“Naeun!”

 

Her body jolted awake as Eunji gasped. Drenched in cold sweat as she took deep, heavy breaths, the girl looked down to see her hands wrapped in bandages and a warm blanket over her legs. Silent whispers of the television screen greeted her first, and then the familiar scent that reminds her of safety.

 

The hospital.

 

Anxiety filled her heart. Sure, she was glad to be alive and all. But that didn’t matter to her. Without even thinking of her actions, she winced in pain, forcing herself out of bed. The emergency bell sounded as she pulled the IV drip apart her veins, dragging her feet along the floor as dizziness shot up her head. Holding onto the wall for support, she’s got to find her.

 

Naeun.

 

Reaching for the doorknob, the panel slid open. Wide eyes as she paused for a couple moments, there was no way. Eunji had to blink twice, thinking it was all a dream. Maybe she was just a ghost who came back to haunt her. Yeah, it has to be.

 

So, she weakly threw a punch towards the lady in front of her. But her wrist was easily caught in her grip, unable to overthrow.

 

“Calm down. Naeun is next door and you need to get back to bed.”

 

“U-Unnie…you’re…alive…”

 

“Yes. It’s a long story but- “

 

Eunji collapsed herself onto Chorong, hugging her out of joy.

 

“T-thank god! I knew it! There was no way you would die so easily!”

 

The leader almost stumbled back by the sudden weight, but she held on. “Yeah. I’m not called leader for no reason.” Chorong loosened up and smiled, her hands reaching behind as she patted her back. But in five, long seconds, she pulled back and frowned. “Now, please go back to bed.”

 

Eunji chuckled, obediently walking back to her bed as she held onto Chorong’s arm for support. “Oh and…I think I need a new IV drip…” She pointed at her palm.

 

“I’m not surprised. Hold on.” Chorong rolled her eyes, leaving the room momentarily to call the nurse.

 

Siwon, Wendy and Irene chased after B.I and his men. Hiding in secret, the agents saw them transferring an unconscious Eunji and Naeun abroad a ship and soon took chase, stealing a motor boat off the shores of Rijeka. But halfway through, a storm struck and they knew that this was the moment to attack. Sneakily hijacking the ship while the crew was distracted, Siwon put up a fight with B.I while Irene and Wendy went in search for their teammates.

Although he sustained several deep wounds, Siwon overpowered the evil scientist, putting a bullet through his head and pushed that bastard’s body into the deep ocean. Wendy and Irene pushed through B.I’s men that were scattered and trapped in the flooding bottom decks, eventually bursting through the room that Eunji and Naeun were held captive.

 

In a battle against time, the three agents managed to escape the ship before it sank completely. Thanks to their efforts, Eunji and Naeun were saved from the doors of death.

 

“So that’s what happened…” Eunji nodded, listening intently to Chorong who explained the whole story. She had repeated this once to Naeun already, but she didn’t mind retelling it, especially the part where she was saved by former Secret Service seniors. “I guess life comes with a lot of surprises huh?” The girl smiled, thankful that she and Naeun were saved by a sheer chance of luck.

 

“For now.” She emphasized. “The Blue Nation has stopped attacking and we think they are lying low after the attacks. So, rest assured. With their return, I think we can be confident now.”

 

“It’s amazing that they’re back. Aren’t they like legendary agents of The Secret Service? It’s a pity young lads these days have not heard of them.” Eunji said, somewhat excited to meet her seniors again.

 

Her eyes returned to look at her leader.

 

As much as the two had gone through so much together, she was just glad that Chorong is alive and breathing in front of her.

 

“You know; this may sound stupid but I apologize for always causing you trouble. I’m quite a handful aren’t I?” The girl laughed awkwardly, not knowing why just went and babble all that.

 

Chorong raised her eyebrows in suspicion. “What’s gotten into you since I left?”

 

“Nothing.” The agent cleared . “On the other hand, I think I’m going to the toilet for awhile.” She got up from bed and waddled her way out.

 

But Chorong knew what her intention was all along. She knew her long enough to see through Eunji’s lies. She was not heading for the toilet, but the ward next door where Naeun was.

