|Five|

The Director of the NDI, Bae Yongjoon, knew any time Captain Kim Dojin came to his office it was either to tell him his agent was dead or he was trying to poach one of his agents –bad either way. “So, where do you want to start, the bad news or the bad news?”

“Don’t be paranoid, Director Bae,” Cpt. Dojin smiled boyishly, “this is actually good news, and beneficial for both of us depending on how you look at it,” pushing the file toward the man. Granted it was more beneficial to him than the Director, but he wasn’t exactly a giving or generous person, so if things were tilted in his favor the better.

He highly doubted that, but took the file flipping it open. “She’s a little younger than your usual recruits isn’t she,” looking at the picture of a woman who couldn’t be more than 25 years of age. But the print out of her file had her as deceased. Dojin wouldn’t recruit the dead.

“Also too young to be a field agent for the NDI, but who’s counting,” the Captain easily counter, smile gracing his handsome face. “What I can tell you is that her death was greatly exaggerated and I want her in my program. Since I’m cordial and courteous I thought to inform you before her file gets moved into the classified.”

So it was poaching he came for, not surprising at all. What was surprising was that, Agent Choi Sooyoung was indeed impressive and a rising star by NDI standards, but by Dojin’s standards she lacked severely. “She doesn’t exactly reach those high standards of yours, not to mention the fact that I don’t even know where she is even if she is alive.”

“It’s impressive enough that she survived, I think she has the spirit needed to survive my unit,” Dojin answered, “Besides, I like her smile.” The truth would probably turn the man’s thick brown mane white so he spared him the details. It was, after all, not his secret to tell.

Director Bae couldn’t help smile at that, because it was the most outrageous reason to select her. “You do realize she has a little sister that thinks she’s dead.”

“I have read the file,” Dojin assured, wondering why he was putting up such a fuss. Normally, he’d walk in subtly demand and the man conceded in less than 10 seconds, yet he was still looking for ways to stall. “Sooyoung-ssi, is on board with it. All I need is your signature and you won’t see me… for a while.”

Sighing he conceded to the younger male, amending his signature and stamp. “Ms. Sang should have the rest of the documentation you need. The transfer will be effective before day’s end.”

“Kamsahabnida, Director. I’ll leave first,” offering the man a respective bow, before leaving. The professor and his boys owed him big for this.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“Tell me why it wasn’t a mistake to stick my neck out for you,” Captain Kim Dojin, asked the young woman, brown eyes piercing hers waiting for her to crack under his stare –most did after all. But, the stubborn young woman matched him stare for stare, not at all intimidated. If anything he’d say she was being respectfully defiant, and he was reluctant to say he liked that.

“I speak 3 languages other than Korean fluently. I’m a 3^rd degree black belt in Aikido and a 4th in Taekwondo. I clock 11seconds for 100 meters, but now I can make that distance in six. I scored highly in weapons training including sharp shooting. 99% success rate, my last mission falls under the missing one 1%. But, I believe you already know this sir,” Sooyoung listed not allowing herself to feel intimidated by him, even though her heart was beating a mile a minute. The Captain –like everyone who surrounded her lately –was younger than she’d imaged and sharply handsome to an almost distracting degree. In a way he reminded her of the way her father used to command the room, expected for an ex-marine.

He couldn’t deny her impressive resume, and if he factored in the enhancements and further training she might just manage to impress him –he wasn’t one to be easily impressed; “Weakness?”

“Highly analytical, sometimes I go against orders and…” he seemed amused about the last part, but waited patiently for her to continue, “I started learning how to swim about a year ago, so I’m not that great at it, sir.” It was embarrassing, but for her to get into large bodies of water she had had to get over her fear of them before she could contemplate swimming.

