So-dam and Jaejoong got back to the hotel at two o'clock in the morning. Everything So-dam had learned about Jaejoong this night occupied her mind. She was still impressed at how good a fighter Jaejoong was. She was only able to see such fast moves in the movies of Jacky Chan and Jet Li. He moved like lightning, his opponents barely had time to react.

            Her suspicion that Jaejoong was dangerous had been proven this night. Despite this, she was surprised at herself for not being afraid. She didn't even feel nervous. What she felt instead was admiration and respect. She also appreciated how he treated Jinwoo. He accepted him as what he was. There was no condemnation or discrimination in Jaejoong's eyes.

            He even gave Jinwoo advice and even encouraged the latter to face the truth and be who he really was.

            Before the night started, He had told her she would learn a lot of things. He was right. It became clear to So-dam that despite the seemingly progress of a city, danger and discrimination still lurked amidst the shadows. And through Jinwoo, she was able to get a glance at another kind of life. Jinwoo wasn't confined to a ranch like her, but he was still in prison. A prison created by society and his family. If he could ever break out of that prison, only time would tell.

            She glanced at Jaejoong. He was closing the door of the hotel suite. She was finally starting to piece the truth about who really Jaejoong was. Despite his actions and his words, he was in truth by nature a protector and a giver of life lessons.

            But it was also clear that his time as a mercenary made him harsh and even a killer. Jaejoong's fight with Jinwoo's attackers came back to her mind. The three men were severely outmatched by Jaejoong. And he never showed any fear or hesitation as he fought and gave the men pain.

            But despite his cold and almost cruel behavior to those men, So-dam also saw part of his soft side when they were talking about his wife. He was capable of caring, of feeling pity. But his continued refusal to believe or to feel love for anyone... Was there really a person who didn't know how to feel love?

            Jaejoong turned to So-dam. It was too late for her to look away. He had already caught her staring at him. His dark eyes glinted. It became obvious he was planning some mischief.

            "It's been a long night of adventure and harsh truths," he commented.

            She nodded in agreement.

            "Do you want to continue the wager we had in the restaurant?"

            "Of course, that is still on!"

            He smiled and got hold of a ballpen and paper from the writing table near them.

            "Then let's put it in writing. I would have Mr. Cha make several copies of our agreement about this wager tomorrow so each of us would have his own copy."

            It took them almost an hour to write down the rules properly. So-dam made sure she wasn't being taken advantage of. Several Mallavio stationery were used to finally set in black and white their wager.

            He put down the agreement on the writing table and attached a small note for Mr. Cha, giving instruction to have it copied.

            "This wager is already set in stone, So-dam. You can't back out," he warned.

            "I am not going to back out," she said, full of confidence.

            His dark eyes stared at her. She suddenly found herself flustered. But she never looked away. She suddenly realized that the two of them were alone inside the suite.

            "If you are going to live an independent life, you must learn how to fight. When I say fight, that meant physical fighting. What happened to Jinwoo could also happen to you. Beautiful women often attract the attention of dangerous predators. You would need to be able to fight your way out of dangerous situations because I and Mr. Cha wouldn't be always by your side."

            So-dam wasn't expecting a lecture from Jaejoong.

            "He was lucky he was a man. If he was a real woman," he continued, "he wouldn't have been able to fight off those men. He would have been repeatedly."

            "This physical fighting you are saying, is this like how you fought off Jinwoo's attackers? I don't think I would be able to do that."

            "There are a lot of ways a woman can fight and defeat men stronger than her. You could learn how to use a gun or a knife."

            "I already know how to use a folding knife." She wanted to take her knives with her to dinner, but her dress made that impossible. She tried to tie one folding knife to her thigh, but that kept hampering her walk and movement.

            "You should teach me how to fight like you do."

            "I would need to first see your fighting ability. Then, I could improve on that and teach you some more."

            "Are we going to have lessons tonight?"

            "Aren't you tired, So-dam?" he teased. "After dinner, arguments, witnessing a beating and a short fight, and being a Good Samaritan, I can't believe you still have the strength to demonstrate to me how good you are in fighting."