I arrived at Ye Ran a bit earlier than usual for my tutoring sessions. I saw Gray talking to the government officials I had seen before. He seemed to be arguing with the woman.
"Hey, Gray!" I called out to him and approached them. He didn't hear me, but I caught the last bit of the argument.
"The KSA needs recruits, and we've been considerate until now."
"Oh, hey! You're the people trying to look into getting my cousin into your little government scholarship thing. You should probably take him off the list." I told the woman.
"But it is an elite scholarship prog…." I didn't let her finish.
"Nope. Take him off."
"You have no authori…."
"Take him off."
"You are not his parent."
"Guess who has to sign the paperwork if it comes? Me. Take him off. But also, I'm telling this to you nicely. You wouldn't want to hear the rejection his mother would give you. Where do you think he got that rambunctiousness from? Again. Take. Him. Off."
"How about you? We also recrui…."
"Not interested."
"You could have your educa…."
"I'm done with school after this term."
"What if the government requires your service."
"Then I suppose I'll just go back to being American. Also…take me off your list. I find it interesting that you know of me, and yesterday, Shin and I just happened to be put into situations where we had to use our martial arts skills. Was that you people?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." I chuckled.
"A government agent lying to a citizen. When will that old cliché die?" I turned to Gray. "Do you mind changing this later? I feel nasty with this on my hand, considering all the surfaces I have touched."
"Sure."
"I'll see you later. Duty calls." I looked at the visibly angry woman agent. "Not government duty, though. I'm enriching the minds of the youths." I walked away with my bike.
"To see the director, you need an appointment. Otherwise, I can't let you in." I heard Gray say to them.
The next day, I didn't see Gray anywhere when I got to the school. My tutoring session went a bit over time, and after the students left, I had to go check the classrooms. I was just done with the walkthrough when someone knocked me out. I woke up on Gray's bed. The last thing I remembered was the walkthrough, so I wanted to find out what happened. As I walked by the balcony on the third floor, I happened to catch a bit of the conversation he was having with Takeo and Tao. They called him M-21.
"They force those kids to take these jobs after they're done with the training which they get stuck in forever. And with that, the only way to get their lives back is to escape like I did!" He said passionately. I waited a while and heard the rest of the conversation, then walked to them, rubbing the back of my head.
"Hey. What happened? My neck hurts. How did I end up here?"
"There was an attempted burglary at the school. You were knocked out along with some of the other teachers."
"Oh. Thanks for bringing me here. Did you happen to get my backpack too? Hopefully, my computer is still okay."
"It might be in the car." Regis then approached the balcony to talk to the others."
"Hey, short stack."
"Must you call me such an inelegant name?"
"You responded, so it seems to me like you accepted it," I said, then shrugged.
"I did no…." I cut him off.
"Anyway, schoolwork calls, and it doesn't rest for me. See ya!" I looked at Regis. "You know, you're a little too high-strung for a kid your age. Relax. Otherwise, before you know it, you're twenty-four years old, but a bunch of high schoolers call you Ahjussi instead of Hyung." I said while suppressing a laugh. Regis huffed and walked away while Takeo and Tao started laughing. "I'm sorry. I couldn't pass that up. It was a joke!" I hugged him. He looked at me and frowned. "I'm sorry." I pouted. "How about we go to the car for my stuff, and I'll make it up to you."
"Okay." He smiled and started walking with me.
"Those two were laughing a bit too hard. Maybe I'll make it up to you in the car and not tell them where. Like a naughty little secret. I'm sure I can spare some time."
"We forgot something in the car too. We'll just tag along." Tao said as they followed.
"That's so cute. They're assuming this would be the first time." I said as I smirked at them. They both sported horrified expressions, and I looked at Gray, who had a smug look on his face. "If you apologize for laughing, I might just decide to tell you which seat to avoid from now on."
"Sorry," Tao said to Gray.
"We're both sorry," Takeo added.
"Aww…they care. It's so sweet of you to apologize."
"Well…"
"Huh?"
"Where?"
"You mean your apology wasn't genuine? You wanted something in return? That's not really an apology, is it?" I looked at Gray and was still holding in my laugh.
"It was. We truly are sorry for laughing."
"He accepts your apology. Also, the car is fine, but that was really nice of you, though." I said as I burst out laughing.
"You two deserve each other."
"Thank you for your blessing," I replied.
"Gray," I called to him. I was working on my computer as he lay back on my bed. He was deep in thought. "Gray! Helllooooo." I called again then went to wave my hands over his face.
"Hey."
"You seem to be a little distracted lately. Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really. It's just work stuff."
"Does it have to do with the KSA people that came to the school that day?"
"No. Something else. Why?"
"I heard you talking about what the agency does to kids and that you had to escape just to get your life back. I know there are certain aspects of your life that you guys need to hide. I also heard them call you M-21 before you said that stuff." I said, then went to sit by him.
"I guess that pretty much sums it up. They have a similar program in Japan and all other countries out there. They train kids that they recruit to do covert work and espionage. Because they know the government secrets, they're pretty much stuck on the job. The only way to leave is to die."
