To Kill My Master

Prologue

Somewhere in Europe, Year 1566 in the Julian calendar

Leoric couldn’t stand still. There was something in the air that cold and misty night, and his heart hadn't stopped drumming. He took slow, deep breaths. He was just being silly, his imagination running wild again each time they entered the abbey. After all, a young man had no business being in a complex full of women. 

Leoric closed his eyes, imagining his lips tingled by cider before he went to sleep, when a sound extinguished the oil lamp he held. The full moon provided enough illumination at the abbey’s courtyard, but not enough to quell Leoric’s rising fears as he looked toward the large oak doors. 

“Did someone knock? At this time?” 

He strained to listen, a slight creak, before the sound of the metal knocker echoed like the church bells tolling in the morning. 

Then, a woman’s voice followed, “Sanctuary, sanctuary, lend me sanctuary!” 

Leoric almost ran to the door when he realized he shouldn’t be in the abbey in the first place. Whoever was seeking sanctuary was none of his business. 

“Lord Finnian!” 

He turned on his heel as he saw a line of glowing amber heading toward him. Lord Finnian’s fair skin glowed brighter than the moon. 

“My Lord,” Leoric curtsied. “I’m afraid we must leave in haste.” 

His sire didn’t answer, his eyes firmed at the door as the voice pleaded, “Sanctuary, please, please help.” 

The older nun, whom Leoric knew as Sister Marcela, was prepared to take over, but the lord stopped him with his arm. “I will see to this.” 

The other nuns behind him protested, but Lord Finnian didn’t listen. Leoric knew his lordship never listened. Men like him thinks their opinion matters above all else except for the King. The old man walked toward the door and instructed Leoric, “Open it.” 

Leoric could only nod, and a bone-chilling energy flowed in as he opened the door. Outside might be dark and eerie, but one couldn’t deny the beauty of the woman outside. High cheekbones and patrician nose, qualities expected those of noble lineage. However, her clothes revealed she came from a meager background. Her hands wrapped protectively around her bulging belly, while she appeared startled, probably wondering why men opened the door.

“Do you seek sanctuary?” asked Lord Finnian. 

The woman didn’t answer immediately, her eyes darted from Leoric to Lord Finnian and to the nuns behind them. 

“Do you think you have the time to dilly-dally?” asked Lord Finnian, and the woman looked behind her. The mist was thick with the general feeling of doom. Leoric couldn’t see anyone, but he could hear the neigh of horses and a few clanking. 

“Who could be chasing an unmarried and pregnant woman?” he thought.

“Aye,” replied the woman, and Leoric couldn’t place her accent. She sounded unsure whether she wanted to sound educated or some hooker. “Please lend us sanctuary.” 

It was only for a split second, but Leoric swore a tiniest ripple of smile broke Lord Finnian’s stony face. He couldn’t recall seeing his lordship smile, ever. Leoric even thought Lord Finnian was simply not capable of such an act. 

“We will grant you sanctuary on one condition—”

Leoric saw the nuns flabbergasted at the suggestion, but no one stepped in. 

“-- my wish is for your son to grow up and protect my offsprings.” 

It was Leoric’s turn to be gobsmacked for two reasons. First, how did Lord Finnian know the unborn was a boy? Second, as far as Leoric knew, Lord Finnian had no heirs or bastards to speak of. Which offspring was he referring to? 

The woman’s brow furrowed, she didn’t seem surprised Lord Finnian knew of her child’s gender, before she knelt to a deep bow. 

“Your wish is my command, sir.” 

“Gylda, will you please direct her to her room?” 

Gylda, the youngest of the four nuns behind Lord Finnian, stepped out of the darkness. Her delicate face was void of any expression, but she gave the pregnant woman her most sympathetic smile as she helped her inside. 

“And close the door, Leoric, we won’t be going home soon.” 

“Yes, sir.” Leoric closed the door, but not before the mist cleared out a bit, and he saw what seemed like a cavalry with their lances pointed at the door. 

“Good Lord, just who was that woman?”

