It was a victory that only he will remember – which was a crying shame because that fight took a lot of strength and willpower. He may be Lee Min Ho, but he was just a man. And admittedly, men were weak. So when an attractive woman snakes her hands around a man’s neck and starts kissing him in the confines of a barely-lit room, to walk away is something that deserved praise. Restraint is a skill not many men possess.

Of course he may have cheated a little, lingering more than he should have. But he never – not once – became the aggressor. When Shin Hye’s sudden attack on his lips happened before his very eyes, it was only typical to get flustered. For a few splendid seconds, he didn’t move a muscle and just let Shin Hye do her thing. Meanwhile, his heart thudded wildly against his chest, and a pinging noise rang in his head. God knows how close he was to kissing her back. The feel of her lips moving against his, coupled with the dizzying scent of her hair made him just want to grab her, taste her, feel her, lace his hands through her hair and kiss her back so hard she’ll regret even attempting to kiss him first.

But Shin Hye was drunk. And he’d like to believe he was a gentleman. So when Shin Hye’s tongue teased the opening of his lips, Min Ho groaned. Despite the raging objection from every part of his body, he used his hands to pry her fingers from his neck and pulled away before he could no longer keep it in. Shin Hye opened her eyes halfway, a small squeal of protest escaping when they parted. That was the second test of self-control. Min Ho swallowed hard, resisting the urge to close the space between them again. He was dangerously getting used to being near her.

Looking at her still-pursed lips, her exposed neck, and the way her tousled, long hair fell around her face, he almost wanted to scream in agony. He raised his hand with the intention to touch her cheek, but he stopped himself and instead balled it into a fist and threw a soft punch on the bed. He clenched his jaw hard and averted his eyes. Shin Hye’s eyelids were fully shut now, her head resting on the pillow like nothing had happened.

What a cruel woman, Min Ho thought, feeling every bit the victim in this situation. Reluctantly, he rose on his feet, steadying his breaths and calming his heart down. Every step away from the bed weighed more than the last. The fight wasn’t over, and Shin Hye wasn’t safe until he was out of that room. When he got to the door, he glanced back at her figure lying on the bed, resting soundly. How can she sleep like that when she doesn’t even know what she did to me? He will have to stare at the ceiling for a while before he recovers from this. With a defeated sigh, he closed the door.

True enough, he had to take a really long shower – which wasn’t nearly as effective as he’d hoped. Because no matter how much he tried not to think about that kiss, his head was practically replaying the scene over and over. It was sensory overload.

He managed to finish the shower and dress himself for bed. As he predicted, he lied down with his eyes wide open, boring a hole on the ceiling. What the hell was that? He didn’t peg Shin Hye for the type of drunk who just randomly kisses people. So why did she kiss me?

“You should have gone all the way and kissed the guy! You should have given Kim Soo Hyun something to remember you by.”

Min Ho winced at the thought. Did she think I was Kim Soo Hyun? He balled his fists, unconsciously bunching the blanket beneath him, and pounded on the bed. It was possible. She was drunk, and she’d been thinking about her high school sunbae all day.

And just like that, he felt so… used. His chest hasn’t stopped fluttering since he pulled away from her, but thinking back at the kiss now, it all just seemed so wrong. The thought that she may have mistaken him for Kim Soo Hyun didn’t sit well with him. And worse, that she wanted to kiss Kim Soo Hyun like that. It made him angry. He got the kiss but he wasn’t the intended receiver? He closed his eyes and scoffed to himself. “Lee Min Ho, you idiot.”

He let out a grunt and sat up, realizing that he hadn’t had a drop of alcohol. Shin Hye and Shi Yoon may have had their fun, but it was his turn to drink. He jumped off the bed and headed to the kitchen, passing by Shi Yoon in the living room who was still passed out on the sofa. He wasn’t sure where they kept their liquor so he just searched and searched. He opened the fridge and found a half-empty bottle of white wine inside.

This will have to do, he told himself, even though he wished he’d found something stronger. He moved to the living room and sat across from Shi Yoon, who was looking quite unattractive with his mouth ajar while soft snores came out of him. Min Ho popped the cork and started drinking straight from the bottle, still eyeing the hacker in front of him. After much self-deliberation, he stood up and woke him up.

“Shi Yoon-ah. Yoon Shi Yoon.” He shook his arm. The guy groaned and turned his head the other way. “YA. Wake up! We need to talk.”

“Arghhwaeee?” He mumbled incoherently, keeping his eyes closed.

“You’re a terrible friend. How can you ask a girl to initiate a kiss with a man she hasn’t seen in seven years, eo?”

“Yrjssjuhlersarghnsshh.”

“Aish.” Min Ho flicked his forehead and like a reflex, Shi Yoon slapped himself in the face. Min Ho laughed softly. “Kure. You deserved that,” he went back to the couch and took another swig from the bottle he was holding.

