I'm Inlove With My Bodyguard

Mr. Crisostomo had just left a restaurant and was walking towards his car, unaware that someone had been watching him for a while. It was a man with malicious intentions.

As he was about to open his car door, the sinister man suddenly blocked his path with a dark agenda in mind. He pointed a gun at Mr. Crisostomo.

"Who are you?" Mr. Crisostomo asked in surprise. The man wore a black hood that concealed his face, revealing only his eyes, nose, and mouth. There weren't many people around, and only a few were left in the restaurant Mr. Crisostomo had just come from.

"Give me your money and cellphone!" the man ordered.

"W-why? What do you need my cellphone for-"

"Why are you questioning me?! Do you want me to blow your brains out right here? Give it to me!" the man yelled, his gun trained on Mr. Crisostomo. Trembling with fear, Mr. Crisostomo reluctantly handed over his cellphone and wallet to the man. But before the man could successfully grab them, another man arrived.

---

"Damn, this cigarette I bought is awful! It might even be fake. This is ridiculous! If you're unlucky, you're really unlucky. I don't even have a job, and now my only pleasure, this damn cigarette, is fake!"

Rocky quickly tossed the cigarette he had bought from Aling Bebang's store. It was obviously fake and not enjoyable to smoke at all. It seemed like it was made of papaya leaves or something.

He reached into his pocket and found five pesos. He decided to buy another cigarette, but this time he'd go to Aling Ising's store. Maybe he'd have better luck there, and she wouldn't give him a fake one like Aling Bebang.

As he walked in the direction of Aling Ising's store, he noticed a new restaurant nearby. He wondered who the owner might be. There didn't seem to be many people around.

He was about to pass by when he saw two men who appeared to be arguing.

Having spent a considerable amount of time in this area, Rocky was no stranger to the chaos of Tondo. It wasn't surprising to encounter robbers and troublemakers here.

He was about to keep walking, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the old man involved in the altercation. It looked like he needed help, and he was elderly. Plus, Rocky felt a pang of conscience.

And, of course, as a self-proclaimed neighborhood superhero, he quickly approached the two arguing men.

"Give it to me!"

Those were the words he heard from the man wearing the hood. He was already behind him without the man noticing.

Seeing the old man trembling in fear and about to hand over his wallet and cellphone to the man, Rocky swiftly grabbed the man's hand and, in an instant, had the gun in his own possession.

To his surprise, the man with the hood, whose face was hidden, stared at him.

"Who are you?" the man asked in astonishment.

"Say hi to my fist," Rocky replied with a grin, and he punched the man in the face.

The man fell to the ground.

Rocky inspected the gun he had taken from him and realized it was fake.

"You idiot! Your gun is fake?" he scoffed at the man while looking at the fake gun in his hand. It was like a child's toy!

He kicked the man and delivered a blow to his stomach.

"B-boss, please, stop! I won't fight!" the man said in fear as he retreated. Once he had regained his composure, he stood up and ran away.

Rocky couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the gun in his hand.

What a fool!

"Thank you very much for your help," the old man said.

Only then did he remember the old man he had assisted. Judging by the car the man was driving, he seemed wealthy.

"No problem," he replied.

He was about to leave, but the old man spoke again.

"What's your name?"

He turned to look at him.

"It doesn't matter who I am. You should go home before that idiot comes back," he said. But instead of going home, the old man approached him. Rocky frowned, especially when he saw the old man taking money from his wallet. He saw a significant amount of cash. There was no doubt that this old man was wealthy. He handed the money to Rocky, an amount that seemed to be ten thousand pesos.

"Take it as my gratitude to you," he said with a joyful tone.

It was a large sum of money, but Rocky didn't really need such a large reward for what had happened earlier. It was just a small thing he did. He didn't intend to ask for a reward. He did what was right.

"No need, sir. I don't need that," he replied to the old man. The old man seemed puzzled, furrowing his brow. Rocky turned away but suddenly remembered something.

Oh, right. He didn't have a job now because he had been fired from the factory he used to work at. He got into trouble with a coworker who was too arrogant, thinking Rocky wouldn't stand up to him.

"By the way, if you really want to help me, maybe you could give me a job. Do you have any connections?" he asked the old man.

The old man's face brightened, as if pleased with what Rocky had said.

"A job? Perfect timing. I'll hire you."

Suddenly, Rocky felt a glimmer of hope because of what the old man said. Maybe this man had multiple businesses and could offer him a position. He could do anything-work in the kitchen, the garden, or even as a heavy lifter. He had no problem with any of that.

"Really? You'd give me a job?" he asked.

The old man nodded, and Rocky grinned.

He was retracting his statement that he was unlucky today.

"In that case, what kind of job is it?"

"Bodyguard. I want to hire you as my daughter's bodyguard."

Rocky was taken aback by what the old man said.

A bodyguard? Why would this kind of job be offered to him?

"W-why a bodyguard?"

It wasn't really his forte. He'd rather be a laborer or do something else.

"The salary will be fifty thousand a month if you agree."

Ah, he no longer wanted to be a laborer. He had always dreamed of being a bodyguard when he was younger.

