(Sungyeol POV)

I opened my eyes and was quickly blinded by the light. I put my hand up to cover my eyes and felt it brushed onto something. I looked down and saw that it was Kim Myungsoo sleeping by the side of my waist. He had his hands folded on the bed, acted as a pillow for his head. His head was bandaged and I could see the red blood stains appearing on some spot of the bandage.

“They need to change this before you get germ infection,” I said to the unconscious Kim Myungsoo. “But thank god you’re alive.”

“Your head, it’s bleeding,” Kim Myungsoo said, pointing to my head. I touched my temple. It hurt but I’ve felt worse.

“What are you in for?” he asked, maintaining his distance for the bars.

“I killed someone.”

“Why?”

“They killed my parents,” I answered. I saw him flinched back. “I just need justice for them. Police can’t do anything. So I took it to my own hands.”

“Then you’re not a criminal,” he said. I saw him took a step closer to the bars, closer to me. He dug his hand into his pocket and took out a bandage. “Take this. It’s mine but it’s clean.”

“Why do you have that in your pocket?”

“I need it to bandage my knuckles when I have practices. Take it.”

“I can’t reach, you’re too far away,” I said and extended my hand with my palm up. He took a step closer and my hand touched his as the bandage exchanged hands. “Wrap it around your head.” He said, pointing to my head.

I immediately saw his guard down, so I tugged on his hand harshly and pulled him to the bars. He hit his face on the bars with a strong impact and cringed. He fell to his knees as he covered his face with his hands. I grabbed his shoulder, pinning him to the bars with his back against it, my right hand over his neck and my left over his chest.

I waited for Kim Myungsoo to yell but he didn’t. I decided that if he did, I would break his neck. He kept his composure and breathing low but I was the one breathing heavily.

“Are you going to break my neck,” he asked, surprisingly calm for someone who was at the mercy of a killer.

“Why didn’t you scream for help?” I asked back with my hand firm on his chest. I saw the blood appearing on the corner of his bleeding lips.

“You know you’re going to die tomorrow, right?” Kim Myungsoo asked me back. He turned his head slightly and our eyes met. I smirked and tightened my grip over his neck.

He choked but didn’t yell still. I exhaled slowly and released him, pulling my hands back into my side of the bars and wrapped it around my legs. I leaned my body against the bars. “Just go,” I said. I waited to hear the shuffling of shoes disappearing but no, Kim Myungsoo didn’t move from his spot.

“Why are you still here?” I shot back.

“You need someone right now.”

I exhaled slowly. Kim Myungsoo was right then. I didn’t want to be alone and he had kept me company all night. No words and no actions, just a company as I counted the seconds from my execution. Kim Myungsoo didn’t realize that he had become the person I trusted most in the world with just the five words.

-- --

(Dongwoo POV)

The sun stared hazily at me as I enjoyed the warmth it gave me. It was six am and I was sitting on the roof of my workshop on the second floor. Staying up late last night to hack the government’s breach of security yesterday had finally given me the strain.  And nothing beats than hanging around the sun to absorb its energy. Sometimes people need to appreciate the sun more for the warmth and light it gave. People like Hoya.

“Hyung!” Speak of the devil. I stood up and went down from the roof as I jumped from the roof to the balcony on the second floor. The fell left no impact on me and I walked casually to Hoya trying to rearrange the guns on the wall.

“What?” I asked and saw him running his hand in his hair in frustration.

“I took these out just to test and I don’t know how to put it back. It’s your guns so...”

“I understand,” I said and began to arrange the guns back to its original positions. I heard Hoya exhaled loudly and saw him walked over to his laptop at the couch. As he put the laptop on his lap I saw him hunched and turning his head to left and right before running his finger on the keyboard.

“When was the last time you eat and sleep?” I asked. 

“I don’t know. Two days ago?”

“Go get something to eat. You’re a human too you know? You can’t ignore your health just because you need to track the assassins. They can wait.”

“How can you say that? They killed my sister, I need to find them and break their necks even if it’s the last thing I do. I thought you understand?” He said and turned to me.

“Okay but you have to know that falling sick will only make the mission worse. Maybe they killed your sister but they slaughtered my family, you need to remember that. You thought you’re the only one with the problems but you forgot about me. Woohyun called me and said Sungyeol was back. Now he was in trouble and it’s because of me. I sacrificed the safety of my best friend because of you and your stupid revenge!” I yelled back.

