Chapter Text
The story began with Dr. Kou and former Sniper 11235 once again testing General Zhong’s patience.
“We’re still making the most of our marriage and maternity leave!”
“Then don’t fucking come back then!”
And so, following the old man’s orders, they didn’t come back.
As they wandered around aimlessly with no particular destination in mind, they found themselves in front of enormous gates that lead to an amusement park. Colorful stalls lined up on both sides of the road, and the aroma of delicious food filled the atmosphere.
It was somehow similar to the lively candy street produced by Manman’s subconsciousness inside The Projector, where the street lamps were made of chocolate and the roads were soft like jelly, but there was one distinct difference: This wasn’t a false reality created by the mind and projected by a machine.
It was authentic.
It was real.
The two of them still needed a period of adjustment after their abrupt withdrawal from the program, especially since they spent a month trapped inside.
There were no more dangerous cards to keep their guards up against, no more time loops to visit, no more little monster clinging to their legs and asking for sweets, no more crying to be heard behind the bathroom door, no more middle-aged man to piss off in the morning, and no more hugs from a mother that was long since dead.
Reality was a cruel and brutal place.
But that didn’t mean this was all there was to it.
Reality could also be kind, as it gave Kou Tong and Huang Jinchen each other.
… It also gave them this wide variety of games and rides to choose from!
“I only drop by amusement parks whenever I'm dispatched for an assignment,” Huang Jinchen said as he looked around with interest.
As a planted spy and as an assassin, he rarely had opportunities to have fun, except when he was busking in the subway. He didn’t have shifts and worked 24/7 without an ounce of rest, because his job had one principle: It was to kill or to be killed.
Because of the nature of his occupation, everything was black and white in his eyes, except for the color of blood. This was his first time seeing a variety of bright hues as it decorated the attractions.
“Where should we go first?” He asked.
Kou Tong, who had always been an adventurous daredevil under his deceiving lab coat, was already eyeing the high-speed rollercoaster at the far end of the area. Just as he was about to open his mouth to answer, however, Huang Jinchen grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a particular stall.
“Slow down, Er-Pang! You’re too strong!” Kou Tong yelped in surprise.
He was really no match for this guy.
“You’re going to break my bones!”
“I’ll make it up to you. Look!”
Kou Tong finally tugged his arm away from Huang Jinchen’s grasp and looked up to see a booth adorned with stuffed animals of different sizes, and.. guns. Targets lined behind the counter.
It was called The Shooting Gallery.
Oh, Kou Tong thought to himself. This is going to be interesting.
The rules of the game were simple enough: knock the targets down using the gun. For the world’s finest sniper, who held first place in the circle of assassins and was notorious for his terrifying precision, this was nothing but a piece of cake.
… Or at least, it was supposed to be.
Huang Jinchen handed the stall owner cash with a smirk on his face, confident in the abilities that he has honed since he was little, and received a “gun” in return.
Huang Jinchen wasn't stupid, thank you very much. He could already tell from the weight alone that the weapon was fake. The bullets weren’t deadly, a striking difference from the ones he was used to, but he didn’t need to bring out the big guns to win.
Anything was a weapon as long as he was the one wielding it, so whether it was fake or not, he can use it to win that human-sized teddy bear fair and square.
He cocked the firearm, turned to Kou Tong and smugly said, “Watch and learn, darling.”
Kou Tong looked at the stall owner knowingly, as swindlers think alike, before he turned back to watch his lover’s attempts to win him a prize.
Huang Jinchen got into position and locked his gaze on the target through the scope in order to ensure 100% accuracy.
He pulled the trigger.
Time slowed down as the projectile traveled from the muzzle of the gun, accelerated towards the target, and hit it dead-on.
Bullseye.
…Yet the target was still standing upright.
The shock on the face of the world’s finest gun was fucking priceless.
“IMPOSSIBLE!” Huang Jinchen was outraged. Not a single person escaped unscathed once they were within his microscopic sight, and no mission was left unaccomplished… until now!
He glared at the gun in his hand, which led to his failure, and grabbed the stall owner’s collar with his other. “Are you trying to sabotage me?!”
“Pfft..” Who would’ve known that the legendary 11235 was a sore loser?
Huang Jinchen paused his theatrical act as soon as he heard a certain someone’s laughter.
Beside him, Kou Tong was having the time of his life laughing at Huang Jinchen’s demise. He was chuckling so hard that he had to wipe his tears.
Betrayed by his own lover!
Seeing this, Huang Jinchen’s irritation ironically dissipated. He begrudgingly let the stall owner go.
At any other time, Huang Jinchen would’ve taken this as an opportunity to ask for comfort from his lover by dramatically pointing a finger at him. Tongtong, you wound me, he would've said.
But right now, he couldn’t bear to pull his usual antics, because it has been so long since he had seen Kou Tong smile so genuinely, without any hidden meaning nor restraints.
The notorious sniper 11235, who has always had unparalleled razor-sharp focus, was stuck in a daze, staring at Dr. Kou.
The stall owner hesitatingly patted his shoulder to call his attention back and nervously said, “Sorry, sir… You need to knock down at least one target to win a prize一”
“I don’t care,” Huang Jinchen cut him off with a small smile on his lips, his eyes still on Kou Tong.
The latter seemed to have finally noticed his gaze as he looked up to meet it with his own.
“I never wanted those stuffed animals anyway,” Huang Jinchen said, beaming. “The real prize…”
He faltered for a moment as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Kou Tong’s ear.
“...is my significant other’s smile.”
Hearing this, Kou Tong was taken aback. His normally swift and witty responses were stuck in his throat because Huang Jinchen said the sentence in that tone… The tone that said, “I mean it.”
He felt a bit flustered… but he would rather die than admit it and feed Huang Jinchen’s colossal ego.
Kou Tong coughed awkwardly as he moved away from his lover’s touch. “Let’s get going, then?”
Huang Jinchen, the sap, happily agreed and followed him around the place like an obedient puppy.
The stall manager sighed as they walked away, muttering something about love to himself, before attending to the other customers of the booth.