Five days later, the money from my last month’s salary finally ran out. I really spent a lot of time thinking if I really should take the interview at the club or not.

 

Besides, I was also busy sending various job’s apply to other places. Hoping I would get a call from any of it so i didn’t have to prepare myself for that club’s interview.

 

But then, I ended up asking  Jimin about the club again. I couldn't waste a lot of time anymore to save money. The final exam would soon come in 3 months, and if I still hadn't make money before the next semester. Only God would know if I could still manage to continue my study next year.

 

Jimin asked me if I was sure about the interview tonight. I was being a bit hesitant to answer, but then i said I'd do it. because i needed a job so badly.

 

"I'll drive you." Jimin replied on the phone.

 

I winced. "I can go alone. No need to be escorted. " I replied again real quick.

 

I had been feeling bad since Jimin and Stacey had helped me a lot these days. So, i didn't want to bother them more.

 

I could hear Jimin's long sighed from the phone after hearing my rebellious answer. So, he preached again. 

 

"I'm not asking you if you can go there alone or not, liz. I said I will drive you. So wait for me there. " He replied then quickly hung up the phone before I continued speaking again.

 

Jimin knew very well that I needed a company right now. Club was more likely a new place for me, and i had never been to club before. Everything felt so new.

 

Stacey called me right after 5 minutes Jimin hung up his call. So, i quickly picked up the call and she started asking me things why I suddenly changed my mind about the club’s interview. So, I told her that I was in a pinched.

 

I would not be able to survive if i didn’t start to save some money for next semester. I needed to save a lot of money for it.

 

When i was busy rummaging my clothes. i immediately asked Stacey what clothes I should wear to the club because I always used formal clothes for every job’s interview.

 

Stacey said I could use casual clothes. Make myself comfortable.

 

Without thinking much, i immediately used my long white shirt and black jeans, then bandaged my body with my long black outer jacket. Since the air outside was very cold.

 

Jimin went to pick me up with his car and Stacey sat behind to keep me company. Their eyes were tender as they were staring at me. Trying to tell me that everything was going to be alright. So, I nodded as i entered the car.

 

"My boss. What kind of person is he?" I asked the two of them, breaking the silence in the car.

 

Jimin looked at me through the mirror, while Stacey gave her odd smile to me.

 

"Why? Are you curious about him? " She asked me with a silly smile, making me turned my eyes 360 degrees at her.

 

I couldn’t even laugh right now.

 

"For god's sake, the only thing that i have in my mind right now is; my soon to be boss's character so he would hire me in. I couldn’t even laugh right now.. whatever you are thinking." I said seriously, and she giggled at my response.

 

She started to look at me as if I already said something funny, even though I was very serious talking to her. The two of them seems to take this job easy. While, i was getting worried.

 

"Trust me, liz. Min Yoon Gi is really a good person. He's just a little rude. So, as long as you don't interfere his business and keep busy with yourself. You will be fine. " She convinced and gave me a wink.

 

i didn’t know what her wink means to me.

 

I shook my head after hearing the explanation.

 

"Is he running something illegal in any.. ?" I asked while imagining the action movies I used to watch in my apartment.

 

He sounds scary to me somehow, how can Stacey and Jimin be as relaxed as this? Were they that close to him?

 

Stacey lowered her head to keep herself from laughing, but Jimin laughed too loud so they both ended up laughing at me. Jimin calmed himself from laughter before looking at me through the mirror.

 

"Anyway, you don't need to think about that. He is only famous for his rude mouth, but he is a good person. He would give you a job. You only need to remember that he is your boss and respect him. That's all. " explained Jimin giving me his comfort smile.

 

We finally arrived in front of an anonymous building near a port.

 

I looked at that nameless building in horror, trying to hug myself as tightly as I could as we got out from the car.

 

I felt like something bad was about to jump at me right now.

 

Stacey touched my shoulders slowly while looking at me warmly. Jimin led us to the door of the club where there were two bodyguards standing at the door staring at us. Their faces looked scary.