Chapter 1

Present year, 2026 of the Gregorian calendar 

Hokuto hated the sound of fireworks, explosions, or anything remotely similar. The sounds made him squirm, so he needed to ground himself and move more quickly to make up for the seconds he wasted. He took a deep breath and focused his eyes on the prize. Hokuto knew there was no better time than now. He moved closer to his prey while trying to cancel the noise. The scent of beer and perfume followed him as he positioned himself behind his target and clicked. His target grew frozen, and everyone was too absorbed in the fireworks to notice the man next to them was no longer with them. Hokuto acted like an annoyed bystander who had to suffer because someone couldn’t handle their drink, and no one thought something was amiss as he irritably stepped away. 

“Quick and easy. Always.”

The fireworks continued, and Hokuto stopped by the toilet. He needed to drown the noise first, so he turned the faucet on full blast and tried his best to distract himself with the sound of gushing water. 

“Fucking fireworks, when will it be over?” 

His head started hurting, and his pulses were thumping loudly along his temples down to his neck. He made a mental note that moving forward, he would never accept a job on New Year’s Eve. It wasn’t like he needed the money that badly; it was definitely not passion either. 

“So why do you kill?” A little voice inside his head asked as Hokuto buried his fingers on his face.

“You can borrow this—”

It happened so fast before Hokuto could even open his eyes. He pinned the man’s lithe arms behind his back that made him bend at the waist and lean toward the sink. 

“What the fuck are you doing?!”

Hokuto found himself staring at a clearly angry man. 

“Insanely pretty for a man,” thought Hokuto. The man’s baseball cap couldn’t hide his androgynous features, while his flared nostrils were breathing fire as he glared at Hokuto through the mirror. 

“Unhand me–now!” 

Hokuto didn’t comply, of course, and the man could only try to thrash around while Hokuto kept his arms locked. 

“Who sent you?” 

“Who sent me?” The man repeated, definitely angrier now, “The fuck are you on about?” 

“Again, who—” Then, Hokuto noticed it. He was too preoccupied to see it, but he was wearing a black wireless headphones. 

“Oh!” The realization made Hokuto loosen his grip and set the man free. He grumbled while he massaged his arms and threw Hokuto daggers with his eyes. 

“This is what I get for being nice…” The man complained when the door opened and two men came in. Both were hammered, their faces red and their steps staggered as they went straight to the urinal. 

“You think that bloke died?” One asked. 

“Probably. Or maybe just very drunk?” 

Their conversation brought Hokuto back to the present. He should have left minutes ago, and so he did, taking the headphones with him, and leaving a speechless and fuming man. 

***

“My New Year’s resolution is that I’ll be nicer, but I’m taking that back now. No more Mr. Nice Guy,” complained Taiga. He was still incensed. Not only did his arms hurt, but he just been manhandled by a guy he tried to help. 

Kochi, his manager and confidante, checks his watch. “That was quick, can’t wait until we’re done with the shrine visit? Where are your headphones?” 

Taiga sighed. He waited for at least six months for those headphones, and he just gave them away to someone ungrateful. “You don’t want to know.” 

He now regrets agreeing to a fan meeting/new year countdown. He should have been a good son instead and eaten ozoni with his parents. But he felt compelled to please his loyal fans who never left him after last year’s fiasco that almost ended his career. If he were being honest about it, his career might never really take off. 

“By the way, did something happen in the next room?” There were paramedics, and Taiga thinks he also saw a couple of police officers when he was done at the toilet. He didn’t bother staying around; flashing lights in the colors of blue and green terrified him. 

“Seems like someone died at the private party next door.” 

“Oh…?” 

“Uhm, about that…” Kochi fidgeted and on his seat, and he could tell he wouldn’t like whatever Kochi would say next.

“We might have to go to the police station tomorrow.”

Taiga was just as stunned as he was bent over his waist earlier. “W-what?” 

“Well, you see, the police wanted everyone on the floor to be interviewed about the guy who just died.” 

Taiga still didn’t get it. “Didn’t that person die next door?” 

“Uhm, yeah, they just wanted everyone’s testimonies but–” Kochi said quickly upon seeing Taiga’s mounting anger, “-- if the forensics ruled it as natural death, there’s no need for us to come.” 

Taiga let out a sigh of relief. Dealing with the police was something he didn’t enjoy, and he didn’t think anyone enjoyed it either unless they were Detective Conan.

