Chapter 140: Preparation (2)

 

Once my enlistment was confirmed, Eun-ha wouldn’t leave my side, clinging to my arm.

 

“What will I be doing when you’re not here?”

 

“Wouldn’t it be fine just to go to college like usual?”

 

“Should I just take a break from college too? It wouldn’t be bad to return and graduate with you…”

 

Hearing her words, I gently grasped Eun-ha’s cheek and gave it a playful shake.

 

“I appreciate the thought, but~ it feels like I’d be holding you back. Plus, we need to graduate quickly so we can get married fast~”

 

“But I still want to spend more time in college with you!”

 

“We’ll have about a year together after I return. Don’t feel too sad.”

 

“Well, if you say so… I’ll go to college diligently then. But I’ll visit you every week, okay?!”

 

“Every week might be too much. You’ll be tired from college, and it’ll be hard to keep up-“

 

Before I could even finish, Eun-ha vigorously shook her head.

 

“No! I’ll come every week!”

 

“As much as I’d like that, every week seems like a bit much-”

 

“No?! I’m serious! I’ll come every week. No matter what happens. Even if I break a bone, I’ll still come.”

 

Eun-ha declared with eyes full of determination.

 

“Are you sure you can keep that promise~?”

 

“Of course! I’ll love you forever, and I’ll only look at you. I’ll visit you every week, even if you tell me not to. Even if it’s just for five minutes, I’ll still come! And I’ll bring you delicious food every time.”

 

I guess I’d better train hard and get assigned close to Seoul. Even if I’m stationed far away, she seems ready to fly every week to visit me.

 

Although her words touched me, I didn’t want her to suffer too much.

 

“You’re really coming every week? I’m holding you to that.”

 

“Yeah, you can count on it. This is one promise I’ll definitely keep!”

 

“You’ll need to visit around 90 times. Can you handle that?”

 

Eun-ha nodded vigorously with all her strength.

 

“Yup! I can do it!”

 

“Thanks for saying that. But if something really comes up, you don’t have to-”

 

“No. No excuses. That’s just an excuse. Han-gyeol, I’ll come every week no matter what. If I don’t see you every week, I’ll wither away. I’ll even bring your favorite salmon dishes! Don’t worry! Whether it rains, snows, or a typhoon hits, I’ll find a way to see you!”

 

“And what about when I’m at boot camp?”

 

“I’ll just see you a lot now, and hug and kiss you plenty so I can survive a month!”

 

“Once I’m assigned, visiting me every week might make my seniors give me strange looks~”

 

“Then when can I start coming every week?!”

 

“Hmm? Probably when I’m halfway through private first class. It should be fine by then.”

 

“What does ‘halfway through’ mean?”

 

Ah—

 

“Usually, when you’ve served more than half your time as a private first class, they say you’re halfway through.”

 

“Oh! Then as sad as it is, I’ll just visit occasionally until then! I don’t know much about military life or how to deal with your seniors, so you’ll have to teach me! Don’t try to adjust to me! Got it?!”

 

“Eun-ha, don’t feel too pressured. I really appreciate it, but there’s no need to overdo it.”

 

I tried to calm Eun-ha down, but she was unwavering. Instead, she spoke to me with even more intensity.

 

“No?! Han-gyeol, don’t worry about me. Okay? The military is tough... You’re the one who has it the hardest, so I want to take care of you more. I’m out here where I can eat whatever I want, sleep whenever I want! But you can’t. You have to wake up at a set time, eat whatever they give you, and live with people you’ve never met before… right? So while you’re serving, lean on me more! I’m your future wife, after all—! I won’t ever let you go through this alone.”

 

Eun-ha placed her hand over her heart and declared it with such conviction. She was so adorable that I couldn’t help but gently pinch her cheek.

 

“You’re too cute, seriously~”

 

“Ugh—”

 

“Why are you so cute, Eun-ha?”

 

“I’m doing it to get more attention from you. To make you love me even more.”

 

Her bright, radiant smile made my heart melt.

 

“I’ll study hard while I’m in the army. I’ll come out with something to show for it.”

 

“No! Don’t do that. What if you hurt yourself…?! I won’t be able to take care of you while you’re there.”

 

“Don’t worry about me~ I’m really strong, you know. I’ll get plenty of exercise while I’m there.”

 

“You’re already so strong… and you’ve got plenty of muscles…”

 

Eun-ha pressed her fingers against my chest, poking it.

 

“It’s so hard…! Can I snuggle up?”

 

“As much as you want.”

 

“Yay~”

 

She quickly snuggled into my arms, pressing her ear to my left chest to listen to my heartbeat.

 

“Your heart’s racing again.”

 

“That’s because I’m holding you.”

 

“Han-gyeol—!”

 

“Hm?”

 

As I tilted my head down, Eun-ha pressed her lips against mine.

 

“I love you~ I really love you so much.”

 

“I love you too~”

 

“This won’t do. I want to kiss you more deeply.”

 

Eun-ha shifted her position, sitting on my thigh. Then she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss.

 

“Mmph—!”

 

As soon as our lips met, she slid her tongue into my mouth. These days, whenever we kissed, her tongue would slip in right away.

