The lollipop. It invoked something in Kyung's memory. That was how his targets were given to him when he first joined. He felt a shiver down his spine when he realized that they had the same boss. Why didn't Jaehyo warn him? Kyung was sure that Jaehyo had known who Zico was.

This was it. They had no way out, except to leave the country if they wanted to stay alive. On one hand, they had the issue of dealing with Janus, and on the other, Kyung had been warned by Jaehyo not to fail this assignment. Kyung knew what would happen if the boss was not obeyed; he'd seen it happen so many times. The agency would target the families and loved ones first. At least for the sake of his family, he'd have to do something, even if it meant staging Jiho's death.

"Jiho, I've got an idea. My family had moved elsewhere from our hometown. Let your family stay with mine, while we figure out what to do"

"Don't worry too much about me. I have Janus to deal with. I'll go after him, and if I don't return, it would be as if you didn't fail the assignment"

"I think it would be better if we stage your death. That way, Janus would also believe it"

Jiho really didn't have much faith in this plan. He wanted Kyung safe, and if there was even one hitch, Kyung would be at risk. Personally, he hadn't been at all shocked when Kyung told him about the assignment. Off late, he'd had his own doubts on whether they both were working for the same person. Their last two assignments were too close to be brushed off as a coincidence, which made him suspect if their first meeting had been a coincidence as well. He couldn't say no to Kyung's earnest face, and so he reluctantly agreed to the plan.

Kyung spoke to his family and instructed them to let Jiho's mother stay with them for a while, whilst they figured out what to do next. Kyung spent his time thinking of how to make his idea work and make it believable at the same time. After hours of thinking, he came up with an idea. He'd need antivenom. A lot of it, and a lot of witnesses. He rummaged through his collection till he found what he was looking for. A vial of rattlesnake venom. Smiling, he poured the contents of the vial into a syringe. The best part about using rattlesnake venom was the fact that he would be able to save Jiho if he used the antivenom within 2 hours. He had to make sure that Jaehyo was one of the witnesses, as he would immediately be able to inform their boss that the deed had been done.

"Jaehyo, it's Kyung. I need your help once more. I've got everything I need, but this is a difficult assignment"

"I agree. Zico is an assassin too, as you know. So you'd need to be extra prepared"

"I might need some backup. Would you come as my backup? There's an exhibition tomorrow on weaponry that I know he will attend"

"I'll be there. Don't worry"

**********************************************************

"Mr. Lee, he's going to do it, but I'll be there on hand in case he fails"

"Good"

It seemed that Lee Taeil had seriously underestimated Park Kyung. He thought he was too much of a coward to actually go through with it. This was good. Zico was becoming a liability these days.

**********************************************************

"I feel a little scared. What if I mess it up?"

Jiho grasped Kyung's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He could feel Kyung's heart beating fast. He'd never seen Kyung this nervous before. Although he had his own doubts, it was most important for him to calm Kyung down.

"I trust you, Kyung. I know you'll do your best"

"What if I don't reach you in time?"

"Then I'll always be with you in your heart"

"Don't say that"

"You'll be fine. Stop worrying"

Kyung smiled a little as Jiho kissed his cheek softly, and walked towards the exhibition. Looking around, he saw Zico position himself at the discussed spot and speak to someone near him. It was all set. Taking a deep breath, he kneeled down as if to re-tie his shoelace, and took out a dart that was disguised as a bamboo shoot. Aiming and concentrating hard, he blew into the dart, causing the syringe to travel through the air and pierce Jiho's ankle. It took a few minutes before Kyung could see the effect the venom was having on Jiho. He saw Jiho sway and rushed to his side to catch him before he fell. He felt someone touch his shoulder and looked up to see Jaehyo.

"Good job, Kyung. Turns out you didn't need any backup after all"

Kyung waited till he saw Jaehyo leave and immediately pulled out the antivenom. It had been less than 15 minutes, so he knew Jiho would be saved. It took about half an hour for Jiho to open his eyes, and it was only then that Kyung felt relieved.

Jiho coughed as he slowly opened his eyes. It took a while for his blurred vision to become normal again. He felt a jolt in his heart when he saw Kyung's worried face, his eyes b with tears. With some effort, he stretched out his hand and wiped away the lone tear that slid down his cheek.

"It's okay, Kyung. I'm here. It worked"

"I...I love you, Jiho"

"I know. I love you too"