Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are not the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, events or places is entirely coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 1

"Ga Eul, would you be alright going home like this?" one of her co- teachers asked for the millionth time that night; they were about to separate paths at the next junction.

"Yes, I will be, Miss Han. Don't worry about me, it's not the first time I'm going home at this hour and it's still pretty early." Ga Eul replied with a smile as she assured her co- teachers. They've been asking this since they were two blocks away.

"Okay then." Another co- teacher agreed with Ga Eul. "If only we knew that the principal would keep us there up 'til this time." And the others started letting out small laughs as every faculty meeting has always turned out to end quite late because of the continuous babbling of the principal about mostly non-sense things. It didn't help too that it was raining a little heavy tonight.

At the next junction, Ga Eul and her co- faculties separated ways as they walked towards the bus Ga Eul continued to walk as her apartment building is now only a block away from here. Really, in the middle of the night and the heavy pouring rain, nothing weird would happen, right?

Ga Eul continued to walk silently on the sidewalk under the heavy rain and the streetlights, trying her very best not to be wet as some of her students' worksheets are inside her bag. As Ga Eul continued to walk, she saw a couple of men coming her way. She did her best not to look at them but Ga Eul kept herself alert for anything that may happen. It's not like she's thinking that the two might do something to her but just in case…

And before Ga Eul knew it, one of them grabbed her handbag and was already running very fast against the heavy pouring rain. And while Ga Eul tried to catch after the man, the other man made sure she would not as he brought out a knife from his pocket and pointed it at her.

Ga Eul let go of her umbrella as soon as she saw the pointed silver knife come out from the man's pocket. Really, do they have to do this? They already grabbed her handbag. They wouldn't…

Another unknown man kicked the other snatcher from the back and before Ga Eul knew it, the two were already fighting. The unknown man let out a few kicks here and there as he did his best to not get hit by the other's knife. But at some point, the knife slashed his left arm, giving the snatcher the advantage. But the other wouldn't definitely give up that as soon as the snatcher stopped moving, he kicked him hard on the shin, making the snatcher groan in pain.

A loud thug was heard as the man holding the knife fell on the floor. Behind him stood a handsome and tall young man, holding Ga Eul's bag; who, by the way, has his left arm bleeding. As soon as the other snatcher fell on the floor, the other unknown man grabbed Ga Eul's umbrella and her hand and grabbed her away from the area. They started running and within a few minutes, Ga Eul already felt tired because of all the running and now she's really soaked wet because of the rain. They finally stopped when the guy felt that it was safe enough and that the snatchers cannot run after them now. "Here you go." The guy handed Ga Eul her handbag and her umbrella. "I'm sorry you got wet." He said with a sheepish grin as his now free hand turned to his bleeding left arm. "Next time, be more careful. Sometimes, you'd be really unlucky to pass by those kinds of men." And with his last statement, he turned around as was about to leave already when Ga Eul's voice stopped him. He stopped on his tracks and looked back, seeing Ga Eul right before him, holding the umbrella over the two of them.

"You're bleeding." She said as she stared down at the blood dripping from his arm.

"I'll be alright." He assured her but Ga Eul heard the slight tint of pain in his voice. Of course, the cut would hurt, not to mention that heavy rain was landing against it earlier.

"No. We must get it cleaned as soon as possible." Ga Eul argued. "You're hurt… and that's because of me. Let me clean it, at least." Ga Eul offered. "My apartment is quite near here already." At first, Ga Eul figured out that the guy would turn down her offer but before he could say anything more, Ga Eul spoke. "I insist."

"Aa… awww." He groaned in pain as Ga Eul dabbed the cotton on the cut.

"I'm sorry." Ga Eul whispered as she dabbed the cotton again, more gently this time. She got another cotton from the kit and started dabbing on the man's cut again, being extra gentle and careful as to not inflict more pain on him. After Ga Eul was sure that the cut was clean enough, she grabbed gauze from her first aid kit and started wrapping it around his cut, making sure that she covered all the areas so that infection can be prevented. After putting it all together, Ga Eul finally let go of the man's arm. "It's done, Yi Jung- ssi."

