“Everyone’s going to wonder why I brought a bodyguard instead of a date,” you said while looking out the window of the limousine. You glanced at Mingyu who was sitting in front of you, his face turned towards the small opening that separated you two from the driver.

“You don’t have to tell them that, I can be yours for tonight,” he said with a smile but without looking away. You rolled your eyes, dreading the event with such a passion that you were willing to stage your own kidnapping. Now there was a thought.

The limo came to a steady stop and Mingyu got out first. You caught sight of a few flashes going off, and you took a deep breath. There was a weight on your chest you couldn’t explain other than an anxiety attack threatening to take control. You took a few deep breaths before pushing yourself off the seat, bracing yourself for the impact.

Mingyu held out his hand to help you get off, and a wave of screams and flashes washed over you. Your bodyguard placed a hand on your lower back and gently nudged you forward. You were petrified by the attention you were getting, and it only made you wish you were back home in bed watching a movie or two while Mingyu cooked a midnight snack.

Being the daughter of the wealthiest man in the country brought more pain than it did fortune. You were in constant danger, had received a handful of death threats, and a few attempted break-ins even with all the latest technology and security. It was the reason Mingyu was with you 24/7, and you always wondered when he found the time to sleep, eat or go to the bathroom. And he always smelled so good.

Mingyu noticed you had stopped moving, fear glazing your eyes. He was saying something to you but his voice was drowned out by the crowd. You absolutely hated the spotlight, and it made you seem cold hearted when you avoided reporters. Then again, if you showed weakness you’d be taken advantage of.

You shook your head as you snapped out of it. You lifted ever so slightly your red gown and moved past the cameras, giving them a small mysterious smile as Mingyu followed and warded off anyone who got too close. When you entered the building and were out of sight, you nearly lost the strength in your legs. Luckily Mingyu grabbed you by the elbow and steadied you. He had been with you for long enough that he could pick up on the slightest signals as to what you were about to do or what was to happen, like a guardian angel watching over you to make sure nothing bad would befall you.

He stared at you with his piercing gaze, worried about the toll the media had on you. With so much exposure, it merely drew unwanted attention. All you wanted was to live a normal life, maybe move to a remote island and live there for the rest of your days. But it was only a far off dream, as you were meant to inherit your father’s conglomerate. It’s not like he was ever there for you anyways, what was the point of throwing his entire legacy onto your shoulders?

“Let’s go,” you said, but when you tried to move again, you were frozen in place. You noticed near the entrance to the reception hall a familiar figure you prayed you would never see again. The man you once loved.

Mingyu’s gaze followed yours, and noticed exactly what you were looking at. His blood began to boil, as that man was the reason he held you crying in his arms for a good few hours. But to his surprise, you didn’t have tears in your eyes. Rather it was a murderous and empowering gaze he hadn’t seen in a long time. Your feet began to move but your mind was blank, and Mingyu followed you, his eyes never leaving your frame.

When you entered through the door, people began to whisper and stare. You simply looked for your name on the registry and found the table where you were sitting. Mingyu pulled the chair for you and took a few steps back, clasping his hands behind his back. He really seemed distant at that moment, and you wished he were sitting next to you. However, you knew he was professional and would never do that. And hiding your feelings for him grew to be a chore you were sick of.

Charity events were cruel to you. It was all a hypocritical show for wealthy people to make a name for themselves in the good graces of the public. You always donated secretly and never a large amount to gain any attention, but this time it made you seem as if you were part of the cruel bunch that only ever showed up at these things to keep face. You really wanted to shove a cactus down everybody’s throat at that moment.

The man you once gave your heart to walked up to the stage and began to make a speech. It never occurred to you to check who was attending, had you known you would’ve definitely stayed home. It wasn’t like you two ever dated, rather, you were so close to being together before he used you to get to another woman whom you saw sitting a few tables away. It absolutely crushed you and you cried your fair share of tears, until the sadness turned to anger and resentment. Your heart turned to steel and your once smiling persona hid away behind a fortress. That was until you met Mingyu, who taught you how to love again. He was calmer at home, but whenever you went out he was always on high alert and his usual fun and slightly clumsy self was non-existent.

