The corridor fell silent once more.
Only the faint hum of the fluorescent lights lingered in the air.
The assassin's body lay twisted on the cold floor—neck broken, eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling.
Veron looked down at the corpse for a moment.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"You just made things complicated."
Jin said nothing.
Veron crouched beside the body, inspecting it with calm, practiced precision. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Professional," he murmured.
He nudged the corpse slightly with two fingers.
"…but disposable."
His kind always were.
Jin leaned against the wall, watching without interest.
"So he wasn't Ethan's man," Jin said.
Veron shook his head.
"Not directly."
He rose to his feet again, brushing his hands off lightly.
"A contractor."
The word lingered in the air.
Its meaning was clear.
Ethan didn't dirty his own hands.
He hired people.
Disposable people.
Jin cast one last glance at the corpse.
"So you were helping him."
Veron tilted his head slightly.
"Who said I was helping him?"
Jin's eyes narrowed.
Veron slipped his hands into his pockets.
"I owe Ethan a favor."
A brief pause.
"Just one."
Jin studied him in silence.
"So you were watching me."
"Observing," Veron corrected calmly.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
A loud alarm suddenly tore through the building.
A harsh electronic siren echoed down the halls. Red emergency lights flickered across the ceiling.
Students' voices rose in confusion from nearby corridors.
"What the hell—"
"Is that the security alarm?"
"Did something happen?"
Veron sighed softly.
"Right on time."
He gestured casually toward the body.
"If security finds this, the investigation won't be small."
His eyes shifted toward Jin.
Jin didn't react.
But the implication was obvious.
If security found the body—
—or reviewed the cameras—
things could become troublesome.
Instead of responding, Jin stepped forward and searched the assassin's coat.
He pulled out a phone.
Unlocked.
Convenient.
Veron watched with mild curiosity.
Jin opened the messages.
The most recent one sat at the top.
Unknown Number.
The message read:
Status.
Below it—
If target survives, withdraw.
Jin turned the screen toward Veron.
Veron read it.
Then he chuckled quietly.
"He wasn't trying to kill you."
Jin remained silent.
Veron looked up.
"He was measuring you."
The alarm continued to scream through the building.
Veron's gaze returned to Jin.
"So…"
He studied him carefully.
"What are you, really?"