“I’m sorry to have troubled you, Amalia. Really, I won’t mind if you want to wait in the car. This shouldn't take too long,” he told her in whispers.

She straightened her shoulders and replied, “I’m paid to do what I do. I will keep you safe from any threats of these streets. I will go with you.”

He smiled. “You’ve worked too hard. But look, they seem to have recognised me,” he spoke as his eyes met with certain pedestrians. “They will use this to feed on the rumours, you know that right?”

“False rumours will die sooner or later. They can say whatever they want. Even if it contain some truths, they still wouldn’t know for sure unless you decide to announce it formally through the mass media.”

“Well, that's true…” he agreed.

They continued to walk until Junsu stopped right in front of a small fountain at the park. She stood there right next to him, waiting for his next actions. But he just stared at the flowing water, his gaze unwavering. She immediately figured that this must be the place that he meant.

It was very quiet for the next few minutes. It seemed as if nothing moved, nothing breathed, as if the earth has stopped. Junsu was so immersed in his own thoughts, truly refilling the empty spaces with the feeling that was lost.

“Have you ever fallen in love?” suddenly he turned to her and asked. The light in his eyes changed from minutes ago. He could be in another world now, a world created for the new song perhaps.

“Why such questions all of a sudden? What does my most private feelings have to do with you regaining your inspiration?” Surprise was evident in her eyes.

He knew that she wouldn’t respond to him. He smiled, but the light in his eyes dimmed. He looked to the fountain again and sighed. “This is a bit embarrassing to say to you, but honestly I do wish that the rumour was true.”

Her heart made a small leap at the statement.

“I know it sounds crazy, but works aside, I think I like you.”

“Do you realise what you’re saying now, Mr Kim?” she shot him a nervous glare.

“It’s just that I’ve never felt this way before. I care towards so many people, I’ve loved before, but this feeling here now is so foreign,” he rested his right palm on his heart. “That is why I’m asking you; have you ever fallen in love before, with a person that could possibly be your other half?”

She turned and saw him look directly into her eyes, fully expecting for hope. “Are you asking me to help you clarify if the feeling is truly that kind of love, or are you asking me to know if the feeling is mutual?”

He laughed nervously. “Both?”

She was silent for a while. “Well, I can tell you that my heart is not taken yet as of the moment.” He grinned at this. “And that I think I’m not worthy for someone as special as you. You are Kim Junsu for crying out loud.”

His gaze turned serious at her latter words. “What do you mean you’re not worthy? How can you say that when all that I’ve been looking for is someone like you?” He fought the urge to grab her hands and squeeze them.

“I honestly don’t know what you’ve seen in me. It is a lie if I say that I’m not attracted to you, because you are very, but look at me,” she pointed out her exterior. “I’m a girl who dresses like a man and works as a bodyguard and hits other people. I’m not as graceful as a good woman should be. You deserve much better than who I am.”

He pursed his lips and stared longingly into her eyes. “But still, this means that you do harbor some feelings for me, right?”

“I don’t know…” she concluded sadly.

~~~

It was nearing midnight. She watched as he left into the car with s. He made a tiny wave towards her, and she willingly waved back. This simple exchange brought the brightest smile to his lips. Just then, she realised that this task has turned out to be much easier than how she thought it would be at the start.

She smiled at her previous thoughts of him. She couldn’t believe that he would actually confess such things to her, and she had only been around for a couple of months to this date. Did she really succeeded in sending out the right intentions and ideas to him? It was part of her job to make him believe that she has eyes for him. But she had wanted for the development to be slow and steady, at least up until the trust between them was strong enough before any one of them were to admit to their feelings, a false one on her side. But then again, maybe this would be for the better. All she needed to do now is to pretend to slowly accept his offer. Then she will be a step closer towards accomplishing her main goal for this mission.

She pulled out her Blackberry and sent a note to her superior, reporting her day’s progress. She knew that he would be pleased to know that the duration could be cut short, and so is some of the other expenses. She was happy.

All the way home, she couldn’t deny that all her thoughts were filled with Kim Junsu. The visual of him recording after they went back from the fountain was perfect. She had never seen him sing any better than that, and she couldn’t help but relate his good performance to their earlier conversation. He told her that his real inspiration for the song was she, and that the anxieties of not letting her know his feelings was blocking his own emotions from pouring into the song. He had to let it out, and he was willing to wait for her final decision.

She had never seen Kim Junsu so flustered.

Just then, her Blackberry rang and it was her superior. “Yes, Mr Park.”

“Did you manage to get any valuable information about his uncle’s whereabouts yet?” came his authoritive voice, straight to the point. He didn’t sound as pleased as she thought he would be at her fast progress.

“Not yet, sir. I’m still on my way to gain his full trust, and by then I will subtly investigate him through casual conversations.”

“Ms Kim, I’ve expected better from you. We have reports saying that his uncle is recruiting and on the move. They are planning on another take over. At this point, simply keeping Kim Junsu away from his uncle’s grasp won’t be enough. We need to take the clan down once and for all. We need to work faster.”

“I understand, sir. I’ll report back to you immediately once I have some information.”

“Good. As you were.” Then the line went dead.

She sighed. Now, aside from pretending to fall in love with that poor guy, she will have to start interrogating and invade his privacy. She wondered if he would allow her the information as easily as he had fell for her.

