The same black van, into which the young woman was kept hostage, suddenly passed by SolHi at full speed, forcing her to pull back. This happened to her at the crossroads when SolHi intended to turn right and take a short path to get home faster. Because of the shock, SolHi had been about to have a heart attack. Even so, she composed herself briskly, yelling behind the van, „Hei, idiot, look where you are driving! People are walking on this street too.” Then, when she remembered her innocent pleasure, SolHi forgot about her scare and looked at the ice cream she was still squeezing in her hand. Seeing that it was still in one piece, SolHi breathed a sigh of relief. „Huh, at least this pleasure that idiot didn’t take from me. If he had done this, I would have looked for him even into the snake’s hole, breaking his neck for sure after that. This pleasure is worth this effort.”

While enjoying her ice cream, SolHi checked the other shopping from her package because, after she left the apartment, she went to buy something to calm down. If not, she would have asphyxiated DooSan for sure. Thus, as she knew that she was capable of doing that, she decided that it was better for her to go than to continue the argument because she was sure that Han DooSan wouldn’t leave her apartment so easily.

Checking the shopping, SolHi saw that everything was fine. Yet, she had still sworn after this because, you see, „Who the hell drives like that on Seoul’s streets?! Is he racing or what? That idiot could hurt or kill someone and then, with all the excuses and punishments, you won’t revive the dead one ever.”

Suddenly, she calmed down. „Too fast! Suspiciously fast,” would have said DooSan if he had been with her. He was right in thinking so about her because, each time SolHi kept silent, something bad happened to someone. Or, if she wasn’t hurting someone else, she was doing this to herself. Because of her bad habit, the members of her team preferred to hear her talking all the time or arguing with someone rather than be silent. At least, while SolHi was talking, she could have unconsciously revealed her plans, something that wasn’t ever possible while SolHi was thoughtful. More than that, because of the same habit, Kan and DooSan, even though they do not love each other that much, still allied at one point against her. Because of this, SolHi got to call them „traitors” because, you see, each time they agreed on something that involved her directly, it wasn’t only not favoring her, but it also meant that they were aware of what SolHi could do if she was on her own. Yet, none of them was there at that moment, something that made SolHi happy because she was finally able to check what the deal with the black van was. „Easy as pie,” she murmured eventually.

Determined to discover the Eighth Mystery of the World that night, SolHi turned right and headed toward that narrow street from where the van appeared. After a few steps, she stopped, thinking about all the pros and cons of that idea. First, the analytic part of her brain started to work, the part that generally helped her to put it all together and catch the criminal later. Thus, when that part of her brain started to work, her first thought was, „What the hell was that van doing there? That street is a dead end. There aren’t houses, locals, or a parking lot for them to come from there. Yet, it came from there and at full speed. Why?” After this, SolHi calmed down her mind, thinking that it would help her to make order in her thoughts. She always worked better this way: thinking about nothing in particular and enjoying her ice cream. And, when the trick worked as always, she yelled, enraged, „Damn idiots, they are all the time doing this when they don’t have to do it. It was told to them not to do that, but they still did this. Well, my boys, I’ll show you what it means to live in this neighborhood and piss off a man of law!” After that, wrapping the ice cream back into its packaging, SolHi threw it back into the shopping bag and intended to go to check that dead-end street.

She’d been right away forced to brake the moment she felt the anorak’s collar pressing over her throat. The reason? Someone grabbed her by the hood and pulled toward him. Who exactly did that? It wasn’t hard to guess, but she also didn’t have to wait for long to convince herself that who „dared” to do that was DooSan because he right away hissed into her ear, „Which way?”

Unpleasantly surprised to see him there because it meant that she wasn’t able to check that place anymore, SolHi showed him her fangs, a hint that she was still pissed off after the fight they had in her apartment and that it wasn’t the right moment for him to poke his nose into her businesses again. Then, she told him, „To hell! I told you this already when I left home. Even so, it seems to me that you haven’t thought that this is so if you are here. Or what: are you here to show you how to get there too?” DooSan burst into laughter. „Don’t you believe me or what?”

„Absolutely. Why? Because this is the way back home and not to hell, and this hints to me that I’m not meant to see the one with horns tonight. Something you haven’t done already, it seems to me. So, that’s enough for tonight. More than that, I think that’s enough for him too because, as I know you, he has a headache for sure after your visit.”

