Wang Yo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He absolutely despised this feeling of utter helplessness! Bad enough that he would be stuck in this wheelchair for the rest of his life, but he had also realized just how 'out of the loop' he really was. He wasn't aware of anything that had happened since So had visited him yesterday after the meeting, and the phone call from Hae Myung Hee had caught him completely by surprise.

That surprise, however, had quickly turned into boiling rage, when Myung Hee had filled him in on what she had been able to discover so far. To say that the situation was 'very bad' would probably be the biggest understatement of the century!

So, Baek Ah and Eun had been arrested under what were clearly false charges, which Myung Hee had confirmed by talking to his half-brothers, Eun and Baek Ah. Both of them had been bailed out already by Eun's mother, and Myung Hee had been able to use her connections and post the ridiculous 2 Billion Won bond for Wang So. But So was now in the hospital, in critical condition because of injuries he allegedly sustained during an attempt to escape.

Yo hated the term 'allegedly'—even more than he hated being stuck in this chair—and he knew his brother better than to believe the 'official' version of what had occurred. Yes, So had a bad temper and an even worse reputation that seemed to follow him everywhere, but he wasn't stupid enough to try and escape, when he knew that all he had to do was make one phone call to play his 'get out of jail free' card. Therefore, the accusation that Wang So's injuries were from an escape attempt was about as far-fetched as the claim that Wang Yo had been driving drunk when he wrecked, or that their oldest brother, Wang Mu, had killed his wife and kids and then himself.

Wang Yo had one beer that day! ONE! He was on his way home five hours later when he heard a strange crackling sound, and a split-second later the brakes on his car went out—coincidentally or conveniently—right at the worst part of the road.

Wang Mu and his wife and children had been found stabbed to death in their home, after an anonymous caller had alerted the authorities to a 'disturbance' at their address. But what was quickly written off as a murder-suicide didn't add up, for the simple fact that all five of them had died from stab wounds directly to their hearts, yet the murder weapon had been discovered in the kitchen—two rooms away from their bodies—without a single fingerprint on it. Anyone with even just half a brain would have had to conclude that this had not been a murder-suicide, but rather a hit job—and a very sloppy one at that.

Wang Yo broke his contemplation. Propping his elbows onto the arm rests of the wheelchair, he hung his head, pressed his fingertips against his temples, and tried to massage away the splitting headache that had come on all of a sudden. Not having much success, he gave up and returned back to what he had been doing for the past three hours, after Myung Hee had given him a ride to the hospital—sitting here and watching his younger brother fight for his life.

There wasn't even a hint of So's usual 'tough guy' facade left—quite the opposite, and it actually scared Yo to see him look so vulnerable. The ashen color of his face, accentuated by cuts, bruises, a scruffy five o'clock shadow, and strands of black hair from the half undone braid, still matted with spots of dried blood that no one had bothered to clean. The Endotracheal tube that stretched from his mouth over to a ventilator, helping him breathe. An Arterial line next to the IV, both taped securely to his bruised right arm. Two chest-tubes and a catheter, draining fluids into half-filled containers at the side of the bed, and the various wires, running from underneath the blanket over to a monitor that displayed an array of ever-changing spiked lines and numbers.

So was moving restlessly—as much as he could move—his eyes were shifting behind the closed lids, and his hands were shaking.

Yo recognized the unmistakable symptoms of one of So's frequent nightmares, and moved his wheelchair close enough to the bed to be able to reach for his brother's left hand. It was fastened to the bedrail with a wide leather strap at the wrist, and his right hand was immobilized in the same way. He hated to see his brother restrained in this manner, but he knew it had become necessary because So—despite being unconscious—had previously tried to pull out the breathing tube from his throat, as well as the IV in his right arm.

Still, Yo was concerned, knowing that his brother couldn't stand being tied down, and would likely go into full panic mode if he woke up with his hands tied to the bed.

