Soojung eyes the people on the street, going by with their daily business. She hears the traffic roaring from thirty stories below and she feels the cool breeze that lingers on the rooftop.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?” she asks, fingers curling into her palms. She steps off the ledge and takes just two steps toward the lone man across the rooftop. He smiles and stakes a few steps toward her.

“Yes,” is all he says as he stops just before her. His eyes sparkle in the dimming lights of day and his smile tugs at her heart, sending warmth through her body against the cold city winds.

Soojung reaches out with her hands and he takes them, hers icy cold in his warm ones. He’s the only person she could ever live for, just like before.

“Promise me we’ll be together,” he says, eyes pleading and taking on a sad glimmer. Soojung smiles and nods, not knowing the words to say.

There’s a series of beeping from both of their pockets. “I guess the Boss is ready for us.”

“We need you both at the base. The Boss is ready to put our best people to work again.”

She takes in the scent of his skin as she pushes herself closer to his side. His fingers trace circles on her back, and she feels the guilt rising in her chest once again.

“Soojung,” he whispers, turning to her. She hums in response, feeling the smooth skin of his chest.

“Do you know what you do to me?” he asks, gently pulling at her hair. It was his way of telling her to look at him. She does, and as soon as she does, she breaks.

All the emotions she’s been holding in explode. When she squeezes her eyes shut a second later, the memories rush through, choking her, slapping her, and calling her names, that she knows, deep down, that she deserves.

She feels his fingers wrapping around hers and his voice calling her name, fright mixed into his tone, but she can't look at him just yet. There's just too much pain and too much guilt and she doesn't think she can do it.

It’s a long while before she opens them again, but when she does, Jongin is still watching her with worry and confusion and terror in his eyes. Then he draws her in for the sweetest kiss she’s ever tasted--like honey, and nectar, and sugar.

“Jung Soojung, please, tell me I didn’t do anything wrong, Tell me that I’m not dreaming…tell me that you love me,” he pleads, his tone soft, and worried.

Taking a deep breath, she looks into his eyes—those orbs of melancholy hazelnut—and blinks twice, before pulling him into an embrace and whispering, “I love you,” into his ear.

Baekhyun rushes into the apartment and smiles, still shivering from the outside cold. Soojung watches in surprise as he hangs his coat and presents a blue and pink box to her.

“What’s this?” she asks. It’s cake. She knows that.

"Happy birthday!” Baekhyun shouts, popping streamers from his pockets and smiling brightly. Honestly, these are the only times they see each other smile; when they’re home, being normal people, and not killing the innocent ones.

"My birthday’s not until two weeks from now,” she says, although, she doesn’t reject the cake.

“I won’t be home for three weeks starting tomorrow. The Boss gave me a new assignment in Italy. I don’t know why this man is in Italy, but he is, so I thought I’d just celebrate with you now. I’ll bring you back a present from Italy; promise,” he explains, scooping a forkful of cake and shoving it into his mouth.

Soojung stops eating for a second and turns to him. There’s disappointment written all over her face, but she tries to hide it. Baekhyun has never missed her birthday. Never.

“Oh…” is all she musters up from her brain.

She places the fork down and gets up, claiming that she’s tired, and takes to her room, leaving a very confused Baekhyun with a whole cake left.

A few minutes after she’s snuggled into her bed, she hears the door opening and Baekhyun’s voice comes, small and timid.

“I know I don’t miss your birthday, Jung, but you know what this job is. I’m sorry,” he says.

When she doesn’t reply, she feels him sliding into bed with her, pulling her close. His breath lightly tickles her ear, and she has no choice but to turn to him.

“You’ve never missed one of my birthdays,” she pouts. She doesn’t mean to be so upset, but she just can’t help it. Baekhyun smiles and tugs a strand of hair from her face.

“I know, and I’ll never miss another one, okay?” he asks. Soojung can’t seem to refuse him and nods in response. She snuggles closer to him because he’s so warm, and falls asleep, not having her usual nightmares.