„It’s good that you know everything! Now, let me go! Do you hear me? I said to let go of my hood! Or… do you intend to asphyxiate me now?” After that, furious, she pulled the hood toward her and didn’t calm down until she saw herself free. Then, she pierced DooSan with her glance. „And… do you have a problem with this now or what?”

„With what?”

„If I’m back from hell or I’m still going there?! More than that, what problem do you have if someone has a headache because of me or not? And now, get lost! I don’t have time to waste with you! I have better things to do than this.” After that, she turned her back to him, intending to check that dead-end street.

Yet, she didn’t go too far, not even this time, because DooSan wrapped his arm around her neck, as Kan did each time he wanted to keep her far from a place. She didn’t leave her go not even after receiving an elbow in his stomach that hurt like hell. DooSan only gnashed his teeth after that, hissing to SolHi to stay calm if she didn’t want to meet the devil that night… Him.

„Are you threatening me now?!” SolHi snapped at him.

„No! I only try to show you how things will work from now on between us.”

SolHi squinted at him. „Between us? Ia, prosecutor Han, do you at least hear what you say? There is nothing between us. That’s why, don’t look for troubles where there is none and don’t throw sand in the wheels while I’m working because… I intend to check why that van has come from there!”

„Superman?” DooSan asked, frowning.

„What? Are you talking about something in particular or about me? If yes, you are wrong because I am just trying to…”

„Of course, I’m talking about you because you are the only one who is playing the role of the hero from the fairy tales, at night, on the street when you are alone with the moon. And not only that: you intend to check a damn dark place where you can stick a finger into your eyes and swear later that someone has done this to you.” SolHi cooked her nose. „What now?” DooSan snapped at her. „Don’t you believe me or what?”

„I? Of course… I do not believe you. And… I also still care about my life, just as I’m sure that I’m not alone with the moon, but with you. That’s enough for me because… I have a headache because of you already!”

„I’m glad you got the point. This means you won’t go there alone and while it is dark.”

„Of course, I’m going. Or what: do you think that a detective stays away from a crime scene only because the place is dark? If you think so, you are wrong, Prosecutor. Why? Because I’m the detective here and I’ll be the one deciding if I investigate that place or not. So: stay away if you are afraid!” After that, SolHi tried to push him away from her.

Yet, this time, SolHi hit a wall, something that seemed weird to her because, when she was generally doing this, Han DooSan was going head over heels. At that time, he didn’t move even a centimeter from his place. This made her frown and hiss through her teeth, „Are you looking for your death?”

„The only one who looks for her death is you. And… you are praising being a detective for nothing. Why? Because, if you had been a good detective, you would have asked for reinforcement first, and only when you had been sure that you had your back assured, you would have ventured there. Yet, you do exactly the opposite: you hit the wall first, and, seeing that it doesn’t crack, you hit again. That’s why you never learn.” Instead of agreeing, SolHi put the package with the shopping in his arms, telling him after that:

„Dare to eat everything I have in that package until I’m back, and I’ll show you for sure where the devil lives!” After that, turning her back to him, she headed toward the narrow street from where the black van appeared.

Looking behind her and understanding that he had lost in front of her again, DooSan hissed through his teeth, „Damn woman! She’s been a tank in another life for sure. I can’t explain otherwise how she can knock down everything she meets in her way and still stay on her feet, as though she’s a cat that has seven lives.” After that, cooling his soul a little with such words, he followed her because he couldn’t leave her to go to that dark place alone.

Arriving at the corner of the street where SolHi was stopped, DooSan looked in the same direction her lantern was illuminating. Yet, they saw nothing of what SolHi expected to find there: neither trash that had been illegally thrown there as some people used to do, nor anything else that looked suspicious. This was something SolHi disliked already because this meant that she had to accept in front of DooSan that her sixth sense failed at that time.

Even knowing this, SolHi wasn’t ready to do that. That is why she suddenly turned toward DooSan, intending to demand him to keep his mouth shut because she was sure that he followed her and that he’d say something about her failure. Instead of making him keep silent, SolHi screamed blue murder the moment she illuminated his face and saw that devilish smile he was sketching at that moment. After that, calming down a little, she yelled, „Damn you, psychopath! Why are you grinning like a devil during the night? Are you trying to kill someone because of a heart attack or what?”

„No,” the man calmly replied. „I was just trying to show you that I was happy because you lost in front of me again. Yet, I must accept that maybe I exaggerated a little.”

