"Wake up!" Irene calls, banging open a bedroom door. "Wendy, you know that you can't have people over on school nights! Sorry, but out!" Irene shoos a half- stranger out the door. "Out! You can see Wendy later."

"Ah, Irene unnie," Wendy complains. "It's too early to be waking up."

"We have school, thank you very much. You should already have woken up. Be ready to go in ten minutes." Irene chucks open the curtains and throws the covers off Wendy, who groans at the bright sunlight attacking her eyes.

"Five? But-"

"Five." 

Irene makes her way to another bedroom door, rapting her knuckles against the wood gently. "Yerimmie? Are you almost ready to go?"

"Almost, unnie!" Yeri says as she finishes tying her shoes. She quickly adjusts the kilt on her waist. "Done!"

"Yah, Irene! How come you treat her so kindly? You barge into my room and kick out my friend and then-"

Irene scoffs from the hallway, "Friend, my , Seungwan! Just focus on getting ready."

"Joohyun," Wendy says, throwing Irene's real name around in return as she pulls rapidly undoes the knots in her hair. "You really do love your daughter."

"Aish!" Irene comes into Wendy's room just to give Wendy's newly brushed hair a hard yank before darting out of the room. "I'm not that old!"

Irene makes her way down the stairs of the house to the first floor, stopping in the foyer to press a small button on the wall. Before she can, the screen pops out on its own and suddenly, Kim Taeyeon makes an appearance.

"Good morning, sunbaenim," Irene says, bowing deeply to her sunbae's digital face to hide her surprise. The famed agent (one of the heads of the academy) did not tend to make calls personally.

"Irene," Taeyeon says, acknowledging the girl with a nod but ignoring her question. "Are the D.E.B.S ready to go?"

"Almost, Ms. Kim," Irene assures her. "Seungwan!"

"Coming, Joohyun!" Wendy shouts from upstairs. Footsteps rattle the ceiling above Irene, who rolls her eyes.

"Good morning, sunbaenim," Yeri greets the screen. She shrugs her backpack up onto her shoulder.

"Hello, Yerim. Irene, please come to my office when you arrive at school. You, and your team. BoA has requested to speak with you."

"BoA?" Irene can't mask her surprise this time. forms a perfect "o" and her hands fly up to cover her reddening cheeks. She shouldn't act so unprofessional in front of Taeyeon, no matter how close they are. "The BoA?"

"Yes, yes," Taeyeon sounds almost tired responding to Irene, "that BoA. Out of the other many, many BoAs I'm sure you know."

Irene's lips scrunch up into a scowl. "Sunbae!"

"Irene, how many times do I need to tell you to drop such formalities? Just because I've graduated and you haven't doesn't mean you need to be so formal," Taeyeon chides. She's only a couple years older than Irene, and while they are not necessarily best buds, they are on friendly terms. Not quite friends, but more than acquaintances. "You're a senior now. You have only one more year. Joohyun, always a teacher's pet and loyal follower of rules."

"You got that right, sunbae!" Wendy, a junior, jumps down the stairs, taking two at a time. "So uptight."

"Yah, Wendy!" Irene smacks Wendy upside the head. "Respect your elders."

"You're right, you are so old~"

"Hey!"

"Sunbaenim, we have to go!" Yeri, adorable freshman Yeri, shoves the bickering pair out the door. "Otherwise, we will be late!"

Yeri can hear the screen turn off and slot back into the wall as she and her arguing unnies get into the car. Irene drives, making sure everyone's seatbelt is buckled, and the three head to school. With three minutes to spare, the group sprints to Taeyeon's office. 

"Girls," Taeyeon says, turning her chair around to face the three students who are about to heave their guts out on the carpet floor, "please be seated. You'll be excused from class. This is far more important."

"Seonsaengnim," Irene stands up abruptly and greets the renowned headmaster. "It's an honor to meet you."

The other two students follow suit and bow to BoA.

"I see this must be your team?"

"Yes. This is Wendy, and this is Yeri."

"I hear good things about you," BoA says, making Irene's chest swell with pride. "I hope these good things are all true because Kang Seulgi is back in town."

Wendy's jaw hits the floor. "Excuse me?"

"Excuse me?" BoA repeats, unused to sudden informal outbursts.

"I mean, what do you mean 'Seulgi is back in town?'" Wendy coughs and looks at the ground, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

"Exactly what I said, Wendy. Kang Seulgi is back."

Irene processes the information slowly. Kang Seulgi? The Kang Seulgi? The criminal? Kang Seulgi? 

"Seulgi? I'm writing my dissertation on her," Irene says absentmindedly, still unable to believe BoA's words.

"Wow!" Yeri says. "She's resurfaced now after so many years?"

"I understand you all are very surprised by this news and believe me, so am I -- probably more so than you. According to intel from the higher-ups, she will be meeting high-profile assassin and sniper Krystal Jung."

"Oh, man," Irene says under her breath.

"Oh, man, is correct. We want you three to stake out the restaurant where this meeting is taking place. You will be debriefed later. I'm sorry to have held you all so long, and I'm sure you all have many, many questions you want to ask. I must go, but we will see each other later. Take care, girls."

After Taeyeon dismisses the three from her office, Irene walks slowly to her class. 

Seulgi. Kang Seulgi. The biggest catch of them all.

Infamous Seulgi is the one responsible for the sale of 500,000 dollars worth of illegal arms being smuggled across the border of China. Infamous Seulgi is the one responsible for stealing the Crown Jewels, for then breaking the Crown Jewels and selling them. Infamous Seulgi is responsible for the kidnapping and ransom of that one ambassador all those years ago. And now, infamous Seulgi is here. 

Here! 

Irene can't concentrate the rest of her day. Her thoughts are consumed by the idea of capturing Seulgi. Irene could only imagine the wonders that would do to her career: the job offers, the press, the stability and knowledge that she'd be set for life. It sounded very promising. Irene her lips. She could taste victory. It was already within her grasp. All she had to do was reach a little further.

"Park Sooyoung!" Seulgi grumbles, tilting her head back into the passenger seat. "You set me up on a date??"

"Relax, Seulgi-bear," Joy says. "It's just a little something to get back on your feet. You went all the way to Australia to mend your broken heart, and now you're back, so what better time to get back out there?"

"Joy..."

"Please, Seulgi," Joy pleads. "I promise it's for your benefit. You need to get your game back. You're an absolute catch! Plus, you never know when you'll find love."

Seulgi sighs. "Fine, Joy. I'll go on your stupid blind date."

Joy pumps her fist. "Yes! Her name is Krystal, and she's a fiery little number. She's an assassin and sniper. Pretty famous, too." Joy winks and shoulders Seulgi. "Just like you."

"Assassin? You know I'm not into the whole... killing people thing." Seulgi makes a di