The commotion over restructuring had calmed down, so there was no reason for us to be targeted, or there shouldn't have been.

"Byung Hun-ssi, agassi! Please take cover! Don't raise your head by any means!" After Niel pushed us away, guards appeared out of nowhere to cover us.

*Why are the guards here? I thought oppa said he'd called them off...*

I felt it was strange how prepared they had been, just as if they had been waiting for this, but the terror I felt from the gunshots was stronger.

"Niel-ssi..."

Niel had fallen and was clutching his arm. The guards were around him too.

*I can't see well here. Is Niel-ssi okay?*

"Niel-ssi, gwaenchanayo?"
"Ne. Someone such as me is trivial. More importantly, are you and agassi alright?"
"Gwaenchana. You saved us by pushing us away..."

It was a small mercy that Niel was only grazed in the arm by the bullet.

*If Niel hadn't pushed us away, we might have been hit...  Was the flowerpot not a coincidence then?* I shuddered just thinking about it.

"Though it was an emergency, I sincerely apologize for pushing the two of you so roughtly." Even though his arm should've been hurting, Niel still bowed his head deeply.
"You don't have to worry about something like that. We were saved thanks to you."
"Ne! And more importantly, we have to take care of that wound!"

I tried to gain control of my still su=huddering body and stand up, but I feel right back down.

"So Hyun ah?"
"Agassi?"
"Mianhae, I just couldn't..."
"You're not injured, geuji?"
"Ani, nan gwaenchanayo. I'm just a bit frightened..."
"That's understandable. Neo, lend a shoulder to Niel-ssi. I'll carry So Hyun."
"Algessumnida."

*Come to think of it, why are there so many guards here? For this many to have gathered here so quickly, they must've been waiting somewhere, geuji?*

I didn't have the time to worry about it earlier with the gunshots flying about, but Byung Hun had said he'd called off the guards. I didn't understand, so I looked over at Byung Hun.

"I'll explain later."

"Agassi, you don't have to do this..." Niel was flustered as I took care of his wound.
"No complaintes from you. We were saved thanks to you, so at least let me do this.
"Nevertheless..."

"Niel-ssi, give it up. Once So Hyun makes up her mind, she won't change it." Byung Hun muttered that with a wry smile, so Niel let out a small sigh, like he was giving in.

"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?*

"Nan ara. Neo, continue to guard at your usual positions.
"Algessumnida."

Byung Hun said that to the guards, who nodded and left the room. In the living room, there were me and him now. And then, there was Niel, making three.

"Do you remember the marriage proposals that came for us?"
"The ones samcheon mentioned, geuji? But we refused, isn't that so?"
"Do you also remember that I had Niel-ssi to look into it?"
"Ne."
"During the investigation, we found some obvious unaccounted for expenditures."
"Unaccounted for expenditures... Was somebody doing something illegal?"
"Unfortunately, that's the case. It started around when appa collapsed and got worse after I became sajangnim. It might be that he didn't care if I found out, but I had it stopped."
"Could you be talking about...samcheon?"
"I don't have any positive proof yet, so I can't press him. However, I said he was on good terms with the parents of the marriage candidates. It seems he met them at a high-class club and said some funny things frequently."
"Funny things...?"
"He said that he wanted to make Byung Hun-si lose his standing and hand over the company to the parents of the proposed partners."
"Make oppa lose his standing, and even hand over the company? What is he thinking?"
"That was just something he said to trick them. The people he wanted to marry us off to were both from successful companies. They haven't involved themseles with the Lee Corp before. He foolishly thinks that all he needs to do is get those two companies."
"Then, samcheon's goal is..."
"It's probably to take Lee Corp from me. The more allies he can use, the better. Once the business is settled, he'll cut them off. That's probably how that sly samcheon thinks."

Flashback

"Even though he doesn't have the ability to carve his own fortune, his greed is as deep as a bottomless swamp. He'll show his true colours when the next head takes over."

End of flashback

*Omma's words were right...*

"So Hyun ah, mwohhae?"
"Anida, I just thought of something omma said after she had just married appa..."
"What did she say?"
"That his greed was a deep as a bottomless swamp, and that he'd show his true colours when you took over."
"I don't want to hear it from her, but she's right."
"Majayo. Buin-nim's eye for men appears to be sharp..."

Byung Hun and Niel's eyes were both wide as they spoke, like they were surprised.

"Anyway, it's clear that the fuss up until now wasn't about the restructuring. I heard from the employees transferred to B1A4 that they had never done anything violent. I just asked because I wanted to make sure there was no effect from that after the transfer, but some people confessed."

