Chapter 14

"It's not like we're related by blood or anything..."

Chris's childhood flashback:

I was adopted into the Bahng family when I was just five years old. I don't remember much of what happened before then; it's all really a blur. My adoptive father saved me when I was on the brink of death, bringing me home from behind a church where I had collapsed, malnourished.

Both my adoptive parents showered me with love, and for the first time in my life, I felt happiness. I felt that I could let my guard down...

That is until....

"YOU'LL NEVER BE AN ASSASSIN!" His voice boomed as he pushed me to the floor while I was practicing my techniques. "YOU AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH!"

I met Changbin, the son of my adoptive dad's brother. He was always well-behaved around the family, never saying much. I thought it might be okay to introduce myself to him because we were cousins after all...but he didn't see me that way.

Every day, I was tormented by Changbin and his friends, whether at school or at home, as his father lived nearby. We grew up in the same neighborhood.

"Is that him?" I heard whispers as I entered school one morning. "Isn't he just adopted?"

My heart pounded; I knew they were talking about me. How did they find out? I didn't talk much in school. I only started going when I was about 8. By then, everyone had their own groups, and year after year, I was a loner.

"He thinks he can take over the family name?" The mocking whispers continued. "I feel bad for his parents."

As I walk into the classroom, all eyes turn in my direction, and I gulped nervously.

"His family's reputation is going downhill."

I tried to ignore it, but panic raged inside me. I was the center of attention, and not in a good way. Being talked about and stared at like this was my biggest fear come true.

When I reached my desk and took my bag off my shoulder, I was introduced to horror. My entire desk was scribbled and written in marker: "Assassin wannabe." "Just an adopted loser." "Going to die before he even gets into position." "He is just the backup son."

Everyone laughed as my heart pounded, looking at the hurtful words. Some were so painful to read that I wouldn't want to remember them.

I never wanted to be an assassin at first, but one day, I stumbled upon my dad in a hidden room in the yard. He was in attire that frightened me, practicing some stance with real bladed arrows on his back. I gasped as I took in the scene but he smiled when he saw me, bending down to meet me at eye level. "Christopher, I'm going to tell you a little secret."

And that was the day I wanted to be just like dad. The thought of being a backup son still lingered in the back of my mind. What if mother got pregnant with a son and I wasn't needed anymore? But regardless, I started training, giving it my all to make my parents proud.

"Do you get the hint yet?" Changbin's sharp voice cut through my thoughts as he stood in the doorway. "You'll never be like your fake dad!"

I knew Changbin was cruel, but this was beyond what I had imagined him capable of. He hated me so much that he turned the entire school, who barely knew of my existence, against me. I clenched my fists, holding back tears as I breathed nervously.

"So you might as well quit while it's still early." he smirked as the entire class witnessed this, standing alongside his friends Hyunjin & Han, who contributed in tormenting me. Though, they weren't as bad. They were just always on Changbin's side, no matter what.

After that, I ran out of the classroom, pushing past them. Did I even want to be an assassin anymore? What's the damn point? I knew that after today, Changbin and I would never see eye to eye. We'll never be on good terms.

I sat by the river that day, perched on some stairs. Frustration boiled inside me as I pulled out my assassination notes from my back pocket and began tearing them up in anger. "Who was I fooling? I could never be an assassin. I'm not qualified enough" I thought to myself until a voice broke through my turmoil.

"Do you want one?"

Startled, I looked up to see a boy standing before me, blocking the sun from my eyes. I recognized him as the class representative. What was his name?...

Oh yeah.

Seungmin. His name was familiar, recognizable

"Excuse me?" I responded, confused.

Seungmin smiled softly, his eyes filled with sympathy. "They accidentally gave me two... so do you want one?"

Confusion clouded my mind momentarily before I realized he was holding two popsicles. He was offering one to me. I had never been offered anything before, never experienced such kindness from a fellow student.

Before I could even react, he shoved it into my mouth. "Here. It was going to melt."

His unexpected action caught me off guard, and I pulled the popsicle out of my mouth with a sour expression. Seungmin chuckled, taking a seat beside me.

Taking a bite of the popsicle, I shot him a slightly irritated look as he just continued to laugh, He didn't know it...but that brief interaction saved me.

Seungmin stayed with me, talking for what felt like hours. I laughed more than I had in a long time. It felt like he was genuinely there for me, unaffected by the tensions at school. Despite his closeness with Changbin and the others, Seungmin never once disregarded my feelings because of them. He treated our friendship separately, and that made him so special.

Weeks later, I discovered that he had intentionally bought two popsicles just to give one to me. He never accidentally bought two. Because of Seungmin's kindness and support, I found the motivation to continue training hard to become an assassin.

I came to realize that Changbin's hatred towards me stemmed from jealousy. Because my father didn't have a biological son, it was Changbin's responsibility to carry on the family name and become an assassin. He trained tirelessly day and night. I recall one evening walking past Changbin's house and hearing his father's angry voice echoing from their backyard.

