➴ bohyun's apartment。⠀

@ahn bohyun. "Since you're so good at analyzing, I'll let you analyze if it seems like my parents adore me, or they wish to trap me in such a mundane existence that I wouldn't wish to step out of this small town."

When the world has always been your playground, even the vast expanse of a bustling metropolis can begin to feel stifling, its towering structures and ceaseless activity a cage rather than a haven. Chanmi sighed softly as she gazed out at the city skyline, a dazzling array of lights that seemed to stretch endlessly into the night. Yet, despite its grandeur, there was a sense of confinement, an invisible barrier pressing in from all sides.

Her bodyguard, a stoic presence at her side, broke the silence as he poured himself a glass of wine. She watched him with mild interest, then reached for the bottle he had set aside, topping off her own glass with a practiced hand. The rich, crimson liquid swirled in her glass as she lazily turned it, catching glimpses of her reflection in the wine's depths.

"Do you eat when you're drinking or do you drink straight up? Wait... let me guess. You just drink straight up." Chanmi shoots him a pointed glance, as if to challenge him about her presumption before continuing on her tirade.

"If you don't do much apart from working out." She eyes him with a knowing smile.

"The perhaps I should get in trouble soon? I'm afraid your job is starting to bore you."

A mirthful chuckle escaped Chanmi's lips as she took another sip of wine, savoring the rich flavor that danced across her palate. The alcohol's warmth spread through her body, lending a buoyancy to her steps as she hopped off the counter. The room seemed to sway gently around her, but she embraced the sensation, enjoying the way it made the world feel a little less rigid, a little more fluid.

With a carefree saunter, she made her way toward Bohyun's array of monitors, each screen glowing with information and images that only he could truly decipher. She expected him to follow her without a word; after all, he was her bodyguard, sworn to stay by her side no matter where her whims took her. His presence was a constant, a silent shadow that she had long grown accustomed to.

"How can I convince you to make me one of these in my loft?"

@kim chanmi. That was honestly a rhetorical question since he'd been briefed about her personality and why she's 'secluded,' but he takes delight in the fact she answered. It seems that she hasn't let go of the desire to party and it's only because of what's at stake that she isn't throwing one— he slips that newfound knowledge in the back of his mind, familiarizing himself with her traits.

If, by any chance, they work longer than he'd expect (or hope), that fact will come in handy on how prepared he should be with her antics.

Either way, his visage doesn't shift from its nonchalance for a split second and his pursed lips indicates his leniency only came out of pity; yet despite that, it's obvious his defenses are down when he proceeds to entertain her question with the boring truth.

"Nothing much, that's all there is to my everyday. As long as /you/ don't get in trouble, that is."

There is a subtle emphasis on his words which he chose not to expand. She should know to avoid trouble, but whatever happens, he knows it's his job to soothe that for her and that's one thing he's well-versed in. Come what may, he can't tell her what to do but bet on him that she won't be harmed.

"It's a bit too... good. Setups like these can almost rival NIS' (National Intelligence Service). Guess your parents adore you that much?"

Now, that is something that he's not entirely sure on. He knows he's there to watch her on their behalf, but it seems there's more to this story and he intends to find out. Without raising suspicion on his curiosity, he finishes his glass and pours himself another one afterward.

@ahn bohyun. "You really don't know how to take a 'no' for an answer, do you?"

Chanmi regarded him as if he had asked the most obvious question in the world. However, her gaze softened, even if just for a fraction of a second, when he relented to her request. She had been certain that he would politely '' her out of his home, offering some excuse about professionalism, as he always had in the past. But when he told her that sharing a drink with her would be his birthday present to the heiress, she couldn't help but smile.

Accustomed to material possessions and jaded by the ceaseless parade of designer gifts, Chanmi found it refreshing to receive something intangible for a change. Companionship.

"Do I look like I take a no for an answer."

There was an amused lilt in her voice when she answered Bohyun's question with one of her own. She brought the glass of wine to her lips and took a long, deliberate sip. However, she paused when he asked her why she chose to isolate herself on her birthday instead of throwing one of her legendary parties.