"When do I start the job?" he quickly asked the old man. The old man might change his mind at any moment. Surely, the job would be easy for him. He needed to make a living, and the salary would be more than triple what he earned at the factory.

"You can start tomorrow. Here's the address. Just go there in the morning."

The old man handed him a card with the address written on it and left immediately. Rocky read the address: Westwood Village.

Penelope quickly got up from her bed as her

alarm clock rang in her room.

"Geez! It's morning again? The night seems

to have passed so quickly. I'm still so sleepy," she said while

stretching.

"Good morning, Ma'am Penny!" Nanny

Pilar greeted her as she entered the room with a tray of food.

"Nanny Pilar, you don't need to bring me

food in my room. I can just go downstairs," Penelope said, but Nanny Pilar

just smiled. She had been working for them for 20 years, almost like a second

mother to Penelope, always fussing over her. Nanny Pilar was childless, so she

treated Penelope with extra care and love for all the years she had served

their family. Penelope loved and trusted Nanny Pilar deeply.

Penelope's father owned a school where she

taught grade 1. St. Rose Academy was a combination of high school and

elementary school, all owned by her family. Although she didn't need to work

because their family was well-off, she loved teaching and didn't heed her

mother's suggestion to quit and start a business. Her parents didn't want her

to be bullied in their own school.

She was on the heavier side, dressed

conservatively, and was considered old-fashioned. In short, she considered

herself unattractive, and no one seemed to be interested in her. She had a

crush once, but she knew it was impossible for him to feel the same way. She

was resigned to the fact that she might remain a spinster.

"Oh, I'll leave you then. Just come out

when you're ready. By the way, your Daddy wanted to talk to you urgently,"

Nanny Pilar informed her. She nodded without much enthusiasm.

It was exactly seven o'clock when she left her

room. She was already in her uniform, ready for school. She usually went to

school with her father, who was also the school's principal.

As she stepped out of her room, she spotted her

father downstairs, engaged in a conversation with a man. She furrowed her

brows.

Who was that man?

"Oh, honey, you're here already. Daddy's

been waiting for you," her mother said.

"Mommy, who is Daddy talking to?" she

asked.

"Oh, him? You should talk to your dad about

it," her mother replied. Penelope's confusion deepened.

Her father turned to look at her when she

descended the stairs.

"Penelope, I'm glad you're here," he

said.

She immediately glanced at the man her father

had been talking to, who was now also looking at her.

Tall, rough-looking.

Who was this man?

He had a lot of tattoos on his body and numerous

earrings in his ears. He was wearing a black shirt with a skull emblem and

jeans. He also had a black leather jacket draped over his shoulder. One corner

of his mouth lifted as he studied her from head to toe. It sent shivers down

her spine.

"Who is he, Dad?" she asked in

amazement.

"He's Rocky, and he'll be your bodyguard

from now on."

Her eyes widened at what she heard.

Bodyguard?

Was she dreaming? Why would she suddenly need a

bodyguard? And one who looked like he had just been released from prison!

"What? Seriously, Dad, is this some kind of

joke?" she stammered.

Her father just laughed at her question.

"Penny, my dear, this is not a joke. It's

better for you to have a bodyguard for your protection. I don't want a repeat

of the past, so please, let's not argue about this," her father explained.

She was even more puzzled. Why did she suddenly need a bodyguard? What was

happening to her father?

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore. I don't need

a bodyguard!" she protested, but her father shook his head.

"Penny, come on. We're running late. This

is not the right time to argue. I'm just looking out for you."

"Looking out for me? He doesn't even look

trustworthy!" she retorted.

"Miss, am I not trustworthy enough with

this handsome face of mine? Don't be so judgmental," the man interjected.

Judgmental? Where did he pick up that word? She

rolled her eyes.

"Don't be like that, dear. Let's go, Rocky.

Penny, come on!" her father urged, and she reluctantly followed them.

There was no point in arguing with her father;

she knew him well. When he made a decision, there was no room for disagreement.

It was frustrating!

"Penny, stay next to Rocky; I have a lot of

things to carry," her father said when they reached the car.

"What? I don't want to sit next to him,

Dad!" she objected, but her father gave her a stern look.

"Penny, come on. Don't create a scene just

because you don't like my orders."

His tone was strict, and she fell silent.

She glanced at the annoying man, and he grinned

back, even joining in with the rock music playing on the radio.

He was so irritating! Even his taste in music

seemed sketchy.

When they arrived at school, the car came to a

stop. They all got out, including the troublesome man.

"Don't tell me you have to follow me to

school too?" she asked the man, irritated.

"That's right. That's your father's order.

You're amazing!" the man replied, teasing her, but she just glared at him.

He withdrew his hand, embarrassed.

"Rocky, take care of Penny," her

father instructed, and she rolled her eyes in frustration. She couldn't even

complain.

She marched toward her classroom with the man

trailing behind her like a shadow.

People stared at them. The man waved to those he

passed.

"Hi, fans!" he said to the onlookers.

She scowled.

Fans? This man had some nerve.