"Oh, god! Is that what happened to you?" I knelt, facing him on the bed.
"I don't really know. I don't remember anything before joining them. I don't even remember my real name. M-21 is all I've ever been. They have ways of wiping your memory or playing around with it so you forget. I think that's what happened to me and all the other people I trained with."
"Are they still in Japan?"
"I'm the only one still alive out of the one hundred of us in my training class. I came here with one of the others for a mission, and he was killed during the mission. I ran away and made them think I was killed too. I found the boss and came here because I wanted to have some semblance of a normal life. You are part of that normal life that I don't want to lose."
"What do you mean you don't want to lose?"
"I guess you probably know Takeo and Tao were also like me. They were at a higher level, so they got to keep their names. They escaped too, and I asked the boss to give them a job. It seems that the agency we worked for might have figured out that we weren't dead, so they may be sending people to look for us. We have to decide whether we want to stay here or not." I looked at him, furrowing my brows with worry.
"Were you thinking of leaving? Because if staying here will get you killed, then I don't want that to happen. I don't want you to do that on my behalf. You have to survive." I told him as I felt tears brimming in my eyes.
"You know I can read a lot just by your face too." He said as he wiped a teardrop from my face. I hugged him.
"I know. I guess a selfish part of me doesn't want you to leave, but I don't want anything to happen to you." I said woefully as the tears streamed down my face.
"If we were to leave, it might be for long enough to get them off our trail, then we'd be back. The boss might be able to help us too, but we don't want to depend on him since he's already done too much."
"You should just do what you have to do to stay alive. I guess you maybe do have a James Bond life." I chuckled between sobs.
"I suppose I do. He didn't know his name either, did he?"
"He didn't. Maybe I should change your name to J now. Or M. Unless you prefer Gray or M-21."
"I think I like Gray. It's a normal name, and it reminds me of the normal life I have right now."
"Okay. Then you'll stay, Gray. I won't let the others know that I know. Just promise to say goodbye before you leave."
"I will. Thank you." I let out a sniffle then sat back to look at him.
"No problem. Your secret is safe with me." He pushed my hair back then wiped my tears again.
"You still have me here for now. We still have some time to decide." I moved on to his lap and straddled him, then kissed him.
"That doesn't make it any less sad." I kissed him again. He deepened the kiss then ran his hands up and down my back. He ran his hands up and down my leg that was draped over him. His hand felt warm against my skin. I left out a soft sigh once he pressed a kiss on the hollow of my neck. He slowly ran his hands up the sides of my body, pulling up the t-shirt I was wearing. I stretched my arms up, allowing him to pull it off.
He hitched his breath, then brought his hands up to my breasts and cupped them. He then gently teased each of my buds, making them rock hard. He took both nipples between his index fingers and thumbs, then gently pinched me. A jolt of pleasure fired through my body to my center, and I let out a tiny moan then arched my back. He pinched once again and smiled at my reaction. He brought his head down and captured one of my pebbled peaks between his lips. I combed my fingers through his hair and cradled his head in my hands, holding him in place as he licked and sucked. I let out a louder moan and threw my head back. He began switching between the two, and I pressed myself closer to him, feeling his hardness between my legs.
I slipped off my shorts and panties. I then started kissing him again.
"Should I take mine off too?"
"If you want this."
"Hell yeah." He said as he slipped his pants and boxers off. I chuckled.
"A little impatient, are we?"
"Umm…Tao might have shown me a thing or two online." I chuckled again.
"I need you to lay down." He slipped down to lay on his back. I then got on top of him, straddling him. I took him and placed him on my entrance. "Ready?" He nodded vigorously. I lowered myself over him, taking him in me. I let out a soft moan as I adjusted to him, and he groaned. He placed his hands on my waist. I placed my hands on his chest and started moving up and down, sliding him in and out of me. I kept moving and switching between up and down while grinding on him. He kept grunting as I moved. I could feel myself closer to reaching my peak, and he was moving his hips to meet mine. I finally hit my climax, and he held me down then let out a loud groan as he released in me. I got off him and lay down next to him.
"You're making it really hard to decide what to do." He said. I snickered.
"Sorry. The time seemed right. I can take it back."
"No. It was right. That was so much better than what you did last time. And you were having a good time too. Will we do that again?"
"We can. We just need to go out for some provisions first."
"What?"
"I'd like to have a bit more time with you before I consider babies. This was kind of reckless of me right now. I'm gonna put on my clothes, and you're gonna put on your clothes. Before we get caught up again."
"Okay. Let's go. The sooner we go, the sooner we come back."
"Impatient again?"
"I have a big decision to make soon, so I intend to spend as much time with you as possible. Also, this too. But mostly with you." I giggled and kissed his cheek.
A few days later, they all decided to stay and fight. I noticed that the three guys, Seira and Regis, had some new determination in their eyes. However, I noticed that Rai looked a bit more exhausted than usual, and Mr. Frankenstein looked worried. I figured whatever was happening with Rai was related to what Mr. Frankenstein was feeling. Things were going well with everyone for a while.
