"Stop looking at security like that," said the darkly clothed man who traipsed stonily by Jisung's side. He was tall and well-built, as his job required him to be.

Jisung forced the scowl off his face but still refused to meet the other's eye. "I don't need bodyguards," he said seriously, to which the woman walking beside him tutted. Her heels made an annoying click on the ground every time she took a step.

"Perhaps you don't, honey —" Jisung looked sharply at her. She paid him no mind. "We're not here to protect just yourself. The people around you are our main priority."

Jisung grinned. "I'm not that mean."

The man beside him ushered him into a line, then glanced around before whispering, "You're skipping off to another country to k-word a kid your age. If you're not mean, Satan can't be that bad."

"Don't act like you haven't killed kids," replied Jisung. "Just because I'm doing it doesn't make it any worse."

The woman whistled lowly as she took out their passports and shifted the tickets in them. "He got you there, Jaehyun."

Jaehyun shook his head, standing straight again. "Who's side are you on, Seulgi?"

Jisung sighed unhappily as they boarded the plane without any further unnecessary conversation. It was on the way to the plane, in that appreciable silence,  that he finally wondered more about who he was being sent to kill. It seemed really fucking stupid that he knew next to nothing about the target, but usually he liked to separate himself from anything people said about others. Information tended to get twisted and biased and prettier or uglier. He'd count on himself.

Still, he should have known more than his name and his position, but he'd been giving no time to snoop. He'd only been told of the mission when he'd been employed (read: forced from his previous gang specifically for this job) a few weeks beforehand.

His current gang, SM, had heard of him three months ago and had gotten hold of him on a whim, hearing tell that he was an acclaimed prodigy. Some dastardly, evil genius. He'd been pleased to hear this, as it was indeed the kind of personality he would like draped over himself.

He'd been on some sort of house arrest for a a month while the gang made their very aggressive negotiations with the leader of RFN, until they'd come knocking on his door, informed him that they had paid off his indenture and that he was their property the same way he'd been the previous gang's property. That they wanted him on a waiting list for some mission. He'd broken both the legs of the guy who had told him and shot the backup man with his own gun. That's when he had really attracted Taeyong's attention, and Johnny Seo had been assigned to "test him out". Seo really had tried his level best to try and make Jisung fail that strange examination... since then, it had simply been that and mastering Chinese and avoiding all the gang members who tried to convince him not to do this. They wanted the money only, and Jisung was sure of that.

Jaehyun grinned at the flight attendant and ushered Jisung in without showing them the tickets. So the flight attendants were in on the plan too? He expressed the assumption to Seulgi, who whispered back saying that was the only one, just some guy called Kim Doyoung. Jisung didn't believe her.

Seulgi and Jaehyun flanked him even on the plane, sitting on either side of him. When he frowned at them, Seulgi only sent him a sugary sweet smile, "Did you want the window seat?"

Shut up.

"What do you know about Zhong Chenle?" he said instead.

Seulgi frowned. "Not an awful lot. He's the child CEO of some tech company in China, which is where you're eventually headed, and he's awfully rich. Couple of months older than you, I'd say. His dad's died recently, you know that. He's... blonde? Maybe."

Jisung looked away, disappointed with the lack of information, and noticed that Jaehyun wasn't there anymore. He pretended to disregard it and looked back at Seulgi, eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know much more about him. I know about the company and I know about his father already." He paused. "Show me pictures, if you have any."

Seulgi wordlessly tapped out of an app on her phone and opened up an image. "This is a work phone," she said, handing it over. "There's nothing personal or important on that. Just so you know."

Jisung hummed disinterestedly and focused on the picture. He was surprised that this kid was older than him, even if it was only by a few months. There was, of course, that vital seriousness about him, the look of a rich man who hadn't completely lost himself in the bliss of capitalism. 

He also didn't look a day over seventeen, and his hair was blonde. Jisung patted his own head, worried that that was the effect the colour was having.

Zhong obviously didn't work out or partake in any sports, from his build. He didn't hide weapons but he did have bodyguards. Bodyguards — There's a possibility that there are people who don't like him or his late father. Jisung swiped sideways, finding more pictures. The bodyguards may just be being cautious but cautious of what? Gotta look into that. Next picture. Oh. He's just smiling. Good for him. He quickly swiped onto the next picture, as if the irregular thought would be left behind with the last.

He was disappointed to discover that the smile didn't go away. The plane hadn't taken off yet, so what was with the slight motion sickness? He looked sideways at the window, as if basic knowledge of his own whereabouts wasn't enough to tell him that he was still on the ground.

He looked back down and swiped again, blinking blearily, the next picture catching him off guard. This time, Zhong wasn't looking at the camera. What surprised Jisung was the look on the CEO's face. It was strange look for an eighteen-year-old, a look like he was carrying the world on his shoulders. He had probably just thought no one was looking and dropped the regal, I've-got-everything-under-control act.

