Archive of Our Own

      He knows where he went wrong. It was greed, that horrid greed that had afflicted him that brought him to this point. Choi Han could spread the blame of his situation upon three people: himself, the Devil, and the Devil's Spawn. If he had just stuck to his more simple contracts and had not jumped at the large salary, then he wouldn't be here right now. Choi Han should've known better, should've known that a large pay for the simple act of staying by the side of one person was too good to be true. Now he's here, after having signed away his soul for some money. He stares at the ceiling and thinks back to the day he signed a deal with the Devil himself.

       Choi Han is aware that he's quite young to be in the business of bodyguarding. Most wouldn't even consider him to be a professional at his young age of 22, entirely unaided by the fact that his face is still quite youthful. He remains looking 17 even after reaching adulthood. But it's something he excels at, learned from the rough years of growing up the way he did. He's been a bodyguard ever since he was 15 and started to escort the older people who left their extremely rural little town to slightly larger towns so that they could trade or meet family or something else. He's strong and has good reflexes. This is the type of work that suits him, and it's the work that he is good at. 

      Still, it's shocking to be hired by someone like the man in front of him. He's a gentle-eyed, normal-looking man who seems to already be in his early 40s. The thing is, this guy is seriously rich. Beyond rich. As in not even the gods should be this rich. How would such a person even hear about Choi Han, who has only ever had modest clients until now? The man calmly passes over a file to him, sliding it across the heavy wooden desk. 

"I've heard about your work from my employees. Many of them have family that live in your hometown," the man, Deruth Henituse, explains, "They've said good things about your work ethic, capabilities, and sense of duty."

    Choi Han almost flushes at the thought of the people of his hometown bragging about him. Many of them were older, so it feels like he's hearing secondhand about his grandparents talking about him like a grandson. 

"It's been difficult to find someone with a strong sense of duty," Mr. Henituse explains, "Especially those who have your level of abilities. The contract is completely flexible, and you can have it reviewed by a third-party professional if that is your wish, but I believe we would both greatly benefit from this contract."

"You wish for me to protect you, sir," Choi Han asks.

     The man smiles faintly, picking up a small frame facing him, one frame among the large handful of similar frames arranged on the desk. The softness of his gaze is directed entirely towards the picture frame. 

"No," he corrects, "One of my sons. You would become the bodyguard for my eldest child."

     Oh? Choi Han has never been hired by someone for the sake of someone else before. Usually, his requests are by the people who wish to be protected. He wonders why this man is hiring someone for his son.

"Cale won't admit it, but he's been having problems with stalkers recently," Mr. Henituse sighs, frowning deeply, "He tries to not be a concern for anyone. He's always been like that. I wouldn't even know about his stalkers if I hadn't gotten an update from his manager."

      Choi Han assumes the son's name is Cale. He should ask for a file on Cale before accepting any contract. The woman who raised him from his early teens, the old lady, she told him to always ask for as much information as possible. She didn't want him getting scammed. 

"Manager," Choi Han questions.

"My son is a model," Mr. Henituse elaborates, entirely serious about the situation, "He's an extremely cute kid."

"..How old is he," Choi Han asks dubiously, wondering how old the man's son could be for him to call him a "cute kid" still. 

"He's about your age, 21 years this fall," Mr. Henituse replies and flips the photo around.

     He'd never seen such red hair in all his life, redder than blood, redder than even rubies could be. Like a setting sun, dyeing the whole world scarlet, holding everyone captive in the way it blazed and burned with brilliance. It was so starkly contrasted against moon-white skin, the paleness serving to highlight the thickness and length of dark eyelashes that framed sharp hazel eyes. All of his features were elegantly sharp and beautiful, so much so that this person felt unreal, like he couldn't possibly be a real human. It was quite frightening, really, how beautiful someone could be.

"…So he has many stalkers," Choi Han finally says.

      He can see why. It seems that becoming fixated on this person's beauty would be an easy thing to fall into. Choi Han feels a bit bad, actually, for getting so caught up in this person's face when he's meant to be discussing an employment contract. 

"He does," Mr. Henituse confirms, "Not his fault, of course, but I do worry about how he's handling it all. The most recent one has been the worst, so I'd understand if you'd want to increase the salary rate for dealing with it."

       Choi Han looks at the contract and feels woozy. That's- that's- how many zeroes is that? One...three... five…oh, he's going to fall over. He looks up in shock at the extremely rich man who is too busy smiling at the photo of his oldest child again. All this money for protecting one person? What a doting parent Choi Han's dealing with!

"The- the salary rate is fine," Choi Han stammers, "Are you sure this isn't too much?"

      Mr. Henituse shakes his head. "Of course not. It's for Cale, after all."

      Choi Han signs the contract quickly. This much money seems almost too good to be true, but he'd read the contract so thoroughly that his eyes started to blur. All he would have to do is look after one absolutely beloved son who modeled and that was it. How hard could it possibly be?

      Choi Han encounters several people at the small villa before he encounters his client. The first is a security guard with dark hair and a judgemental expression on his face. His name tag says Hilsman. 

"You're awful young to be a bodyguard," he grumbles reproachfully.

      Choi Han dutifully ignores him as he walks past. The man yells something but Choi Han doesn't particularly care. He then encounters a butler with a menacing aura, the sort that belongs to someone who's soaked so thoroughly in blood that they could carry it over with them to the next life. 

"Our Young Master has only just been made aware of the contract between you and the Master," the butler says pleasantly, "Please excuse him for any tardiness while he discusses the situation."

      Choi Han doesn't trust this man for a split second. His son, the chef in the villa, is no different, though he lacks his father's pleasant mask. The only normal person around is the manager, Hans. He's just a cheerful person that lacks any bloodlust or darkness in his heart. All he does is worry about the photo shoot schedule and greets Choi Han normally. It's a bit bizarre, really.

"Hey," someone says, poking him in the back.

      He nearly whips around and breaks the wrist of the person who poked him. He's lucky he didn't, seeing as this is the person he's meant to protect. The photo could not do justice to the bright shine of his red hair. It looks like fresh blood seeping from a wound that won't close. 

"Ow," the young man deadpans, pulling his arm out of Choi Han's rough grasp, "Zero star performance."

       What? His cheek gets poked this time, a long, slender white finger with a long almond-shaped nail prodding his face. 

"Can you do your job," the young man asks, "You look kinda young. It's fine if you can't. I can pay you to leave right now if you don't want to stick around."

"I was hired by your father to protect you. I'm under a legally binding contract," Choi Han says, leaning away from the redhead, "Accepting a payment from you would be accepting a bribe."

      That could severely damage his reputation as a professional. He needs that money to keep supporting the people who raised him. It's the only way he can repay them for saving his life when he had nothing but despair to look forward to. He won't accept any money he's not being paid under contract, no matter what.

"That worked the last time," the redhead mutters, then sighs, "Go change. You don't look comfortable like this and being followed around by someone in a suit makes me feel like a politician."

"I don't have spare clothes," Choi Han points out.

"I have stuff from former bodyguards you can use," Young Master Cale shrugs, "Something's got to fit you."

       Choi Han wants to ask why he has stuff from former bodyguards but gets shuffled off by the butler. 

"Let's see how long you last," the old man chuckles pleasantly, his eyes dead and cold behind his placid smile, "Our cute little puppy young master doesn't keep annoying little rabbits around for very long."

       It sounds like this guy is a troublemaker who runs off bodyguards. But Choi Han won't get chased off no matter what. A spoiled model couldn't be worse than anything he's experienced in his life. 

       Choi Han is admittedly more comfortable in jeans and a hoodie than in his stiff suit he wore, though he's not sure how acceptable this is as bodyguard etiquette. But then again, this was the wish of his guardee.

"Just call me Cale," Cale-nim demands, "I don't want to hear that Young Master shit, alright? It's weird."

"Just go along with it," Hans whispers to him, "Only a few people can get away with it, like Ron and Vicross since they've been around since before he was born."

      Hans seems to be very used to Cale-nim's oddities. After all, what sort of extravagantly rich young man demands to be spoken to casually so adamantly that only the people who've known him since before birth can get away with a respectful tone? He's very strange. Everything about Cale-nim so far has felt like a kick to the shin.

     He's left with very little time to question everything else, as Hans exercises a shocking amount of strength to shove him into the backseat of a car with Cale, who in the short time Choi Han took to get dressed, has also changed into completely different clothes. His hair is stuffed away under the brim of a cap, face partially obscured by big sunglasses. His clothes are simple and inexpensive looking. 

"It's easier for Cale-nim to get from shoot to shoot if he looks relatively normal," Hans explains as he climbs into the driver's seat.

