When Jongwoon had been training to be what he was today, they told him that the heart was something they should be wary of. They told him to keep in mind the mindless things one might do if they gave in to the impulses of their heart and acted like a man drunk on love.

Jongwoon understood the easily shattered heart, the fickle heart, the caring heart, the heart of longing, the sweeter-than-honey heart as well as the heart of the brave, but if there was anything he never understood, it was the loving heart.

He understood what it meant to love, those he cared for – his family and friends – were people he loved, but he never understood what it meant to love romantically. He never understood how people failed in their missions due to love, or how people give up their lives for their lovers in those sappy romantic movies, Jongwoon simply didn’t understand how it was possible.

But Jongwoon was a thinker – he thought that there must be a reason for love. He was an inquisitive soul – he wanted to know if it were possible to create love. He was interested in finding new ways to carry out his job – whether love could be used to overpower an opponent, to render them weak. And then here appeared a real life example what he had been searching for all along – a man with unending charm.

Lix was that charismatic example, that charm-filled individual that could make people fall for him at first sight and turn them into slaves of his sweet smile. He, together with Lis, had in a mere four hours talked to – as well as charmed – at least sixty percent of the two hundred people who had attended the event, a feat that even Kyuhyun and Jongwoon had had yet to accomplish. To say the least, Jongwoon was more than impressed.

Lix had been more than charming, more than beautiful, more than intelligent, and more than just simply witty. It was no wonder that the Venus Representatives had managed to charm so many people when they could easily wrap a person around their fingers within a short five-minute conversation. It was a talent that Jongwoon had always desired since he first joined Mars Corporate in their Defence Department.

No one could resist their cheerful auras, their innocent gazes, their honeyed words, and their overflowing charm that was inviting and irresistible, undeniable and limitless. Their charm could have been seen as otherworldly, unique and completely charismatic and everyone was attracted to that charm as moths are to light in the darkness.

Jongwoon didn’t fall for their trick though; he knew that Lis was probably as harmless as he was. He knew that Lix had probably been serious when he said that the most dangerous people in the world are the ones who don’t look like it, and he knew Lix had been talking about Lis and himself.

Jongwoon thought that Lix was such an enigma.

He had, in general, a similar opinion of Lis and Lix although he had not talked to Lis more than their first greeting. Both of them had been like open books, prepared to spill all the beans about their company. However, when anyone stepped too close and started to read the pages on the book, there was an immediate reaction as the two representatives snapped the book shut and smoothly steered the conversation towards another topic with a flash of their movie star smiles. What were they trying to do?

As he maneuvered his car into one of the lots in the open-air carpark beside his apartment block, he smiled to himself and decided that whatever his ulterior motive was, he had to admit that Lix was one cute guy. Still smiling as he turned off the engine and got out of the car, Jongwoon approached the building, his mind filled with the image of Lix’s sweet smile.

Out of nowhere, a sharp object flew past him and a soft material grazed his cheek, lodging itself between the cracks in the walls of the apartment block. The tail of the arrow quivered from the force and the blue and purple feathers that had brushed past his cheek moved along with the tail.

Feeling unusually bold and confident, Jongwoon called out to the dark night, “You missed,” before narrowing his eyes at the arrow and running his fingers around the pale pink paper wrapped around the shaft. He pulled at the paper, reading the message with a faint smile:

Are you going to give back what you took?

For a moment, Jongwoon stood in front of the building, his eyes fixed on the handwritten message and his fingers brushing against the words lightly. Then, with a wide and teasing smile on his face, he again called out into the empty night, “No.”

Almost immediately after he replied, another arrow appeared out from the darkness to his left and found its target between the leaves of the potted plant outside his apartment. Jongwoon frowned, thinking of how the landlady who owned the building would react if she ever found out that her precious potted plant had been shot at, as he carefully pulled the arrow out from the plant.

I wasn’t aiming for you in the first place.

An unconscious smirk appeared on one side of Jongwoon’s face as his eyes scanned the general area from which the arrow came from. The darkness rendered his vision poor, and he knew that whoever shot the arrow would also had been cautious enough to shield himself from unwanted eyes, but it was worth giving it a shot.

With complete diligence, he carefully searched the night for any possible signs of movements, and especially any familiar traits of a small-sized brunette.

Jongwoon should have seen it coming; he should have noticed the well-worn fingers from using the bow and arrows, the sharp and observant glint in Lix’s eyes as he talked and the stature of the archer in Lix when he stood beside him during the event. He should had known Lix would come, should have expected it. But at least he found what he had been looking for, his eyes fixed on the little brunette crouching a short distance away on the roof of a low building.

Lix could not escape Jongwoon’s gaze that easily, and perhaps even the brunette knew it for he saw Jongwoon looking straight at him and boldly met his eyes with his charming smile.

 Jongwoon returned the expression with a one-sided smile of his own and then turned his back on the brunette, sauntering into the lobby. His brain worked quickly, swiftly organizing a situation he could force Lix into to ensure the most positive outcome from their probable encounter in his apartment. When he stepped out of the lift and into his apartment on the fifteenth floor, he already had a plan, as well as two back-up plans, and knew that Lix was where Jongwoon wanted him to be.

