Ji-Hyo gritted her teeth annoyingly when she remembered how Jong-Kook tried to mock her earlier. She walked out from the room where she stayed last night and sighed in relief when she couldn’t see anyone around the house. She widened for a few seconds when she sees how big actually Kim Jong Kook’s house is. It’s even as big as a mansion.

Taking a few steps carefully, she sneaked out from his house and hoping that none of his maids will notice that she is actually leaving without even saying goodbye to the master of the house.

“Kim Jong Kook, gaesaekki.” She cursed loudly after she succeeded in sneaking out from Jong-Kook’s house. She glanced back and smirked. “It’s really a mansion.” She added, mumbling on her own before making her way to the nearest bus stop.

Since Jong-Kook’s mansion is located quite remote from downtown, it took Ji-Hyo quite some time to find a bus stop. It’s a quiet neighborhood where people who live there are usually wealthy that they prefer a peaceful surrounding.

Ji-Hyo has been walking for approximately thirty minutes but still she couldn’t find any bus stop or transportation. She gasped for more air and her legs are getting sore from running.

“Just where is this? Why isn’t there any transportation to take?” She murmured and as far as she can see, there are just big houses with no one around. “Why couldn’t I see anyone?” She almost shouted because it’s getting tiring for her.

Luckily, there’s a car coming towards her direction and she literally stood in the middle of the road, hoping that it will stop the car.

“Agasshi, are you crazy? Move aside.” The driver commanded once he stopped his car.

Ji-Hyo approached the driver and still panting for more air. “Ahjussi, where is this? Where is the nearest bus stop? Or taxi stand?”

The driver furrowed his brows confuse. “There’s no bus stop here. There is but it’s about five kilometers from here.”

Ji-Hyo gasped in surprise. “Mworago? Five kilometers?”

Oh no, where on earth is she?

“Of course. It’s Pyeongchang-dong. The rich lives here and why would they need a bus stop nearby their place?” Said the driver and for some reason, it makes sense.

Ji-Hyo’s knees jellied as she fell onto the ground. How the hell she should walk for another five kilometers when her head throbs and her legs feel like breaking apart.

“I can give you a drive to the bus stop if you want.” The driver offered as he felt a little pity towards the young woman in front of him. She looked pale and hopeless in his eyes.

Ji-Hyo bowed ninety degrees to the driver as the sign of her gratitude. “Thank you so much, ahjussi. Thank you so much.” She said, continuously and barged into the passenger seat in no time.

The driver chuckled lightly. “Why are you here when you don’t even know where is this? Even if you wait until late, there will be no taxi passing near this area.”

Ji-Hyo smiled awkwardly as she doesn’t know how to respond.

“Perhaps, are you kidnapped?” The driver asked carefully.

Still keeping her awkward smile, Ji-Hyo shook her head. “My friend lives there. I don’t want to bother him.” She replied shortly.

Thankfully, the driver stopped asking and is kind enough to give her a drive to a more crowded area where she could see bus stop and taxi stand.

“Here you go, agasshi. It’s Jongno-gu. You can see the bus stop from about three hundred meters from here.” The driver told her as he pointed to the direction in front.

Ji-Hyo bowed to him again. “Kamsahabnida, ahjussi. Jeong mal, kamsahabnida.”

The driver gave her a friendly smile. “Thank my boss, agasshi. He’s the one who purposely asked me to go around the neighborhood to see if anyone might need a ride. I doubted at first because I know it sounded irrelevant but I guess he’s not joking.”

Ji-Hyo’s smile automatically faded. “Who is your boss?” She asked in such horror tone.

The driver’s hand went through his pocket and took out his wallet. “In case you don’t know, here’s his business card.”

Ji-Hyo received the business card and again she’s speechless by the name printed on that card.

JK Airlines Co., Ltd.

Kim Jong Kook

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

“Have a good day, agasshi.” The driver waved his hand, leaving Ji-Hyo whose attention is still on the card that she’s holding and vanished in the middle of the crowded traffic.

She crushed the card on her grip and exhaled sharply. Is Kim Jong Kook really try to mock her this far?

“Eomma.” Ji-Hyo looked up for the presence of her mother in her small flat unit as soon as she punched in the passcode.