„Only a little?” SolHi shouted, furious. Eventually, understanding that it was useless to keep arguing with him on that subject, she only reproachfully shook her head. After that, approaching the package which DooSan still held in his arms, she took the ice cream out of it, intending to finish it.

Who relished that ice cream eventually, was DooSan and not her. He, quickly approaching her from behind, bit half of the ice cream, making SolHi turn toward him and look at him like at the devil. He, smiling, shrugged, telling her, „Sorry, but I wanted it. If you hadn’t been stingy and had bought one for me too, I wouldn’t have eaten yours.”

„I won’t buy you even snow in winter!” SolHi growled. After that, putting the ice cream in his hand, she squinted at him, ironically telling him, „I thought I was the devil and pushy. Yet, I was wrong because you took me not only the crown but also the throne. Yet, I’ll give it to you because… this way, maybe someone will accept you as his wife one day.”

„Ia, Ian SolHi, are you doubting that I’m a man or what?”

„You don’t? I do. Why? Because, if you hadn’t been a p…sy, you wouldn’t have made me such scenes of jealousy on the street like a crazy wife.”

„What you should do is be careful what you wish for, SolHi. More now when we live together. Why? Because… one of these, I can even prove to you who’s the man in the house.” After that, he proudly straightened his back, staring into her eyes.

His behavior didn’t disarm SolHi. On the contrary: she stared at him, imitating a dog that was showing his fangs. After that, she growled, „Try it! If you want to see what the eunuchs felt in Choson Time.” Then, she stepped toward him.

„What? What now?” DooSan asked, pulling back. The moment SolHi stretched her hand toward him poor DooSan even winced. Yet, seeing that she only took another ice cream from the package he was still holding in his arms, DooSan breathed a sigh of relief. „It was close,” he murmured eventually.”

„Why?” She calmly asked. „Did you expect something else?” She asked after she turned her back to him.

„No, I was just… and, Ia, Ian SolHi, that’s my favorite. With fruits!”

„You should have thought about this before swallowing my favorite. And… stop acting like a spoiled child, Prosecutor Han! It’s so pathetic!”

This commentary made DooSan keep silent and swallow his pride because… she was right eventually: he ate her favorite - vanilla ice cream. Then, quickening his pace, DooSan followed her because it was too dark around and he wasn’t eager to leave her alone again. Even so, he felt upset, staring like a child at that sundae, which SolHi was enjoying, an ice cream that was meant for him, but which he lost because he’d been stingy. Yet, the only chance he had to relish an ice cream that night was to finish the vanilla one, which he was still squeezing in his hand.

***

Although it was past 2 a.m. already, SolHi wasn’t slipping. She was sitting at the kitchen table, immersed in thoughts and staring at a blind point in front of her while her left hand was squeezing the chopsticks. „Yet, I’m sure I’ve heard a shout,” she suddenly murmured, taking DooSan by surprise. The man was sitting in front of her, both of them having a late dinner.

„A shout? What kind of shout?” DooSan asked.

„Something I heard while being out. Right before meeting you. When the black van passed by me and was about to crush me. It’s when I heard that someone asked for help. A girl.”

„Are you sure that you haven’t had visions? Not the other, but… you are who said that you were returning from hell at that moment. You know… there are a lot of tormented souls there… next to the big cauldron that’s above the eternal fire…” His commentary made SolHi throw the chopsticks over the table and furiously stare at him. DooSan, playing the fool, looked elsewhere while mumbling, „Or maybe I’m the one having visions?”

„Are you looking for a fight? Or… are you insinuating that I am crazy?”

„None of them. And… I think you are over-exaggerating with that sixth sense of the dog that lives in you and on which you rely so much.”

„Yeah, sure! Do you really believe that?” SolHi asked in a mocking tone although she was on the war path.

„Yeah, I’m sure because… just think about this: that place is a damn usual one. You saw it, right? There wasn’t anything suspicious there. More than that, when the van passed by you, did you hear someone asking for help from inside it? Or maybe… she hit the window to make you attentive or to notice her?”

„No, I’m sure of this,” said SolHi thoughtfully.

„Well, you see?! I’ve been right. Related to the van: it could have been only an idiot who thought he could race tonight, that’s all. He isn’t the first or the last one doing this. Even so, if it makes you feel better, I’ll ask Kan tomorrow to check if something strange has happened around this place later. I hope you’ll sleep better at night.”

„Not that I would have stood awake all night long because of this. Yet, it won’t be bad to check it.”