Jongwoon threw open every single window in his apartment, making sure that each window was opened wide enough to welcome the brunette, before he made his way into his kitchen, a smile on his face. There was the soft sound of glass bottles being moved around, and then the sound of wine glasses clinking against each other before Jongwoon emerged from the kitchen with two wine glasses in his hands.

Carefully making his way to the counter-top table which happened to be facing an open window, Jongwoon placed both glasses on it and leaned against it. He stared at the window and then called out loudly, “Would you like a drink Lix-shii?”

There was a moment of silence as Jongwoon smiled victoriously before a shadow passed over the floor of his apartment and a lithe figure swung into his apartment from the open window. The figure landed softly on the carpeted floor, his face illuminated by the dim light of the moon as he stood up carefully, as though expecting an attack. 

Then the brunette’s calm and bright eyes met Jongwoon’s evenly while silence enveloped them both and tension ran high between them. Neither broke the silence, nor the eye contact, and the room seemed to turn darker with the cold gazes they gave each other.

Lix was the first to break the silence, “You’ve poisoned the drink.”

Jongwoon frowned and cocked his head to the left, “And waste a glass of good white wine? Not a chance,” he turned around to grab both glasses before turning back to face Lix and holding out one glass to him.

“You really expect that to convince me?” Lix laughed softly in disbelief.

Jongwoon nodded, his eyes twinkling as he took a sip out of both glasses and held out both to Lix, “I would never use wine to poison people, especially if it were white wine. Wouldn’t you agree that white wine has the best taste?”

Lix judged him coolly, his eyes moving from the wine glasses in Jongwoon’s hand to Jongwoon’s face, “What happens if I take a sip and it’s poisoned? What happens if you have an antidote to whatever poison you’ve placed in the wine and you’re just trying to convince me to take it while you can get away by using the antidote?”

Jongwoon smirked, “Do you really think I have an antidote?”

Lix remained silent.

“Then I guess it would all depend on what you think I would have done and that is something I cannot help you with.”

Lix stared at Jongwoon’s face, and then at the glasses, before he reached out a thin arm to take the glass on Jongwoon’s right. Running a finger across the rim of the wine glass, Lix’s hands roamed across the contours of the glass but he never took a sip.

Jongwoon raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had already known that it would probably have been impossible to get Lix to take a sip, for if it were him, he would have not taken the drink either.

“You are really nothing like you were just now,” Jongwoon started, taking a sip from his wine glass.

Ryeowook raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow and scoffed, “Did you really expect the person who came knocking on your window to be exactly the same as the one at the event?”

“If I were completely honest,” Jongwoon stated, “I did expect someone similar to the person at the event.”

“Sorry to disappoint, I’m usually nothing like that person.”

“That’s alright Lix-shii, whether you are the person from before or the person you are now, both are just as equally charming,” Jongwoon winked smoothly.

A queer look crossed Lix’s face as his grip on the wine glass tightened, “I only use the name Lix when I attend business events, don’t call me that name unless I meet you at another event.”

Jongwoon’s eyes turned curious, “What should I call you if we ever were to meet outside an event then?”

The queer look disappeared from Lix’s face and he chuckled, “After tonight, you’ll probably never see me again, at an event or outside an event, it doesn’t matter. But since, either one of us won’t survive the night, I guess giving you my name won’t harm anyone. The name’s Ryeowook, Kim Ryeowook.”

“So you’re Lix when at events and Ryeowook when you’re not working?”

“No,” Ryeowook shook his head, “Lix is the sociable side while I am the business side. I’m the one you should consider your enemy, not offer wine.”

“You’re the same person then,” Jongwoon concluded and took another sip from his glass, “I’ll take it as I am offering Lix the wine then, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

Ryeowook blinked once before his eyes narrowed dangerously, “Lix only appears in times when I need to socialize.”

“And you don’t need to socialize with me?”

“I’m here for business purposes, not to socialize, Jongwoon-shii.”

A small smile appeared on Jongwoon’s face, “Drop the formalities Ryeowook-shii, I’d rather we kept it in social mode, I turn scary when I go into business mode.”

“You told me to drop the formalities, but you called me Ryeowook-shii. Perhaps you yourself think that it’s better if we stayed in business mode than in social mode,” Ryeowook took a small sip from his wine glass, a genuine smile evident on his lips.

“However, finally sipping that glass of wine tells me that you don’t mind talking to me as Lix.”

“I would always want to talk to someone as Lix,” Ryeowook shrugged, “It’s a part of me that I can’t help but show, I cannot control when that side will appear.”

“That’s like having serious bipolar issues,” Jongwoon commented and Ryeowook raised an eyebrow, “But I like it, it’s like having two sides of the picture together in one person. It’s like having both cute and y in one person.”

“Me, wanting to kill you is y?” Ryeowook looked confused.

“Oddly enough, yes. But you should know by now that killing me is going to be quite an impossible task don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t bet on it, I’m more deadly that most people think I am, don’t underestimate me.”

“You? Kill Me?” Jongwoon shook his head, “I. Will. Overpower. You,” he took a few steps closer to Ryeowook, leaving his wine on the table and forcing Ryeowook to back up against the wall.