 

After an intense and passionate deep kiss, Eun-ha slowly pulled her face back.

 

“Han-gyeol.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I’m not satisfied with just kissing…!”

 

“Should we move to the bedroom?”

 

“Hehe…”

 

Snuggling into my chest, Eun-ha whispered in my ear.

 

“Let’s go quickly...!”

 

With Eun-ha clinging to me, I stood up, holding her close, and headed straight to the bedroom.

 

“I want to stay close to you too, Eun-ha.”

 

“Me too. I love you!”

 

“I love you too~”

 

Carefully, I closed the bedroom door behind us.

 

****

 

After finals started, I told Seunghoon and Jaehyun about my enlistment. As soon as they heard the news, their eyes widened, and they looked at me with confused expressions.

 

“You’re going to the army...?”

 

“You’re enlisting…?”

 

“Why do you two look like this has nothing to do with you?”

 

“Do we have to go to the army…?”

 

“Yeah, don’t say scary things like that. Isn’t the army for soldiers?”

 

“Well, you guys are next. I’m just going first…”

 

The two dropped their spoons slowly as they processed my words.

 

“Now that someone’s actually going, it feels real…”

 

“Yeah… Should I look into it quickly too?”

 

“If you’re going, go early. You don’t want to be bossed around by someone younger than you. And trust me, it’s better to get it over with.”

 

“Why do you sound like someone who’s already been through it?”

 

This time, I dropped my spoon. Yeah… right now, I’m the one who deserves the most pity. But then again, I’ve started dating Eun-ha, so this is the price I have to pay.

 

“Hey, don’t be so harsh on someone about to enlist.”

 

“You lunatic. We’re going too. What grade did you get on your physical?”

 

“Grade 1. Maybe it’s from drinking all that milk.”

 

“Same… Why is my body unnecessarily healthy?”

 

“So you’re not going to be around for the second semester, Han-gyeol?”

 

“Nope… I’ll have shaved my head, barking out my rank and rolling around by then…”

 

“Well… that…”

 

Even though I sounded defeated, Seunghoon and Jaehyun found it hard to offer comforting words. I guess it would just be like comforting themselves.

 

“And your girlfriend…?”

 

“She said she’s going to visit me every week.”

 

“Well… if it’s your girlfriend, I can believe that…”

 

When Seunghoon muttered this, Jaehyun nodded in agreement beside him.

 

“She didn’t say she was going to enlist with you, did she?”

 

“As much as she loves me, that’s not happening.”

 

There’s no way I’d let Eun-ha anywhere near that place.

 

“Aren’t you going a little early, though? Most people finish their first year of college before going.”

 

“I plan to use the 1 year and 9 months in the army to prepare for the tax accountant exam. My goal is to pass the first part before I come out. I can delay the second part if I need to.”

 

“Wow… you really have everything planned out. You live your life so intensely.”

 

“I have to live intensely…”

 

I want to marry Eun-ha, have kids, and live out the rest of my life with her. I want a sweet, loving future with her.

 

But still… I don’t want to go. It felt like the world was turning gray.

 

Do I really have to face that second morning of enlistment again?

 

The blaring sound of the morning bugle…

 

The overwhelming sense of emptiness when you realize you’re in the army…

 

The sighs you let out when it hits you that it’s only been two days…

 

The shouts of the drill instructor wearing the red cap, yelling for you to hurry up…

 

The command from the officer to turn around and shout during the outdoor roll call…

 

And the scream you let out at the sky with a hollow heart—

 

“Hey! Han-gyeol! Snap out of it! Your eyes are losing focus.”

 

“Yeah, I should get a grip. I’m going to go see my girlfriend. Let’s grab a drink after finals.”

 

“Sounds good… Take care. Have a great date.”

 

“Alright, see you next time.”

 

I had already told the guys, and I’d also set a day to grab drinks with Yujin. As I headed out of the cafeteria toward Eun-ha’s building, I suddenly heard my name being called from afar.

 

“Han-gyeol~!”

 

Eun-ha, who must have gotten out of class early, was waving at me from a distance, sprinting toward me at an alarming speed.

 

The gray world around me suddenly started to regain its color just as thud—Eun-ha crashed into my arms.

 

“I missed you…!”

 

“If you want to keep seeing me, can you be a bit more careful when you hug me~? My ribs might break~”

 

Just seeing Eun-ha’s face made my heart race, and the corners of my mouth lifted on their own.

 

Simply looking at her gave me the strength to keep going.

 

“I got too excited to see you. Did you have lunch at the cafeteria?”

 

“Yeah, I ate with the guys.”

 

Hearing this, Eun-ha smiled slightly and looked up at me.

 

“Good job. Let’s go home. Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll make anything you want~”

 

“If I ask for braised short ribs, will you make them?”

 

“If that’s what you want, of course I will!”

 

“It’s a tough dish, so let’s make it together.”

 

“That sounds fun~ Shall we stop by the market and head home?”

 

“Let’s do that. Here, hold my hand.”

 

“Okay!”

 

As soon as I extended my hand, Eun-ha eagerly grabbed it.

 

“Eun-ha.”

 

“Yeah, yeah?”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too~!”

 

You know what? Fine. Bring on the army again!

--- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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