"Of course! I'll always be by your side, Nam Ye-jun."
•••
And I woke up rubbing my eyes.
"Ah... it was a dream again."
I raised my head and looked at the mirror hanging next to my bed. Reflected in it were deep, ocean-blue eyes, almond-shaped..."Even I think he's handsome..."
Yu Ha-min, who was next to him, woke up at those words that he blurted out as if talking to himself.
"Ugh...hyung, what did you say?"
His messy black hair and sleepy eyes. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at him.
Yoo Ha-min recently moved here. From the first day he arrived, he'd been following me around, even asking if he could call me "hyung."
Since I wasn't the type to discipline lower-ranking kids, after I nodded, that guy kept following me around.
At some point, I started speaking informally to him naturally...
Actually, he might be older than me. I don't know his exact age because he grew up on the streets.
They only said he was in his early to mid-twenties. Judging by his actions, he could easily be considered a five-year-old, but he was much bigger than me.
I tried to be on guard because I thought he could really beat me if he wanted to, but it was a needless worry.
"Yejun...why did you wake up so early and wake me up too...it's 6 o'clock now..."
"You little shit, you have to wake up at 6!"
Hamin seemed to try to wake up a few times, but then fell asleep again.
After brushing my teeth and changing into my combat uniform, I whispered as I looked out the window at the moon still faintly visible.
"You said you'd always be by my side... Where on earth did you go, Han Noah..."
•••
The war started 10 years ago. I haven't been able to see Noah since that day.
For years, people searched for him, but no one could find Noah's whereabouts...
As an adult, I was sent to war, quickly rising through the ranks thanks to my exceptional combat prowess and my ability to manipulate water. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find Noah, but I never gave up believing he was alive.
Sometimes I missed you so much, but I couldn't show tears because I was the commander of this unit.
...Five years have passed like that, and it's been almost ten years since I last saw Noah.
Now his face was fading. What color were Noah's eyes... But I couldn't forget Noah's laughter. What should I say... His laughter was truly cheerful.
Noah was always smiling, and I believed he was still laughing somewhere.
however...
Today, in front of my blade, there was you, not smiling.
"Han Noah...?"