Park Chaeyoung was, in the nicest way possible, a rather vertically challenged person. There was nothing she could do about it, really. She just blamed it on genetics - it didn't matter how much milk she drank, how much she stretched every day, she just wouldn't grow past the 160 cm mark. Instead, she stayed the abysmally small 154 cm, much to her frustration.

Unfortunately, this particular trait of hers, coupled with her childish, youthful face, made her probably one of the least intimidating people you could meet - definitely not the kind of person that would come to mind when someone said the word 'soldier'.

But, being the kind of person she was, something as measly as appearances didn't stop Chaeyoung from joining the military. "Life's all about challenges," she'd say when questioned. And that was all you'd be able to get out of her, even if you continued asking for hours.

Then, on the other side of the spectrum, was Oh Sehun. And a talented young lad, he was.

Oh Sehun was the grandson of the famous military general, Oh Jinhyuk, who, 20 years ago, led the South Korean Specialised Defence Unit to victory against North Korea's heavy infantry in the famous battle at Incheon. Chief Officer Oh was hailed a hero in his country - the General who managed to defeat enemy forces triple the size of his own unit and win his country a critical battle.

But a mere reputable family background was not what made Oh Sehun special. This boy was a genius, a renowned prodigy - at just 16, he was promoted captain of a major military defence squadron and at 18, Lieutenant of the Specialised Defence Unit. Not only did the men respect him for his leadership and combat abilities, his intelligence and tactical skill was also something to marvel at. He was a well-known and highly respected figure among the South Korean Military and even internationally.

He had a heck of a personality too. Cold, rude, demanding, with a glare sharper than his jawline (and that was saying something) and a sense of honesty more brutal than an AK 47 rifle. He was not someone you'd want to mess with. 

Which was why he was also placed in charge of training the new batches of trainees. It had been a bit of a spontaneous decision by his grandfather, really, but not necessarily a bad one, as it turned out. Sehun was young, but well-respected. The trainees listened to him well, and with Sehun's perfectionist, ruthless and unforgiving sort of personality, they didn't dare slack off. 

A new group had recently arrived at the military camp. Sehun, accompanied by his cousin, Park Chanyeol, was on his way to meet them for the first time. As he approached, several of the trainees noticed him and hastened to stand to attention.

His sharp, cold eyes scanned their messy, unorderly rows and sighed internally, his gaze hard and unforgiving. They were a pathetic bunch, but that was only to be expected. They were just trainees, after all. He was sure that after a few months, they'd begin to harden - they always did. Standing next to him, his tall cousin gave all the trainees a warm smile which a few of them returned. The young captain remained stoic and cool, however - like he always was. 

Usually, one would clear his throat or make some kind of noise to gain a large group's attention. However, for Oh Sehun, that was unnecessary. His presence alone was to send all the trainees into nervous and awed silence.  He spent a few moments observing each cadet. He watched in satisfaction as each of them stiffened as they met his gaze, immediately lowering their eyes to the floor. He didn't care - in fact, he preferred it this way. The more scared of him they were, the better they'd listen, the faster they'd become the soldiers he wanted them to be.

And then, as he scanned the last row, his eyes fell on a small, petite female with a ridiculously childish looking face. In her hair fluttered a pale blue ribbon. She was looking around as if in awe of the place, having not even noticed him yet. Her brown eyes twinkled as her gaze wandered around the camp, before finally landing on him and widening. 

And just for a moment, Oh Sehun was caught completely off-guard. This girl looked like she still attended high school. What the heck was she doing in the military? He blinked, narrowing his eyes at her as she sent him a bright, friendly smile. 

He heard Chanyeol give a quiet cough from beside him, snapping him out of his reverie. He realised he'd been silently staring at the trainees for quite a whil