85 Diary: Memories From The Youth 3

(Han's POV)

When I entered middle school, I was appointed to military school by my father. In those time I was traveling to other places or countries doing missions or tasks. I was trained to be a soldier at a young age. Stevan was the same as me as well.

My father getting used to called me Han, and not Hanzo anymore. Even my mother. I was wondering if they forgot about Hanzo? Even my name from the family book record change to 'Han'.

Did they think to make me back to normal again was helpless? I didn't know. I couldn't blame them, It was already eight years later and they didn't see any changes from me.

I didn't enthusiastic just like I was a child before. I didn't practice my kendo anymore and I unconsciously develop a phobia to the Japanese sword. I didn't want to touch it. My parent didn't notice my strange disgust, because I always sealed it inside me.

They didn't even try to make me remember something I didn't want to remember. They didn't want to trigger my bad memories. Well, that was what I thought. It turns out, I was right. They were a considerate parent, until now too. Even though I didn't like people, but my parent's kindness I could feel it.

As always, I tried to act usually with them and play my part as Hanzo, although not perfect. They accepted it and we converse normally.

My father asked me, why I didn't practice kendo anymore? I said to him that I was interested in Judo more. Thus, I practiced Judo martial art rather than sword combat.

Hanzo noticed my decision yet he only nodded and didn't say anything. I think he agreed with me at that time. He just wants to get away from the sword. Didn't want to see, didn't want to know.

Actually, Hanzo was missing father and mother as well. But at the same time, he felt guilty. His heart was hurting from making his father grieved at his grandmother grave. He could see how father really loves grandmother, and she died because of him.

He tried to become his usual self again, but he couldn't. It makes him sadder and I was affected by his sadness. My eyes turn to red and I cried for the first time since I was born from his shocked.

Hanzo couldn't help himself, to hide again, somewhere inside the black space. He didn't come out until high school year.

...

I was signed by my father around Central Asia, somewhere near the Himalayan Mountains area, while Stevan somewhere in China. When I went to the military camp base, we were divided into a team and I quickly became the leader of the group.

I beat all my opponent and prove my worth as a leader. Although I had my usual scary face, they still accept me after knowing me, that I was a normal person.

What did they mean 'normal'? I asked inwardly with an annoying feeling.

In military training, Hanzo didn't come out often. He didn't like the military program very much. For most of the time, I was the one who did the work while he was sleeping and constantly complained to me for not being nice to my teammates.

But I didn't listen to him, I pretend I didn't hear him. For me, only when my teammates didn't do anything to hinder my works or disturbed me, it was enough and I could still cooperate with them.

I didn't do so far to be more intimate than the way it was. My teammates didn't complain either because they saw me as a trustworthy leader and of course, General Asuzawa Nobuo's son.

One day we were signed to mountain forest for patrolling, it was snowing that time and the sky turn darker. Our teammates made a camp and prepare for a sleeping bag. One of my teammates prepared a hot chocolate and other warm liquid for us to fill in the stomach.

I excused my self from them, to gather more branches for the fire. The night will come, so we need more for warming up ourselves.

As I entered deeper into the forest alone, I heard some noises. It was two human approaching. It seems they were not from here. How can they enter this forest? Illegal poachers?

I grab my gun beside my waist and started to hide behind the bushed. I peeked at the side and could see two boys with loose clothes, dirt cover their face with a mix of sweat, and blood coming out from their body. As soon as they approached my direction. I pulled my trigger to shoot their way. But the next second I missed my target because Hanzo interfering me.

"No!" Hanzo shouted inwardly.

I held my head and saw the two boys who were shocked because of me. They tried to run away, but with my long grown leg, I quickly caught them and made them fainted.

I brought their little body to the headquarter in the next morning with my teammates.

That was me, To(Toshio) and Ta(Takashi) first meeting.

The two were brother and they were a runaway Japanese illegal slave. They were sold by their parent overseas, and they tried to run away when they had enough physically abused from the owner that bought them.

They were trying to cross the forest to get to the harbor for them to return or somewhere they could leave in peace. But, they didn't expect that they were caught by one of the soldiers and that was me. I report this to my father and the illegal slave market that we discovered.

My father frown when they heard the news. This involved with illegal human trading or human traffickers to their country and he needs to report this to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Justice.

A few days later, he got an order from them to instruct a new mission to the soldiers as soon as possible. For us to exterminate the illegal slaving trade.

They also issue that there will be a collaboration.

