[Book 1] District 2
[ON-HIATUS] Heartbreaks and Survival: The 74th Hunger Games Tributes' Accounts
Book 1 | Before The Games
District 2 Tributes' Accounts
Chapter 2
The Cunning Fox
Just like District 1, District 2 is a Career District. Not considered as one of the wealthiest district, District 2 is Capitol's main supporters. They supply Peacekeepers to guard the districts, manufacture weapons and make trains. Children are trained for the Games, just like the first district. For them, volunteering for the Games is an honor.
A young boy, probably around his 14th year, entered the center with his black bagpack full. He fixed his gray leather jacket, zipping it up to his neck and placed his hands inside its pockets. He heaved a sigh, wandering around the familiar center for him. He has been a veteran trainee of more than four years, and his dream is to enter the games.
He was described as an evil and creepy young lad, with tons of girls watching him from afar during trainings. He's a fast runner, and easily gets focused. The kids who surround him thinks he's a strong and serious lad, but they think otherwise.
He entered the lockers of the center with a frown. No one is not yet around, and he's always the first one to arrive. The empty center has that deafening silence that makes him calm a little, but scares him whenever someone appears from nowhere. He placed his bagpack down and removed his thick jacket, causing him to breathe lightly.
"Hey, where's Sungmin?" a voice asked, making the young lad flinch. He turned around and saw an older male, probably around 17 or 18, leaning against the metal lockers on the opposite side. He removed his brown locks away from his eyes, revealing his blue eyes.
"Not yet here, Woohyun. But he'll be here," the young lad answered as he turned his back and opened his locker.
"When are you going to enter the Games, Kyuhyun? I mean, you're already a veteran in being the most cunning trainee, and yet you're still not joining," the older named Woohyun asked as he sat down on the benches in front of the lockers. Kyuhyun said nothing, focusing on getting his training paraphernalia and shoving his huge bag inside.
He then turned back around and headed to the lockers' shower room, still not answering Woohyun's question. The older didn't seem to bother, so he waited until the younger male went out of the locker, since he knows his flaws when it comes to him.
Kyuhyun the faucet, letting the cool water run through his body. It has been years that he has been training, and yet he still doesn't know what to do. Will he enter the Games or not? It has been years since someone volunteered for the Games, and maybe this year is his lucky year.
He stepped out of the shower room with two towels: one on his lower body and one draped on his shoulders. Woohyun is already dressed up with his black uniform, and currently brushing his hair with his hands. He then smiled and looked at Kyuhyun, who is now freshly bathed.
"Had a nice shower, FoxKyu?" the older asked as he turned around. Kyuhyun zipped up his training uniform and nodded, "Don't need to sugar coat the question, Woohyun. You just want to know when will I enter the Games."
Woohyun zipped his mouth shut and didn't further talked about it. The younger smirked and draped his two damp towels on the rack near the lockers. "See you later, Kyu," the older waved and left the lockers without another word.
Kyuhyun nodded and faced the mirror, combing his brown locks with his own hands. The question of entering the Games still lingers inside his mind, but the thought of volunteering has been set aside.
His sister, Ahra, did volunteer in the previous Games, but sadly she did not bring home the victory because of a Disrict 5 tribute who threw a knife into her heart and stabbed her multiple times. The horror of seeing his sister dead haunted him for almost three years, and yet he still needs to recover with the pain.
He was about to leave the lockers when someone entered, and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Good morning, Kyuhyun," he greeted and swiftly walked away, leaving the younger a smile. He turned around and caught the young male's eyes while he ped his bagpack.
"Glad you came, Sungmin," Kyuhyun greeted back as he re-entered the lockers. He sat down on the metal benches, staring at the male's swift and cautious moves.
The young male, who was named Sungmin, is a tall man, probably around his 15th or 16th year of age. He has black, short hair and his face is extremely young, and will be mistaken as a young by around 12 or 13.
"I know I have to train, Kyu. You know I can't stand a day without you beside me," Sungmin answered as he placed his neatly folded black uniform on the benches. The younger chuckled, "Don't need to be fluffy. You could just show your sweet tactics when you enter the Arena."
Sungmin looked up and looked at Kyuhyun, his eyes reading sadness and fear. The older's ultimate fear is to enter the Games, or worst, seeing his lover chosen to compete for the Games. The younger sighed and moved forward, feeling guilty with the group of words he uttered.
