AGENT TOP-NOTCH

CHAPTER-7

Jeonghan went straight to Joshua's apartment after work, his mind buzzing with the day's events. He rang the bell and waited, the hum of the city fading into the background.

The door flew open, and Joshua's face immediately lit up with excitement. "Oh, Hannie! Are you staying over? How was work? Did you find anything suspicious? Or was it just another dull day? Or maybe-"

"Slow down, Josh." Jeonghan laughed, holding up a hand as he walked inside and flopped onto the couch. "Ask slowly and take a breath, will you?" He stretched out, his body sinking into the cushions.

"Okay, okay. So, how was your day, my dear best friend?" Joshua asked, placing his mug of water on the table and settling in.

"Hectic," Jeonghan sighed, detailing the chaos at the office.

"Damn, you're telling me that the janitor looks like a whole prince?" Joshua exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.

Jeonghan looked at him in disbelief. "Are you even real, Josh? I just unloaded a whole saga, and that's the only point you got?" Joshua's focus on the oddest details never failed to amuse him.

"Oh, I just wanted to know how handsome a man has to be to get compliment from the great 'YOON JEONGHAN'," Joshua teased, emphasizing his best friend's name with a dramatic flourish.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. "Shut up and concentrate on the actual situation," he said, giving Joshua a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright," Joshua laughed, rubbing his shoulder.

"Josh! Didn't you change my initial from Yoon to Jung?" Jeonghan asked, squinting his eyes suspiciously.

"Yes, I did. Don't even dare to doubt me-you were with me while we edited all your legal files, except for the ones from our intelligence agency," Joshua replied, scrolling through files on his phone and cross-checking everything again.

"Then how the heck did he know?" Jeonghan asked, his irritation mounting. He paced the room, trying to piece together.

Joshua looked up, concern replacing his usual playful demeanor. "This is getting weird, Hannie. If the janitor knows things he shouldn't, we might be dealing with something way bigger than we thought."

"Anyway, don't burn your already fried brain," Joshua said, noticing the fatigue on Jeonghan's face. "Go get some sleep. We'll discuss this with Mr. Lee tomorrow morning."

"No, I'm going back to my apartment," Jeonghan said, getting up from the couch.

Joshua quickly intervened. "No, you're not leaving. You're exhausted, it's not safe to drive, and it's already too late. Plus, we all have to be at the agency first thing tomorrow morning, remember?"

Jeonghan paused, running a hand through his hair. "We all have to gather tomorrow?"

Joshua folded his arms, giving him a stern look. "Don't tell me you didn't read the text Jihoon sent."

"Uhh, maybe I didn't," Jeonghan admitted, scratching his head sheepishly.

Joshua sighed. "We're meeting our partners tomorrow, you idiot!"

"Oh, it's tomorrow?" Jeonghan's eyes widened in realization.

"Yes," Joshua confirmed, standing up from the couch. "Now go to bed. We have to start our real task tomorrow, and it's going to be intense."

Jeonghan nodded, finally conceding. "Alright, alright. He trudged toward the guest room, the weight of tomorrow's mission starting to settle in. Joshua watched him go, hoping a good night's sleep would prepare them for the challenges ahead.

Next morning, everyone gathered in Mr. Lee's office. "Your mission partners are here today, and the task for everyone starts today," Mr. Lee announced. "Let me introduce you to them, one by one."

"Mingyu," Mr. Lee called out, and a man with well defined angular face and a sharp jawline strode in. Standing at an imposing 6'2", Mingyu's lean yet muscular build.

"Hi, I'm Mingyu, or Agent Gyu. I'm a commando trainer," he greeted, his voice steady and authoritative.

Mingyu looked every bit the part physically fit and exuding a quiet menace that suggested he could take out everyone in the room single-handedly.

Soonyoung," Mr. Lee called out next. A man, standing at about 5'10", walked in with a confident, energetic stride that instantly lit up the room.

"Hi, I'm Kwon Soon-young, or Agent Hoshi. I'm the second in command," he announced with a bright smile that matched his vibrant demeanor.

Jihoon leaned over to Joshua and whispered, "He reminds me of the hamster Mrs. Lily has," referring to the lively pet owned by the elderly lady who lived on the second floor of his apartment building.

Joshua stifled a laugh, the image of the cheerful, bouncy hamster contrasted with the serious title of 'Agent Hoshi' too amusing to ignore.

"Junhui," Mr. Lee called, and a strikingly handsome man with an unmistakably foreign charm entered the room.

"I'm Wen Junhui, or Agent Moon," he introduced himself, his voice smooth and composed. "I'm a Chinese agent and a military doctor lieutenant."

His presence was magnetic, drawing everyone's attention. Junhui's sharp features and confident posture exuded an air of authority. His eyes, calm yet piercing.

"Next person is my nephew, well, Agent Woozi's youngest brother and a member of Black Panther."

"Huh? Woozi, you never told me that your brother is in this group and-" Joshua whispered into Jihoon's ear, but he was cut off as the person entered the room.

"Lee Seokmin."

Seokmin strode in, his gaze locking with Joshua's briefly, causing his eyes to widen for a moment before he regained his composure. "I'm Lee Seokmin, or Agent Dokyeom (DK). I'm the cyber command of the group."

Joshua stood frozen in surprise. He never expected to meet Seokmin here. Jeonghan nudged him, breaking his reverie.

"Seokmin is Jihoon's brother?" Jeonghan whispered, just as surprised as Joshua.

"And our co-worker now," Joshua added, the realization sinking.

As they whispered to each other, they failed to notice the next person entering the room.

"Hi, I'm Seungcheol," came the greeting, causing both Joshua and Jeonghan to look up abruptly. Jeonghan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"The Janitor," Jeonghan said, loud enough for Joshua to hear.

"Janitor? What?" Joshua exclaimed, but then recognition dawned on him as he studied Seungcheol's features. "Green eyes, like a prince... but where's the tummy you mentioned? He looks well fit."

"You, Joshua, you're concerned about the tummy now!?" Jeonghan shot back skeptically.

"No, I mean-" Joshua started to reply, but they both focused as Seungcheol continued his introduction.

"I'm Seungcheol, or Agent S-coups, and I am the captain," he declared, his gaze meeting Jeonghan's with a small smirk playing on his lips.

The dynamic between them shifted instantly, a mix of surprise, banter, and underlying tension filling the room. Joshua and Jeonghan exchanged a quick glance, realizing they were in for more than just a routine mission.