ISS 2012: for ohhappydaggerxd (1/2)
Title: The Struggle Within (1/2)
Pairing/Focus: Hoya-centric, Hoya/Woohyun
Rating: R
Word count: 15,010 words
Summary: As a part of a rebel group, Hoya had to face many conflicts and fights. Moreover, when a man from the governmental army walked in and saved his life-a bit too many times.
To: ohhappydaggerxd
From: Your Secret Santa
a/n: Self-beta-ed, so I apologize beforehand if there are still mistakes. My original idea was a lot more complex than this one, so there might be some parts where it seems a bit rushed.. I might write the complete version of this one day.
There are minor appearances by Tasty and Teen Top, and for those who don't know, Changhyun is Teen Top's Ricky.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the fic ♥ Merry Christmas! ^^
*
Everyone by the beginning of the 21st century thought that the future will be sophisticated, modern, that the future will be the time when technology is at the highest, when robots are no longer luxury, common in fact, along the roads, incorporated within our lives, handling matters too complicated for humans or too lazy to be done on our own. Everyone expected the future to be a time when everything is digitalized, everything can be gained by a simple click in a blink of an eye, when lives would be easier and nothing else would matter.
But the future won't even be called the future if it wasn't unpredictable, unexpected, and far from what everyone's hopes.
North Korea unleashed their hidden nuclear bomb that marked the start of World War III. Russia had formed an alliance with North Korea, and together they created a strong block of war. Superpower countries were late to respond to their rapid attacks and soon, US army had reached its weakest point and they surrendered to the communist block. North Korea took over the South in less than a decade of civil war.
The North has now conquered and ruled over the Southern land. Men were captured and forced to become part of the government's military while women were tortured, used, forced to work as labor with minimum wage. The government constructed many buildings, buildings as factories, storage, leaving almost no space for trees, parks whatsoever. Cameras were installed at nearly every spot in the city, leaving almost no space for movements, for people, nor for anyone to hide.
But it is not war if there aren't the ones who are preparing to oppose.
*
Hoya glanced from behind the wall that hid him, his eyes searching through the road, trying to spot any signs of the governmental army. He pulled back into the dark, narrow alley that was close to suffocating him. Gripping tightly onto the empty bag he brought with him, he took another peek, this time darting at the moving camera on the top of the building he was aiming for. The camera turned slowly, scanning through the area before stopping briefly. Hoya took a deep breath, his gaze now fixated at that one unguarded door as he sprinted as fast as he could, racing against the camera that was turning back to its initial place though missed that critical split second. Hoya panted, his back leaning against the wall as the grip on the bag tightened, he was used to this, trained to do this, days and days of running and hiding--he shouldn't be scared anymore. But that fear of being caught, being captured, being tortured--Hoya shook his head, he was going way off his original goal here.
Hoya glanced at his surroundings, deeming it safe as he entered the storage building. It was dark, like always, the pungent smell of rotten food made Hoya scrunched his face in disgust, no matter how many times he came here he still hasn't gotten used to it. He glided through the path made by high piles of ransoms he had memorized since long ago, going to the closest row to the front, but not visible enough for the government to realize a few packs of their ransoms gone in the hands of the rebels. He swiftly opened his bag and filled it to the brim, zipping it up and slinging across his shoulder afterwards. Hoya instinctively ducked when he heard sudden noises coming from the anterior door, the big metal doors sliding open without warning. A truck drove in, dropping off leftovers and other unused or nearly expired food. Hoya felt his breath quicken as he observed the few workers get to work and for a second, he feared completely of his life. The workers were only a few meters away from him, just a little bit rustling and Hoya could get--
A harsh tug forced Hoya to drop to his knees, a hand was covering his mouth as the culprit's long forefinger was raised in front of his mouth, a signal for him to be quiet. The other boy glanced behind as his hand found way to his pocket, taking out a gun Hoya knew all well was filled. Hoya craned his neck and saw another person behind his perpetrator busy filling his own bag. After he used up all the space in the bag, he motioned for the other two to tiptoe quietly as they crouch and hide behind the sacks of rotting food. They snuck behind a particularly tall pile before opening a small window hidden behind the pile of sacks to escape to yet another dark and narrow alley. It was a good thing that the government didn't care much about these small escapades when they began rebuilding the infrastructure. Letting out a sigh of relief, the three boys sprinted out of the alley, crossing roads after roads, running from camera after camera, before reaching a mass of ruins at the end of the road and then entering a small tunnel created by the building remains that perfectly conceal the stairs towards a circular metal door underneath. They dropped their bags into the hole, sliding down, Hoya being the last one as he slid the metal cover to put the door out of sight and then locked it.
"Man, you owe me one." The tall, lanky man with bronze brown hair said, his gun now safely tucked in its pocket, covered by the long ends of his sweater. Hoya rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"I can't believe you still keep count, Sungyeol-ah." He crouched to get a hold of his bag once more and dangled it around his right shoulder. The one named Sungyeol grinned.
"I can even tell you the total." He proudly announced, his hands crossed in front of his chest as a smug grin appeared on the edge of his lips. This time their companion, the pale teenager with feminine features was the one who rolled his eyes.
"Hurry up, Hyungdeul." He half-ordered, already walking in front of the two older men in haste. "They're waiting." He uttered, pulling the bag over his shoulder once again to adjust his position so the weight wouldn't hurt his arm.
Sungyeol pointed his long arm accusingly at the youngest boy's back. "For once the kid's right." He remarked, following the youngest's strides. Hoya picked up the pace and followed right behind.
They walked along the long tunnels, then the youngest out of the three stopped in front of a particularly large rock. He gave his hyungs a look that totally said he definitely wouldn't be the one moving that rock over there.
Sungyeol narrowed his eyes at the rudeness. "Sungjong, seriously?" He questioned the younger male's attitude towards his elder hyungs, but Sungjong only swung his bag forward as he blinked innocently.
"I've got the bag. Which is really heavy. While your hands are free, Hyung." He stated the obvious and Sungyeol would have strangled the younger right then when Hoya placed his bag down, now preparing to heave the rock aside. It didn't take long until the three boys can see a flat metal door, with no handles and no knobs. Hoya ran his hand over the surface in a certain pattern, before the door lightened up and opened, allowing them to see their entry path.
"Thanks, Hoya-hyung." Sungjong flashed him a smile, and pushed his bag into the door, him following after. Sungyeol took hold of Hoya's bag and entered the hole with it. Hoya slipped in next and he used the rest of his energy to pull the rock and closed the door to cover the entrance once more.
They all walked and finally reached their final destination: their hideout.
Their hideout was a bunker, connected to an underground subway station abandoned by the Northern government when they unintentionally buried the main entry path due to a few explosions. It was built by the South government since long beforehand, the government already predicting and fearing for this fateful day where their Northern brother going on loose. The bunker had quite a supply of food and medicine before they slowly decreased by time, and the group of rebels had no other choice but to make use of the unused storage supplies that the government had disregarded. Hoya admired the facilities and the highly advanced technology in the bunker the South Korean government had bothered to spend on. He slightly regretted ever doubting the previous Southern government, but he knew nothing back then. The future wasn't something he could control.
Hoya carried his bag to the cabinet across the room, later unzipping the bag and began filling the empty shelves with cans and packs of food he managed to steal. It wasn't many but they didn't have much of a choice. The food would probably run out in a couple of weeks, if not maybe even faster, considering the number of people trying to survive in their hideout. But at least it was better than nothing at all.
Hoya folded the empty bag neatly and placed it on top of the cabinet, his eyes now scanning through the room. His gaze landed on Sungjong, the boy sitting cross-legged on the ground, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he tended a young child's fresh bruise on his arm. Another child was watching him in awe and another was holding the injured kid's hand, squeezing it to calm him down. The child winced when Sungjong applied more ointment onto the wound, his teeth gritting as he restrained the tears from forming at the corner of his eyes. Sungjong didn't even bother to empty his bag. The child's well-being was his number one priority at the moment.
Hoya moved his gaze to another side of the room, stopping at the sight of Sungyeol tapping his fingers nervously as he examined his precious gun. He watched the tall boy checking the ammunition they had left. Sungyeol seemed uncertain upon knowing the amount of the remaining ammo in their safe. His facial expression told Hoya that if they ever got discovered by the government military by tonight, they won't even stand a chance.
Advancing away from his spot, Hoya strolled towards the one person he'd worried about the most: the male who was leaning against a wooden table, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his lips pressed into a thin line and his small hamster eyes narrowed as he was deep into thought. Hoya disliked that expression. It was never a good sign.
"Sunggyu-hyung--"
The sound of the door machine opening and closing stole Sunggyu's attention and he looked at the direction of the door, Hoya mimicking his action afterwards. A male with dirty blonde hair and streaks of blue and red meshed in the messy strands came limping into the bunker, one hand gripping tightly on his injured leg and the other pulling the entrance close. He nearly fell in his steps, but another male with strikingly similar features rushed to him, helping him stand. The man pushed his friend (brother?)'s help away though and he tediously walked to their waiting leader in the middle of the room, panting. His eyes locked with Sunggyu's for a split second before he looked away, sorrow and regret and anxiety unable to be hidden from the prominent features. The male gulped. He had no idea how he could still face their first-in-command when he had brought nothing but bad news.
He stood in front of Sunggyu, wavering. "We lost more people." He reported in between breaths, wincing as the pain on his leg multiplied by the seconds. "We lost Daeyeol."
Sunggyu sighed, but his stern expression remained. "Tell me something I don't know, Daeryong." He uttered, exasperated. Daeryong didn't reply.
"Did you bring him?" Sunggyu asked. Daeryong solemnly shook his head.
"I couldn't." He answered simply. Sunggyu didn't look happy with his answer, but Daeryong knew he would still be even if he answered otherwise.
Sunggyu only sighed again. "Okay. Go to Sungjong, you need to get yourself tended."
Daeryong nodded and without another word, he went to the team's medic, dragging his injured leg with his brown-haired doppelganger already aiding by his side.
Sunggyu pursed his lips, seemingly thinking deeply as his gaze fixated at the floor. Hoya watched the older male's expression altered from stern to worried to fearful in mere seconds. "Hyung." He called out. The older male looked up, his gaze softening when they land on Hoya, clearly overlooking his presence since before. His eyes crinkled into small crescent shapes.
"Yes, Hoya?" He asked, all his worries from before concealed perfectly behind the fabricated grin, as if he was trying to fool Hoya that everything was alright. That they were going to be alright.
Hoya felt his saliva turn bitter. "Lose the act." He deadpanned, his face morphing into a grimace, disgusted that Sunggyu even bothered to try looking fine. A laugh emitted from the older male.
"So much for cheering myself up." He ran a hand through his hair as he let out yet another sigh. "One more down. How many more, Hoya?" There was a smile on his face as he asked but it looked nothing near happy. "Until the right time comes… Will it even come?" He whispered the last part in agony followed by a mock chuckle but Hoya could see the unimaginable fear in his eyes. Hoya gulped but he didn't respond.
"Hyung." An blue-haired male with childlike features came to them, stealing the two male's attention. "The other team is stuck. They won't be back until next week." He informed. There was a pair of headphones around his neck, its mike neatly pushed in line with the earplugs.
Sunggyu massaged his temples and let out a frustrated groan. "We need more ammo by tomorrow night." He stated, his tone so stoic it was hard to tell whether he was mad or sad. The young male shrugged, his gaze looking elsewhere as he honestly didn't know what to do about the situation.
"I'll get it." Hoya offered. "Changhyun will come with me."
