The next time Laura woke up it was bright with daylight. The low hum of the television reached her ears and she filtered out the sound to be a news channel. She opened her eyes and looked around. Andrew was walking across the room talking on the phone to someone. Laura thought he looked worn out. To her side she saw a now familiar figure sitting on the couch, his eyes intent on the TV screen. She tried to sit up and winced. Andrew let out a yell.

"Ah, you're awake!" he said in a dither. Ji Hoon's eyes immediately switched to Laura with its penetrating gaze.

"Morning." He said. Laura looked around.

"Is it okay for me to get up? I feel restless being in bed for so long." she said.

"No no, the doctor said you must rest. Mr. Talavera will have a heart attack if anything hinders your recovery." Andrew said.

"Oh, okay. Can I at least order something? I'm kind of hungry." She said.

"I have to confirm if you can eat... I'll go tell the nurse." Andrew said walking out. Laura sighed.

"I bet it sucks being stuck in bed." Ji Hoon said. Laura tried to smile.

"I see you're a man of your word, Mr. bodyguard. I half thought I imagined you." She said.

"Just call me Ji Hoon. I don't like titles." He said.

"Okay, if you call me Laura."

"Laura." She smiled at him. He's so forthright, she thought.

"I trust you're feeling better." He stated.

"Much, thank you."

"You didn't even wake when the nurses came to change your bandages. You're quite a heavy sleeper under sedatives."

"Isn't everybody?"

"Not necessarily." Ji Hoon said before Andrew came back in with a nurse. They stopped talking while she checked Laura's vitals.

"Well you seem better than last night. You can have something light to eat. The doctor will come to see you later. Get plenty of rest till then." She said and left.

"I'll order something for you." Andrew said, picking up the telephone. Laura turned to the TV which suddenly glowed red with the headlines 'car crash: billionaire heiress encounters accident'. A worried look came on her face.

"Turn that up please." She told Ji Hoon who had the remote. Andrew turned to see her watching the news piece.

"Last night at seven thirty two, there was a collision as a taxi cab collided with a truck. The police are still investigating the truck driver with suspicions that it might not have been an accident. So far, he has refused to make a statement." Andrew switched off the TV quickly.

"Wait, turn that on!" Laura protested.

"You're not supposed to be aggravated. You should rest." Andrew said.

"But I want to know what they're talking about! What do they mean by not being an accident?" Laura demanded. Andrew looked tense. Ji Hoon spoke up.

"It means journalists are speculating wild stories to get more views. You're already famous. Couple that with an alleged accident, and they have a big story with top ratings."

"Right. And I need to go put a stop to that, minimize publicity... do some damage control... Ji Hoon, you've got this, right?" Andrew said, sidling out the door. Laura turned to Ji Hoon with a look that said 'I don't believe that for a moment'.

"I need to know what's going on. Please." Laura pleaded. Ji Hoon's eyes flickered from hers.

"They underestimate you, don't they? Alright, I'll enlighten you. By now I would have thought you figured it out. The accident was no accident and the very night it happened, you get a bodyguard. What do you think that adds up to?" Laura stared at him before a look of comprehension passed her face.

"Someone - wants to kill me." she said in a dead monotone. Ji Hoon remained silent but his fist tightened under his folded arms.

"It's because of my step-father, isn't it?" Laura continued as if to herself. "That's why he called that day... he already anticipated this..."

"Doesn't mean he didn't take precautions against it." Ji Hoon intercepted. "That's why I'm here." Laura turned to him.

"I've never had a bodyguard before. No, I've never had another person risk their life for me. To protect me. I can't live with it." she said with dogged firmness.

"You just found out your life is in danger and you're worried about your bodyguard?" Ji Hoon asked with surprise. "That's - strange..."

"Look, I didn't fully grasp the situation last night. But now that I get it, I can't let you stay. Even if my stepfather hired you, I want you to quit. I don't need someone taking risks for me." she said with decisiveness. Ji Hoon walked towards her and leaned forward from his waist over her bed.

"I can't do that." he said in his low, firm voice. Without breaking eye contact, he continued, "I already took this job. Which means I'm committed to you. You can't get rid of me. When I commit to something, I see it through till the end." Laura almost recoiled back; she had never seen such an unbendable will. Despite her decision, she felt awed; who was this resilient forceful young man who entered her life and refused to get out of it?

"Where did Andrew pick you up from? You're not - like the usual people my stepfather has around him." she said with narrow eyes.

"It's better if you don't know the answer to that." Ji Hoon said, withdrawing back to his wide-legged stance.

"Isn't that my decision to make?" Laura asked with arched eyebrows.

"Not when it involves me." Ji Hoon replied. "There are some things you're gonna have to trust me on. And I can't protect you if you don't abide by that."

"We just met a few hours ago and already you expect me to trust you? That's a little unreasonable..." she paused, thinking about his last sentence.

