บท 12: Chapter 12: Ha-rin's Retribution.

The sudden appearance of U-jin had elicited a stirring shock amongst the onlookers. But Eun-kyung was the first to regain her faculties, hastily scurrying to the aid of the Ga-ram as she was still lying on the ground in pain. She proceeded to assist her, entitling her to sit upright on her bed. Upon finding a conspicuous mark on her gentle cheek, Eun-kyung's latent ire surfaced, compelling her to launch an assault on the groaning man on the ground but swift as ever, U-jin intervened, snatching her away.

Eun-kyung bellowed, "Look at what he did to Ga-ram!" She was determined to mete out the severe punishment that Ga-ram's father deserved.

Stern and resolute, U-jin advised her, "I beg of you to exercise restraint, lest you become a party to this unlawful act. The local authorities have been notified, and they will soon be upon us." U-jin cautioned but on hearing what U-jin just said Ga-ram's father made a futile dash for the exit but was quickly thwarted by Mun-hee and Si-woo that had just arrived in the room.

U-jin scanned the room, and with his sharp eye, sighted a scarf leisurely sprawled across the desk. Grabbing it with much aplomb, he immediately proceeded to the daunting task of restraining the man.

After a duration of about ten minutes, the local law enforcement officials and medical personnel arrived at the premises. Once they arrived, the former commenced their investigation by obtaining the accounts of the witnesses involved. However, due to Ga-ram's reluctance to provide any statements, Eun-kyung informed them that they could procure it the next day at the hospital.

During the proceedings, Ga-ram's father was interrogated but vehemently denied any wrongdoing, instead, he shifted the blame onto Eun-kyung and the others. As a result, the footage recorded by Mun-hee earlier on was utilized as evidence against him, and noting that they had offered corroborating eyewitness accounts. Consequently, they were exculpated, but Ga-ram's father was detained by the authorities.

Eventually, they then collectively escorted Ga-ram to the hospital while keeping a vigil outside her room.

"Eun-kyung, you know that you're so stubborn" U-jin grasped her arm.

"If I didn't come earlier her father could have done something terrible to her before the cops had arrived" she tried to remove his hand from her. "You're hurting me"

Si-woo, sensing the tension, interceded, "U-jin, it's enough"

U-jin left her although reluctantly and cautioned Si-woo, "She's uncontrollable, keep your eyes open" Si-woo nodded in understanding. Mun-hee observed their interaction without comprehending the context surrounding Ji-woo being called by another name.

Letting it go, she posed a question to the group, "How long has this been happening to Ga-ram"

"We don't know, if I didn't notice that something was wrong, who knows how Ga-ram condition would have been" Eun-kyung answered, "But why did you appear at Ga-ram's house".

"I wanted to know if you were telling the truth besides you wouldn't have had any evidence to give to the local authorities if not for me" she replied.

"Thanks for coming" Eun-kyung thanked her profusely.

At that moment, the medical personnel stepped out of the hospital room, revealing that Ga-ram had sustained injuries to her back and abdomen, but had not suffered any internal harm. Consequently, after a few days of recuperation, she would fully recover.

Upon the departure of the medical personnel, they all proceeded with utmost caution into the room to inquire about Ga-ram's condition.

Eun-kyung, taking a step closer to the bedridden Ga-ram, gently inquired about her health. "How are you feeling now, Ga-ram?" she asked in a soft tone.

Ga-ram responded with a smile and reassured those present in the room that she was fine. However, confusion was etched on her visage as she acknowledged Eun-kyung's presumptuous actions. "You shouldn't have indulged in such rash actions" Ga-ram stated, turning her attention towards Eun-kyung.

"I simply couldn't stand idly by after hearing about your father's alleged abuse," Eun-kyung retorted in defence of her actions. Ga-ram looked at her in confusion before U-jin then interjected and revealed that he had hired a private investigator to delve further into the matter. Ga-ram was perplexed and inquired about the reason behind such an action. Eun-kyung stepped in to explain her intuition and suspicions of Ga-ram's situation, citing the prior occasion wherein they had coincidentally met.