The young male's eyes dilated completely while his mouth went agape. He spluttered, "What? Hyung, I can't--"
"Call." Sunggyu decisively declared, causing more panic to the male named Changhyun. "Dongwoo will watch your backs. Go tell him, I have to talk to Sungyeol now." Sunggyu squeezed Hoya's shoulders as encouragement before walking away, leaving a panic-stricken Changhyun with Hoya who nodded obediently to Sunggyu's orders.
"Wait, hyung, you can't possibly let me go out… there?" Changhyun looked mildly scared, it was understandable though. The male had been in charge of communications and contacting the other teams and other rebel groups, the outside world wasn't something he was familiar with (yet).
Hoya put on a small, reassuring smile. "Just for awhile." He gave the younger a comforting pat on the back. Changhyun still looked scared. It was quite funny how much he feared of going outside when he was practically the one who knew about mission tactics, strategies, and weapons the most. His father, his role model was the reason why he both knew about them the most and feared of them the most.
"I'm going to need you to show me what I need to get." He elaborated, hoping to persuade Changhyun somehow. Hoya has always been clueless about guns, his fist and strength being his main front of defense. There was Dongwoo that will come along but the man only knew his own gun. He was going to need Changhyun. "You know me. Guns… aren't my thing."
Hoya's gaze was suddenly filled with a heart-wrenching feel of sorrow, something that was rarely seen from the straight-faced male. Changhyun gnawed on his lips, contemplating his choices.
Eventually, he gave in. "Alright." He heaved out a sigh. "I'll do a check-up on what we need."
Hoya gave him a grateful smile but Changhyun had failed to see it, already making his way to their storage. The usually stoic boy went the opposite way to grab a bottle of water and downed it, refreshing his dry throat. His gaze fell upon the sight across the room where Sungyeol had fallen onto his knees, trembling with silent tears running down his face while Sunggyu crouched next to him, his arm around the tall boy's body, giving him soothing pats and whispering empty hopes and nothings.
Hoya wiped the excess of water falling from the edge of his lips.
It was never easy when you've lost a family member.
*
Changhyun tightened his grip on Hoya, the tremor of fear channeled through their interlinked hands. Hoya gave him a reassuring squeeze. The boy looked up from where he was cowering behind the older male, catching that small, comforting smile the other was sending him. Changhyun closed his eyes and prayed, requesting guidance and protection from his mother in heaven, the one and only women he had ever loved and cherished. He opened his eyes and looked straight into Hoya's vacant gaze before nodding firmly, signaling that he was ready. Terrified, but ready.
Hoya surveyed the area, eyes scanning for signs of any military army as he timed the movements of the camera. The ammunition storage was a little bit trickier than the one he stole from earlier, the building have more guards and more security. Moreover, it was only an hour before dawn came and the sun would rise. They had to be more careful.
There was a sign from Dongwoo from across the road, telling them the area was clear and safe--for now. Hoya turned to Changhyun, "When I count to three, run as fast as you can to the narrow alley over there." He instructed, giving directions as he whispered. Changhyun's palms were sweaty against Hoya's, nervous, but he nodded in response. "I'll be right behind you."
Hoya returned to gazing at the camera, timing it again. Ready. "One... Two…Three!"
Changhyun ran as fast as he could, passing through the cameras, hiding behind broken-down vehicles before arriving safely at the alley. The headphones previously neatly tucked now dangling awkwardly off his neck. Hoya gave him a thumbs up from afar and he could see Changhyun smiling in relief. It was no time to rest yet though.
*
They've got what they needed, all packed within the bag Changhyun held onto. Hoya jumped out of the small ventilation, nearly crashing into the cold brick wall of the building right next to it. He and Changhyun snuck behind Dongwoo, the armed male signaling them to be quieter.
"We have to go through a different route." He whispered, his eyes never leaving the suspiciously empty road. It was almost dawn, the time when back in the past there would be roosters crowing. The sun was still hiding behind the shadows, but its rays were slowly showing. "A few guards are on alert. They could be hiding in our initial pathway." Dongwoo prepared his gun, activating the trigger. Just in case.
Changhyun paled that instant. Hoya could sense how terrified the teen must have been. He clenched his jaw, unhappy by the news.
"Go with Changhyun to the further path. I'll try to keep them occupied." He said. He caught the look of protest in Changhyun's eyes but said nothing to calm the scared boy down.
Dongwoo nodded. "I'll make sure we're safe." He stated, though it sounded more like a promise, a vow Dongwoo will keep no matter what, even if it could cost his life.
Hoya's gaze flicked back to the moving cameras and he ran off without another word, tracking back to their original trail. He briefly glanced back and almost regretted it when he saw Changhyun's worried look sent at him as the boy and Dongwoo ran as fast as they could to the alternate exit. Hoya let out a sigh of relief when their shadows disappeared. At least they were safe.
He continued to run when someone suddenly appeared from the darkness and knocked him off with a strong blow. Hoya fell onto the ground, later noticing a familiar pair of boots that most likely belonged to his attacker. He glanced up and smirked. A guard. A soldier.
The army male lifted him up by the collar and pushed him against the wall harshly before Hoya could even catch his breath. "You hungry, street rat?" The male's voice was deep but not quite low, and his voice resonated in the alley. Hoya tried not to gasp when he felt a head of cold metal gun pressed against his temple. "So brave of you, trying to steal some bread crumbs on your own here…" The male cooed. The male was wearing a helmet, his dark brown hair sticking out from under the metal headwear, his bangs were, oddly enough, styled to ensure it would perfectly cover his forehead but not his mocha-colored eyes. His face was small and his features were soft, not tough like typical soldiers you see, yet they were still sharp and enviable. He would have looked easy if it wasn't for the intimidating gaze he had directed at Hoya.
Hoya let the male search him as he waited for the right moment to escape. "Without even a knife or anything." The man sounded surprised.
"Unarmed."
That was the cue. Hoya smirked as he kneed into the male's stomach, his fists then colliding with his jaw before he kicked the soldier's gun away. The uniformed male striked a punch back but Hoya managed to stop the second blow and twisted the male's arm, eliciting a painful roar from the other.
"So are you." He whispered back as mockingly. The male laughed and hit Hoya with his elbow, catching him off guard and escaping from his grasp.
"Feisty." The male remarked, an amused yet undeniably cocky grin plastered on his face. "That's a surprise." He smirked as he went for another punch but Hoya successfully avoided it, the rebel then attempted to kick back but the army male was quick as he launched his fist to Hoya's face and flipped the rebel around, cuffing his hand together behind his back. He shoved him flat against the brick wall, forcing Hoya to have his cheeks painfully pressed against the brick, one of the soldier’s hands was gripping onto the cuffs and the other was forced against Hoya's back, holding him so he wouldn't go away. The weight on his shoulder blades intensified and the soldier yanked his hair bleakly, but even then Hoya refused to yell from pain. There were a few faint beeping sounds in the background but Hoya was too distracted when the soldier's grip on his hair tightened.
"You hear me, and listen to me carefully." The soldier whispered cautiously, eyes flickering around in nervousness. "I only hooked the cuffs but didn't lock it so you could get out of it in no time. Tell your group to not come here ever again because the government has been planning to detonate these buildings since they got no use anymore to them. The first explosion is happening tonight." He told him, but Hoya had a hard time comprehending the information with his hair tugged painfully. "Do you hear me?" The soldier was whispering, but his tone was demanding and threatening, pressing for an answer from Hoya. Hoya wanted to laugh but opted to scoff instead. A soldier was telling him all this information. Such a hilarious method the military uses now.
A silent 'dzziing' sound was heard and the soldier suddenly fell to the ground, wincing and screaming in pain as he clutched onto his leg that was slowly bleeding. Hoya stepped back, startled by the turn of events.
"Ho!"
Hoya looked to the source of the sounds and saw Sungyeol, his precious gun was equipped with a silencer as he motioned Hoya to follow him. Hoya unconsciously smiled and he wasted no time to go to Sungyeol's direction. The handcuffs just fell off his hands and the two rebels both ignored the soldier's cries of pain as they disappeared into the shadows.
The army male struggled to sit as he pulled his pants up, revealing an injury caused by the bullet grazing rather deeply on his skin. He was lucky it didn’t pierce in although he was certain that wasn’t the shooter’s intention anyway. He pulled out a piece of cloth from inside his vest, wrapping the wound tightly to prevent further bleeding. He sat there, resting his back against the wall, his swollen lips tugging into a pleased smile.
"Finally… Rebels."
*
"I owe you another." Hoya said out of the blue as he and Sungyeol walked through the tunnel. The tall boy looked startled. "Thank you." The elder awkwardly side-hugged Sungyeol and gave him a few pats, before walking towards their hidden hideout entrance. The younger male stood there in his spot, confused.
"What was that for?" He questioned, his eyebrows raised in pure bewilderment as he watched his friend’s slowly retreating back.
Hoya paused in his steps. "Everything." He answered, not bothering to turn around to face his friend. "Before I run out of second lives."
It took a while for Sungyeol to understand. He felt the sting at the corner of his eyes return but he held it back. He had let out enough manly tears that day.
"Wait up!" He yelled, laughing as he glomped his best friend from behind. For once, Hoya returned the gesture and slung an arm around the tall boy, the two of them walking together as they reach the hideout’s entrance.
*
Sungjong had declared that Hoya would be fine and would most definitely survive ("A few bruises won't kill, especially not Hoya-hyung,") before the medic half-heartedly tended the older boy because Sungyeol made him. Sunggyu didn't look happy when he heard the news that Hoya had encountered a soldier and was mostly disappointed when he saw the number of bruises Hoya had.
"I'm fine." Hoya stated when he felt Sunggyu's upset gaze piercing through him. He put on an equally matched glare and they both stared at each other for a while before Sunggyu gave in, sighing.
"That's what you always say." He said before leaving the injured man, to deal with other things.
Changhyun came trudging towards Hoya with an uneasy and remorseful feeling, unable to stare directly at the older boy. Hoya patted his head reassuringly. "I'm fine." He said, softer and a lot more sincere than how he had said to Sunggyu. Changhyun nodded understandingly, but he still stood there, fidgeting fretfully and Hoya began to think that perhaps it wasn't about how he was doing that the younger was pondering about.
"My headphones." Changhyun finally croaked out. "My headphones--I think I dropped them in the mission."
Everything that followed was Changhyun apologizing nonstop for being a clumsy, stupid, careless and useless kid that could lose something as important as his headphones--it wasn't that the device had some meaningless memories with his deceased mother or anything, but his headphones were a result of such advanced technology that came along with the bunker, its form may seem like any headphones we see, but it functions quite similarly to a radio but with the practicality of a cellphone. It was the main device of communication that connects him (and the whole rebel group) with other rebels and other teams and having it lost in the enemy's den can cause destruction to both them and everyone else striving against the government in the country. They might as well be dead if the soldiers found it.
"I'm sorry," Changhyun apologized for the nth time. "I should've never brought it to the mission, I was too careless, I--"
Hoya placed a hand over the teen's mouth, effectively shutting him up. Changhyun's eyes were watery. "I'll get it." He said, standing up from his position. Changhyun held his arm back, preventing him from immediately departing.
"You're hurt." He uttered, honestly worried and guilty for always making troubles for his Hyung. His grip tightened on Hoya's arm, as if he didn't want to let him go out.
"Tonight." Hoya said, clasping his hand above Changhyun's shaky grip. "And I won't go alone." He glanced at the dinosaur clock (courtesy of Dongwoo) on the table, counting down the hours of when he would leave.
"Don't tell Sunggyu-hyung, please." Changhyun begged. He was frightened by the wrath of their leader, there were too many unhappy events going on lately that has brought great disappointment to them-but frankly, at times like these, would anyone expect any happy events to occur?