Feeling irony in her voice, DooSan cooked his nose. Yet, he didn’t give up on his idea because, „I don’t know if it’s bad or not, but I’m sure that you’ve been wrong because…”

„…you are right this time,” SolHi replied, taking DooSan by surprise. „That I’ve been wrong, I mean. Yet, I assure you that it has happened only once in my life.” Then, she fixed her glance on his.

DooSan, not totally convinced if what she said was true or mockery, curiously looked at her, convinced that he would hear something interesting to use against her later. That’s why he asked, „Only once? When was that?”

„When I met you,” SolHi replied, making DooSan cook his nose. „Do you know why I think I’ve been wrong? Because I thought that day that you were a man. Yet, it seems that you love to be a loafer. Strange, but it’s still the truth.”

„Are you in the mood for fighting again or what?”

„I? No way! I was only outlining certain details. Something I adore to do, by the way. Why? Because I’m a detective and love to call things by their real name, and… to clinch of course. I mean… to draw logical conclusions and the first one I’ve made is… if I’m the one who has paid for this meal and cooked, you do the dishes!” After that, SolHi rushed to the bathroom, seeing DooSan in the mood to continue that fight.

Staring behind her, Doosan frowned. „Wow, I didn’t call her cobra for nothing,” he hissed through his teeth, throwing the spoon on the table. He was stunned. „When I entered this house for the first time, she was about to tear my eyes out. Later, she called me „loafer” and now she sent me to do the dishes. Do I look like a cleaning lady or what?! Ah, Ian SolHi, ah: just wait! I’ll show you for sure who Han DooSan is. Just give me this chance!”

DooSan kept mumbling this while clearing the dishes away and putting them into the sink. Suddenly, DooSan remembered the fight he had with SolHi earlier and that she threatened him with the gun. „She won’t dare do that!” He said, looking at the bed. „Or maybe…” he whispered, eyes on the pillow, „…will she go so far as to asphyxiate me with the pillow while I sleep? No, I don’t think so! Yeah, maybe she’s resentful, but… seven years have passed since that day and…”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Eventually, his eyes focused on the nightstand, where SolHi’s phone was. „Tempting!” He murmured. Then, he looked at the bathroom door, listening to the water flowing in the shower. „Nea, I can’t stay and not check it!” He whispered, quickly taking the latex gloves off because he was preparing to wash the dishes when he had the brilliant idea of checking SolHi’s phone. After that, he approached the nightstand on tiptoe. Yet, Han DooSan: check the phone if you have the password. This made him cook his nose and murmur, „Damn! She uses her fingerprint to block it! If she does this, it’s because she hides something there. Yet, Ian SolHi, I’m not the man who gives up on something without finding out what exactly you hide.”

Hearing the shower turned down, DooSan left the phone on the nightstand, intending to finish doing the dishes. Yet, halfway to the kitchen, he turned back, grabbed one of the pillows, and, in a jiffy, he lay on the sofa, pretending to be already asleep.

Getting out of the bathroom and seeing DooSan „sleeping” with his head under the pillow and that the dishes weren’t done, SolHi hissed a „freeloader” through her teeth. After that, she threw the towel she used for drying her hair into the hamper and mumbled, „That’s alright, Han DooSan! If you didn’t have the pleasure to wash them today, you’ll do it tomorrow because… nobody lives here for free!” After that, she entered the bathroom again.

When it was silent again, DooSan sat up on the couch and carefully looked around. Then… he focused his glances on the dishes for a while because… deep inside, he felt that it was a damn good idea to go and wash them that night. Yet, he wasn’t eager to commit himself that he only pretended to be asleep. So, the moment SolHi got out of the bathroom again, this time dressed for sleep, DooSan was again „sleeping,” this time with his head on the pillow.

Looking at him, SolHi deeply breathed in. Then she exhaled the air, trying to calm down. She did that when she felt a bad desire to strangulate him that night. Yet, she contented herself only with turning the light down and going to bed. Even so, she couldn’t fall asleep as fast as she wanted. Because of this, she kept tossing in bed for a while, something that made DooSan nervous because he would have liked her to fall asleep right away for him to be able to calm down that damn worm of curiosity that was squirming inside him.

