Chapter Text
Yeonjun is seriously reconsidering all his past decisions that had led him up to his point, sitting in the office of MEGA Entertainment’s CEO with his own boss (head of his bodyguarding firm) seated next to him on a leather couch that was way too stiff for it to be used as a place to sit down.
The CEO of the infamous company that had brought most of the well-known Korean artists to high levels of fame was a stout man with eyes too small for his face and a wrinkly white shirt with some ramen soup stains. So… not exactly the image Yeonjun had thought of when told he was meeting with MEGA Ent’s CEO today.
If Mr. Jeong (Yeonjun’s boss) was surprised at the lack of glam from the other man, he didn’t show it on his face.
“Thank you, Mr. Baek, for choosing our firm to assign a bodyguard to one of your top artists. We’d be honored to work for you, which is why I brought with me today our firm’s top employee,” Mr. Jeong says professionally. “This is Choi Yeonjun.” He nods at Yeonjun, who startles and straightens up immediately, bowing his head at the CEO.
“Nice to meet you, sir.” He murmurs.
“Mhm,” Mr. Baek hums. “You’re the number one firm all entertainment companies hire bodyguards from. It’s expected I do the same.”
“I’m flattered,” Mr. Jeong bows his head slightly. Yeonjun can tell it’s all a matter of being polite. It’s always how Mr. Jeong acts, polite and strictly professional, even around Yeonjun who he’d known for years. “Now… you only mentioned briefly about the assignment you wanted our employee to take. Would you mind clarifying us on it a little more?”
Mr. Baek nods, leaning back on his chair from behind his desk. He sticks a pinky in one ear to pick at, and Yeonjun fights the urge to scrunch his nose. What kind of CEO was this guy, seriously?!
“One of my artists, Choi Beomgyu, I’m sure you’ve all heard about him?” Mr. Baek starts.
Mr. Jeong nods. “Yes. He’s all over the news these days. And you mentioned him in your proposal email, so me and Yeonjun, we took the liberty of learning a little more about your artist.”
Yeonjun tries not to scoff. From what he read on the numerous articles on Beomgyu, he was a young singer who had reached the top quickly and all the fame had turned him into a spoiled and entitled brat of a celebrity; the public had loved him like crazy in the beginning, but as he began canceling schedules for his own personal reasons and acting all arrogant (as some of the company directors had stated in press conferences). Normally, Yeonjun wouldn’t be so quick to judge a person he’d never met in person, but there were just so many news articles and he knew Beomgyu hadn’t released any new songs for months when the public was eagerly waiting for him, with no interactions online towards his fans— as if they didn’t even matter. As if money and fame were everything to him. Probably was, Yeonjun concluded.
“Well,” Mr. Baek continues talking, and Yeonjun snaps out of his thoughts to listen attentively. No matter how… odd this CEO was and how unprofessional, Yeonjun was being assigned this job and he wasn’t Choi Yeonjun if he didn’t complete his assignments like the ace of the firm he was.
“Beomgyu has been acting up lately, going up against the company’s wishes for him, and wandering off, so I needed someone to watch him— someone who could stick around close for long periods of time without being a staff with other duties to fulfill.”
“So I’m supposed to be a babysitter?!” Yeonjun blurts out and Mr. Jeong shoots him a look for it.
Mr. Baek smiles. “Well, no.” He finally stops picking his ear and drops his hand to his side again. “There are normal bodyguard duties too. A lot of paparazzi, and schedules he hasn’t cancelled to get to with big crowds of his over enthusiastic fans that still idolize him, and even some stalkers that he needs to be protected from. You’ll do all that, but also keep watch over Beomgyu and report back to me. I’ll be giving you permission to go anywhere Beomgyu does, with no restrictions so that you can remain watch as close as possible.”
“Have there not been any other bodyguards before?” Mr. Jeong inquires. “Why did you want to assign another one, if I may?”
Mr. Baek sighs.
“I needed a long-term assignment, Beomgyu’s first one. We’ve kept security light until now— he’s been cancelling most of his schedules, rarely goes out. But with his popularity rising still, and him starting to act out— you understand, we need to adapt. I’ve reassigned his previous bodyguards. Yeonjun-ssi, was it? You’ll be his sole bodyguard.” Mr. Baek responds.
Sole bodyguard? Me? Yeonjun tries not to frown.
“But… won’t Beomgyu-ssi need several bodyguards according to his fame level? Yeonjun is trustworthy and a very talented bodyguard, yes, but I don’t recommend having him as the only bodyguard around, especially with large crowds.” Mr. Jeong furrows his brows.
Mr. Baek rolls his eyes.
“Crowd control is our job. Security at venues, entrances, red carpets— we’ve got that covered. What we need is someone who’s with him personally, not making a big scene. One bodyguard, discreet, well-trained— one that fits our brand.” Then he adds on: “Beomgyu’s barely left the company grounds for months. We’re only reinstating public schedules now, trying to get him back in line and… please his fandom again. A crowd might gather, yes— but we’ve adjusted for that. Besides, if we flood him with new faces, he’ll just shut down again. Stability matters more than manpower right now. We’ve found that too many bodyguards overwhelm him. He shuts down, becomes uncooperative.”
