Key had always hated his real name.

He hates hearing it when the teachers call him; hates seeing it whenever he has to write it. Everything about it was disgusting. That was why he had everyone refer to him as Key. People were lucky that he doesn’t break their necks when they call him that. Really lucky.

But this time…

When she pleaded him to leave her room, all he heard was the last word that left her lips.

His name.

He should have gotten angry with her, threatening her to never say that name ever again. But neither of those things happened. He just stood there, drawing a blank. What surprise him even more was that he actually complied and pulled her back into the room when he saw her about to leave.

After that incident, he ran downstairs and convinced his father to leave before Jihye was finished changing. He didn’t want to see her at that moment. He wasn’t in the same witty and playful state he was before where he was in control. He was confused. When did he ever listen to someone’s pathetic plead? Or more importantly, when did he let someone off after they referred to him by that hated name without even the slightest threat? Everything he did in that room went against his nature… and he doesn’t even know why, which was beginning to frustrate him to no end.

“Hyung! Hyung, are you listening!?”

Key snapped out of his thoughts and realized he just dozed off on Taemin for the fifth time today. He looked at the younger boy waving his hands in front of his face. “What?”

“You weren’t listening again.” He pouted, leaning back in his chair.

“I’m sorry. I’ll pay attention this time.”

“Forget it. What’s up with you anyways?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Did something happen at the dinner? You never told me how it went. Was the girlfriend pretty?” the younger one asked, leaning forward in his desk.

Key smirked, shaking his head. He was too preoccupied with the daughter that he doesn’t even remember how the old lady looked like. “She’s off limits, yo.”

“Ew. That’s gross. I go for noonas not old ladies. Just wondering how she looks like that’s all.”

Key shrugged making Taemin drop the subject since he could see the older wasn’t going to elaborate any further.

After a while, Key stood up, gave his friend a low ‘I’ll be back later’ and walked out of the classroom without explaining to relieve the younger from his confused face.

Thoughts after thoughts keep coming after another and none answered.

What was wrong with him… even he wants to know. How can a target get him so frustrated with something as simple as saying his name? That doesn’t make sense… no sense at all.

He doesn’t want to tell anyone about his little frustration especially Taemin. Something as stupid as this will only sound even more stupid when said out loud.

He was determined to figure this out himself.

Key walked out to the front yard and enjoyed the fresh air as he went along the trees where he picked one out of random and laid down on the grass in its shadow. This was something he’ll do to help him relax: lay down outside to stare at the open sky. Maybe doing so will help him figure out his thoughts. It was one of those rare fall days where the sky was cleared and the weather wasn’t to the point where it was freezing. But even doing this didn’t help him as much as he hoped.

He wanted to find an answer so bad. Why didn’t he get mad at her?

But the way she said it… her voice… it wasn’t like he never heard a girl plead like that before… shoot, he heard it plenty of time that he was able to tone it out easily. But she was different… which he can’t see why. How can she be any different from his other targets?

Then he remembered her being late to the dinner. She didn’t seem like the same girl from school when she got home either. She left him earlier at the Sweet Shop and yet she didn’t go home. Other than home and school, where else could she have gone to? She didn’t have much of a social life since he rarely sees her talking to anyone outside the student council – let alone leave the student council room.

He tried all the possibilities of where she would have gone and thinking maybe he should plan to follow her one day but that was all interrupted when he heard someone approached him. He sat up and turned his head slightly to look behind him only to see his old target looking back at him in a complete mess. Her once neat, straight hair like a wild nest, her uniform once clean and organized now looks the absolute opposite and her eyes red and swollen probably from the endless tears that streams down every night since the break up. It had only been weeks since he last saw her and he couldn’t believe the mess he made.

A side of his lips curled up at the sight as he felt the same sense of satisfaction. He faced forward again, not even bothered by her appearance. “What do you want?” he asked coldly.

