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Can't stop (loving you)

a fic based on the brainrot I had with @stormdragon23 about Eun-seok and invented a new ship.

"If you tell anyone," his voice lowered into a growl. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

"If you harm me," she grumbled, finding her confidence, and was unfazed by the murderous look from the high-ranked hunter. "You will lose all your friends."

Eun-seok stepped into the convenience store. He walked past the shelves and entered different aisles until he reached the refrigerators that kept beverages and other cold products behind thick glasses. He opened the right one and scanned each of the canned drinks before he reached out to grab a specific one for himself. Tonight had been quite a ride for him. So, Eun-seok thought he should reward himself by buying his favorite drink.

He made his way to the cashier and stood behind another customer who was also waiting in line. So far, nobody had recognized him as the famous S-Rank hunter Geun Eun-seok — probably due to the time of the night and there were not a lot of people around, including how tired they must've been.

Eun-seok felt them deeply.

Early in the morning, he had to get up and begin his exercise with his knives before hopping to the shower to get ready for his work at the Hunters Guild, the most powerful guild in South Korea. It was composed of all of the country's S-Rank hunters, led by Sung III-hwan as its guild master.

He would enter gates and battle with monsters, then spar with his guildmates in allotted times, and afterward, Eun-seok would go out in the night to do his other task before going home.

"Uhm, excuse me?"

Eun-seok turned over his shoulder and saw a young woman. She was several inches shorter than him with black hair and piercing green eyes that looked like emeralds. "Can I help you, miss?" He asked her.

"You have a little bit of something on here," she pointed her finger at her jaw.

At first, Eun-seok blinked. He raised his hand to touch the spot on his jaw with his fingertips and caught a glimpse of dark red. He wiped it on his jeans and used his sleeve to remove the rest of it. "Whoops! Animal blood."

"Okay. . ." The woman replied.

Eun-seok glanced at the front and waited for the cashier to finish packing the products into the plastic bag. But then, he felt eyes on his back. By the looks of it, it seemed he was being observed, so he turned behind again to spot the woman staring at him, her green eyes studying him closely.

"Uh. . . Is there something else you need?" He asked. "It's not good when you

keep staring strangely at someone, you know?"

"Oh, sorry!" She cleared her throat. "You look rather familiar. Are you Hunter Eun-seok?"

He chuckled. "Keep it down, will you? I know I'm quite well-known, but I don't wish to be recognized by somebody else here."

"I just remembered that Yoon-ho had a friend in his guild and said he was in the class of Assassin."

"Yea- how did you know Yoon-ho?"

"I'm also friends with him. Along with Min Byung-gyu." She said and extended her hand out. "I'm Park Hee-jin."

The edges of Eun-seok's lips curled into a smile as he shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Park."

When their hands parted, Eun-seok looked ahead and noticed that the customer in front of him had already stepped forward to the counter, leaving an available space between them, so he moved forward as well and waited once more.

“Do you live just around this block?”

He turned over his shoulder again and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I live quite far from here, but since I got thirsty from finishing a task, I decided to stop by.”

“What kind of task is it?” Hee-jin asked.

The edge of his mouth tugged into a smirk. “Just hunter things.”

“I see.” Hee-jin nodded. Then, her eyes widened as though she had forgotten something. “Oh! I forgot the pineapple juice!”

“Do you want me to save your spot?”

She shook her head. “Nope!”

Eun-seok was about to raise his hand when the noirette had already left the line. He sighed and playfully rolled his eyes.

As she walked into the aisles, Park Hee-jin looked around to make sure she was far enough and glanced at her hand, the one which the S-Rank hunter had touched, and the more she stared at it, the stranger the feeling in her chest was.

She was known as the hunter with immense survival instincts. It came in handy outside the gates too, knowing the dangers of the world were different from the dangers within the dungeons. Park Hee-jin could only wonder how she felt that way around someone whom she had just met.

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A few days later, their paths crossed once again.

Same place. Same time.

However, Eun-seok was looking across the shelves, in search of a specific snack, when he felt a familiar presence nearby. He diverted his attention to the right side and found none other than Park Hee-jin, who was holding a box of tea and reading its label.

"Ms. Park," he said. "It's great to see you again."

Hee-jin looked up and met his eyes. "Hunter Geun. It is a pleasant surprise."

"Are you—" he stopped, noticing where her eyes were at. It was the same look she had given him on the first moment they met. He tilted his head a little in question. "Is there something on my face?"

"Hm? Ah! Not exactly." Hee-jin reverted back to the box in her hand. She grabbed another tea box as if to compare the two.

That must be about the blood. Eun-seok speculated. The edge of his lips suddenly twitched up, having an idea to make use of the situation.

"Could it be that you find me, an S-Rank hunter, attractive up close?" He said.

As expected, Hee-jin flinched. She looked at him in bewilderment. "A— attractive?! Please," she huffed, "do not flatter yourself."

"Then why else do you have your eyes on me?" Eun-seok pressed on. "It's not like I have anything on me, except for a clean face."

Hee-jin chuckled and cocked her head, arching an eyebrow as if she found his words entertainment. "Well, what if I do find you attractive? What will you do? Take me out on a date?"

"Ms. Park, I am not like that," Eun-seok huffed. "It will be bold of me to take someone out for a date with such a useless reason. Or perhaps, you are interested in me?"

She was interested. She was interested in knowing more of that blood smear he had so recklessly forgotten. Instead of making her figure it out on her own, Eun-seok would have to twist the situation to his direction.

Mischief glistened in Hee-jin's green eyes. She tilted her head back to its original angle. "Is this your first time trying to charm a woman? Because I don't think so. S-Ranks are practically celebrities. You are probably approached a lot when you are by yourself."

"I don't think S-Ranks and celebrities are the same. Unless you are referring to celebrities who have awakened. But no, and you got another thing wrong." Eun-seok said. "It is my first time doing this. However, I like to think that I did a great job at it."

Hee-jin rolled her eyes and set the two boxes back to the shelf. Both of her hands grasped on the strap of her bag and gradually walked toward him, a subtle grin playing on her lips. "You are really good at thinking of yourself highly, huh? I am not surprised." She raised her head as she got closer, only reaching by his shoulder. Eun-seok's eyes widened at the proximity. "I like that you are quick to catch on to things, but don't take pride in it too much. I'm sharper than you think."

His mind went blank. A short laugh was heard and Hee-jin began to distance herself, walking away without glancing for the last time. Only one thought lingered in his mind: what the heck?

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The assassin lunged at the wall and jumped off to spin his body in the air as he took out his small knives, throwing them at his opponent's direction. Jin-woo quickly blocked them with his daggers and swerved aside when Eun-seok lunged at him with his long sword. The hunters were in the gymnasium, training and sparring, while Jong-in and Byung-gyu were the only ones who had not participated. Being a mage with fire powers and a mere healer, they joined a conversation with the chairman, Go Gun-hee, and Woo Jin-chul of the surveillance team.

Eun-seok thrusted his weapon forward, but Jin-woo blocked it between his two daggers. The assassin pushed further, his mouth twitching at the sight of his opponent's gritted teeth, and Jin-woo managed to twist his daggers to not only free the sword, but to catch an opening. Eun-seok quickly dashed to a different angle to proceed his attacks.

Jin-woo said that he once fought an assassin. Eun-seok wanted to test if fighting him, an S-Rank assassin, would bring any difference.

He took out his other sword and was about to attack again when the alarms in the gymnasium blared. The hunters instantly halted their sessions to turn to the second floor. Jin-chul had his phone to his ear and nodded before he whispered something to the chairman's ear.

"Hunter Geun!" Go Gun-hee called. "A hunting party wishes for your aid at their subjugation."

"Alright!" Eun-seok nodded and inserted his swords into their sheaths that were attached to his back by a harness. Usually, it was him who got called to join a separate raid with a group of hunters whose ranks only reached A-Rank — it was because of the fact that Eun-seok wouldn't hesitate to help someone when needed.

Surprisingly, Jong-in volunteered as well. Eun-seok was going to question him when he had already left the gym. He sighed and went to the comfort room first to change into his hunting gear. When someone reached out for an S-Rank hunter's help, the price must be a fortune. The skills were no joke and it would be shameful if S-Ranks were paid in a moderate amount.

Eun-seok, on the other hand, didn't ask for a large payment. He was fine with receiving an equal amount as the rest. But now that he was with Jong-in, he couldn't imagine how the situation would turn out.

Choi Jong-in was one of the few people whom he did not expect to be closer with. Of all hunters in the guild, he was the only one whose aura would demean someone. While Eun-seok tended not to judge people, Jong-in would judge people to his delight. It was a friendship blossoming out of the blue, but the true tale was only two of them who knew.

The car pulled over a vacant space once they arrived at the location. Eun-seok got out of the passenger's seat, clad in his dark assassin clothing which consisted of a coat over his chest armor and a pair of black pants, and a silver belt was secured in his waistline. He attached his sheathed swords to his back as he made his way to the group of hunters near the gate. Jong-in walked alongside him, only wearing his red cloak over his fancy suit.

Then, his eyes caught someone within the small crowd.

"Park Hee-jin?" The name slipped smoothly from his mouth. Indeed, it was the pretty and sharp woman who had been showing signs of being suspicious of him. She was clad in a white shirt with long puffy sleeves and a pair of dark leggings under a white and green skirt; she had a golden pauldron on her left shoulder and a gold feather-like ornament attached to the right side of her hair. When his eyes landed upon the staff in her hand, he knew she was a mage.

Hold on— realization lit up in his mind. She's a hunter?!

"You know someone?" Jong-in asked him.

"Yeah. She's friends with Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu too."

"Ohhh, nice! A mutual friend."

Eun-seok rolled his eyes and looked ahead and saw a hunter approaching them. "Hunter Song Chi-yul!"

"Hunter Eun—" the middle-aged man paused. "H— Hunter Choi?!"

"Good day!" Jong-in let out a bright smile. "Oh, you don't have to worry about paying me. You can split Eun-seok's remuneration and I will be fine with it."

It made Eun-seok's eyes stretch wide. "You piece of—"

"Shall we start the raid?" Jong-in cut in. "We have no time to waste."

Chi-yul blinked, seeing the assassin glare darkly at the mage. "O— okay."

When they joined the group, gasps filled the air. Particularly because of Jong-in's presence. Nonetheless, they began to walk toward the gate, with the two S-Ranks in front of the hunters while Chi-yul was behind them.