But that's not even the biggest problem! Yo thought to himself, cringing as he gingerly brushed a strand of So's long bangs aside that had gotten caught on one of the sutures in the scar below his left eye—the same scar that their mother had caused when So was only five years old, and for which Yo still blamed himself because he had been unable to prevent it.

The same scar that had long since healed, and even faded over the years had now been reopened—and not by accident, but without any doubt deliberately, since the fresh cut exactly followed the lines of the previous one. You sure have a special talent for pissing off the wrong kind of people, So-yah!

Yo exhaled a sharp breath and shook his head, still in disbelief that anyone could be so cruel, yet Myung Hee had no reason to lie when she told him about it. He knew Hae Myung Hee had connections—not only that, but her own entire 'private spy network', as she liked to refer to them, and one of those 'spies' was a Police Deputy at the local precinct.

According to Myung Hee's recount, this Deputy had saved So's life by putting his career on the line. He disobeyed his Chief's orders, and called an ambulance to get So to the hospital after he had witnessed their mother, Yoo Shin Myeong, paying off the Chief and bribing three guards to attack So. Furthermore, this same Deputy had also affirmed that it was Hwangbo Yeon Hwa who had reopened So's scar.

Not that the who or why really mattered. Only the fact that it had been done would have consequences—dire consequences, Yo imagined, considering his brother was still, even now as an adult, so self-conscious about that damn scar that he would go out of his way to keep it concealed from everyone. Yeon Hwa, that was likely the biggest mistake you ever made in your life!

Wang Yo shook his head again, already dreading the thought of what his brother's reaction would be. Even if So, with the current condition he was in, didn't notice it immediately, he would find out eventually and then there would be hell to pay.

What worried Yo even more, however, was the fact that Myung Hee, in her report, had referred to Hwangbo Yeon Hwa as Yoo Shin Myeong's 'new best friend', and hinted that the two women had apparently teamed up to work together against him and So and their attempt to save Wang Industries.

Yo didn't doubt for a moment that their mother would stoop so low as to ally herself with their opponents if there was enough 'incentive'—meaning money and status—for her to be gained. He himself, being stuck in this wheelchair, wasn't much of a threat to mother's endeavors, but So had been making some noticeable progress in his meetings with the investors. He had definitely become a force to be reckoned with and—unfortunately for him—evidently one deemed necessary to be eliminated.

Yo already knew, from previous events, that their mother had a 'special talent' for framing people who got in her way, but until now—at least as far as he was aware —any victims of her 'frame jobs' had always been just unlucky acquaintances of hers and never family members. This was different though, and Yo had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Yoo Shin Myeong would ruthlessly frame her own son to get what she wanted. But then again...

"Why am I even surprised?" Yo muttered low, lightly squeezing his brother's hand, feeling it tremble again. "She's hated you all of your life for who knows whatever reason... I don't think she knows why herself ...But come on, So-yah, you can beat this!...Don't you dare just give up!... You can't let her win!... Don't give mother the satisfaction..." He stopped there, startled when So visibly jerked at the mention of their mother.

Yo took a chance and loosened the strap on his brother's left wrist, then tightly held on to So's hand. "You heard what I said, right?" he continued the one-sided conversation. "Are you really going to let mother win?"

There was no reaction this time, and Yo drew a dejected breath. "Come on, So-yah, don't do this to me," he continued talking nevertheless. "We still got work to do and I need you!...I can't lose you too, So-yah!...You need to wake up and help us find Jungie. Nobody knows where mother took him..."

Even though Yo had expected—actually hoped for—a reaction, it still caught him off guard when So opened his eyes, stared vacantly for several moments, but then suddenly yanked his hand free of Yo's grasp. He tried to rise up, but it was a futile attempt and Yo quickly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, little brother!" Yo gently pushed him back against the pillows, earning himself an expected, but much weaker-than-usual glare.