"Am I with Gramps today," Cale asks, "I haven't seen him in forever."

"You are indeed with Eruhaben-nim today," Hans confirms as he tears off down the road at such a speed that Choi Han feels flattened against the seat, "I think he even requested you."

"He wants a babysitter," Cale-nim huffs, "Raon's been driving him nuts so he's going to toss him off on me."

     Choi Han has no clue who these people are, but his current concern is whether they will get there alive in the first place. Now he knows what's wrong with Hans: he's the worst driver Choi Han's ever had the misfortune of encountering.

     The tires squeal loudly and Choi Han gets whipped right into the door of the car. Cale-nim, utterly unfazed, doesn't budge and just pulls his cap off to brush his hair with a comb he fished out of his oversized jacket pocket. 

"You know Hans, I could always drive myself over to my shoots so you don't have to stress so much," Cale-nim comments passively, the comb smoothing effortlesly through his hair. 

"You've been banned from driving in the entirety of Roan for the next 30 years, Cale-nim," Hans reminds him cheerfully, "That's why your father hired me."

"He hired you to manage me," Cale retorts without any heat, now busying himself with neatly braiding his hair.

"Part of managing you is making sure that you don't violate all the road laws again, Cale-nim!"

     Hans turns the car so sharply that Choi Han is pretty sure that they nearly flipped over. His heart feels like it's bouncing between his stomach and his throat. There's a silent prayer to the God of Death that's lodged in his mouth, one he can't utter unless he wishes to throw up on the first day of his job. Choi Han swallows thickly and keeps as still as he possibly can.

      What was meant to be a 30 minute drive was actually a 10 minute drive that left Choi Han's stomach back at the villa. Had all the bodyguards before him actually quit because they couldn't handle the distressing car ride everyday? That feels like it could be fairly realistic. Choi Han tries not to stumble as he escapes the car and quickly goes around the back to open the car door for Cale-nim, who looks completely nonplussed. 

        The park area they're located at is fairly devoid of people, rich in natural light and a beautiful scenery. He can feel his nerves settling the longer he breathes in the air, scented with sweet greenness and morning dew. 

"Eruhaben prefers outdoor settings, so whenever we work with him, we should be in similar locations," Cale-nim informs him, "You can go on a walk or hang out or something while we work."

      Choi Han schools himself back into professionalism. Relaxing at the location isn't an option. It's outside, vulnerable from all sides. The good thing is, there's not too many places for anyone to hide themselves in and the staff was minimal. Not much opportunity for anybody to sneak in and hide among the staff, though he can't dismiss the possibility that there might be any suspicious individuals already around. He's never encountered the staff, nor has he had any information made available to him. Ah. That's actually a bit frustrating.

"Eruhaben-nim is extremely trustworthy," Hans assures him, "He was the first photographer Cale-nim worked with. We've known him since Cale-nim was 16."

"How long have the stalking cases been occuring," Choi Han quietly asks.

"Two years," Hans admits while Cale-nim gets whisked off for styling, "It got especially bad last week."

      Choi Han tilts his head, waiting for an explanation.

"Cale-nim had to disconnect his phone," Hans continues in a hushed voice, "He'd been getting an explosion of texts, calls, and pictures sent to him. He gets mail everyday as well, not that he receives it. Mr. Ron burns it as soon as we get any. The individual even managed to find out his younger siblings' numbers and began bombarding them as well. Cale-nim changed their numbers before they could even tell anyone and threw their old phones away. His parents are extremely concerned."

       Choi Han frowns; this has the potential to escalate in an extremely dangerous way. He's certain of his qualifications, but he's never really had to handle something like this. The fact that Cale-nim is so nonchalant about this is…concerning…

       Choi Han has the striking thought. What if Cale-nim can't actually, fully comprehend how terrifying his situation could be? What if that's a coping mechanism triggered by the fear induced in him? Choi Han frowns at the redhead, who is dressed up in elegant clothes in soft, spring-like colors with only a bit of makeup. If his calm face is a facade, perhaps he should be an actor as well as a model. 

       Choi Han patrols the perimeter of the shoot, skulking slowly and meticulously on the edges of the shoot, waiting for any kind of movement out of the ordinary to occur. The only people around are the photographer- a golden haired man so stunning that he hadn't been shocked in the slightest to learn he'd been a former model- and his staff, a small handful of people. And the small child. He can't forget the small child.

       A little black hair boy with a tiny backpack that had dragon wings attached to it had darted out of nowhere, evading Choi Han neatly and tackling Cale-nim with a shocking amount of strength and speed. Cale-nim had been utterly knocked off his feet. It'd been so shocking that Choi Han had started to move without thinking, mind focused on the possibility of a threat. The back of his shirt had been yanked, choking him briefly and keeping him in place. 

"It's my nephew," Eruhaben-nim sighed, "Raon, you can't be here right now."

"I can do what I want," Raon yelled, clinging to Cale-nim's front, "I am the great and mighty Raon Miru!"

"Great and mighty Raon Miru, can I finish work before I play with you," Cale-nim pipes up, still splayed out on the floor, "I'll walk with you to the bakery and we can get a treat."

"Don't spoil him," Eruhaben-nim scolds, "This little kid will be even more of a handful if you do."

Cale-nim smirks, his glossed lips curling mischievously, "He's not my handful to deal with soooooo….not my problem."

"You brat, I should've just let deleted your email," Eruhaben-nim mutters.

       Choi Han watches in confusion as the photographer pries his nephew off of the model and thinks that this is a very, very strange job he has.

      The shoot burns past midday to late in the afternoon with no disturbances beyond a clingy 7 year old. With what Choi Han knows of Cale-nim's situation, it only serves to put him more on edge. He doesn't expect activity every single day, but even a short lull could mean the stalker is planning something serious. 

"Alright, we have a 30 minute break before we have to get moving to the next location," Hans announces, then whips around, "Where's Cale-nim?"

      Choi Han's eyes widen as he realizes Cale-nim has disappeared. How did he even get away? He's extremely noticeable so how-?

"He's down the street with Raon already," Eruhaben-nim sighs, "You better take that kid with you, I have work to do today."

"Eruhaben-nim, aren't you going back home after this-," the makeup artist starts.

"Yes, and my work at home is very important, Pendrick," Eruhaben-nim interrupts, "So take that kid with you. His mother already knows."

      Choi Han starts booking it down the street, intent on catching up to Cale-nim. He catches a flash of beautiful blood red and heads towards it. Cale-nim is wandering down the street with Raon balanced on his hip.

"Let's go annoy the Cookie Prince," Raon yells, swinging his legs, "And make him give us free stuff!"

"How many macarons can we make him give us," Cale-nim snickers mischievously, "Five or ten?"

"Twenty," Raon cheers, "And an apple pie! Hurry up, human, let's go!"

"Cale-nim," Choi Han yells, "Wait!"

      Cale-nim stops, turns, and stares briefly at Choi Han before darting down the street, weaving around people. Where is his disguise he wore in the car? Why didn't he bring it? Why is he so fast? Isn't carrying a child while running very difficult? Choi Han carefully dodges passerby, trying to catch up to Cale-nim and Raon. They duck inside a large building that smells quite sweet. The lettering on the sign says 'Golden Plaque Bakery'. Ah. Well, it seems Raon and Cale-nim will get what they wanted from the bakery, but after that, Choi Han is going to drag the two of them back to the…relative safety of the car (not entirely safe, since Hans will be behind the wheel) to get to the next location. 

      Choi Han slips inside the bakery, lurking near the front door so Cale can't escape him once again. He hadn't been expecting to have to chase after his charge today. He should've brought water.

"Oh. Has my favorite little swindler returned to steal from me again," the handsome man behind the counter asks, dark eyes already looking quite worn down

"Yes," Cale-nim responds plainly, "Macarons and apple pie."

"Say please and I might give it to you," the baker says.

"Pleaaaase, Cookie Prince," Raon begs, stretching up to peer into the display cases full of cakes and pies, "I want that pie!"

"Alberu, are you going to tell a 7 year old no," Cale-nim asks, batting his long eyelashes, "Would you really do that?"

The baker, Alberu, sighs, and brushes his hands through dark brown hair, "You're so awful to deal with. I lose so much money because of you, you little swindler."

"If I take a picture and post it, you get five times the activity here than usual," Cale-nim hums with that sly smile, "Isn't that enough to pay you back?"

"For the food you run off with? Yes. For the headaches and high blood pressure you give me? Never."

     He catches sight of Choi Han and frowns.

