Ring~ Ring~

" Coming! " Ju Min called out from her room. She had woken up before dawn broke and already started packing her clothes. She was almost done when she received a message from Lay, saying that he would be leaving the house soon to pick her up. 

Ju Min looked at the few baggage on the floor once more before grabbing her purse and dashing out of her room and opening the door. 

" I'm done! " Ju Min beamed at Lay. 

She was wearing the purple chiffon dress that he had bought for her, and he was wearing a plain, black shirt with rolled up sleeves paired with a checkered vest and denim jeans. 

" Where do you want to go? " Lay asked Ju Min as she closed the door of her apartment. 

" Let's go get something to eat first. I'm famished. " Ju Min linked arms with Lay who nodded at her request. * Just for today, I'll pretend to be a normal girl. Then, in 2 months, I can be free. * 

Lay led her to his car and opened the door for her before entering the driver's seat. " Any place you'd recommend? " Lay looked at Ju Min who nodded. 

" I know this place in Hongdae that sells cute treats. " Ju Min replied. * I was sent there for a mission two years back. It should still be there. * 

Lay nodded and drove at Ju Min's directions. 

---

" Welcome! " A waitress stood at the entrance and bowed at the couple. Ju Min and Lay looked around the small cafe, then back at the waitress. She was wearing a white blouse with puffed sleeves and a pink skirt which flared out. Matching those were white tights and black knee-high heels.

Their accessories weren't that eye catching. But it was a pink choker, black studs and a black ribbon belt. The waitress also had her strawberry blonde hair tied up into a ponytail using white ribbons.

Like their uniforms, the cafe was simple and sweet. It had pale pink walls and checkered tile flooring that matches the walls. The walls weren't decorated too complicated, but instead, there was a mural of a love tree with its branches reaching towards the cashier at the end of the room. 

" How do you like it? I used to come here all the time. " Ju Min looked at Lay who scratched his head. " It was more...girly...than I thought that it would be. I didn't know you would come to these kind of places. " 

Ju Min chuckled. " I guess two years out in the field after I came here changed me. " Lay smiled and held her hand as they were led to their seats near the kitchen. 

The waitress that greeted them at the entrance came over and gave them each a menu. " Hello. My name's Ji-Min and I will be the waitress that's serving you for today. " Ji-Min bowed and left for the kitchen.

" She has the same name as you, mei. Well, only the 'Min' part. " Lay shrugged and Ju Min looked at him weirdly. " So, anything that catches your eye? " Ju Min asked while flipping through the menu and a certain treat caught her eye.

" I think I'll just have a strawberry parfait. " Lay closed the menu and called for Ji-Min.

" Yes! What can I get for the both of you? " Ji-Min asked with a smiled, but Ju Min could feel an aura that she's used to ever since she got close to Lay. Jealousy and Envy.

" Can I have a strawberry parfait and ice water? " Lay told Ji-Min and she nodded, writing it down. However, when she turned to Ju Min, her smiling expression faltered.

" And for you? " Ji-Min said through gritted teeth that made Ju Min want to laugh. " Waffle with raspberry sorbet. And ice latte. " Ju Min closed the menu and smiled coyly at the waitress who took down the order with a huff and stormed off with the menu.

" That was somewhat awkward. " Lay crossed his arms on the table.

" Was it? I thought it was funny. And to be honest, I was really holding in my laughter. " Ju min admitted and Lay laughed.

" This café did not change a lot. Maybe except their uniforms. It used to be black back then, we also had to wear a headgear that was similar to a maid's one. The sleeves were also three-quarter, with our shoulders revealed. Somewhat like those maid cafe you see in Japan. " Ju Min said.

" Wait...we? Our? " Lay asked, confused.

Ju Min nodded. " I was sent here for a mission. I had to work here for 4 months, since a certain heiress was targeted. She was the one who established this shop. Assassins masked as regular customers came everyday, I had to make sure she was safe. "

" Heiress? " Lay looked even more confused. Ju Min nodded and looked around the room for any familiar faces. But most of them were quite new, except for a certain red head who tied her hair with a crown braid and had the rest of her hair in a side ponytail.

" Unnie! Heejung unnie! " Ju Min shouted out to the elder girl. She turned around and saw Ju Min waving her hand and attracting attention.

" Yvonne! " Heejung smiled and waved while Lay looked at his girlfriend.

" Yvonne? " Lay raised his eyebrow. Ju Min looked at him with a look. " It was my alias when I came here. You know the rules. You can't— " Ju Min said but Lay cut into her sentence.

" —reveal your real your true name and intention. I know. But you revealed it to me. " Lay said. * And now I'm paying the price. * Ju Min added in her mind.

" Yvonne. " Heejung smiled at the couple. " And this is? " She asked, referring to Lay.

" Ah! My boyfriend, Zhang Yi Xing. But he prefer's to be called Lay. " Ju Min rolled her eyes. Lay smiled and pinched her cheek. " Ow. " Ju Min rubbed the spot where he pinched her and Heejung smiled.

" Finally someone who can contain her short temper. When she was working here, she was really a walking bomb. But she managed to contain her temper in those four months. " Heejung told Lay.

" I was ready to beat the hell out of them. " Ju Min muttered under her breath.

" Oh right! Where's manager? " Ju Min asked.

" Looking for me? " The manager appeared from the kitchen.

" Sakura! " Ju Min's eyes brightened at the manager. The manager had dark cherry red hair which was up in a bun, but her fringe was down and past her hazel eyes. Instead of wearing the current uniform, she was wearing the previous uniform.

" Yvonne! You came and visited. " Sakura smiled.

" Yvonne? Care to introduce? " Lay asked, following her play of being 'Yvonne'

" Oh yes! Sakura, this is Lay. Lay, this is the manager of this shop, Sakura. " Ju Min introduced.

