Four
Remnants Of The Heart
*banner by G-Dara21
---
“I wonder,” Jiyong said. “Have you actually envied my fashion sense and you’re interested in seeing my clothes?”
Minwoo turned around and faced him. “Are you actually scared that I’d find something inside your closet?”
“Why would I?” he replied. “I’m not hiding anything.”
“My gut tells me otherwise,” Minwoo responded. “If you’re not really hiding something, then there would be nothing to worry about me looking into your closet, wouldn’t it?”
“The thing is, I don’t like you looking into my things.”
Minwoo just smiled in response. But his smile hinted something dangerous underneath, to which Jiyong was not oblivious of. “What are you going to do if I look into your closet right now?”
“I might kill you,” Jiyong flatly responded.
Minwoo thought for a moment, an amused look on his face. “That’s not a bad idea,” he said. “Then I might have to defend myself and kill you as well.”
“I’d like to see you try,” he smirked back.
“Okay,” Minwoo shrugged and took a step back. Without leaving his eyes off of Jiyong, he stretched his hand behind him to reach for the closet’s handle. Minwoo’s head tilted to the side as he watched Jiyong’s face. But the latter’s face remained annoyed. A smirk then curved Minwoo’s lips as his hand enclosed around the handle. “Ready to see some blood, Jiyong?”
“Are you?”
The ringing of a phone suddenly broke into their senses. Minwoo paused and looked down at the pocket of his jacket. With a sigh, he withdrew his hand from the handle and took out his phone. Without looking at the screen, he answered it with a simple “Hello?”
The person on the line talked as Minwoo turned quiet.
“Yeah, he’s here with me. . .” he answered. “I think he hasn’t done it yet.”
There was silence again.
“Sure,” he said. He then pulled out the phone from his ear and handled it to Jiyong. “Your Uncle would want to have a word with you.”
Jiyong cautiously reached for the phone. “Hello?”
“Have you done the job?”
With his eyes still on Minwoo, he answered his Uncle honestly. “No.”
“Why not?!”
“I have my reasons,” he said. “But I prefer to discuss it in private.”
“Just tell me if you can’t do the job, Jiyong. I’ll give it to Minwoo instead.”
“I can handle it,” he said, gritting the words out. “I’m just bidding my time.”
“Bidding your time?” the man repeated. “Since when did you bid your time on a mission?”
Minwoo had his back on Jiyong now, making the latter straightened up. The guy was reaching out for the closet’s handle again. Without hesitation, he pulled out a gun and pointed it just above Minwoo’s shoulder where a wall was waiting to be shot. He then pulled the trigger.
“What was that?” his Uncle asked on the other line.
“Talk to you later,” he said and ended the call.
“You missed,” Minwoo said, facing him.
“I did it on purpose,” he said. “It should serve as a warning, Minwoo. I’m not scared to break Uncle’s rule.”
Out of nowhere and all of the sudden, Minwoo spun around, grabbed the handle of the closet and pulled it open. Jiyong involuntarily took a step forward only to stop when his eyes landed on the closet. For some weird reason, the girl was not there.
“Hmm,” Minwoo thoughtfully murmured and faced him again. “Oh well, that was. . . thrilling, haha. So, aren’t you going to shoot me now?”
“I’ve just realized that I’ve already wasted a bullet for you,” he said. “I don’t think I’m that willing to lose another bullet to someone unworthy as you.”
Minwoo laughed again. “Oh well,” he shrugged. “And I thought we’ll be fighting. Hand me my phone back.”
Jiyong threw the phone carelessly into the air but as expected of Minwoo, he was able to catch it.
“You should leave,” Jiyong said. “I want to go to sleep now.”
Minwoo just smirked. “I’ll keep my eye on you, Jiyong. Remember that.” And with that, he left. But Jiyong remained on his place. He only moved when he heard Minwoo’s vehicle was far already. He walked towards the closet and looked at it with a frown.
