Enjoy your read!
 
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The army officer, completely alert was inspecting the vast green field surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped mountains. It was his daily duty. But on that day, he saw a small white patch in the green field moving. When he observed it keenly, it was a lamb? He heard a feeble voice calling "Hayan, wait!!". He turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a little boy about the age of 11, dressed in winter habiliment chasing the lamb. It was then, a sudden dread settled into his stomach when he saw the boy running into the field. Out of reflex, he roared  at the boy "Hey, what are you doing here? Stop right there. Do not take a step further". The boy stopped on his tracks stunned, turned to look behind him in fear. When he saw the army officer, his eyes went wide and he started running further into the field.
 
The army officer chased the boy yelling at him to stop. But little did the officer know that the boy was running away from him because he was yelling at him carrying a ‘carbine’. The boy was scared and assumed that he will be shot if caught since he trespassed into the field and thought that probably the officer was chasing him for that very purpose.

The officer chased the boy trying hard to stop him from moving further into the field. In the process, he took a huge leap to reach him but failed and fell on the ground injuring his knees, but he still crawled and lunged towards the boy to hold him back. But the very next moment everything around him stilled and he was devastated to see what he tried so hard to avoid happening, happen. He could not stop the boy from stepping on the blast mine. There was a loud explosion, the boy's limbs and his body parts blew off and then complete darkness.

His heart constricted with pain. "No!!" he screamed out, breaking out in cold sweat and sat up gasping for air. He looked around with wide eyes, rubbed his face still panting and stretched himself to reach the jug on his nightstand with trembling hands and chugged down the water, gradually easing up his mind. He voluntarily retired from the army after that traumatic incident. Ever since he found out that the boy ran away from him because he was terrified of the carbine he was carrying while chasing him, he has been feeling guilty and has been having these sleep tremors often.

After relaxing completely, he got up from his bed, when he heard his mobile buzzing,  he took a look at the mobile screen and saw that the caller was his uncle who has been taking care of him since his childhood. He attended the call and spoke "Hello Uncle Man-shik!!". "Hello son, how are you?" replied his uncle. "I am good, thank you and hope you are too. May I know the purpose of this call so early, uncle?" asked the ex-army officer worried for his uncle. To which his uncle answered, "Yes, I am fine too. And about this call…son, I want you to visit your family house as soon as possible". After listening to the reason his uncle called him, he was puzzled as to why after years, he wanted him to visit his family house.
 
The last visit was during his annual leave when he was still an army officer about 3 years ago and it was when his father was still alive. He did not visit the house after his father's death neither did he want to. It was Man-shik who took care of the house for them ever since. Hearing no response for long, Man-shik spoke again "Son, did you hear me? If yes, when can I expect your arrival?". "No uncle, you already know my answer. I am unwilling to visit, sorry" replied the ex-army officer calmly.

Man-shik had enough, he got tired of listening to the same answer for years. He wasn't going to let him off the hook this time, so in a stern voice he responded "Kim Seokjin!! I have heard enough. I need you here as soon as you can get and that is final. I am awaiting your arrival. Am I clear?". Even though Man-shik was a caretaker originally, he was no less than his father. So, after he heard his stern tone, he couldn't do much except sigh and agree to the older answering feebly "Ok, I will be there in 2 days". Later, they both exchanged their byes and dropped the call. Hoping there's nothing to worry, he continued with his daily routine.
 
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Two days later he stood there in the lawn, in front of his family house- an old bungalow. He flipped his duffel bag in one swift move holding it over his shoulder with his veiny arms on full display. He looked at the house which stood there old and proud exhibiting its worn-out walls as if it were its battle scars. True to the statement, it had battled the various weather and climatic conditions. He stood there a few more minutes feeling nostalgic just by looking at the house. Taking in a deep breath, he started moving to main door and walked into the house.

He always used to feel lonely because it was only his dad, his uncle Man-shik and him in the house ever since he was a baby. He lost his mother when he was born. So, now that his father too passed away, the house looked even more lonely. He saw no one inside, he thought that his uncle might be in the kitchen. He did not announce his arrival when he stepped in, instead he walked to the living room.

