207 Going Home, Accompanied By a Guard Dog (1/2)

A hand latched itself onto Yeo Ri's shoulder, startling her.

She reflexively threw the hand off, whipping her head backwards and taking several steps away from the person.

She glared menacingly at the person, her pupils dilating due to both fright and caution.

”Miss Yeo Ri,” the man said.

”...Secretary Kwon,” Yeo Ri pursed her lips as she acknowledged the man. Knowing that he posed no threat to her, she relaxed slightly. ”How did you know I'm here? Didn't I tell you to stop following me?” She asked, her eyes narrowing.

He dodged her question, ”Miss, allow me to send you home.” He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the area discreetly. He returned his gaze to her, looking grim with his downturned lips and hardened gaze. ”Please,” he insisted.

Yeo Ri studied the man. He seemed off. His clothes were slightly dishevelled, and there were obvious bruisings on his knuckles.

She'd recognise that type of bruising anywhere; Hyuk used to get them often back in the days when he fancied himself as a delinquent. It was obvious that Secretary Kwon had done a little bit of 'exercising' before he came to her.

Yeo Ri narrowed her eyes at him. ”Why?”

”Please allow me to send you home,” he repeated. He stepped closer to her ear and lowered his voice, ”There are some thugs that have been following you for a while. I tried to scare them off, but they just came back with more people.”

”I don't know why they're targeting you,” he added. ”Apologies, miss. I've been too complacent. I'll have this taken care of as soon as possible.” He lowered his head, looking guilty for his self-perceived incompetence.

Yeo Ri tilted her head, thinking.

Thugs? Targeting her?

For some reason, she felt a sense of deja vu creeping in the back of her mind. Coldness seeped into her blood. Yeo Ri frowned. Just what is it? She thought. She felt as if the answer was at the tip of her tongue, but she just could not recall it. What was she forgetting?

Yeo Ri tried to focus on her surroundings, observing the passers-by.

”...”

As Secretary Kwon had pointed out, there were several people who were eyeing them, slinking around the area conspicuously. From the way they looked, it was clear that they did not have any friendly or good intentions. They seemed ready to nab someone if the chance arises.

”If you insist,” she finally relented. In any case, there was no harm in using Secretary Kwon. The man himself had voluntarily presented himself as a tool for her. Since he wanted to be used so much, she figured it would be alright to do so.

Secretary Kwon's facial expression did not change, but the atmosphere around him soothed considerably. He was relieved that the young girl did not bother to quarrel with him and simply agreed to his request.

”This way, miss,” he led her to a nearby parking lot where he had parked his car. Like a faithful chauffeur, he opened the backseat's door for her and closed it after she got in.

Neither of them talked during the drive. Yeo Ri had nothing nice to say to him and he was too absorbed in planning his next steps to chat with anyone.

Yeo Ri took advantage of the silence and took out her phone to text Ha Jun, telling him that she was on her way back.

Merely seconds later, he replied, 'Hurry home.'

Yeo Ri could feel that something was wrong. There was a serious connotation to his text. Ha Jun had not used his usual wave of funny stickers and unnecessary punctuation, keeping his message short and concise, which was out of the ordinary for him to do. She wondered if something happened to her brother. Did his fever take a turn for the worse? She could only hope that Ha Jun could keep whatever situation they were in under control until she gets back.

She texted him back with a quick 'OK', her face scrunched in worry.

Luckily, traffic was not as bad as it usually was, so she arrived home in no time at all.

Secretary Kwon bade her farewell politely, his gaze resolute. He looked as if he had made his mind about something, but Yeo Ri did not care enough to find out. He was probably going to tell Heo Woo Seung about what happened earlier, she thought, or perhaps he already did. There was no use in asking; these people were just going to do whatever they liked anyways, and she was powerless to stop them.

Yeo Ri nodded to Secretary Kwon in thanks before exiting the car herself without waiting for him to open the door for her. Worried for her brother, she rushed into the apartment building with quick steps, going up the stairs to their home as fast as she physically could manage.

”I'm home,” Yeo Ri breathlessly announced after she unlocked the door and stepped inside the comfort of her own home.