Jungkook had gotten used to Runa's hectic schedule. He was trained to grow accustomed to change, so after he finishes setting up his room in the West Wing, he heads to the kitchen to see her sitting at the dining table, eating dinner that one of the maids cooked with an older man sitting across from her. Upon hearing the footsteps, said male looks over at Jungkook as he sits down at the table as well, everyone is silent until he speaks up.

"You must be Dong-Wook", Jungkook simply comments with his hands folded on the table.

"Indeed I am", he responded, sharing a glance with Runa who just shrugged and continued eating.

"You must be the new bodyguard. I heard from Min-Su that you're Jeon Jungkook. The notorious hitman."

"Indeed I am."

Dong-Wook chuckles silently, secretly a bit intrigued to meet this man after the reputation he's held all these years. And now he was working as a bodyguard? He wouldn't have expected that, he figured he'd want to take a complete break after the services he's provided almost all of his life.

Because he was the head of the Organization, Dong-Wook knew the serious money involved with assassinations and since he ran the facility, he knew what types of lives the hitmen led. So he was quite amused by this, curious even as to why an ex-assassin had the desire to guard the heir to the Kang empire.

"May I ask why you retired from that job and chose this instead? I doubt it'll be as entertaining."

Runa watches the interaction between the two men, feeling that they are oddly similar. To the slicked-back hair, the dark eyes, and their serious tones. It was like having a younger Doing-Wook around, and even though it's been a week since she's had the new bodyguard, she already felt safe with him which was new for her because she's always on guard around everyone.

"I didn't take this job for entertainment. I wanted something different in life. I'm done being a hitman, and with the skills I have, this was the next greatest thing."

Dong-Wook raised a brow at that, tonguing his cheek and Runa sat back in her seat. She was more than entertained by this. It was like both men were looking into a mirror. It made her feel some type of way to see how serious Dong-Wook looked. How he upheld his intimidating demeanor and eyed the man suspiciously.

"How do we know you're here with good intentions? What if you didn't retire and are planning on killing her? It would be a perfect plan considering you know her schedule in and out, and I'm assuming you already know a lot about her considering your reputation of being analytical. Is she safe with you by her side?"

"Mr. Lee-"

Dong-Wook holds his hand up, stopping Jungkook from speaking and the tension rising in the room makes Runa shift uncomfortably. So she steps in to try and de-escalate the situation before things turn ugly. Dong-Wook might seem calm, but Runa knew better than anyone what lurked behind that.

"Dong-Wook, it's ok. Dad wouldn't ever-"

"Wouldn't what? Put you at risk? What if he made a mistake? What if the FBI has him frazzled and he's reacting quickly without thoroughly thinking about it?"

Runa closes her mouth and gives the man a look, which he ignores and pins a sharp glare on Jungkook who, as always, remains stoic as ever.

"I'm just thinking of all possibilities here. If you are truly here with no ill intentions, well that's good for you. But if I see you even looking at her in any way I don't like, I won't hesitate to stab your eyes out."

"Threatening him won't work. I already did that, and, you can check in the system if his status is still active. You're the one who keeps track of all the men that come out of the Organization, so you'd know if any handler has contacted him about a client", Runa says, and Dong-Wook doesn't look over at her but keeps his gaze pinned on the man in front of him.

"I can, but he could be a snake. Not everything has to go through the system, and the men who have cheated their way around it and taken jobs that weren't confirmed by a registered handler certainly paid the price. But this one...he's fucking smart. Too smart, so excuse me for being blunt. But as someone who practically raised you as his own, I'm not quite comfortable with a new face around here."

The girl sighed once again, feeling warm inside from the protectiveness of her good friend but also she knew that he had a point. Jungkook is dangerous and a cold-blooded killer, yet her gut never twisted, it never knotted up when he was with her. It was a woman's intuition to know if someone was bad or not, and she could tell he wasn't.

"Dong-Wook, if he was here to kill me, he would've done it already. He wouldn't have wasted any time being by my side and meeting up with others. If he somehow did hurt me in some way, it would be idiotic considering he'd be the number one suspect. Especially since others know he's my bodyguard and know his face. Ease up a bit."

Dong-Wook relaxes a little, finding reason in what she said because it made clear sense. But still, he'd keep his eye on Jungkook. He knew way too many traitors and liars. In and outside the family. So if he found another snake, he'd be sure to cut its head off. He relaxes in the chair and leans back, cracking his neck and making Runa grimace from the noise that always disgusted her.

"I'm just making sure you're safe. Don't try and stop me from that, because you'll fail in doing so."

