This was it. Lin knew it was him. What a coincidence, really. The moment he had stopped looking, he had found the person he had been looking for.

Strange thing... fate. He believed in it and he was sure he was supposed to do this.

It was about time Lee Pu was let to rest in peace.

***

There he was. Sitting down, relaxing and... reading a book like nothing had ever happened. How could anyone be like that? How could he not feel the guilt? This man called Null... he was unbelievable.

Lin was angry and he felt betrayed.

"Did you think I wouldn't find you?"

" ?"
That calm posure and those cold eyes. Yes, how could he ever forget those piercing eyes.

"I-- I know it was you."

His hands were shaking as he lifted them up and...

...pointed the gun at his friend's murderer.

"I rember those-- those eyes. How could I forget--?"
Even his voice trembled.

Yet, the killer was as calm as ever.

Not even blinking at the sight of the gun pointed at him.

"You-- you killed my best friend and I-- I haven't fo--forgotten."

He knew he didn't sound very convincing, shaking like mad and obviously scared, but he didn't care. He had finally found the man he had been looking for!

His finger wavered over the trigger.

"You don't... remember, do you? How could you forget!? Don't human lives mean anything to you!?"

The anger and the fear... they were about to consume him and he was on the edge of committing an act that he could never take back...

He didn't even hear the aproaching footsteps.

Suddenly, a woman he had seen a few times around the house stood there, right between the gun and its target.

"What do you think you're doing!?" She demanded.

"No--"

What? Who... who was she? Why would she protect... him? And did the murderer just...? Lin was confused, completely thrown off and hesitated, his arms still trembling.

Did Null just panic... or at least show emotion? Him?
Lin had heard from Fenrir-san that there was a woman, but to think that it really was true...

"Put that thing down."

"What--?"

All of his determination gone.

Was this really how much his friend's life mattered to him? He couldn't even pull the trigger on Lee Pu's killer?

Lin's grip on the gun had loosened. He couldn't think straight anymore. He didn't know what he was doing.

It was over now. The killer had the gun and he was... finished. He would be killed because he knew about what had happened.

"Null..." The woman spoke. Her name was S -something. Lin couldn't quite remember. And he didn't really register what happened, either.

The bullets were removed.

(Yes, don't laugh, they're the bullets that came with the gun ^^;;)

"Why? Why would you...?"

He wasn't going to be killed? He had been sure he would be if he failed.

" ..."

Clank.

" ?"

" ..."

He was really letting him go?

How could this be? How could he have changed that much?

Lin still remembered the night it had all happened. He remembered Null as a cold blooded killer that didn't care whose life he took along the way to his target. Lin had hidden in a cabinet and he was sure that he'd be killed too but... he wasn't.

He didn't know why he had survived and for what purpose. He didn't understand why he was spared this time too. He had been ready to kill his friend's murderer but now... it seemed like it wasn't meant to be.

Another person rushed to the scene.

"Seb, what's going on, I heard- ..."

"Lin?"

"Lin... are you okay?"

Lin vaguely hear the others' voices and footsteps. But he wasn't sure what was going on anymore. Everything was going blurry.

"Loupe... take care of him..."

" ..."

He couldn't take it anymore.

What had he been doing all this time?

He knew it was over now and he was sad about it, and at the same time... happy, relieved.

He could finally move on...