[CONTENTID1]re:union[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter 1[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]Soojin left the university building with a smile on her lips, enjoying the warm summer sun that greeted her outside. She shielded her eyes with her hand, letting her gaze move over the parking lot in search of her fiancé. It didn’t take long to spot him. His silver-blue Yamaha motorcycle always stood out, and it was no different today. He garnered curious looks from other students as he leaned against the vehicle, wearing a leather jacket and black gloves. Her cheeks flushed upon seeing his attire and her heartbeat sped up. Her fiancé should have become a model instead of a police officer—he was irresistible.

Baekhyun waved at her from afar and approached her, smiling vibrantly. His brown eyes were sparkling with affection when he embraced her, gently drawing her into his chest. “Hello, Soo,” he said and ruffled her hair. “I missed you.”

“Baek, you’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in weeks!” she giggled. Her heart did little somersaults in her chest. His smile was one of a kind, so bright and genuine. He was the light of her life—and soon, they would be married. She had anticipated the wedding ever since he had proposed to her under the light of the moon and the stars. Her fingers touched the silver engagement ring on her finger. Baekhyun’s name was engraved in it, just like her name was engraved in his.

“It’s been too long,” he sighed and laid his chin on her shoulder, tightening his embrace. She felt safe when he held her like this, comforted and protected from any harm that might have befallen her. The trust she had in this man was rare to find. They had been a couple for years, and their mutual love for each other never dimmed. Even after years of being in a relationship, they still discovered new things about each other. For example, Baekhyun’s love for gummy bears which she found adorable.

“Since I went to university this morning, exactly five hours have passed,” she replied amusedly. “You’re so impatient!”

He pecked her lips. “I love you too much, Soo. Can’t spend a day without you,” he teased, causing Soojin’s cheeks to flush. Baekhyun chuckled, taking her hand to lead her to his motorcycle. They planned to have lunch together and she had been looking forward to it all morning.

“How was work?” Soojin asked curiously as they walked, never noticing the cautious glance he sent her.

“It was fine, the usual.”

“That’s what you always say,” she pouted.

“Well, it’s true! How was university?”

“Oh, you know. The usual,” she answered and grinned sassily.

“You’re a tease, sweetheart,” he laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Soojin loved to see him smile. Baekhyun was considerate, put her needs before his, and they rarely argued. If they disagreed on something, they found some sort of compromise they were both happy with. They fit together like puzzle pieces, complementing each other so well that Soojin couldn’t believe her luck. Sometimes she thought she had found her soulmate in him.

He took her hand, linking his fingers with hers and squeezing it lightly. She met his eyes, reading devotion within them. Butterflies gathered in her stomach, her heart fluttering in joy. “I love you, Baekhyun,” she whispered and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for picking me up today, I appreciate it.”

He nodded and handed her a helmet before they both mounted his motorcycle. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her body against his lean back. Unbeknownst to her, this would be the last day she would spend with him before everything would go down the drain. Before he would cruelly leave her for someone else and disappear from the face of the earth.

Three years passed and much changed. Soojin was not a university student anymore, but an agent working for South Korea’s Secret Service. She had applied for this job not long after graduating, her IT knowledge and her stellar grades being the main reasons why she had been accepted. After the disaster her ex-fiancé had brought upon her, Soojin had quelled the pain of loss by burying herself in work. The sadder she felt, the more she studied and the harder she worked. Ironically, her ex-fiancé’s betrayal had aided her career. Two long years of training with other rookie agents followed her graduation. Although the hole Baekhyun had left in her heart could never be filled, her newly-acquired career gave her a new purpose and something to focus on.

And now, after months of working as a professional agent, she had received an offer she couldn’t refuse. One of her superiors had picked her to join a group of special agents notorious among the Secret Service for their mission success rate. They called themselves EXO, the best of the best, and while she had been elated about the promotion, Soojin couldn’t help but feel surprised. Why would a rookie like her receive access to a special unit? It hardly made sense to her but seeing how much her salary would rise if she agreed,  the decision was taken quickly.

