[CONTENTID1]re:assign[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter 13[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

“So, in other words, your mission was a full-blown success,” Seungwan grinned and took a sip of her sweet latte. Seulgi sat next to her in a leather chair, playing with the golden chain that decorated her phone. It was Saturday afternoon and the three friends had met up at their favorite coffeehouse. The tiny café could go unnoticed easily since its façade was unremarkable, but the coffee and cakes that were served here were fantastic. Soojin adored the latte macchiato the most and always ordered hers with a dash of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. All three women had picked strawberry shortcake this time.

“It couldn’t have gone any smoother,” Soojin agreed. “Even if our target was annoying, I would say everything went as planned.”

“Why didn’t you try any of the food at the party? I would have used the opportunity to treat myself before moving on with the mission,” Seulgi remarked and gave a foxy grin. “Didn’t you mention a special kind of sushi earlier? I love sushi.”

Seungwan snorted and almost rolled her eyes. She had lost track of how many times her friend had arrived with a sushi box in their shared office at work. Maybe Seulgi was addicted to it…

“I would have tried the sushi, but I was busy with other things,” Soojin shrugged.

“Let me guess. Your partner stole all of your attention?” Seungwan giggled.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not,” Soojin groaned and stared at her latte to avoid her friends’ knowing smirks.

“By the way, did you like the disguises we prepared for your mission? I think Baekhyun looks handsome with curly hair,” Seungwan continued. There was no way she would drop the topic. Ever since she had heard about Baekhyun’s and Soojin’s date recently, her curiosity about their unusual relationship had been rising.

“The suit he wore was fitted, surely you noticed?” Seulgi added.

Confronted with her friends’ analyzing stares, Soojin grew flustered. Her fingers tapped on the leather cover of her chair and she fidgeted with a ring she wore. “His outfit matched his role in the mission, that’s all.”

“Come on, Soo, you can admit that you found him attractive, Seungwan insisted. “Just like he found you attractive. I mean, who could resist our Soojin when she’s wearing such an unforgettable outfit? I wish I could have seen his reaction when he met up with you.”

Seulgi chuckled. “Boss told us to go all out for this.” She was referring to Joohyun, the leader of the Secret Service’s disguise division, a stern woman but talented in her craft. She understood the intricacies involved with changing someone’s appearance and took even the subtlest of details into consideration when planning a disguise.

“The dress you prepared was gorgeous, I loved it,” Soojin nodded, desperate to change the topic and steer the conversation away from Baekhyun—but her friends wouldn’t let her off the hook so easily.

“Your ex-fiancé loved it too, didn’t he?” Seungwan asked innocently and picked up her cup, having a sip before her coffee went cold. “I bet he regrets breaking up with you.”

Soojin decided to give up and get it over with. Their curiosity was unstoppable anyway. “Yes, yes, he liked the dress too. Can we just leave it at that?”

“First, I need to know if you kissed during the mission.”

“We did… he kept initiating it and got quite irritated when I talked to our target afterward. I’m sure he was jealous.” A grin suddenly spread over Soojin’s face when she remembered Baekhyun’s jealous behavior throughout the mission. At first, he had masked it well, but in the end, he hadn't been able to hide it from her.

“Ohhh, jealous? That’s interesting. I bet you had him wrapped around your little finger. I would have loved to see it,” Seulgi smirked. “So, is there a chance you would take him back, since he’s so desperate?”

Soojin’s expression grew wistful as she looked out the window and watched passersby. She knew that her feelings for her ex were very much alive, but given their history, becoming a couple again was a big step. Was she ready for that?

“I do like him, and I would take him back,” she said, voice so quiet that it was barely audible over the chatter in the coffeehouse. “But I need to be absolutely sure that he won’t do anything stupid again. I don’t want to regret giving him another chance.”

On Monday morning, Soojin barely made it to her office on time due to a traffic jam and was out of breath when she arrived. Baekhyun awaited her, merely raising his brow at her disheveled appearance. She had sprinted through the lobby to the lift—despite her high heels—and dodged other employees on the way to her destination.

“Good morning, Soo. Junmyeon asked us to meet him in his office,” Baekhyun explained and paused in front of her, leaning in to rearrange her unruly hair. He brushed her strands out of her face and tucked them neatly behind her ear.

“I see,” she replied breathlessly. “It must be about a new mission.”

Her partner nodded and held the door open for her. She followed him and fixed her skirt as they crossed the hallway. The office doors of their co-workers were closed, indicating that they were busy. When they arrived, Baekhyun and Soojin were met with a surprise. Junmyeon had invited Jongin as well, and judging by his curious expression, the younger agent had no idea why. The three agents gathered in front of Junmyeon’s (typically chaotic) desk, and he got to the point straight away.

“I have a new mission for you,” Junmyeon announced, confirming Soojin’s suspicion. If his cool tone was any indicator, this would be a rather serious undertaking that wouldn’t allow for mistakes.

Baekhyun crossed his arms, his stoic expression not showing his thoughts. “Why is Jongin here, then? Is it a team mission?”

Soojin nudged Baekhyun with her elbow and threw him a warning glare. “Hey, don’t be rude!” she whispered.

Jongin rolled his eyes, grinning at her. “Ignore the loudmouth. That’s the worst punishment for him.”

“It’s been two minutes and you’re already going on my nerves, Jongin,” Baekhyun shot back.

Soojin sighed and shook her head at their exchange. “What kind of mission are we talking about?” she asked when Junmyeon didn’t offer an explanation, instead listening to the men’s bickering with raised eyebrows.

