"You too, hyung?"

Seungho turned around to see Cheolyong's dark face. Not only him. Byunghee, Joon, Sanghyun, even their boss, Jihoon. They all had gloomy expression and sympathetic look toward Seungho, wating for his answer. The man inhaled some air, wanting to talk, but the word was just too dreadful to say. He looked at the letter he was holding. It arrived this morning in a brown envelope with the governor's seal. Every man in the office brought the same envelope. Cheolyong followed Seungho's stare, and nodded. "So... We're all going, huh?" His low whisper was almost unheard.

"It'll be over soon," Byunghee smiled, trying to lift everyone's mood. But his positive thinking wasn't really much of a help. Jihoon responded with his bitter smile and a pat of the shoulder. But the boys knew war very well. Losing your lives is always a possibility.

"I'll be back after lunch," Seungho stood up. As he left, the rest of the boys looked at him. He was who the worried of the most. The others are singles, but Seungho, he has a daughter. And recently he just proposed to a woman.

"Daddy!" Lauren ran to her dad as soon as she saw him. Seungho gave her his best smile and lift her up. He had no idea how to tell Lauren that he's leaving soon. His eyes met Hyomyung's then. She was holding Ren's hands. It was their time to have lunch together. Hyomyung smiled, as if to cheered him up, and Seungho replied. Her smile always make Seungho's day better, but today, the pain just won't ease.

"...All men between the age of 20 to 40 will receive an official letter from the governor to join the army. As previously announced, the army needs more people since the attack from B124AP224 is getting instense. The Commander Kim, though, encouraged all the soldiers and all civilians, that we can win the war. The bunny robot which had been taken down proved that their technology is far advanced from us, yet they do not specialized in battle. Our Earth weapons are able to take them down----"

Hyomyung stared at the TV blankly. Her ears listened to the announcer's voice but her mind went off somewhere else. Her food on the table was getting cold. 

"Hyomyung?"

The woman jerked. Seungho's call startled her. "N-ne?" She tried to smile. But Seungho could see she was just as gloomy as he is.

"Daddy and teacher don't talk many today," Lauren stated, which caught the adults off-guard. Hyomyung looked at Seungho, trying to telling him that it's okay to tell Lauren. But Seungho just couldn't say it. The thought of leaving Lauren and not seeing her for who knows how long frightened him.

"Daddy's... Daddy is just tired from work," Seungho reasoned. Lauren believed him. She always did. But Ren smelled something. He couldn't understand what adults think, he never could. They always kept a secret from children. That's why he didn't want to believe anyone.

Seungho took them to Hyomyung's house in silent. Lauren and Ren's chatter filled the car but the adult kept their mouth shut. When the kids finally went in to the house, Hyomyung paused at the threshold. Not turning back, she whispered, "When will you leave?"

"...Sunday."

"It's so soon," Hyomyung smiled like always, but it wasn;t as bright as the usual.

"Hyomyung, I..." Seungho took a deep breath. "I'm thinking about sending the kids to somewhere else. They said South Korea is the main target. We should send them off somewhere else."

Hyomyung looked at him. "Where?"

"Canada. I have some acquaintances there. They're willing to take care of the kids' schooling. They'll live with my old friend until junior high school and then they'll go to dorm like other teenagers. They'll be safe."

"...So... We couldn't see them that often, then, huh?"

"...I hope there's another way, but..."

"No, it's okay, as long as they're safe," Hyomyung smiled. Although Seungho caught a tremble in her voice. Now he couldn't even look at her in the eyes. He was sure it was the right decision, but he never thought it hurt this much. Guilt filled his heart as he noticed Hyomyung was holding back her tears.

"...I'm sorry."

"No, why are you sorry? It was a good plan. You're dependable. I also thought about soemthing to keep the kids safe but in the end I couldn't come up with anything---"

Ring Ring Ring

Seungho's cellphone cut Hyomyung's line. Seungho took it. It was Jihoon hyung. It was over lunch time. "...I gotta go."

"I'll prepare the kids to pack up and order the ticket."

"Sure... I'll call my friends there."

"...."

Both couldn't find anything to say. But Seungho just had this urge to hug the woman before him, and so he did. Hyomyung was surprised, but the hug made a surge in her heart and her tears came flowing down.

***

"Are you going to leave us?" Ren asked. "Like mom did?"

"No, Ren..." Hyomyung tried to smile and hold his hands, but he jerked away.

"Forget it. I thought you were different."

