In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.
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The Art of War
Sun Tzu

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Walking into the largest industrial corporation in all of South Korea with two handguns in his pockets probably wasn't the smartest idea Kim Taehyung ever had. 

Usually, Taehyung liked to pride himself on being a street-smart type of guy. He learned the hard way how carelessness got one into trouble, so he always took extra precautions when doing something considerably risky. But today, walking through the lobby of Korean National Oil Corp. with loaded weaponry, he wasn't the most cautious.

Truthfully, he didn't exactly have the time to think or plan ahead. His journey here had been rushed and completely last minute. But he couldn't afford to think about the circumstances that brought him here.

Not now.

As he made his way towards the elevators, Taehyung let his arms hang limply by his sides. The jacket he wore didn't have the deepest of pockets, so the grips of his Glock 19 and Sig Sauer P226 handguns were slightly sticking out. As long as people didn't look too closely at him, he'd most likely make it to his destination without any trouble.

But until he got there, he had to be careful. After traveling for days on end, he didn't want to risk being mistaken as an active shooter when he was so close to the man he came here to see: Min Yoongi, Chief of Security to this global corporation.

That name was his only motivation over the last several days. It was a name he learned of quite recently, a name to keep in his back pocket in case he ever needed help.

And while Taehyung absolutely detested asking for help and appearing weak, he knew he had no other choice. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and fuck was he desperate.

Taehyung pressed the up button in the elevator bank, staring at his reflection in the golden doors as he waited. The person peering back at him wasn't recognizable. No, that man looked so unfamiliar to Taehyung that he almost had to do a double-take.

His previously warm and vibrant eyes were now hollow and lackluster, cushioned by heavy, dark bags. The perpetual smile that always tugged at his lips now flattened into a tight frown. And his hair, once glossy and bouncy, hung messily over his forehead, the strands matted and dull.

In short, he looked like shit.

If he was honest, he felt like shit, too. He supposed anyone would if they'd been in his position.

Needing to pull himself together, Taehyung attempted to arrange his hair as neatly as possible before focusing on his wrinkled clothing. There wasn't much he could do about the state of his pants and jacket; he'd have to put on an overly confident act to keep others' eyes off his disheveled appearance.

He practiced smiling at his reflection, though the gesture didn't reach his eyes at all. Instead of the amicable and charming look he was going for, he appeared robotic and slightly psychopathic.

Great.

Breathing deeply, Taehyung plunged his hands into his jacket pockets, fingers grazing over the smooth coolness he found there. The combined danger and security of these tools gave him an odd sense of comfort. Once, he would've been terrified of merely seeing a gun. But now, after years of training with the best of the best, these specific pieces of weaponry didn't fluster him. Plus, he'd gotten to know these particular guns quite well over the last couple of days.

When no one else was there for him - when no one else could be relied upon - he had these tools and his skill alone to protect himself. Really, that's all he needed.

Finally, after what felt like a ridiculously long time, the golden elevator doors opened before him. Several people got out, not caring to hide their judgmental stares as they glanced over his messy appearance. Compared to their expensive suits and fancy briefcases, Taehyung looked quite out of place in his simple streetwear. Even still, he didn't give two shits about what they thought. He had more important things to worry about than the clothing on his back.

Once the elevator cleared out, Taehyung walked in and pushed the button for the thirty-sixth floor. Considering how long it took the elevator to reach the ground floor, it'd be a few more minutes until he reached his destination.

Those golden doors started to close, showing more and more of Taehyung's unkempt appearance, when a pale hand stuck in between. The doors immediately started to reopen, revealing a slim, dark-haired man with a serious look tightening his features. He didn't look happy in the slightest, though he ignored Taehyung as he strode into the elevator.

The man stood on the opposite side of Taehyung, hand reaching out to select his floor. A soft hum of surprise left his mouth, though Taehyung didn't turn to see what that was all about. Judging by the pair of eyes boring into his skull, he would find out soon enough.

"You have a Glock sticking out from your jacket," the man said idly after a couple of seconds, his tone so disinterested he might have been commenting on the weather.

Taehyung met the man's gaze, finding a probing set of eyes staring him down. Despite the shorter stature and thin frame of the man, he had an unwavering expression that spoke of grit and quiet tenacity. If it came to it, Taehyung could probably overpower the man from strength alone, but he knew better than to assume anything about an unknown opponent.

"Glock 19," Taehyung confirmed, keeping his hands loose at his sides in a non-confrontational stance. "I have a Sig Sauer in my other pocket, too."

The guy scoffed, appearing completely unfazed to learn he was sharing an elevator with an armed person. "How'd you get those past security?"

Taehyung's eyebrows rose high, amused by the question. "Not sure if you've noticed, but this building doesn't have any security in the lobby. Considering the prominence of this company, that's probably not the safest thing, right?"

The man mumbled something under his breath, not taking his eyes off Taehyung for a second. It was clear he was trying to determine whether or not Taehyung was a threat, and based on the way his hand hovered over his back pocket, he wasn't unarmed either.

"I'm not planning on using either gun," Taehyung told the guy at last, deciding to save his ass before a gun pressed into his forehead. "I just didn't have time to store them somewhere safe on my way here."

"And why are you here?" The man countered, hand now purposely resting on the back of his pants. "What business do you have going to the thirty-sixth floor with two handguns on you?"

"I'm here to see the Chief of Security," Taehyung answered, shrugging a shoulder casually as he checked out what floor they were on. Twenty-five. Almost there.

