We All Need Saving (2/2)
Part 1
Kai's fingers left red marks on Sehun's wrist. He dragged him deeper into the woods, past thick trees until they could only see little light from where the tents were located. Sehun was momentarily steered away from his worries for his brother. Kai's steps were big and rushed that he almost couldn't keep up but his hold was too strong that he didn't feel like falling.
Kai threw Sehun's hand away when he spun him around so they were face to face. They're a good distance away from the base now. No witness. No protector. No one else but them.
There was a slide of metal with the belt sound and Sehun stood there frozen as Kai held a gun towards him. The barrel of the pistol was positioned in between his eyes, his blood drained out of his body.
"Do you hate me too?" Sehun asked. His voice barely came out as his feet had gone cold, the chill creeping through his whole body. He broke out in cold sweat as Kai didn't waver. "I should be the one you're all mourning for right now, right? Not him. Not Kyungsoo."
Kai pushed the gun towards his skin. The coldness of the metal stung him.
"Please find my brother." Sehun said in a whisper, his tone begging as he looked in Kai's eyes.
Sehun slowly closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and waited for Kai to pull the trigger.
Kai's heart hurt. He just went through the pain of losing someone. And now, Sehun's about to go through the same thing. Why did they have to be so alike?
It angered Kai more. It was happening to both of them.
There was no more room to think. He's done being rational. All he could think of is to act. To do something.
So Kai did the most unexpected thing.
He kissed Sehun.
It took five seconds before Sehun pushed Kai away from him. His eyes wide and surprised at the sudden turn of events. His mind clouded; confusion ran in his head; and he couldn't comprehend what just happened.
Kai dropped his hand with the gun and looked at Sehun. One moment passed and they said nothing, their gazes intense. Kai grabbed Sehun's hand and passed the gun to him until it's pointing to himself, to Kai.
And that's when Kai pushed himself towards Sehun again, kissing him for the second time. However, this time, Sehun kissed back. The gun in his hand marking Kai's side as Sehun held onto his waist, responding to Kai's hungry kiss.
It's as if they poured all their mixed emotions into one kiss. All the anger, the hatred, the worry, the loneliness, and the frustration released through the rough kiss, teeth clashing with teeth, lips bruised by lips. It was deep and full of passion. And Sehun cried.
He broke down in the middle of the night, against Kai's lingering lips. Despite his fully alive beating heart, it's crying for the possible loss of his brother. He felt like he was tearing apart and all he could do was sob.
Kai stopped kissing him. He couldn't fathom how alike they were. He just saw another Kai in him. So he watched as Sehun's cries turned into loud sobs. It's like the image of his heart, breaking in front of him.
He let him cry. And Kai wrapped his arms around Sehun. Not uttering a single word, but letting his hands tell him he's not alone. That he won't ever be.
The morning had come and no one had the appetite to eat what's left of their stock of food. Luhan and Chanyeol, and Tao and Kris took turns in rounding up the area in case Suho returns to their base. They couldn't really go too far what with the coming war. They were still waiting for an order from the higher officials.
Chen and Baekhyun took the guarding post for the meantime. They knew both Kai and Sehun weren't in the right shape to do it what with Kyungsoo gone and Suho missing. They gave them space to cope with the situation. They didn't want to push them too far.
Kai opted to be alone. Yixing, on the other hand, would regularly check on Sehun. The latter had been too quiet the whole time that Yixing was scared to leave him alone.
"Is there anything?" Yixing asked when Luhan and Chanyeol came back after another twenty minutes of searching and waiting. Sehun anticipated for something new but Luhan shook his head. He was losing hope as time passed by.
"We'll do another round of searching tomorrow. Chanyeol and I will go this time. We'll try to go farther, a little away from the perimeter of the base. Suho could be lost. Maybe he's just there looking for the right way back." Kris explained at dinner while everyone was staring at their half-full tin food containers. Luhan agreed while Chanyeol nodded earnestly.
"I can join the search." Tao raised his hand. Baekhyun looked at him worriedly but agreed all the same. "The more people there are, the higher the possibility we can find him sooner."
