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The Resistance

As a child, Kwang-Ik never would have predicted that he would have a future as a baker. Neither his father nor his mother were in the culinary type fields. In fact his father was a manager at the bank while his mother stayed home to watch over him and his younger brother. Of course his father wanted him to be in business or follow in his footsteps at the bank but world events prevented Kwang-Ik from entering university.

At the age of 14 his country entered the largest and most deadly world war to date. At time, Kwang-Ik was too young to join and help protect his country but his father was at the ripe age of 39. All eligible men were to join the army and thus, when the day came for his father to join, was the last day Kwang-Ik ever saw his father again.

With his young brother only 7 years old, Kwang-Ik saw it as his responsibility to provide for his family while his father was away. Along with his mother, they both sought to find some kind of work. Some would say Kwang-Ik was lucky to have found work as a baking assistant and but Kwang-Ik saw it as a curse.

Due to a rare condition, Kwang-Ik was not allowed to eat gluten. Therefore all the free food in the form of bread, he wasn't allowed to eat due to it making him ill. In the time of war, citizens were fighting for the chance to have rice or bread to fill their stomachs but Kwang-Ik had to live with a temptation he couldn’t have. If he was lucky, he was able to find someone to trade their rice for his bread but the deal was hardly ever fair because bread could have filled him up more than the small sack of rice.

This curse as a baker would continue into his old age but there was one day that he decided being a baker was a blessing in disguise; that would be the day he met the lovely Kim Misook, his future wife.

Misook was also from an average household that found a living during the war doing work as a seamstress. Before the war, her father was a tailor and showed his daughter the trade while she was growing up therefore when he left for the war, she was able to move to a factory and make uniforms for the army. Due to the factory being in the city, she and her family moved closer and this was the reason Kwang-Ik and Misook met.

When the ration cards were issued, the factory workers were able to buy bread therefore every Thursday Misook would go to the bakery and get her loaf of bread for the family along with her mother who also worked in the factory. Kwang-Ik wasn’t blind to her beauty and he would show his affection by saving the larger loaf of bread especially for her. Although they were young and their country was going through a very rough period, love blossomed into a marriage. At the age of 17 Misook and Kwang-Ik married. It was exactly 1 month before Kwang-Ik turned 18 because that would be when he had to enlist in the army.

When Kwang-Ik left for the army he left without knowing that his wife was one-month pregnant due to a honeymoon baby they conceived. Kwang-Ik found himself near the end of the war as he entered so the tribulations of the warfront were not as bloody and he found himself relaxing more than actually fighting. However, it wouldn’t be until the Party took over the political system 2 years later that Kwang-Ik would be able to return home to his wife and daughter.

Everyone was ecstatic that the Party was the new political system in the country that sought to end the poverty and build up a nation that was not torn apart from war. The Party established more jobs in the government sector, that the civilian sector could sell goods to, which also bumped up personal enterprises to build the economy once again. There was also compulsory schooling that was provided for all children up to the age of 17 and then free university education for those that had children in the government sector.

Kwang-Ik decided to set up his own bakery while his wife did some seamstress work at home so she could watch over their daughter that was now 4 years old. Since they did not work a government job, they received one ration card for the household but Kwang-Ik realized he could use rations to pay for the bread he sold thus he created a system of people trading in rations for bread instead of goods or now a useless currency the country had before. Kwang-Ik and his wife were happy. They could provide for their family and live a pretty comfortable lifestyle. Then when their daughter was 5 years old, Misook became pregnant with their second child, a boy.

Kwang-Ik was even happier when his son was born. His son, Taecyeon, had a unique interest in baking and would offer help whenever he could. This was the second time that Kwang-Ik did not see his baking career as a curse. As he spent time at home with his family, Kwang-Ik could ignore what was happening outside in a country that was going through a major political revival.

That was until the day his son Taecyeon was accepted into the university system.