~~~

The next day came a bit too fast for her. She arrived at their meeting point earlier than usual. Today, TVXQ would be having an outdoor photo shoot at a popular tourists’ street mall. She would expect there to be a huge commotion among the pedestrians, knowing that TVXQ is also very well known internationally. Even the local people would be expected to flood the area. She and her fellow colleagues will have their hands full all throughout the day, until the photo shoot ends.

Just as she was standing idly on the pavement, a tap on her shoulder startled her. She turned immediately and was greeted by a grinning Kim Junsu. His face was hidden under his hoodie and he wore sunglasses even when the sun wasn’t very bright yet. He was alone.

“Mr Kim, why are you by yourself?” she asked him, searching for his eyes from under her cap.

He slowly took the sunglasses off and let his eyes meet hers. “Can you not call me Mr Kim? I feel like a stranger to you.”

“It’s work etiquette, Mr Kim. I have to even if I don’t want to. Now tell me why are you here earlier than the others?” she looked over at the other bodyguards roaming around the area.

“Oh, they will come soon. I was the first one ready, and I thought I could talk to you before the photo shoot starts, so I decided to come here early,” he smiled meaningfully. “I’ve been very cautious on my way here, don’t worry,” he immediately added when he saw her crossed gaze.

“Please don’t ever do that again,” she reminded softly. “If anything ever happens to you, I would be held fully responsible. Do you wish to see me rot in jail for something like that?”

“Absolutely not!” he exclaimed, attracting attention from some people nearby. He hissed silently and put his sunglasses back on. “Sorry. Of course not, you’re the girl I wish to be with. I don’t want such events to happen to you,” he continued more softly.

Her face blushed at his blunt statement. He smirked playfully.

“All you have to do is accept my proposal, Amalia Kim,” he teased.

She looked away for a moment. “Even if I want to, I don’t think I can.”

His playful expression turned the opposite. “Why not? Is it because of my parents?”

“No, your parents are such charming people. What worries me is the fact that you’re a favourite nephew to one of your uncles. And that particular uncle looks very scary to me. I don’t think he would except someone like me, even as your girl.”

“Look,” he took hold of her shoulders and turned her to look at him. “I will not let anyone get in the way of me and you. Besides, my uncle isn’t that bad once you get to know him. He’s very nice.”

“It’ll still be hard to win him, I could be sure of it. I’ve never seen someone like him before. At a look, he seems fairly nice, but his eyes are very dark and clouded. I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.”

“Why are you so worked up over my uncle?” Junsu’s brows furrowed as thoughts ran through his head. Then a sudden realisation hit him and his face turned into a small smile. “Wait, are you trying to say that you’re actually giving a chance at the idea of us being together?” he said as he tried his best to suppress a grin.

Her eyes bulged all at once and his largest grin broke out. “J-just the idea anyway. An idea that is as vague as it could ever be,” she protested and turned away.

He laughed, as softly as he could to not attract people’s attention. He was already very happy just like this.

~~~

When she arrived home after work that day, she saw a big yellow envelope stuck on her door. She pulled it off and quickly went inside. She settled her bags on the floor and sat on the nearest chair. She pressed around the envelope carefully and knew only papers were inside. She ripped the side open and took out its contents, which seemed to be pictures, specifically her pictures, with Kim Junsu. A note fell from the stack and it read: ‘I know who you are.’

Her breath hitched and the pictures of her and Junsu at the fountain as well as from earlier that morning fell from her hands. How could she not notice that someone was taking those pictures? And who could possibly want to threaten her like this? Could it be his fans? If they were his fans, then what was the note suppose to mean? It couldn’t be Junsu himself, could it?

She exhaled softly. She grabbed a hold of her Blackberry and began to write a report note to her superior as usual. This time, she left out the part where she had just received an anonymous threat.