It’s dark, and the scent of alcohol tickles Soojung’s nose as she sits at the bar. She ignores the gazes that the man three seats down gives her. She’s here for one person, and one person only.

It’s ten, twenty, thirty minutes until Soojung can’t bear the looks anymore and gets up to go to the restroom. Like many places, it’s filled with girls, dabbing at their makeup skillfully with a lit cigarette in hand, observing the others, scowling when they see that girl that was sending their man signals under the table.

Soojung slips into one of the far stalls and takes a deep breath, except, there’s too much smoke in the air. She hears a few of the girls leaving and a few more coming in, and she’s sure that at least ten minutes has passed before she goes back out again.

The club seems darker than it was before, and she has a hard time identifying faces. She tries to squeeze her way through the crowd, back to the bar, when she’s pushed into some stranger and a strong pair of hands catches her.

It’s him; with his perfect jawline and his swollen lips. He carefully steadies her and asks her if she’s okay. She nods slowly, taking in his large eyes and the innocent, sincere worry etched into his voice.

“I’m sorry. I was trying to get through and I must have pushed you by accident. How about I buy you a drink?” he asks, stretching his hand out.

She clasps her hand into his and smiles. It seems genuine enough and he leads her around the crowd to the bar.

“I’m-“

“Kim Jongin, I know,” she says, casually taking a sip of her drink. He’s flustered for a second, and then his face takes on that stoic look.

“My father, right?” he asks, gaze turning innocent again. Soojung nods her head, biting her lip. It’s a habit.

“Well, since you know who I am, you’re probably wondering why I’m here, in this place,” he says, looking around. She knew exactly why.

“How’d you know, telepath?” she smirks, a small giggle leaving . He shrugs.

“This is where I come to be free. I just sit here and have a drink, not caring about the outside world, because most of the people here don’t know who I am, except for this man, right here,” he explains when the handsome bartender comes into view. A wicked smile is placed on his lips and he eyes Soojung.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I’m the head bartender here, and I own the place. Name’s Lee Taemin,” the man says.

Soojung doesn’t know if it’s just the light, but there’s a similarity between the two boys before her, and she smiles for a second, tilting her head. Or maybe it’s the amount of alcohol she’s consumed.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you too. Jung Soojung, sales manager at Ceci,” she introduces, shaking Taemin’s hand. It’s softer than she’d imagined.

Jongin and Taemin both look surprised. No. It’s a cover.

“Sales manager? Quite a high position, no?” Jongin asks, eyeing her outfit. He seems impressed, but not as impressed as Taemin.

“Man, how do you come up with the good ones, all the time?” Taemin whines, smacking Jongin’s shoulder and walking away with a pout on his lips. Soojung lets out a laugh, and she’s sipping her seventh glass of Diamond Margarita.

Jongin tells her about his work, and how boring it is. How he can’t make one false move, because his family is too rich and too noticed by the public. He tells her about his secret trips to the club every Friday, and how he gets there through some back door two blocks away. It’s underground supposedly.

She doesn’t know why he’s telling her all this, and in a few minutes, she doesn’t even know what he’s saying because she’s at her eighth glass, and she’s hazy, and blinking too much, and drunk.

“Uhm…Soojung?” he says, as she slumps onto his shoulder. She’s beautiful in her sleep, and for some odd reason, Jongin feels obligated to take care of her until she’s conscious again.

When Soojung comes to the next morning, she’s in a somewhat familiar room. She’s seen it in pictures, and videos, and she’s almost certain that she didn’t find this place on her own.

When the door on the opposite wall opens and a fresh Jongin comes out in a pair of training pants, and no shirt, Soojung suddenly feels self-conscious. Jongin looks alarmed too, but he tries not to show it as he casually puts on a shirt and towel dries his hair.

“Finally awake?” the smirk on his lips is so fake, she almost laughs.

“What happened?” she asks instead, sitting up, sleepily.

“Well, you kind of fell asleep on my shoulder last night. I decided I couldn’t just leave you be, so I brought you here. It’s my secret apartment. Don’t worry. I’m telling you, you sleep like a rock. Nothing can wake you,” he says, a laugh rising in his chest.

Soojung nods, feeling odd. He’s not always this nice, is he? He’s supposed to be a rich, spoiled brat. Right?

“Well, I gotta get going. I’m late for work,” she mumbles, getting out of bed abruptly. Something wasn’t right.

“Wait, what?” his voice is alarmed. She’s grabbing her belongings, which isn’t much because the maid has arranged all her stuff in a small bag.

“I’m sorry for what happened last night, Jongin. I promise I won’t tell anyone about this apartment,” she speed-talks. It’s another one of her habits when she gets confused or angry, or perhaps nervous.

“Wait, Soojung, I didn’t mean to make you angry, or upset,” he tries again. She’s out of his room, and doesn’t even have time to take in his obviously glamorous lifestyle because she’s putting on her shoes in a second.

“Soojung,” he calls again, racing after her. She doesn’t hear him out, as she straps on her heels. She never expected any of this to happen.

“Wait, Soojung, can I just, talk to you for just a second?” he pleads, voice rising in panic. She doesn’t know what makes her stop everything and look up, but she does.

He’s confused and worried, and it shows too much.

“Can I just have your number? I know we just met yesterday, and I know it’s sudden, but I would like to see you again. So if you would…” he trails off. The tone of his voice throws Soojung off again. His sincerity, and his worry, and the way his brows knit together.

It’s sudden, like he said, but the smile appears so genuinely on her lips. She waits for him to grab a pen and some paper, and she scribbles her number and a small note. And then, without another word, she’s out of the apartment.

When she gets down to the lobby though, a man in a black suit leads her to the parking deck. He drives her to her cover house, and she’s confused at all of it, but she knows Jongin’s behind it.

She can’t get over her confusion as she gets ready for her cover job. He was so different from what the papers and her studies had shown him; too gentle and sweet. When she gets to the Ceci building downtown, her phone beeps.

She smiles at the message and is suddenly too excited. When she enters the building, a few people have already recognized her as the ‘new’ and cold-hearted sales manager.

‘Dinner tonight. I’ll pick you up. Jongin.’

“Soojung?” the voice asks. She refuses to look up.

“Jung Soojung, you can’t just sit there forever. You know what’s coming, and you basically turned yourself in. Just please say something,” the voice is soft. It’s the same voice that she’s been hearing for the past three days.

She hasn’t eaten, or slept at all for the past six days. She’s afraid that if she sleeps, she’ll see him even more vividly than she already does.

“You can’t keep surviving on water, Soojung,” the voice says again. She doesn’t remember what the guy said his name was, or why she was being withheld at an apartment with guards outside at every angle, or why she’s even still alive. She just was there, living, breathing, all for no reason.

“Why am I here again?” her voice is hoarse. She hasn’t spoken in the six days either. A sigh comes.

“Because they’re not going to put a suicidal, mind-wrecked girl in the court. It’s law. Even if we already know you killed him,” he explains. There’s a bit of agitation in his voice.

She doesn’t say anything after that. She just takes a cup of water from a pair of soft hands, and drinks it. She doesn’t look up at him, though.

She knows he’s still there when it’s dark outside, and as she gets up to go to the bathroom, she sees him for the first time. He’s taller with short, dark hair. His eyes are large and his skin is milky white. But what she notices the most is his swollen lips.

“You finally hungry?” he asks. He’s standing in the kitchen, eyeing something below him. A few seconds later, he opens what she assumes is the oven, and pulls out a pan of steaming, cheesy spaghetti.

“I know you’re hungry, you might as well just hurry up and eat. I know what you want, and you won’t get it anytime soon if your condition doesn’t get any better. They’ll schedule your hearing earlier if you seem to be getting better,” he explains. He scoops into the pan and brings out something that’s unusual.

“Is that…” she trails off.

“Kimchi spaghetti, courtesy of yours truly. Come and eat,” he suggests, placing a plate of the stuff on the countertop.

