Bodyguard Lee pt. 3
You met a kind stranger wandering the streets of Athens who was willing to go out of his way to help you. But across the globe weeks later you cross paths with him again. Could having this many unexpected meetings be a happy coincidence or an ill-fated destiny?
word count:2.16k
“How in the HELL did this manage to happen at our own company?” The company director barked out to the few employees that were sitting in the conference room.
You looked up at each and every one of them and felt bad for the treatment that they were being given. But at the same time, it felt like everything that happened could have been avoided if people were actually doing their jobs correctly. The company didn’t have 2 security checkpoints for access to the garage for nothing.
The old security guard and two of the other staff members who worked in the garage sat in their chairs with their heads facing down and your manager sat next to you holding onto your arm in what you imagine she thought was supposed to be comforting. And Taemin sat in the corner of the room looking up at the screen that had a still frame of you and the perpetrator from CCTV footage displayed.
“Imagine the fiasco that would have happened if this bastard was actually successful in kidnapping her?!” the director yelled getting even redder in the face by the minute as he paced in front of the room. “where was everybody, huh?! And how in the hell did this guy even get through security?”
You wanted to speak up but you had nothing to say. You still felt quite shocked that something like this would happen to you. Sure, you had seen that it had happened to other idols and celebrities in the past but you figured that with all of the updated technology and security in place now that events like this would be virtually impossible to successfully happen. But in the back of your mind, you felt that surely there would be something trivial to blame… that surely it wouldn’t be that these security staff members were so careless as to put you in danger. You wanted to ask them what happened, so you had an explanation, but you knew that the hellfire the director was reigning down on them was already enough.
“If I may say something…” Taemin spoke up softly interjecting the conversation and your rampant thoughts
The whole room went awkwardly quiet, and everyone turned to give Taemin a curious glance. The air was thick with anticipation and annoyance, but it didn’t seem to have any affect on him as he sat there quietly and politely in his chair. The director looked over Taemin and then raised his hand in a continue gesture.
“the perpetrator was in a utility company’s clothing, who I assume works with your company. If he is in fact a paid employee by that company then it is possible that he had access to entry codes and restricted areas, allowing him to slip in without any red flags going off.”
The director scoffed for a moment and then looked over at the security team members as if they were completely worthless. The few men sat there still and silent, shivering in their seats fearful of losing their jobs. “Are you sure?” he asked him back turning his attention back to Taemin and he nodded. “What did the uniform look like?”
“It was a Song’s Technology shirt sir” Taemin replied sharply without a single moment of hesitation
The director put both of his hands down on the desk and hung his head for a moment before he lifted it again with closed eyes. “Tomorrow I want written statements explaining how this prick got through and a status of where each and every security member was at the time of the incident. The fact that he was given enough time to get her in his car is unacceptable”
The security staff bowed and agreed politely and then turned and apologized to you profusely. You nodded back and gave them a small smile. After Taemin’s explanation of what he assumed happened you knew that it wasn’t their fault that something this atrocious happened to you.
“As for the rest of you please go home and get some rest. And please do not speak to anyone else of this matter. We want to deal with this internally to make sure that it never happens again. We don’t want to cause a panic in the company after all.” The director said now with his hands in his pockets and his face in a permanent scowl.
Your manager squeezed your arm and leaned into your side to whisper quietly in your ear, “the director would like to take you out to dinner to apologize. I think that you should accept his offer since he is in such an awful mood.”
You pulled back ever so slightly from her and gave her a stern expression. Something that to the rest of the room looked like a plain look, but to her read do you want to die? The company director was a man that everyone mostly feared for his horrible temper and ability to make a simple conversation that required a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer drag on for 30 minutes. However, your experience with him was somewhat unique…
Three years ago when you were still building a name for yourself the director was heavily involved in the production and promotion of your career, which to most people would seem like a dream to have someone so important involved. But he had taken an interest in you personally more so than your career. He would often take you out for late expensive meals at night and personally drive you home from the studios. And on more than one occasion he tried to make a move on you which you had to smile and laugh off as if it didn’t make your heart stop and stomach churn.
But there was little to nothing that you could do about confronting him. Or at least you thought at the time. Because the truth was that having him more involved was causing you to receive better treatment from everyone inside the company and outside in the media. And it wasn’t something that you could afford to lose when you were so close to realizing your dreams.
