thekimskimchi

[thekimskimchi]

TWELVE

It was autumn. But, Lee Jiah felt hot most of the time, especially her face.

She squirmed in her position, kicking the duvet that covered her body. It dropped to the ground. A few squeaks bothered her hearing and it made her eyebrows furrow deep.

Random questions began to pop into her mind, and the deeper her eyebrows frown became. She grasped the noises of chit-chattering and a soft ringing of a telephone after that. She gasped and instantly sat, opening her eyes wide.

Judging by the uniforms the workers wore, she immediately knew that she was at a police station. Turning her head to one of her sides, she found out the heat on her face earlier came from the sun ray that pierced through the window. Despite the heat, she realized the sofa she lay on was undeniably comfortable.

"Good morning, miss!" Greeted a male who was also part of the team. A humble smile spread on his face.

Jiah turned her head to look up at him. "Good morning."

He seemed almost reluctant to tell something, yet he said, "Someone brought you here. If you're wondering."

"Is that so?"

The intern policeman nodded.

"Who?"

The intern shook his head for a while and said, "I don't know. He didn't tell us his name."

"Him?" More confusion was exposed on her face. "Is it a man?"

"Yes."

Jiah quietly gasped and whispered to herself, "Oh my goodness, that's dangerous."

The policeman added, "He can be someone you know. He brought you here by dragging you. Oh, right! He bought you some plasters and alcohol rub, in case he hurt you, he said."

At a leisure pace, Jiah lengthened her right arm to take the items.

The young policeman looked down at her knuckles. He said, "I see that you scraped your knuckles."

Jiah looked at her knuckles and noticed her right knuckle was reddened, with dry blood on her skin. The skin on the knuckle was torn as well, revealing its bare part.

"I think he forgot to get some cotton. I'll get some for you."

"Yes, thank you." She bowed and smile before he left.

While the intern policeman went to get some cotton, Jiah wondered who was that man. She barely remembered what happened. Trying to remember only hurt her brain.

**********

"How is Hoseok?" A feminine yet rough voice rang through a speaker. On the phone's screen display, there was Amber in her sweater. Her short, black hair dampened and her right arm tattoo displayed just above the home button. The background was quite dimmed.

Seokjin sighed, "good, good." With tired eyes, he pressed his lips into a thin line, his cheeks formed a chubbier shape.

"And you?" Amber asked.

Seokjin was exasperated. He stared at the screen in disbelief at first, before venting out. "You should have asked when we started talking! Why now? It's already more than forty minutes, and you think of asking now? We've been talking about business and you didn't bother to ask about your best friend's well-being first? Why, why, why?"

Amber was able to let out an awkward chuckle. Seokjin hardly scolded her. It led her to an assumption that he was under great stress. However, knowing Seokjin, she was used to that attitude, and fighting him back would be useless. If she was asked to resemble the man with a character, she would answer that he resembled the grumpy grandfather from Courage the Cowardly Dog.

"S-so, how... how are you?"

Seokjin pouted with a wrinkle in the middle of his eyebrows. Deep, sad voice and nonchalant that said, "I'm good too."

"And Yoongi?"

"All he does is sleep after finishing his tasks."

"And the rest?"

Seokjin complained, "Things here are just the same without you. Jimin and Taehyung bickered for potato chips again today. They only stopped after I gave them a newer pack. I swear to god, they're giving me headaches the most! Namjoon broke a stool while standing on it to replace a lightbulb, he is okay anyway. Nothing to complain about Jungkook, he has been a good one recently. I should ask Hoseok to give him a raise, don't you think?" Amber chuckled. "Wheein and Jisoo... well..."

The halt led to a long silence. Amber raised her eyebrows at the sudden quietness. "Well?"

"They almost burned the kitchen today." Seokjin let out a soft sigh through his nose. Kitchen was his favorite place and if anything happened to it, he normally vented about it as if the culprit had done a huge sin.

Amber began to find the atmosphere strange. That was unlikely Seokjin. "Are you sure you're good, Seokjin?"

"Yes, yes. I'm good."

"If you're too tired." She paused to think. "You can ask for a holiday. I know you need it."

"Nah, I'm good. Don't worry," Seokjin halted to fix the USB cord that was stuck in between his phone and laptop. Once untangled, he looked at the camera again. "Besides, I can't let Yoongi and Hoseok handle the boutique without my supervision. Without me, the boutique will become a mess."

"I don't think the younger staff would make a mess to the extent you imagine." Amber took a deep breath before adding, "Sure, they're a mess, but, come on. It would be bad to assume these adults forget their responsibilities at the boutique."

"Not that I imagine stuff. It just -"

"Now I am convinced you are stressed. Stop denying." Amber then spoke in English, "Do you want to talk about it, man?"

Seokjin avoided the screen by looking down. "It's okay. I'm sure this will slide off soon."

It felt weird to see Seokjin like that. Amber thought a lot. Her best friend behave this way and did not seem to have her task given to them the reason. Just before she video-called Seokjin, Yoongi reported to her that he had someone in mind and that he would contact the person to settle this as soon as possible.

Remembering he often bickered with his sister, then it could be the reason. But usually, it would not make Jisoo's oldest brother act like they had done a huge crime. Their arguments were always something trivial and they would get back together quickly.

So, what could it be?

If Seokjin insisted that he was fine, she did not want to push him to tell.

"Let's talk about Hoseok's future assistant," Seokjin said.

Amber thought, if that was one of Seokjin's ways to slide things quickly, then for this time, she would let him. "Sure!" She said. "Yoongi told me he'd found one."

"Uh-huh! We will call her tomorrow. The faster, the better."

"Can you tell me about Hoseok's future assistant?"

"Hold on. Let me get the CV copy." Seokjin was then seen stretching his body to get a transparent, plastic file. He read the curricular vitae through the plastic and said, "Her name's Lee Jiah. She's the same age as Hoseok. I think what made Yoongi insist to pick her is because she is a former nurse."

As far as Amber remembered, Yoongi told her that the person he chose was a student of nursing. Confusion drew in her mind. "I think you got a mistake there. She was a student who took a nursing major, right?"

Amber's response had Seokjin's eyebrows furrowed as he reread the 'education background' passage. He sighed, "Right! That's the correct one."

Amber started to feel disappointed. She stared at the man ruefully. She calmly demanded, "Let's call this talk off. You need to rest."

Seokjin showed a bitter smile.

Amber had no choice but decided to be the one who end the conversation first. "Rest, Seokjin. It's eleven here anyway. I need to sleep."

"Okay. Talk to you next time. Don't forget to share your updates!"

Amber grinned and said, "Sure thing. Bye!" With a light smile, she clicked the red button.

At this moment, it bothered her how things at the store had been doing. Although she believed Hoseok could handle this alone, she doubted if the need to meet an important client would be a part that he could settle without obvious stuttering. Seokjin or Yoongi could accompany him, though based on what she had observed, it did not help him at all.

*********

Yoongi was counting the stocks in the storage room when he sensed a vibration from his denim jacket. He fished out his phone from his pocket. Pressing a button to unlock his phone, he saw an email icon from the notification box. He clicked it twice and swiped the screen to his recent email notification.

An email from Amber was shown on the screen. He could not help but have his eyebrows creased, thinking she should have told Seokjin what she wanted. Just when he stopped at the final line of the email that read 'let Seokjin rest', he finally understood why she sent the email to him.

Without many questions in his mind, he tucked his phone into the jacket's pocket and continued counting.

After he was done with his task, he went out of the room and locked it. Coincidentally, he saw Seokjin walk by. He called, "hyung!"

The younger's call halted the older man's paces. Nonchalantly, he asked, "What?"

"Are you alright?"

A confused look formed on Seokjin's face, nonetheless, he nodded his head.

"Okay then," Yoongi said.

"Why?"

"Nothing." Yoongi gathered a bunch of keys in his hand after he locked the storage. He was about to leave the hallway when Seokjin grabbed his arm.

Seokjin asked, "Did Amber tell you something?"

Maintaining a poker face, Yoongi shook his head, "No."

"Then why did you ask?"

"What-" Yoongi blinked his eyes multiple times. "I can't ask?"

"Not that you can't ask. I just find you a bit sus. You don't usually ask about my well-being."

The curly-haired man scoffed, "tsk, I'll stop asking about your well-being then." Before he swayed his legs to leave the older man alone in the hallway, he turned to face him to say "use the room we lied to Hoseok to rest. Rest well, hyungnim." Yoongi then continued his way to leave the area.

On the other side, Seokjin scoffed when he made his way to the resting room. He heard the older man muttered, "he's terrible at lying."

Taking out his phone, Yoongi arrived at the meeting room and sat on the solo couch that Hoseok usually sat on. Landing his arms on his knees, he unlocked the phone and immediately directed the screen to the recent email. He read the message again.

"These are easy," he muttered as he thought of the 'nurse girl'.

Yoongi was sure that he had chosen the right person. Perhaps, to gain more trust, he thought that he should prepare an unannounced test for her.

He assumed Seokjin might have missed one detail from the curricular vitae after knowing that he was not in a great condition where he would pay attention to the smallest detail.

[thekimskimchi]

ELEVEN

synonym

*leave open-mouthed – amazed, surprised, shocked, astonished

phrases

*muddle through/along – cope, manage, get by/along

----------

As the new season was approaching, Jiah took a break. She planned to spend time with her father. Though, if she correctly counted, it had been five days since she had a job interview at the Bejiwoo. She doubted the staff would call her.

Jiah's lips puckered as her eyes wandered around the space and hummed deeply. Both of her palms were under her chin, elbows on top of the old, wooden table. One of her legs moved side to side to a random tune she hummed.

Her high school batch's invitation she received a few days ago came to mind. She wanted to bring Shinhye, but it was announced that the reunion was only for students who studied in the same batch. She was debating whether to join the party or not.

She did not have any issues with her classmates when she was in high school, so she did not see why she should not attend. Her class environment during high school was fine compared to other classes that might have bully cases or rebellious teenagers. Fights due to misunderstandings happened at times. Still, that did not affect their friendship.

However, her friendship with them was ambiguous. She remembered she never tell them anything deep regarding her problems.

"Appa," Jiah called, still with her chin propped on her palms.

Mr. Lee was busy trimming a young man's hair when he gave a quick response. "Yeah?"

Jiah started carefully. "Tomorrow night. There will be my high school's batch reunion party."

Mr. Lee paused as he looked at his daughter through the mirror. Then, he gave another quick response. "Okay."

"Can I go?"

The father chuckled. "You always tell me that you're an adult now. Why the permission?"

Jiah's lips frowned. "That's because you're my father."

Mr. Lee chuckled again. "Of course, you can. I'll give you my –"

"No!" Jiah enlarged her eyes to warn.

"Oh, right. My daughter is an adult and she has her own money." He paused to sweep the hair off his customer's shoulders with a small, white, rectangle cloth. "I was trying to say I'll give you some of my mint candies. You got motion sickness the other day. You forgot, my child?"

Jiah blinked her eyes multiple times. She became flustered as she remembered an event. "A-ah! The weather was hot. I rode a bus too."

"Oh. You can handle riding the bus well now?"

Jiah nodded once.

Mr. Lee rested his hand on his customer's shoulders. "I will give you the candies. I don't believe you. Share with your friends, okay?"

A sudden drop of her forehead on the table gave rise to a loud thud. And a whine.

**********

The next day, Jiah used the neighbor's grandfather's scooter to avoid her father from giving her the candies. A red helmet was given to her for safety. The moment Grandpa Ji gave her the helmet, she was left open-mouthed upon seeing the stickers on it. They didn't seem to be old stickers, still sticking well and the color had not faded.

Stickers with a 'rock-and-roll' hand sign, a small dark rose, and a winking skull on the helmet. Jiah could not help but raise a slow thumb with her mouth forming an 'o' and said, "you're cool!"

Grandpa Ji chuckled at the response before mimicking the poses of the stickers.

The chilly air brushed through her skin as the scooter moved along the highway in Seoul. Her palms tightly gripped the handles. A smile plastered on her face, forgetting the fact that she had not obtained a driving license.

She went to Seoul a little too soon, so she visited Shinhye's workplace to wait for the right time to go to the venue. After she parked the scooter and the scooter's engine turned off, Shinhye left the shop with two big, green garbage plastic bags in her hands. However, Shinhye did not notice her presence. Consequently, Jiah began planning something mischievous.

Biting her bottom lips to suppress a laugh, she tip-toed to the girl who was dumping the garbage into the trash can. She gripped her best friend's shoulders hard and yelled, "hm-boo!"

Shinhye jumped and turned around swiftly. She cursed as she slapped laughing Jiah on the arm. Glaring at her friend, she bent down to pick up and closed the trash can with its cover. She exhaled a quick breath and calmly said, "stop it."

Jiah pouted. "Aww, come on! I have fun."

"Fun, my ass! I could have gotten a heart attack if you continue!" Shinhye scolded.

But Jiah did not stop laughing.

"Is getting a heart attack funny to you?"

Jiah sealed her lips, immediately standing there like an obedient child. "Nope," she said.

Shinhye rolled her eyes and stomped her way from the area. Jiah sensed something was wrong. She chased the taller girl's paces and walked beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Shinhye kept mum. She snatched a rag from a vacant table and brought it to the counter. Jiah followed her.

Shinhye stood in front of a coffee grinder at the counter as she stared at Jiah after exhaling another sigh. Without thinking twice, she unbuttoned her black, oversized shirt, showing Jiah a big dark brown stain in her white half-buttoned uniform.

Jiah's mouth opened wide at the view. Immediately, she asked, "what happened?"