"Alright." Luhan clapped his hands once. "Chen, Baekhyun, and I can guard the base."
"I can help too. I'll help look for Suho." It was the first time Kai said something to them since the night of Suho's disappearance.
Luhan was surprised. But he nodded.
"I'll look for him too." Sehun's face was hard and unreadable. He looked Luhan directly in the eyes. "I don't want to just stay here doing nothing. I will look for my brother. I want him to see that I can protect him too. Like what he does to me."
Their leader stared at him for a while. He knew how much Sehun desired to be like Suho. He's been his role model all this time. He was the reason Sehun wants to be a soldier too.
"I give you my permission." Luhan said with confidence.
Just as they were ending their little meeting over dinner, they heard a rustle from outside the base. They all immediately grabbed each of their guns and watched the darkness. A figure emerged out of the trees, limping its way to where they were.
It was Chen who gasped. "Suho!"
Luhan and Sehun were the first ones to run to him. Yixing followed.
"He's hurt." Sehun told Yixing with panic in his eyes. Yixing understood as he went to get his medical kit.
Suho was limping. His overall appearance was dirty. His hair was dishevelled; his cheeks had cuts; and his right arm had a large bruising wound. Chanyeol helped Suho walk and let him sit on the rock.
"What happened to you?"
Suho was catching his breath. His left eye shut because it was swollen. His lip was bleeding.
"Suho. Can you hear us?" Luhan's voice was loud and clear as he grasped his friend's shoulders.
Suho nodded. He wiped the side of his mouth with his uninjured arm. He gulped before he spoke.
"They abducted me... Found me along the riverside. Was looking... for them. But... they found me." His breaths were short. He looked as if he can't speak well.
Sehun checked his forehead. "He has a fever."
"I have to clean his wounds. He might get infected if I don't check on him now." Yixing managed to tell them all off. Everyone was still clueless of what exactly happened but they let Yixing do his job first. The questioning could wait later.
But at the corner, Luhan couldn't stay still. Something was bothering him. How did Suho escape all of them?
"I know you should be resting right now but there's something I need to know." Luhan didn't beat around the bush after everyone went to their respective tents, and he visited Suho in his. He found him lying there, eyes closed, and heavily breathing. He had a bandage wrapped on his bruised arm which looked more damaged than it was the time he came back.
"First, how are you?"
Suho was still staring blankly at the tent's roof. The feeling of being back to the base only reminded him of what he had lost. He gave Kyungsoo hope that they can get back together. But that hope died so fast. No matter how much he screams how he wanted to get back with him in that instant, he won't ever hear him again. He had lost his chance.
"Your injuries?" Luhan asked in particular. He didn't want to remind him of Kyungsoo's death.
"They're nothing." Suho answered weakly. He looked at Luhan, and briefly, Luhan saw the terror in his eyes.
"I'm sorry." A tear rolled off of the side of Suho's face. "I shouldn't have acted that way. I wasn't thinking right. I was..."
Luhan placed his palm on top of Suho's hand. "Don't worry about it. These circumstances happen. I don't blame you. But don't do it again."
"I won't." More tears rolled on Suho's face. "I'm sorry."
He didn't say anything about Kyungsoo. He didn't say why he acted that way. Luhan wanted to push him to say something, but he opposed his thoughts. There were more important matters than their personal issues.
Luhan is the leader. He must learn how to set aside unnecessary problems that don't involve work. He must set an example by starting with himself. So he asked what he wanted to know, as part of his job.
"Suho. How did you escape?" Their voices were lowered so they won't disturb the others. He was afraid to hear the answer.
Suho looked away from Luhan and faced the other side of the tent. His expression changed into a confused one. His forehead creased as he narrowed his eyes while he tried to remember everything that happened that day.
"They let me go." Suho's voice was soft and unsteady as a rush of memories filled his head.