Inhaling sharply, Ryeowook’s hand slipped into his back pocket and he swiftly pulled out a sharp pocket knife. His attempt to stab Jongwoon in his side was rendered unsuccessful as a pair of strong, steady hands gripped his and prevented him from moving the blade towards his intended target. Glaring at Jongwoon, Ryeowook let out a low, cat-like growl to which Jongwoon replied with a shake of his head and a victorious smirk.

Frowning, Ryeowook tilted his head slightly to the right, “I might actually have a lot of fun killing you Jongwoon-shii,” He leaned forward to whisper in Jongwoon’s ear, “I love it when people pose a challenge.”

Jongwoon withdrew his hand from the knife and retreated a few steps back, his coal-black eyes taking in the half-smile on Ryeowook’s face. The charming Venus representative had never looked as dangerous as he did now. Jongwoon grinned, “I guess people like us all love a challenge. Are you sure you’re up for a game with me?”

“I’m expecting a good fight from you.”

“From me? I usually prefer to avoid fights, but if that’s what you want, a Mars representative would never say no to a fight.”

“Would you prefer to have a conversation then? I would love to talk to a Mars representative.”

Jongwoon’s eyes brightened significantly, “I’d love to talk, but would you tell me if I were talking to Lix or if I were talking to Ryeowook?”

“You’ll be talking to both, depending on where you choose to steer the conversation,” Ryeowook’s eyes had a spark in them as he leaned comfortably against the counter-top.

There was a pause, “Are you enjoying the wine?”

“It’s white wine,” Ryeowook smiled, “What’s there not to like?”

“What if I had poisoned it?”

“Then let’s just say that I trust you enough to believe you would not have.”

“You trust me?” He paused, and when Ryeowook nodded once, he continued, “Enough to let me do this?” Jongwoon slipped a hand inside Ryeowook’s pocket and grabbed the knife that Ryeowook had tried to use against him before.

“I trust you Jongwoon,” Ryeowook was still smiling, “It’s me you shouldn’t trust.”

“Well then, it would be best if I kept the knife with me rather than have it buried somewhere in my body when I turn my back on you.”

“I don’t backstab people,” Ryeowook looked slightly affronted, “It goes against my morals. Besides, I came here to kill you. One way or another, only one of us will be alive come morning and I would very much prefer if that individual was me.”

“How about we compromise and come morning, we can both still be alive and go for a morning date, what do you say?” Jongwoon actually looked hopeful.

“Sorry,” Ryeowook couldn’t help but smile, “But those weren’t the orders I received. Either I kill you, or I die trying. Had we met under different circumstance though, I might have agreed for that morning date.”

“If it’s about the damned system, I had nothing to do with it disappearing from your company, I swear.”

Ryeowook chuckled, “Who said me coming here was to kill you because of the system?”

“Why else would Venus want to kill me so badly?”

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out. All you need to know is that I’m here because I’m the ideal one to kill you.”

“So you’re saying that after we had this long conversation between us, you’re only here to kill me?”

Ryeowook tapped the side of his head lightly, “Business mode Jongwoon-shii, I told you.”

“Luckily for you, I’m still in social mode.”

“I would love to see you in business mode,” Ryeowook leaned in closer to Jongwoon.

“I’m deadly in business mode, don’t ask for what you cannot handle,” Jongwoon was absolutely serious, his face with any hint of a smile, “If I were in business mode, you would have gone down even before you had stepped into the apartment.”

“I doubt it, I’m more deadly than you think.”

“No matter how many times you say it, it doesn’t work that way, I’m not going to be convinced,” Jongwoon’s hands disappeared inside his pocket.

Ryeowook bit his bottom lip, his eyes trained on Jongwoon’s hand. Not one sound escaped either of their lips as the two of them stared each other down. Jongwoon’s once friendly and coal-warm eyes had hardened into the merciless eyes of a true Mars representative while Ryeowook met Jongwoon’s eyes with equal intensity, holding his own with his fierce and charismatic brown eyes.

Then it happened, in a moment, in a single heartbeat, both of them had their guns out, pointing straight at each other with their fingers curled tightly around the trigger.

“Perhaps I did underestimate you Ryeowook, you have quick reactions.”

“And now it’s down to who will shoot first or who can dodge the bullet that will be shot.”

There was the sound of bullets falling on the floor as Ryeowook emptied his gun of all its bullets but one and aimed the gun back at Jongwoon, “One bullet each, one shot.”

Jongwoon nodded and smirked, emptying his own gun save for that one bullet, “One.”

Ryeowook’s answering smile was blinding, “Two.”

They stopped and looked into each other’s eyes, and for a moment, a wordless connection was formed between them, “Three.”

Bang.

A/N: So that's it for the three-shot. You'll never know what happened to the four of them XD The ending is left open, so you decide what happens after that shot. Do they both die? Or will both survive? :)

Make this author happy will you and write a comment to commemorate the end? I'll be really really grateful :) Just one comment and it makes my day. I'm serious. I get up and do victory dances when I see new subscribers and comments. XD Comment~