The  night that followed was the night of Bom’s performance at the Teahouse. She had been expecting Stephen to stop by after is ordeal in the war. Similarly, tonight was also the night of the battle with the North. Stephen and the other soldiers were preparing for a night of bloodshed and death, the very first time that Stephen was actually going to war, risking his life for this country’s freedom.

            “This is the night, folks! This is the night we attack!” the commander general ordered. The brave soldiers faced their leader and the direction of the North. Stephen bravely clutched his armoury, nervously locking his eyes on the horizon. He was scared, but he was more afraid of losing to the North. He knew he had to win this war for Korea and for America, too.

            Bom was in her dressing room, putting on the short dress that her manager had picked up for her the night before. A knock came on the door, startling the young songstress who had many thoughts in her mind.

            “Come in.” she ushered as she tried to look at herself in the mirror. Through the reflection she saw her manager come in with a set of gowns. Bom furrowed her brows and wondered what they were for.

            “What are those?”

            “Gowns.”

            “For what?”

            “Your performance tonight.” answered the manager as she placed them down on the sofa. Bom looked at her confused.

            “But I already have one. I’m wearing it now.” the manager looked at Bom’s gown with disappointment. It was a red long sleeved dress with a slit above the knee.

            “Change into this.” the manager digged into the pile of clothes and picked out a hanbok.

            “A hanbok?”

            “Yes. Represent our country in front of the soldiers! Be Ms. Korea!” the manager flamboyantly said. Bom felt pathetic and weird hearing this from her manager but knowing that money was scarce and this was her only hope, she decided to give in to her manager’s demands.

            “Alright. It couldn’t be so bad, right?”

            “OF COURSE NOT!!!” she said with a shrill cry. “This is a beautiful gown that I had made specially for you!”

            “I think it’s lovely. I’ll wear it right now.” Bom took the gown from her manager and placed it atop of her body. It seemed to fit perfectly on her as she could imagine herself with it on. The hanbok was a small and plump dress that extended above the knee with ruffles underneath. It was the kind of dress that made her look like a dandy fruit pastry or a porcelain Oriental doll.

            “You have accessories with that, too.” said her manager. She walked over to the chest and produced a fan, one that was pink and intricately embroidered with flowers and decorations.

            “Wow. It’s beautiful!” Bom’s eyes sparkled as she laid them on the intricately designed fan.

            “You shall perform with that.” the manager gleefully said, proud of one of her creations. “Because I made that.”

            “You did?” Bom looked her manager’s way and arched her eyebrow.

            “Yes.”

            “Well it’s beautiful.” Bom sighed and smiled, agreeing to use it as a prop on her performance tonight.

            “Sit back down there.” ordered her manager. She got the blush on brush and the powder and began to apply some cheek tint on Bom’s white cheek. The night was fast approaching and Bom had to get ready for her number. The manager grabbed the lip tint and applied a supple amount on Bom’s lips. In a matter of minutes, her face went from pretty plain village girl to a glamorous, seductive Korean princess.

            “Now, all that’s left is the gown.” her manager smiled excitedly. Bom suddenly remembered that Stephen promised that he would come to her show to support her and listen to her sing.

            “Madam!” Bom voiced out. The manager stopped what she was doing and faced her client.

            “What is it?” she was fishing out the gown that she showed Bom. The pretty pink hanbok on a hanger was in her hands and ready to be worn.

            “An American soldier will come and visit me tonight. He will watch me sing.” she said bashfully. Her manager paid no mind to this and hurriedly tried to get her out of her clothes and into the hanbok.

            “No  time for your nonsense chatter, young girl. You have a song to sing and a show to put on.  So help me put you into this gown. Hurry.” the manager helped her get out of her clothes and into the hanbok. “We still have to style your hair!” Once Bom was in the hanbok, the manager/makeup artist pushed her back on the chair, rolling her hair up into huge buns, leaving her bangs on her forehead, the bangs that made her small, pretty face even smaller and cuter.

            “The hair is kind of heavy, though.” she complained, slightly puffing the bun.

            “DON’T TOUCH IT!” her manager slapped her hand away. Bom gracefully placed both slender hands on her lap and looked straight into the mirror as her manager placed the final touches and accessories on her head.

