Chapter 4: Why Do You Keep Making This Difficult?

“I-I like cute girls l-like you, hahaha!”  

I stammered, trembling as I spoke.  

*Is she disappointed?*  

The thought hit me first. 

I hoped I hadn’t ruined my steady life by harboring impure intentions.  

“W-What! This is ridiculous! Ridiculous!”  

Eunha’s brain, momentarily frozen like a bluescreen, rebooted. 

Her face flushed as if painted with crimson, and she fanned herself with her hand to cool down.  

Swish, swish.

But like a fire flaring with more air, her cheeks only grew redder.  

“I mean it.”  

I mumbled, my voice barely audible.  

I thought she’d like it.  

Was I wrong?  

Did I need to say something even bolder?  

“I came here because I was worried, and you say stuff like that? I’m really not impressed!”  

Eunha shifted her hips, inching away.  

She was so desperate to distance herself that one leg nearly hung off the chair’s edge. 

Her urge to flee was palpable, her sidelong glances scanning me repeatedly.  

“Joo Eunha!”  

Joo Seongyoon’s voice cut through. 

She looked between Eunha and me with clouded eyes.  

“Have you forgotten this is a formal meeting for a contract? Because of you, over twenty—twenty!—people have lost their jobs!”  

“I’m fine with it,” I said. “It’s partly my fault for letting it come to this. Eunha’s always done well. I’m sorry, this useless ahjussi messed up.”  

I gave Eunha a gentle smile and reached out to pat her head.  

“Ugh.”  

Eunha let out a small groan, pulling back like a cat, but realizing there was nowhere to go, she reluctantly leaned toward me. 

Her scent hit me like a wave, and my face stiffened, flushing deeply.  

“Ughhh!”  

Eunha pursed her lips, letting out a determined huff. 

I gently stroked her head, meeting her gaze. 

Her clear blue eyes locked with mine, perfectly aligned.  

I stopped patting her. 

Or tried to. 

Eunha grabbed my arm with both hands, holding it in place as if to say, Don’t stop.  

“You’ll attract bugs, so keep going.”  

“Got it.”  

“And harder. Like a proper massage.”  

I rubbed her head—pat, pat, pat—with steady strokes.  

“Eunha’s always done well. I’m not worried about her. Those security guys are good people; it’ll be fine. Eunha always makes the right choices. I just want her to succeed.”  

“You can’t ignore the risks, though,” Seongyoon said curtly.  

Fair point. 

Even if cycling through bodyguards was secondary, any misstep could directly impact the company’s stock price.  

Eunha would bear that burden.  

She’d want to minimize the risk.  

I agreed.  

Truth be told, no one on my security team was unaware of Eunha’s personality. 

I’d been her primary guard, but everyone treated her well. 

Her first impression was striking, after all.  

I gave Eunha a bittersweet smile.  

She’s adorable.  

Truly.  

Her beauty hadn’t changed a bit.  

Back then, Eunha would skip meals without me, calling every few minutes and making me sweat. 

I finally snapped back to reality.  

“Joo Eunha, you’re always doing great.”  

I stopped patting her head. 

Acting like some sweet young forty-something—why did kids these days love this stuff?  

Eunha studied me, then straightened up hesitantly.  

“I-I’m fine. It reminds me of when I was a kid. Nice! Hmph, well, it’s a bit weird getting this from you at my age.”  

Phew. 

Her approval let me exhale. 

I shifted my gaze from Eunha to Seongyoon.  

“I’ll take on Eunha’s security, but only short-term. I’ve got my own business to run.”  

“That’s—”  

“And,” I cut Seongyoon off, “I understand the terms you mentioned.”  

“Who cares if you’re her bodyguard or not? Seriously,” Eunha said, pressing her cap down and crossing her arms. She turned toward me, her expression slightly fierce but her eyes soft.  

“It’s early summer; maybe there’s a mosquito.”  

Eunha scratched her neck, subtly pulling back her collar. 

A quick glance revealed chaotic kiss marks scattered across her collarbone and shoulder.  

In front of Seongyoon, the so-called demon of Seongpoong! 

Eunha bit her lip, eyeing my stunned face.  

The angle hid it from Seongyoon, but the tension was real.  

“Anyway! I don’t need you, ahjussi!”  

“…R-Really?”  

“Yup. I *really* don’t care.”  

Seongyoon nodded firmly, as if sealing the deal.  

“For now, we’ll go with Jaehyuk-ssi.”  

***

The next day, I headed to the plaza in front of Seongpoong’s headquarters. 

