Much thanks to my beta Krysyuy.

Wang So

The house was enormous. Glass panes shined chrome in the dazzling sun and white archways gave way to a tiled roof and light brown beams. A Hanok house with glass windows and marble paneling. It was the perfect mixture of eastern and western influences- oozing money and shining like a diamond in the afternoon sun.

After passing two preliminary screenings at an office, So now found himself in front of his target. Climbing the steps of the house, So adjusted his suit and made sure his hair was neat before ringing the doorbell of the front gate. Even with his height, he could barely gaze over the brick barrier that kept the press and prying eyes from the Hwang Bo house.

The intercom crackled to life and So heard a voice from the other side. "Yes?"

"My name is Wang So, I'm here to apply for the open security position," he called to where the voice had come from. So stood straight, assuming character and sighing. He would be foregoing quite a long time from the outside world. Acting as a security guard, he would learn each detail of the house and its family. Then, he would respond to those that funded him.

The gate opened on well oiled hinges and So stepped in, raising an eyebrow at the lush gardens and green grass that grew in the winter. So it was true: the laws of physics did not apply to the filthy rich.

He walked over a gravel walkway, noting security cameras covering most of the lawn. There were spots near the small pond where there seemed to be no camera surveillance. An entire chunk of the lawn was omitted from scrutiny- a white bench with swirling designs and blue and yellow cushions. It overlooked an area of water where golden fish swam about, oblivious to the chilly weather.

Just outside of the massive house's front door stood a young woman in a white blouse and trim black skirt. She held herself tall and wore shiny high heels. So assumed she was a size zero and that she wore gel inserts in her shoes… flat feet. A sleek Bluetooth was clipped to her ear and she stood impeccably straight.

"Mr. Wang So?" she asked, her voice high and haughty. Daegu accent, So thought idly. She looked like a flight attendant, the way her hair was pulled into a tight bun that So assumed even a hurricane could not break. She was not the mistress of the house- no rich woman in her right mind would wear a white blouse with a black pencil skirt. Too drab.

"Yes, I'm Wang So," So gave a slight bow and noticed the young lady did not reciprocate.

"My name is Kim Chae Ryung. I am the house's caretaker. I will see to your interview and then you will meet with Mr. Hwang Bo if I approve of your resume and credentials. I assume you have a driver's license and no criminal history?" She shot off her tirade in a monotonous tone that made So want to roll his eyes. Of course I have a criminal history, he thought. It's just not on the records.

"Yes, I can drive and no, I don't have a record," he replied instead. He signed three confidentiality agreements before stepping foot into the house.

Once the documents were complete, the young woman opened the front door and motioned for So to follow her inside. He complied to her orders and removed his shoes when he entered the house, noticing a rustic scent hued with pine.

So noted a massive chandelier in the foyer- crystal and polished. There were wooden beams that supported the modern Hanok home, and each room he passed was spotless and decorated with only the most expensive furnishings.

Opulent. The house was opulent. Yet, there were still little things that made it look like a house actual people lived in.

The TV in the sitting room had a baseball game on. One of the rooms upstairs was painted pink and had Barbie dolls scattered around the floor. There was a cook in the kitchen, rolling out what seemed to be cookie dough… and no security cameras. Unlike the outside, the inside was not watched at all. Perfect.

They reached a hidden door and So frowned when Chae Ryung pressed a ledge to open it. The door slid open to reveal a small office area and a little lounge. So followed behind Chae Ryung and noted that this room was much smaller than any of the others and less lavish in decor. There was a long sofa and a moderately sized tv. Other doors were also connected to this small rest area.

Already, Chae Ryung was holding a tablet in her hands, scanning over So's resume. "You seem to be proficient in three forms of martial arts, you are able to drive manual and stick, and you can speak four languages," she read off of the list. From what So had come up with about himself, he knew he was overqualified to be a meager security guard. Hell, he could probably run against Hwang Bo Wook in the next election cycle and win. "Do you smoke, drink, or take any recreational or medical drugs?" Chae Ryung asked.

