four (choi soobin, yeonjun, beomgyu)

the beginning

Their present time

The whistling coming from the chest of the sky frightened everyone in the village that night. The zooming of the aeroplanes had not stopped ever since the morning peeked through the mountains. It was supposed to be a sunny day, but it was rather a catastrophe.

Rain of ashes blanketed the ground, colouring their faces with dirt that was rather not to be cleaned as they lived in urgency. No time for them to take a glance at the mirror. The world had already foreseen how dreadful they would look.

Iseul is now 6. Underneath the ground, she hugged herself tight to subside the painful chill. Next to her, she could see Soobin, with his hair askew blowing his own breath on both of his palms. Yeonjun was seen in the small improper kitchen at the back, trying to make all of their hot water to drink and wash themselves.

Iseul didn't understand when it went upside-down. Was it when her mother was sent away with a casket? Beomgyu told her that their mother had gone to a better place,

But without her children? Amidst this war?

Iseul had a very difficult time understanding her.

" Iseul, let's wash your face. " Yeonjun called and she nodded.

It was an unknown war if you asked Iseul. Almost like a horror bedtime story, she was dragged away from her bed by Soobin while Yeonjun and Beomgyu were screaming over something. The loud bombing deafened her ears and she shrieked. If that was a nightmare, it would be the most horrifying she had ever experienced, except, it was not only a dream.

She remembered how Beomgyu was so distressed that he punched Yeonjun and Iseul felt like everything was spinning. Something about danger and safety that Beomgyu talked about pissed her oldest brother. Soobin however was the most sane. He cried, she saw it. However, while the city burned down around them, he ushered the others to quickly take cover in their underground house.

And here they were, 2 weeks later. Yeonjun wasn't talking with anyone except her.

She stood with both her hands hugging her frail arms. " Oppa, it's cold... "

Yeonjun smiled sadly and pulled his sister closer. " I know, and I'm sorry Iseul. "

Iseul pouted as Yeonjun poured slowly the lukewarm water on a towel and rubbed all the dirt away from Iseul's face. The 18-year-old Choi held his tears inside him, trying to not appear as a weakling in front of his siblings.

" The water feels nice. Thank you, Yeonjunnie. " She grinned as Yeonjun wiped her hands. " I love the water like how I love my brothers. "

She turned to look at her brothers and she felt proud of herself that she could make them smile. She loved it when they smiled and not frowning all the time. Their foreheads would always crease and their voices raised whenever they talked at night. Iseul may not understand what they were discussing but somehow their firm and scary voices made it into her dream, swirling the whole flower garden into a thunderstorm. Just like the world right at the moment.

" DIE!! "

CRASH

BOOM

BOOM

" Gyu! " Iseul cried. " Gyu, stay close! "