The war...

This world would never stop having a war. Humans were nothing but reckless arrogant meats that would attack each other, leaving their own bodies on the ground covered in red. They said the peace would come but they never said when. Human rights were only a written book without implementations, more innocences to be sacrificed, more children to die as if their lives never mattered. Hearts became colder, taking revenge was all they could ever think.

This war would never stop, becoming a part of tradition on this old land called earth.

I was born in the middle of a war, in the Dark Age of Korea.

I, the Colonel of South Korean Army, Do Kyungsoo.

—

“Colonel, regarding the letter from North Korea...,” a guy in green army uniform folded his arms as he spoke, looking down politely as usual. He had some badges attached on his chest, one of them was his name that said Choi Heungsoo.

“I’ll think about it later,” I put my chin on my palm, looking outside the windows. Down there on the field many people in green uniform were busy practicing their physics with others, just like another view I got used to see. “Please leave me alone, Heungsoo.”

“Excuse me, Sir,” the Major nodded before leaving the room soundlessly.

The room where I spent my time everyday became quiet once again as Heungsoo left. The ticking clock was the only noise that could ever be made. I glanced down to see a sighting of a white paper with two long paragraphs neatly written in hangul. I let out a sigh as I took the paper off the desk, reading the Dear Colonel Do Kyungsoo on the first paragraph. For my entire life, this was probably the only letter that made me think of a lot of things, including my position as a Colonel. Threating letters weren’t new for me, really—especially if they were from the General, but this time was different. This wasn’t just a typical letter, this was more than that, it brought memories I wished I had forgotten. The letter was from the next land, the sender’s name was obviously written with bold.

Kim Jongin.

That name was very familiar in my ears, especially when my mind recalled the things I could remember a person with this name. Recalling everything that this person did back then, as a friend, as a best friend, and as a younger brother.

I grasped on the letter very tightly, flying away to the time when I was too young to know what war was, to the time when first I met Kim Jongin.

That was one day, a few days after an attack in the border area, I sneaked out with my father without my mother knowing. I was eight years old, small and naive.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ran towards a young boy sitting on the corner of the dead town. My father was busy looking around the place and left me hanging out by myself. “Why are you here? This place is dangerous!” I looked around to see nothing but abandoned buildings, some of them were left burned. No people were to be seen.

He didn’t move, still hugging his dirty skinny legs. His body was trembling very hard and a heavy breath was heard every time he took a breath.

I got down on my knees to look at him closer, “come with me, you look very ill,” I briefly touched his hair, making him flinch and shaking his head in response.

“It’s fine, I won’t hurt you. You know, my mother is a doctor, I’m sure she could cure you,” I rubbed the poor boy’s arm. “Let’s go home, shall we?”

“Kyungsoo, where are you?!”

I turned my head around to see my father, Do Woojin—who was only a Captain back then, standing near us, looking unappreciated upon what I was doing. I stood up but the poor boy didn’t move a bit, hugging his legs more tightly.

“What are you doing here?! I told you not to walk by yourself! This place is dangerous, we talked about that!”

“But, Dad, he’s alone, we can’t leave him in this place,” I pointed to the boy, begging to my father.

My father looked down at the boy—still with his unappreciated look which changed to the disgusted one. He shook his head and grabbed on my wrist, “no, we’re going home now! Mom must be waiting for us.”

“I don’t want–” I pulled away, for the first time in forever, I declined when my father asked. I got down on my knees again and hugged the boy. “I’m not going home without him!”

All I could know what happened was my father letting out a long sigh whilst crossing his arms over his chest. This meant he was getting upset but I didn’t try to make it better. For an eight years old kid, I knew things like this would happen.

“Fine,” he eventually stated, turning around. “Follow Dad.”

I knew he was still upset but it didn’t bother me. My father would be back to his normal mode anytime soon. I pulled the corner of my lips to form a smile whilst turning my head around to the poor boy.

“Let’s go home, it’s going to be fun there,” now I could see his face, there were dark clouds around his eyes, haunting there. He moved his orbs to meet mine, I gave a smile in return whilst helping him in getting up. “My name’s Do Kyungsoo, but you can call me Kyungsoo. What’s yours?”

“J-Jongin,” his voice was so low, deep and hurting. “K-Kim Jongin.”

“Okay, Jongin, you don’t look fine, but you will be much better later,” I linked my arm with his, brushing my hand over his head as we started taking a walk, following my father.

Kim Jongin, his name still remained in my mind, having a special spot in my heart. It reminded me of many childhood memories, the sweet memories that were too beautiful to be forgotten. Kim Jongin, the kid who successfully made my boring life more colorful, giving my empty days more laughters. Kim Jongin, the kid who also sent the letter from North Korea.

Jongin was one of the innocent victims from the endless war between South Korea and North Korea. He lived alone, never had he told us about his life. He was just a kid named Kim Jongin who happened to be a victim in this cruel world. I had always thought that his friends and family were killed when he was still too young to understand.

“You’ll be fully healed very soon, I can promise you,” my mother carefully held Jongin’s leg, wrapping white cloth on it. I sat next to him, observing what she was doing. “So, Jongin? How old are you, Jongin?” Jongin looked down blankly at his leg before looking up.

“Seven years old.”

“Ah, what a coincidence,” my mother looked a bit surprise but a smile on her face remained there. “Kyungsoo is eight. You two will get along together and be best of friends.”

“Of course, we will, Mom, other than that we will be brothers!” I remembered I plastered a big smile with my arm was wrapped around Jongin’s shoulders. “From now on, you don’t have to worry about anything because I’ll be your big brother. You could start calling me Kyungsoo hyung.”

There were tears in Jongin’s dark orbs as if they were about to fall anytime soon. His pale lips slowly were pulled, forming a small smile. “Thank you, Kyungsoo Hyung.”

“Good boy,” I laughed.

That day was the day I could never get to forget, the day where I claimed myself as Jongin’s big brother. I felt so grateful for having him in the family and I wouldn’t lie. I was so glad that he came into my life. Since Jongin became a part of the family, everything wasn’t the same anymore, I wasn’t feeling alone anymore. Jongin was my family, Jongin was my little brother.

My parents treated him as well as they did to me. They gave everything to Jongin what they gave to me, including education. Jongin was younger than me so he took the class one year below mine. He was an incredibly smart student in the class, the teachers admitted. He had this great vision ahead and he knew more about defense-self techniques. When my father taught us some simple swords techniques to defense ourselves, Jongin had already been good with that as if he once played. And my father saw a great potential in him.

“There’s a myth about The Water of North,” it was one fine morning, my father was lecturing Jongin and me. I was ten and Jongin was nine that time. “The Water of North is an honorable title to someone who has successfully brought peace to the world,” he crossed his arms over his chest.

“The name sounds very promising,” I interrupted.

“Do you know why it’s called The Water of North, Kyungsoo?” my father rolled his eyes to look at mine before to Jongin’s. “Jongin?”

I shook my head.

“The Water of North,” Jongin repeated. “Water symbolizes cold, live, and peace since water itself is one of the important elements in lives. We all need water as human beings, even animals and plants also need water to continue their lives. We can’t live without water, even the blood that runs in our bodies is fluid,” he stopped for a while, I was trying to digest what he meant. “And the North, I was thinking of something from the North. As we know, the North side of the world is a cold place where it’s covered with snow, frozen water. If we combine the word Water and North, it will be; the live that’s prepentually flowing from the cold place?”

For a kid in his age, Kim Jongin was beyond expectation. I could see a satisfied expression crossing on my father’s face.

“Jongin, starting tomorrow, you could join Kyungsoo’s class,” he flashed a smile, which I rarely saw. “Kids, this world is like a large field and the war is nothing but smoldering fire. Humans like to flick the fire higher to burn down the grasses in the field. They forget the fact that deep beneath the field, there’s the flowing water that’s also the main source for the plants’ lives. This water is the Spirit for Peace,” my father stopped to inhale. “And when the field is completely burned, there’ll be the Water of North, from a high place, coming down to get the plants back to live. They give hopes to those who start to give up to get their back again and bring peace to the world.”