Mr. Jeong hesitates.
“Well? Are you in or not?” Mr. Baek asks impatiently. “I’m offering a huge amount of money for this. I need a talented bodyguard immediately, and if your firm can’t, I’ll find a better one.”
Mr. Jeong narrows his eyes. Then he turns to Yeonjun.
“Choi. Will you accept this assignment?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. It’s not hard to tell he wants Yeonjun to say yes, and he’s only asking for formalities.
Yeonjun wants to scream— seriously, what had he done wrong in life?!— and nods.
“Of course, Mr. Jeong. I’d be honored to.” He lies through his teeth, and shoots a polite smile at Mr. Baek who looked like he could care less about anything.
“Good. Yeonjun-ssi, you’ll start immediately.” Mr. Baek says, standing up. “Finally, this meeting is over.” He mutters.
“What— immediately?!” Yeonjun sputters. “Like, right now, Mr. Baek?”
Mr. Baek snorts.
“Yes. We have prepared a room in Beomgyu’s apartment complex already, which you’ll be moving into straight away today.” He says, already moving towards the door to head out.
“Are you sure it’s alright to just push a new bodyguard onto Beomgyu-ssi, and have Yeonjun move into his own home—?” Mr. Jeong starts.
“He can handle it,” Mr. Baek says dismissively, opening the door. “Yeonjun will start now. And that’s final. I’ll give you half an hour to get all your things and move into Beomgyu’s dorm to meet him.”
—
Yeonjun stands in front of the company doors again, this time with his duffel bag of a bunch of his clothes and his bodyguard comms earpiece, plus his stungun he always had on deck during his work hours, and his phone and charger. He was still hesitant about moving into Beomgyu’s home like this, without them having met beforehand and especially knowing what Beomgyu was like, apparently. And the company seemed to think he was a brat too, and what better proof than the ones Beomgyu worked with and under?
He spots Mr. Baek striding towards him and ducks his head in a polite greeting.
“Yeonjun. Good, you aren’t late. You have your phone on you, boy?”
Yeonjun winces at how casual the man is being, considering he’d only met Yeonjun half an hour ago for the first time, but he instead busies himself in digging out his phone to offer to the older man.
Mr. Baek fiddles around on it, before handing it back to Yeonjun. There’s a new contact on it, labeled BEOMGYU (MEGA Ent.) and an app icon linked under the contact digits with a red and black map symbol.
“His number, and you’ll also be able to track his location too.” Mr. Baek nods.
“Uhm… thank you…?” Yoenjun winces, feeling more and more uncomfortable. He was moving into the artist’s home this quick (if at all, like what, why would a bodyguard be keeping such close watch on an artist to be living with them so early on? Just what kind of maniac was this Choi Beomgyu?!) and getting an app to track him for gods sake.
“And of course, if you need to use a firm hand, I’m allowing that, just as long as the public isn’t aware.” Mr. Baek says and Yeonjun blinks dumbly at him, confused and not understanding what the man was talking about.
He doesn’t get a chance to ask or blink in confusion any longer because Mr. Baek is leading him to a black van with MEGA Ent’s logo etched on the side.
A younger man Yeonjun’s age is sitting in the driver’s seat, adorned with a simple white cap on his head and a denim jacket over a white tee.
“Yeonjun!” Mr. Baek calls out (no need to be that loud in the car, Yeonjun thinks to himself). “This is Soobin. He’s Beomgyu’s driver, and he’ll be yours too now. You have full responsiblity to ask Soobin here to get Beomgyu to his schedules. You’re also gonna be acting a bit like his manager too, did I mention that?”
Yeonjun is starting to get a bit annoyed— what, he was a glorified babysitter and now a manager too? But he keeps fake-smiling at the man because this is his new assignment for the next seven months (ugh, seven months is too long), which could well extend to over an entire year. And he does his duties the best he can no matter what. Even if this time, it’s something long-term and for some spoiled celebrity.
Soobin, from the driver’s seat, dips his head in greeting and Yeonjun mirrors him, a more genuine smile curling his lips now that his attention wasn’t so focused on the CEO.
“I’m Choi Yeonjun,” he says.
“Choi Soobin, nice to meet you Yeonjun-ssi. I’d be happy to drive you around from now on.” The man replies back. His voice is soft for such a tall man, to the point his head almost reached the roof of the car inside.
“To Beomgyu’s apartment,” Mr. Baek grunts out, leaning back on his seat.
Soobin nods wordlessly.
—
Yeonjun and Mr. Baek stand outside the apartment complex of Choi Beomgyu. It’s just a metal door with a keypad, and Yeonjun’s a bit shocked when Mr. Baek punches in the code and barges in without even ringing the bell first. So… maybe artists didn’t have privacy when it came to their company higher-ups? Yes, that must be it. Artists and celebs were different, Yeonjun decided. And besides, apparently, Beomgyu was acting out— that must be why the company was allowed to enter, because they needed to get control over their crazy artist. (Right…?)
