Suddenly, Seung Yoon forcefully grabbed the reins of the rearing horse and taunted.

“But, I’m specialized in horse riding.”

At his words, Eun Chae was surprised inwardly. Surprised by the fact that a person like him was terrible at handling horses.

“Perfect for embarrassing yourself in front of a caterpillar.”

Unaware of this, Han Seung Yoon boasted a proud face. He also made a fierce face when the horse shook its head trying to break free from his control.

Eun Chae, who intended to tell him not to handle the horse so forcefully, soon gave up. He wouldn’t accept any advice, so it was better to obstruct him in a different way.

“Then, shall we bet?”

At her sudden proposal, Han Seung Yoon stared at her. His expression was a bit dumbfounded, as if asking whether she was serious.

Unconcerned by his reaction, Eun Chae quickly mounted the white horse and sat in the saddle. Then, she pointed somewhere and said,

“Going around there.”

Where she pointed, there was a single tree standing tall. Its presence was particularly noticeable on the wide grassland. It wasn’t a great distance, but it wasn’t a short distance either.

At first, Han Seung Yoon wanted to refuse, but he soon changed his mind. He wriggled with the ambition to show the noticeable difference in skill and humble her pride.

A oneday puppy doesn’t know the fear of a tiger.

With a confident expression, Han Seung Yoon climbed onto the horse and replied.

“Good. With what?”

“The loser gets hit by a rubber bullet.”

“That’s childish.”

“Then the winner decides. Cleanly. What do you think?”

“You’re confident? I don’t lose when I make bets.”

Every word he uttered was provoking. Eun Chae wanted to warn him to shut his mouth for a moment, and the desire was apparent on her face.

Fortunately, she barely extended her trained patience and gently kicked the horse’s belly with her foot. The white horse moved forward as obediently as if it had matched its breath with her for the first time.

Han Seung Yoon, who had followed directly behind, slowly increased the pace.

“How is a woman going to beat me? Should I give you a handicap?”

Eun Chae ignored him consistently. In the meantime, the resort manager who had been assisting Han Seung Yoon faintly heard sending a radio message somewhere. Then someone came and stood next to the starting line with a flag.

Eun Chae, who stopped the white horse in front of the starting line, had a calm face. On the other hand, Han Seung Yoon was arrogant as if he had won even before the start.

“It’s not too late now. Shall I give you a handicap?”

Eun Chae, who was lowering her posture steadily, replied.

“You often hear that you only have a big mouth, don’t you?”

At her words, Seung Yoon chuckled. He thought the woman’s audacity was baseless.

Soon, the referee, who was not a referee, raised the flag high. At that moment, the horses started to gallop, causing a sandstorm.

Feeling the cool wind hitting her face and the passing scenery of the grassland like an arrow, Eun Chae thought of freedom.

She had forgotten, but she liked this moment. The moment to send away all the suffocating things with the wind and just run forward.

Eun Chae smiled faintly when she was so fast that no one could see.

Having become one with the white horse, she sped up even more after turning around the tree. The finish line was right in front of her, and there was no Han Seung Yoon in front of her.

Eun Chae, who casually passed the finish line and stopped the white horse, looked back.

The loser, Han Seung Yoon, was coming on foot, wearing a prideful face. She got down from the horse only when Seung Yoon was close.

Han Seung Yoon, who was about to open his mouth with a fierce expression as if he could not accept the result, soon stiffened. It seemed like something passed in front of him. His cheek felt numb.

A loud friction noise echoed, it seemed.

Han Seung Yoon clutched his burning right cheek, his face drained of color.

Yes, unbelievable as it was, she had slapped him. Not with a full swing, but with a half swing that felt even worse.

As Seung Yoon stared at her in shock, she spoke in an irresistibly cheerful voice.

“Do you want to do it again? I’d like to see your shin too.”

“What is this…”

Thinking he stuttered in his speech too, Han Seung Yoon was speechless. His face went from red to blue in an instant.

Eventually, in embarrassment, his body shook, and he fiercely threw his gloves on the ground and left the spot. He even shouted at the resort manager who was following him not to follow him. He seemed to mutter some harsh curses afterward.

Unfortunately, Eun Chae felt no remorse.

When he shamelessly showed up late because he was rolling in bed with another woman at the meeting place. When he confessed that he had another woman and forced her to comply.

It was just a delayed action she should have taken then.

Ignoring the sight of Seung Yoon swaggering away, Eun Chae got back on the horse. She moved forward, feeling the cool wind. The grassy smell that she missed because of the fast speed hit her. She tilted her head and took a deep breath. It felt as if she was one with nature.

How long had she spent time alone?

When she returned to the starting line, Eun Chae first took off the riding hat that was pressing her head. As she gently shook her head, her hair came loose too. It seemed that her hair tie had snapped while running.

As she was about to get off the horse after sweeping her flowing hair back, a big hand suddenly came out. The fingers were long and the joints were thick.

Guessing who it was and looking up, it was indeed Kwon Ki Joo.

Since when had he been there? What had he not seen, and what had he witnessed? Eun Chae thought about this while looking at Ki Joo’s smooth face that revealed nothing.

She didn’t feel any discomfort from the waiting hand. Was it because he was born to ride, or the audacity of someone who had never been rejected? It was pointless to ponder. It was probably both.

Eun Chae quickly grabbed his waiting hand, and with his help, she got off the horse. She didn’t refuse, and Kwon Ki Joo did what he wanted. So, it was only right that their intertwined hands should separate afterward.

Eun Chae’s face hardened in confusion. It was because Ki Joo had turned her hand upside down. The palm of her hand was so red that it looked painful at a glance.

“What is this?”

His low voice pressed on her crown.

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