JiHo rubbed the back of his neck and brought his shoulders back in an attempt to loosen the tension. His suit jacket hung on the back of his desk chair as he tried to get comfortable throughout the day.
It was Saturday but the whole investigative team had been working on checking and double checking for loose ends. Monday was the next court date. If they did their jobs properly, it would be the last court date for that case.
"JiHo," came a call from his office door.
He looked up over a stretch of his arm and motioned with his head for the man to enter.
"Tell me you didn't find something we missed, Il-Seung," he said wearily. "I don't want to be here past midnight."
Il-Seung shook his head as he hurried to JiHo's desk. He handed him a tablet with a video playing on the screen.
"Isn't this your new driver?" Il-Seung stated with a grin.
JiHo found himself suddenly wide awake and alert as he stared at the screen he held in this hand. He straightened in his chair and watched as the members of a popular K-pop band streamed live on their network from a private lounge. Among the three teenage boys laughing and singing with the group was Nari laughing along with them.
"Meet our new friends!" one of the group members was saying.
He directed his cellphone camera toward the three teenage boys. They were waving concert light sticks as they sang out loud with three of the five members. Nari was blushing and shaking her head as the fifth member sat beside her and tried to make her sing, as well.
"This is Nari," the oldest member said to their fans watching. "She's a really cool nuna for the younger members. I'm her oppa," he said, and they all laughed as she continued to blush.
JiHo stared at the video as it was being jostled around in the hands of an overly enthusiastic band member. He watched as the oldest in the group wrapped his arm around Nari and began singing a slow song. She hid her face behind her hands as everyone joined in. It was a ballad with lyrics about unrequited love.
The longer JiHo watched, the more his heart raced. He knew the backroom scene well. He had offered his services as a bodyguard a few times while investigating managers and show producers for clients. A lot of untoward things went on in those lounges, including drug use, drinking, and promiscuity.
"So this is what she's into," he mumbled to himself with disappointment dripping from every word.
Il-Seung overheard and began to regret showing his friend.
"I don't think it's a typical backroom lounge, JiHo," he told him. "These are kids and that K-pop group has a reputation for being against drugs. They speak out against tobacco and alcohol companies trying to appeal to teenagers."
"PR, Il-Seung," JiHo replied as he continued to watch the young men with their arms draped all over Nari. "It's all about public relations. They have to appeal to the older generation for sponsorship and to parents because parents are who pay for the tickets and merchandise."
Il-Seung shook his head in wonder.
"For weeks, you've been speaking of your driver as responsible, hard-working, and kind-hearted," Il-Seung argued. "It doesn't seem a person like that would do something to harm a bunch of kids.
Those boys look like they have their lunch money stolen every day. You said the CEO told you she always helps people. Maybe it was a favor to drive them to the concert, and as a gesture of gratitude, they invited her in with them.
At any rate," he sighed, "I don't see why it's all that important what she does in her private time. I just thought it was interesting she's there. My sister almost stabbed me with her TD5 figurine when I couldn't get her a ticket."
JiHo glared up at his colleague and tossed the tablet onto the desk.
"Finish your work so we can get out of here," he said crossly.
He watched Il-Seung bow and take his tablet before leaving. He stood and walked to his large window to look out across the city. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets as he looked toward the concert arena, where bright lights flickered and lit up the sky.
He didn't truly believe she would do anything terrible. He was simply jealous. He could admit that to himself but not to anyone else.
He found himself smiling at the way she looked. Instead of the pretty white blouse with its wide ruffled sleeves, she was in a concert t-shirt like the younger boys. She wore faded jeans and black boots that reached her knees. She had at least half-dozen novelty necklaces that glowed in neon shades of pink, blue, purple, and green. Both wrists were full of the same style bracelets.
She looked cute and he smiled more.
Her hair was loose and the part he could see was long. Her eyes sparkled in the flashing lights of the private karaoke corner of the lounge. He remembered, then, about her social anxiety. He assumed that was why she couldn't stop blushing and hiding her face.
He guessed his friend could be right. She probably drove the teenagers there and was invited by them to the concert and backstage. The band member's words seemed to indicate they were already friends, though. She seemed comfortable with the group hugging her and teasing her, especially the oldest one.
His mind would be plagued for the rest of the night with images of that young man's arm around her and her endearing blush as he sang the loving lyrics against her ear.
Her delicately shaped ear with its tiny heart-shaped earrings and a lock of copper brown hair framing it against her jaw. He vowed to have his lips on that ear, on that jaw, and on those sweet lips that smiled when the boys teased her for being shy. It would be another long night in the shower.
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