“you called for me?”

 

bae joohyun mutters as she steps into the office of her boss’ office, plopping onto the plush leather seats with restrained snark. she eyes the woman before her, studying her with a careful gaze. a couple of new wrinkles have appeared since they last saw each other but apart from that, the leader of the bae family looks to be as cutthroat as ever.

 

her boss tears her eyes away from her screen and finally acknowledges joohyun with a slight nod.

 

“i’ve received a new job and you happen to be a perfect fit.”

 

quirking a brow, joohyun lets a wry laugh slip. “you didn’t want me messing with the family business before, so why now?”

 

her mother leans back in her seat, releasing a slow exhale as if she’s been steeling herself for this conversation with her daughter.

 

“this is important, joohyun. they’re a long-time business partner and a friend of the family. your brothers are ill-suited for this task.”

 

a retort hangs at the tip of joohyun’s tongue but she holds back. their relationship is sour enough as is but if her mother is desperate enough to reach out to her then perhaps it’s worth hearing her out. 

 

“go on.”

 

“son hyunbin of verve tech has a daughter who requires our protection services. they need someone unsuspecting and efficient. i trust that you will do a good job.” her mother explains.

 

joohyun scoffs loudly, folding her arms across her chest. “you called me here to be a rich girl’s guard dog? is that all i am to you?”

 

a hand slamming onto the oak desk in front of her reminds joohyun of all the reasons why her mother has been such a successful crime lord.

 

“this is serious, joohyun.” her mother hisses, “verve is the biggest tech company in this country, there are consequences if anything should happen to his daughter.”

 

“and none for your own,” joohyun retorts, “you’re forgetting i have my own job and life now.”

 

her boss shoots her a sharp glare, “a job that i got you.”

 

“sure, if that’s what you tell yourself.” joohyun mutters as she rises from her seat.

 

“get changed and head down to verve, they’re expecting you in an hour.” her mother orders, “take the job, i’ve already contacted your boss to let you go.”

 

“what the ?” joohyun bristles, “you can’t do that!”

 

the matriarch tightens her jaw, “you forget who i am.”

 

“you think i can’t get another job without your help?”

 

“i can get you fired just as easily, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

 

knowing her mother is easily capable of making good on her threats, joohyun can only curse under her breath and storm out of the office. she’s never had much of a say in matters regarding the family business; she’s nothing but a tool in the eyes of her mother.

 

---

 

donning a well-pressed suit prepared by her mother, joohyun feels out of place when she steps into the lobby of verve tech. her meeting with her mother has left a bitter aftertaste in and unfortunately, masking her frustration is harder than she expects.

 

approaching the receptionist with a mildly forced smile, joohyun tries to get her job done.

 

“hey, mr son is expecting me.”

 

the receptionist eyes her up and down, noting her lip piercing with disdain. 

 

“your name?”

 

“bae,” joohyun ignores the hostility in her tone, “irene bae.”

 

“it says here the one meeting with mr son should be a ms hilla bae.” the receptionist stated.

 

“look, i don’t want to be here either. hilla bae is my mother, she sent me to meet him so stop wasting both of our times and let me get this over with.”

 

“ann, is this lady bothering you?” a voice speaks from behind joohyun, causing her to swivel around.

 

joohyun comes face to face with a tiny young woman with bright purple hair and possibly the skimpiest crop top she’s ever seen. this girl does not belong in a corporate building in the slightest, yet, something about her feels familiar.

 

despite her size, the girl glares daggers at her and tension seems to build. her aura is intense and strangely, even though joohyun towers over her, she feels a little intimidated. 

 

locking eyes with her, joohyun realizes why she feels so familiar, this is wendy son, an idol that rapidly rose in popularity in the last few months. joohyun wouldn’t even consider herself a fan but rather wendy’s face has been plastered all over the city. from commercial advertisements to soju bottles, wendy son is everywhere.

 

“it’s no problem, miss son, she’s scheduled to meet your father too.” the receptionist responds in a sickly sweet tone, a stark contrast to how she spoke to joohyun.

 

connecting the dots, it finally clicks to joohyun that wendy son is the daughter that needs supposed protection.

 

the idol relaxes slightly and sighs, “i suppose you’re my new bodyguard. come on, i need to convince my father i don’t need you.”

 

wendy walks past the receptionist to the lifts and joohyun has to jog to keep up with her.

 

“you don’t even know my name.” joohyun tries to speak.

 

“i don’t need to.” wendy retorts curtly while past security, “she’s with me.”

 

attempting to follow the idol through the metal detectors is a bad idea when you’re part of a crime family. alarms go off and the security guard is immediately on edge.

 

joohyun clicks her teeth and begins pulling out weapons that she managed to hide in her suit. a gun tucked into her back, a knuckle hidden in her pocket and a knife strapped to her calf. laying them all out earns an amused chuckle from wendy.

 

“you’re armed to the teeth,” she remarks, “no wonder my father chose you.”

 

it’s evident from the lack of fear in her voice that she’s aware of her father’s dealings with the bae family. yet something about her feels superficial like she’s unaccustomed to the sharp gaze she’s shooting joohyun. the soon-to-be bodyguard decides against making an enemy of her client by calling her out on her act.

 

with security patting her down despite surrendering all her weapons, joohyun wonders if this day can get any worse. 

 

after being cleared, joohyun follows wendy into a lift. the ride up is much longer than expected and the silence begins to border on uncomfortable.

 

“what’s your name?”

 

of all the questions, this is the best she could come up with? joohyun chides herself mentally, she already knows who this girl is, and she’d be better off asking other questions instead.

 

“wendy son,” the idol responds smoothly without extending a hand out, “unfortunately, it’s not a pleasure to meet you.”

 

“i guess rich girls are all insufferable.”

 

“you’re a rich girl yourself too, aren’t you?” wendy quips, “never knew hilla bae had a daughter.”

 

oh, the amount of times joohyun has heard this is laughable. to most, hilla bae has two capable sons, and only a mere handful know that she has a daughter too.

 

“i’m not in the family business.” the words sting, but they are true.

 

“hmm,” the idol hums, “but you’re here on her business.”

 

joohyun fights the urge to roll her eyes, “not by choice.”

 

“that makes the both of us,” wendy winks as the elevator door opens, “now repeat everything you’ve just said to my father.”

