It’s that time of the day again. The same drills the sergeants make them do over and over again. There is no purpose in it. They are making them practice, hoping to instill discipline in them so they will be mindless soldiers marching into a war; a war that is non-existent, and looming over their heads; tangible yet invisible.

They are all privates in here. There is no rank separating them from the other. In the squad, your past does not matter. You can be a scholar, a superstar or even a beggar for all they care. As long as you followed their instructions, they like you and they will respect you. Be a silent puppet, they command, and let me manipulate the strings tied across your limbs. Do not think for even a second. Just let me lead you on.

It is ironic, Yunho thinks, he escaped a controlling agency just to serve under another puppeteer; the army. Every day, it’s the same thing; drills. March to the left and march to the right. Turn at the command of your sergeant. Make sure you are in uniform with the rest. Do not step over the line. Do not be the black sheep of your squad. Listen and follow.

It’s just rules and rules all over. He turns again at the sound of his sergeant, falls into position and awaits the puppeteer’s orders.

“Today, we’ll have a new rising recruit to command you. Follow his instructions as you will mine. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir!” Yunho choruses along with the rest. Staring blankly at the nearly bald head in front of him, Yunho’s thoughts wander off as he watches the beads of sweat trapped by the faltering strands of hair on the recruit’s head.

“Turn left!”

Yunho’s heart almost jumped out of his chest. Following blindly, he turns left. Under the scorching sun, he lets the new puppeteer fiddle with his strings. Lift up your arms, he hears his master’s commands, 90˚in the air and do not slacken off! He wants to laugh but he forces himself to stay cool. It does not matter. He just has to leave his heart behind, throw it behind cages and cages of iron bars, and lock it securely with the walls in his mind. Remain blank, he reminds himself, do not let your emotions influence you.

You are just a puppet in this whole mess. Your opinions do not mean a thing.

The drills begin and seem to last for eternity. Commands and shouts hurl across the ground. Pushups, sit ups and lift ups. Time passes as he follows them like the sheep he was born to be. He is part of the crowd and he will never stand out.

“Jung Yunho, stay back!”

His new master barks another order as they assemble in the parade square. Glancing at the other recruits that are dismissed for the day, Yunho suppresses the sigh within. No, he’s not allowed a choice, he just has to face the music and hopefully, live.

The square clears, leaving him and the new sergeant alone. Silence never seems to be louder than this.

“You’re avoiding my eyes.” The sergeant speaks, his voice nagging at the walls of Yunho’s mind.

“No sir.”

His sergeant laughs, “Look at me, Yunho.”

Pouring cement over the cracked walls of his mind, Yunho takes a deep breath in as he reinforces his line of defenses.

“Yes sir,” he utters, staring the sergeant straight in the eye.

He can feel the tears welling up in his eyes. His hands are trembling as he struggles to keep them by his side.

“Yunho,” his sergeant speaks again, “Yunho…”

He blinks the tears away as the walls around his mind break.

“Yes sir?” he replies, swallowing the bitter lump forming in his throat. Please, he begs in his mind, please do not pry apart the iron bars. Please let my heart stay caged inside. Please.

He can read the sentiment off his face. Yunho knows that he knows it too. His eyes are pleading for him to let him go. They are both trembling now. Neither wants to break the silence between but Yunho sees the resolve in his eyes and he knows, the bars and bars of iron cages are nothing against the man before him. Now, he’s begging him. With eyes filled with tears and hope, he’s presenting his heart to him. What is he supposed to do in a crisis like this? How can he reject his love when the mere thought of him sends his cages rattling apart?

“Jaejoongie.” He utters as he feels the cages in his heart fall apart, one by one. He gives into the inevitable as the tears fall from his sergeant’s face and Jaejoong envelops him into a hug; chest to chest and heart to heart.

“Jaejoongie,” Yunho slightly admonishes, as he tries to comfort the sobbing man in his arms, “we’re not supposed to act like this. We’ll get caught.”

Jaejoong shakes his head and cries even harder.

Sighing, Yunho cradles Jaejoong close to his chest.

“You idiot,” he struggles to keep his sobs within as his heart pumps wildly in his chest, “You know I’m always with you.”

He had always belonged to Jaejoong. He had since the beginning and he would till the end. There was no doubt about it.

Jaejoong laughs.

“I love you.” They utter at once, smiles on their faces as they kiss in the square they were in; two puppeteers that finally broke free of their strings.

The end.