Ga-ram was astounded by Eun-kyung's perceptiveness and eventually thanked her by pulling her into a warm embrace. Mun-hee then announced her intention to depart and Ga-ram thanked her for her help. Mun-hee promised to visit again the following day, and Si-woo offered to escort her out.

When the two left, Eun-kyung noticed that Ga-ram was looking down with a sad expression, "Everything is going to be fine, I just want you to know that you can confide in us if you need anything" Eun-kyung said with genuine concern etched on her visage.

"No problem" Ga-ram assured her, with a smile that exuded warmth.

When Si-woo returned, Eun-kyung informed him of her absence for the night and her desire to stay by Ga-ram's side to relay to their aunt. Ga-ram's eyes sparkled with gratitude as Si-woo left, promising to check in on Ga-ram the next morning. Meanwhile, U-jin declared his intention to stay as well.

After some amiable discourse, Ga-ram drifted into slumber and Eun-kyung ventured outside to look for U-jin, who had left in haste earlier. She found him seated on one of the verdant benches that graced the hospital garden. Though he feigned indifference, she sat beside him and after a while, spoke up.

"Are you going to continue acting like a grumpy old man" she inquired, with a tinge of annoyance creeping into her voice. But U-jin remained unmoved, choosing to avert his gaze.

"Look at me, you fool" she raised her voice, vexed at the obstinacy displayed by U-jin. She grasped him firmly by the chin, compelling him to face her. Drawing closer, she pouted and whispered sweet nothings, "Don't be mad, I promise I will behave from now on" U-jin scrutinized her for a brief moment before promptly removing her hand and getting up to leave. But Eun-kyung, not one to let go so easily, clung onto his hand and rose to her feet as well.

"I don't like being ignored" she said with a hint of fury.

"Then get used to it" he sneered.

"You're doing this deliberately" she retorted.

"This is what you get for disobeying me, now let me go" he commanded, but Eun-kyung did not budge.

"Eun-kyung, let go now" he growled in anger.

Eun-kyung simply smirked, "You talked to me thrice, see....you can't do without talking to me" she smiled, "You can't ignore me for long, you're the same with Eun-woo" she teased him.

U-jin was incensed by her comments, but her last words left him with a perplexed expression, "Eun-woo?"

"Yes, my brother, he's actually my twin" she replied nonchalantly, but U-jin just stared at her weirdly.

"So your supposed brother bears the same name with my buddy" he asked even though he remembered her saying such on the first day they met.

"You won't understand" she laughed so he just ignored her and settled down back and started scrolling through his phone.

"I just came here to say Goodnight" U-jin pecked up at her words, "I'm going back in" she said as she started walking away.

"Do you have a boyfriend in your life" queried U-jin, not looking up from his screen. Eun-kyung halted her footsteps and turned to appraise him.

"What do you take me for, of course I have" and made her way back to the building, leaving U-jin to ponder over her response with a perplexed expression.

As the dawn approached, U-jin made an effort to rouse Eun-kyung from her slumber, but all his efforts were in vain as she groaned and turned on the couch. Exasperated, U-jin was on the verge of losing his patience until a mischievous thought crossed his mind, sending a wicked grin across his face that even Ga-ram, who lay in the hospital bed, shivered nervously as she saw his smile. Creeping closer, U-jin whispered in Eun-kyung's ear, "If you don't wake up now, then I will have to kiss you awake" Eun-kyung's eyes fluttered open and she shot up from the couch immediately.

As U-jin ushered Eun-kyung out of the room, Ga-ram could not help but chuckle at their affable display, noting, "You two behave like couples sometimes" she teased.

"I would rather be alone than be with a man like him," protested Eun-kyung.

U-jin rolled his eyes and escorted her to his car. Eun-kyung, who had dozed off again, neglected to put on her seatbelt, prompting U-jin to shake his head in dismay. As he leaned over to secure her belt, Eun-kyung's intriguing eyes opened, inviting U-jin to dwell on them for a moment. She then closed her eyes while smiling then U-jin went ahead to place the seatbelt on her, he noticed that it was her enigmatic and alluring gaze that always separated her from Ji-woo in his mind. The mere thought of Ji-woo made him apprehensive and filled with uncertainty about the future. He smiled, started the car and drove off, knowing that he would miss Eun-kyung when Ji-woo returns.