Nevertheless, despite his huge desire to check SolHi’s phone, DooSan had to wait for about two hours until SolHi fell asleep. To keep himself awake because he was the kind of person who would fall asleep once his head touched the pillow, DooSan kept pinching himself. Once he pinched himself so hard that he’d been about to yell like the wolf at the moon. Poor DooSan even bit his tongue not to do that. He only crouched on the sofa, swearing in his head because, if he had said something at that moment, SolHi would have chased him out of the apartment for sure.

The moment he heard SolHi’s calm breath, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, he got out of that couch only when he was sure that she wasn’t pretending to be asleep. After that, when he got some courage, he approached her bed on tiptoe. Once next to the bed, DooSan raised on his toes and bent over SolHi, passing his palm in front of her eyes to check if she was really sleeping. Even if he did that, DooSan was still afraid because, „If she catches me doing this, she will cut my arm for sure.” However, he decided to take the risk of losing his arm because his curiosity was bigger than his fear. More than that, he felt that he was safe and this was so because he saw that SolHi didn’t move even if he was right next to her like a ghost in pain. Because of this, DooSan dared to take her hand, and, as though manipulating with a priceless porcelain object, he touched her finger and unblocked the phone. Then… DooSan swallowed hard, feeling that he was about to meet hell when intending to put SolHi’s hand back on the pillow, she turned toward him so suddenly, forcing him to lay on his stomach in the end. Poor DooSan wasn’t even breathing while lying on the floor, afraid not to be caught. Yet, he’d been definitely lucky that night because, soon after this, SolHi turned her back to him, leaving him alive.

„Huh, it was close!” DooSan mumbled when he realized that SolHi didn’t wake up. After that, on his knees, he looked at her to make sure she wouldn’t see him checking her phone. While doing this, he kept mumbling barely heard, „I haven’t called her witch for nothing - she feels everything around. Brrr, I’ve been living with her for only a few hours, but I feel itches on my skin already and I swear that I have also started to fear for my life.” Mumbling such bold words, DooSan checked SolHi’s phone but found nothing interesting. „What the hell is this?” He yelled in his head. „No social media, no suspicious messages, and no strange phone number. Only… photos with her and the psycho doctor. These two what: have declared eternal love to each other or what?”

What made him attentive eventually was a photo of SolHi wearing a white dress, up to her knees, and with short sleeves while she also wore white high heels sandals. „She looks like she has gone on a date with someone. The question is: with whom?” A question that made him cook his nose again, feeling jealous. After that, he turned the phone off, mumbling something unpleasant about the „rival.” Then, leaving the phone in its place, he decided to turn to his couch.

Suddenly, DooSan stopped and looked at the nightstand on which he left the phone and in whose drawer SolHi kept the gun. Because of the same gun, DooSan turned back after this, carefully opened the drawer, and took the gun out and the charger off, letting the gun into its place after this but taking the charger with him. DooSan didn’t take only the gun charger with him that night, but also the laces of SolHi’s boots because the idea of SolHi strangulating him with them suddenly crossed his mind. After that, happy that he took care of all the dangers that could have lurked on him, he went and lay on the sofa. And, right away his head touched the pillow, DooSan fell asleep, squeezing the charger in his hand while the laces were under the pillow.

***

After she put the jacket on and took the phone and the keys, SolHi decided to leave the apartment before DooSan exited the bathroom because… on the one hand - she didn’t want to see his face from the very morning, and, on the other hand - she didn’t want someone to see them leaving the apartment together. Yet, when she was about to put the shoes on, surprise - the laces weren’t there. „What the hell?” SolHi mumbled, stunned. „They were here last night. I’m sure of this because I checked them to be ready in the morning. Yet, now… they are gone!” Then, she glanced through the room because she was convinced that those laces didn’t vanish because of magic power, but because of a certain „intruder.”

She did well to look through the room because, glancing at the sofa, she finally saw the laces hanging from under the pillow. Then, looking at her bed, she realized that one of the pillows wasn’t there. This made her frown and check the gun too, realizing that it was without the charger. Seeing this, SolHi burst into laughter. „He made sure he would awake in the morning.” After that, she face-palmed and reproachfully shook her head, „I’m considered Jack the Ripper now if this one has made sure that he survives the first night with me in the same room.”