Shinhye slammed the rag in her hand on the counter. "My boss' wife came. She ordered her favorite and when I made it for her, she said that it wasn't what she ordered," she told. "Fuck!"

Jiah knew where this story was leading.

"I don't understand why that old lady likes to do me dirty. I've done nothing to this café or her husband or her but work."

Jiah's face turned into a worried frown.

"I've endured everything in this café. I don't think I can do it anymore. But how am I going to feed my siblings if I quit?" Shinhye's voice strained at the end.

"Do you want to go home?" Jiah asked.

Her best friend's voice was almost quiet when she said, "I wish I can."

"Hey, you can use the scooter," Jiah said. "And you don't have to worry about money. I can help you."

Shinhye snorted. "I don't like asking for money. Furthermore, from you."

"You don't need to pay me back." Jiah fished out her wallet from her bag and took out a few notes. "Just treat me to good food when you get a new job." She giggled with her eye smile.

"You don't have to."

"Aish," Jiah grumbled, furrowing her eyebrows. She grabbed her best friend's wrist and placed the money in her palm. "Just take it! Get some KFC for your siblings."

Jiah swore she saw a glisten of tears pooling at the line of her best friend's eyes, but she blinked it away. Knowing Shinhye so well, she hated the fact that her best friend tried to conceal her hardship. And that, she only shared her hardship when everything was on the verge to collapse. With that, Jiah was worried about her best friend and her siblings' beings.

Helping Shinhye was never a trouble. She wished Shinhye knew that. Her heart crunched upon finding out her youngest sibling had been telling Shinhye that his classmate brought fried chicken from a restaurant to school for an afternoon class break. Jiah remembered how Shinhye reacted to him. Torn, she did not know how to tell them they could not afford one. Even getting jjajangmyeon for four with side dishes was hard for them.

Sometimes, Jiah realized Shinhye seemed to regret telling her how her family's condition was. She treated them to Subway meals, her siblings getting free haircuts at her father's barbershop, helping her to buy her siblings' school needs. She didn't want Shinhye to think asking for help was a burden.

Her life was nothing she could compare with Shinhye. She was grown with care and love. Her best friend was otherwise.

Her father was a drunkard, and her mother ran away from home and left three of her siblings and herself. After graduating from college, she worked her ass off to provide her siblings with proper meals and pay off their school fees and needs. Back when she saved money for the first time for her siblings' use, it had never been easy. Until Jiah suggested a way to hide her money.

Reality worked badly on her. But one matter that they were thankful with. That they had each other.

She was an atheist, yet she believed in angels. Once, when they had a drink together and she got drunk, she told Jiah she was a blessing from angels to her. Though, she did not want to take advantage of Jiah which was why she was always reluctant when it came to accepting something.

To her, Jiah was her soulmate.

Her thoughts snapped out when she heard the girl ask, "how are your siblings?"

Shinhye let out a soft laugh. "Other than ranting to me about their classmates, they're complaining about homework. Routine, routine," she sarcastically cooed.

Jiah squinted her eyes and her lips pouted. "Having younger siblings is fun right?"

"Fun, my ass. Being the eldest child is when you have to hear them bickering over silly things."

Jiah laughed. "At least, you aren't alone. I'm jealous of you."

Shinhye let out a flustered laugh and said, "and you have your father."

Jiah scoffed, "huh! All that oldie does is trap himself in the barbershop and try to give me his money." She pouted at Shinhye and whined, "why does he always mind giving me his money? His shop is on the verge of bankruptcy. He could have kept the money to pay the debts. I can look for a job and earn money on my own."

"Hmm, he has his reasons."

Jiah lazily uttered, "yeah, yeah."

"You gotta understand your father, buddy. The older you get, the more you understand why we gotta keep some things hidden."

Jiah sadly hummed, "hmm." She played with the edge of the woven basket, staring at it with sad eyes.

"Cheer up, girl!" Shinhye said, patting her friend's shoulder with one hand while another reached for a medium-sized transparent, plastic cup. "Do you want your favorite drink?"

Jiah beamed and said, "yes, please!"

**********

Jiah arrived at the restaurant by six in the evening. As the restaurant had private rooms for customers to have gatherings, she assumed that they would have one as well.

Jiah took her phone out and called one of her high school classmates, Pyo Heejin. Once the call was answered, she said, "hey, Heejin."

"Hey!" Heejin cooed. "You here?"

"Yup. Where are you?"

"Wait there. I'll go get you."

"Okay," Jiah said and hung up. She moved to the counter and waited for her friend. It was not a long wait when she heard someone calling her name.

"Jiah!"

The mentioned woman found another woman waving at her with a genuine grin. She beamed, scurrying to Heejin. They hugged each other and asked about their well-being. Getting that both of them had been doing well, they giggled and Heejin guided her to a room.

Heejin slid the door when they stood in front of a noisy room, filled with laughter and chatter. Jiah highly anticipated welcoming smiles at that moment and it happened. Greets came from all the occupants in the room warmed her. The women who were nearby the door got up and caught her in their hugs one by one. One of them rocked her side to side, telling her that she missed her. In return, Jiah told the feeling was mutual.

"Our sweet Jiah is finally here!" Shouted a man, whose name was Kang Maru. He clapped with full of fun. The rest cheered as Jiah shyly stopped them.

"I think I need more beer. The sweetness that Jiah shows us later gives us diabetes," said another man, Lee Ahn.

As Jiah made her way to a vacant seat beside Heejin, she heard a female voice diagonal to her seat. "Do you remember she gave all of us chocolate balls for Valentine's?" All reacted loudly. "I wasn't in a good mood. And knowing I got one chocolate for Valentine's from Lee Jiah. Ah, I almost had a huge crush on her."

Jiah waved her hand bashfully, trying to stop the female. The more they reminisced the memories of the deed she had done to them, the shyer she became.

She was the last one to arrive and that made the attendance complete. Amusing, she found out that they came earlier than the time promised.

Good old times give the best future. That was what Jiah thought at that moment. The laughter they shared that day brought Jiah back to the times they spent together.

They were still the same, but more mature in different ways. Some went through a huge glow-up. Some of them seemed to be more careful with words and more careful with actions to be shown. Out of all of them, Kang Maru stood out the most.

Jiah could not help but smile at knowing that her friends were growing up well in this crazy world. Still be able to smile, still sitting together for that reunion.

It would not be perfect for a reunion without soju or beer or any type of alcohol. Her friends had been feeding her food and needless to say, soju. She could handle alcohol, but the problem was, constantly consuming without a break would snap her mind from reality.

She was engaging in the conversations lively a while ago, but after a few cups, barely five words left her mouth. She tilted her head to the side with a fist supporting her left cheek. Her face was shaded in bright red, eyes droopy and blinking slowly.

At last, the drowsiness and heaviness forced her to shut her eyes. She ended up sleeping on the table, her head on top of her folded arms and left cheek squished.

Two hours passed so fast. One by one left the event but drunk Jiah was stuck on the table, sleeping. Until she felt someone was carrying her by lifting one of her arms. Later, she heard Heejin saying, "the event's ended."

Jiah whimpered. She tried her best to get her consciousness by forcing her eyes open, but failed; only to get it half hooded. She lifted her chin up and then stared at the door.

No one asked, but she said, "I'm... o, o, okay!"

Both Maru and Heejin were sober, stifling their laughs.

Heejin asked, "you sure you okay?"

Jiah enthusiastically nodded despite the drunkenness.

Heejin then looked at Maru. "Can you accompany her?" She asked.

"Of course! It's not a problem."

Jiah whined, "Noo-O! I said I'm ooo-kay. I have a black belt in karate!" Drunkard karate stunts were shown, making Maru and Heejin stifled their laughs again. Then, her head drooped and her arms fell on her sides.

"If she insists she's okay, it's better to let her be," Maru said.

Heejin was a little hesitant. "O... kay. But let's not leave her alone. Not now." She made a glance at Jiah to make sure she stood properly.

Maru agreed. He took the drunk girl's arm to wrap around his shoulder. On the other hand, Heejin grabbed her things and hung them on one of her arms.

Despite the drunk mind, Jiah believed she could reach home safely. She let go of Maru as she clumsily stepped back. They were already outside of the restaurant. Jiah pressed her eyes, blinking multiple times before recognizing the surrounding. Vision blurry and her system buzzing, she managed to show a smile to her friends.

Giggling, she said, "you two. Go home. I'll be okay."

Heejin looked at Maru. Maru only shrugged with a frown. Heejin asked, "you sure?"

Jiah gave her a drunk nod.

Although hesitant, Heejin said, "if you insist." She passed the young woman's things. She added, "call me tomorrow!"

With a drunk smile, Jiah nodded. Maru and Heejin waved her goodbye and she did too. As her friends walked farther, her eyebrows furrowed with a long whine. She sighed, "why did I drink too much? Oh, my head."

With a spinning sensation around her, she muddled through* her way. At some point, she regretted lending Shinhye Grandpa Ji's scooter. She could have gone home safely even if it took her a long to arrive home. Her mind was not working properly already; she forgot about taxi and bus existence. She complained, complained and complained, and scolded herself for drinking soju constantly while on her way going through the path to go home.

Her feet led the way to a dark pathway. Only one lamppost lit up and it wasn't helpful. The shine from the moonlight too dimmed for her sight. Nonetheless, she continued her way on the path.

Fortunately, someone was using the path. She thought this could be the right person to ask for help. Swaying clumsily to the individual, she waved at him like a slug. "Sir, help me."

The man's eyes widened. He froze there for a while, before making tiny steps backward.

"Sir."

With small steps backward, he gulped his saliva.

Using a whining tone, Jiah called out again. "Siiir!" All of a sudden, she tripped on her own feet and fell hard on her face.

"Oh no!" The man rushed to her and asked, "are you okay?" He lifted the girl from her shoulders, laying her back on his thighs and her head on his arm, then noticing a small scrap in her nose. The man's face contorted as if he felt the pain.

Jiah fluttered her eyes open and made a good look at the man. "Sir." She displayed a drunken smile. She landed her palm on his cheek and rubbed it lightly. The man flinched. "You have smooth skin." As she drunkenly pointed at a spot, she pouted and slurred, "I have a pimple here. Biiig one. And then, I had to attend a party! I want to pinch it, but it's paaainful! I'd to cake up the foundation on this spot. I feel ugly, hmm..."

"Uh... okay."

Her stomach churned. It grew more uncomfortable when she tried to hold it back. She gulped her saliva, only to taste something disgustingly sour in her throat. Jiah tried to hold back from gagging but failed. She let out a small, "woo-ek."

The man was aware of what was going to happen. He stiffened and muttered, "miss, no."

Jiah gagged louder and deeper.

The man rapped, "m-miss. No. No, no, no, no, no. Not right now. Y-you need to find a toilet." Anxiously, he turned his head left and right to look for a sign of a public toilet.

However, it was too late. Jiah spewed up her stomach's contents as much as she had to. The man was left aghast.

The disgusting substance, accompanied by a nauseous smell splattered on the man's jacket's long sleeve when she threw up. The man could not help but grimace at the feeling of dampness on his skin.

"This isn't what I want for a walk," he muttered. The stomach-churning smell danced around his nose, making him gag too.

Finally, Jiah let out a long relieved sigh. She mumbled, "Ugh, sick. Good, good..."

The only thing the man did was hiss a curse. His jawline formed as he looked up and exhaled a deep sigh. "Dear god, what did I do wrong?"

When he looked down, Jiah had passed out on his arm. He grew anxious again. He shook her body lightly by the other side of her arm as he said, "miss? Miss." The response he got was a whine and a light push. He was baffled. Clicking his tongue with a contort on his face, he muttered, "what should I do with her?"

When an idea drew in his mind, he checked the surroundings first. The path was quite dark and there wasn't anybody around. Grunts of vehicles were barely heard in that area, though he knew it was one of the safest routes since he often used the path to have a night walk.

With one of the sleeves soiled because of the vomit, he thought it would not be a good idea to carry her. Thus, he did not hesitate with the idea he had in mind at that moment.

Carefully, he hooked his arms under the young woman's underarms and yanked her by one step back to avoid the pool of vomit. He exhaled another deep sigh and then, started to drag her out of the area.

As they almost reached a well-lit area, the man stopped to exhale a breath. He was not going to lie, his mind was complaining about how heavy the woman was that his back started to ache. Then, he ducked his head to smell his shirt.

Contorting his face, he let out a harsh exhale from his nostrils. He hissed, "ugh, sheesh!" Then, he gagged.

One more sigh left his mouth before continuing to drag the girl out of the place.

To motivate himself, Jung Hoseok kept in mind that the pitiful woman needed to be sent to the police station to get her guardian's contact. His anxious mind was hoping the passer-by would not judge him while on his way to the police station.

[thekimskimchi]

TEN

The process of looking for an assistant for the introverted boss went on. The days that passed had never been easy.

There was once when Seokjin and Yoongi almost got caught preparing for the interview. They were lucky that there weren't any applicants at that time. That time was when Hoseok returned to the office alone to get his phone. When he asked why were they in the (supposed) abandoned room, Seokjin came up with a brilliant reason – saying the area was a place to rest or a place for Yoongi to sleep just in case he was lazy to go back to his house again.

The reason effectively convinced the boss. The two of them found solace in their minds after a long time of warnings and sirens.

At that point, Seokjin felt like giving up. At least, he had chosen three or four candidates who were likely to be selected. Nonetheless, he could not help but found something inadequate in the candidates.

Still, Yoongi did not forget the 'nurse girl'. He wanted to let Seokjin know about his thought as soon as he could, but the older had been very occupied with his task and the interview. As they were on break, he was supposed to share his thoughts, but Jisoo needed him that time when she carelessly hit her broken finger on the edge of the table.