Eyes were still on him. Eun-seok probably knew whom they belonged to, but he chose to evade it and focus on the subjugation.

"I think I see something!" A hunter exclaimed. "It's— it's—"

A monster came out of the darkness and rushed toward them. It was huge, bulky, and had a heavy weapon. While some began to whimper in fear, Eun-seok reached up to grab the hilt of his sword and about to unsheathe it until a large cloud of flames sprinted across the air, succumbing the monster whole. The whole cave was instantly lit up. Jong-in watched with a smirk as he burned the monster through his extended hand.

"First problem is solved!" The hunter boasted.

"Wow! Hunter Choi is so good!"

"He's the kind of hunter I aspire to be!"

Eun-seok scoffed at his friend and walked around the fire. He had no time for hearing praises when the task was not done yet. "Move along! We still have a boss monster to kill."

The rest of the monsters came and the hunting party quickly defended themselves. Eun-seok killed several of them and went for the bigger ones, using various techniques with his blades. He managed to decapitate several of them in a single dash of speed.

Though, it was not all monsters in his path. He left some for the rest of the hunters to kill. The boss monster was his main priority — his favorite target.

Large footsteps soon echoed, rumbling through the ground. It formed a grin on his face.

Eun-seok stopped on his tracks and waited for the monster to come out by itself. It must've sensed a strong presence near the lair. Then, distant footsteps had also shuffled from behind.

“Ah, hyung! Just in ti—” he paused. Instead of Jong-in, he saw the B-Rank mage. “Hunter Park?” How did you manage to get here?

Hee-jin held a stern expression. “What? Can't a B-Rank face a boss monster?”

“Hunter Choi?”

“Assisting the Tanks.”

Eun-seok sighed. “Try not to get too close. I won't be able to protect you at all times.”

He heard her scoff, so he rolled his eyes and turned his direction to the largest monster in the dungeon. It was an orc, larger than Ma Dong-wook’s gigantified form, and wielded a heavy axe. Two tusks were poked out on the corners of its mouth, its bright yellow eyes fell on the two hunters and let out a roar.

Eun-seok caught the axe moving toward them. He ducked and threw a quick look over his shoulder, seeing how Hee-jin had gotten to safety as well. The orc swung its weapon again and the S-Rank hunter immediately swerved from it. He gritted his teeth, seeing how he must get rid of the weapon first, or at least loosen the monster’s grip on it.

The orc lifted the heavy axe this time and was ready to attack the hunter again until a flash of light blasted at its shoulder. It stole its attention and Eun-seok took this chance to sprint to its leg, causing the monster to twitch as well, though he anticipated it and quickly pierced his sword into the flesh and used it to push his feet up, reaching at an upper spot. His hand flew on one of the spikes on its shoulder pads and launched his weight on the back of the orc’s neck.

Unfortunately, he still wasn't able to kill it due to its movements. Eun-seok stabbed his sword in the flesh again and held onto it tightly. Now, if he could bring out his gun and—

*screech*

Not only did he hear a screech, but also the reverberating thud of the weapon itself. Eun-seok's eyes lit up and plucked his sword out of the flesh and raced forward. He pierced one of its eyes as he used his feet to flip his body in the air, bringing out his gun as well and pulled the trigger at the other eye.

He landed on his feet first before the orc toppled over the ground. Eun-seok found the discarded axe, knowing it had been done by Hee-jin to speed up the process of defeat. Henceforth, not making the task harder for him.

“Thank me later,” the mage simply said and walked away. Probably tell the others that the monster had been defeated.

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"You met Park Hee-jin?!"

"What did she say? It better not be something weird."

"She's cool, right?"

"I mentioned you to her once. It's amazing how she still remembers it."

"I was thinking that you two should meet since she's shrewd and kind like you, but it seems like fate beat me to it."

Eun-seok rolled his eyes as he peeled off his coat to set it on the couch. "Yeah, I did meet her, but it's not a big deal anyway."

"Well, what do you think about her?" Yoon-ho asked.

"Hm, do you want the truth or lie?"

"Bruh."

"Decent. I think she's decent."

Eun-seok replied. His best friends looked at him oddly. "What? You asked for my opinion!"

"Wow! I guess I've expected too much." Byung-gyu rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe you hadn't talked to her that long?"

Eun-seok huffed. If they had known that wasn't the first time he met the mage and the words they had exchanged, it would've made sense, but he elected to hide it since he knew what Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu would react.

"How about we should have lunch tomorrow? Just the four of us." Yoon-ho suggested.

"Good idea, hyung!" Byung-gyu agreed.

It's not! Eun-seok internally protested.

He didn't think he wanted to see her again. Her and those calculating green eyes. . . He hated them. If her astuteness could lead to his secrets being revealed, Eun-seok's whole life would be torn down. He must not bring himself to trust her.

His foot tapped the ground. Eun-seok sat on his chair with crossed arms outside of the restaurant. Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu were in a conversation as they waited for their mage friend to arrive. But since he was getting bored, Eun-seok brought out his phone and started playing a mobile game, fiercely pressing the icons to unleash his attack on his enemies.

"Yoon-ho!"

There was a new voice. But Eun-seok was so engrossed in his game that he didn't bother to turn up his head until someone tapped him on the shoulder. It made the S-Rank to tear his attention away from the screen to look at Byung-gyu in question.

"Hee-jin! You've met Eun-seok, right?" Yoon-ho gestured to his direction.

When Eun-seok changed his gaze, emerald eyes were already staring at him across the table. Hee-jin wore a simple light blue blouse and a pair of high-waisted jeans; the strap of her bag sat on her shoulder. She still had a sharp gaze on him.

Sighing, Eun-seok set his phone down and put on his kind smile. "Hello, Hunter Park."

"Good to see you, I guess?" Hee-jin replied bluntly.

Byung-gyu widened his eyes at her. "How rude!"

"Maybe it's the time of the month for her. . . "

"Hey!" Hee-jin shot a glare at Yoon-ho. "You owe me lunch, Baek!"

"I was just joking!" Yoon-ho protested.

Hee-jin rolled her eyes and took a seat down beside the S-Rank hunter. Right across Eun-seok. Then, Byung-gyu called for the waiter and began to give his order, followed by Yoon-ho, Hee-jin, and Eun-seok, who came last since he had to check the menu again.

When the food came, Eun-seok indulged in his meal silently. It was clear that Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu were trying to keep the atmosphere light, followed by Hee-jin, who shared several details in her life after not seeing her two friends for the past few months. Eun-seok just listened intently and would only speak when his name was called.

He was not always silent. He could be talkative around people he was most comfortable with. But not this time- it was as if he was seeing Hee-jin as his enemy. Shouldn't that be the right word, though? She had the potential to be a threat to him.

He must be careful around her now.

"Earth to Eun-seok?"

Eun-seok snapped out of his daze.

"Yes?"

"You've been spacing out a lot ever since we came here," Byung-gyu stated. He turned to Hee-jin. "He's not usually like this. But all it takes for him is to be comfortable and that's when he'll talk a lot."

"Oh? I see," Hee-jin nodded. "Well, I understand that Eun-seok is not used to my presence yet. It's not like I'm going to put him in danger or anything."

Eun-seok almost coughed against the chopsticks in his mouth. A silent laugh reached the entrance of his ears, causing him to throw a look at Hee-jin.

Yoon-ho scoffed. "Please! Eun-seok is capable of anything. Throw him in a gate by himself and he'd still survive."

"Gee. . . Thanks, hyung." Eun-seok grumbled.

"It was a compliment, idiot."

Hee-jin laughed. "Well, he sure is capable of taking down a large monster on his own. It's no wonder Mr. Song is prepared to pay him immensely and will quickly call him for help with C-Rank dungeons."

Her words sounded skeptical. Eun-seok could not sense even the slightest sincerity in them. Regardless of her kind complexion, he could see right through her mask. Once she found a hole or an opportunity, Hee-jin wouldn't hesitate to make her move.

"Oh! Excuse me, I'll have to go to the restroom," Hee-jin set her utensils on her plate and got up. Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu nodded while she pushed through the door within the restaurant.

While she was out, Eun-seok continued to eat. He could hear her moving silently through the place. Part of him felt a tad of relief, knowing she hadn't uttered anything under her breath.

"So what do you think about her now?"

"Who?"

"The waitress," Yoon-ho scoffed, then he shook his head. "No, Hee-jin! Obviously!"

"Eh. Still the same." Eun-seok shrugged.

"Come on! I thought you'd warm up to someone once you know how nice they are? Hee-jin hasn't done anything that left you with a bad impression."

"My mind still hasn't changed, hyung."

Yoon-ho groaned.

After a moment, Eun-seok excused himself and went inside of the restaurant to the comfort room. He turned to a small hallway and came across the green-eyed noirette. They both paused in front of each other. A few seconds passed and that was when Hee-jin began to walk past him, but Eun-seok caught her wrist.

"I know what your intentions are, Hee-jin," he said darkly.

She faced him with a grimace. "How long do you know?"

"Since the first moment. I had an inkling that you were dubious when I told you about the animal blood."

"Well, was it? Really?"

Eun-seok snickered as he let go. "If I told you the truth, would you scream? Or will you stay silent like a frightened person?"

"What—" Hee-jin widened her eyes.

"You. . . "

He grasped her hand again and stepped forward. Satisfaction surged in his stomach as he heard her breath quiver. Hee-jin stood frozen like a deer in headlights, though her hands balled into fists. Eun-seok craned his neck to lean on her ear.

"If you tell anyone," his voice lowered into a growl. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

"If you harm me," she grumbled, finding her confidence, and was unfazed by the murderous look from the high-ranked hunter. "You will lose all your friends."

Eun-seok pulled away and met her glare. His grip loosened and Hee-jin broke her hand free, taking a step from him. Part of him knew he was not going to kill her out of cold-blood, but now that she had become a threat to him, he would be left with no choice.

Hee-jin was clever, calculating, and no doubt— stubborn.

No, he never wanted to lose his friends. They were the only people he had. When he was in the guild for the first time, Eun-seok found it hard to trust others after what happened to him, but when Min Byung-gyu began to approach him and dealt with his responses, Eun-seok found himself opening up to the healer. Yoon-ho also became someone close to him shortly after.

The guild became his family.

He liked what he was doing. As dangerous as it was, Eun-seok preferred to keep it under the radar. It was also to protect himself since he feared what everyone would see once they discovered the truth.