Approaching the sofa, SolHi pulled the laces from under the pillow, hissing through her teeth, „As though this would have stopped me from getting rid of him if I had intended that. There are still a lot of methods I could have used to kill him… like the other pillow he has left me. He didn’t think about this, to take the second pillow, but to take the laces out of the shoes and make me waste my time, yes.” While mumbling this, SolHi grabbed the shoe and started to put the laces on it. Not silent, of course, but she kept cursing DooSan because „What the hell is he doing in my house if he is afraid of me as of the Devil? He should have stood home! Yet, no: he came here, looking damn know for what, and to drive me crazy. What? Would I have killed him while sleeping? Would I have asphyxiated him with the pillow? In my own house? To be taken to the scaffold after that? Wow, idiot! If I had looked for killing him, I would have done this on that lavender field where nobody would have ever found him. At least… he would have died embalmed. But no… he… he…”

She eventually kept silent and stared at the bathroom door when it opened and DooSan, thinking he was alone, left the bathroom wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. He winced and looked at her with pumped eyes when SolHi yelled at him, „Ia, Han DooSan, do you think I’m Jack the Ripper or what?” After that, approaching him, she waved the shoe and the laces before him. „How the hell could you think that I could have killed you with them?” When she finally noticed what DooSan wore, and she noticed this because DooSan was desperately trying to cover the naked part of his body with his arms, SolHi swallowed hard. It was damn hard to do that because he was tall and the arms didn’t help him too much although he had some muscles on him. Eventually, when he remembered that he had a small towel over his head, which he was using to dry his hair when he left the bathroom, DooSan used it to cover his chest. However, it was too late because SolHi was already with her back to him.

When he could compose himself a little, DooSan stuttered, „You are still here. I thought you left because I heard the door…” Then, when SolHi put the laces before him again, DooSan pulled back.

„Your job? The removed laces, I mean.”

„Well, yes,” DooSan stuttered again. Yet, he kept staring into SolHi’s eyes as though trying to let her know that he wouldn’t allow her to punch him that morning. „Let’s just say that I… took precautions?!”

„You didn’t think about this before appearing at my door, did you? That I could kill you in sleep.” While saying this, SolHi’s eyes were sparkling because of anger.

„Honestly, no! I had better things to think about!”

„Better things like what? Like… walking through the house of a single and unmarried woman while wearing nothing on you?! Yeah, I’m sure you have thought about this, but about the fact that a woman can also have a soul, you haven’t thought about it, right?” The moment she realized that she talked too much, SolHi kept silent.

Her clumsiness made DooSan smile. Then, he stepped toward her while SolHi stepped back, and they kept moving this way until her back touched the wall and she understood that she fell into the trap. A really sweet trap because, once next to her, DooSan blocked her way with his arms. Only then did SolHi look up. Yet, being shorter than him, instead of his eyes, SolHi saw his chest, something damn tempting to touch because of the drops of water that were still seen here and there. Eventually, seeing DooSan insistently looking at her, SolHi stuttered, „What now?”

„I think this should be my question: what now, SolHi? Something strange in my opinion… that you complain about seeing me stripped to the waist when you have never thought about this when you did the same. You remember the scene in the Kanam police station, right?” SolHi furiously looked at him. „Exactly. I’m talking about what happened at the showers. And… let’s say that what I saw then was more than a wrapped towel around your appetizing… body. And, unlike you, I’m a man SolHi and…”

„Ia, you…,” SolHi had the genius idea to yell. Yet, she right away hiccupped when DooSan wrapped his arms around her body and then stuck her chest to his, making her slowly shiver because of the drops of water that were still on his skin. „What now?” She asked again, looking elsewhere.

„Nothing out of the ordinary. I just keep the promise I’ve made.”

„Promise? When?” SolHi stuttered again, looking all over but not at him.

„Last night when I told you that I would show you once if I am a man or not. And… I think we have enough time to demonstrate certain things before I’m turned into an eunuch.” After that, he slowly bent toward her, intending to kiss her.

Seeing what he wanted to do, SolHi closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Then, she pushed him away from her. Realizing that he was stronger than she was, SolHi remembered that there were other methods to get rid of him, and the one that always worked was to hit his ankle. Thus, the moment SolHi hit him, DooSan yelled because of pain, releasing her. A big mistake this one with releasing her because still eyes closed, the moment she tried to run away from him, SolHi lost her balance and, while falling, she grabbed the towel that was wrapped around his waist while looking to support herself on something, leaving him eventually as his mother brought him into this world.

