Chapter 596: Remaining People
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 596: Remaining People
'Ugh, what is this?'
I’d just come back from barely finishing target practice in the pouring rain, huddled under a poncho, only to be greeted by a Bamboo Forest that had completely gone to hell.
I wondered what the managers were even doing, but then again, it’s not like they get paid to manage the place.
Even though I held the highest position as the Administrator, I couldn't exactly force them to work.
Anyway, it was good that I managed to charge my phone, but it didn't look like I’d be able to keep it plugged in for long.
I’d heard that units these days have a power outlet for every single bunk.
But apparently, the facilities here were so outdated that they just tossed us a single power strip and told everyone to share.
'Man, is there nothing to do while this charges?'
I glanced around.
Everyone was lying in their spots, glued to their phones.
Since no one here was particularly close, it was a natural sight.
'God, I’m so bored.'
With nothing to pass the time, I closed my eyes, planning to just catch some sleep on the bunk.
Dinner would be served soon.
They said there was training after dinner, but I figured I could at least keep my phone charging until then.
'Sigh, they really should make phones better.'
Is it right for a battery made by Uju Group to drain this fast?
As I grumbled to myself, wondering what tonight’s side dishes would be, a Private First Class walked in and cautiously made an announcement.
"Um, excuse me, Reservist seniors. The night guard duty schedule has been posted on the bulletin board. I’d appreciate it if you could check it."
People sat up abruptly as if a spark had landed on them.
"Huh? We have to do night guard duty too?"
"I didn't have to do it the last time I came."
"Ah, what the..."
As the reservists grumbled, the Private, looking apologetic, timely handed out some snacks provided as rations.
It seemed he’d been hoarding them specifically to give out while delivering this news.
"I'm sorry. The Battalion Commander is very uncompromising about these things, so he insists that you must do it."
Sighs erupted from all over the room.
There was plenty they wanted to say, but there was no point in taking it out on a mere Private.
Besides, everyone there knew from their own military service that the Private was just the messenger.
They just accepted it and moved on.
That was just how military life was.
*
"In that memorieeeee-!"
The living room.
Seo Ye-rin’s humming echoed through the space.
She wasn't exactly a world-class singer, but her beauty seemed to act as a sort of filter.
Strangely, Ye-rin had the ability to make it seem like she was a great singer just by looking at her.
"That past looooove-!"
"Why are you singing a song meant for guys?"
Yoo Ah-rin, who had been listening nearby, grumbled. She wondered why she was singing at such a late hour.
Ye-rin sniffled, stopped singing, and replied.
"I miss Woo-jini."
"It’s only been one day, Ye-rin."
Choi I-seo, who was reading a literary novel in its original language, let out a sigh.
The fact that I-seo herself was still awake at this hour reading a book was proof enough that she missed him too, but she was doing a good job of hiding it.
Just then, Choi Jin-ah and Min Ju-hee walked in through the balcony.
"Haa! Haa! Seriously! I think I’m gonna die!"
The two had been exercising until just now. It was because of Min Ju-hee’s suggestion that they should lose weight since Kim Woo-jin was probably training hard and exercising intensely himself.
In reality, people don't exercise much during reserve training, but she didn't know much about the military.
The two headed off to bathe together.
At that moment, Oh Yun-ji, who had just finished her bath, stepped out. Drying her wet hair with a towel, she sat on the sofa and immediately grabbed the remote.
"Oh, right."
She stood back up, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and settled into her spot.
Tshhh!
"Now this is healing."
Watching her chug the beer, the other three felt a strange mix of emotions.
"Was today rough?"
"Rough? Every day is rough. You know those kids who came from Japan? Taking care of them makes me feel like I’ve literally become their mother."
"I actually am a mother!"
"...Right, you are."
Despite saying it was hard, a satisfied smile played on Oh Yun-ji’s lips.
"Still, you know, it’s rewarding. The kids are starting to find their place."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"It gives me a sense of pride. Aren't you guys the same?"
The three couldn't answer.
In truth, raising children felt more like a struggle than a reward at this stage.
The kids were still so young; where was the "reward" in that yet?
The three of them were feeling a bit envious of Oh Yun-ji right now.
Finishing her work for the day and feeling satisfied while drinking a cold can of beer—it was something the three of them, who had been stuck at home looking after the kids, envied.
"Should I have a beer too?"
At Ye-rin’s murmur, the other two nodded.
