After their first mission, it was followed by another one, and another one, and another one until Yujin got used to Minjoo’s presence once again. She wasn’t too awkward around the older woman anymore, it was just the fact that they were ex-girlfriends made her a little bit tense around. Their friends loved to tease them about that too, especially if they were spotted together when they were not on an operation.

 

Taeyeon loved to compliment them, especially their chemistry. Even blatantly telling Yujin that Minjoo was probably her best partner so far since they worked really well. Even though their ideas and styles clashed, it blended perfectly. She even gave them a bonus after their successful partner operation in Vietnam, where they smoothly caught one of the most wanted criminals in the country alongside a prolific loan shark and shady South Korean politician.

 

Minjoo was feeling the same, she was getting comfortable with Yujin again. And to be honest, working with the taller woman was easier than her previous teammates since Yujin knew her so well that she did not even need to voice out everything because the younger woman already had an idea.

 

They even showed each other’s firearm collection. Minjoo loved snipers so she had a lot of them. It wasn’t too surprising since she was good at long range attack but her skills in close range combat was also superb. Yujin on the other hand liked collecting pistols and knives. She even revealed that she used to hide her collection under their storage room which shocked Minjoo because she never noticed it since the entrance of it was hidden by a rug.

 

Yujin was equally surprised when Minjoo told her that she hid her collection under their bed and kitchen when they were still living together. Ah, no wonder she spotted something shiny under their bed when Yujin cleaned the whole house before when the older woman was away for an annual ‘seminar’ of the school she was working at. She also spotted something strange in their ovens and cupboards.

 

There were times that Minjoo noticed that Yujin was not ordinary but she shrugged off the thought, and same for Yujin because who the hell would know? The last thing they would think of was that their lover was an assassin like them.

 

Minjoo caught Yujin once before, when the woman was cooking. The latter literally tossed the knife mid-air and caught it nonchalantly before chopping the onions like a master chef. She did that twice until Minjoo finally revealed herself, the latter just shrugged it off, thinking it was her former lover’s hidden skill.

 

As for Yujin, when they went into a fare. And Minjoo literally aced all of the shooting games without a sweat, desperate to get the couple teddy bears for the both of them. Yujin just ignored it, thinking that her (ex)girlfriend was just great at shooting games and was just that competitive or luck was on her side at that time. Minjoo looked very fragile, she couldn’t even hurt a fly!

 

But ironic enough, she was just an assassin, the same as her. She knew how to fight and kill people easily. It was flabbergasting, and stunned Yujin the most, trying to sink in the fact that her lovely, calm and collected ex-girlfriend could kill.

 

If someone would tell Yujin from two years ago that her girlfriend was an assassin like her and they would be partners in the future, Yujin would just laugh until she couldn’t anymore but hey, look at them right now… going to Eunbi’s office together with coffee on their hands.

 

Yujin and Minjoo casually talked as they walked towards the Head’s office, conversing about how they got recruited in their respective organization. Once they were settled on the long table with Eunbi, they discussed their new mission and plan.

 

“Well this drug lord is pretty known to be a womanizer and always hiring female escorts to satiate his needs. His type is definitely someone like Minjoo,” Eunbi suddenly said with a grimace as she glanced at the paper she was holding, the hologram presentation showing the face of the drug lord that they were going to kill and other necessary information about him.

 

Yujin’s brows furrowed while Minjoo was just listening attentively. Eunbi continued, “In this one. No need to pretend as a couple.” Yujin tried to swallow down her slight disappointment. “Yujin, you will pretend to be her manager while Minjoo, of course, you will be the . I want you to seduce him and lure him before striking so he will be at his weakest, alright?” The older woman guided them, glancing at Minjoo. “Is it okay for you?”

 

Yujin shifted uncomfortably on her seat. She acted as an from a bar too before, and seduced a few targets but learning that Minjoo was the one who was going to seduce a guy didn’t sit that well on her. She said nothing though, waiting for Minjoo’s reply.

 

“Ah, no worries. It’ll be a walk to the park. I’ve done countless missions like this before, I think seducing is my forte aside from long range combat and hacking,” Minjoo teased, throwing a wink at Eunbi. Yujin looked away, feeling the top of her head heat up, clenching her fists on her lap.

 

Yujin didn’t know but she was feeling angry at the new information she had learned. Did Minjoo lure other men before for her job when they were still together? Oh god, thinking about it made Yujin want to flip the table. But hey, why was she feeling like this anyway? She didn’t have the right. Minjoo was a professional assassin. All acting, just all acting. Minjoo was willing to act and seduce too anyway.

 

“Great,” Eunbi chirped, not even asking Yujin if the set-up was okay but it was for the better because the younger spy might say something that she would regret later on. “Our insider is going to recommend you to him and for sure, he’ll take you immediately.” She winked back at Minjoo, and the latter laughed, nodding.

 

Well, of course, who wouldn’t want Minjoo? She was gorgeous, one of the most beautiful women to ever exist in this cold, cruel world. She was a goddess among mortals, and only blind people or idiots would reject her. Even the ever stoic and uninterested Yujin got caught in her web before.

 

It wasn’t really that surprising if the higher-ups would task Minjoo into missions like this. Minjoo was one hell of a temptress too. She knew her assets and would definitely put it into use like this. But outside her working field, she was humble and would always blush whenever she received a compliment.

 

Yujin was a jealous woman. She had a hard time before when she was dating Minjoo in their early days because she was really itching to shoot every guy who would stare at her lover until she got used to it, she was just possessive and showing people what was hers. But now, she had no right to be protective or anything, and this was for their work anyway. Professional.

 

After discussing the plans and all, giving them the information regarding their fake identities — Eunbi sent them off to think about their plans further on how to kill the drug lord and exit the scene smoothly with the insider’s help.

 

Yujin kept glancing at Minjoo, wanting to ask something but reluctant. And finally, once they reached the headquarters ’ cafeteria and sat on a vacant chair with some snacks with them, the older woman asked her. “What’s wrong?” Minjoo was genuinely concerned because of the looks.

 

The younger assassin stopped peeling her banana, looking like a deer that was caught under the headlights. “I, I…” She stammered, and let out a sigh, looking away. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with this mission?” asked the younger woman, biting on her banana softly.

 

Minjoo stared at her, amused, taking a piece of gummy bear then placed it in . “Yes. I’m fine with it, seriously. Like I said, it wasn’t the first time I handled that kind of situation. Believe me, I experienced much worse.” She answered, and that made Yujin frown.

 

“Worse?” Yujin asked, her tone was hard.

 

Minjoo blinked, nervously laughing. “Yeah. I, well,” She coughed, a little bit flustered. “I was held hostage and the leader tried to touch me. I played along with his little play because that was the only way to escape. Nothing I couldn’t handle.” She purposely left out some details and just vaguely explained.

 

That frustrated Yujin; torn if she wanted to fully know what happened or not. She just ate her banana firmly.

 

“When did that happen?” asked Yujin again quietly but the atmosphere between them became eerie.

 

Minjoo ate her gummies, a little bit uncomfy as she mused, “Three years ago. After our third date.”

 

Yujin chuckled darkly, so it happened when they were dating. “I see.” She just whispered, taking another bite on her banana and slowly chewed it, looking at the table, glaring at it hardly.

