“What?” G.NA looked up from her paperwork, brushing her black bangs out of her face as she raised an eyebrow at her collegaue.

 “We have a new project,” Ricky smiled cheekily as he dropped a folder down on her desk.

 “Do we?” Her glossed lips tugged into an expectant smirk as she picked up the coarse brown manila folder. “What is it on?” Ricky sat down in the seat opposite to her desk and grasped the metal handles of the chair he was seated in.

 “LC Multimedia, we got hired by their opposition, the CEO himself hired us.” G.NA’s filed nail ran down the paper as she scanned the proposition stamped upon it.

 “Target is, Chunji?” Her nose twitched in a strange mimicry of Samantha from Bewitched as she picked up the picture of the CEO of LCM. The picture showed a young CEO, his hair was a honey brown and was brushed neatly into a fashionable business cut. His nose had an obvious perk at the end and his eyes were sparked with an identifiable charm. He knew he was attractive and she knew that he was a player.

 “Correct, Niel hired us-’ G.NA looked up from the folder to raise an eyebrow at her partner. “I know,” Ricky shrugged and leaned back in the chair. Niel was not somebody G.NA wanted to come across, she had already heard enough about him. Niel was a high up in a conglomerate Media company but he was also heavily entrenched in the crime world. He had married into a high ranking gang in order to ensure his company stayed at the top, and it paid off.

 “I thought we said we didn’t want to get involved with him,” she dropped the folder onto the table and leaned towards Ricky.

 “We won’t be,” Ricky’s lips curled into a grin as he tapped on the photo of the target, “you will be getting involved with him. Niel is suspecting him of some kind of gang related violence, thinks he might be intercepting his shipments and wants us to find out.”

 “Reconnaissance?” G.NA reluctantly looked back at the folder and shifted through the remaining pages.

 “Yes ma’am, wants us to find out if it’s true. He’s expecting it’ll take awhile.”

 “How long is he thinking?”

 “Well, it’s not unusual for missions to last a year,” G.NA sighed and tapped the front of the folder so it collapsed onto the other end.

 “Who does he want to go in?”

 “You,” G.NA looked up at Ricky as soon as he spoke.

 “Me,” she rolled her eyes before looking down at the picture of the target again. “How much?”

 “18 billion won.”

 “Okay, I’ll accept it,” she brushed her long hair off of her shoulder, ignoring Ricky as his jaw that went slack. G.NA hardly chose the extended period projects, instead she pushed them upon her partner. But this was different, money was G.NA’s siren song, she was always rendered weak at the knees at the thought of more digits in her bank account.

 “But you’ll be gone a year.”

 “It’s 18 billion won, it’s worth it. We need to start thinking about retirement.”

 “You maybe, but not me, such an old ajumma,” Ricky ducked his head as G.NA swatted at him.

 “Go out and get your own project you brat,” scoffing she pulled out her phone and tapped the screen, dialing her contact. She needed more information on this guy before she did anything.

 “So,” Ricky winced as he watched the black locks fall to the tiled floor. “You’re cutting your hair?”

 “Stop whining,” G.NA ruffled her hair, watching blankly as her hair fell to the ground. A lot needed to be done with covert projects, one of them was disguise. Nothing major, just a haircut and some dye. Hair was really a magnificent asset, a few minor changes did big things for one’s image. “Bangs,” with a snip more hair dropped to the ground. Before she had started her hair was down to elbows, now it was more practical and barely passed her shoulders.

 “Noona,” Ricky broke out in a whine as he watched her play with her hair, seemingly cutting her hair at random. “I like your hair long.” She remained silent as she stared at her hairstyle in the mirror. Her bangs were now short and swept elegantly out of her face giving her a more sophisticated look than previously.

 “I like my hair practical,” G.NA grabbed the empty bottle of brown hair die that was at rest on the counter and started walking to the garbage to through it out, leaving behind a mess of hair. “Can you please clean up? I need to hurry if I want to catch his pa in time.”

 “Yes, Ma’am,” Ricky saluted her then grabbed the broom, staring down at the dyed brown locks forlornly.

 “I’ll be back later,” G.NA walked by Ricky as she tied her hair up into a ponytail, if she were going to do what she wanted she had to look the part.

