Target

         It was almost ten. He was just finishing his work. He had been working late a lot recently. But he was used to it. His last job usually saw him working until well past midnight. This was easy compared to it. But, oh, how he would find himself missing that old job. Strangely, it was only when he started this new job that he had started getting silver strands in his mass of unruly black hair.
         He was just shutting down his computer, and filing the last of his folders when another folder, one with a photograph paper-clipped on the front, fell on his table. The man looked up and lo, before him, sitting on the window sill was a young man.
         “Hello, Ren.” The young man said, not too happily.

         Ren, on the other hand, was happy to see his old apprentice.
         “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” He said as he surveyed this tall red-head, his long ponytail fluttering in the wind. “How’ve you been, Gugma?”

         “Is this your target tonight? Pretty.” Ren said as he picked up the folder with the photo.
         He opened the file and smiled. It had been a while since he had his hands on one of these. “Hart Arevallo, university student activist. Explosive.” He said. “But nothing you can’t handle.” He flipped the folder closed and handed it back to Gugma.
         But Gugma didn’t accept it. “I can’t do it.” He said, gravely.
         Ren was a little surprised with his statement. “What do you mean?” He asked.
         Gugma avoided Ren’s eyes. He sat on the edge of a table and studied the floor.
         “What do you mean, Gugma?” His ex-mentor asked again, this time, with a hint of worry in his voice.
         “I… I know her.”
         “You what?! What do you mean, you know her? You can’t have relationships in this profession!”
         “I know, I know! I was still in school then.”
         “The rule against relationships started when you decided to take this path.”
         “I was foolish! It was my internship. Her boyfriend was my target.”
         “And you just had to go and comfort her. Little did she know it was your hand that caused her to be miserable in the first place.”
         “I couldn’t help it.”
         “Help it!” Ren threw the folder on Gugma’s lap.

         Gugma looked up, wide-eyed and pleading.
         “Ren…”
         “Forget her. Just do your job. Shoot her and move on.”
         Gugma stared open-mouthed at the coldness his old teacher had shown him. He looked down again.
         “I-I thought you would…”
         “Support you? Encourage you? Maybe even help you?”
         Gugma was silent.
         Ren turned to the open window. “Do you know why I left, Gugma?” He asked, more calmly now. “Don’t get me wrong, I believed in what we do. Or, rather, what I did and what you’re doing now. But there was this girl. And you know the rules. To keep her, I had to leave my job… forever.”
         Ren paused. His mouth clenched but his eyes remained far in the darkness of the night.
         Gugma saw bitterness in those eyes, bitterness, regret and pain.
         “And so, I did.” Ren continued. “But for nothing. I threw away everything to be with her, but in the end she still left me.”
         Gugma’s temper flared up. “Hart will never do that! You don’t know her! Just because your girl left you, it doesn’t mean Hart will leave me!”
         “She’s a target.” Ren turned slowly to Gugma. “She will leave you one way or another.”
         “But I love her!”
         “So? Is that supposed to change anything? Even if you don't shoot her now, they'll just send someone else to do it. Besides, do you really love her, Gugma?”
         “Of course!”
         “For people in your profession, money is unlimited. Access is unlimited. The tangible and intangible rewards of this job can never compare to that of any job in this world! But even beyond that is the fulfillment. Are you ready to give all of those up, Gugma?”
         “Yes!”
         Ren laughed. “You are lying, Gugma.”
         “No, I am not! I don't want to lose Hart!”
         “And where will you two run, then? There is no place in this world you can keep her. They will find her, Gugma. And she will be taken from you.”
         “I won't let them!”
         Ren snorted. “As if you can do anything to stop them. Once you stop being one of them, they will hide from you, too. And you'll just suddenly wake up one day and find your girl—“
         “No!”
         “Yes. Do not kid yourself, Gugma. You are no match for all of them. Besides, is it her you really love?”
         Gugma was a little taken aback by the statement. “What do you mean? I don't have anybody else.”
         “I didn’t mean another person. I was your mentor. I know you. Stealth thrills you. You feel excitement in pursuit. You find satisfaction in a precise shot and a job well done! And don’t tell me you don’t love the control the job gave you. You have control over people’s lives. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel powerful when you shot your first target. Don’t tell me this power doesn’t still appeal to you even now. Tell me if you’re not having second thoughts about losing all these for a girl you’re not even sure will stick with you; a girl who you are actually very likely to lose. Because I can assure you, Gugma, you’ll feel extremely lacking when all these are taken from you. And no woman in the world will ever compensate for it.”
         “Hart is no ordinary woman!”
         “Just because you are infatuated with her doesn't make her not ordinary. But we both know you're no ordinary man because of your profession.”
         “It doesn't matter!”
         “It matters a lot!" Ren slammed his palm on the table, which made Gugma jump. "Your job keeps you on the move. Your job keeps your adrenaline pumping. Pursuing a relationship with Hart means you have to slow down and do these routinely boring jobs they call　'decent and secure'. What will you do when things go too slow, Gugma? Bungee jump? It doesn't work! What about when the need to feel power becomes too consuming? Would you just play a video game? That won’t work, either!
         “Would you turn to vices when your need for stimulation drives you almost to madness? You won’t find the satisfaction you’re looking for there, no matter how much drugs or alcohol you consume. Will you still love her when she starts nagging because of your lack of attention? Will she still love you when you become too restless?” Ren's voice broke with the last sentence.
         He turned away.
         “Did you love her even then?” Gugma asked.
         “Yes” Ren's voice was barely a whisper.
         “... Did she?”
         “... No.”
         Gugma looked down. “I'm sorry.”

