Liya and Inu came out of the room after some time. Yul was still immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice them.
"Aren't we going?" Liya asked seeing Yul lost in his thoughts.
Yul heard Liya and responded with a doubt, "Are you sure you are fine to go? We can make it to another day…"
"I am okay. Let's go…"
"As you say then... Did you also get scared Inu?"
Inu looked at Yul hearing the question but didn't reply. It was obvious from his face that he was frightened. Seems Liya's panicking scared Inu too. Yul picked up Inu and said to him, "What was there to be afraid of? When dad's around, no one will do anything to mom and Inu, okay? So never be afraid…"
Yul continued as he went to pick up an umbrella from the stand kept in the living room, "Moreover, if Inu gets afraid so easily, then who will protect mom when dad's not around? So my boy should be brave and courageous. You should eat more and grow big quickly to protect mom, can you?"
Inu listened to Yul carefully and 'growing big to protect mom' got registered in his mind. He replied, "Inu will protect mom."
"Right… From now on Inu will protect mom. Then shall we go and see a doctor to help Inu grow faster?"
Inu nodded his head and held on to Yul's shoulder. Liya was watching all these from back and was wondering why Yul was emphasising on protecting her. 'Was it because of what happened before?' She wasn't sure.
Yul opened the black umbrella and waited for Liya to come after closing the front door. She had planned to just walk through the rain as it had subsided very much than before. But Yul stood there itself insisting her to come along. Unwillingly she submitted to Yul and went under the umbrella.
Now Yul had Inu in his left hand and Liya on his right side, under the same umbrella. As they walked Liya tried to keep some distance between them so as not to touch him. But while avoiding the puddles she accidently slipped on one of the stones Inu had thrown earlier. She grabbed Yul's hand to save herself from falling and made the umbrella shake to the right.
"Did you twist your foot?" Yul asked while pulling Liya back.
"No, I'm fine. I just slipped."
"Where did these stones come from?" Yul saw the stones which were not there before. Liya looked at the culprit and Inu hid behind Yul's head looking somewhere. Yul understood who did this from Liya's stare and chuckled mildly.
"Hold the umbrella," Yul said to Liya. She did as he told though she didn't understand for what.
Yul put his right hand around Liya's shoulder and pulled her close to him. Before Liya could resist he started walking and Liya was pulled along under his support. For the first time she saw Yul's face up close to hers. She could hear his breathing and feel his warm body. He was all serious trying to keep her and Inu safe from the rain and focussed on the path to the gate.
But Liya's heart was beating faster due to the sudden intimacy. 'No… that's not it. I am still recovering from the scare from earlier. It can't be because of him. It's not like I am this close to a man for the first time…No way…' Liya said to herself to avoid the obvious.
Yul opened the car door and placed Inu inside, while Liya raised the umbrella to make way and cover them. But as Yul closed the back door and moved to the front Liya cried suddenly. Her hair had tangled on to Yul's cufflinks and it got pulled now.
"I am so sorry… I didn't notice…" Yul apologized while trying to untangle it. But it was getting more tied and got pulled again.
"Wait…don't pull it…" She said and tried to remove it along with Yul. But it wasn't coming out.
Seeing it getting complex, Liya decided to break it off. It was only few strands of hair after all. She looped the free end of the hair strands next to the cufflinks on her index finger and tried to pull it, so as to break it. But seeing what she was upto Yul stopped her hand.
"Don't break it. I will untie it. Wait…" He said and removed Liya's hand. Then he carefully untied her hair one by one. It took some time but eventually everything came off.
Yul then took the umbrella from Liya and made her sit in the front seat. While closing the door, he said, "Don't cut your hair unnecessarily. I like your long hair…"
Liya was stunned to hear that. 'Did he just say that he likes my long hair? But why?' She thought to herself and stared at Yul while he came to take the driver's seat.
Yul looked at her seeing her stare and asked her what with his eyes. Liya quickly looked outside and avoided him. Yul smiled seeing her embarrassment and started the car.
From a distance another car also started following them beyond the knowledge of Yul. To Liya's fear, the people who followed her had already found out her whereabouts and were watching her closely. The man driving the car kept following Yul and Liya but made sure it was not so conspicuous.
He called someone and informed, "It seems what we heard was right. Yul did marry her. And the child is still with them. I am currently following them. Will tell more in person…" He hung up the call and kept a close distance.