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Incheon

         It was deafening. There had been so much gunshots, groans and screams for the day. Jung Su envisioned the lives that laid in front of him, without the sound of fathers and their children, without young men in offices or in the fields, with no husbands for the women. As his body fell into the remnants, a strike of boulder hit his back. There was no point in wailing; he restrained his tears and get back up on his feet.

In a distance he saw his General coughing and chest heaving. His limped towards his saviour and let him gulp down his water. The older man whispered for his son countless times, shaking his head back and forth to reduce the pain. With all the strength left Jung Su could muster, he carried him on his bruised back and ran towards their shelter. Along the way he fell down on his knees, yet the older man never said anything. He gripped tighter behind his back, feeling his heavy breath on his nape. Instinctively, the General covered Jung Su’s face from the sediments of an explosion and locked his eyes onto him.

Jung Su hadn’t any water at all, yet he never complained throughout their way back. He saw his pained expression as he was pulled onto his back, but he only gripped tighter. The way he holds him with soft hands and for a moment, heard him call ‘Father’. Jung Su was not doing this because he felt indebted; he saved his life because he was all he had in their long journey through the war.

♦♦♦

         The young nurse took Jung Su’s hands and cleansed it slowly. He had seen the way she took interest in him but he chose not to let go of her hopeful fingers. He locked his eyes with her and spoke, “I am in love with a blind woman, I’m sorry.” She gasped and releases his hands. Minutely, the young nurse smiled back similarly starting to feel sorry for the latter’s fate.

“I’m happy for you, so many has felt too alone in this period. Tell me about her.”

He shook his head gently, “I miss her, but there shouldn’t be any desire to see her anytime soon. Patience, she had taught me that. Each day by thinking of her, her touch on every cranny, her voice- it is enough to leave me in breathlessness.”

The former smiled and saw the way he stretched his hands to greet her.

“My name is Park Jung Su.”

She laughed replying his handshake, “I know. I’m Kang Sora, the youngest nurse of the camp.”

“May I ask, do you deliver letters here, or is there a phone anywhere?”

“Sometimes a man comes from the city, but there is no definite time he may come. You can still hope for him soon though.” He nodded continuously, running back to his bunk searching for papers.

He took an inkpen and slowly spelled her name,

Beloved Taeyeon,

Jung Su stopped. His heart quivered and he slowly continued.

There is nothing I feel more sorry for than the way I’ve never even once tried to reach out to you here. I yearn for you during my time yet never pursued. General Lee told me a man might come to send a note to town. He has been good to me, and I only wish for you to know of my condition. I am fine.

How are your eyes, darling? Can you read me? I pray for you each night and listening to the sound of gunshots and cannons makes me shake at the thought of you. How I wish to protect you in this weary time…

After writing a full-paged letter, he ended, signed with the name she calls for him, Faithfully, Leeteuk.

For days it has carried on the same way, how he pines for her and expressed them through his letters. On the outside, he addressed them towards his pastor, hopefully trusting the latter to personally find her whereabouts. They were duly sealed but not once delivered.

         In a distance, he saw a young man clad in a suit greeting General Lee. He stumbled across the hallway about to report for the day until they called out for him.

“Meet Dong Wook, my son. This is Jung Su, he is like a son to me as well,” General Lee told him. The younger man bowed and gave a smile.

“Nice to meet you, brother?” the latter said. Jung Su nodded and saw his luggage being placed outside his dormitory. His name was Lee Dong Wook, and had been two years older than him. Being the alleged son of the commander, he reported for service earlier that morning. They had shared a room and within days easily came down to forge a strong brotherhood through their duties.