“That’s a relief.” I let out breath, then swallow more tea, grateful for the way it warms up my insides. “Thank you for stepping in. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up.”
“You were holding your own quite admirably,” he says with a small smile. “That strike to his throat was impressive.”
“Self-defense classes in college.”
“Ah,” he says, nodding approvingly. “Time well spent, it seems.”
“Yeah, who would’ve thought it’d come in handy in a whole different country.”
A beat of silence passes. Then he gently broaches the obvious.
“May I ask why you didn’t want to identify yourself to the police? It’s your right, of course. I’m simply curious.”
I hesitate, carefully choosing my words. “I just... prefer to keep a low profile. The police tend to dig too much. Ask too many questions, and I like to keep my personal life private.”
Mr. Noh’s gaze is steady, his expression thoughtful. I can tell he’s still curious—maybe even suspicious—but he doesn’t press the matter any further. Instead he simply nods.
“I understand. Everyone has their reasons.”
The door bursts open and interrupts our chat.
Jin strides into the office, his composure cracked in a way I’ve rarely seen. His eyes find me immediately, scanning me from head to toe as if checking for injuries. Then he’s crossing the room in three long strides, pulling me up out of the chair and into his arms.
“What happened?” he demands, his voice tight. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I say, face pressed into his chest. “Jin, I’m okay. I promise I am.”
He pulls back enough for a closer look at my face, his hands cradling my jaw. “Tell me everything.”
“A man attempted to rob Miss Ross outside the school,” Mr. Noh explains for me. “But she was holding her own quite well. She even managed to cut off his air supply before I intervened.”
Jin’s gaze snaps to the vice-principal as if he’s an enemy. “Why are there criminals outside a school? There are women and children here. Why is it not safer for them?”
“I assure you, this area normallyisvery safe. This was an isolated incident?—”
“An isolated incident that could have gotten her killed.”
“Jin,” I say gently, placing a hand on his arm, drawing hisattention back to me. “Mr. Noh helped me. The mugger had me against the wall, and he showed up. If it wasn’t for him, I probablywould’vebeen seriously hurt.”
Jin pauses for a second processing this new piece of information. He’s still so tense his muscles feel rigid and harder than steel. His jaw remains clenched, more angular than usual as his body radiates pure hot ire.
But he recognizes what I’ve said and gives a stiff nod.
“Thank you,” he says to Mr. Noh. “For intervening and helping my fiancé.”
Mr. Noh nods back graciously. “It was no trouble at all. I take the safety of my students and my teachers—and their children—very seriously.”
There’s a small twinkle in his gaze that tells me he’s figured it out. He knows I’m expecting… or at least senses that I am.
We thank him one last time, then Jin leads me out of the office, eager to get me home.
“I told you it was too dangerous,” Jin lectures for the fifth time in the last two hours.
I’m curled up on the couch fiddling with my phone while he paces through our living room, hardly his usual composed self.
The fact that his fiancée—hispregnantfiancée no less—was mugged at knifepoint is something he’s not letting go anytime soon.
“You said there was nothing to worry about,” I remind him. “Remember? You said you were being cautious and I had no reason to be concerned. Was this some guy from your world, Jin?”
