Mi will have to understand the situation. And if he doesn''t understand ... I''ll make him understand."


    It almost made Ye Rim laugh, but she shook her head. "I think I better stay. I may not have time later. I''m not going to be useful anywhere else, anyway. I just need to keep up with the news...!"


    "I''ll explain the situation to them, so they will hurry to interview you," the older woman offered to help, and Ye Rim thanked him.


    Her headache only increased.


    Her friends, Pearl''s customers, also came to talk to Ye Rim. Apparently the news had spread quickly among Pearl''s regulars. After all, Ji Hyeon was Mr. Go''s granddaughter.


    Ye Rim was explaining to her friends she didn''t know more than they did about the news that came out on TV when the phone vibrated in her hand. Discreetly, she looked at the screen.


    The cell phone almost fell out of her hand when she saw the name: LEE DAE WON.


    "Excuse me, it''s an urgent call," she warned, moving away from people and going behind the stage.


    She continued to look at the screen in disbelief, with shaking hands. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was run out of Pearl and never come back.


    The call stopped, and a message appeared on the screen:


    LDW: ''Are you sure you won''t answer?''


    "Oh, shit!" she hurriedly touched the buttons on the screen, while her mind was still trying to process what was going on. The cellphone rang again.


    Swallowing hard and her heart pounding, Ye Rim picked Dae Won''s call.

 Chapter 214 - The Devil is Calling 2

    "Can you put me on a group call with Jun Hyeon?"


    Without thinking twice, Ye Rim obeyed, typing awkwardly. While waiting for the call with Dr. Kim to complete, she asked,


    "Oppa¡­ Where''s Ji Hyeon noona? You''re really going to set her free, aren''t you?"


    "If you cooperate ... Yes. Ji Hyeon can live."


    "...?!" Ye Rim felt herself trembling in anticipation, and she was not sure whether she wasn''t understanding by sheer nervousness, or he had really involved her in the matter.


    "If he doesn''t answer ... I think it''s goodbye for Ji Hyeon..."


    "NO! NO!" she looked both ways in Pearl''s bathroom. She was completely alone. "He will answer! Calm! Easy, Lee oppa!"


    "Hahaha! You are so empathetic! More than Dr. Kim. More than Ji Hyeon, too."


    Ye Rim just realized that he was crazy and that it was amazing that no one had noticed it before. Maybe even days ago, he had a lot to lose and all his good boy cap was still in place. But now that it had been destroyed irreversibly, he didn''t have to pretend anymore.


    The call to Kim didn''t go through and that was making her panic. Droplets of sweat dotted on her forehead.


    "Do you want to tell me why you did this?" she tried to sound calm, and keep him in the call. She didn''t know how long he would wait. She didn''t know what he would do if he couldn''t speak to Jun Hyeon.


    "Do you also think he won''t answer?" the voice on the other end sounded amused. "Don''t even think about leaving where you are to ask for help, Ye Rim."


    ''Gulp!'' It was exactly what had crossed her mind at that very moment. Go to Mrs. Song and ask for another cell phone to call the police.


    "Do you ... know where I am?"


    "Of course I know. I am also in the building."


    Her shock was such that she didn''t notice when the call to Jun Hyeon finally was picked.


    "Ye Rim ?! Sorry, I¡­ Dae Won! " Dr. Kim''s voice was hurried and nervous. His fiancee''s heart raced with a painful squeeze.


    "Are you coming to Daejeon? Can I really trust to leave poor Ji Hyeon here?"


    "Why did you call Ye Rim?!" Irritation escaped Jun Hyeon''s voice. It was impossible for Dr. Kim to be able to speak normally to Lee Dae Won. But there was a pause. Ye Rim easily realized that he was in a car. "Yes, we are halfway there ... We are doing everything you asked for, in return for Ji Hyeon''s safety," the doctor said again, slowly. She wondered if Jae Wook was guiding him.


    "Traffic is great tonight. I''m sure you''re almost there. But I have a surprise."


    The singer realized at that moment what had happened. Dae Won sent them to a distant place, which would make Jun Hyeon delay to return to Seoul. Daejeon was almost two hours away by car.


    "Dae Won¡­"


    "Aish¡­ What a kid. I am your hyung."


    Ye Rim interrupted, quickly, trying to help and ask for help at the same time.


    "Lee just said that he''s here at Pearl."


    "Yes ... And Ji Hyeon too," completed the musician calmly.


    "Dae¡­ Hyung! This is not what we agreed on."


    "I had to take different measures. I remembered that you are not to be trusted. But a hypocritical liar. Now¡­ I have a proposal for Ye Rim¡­"


    "HEY! NO! YOU HAVE NOTHING FOR HER! DO NOT INVOLVE HER! DON''T INVOLVE HER, ARE YOU HEARING ME ?! I WILL KILL YOU, DAE WON! I''LL KILL YOu!"


    "Ye Rim¡­ I''m going to give you a chance to do the right thing again. You can think about your future, your career, and your life, and leave the building. Or you can come upstairs to meet me and Ji Hyeon. If you take her place, I will release Ji Hyeon..."


    The singer''s legs went limp, while Jun Hyeon screamed into the phone, trying to get Dae Won''s attention.


    "DO NOT INVOLVE YE RIM! WAIT FOR ME! IT''S ME WHO YOU WANT, NOT HER. I AM COMING BACK HYUNG! I AM COMING BACK. I DO THIS! WITHOUT THE POLICE, WITHOUT ANYONE! DO NOT DO IT! YE RIM! YE RIM! DO NOT DO IT! GET OUT OF THERE!"


    There was a strange noise on the call, and Jae Wook''s voice was heard, cold and calm,


    "Lee, where are you exactly? We have already told you that your collaboration can be essential for everyone''s safety, including yours. Your family did not abandon you. You will have lawyers and support. Just collaborate and don''t do anything stupid¡­ Where are you? Help me help you."


    In response, they heard a heavy breath ... which didn''t sound like Dae Won.


    "JUN! JUN! I AM WITH DAE WON!"


    For the first time, Ye Rim heard the voice of Jun Hyeon''s sister, and it raised the hair on the back of her neck.


    "IT''S TRUE! I''M IN A¡­ PLACE AND I''M HEARING A BAND PLAYING¡­"


    "Can you tell Ye Rim what''s that over there?"


    Ye Rim had no doubt that they were somewhere in Pearl''s building. Dae Won wouldn''t be bluffing. Ji Hyeon did not obey, she just shouted:


    "YE RIM, DON''T COME! DO NOT COME! HE WILL KILL YOU, PLEASE DON''T COME!!!!" Her desperate screams hurt in the singer''s ear, and even more in her chest.


    Dae Won''s call dropped.


    "Ye Rim! What happened? Is he on the line?" Detective Ji asked. She heard Jun Hyen speak in the background but didn''t understand what he was saying.


    "No. He hung up!"


    "Listen to me, Ye Rim. It''s a trap and you can''t¡­"


    She looked at the trembling finger that had just hung up the call with Jun Hyeon and Jae Wook. Ye Rim knew what he was going to say. Jae Wook wouldn''t tell her to don''t interfere. She was a civilian and could get hurt. And Jun Hyeon...? What would he say? Who would he choose? She couldn''t take it anymore. Did she have to take Ji Hyeon''s place?! Why?!


    But she knew why. Dae Won wanted to continue the game. He wished to torture Jun Hyeon.


    The cell phone started ringing again, and it was Dae Won. She answered.


    "Make up your mind now, Ye Rim. You or Ji Hyeon. Meet me on Pearl''s terrace. Now."


    He hung up and Jun Hyeon''s call started to call.


    But if Ye Rim answered, what would he ask her to do?

 Chapter 215 - What Did You Do?

    Every muscle in Ye Rim''s body was tense, and she was trying to inhale and exhale slowly to control her own heartbeat. Her desire to simply turn away and run was strong, but she would save Ji Hyeon no matter what.


    And so she was opening the door to the upper floors.


    The Pearl only partially occupied the ground floor of the old building. All tenants had already been evicted from the small building, which Hong wanted to demolish.


    And he would have done that already if it weren''t for his father''s promise to Mr. Song.


    Ji Hyeon would leave and Ye Rim was sure she could survive until Jun Hyeon managed to reach them. She had to resist. She was younger, healthier, and she believed she could handle it. It wasn''t like Ye Rim wasn''t afraid. She was, because Lee Dae Won was crazy.


    But something needed to be done, and she would do it.


    Besides, she had been cautious. Hidden by the puffing sleeve of her blouse, an iron tube she removed from a microphone stand could be an improvised weapon. She had taken self-defense lessons with Jae Wook and hoped it would be of some use now. She might need that.


    "Unnie..." She whispered into the phone, recording the last message for Eun Ha. Why didn''t she answer? "Dae Won is at Pearl. Come now... Please! Call the police!"


    Only the emergency light dimly illuminated the staircase, which went up another two floors to the rooftop, and went down to the bas.e.m.e.nt. Ye Rim had only been there a few times, and never explored the place. Everything smelled of mold, dust, rotting wood, and there was a burning smell of chemicals. Perhaps due to Pearl''s recent renovation.


    She stepped cautiously up the first few steps of the stairs, feeling shadows flicker. Her stomach twisted and she felt saliva gather in her mouth, nauseated.


    She hated places like that, it was like¡­


    ''One of those shadows?''


    Something ran at the top of the stairs, as dark as the night. Ye Rim was sure she didn''t want to go up. Her willpower faltered.


    THUMP TUM. Her heart was sounding loudly inside her head.


    She turned to the door behind her when she heard another noise.


    The noise of the door being locked.


    Lee Dae Won looked up at Ye Rim, standing in the middle of the stairs, and smiled.


    ooo


    Eun Ha smiled half-heartedly as she tried to stay focused on what the American visitors were saying. She was beside Stylist Zhang and the PR team, presenting the concept of the new stores in the Park & ??Zhang Jr. line, which would be captained by none other than the young stylist herself!


    The phone in his hand kept vibrating, and her hunch said she should answer.


    A last-minute meeting with foreign investors was not what Eun Ha expected by the end of the afternoon. After visiting one of the factories, the pilot store of Park & ??Zhang''s Jr. line, it was time to present the numbers. It went through evening, and after that, they would probably have dinner with the investors.


    This part of her job as a stylist wasn''t the coolest part.


    "Miss Jung, can your team present the costs of the debut collection, with the current figures, now?" Mr. Danna asked a second time, and Eun Ha blinked.


    "Yes? Ah. Yes. My assistant is going to present it now!" She nodded. Eun Ha had three assistants, who had their own assistants!


    Eun Ha sometimes could hardly believe what was happening! If it weren''t for her secret fairy life, she would be elated having the dream job and the dream boyfriend. Well, too bad the Hunter appeared more in dreams of the nightmare type.


    When everyone''s attention turned to the screen and her assistant started talking about the costs of each clothing, Eun Ha discreetly looked at the screen.


    ''HM, Ye Rim really wants to talk to me.''


    She pressed the button to read the message under the table. Her finger slid the wrong way, however.


    Ye Rim''s whispered voice rang out loudly on her phone:


    NYR: "Unnie ...! Call the police! Come to Pearl, Dae Won is here with me!"


    Everyone in the meeting room looked at the stylist.


    oo


    "Where''s Ji Hyeon?" Ye Rim asked cautiously, realizing in the back of her mind that the fact that Dae Won locked the door was not a good sign.


    "Everything in due time," he replied, taking a few steps toward the stairs. "But don''t worry about her now ... We will go to the rooftop."


    "I want to see Ji Hyeon before I go with you ..." she took steps away from him, going up the stairs. She was prepared for some kind of dirty trick from him. After all, she had an iron rod and even though her hands were shaking, she could imagine using it against Dae Won. The singer let the object slide into her hand in the darkness. "There will be no deal without you showing me Ji Hyeon."


    "When did I fail to keep my promises to you?"


    Even though he was telling the truth, and he had fulfilled everything he had promised so far, she couldn''t trust a crazy psychopath obsessed with Jun Hyeon. Someone who hated any person who drew more attention than himself in Dr. Kim''s life. It was obvious that he planned to give her a horrible fate that would make Jun Hyeon bitter for the rest of his life.


    ''But not with this girl ...'' she thought, feeling the cold metal completely free from her sleeve and slid it into her fist. She gripped the tube tightly, keeping her body slightly to the side to hide the weapon. She doubted he saw the object when she entered.


    "It''s all right. You really were always nice to me, oppa. You even got me out of the crime scene and were very kind to do that. I am grateful. You are always a gentleman with me. That''s why I''m doing this. I don''t want anyone to get hurt. Neither you. I can stay until you talk all you need to Jun Hyeon oppa..."


    She stopped on the floor between floors, trying to think of what to do as he calmly went up. She realized that the burnt smell was worse.


    Was it smoke? She looked quickly over the stair railing.


    Yes! There was smoke rising from below! Maybe from the ground floor!


    "What did you do, oppa ?!"

 Chapter 216 - Trap

    He took three steps at once, reaching her in a flash, and making Ye Rim''s heart ache painfully.


    "We can name it depending on the case. It can be a flashback... Or a narrative climax! You should be getting more out of your acting classes, Ye Rim!" Dae Won gripped her left wrist tightly and pulled up another flight of stairs. Alarmed and wide-eyed, she could do nothing but follow him up to the top floor.