“As much as I hate death, I hope that person died of natural causes.” 

“I hope so, too,” agreed Kochi. “By the way, an offer came. A Netflix drama.” 

Taiga’s mood instantly changed. The rude guy and the threat of visiting the police station were lightyears away from his mind. 

“I don’t know what it is, but I’m agreeing now. You may say yes.” 

Kochi didn’t even appear surprised that Taiga agreed so readily. Kochi understood Taiga’s thirst for work. It was never about the money; it was all about passion. 

“Are you sure?” 

Taiga nodded. “Never been sure about anything.” 

Kochi took out his phone, and after a few taps, he showed Taiga his DMs. “This is the producer, do you know him?”

Taiga checked the name, and his eyes widened. “Fuck.”

Kochi smirked, satisfied with Taiga’s reaction. “Don’t worry, you won’t get fuck here. He promised it’ll be a very wholesome Boys Love.” 

Taiga shut his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he received a BL offer. His looks and body ticked all the boxes of an uke stereotype. But as he repeatedly told anyone, if anyone is doing the giving, it would be him. 

“Kill me,” muttered Taiga. 

“How did you know the title?” 

He opened his eyes. “What do you mean?” 

“The title,” Kochi repeated. “Kill me, Heal me.” 

***

“Thank you for healing me, sensei.”

“I didn’t do anything special,” said Hokuto as he closed a hand on his patient. “But please don’t play with knives ever.”

The kid nodded, and his eyes became teary again. He left the dressing to the nurse, finished all his Doctor's Notes in the EMR, and then went back to the sleeping quarters. He felt like a resident again, working his ass off during all the long holidays while his seniors enjoyed the New Year holiday with their families. 

“Family, huh?” He just recalled why he’d rather work his ass off. He had no family to return to for the holidays. The sleeping quarters were empty for a change, but it still smelled of struggle and body odor. He eyed the wireless black headphones sitting on the shared desk. He should give it back. Upon searching, he learned that the headphones were a customized kind. The owner’s hearing capabilities and sensitivities were assessed for maximum comfort and listening. 

“Should I ask someone to locate him? I really don’t like asking this kind of favor.” He thought when the door opened and Hokuto smiled sleazily. 

“You’re the senior resident tonight?” asked Hokuto. 

“You’re the fellow?” Shintaro clarified, punching Hokuto lightly on the shoulder. 

Hokuto sneered. “Not anymore. I’ve been working for like 24 hrs, I’m going home.” He started changing clothes when he realized Shintaro had been staring intently at him.

“Sorry, I’m not a fan of office romance,” he joked.

Shintaro slapped his shoulder again, a bit harder this time. “Were you at Toranomon Hills on New Year’s Eve? There’s a sky bar there.” 

Hokuto pulled a fresh shirt over his head and gave Shintaro a confused look. “Do I look like I was partying last night? Oh…the ozoni Mita-san made tasted like it had sake in it.”

Shintaro giggled. “Knowing Mita-san…” he said about the ED’s head nurse, “...it probably has, and yeah, it couldn’t have been you. Do you even know how to party?”

Everyone at the hospital knew about Hokuto’s introverted ass, and he decided to continue the pity route. “So you were partying at some sky bar, huh? While I’m–I’m back to being a slave.” They used to joke that in the hospital hierarchy, residents are the slaves, while the fellows are the semi-slaves. Their professions looked good on paper, but their working conditions were just pure slavery. 

“Nah!” Shintaro denied. “I was just there to support my brother for his, like, comeback.” 

Hokuto felt like a cad. “Oh…brother.” So Shintaro has a brother. Hokuto was never to type to ask about one’s family for the sole reason that he didn’t want the question returned to him. 

“Comeback? Is your brother in K-pop?” 

Shintaro gasped and started slow clapping. 

Hokuto placed a hand on his chest. “Should I be insulted?”

“Sorry,” said Shintaro, still smiling widely, “But I never, in a million years, would think you’ll connect comeback and K-pop.”

Hokuto decided he should be insulted. “I do have a life,” he argued when, in reality, he just overheard the nurses talking about a comeback stage of some K-pop group. 