Jisung put down the phone and rubbed at his own eyes. Careless. Never assume someone's not watching.

"It's a shame he's got to die," said Seulgi suddenly as Jaehyun had come stumbling down past the seats and settled into his own. Jisung glanced up, then back down. "He's a cute kid."

"Hey, Jisung." When Jisung ignored Jaehyun's call, he felt a finger poke his arm. "Kid."

"What," he replied flatly. 

"Do you know why you're killing him?" 

"No."

"Oh. Do you not need a reason...?" 

"No."

"Oh. Okay. Ouch for Zhong."

Jisung frowned. He really didn't want to communicate with these two anymore.

The flight passed slowly, mostly because Seulgi was fond of saying things, be they irrelevant or important, at random times with random intervals. It annoyed Jisung because it meant Seulgi simply wasn't wary of him, which Jisung wasn't used to, even with gang members.

The entire network knew about him, and SM was huge. They had members in different countries — He'd have accomplices when he would reach China. If he revolted he'd find himself in a big pile of shit but it didn't concern him all that much. He wanted the money to pay off his indenture. And anyway, with Jisung, it wasn't numbers that determined effectiveness.

"Would you like some food, sir?" Jisung glanced up at the attendant. He was suspiciously young. Jisung narrowed his eyes and, not taking any chances, declined the request. The boy grinned emptily and pushed the trolley onward.

The plane touched down and Jisung was being led through an airport. Jaehyun had a single hand at his back. People threw wary looks at them. Jisung slipped on a black mask, not really wanting to either entertain or help dismiss their suspicions right then.

"We'll be leaving you now," said Jaehyun, his hand on Jisung's shoulder. Jisung wanted desperately to shrug him off, but he knew he would just be acting like a delinquent.

"Alone — ?"

"No, not alone. Here's your next babysitter." Jisung raised an eyebrow questioningly at Seulgi, who had a hand in the pocket of her suit, probably clutched around a small weapon that she'd slipped around security just for the heck of it.

A voice spoke up from behind him, and Jisung stilled. He wasn't used to people getting that close and still being alive. "Hello." Alright, switching to Chinese.

Jisung turned around and immediately had to refrain from rolling his eyes. This was the very young flight attendant. "We've met," commented Jisung. The shorter was already wearing a surprisingly well put-together outfit of a leather jacket and pressed jeans.

"As prepared as ever, Huang Renjun," grinned Seulgi, not shocked at all, apparently. "It's good to see you again." She took her hand out of her pocket and threw Renjun a piece of candy.

Jaehyun snorted. "That's what you stopped at duty-free for?"

"Shut up, Jaehyun," said Huang in Chinese. Jaehyun obviously didn't speak Chinese but he got the gist. He made a fist at Huang, completely goofy. Their easiness unnerved Jisung. Were they gang members or friends?

"Now, do carry out your tearful goodbyes," cut in Jisung. "I've got some work to do and the sooner the better, because your boss said he'd be hitting me up with a deadline."

Jaehyun glanced around in alarm. "Talk quietly," he hissed. Jisung grinned right back, making Huang frown at him around the candy in his mouth. Jisung mockingly pretended to let the disappointment in the other boy's gaze get to him, but Huang only narrowed his eyes and shrugged.

"Let's get going, then." Huang nodded at both Seulgi and Jaehyun and turned around, but not before motioning to Jisung to stay in front of him. Thankfully, no conversation passed between them. Jisung noted that Renjun was quite at ease compared to himself. Jisung himself didn't relax at all, though. It could only mean Huang's mind was all the more dangerous, or he knew some martial arts that didn't require him to constantly be on alert. Yes, Renjun wasn't meant to attack him, but in this world, that was what drove people to do things.

"That car," pointed Huang, to which Jisung nodded soberly and got into the back first. He knew they were going straight to the main building where Zhong worked so Jisung knew what it looked like (though he could just look it up). He checked the time on his phone, but looked up immediately when he noticed Huang hadn't gotten in after him. A stream of possibilities passed through his mind.

The plan's rigged. He's not with SM. There may be a bomb in the car. He's forgotten to do something in terms with the switch.

Jisung stayed stock still, and watched with short-lived relief when Huang got into the front seat. The driver's one.

"Huang." Jisung leaned back. "You shouldn't be able to drive."

Huang looked at him through the back view mirror. He had put on sunglasses. "I shouldn't be able to steal a car this fast either."

Jisung's eyes widened, then he closed them, almost letting some incredulousness crawl through his skin. That was funny. This was funny. And he hated this guy already.

"Nice to meet you, Huang Renjun."

***

this chapter's really boring, has no plot and is very short. i have no excuse.