“There’s something wrong with her,” he spoke aloud. “First, she wants to kill me, then she doesn’t. But she ends up hating me anyway. And then she acts like we’re cool. After that, she’s all cold again. Then out of the blue, she just kisses me. How ed up is that?”

Shi Yoon remained still and let out a loud snore. With a sigh, Min Ho leaned against the back of the couch and positioned his hands at the back of his neck. He missed Woo Bin. Even though his best friend would probably laugh his off listening to him now, he’d still say something insightful to help him out. Hell, he’d take even Park Min Woo’s advice at this point, which he predicted would either be: “just tap that” or “you don’t want her? I’ll take her”.

It didn’t help that whatever was going on between him and Shin Hye was all happening while he was in danger of being killed by people he didn’t know – all while the entire country talked about him and his family like their lives were their business. For the nth time, he felt the unfairness of it all and angrily drank from the bottle again, silently wishing he was downing bourbon or scotch instead. This is all too much to handle. He finished the rest of the wine not long after. Feeling a little buzzed, he lifted his feet off the floor and on the couch. He reclined his body, the back of his knees propped over the armrest since he was too long. He thought about his Grandfather, Wang Gwan, and his friends. He thought about Shin Hye. Slowly, he drifted into sleep.

“Did he sleep here?”

Shi Yoon crossed his arms and eyed the empty bottle of wine on the table. “It looks like it.” He turned to Shin Hye. “Did he join you last night, after I fell asleep?”

Shin Hye bit her lip, glancing down at Min Ho’s sleeping figure. He was curled up like a baby, and their usually big-looking couch was suddenly looking so small. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t remember?” Shi Yoon cocked his brows.

“Oh wait. I think he did,” Shin Hye snapped her fingers. “It’s hazy, but I might have asked him to drink with me last night.”

“And?”

She shrugged. “I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Shin Hye was surprised that the follow up question didn’t come from Shi Yoon, but from Lee Min Ho who was still lying down on the couch. He’s awake.

She didn’t reply and just watched as Min Ho stretched his arms and legs before sitting up. He stifled a yawn, struggling to look up at them since his eyes were still adjusting to the sunlight. “Are you sure you don’t remember anything else?” He asked again, the question obviously directed at her.

Do I? She racked her brain. “I don’t.”

“Why, did something happen?” Shi Yoon asked in curiosity, and Shin Hye could almost hear the wheels turning in her friend’s brain and his fervent prayer that it was something interesting or juicy.

She didn’t know why, but she felt herself being nervous about Min Ho’s answer. She normally had better tolerance for alcohol, but she was so mentally exhausted that it might have helped the liquor seep into her system more. She stared at the chaebol expectantly, hoping she didn’t do anything embarrassing.

Min Ho’s eyes flitted from Shi Yoon to Shin Hye. He looked at her like he knew something she didn’t, and he was challenging her to guess. Then it felt like he was probing her. She felt self-conscious under his stare again, but she couldn’t tell whether he was teasing her or if he was really just asking out of curiosity.

After what seemed like eternity, Min Ho shook his head. “Anya. If you don’t remember, it doesn’t matter.” He stood up from the couch and pushed past the two of them before disappearing into the hallway. Something about his voice seemed angry, but Shin Hye had no idea why.

Shi Yoon’s eyes were narrowed at Min Ho’s retreating figure. “Now that I think about it, we might have talked last night, too,” he lifted his hand to rub his forehead. “Meoya… how much did we drink last night?”

“Just a bottle,” Shin Hye answered, also wondering why Min Ho was acting so mysterious. Since last night, he’d been acting a little odd. Almost detached. She shrugged and figured she wasn’t in the position to judge Min Ho right now given what he’s going through. She nudged Shi Yoon’s arm with her shoulder and pointed to the kitchen. “Start cooking. I need a workout.”

Shin Hye rotated her ankle slowly and felt the slight sting from her sprain. She sighed, knowing she would have to skip the treadmill again until she’s fully healed. She positioned herself in the middle of the room and did some stretches instead. She bent down slowly, her arms outstretched as her fingers came into contact with the mat. The bruises from her midsection have almost healed now that she felt minimal pain, even though the purplish patches were still evident on her skin. She sustained the extension for thirty seconds before spreading her legs. She shifted her torso from side to side, her hands touching her toes. She immediately noticed she wasn’t in a good condition this morning, and she suspected her alcohol-induced night had a lot to do with it.

When she rose to her full height, she was startled to see Min Ho leaning on the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. She didn’t even realize that she left the door open. He had a blank expression on, but something told Shin Hye he’d been watching her for a while.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, a little annoyed that he didn’t make his presence known sooner. That surge of self-consciousness she felt whenever the chaebol was around seeped in slowly. She subtly glanced down at herself to check if she was wearing appropriate clothes. Fortunately, she opted for a tank top and sweat pants instead of her usual sports bra and cycling shorts.

