Hi people :) I hope you enjoy this, and sorry for the long wait :)

I’m up at six the next morning, heading up to the roof as usual to do my workout. I’m less focussed than normal, running on less sleep than normal due to worrying throughout the night, but I soon melt into my exercises and put Kris out of my mind for a while. I start warming down when the alarm on my Ipod goes off. I’d set it for ten minutes before I should head inside to ensure I don’t spend too much time up here like I usually do.

It’s seven am when I head back inside, going straight to the bathroom for a shower. I limit myself to ten minutes in there after brushing my teeth, as opposed to my usual twenty five minutes minimum. I scrub myself quickly and efficiently, spending most of my time in there washing and conditioning my hair.

I wrap a towel around my waist and head quickly back to my room to dress. I check the time on my clock on the wall. It’s 07:15. So far so good.

Well aware that I have to be outside Kris’s apartment for 8:00, I dry myself quickly, before dressing in one of my new black suits. This one is made of flexible material that enables ease of movement and will not prevent me from serving my purpose effectively.

I spend a few minutes in front of my mirror, fixing my face and hair, before heading down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. It’s 7:30 when I reach the kitchen and I’ve left myself twenty minutes to get to Kris’s. I’d checked the address last night and discovered that it is in ten minutes fast walking distance from my apartment.

I leave the house at 7:40, with a large sports bag containing my luggage that I’d packed last night, eating my last piece of toast as I go. It’s getting busy on the roads, and I observe the city waking up as I walk. It’s 7:55 when I arrive outside Kris’s apartment building. He’s not outside, so I check the name plates on the door to find out which floor he’s living on. That’s when I discover that he apparently owns the whole building. Well…

I press the bell and wait only a few moments before the door is opened by Kris himself. I cringe back slightly before composing myself, trying to slow down my breathing rate, and slipping into my role as bodyguard. I bow in greeting before walking inside as he reluctantly opens the door wider.

“Put your bag over there, there’s not enough time to sort all that out now, we’ll do that this evening.”

I nod, and follow his orders before shadowing him to a small flight of stairs to the right, walking silently beside him as he leads the way to his car. I sit beside him in the passenger seat as he changes gear, moves off and heads out of the underground car park. The doors open automatically as we approach and we pull out onto the road.

“I’m not happy working with you Tao, but my father’s given me no choice,” Kris starts. “You will simply be there by me and do as I say. Do not draw attention to yourself, and don’t bug me. I will get you fired if you give me any excuse.”

I’m silent for a moment, surprised that he’s bothering to talk to me, and that he’d said all that in a calm and emotionless tone. I’m used to him speaking to me in cold and vicious manner.

“Yes sir,” I reply, trying to keep my tone neutral.

I sense his eyes on me momentarily but keep my gaze forward, carefully observing the route we are taking. We’re heading through Seoul towards the conference park.

Kris seems to have decided to ignore our past completely as though we’ve never met before, as he says; “I will be giving a presentation today. I will be standing to the side of the stage by the microphone in order to leave the screen fully visible. You will be at the edge of the stage, concealed but only about one metre or so away from me. I want you to remain hidden and simply keep an eye out. I seriously doubt anything will happen but it’s your job to be aware at all times.”

We glance at each other at the same time, looking away awkwardly, but not before I’ve seen the flicker of irritation that crosses his face. I swallow my nerves, knowing that he hates me, even if he manages to hide it under his mask of indifference.

I think we both know that trying to get along will make this less unpleasant for both of us. When we arrive, fifteen minutes later, I make the decision simply to not cause any trouble and to keep my head down during the time I have this job. Maybe if I don’t provoke him this won’t be too bad.

I follow him through the building, glancing around and taking in all the people I can see. I stay close, right behind him, and follow silently. When we reach the waiting room, Kris sits down on the sofa and starts reading through his notes in preparation for his presentation which starts at 9:00.