 

Minjoo immediately noticed the sudden change of mood and cleared , trying to save the conversation. “But it’s fine. I got out unharmed.” She assured, chuckling. “Seriously, Yujin. I’ll be fine. Work is work.” She softly added, looking at her with her infamous puppy eyes that she couldn’t resist.

 

The younger woman’s jaw went slack. Even though they were not lovers anymore, Yujin still cared for Minjoo so much. She was still reluctant for Minjoo to undergo stuff like this. Before, Yujin was not really that nervous for her and her partner whenever they were on missions like this but after Minjoo became her special partner, she was a hundred times worried and paranoid.

 

Sometimes, she would forget that Minjoo was nowhere being fragile and could handle herself because Yujin got used to protecting Minjoo before when they were together. She was Minjoo’s knight shining in armour. It turned out, the princess knew how to fight also and she could be her own hero, she didn’t need Yujin at all.

 

Yujin was about to say something when another voice intensified, so loud that every person in the cafeteria surely heard it.

 

“Hey there, Mrs. and Mrs. Ahn!” It was Yena, of course, this loudmouth.

 

She was approaching the table with Chaewon and Hyewon — Sakura was nowhere to be found, must be doing her own thing. They sat on the vacant chairs, and Yena elbowed her previous partner. “Or should I say, almost Mrs. Ahn,” She teased, wiggling her brows towards Minjoo’s direction.

 

Yujin went beet red, swiftly taking her pistol out from her jaket then pointed the muzzle at Yena’s jaw. The older woman just laughed harder, even pressing her face further to the muzzle.

 

The others ignored them, it wasn’t an unusual sight. Yena and Yujin literally shoot each other for fun so one of them getting pointed at by a gun wasn’t alarming. Yujin would never shoot Yena or any comrade of hers, but who knew?

 

“Just kidding, just kidding,” Yena said with a giggle, pushing Yujin’s gun away from her face before turning to Minjoo. The youngest spy among them could only sigh, putting her gun away, hiding it on her jacket as she continued to finish her banana — wasn’t really feeling like eating anymore after losing her appetite. “So, how are you? Mrs. and Mrs. Ahn? I heard from Chaeyeon that you guys got a new mission.”

 

Yujin really wanted to blast Yena’s head off.

 

Unfortunately for Minjoo and Yujin, they gained a nickname within the organization. Mrs. and Mrs. Ahn. Before, they never really gave Yujin and her previous partners a couple nicknames but for some reason, after seeing the chemistry between them and knowing their past background, they started to call them that.

 

It was kind of awkward, to be honest, because Yujin almost proposed to Minjoo until things just went downhill. She was just so sure of Minjoo before but unluckily, they did not end up well. In the end, they broke up.

 

Minjoo tried not to mind it, just playing along but surely, it bothered her slightly because she knew how vocal Yujin was about marrying her in the near future. Of course, being called Mrs. Ahn was really flustering and also awkward for her part.

 

Yujin actually confronted Minjoo about the teasing, asking her that if she was uncomfortable, she would tell Yena and the others to stop but the older woman just smiled at her, shaking her head softly and told her that it was alright. It wasn’t much of a big deal, she said.

 

So, Yujin could only oblige, not saying anything. Yena and the others never went too far, just occasional teasing, that was all. They knew their limits as well. Yujin just didn’t like that she was the target of teasing. Hmph, before, she used to tease Yena and Chaewon because they were being cowards around each other. Now, Yena was probably getting her revenge.

 

Not long after, their topic switched, talking about that they might work on a team operation in Venice. There was some dirty stuff going on in one of the biggest mafia families in Italy and they were tasked to kill those bastards, clean and pick up the mess too.

 

Technically, Yujin was in a spy slash assassination team too but she was more focused on partnered missions since Taeyeon really thought that she was able to perform a lot better with only a partner so most often, she was only working with her assigned parter while the rest of the team would help and serve as a support them if needed.

 

After that short conversation, they bid farewell to each other since they still have some mission to complete later at night. Yujin and Minjoo told them to be careful and good luck before deciding to go home. They still got approximately eight days until their next one so the both of them still got a short time to relax.

 

Yujin thought of drinking that night or just waste her time working out. The former sounded really tempting, she thought of the good, untouched whiskey that she bought two weeks ago.

 

As they walked to the exit, the cold air greeted them. Yujin shivered, winter was about to start so it was really chilly. She hugged her coat closer to her, and glanced at Minjoo who was doing the same.

 

Contemplating, Yujin proceeded to ask Minjoo rather than keeping mum, “Do you need a ride home?” asked the younger woman. And the older assassin was a little bit surprised at the offer.

 

“It’s okay. I need to meet someone too.” Minjoo softly and indirectly refused.

 

Yujin just nodded slowly, giving her a small smile. She did not pay mind to the small disappointment bubbling inside her chest. “Ah, I see.” She replied then cleared before adding immediately, “Well then, I’ll head first. See you around.”

 

Minjoo hummed, pocketing her hands then shivered lightly. “Drive safely, Yujin-ah.” She gently reminded her, and Yujin went stiff for a bit before relaxing, giving Minjoo a soft look.

 

Taking a deep breath, Yujin replied with a sweet smile. “I will.”

 

She missed the old times. Really.

 

***

 

Yujin and Minjoo decided to meet in front of the grand hotel where the mission would occur. The drug lord must be waiting for Minjoo already. After the insider recommended Minjoo to the womanizer piece of , he was delighted and told him that he wanted her badly already so just after two days — they were already here, well prepared.

 

The younger assassin waited by the entrance, fidgeting nervously. She was scared for some reason, really. She was scared for Minjoo. She shifted, biting on her thumbnail as she waited for her ex-lover’s appearance.

 

Soon enough, a familiar Benz came into view and halted in front of her. Once the door opened, Minjoo hopped out of the car, closing the door gently before approaching Yujin with a serious look on her face. Yujin huffed.

 

Minjoo wasn’t wearing anything revealing but rather, she was covered with a huge coat but she was wearing see-through, laced tights, and pointed high heels that made her almost the same height as Yujin. Her face was painted with heavy makeup that almost hid her beauty but nonetheless, she was gorgeous. Yujin just loved the natural look of Minjoo, and was used to it so she was not really used to seeing her wearing heavy make-up.

 

She did not look like Minjoo but at the same time, she was Minjoo. Yujin thought that Minjoo having a heavy makeup was an advantage since they wouldn’t see the real her, the bare her. That thought made Yujin a little bit relieved.

 

Yujin cleared , gesturing to Minjoo that they should enter now and they did, walking to the reception. The guards did not even let them undergo inspection after Minjoo threw them a cute wink and a flirty wave, making them instantly stunned. Yujin could only grumble at the side, muttering curse words under her breath, giving death glares at those horndogs that stared at Minjoo as if she was a fresh raw meat ready to be devoured.

 

Kim Minjoo deserved to be looked at with respect, genuine admiration, or fear only. And not as if she was just a mere e.

 

The receptionist was a little bit in awe with Minjoo too, and the latter giggled beside her, smiling sweetly at the male who was behind the counter. He was blushing as he greeted them, asking their purpose.

