It’s as if I’m looking at a different me. I’m seriously disgusted with how I look right now. If it’s not only for my work, I’m sure, I wouldn’t be doing this. I mean, seriously! Just look at me!

I stared at my almost unrecognizable face through the mirror. The makeup’s too thick I can’t even tell what my complexion is. My eyes not that big and round but with the heavy eyeliner and mascara, it looked like my eyes are too big. And my lips, they’re red, for Pete’s sakes!

My eyes ran down and stayed at the bare flesh showing. I don’t usually wear revealing clothes. Heck! This is even my first time wearing something as revealing as this. I wore a fitted bra with a fringe of beads and coins hanging by the edges. I shook my head in disgust and heard the annoying sounds the coins and beads make.

“Agent Dara…” the voice in my communication device interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes, Yang Sajang-nim?” I immediately responded.

“Get ready…” he simply said.

“Um, Dad – oh, I mean, Yang Sajang-nim,” I said, hesitating.

“What?!” he demanded, impatient. Maybe it was because I almost called him Daddy through the communication device. I think until now, he doesn’t want me to call him that publicly, and he’s afraid that someone will hear us now.

I cleared my throat. “Do I really have to do this?”

I heard a sudden thud from the other end followed by a bang. For a while, I thought my ears just exploded. From what I heard, I’m guessing that he suddenly stood up causing his seat to fall back to the ground with a thud and then he pounded his fist on the table.

“Dammit, Dara! Do we really have to go through this again?!”

I sighed. “No, Sajang-nim,” I said.

“Very well,” he softened his voice. “Test the surveillance camera I gave you a while ago.”

I picked up the littlest camera I have ever seen and stared at it. “Can you see me, Sajang-nim?”

“Okay, it works well,” he said. “Now, go out there, the Prime Minister of India is coming.”

I covered my face with the veil and stared at myself on the mirror one last time.

“I look…” I cut off when Jaejoong appeared behind me, a smile was glued on his face.

“…beautiful,” he said.

I turned to face. “Don’t-”

“What? It’s true, you look beautiful. You should dress like that more often.”

He chuckled and I hit him on his arm.

We were playing with each other when a loud crackling was heard. Jaejoong and I reacted the same way.

“OW!” we both gasped, holding on to our communication device on our ears.

“Stop playing around!” the chief shouted.

“OW!” I gasped again. Jaejoong stayed silent. When my ears recovered, I turned to Jaejoong. “Get ready, when I call you for my gun, throw it towards me right away. I’ll be sure to catch it.”

The music started. Girls started to go on stage and shook their hips off. Before I take a step towards the stage, I peeked and saw hundred pairs of eyes watching. I can’t seriously do this! Why does the Prime Minister have this much supporters? And why does he have to celebrate his birthday publicly? Gosh! This is killing me!

But, I must not mind humiliating myself in front of these people. I must do my duty as I promised as National Intelligence Service’s Head Field Agent. I must find the culprit who stole the Prime Minister’s piece of jewelry. It’s a real diamond, for Pete’s sakes! These criminals shall go to hell!

When my father’s voice interrupted my thoughts again, I hesitantly stepped off from where I was hiding and started to shake my hips off too. I can see the shocked expressions of the people from the audience. They didn’t expect someone else to appear so suddenly. Oh well, these expressions make me want to look more smug.

But I have to keep my head on the game. Let’s keep our eyes open. If what we concluded last night was right, the culprit will appear today, since everyone would be busy celebrating the Prime Minister’s birthday, no one would notice. Surely the culprit would think like that.

Suddenly, I heard a crackle on my ear.

“Can you hear me?” it was Jaejoong.

“Yes…” I whispered.

“I have a suspicious man here. Can you see me? He’s just in front of me.”

I scanned him in the middle of hundreds of audience. Finally, I saw him. And just in front of him was a fat middle-aged Indian who looked behind him as if he just sensed that someone is watching him. With that, Jaejoong tried to step back from him and went behind one of the audience.

“I can see you,” I said. I removed the veil from my face and strut my way towards the guy. He was too busy fumbling on his things that he didn’t notice me. But the surrounding people started to squeal in surprise seeing me going their way. Suddenly, the guy looked up. But he was too late to run away. I knocked him down.

I caught the gun and the NIS badge that Jaejoong threw towards me. I pushed him to the ground.

