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“Gone. Contact the cleaners.” Soobin put down his gun and told Kai. There was a body lying right in front of the two, his face still in shock.
Soobin, a famous contract killer, who is known to never leave any traces nor fail. Nobody knows his real identity, except Kai, who was his assistant and partner in crime.
“Do NOT touch the guns. Once a dog tries to eat flesh, he will never be able to turn back to dog food.” To protect the younger one, he always refused to train him to be his apprentice.
They were good friends in daily life and good partners during the assassination. Soobin always hangs out with Kai and they never had secrets between them, but there’s one question that always bothers Kai, however he never dared to ask Soobin – The famous assassin always covers one eye when he pulls the trigger.
—
Ding . A message appeared on Soobin’s phone. An encrypted file is sent to his phone and it’s his next target.
Soobin immediately went to get his gear and Kai followed him silently. “Snipe or face to face?” Soobin asked Kai for opinion as usual. He does the thinking and communication for Soobin since he refused to train Kai. This target lives in apartments and he doesn’t want to wake the entire community with a sniper, and he doesn’t want to take the risk that the only window facing the woods is a curtained window, but his concern is there are too many people in apartment complexes. “This guy always drinks and slops in the alleys according to the agency’s observations. You can wait when he goes into one and- bam!” Soobin nodded silently and swiftly turned into an alleyway. As expected, the drunk man is sitting there, surrounded by cans of alcohol. Kai checked the photo of their target, as they double checked that they’re fully covered. Soobin then approached the man and pointed the gun at him, signalling him to shut up. He covered his left eye and whispered “Farewell”, followed by a loud gunshot and footsteps of two people running.
“Gone. Contact the cleaners.” (‘Cleaners’ are other people of the agency who clean up the body before anyone notices it.)
The two then left the scene dodging all the security cameras.
—
Ding . Another message appeared on Soobin's phone. Another encrypted file is sent to his phone and it’s his next target. “I wonder who he offended. He looks so young-” Kai enquired, lying on a rooftop next to Soobin while they prepared to snipe their next target. “Never question why. Just don’t dwell deep about target information.” Soobin cut him off.
He then covered one eye and looked into the sniper. A young boy, in his early twenties, with fluffy hair appeared in sight. Soobin inhaled, preparing for his shot. The boy was bouncing and skipping on his way in the house, not aware a sniper was aimed at his head. His hair bounced with the rhythm of his legs, up and down like the ears of a Maltese. “Farewell, young boy.” Soobin mumbled under his breath, as he flipped the safety and put his finger on the trigger.
The young boy turned towards the window, still looking cheerful from not knowing what situation he now is in. Soobin held his breath and concentrated on the forehead, for he knew he only had one shot and couldn’t miss. He noticed the boy had only one eye and his hair flopped the way puppy ears do. Soobin froze in place. “Hyung. He’s not moving anymore. You can shoo- Hyung?” Kai turned and noticed Soobin was now staring into the aim in awe. He missed the perfect opportunity and the young boy had left the room, and the other rooms were all curtained.
It was their first failed mission, and the head of their contract killer agency was angry as he yelled on the phone, “You never act like this. In fact, you never fail. What’s wrong? Do you need a break or what?”
Soobin was frustrated he failed the mission. His name will never be known as ‘The assassin who never fails’. He will receive much less jobs, and obviously his income will be reduced. “I just can’t make myself shoot,” Soobin finally broke the silence. “He reminds me of- him.”
Curiosity was growing in Kai, but he remained silent, for he knew silence was a safer option.
‘Don’t bring personal feelings in assassination. Even if the target is related to you, you have to pull the trigger.’ This was one rule Soobin learnt when he was training as an assassin, yet he was distracted by a young boy he doesn’t even know in person. He despised himself for his actions.
