Chapter One

"Name."

"Sienna Cumberbatch."

"Age."

"20."

"Left. Next!"

Sienna joined the group on the left, and smiled shyly to the people standing there. They glanced at her, but quickly looked away, standing straight, hands behind their backs. The group she had joined was composed of boys only, all way taller than her, very muscular, and looking way too serious; thankfully, a girl joined, and Sienna finally felt less alone. A few moments later, a tall man, dressed in black, appeared. He was probably 40 years-old, and had scars on his face. He looked around the room and called the group on the left. They were ten people : eight boys and two girls.

"Follow me," he said coldly.

The group slowly started walking, and followed the man to a succession of corridors, to a large white room with seven chairs.

"Take a seat, we will begin."

They quickly obeyed, and the man started talking.

"You're all here to serve your country in her Majesty's Secret Services. Some of you already worked here, some of you are totally new. Your group is composed only with new recruits. I hope you will make her Majesty proud. Your training ‪starts tomorrow at 6 am‬. You will start your day by cleaning the compound, then an hour of running and an hour of martial arts. You will have a small breakfast, then, you will attend theoretical lessons for two hours. After lunch, you will have an hour to read the books you will be given. After that, boys and girls will have separate lessons for two hours. Before dinner, you will have another hour of martial arts. Shower, then dinner. After dinner, you have free time. Use it wisely. Never be late, or you will regret it. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" They all responded.

"You're dismissed. Tonight you'll have time to get settled. Girls in one bedroom, boys in a dormitory. Dinner is at 8. Be on time. Dismissed."

They all got up and left the room. Outside, a woman and a man were waiting for them.

"Girls, follow me, I will show you to your room. Boys, you follow him." The woman ordered.

The two girls nodded and followed the woman. Sienna glanced around her, as they crossed the beautiful courtyard. The buildings were beautiful on the outside but gloomy on this inside, and made Sienna shiver. Somehow after that speech, she felt like she wanted to quit, like maybe she should have never applied for this. But she wanted to be stronger than that.

The first two months were very hard for Sienna, and she lost a lot of weight to the point of looking like a skeleton. It made her teachers and trainers worried, so they gave her special food and treatments so she could gain weight again, and be stronger. The other girl from her group quickly became a friend to her, and both were supporting each other a lot, making the beginning of the training less hard.

During her hard times, Sienna used to sit on the grass, or at her window, and think about how she ended up here... She was eighteen, had started her studies in advertising, and had ideas for her future. She had friends and a family, and she abandoned all that, for this new carrier. Was she crazy? Sometimes she thought she was, other times, she thought that she had made the right choice.

Two years ago, all seemed to go so well for her. She was popular in her college, had many friends, was always smiling and laughing, making her surroundings brighter. She had good grades, and everything she needed. She was a queen and looked like one, always well dressed, classy and smart. She was quite tall, just a little above the average, was thin, and had long legs. Her face was thin and delicate, her lips were thick, and her mouth large, making her smile big and beautiful. Her nose was a little short and round, her eyes were a dark shade of green, her eyebrows were a little thick and black, and her hair was long and wavy, and had the colour of a chestnut. Now she looked like the shell of a woman: her cheeks were hollow, she had dark circles under her eyes, and her uniforms didn't fit her anymore. But Sienna felt alive. She felt pain, she felt sweat and hard work, and she loved it. It helped take her mind off of the reason why she came here in the first place... The thought of that accident revived a deep pain, and she quickly dried the tears threatening to fall : no one could see her cry. Sienna got up, and left the lawn to join her room to go to bed. She silently hoped that her nightmares wouldn't come to haunt her that night.

During the third month, Sienna started getting used to the hardness of the training, and the long lessons. She became physically stronger, and was finally gaining weight, going back to her normal self. She started looking like her old self from three months ago, except for the fact that the running and martial arts had given her muscles. She was excelling in martial arts, and during that third month, she and her group started learning how to use guns. During the lesson where boys and girls were separated, girls were learning the art of seduction and manipulation. As the weeks went by, their chief decided to add two hours of dancing. Tango, waltz and slow, boys and girls together, in the most seductive way possible. Tango was Sienna's favorite, and it took her a little time to be excellent at it. Half the year through, her chief decided to give her personal teachers.

A year went by, and Sienna put so much effort and energy in every single lesson, that by the end of the year, she received a special medal from her chief, and special rewards. And finally the day she had been looking forward to, arrived. It was a ‪Sunday afternoon‬, everyone was having a break, and Sienna was sitting on the grass with her friend Simon, chatting, when one of the guys from their group ran to them.

