Kang Daniel then knew immediately that he probably has made the ridiculous choice when he entered his new office and the man in front of him was staring too intently at his direction for every wrong reason. “You are what again?” The man shot him another judgmental look, his tone almost sounded like he was mocking Daniel for even coming there. “Bodyguard, I was, uh, wait, I have his name card,” Daniel suddenly said after he remembered something important, as he checked his jeans and finally found the piece of paper.

“Ah, Jiyong hyung?” The man softened all of the sudden when he inspected the card, and Daniel have to say that he was very impressed on how drastic the man change just by looking at the card. “He’s not here at the moment though, but he will be back soon, I suppose, but I will take you to his work room, my name is Baekhyun by the way.” The said-Baekhyun offered his hand to Daniel, which the latter took hesitantly.

“Sorry if I was rude earlier, we don’t really accept new member just like that, you know? But you should be something since Jiyong hyung gave you his identity,” Baekhyun continued to blabber as he led Daniel to the further inside of the huge building. “Are you thrilled? Because I am, it’s been awhile since someone new came, they usually being placed in smaller location rather than the main headquarter,” Baekhyun added with a huge grin, Daniel only nodded in response – he was still confused about how to react or even, how to act properly in such dangerous area.

Baekhyun stopped asking things when they got into the top floor as the latter left Daniel alone and told him to wait for Jiyong hyung in there. Daniel settled by sitting on one of the black leather couch that was placed beside the metal door – which he assumed to be the Jiyong’s office – and at that moment, he was scared out of his life, it was indeed a ridiculous choice that he made.

Daniel is not stupid and is not as clueless as he seems to be, when the man called Jiyong offered him a job right after he was kicked out from his last rental room and stayed on the street for approximately three days, he knows that that man didn’t come from the normal and harmless society. And when he got to the building, he know with his heart and soul that he just landed himself a job at one of the biggest mafia house and facilities in South Korea.

For the past decade, being a mafia is a superior job – the money is good, the reputation is good, the alliance is good, the rivalry is even better. Their existence is still very much illegal, but Daniel was pretty sure that this one house he was in has a certain connection to the government that they are able to have such a huge building in the city without any bother.

“Okay, calm down, this is your chance not to starve anymore.” Daniel let out an audible sigh.

The elevator made another sound just ten minutes later when Daniel busied himself by playing the hem of his shirt. “Oh, so you decided to come after all,”. Daniel recognized the voice as he looked up from the floor and found Jiyong staring at him with a hint of smile. “Come, we will discuss about this at my office,” The older man pointed to the metal door with his chin, and Daniel bowed a little at him before he followed the latter inside.

"I want to introduce myself properly, my name is Kwon Jiyong, and I work here, at the Black League,” Jiyong stated. “And I want you to be a bodyguard, which I’m pretty sure you already know, Daniel-ssi, but here’s the main point.” Jiyong paused for a little while. “I want you to be aware that we are playing with dirty, terrible things that have to stay lowkey, so we have to establish some couple ground rules here.” Daniel hummed an okay as the response.

“First, never tell the truth, and second, never fall for anything,” Jiyong said with a stern voice.

“And the last one, you have to keep me update about everything my sister does,” Jiyong added which made Daniel widen his eyes in reflex – he doesn’t even know that this man have a sister until then. “That’s your job, that’s your only job, you don’t have to fight anyone, you just have to keep me on my sister’s track.” Jiyong leaned back to his chair with a calmer voice this time, leaving Daniel still in confusion.

“Uh, I’m sorry, Jiyong-ssi? I thought I would be your bodyguard?” Daniel muttered hesitantly at the new information. “Ah, no, of course not, I don’t need anymore bodyguard, we take care of ourselves around here, see? Never fall for the false illusion that someone else can take care of you, second rule.” Kwon Jiyong tilted his head in amusement.

“You will be my sister’s bodyguard, that little rebel keep disappearing from my sight so, you keep your eyes on her so I can make sure that she stays alive.”.

---

Daniel wished he had had a notepad to write everything Baekhyun explained to him about the league and everyone and everything inside because Baekhyun talks with no chill at all. “Niel-ah, you will learn every as you live here anyway, don’t stare at me like that,” Baekhyun huffed – ten minutes with the latter and Daniel got a nickname already from him.

