RED | 03

• • •

After tending Yuri's wounds I let her lie on the couch.

What happened to her? What kind of trouble she got into? But she said she already quit the job, our job, this job.

I don't have a single clue. She told me not to trust Jugiggo.

Yuri stirred from her position. I covered her body with a sheet and turned the lights off, leaving the dim lights on. I checked the doors and locked it properly. I look at the view outside the glass window, it looks like it's starting to rain. I calm my thoughts as the rain poured from above, remembering the past of how I met Obscure Y-05.

• • •

[ FLASHACK: 5 years ago ]

It was the middle of the night, he destroyed my slumber and summoned me here in Dongbong warehouse at Gangnam. "You'll be working with a partner."

Partner? Is he kidding with me? I haven't worked with a partner and I do not wish to work with that person.

"I refuse." "It's an order." I prefer have an assignment on solo. "It's a bothersome." "You need to work in team, XX-39." He toss me the folder. "Read it." And I did what he told me. "But this isn't the assignment's information." "Exactly." He rose from his seat and looked at the window. "She will give you the information of the assignment."

Sigh.

I hate him so much that sometimes I imagine breaking his neck.

• • •

I went back to my apartment and obviously someone barged in. I took my dagger out and readied myself. As I opened the door, a tall girl in a towel greeted me while brushing her teeth. "Omm hi I'm Ompyur." I put my dagger down and raised my brows. I find her ridiculous. "What?" "Mwait ah miumit."

She went to the bathroom. I can hear the water from the faucet and her gargle. Three minutes later she came out of the bathroom. "I'm Y-05 Obscure, your partner." She extend her hand to me. I looked at her face and she still have the toothpaste bubble on , so I pointed . "What?" "Your mouth." "Oh." She wiped it with the back of her hand and smiled at me, her gums were bleeding.

So this is my partner? This is a joke, right?

• • •

I can't believe she didn't bring any clothes with her, so I let her borrow mine. "Do you have any pajamas here?" "Nope."

Is he for real? He gave me this kind of a partner? I don't even know how to deal with her talkativeness, it annoys me.

"By the way, what's your name?" Sigh. "Red–" "Red?! XX-39 Red?!" Why is she surprised, it seems that she didn't know ahead of time. "What?" She started clapping her hands in excitement. "Oh this is cool. This is cool!" "What cool?" I begun to sit on the couch. Man, she's annoying. "I just heard your name, they've been talking about you and I saw your name, you're one of the top list of assassins. I didn't know I would be the partner of The Demon Eyed Girl." I raised my brows. "He didn't tell you?" Y-05 shook her head. "He just gave me the assignment and your apartment address."

She took out the folder filled with our assignment's information and gave it to me. I read it silently, digesting the information given. After reading, I put down the folder. That night we started discussing about our assignment and plans on how we can do it cleanly.

• • •

After a week of preparation, we have to fly to Japan to follow our target. Our plan was to kill Senator Kang Hyung Gil in Japan to make it looks like he has an enemy there. The motif was to cancel the project proposal between Koreans and Japanese and to create trust issues, again.

As we arrived in Kobe airport, the airport's parameter is guarded heavily. Bomb squads and crime control officers are on watch. Even the intelligence are here, pretending to be passengers, stewardess and airport crew. It'll be a tough assignment for us. Everybody's move is being watched.

I left Y-05 to wait for our trolleys while I buy cold drinks for us. When I was walking I accidentally bump the guy with a red cap. "Watch where you're going." I didn't even feel his presence, weird. I bowed to him to apologize, but when I bowed he leaned down and whispered, "I can sense them. 6, no, about 12 people are targeting Mr. Kang." When I raise my head up he was gone. He made me feel unease. I know we'll run many troubles along the way and we'll definitely encounter him. I could only hope to complete our assignment successfully.

