"It's not that simple!" Pan ni shouted back. "You're just making it hard for us." Dongwoo said and I heard the door open and then shut with a slam. 

 

I coughed and my body ached, my chest ached. Slowly I opened my eyes slightly. "Pan ni." I pulled my oxygen mask off. "Minji!" Pan ni ran to my side. "I'm so glad you're awake." tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. "Stop crying for a sec." I managed to get out coherently. My voice was hoarse and my throat was dry. It felt like someone was pounding on my head like you would pound on a door. "Water." and she quickly poured me a glass. I drank two glasses before I could relax a little. My breathing was slightly labored and I slipped the mask back on to take a deep breath before removing it again. Everything was painful. "Get Celestia. I'm not staying here." I said. Pan in's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "We can't move you. You're been out for a month. They're going to need to run tests. You were in a coma." Pan ni said and then she stopped. "You knew your heart was at an abnormal angle didn't you? And here I thought after losing Ethan, I was going to lose my closest friend." And tears welled up in her eyes.

 

I sighed softly and nodded. "Melina told me never to tell anyone. Because it could be the difference between life and death." I coughed and a sharp pain flared in my chest. "Just get her for me. I can't stay here. I can't see them." 

 

She nodded after a minute and left the room, Dongwoo following her. I hoped Pan ni knew to tell Dongwoo to be quiet about me waking up. I took some breaths with the mask on and then looked around the room. It looked like a normal compound hospital room. But there were vases of flowers everywhere. "Get well soon." "I can't wait to spar with you" "Come back to us." cards were taped on the wall. I felt a pressure in my chest as my eyes stung with tears. I almost killed them all. 

 

"Minji." Celestia walked in and closed the door behind her. "I can be free now right?" I asked her and she seemed slightly surprised but nodded. "If you wish."

"I want to be moved to Shadow's compound." I said. "And what are you planning to do after you recover?" she asked. "Leave." I said staring at the ceiling. "Well, I won't stop you. I'll arrange for the transfer. And Minji." she came closer to me. "I'm glad you're alive." She touched my shoulder gently and left. I stared at the door until it Pan ni came back in. "The doctors are coming now. We'll have you at Shadow's in an hour." 

 

I nodded. "Good." and I felt my eyes close from exhaustion.

---

 

2 months later. 

 

"Are you sure about this?" Shadow asked me. "Yeah." I nodded. "Alright. Your transfer to New York City is approved." He said signing the file.

 

"Thank you." I smiled slightly. "Taemin will be going with you temporarily." He said. "I know."

"I'm surprised you asked to transfer." He stood up.

"There is a lot that happened here. A lot that is still left. But, I think I'm done. I think I need a change of environment." I shrugged.

 

He sighed. "You were one of my best assassins in Korea." He smiled slightly.

"You can always recall me back when you need me. You will always have that power." 

"You are correct." He chuckled. "Godspeed Minji. I am not worried about you wherever you go."

 

"Thank You." I bowed my head and headed towards the door. "Your mother sends her regards." He suddenly said when I gripped the knob of the door. I gave a small bow of my head and left.

 

"Did you pack everything?" I asked Taemin as we left the counter after checking in. "Well you wrote me a list and double checked for me. I can just buy anything I want there." He grumbled. "Well fine. I'm not going late night shopping with you when you realize you forgot your favorite face cream." I shook my head.

 

"That was one time!" he protested. Then he stopped and glared. "What's wrong?" I asked as I turned around to follow his line of sight. That is when I saw Sunggyu. 

 

I was stunned into speechlessness. I had never expected him to show up here. My transfer and my whereabouts were sworn to secrecy. I had moved every carefully since I left Celestia's compound. There was no way he was here. But now he stood before me. No doubt making me face problems that I wanted to avoid.

 

"Can you leave us alone for a sec?" I looked at Taemin and he just kept glaring at Sunggyu. "Tae." I shook him lightly. "Fine." And he turned heeled and walked off. Sunggyu was panting. It looked like he had ran here. "What are you doing here?" I asked after we moved to a part of the seating area that was empty. 

 

"Really Minji? You don't know the answer to that question. You left without a word. You are about to leave for good without saying goodbye."

 

I stared at him expressionless. "Goodbye." I said and turned to head back to Taemin.

 

"Stop. Minji. Don't go. Don't leave me." He said and I stopped but didn't face him.

"I struggled a long time Minji on whether or not I should even come. Because I was the one who made you lie on that bed for so long, unsure of whether or not you were going to make it." He started and I sighed. "You didn't make me do anything. I picked to make you shoot me. You didn't have a choice. It was something I wanted. So don't feel guilty." I said.

 

"How can I believe that when you won't even look at me." Sunggyu asked and I turned around to face him. "Happy?"

 

"Woohyun wanted me to come too." He said and I felt my chest tighten with that. I owed him. I owed all of them. We shouldn't have been in each others lives to begin with.  

 

"Stop thinking that you owe us and that you should get the hell our of our lives." Sunggyu said and his words reflected my thoughts so much I met his gaze in surprise. "We are all trained assassins. We all know what danger is. What death is. The fact that we survived was the remarkable thing, so I don't want you to beat yourself over something. If anything it was my fault for being brainwashed."

 

"It wasn't your fault." I replied immediately. "See. If that is such a knee-jerk response from you. Why are you still hesitating?" He asked.

 

"Hesitating? No. I'm not." I replied crossing my arms. His expression saddened. "I want to go to New York City and live as myself again." I said. "It doesn't have anything to do with you guys anymore."

 

He sighed and took a step towards me and I automatically stepped back. "Minji. Please. Don't go."

 

"I have all the arrangements made and Taemin is waiting for me." I said softly.

 

"Those sound more like excuses than reasons for why you can't stay." And that struck a chord in my heart. "Fine. Answer this question. Do you love me?" He asked and his eyes seem to search mine for the answer.

 

I found myself biting my bottom lip. "And if I did?" I finally managed to get out. I knew that he would know if I outright lied. The scar near my heart was starting to ache and I wanted to put a hand over my heart to stop the pain. 

 

He walked towards me again and this time I didn't move back. He seemed to hesitate to touch me, but he cupped my face. "Then stay. Because I don't think I can live without seeing you, even if you don't want to be together." And I felt tears sting my eyes. "Sunggyu, don't do this." I said almost timidly now.

 

He leaned in and kissed me softly. It was desperate and sad. I felt something wet on my cheeks and realize it was his tears. "Don't cry for me." I choked out. My hand came up slowly to wipe away his tears. He let go of me then and got down on one knee. "Sunggyu…" I stared at him wide-eyed.

 

 

He pulled out a royal blue velvet box and opened it. Inside nestled the simplest but most beautiful diamond ring.

 

"Park Minji, will you marry me? Not because we both feel guilty for things that we have done. But because I love you with every fiber of my being. I know I'm not perfect and I know that we will fight emotionally and physically. But I can't live without you and I won't ever let you go again."