She was on the way to the office of her new superior, an agent called Kim Junmyeon. She knew next to nothing about him and the other members of EXO, so she was nervous, her fingers fidgeting with her wristwatch. Since she wanted to look professional on her first day here, she wore an elegant white blouse paired with black pants and pumps. Their heels clicked on the floor of the hallway as she walked, getting closer to her destination.

EXO occupied an entire floor of the Secret Service’s headquarters in Seoul. Soojin spotted several doors leading to offices and other rooms, as well as a gym that agents could use for practice. It certainly looked more expensive than the small area her old unit had occupied. They had shared a floor with two other rookie units. It had been very cramped, so she was happy about this change. Soojin stopped in front of an office labeled with the name “Kim Junmyeon.” Glancing at her wristwatch, she noted that she was a bit too early. She lingered in front of the door, unsure if she should enter or not, and raked her hand through her short hair. It barely reached below her chin—she preferred it short to keep it out of the way when she was sent on missions.

Taking another deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited for an answer before she entered the office. She found herself in a spacious room with a desk in the middle and a large window behind it, showing the cityscape of Seoul. Several shelves stacked with folders were lined up on the walls and Soojin had to admit that they looked surprisingly unorganized. What kind of person was Kim Junmyeon? Her eyes settled on the man sitting behind the desk. His hair was black and combed back, his dress shirt ironed and free of wrinkles. Soojin found him likable from the start and hoped that they would get along.

“Good morning, I’m Lee Soojin,” she smiled politely, the nervousness in her stomach growing. He got up to greet her and shook her hand with a friendly smile on his lips.

“Hello, my name is Kim Junmyeon,” he introduced himself. “You’re early; your new partner is not here yet, but that’s not a problem. I’ll use the opportunity to explain some things to you.”

Junmyeon seemed nice enough, but she would still miss her old superior and of course, her trusted partner Jeno. When she had been part of NCT, they’d always had each other’s backs and she undoubtedly would feel strange without him on missions. Nonetheless, Soojin reminded herself to do her best to get along with her new partner. How hard could that possibly be? All people who worked in a special unit were highly skilled and trustworthy. She was lucky she had gotten the opportunity to work with them despite only being an agent for a short time.

“My unit EXO currently has nine members, and with you included we will be ten. We are working in pairs of two.”

Soojin held back a frown, wondering why they used to be nine people when they supposedly worked in pairs. It didn’t make sense unless they had lost someone on a mission. Soojin couldn’t stop the doubts from rising within her mind. She suspected something bad had happened to the former tenth member of EXO, whoever it had been. Most likely, this person had been working with her new partner…

Junmyeon didn’t notice her doubts and continued his explanation. “I’m taking the agents’ strengths and weaknesses into account when I'm assigning new teams. We’ve been looking for an expert in hacking and espionage like you and that's why you were chosen to join EXO. Your partner is an excellent shot and experienced in combat.”

“Who is my new partner? Have we met before?” Soojin asked.

Junmyeon smiled, about to reply, but he was interrupted by a knock at the door. The person on the other side entered without waiting for an answer. He strode in confidently, and Soojin raised her head to look at his face. Her breath hitched and constricted. The smile she had worn froze. Stunned, she stared at her ex-fiancé, Byun Baekhyun. Soojin couldn’t believe her eyes. He looked the same as three years ago when she had last seen him, wearing a stylish suit and polished shoes. The only differences were the small scar on the side of his jaw and his emotionless expression. She had never seen such a cold and aloof look on him—he was no longer the same person she had been in love with years ago. This man was a stranger.

His stern eyes widened a fraction when he recognized her. A wild storm of emotions swept over his face, unveiling more of his thoughts than he would have liked her to see. Shock, regret, guilt. But he quickly regained control over himself, displaying the same expressionless mask he had worn before. Baekhyun stopped in the middle of the office. Furrowing his brows, he scrutinized her from top to bottom,