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The man whimpered one last time after the sword was retracted from his chest. He gasped and coughed until the very last second of his life ascended from his body, leaving nothing but a corpse under a pool of blood. Eun-seok wiped both sides of his sword on the back of his gloved hand and pushed it back to its sheath, he went up to the window and left the room, which was now reeking of death.

He got down from the house in agile, soundless movements. His feet landed in a soft thud and smelled a smoke of a cigarette. Eun-seok's gaze flickered up and saw Choi Jong-in leaning against the wall with his cigar between his lips.

"You're done with your list?"

Jong-in removed his cigarette with his two fingers and blew a small cloud of light grey smoke through his mouth. "About ten minutes ago. You seemed to enjoy being back there, so I didn't go ahead to check on you."

"I had a few things in my mind to get out of." said Eun-seok.

Intrigue glimmered in his eyes under the dim light of the lamppost. "Pray tell?"

"It's—" Eun-seok looked around his surroundings. He realized they might need to be in a suitable place if he were to share personal details to his friend. "How about we go somewhere else?"

Yes, Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu were his best friends. They were the ones who broke his shell. But Eun-seok was an assassin. Not only could he use his skills on monsters, but also on people too. Names he wished to cross out of his list as he tore their souls out of their bodies.

Jong-in was the only one whom he could reach out to. Like him, Jong-in also killed people at nighttime. He would torture his victims first by burning their skins after covering their mouths. Jong-in was the one who provided lists of people to kill and which people they could transfer their sins to. Eun-seok found himself trusting the hunter in a different way; it made him wonder how come he hadn't gotten close with Jong-in sooner.

The beer was bitter and mixed with lemon in his tongue. The moon watched them from afar as they sat next to each other on the hood of Jong-in's car. Eun-seok poured himself another drink and began to speak his mind out. His friend intently listened and didn't utter a word throughout the whole story.

However, Jong-in's expression changed when Eun-seok got to the part where he was certain that Hee-jin was suspicious of him and would tell anyone once she got enough proof. Eun-seok concluded his story and drank his whole glass, waiting for a response. He could tell that Jong-in was aggravated by now.

"First of all, if you hadn't left a single trace of blood, you wouldn't be in this mess." Jong-in scoffed. "Second— why can't she just leave you alone? That huntress doesn't know what she is getting into."

"Exactly," Eun-seok concurred.

"So what will you do? It's not like you are going to allow her that way."

"I was thinking that I should take her life."

Jong-in eyed him in bewilderment.

"Just kidding!"

He groaned. "You don't have to go that route, you idiot. Think of something else!”

"Hmm," Eun-seok hummed, biting his cheek. "I was thinking if I should. . . Show her?"

"What?"

"Reveal myself. Bring an end to her suspicions and show who I really am." Eun-seok said.

Jong-in stared at him in question. "You know, I don't know whether you are being serious or not."

"I am."

He sighed and grabbed the bottle between them to fill his glass. Jong-in raised it in front of his lips before he said. "That is a bad idea, Eun-seok. You've been hiding this thing from everyone else for a long time and you are going to simply give your identity away for a woman who is doubtful of you? What will you do to keep her silent, then?"

"I'll figure something out." Eun-seok shrugged and placed his glass down and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You better!" Jong-in glowered at him. "If things go south, I am not saving your ass. And I still think that's a bad idea."

"I got this, hyung," the assassin said. "I won't mess this up."

He swore it.

If Eun-seok swore to himself, he was confident that nothing would get out of his grasp. He had everything under control and that included the manipulation of the end result. It happened before, so he was certain that it could happen again.

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He came across her again at the convenience store. But this time, she was with two young women, one of which he recognized as Jung Ye-rim, a healer in the Knights Guild. Eun-seok was not sure about the other one as she looked completely unfamiliar to him.

So, he decided to wait for his chance to speak with Hee-jin in private.

Eun-seok began picking up random products, pretending to inspect them while listening closely to the girls. He doubted that Hee-jin would notice his presence when she was too engrossed in her conversation with her friends.

“Which flavor do you want, Hee-jin?” Ye-rim asked. “Grapes or oranges?”

“Grapes! But you can pick both if you are up for oranges.” Hee-jin said.

“Are you sure that we are going to watch ‘The Mimic’?”

“Why? Are you scared, Ju-hee?”

“Absolutely not! I heard that it's a story based on true events. . . ”

“So? Can you handle it?”

“I think so?”

“Just think that the movie isn't real, Ju-hee. Ye-rim here will probably make fun of it.”

The A-Rank healer scoffed. “You’re making it seem like it's a bad thing—”

“I do not!”

Eun-seok chuckled. Seeing the way they bonded with one another somehow reminded him of how he was to Byung-gyu and Yoon-ho — perhaps Jong-in as well.

Then, once he took a subtle glance, Ye-rim and the other girl — Ju-hee — had walked away, leaving Hee-jin alone in the aisle. Eun-seok took this chance and moved to the other side, not making it obvious that he had come for her there; he grabbed a cup of noodles from the shelf next to her.

“Amazing how often we stumble upon each other in convenience stores, huh?”

He huffed and cast a gaze at her from the corner of his eye. “What should I call it? A fate? Destiny?”

“A curse.”

“Rude,” Eun-seok grimaced. “But true.”

Hee-jin sighed. “Why are you even here? More or less, talking to me? If my friends see you here—”

“I won't stay long enough to ruin your night.” Eun-seok returned the cup noodles to the shelf. He faced her fully with a stern expression. “I will cut to the chase here. You are suspicious of me, correct? You have a gut-feeling that I am more than the hunter I am.”

Hee-jin crossed her arms, as though waiting for him to continue. Eun-seok sighed.

“Meet me in the same block and at the second lamppost near this place.” he said to her. “9:00 PM to be precise.”

With that, he walked away, hearing no response from her.

Later that night, Eun-seok stood under the streetlight, leaning his back against the post. His hood was pulled back, allowing the whispering winds to twirl around his locks as his chin sat above the mask around his neck. It had been six minutes past the desired time. He didn't think that Hee-jin would be the kind of person who would turn her back on something that would finally conclude her intuitions.

He had a feeling that this night would go exactly the way he intended.

*pitter patter, pitter patter*

And there she was.

Hee-jin headed toward him, clad in a navy blue hoodie and a pair of black jeans. Her hood shrouded half of her forehead and her hands were buried inside of her pockets. The mage eyed him wearily, and if his aural perception could reach within a human body, her heart would be heard pounding against her chest.

"Are you ready, Ms. Park?" He asked her.

Hee-jin could only nod.

Eun-seok pushed himself away from the post and hauled his mask to his face, the fabric clung to the bridge of his nose, then he brought his hood to his head. She wordlessly followed him into the alleyway, allowing the shadows to swallow her. Her footsteps scraped against the ground. Hee-jin carefully looked around even though she was seeing nothing but darkness, not even Eun-seok's footsteps were heard.

She tried not to worry.

No, wait— why should she not worry? Eun-seok, whom she had been suspecting for the past few days, had invited her to meet up with him in the middle of the night. Hee-jin couldn't even read his actions and body movements properly. Of all hunters, she viewed him as the most enigmatic one. He was quiet and his eyes could stare deeply into one's soul.

Hee-jin just wished there would be an end to her whirling thoughts. How long do I have to endure?

For a moment, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Although it was too late, she hoped her instincts wouldn't put her into peril. Perhaps she had gone too far. . .

"We're here."

Hee-jin flinched and looked around. She could barely distinguish a figure. "Eun-seok?"

"I'm right here."

"Where? I don't- eek!" She yelped.

Eun-seok had his hand on her wrist. His touch was gentle. Hee-jin found her adrenaline decreasing when she realized it was him and saw his eyes, glowing in red.

"Relax. It's just me." He said.

"Where are we?" Hee-jin asked.

"This is where you'll have the answers to your questions," Eun-seok let go of her wrist and made his way to the wall. He sprung up to the roof where he landed soundlessly as if his feet were guided by the thin air. He looked down at her and asked. "Can you climb?"

Hee-jin glanced around and saw a pipe pressed at the corner. She chose to climb it and held on to the thick pipe to haul herself up to the roof, but was also careful not to steal attention from the windows nearby. As she slowly got to the top, a gloved hand reached down to her, so Hee-jin accepted it and let Eun-seok guide her to his spot.

But that didn't stop there. Hee-jin had to follow Eun-seok across the rooftops whilst she maintained being careful with her steps. Eun-seok was going faster than her, but she was glad he managed to pull himself back instead of leaving her to completely fail to follow him.

Eventually, Eun-seok brought her to a certain house. He commanded her to not follow him inside and stay on the edge of the roof. Hee-jin obliged and held tightly on the frame of the window, watching as the association stepped inside of the bedroom; her breath silently hitched when Eun-seok unsheathed one of his swords.

He stood in waiting until the door opened, causing the air to change in an instant. There was a man who got shocked at the intruder in his room.

"Who the hell are you?! Why are you—"

The next thing that happened left Hee-jin in shambles.

Eun-seok dashed up and swung his sword at the man, a strong whiplash drew a long cut across his chest. The S-Rank hunter yanked a fistful of his hair to throw him across the room. Before the man could scream, Eun-seok pressed his hand against his mouth; the man beneath him fought and squirmed. Hee-jin clutched on the frame tighter, her heart racing throughout the whole scene.

But what came next was something she was not prepared for.

Eun-seok raised his sword and pierced it into the man's heart. The B-Rank hunter couldn't tell whether the sound was her gasp or the sword that sunk through the man's vital organ.

Hee-jin covered her mouth with her hand and sat down on the edge, raising her knees to her chest. Terror filled her eyes. Yes, she knew Eun-seok was an assassin. . . But she never thought he'd be an assassin outside the gates. Killing people. In cold blood and not uttering a single word.

"Hee-jin?"

She turned up and saw the assassin himself. Seeing his red eyes felt as if she was witnessing the death of the man a while ago. "Eun-seok. . . What was that?"

"The answer to your questions," said Eun-seok. "So, are you satisfied now?"

Hee-jin gritted her teeth. "Satisfied? You just killed someone- a human!" She stood up, wishing she could hit him if she was able to balance herself. "Are you a murderer of some sort?!"

"What did you even expect from me?" Eun-seok simply asked.

"I. . . I don't know! Maybe— maybe I was hoping that I was wrong about you." Hee-jin admitted. "Why, Eun-seok? How long have you been doing this? What is your reason to take people's lives and not just monsters?"