So nodded. "I don't smoke and have never been one to drink. I don't take any medication of any kind." The lies rolled effortlessly off of his tongue. He held his hands against his front, standing straight and maintaining eye contact. Was it really this easy to infiltrate a high profile family's home?

Then again, So had spent the past week fabricating his existence. From a diploma from Yonsei University to vacation photos to post on his Instagram, he had doctored an entire past and present. One of his work associates had also posed for photos for him, acting as an ex-girlfriend. Anything and everything about the new Wang So was Photoshopped to make him the perfect candidate for this family.

He jumped through Chae Ryung's hoops without a bat of an eye. He spoke the languages he knew: Korean, Chinese, Russian, English. He performed taekwondo and kung fu for the head of the security team. They even had him list off the politicians he had voted for in the past. So lied on those.

In no time, he was being led into a mahogany office with floor to ceiling bookshelves and antique artwork on the walls. Wang So met eyes with Hwang Bo Wook- the richest politician in the country.

The man was the same age as So- thirty-seven. He maintained the cool facade of a politician and sat straight, folding his reading glasses and setting them onto his desk. His black hair was styled neatly and his suit was Italian. "Wang So, I assume," the politician stated.

So bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he said. If there was one thing So prided himself on, it was his fiendish ability to act in any given situation.

Hwang Bo Wook nodded as he read over something on his tablet- no doubt it was So's resume and whatever information Hwang Bo Wook had dug up about him. "You're quite overqualified to be a mere security guard. Your skill set would be wasted on sitting around watching old CCTV footage," Wook said, his deep voice one that appealed to three fourths of the city's voters. He set the tablet down and laced his fingers together. "No girlfriend, no family obligations, a degree in law, and fluency in four languages. Yet instead of being a politician or a lawyer, you apply to be a security guard. Why?"

So had prepared for that exact question. "I want to protect the man I voted for. I know that there are people who think your policies are bad and the laws you ask for are wrong, but I believe in you and I want to protect you because I think you are the future of this country."

He studied Wook's expressions, noticing no change in the man's poker face. "Aimless flattery," Wook stated. "In any case, you won't be wasted on watching security footage, nor will you be protecting me. Instead, you will be acting as my wife's personal bodyguard."

So raised an eyebrow. He knew exactly who the wife was while also knowing nothing about her. Hae Soo, the beloved daughter of Hae Ha Jin and In Gu Go Myung. She was how Hwang Bo Wook had become so filthy rich. Her parents had invested billions of won into Wook and raised him from a regular lawyer to a politician worthy of their daughter.

There were little to no pictures of Hae Soo on the internet and from what So could find, she was a secluded woman who did not enjoy press. Any images of Hae Soo showed her in a hat, her hand covering her face, or blocked by a different person. She had two children with Hwang Bo Wook- both daughters. Neither of the girls' names were revealed to the public and no one knew what the children or their mother looked like. So was perplexed.

"Of course, sir," So replied. "Anything you need of me." It was no easy task becoming someone's personal bodyguard, but So found that he had been sent straight into the belly of the beast without much of a fight.

"Chae Ryung will inform you of my wife's schedule and activities. Your room will be prepared in the servant's quarters and you may move in tonight. You may leave now."

So bowed once more before exiting the lavish office and shutting the door behind him. Chae Ryung stood beside the door, a warm smile on her face. "Welcome to the team," she chuckled, her old facade gone. So knew that she had put on a blank face for his own sake. If he had gotten rejected, it would have been easier not to have smiled at him. "It's been awhile since we've had a new bodyguard on the team. Let me show you around and then I'll introduce you to everyone."

Nodding, So followed Chae Ryung as she led him throughout the house. "As a personal bodyguard, you'll need to know how every part of the house looks. It's very important that you do."

