Secrets Unfold, 트레저 (Treasure)

Agent K078: Sneaking, Snark, and Stacks of Cash

*The next day*

Yongseo was already heavy headed after she exited her college's gate. She got counseled and yelled at by the professors because her academics were drastically reduced, and they claimed her attendance was low.

Thanks to the new assistant professor who marked everybody's attendance seriously unlike the previous semester's assistant professor who didn't even give a fuck about students' presence.

Yongseo was trying her best to keep up with her academics and job simultaneously but the job she works requires one hour a day or even 3 full weekdays.

She headed to the company's headquarters. It was a hassle to get inside, the company was buried deep inside a forest. She was lost at least 3 times when she was a trainee.

"What's the deal?" Yongseo asked, spotting Mr. Kim approaching her.

Mr. Kim raised an eyebrow. "How about a proper greeting first?"

Yongseo plastered on the fakest smile she could manage. "Good afternoon, Mr. Kim! It's a delight to see you!"

Mr. Kim sighed. "Okay, not that formal."

"Well, can't say I didn't try," she shrugged.

"Mr. Yang has just finished his meetings," Mr. Kim said, waving her toward the office. "You can go see him now."

"Great," Yongseo muttered before striding off toward Mr. Yang's office.

Mr. Kim, as always, was polite, patient, and definitely nearing his 60s. Retirement was clearly on the horizon for him, and yet here he was, dealing with people like her. Poor guy.

Yongseo barged into Mr. Yang's office without knocking. "So, what's the work?"

Mr. Yang jumped about a foot off the ground. "Oh my god, do you even know what a knock is?"

"What for? You were expecting me, weren't you?" Yongseo said, plopping down into the chair like she owned the place.

"Yes, but I'm still the boss, and bosses get respect," he shot back, straightening his tie like he was some kind of royalty.

"You'll get my respect the minute you hand over the $4,000 you've been holding hostage since last month!" she retorted, leaning back and folding her arms.

Mr. Yang smirked like he'd been waiting for this moment. "Fine, you'll get that. And..." he paused for dramatic effect and dragged a briefcase from his desk, pushing it toward her.

"Also $200,000," he added, cracking the briefcase open to reveal stacks of cash that looked straight out of a heist movie. "If you succeed in this mission."

Yongseo raised an eyebrow, staring at the money. "I'm listening... What's the mission? I'm not about to be on a Netflix documentary, am I?"

Mr. Yang chuckled. "Depends on how good you are."

Mr. Yang leaned back in his chair and pulled up a photo of the camera on his screen. "Here's the deal. Our rival company has been tracking us through this," he said, zooming in on the image of a dusty, old camera perched at the very top of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in the city.

Yongseo squinted at the screen. "Wait, that? It looks like it belongs in a museum. Are you sure it's not just some old tourist camera left behind?"

Mr. Yang gave a dry chuckle. "I wish. Our spies have been watching this camera for three weeks. It's dusty, sure, but it's not dead. It's been keeping an eye on our export schedules and routes from up there. The dock we use is only 9 kilometers away. Perfect spot to track everything."

Yongseo raised an eyebrow. "How do you even know this camera is helping the rival company? It looks like it hasn't been touched since the dinosaurs."

Mr. Yang smirked, as if ready to drop some secret-agent knowledge. "That's where Agent S005 comes in. He overheard two rival spies in a café—classic eavesdropping situation. And trust me, S005 is never wrong. He's been watching the camera too, and he noticed something odd. Every night, from 9 pm to 9 am, this thing lights up with a small red beam. After 9 am? It goes dark."

Yongseo blinked. "So... it's a night owl? What, does it have a bedtime after 9 am?"

"Something like that," Mr. Yang said with a laugh. "That means you've got a window. You need to destroy it sometime between 10 am and 8 pm. The problem? Lotte World is packed. Especially on weekends. The last thing we need is you up there smashing a camera while some kid's riding a roller coaster."

Yongseo crossed her arms. "So, you want me to play ninja on the busiest tower in the city? Sounds fun."

"Luckily for you, Monday's our best shot," Mr. Yang said, pulling up a schedule. "It's the quietest day at Lotte World. It opens at 10:30 am, staff come in from 9:30 am to 11 am, and by 4 pm, all the high school and middle school students roll in to blow off steam. So, your best window is between noon and 3 pm, while everyone's at work or still in class."

Yongseo nodded slowly. "Got it. So, I have a three-hour window to sneak into one of the busiest places in the city, get to the top of the highest building, and destroy a dusty camera no one's touched in months. Sounds like a walk in the park."

Mr. Yang slid $4,000 across the desk with a smirk. "Think of it as a warm-up. Succeed, and there's $200,000 waiting for you."

Yongseo snatched the money without hesitation. "Oh, trust me, I'll do it. Just make sure that $200,000 is in my hands by the end of tomorrow."

Mr. Yang chuckled, shaking her hand. "We're counting on you, Agent K078."

Yongseo grinned. "You better be. And remember, if I don't see that money? Things won't end well for anyone."

Mr. Yang raised his hands in mock surrender. "Consider it done. Just don't go getting caught up in any roller coasters."

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Author's Note

So, here we are. Yongseo has officially been promoted to "Secret Agent of the K-pop Universe" and is about to take on a mission that sounds like it came straight out of a spy movie... but with more K-dramatic flair. 🎬
Also, let's be real—if my boss ever handed me $200,000 for taking out a dusty old camera, I'd probably be halfway up Lotte Tower with a baseball bat by now. 🏃‍♀️💨 But, alas, I am not a spy, just an author who can't even survive a Monday without coffee. ☕️

Stay tuned, because who knows what's next? Maybe Yongseo will end up fighting off roller-coaster-riding spies. 🤔

The plot is just getting started so keep your pants on!! 

-Cloud 24/9