RED | 01

• • •

There are things that doesn't need an explanation. There are things that doesn't need a reason. There are things that doesn't need words. I work. I kill for a living. You want to know why? Because it doesn't matter. I am nobody. I exist just to kill–well that's what I only know for myself.

• • •

November 28th, it's cold and my mouth puffs cold smoke. I'm waiting for this guy in the picture. His name is Nam Kyung Wook, my next assignment. He looks like he's in his mid 30s. Brows are not so bushy. Neat and, that's it. That's all I can describe about that guy. Hell, I was given a 2x2 picture and less information about his whereabouts, so I have to do the rest of my part.

I put the picture inside my coat and entered Namjjuk Bar. Damn, it's quite stinky inside here. s are on the stage – pole dancing. I can see some are on the tables showing their ies to their costumers, making them touch it, inserting moneys inside their underwear.

Even though it's quite dark on my left side I can even see someone's banging in the corner. But I don't mind, it's usual for me to see those stuff. Believe me, I've seen worse than that.

I sit on the counter with few men ordering their liquor. I called the bartender to give me a bottle of beer. "Chicky." Said the guy who was sitting next to me, drinking his glass. "Why not drink vodka?" It's pretty damn obvious he's looking at me from head-to-s but I feel sorry for him, I'm wearing this thick coat and there's nothing to look at, really. The bartender showed up, serving my order. I didn't reply to the guy who was next to me. I wiped the mouth of the bottle with a tissue and drink it.

"Since it's winter we need to drink to warm our body." The guy said, but I didn't say anything nor looked at him. I'm just reading the back label of the bottle.

I was observing the place, waiting for that guy to come. But I guess he's not coming tonight.

"It's unusual for a girl to be going in a bar like this." He drank his vodka. "Do you like to try banging those here?" He laughed, scratching his nose. "I'm just kidding. You don't talk too much don't you?"

I didn't pay to what he was saying and continued reading the label. He keeps yapping out nonsense talk that I don't even give a damn of what he was saying. But I noticed he keeps scratching his nose.

Wait. His mustache might be–

"Kid, people nowadays can't be trusted!" He drank his shot. "Just a tip from a friendly ahjusshi. Trust no one. Got it?" He winked at me and scratched his nose again, ordering another shot. Suddenly a woman sat beside me and ordered her whiskey. She was wearing those revealing garments like any other s are wearing.

"Hi there little girl." She looked at me, smiling, waiting for her order. "What are you doing in a place like this?" I just took a glance of her and then drank my beer. "I see. Washing your problems eh? But you're too young to drink, and that's bad."

It's funny how people look at me as if I'm a minor. I'm not. I'm in my 20s now, early 20s. The guy next to me leaned a bit and whispered. "Kid, don't trust that ." I rolled my eyes and didn't pay attention. "Ahjusshi, you mean ert pedo guy. Are you hitting on this girl?" "Woman, I'm telling her to keep away from you so you won't be corrupting the mind of a minor." "Oh really? Says from a pedo guy." The woman laughed and drank her whiskey.

It's annoying to be in a center of two people talking. "Well, you later ahjusshi I have a costumer to attend to." She stood up and left her spot. "s." The guy shook his head and scratched his nose. He called the bartender to pay his bill, stood up and left. I also paid my bill and left the bar.

I walked in the silent cold street where there are no people around, just the light posts and the coldness of November. I put my hands inside my pocket and made a left turn in the alley. "Why are you following me?"

Ok, enough with this. He already knows.

"Who hired you?" He draw his handgun pointing at me. "Why would I tell you? Does it matter?" I looked at him straight in the eyes. I could sense fear of death. "I thought nobody would notice." "Only keen people." I told him.

"How?" "You're a neat guy. You don't want to grow beard or mustache on your face, do you?" He's starting to shake, still pointing his gun on me. "And you keep scratching your nose like the mustache is irritating you." "Cut the talk who hired you?!" "I think you know who." "I.. I don't know!" "You might have pissed many people." "I don't know, really!"

