EDITED: I have added the ending :)

“Don’t do it.”

            On the rooftop, 10 metres in front of him was a pretty and proper-looking girl dressed in a simple white dress, with a gun pointing on her head.

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Stop it, please. I’m sorry! I never mean.. anything.. to happen to you.”

            The girl laughed. He never heard the girl laughed so uncaring during the three month he had dated her.

“Isn’t this WHAT YOU WANT?! You know how my brother loves me. That’s why you came for me in the first place, AREN’T YOU?!!”

            His heart stopped at her piercing pitch. That girl used to be all sweet and meek but he had turned her into a monster. Time was ticking slowly while the gun was still pointed at her head but alas he had no answer he could satisfy the girl’s madness.

“But one thing you don’t know; I love you more than my brother.” Tears were trickling down her rosy cheek.

            Dongwan never felt anything before but this time he was scared. Noone yet had to die because of him, and that day might destroy the last bit of humanity he desperately held on to.

“I’m really sorry. Drop that gun, I beg you.”

“Say you love me.”

            What was she expecting? “I love you.”

She knew it from the start.

He caught the sad smile she gave him last before the gun deafening his ears. Blood splattered like a firework and her body fell on the cold concrete mercilessly. Everything happened so fast that Dongwan did not even blink.

It took him a long enough before realizing his cellphone was ringing inside his coat. With a trembling hand, Dongwan slowly put the device to his ear.

“Get out from there NOW. The police are on their way.”

……………….

            His swollen eyes and nose were traces he had been crying for the past hour. Now he was back in the dreary room where JE was sitting on his known throne with four bodyguards loyally stood behind him. JE was giving him opportunity to start first as he looking idly at the miserable man.

Dongwan swallowed the bitter lump in his throat. “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHERS BEFORE.”

“What do you mean?” JE shifted his chin to his other arm.

“You know what I mean.” Dongwan felt anger slowly rising in his chest.

            JE sighed, “Ahhh Dongwan-ahh. Why do you bother so much? I told you to do your job and keep out of the rest.”

Dongwan dismissed JE’s dilly dally. “Did they.. died too?” Something sick squirmed in the pit of his stomach when he said that.

JE took his sweet time. “Well.. minor inconvenience happens.”

            Dongwan fell to his knees and bawled. He was bewildered at how unsurprised he was by the news. The truth was, deep down he already knew it but he was in denial all this time, hoping to put the blame to someone else. Anything he felt for himself before had been lost, the only thing left was disgust and loathe to his dirty self.

JE was getting irritated. “DAMN. This is why I don’t want you to know. You cannot stand the truth.”

“Oh god-” Dongwan could only weep thinking on his sin. The faces of his previous ‘clients’ raced through his mind like a broken movie. He wondered which of them should he beg for forgiveness to.

JE became mad when he heard Dongwan’s cry to god. “Stop this , Dongwan. You are not that ‘clean’ to be crying like that. You’re too good in what you do to feel any regret.”

            Dongwan’s crying ceased and JE’s word got him thinking. He stood slowly and faced his leader with determination. “I.. wanna.. quit.”

“What?” JE showed his most confused look like he was talking in a foreign language.

Dongwan hardened his voice, “I WANT TO QUIT.” Not waiting for any reply, he stormed to the exit. Whatever happens I don’t give a damn anymore. However, JE’s echoing laughter from behind startled him.

            “HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!!! You’re a good piece, Dongwan. But one thing I hate about you, you are WEAK. Fine, I don’t lose anything if you go. But remember; NOONE get out of here – ALIVE.”

To his horror, four of JE’s bodyguard were nearing him but his good reflex set him on his heel and he ran into the darkness of the alley. Unlucky for Dongwan, they caught up and started to beat him into a pulp. Just as he thought that was the end of him, the blows stopped and a pair of delicately-designed shoes stepped forwards. His hair was pulled to face the smiling assaulter.

“It’s a waste to let you die because you're really a handsome lad.” JE caressed his bloody lip. “Just pray we don’t meet again, little saint.”

His body was dropped carelessly on the muddy dirt and he was left alone. Dongwan tried to move his limbs but everything was so painful, the most painful part was his heart. All his trust to the leader he devoted his life to had burned to ashes with anger and regret. Slowly, the world swivelled in his eyes and dissappeared.

................

            He sensed a pair of hands flipped his body over and patted his cheek softly. Dongwan’s ear slowly registered a human’s voice but he could not see anything in the darkness. The stranger heard his grunting and began lifting him to a light source. It took him moments before he realized he was back in the main street and the sky was completely dark. Dongwan wondered for how long he had been unconscious after…

“Are you ok, mister?” The stranger let him leaned against the wall and was crouching besides him.

“What happened? Were you been robbed?”

“Should we go to the police?”

Silence.

“I think we need to get you to the hospital first.” He began to lift the bloodied man again.

Dongwan resisted. “No..”

“Man, you are not looking good with so much blood..”

“Please no. Mother.. please..”

            The journey was long. The man was so kind to help a suspicious stranger like him and even tried to start a conversation many times while they were in the car, but Dongwan had no energy or interest to talk. His only thought was at the beloved person who was waiting him for so long at their destination, or so he hoped.

            The kind man helped Dongwan onto his feet and they walked towards the shabby house. His mother moved back to their old home in the village after Dongwan left her, and Dongwan forever felt apologetic for her hardship. Not that he did not give her money; he gave a lot. In fact his mother refused, saying his money was dirty and she will never take anything from him. Thinking back about the past suddenly made him ashamed and he hesitated for a while if he should turn back. How could he met his mother only when thing was going like this?

            To the surprise of both men, the front door opened abruptly and Dongwan’s mother ran towards him, not caring to wear her sandals. She cradled Dongwan in her arms and wept, all the while asking why this happened. Dongwan only able to beg for forgiveness.

………..

            He had been shutting himself in his room since then. He was a living corpse with no will to live, might as well be dead if it was not because of his mother keeping him alive as she persuaded him to eat. Dongwan thought to kill himself everyday, he could not bear to live to be responsible on all his sins. However, he also could not bear make his mother cry again so that’s that.

            And there was the stranger who continuously came to see how he was coping. He should not have to but Dongwan knew his reason, only it was too rude to say it out loud so he just let the man came whenever he liked.

            It was almost a year long for the living corpse when he finally had the guts to live again, at least not to burden his mother anymore. The old lady had suffered enough. The stranger was clearly delighted to see changes in him, he eagerly offered his assistance to find Dongwan a job as he had wide range of acquaintances (he owned a bar). What surprised Dongwan the most was his mother lied to him all this time. She secretly kept the money Dongwan gave her before (which was a large sum that he could buy a house and more) and told him to live well and benevolently. Dongwan could never thank her enough.

            With the support from his mother and the kind stranger – and also his unexpected pile of money, dusty academic qualification, and effortless charms – Dongwan was able to climb his way up as a reliable mechanical engineer of a small but thriving company. All was reasonably suffice, however, the haunting scar from way back had permanently engraved on his soul…

p/s: my exams done so i guess ive so much time to update now TTvTT sorry even the ending is measly loll..