"I know something is wrong, Luhan." He looked back at the leader. "But I don't understand anything. They beat me up til I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was injured all over. They were there, watching me. But the leader helped me up and told me to go back to my camp. That this should be a lesson to all of us. They told me to warn you guys that a war is coming and we're all going to fall. It took me a while to find the camp."
Suho's hand found Luhan's wrist and he grabbed him. "Luhan, I don't know what it means. Why would they let me go?"
They made eye contact. Suho looked genuinely scared.
Luhan patted Suho's hand soothingly. "We'll understand soon. I think you have to go to sleep now. Dr. Zhang told us you'll be able to recover soon as long as you get enough rest."
He left Suho and was surprised when he saw Sehun waiting outside the tent. Luhan looked back at Suho through the opening.
"I think someone else wants to talk to you." And he left, patting Sehun at the back as he walked away.
Sehun let himself in before sitting next to Suho's lying figure.
"Are you ok?" He started, not meeting his eyes.
"I'm ok, Sehun. Are you?" Suho was trying to sound as normal as he can. He was thankful that Sehun didn't do something stupid like he did.
"You always look after me but you don't think of yourself." Sehun lowered his head. It's the first time he had the courage to talk to his brother that way.
He admired him so much, looked up to him so much. He always felt overshadowed by him. His brother is a colonel, he's a cadet. He still has a lot to go through to reach what his brother had reached.
"I want to be like you, you know." Sehun admitted quietly.
Suho gazed at his brother.
"Sometimes, I feel really bad for myself. Everytime you try to protect me, I feel like I'm a nuisance to you. I feel like a weakling next to you. I feel like a little bird struggling to fly with a soaring eagle.
Sometimes, I feel like you don't trust me at all." Sehun confessed. His face looked sad and miserable while he tried not to meet Suho's gaze.
"But I know you don't intend to make me feel that way. I know how much you value me and your friends. I know that even though I get such feelings, the truth is that I'm only scared to follow you. Afraid that I cannot reach you. Too frightened to fail before you." Sehun balled his hands into fists.
"But I just wanna say..." Sehun faced Suho and he finally looked him in the eyes. "No matter what, I'll make you proud. I'll be like you some day. I promise you that."
It took him a lot of courage to say all his true feelings. He didn't want to compete with his brother. He wanted to be great with him.
"I'll make sure to see that day." Suho smiled a little.
Sehun felt relieved. He had been hiding behind his shadow for a long time now. But now that he had admitted what he felt, he can finally walk side by side with him.
"After we're done with this mission, I want to celebrate with my brother." Suho raised his hand to Sehun. The younger grabbed it to seal the deal.
"I'll look forward to that."
Suho patted Sehun's lap. The latter realized how tired Suho was so he decided to give him time to rest and bade him a goodnight.
When he was almost out the tent, Suho called his name.
"Sehun."
He looked back to him and waited.
Suho smiled. "You already make me proud."
Sehun nodded as he left the tent with a light heart.
Luhan kept tossing and turning in his sleep. He couldn't stay still as something was bothering him. Something wasn't in order. That he could tell. It's probably his instinct but he didn't want to just ignore it. A soldier has good senses.
When he finally had enough of moving around the tent, with Kris sleeping peacefully beside him, he stood and crawled out of it. He was surprised to find Yixing just outside the opening and so was Yixing.
"What is it?" Luhan asked when they both settled outside. Sehun and Kai were both stationed at the edge of the perimeter. They were standing a few feet away from them.
Yixing had his palms together as he thought deeply.
"Something wasn't letting me sleep." He started talking in his calm voice. Luhan looked at him questioningly.
"Suho's wound on his arm." Yixing gave Luhan a knowing look. "It's one of a kind. It's not something you get from a beating. I know what caused it."
Yixing drew a breath first before staring into the darkness ahead. "The bruising around the wound gave it away. It could only be caused by one thing. They injected something in him."
Luhan's forehead creased as uncertainty filled him. The look in Yixing's eyes told him he didn't know what it could be either, but it was important. A few seconds passed before Luhan's head cleared.
"We have to go."
Yixing gave him a confused look.
