Page 33 of Gumiho Kiss
“Don’t touch what belongs to me, or I will tear you apart.”
A flush broke out over Hyun Soo’s neck despite himself.What could she have meant by that?She couldn’t have been referring to him....
But if not him, what else could she have been talking about?
The answer hit him like a splash of cold water.It was because he was her bodyguard.That had to be it.
“There was ...someone else,” Lady Lee replied.“He came and—and took him away.”
“Someone else?Who?”
“It was a?—”
Clomping footsteps drew their attention to the main gate.A dozen black-robed police officers swarmed into the school courtyard like wasps, spreading out in all directions with spears ready.One policeman branched off to inspect the corpse, then gestured to the others.From the back of the group came a tall officer in a blue inspector uniform, a sword fastened to his side.He spoke with the policeman kneeling by the dead scholar, expression grave, then seemed to notice Hyun Soo and Lady Lee for the first time.
The officer strode up to them, the amber beads on his police hat swinging back and forth.He bowed before addressing Hyun Soo.“Thank you for your patience.I’ll just need to ask the two of you a few—” His eyes slid over to Lady Lee and widened in surprise.“Chin Sun, what are you doing here?”
Hyun Soo stepped in front of his mistress, blocking the officer’s view.“Who are you?”He did nothing to disguise the indignation burning within him.How dare this man address her so informally!Not even Dol Sam spoke to Lady Lee like that.
The officer frowned and took a moment to size Hyun Soo up, wrinkling his nose.“I’m Inspector Kim.And you are?”His voice was sharp with annoyance.
Hyun Soo glared in return.“Park Hyun Soo,Lady Lee’snew bodyguard.”
“Bodyguard?”Inspector Kim’s jaw tightened.“Chin—Lady Lee, is that true?”
Lady Lee stepped out from behind Hyun Soo, much to his disappointment, and bowed to the officer.“Yeh.You’re looking well.And you’re an inspector now—very impressive.”
Hyun Soo’s head whipped between the two in confusion.He didn’t like the friendly, almost affectionate, grin on Lady Lee’s face.She was Dol Sam’s fiancée.She shouldn’t be giving others false hope, especially not this policeman who looked much too young to be an inspector.“You ...how do you two know each other?”
“Inspector Kim’s family used to live next to mine.We often played together as children, but we haven’t seen each other in a very long time.”Lady Lee gave the inspector a pointed glance, something unspoken passing between them.
“I got you out of quite a few scrapes, didn’t I?”Inspector Kim leered.
Hyun Soo waited for Lady Lee to shut him down, to remind him of proper decorum between grown men and women.Especially when one of them was betrothed.
Instead, a teasing glint came into Lady Lee’s eye.“Is that how you remember our childhood?Funny, I thought I got you out of trouble far more often.”
Inspector Kim had the gall to look sheepish.“Perhaps my memory is faulty.I?—”
“Aren’t you here on official police business?”Hyun Soo interrupted.“Or do I need to complain to your supervisor?”
“Mr.Park,” Lady Lee snapped, “there’s no need for such rudeness.”
Inspector Kim held up his hand.“No, he’s right.We can reminisce about the old days another time.The scholar who came to us explained what happened”—he jerked his chin toward the corpse—“but he also said someone went hunting for the killer.I assume he meant you?”He raised his eyebrows at Hyun Soo as if he didn’t think the bodyguard was brave enough to do such a thing.
Hyun Soo responded with a haughty smile.“I’m always ready to defend those who need it.As an officer, I’m sure you understand.”
Inspector Kim rolled his eyes.“Well?Did you find the killer then?”
Hyun Soo grimaced, the bravado whooshing out of him as he recalled their fearsome adversary.“Yeh, but ...”
How would this inspector take it if he told him there was a real ghost here?Hyun Soo hadn’t been in Sokju long, but from what he’d seen, superstition didn’t hold much weight with most of the citizens.
After a few beats, the inspector added, “The scholar said the victim shouted ‘Gwishin’ before he passed.Is that true?”
Lady Lee jumped in before Hyun Soo could answer.“He did, but it’s not what you’re thinking, Inspector.He wasn’t talking about the vigilante.”
“He wasn’t?But then, why would he say that?”