"You're in the hospital," he hurried to explain when So's eyes anxiously surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. "Just calm down and don't move too much," Yo instructed, and barely managed to grab a hold of So's hand again before it could reach the breathing tube.

"Leave it alone, damn it!" he scolded, sternly now. "You got five broken ribs and a collapsed lung, and you almost died. You're going to be in here for a while, so just settle down and take it easy. Understand?"

So merely stared at him for a moment, then shook his head and tried to pull his hand free again.

"No!" Wang Yo tightened his grip. "I said settle down!..That tube needs to stay in until you can breathe right again...What?" he asked, however, when the look in his brother's eyes turned almost desperate and he shook his head again.

"Okay," Yo yielded, "I'll let go of your hand, but if you try to pull the tube out again, I'll break that hand for you. Are we clear?"

So replied with a weak nod this time and noticeably relaxed after Yo released his hand. He didn't try for the breathing tube again, but instead reached for the bedrail, feeling along its side for the adjustment buttons.

Yo realized what he was trying to do. "Here!" He guided So's hand to the button that would raise the head part of the bed. He let So adjust it himself to a level that was comfortable for him, but still asked, "Are you sure it's okay for you to be sitting up yet?"

So merely responded with an indifferent shrug, and glanced around the room again then back over at Yo and made a motion like writing with his free hand.

"Ah, okay!...Got it!" Wang Yo confirmed, quickly looking around too. Not seeing anything that could be used to write on, however, he pulled his cell phone from his shirt pocket instead.

"Here, just type it," he said, unlocking and sliding the screen to a notepad app, before he handed the phone to So. "Don't you just love the advantages of modern technology," he quipped, but silently wondered why that remark earned him a somewhat peculiar look from his brother.

Yo noticed right away that So had some obvious difficulty, typing on the little screen—not only because his eyes were still partly swollen shut, but also because holding up the phone one-handed and typing with one thumb was rather arduous.

Realizing this, Yo took action. "Give it here," he said, taking the phone from So's hand.

As expected, he received an irate glare and quickly added, "I'll hold it...you just type, okay?...Or that," he sighed when So, instead of typing, reached across and—with an obviously painful effort—freed his right hand from the leather strap.

"Just remember what I said," Yo grumbled, handing the phone back to him. "Leave the damn tube alone...and the IV too, or you'll end up with a broken hand...or two, if necessary."

Knowing it was just an empty threat anyway, So didn't bother to respond at all, but concentrated on typing instead. It was easier with both hands, though he still had trouble seeing the screen clearly. He imagined Eunie would be 'rotfl' watching him type like this, considering his Namdongsaeng could almost type faster on a cell phone than he could talk.

Yo had turned his chair around and positioned himself to where he could see the phone's screen while So was typing. He expected that So would ask first about his arrest, but that wasn't the case and now he just hoped his brother didn't notice his barely concealed cringe at the first three questions—'Jungie? Eun? Baek Ah?'

"Eun and Baek Ah are at home and okay," Yo disclosed. "Eunie's mother bailed them both out, and they only had minor injuries. Baek Ah needed a couple of stitches on his eyebrow where the door hit him, but..." Yo stopped there when So impatiently tapped at Jungie's name on the screen and looked over at him in obvious frustration.

"I don't know!" Yo sighed, then admitted, "and apparently nobody else knows either. According to Eun, Jungie willingly left with mother and..."

So typed 'IMPOSSIBLE!'

"Yah!" Yo raised his hands in surrender. "Don't yell at me! I'm just telling you what I know. I haven't even talked to Eun and Baek Ah myself yet...only Hae Myung Hee did, and she..."

'? ? ? ? ? ?'

"Yes, Lady Hae," Yo nodded, assuming that's whom the row of question marks referred to. "And consider yourself lucky that you still have some friends like her, because she posted your two Billion Won bond."

So had started to type something else, but dropped the phone onto the bed and stared at his brother in disbelief at this latest piece of news .