"It hurts as fuck! Fucking hurts!!" Her cry resonated in the fully furnished store. It even had Jimin, who was counting at the counter, jump.

Seokjin made the bandage around the fingers thicker. He slapped his sister's mouth as he scolded, "did I ever teach you that ugly word?"

That scolding only made Jisoo cry harder.

So many matters and challenges that these two had to go through.

Yoongi and Seokjin decided to take a break at a Chinese restaurant that evening after another long day. That time, Hoseok – who was told to hang out with Namjoon again that day – had returned from a café.

"Hyung," Yoongi started, swallowing his noodles after that. "Have you decided on a good assistant for Hoseok?"

Seokjin shook his head with a bulge on his left cheek. His temples muscles bolded every time he chewed the contents in his mouth. "I wanted Jisoo to be his assistant, but I don't think I can trust her with all the assisting," he paused to swallow. "She would waste some time. Do you have someone in mind?"

Yoongi nodded his head. He put down his chopstick after emptying his bowl. He uttered, "the nurse girl."

Seokjin stopped chewing. "The nurse girl?"

Yoongi nodded.

"Who –"

"Lee Jiah."

"Ahh..." Seokjin paused in the mid-way. "Who?"

Yoongi tilted to the side to get his wallet. He then took out a passport photo size and slid it to Seokjin.

"Ah! This girl. Wait, how come you have her photo? Don't tell me –"

"I know you'd forget," Yoongi nonchalantly told. He crossed his legs and leaned to the back. "She seems to be for Hoseok."

"Oh," The older paused, looking elsewhere as he tried to remember the nurse girl. "O... kay?"

"A nurse student. Pretty sure she took an internship for a short time, so she's trained to be patient, and diligent. I was impressed she hadn't made me doubt her potential and she wasn't as difficult as the rest."

Seokjin had a recollection of the young woman then. "But most of her work experience has nothing to do with assisting Hoseok."

"But the training she had taken may have," Yoongi said. "I believe in this girl. I have a strong intuition that I trust way too much sometimes. I might be a clairvoyant in my past life."

Seokjin laughed at his utterance.

*********

Hoseok found something while he was inspecting the clothes on the mannequins near the entrance. With a frown, he moved closer. The last time he left the boutique, there wasn't any cello tape glue stain, or small evidence of plastic stuck on the glass.

The window squeaked as he rubbed the stain. And then, he scratched the cello tape on the glass with his nails to remove it. Turning around, he asked, "Wheein, Jisoo, did any of you clean the glass today?"

"I did," Wheein answered with a hand raised.

"But what is this?" Hoseok showed the evidence.

Wheein took a look closer. Her eyes enlarged at the plastic sticking in her boss' finger. "Oh-oh! That. Haha! I was... I was using the cello tape to... oh – collect the micro dust! Hahaha! I forgot that I stuck one there." She then faked a wide grin.

Hoseok's eyes drooped, lips still frowning. "Is that possible?"

Wheein nodded her head fast, her bang got messed up as she did.

The innocent man turned around and scanned the glass. He whispered, "perhaps, I can try this for my office." After pulling the half-fallen hoodie to cover his head, he walked away from the glass to his office.

Wheein looked at Jisoo who was frozen in her seat. Once they heard the familiar sound of a glass door clanging and swinging at its place, Jisoo mumbled a scolding at how careless her friend could be. Wheein mimicked a crying face, her friend laughed to scorn.

Yoongi and Seokjin came back. The girls welcomed them back as Yoongi passed Wheein two plastic bags filled with takeaway food and drinks.

Seokjin then asked, "where is Hoseok?"

Wheein answered, "in his office."

The man grabbed a wrapped chicken burger and a small bottle of Coca-Cola before making his way to Hoseok's office.

Hoseok was sketching in his office as usual, his posture bent on the table with his chin propped on top of his left fist, dark blue hoodie half covering his head. The knocks on the door had him raise his head.

Seokjin pushed the door without hesitation and announced, "we bought chicken burgers." He raised the hand that held the food. "Yours."

Hoseok shook his head, resuming his sketch.

Seokjin inhaled a deep breath with his eyes shut. A deep, warning yet calm tone left the man's mouth. "Hoseok."

"I don't want it, hyung. Don't bother."

"Hoseok, you always skip breakfast."

The young boss calmly remarked, "except that time when you bought me fish carp bread. I'm not the type to eat breakfast and you know that."

Seokjin tilted his head with a tired look. "You gotta eat your lunch."

"Later."

"So, take these."

"I don't want it."

Seokjin asked, "what do you want? I can buy it for you."

"I said don't bother. I can buy on my own."

Seokjin kept quiet for a few moments. He then looked at the time displayed on Hoseok's desktop. "As long as you leave the office by three p.m. Expect me coming back to shove food in your mouth if you don't."

"Okay," Hoseok said, not raising his head.

Finally, the older man left the area.

Hoseok lifted himself with a soft breath left his mouth. He was thinking about how to lie more to avoid eating after that. He didn't have the appetite to eat.

**********

Hoseok went back home at three p.m. instead, knowing the condition at the house had gotten back to peace, and thought it was a better way to avoid Seokjin from shoving food in his mouth.

In front of the gate, he looked up at the sky, white clouds passed through leisurely. His nose wiggled and sniffed. Under the sun, a slight chill in the air grazed his skin.

"Hmm. Fall is coming," he muttered, then looking around to see the trees available in that area. He leaned himself on his car, arms crossed and head up at the sky. His hoodie fell on his back.

"Is fall coming at your place too?"

**********

One night, a suspicious sight somewhere in a dark pathway. The moonlight was the only source that helped brightened the way. No one walked by the place. However, heavy breaths coming from an individual interrupted the eerie silence.

Dragging a body had never been easy. However, he had no choice.

He turned his head down to smell his shirt. A grimace drew on his face. He hissed, "ugh... Sheesh!" And then, gagged at the nauseating smell dancing around his nostrils.

He continued to drag. Grunting at the heaviness, it was accompanied by the friction noise against the back of a pair of shoes and pebbles on the ground. 

[thekimskimchi]

NINE

After a long day at work, Yoongi spent that night staring at the sky-blue ceiling. His body was on a silky purple small rocking bed, with an arm as a pillow and an orange-flavored lollipop in his mouth.

No one knew he was staying the night at the shop. Nonetheless, it wasn't the first time he'd stayed there. Therefore, no one would be surprised to see his unexpected presence at the store.

He usually stayed there when he forgot to pay his electrical bills. It was a little inconvenient to do it using e-payment. Although he adored his phone, he was irritated that some programs were incompatible with it, despite the fact that the operating systems had been upgraded. Furthermore, doing it via the browser was a more vexing process. Slow loading, account verification, and lag.

His parents would pay him visits from time to time, and he would let them stay in his rental apartment. He didn't have any problems with his parents, though. As the family's youngest son, he was frequently pampered by his family, and as a result, whenever his parents came to visit, he was always late for work. Min Yoongi was incapable of saying 'no' to his parents or anyone older than him.

His parents, on the other hand, were not in Seoul. The electricity bills for that month had been paid - with difficulty. He was just too exhausted to go back home, and even too lethargic to turn the wheel.

If Jung Jiwoo discovered that he stayed at the boutique due to idleness, he needed to pack some tissues in case his ears bled. He chuckled at the thought.

Despite his exhaustion, his mind returned to the interviews he had conducted with Seokjin earlier that day. To tell you the truth, the way the interview went that day was a letdown. Needless to say, he had no expectations that this would be easy. His nose drew a deep sigh.

After that, he remembered the nursing student. She made a modest start, providing him and Seokjin with any information they might require. Not to mention, she seemed to meet the requirements for a person like Hoseok.

A future possible nurse becoming his assistant. Given Hoseok's need for so much time to adjust to a new person, the girl appeared to be an excellent fit. He couldn't recall her name, but he had a mental note of 'the nurse girl.'

He wanted to talk to Seokjin about it, but they were too preoccupied with keeping Hoseok from finding out that they were hiring an assistant for him. It didn't seem like a good idea to phone the older man at this hour. At this hour, Seokjin was most likely sleeping. He didn't want to bother the man's younger sister with a phone call, so he didn't.

He heard the entrance door click as he removed the lollipop stick from his mouth and tossed it into a nearby trash can. His brows furrowed when he heard the door unlocked, followed by the sound of the curtain sliding. He shifted his weight to face the entrance.

Yoongi didn't bother to say the person's name. Instead, his brows furrowed even more, perplexed by the sudden presence.

As the uninvited guest raised his head, he noticed who was laying down on the rocking, small bed. He mumbled, "h-hyung."

Yoongi finally lifted his body with the help of his elbow. "What are you doing here?" he said, as the small bed rocked a little.

"I... left my sketchbook."

Yoongi's eyes shifted to the item in the latter's hand. "It's in your hand though," he said.

Hoseok lowered his gaze to the object he was holding. He muttered a whispered curse before lifting his head to give Yoongi an awkward smile.

"What are you doing here?" Yoongi asked again.

"I should be the one asking you. Why are you here?"

"This isn't the first you seeing me staying here," Yoongi remarked. "But this is the first time I'm seeing you coming back to the store at this hour. So, why are you here?"

Hoseok stayed frozen there, mute.

However, Yoongi demanded an answer. He let out a deep, "Jung Hoseok."

Hoseok sighed heavily, defeated. His response was a little hushed, but Yoongi was able to hear him. "My parents are at odds. So, I have trouble with sleeping."

The tension in the elderly man's shoulders dissipated. When he heard the tone Hoseok used to express himself, his heart sank. He leaned quietly down on the bed, his back to Hoseok, and said, "lock the door."

Yoongi knew Hoseok did not expect it to be easy to get through this. Perhaps it was because he was confronting Min Yoongi. He would have to stay up all night relating the account of what happened at home if Amber or Seokjin were staying there that night.

The doorknob clinked against another metal to lock. The curtain hissed to cover the door. The shop had dimmed due to the loss of the brightness of a lamppost outside, leaving only one lamp lit at the cashier's desk.

Hoseok walked to his office swaying his legs, oblivious to Yoongi's curled figure on the rocking bed. He used the light from his phone to go through the dark path.

Yoongi opened his eyes to hear the hinge of a door winced, signing the possibility Hoseok had entered his office. One hand was bent beneath the side of his head, while the other was in between his bent legs. Now that Hoseok was under the same roof with him for one night, he couldn't help but think of Jiwoo, wondering how she was doing. How would Jiwoo react if she found out Hoseok slept here because their parents were fighting?

With a sigh, he curled up even more. He was hoping she was doing well, nonetheless.

Then he shut his eyes, mind filled with Jiwoo.

**********

The next morning, Hoseok was awakened by the muffled noises of people conversing. There was a noticeable shush from the outside followed by.

The hinges of the door squeaked. He pressed his eyes together before relaxing as someone entered the office. In the quiet office, soft pats between the tiles and the soles of human feet reverberated. When he heard a soft clap between a Styrofoam item and the table, he wondered what was on it. The sound of a click meant the lamp on the table had been turned off.

Then, he heard Jisoo softly telling him, "Hoseok, my brother bought you fish carp bread and black coffee."

Hoseok still pretended to sleep.

He heard Jisoo telling someone, "he's not waking up."

A deep hum from Seokjin. "Hmm. Leave him be."

"But the bread won't taste good when they get cold."

"It's okay. He can warm them up."

Another wincing noise from the door, signing the siblings had left. He waited a little longer to be sure they had gone any further. Slowly, he opened his eyes, allowing the sights of the familiar items on his office table to register. He sat up in a relaxed manner on the sofa.

He hadn't considered this way before, but had he been causing his friends any concern?

It was obvious because of all the deeds they had performed for him. When they went overboard - or so Hoseok thought - he got a little uncomfortable.

After some time, the current boss of Bejiwoo rose from his seat. He went closer to the table, letting out a soft sigh. He gave a glance at himself in the glassed sliding door of one of the shelves, noticing the glister thin layer of oil on his face. Remembering he had a bottle of face wash, a box of toothpaste, and a toothbrush on the shelf, he made a mental note to check if he had fresh pair of clothes in his care. The brown paper bag and the little cup drew his attention next.

Hoseok reminded himself that he needed to eat them quickly. He wasn't in the mood to share his breakfast with others. He shouldn't put too much faith in his team. If they saw or smelled food, they were like ravenous hyenas approaching the herbivorous - especially the younger staff.

Because the air conditioner was above his head, he assumed the cool air had cooled down the heat of the coffee. He sipped the coffee while pushing the tiny square cover into the cover's hole. He groaned and grimaced in response to the heat and bitterness, while another hand reached for the small packet of sugar alongside the brown paper bag.

Someone knocked on the office door as his other hand lifted to rip the paper pack. He shifted his gaze to see who it was. However, because the hoodie hem on his shoulder hindered his view, he ripped the pack open and hurriedly removed the cover before turning himself.

"Good morning, Hoseok," greeted Jisoo warm and soft.

"G-good morning." His hand automatically brought itself to the hem of the hoodie and covered his head.

"I forgot to give you the spoon." The girl extended her arms to pass her boss the spoon.

"Uh, yeah -" Hoseok snatched the spoon. "- thanks."

"You're welcome!" Jisoo replied with a wide smile.

Hoseok was about to turn around to face the table again, ready to get back to his coffee and sugar, when Jisoo returned to announce something. "Ah right, my brother wants you to go out with us and look for some goods."

Hoseok's eyes widened. He made a swift turn to look at the girl. "With who?" he asked.

"With me and Wheein."

As expected, his response was "tell your brother. No."

"He said he will smack you with his spatula if you say 'no'."