He seemed to exude confidence. She might be the

unluckiest person right now because of her father's decision. Why did this have

to happen to her? But it's already happened; she can't do anything about her

father's order; she just hopes that having a bodyguard will not take too long

in her life. She didn't dream of having a bodyguard; oh, how she wishes that

this was just a dream!

Rocky sighed in frustration after meeting Mr. Crisostomo's daughter. He thought she would be kind because of her innocent-looking face, but she turned out to be arrogant.

Does he look like a bad person? Tsk! If it weren't for her father's generous salary, he wouldn't even consider being her bodyguard. Her daughter is already big enough to protect herself. Literally big. Even her legs are big. Pffft. She even wears glasses and has braces.

He just smirked from his corner while standing there.

He was in Penny's classroom now. She had recently started teaching young students. He walked toward the door and stood there.

There were so many attractive women at this school. All the teachers were beautiful, and the female students were no exception. His eyes had been wandering since earlier.

His smirk disappeared when he suddenly turned and saw her giving him a menacing look. She looked at him as if she wanted to devour him.

Wait, what did he do?

She took a step closer to him. "Can't you just move away from the door?" she snapped.

"You're so grumpy. Where should I stand then? Your Daddy told me not to let you out of my sight," he replied. Penny's father was the principal of this school. He was evidently very wealthy. That explained why troublemakers targeted him; he was well-rich.

"Find another spot to stand, just not in front of the door," she told him. He stared at her. She raised an eyebrow at him. This girl is really grumpy. This is his first day at work, so he needs to have patience.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"I'm leaving anyway!" he quickly said and walked away, so there was no more discussion between them.

He moved away from the door and found an empty seat beside some of her young students. He sat down.

"Ma'am, is he our classmate too?" asked the boy sitting next to him. Penny furrowed her brow and glared at him. She had a fiery temper, worse than pregnancy hormones.

"Get out of there!" she shooed him away.

"Why? You told me to leave the door!" he complained. It seems like he's always wrong in the eyes of this grumpy woman.

"Yes, but who told you to sit there?"

He just scratched his head.

"It's alright, teacher Penny. He can sit here. He might be tired; he's been standing by the door since earlier," the boy beside him said. He smiled. This kid was a godsend. The boy looked at him, so he gave him a thumbs-up. The boy smiled back at him.

Penny sighed and continued teaching the students, asking them to draw houses. He watched, even though he found his job as her bodyguard boring. Why did he agree to work for that old man anyway?

He looked at the boy next to him and nudged him slightly.

"Our teacher is boring, isn't she? She gave us an easy task. Drawing houses? Tsk! That's so simple. You know, to stand out and become popular, why don't you draw her instead?" he whispered to the boy.

"W-what? Why should I draw, teacher Penny?" the boy asked.

"Her assignment is so uninteresting. Are you good at drawing? If you're good, go ahead, draw her," he challenged the boy.

"Yes, I'm good at it. Okay, I'll draw, teacher Penny," the boy whispered back.

A few minutes later, he saw that the boy had finished his drawing.

"Here, I draw Ma'am Penny," the boy said, showing him the drawing on the paper.

"Is that Ma'am? That doesn't look like her at all! She's thin. Come on, let me do it," he said, taking the boy's paper and pencil.

He drew a chubby woman with a snout, resembling a pig, just like Penny. She had glasses and braces. The boy beside him burst into laughter as he showed him his drawing with the caption "PENNY THE PIGGY."

Penny overheard them, and her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Kurt, are you done?" she asked the boy.

"N-no, Ma'am," the boy replied, trying to hide the paper he had drawn earlier. He hoped Penny wouldn't notice.

"Then what's going on here? Why are you laughing? Why aren't you writing?" Penny questioned the boy, her voice stern.

Penny noticed the paper the boy was hiding behind his back, and her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't help but take a peek.

She gasped and glared at him with anger in her eyes after seeing the drawing.

"Who did this?" Penny asked angrily.

The hesitant boy pointed at him.

"Huh? Me? Why me?" he pretended not to know.

"You told me to draw teacher Penny because you said that her assignment was boring," the boy said.

He winced. This kid just threw him under the bus.

Penny's nostrils flared as she looked at him, her gaze full of anger.

"Shame on you! You're even teaching kids your bad behavior! Get out of here now!" Penny shouted at him.

"Wait, you're so mean-ouch!"

"Leave!"

Penny didn't let him go until he was out of her classroom. She slammed the door shut after he left. He just shook his head while standing outside her classroom.

He glanced through the window and saw the boy grinning at him.

This kid was a real troublemaker!

There was nothing he could do except wait outside Penny's classroom, standing there until noon. People passing by were giving him curious looks, but he knew they were just admiring him.

Being handsome had its perks.

He smirked while standing there.

He even puffed out his chest when a girl in a slightly short skirt walked by. He couldn't help but steal a glance at her smooth thighs.

Wow!

Penny might be the only chubby girl he has seen at this school. A grumpy whale, that's what she was! But for the sake of fifty thousand a month, he would tolerate her rudeness. After all, she wasn't his boss; it was her father.

That's right. He nodded to himself while waiting for Penny to come out of her classroom.