One winter after another had gone by.

Yet the war continued onwards.

The country was fighting hard against their enemies and many were injured or died from battle. The days since both Leo and Ken had left for war felt like decades ago.

Hakyeon still haven’t given Leo his reply to the confession yet. Hakyeon never got the chance and he was afraid that that chance would never come again.

The vicious stories about the war appeared on several newspapers and the radio constantly talked about the casualties that happened. It sounded as if they were going to lose and that victory was far in the distant. But there was still hope.

Hakyeon waited.

Waited for years.

He waited after his high school graduation, he waited until he passed his college exams and he waited until he took over the family shop. Yet, there was no word about the two cousins’ return.

After six long years of battle, the war finally came to an end. The country survived and was victorious despite the many sacrifices the battle took with it. Eventually, the surviving soldiers were returning home to Brampton one by one. However, there was still no sign of Leo nor Ken’s return.

I’m here, still waiting for you.

Even until the end, after all the remaining soldiers have returned home safely, neither Leo nor Ken appeared. There was no news of the two cousins and the city became restless.

The minister received no news of his only son and became sick due to his worries. He could not eat nor sleep peacefully at night without having nightmares. Hakyeon visited the man from time to time in order to take care of him but there was only so much he could do. He was just as worried himself.

Finally, that one day came and the long awaited news arrived.

‘Everyone! IT’S LEE KEN!! He’s back from battle! He’s here back in Brampton!’ The newspaper boy shouted as loudly as he could running through the neighborhoods.  

But what about Leo?

Hakyeon rushed to Ken’s house immediately after receiving the news. It has been more than six years since he has last seen his friend.

‘Is Ken really back?’ Hakyeon barely caught his breath after running to Ken’s house all the way from his home.

‘Yes he has. The young master is currently in the study room to reunite with his father.’ One of the butlers notified Hakyeon and directed the guest to the living room to wait.

At least Ken is back safely but … what about Leo?

Hakyeon waited patiently in the living room in order to meet Ken finally.

‘Hakyeonie?’ A voice called out.

Hakyeon shot up from his seat and turned around. It was Ken but one that was tired, old and looked dreadful. And to Hakyeon’s horror, Ken was limping on one leg while the other was missing.

‘Ken! You… your legs…’ Hakyeon stuttered. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘… it happened during battle. At least I still have the other. Haha…’ Ken tried to look cheerful like he did in the past but it was obvious that he was not happy.

The country may have won the war but these six long years took too many sacrifices in order to secure its victory.

Hakyeon assisted Ken to the seat nearby immediately. He couldn’t help but glance left and right.

‘… Leo, why isn’t he back with you?’ Hakyeon asked. His heart was afraid of the possibility but he had to make sure.

‘… Hakyeon-ah. Leo… he’s… gone.’ Ken swallowed.

‘Gone? To where?’

‘… He’s dead. He died during the war.’

‘No, it can’t be… you’re… lying…’ Hakyeon denied as he felt his heart sink.

‘I’m not. I saw it with my very own eyes. He was covered… buried under the fire and rubbles. He’s really gone. I’m sorry.’

Hakyeon did not want to believe it but it was the truth.

It was a horror in which even Ken wanted to forget but he could not as he was haunted by his final visions of losing his cousin.

* * * * * *

‘We’re really going far from home aren’t we?’ Ken asked Leo as the two sat on the train to the military base which was far from Brampton.

Leo remained silent. He could only look out into the distant and think about home, think about his beloved.

‘You shouldn’t look so down. This will be over before you know it.’ Ken tried to cheer his gloomy cousin up.

‘I hope so…’ Leo sighed.

When the two arrived at the base, both were placed into separate squads. As the two were originally from a military background, Ken and Leo was favored upon from the higher ranked lieutenants.

Obviously there were many soldiers who disliked them because of it. The favoritism, the benefits towards the two with an exceptional background irritated a lot of people and there were often inner conflicts amongst the army itself. But eventually, the two proved themselves to be more than just rich boys with a good background.

