Shotgun K

Take control…this is your scene…
I continued to tell myself this as I smiled pleasantly at my opposing, K, who sat across from me on the couch. She just stared at me with those hard eyes, her gaze sharp as ever. I forced myself to not look away, as much as I wanted to.
K didn’t say anything or respond to what I had told her. I didn’t know how to read this girl but she seemed to be assessing me.
There was something in the way she stared that made me want to squirm. It felt as if she was seeing everything, and I was giving away everything with even the slightest movement. A thought drifted to the surface of my mind, making me stiffen slightly.

She’s intimidating.

K didn’t make any motion to break the silence and just continued to stare. I didn’t want to continue this much longer; I needed the distraction of talking.
So I blinked at her, keeping calm and a clear expression on my face.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked pleasantly.
I saw the girl frown, her brows pulling together slightly in thought.
“You’re upset.” she said, her tone flat. It wasn’t a question or a simple note; she seemed to be pressing me to elaborate on why I was ‘upset’.
I let my smile slip a little and I tilted my head questioningly to the side.
“Am I?” I mused, keeping my gaze comfortable.

K scowled, her eyes taking on a dark edge.

“You can cut the act.” she told me. She was irritated; I could hear that much in her cooler tone. “There are no cameras here to catch you.”
“Who says I’m acting?” I returned, my tone too taking on an edge.
K stared at me boldly, almost challengingly. I returned the favor and stared right back.

We were both quiet again, but this time the tension was increased by ten-fold. As if it wasn’t uncomfortable enough before…

K sighed and she straightened in her seat, not once dropping her stare.
“You should understand that you can trust me on this.” she told me, her tone back to neutral and calm.
“You haven’t given me a reason to trust you.” I reasoned.
She raised an eyebrow, as if to acknowledge what I said as true. “True, and I can understand that but---”

“I don’t want to trust you.” I cut in.

K stopped speaking, sat still for a moment and sighed.
“Normally, that would be just fine but I’m working to---”
“You really don’t have to,” I said, cutting her off again. “I don’t think you are necessary for the situation I’m in.”
With that said, I gave her a brief smile and got up from the couch. I didn’t care for the conversation she was trying to have with me, I didn’t want her for the job and I wanted her out of my business. I headed back over to the windows and stared out into the city, concluding the talk…

“Sorry, but I beg to differ.”

I turned my head back to the girl, who was still sitting on the couch. She looked over at me, a stern look on her face.
“Mwuh?” I let out. Was she purposely trying to challenge me?
I watched as she got up from her seat and came over to the windows. She came to a stop right in front of me.
“Mr. Seo, when I say this, I’m not saying it out of arrogance or to brag. But I am good at what I do and you can use someone like me as an available asset in your case.” she said. “Let me help you.”

I studied her face, trying to see what her angle was on this whole thing. Why was she pushing this? I thought she didn’t want to work for me, she had made that very clear when we first met in my apartment. So why changed her mind? Was she getting something out of digging for information?
I don’t know; I couldn’t read her face. She gave nothing away in her expression or posture…she was like a freaking robot.
“Why?” I asked.

K let out an aggravated breath, and I saw her mouth twitch.
“What do you mean, why?” she demanded, sounding exasperated. “What more reason could I possible give you than I already have?”
“Why pry through the case when the police are already investigating?” I demanded right back. “You have nothing to do with it and now you’re sticking your nose in places it doesn’t belong. You’re just as bad as those sleazy reporters snooping through my trash.”
“But I am involved if I’m the one protecting you. I need to know exactly from what.” she argued. “And what I’m doing is nothing like digging through trash so don’t even start there.”
I scoffed and looked her over, and I couldn’t help feeling irritated.
“You don’t need to know anything other than the fact that you’re supposed to keep me safe. If something comes right at me, stop it. If I’m about to get hurt, cover me. Your job is to stand in between me and whatever could hurt me.” I told her. Isn’t that what a bodyguard’s job description was?
“So you’re telling me to do my job blindly, and you’re expecting me to keep you safe from your stalker,” she demanded incredulously.
What the hell? Why did she know these things?
“You know about the stalker too,” I muttered, disgusted. “Really, what do you do get all these information?”
“Of course I know about the stalker! It’s the reason why I was hired to begin with!” she snapped. “I’m telling you I’m just doing my job. So just let me help you.”

