Zhan stubbornly got into his car and was about to start the engine when Yibo knocked on the window: "Hey, just a moment. Please." Said Yibo.

Zhan rolled down the window and asked grumpily: "What else?" The grumpiness was just an act, of course. He would have loved to throw his arms around Yibo's neck and kiss him.

"Would it be okay for you if I came to your office next week?"

"You? Do you seriously think she'll believe me that we're friends? Besides, Isko knows I'm a fan of yours. I mean was. WAS!" Zhan quickly improved, his face blushing fiercely at this lie. "Wang Yibo. I'm completely serious. Only come if you're sure you have a credible story for her. I'm only taking the risk because I'm afraid of her and hope I'll never have to see her again. So don't fuck this up. Because I don't want her to take revenge on me when she finds out the truth!"

"What I mean is that I'll stay in the background and keep an eye on you. And, of course, my colleague who we'll be using with you."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, to makes an amends. You're disappointed and I can understand that. And please believe me, it was never planned to this extent. None of us ever thought my cover would be this good and that I'd make it this big. It was only supposed to be for one mission. But then it got totally out of hand and the little musician and dancer became an idol with millions of fans. I couldn't just disappear again."

"That's clear. I can understand that. I really do. But it still feels like a betrayal. Maybe I'm just disappointed that you're so different from what I always thought you were."

"What did you think I was like? Can you tell me that?"

"I don't know. Maybe that you're this unapproachable idol and don't have time for anything else. And certainly not for spying."

"Hahaha, I am unapproachable, aren't I? I don't go out. Not even with friends, because almost everyone recognizes me immediately and I don't have time for that anyway. Because if I'm not on the road as an idol, then as a federal agent. But that's exactly what I love. It's tough. It's a challenge every day to get up again and keep going. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"If you don't have time. Then why did you offer to look after me? That doesn't make any sense. And everyone needs a break sometimes. I love my work too. However, I don't sit at my computer or graphics tablet all day and work. I go out with friends. Or I go to the countryside to visit my parents. I also go out on my own sometimes. Every now and then I just go out to the sea and relax there or take some photos. I enjoy my free time."

"But I don't need all that. Because I'm absorbed in my work."

"Well, if you say so. I'm going home now and going to sleep. And first thing in the morning I'll start searching the internet for another idol."

"Why?"

"Because you're only an idol for show."

"No. I became an idol through hard work Zhan. When I was discovered, they said I was a newcomer, a rising star. Then they said I was a minor star. Then I was a little superstar. And then a real superstar. A big superstar. And then I became an idol. My bosses think that my cover is perfect so that I can go undercover in my scene too."

"But if you go undercover in your scene. What do you have to do with this woman's case?"

"Because she prefers to make rich people disappear and, as far as we know, two rising stars also disappeared after they were with her. And from everything we've gathered so far, it looks like a really big case. Several departments have joined forces and are now working together on the case. That's how big it is. And the department I work in is also involved. If only because of the two young men from my scene who have disappeared."

"Okay, I apologize. I was too quick to judge without knowing all the facts. But now I really want to go home."

"Are you sure you want to go home? I mean, I could buy you a drink as an apology."

"It's okay, you don't have to do that. I think it's better if I go home now. Take care, Wang Yibo." Zhan said, started the engine and was ready to drive off, but then turned to Yibo again and said: "Please forget that you saw me crying like a little child. That would be very nice. Because I'm incredibly embarrassed. Although it's your fault that I cried at all!" And hum, the engine woke up again and Zhan drove off without giving Yibo the chance to respond.

Yibo watched Zhan speed off and grinned, "Oh God, he is so cute." Then he went back to his colleagues.

When he arrived home, Zhan plopped down on his sofa and sat there grinning. He had already put the embarrassment of crying in front of Yibo behind him on the drive home. In the end, all he could think about was that Wang Yibo, his idol, had invited him for a drink. And Zhan congratulated himself on his steadfastness for not having just jumped into Yibo's arms like a total nutcase and kissed him.

And then Zhan thought about what he had learned about Yibo tonight and felt sensationally unique to be one of the very few who knew that Wang Yibo was a federal agent and that he was conducting undercover investigations. And what's more, Wang Yibo had offered to protect him! Him! Not just anyone else. No, him, Xiao Zhan!

After minutes of indulging in his fantasy with a broad grin, Zhan finally took off his shoes, took a shower and, because it was so warm in his apartment, put on just a pair of boxer shorts. For a moment, he stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom closet and looked at himself. Then he decided to put on a shirt after all. He likes his body and doesn't need to hide it. But sometimes Zhan wished his body was a little more defined. And on this late evening, it was once again the case.

Since he was too tired to search the internet for videos and pictures of other fans that they had taken at the concert and he didn't feel like watching a movie, he went out onto his balcony and enjoyed the fresh night air and the light breeze. He had waited so long to see Wang Yibo live at a concert. And now that he had fulfilled his great wish, he wondered with irritation what he should do now?

He had been 98% sure that he would see Wang Yibo again. Even if this now had a completely different meaning for him than before. Now he knew that the next time he would see Wang Yibo would be Agent Wang Yibo, not the idol. And suddenly he wondered if he even knew Wang Yibo? Had any of the things written about Yibo and said about himself as an idol been true? Is Wang Yibo really his name? Or is it just an alias?

With all the thoughts and questions running through his head, he felt dizzy. He was simply confused. On the one hand, he was incredibly happy that he could actually talk to Wang Yibo. But then he asked himself again, what was real about what he knew about Yibo and what was not? And he wondered whether he would get the chance to meet the real Yibo?