Hoya merely gave him a small smile. "I have to. This is urgent." He uttered, apologetic.
Changhyun wanted to cry.
*
Hoya leaned back against the wall, the routine still provoking his adrenaline no matter how many times he had done it. There was Myungsoo and Dongwoo on the watch, the two guarding his left and right for any soldiers or threats coming his way. Sunggyu had lost the energy to yell at him before and he realized the importance of Changhyun's headphones and the danger they might encounter for losing it. He wanted to send Myungsoo and Dongwoo alone but Hoya insisted to come, persisting that it was his fault for Changhyun's clumsiness as it was his idea to bring the unexperienced child along. Everyone knew it was pointless to argue with a determined Hoya.
Sprinting across the road once Myungsoo gave him a signal, Hoya immediately climbed into the small window, squeezing himself in and entering the building he had infiltrate earlier. There was a nagging feeling in his chest about the situation around him. He had thought that the building was too quiet, the roads a bit too empty, the number of guards a bit too few, and he even spotted one or two inactive cameras along the road. He wanted to believe that he was just overthinking things, that these signs were probably his minds playing tricks on him and he never got the chance to sneak in at night anyway, so perhaps this was nothing out of the ordinary and might just be the way it was.
Or was it?
He scanned the area carefully, squinting in the darkness, his eyes already used to searching for items with limited light. Crawling silently, he looked to the far left of the room and spotted the abandoned headphones hidden amongst the boxes and containers, deeming it odd for something that had fallen off to be situated as if it was trying to be concealed. Though whoever tried to hide it was certainly in a rush. Shrugging off the suspicion, he advanced to the window again as quiet as he can, before jumping out and crashing into--a person?
The person groaned in pain but Hoya only winced as they collided at where his bruises still sting. He caught a glimpse of green attire and his eyes widened when he realized who he had crashed into: a soldier. A very familiar looking soldier, in fact.
Shit.
The soldier looked more troubled than ecstatic and he held Hoya by the shoulders before the rebel could run away. "Why did you come back?! I told you to not come tonight, damnit." He dragged Hoya in a hurried manner to the opposite way of Hoya's escape route, his head whipping left and right, restless as he spared a glance at the watch on his wrist. The soldier’s attire looked more relaxed, as he didn’t wear his helmet and Hoya could spot the absence of his gun also.
Regardless of how he looked, Hoya launched a sudden punch to the soldier's gut, finding it incredulous how the military male would think that Hoya would just follow him somehow. The male groaned but didn't let Hoya escape that easily.
"Save your fights for later, would you? I'm trying to save you here." He said, but Hoya didn't pay any heed as he kicked the male and sent a punch to his jaw. Hoya took the opportunity to run when the soldier fell onto the ground, caught off-guard by Hoya's attack.
"Wait! Don't go there, damnit!" The soldier was quick to catch up and he pulled Hoya with all his strength, preventing him from going any further. Hoya attempted to strike a hit, but the soldier blocked it and glared at him intensely.
"What do you want?" Hoya finally spoke, Changhyun's headphones in his right hand making it only possible for him to use his left hand to attack, but that was blocked by the soldier.
"I told you.” The uniformed male stated, his gaze boring into Hoya’s. “There's going to be an explosion in less than two minutes and we have to run." The soldier said, his eyes narrowed and the tone of his voice was dead serious. "The bomb will start from the main building up to here so unless you want to die, don't go that way."
The soldier didn't look the slightest bit like he was kidding but Hoya knew better than to trust a person who had dedicated himself for the inhumane government. They stared at each other intensely, one person full of doubt and suspect while the other with concern and panic, before an urgent look took over the soldier's features and he carelessly dragged Hoya with him as he ran.
Hoya struggled against the soldier's hold in instinct but then pondered if he should go along for awhile to see if the other was being truthful. But then it could also be a trap and he could just be led to a group of other soldiers with heavy artillery that he won't stand a chance at all.
The fear of being caught got him back to reality and he tried to free himself from the soldier's strong hold. He was attempting to launch a punch at the soldier when suddenly he felt himself thrown away by such a strong force and the sound of a loud explosion filling his ears. The next thing he knew he was lying on the ground, the pain of his bruises multiplying and the heat of the blazing fire can be felt even from where he was a few meters away. He groaned as he tried to sit up, later panicking when he noticed Changhyun's headphones no longer in his hands. He searched for it frantically but then found it lying not too far ahead of him. He sighed in relief. Thank God.
A painful moan was heard and Hoya turned around, greeted by the sight of the soldier from before, lying on the ground, the male's leg was on fire from having contact with a long burning chunk of wood from the explosion. He screamed when the fire had consumed all his clothes and now was in process of eating his flesh and he struggled to dig in his vest, later taking out a flat metal bottle and opening the cap hastily before spraying its contents on his leg. The fire died a bit, although not completely and the man desperately tried to kick his legs around, hoping it would cease the fire. He seemed to be in so much pain and once he succeeded in killing the fire, he collapsed, all his energy drained completely.
Hoya only watched.
Footsteps were heard and Hoya whipped his attention to the source of the sound, before sighing in relief because--thank God it was Myungsoo and not any more soldiers because he really wasn't in the condition to fight back anyone right now.
"Are you okay?" The younger male ran to him, worried. He took a brief look at Hoya's current state and silently was thankful that his teammate wasn't burnt into ashes in the explosion.
"He's fine." Myungsoo looked mildly surprised at the unfamiliar voice answering. He moved his gaze to the struggling soldier watching them, the military male smiling despite his injuries. "I made sure he was fine."
Hoya didn't want to admit it but there was a fresh memory of the soldier pushing him away further from the explosion, just right when Hoya was about to punch him, the soldier spun them around and shoved him away, thus protecting and saving him from any harm the explosion could cause to him. It was a coincidence, he told himself. Or even a scheme.
"Hyung? Who's that?" Myungsoo asked, a bit confused and a bit curious as he double-checked the uniform and mentally slapped his cheeks to ensure that whoever said he wanted Hoya safe was-indeed, a soldier. Though, just a currently badly injured one.
Hoya spared a glance at the injured soldier but didn't answer to Myungsoo's question. He didn't have to because Dongwoo suddenly showed up, the gun slung around his shoulder while his face spelt anxiety and fear all mixed into one.
"Oh thank God, Hoya you're okay!" Dongwoo cried, his hands automatically signing a cross above his head and chest. "We tried to warn you about the bomb. There was a suspicious looking box that had a blinking red light in the dark, so we checked and found out it was a bomb." He rambled a little bit longer than he intended, before slowly gaining his serious façade back.
"We have to go back! Before anyone else who comes here and hold us for interrogation or other nasty things." He uttered before slipping into the darkness, and Hoya wanted to follow suit as he grasped Changhyun's headphones tightly.
"Wait, Hyung." Myungsoo held him back, stopping him in his tracks. "What about him?" He pointed at the pained soldier who was clutching his burnt leg in agony. "Are we just going to leave him?"
Hoya gazed at Myungsoo, his eyes staring questioningly at the younger. "He's a soldier." He answered simply, as if it was the most obvious thing to say.
Myungsoo narrowed his eyes at him, upset by the elder's nonchalance. "He saved you."
There was a short silence after Myungsoo's words and Hoya glanced at the soldier behind them, the uniformed male gazing at him with something more like concern and hope instead of callousness or cruelty or anything a soldier dedicating his life for the dictator government would have. He gazed back at Myungsoo and the younger male was clearly judging him, not willing to accept the fact that Hoya could even think of abandoning the person who just saved his life.
He hesitated for a little while before shoving the headphones into Myungsoo's hands. "Hold this." He requested as he went to the soldier to put the male's arm around his neck, his own arm holding him by the waist, helping him stand. He paused when the soldier screamed in pain as his blistered leg was unintentionally dragged against the pavement. The uniformed male clutched onto Hoya's shoulder tightly, genuinely unable to take the pain.
"Can you walk?" Hoya asked to which the soldier swiftly shook his head in response. Hoya sighed and slowly crouched down, urging the injured male to latch onto his back. Myungsoo watched as Hoya stood up and piggybacked the soldier with ease, the male's weight not slowing him down a single bit. With that, the two of them ran, ran far away from the raging flame gradually engulfing the storage buildings bit by bit.
*
Hoya and Myungsoo had silently agreed not to bring the injured soldier to their hideout so Hoya took him to the only other place he knew: his old home. It wasn't exactly his house but it was the beauty shop where his mother used to work at, though now abandoned and ruined from the war currently going on. He brought the soldier to one of the rooms, later letting out a sigh of relief when he could lay the soldier down on the shabby bed he found in the room.
The soldier seemed as relieved as he was while he tried to catch his breath, his tired eyes then gazing at Hoya with curiosity and interest. "I'm Nam Woohyun." He muttered. "I'm glad I found you."
Hoya only blinked at him, confused, when Woohyun then continued to speak. "You're a part of the rebel group, right?"
The questioned male tensed, feeling alarmed that a person coming from the military knew who he was, what he was, and what he was a part of. It scared him to know that Woohyun might not be the only one in the army who knew about the people in his group.
Woohyun must have sensed his nervousness and then decided to close the distance between his hand and Hoya’s. “Don’t worry. The others don’t know.” His fingers slowly reached the other’s rough ones and he wrapped them together in a loose hold. “I've been looking for you. I want to help." He uttered as he clasped his hand together with Hoya’s. The latter instinctively pulled his hand away, not used to the sudden skinship. Woohyun looked surprised because Hoya didn't reject his hold at first, why suddenly--
"Let's get your wounds tended." Hoya mumbled, ignoring Woohyun's words as he let Sungjong in the room, the younger male then grimacing at the sight of Woohyun's burn marks.
"I'll be out if you need me." Hoya exited the room and closed, leaving Sungjong to deal with the injured soldier alone. Woohyun was disappointed, but right now the stinging pain from the ointment the rebel's medic had applied on his leg was stealing his main focus.
*
Hoya was called back to the hideout and he wasn't surprised when the first thing that greeted him was Changhyun crashing into him and Sunggyu's murderous look.
"Hyung--I heard about the explosion--I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you to get my headphones, I'm really sorr--" Changhyun's sobbing was stopped momentarily when Hoya pushed him gently, looking at him apologetically as he spoke to the crying male.
"Let me talk to Sunggyu first, 'kay?" He patted the younger's head before sauntering towards their leader who clearly looked displeased, turning his back against the crying teen.
"Myungsoo told me everything." Sunggyu had spoken first, his expression hardening by how Hoya seemed so nonchalant about everything. He knew it was his trait, but he wasn't in the mood to face the other’s typical inexpressive look. "A soldier saved you."
Hoya merely shrugged. "I didn't want to bring him back." He replied. "Myungsoo insisted."
"He saved your ass." Sunggyu pointed out, flicking the younger male's forehead. Hoya was tempted to whine in protest but opted to rub the spot where Sunggyu had hit instead. "I'm not blaming you for taking responsibility, but remember that he's your responsibility." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and his eyes were boring into Hoya, ensuring that the younger would not forget every single word he said.
"Watch him. 24/7. I don't care how." Sunggyu ordered sternly. Hoya frowned, unhappy with the shift of his main job. It wasn't his fault in the first place. It wasn't his own will to bring the injured soldier there.
"Make sure he doesn't find out about the hideout or anything else related to our rebel group. He's still a part of them, after all." Sunggyu continued to command. The elder paused as he watched Hoya being nonresponsive, sensing the internal conflict going on the younger male's head. The leader sighed and waved his hand in front of the other’s face a couple of times, trying to get his attention back. It worked and Hoya was brought back to reality, the line of thoughts pushed to the back of his mind.