"Dr. Zhang, wake them all up. Tell them we need to move."
Yixing didn't understand but he nodded all the same. Luhan went to get Kai and Sehun.
"What's wrong?" Sehun asked as Luhan rushed them back to the camp.
Luhan held a finger to his lips when he heard a faint rustle of the leaves from afar.
"They're coming."
"Coming?" Sehun repeated but Luhan hushed him.
"Kai, take Sehun and the rest of our things in the other tent. Walk towards the trees, deeper into the woods immediately. We will follow."
"What's going on?" Kai asked this time.
"We've been found. We need to take flight."
Kai took Sehun by the wrist and hurriedly went to get the spare guns and the other weapons.
The camp was busy when Luhan reached them. Everybody was awake and carrying their own rifles already.
"Can you walk?" Luhan asked Suho when he caught sight of him.
"Yeah."
"Move quietly and quickly. You can't make any other noise. The other party is at our tail. They're near."
Kris passed a loaded gun to Luhan. Then he led the way, following Sehun and Kai from ahead of them. Tao, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol followed immediately. Chen helped Suho by supporting his weight. Luhan and Yixing were last. Luhan kept an eye behind them as they weaved through the thick big trees.
Yixing lowered his voice as he whispered to Luhan.
"The fluid they injected to Suho is..."
"A tracker." Luhan's face hardened. "They turned Suho into their own tracking device."
Luhan's face didn't show anything, but Yixing knew it was a huge blow on him to find out.
It only clearly meant one thing. They're in danger.
When they had walked a good distance away from their camp, they took a rest in a place crowded with huge trees.
"We can't go back anymore. I've called the office. They're sending reinforcement as soon as possible. All we have to do is to wait." Luhan was restless. He didn't want to stop but they had too. Especially when someone among them is injured.
"We should keep moving soon." He added while he observed their surroundings. The sun wasn't up yet and he couldn't tell when the morning is coming.
"Luhan, how did you know?" Chen asked after drinking from his water bottle. He drained the last few drops remaining.
"Instinct. I heard them coming. I knew they will attack us in no time. So it's better if we're always prepared." Luhan lied.
"But we left our tents there. What if they really aren't coming? How are we supposed to stay in the middle of the forest just like this?" Baekhyun raised the question that's running in Chanyeol's head too. Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun before speaking up.
"I agree with him. We should go back."
"We can't go back." Luhan responded in a hushed tone. "I know they're coming."
"But we left Xiumin and Kyungsoo's bodies there." Chen cut in. "We have to go back for them."
Luhan balled his hands tightly.
"Luhan is right." Suho spoke this time. "We can't go back. They're coming for us."
Luhan looked at him intently and nodded.
"Let's go."
After transferring for the third time, they were all perched on the ground under the huge shade of the trees. Most of them had run out of water.
"We have 15 minutes." Luhan told them. He knew they were all tired but he couldn't risk being found.
Luhan sat himself against a tree. He put down his gun as he rested his back for a few minutes. He closed his eyes for a moment when someone called his name.
When Luhan opened them again, he found Suho looking down at him.
"How are you feeling, Suho?"
"Not good."
Luhan stood to face him. "Can you still hold on?"
Suho glanced at the soldiers, his comrades, before looking back at Luhan.
"I think it's time."
"Time for what?"
"To stop running, Luhan. I heard your conversation with Dr. Zhang."
Luhan held his breath.
"I am not your soldier anymore. They're using me to get to you, am I right?"
The other didn't answer. He just stared at Suho.
"Luhan, you know what I'm prepared to lose just to make sure my brother is safe."
It took a few heartbeats for Luhan to respond.
"We don't have to lose anything more."
"But I'm prepared for it. At first, I have to admit, I saw hope. Maybe we can do this, until the reinforcement finally comes.
But look around you. We don't have food and water anymore. Everyone is exhausted and weak. We couldn't fight like this. You couldn't fight like this. We both know we have to let it go."
Luhan shook his head. "The reinforcement is on its way. We just have to wait."