 “Don’t come back without a job, noona!” Ricky leaned on the broom as he watched her push a pair of cheap aviator ripoffs up her nose and round the corner, exiting his line of sight.

 G.NA shrugged her shoulders, adjusting the plain green army style coat she had on, she looked every part the middle class graduate she was trying to look like. Her dark brown eyes scanned the room, immediately she caught view of Chunji’s recent personal assistant pushing her way through the glass doors of the cafe. The pa’s black hair was in a messy bun, some thick strands had escaped her bun, cascading down onto her wrinkled plaid shirt. One side of her shirt was completely untucked, not matching the pair of masculine green skinny jeans she was wearing.

 “I told you, I’m done!” Hanmi violently tapped her thumb against the screen of her phone, ending the call. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!” She stuffed the phone into her pocket and stomped up to the counter. “I want an americano, plain,” she dropped the exact change for the usual drinks she ordered every morning. The barista looked at the money then meekly pushed the extra towards the aggravated pa. “What!” Hanmi glared at her then looked down at the change and sighed heavily before slowly dropping it in her pocket, looking defeated.

 This was her target, Hanmi was Chunji’s personal assistant, or secretary without the business jargon. The two were in a relationship, what Hanmi didn’t know was that Chunji had another girlfriend. Though by seeing how disgruntled she was and how she was wearing a pair of mens jeans, which were most likely Chunji’s, she seemed to have found out.

 G.NA spun her watch around her wrist, took a deep breath then walked towards Hanmi as she texted Ricky, she had to do this right. With the type of smooth execution that usually only showed in drama’s G.NA bumped into Hanmi just as she was turning around. The next thing the duo knew G.NA was clutching her band tank, trying to keep it from scalding her chest as Hanmi waved her hand in her face trying to force her shock to disappear.

 “I am so sorry!” Hanmi’s voice lifted into a shriek as her waving hands shook, grasping napkins she dabbed G.NA’s shirt.

 “It’s okay, it’s okay, really,” G.NA took the napkins from Hanmi and started dabbing her own shirt. “It was my fault, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” G.NA’s voice lowered as she spoke slowly, evaluating the situation. From what it looked like it was going as planned, but humans were unpredictable, at any moment it could change.

 “I don’t even know what happened, I just- and then,” Hanmi’s eyes glistened with tears as she tried to keep from being overwhelmed.

 “No! No,” G.NA dropped the napkins, stained with coffee into the trash can. “Don’t worry, I have another shirt, see?” She pulled a neatly folded white blouse out of her bad and showed it to Hanmi. “I have a job interview, this is my work shirt, really. It’s okay if it’s stained, it’s probably too dirty anyways.”

 “Really?” Hanmi’s voice quivered as she grabbed one of the napkins to wipe her nose.

 “Really, look, let me change my shirt and buy you a new coffee, it was totally my fault that we bumped into each other so I should buy you something.” G.NA put her new credit card onto the counter and passed it to the barista, ordering a drink for her and Hanmi before there could be any opposition. Taking her cardback G.NA turned around and walked to the washroom, locking the door behind her she pulled off her shirt. If she had read Hanmi correctly she would stay to apologise one more time, then G.NA could, if she worded everything properly, get her job.

 G.NA’s fingers grazed over one of the many scars lining her stomach before she pulled the blouse on, buttoning it up slowly. It would be strange doing a project without fighting, she had never come out of a mission without a scar before. It was her way of showing off, she could remember where she got every scar, from the ring on her ankle she got from a sharpened pipe that got thrown at her to the faint knife scar that ran in between her shoulderblades when she fought against some cuban spies.

 Taking the black dress coat she had folded in her bag out she shrugged it on then folded her cheap jacket up and put it into her bag. Now, she looked into her reflection in the mirror, here’s to hoping she is still outside. G.NA unlocked the door and stepped out, the instant she saw Hanmi sitting at a table wringing her hands she forced her cocky smile into a soft apologetic one, everything was going as planned.

 “I’m Hanmi,” pushing herself up Hanmi extended her hand towards G.NA. “Sorry, habit,” she sighed and dropped her hand to her side.

