The bell jiggled as the door was opened and a cheerful "welcome" from the cashier greeted him.

"Oh! Lay oppa!" The young girl behind the cashier counter grinned and waved her hand.

Taking a basket, Yixing smiled and waved back before proceeding to the beverage aisle in the convenience store. He immediately took several bottles of milk putting them in the basket. He could already imagine the smiles on the children's faces once he gave them one bottle each later.

He was glad that Chanyeol had let him officially work full-time next week. That way, he could use these weekends to visit the children hospital he had been volunteering in. It was somewhat saddening to him that he wouldn't be able to do some volunteering anymore once next week started. But his best friend needed him at the moment. Though he had told Chanyeol not to worry too much over his wife, he could understand where his friend was coming from.

"Going to meet the kids again?" The cashier asked as she put the bottles in a plastic bag.

"Mm." Yixing nodded with a smile. "Oh! How's your grandma?"

"She's fine now. Been resting for a few days. Really thank you, Oppa! If it weren't for your help-," she suddenly paused shuddering at a grave thought that crossed her mind. "I really don't want to think about it." She looked at him again with a grin. "Thank you, Oppa! Really! Thank you!"

"Don't mention it." Yixing extended a hand to ruffle the girl's hair.

To be of help to someone always made him feel alive. No matter how strong someone is, no one could live alone. Every human needs a hand of help at some point in life, he believed. And it satisfied him to be that hand in someone's life.

Just as Yixing was driving to the hospital, his phone rang flashing Chanyeol's name. Tapping on the hands-free device clinging on his ear, he greeted his friend, "Hey! What's up? Missing me already?" He chuckled.

He was expecting Chanyeol to reply with his own joke but instead was met with Chanyeol's panicked voice. "Lay, Suzy went to the park!"

Frowning in confusion as to why it was such a big deal, Yixing blurted, "So? She probably just wants to go for a morning jog, right?" Yixing sighed with a little chuckle, "Chanyeol, what did I tell you about controlling your wife-"

"She's driving there alone!" Chanyeol cut off. "She shouldn't be alone, Lay! What if someone try to kidnap her again?"

Taken aback by his friend's outburst, Yixing tried to calm him down. "Alright. Okay. I get it. Sorry. Then why don't you follow her?"

He could hear a sigh from the other end. "She would be mad if I do so. She warned me to leave her alone before she left." Another sigh escaped Chanyeol's lips, before he spoke again, this time calmer. "Lay, I know it's your day off, but can you check on her? I can't relax knowing she's alone and prone to danger."

"Wouldn't she get mad too then if she knows I'm following her?"

"You don't have to let her know you're there. She knows it's your day off anyway."

Yixing glanced at the plastic bag full of milk bottles on the seat beside him. Though he still thought his friend was over-reacting, yet hearing the desperation and worry in his voice, he realized it might really be such a big deal for Chanyeol. Suzy was not just some girl to Chanyeol anyway. She was his wife, and now he needed his help.

Briefly closing his eyes, he nodded, "Alright. I'll go there. Which park?"

Arriving at the park he had been told of, Yixing found a spot to park his car. He first strolled around looking for his friend's wife. The park was a vast one and people of all ages were there either with their own groups or by themselves. It was the weekend after all. Families picked their own spots to have a picnic. Parents laughed watching their children played, one or two elderly couples were enjoying their own time walking or sitting on a bench, and some others were just doing their own thing. Some biked with their friends, some did so alone, some were just taking pictures, others jogged around the park with their friends or by themselves. Yixing spotted Suzy to be one of the lone joggers.

Hair tied into a ponytail and dressed in tank top and shorts, she looked different than the image she gave off yesterday. A small smile curled on Yixing's lips when he remembered how determined she was to draw the line between them. It amused him to wonder whether that was how she treated Chanyeol at home. His friend must had gone through a hard time, but he thought it served him right. The guy had been playing around too much and had been having things easy for him, so it was only right for him to be with someone who was seemingly out of his league.

Walking, Yixing followed Suzy from a distance, careful not to be discovered by her. After a while, she gradually slowed down and stopped by the lake. Still maintaining a distance, Yixing stopped and watched her. Her head turned to look at the lake, and finally for once, her face was showing an emotion. It wasn't one Yixing thought he would ever witness nonetheless. She had a look of pain and sadness. He wondered what was going through her mind to show such emotions. But they were gone as quick as it came. Maybe he was seeing it wrong because of the distance, he thought.

Suzy suddenly fished her phone from her pocket. Her head was hung low for quite a while as she stared at the screen before she finally picked up the phone.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" A teenage boy exclaimed. Approaching fast, his body wiggled on his skateboard unable to control the speed.

