Dangerously Yours [JEONGCHEOL]

04: Horrible Cooking

Joshua leaned against his car, glancing at his watch and then at the university gates, where he expected Vernon to appear any second now. Jeonghan had specifically assigned him this task, insisting that Vernon was a walking liability—likely to blurt out the entire plan if someone so much as asked about his weekend plans.

He shook his head, muttering to himself, "Seriously, why did we put the guy with the worst poker face on an undercover mission?" But orders were orders, and here he was, waiting, ready to keep Vernon from accidentally spilling their secrets over lunch or in some awkward introduction.

Finally, Vernon strolled out, looking way too relaxed for someone with a high-stakes mission on his shoulders. Joshua waved him over, deciding it was time to drill some extra caution into him—Jeonghan was counting on him to keep Vernon’s loose lips in check.

“Oh, hey, boss!” Vernon called out a little too loudly, drawing more attention than Joshua liked.

Joshua flinched, shushing him with a sharp whisper, “Will you keep it down? I’m not your boss right now—you’re making this look obvious!”

Vernon just shrugged, unfazed.

Joshua sighed. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“Actually… I have dinner plans with my friend, Chan, later,” Vernon said casually.

Joshua shot him a skeptical look. “A friend? Are you getting distracted already?”

Vernon quickly shook his head. “No, no! I just... wanted someone to hang out with, you know?”

Joshua rubbed his temples, not entirely convinced. “Fine. But just remember why you’re here, alright?”

“Got it. Nothing suspicious, I promise,” Vernon replied with a grin.

Joshua couldn’t help a sigh as he walked off. Only Vernon could make blending in seem like a whole other mission.

As Joshua left Vernon to meet up with his new friend, he felt a rumble of hunger in his stomach. He headed to the cafeteria, hoping to grab a quick bite.

Spotting someone with their back turned to him, Joshua called out, “Hey! Hello?”

The person didn’t even flinch. Frustrated, Joshua tried again, but once more, there was no response.

In a fit of irritation, he grabbed a packet of tissue from the counter and tossed it at the person. This time, it hit its mark. The individual turned around, surprised, pulling out their earpods.

“What the hell?” they said, clearly taken aback.

Joshua’s temper flared. “Do your job properly! I’ve been calling you for ages! You shouldn’t be wearing earpods while you’re working!”

The person rolled their eyes, unimpressed. “You want food or not?”

Joshua bristled at the tone. He glanced at the name tag clipped to the person’s uniform: ‘Dokyeom.’

“Look, Dokyeom,” Joshua said, trying to keep his cool, “don’t use that tone with me. Just get me my food politely, or I’ll have to complain to your boss!”

Dokyeom raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered by Joshua's threat. “Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” he said with a smirk. “I’m just trying to do my job here.”

Joshua clenched his fists, trying to suppress his annoyance. “I don’t care how you feel about it. Just get me a bowl of rice and whatever you have that’s edible. I don’t have all day.”

“Alright, alright, keep your hair on,” Dokyeom replied, stepping behind the counter and grabbing a bowl. He scooped a generous serving of rice and tossed in a few pieces of the day's special, which looked suspiciously unappetizing.