 

In contrast to Minjoo, Yujin was just wearing a simple long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and sneakers with a cap over her head and thick glasses. Her hair was tied up in a low ponytail too. She was looking casual, and not wanting to get attention. On her hand, she was holding a tote bag full of weapons disguised as non harmful things.

 

With a sigh, Yujin silently placed a piece of paper towards the awaiting guy. The man took it, reading the business card-like paper, eyes widening once he had checked the contents. “You’re here for Mr. B?” asked the receptionist, his voice was low and shaky as he mentioned the alias.

 

Yujin nodded, pointing at her and Minjoo. “Yes. He availed our professional service.” She mumbled, directly looking at him at the eye.

 

The man just nodded furiously, took the telephone and called someone. Yujin paid no mind to it as she looked around to check the interior of the huge, extravagant lobby of the four star hotel. She ignored the murmur from the side and glanced at Minjoo who was picking on her newly red painted nails.

 

Soon, after a minute, the receptionist told them that Mr. B was waiting for their presence already, giving Yujin a key card, instructing her to give it to the man that was guarding the hall. After that, Yujin just gave him a half-hearted thanks but Minjoo was really into acting as a flirty and gave him a flying kiss.

 

Yujin frowned throughout the ride on the elevator and journey towards the presidential suite. Yujin gave the key card to the guard that was guiding the door, and once he got it, he just let them in — not even checking their clothes or stuff which was great, less risk. She knew that Minjoo was hiding tons of under that huge leather coat but thanks to her flirtatious advance, the smitten guard immediately let them in, biting his lower lip at Minjoo’s direction.

 

Jesus Christ, Yujin wanted to shoot him at that very moment. Good lord, she knew she shouldn’t feel like this since Minjoo was doing this on purpose, and just acting, not really real — but hell, she was so uncomfy and angry. Ah, no, she wasn’t jealous, okay!? Yujin was just annoyed that Minjoo was being like this, seducing other people beside the target.

 

There were two other guards with tattoos all over their faces in front of the door of the suite. Yujin swiftly gave them their card, and they immediately let them in. The younger assassin eyed them intensely, studying them. They weren’t bulky, and at one glance, Yujin could tell they weren’t athletic and just knew how to use a gun, most probably.

 

Both of them entered the suite and there were about six men inside the room, eyeing their moves intently, gazing at them like prey. No, they were the real predators in this room. Yujin couldn’t wait to kill these pieces of s later.

 

Yujin roamed her gaze around while Minjoo carefreely twirled around the room while caressing the tips of her long wavy hair, admiring the suite with a flirty smile plastered on her lips, staring each man in the eyes without fear, even winking at them. The insider was wearing a white tie, and she spotted him immediately, subtly nodding at them before turning away, continuing to smoke.

 

“Is this the boss’ new playmate?” One of the men asked, he was bald and there was a piercing on his nose, eyeing Minjoo head to toe with a smirk. He reached for Minjoo’s hair, smelling it weirdly but Minjoo remained still, smirking back and acting like she liked what the man was doing to her but deep inside, she was so uncomfy and wanted to kill him off, and chop his fingers one by one.

 

Yujin took a deep breath, trying to control her anger. She was affected, and it was making her nuts. She and Yena had the same mission before but when Yena was getting flirted on, she was just grimacing and disgusted, very annoyed too but this… with Minjoo. She wanted to go berserk and have a killing spree. But this was her job, their job. They needed to retrieve the drug lord’s USB that contained a lot of information.

 

“And you are?” The man then asked, turning to her, also giving her a predatory look. Yujin almost snorted.

 

“Manager. I’m here to accompany the and observe. Company rules, Mr. B knew that.” Yujin smoothly replied, a little bit cold then tugged Minjoo closer to her, not liking how the man was practically rubbing his body to her ex-lover.

 

The man arched his brow, huffing. “Okay then. Mr. B is waiting for you, Miss Carrie. I’ll just get his signal. He’s pretty busy.” He said, his voice gruff as he winked, walking to the master’s bedroom to probably inform them that they’ve arrived.

 

Yujin leaned closer to Minjoo and whispered to her quietly but intensely, “Scream if he’s being too much. I don’t ing care about the plan and I’ll ing bust inside that god damn room and shoot his head.”

 

Minjoo was slightly taken aback, turning to her with wide, amused eyes. She chuckled, snaking her arm around Yujin’s waist before whispering back. “Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen. I’m professional.” She then pressed a kiss on Yujin’s cheek, throwing her a wink and detached herself from her, walking inside the master’s bedroom, glancing at her one last time through her shoulder until the door was closed.

 

Yujin was dumbfounded, hanging her head down low. Was that kiss really necessary, god damn it. Minjoo’s lips lingered on her flushed cheek, and she was in a daze. It had been a while, yeah.

 

She sat on the chair, patiently waiting as she double checked the content of her tote bag, casually checking them out to avoid suspicions. One of the men tried to hit on her and offered her some wine but she blatantly showed no interest so he was defeated, annoyed however, he let her be.

 

Yujin swiftly took out the silencer placed in a huge jewelry box and tucked it between her back and jeans. She then eyed the master’s bedroom, her gaze boring holes in it, waiting for Minjoo to come out. She couldn’t help but to think of stuff that made her ten times angrier, was that touching Minjoo? Trying to make advances on her ex-lover? , Yujin was about to get crazy here.

 

Ten minutes later, Yujin’s phone beeped. And when she checked it, it was from Minjoo. She was about to bolt up from her seat and barge into that room but thankfully, she saw Minjoo’s message first; she was done, and she also got the USB and other things that might be useful.

 

Yujin almost choked when she saw that Minjoo sent a picture of herself, winking at the camera while smiling, she was just wearing a black lace sleeveless top. Probably what she was wearing underneath that huge, thick coat.

 

And the next picture she sent was the picture of the drug lord, wearing only his underwear, kneeling on the floor motionless — his hands were tied on his back, and there was a rope around his neck. Minjoo probably choked him to death. Heh, deserve.

 

From: Minjoo

 

done! sorry it took a lil bit long, i had to pry some details out of him. he did not touch me or anything, i was not swayed by his advances and tried to play with him to avoid his touches. he was surprisingly submissive towards powerful women like me, he said. disgusting.

 

anyway look at this bad boy :( i had to punish him hard because he was being a bratty lol

 

just wait for a few minutes, im trying to steal some of his stuff. i’ll go out soon. ready for a massacre?

 

Yujin grinned sheepishly at the text messages, composing a simple message and then sent it before putting it back inside her pocket, still smiling. Ah, Kim Minjoo. This woman, really.

 

She glanced at the room, seeing that most men were staring at her intensely. She felt like a rabbit surrounded by hyenas but unfortunately for them. She was not a rabbit but a big bad wolf. She grinned like a cheshire cat mentally and stared at the insider, trying to communicate with him through eyes, he got the message. He subtly showed off his gun, wiping it with a cloth.

 

With a smile, Yujin reached for her back, feeling her silencer pistol. And once she heard the subtle noises of heels clicking from afar, she stood up from her seat, and once the door was opened — Yujin took out the gun from her back then turned around, pointing it at the first guy he spotted, shooting him.

 

The others were alerted but before they could even move, they were also shot dead in an instant, not being able to draw their own guns and fire back or even ask for help since Minjoo also started to shoot once the door opened, same for the insider — he fired when he saw Yujin taking her gun out.

