Page 15 of Gumiho Kiss
Mr.Park raised his eyebrows as if to say,Is that the best you can do?
Chin Sun smirked, injury forgotten.This was going to be fun.She thrust her sword forward, so quickly she was almost a blur, and Mr.Park parried just in time.He struck toward her core, but she evaded him gracefully, sliding to the right before moving into a defensive pose.
Mr.Park attacked a second time to the same effect.Chin Sun tried to knock his legs out from under him, but he lurched out of the way.Back and forth the two moved, almost in a dance as their swords clashed again and again, neither able to overtake the other.Chin Sun pressed into her gifts as hard as she could, but again, she came up against that mental wall, leaving her wondering what might lie on the other side.
“Impressive,” Mr.Park admitted.Chin Sun had purposely led him away from the center of the city, and they now stood at its very edge.Rice paddy fields stretched out at her back, and great mountains rose in the distance.“I see why no one has captured you.”
“They don’t call me the Ghost for nothing.”She blocked a weak attack to her right, then twirled out of reach.“But I’m more curious about you.Did Hong send you?He must be desperate if he’s hiring common thugs now.”
A muscle twitched in her opponent’s jaw, sending a ripple of pleasure through her.She’d gotten under his skin.Perfect.
What she couldn’t do through skill with a blade she’d accomplish with her barbed tongue.There was more than one way to overpower an enemy.And distracted ones were prone to all kinds of mistakes.
Chin Sun swung at his chest.He blocked with his sword before metal met skin, his mouth curving with amusement.
Not as distracted as she’d thought.
“Since you’re so interested, thereissomething you should know about me,” he said.
“What’s that?”Chin Sun stepped back, allowing him the next move.She purposely left her chest unguarded to see if he would go for the obvious play.Then she could knock the sword out of his hand and flee to the woods at the mountains’ base.As entertaining as this back-and-forth was, she was growing tired.She needed to end this before things got messy.
He sliced toward her center, then at the last second, pivoted to the right.Chin Sun swerved to counter the attack, realizing his intent just before he made contact.She was too late.He cut into her left arm, right where she’d been injured.
Chin Sun gasped as pain ricocheted through her body, her blade clattering to the ground.She grabbed her arm; the sleeve was already damp with blood.
A second strike sliced just below her ribs, and she dropped to one knee with an all-too-feminine cry.Her head swam, black spots peppering her vision.
Mr.Park hesitated for a split second before moving closer, victory flashing in his eyes.“I never start a fight without first knowing my enemy’s weakness.”
Irritation surged through her, hot and overpowering.And strong enough to break through the fog descending on her mind.She gave his legs a great push, knocking him off his feet, then drew herself up and raced toward the mountains, her sword abandoned in the dirt.
Mr.Park’s feet pounded behind her.The forest lay ahead, growing thicker the farther she fled from the city.She weaved in and out of the trees, trying to lose the stubborn bodyguard, but he clung to her trail like a dog after a fox.Her energy was fading, draining out of her with the blood dripping onto the cold ground.
Chin Sun scrambled over a thick log, searching for a place to hide.Her dizzy mind spun in circles.Had she already gone this way?She’d grown up playing in these woods with Min Joon, but now everything looked the same.Sweat gathered on her skin, her breath coming in short pants.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled.Mr.Park was getting closer.
This form made her too big of a target.It might be time to resort to extreme measures.
Chin Sun blinked a few times, trying to shake off the idea, though she couldn’t remember why it was unwise anymore.She was so tired.
Heavy footsteps made her rapid heart fly faster, and before she could stop herself, her human form slipped away.
* * *
Hyun Soo dashed after the vigilante, amazed at the fellow’s breakneck pace after sustaining such heavy injuries.He seemed almost more like a ghost than a man, and when he slipped into the woods, it was all Hyun Soo could do to keep from losing him completely.
But he’d promised Dol Sam he’d protect Lady Lee, and that was what he was going to do.Once Gwishin was eliminated, he could ask Dol Sam to help him acquire a government position.From there, he’d work his way up until he’d rebuilt the reputation he’d lost.Then Father would realize he’d made a mistake, and the two of them could?—
He needed to slow down.There were too many variables still up in the air.Too many things that could go wrong.
Even so, stopping Gwishin was a step in the right direction, and the hope of restoration bolstered his endurance despite the fatigue creeping into his muscles.
A strange scraping sound to the right drew his attention, and he veered toward it.A wild boar lifted its head from the base of a nearby tree, staring straight at him.Hyun Soo carefully backed away from the animal, not wanting to startle it.After a moment, it seemed to lose interest in him and returned to scratching at the tree bark.
Hyun Soo sighed in relief, then hurried off in the direction Gwishin had fled.Where had that fiend gone?
The screeching of bats and chirping of insects inundated his ears, but he could no longer detect Gwishin’s light steps.The terrain was rockier now, with several drop-offs and dangerously steep inclines.Hyun Soo picked up his pace, praying he hadn’t let the elusive criminal slip away.
