CHAPTER 5

EXTRA ORDINARY

Jet didn't know how the hell she had gotten into this. All she knew was that Woo Bin has an important appointment that afternoon and so, as his bodyguard, she was obliged to come along. Only to find out that the "appointment" was actually for her, at the dress shop of a popular fashion designer.

And now she's here, fussed over by several assistants while trying out a variety of formal dresses, while Woo Bin sat eying each one critically.

"Can somebody please explain to me what this is all about?" Jet inquired, rather a little stressed.

Woo Bin just smirked at her and said, "You'll know soon enough."

Jet let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Is this still part of my job?"

"Pretty much, yes," he replied, not taking his eyes off her.

"Very well, then...if this 'job' gets too dressy I want to still be able to kick some ass," she retorted, resigning herself to everything. Woo Bin started to laugh. "What's so funny?" Jet demanded, wincing when one of the pins struck too close.

"Can't you just relax? You look too...wound-up. You should loosen up a bit," Woo Bin said.

"How can I relax? This job doesn't allow me to," Jet answered.

"Well, I'm letting you now," he said.

Jet let out a short, shallow laugh. "Like I could do that around you," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that ?" Woo Bin asked, rising from his seat and walking towards her.

"Nothing," Jet replied a little too quickly. She wanted him to go away, right now, because the truth is, the way he looked at her right now is unnerving. And she hated it, that feeling—like he could see through her. Or at least pretend to.

"I think that's great on you." Woo Bin's voice snapped Jet out of her trance, realizing that he's already inches from her, eyeing her from head to foot. "Perfect."

It took a few seconds before Jet finally found her voice. "Ah, finally," Jet said, forcing her usual sarcasm into her voice. "At least somebody's happy."

Woo Bin raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you?"

Jet fell silent, unable to find something to say back for the first time. No witty comeback, no sarcastic comment. Something must be wrong with me, she thought, turning away from him. Then she felt him move behind her, and his hands grasped her bare shoulders.

"Jet," Woo Bin said. "Relax. I'll take care of you today, okay?" He gave her a pat and then walked away.

Jet didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she released it. Her heart had been pounding against her ears, and her shoulders still felt warm where Woo Bin had touched them. She shook her head and hurried towards the dressing room.

"What the H is wrong with me?" she muttered once she got inside. The feeling he was giving her right now is downright alien. It didn't feel right. And to her, it meant trouble. Really big trouble.

Jet forced the feeling out of her system. Concentrate, she told herself as she changed back into her suit. Stop. Thinking. About it. She got out of the dressing room as soon as she finished. Woo Bin was there, waiting for her. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Focus, Jet, she reminded herself, striding towards him.

"Let's go," Woo Bin said simply, and walked towards the door. She followed him out into the car, steeling herself and trying to keep composed, thinking about what lies in the balance if she let herself get carried away.

"So, where to next?" Jet asked, trying to sound a casual as possible. "Shall we proceed to the office or something?"

Woo Bin shook his head. "No, not yet." He started the car.

Jet looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, not yet? Aren't you needed there?"

He smiled at her crookedly. "Why? I'm the boss, anyways. They can carry on without me."

"Then where...but isn't it too early to..."

"No, I'm not going clubbing. Not tonight." He looked at her and smiled, and Jet felt a jolt right through her. "This should be a great time to know each other right? After all...we only have each other's company. Mostly, anyway. Since we got off on the wrong foot...what say you and I...how should I put it...'reacquaint' ourselves? Maybe then you won't be so tense around me." He smirked, driving off the vicinity.

Jet looked at him in shock. "What? But..."

"No 'buts'," Woo Bin cut in. "So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, baby."

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So there she found herself an hour and a half later, seated at a table across her (somewhat) insufferable boss at a cafe on a posh hotel's top floor, staring out the glass wall, her café mocha untouched, as aforementioned boss eyed her amusedly over his espresso.

"I thought I told you to relax," Woo Bin said, breaking the awkward silence as he put his cup down.

Jet sighed. "I'm trying." But it's kinda hard with you, she amended silently. Was she really that tense?

