XII

Hyukjae had been keeping an eye on Donghae.

In his point of view, Donghae wasn’t a really loud kid; he was rather very quiet and shy. Was introvert a right word to describe? He didn’t think so. The boy was just bashful, but sometimes he would turn a little braver, even though it happened on small moments only.

(And yes, this is hard to tell but he admitted that Donghae’s beautiful.)

The small thought of Donghae as a cursed kid finally expands to a bolder thought. Donghae tended to let his hair put on the front until it nearly reached his chest, and Hyukjae was around ninety percents sure that it was just to cover his barcode.

Another thing made him more assured: Donghae asked his and Siwon’s permission to use the room, or specifically to sleep, when it was still around five. Hyukjae and a small part or society knew that cursed people have a taboo thing to do, that was to stay out of the house under the moonlight.

It was still a myth, but the myth was proven right sometimes. Cursed people who (rarely) were still on the outside of their houses at the evening would die. The only fact that made Hyukjae laugh at it was just cursed people were stupid.

It wasn’t that the moonlight radiated some s to them and killed them, but at evening until midnight, a group of people who brutally slaughter the cursed ones acted.

Hyukjae yawned as the mind drove him sleepy, he took his black bag from the living room’s sofa and he walked quickly out of the house.

He just finished washing some dirty plates, cleaning the dining table, putting some left foods inside the refrigerator and scanning through a report from the hospital he had to read. His will to rest had to be postponed when suddenly Heechul messaged him about some meetings or whatever.

He went towards the garage where he parked his car. Hyukjae had the huge urge to walk back to home and just sleep since it’s been seven or eight, but sometimes we have responsibilities we have to face when we don’t want to, right?

The white audi was sitting sweetly and waiting for the owner to take it out of the hot, burning garage. Hyukjae pulled the car’s automatic key from his jeans’ pocket, clicked a button on it and the car tweeted.

Within a minute, he had left the house. It didn’t take a long time because the place Heechul asked him to come wasn’t that far. Hyukjae turned the steer towards the alley on the left which was one of the largest and noisiest locations in Gangnam. Forcefully, he had to slow down his car because the hidden street was quite crowded by people who were walking, enjoying the cold chilly dawn by visiting some night clubs, bars, or just hanging out with hanging lamps and loud songs as their backgrounds.

Slowly he reduced his velocity when the street was dominated with night clubs at the sides. Some girls with mini clothing walked out of the clubs, some walked in instead. Hyukjae parked his car along with some other branded cars which levels were likely the same (or higher) with Hyukjae’s.

He went down his car, locked it, and slowly approached the bar with white lights all over its appearance, based by a black dipped building on the middle of the street. His hand pushed the glass doors, and his nose immediately felt like being stabbed by the strong scent of alcohol and its fellows.

People were all over this club; mostly young youths were hanging around with glasses of wines. Hyukjae shook his head a little, rewinding his mind until the times where he was their ages. He still couldn’t stand people who like to go to these places even until now, so he couldn’t stand why Jaejoong, Heechul and the others picked this place to meet up.

As what he had been told, Hyukjae turned right towards a hallway to enter a privately rented chamber in the club. The hallway was covered by red furry wall and yellow lamps dimmed on the ceilings. Some rooms were portrayed all over the hallway with large gaps between each others. He could see some neat shoes arranged beside one door, so his other working partners must have been there.

Hyukjae approached the room, took off his shoes to follow them to put his shoes as well, and then he moved the slide door to get into the room.

He was immediately hit by the cold wind caused by the strong air conditioner, and he could figuratively see some glances shooting towards him.

“Ah, Lee Hyukjae,” a light voice muttered his name. Without even looking at the speaker, he had known that it was Kim Jaejoong.

Hyukjae forced a small smile as he scanned the room, seeing some faces he wasn’t really familiar with, yet mentally spelling some men’s names he had known. Hyukjae closed the slide door with one hand, and then he approached an empty seat. He sat down there, immediately facing a glass of chosen red wine prepared on his part of table.

“You know I don’t drink,” Hyukjae smiled and pushed the glass.

Jaejoong smiled which looked more like a smirk, and then he spoke, “You will never know if you don’t try.”

“I’d rather be clueless,” Hyukjae answered with his emotion managed nicely.

