Sniping - Chapter 1

After her mother, Lee Do-hee, passed away, it was Chris—her mother’s boyfriend—who took El in.

Chris, a sniper with a preference for both men and women, often referred to as bi, had debuted as a genius marksman at the age of twenty. His favorite hobby was watching Korean dramas, during which he would often turn to El and ask:

“What do you think of that guy?”

Or,

“Isn’t he amazing?”

Without fail, El’s responses were always the same:

“Not at all.”

Or,

“Weird.”

After hearing these replies over and over, Chris had once made a self-deprecating remark, half a compliment, half a sigh of relief: “Ellie, you really don’t care about men’s looks, huh? That’s a good thing. At least you won’t end up falling for a pretty face like I do, giving up everything for them.”

But now, Chris… It seems like you were wrong.

As El stared blankly at the man smiling at her, the memory of Chris’s words came flooding back. In the bright sunlight, the man looked even more striking than he had in the predawn hours of that day. So much so that she found herself reminiscing about her days with Chris.

Is it normal for someone to hold your gaze like this?

El had never stared at anyone like this before. Her world was so small and enclosed that even greeting Mrs. Catherine, her elderly neighbor, had taken her a long time.

She had come outside impulsively on the café’s opening day, never imagining that the ‘rich fool’ Mrs. Catherine had spoken of—a man who must be desperate to throw away money—would turn out to be this man.

—

“Got your laces tied properly today. Do you live around here?”

Hyun-Se’s eyes shifted from El’s sneakers back to her face. Watching her stand frozen in place, he couldn’t shake the odd feeling she gave him. It was like looking at an unsolvable puzzle—a problem with no correct answer.

“Are you mute?”

The memory of Jae-Chan’s voice surfaced. He had mentioned that she hadn’t spoken a word beyond the faint sounds of daily life.

“…No.”

El’s response surprised even herself, her eyes widening at the sound of her own voice. I should’ve worn a hat today. She had only planned to take a quick peek at the café and return home, but her usual hat was drying after a wash, so she’d gone out bareheaded.

“Then how about answering my question?”

His tone was oddly authoritative, though El couldn’t recognize it as such.

“…Yeah.”

“Hm?”

“You asked if I live around here.”

Her voice carried a faint sigh as she replied, biting her lip afterward. Just then, she heard Korean spoken nearby—a rarity in this area.

“Wow, the weather is damn perfect. It really feels like opening day—”

Jae-Chan, who had been gazing at the sky, abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he spotted El. He stood frozen for about three seconds, mouth slightly agape, before walking over to Hyun-Se.

“Who’s that?”

He asked in Korean but didn’t seem to expect an answer as he immediately switched to English, words pouring out at lightning speed:

“Do you live around here? Wow, I almost never see East Asians here. Are you Korean? Beautiful people like you must be Korean. Oh, I’m Jackie, the café owner. Nice to meet you!”

El, overwhelmed by the rapid-fire English, darted her light brown eyes around nervously before looking up at Hyun-Se. Her expression seemed to say, Aren’t you the café owner? coupled with a silent plea of Can’t you do something about him?

Hyun-Se interpreted her look perfectly.

“Jackie, if you scare Kitty away, I won’t let you off the hook.”

“Oh, oh, did she understand Korean?”

Hyun-Se and Jae-Chan carefully observed El’s expression, which seemed to indicate she understood the language. As El subtly avoided his gaze, Hyun-Se chuckled softly. What did it matter if it was in Korean or English?

“Why don’t you take a seat? It’s the opening day, so the coffee’s on the house.”

Kim Jae-chan placed his hands on one of the chairs Hyun-Se had moved outside, gesturing enthusiastically for El to sit down.

Free coffee on opening day? Since when?

Hyun-Se raised an eyebrow at Jae-Chan’s antics, thinking he should give up being a field agent and just work in sales.

Caught off guard by the two men’s attention, El hesitated before sitting. The street was quiet, the café empty, and the two men were Korean. It wasn’t because of the free coffee, of course—but maybe she’d just have one drink before heading back. She might not come back here again anyway.

With a determined look, she carefully surveyed the inside of the café.

“Would you like coffee? Or something else? Maybe a latte or hot chocolate?”