"Thank you." The guy, who she found out earlier, is named So Yi Jung. According to him, he lives only a block away from her apartment and has only been there for a couple weeks. He was walking back home as well earlier when he saw the guy running with her bag. "I knew instantly that it was not his." Yi Jung retold his part of the story to Ga Eul who was closing the first aid kit and cleaning the stuff she had used earlier.

"I cannot help but be really grateful towards you." Ga Eul said with a smile. "If not for you, I don't know what might have happened to me. You even got yourself cut."

"It's no big deal. This will heal anyway." Yi Jung replied with a smile as he looked at the work she had done. It was neat and Yi Jung had to admit that, even though it hurt while she was cleaning it, she seemed to have a pretty good job on it. "Thank you, too, for cleaning my wound."

"It's no big. You helped me and I ought to help you back. You saved me."

Yi Jung flashed a smile at her and then looked out of the window. It was still pouring hard and he left his umbrella while fighting the first man earlier. "I ought to go home." He said, his voice low compared to the heavy rain pouring outside.

"But it's still raining hard." Ga Eul argued.

"But it's already late, Ga Eul- ssi." Yi Jung argued back as he flashed another smile towards her when their eyes met. "I cannot bother you more than I did."

Ga Eul noticed that he was not carrying anything with him and she's quite sure that he does not have an umbrella with him. "Then let me lend you an umbrella, then." Ga Eul said as she stood up from the couch and grabbed an extra umbrella she has from the corner of the room. "Here." She handed the umbrella to him. "Your wound cannot get wet and you'd catch a cold of you get wet more than you already do."

"Thank you." Yi Jung accepted the umbrella after he stood up. Ga Eul then led him towards the door and as he stepped outside, Yi Jung let out another smile as he spoke "Thank you, again, Ga Eul- ssi. So, I'll see you around town." Ga Eul nodded in response as Yi Jung opened the umbrella and went to the heavy pouring rain. Ga Eul watched his retreating image before closing the door to her apartment.

"Seriously, pink and strawberries umbrella?" Yi Jung muttered under his breath. He let out a small chuckle as he left the umbrella outside and went inside an all too familiar lounge. As soon as he entered the lounge, Yi Jung saw his friend playing pool by himself with a glass of hard alcohol on the side

"Yi Jung, my man, you're back!" Yi Jung's red- headed friend called out to him as he stopped playing pool.

"Yes I am, Woo Bin." Yi Jung replied as he walked towards the bar and grabbed himself a drink of his own.

"Oh. What happened to your arm? Did my men hurt you?"

"I asked them to." Yi Jung replied as he took a sip from his alcoholic drink. "Don't worry; it's nothing deep and serious. And she cleaned it, anyway."

"So, how was meeting her?" Woo Bin asked like a little boy trying to get some information. He settled on the other chair across Yi Jung and waited for an answer.

"Just like how I planned it to be." Yi Jung replied with a smirk as he settled his drink on the table before them.

"Is she more beautiful in real life?" Woo Bin asked curiously. Yi Jung raised an eyebrow upon hearing Woo Bin's question. Quickly, Woo Bin started talking again, not waiting for anything from Yi Jung. "Come on! She was beautiful in those pictures!" Woo Bin said, raising his hands in the arm as if it was a matter of fact. "I bet she's more beautiful in real life. So, is she?" Woo Bin asked again, leaning a little towards Yi Jung so he could hear him.

"Well…" Yi Jung contemplated for a while before he answered. "…I guess you could say that she is."

"Really, if I were in your position, I wouldn't know how to execute the plan." Woo Bin said as he drank from his glass. "She's too beautiful and innocent, I wouldn't want to hurt somewhere like her."