Jaejoong raised his eyebrows, looked satisfied by the answer from Hyukjae. He then stopped talking to Hyukjae for a moment, focusing at their job for a while.

“Let’s stop the rants,” Heechul leaned his back on the chair and folded his hands.

Ah, Kim Heechul. Hyukjae didn’t really remember him since they only knew each other by name, but he did know that Heechul’s rank in his company was awesome. His unusual charisma was the one that made his moves and works easier; moreover he’s sort of friendly.

The one who sat beside Heechul was somehow another hidden agent people only knew the name, Lee Hongki. Hongki was the one who worked behind all agents, sitting down the laboratory to find out the cursed people’s uniqueness and flaws. Hongki was the one who created all serums in their injections as a weapon; he was the one behind like what I said.

The company wasn’t literally a company; it was an organization that attempted to murder all cursed people under the name Mystify. Yes, this is the reason why Hyukjae thought all cursed people were stupid. The moonlight didn’t kill them, but Mystify agents whom spread at night did brutally slaughter them one by one. There weren’t any moonlight curses, it was just the agents.

Of course they didn’t work openly. All agents and workers here had other major occupations as a profile. Hyukjae was a doctor and an agent. Hongki was a composer and an agent. Heechul was a café owner and an agent. Jaejoong was a music teacher and an agent. Simply like that, I haven’t even mentioned other hidden agents.

And Lee Hyukjae was one of the Mystify agents.

In a simple sentence, Hyukjae’s a man suitably sent to murder Donghae, a cursed boy, with his own hands.

Jaejoong took a sip of his wine before finally facing all his co-workers. “Good evening, friends.”

“Just shut the courtesy,” Hongki muttered and laughed. “Why did you unite us here?”

Most of them laughed as well, and then Jaejoong spoke, “I’m just going to check on your progresses. Is everything doing right? Heechul, how is your progress?”

Jaejoong made the atmosphere more serious. Heechul crooked one corner of his lip and he said, “Sort of. Ten victims in a week, conceiting ain’t I?”

Jaejoong scoffed and looked at the man who sat in front of Heechul, the Chinese man to be specified. “Hangeng, I heard that the girl succeeded running away…?” he spoke smoothly.

Heechul immediately shot him a glare after he was being hit by Jaejoong’s question. Hangeng, the man, raised his shoulders and replied with unusual Korean, “Accidents happen. She just ran away, that’s it.”

Jaejoong just thought for a while and simply nodded, he seemed to be rushing for the time where he got to ask Hyukjae about the progress. He turned his staring direction towards Hyukjae, indirectly made Hyukjae felt a little bit uneasy inside. Hangeng was just accidentally letting a girl leave, and Hyukjae’s mistake was even worse; he let a cursed boy live with him. And once Heechul knew it, the whole Mystify knew as well.

“And you, Hyukjae-ya?” Hyukjae couldn’t lie that he could see a glint of passion and curiosity inside Jaejoong’s eyes which accidentally made him gulped.

Hyukjae released an awkward yet weird chuckle. “I… haven’t killed any in this week, I guess?”

Heechul released a small scoff, and then he continued staring at Hyukjae. “Do we look like we’re talking about it?”

An awkward yet tensed silence surrounded the room before finally Hyukjae spoke, “He’s still in my house.”

“Ha! I know, right!!” Hongki snapped and yelled immediately, it was a misfortune that it made Hyukjae a little pissed off. “Why are you doing that?!”

Hyukjae lightly hissed, he had guessed that this reaction would come. He furrowed his eyebrows and said, “I took him to my house was just because I saved him! Damn it, I would immediately kill him when he had recovered, but just not now.”

“Tell us,” Hangeng muttered with a light squint which just made his eyes smaller.

“Which part?” Hyukjae replied halfheartedly in aware; his voice still tensed a bit.

“The whole part, exactly all same things happened. Tell us why he ended staying in your house; tell us why you didn’t kill him.”

Hyukjae inhaled deeply and he started gapping his mouth. He had no time to arrange such lies to tell to his partners, and he had known that if he lied, his partners would know it in just a moment. So he had no other excuses to hide his story. He was just worried about Donghae.