    He was actually taking her out onto the rooftop. But for what?


    Without elaborating further, she decided to act and raised the iron rod behind his back.


    Dae Won turned around suddenly, still holding Ye Rim''s wrist. The sudden movement twisted her body, but Ye Rim saw no other way out.


    THUD!


    The unpleasant sound of metal hitting flesh and bone made the singer cringe as if she had been hit herself.


    The first blow did not land on the head as planned, but on Dae Won''s shoulder.


    Dae Won released her immediately, caught off guard by the blow and the pain.


    She then hit him in the knee, which the singer knew it was still recovering from the car accident. It was a coward move, but in her defense, that was what self-defense classes taught.


    Dae Won leaned forward, grabbing his knee to endure the pain, and Ye Rim took the time to go through him and through the door behind him, arriving at a large empty room just below the terrace.


    Darting her eyes this way and that, beyond, besides cans of paint and abandoned material, she saw no one. Ji Hyeon was not there. To her left, she saw the door leading to the terrace, with a large, roughly painted X and the words: DO NOT TRESSPASS - DANGER. If she remembered it well, that door also gave access to an old emergency staircase, which should have been removed by its precarious condition.


    Her small hesitation about what to do next was enough for Dae Won to grab the singer by the hair violently and throw her on the floor.


    At that moment, the iron tube escaped from Ye Rim''s hand and rolled across the floor with a metallic clang.


    More out of instinct than anything OPPA Ji had taught her, Ye Rim grabbed Dae Won''s foot with both hands, who stood up to kick her.


    With a shake, she tried to unbalance him, but he was stronger and forced his foot with all his strength against Ye Rim''s chest.


    The air escaped from her lungs and she felt horrible pain, but managed to roll over before taking another kick. Rotating her body on the floor, she kicked him in the leg with her high heels, as hard as she could.


    Dae Won fell to the floor with a low m.o.a.n.


    Ye Rim crawled towards the iron rod, but Dae Won grabbed her by the calf.


    Reaching the tube, she turned awkwardly and hit him in the head''s side, feeling his fingers loosen immediately on her heel.


    Gasping and coughing from the blow to her chest, she sat up to recover, watching him roll on the floor while holding one side of his head.


    Dae Won looked at her with hatred, and she saw his hand go towards a wooden stick that was there for some reason.


    ''OMG, he''s going to kill me!'' She tried to get up as fast as she could, and get past him. Again she was grabbed from behind, this time by her blouse, turned, and pushed against the wall. The moment this happened, Ye Rim felt her head hit the wall, and the hollow THUD inside her skull. She felt the blood coming down her nose, and the vision darkened.


    Her legs went limp, and although Ye Rim tried to hold on to Dae Won, she felt herself collapsing on her body like a sack of potatoes.


    She fell with her eyes open, breathing hard.


    She felt it when he poked her belly with his foot, to see if she had any force left. He swung the piece of wood in his hand.


    She prayed for a miracle, because she didn''t feel like avoiding another blow.


    "Uhn, you look so much better that way ..." he mumbled, walking away, after a few seconds making up his mind about beating her or not.


    ''This girl ... is not yet dead!'' although her vision was blurred, she saw him hobble to a corner, where some burlap sacks and other materials were piled up. The realization of what he was going to do created a wave of despair that made her body react.


    "No¡­!" She screamed. In fact, Ye Rim realized that her voice did not sound as imperative or as strong as she imagined. And she saw the little flame he set ablaze start to grow rapidly.


    "You are crazy?! Do you want to kill us?! How do you think about leaving here now?!" she asked, resting her hands on her knees to gain strength. Her head still reverberated, but she wasn''t going to give up on living that easily.


    Dae Won gave him a smile.


    "You really want to live, don''t you...?!"


    "And you don''t want to?!"


    "Do you think I''m killing myself, here? You''re really stupid, Ye Rim," he raised his stick menacingly, and she flinched instinctively.


    "Exactly. You don''t have to make me beat you to death. That would be unpleasant ... Don''t act like a c.o.c.kroach."


    "Aigoo ... That was offensive," she complained, annoyed.


    "Besides, there''s a chance to escape ... Jun Hyeon will just have to choose between going to the bas.e.m.e.nt or going up the stairs¡­ He always wanted to know what it felt like to face the fire to get Ji Hyeon out. He always wanted to feel heroic..." Dae Won was mocking.


    "Shut up," the singer had enough of it. "Don''t be a cheap psychopath anymore. We will erase you from our memories, Dae Won. You pathetic human failure ..." she spat out the words and saw him curl his lips in hate.


    The singer tried to run and pass him towards the terrace door, but he interposed to it and her, swinging the stick menacingly.


    Ye Rim stepped back, feeling the heat of the fire behind her. In addition, smoke was oozing rapidly through the door that gave access to the internal stairs, and filling the upper floors.


    Taking cautious steps backward, while maintaining a frighteningly beautiful smile on his face, Dae Won said,


    "Goodbye, sweet Ye Rim. It wasn''t a pleasure to meet you, after all. But I won''t be able to stay to see the outcome of your first drama¡­ Who will he choose?"


    With his free hand, the musician reached for the door handle and turned it, ready for his strategic exit. Ye Rim was sure he would lock her there to die.


    But the door was locked.


    The winning smile on his face faded before Ye Rim''s incredulous eyes.

 Chapter 217 - Trap 2

    Chang Mi and Kang Dae had their smiles paralyzed, while Ms. Yoo tried to set her cell phone for a selfie with the three Yoo family members. After the celebratory dinner for Kang Dae''s first model campaign, the Yoo family is having a well-deserved time together.


    "Come on, mom!" Kang Dae has already switched poses a few times, using the modeling techniques he learned, while the younger brother just repeats his little, minimal smile. "Chang Mi will distort his face with that huge smile¡­ Poor Joker..." Kang Dae always mocked his little brother''s ever sullen face.


    "Chang Mi! Smile! NOW!" her mother ordered, and she herself smiled surrounded by her two wonderful children. Kang Dae grinned and made a V with two fingers.


    The youngest looked at his own image reflected in the cell phone and twitched the corner of his mouth to widen his smile... and his mind was swallowed up in another face and in another place.


    *


    The Devourer watched the smoke rise and cover the Pearl sign, staining the night sky with a serene smile.


    ~ Your problem and my problem will end today, Chang Mi ... ~ The Devourer''s voice rang in his mind.


    *


    Chang Mi couldn''t take his eyes off the distant point, knowing that Pearl''s building was now on fire. He did not know how or who had done this, but he knew that the Devourer awaited the outcome with the excitement of a birthday boy to blow out the candles on his cake.


    "What is it, Chang Mi? Aigoo! Why is your nose bleeding?" His mother screamed, drawing attention in the restaurant.


    The student came out of his trance, and blinking looked at his brother,


    "Kang Dae! Ye Rim noona is in danger!"


    ooo


    Shin braked the car so as not to run over the onlookers who crowded around the Pearl Building. Eun Ha didn''t even look around and opened the door, jumping from the car immediately and pushing her way through people with elbows and shoves. She saw Mrs. Song screaming desperately, as she pointed into the building.


    "HELP! There are still people inside! OH MY GOSH! HELP, PLEASE! The kitchen staff! Duk Mi in the backstage!"


    "Have firefighters been notified yet?" she shouted back, and Pearl''s owner nodded.


    "How many people are still in there?"


    "I don''t know, there is a lot of smoke, the fire is coming from the bas.e.m.e.nt and has already reached the entrance!"


    The fairy heard the firefighters'' sirens coming, but she knew that the narrow streets of that neighborhood did not favor rescue work.


    "Ye Rim said she was here and that Lee Dae Won was here too!"


    Mrs. Song leaned on someone else when she heard the news, fanning herself to avoid fainting.


    "Yes... I didn''t see Ye Rim leave...OH PLEASE HEAVENS, HAVE MERCY!"


    Eun Ha looked at the flames coming out of the building''s door with a shudder.


    Her hand reached for the magic wand inside her bag.


    Many people would lose their lives here today, but all she could think of was getting to Ye Rim as soon as possible.


    But would she be able to let other people die doing nothing?


    oo


    "Get out of the way or help me!" Ye Rim exclaimed, pushing Dae Won with her body and forcing the door with her shoulder as the musician tried to use the handle.


    He also pushed the door with his unhurt shoulder a few times, m.o.a.ning each time he did it. The door finally gave way, only to reveal that it was locked from the outside by a padlocked chain.


    "It''s no use. Someone locked it! Motherf.u.c.kers!"


    "Did someone lock ...?!" she asked aloud. She knew that even a psychopath like Dae Won was aware of what was going on there.


    They could not get out by the internal staircase, as they could not pass through the fire, and in a short time, the flames would also consume this room.


    The only way out was through that door and the exit from the terrace. And neither of them could open the door alone. She was sure she had a broken rib, as there was a horrible pain in her chest, and it was getting harder and harder to move her arms and even breathe. And Ye Rim could see that her blows had done some damage to Dae Won too.


    "We can both open the door together, Dae Won! We must do it together!"


    They stared at each other for a moment. And she saw that he, like her, didn''t intend to die in the fire he had caused.


    It didn''t escape her that Dae Won seemed to know who had locked the door. But Ye Rim wasn''t going to spend her energy trying to figure out Dae Won''s macabre schemes.


    Having seen cans of paint, she tried to approach the products, even though she knew it was dangerous, as she imagined that there would be an object capable of opening the cans. She needed something like a crowbar or a chisel to break the chain that locked the door.


    Dae Won understood her purpose and also started looking. The flames inside the room were getting bigger and hotter, and the toxic vapors from the flammable materials were nauseating and made it difficult to see.


    Ye Rim was already thinking about giving up and walking away when she saw the object, a crowbar. She put on her coat to protect her hand and get the metal tool, and ran to the door.


    "I found it!"


    Dae Won held out his hand for her to hand over the tool and potential weapon, and Ye Rim shivered at the look on his face.


    He lowered his hand, and she passed the musician, going to the door and starting to force the tool through the gap, to break between the chain links on the other side.


    After some effort, she started to cough, and her vision blurred. Dae Won said,


    "Get down and cover your face!" and grabbing the tool, he took her place in the desperate task of opening the door.


    Ye Rim did as ordered, praying for a miracle.


    ooo


    Jun Hyeon got out through a door, even before the car stopped. They had arrived right behind the fire truck.


    He already knew that the ground floor and the top floor were on fire and that people were trapped in the decrepit building. He had heard all of this on the police car radio, while Officer Ji was informed on the way to the scene.


    If he cared about his own life at that time, Dr. Kim would have feared every second on the road there, because the crazy Ji Jae Wook had defied national traffic laws, and even the laws of physics, with the speed with which he drove. He didn''t know if he was alive by a miracle or thanks to the detective''s driving skills. But it didn''t matter.


    Ji Hyeon and Ye Rim were inside the building, as was Dae Won.


    He was sure of that.


    The high flames brought back his worst nightmare.


    His greatest failure as a man.


    He was behind a group of firefighters who were preparing to enter, listening to the captain''s instructions.


    Looking from side to side, he grabbed one of the flameproof coats from the truck, and ran to the Pearl building.


    "Hold him!" someone shouted. All his life, he studied all he should have done to save his sister, but didn''t. He knew almost everything one has to know about how to rescue a person from a building on fire.


    Jun Hyeon pushed the first man to stand up to him, blindly. But he was grabbed by the arm and pulled to the side.


    He looked up; it was Shin.


    "If you''re going to do that, you need our help." Said the Hunter. "There are many people in there, I will try to rescue as many as possible, and Eun Ha will be out here to help them. Look for Ye Rim!"


    "My sister is in there too! She must be tied up somewhere..."


    It was unfair that he had to choose between one of them. He didn''t want to cry, but the tears just came.


    Shin nodded, and put a helmet on Jun Hyeon''s head.

 Chapter 218 - Burning Hell

    Using the fire extinguisher that Eun Ha handed him, Jun Hyeon smothered the flames on his way, making a small path through which he could pass to reach the passage on the side of the stage. Meanwhile, the firefighters were struggling to make their way to the kitchen on the first floor, where three people were being held.


    He and Shin had managed to get to the back of the stage, where Duk Mi had called for help minutes before. They found him passed out near a small window, with a head wound. A girl in a waitress uniform was trying to revive him while coughing. She was so relieved to see them!


    "Ye Rim?" he asked her. Perhaps she could have seen Ye Rim.


    The girl shook her head while coughing, and Jun Hyeon placed a wet cloth over her face. Shin was putting Duk Mi on his shoulders, and motioned to Jun Hyeon, pointing to a small door.


    Before entering the building they saw the building blueprints and knew that there was access to part of the bas.e.m.e.nt through the back of the stage. It was the only possible entrance now, other than going through the burning hell on the building''s main stairs.


    Grabbing the small firefighter''s ax that Shin handed him, Jun Hyeon went to the small door.


    Jun Hyeon was following his intuition. It was very much like his worst dreams.