~~~

Wherever Junsu goes, people would always find her at his side. Whenever asked, he would tell them that she was just performing her duties. He was content beyond words, yet he was still anxious for their progress. Amalia had been showing more interest towards him since that day, but he somehow knew she was still holding back.

It has been some weeks now, and she has grown to accept his presence more and more each day, as more than a person she had sworn to watch over. She had been meaning to ask this question all these while, and could only manage bits of it previously. This time, she hope to go deeper and pick up the more relevant information requested by her superior. By now, Junsu is willing to share almost anything with her. It was almost as if Junsu wants her to know every single thing about him in the hope that she would finally agree to officially stay by his side.

“How’s everyone at home?” she asked casually, beginning the most awaited conversation.

“They're good. They’ve been asking about you and when you would come over to meet them,” he told her as he leaned back on his elbows. They were sitting on a bench outside, overlooking some greenery. Junsu was on break from his dance practice.

“Why would they want me to visit them? Will your uncle be there?”

He looked next to him and smiled at her. “I told them I’ve come to like this certain somebody so much, so they wish to meet that somebody personally. And if it concerns the probability of you joining the family, then yes, my uncle will be there.”

She let out a fake laugh. “Can I ask you a question?” She saw him nod. “Is your uncle a pirate?”

He fell stunned. Then his hearty laugh erupted. “Pirate? Do you mean the Jack Sparrow kind of pirate?” he continued to laugh. “Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know. He seemed to have that kind of air around him. You meet him almost everyday, of course you wouldn’t notice,” she pouted.

Junsu smiled. “Well, as far as I know, he’s not. He's doing some sort of business. He wouldn’t tell people about it, he said people would try to dig out his secrets to success.” He paused. “I think he mentioned an acronym to me once before. But it was a long time ago, I was still in school.”

“What does it say?”

“I can’t remember exactly. It was Kim something. KEC, Kim Exporting Company? Or something along that line, I can’t recall. I’ve always pictured him working on ships.”

“Junsu…” she called at him softly.

He turned to look at her in the eyes.

“What would you say if I tell you now that I love you?”

He seemed lost for a moment, then his eyes began to widen. A smile followed and he gave out a manly squeal. “Are you saying yes to me?” he asked excitedly, which she nodded to. He immediately leaned forward and gathered her in his arms, embracing her tightly. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” he repeated into her neck repeatedly, his grin was permanent.

She let out a happy laugh to match his mood.

~~~

The rest of TVXQ immediately knew of their official relationship, but they were still keeping it a secret from other people. Every time there was a break on his schedule, the first person he would search for was she. They tried to limit physical contacts as much as possible, but when they’re completely alone, Junsu would always try to steal a few kisses from her. She didn’t mind, as long as her mission was still in progress.

She had told of the tiny bit of information she received from Junsu to her superior. And as a result, she was given an address, and was told to spy on the activities held within the premises tonight. But the problem is, she didn’t know how to tell Junsu that she wouldn’t be able to meet him tonight. This task was given to her so suddenly that she was unable to take it into consideration while carrying out her current unresolved tasks. It would definitely be a question if she missed a date on a Friday night, because it was the only day that he had the whole night free just to spend time with her. He would know that something was wrong.

But she had to do it.

“Jun,” she called out to him during a break from filming a CF.

He excused himself from the rest of TVXQ members and made his way towards her, a soft smile decorated his lips. “What is it?”

“Something came up, I don’t think we can meet as usual tonight. I’m sorry,” she made the most convincing puppy-eyes she could muster. “I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”

“Is there something wrong at home?” he asked worriedly. He took the vacant seat beside her. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s nothing you should worry about. Honest,” she smiled.

“Tell me what is it?” he demanded softly. “Maybe I can help.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll manage just fine.”

He became slightly suspicious. But decided to let it go. “Alright. I’ll call you. Tell me if anything happens, okay?”

She nodded eagerly and pushed him back towards the filming set. She made a small wave at him and he grinned back.