 

The room was dead silent, and Mr. B’s men were all dead on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding them. Geez. The stench and the pungent, iron smell of fresh blood was reaching Yujin’s nose already, making her scrunch up her nose.

 

Unsurprisingly, no one checked on them after the firing. They were all using silencers anyway. The three of them looked at each other as they gathered their own things.

 

The insider who was working for ONE smiled at them, “I’ll lead you guys to the back exit without CCTVs. Let’s go before the other members arrive.” He softly said, and they all rushed towards the door.

 

“Jaehyun, you take on the left. I will kill the one on the right.” Yujin instructed, and the other assassin, disguised as a member of the illegal group to get information within, nodded without a word, readying his gun as he opened the door.

 

Yujin swiftly shot the one straight into the face while Jaehyun shot the other swiftly, letting them fall on the floor, lifeless and bleeding. Jaehyun wiped the blood that splattered on his face, grimacing before continuing to lead them to the back exit.

 

They reached Yujin’s car safely. Jaehyun also fled away on his own after thanking them and saying that they did great and smooth. Yujin took off her hat, throwing it behind on the backseat before turning on the engine of the car to life.

 

Minjoo heaved a sigh, taking out a handkerchief from the coat and leaned closer to Yujin, who was slightly startled at her sudden action. Yujin was stiff as Minjoo wiped off something on her face and neck, damping the cloth on her skin gently.

 

The older woman leaned away wordlessly, tucking the blood stained handkerchief back to her coat and silently waited for Yujin to drive.

 

Clearing , Yujin maneuvered her car out of the parking lot, starting their journey home. They decided to go back to the headquarters tomorrow instead.

 

Yujin drove Minjoo home quietly, she knew the direction towards their (used to be) shared home by heart. But there was something that she couldn’t pinpoint in the atmosphere. They must be a little bit awkward because of what happened earlier? Minjoo kissed her on the cheek. For what? Probably caught in the moment, she was into her flirty acting so she did that. It flustered her still.

 

“He did not touch me. He tried to kiss me but I moved away immediately.” Minjoo suddenly spoke in the middle of their drive to break the silence between them, and Yujin was slightly surprised, glancing at her ex-lover who was looking outside the window, admiring the streetlights and open establishments.

 

Yujin gulped, not knowing what to reply because Minjoo suddenly blurted out stuff like that. She didn’t need the explanation, really. Minjoo already told her about it earlier in the text so she wasn’t too worried about that anymore, although the thought lingered.

 

Minjoo glanced at her, clearing . “Just in case you’re still worried... You really looked angry earlier.” She said after the assurance. Her voice was quiet and low, almost shy.

 

Blushing, Yujin mentally smacked herself. Was she really obvious? She was really in distress earlier, and furious, paranoid too because she was simply concerned for Minjoo. She took care of this woman like a princess before only for other people’s filthy, dirty hands to touch her? How dare they.

 

“I’m just,” Yujin paused, chewing on her bottom lip, not knowing to answer without sounding weird. “...concerned.” She played safe, not wanting to express her feelings further. It might cause misunderstanding. She didn’t want Minjoo to be awkward, they were already awkward before and it was suffocating.

 

“Hmm,” Minjoo hummed as a response, glancing at her with an unreadable gaze. “No need to. I know what I’m doing.” added the woman with a small smile on her red painted lips.

 

Yujin’s breath hitched, not liking that there was a weight in Minjo’s words. There was just something that she couldn’t pinpoint at all. It was… unsettling and as if there was disappointment lingering around her tone that Minjoo herself wasn’t aware of.

 

“Okay,” Yujin breathed. “Okay.” She repeated, convincing herself that… okay. “I trust you. I know you’re a strong, brave woman.” added the taller woman, gulping, regretting saying that for a bit. She shouldn’t have said that. They were already awkward enough.

 

But surprisingly, Minjoo turned to her direction, flashing her a sweet smile. “Yes. I know,” She said, confident lacing around her voice that made Yujin snort. “After all, I literally cheated death multiple times. Near death experiences that were caused by you.” Minjoo added blankly, but she was teasing the younger woman.

 

Yujin let out a huff. “I can say the same.” She deadpanned before the both of them burst out into a pit of giggles. Silence engulfed them once again, with IU’s songs blasting off softly from the speaker of the car. But this time, the silence was comfortable and light. Yujin could breathe, and the weight on her shoulders was lifted up.

 

The journey on the way to Minjoo’s home, well, and Yujin’s former home was light. There were few short conversations there, humming along to the tune. Until finally, they stopped by a familiar apartment. Yujin almost entered her car into the underground parking space of the apartment, she used to do that almost everyday for two years before.

 

Yujin pulled over by the entrance of the apartment complex. She looked over at Minjoo worriedly as the latter fumbled over unbuckling her seatbelt. “Are you sure you will go out like that? Do you want to wipe your make-up first or something?” She asked, staring at Minjoo who had already taken off her coat and was wearing her… well, alluring outfit that would definitely attract unwanted attention. Her hair was tied up into a bun already too, using Yujin’s extra hair tie that was left in the compartment.

 

Minjoo wasn’t wearing heels now though. She bought shoes since she wasn’t really used to wearing heels but she rocked it as always, walking like a supermodel with high heels whenever she wore one.

 

Chuckling, Minjoo nodded her head. “Yes. It’s just a few minutes walk. I’m sure there are no people around in this kind of time either, anyway.” She answered, indirectly rejecting her offer which was reasonable.

 

Yujin was mum, staring at Minjoo with sparkly puppy eyes of hers, not really persuaded but in the end, she just sighed, reaching for her bag that was on the backseat and took out her black shirt. She tossed it in Minjoo’s direction.

 

“Wear that, at least. Wearing your heavy coat might get unwanted attention too.” Yujin said without looking at Minjoo.

 

The older woman was slightly confused at first but she just smiled, wearing Yujin’s shirt that was too big for her frame. She took a sniff on the collar, catching herself red-handed. She was flushed when she realized that she did that and Yujin could only suppress her chuckle. Old habits really do die hard.

 

Minjoo absolutely loved to wear Yujin’s clothes, loving the scent of them too so she always loved to sniff the collar of the woman’s shirt after wearing it. It was a cute subtle habit that Yujin noticed.

 

After that, Minjoo opened the door and hopped out of Yujin’s car but before she could close it, “Thank you for lending me your stuff,” She whispered, and Yujin almost giggled. Minjoo never really asked for her permission and never thanked her for letting her borrow her shirts before so this was really new. “And please drive safely.” She softly reminded her.

 

Yujin took a deep breath, smiling at Minjoo. “I will. Thank you. You did well today, Joo.”

 

***

 

Taeyeon gave the whole team of Yujin a vacation to Jeju, and literally kicked their asses off to the private plane as soon as she announced that to them; just a little token after being good assassins for years, she said. Everything was fully paid, from their hotels and food for three days.

 

Since when did Yujin last go on a vacation like this? Ah yes, when she asked Taeyeon for a week off because she and Minjoo planned a trip to the USA. And that was two years ago already. She thought that vacation wasn’t really needed since she usually gets enough rest after and before missions but this wasn’t too bad, her workaholic was just tingling.