"But who's gonna protect you?" she asked with a serious glance.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." He said without batting an eyelash. Laura studied his face. His coolness was both disconcerting as well as reassuring at the same time. She fiddled with the edge of her blanket for a minute.

"You're kind of casually dressed for a bodyguard. Are you supposed to be in plainclothes?" she asked, noting his dull black bomber jacket and worn jeans.

"I'm not in uniform yet. My job started a little ahead of schedule." He said his expression lightening. He seemed relieved that she changed the subject.

"Oh." Was all she could say. She wondered if he'd gotten any sleep last night. He couldn't have if he had been guarding her all night.

"So, you're Korean, right? Like Andrew?" she asked.

"Yes." Was his one word answer. She laughed.

"No need to be so tight lipped. We're gonna be spending a lot of time together, right? Can't we get to know each other?" she asked.

"I don't see any benefit for you to get to know me. And I'm not going to pry into your life as far as I can help it." he said. Laura felt a tad relieved as well as disappointed. Relieved because she knew having a bodyguard meant giving up a private life; but if he wasn't going to stick uncomfortably close to her, she might just be able to retain her privacy. disappointment still lingered in her though, because he was unwilling to satisfy her curiosity about him.

"Are you always like this or do you have a particular dislike of conversing with rich defenseless endangered heiresses?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. A little smile appeared on his lips, an amused one but at the same time it held respect.

"Is that your own definition of yourself or did you pick it up from somewhere?" he asked back. She smirked with awe.

"You avoided that well. I can see you've had some training. Interesting." She said, thoughtfully.

"Let me address that title of yours instead." Ji Hoon said. "You've described yourself inaccurately if that's what you believe. In the short time I've known you, you're not any of those things. Net worth excluded. You might be in danger but you take it with tenacity. You might not be able to lethally disarm someone, but I believe you're brave enough to try. You might be an heiress to the world - but you're just trying to lead a normal life behind the spotlight." Laura's mouth fell half open.

"How did you..." she spluttered. "Did you already read my case file or something?"

"No. I figured that out on my own." He said. "You're not hard to read; it's just that nobody's taken the trouble to read you yet." Laura felt her heart jolt.

"And - you did?" she asked. "How did you figure I'm trying to lead a normal life behind the spotlight, as you put it?"

"You were in a regular taxi cab during the accident. You're an heiress; you should've been in a chauffeur driven Benz at least." He replied simply.

"You're all wet on that." She said feeling like she gained a point. "That was a simple mistake. I was supposed to take the car my stepfather sent for me. He just wasn't around so I took a cab."

"Rather than waiting around and throwing a fit? A normal heiress would've kicked up a fuss. You just took a cab." Ji Hoon said. Laura's shoulders fell. His reasoning was so on par she was taken aback.

"Why? Why did you read me?" she asked. "Just because you're supposed to know everything about me since you'll be guarding me?"

"No... because I don't have a dislike of conversing with you." he said calmly. Laura inhaled quickly. He had answered her question - in a way she never expected.

"What are you?" she asked with wide incredulous eyes. Her question wasn't offensive, just honestly curious. Ji Hoon just smiled.

"I told you. I'm Kim Ji Hoon, your new bodyguard."

Broken bones took time to heal, Laura knew that. She knew she had to be patient. But with the days rolling by while she was stuck in a hospital room, she started to get frustrated. She had to miss her interviews for the jobs she applied for and put her work life on hold. She also couldn't move about too much because her ribs hurt. Altogether, she felt like swearing.

Only Ji Hoon kept her sanity still working by arousing her curiosity. He never left the room unless she wanted privacy to make a phone call or change her clothes. Even then she saw him standing outside with his back to the door through the frosted glass. He certainly took his job seriously, she thought. They had barely spoken much since the first day, mostly due to the fact she took a lot of sedatives to rest. But once that phase was over, she intended to get him to open up. She was bored and had nothing else to do anyway.

"Don't you ever take a day off? Or at least, an hour?" she asked him one evening.

"I work round the clock." He said. He was reading a magazine and didn't even look up to answer. Laura scrunched her lip. How was she gonna get him to talk?

"You must be tired of being cooped up with me in here; you don't even go home to change. Why don't you take a break? I'll be fine by myself for awhile." She said. He finally looked up with an expressionless face.

"I'm here to protect you. Did you forget that already?" he asked rather brusquely.

"No but... I'm not likely to get attacked here, right? I mean, nobody would attempt anything inside a public hospital." She said almost jokingly. Ji Hoon's face remained grave.

"You don't know that." he said with foreboding. "Don't kid yourself thinking you're safe in here. You're never safe."

"I was just trying to..." Laura trailed off feeling hopeless. "I'm safe with you, aren't I?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you believe you're safe with me." His answer was so unexpected - and insightful.