         Ren took a deep breath. “I'll live.” Ren turned to look at his ex-student.
         He put his hand on his Gugma’s shoulder.
         “Don’t make the same mistake as I did. This is what you love, Gugma. Not that girl.”

         “There she is!” Ren said, peering into a telescope.
         Ren and Gugma were on top of a four-story building overlooking the busiest streets of the city.
         The target, Hart Arevallo, was in front of a shop. She was haggling with a saleslady.
         “Pointed chin. Large cheekbones. This girl’s a strong woman.” Ren commented.
         “Yeah… She’s always been a tough girl.” Gugma replied gloomily.
         “So what’s your plan?” Ren asked.
         “I need to draw her away from the crowd. I can’t shoot her in front of all these people, can I?”
         “I guess not.”

         Down below, Hart seemed to have won the argument. She smiled broadly as she paid for her purchases and proceeded to the next shop, where she proceeded to scrutinize the pots and pans they were selling.

         Just as Gugma was about to go down, Ren asked, “May I do it?”
         Gugma looked at him questioningly.
         “You don’t think I can do it?” The mentor asked.
         “You don’t think I can do it.” The apprentice said.
         “…I just miss this job.”
         “Or you just don’t trust me to get the job done.”
         “I know you’re going through with it. I can see it in your eyes.”
         Gugma smiled faintly. “I guess you haven’t lost the art completely yet.”

         Gugma looked at the streets below. Hart seemed to have made her selection and was proceeding to the counter.
         “Let me do it.” Ren insisted. “For old time’s sake.”
         “Very well. For old time’s sake.”
         “Thanks.”
         Ren took the stairs down. Gugma watched what happened from above.