 “It’s okay, I’m Jane,” G.NA bowed in greeting to Hanmi then sat down opposite to her. “I actually went to school in Canada, I have shaken hands before.”

 “Really?” Hanmi sat down, her back straight in interest as she leaned towards G.NA, or rather as her alias dubbed her, Jane.

 “Yes,” nodding Jane grasped her coffee cup and lifted it to her nose, breathing in the distinct scent of americano.

 “My boss is always looking for english speakers, he always wants them to be really prepared. One of his biggest partners is from the US,” she trailed off and leaned back in her seat.

 “What do you do?” Jane took a sip of her drink, schooling her face into a blank expression, she really didn’t like americano but it was what Hanmi ordered so it would help with familiarity.

 “I’m a pa,” Hanmi laughed bitterly before taking a large gulp of her drink, not even reacting as it burned its way down .

 “Really? I’m actually going to interview at a small firm to be a pa, do you have any advice?”

 “Advice?” Hanmi rolled her eyes and dropped her coffee onto the table top. “PA’s cannot have days off, so be prepared to work your off.” Jane’s finely tweezed eyebrow pulled up into her bangs at Hanmi’s crude language. “The only time you’re off, is when you quit. Never have office romances, it , and you know what?”

 “What?” Jane pressed the tip of her manicured nail against the lid of the coffee cup, running it along the edge.

 “I really don’t want to be a pa, not that it’s a bad job, I just don’t fit with my boss like other pa’s do.” She fixed her words mid way through just as her eyes sparked with ingenuity. “What do you feel about skipping your interview?”

 “Why?” Jane frowned, her nose twitching to the side as she ran through possibilities of what Hanmi was going to say.

 “I want to quit, but I haven’t given my two weeks notice. What about you go in for me today?”

 “Pardon?” Jane’s voice pitched up in surprise as she gulped, she wasn’t prepared for this. She was planning on getting information then infiltrating later, she hadn’t planned on Hanmi being so spontaneous.

 “Take my job for me,” Hanmi pulled out a business card and pen then scribbled her phone number, and a password onto it. “The card says the building and his office number, this is my phone number in case you run into any troubles, and my computer password. Please, say you’ll take this,” Hanmi held the card out towards her, her eyebrows pinched in a sign of helplessness.

 18 billion won, Jane chanted as she reached out and took Hanmi’s card, reading the address, 18 billion won, “alright.”

 “Oh thank you, thank you so much!” She clapped her hands together then pulled out a notepad. “So every morning you are expected to be there by eight, with these two coffees ready.” She tapped the end of her pen on the pad where she had two drinks written. The first coffee goes on the desk opposite yours, the other goes onto the bosses desk. Always make sure the office is stocked with this tea,” she pointed to a label written underneath the coffees. “And these drinks. He’ll tell you when to bring them out. Never leave before he does, never procrastinate or stop working. Don’t get involved with his personal life and keep cultured. He likes his assistants knowledgeable about art, music, sports, theatre, media, and games. His clients come from everywhere.”

 “But I,” for once Jane was shocked, this was spiraling out of control and she didn’t like it.

 “You have,” she looked at her phone, “half an hour to get there, it takes five. You’ll be able to make a good expression.” Hanmi smiled at her before standing up and hugging her, sending Jane as stiff as a nail. ‘Good luck, fighting,” she pumped her fist at chest level before running out of the cafe, not wishing to leave any chances for Jane to rescind her offer.  

 Jane sighed and called Ricky, “Noona~!” He greeted cheerily.

 “Ricky,” she tapped her nails against the table as she watched Hanmi slam the door to her taxi shut then disappear.

 “How did it go?”

 “Well, it went well,” her nails scraped against the table as she ran her hand to her cup. “I now work at LCM.”

 “You know I was joking when I said don’t come back without a job, but good work I never doubted you.” He cooed, she could hear the tell tale clicking his chair made whenever he spun in it.

 “Ricky stop spinning in your chair and forge me some documents, I need them in the next,” she checked her watch. “Twenty minutes, and make them good.”

 “Of course your majesty,” the call ended abruptly from Ricky hanging up on her without forewarning. Picking up her coffee she chugged down the last of her drink before wiping , she felt the foreboding need to cry out to a deity, she needed luck wherever she could get it.