To Find Something True

※ twenty-seven

Chattering customers, sizzling meat against wire gauze at other tables, air ducts sucking in smoke from the grill, pork belly savory smell, and bitter soju. Others were still eating and talking. On the other hand, Jiah and Seokjin had finished their meals. 

Jiah, being younger than Seokjin, poured him a cup of water when she saw the cup was empty.

"Thanks," he said and smiled before taking a few sips.

“The party is this Sunday,” she said, wiping her mouth with a balled tissue. “What do we need to prepare?”

Seokjin mummed, his hands arranging the utensils in front of him. As he dropped the last utensil from his hand, he leaned back on the red, leather cushion. “Other than outfit, we also need to know who will be attending. They have new partners every year, and Hoseok isn’t comfortable with new people.”

Her head nodded, remembering her first encounter with her boss. “Anything else?” 

The man sighed loudly. “Yoongi has a better brain regarding this. We might need to consult him.” 

“Shouldn’t we refer to Amber? I think she knows better,” Jiah said.

"Yoongi can handle this," he said with both shoulders raised. “Better not worry Amber. She’s busy.”

“Oh?” 

One of the man's eyebrows lifted. “Did I not tell you Amber flew to New York to find his sister?” 

The girl buzzed and said, “I think you did.”

“Uh-hm!” Seokjin bobbed his head slowly. “Amber is progressing now. So we’ll certainly get updates soon.”

Jiah gasped in surprise. “Are you serious?” The man briefly nodded his head. “That's good news! Does that mean we are getting his sister soon too?”

Head shook side to side this time, his lips formed a thin line. “Amber wasn't sure about that. Because, for the time being, they only have witnesses who claim to have seen her. Now that reports have been gathered, they're looking for her. There might be some hope.”

Jiah’s head bobbed up and down, understanding the process.

Her mind drifted to her conversation with Hoseok in his car, remembering the reasons why he wore hoodies every day. Seeing as how he hoped the founder of Bejiwoo would return, he wished to punish her by keeping away from her as much as possible, to teach her how it felt to be alone and an outcast. Even if it meant their parents would welcome her back warmly, there would be the cold-shouldered Hoseok.

He was well-prepared for that. Perhaps that was why he was closed off from people, reserved to himself, and shoo people away. He became alarmed by his surroundings with the ‘what if’ his sister would appear out of nowhere.

She quitted her thoughts when Seokjin pushed himself out of the chair. Hissing noises came from his back on the leather backrest. He said, “We’re leaving now.”

Jiah instantly stood up, grabbed her sling bag from the chair beside her, and followed Seokjin. When he was paying, she stood beside him. A television in the corner of the counter was loudly announcing a news report about an accident in the United States. The victims involved were three Koreans and a white man. Two were injured and two died.

Too drawn to the news she listened, it was reported that the driver had a cardiac arrest, causing the car to swerve on the highway, crashing through a restaurant. CCTV footage of the car crashing through the restaurant played on the television.

The announcer reported that the driver died at the scene, and the other died while on the way to the hospital. The news reached the vice president and he sought out the family members of the three Koreans as they tried to contact the victims but to no avail.

Just as the screen was about to reveal their identities, Seokjin received his change. She shifted her gaze to him, finding him shoving his wallet in his trousers' back pocket.

When she returned to look at the television again, the screen had returned to the day’s anchor man.

If only the news didn’t mention the victims’ identities, she wouldn’t have felt anxious.

********** 

Hoseok bought a small, square table and chairs for Jiah to work and to stay in his office. He put her there so that she didn’t have to walk back and forth to his office.

Even so, there she was, staring at him as if she wanted to devour him. He glanced at her every minute, hoping she would stop.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.

Her gaze changed to a narrow-eyed stare. She hopped on her chair, leaning on the armrest, and asked, "Have you thought about coloring your hair?”

The boss blinked his eyes multiple times. “No,” he admitted. “Why?”

“I think you’ll look gorgeous in red.”

“Oh…” His ears heated up in bright red. “Uh, thank you. I guess?”

“I wish to see it in reality,” she said.

“I’m not up to ruining my scalp,” he muttered.

The whiny moan alarmed the boss. She said, “Dyeing your hair once won’t harm.”

Hoseok almost glared at her. “What’s your intention in insisting to dye my hair?”

“For the party,” she told. “I’m giving ideas to stun them.”

“And? What’s the purpose?”

She formed a playful, evil smile, sniggering. “Make them see you’ve taken a big step out of the image they have in mind.”

“If that’s that, Jiah, I don’t think it’s going to work.”

“We won’t know unless we try.”

“If it fails, it’s more likely to ruin my image,” he emphasized. His tone almost came across as harsh.

The girl looked at him sadly, lips faintly pouting. She turned to the tablet Hoseok gave her and scrolled on whatever was on the screen.

He made a slow sip of his coffee and stealthily glanced at his assistant through his hoodie.

********** 

The smell of chemicals danced around the room. The substance of white and red mix together in one black bowl, while another bowl contains a different substance of white chemical. Dark, wet hair vigorously shaking from side to side, dispersing water particles on unbothered humans around.

“Sit still, Hoseok,” a man said, eerily calm. “Or I’ll burn your hair with my spatula.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to bleach my hair!” Hoseok shouted, struggling in the leather chair. “No!”

“Permanent red seems to suit you, Hoseok,” Seokjin said. Black rubber gloves masked his hands, posing in the air as if he was a surgeon. An almost crying frown appeared on the boss' face as he loudly whined 'no'. Taehyung sat on the ground hugging his legs like a koala, unbothered. Jungkook stood beside him, pressing down on his boss’ shoulders.

“Jiah,” Hoseok cried. “Help me!”

Jiah was worried customers outside might hear them. Seokjin faced her slowly, shaking his head and his face was a slow, lazy, yet eerie smile. She displayed a grimacing grin at her boss. “I’m sorry,” she uttered.

The boss and his assistant were planning to go to a professional salon, to begin with. But as soon as they heard that they were going to dye Hoseok’s hair, the others came rushing to him. They forced him down in a vacant room with hair dyes and dyeing kits in their hands, telling him that doing it for free was better.

If it wasn’t for Wheein who had a dyeing kit in her safe, they would have gone to the hairdresser that day.

With two 'human locks,' Seokjin summoned, who did not plan to surrender, Hoseok surrendered instead. He stopped struggling. “Please dye safely. I can’t risk balding,” he muttered,

“I’ve bleached Jisoo’s hair before. Do you see her balding?” the oldest scolded. Upon the scolding, the boss' lips curved downward and his eyes appeared dull.