Previously on Europa Quartet: Xiumin and Luhan stole a memory tampering virus during a Brussels operation.SMO wants Sehun dead. With the help of Lay, Kai saved him. Xiumin was given a class A undercover mission.

word count: 5,227

*

Dark and taunting. The wide ocean.

Staring at the vastness of darkness in front of him, Sehun releases a breath. They’ve been sailing for an hour that when he wets his lips he tastes the saltiness of the wind.

Just yesterday, everything was so certain. He even bookmarked his favourite shows in their TV but now he’s going to God knows where, with who he knew to be a singer in a bar he frequents with Jongin, but is obviously so much more.

And Jongin. He’s known the truth about him for almost a month but only now did the reality start to sink in. He had Jongin disappearing for as long as a week then coming back with newly dyed hair – coming back with fake passports, with the hair in his photo the same color he’s currently wearing – coming back sporting bruises and more than one time – gunshot wounds. But Jongin always comes back and that’s enough for Sehun to fall nevertheless, without completely knowing the person he’s falling for.

His suspicion that Jongin isn’t who he said he was, was finally confirmed after Sehun’s threat of walking out the door and never coming back.

Jongin actually let him. Said it was for the best, that Sehun is better off without him.

That’s what made Sehun stay. He knows then, Jongin was just protecting him – all those times. The truth was dangerous but Sehun no longer cared. He chose Jongin.

“Hey,” Yixing emerges, joining him with two mugs of steaming something in his hands.

Coffee.

“Thanks,” Sehun raises the warm mug, realizing for the first time that he’s freezing with just a jacket. “If you’re here, who’s driving this boat?”

“It’s on autopilot.”

“You can do that?”

“Yeah. Let’s just pray for no iceberg.” Yixing smiles his innocent dimpled smile and it’s so hard to recall the image of him brandishing a gun.

“It’s autumn and this is the East China Sea, I guess we can rule out icebergs.”

“Fishermen then.”

Sehun looks up from his coffee. “Are you going to explain things to me now?” he asks, his fingers delicate around the warm mug.

“I’m not the best person but---shoot me with questions. I’ll try to answer from what I know.”

The first question is so obvious – hanging in the cold air between them.

“Who are you? Really.”

Sehun looks back down to swirling black liquid – remembering how he asked the same question just over a month ago and the answer brought him here.

“Okay. Where to start? Ah- I’m Zhang Yixing. 22 years old born in Changsa, grew up half in Beijing, half in Seoul. I was one of the many kids that are trained secretly by Chinese government to spy on another country. My station is obviously South Korea. As far as espionage go, I only deliver information--nothing else if I can help it.”

Chinese spy – Sehun’s brain summarizes.

Yixing takes a deep breath. A pause before a new paragraph to the story. “I met Jongin in one of my mission 5 months ago. Short version of it – we were after the same thing. I took him down and held him at gunpoint. I didn’t pull the trigger. That surprised him. Turned out he knew who I am – from the bar where I moonlight as a singer. He cornered me one night and asked me why I didn’t kill him. I said because that would be unfair for him who doesn’t really know who the enemy is.”

“Okay---what do you mean?”

Yixing chuckles and takes the pause to sip coffee. “Funny. That was exactly his words. You see--from my job I know an awful lot about internal operations in your country – legal and illegal. I was the one who told Jongin about the true nature of his work – that he works for the illegal part, no—not only illegal but--criminal. He had that suspicion for a while before talking to me so he believed me. SMO is huge but we didn’t really care much about it since it never costs damages to China. The only enemy of SMO is South Korea to be honest----but of course, your country doesn’t know that – it even sponsors SM’s operations thinking it does dirty deeds for them but well—plot twist. The dog bites the hand that feeds him.”

“Jongin wanted to quit—he wanted-“

“It’s not that easy. Quitting means asking for death. I told him to hang-on. We’ve got an eye on SMO for a while. Once China deemed them enemy then he can help burning down the whole organization.”

“But why did they want to eliminate me?”

“It’s protocol. They are not allowed to reveal to outsiders the existence of SMO.”

“But---I’m still here. Jongin saved me and SM will know that. They’ll know Jongin’s been breaking rules. Oh my god they are going to kill him.” Sehun sets down his coffee that has become cold far too fast.

“No, they won’t, not for a reason as petty as that. They know a prized possession when they see one. That’s how SMO operates. They look at networth. Jongin might be a liability but he is way more an asset. Don’t worry about him.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” Sehun begins, he looks at Yixing, no longer the Yixing he knew. He can't be easily trusting, especially at this point. “Why are you helping him. Why are you helping me?”

