Station 553 | Taegyu & Heehoon

13) Entropy

"Taehyun, come on." Soobin gestured for the younger boy to join them. "Doors are about to close."

"I..." Taehyun nervously fiddled with his fingers, hesitating to step into the train. He took a deep breath. "Hyung, Beomgyu and I have been thinking about this for the past few days. We're staying."

"What?" Soobin spun around. "You can't be serious."

"I am. You've heard the news. They're asking people to stay and fight. Beomgyu and I are EMTs; we can help."

"No, Taehyun, you're too young."

"It's my job, hyung."

"You- You're nineteen. You're still a teenager."

"I want to help."

Soobin slowly shook his head, his eyes wide with horror. "Taehyun, these people are asking you to kill yourself out of greed. They don't want to fight their own battles so they're hiding behind you. They're literally using you as a human shield!"

"I know, but what can we do but comply? This is our home, and I don't want to lose it."

Beomgyu gently took Taehyun's hand, gazing at Soobin. "I swear to god I won't let anything happen to him. I'll keep him away from the fighting. He'll work in safe zones and hospitals, places that are war crimes to attack. Besides, people don't like killing medics. They won't hurt him."

Taehyun nodded. "And anyway, I'm not leaving Gyu. If he's staying, then so am I."

"Fine." Soobin set his bag down. "I'm staying too then."

"You can't," Taehyun sighed. "Somebody has to take care of Yeonjun hyung."

"Hey, I mean, if we're all staying-" Yeonjun moved to get out of the train.

"No!" Soobin, Beomgyu, and Taehyun pushed him back in.

"Yeonjun hyung." Taehyun stared at the older boy pleadingly. "Please. You have to get a new prescription. You'll die if you stay."

"I might die if I leave anyway."

"But think about this logically. What use will you be if you're having seizures on the battlefield? It's safer if you leave, for all of us."

Yeonjun opened his mouth, taken aback. "Oh."

"Wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that; I just-" Taehyun hugged the older boy. "I'm scared. You have to go, hyung. You have to be alive when Beomgyu and I come back."

Yeonjun silently nodded, blinking away his tears. "Then you better be careful, Taehyun."

"I will, I promise."

"And call us," Soobin mumbled. "You have to let us know that you're okay."

"I don't know if we'll be able to reach you." Taehyun glanced down at his shattered phone. "I haven't had service since the bombing started."

"Then write." Soobin grabbed Taehyun's hands, pulling them close to his heart. "You know the address to my aunt's house, right? Send your letters there. That's where we're going."

Taehyun nodded. "I will."

"You better, Taehyun. Every day or I'll assume you died."

"Every single day?"

Soobin quietly laughed, wiping his teary eyes. "Fine. Every week, okay?"

He turned to face Beomgyu. "You too. I want to hear from both of you."

Beomgyu smiled. "Don't worry, you will."

He ushered Soobin into the train. "Now go before you miss your chance. We'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah," Soobin whispered, his face still etched with worry. He reached out to touch Taehyun's hand. "Bye, Taeh-"

The doors slid shut between them.

***

Taehyun glanced around City Hall in awe. Tables filled the massive room, each with a line of young volunteers like himself crowded in front.

A woman with graying hair watched him stick a small strip of yellow tape to his shirt. She nodded approvingly before standing up to face the group of teenagers. "You'll be split up into different bomb shelters for tonight. Tomorrow morning, you'll be sent to your assigned locations."

She paused for a moment. "We once again thank you for your service."

With that, she left the hall, her heels clacking against the tile floor indifferently.

Taehyun met up with Beomgyu by the bathrooms. "Which hospital did they assign you to? I'm at the maternity center down the street."

Beomgyu didn't reply, instead guiding Taehyun by his wrist into a bomb shelter.

"Beomgyu." Taehyun gave the older boy a questioning glance. "Which hospital?"

"I..."

Taehyun frowned, looking down at Beomgyu's shirt. "Why's your tape red?"

He reached out to trace the outline of the rectangular strip with a delicate finger.

Beomgyu turned away before he could touch it. "I didn't get assigned to a hospital."

"What?"

"They asked me to be a soldier."

Taehyun pursed his lips. "You said no, though. Right?"

"I said yes."

"Beomgyu, why?! You're a medic! You shouldn't be carrying a gun, or shooting at people, or having people shoot at you!"

"It was either me or this sixteen-year-old kid." Beomgyu paused. "Sixteen, Taehyun. I couldn't let him go in my place."

"Yes, you could've!"

"Taehyun, do you think I'd be able to live with myself if a kid died because I didn't want to fight?"

Taehyun fell quiet for a moment before muttering, "Fine."

He wiped his watery eyes with a sleeve. "Where'd you get assigned?"

Beomgyu handed him an envelope. Taehyun scrambled to open it, turning away from the older boy as if the death sentence inside only applied to those in his line of sight. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," Beomgyu mumbled.

Taehyun couldn't breathe. He stared at Beomgyu's paper for a second before bursting into tears.

"You're fighting at the eastern border?" He spun around, his voice cracking fearfully. "No! No! You're not going!"

Beomgyu pulled the younger boy into a hug. "It'll be okay."

"No, it won't!" Taehyun screamed in frustration, pushing Beomgyu away. "They can't do this!"

"Hey, it's our job, remember?"

"You said we would be working in a hospital!"

"I said you would be working in a hospital."

Taehyun shook his head, crying hysterically. "No. It's not fair. I can't lose you. I just got you!"

His voice quavered as he leaned into Beomgyu's embrace. "I don't want you to die."

"I won't." Beomgyu gently rubbed Taehyun's back. "I promise."