So she was a weak swimmer? Ironic, seeing how she survived the most vicious river known to man injured while not being a strong swimmer. I guess miracles do happen. “I don’t have to tell you that missions we pass onto the boys, are the most dangerous and impossible –I’m talking about 90~99% odds against you. If you are to work with me and them, you’ve got to improve 200% by the time we meet next. Extensive training to improve what’s already acceptable and negate what is lacking. I don’t like failing, Agent Choi, so don’t be the thorn in my side that makes that happen.” Yes, the lecture was cheesy, but necessary. Usually he recruited and expected perfection without uttering the words. But, aish, he couldn’t help it. “If you can’t handle it, tell me now so I can count you as a favor in vain.”

“I can handle it, sir,” Her reply was firm and sure, if she couldn’t go back to her life, at least she could dedicate her time to helping her country.

Yunho scoffed, storming off unable to stomach the deal she’d just subjected herself to. He didn’t save her, so she could kill herself trying to keep up with them. Heck, he’d made it very clear that he’d saved her with no pre-condition, and didn’t expect anything in return.

“Don’t glare at me, Yunho-ah,” Jaejoong defended himself, “The least she could do, is to make herself useful, since she’s living and eating here for free. Then again, chances are she’ll slow us down.”

“I hate to admit it, but his right,” Sooyoung supported the brunette male who was smirking smugly at her admission. “You saved me, and the least I can do is help you–I was an agent before so it will be like trading up.”

Did she think he brought her back with him, as an underhanded way to have her work with them? “I didn’t help you, so that I can collect later. The captain made the transfer as a favor to us; it’s just a formality –”

“I know you did what you did without ulterior motives, and I’m grateful,” Sooyoung assured him with a gentle and thankful smile. “But, I’m an agent by nature, and if I can help, I want to do it.”

Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose unable to understand why he was even considering it. “No,” Yunho uttered, his tone firm and final, not leaving any room for discussion, “and if you really want to thank me, you’ll take those words as final.” He was being overly authoritative, and she didn’t need to follow his word, but he wouldn’t see her get hurt because of some warped view of gratitude. “Jaejoong-ah, kaja, we have things to do.”

“I trust you boys will be helping her with training, because there’s a lot of buzz about something that might need your attention,” Captain Kim, added as a parting short, dismissing Yunho storming out because he was well aware of the man’s objections to Agent Choi joining them. “I’ll leave first.”

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“You had me buy clothes for a mysterious houseguest as a favor to Yunho,” Yuri ranted, following her petite sister out of her office, “Which, in case you didn’t know, unnie, means you owe me and, in case it wasn’t clear, it means not meddling in my life.”

Boa sighed, wondering what she did to deserve Jaejoong causing another monotonous debate with her sister. Every time the pabo brunette playboy decided to play smooth criminal with her dongsaeng, it lead to her getting angry and in turn, Yuri getting angry at her –vicious cycle. “I wasn’t meddling, I was diverting a disaster.” Because, even though her dongsaeng was pretty, Jaejoong flirted with anything that walked with a pulse, and her sister was naïve when it came to men like him.

“Omona, a man is interested in me! What a disaster of epic proportions,” Yuri feigned exaggerated alarm. Her sister was being overprotective again, and it was really tiring. For goodness sake, she was 26, she didn’t need her sister’s protection.

You’re just proving my point, Boa rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say that. You can date anyone you want –”

“– Except, Jaejoong because you like him,” the taller of the two women completed, with an eyebrow raised in suspicion because Boa protested too much for it to be anything else.

Of course she’d take it that way, “Not even close, Yul. He’s a snake, who strings beautiful words together in that husky voice of his to trap women, and when they finally figure out he’s playing… it’s too late. If you want to flirt, it’s okay, you are a grown woman after all, but I just don’t want you to hope for more from him.” There she said it, and it was out there.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“Well you’re not horrible,” Changmin assessed, after sparing with Sooyoung for over four and a half hours in an attempt the gauge her level of prowess in her listed martial arts. For what it was worth, she was quick and precise stepping out of the set movements at times to deviate from predictability with a mix of Taekwondo and Aikido or a hybrid of both. Her long legs and lithe body worked to her advantage, and her flexibility wasn’t bad. For an ordinary he’d give her a score of 200 out of 100, but to work with them they were going to have to push her even further.

