Chapter 473: Military Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 473: Military Life
Screeech.
The next morning.
Before I knew it, we had arrived in front of Choi Jin-ah’s apartment.
As I stood there blankly staring up at the building, Senior Ju-hee slowly rolled past on her bike.
“I’m going to go park. You go on in first.”
“We should go together.”
“……”
“If I go in alone, I’m a dead man.”
“……”
“We’re accomplices, aren’t we?”
“Accomplices…?”
Senior Ju-hee looked at me with an incredulous expression.
I felt a bit intimidated by the way she glared at me, but I couldn't back down now.
The moment I retreated, I’d be cornered like a witch at a stake and die inside that apartment.
If there was one difference, it was that while real witch hunts targeted innocent people, I actually was the 'witch' in this scenario.
“You enjoyed it too, Senior!”
With a look of sheer absurdity, Senior Ju-hee parked her bike and stood before me.
She planted her hands on her hips and glared at me, shifting her weight to one leg.
“What did I tell you yesterday?”
“‘Woo-jin, let’s rest for a bit. Or at least go a little gentler—’ Argh!”
She immediately caught my thigh with a low kick. Just like Yoo Ah-rin or Choi I-seo, it flew at me without warning.
However, unlike those two, it didn't hurt as much as I expected.
It seemed she found it difficult to control her strength.
“I told you clearly. I said we had to go because the girls were all waiting.”
“B-but you gave me permission, Senior.”
As I rubbed my thigh while answering, she pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a deep sigh.
“I did give permission. For exactly one hour. Because you kept begging and begging.”
“You were happy, though. I saw the corners of your mouth twitching up.”
“……”
“……”
A brief silence followed.
“Ahem. I clearly said let’s only do it for an hour.”
Since she couldn't refute me, she tried to circle back.
Seeing her cough and avoid my gaze, I figured I should push a bit harder.
“You enjoyed it too!”
“E-enjoyed?! I told you several times to stop—!”
“You enjoyed it too!”
“Even when I explained the girls were waiting—!”
“You enjoyed it too!”
“I said let’s just go and do it later—!”
“You enjoye— I’m sorry.”
She lost her patience and raised her fist, so I immediately bowed my head.
I thought she might indulge me if I played stubborn, but it seemed I only succeeded in stoking her temper.
“Sigh. Fine. Let’s just go together. Wait here while I park.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
And so, I headed inside with her. Just in case, I let her step through the front door first.
“He’s herrrrre!”
The reaction was better than expected.
Following behind Senior Ju-hee, I stepped inside to find Seo Ye-rin greeting me with a bright smile.
“Ye-rin!”
“Woo-jin-ah!”
As we were messing around, hugging each other, Oh Yun-ji suddenly cut in from the side.
“My turn, move!”
“Whoa!”
Seo Ye-rin was shoved aside.
Oh Yun-ji squeezed in, hugged me tight, and rubbed her face against mine.
“How long has it been, my husband!”
The nickname had reverted to the old one.
It was a bit awkward, but I hugged her back and stroked her hair regardless.
“Yeah, it really has been a long time.”
“Honestly, I was planning on scolding you so much. But now that I see you, my anger’s just melting away.”
Oh Yun-ji let out a dry laugh and hugged me even tighter.
I’d heard the company had been busy lately due to the call-out incident, and she clung to me as if seeking compensation for all her hard work.
“Where are the others?”
“They all had to leave because they’re busy. They waited to see you come back yesterday, but you never showed.”
“……”
“Seo Ye-rin and I barely managed to make time to be here.”
At that, Seo Ye-rin shouted from behind us.
“If you know that, then move! My manager nuna is coming in thirty minutes!”
“I have to leave soon too, you know?!”
Looking at them like this, I felt like the protagonist of a story who was insanely popular.
Well, I actually was insanely popular.
So, I gave them a fitting response.
“Girls, don’t fight. I only have one dick.”
“……”
“Ehehehe!”
Oh Yun-ji stared at me with an incredulous look while Seo Ye-rin giggled foolishly.
Oh Yun-ji tilted her head, her expression becoming complicated in many ways.
“He wasn't quite this much of a handful when we were dating.”
“That’s because I’m Super New Kim Woo-jin.”
“Did he get hit in the head really hard? Or was breaking up with me that much of a shock?”
