bodyguard ; kth

18 ; row, row, row

"you know aera is really mad at you, right?"

i didn't respond as i stared blankly at the batteries in my hands. it was a luminous afternoon, kitae and i hung out by the pool.

it was a day after the incident with aera and we haven't spoken since. she just constantly ignores me. but it's for the best, i can be completely focused on my job now.

"she said she doesn't know why you're so shitty to her," kitae said, looking at the water as he dipped his toes in.

i looked at him and snapped, "i don't like it when you use that kind of language, kitae." the younger kept his head down, muttering a quiet, "sorry." i dropped my shoulders and sighed, "no, i'm sorry. i've just been really stressed these days." he looked at me and nodded, understanding my situation. it wasn't easy dealing with aera, he knew it better than anyone.

"and...i know i hurt her....but it was for the best," i said quietly, fixing the batteries into the toy boat. kitae furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "how can you be so sure?"

"well, i've spent a long time training to become a bodyguard. i would sacrifice spending time with my friends so i could train instead. when i was eighteen, i finally got my first job. now, i'm twenty-four now so you could say i've protected a lot of people."

the younger nodded, listening to my words.

"over the course of my career, i've learnt a lot of things. this is one of them, you can't mix my personal life with my work life. the two don't go together, they fight against each other. that's why i needed to break things off with aera, i can't be distracted."

"why is she a distraction?" kitae asked, looking at me. i returned the stare and said, "because there's a dangerous thing called love." the younger looked confused and said, "i don't get it."

"kitae, i'm twenty-four and i don't get it either," i said, handing him back his boat. kitae fiddled around with the buttons and placed it on top of the water. we watched as the boat started cruising away from us.

"thanks," kitae smiled.

"anytime, kiddo," i said, giving him a small smile.

there was someone approaching us, i turned my head to see jiae walking towards us with her dog.

"i have exciting news!" she exclaimed, smiling down at the both of us. "aera has just been chosen to be the new muse for dream girls bikini line!"

kitae smiled up at his mother. i smiled a little and quietly said, "that's great."

"i know! everyone's calling her the new sex icon. but of course, you already knew that," jiae said to me, raising an eyebrow and giving me a cocky look.

i rolled my eyes and said quickly, "anything else? if you didn't see, kitae and i were talking."

she smiled and said, "well, if you didn't know, it's time for kitae to have a bath. off you go, son." she gripped onto his arm and stood him up. jiae looked down at me again and said, "also, aera has her first photoshoot next week. we're flying to Japan so pack your bags."

"can I come too?" kitae asked but jiae looked at him with a glare, saying, "and miss school? not a chance." kitae pouted and walked away, going back into the house. jiae turned to me and said, "excited?"

"i'm so excited i could die," i replied sarcastically, looking at her.

"look, i know you aren't on the best terms right now but you guys will sort it out," she assured me with a smile. i nodded and kept quiet, looking away.

there's nothing between us. i'm just her bodyguard. nothing more, nothing less.