“Because, like SMO, we know a prized possession when we see one.”

*

SMO Underground Headquarters. Middle of Seoul.

There are no windows.

Most of the stay in staff aren’t aware of the changing weather outside – cannot feel the warmth of noon when the sun is high or hear the pitter patter of afternoon rain.

They have their own weather inside – mostly cloudy – the ceiling looking like nimbus clouds with the warning of rain, or sometime it feel like harsh winter – the overhead lights casting snowy blue glare that had you half-expecting to turn to an oncoming glacier, then on some days it’s a fair summer – when the rectangular columns made of mosaic onyx stone lining the corridor towards training center is lit and emanates the color of a dessert sunset and the feel of an oasis. Artificial. Synthetic. But definitely gorgeous.

Aside from the interior design, the general current disposition of agents dictates the office atmosphere. Right now, it’s warm and buzzing with excitement – it always is, whenever agents come back (or not come back) from missions. Because the end of one mission signals the start of another.

Beneath the excitement, is the anxiety of those waiting for impending assessment over their latest missions. Failed missions and judgements from higher ups. You can get suspended or demoted back to training, there are even worse penalties – but you will not be informed about those until after you committed the mistakes deserving of such punishment.

In the organization, every operation is isolated from the rest – you cannot talk about the mission to non-team members – may the mission be completed or not, successful or not.

Despite that, you can get a general feel of who is teaming up with who. Agents don’t get friendly with one another all of a sudden. Also, if you squint, you can guess who came out from failed ops – aside of course from evident signs of coming out dead, injured, or suspended – there are those who are being subtly out casted. Like Jongin right now.

It’s mind-blowing how much agents gossip - even if it’s technically breaking protocol. Nobody is saying anything concrete but by the end of Jongin’s first day back at the headquarters – everyone has been silently condemning him for losing two agents in the class B Macau op that he led. This isn’t his first failed op – so he didn’t mind so much just focuses on paperwork because killing (or in his case, failing to kill) an ambassador actually requires written report.

His organization-provided pager beeps and he keeps to himse the surprise brought by the written words – AOP con room. This only means one thing – new mission. It’s unusual to be given a new job right after a failed one but he isn’t going to complain. When he rose up from his cubicle – some are watching him – probably expecting that he’s summoned to get suspended. He gives them the politest smile that he can muster just for the hell of it.

*

AOP con room flashes on Luhan’s pager and it seems like his career is finally taking flight as he finds himself inside the chamber of secrets, as the room gets to be called, for the second time within a week. Record breaking. ing great.Another class A mission for him.

When he entered the glassroom, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo from tech dep and Jongdae special agent level 01 are already there. Unusual bunch but Luhan can’t help himself from greeting them with an overly enthusiastic “Holla Amigos, Tu eres más feo que el culo de un mono!”

“I only understood hello, friends, and ,” Chanyeol greets back.

“Why do you know the word in Spanish?” Jongdae asks Chanyeol who shrugs while Luhan takes the liberty to take a seat across the three.

“I fiercely studied how to offend someone in Spanish and what did I know—the language in Brussels is not even Spanish but Belgian. Who the speaks Belgian? What even is Belgian? The only Belgian I know is Belgian waffle.” Luhan tirades to his three apathetic audience. “So----I guess we are working together huh? Two lab technicians, one con-artist, plus one all around agent,” he motions to himself in a self-important way on the last part, “what kind of a team are we getting at?”

“Did you just call us lab technicians?”

“Maybe you meant two lab technicians, one con-artist, and one all around driver,” Jongdae corrects with a pointed smirk to Luhan, “I heard you’re reduced to chauffeuring duties.”

“We aren’t lab technicians,” Chanyeol reiterates looking at Kyungsoo as if asking for back-up.

But Luhan’s attention is only on Jongdae now. “At least I have duties unlike you who haven’t been on call for how long now Jongdae? How’s it feel manning the desks?”

The door to the room, slowly glides open, momentarily disrupting the three of them to look up at the newcomer.

“No ing way,” Luhan breathes out.

“Hello to you too,” Kai replies while taking in the other people in the room. He doesn’t hide his expression that says he agrees with Luhan’s earlier assessment – they are an unusual bunch.

“You!” Luhan points unnecessarily at Kai who sits opposite him, leaving Luhan alone on one side of the table. “You! All the other guys from your Macau team are either dead or suspended but here you are. You must be doing something right dude--or--tell me, which superior are you ing? Huh?”

