Whenever Shindong needed some along time, he would always go to the gang's shooting range. As the gang best sniper he would line up six or seven cans along the wall and pick each one off in succession with practice ease. It barely was a challenge to the man, but that was not always the case. When he first entered the T gang his marksmanship skills were disastrous at best. It was through long hours in the shooting range firing shot after shot at a typical red and white circle target before the man was able to move to the standard upper body shaped target used in police forces. But he diligently practiced every day so he could become a reliable member for the gang. It was the least he could do for them.

Shindong did not enter the gang on free will. He was sold to the previous leader as a child by his parents who owed the T's money. As payment for the debt that he had nothing to do with, Shindong was brought into the folds of the notorious group and raised as one of their own. He was given a bed and food and in return he had to do chores around the base. The chores were simple ones like cleaning and helping with the cooking and if he wanted to, he would have never had to do a dangerous task for the gang. The leader at the time had sympathy for the boy and never made him do anything he didn’t particularly want. So Shindong had the opportunity to have a privileged life if he wanted. And he might have, if it wasn’t for the arrival of Lee Sungmin.

Sungmin, when he first entered, was a very angry person. Having just recently lost his family in a gang related murder, he trusted no one in the gang and would only speak to the leader and his successor, Leeteuk. But Shindong could tell that behind that angry shield and mask that the other built around himself, was a friendly man who had a gentle side. So Shindong tried to crack the shield the other built around himself. But his attempts were met with rejection.

"If you want me as a friend, then you need to be more useful to me than a housemaid and cook." Sungmin had told him.

"What do you need then?" Shindong countered back.

"Become handy with a gun and we'll talk." The other had replied before going back to his martial  arts training.

So the next day Shindong had gone to the leader and requested that he would be taught how to fire a gun. SooMan was at first against the idea, he didn’t want the boy to dirty his hands in the blood of gang wars. But Shindong was persistent and Leeteuk seconded the idea as a good one. So the next day Shindong was given his very first gun and shown how to fire it.

Fast-forward to today, the man was now the head sniper and gunman to the gang. He was considered second to Heechul in some categories but he didn’t complain, Heechul was a natural with a gun. And if he was ever to challenge the Silver Gunman to a shooting contest the first bullet would go straight into his head, Heechul was not known for patients for such contests.  But again Shindong didn’t mind, because he achieved the main purpose of all those days in the shooting range. He was able to call Sungmin a friend, actually his best friend if he was more honest with himself, and was able to make more friends inside the gang than he would have originally had planned. Besides Sungmin, he was good friends with Eunhyuk who was more a gentle soul than the former, was able to get Leeteuk to laugh. Played many pranks with Heechul, and typically steered clear of Kangin. He had found a family in this gang and he was rather protective of them.

So it was very easy to see something was wrong with some of the members. It started after the meeting between Leeteuk, Yunho, and Donghae. The group that had gone had come back in an unusual mood. Heechul was fuming, Kangin was in a silent mood, Leeteuk was pensive, and Eunhyuk was in a whole different world. Sungmin and Shindong did not know what to do or say for the other members and so they stayed in their own rooms to brood as well. After a few days of the awkward quietness, Leeteuk sends Sungmin to Shinee for a trade with one of the M members over the death of their member at the hands of Heechul. When Sungmin comes back he is fuming himself with his own encounter. It took a few more days for Shindong to get his partner and friend to reveal what had happened that day in the café.

From there everything seemed to be happening. Eunhyuk had gotten involved with something while he was at the Han River and now the gang had five dead MBLAQ members on their hands. But the successor wouldn’t tell even the leader what exactly had happened that night so there was a shroud of mystery on the matter. And for some reason the cops were heading in a different position on the matter. Everyone besides the leader were confused by this, but Leeteuk seemed to be keeping his own secrets. Shindong didn’t know when he noticed it, but it was probably around the time he was approached about being the possible successor but he had admitted a truth to Leeteuk that took him off the short list on the matter.