~~~

That night, Amalia went to the address given to her. She was fully equipped with revolvers, daggers and a bulletproof vest just in case. She approached the premises as carefully and as quietly as possible. Once in a while, she gazed into the binoculars to confirm the positions of the security guards, and if anybody has noticed her crawling about the area.

She peeked into the building to gather its contents. The name suggested that this should be a packaging warehouse, however she doubted it very much. She could see stacks of huge containers along the windows, but it seem that its operation is non-existent. It was as if the containers served only as props.

The night was too quiet for her likings. She had managed to make it all the way to the entrance, and she found that it was slightly opened. Did someone forgot to close it? She slipped inside, careful not to leave any fingerprints or evidence of an intruder. She looked around the huge area full of large containers, but there was no one.

It was odd, what was the use of the security guards out there if there’s nothing to guard inside? She made her way deeper, always checking her surroundings and fixing her grip on her gun. She can’t believe that there was absolutely nothing suspicious except for the fact that the security guard stood outside all night for nothing.

TANG!!

Her whole body turned to the direction of the echoing sound, her weapon at the ready. She approached it quickly and swiftly, and the sight around the corner took the very breath she held for so long.

There, a man with loaded guns lay unconscious, and slightly further from him was Junsu who was holding onto a metal bar tightly. His face paled.

There was a complete silence between them as they stared into each other.

“Jun, what are you doing here?” she hissed as she hurried to his side and pulled him to hide along the containers. “You’re not supposed to be here,” she began to panic.

“Who are you?” he asked instead, looking over her appearance, and finally his gaze stopped at the revolver in her hands.

She could see a slight disappointment in his eyes. “Jun, it’s not as bad as it looks. I’m just fulfilling my duty to protect you.”

“By spying on my close family? I’ve always wondered why you always brought up my uncle in our conversations. So this is the reason? Are you going to kill him?”

“God, no! Jun, I’m not a killer!” she emphasized in desperate whispers. “I only need to know what your uncle really worked as.”

“And I’ve told you, he owns a shipping company. Isn’t that specific enough?”

His hurt look was eating her inside. “Jun, please. You don’t understand. You’re in danger. You shouldn’t come here. If they find us--”

“Too late Kim Hei-ryung,” a voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, earning gasps from the both of them.

Amalia quickly faced Junsu, “You have to run! Get to safety!”

Guns began to shoot around, and she quickly pinned Junsu to the surface of the container, away from harm’s way.

“What the--” Nothing could come out from Junsu’s mouth as he quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. But each time he tried to switch their positions, she refused.

“Don’t! I’m wearing bulletproof clothing. I’ll be fine. Don’t move.” She gripped tighter onto her revolver and blasted it at random directions. She heard a few cries from above.

The gunfight lasted for what seems like a long time, and the tired Amalia was beginning to lose her focus. Out of a sudden, a painful cry came from her as a bullet managed to seep through to her shoulders. Blood oozed from the wound and she started to become weak. Junsu had to hold her up, concern and worry governed his expressions.

“Amalia,” he called, desperate to keep her conscious. “Amalia, stay with me!”

The gunfight suddenly stopped and Junsu could here people shuffling around the area. Moments later, a man approached them with a gun at the ready, but he was utterly surprised to find his own nephew at the scene, holding a woman dearly to himself.

“Junsu! What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I could ask you the same thing, uncle,” he replied bitterly.

~~~

Amalia was sent to the nearest hospital immediately after Junsu’s uncle surrendered himself to the authorities. His uncle couldn’t bare the fact that he had nearly killed his own nephew just for the sake of keeping his mafia clan hidden from the world. He told Junsu who Amalia really was, how he had come to know her, and why he had attacked her. The rest of his clan members ran away.

After being told the truth from her uncle’s side of the story, Kim Junsu was speechless. He didn’t know how to react to the facts. He wanted to listen it directly from Amalia before he would make his conclusions.

He was there when Amalia regained her consciousness, her shoulders fixed and bandaged.

“How are you feeling,” he queried. She simply looked at him, still weak and dizzy. “I’m not staying here for long,” he broke. “I just want to ask one thing before I leave.”

Her eyes became alerted and she worked herself into a sitting position. Junsu didn’t give a hand.

“Why?” he asked after she was settled.

“Your company wants to protect you from your uncle,” her voice weak. “They paid my agency to have me fall in love with you so that I could get a clearer insight of your uncle’s activities.”

“Are you really telling the truth now?”

“Yes.”

“Everything that happened between us, was that a lie?”

She couldn’t answer. But she tried to make him understand through the look in her eyes. She wasn’t sure.

“So I guess it had never even started, huh?” he muttered waving his hands in the air in utter disappointment. “That’s it then. Goodbye, Amalia Kim,” he bid his bitter farewell, and simply left.

