This was far from Yongsun’s first mission. Fifteen years in the business had turned her weary, though, and she was but the shadow of her younger self. Gone were her ideals about a better world, her bright-eyed dreams of saving her country, of battling the tyranny of evils on the other side of the planet, now laid in shambles at her feet. Maybe that is why she had been chosen, not to infiltrate another country’s secret service, but one of the most prominent criminal organizations corrupting her country instead. It was probably because of how jaded she felt that she managed to enter the organization to begin with. 

She heaved a heavy sigh as she looked at the rolling cityscape outside the window. 

“What’s up with you?” The woman next to her asked as she drove through the busy streets of Seoul. Yongsun didn’t budge, a slight pout on her lips. 

“I just hate the rain.” She mumbled, chin firmly resting on her palm. “Tell me again why that can’t wait for tomorrow, Hyejin-ssi?”

“Damn, who kicked your puppy?” The younger woman mumbled to herself. “Jung Wheein told me the Tigers had moved the deal to tonight.”

“I don’t understand how you can trust that woman so readily. This could just as well be a trap to lure us in.”

“Unnie, you’ve been here for two weeks; I trust her more than I trust you at this point.” She drawled with a raised eyebrow. Yongsun rolled her eyes. She was about done with the job already. How sad was it that her sole motivation these days was the pay? 

“Fine, whatever.”

The spy remained silent for the rest of the ride, ignoring how the younger woman softly sang along to the songs on the radio. Ahn Hyejin was supposed to be a high-enough-rank criminal in the organization that she wouldn’t spend decades moving through the ranks herself, but so far, she could have been a henchwoman for all she knew. In two whole weeks, they had only met up with a few people to talk, and, as much as the deals were shady for certain, there was so far very little to go from, and Yongsun was getting impatient. She wasn’t used to being a passenger like this, depending on the trust of others to move towards her objective. She worked better alone.

The car eventually slowed to a stop at the furthest dock from the port’s entrance. Yongsun stopped herself from rolling her eyes at how cliché it all was. Still, a perfect picture of professionalism, she got out of the car elegantly, ignoring the cold wind that bit her to the bone as she rounded the car to join the partner she had been assigned to by the bosses. She frowned slightly as Hyejin put a cigarette between her blood-red lips, cracked a match on her leather boots, and lit it up. The brunette took a long drag with a low hum before slowly releasing the smoke into the night air. She then turned her attention to the spy offering the cigarette between two long fingers. It had no business being this y. 

“No, thanks,” Yongsun said, leaning against the hood of the car, crossing her arms as she looked around warily. “Where’s this Wheein?”

“You’re no fun, unnie,” Hyejin said before taking another drag. “What’s your deal?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s my deal’?”

“Ever since you started working with me, you’ve only been brooding.”

“Am I supposed to smile like a bimbo on the job?”

“No, but relax a little. It’s not always all ‘work, work, work.’”

“Is this a test?” Yongsun said sarcastically. 

“No, just an advice. Have fun a little.”

Yongsun was about to reply when a figure suddenly appeared beside Hyejin and furiously grabbed the cigarette from her lips. 

“What are you doing, Jin-ah?!” The woman whispered angrily, and Yongsun supposed this must be the Wheein in question.

“Wheepup!” Hyejinie said happily, her whole face lighting up. Yongsun raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, the aloof, seductive woman turned into nothing more than an excitable schoolgirl. What kind of criminal??

“I told you not to smoke, Jin-ah,” Wheein said with a stern glare before placing the cigarette between her own lips and taking a drag. Yongsun scoffed at the double standard, attracting the shorter woman’s attention. 

“Who’s that?” She asked, pointing at Yongsun with the cig. 

“Oh, that’s Yongsun unnie, my new partner.”

“What happened to Byulyie unnie?” Wheein asked in surprise. “She was super cool.”

Hyejinie looked at her with a pout. “She ended up being an undercover cop.”

Wheein pouted the exact same way. “Oh, that . I kinda liked her.”

“You mean you had a whole crush.” Hyejin chuckled, taking the cigarette from her lips as her best friend got distracted by memories of the handsome cop. 

“What a pity.”

Hyejin rolled her eyes. “ She wasn’t that cool, Wheein-ah.”

“Are you getting jealous, babe?” She said with a smirk, leaning closer and brushing her lips along Hyejin’s cheek before taking the cigarette between her teeth to get it back from Hyejin. The brunette let her.

“This is all absolutely quaint, but I hope I wasn’t dragged here to witness your little rendez-vous…” Yongsun snapped.

Hyejin let out a heavy sigh. “Wheein-ah, why was I assigned such a party pooper?” She whined. Wheein shrugged, studying the woman before her with a penetrating gaze. Had Yongsun been more inexperienced or more devoted to her job, she would have squirmed under such a piercing stare. But as it were, she was bored and cold and would rather be in bed than witness the horrible flirting. 