She doesn’t know why, but she gives into his suggestion and obediently starts eating. By the time she’s done, she’s eaten almost half the pan, and he hasn’t tried to stop her. It’s good. Really good.

“Done?” he asks, meeting her eyes. She nods slowly, grabbing for the water that’s placed beside her plate.

He takes her clean plate and takes a minute to wash it, when he’s finished, he refills her empty cup. He opens a drawer and fishes out a packet of medicine. He opens one, takes her palm, and drops the tablets in her hand.

“Take the pills. They’re nutrient and vitamin pills. Like I said, the doctors want you healthy before they put you in for hearing,” he states.

She obeys silently and takes the pills, three of them, all at once. He seems pleased at her progress. She just sits there for a few minutes while he busies himself in the kitchen. Placing the leftover food in the refrigerator and washing and cleaning the kitchen.

“You should sleep. I know why you won’t even let yourself get tired, but you need to sleep,” he insists when he’s finished the cleaning and sees her watching him.

“I can’t,” she simply says. Her voice is clearer now and she has more energy, despite having starved for three days.

“Ah, I knew the amount of calories in the spaghetti would work. You already sound better,” he says. It happens so suddenly, and she doesn’t know how, but he has her draped over his shoulder and he’s carrying her into the room. He plops her down, somewhat gently on the bed and she stares at him in astonishment. She isn’t even angry.

“Sleep. I’m not leaving until you do,” he says, pulling a chair in front of the door and seating himself in it. Soojung blinks a few times and gives up. She pulls the covers over her body and lies down. The bed is fluffy and the pillows are soft, just the way she likes it. But sleep doesn’t come easily.

She tosses and turns, but has no luck. It’s already nearing midnight when she finally sits up in the bed. The man watches her wearily.

“I can’t,” she repeats. He sighs and scoots himself closer to her. She doesn’t know what he plans to do, but he suddenly starts talking.

“It was almost nine years ago. I was eighteen and she was seventeen. We were seemingly best friend. We attended the same school and we hung out with the same group of people, but she was in her second year, and I was about to graduate. Sometimes I forget why I even liked her, but then after thinking about it, I remember again.

She was the smartest girl in our school, and at first I hated her for beating me out every time. But then we became close when she entered high school. She had the most beautiful dark brown eyes I’ve ever seen, and her hair was always long and showering down her back.

It was always a one-sided thing because she was supposed to be my best friend, I was an idiot, and she had a boyfriend who was…I don’t know. Perfect. He was the captain of the soccer team and he was tall and lean and muscular. He was also president of the dance club. He was the whole school’s heartthrob and she, the girl that I somehow hopelessly fell in love with, was his girlfriend. No one really knows how it happened, but them two.”

He stops for a second. Soojung is focused on his story. She doesn’t know why he’s telling it, or why it somehow sounds so directed at her. He takes a look at her expression and smiles a little.

“It was a month before graduation when they broke up. She didn’t come to school for a week, and I was getting worried. I know what you’re thinking. It’s high school, not true love, but she was just that important to me, my best friend.

So I visited her, and she was doing alright. She’d eaten like twelve gallons of ice cream and cried through ten boxes of tissues, but she was okay. And then I told her.”

And at that moment, Soojung realizes what he’s talking about. The president of the dance club and the captain of the soccer team and the girl with the brown eyes and long hair, and her best friend who came to support her through the breakup; she knew exactly who they were.

“I told her how much I liked her and when it all started. She stared at me like I was crazy, and then laughed it off like it was nothing. It felt like I was getting kicked in the gut over and over again, but I tried to stay calm.

And then I graduated and went to university. I heard from her sometimes. I learned that she got back together with him and that they were going to the same university.”

Soojung remembers it clearly; being happy, holding hands, and hanging out. Getting accepted to the college of her dreams.

“But something happened. The boy, his parents were killed, and he committed suicide just before graduation. And the girl, her parents were killed also. No one was found guilty of their murders, and the case was forgotten by a lot of people. It was as if the whole thing was planned with no evidence of the killing whatsoever.

