| twelve | ticking

And every time, every time you go
It's like a knife that cuts right to my soul

"This is Yoon Saebom, Commander Yoon Saebom of the SOU. Does anyone copy-over."

"..... hht-.... sta..."

"Commander Yoon Saebom, does anyone copy?"

".......shshas...."

This was getting hopeless. Static was all Saebom could hear over the walkie talkie and after trying for the tenth time, the kids were giving up on the hope that someone could save them. Saebom however took a deep breath, trying again as she pushed the PTT button.

"Does anyone copy, Commander Yoon Saebom here."

"Hello! Commander Saebom? Is it you for real, over."

The kids surrounded Saebom immediately, Nara held her mother's hand who smiled at her. "Yes this her, is this Base 2-1-2 over?"

"Yes, this is 2-1-2, may I know your identity number. Over."

Saebom narrated a series of number that identified her as the commander indeed. "This is me, I am stuck here with-"

"Commander, I am sorry to say but we have your number enlisted for court martial. You do know you are blacklisted. Over."

"Listen, I know I am to be executed and I am ready to do so." Saebom was getting impatient, however Nara was getting nervous at that statement. What did it mean that her mother was to be executed? And for what? "This is a crisis, please hear me out. Over."

There was a static another as they all waited for the response.

"The nation is in crisis, Commander."

"I have kids here, high school students, one injured woman, please come save them." Saebom was holding the hem of her hoodie tightly, she was angry and helpless and she hated being at the mercy of anyone. "Please, atleast for them. Over."

There was muffled conversation over the static again and Saebom gritted her teeth, she knew the condition was worsening everywhere but she had to keep the kids safe. "Input your co-ordinates after this conversation and we shall get back to you. Over."

Saebom had no other option but to input the co-ordinates of through the compass that came with the walkie talkie and ended the conversation whilst all of the others looked at her. The three kids looked at her with hope and despair so she smiled at them, shaking them off of their miseries.

"Ya, why are you guys so sad. We should be glad, we had a successful communication? Arachi? Ae-sol baby, cheer up." Saebom patted Ae-sol's head in an attempt to cheer the girl but she shook her head.

"Emo," Ae-sol met Saebom's eyes, whilst the former had teary red eyes, Saeboms's were still determined. "What did they mean by executing you?"

Saebom was dumbfounded at that direct question. She looked at Woo-Taek who was quietly waiting for her answer and then at Nara who looked both pissed and teary, just like she was. "Aniyo," Saebom denied, shaking her head with a cute smile to waive the matter away. "It is just some fancy military term, hardly means anything." She lied to them with a face that was so easy to trust but she'd rather lie than burden them with more trauma.

"We are not kids." Woo-Taek replied, shaking his head, "atleast do not lie to use like all the adults do."

"Ani- its..."

"Omma," Nara stood up, she wanted to cry but not out in the open, "if reaching the base safely means your death then I do not want to go anywhere."

"Nara..."

"Ani, I am not going anywhere. I am going to stay right here. Besides you." Her voice was breaking, but Nara took a deep breath, holding her heavy head. "I don't want to leave ever." With that Nara stomped out of the room and Saebom sighed, hand caressing Ae-sol's head and wiped her tears.

Saebom looked at the lady who was in a better shape than the previous day and they shared a look. A nod and everything was agreed upon.

"Yedra," The lady said, calling out to Woo-Taek and Ae-sol, "can we fill up some clean utensils with water? This should help us and the others when they come back?" Woo-taek and Ae-sol nodded, disinterested but anything was better than moping and they got to work with the lady while Saebom walked out to the veranda where her daughter was.

"Hey peanut..." Saebom touched Nara's long brown hair, "it's okay..." She muttered as Nara cried, sobbing silently but sobbing nonetheless. "Listen to me..."

Nara turned, wiping her tears, "Omma... why did you... why did you choose So-cheol?" Her words almost put Saebom in a trance, frozen to her core, as Nara cried meeting her mother's eyes. "When you got away from Appa, why him and not me?" She cried, sobbing, covering her face with her hands as she cried, shaking and shivering.

