The sun’s rays were kept out by the thick curtains in the room so it was still dark when Tiffany woke up. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and looked at the petite figure sprawled on the bed beside her. If she hadn’t seen Taeyeon in action with her very own eyes last night, the sight before her right now would make it impossible to convince her that the sleeping girl was a capable bodyguard. Lying prone on the bed. Messy hair falling over her face. One leg pulled up with her bottom jutting up. Arms curled up around her head. Taeyeon could totally qualify as the poster child for awkward but strangely adorable sleeping positions.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Tiffany contemplated the bodyguard. There was nothing left to accuse the bodyguard of doing wrong. She could hardly continue to throw her fits at the bodyguard after last night. Remembering the sheer hopelessness had swamped her mind, she had to admit that she had been very close to dying and the bodyguard had indeed risked her own life to save hers. Just as promised.

Tiffany shifted to get a better look at the gauze. It was wrapped around the forearm, just below the wrist. She stared at the evidence that someone had actually gotten injured to save her and tried to wrap her mind around the concept of endangering oneself for the sake of another. But it’s her job, she reminded herself. But if it were me, I would probably have run away and quit. Heck, I won’t even be a bodyguard in the first place. Taeyeon’s firefighter analogy came to mind. Dying for a noble cause. Was dying for her a noble cause?

As she continued to stare at the sleeping bodyguard, Tiffany became aware of a mark on Taeyeon’s arm, just above her elbow. Taking a closer look, Tiffany realised it was a tattoo, a curious symbol design of three curls spawning from a common point. Had it always been there? She had not noticed it before. And what did it signify? Did it have something to do with her street gang days? Or was it something she got after she graduated from juvenile training school?

Made me her girlfriend.

Taeyeon’s words flashed in her mind suddenly, interrupting all other thoughts. She had clarified and Taeyeon had confirmed. But did it mean the bodyguard still swung that way or had the bodyguard changed after graduating? After all, she might have been under the influence of the street gang leader at that time. But Taeyeon did not indicate it was a thing of the past either . . .

Tiffany shivered a little as she looked around the dim room. Having the bodyguard beside her helped, but she couldn’t help but feel a little terror inside. The feeling of the man’s hand on her neck still lingered and the corners of her lips still hurt from the gag that was stuffed in . And the image of the man standing outside when she opened the door still hovered in her mind. How long would these feelings and images haunt her for? When would she be able to step into a hotel room without being stabbed by fear?

“Are you feeling better?”

Tiffany was startled by the gruff voice. “What happened to your voice?” she asked the bodyguard who was staring at her with sleepy eyes.

“It’s my morning voice. Very y,” replied the bodyguard dryly.

The dry humour got to Tiffany and triggered a laugh. “Yes, very y,” she joked.

“Thanks for the compliment,” said the bodyguard as she sat up, “but you haven’t answered my first question. Are you feeling better?”

“A little.”

“Do you still feel afraid?”

“Yes,” Tiffany admitted, “it’s still on my mind.”

The bodyguard got off the bed and drew the curtains, allowing the late morning’s sunlight to brighten the room. “Give yourself some time to recover. It’s natural to feel afraid for some time after the incident.”

“I don’t like the feeling.”

“It helps if you get your mind off it for a while. Do something else.”

“Like shopping?”

“Your father wants you to go back home as soon as possible,” said the bodyguard as she filled the kettle up with water. “But we have to go back to the police station today. You can go shopping after that.”

“Do we have to?”

“The police need our help. Don’t you want those men to be sent to jail?”

“Yes, I want them to be locked in jail for a very long time.”

The bodyguard nodded. “Then you have to go. I’ll go with you.”

Tiffany wished she could just fly straight home and be safe again but she knew that the bodyguard was right. The police needed their help.

¤¤¤

Tiffany’s friends were anxious to know if she was alright and crowded around Tiffany when they appeared after having lunch. They wanted to go to the police station with them but Taeyeon had to stop them from going. In the end, it was just the two of them, Tiffany and the bodyguard.