Chapter One

It was like being held at gun point; the head of the weapon digging into the frontal bone of my skull. The air was silent. I sat stiffly in the cold wooden seat, breath withheld, and anxiously anticipated his verdict - it was life or death.

"Alright Li Gayeong, welcome to Seoul Criminal Forensics. Your work as our newest employee starts Monday," the chief of the institute finally said.

I stood quickly, almost tipping over the wooden seat, and bowed several times.

"Thank you Chief Kim, thank you! Thank you!" I exclaimed repetitively, an inerasable smile hung freely on my lips.

The chief instantly got up on his feet and shook his hands and head with embarrassment.

"Please, no, Gayeong! It is my pleasure to offer you this position. Your records show you are equipt with very high level qualifications. It'd be a shame for your talent to go unrecognised."

That's right, I am Li Gayeong. After five grueling years of intense study at Seoul National University's criminal forensics department, I had landed my first full time job. After graduation my lecturer of four years told me about how the Seoul Criminal Forensics Headquarters were scouting for a new addition to their First Degree Homicide Team. Apparently the team of five reputable members were the cream of the crop of all crimial forensics majors in the country. One of the five was promoted to a higher rank so that left a position for a new graduate like me.

Well actually, the life of Li Gayeong had never been simple. Although I had lived in Korea for most of my life, I am not Korean nor am I Korean born. My parents are both of Chinese descent but at a young age of three, our family moved to a small town named Gwangju in the Jeolla region. I was told my father had many 'important business relations' in the area, so there we settled. When I was five, I dreamed of being a princess that was happily married to Pororo. When I was eleven I aspired to become a nuclear scientist just so I could blow stuff up. When I was fourteen my parents were killed. They were killed. The situation happened very quickly. I don't remember it well, but I recall one morning before I headed off to school I was met with my aunty hunched over the kitchen bench, sobbing into her hands and letting out wails of grief. I approached her and tapped her gently on the shoulder.

"A-Aunty...? Is everything okay? Should I get mom and dad for you?" I asked, trying to sound as comforting as a fourteen year old could be.

My aunty lifted her head from her hands and turned to look at me. Her eyes were swollen, damp and bloodshot. She held my shoulders on both sides. There was a long and dark silence before she managed to let those words escape her lips.

"Gayeong, your parents have left you for a very far place..." she whimpered, still hiccuping uncontrollably from crying.

I didn't have to think twice. I didn't. But I attempted to optimistically acknowledge what my aunty had said.

"Well...they will come back soon, right?" I replied innocently.

A prickling sensation was felt in my eyes and nose. I didn't recall feeling that type of emotion before. I had lived a happy life up until then. My aunty's lip began to tremble and tears filled her empty eyes again.

"Gayeong...honey, please be strong and we'll accept this fact together. I know it will be hard but your parents---"

I ran into my aunty's arms with tears streaming down my cheeks. She rested her chin on the top of my head and my hair soothingly. I was so overwhelmed with emotions I couldn't control myself. I remember crying for days on end. The two embodiments of the most genetically close blood, flesh and bone to me was ripped from my life in seconds.

Years later, when I was eighteen, my aunty finally revealed the story behind the death of my parents. It was not up until then, she had thought, I was ready for the truth. The 'business relations' my father had in Gwangju were not healthy ones - it involved alcohol, drugs and dirty money. I did not believe it at first, my father was a man that truly loved my mother and I. There was never a time where he had been selfish, heartless or violent - all being the characteristics of your typical mafioso. Because of these relations my parents were murdered. There was no evidence, no fingerprints, no identities. It was like they were killed by air. Until this day there are no leads. The death of my parents still remains a hollow mystery.

After graduating from high school I was finally solid on one idea, and one idea only, I wanted to become a criminal forensics investigator. I wanted to trade in my life for the restoration of  justice and righteousness to Korea. I wanted to do all I could in the name of my parents.

***

I breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. After five hours on end running errands for the team I finally had the chance to sit down.

"Gayeong! Please have a look at the newest information on the case in this folder!"

"Hey Gayeong! I need this report typed up, please. Chief Kim needs it by five o'clock!"

"Oh my god, Gayeong! The printer has run out of paper! Please go grab some from storage, thank you!"

"Sitting isn't going to get you anywhere, Gayeong! Espresso double shot with no sugar, quick!"

And so there my three second break ended. I ran my hand through my tangled mess of hair and pulled it up into a rough bun. I headed over to the first desk -  Leader Choi's.

"Yes Leader Choi, which one is the folder with the newest info?" I asked, shifting the multiple binders already sprawled out on his garbage pile of a desk.

He lifted a navy blue folder and pulled out a bright yellow one from underneath. "This." he said shortly, shoving it into my hand.

That single shove, coming from Leader Choi, meant 'now get back to work before you waste any more time on this case with your on that seat'. Yes, as the name probably indicates, Leader Choi is the the head of the First Degree Homicide forensics team. He's a veteran to crime investigation and has been in with the business for over twenty five years, I'm told. He entered Seoul Criminal Forensics headquarters at an early age of twenty-one as the cashier at the downstairs cafeteria, and now to a ripe fourty-question-mark year old man leading the country's most reowned criminal investigation team.

With the yellow folder in my arms I headed over to the second desk along - Park Daehyun, the brains, brawn and eye candy of the team.

"Alright, hand me the draft. I'll have it to by fourty-thirty," I said cooly, palm up as I held out my hand.

He chuckled. "Giving me half an hour to spare, are you? Are you sure you're not trying to ask your senior out on a thirty minute date here, Gayeong?"

