The Assassin [Hwang Hyunjin]

Chapter.11

Chapter.11

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"How have you been?" Hyunjin asked me, we stayed in the kitchen, hiding from the crowd. I looked up from my small saucer of fruits and met his dark orbs.

He seemed curious, like he wanted to know more about me. During the short time we have been alone, I have noticed his sunken face and how tired he looked. It looks like he hasn't eaten in days.

"I have been well" I replied before picking a strawberry from my plate. I held it up to Hyunjin's face. "I'm not hun-" I stuffed the strawberry in his mouth as he was speaking. He had no choice but to eat the strawberry, I smiled as he began slowly chewing the strawberry. "It's nice to see a smile on your face again" he said through the chewing.

I blushed and averted my gaze from his. I laughed and shook my head before grabbing a blackberry from the plate, I brought it up to his lips, he finished chewing the strawberry and let me place the blackberry in his mouth.

"You're allergic aren't you?" Hyunjin asked me.

"The strawberries?" I asked him, he nodded in response. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously "How did you know?" I asked him.

"You told me a long time ago" he replied.

I stood there for a few moments trying to recall this moment that Hyunjin was talking about but nothing was coming up. "I don't remember" I told him.

"People tend to block out shitty parts of their lives" Hyunjin told me. I fell blank, he was confusing me, I can't remember the time that I told him.

That was when it hit me.

"You" I placed my saucer on the counter and pointed at him. "All of you were there" I said.

Hyunjin was quiet as he watched me "I am sorry, I never meant to leave you all outside in the courtyard" I apologized to him. I was stopped when he took a step closer to me. "Listen, your father was a sick fuck and should have never treated you like that, quite frankly, I'm glad the asshole killed himself" he said.

My heart shattered, hearing him say those words about my sadistic father. I laughed and looked at the ground, trying to shake the feeling off.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that" He said.

"What happened to Felix?" I asked him.

"Did he just decide to be an asshole one day?"

"No no no, it's a long story that I don't think you are ready to hear yet" he replied.

"Enlighten me" I said.

He sighed and met my eyes, "Seven years ago, me and Felix's cabin was lit on fire by Jin-young and his soldiers" he started, my mouth parted in surprise "I ran out of the cabin and was unable to go back inside and save Felix and my parents" he said.

"When I ran outside, everyone in the town was willing to help the situation, fathers and their male children ran back and forth to the well, gathering water to put out the fire" Hyunjin was quiet for a moment, he stared at the floor very hard, his brows furrowed.

"As the fire continued to spread, one of the bedroom windows was shattered and Felix jumped out" I gasped and placed my hand on Hyunjin's arm. He started to tear up as he recalled the terror of that night. "The look in his eyes gave me chills, there was so much he had seen in such a short amount of time" Hyunjin said.

"He had third degree burns all the way up his stomach and even some on his leg"

Hearing everything that he is telling, makes me feel differently about Felix, now that I know that he's just traumatized and broken, it makes me not want to kill him as much.

"Later on, he told me that he ran to Mom and dad's room but they were already gone due to the smoke"

Hyunjin was silent again, he wiped the tears from his face and met my eyes "He was just eleven years old, he didn't understand" Hyunjin explained, I nodded and sniffled as I rubbed soothing circles on Hyunjins arm.

"Eventaully the trauma just catches up to you and that's what happened to him" Hyunjin said.

I shook my head and pulled Hyunjin into my arms. Hugging him tightly as he recovered from telling that horrific story. He wrapped his arms around my waist, not letting his hands touch me, I know he is just being respectful but I really don't mind.

"I am so sorry for what Felix did, I cannot imagine how much pain he must've put you through" Hyunjin said.

"I have felt worse pain" I laughed, he didn't laugh, he doesn't think my trauma is something to joke about. We pulled away from eachother, I looked up and met his eyes. "And I don't want an apology from you, I want an apology from the man who committed the crime" I told him.

Hyunjin sighed "You know he's not going to do that" he said.

"If he doesn't, I'll slice his cock off and feed it to the vultures" I said.

Hyunjin looked a little scared after hearing my words. I chuckled at his reaction and shook my head before looking away from him. "I do want to let you know though" I took a deep breath and met his eyes again.

"I will be leaving tonight to return to the castle" I said.

His face morphed into disbelief "What? No you're not" Hyunjin said, taking a step closer to me. I nodded slowly and looked down "I am" I said. He grabbed me by the shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "You will die, Minyoung" he told me, I stood there for a moment, glancing down at his lips as my name rolled off his tongue, my heart raced.

"At least I will die taking care of my country and not leaving it behind" I replied.

He shook his head and dropped his hands at his sides. I brought my hands to his face and cupped his rosy cheeks. "You could come with me" I said.

He didn't say anything, he just stared intently at my eyes.

I hope he says yes