    The infernal heat made it difficult to breathe, and he wanted to run away, away from his recurring nightmare. But he persevered. Grabbing the extinguisher cylinder that was still half full, and wondering if there was anything magical in the container, he went down the stairs. There was smoke, but no fire.


    He knew he was making a risky decision, and that he would have no way of going back.


    The cluttered place was colder than up there. Then he saw the plywood wall, splitting the bas.e.m.e.nt into two different storages. It rattled with strong, rhythmic beats.


    He raised the ax and started to make his way.


    ooo


    DUM DUM DUM


    DUM DUM DUM


    Dae Won and Ye rim took turns to break the chain, gasping and coughing in the process. Her eyes teared because of the smoke.


    "A little more ... My shoulder ... I can''t take it ..." he said, giving her space to try again. Gathering all the energy he had, despite knowing that it was only half of what they had to do, Ye Rim forced the crowbar a few more times, until she felt the weakened link break.


    The joy and relief she felt at that moment were indescribable.


    They were saved!


    She pushed open the door and went out into the open, followed by the musician. Smoke billows rose from the windows on the lower floors, and she heard the loud sirens of the police and the fire department, but she could see nothing around her.


    The singer felt Dae Won''s hands hit her back, and turned away, feeling something wrong. She was aware of what happened before she felt it.


    The sharp blow of the club on her back reverberated in Ye Rim''s head first, and then nerve cells in the body reacted.


    She tasted the blood in her mouth, and fell forward without reaction.


    ooo


    Dr. Kim managed to open a hole in the plywood wall, from where a terrible heat escaped. The other side was on fire.


    Crawling, he put part of his body inside, and his hands touched a body that pressed against him.


    Jun Hyeon pulled, without really seeing, dragging the person through the gap.


    But even without seeing it, he knew who it was. Her soul recognized her.


    It was his sister Ji Hyeon.


    She was so hot and red for the heat and exertion! But she wasn''t burnt. Ji Hyeon probably used all the resources at hand to keep away from the flames and not to faint from inhaling smoke. But Jun Hyeon also knew that bastard Dae Won must probably make it the way she could endure for a time to make it greater torture.


    He turned his noona to him, seeing that handcuffs bound her hands. She was having a coughing fit and trying to push air to her lungs.


    He should take her to the ambulance and an oxygen tank right away.


    "Help ...! Coff ...!" Her voice barely came out, hoarse and barely audible.


    "Ji Hyeon!" he hugged her, protecting her with his body.


    "Jun?!" she raised her face to look at him, understanding only now that her savior was also her brother.


    "Is Ye Rim in there?"


    "No! Dae Won¡­ took her to the terrace!" she promptly replied, with widen eyes in terror.


    It was what he needed to know. On the other side of the plywood wall, something big crashed down, rattling the bas.e.m.e.nt all over. The twin brothers hugged each other in shock. The partition Jun Hyeon had just opened plummeted to the side where he took Ji Hyeon from.


    "Come ... let''s get out of here!" he could not afford to enjoy the moment of reunion. That would have to be for later. Jun Hyeon picked his sister up, realizing that she was as light as he remembered, to get out of there as soon as possible.


    His mind was now focused on someone else.


    Ye Rim. He had to get to her.


    No matter what.


    oo


    Ji Hyeon was afraid to wake up and this would all be another terrifying nightmare. And discover that she had not been saved by her brother, finally, at the last moment when she no longer thought she could survive. She no longer had the breath or strength to continue hitting and kicking the plywood wall, and fearing that it would all come crashing down on her in the end. But Heavens heard her pleas.


    "Ji¡­ Loosen my neck! I need to go!" her brother asked,


    "No! Please don''t, don''t leave me!" She felt JunHyeon pulling her hands away from his neck, wearing thick gloves. He passed Ji Hyeon to another man''s lap.


    "This is my sister, Detective Ji!"


    "I''m going to take you to the ambulance," the man held her carefully.


    "Jun, don''t go! Please, please! You will die!"


    Jun looked at her again, and smiled under his helmet. But then he turned back and crossed the yellow safety line back to hell.


    "Ji! My daughter! Ji Hyeon! Ji Hyeon!" she heard her mother''s tearful voice in the midst of that chaos, and the man turned to where the sound came from.


    In her direction, she saw her mother, so different from what she remembered ... And her grandfather, exactly the same, passing by the side of the ambulance to reach her.


    That''s when she believed it was about to end. It wasn''t a nightmare, but a reality.


    She wanted to believe that it was over, but it would only be over when her brother left that building alive ... And Dae Won left it dead.


    ooo


    Ye Rim blinked, feeling damp lashes, bitter mouth and immense pain. She could barely move her arms. Her chest moved with difficulty.


    But she was not yet dead.


    "There is what you wanted. Those bastards locked me up to die!" Dae Won was talking to someone at his side.


    ~ Hahahaha! ~


    Even in the middle of the chaos, she heard a buzz and felt a cold that caused her ancestral terror, permeated by the diabolical and cold laugh.


    That was at the heart of her nightmares since he was a child.


    The Big Mouthed Monster.


    The Devourer.

 Chapter 219 - Light and Darkness

    The warm floor reverberated as footsteps came towards her.


    "Nhg¡­" Ye Rim tried to turn her body and see, but it was painful.


    At that moment, she remembered the things her mother told about the events at Eun Ha''s parents'' ranch. And also what the Hunter Shin said.


    "All magic is corrupted by nature. The seed of chaos that exists in the core of any magic requires it. From the weakest to the most powerful, there''s some entropic law, a deep root that will subvert magic..."


    "Sorry, Professor Shin. I don''t know if I understand," she had said.


    "Er¡­ There''s always a weakness hidden in each spell. A point that can be exploited. It has to do with the energy of the caster himself. In the Devourer''s case... For several reasons, a human child has the power to stop him. He cannot kill this human because of another fairy''s blessing. And this human is you, Ye Rim. But you can end his existence¡­"


    "How?"


    The Devourer was looking for her.


    He was afraid of her, and he wanted her destroyed.


    Shin had said it was better not to think about it. That she should only try to escape the Devourer when she saw him. And use the weapon as a defense, if needed.


    She touched the necklace on her neck, with the tip that was once the thorn in her mother''s hand. If that was what connected her to the Devourer, as Shin believed, she didn''t care.


    What Ye Rim knew was that the Devourer would not stop. The next ones would be Shin ...


    And Eun Ha.


    Tears streamed from her swollen eyes, and a feeling of revolt and worthlessness overwhelmed her.


    Why didn''t she have the strength to get up?!


    But the humming voice asked Dae Won, sounding annoyed.


    ~ Why didn''t you kill her? ~


    "Ach Ach ..." Dae Won seemed to have difficulty breathing. "He''s coming ... I know Jun Hyeon''s coming... I want her to die because he didn''t save her..."


    ~ Oh! I see. You are really obsessed with causing people pain... This man, especially.~


    "...! COFF COFF COFF!" Dae Won responded to the magician''s provocation with a coughing fit.


    Ye Rim saw when the white-clad figure stopped just above her, with his feet planted on either side of her legs. She saw his face.


    He really looked like Chang Mi¡­ And at the same time he was different. He was cold and scary.


    There was a huge shadow behind him, twisting horribly like a timelapsed storm in the sky.


    ~ But, if you haven''t done your part of the deal, I don''t have to do mine either... ~


    "No! She will die, anyway! Why do we need to get our hands dirty?!" Dae Won protested.


    Ye Rim was very scared. The floor where I was lying was getting hotter and hotter.


    "Please ... COFF COFF!" She tried to grab the maddened fairy''s boot with one hand, coughing. To his surprise, it was not tangible. The Devourer looked at her, puzzled.


    ~ Wouldn''t you be happy, Ye Rim, to learn that even if you die, this sick human will also be excised? I can do this for you. I''ll make it up to you for the inconvenience of having to get this out of you¡­ ~


    "Wait. You can''t¡­ I did what you asked," Dae Won argued, nervous. But the Devourer raised his face in the direction of the musician, who was out of Ye Rim''s view, away from her.


    ~ Not everything ... But you have a point, too. And it seems that even if you haven''t tried very hard, she will soon die. I think I need to hurry, to have the best of her! None of us will get our hands dirty with her death. ~


    "This... Now do your part, and get me out of here."


    ~ But, Dae Won ... I didn''t have that deal with you. You should leave this place by your own means... ~ revealed the Fairy Eater, indifferently.


    "What are you talking about?! I already said, Hong''s men betrayed me, that scoundrel betrayed me! They left me here to die too! They locked the door!"


    ~ And how is this my problem? I already helped you, but ... You still owe me.~


    "Owe you?"


    ~ Yes. Do you remember Chang Mi? You shouldn''t have involved Chang Mi in your dirty affairs. ~


    "Chang ... Mi? The boy? You¡­"


    ~ You have no regrets¡­ ~ The corrupted monster interrupted the Musician, tired of so much talk. ~ Then the wraiths won''t feed on you ... But poetically, the fire will consume you... ~ The indifferent tone was consumed by the scorn.


    And with a snap of the Devourer''s fingers, Ye Rim heard the roar of flames, without really seeing. She only heard Dae Won''s dreadful, excruciating pain cries!


    "Not! Not! NOOOOOO!"


    Ye Rim closed her eyes, trying not to panic.


    She put herself on her elbows, trying to get up. The insane fairy didn''t stop her, in fact, he held out his hand so she could grab and stand. This time, she felt it. He was tangible.


    Feeling her legs weak and blood running from her nose and mouth, she steadied her feet on the floor and stood up, grabbing his arm.


    "I''m sorry, Ye Rim¡­ That it has to be this way. But I want what''s inside you¡­" he whispered, touching her face with his cold hand.


    She understood now why he was tangible.


    He needed this to consume the power within her!


    Ye Rim could see, however, the shadows that dominated him like a puppet, gathering like a cloud of tentacles around them.


    His voice was soft and gentle, almost pleasant in its honest threat. And she was so tired and in so much pain that she could accept the invitation to let herself be sacrificed, to get some relief... The creatures around them stirred like restless and hungry dogs.


    The Devourer exclaimed close to Ye Rim''s ear, while a hand boarded the singer''s skull, almost lovingly. "Can not wait!"


    The Devourer pulled her hair back, and Ye Rim felt her insides seethe. She looked down and at her chest. Something was throbbing and stinging inside, and she felt herself start to be sucked, feeling a strange numbness in the back of her head, where he supported her.


    Something inside her was being drained to the Devourer!


    Was it the magic they talked about?!


    She looked into Chang Mi''s father''s eyes, and he returned the look, looking delighted and consumed by the ecstasy of gluttony. His lips slightly parted as his body began to emit a fluorescent glow.


    "YE RIM!" Jun Hyeon''s scream made her look back. She had no idea how, but Jun Hyeon was there.


    The doctor hesitated only a moment, assessing the horrible events on the terrace, and fixing his gaze on Ye Rim, in the Devourer''s arms.


    ~ OH! So full of regrets! My children will feast on these pains... It will be a merciful act, after all ... ~ the crazy creature smiled maniacally, raising his hand. The shadows acted like trained dogs ready to attack, just waiting for the order.


    Ye Rim struggled to gain strength, even though she was continually drained. She watched as the long thorn formed in the Devourer''s palm, and the horrible wraith shadows went for Jun Hyeon.


    The Devourer didn''t expect that someone he considered so consumed by his faults and failures could come upon him, so furiously, brandishing an ax, ignoring the shadows completely.


    The doctor''s focus was just to get Ye Rim out of the hands of that thing. The ax hit the creature, which fell back on impact, as did the singer.


    The link between Ye Rim and the Devourer wasn''t broken, though. The numbness in her body at least served to keep her from having any more pain. Ye Rim saw the two struggling in battle.


    The shadows that Shin and Eun Ha called Wraiths ruthlessly attacked Jun Hyeon from behind, while he and the Devourer fought.


    Jun Hyeon had taken advantage of the surprise and used it. But Ye Rim knew that, even if Hunter Shin, who was a warrior and a fairy too, couldn''t defeat the powerful Devourer, it was only a matter of time for a flip of tables...


    But she couldn''t allow that ... Reminding of what to do, Ye Rim grabbed the necklace, pulled it off her neck, and concentrating as Shin taught her, she let the magic flow through her body ...


    Everything started to turn white around her.


    The light was too bright even for his eyes. She felt her body go light and felt that her feet were not touching the ground.


    The Devourer looked away from Jun Hyeon for a moment, and Jun Hyeon himself turned his torso to see the source of the light. The creatures made of darkness spread out as if fleeing their worst enemy.


    Ye Rim saw the long thorn stuck in Jun Hyeon''s chest.


    Her fury was so legitimate that she found herself reflected in the Devourer''s eyes, like an avenging ball of light.


    She wouldn''t stop until she destroyed him!


    Pushing Jun Hyeon, the Devourer raised his hand, invoking the darkness he commanded... But it was too late.


    Ye Rim had thrown himself against him, with the enchanted thorn in her clenched fist.


    She felt it when the object in her hands plunged into the angelic faced monster''s chest. And Ye Rim saw in his eyes all the surprise, all the horror... and all the relief, as the creature began to dissolve in rags of black smoke.


    He seemed so smile when it happened.


    The shadows that flew over the sky like crows made of smoke, also dissipated with grotesque and scary shrills.


