My two hot Neighbors

Chapter 11 – "The Hidden Blade"

The day had only just begun, but something already felt off. I could feel it like a vibration beneath the surface—subtle, but present. Taehyung and Jungkook were both unusually quiet that morning. Taehyung kept sneaking glances at me, while Jungkook didn’t even touch his phone, which was odd for someone who practically lived on it.

We were walking together toward the main auditorium for a special lecture being held by a visiting agent-turned-professor. The entire university was buzzing with excitement. Apparently, this agent once worked for the European Intelligence Syndicate and was known to have collaborated with Phoenix… me.

I kept my expression neutral, sipping from my Oreo shake while walking beside them, but inwardly I was calculating. If someone from my past was about to make a public appearance, I needed to be ready for anything—especially betrayal.

The moment we entered the auditorium, I spotted Professor Soobin standing at the far end, adjusting the mic and testing the presentation slides. Sehun was with him as usual, playing with a Rubik's cube quietly in a corner.

As we settled into our seats near the middle row, a hush spread through the hall. A tall woman in a sleek grey suit entered. Her eyes scanned the crowd with calculated ease, her blonde hair tied back in a no-nonsense bun. Agent Astrid Crowley—one of the very few people who had worked alongside Phoenix on an elite black-ops mission in Prague three years ago.

I froze for half a second before adjusting my grip on the shake.

Astrid's eyes briefly landed on me. I tilted my head, subtly acknowledging her. No one else noticed. But the message was received.

"Good morning," she said, her voice sharp yet smooth. "Today, we will discuss espionage in the modern age—and the legend known only as Phoenix."

Jungkook tensed beside me. Taehyung leaned in, whispering, “Isn’t that you?”

“Shh,” I whispered back, not looking at him.

Astrid’s presentation started with a timeline of covert missions carried out under international intelligence coalitions. She listed Phoenix’s achievements with coded detail, careful not to reveal too much. But then… she said something that caught me off guard.

“There is reason to believe,” Astrid said slowly, “that Phoenix is currently operating undercover—in an academic institution such as this one.”

A gasp spread through the room. Whispers erupted instantly. Jungkook shot me a side glance, unreadable. Taehyung was frowning.

I leaned back, keeping calm. So Astrid was here not just to lecture… but to out me. Subtle, but it was her message.

Suddenly, a loud beep echoed through the hall. Everyone turned.

Sehun was holding a tablet—my tablet. I didn’t even realize he’d taken it. A golden phoenix symbol lit up on the screen, a hologram glitching above it.

The crowd froze.

Professor Soobin rushed over and snatched it from the child. His reaction was too fast. Too precise. That’s when I saw it: his hand trembled—not from surprise, but from panic.

My heart sank.

Soobin was working for Dark Rose.

The signs I’d ignored before—his convenient presence, his friendliness, the access he had to tech equipment… It all clicked. He wasn’t just some professor with a cute little brother.

He was a spy. A mole. And he was onto me.

I stood up immediately. “Let me see the tablet,” I said, striding down the steps. Soobin hesitated, then forced a smile and handed it to me. Astrid watched closely.

The screen was already wiped. The phoenix hologram was gone.

Too convenient.

I turned to Sehun. “Did you unlock anything else?”

He shook his head. “No. It just lit up when I tapped the screen.”

Lies. The tablet was locked with biometrics. Only someone who had already decrypted my encryption could’ve activated it. But I said nothing. The auditorium was already tense, and my enemies were everywhere.

I took the tablet and walked out. Taehyung and Jungkook followed without being told.

Once we were out in the corridor, Jungkook finally broke the silence. “That wasn’t a coincidence.”

“I know,” I replied. “And I think we just met one of their insiders.”

“Who?” Taehyung asked.

I turned slowly. “Professor Soobin.”

Both boys stiffened.

Jungkook clenched his jaw. “Are you sure?”

“Dead sure.”

Before we could talk more, my smartwatch pinged. A secure message.

“Phoenix, move to safe zone. Target is live. Orders initiated – CODE G.”

I cursed under my breath.

“Code G?” Jungkook asked, recognizing the classification.

“G for Ghost Protocol,” I answered. “I’m not allowed to engage directly. We watch. We gather. And we don’t get caught.”

“But if he’s a threat to you—” Taehyung began.

“I can’t act unless he makes a move,” I said sharply.

Then I turned and started walking. “We need to find out who he’s reporting to. If Soobin’s in Dark Rose, he’s not working alone.”

The boys followed me, matching my steps. For a moment, we weren’t just students. We were operatives—working in sync.

---

Later that evening, I returned to my dorm and checked the hidden surveillance feeds from the spy cams I had installed earlier. Most of it was boring hallway footage.

But then, at 5:04 PM, my screen flickered. Soobin’s office door opened, and a tall, shadowed figure entered. Not Sehun. Not a faculty member. He was wearing a deep blue hoodie and carrying a black box.

There was no sound, but Soobin nodded and handed the person a flash drive. The man passed him the box.

The camera zoomed in just enough to catch a glint of something inside it—rows of vials. Chemicals. Possibly nerve agents.

I sat up straight, adrenaline pulsing.

This wasn’t just about revealing Phoenix. It was a biochemical threat.

And worse? The man in the hoodie… was none other than Astrid’s assistant—the one she brought with her to the lecture.

She was playing both sides.

---

I called a private meeting that night. Taehyung, Jungkook, and me.

We sat in the small abandoned library in the east wing—no cameras, no bugs. Just silence and secrets.

“They’re planning something,” I told them. “A chemical leak. Or blackmail using it. Either way, we’re out of time.”

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair. “Soobin’s going down.”

“No,” I said. “Not yet. We’re going to do what Phoenix does best.”

“Which is?” Taehyung asked.

I smiled, pulling my golden mask from the drawer. “Burn them from the inside.”

End of Chapter 11