The trumpet horned the moment DooSan finally understood what happened. Yet, because of the amazement, he didn’t get to cover himself on time, allowing SolHi, who also didn’t know what was going on, to open her eyes, furiously looking at him because she was intending to scold him. Seeing what she did to him and when DooSan yelled blue murder, trying to cover himself as he could, SolHi grabbed the shoe from the floor and, on all four, she got in seconds next to the front door from where she took the second shoe, letting the door close behind her with a bang.

„I’m dead for sure!” DooSan started to complain after a few seconds. „Who the hell made me leave the bathroom like this? She’ll kill me tonight for sure. And… how to see her again after this?” After that, like a child, who didn’t receive what he wanted, DooSan threw himself on the bed, having a temper tantrum while wrapping the blanket around his body to hide his shame.

The pathetic scene, with the thirty-year-old man acting like a baby, didn’t last long because, after about a minute of acting like a spoiled child, DooSan stood up in bed, looking immersed in thoughts. Eventually, he said, „Wait a minute! Why should I feel ashamed because of something I haven’t done? Who let me as my mother brought me into this world, was she. She has to be ashamed to see me again and not me. And… of course, she felt ashamed because… not everybody has a body like mine. And… what? Did She call me an Alphonse last night, but she ran as chased by the devil seeing me naked today? Nea, Ian SolHi, you looked for this alone when you told me that I am not a man!” After that, standing up, he approached the sofa and, of an enviable calmness, he started to dress himself.

***

At the bus station, it has been worse than at home. Sitting on the bench, with only one shoe on while squeezing the second one in her hand, SolHi looked like she had seen a ghost. She looked like this for a long time, murmuring eventually, „I’m done! Who the hell told me to grab that towel? He’ll make fun of me after this for an entire life!” After that, taking everyone who was waiting for the bus by surprise, SolHi grabbed herself by the hair and squeezed. This made everyone pull at a reasonable distance from her, looking at the crazy woman with pumped eyes when she scolded herself, „You are an idiot, Ian SolHi! A real idiot!” Then, she started to trot the soil still sitting.

Finally spotting the people looking at her, as though they saw a crazy woman, SolHi forced a smile. Then, when she noticed the bus coming, SolHi stood up and took a few steps in front. Yet, she felt something strange while doing this, although she didn’t know how to explain what she felt. Something she was able to do once she’d been on the bus because… pay SolHi for the journey if you have money. This made her murmur something barely understandable. Then, she angrily stared at the bus driver when this one told her, „Will you pay or leave, Miss?”

„I’m leaving!” SolHi hissed through her teeth. After that, making herself room among those who were getting on the bus, she rushed to leave because she felt ashamed.

SolHi was really ashamed that morning because… on the one hand - everybody saw her temper tantrum, and, on the other hand, - she felt ashamed because she didn’t have money to pay for the bus. Only when she stepped out of the bus SolHi remembered that she dropped the wallet while she was heading on all fours toward the door. Then, the wallet fell from her pocket and slipped under the table. „Thus, Ian SolHi, as your wallet is still home, it’s a damn good idea to learn to fly. Why? because, otherwise, you won’t ever get to work on time. Only if…” She wondered, already sitting on the bench. „Is he still home or has he already left? No, I don’t think so because… it’s too early for him to leave.” After that, supporting her elbows on her knees, she grabbed herself by the hair again and squeezed as hard as she could, tangling it more than it was already.

She did that, thinking that she was alone at the bus station. Yet, she was wrong because DooSan was not that far from her, in his car, which he parked about ten meters from the bus station. Actually, it hadn’t been his first intention to get there when he left the apartment. He thought to head straight to the office and be always surrounded by people, just not to allow SolHi to find him alone somewhere and kill him for what happened in the morning. Yet, while heading toward the front door, DooSan saw her wallet under the table, which he picked up and headed toward the bus station eventually, aware that she wouldn’t ever get to work that day without it. Thus, he saw her temper tantrum too, something that made him smile because… it was absolutely beautiful to watch her playing that show. He even smiled when he murmured, „Brilliant, Ian SolHi! With such a show, I start to love this game of „revenge!”

Eventually, when he understood that it was the time already, DooSan honked. Thus, he made SolHi attentive. Yet, seeing who was trying to reach her, SolHi stood up and, without paying attention that she was still wearing only one shoe, she turned her back to him, intending to leave that place as fast as she could.

Nevertheless, she had to stop, the moment DooSan stepped out of the car and yelled at her, „Ia, Ian SolHi, will you assume your responsibility for what happened in the apartment or not?” A remark that made her stare at him with the eyes of a beast. Seeing her so furious, DooSan smiled and continued his thought, „Yeah, I’m talking about that event about which you are thinking about right now. You know which one, right?! The one with the towel?” A trick that worked because SolHi headed toward his car right away.