Yo drew a deep breath, realizing that So was in fact clueless as to why he had ended up in jail—which would confirm what Eun had told Myung Hee. "You really don't know why you even got arrested, do you?" he asked nevertheless.

So picked the phone back up and just typed 'Y?'

Yo grimaced, visibly hesitated and looked away, at least until So dealt him a weak slap on his arm.

"Well," he started warily, "and this is again just what Lady Hae told me...it looks like mother set you up, and set you up good. She got you charged with kidnapping and first degree assault for allegedly having kidnapped and tortured Jungie...Yeah, yeah, yeah, we already know it's a bunch of bullshit," Yo quickly added and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder again to prevent him from getting up. "Baek Ah and Eun already gave sworn statements about what really happened, and Lady Hae has her spies working overtime, trying to find Jungie."

'Y MH involved?'

"Well," Yo squinted pensively, "I'm not quite sure how it all fits together, but... apparently it has something to do with a certain girl you recently met?"

At the cautious question, So closed his eyes and shook his head in resignation. There went his plan to protect both Myung Hee and Hae Soo by staying away from them. Then again, it wasn't even too surprising, considering Myung Hee had repeatedly told him that he 'wouldn't get rid of her that easily'. They had always joked about it, however this was serious now and So dreaded the implication that somehow Hae Soo had become involved as well. He knew Myung Hee had enough 'clout' to protect herself, but his initial impression of Hae Soo had been that she was somewhat naive, innocent, and much too trusting.

"Yah!" Yo disrupted his pondering, sounding concerned. "Are you still awake?"

So nodded and reopened his eyes. He tapped the phone's screen which had gone blank, then typed 'what else?'

"You mean other than the fact that mother has apparently teamed up with your lovely ex-fiancé to make our lives miserable," Yo stated grimly rather then asked. Aware that he was taking a risk by bringing up Yeon Hwa, he still wasn't prepared for his brother's reaction.

So's expression turned stone cold, and his hand was shaking as it went up to the fresh cut below his left eye.

"You already know?" Yo queried guardedly, unable to fully conceal an anxious grimace.

So nodded slowly and typed 'awake'

Leaning back in his chair, Yo exhaled a sharp breath and ran a hand through his hair in dismay. It wasn't much consolation that he didn't have to be the bearer of bad news in this case, because if 'awake' meant that So had been conscious when Yeon Hwa cut his face, then...

Yo left the thought unfinished, but still asked, "You know it was Yeon Hwa?" He received another slow nod in reply, and a look that made the hairs on his neck prickle. He was almost able to taste the killing intent aura.

So went back to typing, but was interrupted when the phone started to vibrate. The display showed an incoming call from Hae Myung Hee, and he quickly pushed the speaker button before he handed the phone to Yo.

Yo frowned, but kept the speaker enabled as he answered the call. "Yeoboseyo!"

"Wang Yo-ssi," Myung Hee greeted him, then inquired, "can you talk freely?"

"Yes, and you are on speaker phone, Myung Hee-nim," Yo replied politely, adding, "So-yah insisted!", and winced at the retaliating glare from his brother.

"And you just received one of those looks for telling on him, right?" Myung Hee chuckled softly.

"She just knows you too well," Yo commented, directed at his brother, grinning when So rolled his eyes.

"Okay, jokes aside, guys," Myung Hee cut the banter, sounding serious now. "And first to ease your minds...Jungie is safe!"

"Where is he?" Yo interrupted, reading the plain as day question on So's face.

"I was getting to that," Myung Hee replied patiently, well aware of the brothers' concern for their Maknae. "One of my boys, Park Jae Woon, actually spotted him wandering around in an alley of Namdaemun Sijang (Namdaemun Market) this morning and followed him for some time. He sent me a photo to confirm that it was really Jungie before he approached him. Said he acted lost and disorientated, and couldn't tell him how or why he had ended up in Jung-gu (Jung District)."

Yo exchanged a puzzled look with his brother, but didn't interrupt again.