Eun-seok just stared at her. But after a few passing seconds, he turned away and Hee-jin had no choice but to follow him once again.

They returned to the same place before they journeyed across the rooftops. Eun-seok continued walking rather than speaking just like what Hee-jin expected. When they left the dark alleyway, Hee-jin spotted him standing in the entrance. She deeply hoped he wouldn't leave her without saying anything.

"I kill people for a reason, Hee-jin. People who do wrong things and have no intentions to change themselves. That man you saw, for instance, has been having an affair with different women while manipulating his wife." Eun-seok explained. "Sometimes, there are things you can't rely on the police. I learned that when I got my awakening."

"But do you ever feel remorse for the lives you claim?" Hee-jin asked.

He shook his head. "No. Not even the time I killed the intruders in my old home for trying to rob me." Hee-jin opened her mouth, but Eun-seok proceeded. "It's a long story that I'd rather forget, Ms. Park. Are you satisfied with what you know now? Will you keep your mouth shut from now on?"

Hee-jin was silent for a moment until she let out a sigh and glanced down. "I won't tell anyone."

Eun-seok nodded and waited as she began to walk away. She didn't turn her head back. Hee-jin simply blended into the crowd until not a single trace of her was still seen. His chest clenched a little, though Eun-seok reminded himself that he must not feel bad when it was his intention to bring her in such a situation that would leave her speechless.

And she was.

The fear was so palpable she looked like she had a nightmare.

Eun-seok couldn't blame her. Nobody else would handle his tasks the same way he did. Hee-jin most likely lived a simpler life than him, who already got blood in his hands long before he conquered monsters.

Their lives were different.

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Hee-jin hadn't dared to come near him again.

If they came across each other, whether in the convenience store or somewhere in the streets, Hee-jin would look away and walk past him without a word. She didn't dare to inspect him. Eun-seok was relieved with the change and continued his day.

Later that night, he told Jong-in that his plan worked. Jong-in was skeptical at first until he decided to believe him. The proof was also shown when Hee-jin didn't leave her distance when the two hunters were called again to aid the hunting party.

"Hee-jin said she's not coming with us for lunch," Yoon-ho declared after he shoved his phone into his pocket while he walked out of the guild building.

Byung-gyu frowned. "Well, that's too bad."

"She's probably busy, hyungs. Let's go even if it's just the three of us." Eun-seok shrugged.

He didn't care.

With the conflict gone, Eun-seok felt he could breathe freely without having to worry about his true identity being leaked out.

But little did he know. . . There would be side-effects.

Several days later, with Hee-jin still avoiding him each time they found themselves in the same place, something began to bug him. As usual, he didn't pay attention to it until it happened again when Eun-seok picked up her wallet and Hee-jin immediately took it and left.

It wasn't that she expressed no gratitude. Her distance and silence aggravated him to some extent. Eun-seok didn't know why he was feeling that way. Could it because the situation was beginning to bother him? He doubted it. He had already expected it to happen between them anyway.

But why?

Why did he feel affected?

"Everyone! Be prepared to go in!" Yoon-ho exclaimed to the hunters.

Eun-seok wrapped a black strip around his hand, tugging it tightly before continuing between his index finger and thumb, and secured it at the bottom. He pulled his sleeve across his arm and was about to join the group when he caught something from the corner of his eye. A certain mage was found dozing on a bench, unaware of the hunt that was about to begin.

So, Eun-seok made his way toward her and stared at her. He reached out to shake her shoulder a little. Hee-jin continued to be asleep.

"Hee-jin? Wake up." Her eyes finally snapped open. He let out a sigh. "Good, now let's—" Hee-jin brushed past him, catching him off-guard. "Hey!"

She stopped.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Eun-seok remarked.

"You weren't even bothered when I began avoiding you."

"Yeah, but you look like you're afraid of me."

"Just get to the hunt, Hunter Geun."

Eun-seok paused, as though he was processing those last words from her to his statement. Her tone was blunt and dry that it got him perplexed. He shook his head, realizing that he was not supposed to care when—

"Eun-seok!"

"Y-yes, hyung! I'm coming!" Eun-seok took off running to the group of hunters, joining Yoon-ho in the entrance.

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The night kept him awake.

He shifted, and shifted, around his bed. But he only ended up staring at the ceiling, allowing his thoughts to run ceaselessly in his mind. Eun-seok groaned and grabbed a pillow to press it against his face.

There was only one word to explain his crisis.

Hee-jin.

It was her all over again.

A strange feeling succumbed to his chest. It was almost as though it was the same feeling whenever he thought about his friends' reactions to him being a killer. Could it be that she was afraid of him? Eun-seok used to be annoyed by her keen observation skills, but now, he was annoyed by how she treated him like a ghost.

He dragged his pillow to his chest and released a loud sigh. Reaching out to his nightstand, Eun-seok grabbed his phone and went to the nearest contact that he knew would help him with his dilemma.

[Eun-seok, 10:02 PM: are you still awake, hyung?]

[Byung-gyu, 10:05 PM: yeah. What is it?]

He pursed his lips.

[Eun-seok, 10:07: I need a favor.]

Amidst the broad daylight shrouding over the city, Eun-seok sat under the shady umbrella in front of a restaurant, waiting for Hee-jin to show up. He already told his boss that he would be late due to some important matters. His fingers were tapping the table while he had his head beneath his hood, as if protecting himself from the unwanted attention since he was the only S-Rank hunter in public.

Finally, he saw her.

Eun-seok straightened his posture and gazed at her intently. Hee-jin's eyes met his briefly before confusion grew in her features, yet continued to make her way toward his table, stopping in front of him.

"Eun-seok. I didn't think I'd see you here instead of Byung-gyu." Hee-jin said.

"Byung-gyu wasn't supposed to show up. I told him to tell you to meet up since you won't probably come if you know it's me." Eun-seok confessed.

Hee-jin sighed and took a seat across him. "So what is it?"

"Hee-jin, I—" Eun-seok's nails scratched the surface of the table and his head twitched, but he maintained his gaze straight. "I want to say sorry. For showing you what I do every night and scaring you."

"Now I see why you don't want me to tell anyone and also threatened me in the process—"

"Sorry."

Hee-jin frowned. "I wasn't going to tell anyone if you don't want me to. Whatever you do is none of my business anyway."

"So. . . Y— you're not afraid of me?" Eun-seok's voice quivered as if he was a dog with its ears pulled back.

"No, I guess? That is if I have to get used to being around you." Hee-jin said. "You hate me, remember?"

"That's because I thought you were a threat."

" . . . That's it?"

"What else?"

Suddenly, Hee-jin's mouth twitched and let out a snort. Eun-seok blinked in surprise. It wasn't long until she began to laugh. After a moment, Hee-jin wiped the corner of her eye with her finger and breathed out, leaving a grin on her lips. "You have a weird way of dealing with your fears, Hunter Eun-seok. Are you afraid of people becoming afraid of you?"

Eun-seok's eyes flickered down, mumbling. "Yes."

"I see," Hee-jin nodded. She let out a genuine smile. "How about we make a truce?"

"What truce?"

"I won't tell anyone about your 'little business', you stop seeing me as some enemy who must disappear," said the mage.

Eun-seok hummed. "Alright."

Her hand stretched out for him. The S-Rank hunter stared at it for a second, letting a smile grow lightly on his lips, and touched Hee-jin's hand with his own.

So she wasn't entirely afraid of him. . .

It made him glad.

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*pant, pant, pant*

Eun-seok pushed himself against the wall, pressing his feet harder on the ground to steady himself. He had his hand on his upper arm as well, blocking the blood from oozing further after his target had managed to throw a kitchen knife at him. He shoved his free hand into his pocket to pull out his phone and dragged his thumb across his contacts.

Jong-in had already left, so there was no way Eun-seok would summon him back.

11:10 PM.

He wondered who could be the person he'd call. Although, a name had already popped up in his head, but he wasn't certain if—

An excruciating pain caused him to wince. Eun-seok gritted his teeth and was left with no choice but to click on the call button.

He pressed his phone to his ear, waiting for her to pick it up. When he heard her voice, Eun-seok quickly spoke. "Hee-jin?"

"Eun-seok? What is it?"

"Can I come over? Please, it's— gah!"

"Eun-seok?!"

Eun-seok sighed. "Just tell me where you live. I— you're the only one I can reach out to."

Hee-jin reluctantly agreed and gave him her address. Eun-seok hung up without allowing her to finish her sentence. He leaned away from the wall and took off running to the distance, his hand still clutching on his bleeding arm, though he persisted anyway. He managed to leap onto the rooftops and continued his journey there and pushed more mana into his speed, enough not to be seen by the security cameras and people.

He arrived in a quiet vicinity of an apartment. Eun-seok glanced up to the ascending floors in the building; Hee-jin told him that she lived on the sixth floor. His stomach clenched at the thought of how he would make his way up with only one available hand. The assassin looked at his arm and removed his right palm from it and saw the amount of blood coated in his hand.

So, he removed the thick strip from his left hand to place it around his wound, knowing it'd stop the bleeding. Eun-seok also wiped his bloodied hand on his clothing and undid the wrap he had on his other hand to cover it instead of leaving marks on areas of the apartment that he would touch.

The assassin began his journey up on the building. He jumped on the fire escapes and moved within the shadows. As quiet as a ghost. Unfortunately, that didn't stop his arm from reminding him of the fresh and untreated wound he earned for not predicting his target's next move. Eun-seok kept going, reaching the fourth floor, and then fifth—

He was finally on the sixth floor.

Eun-seok remained hidden in the darkness and pulled his phone out. The screen lit brightly across his face as he typed out his message. Shortly after he sent the text, he waited until the window next to him was pushed open. Hee-jin leaned out of the window and found him.

"Hey!" She whispered and ushered him inside with her hand.

He obliged and walked to the edge where he lifted his leg to prop his foot on the railing while he used his left hand to reach forward and grasp on the frame. His teeth gritted at the agonizing sting. Eun-seok pushed more stamina until he threw himself inside of the apartment, crashing onto the ground — which brought more pain, but he still restrained his voice from hollering.

"Are you okay?" The softness of Hee-jin's voice clouded his ears. "Can you walk? This isn't the perfect place to check your wounds. Someone else might see you."