 

One of the bodyguard looked at me fiercely, making me felt small, so I clamped myself to Stacey as close as possible.

 

Jimin glanced back at me, before glancing at the bodyguard again. He looked relaxed and seems like he’s close with the bodyguard.

 

"Let us in, Alex." Jimin talked to them in a serious tone.

 

One of the bodyguard named Alex looked at me in disgust.

 

"Who is she?" He asked, while looking at me from top to the bottom, judging.

 

They were both obviously feeling suspicious of me because i was new. So, stacey gave them her best flirty smile, while pulling my shoulders closer.

 

I bet stacey could tell that my body stiffed when she pulled me closer. I was so nervous.

 

"She is our friend, lex. We came because she had a job interview with Min. So, please let us in? " She asked in a girly tone to the bodyguard.

 

Stacey was an expert at those things. She was indeed full of confidence and she knew how to talk with all the boys around her.

 

The other bodyguard winced while looking at me.

 

"Is she really needed here?" He asked, so stacey smile again but she felt a little confused.

 

"Of course. She is very much needed. Min would be glad to meet her." Stacey replied with a girly voice that she made.

 

“Today, the one who took the shift is V. Not Min.” Said one of the bodyguard to us.

 

Jimin’s eyes grew bigger and Stacey remained silent. But, jimin shook his head again.

 

V?

 

i frowned.

 

“No, Min will come. We already made an appointment. I’m very sure of this.” Said Jimin convincing the bodyguard once again.

 

And it seemed to work. They finally let us in.

 

When we were at the bar, Stacey and I immediately took a seat.

 

Jimin gave us a signal that he would go to look for Min. He left us both at the bar and broke through the crowd of people on the floor who's dancing to the music.

 

My heart was beating so fast because of nervousness. I had never been to a club before, especially to apply a job. Club was more like a nightmare to me.

 

There were few of my past that until now I still couldn't forget about club. And i just can’t deal with it.

 

 

"Angel?"

 

a familiar voice entered my hearing, made me turned around my chair to look slightly behind my back.

 

I cringed after seeing the vision I imagined, but after I squeezed my eyes to see more clearly from a distance. I saw a familiar tall-big shadow was now walking towards me where I was sitting, making me stoned in my chair.

 

Wait, did I start imagining things now?, I thought nervously as i saw the shadow was getting close to us.

 

When the shadow stood firmly right in front of me. Stacey began to look at me strangely.

 

I sighed as i was already sure that this wasn’t only my imagination. Taehyung's here.

 

He looked at me in disbelief and confused. Maybe almost as confused as I am right now. What am i doing anyway. Applying job in a club? Funny. 

 

 

I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, before staring up at that familiar sharp eyes again above me.

 

His eyes this time was also only focused on me. But now it felt a bit different.

 

"What are you doing here.." Before Taehyung continued his words Stacey immediately cut him off and put her hand between us, as if she was trying to protect me from him. Taehyung frowned at Stacey, confused.

 

"Where is Min?" As if she was ignoring Taehyung's words, Stacey boldly asked where my boss was to Taehyung.

 

I stared at Stacey confused, because suddenly she was asking it to him.

 

I guess, everyone knew my boss.

 

Taehyung's eyes immediately turned cold and very unfriendly when he saw Stacey beside me. He stared at Stacey quite cynical.

 

I thought they were friends because a week ago Stacey just gave my bread to me through Taehyung in the class. But, i guess they were not, because he kept staring coldly at her.

 

Taehyung really looklike a completely opposite person right now. He didn’t sound friendly at all and he felt colder.

 

The warmth and bubbly personality he used to show me in the class now faded. And he somehow seemed to look down on me right now, just like how he looked at Stacey.

 

I found my heart felt devastated as his eyes began to look at me with such a cheap look.

 

"Why are you looking for my brother?" He asked while looking at Stacey coldly.

 

His voice were so low. He was trying to make us feel scared and small below him. But, stacey had more guts to look at Taehyung in the eye.

 

I didn’t know where on earth stacey got the power to stand firm in front of Taehyung. While, here i am. Trembling in fear.

