"Have a great day at school, honey." Mark snickers at Jaemin who grimaces in disgust hearing his exaggerated sweet 'mom voice'.

"Aww, look, babe. Our son is embarrassed," glancing at Yuta in the driver's seat.

However, Yuta doesn't focus on Jaemin, instead raising a brow at Mark in response. "Did you just call me 'babe'?"

"Shut up, it's acting. Don't flatter yourself." Mark squeaks out in dismissal, turning back to Jaemin who's grinning at him now.

"Now, go find Yeeun and befriend her. Remember, befriend." He emphasizes to which Jaemin rolls his eyes at. "And then ask her things about Jeno, gain her trust."

"Contact us for anything, but most likely for emergencies." Yuta joins in, leaning forward so Jaemin can see him instead of Mark blocking the elder boy.

"We'll handle the parents, so don't worry about us being lucky and lazy, we're busy with shit too." He adds on.

Jaemin nods in reply, "I'll try to be as nice as possible and get some information." He said.

Mark gives him a certain look, one that Jaemin groans at instantly before the elder boy could even say anything. "Not just Yeeun, but to Jeno too." Mark reminds.

This time, Jaemin's nod is lazy while not even maintaining eye contact with either of his allies, then he turns around to walk off, not bothering to say anything in reply.

Watching the younger boy head inside the school building, Mark shakes his head like a disappointed parent. "No goodbyes and good lucks? I didn't teach him that." Grumbling about.

❅

"I saved you a seat," Yeeun says once she and Jaemin met up in their first class this morning.

Jaemin smiles at her, mumbling a soft thanks. Settling in his seat while waiting for their teacher and other classmates so they can start, Yeeun takes this as a small opportunity.

"So, Jaemin." The said boy hums, looking up from his newly bought notebook that he's sure it won't be really put into use; Johnny just wasted a few dollars for this.

"How come we've never seen each other?" Jaemin might have took that the wrong way; a way that he thinks Yeeun was trying to flirt with him or something.

And somehow, the blonde haired girl had sensed it, because she then adds on. "Like a genuine question, especially in this busy business field." Emphasizing as so.

Jaemin racks his brain for a second; which kinda sucks because class hasn't even started yet and it's way too early in the morning.

Not missing a beat, he was quick to reply. "Oh, it's because we're sort of new around here. Both in the business industry and this place."

Yeeun hums in acknowledgment, "well good luck around here. Especially right now." She says with a knowing tone.

However, Jaemin was slightly confused, a little pathetic for a favored and well trained associate which sometimes mistaken him as a different position in the team.

"Sorry?"

His confusion elicits a chuckle from Yeeun, obviously amused as she leans back on her seat, watching students slowly enter the classroom.

"You're a newbie, yet here you are, already in an arranged marriage with my sweet little brother, who's the son of the CEO of Crown Theater Entertainment."

Somehow, the way she says it like it was so obvious, that she already knows what's happening and she can read through Jaemin's act; it sends a shiver up to his spine.

But he brushes it off and sighs in relief when she continues, "your parents sure know some things to survive in this field, huh?"

Nodding, Jaemin rubs the pads of his forefinger and thumb against each other to calm his nerves.

"Eh, I guess they've thought through about this enough. Although we're new, it's not an excuse for others to underestimate us." He says quite proudly.

He keeps that aura on, looking high and mighty with a cocky smile etched on his face as Yeeun stares at him for a good minute.

Then she nods with a look of agreement, quirking her lips to one corner before adjusting herself on her seat when the teacher hastily enters the classroom, muttering apologies.

Meanwhile, Jaemin quietly exhales deeply. Fingers gripping the blue inked pen, inwardly patting himself on the shoulder for convincing the blonde haired girl.

They weren't kidding. Yeeun is intimidating.

No wonder Mark was the most glad one out of the three of them when the Lee's announced Jeno has been (voluntarily) chosen.

❅

"Go ask him to join you for lunch." Yuta says through the phone, voice a bit muffled due to the slightly bad connection.

But Jaemin can thankfully hear him just fine, "no, are you kidding?" He replies with a whining tone, obviously against the idea.

He's in a secluded area in the school building right now, after many corners he has turned and hallways, he finds a good enough spot to answer Yuta's call just as the bell rang.

Although, he tries to keep his voice down as well as not mention anything confidential. Just in case there's anyone snooping around in his business.

Yuta sighs, the sound tingling in Jaemin's ear in an uncomfortable way, especially with how loud it turned out since it was directly through the microphone.

"Jaem, just do it. It's part of the mission, and don't think you can just mingle with only Yeeun throughout all of this, we won't go any further with her." Yuta nags at him.

"Bu–"

"As much as she's the eldest–"

"It's because she isn't the one who was chosen, isn't it?" Jaemin interrupts with a hushing tone, now getting quietly moody and riled up.

Yuta rolls his eyes, thanking himself for not choosing a face time call right now. "It's not about that, Jaem." Another sigh escapes his lips.

"It's pretty obvious enough that Yeeun is hard to pass through. Besides the fact that she's low-key intimidating, she seems to be observant and has trust issues."

"There would've been a higher chance of us failing this in the next second if it was her. She'd probably cancel this agreement with no hesitation."

"Jeno on the other hand," Yuta trails off as Jaemin can sense his lips curling up into a cheeky smile. "Well, he seems like an easier route. Let's see what he has for us."

Pursing his lips, Jaemin hums when he then hears Mark joining in, "now hurry up and meet him. Have lunch together– I don't know what youngsters do."

"Please don't say 'youngsters' ever again," Jaemin snorts before ending the call, not forgetting to say goodbye this time and soon looks around for Jeno.