Someone knocked on the door before it revealed a mousy-looking resident who needed Shintaro. They said quick goodbyes, and Hokuto was on his way out when his work phone pinged. It was Juri, his handler at what he called his side job. 

“New assignment.” The email subject reads. Hokuto clicked the email with an attachment of his next target. Hokuto downloaded the jpeg file, and all the fatigue left his body. 

“Hokuto!” 

He turned and saw Shintaro hurrying with a brown bag. “Happy New Year!” 

“You shouldn’t have–”

“Take it,” said Shintaro, practically shoving the bag at him. “So, do you have plans tomorrow?” 

He clenched his hand on his phone. “Ah, yeah, I’ve got to return these headphones to its owner.”

Somewhere in Europe, Year 1567-1583 in the Julian and Gregorian calendars (1582)

Leoric watched not only the changing of seasons but also the birth of the chosen son six months later. The then woman is now called Sarah, a name she chose after she was baptized, and she decided to name her newborn after Lord Finnian. Leoric didn’t think it was right, but the name fits the baby more than his lordship. “Finnian” means “fair” and “white", and the boy is white as snow. Later that year, his lordship married a woman 20 years younger than him. Her ladyship went on to give Lord Finnian a girl the following year, followed by two boys and another girl to complete Lord Finnian’s family. 

Leoric watched the kids grow up side-by-side, but one couldn’t deny his lordship’s affection for the little Finnian, or as he preferred to be called, Finn. Eventually, and as Leoric expected, Lord Finnian’s kids developed a visceral jealousy toward Finn. Leoric couldn’t blame them. Finn grew up with dashing good looks and a brain that even the most snobbish school offered him a placement. Finn wasn't brought up like a servant that was expected of him, but he was given the education only reserved for the nobility. And it was no surprise that Lord Finnian's kids bullied Finn each time they got the chance, and Finn never breathed a word of complaint. Leoric decided to be the narc and told the lord about it, and he was surprised by his response, “Let it be, it would make him stronger.” 

When Finn turned 16, Lord Finnian announced that he and Finn would be going on a one-year trip. The biological kids all hated it, but none of them could stop it. Leoric also went with them, and both he and Finn had no idea where they were headed. It was a long, grueling journey that  Leoric could only thank the heavens for making it alive.

 “Where are we, my Lord?” asked Finn after they got off the ship. 

“In a place where you’ll be finally fulfilling your role.” 

Leoric frowned. Finn’s role is to protect Lord Finnian’s kids, and none of those kids are with them now, unless…

Not far from them stood a mother and son. Except for the almond eyes, the boy was the spitting image of younger Lord Finnian, from angular jaw to celestial nose. 

Leoric thought he knew his lordship well, but he guessed he didn’t know Lord Finnian at all. 

The mother prodded her son to step forward. The kid might be the same age as Finn, but shorter and thinner. He took his time reaching Lord Finnian until they were a couple of steps apart. 

“F-father?” The boy said, his accent rugged. 

Lord Finnian acknowledged him with a nod and turned to Finn. “Finn, this is my sole heir, whom you will serve from now on.”

***

Present year, 2026

“Ignorance is bliss” was how Hokuto operated as a contract killer. The less he knew, the better. He didn’t enter this world with a vendetta or a strong sense of justice. Outcast from his family, he needed a high-paying job to finance his studies, and an opportunity came. People think John Wick is cool, but he’s just a hitman like Hokuto is, and there’s nothing glamorous about it. Having someone else’s blood on your hands was nothing worth romanticizing. 

“Hmmm, this is the first time you asked about your assignment,” said Juri. Hokuto could picture his handler smirking. Juri might even find his curiosity cute. 

In their world, there are four levels of hierarchy; the fourth one is their assignment, their target, and as represented by the kanji shi (死). Third in the hierarchy are the contractors to which Hokuto belonged; second are the handlers, such as Juri, and the spotters, who are responsible for the recruits. First on the hierarchy are those whom they call the “Patriarchs”, a group of 9 men, or women, probably, who control the entire organization. 

