They buried L behind the church, beside that little patch of miracle grass.

Min was silent as Sungkyu and Jepp lowered the shrouded body into the dark hole. CL stood with her arm wrapped around the other girl’s waist, but Min simply stared expressionlessly into space as they began to fill up the grave.

“Why didn’t his body disappear?” she had dared to ask CL when they had some time alone in the kitchen while Jepp and Sungkyu dug the grave. “The Hunters you killed before disappeared, why didn’t he?”

CL was silent for a while, and when she spoke she stared out the window as if she was afraid to look at Min.

“He pulled his tracker out,” she said quietly. “He fled the Facility. He hid the bandage under his sleeve so you probably didn’t notice it, but when I…” she trailed off to steady herself. “When I was cleaning him I saw the wound. He was a traitor when BoA killed him, even if she didn’t know it yet.” Now she looked towards Min. “Min?”

Min was weeping silently, staring into the steaming mug she held in her hand. “Oh no,” CL hurried to her side and pulled her into a hug. “Oh, Min.” She Min’s hair soothingly.

“He was really going to run away,” Min was whimpering to herself. Her voice was so quiet that CL could barely hear her, but she thought she heard the words “he was really going to run away with me.” But she didn’t ask. It was none of her business.

Now Min drew her coat closer around her body as a chill set in. Jepp and Sungkyu had finished filling the grave, and they all now gazed silently at the mound of dirt before them. Without a sound, Min drew half of a katana from her side, stepping forward and embedding the blade into the dirt at the head of the grave. Undoing the ribbon from her braid, she wrapped it around the hilt of what remained of L’s katana and tied it into a bow that fluttered in the wind.

“Goodbye,” she whispered, her eyes betraying no emotion as she turned and walked back towards the church without another word. Jepp and CL exchanged glances before following her. Sungkyu lingered behind a while after they had left, staring at the grave marker.

“You kept her safe,” he murmured. “Thank you.”

Then he too turned and left.

It was CL who forced The Talk on all of them. Jepp hadn’t spoken a word to Min during the whole three days after L’s death and he kept wandering around looking angry all the time, demanding answers from CL that she didn’t know. Sungkyu stayed away in his room as always, but CL could feel something uncomfortable emanating from his door every time she passed it. After snapping at Jepp for pestering her again, she decided that enough was enough.

Getting them to the kitchen was the easy part, but when they had finished eating another silent dinner and Sungkyu had gotten up to clear his plates, she stood up too.

“Skyu, please stay,” she said, looking at him. “Until everyone is finished. I think there’s something we all need to talk about.”

And to her surprise, Sungkyu wordlessly complied.

He sat with his arms folded as he waited, looking everywhere but at her. She had noticed that he hardly looked at her since coming back from his latest job. It was disconcerting to her. Right now she wouldn’t mind if he even glared at her.

“Okay,” she started when everyone was done. Min had hardly eaten again, opting instead to push her food wordlessly around her plate. Jepp was looking annoyed all over again. “I think there are some things we need to clear up about ourselves. I think we all need to get everything out in the open and tell each other what we know about each other. Skyu,” she looked at Sungkyu. “I need you to start. What do you know about Min?”

“I know everything about her,” Sungkyu said shortly. “CL, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“You know everything about her?” Jepp interrupted, staring at him, then at Min. “Does he? Is this true?”

Min nodded silently, still staring at the remains of her food. Jepp immediately got to his feet, scraping the legs of his chair against the floor noisily. He was still staring at Min, and his hands were clenched on the table top.

“I can’t believe this,” he muttered. “After everything we had been through together, I thought you trusted me. But Sungkyu is the one who knows everything? I trusted you!”

“You didn’t tell anyone the truth either,” Min raised dull eyes to meet his. He looked shocked for a second, then gritted his teeth. “It took one instance of you losing yourself to let the truth get out. You kept it for years and didn’t tell anyone. The only who knew was CL and she didn’t tell anyone either.” She turned to CL. “And you knew about me too, didn’t you? You knew from the beginning. And you didn’t tell anyone either. You didn’t even tell Sungkyu when all those Hunters came after you. And now there are Hunters after both of you as well as Sungkyu and you still wanted to keep things a secret.” Here she paused, and Jepp took the opportunity to slam his hands hard on the table.

“What the are you trying to say?” he snarled. “That you’re the innocent one here? You made me believe that L was after your life and all that time you never bothered to tell me that you never wanted him dead. In fact, that wanting him dead was the last thing on your mind. I spent my days worrying over you when you were more than capable of taking care of yourself! I must have looked like a right idiot to you. You used me, Min!” he yelled. “You used me!”

“Didn’t we all?” Min asked in the same even voice. “Didn’t we all use each other to keep our own secrets safe?”

An uneasy silence settled over the table in which no one looked at each other. Jepp was breathing heavily, but he looked less angry and a little more thoughtful, just a litle. It was finally CL who broke the silence, leaning across the table to Sungkyu.

“So you know about me and Jepp?” she asked in a quiet voice. Jepp turned to him as well, but Sungkyu was as unruffled as ever.

“Yeah,” he said simply. “I didn’t want to think about it at first, but the signs were all there. I didn’t - .”

“Do you hate me?”

CL’s voice was as quiet as ever as Jepp gave a groan and sat down heavily in his chair. For the first time since the conversation began, Sungkyu unfolded his arms and looked straight at her. She felt the familiar shiver run down her back, but willed herself to keep their gazes locked.

“I don’t hate you,” he told her. Then he mumbled so silently that even with her enhanced hearing she strained to hear it, “I could never hate you.”

They lapsed into silence again, each lost to their own thoughts. Then Min spoke. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you Jepp, I just didn’t want you to hate me.”