The front door was locked with two combinations: one for the servants to access and one for the homeowners. The passwords for the servants were changed weekly while the homeowners' were changed every three months. "It's because the girls aren't old enough to quickly memorize different combinations," Chae Ryung explained as she showed So the code he would use if he ever needed to enter the house via the front. "Seven, three, nine, nine, two, six, two," she punched the code in. "We will always have a seven pin code while Mr. Hwang Bo and his wife have a five-pin code. The gate has a four-pin code, but all of the cars have detection cards, so unless the gate is broken or you're on foot, you won't ever have to manually enter that one."

Beyond the front door was the foyer and the sitting room to the left. This time around, it was closed off with sliding doors. "Whether someone is in the room or not, a closed door must be knocked on. If there's no response within ten seconds, you can enter."

Chae Ryung knocked on the wood paneling of the doors before waiting. "Enter," a voice came from inside. Wook. So watched as Chae Ryung slid a door to the side to reveal the baseball game was still on the TV. Mr. Hwang Bo stood at the drink stand beneath a painting, pouring himself a snifter of auburn liquid. The master of the house nodded to them both before sitting down on the sofa and loosening his tie, his attention on the game.

Chae Ryung did not speak until the doors were closed once more. "Mr. Hwang Bo enjoys baseball and is an avid fan of the Samsung Lions. He takes the family to watch games whenever he has the time- Mrs. Hae has a stake in the company. You'll probably be joining them in the box they have."

There was a room with nothing but a grand piano and a vase of roses inside. The walls were lined with pictures of family. The family. So examined each one as he passed them by. "The oldest is Mi. She's seven and attends a private school. Usually Mrs. Hae will pick her up from school, but that job could fall to any one of us at any moment."

So stared at the image of a little girl with big brown eyes and dark hair in a tight braid. She beamed at the camera, showing off a missing front tooth. "She knocked it out playing with her father," Chae Ryung chuckled. "Ran straight into a wall."

"The youngest is Yoon. She just turned three last week. She attends daycare for four hours a day, but usually follows her mother unless she's home." So nodded as he examined the next picture. This child also had enormous brown eyes.

So paused at the large wedding photo of Hwang Bo Wook and Hae Soo. Both smiled at the camera, but So felt mesmerised by the large eyes that beamed at him. It was clear who had birthed both girls. Hae Soo wore a white gown with lace sleeves, her dark hair braided intricately behind her head. Her smile was warm and So realized why Hwang Bo Wook would not want pictures of his wife on the internet; she would easily become more famous than him. "Mrs. Hae is thirty-three. She's four years younger than her husband," Chae Ryung explained.

They toured the bedrooms- too many for a family of four in So's opinion. "There are two guest bedrooms and the girls each have a room. Mr. Hwang Bo and his wife share a bedroom and one of the rooms has been converted to a study for the Mrs." Filthy rich, So thought.

He was allowed into each room and allowed to examine the bathrooms as well. Mi's room was painted light pink and a fluffy sheepskin rug sat on the clean floor, all of the dolls that had been scattered around gone. A white chandelier illuminated the room and a door led to a marble bathroom with gold waterspouts shaped like swans. The room So stood in would make any princess cry in envy. He noticed the three designer backpacks that sat in the closet in varying shades of pink. "Her outfits are chosen by her mother every morning and Mi gets to choose her backpack and accessories," Chae Ryung said. "Mr. Hwang Bo and Mrs. Hae are very active in the lives of their children."

Yoon's room was light blue and held not a trace of pink. Her bed was the same size as Mi's but was walled on either side- the youngest fell off the bed. "Yoon goes to daycare later than Mi, so she stays home for a while longer." This room was themed gold and blue, and So stared at the crayon scribbles on the walls. "The girls' bedrooms are the only rooms in the house with surveillance, but only their parents and I have access to the security footage. Mostly it's just to make sure they don't fall off of their beds."

So felt nothing as he walked through the girls' bedrooms. These were children whose snacks and dinner he would have to poison. He did not need to force any emotional connection with these two little girls.

The offices were nothing special. Mrs. Hae seemed to be interested in the stock market; a screen on her wall constantly relayed the rise and fluctuation of indexes. Her husband was more interested in keeping his screen on the news.