"Are you a customer," he asks, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"He's with me," Cale-nim says, "My father decided I needed someone to watch over me."

"You do," Alberu snorts, "Remember the other week when-"

      Cale-nim throws his upper half over the counter and slaps a palm over the man's mouth. His glare is very sharp for someone who's feet are currently not touching the ground.

"Shut up," he hisses, "Kiddo right there, dumb-dumb."

"I'm not a kiddo, I'm a dragon," Raon protests, despite the fact he is so very obviously human and not a mythical reptile.

"You still have little ears, Raon," Cale replies patiently, still draped across the counter, "And some of use would do good to remember that."

"Yes, yes, apologies to the mighty dragon with little ears."

       Choi Han hadn't heard about an incident from the other week. This was not information he'd been given. Cale-nim avoids his eyes as he slides back across the counter, crossing his arms bossily. He brushes his shirt off and waits for Alberu to pack up an apple pie and a dozen macarons. 

"Alright, smile with me," Cale-nim demands, taking out his phone and dragging Alberu over the counter by the collar and plastering on a smile.

"You really are a stunning actor," Alberu scoffs as he gives an equally bright grin, "Nobody knows you're a mannerless little brat."

"I'm a model, not an actor," Cale-nim huffs, pocketing his phone after a picture, "Come on, Raon."

"Thanks for being swindled, Cookie Prince," Raon calls over his shoulder as Cale picks him up and settles him on his hip again, white and gold boxes of sweets cradled in the other arm.

       Choi Han feels a bit bad for the man. In the past twenty minutes, Choi Han has learned that Cale-nim can be very tiring to handle. Choi Han kind of wants to take the leash attached to the kid's backpack and clip it to Cale-nim so he doesn't run off again. Instead he settles for taking hold of the sweets that Raon and Cale-nim would surely not leave behind. 

"He's definitely not one of my stalkers, by the way," Cale-nim says quietly, trying to not catch Raon's attention as the 7 year old occupies himself with watching passing cars, "Alberu's been forcibly associated with me since I was a kid. I think he tries to do the opposite of stalking me, actually."

"You've known each other that long," Choi Han asks.

     Cale nods, a genuine smile, although it's small, playing across his lips. "Yeah. Our moms- our birth moms, our stepmothers hate each other's guts- were best friends. Our fathers are also technically long-time friends, but my father described it as 'he decided I was nice to bother when we were in our teens and he's been afflicting me with his presence since then'. I only got to meet back up with Alberu when I was 18. He used to babysit me. I terrorized the crap out of him."

     Choi Han tries to imagine smaller versions of Cale-nim and Alberu and bites back a laugh. Smaller Cale-nim must've been a handful. He really does feel bad for that poor baker. 

"You shouldn't run off like that," Choi Han states seriously, "It's my duty to ensure nothing happens to you."

"Nothing will happen to me," Cale-nim dismisses, "This kind of person won't hurt me."

"They could," Choi Han whispers, "They would, if they're strained enough."

"I know what I'm doing," Cale-nim mutters, "Nobody will get hurt."

       Choi Han has some serious doubts about that. He tightens his hold on the treat boxes and escorts Cale-nim and Raon to the car with a hand hovering lightly over the middle of Cale-nim's back. It's less for protecting them and more for Choi Han's sake; he really doesn't want to chase Cale-nim again.

      Choi Han finds it imperative that he stand by, or at least near the front doors of the studio, since Cale-nim will try and slip out the front doors in between changing clothes and getting his hair done. Why does he seem so intent on dangling himself out as bait for his stalker to snatch him up? Does he not value his own life? Choi Han's more tired than he thought he'd be at the end of the day. Still, he doesn't relax until Hans pulls into the driveway of the villa, the tall gates closed behind them and Raon having already been dropped off. There's half an apple pie still in the box left on the seat.

"Take that, Vicross doesn't like when I eat sweets from outside," Cale-nim tells him, crawling out of the car, "Hans can drop you off, too. He'll get you there quick."

"As quick as I can," Hans chirps.

"I'll take the bus," Choi Han decides immediately, "I will accept a detailed schedule for Cale-nim's week, though."

Hans's eyebrow furrows. "One was sent to you the day before you started work. You were meant to have gotten it before today."

      Choi Han's heart pounds loudly in his head. Dammit. Dammit. That makes sense. Why wouldn't he have gotten a schedule? Shit. He'd been intercepted.

"Fucking dammit," Cale groans, "This goddamn stalker is really giving me a headache."

       Choi Han doesn't really even think when he grabs Cale-nim's arm and hauls him inside. It's like picking up a bird, all hollow bones and thin skin. Hans follows quickly in Choi Han's peripherals as Choi Han rushes into the villa. It feels like there's too many windows, too much glass. It's too breakable. Too vulnerable. Too easy to look inside. It feels like there's so many eyes outside, looking in. Choi Han fucked up. He should've-

"You're going to break my arm," Cale-nim's calm voice cuts into the fog of his mind, "Calm down. The windows are one-sided. I don't like unauthorized photos being taken of me. There's various security measures planted around the property. Nobody is getting in here. We're going to think about this situation."

      Choi Han releases Cale-nim's arm, pulling at the sleeve to see if there's any bruising. A dark, hand-shaped stain spreads across Cale-nim's porcelain forearm. It's such an ugly color on his skin. Choi Han's guilt doubles.

"Stop thinking, I can hear you being stupid," Cale-nim scowls, "I bruise like a dropped apple, alright? Flicking me would've done this much, so calm down. We need to find out who was responsible for the schedule mishap. It should've been sent to you through email, so whoever sent it has to have access to such things."

"There's a few people I can think of," Hans interjects, "It's most likely one of the media interns. They're not contracted under the same regulations the actual media management employees would be."

"Would a media intern have access to that schedule," Choi Han asks.

"It seems that there needs to be some clean up done at the management office," Ron muses, "Shall this Ron inform our Young Master's father of the incident?"

"Do not," Cale-nim hisses, "He's going to go nuts. Do you know how hard it was to get my parents to let me move out in the first place?"

"I do indeed, Young Master," Ron says with an eerie smile, "But this Ron is just worried for the Young Master."

"Just…handle the management office with Hans," Cale-nim sighs, rubbing his forehead, "Choi Han, come here."

       He follows Cale-nim to the back, steppping outside. He eyes the perimeter of the property, picking out the shadows of the tall black gates. He still doesn't feel like it's safe for Cale-nim, though Cale-nim seems to feel different, as he plops himself right onto a swinging bench. It's a fancier version of one of the ones he'd see the elders in Harris Village relaxing on. The thought is a bit funny.

"Are you my stalker," Cale-nim asks suddenly.

"I've never heard of you until your father hired me," Choi Han answers, too shocked by the question to be anything but blunt.

      Cale-nim wheezes out a surprised laugh. "I- Pft, I didn't expect you to say that."

       He gestures for Choi Han to sit. He feels like it'd be a bit awkward to sit beside the model, but maybe Cale-nim feels as though it's more awkward for Choi Han to stand looming over him. He sits stiffly, the thick cushion sinking underneath his weight. The seat swings underneath them, their feet dragging across the wooden deck. 

"You're not my stalker so none of this is your fault," Cale-nim says, "You didn't tell the creep to steal my schedule or fuck with my life. So don't start blaming yourself. You're not that important."

      He sounds like he's being rude, but he's really…quite kind. In a way. 

"Don't worry about the stalker," Cale-nim insists, "I've got it handled. Just…hang around, I guess, since you're not going to leave, I assume."

"Of course not."

"Right. Then just stick around," Cale-nim sighs, "I think public transport is closed. Have Hans drive you home."

"…Alright," Choi Han agrees reluctantly, "…Stay safe. Have a good night, Cale-nim."

"Good night, Choi han."

       Naturally, Cale-nim doesn't make his job easy. Well, no, he does, in a way. He lets Choi Han dress comfortably and casually, and between them, there's not much formality at Cale-nim's assistance. But, of course, Choi Han always has to keep an eye on him. Not even just because of the stalker, but the fact that Cale-nim is a bit….whimsical. If something catches his eye, he tends to follow it without much care for anything else. If he's on break during a shoot, he'll be down the block within the next minute, following an ice cream truck, getting lost in some kind of store, getting his hair toyed with by various local children, or, most aggravatingly, getting aggressively flirted with. It's so blatant that even Choi Han can tell what's going on, though Cale-nim doesn't seem to be entirely aware of what's going on in those encounters. In any case, Choi Han's done a lot of running in these past few weeks.

"I thought that you'd be a little more cautious," he pants, leaning against the wall while Cale-nim untangles a kite from a tree branch high over Choi Han's head.