 

I gave a massage to my head as i was finally realizing the fact that Taehyung was actually my soon-to-be boss’s brother. He looked freaking scary and i couldn’t even look at him in the eye right now.

 

When i was lost in thoughts, Taehyung suddenly apporached me behind and brought his face closer to me.

 

He sniffed around my face and neck, made me slightly jerked away a little from him. So i immediately lowered down to hide my entire face from him.

 

"You don't smell like alcohol at all. What are you doing here?" He asked me while ignoring Stacey's presence completely.

 

He looked only at me while asking for an explanation from me. So, i finally looked up and tried to look at him in the eye.

 

I was staring at him straight. But, my eyes suddenly began to get teary as i was staring at him.

 

I felt so tired today. ing. tired.

 

I just wanted to finish the damn job interview. Where did Jimin go anyway?

 

So, i rubbed my nose as i felt very embarassed in front of him before i talked.

 

"I'm here for a job." I replied to him after few seconds we silent.

 

He frowned.

 

"You?" he raised both of his eyebrows, looking at me confused.

 

His gaze instantly turned dark and frightening.

 

I closed my eyes for a moment before talking again. Stacey started to separate the two of us again. She looked like about to explode and screamed at Taehyung.

 

"She's here for Min, Taehyung. " Cut Stacey, and her voice was no less cold than him.

 

Stacey didn't usually speak with a cold tone to men. And if she did, then that means there must be something going on about that man.

 

Taehyung stared at stacey coldly, then shook his head as he laughed sarcastically.

 

"Min and I both own this in’ club. So of course she has something to do with me. So, if she wants a job, she can talk to me now." His voice rose as he talked.

 

Stacey hissed.

 

"We've talked to Min that-" Taehyung immediately cut stacey before she finished talking, and stared at me pitifully.

 

"I’m taking tonight's shift. Min didn't come tonight." Taehyung replied coldly, made Stacey went speechless.

 

I closed my eyes dizzy because the bad atmosphere between us began to boiled up.

 

I started to pray deep in my heart hoping jimin would soon back here so he could prevent stacey to fight Taehyung in the crowd. They sounded like about to fight with each other in a second.

 

When I saw Jimin running in the middle of a crowd, I immediately made him an eye contact, telling him to hurry come. His eyes widened when he saw Taehyung's back, then his fist strengthened as he walked towards us.

 

"What are you doing Taehyung?" Jimin asked no less cold then stacey as he took us both away from Taehyung, giving a little distance.

 

Taehyung's face instantly turned bored, but still tried to catch my presence behind Jimin.

 

"I heard your friend wanted a job, Jimin." He said shortly.

 

"Are you taking the shift tonight?" Asked Jimin frowning. "Where is Min?"

 

"He has something to take care, so now there's only me." Said Taehyung to Jimin, but his eyes still only fixed on me behind.

 

When I started to feel that nothing was going right. I finally lowered Jimin's hand slowly and walked passed to him, so i could look at Taehyung in the eye.

 

Jimin looked at me worriedly and shook his head as if telling me to stay standing behind him with Stacey. But I refused, so i stood in front of Taehyung firm and strengthened myself not to tremble.

 

Taehyung looked bored when he was looking at me. But I knew he was watching all my movements.

 

"Do you know how to work at a club, liz?" He asked me seriously.

 

He didn't call me with angel anymore and tried to make me feel uncomfortable with his gaze. But, I didn't budge.

 

"Not yet."

 

"How much do you know about alcohol?" He asked me quickly, not giving me much time to think.

 

But, i won’t lose.

 

"I don't know much, but I can work hard." I replied shortly to him, and he started to sigh.

 

Taehyung tilted his head while staring at me judging. "Have you ever gone to a club then?" he asked me again.

 

Jimin started to feel worried because his questions beat me a lot of times. So, he started to talk.

 

"She has never been to club before, Taehyung. I've told these things to Min. She's really new." said jimin as he interrupted our conversation.

 

Taehyung looked at me in a horror. "Then, how can I believe that she can handle everything here?" He looked at me coldly, then shook his head in disgust.