Jongin and I didn’t budge, not even nodding our head. We were still listening to my father’s long story.

“Since Ming Dinasty, people believed that The Water of North wasn’t only a myth, it’s like a prediction that would happen. They believed that one day, someone would be born and bring peace to the world. This world would no longer be suffering, as if The Water of North had filled it with Spirit for Peace,” my father ended the story with a smile, “Kyungsoo, Jongin, you got enough lesson today now you two can go out to play.”

“Thank you for the great story, Dad,” I stood up. “But Jongin and I aren’t going to play, we’ll practice again. Let’s go, Jongin!”

Kim Jongin, did you still remember the story The Water of North?

“Hyung, do you believe in father’s story?” Jongin asked in the same day, we were taking a break after two hours of practicing our wooden swords. We were sitting under a tree in the backyard, with Jongin lying. His eyes were busy combing the clear sky.

“About the The Water of North?” I tilted my head to him. “I’m not sure, but father said it was only a myth.”

“I don’t think it’s only a myth, actually. It’s because I believe,” Jongin smiled, rolling his eyes to meet mine. “There would be one day when humans start understanding each other and stop killing each other. I want to create peace, Hyung,” he sat up, still having that sweet child smile. “I want to become The Water of North like what father said, like what the people believed.”

“That’s a very great idea, Jongin.”

“So that’s why, to create peace, we have to practice more. Once getting bigger and stronger, I would fight for the weak and the poor, decline wars, and start a campaign about world peace,” Jongin breathed out as if imagining the world peace in his mind. “I would protect everyone that I loved, especially my family here.”

Jongin’s smile rose up beautifully that afternoon. A new hope was born when his sparkling eyes blinked. And Jongin’s dream that day became mine, as well. The world peace that Jongin talked about, that Jongin hoped, became my main goal. I wanted to become The Water of North, like Jongin.

And for that, I also wanted to protect the people I loved, especially my little brother Jongin.

“Then what are we waiting for? Break time is over! Let’s practice again,” I stood up, with the burning flame I could feel in my soul, grabbing my wooden sword. “I’ll win this time!”

Jongin chuckled lightly, “no, you won’t!”

I buried my face on my arms when those sweet memories were played realistically in my mind. Kim Jongin was my goal, Kim Jongin was my inspirational role model. However, would Kim Jongin be the one who flicked the flame when it was off for a while? Would Kim Jongin my little brother be the one who fought with me? Did Kim Jongin forget about what he dreamed years ago? Did Kim Jongin not remember about The Water of North anymore?

Would Kim Jongin really do that?

Our lives went as they should. We grew up and became two great armies in many aspects, in our young ages, 16 years old. Jongin had become a private first class and was also the best soldier. He was very good with stats and analyzing, all of the strategies he arranged always worked. Everyone trusted him, especially our father. Jongin was a new light in his eyes and it wasn’t new if he was invited in some important meetings with my father and the government. He came to represent the young team.

Jongin and I personally got a little distant as he moved out to the basecamp. He stopped going to the military school as his role was needed. I only came to the basecamp once a week during the weekends since I still got class in the weekdays. And it was only two times I met him and talked a little. We didn’t spend much time anymore.

In one Wednesday, when I just arrived from the class, I got a news from my friend in the basecamp that Jongin had been missing for two days. Nobody knew where he went since there was no call for the past one week. I was worried but I assumed he had probably been practicing or gone meditating since ten days beforehand we still talked.

But a week passed and he still hadn’t come back. As if he was brought by the wind, he disappeared with no tracks. I was invited to one meeting to officially receive the leader badge, replacing him.

Until that evening in the secret meeting room.

“Kim Jongin is a betrayal,” my father, the General, exhaled loudly when saying this, clutching his fists in the table. Everyone, including me, turned our head to him. This was an emergency meeting since my father had a big news and was this what he meant?

“So I got the information about him,” with boiling anger that was obviously written on his face, my father added. Five men beside him tried to calm him down by patting his back repeatedly. “He is from North Korea. His parents were killed when he was very young.”