“Did you hear me?” The elder asked. Hoya nodded but his lips were pressed in a thin line, indicating that he wasn’t pleased with Sunggyu’s orders. Sunggyu sighed. “You don’t want to do it, do you?”
“I don’t.” Hoya replied truthfully. “But I must.” He shrugged afterwards, trying to make it seem like he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I.”
Sunggyu was, for once, grateful for the effort the younger made to appear casual. He smiled, satisfied. “Good. “ He said, offering a few encouraging pats on Hoya’s shoulders. “Get him changed out of his uniform. Search him for any taps or any other suspicious items. Make sure he doesn’t hear any of our plans. Got that?”
Hoya stared directly at the elder, his eyes were small but the gaze was sharp and intimidating, no wonder many feared and respected him. He was the perfect leader, caring and understanding to his teammates but at the same time cold-blooded and merciless when it comes to wars. The military education his father had given him and the strong morals his mother had planted created an impeccable balance in the elder’s mindset and train of thoughts.
Sunggyu’s gaze intensified as he waited for Hoya’s response. The elder might not look worried but behind his practiced mask, he was. Hoya was the one to talk back but he was never the one to turn down orders. “Hoya?” He called out, flicking in fingers in front of the other’s eyes.
Hoya’s gaze flickered from the concrete floor to Sunggyu, before eventually giving in when he saw the elder’s concerned expression.
“I’ll do it.” Hoya uttered. “Everything you just said-I’ll handle them.”
Sunggyu smiled, pleased.
*
Sungjong came out of the room, nearly dropping his medical kit when he almost bumped into Hoya in the way. The younger held his chest as he recovered from his shock, later sending his stoic teammate a glare for showing up so suddenly and startling him.
“How can you be human when you don’t even make sounds, Hoya-hyung.” He remarked. There was a strong smell of ointment coming from Sungjong that made Hoya a little nauseous, but he tried to ignore it as Sungjong continued to talk. “Woohyun-hyung will probably get better in a couple of weeks. I’ll come every two days to check on him. Make sure to apply the balm and change the bandage regularly.” He informed him, already presuming that it was Hoya’s job to look after the injured soldier.
Hoya raised an eyebrow. “Woohyun-hyung?” He questioned, not expecting the younger to be close to the soldier so soon. Sungjong seemed to realize his slip-up, instinctively covering his mouth with his hand afterwards.
“Well,” He shuffled in his spot, though later shrugging it off. “He insisted.” The younger male defended. He then pushed the tube of balm into Hoya’s hold to change the subject. “Anyway, here’s the balm. Good luck.” He gave his teammate a couple of pats to the arm before heading off back to the hideout, leaving Hoya to deal with Woohyun alone.
Hoya held onto the pieces of clothing he had brought with him from the hideout and entered the room. Woohyun perked up at the sound of door opening, a smile then found its way to his lips when he realized who it was. The soldier was in a sitting position, his back leaning against the wall as he stroked his bandaged leg.
“Hey.” Woohyun greeted, the smile never leaving his face. Hoya didn’t smile back.
The rebel placed the clothes on the bed before facing the other with a troubled look. “Can I?” He looked a bit confused as his hands waved around wildly, trying to find the words or gestures to explain his intention in the gentlest way possible. Miraculously, Woohyun seemed to understand as he unzipped his vest and stretched his arms upwards.
“You wanted to search me, right?” He uttered as he moved forward in a careful manner so that the pain on his leg wouldn’t magnify. “All part of the procedure. The one thing to do first when an enemy enters the lair.”
Hoya nodded. “I’m sorry.” He muttered, his hands warily tapping against Woohyun’s chest and arms. He looked through the soldier’s vest and pockets, but found nothing suspicious. He pursed his lips, thinking of other probable places where a wiretap could be installed. He glanced at Woohyun’s ears and mulled over the possibility. With hesitant steps, he lightly cupped the soldier’s face and turned them to the side, his eyes narrowing as his hand examined the other’s ears. He felt Woohyun flinch a little, but still carried on with his actions, later doing the same to the other ear, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Hoya let go of the soldier’s face, and Woohyun’s hands impulsively rubbed his ears as a restrained smile took over. “That tickles, you know.” He chuckled. “You could’ve warned me first.”
Hoya merely shrugged in return. “Change your clothes.” He pointed to the clothes on the bed briefly and Woohyun reached out to get them. He got out of his vest and uniform and Hoya couldn’t help but notice the noticeable scars on Woohyun’s toned body, the rebel could only think of them as result of the harsh government’s treatment-proof of their cruelty even to their own soldiers.
But they could also just be war scars.
“I got some of these from you.” Woohyun suddenly spoke as he put on the shirt Hoya had provided him. The soldier must have noticed Hoya’s curious gaze on his scars and decided to supply an (unhelpful) elaboration. “You punched me quite hard the other day.” He faked a pout as he whined playfully, earning an eye-roll from the rebel.
Silence took over for awhile, only the sounds of light thwacks as Woohyun patted his uniform to get rid of the irksome dirt stuck on the material. Hoya wasn’t in the mood to talk. Especially not to a person who was supposed to be his opponent.
“I’ve been looking for you.” Woohyun had said in the middle of folding his uniform. “You, and all the other rebels.”
Isn’t that what the government has been trying to do? Hoya was tempted to retort, but remained quiet as he listened to Woohyun.
“I wanted to help you.” He said, handing the neatly folded uniform to Hoya. The rebel took it as he stared at the soldier with a skeptical gaze.
“Why?” Hoya inquired, distrustful. He was sitting at a lonesome chair by the wall not too far from Woohyun’s bed. The soldier smiled at him, but the smile looked bitter and his expression looked sour that it nearly (nearly) made Hoya felt guilty.
“My brother was a part of the rebel group in the west. I entered the military to help him, get him off the hook, help him gain supplies and stuff. But the government had me relocated here, and I lost touch with him.” He explained as he pulled his fine leg up, his arms lazily draped around his knee. “But a month later I found out he was captured and executed. Shot to the head.”
Woohyun’s hand unconsciously curled into a fist, anger slowly taking over him. “I had spent months trying to find other rebel groups, hoping that I’m not alone in this area, that I’m not the only one fighting against the government here. I was glad when I begin to spot the small signs you guys left. I traced your movements and made sure their covered up well, so that the General or the other soldiers wouldn’t find out.” He fell back against the wall, his brown hair scrunched up aligned with the faded cream painted wall. “I’m sorry I punched you quite hard the first day we met. I was being watched. I had to act until they were gone so I could warn you about the explosion.”
Hoya nodded indifferently, the soldier’s words not all registered in his head. He still strongly believed that it was a trap. That Woohyun probably hurt himself on purpose so that he could work as a spy in between his group, to get information and relay them to the military, before they brutally attack them and murder them all. It was an extreme image, but it wasn’t impossible.
Woohyun noticed the lack of response from Hoya but only smiled bitterly. “You still don’t believe me, do you?” He asked but Hoya didn’t say anything in response. The answer was too obvious anyway.
The soldier sighed but then shrugged it off. He understood Hoya’s line of thoughts. He was a fucking soldier after all, he was supposed to be a part of the evil government that Hoya lived to fight against.
“It’s okay.” Woohyun reassured. He closed his eyes, relieving his tired eyes. “I wouldn’t believe myself either if I were you.”
*
Everyday Woohyun would tell Hoya a different story, different things about how his life, his family, his best friends, his annoying lecturers, his neighborhood, his brother, everything. Changhyun had run a background search on the soldier and so far everything he had told Hoya had been truthful. He did have a brother in the western rebel group; even Sunggyu had confirmed and stated that he once had contacted the injured soldier’s brother. He had been honest but that didn’t mean Hoya was to put his guard down on him. He was a soldier. Enough said.
“I adopted a puppy once.” Woohyun said one day. A little less than two weeks had passed and ex-soldier’s leg was getting a lot better. No one beside them but Sungjong had come back and forth into the room, doing his regular check-up on the soldier’s wounds. Woohyun had applied the balm himself and he was capable of changing his own bandage also.
“Oh?” Hoya had given up not giving a reaction to the soldier. It was better to sound a little bit interested than not at all, because for what he had learnt for the past twelve days was that Woohyun is a big talker-once he talks, he wouldn’t stop talking until he could win the crowd. Although in this case, Hoya was the crowd.
A small smile came upon Woohyun’s face as he continued. “I got it from the shelter. I wanted to name it Dubu since it was all white but my brother laughed at me. He told me that I should stop relating everything to food.” He chuckled as the memory replayed in his head, his brother, his puppy, the happy memories he once had. The images in his head faded as he came back to reality, his eyes gazing at his only companion for the past days. He was still as indifferent as ever, it hurt Woohyun.
“You know,” The soldier started before shifting closer towards Hoya. “You’ve might not noticed, but you still haven’t told me your name.”
Hoya was surprised at the revelation. He traced back the days he had spent with the soldier and only now did he realize that not even once had he introduced himself to the other man. He stared at the other in uncertainty and doubt, contemplating.
Woohyun found himself chuckling sadly at the other’s reaction. “People say a name is a key to someone’s life. If a person tells you their name, it means that he trusts you.” He cocked his head to the side as he looked straight into Hoya’s eyes, his gaze gloomy. “Even if I told you everything about my life… You still wouldn’t trust me, would you?”
Hoya could only stare back. The soldier had been genuine and entirely honest to him, yet he still couldn’t find himself doing the same to him. Just not yet.
Or maybe never.
A few knocks on the door got the two men turning their attention away from each other. Sungyeol’s head was poking in the doorway as he entered with a meal prepared for Woohyun and placed them near the soldier.
“Um,” He fidgeted a little before motioning to Hoya to follow him outside. The tall boy even bothered to give the injured man on the bed a smile as he exited, Hoya following right behind him.
They closed the door and walked a little far from the room. Only now that Hoya took notice of how troubled Sungyeol looked. “What is it?”
The tall boy chewed on his lips, before he spoke. “We have to move. The supply’s decreasing fast and we have no choice but to steal from the main buildings.” He answered. The man stood there nervously as his best friend went silent in response. Stealing from the main buildings was utterly risky; there would be more guards, more cameras, and a lot tighter security than the ones they had been stealing from. The chance of them getting caught would be multiplied by a thousand.
“We’re going tonight?” Hoya finally replied. Sungyeol nodded in response.
“Full team.” He said. “Well, nearly.” He added after doing a mental count in his head.
Hoya nodded. “Okay. See you later then.” He turned back to return to the room but Sungyeol stopped him. Hoya looked at him, confused.
“Briefing will start in fifteen. I’ll wait for you.” He said with a cheeky smirk was plastered on his face, only adding more to Hoya’s confusion.
The stoic male decided to brush it off and went into the room. Woohyun was done with his meal and he was now stretching as he yawned, drowsiness taking over him.
“I’m a bit sleepy.” He explained as he lied down on the bed. Hoya found it odd that the other was suddenly feeling drowsy when he could just be talking nonstop on other days at this time of the day. “I’ll just sleep.”
The soldier was already drifting into slumber when Hoya peeked out of the room, Sungyeol’s satisfied smile being the first thing he saw. “What did you do?” He asked in a wary whisper, careful so the injured man wouldn’t be disturbed.
Sungyeol’s grin only grew wider. He wriggled his eyebrows, proud of himself. “Just added a little something I got from Sungjong.” He revealed, looking a bit too excited that his plan had worked.
Hoya rolled his eyes and landed a playful punch to his best friend. “How long would it last?”
Sungyeol shrugged. “Just long enough until we get the mission done.” He said before dragging the elder along with him. “Come on, let’s go.”