Upon arriving at Ji-woo's luxurious mansion, U-jin carried Eun-kyung to her room in a princely manner and placed her in the bathtub. Dousing her with water from the showerhead, Eun-kyung screamed, "U-jin you maniac stop that right now" U-jin burst into laughter, deciding to leave her to freshen up whilst reminding her to be punctual in the next fifteen minutes.

After she was done, she proceeded to go down the stairs to enter the dining room only to see U-jin sitting at the table in his school uniform, relishing breakfast with her aunt and Si-woo. Her aunt, who never failed to light up at her presence, greeted her amicably as she beckoned Eun-kyung to come to the table, "Ji-woo dear, come fast and have your breakfast."

Eun-kyung then exchanged pleasantries with her aunt and Si-woo before taking her seat next to U-jin. She couldn't help but wonder why he was there in the first place, "How come you aren't at your own house" she inquired.

U-jin explained that he had arranged for someone to drop off his uniform at the mansion before they arrived so that he could arrive to school promptly for his duties as the student council president. "Ask me no more questions, and just eat," he instructed as he dug into his meal.

Eun-kyung made a face before starting on her bacon and spaghetti breakfast.

After breakfast, U-jin drove her to school instead of Si-woo because he was going to stop by at the hospital to visit Ga-ram before heading to school, leading to Eun-kyung's persistent grumbles throughout the ride. As she stepped out of his car at the school's entrance, U-jin called out to her, reminding her to say thank you.

Eun-kyung leaned on the passenger's window, smiling mischievously at him, which stirred up a sense of foreboding in U-jin. "I am not one to offer thanks with my words, but rather with actions" she replied with a grin.

"And what action is that?" inquired U-jin, curious.

Eun-kyung took a moment to think before suggesting, "Why don't I prepare noodles for you this weekend?"

U-jin chuckled, "I would rather eat food prepared by a toddler than yours." And with that, he drove off as Eun-kyung felt a surge of anger at his snarky retort but entered the building nonetheless.

As Eun-kyung approached her classroom, a group of students huddled in front of the door aroused her suspicion. Their excitement was palpable, and some of them were furtively holding their phones. Eun-kyung then inched closer to the class entrance, and stood still in front of it, it was until after five minutes that when she continued to stand without moving a student which was a girl asked her to enter the class and stop standing in the way.

Eun-kyung smiled, "Oh you want to enter the class, after you please" she moved away for her to pass.

The girl laughed, "No, you were here first, you should proceed."

"But I insist you enter first" Eun-kyung smiled.

"You should first"

Despite Eun-kyung's persistence, the girl pushed her towards the door, and that's when Eun-kyung executed her plan: waiting until the girl had pushed her close enough, Eun-kyung swiftly moved aside, causing the girl to tumble over, a bucket of what appears to be filled with paint inside it fell on top of her from above.

The girl looked up in shock as the students whipped out their phones, recording and laughing at the humiliated girl.

'It is Ji-woo who should be in this predicament, not me,' she thought as she scurried off in tears.

Eun-kyung had expected a prank but she didn't know that it was this extreme.

Unfazed, Eun-kyung calmly proceeded into the classroom and sat down, surveying her surroundings for any suspicious person, but none came to mind. At that moment, she realised that Diego was absent. Taking note of his absence, she decided that when she reported the prank to U-jin later, she would inquire about Diego's whereabouts.

During lunch break, before entering the cafeteria Eun-kyung noticed for the first time that the school had three dining halls - one designated for the staff, the other for grade 10 and 11 students, and finally, another solely for grade 12. This newfound knowledge made her grateful that she had composed herself and found the appropriate fit for herself during her first day at school; otherwise, she would have been embarrassed. She then went into the dining hall for students in Grade 12 and proceeded to get her lunch before sitting at one of the vacant tables there.

Suddenly, she noticed a horde of girls making their way towards her, led by Ha-rin, who had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she locked gazes with Eun-kyung.

"Ji-woo, how is your leg now?" she asked while standing right in front of Eun-kyung, who had now become wary and alert, sensing something amiss.

"It is fine, it was just a scratch, so I didn't have to bandage it again after the first time," Eun-kyung responded.

