"That was the first time I asked for leave," Lu Yang said, pausing between each word.
Three years into his service, he had successfully joined the Marine Corps and became a Frogman, even taking part in actual combat.
Then, he took a week of leave and used the allowances he had saved over the years to visit his girlfriend, whom he hadn't seen in three years.
His girlfriend, who was just in her senior year of college, showed no delight upon seeing him. She took him to a café near the school, saying they needed to talk.
That conversation left a deep impression on him to this day.
There was no mention of breaking up, no third party involved, but there were many unstable factors.
If one were to summarize, it would be—his girlfriend didn't want him to be a soldier.
This was the first time she voiced her true feelings, and of course, it was also the last.
She felt his occupation had no meaning, just like any other ordinary job—hard work for a meager income.