“I wanted to ask if I could exercise with you.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I realized that running for my life would involve actual running. I haven’t been to the gym in months so I’m out of shape. I thought I need to at least exercise if I’m going to learn how to fight.”

“Learn to fight?” She creased her brows.

Min Ho unfolded his arms and walked to where she was standing. On instinct, Shin Hye took a step back. The chaebol had a track record of standing too close and she wasn’t going to take any chances. This time, though, he stopped an acceptable distance away. “Yeah. I’m going to learn to fight and you’re going to teach me.”

Shin Hye let out a laugh that sounded more like a scoff, but Min Ho kept a straight face. “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” he answered. “If I hope to survive this nightmare, I should at least be able to protect myself. I’m thankful that I have you around to kick some for me but it’s a bit emasculating, to be honest.”

Shin Hye smirked. “You realized that just now?”

Min Ho walked to where the dumbbells were and lifted the 15 pounders before facing her again. “It’s upsetting that the only thing I can offer to this team is money. If I learn to fight, I’ll be less of a liability. Don’t you think?”

She stood akimbo as she studied Min Ho’s face. There was something rather off with him today but she couldn’t identify what. Then again, Min Ho has been a mystery to her from the start.

“Well? Are you going to train me or not?”

She decided he looked and sounded sincere enough, and training would be better for him than sitting around reading ridiculous articles about his disappearance. She was never one give a what the media say, but the ethical lines they were crossing was making even her uncomfortable. She could only imagine what goes into Min Ho’s mind whenever he came across those articles.

And if she were in Min Ho’s shoes, she couldn’t just stay put and do nothing either.

“Okay. I’ll train you.”

Min Ho’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “Great.”

“On one condition. You do everything I tell you.”

“Sure.”

Shin Hye continued with her stretches, glancing once in a while at Min Ho who was running on the treadmill. At one point, she stood there staring at the back of his head in curiosity. He seemed very blank and distant. There was no friendly undertone to the way he talked to her a while ago. She noticed this because she was starting to get used to his personality. While Shi Yoon was over the top, Min Ho was more subdued in his optimism. Shin Hye knew there were pains he hid from them, but she figured that was how he coped. So there was something a bit disheartening seeing him act this way now. Is he losing hope? She bit her lip, feeling a twinge of guilt.

Shin Hye was startled again when Min Ho turned around, dabbing his forehead with a face towel. His eyes descended on hers as he was getting off the treadmill, so Shin Hye looked away innocently. He tilted his head a bit, bemused at having caught her staring at him. Shin Hye didn’t give him a chance to ask and hurriedly made her way to one corner of the gym where boxing gloves hung. She unhooked two pairs and sauntered back to where Min Ho stood. He was quick to catch them after Shin Hye had tossed him a pair.

“Do you box?” She asked.

Min Ho looked down at the red gloves he held and shook his head. “Min Woo tried talking me into it once.”

“It’s a complete workout so it’s good for you. It requires speed, agility, power, endurance, and mental toughness. And it’s a plus when you can clock a bad guy,” she ribbed, but earned no response from Min Ho. Huh. “Stretch a bit. I’ll teach you the basic moves.”

The hour went by fast, and Shin Hye was pleased Min Ho was a quick learner. In just a short span of time, his footwork was almost perfect. He can mimic the punches with ease, learning the jabs, crosses, and hooks without difficulty. If Shin Hye didn’t know better, she’d think this wasn’t the first time he’s had to learn how to box. But then again, he was naturally athletic, his upper body strong and his reflexes quick. It was his lower body that needed work, and he also had a bit of a problem with stamina. After only twenty minutes of offense training, he was already panting. He will have to be on that treadmill longer next time.

“Do you smoke?”

Shin Hye knew he didn’t, so it was odd for her to ask. But the question just rolled off her tongue even before she could think twice. She suspected it had something to do with the deafening silence. Min Ho barely spoke and just followed all her instructions to the tee.

He had just finished a bout with the punching bag when he walked up to her, wiping his forehead with the the skin on his arm. “I quit last year.” After that quick and rather lifeless response, he lifted his hands in front of Shin Hye. “A little help?”

Shin Hye looked down at his glove covered hands and began removing them. “You need to strengthen your thighs. Your punches will have more power. But you’ll have to run for an hour every day. Will that be okay?” It was a second attempt at conversation, and this time she hoped Min Ho would give her better answers.

But instead, he just nodded.

“Okay. Are we done for the day?” He asked after Shin Hye had successfully removed the gloves.

“Uhh. Yeah,” she shrugged.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Shin Hye was unprepared for what happened next because all of a sudden, Min Ho was lifting his shirt up over his head. Shin Hye’s eyes widened at the movement because she was standing right in front of him, literally just one step away. She looked down on instinct, which had been a mistake because instead of looking away, her eyes fell on