4. BUT SHE COULDN'T

Secretly looking at each other from afar, Yujin looks at Wonyoung as she serves Madame Kwon, and Dr. Kim’s dinner. The other girls were at the dining area as well. The Madame and her eight girls were discussing the next mission, Dr. Kim Minju was there to listen about the possible modifications she could do to the sisters’ bodies before the mission. While Yujin, she wasn’t exactly required to be there, she just wanted to listen to what the girls had to do, and to see Wonyoung.

Yujin heard something, it was distant but she was sure of what it was— a set of footsteps coming to the Mansion. She walked towards the third window from where she is, it was also the one behind Wonyoung. The servant listened to the sounds more, it was getting closer.

“Madame, shhh.”

“I see, come to the underground room later. Dr. Kim and I will go first, make sure none of those intruders would be able to set foot in this mansion. That’s your job, Yujin An.” Madame Kwon stood up from her seat, Dr. Kim as well. They walked towards the two twin doors that lead to the dining hall.

“Girls, stay here first. I’ll go down and see if there’s anyone in the woods.”

The eight nodded, they all pulled out their weapons and hid on the walls under the windows.

Yujin opened the window and jumped down, she circled the nearby area as fast as she could, but she didn’t find a single soul lurking near the mansion. Not even a trace or anything. She quickly raced back to the dining area to where she first came from.

“Ms. Yujin, is there something?”

“No, Milady. There wasn’t—”

Right in front of their eyes, they saw Yujin running towards Wonyoung, she covered her as dozens of bullets shattered their windows. Some hit the walls, and some hit Yujin.

The servant slowly fell on the floor, three bullets punched a hole through her body. One came out, and two were stuck inside her body. Wonyoung then supported her in her arms as Yujin slowly became weaker as the blood gushed out of her lips, and through the bullet holes on her back. Their eyes met, she saw how her eyes looked like it was about to cry. Yujin covered Wonyoung because she is the target, being the mission leader.

The white blouse she wore was painted with blood, the dining area was soon filled with sounds of gunshots. The other sisters immediately pulled out their weapons and started sending bullets out of the windows, in an attempt to get a bullseye to the perpetrators. 

“Dumb… Why did you do that… I won’t die of a mere gunshot… I’m an android…”

“I am this mansion’s servant, I’ve chosen to protect the mansion from intruders. I also can’t let anyone know of your secrets.” 

“Don’t talk!” Wonyoung bit her lower lip as she watched Yujin speak slowly with a smile on her lips, slowly becoming pale of blood loss..

“Wonyoung, you’re a human in my eyes.” Yujin’s voice was trembling, “I… I love…” she tried telling her the last words she wanted to tell her at this moment.

She couldn't imagine Yujin dying in her arms, "No, please… Yujin, Dr. Kim is coming, she can treat you." Tears began welling up on the corners of her eyes.

Yujin caressed her right cheek with a smile on her face, “Don’t cry Wonyoung, don’t cry… Remember that I love…” She felt it hard to breathe, “You.”  She closed her eyes.

She stopped breathing, Dr. Kim Minju arrived and checked her pulse and when she looked at Wonyoung, Minju shook her head, Wonyoung felt frustrated, she stood up and jumped out of the window, in which her other siblings followed her. 

+++

Upon their return, they have brought the perpetrator. It was an officer from the special ops, she was one of the people who tortured the deceased servant—it was Captain Chaeyeon Lee. Wonyoung’s eyes were cold, the sisters were wet from the rain outside. Their clothes are stained with blood, their leader pushed the handcuffed perpetrator on the floor, right beside the servant’s cold corpse, she pointed her pistol at her forehead.

“P-Please, don’t do it…”

Wonyoung pulled the trigger, she used up all her bullets on the officer—she even went as far as to borrow her sisters’ weapons to make sure that the body would never be recognized. The dining hall was filled with her frustrated screams, and repeated questions such as “Why did you kill her!? Why did you shoot?”.

Her siblings can’t even bear to look at her, and they all turned their backs as Wonyoung continued filling the body with holes of bullets and knives.

And soon, her knees couldn't even hold it longer. She dropped on the floor and started crying.

+++

“Doctor, please uninstall that program.” 

“Wonyoung, I can’t do that without Kwon’s orders—”

“Please, just do it.” Her eyes remained cold as the day that she died, “Make me a cold-blooded killer, make me a killing machine who showed no remorse.” She added.

"Wonyoung… Do you want this?" Dr. Kim was unsure if she would do it, or not.

"Yes, I want her, Yujin An to be the first and last person I'll ever love."

I promise myself. She'll be the only person I’ll ever love.

+++

Months after the incident, Wonyoung received something from Dr. Kim, it was a data chip. She wasn't sure why she was being given that data chip but she accepted it anyway. Wonyoung brought it to the room where Sakura would often use computers, she inserted it on one of the computers and opened the files inside, a collection of video files. It was set to play on the huge screen in the middle of the room—just like a cinema.

As soon as the first video played, she felt as if her body had weakened. Yujin has always been looking at her, from the moment he arrived at the mansion. It was almost funny when she came across the video from when they were introducing themselves to him, she could hear her siblings introducing themselves but the shot on the video, supposedly taken from his eyes—was only fixated on her. 

She felt the familiar pain on her chest when the video from when they used to play piano and instruments together went on the screen, even during those piano four fingers she would still look at her, and watch her enjoy the music they make.

"This shall be our little secret, Milady—I mean Wonyoung." 

It hurt her a lot, that time when they told each other about what they felt.

The one that she liked the most, when they were out for almost a week for a mission. It was a footage of Yujin looking at herself in the mirror.

“Uh… Dr. Kim said she’ll send this to Wonyoung on their way back… How to do a video greeting even!? Ugh… So let’s try.”

“Nice one, Wonyoung! I heard it today from Dr. Kim that the eight of you successfully retrieved Madame Kwon’s items— wait, that doesn’t seem right.”

“Yujin, I kept my promise.” She whispers to herself.

“You did well, Wonyoung. Let’s make music again, soon?” Yujin was smiling. 

“Yes, Yujin.”

“Let’s make music again…”

“If shooting stars can make wishes come true, I want to be a human… I want to meet you in the next life… Where nothing could come between us.”

For some reason, a video randomly played—the one from when caught him playing the piano for the first time. She placed her hand on her cheeks, as if waiting for her tears—but there was nothing.

She wanted to cry but she couldn't.

Why is there nothing coming out…? Wonyoung gripped unto her skirt tightly, all she could feel right now is frustration.

I should be the one… who's dead...