The Agents (Part 2)
“Daughter… daughter?”
The dazed Wang Sian snapped back to reality at Wang Gang’s call.
“Huh? Yeah… Why?”
“Are you really tired?”
“I’m not. I just have some things on my mind.”
“What things?”
“Personal matters.”
Wang Gang set the documents he’d been looking at aside and smiled meaningfully. Wang Sian, sensing her father’s thoughts, lowered her head slightly.
“Kang-jun again?”
“…No.”
“Right. Don’t even try to fool Dad. I can tell at a glance.”
“No! Just do your work!”
Wang Sian raised her voice a little and shot up from her seat.
“Daughter, where are you going?”
“To the bathroom! The bathroom!”
“The big one?”
“Team leader-nim—!”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Go ahead.”
She stormed out of the meeting room with heavy steps, clearly annoyed. A young man standing outside quickly stood up.
“Sis!”
It was Peter, Wang Gang’s disciple. Currently a D-rank hero and a department agent—temporary, of course.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t ask a lady that kind of question.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Wang Sian walked down the corridor with a straight face, turned the corner sharply, and vanished. Peter sat back down with a slightly awkward expression.
“Ah, it’s touching… it’s touching.”
Julia, another agent and C-rank, clicked her tongue at Peter’s hopeless love.
“Ah, how consistent…”
“Senior, why are you asking that?”
“Damn it, talking about the senior so casually.”
“No….”
Red-haired Julia, freckles crowding her nose and cheeks, spoke teasingly, “Want to tip me?”
“Tip? …Peter nodded innocently.
“For sex, obviously.”
“Ah, ahaha—senior-nim!”
“You bastard, raising your voice in front of the senior?”
“No, just a little!”
When both their voices rose, B-rank Kim Jicheol cut in.
“There’s a senior inside.”
Their voices instantly dropped. Kim Jicheol’s charisma was more than enough to handle the two of them.
Julia glanced at Peter in front of her, then made a circular gesture with her left hand and raised her right index finger, pumping it suggestively. She made the shape of an S and pursed her lips.
Ah, that senior is really—!
Peter simply closed his eyes tightly. Julia found it endlessly amusing to toy with her junior.
At that moment the meeting room door burst open. All the agents stood up in unison. The atmosphere dropped instantly. Wang Gang gave a quick nod. Everyone poured into the room.
Wang Sian had gone to the bathroom and was sitting blankly on the toilet lid.
Why… why doesn’t he match with me? Why? It was good… was it only good for me?
Sigh… Wang Sian was extremely troubled. She had no idea where the problem lay. She had never experienced this before either. Perhaps somewhere along the way she had failed to satisfy him.
“Brother, let’s talk about us, okay?”
No reply came. Was it really ending like this? After one time?
Of course she was beginning to understand why her compatibility felt off. Last night had felt so good. The best she’d ever had. She now understood why people got so hopelessly addicted to pleasure. Sex or drugs—once you got hooked, there was no way out…
Wang Sian chewed her nails furiously. Clunk. The polish left a bitter taste. Of course, she had been chewing her nails since before the polish even came off. Impressive.
Ah, why… why won’t the reply come, why—!
“Damn it, I’m pissed. Damn it—!”
She slammed the stall door open, stood up, flung the bathroom door wide, and turned on the faucet full blast.
Was she really worse than Hye-yeon…? No way… really?
Her fists clenched tight. The two of them had clearly done it more than once. Wang Sian ground her teeth and glared at the mirror.
She would never lose. Not lose. Even if the other girl took him, that girl would never be enough. Never.
Some valve inside her suddenly opened. No matter what it took, she would snatch him from Hye-yeon’s grip first. After that… she would worry about the rest later.
Wang Sian washed her hands in cold water and shook them dry. When she stepped out of the bathroom, her heart felt lighter than when she had gone in.
· · ·
“Daughter. If it’s worrying you, I can remove you from this mission.”
