27th May 2010, 10 AM

The forty year male looked up at the grey sky. It had been raining like cats and dogs for the past one week. The weather forecast said that this was one of the biggest storms that Seoul would face that year. It was supposed to rain at least a few days more.

The male glanced at the old cracked clock hanging on the wall. It had already been quite late and he had still not received any customer. As it is business was slow for him and the storm slowed it down more. The male made himself a cup of coffee and got busy with the latest tattoo design that he had been working on. He had loved art since his childhood but art did not love him. His ideas were not enough to feed himself.

He still remembered the day when he had come to Seoul with the dream of being an artist. He was rejected in all the colleges he had applied. It was not because he was a bad artist but because he was an outright heroin addict. He could barely stand and talk to his interviewers, let alone impress them. Not being able to find any sustenance, he decided to build a tattoo parlour for a long time but he did not have the money to build it.

A benefactor from hell, as he liked to call that person, came when he had received a phone call with a small request. Though the request had chilled him down to the bones but the owner of the voice offered him an amount that would not only build his tattoo shop but would also buy him a lifetime's supply of heroin. Though scared, he had accepted the order. After that his life had changed.

His benefactor had never ever called him again and he had not required any help from him until that year. His heroin addiction had gone strong, his tattoo parlour was on the verge of being bankrupted and he would be thankful if he could make some money again. As if Hades from hell had heard him, his old cellphone started ringing at that very moment.

He recognized that number. It was the benefactor from hell.

"Hello?"

"Pigeon?"

The man called Pigeon was excited to hear his code name after so many years. However there was something different. He had recognized the phone number, the code name but he could not recognize the voice.

"Who is this?"

The man on the other side of the line chuckled. The sound was light almost feminine.

"The owner of this phone number told me that you are very obedient. Did old age mess with your head?"

Pigeon was startled by the sudden rudeness in the voice on the other side of the line. He had learned long back never to question his clients. Just do whatever they asked you to do, get the payment and fuck off. Most importantly never question.

"No offence."

"None taken. Shall we get back to business?"

"Yes of course."

"You will be sent the photograph of a teenager. He is currently on a school field trip in Busan. He has to be eliminated."

"Understood."

"You shall receive your payment instantly. Thank you."

The line went off. Soon there was an incoming message tone on the phone. Pigeon opened the multimedia message to see the photograph of a boy who could hardly be around sixteen or seventeen. He had an extremely pale skin and was very attractive.

"I wonder who could despise such a face."

Pigeon went to his basement and searched for his gear. The old bag containing his tools was covered with dirt due to the lack of usage. He brushed off the dirt, got into his hunting clothes. He picked up the bag, closed off his shop and set out into the afternoon Seoul rain.

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10:00 pm

The young boy decided to close the coffee shop for the day. Business had been going very bad for a week due to the rains. He glanced outside and saw that it was still drizzling. He had classes at the university the next day and he hated being wet in the rain. He could not fall sick. That would mean losing precious hours of class and his cafe job. He had wanted to get off early but his boss had asked him to close that day.

He quickly arranged the chairs and the tables. The only thing left was switching off the television, closing the counter and the shop and calling it a day. He looked once more around the shop to check if anything was out of order. Satisfied with his work he went to switch off the television. He saw that the news channel was on. He quickly searched for the remote and moved his eyes towards the television. Something on the news caught his interest.

The young boy's mouth hung open.

"Murder attempt on Kim Yoongi's life."

The boy quickly increased the volume and tried to understand what the new-reporter was saying.

"There was an attempt on the life of Kim Yoongi, 16, son of Kim Taejin, the CEO of Kim Corporations. The boy was on a school trip with his classmates in Busan. Witness have confessed that Kim Yoongi could have died had not his best friend and another classmate Jeon Jungkook had pushed him out of the way. Jeon Jungkook, 14, son of Jeon Jaemin, practitioner of law at Seoul Supreme Court, was lucky enough to see the weapon coming near them.

Mr. Kim and Mr. Jeon, both are currently under medical check-up. The attacker has fled. We shall get back to the studio and discuss the possible reasons for this attack."

The young boy was shocked to see the news. He could not believe that there was an attack on Yoongi's life, his daily customer who was a very nice boy. It was true that he was from a very big family and business got in between but thank god for Jungkook, another of his faithful customer Yoongi was fine.

The young boy switched off the television and wished for his speedy recovery.

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12:30 PM

"I think I had already said that there was no room for any mistake."

"Sir, I tried but that Jeon boy saw me."

"He saw your face?"

"I can't be sure about that."

The line went off. Pigeon was relieved to have the conversation over. The cold deadly feminine voice of his client made him want to puke his guts out. He did not know how had that happened. He had never missed a shot in his god damn life but this time he was caught without even shooting.

He had seen the Jeon boy constantly sticking to the Kim boy. Pigeon was not able to find a perfect time for the shooting. However the one he got was ruined.

Pigeon picked up the sash containing a few ounces of heroin and stuck it up his nose. He saw heaven. He just wanted to sleep and forget the day. Maybe tomorrow he could think of some new plan for his parlor.

He had drifted off to sleep when suddenly he smelled something burning. He opened his eyes and saw his artworks on fire.

Pigeon was frantic with fear and ran towards his paintings in a vain attempt to save them.

"What the fuck is this? Am I dreaming?"

He could not understand how his paintings were on fire. Was this the heroin messing with his head. He was just going to turn around to find some help when his head was smashed by a large block of wood. Pigeon glanced one last time at his beloved paintings and dropped to the floor dead.

The masked man set the whole building on fire. After finishing his work he got called a number on from his phone.

A man with a feminine voice picked up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Done."

"Target?"

"Removed."

"Dead body?"

"Burnt."

"You have received the payment."

"Thanks!"

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28th May 2010, 8 AM

The local newspaper Seoul Times were sold twice more than its original numbers. The whole of South Korea's eyes were glued to the front page.

"Kim Yoongi, 16, released from the hospital. He has been able to overcome the trauma of the attack but has again refused for a photograph or an interview. The Kim boy remains hidden yet again."

"Kim Yoongi's attacker identified as Do Pis Ju, a tattoo artist and a local delinquent."

"A tattoo parlour in downtown Seoul found burned down to ashes. The place was identified this morning to belong to Do Pis Ju, Kim Yoongi's alleged attacker. It was confirmed that Mr.Do had committed suicide probably under a hallucination created by massive intake of heroin."

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