one of my personal favorites because i tried my best to represent the sadness of war.

you can repair buildings and roads but the bond between people may not always be easy to reconnect in times of chaos and danger; when life and death could just be an inch away.

i also talked about how some are forced to become soldiers and die young when they could have a better living opportunity if they were in a different situation. i'm sure this story would be a little relatable to someone out there in this world. i hope you will continue to be courageous and do the best with what you have.

theme: red string of fate, but in my version: it's an IV tube that contained blood to save a person's life during war.

supporting plot devices: proust effect - when a scent triggers a memory. i specifically chose hand-rolled cigarettes as it comes with a personalized touch in order for it to be made. i needed the specific smell - acrid scent of isopropyl alcohol mixed with herbaceous scent of tobacco - to latch onto byulyi.

this was the catalyst to develop the yearnings between the main characters.

the engraved dog tags and name tag were also ideas of mine as tangible item to deepen the sentimental values between their love.

what happened to yongsun's arm in the end was completely planned and i hinted the forewarning at the beginning. in this fic, i wanted to create something strong and feasible to happen in real life.

that's heartache and sacrifice.

it wasn't easy for me to write some few chapters towards the end as i could imagine the physical and emotional pain that the characters were going through.

imagine: for the rest of your life, you're waiting for a letter or news from your militant lover whom you do not know if they are even still alive.

that's uncertainty and sorrow.