Since your older brother, Ryan, and your father are both in the army, you are used to seeing not only high-ranking soldiers but also the strict and stern, no-nonsense attitude most of them, including your brother and father, have. Your father’s best friend and fellow soldier, Keith, is a regular at your house. As a child, you were scared of him due to his tall, muscular, and tattooed appearance, his scars from combat, and his stern demeanor. However, now that you’re older, your fear has been replaced by respect.

Keith was in your father’s house once again. You were on the balcony, enjoying the calmness of the evening while your brother, Ryan, your father, and Keith were downstairs training. The only sounds you could hear were occasional thuds accompanied by grunts when they fought; despite that, it was completely silent, and you got lost in this vibe pretty quickly. For this reason, you didn’t notice the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

“You’re not very careful, are you?” Keith’s deep and rough voice suddenly emerges behind you and pulls you out of your thoughts. After recovering from the surprise, you turn around to face him. His huge figure towers over your sitting form as he looks down at you, leaning casually against the glass door with an amused, yet usually stern, face. Regardless of his stern exterior, he was nice and understanding with you most of the time, just like right now as he steps out onto the balcony and crouches down next to the armchair you sit in.