"It's been great serving with you, soldier."

Yonghwa grinned as he gave a jaunty salute to the man at the wheel. His platoon sergeant had given him a ride as his end-of-tour date coincided with his senior's leave.

"It's been a wonderful couple of years with you, too, sir!" Yonghwa smiled widely in gratitude and camaraderie. The sergeant waved at him as he drove off. Yonghwa stood by the curb and waved until he could no longer see the car.

He finally straightened up and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of fresh air. He had asked to be dropped off at a park in the middle of the city, which happened to be calm at that very moment. He had missed going to that park, where he had spent a lot of quiet moments on his own whenever he was tired or just wanted to get away from all the chaos of life. He proceeded to walk to his favorite spot, quite conspicuous in his fatigues.

After a few minutes of searching, he finally found his spot; a wooden bench hidden behind a group of trees near a man-made pond. He was actually quite surprised to find that the bench was still there and had not been demolished. It showed a couple more signs of wear and tear compared to before, but that was what he'd loved about that bench. It was simply there, withstanding the elements and whatever else nature and people did to it.

He dropped his duffel bag onto the ground beside the bench and sat down, patting the back of the bench like an old friend. He ran his hand further down, as he tried to look for something. Eventually, a smile broke out on his lips as he found the words that had been carved years ago. He stood up and went around the bench so he could look at the carvings.

I love you forever.
Y❤S

His eyes dimmed as nostalgia took over. He could still remember the day he'd carved that. He remembered the look on her face as she figured out what he'd been writing on the bench.

It was just like yesterday. They were young and in love. It felt like they could get through everything and anything that came at them during that time. However, life didn't always turn out the way you want it.

He went on to lie down on the bench, using his bag as a pillow. He needed to get home because people and responsibilities were waiting for him, responsibilities he had to take care of to make sure he still had a future.
However today, and only for today, he intended to do nothing. He tried to convince himself that he deserved a day off after spending 2 years in the military. But the truth was... He had a lot more things to take care off than he was really ready for, and he had no confidence at all.

He didn't even know where to start. He left his civilian  life in a mess, and he'd gotten into his military service in a rush. His career and business was put on hold because of the scandal. And on top of all of that... He'd missed her. He'd missed her so badly the whole time he was away, but he had no way of contacting her.

Rolling over onto his side, he gave a deep sigh. He had no right to contact her anyway, since they were no longer together. He blamed himself, because it was him who finally drove her away. She'd tried to help him during those last days... but his pride got in the way and he broke up with her, citing excuses and illogical reasons why they can't be together anymore.

She deserved better. He was not worthy of her. Endless thoughts went through Yonghwa's head as he lay there on his beloved bench, shutting out everything else. He would've fallen asleep if not for a small tap on his back and a little voice that whispered...

"Ahjussi, have you seen my mommy?"