Trapped

chapter 2

Kyungsoo took a deep, sharp breath, looking pitiful in his attempt to calm himself down. His shoulders were trembling, and tears were starting to form on the edges of his glazy orbs. He raised the back of his hand to quickly wipe the corners of his eyes, preventing any drop that might stream down his cheeks. Kyungsoo sighed. He slapped his cheeks softly to erase the self pity rushing inside. Pulling his hat lower, he continued walking.

The market was loud and flowed busily that day, flooded with people selling their goods, calling their potential buyers in excitement. Kyungsoo walked steadily and paid no attention to the stores and warehouses around, since he knew exactly what to buy with the limited money he had on him.

Turning left at the main road, Kyungsoo went straight to a small grocery stall on a corner. There, he took a few handful of rice and paid for the price. In another stall he bought a small amount of salt and spices. Kyungsoo carefully counted every coin he brought since he still had to buy a few more things. Letting out a restricted sigh, he slipped his money pouch behind his outer robe.

He was about to enter a vegetable stall when he saw a large mass of people, gathering together around something. The buzz of the market grew louder as he came nearer. It was unusually crowded; people were pushing with one another, wanting to be ahead of each other. Kyungsoo knitted his eyebrows into a frown, curious of what might be the cause. Approaching closer toward the sea of people, he walked carefully to not collide with anyone.

A few effortful steps later he saw a royal officer, grandiosely shouting an announcement from the kingdom. They were looking for people to serve their nation, the officer said. People were excited upon hearing the news; it was a golden opportunity for them to have some prestigious positions the kingdom was offering. If they got chosen, they would get to leave their previous jobs -- most of them were land workers -- to have a better way of living. Majority wanted to be soldiers, which profession could become a stepping stone to an advanced career, of which surely would come with a large sum of salary.

Kyungsoo just stood there and thought to himself. He would not pass the requirement to become a soldier, he was assured of that. Taking a glance over his small figure, he sighed in disappointment. If only he could find a job fit for him, any job that would require him to move out of the town. Hopefully that way he could lessen his parents' burden and wipe away their worries. It gave Kyungsoo a heavy feeling in his chest to see his father working so hard, trying to save as much money as he could, Kyungsoo knew was solely for him.

Someone bumped his shoulder, separating him from his thoughts. He looked around to find that the crowd was starting to become smaller. People were leaving after signing up for the position they wished to fill.

Kyungsoo walked forward to approach the royal official, who was collecting the admission papers people had submitted. He hesitantly moved closer. "Excuse me, sir," he greeted in a small voice.

"The jobs have already been taken. You should have come sooner if you want to be a soldier," the royal officer grunted without looking up, his hand was busily writing on a scroll.

"Is there any position left, sir?" Kyungsoo asked softly.

"I just told you-" The short plump man looked up agitatedly, and upon seeing Kyungsoo he failed to continue.

"I do not wish to be a soldier, sir," Kyungsoo politely explained, after waiting for some moments without anything else coming from the officer.

The officer froze in his seat; his mouth was slightly agape, eyes staring at the beauty in front of him. Kyungsoo's eyes glanced worriedly at the man's writing brush. The messy stain on the paper was getting bigger as the scroll absorbed the black ink.