Lee Minho

At the height of the war between North and South Korea, the earth trembled with shock and fear. Lee Minho, a soldier on the front lines, had been marching with his unit for weeks through forests and fields filled with smoke and the sounds of battle. Fatigue was crushing, but he knew he was responsible for his comrades and his country.

The small village, immersed in greenery, made him slow down for the first time in a long time. Sunflowers reached for the sun, people went about their daily lives, as if the war had never happened. The soldiers dispersed throughout the village, and Minho headed toward the outskirts.

There, Han Jisung was picking apples, carefully placing them in a basket. Standing on a stepladder, he turned at the sound of footsteps.

Minho couldn't help but smile—despite everything, someone was still alive.

"Be careful, don't fall," he said. "We still have someone to fight for."