They’ve been together for years, she and Hyunjung. Gone through ups and downs, thick and thin, always been them two since the beginning of this whole mess. They’re Sojung and Hyunjung, Hyunjung and Sojung, nothing more, nothing less.

Things were ugly and murdering was difficult, even for an assassin like Sojung who had been in this ‘business’ for god knows how many years. Deaths were caused, conscience had to be covered, emotions must be suppressed during every murderous crime she committed. She should have gotten used to it by now, the violence, the torture, the inhumanity. Even still, guilt eats her inside like poison, acid, biting her flesh and rotting her spirit in the middle of the night so painfully it left her sweating and shaking and gasping for air when she sprang up from the bed. Memories of the desperate screams, hatred-filled eyes and the gushing blood of her victims haunting her in her sleep.

But there’s Hyunjung. Who wrapped her in a warm comforting hug despite her being sticky from sweat. Who whispered it’s ok over and over again in her ear as she sobbed uncontrollably on her shoulder. Who rubbed soothing circles on her back and rocked her back and forth until her cries became small whimpers and shaky breaths. Who stayed humming a lullaby with a drowsy, thankful Sojung falling back asleep in her embrace, this time with peace. Hyunjung was the antidote to the poison, the neutraliser to the acid, the knight in shining armor coming to her rescue. With Hyunjung by her side, Sojung was sure that she could get through everything.

Life, just as simple; well, not that simple, as it should.

The world would end in three days, it’s inevitable. Even Five, the best of them all has failed to stop it. The Commission wouldn’t allow it, wouldn’t allow anyone to mess with the timeline to make sure that things that are meant to happen happens. And the apocalypse, unfortunately, is one of them.

‘Pretty sure they got it figured out. Simple life with a partner. Sometimes what you want is right in front of you...by the time you realise it, it’s too late,’ said Hyunjung with her back turned towards Sojung.

Hyunjung doesn’t understand, that Sojung already has all she wants, all she needs, with Hyunjung. Sure, their lives are far from simple, but she thinks it’s just right, as simple as they can be, in this cruel messy world, being the broken people they are with countless peoples’ blood left on their hands. But of course Hyunjung just has to fall in love with a normal girl from a donut shop, of course.

‘Our only choice is to do what they say. One way or another, they always get you,’ Sojung’s voice shook as she replied.

Reality has taught Sojung to follow orders no matter what, and she has never really had a problem with that. She has witnessed the consequences before, plenty of times, more than enough to make sure she never rebels against the orders. Hyunjung knew this just as well as everyone else. But she’s blinded by love, by the sweet donut scent of a girl that’s like the first fresh breath she has ever taken in years. And Sojung is just as blinded as she is. Hyunjung deserves so much, so much that Sojung will never be able to give her. But this girl, Soobin, may just be enough.

She has learnt to never rebel against the orders. But here she is, lowering her gun that was aimed at Hyunjung’s back. She gets back into the car, saying that the case isn’t in the woods they are at, an excuse she had came up with to get them to this remote place. The faint familiar clicking of a gun she heard confirmed her suspicions, and the ride back towards the city was silent, an unspoken understanding between them lingering in the air. She could tell that the orders were taking a toll on the both of them. Those huge dark circles hanging underneath their eyes, and that both of them haven’t slept properly in days. She has to do something, it may not be too late for Hyunjung and Soobin.

Sojung knows Hyunjung all too well. She knows that to Hyunjung, she would rather have three days with Soobin than thirty thousand days with Sojung. And Sojung would rather die than spend the rest of her immortal life without her Hyunjung. Gripping the wheel so hard her hands start to feel numb, she knows what she must do.

Hyunjung mumbled something about getting them dinner as she left the car, and Sojung watched her walk away with a sad smile. She got out of the car, gun secured in her holster, and walked without looking back. When she finally stopped, she was in a small alley with no one in sight. Shakingly, she pulled out her gun, aiming it at the side of her head and slowly applied pressure to the trigger with her eyes closed. She gulped, sweat starting to form between her brows as images of her killings flashed across her mind. She can’t help but wonder if this is what her victims felt facing their death, the huge wave of helplessness, despair and fear.

‘Sojung!’

The loud voice startled her, causing her to completely push the trigger, narrowly missing her temple, the bullet scratching across her forehead instead.

How careless of me, forgetting about the chip…

It felt cold, then intensely hot and painful all at once, forcing Sojung to her knees, clutching her furiously bleeding wound. Her vision began to waver, clouded by the dark red of her own blood and flashes of black and white. There was a ringing in her ears, but not loud enough to deafen her to Hyunjung's approach. She had to act fast. Using the last of her strength, Sojung brought the gun back towards her head and shot herself right at her temple, a single tear falling from her eye as her body gave out and fell limp on the floor, the broken scream of Hyunjung echoing in the dark alley.

Clenched in Sojung’s hand, stained with blood, is a piece of paper, identical to the sheet stuffed deep into Hyunjung’s pocket. On the two pieces of paper is a simple sentence, ‘Terminate partner for immediate extraction.’

At the back of Sojung’s sheet, however; scrawled in Sojung’s messy handwriting, was another sentence, ‘Maybe in another lifetime, you’ll fall in love with me instead.’