Yoona sighed and looked at the sun that was slowly rising, its rays of light touching the tall buildings around her own. Now, more than ever, she knew she’d made the right decision and she was hoping for the best, against her realistic mindset. Right choices were important, but they also carried consequences that would probably be so hard that she didn’t want to ponder on them any longer. At that moment, all Yoona really wanted was a big cup of coffee for her headache.

“Good morning!” Yoona flinched and stiffened, caught off guard by the arms that had wrapped themselves around her waist and the body that pressed so enthusiastically against her back. The least she expected was Seohyun waking up anytime soon, especially judging from how deep into slumber she was when Yoona got up. Seohyun noticed how rigid Yoona had become but didn’t think much of it; she felt too happy to read into Yoona’s reaction.

“Good morning.” The doe-eyed girl answered in a very quiet voice. Even as worried as she was, the least she wanted was to worry Seohyun. She could literally feel the happiness emanating from the younger girl, a feeling so precious that it seemed out of this world. She placed one of her hands over Seohyun’s that rested on top of her stomach. “You scared me.” She faked a chuckle.

“Aw, mianhae.” Seohyun said with a little bit of aegyo. She rested her cheek on the back on Yoona’s shoulder, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Did you sleep well?” She asked. The other girl chuckled, If only you knew.

“Yes, I did.” Yoona lied, turning her head slightly. She couldn’t help the smile that grazed her features by seeing Seohyun. “How about you?”

“Me too. I think I had a really nice dream… but I can’t remember what I dreamed…” Seohyun said with a giggle. Unconsciously, she tightened her arms around Yoona. The latter sighed deeply; Seohyun seemed so much happier than the night before, and it made Yoona feel on top of the world despite the many troubled thoughts in her mind. She could almost hear her smile through the melodious laughter that left her lips. Words weren’t enough to describe just how glad Yoona was to see Seohyun feeling like this. When she was assigned this mission, Yoona never, ever thought she’d develop such feelings towards the young musician. But of course, her superior had failed to inform her of how much of an amazing, beautiful individual Seohyun was. Yoona had found out on her own, and now she couldn’t bring herself to hurt her and leave.

“That’s odd.” Yoona commented after a few seconds of silence. She turned around and met Seohyun’s eyes. The latter was smiling so widely, her big eyes shining as she stared back into Yoona’s brow orbs. Yoona’s expression in no way mirrored hers, but Seohyun didn’t seem to notice. Not being able to help herself, the older girl leaned in and placed a soft, chaste kiss on Seohyun’s lips. The latter closed her eyes softly, letting herself savor the moment. She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew she was falling for Yoona. And through this kiss, she knew the other girl was falling in love with her as well. It was amazing how the two of them could be so in sync when it came to their feelings for each other, when they were both keeping major things from each other. Of course, Yoona had a lot more to hide, but Seohyun still hadn’t told her about the complicated situation with her parents. However, with each kiss they shared, the maknae was slowly convincing herself that she and Yoona being together could happen, that it didn’t have to be so complicated. “Are you hungry?” Yoona asked as they pulled away.

“A bit. You?” Seohyun asked, her eyes still closed from the kiss. Yoona nodded her head and took Seohyun’s hand in hers, starting to lead her towards the kitchen.

“Same. Let me make you something.” Yoona’s mind was overflowing with thoughts. She needed Seohyun to leave sooner than later; even if she didn’t really want to let her go, she needed to get ready and leave to the headquarters to meet with the commissioner. Seohyun sat on one of the stools of the dining room and watched as Yoona proceeded to rummage through her kitchen apparel. “Would you like some bagels? They’re my specialty.” The doe-eyed girl said, her voice monotonous as she continued to make up any plan or excuse in her mind that wouldn’t arouse suspicion from Seohyun. The latter’s cheeks had turned pink in an adorable manner as she suddenly studied the situation she was in; she’d slept at Yoona’s place, in the same bed as Yoona and they’d shared quite a fair amount of kisses the night before. It seemed to unlike her, yet there she was and enjoying every second she spent with the doe-eyed girl.

