Namjoon, having a deeper understanding of the situation with law, returned to a placid home.

There wasn't a ted bit of optimism, coming out from the conclave with the lawyer. Although, attorney Wang assured him of giving his best shot, he didn't feed Namjoon with false hope. Instead, made him aware to be prepared for the worst scenario, which in his case, is most likely to happen.

Namjoon's eyes were automatically directed to Seol Ah's room from the empty couch. He was unconsciously looking for her presence in that tough hour of helpless acceptance.

However, finding her quiet and noticing the lights off through her window, he assumed her in an evening siesta.

Usually being at his studio at that hour and Seol Ah off work by then, he was unacquainted of her do's after, and thought it was completely normal.

Changing into his sweatpants and a summer hood, he was at his studio with a cup of hot coffee, lying next to his arm on the table. He was screening through his old drafts of the album that could potentially pose as an evidence.

With decreasing fill in his cup, only sighs left his mouth, finding his hands dipped in nothingness.

All that he had of a year ago, were erased due to a hard-drive malfunction when he shifted to his solitary black apartment.
He had already regretted over lacking a backup data plan in the past, and sighed a yet another time for having that same feeling in the present as well.

A faint knock on his door, made him lift his head up from the excessive attempts of recollecting any possibilities, that he might have, to prove his innocence.

NJ : Yes?

Having one of the two house bodyguards, specifically the one right outside the front door, he grew a little crease over his forehead. However, he patiently waited for him to speak.

BODYGUARD : Excuse me, Sir. It might be a little off limits for me to ask this, but.. Wasn't Seol Ah-ssi with you?

NJ : With me? (-realizing-) She isn't home?

BODYGUARD : I am afraid, she isn't. She had gone out saying you summoned her only a 10 minutes apart from your leave. (-nervously-) But, hasn't come in yet.

NJ : Is this your first time working here? (-bitterly-) Didn't I tell you, if I don't personally inform you about it, you don't let anyone in, or out?

The bodyguard tried all that he could in his might. Nevertheless, Seol Ah was too witty and smart for her own good. She slipped out with an overrated excuse, that Namjoon must receive a file which he apparently didn't take with him. Overrated, sometimes are just the right rates to feign the very purity of the situation, she believed.

The guard, sticking to his rules, then countered to cross confirm with Namjoon through a call. Though unfortunate, luck was in her favor. The call couldn't be made feasible with a fluctuating network, hindering it.

BODYGUARD : My apologies.

The man in black, however, didn't have a stand in his defense and simply accepted his faults. To, let her go until he could confirm according to the strict instructions given.

NJ : And that too, why are you telling me now? I came in like an hour ago.

BODYGUARD : (-head bowed down-) My apologies, Sir.

With the bodyguard's eyes fixed on the floor, Namjoon immediately tried to contact Seol Ah's cellphone.

NJ : (-murmuring-) Pick up the call, pick up-..

"The number you've dialed is currently switched of-"

It seemed like an excuse- his insides, in a blink, fraught with vex and her worry. Which, gradually grew profound with the repeated failed attempts of reaching her.

NJ : Leave, if you're done!

The guard obediently bowed his head before quietly leaving the studio, as Namjoon now dialed Kim.

NJ : (-over the call-) Kim, where are you right now?

KIM : I am still at your place. Shall I come upstairs?

NJ : Yes, now!

KIM : Okay!

In a jiffy, the door bell rang with Kim's arrival and consequently Namjoon marched out to the hall.

NJ : Kim, Seol Ah is gone. I can't reach her cellphone.

Before Kim could process out a response to the sudden news, Namjoon spoke again.

NJ : Did you talk to her recently? Did she share anything that was bothering her?

KIM : Nothing like that. Nor did she sound upset to fly away without news.

NJ : (-in wonders-) She was just fine this morning. What made her abruptly leave without a word-..

He was, at once, redolent of Chae Ri leaving in the similar way. After Namjoon returned from Ilsan, he found her, simply gone without a trace.
Although, differing the letter that Chae Ri left as a farewell on his desk, Seol Ah disappeared completely uninformed.
A fear boiled up with the apprehension of the history repeating itself. The same anxiousness, the same dread he felt before, slowly crept him up‐ surely weighing heavier this time.

NJ : Could Kim Seong have anything to do with it?

He tried suppressing his fear with a breezy tone that sounded only curious. Inside, he desperately wanted Kim to assure him of the negative.

KIM : (-recalls something-) I think, he might just have. I remember her saying that she had shared her contact with him, during that pub incident.

Having the anxiety fed on, he knew no ways to contain his throbbing heartbeat anymore.

However, as the responsible leader he was, Namjoon barred all his unproductive and insecure thoughts away. He concentrated more on to solve the matter with priority : to reach Seol Ah, before it was too late.

On careful thoughts, he recalled the settings he had made with her phone. That, he could check her call history in his phone at any time and anywhere.

As on it, he tried matching the last few numbers in her call list with Seong PD's. Good that Namjoon received a call from him not too long ago and held the latter's most recently active contact.

NJ : (-grip tightens under his phone-) Kim Seong, you asshole!

Evident from Namjoon's curses, Kim knew exactly that the assumption made was, indeed the truth.

NJ : (-looking up-) Move!

Kim was quick to take his commands and flew downstairs with Namjoon following him right behind‐ towards the garage.

Every second mattered.

One step slow could cost them a bar down of her safety.

NJ : Kim!

KIM : Yes? (-stops opening the car door for him-)

NJ : I will go to the agency. We are short in time. You head straight to his residence.

KIM : Ah, all right. I will get you a taxi then.

