Yongguk is running for president and has enough things to worry about without having to worry about your safety too!
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You try not to stare at your newest charge for too long but it’s proving to be a difficult task. He looks his absolute best today, in his black turtleneck and warm tweed coat- perfect for his outdoor speech in the cold Korean winter. Not to mention, his also wearing his most winning smile as he cuddles a lucky toddler to his chest. The sounds of several camera shutters go off and he laughs good-naturedly before handing the child back to her mother.
He waves to the rest of the crowd and grabs as many hands as he can as he walks the rest of the carpet back to the motorcade. You follow, finally taking your eyes off him and scanning the crowd for any sign of a threat. His baritone voice calling your name makes you snap to attention and you see him signaling for you to get into the car with him.
You keep your frustration below surface level as you follow him in. The door closes shut behind you and you shoot him a questioning look. He rolls his eyes at your innocent mask, “did you see anything or anyone dangerous out there?”
You turn away, training your eyes on the crowd outside, “no, sir.”
You don’t see it but you feel him rolling his eyes again, “then maybe it’s time we dropped this charade that I’m an important person you have to protect with your life?”
You swallow the indignant protest that bubbles up in your throat and turn back to narrow your eyes at him.
“With all due respect, sir, you are a presidential candidate and a frontrunner to electoral race. If everything goes well, and I know they will, you’ll be Korea’s next president so maybe it’s time you dropped the charade that you’re just an average Joe when everyone in this country knows you’re not!”
You can’t help raising your voice; you’ve been through this argument ever since you were assigned to him and he’s still not letting up. An awkward silence hangs in the air after your outburst but you don’t regret your words, only that you let your anger get the best of you. You clench your fists and hope that he doesn’t get you reassigned for overstepping bounds.
He sighs tiredly at long last, nodding slowly, “alright… I get it.” He turns to face you and then as if a switch has been hit, his voice turns stiff when he thanks you and waves you out.
You get out as per his orders, entering your own car behind his and you take off. One of your colleagues asks politely if anything is wrong but you just shake your head. As wrong and unprofessional as it is, your feud with Yongguk is a personal one.
Bang Yongguk, presidential candidate and South Korea’s next president (you just know it in your bones), also your best friend since 5th grade after you beat up some schoolyard bullies who were trying to steal his lunch money. Currently, he’s also the number one complainer about your choice of profession. He’d always thought becoming a member of the blue house’s security department was beneath you, as if he hadn’t given up the offer to become director of some top American firm to do the work of his country.
You huff into your office, raging inwardly about the unfairness of it all. Why couldn’t he understand that you felt the same sense of duty that he did only in a different manner? You had always been good at sports and after seeing your father at work in this very position, you had decided that no other path would satisfy you. You squeeze the bridge of your nose in an attempt to calm yourself down. You could only hope that Yongguk would come to the same understanding soon and stop bothering you about this.
He doesn’t, as you soon find out when you race into his office just a few days later. He’s startled by your urgency but when he catches sight of the papers in your hands, he asks lightheartedly, “aah, come to hand in your resignation papers?”
You scowl at him, “now isn’t the time for jokes, sir.”
The head of the security department clears his throat, “you’ve got a death threat, Mr.Bang.” He lays the printouts of e-mails and various anti-government websites that speak of vicious plots against Yongguk’s life.
Yongguk lifts an eyebrow as he glances across the info and the director continues, “we’ll be upping your security, sir. And until these guys have been caught, we hope you’ll refrain from outdoor events.”
There’s a frown etched into Yongguk’s forehead even as he nods in resignation. “Very well, we’ll do what you think is best, director Kim. Thank you.”
He signals for the director to leave and when you start to follow, he calls you back, waiting deliberately for the door to be shut before he speaks to you.
“Don’t you think now is about the right time to send in your resignation?”
Anger flashes through your veins at his words and you grit your teeth. “No, sir. In fact, I think now is about the right time to see if I can move faster than a bullet,” you answer acerbically.