And with that, she opens her mouth to say something but he walks out, slamming the front door shut and heading to his car to leave. Runa clears her throat, the room still stuffy with tension but Jungkook just looks at her like he wasn't getting threatened by an underboss. Dong-Wook made everyone's knees weak, whether it was out of fear or want, he was just as scary as the boss himself.

He too had a reputation, and people knew what happened if you crossed him. Things that would make a corpse shiver in its grave. So it was interesting just to see how dead this man must be inside. To the point where threats by powerful men felt light like the breeze. And she also has to remind herself he's stronger than others. He was the world's most feared assassin, meaning if threats got to him, he wouldn't be the man he was.

"So...have you settled in already?"

He nods and watches as she picks up her fork and continues eating the rest of the pasta on her plate along with the small chunk of buttered bread left.

"Tomorrow you and I are meeting with a friend of mine for lunch at about 1 pm. Kim Taehyung, the leader of a biker gang from Manhattan. Full disclosure, don't take his teasing or playfulness too seriously. He has a flirty personality but he's not a creep. We've been close for years so...if he pisses you off somehow maybe don't kill him. He's replaceable just like every other gang leader, but I've built a bond with him over the years, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't slice his head off because of his mouth."

"If I don't like him, I'll surely let you know."

She chuckles, looking up at him and smiling a little. She wondered to herself how tomorrow would go, especially considering how he'd be around Taehyung. It was almost inevitable that Taehyung's craziness and outgoing personality would clash with Jungkook's nonchalance.

"Oh, I know you will."

💎🗡️💎🗡️💎🗡️

Jungkook and Runa sat next to each other across from the charismatic man who went on and on about his recent adventures. If his fashionable red and black hair didn't show a peak into his sense of flashiness, his smile and the dazzling ruby rings on his fingers surely did.

As soon as they entered the private room, Taehyung bombarded Runa with a hug and a few kisses on her cheek. It made Jungkook grumble under his breath and he stepped forward to get him off her, but she signaled him with her eyes that it was ok.

No, the fuck it wasn't, this measly little gang leader shouldn't be so touchy with her but she was accepting of the overwhelming affection. It made the older male glance at his bodyguards, two of them who just stood by and watched with the same nonchalant expression he held. They probably were used to this, so forgive him for almost tackling the man who pounced on her.

He was feral and aggressively enthusiastic. So much so that the bodyguard wished he had earplugs, but he saw Runa smiling with genuineness and held comfortability in her gaze when engaging with the gang leader, so he backed off a bit. Of course, he was given a firm glare from her when the food arrived and he tasted it first to make sure it was ok, earning an amused look from the man sitting across the table.

"I'm not going to poison her, that's my best friend", the man said with a smile, winking over at the girl who just rolled her eyes at his flirtatiousness.

The wink makes something in Jungkook burn, maybe he was starting to get overprotective in this job but he didn't care. If he had to be an asshole to everyone just to fish anyone out, that's what he'd be. But he could see in the gangster's eyes, that burning desire, that obsessive gleam whenever Runa addressed him or even glanced at him.

In all of his life, he's only met a few crazies. Just from meeting this man once and listening to the two talk for about an hour, analyzing every reaction from the two, he could see Taehyung was obsessed with her. Not just simple lust, but a craving, thirsting desire for her attention. It made him feel some time of way, and the fact that he was feeling anything was disturbing in itself.

But he just assumed it was because he'd never been so close to someone. He'd never gotten to memorize a person's schedule, habits, and quirks as he did with her. It was his job in a way, to know her better than anyone else to protect her. And given his natural skill of seeing through people's masks like looking through crystal clear glass, Taehyung's insanity was clear.

And it wasn't just the drugs he most definitely took. That much was noticed from the slight dust of powder on the man's fingers that he subtly wiped off on the complimentary folded napkin. It wasn't noticeable, but being the hyper-focused man Jungkook was, he saw it. That didn't ease his mind one bit, but of course, his face didn't show a bit of emotion.

During the whole meal, Jungkook kept his eyes on the man and didn't once budge. He saw that Runa enjoyed his presence, which he found odd but figured she was a lonely young woman who was drawn to the ball of energy. She had a hard life, he knew that before he met her, and when he started getting close, he saw what she dealt with daily.

It wasn't unusual for her to be friends with a man like Taehyung. If he didn't see the white on his fingers or that look in his eyes, he'd figure he was just a happy man. He had a lot to say, he always asked for her opinion, listened to her intently, and showed interest in her. From his knowledge, they've known each other for years and have been through a lot together.