Soobin constantly exhaled deeply and pacing around their house. Kai was aware Soobin is angry at himself. “Hyung, do you mind sharing what happened? If that could help.” Soobin was now holding a bucket of ice cream and shoving the contents in his mouth. “And don’t eat so much ice cream,” Kai said while fighting Soobin for the spoon, attempting to stop him.
“Do you notice I cover my left eye whenever I shoot?” Kai nodded as Soobin started to pour his heart. “I can’t let him see all that blood.”
“Him? Do you have a lover?” In confusion, Kai blurted out. “No. But an old friend of mine...” Soobin said, but a smile started to form even if he tried his best to hold it. “It’s his eye.”
—
In his teenage years, Soobin’s left eye was diagnosed with an incurable eye disease. The only way to cure it was to remove the eye, leaving him with one eye. It was diagnosed during their worst years, both of their parents have passed, and Soobin worked in a bakery so they could buy something to eat and Beomgyu could go to school.
But he couldn’t keep his job if he was blind, leaving the two friends with no income.
“Soobin-ah, let me give you my eye.”
“Shut up, Beomgyu. You still haven’t graduated university.”
“If you’re unemployed how will I graduate?”
Beomgyu insisted he give his eye to Soobin, and he couldn’t wait until he could have an eye from the organ donors as it was spreading fast. Soobin gave in, and the operation was a success. Beomgyu was left without a left eye and Soobin kept his job in the bakery.
Beomgyu was a year younger than Soobin, with fluffy hair Soobin always played with, and if Beomgyu leaped with joy on Soobin’s return from the bakery, his hair bounces up and down and resembles the ears of a puppy, and he always describes Beomgyu as a Maltese.
His eyes always sparkle whenever Soobin looked at them, and he loved his big round eyes, but he never could’ve imagined he would have his eye.
On the day the bandage that wrapped around his eyes was removed, he promised to himself, to protect Beomgyu’s eye from seeing anything he shouldn't see, and protect it from any damage.
—
“So this is why I cover my left eye every time I pull the trigger. I can’t let Beomgyu see that. That someone collapsed in front of me, because of me.”
Kai was teary and he was holding tight on his plushie while listening to the story. “And that target...he had only one eye, with the same fluffy hair, and the way he bounces while he walks. I just can’t pull the trigger.” Soobin slammed the table.
“But- you know who he is. Why can’t you pull the trigger on that stranger boy?”
—
Years after the eye donation, Beomgyu had graduated from university, and he got a job in another part of Korea, forcing the friends to split. Soobin hadn’t seen Beomgyu for years, even though that young boy is definitely not him, Soobin just couldn’t do it.
—
Days passed after the failed mission. He decided to grab the opportunity that since he had already messed up his name, he should stop being an assassin and get a normal job. Soobin returned to the bakery where he worked during their hardest days. The bakery remained the same as his memory, just with some slight touches of difference.
He grabbed Kai to work with him in the bakery. The owner was still the previous owner and was happy to see Soobin’s return with an extra friend. Both of them put on their aprons and prepared for the day. Soobin took a deep, steady breath as he stepped in front of the cashier, while Kai opened the door. It has been years since he had stepped foot in this bakery, yet the familiar sights immediately transported him back to a time long ago. People poured in the bakery, but a familiar head appeared in the crowd. A young boy with a chestnut coloured wolf cut stood out in the line of people, and as Soobin adjusted his eyes, the young man’s eye lit up - the hair fluffy just like how Soobin remembered, bouncy like how a puppy’s ears resembled. Older, perhaps, but still the same person Soobin had known. “Beomgyu!” Soobin yelled from the counter, ignoring the other customers' stares and mumbles. The young boy’s head turned, his one eye’s gaze met with Soobin’s, both of their hearts raced as they kept eye contact, and a slow smile spread from his face. “Soobin! You’re still here!” Beomgyu skipped to the counter, hair now bouncing like the ears of a Maltese. “I just came back and decided to search the bakery for you. Turns out you’re still working here.”
“Yes, I am.” Soobin smiled.