"You're not Don Juan for nothing, Woo Bin. Even in times like these, you still think about women more than the plan." Yi Jung said, shaking his head in disbelief. Sometimes, Yi Jung can't help but wonder how different Woo Bin is to his father, who is, by the way, the head of the mafia group. Sometimes, Woo Bin doesn't really seem like the heir to the clan but being friends with him for years, Yi Jung knew better than anyone else how tough Woo Bin can be when the situation calls for it.

"Women are meant to be loved, not hurt. How many times do I have to tell you that Yi Jung? That's why you're not getting yourself a girlfriend."

"I don't have time for things like romance, and you know that. There are a lot more important things than that." Yi Jung replied.

"You'll never know when love will strike you, Yi Jung… and sometimes, it can be with the last person you thought you'd fall for."

"Ga Eul!" A man clad in a black three- piece suit waved his arms in the air as soon as the person he was looking for came out of the building. He had his other hand inside his pocket, and with a bright smile on his face, he met Ga Eul halfway the parking lot.

"Min Jae, what are you doing here?" Ga Eul asked, surprised at why Min Jae is here in the school today. Ga Eul could feel the stare of his co- workers as they passed by the two.

"I just thought of seeing you." Min Jae said, still with that bright smile of his. "So, are you available for dinner?"

"You could have called me. You did not need to come all the way here just to me ask for dinner, you know."

"Yeah but…"

Ga Eul noticed how his face turned a little sadder and with a smile, she tapped him on the shoulder. "Oh come on, I'm hungry, too. But you'll be treating me since you asked." Ga Eul said with a wink.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a chic Italian restaurant, one of Ga Eul's favorite places to eat. After giving in their orders, the two started talking and talking like they haven't seen each other for years, when in fact, they've just seen each other the past week at the same place.

"Is my father stressing you out a lot, Min Jae?" Ga Eul asked worriedly. "You look like you need some rest."

"There were just a lot of things that came up lately." Min Jae, pinched the bridge of his nose after removing his glasses. "You know the group that your father has been chasing?" Min Jae asked in which Ga Eul nodded her head. "We had new leads this weekend. We've been trying to catch them, you know, so work has really piled up for us."

"It's really hard to be a prosecutor. When I look at you now, I'm glad I I'm a teacher." Ga Eul said.

"And it's a lot worse that I'm working under your father." Min Jae joked in which Ga Eul nodded. Really, she knows her father could really be a pain the ass sometimes as a boss. But Ga Eul can't blame him, her father is just too dedicated to his work. "By the way, speaking of your father…"

"Here we go again…" Ga Eul whispered as she shook her head. "Tell him, I'm not coming back home."

"But Ga Eul… you're father is really worried about you." Min Jae said. Every time they go out together, sometimes, the conversation always leads about Ga Eul coming home.

"I'll visit him this weekend but tell him I'm not moving back." Ga Eul said firmly, for which Min Jae has heard many times.

"The mafia group is in the loose right now and they're starting to be active again, Ga Eul. Your father and…" Min Jae stopped when he was just about to say I. "He's worried about you. You're his only daughter and the only family he has left. He misses you a lot."

"I know. And I miss him a lot, too." Ga Eul said. "But really, you know how much I wanted to live an independent life, right; away from all those attention and the public's eye. Besides, not many people know that I'm a congressman's daughter." Ga Eul reasoned out.

"Not everybody may know it but I'm sure the mafia knows it. They know almost about everything, Ga Eul. And you'll never know. You may be their next target so they could get back at your father."

"Then let's just do this." Ga Eul clapped her hands and then continued on with her suggestion, "If anything happens, then, I'll let you know. Okay?" Ga Eul said, holding out her pinky finger to Min Jae.

"Promise?" Min Jae asked.

"Promise." Ga Eul said with a smile as they did a pinky swear- a thing they have always done in the past.