 

---

 

“i told you no this morning, daddy,” wendy barges into the office of son hyunbin without so much as a knock, something about her actions hints that this isn’t the first time she’s done this, “i don’t need a bodyguard.”

 

the businessman looks up at his guests with a small smile. standing, he extends a hand out to joohyun.

 

“irene bae, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

 

feeling obligated, joohyun accepts the handshake and reciprocates politely.

 

“likewise, mr son.”

 

joohyun has seen him around parties that her mother has hosted but seeing as she has never been formally introduced as her mother’s daughter, it makes sense for her mother’s associates to not recognise her.

 

the idol clears loudly, perhaps annoyed that she has been ignored.

 

“daddy, she doesn’t want this job either.” wendy argues, “why force it when we both don’t want it?”

 

mr son glances at his daughter, “i’ve given you as much freedom as you want but i will not take your safety lightly. i’ve received threats and with your comeback approaching, i worry for you.”

 

“the staff at the company takes care of me, i’ll be fine.”

 

“you were mobbed at the airport just last week.” mr son counters, “with irene around, i’d feel more at ease.”

 

watching wendy son argue with her father is an experience for sure, who would’ve thought this sweet little idol could be capable of such ferocity? it’s somehow both annoying and amusing, wendy needs to learn to know when to give up.

 

much like joohyun’s situation, wendy did not have the final say — no wonder their parents are business partners.

 

“my apologies, irene. i requested that you protect my daughter and here we are wasting your time. i don’t have any qualms about your methods as long as not a single hair on her head is touched, you’ll be compensated accordingly. let’s give it a month, if things don’t work out, we’ll consider other options.”

 

joohyun bobs her head, “yes sir.”

 

she has to hold back a grin from the way wendy seems to be glaring at her, this is not going to be easy but one of them could be less miserable about it.

 

“play nice, seungwan-ah.”

 

huffing, wendy storms off without speaking and joohyun has to chase after her. her tasks as a bodyguard aren’t clear beyond the simple fact that she has to keep the idol safe. she supposes she can start by following her.

 

“just to let you know–” joohyun murmurs before wendy abruptly swivels around and grabs her by the collar.

 

sure, joohyun could’ve stopped her or freed herself with a simple manoeuvre but harming a client is out of the question. their sudden proximity causes joohyun’s breath to hitch and wendy looks her straight in the eye. the bodyguard has severely underestimated the strength of this tiny human.

 

“stay out of my sight, if you’re following me, do it from a distance.” wendy growls sternly, her attitude has shifted as if her pretence of niceties had fallen the moment they stepped out of her father’s office. 

 

the conversation with her father has taken the one reason to be nice and perhaps the meaner she is, the more joohyun would quit on her own accord.

 

sighing, joohyun gently pries her hands off her collar. the idol’s strength is no match for the daughter of a mobster.

 

“you heard your daddy, how can i keep you safe from a distance? a month is more than enough time to convince our parents that we can’t work with each other but surely we can make this a little more bearable,” joohyun shoots her a small smile, “now, give me your schedule.”

 

clicking her teeth, the idol turns from her, “isn’t it your job to find out?”

 

“my job is to protect you, not become your secretary.” joohyun rolls her eyes, “i have my ways but my contacts tend to be a little more thuggish than me.”

 

wendy scoffs, “your contacts? what are you going to do? beat my managers up?”

 

“if you’d like that, it can be arranged.” joohyun frowns.

 

“hurt anyone you’re not supposed to and you’re fired.”

 

“we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you had that power.” the daughter of hilla bae points out, “so what will it be?”

 

grinding her teeth, wendy opts to ignore her.

 

---

 

figuring out why wendy is so against having a bodyguard becomes shelved as a mystery. as intuitive as joohyun may be, there’s only so much she can learn from following her. joohyun eases into her job easily; she stays in the shadows, always wearing a cap to hide her face as she lingers a close distance away from the idol. she seemingly blends into the hoard of fans that constantly follow her.

 

turns out, wendy has attentive staff that are watching out for her too. a simple introduction and confirmation from son hyunbin lead to joohyun exchanging numbers with the idol’s manager. with enough information about the idol, joohyun’s job becomes much easier.

 

though, it does come with its own set of difficulties — namely, wendy’s hectic schedule. from commercials to photoshoots to interviews, wendy son has no lack of them. an impending comeback also means plenty of practice sessions and joohyun wonders if the idol even has time to breathe, let alone sleep.

 

joohyun eventually gets to interact with the idol when her manager is late picking her up one night. the bodyguard had been waiting for a little over an hour for her manager to show up but it seemed that something had cropped up and he was a no-show. 

 

wanting to get off work, joohyun decides the best course of action would be to personally drop the idol off at home. she’s obeyed wendy’s stern instructions to keep a distance until now, surely that counts for something.

 

“let’s go.” joohyun motions for the idol to follow her as she approaches the tiny figure waiting at the drop-off point.

 

wendy looks up at her with tired eyes and it’s easier to chalk her hostility up to fatigue, “why are you here?”

 

“your manager is late and i want to go home.” her bodyguard mutters, “come on, i’ll drop you off.”

 

“what makes you think i’m following you?”

 

“don’t be stubborn, it’s late and you have an early schedule tomorrow. you need rest with this inhumane schedule.” joohyun sighs.

 

she has a point, but wendy wouldn’t admit it. joohyun takes her silence as a win and begins walking towards her bike. the idol trudges behind her, dragging her feet ever so slightly.

 

“where’s your car?”

 

“don’t have one,” joohyun replies nonchalantly as she trades a helmet for the bag in wendy’s hands, “put this on.”

 

the idol grimaces, “you expect me to ride that?”

 

“you’d prefer to walk?” 

 

“it feels unsafe.”

 

joohyun exhales slowly, closing the distance between her and the idol. “you’re safe with me.” she reassures, taking the helmet out of wendy’s hand and slipping it over her head.

 

grabbing her by the wrist, joohyun somehow convinces the idol to get on despite her multiple protests. after putting on her own helmet, joohyun swings her leg over her bike and tosses a glance at wendy.

 

the idol looks nervous; given her upbringing, she’s used to being chauffeured around in luxury cars. 

 

reaching back, her bodyguard yanks her hands forward, making sure they’re locked tightly around her waist. the abrupt movement causes wendy to be pulled forward as well. 

 

“yah!”

 

“hold on tight.”