Kai looks at him for a second before Chanyeol elbows him to grab his attention, “Kai--Kai, I never thought the day will come that we will work together.”

“Well--me neither. For one, I’m a field agent and you are an inhouse.....”

“Lab technician,” Luhan and Jongdae supplies together.

“Hey!“

“So why don’t you tell us for once what exactly you guys are doing in tech dep?” Jongdae challenges and Luhan passionately agrees. “You’re going complete department of mysteries in there. Do you know the office started to call people from your department the Unspeakables?”

“Oh really? Cool.“

“Do you think anyone else is coming? Four is the average number of team – we’re already five,” Kai thinks aloud.

“Why? You want more team members to be left for dead?” Luhan asks with a hostile eyebrow raise.

“Right---so tell me Luhan, where is Jihun? Hasn’t seen him around much.”

Luhan gasps, faking a scandalized look. “Have some respect for fallen warriors.”

“Why? You don’t even have respect for those who are still alive.”

Kai deserves points for that, Luhan can’t deny. “Well, what can I say--people become more endearing when they’re dead.”

“Wow, you two,” Jongdae says scratching the side of his face. “Both of you came from failed ops so atleast have the decency to feel ashamed and be quiet.”

Luhan’s retort dies in his mouth when the door opens again and they hear them before seeing them – Krystal and Amber, field agents level 01, long-blonde hair and short-buzzed in the side red-hair.

“Oh God! Women!” Luhan complains as the two girls take a step back and stop whatever it was they are talking about.

“Seven?” Chanyeol recounts. “There’s no way someone else is coming. We’re getting cramped in here,” he motions to the two girls who take the seat on Luhan’s left as if to prove his point. Krystal and Amber launch a retaliation and somewhere along there, plus Luhan’s grunt of protests against women, Chanyeol’s attempt, yet again, to justify the importance of his job, Kyungsoo, speaks up, “This can’t be all of us.”

He just muttered really, but the rest turn to him in unified motion. They haven’t disregarded that among all of them, Kyungsoo has the highest rank – technical specialist level 00, the others in the room are all in level 01.

“Why you think that?” Luhan questions. “Do you know what kind of operation we’ll be assigned in?”

“Nope. But I know a team this big will not be sent out to ops without a... higher ranking field agent on command.”

Across Luhan, he catches Kai cocking his head in agreement.

“But I’m high ranking and I certainly likes commanding people,” Luhan volunteers.

When the door opens again, it reveals Director Yang. So nope – Kyungsoo is wrong. Because no one should come later than the Director – unwritten protocol.

They all scramble to stand up in polite greeting; Luhan even carelessly knocks down his chair. After straightening the chair and himself up, he gets to see the scowl in the Director’s face. Unusual bunch, aren’t we, Director? – he implies with his forced apologetic smile.

The Director motions for them to sit- just a flick of fingers in downward motion- and they all do while exchanging loaded glances.

Silence settles as they wait for the Director to speak up, but it just stretches and Luhan really can’t take silence especially at so many on company.

“Are we waiting for someone else Director?”

“Obviously,” is the Directors clenched-teeth response. Chanyeol and Jongdae sniggers on Luhan’s expense and Luhan fixes them with whatever stare.

Heavy silence stretches again.

*

They are all just children – Luhan assesses after a while. Despite the office suit that conditions them to think they are mature people, despite the design of the office – exquisite and elegant. When in reality – the agents come up with Harry Potter reference for the rooms--and for everything else.

Children sent to war.

When he comes out of his quick reveries, Chanyeol and Jongdae are pointing and silently laughing at his fleeting serious face.

The door opens, for the last time – Luhan assumes, and whoa okay. Kyungsoo is right after all.

Xiumin stands in the doorway. High-ranking agent in command indeed. He’s not looking even the least bit apologetic for being late. Director Yang makes no comment about it as Xiumin closes the door behind him.

Luhan taps the sit beside him eagerly as an invitation to Xiumin, the others’ curious and excited whispers buzzing on his other side.

After Xiumin takes the seat, laptop screen in front of them turns to life as Director Yang says, “We shall start.”

*

You can never be placed in a low class mission when you’re alongside Xiumin, that’s a fact. Luhan sincerely hopes he’ll be assigned more than driving and piloting duties or else he’s really gonna flip.