"Ren," Seungho kneeled to his level and looked at him in the eyes. "This region will soon turn to a battlefield. You are not safe here. Me and Hyomyung, we want you both to be safe. When things are over here, we'll come for you."

Ren averted his gaze. He was unsure whether to believe them or not to believe them. He was aware of the war going on. But he didn't want to be left but the persons he trusted. Not anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Ren," Hyomyung hugged him tightly. Long. A parting hug. Ren kenw the feeling well. A hug that you don't want to let go, as if you will never see each other again. It was warm, yet it was painful. It made you wanted to scream to never let you go. Hesitately, Ren hugged her back. Without him knowing, he was already attached to the woman. He thought he could lead a new life together...

"Where are daddy and teacher going?" Lauren asked.

Again, Seungho couldn't move his tongue to say the words. "Lauren... Promise me you'll keep sending me your letters, alright?"

"Why do I need to go to Canada?"

Seungho paused. He smiled, then, and carressed her cheeks. "because this country is in a mess, so daddy needs to sort it out. Meanwhile, Lauren go have fun in Canada, okay?"

"...Daddy's not coming with Lauren?"

"..No, I can't---"

"Does that mean Lauren can't meet daddy?"

"...Lauren---"

"Does that mean Lauren can't see daddy anymore?"

Lauren's eyes were getting teary, she was about to cry loudly, and Seungho definitely didn't want to see that. Seungho hugged her in hope to stop her tears, but it only made her burst into tears and sob loudly. "I'm sorry... I'm very sorry..."

"Lauren doesn't want to leave daddy!!" Lauren said in the middle of her crying. Hyomyung couldn't look at her and trying to shut her ears. Ren looked at Lauren silently.

"Listen..." Seungho tried to calm her down. "Daddy will always send you letters. Okay? So Lauren has to promise daddy you will reply to all those letters, okay?"

Lauren didn't answer and kept crying. "When things are settled here, daddy will come pick Lauren up and we'll play together again with Ren and Hyomyung. Okay?"

"Lauren doesn't want to leave daddy!!" Lauren repeated herself. Seungho hugged her tightly, for the last time. Just this time, he wanted to remember how it felt like hugging her. He needed to leave soon. The longer he hears Lauren's crying, the more he wanted to cancel the plan. But in 2 hours, he needed to go to the army headquarters with the other men.

"I'm sorry. Daddy loves Lauren, okay?" Seungho said it quickly to hide his trembling voice. And then he turned to the familiar guy who was about to take the kids to airport. "Chief... It's been awhile."

"Don't call me chief anymore," the man with the moustache shook his head. "You're lucky I'm coincidentally in Korea. Or else, these kids have to board the plane by themselves."

Seungho nodded and force himself to smile. "Thanks, chief. I promise they'll behave."

"My wife likes kids anyways. And our kids are already grown up and left home, so we're kinda lonely, so... Yeah," the chief shrugged.

Lauren's cry continued as Hyomyung said her goodbyes.

"Can you... Go now?" Seungho whispered, unable to held back the tears, he wiped one tear from his cheek.

The chief was silent. He pat Seungho's shoulder gently then took the kids. "C'mon, kids, let's go visit Canada," he held the kids' hands. Ren obediently followed, but Lauren kept on crying and hit the chief's hand with her small palm.

"Lauren, don't!" Seungho and Hyomyung tried to calm her down.

"You lied, didn't you?"

Ren's small voice stopped the adults' actions as they looked at him. "You're not coming back for us... Are you?"

Silence fell, leaving Lauren's cry and the chief's stare at Seungho.

"....Ren..." Hyomyung was about to talk but Ren shrugged.

"I could just.... Tell," he said. "It's okay... I understand."

With that said, Ren turned away and continued to walk, making the chief followed, and Lauren was carried by the chief's other hand. Ren could hear Hyomyung's prayer, "Please, be okay, both of you." They both sat in the car. Ren glanced at his almost-t-be parents through the back window. Seungho was wrapping his arm around Hyomyung's shoulder, trying to comfort her as she burst into tears and burried her face on Seungho's chest. Seungho hugged her then. The same hug Hyomyung gave Ren.

We're not going to see each other ever again, Ren thought. He could just tell. This will be his last moment with them. He turned to Lauren. She was still sobbing. 'Please, be okay,' Ren remembered what Hyomyung said. She wanted us to be fine. Be safe. He understood, he convinced himself.

"Lauren," Ren held Lauren's hands gently. He tried to give her his best smile--- For the first time. "Everything's gonna be okay. I'll always be with you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."