Y/n's pov
After you wash the ocean water and the sand off of yourself, rinsing yourself clean, you enter an empty room in the building of the dining hall, placing your emergency box next to you. You take the antiseptic medicine, looking at the scrapes on your knee, blood seeping through. You feel yourself flinch as you disinfect the wound, closing the lid back and reaching to take some plasters. You feel someone stop your hand, seeing Captain Yoo having changed into new clothes. Taking the plaster, he kneels down in front of you silently, placing the plaster over the wound.
'What's your plan?' He asks as he takes another plaster, placing it over your palm where the scabs have fallen off from you digging into it.
'What plan?' You reply as he taps over them.
'The plan that's more important than your life.' He says, looking up at you from the floor.
'I told you. I want you to stay as you are now. My plan is not suited for you.' You reply, his face looking disappointed as he takes a seat beside you on the chair.
'How would I know if I don't hear it?' He asks, and you take the fountain pen from your pocket, taking the chip out.
'There's nothing good for you if you get involved as a soldier. But I'll tell you what this is in case something else happens to me. In that case, I trust you to bring Han Seok Won down or destroy Haesung overall, I don't care.' You say, Captain Yoo shifting nervously next to you.
'My mother and Mr. Lee gifted this to me for my birthday a year ago from the day. It being a pen is only to deceive people. It records voices and videos. That's all I can tell you for now. But if something happens to me while I'm here, you have to keep this safe no matter what.' You say again, Captain Yoo reaching for the pen and the memory card and inspecting it.
'Why do you sound like you'll die?' He asks, placing the memory card into the pen with a click.
'It's a warzone. Nobody knows what'll happen here. Like today.' You reply, taking the pen back and placing it in your pocket.
'Does that mean you accept me as the second soldier in your war?' He asks again, and you shake your head.
'No. It's still just me.' You say, Captain Yoo looking confused as he turns to you.
'But Dr. Kang told me that you two started as a team for your plan.' He says, turning to face you as you feel your lips arch at the memories.
'Because me and Dr. Kang have nothing more to lose.' You reply, feeling his gaze still on you.
Shi Jin's pov
'But you have too much you could lose.' She says, her voice more like a whisper. 'If I lose my job in the process, I'll find it somewhere else, if I lose my entire pay and inheritance, I'll earn it back from the bottom. If I lose my title as Haesung's heir, I'll work twice as hard to take it back.' She says, her eyes burning yet hiding her anger inside.
'It's the same for Dr. Kang. I can take responsibility for her. But I know in the end, it has to be me. I can't ask any more people to risk their lives for my own wishes.' She says again, turning to face me, her glinting eyes staring into my soul.
'The beliefs you have and your honor as a soldier are something you can't buy with money. And once I let you into my plan, all your beliefs will come crashing down.' She states, her flames burning into my own eyes.
'I can't do that.' She says, staying silent for a few seconds before she takes the antiseptics, applying them onto my arm and placing the plaster over the scrapes.
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'It's good to see you again and all but what the hell, Ella-' The next day, I stand next to Dr. Han at Daniel's shop, Daniel despairing at the car.
'Nooo' I flinch as he yells at the car door falling onto the ground, Dr. Han helping him move the car door and apologising awkwardly watching his frown.
'I can pay. For a new one. Same model. Or even a better one.' She says, and I secretly admire the fact that she can so easily offer someone to buy a new car.
Y/n's pov
After you get back from Daniel's shop, you sit in the office in the dining hall, staring at the small radio that the soldiers distributed earlier since there was no connection around the base.
'Did you choose your callsign?' You look up and see Captain Yoo walking in through the door.
'Why can't I just use my name?' You ask as he takes a seat next to you.
'In case the enemy eavesdrops and you don't want to be identified by them.' He replies, and you nod, looking at your hand holding the radio.
'How about Beauty?' He says, shifting closer to you.
'That's already taken.' You reply, remembering Mo Yeon joking with Ki Bum earlier downstairs about their callsigns and choosing hers.
'That's too bad. Goddess?' He suggests again, his smug smile unfaltering at your bland expression.
'How did you know my English name means goddess?' You ask, but Captain only shakes his head.
'I meant goddess of revenge.' He replies, laughing as you raise your eyebrows at him. Before you reply to him, you hear the door open again, showing Myung Joo entering the room.
'Sorry to interrupt, but I need to report to you.' She says as she walks in, raising her hand briefly at you before she turns to face Captain Yoo.
'From today I was assigned to Taebaek base in Uruk. Choong-sung!' She salutes, Captain Yoo sitting straight towards her.
'Why were you relocated?' He asks Myung Joo, lowering her hand to her side.
'Seo Daeyoung was here just a day ago but then he ran away when he heard that I was coming.' She replies, sitting on the table in front of you. 'I didn't think I would see you here, though. How come you are here?' She asks you, and you look up at her pleasant expression.
'For medical volunteering. I didn't know you became a soldier.' You say, her turning to show a medical sign on her arm.
