Sgt. Sawabe Tsubaki

On board Nozomi Shinkansen
August 28th, 2025
1045 JST

"Attention, doors are closing! Attention, doors are closing!"

Without a hitch, the soldier-only bullet train left the station. Around me, excitements covered the entire cabin, but also many supplications of prayer. "hope the Gods protect us!" knowing that the Nozomi was as much as good as the rails, the 25 kilovolt electrical current propelling it, the signals, and last but not least the always-under-pressure technicians and other specialists of the JR Group and private railways alike, mobilized by the Ministry of Defense under the command of 350th Transport Division (Railway Operations) while retained their civilian work suits all the time and only basic small arms training for selected personnel.

The source of all this info? The always trusty Nao Kashiwagi, now working for JR East by the way of apprenticeship in lieu of a college degree, unlike me. In addition, she's also a Greater Tokyo National Guard volunteer.

"Watari-kun, look!"

I showed him my phone, and a spark of joy went through. A good news on my feed showing an ongoing live videos of prisoners being exchanged in the tarmac of Nagoya International Airport.

JPWarMonitor
@ nihontatakai

Today's POW Exchange between Coalition and China so far: Two flights, freed 450 Chinese troops, 180 Japanese, 45 Americans, 30 Australians, 10 Singaporeans, 100 South Koreans. Another China Red Cross-marked plane has been scheduled to arrive at 12.05 JST with approx. 250 more Coalition POWs onboard. Amongst the Coalition POWs freed, 70 of them fought in Taiwan...

"No way... It's Hiroki-kun..." Even with my own high school trysts with Hiroki Takeshima that nearly costed my relationship with Watari, it was still a good news to learn that he has been exchanged and was returning home back to Nerima, like us. The difference was that he's a volunteer private within Navy's 2nd Amphibious Brigade and had seen hell in Taiwan.

"Welcome home, buddy." That's what he told me in response of the video. They were both teammates after all back in Sumiya High, and part of the dream team that brought multiple school championship trophies. Yet, I will never forget my mistake by trying to be closer to him, even if it's primarily because of Watari's many dates.

My mind went on to the pivotal moment when Nao brought me to a girls' only day out with Kaori and Emi on tow back at the time we're in our 2nd grade of high school. Listening to their problems, then came my turn to make things clear...

"I hope he come clean to you soon, you deserve it!" Nao told me. Yet, something soon clicked inside me: Watari clearly needs to change, but what we are facing now is also my own responsibility. Hiroki deserves better too. How come I am so dense to disregard what my parents told me? Granted, their relations were not the best thanks to Dad is no longer able to work... but...

Never mind... we have to talk!

Long story short, each of us did came out clean... but it required a full week of us to finally forgive each other and then be closer than ever, just in time for a big match for Sumiya High's soccer team.

Another reason to be grateful was that the JR Group had directed it's attendants to serve us, the Defenders with the best services that brought it to worldwide high regard, especially when it comes to food, and if Watari and I were not looking at outside view plus keeping watch for any outside attacks. we scrolled our phones social media for any topics to talk to each other, as we continued to come across news from our neighbors.

- @ Daehan1948 - INCHEON HOLDS! SEOUL HOLDS! SEJONG CITY HOLDS! PYONGTAEK HOLDS! -

I will never forget the grim pictures and videos from the embattled jewel of the Koreans as it's defenders continue fighting that I have seen online during our rest period between Iwakuni and Shunan,

- @ Daehan1948 - Coalition long range artillery overnight hit and destroyed 15 areas of manpower and military equipment, four fuel depots, 2 air defense systems, an artillery unit on the fire position and five communication nodes of China, North Korean, and IAIB forces.

- @ Daehan1948 - Coalition Forces Korea's Naval Component Command (NAVKOR) confirmed the sinking of six Chinese merchantmen, 3 frigates, 2 destroyers, 2 submarines, and 25 various USV and UUVs.

"F*ck around and find out!" Watari whispered at me as our scrolling found multiple accounts showing Chinese side of the picture were being inundated by memes from those "Fellas" the cute online army of mostly shiba dogs whose pictures we've seen back in Shunan.

"And why does she not tell us?!" Another surprise from us as we recognized one of the friendly accounts giving the memes as from Nao herself.

Done with social media, we then tuned to Spotify to contemporary J-pop, and other tunes, including overseas ones, sharing earphones. That "other tunes" include two out of ten contemporary classics Kousei and Kaori recommended us to listen before the war.

The passage of time was such, and soon a team of military police woke us and the entire car up after a well deserved sleep, just as the announcement kicked in. "Next stop, Shin-Yokohama... next stop, Shin-Yokohama!"

One more stop in Shinagawa followed, and finally a smooth arrival in Tokyo-eki!

"Praise God!" That's what my tank commander repeatedly said out loud after we disembarked.

"Anyway, Kousei, Kaori, you guys are going to volunteer in church again?"

