"Who are you?" she asked again. There was no reply. Raina sat on the table, her whole body tense as the stranger approached her. She held her breath as he seated himself next to her on the table, took the bandage out of her grasp and began to bandage her hand slowly.

Raina found herself staring at his hands as he wrapped the bandage around her hand with ease. Clearing , she looked straight ahead and spoke "Thank you for helping me but I could have done it myself.  Why are you helping me though?' she asked.

There was no reply and when Raina turned her head to look at him, she found him resting his head on her shoulder, his hands clasping hers, asleep. Using her free hand she slowly poked his cheek.

"Are you asleep" she asked.

Seeing that there was no reply she guessed that he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. 

Heaving a sigh she made up her mind. Slipping her hand out of his hold, she prised his head of her shoulder very slowly and while supporting him, crouched in front of the table and eased his sleeping body onto her back.  

It was the most she could do for helping her' she thought as piggy backed him to the bed which was thankfully nearby and in the same room. Placing him on the bed, she stood up wincing as she stretched. Making sure that his head was supported by a pillow, she made to leave when she heard soft whimpers.

Looking down at the young man who had beads of sweat on his forehead, she felt him for any signs of fever but he wasn't hot at all. Removing her head from his forehead, she turned her back on him when her left hand was suddenly  grabbed.

She nearly let out a scream as she was startled however she managed to supress it. The man was holding onto her hand like it was his lifeline and as she knew that she wasn't going anywhere any time soon, she said " I'm not sleeping on the floor, that's for sure. " Releasing an annoyed sigh, she asked herself why she was doing this before circling around the bed, all the while having her hand held tightly she climbed onto the bed and made herself comfortable at a respectable distance, which was not that wide due to him holding onto her hand.

Unfortunately due to him clinging on to her left hand she hand to face him, lying on her side as she went to sleep, the alcohol finally kicking in.

//////////////^/

"Wake up! Wake up!" Raina heard a hushed female's voice. Stifling a yawn she opened her eyes and found herself staring at a handsome face. It was the guy who had been reading the banned book the previoys day. She then inhaled sharply when she realized how close they were. They were in each other's personal space, nose to nose but the most important thing was that her hand was free.

Immediately taking the chance she rolled to the edge of the bed and wore the shoes, that Sooyeon, the city's playboy's sister at her. Slipping them on she dragged her friend by the arm until they were out if the room.

"It's not what you think." Raina said hurriedly.

"So falling asleep next to a handsome stranger after getting drunk and ending up cuddling together is an everyday occurrence, right?"

"It just happened like that and we were NOT cuddling."

"These eyes see all" she said gesturing at her brown orbs.

'I'll talk to you later. I need to go home. Thank you for waking me up." Raina said as Sooyeon walked her out.

"Anytime"

/////////////////

Walking back home, Raina wasn't in a hurry as she knew that her father was aware of her disappearing acts. When she finally reached home she called out " Dad, I'm home".

There was no reply. When she made to call out again she saw her father crouched in front of the fire, fanning a couple of pots. It was that she noticed that all his clothes were stained with blood, whose blood she didn't know.

Slowly walking up to him, she knelt beside him as he began to sob. Feeling confused as to the reason her father was bawling his eyes out in broad daylight she side hugged him as he cried "Why did I have to bury both my children? What sin have I commited to live longer than my children?"

Shushing him gently she helped him up and supported him to his room. After making sure that her father fell asleep after tiring himself out by ceaseless crying, she exited the room, her head spinning.

'Both his children.... that meant that Seonu is dead but how can that be? Then who is  tall, fair and handsome stranger in the treatment room?' she wondered.  Ignoring her thoughts she filled small tray with some porridge and a medicinal tea and left it in the treatment room.

She also cooked some food for her father and left it in his room in hopes of him eating it.
She didn't know why but she felt suffocated in the house so she left, letting her feet take her wherever it went.

Before she knew it, she had arrived at Sutabaksu, the local trendy tea shop. Pi Jooki, the owner and a long time friend of her father's  greeted her.  She guessed that he realized that she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries because he immediately said " I have a job for you."

///////////^/^

Raina smirked as she ran on the roof of the houses. She knew that she was being followed so why not make it interesting for the person tailing her?  So far she had travelled from trees to roofs and now she was at the entrance to Okta. After making sure that she wasn't being followed anymore, she went on her way to the carpenter's shop.

/////^/^^^^///////

Sam MaekJeong grinned as his bodyguard, Paoh reported to him about Raina and her weird methods of travelling. He had ordered for a close eye to be kept on her partly because he was curious about her and partly because of something he wasn't yet able to decipher. 

The previous night's sleep was the best he had in years, uninterrupted and nightmare-free. He wanted to know what it was about her that made him relax. Once having been informed on her whereabouts, he hurried out of Okta and spotted her a couple of yards away looking busy.

He began to follow her and was passing an accessories shop when he noticed someone dressed in a maroon robe, following him through a mirror. Glancong back slightly he hurried onwards and entered a warehouse, unaware of the fact that Raina was there as well.

Indide the wherehouse were doors. It was basically a big door-maze and when he entered it he found himself being tackled to the floor. Blinking in surprise at seeing Raina practically straddling him, he opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by the entrance of a man who shouted "Come out you coward."

This startled Raina causing her to let her guard down slightly which was enough for Sam MaekJeong to roll her so that he was now on top of her.

He quickly stood up and went to help her but found her already standing with a steely look in her eyes.  Unintentionally gulping, he spoke in a low voice " I'm being followed. Leave this place as quickly as you and you might not get hurt."  With that, he left leaving Raina to stare at him with a indignant expression on her face.

Just because she was a girl doesn't mean that she can't take care of herself.

Huffing in annoyance she swiftly moved through the maze unaware of the fact that she was walking straight into danger.

/////^^^/^^///

As she moved around trying to find the exit she listened to the ongoing conversation and realized that the one wearing a mask was involved in a murder according to what the other said but she was doubting the accusation. The guy who bandaged her hand and looked so innocent while he slept didn't look like a person capable of murder.  As she came to this conclusion she stopped moving as she realized that it had become silent.

Wondering whether it was all over she took a step forward and tripped over her dress, knocking into a door which thankfully didn't fall down but it did however alert the two men to her whereabouts which was confirmed when she felt a cold steel blade resting against her neck.

Slowly turning around she gasped as she saw the masked guy raise his sword in an attempt to strike the one with the sword which inadvertently gave away the surprise attack. The guy who was dressed in a maroon robe turned and swung his sword to meet the masked guy's blow and as the duo began to fight, Raina decided that she should do something before things turned ugly.

She quietly made her way to the door that was next to them and then went two doors down to execute her plan.  Just as the duo were in a stand still, their swords at each other's necks, she kicked the door in front of her, causing a domino effect.

In perfect unison the two men jumped out of the way and the masked guy used this chance to exit the warehouse. Raina decuded to follow his example as well and swiftly exited the warehouse and was about to run away when she stopped, a few feet away from the entrance of the warehouse.

The robe that the guy was wearing.....it was exactly like the one she had stitched.

The one she had stitched for her brother, Seonu!