He could barely sleep, because the captain's words were still in his head. He said he was going to take them to a tour. There was no problem with Taehoon's legs, so Taemin did not understand why the man warned him again. Maybe he did not tell him everything? Well, why would he? He was a soldier just like the others.

Your smile is just like my sister's.

As he thought about it he smiled and rolled over on the ground, hugging his blanket. Now he did not want to prove to just himself and his family, but he wanted to show the captain his place was on the battlefield, when the Japanese army came.

The sun was visible in the distance, when Taemin heard steps were coming closer. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw shadows in front of his tent, then heard the men's voices as they were arguing.

"He wouldn't believe us." It was Jonghyun.

"I still don't understand why he has to know about it." Jinki said with a tired voice.

"Well, the Captain didn't say it was about Taehoon." Kibum told his opinion, quietly.

"Of course it was about Taehoon!" Jonghyun closed the debate, and opened the tent. "Ah, good morning Taehoon. Come with me" he grabbed Taemin's right arm, pulled him up from the ground, then out of the tent.

"Jonghyun!" Jinki shouted and ran after him with Kibum. "Stop! He doesn't have to hear it!"

"But like this he will know what he has to count on, at least" he stopped at a tent, and signed the others to stay quiet.

Taemin did not understand anything. When he finally came to his mind and realized what was happening he thanked the ancestors he did not remove the bandage from his left arm, and his healthy skin did not show. He wanted to ask the others why they had to be there, when he heard the councilor's voice from the tent:

"You should have sent him home in the first day! Maybe he was a great soldier, but he is useless with his injury, and I'm sure he will be the first who will be slaughtered by the Japanese on the battlefield!"

The boy's lips opened, but did not come any voices out. He knew the councilor did not like him, but he did not think he would say things like this about him. Jinki stepped to him, wrapped his fingers around his right wrist, and wanted to pull him from there, but Taemin escaped his arm, and stayed.

"It's not your job to decide which soldier has to be in the army!" The captain tried to protect Taemin, but after he continued the boy wished he would not have heard anything about it. "Anyway, although it is not your business... I'm sure Lee Taehoon won't handle with the tour today, and I will send him home."

Jonghyun murmured something under his nose. Jinki put his hand gently on Taemin's shoulder, and squeezed it, indicating that he was with him. Kibum was still eavesdropping next to the tent, maybe he could hear more.

The tent opened and first Choi Minho looked at the four soldiers with surprise, then it soon changed into a serious, almost angry look. 

"Why can't I hear anything?" Kibum sighed, when he did not hear anything from the tent since minutes.

Jinki patted his shoulder, but the boy pushed his hand away, and when it happened for the third time too, he turned around, irritably.

"What?! Oh... Captain Choi. We just... you know..."

"Go to the others. We're going to leave soon."

He took a last look at Taemin, then at his arm, and left. The boy just watched as the captain was farther, and he thought he should say something, so he slipped out from under Jinki's hand, and ran after the man.

The tent opened again, and Daemok stepped out of it, raising an eyebrow. He watched the three men scornfully, then straightened himself up, wrote something on his paper, and approached the dining tent.

"What about a little prank against Councilor Daemok?" Jonghyun followed the old, arrogant man's steps with his eyes.

"Hm... maybe at the lake?" Kibum stepped to him, looking at the old man.

"Deal" he clapped into Kibum's palm, but when they noticed Jinki's confused and curious face, they stepped farther from each other, and Jonghyun wiped his hand on to his pants. 

When finally Taemin could reach him, Choi Minho was with his horse, and adjusted its saddle, not paying any attention to the boy. Taemin remembered what had happened two days ago. He thought it was strange how different was the man when they were alone, and when he was with the soldiers. He was kind, but now everything had changed.

"Captain, this is why you organized this tour? So you will have a real reason to send me home?"

"I don't know what are you talking about, Lee Taehoon."

"I heard everything. You're sure I will fail this test, and then you will send me home, won't you?"

"Your father doesn't have to join the army after you went home, if this is what you're afraid of."

"But... I can't go home."

"Why?" Minho sighed, finishing the saddle's check, and turned to the boy.

Taemin could not go home. At least not yet. He could not go home because he had failed. He could not bear his mother's contemptuous words, his brother's "well, I told you"-like sentences and his father's disappointed look. Taemin could not live his life like that.

"I just... I don't want to disappoint my father." Taemin muttered, taking his gaze away from the young captain's eyes, when he looked into his.

"It's better to disappoint him than to die on the battlefield."

"Isn't it important to soldiers to fight? They don't care if they die, because they did it for their country, right?"

He was right, Minho had to admit it, but of course he did not say it out loud. Actually he admired the other's way of thinking and the way he saw the world. But sending a half-armed man into the war was like sending a two-legged horse into a race. He had no chance. 

"Go and get ready." He said only this, and turned back to his horse.

"But..."

"Lee Taehoon. Do you want to go to the tour in your night clothes?"

"What?" Taemin was surprised by the question, and looked at himself. Minho was right; he was wearing his night clothes. "Oh, I will hurry, Captain" he bowed and went to his tent with quick steps.

