To Find Something True

※ thirteen

One picture - which she assumed was the staff's trip photo. Everyone looked happy, except one. A man with a hoodie smiling awkwardly with a peace sign on his right hand. Seokjin was slinging his arm on the man's shoulder. The rest grinned wide with food in their hands. Then, she recognized Jisoo. Her cheeks resembled squirrels full of acorns as they were pushed to smile.

Next, she noticed a family photo, matching a man from the staff's trip photo and the family photo. "This must be Hoseok," she whispered to herself.

The family photo had Hoseok on a woman's back, widely grinning with peace on his right hand. The woman looked as if she was surprised, not knowing her brother would jump on her back. A couple of middle-aged woman and man looked at their children, laughing.

'Happy family,' she thought to herself before raising herself and taking another deep breath. She stood still at the same spot and turned herself side to side, lips pursed tight and pushed her cheeks into two rounded forms.

A screech from the door's hinges startled Jiah. Turning around, her eyes instantly met Hoseok's.

"Eh?" Hoseok stared at her blankly. "Who are you?"

Recognizing Hoseok, Jiah bowed without hesitation as she said, "hello."

Then, there was an awkward silence. They had unintentional eyes stare battle. Hoseok blinked his eyes once hard before pushing the door behind him, turning his head left and right in the hallway a couple of times as if he were looking for someone.

He returned to speak with Jiah again. "Who are you?"

Jiah did not know how to start. Seokjin did not even tell her what to do if she met the boss already, and there they were, having an awkward encounter.

"I'm Lee Jiah. I am your personal assistant," she said.

"What? Wait!" Hoseok gulped his saliva. "I don't remember looking for an a-assistant. I-I don't need an assistant!"

Jiah had her eyebrows creased. "But, it's clear that I got an email from this boutique telling I'm hired for the job, Boss Hoseok."

Hoseok's eyes widened. "D-don't call me that, please. Because I'm not..." He exhaled a deep breath with his eyes shut and jaws clenched. He whispered to himself, "oh, sheesh, which one of the idiots - aish...!"

The realization hit him when he remembered the times when he was forced to go out, receiving most of them for illogical reasons. "Seokjin hyung!!" he shouted.

Yoongi and Seokjin were seen running and halted, almost bumping into each other. Yoongi was heard muttering a few curses. Seokjin's hair was disheveled because of the rush and that moment when he almost bumped into Yoongi.

They stood at the door, finding Hoseok with a disappointed face. "What is this, hyung?"

Seokjin said, "I can explain. We -"

The boss whisper-yelled, "personal assistant? Are you serious? I don't need one!"

The oldest staff of Bejiwoo pressed, "you need one."

"Who says I need one?"

Knowing where this argument was going to lead, Yoongi gave Jiah a sign to leave the room. When the woman passed him, he whispered, "go look for the girls. Get them to entertain you."

Although Jiah thought it was unnecessary to have the girls entertain her, she nodded her head and left. As she walked away, she made a glance behind, seeing Yoongi closing the door and the arguments between Hoseok and Seokjin went on. Despite the hoodie covering his side view, she could hear the disappointment in his tone.

Seokjin tried his best to stay calm, handling Hoseok.

**********

Hoseok was agitated. "Amber? Huh!" The contort on his face expressed how upset he was. "She should have talked to me, not you."

"She knew you'll say no to the idea," Seokjin told.

"Of course I'll say no. I know I don't need one!"

"You need one, Hoseok. With all keeping up to date from clients and charity events who want us to sponsor."

"I can manage," the boss emphasized.

"Without Amber?"

"Without Amber."

"The last time I remember, you puked in front of the public when you attended a charity event without us."

The memory hit the boss.

Yoongi had been quiet all along, crossing his arms as he leaned his side on the glass wall.

Calmly, Seokjin added, "you should know by now we're all busy with our tasks. We can teach other staff to do our tasks while we help you, but are they qualified enough to do them? I get that this store is small, but remember this store is one of the talks of the town. The image of professionality of this store will get tarnished with the tiniest mistake when people realize one."

Yoongi commented, "Seokjin is right. One tiny mistake taints the whole picture. We're living in a century where people are extra observant. They can pass the negative quality about this store to anyone at anywhere and anytime. We don't want that to happen."

Hoseok stayed mute.

Yoongi lifted himself from the door and stood straight. Both of his hands tucked in his jeans pockets. "One more thing you need to remember."

Hoseok shifted his gaze to the permed head.

"What if your sister comes back, finding out you fail the store?" Yoongi asked, firmly. "What if our store loses customers, and profits? Your sister's hard work to grow this boutique this big will go to waste."

"I know you both are capable of multitasking. I trust that you can help me. So, you don't need to convince me to have an assistant!" Hoseok said.

Yoongi let out a curt chuckle. He shrugged his shoulder, being blasé. "I'm glad to know that you trust us that way."

Seokjin thought Yoongi was working hard to convince their boss to accept Jiah as his new assistant, but he did not see a hint of that. However, his thoughts changed when Yoongi said, "Amber's worried about you. About the store. You need an assistant."

Hoseok let out a deep sigh, "hyung, please! I don't want an assistant. I don't see the point of having one!"

Seokjin's temples bolded, jaws clenched; and Yoongi was only able to stare at him.

"You don't understand, Hoseok," Yoongi uttered.

Hoseok avoided his gaze, looking elsewhere. Silence engulfed the strawberry-scented office. Consequently, Yoongi turned around and left.

Seokjin released a sigh. Shaking his head in disappointment, he said, "look. We're doing this for your good."

"I don't care. I can manage everything on my own. Tell that to noona."

Shaking his head again and rolling his eyes, Seokjin said, "suit yourself."

Once both of the oldest staff figures' disappeared from the hallway, Hoseok shook his head too. His hands stuck on his office table, head down, still shaking lightly.