 

without much of a warning, the two speed off into the night. wendy’s grip around her waist tightens slightly as they make their way back to the idol’s residence.

 

wendy happens to live in one of the most expensive districts in the city and it almost feels odd for her to arrive on a bike. dropping the idol off by the main entrance, joohyun helps to remove her helmet in one swift motion.

 

“wasn’t so bad, was it?” the taller girl sighs.

 

wendy huffs, “it wasn’t, but i’d prefer a car.” 

 

“tell that to your chauffeur, not me.” joohyun retorts, “now get off my bike so i can go home.”

 

wendy drops her jaw in shock at her hostility but joohyun ignores her by handing her bag back to her. without waiting, joohyun leaves the stunned idol at the door and speeds off into the darkness.

 

“she could’ve at least been nicer about it…” wendy mutters under her breath.

 

---

 

the news of wendy son’s manager breaking his leg reaches joohyun by dawn and as a favour to him, joohyun becomes the one who ferries the idol to her schedules. 

 

“i’m guessing you heard my manager’s been hospitalized.” is the first thing wendy says she sees her bodyguard waiting outside her front door.

 

leaning against her bike nonchalantly, joohyun looks up from her phone, “yeah, he texted me.”

 

“i’m surprised you showed up, i thought you would’ve turned him down.”

 

arching a brow, joohyun mutters, “i’m not that heartless.”

 

wendy hums, recalling her actions from the previous night, but it’s easier to leave the snark aside when they’re going to be spending a lot of time together. “he’ll be on medical leave for a while. in the meantime, you’re in charge of bringing me to schedules.”

 

joohyun nods, “when are they getting you another manager?” 

 

“soon, hopefully. they need time to find or train someone,” wendy sighs, “all you have to do is make sure i get to my schedules on time, everything else will be handled by my company.”

 

“who’s planning your schedules then?”

 

“my schedules are planned for the next three months, it should be enough time to get someone in.”

 

joohyun wrinkles her nose, “from bodyguard to chauffeur, i’m not sure i like this promotion.”

 

“don’t be annoying.”

 

“relax,” joohyun sighs, noting that her attempt at a joke has failed miserably, “i’ll do my best to stay out of your way.”

 

before wendy can speak another word, a helmet is shoved into her hands and joohyun starts the engine. 

 

---

 

instead of lingering outside buildings like she always does, this time joohyun is allowed to follow wendy into her place of work. the moment they step in, they’re immediately into chaos. staff are bustling about, rushing to get things in order before their jobs are on the line.

 

joohyun feels a hand tugging her by the sleeve and she looks down, wendy is glancing back at her.

 

“stay close, you could get lost.” she mutters before guiding them to wherever she needs to go.

 

as far as joohyun knows, today’s schedule is a photoshoot for a magazine cover, but beyond that, she has no clue as to what actually goes down. two weeks have passed since she’s taken this job but she’s still unfamiliar with the workings of the entertainment industry.

 

she witnesses it firsthand when wendy enters a dressing room with her name on the door. staff of all sorts waste no time in preparing the idol for the upcoming shoot. joohyun is content with finding a quiet corner and watching everything unfold.

 

observing the idol work makes joohyun respect her a little more. the photoshoot lasts longer than anyone anticipated, mostly due to a technical fault but wendy ensures a smile is constantly on her face. it’s different from how she treats joohyun but joohyun ignores it, she’s not the first one in her life to do so. 

 

by the time they wrap up, it’s late in the evening and wendy instructs her bodyguard to the nearest restaurant for dinner. instead of following her in, joohyun stays by her bike.

 

wendy swivels around at the lack of her presence, “you’re not coming?”

 

joohyun’s shoulders rise in a shrug, “i’ll wait outside.”

 

glancing at the time on her phone, wendy notes that it’s well past dinner time and snacks at a photoshoot cannot count for a proper meal. 

 

frowning, she urges her bodyguard, “you need to eat dinner too, join me.”

 

“i don’t think you’d want me to, you’ll be more comfortable without me around.”

 

the idol’s expression twists into hurt and she stares at the taller girl wordlessly — her bodyguard is too cold and too distant.

 

“what do you mean?” she finally musters up a question.

 

“it’s nothing, have your dinner and i’ll take you home.”

 

“no,” wendy’s tone is insistent, “tell me, irene.”

 

joohyun shifts her weight from one leg to another and casts her eyes to the ground. it’s unprofessional of her to bring her personal feelings into this but she’s not a conventional bodyguard either.

 

“you were hostile to me from the moment we met but you treat everyone else you work with so kindly. i assumed you didn’t like me or can’t bear to be around me.” joohyun states as calmly as she can, acting as if she didn’t mind it. it’s not her place to be chummy with the idol anyway, she wasn’t hired for this but… it stings ever so slightly.

 

wendy bites her lower lip, “i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to be hurtful. i thought being mean would give you a reason to quit. we got off to a bad start and since we have to work together now, how about we start things afresh?”

 

“you don’t have to feel obligated to befriend me,” joohyun exhales, “my job is to make sure you’re safe, that’s all.”

 

“that’s not my intention, i merely want to keep things between us civil.” wendy purses her lips, “i appreciate you stepping in to help, and i know i haven’t been the easiest to deal with, the least i can do is buy you dinner.”

 

joohyun could be stubborn and reject her but something about the idol makes her think that they’re going to be here all night if she does. sighing, she signals for wendy to lead the way.

 

---

 

they find some privacy in a booth away from prying eyes and ears. joohyun stays on her phone, jumping from one app to another, all in the name of avoiding conversation with wendy. fans would murder to be in her spot but the less they have to do with each other, the better it likely is. the food could not take longer to arrive; the evident silence between them and wendy’s gaze never leaving her makes for an uncomfortable experience.

 

“let’s get to know each other better.” wendy finally asks, “how old are you?”

 

joohyun leans back in her chair, eyes flitting upwards for a moment. “like i said, you don’t have to do this.”

 

“i’m curious,” wendy pouts, “you are the daughter of hilla bae after all. i’ve met your brothers but they’ve never brought you up.”

 

considering her initial disinterest, joohyun didn’t think wendy would want to know anything about her, including her familial ties to hilla bae. but the topic of family is a sore subject and joohyun tries her best to avoid divulging too much.

 

looking away, joohyun mutters, “they keep me out of the business.”

 

“why?”