"I am feeling sicker too. No matter what, I will be the cause of your downfall. You have to let me go, Luhan."
Luhan was shaking his head. "No."
"I am not doing this for you. I am doing this for my brother."
Tears were forming in Luhan's eyes as he shook his head firmly. He can't see him go. Suho, his co-leader. The person who stuck with him for a long time. His good friend.
"I've decided. And as a soldier, you should know your priorities. For the benefit of the many."
Suho's words gave a huge impact on Luhan. But he can't let him go just like that. He had lost a lot.
"Tao." Suho called for him. Even though it's been unspoken, they all know Suho is second in command.
Tao stood, carrying his gun, as he looked at Suho with confusion from the other side. Luhan grabbed Suho by the collar, as if stopping him.
Suho gestured to Tao with his hand to come forward. Luhan's hands were both on Suho's collar now, his head bowed down.
Tao walked towards them cluelessly. Baekhyun grew worried as he recognized the tension in the atmosphere. Sehun stood from where he was and watched as Luhan struggled to stop Suho. He had a bad feeling about it.
Chanyeol immediately went to stand beside Baekhyun. And Yixing walked to where Luhan and Suho were. He's the first person to understand what was happening.
Kris and Chen were both puzzled but they didn't dare to come forward as they saw the determination in Suho's face.
"I have a task for you." Suho spoke emotionlessly as he faced Tao. Luhan didn't let go of him but injured one ignored him.
"Let's take a walk." Suho said while he pulled Luhan's hands away from him.
Yixing was there to stop Luhan. He held him by the arms while Suho faced him one more time, finally free from his grasp.
"Just promise me. No matter what happens, Sehun will be okay."
"Don't do this." Was all Luhan said.
"Thank you, lieutenant general. It was nice serving with you." Suho made the salute before him. And he walked away with Tao following him.
Sehun saw everything and he immediately moved to follow them too. But Kai held him back.
"What's going on?" His voice shuddered as Kai blocked his way, his hands on both his arms. "What's going on Kai?"
Chanyeol, who was beside Baekhyun, put a comforting hand on Baekhyun's shoulder as they saw Suho and Tao disappear from the trees. Chen and Kris walked towards Luhan who was trembling. They may not know what's happening, but they already had a feeling.
"No." Luhan was shaking when Kris took his arm. "No."
"What's going on?" Sehun asked louder this time. And Luhan met eyes with him. There were tears in the eyes of the latter. Sehun didn't have to know why. He felt it. A tear escaped his eye as he stared into his leader's crying face.
And then a gunshot echoed from somewhere near. Kai's hold on Sehun tightened as he heard the muffled cries of the person in his arms.
They transferred one last time before they settled for a place in the vast woods to stop and take a rest. Sehun didn't talk to anyone that time.
Tao came back a little not himself and not talking too after the gunshot. They didn't speak of what happened anymore and immediately departed the area. Yixing had a hard time convincing Sehun to move. He didn't want to leave his brother’s body. Kris talked some sense into Luhan. Even though he hadn't recovered from what happened, Luhan put his head back into the mission. He can't afford to lose anyone anymore.
Daylight came and they were faintly getting soaked under the sun. They still heard nothing about the reinforcement so they were forced to wait. They kept waiting.
Half of the day had passed and still no sign of any other soldiers.
"Are you sure they sent them already?" Chanyeol asked worriedly as he played the lookout.
"That's the last word I got from them." Luhan served as lookout too.
"Then where are they?" Kai joined in as he swept the area with his eyes. He and Chanyeol just ignored each other.
"There must have been a delay-" Luhan stopped talking abruptly. Chanyeol and Kai looked at him at the same time. They heard it too.
The footsteps were going louder and approaching faster. They only had enough time to react.
"Duck." Luhan shouted. And a shower of gunshots echoed through the woods.
Kris and the rest were caught by surprise by the sudden noise. They immediately grabbed their guns and went to formation.
"Luhan. Copy." Kris called using his radio. "Luhan."
It took a few moments before he responded.
"We're under attack!"
