Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Aegis's love for him is limited, Hae-seong is well aware. Just as Aegis knows Hae-seong's love is unconditional.
But for a man like Aegis, the fact that he could show him any real affection at all, the fact that he could muster up some humanity to love him has to mean something. For that, Hae-seong is and always will be grateful.
*
One year ago, a man knocked at his door. He was a sharp looking fellow with a perfectly pressed suit and rectangular glasses that vaguely reminded him of the professionals he'd see in their cubicles when he took up bodyguarding or security guards. Before Hae-seong can even ask who he was or why he was here, the man stuck his hand out, introducing himself.
"Good afternoon Mr. Kim, I'm Takashi Mueller. I was sent here by the state to ask a favor of you. No, you're not in trouble or under suspicion of any foul play, but we do think that you could do us a great service. But, I'm sure you'd rather hear all the details before accepting. May I come in?"
Hae-seong's first instinct was to say 'no thank you' and shut the door, but he figured that wouldn't be a very good idea. Instead, he tentatively shook the man's hand and let him in.
The man who couldn't have been much older than him seated himself on the couch and waited for Hae-seong to get settled before beginning to explain.
"I'm sure you must be somewhat familiar with White Industries." He said, taking out a manila folder from his briefcase and setting it on Hae-seong's coffee table. Inside were several papers and a picture of the company's chairman, Aegis White.
Aegis White was a household name; the son of a wealthy corporate giant who took over when he was only 20, building the business to be ten times larger than it had been in the past. He was a billionaire, a philanthropist, and a womanizer (as the tabloids claimed) with his handsome face, blonde hair, and blue eyes.
"Yes, but I'm not sure why he or his company have anything to do with me."
"He has nothing to do with you." Takashi conceded, only confusing him even more.
"But regardless, he's been tied to several accounts of fraud, bribery, conspiracy, murder…" Takashi took out all the papers and sets them down in front of him, one by one. "The list goes on."
Hae-seong picked one of them up, skimming through it. He wasn't surprised by what he read. Big corporations and their leaders being corrupt is old news, and anyone who thinks that there's a limit to the evils of greed is an idiot. He set the paper down and looked up at the bespeckled man as if to ask "so what?".
The man took out another set of papers, setting them down. "And here's what we know about you." He said, handing them over to him. The papers detailed nearly everything about him since he moved to the States; everything from his working experience as a bouncer and bodyguard to his correspondence with old acquaintances marked as international criminal offenders.
"I've done nothing wrong." He says firmly.
"I know. But, you do have experience with what goes on in the circles of organized crime. Better yet, you have no connection to law enforcement or intelligence agencies. You fit in. And someone like you who's swam in those waters and come out with hands as clean as a baby is hard to come by."
Hae-seong was silent, both wary and unimpressed. "Then how did I get on your radar?"
Takashi's hands are folded in front of him, unclasped so that he can reach up to push his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. "You have every right to be wary, but I assure you we're looking out for your best interest as well as the well being of the public. All you need to do is pose as his bodyguard and collect enough incriminating evidence so that we can hit the final nail in the coffin should we manage to bring this to court. But, this wouldn't just bring down Aegis White, this could tackle an entire vein of corruption that's been sitting unchecked for far too long." He said, blatantly ignoring the question and trying to guilt Hae-seong into making the "moral" decision.
He was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. "And if I die? He's not an idiot, and I'm not a spy. If he catches me, there's no way you can guarantee my safety."
Takashi took off his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. It was clear he knew how dangerous and unsavory the job was despite all his big talk.
"We understand the risks are very high, but you won't be completely alone in this. We've put together an entire investigative team to help you with this, including myself." That knowledge didn't do much to comfort him.
"But I'm the only one who'll be dealing with him every day, lying to his face and trying not to get shot."
"You're the only one who can."
'Liar.' Hae-seong thought a bit bitterly.
He took another moment to think. The money was good, and the idea in and of itself was exciting. He'd be an undercover hero cutting down the tree of corruption at the roots. Except, Hae-seong didn't want to be a hero, and it wasnt as if he was short on money.
"You don't have to decide today. We'll give it a few days, and if you decline there will be no consequences." The man leaves after giving him his business card, and a request to consider his offer carefully. Hae-seong said nothing as he sees him out, closing the door and looking down at the business card in his hand. He had a feeling that either way this was going to come back to bite him in the ass.
*
"Come in."
It's only three days later that Hae-seong finds himself in front of Aegis White's office. His suit is pristine, short hair combed neatly, and alert high as he enters. Seeing the man up close is really… something else.
As in the photos and videos, Aegis White is a devastatingly attractive man. Tall- taller than Hae-seong even, who stands at 6'1- perfect, defined features, a golden head of hair and piercing blue eyes. His smile is all too perfect as he invites Hae-seong to take a seat from behind his desk.
The formalities take little time before Aegis makes his thoughts known.
"You have an impressive resume." The man had said, a cigar hanging loosely between his two fingers as he held up the paper with all of Hae-seong's information on it. "But what would you do if, hypothetically speaking, I shot a man right in front of you. Unprovoked, no explanation given."
That question would have raised red flags in anyone else, but Hae-seong had known what to expect walking in.
"I'm just a bodyguard, sir. What you do is none of my business."
Aegis smiles; the perfect image of a charming, benevolent billionaire.
"Good answer."
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