Waiting for Anpanman

Chapter 1: New Life

Lee Eunsoo found herself escaping death once again. Lying in a hospital bed, she drifted in and out of consciousness as she recuperated from her injuries. She had obtained a concussion and multiple deep abrasions on her extremities from a car accident she was involved in a few days ago. She just hoped life didn't change things up and decided to give her a whiplash from how she lived her life.

During her confinement, the Son siblings – the only people Eunsoo considered family – had frequently visited her during her stay in the hospital. But there were waking moments when Eunsoo heard unfamiliar voices as well as the siblings'.

Maybe Son Jaerin was just conducting business again and used my hospital room as a temporary office...

Among the various voices that Eunsoo heard was the voice of a man who was probably in his late fifty's. During the few times the man had visited her hospital room, Eunsoo had caught fragments of his and Son Jaerin's hushed conversations which made her feel uneasy. Though she couldn't comprehend their exchange, it made her somehow feel like she was being put in a tight spot.

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"Welcome home. Too bad you have to pack up right after getting home, though." Jaeho greeted Yoonsoo flatly as he looked at his sister who was in the process of stepping out of a black Jaguar after Yoonsoo. Jaerin shot her younger brother a sharp look. He was totally against sending Yoonsoo away permanently. Jaeho thought his sister was just punishing him in a very unfair manner.

Confused, Yoonsoo turned to Son Jaerin with a questioning look on his face.

"Let's go to your room first." Jaerin sighed tiredly as they entered the Son Clan's massive estate that housed most of Jaerin's goons. Yoonsoo quietly tailed his boss. The feeling of impending dread from a few days ago came back and it was now slowly revealing its source.

As soon as he saw his bulging olive green military-grade backpack resting on the floor, Yoonsoo whirled to face Jaerin. Next to his backpack was a knapsack that, he assumed, contained his battered laptop and other gadgets he had acquired through the years. Everything in his room was already packed into the two lonely bags on the bedroom floor.

"Eomeoni! What is this!?" Yoonsoo called out the Black Dragon gang boss. Jaerin knew, the moment Yoonsoo called her mother, that he was furious. It was something petty that the young man had gotten the habit of doing when he was angry. He knew it irritated Jaerin when it was implied that she was old enough to be someone's mother. "Jaeho said I would need to pack my stuff as soon as I got here but it's already packed! Everything's ready as if you were planning to kick me out the moment I came back! What's going on!? Did the Han's come knocking!? Did the guys find out!? Why are you kicking me out!?" Yoonsoo accused. He was barely keeping his voice even but the bitterness in it was almost physical.

"Uri Yoonsoo..." With shaking hands, Jaerin moved to embrace Yoonsoo but Yoonsoo held up both hands and stopped the woman. It hurt Jaerin to see Yoonsoo like this but she loved him like her own child, even if she would never admit it. She knew she would be willing to grab at any chance to give him a shot at a better life even if it made Yoonsoo hate her in the end. "No, no. Nothing's been revealed – to them at least. This is for the best. I got you another shot at a normal life. You can live the way you were supposed to. Go study at a university. Go on dates with gu... girls you like. Graduate. Work at a company you like. Get married and have –."

"But at what cost!? Dates!? Did you sell me to a brothel!?" Yoonsoo interrupted, clearly seething. He didn't like the direction this conversation was headed.

"I would never! Never sell you or anyone for that matter! The brat that caused this mess... His father owed my father a little more than a life debt. I called in a small favor for you. I told the old man to hire you as his second son's secretary-bodyguard. Since he already asked me to look for a trustworthy bodyguard for his son, it was instantly approved. Two birds with one stone." Jaerin explained trying to soothe Yoonsoo. Brows angrily mashed together, Yoonsoo just stared at his bags.

"Come. They'll be here any sec now to pick you up." Jaerin picked up the army bag and helped Yoonsoo shoulder it. Grabbing the knapsack on the floor and pushing Yoonsoo through the doorway, the duo headed back to the front of the estate in silence.

As they stood in the street waiting for the car that would inevitably take Lee Yoonsoo away forever, Son Jaerin handed Yoonsoo a manila envelope that Yoonsoo hadn't noticed before. "Here. It contains all your legal documents. The legit ones. Figured you might need them if you're going to enroll for college or, you know, need it for legal things... I asked them to send you to school by the way so you can get a degree. It'd be handy when you decide to quit being a bodyguard someday."

"I... I don't know what to say," Yoonsoo said as he looked at the brown envelope he had been handed. He was starting to get emotional and he hated it.

"Just say thank you, imma!" Jaerin responded fondly. "Promise me that, when you get in that car later, you would leave all of Lee Yoonsoo's life behind. Including us. No more fighting and doing dodgy business. Okay?"

"Hoejang-nim! Jeongmal gomawoyo! I promise. I will never forget you!" Before he moved in for a bear hug, Yoonsoo bowed deeply to the woman who had become a mother figure in his life since his parents died.

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A black BMW sedan pulled up in front of two figures waiting in the street. A sleek looking gentleman stepped out of the expensive sedan and approached the waiting individuals.

"Good morning, Miss Son. I am Oh Jae Min, secretary of CEO Nam of Seoul IT Solutions. I assume this is Lee Eunsoo? I'll be taking you to meet your new boss. I'll explain your role and responsibilities as Acting-COO Nam Joo Hyun's secretary-slash-low-key-bodyguard during our drive to the Nam Residence." Mister Oh said as he took Eunsoo's baggage and opened the passenger's side for her, motioning her to get in the car.

"Mister Oh, a quick question though. Why the Nam's residence? Why not at the Acting-COO's office?" Eunsoo asked the man in front of her bluntly.

"Because, Miss Lee, that's where your boss is at this exact moment." The man responded with irritation plain on his face as if to say that he'd rather leave first before talking. Eunsoo already felt that they were not going to be friends any time soon. "He received another death threat yesterday and, so, he refuses to leave the house without a bodyguard. And that would soon be you. And whether you like it or not, you'll be living there as long as you are employed by Master Joo Hyun."

With that in mind, Eunsoo waved Jaerin good bye for the last time before getting into the car. She took one last sweep over the property she had lived in since Son Jaerin had picked her out of the streets, trying to remember each memory she had connected to the Son Estate. She poked her head through the open car window looking for her best friend but to no luck. Son Jaeho did not appear even in that last moment. He must have been really upset about what was happening to hold out on her and not even say good bye.

This day was a surreal experience for Lee Eunsoo. Everything was happening so fast that she could barely wrap her head around what was coming next.

She was leaving the only home she had known for so long in exchange of living with strangers who demanded the use of her body as a human shield to save their paranoid younger son. Her best friend didn't even come to see her off which made her deeply upset. But the most unreal occurrence of the day was when she was called by her real name, Lee Eunsoo.

It has been five years since she last heard her name being spoken. It was her parents who last uttered it. It was on the day that they died from a wretched accident. It still caused Eunsoo's heart to spasm painfully when she remembered her parents when she heard her name. She supposed she had to get used to it once again.

Justlike that, Yoonsoo's life ended and Eunsoo's life restarted. //

A/N:
First, I found the attached photo on Google. He's so pretty, isn't he? I think this is what our leading lady would look like while living under the name Lee Yoon Soo. Very pretty but gives off a little masculine vibe.

Second, this chapter is actually long but I decided to upload the other half separately because it doesn't feel right to add it here. (Annnnd... I haven't finished writing it yet. Hahaha!)

Third, credits to my Student Doctor housemate for providing the proper medical information I needed for this chapter.

Lastly, thank you vonjing17 for the vote on the prologue. It really cheered me up. 😄