 

Jimin and Minjeong also tagged along despite being on different teams. Taeyeon allowed them since they succeeded their recent team operation in Sweden. It wasn’t like they were going to stay there for a month or so anyway. Three days of luxury and fun. No killing or spying on someone.

 

Minjoo was with them, of course, since she was technically in Yujin’s team. Even though she was just a special partner of the spy captain, Taeyeon also shoved her to the plane with the rest of other ONE assassins. She had no problem since she was pretty close with Yena and the others. She blended into the team very nicely.

 

“Yuri-unnie told me that she’ll let us borrow her yacht,” Minjoo announced on the way to Jeju. They were still in the air, flying towards their destination.

 

Hyewon flicked her fingers, looking like she had won. “I was just planning to rent one for us but Boss Kwon is seriously a life saver.” She said with a laugh.

 

They then discussed their plans when they arrived on the island. Yujin immediately suggested that they should visit Mt. Hallasan and everyone agreed. Chaewon then said that she wanted to try out seafood delicacies while Sakura happily suggested trying out those hot springs. They have enough time anyway, for sure, the three days would be a blast.

 

They arrived at the hotel in no time. It was one of the most expensive and rated hotels in Jeju. Taeyeon was really generous and went all in this time. Everyone was happy, running inside the lavish building excitedly.

 

Once they arrived, a butler personally greeted them and told them about Taeyeon’s instruction. He let them choose their roommate since the boss rented four suites for them so two people in each room. Jimin and Minjeong were roommates, they were even a little bit shy as the butler handed the key card of their room to Jimin. Next up was supposed to be Yena with Chaewon but because of Hyewon’s bitter not wanting for the couple to room together — Yena was rooming together with Yujin.

 

Hyewon was then with Minjoo, and Sakura was with Chaewon. Yena whined about the arrangement for a few minutes until she got over it with her girlfriend’s amused reassurance.

 

It was a wise decision. All of them do not want to hear something weird from Yena and Chaewon’s shared room in the middle of the night. Nope, no way. Hyewon would literally bomb their room if that ever happened.

 

Yujin was actually relieved at the arrangement, for a moment — she was scared that her friends would drop the hell out of her and let her room with her ex-girlfriend. That would be a little bit awkward as hell. Well, even though they were on good terms, Yujin was not able to handle sharing the same room with Minjoo, especially sleeping together in one room; just a few feet apart? Christ, Yujin wouldn’t be able to sleep properly.

 

Thankfully, her friends knew their limits and knew that rooming her with Minjoo would be crossing out of the line, given that they knew their history. Minjoo would not refuse if ever, Yujin knew the latter too well — she would willingly share a room with Yujin if that was the others’ decision but still, Yujin knew that she was just going to get forced.

 

The last thing she wanted to happen on this trip was to make Minjoo uncomfortable and suffocated. This trip was technically personal now and not in the line for work or whatsoever so there was no absolute reason why they should be sharing a room together.

 

Their first day was fun as expected. They mostly stayed in the hotel, roaming around, diving into the pool, and when the sun was about to set, they went to Yuri’s yacht and had a fancy feast there because big boss number two already prepared it for them so they would have a great time. They enjoyed the ride, having a pictorial and all for a few hours until they were dropped back to the land again.

 

After that, they separated into groups; Jimin and Minjeong told them that they would be walking around the shore together, the couple was the same, Hyewon decided to stay into the restaurant to try the food and probably get herself some drink, Sakura disappeared and there was a huge chance that she went back to her and Chaewon’s shared room, Minjoo excused herself that she would be walking around the hotel, and Yujin was just chatting with Eunbi and Chaeyeon while sitting on one of the benches that offered her a good view of the glimmering sea.

 

Yujin snapped a few photos of the moon, sending it to Eunbi and Chaeyeon who whined because they couldn’t go with them. The former actually asked Taeyeon if she could tag along since she also deserved some break after spying a big time leader of a large mafia group but the higher up just shouted at her, telling her to continue her work.

 

After a while, they all rested quite early since they were expected to hike the Hallasan Mountain. Yujin, most especially, was excited for it. Before the crack of the dawn, they started to hike.

 

Hyewon wasn’t enjoying it, telling Yujin that she regretted tagging along. After all, they were there to have a rest but here they were, climbing up a mountain. Yujin and Yena just laughed at her, mocking her.

 

It usually takes six to eight hours to climb up the mountains but since they were all literally trained assassins that experienced something more intense than military training — they reached the top for only four hours, even the poor guide didn’t manage to keep up with them, literally panting like a tired dog and limping when they reached the peak.

 

They did not stay there for too long, just rested for an hour, taking pictures before climbing back down.

 

“Should we go to Jeongbang Waterfalls?” Yena suggested, leaping on the rocks expertly while holding her girlfriend’s hand. Sakura nodded at that, liking the idea.

 

Yujin carefully climbed down a muddy slope. And saw that Jimin almost slipped there, Minjeong caught her smoothly. The younger woman just smiled at them teasingly, and they looked away with a blush — Jimin purposely did that.

 

They continued their journey down the mountain under the blazing hot sun. It made their movements sluggish and a little bit weaker, they were still human after all. In the middle of it, Hyewon suggested something.

 

“Let’s go to Love Land,” She said, trying to suppress her laugh.

 

Only Yena agreed at that, even excited but everyone was too embarrassed. As if they weren’t adults. Yena said that she wanted to take pictures of the huge statues there, earning a smack from her girlfriend, making the older one stumble into the muddy ground. Okay, Love Land was a no no, then.

 

“Manjanggul Cave then?” Minjeong suggested, and everyone loved the suggestion.

 

Yujin noticed something though. Minjoo was a little bit silent throughout the journey, only saying a few words and looking distracted. Of course, that didn’t escape Yujin’s keen eye.

 

She actually wanted to ask what was wrong but she held her tongue, and let Minjoo be instead. But after a few minutes, halfway down — Minjoo almost slipped while trying to get back down to another muddy slope. Accidents happen, even for assassins, and unfortunately; Minjoo was distracted that day too so she wasn’t able to function properly.

 

Thankfully, Yujin caught her arm before she could even fully land on the ground, supporting her until the older woman regained her balance and stood up on her feet. The younger assassin’s grip on her was tight, and she was surprised as well when Minjoo almost slipped down — she was just beside Minjoo that time so she got her.

 

“Are you okay?” asked Yujin, worried, eyeing down at her. Minjoo turned to her with pursed lips, nodding before retreating her arm gently, a little bit flushed.

 

Everyone did not notice them, walking ahead while talking to each other.

 

Yujin wasn’t convinced. “You look a little bit distracted.” She insisted, holding Minjoo’s arm as they continued to walk.

 

Minjoo was rather surprised, glancing at her hand before meeting her eyes. “Seriously, I’m fine, Yujin-ah.” She assured softly then looked away. “I’m just… reminiscing. Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. I can’t help it.” She added with a low voice before speeding up her pace, walking ahead Yujin.

 

Biting down her lower lip, Yujin could only stare at Minjoo’s back. So, it seemed like she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t help but to remember. Of course, Jeju-do was pretty memorable for both of them. This was where they spent their second anniversary together. They also hiked alone together in this very mountain when they had a trip here years ago.

