Kyuhyun pulled into the parking lot of the 3-star hotel where he would stay overnight. He stopped by the lobby to pick up his key. He showed the attendant his receipt for the room he booked a month in advance.

The hotel attendant, being distracted by the game on TV, hardly looked up at Kyuhyun. Aside from the initial greeting, the attendant did not say a single word to him and, although he was slightly peeved, it was only slightly enough that he chose not to mention the lack of quality customer service. He was too hungry and tired to care at the moment so he left after receiving his key card. All he wanted to do was get to his room, eat the carry out he brought with him, and settle down for the rest of the night.

Kyuhyun had advised his crew to do the same. They stood to make a large profit on the New Year’s holiday but Kyuhyun knew very well how the streets would be littered with gang activity. He didn’t want to take the risk of losing another member.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Heechul walked into the lobby. The attendant, who pretended not to see him walk in, was gathering his coat and keys. Heechul rapped on the counter as the attendant prepared to shut the hotel computer down. “I need the key to room 301.”

“What?! You were just here.”

“I got locked out. My key’s in the room.”

The attendant looked at his watch and back up at Heechul. He let out a frustrated groan before hurriedly giving him a key and ushering him out of the lobby. “Give that back in the morning, okay,” the attendant said as he rushed off to a car that was waiting for him in the parking lot.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kyuhyun laid his food out on the small table in the dining area. He cleaned the remote to the TV with a disinfectant wipe and walked over to the table. He flipped through the channels until finally deciding on the sports channel. He had his supper while watching the same game that the hotel attendant had on in the lobby. After his meal, he took a hot shower and settled down for bed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Heechul sat in his car. He watched the door to room 301 from where he parked. He watched as the main light went off at 11PM and eventually, the light from the TV no longer flickered through the curtains.

Upon entering the room, Heechul carefully closed the door behind him. He could see Kyuhyun’s sleeping figure with the moonlight that filtered through the half-heartedly drawn curtains. The light displayed the contours of Kyuhyun’s body. Heechul took in the dips and rises of his abdomen as he breathed.

He walked a bit closer. He could see that Kyuhyun had his mouth slightly open and his limbs were strewn about the bed. It looked as though he had been wrapped in the bed sheets at some point but flung them aside in his sleep.

Heechul lifted his wrist up to the light. He strained his eyes to see the time on his watch. There was still some time before midnight.

Kyuhyun stirred in his sleep and Heechul held his breath, not daring to move. When Kyuhyun fell still again, Heechul raised his gun, pulled the slide, and slowly chambered a round. Inevitably, the metal produced a clicking sound that might as well have sounded like a bomb going off in the pronounced silence. Kyuhyun’s eyes shot open and he sat up in surprise. Even in his deep sleep, certain sounds and smells woke him up instantly for self-preservation.

Both just stared at each other, not knowing what to do, Heechul becoming momentarily detached from his mission. Kyuhyun blinked back in confusion. By then, he was well aware that Heechul had broken into his room to murder him.

‘Why hasn’t he taken the shot? How does he think, even for a second, that it’s okay to standoff like this?’

Kyuhyun watched Heechul’s eyes as they lingered on the tattooed crucifix that adorned his side. It was quite large, spanning the length of his torso, overlapping onto his back and just under his chest.

Heechul pointed at it with his gun. “You Christian?”

Kyuhyun looked down at his tattoo, then back up at Heechul. “Yeah,” he answered as though it should be evidenced by the permanent dedication to his savior on his skin.

“You think that’s going to wash away your sins?” Heechul asked mockingly. “You think just because you have Jesus ink means God will forgive your for all the crazy that you’ve done? You think God will say, ‘you were going to hell but… ah, what the heck? I like your tattoo.’ I’m sorry but I think you might want to rethink your lifestyle.”

“All of my glory is His. That’s why I strive for greatness. As for the rest, well…for Him, I surrender reason.”

“Like I said, maybe you should take some time to think that through again. It doesn’t add up somewhere along the way.”

“Aww… you care all of the sudden?”

“Pft. Far from it.”

“Do you believe in Christ?”

Heechul shook his head.

“Maybe you are the one that needs to think things through again?”

Heechul took a step back and sat on the armchair facing the bed. “Maybe…Why are you here anyway?” He sounded tired.

Even though Kyuhyun thought it was a strange question, considering how Heechul was the one who had broken into his room and somehow the assassin now wanted to have a conversation with the target, he decided it would be alright to play along. “Because tonight is retaliation night. Don’t you think it’s wise to stay in? Everyone who has someone to do is out looking for their pound of flesh.”

“So you’re hiding.”

“No. It’s just smarter to stay out of the action if you appreciate your life. You know what I mean? Especially for someone like me. I got people lining up to take a shot at me. I’ve been pretty successful this past year. You of all people should know.” Kyuhyun smirked.

Heechul clenched his jaw but his face began to relax as soon as the fury had arrived. The emotion passed quickly. “That’s not a good way to measure success.”

Kyuhyun cocked his head to the side and just stared at Heechul. ‘This hyung certainly is weird. But I understand him. Is that weird too?’

Kyuhyun spoke up after a few seconds of silence passed between them, “You killed my friend.”

“I did?” Heechul asked numbly. “And that?” He waved his gun at Kyuhyun’s shoulder, which was beginning to scar from the bullet wound.

“Yeah, that was you too.”

“Hmm…”

“How much time do we have left?” Kyuhyun knew they were waiting for midnight. It made sense somehow.

Heechul looked at his watch. “Thirty seconds.”

Kyuhyun leaned back on the bed. He reached under his pillow and pulled out the gun that had once been Heechul’s personal favorite; the same gun he stole during the heist. Heechul made no effort to stop him. He remained seated with his gun trained on Kyuhyun. He just watched as Kyuhyun chambered a round.

“Fifteen seconds,” Heechul said as he looked away from his watch and back up at Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun walked up to Heechul. He cupped his face in one hand and looked into Heechul’s eyes. He let go and used the same hand to take the gun out of Heechul’s hand. Again, Heechul made no objections.

He looked at his watch again. “Five, four, three, two, one...”

The fireworks went off and Kyuhyun fired a single shot under Heechul’s chin toward the base of his skull.