The Lieutenant(Sweet Home)

20. wouldn't change a thing

Yikyung attached the hose to the fire truck, going back inside the apartments after checking out the outside surroundings.

Minji followed behind her, moving her shoulder back and forth. She thought it was broken but now it's only a bit sore. Maybe the adrenaline made the pain worse?

Minji watched as Yikyung connected the hose to the water pipes, clean water running through. Feeling a presence behind them, the girls turned around.

"Did you sell my baby off?" Gil Sub asked, looking down at his hands, "Why did you come back with that junk?"

Minji quirked a brow up amusingly, patting Yikyung on the shoulder and walking away.

After the quick conversation with Gil Sub, he walked away, Eunhyuk coming over.

"Is Hyunsu okay? How's Minji been?" Yikyung asked.

"So they're the first thing you ask about." Eunhyuk noted dully.

Yikyung rolled her eyes, "Answer me. Did he have any strange symptoms?"

"What about you?"

"What?"

Eunhyuk glanced down, "To me, you and Hyunsu are similar."

Yikyung sharpened her gaze a bit, "What do you mean?"

"Seon-yeong told me that you're pregnant." Eunhyuk said.

Yikyung looked down. So he knew. Did Minji know?

No. Otherwise she wouldn't have let the firefighter fight against the steroid monster like that.

"It's something I had to know." Eunhyuk added.

"So?" Yikyung looked at him, "I thought Minji was the group leader. Shouldn't she know?"

"Noona favors you. If she knew, she would put you on a priority list that we can't afford to have." Eunhyuk said logically.

The woman clicked her tongue, "Are you gonna lock me up?"

Eunhyuk's lips twitched upward, "I can't. You aren't a monster yet. You are a time bomb, though."

He sighed, "I won't tell people-"

"Do whatever you want." Yikyung snapped lowly.

"I've never done that." He said, "I've only done what I had to."

Yikyung gave him a look of disbelief. He really is a cold leader.

"Now tell me what's it like outside and how you were able to return safely." Eunhyuk demanded, "Tell me every detail."

"You first." Yikyung fired back, "Tell me what's happened hers and how Hyunsu and Minji-Shi have been. Tell me every tiny detail. Everything ."

Eunhyuk gave her a light glare, not liking how she was throwing back his orders. However, the question roaming at the back of his mind was:

Why does she need to know so badly? What did she need to know about Hyunsu and Minji?

————

Minji walked through the lobby and inside the manager room where Jisu was. The soldier wanted to talk to Eunhyuk but she felt that seeing Jisu first would be more efficient.

Walking in the room, she saw Jisu laying down, unconscious. Jaehwan sitting next to her. Minji knocked on the door frame lightly, gaining the male's attention.

"Minji-Shi." He greeted.

She gave him a nod, grabbing a chair and sitting next to him, "How's she?"

Jaehwan looked at the unconscious girl, "The surgery was successful. She hasn't woken up yet."

Minji hummed, "She should wake up in the next twenty-four hours. With no anesthesia, it's no surprise that she is still sleeping."

The man nodded, a lightened look on his face. Then he turned to the soldier, "May I ask you a question?"

Minji quirked a brow, "Sure. Go for it."

"If you chose a different path, would you be the same person you are today?" He asked.

The girl internally winced. Philosophical questions. Sweet.

The scarred woman took a big breathe, ruffling her hair a bit, "Well...to be completely honest. I never wanted this life. The shooting, the killing, the training, screaming. The whole gig. I...never wanted it."

Her words peaked Jaehwan's interest, "Then why choose it?" He spoke gently, with sincere curiosity. He did not want to overstep his boundaries.

Minji scoffed sadly, "My parents were terrible. They did everything to make my life miserable. I wanted to stop existing. To stop hearing their voices. But..."

A mournful smile made its way on her face, "My older brother made life a little easier. He stopped my parents from going too far. He was part of the army. First lieutenant; natural born leader and," She paused trying to find the right words, "A pure Angel sent from above."

"But then," Minji gripped her jeans tightly, furrowing her brows, " When I was sixteen, he got caught in an ambush, pronounced MIA. I demanded his superiors to find him but...they refused."

Jaehwan nodded understanding the rest of the story, "And so, four years later, you joined the army to find your brother."

"Yeah..." Minji sighed.

"Did you ever find him?"

Minji bit the inside of her cheek, "Yeah...an arm, a leg. A few fingers, the nails ripped off."

She chuckled flatly, "I tortured and killed the guys that did that to him. But, I couldn't stop there. I kept killing. Destroying everything that hindered my missions."

"So , you thought of yourself as a tyrant?" The male asked in his usual gentle tone.

Minji shook her head lightly, "I would. If it weren't for my squadron. They were one of the reasons why I hadn't gone completely crazy. They kept my priorities in check, which is why I never lost a single soldier."

The girl exhaled softly, "But, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing. After all..."

Minji turned to Jaehwan with a genuine smile, "I wouldn't have met Eunhyuk."

The male nodded at her answer, understanding her past and it's outcomes. It was traumatic and painful, but it's what made her who she was:

A strong, intelligent, independent soldier with leadership capabilities.

Minji's smile faded back into her neutral expression, then she stood up giving Jaehwan a bow, "Thanks for the conversation. And don't worry. Jisu will wake up soon."

Jaehwan nodded, "Of course. And thank you as well."