Yunho closed his eyes, opened his ears, and allowed himself to fall on a soft patch of luscious green grass, not caring that he stained his clothing slightly. The bright sun shone proudly and ruthlessly, its blazing rays blinding him slightly. There were no clouds in the blue sky to protect the man against the sun’s wrath, but the slight breeze that graced the air pitied him every once in a while. The sweet aroma of blooming flowers filled his nose, and the green grass beneath him tickled his skin.

Yunho smiled to himself, feeling at peace in the fields outside of the forest, away from the neverending violence, hate, and persecution that was happening around the kingdom.

By the tender age of eighteen, the young man had already seen the worst sides of life.

Yunho had been forced to join the army. When the Mongols invaded the kingdom once again, all of the men had been called to serve. Yunho was only fifteen.

Yunho had been imprisoned after being captured by a Mongol general. With the help of a few fellow troops, he managed to escape. What he couldn’t escape, however, were the unforgettable and unbearable memories of the torture and pain he endured.

Yunho lost his parents when he was finally able to return to his home, only to find the village in ruins. His home was burnt down and destroyed. He found his father’s lifeless body under the rubble, an arrow pierced through his heart. His mother was gone, presumably taken to be a slave.

Yunho had been stripped of nearly everything he loved and owned. With the clothes on his back and the few coins he found on the ground, Yunho immediately sought refuge in a little village just on the western outskirts of Goryeo’s capital, Gaegyeong. He felt alone and lost until an elderly couple offered him shelter and food, taking him in as their own grandson. He was grateful.

The young man smiled in spite of his hardships, however. No matter how alone or lost he felt, no matter how dark times seemed to feel, he always found a reason to keep hope alive.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

Yunho appreciated the small things in life, such as his grandmother’s simple rice cakes or  the long conversations he shared with his grandfather. He was thankful for everything he had, for everything people did for him, and despite the fact that he was poor and didn’t have much, the happiness he carried in his heart provided him more than any amount of money could.

The young man sighed, slowly inhaling the fresh air as he cleared his mind. The occasional breeze gently ruffled his shaggy brown hair, and his long bangs tickled his forehead and closed eyelids. His orange hanbok sported a few grass stains, and his bare feet were coated with a thin layer of dried mud.

As he lay on the ground, Yunho fell into a peaceful slumber. He dreamed of his parents, how they came back and told him how proud they were of him. He dreamed of peace; war and violence eradicated from the kingdom for good. He dreamed of a lover sweeping him off his feet, providing him yet another source of unimaginable happiness.

The latter was one of his favorite dreams, but was also one of the most dangerous dreams.

He dreamed not of a beautiful young girl, rather of a handsome young man.

Yes, a man. Yunho was painfully aware that his preference could not only get him ostracized from society, but it could also get him killed. Men just can’t love men- it wasn’t natural. (Though Yunho never did understand how love couldn’t be natural).

A very particular man always appeared in the dreams. He possessed incomparable beauty that nothing could challenge, a voice that would put a canary’s song to shame, and a white aura that seemed to challenge that of the moon. Yunho fell in love with this man over and over again, even if he never actually saw what the man looked like.

Yunho didn’t need to see the man to know he was beautiful, though. No one could see love, but everyone knew the beautiful feeling.

When Yunho finally woke from his slumber, he was greeted by a starry night sky. The moon shone proudly and mysteriously, just like her brother, the sun.

The young man slowly sat up and leaned against his el