"Hey, Josh. How's the chemistry project doing?" A 19-year-old boy with classic black hair and eyes said as he approached the boy eating alone in the cafeteria. He was weirdly friendly for a transfer student whom he had just met a week ago when they entered college.
"You should know, Justin, you're the leader," Joshua answered with slight irritation, rolling his eyes as he packed his lunch and stood up.
"Yeah, yeah. Come on, don't be so stiff." Justin said as he hung his arm around Joshua's shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Joshua did not seem to be fond of this gesture as he swatted his arm away, then left as if nothing had happened.
"What's wrong with him?" Justin was confused. Even if he didn't like him, he didn't have a reason to overreact like that.
"Don't ask me, he's been like that since last year." A passing student, seemingly Joshua's old classmate in high school, saw him confused and answered his doubts, although not completely.
"…Weird." Justin didn't dwell much on it and just sat down to eat his own lunch.
---
When the final lecture of the day finished, the students became noisy, packing their bags as they discussed their plans for the rest of the day.
Joshua, however, made his way down the stairs with quick steps and saw his driver had arrived. He entered without saying a sound as usual, but his heart was beating fast -his father had called him home today-, which was definitely unusual.
As he arrived back at his mansion, he saw his father sitting on the sofa in the living room, waiting for him.
"You're back." His words were short but deep.
"Yes, father." A short exchange, which seemed unusual between father and son, happened between them for the first time.
Sitting down on the sofa opposite, he heard his father say, "The product is finished. You'll be the one to deliver it."
He stiffened in his place and looked up in surprise, "I-Is it really 'that' product? Am I really going to be the one to escort it?"
"That's correct. And I assume you alone will be enough?"
"Yes, of course!" Although it was suspicious, his excitement alone overshadowed his doubts. It was the first time his father had shown any trust in him; that alone was enough.
---
As Joshua walked through the corridor with Ryan, a man he saved fifteen years ago from the streets when he was still ten years old, training him to become a loyal servant, Ryan mentioned his thoughts,
"Sir, this is just too suspicious. How could a world-changing innovation be handled by two people alone? It just doesn't make sense!"
"Are you questioning my decision?" His words were sharp and cold, clearly irritated by his question.
"No. But I just hope you think this over." Ryan felt hopeless about his master's condition. He had been this way since the incident a year ago. The worst thing was that no one knew anything about this incident as Joshua refused to talk about it every time someone asked.
"There is no need, it's decided. Prepare the car, we're leaving tonight by nine." He ended the conversation at that, not wanting to continue any further. He then entered his room, undisturbed by anything else.
---
The night was pitch black, broken only by the whisper of passing wind. A lone car sped down the empty highway, its LED headlights slicing through the darkness.
Bang! A bullet slammed into the reinforced window.
"Sir, it's an ambush!" Ryan moved instantly, shielding Joshua as both of them ducked low.
"I can see that." Joshua's voice remained calm as he reached for his guns.
Then came the storm.
Gunfire erupted from all directions, bullets tearing into the car in rapid succession. Metal groaned, glass cracked, and within seconds, the vehicle was riddled with holes.
Inside, Ryan slumped forward—lifeless—his body shielding Joshua from the barrage.
Silence fell as abruptly as it began.
Figures dressed in black emerged from the darkness, surrounding the ruined car.
"Open the door," one of them ordered, his tone cold and commanding.
With brute force, the door was ripped off its hinges. Two bodies lay inside, one collapsed over the other.
The leader stepped closer.
In an instant—
Joshua shoved Ryan's body aside and fired.
The shot struck the leader clean in the head.
"He's not dea—!"
Gunfire exploded again as Joshua moved with ruthless precision, taking down several men before they could react.
Bang!
A single shot rang out. Joshua froze. A bullet had pierced his skull.
Ha… so in the end… I was just a decoy…
His body crumpled to the ground.
"Persistent bastard," one of the surviving men muttered, spitting on the corpse.
"Focus on the mission," another snapped, already searching the vehicle and bodies. Moments later, he pulled out a small box. "Found it."
"Good. Let's move."
But one of them hesitated, unease creeping into his voice. "Wait… why were there only two of them? Something's not right."
Another man's eyes widened. "It's a tra—"
Boom!
The explosion consumed everything, fire and debris swallowing the scene whole, leaving nothing behind.