“She really needs to get laid,” Wheein told Hyejin after her careful observation. She ignored Yongsun’s appalled face and got down to business. “So, as I was texting you earlier, the Tigers are meeting up on the other side of the dock in two hours. They plan on exchanging one of your gang for one of theirs with the cops.”

Hyejin swore under her breath. “, the cops are involved?”

“Yeah…” Wheein grimaced. “All I can offer is some kind of distraction so you can get your member back, but you won’t be able to come in guns blazing.” She said before drawing her last drag and squashing the cigarette under her boot. 

Hyejin sighed, tilting her head up to gaze at the sky as she thought long and hard. Wheein let her, studying Yongsun instead. The spy raised an eyebrow at her, arms still crossed as she waited patiently for Hyejin’s decision. 

“How many Tigers will be there, Wheein-ah?”

“Two, they feel safe dealing with the police.” 

“Makes sense.” 

“Okay, let’s do this, but be prepared to call it off if I change my mind.”

“Sure thing, babe, see you later.” Wheein gently punched her shoulder and disappeared almost as suddenly as she appeared. 

“So you’re hooking up with a member of the Tigers?” Yongsun asked with a smirk, feeling like she had a bit more on her partner. Her confidence faded with Hyejin’s hearty laugh. 

“I’m not hooking up with Wheeinie. Not anymore, that is.”

“How are you two so friendly….? From rival organizations and broken up…”

“Oh, we never dated, unnie. Just hooked up a few times. We’ve been best friends for forever. She’s undercover there for us.”

“Oh.”

Hyejin’s gaze suddenly steeled. “If her cover is blown, I will know who it was.” She said with a deeper voice than Yong was used to hearing from the younger woman. “Got it?”

“Loud and clear,” Yongsun said with a bored voice. Hyejin slightly narrowed her eyes before getting back in the car.

They settled comfortably, ready to wait a couple of hours, and Yongsun shot a quick text to her spy agency so the cops would be informed not to interfere with what they were about to do.

“Who are you texting?” Hyejin asked, leaning over.

“My mom.”

“Liar.” Hyejin straightened up and smirked. “If it’s your Romeo, Wheein doesn’t seem to think he’s satisfactory in bed.”

“There is no Romeo.”

“Juliet?”

Yongsun glared. “Neither.”

Hyejin raised her arms and chuckled. “Wheeinie’s right then, you need to get laid.”

Yongsun rolled her eyes. 

“Seriously, unnie… Stop with the attitude. Why did you even join if you don’t want to be here?”

Yongsun let out a sigh and ran her hand down her face. “Sorry, Hyejin-ssi… I’m just not used to having a partner. I feel useless, and I hate waiting around.”

“That’s why we’re two. It’s more fun waiting around with someone. Unless I’m not fun enough for you.” Hyejin said with a pout.

“Well, we’re not into the same kind of fun. Cigarettes, drugs… all this, I’m not into it.”

“First of all, I don’t do drugs. Drugs and work don’t mix well, unnie. Don’t be worried about that. Now, what kind of fun are you into?”

“I don’t know… Books….”

“A hot woman like you just stays home and reads books??” Hyejin gaped at her, surprised. Yongsun shrugged. “That can’t be all of it, what else?”

“I mean, I enjoy going to the bathhouse.”

Hyejin’s face lit up. “Now we’re talking! We have something in common, unnie!” She said excitedly. “Come on, once we’re done here, we’re going straight to the bathhouse!”

“It’ll be close to 4 am…”

“So?”

“So I want to go home.”

“Come on, buzzkill, we have nothing to do tomorrow; you’ll have time to sleep then.”

Yongsun stared at the youthfully happy face looking back at her. “Fine.” She relented. Hyejin fist-pumped victoriously. “By the way, call me Hyejin-ah. Hyejin-ssi’s way too formal.”

“If you insist.”

The operation had gone on without a hitch. Hyejin was so focused on retrieving the prisoner from the Tigers during Wheein’s distraction that she didn’t notice how the cops weren’t as fierce as they should have been. They got chased by the cops for a good fifteen minutes out of good measure but soon “escaped.” Hyejin, tense the whole time, only relaxed once their colleague was dropped to safety. 

“Well, that went much better than I expected. You were exceptionally efficient with the Tigers.”

“As I said, I’m used to working alone. With a partner, it’s that much easier.”

“Hm.” Hyejin turned into smaller and smaller streets. “Still, you never seemed nervous at all; I’m quite intrigued by you, unnie.”

Yongsun chuckled, looking at the road ahead. “I’m experienced.”

Hyejin parked, and Yongsun followed, though a bit wary, as they walked through a backdoor. 

“Don’t be so suspicious, unnie. It’s my grandma’s bathhouse.”

“Why are we getting through the backdoor, then?”

“Family privilege.” She said as she arrived in a private room with a pool from which fog lazily emanated. It had a view of the small inside garden. 

“It’s not luxurious, but it’s super private, and the view is quite relaxing.”

Though Yongsun had seen quite the number of luxurious places throughout her career spying on different governments, she had to agree with the younger woman. It felt like she would truly be able to relax here. Her gaze followed her partner’s movements as the younger woman started disrobing, and her eyes widened at the giant dragon tattoo adorning her smooth back.