    "YE RIM! YE RIM!"


    In the midst of all that smoke and noise, she saw Eun Ha appearing in a rescue basket at the end of a turntable ladder. Chang Mi and his brother were going up the precarious fire escape stairs, also shouting her name.


    Hunter Shin was also on the rooftop, and she had no idea how he got there.


    The singer just felt a wet, cold hand reach for her, at her side.


    "Ye Rim ... Ye Rim ..."


    Then she looked down and saw her own body on the floor. Jun Hyeon was leaning over Ye Rim''s body, holding her hand and touching her face, trying to wake her up.


    ~ Did I¡­ did I die?~

 Chapter 220 - Im Not Good With This Love Spell Thing

    Jun Hyeon felt a huge pain in his chest, and this wasn''t even due to the fact that he had a huge thorn stuck in his heart. Ye Rim had no pulse, and her various wounds and blood clots on her hair...


    Carefully he ran his hand over the back of her head and felt her skull ...


    A sob escaped his lips, but he couldn''t help himself. His despair was boundless.


    "Ye Rim¡­! YE RIM!"


    People came around him, and he felt Shin put a hand on his shoulder.


    But there was no consolation for what had happened.


    Eun Ha reached her best friend, calling in shock,


    "Ye Rim! Don''t do that! You can not¡­! My sister, sister! No! ... I don''t want to live without you...!"


    Dr. Kim gripped Ye Rim''s unnie tightly, his eyes insane,


    "Do something! Do something! You can! She trusts you, do something!"


    Shin pushed him away from Eun Ha, who was in shock like him.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''m-not-good-with-this-love-spell-thing_49499891696717051 for visiting.


    Eun Ha turned to the Hunter,


    "I''m going to use every last drop of my power... I don''t mind going dry, Hye Seong, please tell me what I have to do!"


    The veins in the Hunter''s neck leapt with nervousness. The flames were threatening the rooftop structure; it was unbearably hot.


    "If you want something to be done, it has to be done now. Ye Rim will leave soon. Let''s get out of here... It has to be done quickly."


    ¡ã¡ã¡ã


    Jun Hyeon looked when Shin put Ye Rim''s limp body on the floor again.


    The doctor was numb with pain and paid no attention to how they got there, and exactly where they were. He just thought they weren''t far from Pearl, as he could still hear the sounds of sirens and helicopters.


    Chang Mi apologized to Eun Ha, for his father, in tears, but she didn''t want to hear. They fought over something, but Jun Hyeon just looked at his beloved''s bruised face, and thought about how miserable he was for not being able to do anything ... And for being too late.


    Kang Dae finally removed his younger brother to a calmer place, and Eun Ha went to Ye Rim again.


    "Ye Rim¡­ I don''t know what to do¡­ What to do, what to do?!" she repeated to herself, trying to figure out how to get her best friend back.


    "EUN HA! HYUNG! If you can do this, do it! do it! I beg!" he implored.


    "It will take more than all the magic you have, Eun Ha! It needs much more! Bringing Ye Rim back is a feat that defies even powerful fairies¡­ I can''t allow it," Shin repeated, but Eun Ha stubbornly wiped away her tears, resolutely.


    "I will do what is necessary, Shin! and if you don''t help me, I''ll do it, anyway! With your help it can be safer and easier ... I am not intimidated! I don''t want to have magic if it doesn''t save the life of the person who, in the first place, is the reason I''m alive today!"


    "What is necessary?!" Jun Hyeon asked. "I will give my life for her. It''s not fair I live and she doesn''t. It was my fault that she died."


    Eun Ha and Shin looked at each other. The young fairy understood Jun Hyeon''s feelings. She didn''t think he loved her so much.


    Shin then said,


    "Jun Hyeon, if you are sure of this, and Eun Ha too, it can be done. With a willingly given life, and the magic of Eun Ha, there is a chance that it will work ... However..."


    "It doesn''t matter the ''howevers'' if it means she will live and be well."


    "That thorn in your chest. It will corrupt the magic."


    "And can''t it just be taken away?" Jun Hyeon made a move to pull the sharp object, even knowing he supposedly shouldn''t.


    Shin stopped him. "It''s useless¡­ the place it''s pierced should have killed you¡­ It''s meant to kill even stronger things. But it will eventually be absorbed by your body..." Shin sighed. "And there is no way to mitigate the effects. Jun Hyeon, I need to know now... Are you willing to die for her? Would you give your life to Ye Rim, even if it meant not staying with her? Even if it meant that she doesn''t remember you... Never?"


    Jun Hyeon thought he was going to have a heart attack at that moment, upon hearing Shin''s simple and ridiculous idea.


    "What are you talking about?! She will remember me! We''ll get over it! I just need her to come back! Please! Do what is necessary! My life! Use my life!" He grabbed Shin by the arm, and shook him, enraged by the fairy''s indecision.


    "Okay! Let''s do this!" Shin agreed and glanced at his fiancee, looking worried and at the same time, full of admiration toward Eun Ha.


    When the fairy finally said that she would help them do this risky move and total madness, Eun Ha came to Jun Hyeon and hugged him,


    "Oppa! Bye! You would have been a great husband for Ye Rim. But I promise that I will be an excellent godmother for your baby!"


    "What-what are you talking about...?!" the shock of hearing what she said and the thousand conjectures of what it could mean left him speechless. But he felt a shock pass through his body, and it went out.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw his body next to Ye Rim''s, on the concrete floor. With their heads down, Eun ha and Shin looked at them, talking quietly.


    Jun Hyeon felt himself floating a few feet over the couple.


    In his chest, the painful splinter pulsed and constricted the beats. But how was it possible, if he was¡­ dead?"


    ooo


    When the magic ended, Eun Ha felt very empty. Sitting next to Shin, she hugged him.


    She couldn''t have done it without Shin. She would have paralyzed with fear and done something wrong, but he was patient. For the first time very patient with her.


    Ye Rim and Jun Hyeon breathed calmly in their restful sleep, side by side.


    "What will happen now?" She already felt different. Heavy, with body pain, and a huge headache. Eun Ha knew that her magic was completely gone.


    "You are going to have a human life. You will live just like one of them," Shin whispered, hugging her back and kissing her sweaty hair. "You were fantastic, Eun Ha."


    "Did I? Are they going to be okay?"


    "Yes, you did. And I love you."


    Eun Ha turned to Shin, stunned. He spoke with such affection and conviction that Eun Ha looked up to examine his face. Shin nudged Eun Ha''s cheek.


    "You said that thorn in Jun Hyeon''s chest was going to disrupt the magic ... And that''s why it made me complete the spell that way."


    "Jun Hyeon gave Ye Rim his life, as well as part of his suffering. But he''s the one not remembering his love story and losing her ... Jun Hyeon needs sanity to take care of his sister and deal with everything that happened. He was on the verge of a total breakdown..."


    "Oh, yeah?!" Eun Ha inflated her chest in revolt. "Will my donsaeng have to bear the burden of that sacrifice because your prot¨¦g¨¦ would not be able to take it?" She remembered the old prophecy she had so many years ago. Her dear Ye Rim would not endure so much rejection from Jun Hyeon!


    "Eun Ha! Your Donsaeng won a new chance! Jun Hyeon gave her another chance! He will live for only two years from today, but she will live normally, as if her life had never been prematurely cut! It was the best we could have done! Do you still want him to live in suffering the last two years of his life? Now that he has found his sister he thought was dead for so many years?!"


    "But why does Ye Rim have to suffer?!" She screamed, not happy that Shin didn''t see things as she did. Would Ye Rim spend her whole life suffering, year after year, knowing that Jun Hyeon had sacrificed his life for her? And that he didn''t even know why he would die prematurely?


    She slapped Shin on the chest twice. I wanted him to feel pain like she was now. But all she managed to do was to feel her hands burn from the slap on his hard chest.


    "Stop, stop! Stop it, Eun Ha! Don''t get your hands hurt... " he held her hands, frowning. "I did something. I wasn''t going to tell you, but ... I used what little magic I had. All the magic I had, actually."


    "WHAT?!" Eun Ha stood up, placing her hand on her chest, mouth open. She couldn''t believe this. He was recovering, and¡­ "You lost your magic too¡­ All of it?! Hye Seong?!"


    "I don''t know about the future. It''s very rare that fairies recover their magic when they voluntarily donate all of it to a spell... But it can happen to you. And maybe with me. But¡­ Thinking that you would live and die as a human¡­ Made me sure that I don''t¡­" he sighed, as always not knowing how to deal with his own feelings; let alone talk about them. "Well ... I don''t want to live any longer than you, Eun Ha."


    The ex-fairy couldn''t imagine hearing anything remotely like it from her anti-romantic fiance, and grabbed him by the neck. The Hunter was taken by surprise, and grunted.


    "I hope that helps."


    "And what did you do?" Eun ha was repeatedly kissing his beloved''s cheeks in adoration.


    "I?? Wait¡­ I just did a spell. But it is a weak spell and full of conditions. I am not good with this love spell thing."


    "And what is it?"


    "He will remember Ye Rim and the love they had, for an entire Super Moon. And if he keeps remembering their love after that ... He won''t die. Love will conquer death. He needs to break the spell by himself. I don''t know if that will be enough ... But he convinced me back there that it was possible."


    Eun Ha stopped kissing him to get his cell phone and do a brief research on astronomy. Then she faced her fiance, and grabbed him again to kiss him fervently.


    There was a chance!

 Chapter 221 - Bound by the Clauses

    2 YEARS LATER


    "Today is a big day for Ye Rim, please at least be kind to her," Mr. Go asked, with a tired sigh, on the phone.


    Jun Hyeon already imagined that he would get into problems when he answered his grandfather''s call while driving, and poked his cheek with his tongue, taking a deep breath.


    "I know, I know. The contract with which she blackmails me is almost due..."


    "Ah, you stupid kiddo¡­! What else can you want in a woman that Ye Rim doesn''t have?"


    "Common sense, for starters?" he replied without thinking, and regretted it because he knew that his grandfather was not going to forgive him for having retorted. It was a rhetorical question. And Mr. Go was the most vindictive person he knew.


    The phone was disconnected, and Jun Hyeon knew he was in trouble.


    Ye Rim had charmed everyone around him. First his grandfather, then his noona, and even his partners. She was devilishly charming and talented, but she had a terrible personality.


    And he knew the truth about her.


    Unfortunately, the whole world seemed to see them as destined for each other. And because of a stupid contract that Jun Hyeon didn''t even remember how he signed, he had to pretend to the world that he believed it too.


    But it wasn''t long before he got rid of Ye Rim for good.


    He couldn''t deny that she was part of his life, for good, too.


    After all, it was only after the fateful meeting with this woman that everything culminated for his noona to come back home.


    Two years ago, in the tragic Pearl Club fire, caused by the man who kept his sister kidnapped for years, Jun Hyeon suffered an accident that caused mysterious neurological damage. After spending a few days in a coma, the doctor had woken up with vague memories of the previous months.


    Kim Jun Hyeon was diagnosed with Severe Post Traumatic Disorder, and Systematized Dissociative Amnesia.


    In particular, he forgot one person: Miss Nam Ye Rim.


    The woman who introduced herself to him as his girlfriend _ fianc¨¦e, actually.


    It wasn''t as if Dr. Kim could ignore a person just because he didn''t remember her. And of course, while seeking treatment for his condition, a question had to be answered - why did Jun Hyeon forget the facts about Ye Rim?


    Naturally, his illness was hidden from everyone outside his inner circle. His noona Ji Hyeon needed all the support, love and protection, and was the main focus of the family''s attention. They tried to get away from the press after the tragedy, and had support from friends for that.


    It was difficult to put together the puzzles of the months leading up to the fire, and people were kind to tell what they knew.


    Jun Hyeon recreated the first encounter with Miss Nam in his mind, from the information he gathered, with his grandfather and his friends.


    A desperate and bankrupt singer accepting the most ridiculous and shameful type of work, bordering on immoral, who took advantage of the encounter with him to try her swan song!


    It was clear from hearing the reports who the real Ye Rim was.


    He hardly believed that, somehow, perhaps encouraged by his grandfather''s favorable opinion of her, he started dating Ye Rim.


    Dr. Kim had no way of remembering his own intentions, but it was clear to see that beautiful woman and how his body reacted whenever he was close to her, that he just couldn''t help it.


    But Miss Ye Rim, being the ambitious woman she was, could not have simply been satisfied with Dr. Kim.


    Upon meeting Lee Dae Won, an influential musician, she thought about how to seduce him too and finally be able to leverage her career.


    ''Ye Rim may have been a victim of Dae Won in the end, who just used her. But it was she who wanted to use him from the beginning. Like she did to me! '' That had been the conclusion when evaluating everything he managed to discover about the bizarre triangle that formed between them. ''Behind my back she was with him too! That alone explains why he did so many things for her¡­ I should have been too intoxicated with a passion for this self-interested minx to not have seen that she fed this situation for her own benefit¡­ ''


    In Dr. Kim''s mind, everything was clear as water, and even the dissociation he was experiencing was caused by the shock of discovering this. Even more added to the torturing pain of realizing that he had been so negligent about his noona...


