❖ church⠀

@❛⠀◌ : na hyewon。 6 feets away. Just as always, Seyoon finds himself trailing after his new boss—Eunhye—a safe 6 feets apart. A long enough distance so no one can sneak up behind her, yet close enough to ensure he’s within an arm reach if he’s needed. His ears are drinking in every word she says, noting down every instruction as if his life depended on it. And well... maybe it does? He should be nervous, he knows. But right now, all he feels is confusion, an array of questions he dares not to voice out loud. He really doesn’t want to come as nosy, but why the hell are they heading towards a church of all places?

“Yes... ma’am,” it’s said rather awkwardly, the words sounding more like a question than a confirmation. They haven’t known each other for him to address her as anything less formal, but considering the job, it does sound awfully out of place.

As they approach the large door, Seyoon's footsteps halt to a slow stop, nose scrunching up as he tries to imagine what could possibly be awaiting them on the other side; it’s just a church, what’s the worst thing these kind of people would need? His eyes fall to the heavy, fully sealed box in his arms, hooking it up higher to his chest, and shoving all the thoughts of what exactly is even in there aside. He doesn’t need to know, probably better off not knowing.

Despite it all, her question catches him by surprise. “Of course! No way I’m leaving you here alone now,” his voice comes out a little louder than he intends it to, a hint of annoyance she would even doubt so. Sure, he’s a little nervous about this whole ordeal, but one thing he sure isn’t, is a coward. “It’s aight, I’ve done worse. Let's go in.” He hasn’t, but she really doesn’t need to know it anyway.

@❛⠀◌ : ryu seyoon。 the sound of cicadas and the trodden soil under her leather boots were the only sounds that were made on her way to the church. it’s an ironic place to make a dealing, hyewon muses. a church is a sanctuary, a place where people came to find god. but today, armed with her new lackey of sorts (she didn’t like that word, seyoon was more than an obedient errand boy), she had come to make a deal with the devil. a mobster from outside heunjeong had ordered a dozen machine guns from her and she was here to deliver them.

“he’ll try to bargain with me, seyoon. your job is to make sure he doesn’t get upset when i say no.” she turns to her new found partner-in-crime who’s quite literally doing all the heavy lifting in their operation. it’s his first weapon drop and hyewon wonders if he feels just as she did when it was her own a year ago. could he be fearful of the buyers he’s about to meet? these weapon purchases were often nasty pieces of work. or is he thinking of all the lives that could be lost from the metal clinking in the boxes he’s delivering? the thought pours guilt all over her like an icy night breeze; the her own hands were stained in so much red she can’t wash off, and she’s about to stain his too.

“seyoon, before we go in, are you sure you want to do this?” before she pushes the large sandalwood doors of the chapel open, she gives him a chance to make a different choice, one she never thought to give herself.

after their parents passed when he was 10 and she 1, he had taken care of her every need without complaint. he made sure she completed her highschool education, paid all their rent, gave her money for all three meals, and gave her all the parental love she never had. from the moment junwon died, he sealed her resolve to become him in his place, find his killer, and personally drag them to hell to meet her precious brother.

whatever the cost.

but seyoon was a person who like junwon was forced into this dog-eat-dog world, never given a choice or a chance for a different life. seyoon was more than the collateral damage for the choice she made to avenge junwon. seyoon is still a boy, a boy that would from the moment he steps into the church, would bear the sin of needless blood shed. junwon’s death wasn’t his burden to carry, it was hers so she gives him a chance to escape. to lessen her guilt.