It's been days now since the festival and everyone in Jeongseon were back to their normal lives. Seolhui also went back to Seoul and Hye Ryeong was busy with her own career while Youngro was enjoying her days at the preschool. However, she couldn't help but think about Im Sooho and how he just suddenly left without a word, the same way how he suddenly arrived in their town. She didn't dare ask Gwangtae, or Sunwon ahjumma about Sooho either, afraid it might cause another misunderstanding. She found it unfortunate that the man just disappeared into thin air just when everyone in the village just started getting fond of him.
Including me. Sigh… I miss—
Before her subconscious could even continue, Youngro was quick to oppose. "It's not that I miss him!" She stated with so much conviction. However, she felt being judged by her own inner self. Defeated, she sighed. "It's just that I wish I could see him one more time."
Youngro has never felt this strange ever. Meeting Im Sooho for the first time, conversing with him, being used to seeing him everywhere, being awkward around him and watching him get awkward just the same, seeing him fiddling his ears then smiling until he lost his eyes— she never felt her heart thump at those small details.
She didn't like to entertain the thought, and she never believed in love at first sight because it sounded a little too cheesy for her. Moreover, she has never been in a relationship before, so she had no past experiences to compare the weird things she was feeling.
It's just a crush. She thought. Admiration. Gratefulness even, because he saved her. More than that was way too impossible.
Because he is a stranger and now he's gone.
How ungrateful! She hmph-ed. Everyone was friendly to him. How could he not say goodbye? Youngro sighed and frowned as she realized she had been spacing out the whole time.
"Ms. Eun?"
Youngro shot up from her seat when Principal Song called her for the third time. "Y-y-es, Principal Song."
"Are you alright? I have been calling you since earlier."
"Oh, sorry. I was preoccupied with… With…" Youngro was quick to show the principal the letters she prepared. "These permits! I was also thinking of other fun activities for the kids."
"Oh, for Family Day! That's nice. I was worried you're still traumatized about what happened."
"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine." Youngro smiled brightly at the principal.
"That's good to hear. Anyway, we will be having some visitors tomorrow. They will be introducing Taekwondo to the kids and I personally think it's a good opportunity for the kids to be exposed to the sport."
"That's nice. I'm sure the kids will love it."
The next day arrived and the preschool class Youngro was teaching was at the gym. The organizer of the event handed out free Taekwondo uniforms for the kids and soon, everyone was seated on the floor which was covered with protective mats.
"Alright kids, today we will be learning Taekwondo with two instructors and this event will be for a week just to give you some insights about the sport. So are you ready?"
"Yes!!!"
Youngro sat on the side and smiled proudly at how her students were reacting enthusiastically. However, as soon as the two instructors entered, Youngro's smile was instantly replaced with shock.
"Kids, please welcome, Mr. Im Sooho and Mr. Lee Eungchol."
Eungchol nudged Sooho who was facing the kids confidently as if they weren't there on a mission. Eungchol wanted to cry but had no tears. How did he end up being caught in this situation?
Ah, Im Sooho, made a pact with Ahn Gyeonghui and promised he'll catch Bae Woosun while protecting Eun Changsoo's daughter. Of course he needed back-up. And Im Sooho gladly recommended him. Lee Eungchol's talents weren't really in the battlefield or crime scene. He is a cybercrime specialist and a certified hacker, and one of the best on a National level.
Great . Eungchol thought. He, who has not been active on the ground for a while now, was tasked to be Im Sooho's back-up. If not for Sooho's promise that he will catch Bae Woosun, the bastard who shot Lee Kangmoo, his older brother, Eungchol would never agree to this arrangement.
And on top of that, Im Sooho has another mission to secure Eun Changsoo's daughter since the campaign period has begun and, just to get near Eun Youngro, Im Sooho's secret assignment, they had to go undercover and do this shit. And Eungchol hates anything that has to do with moving, what more Taekwondo?
When his gaze turned to the lady who was seated behind the kids, Lee Eungchol's jaw almost reached the floor. That must be Eun Youngro, he thought. She was wearing a long sleeve button down shirt that was tucked in a beige knee-length skirt, her hair pulled to a neat ponytail. She looked immaculate, that kind of beauty that would mesmerize anyone and would make you keep ogling at her. How very shocking. Eun Changsoo had a daughter like her? Wow. However, Eungchol realized that she was equally just as stunned as him, but not at him. When he traced where she was looking, he realized it was at Im Sooho.
Lee Eungchol grinned knowingly, nudging Im Sooho as he hissed between his teeth. "No wonder you were so into this assignment."