It was difficult to put both his children into university but Misook and Kwang-Ik worked hard enough to do just that. Kwang-Ik was busy at the bakery so he couldn’t attend his son’s initiation ceremony but Misook and his daughter left later in the day to meet Taecyeon at the university. His wife and daughter took the subway that afternoon along with over 100 passengers. Then reality hit. A bombing on the subway killed 38 people including his wife and daughter. That was the day Kwang-Ik saw the reality of what his country was going through. The Party was favoring certain people and taking out private businesses causing a reform group called the Resistance to form. The Party gave a detailed assessment of the situation that lead to the Resistance attacking the main line that lead into the government section but Kwang-Ik only knew one thing. He lost a huge portion of his life and reason for living.

Two days later, Kwang-Ik and his son attended the mass funeral of the passengers that perished in the subway attack and the Party gave some compensation for the family as they saw the act of terrorism something their people should not have to pay for. A few days later he saw his son get more absorbed in the happenings of the Resistance and dedication to schooling. Kwang-Ik hardly got his son to stay in the bakery with him but his son would at least spend morning s with him to help with the times when they were busy but that was the only commitment he could get from the boy.

Did Kwang-Ik blame the Resistance for the loss of his wife and daughter like his son? That is something Kwang-Ik would never admit to but there was some bitterness with the mention of the group however Kwang-Ik never looked to put hate on the group. He couldn’t change the past but he could look to the future he still had with his son. That was the best he could do with his life that had lost half its meaning.

 

When a girl named Jessica Jung showed up at his shop he knew that she lost her family but he never would have thought his family would be the one that she sought solace in. At first he thought of how the girl would slow down the business or how he would feed the girl but in a few weeks he saw similarities with his deceased daughter. Having a young girl around made him smile a bit more. Never once did he forget his daughter or replace her with Jessica but it made his heart swell a bit more.

That was why the day Jessica came in saying she found work elsewhere crushed his heart once more, “You found other work?”

Jessica nodded, “Yes. I wanted to thank you for keeping me here all this time. Since the government workers came, I think this is the best time for me to move on.”

The old man was baffled to when the girl had time to go out and look for work. Was it a safe job? “Where is it?”

Jessica shifted in her spot some more thinking of how to avoid the mention of the Resistance, “My friend found me a comfortable job in the civilian sector. I feel bad for taking advantage of your kindness so I thought it best I found a way to support myself.”

The old man wiped his hands on his apron, “Are you sure? Taecyeon considers you a close friend so you are more than welcome to stay.”

“I am sure. Thank you again for your hospitality.”

The old man couldn’t argue, “I see. Do come and visit every once in a while then.”

Jessica gave a 90 degree bow, “Thank you.” The girl left the kitchen of the bakery to pack up what little belongings she collected which wasn’t much. She looked down at the coin in her hand:

“If you show this at the place where we first met, they will take you to another building. I will be waiting for you there.”

She closed her hand around the coin before taking her bag and slugging it over her shoulder. Of course she was uncertain to what she just got herself into but she found a strange acceptance into everything Taeyeon told her. The truth. She was willing to give anything to find out the meaning behind the 5 letter word.

Remembering the building was on the way to her old university, Jessica walked a familiar path she took on occasion with Taecyoen.

Jessica skipped happily next to Taecyeon as she held her bread, “Are you sure your dad won’t kill you for giving me this?”

Taecyeon laughed, “I think he likes you.”

Jessica cocked her head, “Am I special?”

“I think it is your eyes. They look like my sisters.”

Jessica’s face saddened as she heard Taecyeon mention his sister, “Oh…”

Taecyeon knew what Jessica was thinking so he ruffled her hair playfully, “Don’t give me that look. It doesn’t make him feel sad. My dad thinks of all the positive memories and looks into the future more. I think he sees you as a part of our future.”

“Your future?’

“Maybe my future wife?” Taecyeon suggested.

Jessica looked at the boy to see if he was joking or if there was some truth behind his words, “You want to marry me?”

Taecyeon looked back with a grin to mask whatever he was thinking, “Silly girl. Why would I marry someone who looks like my sister!”