He remembers just a few days ago. He’s in this same situation with Xiumin and Jihun. Now, Jihun is no more. Just like that. Another casualty. They are not even allowed to attend the funeral. Protocol over morals. Luhan is even starting to doubt if Jihun even consider him a friend. Probably not. Agents are trained to not feel, to not be attached.

He looks around the table. It’s unlike him to think of what if – what if it comes to a point that he’ll need to kill someone from this group? Will he? He can answer this now but with him, nothing can be set on stone. Even he, surprises himself with surge of emotions and actions until he finds himself dripping with someone else’s blood.

*

In replacement of Dr. Trancedi, they will track down and turn in his four research associates: Dr. Sydney Scotfield – geneticist currently living in Massachusetts, Dr. Vaughn Bouchard – developmental psychologist from Paris but residing in New York, Dr. Matsunaga Soto – neurobiologist from Japan, currently in prison, Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez – phenomenologist, originally from Mexico, current location – unknown.

Heavy guard is expected since they may have heard the news about Trancedi’s disappearance.

“Not as heavy as Soto’s--I mean the guy is in freaking prison,” Jongdae side comments to Chanyeol.

“If I may Director,” Amber interrupts, “Why do we need these people again?”

“We recently acquired Trancedi’s SERS-CA virus but can’t successfully culture it in our own lab. These people can do that for us. They worked with Tancedi in the whole virus development process.”

“And SERS-CA is what exactly Sir?”

“A weapon. It is a lethal virus, can be introduced to the host just by a prick of a needle. It attacks the nervous system causing death within seconds, mimicking cerebral aneurysm and covers the traces of murder.”

Jongin sees Luhan snort silently at this but stops himself immediately after exchanging a look with Xiumin. Jongin guesses that Xiumin kicked him under the table. This goes unnoticed by the others as the Director continues to brief them through the mission.

He tries to catch Xiumin’s eyes. This is afterall, only their third operation together, and just by judging with the required manpower, this operation is huge.

Xiumin won’t look at him, always the more patient one in pretending to abide by no inter-organization relationship. Luhan catches him staring at Xiumin and by no reason should Kai be fazed by that but he shifts his focus back to the Director, letting his eyes wander around – mostly landing on Xiumin then Luhan’s deepening scowl.

Jongin his eyebrow at him, which can easily pass as something like hey, cool mission we got here right?, but he knows Luhan will read more to it than that.

*

“I will now leave you on Xiumin’s command,” The Director says after a breath. “The contents of this briefing are all saved in your Tabs, available for review. All your questions will be directed to Xiumin and further instructions will come from him. This operation will commence no later than 7pm tonight. Be ready to send out in six hours.”

The Director stares at the team in front of him as if doubting their overall competence and hesitating to send them to mission. Luhan cannot take offence in that – they are really an unusual group – like pieces of leftover dinner tossed and mixed in fried rice to make a half-decent breakfast.

Director Yang sighs and says his trade mark that’s all before asking to talk with Xiumin alone and exiting the room together.

Like high-school students left by their teacher in the classroom – they erupt into senseless noise.

Jongdae’s voice win over them as he exclaims, “We’re 8! This team. We are like the fellowship of the ring, about to go on an important quest!”

“I’m Legolas!” Luhan claims, unable to help himself.

“Hey, I think everyone here agrees I’m the more elf-like,” Chanyeol argues.

“No. You’re Boromir. The one who dies because God knows you’re not even field trained. What you gonna do to enemies? Stick them with a syringe?”

“Yeah syringe with SERS-CA. Don’t underestimate me.”

“Oh please...Don’t act like you know things.”

“I don’t like the fellowship,” Krystal pipes. “There’s no girl in there.”

“You two can be Merry and Pippin,” Jongdae points to the two girls. “Because you two are irrelevant.” The subsequent argument is chaotic but Chanyeol still manages to turn to Kyungsoo and say,“Kyungsoo, you should be Gandalf! Because your experiments in tech are just one step short of being sorcery.”

Kyungsoo ignores Chanyeol and everybody else and just continue tapping on his Tab – already reviewing the mission logistics.

In the midst of senseless chatter, Kai rolls his eyes which does not go unnoticed by Luhan.

“So Kai--how about you? Who do you want to be?”

It takes a moment before Kai responds, as if pondering the necessity to do so, “The bestfriend - who’s that again?” he asks no one in particular and Chanyeol answers that it’s Sam, who’s actually not Frodo’s bestfriend but their mere gardener.

“Yeah him. The one always in the shadow – covered by the shadow of the protagonist. No one paid attention to him but he was the one--in the end--who bear the real weight of the mission.”