That was the first time Saebom felt at a loss of words and teary eyed. She had no answer to that question and instead, she just wrapped her arms around her daughter. It was a mistake to separate from Hyun, a mistake to separate the twins and Saebom wished she could go back in time and stop herself from being an idiot.

Because now they had each other, but the clock was ticking.

_

Yi Hyun was thankful to the gas station nearby their hiding location since the jeep was almost out of fuel. The kids were seated on the edge, ready with their rifles and counting the seconds until a sphere would pop up and slaughter them. Taeman and Yoo-jung sat with Kimchi, behind Yi Hyun and So-cheol, looking around just in case as the jeep halted next to the fuel pump.

"None of you will get down, arachi." Yi Hyun loaded his rifle, adjusting his helmet, "I'll go, fill the tank and this extra funnel, you all be here. Once we take the jeep closer to the mart, we'll go in it together. You get that?"

"Yes sir," They said, intimidated and terrified of what was around them. Everything seemed quieter and errie, especially how this was one of the busiest places once upon a time. So-cheol however, got his rifle ready, stepping out with his father even when he was ordered not to.

"So-ah," Yi Hyun eyed his son, being with Saebom all these years even his son was turning up like her. "Did you not hear me?"

So-cheol only scanned the place, walking closer to his father, "I heard it and ignored it. I'll fill this up." He said nonchalantly, taking the funnel from his father's hand and administering the fuel in the jeep's tank. While So-cheol did that, Yi Hyun very cautiously walked around the closed arena, checking corners and tree branches, rooftops and exits. So-cheol had filled the tank and was now piping the empty funnel they carried, whilst Yi Hyun smiled softly at his son.

In these five years a lot had changed, but So-cheol was still the same anxiously brave boy he was before.

"Your omma must have taught you to drive a car..." Yi Hyun said standing next to him, the kids watching them from inside the jeep. They were instructed to keep an eye around, and they were doing their best. "You drive it well."

So-cheol chuckled, "Omma made me test drive just in case she needs to be rushed to a hospital." He remembered how scared he was to be behind the wheel but Saebom was a great instructor, and thankfully, he could save his friends at the end moment just because of his driving. "I told her ambulances are there for a reason, but she said..."

"I don't trust these damn ambulances... might as well drive myself to the hospital even as I am dying." Yi Hyun completed that statement, chuckling at the words Saebom would often say. She was a SOU commander for a reason, independent and raised to live alone without the need to rely on anyone and anything. "Saebom-iiee has not changed at all..."

So-cheol smiled looking at his father, "Omma has not changed, and neither did I." He shut the fuel tank when he was done and watched the color from his father's face drain. "But Nara did, and so did you." So-cheol chuckled, placing the funnel in the back of the jeep, keeping Yi Hyun in a daze. He went back in the car, hands on his rifle again as Yi Hyun pushed the jeep slowly towards the entrance of the convenience store.

"Kids, I'll be going in to check, once I say clear, feel free to enter." Yi Hyun informed them as he buckled up, "if I say leave, So-cheol here will drive you all back to the house, so there is nothing you have to fear."

"Shouldn't one of us come to check with you sir?" Kim Chi-yeol added, adjusting his spectacles. "I can join you, since So-cheol already helped once."

"Ani, ani," Yi Hyun shook his hands, he did not want any of the kids to be at risk. "I forbid any of you to come in, okay? Even if you hear gunshots. Anything scary at all, LEAVE."

They all looked at each other, but nodded, watching Yi Hyun shut the door softly and enter the empty store slowly and carefully. So-cheol was in the driver's seat, but his hands were not on the wheel, rather on his rifle. And all of their heartbeats paced when they heard a series of gunshots from inside.

"LEAVE!" They heard Yi Hyun from amidst the firing, "Leave now. Don't look back."

_