He placed his bag in a corner of the living room, he wandered around the house as a warmth filled his insides. He reached his father's room walked inside when he saw the door open. He stood in the middle of the room and his eyes darted between all the walls and furnitures in there. He then moved towards the cupboard and opened it. He smiled at the various cups and shields present inside which he won during his school days for the track field games he competed in.

When he felt a presence beside him, he turned his head and saw his Uncle Man-shik standing there grinning at him with unshed tears. His uncle hugged him and told “Jinnie, my son. You have no idea on how much I have missed you in these past 3 years”. Jin returned the hug and patted his back calming him down assuring him in a gentle voice “Uncle Man-shik, I have missed you too. But look, I am here now”.
 
They broke the hug, smiled at each other. Both of them then turned towards the open cupboard and looked inside. Man-shik suddenly reached inside the cupboard to pick something up from it. Jin noticed that it was one of his grade card from school. Man-shik opened the grade card, chuckled at it and showed Jin his poor grades and told him “You see these grades, your father was a teacher, so he was even more disappointed in you. Not because you were not good in yours studies, but because he knew you were capable in scoring good but still chose not to”. Jin listened to him with a smile.
 
Man-shik then decided to tell Jin the reason for asking him to visit. “You know right, that your father built a floating school for the children who couldn't cross the vast lake on daily basis to reach the schools in the town?” Man-shik asked Jin. Jin nodded in response and asked “What about it?”.

Man-shik replied “That Paradise school is under the management of a bigger school called MOTS international school. There was a teacher who used to teach in the Paradise school, but has resigned recently and if they do not find anyone to fill in the vacancy, the MOTS international school might need to shut the Paradise school down. Also, they are having a difficulty in finding a teacher who is willing to teach in that school” and looked down sadly.

Jin's ear perked and he became dubious as to why there weren't any willing teachers to teach in that school. But, instead of asking Man-shik, he internally shrugs it off. Man-shik then looks up at Jin and requests “Jin, it’s all in your hands now. Please take up the position of the teacher in Paradise school to save it from getting shut down”.

Jin is dumbfounded by the sudden irrelevant request and he responds “But uncle Man-shik, I am not a teacher by profession. I cannot accept this request of yours. I am sorry”.

Man-shik held Jin’s hands and spoke warmly “Jinnie, do not worry about it. The children attending that school are of primary and middle school grades, and I am very sure that you are capable of teaching them. Also, this school is your father’s last memento. If not for me, do it atleast for those children and your father, please son. Atleast till we can find a new teacher. Will you do it?”. Jin tightened his grip on his uncle’s hands and smilingly nodded at him.

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Jin applied for the Paradise school teacher's position. He attended the interview with the director of the MOTS international school.

Although the interview was for the teacher's position, Jin looked at the director weirdly when he asked him preposterous questions like "Do you know to cook?", "Do you know how to clean and keep the place tidy?", "Do you know how to swim?", "Do you know how to do your own laundry?". Still, Jin replied “I can cook, I can manage with cleaning and other household chores and yes, I know to swim, but…”, he got cut by the director's response “Good!! You got yourself the job of the teacher in the Paradise school. Best wishes. You can move to the school in this week”.

Jin nodded his head, shook his hand with the director and left the room laughing internally at the director's stupidity. Only if Jin knew these questions were crucial and not absurd. He got accepted as the teacher even though his grades were low only because the director found difficulty in finding a willing teacher for Paradise school. While Jin was laughing at the director's doltishness, the director was gleeful that he finally landed a teacher willing to go to Paradise school and sighed in relief.
 
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After travelling on road for hours, Jin got on a canoe taxi to reach the Paradise school. Motor boats/ canoes were the only way of transportation to that school from the banks of the lake.

After sometime of travelling, the operator voiced "Excuse me sir, but is Taehyung teacher not coming back?". Turning back to look at the operator, Jin asked confused "Who's Taehyung?" to which the operator replied, "He was the previous teacher in the Paradise school”, silently nodding in acknowledgement to his response, Jin turned facing ahead.

