A/N: This will be the start of extra chapters showing notable combat diaries from Takeshi Aiza, Kousei and Emi's friend and fellow-pianist, as a soldier in the JGSDF, later JNA (Japanese National Army) 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, in the first-person point of view. 

The video above is titled "The Horrible Things North Korean Soldiers Have To Go Through". In this story, the KPA (and North Korea in general) might have avoided malnutrition, less isolation, had slightly better state of healthcare and higher-quality weaponry and gear than in real life presented in this video, but the long-service requirement, harsh living conditions (including bullying, abuse, and sexual violence), punishment for defection, and ideological brainwashing are still the same.

July 3rd, 2018

My regiment, had expanded from its peacetime standard of battalion-strength, is one of the first Japanese unit to deploy to Korea. Our heavy equipments are already being delivered in advance to Busan.

The crossing took three hours to complete as the JAL plane we are riding is taking several detour on the way to avoid potential enemy aircraft on the way, despite the 777 has escorts already in a form of four F-2s. The 777 itself has 550 people on board, a full battalion, in this case, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry. As we're crossing the Strait of Korea at nightime, some of us use the time to obtain a good sleep.

On board, I start to be closer to my squad, the 3rd squad, D Coy, 2nd Battalion.

First, the squad leader and the commander of the Type 18 APC (1) that I am already assigned to, Sergeant First Class Koizumi Junikata. Before the war he works in a bank.

The fireteam leaders are Sergeant Takeshima Noboru and Sergeant Mo Jae-Sun. Noboru originally want to be in the armored force but after some time, he accepted his subsequent assignment in the Infantry. Sergeant Mo, a Korean Japanese and the sole NCOs in the squad which isn't a draftee, told us that he experienced several cases of bullying during training five years ago, but the high command immediately put the end of it by dishonorably discharged the perpetrators.

I was assigned to Noboru's fireteam as a grenadier. Two more riflemen making the team are Lance Corporal Maeda Kakuzo, a professional soldier from Hokkaido, and Private Fujii Katai, used to work in an auto part shop in Hiroshima before the draft came.

The other fireteam consist of Sergeant Mo,  Corporal Eri Machikawa, Private Seiki Seo, and Private Arisu Tanikawa.

Our crossing went without any hitch. I never thought of leaving Japan in other circumstances than holiday, or studying and compete in Europe. Well, Kousei had said to me that if we don't serve we won't have audience to watch us play, anyway... Mum, Dad, Nagi, stay safe.

July 12th, 2018 

 This is the first taste of combat of the 16th, after we had our stuffs and other things together. The contact begin 4 miles north a town called Jecheon. Along with us is the 3rd "Lightning" Armored Brigade of the South Koreans, had suffered heavy losses as they are one of the first South Korean unit to engage the Communist's mass formation of infantry and armor in that day and after almost a week of engagement, forced to retreat while inflicting heavy damage to the North Koreans first echelon formations thrown against them. The way they fight is just like the 300 Spartans, I said.

We're tasked to reinforce them with our own to enable the Koreans to consolidate before being refitted.

Back on basic the drill sergeant has reminded us that what we'll see is not like in the video games. That word rings true as tracers fly and some hit the APC. The condition? It's almost summer so its start to going hot for us literally. 

Two Minimis and one NTK-62 behind us, positioned in the left side and right side of houses in the town.

Than a platoon of North Korean BTRs approached our position. I took one abandoned RPG-7 from a dead enemy and along with Kakuzo took position near a park. One soon closing in, and just before it disembarked its soldiers I squeezed the trigger. Boom.

Along with grenadier I also tasked to carry the ammunition for the multi-purpose gun (Carl Gustav M3 recoilless rifle). He repositioned for a while, then fired the M3, hitting the second BTR. We managed to relocate at the nick of time before enemy fire landed at our recent position. A Nana-yon (Type 74) tank then dispatched the remaining North Korean column and our squad soon regrouped with the rest of the platoon. 

Rockets and artillery began to rain down on the city, probably from the DMZ itself as the shells I saw was quite heavy and not looked like our 155s, and more like our old 203s. Then the cavalry arrived in a form of four Strike Eagles which silenced the artillery position. The Koreans are soon reorganized and fortified the town for another day.