He shove his fake hair off and threw it on the ground, shaking his head. "Shin Dong Ryuk? Hwang Sangyeop?? Kim Ryu – I don't know!" He kicked the trash can out of anger, fear and frustration. "You can't trust anyone!" He took off his fake mustache and before he was able to pull the trigger, I used my evil eyes on him. An ability to create illusions, making him see his fears and his death. He looked directly into my eyes and for a couple of minutes he was shaking in fear. I let him see his fate – death.

It was my chance to kill him but I wasn't able to. He already pointed the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger blowing his head. "Well he made my job easier." I turned around to leave but then I saw the lady looking at me. She took a step back. "Who are you? Please don't hurt me." She said it with a shaky voice.

I looked at her directly in the eyes but. "You can take my money. I won't tell. I just wanna go home. Please." She took another step back out of the alley almost reaching the side walk. The light post illuminated her; I can see her clearly. She's a bit taller than me, about 163cm or 164cm. She has a long bright red hair. And. Wait. She's holding a white cane usually used by blind or impaired people.

"Are you a girl?" It amazes me how she was able to tell. "How did you know?" I asked her curiously. "The way you move. It's not rough like guys', it's kinda fluid." I concluded that even though blind people lack the sense of sight but their sense of hearing, touch and taste are greater than those who aren't lacking any senses. Albeit, it doesn't matter as long as there's not a single evidence left – by means killing any witnesses.

I approached her slowly she can't even run. She's blind, she'll just trip anyway. "Please, don't."

"Stop right there!" The cop pointed his gun, he was 20 meters away from us. "Drop the dagger missy!" I didn't obey him until he made a warning shot. It scared the red headed lady, making her crouch down. "I said drop the dagger!!" I did what the cop told me, so I dropped my dagger down making a clink sound.

"Turn around!" To be honest it pisses me to obey what ever he's telling me, heck, I can take him down with a blink of an eye. "You. Lady with a red hair, please turn around." "That's stup–" I didn't even finished my words he shot me on the chest. Ms. Red head lady even shouted in surprise. Although she can't see but hearing it feels like horror for her. I don't know if the bullet went through my heart but it stings. Well I'm feeling pretty dumb today thanks to me.

I looked at my chest and yeah, I'm bleeding pretty badly. Before I could fall down I looked straight into the cop's eyes killing him in an illusion of death until he dies in anxiety mental breakdown or whatever you call it. And yeah I did fall on my knees right now, holding my bleeding chest. "Pathetic." I told myself.

"Uwa!! A-are you hurt?" I didn't reply. The pain is stinging me and I'm bleeding endlessly. She crouch down and touched my chest. "Oh my god! You're bleeding!" "Bad luck." "No! I'll bring you to the hospital." I laughed. "Really? After I attempted killing you?" I shook my head and pushed her away from me. "Maybe this is my fate. A cop shot me, oh this is pathetic!" I laughed again. "I was expecting to die in the hands of other assassins who are stronger than me... Not this." "Don't talk like that. I'll take you to the hospital." She stood up and shouted for help but there's no avail. Nobody's gonna help. I tried standing up on my knees but suddenly I fell on the ground – unconscious.

• • •

Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking a lot – adjusting to the light until my vision was clear. "Where am I?" The nurse slid the ward's divider. "Good afternoon miss. You're in the hospital, you've been passed out for 3 weeks–" "3 weeks?!" I tried to stand up but my legs were shaking, I'm still too weak to stand up on my feet. "Miss! You're still weak. You need to rest."

My head hurts and I'm trying to remember how I got here. The nurse helped me lie on the bed and suddenly I remembered her. "Where is she?" "Who?" I grabbed the nurse's collar. "The girl with a long red hair, who's about 163cm - 164cm, with–" "Oh you mean miss Hwang?"

I slowly let go of her collar and apologized to her. "S-sorry." "It's ok. I understand how you feel miss." She smiled at me, patting my head. "You were bleeding to death because you were shot on the chest. Ms. Hwang helped you. She took you here." I was totally shocked upon hearing what the nurse just said. "Luckily she immediately take you here or else you could have died there–" "When will I be able to check out?" "Until you're healed–" "But I'm healed. I'll check out tomorrow." "Miss, if you're worried about the bill, Ms. Hwang already paid the expenses."