"I had sent a text for Jung to all my helpers," Myung Hee continued, "so if any of them found him, they could prove to him that they were working for us and it would be safe for him to trust them. Jae Woon said he still had some trouble convincing Jung to follow him to one of our safe houses...apparently Jung kept insisting that he needed to call someone, but couldn't tell him whom he needed to call or why."

"Did he get anything at all out of Jungie?" Yo cut in. "Like why the hell he would have just willingly left with mother instead of..."

"Jae Woon didn't," Myung Hee cut him off in turn, uncharacteristically harsh, "but we found out in the meantime anyway. I contacted Choi Ji Mong, one of the physicians who work with me, mainly to get Jung checked out and make sure he's okay, but also because Jung apparently couldn't remember anything that had happened before."

So tapped his brother's arm and motioned toward the phone, indicating that he wanted to type something.

Yo signaled 'one minute' with his index finger, whispering, "Let her finish!"

"Eun mentioned something to me that Jung had acted like he was hypnotized," Myung Hee went on to explain, "and he might have actually been right. Both Eun and Baek Ah remembered your mother wearing gloves, and Eun also wrote in his statement that he saw her repeatedly touch Jungie's face. Ji Mong found traces of what he believes to be some form of hypnotic compound on Jung's face and also his hands, meaning if the substance was on your mother's gloves, it could have been transferred to Jung when she touched him...which would not only explain why he followed your mother without any resistance, but also his state of disorientation when Jae Woon found him and the memory loss."

Yo muttered a series of curses under his breath, but didn't resist when So took the phone from his hand.

Tapping the screen, So switched it back to the notepad app, being careful not to disconnect the call.

"Are you guys still there?" Myung Hee asked since there had been no response to her report.

"Yeah, just a second, Lady Hae," Yo replied. "So is typing something...he still has a breathing tube in and can't talk. Couldn't find anything to write on in here, and since he really needs some typing practice anyway..."

"And I bet you just got another one of those looks for that smart-ass remark too," Myung Hee commented at the same instant that Yo indeed received said 'look'.

Yo sighed glumly and rolled his eyes, then looked at what his brother had typed when So turned the screen toward him. "So says he needs to know if Jungie remembers that he was not the one who beat him," Yo told Myung Hee, but then added, directed at So, "Meongcheongi (Idiot)! Of course he knows you wasn't the one who beat him! Why would he..."

"It's unfortunately not quite that simple, Wang Yo-ssi," Myung Hee spoke back up. "At the moment, Jung still doesn't remember anything ...not even being at your house last night, So-yah!...But listen, you two, I just wanted to let you know that Jungie is safe and in good hands, so don't worry. Jae Woon and Ji Mong are staying with him at the safe house, and will keep me updated on his condition. I'm also sending up one of my special teams to guard the place...just in case."

So had typed something else while Myung Hee was speaking, and now turned the screen back toward his bother again.

Yo squinted curiously, but then relayed the message to Myung Hee. "So says you also need to protect yourself and Hae Soo."

"I know," Myung Hee confirmed solemnly, "and the two of you will be under guard as well. Matter of fact, my boys should already be there by now...hold on!"

There was silence for a moment and the brothers exchanged a quizzical look. Then a soft knock on the hospital room's door turned their attention, and Yo tensed noticeably when the door opened halfway.

Two somber faces appeared in the opening. "Lee Min Joon", "Kim Tae Hyun" The two men introduced themselves, each with a courteous bow. "We will be right outside here if you need anything," the younger one, Tae Hyun, added.

"Ask them for the code word," Myung Hee's voice came through the speaker.

"Goryeo!" both men answered in unison, even before Wang Yo could relay the question. But what surprised Yo even more than the sudden appearance of these two guards was his brother's reaction to the code word.

