Chapter 3: Daisies in the Crossfire

The first few days after the mission had been strangely quiet. Too quiet.

We'd been tasked with a few low-profile errands, delivering intelligence reports, and picking up small packages, but none of it had the pulse-quickening excitement of that first real mission together. Chou was still as relentlessly positive as ever, chatting away non-stop as we cleaned our weapons and prepared for another long day.

"Hey, Hana," Chou suddenly said, breaking the silence.

I glanced up from my rifle. "What?"

She was leaning against the counter, her arms crossed as she looked at me with an almost mischievous glint in her eyes. "Have you noticed how much you and I have in common?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We're teammates, Chou. Of course we have things in common."

She shook her head dramatically. "No, I mean we're both really good at pretending we don't care."

I froze, my fingers stilling on the gun's barrel. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know," she said with a teasing smirk, "like when we act all cool and distant, like we don't care about things or people. But deep down, I think we're both softies. We care more than we let on."

I frowned, not sure how to respond to her blunt observation. She was far too perceptive for my liking.

"You're wrong," I muttered, wiping my hand across my face. "I'm not some softie."

"Uh-huh," Chou hummed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then why do you always go out of your way to look after everyone, huh? You've got that whole 'lone wolf' vibe, but you're secretly the most reliable person I know."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she continued before I could speak. "See? You're doing it right now. That little twitch of your eyebrow means I hit a nerve."

"Shut up," I muttered, turning away to finish cleaning my weapon.

She was silent for a moment, then giggled softly. "I don't know what it is, Hana, but there's something about you that's, like, magnetic. You've got this energy, even if you try to hide it."

I tried to ignore the faint warmth creeping up my neck. "Stop saying things like that."

"You know I'm just being honest," Chou said, her tone light. "I'm serious, though. You're really good at this."

"I just want to get this over with," I said, adjusting my cufflinks.

Chou stepped back, her eyes scanning the room. "I get it. But maybe… just maybe… we can enjoy the ride a little? Besides, this is our first big mission together. We might as well make it memorable."

The next day, we were assigned to a new mission: a high-stakes covert operation where we were to infiltrate a high-profile event and gather intelligence on a suspected arms dealer. It was risky, but Chou was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" she exclaimed, pacing around the briefing room with a wild grin.

"Are you sure you're even taking this seriously?" I asked, my arms crossed as I leaned against the wall.

"Of course I am!" she said, laughing. "But, come on, Hana. Look at us. We're like the perfect team. I mean, who else could pull off a mission like this and look good doing it?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think 'looking good' is part of the plan, Chou."

"Eh, details," she waved her hand dismissively, still smiling. "We've got this."

The event was being held at an upscale hotel, the kind of place I never found myself in unless it was for work. The luxury was almost suffocating, the air thick with perfume and the hum of hushed conversations. It was the kind of place where you had to watch your back, but Chou was acting like she was on a weekend getaway.

I pulled my black dress tight around my waist, adjusting it in front of the mirror. I didn't do the whole "formal" thing often, but this was the job.

"You look amazing," Chou said, stepping up beside me.

I frowned at her reflection. "What are you—"

She grinned, fixing my tie in place with surprising skill. "I mean it! You've got this icy cool vibe down to an art. You look like you could kill someone and then sip a cocktail like it's no big deal."

I rolled my eyes, but despite my usual irritation, I felt something flutter in my chest. "Stop saying things like that."

"You know I'm just being honest," Chou said, her tone light. "I'm serious, though. You're really good at this."

"I just want to get this over with," I said, adjusting my cufflinks.

Chou stepped back, her eyes scanning the room. "I get it. But maybe… just maybe… we can enjoy the ride a little? Besides, this is our first big mission together. We might as well make it memorable."

The ballroom was grand. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over the guests below. People in expensive suits and gowns mingled like they owned the place, their laughter ringing out across the room.

I spotted our target almost immediately: a man in his late forties, wearing an expensive black tuxedo and standing beside a woman in a red gown. The arms dealer.

But before I could focus on the mission, I felt a sudden jolt of movement beside me.

"Excuse me," Chou whispered, her hand resting lightly on my arm as she gestured to the far side of the room. "I need a drink. You coming?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Chou, focus. We're not here to—"

She was already gone, slipping into the crowd with a wink.

"Arghhh!" I muttered, rubbing my temples.

Just when I thought I had her figured out, she pulled me back into her orbit.

We moved through the room, both of us collecting intel in our own way. As the night went on, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. A few guests exchanged whispered words, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.

"Hey, Hana!" Chou's voice broke through my thoughts.

I turned to see her by the drinks table, a champagne glass in hand. "What now?"

She shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "I don't know. I just wanted to say… I'm glad we're doing this together."

I was taken aback. "Why?"

She looked at me with a sincerity I hadn't expected. "Because you're… someone who gets things done, but you also don't take crap from anyone. That makes you more interesting than everyone here combined."

I didn't know how to respond. "Thanks."

"Of course!" she said, her grin wide and infectious. "Now, let's finish this mission… and maybe have a little fun while we're at it!"

And as we rejoined the crowd, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter. Whatever happened next, I knew it would be different with her by my side.

As we moved deeper into the ballroom, ready for the next phase of the mission, I could sense the air shift around us. Tonight was far from over. But with Chou beside me, it almost felt like anything was possible.

And, for once, I wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing.