What? A Soldier Pointing at an Officer?
What the hell? A soldier pointing at an officer?
The one thing filling my head on the road to Busan was Munjong, that fucking bastard.
The road connecting Jeongeup and Jeonju was mostly flat plains. But the path from Jeongeup to Busan-jin? Not even close. This goddamn Taebaek Mountains. That shitty Sobaek Mountains. And the fucking Jirisan. Now I finally understood what a huge stroke of luck it was to live in Jeolla-do, where the flatlands dominated.
“Haa, fuck. This sucks.”
Even seeing the Busan-jin castle gate with its signboard, all that came out was curses. The ten-day-plus-one grueling march had been pure hell. If all I did from dawn to dusk was walk, that was a lucky day. Whenever we hit a big town, some incident would pop up. Someone stole a family register, or a corpse buried alive screamed from underground, or a kid went missing. But it turned out to be a ploy by a fallen noble house, burying a live guy thinking he was dead, and the kid had just gone over the hill to play at a friend's place.
“I'm dying here. For real.”
I grumbled but didn't slow my pace. Almost there now. Once inside Busan-jin, all that was left was returning the relay station horse, dropping the luggage at the inn, and washing up with hot water.
“Hey, you there. What're you doing?”
We were nearing the gate when soldiers in dark navy uniforms armed with matchlocks—like the ones I'd seen at Geomunpo in Incheon—spotted me. One approached with his matchlock slung over his shoulder.
“Ah, yes. Hello. Good work, everyone.”
Tedious or not, I bowed my head in greeting first. While rummaging in the saddlebag for my dispatch, I said,
“I'm Kim Si-jin, supposed to arrive by the 15th of this month.”
“Ah! Aah!”
Luckily, word of my coming had reached them.
“You're that guy! The one, right?!”
The approaching soldier gawked and pointed right at my face.
What the hell? A soldier pointing at an officer?
Local dialect thick as tar, he seemed thrilled from around here.
“You're the new recruit coming this time, huh? Hey! Good to see ya, kid!”
Easy to misunderstand. Kids my age entering an academy were rare as hell, and getting officer rank at 19? Even rarer. A 19-year-old showing up at a unit? Soldiers would naturally peg him as fresh meat. Yeah. Fair enough.
Smack!
Then, out of nowhere, a slap across the face.
“You little shit. No salute for your senior?”
Rubbing my stinging cheek, I stared at the soldier. He glared back like he'd never cracked a smile. Behind him, three others egged him on or snickered.
“Aw, Corporal Park! Go easy!”
“You'll make the kid cry.”
“Hey! Apologize quick! That's how you get less hits! Kahaha!”
Less thugs, more soldiers.
“You look at your sky-like senior like that?”
Not done yet, Corporal Park shoved his face into my view. He lightly headbutted my forehead with his helmeted noggin.
“Fuck. No name and rank?”
Even here, they hounded with name and rank. Oh, right. I'd gotten drilled with it at Geomunpo.
“Keep acting cocky, punk.”
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
The last one was harder. Headache throbbed, brows furrowed on instinct.
“What? Hurts? Does it hurt? Fuck, kid's such a wimp.”
His grin was as fishy as the blood in my mouth.
Swallowing boiling rage, I glanced down at his chest. Corporal Park Dol-seok. Figured. Thick skull.
“Your family's loaded, huh? Brought your own horse?”
Corporal Park eyed the horse I'd led. Not my Chorong or Dalong back home—this was a relay station rental.
“You know what that means?”
Staring at the horse, then glaring at me.
“I hate rich shits like you. Used to grin and take your coin at the market. Think why I'm saying this?”
Asked but didn't wait for an answer. Leaned in, whispered hot in my ear.
“You're fucked, asshole.”
Ugh, fuck. Creepy bastard. I jerked my head back like dodging horse breath.
“Oh? What's that?”
Corporal Park's eyes bulged at me. Ignoring him, I rummaged the luggage first. Ah, here. Pulled out the dispatch and unfurled it for him.
“What the...”
His smirking lip dropped. Face paled, cheeks quivering like jelly. Even if he couldn't read Hanja, the Hangul at the bottom—“Sub-lieutenant Kim Si-jin”—he could manage.
