"Nuna... please eat something..." Hyowon tried to offer you a chunk of bread, but you pushed it away gently. You saw his rejected expression and immediately you put on a fake smile.

     "Hyowon, you eat it. You'll need the energy. And you need to grow."

     "But    "

     "I remember someone telling me that he wants to grow up strong so that he can protect the rest of his friends, and me?" You ran a hand through his jet-black dusty hair.

     "Okay... but if you change your mind, you can always share it with me."

     It had been a few days since Jihyun was brought to the army medic. When the rookie came back, he told you that Jihyun was indeed bitten by a brown recluse, and it would take her a while to recover from a really strong poison. This statement really broke your heart, but you chose to hold back the tears as you know, there was still a glimmer of hope.

     "Seems like someone needs a break from the prison air."

     You snapped out from your trance and stared into the rookie's face who was smugly smirking at you from outside. "I don't need advice from a rookie."

     "Save your argument, lady. Today's your last day seeing the world as a big spinning globe of hardships and cruelty. After tonight... you judge."

     His sudden statement took you off guard. "W-what? What do you mean?"

     The rookie's eyes met yours and instantly he pulled away his gaze. He spun around so that his back was facing you. "You'll see."

     That evening went by like all the same evenings you had ever since you got locked up in this musty cell. But the rookie's words just got stuck in your head like a thorn in your mind. You wanted to shake away the feeling but it just kept on nagging and torturing you slowly. The sound of a key unlocking the door made you turn your head around.

     "It's time." He idly exclaimed it, as if nothing big would happen next.

     You glanced out the small window at the back. "But it's almost dusk."

     "Dusk is the best time." He held the door open and beckoned you and the children to follow him. Expectedly, the children obediently followed him, although their faces showed the opposite. Slowly you got on your feet, followed the children out of the cell and for the first time, faced the rookie without having bars in between. Indeed, he was very charming. But you shoved that aside and stood in front of him boldly.

     "Where are you taking us?" you demanded.

     "Once you get there, you'll know." He pulled a handful of handcuffs from behind. "Right, hands to the front, please, everyone." He walked through, placing handcuffs on each pair of hands. You noticed that the handcuffs were linked together by a long chain. "Follow me, silently, and keep your heads down."

     You and the children tailed him from behind in a neat line, passing by more cells and dusty passages. Distant sobs and murmurs of the locked up prisoners could be heard faintly, and gradually faded away as you stepped out onto the full sunlight. Making sure you kept your head down, you thankfully inhaled the fresh air. Ah, refreshing. If only life could have a fresh start like this.

     Having your eyes on the ground, as you stepped outside of the prison, you saw sand everywhere. Now that you walked quite a distance from the prison, grass started to cover your view, and the fresh scent of it heightened your senses immediately.

     "Finally here." He stopped suddenly. Not noticing, you bumped into his back and spontaneously your hand reached up and rubbed your head. "Ouch..."

     He turned around and chuckled. "Silly girl." Taking out a key from his belt, he unlocked all the handcuffs and put it away. "Okay kids," he paused for a while, "... scatter."

     "YAAAAY~!!!" the children shouted out loud,

     Wait what?

     "Wha   " You started, but the rookie cut you out.

     "Welcome to my secret, private, relaxing. breathtaking, spacious, untouched, natural, refreshing.... getaway." He let out a relieved sigh.

     You turned around on the spot, and gasped at the scenery that greeted your eyes. You found out that you were standing on some sort of a clearing in the middle of the woods. Around you, lush green nature waved at you, following the gentle breeze of the almost-night air. Paying full attention to the surroundings, you could hear water flowing at a distant, probably from a nearby stream. And birds fluttered from tree to tree, chirping merrily as they went back to their nests after a long journey.

     "Hurry, come with me." The rookie grabbed your hand and led you through a narrow path that ended at the edge of the woods. The weak sunrays painted the view in golden orange, and you felt that rush of relaxation going through your body, first your mind, then it flowed throughout your body. Slowly your lips curved into a smile without you noticing.

     "Finally." the rookie said in a sudden.

     "Hmm? What?"

     He faced you and grinned. "You. Finally smiling."

     BLUSH.

     He continued. "I've never seen you smiling before. Even when that time you were unconscious, you were having severe nightmares, I can tell you that." He took off his upper uniform and hung it on a nearby tree branch. You clasped your hands to your cheeks. You didn't know why, but they were burning like they got caught on fire or something. Now that he only had his inner white tee on, his perfect physique stood out more clearly than before. A soldier chaintag dangled from his neck and glimmered where the sunlight caught it. You quickly diverted your gaze, scared that he might notice you staring at him in awe.

     He sat down under the shady tree and rested his head on the trunk, putting one arm behind his head. He patted the space beside him and said, "Sit here with me. The view's really nice."

     You arranged your steps carefully and sat yourself beside him, leaning against the tree trunk. "Aren't you... supposed to be punishing us or something..."

     He laughed. "This IS punishment in my own definition."

     "You're weird." You wrapped your arms around your legs and rested your chin in between your knees. You watched as sunset glowed brightly directly in front of you. Just looking at one of nature's miracle blew away all the stress and problems from your mind.

     "Let's get to know each other." He suggested.

     "I have no interest in you."

     "Oh really?" he snorted. "Judging by the way you stared at me just now, I think you might have the slightest interest in me."

     He knows. Silence would be the best way.

     "Let's... forget about our small disagreement before and start again properly, shall we?" He cleared his throat. "Hello, I'm Howon. Lee Howon, nothing personal but you can call me Hoya." He held out his hand.

     You shyly took his hand and shook it. "I-I'm you, j-just... you..."

     "you," he repeated after you with a smile. "So that explains you."

     "I... don't understand?"

     Still smiling, he turned his head towards you. "Your name's pretty. And you're... well, pretty too." For a second you saw his face turn red and then back to normal. You snickered.

     "Hoya, I'm curious."

     "Just ask me anything."

     "You don't act like a real soldier. You're not mean, you're not rough, and you seem... so nice."

     Silence. You looked at his face. He seemed troubled.

     "Because I never wanted to be a soldier."

     "I don't get it."

     He smirked. "There's more of me than what meets the eye."