Between The North and The South | Taekook

Chapter 3 [Her Freedom]

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"Baby, where are you?" He called, I turned my head and found him looking my way with worry laced in his voice.

"I'm right here," I said but he didn't seem to acknowledge me and kept wandering around, "I'm here, why can't you see me?" I shouted, but he didn't seem to hear me.

"I'm here, I'm right here, please don't leave me again.."

I stirred and my eyes slowly opened.

1489.

This is the second time that I dreamed about him in a row, I quickly got my pen and paper and started drawing what I saw in my dream.

I often did this, I have so many drawings for the last four years, that mysterious good looking guy that always sat beside me when I needed comfort.

I always felt as if I knew him in real life, and he may be a reason for why I didn't commit suicide yet.

I know I sound pathetic, trying to find comfort in my own imaginations, but it was too addicting, I often tried to escape my reality and he was there when I needed him the most.

Him. What was his name again? Ugh I can't believe I forgot it again.

I made my way to the kitchen to cook my own breakfast, Mom had flu and she was very tired yesterday and I'm not planning on burdening her more.

I quickly ate my food and closed the door carefully not to disturb her.

Once I entered school, Jimin, my classmate came running to me, "Have you heard the news?" He said freaking out.

"What news?" I asked.

"Yerim escaped the country last night! No one would have predicted she's such a traitor to her home country, what a disgrace to her family!" He said looking disgusted.

My eyes widened in disbelief, I never knew she also wanted to run away, we chatted from time to time but I wasn't close enough to her, Oh if only I knew, I'd be outside this hole right now.

"You look frustrated, does she have relations with your family?" Jimin asked with his brows furrowed.

"Oh no, I just never expected her to do such a thing." I said, if only he knew.

"Oh okay, let's hurry up to sessions!" He said running before me.

Today is my least favorite day of the week, it's the weekly ideological study and self-criticism day.

Citizens of all ages are forced to have sessions critisizing themselves for what they did or did not do that didn't help the country for the past week.

People would gather and start confessing their regrets of what they did for the previous week and other people would start critisizing them as well, an ideology to enforce loyalty into citizens to their country.

As if I loved myself in the first place to make me remember how much of a terrible human I was for the past week.

I followed Jimin with lazy steps, getting in the self-criticism room.

I really loved and cared about Jimin, but he was too brainwashed for me to try to tell him anything, I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to report me if he knew.

Reporting is very common here, if anyone, especially elders heard that someone broke any rule, they would report them immediately.

No matter how small the rule was, whether it be listening to music that is not allowed or trying to escape the country, people wouldn't hesitate to report you to the government.

"I regret befriending Yerim, I did not know she would do such a thing to the country she was raised in." A girl started.

"You should know how to pick out your friends wisely and avoid getting close to such ungrateful and delusional people." A teacher said.

"I regret not studying well in my test that resulted me to have bad grades." Another guy said.

It went on like this until we were finally released to go to our regular class, I know, being released to your class shouldn't be a rewarding thing, but it was for me.

I wondered where Yeri is right now, she's probably enjoying her freedom in China, having the time of her life. I sighed and started writing down notes.

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"Yeri!" Seungmin, the girl's brother called, searching for his beloved sister, just then a short girl ran to her brother crying heavily when she spotted him.

She was exactly where she was told to hide in until someone came to take her out of there.

"Hello! Congratulations for your bravery little girl, you made it out of there!" My father said smiling widely.

She looked at him and repeatedly bowed her head muttering "Thank you so much Mr. Jaebeom" over and over as he comforted her telling her that it was just his duty and she cried harder for fiding such nice people be there to help her.

I looked at them and hesitantly approached her and bowed, "Hello, I'm Jungkook, congratulations for your escape!" I may be imagining stuff but did she just flinch for a second when she saw me? She quickly bowed back "Thank you, I'm Yerim but please call me Yeri." I smiled and nodded.

Apparently we had to go to Thailand then to South Korea, so together we carefully drove and made our way to south east asia, this being the safest way.

The choice of Thailand is not random at all, as Thailand immediately sends North Korean refugees to South Korea, unlike China that would send them back to North Korea.

In our way in the car, I saw how happy Yeri was, and I just knew I didn't want this to be the only time I witness something like this.

We spent the night in Thailand and we finally took the plane and made our way back to South Korea the next day.

And let me tell you, the feeling of helping people get the freedom they deserve is the best feeling I've ever experienced.

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Thoughts?