Lee Minho

Minho took a deep breath for the tenth time that day, trying to hold back the oncoming migraine. The living room of his luxurious mansion was filled with a roar: Jisung had managed to get tangled in the vacuum cleaner cord, knocking over a Ming-era floor vase, and was now frantically trying to catch it out of the air. He tripped and fell, but miraculously saved the vase, clutching it to his chest. "Han Jisung!" Minho barked, striding to the center of the room. "That's it, I've had enough. You're fired. Pack your things and—" Jisung slowly raised his head. His plump cheeks and huge, sparkling, truly squirrel-like eyes appeared from behind the enormous vase. They were filled with such genuine, profound disappointment—whether in himself or in the cruelty of this world—that Minho's prepared curse words were stuck in his throat. Jisung merely sniffled and adjusted his cap, which had slipped to one side, looking at the owner of the mansion as if he were the sternest judge in the universe. Minho fell silent. The situation repeated itself with enviable regularity: Jisung would break something, Minho would open his mouth in anger to throw him out the door, Jisung would turn on his "beaten stray hamster look," and Minho would capitulate. "...and put the vase back, for God's sake. And don't go near it again," Minho sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, and quickly went into his office before he completely lost his authority. The other servants watched this scene from the hallway with barely concealed anger. Minho's mansion employed a whole staff of impeccable personnel: professional chefs, well-trained maids who didn't dare drop a speck of dust. And they were all openly envious of Jisung. Minho would fire people without severance pay for lesser offenses in a second, but this walking disaster was forgiven absolutely everything. The head chef, passing by Jisung, snorted in displeasure: "How are you still hanging on here, Khan? Did you cast a spell on him or something?" Jisung just smiled shyly, grabbed the mop more comfortably, and quietly went to wash the floor, trying not to hurt himself on anything.