Seol Ah staggered her way to Jang Yu, aching with each step. Just as five feet away—
"JANG SEOL AH!" Jin-ho's voice pierced through the warehouse.
Seol Ah's eyes widened as she quickly turned to look behind her.
BOOM.
A sharp scrape burned across Seol Ah's shoulder as the force struck Jang Yu, throwing her back against the wall. Jang Yu looked at her arm in agony as the pain spread rapidly.
"Argh! What the fuck?!" she screamed.
Seol Ah's ear rang piercingly as the surrounding voices became inaudible. Her jaw dropped as she tried to process what had just happened. As she raised her eyes to look at Jin-ho, he charged at Seol Ah, grabbing her wrist.
"Hide!" he yelled, pulling her away. She couldn't understand what was going on. Jin-ho held her head closer behind the wall, her vision blurring as panic shook her eyes.
Jang Yu fumbled up the stairs to hide as more gunshots sprayed on the floor.
Meanwhile, outside by the gates of the abandoned warehouse, Si Yeon stared at them with her binoculars. She smirked.
"Stop… I think that was enough for Jang Yu to learn not to cross me ever again," Si Yeon declared. The gunman nodded, lowering the rifle.
Jang Yu groaned as she clutched her arm tightly, blood streaming down to her wrist.
"Why?" she cried, grinding her teeth as she glanced over her shoulder. "Si Yeon… please! Everything I'm doing is for you only…"
Si Yeon grinned as she whisked her hair away and stood.
"Make sure only he leaves alive… everyone else," she paused, her hand sliding from her neck. "Dead."
Just before she took a step away, the police's sirens screeched through the forest. Si Yeon's eyes widened in shock, glancing through the tree barks.
"Young Lady, the police are coming! We have to flee!" the gunman alerted. Si Yeon tightened her jaw as she shot a glare at the warehouse.
"Jin-ho… did you call your uncle?!" she snapped, but timing was against her. She had to flee before getting caught.
While Si Yeon angrily fled the area, Jin-ho smirked, closing the distance between Seol Ah's head and his chest. Without my permission, no one will touch her.
He sighed in relief, looking up at the ceiling as the sirens grew louder. Still disoriented, Seol Ah panted as she clutched onto Jin-ho's chest. He glanced at her and smiled faintly.
"We are safe… you're safe for now—"
Then Seol Ah's eyes rolled back, closing, as she finally collapsed after hearing the word "safe".
"Seol Ah!" Jin-ho's voice descended as everything turned black for Seol Ah. As he turned, a man stood before him. Jin-ho froze, gasping as he looked up. "Uncle…"
After the policemen arrested the three men who attacked Seol Ah, Seol Ah was sent to the hospital. The policemen took Jang Yu to the police station, with a doctor on the way, ensuring that her parents would be notified. However, when the policemen entered Jang Yu's residence, the front gate's lock was loose, and the entire house was ransacked.
No one was left… alive.
Hours had passed, and Seol Ah had not opened her eyes yet. Yu Young sat beside her hospital bed, waiting tiredly and hoping every second that Seol Ah would wake up.
As the sunrays flashed through the hospital window, Seol Ah's eyes twitched from the subtle burning sensation. Before anyone knew it, Seol Ah opened her eyes and blinked repeatedly to clear her vision. She groaned and sighed heavily.
The heartbeat machine's noise grew louder as she realized the room was white.
"Where… am I?" she mumbled. One of her eyes closed as she forced the other to open. "Am I dead?"
Seol Ah then leaned to one side, pushing herself to sit. When she turned to look at the window, Yu Young was there, sitting and sleeping after a restless day.
"Omma…" Seol Ah called softly.
Yu Young jolted out of her chair, shaking her head as she looked around before locking eyes with Seol Ah.
"Seol Ah!" she called happily, tears streaming down her face.
Seol Ah smiled, opening her arms.
"Omma… you're here," Seol Ah said. Yu Young suddenly frowned, raising her hand and slapping Seol Ah's back. "Ah. Omma!"
"Who told you that you could be there alone?" Yu Young cried angrily. Then she slapped Seol Ah's back again.
"Omma—"
"Omma? If you know that I'm your mother, you should have told me that you would go somewhere that dangerous!" Yu Young argued, sobbing with frustration. "I didn't raise you to be reckless, Seol Ah! You should have just called the police immediately!"
Then she shoved Seol Ah a little, wailing.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Am I going to have to follow you everywhere?!"
Yu Young sat down on a chair, slumping her arms. Seol Ah frowned with guilt and shame, averting her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Omma…" Seol Ah whispered.
Yu Young rubbed her hands against her eyes, slapping her knees.
"Why do you not care about yourself? Do you know how I would feel if I had lost you?" Yu Young added.
Seol Ah bit her lower lip, reaching to grab Yu Young's hand. Seol Ah then looked at her.
"Omma, I get it… I'm sorry."
Yu Young sniffled one last time before raising both arms around Seol Ah's neck and hugging her tightly.
"I don't want to lose you… my daughter," Yu Young muttered.
Seol Ah cried silently as she nodded and leaned against Yu Young's shoulder.
"I'm very sorry…"
Days had gone by. Po Lim never stopped to ask what happened, nor did she think she had to care. Jin-ho disappeared for a while, not meeting Seol Ah at school or the front of her house. Although Seol Ah disliked Jin-ho following her around, she pondered if he would ever show up again.
Meanwhile, at school, Seol Ah became a hot topic for the students to gossip about. A sixteen-year-old high schooler took down three mafia or gangsters.
Instead of being put down as an adopted child now, Seol Ah was either respected or feared. It wasn't just at her school that others started to notice her… even the school Si Yeon attended began to talk about Seol Ah.
One male student at Si Yeon's school leaned over her shoulder.
"I heard that it was your men who got injured by this… Jang Seol Ah," he whispered, snickering.
Si Yeon turned around and kicked him down instantly. Every student took a step back and gasped. She scoffed, grinning at the boy on the ground. The one who dared to speak lowly of her.
"Do you want to have a go with my men then?" she sneered. Then she placed her shoe on his temple and applied pressure. "Maybe I should have them teach you and your family a lesson."
The classroom teacher walked into the classroom, slamming her papers down loudly.
"Young Si Yeon! What's going on right now?!" the teacher shouted.
Si Yeon quickly grabbed her backpack and stormed out of the classroom without a response.
"She's crazy!" one laughed. The others chimed in. The teacher raised her hand, her face sour.
"Daebak! Young Si Yeon! Stop right there!" the teacher yelled, following Si Yeon to the hallway.
Si Yeon just kept walking and exited the school's gate. That bitch will get it. No one ever dared to look down on my father's people! EVER!