"I'm sorry. I know I should've said that. I just... you know..." he trailed off, his throat dry and his mouth left hanging. Sungmin sighed and held his boyfriend's hand, "It's okay. Besides, the Games give no mercy. And if I get picked, I'll just show my plastered personality to live."
Kyuhyun chuckled and kissed his lover's hand, glad and happy that he's here with him rather than in the clouds looking down on him.
--
"Are you sure you can do this?" a younger trainee, probably around 12, taunted Kyuhyun as he positioned himself to run. Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and just bent down to stretch, not making any single sound. His lover was at another station -- the camouflaging station -- spying on him while he gently copied the color of the tree trunk.
The younger trainee smirked, noticing that his opponent is not talking, "Silent type, eh? Well, let's see who's the fastest runner in this District."
The older scoffed, "No need to brag, little one. Besides, compared to you, I'm faster." The younger rolled his eyes, stretching his arm a little. Kyuhyun then positioned, his eyes reading fear to the others but competitiveness to his lover. Sungmin stopped painting for a while, and watched his lover take fight against the youngest trainee.
"On your marks, get set, go!" the trainer shouted and whistled. The younger trainee ran fast, but not as fast as Kyuhyun. The aim of the running station is to swiftly run fast and collect the things s/he can find at the Arena. The older trainee already circled the center, while the younger tried to catch up.
"I thought you're fast?" Kyuhyun taunted as he ran past him again for another lap. After a series of five laps, the younger trainee fell back, breathing heavily and gasping for air. As for the veteran, he didn't heavily breathe and smiled as he went to get a bottle of cold water.
The younger trainee stood up and shook Kyuhyun's hand, "It was nice training with you, Kyuhyun. I hope you could enter the Games now."
The older just faked a smile, with the words 'I hope you could enter the Games now' stuck inside his head. "Thank you," he uttered and left the running station, making way to the weapons' station.
He wiped his sweat using his white towel, and draped it on his shoulder. As he reached the weapons' station, he picked up a three knives and stood far away from the dummy. He threw his first knife, which effortlessly aimed at the stomach. Just then, someone clapped from behind, making him smile warmly.
"How long have you been standing there, Sungmin?" he asked as turned back to the dummy and threw another knife, aiming at the heart in that process.
"Just now," he answered as he turned and saw the bow and arrow station, which is luckily near the weapons' station.
"I saw you watching me at the running station," Kyuhyun teased as he threw the last knife, and luckily aimed at the heart again. The older trainee nodded as he raised the bow and positioned the arrow, wanting it to aim at the throat of the dummy.
"Well, I can't argue that you are the most cunning trainee in all of District 2, Cho Kyuhyun," the older chuckled and lets go of the arrow, aiming at the heart. He sighed, "I wanted the throat."
Kyuhyun then went to his place and looked at the arrow, "Well, you did aim the heart. Don't worry, the heart is better than the throat." Sungmin smiled a little, and pecked his lover's cheek. The veteran trainee blushed, earning a smile from the older.
--
It was already lunch time when Sungmin and Kyuhyun had a descent talk about their lives. "Some girls watched you run so fast that made their jaw drop because of it," he commented as he played with his spoon.
Kyuhyun looked up to him and smiled, "Well, I don't just please you, you know."
"Oh really?" the older trainee snickered as he pinched his boyfriend's ear. "Ow!" Kyuhyun exclaimed and rubbed his aching ear.
Sungmin chuckled and continued to eat peacefully, not bothering to tease his boyfriend again. He glanced at him again, and immediately Kyuhyun caught his eyes. "You seem problematic, Kyuhyun," he softly asked him as he held his boyfriend's hand.
The veteran trainee sighed, "It's just... it's too complicated, Min. I mean, trainees here want me to join the Games now, and I... I don't know, should I join or not?"
The older trainee's face darkened as he heard him utter the word 'Games.' His vision starts to blur and he's unable to speak. What has the Games have gotten into the trainees? It's okay for the other senior and veteran trainees to tell that to his boyfriend, but with new trainees lining up to compete with him and after competing with him they'll tell him to enter the Games.
Sungmin sighed and held his boyfriend's hands in both of his hands. "You can do this, Kyuhyun. If you get picked, then I'll volunteer. Don't worry about me, we will live, I promise."
He kissed Kyuhyun's forehead, making Kyuhyun smile bitterly. He could feel that Sungmin is scared, but he'll promise to protect him, no matter what.
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