“What?” Jepp looked up.

“I’m just like CL. I didn’t want to be hated by the person I adore.” CL colored slightly as she felt Sungkyu’s eyes on her, but Min continued. “How could you ever love somebody raised to be a killer? I thought I’d never know how to love anyone, but losing L has made me realize that I love you too, Jepp, and I would never want to lose you either. I’m sorry for keeping the truth from you. I really am.”

“You didn’t hate me,” Jepp replied, slight disbelief clouding his voice. “When you found out where I was from, what I had done. You didn’t hate me, Min. What made you think that I would hate you?”

Min opened then closed it, apparently speechless. “I don’t know,” she said in a small voice. “I’m sorry.” Her face crumpled slightly and CL made a movement as if to get to her feet, but Sungkyu caught her leg between both of his and shook his head silently at her. This is something Jepp has to do, he seemed to say. CL nodded and he released her as if nothing had happened.

“Min…” Jepp swallowed, looking troubled. His fingers clenched and unclenched. He glanced at CL for some kind of guidance, but she only stared pointedly at him. I don’t know what the hell to do, he tried to communicate to her, but she didn’t offer any kind of help. He swallowed again.

“I’m sorry,” Min was saying. “This is all my fault. It’s because of me that L is dead and we have to have this horrible conversation now. It’s my fault that everything is out in the open. I’m so sorry.” She buried her head in her hands.

Jepp stood up silently and walked to the other end of the table where she sat, kneeling down beside her and pulling her hands away from her face, looking up at her. “This isn’t your fault,” he said gently as he held her hands in his. She stared down at him, a tear rolling off the end of her nose. “This is all of our faults for keeping secrets from everyone. It’s not your fault, Min. I… I’m sorry for getting mad at you.” He reached up and wiped away a tear with his thumb. “I had no right to. Not after everything that I’ve done.”

“I’m sorry too,” she whispered. Jepp spread his arms out and she willingly wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head into his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he mumbled in her ear. “Everything’s gonna be okay.” Sungkyu got up silently, inclining his head at CL before disappearing through the doorway. She cast a contented look at the other two before following him and closing the door silently behind her.

Sungkyu was already out on the roof by the time she reached him, sprawled on his back as per usual. “Do you remember what I said to you when I first let you live here?” he asked as soon as she sat down beside him.

“I only have one condition. Don’t trust me,” CL intoned with a mock serious expression. She then broke into a wide smile and poked at him. “Come on, lighten up, Min was only using me as an example.” She was grateful that it was dark enough outside for him not to see her blush.

“I was serious then,” Sungkyu didn’t even crack a grin. “I meant what I said about not trusting me.”

“But you trust me don’t you?” she asked him. "Doesn't trust work both ways?" He didn’t reply.

She shrugged and pulled out a packet from her belt. “Lemon sherbet? No? Okay.” She withdrew her hand when Sungkyu made no attempt to answer her. “You know Skyu, one day it might do you good to eat my sweets. Make you a little sweeter.” She grinned at her own joke. When there was no response again she prodded him with the tip of a knife. “Hey, why did you call me out here if you’re just going to let me laugh at my own jokes?”

“What do you know about me?” Sungkyu asked quietly.

The question threw her off. She thought for a minute before deciding that it was probably best to be honest. “I know you used to kill people for a living. I can see it in the way you fight. You were probably a marksman, not too used to close combat. I know you’re a clean freak, which is probably why you preferred shooting from a long distance range to avoid the messiness. You hate it when I brush my ears in the bathroom because it means you need to clean it up afterwards. You find it hard to trust people because you were probably betrayed by someone a long time ago. And…” she lowered her gaze. “… I know you killed someone you loved. I don’t know if you did it on your own accord or if you were ordered to but - .”

“I was ordered to.”

CL started and looked over at him. He held her eyes in a clear gaze, eyes shimmering slightly in the dim light. “Oh,” she said. She blinked, but he was still looking at her. “I know you,” she said. “You would never kill someone close to you without reason. There must have been a good reason.”

“I didn’t know the reason,” he said impassively. “I killed her when she needed me most.”

CL bit her lip and said nothing.

“Do you hate me now?” he asked.

“I abandoned people who trusted me once,” she told him. “I don’t think I could hate you for that. I know what it feels - .”

“No,” he sat up and leaned slightly towards her. “You don’t know what it’s like. Abandoning someone is not the same as taking their life away. Abandoning them means there is a chance, however little, of you seeing them again. Killing someone means that they will never come back.” He shook his head. “You’re so full of life. You wouldn’t know what it’s like to be dragged down by this knowledge. And I hope you don’t, CL. I hope none of you do.” He stared out over the rooftops once again.

CL was speechless. Somewhere in the night, something in Sungkyu seemed to have snapped. Something seemed to have spurned him into personally telling her something about him that she otherwise would have never known. The fact that he was opening up to her both thrilled and terrified her at the same time.

“Deepground will wage war on Aboveground soon,” Sungkyu said in a low voice, so quiet that she had to lean over slightly. “And when it does, whose side will you take?” He turned to look at her.

“I’ll take your side,” she said firmly.

Sungkyu stretched silently before lying back down, arms behind his head and his elbow just barely touching her thigh where her legs were splayed out in front of her. He closed his eyes.

“Do me a favour,” she told him. “Tell me where you’re going the next time you leave.”

“Tell me more about what you know about me,” he replied instead. CL allowed herself to smile delightedly, staring out at the stars in the far distance as she obliged. She talked until she was sure Sungkyu was asleep, then flumped backwards and closed her eyes.

When she awoke the next morning, it was to the smell of her own sheets and an aching shoulder that was proof that she had indeed slept for a few hours on a cold, hard roof beside Kim Sungkyu.