 

They reached the very foot of the mountain fast, and they just ate in a restaurant before continuing their trip around Jeju. They arrived back to their hotels before sunset and they all decided to swim as the sun rested down, disappearing from the horizon.

 

Yujin and Jimin even had a swimming competition. The one who would be able to swim the farthest from the shore would win. The loser would order the winner a churros and drink. Even though the prize wasn’t that big, both were competitive and known to be great swimmers in that batch of ONE assassins.

 

The others cheered, enjoying watching the match as they stayed at the shallow part of the beautiful sea. Minjoo was nervous for Yujin, even suggesting Yena to race with them but with a floater, just in case. Even though she knew that Yujin was a great swimmer, the waves were a little big that afternoon. Yena just assured her that nothing bad would happen because both of them could surely escape a shark attack without much effort, that was how confident they were about Yujin and Jimin’s skills.

 

Minjoo had no choice but to watch while leaning on her floater.

 

Yujin won. Jimin gave up after realizing that they were already too far from the shore and the lifeguards were panicking. Yujin still kept going though, even greeting the flabbergasted coast guard who was roaming nearby.

 

It took them almost ten minutes to swim back to the shore, Jimin whined about having sore muscles because she swam fast for too long. Yujin looked the same, not even panting or having cramps, looking proud that she won the silly competition.

 

Winning mattered to Yujin’s competitive . She did not even mind the small prize, she only wanted to be called the ‘winner’. When Jimin challenged her, her pride and competitiveness flared.

 

They continued to swim until Sakura suddenly said something.

 

“Someone is pickpocketing here.”

 

That got everyone’s attention, frowning. Sakura turned to the shore, pointing at a suspicious man walking while repeatedly turning his head left and right. He was holding a huge black tote bag, seemingly loaded with stuff. He looked normal but then, he passed by a tourist — the latter was facing his back and his wallet was protruding to the back pocket of his jeans. Swiftly, the thief took the wallet and placed it in the pocket of his board shorts while still casually looking around and walking.

 

He was great and an expert, if one wasn’t really looking at him intently then no one could tell that he was pickpocketing at all. Minjeong whistled, placing the beach ball on top of her head, trying to balance it as her eyes followed his figure. “Should we?”

 

Minjoo was already walking out of the saltwater, “We should.” She muttered, and took her thin shirt that was neatly folded by the shore to cover her drenched body. She was just wearing a black crop top shirt and short board shorts.

 

Yujin immediately followed her ex-lover, not even bothering to cover up, and shivered because of the chilly air. She was wearing a shirt, and black swimming trunks. She gestured for the others to stay and they would handle this small situation.

 

She knew that Minjoo’s righteous side wouldn’t let this pass, especially that she witnessed something like this.

 

Minjoo jogged towards the man, and patted him on the shoulders that made him flinch very badly, turning to Minjoo with wide panicked eyes, thinking that he got caught. Yujin took this advantage to walk past them and stay at the side, in case this thief ever ran away.

 

“Hi,” Minjoo greeted, her grin was wide and sweet, making Yujin frown a bit. “I noticed that you’re alone. And well, I’m alone too. I was wondering if we could share a drink together?” She shyly said, her charm and acting was obviously working and affecting the man.

 

He was stunned at Minjoo’s beauty. And once he sunk in what was happening, his eyes glimmered, as if he just won the lottery. A growl was stuck at the back of Yujin’s throat, she was just holding herself back because she knew it wasn’t the right time.

 

“I, I — of course! It’s an honor to spend time and have a drink with a beauty like you.” He chirped, instantly smitten at Minjoo, looking at her with heart eyes. His words made Yujin really irked for some reason.

 

Minjoo smiled at him brightly, linking her arm together with the other man’s free hand. The thief almost howled in delight, loving their close proximity, and he was red as a tomato. The woman batted her eyelashes cutely. “Yes. We can do that but,” She paused, and the man just grinned at her, waiting for her to continue. “In one condition.” She added, smiling once the thief started to eagerly nod his head. “You give the stuff you stole to the real owners.”

 

The man was frozen like a statue, and Yujin smoothly took the tote bag from his grip, also swiftly taking out the wallet and other stuff from the thief’s pocket quickly.

 

“H-Hey! Give my things back!” He protested, sweating hard already, and tried to go closer at Yujin but Minjoo held him back tightly. He tried to resist, going to run away but Minjoo’s grip on him was too tight that he could only helplessly try to retreat his arm back from her iron grip with a yelp.

 

Yujin snorted, checking the loaded tote bags then threw the man a dirty look. “You just stole them, shut up. We saw you in the act. Explain yourself to the security.” She said, and walked behind him as she took the tie of her swimming shorts then used it to tie the thief’s hands together smoothly before dragging him towards the security office.

 

He was begging but at the same time telling them that he did not steal and those things with him were all his. Minjoo just snorted at him, helping Yujin to tug him to the security. He was begging to let him go and he would change but then he would say that the stuff he stole were all owned by him? Lord.

 

When they reached the security team, the others were there, talking to the guards. The security immediately took him in and Yujin handed the bag full of stealed whatnots to the police and they thanked them for catching a thief like him, promising that they would try their best to find the owners of the stuff.

 

With that, they all went back to the hotel to freshen up and wash before they went back to the beach to have a bonfire and have a drink. It was their last night there anyway, and tomorrow afternoon, they would be going back to Seoul again. Taeyeon gave them another day off before they continue their work though so they would be able to rest for a while at home.

 

They huddled by the shore, cases of beers present, and they circled around the lit bonfire. Everyone was talking and sharing about random stuff like how they got discovered by ONE and took them in to train them as they roasted some marshmallows. Yujin made sure to buy some crackers and chocolates earlier too for smores because she knew how much Minjoo loved eating those. She was accomplished when she witnessed Minjoo’s eyes sparkled as she roasted some marshmallows, and the delighted hum she let out when she ate the smore she made.

 

All drank their hearts out. They drank without care, giggling and laughing all together at each other’s antics and stories. They had no work tomorrow anyway so why not drink heavily? Nothing to be afraid of. It was rare for them to drink a lot anyway.

 

Yena was in the middle of talking animatedly about one of her scariest yet funniest experiences ever in her spy life when Minjoo excused herself, saying that she would just use the bathroom, needing to relieve herself after drinking a lot. When she stood up from the huge thick wood that they used to sit on — dizziness probably hit her that she almost stumbled. Yujin, who was sitting beside her, caught her swiftly.

 

This was the second time Yujin prevented Minjoo from falling. Although Yujin was already a little bit tipsy, she knew that among them all, she was the most sober thanks to her natural high alcohol tolerance. She was also in her right state of mind too. She stared at Minjoo in concern. “Can you manage? I can walk you to the restroom.”

 

Minjoo opened , ready to refuse but then, she pursed her lips together. Her hooded, droopy eyes staring at her, hesitating. But in the end, she just silently nodded and Yujin immediately stood up, turning to her friends and told them that she would be assisting Minjoo. Everyone gave her teasing, drunken grins before they all continued to talk while downing on their beers.

 

Yujin and Minjoo continued walking. Yujin already retracted her hand away from Minjoo’s arm though since the latter could walk fine, although a little bit clumsy than her normal state — she could manage, still. She was obviously tipsy but she was alright, it couldn’t be helped. This was the effect of the alcohol.