And then, this girl, the girl that I was so in love with, just disappeared. She just vanished from the town that we both grew up in, and she never came back. Some say that she was killed too, or that she committed suicide. Or that she ran off with another man at that young age.

She never graduated high school. Never went to the college. Never showed her face again to that town. Do you know who she is? Do you know that boy that died? You do don’t you? His name, was Oh Sehun. And the girl, her name is…”

“Jung Soojung,” she says, loud and clear. Kyungsoo sits back in his chair. He’s watching her carefully.

“And what’s my name?” he asks. It’s sudden, the remembrance of her first love, first kiss, and first boyfriend. Her high school life and how she had run away.

The Boss had his people find her. He knew about her family and Sehun’s family too. She later got to kill the assassins that were assigned to kill her loved ones. They were from another empire of assassins that are now wiped from the planet by her and her former co-workers. She remembers oh-so-clearly now and it’s kind of scary.

“Do Kyungsoo,” she says, this time smaller, in a whisper. She can see him nodding, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Who knew, Soojung,” he says after a long silence.

She doesn’t know when she falls asleep, but she does. The nightmares she thought she’d have don’t come, but other dreams do. The kisses and the embraces; the smiles and stories they’d shared flow freely, and when she wakes up to the first rays of morning light seeping through the window, her pillow is wet.

When Soojung comes home to the apartment lit and homey she knows he’s back. A smile forms on her lips and before she knows it, she’s running into his room.

He’s there, hair wet, back turned to her, and only clothed in sweatpants. But he’s there. Instinct then takes over, and she hugs him. She pulls him close and bathes in his warmth.

“Hey there, girlie,” Baekhyun says, laugh bubbling in his voice. She lets go and he pulls on a shirt and turns around. The same warm smile and eyes greets her and soon he’s hugging her again.

“Happy late birthday, Soojung,” he states.

They eat dinner and he talks about how beautiful it is in Italy and how he wishes he cloud live there someday He wasn’t able to get her a present, but that’s okay.. She listens to him carefully, nodding and smiling, but she doesn’t truly listen to him because his eyes never leave hers. His smile never disappears.

The bed is warmer now with Baekhyun beside her, pulling her close and his nose tickling her hair. He’s still talking about Italy and how he thinks it would be nice to live there in the suburbs with a family.

“I want to have three kids. Boys and girls, of course, but three of them. And I want the house to be simple, not fancy.”

She stops him for the first time that night. “Why are you telling me about how many kids you want and what kind of house you want?”

She meets his eyes, and something’s off. He’s staring at her intently, eyes burning into her soul. Her heartbeat quickens and she wants to look away, but can’t seem to.

“Because I want to have three kids with you. And live in the suburbs of Italy with you.”

His lips are soft and moist, and she can’t get enough of them. When she pulls away in need of air, his lips proceed at her jaw, climbing down her neck.

Baekhyun,” she says, trying to get his attention. His lips are back over hers soon, and she just can’t seem to stop. His tongue is sweet and then, when they both pull away in need of air, his lips are already swollen and his eyes are sparkling.

She can't help the bubble of laughter in her voice as she stares into his eyes. "I'm not sure I can have three kids Baekhyun. Going through labor three times? That's tough!"

And his laughter fills the room and she can hear the joy in it. It's beautiful, the way he throws his head back and then circles his arms around her again. His lips touch at the tip of her nose.

"We can have as many kids as you want."

It takes a few days, but Soojung feels normal again. She's eating and the palor of her skin is healthy now. Kyungsoo is there too, through it all, and they talk more than they need to.

She sees the resemblance. Between her childhood friend and this man. Although, he doesn't smile enough like he used to.

There are also a steady flow of people in and out of the apartment; checking her health, monitoring her activities, and questioning her.

When Kyungsoo leaves for the night, Soojung finally feels at peace. She doesn't see the horrors anymore, not much, but the pain is still prominent.

She clutches at the bed sheets, hoping that the throbbing in her chest will go away, and then, something clicks outside.