“NIS!” I shouted showing him the badge and aimed the gun on his chest. “Give me the diamond!”

I felt the other NIS agents behind me aiming the gun at him too. He started to get scared and tremble. He handed me the diamond.

“It’s… it’s… fake…” he stammered.

My eyes widened. “WHAT?!” I shouted, digging my knee deeper on his chest. “DON’T YOU KNOW THAT FOOLING AN AGENT CAN-“

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I knew it was Jaejoong.

“So…someone gave me…this…”

“WHO GAVE YOU THIS?!” I asked.

“He…he was a… foreigner who was wearing…a bl-blue vest and shorts…” he stammered.

“Seunghyun! Seungri! Youngbae!” I turned to the agents behind me. “Take this man to the headquarters!”

I got up from the man and turned to the remaining agents. “The rest of you… follow me!”

We were running by the hallway of the palace and saw a foreigner who looked like what the Indian described who was just by the railing on the second floor. Seeing us, he ran.

We chased after him, me leading the other agents.

“Dara!” Jaejoong called.

I turned to him without stopping. He threw me his coat. I stared at it for a while and got confused. When I realized that I was still in my belly-dancing costume, I nearly laughed.

When the mission was successfully done, the National Intelligence Agency of India held a party for it – a congratulations party and at the same time a farewell party since we’re going home tomorrow. I found it weird how they couldn’t do this simple mission by themselves that they still needed to invite us over to help them. These weaklings!

“You’re alone again…” Jaejoong’s voice said from behind me. I turned to him and nodded. “What are you thinking about? The party inside is fun. Come in and enjoy.”

I sighed and shook my head. “You know how I hate socializing.”

“Yeah, but don’t you think that it’s time for you to socialize with these people?”

“You know how I don’t trust them…”

“Dara,” he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Not these issues again,” he said as if tired.

“I can’t…” I said my voice breaking.

“You know there will come a time that you need to trust these people. They’re our co-agents, Dara. Working here needs trust.”

“I’ve made it this far without trusting anyone, except you.”

“Are you still thinking of the past?”

“I can’t let go of it, Jae. It is the only thing that motivates me to work harder as an agent.”

“Even so, it should not stop you from trusting these people,” he insisted.

I faced him. “Why do you have to be that insistent, Jae? Of all people, I thought you will be the one to understand me the most!”

I turned away when I felt tears falling from my eyes. I don’t want him to see me crying. I don’t want to appear a weakling in front of him.

“You could-“

“Go in,” I cut him off. “Enjoy the party.”

After the party, we headed to the airport and boarded the NIS private plane. When we finally settled on our cabin, Jaejoong held my wrist.

I looked at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” I said.

“Even so. I still want to apologize,” he insisted. “I should have known.”

I nodded and settled down to get ready to sleep. I put the eye mask over my eyes. But I felt Jaejoong in front of me.

“Don’t ever think of stealing a kiss from me.”

He chuckled. “Then, can I ask for a permission to kiss you?”

It was my turn to chuckle. I pushed his face away. “Sleep.”

After a while, I fell asleep.

Red. Black.

Blood. Darkness.

Screams. The only sounds I can hear are screams. Please! Please stop it! I don’t want to hear them anymore. I want to cover my ears but they do nothing but make them louder. I want to tightly shut my eyes so I will not see blood spluttering everywhere. But when I close my eyes, I see darkness. I want to escape from these horrifying things, the screams, the blood, the darkness. I want someone to save me.

Stop! Just stop! I tried to shout, but no sound came. Unable to do anything, I cried and cried. I don’t want to witness these things again and again. I don’t want to see these things!

My parents! My poor younger siblings! How can they take their lives from them? Was it because of greed? Because of anger? Why didn’t take my life too? Why did I hide under the bed? Why did I save myself and wasn’t able to save my family? How can I be so selfish? But more importantly, how can these murderers be more selfish?

“Dad…” I said. I finally found my voice. “Mom… Sanghyun… Durami…”

When their screams stopped, it was my turn to scream when I finally saw my family’s bloody bodies on the floor.

I sat up and panted. I caught my breath and found out I was sweating so much as if I was just running on a marathon. I felt that I was crying.

When I realized that I had the same nightmare again, I cried more.

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TEASER???

I stepped out of the bathroom when someone bumped into me. I was thrown to the ground but the person didn't even turn to help me or even apologize. Aish! People these days!

banner credits to nanaISyeoni

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