 

It was great that Yujin walked Minjoo to the bathroom since she might really trip onto something. Even though she knew that Minjoo would perfectly find her way to the bathroom and back to them, she didn’t trust the people around. Even in the dim lightning, people still stared at Minjoo. Yujin was already sick of the icky stares of the people that kept throwing to Minjoo and them throughout the day.

 

Although Minjoo was used to those stares and unbothered by it, Yujin was having trouble dealing with it even until now. It was making her uncomfortable and those protective instincts that she acquired after being with Minjoo for years were intensifying and appearing. She was worried as a friend this time though, and it was enough.

 

They reached the bathroom in no time, and Yujin decided to use it too. When she exited the stall, Minjoo was already leaning on the sink, and splashing water to her face to probably freshen up. Yujin did the same since she was feeling drowsy already when the night was still young.

 

Yujin walked by the exit and decided to wait for Minjoo there since the latter was still thoroughly washing her face and even stared at her reflection for a few seconds then tied her hair up. “Are you done?” asked the younger woman, opening the door. Minjoo hummed, taking a paper towel then dried her hands before following Yujin out.

 

“Do you want to buy some apple juice or something? You shouldn’t drink too much,” Yujin offered as they walked by the stony pathway, glancing at the convenience store nearby.

 

Minjoo looked at her, chuckling as she nodded lazily. “Sure. I think juice sounded nice although I still wanted to drink. I’ll stop for the meantime before I continue drinking again.” She said, and Yujin nodded, changing direction while the older woman just followed her like a puppy.

 

Yujin brought Minjoo an apple juice and two bottles of hard alcoholic drinks. Minjoo also requested for some gummy bears so Yujin grabbed three packs for her, giggling when Minjoo started to bounce happily on her feet because the taller woman would buy her jellies.

 

Minjoo also bumped into a shelf, making a packet of gum fall but with Yujin’s fast reflex, she got it then swiftly placed it back. The older woman just gave her an impressed look. “I used to wonder how you’re always fast at grabbing falling things,” She said, shaking her head in amusement. “You’re great at catching everything that it shocked me. Well, it was already explained well.”

 

Yujin just smiled at her, walking to the counter to pay for the stuff they bought. The cashier noticeably ogled at Minjoo who was checking out the chocolates displayed at the counter as he packed the liquor and jellies. Yujin slammed down the right amount of cash to the counter, making the male cashier turn to her with a yelp, trembling at Yujin’s sharp glare at him as he took the bills and handed her the change and the things they bought.

 

They went back and everyone was still there, wondering what took them too long. Hyewon was about to tease them and say something scandalous but Yujin literally threw the paper bag with two huge bottles of whiskey to her face. Despite being intoxicated, Hyewon’s assassin instinct rang, swiftly catching the heavy paper bag with a groan. If it was a normal person, their face was probably bleeding already.

 

Slowly, the night went deeper and the people around the shore lessened. By midnight, Chaewon already excused herself and Yena since the latter was already wasted and dead asleep while leaning against her girlfriend. Sakura let them sleep in their room and told Yujin she would just sleep at Yena’s bed instead. Yujin saw no problem with that.

 

Jimin and Minjeong lingered for a few bit before ultimately deciding that they were done for the night, not wanting to be wasted like Yena. The both of them held each other as they walked towards the hotel, swaying a bit but could manage. Hyewon followed after, already sleepy.

 

Yujin, Minjoo, and Sakura stayed, still drinking on their beers as they minded their own business. Sakura was staring and admiring the sea, Yujin was staring at the smouldering fire while thinking deeply, and Minjoo was playing with her bottle — she had continued to drink alcoholic beverages after finishing her apple juice a few hours ago.

 

The empty bottles were neatly placed back in the cases though, and the hotel staff would be disposing of them later. There were still a few bottles of beer left, and the empty whiskey bottles were halfway tucked into the white sand.

 

Yujin was tipsy but since she would take breaks in between her shots, she wasn’t too drunk. Her mind was a bit hazy but she still wanted to drink and enjoy the night, she wasn’t that sleepy yet. As for Sakura, she was also tipsy, still loving the peaceful atmosphere so she stayed even though she was tired and drowsy already. Meanwhile, Minjoo still wanted to drink, saying that she rarely gets to drink like that so she was cherishing it. Plus, she was also enjoying the night view of the sea, loving the sound of gentle crashing of the waves to the water and to the shore.

 

After a few minutes of silence, Sakura stood up sluggishly. “I’ll be heading to bed now,” She announced, and Yujin looked up at her, nodding, then asked if the keycard of the room was with her. Sakura showed her the keycard, also asking Yujin back if the spare one was with her.

 

“You two shouldn’t stay up too late, we’ll be still visiting the teddy bear museum before we head to the airport. Good night.” Sakura said to the both of them before coolly walking away until she disappeared.

 

Yujin sighed, checking her wristwatch and saw that it was quarter to one in the morning already. She still didn’t want to go back, she wanted to finish drinking. She turned to Minjoo though, she was staring at the smoldering bonfire as she took a swig from her drink.

 

The older woman’s face was flushed and a little bit red because of the alcohol but she looked stunning as ever. She looked like she didn’t show any intent to go back and sleep yet, same as Yujin so both stayed. Just silently drinking.

 

“Still not yet sleepy?” Yujin asked after a few moments of silence.

 

Minjoo shook her head, tossing the bottle to the case that caused a huge clinking noise. The older assassin then grabbed another bottle from the case, swiftly opening it with the opener, and drank before answering Yujin, “No. I want to drink more. You?” asked Minjoo, glancing at her.

 

Yujin shrugged, rubbing her droopy, hazy eyes. “Nope. I guess let’s finish these first before heading in.” She whispered.

 

The silence between them wasn’t too awkward but Yujin was slightly tense. Her mind was running as she continued to drink her beer, not noticing Minjoo’s constant glances at her.

 

“Have you been well?”

 

Yujin almost choked on her beer when she heard Minjoo speaking, shattering the silence between them. She turned her attention to the woman with wide eyes, she did not just expect Minjoo to start a conversation.

 

She gulped her beer, and sniffled before answering, “Y-Yes,” She knew that Minjoo was referring to her if she had been well after their break up and all. They did not contact each other after Yujin moved out anyway, and they never really had a casual personal conversation like this since they became work partners. “I’m all good.”

 

Minjoo nodded at that, “Great.” She responded and downed her beer then let out a satisfied sigh. “I’m glad to hear that.”

 

Yujin’s grip on the bottle tightened and it almost got destroyed into pieces. She wasn’t really well. She was lonely after their break up, scared to commit to someone else because after Minjoo, Yujin found dating too bland and uninteresting anymore.

 

“How about you? Are you well?” It was Yujin’s turn to ask.

 

Minjoo just hummed as a response. Yujin took it. They were covered in silence once again.

 

“Are you currently seeing someone else now?” Minjoo asked again, and Yujin was once again, caught off-guard.

 

She chewed on her bottom lip, “No.” She honestly replied, no use to lie anyway. “I’m not. After you, I didn’t attempt to date yet. I focused on my work. Don’t want to get sidetracked.” Yujin explained softly as she played with the half empty bottle, swaying it back and forth then watched the liquid swirl inside the bottle.

