"I’m discharged, you son of a bitch!"
Born a Korean man, I was forced into the military the moment I turned twenty. Now, the day every man prays for had finally arrived: my discharge day. The day I thought would never come was finally here. I was absurdly happy. Even the sky seemed to be celebrating with me, clear and cloudless as if it had been specially arranged for the occasion.
"Sergeant... you can’t leave... Didn’t we say we’d sign up for the special contract service together...?"
Look at this guy. Where the hell did he learn to say something so outrageous? If our ancestors heard that, they’d probably burst out of their coffins, perform some ridiculous dance, and then beat the crap out of this idiot’s mouth with twenty strokes of a cudgel before going back to sleep. Absolutely not. No way in hell. Even if a knife were at my throat, I wasn’t doing it, you punk.
"Yeah, you go ahead and eat all the army rations you want. I’m getting out there and eating civilian food until I put on some real weight. Hahaha!"
Still, I figured he only talked like that because we’d grown close. We’d suffered together, trained together, snuck around to avoid the supply officer and the brass, and found ways to have fun together. Those memories came flooding back. He was the closest junior I had, so maybe I should meet up with him later and buy him a meal.
Before I knew it, it was time for the final discharge report. Once this was over, I could switch gears starting tomorrow and become a civilian more powerful than the Chief of Staff. Of course, I still had reserve duty, but that wouldn’t start until next year, so I wouldn't have to deal with any PTSD for a while. I was practically humming. Heh heh heh. I stepped forward and saw the battalion commander ahead of me, along with the guys from the other companies and my own batchmates. This was the final step.
"Reporting! Sergeant First Class Kwon Yeon-woo and fifteen others have been ordered discharged as of June 3rd, 2019! Reporting! Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
After that, the battalion commander gave a short speech. A final word of encouragement: don’t cause trouble just because today is still technically a military day, the unit ran smoothly because of you all, you worked hard, and now go out into society and live diligently. If this had been any other time, I would’ve waited forever for it to end, but now it sounded like the words of an angel from heaven. Somehow, it felt sacred.
After the report, it was time to board the unit bus. Looking at the vehicle, it really hit me that this was truly the end. I wouldn’t be riding this thing anymore. As I chatted quietly with my batchmates, the engine roared to life, the driver pressed the accelerator, and we pulled away. The last guard post I’d ever see. Had the inspection ended? The vehicle was now leaving the base. Goodbye to the place I’d grown attached to enough to call home for one year and nine months. Let’s never meet again.
Once we reached the bus terminal, everything followed the usual script. Batchmates taking photos, eating a final meal together, then boarding buses to Dongseoul and promising to keep in touch. When I got home, my parents told me I’d worked hard; I ate, rested a bit, and then went out for dinner. It was the quintessential day of a discharged soldier.
Of course, before going to sleep, I launched Azur Lane. I had daily missions to finish. A friend had recommended the game back when I’d just made sergeant. It was surprisingly like a bullet-hell shooter, so I’d been having a blast with it. But since I was a soldier, I could only play on leave or overnight passes, and by the time my phone restrictions were lifted, I’d missed way too many limited builds. Still, I’d pulled the girls I liked, so I had no regrets. Now I just had to wait for reruns, and from here on out, I could grind hard.
"Heh, I’ll run the dailies, send out the limited logistics missions, and then hit the sack. I’ve got to get up early tomorrow and head to Seoul."
What should I do tomorrow? Now that I was discharged, I could play as much as I wanted until I went back to school, right? Of course I could. I’d defended the country; I was entitled to that much. With those happy thoughts of tomorrow’s plans, I fell asleep.
But I didn’t know. I didn’t realize that after this, I’d end up running for my life every single day.
======
Ring ring, ring ring.
"Uuuugh... what is this? Why is there a wind blowing... and this cold, bumpy ground is..."
I opened my eyes, thinking morning had come, but this wasn’t my house. In fact, it was still night, and I was outside. Where was I, and what was I doing here? I thought it over carefully, but since I didn't have a habit of getting drunk and making a scene, I even considered the possibility that I’d been kidnapped. But there was something that overrode all of that.
"Well, it’ll work out somehow."
My biggest strength and weakness: I was an optimist. I figured I’d just walk down, look around, hitchhike, and find my way home. Thinking that, I scanned the area and saw a light in the distance, so I headed toward it. Before long, the light turned out to be a streetlamp. Beyond it lay a place I couldn’t even begin to imagine. My mouth fell open.
"Wooooooow..."
Coming down from the forest, I found a wide road lined with streetlamps and cherry blossom trees blooming on both sides, the moonlight filtering through the petals in a dreamlike scene. As I walked along, taking in the view, I saw a bridge, an island, and the sea surrounding it. There were buildings on the island too. I crossed the bridge to get a better look.
"Buildings like this on an island? What kind of place is this?"
The architecture reminded me of a university campus. There were small stalls, a temple-like building in the distance, lecture halls, and apartment buildings. In the center stood a fountain. Did places like this exist in Korea? I’d never seen anything like it on the internet. And yet, it felt incredibly familiar.
