Great news! I finally recovered the story this fic was based on! If you haven't yet, I suggest you read The Target so you'll have a better idea of the kind of assassin Shin Hye was in the past. :)

“What the hell were you thinking?” His voice rang in the war room right after slamming the door. He had just come back from sending the client off, but not before Shin Hye marched into the office to talk to her face-to-face. For her own safety, Shin Hye never revealed herself to her clients. Especially since the clients as of late weren’t criminals who wanted their rivals killed, but ordinary people who were wronged. If things go wrong and they get questioned by the police, it would be harder for them to lie. Which was why Shi Yoon was alarmed when she appeared without warning.

“You were going to reject her!” Shin Hye replied, looking defensive.

“Of course I was going to reject her! Which brings me back to my question. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? WHY WOULD YOU TELL HER WE’D TAKE THE JOB?”

Shi Yoon rarely raised his voice to Shin Hye. Even when their small fights escalated, he always tried to be the calm one. But not this time.

“You’re the one who told me that if I want to kill bad guys, I can continue killing bad guys!”

Shin Yoon slammed his fist on the table. “Are you crazy? You’re out of control, Shin Hye! Criminals, I can deal with. The world can do without them; people even appreciate that we’re doing what the police can’t do. But this is a different story. He’s a goddamn chaebol!”

Shin Hye stood up, leveling her face with Shi Yoon’s. She has never seen her friend this angry, but she was angry, too. “He’s also a criminal! The only difference is people worship the ground he walks on because he can afford to buy this country!”

He softened his stance, knowing fully well that if there was anyone who was going to back down, it won’t be Shin Hye. He hung his head low. “You said it yourself. Rule number one – no prominent figures.”

“I made the rules, I can change them.”

“Oh my God Shin Hye, do you hear yourself? This has got to stop! You can’t save the world!”

“Meo?” Shin Hye spat.

Shi Yoon let out a long sigh. “Even if you don’t tell me what’s going on with you, I know. I’ve known for a while. It’s finally caught up to you, right? The guilt from all those years of merciless killing, and you’re trying to make up for it by being some kind of… savior,” he emphasized the last word as if it were so ridiculous. “That’s why you keep doing jobs for free. That’s why you’re so blinded by all these victims.”

Shin Hye clenched her teeth. She could feel her entire body shaking at Shi Yoon’s words. Partly because they were true, and partly because she hated that he could see through her weakness, especially since she hasn’t dealt with it, herself.

“Guess what? You’re not a superhero, Shin Hye. You’re not even a cop! And no matter what you do, you’ll never be able to fill that hole. Not with more deaths! You’ll never be able to wash your hands—”

“STOP! JUST STOP!” Shin Hye yelled. Her heart was pounding as she stared into her best friend’s eyes. She felt something pooling from within her. She recognized that feeling. The last time it hit her was after she put a bullet in her own Father. She didn’t know she was still capable of crying. But she knew right then, when she left her Father’s house, that she was about to cry. But she suppressed it. No use crying over something so worthless.

This time, she suppressed it, too.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said through gritted teeth. “Don’t tell me what I feel and don’t feel, Shi Yoon. Even for you, that’s stepping over the line.”

Shi Yoon looked away and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t care. We’re not doing this job. End of discussion,” he said decisively.

“HE HER!”

Shi Yoon fell silent. He knew Shin Hye was stubborn, but this wasn’t an one of those moments where he’d just gladly lose to her. He would never allow her to get her way this time. “She’s not the first woman to be a victim, Shin Hye,” Shi Yoon said, his voice more composed. “If you really want to help her out, there are other ways—”

“Ha! The government can’t even touch gangster leaders, what makes you think they’ll have the balls to go up against the wealthiest family in South Korea?”

“Exactly! Because they know it’s impossible. Even an entire police force won’t do it! It’s just us two, Shin Hye. We don’t even know what we’re doing sometimes. You want to go up against a giant. Nobody touches Lee Kun Hee and gets away with it,” Shi Yoon leaned over to take her hand. He squeezed it lightly. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. So please, Shin Hye-ah. Let this go.”

“Do you know how my Mother died?”

Shi Yoon was taken aback by her sudden question. “Your Grandfather killed her.”

“But do you know why he killed her?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t know what to say. Shi Yoon knew about Shin Hye’s past, the history of her family, why she became who she was now. But there were still a lot of things Shin Hye kept to herself. This was one of them.

