Meeting Min Jieun

Seo Ahri and Gojin walked through the bustling shopping district, walking through the crowds. Gojin looked around, feeling out of place among the high-end stores and stylish shoppers. He had never been much for fashion, but today was different.

"Are you sure we need to do all this?" Gojin asked as they entered another store filled with designer clothes.

Seo Ahri barely glanced at him, already picking through racks of clothes.

"You need to look the part," she said, holding up a shirt against Gojin and then shaking her head. "As an idol's rich cousin, you have to look rich. Although you're quite good-looking, you need a makeover to fit the role."

Gojin sighed, shaking his head as Seo Ahri handed him another shirt. The pile of clothes in his arms grew steadily, and he wondered how many outfits she planned to buy.

Seo Ahri smiled and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Don't worry about paying for the clothes or anything. It's all covered by the client."

Gojin nodded, feeling a bit relieved but still overwhelmed. He had worn nothing this expensive before. As he tried various outfits, Seo Ahri sat on a plush chair outside the fitting room, scrolling through her phone.

After trying on a flashy jacket, Gojin stepped out, and Seo Ahri looked up, inspecting him.

"Not bad, but something is missing," she said, nodding in approval. "Try the next one."

As he returned to the fitting room, Seo Ahri called out, "By the way, what did you tell your parents? You'll be missing for a week. Won't they wonder about it?"

"I told them I was going to a practice camp with the people I'm interning with," Gojin's voice came from behind the curtain. "I didn't feel good about lying, but they wouldn't have let me go otherwise."

"A practice camp, huh? That's a new one. Do you think they'll believe it?"

"Yeah, they trust me because I haven't lied to them before."

Gojin stepped out again, this time in a sharp suit that made him look older and more sophisticated. He adjusted the tie awkwardly.

"I hope so. It's the only way I could get out of the house for a week without them worrying too much."

Seo Ahri stood up and walked over, adjusting the suit jacket on Gojin's shoulders.

"Well, let's make sure this week is worth it. You look good, by the way."

Gojin blushed slightly, not used to such compliments.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

They spent the next few hours moving from store to store, with Seo Ahri selecting outfits and accessories, and Gojin obediently trying them all on. By the end of the day, they had amassed a collection of stylish clothes that would fit the image of a wealthy, sophisticated young man.

***

Gojin entered the restaurant with Seo Ahri and Jung Soo. They were about to meet the client who had prompted this unusual job offer. The staff showed them to a private room at the back, away from prying eyes.

When they entered the room, Gojin was taken aback. Sitting at the table was one of the controversial idols from his past life, Min Jieun. In his previous life, back then, she was known for her scandals. But the woman who greeted them was nothing like the troubled idol he remembered.

Min Jieun stood up with a bright smile. She was wearing a casual but stylish outfit, and her blonde hair was in a simple ponytail. Her ocean blue eyes looked youthful and full of energy, a stark contrast to the image Gojin had in his memory.

Seo Ahri stood up and shook Jieun's hand. "It's an honor to work with you, Miss Min. This is Kim Gojin and Soo Jung. They'll be acting as your cousin and undercover bodyguard throughout the duration of the operation."

"Nice to meet you, Gojin." Jieun's eyes flickered with interest as she looked at Gojin. "You too, Mr. Jung."

Gojin stood up and bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you too, Miss Min."

"Oh, please drop the formalities," Min Jieun replied. "I can't have my cousin act like this."

Once they were acquainted, they all sat down, and Jieun maintained a cheerful and relaxed demeanor. She chatted easily with Seo Ahri and Jung Soo.

All the while, Gojin watched her closely, puzzled. This wasn't the Jieun he remembered—the one who had been surrounded by strange rumors and had ultimately taken her own life.

As they began talking, Min Jieun's face dropped, and she began telling them about her suspicions.

"I've had some... incidents that made me doubt the people around me," she sighed. "Recently, I've been having random blackouts around that time. I remember nothing. Sometimes it feels like someone is watching me in my home and every place just feels... weird."

She continued, "I couldn't report it because I don't know who else might be involved. But I need someone I can trust, and that's why I asked for you for help."

Jieun glanced at Gojin, and for the first time, her fake mask of happiness slipped. "I just want to feel safe again. Can you do that for me?"

There was something in those eyes. Something that told Gojin everything he needed to know. She desperately needed help, and even though she wouldn't admit it, her eyes told everything.

"I'll protect you at all costs, Miss Min." Gojin nodded firmly.

The meeting continued, and there wasn't much for Gojin to pay attention to. After all, they were talking about legal mumbo jumbo. Gojin had no interest in those things. Instead, his mind drifted to what he remembered about Min Jieun.

He remembered how the rumors and scandals had surrounded her, painting her as someone who had affairs with rich men and was constantly in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

But now he was getting to know more about her story, it made him wonder if the agency had forced her into some of those acts.

"Remember, discretion is key. No one can know that Gojin and Jung Soo are bodyguards," Seo Ahri's lawyer concluded. "They are just your cousin and his security."

With that, the meeting ended, and Jieun stood up to leave. Gojin followed her out, as he and Soo Jung were supposed to move in with her for the week.

Although Gojin had taken the job for the money, he was determined to protect Min Jieun and didn't want her to suffer as she did in the past.