Her eyes fly open, and she's sitting up. She pushes herself flush against the headboard and her instincts kick in. The window opens and a leg swings in before a body, broad and lean, comes in through the small opening.

She doesn't know what to do, but to just sit and watch. She doesn't know how this person was able to get inside because she knows the windows have been blocked. But, when the person steps closer, she can make out the large frame of a man--Bakehyun.

He looks stressed with bags under his eyes and he looks different. There's something dark under his warm brown irises.

"Soojung," he says, voice barely a whisper.

She feels her limbs go numb and her heart starts colliding with her chest, creating a pain so much stronger than before. She wants to reach out and to hug him and to breathe in his scent and to kiss him, but all he does is stare.

She tries, hard, to say something, but nothing seems to come to her mind. She stares into his eyes, casting sorrowful shadows, and suddenly, she knows exactly why he's there.

The words begin to echo in the back of her head and she pushes the thoughts away. Swiging her legs out of bed, she stands and reaches her hand out to him.

"They get eliminated before they can have a chance to give up. They are assigned by someone special, someone amazing, and they just end up dead. One shot to the heart," the woman before her says, lips curling upwards. "I hope you don't have to figure out who your killer is later. So, don't make a mistake."

He looks at her hesitantly, but after just a brief moment of hesitation, all the space between them is crossed and his lips crash over hers. The kiss is hurried and anxious and there are too many emotions going through her mind. And when they finally break apart, she can finally feel his warmth again; seeping into her fingertips and making her heart stutter.

“Baekhyun, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I left you for something that was just a lie. Please, please forgive me,” she says, words choking through, leaving raw as she chokes back her tears. There’s a small movement, and she suddenly feels chills at her arms.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I forgive you. Now duck.”

His words only register in her ears after he’s pulled her down and the door is blown open. A few men spill into the room, and Soojung finally realizes what’s going on as Baekhyun hands her his gun, only to take out two more from his jacket.

“I’m breaking you out,” he says and gets up from the ground, firing a load of bullets at the men coming through the door. Soojung stares at the gun for just a second before her instincts kick back in and she’s up on her feet too, firing into the doorway.

“Stop! Stop fire! Everyone put your arms down!” a familiar voice shouts coming through the door.

Soojung sees Kyungsoo, and her whole body tenses up. She sees her best friend eyeing Baekhyun before he brings a gun from his belt.

“Listen to me. There’s no way you can get away, Soojung. Your name, your files, everything is out in the world now. You won’t survive this war,” Kyungsoo tries, voice calm and steady. He sounds like a negotiator.

“Soojung, we’ve taken care of all the files and all the proofs. We’ve been working on this breakout since you turned yourself in. I convinced the Boss about the impact of your loss. They’re lying. Look at his eyes, Soojung, remember all the training we went through on reading people’s emotions,” Baekhyun’s words whisper at her ear.

She watches Kyungsoo’s eyes darting from her to Baekhyun and then losing focus after a few seconds, then come back to her. She watches the corner of his lips twitch every now and then and she watches the other men fidgeting in their spots, guns raised and ready to fire.

He’s lying.

“The window is our only way out. We have to make it quick. Up the fire escape and into the helicopter. You hear it coming, don’t you?” Baekhyun’s voice is so small she barely recognizes it within the tension in the room. There’s dust everywhere from the door being blown and there’s sweat pouring down her back.

And in the midst of all of it, she hears the faint chopping of the helicopter coming toward the building fast.

“When I fire, I want you to go first, don’t look back, and just go. I’ll be right behind you.”

His voice is so sure and she feels his fingers around hers, giving her one last reassuring squeeze before she hears the shot.

She swings her legs out of the window first and throws herself against the ladder of the fire escape. It’s old and rusty, but it holds. But before she climbs, she watches Baekhyun jump out of the window. He’s rushing her up and her limbs comply, but her eyes catch the sight inside. She hears the shots firing and the bullets hitting the metal bars, but she also sees a figure lying in the room, unresponsive and clearly dead.