    His psychiatrist told him he would have a long way to go to deal with reality as it really was. Without any anxious fantasies or any kind of denial. They were defense mechanisms aimed at survival. Despite discomfort, she said that Jun Hyeon could overcome them with calm and persistence.


    It would be easier if, when he found out the truth, he didn''t feel like a complete idiot. Ye Rim only made sense when he coldly analyzed everything she had achieved in the months she was involved with him and Dae Won simultaneously.


    A fantastic contract, a role as a protagonist in a drama that catapulted her dying career to success. A critically and publicly acclaimed debut album and an important role in an internationally awarded film.


    And of course, a rental boyfriend. Kim Jun Hyeon.


    Jun Hyeon shook his head, crushed one flower in the bouquet he brought to her, inside the elevator.


    He looked at himself in the mirror, seeing his well-dressed figure and reproaching himself. ''What a sucker you were to get involved with this woman¡­''


    An assistant opened the door to the singer''s apartment, and Jun Hyeon thanked God that she was surrounded by people almost all the time, now.


    He was taken to the room where Ye Rim was being prepared for the peak event of her career. She had been nominated in one of the most important music awards in the country in four different categories: Album of the Year, Best Female Singer, Best Song, and Best New Artist. She was a favorite in at least two categories, and Jun Hyeon had to admit that she probably deserved it.


    Ye Rim looked over her shoulder when the door opened, and faced him. Jun Hyeon was mesmerized to see that beautiful woman in a stunning white dress, with bare back, her coppery hair cascading sinuously and her beautiful face looking expectantly at him.


    Ye Rim looked like a goddess and it was impossible to see anyone else near her. Everything was overshadowed when she was in the room.


    He cleared his throat, and armed himself with a sardonic smile so as not to be fooled again by her sparkling eyes like two diamonds.


    Someone grunted beside him,


    "I''m glad you brought her flowers. If you make her cry or get upset tonight, this time I swear I will crush you, Dr. Kim."


    Dr Kim didn''t even look. He knew he was the agency director for Ye Rim, the man responsible for the contract that kept him tied to her. He shrugged, and went over to the singer.


    "Stunning as always, Ye Rim!" he handed her the bouquet. The stylist''s assistant finished the adjustment and walked away while Ye Rim smelled the flowers. The crushed flower did not escape her, and she looked at him questioningly.


    Jun Hyeon felt bad and wondered if she thought this was some kind of threat a psychopath would do. It hadn''t been intentional.


    ''Damn¡­''


    "Am I weird?" she asked. It was impossible for her not to know she was stunning, so the doctor just thought she was trying to win praise.


    But he had certain contractual obligations ...


    "I''m going to have to make sure that only I put my hand on your back tonight..." he sneered, praising her backhandedly to everyone to hear.


    She chuckled, but dropped her eyes. She didn''t seem as excited or willing to argue, as she had at other times.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Yes. Eun Ha had to go and feed little Hanul, but she will be there." She talked about the baby her unnie had with her husband, and one of Jun Hyeon''s best friends, Shin.


    In the elevator, towards the parking lot, he broke down looking at the image of the two, side by side. What was the missing element in this equation?


    Why did he feel this immense pain in his chest, this feeling of suffocation, when he was alone with her?

 Chapter 222 - Her Side

    Knowing that Jun Hyeon was at his side only because the contract that he had insisted on being extended for two years left Ye Rim depressed.


    She was tempted a thousand times to tell him the whole truth, but she was dissuaded by Eun Ha and Shin.


    "He will be even more ill, Ye Rim. What would you do if someone you don''t trust and know you are seeing a psychiatrist told you about fairies, supernatural beings and that you are under a spell?" the Hunter had said. "Unfortunately, there is only one way to break the spell, and it has to come from within him. What you can do is ... Well, and make him fall in love with you again!"


    "It seems that this is impossible! Each time I try, he repudiates me even more. Sometimes, I have the impression that he never really loved me¡­" Sometimes she didn''t shy away from revealing her inner doubts and fears.


    "I don''t think so, Ye Rim!" Eun Ha always consoled her. "If he hadn''t loved you, he wouldn''t have switched places with you, and given his life for you¡­ Poor thing! Try harder! You want help?"


    Ye Rim was not sure that Eun Ha could help her.


    Her unnie was no longer an empowered fairy, but a busy and famous stylist with a small, beautiful baby. Shin was a good husband, and together the couple completed each other.


    Chang Mi had been through difficult times, but moved to England to study. He still hadn''t gotten over Eun Ha having married his master, though. Just like Ye Rim couldn''t cope with the fact that Jun Hyeon had spent two years denying himself that they had a real relationship, and that they had plans to get married.


    This took away the joy of the singer''s achievements. It was almost like a curse, actually.


    Everything she touched, the media said, turned to gold. She was the highest-paid celebrity, her album was a hit. Her face endorsing products was everywhere. Everyone wanted to talk to Ye Rim.


    Except who she wanted.


    "You are such a beautiful couple, unnie! I want you to be very happy together!" a fan shouted when Ye Rim and Jun Hyeon stopped for photos on the event''s red carpet.


    The couple waved to the ardent fan, and the cameras turned to this spontaneous moment.


    But she knew there was nothing spontaneous. Jun Hyeon did his best not to touch her, and when they were alone, he avoided talking to her.


    Dr. Kim could say that his grandfather was resentful, but he was just like him!


    Sometimes, like today, she was so upset by this that it overcame sadness. If he wasn''t so stubborn about what he considered pure logic ... she was not to blame if he had a history of not trusting people.


    He thought they only approached him to take advantage, but that had never been the case for her.


    "She is predicting our future, oppa!" Ye Rim teased, squeezing his cheek in public. "You can fight at will, but one day you will discover that you love me and have always loved me. For now, I accept that you struggle and wiggle¡­ But I''m losing my temper, you see?" she murmured through her teeth as they posed for the photos.


    She was one of the favorite candidates for some important awards. But nothing would make her happier than hearing that he finally remembered her, and their story ... as sad as that was.


    Until then, Ye Rim lived in uncertainty as to whether he had switched places with her because he was someone who thought he owed the past, not because he loved her.


    "No way, Agassi!" he grunted like her, keeping his smile for the cameras. "Your charm doesn''t work for me."


    When he spoke like that, she wanted to kick his ass!


    But the fact was ... They didn''t have much time. In two days there would be another supermoon. The last before the fateful day when the spell was bound to end.


    And he would die.


    She had a desperate plan. But Ye Rim needed to ensure that Jun Hyeon was alone again during the super moon. Like the last time, he remembered her at nightfall.


    At that time, his father had a health problem the day before, and Jun traveled on the first flight to the United States.


    When Ye Rim found out what had happened and that all her plans to make him remember the past and spend the night with him sank like the Titanic, she took the next plane to America herself.


    This was endless idiocy, because only when she arrived at the airport did Ye Rim see his desperate messages. She arrived in the morning...


    Still, insistently, she showed up at the hospital and Jun Hyeon was shocked by her audacity, and even more by her pleas.


    Quite different from the first supermoon, when they spent the whole night swearing love and waiting for the spell to pass ... but it didn''t.


    "Hey, Dr. Kim! Did you like my acceptance speech for the best song award?!" she whispered close to his ear. And she noticed his skin crawling.


    Jun Hyeon avoided looking at her, and going nose to nose with his official bride.


    "At least you gave my sister credit. There is still hope."


    "Aishhh that man!" Ye Rim admitted that her bad temper sometimes got the best of her, but she wasn''t going to let that happen. He was trying to piss her off.


    "Jun Hyeon oppa, of course I would speak of ''Cha Ayeong''. The pseudonym your sister chose to compose. She is the winner of the award too."


    Ji Hyeon still didn''t feel ready to deal with the world and was very sensitive. She decided not to come to the awards.


    Kim Jun Hyeon sighed. "You spoke beautiful words in your acceptance speech. If she watched it, she must have liked it."


    Ye Rim pulled the cell phone out of her purse and made a video call to her future sister-in-law. Someone had to be strong-willed there, and that someone was her. Jun Hyeon realized too late what she was doing, but they were in public and he couldn''t just take her phone.


    Ji Hyeon''s face appeared on the screen, and she looked happy. Ye Rim always wondered how her appearance was changing for the better, after every care that Jun Hyeon''s medical team was doing. With that and also psychological support - and of course, freedom - Ji Hyeon noona was getting better every day. And of course¡­ love!


    "Ji Hyeon noona! Congratulations!" Ye Rim spoke vividly, showing the trophy he held. "This one has your name on it!"


    "Congratulations noona! You deserved it, and you deserve much more!" The composer''s brother smiled at the person on the other side.


    Ji Hyeon thanked and praised Ye Rim. The conversation continued with the three exchanging compliments until Ye Rim had the cue she wanted to say,


    "As I told you, I would go the next day to take your prize, noona! And Jun Hyeon was excited to go too! We''ll come over there tomorrow to visit you. We want to take your prize and spend the afternoon with you! Officer Ji Wook will be there too, won''t he?"


    She hadn''t called Ji Wook an ''oppa'' in a long time. She knew that Jun Hyeon hated it when she did that. Also, Ji Wook wasn''t even a single man, neither was she. He had been dating Ji Hyeon for over a year.


    She felt the light pinch on her back. She knew that on another occasion self inviting was a rude thing to do, but she was confident that she already had enough friendship with Ji Hyeon to say that she was coming to her house.


    "Of course you can! I miss you guys! Mom had just called, offering to come."


    "Great, noona!" replied Jun Hyeon. "It''s very noisy here, and we are going to the after-party now. But the best meeting will be tomorrow, with you!"


    ''Yes,'' Ye Rim thought, ''It will be a pleasant afternoon, but it will be an even more pleasant evening ... And I''ll make sure he doesn''t forget me when the sun comes!''

 Chapter 223 - Putting Her Little Plan in Action

    "Oh, everything was great! Yes, I will take all these seedlings, they will be beautiful at home! I will have time to plant them the day after tomorrow, do you think they can wait until then?" Ye Rim placed the crate of plant seedlings in the trunk of the car, with a smile. Ji Hyeon was so kind and caring!


    The day had been very pleasant at Ji Hyeon''s ranch. It was a calm and beautiful place, where she could have enough outdoors, and a beautiful horizon to look at the mountains. Jun Hyeon''s twin sister enjoyed long walks and hiking, plants and the sounds of nature, after so many years of living locked in a bas.e.m.e.nt.


    Dr. Kim said goodbye to his mother and sister, somewhat reluctantly. He had made it clear that he preferred to stay for dinner, but Ye Rim could let nothing go out of plan this time.


    When they got in the car, Jun Hyeon looked at the phone, and commented as if talking to himself. But in fact, Ye Rim knew he wanted her to hear.


    "Na Ra sent a message ..."


    That lit a warning signal. Na Ra was still friends with Ji Hyeon, after all, nothing had shaken their friendship. But¡­ was she getting closer to Jun Hyeon too?


    GRR! The Heavens were being too unfair to Ye Rim!


    "Oppa¡­ Is your passenger seat belt still defective after so many years?" She pretended to have trouble fastening her belt.


    Jun Hyeon automatically reclined to help her ... and like the first time, he couldn''t resist ogling at her legs. She realized that he was uneasy, but Dr. Kim didn''t overextend his help and sat rigidly on his bench, starting the car.


    Ye Rim looked at the clock on the panel, it was 5:32 pm.


    "Haha, do you remember, Jun Hyeon? How did my dress got stuck in the belt back then? I was left half-n.a.k.e.d¡­ but you protected me," she recollected, with gleaming eyes. Back then, she was ashamed and furious.


    Now, it seemed like Fate wanted to push them together.


    "Ah, you know I don''t remember anything about it. I just know what happened through my grandfather. He still thinks it was very hilarious, of course." Ji Hyeon dismissed the subject. But Ye Rim started the countdown as soon as the car left Ji Hyeon''s ranch, and they waved goodbye to Dr. Kim''s sister and Ji Jae Wook.


    "Yes, I understand it''s a phase. But when I''m in a car with you, I remember that... And our first date. It was a mess!"


    He was a little thoughtful, and Ye Rim looked at the sky. She could already see the moon in the still clear sky. Maybe it was making effect!


    "Do you remember that manhole lid flying right in front of us? Wow, it''s impossible that something like that doesn''t come to your mind!" She checked the GPS, and took the eye drops from her bag. "...Uhn, can you close the window on your side, oppa? I think a speck got in my eye¡­ OH! OHHHHHHH!"


    Ye Rim thanked her acting teachers. She did something risky, but it was an act of desperation. Hitting her left eye with the dropper bottle, she screamed and put her hand over her face. Unfortunately, it had really hurt, but it was necessary to convince a doctor that she needed his help!


    "Easy, Ye Rim, hold on! I''m stopping the car¡­" Jun Hyeon looked at her several times as he pulled over on the side of the highway.


    Tears of pain streamed from the singer''s eyes. She felt pathetic about having to resort to such a ridiculous ploy, but she had to go through with it ... To save Jun Hyeon, more than herself.


    "BWAH! It hurts!"


    "Shhh, Shhh¡­ Calm down! Uhn? Pull your hand away, let me see what it was," the sweet, protective tone returned to his voice.


