Karina entered the captain’s office with a frown on her face, brows lifted questioningly as she sank down on the leather chair across the man albeit grudgingly. 

“You’re suspended.” Minho blurted out before Karina could even make herself comfortable in her seat.

“Excuse me?” Karina sprang up, almost spluttering. Continuous words of baseless justification were hanging loosely on the tip of her tongue. 

Last time she checked (which was inarguably two seconds ago because she was an avid overthinker), she hadn't done anything in the past week to warrant such an odious thing! Karina had never ever once not played by the rules, and if the case she was handling even allowed the situation to permit it, she’d still somehow find a way to follow everything that was written on that handbook she was given by her senior back in her deadline chasing days in the police academy.

Minho stared her down for quite some time, a blank expression etched on his stupid face. Karina was really set to throw a (strictly professional) fit, wondering how the hell did she even get suspended when the most unscrupulous thing she had gotten herself into in her entire career as a detective was roll her eyes behind an extremely ostentatious politician.

However, the line of Minho's lips twitched slightly. Karina could almost feel her hands shaping into a fist ready to violently attach itself on her boss’s face if he hadn’t immediately started laughing to spell out that he was, in fact, joking.

“Ha, ha, very funny and so hilariously unprofessional.” Karina said sarcastically.

“I can’t help it!” Minho continued laughing, even clutching his stomach just to emphasize how funny he thought he was. “It’s so entertaining how I can clearly see the exact second your soul physically leaves your body! It just never gets old!”

“You’re getting old.” Karina bit back. She knew it would get on his nerves eventually.

“I could actually have you suspended just for that, young lady.” He narrowed his eyes strictly. 

Karina rolled her eyes, waving him off. “Would you please just tell me what you actually need me for?” she finally asked. “Because as much as I’d love to listen to your jokes, I actually have a job to get back into.”

Minho let out a noncommittal hum as if telling her that her job , one that he’d personally given her months prior, was nothing but a fart in a windstorm compared to the blizzard that he was about to bring out to the table.

“You know the FBI, yes?”

Karina gave him a look. “Are you seriously asking me that?”

“I am seriously asking you that.” Minho challenged. 

“I’m leaving.” Karina made a move to stand up, but Minho immediately reached for her arm and brought her to sit back down.

“Fine, fine! I’m sorry,” the man apologized, half-assed as always. “Let's get back to business, shall we? Where was I?”

“You were asking me if I, a detective raised by two law enforcement officers, know about the existence of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” Karina explained helpfully.

Minho’s mouth opened in feigned recognition. “Ah, that. Yes, of course. The FBI, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation as you have eloquently put it, desperately needs our help.” 

Karina was certain that he only added the word ‘desperately’ just to feel better about himself and his position as the captain of the local police around this city.

“What for?” she asked curiously. 

It wasn't everyday that those fancy, black tied versions of them would give their precious time to get off their high horse and reach out to them personally. So whatever it was, it must be a big deal.

“Well, the Director reached out to me yesterday, asking—no, insisting, actually, that we, the local police, provide assistance with a case circling around Ether Hills. They specifically requested a detective who’s already familiar with the area, and who else could be more suitable for the task than you? I mean, you grew up in that town, didn't you? I read that in your resumé. Impressive, right?”

Karina lifted an eyebrow, tactfully processing the words that had just come out of her captain’s mouth. “My mother grew up in that town. I didn’t.”

“I know, but I’m certain the apple doesn't really fall far from the tree,”

“Minho, I lived in Gyeonggi-do. That’s what's written on my resume.” 

Karina couldn't believe that this man was her brother in law.

“That’s not really relevant, is it? I already picked you, so… you kind of already have no choice,” the man shrugged, his lips quirked up. “Anyway, they also sent a Special Agent of their own to work with you. Undercover.”

“Undercover?” Karina echoed, her tone amused. What in the actual hell was going on?

Minho was just about to open his mouth to elaborate further when the door suddenly barged open and a figure of a woman waltzed into the room like a snow squall. 