I look around the room, remembering Sungmin’s advice, and check all the points of entry. There are two doors, the one we entered through, and the one we will use to exit the room. There is also a window facing the street.

I walk over to the window and glance outside. There are only twenty five minutes left until Kris’s presentation is due to start and I can see the other business men arriving outside with their secretaries. It suddenly occurs to me then that Kris doesn’t seem to have a secretary with him. As I turn back to take a seat close to the door, I resist the urge to ask why.

It is silent for a few minutes as Kris works, and I simply listen to the sound of him rustling through his notes and wait. With five minutes to go, I grab a bottle of water out of the drinks fridge in the corner of the room and offer it to him as I know he will be speaking for some time shortly. I don’t really expect him to accept it, so am surprised when he does.

He nods in gratitude, barely taking his eyes off his sheets, and it occurs to me then, as I watch him gulp down the water whilst still reading, that he’s nervous. It takes me a moment to absorb this new knowledge and I remind myself that he does have emotions other than anger.

I glance at my watch and decide to remain standing as I ponder this, and when the door to my left is opened by a worker who’s beckoning us in to start the presentation, I force myself to return to reality from thoughts such as I wonder what he looks like when he smiles, if he ever does smile.

I turn and lead the way through, glancing around and taking in the stage. Kris follows me and glances at me as he walks past. I meet his eyes without hesitation and his eyes narrow, seeming to lose the nervousness that had filled them and instead becoming more focused and dangerous.

I let out a sigh of relief when he turns and walks onto the stage, slipping seamlessly into his role as the son of a CEO.

From my position I can see the whole room, through a slit in the wall, probably designed for this very purpose, and I check the exits before scanning the room for any suspicious people. Once I’m satisfied, I relax slightly and allow myself to listen to Kris speaking as I continue to watch the room.

The presentation lasts half an hour, and then Kris answers questions from the other businessmen here. I cringe at the way they phrase the questions; polite words with underlying criticism. I remain alert throughout the whole meeting and after twenty minutes or so, the questions take a more personal turn, veering away suddenly from the main topic, steered that way I assume, by one of the reporters here.

As the reporters start calling out questions, asking about Kris’s recent harassment, I shift my weight, uncomfortable with this turn of events.

I’m now glancing at Kris every few seconds as Sungmin’s advice runs through my head; “do not let reporters near him unless it’s specifically a press conference.”

When Kris glances my way, discomfort unveiled momentarily in his gaze for my eyes only, I make my decision. I walk out onto the stage, leaning in to murmur something in his ear as people quieten down after seeing me. He nods as though I’d said something urgent, before leaning back into the range of the microphone and saying “thank you for your attention, I’m sorry I’m unable to take any more questions, please consider my proposal carefully. Thank you.”

I follow him off the stage, glancing around the room, checking there are no threats. Just before I disappear out of view, I meet the eyes of one of the reporters, glaring at me in irritation. I’m filled with a sense of trepidation but push it aside as I turn, following Kris back into the side room and quickly scanning the room.

There's a young girl inside, waiting with freshly made hot drinks, and I watch as Kris takes one, out of courtesy I think, before waving her away. As soon as she’s gone he turns his glare on me. “What took you so long? You should react much faster than that.”

He runs his hand through his hair in irritation before whipping out his phone and talking rapidly with someone on the other end. I decide not to rise to his criticism, well aware that I could have handled the situation better, but also that, although his presentation went well, the question section had ended with a disappointing note and I know he's taking his frustration out on me.

We leave ten minutes later, heading to the office, taking the lift up to the top floor in silence and walking past his office, along a corridor I’ve not been in before, and into a large meeting room.

Assembled inside I see several people, all with work in front of them, around one large desk. They all stand up together, bowing sharply as Kris walks in ahead of me. He nods in greeting and they all take their seats. I stand against the wall, able to see the whole room, and observe in reluctant admiration, the skilled way that he runs the team.

