My take, for what it is worth!
Originally Posted by Capri
Originally Posted by Turnbull
The only thing we know for sure, per the movie, is in a deleted scene, after Connie's wedding, when Vito and his sons visit the dying Genco in hospital. Vito asks Michael what his plans are, and Michael, obviously uncomfortable, says, "Finish school." Vito says he approves, and tells Michael to come to him after graduation. Michael turns away from Vito

why Michael obviously uncomfortable, to "Finish school." Tom did
Originally Posted by mustachepete
I don't think that Michael is uncomfortable about what he's telling Vito. He's uncomfortable about what he's concealing, about Kay and his relationship with the family
Originally Posted by Evita
Vito would have already seen him with Kay when he came to the wedding late and in his Marine uniform Nobody missed that!

Don't know Pete he may have disapproved of his American Girlfriend but I reckon there was nothing to conceal as their relationship was out in the open
Originally Posted by Turnbull
What was he concealing about Kay? He brought her to the wedding and dragged her into the family photo
Originally Posted by mustachepete
That he was going to marry Kay and "cut close ties with his family."

Michael's “close ties with his family." among others - Extracts:
Quote
Sonny: Your country's not your blood -- you remember that
Michael: I don't feel that way.
Sonny: Well if you don't feel that way why don't you just quit college and go to -- go to join the Army
Michael: I did -- I enlisted in the Marines
[Everyone is silent]
Tom: Michael, why -- why didn't you come to us? I mean Pop had to pull a lot of strings to get you a deferment
Michael: I didn't ask for a deferment -- and I didn't want it
After the 'punch up'
Sonny: Nice -- real nice -- break your fathers heart on his birthday

  • quit College and enlisted in the Marines in defiance of his father's big plans and high hopes for him
  • Michael stayed put and remained seated all by himself when everyone else hurried to greet Vito at Vito's surprise birthday party
  • Michael came to Carlo and Connie's wedding late and in his Marine uniform, hand in hand, flaunting, his American girlfriend, Kay and sat away from everyone
  • Kay, an outsider 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant' WASP was also considered to be too forward or similar for an unmarried woman

Side questions please
1. How did Michael still enlist when Michael already had a deferment registered?
2. Michael knew? when he went to enlist that “Pop had pulled a lot of strings to get him a deferment”