The sharp click of heels echoes down the marble-floored lobby, slicing through the silence like a warning shot.

A-RA doesn’t hesitate. Her stride is steady, unbothered by the towering walls of glass or the suspicious calm that blankets the private security firm.

From behind the reception desk, a too-familiar grin emerges.

“There you are,” BAEK-HYUN says, already walking toward her. “I was this close to thinking you bailed.”

A-RA tilts her head, just enough to flash a smirk.

“And miss the chance to meet your four troublemakers?” she replies.
“Not a chance.”

They exchange a smile as BAEK-HYUN ushers her toward the elevator.

BAEK-HYUN presses the elevator button, motioning her forward.

“Come on,” he says. “You’ll want to see the warzone before the troops show up.”

She follows, eyes scanning every inch of the facility as the doors slide open.

"This—" he begins, hand sweeping dramatically, "is the firing range. Tactical training rooms over there. Full gym, meditation space... and the snack cupboard."

A-RA's eyes light up at the mention of snacks. They continue down the hall

 BAEK-HYUN still in showman mode. pauses in front of another door,

" Now that I've given you the grand tour of all the necessary spaces...drumroll...only one remains...and no, it's not the bathroom you've been desperately looking for since we started.....”

He leans in, voice dropping to a teasing whisper.

A-RA narrows her eyes.

"Ah yes, welcome to your office! The chair is ergonomic... if you sit sideways. This is your kingdom. Rule wisely—or at the very least, try to keep the plants alive."

A-RA steps inside, casting a glance out the window like a queen surveying her battlefield.

"Mmmh," she muses aloud, "after your grand tour, I finally understand why even the fake plants in this building are dying… and why the water cooler sounds like it's sobbing quietly for help."

BAEK-HYUN claps his hands proudly.

"Ah, the perks of working with us!" he beams. "You're a soldier with razor-sharp instincts, and yet when I opened with 'I thought you’d changed your mind,' you didn’t even flinch. Bravo! That’s the kind of unshakable composure we value here.Welcome to the team."

A-RA sighs and takes a few steps deeper into her new domain.

"Okay," BAEK-HYUN continues, dramatically backing toward the door, "you’ve now received the premium deluxe VIP orientation package. Complete with awkward pauses, wildly unnecessary hand gestures, and that one story about the printer that may or may not be haunted...get acquainted...see you around."

He shoots her a finger gun and vanishes with a smug grin.

The door clicks shut.

A-RA glances at the suspiciously lopsided chair, then cautiously sits down. A beat passes.

"...So he wasn’t lying about the chair," she mutters, tilting her head.

As A-RA starts settling in, the sound of heavy boots fills the hallway. Four silhouettes round the far end of the corridor: DO-YUN, HA-JOON, MIN-JUN, and YU-JUN, clad in tactical black, rifles slung casually over their shoulders, laughter echoing.

BAEK-HYUN, mid-step with a mug of coffee and paperwork in hand, pauses like a meerkat sensing impending chaos. His head tilts slowly, a mischievous glint lights up behind his glasses.

"Oho… They’re back from their mission," he whispers to himself, then cracks a grin.
"Perfect timing to drop a little bombshell."

Without warning, he hands a colleague who was walking from a bathroom break the contents of his hands, turns on his heel and sprints down the hallway.

He skids around a corner, breath hitching. One hand slapped the cold wall for support as he doubles over,

"Okay," he wheezes, "my heart just gave me an ultimatum—either I stop, or it does...and honestly, my bargaining power is abysmal here..."

He wipes his forehead, shakes out his shoulders, and tries to regain some semblance of cool.
Straightens tie. Deep breath. Mental pep talk.
"Okay let me compose myself... Cant let them see I'm this out of shape."

Moments later, he intercepts the four operatives—

"Gentlemen!" BAEK-HYUN announces, clapping his hands like a game show host about to unveil the prize.

The men stop. Raised brows. Shifting postures. Controlled silence.

BAEK-HYUN leans in conspiratorially.

" Guys, your new Tactical Trainer is here! Now, I would warn you to be nice but knowing you guys...well, go ahead and push those boundaries, good luck and may the odds be in your favor... or not. 

He flashes them a grin that is equal parts pride and warning.

DO-YUN scoffs, folding his arms.
" Pfft... Aren’t you tired of hiring these people? This is the seventh one in just three months!"

HA-JOON, arms slung over his rifle, raises a brow.
" Are you sure she won’t run away like the others did?"

MIN-JUN, leans in with spark in his eye.
" Wait... Wait... You're asking the wrong questions...did you just say “she”? We’ve never had a lady before. Is she...you know..." He pauses, "pretty?"

