This story took place in 1960, right after the big war between the South and the North taken place. When the peace declaration was signed off between the two divisions, all of the soldiers were release off duty and they finally were able to breathe the fresh air and returning home to their birth land.

And there was Yunho, still in his military uniform, shoulders carrying an army bag containing all of his belongings while in his hand, he was holding his train ticket back to his hometown, Gwangju. He was exhilarated to finally be able to go home, can’t wait to meet his newly wedded wife. He is an orphan, grew up in a home and met with the neighbor’s daughter to fall in love at the first sight and be wedded the day after. They didn’t even manage to consummate their wedding night when the war broke out, summoning every eligible male to defense their country. After six years through the hell of war, it finally ended and here he is, on a train that will take him home,

that is… if the fate allows it.

Yunho had just finished tucking his bag into the luggage compartment when he saw a man, thinner than him, was struggling to put his luggage into the compartment next to his. Being a good citizen he was, he wasted not another moment longer to assist the other. As soon as he was finished with the task, he caught a pair of beautiful brown eyes staring at him, the owner of the luggage. The eyes were so mesmerizing, he could swore he was caught in a trance before the motion from the train pulled him out, back to reality. Unfortunately for him, the train took a toll on them, causing them to lose their footings with him ended up landing right on the other’s lean body. Embarrassment over his own clumsiness that he couldn’t hold up his earlier gentleman act till the end, he quickly got off the other, hate to crush the stranger with his weight and offered his hand for help.

“Sorry about that, are you alright?” The other took his offered hand and was being pulled up. The man straighten himself and conducted himself in a proper manner, tells Yunho a lot on how well the other was being raised.

“I’m fine. It was not your fault. Thanks for earlier.” The voice was sweet and gentle as well, Yunho noted. Another motion took a toll and this time, Yunho was readied, instead both of them fall off their feet again, Yunho embraced the other, while his other free hand held onto the seat backrest to ground his gravity, avoiding the second fall. This time he noted how prefect and pleasant the other’s smell, he’ll be caught as a ert if he kept dwell in this feeling, as soon as he felt the stranger was gaining his balance, he let him go.

This time he heard the stranger cursed something but didn’t catch the words behind it.

“I think I’m just going to sit down. Thanks again.” The stranger moves to an empty seat and sits down, bringing his bag into his lap as he rummaged for his book. The rest of the train ride was eventless with Yunho casually dozed off every now and then and when he wasn’t, he would stare at the stranger’s side profile from the back seat, looking at him who was absorbed in the book he was reading. Probably it is a good book, Yunho’s simple thought. 

Everything should have gone through according to plan, with Yunho’s train heading straight to his hometown, he should be able to meet his wife by dinnertime today, except, something had gone wrong halfway there.

Here he is, standing dumbfounded in front of the bus stop as he checked into the schedule for the next bust to his hometown. It’s weird he remembered he brought the train ticket all the way but somehow his ticket stopped at a town 100 miles before his hometown. He sighed, some tough luck, he must had his ticket mixed up somehow, and now he had to get off before he even reached his destination, another sigh broke off from him.

The bus came eight minutes late than what it stated on the schedule but Yunho couldn’t bring himself to complain anymore. He was determined to not letting small things like this dampens his spirit, he was on his way home and by any means, he’ll get there somehow.

Just as he entered the bus, his eyes caught a familiar face, the stranger that he met on the train earlier. He was going to greet him but the gloomy looks on the other tell him that it’s better if he left him alone, it’s not like they’re friends or anything. Instead he settled back at a seat one row in the back of the other, settle down in his seat and eyeing the view out the window. It was a nice town, the place seemed a lot more like a country-side than the busy streets full with steamed cars. Or any smokes and pool of blood from the battlefield. He squeezed his eyes shut over those horrid memories. A soldier discharged from service always carries scars, whether it’s physical or memories. The memories of people dying, comrades or enemies. At least here, he could still see carriage and horses around the place, a completely different view than what he used to. He smiles as he saw little children running around the pedestrian walk, he took the moment to feel grateful that he was still alive to see this.

Just as Yunho was daydreaming into the future that awaits him in his hometown, a group of men, chuckling and talking loudly disturbed his peace. He turned to look at the direction of where the disturbance came from and frown. The men, well looks more like gangsters were picking on the stranger, he can’t just look at it and do nothing.

“Well, well look what we have here. I see you’ve back in town.”

“Just leave me alone worthless. I’m not in the mood to play with you. ”

“Oh, come on. We haven’t see you like ages, let’s hang out. You’re going to have a great time with us. I guarantee.” One of the men pulled on the stranger’s arm while he resisting. Yunho thought he had already seen enough.

“Let him go. You better do it while I’m asking this nicely. He doesn’t want to go with you.” Yunho did like what every superhero did in his favorite manhwa while saving a damsel in the stress. He grabbed onto the thug’s hand that was holding onto the stranger’s arm, hard enough so that he let go and glared at the three of them in the eyes.

“Now be a good citizen and leave. You’ve caused enough attention as it is”

 “Who the er does he think he is. Get him boys” the leader out of the three of them command while the other two launched toward Yunho, trying to hold him in place and attacking him. Yunho avoided the attacked and managed to send two punches to the man before the bus driver pulled on the break and stopped.

“Get off, all five of you. I don’t want trouble makers on my bus. If you want to fight so much, get off the bus. ”

Well that’s certainly a turn of event. The thugs ran off as soon as Yunho finished giving them a lesson after they got off the bus, leaving Yunho with the stranger by the street.

“You just have to use violent don’t you” The stranger said, Yunho turned his attention to him as he started walking along the street, heading to a certain direction.

“Well they started it. No words of thank you from you?” Yunho retorted back.

“It would have ended quietly if you didn’t interfere.”

“So this is my fault?”

“What do you think? Now I have to walk all my way back, thanks to you. ” The stranger grumbled as he pull his luggage along with him. It looks heavy and the stranger was already sweating. Yunho felt a bit sorry for that.

“Is it far where your home is? I can help you with that.” Yunho took the luggage handle and carried it in ease.

The stranger stopped in his steps and slumped down on the ground, hands covering his head as he ruffles his hairs in messing it manner.

“Damn it. I’m screwed. I’m so screwed.” Yunho eyed the stranger in question.

“Are you okay? Is there anything I can help you? Look I’m sorry I got us kicked off the bus, I’ll make it up to you. Somehow.”

“This is not something you could help, soldier.” The stranger retorted back.

“Then, Yunho. My name is Jung Yunho, and I would like to help you.” The stranger eyed him for a moment before he sighed deeply and took out a piece of paper from his bag. He was stressed and frustrated and having someone suddenly offer to listen to him made him break up, he needed someone to let his emotion off. He’s been holding it in all by himself for too long.

 Yunho took the paper offered to him and read through the content. It was a break up letter, saying that the other couldn’t committed.

“So your problem is your broken relationship with a free-spirited guy? No fence mate but you could do a lot better than that. ” Yunho tried to placate the situation.

“I’m pregnant.” The stranger’s reason put a halt into all Yunho’s thought. He continued, “I thought what we had was real, alright. I gave everything to him, dedicated myself to him and when I found out about this ” he rubbed his still flat tummy, he vented out his frustration. “You know what did he said, ‘I need time’ Time… time? For what, to accept the fact that I had his child in me? Time to accept me as a partner in his life? Bastard, after 3 years we’ve been together. Then after a week, he left this note to me, and transferred to a different country. I should have cut off his balls, chopped them into small pieces and feed them to the dogs.”

 Yun