“So you don’t remember anything after meeting that girl?” Krystal asked.

“No. It’s just all blank after that. And what are you doing here? You’re not in our team,” Joy said. She ripped the IV drip from her arm.

“Hey! Hey! The doctor didn’t give you a go!” Wendy said. She tried to push her back down.

Joy brushed away her hand. “So what? I feel fine.”

She swung her legs off of the bed and stretched. She looked around the hospital room. She’d never been in the med-care floor before. She’d always been careful and had never gotten hurt enough to be put in. It was large and it was bright white and it smelled of disinfectants. Krystal was sitting on one of the comfy chairs, Wendy was standing beside her, and Yeri was out getting her a can of soda.

“Where’s Irene and Seulgi?” she asked.

She saw Wendy’s and Krystal’s face fall. The atmosphere became tense. Uncomfortable.

“Irene was pretty shaken up after you got shot. I don’t know why. She doesn’t seem like the type. Anyway, Seulgi followed her,” Krystal said.

“Oh. Didn’t know she cared. And why did Seulgi go? Aren’t you two,” she pointed at Wendy, “BFFs or something?”

Wendy blinked. “Well, we are close, but Seulgi told me to stay with you. She said she would take care of it.

“And you believed her? I bet they’re going to have a show down - .”

“Joy! What are you doing up? Lay back down!”

Joy looked up. Yeri was standing in the doorway with a glare. She had a can of Sprite in her hand. She stormed over to her.

“You guys let her get up?”

Joy laughed at the look on Wendy and Krystal’s face. She knew it was unexpected for the two women to see Yeri yelling. The quiet and serious Yeri. The Yeri who never talked unless she absolutely had to.

Joy let Yeri push her back onto the bed. She sighed. She looked up at the ceiling. It was frustrating. It was frustrating that she couldn’t remember anything. It was frustrating that so many things happened during the time that she couldn’t remember anything about.

Joy turned over and closed her eyes.

A knock sounded at the door. Joy groaned. She got up. A very familiar man walked in with a nicely wrapped box in his hand.

“I’m sorry for not visiting earlier. There was a lot of things to take care of.”

“Lee? It’s about time,” Joy said.

The man cocked a brow. “Do I really not intimidate any of you? I’m doing a horrible job as a director, aren’t I?” He walked over to Joy and handed her the box. “For all your efforts and getting chemicals shot into your body.”

“Thanks.” Joy ripped open the wrapping. A box of chocolate revealed itself. “Oh hell yes!”

Lee chuckled. “I thought you’d like it. And Krystal. I’m glad you were there. Wendy, superior job behind the scenes as usual.”

Joy watched as Krystal smiled cockily and Wendy gave a demure nod. The two couldn’t be more different.

“And Yeri. Great job holding up with Irene.”

Yeri shrugged.

“Talking about Irene, where is she? And Seulgi.”

“Apparently, Irene was upset after watching me get shot so Seulgi went to go calm her down or something,” Joy said.

Joy saw a brief flicker of something behind Lee’s eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it had come. A playful spark replaced it.

He said, “And no one thinks that they might kill each other?”

“That’s what I said.”

Irene slammed the door behind her. She rested her back against it. Slid down until she was curled up on the floor. She held her right hand down with her left. Unwanted memories flooded her head. It hurt. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.

It had been too similar. The situation had been too similar to the event that had happened nine years ago. Events that shouldn’t have taken place. Events that shattered her world. Events that still haunted her day and night.

“Irene? Are you okay? Joy’s alright.”

Seulgi. Why was Seulgi here? She didn’t know anything at the moment. She heard a sigh on the other side of the door. Heard the sound of Seulgi taking the same position that she was in. Back against the door and knees pulled against her chest.

“It scared me, too, you know. I heard a gunshot from the stairwell and I thought one of you died.”

Irene could hear the casual way Seulgi talked about the event. Seulgi talking about herself calmed her. It took her mind away from thoughts that shouldn’t be thought of. She realized her hand had stopped trembling.

“But then I remembered. I’m in SM and the greatest agent I know is in there right now. It’s going to fine. And it was. We saved Joy. We have nine men in custody. You did great, Irene.”

Irene was confused. Hearing Seulgi say something like that was unexpected. Her voice was distant but warm. Drastically unlike the vexed way she’d spit out her words before. It wasn’t a bad feeling. Irene felt her muscles soften. She leaned her head back against the door and unfolded her legs. She let out a deep breath. Stood up and opened the door. Seulgi was already standing up.

“Come in.”

Seulgi looked surprised. Irene stood to the side to let her pass. Seulgi nodded and walked in. Her steps were hesitant. Irene could see her scanning the room. It was a habit that agents acquired after experience. At first it was obvious. Too obvious. Then you learned to do it subtly. But it took one to know one and Irene knew exactly what Seulgi was doing. She closed the door and locked it.

“Nice place,” Seulgi said.

Irene walked to the kitchen. “Coffee?”

A surprised pause. “Sure.”

It felt odd. Just a few days ago they had fought in front of a bathroom in a house that didn’t belong to them. Now they were in Irene’s apartment and she was making coffee for a woman she had been put up against since nine years prior. Irene realized that they’d never given one another chance. The agency itself had blocked them from that. The agents had put them against each other since the day Seulgi had entered the agency. With them never having even met each other then. The agents had do