"Hey, guys!" I said to Tao and Takeo with false enthusiasm.
"Hehe…hi Sunny," Tao said. I smiled and tilted my head.
"I know when he's gone, you're gone, but it seems like my boyfriend has disappeared. No phone call or text for three days and two nervous friends." I placed my hand on my hip. "Talk."
"Well, one of his old friends came back to town…came to town, and they've been catching up," Takeo said nervously.
"And…"
"His friend might not be in the best health right now, so he's trying to get as much time with him as possible."
"From his old job in Japan? I know he was close to them."
"Yeah."
"Interesting. Tell him to call me."
"Sure thing, Sunny!" I heard them exhale as I walked away.
I hadn't seen him in five days. I understood that he wanted to spend time with his friend, but I didn't understand why he couldn't send a quick text to say anything. Takeo and Tao were also avoiding me. I didn't hear from him for about two more days when I met him. I was walking home a bit later after tutoring when I encountered him at the park. He was walking with a big guy.
"Hi," I snapped as I folded hands on my chest.
"Mi-Sun."
"Oh. Wow. You do remember my name. At least that's something."
"M-21. Is this a friend?" I looked at his friend, frowned, and tilted my head.
"Why do I feel like I've seen you before?" I asked him.
"She's a colleague from work," Grey said. I started tearing up.
"A fucking colleague from work?! Are you shitting me?!" I let out a sob. "Lose my number, lose my address, and I never wanna see you again. Asshole!" I walked away from them. I turned around and walked back. "In case that wasn't clear enough, you don't have a girlfriend anymore, M-21. Have a nice fucking life!" I stomped away from them and called Haru.
"Hey, Sunny! I just saw you last weekend. Trouble in paradise?" she joked.
"Are you going out this weekend?"
"Yup!"
"I'm coming. I need as much booze in me as my body can handle. Maybe a new distraction."
"Did you guys have a fight?"
"Oh no! No fight. I found out I'm just a work colleague, so it doesn't matter what I do. I'll get my stuff and come over to your place. See you in an hour." I hung up before she replied. I then packed everything and took a cab to Haru's place.
"Hey, friend!" I said to her when I arrived.
"Sunny. What happened?"
"No need to worry about that. We're going out and having fun!" I forced a smile and proclaimed.
"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened."
"One of his friends from Japan came to visit. He went MIA for a whole week. No calls, no texts, nothing. I ran into him at the park with his friend. He introduced me as his work colleague."
"To his close friend?"
"And his friend might not be in the best health. I need a ton of drinks. You're getting first-year Sunny tonight!"
I was out with Haru for the second weekend and had finally started having some fun. I needed more drinks, so I went to the bar. There was a blonde guy in a suit and glasses.
"Hello." He said to me.
"Aren't you a bit too formal to be here?"
"I was just blowing off some steam after work."
"Busy job?"
"Not quite. Just got out of a relationship."
"I know that feeling. What happened?"
"She said she wasn't interested in me anymore."
"Just like that?"
"Go figure. What happened with yours?"
"Same. Only he didn't say. He just ghosted me after his friend came to town. Then I ran into him and the friend while I was out. He introduced me as a work colleague. Now, I'm here drowning my misery with alcohol and music." I took a shot.
"Glad to see I'm not alone in this."
"Oh well. You win some, you lose some."
"I'll drink to that." He took a shot. I took another shot. Haru came to me.
"Hey. Who is this?"
"A kindred spirit. His girlfriend broke up with him. We're both drinking our miseries away."
"Will you be okay?"
"He's an office guy. I think I can take him if he tries anything."
"Okay. Don't get too carried away."
"Don't worry, Haru. I'm not just gonna jump to the next guy. I'm not done drinking to the first one yet."
"Just let me know if you need any help."
"Okay." She went back to the dance floor, and I looked back at the guy. "That's my friend. She's just checking up on me." I was starting to feel the effects of the drink.
"Good friend."
"She's pretty great."
"Do you have a name?"
"Sunny."
"That's English, right?"
"Yeah. I was born in America. It's actually Mi-Sun, but most people call me Sunny. And your name?"
"Yuri."
"Russian or Japanese?"
"Russian. How did you guess?"
"I used to watch a lot of archived action movies from a long time ago. There was always a Russian guy named Yuri."
"That's the first time I've heard of that." I beamed at him. There was suddenly a loud boom from the outside. I quickly sobered up.
"What the heck?!" I started running towards the crowd to look for Haru. Yuri pulled my hand back.
"Everyone will be running towards the front. Come to the back!"
"Yeah, right. That old trick. I'm going to find my friend."
"She wasn't alone, was she?"
"She had other people and me but mostly me. Can you let go?! I'm going."
"She'll be fine. You have to get to safety first!"
"I'm not leaving her behind. Let go!" I started pulling my hand away. He squeezed my hand tighter, and I could feel that he was much stronger than he gave the impression of. The more I pulled my hand away, the harder he squeezed. I felt my fingers snap.
"For god's sake," Yuri said. Then everything went black.