Scrunching her nose in thought, she set her glass down. Rather than sitting on the stool, the heiress gracefully hopped onto the counter, so she could look down at him. Once settled, she picked up her glass again, a playful smile dancing on her lips as she pondered her response.

"I'm 28 now.. maybe I'm getting too old for childish parties?....no.. it's just that I'm supposed to be laying low and throwing a party isn't exactly low key isn't it."

She wasn't really quite sure why in his presence she keeps presenting questions as if to ponder on them. At first she continues her smaller sips, until she finishes her first glass and proceeds to pour herself another.

"Enough about me? How about you... aside from the gym and watching your multiple screens for potential threats. What is it that you like doing on your free time?"

This time the conversation is directed to her body guard as she regards him with the same gaze he looked at her with. Indifference? Curiosity? Boredom?

"And how are you liking the place?"

Chanmi gestured around, her arms held out wide, the wine glass still delicately balanced by its stem. She could feel the effects of the wine beginning to take hold, perhaps because she hadn't eaten dinner yet. A slight flush crept up her cheeks as she spoke, her movements becoming a touch more fluid and expressive.

@kim chanmi. It's not that he didn't know it was her birthday neither it was because he doesn't like to enjoy a glass or two, but it's just that he refuse to give in to her antics. He knows how spoiled girls like her work, one time you give in to their request and the rest floods out like a broken dam. As much as he knows that, however, he couldn't shake off the seemingly genuine emotion running through her orbs before he walked past her; and, at that thought, a part of him wants to knock on her door and apologize for his cold greeting.

Not until he saw her again frolicking in his unit... or her family's— whatever, that's besides the point again.

"You really don't know how to take a 'no' for an answer, do you?" Bohyun sighs out with pursed lips, his eyes scanning the mess she made in his kitchen. Well, it's not technically mess but it's certainly unwelcomed. Either way, he takes a moment to contemplate his next decision and for the first time since they've worked, he resigned to her whims with a silent carrying of a stool towards her side and sitting on one himself too situated almost a foot beside hers.

He just couldn't help it. Seeing her visage earlier certainly softened his resolve and there's no way he would've agreed if he didn't find a good reason for that face and invitation. "Happy birthday. Consider this my gift to you, okay?" he reasons out, taking one of the glasses and tipping it over to her side for a cheers. When that's done, he takes a sip from his glass and proceeds to ask her, "Why aren't you out, anyway? From what I've read, you throw parties during special occasions like this."

@ahn bohyun. Patience has never been a virtue that the heiress possessed. Especially with the whims she randomly had. The faster ideas form in her mind, the sooner they also fizzled out. When she is met with radio silence, she could only assume that the man selectively heard her and chose to not answer. Though it was something that she could not hold over the latter. It was Bohyun's day off after all.

But when she hears footsteps approach, all measured and careful, she turns to the source and there he was. He wasn't even home in the first place. Bohyun's stoic facade greets Chanmi, making the glint in her eyes shine like polished diamonds as she regards him.

"Do I look drunk to you." Chanmi cuts him off until he speaks over her again. All curt and seemingly over her antics. A frown appears on her visage.

"Makes me sad that you didnt read my profile thoroughly. I'm a client afterall...Today's my birthday... didn't want to spend it alone."

Chanmi looks up her bodyguard when he towered over her. Her facade slips for a moment, genuine melancholy flashed in her otherwise masked nonchalance.

Before he could close the door behind him she slips inside his home anyway. By this time, she had already grown accustomed to the varying degrees of his rejections. It was Chanmi's first time inside her bodyguard's place. Their units were similar and yet the styles couldnt be more different. When he disappears to where she assumed to be his bedroom, she merely lingers in the living room, taking in every detail of his flat. Though the array of monitors that he had set up to watch for potential threats piqued her interest the most.

"Wow you're really committed to your job huh. I dont think anyone's going to either kidnap or assassinate me anytime soon, Mr. Ahn."

She comments, before sauntering towards his kitchen to search for wine glasses and hopefully a wine chiller.