Ken, despite his cheerful and jokester-like outer appearance, was highly skilled and very powerful. He didn’t look like it but he always won during their games of arm wrestling even against men who were twice his size. During practices, his aims and reflexes were also showcased to its fullest abilities. He never looked down on practice simulations like lazier soldiers and he was serious when he had to be. Both his skills and bright personality eventually helped him gain recognition and allies within the military.

Leo on the other hand was still as cold as ever. No one ever really knew what the boy was thinking but just like his cousin, his skills were exceptional. Although he wasn’t the type to beat his opponents through pure force, he was able to read and calculate the enemies’ next move as well as devise strategies to help win them countless victories in the harsh battlefields. Though he did not gain friends like Ken did, he earned himself much respect and many who looked up to him as a role model.

After a few months have passed by and the two eventually earned themselves enough reputation amongst the military to lead their own troops in this everlasting war.

It wasn’t until later on their fifth year that the two were reunited once again. It was a strategy from above that both Ken and Leo’s squad would assist one another during the war.

‘It’s been so long hasn’t it. You look old especially with that poker-face of yours.’ Ken laughed at Leo.

‘You don’t look that refreshing yourself either.’ Leo was glad to see Ken again though.

The two of them got to sit down at the base for a few beer and catch up with these five years that they have missed together.

‘Cheers!’ Ken held up his mug for Leo to cheer back.

‘Cheers.’

‘So, have you tried contacting with Hakyeonie these years?’ Ken asked.

‘I… I tried. But I couldn’t.’ Leo responded.

‘What? Couldn’t? What do you mean?’

‘I’m afraid. If I were to contact him and if he was to give me a reply to my letters, I’m afraid that I would throw everything away on a spurt and go to his side.’

‘You really miss him don’t you?’

‘I do.’

The battles went on from one side of the country to another and everyday, the troops were moving constantly around the borders to defend it. There were indeed times in which Leo wanted to give up but even a single surviving daisy in the middle of the battlefield would remind him of Hakyeon.

I wonder how are you? Do you miss me as much as I miss you?

Ken saw how hard Leo was holding up and clearly knew what kept his cousin strong and alive.

But it wasn’t until that one faithful day that eventually brought the war to an end that Ken saw that everything was lost. Despite the victory, too many sacrifices have already been made.

Leo and Ken along with a few other squads devised a new plan in order to trap their enemies in a nearby ruin. Leo strategized that it was the perfect setting and timing to end everything once and for all. It was a great plan and everyone went through with it. Each team would be assigned a specific position to take and role during this plan. They even arrived a few days before their enemies in order to run through the simulations successfully.

All traps were put to place and while Ken’s team was to be the bait, Leo was in charge of detonating the dynamites that surrounded the entire ruins. Once those explosions go off, their enemies would sink through the grounds and end this war.

The time finally came and they could see their enemies approaching slowly from the distance.

‘We’re ready on our side.’ Ken shouted through the radio to relay the message back to Leo.

‘Understood. Everyone stand by and get to your positions.’ Leo commanded.

With Leo’s single command, everyone scurried to their positions and watched as Ken’s squad fire at the enemies as a distraction. The enemies thought they were outnumbering the small squad that Ken had but they did not know what was coming for them. Ken shot at the enemies and pretended that he was fighting back and having a hard time.

‘Fall back!’ Ken shouted loud enough for the enemies to hear and the enemies thought they were advantageous. But they didn’t know that it was merely a signal for the traps to soon go off.

Ken’s squad ran away fast and hid in their assigned spots far from the ruins. Because once the dynamites go off, everything will fall apart around it.

Leo saw that his soldiers were in their safe zones and the enemies have entered the trap. They were questioning as to why they could not find the few soldiers that shot at them and searched the ruins.

‘Dynamites are going off!’ Leo transmitted the message through the radios.

Everyone laid low and in cover but something wasn’t right. The dynamites did not go off as planned.

No, it can’t be…

They have already tested these explosives the past few days in other nearby sights and everything was working just fine until now. Something was wrong.

Leo tried to set off the gunpowder several times yet nothing happened and eventually, the crackling sounds of the burnt dynamite disappeared as well.

‘I will be right back to check what’s going on. Everyone stay in your positions.’ Leo said to his squads.