He chuckled. "Well, you're not trying hard enough, I guess." He looked at her, his eyes full of curiosity and amusement. "Can't you just take a breather? As you have known, I don't bite. And don't worry, I didn't put anything in your drink, regardless of what you think about me."

Jet finally allowed herself a mild snort of laughter. "Fine. Sorry if I'm being too...um...wound-up, as you put it earlier. Cop's instincts and all that. Doesn't mean I don't trust you...much."

"Indeed." Woo Bin smirked at her. Jet tried to ignore the feeling in her stomach. "But Miss Dema-ala..."

"Please, do call me Jet, Mr. Song...after all, you want me to relax around you, right?"

"Fine, Jet. But only if you call me Woo Bin."

"I can't do that," Jet protested. "You're still my boss, after all."

"And yet, the way you talk and behave around me suggests otherwise."

Jet finally smiled. "Touché."

"So Jet," Woo Bin continued, "as I was saying before you not-so-rudely interrupted me...as you were saying something about your 'cop's instincts' and all...am I just one of the criminals you used to handle before?"

She didn't answer, recalling the file she was given right before the mission was handed to her on a silver platter. Are you sure you're not? she thought, mentally tallying the "shady" side of his family's business and his mafia connections. He could be categorized as one, for all she knew. But then again, wasn't this the whole point of the mission? To prove something about his family?

"Hey, you still here or what?" Woo Bin snapped Jet back from her thoughts. She shook herself mentally.

"Sure, sure...sorry. But to answer your question...no, of course not," Jet assured him. "Bodyguard, remember? But your...um...reputation precedes you, and it never hurts to be a little cautious. But of course," she continued, when he seemed to want to interrupt, "you have made it clear that...well...I have nothing to fear from you. Still, I can't be too comfy around you. You said it yourself...we got off on the wrong foot." She finally took a sip of her drink and sighed, mentally cringing after that sort-of rant.

To her surprise, Woo Bin just grinned at her. "Finally," he said, "you spoke up. And here I was, wondering if I ought to hire some psychic so that I can see what's on your mind."

"Well," she quipped, "you can never really blame me for that. You were being rude and presumptuous when we first met, you know...you can't fault me for being defensive."

"I know. And if you can recall, I apologized later on for that. So what's the issue?"

Jet shrugged. "Nothing much. It's just that I can't be too relaxed at this job. After all, a little slip-up can cost you your life. Maybe even mine."

"Hmmm..." He seemed to contemplate her words just then, but continued, "You're right. But that's exactly why I'm asking you to take it easy right now. Consider this as a peace offering from me. So maybe you won't be...you know, a little snippy with me."

She was silent for a few moments, before saying, "Well, I can't promise you that. Because sometimes...you just get on my nerves and all. Of course, given my temper"-he smirked at this- "I can't help snapping at you, even if I know it's a little out of turn for me, talking to you the way I do. That's why I usually keep quiet. I might say something I might regret later on. So...if you were offended..." Jet's voice faltered at this point, wondering if she should be saying this to him. "Sorry."

Woo Bin looked at her, the same unnerving look he had given her at the shop earlier, and Jet felt her pulse accelerate a bit. She decided to ignore it. "Well," he finally said, "I understand. I hope that, in the near future, we won't be as hostile to each other. Or at least try to be a little less tense around me. I'm not asking you to be too lax...just that you lighten up a bit. That's all I ask."

"So...does this mean..."

"I'm not saying we should be buddy-buddies or whatnot," Woo Bin clarified. "But here's the thing: I hope you'd be a little more...um...cordial to me, or at least civil. And in return, I promise not to bug you...much."

Jet smiled, and Woo Bin felt something inside him jolt. He dismissed it, instead focusing on their impending improvement in relations. "So, Jet...do we have a deal?"

"Of course, Woo Bin," Jet said, emphasizing his name. "We have a deal."

And they both shook on it.

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Three days have passed since their little conversation in the cafe, and true enough, Woo Bin kept his end of the bargain. Or at least tried to. Jet, on the other hand...