The servants' quarters was the area where Chae Ryung had first interviewed him. There were four small bedrooms: one for Chae Ryung, a maid, Wook's bodyguard, and for So. They would share two bathrooms between the four of them. These bathrooms were not made of marble, but clean and neat. One bathroom had a shower; the other had a bathtub. "We provide our own toiletries and rent is cut from our paycheck, but it's honestly such a small amount it doesn't matter. The family is very choosy about who lives in the house, so most of the staff have to commute."

"Why am I being given a bedroom?" So asked. "I've just gotten the job; they can't trust me this quickly, right?"

Chae Ryung shook her head- as if to call him a fool. "I conducted a full background check on you, So."

In the kitchen, a chef cleaned the gas stovetops. Gas... they can clearly afford electric stoves yet they use gas. Are they pandering? The black dining room table could fit twenty people. There was a plethora of knives in the kitchen and it was accessible to any of the household staff. Easy. "We eat in the staff lounge, but when no one's home we usually eat in the dining room. The chef is Moon Pil Gyu. He cooks for us and the family."

The master bedroom was the largest bedroom in the house. So and Chae Ryung walked through the room and he took note of everything. Three windows and a balcony with a glass sliding door. The master bedroom was at the back of the house.

A king sized bed sat in the center of the room, covered in a thick white and gold duvet. There were two walk in closets and an adjoining bathroom made of white marble. An ancient Korean painting hung on one of the walls- a tiger stalking through fields of grass. So could pinpoint five hiding spots- seven if the walk-in closets had high ledges. He noticed the vanity also held a few objects that could be used as weapons. He wondered if the silver hairbrush was solid.

The rest of the house was a backyard, garden, stone shrine, and garage. The Hwang Bo family owned three black Equus with heavily tinted windows. However the garage currently held one car- Mr. Hwang Bo's. Loyal to the nation's economy… So almost smirked. The ability to afford a Rolls Royce meant nothing when one's husband was a politician. Korean cars only.

"One drives Mr. Hwang Bo around, the other drives Mrs. Hae around, and the third is for the girls, errands, or when a decoy is needed. Each car is equipped with any and all emergency supplies."

Before they could return inside, So watched as Chae Ryung's touched the bluetooth in her ear. "This is the Governess, who's speaking? Ah… I see, poor thing. Is she… of course. I will inform her mother. Thank you."

Chae Ryung held up a finger for So to wait as she called another person. "Hello? Mrs. Hae, I'm so sorry to bother you. It seems Mi threw up at school. Should I send a car? Oh, ok then. I'll have the cook prepare something warm. Should I inform Mr. Hwang Bo- of course."

She ended the call before looking at So. "The girls are coming home early. Her mother's bringing them home now. Come on, let's go inside. I'll introduce you to the staff later."

When they returned indoors, So was quickly assigned a pair of house slippers and caught up with the dress code. "Formal unless you're told to be in plain clothes. Socks are always required. Neckties must be colorful; the girls like bright things, so no black, gray, white, or brown ties unless you're attending a formal event."

The chef was informed that Mi would be taking clear broth and rice porridge, and So watched as the maids flurried about. A handbook was thrust into his hands and So looked at the large binder that detailed each protocol he would have to follow while being Hae Soo's personal bodyguard.

From his position in the kitchen, So listened as about twenty minutes later the front gate opened. Later, he watched as Hwang Bo Wook rushed out the back door of the house before returning, carrying a pale looking little girl. Mi wrapped her arms around her father's neck as Chae Ryung moved to remove the ballet flats on the girl's feet.

Behind Wook, So watched as his wife stepped in, disheveled and worried. She wore a blue top with her husband's coat on top of her shoulders as well as a ruined white skirt. Her hair was roughly tied back into a ponytail and she carried her younger daughter in her arms while handing Chae Ryung her soiled coat. "Give her a shower and I'll go as soon as I'm changed," she called to her husband before carrying Yoon with her towards the master bedroom.

So watched as the mistress of the house rushed past him, not even sparing him a second glance.