Hokuto put down his phone. Kyomoto Taiga was easily searchable on Google. He even has his own Wikipedia page. A second-generation actor, he debuted in one of his father’s movies at 16 years old. Taiga went on to star in supporting roles in different dramas and movies, and it looked like he would just continue doing so until his tearjerker movie, where he starred as a dying second-male lead, caught everyone’s heart. Since then, he became a lead in dramas, joined a popular drama franchise, and hosted a midnight radio show where his unhinged MC style became a hit. However, Taiga’s just-blossomed career met a setback when an actress was found dead at his apartment. He was acquitted of murder, but the public hasn’t warmed up to him yet.

“Let’s just say that I sort of owe him,” said Hokuto as he twirled the headphones around his finger. So far, all of Hokuto’s targets were unknown to him, and Taiga would be the first. Not an acquaintance, but not a stranger either. 

“So you’re having doubts?” Juri challenged. 

“Have I ever turned down a job?” He challenged back. He never turned down a job, and he didn’t want to find out what would happen if he ever did. 

There was silence at the other line, and Hokuto thought Juri was gone until Juri cleared his throat. “I trust you, Hokuto,” said Juri, and Hokuto could detectthat  Juri’s trust was laced with threat. 

“Anyway, you fucked up your last job,” added Juri.  

He straightened in his seat. “I never fucked up,” he argued, insulted. 

“Kyomoto went back to the location to review the CCTV. My source says he was clearly looking for you.” 

Hokuto looked at the headphones and sighed. “He could just be looking for me because of the headphones.” 

“What headphones?” 

“Long story.” 

“Whatever, I don’t make the calls, Hokuto. Kyomoto was ordered to be gone. If you don’t do it, someone else surely will, so what’s your call?” 

Hokuto sighed again. His moment of weakness because of the bloody fireworks would be someone else’s demise. A foreign feeling crept up his chest, but he quickly shook it off. It was just a job, nothing personal. 

“As I’ve said earlier, I never fucked up.” 

***

“Has this man been here to give his statement?” asked Taiga before he glared at Kochi for kicking his shin. They just arrived at the police station for voluntary questioning on what happened on New Year’s day but Taiga only had one goal; he realized he wanted his headphones back. 

“I like you better when you don’t want to step in here,” said Kochi in gritted teeth. Taiga avoided anything police-related after that ordeal. Being questioned by the police traumatized him more than the crime they were accusing him of. 

“Can’t you just buy another one?” Kochi prodded. 

“I checked, the waiting time is now 8 months, so no.” 

“Who am I looking at?” asked the sleepy-looking police officer, or maybe he was sleeping while on the job, judging from his tangled shirt.

“He took my headphones.” 

“And you want to file a complaint–”

“Oh no, not that. Let’s just say I let him borrow it, but I didn’t get his name, so I was wondering…maybe?” 

The police officer raised an eyebrow while he mixed his instant coffee using what looked like a ruler. 

“Do you know how many people were next door?”

“Uhm, a hundred?” He guessed.

“Two hundred. They exceeded the 150 capacity, and if those 200 would come here, do you think I could recall every name and face?”

Taiga lightly shook his head.

“And if ever I can recall who is who, do you think I will just give you their contact details?”

“Well, I was hoping–” 

“I apologize on his behalf, officer,” Kochi cuts in, forcing him to back off with another kick on his shin. 

“But–”

“We’ve wasted your time, we’re leaving.”

“Aren’t we supposed to give our statement of that night?” asked Taiga. 

“Oh yeah,” replied Kochi, looking deflated, they still had to stay. 

The officer sighed, his face screamed he’d rather have his morning coffee than deal with two psychos. “You guys were in the next room, right?” He asked, dragging his voice.

Taiga nodded.

“Did you, any time before or during the fireworks, go out of the room, and have a chance to see the deceased?” The officer pulled two photographs from his drawer. One is a blow-up of his driver’s license, while the other is a crop from someone else’s SNS post that night. Taiga didn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but there was nothing that stood out about the man except for his emerald Rolex watch that Taiga’s dad also owned. Taiga surmised that he could have seen the man, and his attention would be on his watch and not his face. 

Kochi answered first, “I stayed in the room until after the fireworks, and when I went out before the fireworks, I don’t recall running into him.”

