Chapter 459: Those Who Left, Those Who Stayed(1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 459: Those Who Left, Those Who Stayed(1)
How could the world change this much in just a single day?
Life is a strange thing.
I knew this wasn't an experience one came by easily, but if someone asked if I actually wanted to experience it, the answer was a hard no.
'Ah, dammit.'
It was my first time doing something called "morning roll call."
Shivering in the crisp dawn air while doing calisthenics, surrounded by hundreds of guys in the exact same position, felt incredibly surreal.
Immediately after, we headed for breakfast.
It felt odd to be eating off a metal tray again after so long, and the menu itself felt like a throwback to school lunches.
But the taste was... ambiguous.
'What even is this flavor?'
I think I finally understood why people call military food "jjam."
It’s hard to describe, but the word "slop" just seemed to fit perfectly.
'It’s exactly like I-seo said.'
She told me that once I went in, I’d desperately miss the food from the outside world.
Surprisingly, I could already see myself craving outside food if I had to keep eating this.
From the moment we woke up for roll call until we finished breakfast, no one around me said a word.
Everyone maintained a heavy silence, wearing the same blank expressions, and I followed suit.
'I think they said we’re doing personality and aptitude tests today.'
At least today should be relatively chill.
Or so I thought.
* * *
"Everyone, hit the deeeeck!"
Shit.
Breakfast had barely settled when we were ordered to drop in the barracks.
While some trainees dropped without even knowing why, those who had witnessed the cause glared at the culprit through gritted teeth.
For the record, I was one of the witnesses.
"1st Company! Where do you think you are right now?!"
"The, the training center, sir!"
"I can't hear you! Louder! Where are you?!"
"The training center, sir!"
"You are here to train as soldiers! Even if you haven't washed off the civilian stench yet, you should at least know where to draw the line!"
"Yes, sir!"
We shouted as one.
Is this what they call "comradery"?
It already sucks.
"A post-meal smoke? Are you kidding me?! Do I look like a guy who hands out lighters?! Did you come here on a field trip?!"
"No, sir!"
That’s right.
Some absolute morons decided they wanted a "post-meal smoke" after breakfast before the training session started.
They actually went up to the instructor and asked if they could borrow a lighter.
If it had ended there, it would have been bad enough.
'That son of a bitch. He actually believed those internet rumors.'
I was stunned that someone actually believed the bullshit online claim that you can borrow cigarettes and lighters from instructors and just "pay them back" on graduation day.
Is this guy really the one who’s supposed to help me defend the country?
"Trainee Number 11, stand up."
"S-Standing up!"
That was him. The guy who believed the internet rumors.
"Trainee 11, did you come here to play?"
"N-No, sir!"
"No? What did I tell you yesterday! Is that how a soldier speaks?!"
"N-No, it is not, sir!"
"Trainees are a community bound by fate. If one individual screws up, the entire group has no choice but to receive punishment drills together. Do you understand?!"
"I, I understand, siiiir!"
"Don't trail off your sentences!"
"I understand!"
"Recover. 1st Company, stand up!"
"Standing up!"
Everyone scrambled to their feet.
Some guys had faces turned bright red; they clearly hadn't exercised much back in the civilian world.
'This must be hell for them.'
As expected of Choi I-seo.
You’re the best for forcing me to work out, no matter how much I complained.
I miss her even more today. Even though it’s only been a day since we parted.
"From now on, we will move to receive PCR tests and military etiquette training. Trainees will wait in silence."
The instructor left.
Trainee 11 and the others who had wanted their post-meal smoke slunk back to their spots with sheepish expressions.
'Haa, please.'
Hoping they’d finally come to their senses, I peeked into my locker.
I pulled out the photos of the girls I had kept there.
'Absolutely no lewd photos! I don't want other people seeing that kind of stuff!'
Choi I-seo had firmly rejected my request for anything spicy, and I had nodded, agreeing she was right.
It would be a disaster if someone else saw them.
So, I only had a few selfies of the girls and some photos we took together.
'Ah, I'm already done looking at them.'
I flipped through them one by one, but it went by way too fast.
I thought I had brought plenty, but now that I was actually here, I regretted not bringing more.
Just then.
"Haa, fuck."
An irritated voice drifted over from across the room.
