Prologue
“Ha, fuck this army...”
A sigh escaped me unbidden.
It had been a solid seven years rotting away in the military.
At first, the army had seemed like pure hell, but in the end, I'd become a pitiful soul discarded by the Republic of Korea Army.
“Company commander, sir, don't you think you've had a bit too much?”
“Hey, hey. I'm fine. I'll be out of uniform soon anyway. Hell, I got demoted just to boost your sales.”
Even thinking back on it now choked me up.
All because of that goddamn tuition.
When I'd gotten into Korea University as a kid, it felt like I owned the world.
I thought the saying “a dragon rises from a puddle” existed just for me.
But the joy was short-lived. Once I learned about enrollment and the tuition I'd have to pay the university, I wanted to tear my hair out.
And then I heard the devil's whisper.
'Become a military scholarship student, and you won't end up in debt!'
If I had a time machine, I'd beat the shit out of my past self for thinking that was a smart choice.
My family was already struggling enough back then—the thought of a massive negative bank balance waiting four years down the line was horrifying in itself.
So here I was, wrapping up seven years of military service while my friends had long since entered society.
“Man, I was definitely just counting down the days to discharge. Why does it feel so shitty?”
“Still, you graduated from a good school. Surely you'll find a job, right?”
“Yeah. My classmates from the unit are all saying they're dying out there. I was gonna plant my flag and hold out, but it all went to hell.”
They say the truly unlucky break their nose falling backward.
I couldn't overlook the injustices, couldn't hold my tongue when I should have, and refused to bow to group pressure.
So I got kicked out.
What the hell was I supposed to do out there?
Should I have just pretended not to see and kept my head down?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, my breath caught, and I shot up from my seat.
“Gonna step out for a smoke. Don't clear my stuff.”
“Yes, sir!”
I wandered out of the Chungseong Hall and lit a cigarette.
The army really taught you all the good stuff. Binge drinking, smoking, joints, even shit-duty—you learned it all here.
As I strolled along openly, like I owned the place, I soon reached the soldier apartments next to the hall.
The soldier apartments, reserved for the chosen elite.
To me, the resident ghost of the base BOQ, those apartments were a demon's lair that might suddenly spawn a quest from some pompous brass starting with “Well, well, perfect timing.”
But now, on the verge of discharge, that shit didn't scare me at all. With the booze fueling me, I felt an unfounded confidence to puff nicotine fog right in the face of a colonel or a star.
In the parking lot, some balding guys were playing with a ball, a little kid was sprinting around with squeaky shoes, ignoring his mom way off in the distance, and across the way, a beat-up Retona was barreling toward me at speed.
As I gazed at this peaceful scene and brought the lighter to my cigarette—
“Fuck!”
Something was wrong with the Retona.
In that split second, I tossed the cigarette without thinking and bolted toward the kid.
“Car! Stop the car!”
Screeeeech!
“Gah, guh—”
What...?
My body suddenly wouldn't obey.
A horrific dizziness and weakness flooded me.
My head spun, and I pitched forward—
With a sickening impact, a dark sky exploded into view.
Ah. I got hit by the car.
Rough hands scooped up the tossed kid, who was bawling.
The Retona that hit me had somehow smashed into a wall.
And my consciousness faded.
That was the end of my life.
Fuck.
Would they even count this as dying for the country?
Doubt it. The thought made everything feel so goddamn unfair.
If I was gonna die like this, why the hell had I lived like such a straight-laced idiot?
I should've climbed higher,
all the way to the top—then at least I wouldn't feel this regret!
That was my final regret in this life.