“Oliver, your girlfriend is here!” Hajin said after knocking on Oliver’s room door. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah. Let Aria into my room.” Oliver said. The door opened up and Aria rushed into the room. Upon laying eyes on the bandaged Oliver, tears rolled down Aria’s cheeks.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Hajin said as he closed the door.

“How could he do this to you!?” Aria’s face was full of rage. “Jin-Woo is your friend, so how could he?”

“I’ll be fine, it wasn’t that bad.” Oliver responded with a smile. “I just need to rest up and I’ll be back to normal in no time.”

“Oliver, you’re hurt, how can you take this so lightly!?” Aria scolded Oliver. “Do you know how worried I was when I heard what happened? I was on a mission, so I hurried back as soon as I could! I wish I could have also been with you in the hospital! Yet you’re not treating this with the severity you should!”

“Physically I’ll be fine. I've been through worse before.” Oliver answered while looking down. “I just want to be strong in front of you!”

“You don’t have to always be strong. You’re a human after all. And I am your girlfriend, I’ll stand by your side no matter what, Oliver!” Aria said as she gently hugged Oliver. “You can share your pain with me!”

“What hurts the most is not being able to stop Jin-Woo and Yuri. In their quest to seek justice for their parents’ deaths they will turn the entire world against them.” Oliver said regretfully. “Nicole and I stood no chance against Jin-Woo. Our fight was just child’s play to him. He has grown too powerful, and he will continue to grow even more. They will become a threat to the world and then the military will have to take drastic actions. I just wish to save my friends, our friends!”

“Those guys are fools! How could they do this!?” Aria said sadly. “We’re their friends and they never came to us! When did things go wrong?”

“The mission on Muna was the catalyst. That’s when Jin-Woo began absorbing Magical Energy. And now that he is aware of his ability and how it works, he’ll seek to accomplish his goals how he sees fit.” Oliver replied as he hugged Aria trying to find comfort. “Aria, I am so happy to have you by my side! Thanks!”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You know, I am so lucky to be with you! You’re someone who does what it takes to reach their goals, yet you don’t get absorbed in them. There hasn’t been a moment that I felt neglected when you focus on your goals, instead you talk to me and include me in your goals. Those two should've learned from you!” Aria said. She noticed a small jewelry box on top of the dresser next to the bed. “What’s that? I didn't know you wore jewelry.”

“I actually bought it yesterday.” Oliver said as he grabbed the jewelry box. He opened the box and a pair of rings with engraved cherry blossoms were revealed. “These are promise rings!”

“I love them!” Aria said in a happy tone. “Oliver, let's make them engagement rings! I know we haven’t been together as a couple for that long, but we have known each other for a couple of years now. I am certain that I want to be with you forever!”

“We have the exact same feelings, Aria.” Oliver said as he grabbed one of the rings. “Aria, will you marry me?”

“Yes, Oliver!” Aria was shedding tears of happiness as Oliver put the ring on her ring finger. She then took the other ring. “Oliver, will you marry me?”

“Of course, Aria!” Oliver was smiling while Aria put the ring on his ring finger. “Aria, I believe I am the happiest man in the world!”

Aria smiled as she looked at Oliver. She then kissed Oliver. “Oliver, we’ll find a way to stop them! We won’t abandon our friends!”

“You’re right! We and the rest of Platoon 12 have a responsibility to stop our friends and set them back on the right path!” Oliver said with a determined expression. “But I wonder when they will strike.”

“Who are their targets?” Aria asked.

“Their only target at the moment is Governor Li.” Oliver answered.

“Next month, he will come to one of the bases by the mountains south of Sol City. I believe it’s Achim Military Base. I bet they will try to attack him then. But how can they do that? How do they have the power to go against everyone in the base?” Aria said as her mind wandered. “Jin-Woo, Yuri, why….”

“We don’t know what they are planning, so our best bet is to play defense.” Oliver suggested. “We have to stop this before it escalates to a point of no return!”

“I’ll be fully recovered by then, so I’ll be there to stop them alongside everyone else in Platoon 12.” Oliver said.

“Now, it looks like I won’t be leaving Platoon 12 for quite some time!” Aria said. “I was supposed to be back as my Mom’s bodyguard today, but in the morning, I received orders to remain on Platoon 12 for the foreseeable future. I’ll complain to those two next time we see each other. I wanted to be my Mom’s bodyguard again to spend more time with you!”

“Yeah, you should. They extended the time you needed to be in Platoon 12. They are taking my time with you away. Jin-Woo and Yuri will be hearing from me too.” Oliver said with a smile.

“Rest up! I must go back to the base. I’ll be back later, my dear fiancé!” Aria said as she kissed Oliver.

“I’ll recover as soon as possible! I don’t want my beloved fiancée to worry too much!” Oliver said before kissing Aria’s forehead. “Take care, Aria!”

After Aria left his room, Oliver looked at the ring on his left hand and smiled. He continued admiring the ring until he dozed off and fell asleep.