She has to choke back a sob as she swings herself onto the rooftop and then pulls Baekhyun into the helicopter after her. Reinforcements are already there, firing at the helicopter that is far out of their shooting range, and Baekhyun is bleeding from his arm.

The city lights are stunning and even though she's wearing nothing but a thin cover-up and a short dress, she feels warm all over. They're standing on the roof of the building, overlooking all of Seoul.

"And I want you to be the mother of my children, Soojung. I want us to live in a small house with a garden in the backyard. I want to have two kids, a boy and a girl, and I want to have all of this with you," Jongin's voice whispers into her ear.

She shivers at his proximity, then turns around to meet his face. She doesn't understand how genuine he could be and how her smile could be so genuine, but she doesn't care.

His lips are soft, like always, and his kisses are even better, sending waves of electricity all through her body. She knows that her assignment is far overdue, but she just can't seem do it.

"I don't understand, Soojung. I've only known you for four months, but there's something different and amazing about you. You're like something I can't get enough of. It's like I'm obssessed," Jongin phrases, his ips hovering over hers.

She reaches out to touch his face, beautiful in the ways like a statue. She traces her thumb over his lips and his deep, dark brown eyes.

His lips are warmer the second time they collide and she can feel her whole body growing warmer.

"If you're proposing to me, then I'm saying yes," she mumbles as they just stand there and hold each other, arms tangled together.

She gazes out at the city before them and wishes that one day, maybe all he's hoping for comes true. Maybe they can have a small house with a garden and two children.

Maybe...

"Soojung...?" Baekhyun's voice is hesitant. He draws himself near her, but she doesn't even notice him because all she can see is the blood on her hands.

"She executed him on the spot. The maid saw it, the cameras caught it--she's going to get us all killed," a voice echoes bluntly. Baekhyun reaches his hand out to her, but she can still see his glassy eyes staring up at her, mouth agape, and then that tearing scream from the maid.

"But she's one of our best. There has to be a way we can cover it up. Frame it on someone. Baekhyun can help because he's the best at covering things up. We can't just let her go like this," another voice says, hopeful.

Baekhyun doesn't get far at trying to reassure her because the moment he gets too close, she flinches away from him with those tears in her puffy, red eyes. Her hair is falling out and her clothes are tattered.

"There's nothing we can do. She won't tell them about us; I know. We have to let her go. She used to be our best. But she's broken now because she was mistaking her assignment as her real life. She loves the boy she killed and there's just no turning back anymore," a third voice says. This voice has authority unlike the previous two.

Baekhyun's hands grow weak and his eyesight loses focus. He watches as two men in suits come up and take Soojung gently. She tries to scurry away from the men, but she's powerless and honestly doesn't have the willpower.

"Take her out. Let her turn herself in."

“Do you have any regrets?”

Soojung looks up at Baekhyun. He’s beautiful in the moonlight with his warm brown eyes and she feels his fingers curl around hers.

It’s their last night in the apartment they’ve called home for six years because they’re being transferred to Italy. Their suitcases are lined up together by the front door and they have their clothes for the flight hanging in the empty closet. Soojung’s hair is now short, just below her shoulders and she’s somehow happy again. Baekhyun’s hair is now a golden blond, still the same length, and he looks good in it.

“Too many to even list,” she replies with a smile. “I’m pretty sure I’ve watched every single person that I’ve ever loved, die. Except you.” Baekhyun smiles and nods, pulling her closer to him, chin resting on her head. 

“We have just five more hours of that life, Soojung. Then, we’ll be on the plane, heading to Italy. There, we can live in the suburbs and have a small simple house. We can grow old together when we’re discharged from the empire. Have kids and live like normal people.”

Baekhyun is convincing and she gives into his warmth and matches her lips over his.

“I think I’m happy. Happier than I’ve ever been,” she says, biting her lip out of habit. Baekhyun smiles and pulls her even closer. “Me too.”

***Italics indicate things from the past/memories. The very first and last parts are the only parts of the story that are not memories. Also, time frames skip around throughout.
Thanks for reading. This may be very confusing, so if you would like a brief explanation, please let me know. Again, thanks for reading!