daisies, targets, and hard drives (m.h)

hamsters and codenames

In theory, his mission was simple: obtain the hard drive containing potentially world-ending information before the current owner uses it for his own gain or worse. Like, for example, selling it to one of the many hostile governments out there with the means and the resources to do some real harm.

Donghyuck likes the world. Truly, he does. Even if it's a place that allows incredibly stupid people-ones who wouldn't be able to read a page of a third grade level chapter book aloud-a platform to express their very dumb opinions to millions of people via social media. The world is the birthplace of pointless arguments, stubbed toes, people who speak out of turn, and birds that poop and don't care where it lands (whether that be your car or your head). It has slow walkers, dogs without responsible owners, drunk drivers, nagging bosses, brains that won't sleep despite the alarm going off in five hours, and much more. Donghyuck could go on and on because the world is rather large and lots of things happen each and everyday.

But among the rather unpleasant things on the list of what makes the world what it is, would also be sunflowers, Lord Baekhyun himself, kimchi jjigae, and this new game on his phone that he is definitely not addicted to. And that is what makes life beautiful.

So, say what you want about the world, but when given a chance to save it from what could very well end up in nuclear destruction, it was not only his duty but his honor to accept.

As stated before, his mission was very simple when put into words. The actual execution of it, however, was much more complicated.

The ginormous university halls are filled with students making their return for the start of the second semester. Those that managed to hold on to their holiday cheer, chatter excitedly about what they did over break. Others groan and drag their way to the first class of the day, already drained from being back on campus in the first place. Donghyuck feels bad for them, he knows well enough that if they aren't miserable now they certainly will be later.

It didn't take him long to find the first of his classes, after all, he spent quite a bit of time studying the blueprint of the buildings. About half of the seats in the room are taken by people huddled together talking to friends and others boredly waiting for the lecture to begin. Donghyuck does a quick scan of the room and finds his target's son. Or, the hamster, as he's begun to call him in his head despite knowing his name.

Jisung Park is on his own near the back row (that is, if you ignore the person on his left sitting next to the window). His head is laying on his one arm, idly tapping a pen against the table with his free hand. Donghyuck takes a moment to regard the other guy and for a second his eyes meet wide, innocently shaped eyes. The guy has round glasses sitting on his nose, dressed in all black from head to toe, matching the color of his lightly tousled hair. Donghyuck's curious about him, but he's nothing if not focused. He confidently walks up and takes the seat beside Jisung. Jisung looks up in mild surprise and when Donghyuck smiles at him, he shyly returns it. His eyes drift off to the front where the teacher is organizing some things. Class is about to start.

The target is a shady businessman named Junseo Park. He's cagey, distrustful, paranoid, and somewhat smart...ish. Donghyuck could try to go to him directly, gain his trust, find the drive and bolt. But that method could take months to build the appropriate amount of trust. It would be a much longer con than he had the time for. The best way to get to someone as power hungry and clumsily cautious as Junseo, was to find a weakness. In this case that weakness is his son. He's young, naive, reserved, scrambling to find himself beneath the heavy gaze of an overprotective father insisting on keeping him in the dark. Truly a coddled hamster, Jisung was the jackpot. Sometimes it's much easier to go around a target than through them. Donghyuck still plans on working it from both angles, he just has to be careful.