    She hoped it was more than his medical instincts. He always wanted to help, and he wouldn''t refuse it even to the most hateful person. Even on their first date, Dr. Kim had completely changed his arrogant attitude when he realized she needed help. Even if minimal help.


    But, if that was the door to re-enter his heart¡­


    "Oh Oh Oh!"


    "It was not very smart to try to apply eye drops while the car was moving," he chided softly. Jun Hyeon had to fight a little to get Ye Rim''s hands away from her face, and pouted worriedly when he saw her very red eye.


    "Let''s go out here a little bit, let''s wash it with water and we can continue our trip. Keep your eyes closed for the rest of the trip, that everything will work itself out..."


    "There is no water," she informed. "Just juice. I threw the water away to bring the juice your sister made¡­ "


    "AH. Of course. There is no water." He snided, averting the eyes, but he looked this way and that for a solution. Ye Rim put her hand over her eye again.


    "Oppa, it''s burning!"


    "Calm down, it was just a minor blow, nothing will happen. You won''t be blind or anything. But if it remains swollen after a few minutes, I''ll take you straight to an ophthalmologist."


    "I need to wash my eyes!"


    He pushed her hands away from her face again. "Listen, I''m going to take you to a place to wash your eyes and face. Let''s stop at the first place for you to clean this up, okay? Just stay calm and don''t rub your eye. Ha, why does this always happen?"


    He started the car again.


    ''He''s remembering ...'' she was amazed at the fact.


    After a few kilometers, he spotted a billboard showing the directions to a traveler''s little inn.


    "Well, there is a small hotel there. Let''s ask at reception if you can use their restroom." Jun Hyeon maneuvered off the road and into the inn''s parking lot.


    Just like in Ye Rim''s plans.

 Chapter 224 - Fly Me To the Moon

    Upon entering the hotel, Jun Hyeon immediately went to the reception desk, while Ye Rim kept a hand protecting his eye. With the other eye, she checked her watch.


    The sunset would be a few minutes away, and she hoped to have all this evening alone with Jun Hyeon, when they could remember their love and together they could break the spell.


    He took her to the toilet, and waited outside, "Wash your eye without rubbing it, and come back so I can apply the drops."


    She did just that, but it took longer than necessary. Her heart was pounding. She had spent months waiting for the moment to be recognized again by the man she loved so desperately.


    Would it happen again?


    When she opened the toilet door, Jun Hyeon was nowhere to be seen.


    Ye Rim felt her blood run cold.


    ''He¡­? Did he realize it was a scam, and abandoned me here? '' Her feet seemed to be glued to the floor, and she felt herself start to tremble. Tears formed in her eyes, and fell to the floor. She saw the vial of eye drops near her feet.


    ''Uh?''


    When Ye Rim heard quick steps coming in that direction, she quickly wiped her eyes. She didn''t want to be seen crying.


    "YE RIM!"


    The singer looked up, trembling, on hearing Jun Hyeon calling her so urgently.


    He was turning the corner for this part of the hotel, and stopped when he saw her. She could know that this was HER Jun Hyeon just by the way he looked at her, when he stopped, static.


    Then he came running to Ye Rim, ignoring anything, and took her in his arms.


    "Ye Rim! Ye Rim, what''s going on?! What''s going on, my love?"


    She couldn''t resist being in his arms, in that tight hug, and grabbed his face with both hands, to kiss his lips with hunger.


    "Jun¡­ Hyeon¡­ I miss you!"


    He responded to her kiss as if they hadn''t kissed in a long time. Which was true. He held her as if he could never let her go, and that was how she felt.


    "Jun Hyeon ... Let''s go to a room, huh?"


    He nodded, but they didn''t want to be apart for anything. So they went back to the reception, hand in hand.


    Ye Rim couldn''t control the smile on her face, and looked at her transformed Jun Hyeon.


    The doctor looked back at her in rapture as he waited for the reception girl to fill in the necessary information, giving only brief answers.


    The receptionist, incidentally, looked at the couple as if she were seeing dinosaurs at their reception, until finally she handed over the room key and timidly asked,


    "I have never seen celebrities up close before. Would it be too much trouble to have a picture with you? It''s okay if you prefer not to."


    Jun Hyeon faltered, but Ye Rim readily agreed. She was too happy to care!


    After the photos, they were told about their room, and as soon as they entered the floor corridor, they ran hand in hand to the bedroom door.


    "Don''t you still need eye drops?" he asked, as he hurriedly opened the door.


    "Seeing you again is the only thing I need, Jun Hyeon."


    When the door opened, the doctor grabbed his fiancee in his arms, starting a new kiss before closing the door with his foot.


    "You¡­ You have to explain to me what''s going on, Ye Rim. I know I forgot about us, but I remember everything now! Like the other time, I remembered everything in the United States! Forgive me, my love, forgive me for being so mean to you!"


    Ye Rim nodded, struggling with the urge to squeeze him so hard it would choke him.


    Jun Hyeon placed her on the bed gently, lying down beside her.


    "Is it an enchantment? A spell, or else? I remember making an exchange with Shin Hyung and Eun Ha¡­ We¡­ "He stroked her face with a rapt look, his eyes filled with tears. Ye Rim also wanted to cry with happiness.


    "Later... Now, hold me tight because I miss you so much!"


    He nodded, with a smile, and they hugged each other tenderly, tightly, enjoying the contact with each other''s body and could feel their hearts beating in unison.


    "I can''t believe we''re together ..." he murmured, his face buried in her hair. Ye Rim felt her heart sink. He didn''t know everything about the spell.


    But they had a little time, and it wasn''t just her heart that missed him, but her body too.


    Smelling his manly and warm scent, while sniffing his neck, Ye Rim ran her hands down Jun Hyeon''s ribs, realizing he shivered. He grabbed her around the waist and in a quick movement, placed her under him.


    "You have no idea how I want you, Ye Rim!"


    Whispering words of love, and without taking their eyes off each other, they helped each other to get rid of their clothes. They longed for each other''s tender and passionate kisses alike, and for every sensation they could give each other.


    It was not s.e.x; it was the expression of happiness for the reunion. Their bodies only expressed in tune the love they felt.


    When their sweaty bodies were exhausted from the climaxes they shared, they hugged and looked at each other in ecstasy, as if they still couldn''t take their eyes off each other for a moment.


    "I remember everything, Ye Rim! It makes no sense! The other time, I also remembered and started to forget everything at the end of the night! I don''t want to sleep and lose you again!"


    She smiled even more.


    "It was not so. Shin tried to prevent our tragedy from being complete. But his magic was too weak to totally break the price of the magic you agreed to... All he managed to do was make you remember me occasionally. Hoping this would be enough to bring us together again!"


    He held his breath, thinking about this new information. "I''m sure the price of life is high, but I regret nothing. I didn''t expect to survive. It was enough for me to know that you lived."


    "But living without you is so painful, Jun Hyeon!" Ye Rim''s eyes filled with tears as she thought of all the indifference with which Jun Hyeon treated her during these two years.


    He gave a beautiful smile, "But it''s over now!"


    "Because I was determined! You owe me a lot!" She pouted.


    "Yes! I must, and I will pay! Everything!" He squeezed her ribs even more, and she complained, "Whoa!"


    "Please don''t ever forgive me for letting you slip from my mind! It just happened because I was supposed to be dead. It has an explanation. A good explanation." He tried to be funny and grinned brightly, to make her happy. And Ye Rim remembered how strange his sense of humor was.


    "Stop! You suck at jokes. At least you''re handsome, to make up for your pitiful sense of humor," she complained, feeling more relieved and safe.


    "I promise I will leave the jokes to you, I will just be this handsome oppa so you don''t look at anyone else..."


    "Aish, stop bragging..."


    His eyes filled with tenderness again, and he turned serious.


    "Ye Rim ... I love you. Forgive me. Thank you for not giving up on me."


    "Don''t ever forget me, please..." her chin quivered as she spoke, out of fear.


    "Never," He promised.


    ...


    They slept unintentionally, because they were too tired to stay awake.


    Ye Rim woke up startled, with the cell phone close to his arm vibrating incessantly. Jun Hyeon slept heavily beside her.


    She looked at what time it was. It was 4:15 in the morning.


    And Na Ra was calling in Jun Hyeon''s phone.


    "Who does she think she is to call Jun Hyeon at this time?"


    A pang of jealousy hit her chest like a stab.


    She got up and went away from the bed, and answered Jun Hyeon''s phone with a whisper,


    "Hello?"

 Chapter 225 - Worth Fighting for

    "Ye Rim ?! Why did you answer the¡­" Na Ra''s voice sounded unpleasant in his ears. "You do not have any shame?! Leave him alone! He''s ill but he knows one thing for sure! He doesn''t want you! What are you up to?! I''m in front of Jun Hyeon''s car right now, in this hotel''s parking lot, so you better give him the phone! If you don''t, I swear ... I will tell the whole world what kind of person you are!"


    ''What kind of person am I?! Why, who does she think she is?! I can''t believe this! Now that I thought I had finally found some peace, this woman decided to leave the past where she should have stayed, to torment our lives!'' With these thoughts, Ye Rim hung up the phone without mercy.


    However, she could not rest, knowing that woman was there. ''What is she doing here? How did she know where we were? ''


    Ye Rim remembered that Na Ra was exchanging messages with Jun last afternoon. ''Surely he told her he was coming back with me by car¡­''


    Determined to prevent a scandal at the hotel, Ye Rim dressed and went to the bedroom door. Which was timely, because she opened the door just when Na Ra was going to knock.


    "Aishhh ... Are you some kind of stalker, Na Ra-ssi?"


    "What did you do to Jun Hyeon? He can only be intoxicated or drunk, to be with you in a hotel room!" the other woman spoke in horror, looking closely at Ye Rim''s messy hair and smudged makeup.


    For a brief moment, Ye Rim felt sorry for Na Ra, who liked a man who didn''t like her. That was stuck in a history of the past. Ra lived a horror story, as she had lived for two years.


    "Listen, Na Ra. Give up. Jun Hyeon and I are fine. I understand your situation ..." she tried to have a calm conversation with the ex-model, and closed the door behind her.


    "Stop bullshitting, Ye Rim! I know the truth! I know about the contract! And how you extorted Jun Hyeon''s attention all this time. You called me a stalker, but you''re the psychopath! This is all I need, another whacko surrounding Jun Hyeon! I won''t allow that!"


    "You don''t have to allow anything."


    Na Ra held up the cell phone in her hand, starting to record a video.


    "This woman is Nam Ye Rim, who everyone thinks is a star and a good person. But she is a crazy psychopath who blackmails Kim Jun Hyeon! She drugged Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon to drag him to a¡­"


    PAFF!!!


    Ye Rim was not going to allow the woman to film her face and speak bullshit. She slapped Na Ra''s hand away, and the cell phone flew away, falling in the middle of the hall.


    "You bitch!!!" Na Ra''s voice was filled with hate. She went over to the cell phone quietly, and picked it up from the floor.


    Although Ye Rim wasn''t sorry to have resorted to it to prevent filming, she was nervous because she didn''t want to fight with Na Ra.


    In fact, she was shaking.


    "Na Ra, go away. I told you already. There''s nothing for you here. When he wakes up, he even talks to you, if you don''t believe me. But save yourself the embarrassment and wait for his call."


    "No f.u.c.k.i.n.g way. You will open the door now and let me see him. I want to make sure he is okay, and that he has not been doped."


    Despite everything, they were not shouting at each other.


    "The hell I will." Ye Rim had already had enough of that, when Na Ra spoke.


    "A friend of mine got a copy of the contract. I''ll put it in the press if you don''t open the door now."


    Ye Rim could not hide her shock, or to deny the existence of the contract.


    "You wouldn''t do that, as it would damage Jun Hyeon''s reputation too!"


    Na Ra stopped to breathe, when she realized this. But she argued,


    "No! He''s a victim! You forced him into a contract when he was most fragile and had just found out that Ji Hyeon was alive and Dae Woon was a crazy psycho!" She walked away to make a call.


    Ye Rim covered her mouth in shock. She had always thought that the ex-model was a reasonable and intelligent person. In a way, she could still understand Na Ra''s reasons ... she just couldn''t let her do that. The consequences would be unpredictable!


    "Na Ra! In Ra, come back here!" she called, taking a few steps towards the other woman. Na Ra walked away. "Na Ra¡­ Don''t do that, you are wrong. Let''s talk civilly, huh? Things are not as they seem..."


    "No, they are much worse! You are almost as bad as Dae Won." Na Ra interrupted the conversation when the person on the other end picked up the phone.


    "Hey listen. It''s urgent. That Ye Rim''s contract, do you still have that?" While talking to the person, Na Ra was moving away from the singer, and placing his hand over her mouth so that only the person on the other side could hear the rest of the conversation.


    Ye Rim wasn''t sure if the ex-model would go this low to do this to them, but she couldn''t take any chances.


    "Na Ra! Stop it now!" She ran to the woman, trying to take her cell phone. Na Ra didn''t just wait, but ran to the end of the corridor. Seeing an open door, the ex-model entered and went downstairs, with the singer on her heels.


    It was a service staircase, and they ended up in a place that was part storage, part laundry.


