BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 23: the start of trouble

<OST: Boom Boom - Hong Dae Kwang>

Jieun watched as Jungkook ran in a flower field and smiled at her through her computer screen.

"He's handsome indeed-" Jieun blurted out without thinking as she finally watched his 'Still With You' music video at her office the next morning. "Obnoxiously handsome..."

The camera zoomed in on his eyes. Jieun's eyes widened as she suddenly recalled doing his makeup for him in that waiting room. They were all alone with no one around them, and she had insisted on him looking at her throughout so that the makeup would be symmetrical, but where on earth did she get the guts to turn him by his chin?

Was she just being professional? Or was it because he was attached? How could she possibly not feel a single bit shy back then? He was handsome after all, and now recalling looking at him at such a close proximity, made Jieun realise that other than his personality, how insanely attractive that guy was.

He was dangerously attractive, but he was also attached... She needed to stay away.

"What am I even thinking? Me and that arrogant guy? I must be insane-" Jieun chided herself as she fanned herself with her hands, feeling her cheeks burning up. "Wow, it's so hot in here..."

"Turn up the aircon then."

Jieun jumped up from her seat in fright as Hoseok walked past her with a bright smile. "Sunbae-nim, you scared me!"

"Good morning, Lee Jieun-ssi!" Hoseok smiled brightly. "Surprising to see you here today - haven't seen you for quite some time, huh."

"I saw you from afar yesterday, at the showcase-" Jieun recalled. "Doubt you saw me though."

"Was too busy shitting myself-" Hoseok admitted with an embarrassed laugh. "But I shall save you from experiencing the second-hand embarrassment of listening to my story. Anyway, you're a huge JK fan now?"

Jieun raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"

Hoseok gestured at her screen and grinned. "That's the 'Still With You' music video by JK, isn't it?"

"Oh-" Jieun's eyes widened as she noticed what was going on on her screen and quickly closed the tab. "No, this is nothing, sunbae-nim. I'm not a fan of his... it's just, you know how I've been trying to dig out some information about him? I thought that getting to know all about him is the first step to earning his trust. Mm, that's what I thought, that's why you saw me watching the music video earlier. There's no other reason."

"Did I say anything?" Hoseok chuckled. "Gosh, Jieun-ssi, this is my first time seeing you this flustered. Anyway, have you gotten any new leads?"

"It's been only a couple of days, sunbae-nim," Jieun said with a nervous smile. "I've got a couple of clues, but I haven't strung them together yet. Soon though... soon."

"Glad to see you working so hard!" Hoseok hummed as he skipped to his desk. "Work hard, Jieun-ssi!"

Hoseok sure didn't look like someone who had just gotten scolded yesterday, which was what she had heard from Chungha earlier that morning.

Jieun sighed as she looked down at the big 'JK' she had written on her paper, with all the clues about him transferred over from her little brown notebook.

- - -

JK

- KIM TAEHYUNG (gold ent, scapegoat???????)
- JENNIE KIM (gave same story, friends to lovers, started dating last year june, suspicious(?))
- SLEEP ISSUES (sleeping pills???)
- FLOUR-BASED FOOD (profile says yes but he doesn't eat, jennie kim not aware)