Lay held out his hand and Sakura shook it.

" Nice to meet you. I'm surprised you could contain Yvonne while she was working here as a waitress. " Lay smiled at Ju Min's ex-boss.

" Pleasure to meet you too. Are you and Yvonne dating? " Sakura cut straight to the point.

" Sakura! " Ju Min balked at the manager's openness.

" Yes, I am. And her temper has gotten better. " Lay said and Ju Min could feel herself blushing madly.

" One strawberry parfait with ice water, and waffles with raspberry sorbet and ice latte. " Ji-Min came to their table and serve the desserts.

" I hope you enjoy your meal. " Ji-Min stiffly bowed and waked away.

Ju Min cracked a smile and started eating her waffles. " Where shall we go after this? It's only 11. " Lay looked at his watch.

" Amusement park, then shopping. " Ju Min said and Lay nodded.

---

" Well! That was unsettling. " Ju Min tried to calm her breathing down. They had gone to the roller coaster, the Viking, merry-go-round, log ride and other small booths.

The couple had just come out of the haunted house, but instead of being scared, it was just unsettling and disgusting.

" I swear, that was the most bloodiest haunted house I've ever been to. The ghost and monsters weren't even scary. " Lay commented and held his stomach.

" Even the roller coaster was better than this. " Ju Min said with even breathing. Looking around, they noticed that the females of other couples were crying in fear, while Ju Min was... calm about it.

" Let's go myeongdong! " Ju Min requested and Lay nodded. Just then, Ju Min felt something buzzing in her pocket and took out her phone.

* A text from grandfather. * She held her breath and opened the text.

To: Ju Min

From: Boss

Your flight is arranged to be at 9, first class. You have five hours.

Your brother would be following you for a week to help you adapt in LA.

Swallowing her saliva, Ju Min typed a reply and pressed 'Send'. * I have an hour to pack before I leave with Luhan. I have to leave soon. *

Ju Min looked up and saw Lay opening the door for her and she stepped into the car and buckled her seatbelt before Lay drove off to Myeongdong.

---

" Let's get this. " Ju Min held up a heart-shape hand phone strap that said, ' Wo Ai Ni ' [ I Love You ]. But instead of it being an individual strap, it was separated into two.

Lay nodded and took the keychain and went to pay for it. He came back a while later holding a bag with the strap separated.

" Last place to go. " Ju Min said. " Where? " Lay asked.

" Han river. "

They arrived at the Han river ten minutes later and walked along the pavement.

" Ju Min? You're being quiet. That's unlike you. Something wrong? " Lay worriedly asked. But he was shocked to see Ju Min crying.

" Mei? " Lay got worried. He hardly saw her cry. Actually, he had never seen her cry before. The only people who saw her cry were her parents and Luhan.

" I'm...moving. To LA. Tonight. " Those few words were a shock to him. Was that why she wanted to go out with him today? To spend time with him?

" When... are you coming back? " Lay asked.

" A few months? A few years? I don't know. " Ju Min's tears rolled down her cheeks as a red audi pulled up behind Lay's car.

" Well... we can still skype and message can't we? We can still send letter and I can visit you when it's the holidays. " Lay suggested.

" How would you know if I'm not on missions? How could we be sure that I have time to skype and message? We're not. And I'm sure, that if we're miles away and for so long, our feelings...would change. " Ju Min forced herself to say those words.

" Are you suggesting... that we break? After a month? " Lay asked, tears starting to well up in his eyes. He turned and faced his back at Ju Min.

" This month has been blissful, Yixing. Even while it's behind grandfather's back. But it's just like that. I can't go against his orders if I want to quit in two months. But, I'm an agent, falling in love was not a choice." Ju Min went forward and gave him a back hug.

" Was this his order too? To break up? " Ju Min looked up. Lay turned around to face her.

" No. This was my choice. " Ju Min fibbed. * Lies. * Lay thought in his mind.

" I hope we'll still be friends. " Ju Min said, trying to salvage the damage. Being friends was better than being complete strangers.

" Of course. " Lay said, tears still rolling down his cheek. Ju Min smiled and reached out to wipe his tears away. When she wanted to pull away, he unconsciously reached out for her hand and placed it at his cheek.

On instinct, he released her hand and placed his palm on her cheek to wipe away her tears as he leaned in on habit. * No. We decided as friends. * That when Ju Min noticed Luhan's car at the back and pulled away.

" Sorry. " Lay apologised. " It's alright. Luhan's here. I'll get going now. " Ju Min smiled and started to walk towards Luhan's red audi.

When she entered the passenger's seat, she broke down into tears.

" Mei. " Luhan called out. Ju Min looked up with her tears stained face.

" A brought an extra change of clothes. And I've already packed everything. Here. " Luhan handed his sister her MCM bag which Woohyun bought for her. Ju Min wiped her tears and she took the bag from him.

She looked inside and found that Luhan had packed her passport and printed out the booking slip. Currency was also changed and kept in a new wallet. She took out the wallet and noticed it was an MCM Leo line.

" When was this here? " She looked at Luhan.

" I bought it this morning before I went to your place. I packed everything in that bag... including your makeup and small pouch. " Luhan's ear turned red and Ju Min looked through her bag and found her pouch which contains her... ahem! 

" Spare clothing's at the back. Change at the airport. " Luhan said and Ju Min nodded before he drove off.

---

" She's headed to the airport now. " Woohyun held up the tracking monitor that indicates that Ju Min was headed towards Incheon airport. He had snuck a tracking device into Ju Min's bag without her knowing. She was smart, but not smart enough to notice something as small as this.

" With that agent out of the way, and Woohyun is the new agent, we can easily catch them now. " Teen Top smirked amongst each other.