The mention of hot chocolate made El’s eyes light up, a reaction Hyun-Se caught. Tilting his head slightly, he responded instead.

“Bring the hot chocolate. Looks like Kitty likes hot chocolate.”

Watching Jae-Chan retreat into the café, El tilted her head up to look at Hyun-se. In the sunlight, her light brown eyes sparkled like translucent glass beads, with faint green streaks mixed in.

She doesn’t look mixed-race, so how does she have eyes like that?

Hyun-Se’s gaze moved over her delicate oval face, porcelain-like skin, large double-lidded eyes with thick lines at the edges, a softly rounded nose, and full lips with a slightly raised center.

She’s too striking to be here in a place like this.

“Why… why do you call me Kitty?”

Her full lips moved slightly before she finally asked, her voice curious. Her ears, revealed by her tied-back hair, were red.

“Because you’re pretty. And I don’t know your name yet. Will you tell me?”

You shameless bastard. Forget being an agent, why not become Casanova instead? Jae-Chan, busy mixing dark chocolate into the hot chocolate, grumbled internally.

“…”

“Why?”

“You’re only curious about my name?”

El, suddenly interested in Hyun-Se’s name, blinked her large eyes, her cheeks unknowingly turning rosy.

She’s going to get tricked with her eyes wide open. Jae-Chan clicked his tongue and silently acknowledged Hyun-Se’s cunning. There was a reason this man had become the youngest team leader.

“Kwon Hyun-Se.”

Kwon Hyun-Se. El mouthed the name silently. Unlike Jae-Chan and other team members who used English names in the U.S., Hyun-Se stuck with his Korean name—out of sheer laziness.

“Ah, El. I’m El.”

Remembering, El finally introduced herself. At least I can share my name. Her heart pounded hard at the thought of having her first real conversation with a stranger.

This might be the only time I can do this.

If anyone killed by El’s gun heard her now, they’d rise from their graves in disbelief.

“El?”

“Yeah, El. Last name’s Lee. My Korean name is Lee El.”

Continuing the conversation felt strange yet fascinating, so El revealed even her Korean name. Chris had always called her ‘Ellie’ as if it were her full name, saying it was easier to pronounce.

“Hmm, El. That’s a pretty name, too.”

Is it hotter because it’s daytime?

El felt her face heat up and tugged at her navy hoodie nervously. It had felt chilly when she’d left home.

“So, you’re really Korean! Can you speak Korean too?”

Jae-Chan, who had returned with the hot chocolate, placed it in front of El and sat down across from her.

“…Yeah.”

Speaking Korean for the first time in a while felt awkward, but the warm mug of hot chocolate in her hands was comforting. Her body felt warm, but her hands were cold, making her appreciate the mug’s heat.

Leaning against a streetlamp, Hyun-Se lit a cigarette. Watching El’s blushing face made him hesitate before taking a drag.

“Meeting here feels like fate, doesn’t it? Mind if I ask how old you are? People don’t usually ask that here, but Koreans always start with age. I’m thirty-four, by the way.”

Hearing Jae-chan’s age, El, who had been sipping her hot chocolate, looked up in surprise. He didn’t look that old.

Her light brown eyes sparkled with satisfaction at the rich chocolate flavor, and her feet tapped the ground without her realizing it.

“El?”

Lost in the taste of her drink, El snapped back to reality when Jae-chan called her name.

Oh, age!

It’s not a big deal to share that, right?

“I… I’m twenty-four.”

At her response, Jae-chan’s mouth fell open before he turned to Hyun-se with a look of disbelief. He had hoped she wasn’t as young as she looked.

“Guess I can’t have you calling me oppa, then.”

“Jackie, have some shame.”

Hyun-Se took a long drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Meanwhile, El’s gaze remained fixed on him as she sipped her hot chocolate.

“El, sorry to ask so much on our first meeting, but can I ask what you do for a living?”

Exchanging a glance with Hyun-Se, Jae-Chan asked subtly. There was something suspiciously striking about the mysterious woman who had caught their attention.

After a pause, El lowered her mug and glanced sideways.

Her job… she could share that, right?

“…I’m a tattoo artist.”

A lie.