"You can't continue to embarrass the family!" his father scolded him furiously. "How do you expect to reach your targets with the skills you have now?!"

Changbin remained silent as his father's tirade continued. "If a son not of our blood can do it, why can't you?!"

I realized that by being adopted into the eldest son's home, I unwittingly overshadowed Changbin, fueling his resentment towards me. He was constantly compared to me, and it was clear that this comparison fueled his animosity.

While I initially felt sympathy for Changbin's predicament, it didn't last long, especially when he continued to make my life miserable. Though he toned down his harassment, he still made snide remarks whenever we crossed paths.

It was a little while after we started middle school that Changbin began to rebel against his father. He gravitated towards a life of street thuggery, a path that would ultimately lead to the formation of a notorious gang in the future. Unlike assassins, who operate in secrecy, gang leaders flaunt their identities. Changbin's gang quickly gained popularity, attracting the attention of numerous boys eager to join their ranks, starting with Changbin, Hyunjin, and Han.

It was that same time, Changbin met I.N. He was already a psychopath, with no family and a life spent battling the streets. He didn't attend school either, but I don't recall much about his earlier years. I vaguely remember Seungmin sacrificing himself for I.N., but luck was on Seungmin's side that day, and he survived. It's all a blur to me. I didn't know much about I.N., but it wasn't that he hated me; he just didn't like me, especially since he was friends with Changbin.

I remember starting middle school felt like a fresh new start for me. As I reached my locker, a random voice spoke up, "Would you like to join the music club?" I turned to see a boy holding a flyer, trying to recruit members for the music club. "What?"

"Oh, Seungmin!" The boy immediately shifted his attention past me, waving his flyer in Seungmin's direction as he approached us

"I see you're bothering my friend." Seungmin joked with him.

"What? You have more friends than just me?!" The boy responded with mock surprise, but it was clear he was just kidding.

I was confused. Seungmin had so many friends I wasn't aware of. How did he find the time to hang out with all of them, especially since he made time for Changbin's group and then me at separate times? He was genuinely friendly, and it seemed like everyone wanted to be his friend. He was like a magnet, everywhere he went. His aura always shined so brightly.

Seungmin glanced over at me. "Felix and I met at camp 6 years ago."

I looked at the boy—so this was Felix. I was a bit taken aback. I could never be like Seungmin, participating in so many activities and making friends so easily.

Felix extended his hand. "Nice to meet you!"

I was surprised. Here was someone who didn't immediately hate me, aside from Seungmin. I glanced down at his hand, hesitating for a moment. I secretly judged Seungmin's friendships; he was a good person but associated himself with someone like Changbin. However, it felt different when someone with a bubbly atmosphere such as Felix, was actually nice to me.

I shook Felix's hand, marking the beginning of a new friendship. We often hung out even after school, whether it was with or without Seungmin. Felix also shared with me the story of how Seungmin saved him from excessive bullying back at camp, which was the start of their friendship. This made me realize that Seungmin was a savior in everyone's lives. I felt sorry for those who didn't have such a kind-hearted person in their lives.

"Hey, music guy!" a voice called out to Felix. I looked over and saw it was the student council president. Felix rolled his eyes. "I have a name, you know!"

"Yeah, but I only know you as what you asked of me." he smirked, handing some files to Felix. "The principal approved the talent show."

Felix beamed with excitement. He had been advocating for a talent show for so long, and now it was finally happening. He began jumping up and down. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, MINHO!"

I didn't know Minho very well. He wasn't around much, but he was acquainted with everyone else. For the most part, I kept my distance because he was Changbin's friend as well. However, he wasn't as rude to me as the rest of Changbin's friends were. Perhaps it was because he had a role to maintain, and a student council president couldn't really choose favorites.

When I reached high school, both my parents had died in an airplane crash. It nearly broke me—I didn't want to continue the life that I had set out for myself. But Seungmin and Felix were there for me during my darkest days, lifting me back to my feet. It was then that I realized I was officially the head of our family. I was the assassin I had trained so many years to become. After graduation, I made the decision to leave the neighborhood I had grown up in.

"So, you're finally leaving?" Changbin asked, stepping into my now-empty home. "Once your family is gone... you can easily betray the house you grew up in huh?"

I ignored his words. He didn't know me or understand what I had to do. I planned to stay with Felix until I registered into my new occupation.

"Well, anyway..." Changbin muttered under his breath, his next words barely audible. "It's about time."

I sighed, slinging my packed bag over my shoulder as I approached him. "I'd say goodbye... but I have a feeling this isn't the last time I'll be seeing you."

Having a mutual friend in common didn't help our strained relationship at all.

Changbin scoffed, looking away. He wanted to say more, especially about my friendship with Seungmin, but he stopped himself. No matter how much he hated me, that was one conversation he'd never bring up. Seungmin was special—even Changbin, who wanted to strip me of everything, couldn't bring himself to try and take that away from me. That's the kind of light Seungmin brought into our lives.

And with that, I left the first and only childhood home I'd ever known, never looking back.

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