The Assassin | Dreamcatcher

Chapter 32

"You lost, you gotta drink!" Hyunjin's friend crows excitedly with a whoop and puts a hand to his mouth, amplifying the sound.

"Alright, alright." Hyunjin agrees with an easy smile and picks up the full shot glass with two fingers to top the contents down his numb throat. "There." His smile stretches easily.

"Next game!" Another friend calls . "Let's do 3-6-9."

Everyone else agrees.

Hyunjin looks down at his watch, frowning as the numbers and lines haze together. He screws his eyes closed then looks down again, seeing it was almost twelve. "Sorry everyone. I should leave now."

"Already?" One of them asks jokingly.

"I got work tomorrow." He shrugs. "I should head home now."

"Alright then, mate." He waves as Hyunjin stands unsteadily.

Everyone yells various parting words as he waves and heads out of the door with his wallet in hand, tucking it back into his blazer with slow movements. He struggles with the movement, his coordination affected by the alcohol coursing through his system.

"Man, I really had too much to drink." He complains and yawns as he tries to remember his way home.

When he comes to a crossroads, he stops and stands; swaying with the stiff breeze.

"Oh, no." He moans and puts a hand through his hair in irritation. "I can't remember."

As he stands there debating which way was the right one, he fails to notice or hear the person coming up behind him.

They stalk towards him silently, holding a gun loosely at their side in plain sight. They then grin on seeing how unsteady he is, knowing the easy target he will be.

"I should go right. I'm right-handed. It makes perfect sense." Hyunjin starts to walk towards the right road.

"Hey. Hwang Hyunjin." The person calls, ending their words with a small, breathless laugh.

He turns and squints down at her. "Do I know you?" He asks.

"You do." She raises the gun and he has no time to prepare for the bullet that tears through his throat and the second one fired instantly after, passing through his heart.

He falls to the ground, already dead before he hits it.

Handong's arm falls back to her side, the gun barrel too hot to replace it in her pocket. She then rifles through his clothes for anything that might be important, taking his phone and leaving an envelope in its place.

"All going as planned." She murmurs happily.

***

"Don't you look guilty?" Yoohyeon remarks once Siyeon dumps her shopping bags in the hallway. "You took way longer than just shopping."

"I," Siyeon pauses, but decides to tell the truth, knowing there was no point in hiding it from Yoohyeon. "Ran into SuA."

"Oh, really? Did running into her take up all of your time?"

"I invited her out for a drink." Siyeon replies with a shrug. "I decided there were things I needed to discuss with her. Listen, things are more fucked up with--"

"I thought you said you were never going to associate with her again." Yoohyeon says coldly. "She betrayed you."

"I know she did, Yoohyeon. But you didn't see how she looked. She was covered in bruises. Handong beat her half-to-death as punishment."