“Stop the car.”

Shin Hye glanced at Min Ho from the rearview mirror. He was staring back at her with fiery eyes. Shi Yoon, on the other hand, turned to Shin Hye with a confused expression. He still had no idea why Shin Hye wanted to save the guy they were set out to kill in the first place. But he didn’t know what went down in the mansion for her to change her mind either. All he knows was that he’s always trusted Shin Hye’s instincts.

“I said stop the car!” Min Ho yelled from the backseat.

Shi Yoon cleared his throat, knowing that Shin Hye had a rough night. Her having to deal with a whiny chaebol could be dangerous for all of them. So he spoke up. “Lee Min Ho-ssi, you have to calm down. We’re not going to hurt you…”

“Didn’t you hear me? STOP THE ING CAR!” His voice raged inside the moving vehicle.

Despite that, Shi Yoon tightened his hold on the steering wheel and kept driving. As much as he didn’t want to bring the guy with them in the first place, if Min Ho went to the authorities, it wouldn’t take too long until he and Shin Hye were hauled to the police station. Even though he didn’t know their names, he got a good look at their faces and can describe them pretty well.

“Aren’t you going to stop the car? Fine, I’m calling the cops!” Min Ho reached inside his pocket and fumbled for his phone.

Shi Yoon widened his eyes. “Listen, we’re going to talk about this…”

“Stop the car,” Shin Hye said calmly.

Shi Yoon jerked his head to her direction. “Meo?”

Min Ho was holding his phone now, but he stopped dialing. He also looked a bit surprised by Shin Hye’s composed reaction.

“He said stop the car, so stop the car.” She responded curtly.

Reluctantly, Shi Yoon slowed down and pulled over by the side of the road. There were mostly just residential homes in the area they were in. And not too far from them was an open convenience store. It was past nine o’clock and the neighborhood was quiet.

Min Ho gave them a scathing look and immediately reached for the door handle. As soon as he stepped out of the car, Shin Hye did the same, leaving Shi Yoon inside.

“Where are you going?” Shin Hye asked as Min Ho started walking away.

He turned around to face her, his expression grave. “Back to my friend who’s dying right now!” He replied before turning around again.

“Why? Are you a doctor? Do you think you can save his life by being there?”

When Min Ho faced her again, his eyes were red and his jaw was clenched. “What did you say?”

Shin Hye balled her fists and told herself to talk to him calmly, but her whole body was aching, and she felt so angry at the events of that night. She had no idea what happened out there either, and as much as she wanted to empathize with Lee Min Ho who knew even less, if she let him go now, it would be over.

“Ahn Jae Hyun is an important man,” Shin Hye told him. “He will have the best doctors in the country tending after him. I’m asking what’s the point of you being there?”

From where she stood, she could see Min Ho shaking, his fists in tight balls. “I don’t know who you think you are, but don’t you talk about my friend like him dying doesn’t concern me,” he said through gritted teeth. “Then again, I don’t expect a someone like you to know the value of a life.”

Shin Hye winced, feeling the weight of Min Ho’s words that were clearly laced with rage. He was an angry man, perhaps even angrier than she was. She wanted to counter what he said, but deep down, she knew he was telling the truth. Ahn Jae Hyun was the least of her worries right now.

“Tell me, what exactly are you, huh?” Min Ho asked haughtily. “You’re obviously not a cop since you were so quick to run away from the crime scene. Why is that, eo? Were you the one who shot Jae Hyun?”

“No.”

“Let's say I believe you, which I don’t,” Min Ho responded bitingly. “Why in the world would I come with strangers when my friend is out there fighting for his life?”

“You can’t be there. Your life is in danger,” was the only thing she could say. Even to her, it sounded pathetic. But it was the only reason she could think of. She knew that once Lee Min Ho goes back, he’d be killed in no time. If that sniper or those goons were any indication, someone wants him dead. Very badly.

Min Ho scoffed. “Says the woman who just confessed to almost killing me.”

“BUT YOU’RE STILL ALIVE, AREN’T YOU?” Shin Hye finally burst out from frustration. “I could have killed you but I didn’t! Someone else wanted you dead, and I’m sure you want to know who it is as much as I do!” Shin Hye was trembling now. She heard Shi Yoon alight from the car. “If you go back there, they could strike again, and this time, they could succeed. You tell me I don’t know the value of a life? Sure, maybe you’re right. But since you’re an expert at living, you might want to stay away from death!”