"Ah, there we go"

Chanmi muttered to herself, a sense of satisfaction washing over her. This was infinitely better than being alone, she thought, feeling a wave of contentment. She moved with purpose, retrieving two wine glasses and a wine chiller, which she filled with ice before placing a bottle of fine wine inside. With a practiced grace, she carried the items to the kitchen counter, setting them down carefully.

The woman drummed her fingertips on the counter's cold surface, waiting for him to emerge from wherever it was that he disappeared to and when he does, she beams at him already opening the first bottle to pour on the empty wine glasses.

"Drink with me, please?"

@kim chanmi. "Just got off the elevator but yeah, anytime. See you around."

Bohyun ends the call as he walks the hallway straight to his unit, rather his client's unit or whatever. Honestly, he didn't plan moving to such a grandiose building, but one thing led to another, and he scored a 'lucky' job with his current client. Emphasis on the lucky because that's what his friends regard his job as. If only they knew what this job entails, they'd be sighing at every turn and action of... "Chanmi?" Speaking of the devil, there she was— his eccentric, spoiled client.

A deep sigh slips out his mouth as he grips the strap of his duffle bag and towers over her in an attempt to get to his place. He wonders why she was out there, and he quickly takes notice of the bottles she had in hand and puts two and two together. "Are you drunk?" he asks with a furrow in his eyebrows, yet he took another quick glance on the bottles and observes it's unopened... which means— "If you're going to drink, just drink; but do it at your place."

"Excuse me," he politely exhales out as he gently slips in between her and the door to open up his place. An array of monitors display on the wall where the television should be at the living room, and in each screen plays out a real-time monitor of the hallways of their floor, parking, and lobby. Not minding what she does after telling her off, he proceeds to go to his bedroom's closet to change clothes. Thankfully, he showered before leaving the gym, but it snowed a bit and he didn't want to put up with being mildly wet and risk a cold.

@ahn bohyun. [ Backdated February 9th, 2024 ]

Months crept by with an agonizing slowness, a seemingly interminable passage of time when one is lying low and abstaining from the social whirl of parties once so familiar. Each day blurred into the next, devoid of the vibrant interactions that once filled her life. Even the supposed excitement of her birthday failed to rouse Chanmi from her self-imposed seclusion. She ignored the incessant ringing of her phone, which began at the of midnight and continued relentlessly throughout the day, as her friends reached out with messages and calls. The cacophony of well-wishes only heightened her anxiety, amplifying the sense of emptiness that had settled within her. The celebration that should have been a bright spot felt more like a somber reminder of the distance she had created between herself and the world outside.

Her day started rather mundane and would end just as boringly. Her first pathetic birthday. Kim Chanmi who was once the life of the party, reduced to a sad mess. On her birthday of all occasions? She refused to let the gloom of her circumstance settle over her like a dark veil. The woman showers after doing some pilates. And opts to slip on more presentable clothing, and the lightest make up to cover up whatever imperfections that bothered her. She's been toying with this idea ever since she had a birthday epiphany this morning. Now she's finally enacting her plan. All she could hope was that he would welcome her despite the stoic visage he alway wore in front of her.

"Bohyun-ssi." Chanmi calls into the receiver of his doorbell, luckily she was abe to rope him into moving to a unit just beside hers, paid by her family of course. She peeks into the little camera just outside his door with a saccharine smile, raising the two bottles of wine she had specifically pick from the wine rack. Unsure if Bohyun even enjoyed wine, he would just have to indulge her.

"Drink with me? It's my birthday. I demand it" she said with a playful lilt in her voice, fully expecting him to turn her away, as he always did whenever she entertained these random whims—whims that would be considered 'unprofessional' in the rigid context of their employer-employee relationship. Kim Chanmi had always been one to push boundaries, never one to adhere strictly to conventions or propriety. She relished these moments of spontaneity, despite Bohyun's predictable refusals. His unwavering commitment to professionalism was, in its own way, a constant in her tumultuous life. Yet, on this day, her birthday, she felt a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, he would relent. As she stood there, waiting for his response, she could only hope that Bohyun was at home, ready to break his usual routine, even if just for a moment.