 

Knock. Knock. Knock.

 

Eunji carefully peeked in, immediately making eye contact with Naeun who was reading a book. The couple greeted each other with a smile. Like magnets, they were naturally pulled together and Eunji found herself sitting right by her side. Hands holding onto hers, eyes gazing in as she leaned forward to peck her soft lips, no other happiness is better than being with her.

 

“We live to see another day…together.”

 

“Luck’s on our side I guess.” The girl responded, but her eyes turned to Chorong standing at the doorway, her body leaning against the door as she watched the couple.

 

“Uh…this is…” Eunji stuttered, forgetting the argument she had with Chorong months ago.

 

“I’ll keep it a secret.” The leader sighed, before smiling. “I changed my mind. Anyways, I’ll leave you two then.” She said, closing the door.

 

Eunji and Naeun looked at each other as they grinned, climbing onto cloud nine upon Chorong’s words.

 

Happy in their own world, Eunji gently held onto her cheeks and kissed her again.

 

 

---

 

 

“Oh my god, you let Hayoung drive again?!” Bomi laughed out loud, hearing the story from Namjoo of their mission back in Israel. She broke her leg, requiring months of recovery and therapy before she could walk again.

 

“Hey, I may not have a license but it works okay?” Hayoung whined, drinking a packet of chocolate milk.

 

“And then, we got stopped by these rebels- “

 

“Storytelling must be pretty exciting huh?” Chorong asked, entering the ward.

 

“Sorry, was I too loud?” Namjoo covered in worry in which Chorong nodded with a smile.

 

“How’s those two doing?” Bomi asked.

 

“Oh, I just let those lovebirds be.” The leader shrugged. “Either way, I think we’ll be able to enjoy peace for awhile.”

 

Thanks to Mr. Lee’s strategic planning, the destruction of Blue Nation’s weapons warehouse, their base at Iceland and the killing of their master scientist B.I, The Secret Service was close to victory. But the leader is still alive and it wouldn’t take long before they would rebuild themselves and attack again.

 

That was why, they needed to be prepared.

 

“It is certainly an honour to have you girls back into The Secret Service.” Mr. Lee bowed, exchanging handshakes with all five women. He has heard much great tales and stories from his predecessors. They had much history over the years, saving the country from turmoil several times.

 

“Only this time, sir.” Taeyeon said as everyone was seated in the meeting room of the Daegu headquarters. “While we work to rebuild The Secret Service back to it’s original position, we should make use of this time to track down their leader.” She handed a file to the man which he flipped it open.

 

His eyebrow arched. “I believe he was killed in a mission back in 2001.” Taking out a photo of a man claimed as “Choi Seunghyun”, he was the world’s most wanted criminal. Aiming for world domination, he attempted to topple the world twice with his twisted attempts. From using the cruelest, sickest methods to get what he wants, he is a man with no mercy.

 

“Was.” Sunny emphasized. “The five of us were assigned on that mission and there is a possibility that he survived from his wounds.”

 

Mr. Lee widened his eyes as he nodded, thinking ahead as he took note of this important detail.

 

“As for now, I think we should focus on tracking him down.” Yuri suggested. “But I believe our agents need time to recuperate. After all, they are humans. Not robots designed for war.”

 

“Yes. I will request the help of the Korean Army for this.” Mr. Lee clasped his hands together, already impressed at their abilities. “In the meantime, I have a special mission just for the five of you.”

 

 

---

 

 

A funeral was held to honour the lives of the agents who sacrificed themselves in the name of the Secret Service. As their portraits were displayed at the front, everyone took turns to place white flowers on top. Lives of young ones gone in a blink of an eye, just like what happened to Yookyung. It was a strong reminder to the agents that death is common.

 

In the days, months or years to come, they may find themselves in this exact same place, remembering their comrade, a friend, a family member who died in the name of honour.

 

Confined in her wheelchair, Bomi looked at the portraits of her friends who sacrificed themselves. She still remembers the scene vividly in her head.

 

Matthew, Amber, Taeyong and Baekho.

