Back at Nam Sun’s place, Nam Sun woke up to the sound of his phone ringing in his jacket pocket. With his eyes closed, Nam Sun fished for his phone and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

-PHONE CALL-

Nam Sun: Hello?

Heung Soo: Dude, why didn’t you call last night?

Nam Sun: What?

Heung Soo: Yah saekki ya! Are you listening or not? Why didn’t you call last night?

Nam Sun slowly sat up when he finally realized that he was talking to Heung Soo. Nam Sun cleared his dry throat before he started talking again.

Nam Sun: I just got really tired since the seminar ended late last night.

Heung Soo: Really? So, what time are you going back to camp?

Nam Sun: Camp?

Nam Sun looked down at his watch that said 7.20 a.m.

Nam Sun: I gotta be there by 9.

Heung Soo: Alright. I’ll come over with breakfast.

Nam Sun and Heung Soo hung up. Nam Sun still sat in his bed as the thoughts from last night flashed through his mind.  Nam Sun sighed as he rubbed his temple. It made him feel light headed. Soon enough Nam Sun got off his bed and hit the showers. About half an hour later, Heung Soo showed up at Nam Sun’s front door. Nam Sun walked over to his dining table while he dried his hair. Heung Soo allowed himself in when Nam Sun had unlocked the front door. Heung Soo sat down next to Nam Sun as he stared at Nam Sun’s face.

“What is it?” Nam Sun asked.

“Dude, you’re tanned.” Heung Soo said trying to stifle a laugh.

“Laugh all you want. You’d end up like me too once you enlist yourself into the army.” Nam Sun said as he thumped Heung Soo.

“Your hits are getting stronger too.” Heung Soo winced as he rubbed the sore spot.

Nam Sun chuckled hearing Heung Soo’s ‘compliment’.

“Are you sure you’re not going to pay Ha Kyung a visit?” Heung Soo asked suddenly while they were in the middle of breakfast.

Nam Sun stopped eating when he heard Heung Soo say her name. Nam Sun ignored Heung Soo and tried to continue eating but suddenly swallowing became so hard.

“Did you hear me or not?” Heung Soo said as he tapped the side of Nam Sun’s head.

“I heard ya alright? You didn’t have to tap my head bastard!” Nam Sun scolded as he glared at Heung Soo.

“Why are you getting all worked up? I was just asking about Ha Kyung.”

“Well, don’t. Why would you care if I’d pay her a visit or not. She wouldn’t die not seeing me.” Nam Sun said it harshly as he got off the floor with his dishes in hand.

“What’s your problem?” Heung Soo asked puzzled by the way Nam Sun was acting.

“Just leave once you’re done.” Nam Sun said and left for his room.

Heung Soo could feel like there was something amiss about Nam Sun but he wasn’t sure if he should say anything. Heung Soo finished up the last of his food and then cleaned up the table. Heung Soo walked over to Nam Sun’s bedroom door and gave it a knock.

“Yah, I’ll wait for you outside alright?” Heung Soo asked after knocking on the door.

Nam Sun didn’t answer him so he knocked on the door again.

“Nam Sun ah? Is something wrong? Why aren’t you answering me?” Heung Soo asked as he kept knocking on the door.

Heung Soo tried to knock again when there was no answer but Nam Sun opened the door before he could do so.

“Don’t you think you’ve knocked the door enough? You might just break it if you do it another time.” Nam Sun said coming out of the room.

“Why didn’t you answer me?” Heung Soo asked.

“Sorry.” Nam Sun said simply as he raised his earphones.

“Let’s go.” Heung Soo said as he walked out of the house.

“You don’t have to send me back.” Nam Sun said when they left the house.

“Yah! We haven’t seen each other for six months and you’re chasing me away?” Heung Soo said shaking his head.

“It’s not that. It’s just that you’re probably busy so I don’t want to interfere with anything.”

“You’re acing weird. Did something happen last night?” Heung Soo asked when they were walking quietly.

