Are You Addicted? (Volume 3). The Post-Honeymoon Phase.(18+)

Episode 81

The chilly wind of January lifted the intensely green leaves from the ground, taking them to an exultant dance around the block. A tiny ray of sun peeped from between the heavy clouds, dispersing the 10AM peacefulness on the skyscrapers' neighborhood.

Two guys snuggled in their sweaters next to each other as they lounged back in their adjustable recliner chairs out in the balcony.  A cup of mint-tea in their hand, and a monkey-shaped biscuit in the other.

Bai Luo Yin dipped his biscuit in his tea with a cryptic expression. "So...I heard that you lived at the base for a hundred days, and trained with the general..."

Gu Hai twisted his head towards Bai Luo Yin in the speed of light. Damn it! Info is passing way too quickly these days.

"That guard sure is a big talker..." he let out a loud sigh.

"Well, I think he is an expert of delivering the right information to the right person. Hehe."

Gu Hai smiled, but quickly his smile faded, and seriousness took over his manly visage. "Don't fight with me over this babe. I had to make sure you will get the package. I couldn't just leave it alone. I had to do this; you know that."

"I know." Bai Luo Yin nodded, and asked, "Was it bearable? To live with your father at the base, and train like a colonel for three months..."

"It was, I just really hated to see his smug smile when he commanded me around." Gu Hai lamented, but then, contented by Bai Luo Yin's surprisingly calm response, he changed the topic to one that he was highly interested in. "How were the cookies?"

"So delicious that they kept me alive. If not for training, I would have gained some serious weight because of them. Oh, by the way, my roommate comrades felt the same way about your vanilla cookies. They told me to thank you for it."

"Ah, that was nothing." Gu Hai waved his hand dismissively, and continued to ask. "How was training?"

"It was fine. It took me some time to get used to the intensity of it. It definitely sharpened my survival skills though. So, I guess I am grateful for that part."

"Does that mean you enjoyed some of the days you spent there?"

"No, not really," Bai Luo Yin admitted. "I can't enjoy anything when I am far from home."

"What did they tell you about the test results? Did they tell you when exactly you will be informed if you passed the test or not?"

"Yeah, they did. They said we will get an answer within a week. Until then, we are all on leave."

"Knowing you babe, you definitely passed with a merit badge." Gu Hai boasted like a proud father. "You have waited so long for this opportunity, and now you will be a colonel who commands a regiment of 1,500 troops around. This will open up more opportunities for you. I am proud of you. You deserve it."

He expected Bai Luo Yin to grin at him, to expose to him one of his brilliant smiles. However, instead, Bai Luo Yin just stared down at his cup of tea in silence as he repeatedly spun the teaspoon around and around in it in an unsettled manner.

A sudden disquietude overshadowed Gu Hai's being. He placed his tea-cup on the coffee-table nearby, pulled Bai Luo Yin's recliner closer to his, and patted Bai Luo Yin's hip. "Hey, what's up? Why are you not answering?"

Bai Luo Yin lifted his eyes, gazing straight into Gu Hai's eyes; his pupils widened a bit, his chestnut eyes suddenly seemed bigger, somewhat sadder as he spoke. "Da Hai...I don't want to serve in the military anymore."

Hearing that, Gu Hai's eyes secretly beamed, his heart performed a somersault of joy, and screamed like a kid in Disneyland. Outward, the man faked a baffled expression, and cleared his throat. "This is so sudden, so unexpected. Why do you want to quit all of a sudden?"