 

She will never forget them. Even when she grows old, Bomi vowed to share their heroic tales to young ones. Because one truly dies only when they are forgotten.

 

For the first time in awhile, all six members of the Seoul team gathered and took one last bow together. Heads down, they prayed that this would not have to happen to someone in their team, hoping that all of them can stay alive together until the very end.

 

“It’ll be alright.” Bomi smiled, holding tightly onto Nana’s hand. They were the only ones left behind, in their circle.

 

“We can’t let them down, Bomi.” The girl looked at her with a sad smile.

 

 

---

 

 

Four months later.

 

No longer holding onto her crutches, Bomi walked across the makeshift path at the therapy centre without any problems. The nurses were amazed at how fast the girl had recovered and showed much improvement over the weeks. From letting go of the wheelchair and now the crutches, Bomi was confident that she could even run.

 

“I believe that you are ready, Miss Bomi. You no longer need to come for the session. If you feel any pain around your knees, please don’t hesitate to call us.” The nurse said with a bow.

 

The agent smiled excitedly, happy to finally be free. Exiting the therapy centre which she dreaded going there everyday, she stretched her arms out in victory and groaned, easily bending her body left and right.

 

“Guess someone is super happy.” Chorong said with a smile. She was here to pick her up.

 

After almost facing death firsthand, Chorong listened to Sunny’s advice and decided to relax, trying to open up a heart, little by little. She wanted to take things slowly and appreciate life around her, remembering what she was fighting for, the peace in everyday life. The smallest happiness and joys. While it was awkward at first, she managed to settle in slowly by visiting Bomi everyday. Certainly, she didn’t want to disturb the couple who spent their own time privately or be confused by the youngster slangs that Namjoo and Hayoung used.

 

The Secret Service has rebuilt itself over the months and while occasionally, Chorong would have to take in missions, they were nothing too heavy or risky. It was simply small scouting jobs where she had to obtain more information about Choi Seunghyun and the Blue Nation’s whereabouts. Most of these ended in a success and proved a clue to tracking him down. The process is long but soon with time, victory will be in their hands.

 

“Wanna get ice cream unnie?” Bomi asked.

 

She knew that Chorong was making an effort to change her own lifestyle, that icy cold wall around her, melting down. She could see the differences by day and Bomi was more than glad to help her out in adjusting and living like a normal citizen of the country. There were so many sides of Chorong that she didn’t know of and that pulled her deeper in love.

 

But the girl remained cautious about her blossoming feelings towards her. It was not that she was afraid of rejection but rather, the aftereffects of doing so. She just wasn’t ready for that yet. 

 

However, she remembered how peaceful moments like these don’t last very long. She had to cherish it as it is rare to come by. If she misses the chance now, when will she ever? It was either take it or leave it.

 

“Sure. I don’t know any ice cream places so…”

 

“I know.” Bomi laughed. “I’ll take you to my favourite place. You’ll love it!”

 

 

---

 

 

The sharp ringing sound of an alarm broke through the peaceful silence of the apartment home. Situated in the middle of the bustling city and high up in the skies, it was a place of one who was rarely at home. But today, it’s owner is here and with a special guest that she showers with all her heart.

 

She groaned, stretching her arms and pressing the button. Returning back to the wonderful silence, she turned to her side, smiling widely as she reached for her touch. under the sheets together, she wished she could live every other day like this: waking up to her girlfriend, spending every second with her and living through the nights of sweet whispers.

 

“Morning.”

 

Eunji cooed softly, planting a kiss on Naeun’s cheek. She pulled her into her warm, strong arms, taking a whiff of her graceful hair, a scent that she already memorized in her head.

 

“What do we eat for breakfast?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Do I eat you?” Eunji teased to which Naeun frowned, playfully pushing her away as she knew exactly what it meant. “You already had yours last night.” She whined as her girlfriend’s laughter vibrated through the air.

 

“It’s a joke. Last night was amazing, no doubt.” Giving another kiss onto her forehead, the agent decided to get up. Sitting on her bed as she did light stretches, the agent scratched her head and looked around her room. Ever since she joined the Secret Service, never once could she shake off this paranoia of someone suddenly invading her house. There were times where she would dream of someone killing her in her sleep. A horrible nightmare that luckily doesn’t happen often now that Naeun often stays over.