"Sienna, Simon, hurry, the chief is asking for us!"

Sienna and Simon looked at each other, wondering what could possibly be so important on a ‪Sunday afternoon‬, but they quickly got up and followed their comrade to the meeting room. Everyone was there already, sitting and waiting, and along with their chief were five other men standing beside him, hands behind their back. Sienna sat next to Louise, her girl friend, and the room went quiet as the chief started talking.

"You must be surprised that I called you here today, on your day off, but I wouldn't have if it wasn't important. We have had a meeting with your teachers and trainers, and we have come to the conclusion that you're ready. We have missions to give you, all important. Of course, given that you're beginners, they're not as important as the one we would give our professionals, but they have their importance, and we count on you to fulfill them well. We will divide you into groups of two. When I call your name, you stand up and team up. Each group will have a chief to report to. Group one : Louise and George."

Each person was called, and the room emptied little by little. The only ones left were Sienna, Simon and a short man that looked asian, standing very still next to the chief.

"Sienna and Simon, I will leave you with Mr Kong here."

The two men nodded at each other, and the chief left. Sienna and Simon stood up and walked to Mr Kong who looked at them.

"So, I've heard you two are the best of your year. Welcome. The mission you were given comes directly from the Prime Minister. It is a delicate matter that can lead to war if you don't succeed. Do you understand what it means?"

"Yes sir," Simon replied.

"Good. You will go to South Korea, Seoul, to investigate a company that our Prime Minister had a disagreement with. For this mission to succeed, you will have a year to learn the language. It will be eight hours a day of lessons. We expect you to be fluent by the end of the year. Understood?"

The two young spies nodded.

"You will ‪start tomorrow‬ at eight. Running, martial arts, shooting guns, seduction and dancing will be reduced but will still take place. Instead of theoretical lessons you will have Korean lessons. ‪From eight am to twelve‬, then ‪one to four pm‬. Dismissed."

Mr Wong slightly bowed, followed by Sienna and Simon who then quickly left.

"Well, that was insightful!" Simon exclaimed once they were outside. "We have no idea what this mission is about except that it's an investigation of a company that got on our Prime Minister's bad side...," the young man sighed. "We don't even know which company! And what kind... We don't know what to investigate--"

"Simon," the young girl interrupted. "I think they will tell us later, so we can concentrate on the essential here : learning korean."

"God...," Simon growled.

"I think it's exciting!" Sienna smiled. "It's our first mission! We're finally going to do something about that training! I'm glad. And learning a new language is exciting as well!"

"If you say so," Simon pouted.

"Come on, Simon, look at the bright side!" Sienna said. "Let's go and play cards."

Simon glanced at her walking, smiled and followed her. She had such good energy, and was able to keep looking at the bright side of everything, even in the worst of times, and that had helped him a lot during that year. Being in the same team as Sienna really felt like a blessing. In the boys' dormitory, the eight boys and two girls had assembled around a game of cards. There were screams, laughter and beers. It was a time they usually shared together, two hours of drinking, playing, talking and laughing before the week started again, making it impossible for them to relax, and get to know each other better. The evening ended later that day, and contrary to the other times, they all fell asleep on the floor, couch and beds. Sienna was still awake, slumped on a bed, her unfinished bottle of beer in her hand, resting on her stomach. She smiled at Simon who had gotten up and joined her on the sofa.

"Tomorrow is going to be a mess..." Sienna scoffed. "I don't know how we'll manage to fight and learn Korean..."

"I know..." Simon whispered. They both looked around the room, silently laughing at their comrades' unbelievable sleeping positions. After a small talk, Sienna finally got up and bid her friend good night. Simon watched her go. She looked gorgeous in her uniform : those tight black trousers, her black tank top and black leather jacket on her arm... Her rangers... And her long messy hair done in a plat... Simon shook his head : what the hell was he thinking! He lied down and quickly fell asleep.

The year went by, and by the end of it, Sienna and Simon were fluent in Korean, although not quite bilingual, but they would learn in the country. At the end of the last week, Mr Kong summoned them and gave them instructions.

