"I can't hear you!" North stood in front of a tree. The five girls were hanging from the branches.
They struggled to pull themselves up. Through gritted teeth they yelled back "SIXTY FIVE!"
Kaesong slowly lost her grip then fell to the ground. She gasped for air.
North left her alone and turned his attention back to the four in the tree. "Kaesong you can be done…"
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" The fire had been fed with fuel. Nothing could stop Rason now.
"Yes it is. Now stop talking and finish." North hated doing this. But Dae Wonsu was watching.
"WHY?! WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?! TELL ME AND THEN I'LL FINISH!" Rason pulled herself up and Nampho slightly kicked her.
"Sixty six!" They were still in unison.
"Don't argue with me. Now finish." Controlling his voice, so he wouldn't yell back at her.
The four's arms started to shake and one by one they fell to the ground.
A sigh came from North's mouth. "You can all be done." He turned around and walked towards where the Dae Wonsu was standing. A firm hand grabbed North's shoulder. He simply shrugged it off and continued walking away.
Rason angrily ripped off the ankle weights and screamed, "I HATE YOU OPPA! I HATE YOU!"
Nampho took off her weights and kicked Rason's foot. "You have enough energy to scream, then you should have been able to finish your punishment!"
"That's different!" Rocketing onto her feet. Anger filled her whole body. "We were punished for nothing!"
"No. we were punished for not successfully doing our job." Pyongyang calmly took the weights off and stood to her feet.
"You're only saying that because you're perfect!" Rason began to walk over to Pyongyang, but Nampho and Sinuiju grabbed her arms. "All the officials like you and oppa likes you the most! And you know that you're favored around here!" Rason desperately tried to break away from her sisters' grip.
"That's not true…"
"Yes it is! Oppa wouldn't dare touch his precious princess!" Hot tears of frustration filled Rason's eyes. "He only wants to protect you!"
In one strong movement, Nampho pulled the fiery girl back. She spun her around and slapped her across the face. "Stop it Rason! Do NOT speak to your sister like that! Understand?!" A sudden inclination. Nampho, who was usually calm and quiet. Morphed.
"Why are you acting like a mother?! Just because you're second oldest!" Tears became to streak Rason's face.
"You know that you're speaking a lie!" Nampho hated yelling. "Oppa doesn't love any of us more than the other and you know that!"
Tick tick tick. The bomb had been set. "That's not true! You even know it! Have the officials ever praised you for anything?!" Rason couldn't control herself anymore. Frustration grew inside of her and spewed out the very small escape of her mouth. "They only tell Pyongyang unnie what a good job she did or how amazing she is. They don't care about us!"
Nampho silently huffed. Trying to stop her now was not wise.
"You've been given special status then stripped from it in just a few years! Until recently you became on a higher level again! Same with me! I'm only here for trading purposes! Why would they care for any of us?! Same thing happened to Hamhung and Chongjin! They keep changing their minds!"
A mumble came from Sinuiju's mouth.
"What did you just say to your unnie?!" Rason took a step forward, but Nampho grabbed her shoulders to keep her from moving.
Sinuiju rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're such a hypocrite unnie. Speaking against Pyongyang unnie, but wanting to be spoken against."
"Why you little!" Rason tried to go over to her little sister.
Nampho pushed her back with enough strength to stop her. "Rason! Stop this nonsense now!"
"UNNIE!" The four stopped arguing and looked over to a shriveled Kaesong. Her hands covering her ears and tears streaming her face. "Stop it! Please!"
No one could ever go against Kaesong. She was too innocent.
Pyongyang sighed. Sometimes Kaesong was the only reason why they stayed together as a family.