And the next morning, Jong Kook arrived early morning at Mr Song’s house. Instead of starting on another day, he chose to start immediately. For him, with the way Ji-hyo sees him, there’s no different if he starts immediately or later. He will just go with the flow now.

He rang the doorbell of Mr Song’s house nervously even if he just left his work for a week.

“Hmm? Who could be coming this early at our house?” Mrs Song asked alone while all her family is having breakfast.

“That’s probably Jong Kook,” Mr Song answered making everyone shocked.

“Kim Jong Kook?” Mrs Song asked again.

“Jong Kook oppa?” Ji-eun added at the same time.

“Yes. He’s working for me again,” Mr Song answered.

“Omo! Jinja? Yeay! Let me get him!” Ji-eun answered excitedly and get off from her seat.

Mr Song didn’t let off his eyes from Ji-hyo. He can see that Ji-hyo still loves Jong Kook by the way Ji-hyo staring blankly at her plate. After a while, Ji-eun walked in with Jong Kook behind her.

“Come, oppa! Come and join us!” Ji-eun offered.

“Good morning, Mr Song, Mrs Song! Good morning, Song Ji-hyo-ssi!” Jong Kook tried to be formal.

“Morning! Come! Come! Have breakfast with us,” Mr Song offered.

“Err…..It’s okay, sir. Actually I just asked Ji-eun to inform you that I’ve arrived but she….”

“Yeah! She’s being super hyper when you’re around,” Mr Song replied.

“Ahh appa! What are you saying? I’m not super hyper, okay? Oppa, sit here!”

“Ermm….sorry, sir…But if you don’t mind, can I just wait outside? I don’t think it’s proper for me to join everyone here….After all, I’m just a bodyguard…”

“Aishh, what are you saying?” Mr Song asked back.

“Yeah, oppa! Why are you talking like that? We are not that type of people, right appa?”

“Noo…I didn’t mean to show that you are bad or what, sir….It’s just…..I don’t think…..”

“Kim Jong Kook, as your boss, I ask you to join me…..That’s an order and I won’t take a ‘no’. Sit!” Mr Song gave instruction to Jong Kook.

Jong Kook finally took place next to Ji-eun who is of course so happy to be next to Jong Kook while Ji-hyo kept playing with her foods on the plate.

“So Ji-hyo ah, what do you have for today?” Mr Song asked while everyone kept quiet.

“I have commercial shooting and few meetings after that,” Ji-hyo answered, lifeless.

“That means you have your schedule for the whole day?” Mr Song asked more.

“N-neh!”

“Ji-hyo ah, don’t overwork yourself please. You were doing okay last week but now you are starting to be like before where you worked 24/7. I know you love your career but please….your health is important too. If you are sick later, nothing matters anymore,” Mrs Song advised her daughter.

“Umma, I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry okay?”

“Sometimes I wonder what is Chang Joo’s role’s actually. He worked as your manager so he is supposed to arrange your schedule without risking your health condition. I know his salary depends on how many jobs you get but that doesn’t mean that he can kill you with his greed,” Mr Song nagged.

“Appa, I asked him to make full of my schedule. So don’t blame him.”

“Whatever it is, he should know which one is important. If you gets sick, who’s gonna pay him? I will not give him a penny of course, especially with the way he treated you.”

“Appa, you are overreacting. Chang Joo oppa knows what he is doing.”

“Fine! I know you will never get rid of your beloved manager no matter how bad he treated you. Sometimes I wonder what secret he holds about you that you are so scared to get rid of him.”

“Secret? What secret? Ji-hyo ah, are you keeping anything from us?” Mrs Song asked worriedly.

“Unnie shares a secret with Chang Joo oppa? Euwww….Unnie, you really have a bad taste,” Ji-eun added.

“…..I….don’t have any secret okay?.....” Ji-hyo stuttered when defending herself.

When she looked straight in front of her, Jong Kook was staring at her with pity. His eyes were pleading for Ji-hyo to forgive him. But Ji-hyo quickly ignored him.

“Anyway, since Jong Kook will start working as a bodyguard again, I hope things will get better now,” Mr Song simply said.

“I told you I don’t need a bodyguard, appa!” Ji-hyo stressed her sentence.

“I know….I’m not hiring him for you…” Mr Song replied. “Jong Kook will be Ji-eun’s bodyguard.”