“Just remember, Jiyong hyung is the leader, so stay on his good side and people know him more as G-Dragon anyway, anyone outside the league is not your friends, and Kwon Jieun is the chaotic and reckless time ticking bomb that you need to follow everywhere.” Baekhyun grinned so widely that Daniel wanted to die.

“Can you perhaps, just brief me again with much simpler sentence?” Daniel asked nonetheless before he got more lost inside the dark alley of the mafia world. “Okay, Niel-ah, because you are new, uh, you know? Welcome to the Black League, the finest mafia and gangster house.” Baekhyun let out a small laugh. “We have four center headquarter in South Korea, and other two in Japan, and you are now at the main one,” Baekhyun explained.

“Don’t worry, we are all nice and fun around here.” Baekhyun flashed a huge grin again, like the fact that Daniel is now living under the roof with all these blacklisted people, is a very good thing. “And I heard about your cute job desk from Jiyong hyung, about keeping him updated about Jieun by being his bodyguard? Nonsense, I must say, Jieun is a cold heartless vixen, as if she is going to let you stay around her for more that a hour.” Baekhyun shrugged nonchalantly.

“Thank you for the calming assurance, Baekhyun-ssi.” Daniel slipped out the sentence before he realized what the he just did when Baekhyun stopped his track just to stare at him.

“Nice one, I like you already kid.” Baekhyun grinned and patted Daniel on his back – Daniel wanted to cry because he probably just escaped death. “Here’s your new room by the way.” Baekhyun pointed at one certain door after walking around. “Jiyong hyung mentioned to buy you necessities and new phone, it’s on your desk.” Baekhyun smiled again.

“Good luck, I suppose? I’m sorry if I startled you or so whatever, I got a little bit overwhelmed when Suho hyung confirmed that we are getting a new kid, we don’t really get newbie very much, you know? Almost never perhaps, Jiyong hyung is very selective about who stays inside the league’s circle and tend to keep it small but with great qualities, so whatever it is, you must be really something, huh?”.

---

Daniel wanted to feel happy about his new job – when he looked at the check Jiyong gave him earlier after he bathed and put on some brand new clothes, Daniel almost puked. And his job is simple, too simple to be true, but that’s what makes it even harder than it should be. At the dinnertime, Daniel still haven’t met the Kwon Jieun, but he did meet the rest of the main headquarter residents. Baekhyun was enthusiastically telling everyone on his group – Daniel figured it was called EXO – about him, and this one lanky guy couldn’t stop staring at him until Baekhyun nudged his arm.

Another group was called Infinite, but they were not present at this moment because of some dealing job outside Seoul. Daniel also learned that Kwon Jiyong also belongs in the group but s are the leader of other center headquarters at other different cities. That left Kwon Jieun, the only female human on the building. Baekhyun told him that Jieun is on the same age as him, and also one of the most dangerous human being on her age – Daniel concluded that Baekhyun is not so helpful after all.

In fact, the petite guy stressed him even more. Daniel came from a dancing background, he danced to fund his life recently until the academy closed because of some money issues and that is also why Daniel got kicked out. The thoughts of dealing with the real criminal world kind of haunt him, he can’t sleep at the most comfortable bed he ever had his entire life, as he decided to went out for a little bit of fresh air.

Daniel was only walking on the hallway when the elevator made a ding sound before it metal doors opened and revealed a female figure. “You must be Kang Daniel,” Kwon Jieun said as she stepped out from the elevator box and walked pass him without looking back but she soon stopped before she take a turn.

“You know, playing with fire is never a good idea,”.

---

Daniel then decided to quit being a chicken and that a girl couldn’t send him back to the streets; he had enough of living with struggles so when he have to do his job to stay alive, then he will do it even if it’ll be his death wish. Kwon Jieun shot him an unimpressed look as soon as she found him leaning beside her room door. “Why are you here?” Jieun asked immediately. “I’m pretty sure you know that I’m your new bodyguard?” Daniel replied nonchalantly.