'Goryeo' was merely the name of the Korean kingdom founded in 918, during what was called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Therefore, it wasn't an unusual word in any way, especially since remnants of the Goryeo era could easily be found all throughout Korea, and Yo wondered why his brother appeared almost taken aback by its mention. But he didn't have time to dwell on it at the moment.

"Good!" Myung Hee commended the guards. "And remember, no one can enter the room without giving the code word!"

"Yes, Lady Hae!" both guards confirmed simultaneously, then once again bowed politely to the brothers before they retreated back out into the hallway and closed the door.

"I've provided the guards with the names and also pictures of the two physicians and nurses that we are allowing into your room," Myung Hee continued her instructions. "They will know the code word, but anyone who doesn't will either have to request special permission to enter from me, or will be turned away. The day shift of your guards will be Choi Ji Young...who is the son of Doctor Choi… and Park Soon Deok. Try to remember their names so you can verify them...and always confirm with the code, understood?"

Yo exchanged another look with So. He noticed the peculiar expression in his brother's eyes, but disregarded it. "Lady Hae...you set all of this up just since yesterday?" he asked instead, then added, "I'm definitely impressed!"

"No need to be flattering, Wang Yo-ssi," Myung Hee replied quietly. "I have to protect my own assets too in this matter...So-yah, are you okay?"

So nodded, not quite convincing, but Yo relayed the answer as a "Yes!" anyway, then complained to his brother—a little too loud since he momentarily forgot that they were on speaker phone, "She calls me Wang Yo-ssi, but you're So-yah...now how is that fair? She likes you better than me!"

"That's because So-yah has always been a nice guy, but you used to be a real jerk, Wang Yo-ssi," Myung Hee stated dryly.

Yo felt his jaw drop and stared, first at the phone, then at his brother in disbelief. "She did not just say that, did she?"

So merely shrugged and started to type something again, seemingly indifferent, but Yo got the feeling that he was actually screaming with laughter on the inside and just couldn't let it out because of the breathing tube.

"So wants you to please tell Hae Soo that he's sorry...for everything...and he'll explain later," Yo conveyed the typed message with an intrigued glance at So.

"As far as I know, you have nothing to be sorry for, So-yah," Myung Hee declared. "And in fact, I need to thank you for bringing her home safely yesterday."

"What's YW?" Yo frowned at his brother's reply.

"It means 'you're welcome'," Myung Hee enlightened him, sounding slightly amused.

"Ah!"

"And it's none of your business, Wang Yo-ssi, so don't pester him about it either. Understood?" Myung Hee warned him, now serious again.

"Yes, Lady Hae!" Yo confirmed humbly, wondering why he suddenly felt like a schoolboy who had been reprimanded by the Principal, and the almost-grin on his brother's face wasn't helping much.

"Okay, you two," Myung Hee continued, " if you need anything then just tell my boys outside and they will get it for you. Now try to get some rest..that's an order!"

"Yes, Lady Hae!" Yo answered like a good little schoolboy again.

"And So-yah," Myung Hee added, "don't worry about Hae Soo. I promise I will keep her safe. You just concentrate on getting better. We have a lot of work to do! Good night, guys!" She ended the call without leaving any chance for a response.

"Uhhmm..." Yo scratched his head, plainly confused. "Any idea what she meant with 'we' have a lot of work to do?" he inquired, even though his brother appeared equally perplexed .

So nevertheless typed 'MH helping us'

"Huh?" Yo looked even more puzzled. "Why would she be helping us...and with what? After all...we're trying to take down her husband."

'HW cheating'

"Hmmm...you think she might actually go against her husband and help us, to get back at him for cheating on her?"

So shrugged wearily and typed 'possible'

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough," Yo shrugged as well, leaned back in his chair and yawned. He noticed the digital clock on the small table at the other side of the room showed 11:38pm. "Guess we better follow Lady Hae's orders for now and get some sleep," he muttered.

'Go home!'