~~~

She never saw him again after that episode. Her heart broke right after the door closed behind him that day, but she had no chance to explain further as she was asked to return to base immediately.

Every night she thought of him and their times together, the times when she thought she was just fulfilling her duty. But in actuality, her feelings had already blossomed since that day at the fountain. She was just too focused on her tasks and accomplishing her mission to realise. She was blinded.

She knew he was hurt to no extent. He had told her numerous times of how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to be his life partner, and how he would go to lengths unimaginable just to have her by his side. She realized now that they were in love. But how would he believe that her feelings, even then, were sincere? How could she prove that she loves him still?

She let her feet drag her to wherever. Her mind was afloat and she couldn’t focus. She didn’t even realize it when the loud ambulance passed her by, rushing to arrive at the building now caught by fire. She finally turned the corner and saw people gathering and blocked the road. She looked further and saw a building on fire; the black smoke covered the sky around it. It took her a while, but then she realized what building it was. She knew TVXQ was supposed to film a show in there around this time. A thought finally caught her back to her senses. She immediately pushed through the crowd to get closer to the scene. She hoped that no one got hurt.

Her heart sank at the sight of the ambulance, loading injured people and paramedics running around to provide emergency treatments. Her eyes roam wildly in search of a certain person, praying that he hadn’t fall prey to this disaster. Her eyes finally caught the sight of the leader of TVXQ, with s by his side.  She was about to let out a sigh of relied when she counted that there were only four of them, and Kim Junsu was missing.

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as she panicked, the sense of protectiveness overpowering her. She looked everywhere in haste, trying to recognize each face her eyes fell on to. But Kim Junsu was nowhere to be seen. Minutes turned to hours and he still wasn’t found. Her knees buckled, barely able to contain her weight, as she felt weak all over. She had never imagined things to end this way.

The fire was now under control, all identified victims have been given help, and people started to clear the area. The drama was over. But to her, the whole world has just collapsed, and she wished that the fire could take her too.

“Kim Hei-ryung,” she suddenly heard her name being called. She turned to the voice, and her breath hitched. “Kim Hei-ryung, what are you doing down there?”

She was speechless. The sight of him coming towards her with such soft eyes was a sight she thought she would never see again. He kneeled by her side and gathered her in his arms, attempting to console her troubled emotions.

“Shhh…” he whispered as her sob turned louder. “Baby, I’m here. I’m okay.” He softly caressed her hair and rocked their bodies together in a consoling rhythm. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

Her sobs turned to wails and her tears continued to wet his shoulders. “You evil person,” she sobbed. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“Yes, baby. I saw you. I saw your love for me. I’m sorry baby. I’m back now. Please don’t cry.”

“I hate you!!!” she told him, but circled her arms around him anyways, holding tight and never letting go.

~~~

Junsu didn’t hesitate. After he was sure that her heart beats for him alone, he had asked her to marry him. The public went wild with protests for quite along time, considering their history together, but he didn’t care. He was madly in love with her and couldn’t bear to see her hurt like that again. He swore to protect her and be by her side always. And the only solution to that is to make her his for eternity.

From up at the altar, he gazed upon the nervously walking bride with overflowing love in his eyes. He had never seen her more beautiful with that shy smile on her lips. Their eye contact never broke until it was time for them to face the priest. He held to her fragile fingers tightly, afraid of letting go.

Their vows taken, then it was official. They leaned in for a kiss, and the knot was tied. No one could descirbe his overflowing happiness at that moment. He will have her by his side always, this time not as his bodyguard, but as his woman. He feels that his life's reasons are finally accomplished.

"I love you, Mrs Kim," he grinned towards her as they were sitting at the back seat of the limo, away from the public eyes. He cupped her smiling face and brought her closer for another kiss, and the kiss turned out to be the longest make out session. They only stopped when they arrived at their destination, happily married.

END

*****

Hope this is worth your wait! >_< It's not so angsty but I hope it's still alright. Thank you for requesting and l'll look forward to your feedback! :)