Once next to the car, SolHi looked straight into the man’s eyes, hissing through her teeth, „Would you be so kind as to keep your mouth shut?”

„Why? It’s funnier this way. And… get in the car, now because I don’t have the minimum desire to pay a fine for parking in a forbidden place! If this happens, I’ll double your debt.” His threat made SolHi get into the car before he finished talking. Seeing her so obedient, DooSan smiled. „I told you that I would find a way to control you, but you didn’t believe me.” He murmured this while getting into the car too.

Once in the car, DooSan looked at her for a few moments, comically frowning while struggling not to burst into laughter. The reason? SolHi was struggling with the safety belt while staring through the window. Thus, seeing that she wouldn’t be ever able to put the belt that day, the man threw the wallet into her lap, finishing locking the belt himself.

„Stop it!” She hissed through her teeth when she heard him chortling.

„And I’ll do it,” he calmly told her. „When you finish putting the lace. If not… if you go to the office wearing only one shoe, the others will think for sure that we have had a damn „crazy night.” Something that’s not hard to guess if judging by how your hair looks.” Saying this, DooSan burst into laughter.

***

The moment DooSan stopped the car, SolHi jerked out of it. And, carefully looking around, to make sure that nobody saw her stepping out of DooSan’s car, she intended to sneak toward the entrance. Something that didn’t work eventually because, when she was about to run toward the door, on the sly, DooSan grabbed her by the hood, forcing her to stop. This enraged and made her suddenly turn toward him, hissing at him, „What this time?”

DooSan reproachfully shook his head. „You are worse than a child!” After that, spotting the loose lace, which SolHi didn’t tie as it should have been tied, DooSan squatted, intending to do it himself. Seeing his hands stretched toward her leg, SolHi pulled her leg back, forcing DooSan to pull the lace, which he managed to grab already, toward him, demanding to her, „Just stay quiet! I don’t intend to tie this lace forever!”

„What I don’t intend is to let others know that I’m living with… my boss!” SolHi mumbled, staring furiously at him.

Finishing tying the shoelaces, DooSan stood up and, smiling, looked at the parking lot. „For others to find out? And, who do you think cares about us? Nobody! If you don’t believe me, just look around: this parking lot is even more deserted than the Sahara Desert.”

„Maybe! Yet, don’t forget that the scorpions live in the desert. And, in case you forgot this already, last time when „nobody cared about what we were doing,” I was turned into a national star, a traitor of her own country, who was trying to seduce the innocent brother of her victim.” When she said that, SolHi’s eyes were sparkling because of hatred. „That’s why, Han DooSan, as I don’t intend to experience again what a flying egg that broke into my head feels like… because of you… I’ll stay away from you!” After that, she intended to bypass him and run toward the door again.

She stopped right away when she heard DooSan whispering, „Cute!” Squinting at him, SolHi saw him smiling. „I mean… your reaction is cute and… you, of course, because… you should see what your face looks like right now: really cute, although your eyes are the ones of a wild cat. And…” he bent toward her. „…don’t worry about those eggs: your Oppa is here to protect you from them.” After that, seeing that he managed to confuse SolHi, he passed by her, with his hands in his pockets.

„My Oppa? Yeah, right!” SolHi growled behind him. „Rather the Cherry Trees blossom in winter than you to be my oppa! Something that tells me you have definitely lost your mind, Han DooSan!” After that, she followed him without looking around.

If she had done this, she would have seen Kan and Yu for sure, appearing from behind a car, where they had stood hidden by then. Why did they hide? None of them knew. Yet, the moment they saw DooSan’s car entering the parking lot and SolHi with him, both of them decided that it was a good idea to hide and find out some spice details about those two. However, what they had found out was really spicy because it smelled more like a fight between lovers than between the cat and the mouse as they were already used to. Because of this, Kan looked at Yu and, scratching the back of his head, confused, he asked, „Are these two dating or what?”

Yu smiled while looking behind the two „lovers” because that fight meant that he had been right in saying that SolHi and DooSan had all the chances to be lovers. More than that, the „I’m living with the boss,” was strong evidence against SolHi. Even so, he said nothing about this but headed toward the Prosecution Building, paying no attention to Kan, who was pretending to have a heart attack at that moment.