Jisoo takes a nonchalant sip of her iced coffee and skims over the next page of her book, trying to settle into her role as an undercover cop.

The outdoor seating at this cafe had a perfect view of where the arrest was going to take place. She and her fellow officers had been tracking one of Seoul’s nastiest criminals for the past three months in an attempt to stop the crime lord in his tracks, once and for all.

By now, they knew his routine by heart. Yang Hyun-Suk liked to start his mornings off bright and early. He’d spend a couple fruitless hours at the gym with some of his fellow henchmen, then he’d go off and have brunch with higher up officials in his company. After eating, he would return to his highly guarded fortress, where armed men in bulletproof vests patrolled the parameters around the clock.

That much of his routine was concrete, which is why Jisoo and a handful of other officers from the department were loitering about the surrounding block. Yang Hyun-Suk’s favorite brunch spot was just across the street from the cafe, and he almost always frequented the coffee house before departing.

Jisoo stole a look at the restaurant, peering at it as she pretended to read her novel, eyes scanning the building through her dark sunglasses. A set of large, tough-looking bodyguards towered over anyone who dared try the door of the restaurant, sending any threat reeling away in fear.

They were poorly concealing their pistols in their suit jackets and one of them kept one hand pressed to his ear at all times, no doubt listening to some sort of instruction. Jisoo discreetly checked her watch. It was nearing half past ten o’clock now. Yang Hyun-Suk and his gang usually finished eating around eleven.

The undercover cop set her book down and looked around the cafe. She made eye contact with Rosé and Lisa, two of her closest friends within the department, and nodded slightly at them. Her two friends were having coffee with another set of detectives. All of them were participating in small talk and trying to laugh off the tension hanging in the air.

“Hi.”

Jisoo snapped her head up from her book, startled. Any minute now, Yang Hyun-Suk and his gang would file of out the restaurant across the street, and this girl was blocking her view. The last thing Jisoo needed right now was a distraction. Yet here this girl was, standing in front of her, fiddling nervously with her hands.

She wore a pair of pristine white shorts and a cute white and blue checkered blouse. Her long, dark brown hair spilled down her shoulders in waves. Jisoo sat there, studying her, analyzing everything she could about the situation. “My name’s, um, Jennie.” As the girl spoke, Jisoo’s mind raced with the possibilities behind this intrusion.

Could YG have noticed them? Could he have realized there had been cops tailing him over the past couple of months? It was plausible. Anything was possible, and now was not the time to let down her guard. “Do you work for him?” Jisoo asked, her voice a quiet hiss. She took off her sunglasses and set them on the table, trying to get a better look at the girl’s face.

“Is that what this is about?” She whipped her head around, trying to pinpoint if any of the surrounding patrons were YG goons in disguise. “Are you here to distract me or something?” The undercover cop looks back up at the girl, who’s expression had turned into one of complete and utter puzzlement. Jisoo tried to wrack her brain for any information on the girl. She couldn’t recall if she’d seen Jennie with YG’s entourage before, but that didn’t matter.

“What?” Jennie said, incredulous. Jisoo grasped at her wrist and tugged the girl down into the seat beside her. Jisoo glanced over at the armed bodyguards across the street and noticed that they hadn’t even spared a look their way. The two suited men are listening intently to