Even so, as soon as they got inside her car, he didn't hesitate to tell her exactly what he thought. The truth was better than pretending everything was okay, and especially that eerie smirk Taehyung had while waving goodbye to him convinced him that he was right to think negatively of the gangster.

"I'm gonna have to break this to you. Taehyung is insane and you need to stay away from him."

As expected, she groans and throws her head back against the car seat, "Are you for real?"

"Yes. He's obsessed, I saw it in his eyes. I don't feel good with him around. His energy is overwhelmingly suspicious."

"You hyperanazlyze people too much."

"Or maybe you know how he feels about you and ignore it because you don't want to lose his friendship."

That made her gape and chuckle at the audacity, even though she felt her nerves bundle in her gut from the possibility that he was right. But she couldn't easily accept that. What did he know?

"Jungkook, you're going too far-"

He snaps back, "You're not going far enough. You don't seem to understand that everyone around you is always willing to kill you once your back is turned."

"Does that include you?"

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before resting his arm on the center console and leaning close to her, not intimidated by the glare she gives him.

"No, not me. I mean the men you were with. You might be a Kang, but you're still a woman. Even if you are strong and a fighter, men will get close to you, gain your trust, and use you. I saw it in his eyes Runa, he wants you. And that's dangerous."

The seriousness in his tone feels as suffocating as the silence that envelops them. She looked down at her lap, not too sure what to say because now she was questioning everything. She figured that maybe Taehyung was just flirty, but she knew deep down.

Her gut told her he held more than just lust in his eyes, his gaze was too deep and steadied on her for it to be something as shallow as just wanting sex. She looked conflicted but he didn't soften his tone, he remained stern with her when speaking because this was much more serious than it seemed.

"You know, Runa. You know...don't you?"

After a few seconds, she looked back up at him, scanning his features and looking into his eyes which were like a mysterious black abyss, swallowing all emotions inside and making them vanish without a trace. It was eerie, but she knew in her heart it was the truth. She kind of hated how smart he was, and how easily he could read her because it made her feel vulnerable.

"He has feelings for me...so what? Do you not realize who I am? He's attracted to the power I have."

He sighs and shakes his head, "It's more than just that. It's more than just your power, it isn't just because you're the heir of an empire. He wants you in ways he shouldn't, and a man obsessing over you is just as dangerous as a man who wants to kill you."

"Jungkook, let me talk to-"

"No. I'm telling your father about this."

With that, he starts the vehicle and starts driving to one of the clubs she worked at. It was so silent you could hear every breath taken by each of them, and she felt more than upset.

"What are you trying to do? Tear me away from everybody?"

He glances over at her briefly before pulling his attention back to the road ahead, which was oncoming traffic for at least two miles. They were stuck and had nothing but time to talk, which wasn't necessarily what she wanted. She didn't want to hear any more of this but there was no choice.

"No, I'm making you aware that not everybody around you has your best interest in mind. I do. I'm doing my best to protect you from getting hurt. Emotionally and physically."

That makes her react bitterly, looking out the window and wishing she could just walk out of the car, "I think if Taehyung was trouble, Dong-Wook of all people would tell me."

"Maybe he doesn't know you as well as you think he does."

The way he says that makes her glare over at him, and his lack of emotion towards anything was starting to aggravate her more than she thought it would.

"That man practically raised me and you've known me for a fucking week. Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."

His smooth reply makes her even angrier, "That's quite inaccurate considering I was trained for many years to analyze people and was always able to predict others by the simple details that others don't notice."

"Do you have any emotion at all? Are you a fucking robot or something?"

That makes him shrug lazily, "Emotions are unpredictable and I'm not about that. Seems you forget I was raised in the Organization, meaning I learned to have no emotions. It's instilled into me because this is me. I've never loved, I've never cared and I never will. I do what I'm paid for. That's it."

He expected the sarcastic chuckle from her, he knew her so well in such a little amount of time but didn't expect her next words.

"You can't ever fully protect someone you don't care about. Whether you like it or not, you're going to get attached to me. It's human nature."

It made him go silent for a few seconds, but with his witty attitude, it didn't take him long to clap back at her twice as hard.

"I'm barely human as it is. Don't expect us to be friends or anything. I don't have friends and I certainly won't be with one with someone too weak to handle the truth."

"Wow, forgive me for not giving in to every word you say when I've only known you for seven days."

Her sarcasm almost makes the corner of his lips turn up. Almost. He'd never met someone as feisty as her, but it was intriguing to be around. Especially because he's never been close with anyone, and not a woman.

