Zico spent his day in the marketplace wondering how he could face Park Kyung again. Although he would never admit it, he did feel a certain stirring in his heart each time he thought about him. Would sending him flowers be a cowardly move, or would he find it romantic? Why did it feel as if he was a teenager again? Stifling a laugh, he walked to a nearby florist store and bought a few orchids. He was driving back to the city when he heard a faint ticking noise. Unsure where it was coming from, he stopped his car on the edge of the bridge and got down. Flat on his stomach, he peered underneath to find a time bomb taped to the bottom of his car, which showed that there were just 30 seconds left on the timer. Thanking his lucky stars for having sharp ears, he quickly took out everything he needed from the car and pushed the heavy vehicle with great difficulty into the water below. Although the sound of the explosion was muffled by the water, he was drenched by the great jet that shot upwards. Zico knew he was at a disadvantage; as all he had with him was his wallet, Kyung’s flowers, and just one gun. He walked for a few miles and managed to flag down a passing truck to hitch a ride. By the time he reached the city, he felt dirty and bedraggled. He reached his place, took a quick shower and called Kyung.

“Kyung, It’s Jiho”

“I already told you to stay the hell away from me”

“Please. Just let me explain”

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“Kyung, you already know the answer to this. Don’t you know what happens if we are compromised? I’m sorry for using your idea, but to be fair, I had no idea that you were an assassin too”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Zico ignored it.

“Aren’t you going to get that, Jiho?”

“Fixing things with you is more important to me. Will you forgive me?”

“I need time. You can’t just waltz into my life, disrupt it and ask me to forgive you just like that”

“I’ll wait for you. As long as you want”

Kyung was about to hang up when he heard the sound of an explosion from the other side of the phone. His heart beating in overdrive, he pressed his phone to his ear to hear what was happening.

“Zico, you can’t escape us this time. Our boss wants you dead or alive. We figure dead is better”

“Tell your boss Janus that he to come and get me himself if he has the balls to do it. I don’t have the time to waste with you all”

Kyung heard the sound of gunshots and got even more worried. If only he had been with Jiho, he could’ve helped him. Two was always better than one. Just then, Zico came back on the line.

“Kyung, are you still there?”

“Jiho, are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m fine, Kyung. Don’t worry about me”

*****************************************

“Jaehyo, I need your help”

“What is it, Kyung?”

“I need to track down someone named Janus”

“Janus, I’ve never even heard of him”

“I think he works for our rivals”

“I’ll find out what I can”

****************************************

“Mr. Lee, Kyung is getting too close”

“It’s time. Do what we decided”

****************************************

Kyung waited by the phone for Jaehyo’s call so he could figure out what was happening. From what he understood, Jiho seemed to have been targeted by someone called Janus for a very long time. If only he’d trusted him and been by his side. He jumped as the phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

“It’s Jaehyo. I’ve got your next assignment”

“Jaehyo, but what about Janus? Were you able to get his details?”

“No, I didn’t. Focus, please. You’re the best person we have for this elimination”

“Who is the target this time?”

“He is an assassin who goes by the name of Zico. You can use any method you want, as always, but you have a time limit of 48 hours. You can’t afford to fail this time”

Kyung just stared at the phone, feeling his heart sink. How could he even do this? He’d found his childhood best friend after years, and had even fallen for him. There was no way he could do this. There was one thing he could do. He dressed up and texted Jiho to meet him in an hour.

His heart hurt when he saw Jiho walking towards him, with his face covered in bruises.

“Jiho, I’m sorry for not trusting you earlier. You could have told me about this Janus person”

“Kyung, the feud between me and Janus has been going on for years, but let’s not talk about him. I’m just glad you called me”

“Jiho, why don’t we leave this country? It’s not safe anymore”

“Kyung, you’re trembling. What’s wrong?”

Kyung felt a shiver as Jiho caressed his cheek lightly.

“I’ve just been given my next assignment. It’s you. I’ve been ordered to take you out”.

Zico stared at Kyung for a long time before reaching into his backpack and passing him a large lollipop. Kyung was startled to see his face on it. This could only mean one thing. They were each other's targets.