"Yes, of course." Kaori answered me, in a convenient moment for us all to ignore military hierarchy.

"Good for you and Kousei." Tsubaki smiled at the officer couple. We decided to take some time in the entrance of the station, taking photos. Just the four of us!

There were reminders on what we're currently facing, through, by several black soots at the sidewalks. Nevertheless, what we saw from both soldiers as well as civilians around us was strength all around.

"Ja. mata ne!" Both the lieutenants waved to Tsubaki and I as their assigned minibus arrived to bring them back to Nerima, to the place we grow up together.

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PFC. Watari Ryouta

Three days later

Kiba Park.

Even with it's greeneries were stained by the placement of a launcher for a Type 03B Kai-ni (Second Upgrade) Chu-SAM surface to air missile system - which I learned was a newest upgrade of Type 03 in a crash program with some Taiwanese (Free Chinese) expertise and advanced electronics to increase it's anti-ballistic missile capability like our American-made Patriots and it's successor that I read is called the MEADS - as well as multiple shorter ranged companions around the Koto ward, here life is mostly just like it's peacetime. Just like most of Shuto-ken...

... if you put aside the raids, especially if the Reds decided to throw a barrage of their ballistic and cruise missiles and drone mix hoping to bypass our Aegis defenses and other systems available for us.

The quieter spot allowed me and Tsubaki to have some time meditating. Something that the brigade psychiatrists recommended.

While Kousei and Kaori spent their time in church with their instruments, if Tsubaki and I were not spending our times with our own family mostly by video call, many options were available, such as catching up with some old friends; preferably offline, but with our own needs with our room and other matters, often we have to resort to video call as well.

"Major Tachikawa! Great to see you came back to Earth!" I greeted.

"Major Tachikawa, good morning!" added Tsubaki.

Here in our apartment, I managed to contact Saitou Tachikawa from his location somewhere in Tsukuba. Tsubaki's middle school old flame and teammate, he and I did manage to know each other better when fate caused us to attend the same high school as him. Majoring in Aerospace Engineering in Chiba University, that guy soon applied to JAXA to be an astronaut - something that I never thought he actually got it, and at one point in his career, he got transferred to the Defense Forces!

"Damn it, Watari, just call me Saitou-senpai here. You too, Tsubaki!" he replied. "Anyway, when you two will got married?" he teased.

We looked towards each other for sometime. Every word that we remember seems nowhere to found - the only thing constituted a response to him were smiles.

"It's so long now that we last talked to each other... and it was in Tsukuba as well." Saitou told us.

"Yes, a day before you went for your second ISS mission" Tsubaki replied.

"Once a Defender, always a Defender." I told him, mentioning one of the Defense Forces-universal slogan. "Do your best for next!"

"Yeah" Saitou replied. "No day without exercise and planning here, and also, I heard that I am being considered for some special program, they said it can turn the tide... Wish me luck! And send my greetings to Kousei and Kaori!"

Tsubaki responded. "You done well up there, pray for us, the ground pounders, too!"

For a more intimate setting, we were grateful on how we managed to arrange our first eating out date since the war.

"Don't bring shame to yourself and to your unit, much more to me, by taking what others need."

My father's advice rung out to my head when he learned that Tsubaki and I decided to have a dinner date yesterday, we understood too well that missteps in this regard could cost my dad his government position, especially in times like this. I also have to be grateful to Nao who told Tsubaki the same thing about keeping our date plan in line with wartime rationing regulations.

Other than eating together as well as doing our own sports, our time together will be in parks like this.

We gave it's contemporary art museum a pass, instead, most of the time here in Kiba, we decided to just enjoy each other.

"Ne, Tsubaki" I began. "We need to talk on what's next. The one that we are actually planned next year if only this damn war did not come."

"Sure"

And so that's what we do, looking ahead on the arrangement of us doing things that scared many people in our generation nowadays despite the current taxation regime that lowered things for people like Kousei and Kaori, but a champion inside me thanks to my parents' tutelage, I shall not give up.

"We are soldiers" she told me. "Fate brought us to be side by side in combat."

I responded by squeezing her hands slightly. "Which I am grateful. We're a great team so far, right?"

"Of course, dummy!" Tsubaki retorted. "Although we always need to improve... as we're about to see crazier things than here in Japan, anyway."

I told her. "The world might be crazy, but I have you, and I'm not afraid."

Tsubaki smiled at me, and slowly our distance went closer and closer, and this is it. The sweet sensation made time seemed to be stopped for two of us...

"After all these things passed, we'll tie the knot."

Tsubaki nodded and hugged me, refused to let me go,

Here, we're just Watari Ryouta and Tsubaki Sawabe, a young pair of lovers, and simply that. Not as soldiers with ranks and weapons at hands, and with an astronaut that we need to be thankful too...

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A/N: Hope you enjoy!