Both are from the same origin, the same ancestors. Both speak the same language, and were raised in the same customs. Then why are they now separated? In fact, why are they now in opposite ways, fighting each other? Is it merely a political decision? Yet merely is not a weak word, considering its impact contextually...

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“Order! Order!”

The pounding sound of the gavel filled the room, and soon all the vociferant voices died down. Another issue is about to be addressed, another debate is about to erupt, yet the decisions to be made are the only ones uncertain. These elites who are the so-called representatives of the people in the country gathered to voice out concerns regarding the regulations and conduct of the state, either inwardly or outwardly. The regular meeting of the National Assembly is taking place.

“Now, I would like to call the Honorable Lady Minister of Foreign Affairs. The floor is yours.”

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker,” the man continued, “We are all gathered here by the same awareness of how the North has been increasingly and outspokenly taking aggressive measures in its behavior towards our country, and that this behavior has been approved militarily from the previous update by the Honorable Gentleman the Minister of Defense. Defensive measures has been taken but we all know here that responding back aggressively towards the North is not an option to consider as of now...”

Words of disapprovals interrupted from the other side of the room where the opposition party representatives are seated, seemingly not giving a chance for the Minister to continue her speech. The Speaker of the Assembly gathered all the attention again as he knocked on his gavel to keep the meeting in order.

“Thank you. As I was saying, it is currently unnecessary to take aggressive measures in responding towards the actions because the tension that has been growing, by far, shows no signs of further intentions in waging war, as previous tensions that has been occuring the last ten decades. Our current policies to reach the North for negotiation and peace-talks has also been improving these days and that the current tension is close to being lessened and halted soon.”

As soon as the Minister ended her speech and was seated, a representative from the opposition members stood up and started debating the issue.

“The Minister has been right to report us the efforts of the Ministry in its practice to calm this condition down. Yet only that is not enough. We are gathered here to see whether such policies are still of effect. And as pointed out that this policy has been practiced enough for decades, yet does not serve as well as its goal to lessen the North’s ‘annual threats’ to our government, I say a more concrete, strict and stronger measures should be taken so that the North will not play their cards against us as it has been for years!” the man said firmly as cheers erupted from the members of the opposition. He went back on his seat as his colleagues seated next to him approved what he has said. The ruling party representatives, on the other hand, were showing signs of disagreements or criticisms.

The Minister took the podium again this time, and replied, “Then let me address a question to the Honorable Gentleman of what he is suggesting as a ‘more concrete, strict and stronger measures’. If the Honorable Gentleman is implying a tendency of offensive policies to be taken and practiced, then we shall see how this will outstretch the current tension and is considered a waste since ‘war’ is not what neither the North, nor us aim for. Not to mention how it would affect the economy, which has been our priority this period.”

Both supports and disagreements echoed the room again. The Minister carried on.

“Now, as the Honorable Gentleman has put judgment that the current policy has been a tool for the North to strike back at us, I shall approve that this has been one of the subjects we have been discussing internally at office. Yet this does not mean we would have taken drastic calculations as to interfere the cooperative and peaceful atmosphere which has been improving gradually, despite the slightly tense situations we have been facing. We did not see any rationale which will favor us if we decided to return with the previous strict and limited communication and policies with the North, in which the Honorable Gentleman may have preferred, as inquired earlier, yet may not serve as a solution to both the contemporary condition of the tension, or on the development of the relations of the North and South in the upcoming years!”

By that, the Minister took her seat again, and the debate continued, with both the ruling and opposition representatives pointing out each other’s weaknesses concerning the issue. Yet this was only the surface of it all.

The Minister is paying attention, but then she whispered something to the young man next to him, "Make sure you got it all. We'll take them back to the office."

"Yes, Ma'am."

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“That boy was unquestionably attracted to you.”

“Well, so? You want me to respond to that?”

“What? Positively? You’re into a high-school student?”

Krystal rolled her eyes and looked at him in the face, “Seriously? You’re asking me that question?”

She continued, “Positive, negative, whichever response I gave him just shows that I make a big deal out of it, Tae. And that makes me look like I act his age, which in fact, I am not.”

“Well, for him it was a signal that he still got a chance...”

Krystal and Taemin continued bickering with each other as they walked down the corridor of the reception hall back to their office. During the lecture and small tour session, the three of them noticed how one high-school student is trying to hit on Krystal by following right behind her when she leads the group for the tour and asking her too many questions. While Taemin is still trying to bug Krystal around with his questions as they go back to the office, Amber was walking in front of them, shaking her head as she hears how comical and childish they were while they are actually adults and officers already.

“Puh-lease. If I hadn’t known better, I would have guessed you had the mind and raging hormones of a teenage boy, or am I correct about that?” Krystal retorted back, again.

Taemin squinted his eyes and protested,“Hey! I am not!”

“If it were me, I would think Taemin has developed a crush on our Krystal here...”

“No, I’m not!” Taemin paused, “wait, that’s a guy’s voice.” He and the girls turned around, finally seeing the man, who then greets them.

 “How have you guys been doing?”

“Jinki-hyung!”

“Oppa!” the girls and Taemin hugged him.

“Heeey, my crew must have missed me a lot,” he laughed as they let go of him.

“Definitely! How was the States, hyung?” Taemin was too happy to see their team leader back.

“Yeah, how was it? What did you learn?” Krystal asked excitedly.

“And more importantly, why didn’t you tell us you’re going back already? We didn’t get any notice from the office either,” Amber said, which had gotten the attention of the other two.

“Still as sharp as ever,” Jinki said, “as for the experiences, I’ll tell you guys at lunch later. As for the reason I came back, we should now head to the Main Office.”

Jinki led the four of them as he walked in front, while the others now have a lot of thoughts going in their heads, since heading to the main office would only mean that they are going to meet the President himself. With Jinki coming back sooner than planned, the scenarios playing in their heads as options are not that pretty.

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I know I deserve death threats by not updating, and I might bore you guys to death with the update. I've been busy with some part-time jobs before, and now I'm settling in to a new place with such different activities and surroundings. Not to mention the writer's block :( So no more reasoning, I simply felt terrible by leaving you guys hanging, and coming back with another chapter which might bore you, in a way, and tease you in another. Who's who? Find out on the next one. Will be updating next week.