Chapter 11
11.
A few days had passed since then.
The man I'd met in that freak accident, Seong Ji-hoon, had unbelievably become my personal bodyguard.
It was my father's decision, so it wasn't easy to refuse.
I had no choice.
At first, I decided to let it go as no big deal.
That was until I learned what “close protection” meant.
Starting on the third day, Seong Ji-hoon began coming to my house and standing guard outside my front door for ten to twelve hours a day.
He could've at least told me beforehand.
It felt wrong to leave someone standing outside all the time, so I eventually let him into the house.
And just like that, I had an unexpected new member (?) of my household.
He said I didn't need to worry about him, but if that was the case, couldn't he at least stay out of my sight?
“Sigh, seriously… You don't have to come here and stand guard every single day. I'll call you if I need to go out.”
“I'm sorry. It's the chairman's wishes….”
What on earth had my father told him to make him stand there as stiff as an old tree?
Secretary Shin had also said something in passing before leaving that day.
“I haven't told Agent Seong about the physical changes to your body, young lady.”
Wow, the two of you really do care about me so much!
This was exactly why I felt even more uncomfortable.
This man, Seong Ji-hoon, thought of me as a woman from the start.
Since he didn't know my circumstances like Seo Geon-woo did, I had to watch everything I said and did, which stressed me out all the more.
Of course, even if I acted just like I used to, he wouldn't think something absurd like, ‘Was she a man before, and did her sex change?’
‘Anyway, he's getting on my nerves!’
I was going to put management lessons and all that aside and finally start looking for the culprit who'd done this to me, but now that I'd acquired another source of stress, my head was in chaos.
“Ah, damn it….”
I opened the fridge, realized there was no beer, and forced myself to swallow the curse that was about to slip out of habit.
After turning into a woman, I couldn't bring myself to smoke again, so I'd been forced to quit.
Well, I accepted that as a positive change.
Still, I continued to enjoy drinking.
Especially when stress was piling up like it was now, a cold beer going down smoothly was a great comfort.
But the damn beer was gone.
“Ah, what a hassle… Should I hire a new housekeeper?”
“Are you going somewhere?”
I was about to head out in a tank top and dolphin shorts when Seong Ji-hoon asked, as if to stop me.
“I'm going to buy beer.”
“I'll accompany you.”
“Ah, it's fine. There's a convenience store and a supermarket on the first floor.”
Please, just stop.
“I'm sorry. It's my duty… Please understand.”
And with my father's special orders on top of that, I couldn't exactly blame him.
At this point, wasn't this more surveillance than bodyguard duty?
“Sigh… Fine. But follow me from a little farther away.”
“Understood.”
Dressed in a black suit and wearing an earpiece, he was practically advertising that he was a bodyguard. There was no way I could go out with him and feel comfortable.
It was a little after five in the afternoon.
As expected, the supermarket was packed with middle-aged women buying groceries for dinner.
The residents of this apartment complex were mostly middle class or better, though not as wealthy as I was.
So, though I couldn't say for sure, more than half of those women were probably housekeepers.
‘I really should hire a new housekeeper.’
Thinking that, I headed toward the convenience store.
Just because it was a luxury apartment didn't mean the convenience store only carried ridiculously expensive things.
It was no different from any other convenience store outside.
Still, they did stock a few things you wouldn't find in a regular convenience store, like whiskey, drinks, and meal kits.
I piled a whole bunch of canned beers onto the counter, having fulfilled my original purpose.
The part-timer looked back and forth between me and the beers with a slightly surprised expression.
‘What are you staring at? Just ring them up.’
If this had been the old me, those words would've come out automatically, like a programmed response.
Had I gotten used to keeping my temper in check without even realizing it?
“That'll be 32,000 won.”
I silently held out my card.
I could feel the part-timer glancing at me as they rang me up.
My brow twitched slightly, and, just as I'd expected, the part-timer spoke to me.
“Um, did you recently move in?”
Oh, right.
I knew this part-timer had been working here for quite a while.
Since most of the customers were residents of this apartment complex, it wouldn't have been hard to learn everyone's face.
To the part-timer, I must've been a new face, something to spark curiosity in an otherwise boring everyday life.
“Yeah, something like that… Why?”
I chose to answer vaguely.
Obviously, I had no intention of making small talk with someone like that.
“Oh, I see. I knew I couldn't have missed someone as noticeable as you.”
So what?
Should I put on a face like I was impressed by your keen eye?
“Yeah, take care.”
I picked up the bag of beer and tried to turn away coldly, but my arm couldn't handle the weight, and I dropped the bag right onto the floor.
With a clatter, a few cans burst, and brown liquid began soaking the bag with a hissing sound.
“Ah! Are you okay?”
The part-timer hurried out from behind the counter.
At the same time, Seong Ji-hoon, who'd been outside, rushed inside.
“Step back.”
He held up a hand to stop the part-timer from coming closer.
‘Please don't overreact.’
I was already so embarrassed I could die.
I couldn't even carry a few cans of beer without staggering.
“I think you bought a little too much.”
I'd bought several large cans, sure, but this wasn't “too much.”
More importantly, I was embarrassed, so please just get out of here.
Seong Ji-hoon, who had no way of knowing how I felt, quickly began gathering up the beer scattered across the floor.
He cleaned it up in no time, then asked the part-timer for a mop and thoroughly wiped the floor.
He really was quick, precise, and never hesitated to act.
“I'll carry your purchases for you.”