    "Get away, you crazy bitch! I knew you were insane!" Na Ra he went further and further, dodging cleaning carts and baskets of dirty bedding.


    Ye Rim had come too far to retreat, though.


    "It is the last time that I warn you, Na Ra! I''m really running out of patience! Stop now, and let''s talk! Give me this cell phone. I don''t want you to record anything!" Ye Rim just looked at Na Ra, and that was her mistake.


    The ex-model pushed a cleaning cart towards her, so she could dodge and go back upstairs.


    Ye Rim could not dodge in time and was hit by the cart. Luckily, she hurt her knees only slightly, where the cart hit.


    But Na Ra succeeded and passed by Ye Rim, returning where they came from.


    Ye Rim was still rubbing her aching knees when she heard the loud thump of the door slamming.


    "Hey, wait. Did that crazy bitch lock me in the hotel''s bas.e.m.e.nt?"

 Chapter 226 - Never Again

    After Ye Rim knocked so hard on the door that she might have knocked it down, a man appeared, startled, and helped her out. The singer was even hoarse from shouting for help.


    As soon as she left the laundry room, she ran to the second floor, where she was staying. Ye Rim needed to talk to Jun Hyeon.


    But her intuition told her that Na Ra would also be there. Ah, she''d slap that bitch senseless as soon as she grabbed the ex-model! ''How dare she?!''


    And Ye Rim was not mistaken. She found the bedroom door locked.


    When she knocked on the door, Na Ra replied,


    "Go away, Ye Rim! I''m going to call the police!"


    "JUN HYEON! OPEN THE DOOR, IT''S ME, YE RIM!" Her hunch left her body cold. It was already dawn... Why was Jun Hyeon still sleeping? She held her breath, with a bad foreboding.


    She saw out of the corner of her eye the receptionist and a man she soon understood to be the manager approaching with concerned expressions. But she didn''t have time for them.


    The singer continued to knock on the door,


    "Please Jun Hyeon! Jun Hyeon! Let me in!"


    Inside, they ignored her. But she heard some noises and she also noticed they were talking, although she couldn''t understand the muffled words.


    The manager approached her,


    "Miss Nam, don''t you think it is better to come down with us and have a glass of water? Call someone, maybe?" he offered, trying to be solicitous, not knowing how to help the celebrity.


    "That woman ... put me out of my room ... She and Jun Hyeon are inside, why don''t they let me in?! JUN HYEON! NA RA! You, sir, give me the spare key! I''m the guest, not her! Let me in my room!" She turned to the manager with an insane expression, trying to find a way to get to Jun Hyeon.


    The manager, a small, balding man, rubbed his hands in distress, as he could not simply open the door.


    They heard Jun Hyeon''s voice from the other side of the door,


    "Ye Rim! Please go away! Leave Na Ra alone!"


    ''Na Ra?! Leave Na Ra alone?! What is he talking about?!'' She knocked harder on the door, "NA RA! WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? NOW I WILL KILL YOU! OPEN THAT DOOR NOW!"


    The door was unlocked, and Jun Hyeon opened it. He was shirtless, and Na Ra used him as a shield.


    "Stop threatening Na Ra and go, Ye Rim. Enough! If the situation has reached this extreme, it''s time to part ways! I took it too far, I was stuck with you all this time, but I won''t let you ..."


    He couldn''t finish the sentence, because Ye Rim had already reached out and grabbed the ex-model''s face with her manicured long nails!


    "Don''t meddle where you haven''t been called, Na Ra! This is for you to learn...!"


    "AHHAHHH! Jun Hyeon, help me!" Na Ra yelped, grabbing Ye Rim''s hair.


    "DON''T TOUCH YE RIM UNNIE! YOUR CHEATING PIG!" The receptionist interposed between them as soon as Jun Hyeon raised his arm to separate the two women, with her own version of a roundhouse kick!


    Ye Rim and Na Ra even stopped grabbing each other''s hair when they saw Dr. Kim took a few steps back with the unexpected impact of the receptionist''s taekwondo kick. His back was slammed against the wall and he shook his head, astonished. He pushed the receptionist''s head with a hand, keeping her away from him.


    This meddling was so unexpected!


    "You don''t deserve my unnie! She is too good for you, jerk! You... INSECT! You PIG! How dare you talk to Ye Rim like that?!" The girl wanted to keep beating the doctor, so the manager grabbed her from behind, while talking her to her senses.


    "Da Rim, stop it! Do you want to be sued?"


    "I don''t care! Don''t you see? He''s cheating on her! He even brought his lover here. And to think Ye Rim-ah and he looked so happy last night! ARGHH!"


    With nerves on edge, Ye Rim turned to her rival,


    "You don''t know what you did, Na Ra! Jun Hyeon was remembering! I''m going to KILL you!" Just thinking about how close they got getting rid of this bane... It made Ye Rim see red dots in front of her.


    "AGHHH! Help! Jun Hyeon!"


    The model was playing the victim, and Ye Rim only realized too late that her trick had convinced Jun Hyeon. The doctor separated them, pushing one and other, and closed Na Ra in the room, being alone with Ye Rim in the hall. He crossed his arms in front of the door.


    The manager was taking the receptionist, who shouted curses at the ''treacherous and coward jerk'' Jun Hyeon, for hurting and betraying her idol Ye Rim.


    Worse than the scratches and adrenaline-racing heart, was the bitter taste in Ye Rim''s throat and the tightness in her belly, looking at Kim Jun Hyeon''s resolute and distant expression.


    "Ye Rim, get away from me once and for all. I don''t know what you did this time. I just know that you dragged me here in one more of your tricks. My patience is over. I never want to see you in front of me again." He said that with a grave voice, and Ye Rim have no doubt he meant every word he said.


    Ye Rim had never passed out in her life.


    She would have thanked the heavens if that had happened. She wished to wake up from this nightmare, in a cozy and warm bed with Jun Hyeon by her side. She wished to never have picked up Jun Hyeon''s phone in the first place.


    But she just felt the strength of her legs disappear completely, while Jun Hyeon turned his back on her and entered the room again.


    Ye Rim had no reaction, because moments ago, she had heard from him he would never forget her.

 Chapter 227 - All Ways Lead to Each Other

    Dr. Kim left his new psychiatrist''s office more frustrated than ever.


    He saw that the elevator on that floor was open and he quickened his pace to reach it before it closed the door.


    The attendant saw him clearly, and she also saw him when he waved, asking him to wait. The woman grudgingly closed the elevator door, with a disdainful look and a slight satisfied smile.


    Since the scandal about him and Ye Rim had hit the press, his life was hell.


    He learned that the people at the hotel got it all wrong. They accused him of cheating on his fiancee with another woman, Na Ra, bitterly breaking the singer''s heart in a thousand pieces.


    The hatred against Na Ra was so strong that she left the country for a while, to get rid of the army of antis that arose in Ye Rim''s defense.


    This was in a way a relief because, however rationally he wanted to pursue a romance with her, Jun Hyeon inexplicably could not force himself to do so.


    Jun Hyeon, of course, also received daily hate from fans of Ye Rim. She became incredibly more popular than before for being the victim in a love triangle.


    ''That''s ridiculous! That''s just my luck¡­ ''


    In the past few weeks, Dr. Kim had had frequent nightmares, which he didn''t really remember in detail.


    He just knew it involved Ye Rim and woke up in a panic, with the feeling that he was missing something very important ... Somehow, this was similar to the recurring nightmares he had for many years with his sister.


    --ONLY YOU CAN DO THIS, NO ONE WILL HELP YOU!--


    The teaser of a boys'' band new MV on the big screen of the opposite building caught his attention. Jun Hyeon smiled in dismay. Were they talking to him?


    Why did he only think about Ye Rim?


    His grandfather was not talking to him because of the scandal, and... The well-known MV of Ye Rim''s new song - CHERISH - started playing on the screen.


    Jun Hyeon stood on the sidewalk, looking up, while Ye Rim smiled and said ''MY - MY LOVE'' with a wink and her dimples like two guns aimed at a man''s heart.


    He was certainly gaping looking at the screen, standing among the passersby, when


    PLOP!


    He felt something wet and warm splash over his belly.


    When looking down, a girl in school uniform looked at him with an embarrassed and guilty expression, but then her eyes widened.


    "OH!" her hand still holding the cup of hot chocolate against his belly.


    He stared back, in disbelief.


    "Come Se Na! She''s in that store! Come on!" the girl who had passed them spoke.


    "It''s her boyfriend! Ye Rim''s ex!"


    Jun Hyeon was cleaning the front of his suit as he could, ignoring the girls, but what he heard put him on alert. Was Ye Rim following him again? Who were these girls?


    "No, he''s not. And if he were, I would punch him for what he did to Unnie!" The angry girl pulled the clumsy girl. Without even apologizing, they ran to a mall on the same sidewalk.


    Maybe he deserved so much hate. He despised the most loved woman in the country.


    And he didn''t even know why.


    He took a few steps toward the store the girls entered. A small crowd was gathering.


    ''Should I really go there? Her fans will surround the place... They will crucify me!'' On the other hand, he didn''t even have anything to say to Ye Rim. He regretted what had happened, but logic told him it was better to get away from her and her obsessive behaviors.


    Logic told him...


    But somehow, he missed her immensely.


    ¡­


    "This deserves a celebration!" Madame Jung repeated to Mrs. Nam Joo, while pushing the baby carriage with little 11-month-old Hanul. Beside the two ladies, Ye Rim and Eun Ha chatted with their mothers on this late afternoon stroll through the mall.


    Madame Jun didn''t enjoy coming to the capital, but she had abandoned her precious Jolly Bakery as soon as she heard the news, told by Ye Rim on the phone.


    "I want to be the first to present to you, Ye Rim. Stop saying it is not necessary!"


    Two bodyguards and her manager were with Ye Rim whenever she was in the capital, where she was very harassed. They kept people away and didn''t disturb the three women walking around the mall.


    Eun Ha was already used to her friend''s new lifestyle, but all this attention surprised Madame Jung. "I''m just sorry to have come out with ''the shopping idea''... I didn''t think it would be so confusing to go out with you..."


    "Don''t worry about it, Aunt Jung, I don''t care." Ye Rim said.


    Nam Joo wasn''t bothered. On the contrary, she loved to see how her daughter was the center of attention, and had fulfilled her professional dreams.


    "Isn''t it a problem for people to know, Ye Rim?" Eun Ha asked for the tenth time today.


    "How long am I going to be able to hide it, anyway?" she murmured to her unnie, while smiling and waving kindly to the people who came to see her.


    She had found out about the pregnancy earlier in the week.


    It had been two months since Jun Hyeon ordered her to disappear from his life. The scandal just wasn''t greater because Jun Hyeon and Na Ra did not take the contract case to the press, as their agency feared.


    In fact, everyone was against Jun Hyeon and Na Ra. Although she hated the woman for meddling, Jun Hyeon was a victim of a strong magical condition, and she pitied him.


    Two weeks ago, the spell''s two-year term was over.


    She wasn''t sure how she had survived the fear and anxiety, imagining that the next day she would receive the tragic news of the death of her lover.


    Ye Rim had tried to talk to him in every way, but it was impossible. He had actually built a wall around himself so she couldn''t get close.


    But Shin had returned with the good news. He was alive!


    "But ... how is it possible?"


    "I don''t know how it is possible," said the ex-fairy, with a mysterious smile, "but I was never good with spells like that. I''m glad the magic worked to keep you alive. Even though he can''t respond to your love, one day he loved you so much that he wanted to give his life for you, Ye Rim."


    She tried to internalize the wisdom of those words, but obviously she was the shallow, mundane type who was unable to accept that.


    Finding out that she was expecting a baby to Jun Hyeon was both a lot of joy and a terrible martyrdom!


    Ye Rim didn''t know exactly what to do. If she went to see him and said he was going to be a father, how would he react?


    Was he going to accuse her of a pregnancy scam?


    She was tired of fighting, and worried about the baby''s health. She wanted to save energy to give the best to the child she and Jun Hyeon expected, even if he wasn''t on her side.


    The four women entered a children''s clothing store.


    Madame Jung was just as excited as when Eun Ha announced her pregnancy!


    Nam Joo, although more restrained, also looked happy. Ye Rim knew her mother would like her to be in a relationship, at least, and to marry the child''s father, rather than being a solo mother.


    Eun Ha showed a pink baby outfit and Ye Rim''s mother a blue outfit at the same time.


    She laughed at that, but something caught her eye through the store window.


    Jun Hyeon, looking at her in the crowd.

 Chapter 228 - Tic Toc

    Two weeks ago, the spell''s two-year term was over.


    She wasn''t sure how she had survived the fear and anxiety, imagining that the next day she would receive the tragic news of the death of her lover.


    Ye Rim had tried to talk to him in every way, but it was impossible. He had actually built a wall around himself so she couldn''t get close.


    But Shin had returned with the good news. He was alive!


    "But ... how is it possible?"


    "I don''t know how it is possible," said the ex-fairy, with a mysterious smile, "but I was never good with spells like that. I''m glad the magic worked to keep you alive. Even though he can''t respond to your love, one day he loved you so much that he wanted to give his life for you, Ye Rim."


