If it wasn’t for the attack two weeks prior, your father wouldn’t have had to hire a bodyguard for you. It occasionally kept you awake at night, sometimes a maid woke you up as she heard screams coming from your room. But you were certain it was just a onetime thing and you were perfectly safe by yourself, but he insisted.

You weren’t a child, you didn’t need anyone to take care of you. It was an irrational decision made by your worried parent that put you in an uncomfortable position of having to be in the presence of a stranger 24/7. The man didn’t click with your personality at all. He was always smiling, always happy while you spent most of your days sulking about your life and the misfortunes it befell it. Or at least, you liked to tell yourself that. Most days you were just bent over school work and countless of extracurricular projects you liked to busy yourself with to forget about things. But with the summer, there wasn’t much to do besides some volunteer hours and seeing a select few outside of the house. It was a peaceful life you weren’t too fond of, but at least you were safe.

Until two weeks ago.

You were in the car on your way back home when it happened.  A car swerved in the same lane and blocked the road for you. Then the window was broken, glass shattering and cutting your face, a gun aimed at your head. If it weren’t for the patrol car nearby giving a man a ticket for speeding, you would’ve been held for ransom, or put to death. They still managed to give you a few bruises as you tried to fight them off. The driver saved your life, but after the event he quickly resigned.

“Good morning, ahgassi!”

You lifted your eyes from the book you were reading, seeing your bodyguard Seokmin walking into the living room with groceries. He held them up for you to see, a wide smile stretching on his face while his eyes turned to crescent moons. His care-free nature almost pissed you off, probably because you wished you could smile like that too.

You gave him a small bow of the head, and he disappeared into the kitchen. He quickly came back, a white dress shirt with his collar popped open, sleeves rolled up, and a black apron over his dress pants.

“Ahgassi, what will you be having this morning? I brought some fresh fruits from the market and I saw you have some toast-.”

“I’m allergic to fruits,” you said flatly, returning to your book.

“Ei, I wasn’t made aware of that in your resume,” he said with a small laugh. “I’ll make you something good, just wait!”

Before you could protest any further, he left again. You couldn’t concentrate on your book anymore, so you silently left the living room to retreat back into your bedroom. Soon there was a knock on the door, and Seokmin peeked his head in.

“Ah I thought you’d be here!” he said as he came in. You rolled your eyes, because you only wanted to have some peace and quiet. He walked over to your small coffee table and placed down the tray. He began to explain every intricate piece of food he had put on your plate, and though you did have a negative stance on him, you still thought it all looked so delicious. It was French toast with sliced strawberries and bananas on a thin bed of whipped cream and shredded chocolate. He had impressed you quite immensely, as you burned water into another dimension.

He stared at you intently, waiting for you to take a bite. But you were busy with your book, and weren’t even planning on eating. He gave you a soft inviting smile, but you dismissed it. With a small huff he picked up a fork and knife and cut a piece, holding it up to your face. You frowned, feeling like a baby who can’t feed itself.

“I’m not leaving until you at least try it,” he said. “If you don’t like it, I can take it back down and make you something else.”

Just to make him go away, you took a small bite, and suddenly your heart melted. It was completely delicious, and for a second your tough exterior had disappeared and you almost let out a sound of contentment. He cut you another piece, and you took a bite. He couldn’t help but laugh, thinking he had found a way to your heart through your stomach. Well, he wasn’t wrong.

“Hmm, I don’t think you like it,” he said in a sarcastic tone. He reached to pick the tray up but you stopped him, and his smile returned again. He bowed and made his way to leave the room, glancing back to see you pick up the fork and slowly dig in. He laughed to himself and closed the door behind him.

You had to start the day sooner or later, and once you were done with breakfast, you immediately got to work at your desk. You had a hoard of papers to send out and forms to fill that you weren’t sure if you had enough time in your life to do that. But it was still a task you had to accomplish.

Right around 2 in the afternoon you felt your stomach growl. You thought Seokmin would’ve brought some food by then, but it seemed as if the whole house had suddenly frozen in time. There wasn’t any sign of living people in it.