Eun-seok grunted and forced himself to rise with his arms. Hee-jin supported him to get on his feet and quickly, yet carefully, brought him to her room. There was a lampshade on the desk to partially shine the place. Hee-jin helped him get settled on the floor on the edge of her bed where he leaned his back against it, panting in exhaustion.

"Is this where your wound is?" Hee-jin glanced at his arm that had a wrap.

Eun-seok swallowed and nodded. "Yes."

"You're quite careless for an S-Rank assassin, y’know? Stay here and don't move." Hee-jin got up and swiftly grabbed the medical kit on her desk. She knelt on his side and gently tugged the strip where it fell off in a single pull. Her breath drew back. "What happened here?"

"My target struck a kitchen knife at me while I was blocking the things he was throwing at me. I managed to get here despite the pain and blood." Eun-seok explained. "I couldn't call Byung-gyu because, you know—"

"I get it," Hee-jin sighed. She opened the box and grabbed the right supplies when her hands paused. "Can you, uh, take off your clothes? Just the upper ones, I mean! It'll be less difficult to clean the wound."

Eun-seok nodded without a word and leaned away from the bed, grunting as he peeled off his coat. Hee-jin reached out to carefully retract it from his body faster. Next, it was his shirt. Her cheeks flushed at the passing thought of having to see his bare torso for the sake of tending his wound.

Why do you have to get yourself hurt? She thought miserably.

She wasn't supposed to be doing this. More or less, she wasn't supposed to let a damn assassin into her home. She had acted on an impulse after hearing the agony in his voice.

"A little help?" Eun-seok spoke out. His back was turned to her with his black shirt halfway up.

Hee-jin sighed and hauled the fabric up once it reached the back of his neck, allowing him to remove it completely. Eun-seok loudly breathed out and slumped back to her bed. A harness was found discarded on his lap that contained some small sharp weapons.

Hee-jin immediately got into work and applied a cleansing liquid around his wound. The blood had somehow stopped oozing due to the strip he had attached on it. She used roughly four cotton balls before she applied another ointment for the center of the wound. Hee-jin anticipated him to wince, but Eun-seok remained neutral, so she continued until she was done. She took out a bandage to wrap it firmly around his arm.

Silence hadn't quivered between them.

But it only did when Eun-seok uttered under his breath. "You did quite well despite not being a healer, Ms. Park."

Hee-jin glared. "If it weren't for me, you should've been bleeding on your own."

"Touché," Eun-seok chuckled. "So. . . You live with your parents?"

"Mom and my two grandparents. My dad passed two years ago." Hee-jin answered.

"Sorry about that. . . "

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. And I'm guessing you live alone?"

"Yeah," Eun-seok nodded. "I have been living alone for a long time. I find it lucky that I awakened, otherwise I'd still be stuck in that sketchy apartment where people will frequently storm into my home."

"Seemed like you had a rough start, Eun-seok," remarked Hee-jin.

"Well, I once worked in a grocery store that had a minimum salary, so—" he let out an airy laugh. "Nonetheless, I found a good place now."

Hee-jin hummed. She secured the wrap and cut it with a pair of shears."All done."

"Thank you," Eun-seok smiled and was about to get up when Hee-jin grabbed his shoulder. "What?"

"You can't leave yet! At least recover your strength. I can imagine how tough it must've been for you to get here." She told him.

The S-Rank assassin blinked. "Okay. . . "

"Take a rest for a bit and I'll get you something to drink. How does a glass of milk work for you?"

"Uh. . . Fine by me!"

Hee-jin nodded and got up to exit her room. The door was shut in a click, Eun-seok found himself pondering the situation he had gotten himself into. It was not the first time he got hurt during an assassination, it was either Jong-in helping him or he'd bring himself back to his condominium and deal with his wounds alone, but thinking about it now, Eun-seok was quite shocked by his decision to call Hee-jin earlier.

There was no doubt that he thought she was going to drive him away. Showing up at her home, wounded and fresh from taking someone's life, yet she accepted him and offered help.

Perhaps she wasn't truly turning him in if she found out who he was.

Or did he overthink too much?

Eun-seok glanced at his arm, admiring the handiwork. Then, the door opened and quick footsteps shuffled across the floor, he turned up and spotted a glass of milk being offered to him.

He took it without a second thought. "Thanks."

Hee-jin made her way over and sat down in front of him, crossing her legs that made her oversized shirt cover her shorts thoroughly. She placed her arms on each side of her lap and watched him for a moment. Eun-seok, however, was too occupied in drinking the milk to make a remark about it.

"How long have you been killing people?" Hee-jin asked him.

"Hmm. . . A year?" Eun-seok shrugged and placed his glass down. "It began when I saved this kid from his abusive father. I ended up taking his life as revenge for the hell he put his child in after I brought the kid to the child protection department."

"Do you regret it?"

"No. Why would I regret doing something for the best?"

Hee-jin sighed. "I think I don't want to know what kind of morals you go by."

"Haha! Everyone has different morals anyway, especially when you're a hunter." Eun-seok chuckled. "So, what are you up to when you're not hunting?'

"I take a rest and that's it. Hang out with friends too if they are up to meet." Hee-jin replied.

"Ah, Ye-rim and that other girl, right?"

"She's Lee Ju-hee, but yeah.”

Eun-seok nodded. He shifted his position to pull his phone out of his pocket to check the time. 11:57 PM. Only three minutes left before midnight. Knowing he must go back because of his work, Eun-seok pushed himself up to his feet and began to gather his discarded shirt, putting it on, then attached his harness back.

"You're leaving? Already?"

"I can't stay here for too long. Guild master might look for me if I'm late and worse, your family might see an intruder." Eun-seok explained.

"But— what about your wound?" Hee-jin frowned.

His lips twitched upwards. "I'll be fine. Thanks to you, I will recover soon enough."

She sighed. "Okay. . . But be careful out there."

Eun-seok smiled.

Hee-jin accompanied him to the window and looked around to see if nobody hadn't seen them yet. Eun-seok grasped on the railing of the fire escape and glanced at Hee-jin for the last time, looking at her warmly before he started getting down. Though, he didn't miss the worried gaze she had on him.

Hee-jin used to be cautious of him, but now, she was tender around him.

It felt sort of unusual to witness that side of her. Nevertheless, Eun-seok failed to notice his smile whenever he thought about it. The way she was careful around him in a way she feared to see him in pain. . . It felt new.

Little did he know, that was only the beginning.

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He was in the middle of a fight when his phone received her message.

Eun-seok dodged the incoming punch and pulled the trigger at his target's neck, causing blood to sputter out. The body collapsed lifelessly on the ground with a heavy thud. The assassin took his phone from his pocket and saw Hee-jin's texts in his notification bar.

[ Are you still assassinating people? ]

[ Please tell me you are not injured. . . ]

It made him chuckle.

There was a seven minute difference between the two messages, so it meant he had been too occupied with his task that he didn't feel the notice vibrating on his phone. Should I pay her a visit? He thought.

"Are you done here already?" Jong-in entered the room.

"Yeah! But do you mind cleaning this place up for me?"

"Pardon?"

Eun-seok grinned at him. "I had something urgent to do."

"And this 'something urgent' is. . . ?" Jong-in raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"It's a secret." Eun-seok stashed his silent gun into the compartment on his boot.

"What are you? Five?"

"Don't worry! I'll send you the list of people you can frame on!" Eun-seok went to the window and disappeared, not daring to hear the last words of his friend, who was likely astounded on his spot.

It took a few moments for Jong-in to recover. His face formed into a glare when he received a message from his phone. The S-Rank mage took a glimpse of it and saw the list of names he could choose from. He sighed and muttered 'bastard' under his breath.

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Eun-seok arrived on the sixth floor of the apartment, sitting on the railing next to the window where he had entered before. He sent the 'I'm here' message and was about to wait until he saw the window open. His eyes lit up when Hee-jin met his gaze.

Hee-jin sighed and went inside again, allowing him to get inside. This time, he entered her apartment silently and not a single hindrance in his body, unlike the first time he brought himself there. Eun-seok brushed his hands against his pants and pulled his hood back as he turned to Hee-jin.

"Looking for me?" He grinned.

Hee-jin's calculating green eyes lingered on him for a while before she raised her finger, opening her mouth to say. "You got something on your face."

"Oh!" Realization kicked in. "Right, my bad. I'll just—"

"Nevermind that. I will just clean that myself." Hee-jin grabbed his wrist and led him to her room. "Are you always this forgetful about the traces of someone's blood on your skin?"

"Well, I never went to someone's home after my task back then, so I paid zero attention until I found it while showering." Eun-seok explained. Then, he saw her reach out for the medical kit. "You don't have to grab those. I'm completely unscathed."

"What?" She flashed him a sharp look.

He sighed and stretched his arms on his sides. "See? Not a stab wound or anything."

Hee-jin glared at him. "Then why did you still come here? You could've told me that you weren't harmed."

"You seemed worried in your messages, so I thought it'd be better to see you in person instead," said Eun-seok.

"I guess you're right," Hee-jin sighed.

Eun-seok sat down on the floor beside the bed. Hee-jin walked toward him with a clean cloth and a bottle of disinfectant; the mattress dipped from her weight as she settled next to him, Eun-seok felt her hand under his jaw to pull the direction of his head to her fixed gaze. Hee-jin started rubbing the cloth, soaked in antiseptic liquid, across his cheek to remove the blood. It was cold on his skin. Not knowing what else to do, Eun-seok just kept an intent stare at her, tracing every inch of her angelic face with his eyes.

Hee-jin had always been pretty — if not, beautiful — to him since he first met her in that convenience store. It just so happened that he harbored ill-feelings toward her and had gotten in the way. But now that things were quite okay between them, Eun-seok felt his past sentiments never existed.

It had been such a long time since someone had cared for him this way. Not in a way like Byung-gyu, who healed everyone's wounds in battle. Not in a way like Ill-hwan or Dong-wook, who looked after the hunters equally.

It was in a way that it was only him.

"Hee-jin?" His voice broke the unwavering silence.

"Hm?"

Eun-seok swallowed lightly. "Are you, uh, used to it now? Me, being an assassin who also kills people."

"Hmm. . . " He waited in anticipation at Hee-jin's hum. "Yeah, I think I am. Even though I don't approve of you killing people, I won't force you to stop it since you have your reasons."