Min Ho ran a hand through his hair. “WHY THE HELL SHOULD I BELIEVE WHAT YOU’RE SAYING? I don’t know you! I don’t know that man!” He pointed at Shi Yoon. “You tell me things I don’t understand, and expect me to just come with you without questions?! You haven’t told me anything to at least explain what the hell is going on! Why should I trust you especially when you told me that you were planning to kill me? Should I be thanking you for changing your ing mind?”

This time, Shi Yoon walked to where Shin Hye was standing and faced Min Ho. “I know everything is confusing right now,” he reasoned. “And to be honest, we don’t know what’s going on either. But if we just work together, maybe we can get to the bottom…”

“I don’t think you’re hearing me,” Min Ho cut him off. “I refuse to work with people I don’t know. I’m going back to my friends. To my dying friend. If I get killed in the process, I don’t give a . It’s probably meant to be,” he turned around and started walking away.

“Do you think your parents would have said that?” Shin Hye spoke out of the blue. That made Min Ho stop in his tracks. Shin Hye knew she was treading dangerous waters, but she had to make sure Lee Min Ho stayed with them. Not only was he in danger, but he knows too much now. They should at least be able to explain themselves before he left.

“If they knew they were going to die, do you think they would have gotten into that car, huh?” She asked again.

After a few seconds, Min Ho turned around – his eyes watery, looking angrier than ever.

Shin Hye mustered all the courage she had as she held his sharp gaze. “They wouldn’t have, because they knew that if they died, they’d be leaving their son all alone in this world,” she continued, her voice slightly quivering. His stare was too intense – like he wanted to punch her. “But that’s what you’re doing right now. You’re walking into your own death!” She spat. “I don’t know what’s happening here, but it’s clear someone wants you dead. If you get killed, you’ll be leaving your Grandfather behind. Just imagine how he would feel losing his only grandson after losing his only son.”

“Don’t talk about my family like you know anything,” Min Ho replied through gritted teeth, his face red. His eyes communicated only one thing: hatred. This man barely knew her, but he hated her. Shin Hye could feel it, but she couldn’t care less.

“I’m sorry,” Shin Hye said firmly. “But you know that what I’m saying makes sense.”

“You were right,” he started to say contemptuously, his angry stare unwavering. “What you said that night at the motel. Information is weakness.”

Shin Hye recalled herself saying those words to him. Information is weakness. The more people know about you, the more they can use it against you. She was surprised he remembered.

“Now I understand,” Min Ho nodded. “You’re using my weakness against me.”

Shin Hye bit her lip, feeling a little guilty. It was exactly what she was doing. She knew she hit a sensitive nerve by bringing his parents up.

Min Ho just stared at her for a long time. He looked absolutely repulsed by Shin Hye. She was tempted to look away, but she knew that she had to stand her ground. She matched the intensity of his eyes. After what seemed like forever, Min Ho finally spoke.

“I’m coming with you because I want answers,” he said as he approached her. When he was a few inches away from Shin Hye, he bent down. Shin Hye stood there firmly, but she squirmed as soon as he got too close. “But don’t think for a second that you have anything over me,” he said threateningly. Shin Hye didn’t look up to meet his eyes, but he felt his breath in her ear. “I may have said some things that night because I was stupid enough to trust a stranger, but I’m still Lee Min Ho. You have no idea what I’m capable of. So don’t you dare talk about my family ever again.”

He stood up straighter and marched towards the car, opened door, and stepped inside.

Shin Hye let out the breath she’d been holding. Her heart was hammering against her chest, so she closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down.

“We shouldn’t have brought him with us. He’s a liability.”

Shin Hye fluttered her eyes open and saw Shi Yoon’s grim expression.

“We had to,” she replied without moving an inch from where she stood. She was still reeling from that intense exchange with Lee Min Ho. “There’s something going on here. Why were the police there? It was like they knew something was going to happen. He’s the key to understanding why all of this is happening.”

Shi Yoon frowned. “This has nothing to do with us. If people want him dead, that’s not our problem anymore. You’re putting us in danger.”

“Don’t you want to find out the truth?” She asked.

He sighed. “I do. But not like this. We can’t trust him, Shin Hye.”

“Who says we have to trust him? We just need to ask him some questions,” she explained. “Let’s bring him to the shack.”

Shi Yoon hesitated but nodded his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” He walked back to the car, leaving Shin Hye to think about what he just said. Do I know what I’m doing? Frankly, she didn’t even know why she saved Lee Min Ho. If the other sniper shot him, he’d be dead. Just like what she wanted in the first place.

And even after that, they could have just left Lee Min Ho there. He had private guards to protect him anyway. Instead, she risked everything by not only bringing him along, but admitting to him that she had planned on killing him.