 “You know my Grandfather was a drug lord right? He ran the most powerful criminal syndicate in Seoul. My Father was going to be his successor. And Mom wanted nothing to do with all that. She wanted me to grow up away from that world so she took me with her.”

“But one night, my Father went to our house drunk. He and my Mom have been separated for years. She never even told him where we lived. But he still found us, he came and told her that he still loved her and that he wanted to be with her. But my Mom knew he was drunk and full of . He was making a lot of noise, so she tried driving him away because she didn’t want to wake me up. But he got angry. So angry that he started shouting at her, screaming that she was his property,” Shin Hye balled her fists, her nails digging into her palms so hard. “And that night, he… forced himself on her. My Mom couldn’t fight back, because he was threatening her. Telling her that he’ll take me away,” Shin Hye looked down. “And I was just in the next room. All I did was sleep while that monster ruined her.”

Shi Yoon’s eyes were starting to water. “Shin Hye, I—“

“She didn’t tell me what happened but I noticed how she changed. She always looked so afraid, especially at night. And then one day, she couldn’t take it anymore and told me everything that happened. She told me that we needed to live; that she realized no matter how far we run, they will always find us. And the only way for us to truly be safe is if they were behind bars.”

“So she finally got the courage to go to the authorities. She told this detective what happened,” Shin Hye bit her lip. “And the next day, she was dead. Murdered. The police officials were in my Grandfather’s payroll. That’s when I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. So I killed my Grandfather. And every day of my miserable life, I keep thinking… if I just killed him right away, my Mom would still be alive.”

Shin Hye sat down, feeling her knees go weak. There were memories she didn’t want to relive. Memories about her Mother were the most painful of them all. But Shi Yoon needed to know the truth.

Why she became this way. Why she killed her Grandfather. Why she killed her Father. Why, no matter how dangerous, she couldn’t let this job go.

And why people like Lee Min Ho needed to die.

“Sir, aren’t you going home yet? It’s almost midnight.”

“Ahh, yeah. I’ll just finish up here and leave. You go ahead. And drive safely,” he replied.

“Thanks boss!” He chirped back. “And don’t worry, we’ll catch him soon!”

As soon as he was gone, Kim Soo Hyun let out a deep sigh and looked at the wall clock. He craned his neck from side to side before leaning his chin on his palm as he stared at the four photographs on his table.

Sung Il Man. Leader of the Three Star gang. Responsible for a laundry list of crimes in Itaewon.

Cha Hyun Soo/Chang Yin Xiu . Korean-Chinese national. Notorious drug smuggler.

Kim Kwang Chul. Leader of the Hae Gol syndicate who runs the largest black organ market.

And lastly, Shin Chun Dong. Drug lord and human trafficker.

All four were killed within the last six months. Ballistics were identical – the same bullets were found on Sung, Cha, and Kim – which ties their murders to one killer. Shin Chun Dong was killed using a different gun, but the way he was killed was the same as the previous three. Single gunshot wound to the head. Given the nature of his crimes, it was safe to assume that they were all targeted by the same person.

“How is it possible that there’s not even a single lead?” Soo Hyun muttered under his breath as he buried his face in his hands.

A head emerged from the desk just beside his. “Sir, did you say something?”

Soo Hyun almost jumped at the voice that suddenly filled the empty room. He thought he was already alone in the office. He turned to his left and saw a pair of curious eyes. “Eo, Hyung Sik-ah, I didn’t know you were still here. How come you haven’t left yet?”

He smiled and lifted a stack of documents for Soo Hyun to see. “Paperwork.”

Soo Hyun looked at the frail-looking young man. Hyung Sik hasn’t been in the force too long – just seven months. But he was still here before Soo Hyun was. He was nice and very respectful, but he rarely spoke. Soo Hyun figured he hasn’t completely adjusted yet, especially since most of the people he worked with were a bunch of ahjussis and tough hyungs. As the maknae, he was often designated the tasks that everyone else didn’t want: making coffee, buying lunch, and yes, doing paperwork. Soo Hyun smiled faintly, remembering his first year in the force, too.

“I used to do all of the paperwork when I was your age. Just keep in mind that you’ll graduate from all that soon,” Soo Hyun told him in an effort to cheer him up.

“I really don’t mind doing it,” Hyung Sik replied.

Soo Hyun just smiled in response and resumed studying the photographs. Surely he must have missed something. He was getting more and more frustrated. After a while, he looked up and realized that Hyung Sik was still hovering over him, looking like he had something on his mind. Soo Hyun crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrows as if to ask if the young man wanted to say anything.