Her words brought warmth to his heart. Eun-seok thought she was going to scold him, but as it turned out, Hee-jin had no intentions of making him abandon his nightly assassinations. Still, he kept a straight face throughout the whole process. Once he was cleaned, Hee-jin got up and turned over her shoulder.

"Do you want something to drink?" She offered.

Eun-seok nodded.

The next time he went to see her in the middle of the night, he brought a box of mini donuts with him that he had stashed into his bag before he began his assassinations. Eun-seok then left the cleaning operation to Jong-in and disappeared before he could even protest. As usual, the assassin waited in the fire escape until Hee-jin let him in through the window.

The two quietly went inside of the room, and she went to get the medical kit, Eun-seok put his backpack on the floor and took out the box of mini donuts. He sat down next to his bag and placed the box on his lap. Hee-jin returned and knelt with the medkit between her hands. Eun-seok's mouth twitched and handed her the box.

"Eh?" Her green eyes flickered at it in question. "What's this?"

"Open it."

Hee-jin accepted it and lifted the lid to take a peek at its contents. Her mouth parted in surprise. "Are these—?"

"I thought I'd give something to you after all the help you've been giving me lately," Eun-seok said. His statement made her raise an eyebrow, so he added. "It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me."

"Oh, I see. . . " A faint smile grew on her lips. "We can share it while watching a movie or something. That is, after I tend your wounds—"

"I'm unscathed. As you can see, I might've been more careful with my targets and less reckless as I can."

"Now that's good to hear!" She chuckled. She sounded like music. Eun-seok wondered if there was anything else he could do to hear it again. "Hopefully, you'll keep it up."

He snickered. "No guarantee, Ms. Park."

Hee-jin rolled her eyes.

A few moments later, a laptop sat across them, a movie playing on the screen as the box of donuts being the only thing that kept a small space between them. Eun-seok barely touched the donuts since he practically got them only for Hee-jin, though he did get one after she persuaded him to. His attention lingered on the flashing screen.

Wait, that person shouldn't be knocked out easily. A thought came to him when he witnessed a character falling unconscious after being punched in the jawline.

Eun-seok began to think this wasn't a good movie.

There is no way you are able to dodge a bullet like that!

Why are you still standing and not in pain when you have a cut on your nose?

Aim for the artery!

That is not the right way to thrust one's knife!

How did you even—

Eun-seok felt his heart skip a beat.

Hee-jin had her head on his shoulder. His hand suddenly twitched on his lap, as if having an urge to hold her close. His heartbeat also increased behind his ribcage, an echoing sensation that he could hear deep in his ears; his focus gradually ebbed away from the screen as he glanced at Hee-jin.

Despite his views on the movie, Hee-jin seemed to enjoy it. She was laid-back and serene. Eun-seok fiddled on his fingers as a coping mechanism to his growing urge to pull the green-eyed beauty closer and gently brush the hair on her forehead.

There was that strange feeling again.

Eun-seok wondered if it was normal. He had seen it before in shows, two people cuddling together and sharing intimate gestures, yet he never imagined himself doing it. . . Until now.

Hee-jin was comfortable with him rather than wary. He wished to keep it that way. No matter how much he had been covered by blood or had taken lives, Eun-seok wanted her to be at ease with him no matter what.

His mouth gently curved into a smile, letting his guard down thoroughly, and didn't move an inch. If peace could be achieved in showing up in her place every midnight, he'd be happy to do it again.

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"Byung-gyu?" Eun-seok entered the kitchen area of the office, finding his friend taking out a tupperware from the fridge.

The healer looked at him and waved. "Hey!"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

At first, Eun-seok swallowed. "Er— what do you do when your heart races for someone?"

" . . . " Byung-gyu blinked. But when he realized what the words meant, his eyes grew big. "You—"

"Shush!" Eun-seok cut him off. "I'm just curious!"

"Eun-seok, your heart does not beat for someone out of curiosity," his friend deadpanned.

Eun-seok groaned. "I know! But it's just that I want to check on something. Just to be sure." He looked at him in implore. "Please don't tell anyone. . . "

Byung-gyu sighed. "Alright. I'm guessing you don't want me to ask either, correct?"

Eun-seok nodded.

"Fine," Byung-gyu leaned against the counter. "Well, as far as I know, having your heart beat for someone means only one thing— you like that person. Simple as that!"

"Uh. . . I don't think so." Eun-seok was uncertain. "What if this feeling is from an experience I've never felt? Isn't that because I'm lacking from it?"

His friend scoffed. "That's the whole point! You fall in love with someone because they complete a part of you. They make you feel whole."

They make you feel whole.

Eun-seok found himself pondering.

"Well, if you're still not sure, then try doing something different. If your heart still beats, then you're in love." Byung-gyu shrugged and started walking past the assassin. "I don't know who stole that heart of yours, even though I want to know, but that person must be lucky.”

I hope so. Eun-seok's chest clenched.

Try something different?

As far as he knew, all he did was show up on Hee-jin's apartment window almost every midnight. He even brought her donuts. And during those moments, his heart was filled with warmth, seeping through his veins up to his brain where it clouded his thoughts. Small moments that he was certain he'd carry forever.

With a faint smile on his lips, Eun-seok took out his phone and started typing a message.

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Eun-seok stood among the people walking past him near the entrance of the mall. He had his hands shoved in his pockets as he waited. When his guild master agreed that he should take the entire day off, Eun-seok quickly headed home and changed into different clothes that would fit well in the society. A grey polyester sweatshirt and a pair of ripped jeans. Though, part of him was uncertain if it was enough.

It was not always that he got to go out and do mundane activities.

Eun-seok lifted his phone to check his reflection, he reached his hand up to flick his hair slightly that was parted in the middle, making sure he looked presentable. He disliked how the more he waited, the more he was beginning to feel uneasy toward himself.

Before another fleeting thought came in, his eyes finally caught her within the crowd. Eun-seok's gaze twitched up and glued to the moving figure. She appeared when the person in front of her moved to a different direction, clad in a mint green dress that hung above her knees, swaying gracefully, as she also wore a white long-sleeved blouse underneath. Her hair was made into a loose braid with little streaks dangling to her collar. A brown bag sat on her shoulder that matched her sandals.

His heart skipped a beat.

Hee-jin finally reached him and a tender smile curled up on her lips, tainted in soft pink. “There was a long line on the bus. Sorry!”

“You don't need to apologize,” Eun-seok shook his head. Then, he remembered the first thing he planned to do. “You look pretty.” He said to her.

Amusement glimmered in Hee-jin's eyes. “Why, thank you. You don't look so bad yourself.”

Eun-seok chuckled, not knowing how to take the compliment. He began leading her to the mall, keeping his hands tucked in his pockets, while Hee-jin walked close to him. Their arms brushed against each other when they had to move aside for the others to pass. Hee-jin's hands were clutching on her bag’s strap across her chest, Eun-seok noticed this and ignored the image of him reaching his hand out for her to take, reminding himself that they were not like those couples he had seen around.

They first entered a store that sold various plushies, ranging from different animals to objects that were added with expressions. Eun-seok knew people liked anything that was adorable. Inevitably, Hee-jin was one of those people — she was in awe of every stuffed animal she saw and reached out to touch them, feeling the softness in her hands. Eun-seok found her amusing, yet cute nonetheless.

As he followed her around the store, his gaze landed on something in the shelves. Eun-seok paused on his tracks and looked up where he saw a bunch of cat stuffed toys. He extended his hand out to grab a medium-sized tortoiseshell cat, holding it with both hands, he squeezed it and realized how soft it was.

He understood why Hee-jin became lively around such things. So, Eun-seok turned around and brought it to the counter with him.

Hee-jin snapped a photo of a small elephant plushie and sent it to Jung Ye-rim, a friend of hers from the Knights Guild, then typed out a message for her. She giggled at the healer’s response and when she was about to stash it into her bag, she paused midway when her gaze caught the sight of a stuffed cat, held by none other than Eun-seok.

“This is for you,” he said.

“Eh?” Hee-jin's eyes widened in confusion. “F— for me?”

Eun-seok simply nodded.

She took the plushie and held it to her chest. Her expression morphed in awe. Hee-jin tucked it tighter and embraced it, allowing a smile on her face at the softness of the stuffed animal; it was quite big and fit her arms completely.

It was the right decision to request not to include a bag. Eun-seok felt a tinge of pride in his chest. “So I take it that you like it?”

Hee-jin looked up and nodded with her chin pressed on the cat’s head. “Thank you! I meant it, even though you didn't have to get me anything.”

“Hm? But you like these things.” Eun-seok said. “It's obvious that you should get one, hence why we are here and not look around like we're in some museum.”

“Well, you are right,” Hee-jin chuckled.

They exited the store and resumed their stroll in the mall. Hee-jin held her new plushie in her arms, Eun-seok observed her quietly, wearing a smile on his face, while she steered her head to check out the stores across the place. The mall had always been a populous place, people came to purchase and eat in various restaurants, then they'd leave in satisfaction.

“Hey! Look over there!” Hee-jin tugged his sleeve.

There was a small stall selling cotton candies. Eun-seok simply followed Hee-jin toward it and the closer they were, the stronger the scent of flavors in their noses.

“Ah, miss! What can I do for you?” A middle-aged woman asked her newest customer.

“I’d like this one, please.” Hee-jin pointed at the strawberry flavor. “Oh! And the mango too!”

“Will that be in one stick or two sticks?”

Hee-jin looked up to her companion. “Do you want the mango one?”

“I don't have a big sweet tooth, so. . . ” Eun-seok shrugged.

Hee-jin pouted. “Fine. I'll just eat it on my own.”

Then, Eun-seok caught her hand reaching over to her bag, so he stopped her and took out his wallet instead. He spoke just as Hee-jin was about to protest. “I'll let you pay next time.”

He wanted to try how it felt like to pay for someone.

Around his friends, Eun-seok always preferred to use his money for himself rather than someone else. But now that he was with Hee-jin, he didn't have to think twice.

The stall owner handed Hee-jin a cotton candy in a stick. Two flavors were swirled into one. Eun-seok offered to hold it since she was already carrying a stuffed animal in her arms, Hee-jin took small portions of the cotton candy and munched it inside of her mouth, then she encouraged him to eat some — though it took a couple of exchanges until Eun-seok grabbed a portion of the candy.

It instantly melted in his tongue, leaving its sugary sweetness and a mixture of strawberry and mango wafting to the ceiling of his mouth. Eun-seok was not a big fan of sweets at all, but he wouldn't mind giving it a chance once in a while, especially when his companion had a bigger sweet tooth than him.

