Chapter 5: Marigold Mirage

The week that followed our greenhouse conversation was unexpectedly… peaceful. Chou didn't press me about my past again, and I found myself oddly grateful for that. Instead, she filled the spaces between missions with her usual endless chatter and mischievous grins. It was annoying, sure, but it was also strangely comforting—like a bright patch of sunlight I hadn't realized I needed.

Of course, the peace didn't last.

It never does in our line of work.

"Get up, you two!" Suzu barked one morning, slamming the briefing room table with a file. "We've got another mission. High risk, so stay sharp."

Chou groaned dramatically from where she was sprawled across a chair. "What happened to 'no rest for the wicked,' huh? I'm not even wicked, and I haven't rested in days!"

"Don't start with me, Mizuno," Suzu warned, her sharp glare silencing Chou instantly. "Details are in the file. Study up and move out in thirty minutes."

With that, Suzu stalked out of the room, leaving us alone.

Chou stretched lazily, grinning at me. "Well, this should be fun."

I ignored her, flipping open the file. The target was a suspected arms dealer hiding in the outskirts of the city. Simple enough—if not for the heavy security detail surrounding him.

"This doesn't look like fun," I muttered, scanning the list of guards and patrol schedules.

"That's because you have no imagination," Chou teased, leaning over my shoulder. Her breath tickled my neck, and I swatted her away.

"Focus," I snapped.

"Fine, fine," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. "But we've got this, right? You and me? Dream team?"

"Something like that," I muttered, but my lips twitched upward despite myself.

The mission site was a crumbling warehouse surrounded by overgrown fields of marigolds. It was beautiful in a strange, eerie way—the bright orange flowers swaying gently in the wind, a sharp contrast to the grim purpose of our visit.

Chou crouched beside me, peering through binoculars. "Looks like three guards at the main entrance. Two more patrolling the perimeter. Think we can sneak past them?"

"Maybe," I said, adjusting my earpiece. "But if things go south, be ready to fight."

"Always," she said, grinning.

We moved swiftly and silently through the field, the marigolds brushing against our legs as we approached the warehouse. My heart pounded in my chest, the familiar mix of adrenaline and dread kicking in.

Chou, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. She moved with an almost reckless confidence, her expression bright and unbothered.

"How do you stay so calm?" I whispered as we crouched behind a stack of crates.

"Easy," she whispered back, her grin widening. "I've got you watching my back. What's there to worry about?"

I didn't have an answer for that, so I just shook my head and focused on the mission.

We slipped into the warehouse through a side entrance, navigating the dimly lit corridors with practiced ease. The target's office was on the second floor, according to the intel.

"Almost there," I whispered as we crept up the stairs.

But just as we reached the top, the sound of voices stopped us in our tracks.

"Shit," Chou muttered under her breath.

Two guards stood outside the office, chatting casually. Their weapons were slung over their shoulders, but they didn't look particularly alert.

"Distraction?" Chou asked, glancing at me.

I nodded. "Go."

She moved quickly, knocking over a stack of crates down the hall. The noise echoed through the warehouse, drawing the guards' attention instantly.

"What the hell was that?" one of them muttered, heading toward the sound.

As soon as they were out of sight, Chou and I slipped into the office. The target was sitting at his desk, completely unaware of our presence until it was too late.

"Don't move," I ordered, my weapon trained on him.

He froze, raising his hands in surrender. "Please, don't shoot—"

"Shut up," Chou said cheerfully, tying his hands with a zip tie. "We'll be out of your hair in no time."

The extraction was smooth, and by the time we returned to the agency, I was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

Later that evening, as we sat in the break room, Chou leaned back in her chair with a satisfied sigh.

"Another day, another mission complete," she said, grinning at me.

"Barely," I muttered, taking a sip of my tea.

"Oh, come on," she said, nudging me playfully. "Admit it—you had fun."

I rolled my eyes but didn't argue.

Chou's grin softened into something gentler, and she leaned forward slightly. "You know, you're not so bad to work with, Hana."

"Don't push your luck," I said, but my tone lacked its usual edge.

For a moment, we just sat there in comfortable silence, the events of the day fading into the background.

Outside, the marigolds continued to sway in the wind, a bright reminder that even in the midst of chaos, beauty could still bloom.