What my father said successfully shocked everyone, especially me. They were left in silence, waiting for the next information.

“The bunker was left unopened before he left, I believe he had brought our secret or everything and went back to North Korea,” my father continued, the other men here looked shocked, some buried their face in their hands, some chanted “oh my God” repeatedly, some covered their mouth. “We were deceived for ten years, gentlemen. When I first saw him, I should have left him until he died starving,” my father’s deathly glare landed on me as if blaming me for what I did years ago. My heart beat faster than it should.

But I wouldn’t lie that I was shocked, as well. It wasn’t that the fact that he was from North Korea, well maybe that did a little, but it was more than that. For ten years, Jongin had always been acting like a mysterious little brother. Never had he tried to open about himself when he never ever hurt me, physically or verbally. He had always helped me, always listened to me, always knew what was the best for me. But he lied about himself to me, he bottled it and successfully hid it from me, and everyone.

I had never felt this hurt before. I had never felt this betrayed before. Did I treat him that bad as a brother that he did this to me?

I pushed my chair backwards, making a loud annoying sound. Everyone turned their head to me but my eyes were glued with my shoes. I turned around and walked to the door. I just couldn’t bear the pain in my heart.

“Where are you going, Kyungsoo?” my father’s voice stopped me.

I knew this was very rude to leave the room when everyone was still there, especially when I was the youngest among them all.

“I’m sorry for doing this but I do really need some alone time,” I turned my head a little. “Excuse me.” I left the room which I got detention the next day for that.

It wasn’t because he was from the Enemy, no, it was because he had never been honest with me.

After that day, I never met him in any way. I didn’t even hear his name anymore. Kim Jongin was nobody but a name with childhood memories for me.

Years went by years, the world we were living got older by days. Almost decades passed and no significant changes were made in this world. Humans still got up in the morning to kill the innoncence, it still paralyzed their mind to create peace. After my father’s death, the General changed but there reasons to stop the war didn’t seem to come up on the surface. The issue about the world including the United States and the Uni Soviet, and now Japan was involved, was making everything worse. This made me think that world peace was nothing but a hope that would never come true. Even my heart one day spoke to me that the story The Water of North was nothing but an old myth.

My spirit to stop the war slowly died.

One year after I got promoted to become the Colonel, that name came again in the world. Kim Jongin, he showed himself again. And this time he came to me, not as a friend nor a brother, but as an enemy.

General Kim Jongin from North Korea wanted to meet me, in a battle he addressed as a sweet reunion. He sent a letter to have a sword battle with me. He was younger but becoming a way stronger man that he used to be.

My little brother, Kim Jongin, had well done it.

Three days lying on my table, I couldn’t ignore the letter from Jongin. I wanted to protect my people at all cost, I wanted to die for them and give them all I had for the victory of this Nation. I once promised myself to do what my father once did to his people, being executed for the freedom of his hostages. I wanted to be like my father but my old promise to Jongin that day...

I also wanted to protect the people I loved, especially my little brother Jongin.

Kim Jongin, did we have to do this?

I had always known him as an ambitious man who had a big dream. He would suffer himself if it would grant what he wanted to do. And meeting me was one of the things he currently wanted to do and he was so persistent about it.

In one cloudy evening, Kim Jongin came to South Korea Military Army Headquarters with two soldiers walking behind him. I asked my soldiers not to stop him until he reached the field where they practiced. I didn’t want this personal thing to be involved with the Nation so I asked him to come into our old backyard where we used to practice back then.

“Long time no see, Colonel?” standing a few meters from me, Jongin flashed a small smirk. He then asked the two men behind him to leave the battlefield before removing the armour on his body. “Let’s see how strong we are now. It’s been years since the last time we practiced, you must have grown stronger.”

I let out a sigh, scanning his figure from head to toe. He didn’t change much, only that his body got a little bit bigger than the last time I saw him in the basecamp. He might have had practiced a lot and had become much stronger than he used to be. He still looked as fine as in his teenage.

“I want a fair battle,” Jongin placed a hand on his waist, asking the people behind me to leave with his free hand. “And no fire gun.”

