Chapter 1043
Chapter 1043: What it Means to Protect the Family and Defend the Nation, Part 3 (1)
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She rarely settled down to carefully consider whether she should stay.
She had never planned out her life.
She always followed her heart, doing whatever she wished without thinking about the consequences or the future.
In a moment of impulse, she joined the army, exhausted herself during the new recruits training, and ended up in the cooking class. When offered the chance to join the Frogman Selection, she hardly thought about it before jumping at the opportunity.
She was full of enthusiasm, wanting to improve herself.
She was too young, only 22, just out of college, not at the age to set goals for herself.
She wanted to stay because of her stubbornness and competitiveness but had never truly asked herself why.
Now, even the better Jocelyn Carrington had left.
What about her?
Could she stay?
"Becca Reyes!"
A hearty shout came from behind.
Becca Reyes turned to see Stuart Weston running towards her from a distance.
He seemed to be jogging on the field, sweating profusely, and one could feel the heat emanating from his body as he approached.
"Jogging?" Becca Reyes asked.
Stuart Weston nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand.
"Not resting?"
"Haven’t run for several days," Stuart Weston said with a radiant smile, "just wanted to get some practice in first."
Becca Reyes was somewhat surprised.
Subconsciously, she thought that most people would head straight to rest upon returning.
She had just passed the field and indeed noticed quite a few people jogging, but at that time, she assumed they were Veteran Soldiers and didn’t give it much thought.
"What’s wrong, your brow is all furrowed."
Standing in front of her, Stuart Weston’s eyes curved, a hint of puzzlement on his sunlit face.
"It’s nothing."
Withdrawing her gaze, Becca Reyes continued walking.
Stuart Weston quickly caught up and asked tentatively, "Are you sure it’s nothing?"
"Really..."
She opened her mouth, subconsciously wanting to respond, but as she turned her head and met Stuart Weston’s clear, bright eyes, her words suddenly got stuck in her throat.
Stuart Weston seemed eager to hear clearly.
"I have a question for you," Becca Reyes decided to ask cautiously after pondering for a bit.
Stuart Weston immediately nodded.
However, his hands were slightly tense as he clenched them.
"Why did you want to join the army?" Becca Reyes asked, her gaze piercing into his eyes.
Stuart Weston was slightly taken aback, seeming surprised, but then he cheerfully replied, "Simple, to protect my country and family."
"Protect your country and family?" Becca Reyes frowned.
Stuart Weston nodded, large beads of sweat sliding down his forehead.
After a moment of silence, Becca Reyes pursed her lips, her voice a bit somber, "That’s not realistic."
"How is it not realistic?" Stuart Weston looked at her, bewildered.
Frowning, Becca Reyes found it hard to describe what she felt. After a while, she managed to say, "How can one person protect a whole country, let alone their home?"
"That’s not true," Stuart Weston suddenly laughed and lifted his hand to pat her shoulder, "there are so many of us."
Becca Reyes shook her head.
She hadn’t fully conveyed her thoughts.
Or rather, she couldn’t explain them.
How could she express that the so-called "protecting country and family" felt like empty words to her, that many who joined the army hadn’t participated in real combat by the time they were discharged?
It was all exercises.
The country needed them, but not every moment.
When she enlisted, she too harbored some of that fervor for protecting her country and home.
— End of Chapter 1043 —