She couldn't shake off the scary image of Hoseok in her head. He wasn't the same bubbly and cheerful boss she knew. Why did he get angry when she mentioned that name?

Naon sat on her bed with one hand around her wrist. It wasn't blue anymore but still felt cold and tingly. 
When she came home, Yoongi wasn't waiting for her right behind the door as usual. He wasn't at home at all. He's been out all night a lot lately, probably grabbing drinks with his friends. She let out a relieved breath. Naon wasn't in the mood to find a reasonable explanation for coming home late. 

"Naon…" The voice came from the other side of the wall. She instinctively grabbed her blanket and threw it over her head as if to hide. Although she knew that it was childish to think she couldn't be seen that way, it felt the safest place. With arms around her legs and her eyes tightly closed, Naon tried to breathe as quietly as possible. 
"I'm sorry," Hoseok mumbled. She didn't feel the intensely cold air like the first time he appeared in her room. "It won't happen again, I promise." 

Cautiously, she pulled the blanket back and looked around, but Hoseok was nowhere to be seen. It takes all her courage to leave that 'safe place' but after a deep breath, she got out of her bed, moved swiftly to the door, pressed one ear at it and listened – nothing. 
Carefully she placed her hand on the doorknob and slowly pushed it down to slightly open the door. The streetlights lightened up the room. Did Hoseok leave after apologizing to her?

Still anxious, she stepped out of her room, ready to be startled again by his appearance. 
"What exactly are you doing?" 
"Lummy!" Naon jumped with a start. "Oppa, you scared me!"
When did he come home? She didn't hear him coming through the front door, nor did he make any other noises. 
"Did you wait for me or why are you standing there like a tree?" Yoongi asked, already dressed in his blue trainers. 

"No!" His eyes widened by her strong response. "I mean, kind of. I heard noises and that's why I came out to greet you." Still heavily breathing, Naon tried to talk her way out of the situation. 
"Okay. Hi, then." Yoongi turned around and moved quickly to his room despite the darkness, without asking any questions. This was not like him at all. Usually, he would have asked her when she came home or at least if she had eaten anything. 

"Oppa!" 
"What is it?" He didn't turn around. 
"Did something happen?" She might be oversensitive, but it took him a while to answer. 
"Will you be okay, living on your own?" he mumbled. 
"What did you say?"
"Nothing," he responded. "Let's just go to sleep. It's late."

When Naon left for work in the morning, Yoongi wasn't there. However, he left a note on the dining table. 

'I'm going away for a few days. I won't have my phone with me. Don't forget to eat and always lock the door!'

Where the hell did he go? He didn't mention any business trips and in all these years, he never went on vacation. Perhaps she had been so obnoxious while grieving over Hoseok's death that he needed a few days away from her. But at least he could have said goodbye in person. Maybe she would have been less worried. And there was also Hoseok, who left after apologizing. 

And they say women are the ones who are too complicated to understand!

"Noona, your salad will not get any colder." Jungkook and Sora eyed her with a worried look. 
"Listen, dear! If you're not feeling well…."
"No, I'm okay." Naon shoved the fork into her mouth. 

"I'm sorry, but do you need this chair?" A man in a blue suit asked politely, pointing at the empty chair next to Naon. The cafeteria was packed with workers by now which made finding a place to eat rather tricky. 
"Of course, help yourself!" Sora nodded and gave him a beaming smile. The man took the chair and returned to his table. 
"What a cutie," Sora said without taking her eyes off him. "He started this week to fill in Jimin's spot."

"So, will Mr. Park take over Mr. Jung's job then?" Jungkook asked after he gulped down his banana milk in one go. 
"It's not decided yet. But my poor baby worked his ass off lately." 
"You sound like his mother."
"Watch your tongue, kid!" 
"Did Jimin have any days off?" Naon interrupted the quarrel between the two of them after she decided not to finish her cardboard-like salad. "It must be hard for him too."

Sora shook her head and reached over to grab Naon's plate that looked like she hadn't taken a bite of it.  
"Eat this! It's better for your stomach." With the other hand, Sora put her bowl of soup in front of Naon. 
"Where was I? Oh yes, Jimin. No, after the…." With a quick gasp, Sora put her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from further talking. 
"Noona!" Jungkook exclaimed while giving her a stern look.