He's been alone his whole life, and he feels something unfamiliar in his chest when he looks over at her. He figures it's nothing, so he looks away and tightens his grip on the steering wheel when the cars start moving.

"You will soon when you realize I'm right."

💎🗡️💎🗡️💎🗡️

After another long day of meetings and calls, Runa unwinds at about 9 pm, her hair washed and in a hair towel, a sheet mask on her face to hydrate her stressed skin while she lays in bed watching an old 90s vampire show...because of a certain male side character.

She'd space out every time her TV crush wasn't on screen, thinking about what Jungkook had said earlier. He didn't say much after their talk, he stayed silent the rest of the time they were out, and as soon as he parked her car in the garage and they got in the house, he went to the West Wing, seemingly to his room.

Since everything was said and done, she decided to relax and settle in for the night. So once she ate dinner that one of the housekeepers made, she took a nice hot shower and continued to stew in her thoughts.

It was disturbing how within one week, a few mere days of knowing this man, she was questioning one of her closest friends. Sure, Taehyung was a bit nuts but who wasn't? He ran a crazy gang, they were intimidating and most importantly, effective in making everyone abide by the rules.

They ran the streets, keeping the Kang name feared although it wasn't necessary to maintain or uphold that image. The Kang's ran the city, there wasn't a soul who didn't know them and what they were about. Even the police knew, but the justice system was corrupt and rotten, unreliable just as it always was so they weren't much of a threat other than the occasional wannabe hero.

No matter your race or gender, nobody cared as long as you had money. Money equals power, fear keeps that power strong and alive, and the privileges of wealth were something she was grateful for every day. When she's out in the city, she sees how people suffer.

Being the financial genius she was, she knew how hard it was to find a job that paid a livable wage, especially considering the prices nowadays. Yet she never had to suffer from it. She might have had the privilege of being a Kang and had the money to help, but she wouldn't. She wasn't a saint, she wasn't holier than thou.

She was ruthless just like her father raised her to be. She looked out for herself and that was it, because in this world it's every man for himself. Even if her father was dying of thirst and begged her for water, she'd watch with a satisfied smile on her face and watch him suffer. That's just how deep her hatred was for him.

He wasn't a man, he wasn't a father, he was a monster. She reminded herself of that every time he'd treat her halfway decently. Whenever she got her hopes up about anything involving him, she remembered the names he'd call her. And most importantly whenever she tried to ask about her mother, he'd snap at her.

There were no photos of her around the house, almost like she was his dirty little secret and she despised that with all of her being. With every cell in her body, she detested her father and hated how much power he still held over her. He was the boss after all, and she silently wished that he wasn't. She imagined what it would be like if he just...disappeared.

On the other side of things, while Runa overanalyzed her best friend's behavior and tried to piece together why Jungkook was suspicious of him, said male sat across from the man she just imagined watching die in front of her on his knees.

"How has she been this past week? Any news? Anything to worry about?", Min-Su asked while pouring himself a glass of bourbon, silently gesturing to Jungkook to ask if he wanted one to which the male shook his head.

"No. She's a good businesswoman, she communicates well, and everyone I've met so far has treated her with respect."

Min-Su nods along, internally glad to hear that she's accepted this new change and hasn't put the raven-haired male through the ringer...yet.

"Good, good. What about Taehyung? What do you think of him?"

Jungkook noticed the slight elevation in the man's tone. Like he was excited for an answer he had predicted from the bodyguard. Which was something clear to everyone and yet not a single soul uttered a word.

"He's obsessive and possibly dangerous for her."

Min-Su smiles, he fucking smiles and Jungkook wonders what exactly he's gotten himself into with this family. He knew he wasn't the most humane and civil person to exist, but the fact that her father was smiling about a man being a danger to his daughter... made Jungkook raise a brow. For once his dead expression shifted.

"He might be obsessed with her, but he's not dumb enough to do anything. He knows she won't hesitate to snap his neck, and she's important for business", the man says while refilling his glass and quickly downing it without a reaction.

"We don't know that for sure. He could go insane one day and attempt to-"

"If something like that happens, I'm sure you'll stop him before she gets hurt. Am I right?"

Jungkook leans forward a bit, looking into the man's eyes with seriousness, "Your daughter is important, you know this. That's why as her bodyguard, someone who is concerned for her safety around that gangster, I am telling you this. Get rid of Taehyung."

The mafia boss fake pouts and the amusement was evident in his features, "But you'll hurt her. That's her best friend."

The mocking tone of his voice makes Jungkook want to roll his eyes at the immaturity of this man. He knew he didn't like Runa, and that already made Jungkook dislike the man a lot less than he already did based on things he'd heard. Mostly concerning the way he treated his daughter.