It was annoying that he was barely winded; heck, his hair was still in its rightful place only with the slightest of ruffles, while she was disheveled and panting like a hungry dog. “Whoa, that was almost a complement, let me take a minute to bask in its glory,” she returned dryly, rolling her eyes as she tried to regulate her heart beat and breathing. “I thought I was supposed to be enhanced, why do I feel like I’m about to wheeze out a lung?”

“Because your body isn’t used to moving as fast as it was,” he answered, going to the pitiful woman, and handing her a bottle of water. She would need supplements to get her body where it needs to be, as well as conditioning so she could get used to her new abilities.

“You call that fast? I had to practically push myself to the limit and I still didn’t manage to land a single hit,” that had been actually frustrating, pushing and bringing her body to its limit, while he effortlessly evaded her attempts.

Figures she didn’t know how fast she was moving, “It may have not looked like it, but you were moving like a blur. Don’t feel so bad though; you were up against me after all,” adding a teasing smirk to irk her further.

“You are so lucky, I can’t move right now,” she probably wouldn’t have been able to land a hit either way, but the threat is what mattered. He only chuckled in amusement not all that worried about it.

“Once your body adjusts to it, your recovery time will improve,” crouching down in front of her with his back to her, “Get on, I’ll carry you back to the house so you can get a medicinal bath.”

Wrapped her arms round his neck, she settled herself on his back, head resting on his shoulder. “I hope so, I wouldn’t want to be a liability to you guys,” liabilities often led to mistakes and possible death. She’d chosen the path even though Yunho had warned against it; she wasn’t going to let him down.

He could only hum, looping arms under her legs and carried her back toward the manor.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

Today, the one in charge of her training was Junsu. Immediately after breakfast, they had both set out downstream after packing up for the day. It was a first of many swimming lessons she was going to have to improve her mediocre skills in the area.

Jogging to catch up to the blonde male’s pace, “Junsu-ssi, where are we going exactly,” she asked, hands shoved in the pockets of her hoodie. They had been walking for a long time, on the banks of the never ending river and she doubted he’d be dumping her in the strong currents of the river.

“There’s a Lagoon pool a little further down,” Junsu explained, slowing down because she was struggling to keep up with her stride. “It’s one of many, but it’s the biggest.” Yes, he liked escaping to the bustle of the city every other weekend, but the forest was a beautiful place to explore with many secrets hidden within it. However, he couldn’t deny that it was a rather dangerous place to be the deeper you looked.

She raised an eyebrow, “Chincha? Have you seen them all?” If there was something she knew about the forest, it was that few dared to venture inside it to explore, many calling it the Korean version of the Amazon –dense and unexplored. She could only imagine the secrets it hid, perhaps she could go exploring sometime.

“We’ve seen about 7 of them so far,” he smiled, seeing her eyes alit with wonder. She was an interesting person who could go from deadly fierce and serious, to witty and cheeky and sometimes open with childlike curiosity. “Are you nervous about our lesson?”

She took a breath and shook her head, “Ani. If it was with Min-oppa, or Jaejoong-ssi, I’d be worried.” Changmin was cruelly and unusually strict and relentless when it came to her combat training, while Jaejoong was, well Jaejoong –he’d probably throw her in the river and demand she do the butterfly.

“Can I ask why you are so formal with us, but call Changmin-ah, Oppa,” It irked him. Changmin was an evil little bugger, but he was the first one to receive her informal address? Even Yunho, who she seemed the most comfortable with, was Yunho-ssi, but the brat gets oppa?

She had expected him to address her dislike for Jaejoong, but she hadn’t expected him to ask that, “Well, I guess it’s because he’s closer to my age and he did ask me to,” shrugging non committal. “Would you like me to address you the same way?” He was sweet and gentle, always trying to distract her when Jaejoong was raging at her about one thing or another. Sure, she wasn’t as close as she could be with him, but it would be easier now that he was letting her close.