The stoic male hushed him before locking Woohyun’s room and then walked back to the hideout with Sungyeol.
Pairing/Focus: Hoya-centric, Hoya/Woohyun
Rating: R
Word count: 15,010 words
Summary: As a part of a rebel group, Hoya had to face many conflicts and fights. Moreover, when a man from the governmental army walked in and saved his life-a bit too many times.
To: ohhappydaggerxd
From: Your Secret Santa
a/n: Self-beta-ed, so I apologize beforehand if there are still mistakes. My original idea was a lot more complex than this one, so there might be some parts where it seems a bit rushed.. I might write the complete version of this one day.
There are minor appearances by Tasty and Teen Top, and for those who don't know, Changhyun is Teen Top's Ricky.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the fic ♥ Merry Christmas! ^^
*
Everyone by the beginning of the 21st century thought that the future will be sophisticated, modern, that the future will be the time when technology is at the highest, when robots are no longer luxury, common in fact, along the roads, incorporated within our lives, handling matters too complicated for humans or too lazy to be done on our own. Everyone expected the future to be a time when everything is digitalized, everything can be gained by a simple click in a blink of an eye, when lives would be easier and nothing else would matter.
But the future won't even be called the future if it wasn't unpredictable, unexpected, and far from what everyone's hopes.
North Korea unleashed their hidden nuclear bomb that marked the start of World War III. Russia had formed an alliance with North Korea, and together they created a strong block of war. Superpower countries were late to respond to their rapid attacks and soon, US army had reached its weakest point and they surrendered to the communist block. North Korea took over the South in less than a decade of civil war.
The North has now conquered and ruled over the Southern land. Men were captured and forced to become part of the government's military while women were tortured, used, forced to work as labor with minimum wage. The government constructed many buildings, buildings as factories, storage, leaving almost no space for trees, parks whatsoever. Cameras were installed at nearly every spot in the city, leaving almost no space for movements, for people, nor for anyone to hide.
But it is not war if there aren't the ones who are preparing to oppose.
*
Hoya glanced from behind the wall that hid him, his eyes searching through the road, trying to spot any signs of the governmental army. He pulled back into the dark, narrow alley that was close to suffocating him. Gripping tightly onto the empty bag he brought with him, he took another peek, this time darting at the moving camera on the top of the building he was aiming for. The camera turned slowly, scanning through the area before stopping briefly. Hoya took a deep breath, his gaze now fixated at that one unguarded door as he sprinted as fast as he could, racing against the camera that was turning back to its initial place though missed that critical split second. Hoya panted, his back leaning against the wall as the grip on the bag tightened, he was used to this, trained to do this, days and days of running and hiding--he shouldn't be scared anymore. But that fear of being caught, being captured, being tortured--Hoya shook his head, he was going way off his original goal here.
Hoya glanced at his surroundings, deeming it safe as he entered the storage building. It was dark, like always, the pungent smell of rotten food made Hoya scrunched his face in disgust, no matter how many times he came here he still hasn't gotten used to it. He glided through the path made by high piles of ransoms he had memorized since long ago, going to the closest row to the front, but not visible enough for the government to realize a few packs of their ransoms gone in the hands of the rebels. He swiftly opened his bag and filled it to the brim, zipping it up and slinging across his shoulder afterwards. Hoya instinctively ducked when he heard sudden noises coming from the anterior door, the big metal doors sliding open without warning. A truck drove in, dropping off leftovers and other unused or nearly expired food. Hoya felt his breath quicken as he observed the few workers get to work and for a second, he feared completely of his life. The workers were only a few meters away from him, just a little bit rustling and Hoya could get--
A harsh tug forced Hoya to drop to his knees, a hand was covering his mouth as the culprit's long forefinger was raised in front of his mouth, a signal for him to be quiet. The other boy glanced behind as his hand found way to his pocket, taking out a gun Hoya knew all well was filled. Hoya craned his neck and saw another person behind his perpetrator busy filling his own bag. After he used up all the space in the bag, he motioned for the other two to tiptoe quietly as they crouch and hide behind the sacks of rotting food. They snuck behind a particularly tall pile before opening a small window hidden behind the pile of sacks to escape to yet another dark and narrow alley. It was a good thing that the government didn't care much about these small escapades when they began rebuilding the infrastructure. Letting out a sigh of relief, the three boys sprinted out of the alley, crossing roads after roads, running from camera after camera, before reaching a mass of ruins at the end of the road and then entering a small tunnel created by the building remains that perfectly conceal the stairs towards a circular metal door underneath. They dropped their bags into the hole, sliding down, Hoya being the last one as he slid the metal cover to put the door out of sight and then locked it.
"Man, you owe me one." The tall, lanky man with bronze brown hair said, his gun now safely tucked in its pocket, covered by the long ends of his sweater. Hoya rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"I can't believe you still keep count, Sungyeol-ah." He crouched to get a hold of his bag once more and dangled it around his right shoulder. The one named Sungyeol grinned.
"I can even tell you the total." He proudly announced, his hands crossed in front of his chest as a smug grin appeared on the edge of his lips. This time their companion, the pale teenager with feminine features was the one who rolled his eyes.
"Hurry up, Hyungdeul." He half-ordered, already walking in front of the two older men in haste. "They're waiting." He uttered, pulling the bag over his shoulder once again to adjust his position so the weight wouldn't hurt his arm.
Sungyeol pointed his long arm accusingly at the youngest boy's back. "For once the kid's right." He remarked, following the youngest's strides. Hoya picked up the pace and followed right behind.
They walked along the long tunnels, then the youngest out of the three stopped in front of a particularly large rock. He gave his hyungs a look that totally said he definitely wouldn't be the one moving that rock over there.
Sungyeol narrowed his eyes at the rudeness. "Sungjong, seriously?" He questioned the younger male's attitude towards his elder hyungs, but Sungjong only swung his bag forward as he blinked innocently.
"I've got the bag. Which is really heavy. While your hands are free, Hyung." He stated the obvious and Sungyeol would have strangled the younger right then when Hoya placed his bag down, now preparing to heave the rock aside. It didn't take long until the three boys can see a flat metal door, with no handles and no knobs. Hoya ran his hand over the surface in a certain pattern, before the door lightened up and opened, allowing them to see their entry path.
"Thanks, Hoya-hyung." Sungjong flashed him a smile, and pushed his bag into the door, him following after. Sungyeol took hold of Hoya's bag and entered the hole with it. Hoya slipped in next and he used the rest of his energy to pull the rock and closed the door to cover the entrance once more.
They all walked and finally reached their final destination: their hideout.
Their hideout was a bunker, connected to an underground subway station abandoned by the Northern government when they unintentionally buried the main entry path due to a few explosions. It was built by the South government since long beforehand, the government already predicting and fearing for this fateful day where their Northern brother going on loose. The bunker had quite a supply of food and medicine before they slowly decreased by time, and the group of rebels had no other choice but to make use of the unused storage supplies that the government had disregarded. Hoya admired the facilities and the highly advanced technology in the bunker the South Korean government had bothered to spend on. He slightly regretted ever doubting the previous Southern government, but he knew nothing back then. The future wasn't something he could control.
Hoya carried his bag to the cabinet across the room, later unzipping the bag and began filling the empty shelves with cans and packs of food he managed to steal. It wasn't many but they didn't have much of a choice. The food would probably run out in a couple of weeks, if not maybe even faster, considering the number of people trying to survive in their hideout. But at least it was better than nothing at all.
Hoya folded the empty bag neatly and placed it on top of the cabinet, his eyes now scanning through the room. His gaze landed on Sungjong, the boy sitting cross-legged on the ground, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he tended a young child's fresh bruise on his arm. Another child was watching him in awe and another was holding the injured kid's hand, squeezing it to calm him down. The child winced when Sungjong applied more ointment onto the wound, his teeth gritting as he restrained the tears from forming at the corner of his eyes. Sungjong didn't even bother to empty his bag. The child's well-being was his number one priority at the moment.
Hoya moved his gaze to another side of the room, stopping at the sight of Sungyeol tapping his fingers nervously as he examined his precious gun. He watched the tall boy checking the ammunition they had left. Sungyeol seemed uncertain upon knowing the amount of the remaining ammo in their safe. His facial expression told Hoya that if they ever got discovered by the government military by tonight, they won't even stand a chance.
Advancing away from his spot, Hoya strolled towards the one person he'd worried about the most: the male who was leaning against a wooden table, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his lips pressed into a thin line and his small hamster eyes narrowed as he was deep into thought. Hoya disliked that expression. It was never a good sign.
"Sunggyu-hyung--"
The sound of the door machine opening and closing stole Sunggyu's attention and he looked at the direction of the door, Hoya mimicking his action afterwards. A male with dirty blonde hair and streaks of blue and red meshed in the messy strands came limping into the bunker, one hand gripping tightly on his injured leg and the other pulling the entrance close. He nearly fell in his steps, but another male with strikingly similar features rushed to him, helping him stand. The man pushed his friend (brother?)'s help away though and he tediously walked to their waiting leader in the middle of the room, panting. His eyes locked with Sunggyu's for a split second before he looked away, sorrow and regret and anxiety unable to be hidden from the prominent features. The male gulped. He had no idea how he could still face their first-in-command when he had brought nothing but bad news.
He stood in front of Sunggyu, wavering. "We lost more people." He reported in between breaths, wincing as the pain on his leg multiplied by the seconds. "We lost Daeyeol."
Sunggyu sighed, but his stern expression remained. "Tell me something I don't know, Daeryong." He uttered, exasperated. Daeryong didn't reply.
"Did you bring him?" Sunggyu asked. Daeryong solemnly shook his head.
"I couldn't." He answered simply. Sunggyu didn't look happy with his answer, but Daeryong knew he would still be even if he answered otherwise.
Sunggyu only sighed again. "Okay. Go to Sungjong, you need to get yourself tended."
Daeryong nodded and without another word, he went to the team's medic, dragging his injured leg with his brown-haired doppelganger already aiding by his side.
Sunggyu pursed his lips, seemingly thinking deeply as his gaze fixated at the floor. Hoya watched the older male's expression altered from stern to worried to fearful in mere seconds. "Hyung." He called out. The older male looked up, his gaze softening when they land on Hoya, clearly overlooking his presence since before. His eyes crinkled into small crescent shapes.
"Yes, Hoya?" He asked, all his worries from before concealed perfectly behind the fabricated grin, as if he was trying to fool Hoya that everything was alright. That they were going to be alright.
Hoya felt his saliva turn bitter. "Lose the act." He deadpanned, his face morphing into a grimace, disgusted that Sunggyu even bothered to try looking fine. A laugh emitted from the older male.
"So much for cheering myself up." He ran a hand through his hair as he let out yet another sigh. "One more down. How many more, Hoya?" There was a smile on his face as he asked but it looked nothing near happy. "Until the right time comes… Will it even come?" He whispered the last part in agony followed by a mock chuckle but Hoya could see the unimaginable fear in his eyes. Hoya gulped but he didn't respond.
"Hyung." An blue-haired male with childlike features came to them, stealing the two male's attention. "The other team is stuck. They won't be back until next week." He informed. There was a pair of headphones around his neck, its mike neatly pushed in line with the earplugs.
Sunggyu massaged his temples and let out a frustrated groan. "We need more ammo by tomorrow night." He stated, his tone so stoic it was hard to tell whether he was mad or sad. The young male shrugged, his gaze looking elsewhere as he honestly didn't know what to do about the situation.
"I'll get it." Hoya offered. "Changhyun will come with me."