Im Sooho frowned at the guy, elbowing him before he finally saw Eun Youngro, now on her feet, watching him with shock painted all over her face as if he rose from the dead. He awkwardly smiled at her before quickly shifting to the kids who were eagerly waiting for their Taekwondo lesson.
"Bye Teacher Eun! Bye Teacher Im! Bye Teacher Lee!"
"Bye!" Eungchol waved at the kids, enjoying some time to talk with the other parents while receiving praise and gratitude. Behind him, Youngro just finished handing out the letters for the Family Day happening that weekend.
"I thought you'd be on leave."
Youngro stiffened at the sound of that voice but managed to quickly compose herself. When she turned around, Sooho was standing behind her.
"Ah… I'm already okay. Besides, this is another way to forget that incident. I want to keep myself busy." She smiled. Pursing her lips, she wondered if she should ask him but her subconscious acted out way too quickly before she could even think. "I thought you're leaving for good."
"Huh?" Sooho's brows furrowed at her statement. Seeing his confusion, Youngro had no choice but to clear herself.
"Ah… I saw you leave a few days ago. I've never seen you since then. I thought you finally left for Seoul."
Sooho finally nodded his head. "I just heard about KTA… Korean Taekwondo Association's program to promote the sport more in the rural areas. I volunteered for Jeongseon."
Youngro gasped. This man is really full of surprises.
And talents.
"I see, you're a black belter." Youngro nodded. "Do you compete too?"
Sooho scratched his nape and thought for a moment. How does he say this without sounding like he's bragging? "I used to but now I don't… But if you search for my name on the website, you will find—" Im Sooho immediately chewed his lip, realizing he must have spoken too much info. What if she digs more about him? He was about to take back his words when Youngro asked him once more.
"Are you famous?"
"Yeh?" Sooho was rendered speechless at her question and if not for Eungchol butting in, he would still be scratching his neck awkwardly until it bled. He mentally thanked the man for coming in between.
"Of course!" Eungchol suddenly wrapped an arm around Sooho and smiled at Youngro. "This friend of mine is really famous—ack!" He frowned in pain upon receiving a jab from Sooho but quickly recovered when he saw Youngro's worried expression. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He straightened up and wiped his palm against his shirt before offering his hand. "I hope it's not too late to introduce myself. I'm Lee Eungchol."
Youngro giggled at Eungchol's silliness and accepted the handshake while Sooho could only throw Eungchol a side eye. Come to think of it, he never got to shake hands with Youngro because they only bowed politely at each other but Eungchol this bastard!
"It's nice to meet you. So I'm guessing you're also staying at Gwangtae's house?"
"Yes. That makes us neighbors for a week, hehe." Eungchol's smile was plastered on his face for so long that Sooho had to roll his eyes. Don't his facial muscles hurt?
"If you're free tonight, maybe you can drop by our house and have dinner with us." Youngro offered on impulse, which surprised herself more than anyone. Did she just invite these two without informing her grandparents ahead of time? When Sooho did not react, she immediately tried to dismiss the invitation. "Oh, but I know Sunwon ahjumma will also be cooking for you so that's impossible. I gotta go. I still need to finish some paperworks."
"We'll be there!" She heard Eungchol say as she bowed before the two.
Shit. Youngro thought. Her grandparents wouldn't mind, would they?
Smiling sheepishly, she turned around and saw Im Sooho grin when Eungchol nudged him. "We'll try to come." He said, and Youngro couldn't be any happier.
Youngro was ecstatic and her grandparents could tell. Mandong Harabeoji was peeking through his specs, watching a fidgety and jumpy Youngro like it was some uncommon occurrence in the household. He did not dare approach his precious granddaughter though, whom he could see through the screen door, stretching her neck at the porch looking at the gates, and simply poked his wife. Nodding at Youngro's direction, Mandong asked Young-ok Halmeoni.
"What's up with our Youngro?"
"Youngro cooked up a feast tonight. She must be happy Im Sooho's back and that she would be able to personally show her gratitude."
"Oh, don't get me started. Our Youngro cooks for us every now and then. This is nothing unusual." Mandong Harabeoji said, a tinge of bitterness in his tone. "Why should she stand there outside in the cold when she could just sit here and wait? Besides, it's not nice for a man to make a woman wait."
Young-ok Halmeoni just smiled at her husband. "Im Sooho seems like a good guy."
"That's not what I'm saying." Mandong Harabeoji frowned and cleared his throat. When he sat on the couch and groaned with his back pain, Young-ok Halmeoni followed him and started rubbing his back.
"We're getting old, yeobo. Youngro needs someone who will take care of her and to grow old with."