"What about the facts? How can just believing that assure my safety?" she asked, frowning. Ji Hoon put the magazine down.

"Because... Trust is a powerful weapon. Acquiring it is hard, but wielding it gives unimaginable results." He said. Laura felt tongue tied again. Every time she talked to him, he came out leaving her bewildered. He had this strange power to surprise her mind to the point of being speechless.

"You - you must have been through a lot to say that." she said casually. But that's when she saw it - for the briefest moment, his staunch mask slipped and his eyes darkened like a bottomless pit. She saw his Adam's apple bob in his throat.

"I think you need a distraction." He said diverting the subject. "Are you hungry? I can order something for you if you want."

"I just had lunch." Laura said as if it were obvious.

"Don't you like to watch TV?" he asked.

"I hate American sitcoms and Andrew banned me from news channels."

"You play video games on your phone right? I saw you playing last night."

"Not interested." She said with amusement on her face. She wanted to see how far he would go before exhausting all excuses. He looked around slightly irritated.

"There must be something you want to do." He stated.

"There is. But I can't."

"What is it?"

"I wanted to get out of this room, walk around the grounds. I may be recovering, but I'm sick of this room. It's why I asked if you want to take a break. At least if one of us can get out..."

"Is that all? Then let's go." Ji Hoon said, taking his jacket.

"But... I can't walk! And how am I supposed to -" Ji Hoon left the room before she could finish. He came back in less than a minute with a wheelchair.

"The doctor said you can sit in this." He said bringing the chair to her bedside.

"But I can't -" Laura began, but Ji Hoon clicked his tongue.

"I told you to trust me." he said. Then, without forewarning, he slipped his hands behind her back and under her knees.

"What are you doing? Wait!" she panicked, afraid her ribs would hurt if she moved.

"Laura, I need you to trust me." he said, meeting her anxious eyes with an intensity that startled her. She stared at him before nodding. Ji Hoon smiled.

"Good." He said. Ever so slowly, he lifted her off the bed with ease, with a gentleness comparable to a mother with her newborn child. Laura braced herself for the pain, but it never came.

"Breathe." Ji Hoon said softly when he got her off the bed. She exhaled, realizing she was in his arms, four feet off the floor. In the split second before he put her in the chair, she felt a strange sensation all over her skin. She realized she had never been carried like this before; now she was pressed against her bodyguard's chest, practically feeling his heartbeat, his magnetizing well-formed countenance an inch from hers. She gasped under her breath, feeling like her heart forgot to beat.

"Pain?" Ji Hoon asked concernedly. Laura shook her head; words got stuck in her throat. Assured that she was unhurt, he set her down in the chair. Then he took the blanket off her bed and wrapped it over her knees. Laura watched him while he worked, unsure what to say. Finally he squatted on his knees and took her feet in his hands, slipping some bedroom slippers on. He looked up at her satisfied.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded. He patted the wheel chair handle before getting behind her and pushing it.

"Ah, the weather is beautiful today." He said as they came outside. He wheeled her along gently through the callery pear tree path. A light breeze ruffled the flower petals and rained them down on the path.

"So are you satisfied now?" he asked. Laura nodded, still trying to form a question in her head.

"I must admit, the pear trees here are just like the ones in Korea." He continued. "They can cheer a person up after a week of imprisonment in a hospital room."

"Yes, I suppose they can." Laura said distractedly. After a good walk across the grounds, Ji Hoon stopped the chair in front of a bench and sat on it, facing her.

"Wouldn't you rather look at the scenery?" Laura asked. "You could have parked me beside you."

"I feel more at ease if you're within my sight." Ji Hoon said. Laura exhaled heavily. Every time he spoke to her, it was like he meant to say two things - as if there was more between the lines. But she shook her head. Was she imagining that?

"Where did you learn to nurse someone like this?" she asked finally.

"It's mandatory for someone in the army." Ji Hoon replied. Laura backed down in understanding; all healthy South Korean men had to enlist in their lifetime.

"But where did you become such a natural?" she continued. Ji Hoon smiled.

"Is that what you think?" he asked. "I'm not really. It's just that you're an easy patient."

"Oh." Laura didn't know how to reopen the subject.

"But I used to take care of my mom when she was in the hospital." He said. Laura was surprised that he volunteered information.

"Was she very ill?" she asked gently.

"Mmm. But she never let me catch on." The light faded from his expression.

"Is she - back in Korea?" she asked tentatively.

"No... she passed away. A little while before my dad." He replied, averting his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring it up." Laura said, reaching for his intertwined hands. He turned back to her on feeling her touch.

"It's okay." He said with a ghost of a smile. He put her hands back on her lap. They sat there together in mutual silence, the quiet evening breeze mingled with the sweet scent of cherry blossoms gliding past them. Some time later, Ji Hoon checked his watch.