"It's okay. It was an accident and it wasn't anybody's fault, right?" Naon said and took a small sip of the soup. Seeing them being all cautious and tiptoeing around what happened made her feel guilty. She wasn't the only one who suffered, but the others had to be strong, unlike her. They always acted as if everything was okay or avoided speaking about the accident openly to make her feel better. She must have been a pain in the ass for all the people around her.

"So, what happened after the accident?"
"Are you sure…" There was the worried expression on Sora's face again.  Her eyebrows were drawn together and exposed the wrinkles on her forehead. 
"Yes, please tell me!"
"So, after the accident, it turned out that Hoseok never made a will." Sora leaned forward as if she was telling them a secret. But the cafeteria was so packed and noisy, not even the guys sitting next to them would have heard what she said. 
"The lawyer reached out to his family in Gwangju. But they never responded."

"What does that mean?"
"They have six weeks to respond if they want to take over the business or sell it. If they want to sell it, Jimin will have to buy Hoseok's share. And it is…." Sora rubbed her thumb against her middle finger.
"What if Jimin doesn't have the money to buy the company and the family doesn't want to keep it?" 
"I guess this would be the end for us all."
"What…" Jungkook choked mid-sentence. "Are we going to lose our jobs?" 
"It depends on whether there is a new owner or the company will be dissolved."

Maybe that's what keeps him here, Naon thought while putting a spoon of soup in her mouth. He mentioned the remaining forty-nine days to fulfill the unfinished business. But what if the family won't decide within this time or if they don't bother answering the lawyer's request? What will happen to Hoseok after these forty-nine days pass without fulfilling his last wish?

"I have to find him!" She put the spoon back on the table and got up. Some people who sat around their table were startled by the loud bang. Jungkook stopped chewing and looked at her questioningly with his mouth half-open. At the same time, Sora jolted up from her seat. "Find who?" She asked, taken aback. 
But instead of answering the question, Naon turned around and pathed her way towards the exit. 

Contrary to her expectation to find him in his apartment, Naon stood in the middle of the living room with no trace of Hoseok. Everything looked the same as yesterday. By broad daylight, the apartment seemed even more spacious and neat. It was flooded with light and furnished in pale wood and warm colors without being overly packed with decorations or furniture. Everything about the place radiated his personality.  She couldn't imagine anyone else but Hoseok living here. Her eyes moved to the shelf and a shiver ran down her spine. But maybe he will appear after she touches the cup. It looked like the trophy was meaningful to him, although his name wasn't engraved on it.

Naon took a step forward and slowly reached her hand out. She looked around after holding the gilded man on the marble pedestal in her hands—no sign of him, not even a tiny bit of fog. Maybe he won't come out during the day? But she saw him at the cemetery around that time.

Disappointed, she put the trophy back in its original place. Her lips quietly formed the name 'Jung Heesung' while she traced the engraved script with her finger. It must be a family member. But why did he react like this person was his worst enemy?

"What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be at work?" Surprised by Jimin's voice, Naon turned around. What was it with everyone creeping up on her lately?
"I…" Wasn't it strange for her to come up here, going through his stuff? They weren't that close. She never met Hoseok outside of work-related events. When she grabbed a drink with him on that fateful night, it was also a professional matter.

Without waiting for an answer, Jimin slumped down on the couch, put his head back and closed his eyes.
"I thought you were a burglar," he mumbled. "I guess you were the one who left the files on my desk. I was wondering how it got there."
"Yes. I'm sorry, I was just curious…" Naon stumbled, not knowing what to say to make this situation less awkward. But Jimin didn't seem to care at all. The room went silent and nothing besides Jimin's loud and regular breathing could be heard. He must have fallen asleep. Fighting without a partner must be exhausting.

"Okay, I'm going back to work now," she whispered and moved as quietly as possible towards the door as not to wake him.
"Sometimes I think he's still here" She looked back at Jimin, who now sat upright with his eyes open. "It's strange, but I can feel his presence. Can't you too?"

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