JSA - Opposites Attract

*Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of the movie, it is simply a fanfiction written on the basis of the events in the Korean movie JSA – Joint Security Area (2000).*

Note: Just to present a brief explanation on the naming system for the characters here:

-Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil
-Jeong Woo-jin
-Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
-Nam Sung-shik

The first name written here is their family name, such as Oh, Jeong, Lee and Nam. Their personal names are Kyeong-pil, Woo-jin, Soo-hyeok and Sung-shik. Oh Kyeong-pil is a sergeant in the North Korean army, while Lee Soo-hyeok is a South Korean soldier and eventually becomes a sergeant as well. Jeong Woo-jin is Kyeong-pil’s friend and subordinate, and so Nam Sung-shik is the friend and fellow comrade of Soo-hyeok.

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Chapter 1


Lee Soo-hyeok never forgot that night in the mine-field. It was an enormous field with taller-than-human vegetation, able to hide as well as confuse any soldier that was careless enough to traverse there. If it wasn’t for a moment’s distraction, he would have still been within the safety of his squadron, and would have not ended up within the grasp of the enemy…

His thoughts didn’t linger much about the reason why Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil had saved him, but rather on the gratefulness that he felt deep down, and the connection… purely human-to-human interaction that had occurred when he looked into the faces of those two ‘enemies’. Those so-called foes were the North Korean sergeant Oh Kyeong-pil, and his subordinate Jeong Woo-jin. The first meeting between the three had occurred when Lee Soo-hyeok stepped on a mine in that treacherous field. That night he was out with his patrol group on a military drill, and he simply stepped away for a moment due to nature’s calling… but in the meanwhile the head of their squadron had realized that they accidentally crossed over the border into enemy territory. Everyone retreated quickly, and when Soo-hyeok – unaware of any of this – turned to head back to his group, he had stepped on a landmine. Paralyzing fear tensed every muscle in his body, and he called out to the others, but there was no one there. He didn’t know how long he stood there, attempting to contact other soldiers of the South through the radio… until he heard someone approaching. Two Northern soldiers have come across him, apparently because they were chasing a small puppy. Holding his rifle at the ready, the young Southerner stood motionless, telling them not to come any closer or else he’d trip the wire. And he had every right to be frightened, especially due to his military training, which taught him that the Northerners looked for every opportunity to kill a Southerner. In Soo-hyeok’s panic-stricken state, he watched as the two soldiers heeded his warning about the mine and decided to leave. But before they got too far, Soo-hyeok called out to them and asked for their help – tears streaming down his face. It was an irrational thought by all standards – awaiting the help of your sworn enemy – and yet it miraculously came true. Against all what he had been taught before… it seemed that there was still some shred of humanity left in those foes… maybe they were not so different after all. After Sgt. Oh’s skillful handling of the landmine, Lee Soo-hyeok had speechlessly accepted the gift of the disarmed mine shell – from the man who saved his life. Just before the two Northern soldiers left, Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil lighted a cigarette and let out a long whistle out of the smoke, all the while keeping his gaze locked on the Southern soldier’s face in a wordless sign of companionship.

Not long after that incident, Soo-hyeok was out for another military drill with his Southern comrades. It was during a snowy, bitter winter, that his squadron traversed the woods along the border. Once they spotted something moving, the armed group stopped for a rabbit-hunt. But it seemed that the Southerners were too late – someone else had already caught the rabbit. And so two perfectly disciplined lines of armed soldiers came out into the open and stood face-to-face within the cold blizzard. Both sides pointed loaded rifles directly at each other, waiting for orders from their superiors. It was only when the leader of the Northern group began to step forward through the almost knee-high snow that Soo-hyeok recognized Sgt. Oh. Upon spotting the familiar face of Kyeong-pil, his weapon subconsciously lowered. However, he quickly brought the rifle back up when the soldier nearest to him gave the youth a questioning look. In the meanwhile, the Southern commander had also stepped forward, and the two opposing leaders exchanged cigarettes. Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil took a deep whiff of his cigarette and his gaze slid to the side, suddenly coming across Lee Soo-hyeok. The elder man paused with a slightly amused expression on his features, and his eyes remained on the Southern youth as he let out a breath of cigarette smoke with the same signature whistling sound as he did the night of their meeting. Soo-hyeok couldn’t help but return a bashful smile and avert his gaze, hoping that none of the other soldiers have noticed his unusual reaction to seeing the other.

