Heartfelt Chronicles: Echoes Of Affection "Hearts Across Eras"— 2

"Hearts Across Eras"— 2

The cube was left in mid-air. But not for too long. Wooyoung grabbed it. He screamed as it burned his hand. Kim Taehyung tried to rush over to him, but he wasn’t fast enough. The moment Wooyoung dropped the cube, it burned a hole in the flooring, causing both it and Wooyoung to fall through.

Taehyung

No!

Kim Taehyung screamed in anguish.

Not even a week ago, he watched his unit’s commander fall to his death in the mountains. Now he was watching his best friend fall to his death into the ocean. He watched until he couldn’t see, or hear, him anymore, crying in anguish.

He looked over at the front console, remembering that he still had a job to do. Kim Taehyung unsteadily made it over to it, taking off his helmet and setting the gun by the console. He sat in the pilot’s seat and saw that it was in autopilot towards China. He looked out at the clouded sky, knowing what he had to do.

Taehyung

Come in. This is Sergeant Taehyung.

Kim Taehyung called over the radio.

Taehyung

Do you read me?

“Sergeant Taehyung, what is your lo—“ Jung Seok started before he was cut off by Hyungsik.

Hyungsik

Taehyung, is that you? *Hyungsik rushed* Are you and Wooyoung alright?

Taehyung

Hyungsik! Mawang is dead!

Hyungsik

And my dongsaeng?

There was a long moment of silence before he answered.

Taehyung

He’s dead too.

Everyone in the room with Captain Hyungsik could hear the heartache in his voice. Hyungsik's body went numb when Taehyung mentioned that his dongsaeng was no longer alive.

Taehyung

Fell into the ocean. Captain I am sorry.

Taehyung said, choking on his sobs. Hyungsik and Wooyoung might be blood-related brothers, but Wooyoung and Taehyung were brothers by choice. It's extremely difficult for Taehyung to convey the news of his brother's death to Hyungsik. With tears brimming in his eyes, Hyungsik attempted to muster strength for his men and country as he spoke.

Hyungsik

What about the plane?

Taehyung

That’s a little bit tougher to explain. *he answered while flipping switches*

Hyungsik

Give me your coordinates, I’ll find you a safe landing site.

He looks at the screen showing the ship, there’s still too many bombs on it.

Taehyung

There’s not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down.

Hyungsik

I’ll—I’ll get Ha-joon on the line, he’ll know what to do.

Taehyung

There’s not enough time. This thing’s moving too fast and it’s heading for China. I gotta put her in the water.

Hyungsik

Please, don’t do this. We have time. We can work it out.

Taehyung

Right now, I’m in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die…Hyungsik…this is my choice.

Kim Taehyung then positions his compass, which holds Eun-Sook’s picture, and forces the plane to head down, towards the ice.

Taehyung

Hyungsik?

Hyungsik

I’m here, brother.

Taehyung

I’m gonna need a rain check on that dance with Eun-Sook.

Hyungsik

Alright.

Hyungsik can't contain the tears forming in his eyes. He is about to lose both of his brothers in one day, and no one can truly comprehend the depth of his sorrow.

Hyungsik

A week, next Saturday, at the Hwaryohan Light Club.

Taehyung

You got it, brother.

Hyungsik

Eight o’clock on the dot. I’ll convey message to Miss Jeon. Don’t you dare be late. Miss Jeon doesn’t like men who don’t respect her time. Understood?

Taehyung

You know, I still don’t know how to dance. Wooyoung tried to teach me once, didn’t have the patience for it. Either of us.

Hyungsik let out a small chuckle.

Hyungsik

I’ll show you how. Just come back.

The water was getting closer, but Taehyung knew he had to keep talking.

Taehyung

I’ll have the band play something slow. I’d hate to step on her—

Before he could finish, the plane hit the ice. Cutting the signal off.

Hyungsik

Brother? *Hyungsik cried* Kim Taehyung? Kim Taehyung? Brother?

Not very long after Wooyoung and Taehyung were lost, the world celebrated the victory over Nazi-Germany. The Howling Commandos, Kim Taehyung’s team, still mourned the loss of their Captain’s brother and Sergeant Kim. While the celebrations were happening, Ha-joon was searching for the wreckage and two Sergeants out in the sea. Hyungsik told Ha-joon that Kim Taehyung had told him that Wooyoung fell into the ocean. There was no way that he was going to be alive, let alone that his body was going to be found. But Ha-joon didn’t care about what Hyungsik had to say. He was going to look anyway.

He stood in his ship, staring at a picture of himself with Taehyung and Wooyoung. It had been taken one night they went drinking. Wooyoung had been so stressed about his SSR training and his brother, that Ha-joon insisted they go. They were laughing in it. Wooyoung’s head was thrown back as he drink with his arms around his best friend, who was clearly looking at him with admiring eyes. He’s kept the photo in his pocket ever since.

“Sir?” One of Ha-joon’s engineers called, pulling Ha-joon’s thoughts away from the picture.

Ha-joon stashed the picture into his jacket pocket before stepping beside the engineer. His eyes examined the screen the engineer was looking at. Their machine in the water had grabbed a glowing purple cube.