“MEN! Tomorrow, we go from here in Pusan and march up to the border of Pyeongyang. We make our attack...” the commander went on and on but Stephen’s head was somewhere else. His head was floating for all he thought of was the lovely lady that he saw last night-Park Bom Lee.

            “Park Bom Lee.” he said to himself. “The most beautiful woman to ever grace this land.”

            “What?” turned Roberts, a fellow soldier.

            “I said nothing.” Stephen quickly snapped back into reality and took back what he said. “That was nothing.”

            “Whatever loser.” he taunted. Stephen sighed and focused on the mission again.

            “ALRIGHT MEN! WE TRAIN TODAY! EVERYBODY ON THEIR FEET!” the commander ordered. The men stood up swiftly and did as their commander commanded. Running, shooting crawling, combat. Everything they needed to know about fighting was taught to them on this field.

            “PUT SOME BACK ON IT! DON’T SHOW ME NO WEAKNESS, YOU LITTLE GIRLS!!! LET’S GO! LET’S GO! LET’S GO!!!!” The soldiers continued the physically demanding task of training and fighting. Stephen tried his very best to outperform the other arrogant soldiers but was quite unsuccessful, especially when got in the way of his success.

            “See you at the finish line, Stephanie!” he teased as he ran his way to the end of the line. had just extended his leg to trip Stephen though Stephen did not fall down to the ground.

            “You stay out of this, you bastard!!!” he warned. stuck his middle finger and ran all the way, finishing first. Stephen exhaustedly caught up and came in second.

            “You sir,” he said, hyperventilating. “Are a jerk.” could only laugh at his frustration, sensing bitterness in him, knowing that Stephen could never beat him nor best him, let alone win the approval of the Commander General.

            “LINE UP!”  ordered the Commander General. The soldiers lined up horizontally and saluted. The Commander General walked across and eyed the soldiers one by one, inspecting them. They all stood straight with their hands firmly placed on their sides. Stephen was eyeing his fellow soldiers, eyes moving from side to side, following the Commander General’s feet.

            “You men have done well today. You have proven your preparedness for battle. Tomorrow, we attack the enemy. Roberts, I am putting you in charge of this battalion because I trust you.” said the Commander General. A conceited smile came on the face of the boastful soldier. His heart swelled with pride, knowing that the Commander General believed in his skill.

            “Thank you Commander General.” he said. looked over at Stephen and smirked conceitedly. Stephen squinted his eyes and slightly shook his head. “I promise to do the best I can.” A proud moment for the young soldier, he smiled and  waved at the other soldiers.

            “Tomorrow we march. We march to the walls of Pyeongyang and fire back, fight back with our Korean brothers to restore the freedom and order in the beautiful country of Seoul, South Korea.”  the soldiers except for Stephen all cheered for .

            Stephen returned to his tent and thought about the decision the Commander General had made. He knew he was a good soldier and was far better than . His personality alone, which was strong yet humble, was enough to best for the coveted position. But then again, there was nothing he could do about it but accept the fact that the Commander General would never like someone like him. In order to rid his mind of the negativity surrounding the camp due to bullying, Stephen just thought of the beautiful singer he saw last night.

            “Park Bom Lee.” he uttered her name again. Stephen lay down on his cot and folded his arms behind his head, smiling to himself with strange delight. The image of Bom flashed in his mind as he imagined them together.

            “I barely know that woman but I feel like I love her already.” Stephen, who had never thought of love, found himself falling head over heels for a girl he just met. It was impossible to meet her, to see her again he presumed but he hoped that the day would come when they would cross paths again.

            Bom had reached home. She was lucky that she was alone and that her inquisitive parents had not come for a visit. She hated it whenever they would come to her house and ask her about marriage. Bom was already at a marrying age for them and had not yet found a suitable husband. Bom had much love for her craft and had no intention of marrying anytime soon.

            In  her room, she plopped on her bed and lay on her side, embracing the small, torn pillow next to her.