After half an hour, Zhan was too tired to think any more. He went back inside, grabbed his cell phone and went into the bedroom. He lay down on his bed, closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately. The next morning at 09:00, Zhan woke up with a headache and a hoarse voice. The after-effects of the concert and all his loud singing and shouting were making themselves felt.

He shuffled into his kitchen, heated up a cup of soy milk and added two teaspoons of honey. Then he drank it, choked because it tasted too sweet and threw the rest away. He preferred to take a throat lozenge and a headache pill. He wasn't really hungry. But he forced himself to eat at least a banana and a yoghurt.

He phoned his parents, let them know how the concert went, kept quiet about what happened afterwards and then thought about what he could do with the day. First, he decided, he would search the internet for pictures and videos of other fans, then upload his own recordings and make a collage of the best pictures. He would print out one or two pictures and add them to his collection of pictures of Yibo in his specially created photo album. But then what? He decided to decide that when the time came.

Zhan had just finished sticking the last two pictures in his photo album when the doorbell rang. Surprised and puzzled because he wasn't expecting a visitor, he went to the door and almost shrieked when he saw Wang Yibo standing in front of his door. A baseball cap pulled low over his face to conceal his identity, he stood there impatiently waiting for Zhan to open the door.

Slowly, Zhan opened the door and let Yibo into his apartment. And before Yibo could say anything, Zhan remembered that he had only washed his face and brushed his teeth this morning. His hair was messy and he was still only wearing his boxer shorts and shirt. Yibo looked at him and Zhan sighed: "Why did you always have to see me in such embarrassing situations?" He asked more to himself than to Yibo.

"Always? This is the second time today. Apart from that, I can't see anything embarrassing. And last night wasn't embarrassing either." Yibo replied and pushed past Zhan. He walked into Zhan's living room, sat down and put a small device on the table.

"What's that?" Zhan asked curiously.

"I used it to check your car again."

"And what for?"

"Well, to see if it has a GPS tracker."

"So, does my car have a GPS tracker?"

"Yes."

"Really? What?" Zhan was shocked.

"Mhm. We found one under your car last night and removed it. And there's another one today."

"From that woman?"

"Probably from Mrs. Isari, yes."

"Damn. She's really starting to get on my nerves. Yes, she pays me well for my work. But this is really going too far."

"Your cell phone was fine, by the way. I left the GPS tracker on the car this time so she wouldn't notice anything was wrong."

"Mhhh, that's probably better."

"Do you really trust yourself to help us?"

"I don't know about that. It was all a bit much last night. And I haven't thought about it today."

"Oh no?" Yibo asked and picked up the photo album. He opened it and Zhan threw himself on top of the photo album so that Yibo couldn't look at it. But while Zhan landed on his living room table with a belly flop, Yibo was quicker and turned page after page in the photo album. "You really are my fan."

"No, no. I was your fan. But now I am..." Zhan stopped and his face turned as red as a tomato when Yibo came to the pictures Zhan had taken at the concert.

"Wow, the pictures are really good. It shows that you're a professional."

"Can you give me that back, please? I only created the photo album for myself."

"Sure, I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Sure." Zhan said, taking his photo album and putting it back in the drawer of his living room cupboard.

"Um listen Zhan. It's important..."

"That I don't tell anyone who you really are?"

"Yeah, that too."

"Don't worry. No one would believe me anyway."

"But it's also about the mission. If you don't trust yourself to do it, just say no. We won't force you."

"But it would be easier with my help. Wouldn't it?"

"Yes."

"And I never want that woman to show up at my place again. So yes, I'll help you. But not if you also take action against Isko. I don't really know him. But I'm absolutely certain that he's just another victim."

"We're not investigating her assistants yet. Only against her and her driver."

"Not yet means that you certainly will. And rightly so. Because there's probably no chance that he hasn't noticed at least a little bit. My only concern is that you don't treat him like a serious criminal."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Not so far."

"Good. So, we've chosen an agent. His name is Kim Seungyoun. And he's..."

"That won't work. I know she doesn't like Koreans. She didn't tell me why, but she made it very clear that she doesn't like Koreans."

"Shit."

"Ahem!"

"What?"

"Never mind. Do you have any other agents you can use?"

"Yes, of course. But most of the ones that fit the 'young and handsome' profile aren't available at the moment because they have other missions."

"Missions like James Bond, huh?"

"No, it's not like that. At the moment, it actually looks like it's just Youn and me." Yibo said as he called up the employee database on his cell phone.

"Well, that's bad luck. Who is Youn?"

"Seungyoun. I call him Youn because he's my best friend."

"Oh yes, okay. What's the name of your mission? You have names for your missions, don't you?"

"Yes, we do. It's called Dark Purple Rose."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"No, why?"

"Why? Because that's the name of my business."

"We know that. That's why the mission is called that."

"Phew, that's maddening."

"Why?"

"Couldn't you come up with your own name? My brand name is legally protected!"

"Zhan, we gave our mission this name because of you. Because it's related to you."

"Well, never mind. I'm hungry. Do you want something or do you have to rush to your next appointment?"

"What are you making for lunch?"

"Fried noodles with chicken, vegetables and egg."

"I'm in!"

"Okay. Then you make yourself comfortable and I'll go and cook."

"Can I have a look around your apartment?"

"To look for bugs or something?"

"Uhhh, yeah right."

"Yeah go ahead."

"Thanks."

"It's okay." Zhan said and went into the kitchen. He cooked lunch and was surprised that he didn't hear anything from Yibo. When he had finally finished cooking, he went to check on Yibo and found him asleep in Zhan's bed. He would have loved to take a picture of Yibo stretched out on Zhan's bed. But he didn't. Instead, he covered him with a thin blanket and went into the living room, where he ate in peace, grinning and rejoicing that Wang Yibo was not only at his apartment, but even in his bed!