‘Wait!’ Ken shouted. ‘It’s too dangerous to go alone. Wait for me! I’ll come to you.’

‘No, don’t. It will be okay.’

‘But-‘

Leo cutted off the radio before Ken could say anymore and headed towards the direction of the ruins. He avoided the eyes and lights of the enemy soldiers who were still busy searching for Ken and his troops.

He made sure that each pile of barrels that were hidden underneath the ground was intact and indeed they were. But why did they not go off?

Ken was worried and he did not have a good feeling of leaving Leo alone to do the checking. He told his squads to stay put and wait. They did.

He went through the underground passage that was dugged by them for the past few days that highlighted one zone to another. He came out of the one in which Leo was supposed to be but Leo was no where to be found.

‘Dammit! I told him to wait for me!’ Ken grew frustrated and impatient. He immediately dashed towards the ruins.

As he arrived, he saw that the enemies were about to leave after failing to find their prey.

Oh no. Ken thought. If they leave now, everything would be gone to waste.

Just as Ken was about to think of what to do, he saw a glimpse of someone sneaking on the other side of the ruins. It was Leo.

What is he doing?!

Leo was scurrying the gunpowders from his side and reconnecting the lines of the dynamite together one last time. Apparently the strong wind had carried some of the gunpowders away which disconnected the line for the explosion.

Dammit is he crazy?! Ken knew it was already a dangerous thing to do and even if Leo was to fix the gunpowders now, the enemies would have been long gone and Leo was in a dangerous position.

Just then, when Ken saw an enemy sneaking behind Leo and caught sight of him.

‘I found him!’ the enemy signaled his position and Leo became alarmed. Immediately, he ran to find cover and Ken tried to find the fastest path he could to help assist his cousin.

All the enemies went back into the ruins and swarmed towards Leo’s position in a split second. Leo was in trouble.

Then, before anyone else could react or possibly take Leo as a hostage, he thought of the most outrageous thing to do.

‘No! Don’t!’ Ken shouted and witnessed the tragedy unfold right before his eyes. He was a second too late.

Leo set the barrels of explosives near him on fire and soon enough, every other dynamite that connected to it, exploded as well. The ruins were rumbling and the ground was falling apart. The enemies were falling through the ground and buried under the rubbles.

Ken was horrified as he saw the explosion in front of him and he was standing right near an explosive zone as well. He tried to dash away immediately but was too late.

The explosion was too strong and it took one of his legs away as he jumped into a hole. Before he lost consciousness from the explosion and the pain, he recalled clearly of the last moment he saw of Leo.

The fire, the smoke and the fallen ruins melted into the skies and that night was burnt red. The ruins not only pummeled their enemies but it took his cousin away as well. Ken was unable to make it in time to save Leo and the lost of his left leg was the punishment he was willing to receive for his inability.

‘I… I’m sorry Hakyeon-ah. If only I was faster. If only I could…-‘ Ken choked up his words as he recalled his painful memories and telling his tale to the boy who sat frozen across from him.

Hakyeon could not stop his tears.

His heart broke and shattered. It was as if his own world was falling apart completely.

The guilt, the regrets and all his emotions rushed through his mind.

It wasn’t just painful for him to listen to the tragic event but he saw it in Ken’s eyes. Ken was just as in pain as Hakyeon was. They have both lost the person whom they cared the most for and Hakyeon was unable to convey his message to Leo even at Leo’s last moments.

His tears streamed down for an eternity, so much that his eyes were turning red and burning away. But the burning pain was not as painful as what he felt inside.

Why did you have to leave me behind like this? I thought you were willing to wait for my answer when you return. So why aren’t you coming back? How can you leave me behind…

‘Hakyeon-ah. I have something for you. It’s from Leo.’ Ken said as he tried to gather up his courage again to speak.

‘From Leo?’

Ken nodded. He handed Hakyeon a large wooden box that was covered with etchings of flowers and vines. At the very corner of the box was a message:

‘To my beloved, Cha Hakyeon.’

* * * * * * A/N * * * * * *

One chapter before I board my flight back home :) Will probably end up writing on my 10+ hour flight ~ Hope you guys enjoy the read!