The young male's eyes dilated completely while his mouth went agape. He spluttered, "What? Hyung, I can't--"
"Call." Sunggyu decisively declared, causing more panic to the male named Changhyun. "Dongwoo will watch your backs. Go tell him, I have to talk to Sungyeol now." Sunggyu squeezed Hoya's shoulders as encouragement before walking away, leaving a panic-stricken Changhyun with Hoya who nodded obediently to Sunggyu's orders.
"Wait, hyung, you can't possibly let me go out… there?" Changhyun looked mildly scared, it was understandable though. The male had been in charge of communications and contacting the other teams and other rebel groups, the outside world wasn't something he was familiar with (yet).
Hoya put on a small, reassuring smile. "Just for awhile." He gave the younger a comforting pat on the back. Changhyun still looked scared. It was quite funny how much he feared of going outside when he was practically the one who knew about mission tactics, strategies, and weapons the most. His father, his role model was the reason why he both knew about them the most and feared of them the most.
"I'm going to need you to show me what I need to get." He elaborated, hoping to persuade Changhyun somehow. Hoya has always been clueless about guns, his fist and strength being his main front of defense. There was Dongwoo that will come along but the man only knew his own gun. He was going to need Changhyun. "You know me. Guns… aren't my thing."
Hoya's gaze was suddenly filled with a heart-wrenching feel of sorrow, something that was rarely seen from the straight-faced male. Changhyun gnawed on his lips, contemplating his choices.
Eventually, he gave in. "Alright." He heaved out a sigh. "I'll do a check-up on what we need."
Hoya gave him a grateful smile but Changhyun had failed to see it, already making his way to their storage. The usually stoic boy went the opposite way to grab a bottle of water and downed it, refreshing his dry throat. His gaze fell upon the sight across the room where Sungyeol had fallen onto his knees, trembling with silent tears running down his face while Sunggyu crouched next to him, his arm around the tall boy's body, giving him soothing pats and whispering empty hopes and nothings.
Hoya wiped the excess of water falling from the edge of his lips.
It was never easy when you've lost a family member.
*
Changhyun tightened his grip on Hoya, the tremor of fear channeled through their interlinked hands. Hoya gave him a reassuring squeeze. The boy looked up from where he was cowering behind the older male, catching that small, comforting smile the other was sending him. Changhyun closed his eyes and prayed, requesting guidance and protection from his mother in heaven, the one and only women he had ever loved and cherished. He opened his eyes and looked straight into Hoya's vacant gaze before nodding firmly, signaling that he was ready. Terrified, but ready.
Hoya surveyed the area, eyes scanning for signs of any military army as he timed the movements of the camera. The ammunition storage was a little bit trickier than the one he stole from earlier, the building have more guards and more security. Moreover, it was only an hour before dawn came and the sun would rise. They had to be more careful.
There was a sign from Dongwoo from across the road, telling them the area was clear and safe--for now. Hoya turned to Changhyun, "When I count to three, run as fast as you can to the narrow alley over there." He instructed, giving directions as he whispered. Changhyun's palms were sweaty against Hoya's, nervous, but he nodded in response. "I'll be right behind you."
Hoya returned to gazing at the camera, timing it again. Ready. "One... Two…Three!"
Changhyun ran as fast as he could, passing through the cameras, hiding behind broken-down vehicles before arriving safely at the alley. The headphones previously neatly tucked now dangling awkwardly off his neck. Hoya gave him a thumbs up from afar and he could see Changhyun smiling in relief. It was no time to rest yet though.
*
They've got what they needed, all packed within the bag Changhyun held onto. Hoya jumped out of the small ventilation, nearly crashing into the cold brick wall of the building right next to it. He and Changhyun snuck behind Dongwoo, the armed male signaling them to be quieter.
"We have to go through a different route." He whispered, his eyes never leaving the suspiciously empty road. It was almost dawn, the time when back in the past there would be roosters crowing. The sun was still hiding behind the shadows, but its rays were slowly showing. "A few guards are on alert. They could be hiding in our initial pathway." Dongwoo prepared his gun, activating the trigger. Just in case.
Changhyun paled that instant. Hoya could sense how terrified the teen must have been. He clenched his jaw, unhappy by the news.
"Go with Changhyun to the further path. I'll try to keep them occupied." He said. He caught the look of protest in Changhyun's eyes but said nothing to calm the scared boy down.
Dongwoo nodded. "I'll make sure we're safe." He stated, though it sounded more like a promise, a vow Dongwoo will keep no matter what, even if it could cost his life.
Hoya's gaze flicked back to the moving cameras and he ran off without another word, tracking back to their original trail. He briefly glanced back and almost regretted it when he saw Changhyun's worried look sent at him as the boy and Dongwoo ran as fast as they could to the alternate exit. Hoya let out a sigh of relief when their shadows disappeared. At least they were safe.
He continued to run when someone suddenly appeared from the darkness and knocked him off with a strong blow. Hoya fell onto the ground, later noticing a familiar pair of boots that most likely belonged to his attacker. He glanced up and smirked. A guard. A soldier.
The army male lifted him up by the collar and pushed him against the wall harshly before Hoya could even catch his breath. "You hungry, street rat?" The male's voice was deep but not quite low, and his voice resonated in the alley. Hoya tried not to gasp when he felt a head of cold metal gun pressed against his temple. "So brave of you, trying to steal some bread crumbs on your own here…" The male cooed. The male was wearing a helmet, his dark brown hair sticking out from under the metal headwear, his bangs were, oddly enough, styled to ensure it would perfectly cover his forehead but not his mocha-colored eyes. His face was small and his features were soft, not tough like typical soldiers you see, yet they were still sharp and enviable. He would have looked easy if it wasn't for the intimidating gaze he had directed at Hoya.
Hoya let the male search him as he waited for the right moment to escape. "Without even a knife or anything." The man sounded surprised.
"Unarmed."
That was the cue. Hoya smirked as he kneed into the male's stomach, his fists then colliding with his jaw before he kicked the soldier's gun away. The uniformed male striked a punch back but Hoya managed to stop the second blow and twisted the male's arm, eliciting a painful roar from the other.
"So are you." He whispered back as mockingly. The male laughed and hit Hoya with his elbow, catching him off guard and escaping from his grasp.
"Feisty." The male remarked, an amused yet undeniably cocky grin plastered on his face. "That's a surprise." He smirked as he went for another punch but Hoya successfully avoided it, the rebel then attempted to kick back but the army male was quick as he launched his fist to Hoya's face and flipped the rebel around, cuffing his hand together behind his back. He shoved him flat against the brick wall, forcing Hoya to have his cheeks painfully pressed against the brick, one of the soldier’s hands was gripping onto the cuffs and the other was forced against Hoya's back, holding him so he wouldn't go away. The weight on his shoulder blades intensified and the soldier yanked his hair bleakly, but even then Hoya refused to yell from pain. There were a few faint beeping sounds in the background but Hoya was too distracted when the soldier's grip on his hair tightened.
"You hear me, and listen to me carefully." The soldier whispered cautiously, eyes flickering around in nervousness. "I only hooked the cuffs but didn't lock it so you could get out of it in no time. Tell your group to not come here ever again because the government has been planning to detonate these buildings since they got no use anymore to them. The first explosion is happening tonight." He told him, but Hoya had a hard time comprehending the information with his hair tugged painfully. "Do you hear me?" The soldier was whispering, but his tone was demanding and threatening, pressing for an answer from Hoya. Hoya wanted to laugh but opted to scoff instead. A soldier was telling him all this information. Such a hilarious method the military uses now.
A silent 'dzziing' sound was heard and the soldier suddenly fell to the ground, wincing and screaming in pain as he clutched onto his leg that was slowly bleeding. Hoya stepped back, startled by the turn of events.
"Ho!"
Hoya looked to the source of the sounds and saw Sungyeol, his precious gun was equipped with a silencer as he motioned Hoya to follow him. Hoya unconsciously smiled and he wasted no time to go to Sungyeol's direction. The handcuffs just fell off his hands and the two rebels both ignored the soldier's cries of pain as they disappeared into the shadows.
The army male struggled to sit as he pulled his pants up, revealing an injury caused by the bullet grazing rather deeply on his skin. He was lucky it didn’t pierce in although he was certain that wasn’t the shooter’s intention anyway. He pulled out a piece of cloth from inside his vest, wrapping the wound tightly to prevent further bleeding. He sat there, resting his back against the wall, his swollen lips tugging into a pleased smile.
"Finally… Rebels."
*
"I owe you another." Hoya said out of the blue as he and Sungyeol walked through the tunnel. The tall boy looked startled. "Thank you." The elder awkwardly side-hugged Sungyeol and gave him a few pats, before walking towards their hidden hideout entrance. The younger male stood there in his spot, confused.
"What was that for?" He questioned, his eyebrows raised in pure bewilderment as he watched his friend’s slowly retreating back.
Hoya paused in his steps. "Everything." He answered, not bothering to turn around to face his friend. "Before I run out of second lives."
It took a while for Sungyeol to understand. He felt the sting at the corner of his eyes return but he held it back. He had let out enough manly tears that day.
"Wait up!" He yelled, laughing as he glomped his best friend from behind. For once, Hoya returned the gesture and slung an arm around the tall boy, the two of them walking together as they reach the hideout’s entrance.
*
Sungjong had declared that Hoya would be fine and would most definitely survive ("A few bruises won't kill, especially not Hoya-hyung,") before the medic half-heartedly tended the older boy because Sungyeol made him. Sunggyu didn't look happy when he heard the news that Hoya had encountered a soldier and was mostly disappointed when he saw the number of bruises Hoya had.
"I'm fine." Hoya stated when he felt Sunggyu's upset gaze piercing through him. He put on an equally matched glare and they both stared at each other for a while before Sunggyu gave in, sighing.
"That's what you always say." He said before leaving the injured man, to deal with other things.
Changhyun came trudging towards Hoya with an uneasy and remorseful feeling, unable to stare directly at the older boy. Hoya patted his head reassuringly. "I'm fine." He said, softer and a lot more sincere than how he had said to Sunggyu. Changhyun nodded understandingly, but he still stood there, fidgeting fretfully and Hoya began to think that perhaps it wasn't about how he was doing that the younger was pondering about.
"My headphones." Changhyun finally croaked out. "My headphones--I think I dropped them in the mission."
Everything that followed was Changhyun apologizing nonstop for being a clumsy, stupid, careless and useless kid that could lose something as important as his headphones--it wasn't that the device had some meaningless memories with his deceased mother or anything, but his headphones were a result of such advanced technology that came along with the bunker, its form may seem like any headphones we see, but it functions quite similarly to a radio but with the practicality of a cellphone. It was the main device of communication that connects him (and the whole rebel group) with other rebels and other teams and having it lost in the enemy's den can cause destruction to both them and everyone else striving against the government in the country. They might as well be dead if the soldiers found it.
"I'm sorry," Changhyun apologized for the nth time. "I should've never brought it to the mission, I was too careless, I--"
Hoya placed a hand over the teen's mouth, effectively shutting him up. Changhyun's eyes were watery. "I'll get it." He said, standing up from his position. Changhyun held his arm back, preventing him from immediately departing.
"You're hurt." He uttered, honestly worried and guilty for always making troubles for his Hyung. His grip tightened on Hoya's arm, as if he didn't want to let him go out.
"Tonight." Hoya said, clasping his hand above Changhyun's shaky grip. "And I won't go alone." He glanced at the dinosaur clock (courtesy of Dongwoo) on the table, counting down the hours of when he would leave.
"Don't tell Sunggyu-hyung, please." Changhyun begged. He was frightened by the wrath of their leader, there were too many unhappy events going on lately that has brought great disappointment to them-but frankly, at times like these, would anyone expect any happy events to occur?
Hoya merely gave him a small smile. "I have to. This is urgent." He uttered, apologetic.