"Smoking? Seriously? If you're gonna be brainless, do it on your own. Don't drag everyone else down with you, shit."
Trainee 11, stung by the comment, jumped up and shouted.
"What did you just say?!"
Ah, we’re screwed.
"What."
The one who had cursed first was Trainee 21. With tattoos on his body and a rugged build, he gave off a distinct "gangster" vibe.
"We all suffered because of you."
"Hey, I didn't know, okay?"
As the two started bickering, other trainees surprisingly began to chime in.
"Don't fight."
"We're just gonna get in trouble again."
"Let's just drop it."
The surrounding trainees tried to stop them, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, but the two were getting more heated by the second.
"2nd Company, hit the deeeeeeeeck!"
The sound of the 2nd Company getting punished echoed from a distance. Everyone immediately shut their mouths and sat back down.
* * *
"Mmm, nice."
Choi Jin-ah woke up in her bed, greeting the morning with a refreshed feeling.
She hummed to herself while brewing a cup of morning coffee.
Usually, in dramas, this is the part where the lead asks, 'Woo-jin, would you like some coffee?'
"I'm not that much of a fool."
Jin-ah enjoyed a simple morning brunch while sipping her coffee.
It was a silence she hadn't experienced in a long time.
As a classical musician, she used to have more than enough of this kind of time.
But because things had been so noisy lately, this silence felt awkward instead.
Since the orchestra had a separate practice and meeting scheduled for today, Jin-ah busied herself with washing up and changing clothes.
"…You left this behind."
A pair of panties sat in the corner of the closet.
Judging by the size and style, they were Kim Woo-jin's.
It was likely physical evidence of someone ambushing him here.
She felt like she could almost catch a faint, erotic scent from them.
"Haa."
Picking up the underwear with two fingers like they were pincers, Jin-ah carried them to the washing machine.
She felt a bit of resistance at the thought of washing them with her own clothes, but she couldn't just leave them there.
"When am I supposed to give these back?"
Sighing, Jin-ah resumed her preparations.
Standing in front of the shower, a memory suddenly surfaced.
'Are you kidding?! What do you mean, wash together?!'
'Well, what do you want me to do! I'm sticky as hell too!'
'There are other bathrooms!'
'The kids are using them! Besides, you're the one who sprayed everywhere, so why is it my fault I need a wash?'
'S-Sprayed?! Watch your mouth! Watch your language! That is so vulgar—!'
'Vulgar? You calling me vulgar? You want to see what real vulgarity looks like?'
'W-Wait. Woo-jin? Woo-jjin-a? What if I apologize right now—!'
"Pfft."
Jin-ah burst into laughter despite herself.
After her first time, they had stayed in this house together for a while.
During that time, she had been able to experience all sorts of things in her own way.
"…I shouldn't be like this."
Jin-ah tried to deceive herself, blaming the heat of the water for the way her body was warming up.
After finishing her shower and getting ready, she took a quick look around the house before heading to the front door.
The house was empty.
"Was this place always this big?"
She wondered why it felt so spacious all of a sudden, and then it hit her.
"Ah."
She realized she had been talking to herself all morning—something she never usually did—and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
"…."
There were words on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say them.
She had discovered her loneliness but chose to pretend she hadn't.
And so, alone, Choi Jin-ah stepped outside to go about her daily life.
* * *
Yoo Ah-rin suddenly sent a photo of her breakfast to the group chat with the four of them.
Choi I-seo, who had been out for an early morning jog, let out a hollow laugh when she saw it.
The truth was, the reason I-seo had woken up at dawn was similar to Ah-rin's.
And because being alone made her overthink, she had no choice but to come out and exercise.
I-seo had no intention of revealing that, though.
That was possible.
Seo Ye-rin had said she would be extremely busy for a while.
It was a shame, but she had to catch up on all the work she had pushed aside.
She hadn't looked for a job because she wanted to spend time with Kim Woo-jin.
She could look for one now, but with only about a month left until the new semester, the duration was tricky.
Well, she had already done more than enough studying for her certifications.
She decided to join in, thinking she might as well help Ah-rin out.
And so.
Everyone on the outside was doing their best to ignore the lump in their chests.
The lump called loneliness.
They were all living their daily lives as hard as they could.