“It’s 5:55 now.” Woohyun said, breaking the silence as Haneul continued to stare at her 7th cup of vanilla latte. Who knew anyone could get sick of that stuff?

“You want to go now?” Woohyun asked Haneul as he began to stand up.

Haneul could only nod.

“What’s wrong?” Woohyun asked as he lowered his face in front of Haneul and stared at her, “Why are you so quiet?”

“It’s nothing really.” Haneul mumbled.

“Oh come on. I can tell something’s wrong. Childhood friend’s instinct, remember?” Woohyun said as he pointed to his head and smiled at her gently.

“It’s nothing much.” Haneul mumbled, “Just… I’m feeling a slight sense of nostalgia. I know it’s hitting random and late, but I’m just suddenly feeling it.” Haneul whispered.

“There, there.” Woohyun knelt down next to Haneul’s chair and touched the smooth skin of her cheek, “You’re not feeling it without reason. I’m feeling it too, you know? It’s almost like back when she was… alive again…” Woohyun trailed off as he knew he needed no further words to communicate anything.

“Yeah. It is.” Haneul said and smiled bitterly at the table, “Like when she used to give us missions to train us. Sometimes I think she was more effective as a trainer than anyone else was. Even Miyoung.”

“Yeah. She was, wasn’t she?” Woohyun smiled gently at Haneul as he stood up and held onto her elbow to pull her up. “Now, up we come. It’s almost 6 now and sunset is at 6:05.”

“It’s only across the road. What are you in such a big hurry for?” Haneul said and then grabbed her vanilla latte which had long since became cold and gulped it all in one go.

The two of them stood next to the pole for 5 minutes without finding anything interesting.

“Are you sure this is it?” Woohyun said with doubt in his voice, “I can’t see anything.”

“Yeah. I’m sure.” Haneul said as she stood there and shivered a little. Woohyun quickly took one end of his scarf and draped it around Haneul’s neck and put his arm over her shoulder to draw her in for warmth. Haneul smiled up at him in thanks and then continued with her words, “It’s just like her, don’t you think? Always making us wait around to remind us that at the very essence of field work is to wait. “The very essence of you three’s job is to wait, wait and wait some more. The only parts of your job that will be quick, smooth and fast-paced is when you’re fighting. And hopefully if you exact the art of waiting perfectly, you’ll never need to encounter those fights.” Remember how she used to say those words to us?” Haneul laughed a little at the memory, but her smile soon disappeared.

“Yeah. I remember now.” Woohyun smiled at the old memories, “She’s such a genius, isn’t she? Our first ever mission was given to us when she was only 11. And yet they’re all at this level.” He lowly chuckled, “The world lost a great genius 9 years ago. She could’ve been one of those world leading pioneers. She was smart enough to make anyone do anything for her, manipulate the situation, even with people who didn’t know who she was.”

“Yes, but she didn’t, did she?” Haneul bit her lip, “She’s always been way too soft.” The two of them reminisced in silence until a small glow inside the store caught both of their attention.

“That glow…” Woohyun began.

“Do you think it is…” Haneul continued on.

“What we’re looking for?” Woohyun finished off.

Indeed though, Haneul felt something warm stirring inside of her when she saw the glow. “Let’s go.” Haneul said and gently tugged on Woohyun’s arm.

As she walked up closer, she could see the colour of the glow. It was a soft lavender colour. The exact shade that was always Hanbi’s favourite colour.

“Haneul… That glow… The colour…”

“Yeah I know.” Haneul nodded, “Hanbi’s favourite.”

“It’s from that bracelet there on the counter.” Haneul said and narrowed her eyes at it and then realised what it was and gasped. “It’s definitely the bracelet!” She exclaimed.

“How do you know?”

