Chapter Text
Jihyo sat in a dimly lit room, the only source of light being the glow of the computer screens surrounding her. She stared at the man across the table, Bang Chan, her boss, the man who controlled her life. His sharp gaze pierced through the smoke filled air as he leaned back in his chair.
“You know why you’re here,” Bang Chan said, his voice low and steady. “This is your last job. Finish this, and you’re free.”
Jihyo swallowed hard. She had been waiting to hear those words for years. Freedom. It sounded almost too good to be true.
“What’s the job?” she asked, keeping her voice calm, though her hands clenched into fists under the table.
Bang Chan slid a folder across to her. She opened it, her eyes immediately landing on a photo of a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair, soft eyes, an effortless smile. Minatozaki Sana.
Jihyo’s stomach twisted. She knew the name. Who didn’t? Sana was the heiress to the Minatozaki fortune, a media darling, always in the spotlight. But the assignment didn’t make sense. Why would someone want her dead?
“She’s a threat,” Bang Chan explained, as if reading Jihyo’s thoughts. “Her family is involved in things they shouldn’t be. Sana knows too much. It’s only a matter of time before she becomes a problem.”
Jihyo looked at the photo again. Sana didn’t look like a threat, if anything, she looked harmless. Spoiled, maybe, but not dangerous.
“My job?” Jihyo asked, though she already knew the answer.
“Spy on her. Find out what she’s up to, who she talks to, and what secrets she’s hiding,” Bang Chan said, leaning forward. “And when the time is right, kill her.”
Jihyo’s heart skipped a beat, but her face remained emotionless. She had done this before. Countless times. But something about this job didn’t sit right with her.
“Why not just kill her now?” Jihyo asked.
Bang Chan smirked, leaning back in his chair. “She’s too high profile. You need to gather intel first and make it look like an accident when the time comes.”
Jihyo nodded, but inside, she felt a slight unease. “How long do I have?”
“As long as it takes,” Bang Chan replied. “But don’t drag it out. You’re on thin ice with me. You’ve been slipping lately.”
She bristled at the comment but didn’t respond. He wasn’t wrong. Lately, she had been feeling something she hadn’t felt in years—doubt. The last job she did almost ended in disaster because she hesitated.
Bang Chan stood up, signaling the end of their meeting. “Remember, Jihyo, this is your way out. Do the job, and you’ll never have to work for me again.”
Jihyo grabbed the folder, stood, and walked toward the door, but before she left, Bang Chan called out to her.
“And Jihyo,” he said, his voice colder now. “Don’t get too close. She’s not your type.”
Without turning around, Jihyo nodded once and walked out. She hated the way he talked to her, like she was nothing more than a tool. But she knew better than to argue. The only thing that mattered now was finishing the job and getting out for good.
---
Later that night, Jihyo sat in her small apartment, staring at Sana’s photo again. She had done her research on her new target. Sana was rich, famous, and always in the spotlight. She lived a life of luxury, attending glamorous events, surrounded by people who adored her.
Jihyo tapped her fingers on the table, thinking through her next move. Getting close to Sana wasn’t an option. That would draw too much attention, and Bang Chan’s warning echoed in her mind: *Don’t get too close.*
She didn’t plan to. She wasn’t here to make friends. She just needed to gather information, find out why Sana was such a threat, and then... finish it. Easy.
Jihyo stood up, grabbed her backpack, and began packing her gear. Hidden cameras, a surveillance drone, and a high-tech earpiece. It was all routine. She’d be watching Sana from a distance, blending into the shadows like always.
---
The next morning, Jihyo was already in position. From her vantage point in a nondescript black car parked outside Sana’s mansion, she watched through binoculars as Sana left her home, surrounded by her security team.
Jihyo pressed a button on her earpiece. “Target is leaving the premises,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. “No sign of unusual activity.”
Sana stepped into her luxury car, laughing at something one of her bodyguards said. Jihyo recognized the tall figure beside Sana—Chou Tzuyu, the heiress’s personal bodyguard.
*Great. Just what I needed*, Jihyo thought. Tzuyu was sharp, always on high alert. She’d have to be extra careful around her.
Jihyo followed at a distance, tracking Sana as she made her way to a high-end fashion boutique in the heart of the city. From her car, Jihyo hacked into the street cameras, watching Sana’s every move as she shopped, chatted with the staff, and posed for photos with fans.
Hours passed, and Jihyo observed with keen attention. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no suspicious meetings, no strange behavior. Just Sana being Sana, living her carefree, glamorous life.
But as Jihyo sat there, watching through her screens, something bothered her. Sana wasn’t what she had expected. She wasn’t the ruthless heiress who would do anything for power. Instead, she seemed... normal. Human. Almost like she was playing a role for the cameras.
Jihyo frowned, shaking off the thought. It didn’t matter what kind of person Sana was. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t afford to lose focus.
---
That night, Jihyo returned to her apartment, reviewing the footage she had gathered. Nothing stood out. No signs of danger or conspiracy. But she knew better than to let her guard down. People like Sana always had secrets. It was only a matter of time before she found them.
Jihyo leaned back in her chair, staring at Sana’s smiling face on the screen. For now, she would continue to watch, to wait. And when the time came... she’d do what she had to.
*One last job,* Jihyo reminded herself. *Just one more, and I’m free.*
But as she turned off the lights and lay in the darkness, that familiar unease crept back in. Something about this mission wasn’t right. And deep down, Jihyo couldn’t shake the feeling that her life was about to change in ways she couldn’t predict.