I rolled my eyes at him and stuck the out held hand onto my hip. "Excuse me? I'd rather not mix with those girls that have lined up half a block down from here for you, Mr. Park."

Yes, brains, brawn and total eye candy is everything you need in a man. Daehyun is two years my senior and I suppose we had gotten on well since day one. I remember vividly on the first day he stood as a tall, handsome, large eyed man with double fold eyelids greeting me at the entrance to the headquarters. He wore a tight white dress shirt that clearly outlined his teasingly built body, black slim legged pants and topped of with a thin black tie. Call it love at first sight or whatever you want, anyone, including me, would instantly be attracted. Or not. Park Daehyun, oh Park Daehyun. He sure does try.

Yellow folder in one hand with Daehyun's report draft slipped inside I approached the third desk - Kim Saehee's.

"Printer paper coming right up---"

"Hey hey...!" she whispered coarsely, beckoning me to lean in closer. "Did Daehyun just try it on you?!"

I sighed. "And, so what?"

Saehee nudged me hard in the hip. "Don't pretend you forgot what I said already, you promised! Me and Daehyun are---"

"Yes yes, I'm trying! It's not my fault Daehyun is stupid and doesn't get all the hints I give him," I said, crouching down next to her.

"Daehyun isn't stupid he's just lovestruck because of me, he just needs time," she retorted, smiling stupidly to herself.

I rolled my eyes, "What ever you say, my beloved Saehee." I said sarcastically.

I had never had any close friends in Seoul, even during my studies at Seoul National University, but Kim Saehee had been the first close friend I had had in a long time. Of course, we didn't get along in the beginning because of a certain man named Park Daehyun, obviously, but because of this we ended up becoming closer than ever. You could say our friendship was love-hate, but I saw it as love-but-I-hate-you-only-because-of-Daehyun. We were same year graduates but she had studied at a private insitute and majored similarly in criminal forensics.

With her index finger she prodded the side of my head and grumbled under her breath. I carried on to the final desk - Han Jinho.

"Hey Jinho! Is this all you do, eat, eat, eat then drink espresso?!" I scolded upon arriving at his desk.

He pouted. "Well, everyone needs energy to work hard!" he retaliated.

I pinched his ear and tugged at it. "Last time today, alright?! No more."

He grinned idiotically up at me with his palms together, "Thank you, oh so beautiful Gayeong~~".

Where do I start with this Han Jinho? One would wonder how he managed to land a spot in the First Degree Homicide team.  Ultimately he is dubbed the 'reowned flaw of forensics', sometimes. Although after working with the team for a couple of months I realised that Jinho wasn't your ordinary bulky food-loving guy. There can be times where he is very perceptive with cases, especially in the area of criminal psychology. Throw him in the interrogation room with a possible culprit and the truth wedged between the lies is extracted at a pace faster than anything the four of us, including veteran Leader Choi, could ever achieve. Not only does his body size shoot fear through one's body, his sharp tongue has you spilling the beans before you even know it.

***

Twelve twenty one.

"No Leader Choi...I have...I have a lead...please...believe me......no...---"

I flinched in my seat and was woken. With the back of my hands I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before scanning the office. Everyone had left. It was already past midnight. I had probably fallen asleep after completing Daehyun's report for Chief Kim.

"Oh...I'm hungry" I mumbled, clutching onto my rumbling stomach.

I slipped into my black hooded trench coat and exited through the back entrance of the headquarters, meeting with the twenty four hour convenience store opposite. The street was completely isolated so I walked freely across the road. I was greeted by the automated sensor beeping me welcome.

"Welcome!" the young boy said with a bow behind the counter stacked with all sorts of snacks - candy, crisps and cup ramen.

"One ramen please, make it large." I said, voice slightly husky from sleep.

Warm steam wafted from the paper cup of softening instant noodles and the dehydrated vegetables were submerged in a spa of spicy broth. I handed over the money and took the cup into my hands.

I sat at the bench by the window and stirred the ramen with the single-use wooden chopsticks.

beep

Someone else had entered the convenience store. I turned and was met with a very tall and slim figure. He wore a black hooded trench coat similar to mine but instead his was zip up. He had his hands in the coat pockets when he came in but once the warmth of the store consumed him he drew them out, they were just like his figure, slim...and quite beautiful looking fingers too. He approached in my direction. Our eyes met for a split second. His face was a very light shade of beige but his cheeks flushed the tiniest tinge of pink. His eyes were captivating as his dark eyebrows and long eyelashes made his coffee orbs even more prominent. His nose was perfectly shaped - pointy and contoured.  The colour of his smooth oval lips matched his cheeks. Although his face wasn't particularly long, his chin and jawline were both very sharp. He smiled a little - his eyes curved into two crescents and his lips parted a bit to reveal a couple of pure white teeth.

He sat beside me on the bench.

"You know why you're lacking in leads don't you?" he said in a deep, attractive voice. He chuckled and brought his hands together and rested them on the counter.

I frowned and was slightly taken aback by his direct nature. "I'm sorry but who---"

He turned and smiled again. "Let me help you," he said as he held out his hand, "let's begin here; Hi, I'm Rin Jae, Sa Rin Jae."

A/N: Hi~~ thank you for reading my first chapter of Hitman, it's my first time writing an EXO based fic. My ultimate EXO bias is Kris ^^ so I'm very excited to write this story for you all to enjoy. I'm sure I will enjoy it a lot too! I don't have much to say as of now but I'd love it if you could leave some comments for me, comments help me write better and really motivate me update more often! Oh and if you haven't figured it out yet, Kris is Sa Rin Jae. He's called a different name here for a reason - which will be revealed later!

-HaeppyBubble/Calvina