Lightly disconcerted, Karina raised from her seat out of inclination. Her eyes then traced the woman’s–well, everything, and her mind concluded that she might have tested even the devil’s limits and this was them sending someone to torture her as a punishment.

If the tousled platinum hair, unkempt white shirt that was barely tucked in the waistband of her slacks, wrinkled black blazer with the only one side of its sleeves rolled up, and an all too familiar crooked grin, was any indication.

“Sorry, I’m late!” said Winter Kim, stopping just a few feet away from Karina.

“There she is!” Minho stood from his swivel chair, clapping his hands enthusiastically. “Speaking of Special Agents, Karina, meet Special Agent Winter Kim. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“Hi.” Special Agent Winter Kim turned to face Karina, her cheeks flushed red from all the running, probably. “It’s nice to see your face again, Detective Yu,”

“This is their Special Agent?” Karina looked at Minho indignantly, a thumb pointing towards the blonde.

“Apparently,” her captain shrugged. 

“You set this up on purpose, didn't you? That's why you picked me out of all your minions outside!” Karina gave him an accusatory glare, glancing briefly at the supposed special agent and then back to her boss.

Minho curled his lips into an awkward smile, “Okay, look. Unprofessionally speaking–”

“Oh, you choose to say that now?” Karina laughed dryly.

“Let me finish!” Minho practically begged though he didn't wait for Karina’s reply to continue. “So. Listen. It's very much true that I chose you for this job because I genuinely believe in your skills. However ,” he grinned widely, “when I read what was written on the mission and which agent will be assigned to it, my mind instantly thought of you and your history with Winter! So I figured why not, right? You have an undeniable chemistry together!”

“We don’t.” Karina cleared out.

This was definitely the drawback of working with her brother-in-law as her captain, Karina decided.

Special Agent Winter Kim cleared . “I’m still here,”

Karina pretended she wasn't.

“You do.” Minho insisted. “I can feel it radiating between you two right now. It’s like an extremely satisfying wave of electri–”

“Oh, you will feel an extreme wave of electricity when I–”

“Geez, why don't you two just pull out your guns and get it over with?” 

Both Karina and Minho paused their not-so-professional squabbling when Special Agent Winter Kim reminded them about her presence by butting in.

Rather ashamed to some degree, Karina bit her lower lip and sighed to calm her nerves. Okay. Maybe she was being a bit unreasonable about this whole thing, but whatever. She would have a word with her brother-in-law later tonight at the family dinner. She narrowed her eyes at Minho for the last time before sitting back down on the chair. Minho threw her a smirk and went to his previous position, more professionally this time.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Special Agent Winter muttered.

So was our break up— Karina almost blurted out, but then she figured that would be unethical. So she shoved the words back in where she couldn't reach it. 

“Anyway, as I was saying,” Minho adjusted the tie around his neck, clearing his throat, “this mission is very crucial to the FBI and me, as the captain of this precinct, so I really hope that you both can accomplish it seamlessly, without killing each other.”

Arms crossed as she stood straight, Special Agent Winter Kim took a step forward. “What even is the mission?”

“I’m surprised they didn't already brief you at the Super Special Headquarters, Special Agent Kim,” Karina said as she looked up with a tight-lipped smile.

“Oh, and did they tell you anything at the Baby Corp Headquarters, Detective?” Winter quipped back.

Karina glanced down to her own attire . A perfectly buttoned blazer that covered a perfectly tailored blue shirt with a perfectly tied red necktie, and perfectly ironed pencil skirt. She was dressed formally and professionally, and not as Boss Baby, thank you very much.

“See? Chemistry .” Minho gestured at the two of them, a -eating grin on his face.

“Captain.” Karina called, deciding to ignore the blonde’s presence behind her. “The mission?” she reminded.

Minho blinked as he leaned against his chair. “Right! The mission, yes.” 

“So…?” Special Agent Winter Kim drawled carefully, asking for him to continue where he left off.

“We will be sending you two to a small town called Ether Hills to go undercover as Kim Minjeong and Yu Jimin.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Karina heard Special Agent Winter say from wherever she was standing.

Karina was just about to agree when Minho leaned forward to his desk