Confusion crossed Lee Hwayoung’s flawless face. “Miyoung-nim, I thought you said she didn’t know me?”

Haneul looked at Miyoung’s expression which was also surprised and laughed slightly, “I thought you said so yourself songsaengnim? That you taught me well?” She smugly smirked at the girl Hwayoung who looked like she was fuming. “And that should teach you, Lee Hwayoung, to treat your sunbae with respect.”

“But you’re younger. Shouldn’t you be treating people who are older than you with respect?”

“I know I am. More than a whole year younger. But do I care? Does age define anything around here?” She said pointedly at the girl. The two of them just continued to glare at each other, though Haneul didn’t look like she was glaring much, but rather just lazily staring ahead. Miyoung could feel the tension between the two of them and decided to break it up.

“Geez. Girls. Don’t get on each other’s nerves so early on. You’re going to have to spend awhile with each other, so I suggest not getting at each other’s throats so early on in your partnership.”

“Partnership?” They both said at the same time, with Haneul saying it in a questioning manner, and Hwayoung shouting it out in exasperation.

“No, no, no!” Hwayoung complained, “I cannot spend more time with this snappy, arrogant hooba-“

“I’m your sunbae.” Haneul cut in, though Hwayoung paid her no heed and just continued.

“… Snappy, arrogant hoobae who doesn’t know her place.”

“Well unfortunately, Hwayoung, she’s actually you sunbae and you’re just going to have to deal with decisions that I made.” Miyoung said firmly with emphasis on the ‘I’.

Hwayoung immediately shut up while still fuming. Haneul inwardly chuckled and just thought to herself, “I like you already, Lee Hwayoung.”

“Alright.” Haneul said cheerfully which shocked both other females, “This sounds like it’ll be fun.” Haneul replied in response to their shocked looks, “Is she going to be with me for my independent investigation then? Because I’m just thinking, that may not be quite so independent anymore…”

Finally Takahiro spoke up for the first time Hwayoung had entered the room, “Yes. Unfortunately your independent investigation will be assisted by this girl, whom I’m sure you can find some use for.” He spoke calmly this time though, even though Miyoung was in the room again, “Haneul, you’re smart enough. I’m sure you can find a use for her. Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I need to get back to work so I think you three gals can take your discussion outside so I don’t have to be the awkward thi-… well, fourth wheel here, really. Now anyway, before I start to talk an unnecessary amount, I would quite like it if you girls you just get out.” He said smiling at them, as he pressed his left index finger to a touch pad without taking his eyes off them. The chrome door behind them slid open soundlessly as always, and the three females stepped out of Takashi Takahiro’s office.

“Anyway,” Miyoung began to speak as soon as the chrome doors slid close, “Haneul I’m sure you, as my best student, can deal with Hwayoung. She’s talented, well trained, she just needs a guiding hand. And who would be better to show her what it’s like living as a young agent, than the IAI’s youngest agent ever?” She thinly smiled at Haneul, then walked ahead expecting the two teenage girls to follow her, which was exactly what they did.

They soon arrived at the lifts, which was where Haneul entered from. Miyoung pressed the down button, and within 1 second the doors quickly stepped open and the three of them quickly stepped in. Miyoung then pressed a button which said ‘L’ on it and Haneul noticed that the buttons now had different things on them. Second after Miyoung pressed on the ‘L’ button, Haneul felt the lift jerk downwards, then after going what Haneul felt to be 5m downwards, jerk backwards 30m to the north, then 20m around part of a circular circuit to the right. A ding was heard and the doors quickly slid open again.

Haneul and Miyoung confidently walked out into the Tokyo base’s Lab number 3, a ‘Gadgetry and Field Equipment’ Laboratory, also known in short as the GFE lab. The Tokyo base was one of the main bases, so had a total of 5 laboratories. Lab 1 is the ‘Chemical’ lab, Lab 2 ‘Biology’, Lab 3 ‘Gadgetry and Field Equipment’, Lab 4 ‘Computer and Multimedia’, and Lab 5 ‘Forensics’. Hwayoung just obediently followed the two of them out pretending to keep her cool when actually her insides were squirming with delight to be in one of the IAI’s Gadgetry and Field Equipment Laboratories. Only higher ranking members and actual field agents were allowed inside. Sometimes some trainees were allowed to use some gadgets and equipment, but they were never allowed inside a Gadgetry and Field Equipment Laboratory.

“Excited, are we?” She heard Haneul ask suddenly and was about to scowl at Haneul until she realised Haneul wasn’t mocking her this time, “I was excited the first time I came in here with my mother too.” Hwayoung blinked a few times.

“How old were you?”

“10.” Haneul replied simply, “It was such an exciting experience. Did you know that the final parts for the jet backpack were completed here?”

Hwayoung opened her eyes slightly bigger than they already were, “10? But you weren’t an agent till you were 15, isn’t that so?”

“Yes.” Haneul said and then turned around slightly to face Hwayoung and smiled at her, “My mother’s an agent. I’m sure you know that already. I was allowed to come in here with special permission because my skills were quite polished already. I’d been training since I was 5, you know. I mean, why not try training one of best agents’ daughters from the young age…” Haneul said softly to Hwayoung and then turned back to face forward as she walked.

Hwayoung simply nodded. She knew all this about Haneul already. She still thought it unfair though, how every other normal trainee had to wait until they were officially approved of as a field agent before they were allowed to come in here, yet because Haneul was the child of a long time agent she was allowed to come in here at the age of 10. “Oh, and if you’re thinking this is unfair, my best friend Woohyun, came in here with me.” She turned around to smile at Hwayoung again, “You know Woohyun right? We both became agents at the same time, but because he’s older than me, I earned the title of the youngest field agent.” She smiled serenely at Hwayoung who couldn’t help but still be amazed by this girl, even if she was an arrogant, cocky and disrespectful brat.

“Fine.” Haneul suddenly heard Hwayoung say from behind her, “Fine. I give in.”

Both Haneul and Miyoung turned around to peer at Hwayoung queerly, “You give in to what?”

“I’ll be your assistant or partner or whatever you want me to be, Jang Haneul. On only one condition though.”

“And that is?”

“You treat me as your equal.”

Haneul blinked a few times, then laughed. “Why, but I’ve been treating you as my equal since the start.”

“No you haven’t, you arrogant, cocky, disrespectful brat.” Hwayoung muttered and then pouted.

“Nah,” She suddenly heard the older female Miyoung speak up, “That’s just how my little brat of a student treats everyone.” She said as she walked towards Haneul and began ruffling her hair.

“Yah… songsaengnim… this is a wig!” She complained, “Ruffle my hair any harder and the wig’ll fall off!” She pouted.

Hwayoung laughed, “Maybe she isn’t so bad after all.” She thought to herself, “Well… she was always your idol.” She thought to herself again and placed a soft smile upon her lips.

“Right. So a peace treaty then?” Haneul said through genuine laughs which Hwayoung realised would be able to enchant almost any male out there. Hwayoung stretched her smile bigger and stuck her hand for Haneul to shake, which Haneul gladly did.

Haneul cheerfully smiled at Hwayoung, “Yup. A ‘peace treaty’ it is then!”

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 A/N

Whenever Haneul talks about her mother’s ‘daughter’, please pay attention and remember these moments.

Something very important will happen later on in the story involving her family background. Just a heads up to all my lovely readers~!