His movements were quick and efficient as his shoes glided silently over the pavement. The air had turned frosty once again, and he could see his breath making clouds in front of him. Twenty paces to the door and then it was time for action. No more counting down as he had done on his first missions. It was like clockwork. He raised his hand once and rapped on the door. 

Five seconds, time enough for the guard to look at him through the monitor. The door swung open, and Hyun Joong came face to face with the guard. "What's your business?" The well built man eyed him while holding the door slightly ajar and keeping it in between them. It was an obvious and typical maneuver for a guard, keeping something in between you and a possible hostile, but it seemed ridiculous in a situation like this. He knew the guard was still trying to keep up the pretense of being a normal bodyguard, but his stance told him otherwise. The best plan for someone like him was to catch them off guard. Hyun Joong tensed and threw his fist up, catching the guard in the jaw. He took advantage of the brief second of shock to twist inside the doorway and pin the guard to the wall. The guard grunted and threw his head back, hoping to come into contact with Hyun Joong's face. Already expecting that, Hyun Joong ducked and then brought his hand up, hitting one of the guard's pressure points and knocking him out cold. The whole exchange lasted for the space of five seconds. One down, five to go, was Hyun Joong's mental count. 

Although the scuffle had been relatively silent, Hyun Joong could hear hasty footsteps echoing on the marble floor. The second entry guard was returning to his post. The timing was a little early, which meant he would have to move faster, but he wasn't complaining. Even though the fighters here were top notch, the protection system that was in place still had its flaws, and those flaws were making his job easier. 

Instead of waiting for the guard to arrive, Hyun Joong took the initiative and rounded the corner instead, pulling the trigger to his gun as soon as he did. He didn't want to take any chances that the other man's gun would already be out, and it was well that he did. The guard's gun clattered on the floor, following its owner's quiet descent. Two down.

As planned, he made a quick left and footed it up the lengthy staircase. Made of pure marble, the article had said, and he didn't doubt it. Hide away but do it in the gaudiest, most comfortable spot seemed to be his target's objective. It did nothing for his safety but broadcast his location all the more. Was he even aware of the foolishness of his choice? Risking his life for a few days of comfort instead of enduring three days couped up, but invisible and safe, before finally escaping. If he was underestimating the danger, he was about to be sorely disappointed. These thoughts and more flickered through Hyun Joong's head as he walked down the hallway.   

One of the doors up ahead was slightly ajar, alerting Hyun Joong to the presence of a person, or persons, in the room. Sure enough, voices could be heard as he neared, getting clearer and louder in volume with each step. There was only one voice talking now, and it was speaking in calm, measured tones. "Try once more. If he doesn't answer, I want you to go down and investigate. If he's sleeping or anywhere other than his post, shoot him." 
Hyun Joong could hear someone's reply of agreement, and he readied himself to make a quick entrance. He crept closer and flattened himself against the wall, staying in the shadow of the large doorframe. Any moment now and the guard would be out to check up on the unresponsive others. Sure enough, the door swung open fully, the person on the other end not yet stepping out. As soon as he did, though, Hyun Joong grabbed him by the arm and flung him further down the hallway. Using that momentum like a springboard, he pulled himself into the room, letting out two shots from his gun as he did so. He'd used the sounds coming from inside the room to estimate where the other guard was standing, and his estimation had been correct. The element of surprise had been enough to take out the first guard, but he knew the second would've recovered quickly and come back. In one swift motion, he brought the gun behind him and fired, just as the first guard hit the floor. There was a small thud from behind, and he knew he wouldn't need another shot. 

His target was shaking now, an infiltration of the best security system around could do that to a person. He tried to cover it up, though, tried to infuse some of the commanding calm he'd held in his voice only a minute ago. "What do you want?" 
But Hyun Joong wasn't interested in any mind games or last words. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger. 

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The drive home was quick enough, with the exception of a short stop at a convenience store. There'd been more food to buy, along with some toiletries, and maybe an extra sleeping shirt or two. He parked the car and made his way up the steps to the apartment, but not before making sure he hadn't been followed. He opened the door louder than he would normally have and gave it a little slam as he closed it behind him. Making his way into the kitchen, he deposited some of the food in the fridge and took the rest of the purchased items with him. His steps in the hallway seemed out of place and extra loud to his ears, but he kept his footsteps noisy anyway so that he wouldn't scare her unnecessarily. He remembered the first few times he'd entered her room in his usual way. She'd been so startled each time, and it always took a while for her to relax, although she tried not to show it. And so he kept himself loud and made noises he assumed people normally would, all so that she'd be a little more comfortable. It was almost natural to him now, to be unnatural inside his own home. He stopped in front of her door and brought up his hand to knock before putting it down again, confused. He never knocked, always entering whenever he needed to. So why had he almost done it? He shook his head at himself. As always, he found himself out of character whenever it came to her. 

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I scrambled out from my position under the bed and hid behind the corner where the door opened and held my breath. I could hear his footsteps as he locked the apartment door and paused in the kitchen before making his way down the hall. I allowed myself a small moment of satisfaction. I'd gotten better at listening out for him. I felt the weight I held in my hands and got nervous all over again, my heart rate kicking up an extra notch. It's okay, Seung Mi. Breathe. You can do this. I worked on steadying my breath and waited as I heard the key turning in the lock. My grip on the timepiece tightened as the first thing that came into view was my tray of food. My arms wavered slightly with the adrenaline rush. And then his head came into view. Trying to use as much force as I could, I brought the clock down, steeling myself for the sound of solid wood and metal connecting with someone's skull. Only, it didn't. At least not his skull. My eyes widened in shock as instead, I hit his back. How he managed to avoid it was beyond me. From what I could recall, I hadn't made any noise, but he'd quickened his pace to clear the space where I was hiding. The most I'd managed to give him was a solid thump on the back. As he straightened up, my eyes widened, and I got ready to try again.

There's no way he's going to let you live after this.