chapter nine

She pressed the gun against the dark shadow that lay beside her, hesitating to shoot. The figure shifted, and spoke.

“Shoot,” he said. “Just do it,”

She sighed and lowered the gun. “I can’t,” she mumbled, turning away. “Not now, not here; not like this,”

Tao wrapped his arms around her waist and sighed in contentment at the contact.

“How can you do this?” she asked.

“Do what, Shu?” he questioned back, trying to get used to her real name.

“Be comfortable with me,” she sighed. “I’m a murderer, and you’re my target. You should feel at least a bit uncomfortable; but you don’t seem to care,”

Tao chucked. “But I love you. I can accept it. Like I said; I would prefer to die by the hands of someone I love, or someone who loves me,”

“It makes it so much harder, because I love you,” Shuchun groaned, carelessly dropping her gun.

“Then don’t do it,” he suggested, although he knew the Black Scorpion member was working for Qingshan. It wasn’t easy to run under Qingshan’s careful watch.

Shuchun gave a dry laugh. “Aren’t you smart?”

Tao chuckled. “But I’m letting you kill me. Why don’t you just do it?”

Shuchun avoided the question. “Can I kiss you?”

“There’s nothing romantic about this situation, aside from lying in the bed together; but I’m not complaining. Go right ahead,” Tao responded.

Shuchun rolled her eyes, and lightly brushed her lips against his. She pressed into him, and deepened the kiss, almost desperately, as if he was going to fade away in the next second. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Tao sighed, pushing her away.

“Stop,” he said.

Shrinking back, she obliged. Tao traced patterns on the blankets as Shuchun began her rant. It had been like that since she revealed her true identity. Every time she did something intimate with him, she would launch into apologies the next second. It got irritating sometimes, but he put up with it because he loved her.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Tao whispered.

Shuchun nodded, and lay back down beside him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered one last time before Tao feel asleep.

She got off the bed silently, and left the room; dialling the number she thought she would never call ever again.

“Hello?”

“Meet you in fifteen. The castle,” she said, and hung up.

Shuchun sighed, and grabbed her coat, walking out. She made her way down the dark alleyways that were illuminated by minimal street lights. She chuckled softly at the thought of going to see him at the pace they first met. The castle; it was a small abandoned building at the edge of town, once belonging to a rich family. It had gotten its name from its exterior appearance; very castle-like. It was also the old hideout of the Black Scorpions. She stepped towards the large doors, and pushed the open. Like expected, he was early. Shuchun shot him a sweet smile, and he pulled her into an awkward embrace.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hi,” she responded.

“Why are you calling me out here at...” he glanced at his watch. “3:45 a.m.?”

“Listen, Xiao Lu,” she sighed.

Luhan tried to hide the excited smile when she addressed him by his nickname. Shuchun took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,”

Two simple words, but Luhan understood perfectly. They were the two words that neither has heard from each other for three years. The words that they both wanted to hear. The girl looked at him sincerely, and he smiled.

“I’m sorry too, Chunnie,” Luhan replied.

It was a good thing to be the best of friends, as you could forgive each other in seconds. The right words just needed to be said. They stood there staring at each other for a brief moment, until Luhan broke the silence.

“So yeah... why am I here?” he asked.

“I wanted to spend my last night out of jail with my first love,” she deadpanned.

Luhan did a double take. “What?”

She stared at him. “You heard me,”

“You’re going to jail?”

“Probably,” he shrugged.

“Why?”

“Because...” she paused. “I kill people?”

Luhan took this information in a lot more calmly than he normally should have.

“You... kill people?” he repeated.

“Yeah,”

Shuchun had no idea why she was so chill while telling Luhan all of this. Perhaps she was just very comfortable with Luhan? She snapped out of her thoughts when he urgently tapped her shoulder. She looked at him.

“I was your first love?”

Shuchun bit her lip. “Yeah, I never thought you were gay though,”

Luhan raised an eyebrow. “I’m not, I’m biual,”

Shuchun shrugged. “Whatever,”

“So, we could actually work,” Luhan stated. Shuchun rolled her eyes.

“I’m over you,” she retorted. He laughed.

“Why are you so comfortable telling me all this?” he paused, thinking of something to add. “You ran away from me that one day at the bar...” Luhan glanced at her.

“And now, you’re perfectly fine,” he bit his lower lip. “Why, Chun?”

“I guess because I can’t seem to hold everything back anymore,” she answered. “I want to get everything off my shoulder, before I’m not the same anymore. Before I change for the second time,”

Luhan studied her face. “You’re a member of an underground mafia, am I right?”

“Pretty accurate,”

“Which one?” he inquired.

Shuchun sighed. “Luhan, I know what you’re planning, but just wait until I’m done my mission, okay?”

Luhan rolled his eyes. “What could I possibly be planning?”

“Lu Han, don’t you dare play this game with me. I know your plans better than you know them yourself,” she shot him a knowing glare.

Luhan held his hands up in defense. “Okay, okay; you caught me,”

“I’ll let you turn me into the cops later,” Shuchun laughed. “I you can actually catch me, and get proof,”

She got up.

“Where are you going?”

“Home,” she simply replied. “Good night, Xiao Lu. I hope I’m doing the right thing by entrusting you with that information,”

She kissed him on the cheek, and Luhan stood there dumbfounded; watching her leave. He racked his brain for a reason—any kind of explanation as to why she would tell him that stuff. Shuchun as an assassin working for an underground mafia. It was almost surreal to Luhan. He covered his face with his hands, and groaned, but then the reason finally dawned on him. Dropping his hands, Luhan glanced at the now-tiny-figure walking away in the distance.

“That idiot,” he muttered, and he walked in the opposite direction, towards his own apartment that he shared with Minseok.

Luhan pulled out his phone as he walked, and pressed 4 on speed dial. The phone barely made it past one ring when it was picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Luhan,” he said. The person on the other line chuckled.

“I’m quite aware,” he answered. “What do you need?”

“Get Joonmyeon to mobilize the team. As in my team, and mobilize your own.” Luhan instructed.

The person on the other end waited for further demands from the baby-faced male.

“Alert headquarters; we’re currently activating Code Blue. As precaution, raise the security levels at headquarters, and the Capital building,”

“Anything else?” the other male inquired.

“...and assemble my gun, Yunho. We’re going to need it,”

author's comments

Ooh, baby Lulu is back~ ^^

Hmm, what might Hannie be planning? ^^

Next chapter is the last. =P

Leave me a comment?

Love you guys~ ^^