Yixing's eyes grew wide seeing the boy heading to where Suzy was standing. Feet moving fast toward her, he shouted, "Watch out!"

Suzy whipped her head just in time to see the boy on his skateboard. Yixing ran faster to pull her away. Yet before he could even reach her, she had already taken a few steps back, fortunately avoiding the collision. Unfortunately for the boy, he went straight into the lake instead.

"Yeah, I know. We'll be there. Bye." Yixing heard Suzy said to phone before clicking her tongue annoyed as she watched the boy coming out of the water.

The boy coughed and stomped his way to Suzy. "Ya, Auntie! Why did you block my way? Look at what you have done to me now?"

Yixing was going to interfere, but Suzy beat him to it. "Auntie?" She scoffed crossing her arms. "Rascal! Use your head. Listen up! First, how was I blocking your way? I've stepped aside. Second, the road is wide enough for you to pass if only you are skillful enough with your skateboard. But unfortunately you're not, right?" She smirked upon seeing the boy lowered his head. "And last, if anyone should be angry between us, it should be me. If I didn't step aside, you would've bumped into me. What if I was injured? Will you be able to pay the compensation because of your unskillful skateboard riding?" She scoffed again before she told the boy, "Go!"

The boy scurried away and Yixing couldn't help but to chuckle. Suzy shifted her glare to him and he immediately stopped chuckling.

Yixing cleared his throat. "Hi!" He waved a hand and gave her his dimpled smile.

Suzy rolled her eyes and turned around walking away. Yixing squeezed his eyes shut as he mentally punched himself. The plan was not to show himself and follow her discreetly. It would have been okay if he were to show himself when he saved her, but he didn't even get to do that. She saved herself.

He jogged after her and fell into steps beside her. Suzy heaved a breath turning her head to look away.

"So," he cleared his throat again, "you came here often? What a coincidence I saw you here!"

Suzy scoffed loudly. "To hell with coincidence!" She stopped and turned to face him. "Chanyeol told you to follow me," she stated rather than asked. "And you're not supposed to talk to me."

Yixing smiled nonetheless. "But it's my day off. Your rules don't apply. You're not my boss today." He had to hold the urge to grin seeing her taken aback. "Your husband is my friend, so I'm your friend too," he finally grinned.

"What kind of logic is that?" She crossed her arms rolling her eyes. "Whatever! I don't need you to follow me, so you better go now."

Yixing chuckled. "What made you think I'm following you? Can't an ordinary guy like me visit a public park just to stroll around?"

She stared at him stoically. "Stroll around, huh?" She eyed him from head to toe and cocked her head to the side. "It's still summer and you're here to walk around the park in those? Isn't it a bit hot to be worn for an outdoor activity?"

She gestured at his pair of jeans and shirt covered with a light colored cardigan. It did look a little odd to be dressing this way for a walk during summer, he agreed. He wasn't planning to go here after all. He shrugged with a grin. "Whatever clothes I'm wearing doesn't negate my right to come here, does it?"

"It doesn't make sense unless you have a date here and are trying to impress the girl with the look." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you?"

"No," he simply shook his head.

"Then it's only logical that you're following me. Chanyeol would've followed me, but he was afraid I would find out because I have warned him beforehand. So, still being the over-protective husband, he called you, his trusted friend whom he had chosen as my bodyguard, to follow me." Again, Suzy did not even ask for confirmation. She just stated everything as if she was a psychic.

Yixing would have clapped for her accurate thinking. Yet, it pricked his interest more that she was actually talking to him in long sentences despite her own rule. He laughed unable to contain himself.

"What?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Yixing pursed his lips and shook his head. "We're having a conversation. I like it." He smiled surprising her.

Her eyes were rounded as she blinked at him, but she soon regained herself and scoffed. "Whatever! I'm going home now, so do not follow me. You're here to stroll anyway, right? I'll leave you to it then."

Suzy left him just like that while he watched her walk away. Shaking his head, a light chuckle escaped his lips as she went farther away. 

Yixing never thought that he would meet someone like her. Someone who was all about logic and what makes sense. Someone... so different from him. If he were her, he would have just apologized to the poor boy to save the time and because he was more unfortunate to be falling into the lake. But instead of saying the simple sorry, Suzy took the longer route of explaining her reasoning. He was impressed, though, by how her mind worked.

Yixing thought of really strolling around the park for some time, but then he felt uneasy somehow. Worry struck him when he remembered what Chanyeol said. Suzy shouldn't be alone. But Suzy's going home anyway, so he shouldn't worry. Yet somehow, his heart was racing and pounded with worry at every beat. He should have at least walked her to her car and made sure she's safe. Cussing at himself, he quickly ran out of the park.

