“You seem happier these days,” said a soft yet firm voice.

“I suppose I do, Luhan. It’s a nice feeling,” Tao responded as he plopped down on the couch with a huff.

“I’m sure it is. But what has caused it? Usually you just come straight home and do target practice?” Luhan inquired

“Nothing, I just-“

“You met someone, didn’t you?” the older interjected.

“How did you know?” Tao asked.

Luhan just smiled, “Because I know you, Huang Zitao.”

Tao sighed, of course Luhan knew. Luhan could read Tao like an open book. The two had been friends for quite some time now. After Tao’s father abandoned him, he just wandered the streets cluelessly. He walked up and down the city with a blank look and no destination. What could he do? He was just a small child who had lived a sheltered life and didn’t know the first thing about survival. That’s when Luhan found him. Luhan, who was five at the time, saw the three-year-old Tao and went to him.

“Hey, why are you all alone?” little Luhan had asked.

“Because Papa doesn’t want me. Mama doesn’t want me. I’m alone,” tiny Tao replied, tears running down his face.

“Aww, don’t be sad. I will take care of you!”

“Huh, but you’re still a kid too,” Tao spat back

“Ya! Even though I’m five, I’m manly! Very manly!” Luhan had responded.

And true to his word, Luhan did take him in. Tao learned that Luhan was a child being trained to be an assassin. He took Tao with him to training base and helped in apply.

“But……but I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Tao said.

He watched as Luhan got a dark look in his usually happy eyes, “We don’t kill humans, Tao. We kill monsters with no soul,” he said simply and walked off. Tao never questioned the other about what he meant and went along with the instructions the adults were giving him.

From that day on, Tao had trained side by side with Luhan as