"Good day, Mr. Kan Kim. I'm Cherry, Ma'am Melissa's assistant."
"Good day, Miss Beautiful," he replied with an easy smile.
Cherry blushed faintly and cleared her throat. "Um... Mr. Kan, Ma'am Melissa lost her voice after the shock of losing her parents. She can't speak, and-" she glanced down at his file- "it says here you haven't done this kind of work before."
"You mean your boss is dumb? Like dumb and deaf? Dumb!" he laughed.
The room went silent. Everyone stared at him, shocked by his audacity.
Shut up, idiot. I'm not dumb. I just lost my voice, Melissa thought bitterly. If I could speak, I'd say things to this man that would make him wish he were never born.
"All the same, Miss, you're still dumb," Kan said aloud, his eyes glinting.
Melissa's head snapped up. What? He can hear my thoughts? Is he also a special human like me?
"Of course I'm special," Kan said smoothly. "But not like you humans who think like chickens."
"Excuse me?" Cherry spoke sharply, breaking the tension.
Kan blinked, realizing too late that he'd spoken his thoughts aloud. "Oh-sorry, Miss Beautiful."
Cherry blushed again. Melissa rolled her eyes. What an annoying jerk.
"The Moon Goddess should have made you deaf too," Kan muttered with a laugh.
Everyone gasped.
"Mr. Kan!" Cherry exclaimed, holding her face in her hands.
"Hahaha, I was only joking, Miss Beautiful!" Kan chuckled.
"GET OUT!"
The command rang out like a thunderclap. The maids and Cherry froze, staring at Melissa. She had spoken. Her voice, silent for so long, had returned.
Kan brushed invisible dust from his trousers and grinned, already walking toward the door. "Finally," he murmured. "Back to the heavens."
"Ma'am... you just spoke. Please-say something again!" Cherry pleaded.
Melissa shook her head. No sound came. Cherry's excitement deflated into sadness.
"Ma'am, what if you... employed him?" Cherry's voice trembled. "He isn't ordinary. He might be able to help you speak again. Look at what just happened."
Melissa hesitated, then used her hands to sign her response. What if it doesn't work?
"Please, Ma'am. Let's just try."
Melissa exhaled and nodded.
Kan, meanwhile, was muttering to himself. "Thank you, Moon Goddess. This human is rude and annoying. I can't wait to return to the sky. I miss everything... even my wolf. Don't worry, Kim-I'm coming back home soon." He pulled a shimmering leaf from his pocket and smiled.
Flashback
"Please, Moon Goddess, how am I supposed to help her find love? What am I, a Cupid?" Kan had groaned.
"Enough, Kan. Stop acting childish," the Moon Goddess said firmly. "Take this leaf. If it burns, it means you're staying to complete your mission. If it stays green, you'll return home."
"Thank you, Moon Goddess," Kan said, bowing as he accepted the leaf.
End Flashback
Kan glanced at the leaf again, its edges beginning to glow.