They found themselves at the movie theater next. Hee-jin was the one who bought the tickets, though it did not bother Eun-seok, rather he smiled at the way her eyes lit up when she was given the chance to spend her money for the both of them. But of course, he was the one who bought popcorn for the both of them.

Hee-jin tucked her stuffed animal to her chest. Eun-seok wanted to tease her that she really adored his gift that much, yet elected not to utter a word when the movie was already starting. She'd flinch at certain parts and her hand would reach over the popcorn where Eun-seok was gathering too, only to leading their fingers getting in contact; he flinched slightly when he felt her fingertips brushing against his own, though she was too focused on the screen to notice.

His eyes barely left her since then.

“That was great!” Hee-jin began as they walked out of the theater. “It had been quite a while since I've watched in the cinema. What about you?”

“I can't remember. I usually watch movies in my house.” Eun-seok replied.

She let out a frown. “Is it because of your ‘job’ and that's why you don't get to go out as much?”

“Maybe. But being in public and surrounded by crowds aren't my thing, and besides—” his eyes briefly flickered at the passerbys, “it feels quite strange. To move around in places like this just to feel what it's like to be normal.”

“I’m curious, why did you invite me out here in the first place?” Hee-jin asked.

Eun-seok paused. In truth, he only wanted to confirm something. And without letting her wait longer, he responded. “I just noticed that I kept showing up on your apartment in the middle of the night.”

“And?” She raised an eyebrow.

“And. . . I don't know. It's not like I have nothing else better to do.” Then, Eun-seok's lips twitched up. “You're the only friend I have outside of the guild anyway.”

It took a few moments for Hee-jin to return the smile. “Well, being with you has been wonderful.”

“You’re talking like this is over,” Eun-seok huffed.

“Is it?”

He lightly grabbed her wrist. “There's still so much for us to see!”

Hee-jin's breath hitched when he began to drag her across the place. The main purpose of their outing had ebbed off Eun-seok’s mind, allowing himself to let loose without thinking of his uncertain feelings for the B-Rank mage �� no, scratch that. Today, he was not an S-Rank hunter, nor was she a B-Rank hunter; they were just people making the most out of their time together.

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“Unnie! That stuffed animal you sent me is so adorable!” Jung Ye-rim gushed. “Why didn't you buy it for me? I could've paid you back.”

Hee-jin rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, uh, I forgot because I was with someone.”

“You are?”

“With who?” Ju-hee piped up.

“Uhm. . . A friend! Yes, a new friend whom I met not so long ago.” Her friends’ eyes glimmered with intrigue. Hee-jin sighed and scratched the underside of her jaw, knowing that if she told them that she was with an S-Rank hunter of all people, Ye-rim and Ju-hee would freak out. “He’s a hunter who specializes in blades.”

“Ohhh!!!” The two healers were in awe.

“Does that mean he took you on a date? Oh! Do I know him? What rank is he? Is he cute? Is he your type? What—”

Ju-hee covered Ye-rim's mouth with her hand and flashed Hee-jin a broad smile. “Glad to hear that, unnie! I presume he bought something for you?”

“Yes!” Hee-jin chuckled. “It was very sweet of him.”

Indeed, it was very sweet of him. To invite her to the mall with him, purchase a cat plushie that she never expected him to, and spend the rest of the day with her instead of talking about the gates.

The stuffed animal was in her bed, and every time she glanced at it, she saw the face of the assassin who had purchased it without her knowledge. Hee-jin smiled at it each time. Sure, he was a two-faced person who was kind-hearted to others, but cold and ruthless to some. . . She couldn't bring herself to push him away.

But she didn't think she had a reason to.

He was kind to her. He made her smile. She was at ease around him even though he got her worried beforehand. He made butterflies fly in her stomach—

Hee-jin snapped. She turned over her stuffed animal, grabbing it to bring it on her lap. Its arms were splayed over her hands as it stared up motionlessly with its adorable smiling face. She pressed her thumbs on the soft cheeks, imagining what could it be if it were Eun-seok's cheeks.

Oh crap. . . Hee-jin slumped down on the mattress, her long locks sprawling across the bedsheet. She raised the plushie above her face at arm’s length.

Am I really in love with an assassin?

She shook her head. No, Eun-seok was more than an assassin. He always had his reasons for his actions that were beyond an average human’s morals. But at the end of the day. . . He was still that kind soul.

Part of her wondered if her feelings for him were true. She imagined herself being with him in various moments in her life, not just seeing him only at midnight where she had to check his body for wounds. Hee-jin wanted to do more like how they did at the mall.

She sighed and pulled the stuffed cat to her chest, clutching it tightly. She wondered if Eun-seok felt the same way — or if his sentiments toward her were that of a friend.

The moment she received his message later that night, Hee-jin practically rushed out of her bed and gently opened her door to make her way to the living room where his entrance was located. She unclasped the lock and pushed the window aside, immediately glancing at him as he patiently sat on the railing of the fire escape. A smile curved across her lips and she stepped aside, paving him a way to enter the apartment.

Eun-seok's feet lightly descended on the floor. Hee-jin could barely make out his features, but she felt his soft gaze above her.

“It took you quite earlier than usual,” she said.

He chuckled. “I got the job done quicker.”

“Well, that's good to know. Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Not a single scratch,” then he paused. “I think?”

Hee-jin sighed and let him follow her to her bedroom. The door was clicked shut behind her whilst she went up to grab the medical kit, which had become a permanent member in her possessions as she could never be careful when her visitor was around, so Hee-jin turned around and saw him sitting on his usual spot in her room and had her cat plushie on his lap as if to study it.

She sat down in front of him and crossed her legs. Hee-jin extended her hand to him. Eun-seok stared at it for a moment and let out a sigh, he removed his black glove to present his bare palm that had fresh cuts.

“Glass shards. Apparently, my glove wasn't that strong enough to resist.” He explained briefly.

Hee-jin sighed. “Well, at least that wasn't severe.”

“Wow. No scolding? No ‘Eun-seok, you're such an idiot?”

“Since when I said that?” She flashed him a slight glare.

“Your eyes seem to say so.”

Hee-jin rolled her eyes. “Well, we can't prevent accidents no matter what, but all I want is for you to be—”

“Careful. Yes, I get it.” Eun-seok nodded. He grinned. “I'm an S-Rank hunter, Hee-jin. It takes more than mere powerless humans to defeat me.”

“Just because you're an S-Rank doesn't mean you are immortal, Eun-seok,” Hee-jin grumbled. She grabbed a roll of bandage to wrap it around the now cleaned wound on his palm.

Then, his finger touched the underneath of her chin to lift her gaze a little to meet his gaze amidst the soft light from her lamp. “Are you worried that you might not be able to see me again one day?” Eun-seok said to her.

Hee-jin suddenly flushed at his gesture and immediately pulled her chin away. “Don't say things like that. You're only making it a bit worse.”

“Sorry,” Eun-seok mumbled. He bit his cheek and glanced at the cat stuffy on his lap, changing the subject. “Why do I get the feeling that you keep this cat close whenever you sleep?”

“I do.” Hee-jin nodded. She took it and pulled it to her chest, wrapping her arms around it tightly.

He let out a smile. “I’m glad to hear that. I've heard that girls are easily fond of stuffed animals.”

“And you got that right,” chuckled Hee-jin. “But most of all— it kind of brings me comfort, knowing that you'll show up by midnight.”

As much as she felt quite mortified by her words, Eun-seok's gaze turned warmer, almost palpable enough to feel it through her veins. Hee-jin thought she'd say what needed to be said.

“I will always show up. If you'd like, we can go hang out somewhere else other than here.” Eun-seok suggested.

“But you're busy with raids?”

He frowned. “Right. . . “

“Hmm. . . I'm good with us just being here.” Hee-jin said. “I understand that you have other things to put first.”

Eun-seok nodded. “Thank you for always being understanding, Hee-jin.”

“And maybe you get to put yourself first this time.”

“Hm?”

“I noticed that you barely paid attention to your happiness. For instance, the mall looked rather foreign to you since you didn't get to go there as much.” She explained. “You always focus on what you need to do, not what you want.”

Eun-seok never missed his duties. Whether it was raiding gates or assassinating, he always put them first above anything else. Hee-jin wondered if he was doing it out of obligation or that was how his life revolved around ever since being a hunter changed his life.

He didn't stay that long, unfortunately, but Hee-jin walked him to the window like how she usually did. Well, except for that one time where she had fallen asleep in the middle of watching a movie with him. Eun-seok headed to the window and gently opened it, allowing the subtle wind to flush into the quiet and dark place; Hee-jin wrapped her arms around herself when the cold touched her bare skin.

“You know. . . I realized something.” Eun-seok began.

Hee-jin blinked at him and waited for a continuation.

“Yeah, I do not get to put myself first. I always do what I think is needed, not pausing for a moment and decide if that's what I want. The line had blurred between those two words a long time ago that I forgot the difference.” He said. “But at this point, I think. . . I think I should try doing what I want.”

“Oh, that's a great thing to hear,” Hee-jin replied. “Ever thought about the first thing already?”

Slowly, he turned around. His features were indistinguishable because of the darkness. Not even the distant lights from the city were enough for her to trace a single detail. She caught him stepping forward, her breath letting out a tiny gasp when his cold hand went to her jaw, and his shadow loomed over her more. His eyes became more visible, carrying an emotion she was unable to recognize.

She found herself under a spell.

Unable to move. Unable to breathe evenly.

His voice was like a mere echo when he spoke. “Feel free to push me away if you're not comfortable.”

Hee-jin was lost for words and failed to process what he meant. Her bottom lip unknowingly quivered when his warm breath fanned over her lips. She had an inkling where she'd find herself into. . . But the wires in her mind joined into tangles, disrupting and eating every what was left in her senses—

Mmph! Her mouth let out a muffled sound in surprise.

Lips. Eun-seok's lips were on her own. His hand on her jaw was steady, yet gentle. He must've felt her relax and deepened the kiss. Her brain had gone haywire. Were her lips moving too? Was she kissing back? She could never tell.

Unlike his breath, his lips were cold against her own, like a desperate man longing for a life source.

He pulled away while it felt like an eon for her. Hee-jin realized she had her eyes open the entire time, only then to part her mouth after the unreciprocated kiss. Eun-seok moved to her ear this time, whispering;

“That's what I want,” words flew into her ear like a prayer. “But, I want you to think about it carefully. I will be waiting until then.”

