"Good afternoon, Junjun." I greeted my charge as he pushed himself on his elbows and scanned the room.

"I guess you are real. It was not a dream." He smiled bashfully and ran his fingers through his messy bed head. An instant later, though, he sobered up and turned his face away, "Don't look at me when I am like this." he crowed.

"Like what!?" I inquired, genuinely curious.

Was I missing something?

Instead of answering me, the idol ran to the bathroom with his hands hiding his hair. I heard the door bang shut; a loud distressed grunt followed a moment later accompanied by curse words I didn't appreciate but figured that that is probably how the youngsters these days rolled.

Not wanting to seem old-fashioned or nosy and give Junjun some privacy, I closed my bedroom door and decided to check the local news. Thank Buddha, I was not an I-can't-take-a-dump-unless-I-know-what's-happening-around-the-world kind of guy. However, since the mysterious throat-ripping incidents and a (more worrying) 'beast sighting' not far from my residence, my interest in the current events had soared, making me keep an eye on the local news.

After all, Ai-Jiejie lived alone, and I wasn't home most nights. What chance did a blind girl have against a beast?

A part of me secretly hoped that the sighting was just a result of someone's overactive imagination. It wasn't a long stretch, right? A little alcohol in the system plus a horror movie date, I suppose, could make one see a beast instead of a plain old wolf.

To be honest, though, the possibility of a wolf roaming the neighborhood was overall a scarier concept. Wolves are real, indigenous, and much more dangerous, as compared to their fictional counterparts: werewolves.

My stomach did a flip-flop. I imagine that this is how fish must feel when it's time for their tanks to be cleaned, especially by some clumsy buffoon who had dropped it on his table instead of the aquarium more than once.

The last thing I needed was for a wolf to turn man-eater and venture near my building, wreaking havoc when I already had my hands full.

"Zhao Laoshi. Hello!"

'That's you, dumbass.' The Bastard nudged, slapping me back to the present. I turned around. The idol was back in his element. He looked more confident and composed than he had done earlier.

Wait, was he wearing makeup!?

I preferred him bare. He had looked gorgeous and natural without the layers he was wearing now.

"You are doing that thing with your face again, Zhao Laoshi." He reminded me, and I averted my eyes instantly. "What thing?"

"The thing where you make me feel self-conscious. It's not something I am used to."

"I will keep that in mind and use it only when I want to make you feel self-conscious, alright?" I teased and winked, then recalling how he had dashed to the bathroom, I glanced at it and asked, "All okay?"

"I..." He hesitated, "I didn't mean to be rude. For a moment there, I forgot that you were my friend and won't take my unflattering pictures and sell them online."

I felt gobsmacked. "People do that!?"

He shrugged, "It's not their fault. We are expected to look a certain way. At the same time, people want to see what we really look without all the added layers. And pay good money for it. I guess the more ordinary we look, the more relatable we become." he sighed and fell silent, interlacing his fingers.

I could tell that he was not finished. "Go on." I urged, and he shrugged, "The more relatable we become, the more criticism we have to endure. Sometimes it feels like most of us put on these fake layers to protect ourselves from those who supposedly love us." He caught my eyes, "It's ironic, isn't it?"

Suddenly, agreeing with him was not enough, and before I could stop myself, I pulled him into a tight embrace. "It's terrible that they make you feel this way. You deserve better."
A heartbeat later, I felt his slim arms wrap around my middle. We stayed like that till awkwardness came knocking, and I let him go.

Standing up, I gasped, "Will you look at the time?" and held up my wrist to him dramatically, sounding like I had forgotten about my date and had left her standing at the altar, all alone. 

"What about it?" The boy asked, mimicking my actions.

I signaled him to follow me into my bedroom and opened my disguise drawer. Without checking to see if he had followed me in, I pulled the compartment open. "I have been giving what you told me some thought. I think you shouldn't venture out looking like... like you."

Junjun shook his head, "I don't follow."

I invited him to take my bed, but he refused and squatted down next to me on the cold floor.