• • •

"What are you looking at there? Come here and chill." I didn't listen to Y-05, albeit remaining in my position – standing outside the balcony. "Come on, Red. Don't worry too much about our assignment, we will accomplish this." I looked at her and sighed. "Our assignment is not the problem. I saw him – that guy, I can't even detect his presence." She poured some wine in the glass, stood up and gave it to me. "That guy you saw is like us." She gave me wine to drink but I rejected. "I don't drink." "Oh come on, just a glass." "I'm not good in drinking." She laughed out loud and slapped my back. "You kidding me, right?" I shook my head, of course I'm not kidding her. My tolerance in alcohol is never been good. "You know how to kill as you should know how to drink." "Why?" She drank the glass of wine. "Why?!" She laughed again. "I cannot believe you're Red, The Demon Eyed Girl." "They just gave me that name." She sat on the bed and pour more wine in the glass. "You're a good kid." I raised my brows, how can she say that I'm good? For Pete's sake, I'm an assassin. I live to kill. "Deep inside you don't have evil intentions." "You talk as if you know." "Of course I don't, but I can feel it Red." I shook my head, grabbing the glass of wine. "I thought you never drink?" "Who says I never?" I drank the wine, savoring the sweet taste running down through my throat. After I drinking it I can see Y-05's smirk. "See it doesn't tastes that bad, right?" I nod.

I cursed inside my thoughts. The wine is a traitor, I only had 5 glasses but I'm a bit tipsy. Y-05 is even laughing at me; it makes me wanna flick her nose. "You liar." "We're all liars, Red." "You, most liar." She laughed again. "Ah really, you can't even drink wine. What will I ever do to you? Drinking is part of the assignment you know? You need to learn that." "I am learning right now." I poured myself a glass of wine, so this makes it 6. Suddenly I remember what the guy told me at the airport. It bothers me that I can't feel his presence.

"Are you scared?" I shrugged. "If you're worried about Silent Kyong, you should worry more about The Hound. He's more dangerous." "The Hound?" "Yep The Hound." I looked at her in question. "Who's The Hound." "You don't know him?" I shrugged. "He's in the top list of assassins too! He kills anyone he dislikes. He's a freelancer." "We're all freelancers." "But he's beyond that."

It made me think how Y-05 became an assassin, I can't see any dark intentions in her eyes. It seems like she has no choice but to go in this path.

"You ." I murmured, drinking my glass.

• • •

The next day I woke up and Y-05 wasn't beside me. But there was a blue sticky note on the lampshade saying, "Went out buying foods and drinks." I looked at the clock and it was noon already. Man, I need to practice drinking some more to increase my liquor tolerance. I rose up from bed and took a shower.

An hour later, Y-05 went back with a hand full of groceries. "Kobe in the morning is really crowded." She put the groceries down.

"Have you eaten your brunch?" I asked her while I dried my hair with a blower. "Oooh, so that's what I forgot to buy!" "Is there any food in the plastic bag?" "Just junk foods, chocolate bars and drinks."

Remind me again why I'm tasked to be partner with her?

I shake my head and pened the door. "You know what, let's go eat outside." "Good idea, Red."

• • •

"Man! I love the ramen here! Oishi oishi oishi!!" She shouted at the cook, making a thumbs up. I bowed my head down in embarrassment. She doesn't know the word shame, so I'll feel that for her sake.

After eating our brunch we strolled for a while to digest our food, man we're so full but I want to eat ice cream for desert. "Red, that ramen was damn delicious!" "I want ice cream." I said flatly. "Sounds good too."

We searched for the nearest ice cream store but I feel something's odd right now. I consciously looked at the surroundings and Yuri held my arm. "Pretend you don't feel their presence, pretend nothing." We continued walking in the crowd. I immediately activated my eyes and, oh . There were many invisible red strings attached to our body. Like a navigator so they can track us. "You see it, Red?" "Yeah, a tracking ability was used on us." We stopped on the way waiting for the traffic light signal to cross the street. "When did they attached this to us?" Y-05 tucked her hair behind her ear. "Remember when I was shouting oishi in the ramen restaurant?" I nodded. "They were there, 11 of them." Oh , I was so dumb to notice that. "Do you know them?" I asked. "Yep. And I know their capabilities."

