[CONTENTID1]re:liance[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter 6[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Soojin had something special planned this Saturday night. Jeno and she had finally found time to meet despite their busy schedules, and she had been looking forward to it all day. They wanted to watch movies together as they used to after their missions. Soojin had missed this old habit wholeheartedly. Jeno, being the sweetheart that he was, brought pizza when he arrived at her apartment. He was wearing comfortable clothes; a hoodie and sweatpants paired with sneakers. All in all, he looked adorable and Soojin smiled brightly as soon as he came through the door.

“Soojin!” he beamed and hugged her.

“Hey Jeno,” she said and led him to the living room where he put the pizza boxes on the coffee table. Soojin had prepared snacks and drinks for them, so they definitely wouldn’t be hungry after tonight.

“You’re earlier than usual,” Soojin remarked with a glance at the clock—it was 8 pm. He shrugged in response, stealing a slice of pizza before he answered.

“That way, we have more time to watch movies! We haven’t had a movie night in so long, and I’ve missed it! The other NCT members are fun to hang out with too, of course, but it’s not the same without you, Soo.”

A fond smile curled her lips as she got comfortable on the sofa, draping a soft blanket over her legs. “So you missed me.”

“Sure!” Jeno the TV and searched Netflix for an exciting movie—they both were addicted to horror movies, so it was obvious which genre they would choose.

“How are things going with Ten? Were you assigned any missions since I left?” she asked curiously, also taking a slice of pizza before he ate them all by himself. She took a bite, enjoying the taste of molten cheese and salami.

“Not really. We spent most of the time in the office, so you haven’t missed anything. What about you, though? You told me you got injured during your last mission. I’d love to have a little chat with the bastards who hurt you.”

“Oh, don’t worry about them, I taught them a lesson,” she grinned.

“Very good, as expected of my partner!” he cackled, but then he sighed. “Sorry, I mean ex-partner. Anyway, next time you need to be more careful!”

“Aww, are you worried?”

“Of course! You’re one of my closest friends, why wouldn’t I be? Especially knowing that you’re on bad terms with your partner. You probably got injured because you didn’t work together, huh? He should have protected you when you were in trouble.”

“He did protect me. He came after me and beat the remaining opponents up until they were unconscious and unable to move. It was kind of impressive, actually.”

Jeno’s eyebrows rose. Maybe he was seeing things, but Soojin seemed flustered. A soft pink color dusted her cheeks, and she no longer met his eyes. “Huh. He beat them up? Sounds like he was mad.”

“He was furious… I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen him like this,” she recalled, putting her finger on her chin, “And when he cut the rope on my wrists, he sat in front of me and embraced me.”

“This is getting weirder and weirder. Didn’t you say you don’t get along? To me, it sounds like he’s concerned about his new partner.”

“Concerned,” Soojin repeated and mulled over it. Yes, he was right, Baekhyun had been concerned. During their last sparring match, he had been mindful of her injuries and showed concern as well. He didn’t make sense. Byun Baekhyun was the most confusing man she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. When would he make up his mind? Did he care about her or not?

“We’re starting to get along, but I have no idea what he thinks of me… or what I am to him.”

“Getting along is good, Soo,” Jeno grinned and playfully ruffled her hair until it resembled a bird’s nest. “Your next mission will go smoother.”

“Eww, Jeno! Stop it!” she complained. He stuck his tongue out at her, snickering at her ridiculous hairstyle.

After lots of bickering and shenanigans, they finally picked a movie they wanted to watch, falling silent as it began. The pizza box was empty, so they ate the snacks she had prepared. Soojin enjoyed spending time with Jeno since his presence gave her a sense of comfort and safety—they had gone through a lot together and grown as close as siblings, trusting each other blindly. She would have spent every other evening with him, but their schedules didn’t allow it. They were lucky both of them had been free tonight.

Suddenly, her phone on the table started ringing, the screen lighting up. Jeno curiously leaned over it, his lips forming an amused grin when he read the caller’s name—. “Your partner is calling. You might wanna pick up.”

“Give me the phone,” she grumbled and held her arm out. He dropped it in her hand, but she hesitated for a bit until she accepted the call—what did Baekhyun possibly want to talk about at this hour when they were off-duty?

“Hello?”

“It’s me. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Baekhyun’s voice sounded hard and somewhat tense, increasing her bewilderment about the call.

“Why? What’s up?”

“What is it? What is it?” Jeno asked, sounding like an overexcited child.

“Shut up, you big baby!” She laughed and pushed him away when he held his ear close to her phone.

“I’m not a baby!”

“Who are you with?” Baekhyun cut in, impatiently clicking his tongue.

“Jeno. Now what do you want?”

“We have an emergency. Meet me at headquarters as soon as possible. Junmyeon assigned us a new rescue mission,” he explained, speaking so fast she had to strain her ears to understand what he was saying. The engine of his motorcycle roared in the background. “Bring your gun and wear dark clothing.”

