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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I want to go visit a friend."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Seokjin hyung is really something,' he thought.

**********

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

He let out a loud sigh, staring at his assistant's empty seat again. After that, he looked down at his sketch. He held the sketchbook high up, staring at it with wide eyes. Trembling, his face contorted. "Wha-what is this? When did I draw this?" he cried.

The eyebrows were perfectly outlined in light graphite. The model's full lips stretched, forming two rounds on her cheeks. The ears were lightly sketched, with two long dangling earrings attached to both earlobes. The eyes' stares were soft, with a hint of light eyelines at the corners. The nose was lightly outlined, thus incomplete. Another incomplete part was the hair, making the model's hair appear short and less voluminous. But at the back of her head, it looked like a high ponytail.

Anyone looking at it could immediately recognize that it was Lee Jiah, captured during the In-Kang event.

He took a green palm-sized eraser, but then paused. Staring at the sketch, he debated whether to erase it or not. It looked too lovely to erase. Therefore, he slumped his shoulders, and the hand holding the eraser fell on the table with a thud.

Just as he was gazing at the sketch, the glass door of his office clanged thrice, forcing him to look up to see who was knocking. Jimin stood there, showing him a tight smile.

Hoseok waved his hand inward, allowing Jimin to enter his office. He leisurely closed his sketchbook and looked at Jimin. "What's up?" he asked.

Jimin stood humbly behind the chairs, not answering his question. However, after a pause, he walked closer to the table and placed a white rectangular envelope. Steadily, he slid the letter closer to Hoseok.

"What is this?" Hoseok asked, taking the envelope as his eyes were fixed on the quiet younger man. He fetched a cutter from the pencil holder and tore one of the edges. Withdrawing the folded paper from the envelope, he then read. Hoseok released a sigh. He knew. He had predicted it. "So, you're resigning?" the boss asked, calmly.

Jimin bobbed his head up and down, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Hoseok's index finger tapped against the paper, his eyes staying fixed on the man in front of him. As he got up from his seat, he released another sigh and said, "sit, Jimin."

"Hyung, I don't -"

"Sit," Hoseok insisted, sending Jimin to scramble to one of the chairs. He almost tripped because of one of the chair's legs. Hoseok closed all the blinds and went back to his seat. He looked at Jimin with furrowed eyebrows and squinted eyes. "Why?" he asked.

There was a long silence, and Hoseok waited. Then, Jimin finally opened his mouth. "I haven't been contributing anything good to the boutique recently. So, I thought I'd better back off."

"What's making you say that?"

"Nothing at all. I just think that I haven't been doing any good for this shop. All I've been doing is looking after the counter. People used to ask for my help a lot back then. Now, things have changed."

"But that's not the main reason, right?" Hoseok's question made the younger one look up at him immediately. He put on a tight smile and said, "I don't want to do this, but..." The paper in his hand, he tore it. He tore it, tore it, and tore it, sending the pieces flying like confetti.

Jimin's plump lips agape with astonishment. He shouted, "Hyung, why!"

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

"But, I'm telling the -"

"You want to resign because you can't stand being punished, right?" Hoseok said. "Everyone has been giving you the silent treatment. I see that."

Another silence prompted Jimin to gaze down. "Everyone," he whispered. "But Yoongi hyung, Jiah noona, and Jisoo."

"Don't you find it weird that Jisoo still talks to you?"

Jimin stole a glimpse at him. "I do."

"And what do you think?" Hoseok asked. The more he waited for an answer, the only response he received was stillness. He exhaled a quick sigh before saying, "Jimin, I'm rejecting your letter."

"I know. You ripped my letter, so what else was that supposed to mean?" Jimin calmly retorted.

The red-haired boss ignored the question and said, "I don't think Jisoo would agree with you resigning."

"How do you know that? You don't even know Jisoo."

"But I know her brother," Hoseok pressed. "If her brother's behavior is part of what makes you resign, try to think of Jisoo. Why does Jisoo still talk to you even though she's aware she was the victim?"

Jimin took a few moments to think. "I don't think it's because she still likes me."

"That's right, Park Jimin," Hoseok sighed. "Now, I see why Taehyung shouted 'Jimin is an idiot' at the beach."

"Pardon me?"

Hoseok shrugged off Jimin's questioning expression. He pushed himself from the chair to sit straight and said, "I'm suspending you instead, and you'll be back after a year. I'll make sure to notify Amber noona of this." He didn't mention that Amber might give Jimin an earful.

A long silence followed before the younger man muttered, "you have the power as the boss. Instead of a suspension, you could fire me."

Hoseok answered, "As much as I want to fire you for betraying my trust as well as others', I know I shouldn't misuse my position just because of an event that doesn't involve me. A suspension. Consider that action as my first warning." He paused. "If this repeats, I will fire you without a discussion with Amber noona."

Jimin took a pause, looking down at the table before nodding his head. "Thank you, hyungnim," he said, and the boss nodded. He got up from the seat and pushed the chair under the table. Standing behind the table, he bowed to his boss.

As Hoseok was about to return to his sketchbook, a slow screech from the door as Jimin pushed it open. Then, there was a long pause with Jimin still standing and holding the door handle. "Hyung," he called, making Hoseok look at him. "You're cool."

Hoseok smiled lightly. "Thanks." 'I only followed the way an angel I know would think.'