I entered the largest building. It felt like a palace. Even with the lights off, it possessed an overwhelming grandeur, as if it were the home of someone truly important. Since it was night, I decided I’d sleep here and apologize in the morning for trespassing. When I opened the front door, I saw the building was split into two floors. Thinking I should sleep somewhere more private, I went upstairs, opened one of the doors, and stepped inside. There was a king-size bed, curtains tied back, and an open window. It looked desolate, but I couldn’t complain. Honestly, it was enough to make me want to say, Thank you, God.
I drew the curtains shut to block out the light and lay down on the bed. The sheer size and softness of it hit me immediately. I decided I absolutely had to apologize to the owner. I promised myself that once I got home, I’d send some kind of compensation. The moment I lay down, my eyes began to close. I’d better get home quickly tomorrow. My consciousness drifted far, far away.
===
Side - Belfast
Chirp chirp, chirp chirp.
Ah... another day in hell begins. That was my first thought as I opened my eyes. Looking at my bleak, colorless room, it felt as if the space reflected my own heart. But as the head maid, I cannot afford to be lazy. For the sake of the Master who will one day return, I must clean his room and perfectly execute the duties of this fleet in his absence. Let us begin the maid’s daily life once more. With that thought, I gathered my resolve for the Master who had still not come home today.
The moment I felt I had truly been born into this world was when the Master saw me and cried out in joy. I was created by this Master, and I would fight for him. For that, I had to serve him and develop this fleet by his side, together with the members of Azur Lane.
The days I spent with the Master were truly happy. Exploring the seas, gradually reclaiming humanity’s dominion over the waters, watching the Royal Navy and Azur Lane steadily grow, rejoicing together at the results the Master achieved, and spending quiet tea times while he enjoyed the sweets made by us Royal Maids—those were unforgettable times. Was this what love was? It must have been. I, Belfast, had the confidence to devote my entire life to serving the Master completely.
But at some point, the Master disappeared. No, rather, a cruel cycle began: he would return for a time, then vanish without a trace. He would return once, then not come back for months. The gaps were long, but to me, they were an eternity of suffering.
I saw how Enterprise, the first to take a vow, had started to grow dull from the long absence of the Commander. Her eyes looked dead; she likely spent every waking moment thinking of the Master. No one knew what would become of her, but as long as the Master did not return, her illness would never be cured. That was true for all of us in the fleet. It was true for me as well.
"Ahh... Master, Master, Master... I miss you... You set my heart on fire, ignited the feeling called love inside me, and made me burn with longing, Master. Where have you gone...? I’ll follow you anywhere. So please, tell me where you are. Even if it’s hell, if I’m with you, I’ll happily follow you there, so please..."
After changing into my maid uniform and neatly arranging my hair, I walked toward the Master’s room—the room he never returned to. For the Master who would one day come back, I would keep it tidy and clean. Standing before the door, I always prayed to whatever god might be listening. I prayed that when this door opened, the Master would be standing before me. It was always a futile prayer, but I kept doing it anyway, hoping for a wish that might one day come true.
But when I opened the door and saw an empty room, rage surged in my heart. There are times like this. Those wicked women who miss the Master so much that they dare sleep in his sacred room. I calmly controlled my emotions, wondering which woman had crept in today and what punishment I should bestow upon her, then pulled the curtain aside.
There was...
"Aaaahhh...! Master, Master, Master...!"
The hope of my life.
His hair was shorter, but it was still the face of the Master I remembered. A straight nose, not exactly handsome, but a face that made you smile and feel fond of him just by looking. The very face I had seen from across that distance. The same face the Master had when I first came into this world.
"Master...! Master...! You’ve come back! I’m so, so happy...!"
Had God really been listening? He had heard my prayer. The world’s bleak, colorless emptiness was being painted bright again. It was all because the Master had returned. I could no longer hold back my emotions, and tears spilled over. The tears I had shed before were tears of sorrow, but now they were filled only with joy and ecstasy.
"Uuugh..."
I heard the Master groan. It seemed he was waking up. But with these unstoppable tears, this joy, and the love overflowing in my heart, I could do nothing, say nothing. I could only feast my eyes on the Master before me. Ahh, my beloved Master, so very beloved.
"Mm... huh...?"
Was he not fully awake yet? He looked at me with unfocused eyes, still not fully returned to his senses, and seeing that dazed expression sent my emotions surging. Unable to contain myself, I unconsciously rushed at the Master, pounced on him, and wrapped my arms tightly around his large body. The warmth of his skin, his sturdy frame, his fragrant scent. The grace flowing from the Master was enveloping me.
"Eh... eh...?"
How adorable, the Master looking so bewildered. I, Belfast, have regained my reason to live. Now we are together. I will grant whatever you desire. If you tell me to give myself to you, I will. If you tell me to die, I will die. If you command me to kill, I have the confidence to sink every last member of this fleet. Not even Her Majesty can interfere with my love. Wherever you go, I will follow you, Master. Even hell would feel like heaven if I were with you. You are my light, my god, my hope. My love is always for you, Master. I will give you everything I have.
"Heh heh heh... Mastermastermastermastermaster...!"
Ahhh... happy days are waiting for us. Come now... let us enjoy this heaven together, my Master.
Side - Out
====
When I woke up, an incredibly beautiful silver-haired maid—so gorgeous she could make everyone else look like a squid by comparison—was pinning me down and hugging me.
What kind of insanely elaborate hidden-camera prank is this?
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