Outside of special military missions, Lee Soo-hyeok spent most of the time on guard and patrol duty right at the border. It was so hard for him to keep his face straight when on guard duty – standing unflinchingly before an invisible line that foolishly separated “us” from “them”. Especially when he – the man to whom he owed his life - was right in front of him. This is because Sgt. Oh was also assigned the same duty, as was occasionally his Northern comrade Woo-jin. In moments like this, Kyeong-pil was standing not even a meter away from Soo-hyeok, within an arm’s reach, and directly on the opposite side of the divided territory. That calm and yet comforting face of Kyeong-pil was staring at him for hours, his body immobile and yet his eyes surprisingly expressive. He had all the time in the world to explore every interesting shape of the elder man’s features – his strong, high cheekbones, perfectly curved eyes, lips solemnly pressed together, while anything above his eyebrows was hidden by his large brown hat. Occasionally, the Northern sergeant showed a few amused smiles that made it difficult not to respond with the same expression.

During the night though, he was at his own guard post along with his friend, Nam Sung-shik, guarding the bridge that divided North and South Korea. He knew that in the small guard house on the other side, sat Kyeong-pil and Woo-jin, so he decided to write a letter to his newfound friend, especially to thank him properly for saving his life. Once Private Nam was asleep, Soo-hyeok slipped outside and threw a rock – to which a letter was attached – far over the bridge. He was utterly excited to find that his letters were returned in the same way, and now he could call his newfound friends as ‘brothers’. It was in one of those letters that Woo-jin suggested for Soo-hyeok to come over to their guard house – the enemy guard house. He couldn’t sleep the whole night from both fear and excited anticipation. It was the greatest taboo to cross over that line; it hadn’t been done since the end of the war, a half a century ago. But he truly wanted to finally meet up with them and have at least an open and unhindered conversation after such a long time of silent glances on daily guard duty. And so it was the first time Lee Soo-hyeok willingly crossed over the line… crossed over the bridge… and was greeted so warmly.

The nightly visits became a pleasant habit, each time they were drinking, eating and playing games – engaging in idle talk and then reluctantly parting ways. Soo-hyeok couldn’t help but notice Kyeong-pil’s gaze often pausing to stay a moment longer on him, and when the youth’s eyes turned to meet the other’s, both men exchanged pleasant smiles. The Southern soldier was happy to bring cassettes of South Korean music to his fellows in the North, and even brought some American trinkets – like a cigarette lighter for the sergeant – who was rather excited about the gift.

One day though, Soo-hyeok decided to bring his friend Nam Sung-shik over the bridge as well, although his friend was much more reluctant than him, and refused to step over the line. Just when Lee Soo-hyeok sighed in resignation at the stubbornness of Private Nam, the two Northern soldiers came out to greet them. Private Nam outstretched his hand almost fearfully as Sgt. Oh welcomed him and offered a hand shake, and just as their hands touched, Kyeong-pil sharply tugged him forward into something akin to a hug. With a tap on his back, the sergeant voiced, “You feel warm.” before letting go of the other. At the moment of the brief contact between his two friends, something other than happiness pulled at Soo-hyeok’s heart, and it must have been visible on his face, since Kyeong-pil’s piercing eyes instantly darted to meet his. The Southern soldier’s eyes slightly widened as he could have sworn that he saw a teasing expression on the other’s face, which nearly made him blush. Thanks to the sergeant’s boldness though, Private Nam was coaxed over to the Northern side for another pleasant evening of games and friendly conversation.

