Seoul City

Ch. 36 - Operation J: Phase One

'Click, clack, click, clack' the sound of Chaeyoung's sky high golden heels echoed against the sleek, glittery-black tiles of the Imperial Hotel's ladies' room as she paced back and forth, her stomach in knots and her heart near combustion. The time to debut her hidden acting skills had finally arrived (much to her dismay). As of 5 minutes ago, Operation J was in full swing with all the key participants stationed in place. Chaeyoung, being the main asset, was ordered to wait in the washroom until Mr. Hino arrived. And, for once, Mr. Hino was late.

"What if he doesn't even show up?" Chaeyoung asked, facing her reflection in the spotless mirrors and resting her palms on the granite counter.

"Don't worry, he will," she heard Jennies voice through the earpiece that adorned her ear as a disguised earring.

In addition to that handy piece of equipment, she was wearing a choker decorated with black and white, shimmering crystals that made her look extremely expensive. Namjoon had designed a camera in the shape of one of these black crystals and hid it within the necklace with such care that it could never be detected. She was also wearing a microphone through the wiring of her bra that was sewn in between the black lace and silk fabric. It was safe to say, Chaeyoung was well-equipped for tonight.

Too bad her emotional state wasn't on the same page.

"What if he doesn't even like me?" Chaeyoung asked, beginning to pace again nervously.

"Everyone likes you," Taehyung's deep, familiar voice answered through the earpiece, "Chaeng, just take a deep breath. We're going to be with you through every step of the way."

That was exactly what she needed to hear. Although her nerves were still rampant, the fact that a hotel room full of people were watching her every move and were ready to spring into action at the first sign of a complication made her feel fractionally better. Taehyung had a knack for making her feel better.

"Chaeng," Jennie said, her voice becoming sterner, "Mr. Hino has just arrived."

"Oh my god, I feel like I'm going to throw up," Chaeyoung clutched her stomach and tried to breathe like Taehyung had told her too.

"You can do this, Chaeyoung," Jungkook encouraged so softly that Chaeyoung wasn't sure if she was even supposed to hear it.

She nodded at her reflection, trying to soak up the confidence and positive energy her friends were showering upon her. With a final dab of rose-red lipstick and a hesitant glance in the mirror, Chaeyoung tried to convince herself she was capable of deceiving one of Japan's most influential men.

She walked through the hotel bar, in full-on character-mode, her eyes casually searching the area for her target. Immediately, an older gentleman in a suit that probably cost more than a year of tuition, laughing with a woman, caught her attention.

"I'm guessing that's him?" Chaeyoung whispered into the mic.

"Yup, that's Mr. Hino," Chanyeol confirmed, "and he's already found one target for the night. Time to give him a better one."

"Chaeyoung, sit 3 chairs away from him at the bar," Jungkook instructed and Chaeyoung obliged, slipping into the tall, leather chairs along the island smoothly.

"Now, order an extremely hardcore drink. While you're doing it, sigh a little. Don't make it look overly dramatic, but just a forlorn type of sound," Jungkook continued, "you know, like the type of sigh when I'm not around."

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes but did what he asked, ordering a drink she could never drink one sip of in real life, and making herself appear upset. Amazingly enough, Mr. Hino's eyes began to wander away from the other woman to land on Chaeyoung instead.