The skyscraper, all glass, felt modern and sleek even to an outsider like me.  

“This place never changes…”  

Hands in my pockets, I waited for Eunha at the main entrance.  

Today, I was her one-day manager. 

Well, more like a trial run.  

I needed to regain my field instincts. 

Like muscles, they’d dull without use.  

A bit of warm-up was essential.  

Why did thinking of Eunha bring back memories of the other night?  

“Ahjussi!”  

Eunha approached from a distance, latching onto me without warning. 

She waved, and when I turned, she hiccupped. 

Hic. 

Did she eat something weird again?  

“You okay? Can you handle today’s schedule?”  

“A bodyguard doubling as a manager, huh?”  

“When you think about how I escorted you and managed your schedule, I was more a road manager than a bodyguard. Learned a bit about makeup too—good experience.”  

“…You collapsed a lot back then.”  

“That’s because I didn’t take my tonics! Ahem… So, you feeling okay?”  

“Yeah. About the other night, um, let’s talk when we’re *really* alone.”  

I dodged Eunha’s playful smile. 

Today, she was appearing on a variety show, far from Seoul.  

We couldn’t afford a slip-up—it was a public broadcaster’s show!  

Plus, it was simulcast on YouTube, completely live, with high viewership.  

I watched it sometimes, even played it on the café’s TV.  

…Despite the complaints. 

Enough chit-chat. 

I led Eunha to the underground parking lot.  

This was Seongpoong’s headquarters and home to Seong NP, their online creator division, complete with a dedicated parking area.  

As we descended, Eunha linked arms with me, and my throat went dry.  

‘Ugh, I must smell like ahjussi.’

No perfume could mask that.  

Eunha’s eyes sparkled, unbothered. 

She even leaned her head against me.  

“Where’s… the car?”  

“Let’s take mine. It’s spacious.”  

“That SUV? It’s safe, right?”  

I opened the back door. Naturally, the VIP gets the back seat. I prioritize ride comfort, so it’s got top-notch suspension.  

“Of course, miss. Hop in.”  

“No way. I can’t be next to you back there.”  

But Eunha strutted to the passenger seat like a bold diva and sat down. 

No, no, she was supposed to be in the back!  

“Wait!”  

Before I could stop her—click, screech!—she opened the passenger door and plopped in. 

No way to drag her out now. 

I climbed into the driver’s seat and punched the destination into the GPS. 

It was nearing 10 a.m., so we had to move.  

A one-day manager and bodyguard. 

The car exited the underground lot, weaving through the city. 

Morning rush hour clogged the streets with cars.  

As we stopped at a red light, Eunha locked the doors. 

Fair enough—accidents and all that. 

That’s why we keep them locked.  

But why was she acting like this?  

“Oppa.”  

“Yeah?”  

“…The tint’s dark enough, right?”  

“Y-Yeah.”  

“No one can see in, right?”  

“Yup. Gotta protect your privacy. Mine too.”  

Ding—  

“Oh, oh! Green light! Wow, that changed fast!”  

I stumbled over my words awkwardly. 

Eunha, ignoring her seatbelt, leaned toward me. 

I tried my hardest not to notice her.  

“Nice, right? New perfume.”  

Her pleasant scent already filled the car. 

‘Calm down, calm down!’

She’s like a little sister.  

It’s wrong to feel this way. 

My mind flushed pink. Why? It’s just perfume!  

Why?!  

My hands trembled on the wheel. 

My emotions swung like a stock chart, wild and unsteady. 

This wasn’t good.  

Eunha giggled.  

“Want me to hold—?”  

“…H-Huh?”  

“Your hand. I’m asking if I should hold it.”  

“Your legs are shaking a lot.”  

“…”  

“Your arms, head, legs—all trembling. Is it because of me?”  

She flashed a toothy grin.  

“Oppa, you’re not some lowlife lusting after the girl you raised like a daughter, right? My ahjussi’s not that kind of guy.”  

“N-No, I’m not.”  

“But you were wagging your tail in front of unnie, and now you’re putting up a wall? Haha, you’ve got bad taste.”  

I grabbed Eunha’s hand with one arm, pulling her closer. 

She let out a startled yelp.  

“S-Stop teasing. Ahjussi gets scary when he’s mad. Why do you keep making this difficult? I’ve done everything you wanted.”  

Eunha, sweating, paused before answering. 

Despite the air conditioning, the car’s atmosphere burned hot.  

“What happens if you get mad? Hehe.”  

Screech—!

I deftly turned the wheel, pulling into a rest stop.