And so, the military was cooperating with the special agents from both countries and began hunting for illegal slave trader and I was one of the people who command the group to catch the preys.

...

I was in their base, humid and dark place. Their base was somewhere in the basement. As I went deeper down, I saw a prison and a lot of children were locked inside with dirty clothes and skinny bone. They didn't have a proper eat and wash.

I cover my nose because of the disgusting smell and order my teammates to do as we planned. In the next moment, they were free and were saved from the place. The owner of the place was nowhere to be seen.

I, my subordinates and some of the special agent were still planning to catch the responsible people. They were from the so we called X organization. I was hiding in the dark waiting for that person to come. But suddenly I heard someone whispered in my left ear, "You're just fourteen, but you look like an adult. Who are you?"

"!!"

I pulled my gun and pointing toward his head, he deflects my gun and strode to my side. In the next moment, he covers my lips with his hand and starts hushing. The owner of the place was coming. I looked at the man whose hand still in my mouth. I growled silently, "Let go of my mouth."

"Alright, alright," he smirked. Then, he instructed his subordinates through his earphone, "Coming in three o'clock directions, four man and two children. Keep on watch and follow them to their room."

With my mouth finally free, I instructed other soldiers, "Surround the entire area and block all the gate, don't let them escape!"

"You are good at commanding kid, what's your name?" said the man with messy hair. But when you took a closer look you could see that he was actually a young man.

"Should you introduce yourself first then ask the other person name?" I said a matter factly. He looked at me dumbfounded. This kid really pricks his interest, that was written on his face like.

"Sorry, I forgot about that." He said with sarcastic stone, then he chuckled. "Jo Miura. That's my name. Nice to meet you Han Asuzawa. I couldn't believe I finally meet the famous soldier everyone talks about."

"You know my name already, so I didn't need to introduce myself again," I said with my usual scary expression, I looked at the prey and it looks like the real boss was coming. I said to Jo Miura, "Enough chitchat and let's hunting."

He smiled agree with my statement.

In the next moment, a door had been kicked over to the preys' office and the noises of a gun could be heard inside.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Piiiiing! Bang!

The shooting keep on track and both sides didn't want to lose, I was reloading my gun when suddenly a man started to shoot behind me, I heard my side back got scratched from the bullet and bleeding badly.

I held my body and flip to the side, I quickly pull my trigger and shoot him. Bang! He died from his head explode.

Bang!

Another shot from our side and the prey quickly fell down one by one. It was a victory for us! But one of the prey suddenly pressed a self-destructed button!

I fell to the ground and held my bleeding stomach, I thought I would die there. I heard a noise from my teammates that there was self-destructed bomb inside the place! It would explode in one minute thirty second! We didn't have time to subjugate it, so our only option was to get away from the place now!

My teammates quickly saved the captured child and ran towards the exit door. With my face telling them I was fine, I let them go save themselves first. That shot last time was a little deep and it shot through my kidney. I should've died. But I didn't know why my body didn't want to listen.

'I want to live!' That was my thought.

A memory from childhood when Hanzo tried to run from his grandmother came to my mind. Am I going to die here? Why I act so brave in front of the other soldiers? I didn't know. Was it my pride? Or I just care for their safety first? I didn't know.

Suddenly a man came to rescue me, it was Jo Miura. He grabs my body and pulls me to his back. I got carried by him and us, or he ran to the exit door quickly. He was quite strong surprisingly. He could carry a 178 cm with 70 kg young man.

In ten seconds left, we were out from the area, but the shock from the wave explode was still brought an impact to us! I was left rolling on the ground and I couldn't see Jo Miura. Checking whether he survived or not?

He did survive, he was laying not so far from my body. But, he was in terrible condition just like me, he coughs blood and I could see a burn on his skin, but his face was alright. In short, we were both a mess.

My mind began to blur and it felt moist inside my eyes. It was the first time I was glad about someone. This tear wasn't from Hanzo. It was from my self. I cover my eyes and started to sob inwardly.

Jo Miura laughed beside me and said, "Kakakak! You were still fourteen years old kid, huh."

He reaches his right hand with his last strength to rubs my drench hair from the sweats.

...

Jo Miura was a member of a special agent from the country since a young age. He was the first people I could trust, besides my family. He stopped doing his work when he enters his twenty and started a business and that was Handai Corp. We didn't meet again in a high school year. Despite that, I already carved his name and treated him as a big brother and a friend.