Now it may seem laughable to think a merciless man who had over 200 confirmed kills had any sort of morals, but he lived by a code. Not something implemented by the Organization, but something he's learned over the years to adapt as a human, as a man. If you love someone, you shouldn't ever have a thought of hurting them.

Jungkook wasn't expecting this to be a normal family, but being the figure Runa was in the business and society, she deserved respect regardless of her rank. Something that always irked Jungkook was disrespect towards women. It was an itch that spread across his body like a rash, painful and blistering until he wanted to snap and kill somebody.

Runa deserved love and respect from her father, no matter if he was the boss or not. His duty as a father should always be a priority over his job as a crime boss. The reality that Min-Su didn't care for his daughter much other than to use her as a cash cow and weapon of fear made Jungkook feel even more certain that he had to protect her at all costs.

"She will understand when the time comes. The truth hurts but it will keep her safe. That is my number one priority. And I will stop at nothing to ensure that. Even if it kills me."

That catches Min-Su's attention and he smirks a bit while putting his feet up on the desk, sipping the last drops of his drink before folding his arms across his chest. Jungkook could see where Runa got the habit from.

"Even if it kills you? You're so willing to die for my daughter? And for what? For the sake of family?"

Jungkook's brows pinch together and he stands up, adjusting his trench coat and taking the leather gloves off his hands to put them in his pocket. This was starting to look like a joke, and Jungkook never took death lightly.

If Min-Su was so careless with his daughter's life, he could now understand why she found solace with Dong-Wook, his underboss and the man who cared more for her than her father did.

"My job is to die for her. She is the Kang heir, she will carry on your legacy and is vital to keeping this city under control. You shouldn't speak so ill of her, considering how much she's done and still does to ensure the Kang empire stays on top."

Min-Su knew it was true, and yet he scoffed. His underboss, his other captains, and now the bodyguard was defending her? No one has ever defended him or his life because everyone was too focused on her.

The jealousy of his daughter was sickening to the male, so with all respect thrown out the window, he walked away without being dismissed and went to check on her.

The sound of his boots thumping against the floorboards could be heard and it gained a certain woman's attention as she quickly turned off the show playing on TV and threw her sheet mask in the trash bin to answer the door once she heard a knock.

When she does, she sees Jungkook standing there and relaxes a bit, "What's up?"

"Just making sure you're alive. Do you need anything?"

She chuckles a little at the question, adjusting her robe a bit just in case her tits decided to magically pop out at an inconvenient time.

"What are you my maid now?"

His doe eyes blink at her, still dark as ever and the golden lighting from the chandelier gleaming in the hallway makes them sparkle. She reminds herself to chill out, that he's handsome and it's okay to recognize that, but not okay to be so captivated by a simple gaze that means nothing.

He always held intense eye contact, which was completely normal and she needed to stop acting delusional over his protectiveness and desire to cater to her. Remember, you have daddy issues, and not every man who tries to look after you is in love with you. Stop being delusional Kang Runa, this is his job. Nothing more.

"No, I'm not your maid but I will be if you desire so. I'm your bodyguard, after all, I am at your service at all hours of the day."

That makes her smile with amusement, "Is that so? Even if I needed you at 4 in the morning? You'd come to my rescue?"

His eyes change, and something in his gaze shifts even when the rest of his face remains stoic. She could see that eased the tension between them, or whatever was left from earlier. Things were cool, everything didn't always have to be so serious.

He was trying to learn that, even when all of his life that's all he's known. He's trying to be different in some ways, he's trying to feel more. And it's working quicker than expected. Maybe it's just the job, maybe he's enjoying this new life.

"I'll come save you at any hour. That's my duty."

"Why thank you Jungkook", she sarcastically replies, "Good to know you're a loyal soldier. If that's all, I'll be going to bed now."

He nods, quick and firm like usual in his professional stance. Back straight and hands behind his back, like a true bodyguard and it was sort of interesting how perfect Jungkook seemed. To his voice, his words, and his face. Everything was perfectly curated like he was made in a lab.

"Goodnight, Runa. Keep your knife under the pillow."

Runa chuckles upon the reminder, "It's always there and remains untouched. Goodnight Jungkook."

Instead of closing her door, she watches as he leaves, descending the stairs until his figure disappears and she listens to his boots lightly thumping across the squeaky clean flooring downstairs before she locks her door and hops into bed. After she sets her alarm, she checks to find the knife still under her pillow and finishes up her nightly routine before falling asleep.