Then again, he was a bodyguard. He was under no obligation to do anything else apart from guarding your body, so expecting him to act as a servant was shallow on your part. You tidied your desk before walking out of your room and towards the kitchen downstairs. It really seemed like you were completely alone until you got to the kitchen door where you heard voices on the other side.

“You impress me,” it was the head maid’s voice, Hyojung. “Despite the way she treats you, you are still kind to her.”

“I think that’s what she needs the most right now,” he said. “She went through a lot.”

Hyojung smiled and nodded, “As someone who has been by her side the longest, I ask of you to be patient with her. After what happened she pushes people away, and she has become very difficult. But underneath all of that I still believe the greatest woman I have ever known is still there.”

You felt your heart tighten at her words. You thought it would’ve been easier to distance yourself from everyone, because you were so afraid they would get hurt like your driver did that night. You hadn’t left the house either for two weeks and usually sent someone on errands or shopped online. It was hell for you, but you did what you could to shut the world out, and to protect yourself as well. But adding a bodyguard suddenly to your side didn’t help.

“So wishing for her to warm up to me is quite impossible?”

“Do you know why I didn’t want a bodyguard?”

Seokmin jumped up at your voice, and Hyojung let out a gasp and then laughed.

“Ahgassi you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that!” she laughed. “Are you hungry? I can get something ready-”

“It’s because I didn’t want to be constantly reminded that I’m in danger. I want to forget as quickly as possible about what happened to move on with my life and be happy again.”

Seokmin stayed silent, his lips parting to say something but you left without another word before he could. He sighed, turning to the maid, “She really knows how to charm people.”

Hyojung sighed in turn, walking over to the fridge to grab some food to prepare. “She loved going out, you know. She loved to walk around the gardens and soak in the sunlight. She helped the workers water and trim, even ate lunch with them in dirty overalls. She used to give stray cats and dogs a home before they could find owners, and she used to volunteer a lot too. But ever since the accident, she hasn’t even smiled to anyone.”

“Then what does she do all day?” he asked.

“She finds anything to do. Fills up some forms for her father, naps a lot, but mostly spends her time in the library reading books. She hasn’t finished any of the ones she started, which is unusual for her.”

The man stared at her, feeling hopeless towards the situation. He knew it wasn’t easy for you to open up your heart to people you knew, yet he was willing to try even as a stranger. If only you could try and accept at least the people you used to be close with, it would make your life easier. It was a sticky situation he didn’t want to deal with, but he felt pity for you.

He walked out of the kitchen and thought he had a lot of time on his hands since you didn’t want to have anything to do with him, and so he began to roam around the house. The first few days of work he wouldn’t leave your side, but he soon realized he wasn’t really needed if you never went out.

He walked into an unoccupied room. It was filled with pictures from the family, and he began to explore all of them. He recognized you as a child, smiling and having fun. The picture frames were scattered around the room and were all in chronological order. But every single photo radiated warmth and happiness, as opposed to what he felt when he was in the house. An unsuccessful fishing trip looked to have the greatest memories, birthday parties that seemed to tell him that the people there were happy they were alive. And he finally walked over to the recent years where he saw you with the brightest and most beautiful smile he had ever seen. The pictures stopped there, at an event probably a month or two ago. You were wearing a blue dress surrounded by friends, mid-laugh, looking like you were having the time of your life before it was all taken away from you.

He had decided in that moment that, no matter what, he was going to make you love life again.

He rushed out of that room and jogged in the corridor, thinking of an idea. He had finally located the library, but you were nowhere to be seen. He scanned the books on the shelves, and for a moment he had to stop and realize the couple of thousands of them in the giant room. He noticed that everything was separated by author, and quickly walked over to the section where he thought there would be the book he was looking for.

By some miracle, it was there. A book that carried sentimental value for him looked to have never been used at all. He picked it up and ran out into the corridor again, making his way back to the kitchen. He was almost hit in the face by the door opening, Hyojung letting out a scream when she noticed him.

“Dear God what is with you two and sneaking up on me!” she yelled. He grabbed the tray of food from her hands and told her he would take care of it. He resumed a fast pace towards your room, the book tucked under his arm.

You were back in your room, looking over some documents your father was too lazy to fill out. It was a regular donation form to a women’s shelter his company was supposed to take part in, but thought you would do the job for him. You jumped up as Seokmin walked in through your door again, placing the tray of food on the table in front of you.