At this, everyone spread in the area, ready to counterattack.
"We're coming back. They're behind us." There was a loud noise from the radio and from afar. Kris and the rest were ready to aim at their opponent.
They saw Luhan, Kai, and Chanyeol emerge out of the trees. Chanyeol was firing continuously at his back.
When they reunited, a group of the rebels came into view. Their guns all pointed towards the soldiers. They all fired at the same time.
Kris shot at the one at the end of the line as he hid from behind a huge trunk of a tree. Chen was crawling on the ground as he hid from a rock blocking him from everyone else. He fired from there, taking down two men from the other party. Baekhyun and Tao were standing the nearest to their opponents. They were both shielding themselves using the same tree.
Kai aimed at someone on the head. He hid from the other group as he reloaded his gun. He saw Sehun leaning against another tree, rifle in his hand. From there, Sehun came out and rained bullets on the rebels. Kai immediately supported him by shooting down every other man aiming at Sehun. He was always good at shooting targets.
Yixing took a gun too while he occasionally fired at the others. Luhan threw away his gun as he picked another to defend his army. He would do everything to defend his family.
The revolutionists were closing in on them. The shooting never ceased as more men fell. Luhan moved quickly as he targeted the one at the most front. And then that's when it happened.
Baekhyun came out of the tree he was hiding from and shot at everyone in front of him. He shot one, two, three, four men down. Then a bullet hit him straight to the chest. His eyes widened at the shot. His breath hitched. Tao was looking out for him, shielded by the tree Baekhyun came out from.
Everything was happening so fast. Tao emerged out of hiding and pointed his gun to everyone, shooting aimlessly. More gunshots followed and Tao threw his gun away. He turned around and hugged Baekhyun's body while he received all the bullets from behind. They stared at each other as Tao's body shuddered from all the shots he took. Baekhyun closed his eyes as he hugged Tao back.
They fell together on the ground lifelessly.
Chanyeol witnessed everything that happened and he stopped firing. Baekhyun's smile from when they first spoke to each other flashed in his head. The sunshine to his darkened life. The little guy he's always excited to meet during conferences. The Baekhyun he got to like secretly.
He was gone.
Something inside him urged Chanyeol to keep fighting. He grasped his gun tightly in his hand and prepared to shoot back.
Meanwhile at the far back, Kai saw how his friends had fallen. He remembered each of their faces when they found out they were on for another big mission. Excitement and anticipation were plastered on their faces.
Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Tao. Who knew he would lose them all at the same time?
Kai yelled from where he was. His blood pumped up, his rage rising.
At the same time, Chanyeol and Kai ran out of hiding and took over the rebels side by side. Both of them were shouting. Together, they united for the ones they love. Kai had seemingly gone crazy as he rained bullets at his enemies. Chanyeol did the same while he unleashed all the rage in his heart through his attacks. They fought together. As if they had forgiven each other. As if they finally understood each other.
Kris threw a grenade over to the rebels and joined Kai and Chanyeol, killing everyone in the zone. Chen ran over and did the same. Sehun braved himself and joined the line. Every shot he dedicated for his brother. All five of them against the rest.
All of it played in slow motion in Luhan's eyes. Everyone was moving slowly. His soldiers, led by Kai, were all fighting for their lives. He saw how Kai shouted for attack while the members of the revolutionaries fell down one by one. He saw how Chen's shoulder was hit but he kept fighting. He saw how Chanyeol's face was full of tears as he kept taking down their opponent.
Luhan saw how Sehun's face was full of determination to finally prove to his brother that he was worthy. Lastly, he saw Kris helping him to fight his own battle.
Everyone was dying. Luhan's eyes widened as his past came to him in flashbacks.
Kris and him. The night before they left for the mission. The kiss they shared passionately with each other. The warmth they provided for one another.
Suho and him. The many years they've spent together as leaders. The many hardships they've overcome as partners. The farewell salute he gave him the last time.
Xiumin and him. The way he and Chen had acted as good supporters to their unit. The way Xiumin always lightens the mood with his humor. The way Xiumin would always be loyal to Luhan.