"Nope!" Yo shook his head. "You can't, and I won't!...Like it or not, I'm staying right here and keeping an eye on you, so you don't get any silly ideas like pulling that tube out or even trying to get out of bed...Matter of fact," he sat back up and quickly snatched the phone from his brother's hand, "give me that, so you can't argue, and now get some sleep!"

Ignoring the glare he received, Yo slipped the phone into his shirt pocket, turned down the lamp behind the bed to its lowest setting, made himself comfortable—as much as possible—in his wheelchair once more and closed his eyes.

So hesitated for a moment before he reached over and dealt his brother another light slap on his arm.

Yo only opened one eye to peek at his brother. "What?" When So motioned toward the other end of the room, however, he opened the other eye as well and raised his head a little.

Scrutinizing the large recliner that was provided as a convenience for overnight visitors, he shrugged and leaned back again.

"Yeah, well...I already considered that, but..." He sighed, then admitted, "I still haven't quite figured out yet how to get from this damn chair into another one on my own...or the other way around for that matter...And no!" Yo snatched a hold of his brother's hand as So motioned toward the door. "I'm damn sure not going to ask one of those boys out there for help!" He released So's hand and looked away. "Just leave it alone. I'll be fine right here!"

So rolled his eyes at his brother's stubbornness, but relented because somehow he understood. Yo had always been an athlete—dozens of Football MVP and Martial Arts Championship trophies along the walls in his living room, dating all the way back to his childhood, attested to this. Thus, for his brother, being confined to this wheelchair now and requiring help with even some ordinary, everyday tasks until he could learn the necessary skills to regain his independence, had to be not only frustrating, but also a serious blow to his self-esteem.

Quite a high price to pay for saving my life! So mused, recalling the words of their mother that Yo was 'facing his own punishment for it now', meaning for interfering when she had threatened to slit his throat with the broken bottle. He didn't need any additional punishment! So knew full well that, despite having saved his life that day, Yo still blamed himself for not having been able to also prevent mother from cutting his face.

Getting to this point in his pondering, So unwittingly reached for the scar that had intentionally been reopened by Hwangbo Yeon Hwa.

He had already been in the ambulance, intubated and completely immobilized on a backboard. Though barely conscious, he could hear the commotion outside, his mother screaming and arguing with the three paramedics. Too tired and in too much pain, So paid it no mind—until the back door of the ambulance had opened and Yeon Hwa climbed inside.

A disdainful sneer on her face, she squatted on her heels beside the gurney. "Told you I would make you regret it," she hissed low. "Hope you're enjoying yourself, because this is only the beginning, jagiya!"

With a nasty laugh Yeon Hwa brushed his long bangs to the side, and her expression changed to utter disgust as she ran the tip of her index finger along his scar.

So shuddered at her touch but wasn't able to avoid it since even his head was strapped to the backboard and immobilized.

"You know..." Yeon Hwa continued, "your mother taught you a good lesson when you were little, but I think it's worn off and you need a little refresher course. Let me see..."

She diligently rummaged through her purse, pulled out a small pocket knife, and made it a point to snap the blade open in front of So's eyes.

So wondered for a moment whether she would dare, but quickly had the question answered when Yeon Hwa pressed the tip of the blade against his scar where it started—in the middle of his forehead, just above the eyebrows—then slowly pulled downward with enough pressure to draw blood.

So clenched his fists, but kept his eyes open, unfocused, and forced himself not to flinch. He refused to give her the pleasure of a reaction as she traced the blade across the bridge of his nose, along the curve of the line below his left eye, and completed the scar's y-shape with the cut from just below his eyelid down to the cheekbone .

"Let's see how your new girlfriend likes you now, jagiya," Yeon Hwa mocked as she snapped the knife closed and slipped it back into her purse, heedless of the blood dripping from its blade.

"Well," she said, standing and staring down at him with a contemptuous grin, "my work here is done. Time to go!"

She strode calmly to the back door of the ambulance and stepped down, then turned back for a moment. "Just remember what I said..this is only the beginning!"