"You told me that your brother is head of security services, right?"

My client nodded, "Frankly, I am surprised how his men haven't tracked me down yet."

"Exactly. If we want to keep it that way, I think it would be best to take certain precautions." I suggested, hoping that he would agree with what I had come up with.

"I am listening."

"First, keep away from the windows and don't step out onto the balcony."

"Mn."

"Second, never leave the apartment through the front gate. It's too open."

"Got it."

"Third, never ever go out unaccompanied."

"Why would I!?"

"Wait, there is more."

"Mn."

"Under the circumstances, I would prefer it if you slept downstairs."
Junjun cocked his head at my suggestion, "But you said-"

"It belongs to my landlady. She is a lovely woman."

The idol frowned: unlike the last time, he seemed genuinely upset.

"On an off chance that your brother has had us followed, he would not think to look for you there." I elaborated.

"No. I won't sleep at your landlady's place. I want to be here."

"Why? It's just downstairs. And I can promise, Ai-JieJie would never betray us."

"I trust no one except you. Don't you understand!? If she sees me, she will sell me out. They all do!" Junjun's inky mono-lids swam with anger and frustration.

What happened to you to make you think of women this way?

"Trust me, she won't recognize you."
"Why?"

"She lost her sight years ago. And even if she hadn't, I would still trust her."

The idol lowered his eyes. Ashamed. His lips fell open, "I am sorry. That was rude of me. Is this girl your girlfriend?"

"What!? Noooooooooo!" I dragged. "She is like my mom. Though she is only a year older than me, she pampers me like a mother hen!"
The idol smiled brightly, "Oh. That's fine then. But how will you introduce me?"

"I am thinking of telling her that you are my boss's brother, who I have been asked to watch over because you are wild and impulsive and can't be trusted to be alone." I held up my hand, gesturing that I was not done, and added, "And who is possibly being followed by people who might be looking to harm him in some capacity. What do you think?"

The youngster pursed his lips. His brows creased, and his eyes took on a suspicious glint.

Meanwhile, I contemplated whether I had pushed the envelope by spilling the truth disguised as a lie. Anyway, I couldn't take back my words now. All that remained for me to do was wait patiently.

Gradually, his expression changed, "Actually, that's brilliant. Working as an IT guy is a waste of your talents. You should try your luck in secret services."

He had no idea how close he was to the truth. Silently thanking Buddha for small miracles, I agreed, "I know, right? Sometimes I feel like I was destined to do so much more, but here I am, taking care of...programs."
"Ummmm." He hummed, "By the way, how do these things figure in your plan?" he asked, pointing at the disguise compartment."

"Well, because of who you are, I thought it would help if you and I disguised ourselves, especially if we want to be out and about."

"My fans will still recognize me. They have seen me in all types of hair and makeup." The idol bit his lips and offered, "I know, I can dress up as a woman. We can pretend to be a couple!"

'Well. Well. Well. That won't be uncomfortable in the least, would it, Zhao Laoshi?' The Bastard snickered.

I cursed Haoyu for the nth time that day, and then shrugging, I agreed with his little brother.

Half an hour later, we had selected our getups and christened our newly acquired personas. Fifty minutes after, I  led Junjun downstairs and introduced him as my boss's brother to Ai-Jiejie before requesting her to lend her spare room to my charge.

To my surprise, the two had bonded like mac and cheese. It was like Junjun had known Jiejie for years. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous. I didn't like how the boy was hanging on Ai-Jiejie's every word, while she completely forgot about my existence and refilled his bowl of lotus pork rib soup continuously. Lovingly.

Soon, the sun went down, and the clock struck eight, reminding me that I was supposed to go to the supermarket to pick up what the boss-man had promised.

Leaving the two downstairs, I checked the surveillance monitors I had placed in my landlady's yard and my windows. Satisfied that no one had followed me or kept tabs on our whereabouts, I left the two alone and stepped out into the chilly night.

[Chapter word count: 1653;
Word count so far: 12268]