 

the question is instantaneous, blunt even, as if the idol has no care for how insensitive it may be. 

 

a brief beat of silence passes and joohyun shifts uncomfortably, “they don’t need me, my brothers are capable enough.”

 

wendy hums, eyes softening, “youngest of the family?”

 

“by a minute,” joohyun offers up a mirthless smile, “i have a twin.”

 

the idol’s face lights up with surprise, “no way! who is it? hajoon? no, kihyun?

 

“they told you their real names?” joohyun folds her arms, “how close are you guys?”

 

“we’ve met at parties a couple of times,” wendy lies, though her expression betrays her. there’s something she isn’t telling joohyun and it’s not hard to guess what it is.

 

“which one did you date?” the bodyguard sighs though her interest in the conversation has been reignited. her relationship with her brothers is fine, they speak occasionally though she isn’t as close as she used to be with her twin.

 

the idol grimaces, “kihyun, but we broke it off a while ago. dating is tough when you’re an idol.”

 

joohyun hums softly, “i’d expect so.”

 

the conversation lulls into silence as the waitress arrives with their food. they’ve gotten to know each other a little better and joohyun decides it’s probably enough for today. wendy thankfully doesn’t attempt to ask more questions either, and dinner with the idol proceeds as smoothly as it could’ve.

 

---

 

“you can head in first, i’ll catch up.” joohyun mutters after dropping wendy off at her workplace, an out-of-place black SUV has caught her attention. 

 

the idol frowns, “what if you get lost? i can wait.”

 

it’s been about a week since joohyun took over her manager’s chauffeuring duties, and she has learnt the lay of the various buildings wendy works at.

 

joohyun waves her off, “i’ll be fine, you’re going to be late.”

 

it takes a little more urging from her bodyguard before wendy steps into the building and only after she fully disappears does joohyun stroll towards the suspicious car. the tinted windows make it hard for her to see who’s inside but she has an inkling. she pulls down her cap a little lower when the door slides open.

 

the air is stifling when joohyun slips in but she’s thankful it’s not her mother.

 

“a bulletproof car in the middle of a broadcasting company’s parking lot doesn’t scream discreet .” joohyun mutters, “why are you here?”

 

hajoon, the oldest of hilla bae’s children, sits across joohyun in a well-pressed suit. his lips lift in a smile and a dramatic sigh slips.

 

“come on, i haven’t seen my little sister in so long. don’t you miss me too?”

 

with his hair slicked back, her older brother can come off as a charming man but joohyun has the privilege of growing up with him so it’s harder to see him in that light. amongst the siblings, he’s the least wound up despite their upbringing.

 

“what does the witch want?” joohyun deadpans.

 

hajoon raises his hands in surrender, “fine, she sent me to check on you. how are things with seungwan?”

 

“not as good as you guys, we’re not on a real-name basis.” joohyun retorts, “things are fine, we’re keeping things professional.”

 

her older brother laughs lightly, “we aren’t kids anymore, joohyun-ah, you can share your real name too. besides, seungwan’s chill, she knows what we do.”

 

“it’s not necessary.”

 

growing up as children of someone as powerful as hilla bae wasn’t easy, multiple countermeasures were put into place to protect their identities and having a false name was merely one of them. 

 

“if you say so,” hajoon hums, fishing for something in the inner pocket of his suit jacket. producing an envelope in his hands, he extends it towards joohyun.

 

“what’s this?” joohyun quirks a brow, opening it carelessly.

 

“read it first.”

 

dark eyes skim over the invitation card in her hands and joohyun looks up at her brother.

 

“why?”

 

“isn’t this what you always wanted? to be part of the business?” hajoon asks, “you finally got it.”

 

exhaling sharply through her nose, joohyun slips the card back into the envelope and tosses it back at her brother.

 

“too little, too late, joon.” she snaps, “she can’t choose when she needs me and when she doesn’t. i’ve already taken this job, i don’t need to know anything about your world.”

 

“joohyun—”

 

without hearing her brother out, joohyun exits the car. hajoon knows better than to chase her down and she hears the car leaving moments later.

 

---

 

something about irene feels off when she finally returns to wendy’s side. the idol has adjusted to her frigid nature but something about her bodyguard feels different and not in a good way. 

 

normally irene would follow her into the building but today she disappeared for half an hour before returning. focusing on work is hard when she doesn’t know why her bodyguard looks troubled. perhaps there was a threat, maybe that’s why she took so long to return, seungwan muses.

 

she pulls her bodyguard aside when lunch rolls around, one of the stairwells provides enough privacy for the two. seungwan, being much shorter than her bodyguard, takes a few steps up so she’s at irene’s eye level.

 

“did something happen this morning?” she questions in a hushed voice, watching irene with a careful gaze.

 

the bodyguard shakes her head, “it’s lunchtime, what are you doing?”

 

“did someone try to hurt me?” seungwan probed, “was there a threat?”

 

“you’re overthinking, nothing happened.” irene sighs and turns away, “come on.”

 

“you’re keeping something from me.” seungwan leaps forward and tugs at her arm to stop her from leaving.

 

the taller girl exhales tiredly, “there is no threat, you’re perfectly safe.”

 

“but something did happen!” seungwan exclaims, “why didn’t you tell me?”

 

irene, with her patience wearing thin, finally snaps, “my personal business doesn’t concern you, we are not friends. you are a client and i’m your bodyguard, i will let you know if there’s anything concerning your safety.”

 

the idol loosens her grip and takes a small step back. she nods slowly, tears gathering in her eyes but she draws a shaky breath and holds them in.

 

“i understand.” she swallows, “sorry.”

 

pushing past her, the idol swiftly exits the stairwell and irene is left with a tinge of guilt in her chest.

 

---

 

whatever distance wendy thought they had bridged has only grown since their minor fight. joohyun hasn’t apologized; she knows she’s not at fault but she might have been a little too harsh. given how the idol doesn’t try to make small talk with her anymore, it feels like the tone of their relationship has been set.

 

“are you coming tomorrow? my father is insisting that you do.” wendy asks a week after their fight, it’s the first time that either of them has spoken to each other beyond simple questions and one-word answers.

 

joohyun had been preparing to leave after dropping the idol off at home but the abrupt question catches her by surprise. the bodyguard blinks, “you have tomorrow off, there’s nothing planned. do you need me to take you somewhere?”