“Me? My bodyguard? Omo! Is this true? Oppa, did you hear that? Omo! Omo!” Ji-eun is already getting hype with the news.

“But……If I know that you bully him, treat him like a slave, you will never get any bodyguard anymore…Got it?” Mr Song gave his warning.

“Yes! Yes, boss! Omo!” Ji-eun suddenly ran towards her father. “Appa, you are the best of the bester of the bestest father in the world. You are also the most handsome daddy in the whole world. I am one lucky daughter…..hehehehe…..” Ji-eun praised her father while hugging and kissing him.

“With one condition, Song Ji-eun. You will score in your exams now since you have someone who will protect you from being disturbed.”

“Aish, appa! Of course I will score. I’m very smart, appa,” Ji-eun bragged.

“No more play around Song Ji-eun,” Mrs Song added.

“Arasso!” Ji-eun took place next to Jong Kook and kept talking to him while ignoring everyone.

Ji-hyo who couldn’t stand the closeness between her sister and Jong Kook suddenly stood up.

“I’m done…..I’ll go get my stuff….” she said and left the room.

“She must be pissed because Jong Kook oppa is my bodyguard now…hehehe….Appa, you are jjangg!” Ji-eun provoked.

“Finish your food, Ji-eun. Jong Kook wouldn’t have the patience to wait for you the whole day,” Mr Song teased.

“Mwuh? Oppa, you are my bodyguard. So you have to follow me wherever I go. Arachi?”

“Yes, mam!” Jong Kook answered jokingly followed by laughter from Mr Song.

Mrs Song is the only one eating her breakfast quietly.

After Ji-eun left with Jong Kook, Mr Song got into his mini office at home to do some work before leaving for his appointment. When he thought Ji-hyo had left quietly, Ji-hyo suddenly walked into his office.

“Appa!” she called.

“Ohh…Ji-hyo ah, you’re still here? I thought you left,” Mr Song answered.

“I’ll leave soon. But I have something to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

“Appa, how can you ask Jong Kook oppa to be Ji-eun’s bodyguard?”

“Why not? You didn’t want him, so I appointed him to Ji-eun.”

“Appa, you know Ji-eun have feelings towards Jong Kook oppa.”

“Yeah! So? You also have feelings for Jong Kook before.”

“Appa…..what if Ji-eun’s crush got deeper after this? You know she always misunderstood if someone treats her good. What if she’s the only one who have crush at Jong Kook oppa while Jong Kook oppa didn’t feel anything for her? What if Jong Kook oppa didn’t return back her feelings? She will be brokenhearted, appa. Don’t you pity, Ji-eun?”

“You are talking here…as a concern towards Ji-eun…..or Jong Kook, Ji-hyo ah?”

“What? What do you mean, appa?”

“You are afraid, Ji-eun will only have a one-side crush towards Jong Kook….or you are worried if Jong Kook feels the same towards Ji-eun later?”

“….I….I don’t understand what you’re saying, appa…”

“Tell me the truth…You are jealous that Ji-eun will be close with Jong Kook after this, isn’t it?”

“Huh! I don’t care about him, appa. I’m worried for my sister. Ji-eun is too fragile with all this. She will easily get brokenhearted.”

“Still she needs to experience things in life. Let her get brokenhearted now. So that she learn something for a better future. Just like you. Learn to forgive and forget. I know you’re upset with Jong Kook. But is it worth that you ignored him and kick him away just because of a small mistake he made?”

Ji-hyo was surprised when the question was directed to her.

“Appa, we are not talking about me now. We are talking about Ji-eun.”

“But somehow, I’m worried about you more than Ji-eun. Because Ji-eun is always under our radar so should anything bad happen, we will be there for her. But you,…..you always kept everything to yourself….and all of sudden, you goes missing for a year….I can’t handle that kind of thing, Song Ji-hyo,” Mr Song was referring to those days when Ji-hyo goes missing from everyone.

“…..Well I’m……I’m sorry, appa….for those days….I promise I won’t make you worry anymore…..I’m sorry…..”

“Ji-hyo ah, I know you still love Jong Kook. I know you are upset with him for these few days. But can’t you just put it aside and let it go? Or….at least talk to him about it…You can’t always run away or ignore everyone every time problem arises.”