*But would anybody answer that honestly if they were asked that straight up?*

"Confessed?"
"A few employees said that they broke the cameras at the gate. Nothing else came up. Of course there's the possibility that they're just keeping quiet, but the second gunshot, the assault on you and the villa, and the matter of the flowerpot. I think that was done by somebody unrelated to the restructuring."
"So the flowerpot wasn't a coincidence?"
"Somebody saved you, geujwo? He was a guard too. He said he saw somebody's shadow right before the flowerpot fell. I think things will be a bit tough for the next little while, but bear with it."

*So he was a guard too. That's why he dissappeared so quickly. Oppa was checking to see of the incidents were related to the restructuring, so he got rid of the guards.*

"Agassi, do you have plans to head out again in the near future?"
"I thought I'd show my face at work tomorrow, but I guess I shouldn't..."
"Originally, I would've requested that you refrain from outing, but that would be very restrictive."
"Majayo, and it's not like you'll definitely be safe if you stay in here."
"Shall I arrange for a female guard? If thet act as friends when they head out together, she wouldn't need to leave agassi's side."
"Majayo. Could you arrange for that?"
"Algessumnida."

"Niel-ssi, is your arm okay? You should at least rest for today."
"Andwae, nan gwaenchanayo, since you have so graciously took care of the wound for me. Kamsahabnida." He bowed his head and left the room.

"You're heading for work at the flower shop today, geujwo?"
"Ne."

Walking beside me was the female guard that Niel had arranged for me, Yoon Bo Ra.

*Wow, she's like a model.*

Although she's short, but she's slender too, maybe because of her training. Her body looked very firm.

*Maybe I should exercise too...*

I knew I shouldn't have been comparing our bodies in the first place. I still couldn't help feeling a bit depressed when I looked at myself though.

"Um, jeogiyo, your name is So Hyun, geuji?"

Somebody called out to me as I walked to the flower shop, and when I turned around, I saw a man I didn't know. I was skilled at remembering people's faces, so I wouldn't have forgotten somebody if I'd met them before.

"Nuguseyo? I don't think we've met before..."
"Do you not know who I am?"
"Joesonghabnida, may I ask for your name?"
"Did you not hear from nisamcheon? Jeoneun Son Dong Woon ibnida, from the marriage interview."
"Dong Woon-ssi? Marriage interview?"
"Did you really not hear about it? That's odd..."

*I refused the marraige interview. Why is he talking about it?*

"So Hyun ah, ppali!" So that Bo Ra wouldn't arouse any suspicious, she was acting like my friend as she hid me behind her.

"Ah, if you have time, would you like to have some tea? It's not the marriage interview yet, but it wouldn't be a loss to get to know each other before then." He had ignored the guard who said we need to hurry and invited me out anyway.

*Doesn't he listen to what other people say?*

"Yah, gaja."
"Nah, I have some business to do after this, so..." I non-committally refused.
"Having tea with me is more important than whatever business you have to do." My face stiffened when he replied with a bright smile.

*So he doesn't get it if I refuse gently...*

"Yah, gaja. You can invite nichingu too."
"Joesonghabniad, but I can't accept your invitation. I had refused your marriage interview, and I also have somebody whom I vowed to marry already."
"Geugeo... But I was shown your picture and told that you were the person who would become my wife."
"I think there must've been some sort of mistake."
"But even if you say it was a mistake, I still..."

"Gaja." Bo Ra took my arm and led me away.

*I can't believe the engagement wasn't cancelled, Could it be the same with Byung Hun oppa's?*

"So Hyun-ssi, may I contact Byung Hun-ssi regading this matter?"
"Ah, ne, please do. And also, could you ask oppa to check on the matter of his own engagement as well?"
"Algessumnida."

*Wow, I'm completely worn out now from that encounter. It'd be nice if nothing happened, but...*

I let out a small sigh as I watched Bo Ra speak to Byung Hun on the phone. The butterflies in my stomach that I had felt before were even worse now as I hoped for the best.

Preview

"Yah, remember not to forget what halmeoni said. She said that people were capable of anything regardless of how it'd make them look, even to the point of becoming like animals, geuji?"
"Ah, now that you remind me, she did say that. What's this all of a sudden though?"
"I don't know why myself but halmeoni's words just came to my mind."
"But if you're saying that eople are capable of anything, it's the same for me too. If it was to protect you, I would do anything, regardless of how it'd make me look."

"Don't move. Don't make a sound. I'll kill you if you do."

Author's note

Oh no! So Hyun is targeted! :(

Well don't kill me B2UTYs! I didn't mean to write Dong Woon like that... It's just like he was somehow suitable to the character so I chose him. And of course, I'm a huge B2UTY too! So anyway, let's welcome Bo Ra and Dong Woon as cameos! *Claps non-stop* I'll be stop updating today,so I'll see you guys tomorrow! Goodnight readers!