He went away in a breeze.

Only that remained was the strong memory. The sensation of his kiss was neither a beseech nor a wish for permission. It was more like a question to her. Hee-jin shook her head, her fingers rose to graze over her lips, wondering how it felt to be kissed by an S-Rank.

Want?

How long had he been wanting that? To kiss her?

How long must he have been wanting her?

Hee-jin didn't think she would get a good night's sleep after that.

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“Mwehehe~ hihi!”

“Dude, you sound like a goblin.”

“I. . . Want more shots!”

“Tae-gyu! Stop moving around!”

“Ehh??” A drunk Tae-gyu looked over Byung-gyu, who was holding the rest of his weight and struggling at the same time. “Why is there a twink here?”

“Shut it, you fool! You shouldn't have been in this state if you hadn't drunk sixteen glasses!” Byung-gyu hissed. He adjusted his grip around the archer and groaned when Tae-gyu pressed more weight on his frame. “Jin-woo!”

“Calm down. You have a motorcycle, right? Just take Tae-gyu to his house and leave him at his doorstep.” Jin-woo huffed, turning to Yoon-ho, who was now passed out on the table. “I'll just have to teleport this guy to his bedroom and leave him there.”

Byung-gyu gritted his teeth. “Why can't you teleport Tae-gyu too? If I take him on my motorcycle, he'll fall in the middle of the road!”

“You're a healer, so just heal him if anything happens.”

Byung-gyu glared daggers at the youngest S-Rank hunter.

Eun-seok watched the chaos across them. Everyone may know what would happen if S-Ranks like them walked into a bar for a boys’ night out, but that didn't stop them from doing it anyway. Yoon-ho and Tae-gyu were the easiest ones who got drunk while Byung-gyu remained light-headed since he had a vehicle to drive and Jin-woo was unable to be inebriated due to his powers.

On the other hand, Jong-in and Eun-seok didn't drink too much since they had some ‘business’ left to do. The rest were occupied enough not to notice it. Byung-gyu and Jin-woo started arguing whether or not either of them would take Tae-gyu home.

“Let's leave these idiots alone,” Jong-in whispered. “I heard that there is a loan shark that has been targeting students.”

Eun-seok nodded. The two made their way to the exit when Eun-seok felt his phone vibrated against his pocket.

[ Are you on your job already? Take care! Try not to get hurt too much. ]

Hee-jin. . . He stared at the message longingly.

She always sent him messages, but not just when she knew he was about to assassinate people, Hee-jin also sent him messages when he was at work. Such simple gestures never failed to flutter his heart. Then, Eun-seok remembered what he did the other night—

He kissed her.

He didn't regret it either. Eun-seok did what his heart told him to, what he deeply wanted, and expected nothing in return, but a chance for her to think about it. Be with him or stay as a friend. She only had two options to choose from, though he'd accept it either way.

Hee-jin had enamored his heart deeply, plaguing his mind in a way he couldn't get enough of her.

“Are you coming, Eun-seok?”

He looked up and saw Jong-in, waiting for him next to his car. Eun-seok shook his head. “You'll go ahead. I have somewhere to go.”

“Is this about a person?” Jong-in raised an eyebrow. “You can't easily hide it, Eun-seok. You've started to get your tasks done quicker than you used to.” Then, the corner of his lips twitched into a grin. “But I can't blame you, so do what you want. It's a miracle how she accepted what kind of person you are.”

Eun-seok let out a chuckle. “It’s a surprise for me too. Will you be okay on your own, hyung?”

“No need to worry about me,” Jong-in huffed, opening the door to the driver's seat. He sat inside and pulled it shut. “I shall be expecting good results, Eun-seok.” He smirked.

Eun-seok playfully rolled his eyes.

He expected nothing.

If Hee-jin asked, he'd tell her that he was not in the mood to kill people and that he chose to spend time with her instead. Though, Eun-seok wanted to see her reaction when he showed up to her apartment in casual clothes instead of a uniform that reeked of death.

He showed up in front of her door several moments later. He was able to distinguish which door she lived in even though he only entered the apartment from the outside and used his skills. Eun-seok knocked on the door and waited.

When there was no response, he held up his closed hand again and was about to knock when the door was pulled open. His lips parted slightly as a new sight unraveled in front of him. Hee-jin met his gaze with widened eyes; she surprisingly looked different this time — her coal black hair was pulled into a messy bun with several strands hanging loosely to her collarbone. She wore a plain white shirt and a pair of shorts.

“Y— you're here?” She said. “But. . . But I thought—?”

Eun-seok blinked at first and cleared his throat. “Uh. . . I didn't feel like doing my task tonight, so I came to you instead.”

“Oh. . . I see.” Hee-jin's cheeks flushed and clutched on the hem of her shirt. “Come inside then.”

Eun-seok obliged and took off his shoes once he was inside, sliding his feet on the slippers Hee-jin had offered to him. Unlike him, she walked barefoot across the wooden floor and headed to the couch where a television was shining across the room. It was the only source of light in the place besides the lampshade on the nightstand.

Hee-jin settled on the cushions while Eun-seok looked around in reluctance. It felt quite unusual of him to enter her home in a normal way instead of sneaking through the window.

“So. . . Your family?” He asked her.

“Out. They were meeting up with some friends.” Hee-jin said, putting a pillow on her lap. “It's okay, Eun-seok. You don't have to be nervous or anything.” She shrugged.

Eun-seok nodded and joined her on the couch. There was a small distance between them. He wanted to be closer, but he was not sure why he felt weird about the idea. The television wasn't much of a distraction either, his ears being not able to accept its sounds when his senses were utterly fixated on the beauty beside him.

Hee-jin fiddled on the pillow with her nails, her lips were firmly pressed shut, almost as if biting her bottom lip with her teeth. Eun-seok stared at her in question. If she was mumbling to herself right now, he would've been able to hear what was in her mind, but she was completely silent — it made him wish he should've gained a mind-reading ability instead.

“Come closer.”

“Pardon?” Eun-seok asked.

Hee-jin pursed her lips. “Come closer, Eun-seok.”

And he did. Eun-seok scooted to her direction, yet still maintained some space between them.

“Closer.”

The hunter gulped. Even if there were several inches left between them, he still did, causing his hip to bump against hers.

He cleared his throat. “Is this enou—”

Suddenly, Hee-jin grabbed his shoulder and threw her leg across his lap, straddling him. Eun-seok was too caught off-guard to catch everything except that Hee-jin's face was looming over him and her knees were pressed on the cushions.

“H— Hee-jin?!” Eun-seok was too aghast to speak another word.

“You remember what you did last night, right?” Hee-jin had both of her hands on his shoulders. She briefly bit her bottom lip again and continued. “Well. . . I thought about it. Carefully.”

Eun-seok blinked. “A— and?”

“This is my answer.” Hee-jin swooped down and sealed his mouth with hers.

Unlike what he did, Hee-jin was forceful on her kiss. Eun-seok had kissed her featherlight, but Hee-jin was kissing him as if she was desperate, sending a rushing river of feelings through his veins that Eun-seok was unable to comprehend. It was only when Hee-jin deepened the kiss he closed his eyes and reciprocated, parting his mouth a little to kiss her properly; an indistinct sound was released from her.

Satisfaction rumbled in his stomach, Eun-seok reached his hand up to her hair, gently curling his fingers around her bun, and his other hand went over her hip. He surged forward, causing Hee-jin to gasp against his mouth as she fell on his lap instead of standing on her knees.

He found it addicting. Intoxicating. The only thing that pulled him back that night was how he didn't want to make Hee-jin uncomfortable, especially when he was not sure if she felt the same, but now that he knew the answer. . . Eun-seok suddenly had the urge to make her feel loved in a way he never had.

“Ah.” Hee-jin grabbed his hair to pull him off her. Eun-seok realized she was panting and leaned away, not as exhausted as she was.

“Hee-jin?” He whispered. “You okay?”

“Yeah. . . ” Hee-jin breathed out. “Where was I?”

Eun-seok let out an airy chuckle. He removed his hand from her bun, yet brought along more strands of hair to fall. “Hmm. . . What's your answer again?”

His hand squeezed her waist, Hee-jin tightened her grip on his shoulders. Eun-seok's gaze fell on her lips, swollen and glistening, once more, but the only thing that was holding back was her hand on the back of his head.

“Haven't I given it already?” She said, finally coming to her senses.

“You did?” Eun-seok smirked. “I can't seem to remember it.”

Hee-jin glared. “Don’t be an idiot, Eun-seok. I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't feel the same way!”

“I'd like to hear it in your own words, Ms. Park.”

Hee-jin rolled her eyes. “You didn't say yours either.”

“If that's the case—” Eun-seok pulled her close to him until her chest collided with his. He officially removed the hair tie from her bun to let her soft locks fall gracefully. His arms went around her waist, engulfing her in a loving embrace before leaning up to press a deep kiss on her cheek, and another on the pulse point of her neck. “I love you.”

He felt her shudder.

In truth, Eun-seok believed it was not necessary to say those three words. Not that he hadn't spoken it for a long time, he thought it was better if he expressed it through his actions. “I love you” was just the tip of an iceberg for him. But since Hee-jin wanted to hear it, he'd happily comply.

“I. . . ” Hee-jin swallowed. “I love—”

His lips went to her jaw, gently nipping it, but not enough to leave a mark. However, it did pull a mewl from her. It astounded Hee-jin by how he knew such gestures. She may not be fond of drinking alcohol, but his charms alone had left her intoxicated.

She sighed and melted in his arms. Eun-seok stopped his ministrations, smiling as the mage placed her head on the junction between his shoulder and neck, her rapid heartbeat was felt against his chest.

“You don't have to say it back,” he told her. “I already know anyway.”

“So you just wanted to kiss me more as an excuse?”

Eun-seok chuckled. He held the back of her head to press a kiss on the crown of it. “Yes.”

“Who knew a cold assassin like you is actually affectionate?” Hee-jin jested.

“Only for you, Ms. Park.”

She blushed. Then she buried her face on the crook of his neck. “You better.”

Eun-seok nuzzled her forehead.

Needless to say, the entire night was spent with affection. Hee-jin was the first, and hopefully only, person who broke his exteriors. Whether it was the mask of a hunter or a cold-blooded assassin, Hee-jin saw through him and cherished the whole person he was.