©Official photos. Not mine.

 

 

 

Hakyeon kicks the chair in frustration.

 

A week.

 

It's been a week since he heard of Ravi.

 

They can't afford to fail on this mission and now his best man goes MIA in the middle of operations.

 

Hakyeon is mad. No. More than that. He's furious. He knows that Ravi is aware of the importance of this mission. He never asks questions, but Hakyeon can always see in his eyes that he always understands the hidden stakes of his contracts.

 

It often takes many days before Ravi comes back to him with that strong and satisfied expression of his spread on his face. And if things take more time than usual, he would at least leave signs behind. But now a week passed in a flash and he left no trace, no message, no indication of what is going on.

 

And it frustrates Hakyeon to the highest point.

 

It can mean only two things: either Ravi was killed on the field or he betrayed.

 

But Ravi is not that kind of person. He knows it. He wouldn't have stuck around for so long if it was the case.

 

Hakyeon has seen people come and go all along his career. He's seen traitors, cowards, liars, killers, and even worse: ambitious ones. But never a missing one. Or more like: the missing ones were never missing for long. They were found dead drowned in Incheon bay.

 

He can't deny that he's worried. They can't call each other friends, but they knew each other for long enough to take a liking in the other. It would hurt him to learn that his man is dead.

 

Now, he has to take actions before it's too late and something nasty fall on them.

 

He considers calling Hyuk to report a missing person. But then he remembers that he made the latter erase and destruct any document mentioning his agents into the government's instances. Make them disappear. Transform them into ghosts. And Hyuk had. Filling a missing person report on an inexistent individual would only be suspicious. God knows how low profile he has to remain. And let's be honest: hiding and camouflage are Ravi's specialities. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't.

 

Then he considers calling Hongbin. But the man is already working on his own affair. It's a major operation with a Thai group and they can't mess this up. Some recent failures almost brought them all in jail and for the safety of everyone, of the system; they can't take any inconsiderate risks now. And even if he wanted him to help, his agents don't know each other for security matters, so he couldn't help at all in the end.

 

It's Ken who brings him the answer he needs.

 

"They fought. The target won but didn't kill him. He followed the target."

 

Ken had casually enters the office, put the chair Hakyeon kicked earlier back on his feet and sits as he owned the place. To know everything about everyone sometimes makes him petulant.

 

"So you're telling me he betrayed?! You know it's impossible."

 

Hakyeon growls in anger.

 

"Not exactly. I'm telling you that he chose his own life over yours. It's not every day that an assassin is left alive by his target who could easily have killed him you know."

 

Hakyeon kicks his low table and then the huge vase standing beside the couch. Pacing around the room leads him nowhere but it helps him fight the urge to punch someone in the face.

 

"Who is it? Who is he?"

 

"Apparently he's the new big thing in town."

 

Hakyeon glares. Then sighs.

 

"Ravi is gone. What do I do now?"

 

Sometimes, Hakyeon can allow himself be insecure. Seldom, when no one else is around and solutions seem to play hide and seek for too long. When he gets discouraged and he only wants to go back to bed and hide under his silk blankets until things settle by themselves. In these rare cases, it's always Ken who brings him back on track. Always.

 

"You send someone else to bring him down before he becomes too powerful."

 

"Is that so...?"

 

The solution leaves Hakyeon pensive. It's not like it's a ridiculous solution. But...

 

"Or you meet the man and see how it goes from there."

 

Ken stands up and sits besides Hakyeon on the couch.

 

"Meet him?"

 

"Yeah. Maybe make an alliance or something."

 

Hakyeon hums. He put his head on Ken's shoulder. The latter wraps his arm around his upper body and pulls him closer. Hakyeon relaxes in his touch, the long, manly fingers threading into his bright red hair. That reminds him that he should change his colour. Red doesn't suit him at all.

 

It could be a good idea. It could work. For all he knows, debuting parties need all the help they can use even if it means creating temporary alliances. He's been there too. Before. Long ago. Centuries ago, it seems.

 

The previous anger and adrenaline rush starts washing away leaving Hakyeon in a dream-like state of dizziness. He is sleepy and the embrace makes him want to rest for days. He finds himself on his back, his head on Ken's thighs, eyes closed. He is all set to sleep, but his mind doesn't let him. Too many things to take care of.

