“Get back from that window.” Minjun tugged on the back of Junho’s hoodie to make the younger boy take a step back from the large window that led out to the balcony of their small apartment.

“There’s no one out there.” Junho pouted, but did what his older brother told him to anyways. Lately, with all the new government regulations, it was better to be invisible than be seen watching what the troops were doing. Even if you were inside by curfew, if a soldier saw you looking at them the wrong way through a window, they had no problem with raiding the entire apartment building.

“I don’t care.” Minjun sighed, way too tired to after years of taking care of his brother – who seemed to be the only person around who still had the optimism to dream of a better life.

Around twenty years ago the government had become corrupt, or at least more corrupt than usual, so a group of rebels managed to take over. Only, once the power was in their hands, they became worse than the government they overthrew.  They began to implement rules like the curfew, they increased taxes so that they’d have more spending money, and the normal two years of mandatory army service became a ten year service. Out in the countryside, taxes were even higher, however the rules were more relaxed since that’s where all the farmers and ranchers lived. They didn’t have people getting shot in the middle of the night for leaving their music on too loud, but the faction didn’t let just anyone move out to the countryside. Minjun was sure that more people got shot trying to escape to the countryside than the amount of people who actually lived there.

“It’s weird we can’t go out on Sundays.” Junho pouted at the older, but then dropped the subject when he saw Minjun head for the front door. “Hyung, where are you going?”

“Just down the hall to speak with Sooyoung for a second.” Minjun walked over to Junho and ruffled his hair, “It’s just in the building, you know I’ll be fine. I’ll be back soon, don’t burn the place down while I’m gone.”

“Come back soon.” Junho gave his brother a quick hug before the older left.

Once Minjun locked the door behind him, Junho let out a small whine and collapsed on the old couch they had found on the street a few years ago. He never liked it when his brother left because then the apartment became cold and quiet. Ever since he could remember, it was just the two of them living in the same little apartment full of things they found on the street. Their mom had left not too long after Junho was born for a better life once the rebellion started and their dad cursed and drank until one day the soldiers got to him when Junho was seven.

Ever since then, it was just the two of them against the world. They both did odd jobs around the community when they were younger, and now Minjun worked at an office supply store while Junho recently started in the mail room for one of the companies that supplied weapons for the government. Minjun had hoped that at least one of them would be able to go to university, but the government wasn’t big on letting the poor attend any form of institute for higher education. Somehow, a government that wanted fairness turned into the most unfair government the country had ever had.

“Are you asleep?” Suddenly Minjun’s face was right in front of Junho.

“When did you get back?” Junho’s face brightened into a smile because his brother was back.

Minjun laughed and ruffled his brother’s hair. “Just now, so are you hungry? Should I make lunch?”

“I can make it.” Junho bounced off the couch and followed his brother into the kitchen. Though as he did, he noticed that his brother’s limp was a little more serious than it had been before he left. “Are you okay? You’re limping more than usual.”

The older boy shook his head, “It’s nothing. I just stepped on one of her shoes when I walked in the door, nothing big.”

Junho nodded, but didn’t really believe him. “Sit down, I’ll make you lunch.”

Minjun obeyed the younger with a smile on his face. Despite the fact Junho always lived with his head in the clouds, the one thing that could bring him down in an instant was his brother. As a child, Junho had always looked up to Minjun, and once Minjun had his accident that left him with a limp for the rest of his life, Junho began to look out for Minjun. The younger boy was a shadow, following the older wherever he went.

“So what did you talk to Sooyoung about?” Junho tried to stir up some conversation as he made some rice.

But Minjun shook his head, “Nothing important, like usual. She just lives alone so she needs company every once in a while. I just like to check up on her, you know that.”

“I know,” Junho looked back at his brother, “You just look a bit flushed. I figured you maybe were talking to her about some cute girl you saw at work.”

“No, I was just embarrassed after tripping over her shoe on the way out.” Minjun replied with a shrug, though he looked more flushed now than he did before. “Just forget about it, nothing important happened. And there was no girl at work.”

“You’re so boring.” Junho chuckled. “Though I bet you and Sooyoung would make a great couple. She seems to smile a lot whenever you’re around. And she comes over at least twice a week looking for you so you guys can talk at her place.”

“We’re just friends.” Minjun pointed out as he got to his feet and made his way to the room he and his brother shared while muttering something about changing into sweats to the younger. He had to get out of there before Junho asked so many questions that the older told him the truth about his relations with the pretty girl down the hall.

Not to seem suspicious, Minjun grabbed a pair of sweats to change into, but when he pulled them off the shelf, a letter fell to the ground. Minjun froze when he saw the stamp on the front of the envelope, it was the symbol for the government, and it had Junho’s name on the front.

“Junho what is this?” Minjun yelled as he grabbed the envelope and stormed into the kitchen.

Junho’s usually small eyes widened to almost double their normal size, “It’s nothing, just a pay check. It’s not-“

“I know exactly what this is Junho!” Minjun threw the letter onto the table. “When were you going to tell me the army wants to take you away!”

“I don’t know.” Junho slumped into a chair with tears in his eyes. “I don’t know, Hyung. I was hoping that if I didn’t tell you, it’d just go away.”

“How’s it supposed to go away?” Minjun was furious. He had managed to avoid getting drafted because of his injury and the fact he was the primary caregiver for a child, but Junho didn’t have those problems. Junho was a healthy young man who was willing to work and had no one to provide for. Honestly, he might have a better life if he joined the army, however Minjun was too selfish to let his brother go.

“I don’t know.”

Minjun’s expression hardened. He was not going to let anyone take his little brother from him. Not even the government who killed people who just looked at them in a disapproving way. “Go pack a bag.”

Junho looked up at Minjun, fear in his eyes, “What?”

“I’m gonna visit Sooyoung again. When I get back, get ready to go.” Minjun commanded before walking down the hall. He didn’t know how, but he was going to get them both out of the country and they weren’t ever going to be torn apart by anything.