 

Minjoo was silent for a moment, looking distracted as she brought the rim of the bottle to her lips. “I see,” She murmured, then took a sip. “I guess we’re the same then. I’m striving hard to get promoted.”

 

Yujin glanced at her, blinking, “Also not dating?” She asked, the thought of Minjoo dating someone left a bitter taste in , making the aftertaste of the alcohol much bitter and bland. She knew she had moved on, she knew that but why was she feeling like this.

 

The older woman shook her head. “No. I tried but it simply did not work out so I just focused on my career, I guess. Not really in a rush or something.” She answered, finishing off her bottle, and tossed it back into the case.

 

Nodding, Yujin silently continued to drink her beer, a little bit relieved — not because she heard Minjoo wasn’t dating anyone but because Minjoo wasn’t reaching for the case and grabbing another beer anymore, okay?

 

Before Yujin could even hold back from opening, words already rolled off from her tongue. “Jeju-do really did bring a lot of memories,” She whispered as a gust of cold wind passed by, making her shiver a bit. “Good ones. There were no negative ones anyway.” added the woman then drank her beer.

 

Oh god, she was definitely drunk. Why did she even say that?

 

Minjoo did not say anything, staring at the sea, and Yujin stared, her sleepy eyes following Minjoo’s long hair dance softly along the wind. Her beauty was really eternal.

 

With a sigh, Yujin stood up carefully, and her vision slightly blurred a bit, and she felt like everything was spinning for a moment. “We should head back now, it’s getting late.” She softly said, and Minjoo did not protest, standing up slowly on her own without Yujin’s support.

 

They waddled inside their hotel silently, leaving the bonfire spot. They entered the elevator and Yujin pressed the button on their floor. She checked her keycard in her pocket, and awkwardly stood by Minjoo who was blinking her sleepiness away.

 

Once the elevator opened, the both of them walked side by side to the silent hall. They passed by a hotel staff member with a trolley, paying no mind to him as they continued their slow journey to their rooms. Soon enough, they reached their suites that were just across each other.

 

Yujin stood in front of the door of her suite, and Minjoo did the same. She took out the keycard, unlocked the door, and halted — expecting something but nothing, she just heard Minjoo unlocking the door of her room. She gulped, swallowing her disappointment and was about to step inside without glancing back at the older woman but...

 

“I was the happiest when I last went here on this island,” Minjoo’s quiet, hoarse voice could be heard around the quiet hallway.

 

Yujin turned to her direction, silently staring at her, waiting for her to continue what she was about to say with a rapidly beating heart. Minjoo’s back was facing her, and she was already holding the doorknob, ready to twist and open the door.

 

“So, yes. Jeju-do really did bring a lot of memories, indeed.” Minjoo continued, then turned to her with a sleepy, sweet smile. “You and I shared good memories here before, and I thank you for that. They’re still one of the best.” added the older woman, staring right back at Yujin’s intense, droopy eyes.

 

Yujin’s hold on the knob tightened that it almost broke. She did not say anything, just heavily breathing through her nose. But hearing all of those from Minjoo? It was making her happy too.

 

Minjoo gave her one last final look and smile. “Good night, Yujin. Sweet dreams.”

 

“Good night, Minjoo. Have a great sleep and see you later.” Yujin greeted back with a small smile.

 

With that, the both of them entered their respective room. Despite having alcohol merged in her whole system that made her sleepy as , Yujin couldn’t sleep well that night. Her head was already throbbing, and she was so exhausted to the point her body felt weak but still, her mind continued to run endlessly.

 

Was Minjoo sleeping now? How could she sleep peacefully when Yujin was literally thinking about what the older woman had said to her. It was driving her nuts, just a bit.

 

Yujin was questioning herself. If she had really fully moved on from her greatest love. Because seriously, Minjoo was really making her think over again if Yujin had no feelings for her anymore, for real. It was a little bit frustrating. It was confusing.

 

Sighing, Yujin finally fluttered her eyes close, deciding to try falling asleep again with the image of a certain beauty smiling at her. The smile that never failed to make her heart flutter. Even until now, even if it was just in her head. Yujin’s heart shimmered for her.

 

Across the hall, in Minjoo and Hyewon’s shared room. The former also laid down awake, tucked under the comfortable thick sheets. She bore holes in the ceiling with her gaze.

 

Taking another deep breath, she shifted to her side, and closed her eyes — begging for sleep to succumb to her.

 

That night, she dreamt of her and Yujin. A memory was being replayed in her dream; it was when they were in Jeju to celebrate their second anniversary. The both of them looked so happily in love as they walked down on the shore while holding each other’s hands tightly with grins plastered on their faces. They were the happiest in that dream.

 

And when Minjoo opened her eyes the next morning. She wasn’t too sure why she woke up with dried tears stained on her cheeks and a heavy feeling in her chest. She tried to recall but everything was a blur.

 

***

 

They visited the Teddy Bear Museum first before they went to the airport and caught the flight back to Seoul. Everyone was so happy and entertained at the museum especially Hyewon who was fond of those stuffed toys.

 

All of them were dead asleep once the plane rolled out of the runaway. They were all still exhausted as after all of they did in the island, they couldn’t wait to go home and sleep until tomorrow but Taeyeon instructed them to drop by to the headquarters first before they all went home fully in their respective houses.

 

Taeyeon just checked them out and after that, she sent the sluggish, exhausted assassins off her office after thirty minutes or so. Each of them bid farewell to each other afterwards.

 

But Yujin found herself walking with Minjoo side by side as they approached the exit of the building. The former thought that Minjoo probably didn’t bring any car today as usual. After their exchange last night in Jeju, there was a little bit of awkward tension between them that even the others noticed immediately. Jimin asked her earlier if the both of them were alright and if something happened but Yujin just shook her head.

 

Even so, that wouldn’t stop Yujin from offering. “Do you need a lift? I can drive you home,” She asked Minjoo. The latter looked up from her, and their exhausted eyes met.

 

“No, it’s okay. I can just take a cab.” Minjoo refused softly.

 

Yujin’s face fell, “I insist.”

 

Minjoo shook her head. “It might be a hassle. I’ll just hail a taxi, Yujin.” She responded.

 

Pouting lightly, Yujin wasn’t backing down. “It’s not. I’ll drive past the apartment complex anyway.” reasoned the younger woman with a dimpled smile.

 

However, Minjoo was really persistent on going home alone instead. “Seriously, it’s okay. I’ll drop off somewhere anyway before going home.” That was final, and Yujin could only slump her shoulders in defeat, sighing as she nodded understandingly.

 

Yujin could only watch Minjoo walk away with her bags. She took a deep breath, why were both of them so awkward around each other now?

 

It was making Yujin slightly frustrated.

 

***

 

A/N: JINJOO?@!#?!#?@!?# JINJOO!!!! im just in a very great mood today bc it seemed like jinjoo were together last november 1. if not, then kill me. jk. Anyway, the next chapter might be the last and expect it to be more than 10k+ words lmfao i have a confession to make, writing action scenes is my weakness but im trying my best huhu i hope its bearable LMFAO its pretty unrealistic but yea hehe

 

sorry again for the mistakes if there are, im so dizzy after doing my modules when i proofread and edited this lololol

 

upvote, and comment your thoughts?

 

stay safe as always, everyone~