Changhyun wanted to cry.
*
Hoya leaned back against the wall, the routine still provoking his adrenaline no matter how many times he had done it. There was Myungsoo and Dongwoo on the watch, the two guarding his left and right for any soldiers or threats coming his way. Sunggyu had lost the energy to yell at him before and he realized the importance of Changhyun's headphones and the danger they might encounter for losing it. He wanted to send Myungsoo and Dongwoo alone but Hoya insisted to come, persisting that it was his fault for Changhyun's clumsiness as it was his idea to bring the unexperienced child along. Everyone knew it was pointless to argue with a determined Hoya.
Sprinting across the road once Myungsoo gave him a signal, Hoya immediately climbed into the small window, squeezing himself in and entering the building he had infiltrate earlier. There was a nagging feeling in his chest about the situation around him. He had thought that the building was too quiet, the roads a bit too empty, the number of guards a bit too few, and he even spotted one or two inactive cameras along the road. He wanted to believe that he was just overthinking things, that these signs were probably his minds playing tricks on him and he never got the chance to sneak in at night anyway, so perhaps this was nothing out of the ordinary and might just be the way it was.
Or was it?
He scanned the area carefully, squinting in the darkness, his eyes already used to searching for items with limited light. Crawling silently, he looked to the far left of the room and spotted the abandoned headphones hidden amongst the boxes and containers, deeming it odd for something that had fallen off to be situated as if it was trying to be concealed. Though whoever tried to hide it was certainly in a rush. Shrugging off the suspicion, he advanced to the window again as quiet as he can, before jumping out and crashing into--a person?
The person groaned in pain but Hoya only winced as they collided at where his bruises still sting. He caught a glimpse of green attire and his eyes widened when he realized who he had crashed into: a soldier. A very familiar looking soldier, in fact.
Shit.
The soldier looked more troubled than ecstatic and he held Hoya by the shoulders before the rebel could run away. "Why did you come back?! I told you to not come tonight, damnit." He dragged Hoya in a hurried manner to the opposite way of Hoya's escape route, his head whipping left and right, restless as he spared a glance at the watch on his wrist. The soldier’s attire looked more relaxed, as he didn’t wear his helmet and Hoya could spot the absence of his gun also.
Regardless of how he looked, Hoya launched a sudden punch to the soldier's gut, finding it incredulous how the military male would think that Hoya would just follow him somehow. The male groaned but didn't let Hoya escape that easily.
"Save your fights for later, would you? I'm trying to save you here." He said, but Hoya didn't pay any heed as he kicked the male and sent a punch to his jaw. Hoya took the opportunity to run when the soldier fell onto the ground, caught off-guard by Hoya's attack.
"Wait! Don't go there, damnit!" The soldier was quick to catch up and he pulled Hoya with all his strength, preventing him from going any further. Hoya attempted to strike a hit, but the soldier blocked it and glared at him intensely.
"What do you want?" Hoya finally spoke, Changhyun's headphones in his right hand making it only possible for him to use his left hand to attack, but that was blocked by the soldier.
"I told you.” The uniformed male stated, his gaze boring into Hoya’s. “There's going to be an explosion in less than two minutes and we have to run." The soldier said, his eyes narrowed and the tone of his voice was dead serious. "The bomb will start from the main building up to here so unless you want to die, don't go that way."
The soldier didn't look the slightest bit like he was kidding but Hoya knew better than to trust a person who had dedicated himself for the inhumane government. They stared at each other intensely, one person full of doubt and suspect while the other with concern and panic, before an urgent look took over the soldier's features and he carelessly dragged Hoya with him as he ran.
Hoya struggled against the soldier's hold in instinct but then pondered if he should go along for awhile to see if the other was being truthful. But then it could also be a trap and he could just be led to a group of other soldiers with heavy artillery that he won't stand a chance at all.
The fear of being caught got him back to reality and he tried to free himself from the soldier's strong hold. He was attempting to launch a punch at the soldier when suddenly he felt himself thrown away by such a strong force and the sound of a loud explosion filling his ears. The next thing he knew he was lying on the ground, the pain of his bruises multiplying and the heat of the blazing fire can be felt even from where he was a few meters away. He groaned as he tried to sit up, later panicking when he noticed Changhyun's headphones no longer in his hands. He searched for it frantically but then found it lying not too far ahead of him. He sighed in relief. Thank God.
A painful moan was heard and Hoya turned around, greeted by the sight of the soldier from before, lying on the ground, the male's leg was on fire from having contact with a long burning chunk of wood from the explosion. He screamed when the fire had consumed all his clothes and now was in process of eating his flesh and he struggled to dig in his vest, later taking out a flat metal bottle and opening the cap hastily before spraying its contents on his leg. The fire died a bit, although not completely and the man desperately tried to kick his legs around, hoping it would cease the fire. He seemed to be in so much pain and once he succeeded in killing the fire, he collapsed, all his energy drained completely.
Hoya only watched.
Footsteps were heard and Hoya whipped his attention to the source of the sound, before sighing in relief because--thank God it was Myungsoo and not any more soldiers because he really wasn't in the condition to fight back anyone right now.
"Are you okay?" The younger male ran to him, worried. He took a brief look at Hoya's current state and silently was thankful that his teammate wasn't burnt into ashes in the explosion.
"He's fine." Myungsoo looked mildly surprised at the unfamiliar voice answering. He moved his gaze to the struggling soldier watching them, the military male smiling despite his injuries. "I made sure he was fine."
Hoya didn't want to admit it but there was a fresh memory of the soldier pushing him away further from the explosion, just right when Hoya was about to punch him, the soldier spun them around and shoved him away, thus protecting and saving him from any harm the explosion could cause to him. It was a coincidence, he told himself. Or even a scheme.
"Hyung? Who's that?" Myungsoo asked, a bit confused and a bit curious as he double-checked the uniform and mentally slapped his cheeks to ensure that whoever said he wanted Hoya safe was-indeed, a soldier. Though, just a currently badly injured one.
Hoya spared a glance at the injured soldier but didn't answer to Myungsoo's question. He didn't have to because Dongwoo suddenly showed up, the gun slung around his shoulder while his face spelt anxiety and fear all mixed into one.
"Oh thank God, Hoya you're okay!" Dongwoo cried, his hands automatically signing a cross above his head and chest. "We tried to warn you about the bomb. There was a suspicious looking box that had a blinking red light in the dark, so we checked and found out it was a bomb." He rambled a little bit longer than he intended, before slowly gaining his serious façade back.
"We have to go back! Before anyone else who comes here and hold us for interrogation or other nasty things." He uttered before slipping into the darkness, and Hoya wanted to follow suit as he grasped Changhyun's headphones tightly.
"Wait, Hyung." Myungsoo held him back, stopping him in his tracks. "What about him?" He pointed at the pained soldier who was clutching his burnt leg in agony. "Are we just going to leave him?"
Hoya gazed at Myungsoo, his eyes staring questioningly at the younger. "He's a soldier." He answered simply, as if it was the most obvious thing to say.
Myungsoo narrowed his eyes at him, upset by the elder's nonchalance. "He saved you."
There was a short silence after Myungsoo's words and Hoya glanced at the soldier behind them, the uniformed male gazing at him with something more like concern and hope instead of callousness or cruelty or anything a soldier dedicating his life for the dictator government would have. He gazed back at Myungsoo and the younger male was clearly judging him, not willing to accept the fact that Hoya could even think of abandoning the person who just saved his life.
He hesitated for a little while before shoving the headphones into Myungsoo's hands. "Hold this." He requested as he went to the soldier to put the male's arm around his neck, his own arm holding him by the waist, helping him stand. He paused when the soldier screamed in pain as his blistered leg was unintentionally dragged against the pavement. The uniformed male clutched onto Hoya's shoulder tightly, genuinely unable to take the pain.
"Can you walk?" Hoya asked to which the soldier swiftly shook his head in response. Hoya sighed and slowly crouched down, urging the injured male to latch onto his back. Myungsoo watched as Hoya stood up and piggybacked the soldier with ease, the male's weight not slowing him down a single bit. With that, the two of them ran, ran far away from the raging flame gradually engulfing the storage buildings bit by bit.
*
Hoya and Myungsoo had silently agreed not to bring the injured soldier to their hideout so Hoya took him to the only other place he knew: his old home. It wasn't exactly his house but it was the beauty shop where his mother used to work at, though now abandoned and ruined from the war currently going on. He brought the soldier to one of the rooms, later letting out a sigh of relief when he could lay the soldier down on the shabby bed he found in the room.
The soldier seemed as relieved as he was while he tried to catch his breath, his tired eyes then gazing at Hoya with curiosity and interest. "I'm Nam Woohyun." He muttered. "I'm glad I found you."
Hoya only blinked at him, confused, when Woohyun then continued to speak. "You're a part of the rebel group, right?"
The questioned male tensed, feeling alarmed that a person coming from the military knew who he was, what he was, and what he was a part of. It scared him to know that Woohyun might not be the only one in the army who knew about the people in his group.
Woohyun must have sensed his nervousness and then decided to close the distance between his hand and Hoya’s. “Don’t worry. The others don’t know.” His fingers slowly reached the other’s rough ones and he wrapped them together in a loose hold. “I've been looking for you. I want to help." He uttered as he clasped his hand together with Hoya’s. The latter instinctively pulled his hand away, not used to the sudden skinship. Woohyun looked surprised because Hoya didn't reject his hold at first, why suddenly--
"Let's get your wounds tended." Hoya mumbled, ignoring Woohyun's words as he let Sungjong in the room, the younger male then grimacing at the sight of Woohyun's burn marks.
"I'll be out if you need me." Hoya exited the room and closed, leaving Sungjong to deal with the injured soldier alone. Woohyun was disappointed, but right now the stinging pain from the ointment the rebel's medic had applied on his leg was stealing his main focus.
*
Hoya was called back to the hideout and he wasn't surprised when the first thing that greeted him was Changhyun crashing into him and Sunggyu's murderous look.
"Hyung--I heard about the explosion--I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you to get my headphones, I'm really sorr--" Changhyun's sobbing was stopped momentarily when Hoya pushed him gently, looking at him apologetically as he spoke to the crying male.
"Let me talk to Sunggyu first, 'kay?" He patted the younger's head before sauntering towards their leader who clearly looked displeased, turning his back against the crying teen.
"Myungsoo told me everything." Sunggyu had spoken first, his expression hardening by how Hoya seemed so nonchalant about everything. He knew it was his trait, but he wasn't in the mood to face the other’s typical inexpressive look. "A soldier saved you."
Hoya merely shrugged. "I didn't want to bring him back." He replied. "Myungsoo insisted."
"He saved your ass." Sunggyu pointed out, flicking the younger male's forehead. Hoya was tempted to whine in protest but opted to rub the spot where Sunggyu had hit instead. "I'm not blaming you for taking responsibility, but remember that he's your responsibility." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and his eyes were boring into Hoya, ensuring that the younger would not forget every single word he said.
"Watch him. 24/7. I don't care how." Sunggyu ordered sternly. Hoya frowned, unhappy with the shift of his main job. It wasn't his fault in the first place. It wasn't his own will to bring the injured soldier there.
"Make sure he doesn't find out about the hideout or anything else related to our rebel group. He's still a part of them, after all." Sunggyu continued to command. The elder paused as he watched Hoya being nonresponsive, sensing the internal conflict going on the younger male's head. The leader sighed and waved his hand in front of the other’s face a couple of times, trying to get his attention back. It worked and Hoya was brought back to reality, the line of thoughts pushed to the back of his mind.
