Seulgi’s knee-jerk response was a strangled shout of, “What do you mean, ‘Where’s Jackson’?”

  “He’s not here? He was supposed to spell Nayeon. Where is he?”

  “We don’t know. Nayeon was tired, so when he didn’t show up, she called me. So, I’m here.”

  Something resembling a thing too close to being nervous crept into Seulgi’s voice. “We could not get ahold of him yesterday. I hope that nothing happened.” Ignoring the red fg that she just raised, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

  It rang and rang, but no answer. After six rings, it rolled over to voice mail. Jackson’s voice asked the caller to leave a message.

  As if on cue, Gillian pushed the door open and yelled “Jackson?” There was panic in her voice. Seulgi caught her as she stumbled when she found him not there. Song-Hoon took her, walked her over to a chair, and started a quick check on her condition.

  While that happened, Seulgi got her phone out again and called Yeji. Upon getting an answer, she asked Yeji if Jackson had shown up at the office yet. She received a negative answer. This was followed by a “Why?”

  Seulgi expined that she was not sure yet. But left orders to have him call her as soon as Yeji sees him. No ifs, ands, or buts. Drop everything and call. Yeji knew it was serious with that set of orders. Then Seulgi asked to start asking the other people if they had seen him.

  Yeji suddenly grabbed Seulgi’s attention. “Seulgi, get here. Fast.”

  “Why?”“There is an envelope on your desk that says ‘If you want to get Jackson back, open me, Seulgi.’ What do you want me to do?”

  “Don’t touch it! I’m on my way, now!”

  Song-Soon asked, “What’s wrong?”“I don’t know yet. I’ll keep everyone up on what we find as we find it.”

  Murmurs of accent from all gathered and accompanied Seulgi out the door. Bhuwakuln also accompanied her out the door like a silent shadow. He was no longer needed in the hospital room, so he followed her. She might need his help, after all.

  The policeman stood up when she opened the door to ask if everything was OK, after all, he heard someone shout. She simply said that she was not sure yet. Her personal ghost making his presence barely known as the policeman was not a threat.

  She was so deep in thought and worry that she barely registered him. His protective spirit kept her safe. He also kept her physically safe, his mere gaze kept a few men away who had thought that they might want to score a chance to talk to her. Her personal ghost made his presence known and these people scattered like sheep in front of a wolf with just a look.

  She exited the white washed hallowed halls back into the real world of sights, sounds, smells, and potential threats. Seulgi avoided a yellow taxi on the way to her car. She was not sure why, but she noticed the acrid scent of the exhaust more today than normal.

  When she got to her car, she double clicked the unlock button out of habit due to the Parents, thus allowing Bhuwakuln to join her without having to disturb her thoughts. He just sat quietly, protectively. He was the stolid object in her subconscious telling her that it was OK to be lost in her thoughts.

  Despite being preoccupied, she was still a safe – or safe enough, at least – driver to get to the office quickly.

  Bhuwakuln didn’t know what was going on in her thoughts, nor did he need to. He was there to make sure nothing untoward happened. Something was obviously going on. He didn’t know what, he was just going to make sure that nothing happened to her. At this particur moment in time, that was all that mattered to him.

  Seulgi was not aware that her personal guardian angel currently shadowing her could with a second's notice turn into the Angel of Death if need be. Bhuwakuln figured that she didn’t need to know. So long as she was comforted, that was all that mattered.

  Still, in a thoughtful daze, Seulgi moved robotically through parking, through the entryway to the building, and into the elevator. She didn’t even notice when he subtly waved people’s greetings off and maneuvered her into the elevator. He even pressed the floor button for her.

  Seulgi woke up when she found herself exiting the elevator on the floor of her office. She was not entirely sure how she got there, but she was fully present now, much to Bhuwakuln’s relief. They walked the short distance to her office. She had an odd moment when she noticed the rge printer outside her office door churning out what appeared to be a ream of documents. She didn’t know what about this brought her attention, but she quickly moved on to her office.

  Yeji was waiting there for her. Bhuwakuln faded back into the background but stayed in the room in case he was needed. Bhuwakuln stepped outside the office, pulled a cell phone out, and called his manager. He quickly said to his boss that he had been assigned to work with Seulgi today. Maybe tomorrow, too. He didn’t say who tasked him to do this, but his boss didn’t ask. Bhuwakuln gave the details of what he had been working on to his boss to be split up amongst his peers. Once that was all settled, his boss said “Take care of her,” before hanging up.

  He ghosted back into her office to see her looking at the envelope. He heard her saying “…check the security camera footage to see who has been in my office in the st twenty four hours. I know it’s a bother, but I need it. As fast as you can.”

  She listened for a moment.

  “Yes. Yes. Yes, I need it as fast as possible. Once you find out who, I want the images printed out. No. Not yet. I’ll call the old man and get permission for everything, just get started. Understood? OK. Call me when you find out anything.”

  Yeji opened her mouth to say something, but Seulgi held up a finger, indicating that she wanted her to wait a moment. Yeji closed her mouth and waited patiently. Then Yeji got up and went to the break room. She came back with three bottles of water. Maybe Bhuwakuln was not as hidden as he thought.