But before you could grab your fork, he handed you a book. Your eyes widened and you stared at him curiously.

“It’s my favourite,” he said. “I want you to read it.”

“I don’t like books,” you said, but he raised an unimpressed eyebrow as he pointed to a pile of books in the corner of your room. Your cheeks flushed from embarrassment, wishing he’d just go away and leave you alone.

“I promise you, you’ll like it,” he said, and gestured for you to take it. You caved and hesitantly took the book in your hands. It looked uninteresting, and most probably its contents were just as bland as the cover.

Seokmin bowed and left the room, leaving you to eat alone. You stared at the book, completely forgetting you were hungry in the first place. You decided to open it up and give it a quick read before starting to eat.

 

***

 

A piercing shriek ripped through the night, and Seokmin tumbled out of bed. It took him a moment to get back to his senses, and he heard the same scream again, coming from the room down the hall. He scrambled up to his feet, pyjama misplaced on his body and a slipper missing as he rushed out. He looked around, but there was only a faint lighting in the corridor. A succession of screams rang again and he darted towards the source.

When he opened the door to your room, he was sweating as if he had ran a marathon. You were writhing in your bed, gripping at the sheets for dear life. He rushed towards you and shook you awake, and for a second he gave you a scare and made you scream again. Your face was damp with tears and sweat, and he kept reassuring you that you were fine and that it was just him.

Your chest was heaving, breath shallow as ever. It was another nightmare, the same one that plagued you ever since the incident. Your fingers ached from holding the sheets so tightly, and you buried your face in your hands. Seokmin rubbed your back in slow circles until you finally realized he was there, sitting on your bed.

“Did I wake you?” you asked, breathless.

He nodded. “It was terrifying, I thought someone was torturing you.”

You apologized multiple times to him, and you could see sympathy in his eyes. You were still silently crying, not even realizing his fingers had intertwined with yours. He stared intently at you, as if trying to determine whether or not you were going to be okay for the rest of the night. Your eyes felt heavy, but you were petrified at the thought of being caught in the same nightmare.

“Do you want me to stay?”

You met his gaze with a surprised look. Without much thought, you nodded and made space for him to lie down on the bed next to you. He quickly tucked you in and sat down with his back against the headboard. He almost jumped up when he felt you grab onto the hem of his shirt, gripping it like the bed sheets earlier.

You closed your eyes, but once you had fallen asleep you jerked yourself awake. Seokmin’s eyes shot wide open and he put his hand on your back, asking if you were okay. You nodded, but he felt you shaking next to him. He slid down a little and pulled the cover over him sticking closer to you.

“I’m right here,” he whispered, “I won’t let anyone hurt you I promise.”

Your heart calmed down, and slowly you felt your eyes close again. You unknowingly snuggled up to him, which took him by surprise but he made sure you were comfortable enough. He slowly rubbed your arm, he himself falling asleep but trying to remain awake despite his lulling head.

 

The door clicking open awoke Seokmin with a start, and he suddenly felt something heavy laying on top of his chest. He glanced down and noticed your head was placed on top of him, fingers gripping at his shirt. He noticed it was Hyojung, whose eyes were widened at the scene before her. He pressed his finger to his lips and motioned to you who was still sleeping, and without another sound she closed the door.

Seokmin was met a peaceful sunny morning peering through the windows of your room. It really did seem less scary than at night, and he wondered for a moment how long it would last.

You felt him move slightly under you, and your eyes fluttered open. Your vision was slightly blurry at first, and when you turned your head you noticed you had been sleeping on top of your bodyguard.

You let out a small yelp and threw yourself back, almost falling off the bed before he caught you and pulled you back. You scratched your head, noticing your hair was a huge mess and probably resembled a bird’s nest.

“Did you-?”

He smiled towards you. “You slept all night, you know? I also think you snored a little.”

Blush crept up your face, and you couldn’t believe it. You hadn’t slept well ever since the attack, and you wondered why it was that when he suddenly came to stay beside you, you could sleep soundly. You noticed a drool stain on his tshirt, and wanted to crawl under the bed and live there forever.

Your room suddenly felt foreign to you. It felt warmer than usual, and full of light. Was it the result of a full night’s sleep? Or was it because he was there?