“Maybe it’s time for you to start understanding me,” I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. It’s time for you to start paying attention to me.

Hoya stayed still and looked at me. Typical Hoya, I thought. He was bad in expressing himself and his walls of ego were too high for even anyone to rupture. I shook my head, disappointed to the core of my heart and started walking to the door to get out of the suffocating house.

As I walked the city I noticed some things changed. They were buildings that I never saw before and lands that were once full of forest were cleared. I kept walking and my heels to a clothing shop. I couldn’t remember the last time I went shopping. I picked a cap and tried it on. I bought two, each for me and Hoya and thanked the lady cashier before turning back to the door.

I froze when I saw a few men from the agency talking in front of the shop. I cursed under my breath and went back in to hide in one of the fitting rooms. I left the workshop without taking any kind of weapons with me and now I’m trapped. I called Hoya.

“Hoya, come and help me. The agency guys are here in front of the shop. I didn’t bring any weapons with me.”

“I understand. Where are you?” I heard him fumbling with something on the end of the line, probably slipping on more suitable clothes.

“I don’t know. Nana’s Boutique?”

“Okay, on my way.”

I opened the door slightly and saw them still wandering in front of the shop. ‘Do they know I’m here? But why didn’t they just come and get me? Are they waiting for someone else?’ Then I saw a man walked in through the door. He was fully clothed in black with a cap over his head, hung down low over his eyes. I instantly knew that was Hoya. He walked to me and I opened the door.

“Here,” I felt a cold metal pressed into my palm and kept it to the back of my body, away from the eyes of the lady cashier.

“! Why aren’t they moving?” Hoya cursed. “How did they know you’re here?”

“Hoya... Did you... make another deal?” I asked Hoya the question that had been kicking in the back of my mind. He turned to me, disbelief over his face with my question.

“This is the information you want,” He swayed the envelope over Hoya’s eyes as a sign of mocking. “You want this right?”

I felt the fingers around my gun tightened. The other men from the agency had been eyeing me like I’m their enemy when we used to be friends. To tell the truth, it was the last place I want be that time. I knew some of them; I recognized their faces because I used to train with them, with Myungsoo and Sungjong.

“Where is Kim Myungsoo’s whereabouts?” he asked. “We promised to give you this if you tell us where he lived.”

“Hyung...” Hoya called me and I gave him the phone. He threw the phone on the table, right next to the envelope. The man took the hand phone and Hoya took the envelope. They checked the contents before shaking hands.

“Thank you,” The man smiled. “Maybe we can work into a more appropriate deal next time.”

“You hope,” Hoya groaned and we turned to leave. However the men suddenly cornered us. I was armed while Hoya wasn’t. That was the condition they gave us. “You ing said you won’t kill us!” Hoya yelled.

“I have another proposal. You gave me him, and I’ll give you more information about your sister’s killer. You want that right?” the man said and pointed at me. I turned to Hoya. I was half expecting him to agree.

“You can hope that. I won’t give you Dongwoo even if it kills me!” he hissed. “Hyung, my back, now.” He pushed me to his back and took the gun from my hand in one swift motion. Hoya was fast; probably the fastest between us seven and I didn’t even kill ten of them before Hoya killed almost 50 with my guns.

“They got away, “I informed Hoya to the few men that fled out of the warehouse.

“Let them go. I got what I want.”

“What do you mean? You don’t believe me? You think I would sell you to them?” Hoya widened his eyes as he spoke and suddenly shoved me into the fitting room. He pushed his arm to my neck. “You think I would stoop that low?” He said.

“That’s not what I mean, Hoya. I’m just assuming, okay?”

Hoya grunted. “You should have trusted me, hyung. I trusted you the most in this world. I would even give my life for you,” He muttered as he released me.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Hoya suddenly opened the door. My eyes widened in shock as I thought he was giving way for the men to get me.

“They’re gone.” He said and walked out. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. I didn’t know why but at the corner of my mind, I was scared to trust Hoya. I knew him only over three month but I knew how impulsive and desperate he was to find the killer of his sister.

He would even sell L to them and I allowed him.