I would be 25 on Tuesday. I was so happy because on that day I would be promoted as a Jungwi[1]! I had been serving for Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) for five years. I got a scholarship from ROKN and had a chance to study for a bachelor degree in Media and Communications at Korea University which I was able to finish in four years.

I talked on the phone with my parents and informed them about my promotion. I could hear happiness in her voice and as for my father, well, I was sure he was proud of me but he would not show it. My mother sent me a letter regularly and in of her letters she told me that my father sometimes bragged about his son in the Navy! Huh!

“Thank you, Omma! Yes, I’ll be home in two weeks! I can’t wait to see you too!”

I hung up and went back to my room. I shared this room with another Sowi, Do Kyungsoo. He was about a year older than me but he did not want me to call him ‘hyung’! He came from Gyeonggi Province. His family still lived there. He had a girlfriend that he really wanted to marry.

I found him lay down while holding a picture. I know it was his girlfriend’s picture.

“The girl in the picture will get tired if you don’t stop looking at her!” I joked.

He chuckled and showed me her picture like he always did.

“I don’t understand how can someone is so beautiful! I can’t believe she’s mine!”

“You’re a lucky bastard!” And we both laughed.

“You never told me about your romance, Chanyeol! I’m sure you have a few crying girls lined up behind you!”

“Haha! I never look back so I don’t know if there’s anyone behind me! And like I always say, I don’t think it’s worth my time!”

“I’m sure that person left a big scar in your heart!”

“Which person?”

“The one who made you act as if you don’t need love! Am I right?”

I did not say anything. Instead I took off my uniform and lay down only with my boxer.

“I believe that person doesn’t want me anymore, Hyung!”

I rolled my body so my back faced him and he knew that I did not want to discuss my love life anymore.

“Sarang, Daddy is going to the campus now! Stay home with Grandma and Grandpa okay, Sweetheart?”

“Okay, Daddy!”

“Don’t give them any trouble, Baby! I’ll see you later. I love you, Sarang!” I kissed my daugther’s forehead then cheeks then pecked her lips for the last time. It was our ritual when one of us was leaving.

“I love you too, Daddy!”

This was my final semester at the campus. I studied Korean literature at Korea University. I applied to study here a week after I came back to Seoul with my baby. Sarang was almost two at that time and this year she would be five. I worked part time in a language school four days a week and the payment was good. Well, at least I did not have to ask money from my parents for my tuition. And I knew that my aunt in Hong Kong was secretly putting some money into my bank account. The one I never touched because it was meant to use when Sarang started going to school. I could not thank her enough for that. I knew I promised to return the money she spent for me and Sarang but there was always something. New expenses and it meant I had to delay my plan to return her money!

I went to my campus that day only to meet my professor to discuss my thesis. I had to defend my thesis in four days. I was nervous and felt like crying because I did not know what to do!

“Are you ready for your thesis defense, Mr.Byun?” Prof.Choi asked.

“Well, I have to, don’t I?”

“Yes, you do! I’m sure you’ll be fine, Mr.Byun. You made the thesis yourself so you should be able to do it!”

“Thank you, Professor! So, I will excuse myself. I’ll see you on the D-day!”

“Yes, Mr.Byun!”

I went to work after that. I had two classes at 2 and 3. I worked in a language school. I was a language instructor. I taught Korean and Mandarin. My students were mostly foreigners but I also had some Koreans in Mandarin class. I never imagined that I would become a teacher but after doing it for almost three years, I could not see myself doing another job! Wei