Mandong Harabeoji thought for a moment but his eyebrows furrowed once more as he spoke, "We don't even know that guy's intention. He hasn't even asked us for permission yet. And you are already taking his side."
"Aigoo. I'm not saying those two should date. They're barely even friends. All I'm saying is that we should let Youngro be and live her life the way she wants it. She's a good girl and we should trust her judgment. Besides, isn't it nice to see her smiling often these days?"
Mandong Harabeoji did not speak anymore. He just cleared his throat once more and turned his back even more on his wife.
However, as the night passed, there was no sign of Im Sooho coming. Mandong Harabeoji stood up from the couch and marched towards the dining table. "Come, you two. We're having dinner now. It's not good manners to keep the food waiting."
And so Youngro could just drag her feet inside and eat with her grandparents. Young-ok Halmeoni patted her back while Mandong Harabeoji watched her face clouded with disappointment.
"What's with the long face? It's that man's loss that he wasn't able to know how good of a cook you are."
"Harabeoji…" Youngro pouted.
"Back then when I was still courting your grandmother, I used to do a lot of chores at her parents' house just to earn her father's trust. There was not one time I let your halmeoni wait in the cold. These days it's really different."
Youngro wanted to protest. It wasn't like that between her and Sooho. They're not even close friends. She just wanted to invite him over because she wasn't able to treat him or anything for the good deed he had done for her. However, she was so disappointed that she didn't speak the entire night and retired to her room after finishing her food and washing the dishes.
Sigh. He said he will try. He didn't say he'll surely come.
Right. If there was someone to blame for her disappointment, it was her all along because she expected way too much.
That night at a port in Sokcho, Im Sooho and Lee Eungchol sat in silence inside a car parked at the darker side of the harbour. According to Kim Sangbeom, Bae Woosun's men frequent the place. For whatever reason, the man was not sure.
Im Sooho had been waiting for the right time to catch Bae Woosun for quite a while now. And tonight would be crucial in finding the evidence to pin him down and get him straight to prison. However, Im Sooho's mind was blank and Lee Eungchol could tell.
"Yah. If sighs could dig a hole, I swear we could have already been six feet under. What's wrong with you?" Eungchol was so done with his partner. He's never like this before. However, Sooho only responded with another sigh. Eungchol rolled his eyes and looked around before turning to his friend once more.
"Look, any moment now they might be coming. We can't back out now—"
"Eun Youngro…" Finally, Sooho broke his silence.
"Well the tracking device is working. She's at home. She should be safe." Eungchol checked through his phone, proud that he suggested bugging Youngro's phone so he could always see where she was.
However, that was not Sooho's point.
"Eun Youngro must be waiting." Sooho took a deep breath and leaned back as fell into a daze once more.
He could still remember how shyly she invited them earlier, and he could imagine how disappointed she might have looked right now. Somehow, the image bothered him and he didn't even know why.
She's just a side job . He reminded himself. The sooner he's done with Bae Wooson, then the sooner he'll get replaced by another person who would watch over Eun Youngro.
It hasn't even come yet, but now he was wondering who would be guarding her next. Well, before him was someone from Jeongseon too, so he wondered if Byungtae would be assigned next after Hye Ryoung's father, Jeongseon's municipal mayor. He felt bad that Youngro was clueless about what was happening around her. That his father was able to manipulate some people she trusts. He wanted to know more about her relationship with her father, but he already has too much in his hands to dig deeper.
Besides, what's the point?
She is just an assignment.
Still, she bothers him so much.
On the other hand, if earlier Eungchol was pissed, his expression suddenly lit up with a face splitting grin upon hearing what Sooho said.
"Yah yah yah!!!" Eungchol slapped Sooho's arms nonstop, making the other guy scowl at him and push him away. But Eungchol wasn't fazed. "Tell me, dude. You've fallen for Eun Changsoo's daughter's charms, have you not?"
Sooho rolled his eyes and was about to retort violently when he suddenly saw a few men arrive.
Shushing Eungchol by clamping the guy's mouth, Sooho nodded in direction and Eungchol's eyes darted quickly towards it. Gathering themselves, the two quickly ducked and watched eight men stop at the dock. Not too long, a fishing boat arrived and three men met with the other eight.
"The bald one's Bae Woosun's right hand man right?" Eungchol whispered and Sooho nodded.
"So basically, what Kim Sangbeom told us was true after all."
And that was all that mattered at the moment. At least he knew he could somehow trust Kim Sangbeom's tip about their supposed meet up that weekend.
And if they succeed in gathering more evidence in the coming days and catch Bae Woosun, that would mean he'll go back to Seoul for good.
And with that thought, Sooho found himself letting out another sigh.