"I'm being perfectly cautious," Cale-nim replies evenly, "I've climbed many a tree before."

"Why did you leave the studio," Choi Han sighs, "I can't imagine you'd have a reason to come to the park."

"I wanted to feel the breeze on my skin after being contained like a hamster in a plastic ball," Cale-nim says dryly, "And what good luck I did go for one. Otherwise, they'd never get their kite back."

"Thank you," a teenage boy holding his little brother's hand squeaks, "Sorry to bother you both."

"No worries, I haven't been able to climb a tree in forever," Cale-nim calls down, finally freeing the kite, "I'm having a great time."

     He shimmies gracefully down the trunk, clutching the kite in one hand. There's leaves tangled in his hair, dirt scuffing his shirt and pants. Still, he's shockingly pretty. Even after a few weeks of working with Cale-nim, he's not quite used to being around someone so beautiful. 

"Alright, we have to go back now, Cale-nim," Choi Han insists, putting his hand in between Cale-nim's sharp shoulder blades. If Cale-nim tries to take off again, he can snatch Cale-nim's shirt and keep him from running away.

"Fiiiiine," Cale-nim groans, "You kids go play and keep your kite safe."

       They trudge back to the studio, Choi Han scanning the streets. It's been mostly calm, with a few instances of the cameras catching somone standing outside the gates for a brief minute or so before leaving. Or unmarked cars driving past the gates far too slowly to be inconspicuous. There's been a slew of letters, but they'd been quickly disposed of after realizing that they consisted purely of disturbing descriptions. But otherwise, things had been…calm. 

      There's an envelope taped to the front doors of the studio. Choi Han rips it off before Cale-nim can take it, feeling the shape crease under his fingers. It feels like…pictures? Little flimsy square pieces stacked inside the envelope. He carefully unseals it, trusting that his gloves would be thick enough to protect himself from any kind of contact poison potentially smeared inside. Nothing but photographs.

"They're all of us," Cale-nim murmurs, staring intently.

     Dozens of pictures, spanning from the very first day Choi Han started working. His face has been rubbed out harshly. He'd been left in the pictures on purpose, he realizes, and the removal of his face had its own intentions. 

     Choi Han grabs a handful of Cale-nim's shirt and yanks open the door, pulling him inside quickly. Cale-nim is crowded against him, close enough that he can feel the redhead's heart hammering beneath his skin and clothes. 

"The most recent ones were from the park," Cale-nim says quietly, "Just now."

    This stalker is watching them from a distance, just far away enough to escape Choi Han's notice. They observe, obsess, cataloguing. Choi Han is a new variable in Cale-nim's life, and the stalker doesn't like his constant presence that's intruding on their time spent on watching Cale-nim. 

"Don't be scared," Choi Han starts.

"I'm not," Cale-nim hisses, eyes narrowing, "This son of a bitch is pissing me off. I'm not scared."

He looks up at Choi Han, gleaming eyes glowering not at him but at something unseen. 

"I'm fucking mad."

      They stare outside of the glass studio doors, as if they could see the person who's been terrorizing Cale-nim's life if they watch long enough. That person is out there, toying with Cale-nim's life as if it were merely a game. It really does make Choi Han mad.

"When we catch the fucker, I'm going to smash their head in with a rock," Cale-nim declares with a pleasant, soft smile, "I want to see just a little bit of blood, okay?"

     His face and his words were really dissonant just now, weren't they? Ah, but it makes sense for Cale-nim to want even just a little bit of revenge. 

"Of course," Choi Han agrees, "I think that's fair."

       He leads Cale-nim back into the studio to finish the photo shoot, casting one last glance back at the doors. He swears that beyond the glass, he can see someone lingering. They turn and walk away, disappearing back into the crowd. 

      They get good news the next day in the morning when Choi Han arrives for his shift. Cale-nim's still half-asleep, his face sliding down his propped up hand, about to plop his chin into his eggs. The chef glares as he sticks a clean spatula out and taps Cale-nim on the chin.

"I thought you'd have grown out of this habit by now," Vicross grumbles, "Stop falling asleep in your food, it's going to make a mess."

"Stop waking me up early then," Cale-nim mumbles, "You know I'm still sleepy until 8."

"Little brat," Vicross grunts, then scoots the eggs out of the way, "Don't fall asleep or you're going to crack your chin open on the counter and I'll have to clean the blood up."

"Jeez, I won't hit it that hard," Cale-nim mumbles, then spots Choi Han.

"Oh. D'you like eggs," he asks, pushing the plate towards Choi Han, "I don't want to eat."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea," Choi Han says, pushing the eggs back towards Cale, "You're very skinny. When I picked you up the day, I thought I was carrying the little twig broom my granny made me to help her clean."

     Cale-nim directs a sleepy glare towards him, picking at his bowl of fruit.

"It's been so long since I've seen you play with your food, Young Master," Ron chuckles as he silently appears in the room, faintly reeking of blood, "Ah, we've finally gotten results back from our cleanup of the management office. As we have nothing much else to attend to today, shall we pay a visit to the Rouj media office?"

Cale-nim seems a bit more awake as he nods, spearing a piece of kiwi harshly with his fork. 

"I'll tell Manager Hans to get the car ready then," Ron says, disappearing swiftly.

     That old man still gives Choi Han the creeps, leaving a sense of tension in Choi Han's every nerve, waiting for that old bastard to pull a knife on someone. But he's extremely fond of Cale-nim, Choi Han can tell, so the only one he'd likely attack would be Choi Han himself. Currently, that's not too likely to happen, if only for Cale-nim's sake. Choi Han can work with that, and if the old bastard tries to attack him, Choi Han will take him down. Not too hard, amd he wouldn't do it in a deadly way, since Cale-nim likes him. 

     Cale-nim is frowning the entire drive over, staring pensively out of the window while Choi Han clings to the seat to stay in place. 

"Are you worried," Choi Han asks, trying to not smack into the car door again.

"No," Cale-nim says, "I'm just thinking about how many times I can smack this idiot before someone pulls me off them."

"I'll give you a chance for at least two smacks," Choi Han promises.

     Cale-nim's face twitches into a smile, his shoulders relaxing. 

"Good."

       Perhaps it's inappropriate, given they are meant to have a professional relationship, but Choi Han feels like he'd want to be Cale-nim's friend if he could be. But that's not Choi Han's job. His job must be seperate from his feelings. All he can do is keep at his job of making sure Cale-nim is safe.

The person waiting for them in a lone office, isolated from the rest of the people working, is a young man with light brown puffy hair and a mean snarl on his face.

"Oh. It's you," Cale-nim says boredly, "I guess you had to find another way to make money off of being scum after licking Venion's shoes stopped paying you."

"Fuck you," Neo spits, "You always walk around like you think you're fucking better than everyone."

"I literally don't but okay."

"Yes the fuck you do! You and your fucking family's money and your fucking face, you're not better because you're rich and pretty, you prick," Neo sneers.

"Look, I don't care about your weird little inferiority complex, Neo, but what the fuck made you think it was okay to give a random freak my schedule," Cale-nim snaps harshly.

"You fucking deserve it, you piece of shit," Neo shouts, "Your family ruined mine! You Henituse bastards destroyed the Tolz family! The least you can do is let some freak pervert rip your face off."

       Cale-nim stares at him blankly.

"You're fucking stupid, man," Cale-nim deadpans, "You guys were dumping toxic waste products into the water. The only thing my family did was catch you guys doing it and reported it to the authorities."

      Cale-nim darts forward and raises his open palm over Neo's head, striking down with a harsh gleam in his eye.

"Eek!"

       Neo Tolz shrieks as Cale-nim smacks his open palm down on top of his head.

"Do. You. Know. What. It's. Like. Being. Stalked? It. Fucking. Sucks. I'm. Gonna. Beat. Your. Ass!"

      Each word is punctuated by a harsh slap to Neo's head. Neo tries to duck and dodge, to no avail. Cale-nim's strikes all hit accurately to the top of his head. Choi Han waits for a few minutes before he steps forward and hauls Cale-nim off of his prey, who is staring at the redhead in horror. Neo glares, holding his head where Cale-nim had smacked him repeatedly.

"You violent jackass! What the hell makes you think you can beat me like that?"

      Cale-nim hangs in Choi Han's grasp like a lazy cat. He wriggles free and starts walking out the door, casting one last glare over his shoulder as Choi Han prods him out the door before he decides to launch himself at Neo again.

"You sold my schedule off for only 100 gold coins. You got scammed in the most pathetic way possible, greedy pants. Have fun with the lawsuit coming your way, by the way~."