 

"Okay. Let's do this. I want to meet him. This man. Taekwoon."

 

He can't see it for his eyes are closed, but Ken smiles down at him, like he just made a right decision.

 

Hakyeon finds himself in Jeju two days later. He brings Ken with him because it seems that he is more capable of seeing things with clarity than he is. They're on the docks, the little waves crashing against the concrete walls of the port. All around, old, rusty, smelly warehouse and transport containers.

 

Hakyeon has a pistol at the back on his belt and in the inside pocket on his coat. A white coat, as clean as Ravi's. The latter had taken this fashion from him a while ago. Said it had a distinguished vibe. He hopes he won't have to use his guns.

 

Hakyeon stand with their back facing the water. It's almost time now.

 

Steps are heard from somewhere on the right. From between the containers emerge two shadows.

 

The first one is dressed all in black. Taekwoon. He has strong shoulders, an emotionless face. He walks with assurance, almost so much that it takes Hakyeon all his experience not to turn around and walk away. He's seen more intimidating men, he remembers. But for the moment, he might be too emotionally involved to be the courageous boss he is.

 

The other silhouette is a little smaller, but awfully familiar. Blonde hair, round face. He had changed his usual white suit for a dark adjusted leather jacket. Hakyeon gulps. Ravi.

 

So it is true.

 

Is it how it will end?

 

Hakyeon refuses to let it end this way. He tries to negotiate, to offer Taekwoon an interesting deal. The other won't budge. He refuses every offer. Hakyeon gets irritated. Tone is rising.

 

Hakyeon is usually a calm person. He can manage every kind of situation. In the past, it has happened that some of his men betrayed him. But they were never as skilled as Ravi. And he didn't know them as well as he knew the man standing before him right now.

 

It hurt. Like someone had stabbed him in the belly with a long burning blade. Hakyeon feels helpless. But he can't do anything without passing for suspicious and this isn't what he wants because he knows that the others have weapons and it would mean the end of him.

 

Hakyeon is slowly working himself up. The anger he felt a few days ago is still not gone and he had difficulty trying to control it. He clenches his hands into fists in a vain attempt to prevent them from shaking. Ken puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It's warm and Hakyeon wants to lean on it, but he can't.

 

Taekwoon though seems bored with them. His gun is out before any of them can reach theirs.

 

Hakyeon sees Ken rolls on the side, dodging the bullet.

 

The loud 'bang' hits Hakyeon's eardrum. It echoes, bounce on the maze of metal containers and gets lost into the distance. When the sound fades, Hakyeon finds himself on his knees.

 

His vision gets blurry. All he can see is the retreating backs of this man and the friend who betrayed him. Then it starts hurting.

 

His heart first. Because he can't accept it. It's not what the honour code dictates.

 

Then his stomach. He feels it drip on his belly, around his belly button. It burns. Hakyeon clenches his teens, tries to support himself on the hand that's not pressed on his stomach.

 

He is starting to lose consciousness. He knows that the body shuts down when the pain is too vivid. He vaguely wonders if it's his physical or mental wound that provokes it. Ken's face is hovering over his. At least he's not alone.

 

He can her Ken speak, but he can't understand the words.

 

Taekwoon and Ravi are long gone.

 

The concrete feels moist under him.

 

Ken's hands are hot against his skin.

 

He wants to speak to Ravi.

 

It's too late now.

 

He closes his eyes for a second.

 

Maybe he'll feel less tired when he reopens it.

 

And he does, truly.

 

Someone is holding his hand, head resting on the edge of the mattress.

 

The machines beep loudly around him. it gets on his nerves already.

 

It's not Ravi besides him. His heart clenches.

 

It's Ken. He feels warm.

 

Hakyeon swears to himself that this is not the end of this story.

 

No. It can't be. He has to know why. And he will.

 

But for the moment, he can rest a little.

 

Enjoy the moment before he loses another important person.

 

Again. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Okay, this part is ty, I'm sorry!! :o 

For those who are not traumatized yet, I hope you read the first part! Third one will come soon ^_^.

Comments are love! <3 

Edit: Third part is HERE! :)