“This time, it’s a criminal investigation of a large scale. That’s why the Secret Service assembled a team tailored to this operation. You’re going to infiltrate a criminal organization in Gwangju. Local law enforcement requested our help—they need us to go undercover and gather intel. You have to find the mastermind behind the organization and, ideally, their safe house. This organization is involved in illegal street racing, which has led to deadly accidents in the past. They’re a danger to society,” Junmyeon summed up while he reached for a folder he had kept in his desk drawer. It was filled with documents containing crucial details about the mission.

“We’re the new team?” Jongin asked, pointing at Soojin and Baekhyun.

“Other agents will take part in the operation as well. You might know some of them,” Junmyeon said. “Taemin from the unit SH5, as well as Mark, Taeyong, Jeno and Ten from NCT.”

Soojin couldn’t hold in a squeal when she heard that she would have an opportunity to work with Jeno again. Finally, after so long, they would be reunited! Unable to contain her joy, she beamed at the other agents, which amused Jongin.

“What’s up with you all of a sudden?”

“My old partner Jeno will join us! I can’t wait!”

“Cute,” was Jongin’s only comment.

“Why? What does that rookie want with us?” Baekhyun grumbled and glowered at Junmyeon who smirked knowingly.

“Are you perhaps jealous, Baekhyun?” he teased. Junmyeon wasn’t blind—he was aware of the close relationship his agent shared with the newest addition to EXO, but as long as it wouldn’t interfere with their job, he saw no issue. A high level of trust and familiarity between them might be beneficial in future operations.

“No, of course I’m not jealous of some rookie.”

“I can see that,” Junmyeon grinned. “You must be happy about it, Soojin, that’s great. Your new team is called SM8—the operation starts in two days. Hotel rooms in Gwangju have been booked for you already. Also, you’ll be the leader of the team, Baekhyun.”

“Wow,” Soojin whispered. “I get to work with agents from SH5, EXO, and NCT at the same time!”

“Will you stop making a fuss?” Baekhyun complained sourly and glared at her. “They’re our colleagues, no big deal.”

“Excuse me?! Have you seen Taemin?”

“Yes, I have. So?”

She bit her lip, her cheeks reddening. “He’s my role model! So charming and polite! I heard so much about him, and now I’ll finally be able to talk to him.”

“You’re not serious right now,” Baekhyun deadpanned.

“This operation is going to be interesting,” Jongin said and exchanged an amused glance with Junmyeon who agreed. He regretted not having time to join them—he was sure he would miss a few interesting events.

“Taemin is literally the iest agent in the entire Secret Service!” Soojin added, smirking internally when her partner’s eyes darkened. Teasing Baekhyun was so easy and fun... He got jealous at the tiniest provocation, so she just couldn’t stop herself.

“He’s not!”

“Maybe I could ask him to share a hotel room with me,” she went on, teasing him further until his eyes were blazing in jealousy.

“Forget it! You’re my partner, so you’re sharing one with me.”

“Hm, I don’t know… Can you compete with Tae?”

“Don’t call him that,” Baekhyun hissed.

“Are you done teasing him, Soojin? What if he explodes?” Jongin laughed, following the spectacle with interest.

“Not yet,” she replied slyly. Baekhyun didn’t answer, took her wrist, and pulled her out of Junmyeon’s office. He glared daggers at Jongin who smirked at him.

“You’re sharing a room with me, and that’s an order!” Baekhyun muttered, his temper getting the best of him. She would gladly listen to this particular order, but he didn’t need to know that, so she merely grinned at him.

Two days later, Soojin was busy putting her equipment into her suitcase, as well as certain weapons and other necessities she would need during her stay in Gwangju. She was nervous and a bit scared, had jittery hands. She had never participated in an operation that would require her to stay in a different city for a while. It was an entirely new situation for her. The only reason she wasn’t losing her head in nervousness was Jeno’s and Baekhyun’s presence during the mission. The other agents in SM8 had to be reliable too, otherwise, the higher-ups wouldn’t have chosen them.

Only hours earlier, she had met up with Seungwan and Seulgi one more time since she wouldn’t be able to see them for a while. She’d surely miss them, but it couldn’t be helped now. Her job was important.

Closing her cramped suitcase with difficulty, she heaved a sigh—that part was taken care of. Grabbing her purse, she put her new phone in it. Since it might reveal her identity, she wasn’t allowed to bring her own smartphone. She would use a cheap one that had the other agents' numbers on it, saved under fake names.

While she inspected the contents of her purse, she found the velvet box with the necklace that Baekhyun had gifted her. Taking it out, she laid it on her palm and studied it, watching as the golden star pendant reflected the light. It was beautiful and she decided that she would wear it from now on, standing in front of the mirror as she put it around her neck. After grabbing her jacket, she took her luggage and made her way outside, locking the door behind her. This marked the start of her most dangerous and difficult mission yet.

A few members of SM8 were already gathered in the Secret Service building’s lobby, getting acquainted and talking animatedly among themselves. Most of them were familiar to Soojin, such as Mark, Taeyong, Jeno, and Ten. Taemin was here too—perfect. A wide smile curved her lips as she approached them, eventually gaining Ten’s attention who said something to Jeno. Her friend turned around, spotted her, and grinned like a teddy bear.

“Soo!” he shouted and came running at her so fast she was scared he’d run her over. He was such a dork that she wouldn’t be