“Bagels would be great, Yoona.” She assured. She looked up from her lap and instead stared at the older girl, who was lighting the stove. As the pan with olive oil started to heat, Yoona proceeded to make some coffee, as the headache that afflicted her since earlier was now threatening to kill her. Seohyun then remembered the questions she had for Yoona since the night before, which she’d promised herself to ask during breakfast. “I couldn’t help but stare at the portraits in your room, Yoona-ah.” The latter looked up from the coffee maker and stared into Seohyun’s eyes briefly, fearing what she knew was coming.

“Oh yeah? Do I look pretty on them?” She asked, trying to lighten her own atmosphere. Seohyun giggled, nodding her head repeatedly.

“Yes you do. Did you graduate recently?” Yoona nodded her head, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“Yes, it’ll be a year in June.” Seohyun nodded her head. She was completely oblivious to how vague Yoona was being.

“What did you major in?”

“I make the best Nutella bagels in South Korea, wanna try?” Yoona smiled brightly at Seohyun, praying that the latter would turn her focus towards the food and forget about all those questions she was asking.

“Um, yeah, that’d be great.” The maknae answered, this time catching up to the fact that Yoona was visibly uncomfortable. The doe-eyed girl was hurrying from side to side in the kitchen, checking on the coffee machine which could very well make the coffee on its own, constantly changing the heat of the stove… It all seemed like too much work when it would only be breakfast for two. A small smile made its way into Seohyun’s features as she thought Yoona was acting so nervously just because she wanted to impress her with the food. “I could give you a hand if you want.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” Yoona answered quietly as she gathered all the ingredients on top of kitchen counter. This time, she didn’t even look at Seohyun, hoping the lack of eye contact would make Seohyun stop the small conversations.

“Let me give you a hand, it’s alright…” With that Seohyun hopped off the stool and was about to make her way into the kitchen.

“I said it’s fine!” Yoona exclaimed as Seohyun entered the kitchen. The latter was caught off guard by Yoona’s sudden outburst, and her big eyes showed some slight discomfort and even hurt. She was just trying to help, what had she done wrong?

“O-Okay. Sorry.” The maknae apologized quietly, ducked her head and turned around to leave. Yoona took a deep breath, mentally scolding herself before she grabbed Seohyun’s elbow and stopped her.

“No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Seohyun.” Yoona said. The addressed girl turned around to meet Yoona’s eyes, only to have the older girl avert her gaze. She truly looked ashamed for yelling at Seohyun. “I’m having a rough morning.”

“Why? Did something happen?” Seohyun widened her eyes, stepping closer to Yoona. All apprehension was gone now, and she just wanted to make Yoona feel better from whatever was bothering her. The older girl shook her head slightly, still not meeting Seohyun’s eyes.

“Just some stuff with work. I was talking to my superior before you woke up.” Seohyun placed her hand on Yoona’s cheek, making her face her. When the two were eye to eye, Seohyun realized the other girl was evidently shaken by something. How could she not let her little outburst pass?

“Is it serious?” Seohyun asked, running her thumb along Yoona’s cheekbone. The latter closed her eyes at the soft caress and nodded her head, placing her own hand on top of Seohyun’s on her cheek.

“Yes, it is.”

“How so?” Yoona opened her eyes with an apologetic look, clearly letting Seohyun know she couldn’t answer her question. “S-Sorry, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. There are things I’m not ready to talk about either.” Yoona leaned in and kissed the younger girl, making it sweet yet passionate, so that the maknae could feel that she didn’t have to worry for her, and also because her soft caresses were driving her insane. She felt bad to not be able to be completely honest with Seohyun, but if things went the way she hoped, she wouldn’t have to keep hiding things for much longer.

…

            Yoona walked with long strides that were soundly on the sidewalk. She wore mostly black clothes except for a white v-neck t-shirt under her leather jacket and a grey scarf around her neck. The scarf intentionally hid about half her face, as she walked staring at the ground. To say she was nervous would be the understatement of the century. She was completely afraid of what was to come, but being an inveterate optimist, she continued to hope for the best and think that she was doing what she was about to do for the sake of her blossoming relationship with Seohyun. The latter didn’t deserve to be hurt and used just to get to Jessica Jung, a person who took many bad decisions when she was hurting, but that ultimately wasn’t a bad person either. And Yoona was going to do everything in her power to stop the senseless mission.

            She stopped in front of an old clinic complex and went to its lobby, finding it almost empty as usual. A few people here and there or signing in, but not much movement. In the receptionists’ booth, two of her colleagues played their parts and appeared to be doing paperwork into the computer, when they were actually checking on other agents and their missions. Yoona reached them and cleared , getting their attention. The two girls looked especially surprised to see her since she wasn’t supposed to come and report personally to her superiors until at least a few days.