     Neo squawks indignantly as the door slams closed and Cale-nim stalks back to the car with Choi Han close behind. 

"Idiot," Cale-nim mumbles, "Really, 100 gold? That was my allowance as a kid."

       That sounds like a bit too much allowance for a kid though?

"You know, we used to play together as kids," Cale-nim mentions.

      Choi Han is surprised. He can't imagine that they'd ever get along.

"It's true," Cale-nim continues, "His family and my family used to get along okay. Sure, there was a bit of a rivalry because our family always did better no matter the circumstances, but it was friendly. Neo was…something like a friend to me and the other kids we grew up with. But he…changed, when we were 15. He started hanging out with this total jackass, Venion, and their families got close. His family changed for the worse as well. They got into a bunch of illegal shit my father won't tell me about."

     That's…sad. Cale-nim must be hiding how betrayed he is. After all, who wouldn't be betrayed after someone who used to be something like a childhood friend stabbed you in the back so terribly? Choi Han would never do that to anyone he was once friends with, no matter how badly the friendship ended. 

"Venion's family is like poison," Cale-nim hisses, "Almost all of them are awful…well, no, his older brother Taylor is fine. He's also been put through it because of how awful Venion is. Besides him, all of them were arrested last year, Venion included. Neo's family was punished for being so involved with their crimes as well, not that Neo wants to admit that it's their fault for being so caught up in that whole mess. Best to just…blame someone else. Whatever."

"He's a moron," Choi Han interrupts, "He shouldn't blame anyone but his family."

      Cale-nim snorts, leaning against the window. "Yeah. True. Anyway, we should be finished with this whole stalker crap soon, I hope. Neo should cough up some information, if not the stalker himself. It'll be great to get it over with."

       Ah. Choi Han probably won't have reason to stick around after that. Well, it's not like he needs the money so severely. What he's made so far has been plenty to help his family and support them for quite some time. Cale-nim's phone buzzes beside his leg and he quickly answers it.

"Oh. Really? Sure, I'll do it. Meet you there."

       Cale-nim grins at him brightly.

"Wanna go to the amusement park, Choi Han?"

       Uh oh.

       Raon is there, as well as Eruhaben-nim and two kids with red and silver hair. More children. Somehow, Choi Han already feels really exhausted.

"Goldie Gramps got tickets for us," Raon hollers excitedly, and Choi Han is briefly stunnef by Eruhaben-nim being called "gramps" even though he barely looks a day over 30.

"Cale-nya," the redhaired boy shouts, his cat-eared headband bobbing as he dances around, "You're here!"

"Cale-nya brought a friend," the silver-haired little girl- also sporting a cat-eared headband- comments, "He never does that, though?"

"Choi Han is what we call a bodyguard," Cale-nim tells them, scooping up Raon as the kid launches himself into Cale-nim's arms, only stumbling a little bit, "His job is to follow me around and protect me."

"Remember how weak he is," Raon says, pinching Cale-nim's cheeks until his cheeks turn red (it takes only a few seconds), "He needs this strong guy to help him!"

       The little kids give Cale-nim a long glance before they all nod. Eruhaben-nim snorts loudly as Cale-nim sighs.

"These mean kids are Ohn and Hong. They're Ron's niece and nephew."

     Ohn gives Choi Han a long, calm look. Ah. He can see the resemblance to that old bastard, though it pinches Choi Han's nerves less with these kids. They are, after all, just kids. And, much like the old man, these kids seem to like Cale-nim quite a lot. He doesn't question the cat ears. 

"Poor brat," Eruhaben-nim chortles, "You better have brought your own money, I'm not paying for your food."

"Of course," Cale-nim huffs, "I make more money in a shoot than you do, you know."

      Eruhaben-nim flicks Cale-nim on the forehead. Cale-nim gives Choi Han a look.

"Hey, he's attacking me. Get his ass."

"Cale-nim, I'm afraid I can't do anything about this," Choi Han tells him apologetically.

      Cale-nim sighs loudly. "Typical. I have to fend for myself."

     Choi Han gets wrangled into childcare, which is distracting enough that he barely notices when Cale-nim slips away. If he hadn't caught that distinct burning red of Cale-nim's hair from the corner of his eye, he wouldn't have seen him disappear. Choi Han pats Hong on the head and tells him to stick close to Eruhaben-nim before he takes off. Cale-nim really knows how to stress him out.

     There's someone following Cale-nim. Someone who isn't Choi Han. Blond, tall, with a certain gleam in his eye that sets off all of the alarm bells in Choi Han's head. He's utterly fixated on Cale-nim, who weaves through the crowd until the gatherings of people begin to thin out until it's only Cale-nim, the stranger, and Choi Han. 

"Hey, Little Red," the stranger croons, "You're a good color."

      Cale-nim turns on his heel and faces the stranger.

"You've been after me for a bit, haven't you," Cale-nim says blankly.

"It's more red in real life," the stranger murmurs, "It was already such a good shade in the magazines."

"Are you going to scalp me and carry my hair around like a trophy," Cale-nim asks, "It feels like that's where this is going."

"You're smart," the stranger cackles, "But who knows? Maybe I'll just keep you around with me and cut you up a bit every day so I can see all the pretty red you spill."

"Literally go die."

      Cale-nim is just a little too calm for this situation. It's a bit disturbing how calm he is. The blond man cackles madly, lunging at Cale-nim. Cale-nim pulls something from his pocket and cracks it over the man's head. The man lets out a howl, stumbling and clutching his head. He turns back around, seething, while Cale-nim raises his arm over his head, still clutching the thing he's been carrying in his hand. The man whips out a knife, the sun catching the glinting edge of the blade. Choi Han's feet slam into the ground as he lunges, tackling the man into the ground before he can even move. 

    The body underneath him writhes, harsh curses being muttered under his breath. He twists, hands scrabbling in the dirt until Choi Han feels the hot slice of a knife burning through the flesh of his arm. Choi Han grunts, biting his tongue as he wrenches the man's arm, the knife skittering away as Choi han yanks, presses, then snaps the man's arm. The wet screech of pain ringing out is almost satisfying enough to make up for the searing cut along his upper arm.

"Choi Han," Cale-nim's voice echoes from the side, "I think he passed out."

      Choi Han looks up, his mind coming back into focus. Cale-nim is still holding what he'd hit the man with, which turns out to be a rock about the size of a fist. 

"Where'd you get the rock," he asks.

     Cale-nim shrugs. "It's my rock. I carry it with me for emergencies."

     He pockets the rock, the stone disappearing back into the folds of his jacket. He stares down at the blond man who lies prone on he ground, still unconscious.

"The authorities should be here now," Cale-nim says quietly, "Let's go get you fixed up before the kids notice."

      Ah. It's over. It's likely that his contract is up, once the man is identified and processed. But the day's not over, not yet. He nods, taking Cale-nim's hand gently. His hands are warm. Choi Han walks beside Cale-nim and turns his face up to the sunlight. He can enjoy this short time before he and Cale-nim will have to part ways. For a moment, it feels like they're friends. He should enjoy the rest of today while it lasts.

     The man's name is Reddika, and is apparently utterly obsessed with blood, and anything that reminds him of blood. Everyone gives Cale-nim's hair a very long look. It makes sense.

"It's over now," Choi Han sighs, sitting down on the edge of the swing seat, fingers laced together.

"No it's not," Cale-nim replies easily, relaxing back into the swing chair beside him. 

    What?

"Yes it is," Choi Han says, "Reddika was your stalker. He's gone now."

"A man like that can't manage his craziness long enough to do everything my stalker has done," Cale-nim snorts, "He got obsessed then came after me, probably in the span of a week. He's ultra violent. He wouldn't stay far away, follow me, spend money on buying my schedule, or put photographs into an envelope to let me know he's watching. The other stalker is more meticulous and is still out there."

      Oh. It seems like Choi Han's job isn't over. For now, he's going to stay by Cale-nim's side. He…he probably shouldn't feel relieved. After all, Cale-nim is still in danger from a stalker. But it'll be nice to stay by him and- and pretend that they're friends for a bit longer. 

"Hey. Don't get cut up again," Cale-nim demands, poking at his injured arm bossily, "That was really stupid. Don't be so fucking stupid, okay? I don't like looking at blood."

"Alright," Choi Han agrees, "But stop running off. It raises my blood pressure so much when you disappear."

"Can you blame me," Cale-nim groans, sinking back into the swing seat cushions, "I get bored of laying around and posing for a camera for 5 hours when only 4 pictures make it to the magazine pages. I wanna do things."

