To Find Something True

※ forty-two

Seokjin was grumpy that day, passing Jiah a file with his eyebrows frowned. He scolded Taehyung for not passing a customer's complaint sooner. However, Taehyung had only taken note of the customer's complaint ten minutes prior, so Seokjin's reaction baffled him. He even argued with Yoongi about their upcoming goods, which was unusual as they had never argued about it before.

Even the youngest staff member got scolded for a ridiculous reason – for not parking the car properly. However, upon closer inspection, there was nothing wrong with how the car was parked, and it was within the lines.

Jiah noticed that Jimin would jolt from his seat every time he heard the changes in Seokjin's tone. It was evident that he still felt guilty about something.

Seokjin was in the toilet when one of the staff members finally spoke up.

"What's wrong with Seokjin hyung?" Jungkook asked. "Has andropause hit him early?"

No one dared to answer when they heard a soft click coming from the toilet. Even Jisoo, Seokjin's sister, could only watch as he walked past her. Later, he sat at the counter and turned on the desktop.

No one understood what was going on with Seokjin, but everyone knew he no longer had an issue with Wheein and Jisoo's relationship. With the unsettling tension between the Kim siblings and Jimin, along with Seokjin's sudden negative mood, the atmosphere in the boutique was distressing.

Remembering what Taehyung had said before, Jiah believed that he was having a hard time adjusting to this new norm. She wished he knew he wasn't alone in this. Trying to shrug it off, she went back to her task of checking the hung clothes.

She was about to jot something down on her note when a creak from the entrance caught the oldest staff member muttering, "Woah, what the –"

Recognizing the familiar elegant and feminine appearance, Jiah turned and immediately bowed. The woman smiled softly and returned the bow. Then, her gaze shifted to Seokjin, who was at the counter. "Hi," she softly chirped.

"Ah, yeah, hi!" Seokjin replied, looking confused. "Here to see the red capsicum?"

Understanding Seokjin's joke, she chuckled softly. Then, she shook her head and said, "I'm here to see Miss Jiah."

All the staff turned their wide-eyed heads toward Jiah. "Me?" she asked, flabbergasted, pointing at herself with the pen in her hand.

Grinning, Wendy nodded and said, "I would like to hang out with you!"

**********

Jiah had never been to an expensive place, especially a spa. Having Wendy pay for everything made her feel small. She wasn't sure about Wendy's intention to bring her out, but she tried not to think of her in a bad way. She didn't even know what her story was with Hoseok.

When they were at the foot massage, silence filled the air. Jiah watched as the masseur massaged her feet, and during the body massage, another silence prevailed. If it weren't for Wendy's gentle smile, she wouldn't have felt at ease around her. The masseur's skilled hands rubbing and kneading her back and arms released the tension trapped in her muscles. It was so relaxing that she almost fell into a deep slumber.

After taking a quick shower, Wendy told her she would be waiting for her at the sauna. Jiah swiftly wrapped her body with a towel, tied her hair in a loose bun, and walked out of the shower.

In one of the sauna rooms, Wendy waited for her. Like Jiah, the tall blonde woman had wrapped her body with a towel, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail. A red band scarf pushed back her baby hairs. When Jiah entered, Wendy smiled at her and gestured for her to sit with an open palm.