“Dara?” he whispered.
Covered with clothes, Dara emerged from his closet, looking very pale. “I can’t breathe,” she gasped. Jiyong then noticed the blood soaking her top. It seemed that her wound started to bleed heavily again. “Oh, damn it!” he hissed.
-o=o=o-
“Who was that guy?” she asked a while Jiyong attended to her bleeding wound again.
“No one,” he answered, making her sigh.
“What’s going to happen now?” she asked.
“You tell me,” he flatly replied.
“I don’t like your tone of voice,” she said, frowning.
He smirked. “And why is that?”
“Well, you’re being rude!”
“I was never polite in my life,” he returned.
“Ugh!” she groaned. “Can you just for one second be serious about this?!” she demanded.
He looked at her with all the seriousness in the world for a second but then, he smirked again. “One second has passed.”
“Jiyong,” she said, trying to be patient. “What’s going to happen now? Are you going to keep me here forever or are you going to let me go back to my parents?”
“Neither,” he said.
She frowned. “What then?”
“Well, for starters, I can’t keep you here forever because I have to complete my job in killing you. Second, I can’t return you to your parents because I have a mission to complete and the possible that would happen is that you’ll be killed by a different assassin. Now, that won’t be convenient, would it?”
“And you being the one to kill me would be convenient?”
He shrugged.
“If you’re planning to kill me, then why are still attending to my wound?”
He paused for a second. “You can’t die yet,” he said. “I can’t kill you yet.”
“Why not?”
“I want to know and understand why someone would want you dead. If I were you, I would want to know why as well. It would justify the act. I would want to know if I truly deserve death.”
“Nobody deserves to die,” she quietly said.
“Nobody?” he repeated, chuckling. “Where were you in the past couple of years – in the paradise of the innocent?”
“Are you telling me these because you wanted to scare me or you’re really planning to kill me?”
Jiyong stood up and looked walked to the glass window. “The second one.”
“Then I should start planning on how to escape then.”
“You should,” he said, with his back still facing her. “But you should know as well that I would not stop going after you – if you do manage to escape.”
“Then there’s really no sense of me saying everything I told you, is there?”
He was silent for a moment. “No, what you said to me about the past would not change anything. I’m still a hired assassin and you’re still my subject.”
“Hired assassin!” she scoffed. “How old are you again? Jiyong, there is much more to life than what you’ve known and seen! You’re just a teenager! We’re just teens! We’re not supposed to be talking about –”
“But death is the sweetest escape, isn’t it?” he cut her off, finally facing her.
“I don’t need to escape from anything.”
“Maybe if we found out the reason why someone would want you dead, it would make you think twice.”
“I doubt it.”
“Go to sleep,” he suddenly said.
“How can I go to sleep when I know you’re going to kill me anyways?”
“I told you, I’m not going to do that yet. I’ll let you know when that time comes.”
“Great!” she sarcastically remarked. “Thank you for being so considerate!”
“You’re welcome!” he responded, smirking.
“Ugh!” she irritably groaned, making him chuckle. “What’s so funny?” she snapped.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m still trying to get used to this side of you. Usually, everytime I tease you, you always cry.”
“Well, you used to be ugly when we were kids but now you’re –” she started but stopped midway and gave him an annoyed look instead.
“Yes?”
“Nothing,” she mumbled. “Go away, I want to sleep.”
“Hmm,” he said. “I sort of changed my mind.”
“About what?”
“About sleeping in separate beds,” he said. “I mean, someone else might sneak in and try to do something. I think it’d be better if we sleep in one bed.”
“I think it’d be better if you go to hell,” she snapped back, blushing.
He laughed. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I already had one foot buried in that place called hell.”