“If you’re going to keep talking about the past, just stay an ex-girlfriend and get lost!”
Seo Ye-rin cut in again.
I smiled as I watched the two of them bicker.
“It’s okay. I took five days of leave this time.”
I’d spent one day with Senior Ju-hee, so only four days remained, but that was actually plenty.
“Nothing to worry about! Haha! We have plenty of time!”
* * *
“Sniff.”
“Hmph, this sucks.”
What is this?
“Sigh, why is it like this?”
“It can’t be helped.”
What just happened?
“Woo-jin, be careful. Don’t overwork yourself, okay?”
Choi Jin-ah’s house.
In front of the entrance.
I stared blankly down at Choi I-seo as she saw me off and asked, “What is this situation right now? I just got here. Why are you trying to send me away?”
“What kind of roleplay is this?”
Yoo Ah-rin answered while sniffing her nose.
Roleplay? I was being serious.
“No, I literally just got here. Why am I already heading back? I used five days of leave.”
“…Woo-jin, you had a very productive five days.”
“A very productive sex-filled five days!”
I flared up at Choi I-seo and Seo Ye-rin’s answers.
“Don’t lie to me! I just arrived! This—this is a conspiracy! There’s no way my leave passed this quickly!”
It literally felt like the blink of an eye.
To think I had to go back already—this was just wrong.
But no matter how much I shouted…
Reality didn't change.
I knew it too.
How could I forget how much fun I’d had over the past five days?
But now that it was time to return, I felt like I was having a mental breakdown.
“Let’s go, Woo-jin.”
I followed Senior Ju-hee out, as she was going to drop me back off on her bike.
And so, I ended my five-day leave—which felt both long and short—and returned to my unit.
* * *
June.
The seniors who were Sergeants were discharged, and new juniors arrived.
“PFC Kim Woo-jin, how should I handle this?”
“Sigh, the seniors who got discharged left it like this. I knew this would happen when they started half-assing things just because they were leaving.”
July.
— Woo-jin, I’m pregnant.
— That’s a li—!
“Your stomach is just sticking out because you ate too much. Go on a diet.”
— Gotcha… Woo-jin, you really have a talent for making people feel bad.
August.
“Leave! Leave! You son of a bitch! I was wondering when you’d finally come out!”
“Yay! Leave! Woo-jin’s on leave!”
“Hooray! Hooray!”
Yoo Ah-rin, Seo Ye-rin, and Choi Jin-ah circled around me, throwing confetti they’d found from who-knows-where.
September.
“It’s fine as long as the girls don’t find out.”
“You really have to act well. If they find out I snuck out for an overnight stay, I’m dead.”
At my words, Choi I-seo puffed out her cheeks.
“It’s because I didn't get to see you during your last leave.”
We laughed together as we clinked our beer cans. Then, Choi I-seo asked seriously, “My professor asked me what I thought about becoming a grad student.”
“I know a grad student. Should I give them a call?”
It had been a while since I’d called Anonymous 90.
In other words, I called Lee Eun-woo.
— Don’t do iiiiit! Don’t do itttttt!
“……”
“……”
October.
“Corporal Kim Woo-jin! Congratulations on your promotion!”
“Congratulations on becoming a Special Class Warrior!”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve evolved into Corporal Kim. I’m getting rid of these tacky PFC patches.”
November.
“No, SFC Im In-ho. Is this right? I have duty today, night guard tomorrow, and duty again the day after. Duty-Guard-Duty. This is basically military absurdity!”
“What can you do? The country has a low birth rate, so there are no soldiers. Just deal with it.”
“Ah, I’m seriously pissed. I’m going to have to do something about this low birth rate myself.”
“How the hell are you going to stop the low birth rate, you idiot?”
“Just you wait. I’m going to have at least fifteen kids.”
“Pfft! Look at this guy acting tough just because he’s a chaebol. Hey, should we sneakily order some pig’s trotters behind the Duty Officer’s back? I’m on duty today too.”
“You were the Duty Assistant Instructor? I’ll eat well!”
“If you’re a chaebol, you’re paying.”
“I only get paid 800,000 won a month.”
“800,000 won? Wow, back in my day—!”
December.
— The winner of the Newcomer Award is… Seo Ye-rin! Congratulations!
“She’s so damn pretty.”
“Whoa, what the. How can she be that beautiful?”