Jessica broke from her daze as she saw the building with the familiar broken window. This time there was no music and the place looked almost abandoned but she remembered Taeyeon to meet her here so the girl must be around somewhere. She grabbed her bag tightly as she approached the door. With a light knock, she wasn’t greeted so she knocked a bit louder. She could hear the clanking of a latch being released before a person opened the door, “This isn’t a place for young girls.”

Jessica held out her hand with the coin, “Heads or Tails?”

The person looked at the coin and recognized the password so he opened the door wider, “Go to the door behind the bar.”

Jessica almost jumped when she heard the door slam shut and the latch return to the door but she decided not to look back. Instead her focus was on getting to the door behind the bar.  She passed through the narrow opening to get to the bar and then opened the door behind the bar. She was a bit confused to why she was in a storage room but the person who opened the front door for her, appeared and moved aside a few boxes to reveal a button that opened a wall, “Go through.”

Jessica couldn’t have been more fearful of what laid behind the cement but she had made up her mind a while ago and was going to see this through. When she said she had nothing to lose, she was living by those words. She was hoping Taeyeon was going to lead her to something that would give purpose to her life. She was going to enter the Resistance and find out the truth behind killing her parents. She wanted the truth and she was going to lay down everything to find out who were the ones that took away everything that she held dear.

When Jessica passed through the initial opening the person who moved the boxes just pointed to go down the hall while they closed the door behind her. There was no going back at this point. The hallway was narrow and lit with only one lamp but the walk was short so not much lighting was needed to get to the next set of doors. She sighed at the fact that there was so many doors to get through. However, she didn’t even have to knock on the door as it just opened revealing Taeyeon. There were so many emotions Jessica wanted to express to see Taeyeon again. Her nerves were taking a wild rollarcoaster ride from the time they parted until now. She was happy to be in the girl’s presence again so she did the sensible thing and gave the girl a hug.

Taeyeon let out a giggle, “I wasn’t expecting a hug.”

Jessica let go embarrassed, “I was...just...”

“Happy to see me?”

Jessica blushed, “Yeah...”

Taeyeon let out a hardy laugh, “I wasn’t going to abandon you and have you killed or anything.”

“It is just...unsettling? Going into an unfamiliar place.”

Taeyeon guided Jessica through the door before latching it, “I understand. So you were just happy to see someone you knew. Not really me per se.”

Jessica scratched the back of her head, “Yes and no?”

Taeyeon patted the confused girl on the back, “Don’t worry. I will be around with you most of the time now. I have to take responsibility for the member I bring in.” Looking down at the bag Jessica was carrying, “You don’t seem to have that many belongings.”

“Most of my things were destroyed.”

Taeyeon nodded as they made their way through what looked like an underground bomb shelter. The walls were raw cement smoothed to made a well-crafted tunnel but she had yet to see any doors or hear people. Jessica noticed some fans above near the lights that guided their path but there was only one door. It was not like all the other doors she had to go through so far. This one had a turn wheel almost like they were going to crack a safe. Jessica watched as Taeyeon manipulated the door until it swung open.

As the door made a single crack, the noise could be heard. She could hear people chattering and sounds of possibly craftsmen at work. The place was a live with a city of people underground. When she walked through, she saw an underground bunker that was similar to the civilian sector above them. There were tents and stations of people selling things and kids running around playing with dated toys while parents either shopped or walked around talking. Yet there was something drastically different than the above civilian sector. Unlike the one above, the one owned by the Party, this one was full of life. People had smiles and were not desperate to make the sale for the day. Kids were playing and not in the shops helping their parents make an extra cent/ration. The kids were actually doing what they were supposed to be doing at their age. It was a strange sight. A strange sight to see so many people smiling.

“Jessica?” Jessica looked over to Taeyeon who was apparently talking to her, “This is the common area. You can buy goods here if you need. Whatever job you take on will pay you enough to buy certain things from here. We use our own currency as you will find out in your job, but it will be enough to give you a comfortable life.” Jessica nodded as she looked around some more before the two of them continued to go into the bunker. As they passed people, Jessica took note that people would say hi to her even though they didn’t know her and some would greet Taeyeon by name. Was Taeyeon some sort of celebrity? Or are all people this friendly?

