Chasing Liberty // Countryhumans North Korea fanfiction

A Tale Of Two Brothers

    1919

    South paced nervously around the small room. Where was North? He was supposed to have been back hours ago!

     He himself had slipped back into the house soon after the protests had turned violent, sure that North would also be back soon. But the sun had set by now, and the full retinue of guards had returned, and now they knew that North was gone. South wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but Toyama Ichiro had been taken away, despite the Countryhuman shouting through the door that it wasn’t his fault.

     Japan would hear of this.

    South shuddered, rubbing his arm in agitation as he completed another short lap. Outside he could hear the guards start shouting about something, but he paid no attention.

     North wouldn’t have left him, right? He wouldn’t have realized he would be discovered missing and want to avoid punishment, leaving South to take it, right?

    South shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought. He felt guilty for even letting it cross his mind. North had never done anything like that. In fact, he usually tried to direct Japan’s punishments towards himself and away from South. No, it must be something else that had delayed him.

    “Jeez, North. Hurry back,” South muttered, then jumped as the door was slammed open.

     Something was tossed roughly to the floor, barely visible in the dim candlelight.

     “North!” South gasped, starting for him, then glancing warily up at the door.

      A Japanese officer that he had never seen before leered at him, exposing his crooked teeth. “Don’t you rats even think of trying to escape again. Japan will be here to give you what’s coming to you.” With that, he spit on the floor and slammed the door.

    Finally South ran to North, crouching over his brother’s body. “North, wake up!” He shook him lightly.

    With a groan, his brother turned over, muttering something.

    “What?” South grabbed his shoulder as he leaned in.

     “Don’t… touch me,” North wheezed and South quickly removed his hand.

    “Sorry.”

      He grabbed the candle, bringing it closer, revealing how battered his other self was. North’s right eye was swollen half-shut and a myriad of bruises mottled his white face. Blood stained his clothes, which were ripped and torn all over.

    ‘Damn, he’s down to one good shirt,’ South dismayed.

      “Yikes, North- what happened?” he asked aloud.

     “It got… violent.” With an effort, his brother hauled himself up, clutching at his abdomen. “Ssi-bal, I think those bastards broke my ribs.”

    He started for the futon, but South quickly stopped him.

     “You’ll get blood all over the bed! Sit still,” he ordered, fetching the water bucket from the corner. He hoped Japan wouldn’t take it away again after he arrived. He hesitated before tearing a scrap from North’s shirt, shrugging. It was already past saving.

    As he wiped the blood from his brother’s face and chest, he asked, “So the protest turned violent in Pyongyang, too?”

      North nodded grimly. “The Japanese were threatened by our united will.”

    South clicked his tongue at the melodrama, but simply said, “Here, too. I left before it got too bad, though. But how’d you get so injured? Did the guys who caught you drag you back tied to a horse or something?”