“Of course,” Luhan scoffs unimpressed just as Xiumin comes back in and Luhan screams, “Oh Aragorn!”

***

Un-ing-believable. Luhan cannot believe it.

For the first part of the mission, they will split into two groups since Scotfield and Bouchard may alert each other if they get taken in, one before the other. They have to be taken in simultaneously.

Chanyeol, Krystal, and Kai are in Xiumin’s team.

Kyungsoo, Jongdae, and Amber are in Luhan’s.

That’s ing right. Luhan is the team lead of their sub-unit. He made sure to rub it in Chanyeol’s face an in Jongdae who is oh so under his command.

He wanted to kiss Xiumin but the top agent fixed him with murderous eyes so he settled for a manic smile.

After the others piled out of the room and Xiumin and Luhan are the only ones left, Luhan starts to feel his importance – stretching himself as far as he can go in his seat, feeling as if he owns the place, and a huge smile never leaving his lips.

“Don’t look so proud of yourself Luhan. You’re forgetting we only have this mission because we failed to get on Trancedi on time.”

“And I’ll never be more thankful of having failed.”

Xiumin stares at him and Luhan’s smile slowly fades at the chastising attention.

“Are you aware your lack of seriousness is the only thing getting in your way of being agent level 00?”

Luhan is taken off guard. It takes Luhan a moment o recover, serious talks is not his forte.

“Argh—like---it’s not seriousness that gets the job done, it’s skills. Hello? I already have that. What more can you ask for?”

“Execution,” Xiumin says, voice crispy with conviction, “Luhan. Flawless execution. You have the skills but it doesn’t translate to result, always lost and wasted by unnecessary distraction you call as fun.”

“How can you describe fun like that? I’m offended. I mean---you get all the cool, high-risk, top-notch, top-secret missions---don’t you enjoy them?”

“Not the mission, the success. And I wouldn’t call them enjoyment but satisfaction.”

“Oh great. Lessons on synonyms?”

“You don’t have to agree to everything I say but inside operation and under my command, you will.” Xiumin turn his seat to face him fully. “Otherwise I won’t hesitate to remove you in command or kick you off the op. I don’t want a repeat of Brussels.”

Xiumin pauses to absorb Luhans silence – the most Luhan can give as an agreement – before giving a dismissive “That’s all” that sounds mockingly like Director Yang.

Luhan refuses to leave, not until he comes into terms of the confusing and infuriating entity that is Jung Xiumin, adoptive grandson of the president of the organization, top agent, has the record for shortest training – 4 months, until sent out to his first mission, 1 month before he even turned 18.

Luhan comes into SMO, two years after Xiumin, trained for one whole year and while entry level agents are automatically put to level 5, Luhan skipped 1 level, Xiumin skipped 2, Luhan’s first mission was class D, Xiumin’s was class C. Irrationally infuriating. How Xiumin is always one or two steps ahead of him.

Luhan decided a long time ago he won’t hold grudge against Xiumin because of that - like the other older, longer trained agents, forever stuck at level 01. Luhan is all about the fun isn’t he? But now, even the fun is being taken away from him – by the Golden Boy himself. Luhan is not okay with that.

“I was wondering,” he slides his chair closer to Xiumin who doesn’t look up to the obvious provocation. “What would---ah--what would it take to make someone like you to be---happy? Or fine---satisfied? What would it take? You’ve mentioned the successful ops but---what else?”

Xiumin doesn’t answer, just tap away on his Tab like Kyungsoo earlier. Luhan is sure if he inches closer he can see whatever Xiumin is reading, reflected on his huge eyes.

They were trained to read expressions and also how to hide them in return. It’s not so much that Xiumin is hard to read, he just never allowed anyone to inch closer and get a good look on who he really is. Defensive – Luhan thinks.

What makes you happy? What makes you sad? What makes you angry? What makes you afraid?

What would it take to destroy you?

Xiumin finally looks up, pauses a second to decipher the look on Luhan’s face, before apparently deciding that he doesn’t care. “You can go now Luhan.”

Luhan huffs before standing up. “I’ll see you later, Commander.”

*

“Wow, eavesdropping aren’t we?”

Kai resists the urge to answer, it was never good idea to entertain Luhan, but-

“If the room isn’t actually sound-proofed, I might be.”

“What are you still doing here?” Luhan asks resting his hand guardly on the door.

Not your business.

“Are you waiting for Xiumin?”

Not you’re ing business.

“Why?”

“Not you’re ing business Luhan.”