As I want to bang my head from all of what I am hearing, I cannot. I just closed my eyes and rested myself. Unbelievable.

• • •

"XX-39 Red, so I heard you almost died." He stood up on his chair and searched the folder in his file case. "What's funny is that you got shot by a cop. I was expecting high class assassin like you – was the one nearly got you killed." "Nearly sir. Just nearly." As usual, he doesn't make an eye-to-eye contact with me. We're still having trust issues here. What do you expect? I'm one of the level 5-A assassins he hired. He knows my abilities. I'm supposed to be a nameless person – which I am. But people whom I work for knows my bio data more than I do. I don't even know my past. I was trained to kill – well that's pretty much about me.

The more I do my job well, the more I got known. Some of them know me and call me as 'The Girl With Evil Eyes'. Pfft talk about the word of mouth, it spreads pretty fast. "Next assignment, I want you to be friends with Jung Jessica." He threw the folder on the table containing with information. It says here, Jung Soon Guk, owner of Korea Banking Union is doing something illegal – importing and exporting drugs. But what does it have to do with being friends with her spoiled daughter? "Weird. I thought I'm hired to kill, not befriending a high school student." "I hired you to do so." "That's dumb." "Well it is, but by knowing her daughter you might know–" "But that's a spy's work." "I trust in your ability. You're dual–you're meant to do both–killing and spying."

I don't understand why I'm doing this again. It's like I was born for this life. This is my purpose – hired to kill. It's not just I'm after for money, hell, I can rob a bank anytime with no sweat, really. Maybe I want the truth – my existence. This guy here knows everything. "Remember XX-39 Red, you might find the truth with this mission." I want to kill him. "The truth you've been searching for – your past." Yet, I can't. I nodded and left the room quietly. I can feel his evil grin behind me. Just you wait. I will really kill you when I find the truth.

• • •

The day after tomorrow I was enrolled in Jinmyeong Girls' High School. I looked at my ID – Kim Taeyeon – It feels so weird. I know I'm the one who chose this name, but why do I feel this name really belongs to me. Things that I don't understand myself. I got off the bike and parked it along with the bikes. Funny. When was the last time I attended school? 8 or 10 years ago? Wow that long? I shook my head and entered inside the lobby. "Miss Kim, I've been waiting for you." The school's head was standing outside her office,greeting me with a smile. I bowed to her politely.

It was kinda wild inside the classroom – full of girls chatting and squealing – doing girly stuffs. I almost forgot what school I enrolled in, it's an all-girls-school, where obviously no guys around. It's always like this, faking my identity, pretending I'm one of these 17 year old hormonal teenagers. But I guess my looks deceived them. I'm actually 21 years old by the way.

"Girls settle down, you have a new classmate." The teacher looked at me. "Please introduce yourself." I fixed my side bangs. "Good morning. I'm Kim Taeyeon. Nice to meet you all." My eyes were immediately looking for Jung and there I saw her, looking at me. Her face is so passive – she seems uninterested. How could I be able to be friends with that girl?

"Hmm. Nice. So you'll be classmate with miss Kim for the whole semester. I hope you'll be nice to her, understood?" "Yes Ms. Jeong." "Miss Kim please sit beside Miss Jung." She pointed the vacant seat beside her. I went to my seat and set aside my bag on the floor. I sat down and the class went normal like any other normal boring class.

It was lunch time. Girls are eating in the cafeteria and on the ground under those trees. Life of a student is kinda refreshing sight to see. No evil intentions, no killing, no blood horror to see. Just this.

Well speaking of uniform, I think wearing this white polo inside a gray blazer, dark gray tie with school seal on it and a dark gray skirt suits me. I'm blending well in this kind of environment.

"Hi." I looked up and, "Hi." "Don't you like the green environment here?" I looked at her skeptically. "I do." "I see. May I sit beside you?" "Sure." Now, what is this girl thinking? She's now sitting on the grass beside me. "I'm Jessica." "I know." "Oh?" "Ms. Jeong just mention your name a while ago." "I didn't know your that attentive."