It was when the four of them began to regularly enjoy their time together during night patrol duties that they all began to feel inseparable. Soo-hyeok found out how experienced Oh Kyeong-pil was, and he listened carefully to every word the other said. It was amazing how the Northern sergeant always held himself respectably, while cracking a few jokes here and there, flashing a smile or two, and yet giving such wise and indispensable advice. Lee Soo-hyeok realized that he wanted to spend more time with him; there was something magnetic about his personality, his character, just him. The older sergeant would always rush to the youth’s aid whenever he was in trouble… although Sgt. Oh did enjoy also playfully scaring him from time to time… it drove Soo-hyeok crazy.

Like the one time when Kyeong-pil was enjoying the Choco pie that the youth had brought for him…

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“Mm, why can’t our republic make such great desserts?” Sergeant Oh exclaimed, while opening the packaging and taking the whole brownie into his mouth.

“Brother…” Soo-hyeok called out, just loud enough for the sound to carry above the laughter of the three soldiers. Kyeong-pil turned to glance at his companion, still chewing on the brownie, while lifting a questioning eyebrow. “What?”

“I was just wondering…” Sgt. Lee began softly, not sure of how to put his question into words. “…Would you like to come down South?” As soon as those words left the young Southerner’s lips, the entire guard-house was filled with silence. “You could… eat Choco cakes there till you burst!” Soo-hyeok said, trying to turn the unintentionally politicized subject-matter into a joke. “I mean…only if you want to…” He continued, feeling rather uneasy at the intense stare that he was getting from the Northern sergeant. Woo-jin and Sung-Shik have stopped playing their wrestling game with a surprised expression on their faces, while Sgt. Oh’s eyes widened in seeming shock, and he slowly took the half-chewed brownie out of his mouth.

“I’m going to say this only once, Lee Soo-hyeok, so listen carefully.” Kyeong-pil spoke slowly and clearly, every word being pronounced in such a threatening tone, that it was almost frightening. “I only wish that one day our republic would be able to make the best damn sweets in the whole peninsula! Got it? ...But until then… I’ll just have to dream about these Choco pies…” He finished his speech and deliberately took the brownie back into his mouth and continued eating it, while slowly coming up to Soo-hyeok with a growing smile and suddenly reaching forward to ruffle his hair.

“Ah, forget about it… you’re all just talk… eh, stop that!” Soo-hyeok called out with laughter at the playful touch, moving to the side and managing to slip away from the other’s grasp when the grinning Northern sergeant tried to catch him once more. In a few moments, the threatening atmosphere turned into an amusing playground, when everyone joined in the laughter. Just as Kyeong-pil moved to grab the youth’s torso, Soo-hyeok dashed backwards toward his fellow Southerner and voiced with a chuckle, “Sung-shik, Stop those commie bastards!” But apparently even his friend was in on the fun, and he was soon caught from all sides as they all joined in to the game of tackling each other down.

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One day, when the two Southern soldiers snuck over into the opposite guard-post once again, Nam stayed outdoors to teach Woo-jin another trick in cleaning his boots, while Sgt. Oh and Sgt. Lee (now a sergeant due to his promotion) remained inside, cracking open a few nut-shells and eating walnuts.
“I’m telling you, some of the stuff you guys have down South is not so bad. Especially the music… and the sweets. It’s nice that you’re bringing them here.” Kyung-pil said with a smile, while crushing another walnut.

“Heh, I’m glad I can do that for you, brother.” Soo-hyeok answered with a grin, watching as the other ate goofily, while he leaned more comfortably against the table nearby. But then a brief thought crossed his mind, and Sgt. Lee’s smile faded. “Kyeong-pil, do you think… do you think that all this can continue?” He asked quietly, while Sgt. Oh swallowed the last piece of walnut before locking his gaze onto the youth’s. Soo-hyeok could have sworn that he saw something akin to worry in his companion’s eyes, but it was so brief that it might as well have been his imagination. But then the elder man moved forward with a determined step, slow but forceful, and with no legible expression on his face. It was one of those moments when Soo-hyeok’s heart leaped into his throat almost in panic as well as anticipation, since he had no idea what to expect from his ‘comrade’. Nonetheless, the felt glued to the spot, even though he knew that the sergeant didn’t have any ill intentions.
“Lee Soo-hyeok…” Sgt. Oh voiced in his low, deep tone. “…is there something that upsets you?” He asked softly even though his demeanor seemed almost threatening, while his face was so close to Soo-hyeok, that the youth was lost within the depth of his eyes – utterly speechless. “I-… no… nothing, I just… wouldn’t want this to end.” He managed to speak in a shaky tone, feeling suddenly nervous at their close proximity.

