Fading sunlight fell through the windows, bathing the dining room in a warm glow and highlighting the vibrant flower bouquet on the table. The petals’ beautiful colors captured my attention for a fleeting moment before my eyes moved on to my uncle. He sat opposite me and studied me with an unreadable expression, his aged features revealing none of his thoughts. Anxiety lodged itself in my chest like a shard of glass as I waited for him to speak, the long silence weighing heavy on my shoulders.

“I have good news for you, Hyorin. I found a suitable bodyguard for you,” Minho announced, discarding his unreadable mask to offer a faint smile. It was a rare display of affection from an otherwise stoic businessman. My uncle was in his fifties and had made plenty of enemies over time, but recently, the situation had escalated. The threats were no longer solely focused on him, but on me as well, his only living relative. Even if Minho was hesitant to reveal more, I was aware that the death threats were connected to his work as CEO. He owned a successful pharma company, and some of his rivals would stop at nothing to get rid of competition.

When the first death threat had arrived about a week ago, Minho had decided I needed protection and carefully selected the most trustworthy person he could find for the job. It was nerve-wracking for me since I had never required such a high level of protection before. What would it be like to be followed by a random stranger all day long, and to be under constant watch wherever I went? The longer I imagined it, the less I liked the prospect since I valued my privacy, but at least this way I wouldn’t be defenseless if push came to shove.

“I only want the best for my little girl,” Minho concluded, his lips twitching upward.

I grimaced, unable to mirror his smile. “Uncle, don’t you think I’m too old for this nickname? I turned 22 this year.”

“I know, I know. It’s a habit, Hyorin,” he answered with a laugh and waved his hand. Sometimes it was easy to forget he was my uncle since he kept acting like a father to me. Park Minho was my father’s brother, so it wasn’t all that far off. I was grateful to him for taking me in after my parents had passed away when I had only been a teenager. Ever since then, he had supported and accommodated me, and even now in this terrible situation, he didn’t leave me to fend for myself. Minho had earned my trust with his actions, and if he deemed it necessary for me to have a bodyguard, then I wouldn’t question his judgment.

“What I will tell you now has to stay between us, do you understand? Only my bodyguard and my secretary know about it and it has to remain this way. My company’s reputation could be in danger if word got out.”

“I understand.” I shifted in my chair, folding my hands on my lap in an attempt to hide my inner turmoil. The cruel threats had left their marks on me, stealing my sleep and feeding my paranoia, but I didn’t intend to worry my uncle, so I tried to conceal my anxiety as best as I could.

Minho leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You see, your bodyguard is not… a normal person. He is different from us and that’s why I chose him,” Minho explained. He was beating around the bush instead of addressing the matter directly; a bad habit he had picked up over the years.

“You mean he’s in the military?” I guessed as it was the first thing that came to my mind, but he shook his head.

“No, not quite. He volunteered to take part in a series of experiments I have been conducting for a while, but they’re not exactly legal and therefore this must stay between us.”

What did he mean by experiments? And if they were illegal, didn’t this automatically make them crimes? My expression must have shown my unease since my uncle was quick to appease me.

“Don’t worry, Hyorin. It’s nothing dramatic. We simply tried to enhance the test person’s physical strength and reached remarkable results.”

“It sounds strange,” I frowned in worry, not understanding why my uncle would agree to conduct an illegal experiment with a human. All of this was hard to fathom and resulted in a headache.

“As I said, it’s fine. I can assure you it was consensual.”

I wanted to believe him, but the gleam in his eyes sparked a seed of doubt within me. It was as if Minho attempted to hide something from me and the longer we spoke about the topic, the more my unease mounted. What kind of person was my bodyguard? All this secrecy made him sound like some sort of superhuman being.

“He is the best choice for the job since he knows how to deal with any kind of threat. Your safety is crucial,” Minho said. His smile was back in place, and he acted as if this was a completely normal conversation. I was baffled by his nonchalance.

“I hope you’re right,” I muttered under my breath and decided to give this a chance. Despite the odd experiment, I would do my best to get along with my bodyguard since it would be beneficial if we worked together. After all, he would be here to keep me safe and the least I could do was make his job easier. With these thoughts in mind, I managed to bury my uneasiness and concerns for the moment.

Before Minho could mention anything else, someone knocked on the dining room door, making both of us pause. “Looks like he’s here. About time,” he muttered and got up from his chair, while I did the same. “Come in,” Minho said in a loud and authoritative tone.