I listen in silence as they discuss changes to be made to their current business plan, the one Kris had been presenting today. I’m amazed that, as he’d been presenting, he had also been able to observe the reactions of the other men present and judge their opinions of the ideas he put forward, and then remember them in enough clarity to be able to discuss the plan, making such specific changes. I realise that this job can be very valuable if I allow myself to learn from Kris.

They work for several hours straight, finalising the plan until finally, Kris deems it acceptable and instructs one of the ladies to send a copy to his father, who’d returned to China early that morning.

Kris leaves, me walking close behind, as the workers pack up their stuff to go for their lunch break. I follow Kris as he heads through the building to the elevator. I mask my surprise as he leaves the office completely, heading out to the street and crossing the street, before entering a restaurant only a minute away from the office.

I follow him inside, aware that he may object, but still determined to do my job. The waiter obviously recognises Kris, and after a surprised glance in my direction, leads us through the building to a private room at the side.

I stand to the side as Kris sits down, obviously comfortable here judging by the way he relaxes into his seat, and wait silently. I scan the room quickly, checking for possible threats even though I’m sure this place is safe as he evidently comes here regularly, but then again his routine could be his undoing if someone had dangerous intentions towards him.

He picks up the menu, after being told by the young attendant that just arrived that they have some new options. A moment passes as he scans the menu before he glances up at me, motioning with his hand for me to join him, evidently still disliking the idea of having a bodyguard and preferring to eat whilst treating me as just another acquaintance.

I’m uncomfortable with the idea of sitting so close to him but do as he requests, aware that my job is to follow his orders.

“Choose something,” he says bluntly.

My eyes widen in surprise as I’d been expecting to simply watch him eat, but I pick up the menu silently and scan through the options. I choose steak with vegetables and boiled potatoes, surprised that such a meal is available in a very traditional Korean restaurant, but happy as that had been one of my favourite meals during the time I’d spent living in the UK.

Kris shoots me a surprised look as I order, but I ignore it in favour of taking out my phone as it rings. I stand, glancing at Kris for permission to answer it. He nods, waving his hand and obviously not caring what I do.

I’m surprised to see that it’s Jongin ringing me, as I’d expected it to be my parents or someone calling to ask how my work is going. I move to the edge of the room before answering.

“Hi Jongin, what’s up?” I feel a flicker of ironic amusement as I speak so casually in this setting.

“Hey Tao, I’m with Kyungsoo at the moment,” I roll my eyes, he’s always with Kyunsgoo, “and we’re thinking of getting people together on Friday, we’ve spoken to the others and they’re free, you’re the last one to call. Are you busy then?”

“I think I’m free, what time? And is Sehun going because I’ve got something of his that I forgot to return to him.”

“Yes he’s coming, Baekhyun, Chen and Joonmyun too.”

“Luhan?”

“Yes he’s coming, I haven’t actually spoken to him personally but I’ll assume he’s coming since Sehun is.”

I smirk, “I should've known, when it comes to Sehun, Luhan’s never far away.”

I hear Jongin laughing and chuckle. “Sure, I’ll be there, might be late because I’m working but I’ll get there. Text me the details ok?”

“Sure, and I didn’t know you’d got a job! You’ll have to tell us everything.” I cringe at the thought and say goodbye.

As I turn back to Kris and sit down again, putting the phone back in my jacket pocket, I try to ignore Kris’s gaze. In the end, when it becomes clear I’m not going to look at him, he speaks first.

“So, you’re friends with Jongin and Sehun then?” I resist the urge to cringe at where this conversation is inevitably heading, and nod. “Yes, they’re dating two of my best friends and we became close.”

“How close?”

I glance up at him, in an attempt to read his expression, but I can discern nothing. “I count them as two of my closest friends.”

A slight frown forms on his face, “you’re close with them despite the past. How did that happen?”

I stare back at him for a moment, eyes guarded, before replying “they both found someone worth changing for.”