He laughs, voice strained as he turns away from you and busies himself with the folders on the shelf behind him. “You’re being a little dramatic, don’t you think?” He asks quietly.
Another spark of anger flashes through you and you feel tears prick the back of your eyelids despite yourself. “I don’t think so, sir. I’m merely doing my duty, as I always have. I do, however, think you’re being a very big jackass. And if you really want me out, then you’d do well to go against the orders of the director because nothing short of a bullet is going to make me leave!”
You storm out before he gets a word in edgewise, not caring in the least if you’d crossed a line because he did it first. What’s more, you think you might actually cry if you had stayed in there any longer. It hurt that Yongguk had asked you directly to quit and even more that he didn’t even have a good reason to. And even though it isn’t supposed to, it hurt even more that you were friends. You lock yourself in a bathroom stall, allowing yourself a couple of minutes to reign your emotions in again before getting back to work. You had to prove your self and your worth if you wanted Yongguk off your back.
Your exclamation seems to have work as Yongguk spends the final stretch of his campaigning indoors. He doesn’t stray too far into the crowd like before and still manages to look likable with his gummy smile and infectious laugh. He loves the people and that sincerity shines through across podiums and velvet line barriers and today was the perfect example of that.
Yongguk delivers his final lines and begins to wrap up his speech while you scan the crowd. Today’s event has drawn many into the stuffy high school gymnasium and you want to make sure that you don’t miss anything. Your eyes go from one corner of the square to the other, scanning every face for any possible threats. They lock onto a young man with his head shaven when it happens.
The glass of a high window to your right is blown from its pane, shattering into a million tiny pieces and raining down on you. There is chaos within seconds as people scramble- citizens running, trying to get out and agents rushing to do their jobs. You don’t remember making the decision to, but you dive for Yongguk, pushing him down as a second bullet sails through the newly made hole in the wall.
You land on your elbow and you hear a loud crunch. A jolt of pain travels up your arm all the way to your head. You grimace but sit up, cradling your arm to you and leaning on your hip as you pat Yongguk down.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” You both ask, voices and concern overlapping. He looks at your arm worriedly but you ignore him and slip your good hand up his sides, breathing a sigh of relief when you find no blood. He frowns at you and you can tell that he’s angry but before he can say anything more, two other agents are by his side. They lift him easily and put him into a car. Another comes for you, helping you up and into another car.
The mess is swiftly organized and information starts to trickle in slowly. The shooters were from the North and had been unhappy with some of the things Yongguk had to say about national security that they targeted him. Luckily, the group was small and had had very little training. They were shot and killed by the agents on site within seconds and no one at the event had been hurt save from some scrapes and bruises.
Later, an agent drops by the infirmary to confirm that Yongguk is also unharmed and you heave a big sigh of relief when you hear the news. The doctor smiles up at you when he hears it, “well, I guess that makes you the biggest victim of today’s happening.”
You give him a sheepish smile that in turn makes him chuckle. “You’re in luck too, nothing’s broken, just a dislocated elbow and a sprained wrist.” He gets to fixing your arm, putting your elbow back into place with a painful push and then wrapping up your wrist. You thank your lucky stars for the umpteenth time today that dislocated joints were something you were used to and that the pain wasn’t as bad.
The doctor makes you stay as he goes off to get more supplies but when the door opens next, it’s Yongguk that you see entering.
You straighten up at the sight of him, “sir?”
He doesn’t respond and you trace his line of sight back to your bandaged arm. You deflate, pulling your arm into your tummy, wishing desperately that you could hide it now.
“I’m sorry,” he says suddenly and you perk up. A pair of sad eyes meets your surprised ones and makes them grow wider.
“I know I hurt you before, with the things I’ve said,” he explains. You’re speechless so you blink at him, bewildered.
He runs a hand through his hair, letting out a noise of frustration before taking a step towards you. “It’s just… you’ve always been protecting me. You’re always the stronger one and you’re just- you’re always… there- here, with me.”
His frown deepens, the creases in his forehead m