 

Whatever he imagined when he looked at me, i only stood silently waiting for his questions.

 

"Do you even drink, liz?" he asked me again, and i started to feel cornered because i had to shake my head again, told him that i didn’t drink.

 

He laughed so loud when he heard my answer, then turned away to look at the three of us coldly in the same time.

 

"Do you think Yoon-gi will accept her? he won’t. She didn’t even drink. What’s going on with your head." He said mockingly.

 

Stacey finally advanced to talk with Taehyung again. "Taehyung, she really—"

 

"Forget it, she can't work here." He shortly replied and then turned away leaving us hanging.

 

He walked towards the crowd as he was leaving a garbage behind. 

 

His gaze was cold and he didn’t even give me a chance to explain before he rejected me. I reflexively wanted to chase him, but Jimin's hand immediately held me from behind.

 

"Where are you going?" Asked Jimin glaring at me.

 

I shook my head in panicked. "Just wait. I’ll talk to him.” I replied as i let go Jimin's hand slowly from me.

 

I broke through a crowd of people dancing to look for Taehyung again.

 

I couldn't lose more time for being unemployed.

 

I need to work.

 

And I didn’t want to starve.

 

This club and Taehyung were my one only hope. I had no other choice and ways to pay my apartment bill next month.

 

I had a feeling If I left this place without getting a job, my life would turn worst. And maybe, I had to go back to the orphanage.

 

When I found Taehyung's back in the crowd. I immediately chased after him, and pulled his shoulders to make him turned away back to look at me.

 

His black narrow eyes seemed to have been trained to look at me. He hissed when he saw my face, but did not budge from the place where he stood.

 

I strengthen my footrest and trained my eyes, ventured to look at him.

 

"What do you want?" He growled at me.

 

"I need a job, Taehyung." I replied it as factual as possible.

 

His jaw tightens. So he closed his eyes, before looking back at me. "Then?" He said, still wanted me to continue.

 

I took a deep breath before continuing my words. He finally wanted to listen.

 

“I was fired. I'd been applying to all places i know to get a job. But, i can’t wait any longer. My saving began to decrease. And i have to pay my apartment bills..” my words were hanging for a second because my body started to tremble. So, i sighed before i talked again.

 

“Semester fees, food expense, my cellphone bills, and my laptop bills. I really need this job more than anything." I said without stopping.

 

When he didn’t say a word i started to look at him again in the eyes desperate.

 

“if you’re worried about my knowledge of alcohol. I can learn. I will start drinking. And i will- no i can definitely adapt to this club. " I convinced.

 

Taehyung frustately shook his head.

 

"It's not just about that. I even doubt if you know how to deal with a bastard who is trying to peek into your underwear every minute when you work at the bar. You are not suitable for this job, and you will only become a burden to this club. " He replied as if he was taunting me.

 

His words were very hurting me and very deep. However he was stating the truth, i couldn't even feel disappointed.

 

"I can protect myself. I need this job. You don't need to worry about the jerk who’s approaching me, I can handle it all." I replied convincingly again.

 

We were silent for a second, but he just laughed loudly at me as if i had two heads.

 

"You have at least parents to pay your bills too." He said coldly.

 

I paused then looked at him tightly, strengthening myself. The way he laughed at me was bitter.

 

"Dad and Mom aren't with me. I live alone. " I replied shortly.

 

"Where are they?" He asked while looking at me closely.

 

I looked down to avoid his gaze, refused to explain. This was too privacy. I couldn't tell him everything about me.

 

As he was reading my face bothered. He used his finger to lift my chin up, making me looked at him in the eye again.

 

"Answer my question?" He asked moderately.

 

I sighed and took a deep breath before answering.

 

"I'm an orphan, Taehyung. I live alone. I came from orphanage." I replied to him with my tight voice.

 

He lowered his finger as he heard my answer, but his gaze was still cold towards me. The silence traced between us, and several people at the club began to stare at us strangely.

 

Taehyung finally looked around as he realized about people’s stare, before he looked back at me again.

