Jieun

The siren of death goes off again except the timing is extremely odd.

"Why the hell is this thing going off at 3 in the morning?" I hear Gaeul's grumble out curses as I sit up in bed myself, my muscles sore from all the training i had been taking this past week.

I was already awake since this was usually the time i went to train with Taehyun aka Dimples. A very suitable name I think.

The two of us get into uniform and walk out of the dorm room, not forgetting to lock it with the additional padlock that Gaeul threatened the office to provide us with due to last night's encounter.

We walk to the assembly point, fog surrounding the entire area as far as eye can see.

"Good morning Gaeul! And Jieun." Jake beams as he spots us thanks to the streetlight. He's not even happy to see me damn.

Gaeul scoffs quietly. "There is no way you're this cheerful in the morning."

"I'm not. I'm just happy to see you two." He defends and goes to stand beside her.

I smile at the two of them when i spot Taehyun walking towards us. I notice the glare of warning he offers Seok as he walks past him.

"Hey Genius. You're lucky training got cancelled, Wonho hyung was going to do a high intensity one today." He mumbles to me.

"He's gonna end up killing me one day just so you know." I frown, imagining my state after.

The conversation dies there and the four of us stand there, unsure of what exactly was happening.

"What do you think is happening?" I finally ask, unable to stop the jitters of anxiety.

"First mission." Taehyun says firmly, his eyes set on the podium in front of us and I feel the air get knocked out of my lungs.

I look at him comically with my mouth ajar. "Please be joking."

"I'm not." He glances at me. "There's a reason they woke us up when it is still dark."

Everything here was so shrouded in mystery and untold secrets that it almost felt suffocating. It resembles the fog of this extremely early morning in an uncanny way.

"Does this mean we'll have real weapons?" I can't help asking yet again.

Taehyun looks at me as if it is the most obvious thing ever.

I exhale as reality begins to set in. My parents had really sent me to some sort of academy for criminals, I'm really about to wield weaponry which is very real and can kill.

Taehyun notices the turmoil in my eyes as i go radio silent. He nudges my leg with his knee.

"You'll be alright." He says coolly. His words are reassuring to some extent but it does little to convince me especially since it's from the guy who has been in other training academy's before this.

"Young agents, your time has finally arrived. Please separate yourselves into the groups that we announce." The lady at the podium speaks. How are we sure this isn't a cult?

The crowd around us soon begins to segregate into sectors. Me and Taehyun are supposedly in Sector 4 while Gaeul and Jake are in Sector 9.

My eyes rake over the people who were in the same sector and they seemed to dislike both, Taehyun and Me. But mostly Taehyun.

"Hello Kang." One of the guys in our group sneers.

Taehyun calmly smiles. "Hello Seon-ho. Didn't think you'd end up here."

I feel the tension rise in the five member group. The only other girl in the group apart from me glares me down. I don't pay her much mind.

"Finally got yourself a partner? Or is she just a fling you're keeping with you?" Seon-ho taunts.

"I'm not similar to the likes of you who has slept with nearly half the girls in our grade." Taehyun shoves his hand into his pockets as he casually calls him out.

Seon-ho fumes as he steps closer to us. "You think you can say anything you want just because you have the influence?"

"Was it a lie?" Taehyun tilts his head? "I only said what is common knowledge to everyone."

"It should be common knowledge what you and her are up to too then." The other girl speaks.

My eyes flit to her, observing her extremely offensive stance and angry eyes.

Before either of us make another comment that could lead to an actual brawl, the lady at the podium speaks again.

"You have five minutes to decide roles before the vehicle to take your group to the field arrives. Begin."

"All in favour of sending Taehyun and Jieun as the ones to do field work raise your hands." Seon-ho says with a crooked grin.

The entire group raises their hands as me and Taehyun share a look of concealed disbelief.

"Alright. Seon-ho will be the operator then." Taehyun counters. "And Yonhee along with Do-seok will be in charge of data handling."

"As long as we're working remotely and won't die in field." Seon-ho raises his hands in mock defense.

Staff members come around and hand us gear that includes a bulletproof west, a utility belt to hold weapons and of course, said weapons. The others received their tech gear and each of us were given an earpiece for communication.

"How are you holding up?" Taehyun asks as we put on some leather gloves.

"Not sure." I mumble, trying to attach the  buckle of the glove.

"Here, let me." He offers as he helps.

I look at his face as he looks down. "You don't seem bothered that they pushed us into field work."

"I knew it would happen." He shrugs, letting go of my hand. "We're not the most loved here now are we?"

A black van with tinted windows pulls up as the members of particular sectors pile into their assigned vans. One with our number on it stops in front of us not too long after.

"Here goes nothing." I breathe out.