“Further questions will be answered on the flight to America---or weren’t you listening? Go home and pack, why don’t you?”

“I’m not in your team. You don’t have authority over me.”

“Right. But it was still me who was made team lead and not you. You’re kinda smart, you’ll know what that means.”

The door Luhan is guarding opens and Luhan even makes a show of stumbling over his feet.

“Hey,” Kai greets Xiumin, totally ignoring Luhan’s show.

He whispers to Xiumin, making sure to lean close and make Luhan out of hearing radius and make him feel left out.

“Okay,” Xiumin agrees, voice soft and by this time Luhan is observing the two of them under his lashes, with a half-confused, half-affronted, open-mouthed expression.

“I didn’t know you two are close,’ he says as if this piece of information is offensive.

Kai gives him a shrug while Xiumin says, “Go home and get ready Luhan. Maybe get some sleep. We might not get proper sleep for the next 100 hours.”

Xiumin starts walking not waiting for Luhan’s answer and Kai says, “Go home and pack, why don’t you?” before walking after Xiumin. Kai is sure Luhan is watching them until they make their turn down the lobby.

*

“You really wouldn’t want Luhan onto you Jongin.”

“But hyung, I didn’t even do anything,” Jongin says, walking backwards to fully face Xiumin. “Okay, alright---maybe I was a little obvious. But we can’t hide our relationship forever.”

“It’s not just that---just---don’t provoke him.”

“I’m not scared of him. I know he’s like the wild one in the organization. The wild flower. But he’s just an attention-seeker.”

"And attention is exactly what you’re giving him.”

“Fine--I won’t step forward but I won’t step down either. I will not start anything unnecessary.” He stops walking and Xiumin also stops right in front of him. “Good enough for you?”

Xiumin sighs, resumes his walk with Jongin beside him

*

There is a crystal chandelier inside an office waiting room which looks probably more fitting as a governor’s living room. Painted in earth colours and made up of earth materials. Wood furniture are lining the wall, in the corner are tall vases with hand-painted patterns that scream oriental, on top of the coffee table is a glass containing small refined stones – emerald, sapphire, sardonyx, and other stones less precious to have a name.

There, watching the stones reflect and refract the light from the chandelier, covered in an elegant orange warmthress darker than autumn but lighter than burning sunset, Sehun sits.

He picks up one stone from the glass holder. It’s a translucent colour of white and he doesn’t know what it’s called. He places it on the middle of his palm then turning it over wondering how many years it took that stone from the coal mine or bottom of river or wherever it came from, to be cut and processed and polished and be transported here in an unchartered island off China’s territotory, and into the hand of a random person.

Or maybe nothing was random, everything came from a grand design, all the pieces in this room – the furniture, the fixture and lighting, and vases which used to be in a small vase manufacturer, years ago, being passionately painted by an old woman maybe, the butterflies which used to fly freely somewhere in the sky and have kissed some flowers that have withered to nothing, caught, killed and preserved in glass frames that hang on the wall. All of that including him are all meant to be here and constitute this moment. Nothing is a coincidence.

An angry reprimanding yells creep out of the closed office door and moments later it opens to reveal Yixing looking sheepish, probably guilty of being scolded, who beckons Sehun in.

If the waiting room has certain warmth, all of that evaporates when into the main office. It was dark, cold and brooding, with dead deer and moose head decorating the wall which, under the low lighting, you’ll think they’re alive. It was worse during Sehun’s first time here, almost felt like walking into the house of a dying man.

“Sit down Sehun,” the man behind the deep black marble desk orders.

Sehun takes the seat in front of the desk while Yixing and the guy he only knows as Wufan stand a few distance away.

He turns to look at the man they call chief, Hangeng, the one in charge of the spies stationed in South Korea. Despite the intense eyes, he looks more like a big brother than anything else, so Sehun has the courage to take matter in his hands and speak up before the other does. "What do you want from me? The truth."

Hangeng heaves a long breath. "You see, Sehun. The thing is... we don't trust you. So pardon us if we keep the answer to your question until we already do."

"And you expect me to just stay here and follow your orders without question?"

"Do you have other options? Do you have anywhere else to go?"

"I--"

Hangeng raises a hand to stop him. "This is our headquarter for South East Asian operations, you can join the training of those assigned to Korea, those who speaks your language. Yixing and Wufan will help you."

"I don't need help."

Wufan scoffs from the corner, Sehun looks at him with narrowed eyes. Wufan raises his eyebrow.

"Trust me kid, you will need all the help that you can get."

*