The phone rang three times before Sungsook picked up; breathing heavily like she had ran for the phone. Sungmi could imagine her sister standing there in her dressing gown, probably without the fluffy bunny slippers that she was so fond of. In a weird sort of way, it made Sungmi long to be at home again. Even if it was just to laugh at the slippers.

“Hello?” Sungsook asked breathlessly.

Sungmi glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was around the area. There was one phone in the camp for medics to use, and although it wasn’t meant for personal calls, Sungmi deemed this a special exception. Very special.

“It’s me,” Sungmi whispered back, but it was enough for Sungsook to recognise it instantly.

“Sungmi? Oh my goodness! Are you ok? Is Sunghee fine? And Kyungsoo? How are you–”

“Stop for a sec,” Sungmi cut her off, shaking her head a little although her sister couldn’t see it. “I can’t talk for long. Someone will come.”

“Did something happen?” Sungsook asked after a little pause, sounding like she was frowning.

“Yes. But I can’t explain all that now. I need you to do me a favour.”

There was another little lapse of silence. “Is it that thing you asked me to promise before you left?”

Sungmi fidgeted a little, unsure what to say. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. “Call it the extended version.”

Sungsook went quiet for a moment. “Sungmi, what on earth are you planning?” Her voice had an air of exasperation in it, but also desperation.

A lump suddenly formed in Sungmi’s throat, surprising her a little as she thought about what she was about to undertake. “I’ll explain later. There’s a village three miles from the camp. The trainees are allowed to go there three times before they’re sent off for their service. I need you to meet me there with some things, then I’ll tell you everything. Just please promise you’ll be there.”

There was a small sigh from the other side then, very begrudgingly, Sungsook quietly said, “Ok.”

Sungmi wasn't prepared to let this go. She had the idea in her head, and no matter how many possible problems came into her head, she was somehow able to think of a way to skirt around them. If she had spoken to anyone prior to doing it, they would have told her how stupid it was. But that didn't matter right now, because she had no intention of telling anyone bar Sungsook before the time was right.

As she moved into the medical store, her eyes scanned the shelves until they landed on an unopened package of bandages. That was the first time she wondered if this was the right thing to do. She knew this was very far from ideal or safe, but she supposed that just short term it would be fine and wouldn't harm her body. Snatching them up and marking them as used on the sheet, she backed away quickly.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked as she made her way out of the store, causing her to jump and almost drop all of the bandages. Whirling to the sound, she saw Yixing standing there with a curious expression as his eyes trained to the bandages being clutched tightly in her arms.

 "Y-yeah. I'm fine," she barely stammered out, suddenly feeling under pressure.

"What are those for?" Yixing asked, nodding towards the bandages in her arms.

For a moment, all Sungmi could do was stare like a deer in headlights as her brain fumbled around for a reason that would sound in any way credible. "I’m just restocking the emergency rooms."

Yixing stared at her for a moment before nodding a little. "Ah, I see."

"Well I, eh, best be going then," Sungmi said, excusing herself and hurrying off before she could be asked more questions. Looking carefully around, she made sure that no one was around when she left the store cupboard. She dashed across the yard and into her cabin, being very careful to ensure Boah wasn't there when she entered.

Glancing down at her chest, she smiled a little. She wasn't very 'womanly' in terms of bust size or curves, but it seemed that her boyish figure was good for something. Perhaps she wouldn't even need to use that many bandages at all.

She then reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of medical scissors. Holding them in her hands made it seem a little surreal, and she wasn’t sure if that was what she needed right now or not. Holding her nerve was paramount, yet she could already feel herself straying away. Lightly tossing the scissors into a bag, she put the bandages into it as well. Out of sight, out of mind, she told herself.

“Give me those,” Sungmi said to Kyungsoo, holding out her hands for Sunghee’s washing – specifically, his spare kit clothes. There was little point in going as far as she was about to if she was still wearing her medics’ attire.

Kyungsoo frowned in confusion, no doubt wondering why Sungmi suddenly wanted to wash Sunghee’s sweaty clothes.

“His skin is a little sensitive lately,” Sungmi lied, somewhat averting eye contact. “There’s this gentle detergent back in the medics’ room,” she went on, “I was going to try that on it.”

Readily accepting this, Kyungsoo handed over the clothes but not before Chanyeol could whip off his socks and toss them in the top of the bundle.

“Could you do them too, please? My feet have really been itching me lately.”

If this was going to work, Sungmi needed one more thing: Sungsook and Sunghee in the same place, at the same time.

And thankfully for Sungmi, Sungsook was a good enough sister to come all the way here to meet her, despite the risks. Sungsook had always been a good sister to Sungmi, at least that’s what Sungmi thought. And this was the very proof of it.

Quickly separating herself from the rest of the group and trying to avoid the suspicious eyes of Kyungsoo, Sungmi disappeared into the crowds, seeking out her sister. The whole time she walked, her heart was in , the fear of being caught out throbbing on her mind.

The sisters’ eyes locked at the same moment from across the street, both hurrying towards the other. Sungsook was in a long cloak, as per Sungmi’s request.  From the look of the bag in her hand, Sungsook had complied with the rest of Sungmi’s wishes as well. There was just one more that Sungmi needed from her sister.

“I sort knew this was coming,” Sungsook admitted sadly once Sungmi had rattled off everything that had happened, along with everything she was planning. “There’s no way you weren’t going to try pushing it this far.”

Sungmi shifted a little, cautious to keep their voices down so that no one overheard them from the small toilet stall. It had been difficult to coordinate this meeting, so they couldn’t let anything ruin it. “Please, Sungsook. I have to do this.”

Instantly, Sungsook shook her head. “No, you don’t. It’s insane.”

There was silence between the two girls then, both of them staring at one another as if trying to win a staring contest.

“We’re triplets for a reason,” Sungmi breathed out in the way of an explanation. “We need to protect one another.”<