BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 71: a bold decision

<OST: eight - IU PROD. & ft. SUGA>

"Jieun-ssi, what are you doing here?"

"Bujang-" Jieun stood in front of Namjoon, her fists clenched at her sides. "I came here to tell you something very important today."

"Oh-" Namjoon leaned forward in his chair, highly intrigued. "Has it got to do with the JKJK couple you have been looking into?"

"No-" Jieun frowned as she shook her head. "I mean, yes, but no-"

Namjoon narrowed his eyes as he got to his feet. "Take a seat first, Jieun-ssi."

"Ah, okay-" Jieun nervously took her seat.

"Any coffee for you?"

"No, thanks, bujang."

Jieun let out an awkward chuckle as she scanned the office. Funny how she had been here for more than half a year now, but had never ever stepped into Namjoon's office before. This was technically her very first time... how ironic it was that it was going to be her first and last - she planned on quitting today.

It was sudden, but well-thought out. The whole night, last night, after Jungkook fell asleep... Jieun lay in bed, thinking about the promise she had made with him - that she would stay by his side... and that he could trust her. She had made that promise out of impulse, but she meant every word she said. And the only way she could fulfil it now... was to quit her job and go full-time into makeup, as Jungkook's makeup artist.

She didn't mind, truly. She had spent the past few weeks doing makeup... and realised that she did indeed have a flair. And she enjoyed it too. And Jungkook said she glowed when she did it. If this wasn't passion and what she was meant to do for the rest of her life, Jieun didn't know what was. Even though it was such a pity that she had to leave this job of hers and the coworkers and friends she had made over the past seven months... what needed to be done, had to be done.

"Did you see the article about Jennie Kim this morning?" Namjoon took his seat opposite Jieun once more, placing a cup of coffee in front of him which he had just brewed. "We found new evidence."

"Oh?" Jieun raised her eyebrows. "Is that so? I haven't seen it yet, bujang-nim."

"Mm-" Namjoon smiled as he took a sip of his coffee. "Chungha-ssi and Hyejin-ssi worked hard together to crack this case."

Jieun pursed her lips, lowering her head a little. "Hyejin-ssi..."

"Anyway!" Namjoon smiled as he put down his cup, turning his attention back onto Jieun. "So... what brings you here today, Jieun-ssi?"

"Um... bujang-" Jieun didn't know how to begin. "How long has it been already, since I left the office and went into this case?"

"Mm... around a month, I think-" Namjoon frowned. "Come to think of it, it has been pretty long, hasn't it? You really haven't found a single thing about them yet?"

Jieun heaved a sigh of relief. So... Hoseok and Chungha hadn't told him anything yet.

"It's not that I haven't found anything-" Jieun twisted her words. "It's just that it's very hard to find one particular concrete evidence that I can use against them."

Namjoon furrowed his eyebrows. "But you're sure the two of them are not really a real couple?"

"Well... about that..." Jieun hesitated. "I don't really know... maybe they are, maybe not..."

"Lee Jieun-ssi-" Namjoon frowned. "To be quite frank with you, I expected better. When you handed me the proposal a few weeks back, I had pretty high hopes. I thought you'd be able to get back to me soon. I even told myself that I'd give you a promotion if you really manage to crack this case. But unfortunately, you evidently haven't been able to reach my expectations."