The First Warning

"Let go off me!"

Won Geun hand tightened his grasp on her, dragging her out from the room. Eun Ji couldn't how many times he had done that to her--suddenly asked her to follow him, ordering her to stick around him and taking her with him. It looked like Eun Ji was running to him, he was walking too fast, for a couple of times, she had almost stumbled on her feet.

He stopped. Abruptly.

Eun Ji didn't hit her own break--she didn't know when he wanted to stop, though--caused her to bump on him. Her head hit his towered back. It hurt.

His hand then forced her to sit by her shoulders. Eun Ji was more than aware of her own fatigue. This whole thing was excruciating her. Her last energy was boost out to her scream earlier. Now, she barely could move her body—it just seemed too tired to digest all of it, all at once. It wasn't a pleasant aftertaste, not even close.

Won Geun sat beside her. He should have noticed the tense lines around , the muted stress on her movement. He didn't say anything harsh like he usually did—he would just be a companion for the time being.

Out of the blue, a handful of bread, wrapped neatly in a transparent plastic, was held out for her. She had forgotten the biggest fact behind this whole mess—she hadn't had dinner. As if the bread was whispering to her, she took it.

"Are you buying me--?"

"Yes." It came out tight, at least it should have hurt his pride, she thought.

"Thanks." Eun Ji didn't believe that there would be times that she would be expressing gratitude for the Mount Everest man. The bread was an exception.

"You're welcome."

The bread tasted out great apart from it had lost its 'freshly baked' scent--he should have bought it a couple hours ago—she locked her eyes on Won Geun. "Why'd changed your mind?"

"Bread?" As if he could read her mind, "you said you haven't eat anything since morning."

Did she ever say that? Maybe she had stated them somewhere before but she didn't remember. Devouring bread. She was working on it.

"About the murder case," he started, "it is a serial killer case. In any way you are related to it. However, telling you more won't give you any advantages."

"Is that confronting or comforting?"

"Both of it."

"I just don't get why he was avoiding my questions--"

"He did."

Eun Ji gave him a questioning expression, "What do you mean by 'he did'?"

"GoNam Highschool."

Eun Ji shoulders slumped. "So he did, huh?" The bread didn't taste as mouthwatering as before, it made her feeling nausea instead. She had lost her appetite.

But what made her appetite vanished was this--Won Geun took a few steps closer to her, she had almost forgot to breathe, it was either because of his sudden approach or his handsomeness was getting zoomed in her vision. His hands slowly lifted up, causing her to closed her eyes tightly and frowned. Don't do anything to me, don't do anything to me, she prayed.

Eh? She opened her eyes and she saw the gauze had landed on her thighs.

He somehow smirked--that was what she thought she had seen--then as in amused, he said, "What? Thinking of something?"

She was flustered. Geez, she shouldn't be. After all things that happened to her, she had lost her mind. "N... no... I am not,” she looked away, not daring to stare at him, "why do you think that way?"

"It's fun."

"Fun?" She snorted, "how can this be a fun thing?"

"It's amusing in every way I see." She could sense him grinning but her eyes said that he was not. She didn't get why she was thinking so. Fatigue. Be aware of your own fatigue, Jung Eun Ji. She glared at him, not worrying to show more of her fiery eyes to him.

Before words could escape from , Won Geun asked, "Didn't you ask why I bring you here?"

His eyes were magnetic. There was an irresistible force compelled her to look on him.

"Manila," he said, "the color that you said about your camera at the interrogation. You said your camera is purple." Eun Ji startled eyes were snapped on his mesmerizing eyes. Connection.

"Don't look at me," his eyebrows were drawn together, "it's not me but intuition. Merely."

She shrugged. As she continued to eat the bread, she added, "Like I asked."

He smirked. She actually saw his expression! "After you finish, I'll be taking you home."

Eun Ji's eyes widened. was full with bread when she asked, "Really?"

Won Geun cleared his throat and nodded.

She went rapid as he positioned himself with a more comfortable sitting. Did he, did Mount Everest just trying to melt its ice? She looked down, stunned by his reaction.

"Hey, prisoner," that voice of his was back, "stop imagining things and eat up your bread!"

***

Eun Ji actually couldn't believe herself that he was actually nice, assuming that Mount Everest Man was actually a nice person. But he wasn't. He was the worst man that had ever appeared on Earth--she was eating. Eating. And eating. Then he suddenly burst out that he wasn't taking her home but back to his haunted mansion. Truth was always painful and he did that to her.

And honestly why should she wait for him—having her alone with the light from neurosurgical neon box. She could just escape from his sight, taking bus or even taking a train. Why on earth did she wait him?

A soft whine escaped from her lips. She looked down, playing with her heels by making a tick-tock sound on the floor. The cold wind blew her whole fragile body, making her shivering from the cold and at a moment she remembered that it was still a snowing season.

"Patients don't come at this hour." A man's voice was buried deep as he could go.

She turned and saw a man with round-glasses on his tux with a very nice maroon tie and a black working handbag on his hand. She didn't saw clear of his face—because they were outside and it was dark--but she knew he was grinning.

"We are about to leave."

"We? Not alone? With a boyfriend?"

She shook her head as the mischievous tone rose up from him. She immediately answered alongside with hand gestures, "No, of course not. I’d never end up with someone like that."

He chuckled. At least it sounded as if a smile was slanted on his face. But then it vanished. An eerie calm was washed over her. His voice then sounded grave, "If that so, then there will be no reason he'll be protecting you," wait a moment, what was he talking about, "Jung Eun Ji-ssi."

Beads of sweats flowered over her skin in the cold weather as if she was in sauna. He knew her name. Ominous feeling surrounded her, more when he said, "Beware of the Joker,” he chuckled, “The Game has just begun."