“Because I remember that bracelet. It was the bracelet Changmin oppa gave to her.” Haneul smiled at the memories of it and walked up to the counter and picked it up, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Amethyst and real rhinestone on silver, bought at a streetmarket… Or at least that’s what he told Hanbi, but we all knew that wasn’t true. I know the style and the markings. It’s a one of a kind made by a master craftsman from Switzerland.” Haneul laughed at the memories of Changmin awkwardly lying to Hanbi who could already tell it was really expensive. He’d only been lying so then Hanbi wouldn’t get how much she meant to him and would be able to accept the expensive gift.

“Yah, don’t touch that missy!” Haneul felt the bracelet being snatched from her hands. Haneul looked up from her empty hands to see a short, old woman who was obviously already past a normal retirement age, glare up at her.

“Ah, sorry ahjummeoni. I just thought that looked really pretty so I wanted to take a closer look at it. I know this is a shoe store, but would you be interested in selling that bracelet to me?” Haneul pulled out her wallet and pulled out a platinum credit card, “I’d be willing to pay a large sum for it.”

“No.” The woman shook her head and held the bracelet closer to herself, “This is one of my most prized possessions and I’m sure as hell not willing to give it up.”

“Woohyun, the map.” Haneul said as she stuck her hand out and the book landed in the palm of her left hand seconds later. She flipped open to the page and showed the woman. “Take your pick of the phrases and then let me have that bracelet.”

The woman looked critically at Haneul the laughed sinisterly. Haneul frowned.

“So you’re the girl’s sister? Well this has taken you a long time, has it not? 9 years! In 9 years a lot can happen, dear. And your sister even said you were smart.” The woman scoffed, “What has taken you so long, darling? You know I’ve grown attached to this beautiful bracelet right?” She leered mockingly at Haneul whose face was void of all emotions.

“Yes. I am that girl’s sister. And did she not give you instructions to hand over the bracelet when I came looking for it?”

“Well, she did. But who says I have to?” The woman cradled the bracelet fondly, “A master craftsman in Switzerland crafted this! When I found that out I just couldn’t let go of it.”

“Yeah. It was so precious to you that you just left it lying around.” Haneul’s voice hinted at sarcasm.

The woman stared at Haneul strangely. “So you really are smart, hey?” She smiled slightly, “But what took you so long anyway?”

“The solving of the first piece of the puzzle was extremely difficult to solve and I only recently solved it by chance.” Haneul said and sighed and then looked at the map. “Is it… Jjajangmyun and a warm bowl of soup solves all problems?”

“No, try again.” The woman said and crossed her arms. Haneul noticed the exhausted look on her face.

“Skirts are silly things to wear in winter?” Woohyun tried again.

“No, try again.”

“The more I find it fits, the less it does?” Haneul tried one last time.

“Yep, bingo.” The woman clicked her fingers and then handed it to Haneul hesitantly. “Take care of that though,” The woman whispered, “It was the only thing I had to keep this store going. It’s not that business is bad, business is good, but I owed that girl something and my last promise to her was to stay here until you would find me. And now that you’ve found me, I can happily hand this store over to my son and write it into my will for my grandson to own it eventually one day. It’s been a family business since my grandfather’s time, after all.”

The woman smiled a smile of utmost exhaustion, “I’m 63 and well past retirement age and yet I continued to run this store when all my family members told me to stop, just for your sister. She was a sweet, kind girl.” She chuckled, “She was definitely a very, very clever girl. It was a shock when she came to me and told me she was going to die soon, it was like she was a seer and had predicted it. She even predicted exactly how she was going to die. It was definitely such a shock. She had approached me on the very day I decided I was going to retire at the end of the month, but I decided to continue on just for her. I only expected to continue running the store for another 2 or 3 years, after all. Not another 9. But I knew you would come, I just knew.” Haneul could tell the old woman was starting to old person ramble, but she didn’t mind. She could only feel a tear coming to her eye, remembering memories of how her sister died.