 

"You can leave your job application at the bar, and you will only work when I ask you to work." He said shortly without looking at me.

 

I started to feel a wing of butterflies tickling my stomach to jump cheerfully. But, I held it back and kept maintaining my defenses like steel.

 

Taehyung just gave me a job.

 

"And you will learn how to fight so you can deal with jerks at the bar. I didn’t want to hear any news that my bartender was on the floor." He replied coldly.

 

I nodded eagerly ."I will work hard and i will not bother you."

 

He sighed as he was staring at me.

 

"And you don't need to drink, you just need to deliver drinks." He glared at me, but it was just making me more excited.

 

I nodded. But then, Taehyung grinned.

 

"You will learn the fight lesson from me. So you will be here when I'm here. Understood? " He asked me again.

 

I furrowed my forehead then looked at him confused.

 

"I learn to fight with you? Are you compatible? " I asked him, raising one of my eyebrows curiously.

 

He raised both of his shoulders.

 

"Kind of." He replied shortly. didn’t want to explain further, so i nodded even though I didn't understand what he meant.

 

When we finished talking, I went straight back through the crowd, approached Jimin and Stacey who looked like they were dead while waiting at the bar. I giggled then grabbed both of their shoulders while letting them know that Taehyung finally decided to give me a job.

 

They frowned at me, surprised with my finding and they looked confused. I had some mixed feelings, but I ignored it and said that I was very happy to finally get a job.

 

But then, stacey shook her head at me.

 

"You talk. And he accept you? " Asked Stacey in confusion.

 

I winced. "Why are you staring at me like that" I said then looked at Jimin.

 

Jimin cleared his throat before speaking.

 

"This is not true and it sounds suspicious if he accepts you working here. " He looked down thinking. "What about trying to apply job somewhere else?" He asked suddenly.

 

My eyes widen, staring at them in disbelief. "Are you serious? I just got this job, and you immediately asked me to quit now? Do not joke around with me." I replied mad. suddenly felt disappointed and sad because of the response they gave.

 

Stacey looked at me sadly.

 

"Oh god. Believe me, we don't mean to make you confused. Its just that.. we never expect Taehyung to interview you. We expected it that its Min. And if its Min.. at least we could be sure that he’ll  look after you.. " She explained.

 

I rotated my eyes lazily.

 

"Stace, soon or later I would work here, someday Taehyung will also soon realize that I work in here! It made no difference if I was interviewed with Min or Taehyung." I turned away to look at Jimin ready to fight them both.

 

"And I'm not a child anymore, i can look after myself." I said again to convince them.

 

Jimin squeezed his forehead then pulled Stacey's shoulder closer. "It's okay Stace. Maybe Taehyung isn't as bad as we think. " He replied trying to calm Stacey. While Stacey glared at Jimin like a demon.

 

"What do you mean? we've even seen Taehyung- "

 

"I'll talk to Taehyung and I'll make sure nothing will happen. " Jimin nodded to convince stacey, while she finally remained silent.

 

I looked at them both confused while massaging my head for not knowing anything. "Will one of you explain to me why you are so scared of Taehyung? if anyone was going to explain me, i will not go anywhere." I replied weakly.

 

Stacey looked down to the floor, before making herself looking at me. We were silent for a few seconds before she talked.

 

"Taehyung ... is just a little different, liz. He is just.. more dangerous." she swallowed hard before continuing to speak.

 

She frowned in disgust.

 

"There is no respect for him except for himself and his family. He is feared by many people here and his aura is dark. He is so brutal and cold, yet women just keep throwing their body at him-” for a moment stacey looked like stressed.

 

“He literally sleeps with anyone, but then throw them away like trash after that." she stopped again before looking back at me.

 

"I'm just worried about you. If one day he will also throw you to that side like those women, or maybe worse. Ugh. Just promise me you will go home after finish working. I want you to get away from him as much as possible. " She said and her eyes were implying guilt and sorry to me.

 

I grabbed her hand and them softly. "I'll be fine Stace. I can look after myself. He gave me a job, remember?"