    She tried to internalize the wisdom of those words, but obviously she was the shallow, mundane type who was unable to accept that.


    Finding out that she was expecting a baby to Jun Hyeon was both a lot of joy and a terrible martyrdom!


    Ye Rim didn''t know exactly what to do. If she went to see him and said he was going to be a father, how would he react?


    Was he going to accuse her of a pregnancy scam?


    She was tired of fighting, and worried about the baby''s health. She wanted to save energy to give the best to the child she and Jun Hyeon expected, even if he wasn''t on her side.


    The four women entered a children''s clothing store.


    Madame Jung was just as excited as when Eun Ha announced her pregnancy!


    Nam Joo, although more restrained, also looked happy. Ye Rim knew her mother would like her to be in a relationship, at least, and to marry the child''s father, rather than being a solo mother.


    Eun Ha showed a pink baby outfit and Ye Rim''s mother a blue outfit at the same time.


    She laughed at that, but something caught her eye through the store window.


    Jun Hyeon, looking at her in the crowd.


    ¡­


    When Ye Rim blinked, and looked and again, however, he was no longer there.


    "Am I seeing things now?" she murmured, lowering her head, and feeling the tears forming in her eyes. It hurt so badly in her chest she leaned forward, suddenly feeling dizzy.


    Ye Rim heard Eun Ha''s and the older women''s screams, and also the crowd''s shock, but everything went dark and she felt herself falling.


    .


    .


    .


    Jun Hyeon got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist, with a strange pain in his chest, and a feeling of emptiness and boredom that seemed to be impossible to fill.


    He texted his friend Jang and Marion, saying he had a sore throat so he wouldn''t be meeting them at the bar as agreed.


    It was a recurring excuse. He had been avoiding going out because of the ''YeJun Gate'', but today that wasn''t the reason.


    Jun Hyeon felt restless and sulky, as if something was stuck in his throat and in the back of his mind at the same time.


    "No one can help you but yourself!" he repeated the piece of music he had heard earlier, going to the fridge.


    After looking for a while, he saw that nothing he wanted was there. Walking barefoot through the apartment, he went to his office, and sighed when he saw the wall he had been working on months ago.


    On that wall, all his efforts to remember the person who had been erased from his mind before the accident were interconnected. Photos, post-its, connected in a tangle of information that culminated the night of the Pearl fire.


    The night he forgot everything about Ye Rim.


    "What happened there that made me forget only what was related to Ye Rim?"


    Approaching the wall, he looked at one of the post-its.


    -Miss Nam came to the office in the late afternoon to deliver a shirt. She introduced herself to the secretaries as Seamstress Nam. -


    -Sr Ho Duk Mi and Miss Nam came for the first appointment-


    -Miss Nam took the key to Dr. Kim''s car with Mrs. Ma.-


    -Miss Nam returned the car, washed and full tank. She asked to write down this information, because she wants proof -


    He laughed at that.


    They were notes based on her secretary''s records. And they were not the only ones.


    -Miss Nam called to ask if surgery will delay, she is waiting at the Dance Studio-


    -The Le Chez''s Maitre called to ask if a reservation for dinner must be canceled -


    Cases and Bags Receipt from a Zurich store -


    He still hadn''t recovered from his shopping madness, so unlike him. ''How could I buy fifteen Louis Vuitton bags for a woman?!''


    He laughed at himself and walked away from the wall.


    Jun Hyeon had proof of depositing the scholarship amount as a donation to the Ji Hyeon Foundation and Ye Rim''s name was mentioned on that year''s donor list.


    Jun Hyeon shook his head, stunned.


    That woman made little sense.


    "You''re not going to talk about fees for the gifts you gave, are you?" he practically heard her speaking, outraged.


    "Of course I will. We are friends, I am not trying to seduce you!"


    Why did he imagine this speech linked to her face, opening only one eye to pry on what she felt not prepared to see? And why did he have the impression that he had disappointed her a few times?


    He went to a locked cabinet and opened it. Some objects that Ye Rim had left lying around the house were there. He still hadn''t had an elegant way to send those things back to her.


    From there he took out a box. These were the personal items that the hospital had returned to his family when he was in a coma after the fire. He had opened that box only once, but he had not had the courage to touch those torn clothes smelling of burnt fabric and soot, or anything else it contained.


    But today, along with her mother and friends, Ye Rim was so beautiful, pulling her hair out of her face and putting it behind her ear. He felt like crying, seeing her.


    Jun Hyeon found his old wallet, along with the other burnt and corroded items. Sighing, he put the wallet back in the box. It was time to permanently erase Ye Rim from his life.


    He collected the post-its and pictures of the wall, and throw it inside the box.


    He had the intense feeling of deja vu, and stopped everything.


    ''What am I doing? Have I done this before?''


    Jun Hyeon sat down and placed the box in front of him, with shaking hands.


    ''What is happening?''


    Not knowing exactly what to look for, he started frantically looking at all the post-its in the box, and the photos, trying to capture what he was missing. He practically heard Shin Hyung''s voice in his mind.


    ~''Calm down, man. Memories come when you least expect it. The things that tie everything together are usually tiny and very simple. Then you will understand everything. ''~


    He scrabbled at his wallet until he found what he was looking for. The small elusive object that brought everything together.


    A golden sequin.


    Looking at that small, grimy object in the palm of his hand with eyes filled with tears, the memories came back to him.


    He begged to the fairies Shin and Eun Ha to bring Ye Rim back. Wait, were they really fairies?


    She was on your side when searching for Ji Hyeon, even to the detriment of her blossoming career.


    He asked to change the terms of the contract and extend the validity period out of jealousy.


    He held her in his arms after much anticipation, and it was wonderful. And again and again, wonderful. He thought he would never get tired of Ye Rim, he felt like a teenager full of hormones and vigor!


    She was his relief and ailment in the darkest days.


    She was his guiding star, the lighthouse in the storm.


    All the little things, her explosive temper, her generous heart, her courage for incredible things, and her fear of the simplest things ...


    Jun Hyeon loved every bit of Nam Ye Rim.


    He loved her so much that his heart ached and he thought he was having a heart attack.


    Placing his hand on his chest, he bent over himself, careful not to drop the spangle on the floor.


    He didn''t want to lose i - and Ye Rim - again.


    "Please¡­ I cannot die now¡­ Agh! Not now, No, no!"

 Chapter 229 - Finale

    ¡­


    "Aren''t you coming? Okay, okay, unnie. I''m fine actually. You better not come, you don''t want little Hanul to learn martial arts before he learns to speak. That''s what will happen if he remains unsupervised around his father for so long," Ye Rim gave a weak laugh, trying to make Eun Ha feel better. It wasn''t a problem that Eun Ha did not come tonight. "My mom returned to her house because you said you were coming. But if I need anything, I call my manager, rest assured¡­"


    "Will you forgive me?" her unnie was anxious to leave her alone after she passed out at the store.


    "Stay calm, I already said I''m fine." Ye Rim actually wanted to sleep and not wake up anytime soon. But she doubted she would be able to do it. Not after seeing Jun Hyeon that afternoon.


    She stroked the guitar strings beside her, producing a dissonant sound. Looking at the night scenery from the window of her duplex apartment, she had finally decided to accept that all she would have of Jun Hyeon was the memories of some happy moments and the child they would have together.


    Ye Rim couldn''t stalk and surround him and force him into something he no longer felt, could she?


    But what to do with that feeling of incompleteness in your chest?


    "I want to be complete for you, my baby. I can''t have an end like Eun Ha''s mom. I cannot let the wraiths come to us. If I can''t do it alone or with the help of my friends ... I must seek professional help. I must be strong for you, wherever your father is. I know that if he was okay, he would be here, by our side. Because that''s how he is. A kind idiot, concerned about his family. A caring and full of love person, even if he has shut himself in a hard shell. " She stroked her belly tenderly.


    "Is that what you think of me?" she heard his voice. It seemed too real to be one of her delusions.


    Was it a wraith? She turned over her shoulder. And I would have been less surprised if it were really a Wraith.


    But it was him. Jun Hyeon.


    In Ye Rim''s room.


    "J-Jun Hyeon?"


    "Yep." He had his hands in his pants pockets looking at her as if he were holding his breath.


    It was so unreal that Ye Rim stood up cautiously, refusing to believe that he was right there in his room, looking like he had done something very wrong.


    "How¡­ ?"


    "Eun Ha gave me the key. In her defense, I¡­" he didn''t seem to know where to start. But Ye Rim had already had too many disappointments to easily believe, and said,


    "Go away. I still have enough strength to finish you!"


    "I know. You''re good at fighting. And there is a legion of fans who would crush me like a flea, if they knew I''m here."


    "...!" The singer kept blinking, and grabbed the guitar''s neck.


    "Oops! Ye Rim. Listen! I almost died tonight. Seriously. I am here to ask your forgiveness. To beg, actually."


    "How is it? Did you almost die today? And that''s just why you''re here to ask me for forgiveness?" she snarled. "Is it a type of regret due to traumatic stress? Did you decide to change your life starting today, thankful for your second chance?"


    He inhaled even more. "I knew I was going to face your wrath."


    "And how else would you have been received? With cherry blossom petals and glitter rain?" she was shaking and unsure if she had control over what came out of her mouth.


    "I think you are having a denial episode, Ye Rim." Jun Hyeon narrowed his eyes, and walked over to her. "It''s not that I don''t deserve to get that guitar slammed on my face, but if you do it, we''re going to waste precious time at the hospital. And¡­ I may have another amnesia¡­"


    "JUN HYEON!" she screamed, now finally convinced that she was not delusional.


    "Yes. Your stupid lover. Fiance. Future husband. It''s been two years, as we agreed. We must get married, so the people don''t keep talking..."


    It was him. Her Jun Hyeon with his weird sense of humor.


    It was him, and he was back.


    Ye Rim threw the guitar aside with an out of tune kabong, and then threw herself into Dr. Kim''s arms.


    He hugged her tight, crushing her to his chest.


    Ye Rim buried her face against his shoulder, feeling tears streaming down her chin. She couldn''t contain the sobbing and whimpered,


    "Why did you take so long?"


    "I was afraid that I was falling in love again with a crazy, temperamental, complicated and independent woman."


    She looked up at him, surprised to hear his words spoken in a hoarse and choked voice.


    "What?!"


    "I was always afraid to love and make a fool of myself. To be fooled and cheated. I never wanted to open my heart to anyone, Ye Rim. Well, the truth is, I didn''t open my heart to you. You are a heartbreaker, you know? You broke your way into my heart, like a burglar." Jun Hyeon kissed her hair while talking, and rocked her back and forth to calm her crying.


    "Are you accusing me?"


    "Yes. I''ve known since I saw you I should run away from you."


    She grabbed his face, and looked him in the eye.


    "Did you remember everything?"


    "Yes. All the most absurd and meaningless things. The magic. How well we dance together. How we are always bickering for silly things like right now. How do you make me a slave..."


    "What lie is that? I never made you a slave!"


    "So what is this memory of you telling me to give you pleasure, and saying that you will hit me if I stop?!" He scratched his head with a falsely innocent smile. Ye Rim laughed, wiping tears from her eyes, and slapped him on the shoulder.


    "Is this not a memory, but a vision of the future?!" Jun Hyeon questioned.


    She laughed more, feeling so complete in his arms.


    He looked at her again, and held her face too.


    "Ye Rim. I love you. I regret nothing. I''m happy to have a new chance. Please tell me you are going to marry me. Please tell me you want me by your side. Forgive me for being such a stupid and slow man."


    "You are going to be a father, you know?" she smoothed his brow affectionately, as if it already implied her answer. "I was preparing to face this alone. But I think we should get married soon, to avoid..."


    "What?! Would you leave me out?!" he took her hand off his face, huffing.


    "Hey, wait. That''s not what I meant..." Ye Rim was terrified to explain, and when Jun Hyeon started to move away, she grabbed him.


    And he grabbed her back, this time holding her chin in a possessive way and kissing her passionately.


    Luckily they were very close to the bed, and Jun Hyeon lifted her up in his arms, depositing Ye Rim on the mattress and leaning over her with a look full of love and desire.


    They knew their love would win it all.


    ...


    On the other side of the avenue, on the terrace of another building, a couple moved away from the camera with telescopic lenses at the same time.


    "Ahem ... Do you think our job is over, Shin?" Eun Ha looked at her husband, with a beatific smile on her face.


    Shin was putting the equipment away, and said, without turning to his wife,


    "Yes. We should no longer interfere. And with that I say: YOU mustn''t be messing around anymore."


    "It was just a little help ... Basically, I just gave him the key..."


    Shin ignored the opportunity to start an argument with his wife, and hugged her, sliding his hand over Eun Ha''s sweet arse. The stylist gave a small sob of surprise. "SHIN!"


    "What? Don''t you think your Mom could be with Hanul for a while? Or my sister? Our little fairy boy should visit his ancestral house, don''t you think? Also, don''t you think we deserve a vacation and a real honeymoon, only for us, my love?"


    Was Shin saying that?! Eun Ha could hardly believe it! He was usually demanding in bed, but that was so romantic!


    "YES!" She threw herself into her husband''s arms, grabbing him for a kiss.


    .


    .


    .


    END