Something has been nagging Jet from the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. The last three days have certainly changed things. For one, Woo Bin has been behaving—or at least, by normal standards. In fact, it was in such a way that Jet felt being around him seem a bit more...tolerable.

And now, Jet didn't know how to act around this slightly more tolerable (albeit not that much improved) Woo Bin. Sure, she still gets a little pissed at him at times, but somehow, she has been feeling something more than that. Something else entirely, for that matter. She wasn't so sure, but whatever that was, it certainly didn't feel comfortable.

It was, in fact, kind of confusing.

Jet's musings were interrupted when the door to the conference room opened. She rose from her seat by the corridor, watching as the members of the board filed out of the room. As the people passed her by she noticed a particular person looking at her. It was a slight man, with thinning hair and a severe expression. He was looking at Jet as if to study her, before turning around and finally walking away. Jet felt a slight chill run through her spine, but dismissed it instantly.

"Hey, Jet. Let's go," Woo Bin said to her as soon as he exited the conference room. She strode after him as they walked towards the elevators. "Were you bored waiting? I got stuck in the meeting for longer than I have expected." He slowed so she could catch up with him until she was walking beside him.

"It's fine, sir. Really. After all, that's part of the job description," Jet answered quickly. She heard his exasperated sigh beside her. "Something wrong?"

Woo Bin stopped and turned to look at her. "Jet. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Jet was taken aback by his words. "What...what are you talking about?" But the look he gave her made her think twice before she finally decided to tell him. "It's nothing, really. Just..."

"Just what?" he demanded again.

She sighed. "Fine. It was someone. One of the board or something, I think. Not that he acted a bit suspicious, just that...I don't know. He seemed to look at me as if he's trying to know something about me. But never mind that, it was probably nothing and I'm merely overreacting."

He looked at her questioningly. "Which one?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter...it's just probably my imagination anyway so..." She saw Woo Bin about to say something but Jet interrupted him with a raised hand. "Please, let's just drop it. Okay? So, boss...where are we heading this time?"

Woo Bin sighed, knowing it's already useless to try and get her to talk. "I'm meeting the F4 at Jun Pyo's house today...you do know who they are, right?"

Jet nodded, recalling one of the many files she had studied prior to taking this mission. The elevator finally stopped at their floor and she followed Woo Bin into it. The elevator started to descend, and the two endured the elevator ride in silence, before finally exiting the building into the waiting car, their earlier conversation relegated to the back burner, waiting for the moment to be picked up again.

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"So that's her," Yi Jeong noted, eyeing Jet up and down with unconcealed interest.

Woo Bin frowned at the way his friend appraised his bodyguard as she went out of the Gu mansion's study. As usual, Ji Hoo was late again, but that's not what's been bothering him right now; it's the fact that his best friend was examining Jet like some kind of specimen.

"Relax, man," Jun Pyo said, clapping a hand on Woo Bin's seemingly tensed shoulder. "You know how our dear friend here takes an interest in every and any female specify..."

"Specimen," Woo Bin automatically corrected, temporarily forgetting his irritation with Yi Jeong and smiling.

"Whatever. But you know his heart belongs to only one." Jun Pyo smirked. "But then again, what's not to interest about that 'lady guard' of yours?"

Yi Jeong turned back to join them. "True, that. But I gotta admit, that Jet seems...different. I mean, there's something about her. Like she's not like other women we have...er...known all our lives."

"You have no idea," muttered Woo Bin under his breath, walking towards the minibar to pour himself a drink. He watched Jet disappear into the main foyer towards the porch overlooking the garden.

Jun Pyo snorted. "You mean, you can't handle her? Are you serious?"

"Ah..." Yi Jeong exclaimed, a grin creeping slowly across his face. "A member of the female species challenging Don Juan, I see. We finally have the one who can resist this man."

"Will you two shut up?" Woo Bin snapped. "It's not what you think..."

"But we haven't said anything yet, right Jun Pyo?" Yi Jeong teased, to which Jun Pyo nodded a little enthusiastically.