The hall is bare, and Yeonjun follows Mr. Baek inside, shuffling his shoes off and cautiously entering, one hand gripping his bag and the other clenched against his side. He has no idea what to expect from his new assignment. Choi Beomgyu. Singer. Spoiled. A brat, probably.
He glances around, but no one’s around. Where even is Beomgyu?
Before Yeonjun can ask, a figure emerges from down the hall— messy hair that’s been dyed an ashy blond, a hoodie zipped to the chin despite the warmth inside his apartment, eyes shadowed and cautious.
Beomgyu.
He halts mid-step when he sees Mr. Baek and Yeonjun, eyes darting between them like he’s cornered. He mutters something like a greeting, voice barely audible.
Yeonjun frowns.
Did he just glare at me?
“This is your new bodyguard,” Mr. Baek says curtly. “Yeonjun. From now on, he goes wherever you go. You’ll be going to more schedules. And the company has decided to be more strict with you.”
Beomgyu barely reacts— just gives a curt nod and shifts his gaze away, arms crossed. Dismissive. Wow. Just wow.
Seriously? No thank you? Not even a handshake? No real greeting? No ‘nice to meet you’s?
Yeonjun straightens his posture, jaw tight. Well. Alright. He knew this was coming. This was just another assignment, another person to protect— and this time around, snap a bit into place, to manage like a little spoiled child.
He glances at Beomgyu, who’s watching Mr. Baek’s every move like he's bracing for something. Yeonjun crosses his arms.
He really does just stand around expecting people to do everything for him, huh? I can’t believe it. The rumors were true.
“Anything I should know about your routine?” Yeonjun asks, trying to keep it professional. After all, he’s gotta start playing his role here.
Beomgyu flinches like he wasn’t expecting to be addressed. He shrugs stiffly.
“I don’t go out much.”
“That’s not what your reputation says,” Yeonjun replies before he can stop himself. It comes out sharper than intended, but it’s too late to take it back.
Beomgyu stiffens, then turns away.
“Guess you’ll find out for yourself.”
Rude.
Yeonjun walks past him toward the hallway, deciding to avoid the other man for a bit, spotting a laminated schedule taped up beside the kitchen. Red Xs slash through multiple days. Notes scrawled in marker: REFUSED. CANCELED. NOT APPROVED.
Yeonjun tilts his head, scoffing.
Skipping his own shoots and rehearsals. So the rumors are really all true.
He turns around and eyes Beomgyu again, watching how he lingers by the wall, fingers curled tightly into his sleeves.
Spoiled. Ungrateful. And apparently allergic to basic manners. Can’t even say a proper hi or converse politely.
+ Beomgyu +
Mr. Baek doesn’t even knock— just punches in the code and storms in like always. Beomgyu’s shoulders tense before he even realizes it. And then he freezes up when he realizes Mr. Baek hadn’t come alone. There’s a tall man in a black bodysuit and matching trousers— a new bodyguard.
He wants to say hi, wants to act normal, but his throat closes up when he meets the bodyguard’s eyes. They’re unreadable. No, actually… they were… Beomgyu shivers. They were cold. And judging.
Already, his new bodyguard was unfriendly towards him. Just like the last ones.
“This is your new bodyguard. Yeonjun. From now on, he goes wherever you go. You’ll be going to more schedules. And the company has decided to be more strict with you.”
Beomgyu nods quickly— too quickly, probably. He doesn’t know what the right response is anymore. Talking too much gets him labeled as “difficult.” Saying too little makes him “ungrateful.”
So he stays quiet. Arms crossed in front of him, sleeves over his hands, zipper up high, trying to bury himself and hide himself in his hoodies. Don’t look too soft. Don’t look too weak. Don’t be such a mess.
Yeonjun frowns at him. Not in worry, that was for sure.
Beomgyu’s stomach drops.
Shit. He already hates me.
Yeonjun asks him something and Beomgyu answers automatically, praying it was the right answer and that it would satisfy Yeonjun enough that he wouldn’t immediately be hurting him. Beomgyu wasn’t ready yet— but was he ever?
Yeonjun says something sarcastic, and Beomgyu can’t even process the words— just the tone. So he snaps, just a little. Enough to protect himself.
“Guess you’ll find out for yourself.” He hears himself saying, but it’s distant— it’s not fully registering inside his brain.
Yeonjun gives him a look like that proved something. Like it confirmed every nasty rumor he’s read. And just like that, Beomgyu feels smaller than ever. He tries not to show it. Tries not to flinch when Yeonjun walks past him toward the kitchen, ignoring him and getting tired of him already. Tries not to look at the red marks on the schedule that feel like they’ve been carved into his skin.
Spoiled.
Unprofessional.
Brat.
They all see the same thing.
Not the flinching. Not the silence. Not the bruises under the sleeves.
And Beomgyu curls in on himself once more.
Another bodyguard to survive through, another cruel being that would monitor him and force him to fit the standards set in place for him already.