Hoseok gritted his teeth before exhaling a big sigh.

Spatula. Always with his spatula...

**********

In the end, Hoseok had to give in.

When they left the shop, he was in between Wheein and Jisoo. Despite the large gap he could use to relax, he kept squeezing himself. His tight expression was too clear.

Seokjin noticed that it was very evident and tense. Given the fact that he was aware of Hoseok's distress, he managed to grin and wave a hand at them, wishing his sister and friends good luck. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, still grinning, clenching his teeth and then, awkwardly chuckling.

Their driver was Jungkook. He was waiting for them in a nearby parking lot. He was also aware of his boss's discontent. He raced over to him and flung his arm around his boss's shoulder, but it only made him tense up more.

When Seokjin saw that, his smile faded almost instantly. "Jeon Jungkook!" he exclaimed.

Jungkook turned his head, and Hoseok followed suit.

Seokjin used his callused index finger, signing with a warning look to drop his arm off Hoseok.

The youngest members of the team immediately obeyed. He walked to the driver's seat with his head down and a pout, silently grumbling.

Hoseok frowned and shook his head. Seokjin just gave him a naive shrug before smiling and waving again.

His demeanor changed to deadpan as soon as the big car exited the parking lot. He dashed inside the premise, passing Jimin who was sitting at the counter and then turned his body to direct his feet to the interview room. Yoongi had already begun setting up the interview room by the time he arrived. He was setting down the artificial plant's vase to retrieve the red stool when the older asked, "the paper!"

Yoongi rose and took huge, rapid strides to the trash can, where he grabbed a crumpled piece of paper and tossed it to Seokjin.

Seokjin flattened the paper on the wall with his palm before racing out of the hallway, holding the slightly flattened paper. He went to the counter and asked Jimin for two short pieces of cello tape. Jimin pulled and tore two short cello tape and stuck them on the top of the elder's index and middle finger.

Before running back to the glass display to stick the notice paper, Seokjin checked the time on Jimin's phone. When he saw Yoongi walking by on his way to the pantry, he exclaimed, "phew, another long day is about to begin!"

Yoongi spoke something in hushed tones. "He's the first reason for ruining my day."

[thekimskimchi]

EIGHT

Yoongi's gaze remained fixed on her. Another unprofessional handling would not be tolerated by the man. Not to mention the fact that this was for Hoseok. 'To see her potential,' he said before. It wasn't only about potential; it was also about how well she could handle Hoseok's restrained demeanor.

On the other side, he was emphasizing how at ease they would feel with the woman. He even prayed to the gods to have pity on his worn-out soul and to make matters worse, Seokjin's blood sugar level was dropping. Based on his previous experience, he predicted that the older would become easily irritable soon.

Yoongi took a peek at the curricular vitae to see her name.

The young woman reasoned that it would be best if she got started right away. "I graduated from Kyunghee University last year. I took a nursing course and received a degree after five years. Although I have a nursing degree, I choose to seek a normal job. I used to earn my own money when I was in college. I had worked as a part-timer in a restaurant as a waitress, at a café as well, at daycare during holidays, and doing laundry for the college students."

Something didn't feel right to Seokjin. He raised an eyebrow. "Doing laundry for the students?"

Jiah nodded.

"How much do you earn from a person?"

"About 10,000WON to 15,000WON."

"Was that a price you decide yourself?"

Jiah shook her head, denying.

"Who suggested the idea?" Seokjin asked.

"My roommate suggested the idea."

Through the corner of his eyes, Seokjin peered at Yoongi. Even though Yoongi was not the one who asked, he nodded gently. He uttered, "I see. You may leave."

Seokjin was stumped. He exclaimed, "just like that?"

"She is the most normal person I meet today. Isn't that good?" Yoongi threw him a lazy smile.

"But, the interview is too quick for me to make a decision. Don't tell me you're going to make this decision on your own!"

Being blasé, Yoongi repeated a familiar sentence. "She has a CV, you dumb."

Seokjin curved his lips downwards.

"I can... leave now, right?" Jiah carefully questioned.

Yoongi reacted instinctively. "Ah, yes." He got out of his chair and walked away from the table to lead Jiah out. "We'll contact you," he said, a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir."

Yoongi smiled as he watched Jiah backing him. Her feet led her out of the narrow corridor. When the girl proceeded further, he went inside and found an older man slouching on his chair with a phone in his hand.

"What takes Wheein so long?" Seokjin grumbled.

"Be patience, hyung."

"My sugar level is dropping!"

"Make yourself some sugar then."

Seokjin chucked the younger a stern look before returning his gaze to the phone.

Yoongi sighed, resting his back on the chair. In an attempt to switch the atmosphere, he said, "I kept remembering that nurse student."

"She graduated, Yoongi. And she fucking has a name!"

The older's new behavior came like a bolt from the blue*. Yoongi's eyes widened. "Wow, you that cranky? You are lashing out at me now."

"I'm – I need sugar!"

"Fine, fine. We'll talk about this after you get your sugar."

Seokjin looked at Yoongi, feeling bad. "If it's important, why not you cook ramen for me?"

"Do I look like your wife?" Yoongi said, looking at him with a frown.

A smile formed on Seokjin's face. "If your name is Min Yoonji, I would have purposed to you."

The room fell silent for a minute, with Yoongi staring blankly at the older and Seokjin staring back at him with innocence. After some time, Yoongi broke it by sighing through his nose. He said, "wait here."

"Thanks, Yoongi!" Seokjin snickered.

The mentioned man did not respond.

"I suggest naming your future daughter Min Yoonji!" Seokjin shouted when Yoongi was already outside the room.

And again, the younger one ignored him. However, after a long time since he left to prepare ramen, Yoongi ran back. With a puzzled expression on his face, Seokjin looked up.

Yoongi burst into the door and cried, "Namjoon and Hoseok return!"

Seokjin became tense. "Oh." He leaped from his seat and snatched a large, maroon cloth from the floor. The chairs were pushed under the table and covered with cloth. He moved the red stool to the corner of the room, placing an artificial plant on it before leaving. After turning off the lights, he dashed out of the room, straightening his shirt, and behaved as if nothing happened. He whispered, "phew!"

He ran into Namjoon in the corridor, where he had gone to look for him. "Here's your coffee and candy," said Namjoon.

Seokjin folded the little cover of the polystyrene cup and inserted it into a small, square hole. Grabbing the white plastic enclosing a packet of caramel candy, he took a sip. They walked out of the area together side by side.

Namjoon was curious. "How's the interview going?"

"First day. Hell!" The older one sighed.

Namjoon joked, "I bet you found some cute ones among the people you interviewed." He merely smirked as he peered at the man beside him.

"I have no time to admire anyone's cuteness."

Namjoon shrugged, sipping on his Iced Americano.

"How about you? How is your day with Hoseok?"

Namjoon slid the clear straw away from his lips and pushed his spectacles with the back of his hand. He said, "he didn't say much at all. Busy with his sketch, and I was just reading my book."

"With his hoodie on?"

Namjoon nodded and said, "with his hoodie on."

Seokjin exhaled a soft breath.

"You know what, hyung? It's best to leave him alone. He'll change someday," Namjoon said. "Or maybe not? It's entirely up to him. We don't have the power to alter him, in my opinion. Or perhaps we'll have to wait for the right person to come along and change or even better him. Then, he might be able to change his own."

"Amber wants him to quit wearing hoodies," he said slowly.

"Because of what? Because he's the boss of Bejiwoo boutique?" Namjoon asked calmly. "Hoseok told me, but it didn't turn into a deep conversation. Oh, I was sneaking glances at him to check how his sketches were coming along."

Seokjin remained silent to listen.

"Wanna know who is his model for the sketch?"

Seokjin gave a small jerk of his head.

"He doesn't draw the facial features. You know, like obvious nose, eyes, lips. Just some distinct line. I thought of boss Jiwoo at first glance."

"How do you know that's Jiwoo? You've never met her."

They happened to walk past Jiwoo's office. Namjoon pointed to several framed photographs of Jiwoo on the diagonal glass wall.

"Right," sighed Seokjin.

"I understand Hoseok's feelings as someone who has a sister. It's only the changes he makes in himself that I don't understand. For all we know, we can presume he always wears a hoodie because of his sister, and that's all we can do."

Seokjin kept quiet.

"I was nervous thinking of revealing what I have in mind after hanging out with Hoseok," Namjoon said, chuckling and scratching his head. "I was going to tell Yoongi hyung about it, but it seems like my mouth just slipped for you."

Seokjin let out a chuckle. "You are free to tell me anything. It's fine with me."

Namjoon shared a chuckle. "Thanks, hyung," he said.

"But, what do you believe are the reasons why he changes into someone who always wears a hoodie?"

The younger young man with dark brown hair shrugged. "I don't want to make any assumptions. It's not my style to speculate on other people's reasons for loving, hating, and living."

Seokjin rolled his eyes amusingly. "Sure, Namjoon."

**********

The noises coming from his employees did not bother the boss. He sat at the counter, still working on his sketch. The sketch's essential darkness was delicately handled by the slender finger. When the darkness did not come out as well as he hoped, he sighed. He picked a green eraser and rubbed the mistake with its sharp corner.

Then, he resumed drawing.

"Hoseok hyung!" Hoseok raised his head to Jimin's voice. "Do you want some glazed donuts?"

Hoseok shook his head without looking.

"Hoseok," Seokjin called.

Hoseok raised his head, but this time, with a frown.

Seokjin made a big bite of the glazed donut. He closed his eyes as he bit. "Hmmm! Warm, sweet, and delicious."

Hoseok gulped his saliva hard.

"You'll regret not eating one, boy."

Hoseok stuttered, "I-I won't regret."

Seokjin smirked. "Tsk. Suit yourself."

Jimin then spoke, "Come on, Hoseok hyung!"

"I'm on diet," Hoseok said.

"Quit the diet! Take one and eat!" Seokjin scolded. Nonetheless, Hoseok feigned an unbothered, shaking his head.

Yoongi took action this time. He picked a donut and a brown napkin, then walked towards Hoseok. When he presented them to the younger, the latter was perplexed.

"Eating one is not a sin."

"I just ­­–"

Yoongi was oblivious. He snatched the mechanical pencil from the boss's grip and placed it next to the sketchbook, putting the donut and napkin on his palm. He then returned to the table and grabbed a plastic cup. "Black coffee. Here are the sugar packs and the spoon." He slid two small blue sugar packs and a small plastic spoon.

Hoseok hesitantly accepted them as Yoongi returned to his seat.

He was fortunate that the counter table's edge had a higher cover. As he stared at the donut in his palm, he began to wonder why he felt like crying. He swallowed his saliva hard as his nose began to sting, attempting to bear the pain inside.

Regardless, he chewed the donut slowly. His right hand drew incessantly. It appeared that chewing assisted his unhappy mind in channeling to a happier place. Maybe it was the sugary donut that did it. Maybe it was his staff's warmth and sweet care that moved him, and he began to recognize the good in them.

Seokjin cast a glance at Yoongi. Yoongi noticed his stare and looked up from his phone.

Yoongi stretched his neck to check on Hoseok as a result of this. He was chewing and sucking the tips of his index and middle fingers.

In response, Yoongi bobbed his head up and down and smiled at Seokjin.

They both knew what they wanted for Hoseok. To maintain his quality of life while waiting for his sister's homecoming.

[thekimskimchi]

SEVEN

The sun had set earlier than she expected. At six o'clock, lights from the lampposts down the quiet yet secure alley lit up. With the summer's heat striking that evening, it was long, and exhausting for her who had been sending her curricular vitae unstoppable.

She was almost home when she saw the familiar blue, red, and white spiral still rotate. The neon light billboard with an 'open' sign was still up. She was well aware that those attractions would be turned off soon. From the count of five to one, she ran to the shop.

Her father was seen leaving the barber shop with a bunch of keys in his hand after all the lights had gone out. She hopped and held her father on the shoulders, and shouted, "boo!" Her father screamed, clutching a handful of keys in his trembling hands. Jiah guffawed at the reaction, "you should've seen your face!"

Her father shook his head. "Lee Jiah!" he exclaimed.

However, it did not affect her. "Yup?" Her lips were pursed and her cheeks strained as she struggled to suppress a laugh.

Mr. Lee stared at her as if he had never expected him to raise a mischievous child. He groaned, shaking his head.

"Appa!" Jiah playfully yelled.

"What?" Mr. Lee yelled back, searching for the key to the doorknob's hole. He wouldn't have lost track of the correct key if it weren't because of his daughter.

"Did you eat?" With a goofy grin, Jiah asked.

"I ate!" Mr. Lee said, still searching for the correct key.

"What did you eat?"

"Rice!"

Jiah chortle quietly behind her palm, knowing that her father was sulking. That simply made her want to tease him more. "Appa!"

"What now?" Mr. Lee was so done! He couldn't even lock his barber shop peacefully.

"Do you want to eat fishcake?"

Mr. Lee's eyebrows creases faded, and Jiah made a knowing face, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You've got a job already?"

Jiah snickered, waving her index finger as she said, "nope."

"And the treat, why?"

"I just want to spend some quality time with you. As an apology treats too." She stifled a laugh, still couldn't get over what happened a while ago. "By the way, I'm using the money you gave me," Jiah explained before giving her father a childlike grin. Wiggling her brows again, she draped her arm across her father's shoulder.

His daughter had always managed to amuse him.

**********

She bit a rice cake into a small piece and then, chomped its chewy texture.

Mr. Lee couldn't help but give his daughter a peek. Her muttering eating pattern had never changed in twenty-seven years. "Why didn't you tell me you're looking for a job?" he said, ignoring his thoughts about her habits.