“I wouldn’t mind, Mister makes me feel like an adjussi.”

“Alright… Jun-oppa,” there should have been an awkwardness, but it was barely felt since he was smiling at her so brightly.

.                               .                               .

Since BoA’s sister was a regular swimmer, Yuri had been the one to buy her swim suit. Lucky for her the girl had kept it a little modest –black with a round neckline that didn’t drop too low, with a racer back and cut out that ended above the small of her back, the high cut of the leg was hidden under black short shorts.

Dipping a toe into the water to test the temperature, she was surprised to find it warmer than she expected and let Junsu lift her from the bank by the waist and into the water. The thing she disliked the most about big bodies of water, was not being able to see the bottom and fearing something would come out and grab her. It was a fear that started in childhood, but she was recently weaning out.

Junsu didn’t let go of her waist and she didn’t let go of the hold on his shoulders. She was paler and her body was tense, in any other situation he would have put it down to their proximity, but it was easy to see that she wasn’t comfortable in the water, “Sooyoung –”

“I just need a minute,” she kept her eyes closed, and tried to regulate her accelerated heart beat and rapid intake of breath. The panic attacks had dissipated long ago, but she still needed several moments to calm her nerves.

“Your safe,” Junsu soothed her gently, repeating over and over until she believed him, understanding what she must have had to overcome to be able to enter the pool. Color returned to her cheeks slowly as her breathing and heartbeat regulated again. “Gwenchenha?”

“Ne,” finally opening her eyes to look at the blonde male, “So, what will we be doing today,” finally letting go if his shoulder tread water on her own.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

Jaejoong wasn’t going to help with the training, because he simply had no patience and didn’t want to, but he’d assigned himself the role of an observer to oversee the others, since Yunho was still sulking about her wanting to make herself useful. The schedules had been organized to each person’s convenience and in a way that wouldn’t monopolize on one specific thing. Changmin was handling her conditioning, easing her into a routine so her body could adjust, before Yoochun took over Taekwondo training with her. Junsu was the one currently handling her swimming lesson which, as expected, was too weak in terms of progress.

She wasn’t as good at swimming as he would have thought; since her sessions with Changmin had been passable he’d been expecting more from her, but she didn’t live up to it. So far, she’d had a mild panic attack that had her clinging onto Junsu like a vine. Her were clean and she processed things fast, but it was obvious her aversion to water was hindering her progress, and Junsu’s babying wouldn’t help her along. Maybe he’d have to step in future.

His mind was pulled back to the present, when he felt Yunho beside him. Couldn’t stay away a minute, could he? “I thought you were still sulking in your room,” not sparing the raven haired man a glance, as they watched Junsu and Sooyoung engage in a water fight, the woman much calmer now that she was out of the water, feet dangling in the water.

“Who said I was sulking?” Yunho returned, watching his dongsaeng and Sooyoung in the Lagoon. Her laughter filled the air as she continued to splash Junsu, completely oblivious about being watched.  He still wasn’t comfortable with her decision, and his presence would give her a false view of things.

Jaejoong sniggered, “Ah, you were just wallowing in indignant anger?” He believed him as far as Sooyoung could throw him, and it wasn’t that far. “Whatever you need to tell yourself I guess.”

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“Your conditioning is improving, but your muscles aren’t adapting as they should,” Changmin revealed his assessment after 2 weeks of training. Don’t get him wrong, she was doing well in her training but, it was taking a toll on her body. “That’s why I got you these,” taking out an intimidating amount pills and supplements and placing them on the table. It was daunting he knew, but it was better to tackle the problem before it really did some damage to her.

Raising an eyebrow she looked at the young doctor-in-training like he’d lost his mind. “And what are these,” picking up a smaller bottle reading the label: Appetizer. “I eat fine on my own, I don’t need this.”