The walk signal lit and we crossed the street. "How many strings were attached to us?" She asked. "Mine is 28, yours is 6." "Cool they underestimated me." "So I'm the main target?" Oh great. "Seems like it since you're Red, The Evil Eyed Girl." She made a quote sign. "Can we just face them?" "Of course, but one at a time Red." "Can I just kill them all instantly?" Y-05 shook her head. "You can't , they know your ability and I think they studied how to counter you."

We just walked continuously, thinking for plans. I'm not much for a strategic planner, I usually ambush in an instant if I have to. I believe in my eyes – it could see through and kill who ever is a hindrance to my way.

"Red, run. Run in an area where there are no civilians around. Run until you are cornered." "I thought you don't want me cornered because they can counter?" Y-05 rested her hand on my shoulder. "Trust me." She grinned. "Remember there are 8 people following you." I nodded.

And so I run on my way through the crowd, luring them inside the alley. There were fences and walls to climb. Man, this is bothersome. I had to run nd jump over the dumpsters; makng a left turn.

As I turned left I'm doomed. It was a dead end. Well that was a short run. My disadvantage when I'm not in my home land. I don't know the way around here.

"You're not smart, aren't you." A guy with a gas mask approached with 5 people? Where are the others? I thought I had 8 people following me?

"Zig, the others are gone!" "What?! That's impossible!" "You bastard!" All of them draw their blades. These aren't ordinary low class assassins, I better be careful.

"You thought you can kill me?" I bowed my head and clenched my dagger tightly. "Do you know who I am?" "Red, the evil eyed girl does not scare us! You're illusions won't kill me!" He pointed his blade to me. "You're just a little girl relying on her eyes' illusion. Pathetic!" He's mocking me.

"Boys get her!"

5 are attacking me instantly I didn't move a single pace. I waited 'till they were near and looked at them, my eyes were activated – turning to red. It's time for bloodbath.

1, 2 – daggers will be thrown to me. The guy wearing a coat will charge directly while the 3 others stay on hold, probably reading my move.

As what my eyes read their moves, 2 daggers were thrown at me – aiming for my head and the other is aiming for my torso. I ducked and jumped sideways being able to evade it. I threw my dagger on the guy charging at me. It aimed his forehead; I swiftly run getting back my dagger on his forehead and stand on my offense position.

"What the–?!" They were surprised, totally not expecting any illusions. "This is fun." I was about to slash the guy wearing a gas mask but the other guy blocked my attack. "Hohoho not so fast!" He forward his right arm, clenching his fist.

It choke me. He's the guy with the invisible red string ability. I'm screwed.

"I thought The Evil Eyed Girl can kill everything?" He spat on the ground. "I think not." The strings are getting tighter I don't know if how much long I can hold my breath. I looked directly in his eyes making him see his death. He chuckled. "That won't work!" He headbutted me, making my brows bleed. I can't believe this, how can my eyes have no effect on him. I almost lost conscious when I saw someone jump from above – shooting guns. It killed these 2 guys.

The read strings were gone; and I coughed. "Sorry for being late!" Y-05 pulled me up. "Man! They were so many and it's not easy to attack them behind their backs one-by-one! I have to climb buildings if I have to." She paused. "Oh you're bleeding." Wow nice, she just noticed it now. "Come on let's go back to the apartment." "No worries, it's not that serious."

"Still, it needs to be treated."

She looked at me in the eyes. Not like everyones' same stare, it was different.

Hers were sincere.

"You said the guy with the red string ability could only track. But he used it to choke me." I rub my neck to sooth it. Red marks were still visible. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you." Y-05 grinned. "My eyes have no effect on him." "Some can tolerate the effects of your illusion and some, won't effect to them." I nodded. "Don't worry Red you just need more training to your eyes and it will go through anything who's in your way." She patted my head.

I sighed. "Maybe I do need more training."

[ END OF FLASHBACK ]

• • •