'I'm a soldier but a doctor too.' She replies, proudly showing her uniform. 'Oh, also I meant to ask, how do you know Dr. Kang?' She asks, her expression turning sour.
'We work together. In Haesung.' You reply, Myung Joo rolling her eyes. 'Are you not on good terms?' You ask at her reaction, Captain Yoo looking between the two of you excitedly at the gossip.
'We did our internship together after I got back from my year abroad at Yale. There was this cute guy called Min Yoongi and we were about to get together. Kang Mo Yeon ruined it all.' She says, and you frown at her distasteful expression.
'And you're still fighting because of that?' You ask, her looking at you with a playfully offended face.
'What do you mean that? It's still very significant. But now onto you, why did you ignore all my messages and calls for four years?' She asks, staring at your face with a bitter expression.
'That's when I moved to Haesung. I had to change my number and I lost contact with people I met in the US. I never found the time to recover them.' You lie, Myung Joo shrugging and lightly slapping your arm. You smile, Myung Joo returns the same, although you feel Captain Yoo watching you with an unreadable expression.
'Well then, it's good to see you now.' She says, hopping off of the table. 'Now that I said, hi, I'll be going off to annoy Kang Mo Yeon.' She adds, waving her hand at the both of you and leaving.
'Why do you have to lie to them? You didn't cut them off because you simply moved to Korea.' He asks after he checks that Myung Joo is gone, turning to you.
'Because if I don't, Haesung will kill them and their entire family before they finally get to me.' You reply, Captain Yoo gulping as he hears your words.
'That's another reason why I can't let you or anyone else in on my plan. They don't care who gets hurt in the way of their goals. Even when they have nothing to do with our family.' You say, taking your radio and leaving the room.
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Shi Jin's pov
'Number one idol group's main vocal Beauty! I finished my world tour today!' I hear the medical team play with their radios after dinner as I pack my stuff into the suitcase to return to Korea tonight. Dr. Kang sings awkwardly into the radio, Dr. Han laughing lightly next to her. I smile at the sound, never having heard her genuinely laugh out loud.
'And our visual member Goddess, come here. Ya, come here.' I hear Dr. Kang say, laughing as she hears Dr. Han refusing to sing.
'Do you even know who's listening?' She says, Dr. Kang's radio catching her voice in the background.
'Oof! There are enemies out in the next OP room!' I hear Dr. Song's voice, him sounding like he's running around in medicube. 'Ah! I've been shot! Two vials of morphine right now!' He yells again, screaming into the radio.
'Coming through! Hold one more second!' Dr. Lee shouts back, Nurse Ha's voice joining him in the background.
'Let me join you too!' Dr. Kang says, and Dr. Song replies that she should come to the medicube now.
Y/n's pov
'Did you say goodbyes already?' You look up from the rock you were sitting on, seeing Ki Bum in front of you.
'What goodbyes?' You ask, his face confused as he hears your reply.
'You didn't know? Captain Yoo's peacekeeping period has ended already. He's leaving back to Korea in a few hours.' He replies, and you glance at the dining hall, looking back to Ki Bum in confusion.
'You still have time. I hope you have a nice time.' He says, saluting before leaving towards the dining hall. You take your radio, changing the channel away from the medical team to what you think is Captain Yoo.
'Are you there? Big Boss?' You say, remembering his callsign. 'You didn't tell me you were leaving today? Hello, Big Boss?' You repeat, growing irritated at the silence.
'Who is this?' You hear someone reply, clearly not Captain Yoo's voice and you blankly stare at the radio in your hand.
'Why are you listening to the military channel?' Instead, you hear his voice from behind, him taking the radio from your hand and changing it back to the medical team. 'It's not for civilians to listen. Like you keep your plans private.' He says, handing the radio back to you.
'Were you leaving tonight also a part of your private military plan?' you say, his face falling as he looks into your eyes.
Shi Jin's pov
'I was going to tell you back in the office. But you left. Why do you care if I leave?' I ask Dr. Han watching me with a bitter gaze, shifting her gaze to the tall structure behind me.
'You had time to tell me yesterday. Or the day before.' She says, and I take a step closer toward her, but she takes another step back.
'Is it that you'll miss me?' I ask again, her expression unreadable with half of her face hidden in the shadows from the dim lights around the base. She stays silent as if to hold back her words. 'Then for kissing you.' I start, her only looking down at the ground without seeing my eyes.
'Then do you want me to apologise or confess to you?' I ask once again, her brows furrowing just so slightly as her eyes turn glassy staring at my shoes. I wait for her to reply, her distressed expression staying unchanged as she says nothing back. She stays quiet, despite my growing anxiety, her eyes focused on the ground.
'It doesn't matter what I want.' She says in the end, finally lifting her gaze up to face me. 'I hope you have a safe flight.' She finishes, walking past me without turning back. I watch her leave, her walking into the dark before I see her figure disappear into medicube.
Author's note: kudos for the OG drama script author for not melting her hands and feet at the cheese lines. it took me like 20 seconds write that one line.