“Uhm, sir, if you don’t mind… can I say something about this case?”

Soo Hyun gave him an inquisitive look. “Of course, go ahead. What is it?”

Hyung Sik’s expression brightened. He dragged his chair next to his boss’ seat and sat down. Soo Hyun watched on, amused. He has never seen Hyung Sik look so eager.

“Sir, I’ve been thinking,” Hyung Sik pointed to three photographs. “These first three victims were all killed using a sniper rifle – which means our killer has a method of choice. He picks a spot from afar where he can shoot his victim. It’s clean, safe, sure. Getaways are also easier. His skills with a gun are definitely above average, seeing as the bullet placements are always precise.”

“Yes, which is why we think we’re dealing with an assassin. The kill is impersonal. Methodical,” Soo Hyun added.

“That’s right,” Hyung Sik said. “However, the last murder is different,” he pointed to Shin Chun Dong’s photograph. “Close range. The killer actually faced his victim. He even engaged Shin Chun Dong’s goons. Now, assuming this is the same killer of the other three victims, it’s quite surprising that he changed methods. It doesn’t fit his kill profile at all.”

Soo Hyun nodded his head. “You’re right. Why would he change all of a sudden?”

“It could only mean two things,” Hyung Sik said as he crossed his arms.

Soo Hyun creased his brows. “The kill became personal?”

“That’s one of the possibilities,” Hyung Sik nodded. “Or something must have gone wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“What if the killer wanted to kill Shin Chun Dong the same way he killed the others – through a sniper rifle from an adjacent building. Witness accounts say that before Shin Chun Dong was in the hotel, he was at a club lounge in the same area.  Maybe the attack was intended there. But something happened, and the killer wasn’t able to take the shot. That’s why he had no choice but to follow Shin Chun Dong to the hotel to finish him off. But since there was no time to prepare the sniper rifle elsewhere, the killer had to settle for a close range shot.”

“Okay,” Soo Hyun frowned, trying to make the connection. “That’s definitely enlightening. But how does that information help us catch the killer?”

Hyung Sik smiled widely, as if he expected Soo Hyun to ask the exact same question. “This is the first time the assassin made a mistake. The electricity was cut off in the hotel, right? I bet that was a last-minute decision, too. The controls for the hotel’s electric power and generator are in the basement. The power went off minutes before Shin Chun Dong was shot. But his suite was on the 23rd floor. There is absolutely no way the killer would have travelled from the basement to the 23rd floor in that time window. Now we know he didn’t use the elevator because all the elevators were functioning properly, and there was no trace of suspicious activity from the security cameras before power outage. And even if he took the elevator, he wouldn’t have been able to move that fast.”

Kim Soo Hyun’s eyes widened. “Which means the killer had a partner.”

“Bingo.”

Soo Hyun stood up and paced, looking perplexed and excited at the same time. “How come this possibility never came up before?”

“That’s because there was no evidence or even reason to believe that the killer was working with someone else. A sniper needs only himself to get the job done. Which is why for the past three murders, we’ve always assumed that the assassin was working solo. But this time, he made a mistake. They made a mistake.”

“So we’re looking for two people, not one,” Soo Hyun looked at Hyung Sik adoringly.

“The assassin is experienced and smart. He knows how to cover his tracks. That’s why there was not even one bit of evidence in the suite aside from the bullet. Even if it was probably Plan B. But what if his partner wasn’t as careful?”

Soo Hyun smiled and shook his head. “We need to look into the partner. Not the killer.”

“Exactly.”

Soo Hyun put a hand on Hyung Sik’s shoulder. “How come you didn’t say anything at the meeting this morning?”

Hyung Sik looked down, embarrassed. “I’m the inexperienced maknae, sir. People here don’t exactly like to listen to me speak.”

“Well, maknae, I’m the new guy. And from now on, I want you to tell me everything that comes to mind about this case, arasso?”

The younger man beamed. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now, go home. You can finish those papers tomorrow. Your Mom must be waiting for you. Or… your girlfriend?”

Hyung Sik blushed. “Aniyo… my family is in Jejudo. I live alone and, uhh, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Aigoo. You better find yourself a girl or you’ll end up just like me. Staying til dawn in a building full of old men and criminals,” he joked.

“It’s hard to believe you don’t have a girl waiting for you, Sir.”

Soo H