“I am going to take you to the sleeping quarters. Boys and girls are separated and there is a further separation by rank. Higher rank get better rooms and such. If you marry or have family, different sleeping situations are provided. Since you are new, you start at the bottom.”

“So we won’t live together?”

Taeyeon stopped and looked at Jessica, “I am at a higher rank...my room is with only 4 people. You will have around 50 girls.”

Jessica’s jaw dropped, “50? There are that many people in the Resistance?”

Taeyeon laughed, “I think we have around 1900 that live underground and maybe 1400 that live in the civilian and government sectors above.”

Jessica thought to how many people lived in the country and the numbers were pretty shocking to how many people were actually involved in the Resistance, “That is amazing.”

Taeyeon laughed, “Remember, we have been around almost as long as the Party. We had time to grow. Just because you think you don’t see us, doesn’t mean we aren’t there.” Taeyeon opened a door showing a room full of bunk beds. Before they walked in further, Taeyeon turned to the clipboard by the door to see a floorplan that had names written per bed, “34 is open. I guess you will take that bed.” Taeyeon wrote down Jessica’s name before showing her bed 34. It was to the right of the door near the back but Jessica was able to follow the numbering so it wasn’t too hard to find, “So you have a chest here with a lock. You can put your things in here. Nothing will get stolen but if for some reason it does, the person will get caught. Security is something the Resistance prides itself on.”

Jessica looked down at the chest that had a lock so she threw her things in there and locked it whilst taking the key with her, “Are there sleeping rules like curfew above?”

Taeyeon nodded, “You are level 9, the lowest so you have the most rules to obey. Lights out at 11pm unless you were on assignment and come back later. Meal times are at 6am, 11:45am, and 6pm. We do have a wake up call for the whole camp at 5am but some sectors don’t have the alarm set. That is for those that have night related jobs so they work on a very different schedule than others but to be set on jobs like that, you need a higher level anyway.”

“What level are you?”

Taeyeon smiled as if expecting that question, “Two.”

“Is that good?”

Taeyeon rubbed the back of her neck, “I would say so. Level one is for the group of leaders. They are the only ones allowed to have double rooms. Level two has 4 to a room, level three is 6, level four is 10 and so on. You get the gist I assume.”

“How did you get to a high rank?”

“Experience. That is the only way to move up.”

“So you have been in the Resistance a long time?”

Taeyeon laughed, “Practically my whole life.”

Jessica thought, “How long do people usually stay at level 9?”

“Depends. Your job could move you up a rank immediately but on average 3 months to a year. We try to leave this area for those that just come in. I spent my longest time at level 6. I was there for nearly 7 years.”

Jessica gasped in astonishment, “Why so long there?”

Taeyeon kicked off from leaning on the bed frame, “Maybe another time. Why don’t I show you where to wash up and get food. You need to know where things are if this will be your new home.”

--------------------------------

Taeyeon sat down next to Jessica who was picking at her tray of food, “You don’t like it?”

Handing Jessica her drink Jessica gave a weary smile, “So we can’t leave to go up and visit people anymore?”

Taeyeon raised her eyebrow, “No. You can if you want but you should wait till after the training period. They will teach you ways to survive as a part of the Resistance. Also you will most likely have a job that will allow you to go up.”

“What kinds of jobs are there?”

“I think any kind you are interested in. We are like a separate society so we have everything to make a community work.”

“What jobs make you go up?”

“Most do to get certain goods but the ones that go up the most are related to information gathering or military reasons.”

“You go up a lot. What are you? Level two sounds military related.”

Taeyeon chewed her food while she shook her head, “Not really. I do information gathering and bomb disposal.”

Jessica’s mouth dropped, “Like real bombs?” 

Taeyeon laughed, “Yes.”

“Why would the Resistance need someone like that? I thought they just set off bombs.”

Taeyeon laughed, “The Party teaches you some interesting things but you will learn a few things during your training why bomb disposal is a huge part of what we do and our mission.”

“How did you get into that?”

