Chapter 458: A Feeling Hard to Express in Words
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 458: A Feeling Hard to Express in Words
Bzzzzzzzzzzzz!
It was a sound I’d heard plenty of times at the hair salon.
But right now, it sounded so violently loud that it made my heart race with dread.
“Woo-jin, are you ready?”
Seo Ye-rin asked, holding the hair clippers.
Through the mirror, I could see the sheer determination etched onto her face.
“I... I think so?”
When I answered with a trembling voice, Ye-rin’s expression darkened.
“Do you need more time?”
It was a considerate question, but I wondered if more time would actually make this any easier.
It was already the end of January.
Tomorrow, I would be enlisting in the training center.
That meant I had to shave my head.
Rather than going to a salon, we decided to just get a pair of clippers and do it at home.
These days, there are plenty of tutorials on Neutube showing you how to use them.
“Phew. Okay, I’ll keep my eyes closed, so just go for it. I think that’ll be better.”
“...Can you handle the shock? The 'you' with your eyes closed and the 'you' when you open them will be two completely different people.”
“Hey, come on.”
Hearing her say that just made me scared all over again. Maybe it was because I hadn't had my hair this short since the day I was born.
Or maybe it was because the reality of enlistment was finally sinking in.
Whatever it was, I was scared out of my mind.
“I can’t watch this.”
Yoo Ah-rin suddenly bolted out of the bathroom.
Seeing her cover her face with both hands, it looked like she was about to burst into tears again.
“Sigh.”
Choi I-seo, who was in the bathroom with us, let out a sigh and patted my shoulder.
“I don’t even know how to comfort you.”
“You’re here with me. That’s enough.”
When I gave her a bitter smile, I-seo let out a small, weak laugh.
“Woo-jin, should I just shave mine too?!”
Vroom!
Suddenly, Seo Ye-rin tried to bring the clippers to her own head.
I hurriedly stopped her.
“Hey! Hey! Why would you shave yours?!”
“But seeing you go through this... I felt like I should do something with you.”
“You’re an actress. Your break is over and you’re about to start a new project. What are you talking about?”
“Sniff.”
Ye-rin, who had been taking a break from work because of me, was about to get incredibly busy again. I suppose all the time she’d cleared out for me was coming back to haunt her schedule.
“Is... is it all gone?”
Yoo Ah-rin peeked her head back into the bathroom.
Seeing that my hair was still intact, she let out a sigh of relief and stepped back inside. Her eyes were red; she’d clearly been crying.
“Ugh, damn it. I feel so strangely helpless.”
‘Ah.’
Seeing Ah-rin like that actually helped me steel my resolve.
How helpless must they feel, being unable to do anything for me in this situation?
In times like this, the only thing I could do was...
“Ye-rin, I’m ready.”
Show them some confidence.
“R-really?”
“Yeah. Shave it.”
I had to show them they didn't need to worry.
That I’d do just fine.
So they didn't need to be so sad.
“...”
“...”
I’d already made enough of a fuss.
But even now, I wanted to show them. I wanted to show them that I would overcome this.
Bzzzzzzzzzz!
Clumps of hair began to fall.
The hair I’d let grow out since I knew I’d have to shave it anyway vanished in an instant.
“Sniff.”
When Choi I-seo saw Ye-rin’s eyes redden and her hands begin to shake as she shaved, she took the clippers from her.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
I-seo gave me a calm, reassuring smile. Her touch was incredibly gentle, and she shaved my head at a steady, deliberate pace.
By then, Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin were already sobbing, turning their heads away or covering their faces with their hands.
“You look great, Woo-jin. Really great.”
With tearful eyes, I-seo kept whispering those words to me.
After the shaving was done.
The person in the mirror looked like a stranger.
Looking at my reflection, only one thought crossed my mind.
‘Ah, fuck. I should’ve had sex one last time before shaving.’
If I tried to do it like this, I’d probably just feel self-conscious the whole time.
* * *
The next day.
For breakfast, I ate a meal prepared by Oh Yun-ji and Choi I-seo.
I loved their cooking, of course, but it also felt symbolic.
Surprisingly, the girls actually liked the short hair.
They might have just been trying to make me feel better, but it did lift my spirits a little.
“Whoa.”
Yoo Ah-rin, who had been wailing just yesterday, was now busy rubbing my head with her palm, treating it like a toy.
“This buzz cut is kind of addictive, isn't it?”
“You want to die? Let go.”
We were in the car on the way to the training center.
Since there were seven of us, we needed a large vehicle, so Yun-ji was driving a company car.
“You look like a little Choco Ball. Woo-jin, can I take a bite?”
“Then I’m biting you back.”
“Where? My chest? Should I take off my bra?”
There’s always someone crazier than you.
I leaned my head toward Seo Ye-rin.
“Bite me.”