All she knew was that she just followed her instincts. Something told her Lee Min Ho was the key to understanding what was going on. Still, there was that cloud of doubt. She knew she’d been wavering after every job, but she still followed through. This time, not only was she unable to kill the target, she also saved him. Am I getting too soft?

“Park Shin Hye. You’ve really gone crazy this time,” she muttered under her breath before walking back to the car.

“Come in,” Shi Yoon said to Min Ho as he ushered him inside. The shack was one of the places Shin Hye and Shi Yoon keep as a hideout in case something happens. There wasn’t really anything there, except a few furniture, appliances, and some first aid supplies. It was rather far from the city, and out of all their hideouts, was the most dispensable one. They haven’t been there in almost two years.

Shin Hye had already made her way in first and dropped her duffel bag aggressively on the floor. They had stopped by a convenience store on the way – picking up a few bottles of water and a little food. She grabbed one bottle and gulped it down like she’d been parched for days. When she looked back at the living room, Min Ho was surveying the place with a wary look on his face.

“Shi Yoon, laptop,” she said sternly when she saw Shi Yoon put his bag down.

“Later. Wash your face first.”

Shin Hye let out a frustrated sigh and went to the comfort room. She splashed some water on her face. It stung like hell. When she looked in the mirror, she saw how swollen her left eye had become. She had gashes on her cheek, and her lip was busted open. Her head must have hit something because there was blood that oozed out of her forehead. She looked like she was in a fist fight with a dozen goons. Seeing herself like that made her more aware of just how much her whole body was in pain.

When she was done, she went out of the bathroom and proceeded to the living room to get Shi Yoon’s laptop. Min Ho was leaning on the wall beside the couch, looking like he was about to explode from frustration. She was going to deal with him soon enough, but she needed to check something out first. She was about to grab the laptop when Shi Yoon yanked her uninjured arm and tugged her down on the couch.

“Not so fast,” he said.

“Ya!” Shin Hye tried to stand up, but Shi Yoon kept her in place.

“Come here,” Shi Yoon carefully pulled her to him and pinned her hands down. He locked her legs inside his and leaned closer to study her injuries. “What the hell did that do to your face?”

Shin Hye closed her eyes. Even that hurt. “I’m fine.”

“Like hell you are,” Shi Yoon hissed and opened the first aid kit that he retrieved from inside the room.

“We’ve got work to do,” she said, squirming away. She was all too aware of how Min Ho was just looking down at the two of them silently. “This can wait,” she continued, stealing a glance at the brooding man just a meter away.

“Work can wait. If we don’t treat these, they’re going to scar,” Shi Yoon insisted. He leaned forward and dabbed medicine on her gashes. Shin Hye winced repeatedly, but Shi Yoon was gentle and blew on her wounds. She just sat there and let Shi Yoon nurse her quietly. But the awkward silence was deafening. If it were just her and Shi Yoon, it wouldn’t be that stuffy inside the shack. But Min Ho was there. And he just kept staring at them with beady eyes, his arms folded like he was waiting impatiently. It was uncomfortable. Even Shi Yoon was holding out on his smart comments, and she knew it was because Lee Min Ho was there.

“So I’m guessing you’re not gay,” Min Ho finally spoke after what seemed like minutes of torturous silence.

Shi Yoon stopped bandaging Shin Hye’s wrist and looked up at him. “Meo?”

“Woo Bin said you’re gay. It looks like you’re not,” Min Ho’s eyes landed on Shi Yoon’s legs that were still locking Shin Hye in place.

Shi Yoon looked down and realized what Min Ho meant. Shin Hye also realized that her torn skirt rode up a little too high and tugged the edges down. Shi Yoon cleared his throat and scooted back a little bit. “I’m not gay,” he answered frigidly, going back to tending to Shin Hye’s wrist. Shin Hye looked away.

“So does that mean you’re really her boyfriend or are you as full of as she is?”

“YA!” Shi Yoon, who was pissed off, motioned to stand up, but Shin Hye held his arm back.

“Don’t,” she said.

Shi Yoon pressed his lips together and tried to calm down. He’s almost had enough of the guy. Min Ho, on the other hand, just looked even more enraged. Shin Hye stood up to face him before he picks a fight with the wrong person.

“Look, I’m sorry. I can explain. But before that, I need to know something,” Shin Hye told him with a straight face.

Min Ho kept quiet and just stared at her.

“Son Ah Young,” she started to say. “Did you her?”

Min Ho’s face contorted in confusion. “WHAT?”

“I need to know if you her or not. So tell me the