"Why did you become a model if you get bored," Choi Han asks.

"Mostly on accident." Cale nim fiddles with the ends of his hair. "It was a project for art class. My group wanted me to wear the design they put together. I guess someone took pictures and they posted them and they just…blew up. I was modeling by 16."

"And that's it?"

"Well, I don't do group work anymore. And I sure as shit don't do unauthorized pictures."

     Cale-nim slides his gaze over to him, tilting his head to the side with a bird-like curiosity.

"What about you? What made you become a big, scary bodyguard?"

"I guess it was just how I grew up?" Choi han drums his fingers against his knees. "I'm adopted. I was found in the forest near Harris Village. It's really small, nobody really knows it unless they've got family there. I used to escort the older folks to the next towns when they needed to go. I got good at fighting, keeping people away, so I just…kept at it. Got liscenced. And now I'm here."

"And now you're here."

     Cale-nim's face is cast in the light of the setting sun, the shadows of his long eyelashes stretching across his high cheekbones like strands of broken spiderwebs. 

"I went there once, when I was little," Cale-nim mentions, "My mom really liked it there, so sometimes she'd go. I'd go with her. One of her last trips was to Harris Village."

"Do you think we met before," Choi Han can't help but ask.

      Cale-nim shakes his head, amusement making the corners of his lips twitch. "Maybe. I was really little when I last visited, though. I think I was about 7."

"Ah. No, I hadn't been adopted by that point," Choi Han says.

"Too bad. It'd have been funny if we'd met back then."

"…Yes. It would've been very funny."

     Cale-nim hums to himself under his breath, drawing something in the air with his finger, shapes that Choi Han can't see. He tries to follow the trace of Cale-nim's finger tip to try and imagine what Cale-nim could be seeing. 

      Cale-nim turns to look at him, hand still hovering in mid-air. "Can you drive?" 

"Well enough."

"Drive me somewhere tomorrow," Cale-nim insists, "I won't go running off anywhere for the day."

"Can it be for the week?"

"No."

"Fine. I'll take a day."

"Good, I wasn't going to offer anything more."

     Choi Han assummed as much.

"I understand why I get paid so much now," he mutters.

"Don't be dramatic, Choi Han, you haven't even seen me drunk yet," Cale-nim snorts, folding his knees up to his chest and scrunching in on himself.

      A vaguely ominous feeling washes over him. He tries to imagine a drunk Cale-nim and decides that the whole thing is just too stressful to think about. He really hopes that he doesn't have to deal with a drunk Cale-nim any time soon.

     Choi Han feels like he's going to have the authorities called on him. The car is just sitting outside of kids' martial arts studio, windows tinted and waiting suspiciously. He feels like a kidnapper for some reason. Cale-nim, of course, has none of the same anxieties that Choi Han has and is hanging halfway out of the rolled down window.

"We got here too early," he grumbles, "I'm bored."

       As if responding to Cale-nim's boredom, the doors swing open. Someone darts out and throws open the car door, slamming it shut just as quickly. Cale-nim pulls himself back in and turns to get an armful of extremely excited, lanky, sweaty child.

"Hi, oraboni," the young girl greets happily, "You're extra pretty today as well!"

"Hi Lily," Cale-nim replies fondly, smiling, "Did you work hard today?"

"Mhm," she chirps, "I'm going to get my black belt soon!"

"Lily's really strong," Cale-nim starts to brag, petting his little sister on the head.

       She seems to love the attention, leaning into Cale-nim's hand and playing with his hair as welll. They don't look alike, Choi Han notices, no real resemblance at all. 

"Are we going to go pick up Basen," Lily asks, sitting back and buckling up, "And get snacks?"

"Of course we're going to get snacks," Cale-nim replies with a playful scoff, "Who do you think I am?"

"Yay!"

       Ah. They smile the same. 

Basen also doesn't hold any resemblance to Cale-nim. It's very noticeable, though Choi Han doesn't comment on it. 

"Oh, is he the bodyguard Father hired for you," Basen asks, then politely holds his hand out for Choi Han to reach back and briefly shake.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I thought he was a new driver," Lily mumbles, embarrassed, "I thought Hans was banned from driving too."

"No, Hans still drives me most of the time," Cale-nim responds, "Why would he be banned? He gets me places very fast."

"He's the worst driver I've ever seen," Basen instantly announces, "I thought I was going to die when he picked me up from school."

"I like how he drives," Cale-nim defends.

"Oraboni, you drive worse than him!"

"It's true, you're very bad at it."

       Cale-nim pouts playfully as he sinks back in the seat with his arms crossed.

"Can't believe I'm getting bullied when I'm going to buy you two sweets," Cale-nim grumbles, "Maybe I should just take you two back home and-"

"No! We won't talk about your awful driving anymore, oraboni," Lily exclaims, "Pleeease!"

      Choi Han can see the way Cale-nim is hiding his grin. His smile really is so infectious, the way it spreads from his lips to the happy crescents of his eyes. 

"Choi Han, what do you think," Cale-nim jokes, playfully ignoring his little sister.

        Wordlessly, Choi Han keeps driving the same way Cale-nim told him to go. It's a satisfactory enough answer for Cale-nim, who sighs loudly. "Well, I'm not the one behind the wheel so I guess we'll have to go."

       Cale-nim keeps to his word and doesn't go wandering off, though that might be because he's too busy bothering Alberu behind the counter. It also might be because he can feel that watching gaze from beyond the bakery windows, waiting like a hunting predator. Choi Han idles by the door, scanning the meandering people. Nobody he can pick out. How aggravating.

"Has he been safe," Cale-nim's younger brother asks, approaching him subtly while Cale-nim is busy making Alberu gain grey hairs, "He never tells us anything about what's going on in his life, so we never have any clue."

"He's…energetic," Choi Han says quietly, "And he's hard to keep track of. But he's been safe."

      Not that he's made it easy for Choi Han to keep him safe and alive, but this kid doesn't need to know the details. He's not sure Cale-nim would appreciate it if his younger brother was traumatized by Choi Han explaining all of Cale-nim's exploits. 

      Basen smiles faintly. "Hyung-nim's always been like that. The only thing he really seems to like about his job is that he gets to go places."

      Basen fiddles with the hem of his jacket, eyebrows pinching together as he seems to think hard about something. He looks just a bit like Cale-nim like that.

"Please say by hyung-nim's side," Basen whispers quickly, "He doesn't let many people get close to him. So please keep being his friend."

"Basen," Cale-nim calls, "You think coffee treats are good, right?"

     Basen gives Choi Han a polite nod before shuffling off to his brother's side. Choi Han gazes out of the window, thinking. He's an employee. He wants to be a friend. He's not sure how to be both, if he even can be. But he'd like to keep trying. Something flashes outside of the window at a distance. Was it the sun coming through the glass? Or was it the flash of a camera? Choi Han isn't naive to think it's the former. 

     A hand settles on his shoulder and he refrains from snatching it and snapping thin bones under his palm. It's Cale-nim, of course it is.

"Do you like sweets," he asks, "You never tell me what you like. C'mon, tell me, or I'll buy you something and make you eat it anyway."

     He pokes Choi Han in the shoulder, his tone bossy and intending to annoy.

"I like fruit," Choi Han says, unbothered, "It's sweet and good for you."

"Boooo, that's boring," Cale-nim huffs, but gets a few little fruit tarts anyways.

"Stay out of my bakery," Alberu yells as they leave.

"See you next week," Cale-nim laughs as he leaves with what Choi Han can only think of as a flounce, "Alright, I have to get you two home so you better eat those treats before our parents find out I fed you guys enough sugar to kill a horse."

"Got it," Lily says brightly and crams an entire chocolate chip cookie into her mouth, crumbs freckling her cheeks.

"We'll brush our teeth," Basen promises, eating a donut at a much slower, more careful pace.

"Aw, you're so responsible," Cale-nim snorts, "Yeah, but please do brush your teeth, I don't want to be responsible for either of you having a root canal before you turn 20."

     Choi Han notices Cale-nim's posture shift, his expression become subtlely more tense as his fingers drum against the car door. The two kids in the backseat are too distracted by the sugar to notice.

"Have you gotten any calls from random numbers or anything," Cale-nim gently interrogates, his knee bouncing nervously.

"I- I think I got one last week," Basen answers, "I didn't answer it, of course, I never do."

      Cale-nim nods, chewing his lip."Good, good. What about you, Lily?"

"I haven't gotten any calls, but I got a weird text from a number that I blocked as soon as it texted me," Lily tells him truthfully, wiping streaks of chocolate off of her fingers with a napkin Basen hands her, "I don't remember what it said."