-o=o=o-
It was almost four in the morning. Jiyong was fast asleep and Dara knew that she could sneak out easily. She already attempted once but upon stepping outside the vacation house, she was not able to continue with her plan – not because someone stopped her. It’s because she just had this feeling that she needed to stay, that somehow, eventhough Jiyong would eventually kill her in the end, he trusted her enough to believe everything he told him when in fact, they were lies. She knew as well that being an assassin, he should be more sensitive to his surroundings but he let her leave the room, let her step outside the place. She then concluded that he knew she was up and that he trust her enough that she would not attempt to escape.
She shook her head and smiled bitterly as she looked at night sky while she was sitting in the porch. “You’re crazy,” she whispered to herself. Yes, she was. She ought to have fled by now. But what was she doing? She was there, sitting in the porch, leisurely watching the night sky as if she had all the time in the world.
But then, she sighed upon remembering Seunghyun. No, she was lying to herself again. She was not just doing this because of Jiyong’s trust. She was staying for Seunghyun. She does not want him to get involve with this. She does not want him to be the bad guy. If she was with Seunghyun, he’ll just exchange her for ransom and that’s it. Once she’s back with her parents, then surely, someone would still attempt to try and kill her. She could just picture in her mind what would Seunghyun would do once he knew. He will protect her, that’s for sure. She was not innocent enough to not know what usually happens to those people protecting other people. They usually get harmed or die.
And she does not want that.
Would you prefer Jiyong to be dead, then, a part of her mind whispered. Guitl feeling suddenly gnawed her insides. She would be a liar if she would choose Jiyong over Seunghyun. But she’s not that selfish and cruel to let that happen as well. If there was one person she would want to die with, that would probable Jiyong.
She scoffed again. Jiyong and her – dying together? What a stupid notion. But then, it’s not really a bad idea. She shook her head then, shaking the thoughts away. Since when did she become melodramatically suicidal?
“Why are you still up?” a voice behind her sounded. “I thought you said you were sleepy.”
She kept her eyes up to the night sky. “Just watching the sky,” she said. “I used to do this a lot of time when I was in the orphanage, thinking that eventhough you and Seunghyun were far away from me, we’re still under one sky and that we’re probably watching the same star twinkle.”
He sat beside her and placed his elbows on his knees. “What was it like in the orphanage that you’ve been sent to?”
“I’m probably the luckiest among us three,” she said. “It was a well-kept orphanage. How about the orphanage that you’ve been sent to?”
He shrugged. “Nothing special about it.”
“And how did you end up being like this?”
“Being what? A heartless monster?”
“Jiyong. . .”
“You know well how I enjoy bullying other people, I guess it jut developed.”
“I don’t believe you’re that heartless,” she said. And to her surprise, it was probably the very first genuine words she told him.
“People believe in what they want to believe,” he said. “It’s human nature.”
She then faced him. “Maybe,” she said. “But then, people would not believe in what they want to believe if they don’t have a reason or proof to believe in.”
He chuckled. “What?”
She chuckled back. “Sorry, I got confused myself.”
“I’ll give you an example,” he said. “People believe that change is the only constant thing in the world.”
“But it is,” she said.
“I don’t,” he replied. “I read somewhere before that change isn’t really the constant thing in the world.”
“What is, then?”
It took him a while to answer. “Death,” he then whispered after a while.
-o=o=o-
As the sun rises, both Jiyong and Dara were already up to their feet, preparing to leave. Jiyong was not specific as to why they had to leave or where they were going. But she already had the idea to the question why. Just as they stepped out of the door, a person was standing just a few feet away from them with a triumphant smirk on his handsome face.
“So, she is the one that you’re trying to hide from me,” he commented.
Jiyong stood calmly in front of Dara, his hand itching to pull out his gun. “Minwoo,” he casually greeted and wondered why he hadn’t heard any sound of an approaching vehicle.
“Wondering why you didn’t hear anything?” he asked, as if reading his mind. “I walked.”
“It’s pretty much obvious, isn’t it?” he coolly replied.
“What’s obvious is that the girl you’re supposed to kill seemed to be. . . alive.”
Jiyong didn’t answer.