“Hey.”
Situation flipped. Rolled up the scroll, called him again.
“Hey. Park Dol-seok.”
“C-Corporal Park Dol-seok!”
Finally, name and rank from him. He snapped to attention, eyes front at 45 degrees. I'd taken the slap and curses, but his sudden discipline cooled my anger.
“S-Sub-lieutenant Kim Si-jin, sir! S-Sorry, sir!”
Genuine apology dripping, I shook my head with a grin.
“Nah, it's fine. Could happen. I led you on, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“What? Really?”
“N-No, sir! Sorry!”
“Yeah, yeah. At ease.”
Dispatch in one hand, reins in the other, I passed Corporal Park.
“Hooah! Sergeant Song Gong-chan and three others! All clear on duty!”
The soldiers who'd heard I was an officer bellowed crisply. Night-and-day from their giggling seconds ago. Satisfying.
“Yeah. Good work.”
Smiling sincerely, I asked,
“When's your shift end?”
“S-Sir?”
“What? Huh?”
“R-Relief at eighteen hundred, sir!”
Six PM. Passed Dongnae around two, walked three-four hours.
“Almost over, huh?”
“Yes, sir! About an hour till stand-down!”
“Got it.”
Grabbed the reins, headed not for the gate but the hitching post out front. Tied the horse, plopped ass on the ground.
“S-Sub-lieutenant Kim Si-jin, sir?”
The sergeant guy gawked at me settling in.
“Wh-Why, sir?”
“Just chillin'.”
Heard a gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years. An hour? Piece of cake.
“Gonna head back with you guys.”
The sentries blanched green. The one who'd messed with me bolted over, knelt.
“S-Sorry, sir! So sorry! I committed a mortal sin!”
“Nah. You apologized already.”
“I-I'm truly sorry! Forgive me, sir!”
Now kowtowing like mad.
“Told you it's fine. Get up.”
But I'd accepted his apology. Time for fitting punishment.
“Stop that and get back to post. Still on duty.”
“B-But...!”
“Up. People coming. People.”
Pointed at approaching folk; only then did Corporal Park rise. He and the rest snapped to sentry duty sharp as tacks. True to Joseon-era discipline, gate watch matched modern basics: check entrants' IDs, log names and ranks. After a few rounds, relief arrived.
“Yo! Today's squid—huh, wha?”
A sentry greeting relief mates froze spotting me. I stood, prepped to leave, calming them.
“All good. Don't mind me. Heading in now. Let's go. You, Corporal Park Dol-seok? Come here.”
“C-Corporal Park Dol-seok...!”
In under an hour, his cheeks had hollowed. Led him inside the gate, pointed at the dirt.
“Corporal Park Dol-seok. Down.”
“Yes, sir!”
Like eager for quick end, he boomed and dropped to plank.
Not what I wanted.
“No, not like that. On your knees, down.”
“L-Like this, sir?”
“Yeah. Good boy.”
Nodded at all-fours Corporal Park, like a baby. Called the top senior from the confused soldiers.
“Hey, sergeant. Over here.”
“S-Sergeant Song Gong-chan! You called, sir?!”
“Yeah. Grab this and follow.”
Handed him the reins, mounted up.
“Whoa?!”
“Hey, steady! No tension in those arms?”
To a horse named Park Dol-seok. A corporal, no less.
“Alright. March.”
Smack! on the rump, but Park didn't budge. Needed spurs, it seemed.
“Hey, sergeant.”
“Sergeant Song Gong-chan!”
“Luggage has a sword? Leopard-tail scabbard. Fetch it.”
“Yes, sir!”
“That's from His Highness the Supreme King. Handle with care.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Should've kept the sword on passing Dongnae. No newbie mix-up then.
“H-Here, sir.”
“Thanks.”
Whatever, no use regretting. Drew the sword from Sergeant Song Gong-chan. Swung it forward boldly, bellowed,
“Forward march!”
“...!”
“Forward, I said. Wanna die? I got a sword?”
“Hii, hii-hiiing!”
Corporal Park seemed pumped too. Whinnying on his own initiative.