At night we're usually facing North Korean light infantry infiltrators. In one night one infiltrator even managed to sneak close past me until I put out my flashlight and recognize a man besides me as a Nokor, and one 9mm ended his pathetic life. The enemy even deployed technicals (armed pickup truck or four wheel drive vehicles), armed trucks just like what I often seen on the news about Middle Eastern or African conflicts, unknown to us, until one day in the morning we checked several wrecked technicals and found a flag of Iran. We're shocked to know those people are supporting the North in this war.

July 17th, 2018   

After Jecheon was saved, we head towards Wonju in another defensive battle, as the city is close to fallen to the North Koreans. Supports are mostly American 2nd Stryker Brigade with some South Korean and our tanks. We arrive just in time as several of the city's defenders from the Korean 7th Infantry Division "Seven Stars" are began to fall back from the city, covered by a large strike from what I recognize as Super Hornets. Probably Australian.

 Close-quarters combat is what we're trained for. 

I can remember in one occasion , at 1100 hour, my squad was clearing an office building occupied by the communists. Those people are fighting tooth and nail, as I say, up to the level of being brainwashed. Even our grandfathers during the desperate days in the Pacific War are not as "crazy" as theirs. One Northern soldier, out of ammo charged me with his AK-mounted bayonet inside a small office room, barely avoiding scratching my right side as I fell into my left side to avoid his charge. As he passed me I aimed the Type 89 and four hit was required to stop him.

July 25th, 2018     

The Norks had committed their reserve corps, the Colonel said, and due to their help, their main thrust, had once again taken Southern territories, and has decided to bypass Seoul. As the result we found ourselves fell back to Cheongju, near the major city of Daejeon. Back and forth battles near that zone and the surrounding area had costs us dearly; we reached fifty soldiers KIA mark in July 19th, and three days later, 200-soldier mark. Next day, 250. 

In the plus size more countries sent troops. I had seen more and more Europeans such as Germans, British, Polish, Spanish, Czech, Greeks, and even Finnish. I also had heard from the Captain that our Asian partners had also joined us in this endeavor; Indians, Indonesians, Malaysians, Thais, Singaporeans, Filipinos, etc. 

We established a multi-layered defense in the city with the help of local residents. Including me. Pretty ironic, this hand that spend years in the keys, is now holding shovel helping fellow soldiers to keep others safe..

Then, at 1900, it happen. An American drone detected a huge group of infantry and armor head directly towards us, in Cheongju. Luckily, we has been reinforced with primarily the South Korean 2nd Armored Brigade and elements of the American 4th Armored Brigade and the 2nd Stryker Brigade. Five minutes later we bunker down as arty (artillery) pounded the our position for almost 30 minutes. Ours are soon dueled with the Communists. 

As the artillery duel continued, the Lieutenant ordered our platoon to get ready and we boarded the 18s and 96s (Type 96 APC) to support the tanks making their move to greet the enemy. Prior detection of enemy air-defense assets allowed the flyboys to assist us almost unmolested.

Our mechanized battalion took position in a small town outside Cheongju and took the Communist defenders by surprise. A 96 was lost in the process due to ATGM. And during that time my squad took their first loss. Seiki was hit by Nokor MG fire during the counterattack and his life ended instantly. But we soldiered on.

As the tanks are fighting each other, our radioman, Fujii, called helicopter support as several T-72s are heading towards our village. Soon, a flight of South Korean AH-64 swooped in and destroyed the entire enemy tank company. The jovial Captain soon ordered our company to mount the APCs again, along with the entire battalion, supported by four South Korean K1A1s with two companies of K21 IFVs on their own. I think we're repositioning, but soon we arrived in another town called Gasan-ri, which fallen after 8 hour of house-to-house fighting. The first time I had a brush with death was in this part of the battle. One of the Koreans had shot down two Mi-24s try to interfere with our mission, and one of the crashing chopper almost crushed me if the Staff Sergeant didn't push me in time.

We later know that our forces are now execute their counterattacks and our units are helping the South Koreans capturing their communication center in a hill nearby, depriving them of it. One day later the battle's over, as surviving KPA forces retreated, and it was the watershed of the North Korean invasion.

A/N:

1. An under-development Japanese wheeled 8 x 8 APC, currently named as the Wheeled Armored Vehicle (Improved), which in this story has been immediately produced and operational as "Type 18 Armored Personnel Carrier" due to rising tension in the region before the hostilities renewed. Basically a Japanese (future) equivalent to Finnish Patria AMV or American Stryker.

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/01/13/japan-unveils-armored-vehicle-prototype-for-counter-island-invasion/