I glare at the girl, and I was breathing in to start yelling back at her. What the hell was wrong with her? If she wanted to help me, or ‘do her job’ so bad maybe she should be a bit more pleasant---
A thought struck me then, halting me mid-yell.
“Ah…” I let out thoughtfully. “I get it now.”
“Get what?” she shot back, still snapping.
“Now that I see it this way, it makes a lot of sense.” I went on.
“What makes sense?” K demanded, clearly getting annoyed with me.
I crossed my arms over my chest, and fought a childish grin from lighting up my face.
“So how badly do you need this job?” I asked casually. “You should know your personality is probably not helping you keep a job.”

K blinked at me and she raised an eyebrow as she scoffed.
“Huh. You know, you may be right about my personality.” she said, shrugging lightly. “In all my past jobs all I had to do was pull the trigger to get past any assholes who are too hard to deal with. But this time around, I’m protecting the asshole.”
Really? Me? I was the one being the asshole? What about her?
I glared at her, and she glared back, no longer trying to pretend to be nice. And round two of the silent stare-off began.
“You’re definitely not the right person for this job.” I growled. “You will be gone on Monday, if not sooner.”
“Fine.” she said. “But in the meantime, I’m going to take you up on that offer and dig all I want.”
“Then you should know I have no intention of helping you get what you want.” I shot back.

Before she could return with another one of her smart replies, the office door opened.
“Sorry for the wait; now what is this urgent business?” President Chung called over to us, walking over to where we were.
K turned to the President, all smiles.
“I believe Mr. Seo is the one with all the business.” she said in a calm voice. “I best get going; I have a detective to meet.”
She bowed her head in a gesture of respect and strode over to the office table. I watched as she swiped up the orange document envelope as she walked by and hid it back into her jacket.
President Chung sighed, catching my attention. He gave me a look that came off as exasperation. What did he want from me?
“Jae-Sung, can’t you at least cooperate?” he asked me.

What the hell??

I strode over to him, my steps fast.
“I don’t want her digging through my business.” I grouched.
I kept my speed up as I swept past President Chung.
“Jae-Sung,” he said, sounding alarmed.
I crossed to the other side of the office and out the door. The secretary gave me a surprised look but didn’t say anything, as she was in the middle of a phone call. Then I saw K walking towards the elevator.
I don’t know what it was but something about her pissed me off. I moved without thinking.
Before I realized I caught up with her in two wide strides, and grabbed her arm with a yank.
“You’re not going to just walk away---” I started to sneer.

Suddenly I felt a force punch through my abdomen, shoving the air out of my lungs. I gasped, doubling over in pain. The next thing I know, I was on the ground, the air knocked out of me all over again, K hovering over me really close.
I felt her grip on the collar of my jacket tighten, roughly lifting my head off of the ground. She waited a moment before she spoke.
“Do not touch me.” she snarled, with a dark tone I haven’t heard her use before. “I’m not paid to treat you kindly so don’t be shocked if I actually punch back. If you think you can pull, yank and throw me around, you are sadly mistaken.”
She let me drop back to the ground before pushing herself up to a stand.
“Me playing nice is a courtesy, not a requirement.” she added, straightening out the front of her jacket with one solid yank.
I stared up at her in disbelief, fighting to get air back into my lungs. Ow…ow.

She stepped over me, leaving me on the floor like that and as if nothing had happened. I heard the elevator door open with a ding!
Groaning, I pushed myself to sit up, still struggling to breathe. Then I slowly turned to the elevator.
K stared back at me, calm as ever. I think I saw a small smile working its way on her lips as the door closed.

Then there was silence. No one in the room spoke, and the only sound there was me trying to breathe normally again. I turned to see President Chung, who was just standing there gaping at me.
I swallowed hard, urging the pain to go away.
“I hate her.” I rasped.