Jungjang Yoo Shi Jin looked at the folder that had just been delivered to his office and then walked to the window to stare out of it.  What was he going to do about this?  His wife was going to kill him.

With a heavy sigh, he returned to his desk and pressed the button on his phone, calling for his old friend, Seo Dae Young, to be sent to him. 

When Seo Dae Young arrived, he found Yoo Shi Jin standing by the window once more.  They should have greeted each other with formalities, but their friendship and history went far too deep for Yoo Shi JIn to allow for that in this moment.  Right now, what he needed was the wisdom and support from an old friend.

Which is why, fifteen minutes later, he was not pleased to find his old friend laughing at him.

“Are you actually laughing at my predicament right now?”

“Just pack your bags already,” Seo Dae Young told him.  “Where was it you used to go?  The department store?  If the Army doesn’t send you there anymore, jesu-ssi  surely will.” 

“This is not why I called you over,” Yoo Shi Jin whined.  “What am I going to do about this?” he asked, tapping the folder that now lay on the coffee table between them. 

“You didn’t know?  You really had no idea?”

“When Dae Joon said he wanted to attend the Military Academy, we agreed we’d keep our relationship a secret and I would avoid keeping tabs on him.  He wanted to be treated as an equal amongst his fellow classmates and I agreed.  I didn’t want him receiving any special favors just because of his background.”

“Honestly speaking, I was always surprised jesu-ssi allowed him to go to the Military Academy.”

“You know how your jesu-ssi is.  I think she thought Dae Joon going to the Military Academy would save us on tuition for medical school, that he’d walk the path of his keun eomma (Yoon Myung Joo), but even I hadn’t anticipated this.”

“I’ve heard from Dae Joon’s instructors at the Military Academy,” Seo Dae Young reported, turning serious.  “As a former drill instructor, people still talk to me.  From what I hear, he’s like a chip off the old block.  I know you’d hoped he would go to medical school, but wouldn’t that be a waste of his talent?”

Yoo Shi Jin sighed.  “I’m sure his mother would say this was a waste of his talent.”

Grabbing the folder from the table, he stood.  “It looks like I’m going to have to pay a visit to the Military Academy after all.”

#####

Yoo Dae Joon was studying in the library when one of his juniors ran up to him and told him he was wanted in the Jungjang’s office.  As he walked the distance from the library to the main building, he wondered at the summons.  He couldn’t fathom why the head of his school would be asking to see him.  Then he walked into the Jungjang’s office and instead of expecting to see one Jungjang, he found another.  His father.

He saluted immediately.

“At ease,” Yoo Shi Jin answered and gestured for his son to take a seat.  But, just as Dae Joon had been taught, he declined and instead, spread his legs apart and clasped his hands behind his back.  Father or not, the Jungjang was also his superior officer.

“I came to speak to you today because I received this year’s recommendation for recruits to the Special Forces team.”  Yoo Shi Jin held up the folder in his hand.  “Your name is on this list.”

“Yes, that is correct, sir,” Dae Joon immediately and properly answered.

“Do you really have to do this?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know what the work entails?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know how dangerous the work is?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you want your mother to kill me?”

“Yes, sir.  I mean, no sir.  That’s not what I meant, sir.” 

Yoo Shi Jin hid the smile that had crept over his face and instead tapped the folder against his hand, and asked, “I thought you wanted to go to medical school.”

For the first time, Dae Joon broke rank and said, “Abeoji, this is something I really want to do.  Growing up, I always listened to what you and harabeoji had to say about serving in the Army.  It’s true, I wanted to be a doctor like eomoni, but I also wanted to be a soldier too.  I thought I could be both, a doctor for the Army, but the more time I spent in classes and in the field, my desire to serve in the field outweighed my desire to serve in a hospital.  I finally understand what you and harabeoji talked about all these years.  I really want to do this and it’s not a decision I’ve made lightly.”

“Of course not,” Yoo Shi Jin said understandingly.  “I’ve never known you to be anything less than thoughtful and considerate in everything you’ve done, and you’ve always made me proud.  I’ve never had to worry about you and for that, I’m grateful.  But this time . . .

“As you know, I may be a jungjung in the Army, but at home, your mother’s the daejang.  That means, before I can sign off on this paperwork, you’ll have to convince your mother.  Consider this your first mission as a member of the Special Forces team.”

#####

Kang Mo Yeon had just finished leading a round with the residents and was walking back to her office at Haesung Hospital when a nurse told her she had a visitor waiting for her inside.  “Who is it?” she asked.

“Your son.”

“Really?”  Kang Mo Yeon immediately smiled and lengthened her stride.  It wasn’t often her son came to visit her at her workplace, especially when he was supposed to be at the Military Academy.  She wondered what could’ve prompted this unexpected but welcome surprise.

“Adul!” she cried out, throwing open her office door.

Yoo Dae Joon immediately stood and greeted his mother in the military manner to which he was now accustomed.  But, she too was used to that, and simply returned the greeting with a mother’s hug before pressing him to take a seat on the couch again.

“What’s this?” she asked.  “A visit from my precious son in the middle of the day?  How did I get so lucky?”

“I had some time today,” Dae Joon answered.  “So I thought I’d treat my precious mother to lunch.”

Kang Mo Yeon gave him an adoring look.  “This is why you’re my favorite son.”

Dae Joon laughed.  “Of course I’m your favorite son;