Woo Bin scowled. "Well, it's heading towards that direction anyway. But just to make things clear, nothing is going on. She's my bodyguard, I'm her boss, end of story."

"Sure." Yo Jeong rolled his eyes. He knew his friend too well to know that something is definitely going on.

"Just a warning, though," Woo Bin said, sipping his drink. "Don't let your wife meet her, Jun Pyo...or you might be in trouble." He smirked at the expression on his friend's face.

"I don't mind, really," Jun Pyo finally shrugged. "In fact, I'd like to see it happen." It was his turn to smirk at Woo Bin. "Who knows, it's you who has to watch out."

Yi Jeong just shook his head and smiled at his friends' antics. One thing he agrees with, for sure. Jet is no ordinary woman, and he can feel it.

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Ji Hoo rushed towards the mansion as soon as he parked his motorbike. He had to perform a very crucial and major operation that afternoon, and it detained him for most of that afternoon that he had been, once again, late for their weekly meetings. But as he approached the doors, he noticed someone standing at the balcony. There was a woman, a little tall and somewhat built, with closely-cropped hair, wearing a black suit, looking out the Gu mansion's gardens. There was something about her that made Ji Hoo think twice and left him with a feeling of something like wariness. Maybe it's just his nature of not easily trusting in someone, or maybe his instincts, but something told him to be cautious around her.

As if on cue, the woman turned to his direction and gave him a hesitant smile. Not wanting to seem rude, Ji Hoo smiled back as he neared the door, which was close to where she was standing.

"Good afternoon," she said, a bit respectfully.

Ji Hoo gave her a curt nod. "Is there anything you need, miss?"

She shook her head and answered, "Not really. I'm just waiting for my boss." She paused, then continued, "I'm Jet...Mr. Song's bodyguard. You must be Dr. Yoon, unless I was mistaken?"

That explains a lot, he thought. "Nice to finally meet you, but how did you know who I am?"

Jet hesitated, then said, "They are waiting for you...inside. Apart from that, I've already heard about you and your achievements in the medical field."

"I see." Ji Hoo turned from her and continued inside, a little intrigued now more than ever about the woman standing in the foyer, wondering what would be her connection to his best friend's life, and by proxy, to all of them.

He saw the rest of the F4 getting more comfortable by the time he entered the study, and all three of them turned to his direction as he approached.

"Ah...the good doctor...detained by his work, as usual," Woo Bin drawled, raising his glass at his friend. Ji Hoo's eyebrows raised.

"So that lady was telling me the truth, after all," Ji Hoo sighed as he took his seat across Jun Pyo, allowing himself to relax a little.

"Ah, so you've met the highly esteemed Miss Dema-ala," Yi Jeong said casually, a smirk starting to form at the corners of his mouth. Woo Bin glared at him. Ji Hoo allowed himself a small grin at this.

"Not to mention highly controverted," Jun Pyo added, to which Yi Jeong corrected, "controversial". "Well, that's what I said, wasn't it?"

"She said her name was Jet," Ji Hoo said non-chalantly, pouring herself a drink.

Yi Jeong raised an eyebrow. "First-name basis so soon?" Ji Hoo shrugged, and Yi Jeong continued, "Well she might have felt you're more trustworthy. Can't say I'm surprised, though...after all, you have quite the charm to make people levitate towards you."

"Hey, I can be charming too! I am the most charming guy in this country!" Jun Pyo protested, and Woo Bin rolled his eyes.

Ji Hoo sat back, watching his friends interact with a small smile, thinking back to the woman standing outside. There was something definitely off about her, but he couldn't put a finger on it. No matter how he tried, he can't bring himself to trust her. Much.

That's something for him to ponder, but not right now.

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Finally updated! *phew*

I got set back due to my laziness...again...that and I've been preoccupied with downloading (and reading) a lot of Dramione fanfics on Fanfiction Reader for Android, and I just can't stop.

But anyway, it's a nice development, don't you think?

Thanks for the reviews, follows, likes, and author alert...Kamsahanida! *bows*

Until next chapter! :)