Two weeks passed since then. The fuss with restructuring had calmed down, and we had returned to a daily life you could call peaceful. Though it wasn't completely quiet, I thought it was much better than the commotion before.

"Yah, are you still not ready?"
"I told you to wait a little..." I hurriedly put on make-up as Byung Hun urged me on.
"Why do you only sleep in when I tell you we're going out?"

The reason I slept in was that I was so happy that I could go out with him that I couldn't sleep until late last night.

*But there's no way I could say that! He would definitely tease me...*

"So Hyun ah?"
"A-anieyo, but is it really okay?"
"Mwoh?"

Maybe it was because he was tired of waiting for me, but he replied rather sullenly.

"Going out today. It's a holiday, so I think there'll be a lot of people out, ara?"

Byung Hun who had been working non-stop since the acquisition of B1A4 company, had finally been able to take a day off, so we decided to go out together today.

"I was the one who suggested it, but it's finally a day off for you, and you might just end up more tired."

I was happy that I could go out with him, but for him, it was his first break in a while. It would probably be better for him to spend the day at the estate and rest.

"You've been holding yourself back too, so you don't have to be so considerate!"
"Ouch! Yah, don't hit my head so suddenly! And my lipstick is smudged!"
"Gwaenchanayo, it makes me think of Bloody Mary."
"What's that supposed to mean!"
"You look even more ghostly when you're mad."
"Lee Byung Hun!"
"If you have the time to get mad at me, ppali and finish with your make-up. I'm tired of waiting. I won't let you do something as improper as putting on make-up in the car today." His shoulders were shaking as he spoke, like he was trying to hold back laughter.
"I would have finished earlier if you weren't bothering me!"
"Ne, ne. This troublesome person will wait for you at the entrance, geureom ppalihae."
"I'll finish as quickly as I can."
"Don't say as quickly as you can, just finish quickly."
"Yeolsimi hagossumnida. Oh, and I have something I wanted to ask. How about the guards?"
"The guards?"
"I haven't seen a guard even once since morning. Have they stopped already?"

The guards who were usually around so often it was depressing were nowhere to be found today."

"Ah...well..."

*It's unlike him to speak so vaguely. I wonder what's up with him.*

"Ah, well if you say you'd feel safer with the guard, then I'll call them now?"
"It's not like I really want you to call them, but I was just wondering since I hadn't seen them today..."
"The restructuring issue has already been cleared up, so the guards aren't necessary."
"Oh... Well, geugeo majayo, but..."

*Didn't he say before that restructuring wasn't the cause for that? Am I remembering incorrectly?*

"Is there something wrong?"
"Anieyo."
"Why do you look so anxious if it's nothing?"
"It'd be a lie if I said I wasn't scared, but I trusted you. You'll protect me if anything happens, geujwo?"
"Ne, so you don't have to worry."
"Arasseo, but I also feel like I want to protect you."
"Pabo, you just have to be protected by me. Well, for now you should just quickly finish up with your make-up." He put his hand on my head gently.
"Aish, stop rushing me! I'll done soon!"

"There are really a lot of people."
"It's a holiday. Plus, it might be because there's a new shop that has opened?"
"A new shop?"
"Ne, wanna go?"
"Gwaenchanayo. It's probably clothes, geujwo? I won't buy clothes for me today."
"How did you know?"
"I knew once I saw your face. You were just thinking that you'd make fun of me."

*I can't say anything because he has hit the bullseye...*

"So Hyun ah, here. It'd be a pain if you got lost." He held oout his hand, and I looked between that and his face.
"Ne."

My face reddened as I took his hand. It was embarrassing to have our fingers entwined, so I couldn't look at his face properly.

Thump!

"Aah..."

Because there were a lot of people, somebody's shoulder bumped into mine, making e stumble.

"So Hyun ah, gwaenchana?"
"Ne, I just stumbled because somebody bumped into my shoulder, so you don't have to worry so much."
"Oh, I see." He muttered that with a small sigh, and I could sense he felt uncomfortable.

*Didn't he get rid of the guards because everything was fine?*

What he was saying didn't match up with what he was doing, so I couldn't understand what he was thinking.

"Watch out!"

Somebody grabbed my arm and pulled me forcibly back. Of course, since Byung Hun was holding my hand, he was inevitably pulled back too.

"Who did that? What on earth was that for?"

When I turned around, I heard the sound of something whooshing by me. The next moment, I heard something break with a crash. When I timidly turned back around, I saw a broken flowerpot.

*That's where we were just standing, isn't it?*

"So Hyun ah, gwaenchana?"
"Gwaenchanayo... More importantly, how about you? Gwaenchana?"
"Nado gwaenchanayo."

"Gwaenchanayo?"

A security guard who had heard the commotion approached us, but I couldn't say anything, so Byung Hun answered for me.

*It was a coincidence, geuji? It just happened to fall there, geuji? If that person hadn't pulled us back earlier, Byung Hun oppa and I would've... Ah, we still haven't thanked him.* It made me shudder to think about it.

I hurriedly turned around, but the person who'd pulled my arm earlier was nowhere to be found.

*Where did he go? I wanted to at least say thanks since he saved us.*

"Gwaenchana?" Byung Hun asked again.
"Ne. Even if it was a coincidence, it's scary to think that a flowerpot was just fall like that."
"A coincidence, maja."
"Byung Hun oppa?"
"Aniyo. I said I'd go out with you for the whole day today, but let's go back to the estate."
"Ne..."

If the flowerpot had directly hit us, we definitely wouldn't have gotten out safely.

*Ani, we would've died actually...*

Though it was a coincidence, I wasn't so optimistic that I would be able to enjoy shopping after an incident like that.

"Gwaenchana, I'll definitely protect you." He said that while gripping my hand tightly to calm me down.

"Oh, have you returned already?"

When we returned to the estate, Niel greeted us, sounding surprised.

"Did something happen, perhaps?"

*Perhaps, he said. Does Niel-ssi know something?*

Maybe it was because Byung Hun noticed that I thought something was odd, but he stared at Niel.

"That is truly unfortun... Byung Hun-ssi, agassi!" As he shouted that, he suddenly pushed us away.

"Aah!"

For a moment, I didn't know what had happened. However, at the same that I feel to the marble floor, I heard the sound of multiple gunshots.

"So Hyun ah, Niel-ssi!"

Preview

"Come to think of it, didn't you stop with the guards?"
"Byung Hun-ssi, I believe that it would be prudent to let agassi know as well."

*Does Niel-ssi know what oppa is hiding?*

"Um, your name is So Hyun, geuji?"
"Nuguseyo? I don't think we've met before..."
"Do you not know who I am? Jeoneun XXX ibnida, and I have come for the marriage interview with you."
"Marriage interview...?"

Author's note

Double update! Well I won't be reveal who is the XXX in the preview, so better check the next chapter out so you'll know who is it! :)