A Flavor Just Like You

Kim Minjeong is fuming.

No, not because of this stupid assignment from her lecturer. Even though she’s clicking her pen furiously, staring blankly at the blank notebook, she could easily get everything done with a call.

After all, she’s only putting up a disguise.

She’s not your regular uni student, even though her age seems fitting for it.

In fact, she’s something far more than a student.

Winter, the infamously ruthless spy, yet shrouded in a mysterious past—that is her true identity.

And currently, she’s on a mission that would affect the entire nation.

The problem is, she doesn’t even know where or how to properly start the mission!

She was already angry at the agency for giving her another huge mission back to back, and now, she’s at a dead end. The only information that she has on hand is that her target and only hope to dismantle the biggest threat in Seoul is currently running a small business. And guess what? There are over a thousand small businesses in Seoul alone! Yes, they have over hundreds of intelligent networks to find any leads, but only god knows how long that will take.

The name Jangmi-pa was an old story five years ago, as the last few of the criminal group was believed to be killed in a huge explosion during a police invasion, and the leader of the gang was finally arrested being injured in the incident. But rumor has it that it resurfaced itself out of the blue, and has slowly regained back control over the district it once reigned terror in. A new apartment scam is believed to be related to the organization, which is why the secret agency has begun to investigate.

Whoever is behind this resurgence is still a mystery, and the only key to unlocking it, is the son of the leader of Jangmi-pa.

It seems impossible with all the missing details, but nothing can stop Winter—the most precise, efficient and reliable agent—from fulfilling her mission.

But first, she needed a break.

—

The bell above the door chimed softly as she stepped inside the café. Her mind was still filled with the dread of the investigation, so she barely felt the odd sense of space that she was used to. Without looking up, she walked straight towards the counter.

“One ice americano, please,” she said.

Instead of the regular reply, there was noticeable pause.

Before she could look up, a voice replied, “Sorry, but that’s not on the menu.”

“Whaaat?” Minjeong jumped, slowly realizing that this wasn’t the café that she always went to.

The man behind the counter gestured towards the board behind him. “Yeah, we only serve tea here.”

She looked up and scanned the entire menu. Tea, desserts, light meals. There was no coffee. She blinked her eyes and stared at the menu again, longer than necessary.

She sighed deeply, and returned her focus back to him. “That’s stupid. Everyone loves coffee.”

The man scoffed. “Then why are you still here?”

Her mouth opened, about to spew a comeback to his nonchalant reply, then closed itself, paused herself from being a further embarrassment.

“...One jasmine green milk tea, please.”

The man smiled. “Coming right up!”

It was merely a short, useless delay in her tracks, but the encounter has left a small impression in her heart.

So, she came back the next day.

And this time, she tried to act normal. Her walk towards the counter was slow, and she looked at the menu properly, even though she had already memorized it a few hours before. She even uttered the common phrase of “Let me get uhh…”, but it was abnormally too long.

“You’re overthinking it, missy,” the man said.

Minjeong broke out of her frozen state. “Huh?”

“You’ve been staring at the menu for the last three minutes,” he replied. “Coffee’s not gonna magically appear there.”

“I’m…still deciding.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Well,” he shrugged. “You’ve got a point. But I’m still right.”

Eventually, after much consideration, she chose the same drink as yesterday. As he expected.

—

The third time she came by Heaven’s Door, she was prepared.

Aside from everything about the store, he had learned of the man’s name from a regular customer—Seonghwa. He’s also the owner of the fine establishment, so it made total sense that he was always around. Although, she never wanted to get close to him at all. An agent shouldn’t form that many connections to avoid any future consequences.

Curiosity however, is always relentless.

While waiting for another drink during a quiet evening, the silence stretched just a little too long between them.

“Minjeong,” she said. “Kim Minjeong.”

Seonghwa tilted his head slightly, and chuckled, “...I didn’t ask?”

“I-I just feel like I need to, since I’m a regular here.”

The silence continued, as he replied with a hum, like he’s seen this situation multiple times.

Then, without realizing it, she asked questions that were far from normal.

“How many people come by the store everyday?”

His head jerked at the sudden question. “At least more than ten.”

“Who always comes around here?”