“W-wow…” She stuttered. Hyejin looked over her shoulders, her gaze suddenly smoldering at the look on the older woman’s face. 

“It has that effect on people.”

“I just… Didn’t expect that on your back.”

“Am I supposed to be offended?” She asked, completely as she lowered herself into the hot water with a moan. She could feel her body relaxing already after the stressful night they had spent. She turned to look at Yongsun, who was still staring at her, and leaned against the stony wall of the pool. 

“N-No, I’m just surprised.”

“Mmh. Get , unnie.”

Yongsun had had her fair share of lovers and had never felt shy, but the heavy-lidded eyes that regarded her in that moment somewhat destabilized her. Trying to ignore the nerves that suddenly overcame her, she quickly got and joined the younger woman with a happy sigh. The temperature was perfect. She leaned against the wall, her head tilted back as she closed her eyes. 

The spy knew she was supposed to stay on her guard in the presence of the enemy in a territory she was unfamiliar with. But she truly didn’t care; the water felt too good on her sore body. She wasn’t twenty anymore.

“So, no tattoo, I see.” Hyejin’s sultry voice floated to her ears. 

“No.”

“Why not?” 

“I don’t like them.”

“You don’t like my dragon?” Hyejin said with a tiny pout. Yongsun cracked an eye open and couldn’t repress the chuckle at the look on the younger woman’s face. 

“Your tattoo looks gorgeous, Hyejin-ah, but I don’t like tattoos on myself.” She closed her eye again.

“You would look even hotter than you already do.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

She kept her eyes closed as she felt Hyejin sit right next to her. She didn’t even flinch when she felt a fingertip glide along her collarbone.

“Why is your body so perfectly smooth and bare, unnie?” Hyejin whispered close to her ear, and Yongsun would lie if she denied the shiver that ran down her spine. 

“I am good at what I do.”

“And what is it that you do?”

“Things that make me qualify for this job, Hyejin-ah.”

“Why the mystery? Are you a cop, just like Byul was?”

“I don’t know who that woman is, Hyejin-ah, but you can be sure I am not a cop.”

The younger woman kept studying her and only looked away once satisfied with Yong’s honesty. “You’re not telling me everything.”

“I’m sorry not to give out my life’s story to someone I met two weeks ago.”

“You make it hard to trust you.”

“So do you, yet I followed you here without too many questions, didn’t I?”

“Should I be flattered, unnie?”

Yongsun opened her eyes again. “No, just less wary.”

Hyejin let it go, relaxing against the stony wall of the pool, shoulder to shoulder with Yongsun. For a while, the two women stayed silent, simply letting go of the adrenaline of their mission. 

“Is Wheeinie right?” Hyejin eventually asked out of the blue.

“About?” When Yong looked at her, she noticed that her hair was gathered in a careless updo, kept together by a dragon hairpin. Her delicate neck was left bare and looked incredibly attractive in the low light. The force of her desire to run her lips along its length left Yong breathless. Hyejin’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and her eyes met the younger woman’s dark ones.

“About you needing to get laid.”

Yongsun rolled her eyes. “Not that again.”

“I have to say, maybe it would make you less gloomy and tense.”

“I don’t need to get laid, thank you very much.”

“When was the last time?” Hyejin asked, and suddenly, the spy felt her fingertips on her skin again, sensually making their way from her wrist to her shoulder.

“I don’t know…” Yongsun said, lips slightly parted as she tried to control her breathing.

“You don’t know?” Hyejin looked at her with a perfect eyebrow raised. “That is too long ago, unnie.” She whispered, her gaze falling on Yongsun’s open lips. Out of reflex, Yong her dry lips. 

“And you?”

“It’s been too long too.”

“Right…”

The atmosphere was growing thicker and thicker, and Yong swallowed thickly as elegant fingers trailed their way to the back of her neck, playing with her hair there as Hyejin moved closer, her s brushing against her arm. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin. Still, she held her gaze, though it felt more like Hyejin held hers in place as she felt unable to look away. 

“You don’t smoke, you don’t drink, you don’t have any tattoos… What is your vice, I wonder…” Hyejin whispered so close to her lips that Yong could feel the warm puffs of air with each word.

“I don’t have any… Assassination, maybe.”

“Oh, sweet innocent unnie, that is not a vice.” Hyejin chuckled, her lips grazing her jaw for a fleeting second.

“I guess I am pure,” Yongsun whispered back.

“Let me corrupt you, then,” Hyejin whispered, the fingers in her hair now lightly scratching her scalp. She smirked at the breathless gasp leaving Yong’s lips and reveled in her widened eyes as her other hand suddenly trailed up a trembling thigh. 

“I…” A slight tremble could be heard in the older woman’s voice.

“Yes?” Hyejin whispered, her nose brushing Yongsun’s jaw. Yong bit her lip to contain the whimper stuck in when Hyejin captured her earlobe between her teeth. 

“Do your worst.”