. The Hunt Begins

[A] sudden chill swept down her spine, freezing her dead in track from the unexpectedly vile remark. A sense of panic, accompanied by a grisly stir in the gut swamped through her as cold sweat trickled down the side of her forehead.

A rat? By all means, was he referring to her?

Sinister thoughts raced through her head, intensifying the feeling of dread she perceived from such a ludicrous possibility.

"B-boss? What are you saying?!" The timid question of one of the lackeys nearly startled her, but she was fast to regain her composure.

Pressing herself to the wall, Lee Ju-hee discreetly turned an ear toward the source and eavesdropped on their conversations.

The rest of the group was just as confused as the one who'd asked, exchanging a few perplexed stares among themselves as if to seek an unvoiced explanation.

"Which part of what I just said was hard for you fuckers to understand?" The boss scolded callously and then proceeded to bark another order: "bring me that wench! I can tell it's her."

Her eyes abruptly widened in astonishment as she understood the implications of his words, and her heart started beating rapidly, like the hammer of a blacksmith:

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of her pounding heart worried her, as she didn't want it to give away her current location. Anxious, Lee Ju-hee felt a looming danger in the air, with threats and insults clearly directed at her.

She had no clue how he had figured it out, but it was clear that the man wasn't stupid. He probably knew right from the beginning that she was following them.

Cautiously, Lee Ju-hee took a few steps backward and waited until she was fully camouflaged in the darkness before bolting in the opposite direction. She ran swiftly through the narrow streets, as if her feet were ablaze, making her way towards the busy main roads.

If her gut feeling was right, they wouldn't dare harm her in a crowded area. And indeed, she soon discovered that she had made the correct decision to act quickly.

"I ain't got a clue what the hell we're huntin' for!" a gruff voice sliced through the eerie darkness, unmistakably belonging to a gang member.

A response came in a rough tone, "Shit, man! I ain't got a fuckin' clue either! But we don't wanna mess with the boss, ya dig?!"

"Tsk, tsk! Quit your yappin' and let's get movin'!" chimed in a third voice, urging the group forward. The thumping sounds of hasty footsteps echoed around.

The voices she heard in the pathways she had recently taken confirmed her suspicions. However, she had no intention of pausing to verify her theory, let alone getting involved in a fight. The circumstances weren't favorable, and she was significantly outnumbered.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed shadows moving in the darkness, which made her feel uneasy.

But her unease didn't last for long. As she gradually reached the entrance, the sight of light reassured her. She slowed down her pace and started walking, taking a moment to catch her breath, and unaware that she had been holding it.

In her mind, she was convinced that they would never be able to find her in this place.

If they did somehow succeed, she would end up blending among the mass to mask her trails. Which would make it even harder for them to track her down or even attack her.

It had ended up to her advantage. The thought barely crossed her mind, when the silhouette of someone stood in the way, obstructing her path to the outside world.

A stern frown carved her brows, as she narrowed her eyes to the figure blocking her only escape route.

She still had a few more steps to go till she could make it out of this shithole. But this guy?

Only one word echoed painfully in her mind: How?

"Che! You going somewhere?" a voice filled with spiteful mockery called out loudly. She trembled, not out of fear of being caught, but due to an underlying insinuation.

His tone reminded her of a predator — intimidating, ruthless, and menacing.

The quiver in her body was but a natural reaction that warned her of the imminent danger. She wasn't naïve; she had killed before to regain control over her life, and she could tell when someone was a real threat.

There was something about this man that made her think he enjoyed killing.

As he approached her, his features, previously obscured by the bright lights behind him, became clear and distinct.

It was him, the gang's boss. She realized.

That one word pulsated through her mind again as she started experiencing the beginning of what looked to be a headache.

How did he find her? That fast?

This was humanly impossible unless he'd placed an electronic tracker on her. But where? And why would he?

Various trivial thoughts inundated her mind, yet his insignificant deductions stirred her from her state of confusion, prompting him to pose the question, "You must be wondering how?"

Under any normal circumstances, she would've admitted to wanting to know. But time and luck were not on her side tonight. Her guarded eyes vigilantly scanned her surroundings. So far, he was the only one to have found her.

It wouldn't be such unachievable feat to take down one guy, right? How hard could it be?!

"Why were you listening to walls like some rats, hmm?" His pitch-black eyes observed her with rough severity, the ridiculed plastered to his lordly smirk. "Did you wanna play so bad?"

"How did you find me?" She asked dismissively, picking up on the twisted amusement in his voice.

"Hmm?! Good question! I wonder how, indeed…" he responded, pretending ignorance and finding amusement in their interaction. Then, casually pointing at his nose, he revealed, "You see, I've got a better sense of smell than your regular person."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you heard!" Shrugging indifferently, he pointed out with sickening impishness: "Your deliciously sweet scent mixed with the smell of sweat! That's how I found you!"

Lee Ju-hee was in utter disbelief at his crackbrained words. "You mean to say you tracked me down like a hound?"

"That description fits perfectly, but I detest being referred to as a dog!" His voice took on a menacing tone, and a threatening look flashed in his black eyes. Then, as if attempting to bargain with a child, he added, "Be a sweetheart, don't call me that, okay?"

"How about you being one and letting me go instead?"

He produced a dallying taunt: "Only if you let me see your face!"

She knew it wouldn't be this simple. Moreover, it was out of question to let him have a glimpse of her face. The price of such an act would be hefty. It would involve living her life under the constraints of knowing that someone else's was aware of her identity.

Besides, if this guy was in anyway whatsoever connected to her foes, death would be greeting her at her doorstep sooner or later.

"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse!"

"Is that so?" he responded with an amused tone, seemingly unfazed by her refusal. His lips curled into a sinister grin as he confessed, "Well, since you won't oblige when asked politely, I suppose I'll have to resort to more forceful methods then!"

Abruptly, he lunged forward, abandoning his previously relaxed posture, and reached out with one hand outstretched, trying to grab her face.

Alerted by his actions, she was nimble on her heels, side-stepping his possible grip by an inch and retaliated by swiping at him in the face. He himself looked adept, since her punch grazed his chin by a hair's breadth as he reflexively performed a double back-stepping diagonal dodge.

"Hoh?" he exclaimed, showing mild amusement. "So you can fight, huh?"

Undoubtedly, this man possessed remarkable reflexes. She couldn't help but express her frustration with a disapproving click of her tongue upon realizing this fact.

"I could say the same thing about you!"

Getting ready to fight, he positioned himself in a stance that showed his determination to uncover her true identity. His voice carried a hint of excitement as he proclaimed, "Che! This is about to get interesting!"