Seung Ho immediately took the first train home as he received bad news that his hometown had been bombed by the North Koreans while he was still battling those at the borders. They were indeed sneaky enough to attack from the air when they least expected it. 

His parents were not so lucky as they happened to be out shopping for groceries at that time, together with his house which had scarcely managed to escape the mass devastation. Given the mess and confusion, he didn't even know which hospital his parents were in, only that they were alive, as they had contacted his friend, Cheol Yong, who relayed the message to Seung Ho. However, being the blur young kid, he had forgotten to tell Seung Ho more details before hanging up. A call to Cheol Yong after that would always end abruptly with an automated message saying that his mobile device was switched off, and all Seung Ho could do was pray that all of them would be okay.

He was thankful that the train services were still working fine, and as he got off, he winced as the sight of mass destruction met him. Nothing looked familiar to him anymore - the roads were utterly destroyed with holes and cracks running everywhere; buildings were reduced to debris and rubble; no vehicles ran on the empty and desolute streets; no man was walking in the once-bustling neighbourhood. 

"The air force honestly needs to buck up," Seung Ho hissed as he made his way to the nearest hospital, hoping that it was the right one. Walking cautiously, he finally got to the nearest hospital, and, surprisingly enough, was one of the few buildings that were actually intact. Maybe the North Koreans weren't so heartless as to bomb an important building as the hospital, after all.

Outside, everything seemed normal - the interior, however, was a major mess. Seung Ho had to squeeze through hundreds of refugees and patients alike, most of them either too weak and injured to notice him, or so angry and infuriated at the fact that their homes were destroyed that they were cursing and swearing in loud tones. He felt guilty as he saw nurses pushing out patient after patient, with the occasional dead body. Being a soldier meant that he had a duty to serve, and even though he wasn't in the air force, he was still supposed to protect all these citizens from harm; yet, he had failed. His heart clenched as little kids wailed endlessly, some at the fact that they would never see their family again. The word 'death' and the smell of it lingered everywhere, and if it wasn't because he had to visit his parents, he would never step foot in here. Never.

"Sorry, but which wards are Mr Yang Jong Hoon and Mrs Yang Naeun in?"

"They're in the outpatient list...they've been discharged." The nurse hardly spared him a glance as she hurried on with scribbling, and a look of genuine surprise crossed his face.

"Really...?"

"They only suffered minor cuts and bruises from the falling debris."

It was clear that she wanted to end the conversation quickly and carry on with her work, and Seung Ho caught the hint as he started to make his way back home - or what was left of it. 

The place where he grew up had become nothing. 

The only way he could have recognized his home was the sight of his parents sitting on identical chairs in the middle of the mess, calmly drinking soju. It would have seemed funny to anyone else, but to Seung Ho, there was nothing funny to laugh about.

"You're back."

His mother's eyes lit up with delight when she saw his son standing in front of her. He had left for the army for three months, and she even harboured the thought that she might never see him again. But there he was - alive, and very much healthy except for a bandage on his arm. Seung Ho stood still as his mother embraced him tightly, and his father watched on with pride in his eyes. Too many feelings kept in, too many words unspoken, but that was all he needed to carry on fighting.

"Son, I'm proud of you. Now go back and fight for our country. Go!"

It was as though his father didn't want to see him again, anymore, but Seung Ho knew better. He saluted his father, and turned to leave. Tears were threatening to spill, but a man didn't cry. He could bleed, but he would not shed tears. His father, the ex-general, had taught him well. If he hadn't become a cripple from saving Seung Ho when he was young from a possible car accident, he could still be out there serving in the army as well.

With fists tightly clenched, Seung Ho trudged to what was left of the train station as he waited for his train back to the camp. He had never felt this burning rage and hatred towards the North Koreans, and wished that the soldiers and government alike on the other side would leave them alone, but if they didn't, then he would take action against them with no regrets.

Nothing, and no one, will stop Yang Seung Ho from fulfilling his duties as a citizen of South Korea.