 

the idol’s schedule is burned into her memory, after all, there’s not much to do when she has loads of time to kill.

 

“it’s not on my schedule but my father is hosting a party, did your mother tell you?”

 

the invitation that hajoon had given her comes to mind immediately, she recalls seeing verve tech’s logo on it. tightening her jaw, joohyun nods.

 

“i’m not going.”

 

wendy on her teeth, “you’re turning down an invitation from your boss?”

 

scoffing, joohyun retorts, “by boss do you mean my mother or your father? it doesn’t matter, i don’t belong at events like these.”

 

“what do you mean?” wendy asks, brows stitching together, “my father invited the bae family, that includes you.”

 

joohyun falls silent and before she can even explain herself, wendy continues, her tone holding some much-deserved frustration.

 

“i haven’t known you for long but you’ve done nothing but push me away. if this is what you’ve been doing to your family too, you’re going to end up alone and miserable for the rest of your life.” her lips tremble as she speaks, however much she despises everything she has to say, she feels like her bodyguard needs to hear it.

 

“what do you know?” joohyun seethes, jabbing a finger into the idol’s chest, “your father cares enough to hire someone like me to protect you while my mother called me for the first time in three years so i could do this ing job. you don’t know what it feels like to be seen as a tool, cast aside when i’ve lost my use. you’ve got it good, wendy, you know that and it shows but you have no idea what my life is like.”

 

her sudden outburst hardly feels liberating, joohyun can’t bring herself to look at the idol any longer so she turns away, wiping a stray tear in the process.

 

“sorry, i shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

 

she hears a soft footstep behind her before a pair of arms carefully slides around her ribs. wendy presses her body close and joohyun’s breathing slows. she can’t remember the last time she’s been hugged so tenderly, it almost makes her wish she would never forget this feeling.

 

from behind her, wendy murmurs, “you’re right, we have very different lives and i know almost nothing about you but if you ever want someone to talk to, you can come to me.”

 

joohyun stiffens, she’s been by herself for far too long that she only knows how to hold her loneliness close. all her life her mother has taught her that revealing secrets is a dangerous thing, sharing too much with the wrong person could cost you everything. blinking back her tears, she gently taps the idol’s hands and extricates herself from her hold.

 

“don’t waste your kindness on me.”

 

“i think you’re worth every bit.” wendy takes a step back, “will you consider coming at least?”

 

joohyun turns, eyeing the idol’s hopeful face makes it impossible for her to reject her upfront, “why do you want me to go so badly?”

 

the idol grins, extending her pinky towards joohyun, “i’ll tell you if you come, deal?” 

 

relenting with an amused sigh, the bodyguard hooks their pinkies together.

 

---

 

“i need you to drive.”

 

wendy drops a set of car keys into her bodyguard’s hand when joohyun arrives the next evening to pick her up. nobody can deny the idol’s beauty and it’s amplified tenfold when she’s dressed up. a black dress clings to her figure while a thin shawl hangs around her arms, exposing enough skin to keep one’s attention on her and joohyun isn’t blind or immune to her charms.

 

swallowing to soothe the sudden dryness in , joohyun yanks her eyes to the keys in her hand.

 

“what about my bike?”

 

“leave it in the garage, my hair’s going to be ruined if i have to wear a helmet.” wendy smiles, “and you wouldn’t want to get your suit dirty.”

 

her suit isn’t anything special, in fact, it’s the exact same one she wore during their first meeting. the bodyguard shrugs, “it survived the journey here.”

 

“for the sake of my appearance then,” the idol hums, “it’s an important night.”

 

“you got it, princess .”

 

wendy rolls her eyes but she can’t stop her lips from lifting into a smile, simply being on talking terms feels like a win already.

 

“let’s go.”

 

---

 

when questioned whose shiny white car it is, the idol sheepishly admits that she isn’t a great driver. and for someone who can’t drive, wendy sure does have an expensive car. joohyun understands that they’re simply not on the same level when the sons’ residence comes into view. 

 

the wealth of the son family is evident by the size of their mansion. while joohyun did have her fair share of luxury, the level of affluence before her is on a different scale. the stark contrast between them glares at her relentlessly.

 

the daughter of a crime boss could never be compared to the daughter of a wealthy businessman.

 

the party to celebrate the exclusive launch of a new product is personally hosted by son hyunbin at his home. cars line up upon the lengthy driveway, chauffeurs dropping off guests and valets rush forth to tend to the city’s wealthiest.

 

while they wait, joohyun leans back on the plush seat and glances at wendy. the idol looks oddly tense, she’s been fidgeting for the latter half of the ride.

 

“are you nervous or something?”

 

the question makes wendy snap her head towards her bodyguard. vehemently shaking her head, she explains, “i’m not a fan of these events either, it gets exhausting.”

 

“then why come in the first place?” the answer seems so easy to joohyun.

 

“like you said, we have different lives.” wendy purses her lips, “i’ll support my family whenever i can. they believed in me when i wanted to become an idol so regardless of how much i dislike these gatherings, i’ll still show up.”

 

“you’re an admirable person, wendy son,” joohyun nods, “but why do you insist i come along too?”

 

sheepishly, she smiles. “there’s some people i want to avoid and look, you’re tall and honestly a little intimidating when you don’t smile, think of yourself as a people repellent.”

 

joohyun clicks her teeth loudly, cracking a finger, “yah…”

 

wendy quickly raises her hands in surrender, “i think of it as a good thing!”

 

“you could’ve just said you needed me to do my job and we could’ve avoided the fight last night too.” the bodyguard mutters, “and don’t you need to socialize? how are you going to do that if i’m repelling people?”

 

wendy pouts slightly, “well, we have the day off, i wasn’t sure if you wanted to work and i guess you can watch from a distance. if i look uncomfortable, i need you to step in.”

 

“it’d be easier if you came up with a signal, something discreet so i don’t accidentally interrupt.” joohyun suggests.

 

the idol thinks hard before rubbing the nape of her neck, “this, if i do this, you gotta come save me.” 

 

an unforgiving snort embarrasses wendy who flushes instantly.

 

“w-why are you laughing?”

 

“this is the best thing you could come up with?”

 

“then you think of something!”

 

biting back a grin, joohyun shakes her head, “we’ll make it work.”

 

the car gradually approaches the porch and staff are quick to open the doors for them. joohyun exits with a small nod and jogs to join wendy to ascend the marbled steps.