 

While being a Secret Service agent had its benefits, these traumas were the ones that she had to live forever. It was to a point where she needed to have a gun by her side, in order to feel safe and protected.

 

“Don’t worry. No one’s going to come.” Naeun whispered, pulling Eunji back into bed.

 

“It’s difficult, y’know? A day may come where I may never come back to this place. Or even you…”

 

But Naeun silenced her girlfriend’s pessimistic thoughts through a peck on her lips.

 

“We’ve talked about this already. It doesn’t matter.” She leaned her head onto Eunji’s chest. “We promised not to talk about this. It’s…depressing…”

 

“Yeah.” Eunji sighed, fiddling her fingers between Naeun’s strands of hair. “Anyways, breakfast! How about some pancakes?!” She raised her tone, trying to brighten the mood.

 

“Sounds good.” Naeun smiled as the two got up, taking turns in the toilet as they changed. But Eunji’s phone began to buzz with a phone call. The couple glanced at each other, knowing what this meant. They dreaded hearing that ring because it meant the end of their peaceful mornings together.

 

“Pick it up.” Naeun said, noticing Eunji’s hesistant eyes.

 

Biting her lip, Eunji forced herself as she swiped her finger onto the screen and placed the phone onto her ear. “Hello? Yes, sir, understood. The two of us will be right there.”

 

 

---

 

 

Laughter filled the room as Hayoung was all smiles, chattering away with an unnie whom she has not seen for ages. Clinging onto her arms and following her everywhere, the girl has become brighter ever since. Excitedly showing her invented weapons, achievements and tools, she loved hearing praises from the woman whom she considered her “mother”.

 

Hyoyeon.

 

Abandoned by her mother as she left her at the foot of the headquarters, Hayoung could’ve ended up like any other child, casted aside into an orphanage. But, Hyoyeon decided to take her and raise Hayoung like her own. Under the woman’s wing, Hyoyeon took full responsibility, ensuring that she grew up well, in exchange that she was to offer back her life, serving the Secret Service.

 

Hayoung was quite the clingy child, often whining and crying when Hyoyeon had to leave her behind to do missions and sorts. When Hayoung entered adolescence, Hyoyeon suddenly disappeared, along with her four “aunts”. She tried everything but there was no clue. Broken, Chorong convinced her that it was a waste of resources and that it would be better to train as a Secret Service member because “that is what Hyoyeon would’ve wanted”.  

 

For all these years, Hayoung thought that Hyoyeon died in a mission. But, a miracle happened. Here she was, alive and well and indeed, the same as ever.

 

“You’re such a smart kid! Aigoo, you’ve grown so well!” Hyoyeon praised, grinning from ear to ear as she was proud at how much Hayoung had developed, making use of her abilities to create powerful weapons for the organization. While a small part of her worried over Hayoung’s safety as she was certainly no fighter and weak, but she placed her trust in the Seoul team. As much as she felt sorry for leaving without a word, she had her reasons. Reasons, that she could not tell just yet.

 

Listening into their upbeat conversations quietly, was Namjoo. She sighed, occasionally reading a book or browsing her laptop, she felt like Hayoung’s attention was snatched away. It was not that she was jealous—rather she would refuse to say that. As much as she tried to understand how much Hyoyeon meant to Hayoung, she didn’t like the fact that Hayoung just pushed her aside like that after everything she has done for her. The problem wasn’t Hyoyeon, but Hayoung being a clueless fool.

 

“We’re going for lunch. Wanna come along?” Hyoyeon asked carefully, aware of Namjoo’s awkward behavior. For sure, Hyoyeon knew that Hayoung was indeed a thick, dense piece of brick. That’s something she still has to teach her which was to understand the feelings of others.

 

“It’s okay.” Namjoo shook her head. “You two go ahead.”

 

“Alright then. Take care.” Hyoyeon smiled as Hayoung dragged her away.

