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2.0

At 10:00 am on the dot, Leo Hwang’s personal driver had come to pick him up. Saying his final goodbyes to his siblings, he dragged his two luggage out the door. Taeyeon’s heart felt heavy. This would be the first time he would be separated from his two younger siblings for a long time. A strange feeling as he was used to always coming home to them every day.

Exchanging brief greetings, Taeyeon put his luggage into the trunk of the Cadillac before making his way to the front seat. It caught the driver off guard for a slight second as he was to be considered to have been an important pick up.

As they continued to drive further away from home and the neighborhood that he had spent all his life in, his heart was growing heavy. All he could think about was the safety of the two. Will they be okay? Will the kill each other? But he made sure to remind his siblings that they come first and if there was any trouble, they had to call him right away.

The ride was fairly quiet throughout the drive. Neither of them dared to speak and the only noise was the radio playing the morning news. After a thirty-minute drive, they were at the edge of the city in a gated community. They reached a modern looking house that was a little too big for a family of just two.

Unfastening his seatbelt, he quickly got out. He was about to grab his belongings when the driver insisted taking it in himself. “Mr. Hwang has asked me to make sure you see him the moment you arrive”

He nods his head. Just as he was headed towards the front door, Mr. Hwang came outside with a big smile on his face. Taeyeon could have sworn it was the look of relief. He bowed in greeting and shook hands with the man before following him inside.

“I really appreciate you coming here. Thank you again for accepting the offer” Mr. Hwang’s voice sounded a little too desperate.

Taeyeon couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow at this strange behavior, but he decided to not put too much thought into it.

“I should be thanking you for accepting me sir” Taeyeon timidly smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Nonsense, as long as you’re willing to keep your loyalty to me and my daughter. I don’t see a problem with you working here. Sooman told me your story and I’m pretty sure you’ve gone through a lot” the man smiled as he gave Taeyeon’s shoulder a squeeze.

For a brief moment, Taeyeon couldn’t help but to freeze for a hot second. This was the first time he had ever felt this warm feeling of assurance or acceptance from a father-like figure. He smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time towards someone he had just met.

“T-That means a lot sir”

“Come, let’s have breakfast and then I’ll show you to your room” Mr. Hwang motioned for him to join him in the dining area.

When the two men walked in, the long table was set for two. A traditional American style breakfast. Mr. Hwang sat at the end of the table while Taeyeon took a seat to the left of him.

“My daughter is probably still sleeping, so you’ll meet her la- “

“I’m awake dad” said a husky voice causing Taeyeon to sit up straight in his seat. The two men turned to look at a young woman with long blonde hair that was still messy. Her outfit was a little strange as she was wearing gray pajama shorts and a plain white t-shirt with a decently now cut. She was rubbing her eyes with her eyes closed as she walked towards them.

“Miyoung… uh…” Mr. Hwang was a little shocked to see his daughter showing herself without looking decent to meet her bodyguard. He scratched the top of his head and cleared his throat. “Well… Miyoung I’d like you to meet Taeyeon,”

Hearing her dad trying to introduce her to someone, her eyes snapped opened to see her father sitting with a young man. Her eyes bulged open and she quickly ran the opposite direction and back up to her room. “Daddy!” she screamed.

Taeyeon who was watching everything unfold had to bite his lower lip from bursting into laughter. The corner of his lips tugged upwards when his eyes watched the retreating figure and his boss’s reaction towards his daughter.

“I’m sorry you had to see that Taeyeon” the middle-aged man said while shaking his head. “Let’s pretend that didn’t happen and carry on with our breakfast”

“Most certainly sir” Taeyeon agreed, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at the childish behavior of the woman he is supposed to watch over.

By the time another figure had walked back to the dining room, the two of them had already finished eating and were discussing the layout of the estate. They were both nursing their coffees as they spoke. Realizing another person in the room they looked up to see the same blonde with her hair now combed straight and casual clothing. Taeyeon couldn’t help but check the girl out. She was wearing dark skinny jeans that hugged her curves and another low-cut plain t-shirt with a blue blazer with prints on it.

“Ah, Miyoung-ah you’re finally awake and looking decent” her father snickered.

The blonde couldn’t help but blush and roll her eyes at her father’s antics. She stood by her father and looked at Taeyeon who wasn’t showing any signs of emotions. Something Taeyeon had learned when he was in the gang. He didn’t want her reading any signs of weakness from him.

“Miyoung, I would like you to meet your new bodyguard Kim Taeyeon,” Mr. Hwang said motioning towards Taeyeon who carefully stood up and bowed towards the young lady.

“Taeyeon, I’d like you to meet my daughter Miyoung”

“Please call me Tiffany. Miyoung sounds a little… old” she grimaced at the name but smiled politely showing her eye-smiles.

It would be a lie if Taeyeon said that the woman’s smile was breath-taking because… for a fact his breath was taken away. But of course, she couldn’t know that.

“Pleased to meet you Tippani-shi” he said trying really hard to pronounce the name correctly.