"That's good to here but isn't the weather not too hot today, here take this"

Ha-rin said as she attempted to cool Eun-kyung off by offering her a bottled cold water, but instead, she tried to pour it over Eun-kyung's head as she was sitting, tempting forbidden thoughts that Eun-kyung was determined to avoid. Responding quickly, Eun-kyung moved away instantly, causing the water to land on her empty seat. Ha-rin, not one to give up easily, continued by spraying more water on Eun-kyung as she stood up, but Eun-kyung had anticipated this and ran behind one of the girls in Ha-rin's team, causing the water to fall on the girl instead. The girl was not happy and stalked off with the others in her company, including Ha-rin who couldn't believe the situation had become unfavourable for her. Before leaving, Ha-rin glared daggers at Eun-kyung, leaving her with a sigh of relief. To her, it was no longer worthwhile being there, and so she decided to leave the dining hall in search of U-jin, now feeling disinterested in her meal.

She made a firm decision to search for U-jin in the student council office. As she tapped her fingertips on the wooden door, Eun-woo, who was relishing his apple on the other side, appeared before her. His countenance depicted a sense of astonishment at the sight of her arrival. However, after understanding the intent of her visit, he ushered her in.

Accompanied by an amplified tone, he bellowed, "U-jin, your girlfriend has graced us with her presence." Notably, the pronouncement stunned Eun-kyung; in contrast, U-jin, deeply engrossed in perusing through a document, remained unperturbed. As the other students gaped in an unanimated manner, she seated herself opposite to him.

"Do you miss me?" U-jin teased her as he looked up from the document to face her.

"No, don't you realize what transpired this morning?" she retorted sharply.

"Yes, we are currently working on it. However, since there was no surveillance camera in the vicinity, the perpetrator remains unknown," U-jin stated solemnly.

"Wait a moment; are you attempting to suggest that there wasn't another surveillance camera that could've captured the culprit carrying a bucket of paint to the classroom?" she asked, her eyes fixed on him in utter disbelief.

"It seems the perpetrator utilized the back entrance, which had no surveillance camera due to maintenance issues." Eun-woo interposed. "Despite the numerous stairs towards the entrance, the felon successfully managed to transport a bucket full of paint. The individual must have possessed an innate strength, per se a...." he continued, trailing off.

"It was, without a doubt, Ha-rin." She interrupted, making everyone present gasp in awe.

"She tried to pull another stunt few minutes ago" she retorted defensively.

U-jin inquired with urgency, "Are you injured?"

"I managed to avert the first attempt, so I'm also meant to do the same the second time too but I'm afraid that she won't stop there" she said.

"Hong-bin, locate Ha-rin and bring her to me immediately," U-jin instructed, a serious expression washing over his face. Hong-bin nodded submissively and scurried away to find Ha-rin.

"Rest assured, I will get to the root of this issue," U-jin assured Eun-kyung.

"Don't be anxious, your striking boyfriend will handle it," Eun-woo jeered, prompting Eun-kyung to roll her eyes in exasperation and ignore his jab.

"Where is Diego? He was absent from class today," she inquired.

"He has accompanied his mother to China and will return on Thursday," he informed her.

"I will pick you up later to check on Ga-ram," he informed her before she made her exit.

Following her classes for the day, Eun-kyung was grateful that Ha-rin did not cause any more disruptions, perhaps due to U-jin's intervention. She headed to the music club where she was instructed to practice a few keys on the grand piano, which she executed flawlessly. Il-seong commended her exceptional talent. After a few more rehearsals, she was summoned by U-jin to meet him at the rear of the school building, for which she sought permission, and since she had completed her tasks, it was granted.

On reaching the back entrance, she saw U-jin beside his car and waved at him while smiling excitedly and he waved back with a smile as well.

As she descended the stairs towards U-jin's car, he suddenly cried out, "Eun-kyung, move out of the way!" She looked up to see a flower pot hurtling towards her head and attempted to dodge swiftly, but in the process, she stumbled and tumbled down the stairs, her head smashing against the steps repeatedly before she collapsed onto the ground, senseless.

"Eun-kyung!" U-jin's anguished bellow was the last sound she heard before slipping into unconsciousness.