“Nothing. Why?”

“Well, your face doesn’t tell me nothing.”

“How would you know?”

“Bastard, I know everything about you so don't try to put up an act.” Heung Soo snickered.

“I’ll just tell you next time alright” Nam Sun answered after a while.

“I’ll be going then.” Nam Sun said when they reached the front gates of his camp.

Heung Soo just nodded his head as he watched Nam Sun enter the camp. Heung Soo couldn’t get rid of the bad feeling he had but he didn’t want to push Nam Sun to tell him. After he no longer saw Nam Sun, Heung Soo too left for his classes that morning.

Nam Sun walked into the camp, greeted his seniors that were guarding the gate before reporting himself at the main office. Nam Sun walked back to his dorm and got changed into his uniform.

“Nam Sun ah!” A voice called him from the bunk bed above him.

Nam Sun looked up at his fellow comrade that shared with him the bunk bed.

“How was your leave? Did you drink? Noraebang? Girls?” The guy said as he made all sorts of gestures.

Nam Sun laughed as he shook his head. He met that guy when they were first assigned their rooms. He was one of the wackiest dudes he’d ever met. Maybe aside from Byung Ki Deok, his old classmate.

“Nah. I had a seminar yesterday.” Nam Sun answered truthfully as he buttoned up his shirt.

“You’re working way to hard my man. You should be having fun.” The guy said as he jumped down from his bed.

“Whatever. I gotta go off to my duties. See ya later.” Nam Sun said picking his cap off his bed and ran out.

Nam Sun’s duty wouldn’t start in another hour so Nam Sun ran out to the compound where they would do their usual drills. He started running around the compound trying to get the same thoughts that had been bugging him out of his mind. He could feel his eyes burning but he didn’t want to cry. Nam Sun ran harder and faster as his heart started pumping harder.

After running for about half an hour, Nam Sun dropped to the ground and lied flat on his back. He stared back at the sky as he took deep breaths trying to catch back his normal breathing rhythm. Nam Sun blinked his eyes several times before rubbing it making sure no tears would fall. In his hand, he had the letter he had written a few days ago wanting to send it to Ha Kyung. Nam Sun folded it into half and stuffed it into his pocket.

He wasn’t sure whether to send it or not. The next few weeks, the letter still stayed with him unsent. He no longer kept it in his uniform pocket but in one of the books he had been studying with. A month had passed and Nam Sun hadn’t received a single letter from Ha Kyung. It made Nam Sun feel bitter but he didn’t want to spend his time thinking about her anymore. The more he thought about her, the scene from that night was all he could remember. Nam Sun sighed and went back to his book.

“Studying again?” Nam Sun’s bunk bed partner said appearing beside him.

Nam Sun nodded his head as he read.

“I’ve never seen anyone that enlists into the army to study as hard as you do.” He said leaning against the wall next to the bed.

Nam Sun didn’t say anything but just smiled.

“Why didn’t you just go to college instead of coming here?”

“Hyung, I would if I had the money to.” Nam Sun said without looking up from his book.

“Yah… You made it sound so sad. Nevermind, I’d sponsor you for college once we get out of here.” The older man said as he pats Nam Sun’s shoulder.

“Yeah right hyung.” Nam Sun said as if he just heard a joke.

“You think I can’t? My family’s freaking rich dude!” He said making one of his gestures again.

Nam Sun looked up at the guy from top to bottom. He didn’t come any close to Nam Sun to appear to have the face of a person that was brought up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nam Sun could only laugh hearing him say that.

“Aish, this kid. He dares laugh.” The ‘hyung’ said as he gave Nam Sun a slap at the back of his head before walking off.

Nam Sun still laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. Nam Sun was determined to study hard and work hard while he was in the army. He wanted to study as soon as he was discharged from the army and be someone important.

As months passed, Nam Sun never gave much thought about Ha Kyung and no letter ever came for him anymore. It was like Nam Sun and Ha Kyung never thought of each other anymore.  Was that the end of them?