"You...YOU!" My heart and everything around me stopped as Hänner rises from the ground. "HOW DARE YOU HIT ME? DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? IM A LIEUTENANT!" All the boys' eyes went wide, all expect Soldier Taehyung, who just stands there, with a bloody fist and an expressionless stare.
"You won't get away with this, no, you need to get punished!" Hänner's face is red with anger, and Soldier Taehyung, doesn't even blink.
However, Hänner's hands reach to his black baton on his left hip.
Oh no. There's his evil bloody grin.
"Turn around." He says, and I freeze. He can't, he won't. But Hänner is capable of everything, especially when his ego feels threatened.
"Lieutenant, what are you-" Soldier Jungkook knows what's happening, his wide eyes and pale face tell me just how scared he is for Soldier Taehyung. And he is trying to stop it, to bring some sense to Hänner.
That's just as impossible as it is to fly.
"SHUT UP! EVERYONE!" His anger levels have definitely picked high up, I have never reached that level on him myself, not even when I exposed his illicit businesses to the whole institute.
"Now, turn around brat, lift up your shirt." Soldier Taehyung looks at me, his stare is unmoving, unwavering, expressionless as he turns around slowly and raises his shirt, exposing his toned muscled back.
I gulp. Not at his muscles, but to what is going to happen with that perfect body of his'
Did I just think that?
Just as Hänner raises his baton, ready to collide against Soldier Taehyung's back, I finally react.
"Stop Hänner! don't hit him." I am surprised by how loud and steady my voice sounds, completely different as to how I feel. He listens, he stops and turns to me with that wicked frown upon his face.
"Don't interfere Hye Mi, or you will make this much worse-"
"Hit me instead," I say, and that is enough to end that expressionless stare of Soldier Taehyung, and make him turn towards me. The boys freeze, Soldier Namjoon raises an eyebrow, and Soldier Jungkook shakes his head at me as if telling me not to.
"I am responsible for what they do, including their mistakes." I don't think Soldier Taehyung did a mistake. In fact, I think he did nothing wrong, but respond to Hänners orders, which were, to fight. However, and as much as I want to scream at Hänner for being an egoistic arsehole, I can't.
At least I try not to.
"So hit me, instead of him," I say. Hänner's smile grows wider, blinded by his wrath and hatred for me, and now Soldier Taehyung too. "Turn around." He says. And avoiding Soldier Taehyung burning gaze, I do.
Please don't do anything stupid, please just stand farther away. Turn around if you will, but don't do anything stupid Soldier Taehyung, for the love of Korea.
As my fingers curl on the edge of my shirt and were about to expose my back, a voice I know too well keeps me from doing anything other than turn around and bow.
The voice of the man who assigned me to train these boys.
Sargent Choi.
"What in the name of Korea is happening here!" He walks towards us, with two officers following close behind him. "Am I going deaf, or did I hear that Lieutenant Hänner is about to hit a Soldier?" He is clearly upset at Hänner, and yet I can't allow myself to smile in satisfaction, because in a way, I am to blame too. For letting this happen.
"Sargent Choi!" Hänner does the lowest bow I have ever seen in my entire career. He hides his baton, but a drop of cold sweat on his forehead. "Rise Lieutenant, and explain to me what is happening here?"
"I-He-Well- This soldier did this to me!" He points to his bloody nose, exalted and still angry.
"He who?" Sargent Choi asks. "This pathetic excuse of a Soldier." Hänner points at Soldier Taehyung, who stands there bored, scratching the back of his head.
"Did you Soldier, do that to lieutenant Hänner?" Sargent Choi's round face stares at Soldier Taehyung so hard and cold even I shiver.
"Yes Sir." He says, as if he was just asked if his name is Taehyung. As if he was just asked if today the weather is nice. Like it is nothing serious. When it is.
There was silence for the longest time, we all stare at Sargent Choi attentively.
But then, a smile appears in his round face.
"Good job! Incredibly skills Soldier." My mouth gapes open."Officer Hye Mi?" I stand straighter suddenly. "Yes, Sir!"
"You should be proud, you are doing such a good job. I expect very good things from you boys. Keep it up." He smiled at the boys for a moment, before his eyes land on Hänner, and his smile falls.
"Lieutenant. You come with me, you need to have your memory refreshed to remember just how prohibited it is to use physical punishments in soldiers, much less when they did nothing wrong." That last part, he did with grunting teeth.
"Yes Sargent Choi." Hänner narrows his eyes at me one last time, turns to Soldier Taehyung and does the same. He walks away behind Sargent Choi and the two Officers.
When they are far enough to not listen, the boys go crazy.
"What just happened?" Asks Soldier Jimin
"TAEHYUNG YOU ARE MY HERO!" Says Soldier Seokjin.
"I want to punch that foreign sh*t in the face." Says Soldier Yoongi.
"Is anyone hungry?" Says Soldier Hoseok
"You two are equally insane, Taehyung and Officer Hye Mi." Says Soldier Namjoon, to that, I frowned at him, and he takes a step back.
Soldier Jungkook, stays silent.
"Calm down Soldiers. Lieutenant Hänner did wrong, let's get past that." They all nod silently, sharing glances between each other. "I'm proud of you Soldiers, you all did a good job today, excluding this last few minutes, everything went fairly well," I say after a moment. Smiles grow on their faces, even Soldier YoonGi smiled.
"Now go shower, you deserve to go early today." Suddenly, they all pull me into a hug.
"You are the best Officer Mi-ah" I couldn't exactly catch who said that, but somehow know that they all mean it. They walk away and inside the School.
Just when I thought I was alone, I turn around to find Soldier Taehyung staring at me. The sunset behind him prevents me to see his face clearly.
"Need anything Soldier?" I ask calmly, ignoring my raising heartbeat that comes out of nowhere.
"Why did you do that?" He says with his deep rusty voice, arms crossed. His face still darkened with the counter light that beams my face.
"Did what?" Playing dumb is not my thing, I take it too far. But I don't know why being this close and alone with him, makes me unable to think clearly.
"Take the punishment for me. You shouldn't have even thought of doing that." He says anger clear on his voice, walking closer to me. "Don't ever stand up for me like that." He commands me.
"You have no right to order me, Soldier." I say, frowning, lifting my gaze to meet his above my head. I hate being shorter than him.
"I do order you Officer. Don't ever do that again. Don't put yourself at harm for me." He says, his stare throwing daggers at mine, but my eyes shot bullets.
"You are my responsibility, I would do the same for any other of my Soldiers-"
"Don't." His mouth moves but nothing comes out, he struggles, breaking stare with me, looking at the ground. I can barely see his expression, but I know he battles the words on his mind.
"If you would've gotten hurt because of me, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
Before I could say anything else, he walks away and towards the School.
Leaving me and the sunset behind.
~.~.~.~
Hey guys!
Damn, heavy chapter this one, am I right?
I promise lighter chapters are coming, just like heavier ones will too ;)
What do you think about this one guys? Taehyung reacted a bit unexpectedly didn't he? XD
Please remember to Vote! That way I know you don't hate this and it motivates me to keep on writing💕
Have a nice day, and keep reading🙌
Something Serious.