And sure, the director was an attractive, young, rich, and business savvy man… But the moment he began to cross the line with you, you immediately saw him as a threat. And ever since then you have avoided him like the black plague, turning around when he walked your way or looked away from him to avoid eye contact. And now as a more mature artist you recall several times that you wish you would had said something to someone. So many more people have become introduced to the company including many more young girls, and you often stay up at night thinking of who might be his next target.
The people in the room began to stand up and clear out as quickly as they could but you would be damned if Taemin could escape before you had time to thank him. He wasn’t even interested in working for the company but you felt that you still owed it to him to thank him for stepping in when he had no reason to.
“Taemin-sshi!” you called out a little too loud in the room in order to catch his attention before he was out of sight.
He looked over to you through the room and when he saw you he gave you an awkward half smile. When you saw how he reacted you were sure that he had really wanted nothing to do with you now after everything that has happened today.
Firstly, he had to deal with the news that the random lost girl who he helped out wasn’t just a random girl back home in Korea, but he also happened to be interviewing for a security member for me. Secondly, he had to step in and deal with a psychopath and stay behind whatever schedule he had for the rest of the day to deal with police reports and the wrath of the director. And now you were about to make things a thousand times more awkward by trying to have small talk with him…
“hi” you said giving him a small awkward smile as you approached him. He bent his head down a little to give you a polite greeting, but his eyes never met your own
“I just wanted to come over and say thank you so much for helping me today…. If you hadn’t been there when you were I would be In an unimaginable world of trouble.” You bowed down 90 degrees and gave him a few second pause before you stood up to make your gratitude shown. “And I’m really sorry that I couldn’t be there today to greet you myself. I’m sure it must have been a surprise to see my face when I’m sure you were never expecting to see me again.”’
There was an awkward pause from Taemin as he looked down at you and processed all that you had said. You could tell that the gears were turning in his mind and you were sure that there were many things that he could say, but nothing came out.
“it was a surprise to see you again… in fact the first thing I saw was a giant billboard with you on it for an advertisement right outside of Incheon.” He chuckled and then put a hand on the back of his neck nervously “as for today it was honestly no trouble. I would have done the same thing for anyone.”
“again, thank you so so much!” you said now giving him a genuine smile
Hgn hgn
You and Taemin both turned your heads to see the director standing close to the two of you as he cleared his throat. He had put his hand over his mouth in a fist as if he really did have flem in his throat after all the yelling he had done previously.
“excuse my interruption…” he said facing Taemin with a fake eye wrinkling smile “Y/n, if you have the time after this I would like you to join me for dinner tonight… as a way to express my apologies for this entire mishap”
You gave him the fakest smile that you could muster up for him and then flashed a glance to Taemin that practically screamed “HELP ME!!” Taemin raised an eyebrow at you for half of a second and then it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
“I really do appreciate it, but I feel that we also owe it to Taemin-ssi for all that he’s done for me today. Perhaps he could also join us?” you said giving Taemin a hopeful glance, practically begging for him to take the bait with your eyes.
You could see that he was taken aback from you throwing him under the bus and dragging him into the entire situation. He licked his lips and pondered for a moment giving you a blank stare before he looked over to the director.
“ah.. yes, well it would be my pleasure if you joined us as well” the director finally chimed in with fake conviction
Teamin gave him a single polite semi nod and responded “no, the pleasure would be mine.”
The director gave him small nods and a cocky grin “right… well let’s go while the night is still young.”
The director didn’t wait for anyone to begin leaving the room before he strode out to the beat of his own drum. You and Taemin both watched his back as he left the room and let out a soft sigh. This day had been long and rough on you and you had made it worse by dragging Taemin into your business.
“you really don’t have to go with us if you don’t want to. I just figured that it was the least that we could do.” You said giving him the opportunity to back out if he really didn’t want to go.
Taemin eyed you for a moment and then looked at the director’s retreating figure getting smaller and smaller the farther he walked away. “Gratitude aside would you like me to stay for dinner?” he asked and you knew that he could sense your dislike for the director
Your eyes went wide for a split moment and then you looked down at your feet. You let out a soft sigh and gathered your courage together before you faced him again. “it would make me feel a lot better if you would join us” you said quietly and honestly
Taemin gave you a small smile and then nodded his head in agreement to go with you “so what are we having?” he asked and finally you felt like you could breathe again
You didn’t know what you had done in a past life to have been able to meet Taemin in this life, but whatever it was you were eternally grateful.
