Escape?! (2)
Farming for three hours straight now. We're chugging along without a single hitch. It's going too well, which is honestly disappointing. It would've been way more fun if we'd screwed up somewhere. Everyone's pulling their weight just fine, so there's no spotlight for me to show off. I can't flex the results of my ten hours a day training... This is getting kinda boring. Right now, I'm basically a dog. A straight-up dog. Military working dog. "Need this~" and I fetch it. "Want that~" and I fetch it. "Zombiedot!" and I hack away with the axe or blast 'em, "Knock it off!" and I stop attacking, "Car time." and I hop into seat four. Zero fun. No thrill at all. Is that why...?
"Yaaawn..."
"No way, Captain. Captain!"
"Ah... Whoops."
I let out a massive yawn without even realizing. I'd planned to stifle it quietly with my hand, but I blew it.
"My bad. I meant to keep it small. Sorry. Not bored at all. Not sleepy one bit."
I come clean. Mom always says honesty is best when you're owning up. Lie now to dodge trouble, and it'll snowball into a monster you can't control.
"For real? Really not bored or sleepy? Captain Sena, swear on it?"
Maru presses like an interrogator. But this one's easy—I can say it loud and proud.
"Totally not bored, not sleepy. But... it's a little no-fun. 'Cause... I'm not the hero... I'm the captain, but I'm not doing anything."
"Aww... Captain Jjang. I'll hook you up. Just hang in there a sec."
"When?"
"Gotta farm a bit more now so we can escape later."
"So when?"
"Uh... soon-ish?"
"Exactly how many minutes and seconds?"
"...Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? For real? Pinky promise? You take full responsibility?"
This isn't me sassing Moteok at all. I'm just dying to know. I totally trust Moteok to keep her word. But you never know—she might forget. Like yesterday... she said she'd let me... but if she plays dumb like "Huh, no idea," I'm screwed. Parents pull that crap all the time; I've been burned more than once. So I'm just prepping for the worst case.
"I really trust you, Moteok. But... promise?"
"Jeez, Jjang-oppa's relentless... Cute side I didn't know. Okay, noted."
"No dodging—real promise?"
"Fragile mentals too, huh. Fine. Confirmed."
"Gotcha. I'll promise for her."
Maru jumps in. As expected—total responsibility queen. Yes! Hero mode tomorrow!
"Thank you! Alright, I'll get ready. Sena Captain... coming soon. Title: Becoming a Hero. Thoughts?"
"And us? Captain Jjang, what about us?"
"... Becoming a Hero... and three others."
"No!!! Captain Jjang, come on. This ain't it. Coup itch is real now."
"Coup... COUP?!"
Whoa, end of days. Military discipline's gone to hell. Even so, a lieutenant mouthing off to the captain? Unacceptable.
"Hold up. Stop the car."
"Huh? Why? Outta nowhere?"
"Stop. Drop me and Lieutenant Moteok in a zombie-free spot. Yacha Rule time."
Yacha Rule: that viral meme thing, random 1v1 brawl. Pretty sure it's just street bare-knuckle scraps. Learned it from viewers, so details fuzzy.
"Pardon? Captain?"
"Out. Fists up, PVP mode."
"Nooo, Captain Jjang's gone mental! Guys, back me up."
"Not mental... it's discipline. Go friend, fighting~!"
"I die? We all lose."
"Then kill me."
"Do it, Moteok. One quick fight. Easy peasy."
No allies for Moteok. Everything's about justification. Hard to snag a good one, but once you do? Game over. Right now? Perfect excuse: lax discipline. Chain of command crumbling. Can't beat that.
"My carpentry's high. Guns too. I die, disaster."
"Exactly why you're plotting lax discipline... a coup? Checkmate. General. Royal flush. 38 crazy bang."
"Pffft. Heh. S-sorry. Forgive me, please. Take me back as your teammate. I'll kneel and beg."