The sort of ex-love of your life still left a bitter taste in your mouth. You felt used and betrayed and you were so tempted to throw the punch bowl at his face that you had to restrain yourself by gripping at the white table cloth. Mingyu took notice of that and approached you, putting a hand over your shoulder and bending down to whisper in your ear.

“You’re scowling at him, people will notice,” he said. You turned to him, your facial expression relaxing a little. Both your faces were inches apart, his hot breath brushing against your neck.

“I’m actually cursing him,” you whispered back, “I hope his toilet clogs tonight.”

He let out a small chuckle and went back to his position, still laughing slightly. You turned to give him a soft smile as if to tell him you’re okay, or at least you hoped you were. When the man in question finished speaking, he walked down the stage and went to join his girlfriend at his table. You tried to look straight ahead at the next speaker, but you were tempted to show him all of your fingers in a number of foreign curses.

The night dragged on with speakers thanking everyone for coming, some shallow teary stories from people who dropped bank on new cars every two weeks and splurged on their five mistresses. But you sat quietly, clapping with a stoic face and counting down to when it was the appropriate time to leave. Mingyu still stood a few feet behind you, keeping his eye on your surroundings.

Suddenly, you got up wanting some fresh air. You made a sign to Mingyu to follow you, and other people also began to move to the dance floor or the buffet. You were trying to make your way around the chairs without tripping over your dress, but suddenly something yanked you backwards. You gasped as you fell into Mingyu’s chest, who looked down at you with a dashing smile.

“Let’s dance,” he said and took your hand into his, dragging you to the dance floor. You couldn’t quite wrap your head around the situation, as this wasn’t expected from him in a public place. He gave you a quick spin before pulling you close to him and resting one hand on the small of your back as the other was stretched out with yours. The both of you slowly swayed to the music, him leading you flawlessly despite you not being the best of dancers even with the number of lessons you had to take.

He leaned into you. “Your so called love of your life was headed straight for you with his girlfriend,” he said. “Pretty sure he wanted to exchange useless banter while showing off his trophy.”

You glanced back, noticing he really was standing there with his girlfriend while staring at the both of you. You quickly looked back to Mingyu, mouthing a thank you while he smiled and spun you again. This time when he pulled you into his arms, he pressed you closer to him. You could feel his muscles under his shirt, and your cheeks turned a shade darker as he kept whispering in your ear.

“Now, laugh as if I just said the greatest joke in the world,” he said.

“But your humor is terrible,” you responded flatly. When he subtly poked you in the waist, you let out a small yelp and began to laugh, making him smile as well. You picked up on what he wanted to do, and though you were thankful, it all seemed so fake. You were in love with Kim Mingyu and all he cared about was making another man jealous.

“Mingyu-ya,” you started. He slowed down the pace, tilting his head forward to listen to you carefully. “I have… I have something important to tell you.”

A lump formed in your throat as he glanced back up at you, his face serious looking. The same face he always had when he was working. You couldn’t even start your confession when the music suddenly stopped and everyone began to clap, drowning your voice out. When Mingyu asked you what was wrong, you simply shook your head and turned around, only to be face to face with the last person you wanted to see that night.

“What, you don’t even come to greet me?” he asked. A sharp pain hit you in the chest and you wondered if heartbreak literally felt like a heart attack. You gave him a forced smile and shook his hand, and suddenly he turned his attention on Mingyu standing behind you. “And who’s this?”

“Mingyu, meet Kyungjoon,” you said. They shook hands, Mingyu applying more force than necessary and almost crippled the other’s hand.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t contacted you in so long,” Kyungjoon said as he turned his gaze back to you. “I was so busy getting job offers and graduating with my PHD diploma everything was just a mess in my life,” he gave a hearty laugh. “You know, busy busy busy. What’s new with you?”