“Did you hear me?” The elder asked. Hoya nodded but his lips were pressed in a thin line, indicating that he wasn’t pleased with Sunggyu’s orders. Sunggyu sighed. “You don’t want to do it, do you?”
“I don’t.” Hoya replied truthfully. “But I must.” He shrugged afterwards, trying to make it seem like he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I.”
Sunggyu was, for once, grateful for the effort the younger made to appear casual. He smiled, satisfied. “Good. “ He said, offering a few encouraging pats on Hoya’s shoulders. “Get him changed out of his uniform. Search him for any taps or any other suspicious items. Make sure he doesn’t hear any of our plans. Got that?”
Hoya stared directly at the elder, his eyes were small but the gaze was sharp and intimidating, no wonder many feared and respected him. He was the perfect leader, caring and understanding to his teammates but at the same time cold-blooded and merciless when it comes to wars. The military education his father had given him and the strong morals his mother had planted created an impeccable balance in the elder’s mindset and train of thoughts.
Sunggyu’s gaze intensified as he waited for Hoya’s response. The elder might not look worried but behind his practiced mask, he was. Hoya was the one to talk back but he was never the one to turn down orders. “Hoya?” He called out, flicking in fingers in front of the other’s eyes.
Hoya’s gaze flickered from the concrete floor to Sunggyu, before eventually giving in when he saw the elder’s concerned expression.
“I’ll do it.” Hoya uttered. “Everything you just said-I’ll handle them.”
Sunggyu smiled, pleased.
*
Sungjong came out of the room, nearly dropping his medical kit when he almost bumped into Hoya in the way. The younger held his chest as he recovered from his shock, later sending his stoic teammate a glare for showing up so suddenly and startling him.
“How can you be human when you don’t even make sounds, Hoya-hyung.” He remarked. There was a strong smell of ointment coming from Sungjong that made Hoya a little nauseous, but he tried to ignore it as Sungjong continued to talk. “Woohyun-hyung will probably get better in a couple of weeks. I’ll come every two days to check on him. Make sure to apply the balm and change the bandage regularly.” He informed him, already presuming that it was Hoya’s job to look after the injured soldier.
Hoya raised an eyebrow. “Woohyun-hyung?” He questioned, not expecting the younger to be close to the soldier so soon. Sungjong seemed to realize his slip-up, instinctively covering his mouth with his hand afterwards.
“Well,” He shuffled in his spot, though later shrugging it off. “He insisted.” The younger male defended. He then pushed the tube of balm into Hoya’s hold to change the subject. “Anyway, here’s the balm. Good luck.” He gave his teammate a couple of pats to the arm before heading off back to the hideout, leaving Hoya to deal with Woohyun alone.
Hoya held onto the pieces of clothing he had brought with him from the hideout and entered the room. Woohyun perked up at the sound of door opening, a smile then found its way to his lips when he realized who it was. The soldier was in a sitting position, his back leaning against the wall as he stroked his bandaged leg.
“Hey.” Woohyun greeted, the smile never leaving his face. Hoya didn’t smile back.
The rebel placed the clothes on the bed before facing the other with a troubled look. “Can I?” He looked a bit confused as his hands waved around wildly, trying to find the words or gestures to explain his intention in the gentlest way possible. Miraculously, Woohyun seemed to understand as he unzipped his vest and stretched his arms upwards.
“You wanted to search me, right?” He uttered as he moved forward in a careful manner so that the pain on his leg wouldn’t magnify. “All part of the procedure. The one thing to do first when an enemy enters the lair.”
Hoya nodded. “I’m sorry.” He muttered, his hands warily tapping against Woohyun’s chest and arms. He looked through the soldier’s vest and pockets, but found nothing suspicious. He pursed his lips, thinking of other probable places where a wiretap could be installed. He glanced at Woohyun’s ears and mulled over the possibility. With hesitant steps, he lightly cupped the soldier’s face and turned them to the side, his eyes narrowing as his hand examined the other’s ears. He felt Woohyun flinch a little, but still carried on with his actions, later doing the same to the other ear, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Hoya let go of the soldier’s face, and Woohyun’s hands impulsively rubbed his ears as a restrained smile took over. “That tickles, you know.” He chuckled. “You could’ve warned me first.”
Hoya merely shrugged in return. “Change your clothes.” He pointed to the clothes on the bed briefly and Woohyun reached out to get them. He got out of his vest and uniform and Hoya couldn’t help but notice the noticeable scars on Woohyun’s toned body, the rebel could only think of them as result of the harsh government’s treatment-proof of their cruelty even to their own soldiers.
But they could also just be war scars.
“I got some of these from you.” Woohyun suddenly spoke as he put on the shirt Hoya had provided him. The soldier must have noticed Hoya’s curious gaze on his scars and decided to supply an (unhelpful) elaboration. “You punched me quite hard the other day.” He faked a pout as he whined playfully, earning an eye-roll from the rebel.
Silence took over for awhile, only the sounds of light thwacks as Woohyun patted his uniform to get rid of the irksome dirt stuck on the material. Hoya wasn’t in the mood to talk. Especially not to a person who was supposed to be his opponent.
“I’ve been looking for you.” Woohyun had said in the middle of folding his uniform. “You, and all the other rebels.”
Isn’t that what the government has been trying to do? Hoya was tempted to retort, but remained quiet as he listened to Woohyun.
“I wanted to help you.” He said, handing the neatly folded uniform to Hoya. The rebel took it as he stared at the soldier with a skeptical gaze.
“Why?” Hoya inquired, distrustful. He was sitting at a lonesome chair by the wall not too far from Woohyun’s bed. The soldier smiled at him, but the smile looked bitter and his expression looked sour that it nearly (nearly) made Hoya felt guilty.
“My brother was a part of the rebel group in the west. I entered the military to help him, get him off the hook, help him gain supplies and stuff. But the government had me relocated here, and I lost touch with him.” He explained as he pulled his fine leg up, his arms lazily draped around his knee. “But a month later I found out he was captured and executed. Shot to the head.”
Woohyun’s hand unconsciously curled into a fist, anger slowly taking over him. “I had spent months trying to find other rebel groups, hoping that I’m not alone in this area, that I’m not the only one fighting against the government here. I was glad when I begin to spot the small signs you guys left. I traced your movements and made sure their covered up well, so that the General or the other soldiers wouldn’t find out.” He fell back against the wall, his brown hair scrunched up aligned with the faded cream painted wall. “I’m sorry I punched you quite hard the first day we met. I was being watched. I had to act until they were gone so I could warn you about the explosion.”
Hoya nodded indifferently, the soldier’s words not all registered in his head. He still strongly believed that it was a trap. That Woohyun probably hurt himself on purpose so that he could work as a spy in between his group, to get information and relay them to the military, before they brutally attack them and murder them all. It was an extreme image, but it wasn’t impossible.
Woohyun noticed the lack of response from Hoya but only smiled bitterly. “You still don’t believe me, do you?” He asked but Hoya didn’t say anything in response. The answer was too obvious anyway.
The soldier sighed but then shrugged it off. He understood Hoya’s line of thoughts. He was a fucking soldier after all, he was supposed to be a part of the evil government that Hoya lived to fight against.
“It’s okay.” Woohyun reassured. He closed his eyes, relieving his tired eyes. “I wouldn’t believe myself either if I were you.”
*
Everyday Woohyun would tell Hoya a different story, different things about how his life, his family, his best friends, his annoying lecturers, his neighborhood, his brother, everything. Changhyun had run a background search on the soldier and so far everything he had told Hoya had been truthful. He did have a brother in the western rebel group; even Sunggyu had confirmed and stated that he once had contacted the injured soldier’s brother. He had been honest but that didn’t mean Hoya was to put his guard down on him. He was a soldier. Enough said.
“I adopted a puppy once.” Woohyun said one day. A little less than two weeks had passed and ex-soldier’s leg was getting a lot better. No one beside them but Sungjong had come back and forth into the room, doing his regular check-up on the soldier’s wounds. Woohyun had applied the balm himself and he was capable of changing his own bandage also.
“Oh?” Hoya had given up not giving a reaction to the soldier. It was better to sound a little bit interested than not at all, because for what he had learnt for the past twelve days was that Woohyun is a big talker-once he talks, he wouldn’t stop talking until he could win the crowd. Although in this case, Hoya was the crowd.
A small smile came upon Woohyun’s face as he continued. “I got it from the shelter. I wanted to name it Dubu since it was all white but my brother laughed at me. He told me that I should stop relating everything to food.” He chuckled as the memory replayed in his head, his brother, his puppy, the happy memories he once had. The images in his head faded as he came back to reality, his eyes gazing at his only companion for the past days. He was still as indifferent as ever, it hurt Woohyun.
“You know,” The soldier started before shifting closer towards Hoya. “You’ve might not noticed, but you still haven’t told me your name.”
Hoya was surprised at the revelation. He traced back the days he had spent with the soldier and only now did he realize that not even once had he introduced himself to the other man. He stared at the other in uncertainty and doubt, contemplating.
Woohyun found himself chuckling sadly at the other’s reaction. “People say a name is a key to someone’s life. If a person tells you their name, it means that he trusts you.” He cocked his head to the side as he looked straight into Hoya’s eyes, his gaze gloomy. “Even if I told you everything about my life… You still wouldn’t trust me, would you?”
Hoya could only stare back. The soldier had been genuine and entirely honest to him, yet he still couldn’t find himself doing the same to him. Just not yet.
Or maybe never.
A few knocks on the door got the two men turning their attention away from each other. Sungyeol’s head was poking in the doorway as he entered with a meal prepared for Woohyun and placed them near the soldier.
“Um,” He fidgeted a little before motioning to Hoya to follow him outside. The tall boy even bothered to give the injured man on the bed a smile as he exited, Hoya following right behind him.
They closed the door and walked a little far from the room. Only now that Hoya took notice of how troubled Sungyeol looked. “What is it?”
The tall boy chewed on his lips, before he spoke. “We have to move. The supply’s decreasing fast and we have no choice but to steal from the main buildings.” He answered. The man stood there nervously as his best friend went silent in response. Stealing from the main buildings was utterly risky; there would be more guards, more cameras, and a lot tighter security than the ones they had been stealing from. The chance of them getting caught would be multiplied by a thousand.
“We’re going tonight?” Hoya finally replied. Sungyeol nodded in response.
“Full team.” He said. “Well, nearly.” He added after doing a mental count in his head.
Hoya nodded. “Okay. See you later then.” He turned back to return to the room but Sungyeol stopped him. Hoya looked at him, confused.
“Briefing will start in fifteen. I’ll wait for you.” He said with a cheeky smirk was plastered on his face, only adding more to Hoya’s confusion.
The stoic male decided to brush it off and went into the room. Woohyun was done with his meal and he was now stretching as he yawned, drowsiness taking over him.
“I’m a bit sleepy.” He explained as he lied down on the bed. Hoya found it odd that the other was suddenly feeling drowsy when he could just be talking nonstop on other days at this time of the day. “I’ll just sleep.”
The soldier was already drifting into slumber when Hoya peeked out of the room, Sungyeol’s satisfied smile being the first thing he saw. “What did you do?” He asked in a wary whisper, careful so the injured man wouldn’t be disturbed.
Sungyeol’s grin only grew wider. He wriggled his eyebrows, proud of himself. “Just added a little something I got from Sungjong.” He revealed, looking a bit too excited that his plan had worked.
Hoya rolled his eyes and landed a playful punch to his best friend. “How long would it last?”
Sungyeol shrugged. “Just long enough until we get the mission done.” He said before dragging the elder along with him. “Come on, let’s go.”
The stoic male hushed him before locking Woohyun’s room and then walked back to the hideout with Sungyeol.