“Why?” her voice low and shaky, hardly audible. “Why did you leave me?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Why did you leave me!?” she shouted.

“Because I was done with you.”

He assumed she was shock by his response since it took her a while to respond back. “We were so perfect…” she trailed off, hardly audible again.

He begged to differ. Being with that girl was complete torture for him. She was just like the other targets: easy and boring. But he vaguely remembers a particular one being so needy and so much of an attention that she was constantly making him remind her that he loves her and whatnot. He wasn’t sure if it was this one or the one before. He never really had good memory when it came to old targets.

“If that’s what you think.” He shrugged.

“You didn’t think so?”

“Yup.”

“Then why did you tell me you loved me?”

“Does it matter? It doesn’t seem to make a difference now if I tell you.”

“It makes a big difference…” she whispered.

Then he felt it. The flat blade pressed against the side of his neck. His indifferent mood replaced with alertness. He didn’t realize she gotten that close to him… worse… he didn’t realize she was one of the dangerous one. He told himself to make a note of that later in his black book.

He kept still, his voice calm as he spoke: “What are you doing?”

“If I can’t have you than no one can.”

He knew what to do or say when something like this happens. He was experienced in these kinds of situations since when playing the game, he was bond to get himself into something like this along the way. “Are you really sure you want to do that? Do you really want to hurt your little Key Bear?”

He sense the moment of hesitation when he used the dreadful nickname she used when they were together. There he knew he was in complete control and smirked in his head. He discards the thought of needing to mark her as a danger and was about to say something again but froze when the sensation of the blade disappeared from the side of his neck. He quickly turned around and jump to his feet when he saw Jihye gripping onto the girl’s hand with the knife.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked angrily, staring at the girl with a firm look.

‘Where the hell did she come from?’ he thought as he tried to step forward and pull Jihye away. She was in no position in making this better especially in these kind of situations. The girl was somewhat unstable and her interference was making it worse. Instead of anger washing over him like it was suppose to, he felt fear. It wasn’t fear for his safety but hers. He didn’t want her to get hurt.

But it did get worse…

As if the girl needed something to pull her out of the trance he had her in, she snapped back, pushed Jihye aside and ran towards Key, this time determined to drive the blade into his body.

But the blade never touched him.

At the very second where the blade was so close to him, Jihye reached out and stopped it. Her right hand wrapped tightly around the blade, pushing it up in the air so it was pointing away from him. His eyes widen at the sight of the dark red thickness running down her arm. The girl was also in a state of shock at the President’s action.

There was no sign of pain on her face. Instead she glared at the girl. “Let go of the knife.” Jihye ordered. When the girl hesitated, she tightened her grip, letting more blood run down. “I said let go.”

The girl finally released and dropped down to the ground, covering her face with her hands as she began to break down.

“Do this again and I’ll report you to the principal. Now go.”

Key didn’t see which direction the girl ran off to; his eyes were still on the President. She let go of the blade and sighed deeply at the huge cut in her palm.

Key was confused. She didn’t cry or groan in pain; there was absolutely nothing indicating that she felt the blade piercing her palm but only a sigh. A sigh! Was there something wrong with her!?

She gave him a quick glance and he wasn’t sure what it meant. She didn’t ask him to explain what had happened that could have lead to this. Nothing. Just a stare. She was about to walk away until Key grabbed her unwounded hand and pulled her back.

“Let go.”

“Shut up and let me see if you’re okay.”

“It’s fine.”

“How can you call this ‘fine’?” He asked furiously, making her look at the wounded palm again.

She rolled her eyes, acting like it wasn’t as a big of a deal.

Her reaction was beginning to infuriate him. How could she be acting so calm when blood was gushing out of her palm!? He took off his sweater and wrapped it around her hand before pulling her away from the school. “You need to go to the hospital.”

She tried to protest, claiming it wasn’t that bad but Key wouldn’t allow it and kept dragging her to his car.