When I turned and looked at the door, I was met with a surprise. The stranger entering the room was extraordinary and defied my expectations—he didn’t look like a burly bodyguard at all and could only be a few years older than me. Snow-white hair framed his sharp features, a feathery braid resting on his shoulder. He wore a black dress shirt paired with black pants and shoes, but his elegant clothing did little to hide his muscular physique. As he got closer and stopped in front of me and Minho, our gazes met for a fraction of a second. His eyes were electric blue, reminding me of the stormy sea. It was an unusual eye shade—perhaps he was wearing contact lenses? Although I hadn’t talked to him yet, a strange feeling washed over me as I studied him. His grim expression radiated danger and I had to fight the urge to move back, my instincts telling me I shouldn’t be anywhere near this man.

“How nice of you to join us,” Minho commented mockingly. The stranger remained quiet, staring at him in dead silence. I was surprised by his demeanor since I had expected him to be more polite and introduce himself to me, but he didn’t seem to care about formalities. 

“This is Zero-Four, your new bodyguard,” Minho said directed at me.

My brown eyes widened in astonishment. This situation kept getting weirder and weirder. “Z-Zero…Four?” I repeated reluctantly, trying to gauge if he was joking. A person’s name couldn’t be a number; even the mere notion was ridiculous. It was dehumanizing. However, my uncle was dead serious and didn’t bat an eye.

“He will accompany you whenever you leave the house, and while you’re at home, he will remain nearby until the threat is eliminated. If he does something you don’t approve of, you are to tell me immediately.”

I swallowed. What did Minho mean by that? Did I want to find out? My initial plan to become friends with my bodyguard would be hard to realize since I didn’t even know his real name and hadn’t heard him speak a single word this whole time. He was attractive, but the deep emptiness in his eyes frightened me. Not a single emotion was discernible on his face as he listened to my uncle—I had no way to tell what he was thinking.

“And you, Zero-Four,” Minho said, glaring at the white-haired stranger, “I expect the best of you. If you fail and she’s harmed in any way, you know what is going to happen to you, don’t you? I think I made it clear yesterday.”

I furrowed my brows, the apprehension in my chest growing like a bottomless void. Had my uncle just… threatened this man? But why? Without warning, the lamps in the dining room flickered, dimming slightly before shining brighter than before. I glanced at the ceiling in utter confusion, assuming something was wrong with the electricity in the house.

“Stop it! Do you think you can do whatever the hell you want?” my uncle snapped, making me flinch. He was furious, sizzling with rage—I had never seen him lose his composure like this, not even once. Minho’s fiery stare was directed at the white-haired stranger, fueling my bewilderment. Why was he so upset? This erratic side of him was unsettling and didn’t make my predicament any easier to endure.

“Minho, what are you saying? He didn’t do anything,” I cut in, and his glare vanished as soon as I spoke up. He looked as if he had forgotten I was in the room with him.

“Oh Hyorin, forgive me. It was uncalled for.” Minho smiled apologetically, but his tone of voice still held a sharp edge. How strange. “I lost my nerves for a moment, but it won’t happen again, I promise. It’s been a long day for me; I’m sure you understand. Do me a favor and take Zero-Four to his room. The guest room right next to yours has been prepared for him. It’s late and you have lectures at university tomorrow, so don’t stay up too long.”

“Okay, Minho. Goodnight.” As my attention shifted to my new bodyguard, I realized he had been watching me. The emptiness in his eyes prompted my heart to sink, and I wondered why he constantly wore the same blank expression. It made him appear apathetic and somewhat creepy. Frankly, the idea of being alone with him scared me. I didn’t know if I could truly trust this person… he seemed to have his own reasons for choosing to work for my uncle.

“Please follow me,” I said quietly, avoiding his heavy stare and leaving the room. He said nothing, as expected, but I heard his footsteps behind me when I entered the hallway. The mansion I lived in together with Minho and some employees was too spacious for my taste and easy to get lost in if you weren’t familiar with its layout. I preferred small and cozy homes since I found them more comfortable to live in, but my uncle liked to show off the wealth he had amassed with his business. Moving into a smaller house was out of the question for him.

We climbed up a stairway and passed a window façade that allowed us to see the pool outside in the garden. Since the sun had set moments ago, it was shrouded in darkness and the water ominously reflected the moonlight like a mirror. My bodyguard and I both remained silent as we walked, but I was the only one affected by the tension the quiet brought. He stared straight ahead without showing a reaction to his temporary home and the splendor it contained. When we finally reached my room and consequently his right next to it, I held back a relieved sigh.

“Here we are, this is your room. By the way, my name is Park Hyorin—it’s nice to meet you. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask!” Yet again, he gave me the same vacant