            I wonder why people expect so much from me. Why do they compare me to the other women in society. Don’t they know that no people are alike? I refuse to get married and I never will fall in love. I have seen the hardships my friends had to face in the name of love and I am not willing to go through that much pain. I vow to myself, I will never fall in love. Bom thought. Too much thinking and tiredness had put her to sleep. Even in her slumber, Bom still had a lot of thoughts racing through her mind.

            But one thought in particular, wouldn’t stop streaking her space of thought.

            Stephen Jones. That young soldier down the road. I wonder why he called me and asked for my name. I mean, what could a soldier like him possibly want from a mere singer like me? I bet his wife back in America is worried about him. It’s best I stay away from him. I don’t want to anger his wife. I feel bad for him. He is laying his life on the line for our freedom. He is a brave man. I bet that the other soldiers respect him as much as I do. I hope I meet him again. I have so many things to ask him.

            Bom finally fell asleep, this time with a smile on her face.

[THE NEXT DAY]

            Bom got up early in the morning to drink her daily cup of tea with honey. They said that this could help enhance the vocal chords, making her sing better. Bom believed it but she knew to herself that her talent required no special sweet beverage. Nonetheless, Bom took their advice and still drank a daily cup of it, just for the taste.

            Rehearsals for tonight’s show started in the morning so Bom couldn’t afford to be late. At as early as 5:30 am, Bom was already walking to the Teahouse where she performed nightly. As she walked, she saw very little signs of life like people walking and children playing amongst the rubble left and this made her very happy.

            At least they can find happiness in the midst of tragedy. Bom thought. A small girl came up to her and handed her a flower out of the blue.

            “Annyeong hasimnikka.” the little girl bowed as a sign of respect. Bom’s heart was touched by this gesture and she took the flower, the little girl’s hair and embraced her.

            “Gomawo.” she replied, embracing the girl and kissing the top of her head.

            “American soldier want to give you.” said the little girl. Bom’s cheeks turned red at this and looked left and right for the American soldier the girl was talking about.

            “Who?”

            “American soldier.” the little girl cheerfully pointed to the right. Bom looked over to the right and did not see anyone.

            “But there’s no American soldier.” she said. “Just wall.”

            “No!” the little girl grabbed Bom’s wrist and tugged her along. The two quickly walked to the alley that was behind a series of bricks and there he was. Standing at least a meter away from Bom and the little girl holding her hand was the silhouette of a man. A man so tall, strong, and sturdy. He seemed to be too shy to reveal his identity as he hid behind a great wall. Bom arched her eyebrow and became all the more curious about the alleged soldier that gave her the flower.

            “Are you sure it’s a soldier?” she asked the little girl. “Because soldiers are supposed to be brave.”

            “Soldier. Uniform!” said the little girl in Korean-accented English. She tightly grabbed Bom’s wrist and carefully led her towards the silhouette in the alley. The silhouette was motionless, as if struck and petrified by her beauty, one that he had never seen in his lifetime.

            Here she comes. Get it together, Stephen. Don’t blow your chance. he took a deep breath and practiced smiling The situation grew tenser as she started coming closer. Stephen looked carefully at her silhouette. She was svelte, graceful in walking. Her long, flowing hair’s shadow swayed with her movements and with the light, cool breezes of the morning. It made him all the more scared.

            “Excuse me, did you give me this flower?” asked the beautiful woman. Stephen’s head shot up and without his heart’s preparedness, he was looking the woman he loved in the eyes. Her brown Asiatic eyes that opened beautifully, not as small as the others, and formed into cute crescent moons when she smiled with glee, met with his blue expressive ones that suggested purity and affectionate intention. If it had been, they were each other’s first love.

            “Y-Yes.” stammered the shy soldier. It was unusual of tough guys to have a soft spot like this and for a man in duty, fighting for the freedom of the nation, Bom thought it was sweet that he remembered her. The little girl blushed and ran away to play with her fellow children. Bom and Stephen stared each other in the eye for quite a long time.

            “Hi. I’m Stephen Jones.” he extended his hand and watched as Bom took it in her pale, thin ones and shook it lightly.

            “Park Bom Lee.” Bom bowed. “Welcome to Korea.”

            “Thank you.” smiled the soldier. His heart beat quickly and his legs began to shake. Not even battle could make him shake so much as this.