“Same,” said Taiga. “I went out during the fireworks where I saw him,” he said instead, raising the CCTV shot outside the men’s toilet.

The officer ignored his quip and asked, “Did you two see anyone you think looks suspicious?”

“Suspicious?” Kochi clarified, and a light bulb turned on in Taiga’s head.

“Was he killed?” He gasped.

The officer showed no signs that Taiga was correct. “We don’t suspect foul play, and we’ve received nothing from forensics yet.”

“Ah…” he mumbled.

“So did you see anyone suspicious?”

Taiga wanted to say that thinking someone is suspicious is very judgmental, but he held his tongue. “I don’t think anyone is suspicious. We were all there to welcome the New Year.”

“Okay,” the officer turned to the foreign-looking chap next to him. The man’s skin is as fair as Taiga’s, but unlike Taiga, the man is so buff that the thread of his sleeves was fighting to survive until Lunar New Year. 

“Lewis, give them forms to fill out their contact details so they can be on their way.”

“Yes, sergeant!” 

“Lewis? Is he half-Japanese?” thought Taiga as the robust man handed them forms and pens. When they were done, Kochi literally dragged him away until they reached their car.

“I knew you were up to something when you wanted to go to the police,” muttered Kochi. “And when did you go there to check their CCTV? How did you even get that?” 

“The staff were fans of my dad,” he said glumly. He was still feeling dejected; everything he did was for naught.

“Let’s just buy another pair of headphones, please, let’s avoid a scandal–” They both turned when someone knocked on Taiga’s window. 

“Officer Lewis?” Taiga asked as he opened his door. “Did we forget something?”

“Ah, no, uhm,” Lewis looked around him before continuing. “By the way, let’s not be formal and just call me Jesse.”

Taiga and Kochi exchanged wary glances. “O-kay, Jesse.”

“Uhm, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop earlier, but about the CCTV photo you showed…”

Hope soared in Taiga as he pulled out the photo again. “Have you seen him?!”

“I think he looks familiar, but I need to check again.”

“You can take it,” he said, shoving the pictures into his hands. 

“Uhm, okay, and here’s my card–”

Kochi took the card before Taiga could grab it. “Just contact me if there’s anything related to that man,” said Kochi, handing Jesse his card.

Jesse studied his card and said, “Okay, I’ll give you a call then.” 

“You will tell me if he calls, right?” asked Taiga. 

“I will tell you, but I’ll deal with this moving forward.”

“Kochi, it’s just a stranger and my headphones, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Kochi caught his eyes through the rearview mirror. “What’s the worst that could happen? Have you forgotten what happened?” 

Taiga avoided Kochi’s eyes. A distant memory of crimson blood on his white tiles flashed in his mind. “Fine. I’ll leave it to you.”

 ***

Quick and easy is how Hokuto operates. Some contract killers would leave their signature on the job, but if Hokuto could disappear like a ghost, he would have done it. In the three days that Hokuto followed Taiga, he concluded that approaching him again would be the best move.

“If I knew this would happen, I would have killed him back in the toilet.” 

Taiga rarely went out of his apartment, and if he did, it was for work, and he was always with his manager, who also chauffeured him around. Although there were times when Taiga went out for a meal on his own, he always went to restaurants with few customers, so there would be no chance for Hokuto to accidentally bump into him and kill him. Hokuto also noticed that Taiga was very cautious; he never strayed to a dark alley, he always surveyed a place before entering, and, unlike most people nowadays, Hokuto never saw Taiga on his phone when he walked or ate. It was like going out was a chore for Taiga, and he needed it to be over with, no room for distractions or whatsoever.

“Was he always careful, or did that scandal change him?” Hokuto thought as he watched Taiga get out of his service car, and he waited until Taiga was inside his apartment building. 

“Game.” Hokuto wore Taiga’s headphones, linked them to his phone, and King Gnu’s “Chameleon” flowed swiftly to his ears. Just like a chameleon, Hokuto isn’t a doctor who moonlights as an assassin, but he’s one of the crew of ‘Move It’ that would be helping their client move in 6S. 

And Taiga living next door is just a fortunate accident. 

“Serendipity, is that what fools call it?”