“Bomi-ssi, Chorong-ssi.” Yoona greeted politely, with a small smile. The two girls bowed at her.

“Yoona-ssi, we weren’t expecting you.” Bomi, the girl with chestnut hair and small, squinty and gentle eyes greeted her casually, handing her a pen and an attendance paper to sign in.

“I changed my appointment to two o’ clock today. I thought Eunji-ssi would have told you.” Yoona answered. The two girls were rookies to the organization so they were assigned logistics and paperwork for the missions of more specialized agents, but they sure took their job seriously and aspired to much more. They had many times expressed their admiration for Yoona’s work, so the latter felt she was also disappointing them by resigning, or maybe they could learn from her mistakes and resign before the missions them in further.

“Eunji doesn’t tell us anything, or not me at least.” Chorong sent a subtle glare towards Bomi. Yoona couldn’t help but chuckle slightly; besides being inseparable work partners, Bomi and Chorong were obviously in love with each other. Thing is, everyone knew except for them.

“Go ahead, I just notified the doctor you arrived. Nice seeing you, Yoona-ssi.” Bomi said with a polite smile, as the two of them bowed at Yoona again. The doe-eyed girl bowed her head back and walked slowly towards the elevator. The ‘doctor’ Bomi had mentioned was actually Bae Yong Joon, the commissioner the organization she worked for. He had inherited the clinic from his father and had transformed it into the main headquarters of an independent intelligence organization he had founded after serving in the military. It was called Alpha Sector, and it had been around for over twenty years already. Yoona had joined when she was fresh out of college, for insistence of the commissioner himself. He taught criminalistics at Seoul National University and was a respected professor there. This job was also his way of staying undercover while recruiting students and graduates that he thought would have enough potential and courage to join Alpha Sector. He saw those traits in Yoona, and his insistence added to the girl’s adventurous and serviceable nature, made Yoona a secret agent for Alpha Sector. She had learned a lot from the commissioner and admired him for wanting to do what the official Korean intelligence wasn’t doing for the citizens, but for some time now, she’d stopped feeling like she belonged in Alpha Sector or its lifestyle. Then she met Seohyun, who she’d been talked about by her superiors as she was assigned the mission of getting to Jessica Jung, and she finished realizing that maybe what she was doing in Alpha Sector wasn’t as honorable as she thought it was. And now she was sure she couldn’t keep up anymore.

            Yoona took a deep breath as she knocked on the door that led to the commissioner’s office. In a matter of seconds, Eunji opened. The latter was certainly newer than Yoona into the organization, but she had the commissioner’s trust and worked as his assistant. She was much more loyal to the organization than Yoona had ever been. The two locked eyes and Yoona saw exactly what she thought she’d see; Eunji, who always sported an eyesmile no matter how dangerous her job was, had a completely serious visage and a creased forehead.

“I see you’re on time, like always.” Eunji greeted, stepping aside so that Yoona could come in and locking the door after her. Yoona followed Eunji through an empty hallway with a big door on its end. “Are you completely sure about this, Yoona?”

“I am, Eunji. This is not worth it anymore, at least not for me.” The doe-eyed girl answered without hesitation.

“Fine. We’re going to miss you around here.” Eunji gave Yoona a side-smile and let her into the room where the commissioner was.

            Yoona had been in there many times, but it had never creeped her out as much as this time. The room was big, dark as if it were midnight and not 2:00 pm, and cold as if it were January and not October. There was a large table, where the commissioner and the agents would hold meetings from time to time, but right now, there was only him sitting at the head of the table. Yoona could only make out his silhouette from the dim light that came from outside the room. He a small lamp that sat on a coffee table next to where he was sitting so that they could see each other clearly. Bae Yong Joon was now 45 years old, but his aspect was much fresher. He had gentle eyes behind thin rimmed glasses, a firm jawline, brown hair that fell down to his neck. He always dressed nicely, suit and tie, and today was no exception. He was also expressionless; if he was expecting what Yoona was going to tell him, he sure didn’t let it show.

“Commissioner Bae.” Yoona greeted, bowing at the man. He, likewise, bowed his head at her.