            All the while that she was being dolled up, as she always was every night, Bom remembered what Stephen had told her about the war he was going to be a part of. Tonight was the night that they’d step forth to the North. It worried Bom to a great extent because he had promised her that he would show up at her show but with this war going on, there was no way it was happening.

            I wonder where he is right now. I doubt if he can make it but my senses tell me no. He’s not much of an experienced soldier though he looks like one. Seems pretty young to me. He could easily get killed in battle. If anything, the North Koreans have excellent and terrifying weaponry. One blow could end his life. I might as well give up hope on us meeting again. Bom sighed hopelessly and set her eyes on the flower that Stephen gave her, sitting prettily in a vase filled with water. It had not wilted yet and was ever so beautiful and fragrant like it had just been given to her. Bom missed him already.

            “Have you rehearsed your song?”

            “Yes.” Bom replied. A final layer of cat eyeliner was drawn on her eyes to give her the Empress look. It annoyed Bom so that excessive makeup was always put on her face but she had no choice. It was do this or starve and die in the war.

            Finally, her hair, makeup and clothes were already done. All that was left of her was to go outside and make her grand appearance.

            “Get ready! It’s your turn!” the manager excitedly said. Bom got on her feet weakly,  depressed that Stephen might not be able to come and see her.

            “Alright. I’m stepping out.” Bom took a deep breath and made her way to the stage.

[MEANWHILE IN BATTLE]

            “CHARGE MEN! FORWAAARD!!!!” the head generals screamed. The brave American and Korean soldiers stepped forth and continued to fire their guns, running and aiming at their enemies. Some men had already been shot down and injured, even on the brink of death, being tended to by other soldiers, while some brave ones dared to ignore the pain and keep going.

            “YOUR WEAPONS! FIRE THEM!!!!” the sound of guns and bombs exploding, the vicious sight of fire and explosions and the smell of smoke permeated the woods. Everyone was fighting of their lives but most importantly, their freedom.

            Stephen was one of the soldiers, holding an assault rifle, ready to aim at the opposing soldiers. The scene was becoming way too violent for anyone’s eyes already as the firing became louder and more and more men were getting killed, both on their side and on the side of the North Koreans.

            “Sir, we’re almost out of men! What are we going to do?!” cried Stephen who was fearing for his life. He continued to shoot despite the imminent dangers of being killed. He was a soldier ready to sacrifice his life.

            Then, in the middle of fighting, it hit Stephen.

            Bom Lee! My promise!  he remembered that he swore to be there when she performed but he was out in battle and he couldn’t afford to walk out on his fellow soldiers and ultimately betray his army for the sake of seeing a young girl perform but he didn’t want to break his promise, either. Trust meant a lot to the morally upright soldier.

            There has to be a way out of this! I know there is! said he.

[IN THE TEAHOUSE]

            Bom was getting nervous, she was standing on the stage and waiting for the cue for her to sing. The stage which had two layers of curtains had the first curtains opened, exposing the female dancers who wore traditional Korean hanboks, twirling and jumping around while banging on the Korean drums, signalling the entrance of the main attraction: Park Bom. The beautiful singer with a golden voice, whom the men had come for.

            The Teahouse was filled with customers, old and new. Some soldiers who had just arrived in the country stopped by before their duty to get a little bit of entertainment and more.  The hazy and dimmed atmosphere made it more conducive to and booze. The dancers, who were dancing a traditional dance at first, took their hanboks off and were reduced to their lingerie, making the male customers howl even more. The temperature rose when they spread out and found each a man to on.

            Bom, however,was not interested in seducing any of the men, despite her beiing the favorite. Bom wasn’t a stripper, though. She was just a singer but boys clamoured for her attention. The beautiful singer had only one man on her mind and in her heart: Stephen Jones.

            I wonder where he could be. He promised he would watch my show but I see no sign of him and I’m about to come out. Bom was very nervous and distracted, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to sing as well.

            What she did not know was that this American man was a man of his word.

            The battle was nearing a close when the final tank was loaded and readied for firing, making maximum casualties and assuring a victory for the night. Manning this tank was the brave and daring , whom Stephen was very annoyed with but for the sake of unity and freedom, he decided to just cooperate and put his envies at the back of his head.