            “Where are you from?” she asked. Stephen placed his now sweaty hands in his pockets and teetered from side to side.

            “Broo-Brook-Brooklyn.” there was uncertainty in the tone of his voice. Bom giggled at his antics.

            “Brooklyn?” she asked, unfamiliar with the place.

            “Yeah it’s in New York.” he smiled. Bom noticed the way his cheekbones went up and turned red whenever he smiled or laughed. She then concluded that he was indeed a charming young man.

            “America. I want to go to America but I don’t have enough money.” she said hopelessly, clutching the flower’s stem lightly in between her slim fingers. Stephen abruptly took her hands in his and clutched them tightly. Bom was quick to pull away and rub her hands, twirling the stem of the flower in them.

            “What’s wrong?” giggled the shy soldier. He was starting to grow comfortable with her.

            “Uhmm... I don’t touch strangers.” said the reserved singer. Her face was burning and turning bright red because of his touch. His touch that was warm and comforting, that felt strange on her. Bom never had been touched by a man and the first time felt like the only time.

            “Well I respect your country’s customs but back in America, even good friends can give small pecks on the cheeks.” he said. Bom turned shyly to him, eyed every detail of his person without saying anything. His blonde hair that was swept to one side, his calm boy next door face, his towering height (6’0 wasn’t really that tall in their country but for someone as small as Bom, he was towering!),and his physique that spelled SOLDIER all over it. He looked like a prince in her eyes despite the ragged and dirty soldier uniform.

            “Thank you. I’m sorry.” Bom bowed shyly before him again. Stephen could only chuckle heartily.

            “You sorry? For what? You didn’t do anything bad.” he asked.

            “No, but...” Bom was a bit hesitant. She did not know what to say next, or maybe how to express it in a way that he would understand.

            “But what?” he curiously bent down and leaned forward to the shorter girl, his blue eyes staring at her

            “Nothing.” she giggled coquettishly once more and covered . She was a mousy girl who shrunk into a bud when embarrassed. Stephen felt bad for her as he did not want her to be so awkward around him.

            “Tell you what, how’s about I drop by tomorrow if I can, I’ll try to see you and maybe we can get to know each other.” smiled the American soldier.

            “I have to work tomorrow.” frowned the Korean beauty. It was Stephen’s turn to eye her every fiber. Her brown hair that flowed from the top of her head down to her back, straight and shiny. Bom’s pretty white face shrunk as it was dwarfed underneath her bangs. Her eyes that turned into little moons when she smiled to an extent and her simple smile that could light up the entire world of Stephen’s.

            “You don’t have to worry about me.” he smiled confidently. He was starting to feel comfortable with her and was really trying hard to get her to open up to him.

            “You will come to the Teahouse?” she asked.

            “Yes.” Stephen assured her.

            “But you are going to war. Defend our country, right?”

            “I suppose.” he rubbed his chin with his hand and smiled. “But I can always squeeze in some time for you.”

            “Oh. You will?”

            “Yes.” replied Stephen.

            “Are you sure? I will expect your presence.”

            “Hey sweetheart, even if I have to come here staggering with only one leg, I will.” he smirked cockily but not in the kind of way, rather in the dashing and gentlemanly kind of way.

            “I will wait for you.” she said.

            “Forever and a day.” Stephen continued for her.

            “You’re funny. Don’t you have anywhere else to go?” Bom asked.

            “Yes. I should be training right now as a matter of fact. I just snuck out of the camp while they were sleeping. They’re probably about to rise now so I better get back.” Stephen said. “I hope to see you tomorrow!” Stephen grabbed his things that he dropped on the concrete sidewalk and slung them on his shoulder. Waving one last goodbye at Bom, he took to his heels and fled for camp. Bom on the other hand was left speechless and enchanted by what had transpired.

            Oh, he’s one of a kind. she blushed and thought to herself. I really wish I can see him again tomorrow.  Unknown to Bom, she was falling in love with him. His looks, personality, and attitude were all she could only hope for in a man. To make it a bonus, he was a soldier, a freedom fighter.

