𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 ♛ 𝐥𝐦𝐤

♛ 26

2 years ago, March 27th.

The street lights were dimmed out. A tall and slender figure walked in the middle of the dark alley. The cold breeze sent shivers down his spine as he walked beneath the moonlight, heading towards the entrance of place he always goes to.

The midnight cafe.

It's only open from 12am until 6am in the morning. A perfect for him to go whenever he needed to get some drink, to get rid of the unpleasant truth for a short moment.

The place is pretty secluded. Only a few people knows about this place, usually only people from the mafia. But he didn't mind, even though he wasn't a part of it, he just wanted to get some drink.

He opened the door, the bell ringing as he did so. This place looked like a normal cafe for normal people, but the actual deal is what's under it.

He directly headed towards the stairs in the back, walking down towards the night bar. He put his hand inside his pocket, taking a seat right in front of the bartender. He sat next to a guy, a regular costumer that he knew way too well.

"The same drink again, Mark?"

Mark just nod his head, letting out a sigh. It was a rough day for him.

"Maybe I am not needed," he mumbled to himself.

He sighed again, resting his head on the table, mumbling more words to himself. "Why don't you just kill me, Yeonjun?"

Yeonjun turned to look at him, looking at him with a blank look.

He looked miserable.

"Why do you wish to die?" 

Mark lifted his head, taking a sip of his drink. He felt a sharp stung in his throat, enjoying the bitter taste of the alcohol.

"Is there any reason for me to be alive?" He asked back.

Mark took another sip, staring blankly at the ice cubes inside his glass. "Besides, you're from the mafia. You can easily kill me."

Yeonjun scoffed, finishing his drink in one shot. They weren't friends, they were simply a regular costumer here. How the two managed to get close to each other is still a mystery until now.

"You're an aspiring assassin, why don't you just kill yourself?"

Mark closed his eyes, the sounds around him slowly began to sink into him. He just wanted to end this all, it felt like he was drowning but he couldn't get back up nor end his life.

He's just stuck there, in the bottom of the ocean.

"You know that's not how it works for me." 

"Do you think I have a reason to live?" Yeonjun suddenly asked.

Mark cocked an eyebrow, looking at him with a confused look. "What do you mean? You don't?"

"Of course I don't, idiot. If I do, I probably would've left the mafia."

Neo Mortem Mafia definitely was and until this day remain as the most barbarous and cold-blooded mafia to ever exist in this city. Yeonjun happened to be the executive, one of the highest ranking position in the mafia. 

"Why?"

"I'm just a murderer. I kill people, steal things, and commit uncountable fraud and crime. I have no reason to live." He said casually, taking a sip of his newly refilled drink.

At this moment, Mark began to realize one thing. 

They're both entangled in a paradox.

Their life has always been different, as if they were born to kill. He always thought that it's very unfair. Everyone else gets to live their life like a normal person while he could only observe them from afar.

Contradicting with Mark, Yeonjun was born in a normal family. Unlike him, he actually had a decent childhood. That was until his parents got killed by the other mafia group. Neo Mortem Mafia took him in as they were the ones who killed the mafia group that killed his parents.

They took him in because they saw something in him; a potential. He was born to kill, to be a murderer. 

They were somehow contradicting, but still on the same boat. Like the opposite side of the same coin.

Mark's lips curved into a small smile, chugging his drink down his throat. 

"Anyone can find happiness."

Yeonjun turned to look at him, clearly bewildered. "What?"

"If we can't find any reason to live, then let's just make our own."

Yeonjun chuckled, looking at him in disbelief. 

It wasn't like he didn't trust what Mark just said. He was in fact entertained by his words. Mark was never the type to say nonsense like that.

"And what exactly is that?"

Mark shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess I'll just call your name," he said, turning to look at him. "So that we can keep walking forward, I'll call your name."

Yeonjun smiled, nodding his head. 

The two of them were in complete melancholy. They were slowly losing their grip and consciousness. They were drowning, slowly running out of breath. 

Despite all that, it's not the time yet for them to go. Not yet.

"Alright then, I'll call your name just like how you called my name."

oh?