The smile disappeared from Taeyeon’s face, “My parents died because of a bombing. I want to be the one preventing innocent people from getting killed do to acts of violence like planted bombs.”

Jessica thought back to how her parents were killed, “My parents and sister died that way too.”

Taeyeon let out a sigh, “Well...the past is something we can’t change so all we can do is to work hard for the future.”

Jessica nodded, “I want to make a difference. I don’t want to be trapped down here.”

Taeyeon nodded, “If you want that. The trainers will make sure you are in a job that will let you. You have a say in everything you do here so you can voice your opinion here. It is okay.”

Jessica nodded, “I better pay attention in training. I keep learning new things.”

Taeyeon flashed a smile, “Your world is going to do a 180 but it is a ride you can enjoy but if anything becomes too much to handle, I will be here for you...always.”

 

 


Author's Note

Now that you learned a bit about the past and now a bit about future things. I will be showing more and more about the Resistance as we go. More things about Taeyeon will be revealed and I may talk about the story behind Taeyoen's time in Level 6. I keep saying action will come but the story is just starting! Give me a bit of time to get Jessica settled into the place.

Please comment! I still want to know how you like the progress or if things start to get too confusing.

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Thank you!
Catsba
Merry merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Comments

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jungcactus #1
Chapter 3: i have been putting this off since it is unfinished but oh well it is taengsic and i need my dose of them since i have been cheating with Kelsic. here i am redeeming myself as a taengsic shipper
cookie1026
#2
Chapter 47: And you just had to end it with a bang. lol! Taeyeon finally figures out some of the spies within the Resistance but then she gets quite the reality check when Seohyun mentioned what the Resistance had done to Jessica's family when the latter was still part of the Party. Does this mean that Taeyeon was behind that blast that fatally killed Jessica's family and displaced Jess' position in the Party? If so, then it'll probably ruin what she has with the former Party member.

Or it could be that Jessica is also a spy for the Party and has been working on the Resistance' downfall to exact revenge for her family... and we still don't know that yet but her getting close to Taeyeon was a ploy to blindside everyone? :3

And then, that huge blast... I'm assuming that it came from their hiding place and that Seohyun and her lackeys were the ones behind it. I'm just hoping that Taeyeon survived that one and managed to find Won Bin at the last minute... Sorry for the late comment. I've been on and off grid while chilling in quarantine. Happy Holidays and thank you for this wonderful gift! :D
katia_97
#3
Chapter 47: I think it has been a while since I last commented, thank you for updating :)
I can't wait to read the rest of this story, but I don't have a choice hahaha
Take care and happy holidays!
SammyHwang09
#4
Chapter 43: Omyghad my mind is having a breakdown haha thinking who's the rat in the resistance. Also why I feel like that Sica is hiding something??? Nauuuur because if she is, what will happen to Tae?
Saralizz321
#5
Chapter 47: Oh my goodness I haven’t commented in such a long time! It looks like things are getting intense, I love it! Thank you for continuing to update this amazing story :)
Taenykim_N
#6
Chapter 47: Thanks for the update Pls update more.advance merry Christmas
alwaysdivine #7
Chapter 47: YOU HAVE UPDATED!!!
DreamEncantamiento #8
Chapter 7: Hi! Wow this chapter was great! I enjoy reading it, yay! TaengSic are finally in the same place, it looks like the Resistance is living a better life than the ones that are with the Party, I wonder what kind of job will Jessi choose, will she go and visit Taec's father? . Thanks author, you did amazing, keep going, good luck (^-^)v
DreamEncantamiento #9
Chapter 6: Hello! This was a nice chapter, I enjoy reading it a lot, Jessi is a brave girl, Taeng is a good Hero, she's always in time to save Jessi. Thanks author, you did amazing, keep going, good luck (^-^)v
DreamEncantamiento #10
Chapter 5: Hi! Wow this chapter was great! I enjoy reading it, woah TaengSic are having some adventures, was the "ghost" Changsung? Well now Jessi needs to know or acept that Taeng is not with the Party. Thanks author, you did amazing, keep going, good luck (^-^)v