Tao, Baekhyun and him. When they were the first to join them in a game of cards. When they listened to him like good soldiers. When they protected them despite the differences between their groups.
Kyungsoo and him. How Suho loved him with all his heart. How he loved Suho back with so much patience. How he ended up giving his life to save Sehun for Suho.
Luhan and his special unit. Despite all the arguments and misunderstandings with each other, they all once stood to protect one another.
No one else will die.
This ran in Luhan's head. As if something woke him up, Luhan stepped out of where he was and stood next to Kris where they were forming a line. He yelled as he shot everyone going for them.
They all fought together to fight for their lives. For their friend’s deaths. For their nation.
And then they heard it. The sound of helicopters and tanks. Their very own rescue had come. Hope began to swell in their hearts.
Kris heard it first. He stopped and looked back with a smile on his face. Luhan noticed it and saw the triumphant smile on Kris' face. They were finally saved.
Luhan smiled too.
But from somewhere, a fast bullet zoomed in to where they were. Kai yelled for them and both Kris and Luhan reacted at the same time.
By the time the reinforcement had come, one of them had already fallen.
For Luhan, being a soldier takes a lot of courage, patience, endurance and sacrifice.
All of them had it. And everyone else was worthy to be called what they really are, heroes.
At the welcoming of the soldiers, all their families, the authorities, and the people of the nation were waiting for them. They won. They brought peace upon their land once more.
Everyone was anticipating the coming of the new heroes.
Chen came out first. A round of applause boomed in the arrival area. Chen stood with his head held high in front of all the people. He turned around and pulled something from behind him. And there, he brought out Xiumin's coffin with South Korea's flag on it. His head still held high, proud of what he and his partner had successfully done. He gave him the salute. The rest followed.
The applause was solemn. Everyone honored the loss of their soldier.
Yixing came out next. Despite not being a soldier, he was treated as one. It took him all the bravery to come to the mission. Without him, their lives would have been scrapped away.
Yixing pulled Tao's coffin with the same flag. He put his two fingers on his forehead as a salute while the soldiers present followed.
Chanyeol walked out and another round of applause welcomed him. He didn't wait for anyone and pulled Baekhyun's coffin into view. He faced it and did the salute. As he did, he pictured Baekhyun's face. He promised to never forget his comrade and what he had done.
The families of the deceased cried silently; proud of their sons who served their country fearlessly.
Kai stepped out and he searched for the family of his bestfriend. He ignored the applause for him and made eye contact with Kyungsoo's family. He nodded as a sign of respect and the family did too. He pulled out Kyungsoo's coffin and faced it proudly.
Kai gave him the longest salute. It served as his farewell to the person he had been with for as long as he couldn’t remember. He will be missed greatly. But to Kai, he will be remembered for the rest of his life.
Sehun appeared next. His eyes still glistening with tears as he saw his father among the sea of crowd. He pulled out his brother's coffin, Suho's, and stared at his father. His father nodded at him as if to say he made him proud. They both did.
Sehun held his chin up, facing Suho's coffin with the South Korea flag on it.
"I will continue to be like you. I promise." He uttered those words and did the salute. Everyone else followed.
Chen, Yixing, Chanyeol, Kai, and Sehun all lined up in front as they welcomed the last heroes.
Kris came out. He faced the sea of people. And then he pulled a coffin. He didn't waver as he proudly brought the body of the bravest person he'd ever known. The person he will love until the end. The person who smiled despite leaving. The first person who congratulated them for their win.
He stayed true to his promise. He brought Luhan home.
Kris faced Luhan with a soft expression. He will remain in his heart, and everything he did in their memories.
"You are truly a hero, Luhan." And he did the salute. Everybody followed.
All of them were promoted after the mission. Kai was appointed as the new colonel.
From then on, his views had changed. To be a hero, you don’t always have to win.
To be a hero, you must prove your worth.
For him, Luhan is indeed a hero. And so are the rest of them.
End.
We All Need Saving.