“I’m pretty sure you know that I don’t need a bodyguard,” Jieun snapped stoically.

“I’m pretty sure you are not the one who hired me, obviously someone else think you need one.” Daniel knows that playing with fire is never a good idea but sleeping on the streets along with garbage can is not either, but at least one of them is fun while it lasts.

“Daniel-ssi, can you even fight to protect me to be calling yourself a bodyguard?” Jieun shot him a slight glare and that’s when Daniel froze. “No, but that’s not my job, it’s about making sure that Jiyong-ssi can be assured that you are living well,” Daniel replied instead.

Kwon Jieun let out a slight sigh and walked to the elevator direction, “I am not going to save your sorry if you got into any trouble, Daniel-ssi,” She added as she held the elevator door, signaling him to come in. The ride to the ground floor was incredibly awkward, even for Daniel, who is known for his cheerful self at the academy – everyone loves him nonetheless – maybe that’s why Baekhyun become so fond at him after one night.

“Where are we going?” Daniel asked when she told him to get inside the car.

“To play games, of course, everything in here doesn’t pay for itself, Daniel-ssi,” Jieun replied nonchalantly as she started her car.

“Just Daniel is fine, actually,” He added. “Just Daniel making it feels like we are friends, in which we are not, since you just got here and self-proclaimed yourself as my new bodyguard,” She replied nonchalantly. “How did you lend yourself this extremely boring job? Haven’t you heard a saying like, don’t listen to G-Dragon’s s or something similar?”.

Daniel was kind of taken aback by the amount of word the latter said with such a flat tone – he thought she would be more quite than that – Daniel liked it that she talks so much though, it made him feel more relaxed. “Nope, never heard of it, and I was on the streets, trying to find jobs? He just came to me and be like hey, wanna join me?” Daniel reenacted the conversation where Kwon Jiyong met him for the first time, but instead the latter replied him with another silence.

“It is weird now that I think about it,” Daniel muttered afterward.

“Why?” She said as her expression stayed the same – cold and unwelcoming.

“I mean, shouldn’t he be more calculative than that? He doesn’t even know whether I could fight or not, like heck, do he even know that I came from a dancing background?” It hit him just like that, yesterday he was too overwhelmed about meeting the girl beside him without really thinking about the reason why the Kwon Jiyong chose him out of nowhere.

“You just thought about all of that now?” She raised her eyebrow in slight amusement. “What’s your secret, Daniel-ssi? That Jiyong actually chose you?” She suddenly stopped the car at the side road and turned her head to his direction.

“I got nothing to be told.” He shrugged instead. “Isn’t it like saying that Jiyong is reckless, though?” She smirked – ing smirked that Daniel froze because in some ways he began to understand why Baekhyun keep saying that she is dangerous.

“Stay inside.” She decided to drop off the topic just like that, most probably knowing that Daniel has nothing going on better in his life, before she went out from the car and that was also when he realized that the black sedan in front of them was waiting for her. It didn’t take more than five minutes for Jieun to come back to the car and handed Daniel a large brown envelope. “You can take some if you want, bodyguard,” She said nonchalantly as she started driving again.

It didn’t take an expert to know that it was money inside, so instead he asked her, “What exactly are you selling, Jieun-ssi? Is it drugs?” Daniel lowered his voice at the end of the question. “No, drugs needs a lot of people to control its transaction, and we have people that deal with that already,” She replied. “I’m working alone, so instead, I’m selling information, blacklists, and secrets that should never be told,”.

Daniel fell into silence at that exact moment – Kwon Jieun is indeed vicious, and he is now her bodyguard. “Just make sure that you got nothing to hide from me, bodyguard,”.

---

Kwon Jieun is annoyed as . First of all, her nosy brother decided that getting her a damn bodyguard was a very good idea and second of all, Kang Daniel was actually a decent human being who smiled at the sight of cats when they were about to enter the building the other day. Third of all, which made her more pissed than she should, is the fact that Daniel is indeed have a clean background – he is technically just like what he said he is, a lone wolf trying not to die – she needed something to kick Kang Daniel out from her way.

