Another client satisfied.

Seriously, the reasons that these people have toward their targets are really ridiculous and unreasonable. It reminds me of Jane in that aspect.

My phone vibrated from inside my pocket. An incoming call from Boss.

"What is it Boss? I'm done with my job. I just need to do the usual clean up." I impatiently stated, putting my left hand on my waist.

"I just called to inform you, Zero. The client came to specially see you. So hurry up with the clean up and come back here!"

"Yes, Boss." I immediately hung up and shoved my phone back in my pocket.

I walked towards the brutally stabbed corpse in front of me and crouched down beside him. "I'm sorry. I know you're innocent."

•

"Oh, you're back." Francesca welcomed me with a cold shoulder. "Usual fire, huh. I can't believe you're always ready to put the blame on others."

"No one would question their deaths if I do this. And, even if I blame natural occurrences, no one would be harmed further."

"You're always so kind for a cold-blooded killer... Zero." Francesca smirked as she headed to the bedroom on my left. It's a spare bedroom, but is mostly used as her and Richard's "love nest."

"Where's the client?"

"2nd floor guest room."

With a slight nod, I headed to where they are. Francesca's smirk never once faded away. Her gaze feels like I'm being pressured every time. Heavy boulders on my shoulders, an anvil on my head, heavy metal handcuffs, a tightly tied noose on my neck, and thousand of prison balls on both of my ankles. The more I approach her, the more the pressure gets heavier by the minute. It has built up as time goes by. I don't think it will go away any soon. It's already planted deep within me.

•

"Oh, there she is. The payment's going to be done directly." Richard dismissed himself, leaving me and the client alone.

I sat down across him, pouring tea in an empty, unused teacup. I would know, since Richard has a habit of leaving a few sips left in his cup every time he drinks anything, including water. There is a spare cup just beside his, so it's really easy to tell which one is whose.

"So," I started. "What else do you want?" I demanded an answer with a coarse voice and a threatening tone while sipping tea.

"H-h-how did you kill him?" He fidgets, all shy and trembling. The way he talks with his glasses still on him makes him look more pathetic than he already is.

He contacted Richard with a very desperate voice, telling him to kill a man who he assumed his wife is having an affair with. His voice was loud, but unstable the whole time that it even irritated Richard. He said that it has been a while where a client was that desperate to get rid of somebody.

"Do I really need to tell you?" My vein twitches, my grip on the teacup handle grows tighter, my impatience becoming thinner as the seconds go by. "The only important thing is that I completed my part of the bargain, now go and complete yours!"

"Ah... yes." He acts surprised, taking a briefcase and opened it in front of me. There were as much as cash as I am commonly paid for, but his attitude towards me looks like he's forcing himself. "Is this enough?" He still asks.

"Hey, what's your financial status?"

"I-I-I'm sorry! We're only in the middle class. If you want more cash, I can take a loan and--" He was about to contact a loan shark, I know. He was taking his phone out, immediately hitting the dial button. The number was his most recent one, meaning his payment is pure loan.

I grabbed his arm before he put it in his ear. It was an instinct, I couldn't help it. I just simply don't want another person suffering in front of my eyes for the second time in the same day.

"Hey Dave, where's the payment? Interest is piling up, you know." The other line chuckled. His voice is deep and hoarse, like an old bearded muscular man who's a heavy smoker and drinker.

Before my client says anything, I forcibly covered his mouth with my right palm, taking his phone with my left hand.

"I'm sorry mister, it seems I have dialled the wrong number~" I acted as cute as I can, as childish as I can.

"Ah, I understand."

He then abruptly hangs up. It has saved a lot of trouble. I then removed my palm from his mouth and returned his phone on his outstretched palm.

"How much is your loan?" I asked, back with the usual condescending tone.

"A-about 10 million.... Total." He gulped. His face drains of his color and now I look at a pitiful, pathetic man who's as pale as a ghost and almost has no will to live, if not for his wife. I can now understand the feeling of jealousy. It makes any man scary, no matter how pathetic he may seem to others.

"Keep the cash." I bluntly said, turning my head sideways. "Instead of loaning to those loan sharks, I can accept if you loan to me instead. So, here's my number. Remember that you owe me 15,000."

His face lightened a bit. He did not ask me for anything more. He was okay with loaning to me, with no complains nor more demands. He's pathetic, but he has a pure heart. It got blackened temporarily by jealousy, though. When he asked me how I killed him, he must have regretted his actions and wanted to at least save the poor, innocent man.

"Just a reminder: I don't kill people for free. No matter what the reasons are or how you regretted it in the end, a person's life is very valuable, much more so just to make someone else take it. So next time you become jealous, try to pull yourself back on earth for once and don't be reckless. Got it?"

Dave continuously nods, with his tears in his eyes flowing out comfortably. "Thank you, thank you so much!" He almost screams in joy.

•

Later that night, I lie down on my bed, thinking...

Jealousy is a really dangerous emotion. Because it can make you do reckless and irrational stuff, pushing all sense of morality and humanity away. Even anger can't fight that... Because jealousy is a one-time thing. Once it's done its job, you stay awake in the night, your consciousness dawning over you, regretting the things you can't easily bring back, no matter its worth...