She sat on her best friend's bed practising her cardistry as the other raked her brain completing a mock exam. Less than a week had passed since her last target so she spent the majority of her time watching Chaeryeong mumble profanities and pulling her scalp.
With a black deck in her left hand, she squeezed the sides of the cards and caused the cards to fly to her other hand in a smooth flow.
"Ryu."
Her hands moved in a fluid grace, fingers mindlessly manipulating the deck. With each shuffle, cut, and flourish, the cards came alive in her hands.
"Ryujin."
Her eyes sparkled with focus, creating stunning visuals as she fanned out the cards. Her movements were deliberate, yet seemingly effortless with loud snaps and audible clicks and pops.
"Ryujin!! I'm trying to study!!" Chaeryeong yelled out of frustration and spun her seat around with her arms crossed.
She carefully cut the deck to perform more flourishes, "Then study."
"God, you're insufferable." The medical student groaned out as she faced her text papers again.
"My name is Ryujin."
Annoyed and stressed, she got up from her desk and grabbed her best friend by the collar. "Ryujin, I will kill you if you don't get out of my room."
There weren't many things in the world that Ryujin was scared of. But Chaeryeong was definitely one of them.
She held her hands up in defeat which prompted the medical student to let go. The dark-haired woman got up from the bed and straightened her shirt. But before she left, she needed to leave a parting gift. She walked over to Chaeryeong's desk and picked up a pencil.
"Don't you fucking dare-"
Ryujin scribbled on the page and ran out of the bedroom before Chaeryeong could attack her.
Now with her source of entertainment gone, she stood in the apartment without a single clue how to keep herself occupied. A part of her wanted to go back into her friend's bedroom to annoy her further but she knew that Chaeryeong wouldn't hesitate to smother her with a pillow.
Ryujin slowly wandered back into her bedroom and plopped onto her bed. She took her laptop from the foot of the bed and logged into her the dark web to find any new contracts.
After a few minutes of scrolling, she came across a well-paying contract.
Name: Hwang Yeji
Age: 22
Occupation: Photography student
Reward: ₩₩₩
There was no motive or reasoning for the contract which left the hitman confused. She made a promise to her best friend that she wouldn't take an innocent life. But the money was alluring for her.
Ryujin closed her laptop and groaned in her hands, trying to fight the temptation of accepting the contract.
"Fuck it."
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As per the contract and a little investigating, she decided to scout out her next target. Ryujin sat on the park bench with a book in hand and a cup of coffee beside her. She lowered her cap down a little to stay hidden from any lingering eyes.
A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of the nearby trees, creating a soothing symphony. The warm rays of the afternoon sun bounced off her white and milky skin, filling her with a sense of tranquillity.
Every so often, she peeked up over her book to watch people walking by. Parents sitting on park benches in front of a colourful playground, watching their children interact with each other as they create core memories that would hold a beautiful place in their hearts.
A few serene moments passed, the sun was slowly setting and the air was cooler. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a tall, young woman standing beneath an old oak tree with a small camera hanging from her neck.
Her wavy brown hair gently flew as a small gust of wind came their way. Ryujin lifted her cap slightly to gain a better view of the woman a few metres away from her. She could fully observe her well-defined jawline that drew her eyes towards her distinct collarbones. But her sight quickly drifted back up to her face; straight nose, beautifully plumped lips and her alluring sharp eyes that she couldn't peel herself away from.
Her eyes are so familiar.
The mysterious stranger smiled as she looked up at the sky. The sun began to descend, casting a warm and golden glow across the park. The sky was painted with hues of orange, pink and purple. A breathtaking view that Ryujin forgot existed.
Ryujin heard a small click coming from the oak tree, she looked over to the side again to see the camera pressed against the woman's eyes. A magical smile appeared on her lips, revealing a small dimple that made her breathing stop.
A text notification startled Ryujin. She closed the book and took her phone out of her backpack.
[Chaery: Where are you?]
[Chaery: Don't tell me you're going for another contract.]
[Chaery: It's too soon. Don't do it yet!!]
She ignored the text messages and took a look at the contact again.
Appearance: Tall, brown hair, sharp eyes.
The hitman came to a realisation. "Shit."
Ryujin looked back over to the woman. She was no longer there, but was walking down the path.
She shoved her book and phone back into her bag and took out her mask and a black handgun with a silencer.
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Ryujin's palms were sweating for the first time. There was no reason to be anxious, it was just another life she was going to be taking. She pulled the mask over the lower half of her face and followed her target.
She gripped onto the strap of her backpack, constantly scanning her surroundings for any potential witnesses or CCTV cameras that could catch her.
The sun had already set and the sky was losing its colours. It was the perfect opportunity to carry out her mission.