“This cursed kid was involved in a incident,” Hyukjae explained in small voice. All his partners were staring at him intensely with a glint of surprise in their eyes, making no sounds so that Hyukjae would speak clearer.

“You saved him?” suddenly Jaejoong murmured.

Hyukjae couldn’t help but truthfully nodded. He bit his lip and spoke again, “I… the first thing I saw in him was the barcode. So this thing was wholly planned, actually. I took him to my home, I’ve been thinking for the ways to finally inject him.”

“And then why until now you haven’t?!” Hangeng spoke with his tone a little raised.

The small aching thumps inside Hyukjae’s head vigorously grew faster and stronger. He blinked before finally answered, “I will! What are you expecting, a rushing progress or what? Heechul hyung had agreed to give me four days! Just leave it to me; I’m the one in charge for this!!”

The whole room was quiet in all of sudden because of Hyukjae’s unexpected yell. Jaejoong was the first one to take a move; he lightly shifted in his chair and finally nodded with his cliché cocky face. “Fine, I won’t touch that business anymore. It’s all in your hand whether you’ll move faster or just let that cursed boy live until he’s rotten.”

Hyukjae had the urge again to yell and get mad, but he just suppressed his anger and nod. The flash of resentment was clearly stated in his eyes though, but the others didn’t complain, and Jaejoong just nodded as a reply and leaned his back on the chair again.

“It’s just that we will force you to kill him if you keep on being still,” Heechul added.

…

XIII

It’s funny how you struggled to save someone, but soon enough you get to kill that person you saved.

Hyukjae kept on thinking about that and he cynically laughed as he slowly pushed that wonder into reality; as he stepped inside his room with the sight Donghae sleeping peacefully on his bed.

The air conditioner’s buzzing voice overlapped Donghae’s tranquil breath that whispered through the night’s air, and soon it got overlapped terribly by Hyukjae’s heart that thumped so hard.

The injection was coldly freezing between his bitter fingers, which affected the inner liquid contained serum to turn cold as well. Hyukjae’s nail rapidly yet gently knocked it; causing the injection tube to dingle lightly.

This was his mission; his aspiration.  This was what Hyukjae and his working partners exactly want, and this was what the world wants. This was the reason for him to bring Donghae home: only to slaughter him by a small inject placed on the body.

Hyukjae slowly placed himself to kneel beside Donghae’s bed, exactly at the spot where Donghae’s back faced him. His hand reached Donghae’s locks gently, the tips of his fingers slowly sensed Donghae’s smooth hair.

Those fingers gradually lifted the hairs off the nape, and it revealed the presence of a barcode, made Hyukjae’s heart skipped a beat. The black and white small lines portrayed in a row, one stood beside each other. The black and white barcode represented the cursed people; indirectly screamed to the world for the owners to be slaughtered.

His other hand which used to be exposed behind his body started to come out, revealing the injection that was ready. Hyukjae slowly drove it towards Donghae’s nape, wanting to end this process as soon as possible.

And then those voices came. Donghae’s smooth breathe raced with Hyukjae’s heartbeat, some voices shout in chances inside his head, the dingle voice of the injection echoed inside his ear, and then Jaejoong’s yell appeared inside his mind.

Hyukjae fell backwards with his on the floor as his heartbeat raced even faster, the injection was thrown beside him and caused a loud noise. No, he couldn’t do this; he couldn’t slaughter Donghae right now. He breathed in surprise, his eyes was still a bit widened.

Some cells in his body screamed yes, but a voice in his head said no.

Hyukjae nearly broke down in stressed tears if he didn’t control himself strong enough to stand up, clean all his messes, and sprinted out of the room.

...

a/n:
i know this is a bit too late but i want to thank my upvoters: mennie68, superkawaaiielf, ortal_eunhae, min-joung_chu, conniei51, xxsmex, ai-lin. inlovewithsuju, tarahae, zara_jewelfish, yukiharu86, shinobikoe, exohowlover, ginnyo, spraz30, missbazinga, fufufufu25, rikaa12, angela_exotics, byun_taeseong and k_hyukkie! this really means a lot! --sorry if i misspell any names

i'm going to face my exam (well, actually im in the middle of it) so wml heheh.

thank you for everyone who had read, subscribed, commented and upvoted!

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