The man leaned his head to his horse's neck, when the boy left him there, and took a deep breath through his teeth. He knew, being a captain wouldn't be easy, but he had no idea why one of the trainee's made his job even harder.

He was alone in his tent, so he could use both of his hands to change his clothes. When he adjusted his armor and tied his sword to his clothes he left the tent. Their captain took them to a training, but he told them they always had to count on the worst things, in this case on the attack of the Japanese army.

Taemin was studying his horse's saddle, then patted the black animal's neck, and caressed the long, ebony black mane with his fingers. The horse leaned closer to him, what made a smile on Taemin's tired face, where the dark circles were visible under his eyes.

"What's this?" Taemin frowned, when Kibum stopped, holding a bunch of long sticks.

"I have no idea. The Captain said I have to give one to everyone before we leave. But I think I saw bags too in the chariot." Kibum shuddered at the thought. "Maybe it's better if we don't know what is in his mind."

"Yes." Taemin sat up on his horse, hardly, and took the stick what he tied to his back. "Maybe it's better."

He had stomach cramps during the road, until they reached the foot of a mountain. He did not know what was their captain thinking, but if he decided he would send him home, he might have planned everything to make it happen.

Taemin had never seen a big mountain like this before. Well, it was the first time he left his hometown, but he could not even think in his dreams that he would see one for real. Of course he had lots of paintings at home about mountains, some of them were covered by snow, and he always wished he could see one.

As he looked at the top of it the air caressed his red face, and it invited his short, black locks to a dance on his forehead, what he wiped away with his fingers so they did not cover his eyes. He was so busy studying the mountain he did not even notice when a soldier dropped two bags before his feet, then went further to the others.

The young boy looked at the bags with a confused face, and looked around at the other soldiers. There were bags in front of everyone. Their captain was tying one on to a stick, and did the same with one more too. After some moments the soldiers understood what they had to do and followed their captain's movements.

"Let me help you" he heard a voice from close.

Jinki took the stick from him, knelt down and started to tie the bags on to it. Taemin followed him and lifted one of the bags with his right hand. He did not know what was in the bag, but it was heavy; and he had to carry two at the same time on a stick. So this was what Captain Choi Minho planned. This is how he wanted to get rid of Lee Taehoon.

Both of them saw as the soldiers put the sticks on their shoulders with the two bags. Lots of them hissed because of the weight, but they held the ends of the sticks strongly, so they could find the balance.

"Taehoon..."

"It's okay, I can do this" he interrupted the elder's word, and straightened up with the stick. 

"Taehoon, you can't even put it on your shoulders. You should stay here."

"No! Can't you see? This is what he wants. He wants to send me home!"

"Yes, and you know what?" Jinki stepped closer to him.

Since he had known him he did not see the man as nervous as now, so he took a step back, and he bumped into his black horse. The animal snorted and almost hit Taemin's head with its tail, like it wanted to shoo a fly away.

"I would do the same."

"What? I... I thought you were my friend..."

"I am, Taehoon. I am your friend, and I really like you. This is why I would send you home, because I couldn't see you dying in the war because of something what is not your fault."

Did Captain Choi Minho feel the same? No, it was impossible. But Jinki surprised him, and he watched in silence as the man took the stick away from him.

"Please. I... I have to do this."

"Why?"

"For my father. You are a father too. I'm sure you are proud of your daughter. I... I want the same. I want my father to be proud of me. I want my family not to think I'm not good at anything."

"Taehoon..."

"Gentlemen!" An irritated and very familiar voice sounded.

Shin Daemok watched them from his horse, the rein was in his hand, and from the bag, what was tied on to the saddle, his papers and pen were visible.

"The mountain is in that way. Maybe do you want to stay here while the others do their job?"

"No, Councilor Daemok." Jinki bowed, tensely. "We wanted to go."

Taemin could not help but noticed the look what Daemok sent to him. The old man wanted him to fail, and it just made the boy more determined. He made his hold tighter around the stick, and followed the long line of the soldiers.

The horse of the councilor was walking easily next to the soldiers, who as they reached upper, and the road was getting steeper, could hardly keep the pace. The weather was really hot because of the bright Sun, a lot of men's mouth went dry, but they did not see their captain had a problem with it, so they could not show their tiredness, and tried to pull themselves together.

His black locks stuck to his forehead during walk. His clothes gave him so much warm in the sunshine, he could barely breathe, but Taemin knew he could not stop, especially because Councilor Daemok watched him from the front. Once he almost fell down, and he earned a worried look from Kibum, but he shook his head and told him to go. When he could get his balance back, he took a deep breath, but before he continued his walk he looked down from the edge of the road. He knew they had been walking for hours, but he did not know they were in a height like this. For a moment he hoped they were almost arrived the top of the mountain, but then he looked up, and he had to realize they were only halfway.

The soldiers walked away next to him, while he tried to calm his breathe down. A painful feeling appeared in his side, sweat was shining on his forehead, and his right arm hurt like hell. He wanted to put his left arm on the stick too, but he stayed strong, and did not move it.

