So-dam was shocked at Bong Pil's insolence! A part of her wanted to curse and slap him. But a small part of her was asking what it would feel like if the man would indeed kiss her. She had never been kissed. Her knowledge regarding kissing was based only on what she saw on TV and from reading the romance novels of Misha.

            He took a step toward her. Hers hand rose without her noticing it. Her hand slapped Bong Pil! But before her hand could connect, the man deftly stepped back.

            She suddenly saw her chance. She grabbed the stallion's mane and hoisted herself on his back!

            "So-dam!" shouted Bong Pil n. He tried to pull her down from the horse. So-dam gave him a hard kick on the chest.

            She then loosened the rope tying the horse to the pole and let him sprint out of the stable. She looked back at the shocked Bong Pil. She laughed. It was clear from his expression that he never expected her to steal the horse. This wasn't the first time she had gone riding . She was much more comfortable using a saddle, but there's a sense of freedom and excitement whenever she would ride a horse .

            She could feel the movement of every muscle of the horse. She almost felt like she and the horse had become one. She was no longer a rider but part of the powerful horse.

            She temporarily closed her eyes to feel the sense of freedom. The wind on her face and the feeling of being liberated from her binds and being able to do and go wherever she wanted to, pushed away all her worries. During these moments, she could make herself believe that she was no longer imprisoned in the ranch, and she was free from her Uncle. That she held her fate in her own hands.

            She opened her eyes and allowed the horse to go wherever he wanted to. He seemed to sense So-dam's longings because he continued running among the grasses. A few minutes later, she signaled the horse to slow down by gently squeezing his sides with her legs. The horse obeyed her and began to make a slow trot.

            "Good, boy." She tapped him affectionately on the neck. She began to wonder where her uncle got the money to buy the racehorses. But whatever the amount he paid for such a horse, it was definitely worth it! The horse was a superb runner and never showed any fear. He was also good at following her instructions without showing any sign of tantrums. She became aware that the horse wasn't young anymore, and he was used to being ridden.

            But it cannot be denied that he used to be a racehorse. Maybe his uncle wasn't going to use this horse to race but in siring racehorses.

            She grabbed hold of the horse's dark mane and bent down to see what was between his legs. She had been calling him a stallion in her mind, but she wasn't sure if he was indeed a stallion or a mare because Bong Pil kept on distracting her in the stable.

            She soon saw the proof she needed. The horse was indeed a stallion as she suspected. She smiled and straightened herself on the horse's back. Bong Pil again crossed her mind. The horse trainer could easily be compared to a thoroughbred stallion.

            She remembered the expression on his face when she stole the stallion right under his nose. There was no irritation or anger on his face. He was in fact amused, and there was even a hint of admiration in his eyes. He remained unfazed even when she tried to slap him. Her kick though surprised him a lot.

            She laughed. She must have impressed the horse trainer with her audacity. She suddenly stopped and frowned. Why was she happy she had impressed the horse trainer? She shouldn't care what that man thought of her!

            Truth was, she was also shocked by her behavior. Whenever she found herself in dire situations, something seemed to take control of her. She often attributed such behavior to the reflex reaction of her body. During such moments, her actions became automatic, she would soon find herself safe, and far away from whatever danger her mind had perceived. This reflex reaction of hers had saved her from snake bites, slipping from a tree branch, falling on one of those pit holes all around the ranch and even from being run over by her uncle's car.

            Bong Pil's last words once again disrupted her thoughts.

            A kiss on the lips.

            She touched as she remembered his words. She was almost kissed by him a moment ago. But was the man really going to kiss her or was he just teasing her? Did she automatically escape from him because she didn't want to be kissed or because she was afraid that if he did kiss her, she would like it?

            The first time she laid eyes on Bong Pil, something stirred inside her. And whenever she would see him, he would have this indescribable effect on her mind and emotions. He had such a compelling presence. He seemed to touch and awaken a part of her she never knew existed.

            Bong Pil was a dangerous man! She could feel that every time she was near him. And her unconscious mind had instinctively known it from the start! But that danger also gave her some sort of unexplained excitement.

            Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of approaching horse's hooves. They were getting closer. She turned and saw a large black horse being ridden by Bong Pil. He was also riding , and she couldn't deny that he looked formidable and impressive. She also noticed that the horse was much younger than the one she was riding.

            Despite this, she nudged her horse to run. She didn't want to return yet, and she didn't want to be with the horse trainer because of the crazy thoughts appearing inside her mind every time she was near him.

            The stallion ran. But he was much slower this time. He had yet to recover his strength from his run several minutes ago. Bong Pil easily caught up with her. She thought he would accost her, but he merely slowed down his horse and matched the pace of her horse.

            He also remained silent. She finally couldn't stand it. She whirled at him.

            "What do you think you are doing?" she snapped.

            "I am just making sure that you are not going to tire Aragon. He's a bit old, you know."

            She glanced at him. If she had managed to slap him on his cheek, the effect of the slap might not show even if he had no beard because of his natural tan.

            "Are you again trying to undress me with your eyes?" he asked.

            "What!" So-dam colored. "I am not that kind of girl!"

            "Do you want to know what I think of you, Miss So-dam?" he teased.

            "I am not interested in your opinion!" she blasted him. She wanted to put the man in his place, tell him that he was just a horse trainer. But she wasn't in the position to demean him when she herself was a nobody. She only finished high school and it was through home schooling. She didn't know any work nor did she possess any useful skill. Sometimes, she felt like she was just like one of the cows being raised in the ranch. She was simply being fattened so that when the right time came, she would be sold to the highest bidder.

            So-dam's jaws clenched. She would never be like those cows! Her life would never be sacrificed for whatever his uncle was planning for her. She would escape from this place, and would be free to live her own life!

            She suddenly felt Bong Pil's stare. She shot him an angry glance. He smiled.

            "In case you want to know what I am thinking, I was just thinking that if you weren't confined in this ranch and you grew up in the outside world, you could become a good boxer. Your fists are fast and hard. I think your slap is much harder than any of the men I encountered."

            "How could you even say that when my slap didn't even hit you?"

            He chuckled.

            "I have seen and encountered a lot of people who are good fighters. And I could estimate just from how they form their fist and the speed of their attack how hard or how soft their punch would land."

            "So you are a natural troublemaker," she chided him.

            "There are times when one needs to fight. If you are being oppressed or being made into a fool, you need to fight. But if you are going to fight, you need to control your emotions. Take it out of the equation. You must only think as you fight. Because if you let your emotions control your moves, you are going to lose the fight. Most people need a lot of training before they could remain calm while fighting. Sometimes even with years of training, some fighters still froze during a fight. It is very rare for someone to remain in control of herself in tense or during dangerous situations. But you managed to do that."

            "What are you trying to say?"

            "You are a natural, Miss So-dam. You can think and move in a split second to save yourself or get what you want without breaking a sweat."

            She was surprised by the man's words. Was she being praised? Was that true admiration on Bong Pil's eyes?

            "That is why I am saying you could be a good boxer," he laughed.

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