“Oh, don’t you cry now.” The woman reached up and wiped the tear that was formed in Haneul’s eye away, “You know, Haneul, Hanbi’s little sister, you strike a stunning resemblance to her, except more like an older version. You look like what I’d imagined her to look like when she was all grown up. Absolutely beautiful. Sisters really do look alike, hey?” The old woman smiled at Haneul one last time and then ushered her along, “Along you go now. Figure out the next piece of the puzzle soon to complete that little rascal Hanbi’s will. She’ll finally be able to rest in peace when you do, after all. And for a good girl like that that saved my family’s business from failing, she deserves at least that much.”

Haneul bowed down 90 degrees to the woman and Woohyun followed suit. “Thank you so much. I won’t be the one to take care of this bracelet though, I’m sorry to say. I’m going to give it to someone who will take much greater care of it than I ever will after I’m done with it.” She said softly.

“Ah, that will be fine. Not what I expected, but it will be fine, I suppose.” The woman said and sighed, “As long as the person you give it to will take good care of it.”

“Oh, he will. Don’t you worry.” Haneul smiled at the woman and left.

--------

“That woman was nice.” Woohyun commented during their silent car ride back to Haneul’s dorm as it was closer.

“Yeah, she was, wasn’t she? To continue to work for another 9 years just for my sister when everyone around her is telling her to retire.” Haneul stared at the bracelet. “So I’m guessing it’s because at sunset the sun will shine on the amethyst at a certain angle that will cause it to glow? No wonder the woman left it there at that exact peculiar angle.”

“Your sister’s still as smart as ever, hey? It wasn’t a double sunset like we had thought, but rather a triple sunset.” Woohyun laughed.

“Yeah…” The car pulled up outside the apartments where Haneul’s dorm was and she hopped out. “Thank you for today.” Haneul smiled at Woohyun.

“Thank you for what?”

“For accompanying me.”

“Of course.” Woohyun said and smiled, “It’s not just your mission alone, you know.”

“Yeah… Thank you.” Haneul smiled, “I’ll call you tonight if I notice anything about the bracelet?”

“Well…” Woohyun paused and then scratched his neck, “It’s not just your mission alone, but it will temporarily have to be for a few days.”

“You’re going on another mission?” Haneul asked.

“Yup.” He nodded, “To Bali to retrieve some files. It’s an easy task. Just some low level gang members managed to get their hands on some important files by accident. They’re not going to be able to do much with it and I’ll probably be able to single handedly take down at least half of them, you know? Even you can do that.”

“What do you mean even?” Haneul stuck her tongue out, “So cocky even though you’re just a little stronger than me.”

“Hey, it’s the one thing I’m better than you at.” He laughed, “Oh, and dance. But dance doesn’t count for much in the world of IAI.”

“True that.” Haneul laughed and then poked his forehead back into the car. She stood away from the car and waved at Woohyun. Woohyun waved back and then the window was rolled up.

Haneul watched the car drive away and then turned around to see a sarcastic looking Kevin. “Back from your date?”

“It’s not a date.” Haneul said.

“Oh really now? Is that why you guys were in a club?”

“I was in there for a maximum of 37 minutes, 40 if you include the waiting time in the line.” Haneul rolled her eyes.

“There was no need to lie to me saying you were going to visit family, you know?”

“I wasn’t lying!” Haneul said in a frustrated voice even though she knew she had lied.

“If you just told me you were going to go on a date with your ‘Woohyun oppa’ then I wouldn’t have wanted to come and third wheel anyway.”

“Look, it’s not a date, okay?” Haneul said exasperatedly.

“That’s what they all say.”

“Well I’m not ‘they’, am I? I’m me.” Haneul frowned.

“Whatever you say.” Kevin muttered and turned around to walk back into the apartment.

Haneul walked into the apartment too but took a different lift to him. They both arrived up at the floor at the same time and ignored each other as they both went into their separate apartments.

When Haneul walked into her apartment and thankfully for her nobody was in sight. She sighed and mumbled to herself, “Why can’t you just pretend to be nice like you do on your missions? Why do you always make more and more people hate you, Jang Haneul?”