MY BRIGHTEST STAR

Jungkook smiled as he fingered the yellow magic plaster stuck to the leg of his office desk.

His knuckles were finally healed, thanks to the magic plaster or not, but of course he couldn't bear to throw it away. So as controversially unhygienic as it may seem, Jungkook carefully peeled the plaster off and pasted it on the leg of his desk, so he could get a glimpse of it whenever he rolled his chair backwards. And whenever he saw the smiley face smiling right at him, he couldn't help but smile back, it really was like magic.

But today, he had something more to smile about. The scene of Jieun falling down on him in the practice room, it made his heart pound and gave him butterflies in his stomach. The way she remained there for a while, talking as if she wasn't blatantly sprawled across his chest... that was endearing. And also, the way she got up immediately when he pretended he couldn't breathe. Her face was as red as a tomato then, even the tips of her ears were red. Jungkook giggled. It was kind of adorable.

"Sajang-nim!"

It was the way she called him sajang-nim too. All these years they had been friends, and no matter how much he had asked her to call him by his real name, since he was way younger, she refused. It was only sometimes, like the incident with the thugs when she was really scared or the time he played an April Fools' Day joke on her by telling her she got accepted as female lead as one of the biggest dramas that year. She had always stuck to "sajang-nim" or "boss", and actually, he really liked it.

"Boss!"

Jungkook chuckled. He hadn't seen her since yesterday and he kind of missed her tiny face and her big eyes that glared at him when she was upset. Even as he poked at the yellow plaster, he was even beginning to hear her voice calling his name now. It was kind of weird to feel this way.

"Jeon sajang-nim!"

Jungkook finally snapped back to reality. Joohyun stood in front of his table, knocking on his table while waving her arms frantically to get his attention. Jungkook's eyes widened.

What on earth did she witness?

"Y-Yes, Joohyun-ssi?" Jungkook stammered, his cheeks burning up all of a sudden. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Boss," Joohyun frowned, adjusting her glasses a little while clutching a few files in her hands. "I've been standing here and calling your name for ages."

"Oh, is that so?" Jungkook laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh- I must not have heard you, I've been kinda out of sorts these days."

"No, you were giggling," Joohyun frowned. "While poking at your table leg. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, don't worry," Jungkook broke into a cold sweat, as he quickly blocked the eye-catching yellow plaster from Joohyun's sight by wheeling his chair back in, closer to the table. "Of course everything is okay. So, how may I help you?"

"That's good to hear," Joohyun pursed her lips. "Well, I'm here with the profiles of the trainees whose contracts are ending in the next few months."

"Oh," Jungkook pursed his lips. "It's that time of the year again, huh."

"Yeah, Boss," Joohyun frowned. "It is that time of the year again."

Jungkook sighed. "I know you don't enjoy it. I don't enjoy it either, Joohyun-ssi. But it's got to be done. Take it as we're letting them go so that they can quickly start pursuing something else they'll find a better future in, alright?"

"Alright," Joohyun sighed.

"You can go take a seat there first," Jungkook pointed at the sofa area before taking a file and opening it up in front of him. "I'll join you shortly."