“I’m just literally going to a grocery store, do you really need to update that to Jiyong? Are you not tired living as his slave?” She scoffed when she caught Daniel was smiling at her when she got out from the store – fourth, now Kang Daniel even have the balls to smile every time they met, like they already knew and trust each other their whole life.

“I mean I hardly called an occupation where you get paid for informing other party about another party as a slave,” Daniel countered – , Kwon Jieun didn’t like the fact that he talked back to her and she’s letting him off.

“And I feel kind of lonely since it’s just my third day working and everyone is busy and, yeah,” He confessed. “You followed me just for fun,” She concluded at the end. “Like there is so much fun in my life,” She sighed when she walked away from Daniel, but the latter followed her nonetheless.

“I mean following you making lots of money in just three days is fun for me.” Daniel let out a chuckle. “Hey, Jieun-ssi, have you ever feel scared? I mean your job is challenging,” He asked afterward.

“I don’t think a bodyguard suppose to ask question like that, I thought your job is to be quite and report, why are you so smiley all the time and ask questions?” She hissed as thy walked side by side on the pavement. “You know Baekhyun told me that you wouldn’t let me be by your side for more than one hour but here I am.” Daniel flashed her his boyish grin, which apparently still have no effect on her.

“Because, Daniel-ssi, I still haven’t figured it out why Jiyong chose you,” She answered flatly. “Will you kick me out by then?” He raised his eyebrow. “Obviously.” She turned her head to his direction to nod.

“By the way, no, I don’t feel afraid, maybe because it has been so long since I had this kind of life that I forget what fear is like,” Jieun answered nonetheless at the question and made her question herself instead – why the did she gave out her answer to a Kang Daniel.

“What doesn’t kill you make you stronger, huh?” Daniel chuckled. “No, what doesn’t kill me better hide,” Jieun stated nonchalantly.

“You know, Baekhyun told me that you are like a lost puppy when you first arrived, like scared and confused, can’t you stay like that? Being lost or something?” She asked rather harshly, but Daniel grinned at her instead. “I don’t know? I was nervous back then, I can’t focus, I even bite my nails that it’s wounded now.” Daniel put up his hand just for her to see.

“You are not my friend and it has only been three days since you saw me alive in person, so I don’t need to know that kind of things, like now I know that you bite your nails when you are nervous,” She deadpanned. “We are kind of bound to know each other better though? I am going to be stuck with you?” Daniel replied. “We have to see about that,” She said in a flat tone again.

By the time they arrive at the headquarter, Jieun was informed on her earpiece that there has been some kind of trouble inside, warning her to be on alert before she sent Daniel to the training center first to gather with the other as she went to meet Jiyong. Daniel hesitantly parted ways with the latter, and as soon as he got to the center, it was empty and dark inside, but he went to the middle of it nonetheless.

It was when someone grabbed him from behind and spun him around before proceed to punch him on the face, but the attacker was too slow for that, as Daniel dodged the hit and instead punch the man on the stomach and attacked his legs, making him fall. Next thing he knew was the man putting out his gun at him but he quickly kicked the thing away from the latter’s hand. And by the time Daniel was about to hit the man again to make sure he was safe, the lights .

Kwon Jieun was there, sitting like a calm sea before the storm as she crossed her hands in front of her chest, staring at the scene in front of her with her poker face.

“Are you okay, Woohyun?” She spoke up after the long silence as the big room was only filled with muffled panting from Daniel. “ing dammit, Eun-ah, you said that he is a ing dancer, he ing snapped my wrist,” The said-Woohyun let out an exaggerated whine.

“I thought so too.” Kwon Jieun stared straightly at Daniel, who was then still breathing hard, it’s been awhile after all.

Daniel knew from the first time that it was a ridiculous decision to join the mafia house led by the most fearsome leader on the entire nation, and agreeing to take care of his little sister was even more reckless action. But he needs to do whatever it is to stay alive, he made a vow after being kicked out so many times and ended up with nothingness in his twenty two years of life. This could be something, but Kwon Jieun is definitely the chaotic time-ticking bomb that might ruin his plan.

And it’s even more foolish to think that Kwon Jieun wouldn’t find out about Kang Daniel.