Astronomy // Duty After School

Chapter Fifty-Three.

The assault group stood in a gas station that, surprisingly, was entirely untouched by the military. Though they were all exhausted mentally and physically, they wanted more than anything to have just a second to collect themselves and return to the others. Before they left the prison, Yu-jeong and Ae-seol had gone and found their guns in the same building the leading prisoner originally came from. The others, meanwhile, had pulled on their brave pants and gone back into the prison to grab everyone else's bags. Yu-jeong had checked Bo-ra's hand before they left, making sure there were no breaks. Luckily for Bo-ra, there were none but her hand was already in the process of bruising.

"Bo-ra," Ae-seol called, approaching said girl and Hui-rak with a medkit she found on one of the aisles. As Bo-ra had an open wound, her cut ear was at high risk of getting frostbite.

"I said I can manage by myself," Bo-ra snapped. Hui-rak took that moment to leave, heading to the staff room in hopes of finding the keys to the glass doors the cigarettes were behind.

"Bo-ra, just let her treat you," Yu-jeong said, standing on her tiptoes to see over the aisles and look at Bo-ra, who sat on the counter. Yu-jeong herself was collecting food with the others and storing it in paper bags from the register. Bo-ra scoffed, reluctantly removing the napkin from her ear. Ae-seol quickly opened the medkit before using a damp napkin to wipe away the blood. She got a disinfectant ointment on a Q-tip.

"I'll apply the ointment now," Ae-seol announced before doing just that. Bo-ra clenched her eyes shut in pain, something Ae-seol noticed only after she was pulling back. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for going off on my own."

"It was just my body responding," Bo-ra said rather dismissively. "So don't try to get close to me because of it."

"I couldn't just leave that ajeossi behind," Ae-seol admitted. "My parents left me with my grandma because they didn't want me after the divorce."

"Who said I'm interested in hearing about stuff like that?" Bo-ra frowned.

"I'm just making an excuse because I feel so bad," Ae-seol said, staring to wrap Bo-ra's head.

"Then take it to (Y/n)," Bo-ra huffed. "She'll probably forgive you in a heartbeat, the softie... Hey."

"Yes?"

"Didn't I hurt my ear?" Bo-ra asked pointedly. Ae-seol blinked, leaning back to inspect Bo-ra. She had wound up wrapping up Bo-ra's head and covering her eye in the process of trying to help.

"I'm sorry, let me redo it!" Ae-seol said, quickly undoing the wrapping. Bo-ra took the bandages from Ae-seol.

"It's okay. I'll ask Yeon-ju to do it later," Bo-ra dismissed, hopping off the counter. She paused for a moment. "Also, you... Never mind." She headed off toward the bathroom she had seen (Y/n) disappear into, pausing briefly to acknowledge Yeong-shin, who was in a nearby aisle. "What's with that face?"

"Are you okay?" Yeong-shin asked.

"Do you think I am? I got shot," Bo-ra huffed.

"Bo-ra, the reason Ae-seol did that at the prison is—"

"You don't have to explain it. I already know," Bo-ra interrupted.

"Well, Bo-ra... You really scared me earlier."

"It's okay. I didn't die. What are you, my boyfriend?" Bo-ra scoffed, walking away and not waiting for an answer. She raised her hand to knock on the bathroom door but faltered at the sound of hysterical sobbing that couldn't have been heard unless one was close to the door. She opened the door without knocking and poked her head in, spotting Yu-jeong inside with (Y/n). (Y/n) was immediately hugging her body.