To Find Something True

※ twenty-four

Hoseok chuckled. A sound that was rare for Jiah to hear. During that moment, she learnt what it felt like to hold a diamond in her hand. Even though it was not a physical diamond, but hearing her boss laughing and talking like this with her was something she would love to hold forever. A small, short moment, but something she cherished. Priceless, precious. Having her reserved, introverted boss opened up to her also made her feel like a champion.

“What else did they tell you?” Her boss asked.

“Yoongi doesn’t tell much. Whenever I ask him, he usually tells me to ask Seokjin, but I know it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know a lot about you.”

“Yoongi is just… bad at expressing sometimes. That’s typical of him.”

Jiah breathed out a laugh and shrugged. “But Yoongi. Yoongi asked me to make sure you eat well.”

He snorted. “You’re my P.A. Not my nanny.”

She shrugged and said, “perhaps, it’s a way that he cares.”

“How about Seokjin?”

“Seokjin? He tells me everything he knows. And the fact that you’re wearing hoodies during hot days annoys him very much. If you love hoodies, he wished you could learn to customize some of your hoodies and cut them to short sleeves.”

“W-well, I’ve never… I’ve never thought of that.”

She moved to her boss closer with a nose scrunched smile. “Now, you can consider.” She added, “Seokjin told me what happened to you during your last vacation too.”

“O-oh. The one in Sarawak?” he asked and she nodded. “I love some of my hoodies’ designs. It feels… It feels bad to customize them.”

"But they're your hoodies." Jiah's face was painted with a frown and a pout. That expression had done him wrong, and he grew worried about what might happen next.

Yet, he uttered, “I’ll consider.”

She clapped twice and gave two thumbs up. “That’s great!” She was collecting her things on her lap to put them in her sling bag when she noticed someone stood in front of the car. She jumped, “oh my, that scared me!”

Hoseok turned his head to see. He jumped too. “Woah!” His hoodies almost left his head.

A middle-aged man stared at the two weak-hearted beings sharply. He stood there in disheveled hair, all white pajamas with thin dark blue, vertical strips, both arms crossed on his chest.

It took them a moment to calm their hearts. Jiah stared at her father in disbelief. “Appaaa!!”

“Appa?” Hoseok exclaimed, his eyes widened as he exchanged gazes between Jiah and her father.

As Jiah gathered her things into her arms, she stomped out of the car. “Why are you standing in front of the car like that?” chided Jiah as she tried her best to keep her voice low. Then, her boss was seen standing beside his car with both of his hands held together, standing in a humble position.

Mr. Lee tapped his index finger on top of his wrist and deeply cooed, “almost two.”

“I had work to do!”

“Work? Until two? Who works until two? Not even the bus operates at two,” Mr. Lee said. “Who is this?” he asked when he faced Hoseok. Eyes narrowed before staring at him firmly.

Jiah silently cursed under her breath.

Hoseok bowed instantly, pushing the hoodie off his head. He said, “hello, sir. I’m… I’m Jiah’s boss, Jung Hoseok.”