[AT THE CAMP]

            Stephen gleefully ran back to his base where he saw all the soldiers but him assembled for the warm up. Stephen still had the silly, bashful grin on his face, evidence that he was in love and high strung. He stayed at the back, hoping that the Commander General would not notice him. He was trying his luck, however.

            “JONES!” called the Commander General. “FRONT AND CENTER, BOY!” Stephen snapped back into reality when called by the highest ranking military personnel in their division. The dashing young soldier jogged to the side of his commander, still smiling.

            “Looks like someone got lucky!” hollered .

            “Shut up, Davies!” yelled the strict general. Stephen was still high in love but awaited eagerly his sentence.

            “Jones, why are you late? Did you not sleep?”

            “I went to bed, sir! I did!” lied the soldier.

            “Why are you late? Don’t you know the sound of the wakeup call?!”

            “I do! I do, sir!” he said, lying. “But I was so tired I overslept.”

            “Poor baby!”

            “Aww...” cooed the other soldiers, bullying Stephen once again.

            “SHUT YOUR HOLES! YOU AIN’T CHILDREN, YOU’RE GROWN MEN! NOW SHUT IT!” yelled the Commander General. One order from him and all the rowdy little boys straightened into serious men.

            “Sir, I am sorry. It will never happen again!”

            “GIVE ME 1000 PUSH-UPS. DOWN ON THE GROUND,BOY!” he commanded. Stephen quickly dove down and did what he was told to do.

            “ALRIGHT BOYS! WE JOG AROUND FIRST, THEN WE BEGIN YOUR TRAINING!” The soldiers positioned and readied themselves for the physically demanding challenge.

            “SET,GO!” the boys began to jog around, which would last for 30 minutes before continuing to the obstacle course.

            “THINK OF SOUTH KOREA! THINK OF OUR COUNTRY! WE KICK THOSE GUYS ASSES! COME ON NOW! LET’S GO!” the commander rallied them up while Stephen was stalled, doing 1000 pushups.

            On what seemed like forever, Stephen’s arms gave up. The commander general saw him slumped on the grass, dead tired from the pushups. He squatted down and gave Stephen a few words of advice.

            “Next time, sleep early and stop going around hunting for girls.” Stephen looked at him and was close to passing out.

            “Am I going to die?” asked Stephen jokingly. The commander general was in no mood for jokes but answered nonetheless.

            “If you’re gonna continue making an out of yourself, then you are going to die.” he walked away and looked back. “In my hands.” Stephen smartened up and sat down, shook his head and a ran a hand through his now messy hair. Mustering whatever energy he had left, he stood up quickly and tried to catch up with the other soldiers at the obstacle course.

            “REMEMBER, FOCUS.BE STRONG! IT IS TONIGHT THAT WE FIGHT! WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE! BE STRONG MEN!” the general yelled.

            “SIR YES SIR!” they yelled in unison.

            “READY YOUR WEAPONS!!!” The men picked their weapons up and headed straight to the shooting area where they were to hone their weapon holding skills. Like any other good solider, Stephen had loads of skill when it came to weaponry, winning back the approval and appraisal of his commander general.

            The day of training wore on and as it got later, the soldiers got better, deeming them ready for battle, impressing the general greatly.

[IN THE CITY]

            Bom Lee was still lovestruck when she got home, the beautiful flower still entwined in between her fingers. The sweet scent of freesia danced around her sense, perfuming her. It tickled her so that every single moment of remembering their encounter made her giggle. Her guardian happened to have witnessed her strange and carefree behavior, worriedly asked her if anything was wrong.

            “Bom, are you okay? You seem a bit odd.”

            “I am alright.” she replied surely. She was more than okay. She was high on cloud nine.

            “You have been acting strange all day. Did something happen while you were outside?” asked the guardian. She came closer to Bom, touching her hair and feeling her neck, checking if she had a fever.

            “I’m fine, Auntie!” Bom removed her guardian’s, whom she called Auntie, hands away from her neck and held them. “I’m just...happy.”

            “Why are you so happy?” suspiciously asked the guardian. “You have never been this happy before.” The shy and discreet singer smiled and shrugged.

            “One day, you’ll see.”