"The company you will investigate is the Fantagio company. The Prime Minister needs information on the company itself and on the different groups they own. You, Simon will investigate Weki Meki. In this document you will find the different questions you'll have to ask, how the girls look, and your missions. When you're done with the missions I've written, you call me. And I'll send you a new paper. As for you, Sienna, you will have to investigate Astro. You have the same thing in this document : questions, photographs, and missions. Now Sienna, you will have something more to do : apply for a job. When it is done, you call me. You will both live in a Penthouse. Here are your fake IDs, with your cover names and surnames, and backstories as well. You, Simon, have to find the café where the Fantagio members go often."

"Sir," Sienna jumped in, "what do you mean by 'you will both live in a Penthouse'?"

"I mean that you will live in a Penthouse each, in the same hotel. You have to pretend to not know each other. If you have information to give each other, do not do it in the hotel. That said, you will arrive at different times in Seoul. Sienna you will leave first, and Simon you will arrive the next day. Understood?"

They both nodded.

"Good. Here are your new phones, with international Sim cards. In each phone, you have my phone number, and each other's phone number under your cover names. Mine is also under a cover name. Since you each only have two contacts, it will not be difficult to recognise who is who. Any questions?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Sienna, go pack your bags, you leave tonight. Here is your plane ticket, visa and passport"

Sienna contained her surprise, grabbed all the documents, the phone, slightly bowed, and left the room. She ran to her room and found Louise packing her bags.

"You're leaving too?" Sienna asked, surprised.

"Yes...," Louise replied. "I'm going to America... I'm going to miss you, S!" Louise suddenly burst into tears, and hugged Sienna. Sienna was surprised, and she kindly hugged Louise in return but quickly pushed her away.

"I'm sorry, Louise, I really have to hurry, my plane leaves tonight."

"Sure."

Sienna grabbed her suitcase and quickly packed everything. She put her phone, visa, ID, tickets and passport in a handbag, along with her computer and earphones, and was finally ready. She quickly hit the shower, swapped her uniform for a pair of black jeans and a large light pink thin woolen sweater, that she tucked into her jeans. A pair of white trainers, a beige coat, and she was ready to go.

"Okay, bye Louise!"

"Bye, Sienna! Good luck!"

Sienna closed the door, and ran downstairs. Mr Kong was waiting for her.

"I almost forgot something very important : your credit card. Every month you will receive 10,000,00£ for your everyday life and for the extra. You're on a mission, but you have to act like a tourist and like someone who lives here. Your chief will personally accompany you to the airport and to your plane."

Mr Kong looked at Sienna and smiled at her. It surprised the young girl for she had never seen Mr Kong smile in a year, but she smiled back.

"Good luck there, Sienna," he said. "Take care of yourself, and be careful."

"I will, thank you, sir!" Sienna replied. She started walking towards the car park, and suddenly turned around and waved at Mr Kong. "Annyeonghi-gyeseyo!" She happily screamed.

Mr Kong silently laughed and waved back before turning around and going back into his office. In the car park, Sienna had no trouble finding her chief's car, for he had turned it on, and the headlights were on. She put her suitcase in the boot and went to take her seat in the front. The chief started driving once Sienna had put her seat-belt on.

"Evening Miss Cumberbatch. So, leaving for your first mission to South Korea? I hope you didn't forget anything."

"I didn't, sir. I checked at least ten times!" Sienna grinned.

"Good."

They chatted all the way to the airport, and then again until Sienna had to embark the plane. She waved one last time at her chief who waved back. At the entry of the plane, the stewardess asked for her ticket,and it was only then, that Sienna realised that she was in business class. She was thrilled. The stewardess showed her to her seat, where the young girl took place. She had so much space, she could even lie down, and there was nobody next to her. This was wonderful. It would be easier then to start working on her mission.

The plane took off, and despite the calm and relaxed atmosphere, Sienna didn't feel like sleeping quite yet. She grabbed her handbag, got her computer out and the file containing all the information she needed and started working. When she got to the photographs, she quickly looked at the beautiful faces displayed in front of her eyes, but one face caught her attention... She felt immediately drawn to him, and it was only when the stewardess called her for the second time that she realised she had been staring at the young man's face for way too long. She snapped out of her day dreaming, and looked at the Korean lady.

"I'm sorry, yes?"

"Do you need anything, miss?" she repeated for the third time, still smiling.

"Oh, I'm sorry, yes. Do you mind giving me a duvet? I'm going to sleep for a while," Sienna answered with a smile.

"No problem."

"Thank you."

The flight attendant left, and Sienna quickly went back to that beautiful man's face. His eyes were mesmerizing... But she shook her head, put the photographs away, with her computer, and thanked the lady who came back with the duvet he asked. When Sienna woke up, the pilot was announcing their arrival to Seoul in a few minutes. The young girl panicked, for that meant she had slept for twenty hours! She looked around, checking her things, but all was well.

