I learned to dream about home, about being with Mi Ru. I learned that humanity has way too many faces and that I needed to push back everything I had inside my mind in order to understand the changes that were imposed to me.

“Yah! Pretty boy! Are you afraid to move that sword of yours, or what?!”

I raised my eyes to look straight into my opponents' eyes. “What was that?”

He smirked and looked at the crowd that surrounded us. They were all our comrades and it was all just a game. But I was sick and tired of playing with wooden swords in order to ‘learn’ how to defend myself. They started clapping their hands. They were asking for it. A confrontation between me and that restless soldier that had a name in being the best fighter among the soldiers that were training in the snow. From the corner of the eyes I saw Donghae breaking the line of soldiers and looking straight at us. That kid! He was holding tight onto the last book that survived the fire…

“Bring it on!”I spat on the frozen soil and clenched my fingers around the cold handle of the sword.

I knew that challenging him to a fair battle was like committing suicide. But I just couldn’t endure anymore! He’s dirty vocabulary needed some to be taught some proper grammar and his manners…well, he needed some manners!

The others kept on cheering for the cocky adversary, I concentrated only on the metal sound that our swords let in the freezing air. Every single drop of sweat I saw on his forehead after  parrying all of his hits brought a smile on my face.

“Had enough or you want more?”I asked after I pushed him aside, leaving him puffing at five meters away from me.

“You’re crazy!”

But it became boring to me. Indeed, his hits were strong and the way he handled his weapon was no joke, but still… So I decided to put off his act and defeat him at his own game. I dodged his first attack, aiming for his feet. But of course he saw that coming and jumped, exposing himself that way.

“I think it’s called ‘game over’?” The blade of my sword was just few millimeters away from his neck, leaving everyone in awe. “Let’s go, Donghae,”I said as I passed through the crowd and rested my hand on his shoulder. “I think the rice is all cold now.”

The scholar smirked as he followed me.

“Yah…YAH! Stop right there!”the defended one yelled. “Are you a coward or what?! Why don’t you finish this fight right here and right now?”

I stopped on my tracks and slowly turned around. “Meaning what?”

“You defeated me! You kill me!”he moved through the corridor made inside the crowd that was staring at us, and knelt in front of me. “You have every right to do so…”

I had to look the other way. Indeed, there was no lie in the words of those who said that he was a true warrior.

“I know that. But I’m not going to please our enemies and kill one of our best men! If you’re that eager to die, then wait till we’re attacked and take some Chinese soldiers with you too! Let’s go, Donghae!”I once again stepped away from him, hoping that this time I didn’t offend his hot headed ego.

“You know that you’ll have to give that out, right?”I placed two spoons od rice into the boll, without looking at the one that sat across the small table, holding tight onto his book.

“No! I don’t want to!”

I sighed. This confrontation was actually more difficult to me than the one earlier…

“Donghae…”

“Quit being a crybaby and give that book already!”a voice boomed as a hand snatched the object of discussion from Donghae’s frozen arms. “Hmmm…you book-worms know anything else apart from reading books?”he tossed the old and frail book next to him while looking me in the eyes.

“As you saw, we can fight pretty well too,”I shoved some rice inside my mouth and chew it down as it was, only half cooked.

“I bet that’s something you learned from books too!”he provoked me with a cocky smile playing on his lips.

“Ac