NJ : That would take a while. I will manage. You just rush to his house right now.

KIM : (-nodding-) At your call. But, be careful.

Namjoon, taking his concerned remarks, climbed onto the front seat as Kim left.

Getting himself a cab from the main road, a five minutes run from there, seemed slowing him down. As against, to roar off with his own car that was parked right next to him.

Driving was never his thing.
He barely passed the license practical and had a driver ever since.

He was scared of the steering, but his fear for Seol Ah dominated then. Her face popping up in his inner sight, pushed his buttons to press the start and firmly hold the steering wheel.

NJ : Seol Ah-ssi, please don't be there. Please~ (-drives off-)

.

.

.

.

.

.

No thoughts could be lined up straight, they were in complete mayhem as he pressed hard on the accelerator, speeding up on his way. Trepidation was getting the best of him.

In consternation and absence of mind, he slammed on the anchors— shaking him up as if woken from a nightmare.

It was late morning already. Busy keeping a careful eye on every move of Seol Ah, his eyes closed to sleep, just in the twilight.

Quick screening the surrounding, he got reminded of the events of last night and instantly dropped his view on the bed.

A natural crease was planted on his temple, finding the bed freshly set but without Seol Ah lying on it.

He flashed outside to find her working on her laptop in the hall, while checking a few files‐ very casually.

Strange, that he actually noticed Seol Ah for the first time in half a century of days, working together.

He actually noticed her hairstyle that was ironically constant ever since. A hair pin stuck into her sleeky locks, pulled together in a messy bun with countable numbers of front hair, hovering her forehead.

The clothes never revealed much skin. Not more than her hands and rarely her forearms.
Lowers were always in full length with only the ankles visible- house slippers covering her feet, mostly.

One notices only when there is a change from the constant. And so did he.
Witnessing her facade from the last night in a distorted state, he couldn't appreciate more of her daily look, that he took for granted all these time.

How much he longed to see this visage of hers once again in those dark hours of the night. No mortal but only he knew, and refrained from recalling such thoughts then.

Today, the extra black turtle neck, underneath a normal cut upper, didn't slip his scrutiny.

He finally came to 'notice' her.

NJ : Seol Ah~

SEOL AH : (-smiles-) You're up? Hurry to work. It's almost 10!

NJ : You don't have to do it today. There's nothing much to do either. Just take an off.

Seol Ah's pretentious smile immediately fell off, as she tried to hold herself with a closed fist.
She had been feeling queasy ever since she has woken up to a nasty hangover, in the early morning.

It weakened her.

She felt sick.

However, she shunned from admitting or acting so, more than anything-after the bad break of the night before. A fear that stuck in her heart ever since, made her completely ignorant to her body that was pleading for her leniency.

SEOL AH : Can you please not treat me as if I am sick? (-looks at him-) I am fine! Nothing big happened! Three months are not over yet, I am still your manager. So, treat me like one, like you did yesterday, like you always do.

Namjoon felt helpless against her obvious unhinged words and could taste the bitterness in her conduct. She was evidently sour and trying to evade any possible arguments, by stuffing the unwanted holes that he didn't even ask a fill for.

However, he was too dismayed to dodge that one question, which has been frothing inside him ever since.

NJ : Why did you go there? I remember my clear warnings against that, last time.

SEOL AH : (-quietly avoiding eyes-) I wanted to help you...

NJ : Help? (-controls an outburst-) Okay. What good have I ever done to you to receive that? (-harsh and loud tone-) In my knowledge, for all I did was being a 'jerk' to you ever since you've become my manager. Why are you so obsessed to help me every time? The world is too wicked for your altruistic attitudes, Seol Ah-ssi.

Not that she was one of those sympathy seeking cry babies, Seol Ah couldn't help her tears forming at his, quite expected, ire.

Although, she deliberately tried hiding them by looking elsewhere, her tears never slipped Namjoon's vigilance even then, even now. Nor did they fail to calm his over exceeded fury.

NJ : (-sighs-) I am sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you.

He did not wait for a response from her and left for his room. It was too much for him, to handle a second more of looking at her.

Could he be pushed any deeper into the marsh, he wondered in a sarcastic fascination. No matter the hap, he was completely ruffled of the fact, that he always stood himself first on the blame dais- when every sane being tries to escape it.

He believed, he was the prime beholder of it whether he liked it or not. Accepting is the easiest solution to resort, he contrived in his years of experience.

On the contrary, the same was the hardest choice for the one in the hall ‐ eaten out by her gradually worsening condition.

She opted to every possible way to rid the symptoms from being observable to Namjoon.

He, who didn't sound a word the entire day, was still holding his silence intact as he put on his coat to head out in the evening.
Seeing his unlikely serious face and being a little harsh with every move, Seol Ah knew he was not being his usual self.

SEOL AH : Where are you heading to?

NJ : To the police station. (-wears his shoes-)

There was no nooks left inevident. Neither for her to know that he was aware of her meet with Seong PD, nor that he was going to the police in the same context.

SEOL AH : (-in a stutter-) I-.. I don't want to file charges against Seong PD.

NJ : (-snaps at her-) What?

SEOL AH : Just as you heard. I don't want any police involvement. Anybody's involvement. (-voice quivers-) N-n-Nothing at all.

NJ : (-walks to her-) Seol Ah, calm down-

SEOL AH : (-cutting him off-) I am calmed down. That is why I am telling you, I-.. I don't want to go to the police.

NJ : Seol Ah, what are you scared of? Did he threaten you with something?

SEOL AH : . . .

_______

Pt. 2 Tonight at 9 KST