“I think she’s a literal goddess. Did someone find the winged clothes she dropped?”
I found them.
My shoulders squared with pride.
— Yes, this is so moving. Honestly, I never even imagined receiving an award like this, so I’m at a loss for words.
Look at that script.
She definitely practiced that multiple times.
— Before I mention the people I’m grateful for, I have a confession to make… Ah-rin, I-seo. I actually ate the cake you guys hid.
“She’s even got a sense of humor.”
“I’m telling you, she’s got wit.”
Laughter echoed through the TV.
Watching Seo Ye-rin from inside the container barracks, she felt like an unreachable being.
But after thanking everyone one by one, Seo Ye-rin gave a bright smile and shouted:
— And finally! To my man who’s working hard to protect the country! Hang in there! Fighting! Let’s get married when you get back!
“……Crazy.”
January.
“Ugh, it’s so cooooold! I’m going to freeze to death! Why do we even do cold weather training?! Is it to see if soldiers can freeze to death?!”
“At least you only have to do it once. This is my second time. Ugh, so annoying.”
“Sgt Jeong Su-min, aren't you getting discharged soon?”
“Hey, I still have a long way to go.”
“Sigh… I’m out in July.”
“Tsk, I guess that’s a bit better in comparison.”
February.
“First time I’ve seen one of my peers go to military prison.”
“Sigh, no, Woo-jin. I’m seriously being wronged here. If you go to military prison just for scolding someone because they’re bad at their job, how are you supposed to teach the juniors?”
“Look at this guy flapping his gums. I heard you used foul language and hit him while giving him punishment drills.”
“……”
“And you made the new recruits do night guard duty? You dumbass, grow up.”
“I’m going to write a report about you for using profanity.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit.”
March.
“No, Company Commander! This is unfair!”
“Sigh, Woo-jin. I know you’re a good soldier. But even so, how can you mock someone who’s going to military prison?”
“He was insulting his squad members even as he was being taken away! I did it with the heart of the Dark Knight, hoping he’d grow up—!”
April.
“Congratulations on your promotion, Sgt Kim!”
“Whoa! Sgt Kim Woo-jin! There’s really not much left until discharge now!”
“I’m not even happy. These two idiots I know who already got discharged call me every single day. They’re worse than a girlfriend, those bastards.”
“When are we ever going to get dischar— Ah, cold.”
“Huh? What’s this?”
“……Is it snowing right now?”
“Snow in April—?!”
May.
“I-seo, what did you say you wanted from the PX? Never mind, just organize it and send it via Tok.”
— Got it. When did you say you were coming out?
“Mid-July. I took leave so often that my final leave is a bit short. Well, it can’t be helped.”
— July. It’s really just a little longer now.
“I’m going to grow my hair out. I’m going to grit my teeth and endure.”
— You don’t really have to go that far.
“No, I hate it. Oh Yun-ji and Yoo Ah-rin keep teasing me for having a buzz cut. Last time, Seo Ye-rin touched my balls and teased me, saying she thought it was my head.”
— Pfft.
“Sigh, I miss I-seo—.”
— Hmm? What’s wrong?
“I-seo, sorry. Something urgent came up. I’ll call you later.”
— Oh? Okay, I understand. Be careful!
Click.
“Sgt Kim Woo-jinnnnnn! It’s snowing! Snow!”
“I can see it! Ah, fuck! Why is it snowing in May—?!”
June.
— I heard from the girls.
“……”
— I heard there are three more besides the three I knew?
“Mom, it’s not like that—”
— You are coming straight home during your final leave. No, your big hyung will have someone waiting in front of the base.
“……”
— I’m going to test just how well this country has trained you.
“……”
— Let’s see how they spent my tax money on you.
July.
— Hey, Woo-jin. We’re discharged.
— Woo-jin, how does it feel? How does it feel to be the last one left?
— Should we come visit you? Hmm?
“You bastards. I’m getting out soon too, okay?”
— Woo-jin, if you have even one day left, that’s not 'soon.'
— One day is 24 hours.
— 1,440 minutes.
— 86,400 seconds.
“You guys are like the Androgynous Witches. Look at you, matching your lines. Jeong Chan-woo is gay, so I guess it fits.”
Time passed.
And more time passed.
Finally, July 26th.
The day of Kim Woo-jin’s discharge, which felt like it would never come, had finally arrived.