"It's almost seven. I should get you back for dinner." He said getting up. Laura's face fell.

"Already? But I don't even want that awful porridge..." she murmured. Ji Hoon heard it.

"Really? Hmm... how about if I order something for you instead? Andrew gave me the company card so you can eat whatever you want." He said. Laura's eyes sparkled.

"Anything?" she asked. "But the doctor didn't say -"

"Doctors never let their patients know they're getting better. Trust me, you're fine for takeout." Ji Hoon said. Laura's eyes sparkled.

"In that case... I intend to go all out." She said. "I've been craving sandwiches for a week."

Later that night, Andrew returned to the hospital to check on things. He came in looking like his nerves were stretched thin. He ordered a coffee before going to Laura's room and sitting down to talk with Ji Hoon.

"How is it that you have it easier than me?" he asked Ji Hoon. He sipped his coffee and closed his eyes.

"Ah, this must be my sixth cup today." He said. He suddenly noticed paper bags and empty wrappings of deli sandwiches on the table.

"You ordered in?" he asked.

"Laura wanted food that didn't taste like cardboard." Ji Hoon said.

"At least you ate... all I had was a bagel all day. I'm dying for some pho noodles and Tong Dak."

"Looks like the white collars got you slogging." Ji Hoon commented.

"It's not them. Usually I can handle the demands but with the issues surrounding an attempted murder -" he stopped off quickly glancing at Laura sleeping on the bed, the curtain half drawn around her.

"Is she -" he began.

"Been asleep for a couple hours." Ji Hoon said. Andrew breathed in relief.

"That's a relief. Mr. Talavera has been worrying about her and her mother won't stop calling every few hours." He said.

"Is there no one else in the family to take care of her?" Ji Hoon asked.

"Her mother's in Australia and so are a few of her relatives. She's not very close with any of her friends." Andrew replied.

"No boyfriend?" Andrew gave a wry smile at that.

"Trying to make her get one is what started all this." He said. Ji Hoon's expression flickered.

"What do you mean?"

"We're investigating the night of the accident and things don't look good." Andrew said. "She was supposed to be on a date with Luke Wetmore, the son of one of Mr. Talavera's partners. She left early and took a cab instead of coming home with Mr. Wetmore."

"So?"

"So it didn't go well. I got a call the next day from the restaurant saying the couple for whom the table was reserved did not stay for their pre-ordered six course meal. Also, Mr. Wetmore left the joint threatening to sue for spilling hot soup all over him."

"What does that have to do with Laura?"

"She's the reason hot soup got spilled over him." Andrew said with straight lips. Ji Hoon chuckled softly.

"She's a feisty one." He said.

"Point is, her date went south and one of the bell boys confessed he heard Luke Wetmore talking on the phone about quote 'making her pay'." Ji Hoon's face went hard.

"So Wetmore's a suspect."

"One who's been avoiding questioning so far. The police find it too coincidental."

"Is he rich?"

"Loaded, why?"

"Then it's easy for the," Ji Hoon said a word unfit for innocent ears, "to get away from a murder case. What's his relationship with Laura?"

"They know each other by face; Mr. Talavera wanted them to get together and set them up. The other side seemed keen on the idea at first."

"So he wasn't Laura's choice?" Ji Hoon asked in conclusion.

"No..." Andrew replied slowly. "It was supposed to be for the good of the company -"

"Dammit Andrew, people are trying to force her into something she didn't want and it almost killed her!" Ji Hoon hissed as he stood up in anger. "What is wrong with rich people?"

"Why are you getting worked up about it?" Andrew asked, blinking. Ji Hoon exhaled and sat down.

"How far will they go to get her?" he asked, changing the subject.

"They're desperate; without the help from Talavera Group, they'll go under by the end of the year." Andrew paused before speaking.

"But they're not the only threat."

"I didn't think so."

"Mr. Talavera has been getting threatening messages for a month. It has to do with some deals he's planning to push for and the underworld isn't happy about it."

"So they want to persuade him by hitting him where he's weakest." Ji Hoon said with a look at Laura's bed.

"They haven't tried anything - yet." Andrew's hesitation saying 'yet' left an ominous impression.

"They won't get the chance. Not while I'm here." Ji Hoon said. Andrew nodded.

"But the threat is still at a high level. To the public the company seems to be going through a mildly rough patch; but to Mr. Talavera, it's a matter of life and death."

"How long until she's out of danger?" Ji Hoon asked. Andrew shrugged.

"Can't say. If the company is successful, these threats won't stop any time soon. That's why... she needs you." Ji Hoon clenched his fists. Laura's life was inexplicably similar to his; and for a moment he pitied her for it.

"Running and hiding - she doesn't deserve this kind of life." He said to himself.

"There's nothing that can be done about it except keep her safe." Andrew said finishing his coffee.