“Thank you,” you whispered. He gave you a bright smile and ruffled your hair, getting up from the bed. You rubbed your eyes with a sense of contentment, but before you could strike up a conversation with him, he had already left with the promise of breakfast.

You took another look around your room, and suddenly noticed the book he had given you sitting on your night table. You crawled across the bed to grab it and sat back down. You also noticed you smelled like him, which made you scoff a little.

You continued where you had left off the day before, and almost threw the book across the room when there was a knock on the door. You quickly shoved it into the drawer next to your bed and told them to enter. Sure enough, it was Seokmin coming in with a tray of pancakes.

“Ah Ahgassi, it’s such a beautiful day today!” he said and placed the tray on your lap. “Maybe we can go for a walk in the garden?”

You slowly shook your head while avoiding his gaze. His smile faltered a little but he recomposed himself and let out an awkward laugh. “Hmm, maybe you’re right, you might get a sunburn today! I guess, next time when the sun isn’t so hot…”

He stood there for a moment, before making an excuse to leave. You quickly took back the book and started reading again while eating breakfast.

 

***

 

That evening, Seokmin was sitting in the living room while looking through a recipe book. He had a pair of glasses sitting on his nose while he jotted down instructions and marked important pages. He thought that maybe if he cooked for you often, he could get closer to you.

The sound of footsteps made him jump onto the couch in a fighting stance, and almost had a heart attack when he noticed it was just you in your pyjamas.

“Ahgassi, why did you have to sneak up on me?” he said while gripping at his chest. “Is something wrong? Are you hungry?”

You shook your head. “Here.”

He widened his eyes when he saw you were handing him a book. “What’s this?”

“It’s my favourite,” you said. “I finished yours.”

He let out a content laugh and couldn’t stop smiling at your words, “So? What did you think?”

You cleared your throat, “It was alright.” That was a lie. You absolutely adored it.

“I guess I’ll have to pick something better for you then,” he laughed. He went back to reading the cookbook, but you still stayed there, wanting to say something but the words couldn’t come out. He realized you were still there and he put the book down. “Is there something else? Are you hiding another book somewhere?”

You shook your head. “I was… I was hoping you… God, never mind-”

He caught your wrist as you wanted to leave, “It’s alright, you can tell me.”

Your face flushed red, “I wanted to… Ask you… If you could stay in my room. Until I fall asleep that is.”

Your request took him by surprise, but without another thought he put his things away and followed you to your room. You climbed into bed while he took a seat on your armchair, your book sitting on his lap.

“I’ll be right here if you need me,” he said. You nodded and settled in, taking in a deep breath before closing your eyes.

It was quiet for a while, until Seokmin noticed you began to toss and turn in bed. He slowly got up, his eyebrows knitting together. Your breathing was rapid, and sweat beaded at your hairline. You suddenly sprung up with a scream, hyperventilating. Seokmin grabbed your shoulders and tried to calm you down. Your eyes met him, and you felt your heartrate slow down, and your breathing became normal. He cupped your cheeks and was speaking to you, but his words didn’t reach you for a moment until you calmed down.

“I’m here,” he said. “No one is going to hurt you I promise.”

You couldn’t help but cry, and he quickly wiped away your tears. He motioned for you to move over and you did. He settled into your bed like the night before, and you automatically latched onto him out of fear. He repeated what he had done previously, slowly massaging your back in hopes you would fall asleep soon.

“Why are you helping me?” you suddenly asked in a shaking voice.

He stayed quiet for a moment, “I can’t stand seeing people suffering. I want to do what I can to help.”

You grip tightened on his shirt, “I’m sorry I haven’t been the most pleasant person to be around.” You turned your head towards him, seeing that same sunflower smile. “What?”

“Nothin’,” he said with a small laugh. “Come on, you should sleep. Or are you afraid you’ll dream of me?”

You felt your cheeks redden and turned back to rest your head against his chest. He couldn’t help but laugh even more. You quickly fell back asleep, but he stayed awake while staring out the window. He suddenly felt you shift over him, and he was perfectly still. You wrapped your arm around his body and pressed yourself into him, snuggling up.

He suddenly felt his heart skip a beat.