“I did not run away, appa….I’m still here, right?” Ji-hyo defended herself.

Mr Song sighed out loudly.

“Ji-hyo ah, when you have the chance to be happy, just be happy. Put aside little things and take the chance, Ji-hyo ah. You deserve to be happy.”

“I am happy, appa. Why did you think that I’m not?”

“Coz I saw the difference when Jong Kook was around and when he’s not. After he left, you turned into the Song Ji-hyo who likes to keep everything to her own. You hardly answer my calls or reply my text message. Is that your way to be happy?”

“…I….I was working………But I can assure you…..I’m happy, appa…..My happiness doesn’t depend on Jong Kook oppa,” Ji-hyo still in denial that she loves Jong Kook.

Mr Song stared at his daughter for a minute.

“Okay….I believe you….Then I guess this discussion is over….”

“…..But appa….Ji-eun….

“Unless you want Jong Kook to be your bodyguard again, until then Jong Kook will remain as Ji-eun’s bodyguard. Up to you you wanna worry about Ji-eun or save her or whatsoever. If you want him back as your bodyguard, just let me know anytime.”

“Appa….”

“You can leave now. I need to finish my work,” Mr Song instructed strictly.

“……N-neh……I’ll leave now…..See you, appa…..” Ji-hyo got off the seat and walked out with frustration. Yes she was jealous when Jong Kook became Ji-eun’s bodyguard. Although she knew Jong Kook didn’t have any feelings towards her sister, but that could change any time. And now, she didn’t know what to do.

On the way to her university, Ji-eun couldn’t hide her happiness.

“Woohoo….Finally you are my bodyguard, oppa….heheheh…”

“Are you happy?”

“Of course! I’ve always wanted you to become my bodyguard. But unnie is so stingy. She didn’t wanna let you go at all though she didn’t have interest in you.”

“She didn’t have interest in me?.....She….She said that?” Jong Kook was shocked for a second.

“Mmm….because she said you are gay….But I don’t know now if she still thinks the same…Maybe yes…..That’s why she said she didn’t want you as her bodyguard….Huhu…lucky me….”

“Then I’ll be happy to serve you, Ji-eun ah. But I don’t see why you need me as your bodyguard.”

“Unnie didn’t tell you anything? Ohhh…of course she won’t. She will not say anything that will upgrade me more than her….huhu….You see, even if I’m not a celebrity, but many guys tried to be close to me.”

“Oh! It’s good then.”

“I know…..But I also know they have their own agenda. They were not honest in liking me, oppa.”

“How did you know that?”

“I just know. I’m a smart girl, they can’t lie to me. From the way they wrote their messages and the way they spoke to me, I already know….Huh….I’m so smart right?”

“Ahah…..very…..”

“So, that why I want you to be with me the whole time, oppa. From there, I can definitely confirm who’s really honest with me.”

“In other words, you are using me as bait hah?”

“A-ni!! Of course not!......Oppa, please don’t misunderstand….”

“Hahahaha….I’m just kidding, Ji-eun ah…Don’t worry…”

“Okay. Oppa, if you are mad at me, you have to let me know okay? You have to know that I will never have intention to hurt you, oppa. But maybe there’s something I do that will hurt you or make you angry. So please let me know okay? Don’t always keep it inside and wait until one day you blow up. I won’t be able to handle that.”

“Ahahaha…Ji-eun ah, I’m working for you….I have no right to be angry at you….”

“Andwae! I will not treat you like unnie treat you. Oppa, you are more than a bodyguard to me…”

“….What do you mean?...”

“Eheheheh….Now is not the right time to tell you, oppa….One day when I’m brave enough, I’ll tell you. Okay?”

“Ermm….okay….But just know that you can tell me anything, Ji-eun ah. I will be your good listener and will try to help you if you have problems. Okay?”

“Okay! Oppa, you are jjangg! Just like appa…..hehehe…..”

They continued chatting along the way until they reach Ji-eun’s university.

On the way to her filming set, Ji-hyo kept being silent while enjoying the view outside. Chang Joo who’s driving her kept glancing trying to start a conversation with her.

“So…..why did you suddenly go back to your family’s house?” he started with a question.

“Coz they miss me…and I miss them…..” Ji-hyo answered uninterested.

“Really? But it’s only been like…what….two, three days since