To Find Something True

※ forty-five

Seokjin came to work with a lighter mood. He began the day by talking nicely with all of the younger staff. No one found that peculiar, but Hoseok noticed that the oldest's mood changes made him wary. As he had been keeping an eye on his assistant, he saw that the first person Seokjin reached out to for a long chat was Jiah.

He didn't know what they were talking about, but they were laughing and smiling a lot. He wished he knew what was going on. Unsure if they were playing the 'Jiah's attention game' again, Hoseok decided to hold himself back from calling her name too often.

Hence, that day, he spent more time alone in the office. Jiah's absence made him feel lonely. He was already experiencing her presence deprivation. With Jiah not at her seat, his sketching progress was inconsistent. He would draw, then stare at the table, and repeat this process until it was her lunch break time.

He was staring at her table when she walked through the corridor to the office. Quickly returning to his sketchbook and pretending to draw, he straightened his sitting posture.

Jiah pushed the door, tilting her head as she grinned and cooed, "My handsome boss."

Hoseok slowly looked up, biting his lips, and flaring his nose as he held back a grin. "Yeah?" he answered.

Putting both her hands behind her back, she walked to his table and asked, "What's my handsome boss doing?"

Trying to maintain a poker face, Hoseok had no idea why he liked the way Jiah called him 'handsome boss.' He replied, "Your handsome boss is designing, as always." Jiah then spun her body side to side slowly and softly buzzed. That habit of hers got him a little restless. "What... what do you want?"

Sealing her lips tight as she buzzed, she then said, "I want to ask for an early leave later."

Hoseok's eyebrows jumped. "Oh, why?"

"I want to go visit a friend."

"Ah..." He nodded. "Is your friend okay?"

"That's the thing. I've been trying to reach her since last night, but none of my messages get a reply. None of my calls were answered either," she explained. She continued, muttering, "I tried calling her sibling too. No answers."

"Oh," Hoseok mumbled, staring at her for a moment, lost in thought. 'What kind of angel had the sky dropped to this world? Are there many angels like her?' he thought. 'Cute and sweet, but feisty.'

"Hoseok-ah," Jiah called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you approving my leave?"

"Uh," he buzzed briefly. "Yes! Yes, of course. Do you need a ride?"

She said, "It's fine. I'm going with Seokjin."

"What?" Hoseok exclaimed, mouth agape, and eyes widened. It startled his assistant. "With Seokjin?" he asked, and Jiah nodded her head.

He slowly turned his head in the direction of the main area and found Seokjin peeking behind the wall, poking out his tongue at him. Then slowly, he curved a knowing smile, retracted back, and vanished behind the concrete wall.

Trying to stop himself from sighing, he looked up at his assistant and displayed an awkward smile. It looked like the 'Jiah's attention game' was still going on.

'Seokjin hyung is really something,' he thought.

**********

Loneliness thwacked him when he heard the door at the entrance screech. From the main area, Jisoo's voice saying "bye-bye" chimed through the corridor. He knew then that Jiah and Seokjin had left the shop.