As they were nearing the school, Jin held his mobile phone up in the air and moved it in random directions checking for possible network signal. But to his utter luck, he found none. He turned back to the operator and asked “Do we not receive network signals in this place?”, to which the operator smiled brightly and replied in a positive tone "Of course, we do receive..." brightening up Jin's mood. He faced ahead smiling but his mood dampened the very next second when he heard the operator say "...but you cannot expect when". He held his head down and cursed his fate.
 
When he lifted his head, he saw the school standing out in the back of beyond. With a backdrop of faraway mountains, the school’s reflection on the calm water underneath and with the only sound being that of the water ripples created due to the canoe's motor, the scenery was a treat to the sore eyes which was something to be to beheld and cherished.

Jin didn't really know how long or how good his stay there was going to be, but right then looking ahead at the school, his mind was free from any worries or thoughts. Though he had a straight face while he was looking at the school, inside he felt a pleasant calmness surrounding him. He kept staring at the school without knowing that time was passing by as if he was in a trance.

When they reached the school, he got out on the dock, picked his luggage, paid the canoe taxi’s operator and thanked him for the ride. He then turned to face the school. The school had 2 cabins, the larger one on his left and the smaller one on his right.

Now that he looked at the school closely, he saw how the roofs of the cabins were made of different coloured and aged metal sheet patches. At the other end of the dock leading him to either of the cabins, he saw the school's entrance sign 'Paradise school' painted on an arched metal banner supported by 2 wooden square pillars and where a huge metal bell was hanging to the left pillar.

He picked up his luggage from the dock and walked towards the entrance of the school. He wandered around and got to know that the larger cabin was the classroom and assumed the other as the one that was for him to stay. The bathroom was situated separately in the outside space between both the cabins.

He reached inside the smaller cabin through its main door, true to his assumption, that cabin was for him to stay. He saw that the cabin had a kitchen on the right side of the living room, on the left side there was a huge loft with fixed wooden ladder stairway leading to the loft from the living room. One thing he realised, there wasn’t any electrical equipment in this whole place, who was he kidding, there was no electricity or electrical points at all.

He threw his luggage down in the living area, he moved to the kitchen to find something for him to eat, but all he found was empty cupboards with few spiders and a lot of cobwebs. Good thing he had brought cup ramen with him. All he needed was some hot water.

He took out a bowl from the kitchen cabinet and rushed through the side door of the cabin to the tap that was situated outside the cabin. He turned on the tap and placed the bowl to fill it with water, but in return all he received was the sound of pressured air gushing out.

He tapped at the opening a few times, bending himself over to look if there's something stuck at the opening of the tap. He jolted backwards suddenly and was bewildered at what he saw. A tiny frog flushed out along with the water from the tap and landed on the floor; it croaked twice looking at Jin and leapt its way away from him. He blinked at the leaping frog and his eyes followed the frog till it was out of his sight, he sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

Along with the frog, his hopes of satisfying his hunger also flushed out. He shook his head left and right out of self-pity. Suddenly his eyes were bright when he an idea popped in his mind and with that his hopes were up again. He went inside and carried a thick, clean cloth out of his luggage along with him. He tied it to the tap and covered its opening with it so he could atleast get somewhat filtered water.
 
He then filled the bowl with water, returned to the kitchen and placed the bowl on the portable gas stove burner. He turned on the stove knob, but nothing happened, there was no flame. He tried a few more times with the knob but with no success. He finally investigated the gas cartridge compartment and started shaking his head and chuckled sarcastically at his ill fate, because there was no gas cartridge present in it at all.

After all his attempts, he made up his mind that he had to starve that day. He took a quick shower and climbed up the stairs with the towel around his neck and with his luggage in hand. He dried his hair with the towel and threw it in the laundry basket.

He then plopped himself on the bed present in the middle of the loft. He placed both his hands behind his head and was looking at the dusky evening sky through the glass door present across him that led to a patio. He was worn out because of the long travel. Gradually his eye lids felt heavy, he blinked slowly and before falling into a slumber with soft snores.
 
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What changes do you think will the Paradise school bring in Jin’s life?
 
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Hey Bookworm!! Remember,
 
"I believe in you! And unicorns. But mostly you."