bodyguard ; kth

8 ; two friends

the sun rose into the next morning, creating a beautiful array of colours that spread across the horizon. next to the newly built gate was my newly built office. i was starting to unpack, feeling the need to organise my equipment.

a soft knock on the door halted my movements. i peered at the door, a young teenager walked in. it was the same guy i met on the first day. a heavy cast was still wrapped around his arm.

"so.." he uttered, leaning against the door, "why did you say your name was jung hoseok?" the corners of my lips involuntarily curved upwards, i held back a laugh.

"wanted to see how hard it was to get in," i replied, looking at him.

"oh..and it wasn't right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. i shook my head, smiling slightly. i asked, "never got your name."

"min jae."

"nice to meet you. my real name is taehyung, kim taehyung," i spoke, pulling out a small tube of ointment from my bag. i tossed it towards him, "put it on your arm, it'll help with the burn." he nodded, reading over the labels, "thanks."

"so, are you a friend of aera?" i asked, wondering why a teenager like him was here. jae shook his head, "oh, i actually work here. i'm her driver basically."

"hm," a thought popped in my head. i looked at him, seeing a guy with potential standing in front of me. i smiled, saying, "well..i'm adding more to your job."

"huh?"

"i'm making you my new partner."

"since when?" he asked, his eyes growing wide.

"since now.." i said, turning around to continue unpacking. he was quiet for a little bit, a question was raised a second later, "but why me? wouldn't you want someone more experienced? someone like gun?"

"ha ha ha," i lifted my head back, "i can't stand that guy." jae nodded with a smile, watching me. i continued, "but nah, i need someone with me because in all of my experiences being a bodyguard, i learnt something. no matter how stupid the killer is.. someone always get hit."

"who?" jae asked with excitement in his eyes.

"the cocky teenage chauffeur," i joked.

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i spent the rest of the day touring the mansion. there was a hallway with many awards dedicated to aera. one for best fashion icon, another one for the best album and so on. i moved away from the hallway, walking outside into the garden. there was a small room near the edge, distant music emitted from inside.

the music became louder as i came closer. i looked through the glass doors, there was a big wall mirror with a large music set on the right. a figure was inside, moving to the beat of the music. her hands were in the air, hips swaying and her hair flipping.

i watched her, slowly stepping inside. my eyes darted to a bundle of fluff near the door, it was mochi. i smiled, gently stroking its head.

the music soon faded away as she struck her final pose. i smiled, clapping. she turned around quickly, eyes widening at my presence. she shyly looked down, fiddling with her fingers.

"sorry, i didn't see you," she spoke quietly.

"that's okay," i replied, moving closer to her.

"did you like it? i choreographed it myself."

i nodded, complimenting her, "yeah, it looks great."

"aw, thank you," she blushed slightly.

"is this what you do when you're not helping aera?" i asked, looking around the studio. she nodded timidly, "i guess so. dancing is kinda my hobby, it helps relieve the stress." i hummed, glancing at the walls. there was a photo of two happy girls. jiae noticed me staring and said, "oh, that's me and aera. it was around when we were in high school."

i stared at the photo, glancing over at aera. she smiled beautifully back then too.

"i started a band with my friends, i was the lead singer," she said. i looked at her, saying, "you sing too?" she tilted her head side to side, telling me, "yeah, for a little bit. then aera decided to join..and as you can probably tell, everyone loved her. she had a talent, a rare talent that captivated everyone." i listened, nodding occasionally.

"then before you knew it..she became one of the biggest faces in the music industry. she's not only popular in south korea but worldwide. she's a global star."

i asked, "and you? what happened to your band?" she shrugged, "it wasn't my band anymore..i basically quit after aera's success."

"you never went back?"

she shook her head, saying, "it was pretty obvious who the star in the family was." i couldn't help but notice a little glare in her eyes. it was only for a second but if i blinked, i would've missed it. jiae looked back at the photo, thinking about something.

"she has everything a girl can dream of," she quietly spoke to herself. i was about to say something when my phone started ringing. checking who it was, i slightly laughed, "speaking of the devil."

BEEP BEEP

"hello?"

"taehyung! there's a fucking cockroach in the kitchen! hurry up and get here! my cookies are in the oven and i don't want them to burn! hurry your ass!" aera quickly ranted into the phone.

i shook my head in disbelief. this girl..

"i'm coming, wait there."

BEEP BEEP