Jiah paused in her chewing, staring at her father. She asked, "how do you know I'm looking for a job?"

"I guess you slipped your tongue this morning."

Jiah blinked several times, attempting to recall. Reflecting on what happened that morning, she did not hesitate to respond. "Because I know you'll stop me," she said as she quickly chewed the piece in her mouth, and swallowed.

"Hmm. That's true."

Jiah glared, her lips pressed together in a narrow line. She whispered, "Good that you know how you are then."

Mr. Lee sighed as he drank a small bit of beer. The stall's silence caused him to consider how he may arrange words before speaking them. "You're my only child. I'm not prepared to see you go through what I'm going through."

"I'm twenty-seven years old. Maybe you should quit spoiling me. It isn't good."

"You are my only child –"

"And I'm a grown-up now, not a child," Jiah drawled, looking at her father ruefully.

Mr. Lee remained silent.

Jiah patted her father's back with her arm stretched over his shoulder. "So do not be worried." With the other hand, she patted her chest as she swallowed the food in her mouth. "You have a strong daughter."

Her remarks didn't reassure him. He lost his appetite at that point, and all he could do was watch his daughter devour the spicy rice cakes and fish cakes.

Her daughter resembled his wife a lot, much that he couldn't help but wonder where she had been.

**********

The next day, Jiah was allowed to leave home. But not without a fuss. Her father tried to give her money again. Fortunately, Grandpa Ji went to the barbershop and witnessed the entire event. He whacked Mr. Lee's buttocks with his cane when he wasn't looking, scolding him for being stubborn. On the other hand, Jiah took the chance to flee from the scene as fast as she could with a laugh.

That day, the girl did her hair in a different style. She secured a large clip in the middle of the back of her head, where her hair was loosely bundled. She was dressed comfortably in jeans shorts with a white short-sleeved shirt tucked inside. Her ice-blue sneakers were her go-to footwear.

She started looking for work in places she had never been before. She went to cosmetics and apparel stores, despite her qualms that the stores would not accept her with her nursing degree.

It was, nevertheless, satisfying to be able to send her curriculum vitae to the stores she went to. She had always believed that there was no harm in trying. Trying isn't necessarily often a negative thing; we have to push above our limits every day to understand what we're capable of and what we're not.

She came upon a notice stuck to a boutique's window while on her journey to find additional shops at random. Behind the notice, three mannequins were wearing a unisex outfit.

Written on the notice were:

Hiring for a personal assistant.

Salary: 800,000WON - 1,000,000WON

Urgent!

She recognized the crumpled lines visible on the paper as if it had been pulled off the glass, meaning to discard it in the trash can but get it back and stick it there again. Then, Jiah became unsure. She was questioning what made it urgent to have a personal assistant. Still, she came to a quick conclusion that the boss might have their reasons.

The salary was huge. The payment would be roughly USD1000 if she computed the amount in US dollars.

"Woah!" She mumbled to herself, mentally noting that she would be able to pay off her father's debt as quickly as possible and that she would look for her mother, who had gone to New York to take an entrepreneur course.

"Hi, there!" A high pitch tone from a female peeking through the boutique's door with her friend jolted her out of her thoughts. Her straight, brown hair waved down when it dropped from her shoulders. Her bangs were slanted to the side as she imitated her friend.

Greeting, she bowed, "hello!"

"How can we... help you?" With a long grin plastered on her face, the girl with brown hair said.

"The notice –"

"Oh yes!" said the one with bangs. "Come, come!" She walked out the door and put out her arm to pull Jiah inside.

Jiah stared blankly at the woman with black, straight hair, her mind racing. She had an unplanned moment of doubting her memory.

The cool breeze from the air conditioner sank into her skin as soon as she walked in. It helped to alleviate the summer's sweltering heat. Not to mention the boutique's silence, although she heard what sounded like lads bickering somewhere for a brief while.

The black-haired girl shifted her focus. "Wheein's going to take you to the interview room. Inside, there will be two men," she said, two fingers from her left hand were raised. "One with Pacific Ocean shoulders and another is a black ramen head."

Jiah had a moment wondering how had she ended up there. Regardless, she said, "Oooh. Okay."

"Have you got your CV ready?"

Jiah nodded, saying, "yeah."

"Alright. You're going in."

Jiah, who was about the same height as Wheein, noticed her smiling warmly and guiding her to the interview room with her thumb.

She marveled at the sophisticated interior designs as she strolled along the well-lit and narrow corridor. The pathway was tiled, and on her left was a glassed-in passageway with labels on the doors that read Meeting Room, Jung Jiwoo's, Jung Hoseok's, and a storage room. In the storage room, there were piles of boxes, which she assumed were storing the fashion things and additional arrival goods. The garments were hung on a long, silver metal rod with both ends affixed to the concrete wall behind it.

As Wheein knocked on the glass wall of another room, she sensed a halt. The room was not identified this time. Only two men sat at the large white table in the center of the room, with a red stool in the middle.

For both guys in the room, the girl pointed to Jiah. Both of them possessed distinctive characteristics, which matched Wheein's friend's description. Jiah believed they had a very close relationship and friendship based on how the girl described them.

The man with curly black hair motioned with his index finger for both of them to enter, while the one with short black hair and broad shoulders sat upright in the leather office chair, evidently groaning. Jiah heard the chair squeak once when Wheein pushed the door open.

"Hello," Jiah said modestly. The one with the broad shoulders beamed at her. The other man nodded. Her heart raced against her chest as the tension in the room reminded her of when she was taking an oral test.

"Do you need something before I leave?" Wheein asked both of the men.

"Please get me some coffee. Sugar, one teaspoon. You want coffee, hyung?" The man with slanted eyes asked. His nose was tall and it seemed like it asked for a boop.

"Milk coffee for me. Buy me caramel candy too, please," the broad-shouldered man said to Wheein.

"Money?" Wheein goofily asked with an open palm.

The man sighed, "ask Jisoo. I'll pay her back, tell her."

"Okay!" And with that, Wheein left.

When they chatted, Jiah noticed a striking resemblance between the broad-shouldered man and the girl who had left her with Wheein. Her keen observation of the scenario led her to the conclusion that the girl's name was Jisoo. Jisoo could, perhaps, have been his sister.

The metal that held the door to the ground and the hinges made a wincing noise. Later, the sound of shoe soles slapping on the tiled floor. The broad-shouldered man cleared his throat as the sound and figure of Wheein faded into the other area.

"Nice to meet you," he said, smiling at her later. "Your CV, please."

Jiah smiled back, passing her curricular vitae to him.

Bright welcomes did not appear to appeal to the curly-haired gentleman. "Tell us about yourself," he said, shooting a stare with both hands attached to form a ball that landed on the table.

The other man glared. "She has a CV, you dumb!"

Nonchalantly, the intimidating man said, "I want to see and hear if she has the potential to be Hoseok's assistant."

"How many people are you going to have that kind of interview with?"

The man ignored the question as he awaited Jiah's response.

[thekimskimchi]

SIX

Six heads huddled around the table, staring blankly at the white A3 sheet. No one said anything; they just stared at the page for an unknown amount of time.

Jimin, on the other hand, broke the silence. "We shooed our boss to buy us snacks. Is it just me who feels bad?"

The question went unanswered. There appeared to be no one with Jimin.

"What did Amber tell us again?" Taehyung asked.

"She wants us to figure out how to help Seokjin and Yoongi," Namjoon replied.

"They're gonna hire an assistant for Hoseok. We're gonna help them to hide it from Hoseok, am I right?"

Namjoon nodded.

Wheein asked, "any ideas?"

Silence.

Jisoo spoke, holding her head with a contort on her face, "my brain isn't working."

Silence again. The silence became longer as all of them in the meeting room was still staring at the paper. But later, Jimin snapped it. "I don't think we need this!" He cried out. His face mimicked a whine as he slumped on the chair.

The rest of them then followed suit, pulling themselves back to sit straight. Sighs came out one by one.

"Can we just go with the flow?" Jimin said, whining.

"We can't simply go with the flow. What if Hoseok finds out and objects to having an assistant assigned to him? What are we going to tell him?" Namjoon remarked.

Jisoo said, "My brother is with us. His threat of a spatula always works on him."

"What if that threat starts to work less on him?" Namjoon wondered, raising his eyebrows.

Jisoo never thought of that. "Oh. W-well, then... Never mind."

This procedure appeared to be impossible. It wasn't that no one knew what this meeting was about. No one could think of a solution to help Seokjin and Yoongi if it weren't for Hoseok. As far as they knew, their employer was not the sort to overtly welcome new people, making it nearly impossible to persuade him to hire an assistant.

Amber, Yoongi, and Seokjin had treated them as though they were family, but Hoseok was difficult to read. It was confirmed that business remained business. But treating them as if they were members of his family? They were not close, they were not distant either. Hoseok's behavior resembled a switch on that occasion. It has its own on/off switch. It took a long time to get him to open up to them, but not to the point where he could chat with them.

They would not have hired an assistant for Hoseok if it hadn't been for Amber's directive.

However, Taehyung was the first to suggest a suggestion later on. "How about we put our acting skills to use?"

All of them looked at him quizzically.

"We have to risk our boss feeling for this one. Like, we are going to force him out with us while Amber isn't here. We're going to tell him that we have to take this opportunity to get close to each other."

"Convince us it will work, Taehyung," Wheein said.

"Seokjin."

One of Wheein's eyebrows raised as she said, "Seokjin?"

Taehyung firmly nodded. "Suggest him a new threat. The spatula is canceled!"

**********

Although Amber said that she would go to the airport alone, Bejiwoo staff adamantly demanded to send her to the airport. She admitted her defeat at last, and they went to the airport together.

Amber needed to leave in fifteen minutes. After handing her luggage to the immigration station, she planned to find her seat as soon as possible. She was halfway to the customs checkpoint when she said, "You all, behave! I don't want anything bad about the boutique being written in an article."

"Yes, ma'am!" Wheein, Jisoo, Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook all exclaimed simultaneously.

Then she faced the two oldest staff. "Both of you. Don't forget," said the rough-voiced female.

Yoongi bobbed his head back and forth.

"Don't worry," Seokjin said. He shifted his gaze to Hoseok. The boss was a long way behind, strolling and distracted by his phone. With his all-black outfit, he appeared to be preparing to set off a bomb at the airport. "But I don't trust the kids' ideas," Seokjin muttered.

Amber chuckled, patting her friend's shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

"Jisoo 'surprised' me the other day. She told me that they need my participation in their strategy. Do you think Yoongi will be on his own in his search for new employees?"

"Maybe not. You don't know their full plans yet. Relax!"

Seokjin sighed once more. He quickly changed the subject. "Let me call Hoseok for you. Hoseok!"

As he adjusted his hoodie, the aforementioned man raised his head.

"Amber is getting ready to leave!" Seokjin yelled once again.

Hoseok jogged over to them and came to a halt beside Yoongi. He offered the tomboy a small smile as he tucked his phone into the sweater's connecting pocket.

"Take good care of the boutique. If you need assistance, ask Seokjin or Yoongi," Amber told him. All she got was a nod in response.

Hoseok fixed his gaze on her glumly. "Are you going to be gone for a long time?"

Amber made a low hum. She shrugged and said, "Maybe. There are a lot of things I need to take care of there. I'll return after they've settled down."

As a response, the man in all black nodded his head once again. Then he remained silent as he gazed downward. Amber had never taken a long absence before unless it was for medical reasons. Knowing Hoseok, the three oldest knew exactly what he was feeling and thinking.

Amber playfully smacked the boss's arm and said, "Hey. You're going to be okay."

"I know. It's simply that I'm not used to you leaving us if you need to leave for a long time."

"You have Seokjin and Yoongi with you," Amber said.

"Yeah, you're right. I've got them. But I usually feel tense in my stomach when you guys aren't in the store."

"What part of those kids makes you feel uncomfortable?" Yoongi interjected.

Hoseok deeply hummed. "There's one time when it's my birthday. I don't remember which year though."

"What happened then?"

"They threw a party for me. Amber was on leave, and you and Seokjin went out of Seoul. I didn't like it."

"You don't like throwing a party?"

Hoseok hesitantly nodded.

Yoongi gave him a soft smile. "I'll tell them."

Amber took a look at her digital wristwatch and said, "I'd better get going." She proceeded to hug Seokjin and Yoongi before Hoseok. Hoseok did not hug her back, but instead allowed himself to be embraced by her and got patted on the back a few times.

Despite acting as though she didn't notice, she spotted the despair on his face. After that, Amber hugged the rest of the group before giving Hoseok one last glance. She was hoping that she would be able to track down Jiwoo for him.

Jiwoo had always been there for him when their parents couldn't. Dancing, in particular.

She wondered, though, if his parents were behind him, supporting him emotionally when he opted to take Jiwoo's position.

She sensed, they still didn't.

**********

It was six o'clock in the evening when Hoseok reached home.

"I'm home!" shouted the man almost nonchalantly. His black soft locks bounced as he pushed down the hoodie.

"There's food on the table," said Mrs. Jung without looking as she made her way to the bedroom.

Hoseok didn't respond. As he saw that there were takeaway foods, he went to the dining table. Staring, his chest felt heavy. It wasn't an unusual view; it wasn't a new situation anymore. In a house of his own family, having meals without his mother and father was something he never wished to experience.

Nonetheless, he gently drew the chair closer to him, pulling a cold sweet, and sour pork dish with rice after he sat.

His mother used to cook. However, after Jiwoo's absence, she hadn't done so much. She had gone through a lot of changes. The family's oldest child's disappearance altered the entire family. He was heartbroken because he couldn't ask her to prepare his favorite dinner for him. It was enough to intimidate him when he was yelled at to cook it on his own.