But the man still wasn't appeased and kept his guard up. "You planning on putting bullets through his head or something?"

Taehyung barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the guy. "If I was, do you really think I'd tell you? I'm a trained professional. I know how to practice discretion."

Oddly enough, that comment made the man visibly relax. His hand dropped from his back pocket as he decided his gun was no longer needed. "Ah. You're here to interview."

Silence filled the elevator as Taehyung appraised the man, trying to determine what or how much to say. He knew it wasn't wise to tell a stranger his motives for being here, though he was curious how much information he could get out of the guy.

"Perhaps," he settled on at last, keeping his answer vague and noncommittal.

The guy haughtily shook his head, like he already knew everything about Taehyung. "You look too young to even apply for the job, let alone actually protect someone. How old are you?"

That struck a chord with Taehyung. He was always sick and tired of people assuming he was too young to do anything. "It doesn't matter how old I am. I'm qualified either way."

"You think you're qualified, huh? Well, tell me this. You think you could sustain being a bodyguard twenty-four-seven, living with one of the most targeted families in the country? Think you could put someone else's life before yours, jump in front of a bullet if it came down to it?" The man crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrows raised in a challenge.

"You don't know what I'm capable of," Taehyung retorted, voice tight with poorly suppressed anger. "And it's in your best interest that you never find out."

The man considered him for a moment, lips pursed together as his mind worked quickly. "Answer me this question then. Could you do it? Live with your charge around the clock, going wherever they go? You'll have no time for yourself. Your place will be right next to your charge, ready at all times to provide protection. Could you do it?"

Honestly, it sounded like torture to Taehyung. Whether you were the protector or the protected, spending all of your time with another in that capacity would be miserable. But, without question, it would be far better to be the protector in that case. Taehyung knew he couldn't stand having someone watch over him every single day of the week, following his every move. In no world would he ever want to be subjected to anything like that.

Luckily for him, he wasn't about to be.

"I could do it."

"That's what they all say," the man said, eyes so piercing it was like he wanted to burn through Taehyung. "That's what the last security detail said. But he was given too much leniency, and we all know how that ended up."

Taehyung lowered his head. Yes, the whole world appeared to have learned what happened. It seemed like that was all everyone could talk about nowadays, the most current scandal of the wealthy's elite.

"Maybe your department has been interviewing the wrong type of people then," Taehyung said, sighing in relief once he noted they were almost to their destination. "When I give someone my word, I keep it. And if that means babysitting a spoiled brat, if that's the person you want me to protect, so be it."

The man chuckled as they reached the thirty-sixth floor, a bit of a gummy smile revealing itself to Taehyung. "Alright, then. Let's have you interview."

Taehyung stepped out of the elevator, quickly glancing around his surroundings to familiarize himself with the floor's layout. "I'll only confirm with the Chief of Security if I'm actually here to interview or not."

"Well, then," the guy said, pulling out a badge and showing it to Taehyung, "give me an answer."

In bold letters, accompanied by an official-looking photo, read the name Min Yoongi, Chief of Security. This was the very person Taehyung came all this way to see, and he'd been arguing with him the entire elevator ride. Probably not the best first impression.

"Well . . . ?" The man - Yoongi - prompted, arching an eyebrow in impatience.

Taehyung considered for one final moment, wondering how far he could actually get in this process. Probably not very far, although he was curious if the Chief of Security thought he had what it took to protect someone else's life.

So with as genuine of a smile as he could muster, Taehyung nodded his head. "You got me. I'm here to interview."

A knowing grin was his response, and Yoongi led them both through heavy glass doors and into his department. They passed under a metal detector, both triggering the alarm.

"You think you'd have this set up in the lobby," Taehyung said under his breath, but just loud enough for the Chief of Security to hear him.

"I agree, however, I only got this job a few months back. Haven't had the time to implement many changes yet," Yoongi responded, scanning a badge to get them into a secure-looking office.

"What happened to the old Chief of Security?" Taehyung asked in genuine curiosity, plopping down into a chair in the office. His legs were stiff and sore from his travel, so he stretched them far out in front of himself.

"The CEO fired the guy after secure information was leaked to the public," Yoongi stated as he tapped away on a computer, barely paying Taehyung any attention.

"What kind of information?"

At that, Yoongi did look up and fixed a frosty glare on him. "His wife's name. The CEO spent a lot of time and money to keep his family safe, even hiding their names and identities. Up until the old Chief fucked up, the public had no idea what his wife even looked like. And now . . ."

The man didn't have to finish. Taehyung knew the track his thoughts were on. If that classified information never got out, maybe the woman would still be alive.

"Was the son involved in the attack?" He fished, wanting to know what sort of intelligence others had on the event.

"If you get the job, then you'll get as many details as you need. Got it?"

Taehyung wondered what he was getting himself into. If he got this job - if he accepted this job - he'd be playing a dangerous game. But his other options were even less favorable than this; he couldn't return to the life he used to lead.

It was funny what desperation could do to a person. It made one think irrationally, to damn the consequences in order to fulfill an immediate need.

And this is exactly what that was.

"Understood," he agreed at last, leaning back in his chair and eyeing his future potential boss.

"Good," Yoongi nodded once, his stony expression giving away nothing. "Let's get started. What's your name?"

A smile spread over his lips, one more genuine than anything he attempted over the last week. "Kim Taehyung."

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》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

And so it begins . . .

Continue on to Chapter 2 folks!