xuanmiin: Kwon's point of view. 

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June 2017. It’s been one year since I enlisted, which means that I’m more than halfway through already. 10 more months till I got back to life as I knew it, life that I definitely preferred. Throughout the time span, I was in constant correspondence with both my family and Ga In.

Buddies from the military I did have, but not the kind I would willingly entrust all my secrets with. It wasn’t that we were being hostile or unfriendly, but we all had very full lives to return to.

Settled on my bunk, I dug out Ga In’s letter to me right before I enlisted, and took it out of the pretty envelope. It was something I often did, even though I had long memorized the contents. 

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Dearest Kwonnie,

Please understand that your personality is wonderful, so don’t let anyone break your spirit. Don’t let them influence who you are inside, don’t let them question your dreams. You must come back unharmed, so please take care of yourself. I’m frightened that you’ll come back a different person from the one who left, but I know you’re strong, Kwon-ah.

22 months is a long time, longer than we’ve been together. Things will change. Once we finish promotions, there’ll be no one helping you swat flies. Maybe there’ll be those trying to take advantage of my loneliness and your absence, I don’t know. But I promise that I won’t look at anyone else. Know that I’ll miss you very much. No matter what happens publicly, I will wait for you to come back.

I will wait because I want to sleep in your arms every night. I will wait because I want to wake up to your handsome face every morning. I will wait because I want to tell all the girls to stop dreaming cause you’re mine. I will wait because I want to accept your ring. I will wait because I need to be with you forever.

You waited 3 years for me, so I definitely can wait 22 months for you.

Much love, Ga In.

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Seeing the decidedly flamboyant lipstick mark left by her and the perfectly cute polaroid of herself, holding a “Waiting for you” sign, I involuntarily smiled.

“Kwon hyung!” Came an intruding Buk, “Are you reading a love letter?”

Dong gasped loudly and quickly became interested, “Really, hyung, a love letter?”

“You never told us that you had a girlfriend!” Buk persisted.

“It’s not what you think it is!” I attempted to defuse the situation, flustered by the sudden interest.

“You must take me for stupid, it obviously was. There was a Polaroid of a girl.” Buk deadpanned.

“Hyung, we know that you’re an idol, but you can tell us about her. We won’t say anything about it, don’t worry. You can trust us!” Dong nodded enthusiastically, refusing to let go upon discovery of something interesting.

“And our letter writer left a lipstick mark. Don’t think I didn’t see it.”

“When it’s time, you will find out.” I replied, hoping that it was cryptic enough.

“But you know all our history! And you never even mentioned that you had a girlfriend.” Dong protested.

“Let’s be fair here, you’ll came on your own accord to tell me about it. You never explicitly asked me.”

“So I’ll ask you now, Kwon hyung, do you have a girlfriend?” Buk retorted immediately.

“Two of you better not breathe a word about this.” Both nodded on cue, “I have a major crush on a girl. But it’s not official.” Well, we didn’t inform the agency, so it wasn’t that big a distortion to say that it wasn’t official.

“How foolish can you be?” Exclaimed Dong with a disappointed face, “You actually think she’ll wait for you to come back?”

“You should have made it official before enlisting!”

“Anyway, who does hyung have a crush on?” Dong wouldn’t let me go easily.

“You told me the