“Understood. See you,” she replied and ended the call. “Sorry Jeno, I got work to do. We have to postpone this,” she told her friend before she hurried to her bedroom.

“Wow, it seems important,” he chuckled and turned off the TV, grabbing his jacket and car key. “I can take you there if you want.”

“Thanks!” she called from the other room while she fetched her gun and put it in her holster. She wore black clothing and her usual boots as well as a light bulletproof vest and fingerless gloves. Since Baekhyun hadn’t shared any details yet, she didn’t know what kind of equipment she would need, so she had chosen her most versatile gun, which could be used with a silencer and didn’t have much recoil.

When she returned to the living room, Jeno was awaiting her, grinning proudly when he noticed the gloves he had gifted her. They left her apartment together, taking the lift to the ground floor and reaching his car within a short time.

“Let’s go, Soo! I wish I could join in,” he smiled and hopped in his car.

“Yeah, I wish you could,” she sighed after she sat in the passenger seat. Their destination wasn’t far away, so they would arrive within three or four minutes if Jeno kept driving fast. The streets were relatively empty at this late hour; an advantage for them.

They reached their destination in record time, and Soojin spotted her partner immediately. He was waiting next to his motorcycle, a silver-blue Yamaha very similar to the model he used to own. Soojin wasn’t surprised to see it as he’d always had a thing for motorcycles… Since he had brought two helmets, she already knew what she was in for.

“Good luck, Soo,” Jeno smiled and hugged her goodbye, leaning against his car as he watched her march up to Baekhyun, who had been observing their exchange with narrowed eyes.

“Hurry up, it’s urgent,” Baekhyun reminded her and handed her a helmet. She wasn’t keen on riding a motorcycle with him, because any kind of physical proximity to him evoked a range of confusing feelings in her chest. However, Soojin had no choice in the matter and swallowed her reluctance when she saw the seriousness in his gaze—he was focused on the mission and determined to succeed.

Soojin sat behind him, wrapped her arms around his stomach, and leaned her body against his back. He didn’t say anything, just let the engine roar and shot off, leaving the parking garage within seconds. They raced over the dimly-lit streets of Seoul, and the colorful city lights blurred as he accelerated. Baekhyun weaved in and out of traffic, expertly passing several cars.   

“What’s the rescue mission about? What happened?” she asked, using her earpiece.

She felt his body shift slightly as he turned left at an intersection. “We’re going to save the wife of an influential CEO, Kim Jiyoung. She was abducted this evening after she visited a charity event without bringing her bodyguards. The criminals we’re dealing with have contacted her husband, stating that they want him to pay a large sum of money in exchange for her life,” he explained calmly, keeping his eyes on the road as he navigated through the smaller streets of the neighborhood they just entered. The buildings lining up left and right of them didn’t exactly look inviting. “We don’t have much information about the kidnappers, but Junmyeon and Kyungsoo were able to locate Kim’s whereabouts by tracking her smartphone. She’s currently being held in a building in this area and we’re supposed to get her out unharmed. Junmyeon assigned this mission to us because we already have experience with hostage situations.”

“I see,” Soojin mumbled, pondering over his words. The poor woman had to be scared out of her mind, being surrounded by armed criminals. Hopefully, they hadn’t hurt her yet…

Sneaking into the house was easier than Soojin had expected, but since it was only the beginning of their mission, she didn’t allow herself to become careless. Apparently, this building should have been renovated years ago and turned into a hotel, but the owner had gone bankrupt. Now it was nothing but an empty shell with broken windows and moldy wallpaper.

Soojin followed Baekhyun like a shadow as they explored its inside, entering one of the countless long hallways. The criminals they had seen so far had all been armed, so the agents had agreed on staying hidden to avoid them. Soojin and Baekhyun planned to reach the hostage without alerting anyone to their presence since they didn’t know whether someone would hurt or kill the woman, should they be discovered too soon.

It was nerve-wracking to explore the empty hallways, listening for noises and carefully checking each room they encountered. Baekhyun and she blended in with the darkness, but occasionally, moonlight illuminated their bodies when they passed a window. They made slow progress since they had to hide whenever somebody came their way. Soojin hoped Mrs. Kim was still unharmed. She was determined to help, and she knew that her partner shared her thoughts. His posture was tense and intimidating as if he was a wolf hunting down his prey—he was ready to fight, should the need arise.

When he suddenly heard footsteps coming their way, he met her eyes over his shoulder and pointed to a nearby door that was slightly ajar. They slipped inside, silent like ghosts, seeking cover behind a large desk. The footsteps came closer, but the person wasn’t in a hurry. It was probably someone tasked with guarding the building and keeping watch for intruders. He lingered in front of the door for a moment, peering inside.

She held her breath and ducked her head under the table. Baekhyun motioned for her to wait and so she did, biting her lip as a wave of adrenaline coursed through her vein