The blonde took a seat opposite of Taeyeon. The woman was polite, and it was kind of a surprise to Taeyeon. He had mostly expected a brat to be whining and yelling about not needing a babysitter. Maybe this job was going to be easy after all… maybe.

“Pleased to meet you as well Taeyeon-shi”

Mr. Hwang smiled in relief that the two of them had gotten along. “Taeyeon will be living here to make sure you are safe when I’m not at home”

Taeyeon watched the two closely. If he had learned anything from being part of a gang, it was learning how to observe body language of another. It sometimes helped to stay one step ahead of anyone who decides to betray a dealing. He held his breath when Tiffany had given her father a look.

“Dad, I’m safe at home. No one is going to harm me at home” Tiffany sounded a little annoyed. Maybe this job won’t be easy. True colors don’t necessarily show until people are comfortable with each other, right?

“Miyoung, we talked about this. I cannot let these threats slide. There will not be a single chance of you being vulnerable. Besides it’s not like he’ll be breathing down your back. He’s just going to sleep here. He won’t be on duty… but if anything does happen, he’ll already be here to take action” her father’s words were strict, and she could only sigh. Nothing was going to change his mind.

Taeyeon cleared his throat, “Don’t worry Tiffany-shi… I’ll be sure that I won’t get in your way and that I’ll be inconspicuous”

The blonde pursed her lips unsure on how to respond. She just nodded her head.

“Does he have to go everywhere I go?”

“Everywhere you go Miyoung”

Another sigh. “For how long do I need to have a bodyguard for?”

“Well… Taeyeon is only contracted to work with us until the presidential elections. Then, when and if I get elected as president, you’ll have a new bodyguard”

Tiffany blinked and let out another sigh. “So, I’m stuck being babysat for nearly the next five and a half years?”

“I’m sorry Miyoung… I told you that you should have gone to the States to join your siblings, but you refused!”

She rolled her eyes, “And who else is going to watch over you dad? Mom is gone. Oppa and Unnie have their own lives… no one is left to watch over you. I can’t just leave!”

Taeyeon felt awkward as the two argued. He quietly took a sip of his coffee and watched. He made a mental note that Tiffany seemed to be quite stubborn.

“Fine. If you’re going to stay with me here in Korea… Then, you’ll just have to live with having a bodyguard”

“I don’t mind staying here. And you know full well that I support you daddy. It’s just, it’s a little bothersome to be followed wherever I go” she turned to look at Taeyeon. “No offense”

“Non-taken” Taeyeon replied holding up a hand in dismissal.

“Miyoung, I just want you safe”

She heaved a sigh, “I know… I know…”

X X X

Taeyeon was given the rest of the day to get adjusted. Besides, Tiffany wasn’t going to be leaving the house that day. Or at least, not that he knew of. When he was taken to his room, he couldn’t help but look around the space that he was going to be living in for the next three months. He heaved out a sigh. The perk of the room was that he had it to himself and that it was so much bigger than the room he had back at home. He had his own bathroom and a walk-in closet. The room was barely decorated and seemed too simplistic, but it was a room for their help.

Laying down, he made a mental note of how soft the bed was. He used his arm as a pillow as he stared at the ceiling. Another sigh escaped his lips as he thought back to what his life was like previously. Was he making the right choice? Well… this definitely beats being in a badly lit warehouse doing illegal dealings. But was this the right job to take on? Well… this was getting him out of the bad… plus, he did sacrifice a pinky to be set free. Despite that, he was now working under a real company with a real job title. However, there was still this strange nagging feeling within him.

Just because now that he had a real job, doesn’t change what he’s done in the past. But just because he did all those bad things, wasn’t because he found it thrilling like most of the people in that gang. He had to do it for his siblings. What other choices did he have when he didn’t go to school? But, he did do all those terrible things without much sympathy. Except… that was what he was trained to do and feel.

Taeyeon shut his eyes shut and tried to block out all the negative thoughts and images that were beginning to appear. Is he able to make up for the fifteen years of bad that he had done? In the eyes of everyone who saw him, he was bad. A very bad person who did very bad things to good people. His hands were tainted by the blood of others literally and figuratively. His actions cannot be undone, but can he redeem himself? Was it too late? Is it too late?

Before he knew it, he had knocked out. Taeyeon didn’t even get to unpack his belongings, let alone get a tour of the household. Mr. Hwang had knocked several times and peaked inside the room to get him so he could show him around, but the man didn’t want to disturb his rest.

Leo Hwang and Lee Sooman had a very detailed conversation regarding Taeyeon and his background before meeting and hiring Taeyeon. He understood wanting a better life for the sake of family. He too was like that many many years ago. He felt for the young lad. Maybe that sparked his want to hire the man. But out of the list of potential bodyguards that were given to him, there was something about Taeyeon that stood out. Only he knew why though. But that wasn’t something he’ll ever reveal or use just yet. Golden Ticket was what Mr. Hwang had thought when he had met Taeyeon that day.