The Assassin's Lover

Chapter 5

Tae Hyung and Hye Jin found themselves waiting at Professor Ahn's house, the silence punctuated by the ticking of a nearby clock.

"You can go if you need to. I'm an adult; I can wait for him alone," Hye Jin said, her voice revealing no emotion.

"I know you can, but I don't want to leave you alone," Tae Hyung replied, concern softening his eyes.

Loneliness had become Hye Jin's constant companion, growing up. In juvenile detention, she'd spent many hours in solitary confinement due to her rebellious nature. Over time, she learned to rely only on herself, a self-imposed isolation that only deepened when she joined the Dokdang. Though her uncle provided a sense of security, she never escaped the grasp of loneliness, as she couldn't share her true identity with anyone, not even him.

"Trust me, I'm fine with it," Hye Jin insisted.

"With me leaving?"

"No... with being alone."

Tae Hyung's heart ached for her. He recognized the pain in her eyes, a pain he too knew well.

"I'll stay here until your uncle returns. Besides, we have a lot to catch up on, don't we?"

"If you insist..."

Tae Hyung opened his mouth to suggest something, but his phone's insistent ring interrupted him.

"We must meet. Now." RM's voice crackled through the line.

"I can't, I'm with—"

"This is serious, Tae Hyung. We've all been summoned by KAPA."

"I understand, but... uh..."

"Just hurry up! Come to my place." The call ended abruptly.

Tae Hyung's eyes met Hye Jin's, her piercing gaze reading him like an open book.

"They need me at the club," he explained, his voice filled with regret.

"Go," she urged. "It sounded important."

"Join me tomorrow at Singularity?"

"To catch up?" she asked, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.

"Yes. To catch up." He winked at her, softening the tension in the room, and then left.

Once she was certain Tae Hyung was gone, Hye Jin quickly changed clothes and set off for the Dokdang's den, leaving behind the warmth of the house for the uncertainty of the night.

"Hwasa!"

"Shhh! Do you want the leader to hear you?" Hye Jin hushed her fellow assassin, pulling him to a more secluded spot.

"He doesn't know you sent me to check on your uncle?"

"No. Now tell me, what did you find?"

"Your uncle is safe. Someone broke into his shop to leave an envelope. Two men later arrived and found it. Inside there was a note that said 'You have been served'..."

"You have been served? What does that mean? And who were the two men?"

"I don't know, but they were reporting to someone. Then they got arrested by some police officers. It looked like a special unit."

"KAPA..."

"KAPA?"

"Thank you for your help. I'll make sure you're rewarded."

"Anytime, Hwasa-nim," the man replied, and left.

"So the clans must be after my uncle. But why? What do they want from him?" Hye Jin pondered. Between searching for the elusive Lord V and now another case to solve, she felt overwhelmed. But she was skilled at cracking codes. After all, she was her uncle's niece.