"Come to think of it, since Kim Woo-jin isn't here for once, can't we just talk amongst ourselves? Without having to worry about what he thinks?!"
Yoo Ah-rin jumped up, suddenly excited. At those words, Choi I-seo tilted her head and asked.
"Did you ever worry about what he thought before?"
"..."
Since she couldn't deny it, she pretended not to hear.
"Let's order chicken! Chicken!"
What started as just a can of beer suddenly escalated. Oh Yun-ji welcomed the idea.
"Hell yeah. Let's get something spicy too. Something with broth."
"Your face is going to be bloated tomorrow if you do that, Yun-ji."
"Who cares? I'm the boss."
As the atmosphere suddenly turned into a party, the women got excited.
Since the fridge was already stocked with beer, they didn't need to go out to buy any.
All they had to do was order the delivery food.
Yoo Ah-rin went to get the beers, and Seo Ye-rin scrolled through her phone, debating what to order.
"Hooo, then should we watch something fun?"
At Choi I-seo’s suggestion, Oh Yun-ji hummed and immediately turned on the OTT service.
"I heard something interesting came out on Netflix. What was it called?"
"Ah, I think I remember the name."
The two high school classmates chatted naturally as they turned on the TV.
At the very top of the Netflix screen...
The first item in the "Continue Watching" list was Fifty Shades of Grey, a movie quite famous in certain circles.
In fact, since parts 1, 2, and 3 were all lined up, it seemed someone had thoroughly enjoyed the entire series.
"...Could this be Kim Woo-jin?"
"It might be Ye-rin."
They were adults, after all; it wasn't weird to watch it.
Just as the two were about to let it slide...
"It's not me."
Seo Ye-rin, who had been picking out delivery food on her phone, chimed in from the side.
They thought she wasn't listening because she was so focused, but she had caught that perfectly.
"Are you sure? Now that I think about it, I don't think Kim Woo-jin would have watched this."
At I-seo’s words, Ye-rin looked indignant.
"It's really not me. If it were me, I would've just watched porn. I don't watch bland stuff like that."
"...That's exactly why I thought Kim Woo-jin wouldn't have watched it either."
If it were those two, they wouldn't bother with a movie like that; they would have just watched hardcore porn.
Then who watched it?
Well, someone must have watched it for it to be in the viewing history.
The two who had been washing up joined in, and the atmosphere naturally grew lively.
"Yessssss!"
Choi Jin-ah was overjoyed at the mention of a late-night snack party after her shower.
"...Good grief."
Min Ju-hee, standing beside her, gave her permission, saying it was just for today.
"What did you order?"
At Yoo Ah-rin’s question as she cracked open a beer, Seo Ye-rin answered promptly.
"Chicken, spicy braised chicken with broth, and a french fry set!"
"Look at that glorious menu."
"There are six of us! It’s only right to order that much! The menu selection is great!"
"Hehe."
Ye-rin felt pointlessly proud of Jin-ah’s pointless praise.
Anyway, as they were pressing the remote, debating what to watch on Netflix...
The living room suddenly went quiet.
"...Tsk."
At the sound of someone clicking their tongue, everyone had the same thought.
"It's definitely noisy... but it feels quiet."
No one knew who said it first, but everyone agreed.
"Ugh, when is he coming back? He only left today, so why does it feel so empty?"
At Ah-rin’s grumbling, Choi Jin-ah, sitting next to her, licked her lips.
"Woo-jin likes spicy braised chicken too. Should we save some for him?"
"He still has two days left. Let's just order him a fresh one when he gets back."
"It feels like something's missing."
"Ha, it's only been three days. Compared to that, the breakup I went through... the pain I, Oh Yun-ji, had to endure—!"
"What are you talking about?"
"...It's some meme."
"I'm pretty sure that's a really old meme."
Even as they talked about this and that, everyone’s thoughts eventually led to the same place.
The void left by Kim Woo-jin was larger than they had expected.
Since he’d rarely been away from them since his discharge from the military, being apart like this after so long made his absence feel even more pronounced.
Just then.
Vibrate!
A phone buzzed.
"Ah, it's Woo-jini!"
Kim Woo-jin had sent a message to the family group chat.
The women grinned at the messages.
"Everyone, gather around. Let's take a picture and send it to him."
At Choi I-seo’s suggestion, they all huddled together, holding up the food, and snapped a photo.
Click!