“You need to gain a little weight to compensate for the change, or your muscles will wear themselves down.”

She sniggered, “Oppa, I understand but, the only place food ever goes is my face.”

“Which is a problem I also have,” Changmin informed her, “I’m pretty sure you’re not vain, so gaining a bit of weight in your face shouldn’t hurt your ego,” She didn’t seem like the type, her slightly boyish nature implied it, “Besides, your chubby cheeks are cute,” emphasizing his point by pinching them to her annoyance.

Slapping his hands away, she rubbed her abused cheeks, glaring at the culprit. “Yah, Shim Changmin do you want to die?”

“But, seriously, you really need to gain the weight, Sooyoung-ah, it’s for your health,” his mirth dissolving into somber tone, wanting her to know just how serious he was being. He had no issues with her being as skinny as she was then, but her health depended on the gain.

Rolling her eyes, she smiled, “Arraso,” taking the tray with the pills. “How do you feel about sweet and sour chicken and vegetable fried rice for lunch?” Her weight had always been a sore spot for her, since many took her lightly because they thought she was too frail, delicate and fragile to do anything. Many insisting she didn’t eat enough and she needed to gain weight, but she understood what Changmin was saying–her frame wasn’t enough to sustain her changes anymore.

“If it’s edible, I’ll eat it no problem,” he assured her with a boyish smile.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

The weapons and gadgets class was less taxing than the other training sessions, with Yoochun as her instructor. The first hour was spent going through things she’d already known–assembling and disassembling a gun in the shortest time possible, technique required with different models, and maintenance. Next was going through drawing techniques of holstered weapons as well as concealed, whether in a garter belt holster or calf holster.

The most interesting and exciting part of the class had to be him teaching her how to use a hand gun as a blunt weapon should she ever run out of ammunition. Going through the sequences was done through slow motion to give her muscles a break from Changmin earlier combat and escape-and-evade classes, to be tested the next day.

“You’re a quick study,” Yoochun complimented, as they finished the session and packed up the various weapons for storage. Personally speaking, he wasn’t one for guns and neither were the others, but for Sooyoung it would probably have to be a necessity to compensate for what she lacked. “Not bad at all –”

Jaejoong interrupted, “For a nugu,” he honestly thought Yoochun, if no-one else, would be stricter with her, but he was being as lenient as the rest. Did they think this was some sort of camp, where they hold hands and sing nursery rhymes? The things they handled were serious, not child’s play.

“Chun-ssi, I’ll leave first,” Sooyoung bid the man farewell, not wanting to get into it with the guy after having a fairly decent day. But, since this was Jaejoong and he always had something to say, he blocked the door, “Yes, Jaejoong-ssi?”

“Are you even trying, because if this is your best then you are an even bigger liability than I thought,” he watched silently as her brown eyes blazed in irritation, his peripheral vision catching Yoochun’s disapproval.

“I will take your words into consideration,” he wanted to get a rise out of her and she wouldn’t let him. “May I be excused?”

His eyes narrowed wondering why she wasn’t being the vicious ordinary that she usually was, but stepped aside to let her through anyway despite himself.

“You need to stop antagonizing her,” Yoochun cautioned. Sure, they were used to him saying things to Boa to annoy her, but with Sooyoung… the guy took it to a whole other level. It was like he trying to be a jerk on purpose, and it was tiring.

Jaejoong clicked, “What, telling her the truth is upsetting?” Why was everyone coddling the woman like she was a precious piece of glass? No one asked her to stay, no one forced her to agree to the training, and so why was it wrong for him to tell it to her straight?

“Please, even you don’t believe that hyung,” Yoochun knew the brunette too well to not see through his supposed constructive criticisms, Sooyoung, got to him. Why that was Yoochun still didn’t know, but she raised Jaejoong’s heckles, and his hyung seemed to attack to counter it, “You like it when she goes toe-to-toe with you.”