His father was an exception. At the very least, he remembered his favorite food and got takeout for his son's birthday, as well as attempted to make seaweed soup. He still cared, despite the lack of deep discourse. Despite this, the only son of the family was frequently left eating alone. The two of them were rarely seen at the dinner table together.

After seven years, seeing them together at the dining table for an entire week would be an unexpected change.

The sweet and sour pork tasted hollow, and the rice tasted like sand. Every day felt the same, regardless of whether he ate home-cooked or store-bought food. Hoseok ate to stay alive, but none of the meals he ate was to his liking. He often felt unable to complete his meal, but he forced himself to scoff so much that he nearly puked.

As he was cleaning spoons and chopsticks at the sink, he heard the door at the entrance click. He didn't bother turning back because he knew his father had arrived from work when he heard the floor shuffling. A quiet thump followed, signaling the placement of a pair of shoes on the shoe rack. Later, Mr. Jung sighed, "I'm home."

Hoseok noticed that his father sat down on the couch after that. "Do you want to eat?" he asked.

Mr. Jung took a long breath in. "No, thanks. I've eaten."

"Okay." Hoseok cleaned the last spoon and placed it on a rack. He went to his room to wash up after leaving his father alone in the living room.

Just like that, the Jung family's day ended.

[thekimskimchi]

FIVE

Mist sprayed, sweetening the air with the strawberry-scented perfume. The girl gracefully walked into the sweet mist as the particles landed on her white, short sleeves blouse.

The laces on the sleeves that stuck in the band, sticking around her elbows were pulled out. An illusion skirt with flower embroideries on it reached below her knees. Inside the illusion fabric, there was a light blue, stretchable satin fabric shorter than it. She tucked the hem of the blouse into the skirt.

Combing her hair and gathering them in one hand, she had it in a neat, high bun hair. The mirror copied her beam, and a slow exhale left her nostrils.

After allowing a silver wristwatch to engulf her left wrist, she grabbed a small backpack. A small bottle of perfume, a small comb, a lip balm, a wallet, a small packet of tissue, and a small mirror was stuffed in the teal bag. Before she moved out of the room, she took a beige file on the table in swift. The door shut with the help of her foot as she checked the papers inside the file. She hastily tapped the papers a few times to tuck them in.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and soup lingered around the living room when she stepped out of her room. She took a peek to see her father sitting in the living room at the usual position on the floor, having breakfast.

"Good morning, appa." She went to the entrance after greeting, taking her ice blue Converse. As she put the socks on, she told her father, "I'm going out."

Her father let out an approval short, deep hum. "You're leaving too early," uttered the father before slurping his soup. "Have some breakfast before you go."

She made a glance at her watch and then, looked at her father, feeling sorry as she saw the amount of food her father had cooked. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'll be late for the bus."

"Never mind the bus. Just ride a taxi. I can give you money."

Just when Mr. Lee was about to lift a knee, Jiah cried out, "ugh, appa!" She glared at him with a pout. "Why do you always give me money every time I go out?"

Mr. Lee was bewildered. He blinked his eyes.

"I'm not an elementary student anymore, I'm not a fifteen-year-old anymore. I want to be independent. Stop giving me money." She sprang up after being done tying her shoelaces.

Mr. Lee was getting more speechless as his daughter stomped out of the house. But it was not a minute since she stepped out when she returned to make a quick wrap of Bossam* without garlic.

Jiah showed the confused man an awkward smile. She then whispered, "my stomach grumbled." Chewing her food quickly and swallowing, she then said, "bye."

As the girl disappeared into the entrance path, Mr. Lee snorted.

"Like mother, like daughter."

**********

Jiah stopped at a café to have breakfast at her best friend's workplace. By chance, her best friend had helped her to pass her curricular vitae to the manager and both of them were hoping that she would get a job there.

Han Shinhye advanced to Jiah's table with a toast and a cup of Jeju green tea on the dark brown tray. Jeju green tea had always been Jiah's favorite and she did not need to tell Shinhye what she wanted for a drink.

As Jiah took a sip of the green tea, the sweetness touched her taste buds. She moaned in delight. Another sip as another hand lifted the toast and tore it with her middle and index finger.

"Hey, hey, you can put it down," Shinhye said. She attempted to grab the cup but failed as Jiah backed off.

"It's been a while since I drank."

Shinhye's eyebrows furrowed. "You ordered the same drink yesterday though."

Jiah gave her an awkward smile.

Shinhye buzzed. She then uttered, "you're addicted."

Jiah nodded her head once as a small piece of the toast was tossed in her mouth. She smiled at Shinhye and said, "this is yummy!"

Shinhye could not help but chuckle at her. When Jiah finished her toast, the girl began to ask her, "to how many places did you send your CVs?"

The girl in front of her looked up at the ceiling while her fingers closed one by one. "About twenty?"

"You sound like you even reached the countryside." Shinhye snorted.

Jiah showed the line of her teeth, beaming at her best friend who was crossing her arms in front of her. "I just go anywhere I feel to."

Short silence surrounded their area for a while Shinhye puckered her lips, staring at the sweet girl sadly. "It's been two years. You know, I can help you with money."

Jiah waved her hands fast at Shinhye, also shaking her head as she put down her cup. "No no no no no no no no." She paused, pouting. "I don't like to be in debt."

Shinhye pursed her lips lopsided as she nodded. She then said, "why don't you become a trainee?"

"Trainee?"

Shinhye bobbed her head up and down fast. "Yup, trainee. To be an idol."

Another fast stammer of "no" came from Jiah again, with a faster wave. "You know I can't since I'm not interested in dancing."

Shinhye hummed deeply. "Then, that's up to you." She paused. "Good luck."

Shinhye knew her life story. Behind the last wish, there was a sad tone that Jiah sensed her best friend tried her best to hide it. The listener was only able to show a bitter smile.

**********

The heat wave during the summer depleted everyone's energy. One of the reasons why Jiah chose to wear a short skirt. On the other hand, Jiah was grateful that Shinhye offered her an iced tea before she left. The ice in the cup helped to reduce the heat.

Crunching an ice cube in her mouth, her feet continued to move from one place to another to ask for and send CVs.

From barbeque restaurants, noodles restaurants, coffee shops, sundry shops, flower shops...

With her nursing degree, she could have applied for a job at a clinic or hospital. But no one could understand why Jiah preferred to do jobs with smaller salaries.

Before she knew it, there was no more ice in the cup. Her energy began to get low faster. Her throat and lips dried, and sweat rolled down to her temples and jaws. She wiped them with the back of her hand and glared up at the clouds that cover the sun.

"Oh my," she muttered, fanning herself with her top. She took out her lip balm and applied it to her dry lips. She swayed her legs to a nearby shop and kept reminding herself to buy a small pack of chocolate bars and a small bottle of cold water.

As soon as she entered the shop, the air conditioner inside touched her skin, decreasing the amount of hotness that the weather had caused. She touched her eyebrows, feeling little dried particles gathered at the tip of her fingers. Later, she stood in front of a refrigerator, pulling its door before making a quick fetch to a bottle of mineral water.

After paying for the items, she went to a table located by the window to rest. Munching on her chocolate bar, she placed her bag and the water bottle on the table. She sat on the high stool with a soft sigh left her nose.

Two years of job seeking; when people said seeking a job in the city was getting harder, she only understood it now. No wonder many youths applied to be trainees in entertainment companies. It could be an easier way to get a job, but the time of training could be longer than assumed as trainees' performances were strictly monitored and only those who had done well would debut with their teammates.

Jiah once thought of being a trainee actually, Shinhye didn't know. But she was never interested in dancing or singing. Go ahead and tell her to sing, you might need something to stick in your ears. Dancing? Not that she never danced. Dancing was not part of her interest.

Sighing again, she stuffed the small piece of the chocolate into her mouth, immediately stood up, and tossed the wrapper to the rubbish bin. She left the shop with her hand holding the bottle to open it.

As she was about to pucker on the bottle's lips, she bumped into a man. A huge amount of water splashed on the man's sweater and her blouse.

Gasping, both of them simultaneously said, "I am sorry!" Though none of them grasped each other's utterance as the situation at the moment was a mess.

Still, flustered, Jiah tried to think of ways to wipe the wetness on the man's yellow sweater. She didn't want to touch the man's, not wanting to look at his expression either as she thought he could be mad at her. When she remembered she had packed a lot in her bag, she unzipped her bag to look for the small tissue pack.

Fortunately, the man's reaction was not as bad as Jiah expected. He calmly swept the water that slid down his shirt, letting the fabric absorb the water and damp.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Jiah uttered.

The man seemed to be trying to tell her that it was okay, but his voice was too small to be heard. The girl could only see him bowing at her, enough to get the sign that everything was fine.

The girl stared at the sweater with a frown. The tissue pack was still in her tight grip. "Are you okay?" Jiah asked, looking at him.

The man had a hood on his head and bitterly smiled at her as he nodded.

"O-okay. But really, I'm really sorry."

The man with the yellow hoodie just nodded his head. Then, he bowed and walked past her as if nothing happened.

Finally, Jiah left the shop. "That was awkward." She then turned her head to see the man was at the snack shelves, backing her. The man's fashion was questionable. Wearing a yellow, long sleeve sweater during summer, plus in this heat wave. She wondered if that man was alright.

[thekimskimchi]

FOUR

Three times the fist pounded into the brown wooden table, barely a few meters above the silky, black locks. "Wakey, wakey!" Seokjin cooed as he landed his butt on the black leather armchair and placed a small bottle of soda on the table that Hoseok told him to buy.

Hoseok squirmed on the table, his khaki jumper hood covering his head. As a long stretch of his arms formed on the table, he sighed, attempting to rise. The cracks from the boss' stiff bones disturbed the silence in the office.

"What time did you go to bed last night?" questioned the elder.

"I didn't get any sleep."

The statement caused Seokjin's eyes to widen. "How come you didn't?"

"I couldn't," Hoseok said sluggishly, resting his head on the table with his arms dangling.

Seokjin was certain that the latter had been staying up late finishing new designs, or even binge-watching an anime series, for whatever reason he was trying to disguise. The older witnessed his employer neglect to sleep to do some projects before or during a sleepover, and that guy nearly forced him to watch anime or movies with him.

"You should've asked me to buy you coffee," Seokjin said.

The youngster sighed and nodded slowly once more. "I know, right?" When he remembered something, he raised his head. "Do we have coffee?"

"I haven't gotten around to purchasing the refills yet."

"Ugh..." Hoseok slouched his head on the table once more, his cheek flattened against the flat surface.

As he crossed his legs on the chair and took out his phone, Seokjin let out a quiet laugh. "Hey, Amber told me to approach you to arrange a meeting time."

"Oh... Why?"

"She's going to New York next week."

Hoseok sat up straight from his posture, the dark rings beneath his eyes obvious as his eyes grew large. "What?"

"Amber is leaving for New York next week," Seokjin said again.

"Why?"

The group's second-oldest member shrugged. "I don't know."

"B-but -"

"We need to discuss what needs to be discussed."

"O-of course."

"Don't take so long."

Hoseok's tired eyes blinked slowly yet still big in astonishment. "Uhm. Yeah."

Seokjin got up from his seat. "I'm going out with Yoongi to get some items," he said over a quiet, hissing sound from the chair's metal legs sliding on the porcelain surface.

Hoseok nodded as he watched Seokjin escape from the chair by rotating clockwise. He then slid it beneath the table and walked out of the office.

"Amber going to New York?" His lips curved down as he muttered, "why?"

**********

The next day, every Bejiwoo boutique employee was told through a group chat to assemble in the meeting room after working hours ended.

They completed their jobs as usual before heading to the meeting room. Sweeping the floor, calculating earnings and losses, and reorganizing the stocks in case they got mixed up. Their present boss was extremely conscientious about the stock arrangements. Jisoo, Jimin, and Taehyung, who had completed their assignment early, had made their way to the meeting room to join the boss.

Hoseok had been sitting under the air conditioner, waiting inside. The hood on his head, knees crossed, clipboard on his lap, with a pencil in his dominant hand and an eraser in the hand that supported the clipboard.

Jisoo was on her phone, while her best friends, Jimin and Taehyung, spoke softly among themselves, knowing that the boss preferred a quiet environment.

As more people arrived, the peace shattered. Yoongi and Seokjin were the last to enter. And if Hoseok counted their heads in the room, they were all there. When he noticed Amber sitting across from him in her usual seat, he put the stuff in his hands away. Seokjin was on his right, and Yoongi was on his left.

"Good morning, boss!" With a hand raised and a goofy smile, Wheein greeted him. After that, Jisoo joined her.

"Don't start," Seokjin warned. "It's evening."

"Come on, oppa. It's a warm-up!" Jisoo chirped.

Wheein said, "we're brainwashing. When it's evening, say it's morning. We're constantly exhausted when we get home from work."

"Hyung, let them be," Hoseok said gently as he nudged Seokjin.

Seokjin glared at the younger girls, his lips pursed.

Namjoon swiftly shifted the subject. "Why are you calling us here, Hoseok?" he asked.

After hearing the question, everyone's gaze was drawn to Hoseok. The boss shifted in his seat, his ears flushed with blood and his gaze fixed on Amber. "W-w-well... I set this meeting because of Amber. That question - n-noona!"

"Okay," Amber started. "As you are all aware, I'll be leaving for New York next week. You're also aware that Hoseok isn't used to dealing with new people, aren't you?"

Everyone nodded to the question.

"While I'm away, you're all his assistants."

"Aren't we all his assistants already?" Jimin remarked, raising his hand.