“No! Team leader! Treat me like any other agent!”
Wang Sian cried out in surprise. Wang Gang smiled fondly. He knew exactly who his daughter was.
“Then you should have focused more in the meeting.”
“I’m sorry… that’s not it.”
“Anyway, if you’ve all heard, then we’re good. …Dinner?”
Wang Gang half-hoped to eat with his daughter.
“I have plans.”
Of course there were no plans. But she would make one. Somehow.
“Alright. Understood.”
Wang Gang patted the deputy on the shoulder. He planned to drink until he passed out with the other alcohol-loving agents. Sian hoped the two drunks would sing loudly in the streets and that the police wouldn’t get a phone call.
“Drink responsibly. This is the headquarters, not some bar.”
“Ah, okay okay. …Complaining sounds just like Mom.”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Wang Gang leaned slightly toward Kim Jicheol. The two of them puffed their chests, already dreaming of alcohol. Ah, those two drunks. Sian wanted her father to enjoy himself but wished he’d cut back on the drinking a little.
Just then Peter quietly approached her. Wang Sian looked at him with questioning eyes.
“Um… sis. Do you have time for dinner tonight?”
“Why?”
“I wanted to have dinner together. As friends. For once.”
The term “friends” here meant they had studied martial arts together under Wang Gang.
“I already have plans.”
“Eh? With whom?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
The tone said not to ask further. Peter closed his mouth and glanced sideways at Julia standing at the corridor’s end. She glared back, made a fist, and threatened him. Finish it.
Wang Sian tried to pass him, but he opened his mouth again and stepped forward.
“Why again?”
“Sis. I’m a man now!”
Peter let out a fart.
“I know.”
“Sis, don’t drink with me?”
Not that damn drinking talk again!
“I don’t want to.”
“…What?”
“I said I don’t! I’m leaving. Hurry. Get out of the way.”
Wang Sian brushed past Peter. Ah, sis—! He reached out to her back, then let his arm droop. Julia came over with a grinning face.
“You told her to have sex?”
“Ah, I don’t know!”
Peter shouted that and rushed toward the team dormitory. Julia clutched her belly and laughed. Her colleague Ryo, a C-rank agent who had watched the entire scene, flicked her aside with a look of pity.
“Stop fooling around and check the schedule. There’s work piled up.”
“Hey, hey Peter! Don’t disappear—come help too!”
The moment she shouted, the vanished Peter returned. Ryo asked the second she saw him.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Ah! I’m not crying!”
Hahaha. Julia laughed lewdly.
Insane woman.
Ryo patted Peter’s back.
· · ·
5:00 PM.
Wang Sian waited anxiously for ten minutes in the lobby of the 1st-floor office building of Carlos’s team in District 43.
It wasn’t a bad feeling, but she had a strange urge to go. She could never watch Hye-yeon overpower her.
As heroes came and went, a few glanced at her beautiful face before looking away. They all seemed to know who she had come to see.
Five minutes later.
Two men and a woman descended the stairs together. Wang Sian’s smile vanished the instant she spotted the pink-haired woman beside Kang-jun.
She recognized her at once. She was famous even among the heroes.
“Ah, Senior Erika. Nice to meet you.”
“Who…?”
“I’m C-rank Wang Sian from headquarters.”
“Ah, hello. …But why are you here?”
Erika felt uneasy. She had wanted a quiet evening with Kang-jun for once, but an unexpected guest had appeared.
“Brother, I came to meet you.”
Brother…? To Erika it was an utterly distant word. When had she ever used that? Ten years ago?
Their eyes met. She sensed something resolute in him. He was surprisingly steady. She thought it would be interesting to see him face off against both of them.
“Brother, talk to me.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
Wang Sian shot a quick glance at Erika. Here? Not the right place.
Erika also didn’t want to leave. How long had it been? Still, Kang-jun took Sian’s hand.