“Agent Im.” His voice was grave, also expressionless, making Yoona even more nervous for not knowing what to expect. “Eunji told me you wanted to see me. She has also given me heads up of what you came here to tell me.” Yoona gulped, looking at the floor for a few nanoseconds as she gathered courage.

“Commissioner, my decision has been made; I’m resigning to this mission. And… I also desire to leave Alpha Sector… You’ve taught me a lot and I’m very thankful for you taking me under your wing… but just as I’ve respected every decision you’ve made over my life since I joined the organization, I ask you to respect my decision to leave.” The older man continued to be expressionless, but averted his eyes from Yoona’s. The latter’s heart wanted to leap out of her chest as every second passed. She’d said everything she needed to say, now it was up to him.

“Why is this so sudden, Yoona-ssi? I remind you that when you joined, you took a pledge.” Yoona ducked her head, nodding slightly.

“I remember that, Commissioner. I pledged to help people. Just tell me, who am I helping with this mission? If anything, I’m hurting an amazing girl who is starting to trust me.” Yoona answered, her tone of voice begging. She’d always thought Bae Yong Joon to be someone with a strong character but mostly strong morals, who could still discern from right or wrong and ultimately just wanted justice for his country, but with how obsessively he focused on the Jessica Jung mission, she was starting to have her doubts. The commissioner met Yoona’s eyes, and his gaze was b with an emotion that Yoona couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“This mission is very important, Yoona-ssi.” He stood up from his seat, as he slowly walked around the table towards Yoona. The latter’s heart skipped a few beats. “You’re one of my most precious agents, the one who has learned so much through this past year, the one with such a kind, honorable and correct way of acting… Ever since I started planning this mission I thought of you.” His slow steps had him now about two feet away from Yoona.

“But why? Commissioner, can’t you just drop the Jessica Jung case and focus on things that really matter? I don’t understand what harm can an amateur designer do…” Before Yoona could finish her sentence, Bae Yong Joon stepped towards her and grabbed her shoulders tightly. The young agent gasped and widened her eyes, as she immediately stopped talking. His jawline was tight and there was pure look of hatred in his eyes.

“What harm can she do? You’re asking me that, Yoona-ssi?” He asked lowly, tightening his grip on her shoulders. “Because of Jessica Jung, my daughter is dead!” He shouted, letting go of her shoulders and turning his back to Yoona. The latter gasped again, wondering if she had actually heard right. She didn’t even know that he had any family.

“C-Commissioner, what are you saying? You never told me any of that.” Yoona said, her voice breathless.

“It is what you heard, Yoona-ssi. I’ve been studying Seo Joohyun and I feel bad that we are dragging her into this, but Jessica Jung is so alone that Joohyun is my only hope to get to her. If you resign now, I’m not going to avenge my daughter’s death.”

“Commissioner, I’m very, very sorry that that happened, but if Jessica Jung is responsible for murder, it’s not our place to put her behind bars. The police can do that very well and they can get to her freely, unlike us who have to lie and deceive to get to her. Isn’t that the reasonable thing to do?” Bae Yong Joon faced Yoona again. He was expressionless again, shaking his head slightly.

“No, it’s not. I’m going to let you leave the organization, but only if you finish this mission. If you don’t, I’m afraid I might have to do something I don’t want to do…” He finished in a low, menacing tone. Yoona took a deep breath as her heart stopped beating for a few seconds.

“You’re one of the most respectable, honorable and overall best men I’ve ever known. You’ve been a father to me for this past year. How can you threaten me like this?” Yoona asked in a small voice. She felt afraid, lost… Bae Yong Joon knew everything about her and her family, and she knew just how powerful he was.

“I will do what I have to do. My daughter was everything I had, and she took her away.” He said, his voice breaking. “It’s just this mission, Yoona-ssi. You and your family are worth more than Seo Joohyun. Now get out of this place, and do what you choose to do.”

A/N: Hello readers! It’s been a while huh? I’ve been pretty busy, but I manage to write a few paragraphs here and there hehe For all of you Apink pandas, I couldn’t help but throw some ChoMi into this story. They’re just too cute *^* I hope you liked this chapter, because of the storyline I couldn’t make it as fluffy as I wanted to, but sure expect lots of fluff from now on to level up the drama haha. Also, don’t make your conclusions about Jessica just now, there are still many things left to reveal! Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think!