"It was probably nothing," Cale-nim dismisses, his fist clenching in his lap, "Maybe it was just a wrong number."

"Yeah," Lily agrees quietly, "Probably."

       There's no way neither of them don't know what's going on with their oldest brother. Choi Han doesn't know how to comfort any of them. The three siblings sit quietly in the car as Choi Han keeps driving, clenching the wheel so tightly it creaks quietly under his hands.

      Choi Han briefly sees the Henituse couple when he arrives at the address Cale-nim told him to go to. There's some ghost of a resemblance between Cale-nim and Mr. Henituse, like the shared color of their eyes, but Cale-nim's mother has no resemblance to him at all. A brunette couple, with their brunette children, and Cale-nim, who briefly steps out of the car to greet his parents, sticks out like a burning flame dancing around in the night. 

       He watches as Cale-nim smiles warmly at his mother, who inaudibly tells Cale-nim with a stern but gentle look. He nods seriously, and allows himself to be drawn off to the side by his father. Mr. Henituse and Cale-nim cast glances back to their family, then to Choi Han. An argument? He doesn't think so, since Cale-nim would never be so calm and quiet in an argument. Mr. Henituse takes both of Cale-nim's hands and smiles, saying something. Cale-nim softens, nods, and then pulls away, returning.

"Come visit us soon," Lily yells.

       Cale-nim rolls the window down and yells back, "I will!"

      Cale-nim only lets the quiet linger for a few moments before he explains, "She's my stepmother, and Basen's my stepbrother. Lily's my half-sister. Not that it matters, honestly, they're still my family."

       Ah. It makes sense then. He hadn't wanted to ask, since it'd be so rude. Besides, Choi Han's adopted himself, so it'd be strange of him to make any criticisms. 

"I can tell you love them," Choi Han comments, "You worry over them a lot."

"I'm not a worrier," Cale-nim retorts, "I worry a normal amount."

"I never accused you of being a worrier."

"Yes you did."

"Fine, I did," Choi Han relents, "Did you tell your father about the stalker possibly contacting your siblings?"

"I did." Cale-nim grimaces. "I can't keep that from him, not when it could put them in danger. He tried to get me to stay the night but I told him you have to get home too."

"Did you use me as an excuse to not stay the night at your parents' home?"

"Of course," Cale-nim scoffs, "I was only able to convince them to let me move out this year. If both my parents had it their way, I'd still be living with them and then they'd get to work on getting me to quit my job."

"Do you want to quit," Choi Han blurts.

"Sometimes," Cale-nim admits, "But I like working with Eruhaben-nim, and I like seeing Raon. I get free clothes from the shoots and I usually like what I'm modeling."

       He sinks back into the seat, staring out the window listlessly. "Besides, I don't even know what I'd do if I didn't model. Not like I have much time off to go to university or anything. I don't know what I'd study."

"You could pick anything," Choi Han urges, "You could take a year off and then spend some time going to school."

"Have you ever thought of doing that," Cale-nim asks.

      Choi Han shakes his head. "I use most of my money to support the people back in Harris Village. What I have for myself covers my living expenses, especially in between contracts."

"Well, maybe-," Cale-nim starts and is abruptly cut off as a car screeches in front of them, nearly slamming into the front of the car.

     Choi Han had yanked on the steering wheel, veering off to the side sharply as he reached over with one arm and curled it around Cale-nim as protectively as he could manage while still driving.

"Crazy fucking bastard," Cale-nim snarls, "Who the fuck is driving drunk?"

       Something flashes blindingly from the other car before it tears off down the road, leaving Cale-nim and Choi Han sitting in the car with their hearts pounding like drums. 

"It was that stalker fuck, wasn't it," Cale-nim pants, face white and hair plastered to his face wildly, "He just tried to kill us, right?"

"Something like that," Choi Han agrees, swallowing roughly, "This is getting more serious."

"Choi Han?"

"Yeah?"

"I think tomorrow I'm going out drinking. And you're going to come with me."

      Choi Han frowns. "You can't-"

"Choi Han," Cale-nim interrupts, "I'm sick of this bastard fucking with my life, fucking with my siblings, and fucking with my mind. I'm going to make him come out to get me, and when he comes, I'm going to beat his head in with a rock. You'll be there to pull me off of him before I catch a murder charge and get locked up for life before I've even gone to college."

     The light in his glittering eyes is so fierce it could set the world on fire, illuminated by the setting sun behind him. He's like a living flame, bright and burning viciously. Choi Han feels like he's going to be singed just being next to him.

"I'm going to do this whether you like it or not," Cale-nim tells him, smiling with the sharpness of a knife before it bisects you, "Am I going to go out with you knowing exactly where I am or am I going to sneak out and make you chase me across the city?"

     He might as well dive into the flames, even if he regrets the inferno tomorrow. 

"Okay."

      Now, Choi Han is here, staring up at the ceiling of a squished in, smelly, sweaty club, feeling out of place and ever so slightly deafened by the skull-cracking decibel of the music. Everything smells like body odour and alcohol, which Choi Han has refrained from indulging in. His low alcohol tolerance is not conducive to working, which he is still doing. Someone just slapped his ass. Someone else just squeezed him on the chest. Cale-nim has betrayed him and dragged him into a literal Hell Hole, like the spawn of the Devil he is. If he hadn't been greedy for money, then he wouldn't be here, where someone might've just thrown up a bit on his foot. 

"Loosen up," Cale-nim mouths, not bothering to try and speak over the music, and looking far more comfortable here than Choi Han does.

      It's quite hard to notice if anyone is paying special attention to Cale-nim since everyone has eyes on him. How could they not when he's looking even more beautiful than usual, iridescent glitter shimmering on his soft white skin and lips glistening with the remains of a brightly colored and highly alcoholic cocktail and cherry red tint from makeup. It's quite frankly impossible to avoid looking at him. 

      Smooth hands slip around Choi Han's shoulders, Cale-nim pulling him down to whisper in his ear. His nails prickle the back of Choi Han's neck. 

"Get me another drink. Try and make it look like you're not keeping an eye on me."

      Choi Han doesn't nod; he just bullies his way through the crowd, always keeping Cale-nim in his peripherals. He gets Cale-nim something absurd sounding and extremely colorful, a bright, almost poisonous-looking pink drink that has a somewhat charming little umbrella stuck inside it with two bright red cherries floating with the tiny ice cubes. From the corner of his eye, he can see a few people begin to approach Cale-nim. A couple of young women with brightly colored hair and snare-like smiles, a few young men who are pushing back their sweaty hair and eyes like a hungry wolf's. Choi Han waits, holding the drink in his hand until Cale-nim curls a finger towards him.

      He elbows his way through the crush of people, keeping a steady eye on the drink to make sure no suspicious fingers get too close to it. He can feel the needling glare of people as he returns to Cale-nim's side, especially when Cale-nim attaches himself to Choi Han's side, taking the drink and downing it in one go, catching a cherry between his teeth. 

     Cale-nim's face is flushed red immediately, a red-hot blush dusting his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, and another drink (this one a hazardous blue) he sends Choi Han to retrieve has the blush spreading down to his chest. He almost refuses to go get another drink, but he does, returning with a concerningly neon green drink.

"Need air," Cale-nim groans, then pulls Choi Han closer.

      His breath smells sweet, like cherries, blueberries, and melon, steeped in the sharp scent of alcohol. Choi Han can see the bright shine of lucidity in Cale-nim's eyes, the fine-crushed powder of his glitter tracing comet trails across his skin.

"Keep watching," he whispers, "You'll know what to do, right?"

     He kisses Choi Han's cheek briefly, leaving a faintly sticky stamp behind near the hinge of his jaw. What. What? Huh? Cale-nim slips away, stumbling and staggering towards a door. Choi Han just waits, watching from the corner of his eye. People are always moving, but he pays them no mind. He just does what he was told. 

     Sliding along the wall towards the door is someone who seems to be quite thoroughly out of place. A man on the older side, dressed in dark clothes, head down, shoulders hunched in. Choi Han waits until his back is turned as he tries and get the back door open before he starts moving towards the door, snaking into blooms of people that cling together. The man escapes out of the back door, and Choi Han is able to quickly follow a few seconds later.

      He can see Cale-nim leaning against a brick wall in the alley, face turned up to the sky, still flushed red and sweaty. He's taking slow, deep breaths, eyes closed. The man approaches, taking a place besides Cale-nim. Choi Han stays put. He's waiting.

"Uh…should I look out for any puddles of vomit nearby," the man starts nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

      Cale-nim's eyes flutter open halfway, staring at the man before he laughs a little. "No, no, don' worry, I don'- there's no vomit. I don' do that."

