The Bear Clan kept pounding the ground with their baseball bats.

As a result, the four women kneeling before Yeo Reum repeatedly adjusted their posture.

“Young lady, shall we proceed now?”

Gom Soon addressed her with utmost respect.

Yeo Reum looked down at Jeong Mi and said,

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“…I, I’m sorry. But don’t misunderstand. We weren’t trying to kill you. We just wanted to scare you a little.”

Sophia, sitting next to her, chimed in,

“How could we possibly have tried to kill someone? We just wanted to scare you a little.”

“That’s right, we’re family after all, no matter what. Aren’t we?”

Ha Eun also laughed obsequiously.

Now Gom Soon, standing like Yeo Reum’s guard, said incredulously,

“Wow, look at how these women change their tune. To me, they said she was a damn annoying country bumpkin, to crush her completely? To smash her to pieces? They came all the way here to see her dying. But now they’re trying to duck out of it?”

“…Th-that was just said in anger, we didn’t mean it!”

“That’s right! How could we possibly have wished for your death?”

“Yeah, Yeo Reum. This is a misunderstanding. We were just angry and only meant to threaten you!”

Towards them, busy making excuses, Yeo Reum said,

“I’m not misunderstanding.”

“R-right? You understand our feelings, don’t you? Hm?”

“I understand. And I’ll only remember the facts.”

“…What?”

“The fact that you tried to kill me. That exact fact.”

“That’s really a misunderstanding!”

“Shut. Up.”

At the quiet but cold voice, their mouths all clamped shut at once.

Yeo Reum, looking at Gom Soon and the Bear Clan who seemed even more incredulous than herself, said,

“You see? These women are the kind of people who speak with forked tongues.”

“Indeed. If we hadn’t listened to you, young lady, we would have been in big trouble. We could have all died in prison. I don’t know how to repay this debt. Thank you so much, young lady.”

Gom Soon and the Bear Clan bowed deeply to Yeo Reum again.

Jeong Mi, now desperate, said,

“Yeo Reum, it’s really a misunderstanding! No, we were wrong! Please forgive us just this once! It won’t happen again! Really!”

“Yeah! We were all wrong! Please forgive us!”

Now the four women, not content with just begging, started to shed tears.

“Young lady, we’ll go to the police station and turn ourselves in.”

At Gom Soon’s words, the four women who had been crying for mercy stopped simultaneously.

“Thanks to you, I saved not only my life but also the lives of my brothers. You are repeatedly our life savior. So we’ll take care of those ones. Please leave it to us.”

“…N-no. No!”

They crawled on their knees, grabbing Yeo Reum’s legs and clinging to her.

“Yeo Reum, it won’t happen again! So please, just this once, let us off!”

“Whose legs do you think you’re grabbing? Get off!”

The Bear Clan grabbed them and threw them backwards.

This caused another commotion, but the four women hurriedly crawled back and clung to Yeo Reum.

“It won’t happen again. I swear! Please, I’m begging you…”

They begged and begged, shedding tears and snot.

“Do you understand now? What you tried to do to me is contract killing. That’s a serious crime.”

“…I’m sorry. We were wrong.”

“The evidence is solid, and the witnesses are solid.”

Gom Soon and the Bear Clan nodded as if it were obvious.

“If I want, your lives can fall into ruin in an instant.”

They burst into tears again.

“Engrave this situation into your bones. And don’t try this kind of thing on me again.”

At those words, their heads collectively lifted to look up at Yeo Reum.

“I’m warning you clearly, my patience ends here. There’s no more.”

“…Then?”

“Get out.”

Instead, Gom Soon, surprised, said to Yeo Reum,

“Young lady, you’re letting these ones live? They’ll surely try to harm you again. Just let us take care of them now!”

As Gom Soon picked up a baseball bat, they screamed in horror.

“That’s enough.”

Instead, Yeo Reum raised her hand to stop him.

“…Young lady?”

“Don’t do it.”

As Yeo Reum shook her head, Gom Soon seemed even angrier.

He brought the baseball bat down with a ‘thud’ and said to them,

“Know that you’re alive today thanks to our most merciful young lady. But there’s something you need to know clearly.”

He slammed the baseball bat down again.

“If you try to harm our young lady again, or if we hear news that she’s been hurt somewhere, I, Gom Soon, swear on my honor that I’ll kill you all.”

“…Th-that won’t happen! Really!”

“You should pray every night that our young lady lives long and well. If an accident happens, we’ll assume it was your doing. Remember, the Bear Clan will surely come for you.”

All of the Bear Clan agreed, slamming their baseball bats on the ground with a ‘bang bang’.

“…O-of course. That won’t happen anymore!”

“That’s right! We won’t do it again!”

The terrified women repeatedly said.

“Get lost.”

It was Gom Soon.

“What?”

“Can’t you hear me telling you to get lost?”

As the angry Gom Soon raised his baseball bat again, the horrified women screamed and rushed out.

Yeo Reum silently picked up her bag that had fallen on the floor and slung it over her shoulder.

Gom Soon approached and said,

“Young lady, is it really alright to leave them be like that?”

“Why?”

“I know from experience in this line of work, those types never change.”

“That’s right, young lady.”

Unlike before, the Bear Clan now stepped forward out of concern for Yeo Reum.

Yeo Reum chuckled and said,

“I know those people won’t change.”

“Then why…?”

“But you all will change, won’t you?”

“…Pardon?”

Looking at the smiling Yeo Reum, Gom Soon cautiously asked,

“Could it be, you’re doing this because of us? What are we to you? We’re bad guys who even tried to kill you.”

“You are bad guys, but you didn’t really intend to kill me, did you?”

“What?”

“Am I wrong?”

Gom Soon’s eyes widened in surprise and blinked.