When I added that she should take off her bra too, Ah-rin immediately smacked the back of my head.
“Ugh, you idiot. Seriously. After all that you did yesterday.”
“...That’s different from this.”
I pouted, rubbing the back of my head.
I’d had a feeling things would turn out like this the moment I sat between Yoo Ah-rin and Seo Ye-rin, and sure enough, it did.
“There’s a drive-thru up ahead. Let’s stop there,” Choi Jin-ah suggested from the passenger seat, looking at a map on her phone.
Normally, everyone would have refused, asking who eats a hamburger right after breakfast, but...
“Sure, let’s go,” Oh Yun-ji agreed.
“Woo-jin, you pick. Pick whatever you want.”
Choi I-seo, sitting in the row in front of us, had already pulled up the menu on her phone and held it out for me to choose.
“I’m kind of full, though.”
When I told her I hadn't finished digesting breakfast, I-seo shook her head.
“Eat anyway. They say you’ll crave it once you’re inside.”
“I’m just glad Woo-jin doesn't smoke like I do. I heard forced abstinence for a month is brutal,” Senior Ju-hee added.
She was right. Han-gang and Pyo Jin-ho had complained constantly about how badly they wanted a cigarette.
‘A burger and a coke, huh?’
Since I wouldn't be able to eat them once I was in, I followed I-seo’s advice and started picking out a menu item.
* * *
The area around the training center was lined with more restaurants than I had expected.
Most served Korean food, but they were selling things like bone hangover soup and pork belly—things I wouldn't be able to eat once I went through those gates.
“Woo-jin, eat some more.”
“Are you trying to make me bulk up or something? I’m about to burst.”
I frowned at Choi I-seo’s suggestion.
I’d had breakfast and a full burger meal on the way here. What else was I supposed to eat?
“I think I can skip lunch.”
I-seo shook her head firmly.
“No. You have to eat. People say you’ll regret it if you don't.”
“She’s right! That’s why I fasted yesterday so I could eat with you today!”
So that’s why Choi Jin-ah hadn't eaten yesterday and was eating so aggressively today.
“It’s true. Popo got advice from veterans on her broadcast, and they said to eat until you’re about to explode before you go in.”
Even Oh Yun-ji joined in on the pressure. It was getting a little scary. I was worried I might throw up once I got inside.
“...”
I glanced around. Most of the men there were wearing hats.
Some were with family, some with girlfriends, some with friends, and some were alone.
They were a diverse group, but they all shared the same expression.
‘I probably look the same.’
The only difference was that I was here with six women. And since every single one of them was eye-catchingly beautiful, we were drawing quite a lot of attention.
In particular, people occasionally recognized Seo Ye-rin the actress, Choi Jin-ah the violinist, and Yoo Ah-rin the Neutuber.
“Whoa, look over there.”
“What is that?”
“That’s insane.”
On the flip side, because there were so many women, people seemed to assume they were just friends seeing a buddy off rather than all of them being my girlfriends.
‘Well, who would ever think I’m dating all of them?’
If you act natural, people just accept it.
Anyway.
“Fine, let’s eat. Let’s do this.”
With a sigh, I nodded and stepped into the restaurant.
* * *
The phone call with my parents was brief.
My mom’s voice trembled slightly, even as she said she wasn't worried because she knew I’d do well wherever I went.
My father was blunt as always, but he offered his own form of encouragement.
My older brothers had said they wanted to come, but I turned them down.
It’s going to be nothing but men once I get in there anyway.
I told them I’d rather spend the time with the girls, and they just said their goodbyes.
And so.
Amidst the crowd of people seeing off the new recruits...
“Waaaaah! Woo-jinaaaa!”
“Sniff, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Dammit! If anyone picks on you, tell me! Make sure you call!”
They were all crying.
“I’ll wait for you. Trust me this time.”
“I’ll look after the girls while you’re gone, so hang in there.”
“F-f-fightiing! Woo-jjin-a! Hang in there, Woo-jjin-a!”
They saw me off.
Not wanting to make them worry more, I gave them a bright smile and waved.
“I’ll be back!”
* * *
Pa-pa-pa-pam! Pa-pa-pa-pa-ra-pa! Pa-pa-pam!
“...”
Day two of enlistment.
The sound of a bugle, like a car horn.
The smell of something musty, blankets that made my skin itch, a mattress with questionable cushioning, and the stale air of old lockers.
“Alright, wake up! 1st Company, wake uuuuup!”
An assistant instructor wearing a red hat woke us up roughly.
“...”
Just yesterday, Yun-ji was waking me up with kisses. Ye-rin was taking care of my morning wood.
“Ha... fuck.”
“Ah...”
“This sucks.”
Hearing the murmurs of my fellow recruits around me...
“Is this for real?”
I joined them, feeling like I was about to cry.