            “READY! FIRE!!!!!!” the Commander General ordered. fired the tank and explosions were all over the place. Bllas of fire, fumes, smoke, and dead bodies. The place was a total war mess. Casualties rose both on their side and on the North’s side. The Americans were advancing, though.

[AFTER THE WAR]

            The war was tumultuous and they were far from over but had retired for the night. They had seen enough action, they believed. It was time to lay low and get some rest. But one soldier wasn’t about to head back to the camp. He had a date.

            I have to make it in time. I hope she hasn’t started singing yet! Stephen said hopefully in his mind. Throughout the course of war,, it was only Bom that was racing through his mind. Not the war, not the tanks, not the guns. Bom. He made a promise that he was yearning to keep and now that the war was over with some time to spare,he thought that he might drop off at the Teahouse to get a light drink and some entertainmentas well as talk to the woman he just met.

            “HEY JONES!” yelled who caught him walking to a different direction. “The you think you’re going?” The burly, almost perfect soldier grabbed Stephen by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Stephen tried to push away but the latter’s grip was too strong.

            “What do you want from me, ?”

            “I just want to know where you are going, that’s all.”

            “I’m going to the Teahouse. Getting some drinks.” Stephen confessed. smirked and nodded, releasing him from his grasp.

            “Okay then, if you say so. The Teahouse it is.” teasingly said. Stephen raised his eyebrow and dusted his shoulder, jogging all the way to the exit to reach the city. When he finally saw concrete that separated him from the camp’s grass, he sprinted all the way down the street, not looking back nor sideways. He knew exactly where the Teahouse was and knew that the loud sounds from inside the club would guide him.

[MEANWHILE AT THE TEAHOUSE]

            Bom was already front and center, about to open for her song. Even she was in a hanbok but was not about to take it off.Only the dancers, who were the main attraction of the night show were obliged to take it off, not that she wanted to.

            Where could Stephen be? she wondered nervously during the intro. The song’s signal to start was the ending of the intro and it was only a few minutes away from closing before the song began.

            The dancers posed ily at the end of the intro music and it was time for Bom to face the music.

            When all of a sudden...

            The door burst open and in came a wounded, sweat and dirt drenched soldier in a fatigue uniform with a helmet on his head. Stephen Jones had arrived just in time to hear her sing! He took his helmet off and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Bom’s heart leapt in joy and nervousness for she never thought that he would come.

            Oh God! He came... now, she was a nervous wreck but the song had to begin. Pursing her lips at the sound of the piano, Bom started to sing a song that Stephen knew would stay with him for quite some time.

            Stephen was ultimately captivated by Bom’s voice. He had heard her sing before but never had a song locked its way into his ears before. Tired, hungry, and hurting from battle, Stephen smiled and allowed her golden voice to soothe him. As he was relaxing, a dancer came up to him and asked if she wanted her service.

            “Hi stud.” she said flirtily, gliding her finger across Stephen’s chest. Stephen felt awkward and chilly. Bom saw the sight from where she was standing and felt a slight pinch of jealousy, continued singing nonetheless.

            “Hey there.” Stephen gritted his teeth, eager to get the off of his lap.

            “Want to enlist in my services?” she asked, trying to get on his lap despite him turning her away from time to time.

            “Err...I’m gonna have to pass.” Stephen said.

            “Why? Ain’t you a real tough soldier? Let me heal those wounds for you.” she whispered into his nape. Stephen pulled her away from him and pushed her to the side.

            “Sorry ma’am, I have my own show here.” he said focusing his eyes on Bom whose face lit up upon seeing that he was not interested in the dancer rather was interested in her. The dancer scoffed and walked away, hoping to find another customer willing to let her do a on him.

            Bom’s song was short and sweet. Typical and coquettish as most of her performances were, she received a lot of praise and cheers from the predominantly male audience. Bom stepped down from the stage and walked her way to the crowd where Stephen was. If she knew any better, it wasn’t her they were cheering for, it was the dancers.

            “You were so great up there!!” Stephen ran to her and took her hands in his, grasping them tightly like he would never let her stray from his side.

