Ready

Daehyun

I enter the director office, “You ask for me, Ma’am?”

“Yes, Daehyun.” She throw a file down to her desk, motioning me to take it, “Your new target.”

“Who?” I ask while flipping the page. I click my tongue when I see that I’m going after a beautiful woman. Such a pity. “I wish my mission is to date her…”

“You can, actually.”

“I can?!” I couldn’t hide my excitement, I clear my throat and flatten my expression again, “I’m not on a killing mission, Ma’am?”

“We haven’t decided about that yet. She’s not a threat to our country… For now.”

“Then why?”

“You know that the other agents are working on unidentified people?”

“Yes, Ma’am. So, she’s one of those too?”

“Yes. We need to be more cautious. As you can see, many of your fellow agents founds out that the people with no traces like her turns out to be a mole on our country. Terrorist.”

“So I date her to collect her identities?”

“Date her, stalk her, whatever way you can use, just don’t let your guard down, Jung Daehyun.”

“I won’t, Ma’am.”

“Country comes first.”

“Country comes first.” I say with a full certainty in my tone.

“Taken time presumption is maximum a year. You may now begin. Dismiss.”

You

“Welcome to Evergreen! What can I fill your cup with today?”

The young man chuckles at my greeting, “Can you recommend me something? I’m open to all suggestions.”

“Our mango-strawberry mix ice cream has been on the rise lately. Would you like to try?”

“Sounds good.” he smiles.

I smile back then I look down to the counter to scoop the ice cream, “Do you have the student card?”

“What?”

“For the discount an-” I look up to see him looks confuse, “Oh, is it your first time here?”

“Yes, it’s my first time here, and…” he let out a small laugh, “I’m not a student.”

My eyes widen, “Oh, I’m sorry. The costumers are usually the students from the university across the shop, so I thought… I apologize.”

He shakes his head, “No damage made. If anything, it’s actually boost my confidence about my look.”

“...”

“I still look young and handsome despite my age.”

I burst into laughter in reflex because of his smug look, but suddenly stops, realizing I could appear to be impolite to the customer, “I’m sorry, I’m being rude.”

He laugh again. He is handsome. He’s not wrong about that. “It would be awkward if you don’t laugh. That was a joke. I don’t usually boast about my appearance to people.”

“What’s that not to boast about?” my breath hitch as soon as my stupid airhead comment finished. That wasn’t supposed to leave my lips, idiot.

Despite my transformation to tomato, he smiles, “Thanks. You’re cute.”

I quickly finished his order and tells him how much he should pay, “Th-thank you… Come again…”

Handing him his receipt, I gasp when he grabs my hand.

“Hey, what time will you finish your job?”

And that’s how I met Jung Daehyun, who is now my boyfriend of 6 months.

Set

Daehyun

07:23 AM

From: Honey-Bear

What are you going to wear tonight?

07:24 AM

To: Honey-Bear

Do you have a request? ;)

07:26 AM

From: Honey-Bear

Skirt! XD

I chuckle at her silly jokes. It’s been six months since the mission starts. I thinks she’s amazing. The mission doesn’t feels like one because dating with her is one hell of a fun ride. You could say that I have fallen in love for real with the subject. She makes me want to believe that she is innocent. Six more months and the mission will be over. I hope at the end of the initial time, she’s proven that she’s not a threat. The only threat she makes are to my heart. She makes it beats faster and it hurts when I have to leave her for my side mission.

Being an agent, this is of course makes me more vulnerable. But it’s been six months since the love sprouts from earth and nothing went wrong, and I will keep reassuring myself that nothing will go wrong.

Now, I’m not being reckless on my job here. It’s not like I abandoned my mission for love wholeheartedly, even though it’s so tempting right now. Being with her for almost 24/7 makes the organization collects the blank data more faster and efficient, so I think it’s a win-win situation.

But, of course, no matter how much reassurance I told myself, there is still doubt in the corner of my mind that they, the organization, will accept how I feel towards her. I starts to ponder how will I continue my love in the future.

Love is prohibited here. They said it makes you like you’re on open field: easy target. One of the organization driver said to me.

BEEP.  A voice from the special communication device breaks through my thoughts.

I quickly grab the device close to my ear, “Agent Jung, over.”

“Agent Jung. Side mission. Shanghai. 11 AM. Details on HQ. Over.”

I can’t help but felt a pang on my heart, “T-today?”

“Pick up arrives in 10 minutes. Over.”

I frown, “Affirmative.”

When the call disconnect, I threw the device to the carpet violently, “Goddamit! I have to cancel today’s date…” I run my fingers through my hair.

It hurts not seeing her.

With a heavy heart, I pack a few things for my necessity in Shanghai later. It doesn’t take long until I go out of my apartment and headed to the lobby. I run a bit when I see the elevator door to go down almost close, “Hold the door, please!”

To my relieve, the person inside hold it open for me. I got into the elevator to see a pretty young girl i never seen before, “Thanks.” I straighten my suit while holding my briefcase.

“No problem.” She replies with a polite smile.

Trained to be alert, I scan her appearance. Yup, never seen before. So I smile back at her, “Excuse me. Do you live here? Are you my neighbor? I don’t remember seeing you around.”

She shakes her head, “No, I’m… I’m a friend of someone here.” Doubt. I spotted a hesitation on her sentence.

She’s going to be uncomfortable if I ask further, so I just pretend to acknowledge her answer with an ‘Oh’.

Ding. The elevator reach the lobby.

When the elevator door opens, I gesture her out of courtesy to get out first, “No wonder I never seen you before, then.”

Still 3 minutes before the car arrives.

The apartment security gets up from his seats and greets us both. He knows her name, so she must be visiting here often. The security ask me if have another morning trip for today.

Yeah, I told him that I’m a normal civil worker. I can’t seriously tell I’m a secret agent for this country, aren’t I? “Yeah, my boss suddenly change the schedule yesterday. The ups and down of civil workers.” I huff to fake out my disappointment. Well, not entirely an act, because I am devastated that I can’t go out with my love today. I chat a little bit more with the girl and the security before at the corner of my eyes, I see the car arriving. I look out my device on my wrist to make sure that’s my cue to leave, “Oh, gosh. Well, if you excuse me, I have a plane to catch. Good day!” I wave to them and walk out the building straight into the car.

“Morning, Agent Jung.”

“Morning.” I quickly take out my tab device to check the girl from earlier up. I got into the database and reads her profile. From another city… Currently art student… Let’s check on her phone history… Oh. The last message was sent at 06:54 AM to a phone registered un