Chapter 8

Kian carefully parked the car in front of the house. Mina looked at her watch. It's past 9 PM. 

She had been anxiously troubled. She did not know what to reason out why she came home late. Mr. Yoo must be home at this hour.

Mina got out of the car first and then her tutor. Her heavy and slow steps could tell she didn't want to get inside. She was sure Mr. Yoo would scold her terribly.

When Kian noticed she looked so worried, he walked past her and rang the doorbell for her. Mina felt more nervous.

The gate opened automatically. No Ms. Kim showed up. Mina stepped inside but her tutor did not.

"We're not having class tonight."

"W..Why teacher?" 

"I don't think you can focus studying after what happened to you. You better sleep early." 

'But.. won't you help me explain to my grandfather?' Mina was almost in tears thinking she would face her grandfather alone.

Kian left without even saying bye to her. Mina felt disappointed again. She closed the gate and walked to the house.

Ms. Kim welcomed her with a smile. "Go to your room and wash up first. I will prepare your dinner."

Instead of leaving, she stood closely to the old lady. "Is grandfather angry?"

"Why??" Her question surprised Ms. Kim.

"I came home l..late." She lowered her voice.

Ms. Kim gently stroke her hair. "Your tutor informed Mr. Yoo earlier that you were with him. Why would he get angry. In fact, he's happy about it."

Shock displayed on Mina's face. "Happy?? Did my tutor tell him w..what happened.. I mean why I was with him?"

"Mr. Park is a tutor, you are his student. What would your grandfather expect you could be doing together? Of course, studying."

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Mina couldn't sleep. She kept tossing on her bed.

She closed her eyes again but questions surrounding her tutor were bothering her. 

Why did her tutor suspiciously meet that guy at Gangsil? Why was he at Liang St.? How did he know she was being chased? Did he lie to her grandfather? 

Mina opened her eyes and checked the clock on the small table beside her bed. It's past 2 AM.

She pulled the blanket and tried to cover her face. But her tutor appeared in her mind. 

'Is he really a college student? Did he fake his ID? What if he did? Does that mean he is a bad guy? But he has helped me a lot already.' Mina's thoughts were making her insane.

'My grandfather is smart. I am sure he checked his background first before hiring him. Besides, we have a lot of bodyguards here. But.. how about me? I don't have one. I commute to and from school every day.' Fear suddenly crept on her body.

It was very quiet. The silence was deafening.

A sudden phone call.

'Dang!' It startled her. 

She got up and looked at her phone. It's an unknown number.

'Is that the same number that was calling me last time?'

Mina hurriedly answered the call.

"Hello?" She answered.

No one's speaking. 

"Hello?" 

Mina waited for a few seconds.

Mina didn't end the call yet. She knew there was someone on the other line. She was certain someone's listening to her.

"If your hobby is messing up with people, get lost." She hung up, feeling pissed off.

After putting her phone on the table, she jumped to her bed.

She sighed, she's annoyed. 'Who's that?'

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Kian Park

#245 Sil-Gu Villa, Gangsil District

22 years old

SN University

College of Education, Math Department

[phone]

"Can I have that now?" Ms. Kim asked her.

The old lady's question snapped Mina out of her deep stare at her tutor's application form.

She felt relieved that the unknown number that had been calling her was not her tutor's. But her suspicion grew crazy again seeing a different address. She was sure she was taken to Jeonwu last night and not to Sil-Gu Villa.

While Ms. Kim was putting back the application form in the white envelope, she spoke. "Don't tell your tutor I showed this to you, okay?"

Mina nodded and continued eating her breakfast.

"By the way, why did you ask for this?" 

Mina got her phone on the table. She searched for the call logs and showed the unknown number to her. "Do you know this number?"

Ms. Kim curiously looked at the number. She shook her head.

A good idea crossed Mina's mind. "Ms. Kim, can you please dial this number? It might appear in your contacts."

"Sure. Wait, I'll get my phone. I left it in my room."

A few minutes, she returned with her phone. Mina showed her the number and she typed it. But it wasn't in her contact list also.

Mina sighed, she really wanted to know who that person was.

"Mina, it's ringing!"

Mina's eyes widened when Ms. Kim was handing her the phone. She told her to end the call, but it's too late.

"Hello?" Someone suddenly spoke on the other line.

Mina hesitated but Ms. Kim made her hold the phone.

She cleared her throat. "H..Hello?"

Ms. Kim was looking at her, she was also waiting for that person's response.

But as expected, no one spoke again when Mina answered.

'You are getting on my nerves!' Mina flared up.

She ended the call.

Ms. Kim got her phone back and let Mina sit down again. She made her drink, she knew she got annoyed.

"How many times that person has called you?" Ms. Kim asked.

"Twice."

Ms. Kim patted her on her back. "I think that person is just one of those pranksters. So, just ignore him."

It was a guy's voice.

Mina was distracted. She kept thinking about that voice. Even though she tried to recall all the familiar voices that she had already heard, she could not recognize it. 

'Who is he? Why has he called me twice? What does he want from me?'

Mina could not help but think the world liked giving her so many inexplicable questions.

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Friday.

A guy showed up in front Yuri. He handed her a piece of paper. He threatened her that she would regret if she refused to give it to Mina. 

Yuri was troubled. She didn't know what to do. Images of those brutally harassed students frightened her.

"There she is." Yuri let out a deep sigh. As she entered the school canteen, a piece of paper slipped from her hand.

She was about to bend down but her eyes grew bigger when she saw Kian who was already holding the piece of paper.

Yuri looked scared. 

Kian stepped a bit closer to Yuri and made her hold the note. "Keep it."

"Y..Yes." 

He gave Yuri a serious stare. "Don't worry. I will help you."

Kian left.

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"Can I share table with you?" It's Yuri. 

With a bland expression, Mina told her she could. Her classmate smiled at her.

'Pretentious girl!' Mina thought.

"You must hate me for what happened at Hannan Street. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me." 

Mina ignored her.

"I didn't know the guy who helped you that night is your tutor. He was here last time, right?"

What Yuri said surprised Mina. 'How did she know he's my tutor?'

Mina didn't react and pretended to be busy eating.

"I know I'm not in a place to ask you this. But I can't think of anyone who could help me." Yuri's voice suddenly sounded different. It got a little shaky.

This time, Mina faced her. "What's wrong?" 

The first bell rang. Three minutes before their class.

Yuri didn't finish her food. She rose up and rushed out the canteen.

Mina stood up. When she held her lunch box, she noticed a piece of paper on the table. 

'Did Yuri leave it?' She soullessly got it.

The bell rang again. 

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While the bell was ringing, Kian saw Yuri. He walked beside her. "Meet me at the library after your class." 

Yuri saw how his eyes fired with anger. She rushed to the classroom, feeling extremely worried. 

The hallway was empty. All the students had just entered their classrooms.

Mina hastened her steps. Holding her phone and lunch box, the piece of paper in her hand suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.

She quickly bent down to pick the paper but those words written on it caught her eyes. She stood up and read it. BE CAREFUL, MINA.

Shocked at what she just read, she crumpled the paper in her hand. She refused to get scared. 

'Yuri fooled me again.' Mina thought. 

She lifted her head. A few steps from her, someone was already standing and looking at her fixedly. Mina could see those fiery eyes.

With her surprise, she stepped back. Sudden quivers in her body.

The person who was standing in front of her was him, her tutor!

His fiery eyes. Those shivers. Everything was new, as if she did not know who was facing her.

"Mina Yoo, why are you still standing there? Get inside. Mr. Kian Park will start his demo teaching."