"What if someone try to kidnap her again?" He remembered Chanyeol's worry. Yes, what if someone kidnapped her when she exited the park? What if she got kidnapped before reaching her car? His heart pounded with fear.

A wave of relief came crashing into his soul when he spotted her standing near her car. Panting, he laughed at himself for worrying too much. Yet the relief was short-lived upon seeing her weakly laid a hand on the roof of the car to support her stand while her other hand clenched her chest. Approaching her, he could feel uneasiness slowly seeping inside his heart.

He saw her wincing and squeezing her eyes shut, before he called, "Suzy?"

Sweat rolling down her forehead, she snapped her head at him and straightened up with her right hand still clenching her chest. "What are you doing here? I told you not to follow me!" She gritted her teeth.

"I just..." he trailed off watching her eyes twitched trying to hold back something. "I just felt uneasy. Thought something happened. Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied curtly through gritted teeth. "Now go!" She shooed him away and was going to open the door to her car but suddenly groaned in pain. She stumbled forward to the car and tried to prop herself against the car.

"You're not okay," Yixing stated laying a hand on her shoulder to which she shrugged off.

"I said I'm oka-" She was cut off with her own groan. Her face contorted in pain.

"No, you're not!" Yixing now gritted his teeth too. He caught her when she almost stumbled forward again.

Propping herself up again, Suzy glared at him, and this time Yixing didn't give her a smile like he did before. Still letting a hand rest on her back for support, he stared back at her silently telling her that he was there to help. She could hide her emotional pain however she liked, but she did not have to be so adamant on trying to conceal her physical pain right now.

Suzy finally broke their gazes and sighed. "My bag."

"Huh?"

She threw him a glare. "Go get my bag in the car. Now!"

Yixing immediately did as told and opened the bag for her.

"The pink pouch," she pointed, and Yixing took it out and ped the pouch finding a strip of tablets inside. Suzy immediately snatched it and popped a tablet into to chew it.

Five minutes and a few deep breaths later, the look of pain slowly left her face and she looked better. She was going to get inside the car, but Yixing stopped her, reasoning that she should not be driving right now. Back to her stoic self, Suzy assured him that she was fine and told him off. Yixing, though, was not going to give in to her this time. Whatever it was she was suffering from, she looked like she almost died earlier. Though she had gotten better, who knew what would happen on the way. He noticed she had been holding her left arm too. She must still be in pain though she did not show it anymore.

"What are you?" She scoffed. "My bodyguard?"

Yixing blinked at her and almost laughed, but held it in. Belatedly realizing what she said, Suzy clicked her tongue and tossed her car key to him. Without any more words, she entered the car and sat on the passenger's seat making Yixing grin in triumph.

The ride back to Chanyeol and Suzy's house was silent. After turning on a song, Suzy had her eyes closed. Yixing would glanced at her from time to time to check if she was still breathing. He tried not to look like it earlier, but he was honestly scared back there. He could not imagine how devastated Chanyeol would be if Suzy died right under his trusted friend's protection. He could not imagine how he himself would live knowing he had let his friend's wife died in front of him. Yixing shook his head to drive away the thoughts then wondered if Chanyeol knew of Suzy's illness. If he did, why didn't he tell him? Was it not important for the bodyguard to know?

He glanced again at Suzy and a soft smile grazed his lips. No matter how strong someone is, no one could live alone. Every human needs a hand of help at some point in life, he believed. Yixing initially agreed to become her bodyguard for Chanyeol's sake. However, he now realized that more than Chanyeol, Suzy needed help. Maybe Chanyeol saw that too. That Suzy was not as strong as she allowed people to see.

"Don't tell Chanyeol what happened earlier," she suddenly spoke with still closed eyes.

Yixing was surprised. So, Chanyeol didn't know anything of her illness?

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared ahead. "You can tell him whatever you want, but what happened at the parking lot stays between us." She didn't ask nor plead. This was a command that gave no room for refusal. "So..." She then turned to look at him. "Can I trust you?"

Yixing briefly glanced at her before focusing back on the road ahead. Why shouldn't he tell Chanyeol? Was she worried of Chanyeol's reaction? Yixing weighed on what to do. He did not want to betray his friend, but then again didn't Chanyeol ask him to protect Suzy? Yixing needed to gain her trust first in order to really protect her.

He mentally apologized to Chanyeol for keeping such secret as he nodded. "Alright. I won't tell him. You can trust me."

Oh lookie! I'm posting this right on October 7 (KST) for Yixing's (and my) birthday! lol I think Yixing's chapter is longer than the other two, but oh well! It's his birthday ^^

So there's the Jack! Now that the main characters have been introduced, we're going to enter the main story soon! Thank you for subscribing and waiting patiently for my slow updates (:

Till next chapter, Aces! (yeah I'll call you guys that ;) haha)