 

“wait,” wendy stops her bodyguard at the foot of the steps, “ditch the cap, you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

 

ditch the last thing that makes her feel safe? joohyun tightens her jaw, “no, i’ve already agreed to come, i get to dress the way i want.”

 

wendy meets her gaze and if she insisted, they’d most likely fight again and tonight is not the right time. she picks a speck of lint off her bodyguard’s shoulder and buttons up her jacket.

 

“who are you going to be tonight?” the idol’s question is innocent at first glance, but she eyes the taller girl with a sharp gaze, “the daughter of hilla bae or my bodyguard?”

 

as if she hasn’t done everything in her power to separate herself from her mother. joohyun answers without hesitation, “your bodyguard.”

 

wendy nods as an aged man approaches them with a beaming smile. the idol returns his warmth with a handshake and swiftly introduces the two to each other.

 

“hyunsik, this is irene, my new bodyguard. irene, this is hyunsik, the majordomo of the house. he’s been here long before i was born and he takes care of everything regarding the house for my father.” wendy smiles.

 

joohyun exchanges a brief handshake with the old man, “it’s nice to meet you.” 

 

“likewise, irene.” he nods before turning his attention back to wendy, “it’s wonderful to see you again, seungwan. your father and sister have been waiting for you.”

 

“we better get going then.”

 

“enjoy the evening, ladies.”

 

---

 

the grand foyer is filled with a handful of guests making conversation away from the main area of the party and the room falls quiet when wendy son strolls in.

 

she acknowledges them with small nods, the smile on her face growing as she makes her way further down the corridor into the main party. the air feels different, guests aren’t rushing to swarm around her because she’d just walked in with an intimidating bodyguard by her side.

 

“stop glaring at everyone,” wendy nudges her elbow backward where it meets joohyun’s stomach, “you’re scaring everyone off.”

 

a soft grunt slips from joohyun and she mumbles something along the lines of i thought this was what you wanted. regardless, joohyun tries her best to relax.

 

a middle-aged woman comes up to her and begins talking to the idol, ah, seungwan! it’s lovely to see you again!

 

wendy responds out of courtesy and begins to chat enthusiastically, it distracts joohyun from the gradual crowd that forms around them. someone bumps into the taller girl, causing her to notice the sudden swarm of people waiting for a turn to speak to wendy. 

 

joohyun takes a tentative step forth, her intentions to get them out are clear but the idol pushes her back and subtly shakes her head. up to now, joohyun hasn’t put any of her skills to use, there has been no need to. while some fans may go overboard with their declarations of love, most of them are respectful and the idol’s generally safe.

 

an event like this is different, people here are likely used to getting their way and joohyun can’t afford to offend them. how joohyun acts reflects on wendy’s image too, she doesn’t need a bodyguard that’s overly rough with her father’s associates. 

 

wendy makes brief small talk with many, lots of them telling her that they love her music or how gorgeous she is. she charms the guests with her bright smile and seemingly draws all attention in the room. joohyun zones out on the conversation, the amount of people surrounding them puts her on edge and she’s startled when someone places a hand on her shoulder.

 

grabbing the hand, joohyun presses down with all her might and twists both the stranger’s arm and her body so that she’s facing his back. without thinking, she kicks him in the back of the leg, forcing him to his knees.

 

the crowd explodes with gasps and shrieks and joohyun takes a proper look at who she’s just taken down. there’s no way she wouldn’t recognize the tattoo of an eye peeking out from the back of his neck.

 

“ki?”

 

releasing her twin, joohyun promptly helps him to his feet. he groans, shaking off the pain and straightening his suit.

 

“you are sharp as ever,” kihyun grimaces, “i just wanted to catch up.”

 

wendy pushes through to see what the commotion is about and her eyes narrow at the twins. “what are you two doing?” she hisses sharply.

 

the younger son of hilla bae chuckles, “nice to see you too, princess.”

 

“sorry,” joohyun bows her head, “it was reflexive.”

 

kihyun nods, noting the evident displeasure on the idol’s face, “sorry about the commotion, seungwan. mind if i steal your bodyguard for a little?”

 

“go, but don’t even think about starting anything.” a stern warning should be enough to keep the twins in check and kihyun salutes her before leading joohyun away.

 

---

 

kihyun, the younger son of the bae family and successor to the family business, takes his sister away from the crowds. unlike hajoon, he’s a little more stoic, though his intelligence is what sets him apart from his siblings.

 

leaning against the walls of the corridor they find themselves in, he offers joohyun a glass of champagne and she accepts it warily.

 

“hajoon said you weren’t coming, i suppose seungwan convinced you.” he starts, “lose the cap, idiot, you’re sticking out too much.”

 

he reaches over to take joohyun’s cap off but she catches his wrist, “does it matter that much? i’m only a bodyguard tonight.”

 

kihyun sighs and takes it as a sign to back off, “fine. you’re lucky mom’s not here tonight, she would’ve killed us both.”

 

“lucky us.” joohyun mutters and downs the glass of champagne.

 

her twin frowns, disapproving of her actions but joohyun ignores him. 

 

“did you need something from me?” she mutters, “i’m supposed to be working.”

 

kihyun glances at his sister, “behave yourself tonight, there are some people with more power than we could ever comprehend.”

 

“are they supposed to scare me?” joohyun scoffs, “i know how to act, ki, i don’t need your concern.”

 

“if you did what you did to me to anyone else in that room, you’d be facing a lawsuit.” kihyun hardens his stare, “you’re not used to being around people like them.”

 

“and you do, oh so well in fact.” joohyun shoves the empty glass back into her brother’s hand, “i’ll stay out of everyone’s way, it’s what i’m used to doing.”

 

“i’m just watching out for you, joohyun. all of this is unfamiliar to you and our family’s reputation is at stake if you mess up.”

 

“know that i came for wendy, not the family.” joohyun grits her teeth, “stay away from her, she’s too good for you.”

 

the expression on her twin’s face collapses, wounded by her words. feeling wronged, he snarls at her, “how much do you even know about her?”

 

enough to know how kind she is, joohyun thinks but she presses her lips in a thin line and begins to walk away.

 

“keep your distance too, joohyun. she’s just as destructive as we are.”

 

if their relationship hadn’t been strained by their mother, perhaps joohyun would’ve trusted his words. she remembers a time when she would’ve died for him and he would’ve done the same. those days are long gone now, and the twins feel the hollowness growing between them.