But then she gasped in shock when she sees her whole house has turned into a shipwreck. The window is broken. The television screen is cracked. The photos and ornaments which are usually hanging on the wall are scattered into pieces on the floor. Everything was in a huge mess which might be a sign of violence.

“Eomma.” She became panic in a few seconds that she ran into her parents’ room but she couldn’t see anyone.

Ji-Hyo searched the whole house but yet she couldn’t see anyone. It’s only her and the mess created when she’s not home last night.

At the same time, her cellphone vibrated and her hands trembled once she sees the name on her screen.

Incoming call

Cha Seung Won

Her breathing become irregular and her whole body started to tremble as she started to sweat although the weather outside is cold. It took several seconds for her to gather all of her courage to pick up that call.

“Yeoboseyo.” Ji-Hyo picked up the call carefully as soon as she placed her phone on her ear. She could hear a mischievous chuckle from the other side.

“I bet you can conclude what happened when you are not home, Ji-Hyo ya.”

Ji-Hyo’s jaw tightened as soon as she heard the caller’s voice. “Where’s eomma?”

Cha Seung Won scoffed loudly without bothering to answer Ji-Hyo’s question which caused her to ball her hand into a tight fist.

“I ask where is eomma?” She shouted loudly.

“Calm down, Ji-Hyo ya. Your eomma? Pay me back that five billion Won and you can have both your eomma and appa back.”

Ji-Hyo felt like her jaw is going to broke apart as she gritted her teeth tightly.

“Ssibal saekki yah!” She cursed loudly at the phone, not caring if any of her neighbors could hear her and she questioned, "What do you mean both my mother and father?"

“Swearing couldn’t help anything, Ji-Hyo ya. You thought your filthy father can runaway from me? It's not that easy. Five billion Won or you will know the consequence. Since five billion isn’t a small number, I’ll tolerate. Three months. If I don’t see five billion Won in three months, you might need to prepare a funeral for both your parents.” He continued.

Giving her a piece of threat and just like that, he hung up the phone without waiting for her to reply.

“Yah! Cha Seung Won! Yah!” Ji-Hyo called and damn it, he has hung up the phone.

Her legs jellied and she fell freely onto the floor.

Life is such a , she thought. How on earth could she earn five billion Won in three months when she can barely earn one million Won a month.

Then, her phone rang for another time and she picked it up without looking at the caller.

“What is it again, nappeun saekki yah!”

“Eonni, are you drunk?” The caller answered from the other side, sounded confuse.

Ji-Hyo’s eyes widened and she quickly took a glance at the screen. Damn, it’s not Cha Seung Won.

“Oh, So-Min ah. Mianhae. I thought it was some bastard.” Ji-Hyo answered.

“You sounded so stressful lately, eonni. Seok-Jin oppa even thought of giving you days off. You worked too hard lately eonni. I heard you took the midnight shift yesterday. Are you okay?”

Ji-Hyo sighed softly. “I am fine, So-Min ah. Thanks for asking and please tell Seok-Jin oppa that he doesn’t need to give me days off. I am fine.” Said Ji-Hyo because she needs money. If she worked overtime, she gets paid more.

“But still, don’t overwork yourself, eonni. Tell me if you need any help.”

Ji-Hyo chuckled silently inside her heart. “Gomawo, So-Min ah. See you at the bar tonight.” She finally hung up the phone.

How on earth she should ask for someone’s help? Or maybe the right question is who on earth could help her?

Five billion Won and how the hell she could earn that much money in three months?

*****

“Eonni, are you okay? You looked so pale tonight. It has been more ten hours, eonni. For God sake, go home.” So-Min said impatiently when she sees her best friend is definitely not in a good shape.

Ji-Hyo shook her head. “You have been asking me the same question the whole day, So-Min ah. How can I go home? The bar is swarming today. It’s Saturday night, remember? We are always busy every Saturday night.” She defended.

So-Min took the empty tray from Ji-Hyo’s hand. “That’s why we are taking shifts. You are literally taking both afternoon, night and now you are continuing until midnight too? What’s going on with you?” So-Min started to feel annoyed because she knew Ji-Hyo must be hiding something from her.

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