“Ah… so young, so naïve, so inexperienced…” Kyung-pil said slowly with a smile, deliberately taking in the youthful features of his counterpart. The sergeant found Soo-hyeok’s eyes irresistibly large and ever surprised, and his features gentle and almost on the verge of constant pouting. Soo-hyeok’s breath hitched in his throat as he practically felt the other’s eyes sweep over him, and the sudden closeness of the other soldier’s body was quickly making his own body temperature rise.
“You know…” The Northerner began in his alluringly deep tone, leaning forward to bring his lips close to the other’s earlobe. “I can… take care of you, Soo-hyeok…” Sgt. Oh said in his thick, smooth voice, which traveled with his hot breath right against Soo-hyeok’s skin. “Would you like that…?” Kyeong-pil continued, while pressing his left palm down onto the table beside the other and effectively trapping him between the object onto which the youth was leaning, and himself. The younger soldier couldn’t help but inhale a sharp breath at the sensation, his own lips trembling as he suddenly felt the other’s soft crests brush against his cheek, before the older male pulled back to gaze at him.

“…I..I- am not sure wha-“ The youth began, before being abruptly cut off by his companion. “Yes or no, soldier?” The demand sounded formal and straightforward, and Soo-hyeok couldn’t take his eyes off of the man before him. Realizing that his heartbeat was going at least twice as fast as normally, and that a tingling sensation ran through his entire body from the mere look that the other was giving him, he swallowed audibly before parting his lips and replying, “Yes…”

This was the answer that Sgt. Oh was hoping for, and then a seductive smile came across his lips. “Good…” He gently tilted his head to the side and leaned forward to close the distance between them, pressing his mouth against the plump lips of the youth before him, and closing his eyes at the intimate sensation. Soo-hyeok emitted a quiet sound of pleasure into the kiss, parting his lips more and reaching up to brush his fingers through the other’s silky black hair. Kyeong-pil took the opportunity to intensify the kiss and press more heavily against the man before him, while letting his hands slide over Soo-hyeok’s thighs. He then abruptly lifted him up to bring the youth to a more comfortable, sitting position on the table. The Northern sergeant’s mouth pulled away only for a moment as he breathed heavily against the other’s lips, before moving forward and settling his hips in between the other’s spread thighs. Soo-hyeok gasped and groaned softly at the sudden change in position, and tangled his fingers in the other man’s hair, while his other hand slid down to brush over the sergeant’s face. “Nnh… Kyeong-pil…” He murmured, capturing the other’s intense gaze with his own, before letting his eyes flutter shut as the other's mouth pressed against his jaw and left a wet trail of kisses over his cheek. It all felt just too good to stop…

And then the sound of excited chatter right behind the entrance door forced them to break their next kiss.

“Heya, did you guys leave any walnuts for us?” Came the question from Sung-shik, as he and Woo-jin entered the guard house. Kyeong-pil had already put a small distance between him and his Southern comrade, before giving Soo-hyeok a lasting sultry look and turning around to adjust his uniform and greet the two. “Ah yes, help yourselves, gentlemen.” He said, gesturing to the opened walnut shells. Soo-hyeok on the other hand, was still out of breath and in no state to speak yet, letting his gaze wander over the broad back and shoulders of Kyeong-pil.

“Hey! Your hair is all messy, what were you doing here without us, trying to take a nap?” Woo-jin asked with a chuckle, to which everyone else laughed light-heatedly.

“Yes… trying to get to ...bed… would be a more appropriate answer.” The North Korean sergeant muttered under his breath with a smile, while glancing back to Soo-hyeok, who looked so adorably bashful. Soon enough, they all joined together in their usual activities for the night, before parting ways until the next day.


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Note: Please review! I would love to hear what you think a