BAEK-HYUN’S grin spreads like wildfire—mischievous and borderline evil.
"Drop. Dead. Gorgeous!" He steps back and fans the air dramatically.

"Like she walked straight out of a shampoo commercial..."
He pauses, raises a finger—
"...only bald."

The men blink. Processing.

BAEK-HYUN continues.
"Picture it. The glow, the stride, the danger. Just... minus the flowing locks.

HA-JOON, scratching his head, utterly intrigued.
"She’s bald? Like, buzzcut bald? That sounds... kinda badass."

BAEK-HYUN sighs and taps his temple.
" TCH!TCH!TCH!...the fact that you can't figure out that was a metaphor for how wild her charisma and confidence is...oh buddy may the odds really be specifically in your favor...."
He snaps his fingers, eyes twinkling.

A long beat. Four operatives, blinking in silence.

"Anyway," he says, clapping once and stepping back, "you’ll meet her soon enough. I’ll send her your way."
BAEK-HYUN  gives them a parting wink.
"And yes, you absolutely asked the wrong questions."

He turns and strolls off, humming like he just unleashed a boss battle.

Moments later, the door swings open and the four operatives file in, still riding the wave of BAEK-HYUN’S dramatic announcement. Boots thud against the tile. The scent of gunpowder, sweat, and ego fills the air.

YU-JUN, pipes up as he unzips his jacket.

"Apparently her code-name in the military was some kind of bird..."

MIN-JUN, never one to let an opportunity for sarcasm go to waste, flings a t-shirt onto a bench with flair.

" I bet it was a bald bird...you know, the kind that has confidence and charisma wild enough to be used as a metaphor...."

That earns a ripple of laughter. Shirts fly, gear clinks, and the locker room briefly turns into a chuckle pit.

Now shirtless and striking a pose in the mirror like it’s a modelling agency, MIN-JUN turns with theatrical curiosity.

"So—besides the very thrilling government-issued file we skimmed—has anyone actually looked into this Marabou Stork?"

DO-YUN, opens a locker

"Not really. But I swear the codename wasn’t Stork... It was definitely Turkey."

HA-JOON, lounging on the bench, scrolls through his phone. His brow rises in surprise.

" I can swear I have seen a turkey multiple times...apparently, they are indeed bald!”

YU-JUN, taking off his combat boots, scoffs.

Meanwhile, A-RA sits at her desk, posture sharp, eyes locked on the screen like she is trying to bend the digital world to her will.

The door creaks open.

BAEK-HYUN’s head pops in, eyes gleaming with trouble, a grin already forming like a punchline before the setup.

“The boys need to see you in the changing room,” he announces, way too casually.

Without looking up, A-RA responds with a flat tone, her fingers not breaking rhythm.

“Changing room? You know, there are things you don’t show new hires ...at least not on the first day...did they rig the door or something? Are they trying to oust me on day one?

BAEK-HYUN chuckles, steps further in,

“Okay, okay, they don’t technically need to see you… but I just want you to ambush them...imagine their faces when you pop in unannounced ,priceless! Go on, shake up their day....”

A-RA finally pauses, lifts her head. Her expression is unreadable, but her lips are curl slightly.

She stands and stretches her neck with a faint crack.

“So I’m the weapon of psychological warfare now?” she mutters. “Fine. Let’s go meet the reason you dragged me into this circus. You tried normal. Didn’t work. Desperate times…”

She strides past him, heels clicking with a slow, ominous rhythm.

“…call for chaotic measures.”

BAEK-HYUN doesn’t follow. He just watches, grinning like he’d just lit a fuse and stepped back to watch the fireworks.

Along the hallway,The air is still. Too still.

And then—tap… tap… tap…

Each step echoes like a ticking clock, deliberate and sharp. A-RA strides down the hallway, her stiletto heels slicing through the silence like a blade through silk. Shadows stretch and bend beneath her as she moves—shoulders back, expression unreadable.

The sound hits them before she does.

A single, crisp click of a heel against the tile—louder than it should be. Like a warning shot.

DO-YUN freezes, hoodie half-zipped, his hands awkwardly caught mid-motion.

HA-JOON, mid-knot, stares blankly at his tangled laces as if they’ve personally betrayed him.

MIN-JUN stands stock-still, towel draped over his shoulder, droplets of water sliding down his neck. His mouth opens just a fraction.

YU-JUN—calm, collected ,uncrosses his arms, his gaze narrowing slightly.

Then the door creaks wider.

And she steps in.

A-RA. In all her quiet fury and unshakable elegance.

No one speaks. No one moves.

The tension is thick enough to taste—

Her gaze sweeps over them slowly. Calculating. Cool. 

Four sets of eyes lock onto her.

She says nothing.