Something dangerous flickers in his gaze and my old fear spikes, but before he can reply there’s a knock at the door and it opens to reveal the young waiter pushing a food trolley with our plates on it. We lean back in our seats; I realise we’d unconsciously moved closer to each other as we’d talked, and watch silently as he sets down our plates and drinks. We remain silent when he leaves, and our conversation dies as we start eating.

It’s six in the evening when we finally return to Kris’s apartment. We park back in the same spot and enter the building through the door in the underground parking area, Kris beckoning me closer before keying in a code in the pad at the door, letting me know how to get in if I should ever need to. I nod, letting him know I’ve got it, as he opens the door and leads the way.

The atmosphere is tense as we reach the lobby and I grab my bag from where I’d left it this morning. “Follow me.”

I do so, silently as usual. He takes me to the elevator and we ride it up to the top floor, the fourth floor. As we go, I wonder what he does with the other three floors. It seems quite strange to have so many floors and rooms if only he lives here. We get out on the top floor and he leads the way through what appears to be a sitting room; there are a couple of sofas and a huge TV with speakers and an Ipod dock. It occurs to me then, that I’m being shown a huge part of his private life by moving in here.

He glances at me, not bothering to hide his irritation, as I stare around the room. I swallow nervously and catch up to him.

He takes me to a door and pauses, before opening it. “I don’t want you coming in here, ever, unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’m only letting you in now so that if you do need to come in, you’ll know what to expect.”

I step inside after him, and after a quick glance around, I realise it’s his bedroom. It’s huge and I try not to stare at his belongings, instead glancing at the windows and looking for other doors whilst taking note of the positioning of the furniture in the room. There is a huge double bed up against the left wall, and opposite is another huge flat screen TV.

Once again in here there is a large set of speakers and I notice a laptop on a desk in the corner. He has a walk in wardrobe and a large bathroom, I notice, and a bookcase next to the window. I look back at him after a few moments and he turns, heading further through the room and into to another door in the side of the room, two metres away from the TV.

I follow him through and look around. The room is the same size as his, with a similar layout, but it’s empty of anything but furniture and the bed. “My father had this room sorted for you to stay in. You are to sleep here and you should have everything you need.”

I put my bag down on the bed and glance around. I raise my eyes up to meet his hard gaze as he hands me a sheet of paper saying, “this is an outline of my usual weekly schedule. If there are any changes as time passes you will obviously be told but generally this is when I have to be at work. I’ve also included a list of things I usually do to pass my time. As my father wishes, you will have to accompany me to many of them.”

He looks at me coldly, before saying, “I doubt you’re happy about that, but I’m not either so we’re even. Leave that door unlocked at all times,” he gestures at the door leading to his room, “so you can get in quickly if needed.”

I look at him, fighting to hide how much I hate that idea, before replying “do you think that will be needed?”

He shifts, as if irritated that he’s even speaking to me, “I don’t know, maybe. There have been people following me and causing trouble. Some have followed me all the way back here and they’ve been identified as people working for an organisation from China that caused some trouble for my father a few years back. We’re not sure what they’re planning, they probably won’t do anything in here, but you’re here anyway to ensure they don’t succeed with anything if they try.”

I nod and we look at each other silently before he turns and walks out.

I let out a sigh of relief when he’s gone and take my phone out to text my parents, letting them know I’m here safely. There’s also a text from Jongin, letting me know the details about Friday. I send back a quick reply before grabbing my bag and starting to unpack.

That night after grabbing a quick meal in the kitchen, I wash before getting into bed. As I climb under the covers and turn off the light darkness fills the room and I try to push down the discomfort I’m feeling due to the fact that Kris is in the next room, with not even a locked door between us.

I eventually fall into a restless sleep and am repeatedly jerked back into consciousness as the nightmares start up again. Eventually I’m so tired I slip into a sleep that’s empty of dreams.

Hope that didn't disappoint. You can probably tell I don't know much about the business world... XD

Leave a comment so I can find out what you thought :)