Maybe It's You (It's You Series #1)

7 ✽ The Stalker's Identity

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The moment the girls bolted off, their stalker gave chase. Flustered at the fact that he was losing sight of them, he followed them into an alley and realised at the last second that they had led him into a dead end.

When he spun around, Eun-bi was already blocking his exit. Da-hee huddled behind her lady, cautiously peeking out from behind to look at the man – correction, a young boy – who looked no older than them. He was dressed in some sort of a guard's attire, but his face looked far too young for his job and she can't help but feel a twinge of sadness for him.

But why was he stalking them?

Eun-bi studied him from head to toe, swinging a boom around that she had 'borrowed' along the way and trying to act as menacing as she could. Being her mother's daughter, she was certain she could pull off that act very well.

"What do we have here? We don't get beautiful boys chasing our tails every day. Right, Da-hee?" she asked and her maid bobbed her head nervously in agreement. "How can we be of service? If you give us a reasonable explanation, we might spare you from getting spanked at the magistrate's office," she smirked.

A mixture of surprise and bewilderment reflected on the boy's face. The next thing he did caught both girls off guard when he dropped his head into a deep bow.

"I-I apologies, my ladies. It's not what it looks like."

"Oh, really?" She eyed him suspiciously while swinging her broom again as if it was a spear. "Reveal your intentions in this instance or else I will – AH CHOO!" She sneezed loudly, swatting the dust away from her face. "Ughhh, I swear this broom is going to be the death of me."

"Where were we again? Oh right! Explain yourself for following us!" She crossed her arms and shot him a death glare. "Why were you sneaking about behind us?"

Wearing a sheepish look on his face, the boy asked for pardon again. "My lady, my name is Soo Hyun-jun and I'm required to bring you to my lord, whom I believe you met the other day in the fields. He has lost something that's valuable to him on that day and believes that you might have it. By any chance, did you happen to find a jade charm?"

"A jade charm...?" Eun-bi scratched her head thoughtfully before her face lit up in realisation. "Yes, I did. It sure is a pretty accessory!"

His face relaxed slightly. "Do you have it with you? My lord will be grateful if you could return it and he will reward you handsomely."

"Erm," she paused. "I'm afraid not. I sold it to the pawnshop."

Her response made his face turn pale immediately and the poor boy looked as though he was about to faint. One could tell that he was a novice at his job and he was obviously afraid that his lord would scold him. Eun-bi felt a twinge of guilt for lying to him but it was necessary if she wanted to lure out her prey.

"It's for compensation for my medical costs!" she explained quickly. "You see, my bruises hurt so badly that I could barely walk straight ever since this morning."

The moment she mentioned her injuries, Hyun-jun observed her from head to toe, before frowning at her oddly. "But you seem to be walking well–"

"No, I'm not!" She cut in immediately, ignoring Da-hee who wasn't being much of a help by rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disbelief. "If your lord didn't obstruct my way then, I wouldn't have fallen off the horse and gotten these bruises. This shall consider us even, yes?"

As seconds ticked by, Hyun-jun was growing more anxious. Clearly, this matter wasn't going in the way he was expecting. "May I ask where you pawn the jade charm?"

Eun-bi tried to suppress a cheeky grin. This was her chance! "I've a poor memory... Maybe if your master might consider saying an apology in person, it might help me regain my memory."

He bit his bottom lip "That's going to be quite a problem, my lord is so busy with his duties that he has tasked me with this important job. I implore you, my lady, to try to remember the location of the pawnshop so that I can retrieve it."

Eun-bi closed her eyes and pressed a fist to the centre of her forehead, acting as if she was racking her poor brains very hard. "I'm trying but I honestly cannot remember. I hit my head pretty hard when I fell at that time and I'm even having trouble remembering my pet's name. Since I'm unable to help you, we shall bid you farewell."

When she tried to leave, he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Wait, please. J-just try to think one more time–"

She answered him with a question of her own. "How long have you started working as a bodyguard? You look like a novice."

"A month," he answered with a puzzled frown. "Why?"

"If you want to track down your enemies, you should be more furtive. You stick out too much in the crowd, like a flower. But if you're looking to chase after girls instead, do it in a more blatant manner instead of sneaking about. Especially with that adorable look and rear of yours, you'll have no difficulties speaking to girls."

Hyun jun's face grew beet red in utter embarrassment at the brazen words that were coming out of the noblewoman's mouth. Even Da-hee's bewildered eyes had grown so wide that she bore a great resemblance to a lemur.

"I-I..."

Eun-bi winked at him. "Do not fret, good sir, for it is not your fault for being born adorable!"

Poor Hyun-jun's red cheeks grew several shades darker. "A-ah, my lady! Please stop teasing me–"

Taking advantage of his flustered distraction, she grabbed her maid's arm and fled from the scene before he could stop them.