The woman turned a corner and headed into a small alley where a small, white Toyota Corolla was parked. Ryujin waited for the target to get inside the car, before she made her move. She crouched down below the car door to ensure she was out of sight.
Her hand reached back to her waistband and gripped the gun tightly, she took a deep breath before opening the passenger side door.
"Don't move, Hwang." The hitman ordered in her husky tone with the gun pointed directly at her target.
The woman stared at the assailant, frozen in fear. Ryujin slid into the passenger seat and closed the door.
"Are you going to kill me?" The photographer asked with her voice trembling.
The masked woman nodded slightly, the gun still pointed at her.
"Well, if you're going to do it." The target grabbed the silencer and brought it closer to her head. "Do it now."
Ryujin's eyes widened in disbelief, her finger rested on the trigger as she stared at the photographer's pained expression.
"What?!"
"Come on. Do it! Fucking get it over and done with." She screamed out with tears running down her cheeks.
"Let go." The hitman demanded while trying to pull the gun away.
"Kill me! Please!! I can't live any longer!!" Spit flew out of her mouth as her hands shook the gun. She pressed her forehead onto the barrel, wishing to end it all.
"Yeji, stop. Let go!!" Ryujin yelled at the woman, panicking as she had no idea what to do.
A part of her wanted to pull the trigger but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Images flashed through her mind- a sudden realisation that the woman before her wasn't just a target but a life. A person who was burdened with unbearable pain, desperately seeking an end to her suffering.
"I got nothing left. NOTHING!!"
With a heavy feeling manifesting inside her chest, the hitman had enough and forcefully pulled the gun from her grip. She kept steady eye contact with the woman's swollen eyes trying to understand the motive behind the longing for her demise.
"Please..." She pleaded, placing her hand on her heaving chest. Her body shook uncontrollably with each sob escaping her lips.
"If you want to die, don't bring me into it." Ryujin muttered out before slamming the car door behind her. As she moved further from the car, Yeji let out a raw, gut-wrenching scream. But she didn't look back, focusing herself on getting out of the area.
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She closed the door behind her. Finally, the gravity of the situation dawned on her. She ran her hand up her face as she slid down the door. Should she have carried out with the task? She could've ended the woman's suffering.
"Where were you, Shin Ryujin?!" the blue-haired woman placed her hands on her hips and stood in front of the hitman.
Fuck, she used my full name.
To avoid any further arguing, she got up off the floor and walked passed the angered woman and straight into her bedroom.
"Don't walk away from me. Where were you?" Chaeryeong sternly said, following after.
Ryujin threw her jacket onto the bed and walked into her bathroom. She turned on the faucet, and the sound of rushing water drowned out Chaeryeong's eager questions. Cupping her hands under the stream, she collected the cool liquid and brought it to her face. Droplets cascaded over her skin, gently caressing and awakening her senses.
"Nothing that concerns you, Chaer." She let out a heavy breath as she picked up a face towel piled beside the sink.
"Well, it does concern me that you went out when you were supposed to be lying low." Chaeryeong stood by the door frame, staring down at her friend.
"Whatever." Ryujin threw the wet towel into the hamper and ignored Chaeryeong as she walked back into her bedroom.
The blue-haired woman rolled her eyes and turned to face Ryujin lying on her bed, "I told you already. Police are onto you. They have an idea who is committing all those murders and they are probably out there searching for any females near the crime scene."
The hitman placed the back of her forearm on top of her eyes, wanting Chaeryeong to stop with her constant reminders. As much as she wanted her to stop, she knew that she had a point.
"Don't worry, I didn't kill anyone. Even though she was begging me."
Chaeryeong's brows furrowed with a bewildered expression on her face, she walked over to the bed and sat beside Ryujin.
"Sorry, what?"
She took a pillow from under her head and covered her face, "She wanted to die and I didn't pull the trigger."
"Why didn't you?"
The truth was, she didn't know either. Behind those sharp eyes was desperation, mixed with agony and pain. The same darkness that she also had.
Chaeryeong understood the silence and hummed. She got up from the bed and turned off the lights. "Okay. Sleep well, Ryu."
Once the door was closed shut, she took the pillow off her face and hugged it tightly. Lost in her thoughts, Ryujin's demons tormented her. Berating her for not carrying out her task, solely because the woman wanted death.
The moonlight shone through the cracks of the blinds, perfectly landing on the upper half of her face.
Perhaps she didn't kill her because her pride and sense of control were diminished as soon as Yeji's fingers held the barrel to her head.
No. It was because she was a victim of life.
She knew it all too well.
Throughout her life, she always questioned why she was dealt a bad hand. Misfortune and tragedies all came for her like a moth drawn to a flame.
But everyone experiences some form of catastrophe in their lives at some point. Why was she any different?
Ryujin shut her eyes tight as she shifted to her side. Why is she on my mind?