“Please leave me,” I turned my head a little to the soldiers behind me and they immediately moved back, leaving us in the backyard.

“Colonel Do Kyungsoo, please take off your armour and let’s fight like real men,” Jongin grabbed his sword and swung it off, making a loud sound when the blade sliding off.

I let out another long sigh, taking off my armour as I was told. At this point, I would do what he wanted. “Look, Jongin, I–”

“What else, Colonel?” Jongin cut off, getting his wrists flexed.

“There are questions I want to ask if I ever meet you,” I stopped for a while, waiting for his reaction. He looked into my eyes deeply as if asking me to stop talking. “What made you like this? What got into you?”

Jongin furrowed his eyebrows.

“Where is Kim Jongin who loves peace? Where is Kim Jongin who dreams of world peace?”

Jongin laughed loudly upon hearing what I said, still with the same old laughter. “General Do Kyungsoo, it’s been years and you didn’t even change,” he stopped laughing, “you’re still a stupid little guy,” he swung his sword in the air. “If you’re asking, I’ll answer; I’m no longer the old Kim Jongin you expected. I’m no longer a crybaby kid as you thought. I’ve grown up.”

I breathed out. That wasn’t the answer I wished to hear, actually.

Jongin suddenly took steps closer, I quickly took my sword off. “And just to let you know, General,” he stopped walking, “I didn’t get here only to meet you, I wanted more than that,” Jongin’s hand moved fast, I swung my sword to hold his sudden attack. In a blink of an eye, we had our own poses with Jongin attacking and I defending. His face was closer to mine, his smirk never left it. “I wanted to kill you.”

I pushed my sword and jumped backwards, he did the same.

“My parents died when I was so young, they were killed in the morning when we had breakfast. Two strangers in South Korean army uniform suddenly broke the door and killed them instantly, I witnessed that,” Jongin said after standing up properly, shuting his eyes down. I tried to control my breath. “And the one who commanded the invasion was Captain Do Woojin, your father,” he continued in rather miserable voice, causing me to widen my eyes in dibelief. “And I want to take revenge, if I can’t kill the person who killed my parents, I would do it to his son!” that kid hopped again, doing a zig-zag move before swinging his weapon to target my left leg which was my weak spot.

I jumped to dodge the blade, successfully doing a flip-up and landing on my legs. I swung my sword to reach his right arm but Jongin quickly stopped it, smirking as he made it. The loud sound of swinging blade was once heard. I pushed myself backwards once again.

“Woah, time flies and you’re still slow,” Jongin commented. “You should be faster when someone attacks your left side, Colonel.”

I stood up, controlling my breath once again. Jongin was much faster than the last time we practiced, he improved a lot. I almost lost it when my brain tried to digest what he talked about his parents and the fact that they were killed by my father. That was still very shocking to me, even after all the years of separation. This got me realized, how could I never think of that possibility?

“When you came to me that time,” Jongin reminisced once again between his heavy breaths. “I felt so thankful that someone still cared about me, that someone still acknowledged my presence, that someone still loved me as a brother. But other than that, I couldn’t accept the fact that you’re Captain Woojin’s son, the person who killed my parents.”

My heart beat faster than it should upon the story, I could hear my heart slowly broke into pieces. Jongin’s confession about his old story he had been hiding from everyone stabbed me right in my heart. I never thought of that, I couldn’t even utter a word to reply to that. That shocking fact got me silence. And that made me realize that I couldn’t blame his desicion to take revenge and kill me.

“And I had to live with you in Captain Woojin’s house, working to the killer. By the time I realized that I’m nothing but a betrayal,” I could hear the heavy breath when Jongin said this, his teeth clenched. “I betrayed my family, my friends, and all the people of North Korea. I don’t want to live under your control and live as a traitor!” Jongin took steps with his sword that was ready to be swung. “You never know what it feels to carry the world on your shoulders like me, Colonel Kyungsoo!”

I looked down, shuting my eyes down when Jongin’s footsteps were clearly heard.

