Daffodils only Bloom in Spring

Prologue

"Good morning, citizens of Daegu. It is 7:00am on Sunday 12th January. I am your host, Kim Dongmin, and this is Daegu News on Channel 1."

Namjoon sighed, one hand reluctantly increasing the volume of his television, the other holding a steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee. Everyone was aware of exactly what this channel was and knew the ins and outs of it's broadcasting schedule by heart. It was the only news broadcast that had been approved by the government; all other means of dispatch and communication had been banned by authorities, making them inaccessible throughout the city.

The enforcement of the President's regime marked the beginning of the utilisation of censorship, executives redacting or simply banning certain websites and platforms, making their usage illegal. All technological devices were now tracked and monitored by government officials at all times. People had no choice but to be wary.

It had reached a point where contacting people outside of Daegu, whether that be through packages and letters, or technologically, had been completely banned. The rest of the world remained unbothered and oblivious, what with all news transmitted from the city globally being pure propaganda and lies.

"Reminder, that celebrations for the upcoming 1st year anniversary of Lee Seojun being elected as President of South Korea are in the planning process. All citizens are expected to participate in both the organisation aspects as in the event itself."

Namjoon scoffed. The President was elected in May, meaning the premature plans would not be put into action for another four months or so. The whole world seemed to adore Lee Seojun though, and no matter how corrupt and inhumane the government was, Namjoon had to admit that their tactics were flawless.

The previous year, Lee Seojun had taken over South Korea through, what were obviously, rigged elections. The majority of the population was unhappy with the decision; he had been a particularly unpopular candidate, yet would now remain in power for the next five years. However, opinions were quick to change as it became increasingly obvious that he was bringing a lot of prosperity into the country. Owing to the new president, South Korea had made new alliances, while simultaneously maintaining previous ones. His flair for business as well as his level-headed and unproblematic nature established him as likeable and approachable among world leaders.

One day however, it was declared that President Lee Seojun had given orders that the city of Daegu be closed off from the rest of the country, and world. Procedures began immediately, any and all complaints falling on deaf ears. The citizens of Daegu were enraged, seeing as they had no say in the matter. Anger was only fuelled however, by the news that world leaders were already aware of Lee Seojun's intentions, had discussed them in multiple meetings and conferences and, ultimately, had given their full consent for the plan to proceed.

To the outside world, it seemed as though the inhabitants of Daegu had unanimously come to the decision to temporarily isolate Daegu. The working-class population of the earth and world leaders alike were convinced that medical scientists in Daegu were on the verge of a massive breakthrough in terms of effective cancer treatments. Further experiments and investigations could only proceed in a strictly closed off environment.

Representatives of global superpowers had come to Daegu on a discreet visitation a couple weeks prior in order to further investigate the President's claims. The initial skepticism of world leaders was inevitable, their fear of a secret strengthening of military forces and equipment, that could be potentially used against them, manifesting itself in their lack of cooperation.

However, after a thorough inspection of the military bases in Daegu as well as a promise of weekly updates, officials were reassured. The entirety of the scheme was made even more believable by the fact that Daegu was known as the city of oriental medicine; museums and festivals celebrating the history of such a branch of medicine attracted many tourists to the city, the metropolis additionally priding itself in Kyungpook National University, one of the most prestigious medical schools in all of South Korea.