The Guerillas of District 9

Chapter 29: Aurora

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3. October 2143, Thursday

San's thoughts were scrambled, drowned out by a painful throbbing in his head. He muttered something incoherent and tried to sit up, but something held him back.

The room he was in wasn't dark. A dim light glowed from a corner, casting a relaxed ambiance that soothed San, easing his sudden anxiety. But he didn't feel fear or panic. Instead, a sense of safety and comfort slowly enveloped in him.

San looked to his side and noticed someone sleeping soundly. They were sitting beside him on a chair, their head resting on San's chest, arm wrapped around him. San blinked a few times, confused, until he recognized the face.

"Wooyoung? Why was he here? Wasn't he in District 9?" he wondered, straining his memory.

Suddenly, flashbacks rushed through San's mind. The liberation mission. How he and the Guerrillas climbed the wall of District 9, split up, and he along with Yeosang and Jeongin, set off a smoke bomb before heading to the basement.

But how did they get back? And more importantly: Why was Wooyoung lying next to him?

Wooyoung hadn't done this in ages. Holding him like this, as if San had been gone for a long time. As if he had been anxiously waiting for him. The last time was during their shared captivity in District 9, before San, Mingi, and Hyunjin escaped, leaving Wooyoung behind in the cold.

San tried to think, but his mind was foggy as if his brain was made of cotton candy. Speaking of cotton candy: Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly and San realized just how starving he was. How long had it been since he last ate? How many days had passed? Probably not many.

With a weak hand, San began to gently shake Wooyoung's shoulder. Though shaking was an exaggeration; it was more like a light stroking since his body was still quite frail. Nevertheless, it seemed to work as Wooyoung slowly but surely began to wake up.

"Just five more minutes," Wooyoung mumbled grumpily, burying his head deeper into San's chest.

San paused.

With his cotton candy brain, the butterflies in his stomach felt strangely amusing. "But I'm hungry," San whispered, pouting as Wooyoung made no move to get up. Yet, a second later, Wooyoung suddenly snapped awake.

"Wait... SAN?!" Wooyoung exclaimed, sitting up so abruptly that San flinched. His eyes sparkled in the dim light. "San, you're finally awake!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" San asked, confused, as he rubbed his ear thoughtfully. "You've been unconscious for five days," Wooyoung explained cautiously, his earlier excitement giving way to a more reserved tone. Yet he maintained a reassuring smile and the sparkle in his eyes didn't fade. San, on the other hand, wasn't sure if he had understood Wooyoung's words correctly.

"I was... unconscious? Why?" Did it have something to do with his head, which felt so strange? "What do you remember?" Wooyoung asked. San pondered for a moment. "I went to the basement of the main building in District 9 with Yeo and Jeongin. We planted bombs on the walls and pillars to bring the building down," San explained, closing his eyes as he replayed the events in his mind.

"I don't remember what happened after that..." he continued, exhaling in frustration. Finally, he slowly sat up but was hit by a wave of intense headaches, wondering why he had such a blank in his memory. "You really don't remember what happened?" Wooyoung's expression turned worried, his brows knitting together as he seemed to grow... angry?