Amber gave a slow nod. "Yes, that's true. But, if you think about it, you're not all his personal assistants. So, while I won't be around, I'd like to remind you to stop fooling around and take this business seriously. I'm not going to name names. If you have any questions, you can phone me or ask Seokjin and Yoongi."

There were no objections raised. Before Jimin asked another question, they all nodded their heads. "What about the technically but not personal type of assistant? I'm not sure what you're talking about."

This time Yoongi responded, "not to become involved in anything related to Hoseok's personal life. If there's anything, it has to do with this boutique. If anything comes up about your task, find him, especially Namjoon and Taehyung. For this shop, your positions are crucial. You can find him and ask him any questions you have."

"We can find you two too, can we?"

"Of course."

Jimin said, "Ah, okay." Taehyung, who sat next to him, muttered something about his being an idiot. Jimin was poised to strike him with his elbow.

With a glance at Amber, the boss disregarded them. "Noona, about my personal. Why- why do you bring it up?"

Amber exchanged glances with Seokjin and Yoongi. She then returned her gaze to Yoongi. "This is something we'll discuss later. Just you, Seokjin, Yoongi, and I, okay?"

The boss gave a slow nod to Seokjin before returning his gaze to Amber.

"That concludes our discussion. The meeting is over." Amber leaped from her seat, followed by the others.

"W-wait! I thought there was something we should talk about as a group," Hoseok said as he looked at Amber.

Amber gave Seokjin a puzzled glance. Before staring at his friend, Seokjin's eyes widened.

"Uh-" Seokjin scratched his head. "After this, it should just be the four of us."

Amber was criticizing Seokjin with her gaze. She started to think that she should not have entrusted telling Hoseok to set a short meeting with Seokjin.

"Let's-" Amber shrugged, her hands shoved in her jacket pockets. "In your office, discuss it. The others can return home."

As soon as Amber concluded her declaration, the others stood up and walked out of the room. Hoseok trailed behind Namjoon, who was the last to leave, and Yoongi trailed behind him. Seokjin and Amber walked together, and Seokjin received a little slap from the tomboy as a result. Walking out with Amber was a horrible idea for him.

"Ow!"

Hoseok and Yoongi turned their heads to see what happened, but Amber was slinging his arm on the tall man beside her.

"What the heck?" Seokjin snapped.

Amber said low, "whut?"

Seokjin hissed, shoving his friend's arm from his shoulder as he was trying to catch up with the two who went ahead.

Amber silently scoffed to herself, "tsk! It wasn't even hard."

Hoseok walked into his office, let himself in, and held the glass door open for them before closing it. He didn't sit or stand still when he arrived at his table; instead, he stood with both hands in front of him. The visual gave the impression that he was not the boss.

"What are we going to talk about?" he asked, occasionally peering at the elder buddies.

Amber wished to approach him with caution, not physically but in a mental sense. Hoseok, on the other hand, she was concerned he would be rebellious about her ideals, even though she knew he wasn't like that.

"Hoseok, change your style. You're the boss of Bejiwoo, yet you're not behaving like one."

Hoseok raised his head, a pang in his mind causing him to gaze up. He then looked down once more as shame engulfed him. He had his reasons for wearing exclusively shirts or sweaters with hoods.

"Noona," Hoseok called. "I... I just... I like wearing hoodies."

Amber interrogated, "since when? And why? Because it's trendy? Cool?"

"Because..." Hoseok gulped, thinking of the reason behind his choice of hoodies, an agony broke through the shield of holding back.

"Seokjin hyung!" Hoseok was interrupted by Taehyung barging into the office, exclaiming. All of the occupants changed their attention to the door, looking at Taehyung. "Jisoo tripped!"

"She only tripped. That isn't a big deal," Seokjin drawled.

"She broke her finger!"

Jisoo's brother exhaled a deep sigh. "How come her finger broke?" He muttered. "Bring me there!" Both Taehyung and Seokjin rushed out, leaving Yoongi, Amber, and Hoseok.

Amber wanted to pursue this further, but it seems that now was not the appropriate time. She sighed and nodded, her lips tightly sealed. "Let's talk about it next time," she said as she walked away from the area.

Only Hoseok and Yoongi were in the room at the time, but not long after Amber left, Yoongi chose to leave as well. Before pushing the door open, he gazed at his introverted boss and said, "to be honest, I don't care about your fashion sense. When I first met you, I remember you weren't always about hoodies. I'm not a fan of leaping to conclusions, but I believe it has to do with your sister."

Hoseok raised his head, his gaze falling on the curly, black-haired man.

Yoongi offered him a bitter smile. "It's just what I had in mind. If it isn't the case, don't take it to your heart."

"Hyung," Hoseok said abruptly, halting Yoongi from leaving the office. "What if that's true?"

Hoseok noticed Yoongi's tensing.

"I-I don't mean to make you feel awful, but what if that's true?"

Yoongi drew in his upper lip after licking his lips. He struggled for a long time to summon the fortitude to say, "fix your mindset." Finally, he left.

Hoseok was at a loss for words. He yanked his hood down, exposing his black, soft lock, and fell his butt on the office chair.

[thekimskimchi]

THREE

phrasal verb

*not turn a hair - to remain calm

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Taehyung appeared after the narrow corridor, staring at his colleagues with his chest raising up and down. Then, he shouted, "Amber noona is going to migrate!"

Except for Seokjin and Yoongi, everyone gasped.

Yoongi sighed, "there, my migraine." Seokjin continued watching the movie that played on the tablet while having his ramen. None of them gave a damn about the mess.

"No, no, no, no! Amber can't move. Who's willing to help our boss?" Wheein asked.

Yoongi tried to not turn a hair*, despite the irritation building up inside.

"Wait a sec," Namjoon said. "You all act like Amber never leaves Hoseok for a minute."

"That's not the problem!" Wheein cried out. "Hoseok isn't used to us helping him, remember?"

"But we have Seokjin and Yoongi," Namjoon said.

"Yoongi's always busy taking care of the business, and Seokjin is always eating," the emo-styled woman drawled.

Seokjin dropped his ramen into the cup. "Hey, I'm not always eating!" He retorted.

Yoongi spoke in a flat tone, "I can always change my task if that solves your worries." He put a couple of small gummies into his mouth after that.

"We can discuss it with Amber and Hoseok," Namjoon said as if he was trying to comfort Yoongi for fear that the older man might be upset. He turned his head to look at Wheein, pointed at his mouth, and made an angry gesture of zipping his mouth at the girl.

Wheein puffed her cheeks with lips pursed tight.

"Why does Amber want to leave?" asked Taehyung this time.

The main character of their conversation finally showed up at the boutique's entrance, saying "I'm not leaving." With a sigh, she placed her palm on the counter table. "Who says I'm leaving?"

All of the present staff simultaneously pointed at Taehyung.

Taehyung's eyes widened, raising his hand. He stammered, "I'm sorry. I just found your flight ticket."

The short-haired girl let out another soft sigh, rubbing her face as she whispered to herself, "how can I be so careless?"

"But, noona... To New York." Taehyung said, pouting. "Why go so far?"

Amber walked slowly to join the circle. She stopped right beside Taehyung with a hand on her hip. Flicking the man's head, he yelped as she retorted, "I have a family there."

Taehyung pressed his palm against his forehead. He blinked his eyes multiple times before he said, "o-oh, yeah. Right."

"You kids are making a fuss over something unnecessary," Seokjin spat.

It was Yoongi's turn this time. "I regret not stopping Amber from hiring these kids. Should have auctioned them off to the circus."

In the 95 lines (Wheein, Jisoo, Jimin, and Taehyung), Jungkook and Namjoon shot their glares at Yoongi.

Yoongi grasped the creepy atmosphere. Never had he thought getting glares from a group of people younger than him could be scarier than his mother's. He searched for the most suitable place to cast his gaze. Then, he remembered he had a count he needed to finish. Finding a booklet, he quickly scanned the list of descriptions he needed to summarize.

Amber ignored them as she spoke to Seokjin. "Where is Hoseok?"

"Trapping himself with sketches, as always."

"That boy needs to get out of the office sometimes."

Seokjin raised an eyebrow as though he had found mistakes in the remark.

Amber continued, "I mean, he always traps himself inside as soon as he starts working, doesn't he?"

"There's no way to make him stop unless it has something to do with food."

"It's not food that attracts him out. It's because you always threaten him with your spatula."

Seokjin showed her a proud smile with a shrug. "I never hit him with it, but you know, he listens to me well."

Amber snorted and scoffed in English, "whatever." She then shook her head with an unbearable smile on her face.

While others were busy with their work, Seokjin and Amber continued to converse. Seokjin asked, "Are you planning a holiday?"

Amber shook her head with a downward curved lip as she dragged a box to a lavender velvety stool next to Seokjin. "Yo, help me."

Seokjin sprang up from the stool and dragged the other two boxes under the counter. As soon as there were no more boxes to bring, both of them opened them. New deliveries were checked one by one.

Seokjin inquired, "So, what are you doing in New York?"

"Looking for Jiwoo."

Seokjin became slow at his work. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "In New York? That's unlikely where Jiwoo would be."

"What if I have proof?"

The broad-shouldered man continued to work. He did not bother to ask what proof there might be since he sensed it could relate to Jiwoo's privacy and only Amber knew. He then asked, "is that possible? For a case that didn't happen there, should be investigated here."

"For that, I'll talk about it with my cousin. One of my cousins works as a detective in New York. If it's possible, I may return late. You and Yoongi can take care of the boutique while I'm absent, right?"

"With these monkeys?" Seokjin turned his head to see his sister and Wheein laughing at Jungkook imitating someone in a silly way. The girls even started doing weird poses.

On the other side, no one knew what Jimin and Taehyung were doing at the back, but he heard something clashing and a small shout "you deserve a punishment!" And then, hearing them singing the Sailor Moon theme song. There was even a clanging sound at the back. He began to fear that they would damage some of his kitchen utensils.

When Namjoon sat still with his paperwork, he was relieved. Not until the tallest man of them all stood up. He tripped on one of the stool's legs and fell on his face. Seeing him on the ground, the young people rushed to help and asked if he was okay. In Namjoon's hand, a sign of okay.

While Seokjin wasn't involved with them, seeing them already wore him out. He let out a loud sigh.

Amber let out a snort. "Come on, Jin."

"Yoongi's right. I wish I could turn this boutique into a circus right now. We'd profit a lot."

Amber guffawed.

"Oh, hey, how about Hoseok?"

Amber jerked her head a bit as she checked the items. "What about him?"

"He's the boss. Does he know?"

"Nope. You better not tell him the reason I'm off to New York."

Seokjin nodded his head.

"And I think we need to hire someone to fill my place."

"Pardon?" The man's eyes grew big. "Please no more. Not when you won't be around."

"I'll let you and Yoongi handle this. Choose any one suitable for Hoseok. That person won't fill my role by the way. Just a personal assistant for Hoseok. Like, remind his stuff, tell him this and that, help him search for some stuff."

Seokjin put down the final item on his lap. "Hoseok doesn't like working with someone he's not familiar with. Even with these monkeys."

Amber punched his left shoulder lightly with a flustered laugh. "Can you stop calling them monkeys?"

"Why? It suits them!"

"Let me remind you, you are one too."

Seokjin choked on his saliva. Incredulous, he remarked, "hey, I can win the Guinness Record for the most handsome monkey in the world if I am one!"

Amber shook her head. She muttered in English, "Oh, god." She added, "anyway, that is why we shouldn't tell him."

"And these chimpanzees?"

Amber sent him another punch before bending down to laugh quietly. Even Seokjin laughed with her. She slapped her thigh as she suppressed her laugh. "They know that we're hiring new staff. They can help you and Yoongi plan, at least."

Seokjin nodded his head again, acknowledging that the youngsters could be helpful for once.

[thekimskimchi]

TWO

[italicized in narration – past event]

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Amber was not surprised to see Jiwoo's younger brother on the verandah, in front of an open door. He was dancing in socks, with a pair of white earpieces in his ears. She assumed that he did not play the song too loudly as the boy became aware of her presence. It may have been her shadow that stopped him.

He turned around, pulling the earpieces out of his ears. "Hello, noona," teenage Hoseok bowed and greeted cheerfully. His school uniform was unbuttoned, and his plain white shirt was on full display.

"Hey." Amber took a moment to sense the atmosphere they both were having. Hoseok's response to her appearance made her wonder if he knew where his sister was. "Is your sister here?"

The sound of footsteps had Hoseok looking back, and there was his mother standing in the living room. The boy mouthed Amber's name to his mother, earning him a smile later. Then, she told him to invite her in. "Noona, come in. Mom is inside."

Hoseok was about to get inside to open the door wider for her, but Amber grabbed his forearm, halting his next movements. "I can't stay long," she said.

The boy smacked his head, laughing softly. "I forgot about the boutique."

"No one is in the boutique."

Hoseok had a frown on his face. "Isn't Jiwoo noona at the boutique?"

"Yes, she's supposed to be there but she isn't there. That's why I'm here."

The next thing she knew; she was sitting down on a solo sofa with her boss' parents opposite her. Hoseok sat comfortably on the floor.

They talked for such a long time, trying to figure out where the oldest child in the family had been. As Amber explained that Jiwoo wanted her younger brother to take her place in case she left long, Hoseok felt an overwhelming tightness in his chest.

"But I'm still in high school."

"I'll take care of the boutique with Seokjin and Yoongi until you graduate," Amber said to Hoseok.

Time ticked on and on. Hoseok could not stop thinking about where his sister had disappeared, but luckily, it did not affect his academic performance. Up until the day he graduated from high school.