But that was a whole different story.

Then Heechul came back for a meeting hung over, and obviously wearing the same outfit from the day before. If that wasn’t suspicious enough, him staying after the meeting to talk privately with Leeteuk too. As Shindong and Sungmin were leaving the meeting the former commented on that.

"There seems to be a lot of secrets happening around us lately. Haven't you noticed Sungmin?"

"To be honest, I'm surprise it didn’t happen earlier." Sungmin replied as he lead his partner to the kitchen area. "But if you know what's smart you'll keep your nose out of it."

Shindong had taken his partner's words to heart and had steered clear of all the tension with the members. He only wanted to stay alive long enough so he could pay all his dues and leave so he could get married.

His thoughts were interrupted with the arrival of Sungmin to the shooting range.

"Shindong, why am I not surprised to find you here." The martial artist had said with a small smile.

Shindong turned to his partner and smiled brightly.

"Sungmin, what brings you to the shooting range?" The big man asked happily. "You normally stay in the gym beating up on the new recruits.

"There hasn’t been a decent fighter in there in a long time." Sungmin replied as he rolled his eyes. "And I knew you tend to linger in here if you have a lot on your mind."

Shindong knew he did have a lot on his mind, but he wondered if Sungmin actually meant Shindong or himself in that comment. Shindong placed his gun on the table and gestured his partner to a couple of chairs that were nearby. The other man took his seat gracefully and clasped his hands together.

"I have been wondering something." Sungmin began softly. Shindong nodded to show he was listening. "I had overheard Heechul-hyung and Leeteuk-hyung talking earlier about Eunhyuk. They were commenting on the fact that before Eunhyuk was chosen as the successor to Leeteuk, you were also asked about the position. As someone who has been a part of the gang for so long, they considered you to be the perfect choice on the matter. But you had turned it down…"

"And you want to know why." Shindong finished as he was able to summaries his partner's thoughts."

"You are a perfect choice."

"Did I ever tell you about Nari?" Shindong asked instead of directly answering.

"That girl you go see from time to time at that bakery?" Sungmin questioned.

"Yeah that's the one. Well truth be told, I love her. And after everything is settled here and I finish paying my parents debt to the gang, I plan on leaving and marrying her." Shindong said with a soft smile.

"It must be nice, having someone waiting for you on the other side." Sungmin said wistfully.

Shindong nodded in agreement before patting his partner on the shoulder. He had a soft smile on his face.

"Sungmin, just because I do have someone waiting for me does not mean the same is not for you. Probably right now but there is probably someone out there that will cause you to also want to leave and live your own life. After all you not tied to this place like Eunhyuk is now."

"I don’t know what I want from this place now. A part of me wants to stay until all of M is gone but I also have no real reason to want to kill them all. After all Donghae was not the one who ordered the kill on my family. And the man who did is already dead, so why am I even here?"

"Because we still need you." Shindong replied easily. "Leeteuk-hyung, Eunhyuk, and me. You are also a kind of glue that we have to keep this all together. Leeteuk trust you more than I think a lot of us at times."

"I suppose…"

Shindong was about to add something when they were interrupted by a snort. The pair looked up to see Heechul leaning against the wall staring at them.

"That was so ing sweet it gave me a stomach ache." The gunman said snidely. "Look if you two brats want to have a ing heart to heart don’t do it here, some of us actually use this place for is actual purpose."

"Yes hyung." The two replied together and got to their feet.

"Great now either pick up a gun or get the out of here, I have some pent up anger to release."

Shindong and Sungmin wisely decided to leave. When Heechul was in a mood it was best to avoid him with a ten foot poll. Shindong was sure to get his own gun before the duo left the Silver Gunman to his own devices. Before the two parted their own ways Shindong patted his partner on the shoulder again.

"Don't worry Min. It will come to you soon. But remember, we all need you here."

"Thanks Shindong."