𝗨𝗦 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡﹕jay

－ 𝐓𝐖𝐎

Third person.

Around two or three light drinks Jieum drank at the club had her still sober, yet still ended up at the back of Sohee's boyfriend's car to drop her off. Though she resisted saying she was capable enough to get a cab, she wasn't able to get away from her best friend. Her boyfriend comes to pick up his girlfriend, but since he's also a close friend of Jieum's, he didn't hesitate to offer a ride home.

And so here she is, third-wheeling her favorite couple. Oh, how she loves them being together.

"Will uncle be home tonight?" Sohee turns her head to look at the back, where Jieum is at.

"I don't know. He hasn't called me yet." Jieum replies and lays her head back on the headrest, hoping not to fall asleep in somebody's car and not wake up until dawn.

Nothing is intriguing about the red light illuminated by the vehicles surrounding them in the middle of a bustling road. She opens her phone instead, rereading the last message sent by her manager about what's ahead for her tomorrow. She's lucky though because there isn't much. Perhaps she can spend the rest of her day tomorrow to treat herself however she wants.

Soon, they reach her house.

"Thanks for the drop-off, Jake. Good night you lovers, get home safe." Jieum waves after she closes the car door. The passenger window rolls down just for Sohee to give her a flying kiss and shout goodbye. She gets inside the gates just as they drive off.

Jieum wouldn't say that their house is close to a mansion. Yes, it is big, and very modern-like if she may add, but it's only ideal for a rich and eminent middle-aged businessman and his one and only daughter. They have a few housemaids, whom she treats well the same way they treat her kindly. She knows how hard they work every day to maintain their house while no one's home, so the least she can do is not be impolite.

"Evening, Jieum." She listens to the voice who called her and sees her dad's chaperone. He's older than her, but he's the closest to her age, and you can say he's the person she is closest with in this household (aside from her father, that is).

"Hey, Geon- Geon!" Jieum's voice raises its tone upon a realization about the man. She rarely sees him as he works for Mr. Moon, meaning wherever her dad is, Gyu will be there too.

"Is there anything...?"

So, if her beloved father's chaperone is home right now, then that means...

"Dad's home?" She asks him, and he gives her a nod.

"Yes, we came home an hour ago." Geon tells her.

"That's new." Jieum tilts her head as she then opens the front door after bidding him off.

She enters the house and closes the door with a loud thud for whoever's passing by the hallway to know that she's home. She scratches the back of her head, heaving a sigh from the exhaustion she got today. At that moment, loud footsteps on the marble tiles which are impossible to ignore get her to turn to her left, and she smiles automatically when she sees her dad.

"There's my Jieum." Her father, Moon Kangmin, goes to his daughter with open arms. Jieum ambles towards him with a smile and eyes closed, getting into a short embrace.

"You went to that nightclub again, Ji. How many did you drink?" He pulls away from the hug, his face scrunching with disgust at the reek of alcohol.

"Not much, I swear. I don't feel drunk at all. How's it going with launching the clothing line in Europe? Have you eaten dinner? What did you eat?" Jieum tries to submerge the topic, yet by the stern look of her father, she can't get away. She is not drunk, her half-lidded eyes are caused by her weariness.

"I should stop you from going to that place-"

"No! I don't go there as much as I used to anymore. Only tonight, Sohee told me to meet her up there to catch up." She shakes her head rapidly before he could finish his sentence, hoping he won't stick to his words.

"Is that where youngsters hang out these days?" Her dad asks. Jieum shrugs, not taking his question seriously.

"You always tell me to take care of my health, especially at my age, but Ji, you have to take care of yourself too while you're still young. I don't want you to depend on alcohol and clubs as your way to cope whenever you're stressed. Just tell me and I'll fix whatever is bothering you. Get that?" He places his hands on both sides of her shoulders and looks her in the eye. Jieum only looks down on the floor while she was getting a sermon, yet she knows it's his concern, and he is right after all.

"Yes, dad. I understand. I'd love for this sweet talk to continue but my day at work today ran me out of energy, so can I go wash up and get some sleep?" She asks so kindly, clasping her hands together and stretching her lips wide for a forced smile.

"Wait, wait, before I let you go, I need to tell you something, and don't cut me off in between unless I'm finished." He breathes out. Jieum raises her brow and crosses her arms to her chest, waiting without a lot of patience.

"Now, I know you're a twenty-two years old grown and independent woman and I'm proud of you for that. I don't doubt your decisions most of the time because I know you and you're just like me! But even those self-defense classes and your mouth that doesn't have a brake when somebody talks ill about you won't protect you while you make your way into the modeling industry. I get worried about you and all I care about the most is your safety. And since I can't be with you all the time even if I want to, I decided to um, well, don't get mad! Uh... get you a personal bodyguard."

Finishing the speech his daughter might be thinking he rehearsed while he was waiting for her to get home (that's true, but Jieum doesn't have to know that), Kangmin catches the breath he wasn't aware he was holding in. Jieum's late reaction is foreseen, and what used to be a nonchalant face now morphs into furrowed eyebrows with a creased forehead and a loud exasperated gasp.

"A what?! Bodyguard?! Dad! We've talked about this and I already told you I don't need one to watch over my actions and control my life! It's going to be useless-" A hand covers her mouth, preventing her to spit further.

"Jieum, having a bodyguard who'll just drive you everywhere you go and prioritize your safety as you or I tell them so doesn't mean you'll lose your freedom from having a life, okay? It's not someone who'll ruin your fun, but it's for your own good." Kangmin tries to make her understand by nodding at the words he let out.

Jieum whines in his hand and stomps her foot, urging him to free her mouth. She grunts and has an angry pout looking at him, causing him to sigh.

"You'll be fine, Ji. And you can't do anything because I already hired him and you'll meet him tomorrow, meaning starting from the moment you head out to go to work, you will have someone trailing you behind." Kangmin smiles ironically.

"Off you go to bed then. Take a shower because you smell like alcohol. Good night, honey." He kisses her forehead and pushes her gently by the shoulders, allowing her to leave.

"I'm not agreeing to this yet! We'll talk tomorrow morning, dad! Good night..." Jieum grumbles and walks away.

Her loud footsteps as she makes her way upstairs is intended, just for her father to know how aggravated she feels by what he's done. Kangmin leaves a chuckle and shake of the head at her attitude.

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Next chapter is going to better
I promise ✋