𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 • 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

16; no need for a time machine

the train they boarded left for miyuni at 7 am.

wonwoo insisted to buy breakfast on the train, so as soon as they met up in front of the company, they had already left without informing seungcheol. that was a wrong move, but seungcheol would surely understand.

in the train, only seokmin was anxious out of the three of them. he kept on drumming his fingers on table, looking out the window, tapping his feet, or chewing on his lip constantly.

minghao was proud that he noticed (he was getting better at reading people now), but he wasn't exactly sure if a pat on the back would help. so he talks to seokmin.

"seokmin, may i ask why you joined?" minghao inquired, turning his torso towards the latter. "if you're scared, you should have not jo—"

"no! no, i will not back out! i'm just a little... scared," seokmin chuckled. "i'm scared for you. what if soldiers will welcome us after we step out of the train, and capture you?"

"i can handle myself, seokmin."

seokmin coyly scratched his nape, laughing. his smile seemed so bright that minghao wouldn't even mistake it for an embarrassed one. "that's just how friends are, minghao. i just can't help it... hehe."

"f—friends?" minghao's eyes widen.

though he considers a huge amount of people his friends, he didn't certainly expect seokmin to think that way towards him, too, since they rarely ever spoke. minghao wonders if wonwoo thinks they are friends, too.

"of course!" seokmin giggled, wrapping an arm around minghao's shoulders. "we're friends! we can be best friends if you want to, but i feel like mingyu would want that title instead."

minghao's eyebrows furrowed, shooting seokmin a confused look. the latter only shrugs, and they spend the rest of their time in silence.

wonwoo has not said anything since they left zuivet. minghao suspects that it could be because he can't hear them very clearly, or he's just not willing to engage in a conversation.

why did wonwoo join? was it because he wanted to see how minghao worked, or was it the same reason seokmin had? either way, minghao is happy. it means a lot that wonwoo is coming with them to miyuni.

"we're here, kids." wonwoo announced, just as the train came to a stop. he stood up first, getting their baggage from the compartment above their heads—and minghao and seokmin only chattered silently. "tidy up."

"yes, sir!" seokmin enthusiastically salutes to wonwoo. when minghao doesn't make a move, seokmin nudges him. "do it too, minghao!"

"a—ah, yes, sir!" minghao mirrored seokmin's actions.

seokmin could only laugh at minghao's adorable innocence, before they headed out to follow wonwoo outside the train.

minghao wonders how miyuni is right now.

did it improve? did it become worse? what happened to miyuni after the war? were they in the disadvantage, or did they have the upper hand in the treaty? what if nothing changed? minghao only hopes that nobody recognizes him. he would be delighted to return if he had friends in miyuni, but unfortunately, there wasn't even one.

miyuni was hell to minghao, but it was his hometown. it meant something to minghao, if not a lot.

he'd always wondered whether miyuni will look good if all the buildings were repaired, if the roads weren't always crowded with crooks, if the rich people weren't ignorant at all.

minghao wanted to refrain from imagining it, since—

"halt!"

to everyone's surprise, there were a crowd of miyuni soldiers blocking the train's entrance. it was expected, but unexpected at the same time. damn it. was this kwon soonyoung a fraud?!

"by the general's orders, jeon wonwoo, xu minghao, and lee seokmin are to be captured and held for interrogation at the capital, the—"

"GET AWAY!"

minghao yelled with all of his might, pulling away wonwoo and seokmin to the side—before the nineteen year old ran towards the exit and jumped towards the guards with his left leg stretched out. minghao knocked two soldiers down, and immediately, he grabs one of their rifles.

without further ado, minghao hits a soldier on the head with the thick end of the rifle he stole—before another soldier tried to attack; but minghao was faster. he had already shot the soldier's shoulder, and voila! all soldiers at minghao's feet.

seokmin was in awe, as he clapped furiously. "minghao, you're so cool that i almost whipped out my canvas and started painting you! you really could handle yourself, huh?!"

"seokmin," wonwoo warned, and seokmin puts his hands down. "minghao, get back in. we're not going to continue this commission."

"i agree. hyung. i will comply. are we in the need of another ticket back to zuivet?" minghao places the rifle in front of him, as how he would when he was a soldier. seokmin cooed in awe.

"this train is going to proceed to welliane, and then back to zuivet. we do have to buy more tickets."

"what about lunch?"

"i believe we all have money left, so—"

"minghao!"

the next thing minghao knew, was that wonwoo had jumped out the train and stood behind minghao. out of confusion, minghao turns around—and someone he despised stood there.

a miyuni soldier. minghao's general. neat navy blue uniform, lots of pins on it to signify his relevance. his hair was braided behind his back, and his identifying feature was on display; the horrifying burn mark on the left side of his face.

the one and only, wen junhui.

"oho. a brave artist from zuivet." he mused, twirling the stray hair strands that escaped his braid. "what else do we have here?"

before minghao knew it, seokmin was standing in front of minghao too—and he had picked up a rifle from the soldiers minghao knocked down.

"an artist with a rifle." seokmin replied, beaming.