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak. It was as if your voice had suddenly disappeared and your hands began to shake in anger. Wasted time and emotions plagued your heart, and you weren’t sure what you were going to do at that moment. Stabbing him with your heel was an option, but you still had your morals. Imagining it all would have had to suffice.

“She’s on her way to a movie premiere,” Mingyu suddenly said, making the both of you turn around to look at him with surprised looks. “Got invited by Won Bin himself, isn’t that something?”

Kyungjoon didn’t have time to say anything before you bid him farewell, saying you were already late. You hooked your arm with Mingyu’s and he escorted you out of the hall, Kyungjoon staring back with a dumbfounded face.

When you two were out of sight, you practically crawled to a couch to catch your breath, chest heaving. Mingyu held your hand and tried to calm you down by slowly massaging your back, waiting for you to regain your senses before getting the limo.

“Won Bin doesn’t have a movie coming out now, he will know you lied,” you said a little sadly. Mingyu shook his head.

“His new movie is premiering on TV, so technically I didn’t lie,” he said. It brought a smile to your face and you began to laugh. “So we’ll be watching that tonight.”

You nodded, thankful he was going to take your mind off of things. He told you to wait a moment while he called the limo over, and once it arrived you got off the couch. The reporters were already gone apart from a few cameras going off as you left, but your attention was solely on Mingyu. You didn’t know how you would’ve survived without him.

Before you knew it, you were in your silky pyjamas and lying in bed. The TV was playing the movie just as Mingyu said, who was sitting in an armchair next to the bed. You kept glancing at him, but he was focused on the movie.

“Mingyu-ya,” you said, and he immediately turned his head towards you. “Thank you for what you did. I don’t think I ever thank you enough.”

His expression immediately softened, a bright smile appearing on his face. “Don’t worry about it, it’s my job.”

His last word sent a spear through your heart. Did he only care about you because he was paid to do it?

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he said, “what in the hell did you ever see in a guy like that?”

You were caught by surprise. Mingyu never pried into your affairs, but you always did in his.

After a moment, you spoke up. “I just… I just really wanted to be important to someone,” you whispered, your voice cracking a little. “I thought I was to him, until… Well, I wasn’t.”

Mingyu stared back at you, a hopeless look gracing his beautifully defined face. “But you matter to me.”

Your heart sank. “Not in the way that I would want.”

He stayed quiet. He reached for the remote and turned off the TV, rendering the room completely silent. You fidgeted with the blanket that laid on top of you, avoiding his gaze completely. You suddenly wished you were back at the charity auction instead of alone with him in a suffocating room.

“You light up my world every day with your bright smile,” he said. “Whenever you are sad I feel the pain tenfold because I can’t do anything more than just stay by your side. Every time you laugh I find myself laughing too and I could listen to your stories and rants for days on end and I would never complain because I love hearing your voice. I accepted this job and came in with nothing more than a hollow body beaten by the world, but you? You made me thankful for living. Don’t you dare tell me you aren’t important to me. I am in love with you.”

Tears rolled down your cheeks as he finished speaking. He paced around your room, scratching at his head and letting out a groan. You jumped out of bed and ran into his arms, and he hesitated to embrace you for a moment. But when he did, you felt safe in his arms and you could just melt. He slowly caressed your hair, your hands gripping the back of his shirt as you cried into his chest.

He brought your face up, his gaze soft and loving with a small smile. He cupped your cheek and wiped away your tears with his thumb. His lips parted slightly as he leaned down, his lips brushing against yours.

“I love you too,” you said as you pressed your lips to his. You moved in sync with him, tasting his lips with such vigor he almost gasped. He returned the kiss and hoisted you up onto his hips, one arm holding you around your waist as his other hand tangled itself into your hair.

He broke off the kiss with a large goofy smile and an awkward laugh, while you tried to hide your happiness and blush. He pecked your forehead before showering you in sloppy kisses all over your face and down your neck, making you giggle immensely.

You were finally happy.