The Running Game

Chapter 10

Winter 2009

After a feast and endless teasing about Lim Soo Ho from her friends, she went back to her grandma's shop. That day she was alone in the shop, her grandma was at home because of the sudden relapse of her blood sugar. It was past 10 pm and it was time to close the shop. But when she was about to lock the shop, her grandma called to stop by the pharmacy because she ran out of stock of her prescription meds. Hence, she went to the pharmacy even though she just wanted to go straight home. The nearest pharmacy was located in a crowded district where bars and late night restaurants were lining the street. She just didn't want to bump into some drunken men that might do something to harass her because she was alone. But her grandma's health is on the line, so she decided to go.

After she paid for the medicine, she quickly headed out. It was really crowded because it was the weekend. She tried to walk as quickly as possible, but unfortunately two tipsy drunk men noticed her presence ever since she walked out of the pharmacy. And they followed her. They tried catcalling her, but she ignored them and walked even faster.  She was scared, really scared. The men finally caught up with her and forcefully grabbed her wrists.

"Let me go or I'm calling the police!" She threatened them as she tried to free her wrists.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be wandering around at night. How about keeping us company tonight?" One of the men disgustingly stroked her wrist.

"I could scream really loud if you don't take your filthy hands off me!" She tried to swat them, but it was useless.

"You can scream later at the hotel, honey. I'll make sure–"

The drunken man's sentence was cut by a sudden blow of fist that hit his jaw.

It's him!

It's Lim Soo Ho!

The other drunken man who did not accept the fact that his friend was being knocked out, suddenly pushed her roughly to the ground and challenged his opponent to fight with him.

Soo Ho only saw red in his vision and he accepted the drunken man's challenge to fight him. He tried to dodge his hit but even though that man was tipsy, his reflex and his aim was still as good as a sober person. Until, the man quickly pulled out a knife from his pocket.

A gasp left her mouth when she saw it, she was really afraid for his safety. Her finger won't stop punching the numbers in her phone, she tried to call the police for help. She was screaming when that man ran to Soo Ho and aimed the knife at him. She heard a groan as if someone was being hurt, then she saw that man was already on the floor clutching his crotch and Soo Ho stood tall next to him with blood dripping from his arm. And that's when the police started to approach them.

"SOO HO!" she quickly ran to him. Taking him out from the scene.

His breath was heaved, but he finally calmed when he finally saw her. He put his hands on her cheeks. "Young Ro, are you okay? It's okay, don't cry."

She didn't realized that tears had already fallen from her eyes and his finger quickly wiped them. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let's go to the hospital! You're bleeding." The panicky note in her voice couldn't be hidden anymore as her trembling hands quickly clutched his biceps.

"Young Ro-ya, It's alright, I'm not hurt. It's just a scratch."  He smiled at her, his hand was still on her cheeks

She saw the wound but it didn't look deep like it would require stitches.

After Soo Ho and her gave their testimony to the police they went back to the pharmacy to buy the first aid kit for him to get him treated.

She tended his wound gently with povidone iodine liquid. She heard a groan from him because he was stinging with pain.