         Hart was maneuvering her way to the counter through the sea of busy shoppers when she bumped into a man. The man dropped the two of the five metal trays he was holding.
         “I’m so sorry!” Hart exclaimed as she picked the trays up and gave them back to the man.
         “Thanks.” The man said. “I didn’t know it would be this difficult to furnish a new apartment.” The man looked slightly harassed, especially with his unruly black hair.
         Hart smiled sympathetically. “I know what you mean.”
         “You just moved, too?” He asked.
         “No, actually, these are for a school activity we’re organizing.”
         “Oh, I see.”
         Bake Sale.” She took out a list from her bag and consulted it. “I still need to go down the street and buy flour, sugar, chocolates, and food coloring. I also need a heart-shaped cake mold and I have no idea where to get that.”
         “Oh, I saw one back there.” He pointed behind him.
         “Really? Could you tell me exactly where?” She pleaded.
         “Sure. You see that alley over there? Go straight through it. At the um…” He seemed to do a mental calculation. “Third corner, turn left. You’ll see the it. It’s just a small shop.”
         “Thanks so much!”
         “No problem.”
         And Hart hurried towards the alley. Ren followed her at a distance. He stopped at the corner, where Gugma was standing.

         “You haven’t lost your touch yet, Ren.” Gugma said.
         “Thank you.”
         “Ren,” The troubled Gugma began. “Do you regret leaving?”

         It took a few seconds before Ren answered. “Many times,” He said when he finally did. “I curse myself for giving up my job for love… Love… hah! Many times, I find myself not believing that exists anymore. Many times…”
         Ren’s eyes had assumed that faraway look again.
         “I see.” Gugma said softly.
         He looked down the alley and saw that Hart was about halfway through.

         Ren watched as his old student proceeded to follow the Target, noiseless as a cat.

         The alley was quiet, very unlike the busy main street she had just left. She started to wonder if the man hadn’t been mistaken. As she continued to walk, she suddenly felt like she was being followed. Nobody was there, though, every time she looked behind her. But the feeling grew stronger the deeper she went in.
         Finally, when she was convinced she was being tailed, she ran. She turned at the first corner she saw, then turned again in an attempt to throw her pursuer off. But, though she couldn’t see him, she felt him still right behind her.

         When Hart turned into another smaller alley, Gugma saw his chance. He threw a small boomerang that broke the only street light that was there, and plunged the alley into darkness.
         Hart, not being able to see what was in front of her, stopped from going any further. This gave Gugma a chance to aim directly at her heart.

         Ren heard the weapon go off. Only the trained ear could hear it. And he heard it. It was done.

         When Ren arrived at the scene, he saw Gugma kneeling over his target, who was lying face down on the ground.
         “I did it, Ren.” He said. “Now she will never be mine.”
         Ren couldn’t help but feel some amount of pity for the younger man.
         “But then you probably need her more than I do.” Gugma suddenly turned to him with the weapon he had used on his target pointed at the ex-teacher’s chest.
         “Gugma…” Ren stood paralyzed.
         “Many times, Ren.” He said. “But sometimes, you still believe.”
         And with a twang, the weapon went off.

         Ren felt the arrow breaking through the barrier in his chest. It all felt strange. In the past, it was he who was doing the shooting. But this time, he was the target.
Then everything went black.

         She heard a groan. Hart pushed herself up, and saw Ren lying on the floor.
         Hart gasped. “A-are you alright? I-I think I ran into you or something. Are you hurt?”
         Ren sat up, holding his chest. He was still a bit disoriented as to what had happened. There was a shot. Gugma had shot him.
         “Did you have to shoot me that hard?” He whispered. One hand was on his chest, while the other was over his eyes. The moon had come out.
         Hart turned pale. “Y-you were shot?”
         “Yeah.” Ren replied. He was still not fully awake.
         “Oh no! Did you see your attacker? Uh, d-don’t move too much!” Hart was panicking a little now.
         Hart’s voice pulled Ren back to reality completely now. He removed his hand from his eyes, and was surprised to see a beautiful girl frantically fussing over him.
         Hart put her hand on Ren’s chest.
         “Were you shot here?” She looked up to his face, then stopped. His eyes had locked into hers.
         “Yes.” He said slowly, his eyes not being able to pry away from hers. “Straight through the heart.”

         Gugma watched them from around the corner. And with one final look filled with sadness and satisfaction, the red-haired cupid disappeared into the shadows.