Seeing his face, Yeo Reum turned to leave.

Hearing a thudding sound, she turned back.

Gom Soon had fallen to his knees on the floor.

“…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Boss?”

His subordinates didn’t know what to do.

“I must have been crazy. I’ve committed a mortal sin against you, young lady.”

As Gom Soon’s forehead touched the floor, his subordinates approached and knelt beside him.

“No! This is all my fault!”

A man who looked to be in his early 30s burst into tears and said,

“Hey, why are you butting in?”

“…This is all my fault. The boss and others had washed their hands of this, but I said I wanted to get married. I’ve been doing this since I was young… I have no education and no savings. My girlfriend’s family would surely oppose our marriage, so I thought having even a small house might help. The boss and others tried to help me, and that’s how this happened. It’s all my fault.”

He burst into even louder sobs.

Yeo Reum said,

“I understand you were in a hurry. But you know the method was wrong, don’t you? If your girlfriend knows the money was taken by hurting others, do you think she’d be happy?”

Their heads all went down together.

“…We’re sorry.”

“Be sorry to yourself more than to me. Be sorry to your parents, to the people you love. And why do you think you have nothing? You’re still young. You’re healthier than anyone. If you set your mind to it, there are countless things you can do in this world. Do you want to waste your precious worth doing errands for people like that? Why are you turning your valuable worth into trash?”

They lowered their heads even more.

Gom Soon, barely gathering courage, said,

“Young lady, we’ll return the 900 million won.”

“No. There’s no need for that. You all divide it among yourselves.”

“…Pardon?”

“If it goes back into those people’s hands, it’ll only be used for more bad things, right? So use it to start anew.”

“…Young lady?”

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

Leaving them dumbfounded, Yeo Reum went outside.

Luckily, it was resolved, but somehow her whole body felt drained and her head was dizzy.

Yeo Reum slowly walked through the now dark alley towards the road.

“Oh?”

There was a familiar car parked on the street.

And a man standing in front of it.

“…San Ha?”

Instead of saying anything, he spread his arms wide.

As if saying, come and hug me.

Without a second thought, Yeo Reum ran straight into his arms.

She was so happy and glad that tears came to her eyes.

“Magpie?”

All the tension drained away as she fell into his embrace.

“Magpie?”

“…Just a moment.”

Yeo Reum buried her face in his broad chest.

And hugged San Ha even tighter.

“Just stay like this for a moment. Just a moment…”

He didn’t move an inch, like a big tree.

‘Ah, this kind man.’

This beautiful man.

How can I not love you when you’re like this?

“Was it hard?”

He quietly asked from above her head.

Instead of answering, Yeo Reum just nodded.

“I understand.”

He patted Yeo Reum’s back gently with his large hand, as if comforting her.

That made her feel even more at ease.

After a while, he said,

“Want to go eat?”

Looking up at him, Yeo Reum smiled and nodded.

Seeing him open the passenger door, Yeo Reum smiled even wider.

“Wow, great service today, huh?”

As Yeo Reum sat down, he too sat in the driver’s seat and soon started the car.

In truth, she had a lot she wanted to ask him.

But right now, she had no energy at all.

Yeo Reum just looked at San Ha, who was driving with a grin.

“Want to eat pasta? There’s a good place nearby.”

“Sounds good!”

She answered as if it were obvious.

He skillfully turned through the alleys.

“But do we have to eat nearby?”

“Why?”

“I’d prefer somewhere farther if possible. Somewhere we can’t return from today.”

As San Ha looked at her, Yeo Reum said with a smile,

“I don’t want to go back to Blue House today. Shall we go really far tonight?”

“Not happening.”

At his firm refusal, Yeo Reum laughed out loud.

“Ah, I really don’t want to go back today…”

Grumbling lightly, Yeo Reum closed her eyes.

She planned to wake up when they arrived at the restaurant.

But she was really tired.

Even though she knew she shouldn’t, a drowsy feeling kept coming over her.

A little while later, San Ha’s car stopped in front of a restaurant.

“Magpie?”

He called Yeo Reum.

But there was no answer.

“Magpie?”

Even when he called again, it was the same.

In the meantime, Yeo Reum had fallen into a deep sleep.

Just as he was deliberating whether to wake her or not, San Ha’s phone rang.

It was an unknown number, but he could guess who it was.

―Director, where are you now?

It was Secretary Choi.

“Outside.”

He answered, lowering his voice.

―Why so suddenly? No matter how long I was in the bathroom, I didn’t expect you to leave me behind. Isn’t this too much?

“Sorry. Something came up.”

―Something came up? What is it?

“There’s something.”

―What important matter could make you abandon me at the bar? Do you know how dumbfounded and frustrated I am right now?

San Ha glanced at the sleeping Yeo Reum.

Her brow had been gradually furrowing, and tears were forming at the corners of her eyes.

She seemed to be having a bad dream.

Hurriedly rummaging through the car, San Ha pulled out a tissue.

And gently dabbed at Yeo Reum’s eyes.

“Secretary Choi, I’m sorry. But it’s really important.”

―Not only abandoning me, but taking my phone and car keys too?

“Yeah.”

After a moment of silence at the unhesitating answer, Secretary Choi said,

―It must have been quite important and urgent. For someone who dislikes driving to even take the car?

“That’s right. It was very important and urgent.”

San Ha continued to look at the sleeping Yeo Reum as he answered.

―It seems so. Is there anything I can help with?

“No.”

―I see. Then I’ll come by your house later to get the car keys.

San Ha said,

“No. Don’t come.”

―Why not?

“I’m not going home today.”

―Pardon? Where are you now?

“I’ll explain tomorrow. I’m busy right now.”

San Ha ended the call after a brief notification.

He gripped the steering wheel again.

His car began to speed down the darkening road.