Your Backbone

2. Are you blind?

While walking on her way to the agency, Naeri hummed a soft, simple tune. Today she would get her first mission or at least she thought she would get a mission. She entered the main building and walked towards the circular desk at the front. They were told to sign in every day when they were in the agency and then sign out they leave. A huge touchscreen monitor was embedded in the desk. She searched her name and scanned her hand to sign in. Flashbacks of yesterday played in her head as she walked through the same huge corridors of the agency. How all the top agents came and gave short speeches and then getting their new suits. A tour of the whole agency and showing them their work desks. Since it was an induction day, they were not given any tasks to do. The real job starts from today. 

Once she reached her work desk, she saw someone else standing by her desk.

"Um. Do you mind?" She asked the man standing in her way. The man turned around and gave a snarky smile. He leaned against her desk and raised an eyebrow. Naeri gave him a hard glare and waited for him to leave. Which he didn't.

"I said 'Do you mind?' meaning can you move." She told the man in a sarcastic way. Yet he still didn't budge.  She was slowly starting to lose her temper until he spoke.

"Heard we are going to get our first missions today." His voice was mischievous. This made Naeri put her guard up even higher. 

"What do you want Jungkook?" She was getting irritated. There was work to be done. These first couple of weeks were crucial for her position in the agency. Now that she is an agent, she can't be wasting her time on silly banter. She needs to make her parents proud. 

"I just wanted to know if you're doing a mission or not." He replied, his voice dropped the playful tone he had before. He now stood straight, no longer leaning on her table. Naeri looked at him confused. 

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. 

"Some of us new agents are getting missions while some are being sent to patrol different parts of the country for a week." Jungkook explained. 

"Wait. WHAT?" Naeri exclaimed. Her outburst caught the attention of the others in the room. She  blushed in embarrassment and apologised. She turned her head back to the young man in front of her and saw him biting his lip to suppress his laugh. 

She walked past him, shoulders bumping in the process. 

"They wouldn't put me on patrol," She typed in her password to the flat electronic device on her desk. That's also something else she did yesterday, setting up personal passwords. "Would they?" 

He moved over closer to her to get a better view of the screen. As soon she typed in her password, a hologram appeared. Naeri vaguely remembered about the agents personal desks having holograms that you can interact with from yesterday. 

She opened up her timetable and scanned it quickly with her eyes to find out what she will be doing today. 

3rd January 70XX

8:30am - 12:30pm                 Patrol in Gwangjin-gu

12:30pm - 1:30pm                 Break

1:30pm - 7:30pm                    Patrol in Gwangjin-gu

7:30pm - 8:30pm                    Break

8:30pm - 11:00pm                 Patrol in Gwangjin-gu     

Naeri's feet were frozen and her stomach twisted. She was expecting to be going on a mission. But how did this happen? She was one of the best when she was training. So how did she end up with patrolling duty?