“Tch, don’t mistake Boa with Sooyoung, she’s way above her level,” leaving as abruptly as he’d arrived.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

With the vitamins Changmin had her on; her big appetite was even more enormous than usual, eating almost 10 times a day. So it wasn’t at all surprising that she felt the pangs of hunger at midnight, stomach demanding food. She kept her footsteps light so as to not wake her sensitive-eared house mates, god forbid Jaejoong awoke to annoy her.

But, it seemed she wasn’t the only one in need of food in the dead of the night, since Yunho was at the dining table patiently sipping tea. Maybe I’m not that hungry after all, ready to bolt back up the stairs before he noticed her, but was stopped in her tracks when his voice invaded the night.

“You don’t have to leave,” Despite her soft footfalls, he’d heard her long before she hit the stairs and smelled her before she thought of fleeing the scene. Why the latter was, he didn’t know, “I don’t bite.”

She sniggered, but entered the kitchen anyway too hungry to be angry. However she was unable to remain silent, “Maybe you don’t, but you do have avoidance down to a science.” It was her sarcasm at best, but she just couldn’t stop it, taking down the box of cereal and taking out the milk from the fridge.

He could hear the cut in her words, and tried to clarify her misconception, “I haven’t avoided you –”

“Really because I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen you in the past two weeks including this one,” now she was being confrontational, but he was lying to himself if he believed what he was about to say. Eating breakfast long before she woke up, being out of the house before she came back from training and let’s not forget ducking out as quickly as possible when she managed to find him in the house.

Perhaps he subconsciously was avoiding her, but he had solid reasons for it. With a sigh he tried clarifying again, “I’m against your training, you know that.”

“So we can’t even talk or acknowledge each other now?” She challenged with a raised eyebrow, taking a seat across from him with her snack. He was against her decision to train so she could be part of whatever missions they were given, fine. But, what, it meant staying away from her all together?

Her tone was accusing and somewhat hurt, but she’d gone against his strong request to stay away from their missions. Was he supposed to just let it go, when she could be possibly walking to her death? “I don’t think you even grasp the kind of danger you are going to be in, going to missions with us.”

“And you’re forgetting what I am,” she was an agent for goodness sake, already trained to go after the bad guys and put her life on the line –it wouldn’t be something new to her. “Before I met you I was an agent. Not because my parents forced me, not because I didn’t have options, but it was what I want to dedicate my life to. If I had returned I would have still gone back to being an agent. So, I’m well aware my life will be on the line, I’m not naïve –”

“–But that’s just it, you are!” his voice tittered on the edge of a scream, running a frustrated hand through his black locks wondering why she was making this so difficult. “Your thinking this is some special unit type of deal, but in reality it black ops times 1000. We are fast right? But even the 5 of us walk away with injuries sometimes. This isn’t as easy as your making it out to be.”

The frustration in his voice wasn’t missed, but she was too stubborn to back down especially when she knew she could help even in a small capacity. She hadn’t given up her life to become a pseudo kept-woman to the guys and Professor Ahn. “I’m not made out of glass.”

“And I haven’t said that,” he was well aware that she wasn’t a delicate flower. If they were regular missions he’d not even blink an eye, heck if it was a mission with the rest of Cpt. Dojin units he’d trust her to handle it. But this was different, completely different on a scale she couldn’t even seem to comprehend. “But, there’s probably no making you understand,” it was obvious she was a stubborn one, which meant he’d have to use actions to show her.

TBC

Author’s Note: I know I promised action in this chapter, but I realized a few things have to happen before then. I don’t want to rush it, just to get to the good stuff. I still hope people will stick through it though. BTW, Kim Dojin – Won Bin blame that on the movie Adjussi (Man From Nowhere).

The plotline and story is mine. Please do not repost, copy, translate anywhere without consent and plagiarism is a bad thing.

Comments would be lovely and greatly wanted, helps me know what you think. Constructive Criticisms is welcomed, because it helps me improve. Flames … “to each his own”.