Secrets Unfold, 트레저 (Treasure)

How Not to Kidnap an Ex-Agent: Lessons from Hyunsuk and Doyoung

*Scene Change*

*Over to Hyunsuk and Doyoung*

"I'm scared," Doyoung whispered, eyes wide.

"Why?" Hyunsuk asked, raising an eyebrow as they crouched behind some trash cans, looking like two extremely unqualified spies.

"What if she attacks me before I make her faint?" Doyoung bit his lip, clearly not built for high-stakes undercover work. "She's an agent too, you know! She can fight, and her brain's like, ninja-level."

Hyunsuk rolled his eyes, full of confidence—or at least pretending to be. "Relax, man. We've got this. Worst case, she just punches you once or twice."

Doyoung shot him a look. "Wow, so reassuring. Thanks for the talk, really."

Yongseo strolled down the empty street, completely unaware of the two amateurs hiding behind garbage. "Okay, now's our chance," Hyunsuk whispered dramatically like they were in a low-budget action movie.

"Let's go," Hyunsuk said, and they both sprinted toward Yongseo. Doyoung clumsily slapped the chloroform-soaked handkerchief over her nose.

Yongseo, obviously confused, struggled and threw some surprisingly good punches. "She's gonna knock me out before this stuff kicks in!" Doyoung muttered, wincing as she almost landed a hit.

"Hold her tight!" Hyunsuk said, practically hugging Yongseo like a human straitjacket. The chloroform finally did its job, and she slumped into unconsciousness.

Panting, Doyoung stared at her, then at Hyunsuk. "Well, that was... smooth."

Hyunsuk grinned. "See? I told you it would work. Piece of cake!"

Doyoung sighed. "More like a piece of chaos."

"I didn't think it'd be that easy," said Doyoung.

*Over to Yongseo*

Yongseo knew something was off the moment she felt the tension in the air. She stayed on high alert, ready to pull out her daggers, but one of the thugs slapped a chloroformed handkerchief on her nose. Thinking fast, she held her breath and pretended to faint.

"See? I told you it would work," one voice said, clearly too proud of themselves.

"I didn't think it'd be that easy," said another voice, sounding both surprised and a little smug.

The second voice was in for a rude awakening. Just as they were about to shove pretend-fainted Yongseo into the van, she sprang to life, kicking both of them with ninja-like precision and rolling out of the van.

"You think I'm that easy?" Yongseo stood tall, dusting herself off with a smirk.

The two "thugs" groaned from the ground, barely processing what just happened. Yongseo quickly turned away, trying to hide her face, and muttered nervously, "Look, I know you guys aren't working alone. So, um, let's just pretend this didn't happen, okay? We're all better off."

"Nope," Hyunsuk said, stepping out from the shadows with a casual stroll. "You're coming with us. We need to talk."

Yongseo backed away, her confidence fading into awkward excuses. "I can't tell you anything! I already quit. Why else do you think I'm wandering from café to café? For the free samples? That's my dinner plan, okay?"

Hyunsuk raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You expect us to believe you quit the agency to become a professional sampler? Seriously?"

Yongseo crossed her arms. "Hey, free food is no joke. You try surviving on nothing but croissant samples and tiny cups of soup!"

Hyunsuk chuckled. "Right. You're definitely not hiding anything suspicious."

"Obviously not," Yongseo huffed, glancing around. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a muffin sample with my name on it."

"We'll throw in free albums, a lightstick, and all the merch you want," Jihoon said, approaching the van like he was offering a VIP deal at a fan sign.

Yongseo raised an eyebrow. Tempting, sure, but betraying her previous company would be a huge crime, and the consequences weren't exactly her favorite thing. Still, Yang and Lee Associates had done her dirty, and revenge sounded sweet. Plus, she could definitely use a new source of income. She took a deep breath. "Alright, but there's a catch," she said. "You'll also need to give me $1,000,000."

The boys froze like someone had just paused their brains. Hyunsuk frowned, shaking his head. "That's way too high. I'm thinking more like $600,000."

Yongseo crossed her arms, frowning back and doing her best Hyunsuk impression. "Too low. How about $800,000? Meet me halfway."

Hyunsuk glanced at Jihoon and Doyoung, silently begging for backup. Jihoon gave a reluctant nod, and Doyoung followed suit. With a sigh, Hyunsuk extended his hand. "Deal."

Yongseo shook it, grinning. "Great. But if I don't get my money, remember—your future? Not looking too bright."

Hyunsuk smirked. "Treasure's motto is to never betray our Tuemes, not to lose our wallets."

As they led her to the van, Jihoon muttered under his breath, "She's more expensive than our entire tour budget."

"Give me your phone," said Doyoung, "we need to take out your sim card to not track you and us."

"I took out the YLA sim and burnt it right after I quit," said Yongseo. 

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Author's Note

So... kidnap attempts are not these guys' strong suit. 😂 From trash-can-level espionage to awkward chloroform fails, Hyunsuk and Doyoung might want to stick to performing instead of trying their hand at professional crime. Also, free food samples as a life goal—Yongseo is a girl after our hearts. 🥐

And that negotiation scene? I mean, why stop at saving the world when you can also bag some albums and a cool million, right? 💸 Stay tuned for more ridiculousness and questionable decisions!

Any concerns? Drop in comments. Care to give a vote for the next chapters!! This shit is going to get a lot more interesting now! 

- Cloud 9/30