The second visit from Doctor Yoshi to Aom’s house is quite different this time, because this time he gets politely gets the answer he was hoping for. So the chubby middle age doctor guarantee that he would do his best to make sure the wedding ceremony would be the biggest wedding this year as an honor to both the groom and bride before he leaves with a big smile.

“Dr.Yoshi said that Kimhan’s Uncle wants the engagement ceremony to be next week” Mrs.Orn hesitate a bit before continue, “Maybe…the wedding would be at the end of the month!”

Aom’s face that is already pale, now it’s as white as paper, while she laugh mockingly in , “See I told you Mom, that politic is about opportunity so their enemy would be caught off guard like we are right now”

Aom said all those while looking at the tip of her fingers, her nails are short and clean, not like last night that was filled with blood. However, she can still feel the smell of blood around her, so she can’t help but wonder how is that person doing. The reason that the tall figure have those injury in the first place was all because of Aom to begin with and now she is the one that cause it to be even worst. Aom balls up her hand into a fist wanting to forget everything, her body is sweating like that night…the night when that tall figure shadow disappear from her.

Aom washed her hands in the river before coming back to the house but she can still smell the blood at the tip of her nose. Aom can still remember those polite gesture and words.

“I am so sorry… it’s my fault…”

No matter what the situation is, it seems like that person always take the blame like it’s all her fault, as for Aom, she always the one who is right every time. That person’s heart is fill with strength, decisiveness, and politeness, all these quality are mixed together in an unusual way.   

“I already told Dr.Yoshi that if the engagement ceremony and the wedding are this close, we would want the engagement ceremony to be small, nothing fancy, only close family and friends. They can do whatever they want during the wedding ceremony…Honey, do you think you can prepare the dress by next week?”

“I don’t think I need to prepare anything, I’ll wear whatever I have”

“Do you think that’s appropriate? It’s probably won’t be much of a different to us but what about your dad? Plus…the wedding is going to be very big so you still need to prepare”

Aom press her lips together not saying another word.

“Honey, no matter what you’re feeling right now, you have to know that this is happening no matter what. We can’t back down from here on out, so why don’t we make the best of it. If you don’t dress your best, don’t you think it’s going to be embarrassing for yourself, me and your dad?”

“I’ll leave it all up to you Mom”

Aom answers her mom shortly and tries to push every responsibility out of herself. Only one more week and she have to hang half of her life in that person’s hand. What if these news spread to the University she’s attending, what would she do then…what would all her friends say? And also…Mike! This name make her heart suffer even more, it makes her want to punish herself, with all these feelings combine, Aom ends up blaming Kimhan even more.

Kimhan that is walking back and forth counting every second waiting for Dr.Yoshi to come back and tell her the news.

“They’ve agree, now it’s up to us to do our part”

“I know…but…” Kimhan pauses, look at the older soldier before turning around.

“What is it?”

“Nothing…” said Kimhan while giving out a little sigh

“I walked by the doctor in the camp, he told me that the wound on your back ripped open, how is it doing?”

 “It’s ok, it just swollen a bit”

“I think you have a fever”

Dr.Yoshi can see the red lips that is more than usual and the black eyes that show exhaustion.

“Probably…a little but I think one shot of medicine would do the trick”

“What happened? Just from day to day work, it couldn’t ripped your wound open like that”

Kimhan quickly turn away from Dr.Yoshi, because the wound from her body is nothing compare to the wound in her heart.

“I hate you… Even if I married you, I would still hate you…there is nothing you can do to make this feeling go away! I know that we can’t have kid because you’re not even a guy, but even if we could I would teach it to hate you, I would let it know the feeling of hate even before the feeling of love…there is one thing you would never get!”

It is these words that make Kimhan body sway to lean up against the tree the other night not the wound…Kimhan walks herself back to the camp and show Dr.Takeda, her best friend, a ripped bandage full of blood. She only told him shortly,

“Just stitch the wound up…you don’t have to use any anesthetic!”

Kimhan wants to feel the pain with every stitch, she want to remember it deeply in her heart. Maybe the pain from her body would help ease the pain in her heart. However, even with all these, she still can’t forget the sweet smell and that angelic face of the petite girl. That answer from Dr.Yoshi is a guarantee that the petite girl would belong to her but what is the use when they both have to live together with a wall of hate between them.

“It’s ok Dr.Yoshi, it is only a small wound, and it would heal over time… There is some wound that could never heal”

“Every wound heals, however, it might cut so deep that you need time and give it a lot of care for it to heal. It would get better with time as well”

The tall figure listen to those words without moving.

“Thank you Doctor, I might have to use my life to heal this wound before it could fully recover”

“It might not take that much”

This time Kimhan turn around to face Dr.Yoshi, but her eyes still show sadness.

“Dr.Yoshi…I know I’m not a very good samurai. I use my heart more than my sword, I like the art of the paintbrush and instrument more than the art of fighting. I become a soldier because everyone in my family have to be…that’s all…our troops do not want this kind of soldier. This war is drag on so much longer than it should be and it’s so much bigger than we have ever imagined. You know that all the big battle that happened, it’s nothing compare to the battle that would happen in the near future, and when that time comes, only the strong soldier would survive! Before I left home, the weather was so nice, Sakura trees were about to bloom. My mom told me to go…walk toward the path of the sun, the sun is in front of you she said. Its irony that my mom’s meaning is kind of like my reality right now…my sun… Heidako…even if I can get it, it burns me and my heart. But to not have it, I would be cold and shiver longing for it. Maybe, it’s fate that I would have to be burn into crisp”

Kimhan give out a heavy sigh and her voice become normal again.

“Thank you Doctor that you wasted your time to listen to me. And also thank you for helping out taking care of everything. I would not forget to tell my uncle about this. He would probably call you in to see him soon”

Kimhan bows her head low before walking out with a heavy footstep like a soldier. The older doctor look behind the tall figure with a worry face.

“Aom…Aom” Ta Pol called out while walking up the stair, “Geez..why is this stair so steep” he can’t help but complain and then go back to called on the petite girl again, “Aom…Aom”

Aom pop her head out the kitchen to look at him, the smell of spicy curry fill the air.

“Aom…I have important news to tell you…so what are you cooking?” No matter how important the news is, he still can’t help asking about food.

“Spicy green curry but it’s not done yet”

“It’s ok I can wait”

So Aom walks back into the kitchen to continue cooking and Ta Pol just sit down on the floor right by the kitchen door while looking over at the pot of curry.

“Do you remember the newspaper I brought you the other day? “

Aom nodded her head but didn’t say anything.

“You know the photo on it, your dad was in that photo too but the picture wasn’t very clear…the curry is done now right?”

The thin old men said while not taking his eyes off the pot but Aom still keep quiet and wait for Ta Pol to keep on talking.

“I took the newspaper home so Waden saw it”

“His name is Mr.Worden not Waden”

“Yeah Yeah…it’s the same…”

Aom can’t help but smile at the old man stubbornness.

“So your Mr.Waden…he can read Thai?” Aom said teasingly

“Don’t talk about read, I can’t even communicate anything with him other than to come eat” Ta Pol said it like he can fully read.

“Well that idiot took the newspaper from me and ask about