“Senior, I’ll be going now.”
“…Huh? Uh… sure. See you tomorrow…”
Erika’s energy drained completely. Kang-jun and Wang Sian left the building and climbed into his car.
The scent of a woman’s perfume filled the vehicle. Wang Sian pretended not to notice.
The car roared off without a word. She had no idea where they were going. Or rather, it didn’t matter.
“Brother….”
Wang Sian finally spoke after a long silence, the dark night street a dramatic backdrop.
“Why?”
“The letter I sent you today… was it sincere?”
She wanted to hear him say no. But reality was merciless.
“Yes.”
Pride would never allow him to break it off, but she had never imagined receiving a rejection letter. If they weren’t compatible, what excuse would she give her father?
There was one thing she had to know. She had to know.
“What did you say to Hye-yeon?”
“What?”
“After… after that…”
Kang-jun smiled silently. He hadn’t expected her to try comparison. Her rival spirit toward Hye-yeon was far fiercer than he thought. …If he played it right, he could enjoy this immensely.
“It was good.”
Wang Sian’s fist clenched visibly. She wanted him to keep pushing.
“Was there something about me you didn’t like?”
“Um… if I have to say right away…”
Ah… Wang Sian closed her mouth.
“Why do you want to know?”
“…It would be better if I did.”
“Well, that’s true. It’ll improve the more we practice.”
Wang Sian spoke again.
“So you think I’m completely unsatisfying? You’re not compatible with me? …I was really good. I was.”
“That’s not the case. I think we can adjust a little…”
“Really?”
Her eyes widened. But she had never known men until yesterday. She couldn’t possibly ask to have sex on the spot. She was simply throwing hints. At best, Erika, the magical girl, would accept such a proposition. After all, that was her concept.
The conversation hit an abrupt cliff.
Wang Sian had expected to hear that she was better than Hye-yeon and feel relieved. But some competitive drive remained.
“Anyway… where are we going?”
“To a hotel.”
Kang-jun’s answer closed Wang Sian’s mouth. She understood perfectly. It was a declaration of intent to have sex.
This time she would ask directly. If there was something she did poorly, he would tell her.
Yes. This was all for later. Maybe he and she wouldn’t work out, but she would learn anyway.
With all kinds of rationalizations, the two entered the hotel. Not a single word was spoken until they reached the room.
“Dinner—how about it?”
“Room service.”
“What kind?”
“Tomato pasta.”
“Then I’ll order two.”
Wang Sian picked up the phone and ordered two servings of tomato pasta.
The moment the call ended, the atmosphere shifted. Heat seemed to rise in the air.
She sat demurely on the bed, head slightly lowered. Kang-jun, seated in a chair, suddenly stood up. Wang Sian looked up quickly.
!!!
He stripped off his clothes in one motion. She turned her head away in shock.
Already…? Already? We haven’t even had dinner. It’s not night yet.
“I’ll help you undress.”
“Ah, um, it’s not night yet…”
“Then you’d be late for work tomorrow. Better to do it now.”
Thinking about it, that made sense. It would have been better to finish early and avoid being late tomorrow.
“Ah, I see.”
She slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Her white skin began to reveal itself gradually.
“Then should I shower first?”
“Either way.”
“Alright.”
Wang Sian headed for the bathroom, but Kang-jun stopped her.
“Take your clothes off first. …We’ve already seen each other. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
The tone carried a hint of provocation. Wang Sian stripped right there. She managed to pull down her bra, but hesitated over her panties. In the end she dropped them too.
Kang-jun smiled thickly.
“Let’s go in together.”
“Together?!”
She was shocked. She hadn’t expected that.
“I’ve done it with Hye-yeon many times. Let’s shower together.”
Ah…
“Really?”
“If you prefer to shower alone, go ahead.”
“No, let’s go in together.”
Hye-yeon did it too. Why couldn’t I? It’s not a big deal. Between lovers it’s normal.