He woke up late, so he skipped breakfast, although he was nervous too so he did not even have appetite. In this way he didn't have enough energy, and the lack of sleep was not goof for him either. Taemin was desperate.

"Taehoon, Taehoon, are you alright?"

Taemin saw Jonghyun, vaguely, who ran to him, then the boy saw Jinki too. He nodded in silence as an answer, and pulled away, when Jinki wanted to remove the stick from his shoulders.

"Just go, I'm fine" he panted, but the talk and breathe was painful too.

"But..."

"Come, Jonghyun." The elder took his gaze away from the boy with a sad face.

They barely took some steps, when they heard a loud thump from behind. Both of them turned around, and shouted, drawing the soldiers' attention to themselves, but especially the councilor's and their captain's.

Taemin was lying on the ground. The stick was next to his head with the bags. His right arm's fingers reached for it slowly, but he could not see anything because of the dust. But his hearing was perfect. He heard voices of the soldiers and their steps. He saw a hand before him, then it gently touched his forehead. 

"Kim Jonghyun."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Take Lee Taehoon back to the camp. If he had some rest, take the doctor to him."

"What?" Jonghyun asked back, then Kibum, who just arrived, hit his head with a bag. "Oh, yes, Captain."

Minho leaned down and took the stick from Taemin. The boy wanted to get it back, but he was too slow. The young man put the stick on his shoulders, and watched as Jinki put the boy on Jonghyun's back.

"Captain, please." Taemin tried to tell something to the man, but he turned his head away, and went back to the front.

"Don't whine, Taehoon." Jonghyun told him, while he was walking down on the mountain road. "Look the bright side. We can rest, while the others are dying during the tour."

*

When he woke up he felt a blanket on him and a pillow under his head. Something was going down on his face, but instead of sweat it was cold water. He slowly opened his eyes and touched the wet cloth on his forehead. Jonghyun was sitting next to him in his tent, and when he noticed Taemin was awake he sat farther.

"Ah, so have you woken up? The sun is going down, and the others will come back soon. The Councilor's just came back and now he is sitting in his big tent."

"The... the Captain?" This was the first thing what came into Taemin's mind."Where is he?"

"I guess he's with the others. Oh, I have to find the doctor."

"Don't, please" he sat up quickly, and grabbed Jonghyun's wrist, but this movement was too sudden and the boy felt dizzy.

"I already talked to the doctor a little bit. He said you are exhausted, this is why you couldn't make the tour."

"Thank you."

"What?" Jonghyun frowned.

"Your help. I know you don't really like me."

"It was the Captain's order."

His words were rude, but Taemin could see the kindness on the man's face. Although he failed, he was grateful to Jonghyun because he took him back and stayed with him. But the smile disappeared from his face soon, when he heard the councilor's fussy voice.

"I told you. I told you in the beginning."

"Councilor Daemok. I can handle this, please, leave us alone."

Hearing the Captain's voice Jonghyun and Taemin looked at each other, like the children who got caught on something bad by their parents. The tent opened, showing the setting sun and Choi Minho's sunkissed face.

"Kim Jonghyun, I want to talk to Lee Taehoon alone. Join the others."

"Yes, Captain." Jonghyun murmured with an eye rolling, and winked at Taemin before he left the tent.

After he left, the tent was closed, and Taemin could feel the cold air's caressing touch on his skin. Jonghyun obviously removed his armor and his clothes because of the heat, and covered him with the blanket. Luckily he did not do anything to his bandage, so it still covered his skin on his arm like before.

Minho could notice it too, because for some moment he did not say anything, but when he looked into Taemin's eyes he had to speak.

"Lee Taehoon, I want you to leave the camp tomorrow morning, before the soldiers wake up."

"I am a soldier too..."

"Lee Taehoon, it wasn't a request, it was your superior's order." Minho made his voice stricter.

"I told you I can't go home."

"I didn't ask your opinion, Lee Taehoon. Don't act like a sixteen years old boy!"

How could he want him to not to act like that, when Taemin was really a sixteen years old boy? It seemed the captain finished the talk, because he turned to the entrance of the tent, but Taemin grabbed his hand, and pulled him back.

"Captain, please, don't send me away. I... I can change. I... I will be stronger, I promise."

"Lee Taehoon. This walk made you sick" he escaped his hand, and gently put it on the boy's forehead, what was still warm. "We will walk more, when the training ends. Sleep, and as I said leave the camp in the morning."

"But..."

"Go home. Get a lot of rest, visit your doctor. If you can use your hand again, you can join the army anytime if the country needs it."

"I..."

"You know, you need that treatment, and if you get it, you will be capable of anything. But like this... I feel like a murderer if I send you against the Japanese" he took his hand away from Taemin's forehead, and noticed the tears on the boy's cheeks.

When his sister was crying he always wiped her tears off. It was always his job, when their father went to a war, and he was away from his family.

"The war is not for you, Lee Taehoon" he wiped the teardrops with his thumb, and went to the entrance, where he turned back once more. "At least not in a condition like this."