Subordinate's begging sincere? Forgive with grace—that's leader material. Checkmate and general? Dodgable. Chess not my thing, but go has "blind go" or whatever. Royal flush and 38 crazy bang? Top-tier unbeatable.
I wanna forgive, but... no justification... Wait, dummy. I'm captain. I forgive if I want. Forgiven. Boom boom boom. But gotta keep up appearances for discipline.
"Fine. Forgiven. But. Out."
"Huh? You forgave me?"
"No kneel yet. Sloppy pass? Lieutenant Moteok? Forgot what kneeling means?"
"S-sorrhehesob. Sorry!"
Gotta do the deed. Keeps discipline tight. Superiors' curse—always the bad guy. No choice.
"No kneel emote, so this'll do... Forgive me."
Moteok hops out, strikes a kneel pose. Basically lotus position. She said no emote, so I let it slide no fuss.
"Roger. Hop back in."
"Thanks!"
Moteok climbs in, and we peel out.
We grind farming and mega dens till 3 a.m., plant three relays—only one's left. Mission: massive success. Not without bumps, though. Moteok got grazed, I nearly bit (thick clothes saved me). Raming's car wreck broke Maru's bone en route. Mega den entrance, ammo drought forced one retreat. We busted ass anyway. Seven? Eight hours later, safe house return.
"Haa... Great work, everyone. Today's grind was brutal... Who's left? The one? Sena, right?"
Maru floats it first, but nope—not me. Knocked out the first mega den relay.
"Not me. I got mine."
"Then who? I did too."
"Me! It's me!"
Raming pipes up.
"Raming's the last one, huh. Tomorrow she plants, more farming?"
"Sena nails it. More farm. Escape's a beast—gotta prep hard. Tomorrow relay, chill at house... day after, escape shot. Cool with y'all?"
"Yep."
"Me too."
This... feels like Maru's the captain. So cool! Wanna be that kinda badass leader. Epic.
"Anything else to add?"
"Hmm... Tomorrow meetup, song contest?"
"Song... contest...?"
Raming drops it, but this nagging "forgot something" vibe... Song contest? Hold on... Song contest...? Wait... song contest?!
"Aaaah!!!!!!!"
Hit me. That's why the 8:30 alarm bugged out... Forgot to check chat—collab mode, eyes off screen.
"Aaaah!!!! Right!!!! Everyone, YouTube up. Now!!!!"
"Why? What's up?"
"Huh?? Why???"
"Moteok YouTube, song time. Dropped today. Spaced hard. 8:30 release. Play it!!!!!!"
I fire up YouTube, straight to Moteok's channel. There! Found it.
"Why no heads-up! Moteok!! We listen together!!!"
"Ehehehe. How'd you know? I solo-watched post-collab. Touching, right?"
"Alarm at 8:30, brainfarted till now. Everyone play—we sing-along!"
"Huh?"
"Sing support! Moteok cover to 1 mil views... tall order, 100k then 10 mil. Let's gooo~!"
Total sincerity cheer.
"Ah~ Group watch. I'll share. Deco screen-share. React squad! I'll go hard on reacts."
Tension spiking at 3 a.m. Who knew I had this in me? News to me.
"My share. Together."
Deco share on, hit play. Moteok's pick kicks off bright and breezy. Sweet jam—like signaling new love's spark.
"Unnie's tone is insane. Love it."
"Nailed it... 10 mil locked. Facts."
All praise post-listen. But I'm thinking different. One taboo for girl streamers: the second it hits, sales and viewers halve. Scarier than no-jam streams or crimes—the thing that makes the loyal "broth" fans bail. Boyfriend.
Moteok covering this? Antis incoming. BF-dedicated track. Broth betrayal. Can't dodge the drama. I'll shield her.
"Moteok... got a BF? Song's all first-love butterflies and sweetness? Spill. Got. A. BF?"
"Huh? Random! No. Duh, single. What's that mean?"
"Thanks for clarifying. Phew, safe."
Whew—I got Moteok's back!