            “Thank you.” Bom humbly replied, turning pink.

            “Say, you still have the flower I gave you?” asked he.

            “Yes. I do. It’s still in my room as a matter of fact. I kept it and preserved it in a vase.”

            “That’s great.” Stephen smiled. “Say, are you doing anything else tonight besides performing?”

            “Oh no. It’s all I do and  I think it’s all I’ll ever do.”

            “No? Great! We can go rendezvous tonight.” Stephen excitedly said. “I mean, I can’t wait to show you around-“

            “Show me around? But I know this place better than you. I was born here.” Bom replied. Stephen found himself blushing with embarrassment.

            “Well, maybe we can just go out for a walk. You know, get to know each other a little bit more.” Bom giggled at his proposal. If she only knew how hard it was for him to muster the courage to ask her out, she wouldn’t be so giggly about it.

            “You’re really funny.” Bom said. “And sweet.”

            “Thanks.” Stephen smiled. “You-“ he was out of words to say. Bom gazed at him with imploring eyes, waiting for what he was going to say next.

            “You’re pretty sweet yourself. And pretty.” said the American soldier.

            “Thanks. “ Bom smiled. “Hey, I’m just going to get out of this. I’ll be right back.” she smiled at him. Stephen nodded and bade her goodbye.

            “Alright. I’ll just wait back here.” Stephen went back to his seat and waited for Bom to get dressed.

            Bom entered her dressing room joyfully, alarming her manager.

            “What has gotten into you?! Why are you so happy! Did someone drug you?!” her manager grabbed her cold shoulders and shook her. Bom giggled and removed her manager’s hands from her shoulders.

            “I’m fine. Never been better. As a matter of fact, I’m so happy, I’m going out right now.” Bom quickly got out of her hanbok and put on her dress which had been handed down to her. Her manager looked at her with great distaste as she hastily removed her makeup.

            “Where are you going, child?”

            “Just out. For a walk.”

            “Shall I go with you?”

            “No!” Bom was quick to reply, startling the manager.

            “Alright. Just be home before midnight.”

            “I promise!” Bom giddily bade her manager goodbye and ran out of her dressing room and back into Stephen’s arms. Stephen was more than happy to see her back from the dressing room and in an ordinary dress.

            “You look better that way. At least you’re not too overly dressed.” smiled the soldier. Bom blushed and clasped her hands together, rubbing them in a quite nervous fashion. Stephen noticed this and took her right hand in his.

            “Come with me, I’ll walk you around.” he smiled. Without warning, he tugged Bom’s hand and together they ran out of the bar and felt the cool wind of the outside world. Throwing all his cares out the wind, Stephen pulled Bom’s hand and together they ran to a place that neither of them knew.

            “Where exactly are we going?!” asked a thrilled yet anxious Bom.

            “To the moon!” Stephen said as he looked back and gave her a wink. The normally reserved and shy Bom knew better than to trust boys who couldn’t give a distinct answer.

            “What are you talking about?!” Bom was already getting nervous.

            “I’ll take you to the moon! You’ll see!” Stephen excitedly said. The two ran as fast as they could as though someone was chasing them. They knew not where they were headed but Bom knew that for as long as she was with Stephen, she was safe.

            Finally, she and Stephen reached a park. The park that they reached was a place that had a special part in Bom’s childhood.

            “I remember this place.” she said, her voice softening with every word. “This was where I used to play as a child. My parents brought me here a lot.”

            “Oh really? Come, let’s sit over at the bench there.” Stephen invited. Bom was more than willing to set foot at the park that was the highlight of her childhood.

            “Sad what it’s become now.” Bom frowned upon the current state of the park. The grass had bald spots and had a lot of litter, trees had graffiti and posters. Everything was a mess.

            “I wish this park would go back to the way it was back then.”

            “How was it back then?” Stephen asked the pretty Korean lady who was folding in shame.

            “Clean.” was her short reply. “Had a lot of swings. Wartime changed our country so much.”

            “Hey, lighten up.” Stephen looked her in the eyes and smiled. “It’s over and done. You’ll get through it.”

            At the sound of his voice, Bom sensed hope and optimism. She knew this was a boy she could trust.