Jinyoung clucked quietly to himself when Ji-Eun bustled back into the house with her cheeks red and her eyes sparkling. "Young love," he sighed."

"Makes me feel like an old man."

+~~~+

The police mounted a disastrous raid on U's compound. War was officially declared on both sides.

Within two weeks, both Lizzy and Jinyound had had no choice but to make use of the weapons they had only held in their hands as threats. 

And then came the day when the trigger that Lizzy squeezed in a moment of panic made a man fall in front of her. Covering his white dress shirt in a bright red bloom and dripping onto his bright black shoes and blazer. In the chaos of the gunfight, she didn't have time to realize the life she had snuffed out until all the gangsters had surrendered and been apprehended.

He was young. There was none of that nonsense of him looking to be sleeping. He was very obviously dead. His eyes were open wide and stared straight at the grimy ceiling. His hand rested in a slowly seeping pool of blood. 

Lizzy's hand shook. The gun slipped and fell to the ground with a light clatter. 

As she fell to the ground, Jinyoung rushed over and held her in his arms. He said nothing. Just held her and let her hold him. She took ragged breaths again and again. She leaned into him, and when she finally calmed down a little, she looked to him with a shaky smile.

Jinyoung tentatively grabbed her hand.

And he never let go.

+~~~+

When Jinyoung shot his first man, it was Ji-Eun who held him close. She patted his back, and said "I understand." And he was too broken to question her as to why. She was so young, why would she understand.

Years later, he would look back at that moment and ask himself why he was so blind. Why couldn't he see?

Ji-Eun had studied abroad for several years. She was a genius. She returned to Korea two years ago. It had been rumored that U had come from overseas.

She had been acting suspicious.

She had been...

She had been...

He was an idiot. 

And she had always been a little too smart for her own good.

She stayed with Jinyoung until he fell asleep that night. 

She entered her room.

She came out with her hair slicked down and wearing a finely pressed suit.

She was U.