The corner of the man's mouth twitches. "I'm sure. Are- are you here with anyone?"

"Uhh," Cale-nim mumbles, clumsily brushing hair away from his face, "Um. Nooo, he doesn' like it here. Went home."

"That's a shame," the man says sympathetically, "You should have fun when you're young."

"Mhm," Cale-nim hums, "I love fun."

"That's good, that's good," the man replies with a chuckle, "Nobody's waiting up for you?"

"Jus' the bartender," Cale-nim mumbles, "I think."

"Maybe not," the stranger sighs, "You did have quite a few drinks. You might've been cut off for the night."

"Aww," Cale-nim pouts, "Fuck. Should jus' go home."

"You don't have to end your night," the man quickly says, "Actually, I'm a photographer, and you're just what I need for a photo shoot I'm doing. Wanna give it a try? You just have to come with me and look pretty."

"Dizzy," Cale-nim groans, "Can't walk."

"Then let's do it here. The alley has…artistic contrast," the man insists.

"Okay," Cale-nim agrees, "I can model."

"I know," the man responds, pulling his phone out of his pocket, "You're very good at it. You're so pretty now. Have you been a model long?"

"Little bit," Cale-nim answers, slumping against the wall more.

"What made you do it," the man continues, patting at Cale-nim's shoulders and pulling at his blouse.

       Cale-nim simply shrugs. "Just did."

"Really? No early influences? Nobody who told you when you were little that you'd make a gorgeous model," the man presses.

      Choi Han wants to leap on top of him and beat the shit out of him, but not yet. Cale-nim would let him know when to move. Choi Han would know when.

"Nuh-uh," Cale-nim slurs.

"That's a lie," the man mutters darkly, "Someone did. You know that."

"Nuh-uh," Cale-nim repeats himself, squinting in confusion, "Tha' nev'r happened."

"You owe your whole pretty little life to someone," the man continues quietly, voice sharpening as he presses closer, taking an audible inhale of the skin of Cale-nim's throat, "You'd have never gotten where you are if someone didn't put that idea in your head. You owe them everything."

"Stop," Cale-nim says, swatting weakly at the man's shoulder, "Quit."

"You owe me your whole career, you know," the man whispers, "You owe me so much. Everything. You should give me everything."

"Quit," Cale-nim snaps, no longer playing the drunk, and from the folds of his blouse, he pulls something free and bashes it against the side of the man's head, "You creepy fuck! Who the fuck do you think your are, huh?! Motherfucking son of an inbred goat!"

      The man screeches, clutching his head as Cale-nim winds back and slams the rock against his head again. He pounces like a wildcat and drags the man down to the ground, slamming the rock into the stalker's chest, shoulders, collarbone, and whatever fingers quest to get a grip on Cale-nim and yank him off. Choi Han is quick to yank Cale-nim off as soon as the man is sufficiently subdued, bloody and weeping pitifully. They sneer at him.

"You owe me," the man sobs thickly, "You'd have never been a model if I hadn't discovered you! I gave you the idea and what did I get in return? My career was ruined!"

"Holy shit, wait, I recongize you," Cale-nim exclaims, "You're that freak who tried to kidnap me when I was 6!"

       Choi Han stares in disbelief, still keeping himself between the injured man and Cale-nim. He quickly alerts the authorities; now all they have to do is get here and get this absolute freak so he can stay far away from Cale-nim.

"I wasn't kidnapping you," the man wails, "I was a real photographer! You were going to be my muse, the pinnacle of my career!"

"You came up to me on the playground and told me to follow you and you'd give me candy," Cale-nim sneers, "And then you tried to pick me up and walk off with me. You were a real creep for that."

"I would've brought you back," the man argues, "All you had to do was pose for me for a bit and let me take some pictures of you! But you screamed and everyone recorded me getting humiliated! That ruined my entire career, I was fired and blacklisted and now you're a model! I gave you that idea! You owe me!"

"My mom was there and she threw her shoe at him and it hit him in the face," Cale-nim whispers to him, "I think the video's still floating around somewhere."

      Choi Han definitely won't be looking that video up later.

"I honestly forgot you existed like a week later," Cale-nim admits to the man, "You have had absolutely no bearing on my career or life besides the fact that you harrassed my siblings and me and it's really pissed me off. I should honestly beat you over the head again, you piss me off so much."

"No," Choi Han warns, "Do not. The authorities should be here soon. Once they're here, let's leave and never come back again."

"Fine," Cale-nim grumbles, "The drinks here are shit anyway."

      He leans back against Choi Han, breathing shallowly, foot tapping against dirty pavement. They're quick to leave as soon as they can. 

"Hey," Cale-nim mumbles, "Just spend the night here for tonight. It's too late for Hans to take you home or anything anyway."

"Whatever you need, Cale-nim," Choi Han agrees.

      He spends the night on the couch, buried under several blankets Cale-nim badgered him into taking. It's a good couch. They're good blankets. He finally feels at ease, with no eyes that are not meant to be around trying to see where they're not meant to. It's a good sleep. Cale-nim is safe. He didn't even really need Choi Han, in his opinion, but he's glad that he was around for Cale-nim. He'll be sad when they have to part. 

      Gregory Thompson had more evidence in his house than a forensics lab, according to what they learn two days later after the investigation is conducted. Emails of Cale-nim's schedule, rooms full of unauthorized photos of Cale-nim, diaries full of absolutely bizzarre ramblings about how he felt about Cale-nim and extremely detailed plans for photo shoots of Cale-nim. 

"Ew," Cale-nim gags, pops the lid off a bottle of plum soju, and chugs it down all at once at 11:45 in the morning.

"You shouldn't drink this early," Choi Han reminds him, "Or that much."

"I deserve it," Cale-nim replies lightly, "After these past few months, I one hundred percent deserve this as a treat to myself. Not like I get drunk anyways."

"Please treat yourself with ice cream instead," Choi Han suggests.

"Boo, boring," Cale-nim huffs, "Don't worry, I'll only have that bottle and no more."

      They drift outside together, once more returning to the swing seat. He's gotten used to this swing seat; he's going to miss it.

"My contract for protecting you until your stalker is caught has ended," Choi Han mentions.

"Oh." Cale-nim gives him a sideway glance. "What'll you do now?"

"I have a lot more money than usual saved up," Choi Han says, "Maybe I'll try college for a bit."

"You should," Cale-nim says, "Maybe you'll like it."

"Yeah," Choi Han agrees, "I think I might."

"I'm going to quit modeling for a bit," Cale-nim decides, "I need a break from cameras."

     Choi Han turns and smiles at him. Ah, he's so glad. 

"That'll be good for you," Choi Han tells him warmly, "I'm happy for you."

"I think I'm going to try and go to school for designing," Cale-nim muses, "I like clothes, after all, at least more than I like pictures."

"You'll be good at whatever you try your best at," Choi Han encourages.

     Cale-nim pokes him on the cheek. This time, Choi Han doesn't react. He just lets Cale-nim poke him.

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"I still might have some stalkers once I disappear from the magazines."

"Okay?"

"And I can't beat them all on the head at once."

"You shouldn't beat people like that, you'll get in trouble."

"Don't be boring, Choi Han. But, instead of me beating people, what do you think about making money?"

"Oh?"

"I can help you pay for college expenses. And you can pay for your meals by chasing people off for me."

"I think you're great at doing that by yourself. You don't really need me."

"Don't be obtuse, Choi Han, money is money and work is work. Are you going to work for me, yes or no?"

"Wouldn't it be enough for me to just be your friend?"

"…I didn't know how to ask."

"Ah."

"Don't pity me! Nevermind, don't be my friend, go away!"

"Should I really?"

"…No. Let's be friends, Choi Han."

"Okay. I'll protect you as my friend, Cale-nim."

"Just Cale, stupid, you're not my employee."

"Okay, Cale."

      Choi Han is…still something like a bodyguard. He even gets paid by Cale's father every couple of months, as if he were bribing Choi Han to keep staying by Cale's side, but it's more in the sense that he's guarding everybody else from Cale. Without the constant pressure to uphold a public image, Cale likes to throw himself into the stupidest situations possible, always testing Choi Han's blood pressure and the possibilities of Choi Han developing an aneurysm. It's a bit of a hassle of a job, being a bodyguard, but it's never a hassle to be Cale's friend. No matter how many bar fights he starts and then doesn't stick around to even participate in. He runs away, dragging Choi Han behind him, eyes lit up like a flame. Choi Han's just glad to be by his side (he could really do with some paid vacation though).