“I’m disappointed Jiyong,” he said, his eyes traveling to Dara who was hiding behind Jiyong. “I kind of expected that you’ll be more of the size-type of person. But. . . looking at her, she’s all flat – no s, no , no –”
“What did you just say?” Dara suddenly stepped out behind Jiyong. “Did you just insult me?”
Minwoo smirked and Jiyong immediately noticed how the former’s hand twitched, making him pull Dara behind him and push her down to the ground while reaching out for his gun himself. There were two loud bangs at the same time and Dara could not help but wince and tremble.
“Run back inside!” she heard someone scream. Without really looking up or anywhere, she just followed the voice and ran back inside. She could feel her drum beating loudly inside her chest, her head spinning. It’s as if she was thrown back to the time where there were too many explosions around her. The difference was, at that time, Seunghyun was there to keep her safe. She then looked here and there and decided to run to the kitchen’s direction. She saw a door going to the backyard and without second thoughts, she let her instinct to survive lead her. She ran through the door and through the backyard. She ran and ran and ran.
But she was suddenly brought to a stop when a cliff greeted her. Breathing heavily, she looked around to search for another means of escape. There was really no option but she could just jump off the cliff, could she?
She then took the right side direction since there was this weird belief that the right direction is always correct. As she ran through the jungle of grasses, an unsteady earth gave way, making her trip and roll over the downward slope. She wanted to scream in fear and pain as she rolled over endlessly but the fear of being discovered was stronger so she was able to imprison her voice in .
Although Seunghyun was the first person who flashed into her mind, the name that came out from was quite different. “Jiyoooooong!”
-o=o=o-
“Can you two explain how both of you ended being shot by the other?”
“He shot me first,” Jiyong said in a bored tone, his shoulder wrapped up in bandage.
“Minwoo?” Sanggun turned to Minwoo.
“He was not my target,” he calmly said. “I was just trying to help him with his mission with that girl but he went in the way by shooting my hand holding the gun. If he didn’t do that, I would have got the girl, not his shoulder.”
“Well, you shouldn’t meddle with someone else’s job, should you?”
“Huh!” Minwoo snorted. “You didn’t really look like you’re in on for the job. Why, you spent the whole night with her but she’s still alive the following morning?”
Sanggun went silent for a moment. He then glanced at Jiyong. “Care to explain?”
Jiyong stared back at him steadily. “She’s a friend back then.”
Surprise came to his uncle’s face. “Friend?”
“Yes,” he answered. “She’s a childhood friend.”
“You’ve never considered anyone as your friend,” Sanggun stated matter-of-factly.
“I don’t really see the point of this conversation,” Jiyong said. “If you’re worried that I would back out, don’t worry because I won’t. But I would not kill her just yet. So if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and find her first.”
With that, Jiyong left without another word or glance. Silence filled the room. Sanggun then stood up and walked to the window overlooking the gates. “Minwoo,” he then said.
“Yes?”
“If Jiyong would fail to complete the mission, you finish it.”
------
Omo, omo, omo!
HAPPY 3RD YEAR ANNIVERSARY APPLERS!!!
Aigoo! We should all give thanks to the DGH admins, fanvid-makers especially to ryelsi7 who turned me to an Appler, banner whippers, all fanfic writers for spreading DARAGON love. And of course, to all APPLERS around the world! Wow, it's been three years! Keep spreading Daragon love, guys!
I, on the other hand would like to personally thank everyone for supporting me. TBP, CLT and TOW turned a year old this month. I never had an ongoing fic ran this long, sorry about that. I'll try to post the remaining chapters before the year ends, LOL. Also, I would like to thank those people who exerted effort in making banners and creating vids for my fics; to those who read my fics and shared it with others (forcing friends, cousins, etc to read my fics - LOL); to those who shared their thoughts with me by leaving comments. I appreciate it a lot! Thank you guys!
Huhuhu, I love y'all!
Comments