"Seoul, here I am!" Sienna quietly said as she got out of the airport.

She quickly found a taxi, and drove to the hotel where Mr Kong made the reservations for a luxurious Penthouse. She was happy to finally arrive! The hotel was huge, and so was that Penthouse! Way too big for just a tiny little person like her! She put her suitcase down, not bothered to clear it up right away, and visited the huge and luxurious apartment. It was well decorated : modern and a little vintage. Each room was enormous, and Sienna felt like a tiny little mouse. When she was done visiting, she finally settled down, and after putting her clothes away, she went to the kitchen to cook herself a nice meal. Mr Kong had anticipated everything, and had sent for grocery shopping, so that Sienna would have everything she needed for a week.

Half-way through dinner, as she was watching television, her phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Hamilton! Was your trip fine?" Sienna recognised Simon's voice, and a smile danced on her lips.

"Yes, it did," she replied, her mouth full. "Thank you Mr Graham! I cannot wait to see you again. I will be off to finish my dinner, now. Let's talk tomorrow," Sienna said.

"Sure." They hung up.

Before going to bed, Sienna decided to go for a walk in the streets, to get some fresh air. She grabbed her pack of cigarettes, her phone and her small handbag, and left. She smiled at the receptionist while walking past her, and stepped out of the hotel. It was hot outside, and because it was summer time, the night wasn't quite there yet. Sienna felt free for a moment, and before she started walking, she lit one cigarette. Exhale... Relax... Now we're good to go!

As she started walking, she looked around her, enjoying the view and the fact that the night was slowly falling. Bars and restaurants were open, and people were starting a nice evening. A bright smile plastered on her face, Sienna kept walking and smoking. Until her eyes were caught by a tall young man with pink hair. She suddenly stopped, eyes wide open. That was the guy she had seen in the photograph... The one she had stared at for a long time... How? She wasn't supposed to meet him for another month! She stayed still, her body refusing to move. The man soon spotted her, and frowned as he felt there was something wrong with that girl staring into the void. He walked up to her.

"Annyeong," he said.

Sienna looked at him, eyes and mouth opened, until she got back to her senses, and flashed him a smile before relaxing her shoulders.

"Hi! I mean... Annyeong!" she said happily.

"Are you lost?"

"No!... No, I'm not..." She replied in Korean. She shook her head and laughed. "I was just... uhm... thinking. Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

"That's okay." the guy replied. He looked at Sienna for a short moment, and finally smiled. "You seem new to the country. Let me buy you a drink!"

"Oh, no! I couldn't," Sienna refused, with a nervous laugh.

"Please, I insist."

Sienna hesitated, but finally answered. "Okay, why not!" she exclaimed.

The young man smiled at her, and Sienna silently cursed herself for being so reckless and for looking so stupid. But she followed him.

"I'm impressed by your Korean, I have to say. Where are you from?" The young man asked once they were seated at a table outside, and had their drinks.

"England," Sienna answered. "And thank you. I've been studying advertising, and my boss wanted to send me abroad. He gave me the choice between China, Japan and Korea. I chose Korea. So I had to learn, you know?" The young man nodded. "And so, here I am! I have to find a job ‪in two weeks‬. Otherwise I will not be able to stay."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Brooke. Brooke Hamilton. You?"

"You... don't know who I am?" Sienna shook her head. She was half lying, half saying the truth : she didn't know who he was until she had seen those pictures twenty-four hours earlier. "I'm Moonbin."

"Pleasure to meet you then!" she smiled. Moonbin simply smiled, and Sienna was surprised by how cold he seemed... She hoped the others would be easier.

They chatted for a little while, and Sienna was the first to say she had to leave. She thanked Moonbin for the drink and left. She had been so stressed the whole time that she felt the need to light another cigarette. It had been a good exercise though. She had lied to him very naturally, and she felt proud, for that would mean it would get easier and easier.

She went back to her hotel, satisfied, and feeling strangely happy. That meeting had had an effect on her. But she couldn't let it affect her mission... As she lied down on her bed, eyes on the ceiling, she saw Moonbin's eyes, staring at her in wonderment. His shy smile... She cursed herself and turned around, as she closed her eyes tightly, begging Morpheus to come and get her. The next month was going to be tough, and she couldn't let this meeting get in the way of her duty.