Jung Jessica, only daughter of Jung Soon Guk, I wonder what kind of girl she is. We just spent the whole period under the tree, watching everyone else doing on the ground. But neither of us was making a conversation.

• • •

I went home in my new apartment, not far from the school. I received another side assignment from him – 'Clean the pigs at Shim Seop Dock'. Now I'm going assassin mode again. I picked up my M9 pistol and checked its cartridge – full ammo. I'm ready to go with this, no sweat. I didn't have the time to change my uniform, I grabbed my black jacket and went out.

As I peeked on what's happening – 4 , 9, no, 12..wait.. 17, 21 – guys doing some illegal business. Oh come on! I just brought a pistol and a dagger with me. Sometimes he's so confident I can accomplish whatever he's giving me – which in fact I can – that he'll just send late and little information about the assignment. Well, whatever. As if I haven't done this before. I've done this a couple of times and it's quite tiring, but fun.

Oh crap, someone's coming this way. I better hide in the darkness of the cranes. The guy with a bonnet, opened his zipper and peed. How annoying I can see his sticking out, he's standing on the side.

Now's a good chance. I pick up the pebble and threw it on him, it made him startled. "Who's there?!" He pulled his zipper and drew his gun. I don't know if how you can imagine me, but I dashed in front of him by a second – I'm not even kidding I was that fast – grabbing his hand. He's way way taller than me. Do you believe I can flip him despite my height?

Which I did.

I threw him on the ground and looked at him directly in the eyes. He's mentally suffering right now. He didn't even blink for a second, puking. "S-stop..." He didn't like what he just saw. I pulled my dagger in my pocket and slit his throat, blood oozing down 'till he lied down in his blood pool. Inhuman – that's what I am. I picked his gun and checked the bullets. "This will do." I sighed. "1 down 20 to go." I stood up on my knees and moved on my way.

3 pigs spotted in the west cranes. I paced stealthily in the dark, perfect timing is a must. I readied my dagger, gripping it tightly but calm. "Psst!" I surprised them in an ambush cutting their arms, hands, legs and Achilles; immobilizing them. One guy was able to fire his gun, luckily I evaded the shot, unfortunately the bang drew attention to other pigs. "Oh boy." I stepped on his hand and shot him and the other 2 on the head.

"Don't move!" The guy pointed his shot gun on me. "Who are you working for?!" He shouted. And here comes the other pigs fuzzing. "Boss he just killed our 3 men." This fat guy in tuxedo approached me, smoking his cigar. "Dear dear, you're so young." "Sir she's dangerous! She also killed Amon." The guy run towards this way, and so as the others. I'm surrounded by these pigs.

"Drop that dagger!" And so I did. "Boss don't go nea–" The fat guy in tuxedo raced his hand gesturing to shut him up. He smiled at me, slyly. "Dear, who's your boss." "I don't even know his real name."

"Are you ing kidding us kid?!" One of his men shouted. Their boss made a 'shut up' gesture again. "I can offer you high pay if you work for me. Higher than the one's hiring you." My face was passive, I'm still analyzing my situation on how to take down these 17 pigs. I saw one guy looking at me in horror. "Sir! Be careful she's the girl with ev–" Before he could continue what he was saying, his boss ordered his men to shoot him. "Is anyone still not shutting up?" All of his men were quiet. "Now then, little girl, how about the deal?" Ew, he touched my cheek. "Die." I stepped backward which made them draw and pointed their guns at me. "Think about how much I can pay you."

I bowed my head down, closing my eyes. I haven't tried this for a while – the mass illusion. I opened my eyes, smiling. As expected they are looking at me, directly in the eyes. "This will be fun."

• • •

As I was done showering I forgot I left the TV on, but before I was about to turn it off I watch the news about the murder at Shim Seop Dock.

"–these illegal gun dealers were brutally killed. There's still no suspect, for now, the police are still investigating the crime scene. As for the weather tomorrow, there will be a 30% of r–"

• • •