 

 

---

 

joohyun slinks back into the crowd, weaving her way past people to find the idol chatting with someone with a glass of champagne in her hand. 

 

before she can contemplate returning or simply slipping towards the sidelines for the rest of the night, the idol notices her and waves her over.

 

“unnie, this is irene, my new bodyguard.” wendy pulls joohyun closer to meet the woman she’s been talking to, “irene, this is my older sister, seunghee.”

 

joohyun bows her head as she accepts the handshake, the older girl studies her for a moment. she looks no more than a few years older than seungwan, long black hair falls over her shoulders and the sisters don’t look alike in the slightest.

 

“you look just like your mother.”

 

joohyun forces a curt smile, “i get that a lot.”

 

“i heard you caused a little commotion with kihyun, is everything fine between you two?” seunghee asks.

 

the bodyguard nods, bowing her head a little lower, “everything is fine, it was merely a reflexive action on my part and he understands. i’m sorry for the trouble i caused.”

 

seunghee waves her off casually, “nobody got hurt, and knowing kihyun got his handed to him brings joy to me.

 

“yah, unnie!” wendy smacks her sister lightly, “that’s not nice!”

 

“come on,” the older woman laughs, “he is infuriating sometimes!”

 

“still!”

 

“relax, seungwan-ah, i’m sure he knows it too.” she pats her sister on the shoulder, “tonight should be fun, both the baes and the shins are here. think i spotted daehyun and jungwoo around too. play nice, okay?”

 

“you know i don’t enjoy talking to them.” the idol groans.

 

“on the bright side, seulgi’s here too, it won’t be that bad.” seunghee beams, “anyway, the launch should be starting in a few minutes, i’ll see you two around.”

 

the older woman takes her leave, though not before whispering into joohyun’s ear, “it’s nice to finally meet you, irene, i trust that you’ll do a good job taking care of my sister. but if anything happens to her, i will do much worse to you.”

 

the tone of seunghee reminds her too much of her mother and joohyun finds herself nodding obediently. 

 

wendy approaches her with a concerned gaze, “are you okay?”

 

“yeah, i’m fine.” 

 

though skeptical, wendy lets it slide and it doesn’t take long for someone to come up to talk to her. 

 

---

 

the bodyguard quietly slips away from the idol’s side after a few minutes, preferring to stand away from the center of attention. she grabs a drink while she’s at it, holding it in her hand to dismiss some of the strange stares she’s gotten from whoever has noticed her. in the shadows, she observes the interactions of everyone in the hall, including her brother who is busy charming young socialites.

 

the lights in the room dim at some point and son hyunbin makes his appearance with a spotlight following him. the tech tycoon waves as he ascends the stage with a microphone in his hands while the guests clap away. 

 

eventually, the crowd settles enough for him to begin a short speech and once he’s finished, a video begins playing behind him to showcase the newest luxury smartwatch by verve tech.

 

it hits joohyun at some point in the evening that she doesn’t know what she’s even doing here. everyone is bent on making as many connections as they can and she’s basically nonexistent. she doesn’t know anyone nor do they know who she is.

 

wendy looks perfectly comfortable chatting with everyone who approaches her and it has stayed that way for about two hours or so joohyun thinks it’s fine if she sneaks out for a moment. 

 

a chilly wind pierces through her suit as she walks out to the back porch. it’s cold for a summer night, but it’s welcomed. a couple of guests linger but they pay her no mind since they’re all outside for the same reason. putting a cigarette to her lips, joohyun fumbles around her pockets looking for her lighter but it’s nowhere to be found. clicking her teeth, she assumes she must’ve left it in the pocket of her usual jacket.

 

“here.”

 

a zippo lighter is tossed towards her and she catches it with ease, looking up at her saviour. a woman stands in a distance away from her, smoking a cigarette of her own. she looks unfamiliar, but one glance at her tells joohyun that she’s probably someone important.

 

“thanks,” joohyun nods as she lights up her cigarette and tosses the lighter back to her.

 

“i’ve never seen you around before,” the woman speaks, eyes sparkling with curiosity as she extends a hand, “kang seulgi.”

 

so this is seulgi, the one seunghee had mentioned earlier. joohyun makes a mental note to search for her name later.

 

“irene.” joohyun shakes her hand out of politeness, “i’m here with wendy.”

 

“ah, her bodyguard? i’m surprised she brought you here, she tends to keep this side of her life to herself.”

 

joohyun doesn’t react to that, instead, she takes a puff of her cigarette. what little she knows about the idol doesn’t bother her, she’s not meant to get close. 

 

regardless of her silence, seulgi carries on with her questions, “where’d you learn how to fight like that? i saw you taking kihyun down, that was terrifying but also pretty impressive.”

 

“nowhere special, i’ve just been training for a long time.”

 

seulgi hums softly, “if seungwan fires you, let me know, i could use someone like you.”

 

the bodyguard raises an eyebrow and looks away from the woman, “mr son is the one that hired me, wendy doesn’t have much of a say in this.” 

 

whether or not she would stay as wendy’s bodyguard feels like it depends more on their parents instead, and with how good the relationship between the son family and the bae family seems, it’s likely she’s keeping this job.

 

an amused laugh slips from seulgi, “that’s different from what usually goes down, she tends to get her way when it comes to her father but her older sister keeps her in line though.”

 

“are you friends?”

 

“yeah, we met a few years ago and got along well. it’s usually a hit or miss with girls like us, some of them can be awfully mean but seungwan’s not like them.” a tint of a smile appears on seulgi’s face as she explains, “ah, sorry i got a little carried away. i doubt you’d want to hear me ramble on about seungwan.”

 

joohyun shakes her head slightly, “i don’t mind, i don’t know much about her.”

 

“if you ever get on her bad side, food is the way to her heart, pastries especially.” seulgi sticks her thumb out with a wide smile, “i had to find out the hard way.”

 

joohyun scoffs softly, amused by the young woman. they slip into a comfortable silence, enjoying their brief escape from the crowd. eventually, seulgi finishes her cigarette and bids the bodyguard a good night. 

 

the bodyguard watches as the woman ambles back into the warmth of the house. once she disappears out of sight, joohyun whips out her phone to search up kang seulgi.