 

Eating their lunch at a nearby Korean restaurant, the woman watched in amusement at Hayoung’s never changing pickiness of vegetables and love for meat. She let the girl order whatever she wanted and insisted that “unnie” will pay. Perhaps, she’s regretting a little now but that’s fine. Hayoung’s happiness is her happiness.

 

“Hayoung-ah, can unnie ask you something?”

 

“Yeah, sure.” The girl nodded, coolly picking up meat with her chopsticks and putting it straight into .

 

“Unnie is really glad to see that you’re doing well. But as you get older, I’m sure that eventually you’ll start thinking about your future. One day, you will have someone whom you would want protect with all your life. Someone that you want to give all your love to. Have…you found someone like that yet?”

 

“W-What kind of question is that unnie…” Hayoung stuttered, her face blushing in a light pink tint. “I barely turned twenty this year…such a question…is hard to answer…”

 

Hyoyeon laughed. “I’m just concerned. For me, I’ve come across so many guys and women in my life. But they never seem to strike a fire in my heart. It’s all bad experiences and I just don’t want you to make the same mistake when it comes to love.”

 

“…Well…I do have someone in mind…” The girl mumbled shyly. “But I don’t think it’s meant to be something like that though…or is it…I don’t really know…”

 

Hyoyeon’s ears perked up in interest. “Who is it?” She asked, leaning slightly forward.

 

“Na-“

 

But alas, Hayoung’s phone buzzed at that very moment. She was somewhat relieved, having not to answer that question as she picked the call.

 

“Hello? Oh, okay. I’ll be right there. Yes, I’ll call Namjoo unnie too.”

 

“Who’s that?”

 

“One of Mr. Lee’s secretaries. They called us in for a mission.”

 

“Oh…” Hyoyeon hummed. After all, she had been back at work with The Secret Service and she had an idea what that mission could be. “Well, duty calls. Good luck, Hayoung. I know you’ll do well.”

 

 

---

 

 

The two sat in the café, eating their ice cream as they looked out of the window. People who walked past all had their own purpose in life. They were heading to a place to do something that would very much be part of their own daily routine.

 

“Unnie, do you sometimes wonder about life as a normal person?” Bomi asked, eating her chocolate ice cream from a cup.

 

“What, me?”

 

Bomi nodded, never letting go of her gaze. She was curious about Chorong. She had so many questions for her.

 

“I…don’t know.” Chorong answered with much difficulty. She didn’t know the answer to that question. “I think it would be better if I stayed who I am now.”

 

“Really?” The girl arched her eyebrow. “Then, what about love?”

 

Chorong halted her movements, putting the spoon back into the cup.

 

“Have you ever fallen in love with someone, Chorong unnie?” Bomi asked, her eyes had full attention on the girl in front of her. She wasn’t backing down. She was going to break down that wall piece by piece, even by force.

 

“Bomi…the questions you’re asking…I don’t know the answer to them…”

 

“That’s boring…” Bomi pouted in disappointment. “But if someone confessed their love to you, would you accept it?” She asked again.

 

“Would there be anyone who would like me though?” Chorong chuckled, awkwardly eating her ice cream. She didn’t know why Bomi was attacking her with these personal questions.

 

“Of course, there would be someone! Unnie doesn’t know how beautiful she is. You should go out and meet more people!”

 

Why am I such a coward? Yoon Bomi, confess to her!

 

“Bomi…”

 

“But then I forgot that unnie here is just a workaholic. Men might be terrified to know that a strong, powerful woman like you exists. For all you know, you might scare them off and- “

 

“Bomi.”

 

“Y-Yes?” The girl stopped her continuous firing of speech, noticing Chorong looking at her in a serious expression.

 

“Do you like me?”

 

 

--

 

A/N: Chorong totally caught on to Bomi's acts OH BOY- well, this is more of a chill chapter, a break away from all the action and tension. A look at the agent's normal lives off duty~ Is there a reason to Chorong's change in heart of allowing 2eun to date in secret? Theres so many mysteries behind the leader of Seoul team hmm (The whole Hyoyeon-Hayoung idea is mainly inspired from Secret Unnie)