A high school diploma would not be sufficient for Hoseok to become a boss if Amber were to think properly. The thought disturbed her so much that thinking of a way to convince Seokjin and Yoongi to accept him would be difficult.

On Hoseok's graduation day, his parents came. She came as well, on Jiwoo's behalf. She knew she didn't need to do that, but she thought she needed to fill the empty seat.

The moment his feet stepped on the stage to receive his certificate, his eyes fell on the seat beside his mother. It was Amber who sat in Jiwoo's seat. His friend, his sister too. Her parents smiled proudly at him from their respective seats. Even though he smiled, Amber could feel his suffocating emptiness.

When their eyes locked, his smile gradually faded. His stares were empty. Begging for his sister's existence. He didn't want Amber there. He wished for his sister. And Amber didn't know what to do. She didn't want to leave the seat. She didn't want his 'younger brother' to feel more isolated because of an empty presence.

As soon as Hoseok received the retirement letter from his high school, he managed the boutique. Amber had thought thoroughly. She wanted him to enroll in college since he might need it. Hoseok, however, insisted on taking over his sister's role.

Days passed by, and the new boss finally lost his mind.

Amber wanted to use the loo after talking with their manufacturer. Her walk through the corridor was interrupted when she saw Seokjin patting the crying man on the shoulder. The see-through curtain against the wall was torn, the papers scattered, and the light bulb on the table shattered.

The older man spoke no words. Amber noticed Seokjin was under pressure with this whole situation since the day Jiwoo disappeared.

Yoongi got affected too. He and Amber argued when he considered resigning. He had his resignation notice ready, but Amber refused to accept it. When asked why he wanted to resign, he said he didn't trust someone who had no experience in the area. Mad, she expressed how ridiculous his decision was.

Fortunately, Amber coaxed Yoongi to stay. With Seokjin, she sought help to train him together.

Years passed, and Hoseok gained an understanding of his role as a boss. He gained experience as they hired more potential workers. But he changed a lot.

He was no longer an ambitious and bright boy. Only he and his sketchbook occupied his time and space. Only him and a small sketchbook. Hardly saw him leave his nest.

That made the three of them concerned.

**********

"What a bunch of idiots." Amber heard Yoongi say, snapping out of her thoughts. He was watching Jungkook and Taehyung who were trying to pry Jimin's mouth open.

"Open your mouth! I said, open your mouth!" yelled Taehyung. His thumbs stretched Jimin's eyebrows and that almost made his friend's eyes bulge.

Gritting his teeth, Jimin exclaimed, "no"

Jungkook, on the other hand, pressed Jimin's cheeks in an attempt to open his mouth. Jungkook yelled, "give us our jelly!"

Never did they know, they had hired a bunch of potential monkeys.

Amber could never understand the minds of the three youngest. What was the point of forcing the jelly out that was already chewed and coated with saliva?

"Ew," she silently uttered amid the noise.

The boutique could have easily been turned into a zoo or a circus because of the chaos. But, in Amber's opinion, it wasn't a bad thing since the surroundings would be less quiet. Once in a while, they made Hoseok smile with their silliness.

When Amber thought she could ignore the food argument, a new case grew.

"Eh? There's no more pizza." Confusion drew on Jisoo's face as she lifted nearby plates and pizza boxes.

In this case, Amber could have named it the disappearance of the last pizza, for no one knew, except for Amber and Namjoon, that Yoongi gave it to Hoseok.

**********

Hop, hop, hop.

The white plastic filled with takeaway food swung lightly in her grip as she hopped. Never had she worried that food would fly off her hands.

Hop, hop, hop.

Passing by a few familiar faces, she would never forget to greet them.

"Good evening, grandpa!" The bright woman greeted an elderly man watering his plants.

"Good evening! Aigoo, you look merry today," said the elderly man grinning.

The girl bobbed her head once. "Yup, because I know I'll find you here. Oh, I bought you your favorite shark fin soup!"

"My, you don't have to bother yourself buying me this." He grinned, taking the takeaway container from her hand when she insisted on taking it.

The woman chuckled and said, "my dad must've troubled you a lot while I wasn't around." She then whispered, "I feel sorry that I had to leave you with his temper."

The elderly guffawed, "it's not bad at all. All I need is this cane."

Their area erupted with laughter.

Jiah remembered Grandpa Ji used to hit her father on the butt with a cane when he scolded Jiah for arriving home late. Since her father was intimidated by Grandpa Ji, she always sought him out for help. They were not blood family members, but they were so close that people at the market mistaken them for grandfather and granddaughter hanging out together.

It was only he who knew she ventured out late at night looking for jobs. The father never asked. No matter what, she would never leave home without a reason. She was not a wild girl, she was not a partying type, and she was not someone who would likely run away from home when she had problems.

She had been venturing out to look for a job to help her father, but her father never knew.

"Have you found a job?" asked the grandfather. He then drank the lukewarm soup.

Jiah hummed sadly and pouted, shaking her head.

The grandfather displayed a tight smile after gulping down the soup.

"I will keep looking for it! I'm not stopping" the girl said.

Grandpa Ji sighed with a hum. He said, "It's been two years, Jiah. Aren't you tired?"

"Nope."

"Aren't you annoyed that your dad keeps giving you money?"

"A little," she said, face twisted. "At the same time, nope. That's the only way I can get his attention. It gives me the energy to start the day but, I wish he had other ways though."

"My, my, I think I figured why your mom fell for your dad. Your dad must have high caffeine in his face."

She responded by nodding her head with an 'O' shape on her lips and wiggling her eyebrows. The grandfather guffawed.

Neighbors knew of the matter that she often received pocket money from Mr. Lee. The judgmental middle-aged women in her area were likely to say she used the money to hang out with her friends. Jiah tried her best to ignore them.

The truth was unknown to all. No one knew she kept the money in her savings box. She still had her earnings from her internship to pay for bus fare and food when she reached the city. Refusing her father's constant pocket money was pointless.

She kept them to save her father from his debts. And when they had settled the debt and had enough money to do other things, she wanted to bring her father to find her mother.

'Uhmma, where are you?'

[thekimskimchi]

To Find Something True

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type of P.O.V used in this story is 3rd P.O.V limited.

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ casts ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Jung Hoseok as himself

Lee Jiah (original character/Park Hyesoo for face claim)

Kim Seokjin as himself

Min Yoongi as himself

Amber Liu as herself

Park Jimin as himself

Kim Jisoo as herself

Jung Wheein as herself

Kim Taehyung as himself

Jeon Jungkook as himself

Kim Namjoon as himself

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ special appearance ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Jiah's father and mother (original characters)

Hoseok's father and mother (original characters)

Jung Jiwoo as herself

Lee Soohyuk as himself

Eric Nam as Detective Nam

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ disclaimer ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

➷ Except for the OCs, I do not own any of the mentioned artists that are cast in this fanfiction, hence the characters and personalities I made them into do not reflect them in real life.

➷ Any resemblance to the death or life, businesses, events, any accidents that happen in this story is entirely coincidental. They are based on my ideas, knowledge, and imagination.

※ Grammar errors in dialogues are intended! ※

NO PARTS IN THIS BOOK ARE ALLOWED TO BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHOR'S PERMISSION.

Reviews and feedbacks are welcome!

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ACHIEVEMENTS

🏆 The Wattpad Amby Awards 2023 Top Picks

[thekimskimchi]

ONE

Quiet and peaceful in the office. An excellent atmosphere for working.

A mechanical pencil in between his slender fingers, shading a soft and long curved line to sketch a shape of a woman, to darken the outline second. A palm-sized eraser in his grip – in between the pencil and his index finger and thumb. When the outline was too thick, he delicately erased the line and swept away the residue with the back of his hand.

The sketch carried on – with a fist under his left cheek this time, getting more focused yet slowly feeling his brain's energy drain. The pencil began to work slower, carving with the HB graphite lead small details on the long dress he illustrated on the paper.

The man hadn’t put down his pencil since a few hours ago. Neither did his hoodie.

He had never let the hoodie off his head. Be it the short sleeves one or the long sleeves one. Be it black, white, pink, or rainbow. The one with zipper one or no zipper. Be it the one with rope inside the hem of the hoodie or no rope. When the hoodie he wore had a rope, he would tie it in a loose knot, so it would not distract his concentration.

But there was always something that disturbed him.

"Hoseok!!"

The loud call made Hoseok jump. His pencil became out of aim, and the thin lead broke and rolled around the paper.

Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath.

"Let's eat!" Shouted the oldest friend in his circle.

"I'm not hungry," replied Hoseok flatly.

"Aw, I cooked a lot for us."

"You didn't ask me whether I'll be eating or not."

The man replied smugly head shaking, "Because I know you will never reject food."

Hoseok sighed, feigning ignorance and rubbing off the mistake on the sketch with the eraser.

"Come out quick, or the food will get cold."

"I said, I'm not hungry, hyung," Hoseok pressed.

Seokjin curved his plumped lips into a smile and cooed, "you know, I'm not taking a 'no' from you." His smile fell when he finished his words and threatened, "now, hurry up before I whoop your butt with this spatula."

Hoseok shot him a short glare before gathering the stationary and placing them in a stationary cup. "Fine. Let me clean these up."

The older one snickered. "Good boy."

The glass door screeched against the metal beneath the hinges. Hoseok peered, watching the figure of a broad-shouldered man holding a spatula with a lavender apron resting on his chest and stomach pass through the glass wall behind the artificial wood blinds. Knowing that Seokjin had disappeared, the 'good boy' began to grumble with his mouth curved downwards.

He mimicked, “'hurry up before I whoop your butt with this spatula'.” He lightly hit the breadth of the papers twice on the table, and he placed his sketch papers on the table and then pushed the chair under it.

It did not take him long to reach the main spot of the premises.

He stopped his steps, getting his sight to be greeted by the view of residents of

South Korea and foreigners passing by the glass display with the porcelain mannequins posing for them. Their products didn’t seem to attract them, but he didn’t care.

It was not a rare sight either, to see his friends gathered in the middle of the boutique. The spacious, rounded coffee table was filled with food cooked by Seokjin and three boxes of pizza that Hoseok did not know who ordered. A few cups of orange juice or coke or water were either in between their legs or grip of their hands as their dominant hands fed themselves, some of their cups were under the table.

Some were bickering, some were busy with their phones, some were busy talking and some were stealing others' food.

If the sight was not them gathering at the table to have a meal together, then it would be them busy entertaining customers. They would be arranging the stocks, sweeping the floor, cleaning the mannequin or glass display, and compiling and counting the boutique’s profit and loss.

They were also his family at the Bejiwoo Boutique, consisting of people with different personalities and backgrounds, different talents and abilities, and who came from different provinces. These people had been supporting him since the day he had to manage the business alone, and since the day they started working with him.

"Oy, Jung Hoseok!" The call from a feminine yet rough voice shook him off his trances.

"Waiting for the red carpet?" Joked Amber with her mouth full of pizza.

"N-no." Hoseok scurried to a stool and brought it to join them. He sat between Namjoon and Yoongi.

The loudness of the Kim siblings – Seokjin and Jisoo – bickering bothered him as he stretched his arm to grab a piece of pizza.

As if Yoongi had read his mind, the curly, black-haired guy said, "who could have thought siblings could fight over who's getting to have the final pizza?" "They fight like the world is planning to ban pizza forever," Amber said.

Jung Wheein – who had been listening to their ridiculous arguments – muttered, "I can't believe siblings still compete over the last pizza by mentioning who washed their clothes the most." A grimace appeared across her face.

"But the argument is usable," said Kim Namjoon. It seemed that Seokjin and Jisoo still had not known the spectators were talking about them. Namjoon resumed, "the one who works the most, deserves more rewards."

Seokjin heard him. "Uh-huh, that's right. Did you hear that, Jisoo? Thank you, Namjoon." He then blew a hand kiss to Namjoon.

Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook, and Park Jimin simultaneously contorted their faces at that action.

The bickering then continued, but Namjoon stopped eating. "Now I'm losing my appetite."

Yoongi, on the other hand, did not give a damn anymore. He took the last piece and stared at it for a few seconds before giving it to Hoseok.

The presence of pizza on his plate got him confused. "Huh?"

"Take it." Yoongi lightly tossed the pizza on Hoseok's plate. "You must eat a lot."

He raised his plate slightly. "But hyung, I have much food already –"

"You are getting thinner."

"It's just my sweater that makes me look thin."

"I see,” he said, chewing his pickled radish as he stared at the sweater. “Eat up, fill in the sweater.”

Knowing Yoongi, 'I see' always meant 'whatever'. Hoseok could not find a way to fight or to stop him if that left his mouth.

Ever since he sensed three of the older staff were worried about him, he knew since when it started. This was to the extent that it was almost suffocating. He had no clue what he did that made them worry. But the root of this problem was probably his sister.

Until that day, no one knew where Jung Jiwoo had disappeared. Hoseok's sister did not leave a message about where she went and with whom. She only left a message saying to pass her position to his brother if she went away for so long.

Amber, Jiwoo's trusted friend and assistant, was the one who found the message. She tried calling Jiwoo and sending her text messages but none of them replied.

Remember that one day when she visited her boss' family to ask, the first person she saw at the door was Jung Hoseok. He used to be a bright and ambitious boy.

[thekimskimchi]

Hello there!

I'm a fanfiction writer, have been crossposting from Wattpad to AO3. This time, i'm going to try out on Tumblr. I'll be posting my J-Hope's fanfic on schedule! Do look forward to it. For quick access/read to the fanfic, I have provided the links to AO3 and Wattpad below:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44258521/chapters/111299398

Releases schedule on Tumblr: every Monday to Saturday, 1900HRS +9 KST

Reviews and feedbacks are welcome!