 

a heiress to one of the top businessmen in the country, an artist and philanthropist in her own right and also a close friend of the idol, wendy son. two instagram accounts, one for her personal use and another to showcase her artwork. it seems that she’s in the midst of setting up a gallery show, dropping teasers on her socials every so often. 

 

the more she knows, joohyun muses and finishes up her smoke before heading back inside.

 

---

 

the crowd had thinned out a little, making it easier for joohyun to wade through people to find the idol. she spots her by some stairs leading to the upper floor, though she’s engaged in a conversation with a man.

 

keeping her distance, joohyun doesn’t draw close but she does try to make wendy aware of her presence. they meet eyes and wendy’s hand rises to the nape of her neck. without wasting a second, the bodyguard takes large strides over to the two and puts on a serious expression.

 

“sorry to interrupt,” joohyun speaks lowly, “but miss son has an early schedule tomorrow.”

 

a lie that only wendy and joohyun would know. 

 

the man frowns, “you’re always busy, seungwan-ah. why don’t you stay for a couple more minutes? it’s been too long since we’ve spoken.”

 

“i apologize, jaeeun, i’m feeling a little worn out from the evening. i should really get going.” wendy feigns regret as she bows her head, “we’ll catch up some other time.”

 

he clicks his teeth sharply and nods, “fine, at least respond to my texts.”

 

the idol fakes a smile and nods and joohyun takes over, pretending to usher her out of the house. once they’re far enough, wendy releases a loud exhale. 

 

“thanks for that, he’s the one i was trying to avoid tonight.” the idol murmurs, patting joohyun on the arm lightly.

 

“why? who is he?”

 

“shin jaeeun, successor to the shin family, otherwise known as your family’s rival.” wendy informs, “he’s been trying to get closer to me since i broke up with kihyun.”

 

joohyun wrinkles her nose, she’s heard of the shin family before but her mother has never said anything good about them. her first impression of shin jaeeun isn’t great but she barely knows the guy.

 

the bodyguard switches the topic, “do you wanna head back yet? you have vocal practice tomorrow but it’s later than usual.” 

 

“home please, i’m a little buzzed.”

 

“from champagne?” joohyun is in disbelief, she studies the idol carefully, noting a slight sway in her walk.

 

a snort is followed by a cheeky giggle before wendy pulls out a silver flask from her purse. she shakes it and joohyun can barely hear an inch of liquid sloshing around inside. “men are more bearable this way, i can’t talk to jaeeun if i’m sober.” she tries her best to bite back a grin but fails.

 

joohyun furrows her brows and it feels like she’s seeing wendy in a new light. “but i had my eye on you the entire night, i didn’t see you drink anything but champagne.” she refutes. 

 

“in the fifteen minutes that you went outside for a smoke.” the idol shrugs, “you stink, by the way.”

 

“at least i’m not a lightweight.” the bodyguard retorts, “wait here, i’ll get the car.”

 

---

 

it takes less than five minutes for the valet to bring the car to the front, but it takes an even shorter amount of time for wendy to doze off on the couch where joohyun had left her. she taps her once, nudges her twice and finally, the idol jolts awake. 

 

“, i’m tired.” wendy murmurs.

 

“i can see that, come on, i’ll drive you home.”

 

it doesn’t take much effort to pull the smaller girl to her feet but getting her to the car is a slight struggle. it’s been a while since joohyun has had to deal with drunk people, but it remains a chore. she tries her best to get wendy into the car, which includes lightly shoving her into the passenger seat where she promptly falls asleep again. 

 

the roads are quiet as joohyun drives them back, she occasionally glances at the idol who is threatening to drool all over her dress. her hair falls messily over her face which is periodically shifted by her soft snoring. at a stoplight, joohyun reaches over to push some of the hair away, just to make her a little more comfortable. the idol doesn’t stir in the slightest, continuing to sleep peacefully. 

 

her twin’s words echo in her head then, she’s just as destructive as we are.

 

of course, kihyun would know, he’s the one who’s dated her before while joohyun has spoken less than a hundred sentences to her in the span of a month. she can’t help but wonder what happened between them, whether their parents knew, and how it all fell apart. as much as she wants to think wendy was blameless in it all, the way kihyun spoke of her says otherwise.

 

pulling up to the main entrance of wendy’s apartment building, joohyun decides to leave that can of worms alone. she nudges the idol lightly who groans but refuses to move. 

 

“we’re here.”

 

“mhm…” she mumbles, “five minutes.”

 

“your bed is an elevator ride away, get up.”

 

“don’t wanna…”

 

joohyun exhales softly before exiting the car, she crosses over to the passenger side of the car and swings the door open. slipping her arms under the idol, she scoops her up easily and kicks the door close with her foot. without so much as cracking an eyelid open, wendy snuggles closer to her chest and continues to sleep. 

 

as she approaches the glass doors, joohyun realises she needs a passcode to enter. she shakes the idol in her arms, “yah, what’s your passcode?”

 

wendy stirs, snorting in the process, “why the hell would i tell you?”

 

“i’m trying to take you home.”

 

“nice try, creep.”

 

and she’s asleep again. joohyun furrows her brows and presses her face closer to the glass, hoping that there will be a guard on shift but it seems that the lobby is empty. the absurdity of the situation makes her laugh, it’s not like she can just leave wendy outside in the cold, especially not when she’s knocked out.

 

left without a choice, joohyun shuffles back to the car and slides the idol into the backseat. she drives in the direction of home, one that she calls her own. it’s a modest apartment building, unlike wendy’s high-end apartment building in the heart of the city, but it’d have to do for tonight.

 

joohyun pulls off her heels and changes her out of her dress. she lets wendy wear one of her shirts, but it’s a little too big for her that it might as well be another dress. naturally, she allows the idol to take her bed. after tucking her in and leaving a glass of water by the side of the bed, joohyun leans by the frame of the door, watching wendy sleep soundlessly in her bed while she’s exhausted by the ordeal.

 

how did she end up in this situation?

 

---

end notes:

so much for retiring from fic writing i guess, i'm back in my funemployment era and one more silly little fic won't hurt. i've been marinating this in the drafts for a few months now and it originally started as an au for my OCs hence tall!joohyun. finally got around to fleshing it out a little more lately though, i think given how i like to pace stuff it's going to be roughly 3 chapters, no slow burn or any crazy worldbuilding this time unfortunately but we will have angst!

anyway, i hope this will be fun, thanks for reading!