After leaving Dad to settle in your room, you find yourself just staring at the wall. After awhile your eyes land on a small picture of you and Dad. You were maybe 5 years old, on your first day of school. He was kneeling next to you, with a hand wrapped around your shoulder, a big grin that reminds you of Amir, and in his free hand, a big thumbs up.
You were quite nervous on your first day, honestly, you cried on the way in your parents car. But Dad had calmed you down, told you there was nothing to be scared of. You'd make lots of friends and learn all kinds of cool things. You just needed to take the first step and try. As you lay your head on your pillow, tears silently fall. Curling up into a ball with the blanket way up over your head to shut the world out. Somehow, sleep is found with one lingering thought in mind.
I'm going to take that first step. But this time, on my own.
•••
The next two weeks flew by in an odd blur. While the job was offered to you specifically, measures still needed to be set in place. You attended meetings with officials and training evaluations. Your ability to protect an individual was tested, but then the next day with multiple individuals. No matter, the job was offered for a reason.
Since graduating from high school you had taken a program of learning to become a professional bodyguard for a few years, and almost always came out top of the class. Your only other worthy competition was Sam. As a young child through your adolescent years you took up martial arts, boxing, and self defence classes. Even at school you joined the sports teams and dance classes, making many friends and good memories through it.
There was always a drive to push yourself, to become better. Maybe you were a perfectionist, but what's wrong with that? People respected you, and you wouldn't have it any other way.
About a week and a half in, you join a meeting to see a team of bodyguards wearing the same uniform as you. Smiling to yourself you take your seat and make polite conversation since you're already acquainted with some of them.
"I got a quick glance into one of the files the officials were holding. Some girl group, they looked Asian." A guy named Kevin explained with a smirk. He was tall and lean with dark hair pulled back into a high bun, and most noticeably, Asian himself since his family was from Vietnam.
So, it was a celebrity type of gig. That means loud concerts and fan meets, trying to keep off a hoard of fans. It's different, but interestingly worth a try.
As the meeting commences, you're joined by not only officials of your own agency but also of another. Men and women in suits holding briefcases, apparently they were from a group called YG Entertainment. They had come looking for a partnership, a team of bodyguards for an upcoming tour of North America by their music group. They had insufficient numbers of security themselves and needed other agencies to give a hand. You were to join them on their tour for the next two months.
Confidential copies of files are placed in your hands and you can't help but immediately skim through. The music group was from South Korea, all girls that looked not much older than you. Basic information on the girls was given. You learn of their real names, ages, weight, height, eye colour, and languages spoken. They all seemed to know English apart from the multiple other languages they could speak; that's impressive. There were 4 girls in total, and you notice how pretty they are.
Funny how these girls are about my age, yet in a completely different world. A glamorous world full of attention. I don't think I could handle all that.
"I know them. They're Blackpink!" A woman in front of you excitedly whispers to her friend. Now that she mentions it, the name does ring a bell. You remember coming across the name a couple times on social media and popular videos on YouTube. A few of the parties you've ever attended had Kpop music. Although you weren't a big fan, you could understood the appeal of it.