Long Journey || ATEEZ

An Interesting Triangle

The dark had settled once again.

Seon was tailing the target, in normal attire, this time. The target had evidently figured out that the attack last night wasn't the first; he was travelling through the busiest streets, full of people. It wouldn't be easy attacking him now.

Seon grimaced. How could they separate the target from the crowd?

* * *

Seonghwa watched from the high rooftops; his second home.

There were so many people down there, but he saw the two people he wanted clearly, striking out from the rest.

The figure with the faded magenta hair and the scar, and his friend Hongjoong.

Oh, what an interesting triangle it was. Hongjoong, blissfully unaware; the Crows 'assassin', aiming to kill him; and Seonghwa, the true assassin, ready to protect his friend.

* * *

Hongjoong bit his lip. He remembered his promise to Seonghwa – keep to the crowded streets and avoid the alleys. But what was he to do? The only way to his apartment was through a long, narrow alley – with no streetlights. There had been an accident on the main road, so he couldn't pass through the normal way. He swallowed. He guessed he'd have to risk it.

Besides, the attacker might not be tailing him today, right?

Hongjoong ducked into the alley, hoping for the best.

* * *

This was their chance.

Seon took off into the alley, pulling out a dagger, their eyes fixed with determination.

They were going to succeed tonight.

* * *

Seonghwa got up and let himself fall, calculating his next move. There was a soft clump as his boots – specially made and given to him by Big Grey – made contact with the floor.

Time to strike.

* * *

Seon quickened their pace. They were only a couple of steps behind the target now. Now or never, they thought, and raised their dagger.

Time to strike.

* * *

As he rounded the corner, Hongjoong felt a weird shiver run down his back. He should hurry up – something didn't feel right.

There was an ear-splitting bang.

Hongjoong turned and suddenly Seonghwa was there in front of him, his cold hands softly gripping his arms, pushing him gently backwards a few steps, a slight squelching noise punctuating the quiet.

"Wh-what—?" he spluttered, letting himself be pushed backwards. His eyes drifted downwards, and...

"Don't," Seonghwa said. Hongjoong stopped and returned his eyes to Seonghwa's face. "Don't look down," he repeated in that soft and gentle tone of his. "Look at me."

Big Grey had once told Seonghwa that normal people could be traumatised when they saw a dead body because they weren't used to it. Seonghwa was accustomed to such sights, what with his job being an assassin and all; Hongjoong was not.

"Wh-why?" Hongjoong asked, a tad on edge.

"You know what's down there," Seonghwa said matter-of-factly.

Hongjoong's eyes dared drift downwards again, until his face was pulled up back towards Seonghwa's face. Seonghwa's hands enclosed either side of his cheeks, ice-cold to the touch.

"So did you..." Hongjoong started through his squidged cheeks.

Seonghwa nodded.

"I mean...you heard the gunshot didn't you?" he said.

It was Hongjoong's turn to nod – awkwardly, though – as his face was still sandwiched between Seonghwa's hands.

"There's your answer, then."

Hongjoong felt a jarring sensation in his stomach. He knew, of course, that Seonghwa was a killer – he wasn't Big Grey's official personal assassin for nothing – but it was strange and scary to be witnessing it almost first-hand. Hongjoong's hands trembled a little, and he clenched them, hoping it wasn't too obvious. He didn't want his friend to think he was afraid of him.

There was a pause, as the two demons stared at each other, one's face full of concern, the other quite shaken up, though he was trying his best to hide it.

"You can let go of me now," Hongjoong said after a while.

"Oh."

Seonghwa's hands dropped and hung awkwardly from his sides.

"I'm...sorry," Seonghwa mumbled. He was tapping his fingers again – this time against his leg.

"For what?" Hongjoong asked, cocking his head to one side.

"For exposing you to..." Seonghwa gestured behind him, though making sure to block Hongjoong's view of the corpse with his body, "that. But they were going to hurt you and...and I don't want that happening," he finished simply. He refused to meet Hongjoong's eyes.

"I'm sorry too, I guess. For not keeping my promise to you. I almost died again because of it," Hongjoong apologised. "A-at least you were there, right? I probably wouldn't have survived if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Suddenly and without warning, Hongjoong felt himself being pulled into a hug.

"Yeah. Probably," came Seonghwa's muffled voice.

Hongjoong patted Seonghwa's back awkwardly.

"I'll try not to get any other violent gangsters to hold grudges against me from now on," he said, laughing a little and trying to ease up the mood; it was quite suffocating, standing in a narrow alley with an unseen corpse lying just metres away from them.

Seonghwa only tightened his embrace. Hongjoong squeaked a little as fresh pain sprouted through his bandaged shoulder, and Seonghwa pulled away abruptly.

"Sorry..." he muttered.

"Nah, it's fine," Hongjoong said, wincing as he felt his shoulder. "It's just a little sore." Upon seeing Seonghwa's guilt-ridden face, he smiled as brightly as he could at him, not wanting to worry the assassin. "It's just a little sensitive, that's all. Anyway, let's just head home – there's no point in staying out here, right? Plus it's getting chilly out."

He shivered and pulled his arms around himself for emphasis.

"Come on," he said, holding out his hand. "Let's go."

Seonghwa took it, a tad gratefully, and the two headed off.