That kid wanted to kill me as a revenge for his parents,

And I wanted to protect him as my little brother,

If this was really what he wanted,

If this was the only way to bring him back,

I’d do everything that I could,

To see the old Kim Jongin,

To see the old spirit of my little brother,

I let my sword off, the sound was heard when it hit the ground.

One, two, three.

One second later, I felt the cold blade stabbed my left chest, ripping every inside me. I could feel its end had gone through my back. The extreme pain ate me less than one second later, making my body tremble so hard. The warm fluid in my chest got my army uniform wet. I bit my bottom lip to stop it from coming out of my mouth but I failed.

I opened my eyes slowly only to see Jongin’s pale face. His eyes were confused.

“What’s with the sword...?” I could feel Jongin’s trembling hand in my body through the sword he was still holding. It felt like hell.

I gazed into his scared dark orbs, the same eyes I met over twenty years ago.

“If your current goal... is granted with this...,” I started talking with all strength I had, “...promise me that you’ll focus... on your old goal... about the world peace.” I stopped talking as the pain got me entirely, making my body shake heavily. I felt my head spinning as if the world was spun, I looked up at him one more time, “I trust you, Dongsaeng.”

My trembling legs gave up on my weight but I tried to stand up. Jongin’s pale face was spun in my vision as I slowly fell backwards. I could feel Jongin’s hand tightly gripped on my forearm. He took the sword off my body, making me groan painfully when the sliding blade hit my inner organ once again. I shut my eyes closed.

“Kyungsoo Hyung...”

Ah, my little brother, his voice got softer, it sounded the same.

I tried to grab on his shoulder for support but the next second I heard was the loud command behind us.

“DRAW!”

The next second, triggers were pulled and bullets rained on us. Jongin who was aware quickly wrapped his arms around me, hovering on me. The bullet landed on his back, making him scream in pain. He fell on the ground, so did I.

I fell on my back and he struggled to stand as well. One more bullet was shot away and it landed on Jongin’s arm, stopping him. I fluttered my eyes open to see his face that wasn’t very far from mine. Blood was flowing from his palm.

Jongin’s lips trembled, “I’m sorry, Hyung,” I might be half alive but I could clearly see there were tears falling off the corner of his eyes. “Thank you, Kyungsoo Hyung.”

I tried to shoot a smile in return even though it was very hard. The next second I could hear many footsteps running, getting closer to us. I could feel many people stood around us, blocking my view to see Jongin.

“Call the doctors and bring Colonel back!”

“No, please, don’t,” I honestly didn’t know if I still had strength to speak. Their hands stopped moving on my body. “Let me be here and obey my last command,” I tried so hard to fill my nose with oxygen. “I lost here but the world peace will always win. Call the doctors and bring General Jongin in, once he’s recovered, obey his commands,” all my soldiers stared at me in sadness and concern. “From now on, he’ll be in the team, tell General Doyun that Jongin isn’t a threat to us and don’t execute him no matter what happens because he’s The Water of North the world has waited. I trust him so you all have to trust my little brother, Jongin.”

I closed my eyes.

Dad, my job is done here. I’m sorry if I couldn’t be like you. I’m sorry, I really was a weak son. I’m sorry I died only as a Colonel, not as a General like you. But Dad, weren’t heroes those who died for others?

I have come back, bringing back the lost light. I have come back, bringing back Dad’s other son. I have come back, bringing back the Spirit for Peace we all have been waiting, bringing back The Water of North Dad always talked about.

Jongin, this couldn’t be wrong. You really are the Water of North the people predicted. You would bring peace to this cruel world. That spirit is still in your soul. I give this world to you, I trust you, Jongin.

I still could hear more footsteps coming and the painful groan that came out of Jongin’s mouth. They were talking incoherently, wait, or was it me who started losing my senses? I tried my best to take a breath but I felt like there was a huge rock in my lung. I could hardly feel my heart that beat very slowly. My head started to spin once again as I slowly lost my power to move my legs.

And it went black.

—

author's note: I finally have updated this story, omg. please comment down your opinion(s) about the story once you've finished reading. I really appreciate it :^)