I knew he was trying to help me, but did he have to ignore how I felt?
I was worried about what lay ahead.
I walked past the part-timer, who was standing there stunned, and went back to the fridge.
I picked up two more cans of beer to replace the ones that had burst and become undrinkable.
“Young lady?”
I shot him a sharp look that said to keep his mouth shut, but he didn't seem to understand.
“Ring these up again.”
I didn't want to say another word.
My insides were boiling.
All that fuss over buying a few cans of beer.
‘Fuck, fuck, fuck….’
I kept swallowing curses in the elevator on the way up.
As I opened the front door and stepped inside, I took a can of beer from the bag Seong Ji-hoon was carrying and brought it straight to my lips.
The sharp, cool liquid slid down my throat.
It felt like dry ice had swept from my throat all the way down to my stomach.
“Ahh!”
I downed half the can in one go without even taking a breath.
“I can finally breathe.”
Without me saying a word, Seong Ji-hoon was putting the beer in the refrigerator.
Watching him, I suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, right. What happened with your car? Did you get it repaired?”
Seong Ji-hoon finished tidying up and answered with a faint smile.
“Thanks to your consideration, young lady, the repairs went smoothly.”
Being called “young lady” really, really grated on me.
I was putting up with it for now, but how long could I keep doing that?
“If the estimate was high, let me know. I'll cover it.”
“N-no, it's fine! It wasn't that expensive….”
“Mr. Seong Ji-hoon.”
I glared at him as I approached.
He seemed to be controlling his expression, but his pupils were wavering, so he appeared rather flustered.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Y-yes… Please go ahead.”
“You're here to protect me and help me, right?”
“That's right.”
“Then you'll have to keep going everywhere with me, right?”
“Yes.”
“Which means your dignity is my dignity, right?”
He tilted his head slightly as if he didn't quite understand, but soon answered.
“Y-yes.”
“If the person protecting me acts like a fool, I can't stand it. Do you understand?”
I'd decided to stop treating people like objects, but having Seong Ji-hoon constantly clinging to me was even harder.
If I kept this up, he'd get fed up and ask to be replaced.
For the time being, I'd show him the old Jeong Ha-won without holding back.
Let's see you endure it.
“Don't overreact and step in like you did earlier. From now on, unless it looks like I'm in actual danger, don't get involved at all.”
“But, young lady….”
“And stop calling me ‘young lady.’ It's so cringey I could die!”
Before I changed, I hated hearing the people at my father's company call me “young master,” too.
And now, on top of that, “young lady”?
I feel like I'm being sucked into the far reaches of spacetime.
“Then what should I call you?”
“I don't know. You can figure that out yourself, Mr. Seong Ji-hoon. Just pick something that doesn't bother me.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And you're off for today.”
Seong Ji-hoon glanced at his wristwatch, then spoke firmly.
“That won't work. I still have a lot of time left in my shift.”
“I was considerate enough to let you stand around in the hallway for over ten hours, and now you can just ignore a VIP's request? Is that what my father told you to do?”
This time, his fluster was obvious on his face.
I nearly laughed to myself, but tried not to show it.
“No, right? You can get off work early and have some time to yourself. That's nice, isn't it?”
“But….”
As if ignoring him, I opened the fridge.
I took out a can of beer, popped the tab, and held it out to him.
“Here, drink this.”
He held out both hands to decline.
“No. Drinking on the job is strictly forbidden.”
“Do you think I don't know that?”
“S-sorry.”
“I told you, you're off work. So you can drink now, right?”
“I can't.”
I was only trying to tease him, but I was starting to get annoyed.
His loyalty was something else.
“You had plenty to say to me back then, but now you're acting like a frustrating robot… You're. Piss. Ing. Me. Off!”
Watching Seong Ji-hoon not know what to do gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.
‘Ah, I shouldn't be doing this… But this is way too fun.’
For all I knew, Seong Ji-hoon's insides were in knots, too. How frustrating it must be to be unable to do anything either way.
So just quit this bodyguard job of mine already.
“If you don't drink it, I'll tell Secretary Shin tomorrow that your work attitude is poor.”
“Ah… But, young la— I mean….”
It looked like his head was getting complicated.
Then, as if he'd made up his mind, he took the can of beer.
For some reason, he had a solemn look on his face.
“Just this once, I'll do as you wish, Ms. Ha-won. But from next time on, please take my position into account a little, too.”
Having finished speaking, he tilted his head back and began gulping down the beer.
My gaze was drawn to the Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat.
‘Gasp! What am I looking at?’
Why was I staring so intently at a man's throat?
Something felt strange, but….
“I'm done.”
“I guess you're really scared of Secretary Shin?”
But it'd be stranger if he weren't scared of that monster of a woman.
“I'll take everything you said into consideration as much as possible and carry out my security duties without offending you, Ms. Ha-won.”
Did he memorize a script?
He'd even had alcohol, but he still wasn't fazed?
“Suit yourself. Anyway, head home for today. My manager is getting discharged tomorrow, so I'm going to the hospital. Be here by nine in the morning.”
He let out a faint sigh.
I could smell a trace of alcohol on his breath.
He must've decided that he shouldn't get on my nerves right from the start.
“Understood. I'll be here on time.”
He bowed and finally disappeared from my house.
“Sigh… It feels like the more time passes, the more troublesome things keep happening.”
And as the days passed, my hatred for the bastard who'd turned me into this grew stronger, too.